#great writer you wont regret adding

[nukitan]

Okay so as much as I dislike conflating Pokémon and Digimon, (they’re two shows that just so happen to be in the same genre and I think the comparisons should stop there. The bad faith ones anyway), how great the new Pokémon anime is has made me think about something.

Basically, I feel like Horizons has a lot of elements that I would love to see in a modern season of Digimon and I think the Digimon anime could take a page from their playbook. Which is funny since up until now I’ve always said the reverse.

Full rant bellow the cut to spare your time lines if you don’t want to read my rambles.

I split them into section going into Digimon first and then Pokémon if you want to skip around and don’t care about the other franchise. BUT, I will say that the point of this essay is that Pokémon Horizons is good, the first three seasons of Digimon are good and if you like one you should watch the other.

Anyway.

First I’m going to go into my history with Digimon and what I liked about the classic seasons and what I don’t like so much about the newer ones.

Basically, I love Digimon. Been hyper fixating on it off and on for twenty+ years. I’ve seen every season, subbed and dubbed multiple times, I’ve played a good chunk of the games, I play the TCG, ect.

Something that drew me to the Digimon anime over AniPoke, was the characters and the plot. In the early seasons Digimon tackled lots of difficult issues like divorce, adoption, death, loss, depression, among other things. But still kept a light hearted, feel good air. The characters felt deep and multi-faceted (At least in the sub), and I dare say are better written than some characters from some adult oriented anime out there. And they had cute monsters that evolved into bigger monsters and fought baddie monsters, what wasn’t there to love? The first three or so seasons did a fantastic job juggling characters, plot, cool creature fights, and cute and funny moments between the members of the cast. It never really felt like a commercial compared to contemporaries. It felt like the writers were creating something with soul, it was a story first and ad second. It felt like it had love.

Adventure, 02, and Tamers are my favorites. Bellow are some characters and their arcs I really enjoyed from those seasons, skip if don’t want spoilers.

I love Taichi’s arc of being reckless, and being one track minded to the point where he put all his friends in harms way and Yamato tries to act like this calm and cool lancer type but he’s actually the group heart and sensitive the way they bounce off each other and have conflicts throughout the series is just fantastic.

Ken in 02 and his whole arc of getting over the death of his brother and accepting the consequences of his actions as the Digimon Kaiser. And the way he slowly warms up to the group is so cute. I legit cried when I watched some of his episodes post kaiser as an adult.

Tamers as a whole is an extensional horror trip. Juri’s whole thing with her depression after the death of Leomon, how it related back to her trauma after losing her mom when she was younger, and the way the D-Reaper took advantage of that- I honestly don’t know how this was slipped into a kids show from the early 2000s.

A lot of these shows that started in the 90s and early 2000s were pledged with the “Glorified 20-25 minute toy ad” problem, and Digimon didn’t really seem to have that issue to me. It felt like the creators were putting the story and characters first, and an ad second or third.

The early seasons of Digimon felt like a celebration of childhood and was something that could be enjoyable to kids of all ages and adults alike. I don’t at all get that feeling that I’m watching a baby show when I watch early Digimon. It presents things in simple terms that kids could understand without talking down to its audience. It’s great.

And then the later seasons happened and Digimon forgot what made it great and lost its soul…

Xros wars was where the ball really seemed to drop in my opinion. Sure it still had the epic Kaiju fights but… that’s about it. Gone were the intense character moments and interesting plots. All we had was the special little marry sue of a boy Taiki who could do nothing wrong besides not “TURNING HIS BACK ON SOMEONE uwu”. And there was no overcoming adversity like in the earlier seasons, Taiki would just epically throw his Xros loader into the air and scream away his problems with a “DIGi-XROS!” (Sorry Taiki fans I can’t conceal my venom for this man)

And the monsters were just disappointing too. Like they were clunky and just looked like… toys.

It felt like Digimon had lost what made it tick and started to more closely resemble what I didn’t like about AniPoke, a toy commercial with a sanitized feel.

This continued for the next couple of seasons, only really picking up again in Appmon, but while Appmon is good and had it’s moments (I love the story with Yujin. He and Haru are totally roommates, cousins even), it still doesn’t compare to the heart the first three to five seasons had, imo.

Tri felt like a soulless nostalgia cash grab. Last Kizuna was good, it gave me hope for the anime again just to crush it all away with The Beginning.

I won’t get started on Adventure 2020 or we’ll be here all day. Needless to say it spat in the face of the show it was paying homage to.

Ghost Game got my hopes up, but then the last episode just took a dump on the rest of the show. It was fun, Kiyoshiro and Jellymon specifically were the stars of the show and GulusGammamon was interesting… until he wasn’t. It was fun, had a lot of potential with its horror feel, and was the closest to classic Digimon the modern seasons had been in awhile… at first anyway. It really shat the bed. And my problem with it don’t really relate to it being episodic in nature or anything, that can be done well. The characters just didn’t feel consistent (Especially Ruli) and it didn’t deliver on any of the plot intrigue it tried to stir up.

BUT! Ghost Game at least had… a little bit of heart. It felt like the creators knew their Digimon lore and did a fantastic job incorporating it into the monster of the week. I could really feel the love there.

Also on a side note, I am not just the Digimon equivalent to Gen-Oner, hating on things that are new and fetishizing the old. In fact, before I rewatched all of the seasons around 2020, I didn’t really care for the Adventure or Tamers. But my opinions did a total flip watching everything as an adult.

So, for a quick collection of thoughts before we move on to Pokémon:

What I like in a Digimon season:

1. Good characters with arcs that tackle bigger issues in a way kids can still understand and relate to without feel like they’re being talked down to.

2. Cute moments between members of the cast and their creatures.

3. Fights that feel like they mean something and aren’t just there for cool flashy effects.

4. A feeling of love and care for the franchise that goes beyond just trying to sell me toys and games.

Things I don’t like:

-OP mcs that solve every problem with the gimmick of the given seasons

-Flat, inconsistent characters that don’t feel like they have any agency or reason for doing what they’re doing besides that fact that they do indeed have Digimon.

-Pointless fights that are just there for no other reason than just to show a cool fight

-“BUY ALL OUR GAMES AND TOYS AT YOUR LOCAL HOBBY SHOP”

Okay now Pokémon.

Just like with Digimon here’s a little background with my history with the Pokémon anime

I’ve watched the original Pokémon anime up to Diamond and Pearl as a kid and I watched some of SM and most of Journey’s as an adult, but I’ve never really been big on anipoke.

Like at best it just felt like a cute show I could turn my brain off for and just vibe.

At worst it felt like a hyper sanitized toy/game commercial (Not blaming it, that was the anime’s main purpose after all).

Out of curiosity, I watched the new series. As much as I liked Ash, I really felt like he overstayed his welcome and they should have gotten rid of him and moved on ages ago since it felt like by DP there was nothing interesting to do with the character. The Pokémon world is huge and intresting, there was so much they could have done but Ash kind of felt like he bogged it down and stunted the anime’s growth past a point.

So yeah,I got excited when they finally pulled the plug and focused on a new set of characters so I gave Horizons a watch.

And I love it! It’s got heart, characters with development, a little bit of plot, and it’s cute? Like I was dumbfounded by the fact that a Pokemon anime, that I previously wrote off as just being a glorified ad, could be so good???

And then after thinking about what I liked so much about it, that’s when the topic of this essay hit me: Horizons feels like it has everything I long for in a modern Digimon anime, almost as if they took a page out of classic Digimon’s book. Like I always heard throughout the years that “Digimon had the better anime Pokemon has the better games” But Horizons really turned that on its head.

Let’s revisit my criteria for what I liked about the classic Digimon seasons from the section above to show what I mean. (Light Spoilers for Horizons ahead, though I wont go into specifics)

1. Good characters with arcs that tackle bigger issues in a way kids can still understand and relate to without feel like they’re being talked down to.

Yep. Horizons has that. Like the early seasons of Digimon, Horizons doesn’t just use it’s human characters as a vehicle to show you all the monsters you could catch if you bought the next game from your local shop for the low low price of 60 USD, nope. There feels like theres care there.

While they aren’t fully developed yet, Liko and Dot especially show huge character growth in the first 50 episodes. They focus on their flaws and how the characters overcome them.

Liko is very indecisive at first. She’s socially awkward, she feels like shes just going with the flow, afraid to take that first step to find out what she really wants out of life. Then, she finally does, she makes the decision to follow Friede and the Rising Volttacklers to find her new horizons. It’s great. And she still has lots of growing she can do later both as a trainer and as a character. She’s fantastic for a lead.

I also like how they use Sprigatito’s evolution as stand in for Liko’s growth so far in the series. Early Digimon did that too with the Crests in Adventure and the Bio Merging in Tamers and I always really like monster partners evolving to reflect their human so much, it’s such a good narrative device!

Dot slowly being brought out of her shell by Liko and the others is just- chefs kiss. She goes from being a reclusive shut in to slowly taking interest in the things Liko and co are doing and develops meaningful relationships with them. Her care for her friends and want to be there for them makes her take the first step and is now traveling around Paldea with them! And they went about this in a very well paced way where she still isn’t just magically over all her awkwardness and shut in tendencies yet. She too still has so much room for interesting development later down the road.

The adult characters are interesting too, even though they haven’t really done much yet. They really perfected that found family group of misfits trope that I’m usually pretty sick of. I love them.

And Amethio and the other villains also feel like they’re more than just your cackling evil for evil sake type characters and I’m super excited to see what they do with them!

And as far as the tackling bigger issues point: Though its just conjecture and I might be over thinking things (Though others in the fandom have pointed this out too) there’s definitely the groundwork for it here.

Liko’s family is very hands off and distant. Liko goes away to boarding school at the start of the series, her parents work, and her grandma is a vagabond traveling the world and doesn’t often stay in one place for long.

Liko lacks solid connections and foundation in her life due to her family being so closed off emotionally, which would explains her going with the flow and being unsure of what she really wants to do. She’s lost with no guidance. And it’s not like her family doesn’t love each other, no. They just don’t want to express their feelings for fear of it bogging each other down. They want Liko to be free to do what her heart tells her, but they’re so worried about talking things out that they don’t realize how that freedom has hurt Liko and made her into an anxious mess. (They even kind of hint at this in the second opening)

But yeah, like others have said, I’m not sure if this is on purpose or if they were trying to write Liko’s family to be full of strong women and just kind of accidentally fell into making them all feel too independent and distant from one another. And it would be really cool for the show to go into Liko’s home life more… but I’m not sure it would be on brand for Pokemon to talk about something so heavy. But fingers crossed!

2. Cute moments between members of the cast and their creatures.

Yep! Horizons has got plenty of it. Right now all of the main cast has two Pokemon each and they’re really taking the time to show off each Pokemon and give them a lot of wholesome moments together and with their trainers.

The human character interactions are great too! I really like the blossoming friendship between Liko and Dot (They could be roommates guys!) and the growing rivalry between Friede and Amethio! It’s great!

3. Fights that feel like they mean something and aren’t just there for cool flashy effects.

The fights in Horizons are so cool and well choreographed, but they aren’t just there to look pretty, not at all!

A lot of the fights that take place in the first two arcs are learning experiences for Liko, Roy, and Dot. They learn new strategies, their Pokemon learn new moves, and in the arc that’s airing at the time of writing, they’re learning how to terrestialize too. The fights don’t seem to happen without purpose and always seem like they either teach the characters a lesson about proper ways to be a trainer and even sometimes help them grow as characters too.

And theres even a healthy amount of losses and wins under the character’s belts and they drive home the lesson of “You learn more from a defeat”. I like how heavily they relied on the more experienced Friede at the beginning and they got frustrated from their losses and used it as fuel to want to learn to stand on their own two feet.

The fights are great and don’t just feel like a kid mashing two toys together like some series with battle elements can.

4. A feeling of love and care for the franchise that goes beyond just trying to sell me toys and games.

This is a little harder to explain and is more like a feel than anything. But I can definitely feel an air of care in Horizons that I don’t really see from shows that feel like twenty-three minute ads. The characters and story don’t just feel like they’re trying to sell me something.

While they’re definitely leaning heavy on the Paldea setting right now, it doesn’t feel like a straight adaption of the games. They don’t really do the “creature of the day” or “character of the day” type episodes like I remember seeing in past iterations of Anipoke. Horizons doesn’t have those moments that I feel like the character is looking right at me and saying “Buy Buy Buy”

And, at least so far, there seems to be a love for Pokemon with the way the reference Pokédex entries like with Hatenna being sensitive to strong emotions or what not.

Like I said, this is really more of a personal criteria and some people can be more sensitive to this kind of thing than others. The closest thing I can compare it to is like when you’re eating a meal a loved one made for you versus something you got at a diner or fast food restaurant. You don’t know how to put your finger on it but you can just taste the love… it’s like that with Horizons to me.

So yeah!

If you’ve read this far, thanks for listening to me rant! I’ll try to wrap it up here.

Basically I just really like Horizons. It gives me that same feel as when I was rewatching the classic Digimon seasons a view years ago… And like the way Horizons fixed all of the problems I had with Anipoke as a kid and as an adult is awesome, it really feels like Pokemon Company is making an effort to listen to criticism and better the series… I just really hope the Digimon anime can do the same.

Oh and all of this is just my opinion, if I said something that you don’t agree with about Digimon or Pokémon, I meant no offense and I’m happy to hear your opinions too!

I just want to close this by saying…

Fans of early Digimon, go watch Pokemon Horizons! You wont regret it!

Fans of Horizons go watch (the sub) of the first three or so seasons of Digimon! If you like Horizons and didn’t really click with Ash era Anipoke I think you’ll really have a good time, it’s so good!

I think both series could use more love, so go out there and give them both a watch!

Okay I’ll shut up now, thanks for reading!

[peculiar-lover]

First Encounters pt 1 (Neville x reader)

A.n: Hello! I am new to tumblr and have posted my work on Wattpad so yes I'm a Wattpad writer lol. I am always looking to improve so feel free to drop suggestions. I'm pretty new to everything here so I wont be aesthetically organized just yet. Hope you enjoy

Reader has always found Neville rather interesting but has never directly communicated with him. Luck is on their side when Neville overhears how bad you are doing in Herbology and offers to help. (Next Part is steamyyyy) 

You couldn't explain it. What made you so interested in the one and only Neville Longbottom. You observed his every move during herbology to see what about him made your chest flutter. You regretted it a lot the next day. Each of his little quirks made you smile silly to yourself. He liked to softly pinch his bottom lip a when he was focusing intensely on whatever drew his immediate interest. Of course this would happen often in Herbology class. His lips. You began to pinch yours, embodying Neville. Your mind quickly flashed to fantasizing about how nicely they would place on yours.

"Hello y/n" Your "interesting" thoughts were interrupted as Luna sat right next to you.

"Oh, Hello Luna. J-just getting ready to eat." You smiled sheepishly, hoping that your distracted state didn't make it obvious that you were deep into your daydreams.

"I see. Is that why you were staring at the toast so cravingly? It does look rather tasty so I understand." She said, gracefully grabbing a piece of the toast that was sitting in front of us.

"So what Neville thing were you thinking about just now?" Luna asked so nonchalantly, biting into her toast.

*sigh* who let me think that I could get away with anything when it comes to Luna herself. "You caught me," You giggled, "I was just thinking about his interest in herbology. I'm not as good with plants as him of course, but I always do my best. For him, it comes so naturally. It's another thing I've added to the list."

"The list of what makes you like Neville? There are a lot of good things to add. I can tell." She adds on. You smiled, appreciating her support for your deeply-invested crush.

"Well, I guess its time for me to head to Herbology, i'll see you soon Luna." You smiled kindly at her as you got up from the table and started heading to the greenhouses.

As you entered you saw your golden boy himself, the only one in the class who has was already sitting down and reading over his textbooks. Your chest seemed to have the tickling sensation all over again. You decided to do the unthinkable and sit slightly across from him, not directly as you felt that if you did, your heart would not contain itself and burst.

You sat down but you couldn't bring yourself to look up at Neville, but he looked up at you. He was shocked, out of all the seats why so close to him? He didn't mind, of course, he thought it was nice for it didn't feel like he was all alone. He couldn't help but stare and observe you more. You then looked up at him and smiled. His face grew a deep red and he quickly smiled and looked back down at his book. His mind was racing with questions as to why a charming person like you would notice him and smile that bloody beautiful smile. He failed to notice your disappearance after Professor Sprout called you up to her.

"Look dear, you were so so close to getting a decent mark on this section but you really need to work harder." Professor Sprout said to you, and you head fell softly in shame and embarrassment. Professor Sprout sighed softly, "Im giving you a chance okay hun, for our next exam, I expect a lot from you and I really want you to do good."

Neville knew she was probably talking about your last exam. You looked up and locked eyes with him and again he quickly looked down as to avoid bringing any thought that he could be staring at you. He was, but you didn't have to know that. As you sat back down he noticed that your face seemed to dim from the bright glow you first showed when he saw you.

"W-what section d-did you struggle on?" Neville fought back and fourth with his nerves just to gain the courage and ask you.

You were too caught up on his question that you also quickly responded, "Oh uhm, water plants." You smiled with a little bit of embarrassment since you knew Neville himself did perfect on this part.

"I-i can help! I mean- i-i-if you want, I mean I did pretty well in that section and i know a lot about th-the topic and I can even show you real examples instead of just the ones from the textbooks a-and I-"

"That would be amazing, Neville." You nicely cut him off as we was on his fast ramble.

"G-great! Uhm well l-let's meet later today. B-by the black lake?" He smiled

"Can't wait!" You chirped at him. You wish you could say more but students started pouring into the class as the lesson was getting ready to start. You didn't mind really, in just a few hours it would be just you and him.

A.n: This is just part 1 right now but if you're reading this, I'm letting you know right now things will get F R E A K Y next chapter sooooo feel free to request more PG things. Please let me know if you liked it!

[ask-de-writer]

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 75 of 83 : World of Sea

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 75 of 83

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

copyright 2020

written 2007

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here

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Sarfin now looked as if the bundle of parchment had exploded.  The Council witness was outraged.  Blind Mecat was looking sightlessly sideways at Dark Iren and both were sporting Dragon grins, full of amusement and fangs.

Sarfin sourly agreed, “You have made your point.  This is the wrong Court for the matter of the counterfeiting.  Your proposal has merit and will be adopted after examination of the ships books.”

Kurin held out more parchments from the pile in front of her.  “Here. This is a fully referenced abstract.  It cites the Grandalor’s books by volume, page and line.  It will make the search much easier.”

This batch of parchment was gratefully accepted by the Judge, who was beginning to feel that things were out of his control.

“Now,” said Sarfin darkly, even angrily, we come to the admitted matter of slavery.  You stipulated that the Grandalor has violated the First Great Law, and sold victims into servitude.”

“I said no such thing, your Honor,” said Kurin politely.  “I said that they sold indentures to the Arrakan fleet.”

“It’s the same thing,” retorted Sarfin.

“Tis nae!” exploded Tanlin angrily.  “Do Oi look a slave?  Oi sold m’ indenture six times t’ earn m’ Master’s Certificate!  Oi made enough t’ buy a share o’ t’e Princimorn as well!”  More calmly, she explained, “Indenture, w’ich’s for a term fixed by contract, is t’e ‘eart o’ t’e Arrakan educational system. Each ship ‘as t’e duty t’ teach t’e young fry t’ read, write an’ figure.  After t’at, t’e youngsters decide w’at t’ey wont t’ do an’ sell t’eir indentures t’ learn.  T’e Master gets t’e person for a set term, paid in full at t’e start. T’e student gets room, board, payment for ‘is service an’ instruction in t’e art.  T’ere’s nae slavery.  W’at Barad did wa’ dune in Arrakan Water an’ legal t’ere.  T’e T’ird Groit Law, about respecting t’e law and customs o’ ot’er fleets in t’eir ane woters is all t’e defense Barad needs.”

“And the money from these sales that Barad made?” asked Captain Farrol with a skeptically raised eyebrow.

“Strictly regulated by Arrakan Law,” Kurin answered.  “A maximum of ten percent of the sale, after deducting specific documented costs of training, is available to the broker.  The balance must be paid to the student and to no other person whatsoever.”

“So,” asked Urson, “where does the Grandalor come up with these,” she spat the word, “indentures?  Violation of the Marriage Laws?”

Kurin looked at her with such pity that Captain Urson felt like crawling out a scupper.  “A friend of mine once said that if you want to ask a question, you should allow it to be answered, not answer it yourself.”  She turned to Barad.  “Sir, would you be so good as to explain to them where you got the students for your trade?”

Barad got slowly to his feet.  “Captain Urson, you in particular should know where my students come from.  Seven came from your ship alone. They chafed under your hard style of Captaincy and became trouble makers.  You put them off and they would have drowned had I not taken them in.  One is a lead deck-hand and content.  Another became a Master boat-builder.  A further one is a sail lofter.  The others are a bosun, Second Officer, First Officer and a Captain.  And you just threw them away.”

Barad put hands on hips and angrily surveyed the Court.  “I took men and women in when you found them inconvenient.  Easier to let them drown. You never investigated when they ‘disappeared’ because they were already condemned.  Now, you play at outrage.  Your mistakes live and prosper in the neighboring Arrakan fleet.  That is why the Arrakan trade has dropped off to nearly nothing.  They know you and your ways.”

He turned and faced Sarfin.  “Sir, of the whole Naral fleet, only your ship has never given me a student.  The only other ship like that is the Longin, and we did, to our regret, take on Silor Elon.”  

Kurin reached up and took Barad’s sleeve.  “We will tell that in it’s proper context.  Thank you for the clear explanation of where your students came from.”  

Barad looked down at her and smiled.  Then he sat.  

Sarfin looked like he could use one of Doctor Corin’s stomach cures.  “So, the indenture trade as conducted, is completely legal.  It has been the means of saving a fair number of lives into the bargain.

“Now, we must address the Charges, as they and the stipulated ramming are connected.”  Sarfin just looked tired and sad now.

“How do you plead to the First Charge.  Murder and attempted murder?”

Kurin stood before Sarfin, hands behind her back, the breeze ruffling her white hair.  “Captain Sarfin, we plead not guilty,” she said firmly.

“Kurin, we know that the plot to kill you, which miscarried and slew Garfin Halin Grython originated on the Grandalor.  At the highest levels, too,” Sarfin reminded her.

In genuine outrage, Kurin demanded, “What?  Is the Judge the prosecutor now?  Where is there justice in such a hearing?”

Sarfin actually cringed just a bit.  Then he said, “I must apologize.  You are correct.  The case against the Grandalor and her officers and crew to be determined will be presented by Council prosecutor, Captain Farrol.”  He smiled a little and added, “I will try to keep an open mind.  Captain Sula will assist me in that effort.  It was she who brought the fleet’s attention to the violation of the Grandalor’s rights and then made possible this expedition to restore those rights.”

Kurin immediately calmed herself.  “I apologize for my outburst, your Honor.  I have known you for a long time and am well aware that you have earned your nickname ‘the wise.’  All that I ask, for my clients and friends is that you set aside what you believe that you know and hear the case on its merits.  It is far different than even I believed, and I was a victim of the crimes involved.  If I believed that I were representing the criminals, I could not be here before you.”

That caused a small uproar among the audience.  Kurin could easily hear the words ‘young and gullible’ among others.  Her cheeks burned with the embarrassment of anger.  She did not consider herself gullible.

Sarfin regarded Kurin thoughtfully and nodded acceptance of her statement. Turning to Captain Farrol he asked, “Are you ready to proceed with the case against the Grandalor?”

“I am, your Honor,” he replied.  “The essence of the case is simple and the evidence compelling.

“About seven or eight Wohans ago, the Grandalor began to search for an Ord. Captain Barad, all of his officers and many of his crew participated in this search.  They finally obtained the deadly thing from the Dolthin.

“Ostensibly, the Ord was to be used for experiments in fishing.  The idea presented was to try to find a way to make it safe to catch large predator fish like Strong Skin, Wing Ray and Hag.  This was a transparent ruse.

“The real goal was murder.  Master Selked made a deadly awl out of one of the Ord’s spines.  The death-dealing awl was hidden in a kit of sail stitching tools.

“The target of the plot was none other than Kurin herself, who now defends the culprits!”  He pointed dramatically but his gesture was spoiled by Kurin yawning lightly behind her hand.

“Is that all?” she asked quietly.  “Garfin, I know, died of mishandling the awl because he didn’t know what it was.  That does make his death murder, of course.

“Do you have the sewing kit for evidence?”

Irritated that Kurin was being so direct, and stealing his thunder, Captain Farrol, said, “Of course.  It is right here.”  Donning a pair of gloves, he produced the box, once neat, now marred by the ugly green of Red Weed test paste, showing how far the contamination had spread.

Kurin addressed Sarfin politely, “Would you please get Masters Juris and Selked here?  I want their expert testimony.”

Captain Farrol immediately objected, “Master Selked is a part of the conspiracy.  His testimony is worthless.”

“Why not let the Court decide the value of his testimony?” Kurin riposted.  “Or do you have any need at all for the Second Great Law?  Willful violation of rights under the Great Laws is grounds for loss of Captaincy and Master’s Certification.  

“I wonder how the Captain’s Council would react if that matter were pressed.  There are those here,” Kurin gestured at at the rail, where five Great Sea Dragons were watching the proceedings, “who can press the issue if they have reason to do so.

“Blind Mecat, a question please.  How important are the Great Laws to the Dragons?”

“Little Fish, we regard the Great Laws as the core of human ecology.  Without them, both humans and many other species impacted by them all suffer,” Mecat replied.

“Thank you, Cat.  Captain Farrol, the purpose of this trial is to determine whether any of the accused are guilty of anything.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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[nakanaai]

Oh man, where do I begin?

A year ago, I officially began my presence in the Fire Emblem Fates RP community — and here I am, still here, a year later! Only those who have been around for longer than I have remember my old URL KIRAQI — but upon further deepening of Kiragi’s character, was changed to the one I have present day. It’s only been my second experience with a community on Tumblr, my first being in the Osomatsu-san fandom — and I had ditched one of my blogs in said community in favor of Kiragi.

I guess I should start with what I’m thankful for in this introduction. Honestly, there’s a LOT to be thankful for — this community’s kindness, it’s welcome, and the zeal it had ever since I joined to improve many different aspects of myself in the creative aspect. This includes my graphics, writing, musical ability — it’s endless. I joined this community with absolutely no idea how it’d work out — honestly, I thought it would be a lot like the Osomatsu-san community, where the majority of people DREW ANSWERS to asks. I was surprised to find out that the majority of the fandom used their creative writing skills for the most part. I was young — er, younger — when I made the blog, so I had no knowledge of what I was doing, other than the fact that I was here to have fun — I think that’s the most important part to when I joined. As began to roleplay more and more, new glasses were placed upon my face, and I started seeing — well, EVERYTHING differently. 

Before this gets too long, I’d like to just say thank you — to YOU. Because it’s likely that if you’re seeing this from my blog, you’re following me — you’re one of those THOUSAND followers that I have accumulated over the past year. Roleplaying is not my priority, as writing in a whole is just a hobby for me, and I always do things in the order and balance that I want — perhaps that’s selfish of me, but this community has allowed me to realize MANY things. Everyone I met was so unique and amazing, and even though I’ve only managed to fully befriend only a fraction of my followers, I cannot wait to see what’s in store for me in the future!

And — oh yes. You didn’t forget, right? Because I didn’t — I told you that I’d make a CELEBRATORY VIDEO. Now, let’s begin this long-ass bias list. | art credit !

NOTE: THIS IS KINDA LONG SO IF YOU HAVE A WRITTEN PORTION OR WANNA FIND UR URL JUST “CTRL + F + (UR URL)” smooch k thnx

@archerofmitrenzi​ / chase / big bro moist || HOOOO okay where do i begin here — I think I should just start of by saying thank you. because of all the people that i have met through this system, through this community, you’re the one that has helped me out the most emotionally — pulled me through and gave me a good slap in the spine when i needed it — and i definitely acknowledge that about you. i won’t go off rambling about how amazing i think you are, you already know that i think that, but i’d just like to remind you of it — because you’re not someone that i constantly have to validate. you’re strong like that, and i really admire that about you — you’re someone that just needs to be reminded that you’re unconditionally loved, and that is how i want to treat you. i’ll be honest, i was a little intimidated when i first met you — i had no idea what interest you had in me, or why you added me on skype. but i guess i’m just super thankful about that?? befriending you was a risk that i was willing to take — and i’m EXTREMELY glad i did. i really feel a brotherly, platonic love from you — and i’m so glad we share that. i don’t care how often or not we talk, because i’m not afraid to starting conversation with you — you’re really someone that i know wont judge me or anything.

i think that’s what i learned from you, big bro. i learned to be fearless.

@nenshori​ / yummy-chi but she’s yume to everyone else bc shes mINE?? || UMM ITS PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO MENTION U IN A BIAS LIST FOR CHRYS BUt I dont care ur my girlfirend and i LOVE YOU?? i know you havent been around the community very much, but i respect to why you would or would not want to be here — out of fear as i know. i’ve already fallen the FUCK in love with seiji, and i absolutely love how you characterized him already — just by the conversations we have, i absolutely adore seiji. we have not even roleplayed too much, but i really fucking like your writing — it’s just so GOOD, and i really really really want to write just as good as you. your art is amazing as well, and i really think that you deserve so much more....as ur girlfriend, its my duty do this after all. so i’m going to try and make things so so so much better for you and so so so much more comfortable for you — that maybe you’ll come here and i can!!!! advocate my girlfriend!!!!!!!! bc i love you so much!!!!!!!

@pulveriizer​ / momiji || aight, i know we don’t talk too much anymore, but you really deserve to be on this list. you’ve been influential to me even now, even with our situation and how we’ve grown — we didn’t talk too much about our muses in canon, but i definitely had fun talking about the extremely fucked up despair au with you. i just didn’t need to hold back when it came to you, and i could tell you didn’t hold back with me either — and, ultimately, i think that’s what ended “us”. but i’m glad that “us” just became “you and me” — we’re both very different individuals with similar interests. and i find it extremely admirable that you still try to make conversation — I’M the lame one, and i know that. i guess i’m still just a little regretful, still just a little bit angry — but i know that  that has to change eventually. i can’t honestly comprehend it all, but i’m glad that your message is delivered in the morning and that you bid me a good day, even if nothing else is catered.

@vvintery​ / @raimented​ / nasuga / cosmo || OH COSMO... MY WHITE SINGLE CHRISTIAN DAD... honestly i was a bit intimidated by you at the beginning but??? when u messaged me about me portrayal of kiragi i was just “WHOA!!!!!” because i had never had such a lengthy and well-written review of my portrayal, ever. you honestly give me an unconditional care even though we fight all the time — that’s rlly what i like abt our relationship, just the fact that we can fight and we can totally make up from that if we needed to. you and gwen filled a void in me that i felt for a while when it came to the community, and i can’t express my gratitude. it’s just really nice having a friend like you. not to mention, i love felix and hatsuyuki SO MUCH — i’m so so SO happy we got to share memories with both accounts, and i really hope that we can continue to share said memories in the future.

@hanabari​ / @cursecut​ / gwen || OH GWENNY MY LOV.... HONESTLY YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT YOU (((AKA UR AMAZING))) AND THAT ME AND NASUGA WOULD FIGHT TO THE DEATH WHEN IT COMES TO OUTMATCHING EACH OTHER’S THOUGHTS OF HOW AMAZING YOU ARE.... you’ve honestly gone through SO much as one of my closer friends and i just?? want you to be happy, whether that be while you talk to me and nasu or you play the FUUCKFING JIMMY NEUTRON GAME... yes but anywho, you made so many memories for me??? and i love the connection u, me and nasu had shared .... i jus.... its indescribable. i hope that things look up for you because i know you deserve that, regardless of what you think for yourself or what you think you deserve — I THINK YOU DESERVE THE WORRRRLDDD

@bewitchinqs​ / bee || AAAAA BEEE.... my be... big sissy bee. you’re the big sister figure  — all the lovely people i’ve met, and i’ve grown to look at you as an inspiration as a person, graphic designer, writer — everything to be honest. you’re not just someone that is easy to talk to, you’re someone that is adored and loved in so so SO many ways, by SO MANY PEOPLE, and if i’m being honest, my love for you mayhaps only be a fragment of the whopping amount you receive and DESERVE. however, this doesn’t derive from the fact these are still the feelings i have about you — you’re really just ... whoa!! thats all i can really describe it as. because everything you do i “whoa!!”, and everything in whatever situation is “whoa!!” too. you’re a power figure to me — tbh you could run this whole community bc its in the palm of your hands. you’re just that great with people, and you’ve swayed my heart is well. thank you for being there for me —— thanks for the being the older sister i never had.

@maidfaire​ / @ofbraveskies​ / layla || LAYLAAAA... honestly??? if i could name someone dedicated to this community, it would be you. you’re the face i see all the time, and everyone loves you — rightfully so! your portrayal of felicia is much more wonderful and lovely than you take it to be. you’re extremely chill and you care very deeply about everyone in the community — i think that’s amazing to be honest. you’re sort of like that hometown sweetheart when it comes to the fire emblem community — everyone can approach you and you’re just so prominent here that it’s difficult to imagine this place without you. plus, i could never forget how you helped me, even though we aren’t on EXTREMELY CLOSE terms — another individual’s aid always sticks in my mind, and you’re someone that i can go to without being afraid. i think it’s because i know you’re not someone who judges others — i really like that about you!

@epeedelordre​ / @shir0uji​ / allison || OH YES ALLISON....ALLIBONBON.....can i just say that i love you?? so much??? being one of the people that’s made me feel wanted and made me feel EXCITED to actually log on and be on kiragi, that’s really really important when it comes to my motivation and my muse. i’ve never told you, or at least, i don’t think i have, but you did play a huge part in how much fun i had in the community — you made my presence feel like i was SOMETHING here, something other than a kiragi. even though your english isn’t good, i still found it really really nice to roleplay and to send you memes — i didn’t care about the quality of your writing, and i still do not. i personally think it’s amazing, because it’s something i can remember and work with. your shiro and your muses shine bright in my memories, and without you, i don’t think i would love this place as much as i do now. thank you for giving me happiness — i hope i had done the same with you.

@spalvingus​ / @fiiercespear​ / @bloomiingblade​ / jenn || aahhh jen ... can i just say that you portray such LOVELY ladies? i really find that your devotion to each and every one of your lady muses, even hinata, is extremely admirable. i can’t even begin to pick up myself and write someone like CAMILLA or HANA or even OBORO ... i look to you when it comes to inspiration to writing powerful female characters. i love how no-nonsense you write each and every one of your muses-- lydia is included in this. i was a bit intimidated by you when you first joined as takumi, but when i learned you were interested in my kiragi headcanons, i was glad to see things later blossomed from there. it’s very special to me when someone cares about what i have to say — i’m also very grateful that you go out of your way liking my ooc even though it’s completely unnecessary. i’m not sure if you know this, but just that being true gives me more motivation to be here, and i don’t think i’d still be as “active” as i am without your support.

@mysticalxwarriors​ / capri || lemme just say capri ... i couldn’t have loved spending the end of my summer with anyone else. honestly, i don’t know what got over me when i just started being on twitter more and more — but i’m honestly really glad about that? knowing that there was someone i could talk to about percy and kiragi — and we had so much fun, too. i never forget sending a line of never gonna give you up at midnight when you clearly told me not too. it’s just fun to rebel like that — and hey, it was also extremely fun to just know that there was somebody on twitter that i could talk to. and plus, i really love your percy for all he is — and your other muses, too! you’re just so passionate that it’s admirable — i think that’s great tbh. i hope that you’re having fun every day and that life is never boring for you.

@ofcoronellas / @northfaire​ / nero / n || where do i start with nero tbh ... honestly, you’re just a huge inspiration to me? you’re a great person and friend, and you’re so passionate about absolutely everything you do. i saw this when i first met you, and i still see it today onwards. you’re an amazing artist, and an equally amazing writer that i look up to! i really have to hand it to you when it came to just loving kiragi and loving percy and loving pretty much all of your muses, because you deliver justice to all of them that i don’t think anyone else could possibly do. i’m so glad that i got to meet you, considering you’ve just been this huge impact to how i play kiragi and figure out his character— some of his qualities were just thanks to you! you’re such a good person — kind as well. i don’t know how to put it in further words. i do hope that you continue doing what you love, because you’re really good at whatever you choose to do.

@maskedheir​ / @acerbicsamurai​ / shira || AHHH SHIRA ... can i just say? i really really love you. i love your devotion to your passions, and i love how you know what’s best for you, etc. i think that’s a really admirable and important part of a person. honestly, like i said, i was intimidated by you when we first met — i thought you didn’t like me, or you didn’t like my kiragi. i was this nooby roleplayer that had no idea what she was doing. i was extremely happy whenever you sent memes to me when i was just a baby, because that gave me interaction with a hisame — and i was craving some interaction with him in my early years. you delivered quite well! speaking of which, i could probably never portray your muses tbh — i just can’t do a grumpy old man, but you do saizo and hisame very well!! plus all your other muses, since you’re so versatile... again, that’s an admirable thing about you. i see how happy you are on saizo and i support what you’re doing and the break you’re on at the moment, but i had to give a shout out to you because you’ve impacted my portrayal of kiragi. you let me have fun, even when i was being a total kid. thanks for that, shira.

@unladylikc​ / @honorbourne​ / livi || i’d just like to start off with how gosh darn lovely your support is to me. honestly, it’s not often that i can find kiragi in a good situation (and unique) situation when it comes to ocs — double whammy for the uniqueness. but vivian’s relationship with kiragi is one that sticks out to me as something he has with an original character — it makes me feel like i’m writing him more diverse, like he deserved to be written as. i’d just like to say how much i enjoy kiragi and vivian’s friendship and apprenticeship at that — i’m sure my kiragi would say the same, considering how vivian’s guidance as a teacher is different than most he had learned from. and that’s really huge for me — having a relationship with a muse that doesn’t include the traditional studying and/or hunting scenario. it’s a breath of fresh air that i entirely appreciate. not only this, but i do love what we have going on with say’ri and kiragi as well — kiragi’s youth also bringing a fresh breath of air to say’ri. what i mean to say is, i think it’s important for both mun and muse to get a new experience and a new opportunity for new relationships for their muse — you do just that for me, and splendidly as well.

@bornxsteward​ / @sonofanohrian / cocoa || cocoa ... i know we’ve had some pRETTY ROUGH BUMPS IN THE ROAD... but oh my gosh. let me just say, you’ve grown SO MUCH since i first talked to you. as a writer, artist, and a person — that’s so so SO important to somebody that’s helped you through hard times, as well as someone who has gone through other victims of your situations and have been mistreated in the end. your changes and your kindness has improved tremendously, and i’m extremely glad with your progress. honestly, i’m really really happy for you! you’re doing such a good job being a dwyer, and you being happy and having fun is something that absolutely everybody deserves. i don’t know why others are blocking you or what you’re doing “wrong”, but i’ll simply say that not everyone has such a broad line of vision for a second chance. i’m so glad that i didn’t give up on you, because you’ve GROWN, and it SHOWS. i noticed that when we started talking again— and i hope that your writing hobby continues on, because i’ll say, you’re a great writer! please continue being extremely amazing.

@crimson-virtue​ / @ascendancisms​ / moon || i know you’re not on tumblr much anymore, but not without good reason. still, i really enjoyed your presence while you were here, moon — i didn’t find it weird you wanted to be friends, and i was ecstatic when you made saga. you honestly made me feel like there was still worth in friendship in the community — worth in getting close to someone, worth in getting to know people. i’m pretty sure you were the one to start conversation when we first met in the beginning, but i did love to talk to you — i didn’t care that you made a crapton blogs and a crap ton of muses, too. i was just happy that there was someone that wanted to talk to ME about that sort of stuff. despite all the people in the community, i was the one you talked to about that — and even though there were probably other people, too — you stuck around, even when you left. you scared me that first time, y’know?? i was worried about you suddenly leaving like that. but when someone filled me in, i was glad to know you were just doing what you felt was right for you. i think that’s what makes you an incredible individual. 

@retakinglory​ / @chiisaichiizu​ / isa || isa... lemme just say, you’re effin GREAT. like. i can’t put it to words tbh. i really love your portrayal of both foleo and shino — like?? i’m so for them?? idk if you know this, but i just don’t like forrest in general — but your portrayal of him, and how serious he is in post-birthright, and how much you develop him is really really REALLY good — so much that i can even tolerate him and LIKE him when it comes to you. plus, you’re so mature and i really want to be at your level when i’m older. i know i’m just a kid, and you’re way out of my range to perhaps think like, but it wouldn’t hurt to be inspired, right? plus, i really liked how we can just back and forth randomly throw our muses at each other. it makes me feel versatile and flexible with my portrayal. that’s a huge thing when it comes to me as a writer, and i’m sure you know that well! thank you for providing me with that experience. you rock.

@duskheir​ / @tactiumsordine​ / genesis || GENESIS... you’re SO FUN TBH, i do love talking to you when i get the chance. i know you’re not really on siegbert anymore so i have no idea what blog to tag you in, but since my kiragi has had the most interaction with your siegbert, i decided that would be the most appropriate. but GENESIS OMG... it was just fun to talk to you and joke around? i love to mess around with older people, though, that may kick me in the butt since i might have appeared as annoying — but regardless, it made me feel reassured as well knowing that you were someone i could talk to. i wasn’t afraid or felt burdening to make edits for you at all, because you took them in strides and you took me as a person wholly two. that’s important to me, as a person. plus, like isa, it was fun just to throw our muses back and forth and have a totally uncalled for roleplay. that’s SUPER fun when it comes to me and my muse, so thank you so much for that!

@fellheaven​ / @rebellefaire​ / kris || KRIS... I JUST!!! I LOVE YOUR MUSES!!!!! and your aesthetic too like?? holy MOLY.... when it comes to things looking good and looking pleasing to the eye, you’re the first person i think of. honestly. you have such a good eye for that sort of thing!! your eye for beauty can be exchanged back and forth between soft and sweet to hardcore and edgy, and that can be difficult for many people, but you seem to nail that on the spot. that’s what i look up to you for. not only that, you’re just a good person in general and you deserve much more love, appreciation, and free-time. and i lovE your kaze too? like?? he’s so soft help my soul?? AND I LOVE HAJIME, HIS COMPLETE OPPOSITE... ill be real i dont usually like dickhole characters like hajime but when i roleplay with him or see you writing for him it?? makes me feel more determined? especially with kiragi. kiragi feels extremely determined to get close to him, and i share the same feelings.i want to see hajime melt into a soft puddle....maybe one day.

@royal-botanist​ / @aim--and--reload​ / nessa || NESSA YOURE LIKE... the popular girl, hmu xoxoo baby doll. JHKJDFGSH IM JOKING, bbut omg, youre just so GOOD?? you’re popular for a very good reason!! you’re inclusive, nice, and you play a very popular muse well! you’re nowhere near intimidating, so you’re sort of like that approachable power figure in the community i suppose? bUT YEAH... other than me rambling about how popular you are, as i said, it isn’t without a good reason. you’re just an approachable, friendly character that everyone can really relate to, including me. and you advocate love for others, which is extremely important when it comes to people i like — it’s something you do without really thinking, and i appreciate you so much for that. your leo is PHENOMENAL, and i laugh everytime you log into nina! YOU JUST HAVE SUCH A REFRESHING SENSE OF HUMOR AND PRESENCE... and everybody is sure to acknowledge that! you’re just that great. i hope that you continue to stick around and take care of everybody. i know that they’ll take care of you in return.

@myfrillspaythebills​ / @theothervonkarmagirl​ || HAHA OKAY... honestly?? i’ve had so much fun roleplaying with you for the small time that we have been roleplaying!! i think you play your muses well so far, even if i don’t know the ace attorney fandom very well as well as your ocs. i can tell that you’ve fleshed them out in certain areas already and you carry on your roleplays with a steady pace that allows it to really feel like a drawn-out roleplay in favor of something that’s really rushed. which is what i love — it made me want to constantly throw replies back and forth!! and i hardly ever feel that with some roleplays, so having that experience again is a real blessing.

@icetribemaiden​ / @nohriansunshine​ / eli || oh eli ... i have nO IDEA WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW, but can i just say that you’re??? a wonderful friend?? and i really enjoy your portrayals. you work so hard to roleplay and write a spectrum of muses, and you aren’t afraid to either. because you roleplayed so many fire emblem muses, you were able to find what you wanted to write and what was most comfortable with you. which is really special to me, to be honest? i’m too scared to make a blog sometimes because i’m afraid i’ll lose the muse too quickly — and then i’ll die midway through, because i don’t want to archive the blog nor do i want to shut it down, because that would mean losing all my memories. i’m glad you don’t have that same fear, and i could honestly learn a thing or two from you — you’re just really good at that.

@gentlexbloom​ / luna || ahhh luna! i absolutely love you and your portrayal of sakura! i’m sure you already know how great of an author and writer you are — you have so many people that look up to you and love your writing. i’m one of them — it’s just so easy to beat back and forth with the way you write, which can be difficult with some people. your writing isn’t too broad, but it’s not intimidating — it’s approachable, but great. that’s something really unique you behold, which is probably why you have so many followers, too! you’re also extremely sweet and extremely supportive — your likes to my ooc posts don’t get unnoticed. actually, it’s you caring to like those posts that make me feel like i matter as a mun — that goes a long way, and if i could, i would respond to every like you give to every one of my dumb oocs posts just to tell you that i’m really happy that you care to have read whatever i post. that’s very special to me as a mun. i do hope you know that.

@melodiant​ / mari || MARI... can i just say? i really liked our friendship for how long that it lasted. i have no idea what’s going on in your life, but you’re probably extremely busy and you’re probably extremely caught up in something that restricts you from being here and talking to me. but i totally respect that and YOU for that matter — you’re such a good writer, and for a second gen, too! it makes me feel like that there’s hope for me and my muse, and it also made me feel super thankful to have someone who liked peragi too and was willing to talk to me about the ship when nobody else did. i also think you’re a splendid artist, and i use that one picture of sophie, kiragi, and percy in their orientation shirts as my lockscreen cover for my laptop. i just get reminded of you when i see it — it also makes me look back on what had happened, and it makes me regret not talking to you more. but i hope that you’re happy, wherever you are, whatever you’re doing — you’re amazing.

@eirenarchs​ / kentaro || kENTAROOOO... i know we don’t talk too much anymore, but i just want to say how much i enjoy your benny for how much you’ve been writing so far. i’m honestly hoping that one day you’ll return to us and you’ll write your amazing benny again, but for now, i can only hope that you’ll be able to at least read this and see what i have to say. honestly?? i’m so happy i’ve been friends with you for as long as we have — i know you’re extremely busy with your school life now, but i hope that things will be able to lighten up sooner or later, and that you and i will be able to talk again.

@clumsiiily / mina || AH YES HI REMEMBER ME??? THE CRAZY GIRL WHO CRIED OVER HER THEME?? — well yes i kept my promise, so here’s my formal special shout out to you. we don’t talk ooc sans that time you helped me, but honestly, such small acts of kindness give me hope for the world. you might not think it was a huge thing, y’know, telling me i just needed to disable a small little thing — but those little things can go a long way. because of you, i was saved from more hours of headache and scanning the internet for answers that were right under my nose. not only that, you play a wonderful sumia from what i have seen from you — absolutely great! it makes me wanna hop back on henry to try and rp —— but all in all, my real point in this is to say that your actions are not wasted. you really ARE kind from what i have experienced — i’m very glad you have a presence on the dash.

Others who have provided me with an enhanced Tumblr experience, whose presence has only improved my position in the community as well as opinion on their muses. Your writing is absolutely phenomenal and I wish to become better friends in the future!

@bliissfulist | @wanclerlust | @armsthriift | @achiingblood | @wildcardkinshi | @fatalimusae | @fxdingtofoam | @zimmercalla / @emblianess | @cxrsedsilence | @nilmen0s / all your other heckngin blogs | @diablisms | @haloiisms | @shrinity | @martyrgrit | @slashing-prices | @aiiron | @sunstrand | @haruspicem | @talentedseamstress | @notchedmind | @kenshiin | @maltrust | @vallablooded | @fraenr | @heiwanoryu | @darkestdiviner | @bonyarii / @tuosemper | @noblestson | @haikudreamer | @haikumaiden | @divincr | @nesufuratu | + everyone on my blogroll !! | YOU YOU WONDERFUL LITTLE PIECE OF HECK

[brisbanecollection-blog]

Virat Kohli: 'A passionate robot with single-minded determination'

When he has failed, as he did in his younger years in Australia and England, he shrewdly and meticulously learnt and returned as a mighty, almost impenetrable threat. The last time he was in Australia, Kohli left with 692 runs at 86.25 with four centuries in four Tests. This year in England, he thumped 593 at 59.3, altering his technique in a bid to counter the swinging ball. At 30, he returns to Australia as the No.1 ranked batsman in the world, at the peak of his powers and ready to pose an extraordinary number of questions to a frontline attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon. He will also be keen to make amends for his poor form last year against Australia, when the tourists held him to 46 runs at 9.2 in five innings before he conceded to injury. While that was on Indian soil, Starc, Lyon, Hazlewood and Cummins should be able to take confidence from at least having dismissed him once each in that series, having him caught twice and lbw twice. But those who know Kohli argue that wont matter for several reasons, most notably for he is a man who famously only focuses only on the next delivery, perhaps more acutely than any rival. Respected batting coach and analyst Trent Woodhill has worked with several of the games superstars, including Kevin Pietersen and Kane Williamson, in the Indian Premier League, and has spent considerable time with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore. Loading He doesnt get caught up in whats happening too far ahead. Like no other sportsman I have worked with, he is so in the moment. All his focus will be on that red Kookaburra in game one, then the next ball, then the next ball, Woodhill said. It sounds boring and sounds like a cliche but he reminds me of the Langer of old, the Hayden of old, the S. Waugh of old. They are so compelled to be in the contest that the contest doesnt seem too threatening because its only the next ball where we have got to an age with our batting where we are looking for a result, we are looking for a score, we are looking for a milestone than [just] the next ball counts. That means attempting to unnerve Kohli through sledging is unlikely to work. While his emotions can bubble over while fielding, his focus when batting predominantly remains firmly on the next delivery although he is known for the odd word. Its also been pointed out that any negative headlines from the Australian media wont impact on him, either. Where touring teams, particularly the South Africans of a generation ago, suffocated under their own siege mentality, Kohli has a billion people following his every move and has flourished. That he married actress Anushka Sharma, a star in her own right, has only intensified the spotlight. Loading I try to be a monk living in a civil society, you know, and I dont have any regrets, Kohli once said. Majumdar added: Here was someone so deeply invested in his craft that all things happening in and around were of little consequence to him. He could cocoon himself from it all and do what has been asked of him lead the Indian cricket team with infectious passion in all formats Majumdar added: Here was someone so deeply invested in his craft that all things happening in and around were of little consequence to him. He could cocoon himself from it all and do what has been asked of him lead the Indian cricket team with infectious passion in all formats of the game.

Peerless: Finding a chink in Virat Kohli's armour will be a huge challenge for Australia.Credit:AP Former England captain Michael Vaughan has marvelled at Kohlis superb fitness, allowing him to replicate his technique and body movements time and time again when the pressure is on in the key moments. Where batsmen can try to force themselves to adopt an unnatural technique, something that is changing in the modern game, particularly in Twenty20 cricket, Kohli looks for what is natural and continues to play with an open bat face. He recently changed his technique, having his bat lift around his back hip and doesnt tap the crease as much, something teammates and coaches were slow to pick up on, because his run scoring remained so fluent. The Australians know he wont be intimidated by a short-pitched attack as Mitchell Johnson could attest after his brilliant century in the Boxing Day Test of four years ago. Where the fourth-stump channel seeking an edge behind can trouble even the best of batsmen, thats not necessarily the case with Kohli. There are those who argue the best line is the traditional middle and off-stump route, forcing Kohli to know there are consequences should he mishit being bowled or lbw. Former England captain Nasser Hussain said Kohlis attacking demeanour, and what Hussain claims is a desire to please, means there is always an element of risk to his game. I try to be a monk living in a civil society, you know, and I dont have any regrets His gut instinct is to score runs. He is not a blocker who just wants to occupy the crease. His gut feeling is: Im here to entertain, Im the greatest player on the planet, Hussain said during the northern summer when Kohli rebounded in English conditions. Kohli had also learnt from earlier failures in England. He stood further out from his crease in a bid to negate the swinging ball, particularly from Jimmy Anderson, and also he stepped further to the pitch of the delivery. There is also a theory that he can be bored out, that being bowling wide of the stumps to test his patience and ego. That then forces Kohli to step across his stumps, a tactic Vernon Philander used well earlier this year because he was able to then spear a straight delivery at his pads. Philander, though, only dismissed Kohli once. As one insider also noted, Kohli is Mark Waugh-esque off his pads, meaning the runs can flow if the tactic fails. Loading That he had tremendous success here last time means he is unlikely to change much, having analysed the manner in which he went about his business initially against a then Australian attack of Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson and Lyon. In an interview with Macquarie Radio on Saturday, Kohli declared he had always loved coming to Australia and playing here. Its a great place to bat. I feel there are times when you are going to find it difficult as a batsman but, in general, if you apply yourself and back your skill sets, and if you like pace and bounce, I think you will be fine, he said. Thats something I have never had any issues with I have never had any issues with pace or bounce of any kind. I actually enjoy playing on wickets that actually provide that pace from the pitch where the ball comes onto the bat. Then you can gain momentum in your innings and keep going with that. I think its a great place to bat if you are in the right mindset. Loading What Kohli wants most, though, is to taste a series victory. Being the worlds best batsman and most marketable asset may provide an intoxicating high, but it wont be anything like being the first Indian captain to capture a Test series here, something the likes of Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly could not do. However, he cannot do it alone. Series defeats in England (4-1) and South Africa (2-1) this year have shown consistent output from his top-order is needed if his attack, the best India has ever brought to Australia, is to flourish. Majumdar, who has followed Kohli closely for years, wonders what his legacy will be. The last words on Kohli have clearly not been written. Will he be hailed in five years as Indias greatest batsman and captain, or will he go down as an autocrat who treated legends unfairly? Again, will it matter to him how we label him? Does Kohli, the person, really care anymore? I guess, he doesnt, for he is at peace with himself, in his gym, at training, in marriage and most importantly in the coveted 22 yards, he wrote. He is all alone when he bats and when he trains. A passionate robot with single-minded determination. Much like the team he now leads. But even robots need help. THE VIRAT FILES: * Test his ego and patience with a line outside off stump, forcing him across the crease - then spearing in a straight delivery in the hope of an lbw. However, he is strong off his pads. * There is nothing wrong with a middle and off stump line, as there are consequences should he mistime a stroke. * He is prepared to adapt to local conditions - stood further out of his crease against the swinging ball in England. If he does that here, Australia could look to make him play more off the back foot. * Proved here last time he is prepared to take on the short ball for he likes the pace and bounce of Australian conditions. * Is not worried about a poor stroke - focuses on the next ball like no other batsmen in world cricket. * Sledging now unlikely to impact his concentration. Tests Inn NO Runs HS Ave 100s 50s v Australia 15 27 1 1322 169 50.84 6 3 in Australia 8 16 0 992 169 62.00 5 2 v Bangladesh 2 3 0 256 204 85.33 1 0 v England 19 35 3 1570 235 49.06 5 5 v New Zealand 7 13 2 735 211 66.81 3 3 v South Africa 9 16 0 758 153 47.37 2 3 v Sri Lanka 9 15 2 1004 243 77.23 5 2 v West Indies 12 15 0 686 200 45.73 2 3 Career: 73 124 8 6331 243 54.57 24 19 Jon Pierik is a sports writer with The Age, focusing primarily on AFL football, cricket and basketball. He has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing. Most Viewed in Sport Loading https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/cricket/virat-kohli-a-passionate-robot-with-single-minded-determination-20181129-p50j1s.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

[djsamaha-blog]

The 6 Things You Need To Do To Change Your Life In 2016

This is a brief snapshot of my last three years:

2013: Started the year as a Senior Director in Kraft Foods in New York; ended the year sleeping on the floor of a yoga ashram fifty miles from Madurai in a forest in South India.

2014: Started the year as an unpublished novelist with sixty rejections; ended the year with an international book deal with Penguin Random House.

2015: Started the year in my dream job as the Chief Marketing Officer of a Brooklyn based start-up; ended the year having quit the job to launch The Yoga of Maxs Discontent in the US and set up my independent income stream.

This isnt a humble-brag kind of a post. Theres no straight line of success here. Rather, its a series of starts and stops, a zig-zag line of coming more and more into myself, all of it predicated by a hunger to constantly re-invent. Re-invent. Build things, then tear them down, then build a new thing again, because stasis is not an option. If you arent moving forward, you are falling back. So if youre ready to embrace a little turbulence, and a lot of fear(that weird heady feeling of excitement in your gut), then this is your guide on how to re-invent yourself in 2016. Note, I wont tell you to exercise or meditate. You should do those everyday of course but they are enablers to the goal, not the goal itself. Dont put all your mental energy into running a 10K race. If your goal isnt so insurmountable that it slashes your insides, then its not a goal. So heres how to change your life:

1. Create (or at least to create).

If a mans life is measured by the extent of its impact on others, then dont push paper around. Create stuff thats going to enhance peoples lives. A product. An idea. Art. A book. A philosophy. A company. An agency. A new way of doing things in your job, whatever. The world will disproportionately reward the creator. Its simple supply-demand economics. 2% of people are creating art, 98% are consuming art (2001 census). 13% of people are entrepreneurs. 87% of people work for them. 10% of executives in a company create new systems, 90% follow them (Gallup). Be in the Top 2%, 10%, 13%, and get results ahead of the majority. And the results arent just financial. You lose your sense of self, experience an instant of divinity, become truly alive when you create. Stuck for ideas? Maybe its time for that long overdue sabbatical? Try it. Youll never regret it.

2. Kickstart yourside hustle.

Ive been in marketing roles with P&G, BCG etc. since 2002 so I can tell you with some confidence that the last 3-5 years are a watershed in business history. With Facebook advertising, Instagram advertising, and continued improvement in Search/Ad Words etc., you can reach the exact target audience for your passion product in incredibly cost efficient ways. Seven years ago when I launched my first novel, Keep off the Grass, my only option to reach my readers was to hire an expensive PR agency that begged media outlets for coverage. This year, when I launched The Seeker in India, I reached everyone who had read similar books at a fraction of the cost. Old models are changing. Barriers to entry are crashing. The balance of power is shifting to the Davids. If you have a passion for anything, photography, writing, playing the guitar, whatever, you have no excuses anymore. Start on the side today (2016), become excellent (2017), and youll start making good money off it in 2018 to quit your main gig in 2019. Work your guts out to become excellentthats the only requirement the world is placing on you today.

3. Read like a maniac.

Work in the morning, play with your kids in the evening, do your side hustle in the night, then from 10p.m.-midnight, read until your eyes burn. Dont read everything you can lay your hands on. Plant a seed in your mind and nurture that seed by ravishing it with the best ideas in the world. In 2015, I planted a seed in my head about creating my own independent income stream. So just like Id done in 2013 with meditation and 2014 with writing, I read 50+ books to nurture the idea. Here are 3 examples (until this year youd never have found non-fiction/self-help on my book shelf):

a. The Millionaire Fastlane (Horrible title, great book) b. The Art of Non Conformity c. Think and Grow Rich

I also readTim Ferriss’ Four Hour Work WeekandJames Altucher’s blogevery day,and I followGary Vaynerchuck on Youtube.

I don’tknow the exact impact of my reading. Perhaps I change 0.5% for every book I read. But thats the magic of compounding. If youre changing 0.5% each day, its going to add up at the end of the yearand your world will transform.

4. Avoid thebusy-ness trap.

Do you feel you are rushing too much? Or your schedule is so packed already that theres no time for a side hustle? Then, carefully scrutinize your day and ruthlessly eliminate the 80% of relationships that are adding <20% of emotional value to your life. If your stomach knots with dread but you feel you need to do something only because of social norm, then dont do it. Youre not helping anyonenot yourself, not the person youre supposedly doing things for. Remember, growth=number of difficult conversations youre having everyday. Have the tough conversations and eliminate the dross. Busy-ness is a choice. This year, I chose not to be busy by skipping happy hours and obligatory family events that leave me depressed. I still failed a few times and attended too many dinners I didnt want to go to. Im going to be even stricter with my time in 2016.

5. Become a venture-capitalist Monk.

Your side hustle is your passion. Your day job sucks. No big deal. Dont quit, dont complain. Become a venture capitalist, a Robin Hood for your own ideas. Make money in your day job and pour it into your side projects. Take the best writing course in the world if youre an aspiring writer. Advertise your wedding photography business. Take a week off and learn filmmaking in New York. Rent store space for your cupcake shop. Dont buy houses and cars and expensive dinners at Nobu or whatever else people burn their money on. Live like a monk. Strip your life of the non-essentials and seek salvation only in nurturing your soul. Everything else is dust as the Buddha would say. Invest in your own growth because you are the one asset thats going to appreciate year-after-year no matter the economic environment.

6. Finally, train yourself to think only exceptional thoughts.

Nietzsche and Victor Frankl said it best. To live is to suffer and your suffering is like air in a balloonit will fill your whole heart. You can either fill your heart with mediocre thoughts like and and . Or you can pause and torment yourself with bigger thoughts, such as:Why was the world created? Does God exist? How do I live my purpose? Can I step up my side hustle? Exceptional thoughts lead to exceptional actionsand nothing less shouldbe your goal next year!

Read more: http://thoughtcatalog.com/karan-bajaj/2016/01/the-6-things-you-need-to-do-to-change-your-life-in-2016/

[tanmath3-blog]

Konstantine Padadias is an extremely nice man and talented author. Writing has been in his blood for a long time and his passion shows. He has a great sense of humor and has even decided that his children will be trapeze artist. We forgot to mention that he doesn’t have kids yet. Of course this made me giggle. If you don’t know him or haven’t read his books please take some time and introduce yourself. Grab one of his books and please remember to leave a review. Please help me welcome Konstantine Padadias to Roadie Notes…..

  1. How old were you when you first wrote your first story?

While I can’t be 100% certain, i think I wrote my first story (by way of crayons on notepaper and sticker-rebuses) when I was about 5. It was a collaborative effort with my brother, who was 3, while we were rebooting one of our earlier imaginary playmates, DUCKIE. He wasn’t too bad, but he just lacked the oomph we needed to push him into a franchise.

So we ended up with KITTENCHILDE (first name Mordecai), the richest kitten in the world. He was born with a silver cat toy dangling in front of his face, hated work, controlled the world’s economy and was plagued with moocher relatives.

I didn’t really start working on writing another story until I was 14 and my English teacher at the time told me I was hopeless with the language, so I started writing a pretty atrocious, 200k word fanfic starring every character from every game I’d played so far. I’ve since expunged it from the internet since it was absolute cringe but hey, it got the ball rolling.

2. How many books have you written?

Counting all the stuff that didn’t make it off the ground? I’d say around 6, at last count. The first one was a fantasy western story about an android assassin in a steam punk world. It was called STONE COLD COUNTENANCE and it had voodoo and ancient sorcery and demon dogs but it was so poorly written that I had to make it go away.

The second one was a novel that’s currently stuck in rewrite hell, which began as a post apocalyptic body horror novel. I started working on it in 2010 and have since taken off 50k words, added another 30k, re-worked the setting and now it’s slowly turning into the story of a motorized Mongol Horde coming back in the wake of a fossil fuel apocalypse. I call it the CHROME HORDE and I hate it and love it in the same breath.

The third once is a YA novella that’s still stuck between publishers, titled TEENAGE BADASS. It’s the story of Finn, a monster hunter born, who chooses to leaves the magical comfort of her weird family to venture out into the strange world we call our own. Also, it feature time travelling Nazi werewolves.

My fourth book is SORRY, WRONG COUNTRY, which I am immensely proud of, on account of how I was working on it for 8 years and made it happen. It’s a collection of short stories about everyday weirdness in the heart of post-recession Greece.

My fifth book is a pet project I’ve always wanted to get down to, a novella that’s the first in a series I’ve always wanted to get on with. It’s titled VIOLENCE DAVE and it’s all power metal and space marine rage and all that good old ultra-violence.

And finally, the last one is FUTURESUCK, which is coming out by Sybaritic Press and people tell me it’s depressing but I don’t see how: it’s just the story of the worst time traveler ever, whizzing across the time stream after having erased his own timeline while trying to get rich quick and messing it up royally. He can never get back but neither can we and there’s nothing we can do about it.

3. Anything you won’t write about?

Politics. Can’t stand the stuff. It’s toxic and it clings to your skin and if you aren’t careful, people around you are gonna catch it. There’s nothing more stilted and awkward than stopping a story cold in its tracks just to advertise your leanings or tell people why they’re wrong and I wont’ be changing my mind about it anytime soon.

4. Tell me about you. Age (if you don’t mind answering), married, kids, do you have another job etc…

At the risk of dating this interview, I’m 32 at the time and happily married with the only woman I could ever call ‘wife’. No kids yet, but they’re gonna happen. I’m thinking about 6, so I can train them as trapeze artists on the off-chance this writing thing doesn’t work out.

I’ve worked as a sandwich shop worker, owned a small business selling religious icons, worked in marketing, bookstore sales and even spent a spell living full-time off manuscript editing. But if I had to pick a career for myself, I’d cook for a living. People tell me it’s a crap job, but there’s nothing like the sizzle of cooking oil over a fire to get me going in the morning.

Also, waking up at 4am. People can’t stand it, but there’s no sight better than that pre-dawn light, peeking through the cloud cover on a Monday morning.

5. What’s your favorite book you have written?

So far, it’s gotta be SORRY, WRONG COUNTRY. Mostly because I worked on it for 8 years and I rewrote it a thousand times and I was never good enough for it, but I loved working on it and I think it liked the attention.

It’s a collection of stories from regular weirdos, customers and passers-by I got to meet while the country was coming apart around me and I think they kept me from losing it, especially when things turned for the worse. Hell, even if we slip off the edge of the First World, I’ll still have those guys to keep me sane.

6. Who or what inspired you to write?

Like I said, i started because I wanted to piss off my English teacher, but the person that got me into writing was the Sandwich Captain, a man I kept running into at 2am in the morning when I was working in that aforementioned sandwich shop. He was probably the most interesting man in the world and he hated the attention and he was more troubled than Sisyphus.

And I loved him for it.

7. What do you like to do for fun?

Don’t laugh, but I make pickles. Carrots, cucumbers, cabbage and garlic, chili and bell peppers and onions, oh my. Then I check on them in the middle of the night, as if they were children and worry for about two months before I crack them open.

Also, I like to grow stuff. Nothing too major: maybe some peppers, some onions, when I can. Someday, I might just head off to the boonies, live off the land, then come back just in time to regret it.

8. Any traditions you do when you finish a book?

Panic. Worry. Tell people. Feel like garbage. Start planning out the next one. Am I doing it right? I don’t think I am doing it right, at all.

9. Where do you write? Quite or music?

Mostly, I write anywhere. I write at work, between handling customers. I write at home, while trying to wrangle dinner. I never had too much time to write since I started doing it earnest, but I can’t stand music, so I guess I need the..noise?

The hum of humanity, the gentle rumble of the kitchen or traffic.

God, if the world ended I don’t think I’d ever write another word.

10. Anything you would change about your writing? I don’t even know where to begin: personally, I hate my dialogue, think I need tons of work on establishing hooks, am garbage at pacing and overall wouldn’t publish me if it was up to me. Also, I think my research is atrocious and I have a very heavy hand when it comes to editing myself, to the point where I start second guessing to an atrocious degree.

You know what? It’s best I don’t touch anything. I already hate the entire thing.

11. What is your dream? Famous writer?

Famous? With the attention and the interviews and the podcasts and all that jazz? No, just give me enough to live on and a tank of gas-filled from book sales and a settled power bill and I’ll be happy.

But then maybe I’ll just bellyache and wish I had a movie deal by then.

12. Where do you live?

Athens, heart of Greece, birthplace of philosophers and every terrible idea alike, in a little place overlooking the Acropolis, nestled against the hill of Filopappou. On summer nights, we’re lulled to sleep by the distant baying of strays. In winter, beggars form impromptu choruses in street corners.

We swelter in August and we freeze in December and it hasn’t snowed in Christmas since forever, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

13. What’s your favorite thing about writing?

Writing itself, I guess. Also, browsing markets, struggling to reach publishers, trying to finagle a story every chance I get.

It might come off as cynical, but I hate writing for myself. I am the worst audience I’ve ever had: I’m awfully judgmental, offer little to no feedback and am an all-around insufferable smartass.

But writing for others? Man oh man, that’s a blast. I love talking to editors or readers, especially, pitching ideas on the sly and searching for that little nod, that semi-indifferent “go for it” sign and know that I wanna give them something they will enjoy.

Hell, even if I bungle it up I’ll get some form of feedback.

  You can connect with https:Konstantine Padadias here: Sorry, Wrong Country Book link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/194633507X/ref=cm_cr_dpvoterdr?ie=UTF8&thanksvoting=cr-vote-R103RDQVJM0OMW#R103RDQVJM0OMW.2115.Helpful.Reviews

Shapescapes Editing Services: http://shapescapes.blogspot.in/p/blog-page_34.html

  Some of Konstantine Padadias’s books:

Getting personal with Konstantine Padadias Konstantine Padadias is an extremely nice man and talented author. Writing has been in his blood for a long time and his passion shows.