#regardless this is both more or less my own opinion and the general consensus after speaking to other māori

[irawhiti]

Is it alright for people to learn te reo Māori if we aren’t Māori? Like is it an open language to learn, or is it more of a closed culture type thing? Just wanted to ask to be sure bc I know all the bs about cultural appropriation being framed as representation (like the bg3 shit just as an example). I hope I’m making sense aaaaaaa

dw you're making sense. but yeah, i've gotten this question a few times and the general consensus i've gotten from asking my māori followers for their opinions/knowledge is that it's definitely alright to learn te reo as long as you're respectful about the fact that it's an endangered + indigenous language. there's currently a heavy emphasis on teaching māori te reo for many important reasons but as long as you aren't taking up any of those specific resources or otherwise stepping on toes (and you need to actually listen if people say you're crossing a line; there are many aspects of te reo māori that require a basic understanding of māori cosmology, beliefs, and culture), you're fine and in fact generally encouraged to learn te reo māori since it's helping keep an endangered language alive :)

[whineandcheese24]

(just to be clear, this is not an attack on anyone's headcanons, and the following is entirely my own opinion and interpretation, and not meant to be taken as the only possible explanation/interpretation)

so I know the general consensus is that Benedict is bi, but I feel like pan is a better label. I'm generally not a fan of ascribing modern labels of sexuality to historical figures or characters given the nature and evolution of sexuality and gender concepts. But pan just feels like a better label for benedict.

like all things with sexuality the label pansexual can mean different things to different people, but the way I understand pansexuality, and its difference to bisexuality, is that it is both a more open term for attraction, and that bisexuality tends to denote attraction to multiple genders, whereas pansexuality can denote attraction divorced from gender (this is a personal interpretation, and is not meant to be taken as fact or a universal definition)

as for why I think it's a better label for Benedict, there are a few reasons. for starters, I think that Benedict isn't attracted to men and women, so much as he is attracted to people. he does live in regency era England, but Benedict does strike me as a man who has tried things. maybe never sex with a man before Paul, but I feel like if Benedict had a blanket attraction to men, he might have noticed before now (especially after his experience at the orgy in s1).

his conversation with Tillie, about not being attracted to every woman, and about two people's attraction regardless of gender strikes me less as accepting attraction to more than one gender, and more as removing gender from the equation.

and finally I think Benedict sums it up best in what he says to Tillie in ep8 "Paul could be Patricia, or Polly, or Peter, or all three at once." Benedict doesn't seem to have become aware of an attraction to all men in general, but of the possibility of attraction to specific men, and that this attraction has nothing to do with their gender, they are simply attractive

I just think that pansexual fits better as a label for Benedict than bisexual

[artistic-mathematics]

sentience in animatronics, particularly in sister location?

Major FNAF lore spoilers ahead. Also, this is a very long theory post. Consider yourself warned.

This is a list of the main animatronics that are possessed, or have sentience in some way or another. (This list might be a little shady, so bear with me):

Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Golden Freddy (First Missing Children’s incident, FNAF 1)

Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica (Second Missing Children’s incident, FNAF 2)

Mangle (from the fruit maze minigame)

Puppet/Marionette/Lefty (for... obvious reasons)

Springtrap (also for obvious reasons)

Looking to each of their behaviors, it’s shown that the person who possess said animatronic (aside from Puppet) were stuffed into their respectful suit, which is how said animatronic gains sentience. For the Puppet, Charlie’s spirit kind of merged with the Puppet’s because the puppet wanted to protect Charlie, even after death (or something like that. That’s basically how MatPat explained it in one of his videos.) For this, we’ll kind of just... ignore the Puppet, because that’s clearly an exception and isn’t really useful here.

Now, if we look into everyone else’s behavior, we see the following. The main animatronics and the toy animatronics are weary of adults (including Mangle, btw!), especially night guard, because they look the most similar to William Afton (or their murderer). Springtrap is, well, William Afton, and he always comes back because he has the plot armor of every Disney princess ever. They all have a proper motive -- the children and the dog looking to avenge their own deaths, while William Afton murders more people and does more of his twisted experiments with souls and wreaks more havoc overall.

Sister Location is different. We know for a fact that Elizabeth Afton possesses Circus Baby, but even then, it’s an extremely fuzzy grey line. What was her motive in killing her own brother? Michael mentions that the Funtimes thought he was William, so actually, what was her motive in killing her own father?

For my fic (which is why I... started overanalyzing this to begin with...), I’ve written this off as the fact that maybe Elizabeth’s soul wasn’t fully merged with Baby’s yet. There seems to be a bit of a consensus on there needing to be time before a spirit fully merges with the animatronic, so maybe that is the case. Maybe Baby just had sentience and decided to do whatever it took to leave, despite knowing that he was Elizabeth’s father and her own creator.

We know that in FNAF 6, Elizabeth has some control or some say over Scrap Baby. I get that an animatronic literally made by William could call him “daddy”, but realistically, Elizabeth would be more likely to do so.

For the sake of this post, let’s just assume that Elizabeth had no say over Baby in Sister Location, but in part gave Baby sentience (because she obviously is sentient by then). The true motive that Elizabeth has, while actually possessing Baby, is to make her father proud, considering that the very last thing she did while alive was disrespect orders and disappoint him. She wants to make amends and make him happy.

We have all of these possessed animatronics with a clear end motive, one that relates directly to their death in some way. So what on earth is going on with the other Funtimes?

Let’s start with Ballora. The most commonly accepted theory is the theory MatPat proposed, that Ballora is actually Mrs. Afton (whose name has not been confirmed yet). The biggest issue I see with this theory, though, is the fact that not once does she actually display true sentience throughout all of Sister Location. Sure, she has a few lines that were definitely not coded in, but that doesn’t really determine anything. There is one major difference between Baby (who we’ve already determined to be sentient) and Ballora,

Ballora doesn’t learn. I don’t think Baby only meant that Ballora couldn’t learn to pretend in order to avoid getting scooped. When Baby first mentions Ballora, she simply tells you how to get past her. Ballora is predictable, and Baby knows that. She knows exactly what Ballora will do, because she doesn’t learn from her failures. You’d think, after being in an underground facility for so long, that any human (even a child!) would be willing to change their tactics. And yet now we’re talking about a fully-grown adult who’s possessing this animatronic? It just doesn’t seem likely.

I do believe that she is at least partially sentient, though, due to her voice lines and the ability to at least listen to Baby. She also has a less than fun reaction to the controlled shocks and is very, very hostile to you after that, showing that she has at least some capacity to understand that Michael hurt them. Also, if Ennard’s inner dialogue is to be believed in night 5, then I can see Ballora bringing up the fact that he had hurt them. (I do believe that Baby planned this whole thing out and told the other Funtimes to act hostile towards Michael, but uh, Ballora may have just held a grudge regardless.)

Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that it’s been generally confirmed that Circus Baby’s Pizza World opened after the first missing children’s incident. If this is to be believed, then William Afton would have already done experiments with remnant and whatnot. In this case, I think it’s actually quite likely that Ballora may have had Mrs. Afton’s remnant, but not her spirit. This would explain why she’s not as sentient as Baby, but is at least somewhat sentient. I think this was extremely deliberate -- I do agree with the part of the theory in which Ballora was modeled after Mrs. Afton in some way. He must’ve done this to honor her memory or something along those lines.

Now onto Funtime Freddy and Funtime Foxy. We know that the both of them are also sentient in their own way, considering the fact that they were also able to listen to Baby (while Funtime Foxy does have the same motives as Ballora when it comes to attacking Michael, Funtime Freddy does not. so I do believe that Baby must’ve talked to him beforehand to some extent in acting hostile.) My theory is that both Funtime Freddy and Funtime Foxy must’ve had remnants of other people, since they both also seem to have at least partial sentience like Ballora. But who, and why? It makes sense for Ballora to have Mrs. Afton’s if she’s modeled after her. But what’s the point of making these other two sentient?

The best solution I can come up with is to enhance the AI in them, so they do a better job of kidnapping and killing children... or whatever. I have absolutely no proof to back this up, though.

Then, well, Ennard happens. And the three of them vote to kick Baby out. While the three of them kinda just... let things happen in Sister Location, I think the reason for their rebellious behavior was actually due to Elizabeth being merged with them. I think that maybe she passed on some of that sentience to the other three, giving them just enough willpower to boot Baby. Do I have evidence for this? No. Is this entirely based off of headcanons? Yup. Honestly, I’m just spitballing at this point. I am so, so very tired of trying to figure out how sentience even works in FNAF at this point.

(Don’t even get me started on Bon Bon, the Bidybabs, and Minireenas. I have no goddamn clue how any of them even fit. The Bidybabs saying “She’s watching us!” or something along those lines just... my one braincell is crying.)

Anyway, please let me know what you think. This was long and convoluted and I want some opinions from other people, because I really am just overthinking all of this now.

PS. I have no idea how this remnant stuff even works. Couldn’t you tell? I probably should’ve researched it but I’m too braindead for that now. Literally putting this out there before anyone flames me.

[the-insomniac-emporium]

i stumbled upon ur writing looking for lady d x non-binary reader fics and ur work has just been a godsend i’m obsessed. it’s inspired me to start writing my own even though i’ve never written for fandoms before. i’ve never written for other actual characters before either so i was wondering if u could spare any tips for writing for lady d and her daughters? 🙏🏻

:D

I can certainly try! I'll divide the tips into lil sections for each characters. Might be less tips, more character observations that help me figure out how to write them? Putting under read-more for length. Also! If you ever want someone to look over what you write before you post it, I offer my services! I can't guarantee how fast I can respond, but I've been editing/proof-reading/giving general feedback for my friends for years, with everything from fanfiction to college level essays.

Alcina:

Large and in charge, literally. Regardless of the situation, Lady D wants to stay in control, or at least look like she's in control. Okay, minor exception being anything involving Mother Miranda, since she's the one person Lady D has any real respect for. Otherwise, Alcina maintains a good grasp on any situation, looking for ways to put herself in control.

For example, she often uses her height as a means to establish dominance, even within RE8 canon. If you watch a video of the Four Lords meeting, Alcina stands up once she starts arguing with Heisenberg, towering over him in an attempt to intimidate. We also see the aforementioned exception in this scene, as Lady D sort of "shrinks" a little when Miranda responds.

As much as Lady D wants to be in control, she's not always actually capable of it. In the game, we see her struggle to contain her emotions, and often releases them in outbursts. Such as the infamous vanity throwing scene (god I love that so much). It can provide some nice contrast in scenes, having Lady D be so in control one moment, then as soon as she's behind closed doors she's letting it all out.

Uses the most old-fashioned language out of her whole family. It's kind of hard to describe how one goes about writing this way, but I recommend trying to find some journals that were written in the early 1900's and reading them. Or just some classic novels (not Moby Dick, tho, that one's a bit much, in my opinion). One thing I can say is occasionally swap contractions (can't, don't, I've, etc) for the full version of the word (cannot, do not, I have, etc). Something about that always makes dialogue feel older, though I can't really explain why. Whatever you do, just don't rely too much on using synonyms. Replacing common words with their cousins can make dialogue feel "fancier", but you often run the risk of unintended connotations (feelings, positive or negative, associated with a word) messing with how a text is interpreted.

Puts up a front/facade around most people, as part of her noble background and need for control, with words like "stoic" and "composed" coming to mind. Very rough with troublemakers, no mercy. But!!! So very incredibly soft with her family/loved ones. I've seen some people accuse her of "faking" her love for her daughters, but these people either played a different game than I did, or they can't read emotions as well as I can. Gentle touches when she's checking if her kids are okay, little glances and gentle nods for reassurance, pausing a chase just to help her daughters, etc.

Bela:

Wants to make her mother proud. Legally obligated to make her mother proud, because she's the eldest daughter. Not that I know how that feels, being the younger of two children. Regardless, Bela is the most well behaved of the daughters, even when her mother isn't around. However, she does resent this position to some degree, based on in game dialogue/dialogue files that are in the game but aren't used. Personally, I see her as someone who's willing to let certain things go in exchange for favors/blackmail ammo.

Cleans up after her sisters a fair bit, sometimes literally. Feels responsible for them, to the point where their mistakes are her mistakes, and she's forced to compensate on their behalf. Because of this she ends up complaining a lot, though almost only when her family isn't around.

Still very protective of her family, she simply does most of her protecting behind the scenes. Knows how to manipulate a situation, which she probably learned from her mother, and can be quite convincing when she wants to be. Less likely to use violence to solve a problem than anyone else in the family. Will she use violence if need be, or if someone fucks up enough? Yes, absolutely, but she'll focus more on efficiency than misery (unless someone really fucks up).

Generally speaking she's more eloquent than either of her sisters, though not by much unless she's trying to impress someone (usually her mother).

Cassandra:

Two words: Angry. Horny. To her, they might as well be one word. Horngry. Cassandra struggles with her emotions more than either of her sisters, being a pressure cooker ready to pop basically all the time. It's not hard to set her off, but it can take ages for her to cool back down. Let's her frustration (of any variety) build up until she can bludgeon someone to death with it. Harshest on the servants, and spends the most time toying with others in the dungeon.

Like Bela, Cassandra wants to make her mother proud, but it's less of an obligation and more of a "I'm the middle child and feel like I don't get enough attention" type deal. Is more than willing to stoop to "tattle telling" activities in order to get the attention she craves. Usually sticks to obediently following her mother's orders or hunting down enemies, though.

Bit of an artsy type, and the most likely to take trophies from her victims. Gross ones, usually. Okay, well, that's debatable, but I'm talking about general consensus rather than my specific tastes. Personally, I don't care if she's got some weird blood paintings. Hell, I've got extra blood, and also am clumsy and bleed a lot anyway, she can have mine!

Hides her non-anger emotions as best as she can. Hates talking about her feelings (even if it helps), to the point where it's usually impossible to tell how she's feeling deep down. Remember, anger is a secondary emotion! No one is ever just angry, there's always something else hiding underneath, such as: Sadness, disappointment, loneliness, jealousy, etc. Keep this in mind when you're writing her. Make sure you pinpoint the center of her anger, and hint at it, letting her actions show her true goal.

Swears the most, easily. Tends to speak in shorter sentences than her sisters, and prefers being blunt to being eloquent/flowery.

Daniela:

Love, love, love, love, love, ahhhh deep breath... love. Loves love, or at least what she processes as love. Would do anything for romance. Except she also craves "natural" romance, creating a sort of paradox that adds to her delusions, as she engages in the pursuit of unintentional romance (not to be confused with "The Pursuit of Unintentional Humor", a song that I very, very much enjoy). Wants to be loved for who she is at the same time that she attempts to mold herself into a more lovable shape. Struggles with intimacy, wanting to feel vulnerable without actually being so.

On some level she understands that draining people of their blood, and then drinking said blood, is not equatable to a healthy relationship. But seeing as this is the most common form of supposed "intimacy" that she experiences, she refuses to acknowledge the true nature of what she does. Instead she clings to the idea of "forever bonding" with her partners, pretending that each one is still with her, even when she no longer remembers their names.

Hates being rejected, no matter how gently. "Ugly" cries, but only if she's alone, often turning her pain into anger, just like Cassandra. However, her outbursts don't seem to last as long. In reality, her breakdowns simply occupy the inside of her existence, rather than the outside. Sure, she's giggling and causing chaos, like usual, but on the inside she's breaking a record for most depressing internal monologue.

Reads a ton, but not always "quality" books. Goes through a dozen books or more a week, often rereading her favorites several times, mainly within the romance genre (obvs). This affects her speech a fair amount, making her both cheesy and occasionally smooth as hell.

[thejustmaiden]

The Sesshomaru F*cks Debacle

Hey, fellow Inuyasha fans! How we feeling?? I imagine a lot of us are doing quite fabulously after the recent news we got about the sequel coming out this Fall, "Hanyou No Yashahime." So if it wasn't obvious already, I want to take the time to discuss the topic of- you guessed it- Sesshomaru. Go figure! 

***THIS IS A REPOST OF MY ORIGINAL BLOG THAT DISAPPEARED FROM THE TAGS. PICS/GIFS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO HOPEFULLY REPAIR THAT.***

Let's be real, as much as probably (and literally lol) all of us have viewed him as "daddy material" at some point or another during our teens, Sesshomaru being physically intimate with another being, much less a human, is difficult to conjure up in our minds. And there's nothing wrong with that, per se, as sex and romance doesn't come so easily to some as it does to others. Then again, that's not to say a romantic relationship is completely impossible or unattainable for him either. 

I, for one, am not a huge fan of the idea of Sesshomaru siring children of his own. Granted, adopting/protecting children and other small companions is kinda his thing (I saw one user even describe him as a 'walking daycare' 🤣), and maybe it'll just take some getting used to, but all in all it's not entirely unfathomable to picture him having biological children. Though I'd be lying if I said I still didn't prefer he just took these two twin half-demon girls in and under his wing instead, like he did Rin. However, seeing as that's unlikely the case since the two girls resemble him in some fashion, the chances of that coming true are slim, which must mean that Sesshomaru did in fact bone some lucky lady. That's not to say I don't acknowledge that there's still a chance these kids aren't truly his but we'll see! 

Which leads me to the real reason behind this blog! I'd like to address in-depth why I and so many other Inuyasha fans consider shipping S*ssrin as wrong and why it makes a lot of us extremely uncomfortable. 

BUT FIRST BEFORE I FORGET, I want to give a little unofficial disclaimer by stating that this blog isn't intended to upset certain fans regarding my stance on the controversial ship. Thus I will not tag it under that ship name, and I suggest others who agree with me to do the same in any of their future posts. 

Because let's not forget that the most important thing is that we're all fans here. We fell in love with this story and hold its beloved characters close to our hearts for a reason. And that still counts even if you're returning to this fandom a decade later. So please, let's try and remember that and be civil towards one another. Putting people down by attacking and insulting others in real life really doesn't make us any better than them. I REPEAT, please do not engage in this post unless you plan to be kind and respectful of others who may have a differing opinion than you. There's never a need to be ugly towards another human being. That goes for all shippers and fans of Sesshomaru in general. Thank you in advance for your understanding and compliance. 😊

Again, none of these comments are aimed at being inflammatory towards those fans who have a different approach to this pairing. If any of you are reading this now, please keep that in mind before deciding to participate in any discourse with me and other antis. 

Okay, let me go ahead and list a few of the main arguments fans of this particular ship use to support them together. Then I'll give my reasons why those aren't enough to justify their relationship turning romantic:

1. Rin will be an adult before they get romantically involved

2. Sesshomaru didn't raise her and therefore isn't her father; he was never like a father to her in the first place

3. Sesshomaru hasn't been grooming her, not then and not now. Besides, it was Rin's choice first.

4. Age difference shouldn't matter when you look at other relationships in the series (InuKag, Koga x Ayame, etc.)

5. It was always going to be canon because the drama CDs exist

 These are the main points I'm seeing around. Now let's dissect them, shall we? These are my direct responses- I'll try to keep them short and concise. Fyi: Jk! I'm lying, that never happens. 😆

1. Rin may be an adult, but from our standpoint that doesn't make much of a difference. It doesn't matter because it's all about how her relationship with Sesshomaru started off and how it continued onwards. From that moment, it was basically established from the get-go that their relationship resembles that of one a young girl shares with an older man who winds up becoming her guardian. She initiated it by trying to bring him food while he was injured, and he reciprocated by deciding to bring her back to life that fateful day. 

Of course we're all happy that he did, because he's a better demon for it and a similar thing could be said about her! Therefore you must understand that fans against this pairing find it very hard to grasp the notion of a budding romance here when we look at their history. For us, it's synonymous to imagining a father eventually falling in love with his daughter or someone else who reminds him of a daughter, and vice versa. But let's just say he's not a father to her like many of you claim and more like, say a modern-day babysitter. Isn't it still bizarre to you that a young girl could fall in love with the man who looked after her and cared for her at that age, maybe even played games with? One day or on multiple occasions he even sees her naked because she had an accident and got hurt so she needed help changing or something. I admit it's more realistic that it was Jaken if anyone who'd be in charge of this, but why does it really matter who was tasked with what? Sesshomaru may have not been around all the time but that doesn't mean he's any less involved or invested in Rin's general care and well-being. So it's that thought alone that keeps many of us from even contemplating a romance forming between them. Whether he hardly interacted with her over the years or not is irrelevant, because it's clear to me that they have both formed a strong enough bond that constitutes calling them family. I highly doubt he ever even planned to keep Rin in his company as long as he did. But it happened, and whether you want to admit it or not, meeting her changed his life. Meaning Rin was never just some girl he traveled with or hardly knew. Despite his feigned indifference and stoic ways at times, I'm pretty sure we can all agree that Rin grew on him and was the first person to really influence him in a way that helped soften and open up that heart of his in a way nobody ever had before. One's significance to any given person isn't solely measured by the quantity of time spent alongside that person but by the quality of how that time was spent with said person. It's safe to say that in the case of Sesshomaru and Rin, they definitely fall under that category. 

2. Fair if you don't view Sesshomaru as Rin's father, but you must acknowledge that he did fill some father figure-like role to her at the very least. Or let's just call him her vassal if you think that's a more accurate description. Also, can I just quickly stress again that it doesn't matter how long she spent by his side or whether she spent more time in the village or not, because he still ended up playing a major part in her childhood as an adult male role model. Regardless of the title you give him, it still stands that although he may not be her official adoptive father, he is LIKE A FATHER. There really is no point in denying that, because their dynamic exudes one of a father-daughter. I guarantee you that any outsider looking in would agree that if not her father then at the very least he embodies a male relative of some kind. Honestly, the details of their relationship dynamic specific to this show (regional/period differences, human vs. demon culture, etc.), don't really matter here. Why? Because one can assume that the general consensus here is that a large percentage of fans perceive their connection as a familial one. Yes, most would unanimously agree that Rin and Sesshomaru, along with Jaken and Ah-Un, are a FAMILY. 

If she had first met him as an adult, then we'd possibly have a very different story here. The point of the matter is that he didn't, so that should be where this discussion ends. Unfortunately, for many, it's not. The bottom line is that a child he knew and cared for should never be someone he begins to view in a romantic light. I don't care how many years have passed (or that to demons years are like days or some less inconsequential length of time), and how much she's matured or how specific marriage customs were back then (if they're no longer appropriate now then why are we still condoning these backward practices?). Rin should NEVER have the desire to be sexually attracted to this father figure she's always looked to and trusted to protect her. Maybe it's vastly different from a demon's perspective (even though still unjustifiable in my opinion), but as a human, Rin's feelings towards Sesshomaru wouldn't and shouldn't suddenly change towards him and in such a drastic manner mind you. Yeah, maybe she used to have an innocent crush on him, but I'd like to think our smart and compassionate little Rin would learn that was simply because she was a child who didn't know any better. Besides, growing up with Kaede and around other humans I'd like to think she fell in love with another human sometime over the course of all those years. It only makes sense, right? Don't you think that's part of why Sesshomaru left her there in the first place? He wished for her to experience what it was like to live a normal human life, falling in love and marriage both being a key part of that. If I were Sesshomaru, I'd be deeply troubled if I started to develop feelings for a little girl I once protected and kept in my company for quite an extended period of time, which was at least a year from what I understand. (Pls correct me if I'm wrong because I gather it may have been longer.) 

3. Apparently in the manga and the Final Act, we see Sesshomaru still visits the village to check on Rin from time to time. He even brings her gifts, such as beautiful and luxurious kimonos. I recently learned from another Tumblr post that kimonos are what older men gift in order to sort of earn their favor with these young ladies, AKA they're wooing them. If that is indeed true, then that would mean he's basically grooming her and has been for however long she's lived there in the village but potentially even longer. To put it nicely, he's courting her. If this was another young lady (maybe not an adult perhaps but still of marrying age) who he DIDN'T assist in raising, then I could possibly get on board with this.

The thing is, it's far from that with them two if you consider everything they've gone through and endured together! Because he not only met her as a young girl but he got to know her first as a young girl, and she became one of his traveling companions all while she was only a young girl!!! Their bond will always be defined by that time when she was just a young girl, and nothing can or should change that he will always see her in that same light. Kinda like how our parents or other family members from older generations tell us that they'll always see us as their babies. So the fact that her time spent with Sesshomaru is constantly compared to her time spent in the village shouldn't apply here. Don't we all know this already? That we can can come across someone in our lifetime and maybe the time with them is short-lived, but that doesn't make it any less significant or those people any less special. Sesshomaru made an impact on her as much as she did on him, that much we know is true. Sure, it was years ago, but that's not something you ever forget. Sometimes when you look at loved ones you haven't seen in a while, there are just certain memories you have of them from over the years that will come rushing back to you without fail and that you will always cherish no matter what. I'd like to believe that when Rin looks at Sesshomaru and he looks at her, that they can both look back fondly on their times traveling together. This explains why I'm really struggling here to picture how anyone could sleep with someone they used to treat as their guardian/father/ward/daughter/what have you. So someday and somehow, this person just stops viewing them that way, is that it? I mean, how does this work exactly? It's not like you can just flip off a switch and forget everything from your past with this person, ya know? Unless you have your memory wiped, what I'm understanding is that S*ssrin shippers approve of the idea of these two characters KNOWING that they are or used to be like practically FAMILY to each other, yet agree that these two characters in question still have the capacity not to mention desire to pursue HAVING SEX with each other anyway. Do I got that all right? Did I miss anything?  

Originally I provided two examples of fan art I found to help put what I'm trying to say here into better perspective, but since they've been removed, just type in "Sesshomaru and Rin" on Google and you'll find plenty of examples of what I'm talking about here- and no, it's not S*ssrin images. I realize Sesshomaru has never been the touchy-feely sorta guy like it's depicted in some of the fan art, but that doesn't necessarily diminish the affection he feels and attachment he has towards Rin. He just has a different way of expressing his love is all, even if he doesn't outwardly show it. The real question here is, can you really look at sweet pictures of an adult comforting a child who's been under his care for a significant amount of time and then suddenly be like, "oh man, I can't wait till they bang!" I'm sorry, to each their own, but you gotta admit why we must find that creepy. 

4. Regarding Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship, we need to remember that he didn't age after all those years stuck to that tree. And besides, demons age differently so this is a pretty unfair comparison. This isn't the best example, but think about how a cat's lifespan works. 10 years in (indoor) cat years is like 56 in human years. So technically in demon years, Inuyasha is physically and emotionally compatible with a human around Kagome's age. Hell, even though he's over a hundred years older, Kagome is still a whole lot more mature than he probably ever will be! 😂 (Psst! We still love you, Inuyasha! 💋)

Now as for Koga and Ayame, this also isn't comparable to Sesshomaru and Rin. Koga met Ayame one night, only not to see her ever again until she was older and of age. After rescuing her on that night when she was only a girl, he gives her a piggyback ride and you can tell he just wants to cheer her up when he mentions her being his wife someday. (And boy, did that work wonders on Ayame!) Then they gaze at this stunning lunar rainbow together, which I think is quite rare judging by looks of it. This is not an attempt to defend this proposal- if we can even really call it that- but all I'm saying is that I don't think even Koga knows what overcame him in that moment. Fast forward to present-day when they cross paths again, and Ayame still remembers his so-called promise, but guess who doesn't right away? Yep, our man Koga! It takes a quite a while for it to come back to him, too. This further proves my point that something beyond Koga and his power possessed him to say all those things to a little Ayame for some reason. Maybe you can call it destiny, or maybe it was some special kind of magic caused by the lunar rainbow, Idk! All I know is that they do end up together in the Final Act and that it wasn't until they met as two consenting wolf-demons that they really grew to know each other and coincidentally- or maybe not so coincidentally- fall in love.

 5. From what I understand, it appears these drama CDs are some kind of satire which doesn't equate to canon. Perhaps Rumiko did not debunk them but she also didn't confirm they're true either. I'm hearing conflicting reports, however, and her involvement in them is questionable. Like her name is supposedly on the cover or something? But then I've also heard that she has spoken out against this ship. From the sounds of it, there is enough evidence- or lack thereof rather- to conclude that fans cannot use this as proof enough for their ship already being or soon-to-be canon. 

Finally, I'd like to end on this note where I'll be addressing ethics in entertainment. When it comes to our choice of entertainment, there's always a level of escapism implied, sometimes so much that we project ourselves onto certain characters. Delving into a fantasy world like that of Inuyasha can really help some people better cope with real life problems, but it's all about striking the right balance, as each individual has different wants and needs. The thing is there's only so much escapism one can allow in a fictional world before basic morals from our own world begin to take precedence. I can always enjoy some good fantasy, but it's not long until I start to reflect on how I personally relate what entertainment I'm currently absorbed in to real life. It's inevitable really. For example, if certain relationships portrayed on screen conflict with strong opinions I've adopted on a sensitive topic, especially those that take children into account, then I feel it's my responsibility to speak out against any media that even remotely promotes it. Yes, even if it's just fiction. Because art imitates life, right? (And yes, sometimes the other way around.) So in other words, our stories should mirror our way of life to some degree. History has seen its fair share of ugly events and traditions we are surely ashamed of but that we've hopefully learned our lessons from. Most societies nowadays seriously frown upon or condemn stuff like pedophilia, child grooming, or anything of the sort. Of course it doesn't help that we see still see these kinds of issues glossed over so much that we've become desensitized to them in many respects.

The thing is we cannot allow this way too common older-man-dotes-on-young-girl trope (or anything resembling it) to continue to be glorified or romanticized. It matters not that feudal Japan was a drastically different time to be alive and that this was the norm back then, or even that this remains a popular ship in Japan. All it comes down to is if whether we would currently tolerate such acts and behaviors were we to witness them in real life. If your answer is 'no', then it should be 'no' in every respect. If you deem it acceptable just because it's fiction, then I'm sorry to say, but you're going to have to answer to a lot of people. No surprise there, that goes for all fandoms. I guarantee you it's not just the people who personally identify as victims who have serious qualms with this ship either, because you don't necessarily need to have bad experiences of your own in order sympathize and see where a lot of these people are coming from. And no, just because I'm unhappy with the possibility of S*ssrin going canon does not mean I'm whining or that I'm attempting to spread negativity about this series before it's even out. Remember, fans have the right to be critical of whatever content it is they're watching/reading, and if they demand something in the storytelling be represented better, then of course they can challenge that. After all, none of us should feel like "canceling" the content we love is our only hope to fixing a story. That's not how it ever should be. Fans are fed up, and can you really blame them? Nah, we can strive to do better in this area, plus it's not like there isn't always room for improvement. So let's please be more vigilant about how the content we consume translates to reality, in addition to being mindful of how it can directly correlate to real life problems for ourselves as well as others around us.  

That's a wrap, y'all!! I hope you enjoyed what I had to offer on this topic, and here's hoping I actually contributed something new to this conversation! I'm aware that that's unlikely the case for us fans who've been living in this tag the past couple days (like me lol), but I'd like to believe I put my own spin on it and it was still worth your while. 😉 

P.S. Overall, I remain optimistic about the new show! So are there any friendly Inuyasha group chats on Tumblr I can join? If so, please do invite me! I need to obsess about this sequel even more than I already am, EEEK!!!

[primasveraas]

The Hunger Games has genuine literary merit beyond the fandom reactions to it

Arguably, it was one of the most influential franchises of the 2010s. However, it suffers from being both extraordinarily overrated and criminally underrated when closely examined. It was a conversation in my Literature class that led me to wonder: does this series truly have literary merit? The question became inescapable as I was swept up in thought and nostalgia, and the deeper messages of the series are indeed clear to me upon revisiting the beloved childhood saga. 

The response to the films and even the books themselves reveal that Suzanne Collins’s critique of current society was right all along. The real merit of The Hunger Games series is painfully overshadowed by the elements that “sell well” within mainstream media. Because The Hunger Games is a story that features popular cinematic elements such as violence and romance, including a classic love triangle (see the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Twilight, Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Divergent, etc, etc), the series is devalued from its real message. The fans of the series place little value with any deeper meaning, and it is therefore lost to the menial focuses of the general public.

To begin, the focus of the book begins with the concept of the Hunger Games, wherein children are pitted against one another in a fight to the death. While this is portrayed in the books, the cinematic approach further visualizes the violence that is apparently so entertaining to audiences. Where scenes that give greater meaning to the series are not included or inaccurately shown, the theme of violence and gore is left to rise. Unfortunately, this undermines Collins's commentary on the prevalence and glorification of violence within our society, including in popular media and the news, especially when it comes to the normalization of such horrific acts such as the deaths of children, murder, and war itself. When these events become political fodder or are reduced to headlines, they lose their significance and real meaning: people are suffering and something must be done about the matter.

long post below the cut. I wrote this as a full essay rip

Furthermore, the series also satirizes the upper class and those with enough privilege to turn a blind eye to the suffering of those with not enough luck or initial privilege in their life to absolve themselves from danger, violence, and poverty. The Capitol is a society of wealthy people and the main audience for the games, yet they do not have to send children them to themselves. This isolated, secure part of an impoverished, divided nation, represents how, in our society, the wealthy and powerful take advantage of the lower classes through the exploitation of workers, unfair tax cuts and overall societal imbalances that systematically keep minorities at a disadvantage. While the 1% profits off of suffering, the rest of the world is left to suffer.

  It must also be addressed that most of the symbolism in the series, at least the books, is subtle and only hinted at by Katniss. Why these messages were not revealed even after the movies were released can be attributed to Suzanne Collins’s silence on her own series. With each cinematic release comes press tours and interviews about the meaning of the books and movies, but Collins notably has largely remained silent on the matter. In today's society, it is not uncommon to see authors such as JK Rowling, EK Johnston, Rick Riordan, and more take to Twitter, Instagram, or other websites to elaborate on the messages within their books and clarify what they meant, even retroactively adding to the meanings and characters featured within the books. But this neglects the death of the author, wherein readers are allowed to form their own opinion, regardless of the author’s intentions. The post-publishing contributions to a finished work can be done for profit or maintaining fan interest beyond the completion of their series. Yet, not letting their work exist as its own product, up for reader interpretation, devalues their work. Collins’s refusal to participate in this culture is admirable. Her words are placed in the hands of readers, continuing the legacy that existed for thousands of years before Twitter was invented. 

Even so, the pitfalls of this are her target audience of young adults, who often fail to understand the real messages embedded within the work. The literary analysis above is, unfortunately, necessary to prove the symbolism within the series because society instead chooses to focus on the elements of romance and violence present within the series. As a result, Collins's genius is truly underappreciated. Her writing and the literary merit therein flies over the heads of her readers. Again, the true value of the series has been lost in the glorification of violence and romance. Collins herself is arguably not advocating for these values; it was only by accident that her books became so popular for the wrong reason. Her other series are relatively unheard of but just as profound. The Underland Chronicles possess the same poignancy and significance as The Hunger Games, but its subject content is considered too outlandish by society to be thrust rapidly to the same heights as the latter.

Even so, the generalized reaction to The Hunger Games movies and books prove this point. The first of the series is the most popular and by general consensus, the most interesting. The following two books, especially the conclusion of the series, are considered to be boring. Yet this is the point. Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, depicts the dangers of war and the society that has been allowed to evolve from the ashes of a long-past conflict. The country erupts into civil war, but audiences consider this to be boring because of the emphasis on battle strategy, power struggle, and Katniss’s mental health, rather than outright violence and romance. And still, it is these ideas that contain the most literary value. These points, which I will elaborate on later, are superficially less interesting than the elements of a love triangle and kid-on-kid murder but must be acknowledged to find the true value of the series.

Even Collins’s portrayal of romance within the series subverts the expectation of modern love. The stereotypical gender roles between Katniss and Peeta are flipped. Where Katniss is tough, coarse and even unfriendly, Peeta is likable, charming, and charismatic. Katniss, especially in the first book, is seen taking care of Peeta who repeatedly gets injured; she is his protector while he is frequently criticized for his softness as a character. Yet in the end, Katniss chooses Peeta for his gentle nature and care; these are the qualities that she needs to balance out her own anger and roughness. She loves him for “feminine qualities” because she seeks a true balance of her own personality. Peeta is one of the few characters who remain uncorrupted and pure even with the horrors of their society. Few acknowledge this; the debate over Katniss’s romantic life is reduced to a love triangle between the baker boy and childhood friend. But in Collins’s own words, “Katniss isn’t just deciding on a partner; she’s figuring out her worldview.” The books do not portray a simplistic love triangle. It is the choice between optimism and a surrender to violence.

Katniss herself is unwilling to participate in violence and the idealization of murder unless it comes down to the survival of her family. Katniss’s defining qualities are her loyalty and love, rather than blatant heroism and the want to make change in the world. Unfriendly and hardened, she is static in remaining a fierce defender of her family. Again, this is purely realistic considering the hardships of her childhood. As a result, she is forced to act differently as a popular idol for both the Capitol and the rebels. Whenever she appears as a figurehead, she softens her personality to be likable and charismatic. The Capitol wants to see that she is still feminine, lovely, and unharmed by her upbringing in the districts. The threats against her family still motivate her; if she does not perform well, everyone she cares about will be killed. It is only when she has nothing else to lose that she acts out in rebellion. At the climax of The Hunger Games, she suggests to Peeta that they both kill themselves instead of killing each other. As one of two tributes left, she cannot bring herself to kill him, as her humanity defines her in that moment. Over the course of the games, she comes to care for Peeta, and she refuses to sacrifice that humanity, even if it means that she can go home to her family. Her next move beings a continuing trend; when she does not have the option to protect her family, she acts out in rebellion against the Capitol. She or Peeta will die in an act of defiance. By trying to kill herself and Peeta, she shows her true genius. If all tributes die or if more than one live, the Capitol loses, and she forces their hand on this matter. This moment displays her true, underrated intellect. 

Thus also begins the battle for control against the Capitol. As the series progresses, Katniss combats the urge to do the right thing for the greater good of Panem. In District 11, she tries to make up for the losses of their tributes by donating money and speaking from her heart about those who saved her life. But in the end, she is forced again into silence by the threat against her family. She will not compromise their safety even for a rebellion that could potentially liberate the country. Although she has inherent goodness, Katniss is the ultimate reluctant hero. In her own words, “all I want to do is protect my sister.” Unlike most heroes, she does not fight for the greater good, but for the protection of those who she cares about. Also unlike the archetypal hero, she is constantly restricted by her own inhibitions about what she personally has to lose. While this subverts expectations, it also emphasizes her humanity. Despite her cultural reputation as the girl with the bow and arrow, Katniss is a tangible character with real fears and doubts. 

Also, the symbolism of the loss of innocence is degraded because the series so popular for its violence and romance culminates in a book that emphasizes other points and uses action and love sparingly. They no longer have great narrative significance, meaning that the mass commercialization of the book became harder and its subject less interesting to consumers.

Other themes in Mockingjay display the corruptive nature of violence and power. Alma Coin, the president of the rebellion, rises to power as a direct result of extreme violence and brutal tactics. Even without her final act of bombing children, her true leadership is the result of violence, bloodshed, and long-standing war. Her presence suggests that violence breeds violence, even with good intentions. Because Coin is forced to wage war, as there is no other way to overcome the current circumstances of the country, war and violence become her expertise. The longevity of war implies that once the mindset of violence is adopted, it can never fully be washed away. While Coin has good intentions, she eventually becomes violent and even senselessly cruel.

This is further demonstrated in the scene, when after the war is won, she suggests that they hold a symbolic Hunger Games using the children of the capitol. This is an act of revenge to emphasize that the Capitol no longer has power. However, Coin continues the same vile methods of control, propagating the cycle of violence and bloodshed within the country. Katniss is one of the few people who recognize this; she is consequently the only one left to act on this knowledge. When asked to vote whether or not to hold the games, Katniss decides two things. The first is to vote yes, and in doing so, she recognizes that she has been used as a pawn by both Coin and President Snow, who need a figurehead to maintain power. She is intelligent enough to comprehend her powerlessness, and at that moment, resolves to do something about it. During the scene, she is depicted as having an almost silent conversation with Haymitch, in which they both agree to comply with Coin because they cannot currently do anything about their circumstances. Haymitch says “I’m with the Mockingjay,” signaling to Katniss that he understands the reality of the moment and will support her temporary compliance and future resistance. Katniss's intelligence is truly revealed with this scene, although most interpret her decision as her want for revenge. In reality, she has decided to kill Coin and effectively break the cycle of violence within the country.

When Katniss finally has the opportunity to kill Snow, she instead aims for and kills Coin. It’s never explicitly explained why, but it still reveals Katniss’s true perception of society. This gives her true power, with the responsibility to take action. It can also be noted that at this point, she has lost her sister and feels as if she has little else to lose in her life. She is no longer motivated by love for her family; now, she has nothing left to lose and this makes her all the more powerful. She knows that killing the new president and leader of the rebellion that brought them to victory and “liberation” is a fatal action, but when she does so, she damns only herself. She is free in the sense that no one can be used against her anymore.

Even so, when she is arrested for the murder of the new president, Katniss’s struggle with mental health is further emphasized as she rejects her medication and treatment, starves herself, and saves up her medicine in the hopes of overdosing and killing herself. She has nothing left to live for. She is described as inhuman and miserable, yet, almost abruptly, a change occurs. Katniss chooses hope. She begins to sing, experiencing untempered joy. It is random and it is beautiful. Those who struggle with mental health know that hope is not simply achieved; it can become a choice. Those with good resources can find hope more readily, but at the lowest point in one's life, there remains a decision to fight for change and the betterment of one's life. Katniss is forced to reconcile if she wants to remain living and succeed, despite any struggle that lies ahead in trying to get better. For no particular reason, she chooses to continue fighting and this is what makes her a true hero. She has lost her sister and her family and any chance at a normal, peaceful life. By killing Coin, she has ruined her reputation and prospects, yet she continues to live, and as a result, she ultimately achieves the life she had been seeking from the beginning. She is free, she can choose peace. From the beginning of the series, Katniss emphasizes that she never wanted a life in the public eye, and now with most of society failing to understand her action and rationale, she can escape. She never sought glory nor fame, and she pursues peace. This is the ultimate loss of the Capitol: the one who stood against them, who fell prey to them, who fought in their games not once but twice, choose hope and calm demonstrates the true beauty of Katniss as a protagonist. It is her simplistic wish to hang up her bow and arrow and go home that sets her apart.

At the beginning of the novels, Katniss says that she will never have a family because she does not wish to bring children into such a corrupt world. Modern circumstances including climate change, the current state of global politics, and general abject hopelessness parallel this feeling in our own world. But after overcoming this in her own universe, Katniss achieves true happiness. At the end of the novel, she has two children. At first, this may seem out of character or included merely because it is the stereotypical happy ending in media, but this is what truly emphasizes how far Katniss has come and the security that she has made for herself. With her intelligence and bravery, she has remade society into someplace where she is comfortable enough to have children, to raise them and settle down with the man she loves. Again, her choosing Peeta represents how she no longer has to give in to the roughness of her personality to defend those she cares about. She can be gentle and kind as she never was before. She can be a mother and pursue her own definition of happiness. Suzanne Collins's decisions as an author mean that there will be no sequels or spin-offs, no midnight Tweets to corrupt this joy. Most of all, Katniss’s solitude in this journey depicts the uniqueness of such intelligence and clear perception. Because she was the one with enough clarity to see the corruption and violence of the country, she has the power to remake it in her own image. This elevates her beyond a typical protagonist, and beyond the simplistic interpretations of teenage fans.

It is impossible to realize these things and not wonder what Suzanne Collins thinks of what has become of her series. With its influence severely devalued, such a great critique on humanity and all its complexity is lost. Ironically, the society that Collins was criticizing failed to understand her true message. The importance of these ideas cannot be stressed enough: we live in a society where there are daily power struggles between classes, and consumerism is controlled by monopolies of major companies. Not only that, but Katniss is reduced to a girl in love who is good at archery. And in the movies, she is played by Jennifer Lawrence, who dropped out of middle school and has repeatedly come under fire for offensive comments. Collins’s intelligence and that of her main character are criminally underrated. The public reception to The Hunger Games severely devalues the complexity of the series. Elements of violence and romance take place of deep symbolism and criticism of our world; movies are made to be entertaining and sell well rather than represent a good story. One can only hope that is the love of a beloved childhood series that will lead to them being revisited to reveal these truths with more meaningful clarity. 

[thephantomporg84]

[REDACTED] be complaining reg. the reactions of having "placed the cultist island Fortuna off the coast of Florida" while having the gall of "It’s the story & the way it’s told that should fucking matter" & "Who cares? It’s fictional geography, you idiots." Feels a bit like failing World-Building 101. I mean, Red Grave based on London would also be a callback to Dante's early concept of being a Brit.

Someone already sent me the whole post of hers that I’m pretty sure you’re referring to lmao. I’m in a particularly cunty but pleasant mood rn, and analysis is kind of my thing, so lets’s break it down, shall we?

Maybe someone can send this her way and… learn that tiny little brain of hers a thing. 😉

It’s fictional geography called world building, you idiots Karen after the cut:

‘I love how a number of shitheels have screeched amongst themselves on this hellsite about how I had placed the cultist island Fortuna off the coast of Florida or somewhere around the Gulf US states (re: the fanfic & project link in my header), whining that it should’ve been in Europe, namely Italy.’

An admission to stalking profiles is not exactly the best way to start a self-righteous rant or advertise your… magnum opus, but go off, I guess.

‘Not only that, but they whined about “plotholes and inconsistencies” without elaborating on what the latter are. The asshole who made the rant was annoyed when I used a poem as a spell in the story (“if I heard that, I’d turn off my PS4.”), but I’m sure she didn’t bitch about the cutscene before the last Agnus boss fight in DMC4.’

Like the movie The Room (2003), it’s just easier to say “all of it” is bad because “all of it” contains plotholes and is inconsistent in tone, has terrible half-baked ideas and plot threads that remain unresolved and/or do nothing to further the plot, is rife with poor + inconsistent characterization, has a lack of any knowledge how the medium it exists in is made, and in general makes me wonder how much pottery enamel you’ve been huffing to think any of this was a good idea. Howeverrrr, in contrast to you, Tommy Wiseau is kind of odd and weirdly charming both in general and about his terrible movie — he’s found glory and success in its terribleness. You, in contrast, remain a miserable cunt with delusions of grandeur.

Dante and Agnus’ Shakespeare bit is actually a pretty well known trope called Ham-to-Ham Combat. Dante and Agnus are both ridiculous Large Hams in DMC4, and when two Large Hams meet, in general, they are likely gonna try to ‘out-over dramatic’ each other. This can lead to a scene becoming either really funny or really corny (or both) really fast. If things go too far — and they do, in this case — the scene can become a Hormel Event Horizon.

‘…but they LOVE the plotholes & inconsistencies if Capcom makes the latter, and writes a terrible story! And Crapcom’s canon for DMC is as straight as a paperclip or a dog’s hind leg. Hypocritical pricks.’

Subjective opinion is not, and never will be, objective fact. People are, as of when I checked again in the last ~5 minutes or so, absolutely able to enjoy whatever media they want regardless of what the general consensus on the quality of that media is.

As an example, I enjoy The Room (2003) despite its terribleness and it never fails to make me laugh, while your magnum opus makes me want to huff pottery enamel so the pain will stop despite you thinking it is the work of an idiot savant.

‘They were also mad that I wrote Dante as a wiseguy who is a little more low-key about it due to the circumstances— instead of being a pathetic manchild airhead that tries too hard.’

You didn’t write Dante.

You wrote Reboot!Donte — a fucking terribly out of character version of him, at that.

‘I was primarily concerned about moving the story along. I didn’t care about where a fictional island is supposed to go.’

You literally had one (1) job, Karen.

‘…Meanwhile, not a single character in DMC4 had an Italian accent, so uh, why should I give a flying fuck where I put it?’

Haven’t you been like… shitting on the DMC staff… for terrible writing… this enti— You know what? You’re obvs way too dumb to notice that contradiction, so I’ll let it slide.

Just… a word of advice, if I may? Don’t ever watch dub TV shows. That last brain cell would fuckin’ just burst all over your carpet.

(Actually, don’t watch subtitled shows either. An extremely popular anime that was set in Italy just wrapped and all the characters — le gasp! — spoke fucking Japanese. You would shit.)

‘I wasn’t paid to write any of what I wrote, but be my guest & send a PM if you want to throw money at me. By all means, do that.’

Oh, thank fuck, because they would have been ripped off, big time.

[ btw, you sound p. jealous of people that write/do creative work/commissions for ko-fi/payment tho. Not a good look tbbh. If it’s any consolation, though, I don’t get paid for making fun of you and/or analyzing your dumb bullshit, either. :( ]

‘The pricks at Capcom didn’t even bother giving us a proper DMC4 and it was a half-assed game, with the latter half being hasty filler material. The “special edition” they coughed up in 2015 was just glorified overpriced DLC.’

Ya know, you gotta be pretty far up your own ass to think this much of your opinion. And I’m saying this as a person that’s pretty far up her own ass like 85% of the time.

‘And another thing, Redgrave City in DMC5 seems to be in England, yet no survivors speak with English accents or slang/dialects.’

Pretty sure no survivors had speaking roles.

If you played the game you’d know this.

‘Meanwhile, Dante and Vergil had lived there when they were kids (until age 8), but they both have ordinary American or Canadian accents. Furthermore, how did the twins make it to the USA or Canada? According to the little booklet in the DMC1 game case, Dante’s office is in modern America.’

You know that invoking the imagery of a specific place without naming your location is normal and standard practice, right? Overwatch even does this (For Ex: Byōdō-in (平等院), Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan is the inspiration for Hanamura, Château de Duingt, Duingt, France for Château Guillard, etc.)

Furthermore, you know the original DMC was a rejected first draft of Resident Evil 4, right? This is what retcon is for. You at least know what retcon is, right?

‘…That information isn’t very important, but I’m bringing it up to illustrate a point that being a fucking pedant about geography in a fantasy game is idiotic, even if the setting is akin to modern Earth.’

So is freaking the fuck out and sending death threats over a fantasy game but you didn’t let that stop you either lmfao.

It’s actually super important to establish your scenery and the way your world operates, especially in a written work in which readers are dependent on your vision and your descriptions, and if you were a decent writer, you’d know this.

‘It’s the story & the way it’s told that should fucking matter.’

YOU HAD ONE (1) JOB, KAREN.

‘What US states are the Arklay Mountains located in?’

General description puts them in the U.S. Midwest. Raccoon City itself is stated to have a population of ~100,000 at the time of outbreak, and the only city in the Midwest that matches that population in 1998 is Springfield, Missouri, with a pop. of ~110,000.

Springfield is on the Springfield Plateau of the Ozarks region of SW Missouri. So they’re part of the Ozark Mountains.

This all took less than ~3 minutes to google, btw.

‘Where is “Zanzibar Land?”’

I actually just wrote a comprehensive answer to an ask a few weeks ago about this. It’s actually stated to be in Tselinoyarsk (Целиноярск), the (fictional) area of the former USSR in which Big Boss carried out the Virtuous Mission/Operation Snake Eater in 1964. Tselinoyarsk itself is heavily implied to consist of parts of Kyrgyzstan and/or Tajikistan. If you played MGS3 you’d know how important the setting and the varied environments/climates are to the game mechan-

oh yeah wait you believe in segregation of story and gameplay mechanics. I forget you’re completely tone deaf sometimes lmao.

How far is ‘Salem’s Lot or Derry from Bangor? Who cares?’

Stephen King does, quite a bit. He even has a map on his website of ‘his’ fictional version of Maine:

My disappointment is immeasurable, Karen.

[novellyorg-blog]

Reproductive Justice Mini-Campaign: What Does "Reproductive Justice" Mean To You?

By Novelly's Head Youth Designer, Cat Martinez.

The phrase "reproductive justice" is a commonly used term when discussing topics that vary from birth control, personal autonomy over one's body, and most commonly...abortion. In honor of our mini-campaign on Reproductive Rights, here are the responses collected when members of our Novelly team were asked the question, "What does the term reproductive rights/justice mean to you?"

Here is what a member of our executive team had to say:

"To me, reproductive rights are about the right each person has to control their own body. In some cases, a democratically elected government may wish to encourage members of its society to take certain actions (drink plenty of water in the summer, eat five pieces of fruit a day, etc.) but ultimately each person owns their own body and should be able to treat it how they deem fit. This goes for everything from voluntary body modification (earrings, tattoos, split tongues) to gender affirmation surgery to the ability to control one's reproductive system how one desires. This means that everyone should have access to the birth control medications or devices or surgeries that they want — free, on-demand, and without apology. We should organize our society around guaranteeing these rights for everyone."

Here is the response from a member of our board of directors:

"I am very lucky to have been in a position to have control over my reproductive rights and health most of my life. I had an abortion when I was 18 and not in a position to become a mother. I called on the resources I had for the situation and was supported by my family. 11 years later when I became a mother, it was because I was ready and made that decision. The fact that the education, resources, and support afforded to me because I was born in the US in 1980 on the west coast to 2 white parents is, I realize, something that is not a global norm. I think education and resources are the first things that need to be made available to women everywhere but also this is a hot button issue socially, almost everywhere. I for one still get heated at the hypothetical sitch that if men were the ones who carried children, abortions would be available like haircuts. Which is awful but true. Anyway, I digress... The good news is the social aspect, at least in the US, has become a front runner in the conversations being led by the next generation of strong young women–and we need to keep it going."

Here is what our youth designers had to say about the topic of reproductive rights:

"Reproductive justice to me means I have a choice with my own body. I can choose to enact my reproductive rights at any time, without being told by someone of a higher power. Reproductive justice also means that I am allowed to do what I want with my body and don't need to be pressured by society."

"My understanding of reproductive health is this: the rights and access for women, regardless of any socioeconomic or personal distinctions, to healthcare options that allow them to have greater autonomy over their body, health and, as a result of the two, their lives. It's much bigger than just healthcare though: it's also about what happens after-the-fact, in how they continue to receive care and good quality of life after childbirth, for themselves and their family, and enforcing preventative measures against sexual abuse and its possible consequences."

"I am very pro-choice. I think that it should be completely up to the mother/family to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy. As long as the child has not been born, it means that the child still does not have any emotions or knowledge. However, a hungry/abused/orphan child does. If the family cannot take care of the child, I think it's better for them to wait until they are ready/capable to support a child. And the only person who can decide that are the parents."

When having a discussion about sensitive topics such as abortion. Differing views and ideas are vital to facilitating good discussion. Here is a perspective from another member of Novelly:

"Reproductive justice, to me, means the right to have children or not. If you want to have children and are capable to take care of them, then go for it. Have a child and take care of him/her. If you do not want to have a child, then that is your decision. However, if you decide to have a child then decide to have an abortion, then what is the point? What is the point in going through all that trouble just to have a child and then decide to kill that child? The child who does not have a say in this process? I understand that there might be some complications with the baby that might kill the mother, but to kill the child because you cannot support him/her? That is worse than murdering someone because you have not let this special child live their life."

Finally, here is Novelly CEO Anna Casalme's perspective on abortion and how her views have changed over time:

"I grew up in a very conservative, Catholic household....I remember going to church on Sundays and there would be crosses set up once a year for the unborn. There would be sermons by the priest to pray for all of the people who had abortions. I was very staunchly pro-life when I was in high school, and this carried through some of college. But now, I've completely shifted and changed in terms of how I feel. My stance is that I think that we should trust women to make choices regarding their own bodies, regarding their own reproductive health, regarding how, when, and if they want to have families. I think abortion is one of many options, and I think it's an option that needs to be less stigmatized....it's something that we need to be more comfortable saying out loud."

Regardless of your personal opinion on abortion, it is important to acknowledge other viewpoints. Only by having opinions from both sides, pro-life and pro-choice, can we accomplish mutual respect and come to the table with the common goal of a consensus on the sensitive and controversial topic. So I pose the question to you, our readers, what is your stance and what is your story?

[devbloglinks]

What are 4 efficient lead generation strategies for B2B marketers?

B2B marketing strategies, regardless of their tactics, perform the same function: they signal how to reach a goal and how to allocate resources along the way. That means that the first step on any strategic journey is to define that ultimate goal. After all, marketing goals keep team members on track and allow team leaders to judge progress.

To lock down your marketing objectives, or goals, consider where your brand is positioned right now in the market. Choose two or three objectives that make sense in terms of the overall business direction and competitive landscape. Most B2B marketing strategies will work toward at least one of the following common goals:

Lead generation

Lead nurturing

Customer retention

Brand differentiation

Customer education

Profit increase

Revenue increase

Once you define a goal, decide how much you can spend on reaching it using a marketing strategy. Marketing strategies can contain dozens of activities, from live events to outsourced tasks and public relations, making them tough to budget for accurately.

Sagefrog found that CMOs of B2B healthcare, technology, industrial, and business services companies are spending 10 percent or more of their yearly budget on marketing in 2019. Not sure if you’re spending enough (or wondering if you’re spending too much)? A marketing budget template can help you keep track of just how much you’re spending and the value you get in return.

Now let’s dive deep into the strategies.

Influencer Marketing

Emotion-led Marketing

Event Marketing

LinkedIn Marketing

1.Influencer Marketing for B2B

Influencer marketing conjures images of millennials posting Instagram Stories. But it’s a powerful B2B marketing strategy in its own right. 84% of business decision-makers initiate their purchasing process by researching opinions from industry experts and peers. B2B marketing teams can tap into that behavior by using an influencer marketing strategy.

Start by identifying industry influencers. These don’t have to be people with enormous social media followings necessarily; rather, they should be people who are seen as thought leaders. Targeting so-called ‘micro-influencers’—professionals with under 10,000 followers on social media platforms—is a good way to identify people with an established community and a high niche relevance for your target audience.

Once you’ve identified relevant influencers, consider what kind of marketing activities would be of mutual benefit for both you and them. For example, webinars are often a good way to leverage an influencer’s existing community and grow brand credibility within the group.

An influencer marketing example for B2B:

Amex did exactly that when they launched the ‘Love My Store’ campaign with bloggers Grace Bonney and Emily Henderson. Both the influencers have a committed following of small business owners in the lifestyle sector.

Bonney and Henderson created designs and content to encourage business owners to place Amex signage in their store windows. The influencers documented the project via online platforms, boosting trust among target customers and creating a network-effect distribution among communities.

The campaign resulted in 400,000 Amex store window stickers being distributed, and 5 million impressions on YouTube.

Find out how to create an influencer marketing strategy from start to finish.

2- Emotion-led Marketing for B2BB2B marketing is often thought of as an emotion-free zone, a place of numbers and quantifiable results. While it’s true that B2B selling often involves marketing to multiple decision-makers, the individuals in those groups are motivated by emotions. Think with Google found that B2B purchasers are almost 50% more likely to buy a product or service when they see personal value in it.

But the emotional factors behind B2B buying are different than those behind B2C buying. In B2B, purchase decisions are often motivated by two forces:

Risk Aversion: B2B decision-makers play for high professional stakes when making a purchase decision. A decision that impacts the bottom line negatively could cost someone their job or at least their personal status within the company. IBM’s iconic sales pitch ‘Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM’ tells a truth about B2B marketing.

Groupthink: B2B decisions are made collectively. While combining executive expertise is helpful sometimes, it can also lead to groupthink, when people strive for consensus rather than choosing the best option for the organization.

An emotion-led marketing strategy can help marketers tackle these factors head-on—countering risk aversion with reassurance and groupthink with peer-to-peer marketing. This could mean a personalized referral program that connects existing and potential executive customers or a strong claim like IBM’s pitch. Both are effective ways to reassure B2B decision-makers that they’re not going out on a limb by choosing your product.

For example, business software suite Zoho allows existing customers to earn commission by becoming Partners. These third-party referrers provide personal reassurance to peers. That kind of tactic pays off: B2B companies with referral programs log a 70 percent higher conversion rate than those without and a 69 percent faster close time on sales.

But emotion-led marketing for B2B doesn’t stop at risk aversion or groupthink. Take the example of Xerox, which used emotionally positive paid ads to sell their Genuine Rewards program.

Let’s be honest: Of all the elements that make up a professional office, photocopiers are probably the least fun. Yet in a campaign that reinforced the motivational aspect of a rewards program, Xerox used goofy content videos to sell the program to team leaders looking to motivate their employees.

B2B marketing teams that take an emotion-led approach to strategy will be able to tap into the often-neglected psychological drivers behind B2B purchases. This could give you the edge over competitors solely focused on selling through logic.

Event Marketing for B2B

Thankfully, digital marketing has hardly done away with real-world events because meeting clients out in the real world is still an effective way to generate leads and close sales. Almost 75 percent of B2B marketers agree that hosted events are becoming more integral to their marketing success, not less.

Event marketing isn’t without its challenges though, particularly when you host the event from scratch. Tracking revenue back to events is notoriously tough, and event budgets can spiral upwards faster than most marketing strategies spend. Making an event marketing strategy work for your B2B business is about aligning activities closely to goals and keeping a tight rein on activities.

Consider these 3 tactics when incorporating an event into your B2B marketing strategy:

Define Event Type

Start by figuring out the right type of event for your goals. If your marketing goal is strong growth, large events like trade shows or conferences can generate a large number of leads. If your objective is to shorten the sales cycle, intimate self-hosted events can move leads down the sales pipeline faster.

You’ll probably find yourself choosing one of the following event types:

Trade show

Conference

Invite-only self-hosted event

Public self-hosted event

Webinar

Remember, a 360 strategy could involve more than one type of event as long as your budget stretches to it. Once you have your event type and budget in place, you’ll need to set goals and define what success looks like for your event.

3- Promote the Event

Effective promotion is vital for a successful B2B event. Email marketing is best for events that aim to move existing leads down the sales funnel. When it comes to lead capture, you could experiment with paid ads on niche industry sites, or engage your micro-influencers in event promotion. Also, it might be worth experimenting with social media promotion depending on your B2B niche.

Even if you’re attending someone else’s event, promote your company’s attendance with relevant Twitter hashtags and perhaps even Facebook Live videos. If permitted by the event organizer, get a list of attendees ahead of time to reach out on LinkedIn to connect with possible leads before event kick-off.

Capture Leads Effectively

Make sure you’ve got processes in place to capture as many leads as possible from the event. That information will need to get into your CRM system without any leaks. Three out of four B2B marketers say their current mix of technology and resources doesn’t work for them, resulting in lost data around leads, spend, and revenue according to The 2018 State of B2B Event Marketing Report.

As the event gets closer, keep an eye on your lead count. Are you on track to accomplish the goals you set out when you defined what success looks like? If not, circle back to the step above and find new ways to promote your event.

Cutting-edge software like Leadature allows marketers to collect lead information by scanning QR codes on attendee badges. That information is then sent to the cloud and integrated into a CRM. If your budget doesn’t stretch to that kind of software, promoting the event on a platform like Eventbrite also allows you to collect the email addresses of everyone who signed up. You can then manually export these.

GE’s Healthymagination events are a great example of B2B events for a niche audience. The Healthymagination initiative brings innovative healthcare technology to underserved communities worldwide. The campaign’s events help sell the initiative—and the GE-produced technologies it uses—to health and development professionals.

Seven hundred industry professionals attended the event to watch giant movie screens on which doctors shared how GE’s healthcare technology improved health in rural communities. GE not only generated a pool of 700 leads and potential brand advocates, but they also built positive associations for the company and its products.

4- LinkedIn Marketing for B2B

B2B topics may not often (ever?) go viral on Twitter or Instagram. But B2B digital marketing strategies can crucial role in your overall marketing plan. LinkedIn in particular can be a rich source of leads and traffic.

The professional network is 277 percent more effective at generating B2B leads than Facebook and Twitter and generates 64 percent of all social media visits to corporate websites. Marketing consultant Louis Camassa goes so far as to claim that “LinkedIn is where 80 percent of B2B leads are generated on social media.”

Marketers that choose a LinkedIn-focused digital marketing strategy can follow this three-step playbook.

Identify Potential Customers

Proactively identify potential decision-makers for your brand. LinkedIn provides Advanced Search features that allow you to filter profiles by company, industry, location, school, profile language, and nonprofit interests.

For teams using Premium LinkedIn features, the Sales Navigator feature recommends possible leads based on your brand’s specifications and integrates that information in your CRM.

Connecting with these potential customers will expose them to more of your brand’s content. If you’re using more aggressive tactics, Premium LinkedIn users can send prospects Sponsored InMails.

Segment Audiences Using Showcase Pages

Just like you create specific landing pages on your website to speak to different audiences, Showcase Pages allow your brand to target specific customer segments within LinkedIn. Large, multi-faceted companies like Salesforce have a ton of Showcase Pages.

By breaking out pages for different customer groups such as sales teams and development teams, Salesforce uses Showcase Pages to deliver targeted content and build brand awareness on a micro-level.

On top of that, the platform recently introduced native video, similar to Facebook Live or Instagram Stories. This feature won’t be right for every B2B brand, but streaming native video can help certain B2B companies appear more authentic and extend their brand presence on the network.

Generate Leads

Frictionless lead capture is the Holy Grail for B2B marketers. You can avoid having potential leads fall out of the pipeline by using LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms. When a potential lead clicks on your brand’s sponsored content ad, an in-app form is automatically filled with their profile data. They can submit that form without ever having to navigate away from the app.

Once submitted, marketing teams get the lead’s name and contact info, company name, seniority, job title, and location.

Enterprise software multinational SAP is a great example of a multi-pronged LinkedIn marketing strategy. They use Showcase Pages to connect with different audiences, employ prospecting tool Sales Navigator to connect with leads and distribute their message through short-form video.

This broad-brush LinkedIn playbook can be tweaked into a leaner B2B digital marketing strategy based on ongoing results.

Want to know more? leave a comment below.

[magnus-blackhart]

The King Is Dead, Long Live the King

WHO ;  Octavius and Magnus Blackhart WHERE ; the bearorian castle. WHAT ; Octavius Blackhart’s final moments

octavius: the hunting expedition had done wonders when it came to clearing octavius’ mind of any clutter, or, at the very least, sweeping all of said clutter under a proverbial rug. he did not want to go back to thinking of strategy, of the kingdoms they were up against, so soon. this was all very well and good -- a successful hunt was a perfect excuse to have a drink of wine with one’s son. he sat down at the table in good spirits, empty goblet in front of him, and smiled at magnus. “even after a morning like that, i can’t help but wonder how kradaeca is doing.” kradaeca was a safe subject; it was, at least for the moment, not his problem.

Magnus: After fining Nathaniel dying on the cells Magnus felt like he was living in a dream, he wanted to slip back in denial but he just couldn't. Seeing his father sent a mixture of emotions to him and he was glad that he had been thought from a young age to not show any of them, he still loved his father but now he also knew that he had to be stopped and that if he had the chance he'd really become a tyrant. Magnus knew his father had ordered some man that knew a lot about plants and what now to make him some poisons and shortly before their expedition Magnus had gone and picked one up. He hoped the poison was quick and painless, he didn't want his father to suffer, which was also one of the reasons he was doing this, if he let any other the other rulers do this, they would more than likely try to torture him or make it slow. He wasn't going to let that happen. "Aren't they a bunch of pirates? We can take them again easily I'm sure." He said with a small smile "What wine would you like to have?"

octavius: he waved away the decision magnus had offered him. “i trust your judgement well enough when it comes to wine. besides, i don’t much care, and who doesn’t like surprises?” he smiled. “well, i don’t. but it will be alright, just this once. and yes. even if they aren’t pirates, they may as well be.” octavius shook his head. “where they came from i cannot say. the general consensus is that they hail from the new world; if so, i regret that we didn’t burn the place to a crisp when we left. actually, no. i don’t. i’m glad of this. whoever they are, they’ve been more than useful.”

Magnus: He nodded and went to the where the wines that were reserved for the king where. As he opened the bottle he began to hesitate, could he really murder his father? The person that Magnus cared most in the world? All his life Magnus had strived to be like him, to make him proud and now he was killing him? He was beginning to feel light headed but nothing from his stance showed any problems. The bottle he had taken was the one his father liked the most and it only had for one more serving. He poured the poison on it before turning and filling his father's goblet "I'll get another one for me." He commented casually and went to get another one, he hoped his father may drank of the contents of the goblet while Magnus was looking away because he didn't want to see him drink the poison. He opened the other bottle and return to pour himself some of the wine...he may end the whole thing. "I had thought we killed all of them, anyway even if they hadn't attacked, Kradaeca has never been known for being good at anything to do with war so, they wouldn't have been a problem anyway."

octavius: “i never thought we’d killed all of them,” octavius said. “it is a terrible idea to assume a total victory like that. i think one should always assume there were survivors, or else said potential survivors will find it far easier to rise up and destroy those who destroyed them. and aye, they wouldn’t have been a problem. but they’re even less of a nonissue now, and they’ve helped. do you think taking bearoria would have been so easy if not for nathaniel -- may he rest in peace -- having sent troops to help kradaeca fight their invaders off?” he took a sip of the wine magnus had poured for him absently. “i always forget,” he said, “the reasons this is my favorite. and then i drink it again, and all understanding is restored.”

Magnus: "Didn't we left those two that claimed to be the rulers of the place alive? Well that decision turned out to bad for the other kingdoms." At the moment Magnus didn't even know what he truly meant and what he didn't, his mind was a blur full of contradictory opinions, and guilt. However he also felt that what he was doing was the right thing to do. He cursed that his father was taking his time, but of course he would it was his favorite and his last bottle in Bearoria, he was going to enjoy it and Magnus fought the urge to knock the goblet out of his hand. "True, though I do think we would have fun regardless." He smiled before he drank from his own wine which also was a good way to avoid looking at his father.

octavius: “gods, those two. i’ve complained about this to you before, i know, but the insufferable stupidity of the other royals and their bloody insistence on being merciful and not--” he sighed, and took another drink from his goblet. “they ought to have let ironhaven have them. they didn’t trust me, which i can respect, of course -- i wouldn’t have trusted /them/ -- but nothing can be gained from pitying those who are likely spies. and even if they weren’t, even if they were bloody royals, what difference would it make? their being royals would cause more problems, really.”

Magnus: "Well I think after what happened to Kradaeca they may be regretting their choice now." He said and drank again, he wondered if people were more invested in what was happening to Kradaeca or Bearoria, well they wouldn't have to worry about Bearoria soon. "What good does royals that don't have kingdom have anyway, I wouldn't even call them royals."

octavius: “you make a good point. without bearoria, the winnells are certainly nothing.” he chuckled. “perhaps that makes you twice the prince, and i twice the king, that nathaniel and his brother and sisters ever were.” he was halfway to finishing his drink already, and frowned at the contents of his goblet. “i don’t suppose we have any more bottles of that? but no, decisions weigh too much nowadays.” hadn’t they always? he finished his wine in a few more relatively generous sips -- the time for savouring things would come later.

Magnus: "Well, I doubt there was any doubts about that even before we took Bearoria." the words felt bitter in his mouth, before the war against the pirates Magnus didn't had much respect for the Winnells but that had changed and even if he still thought of them as weak and over sentimental, what they had done hadn't been right. "I think that was the last bottle, do you want some of this one?" He asked taking the bottle from the wine he had been taking

octavius: "true. the same goes for the kradaecan ruler, or at least... no, i’m not certain when it comes to dear little adair. i had a conversation with him in norden that stuck with me. it seemed as if he understood things i didn’t expect a child like him to understand. things like taking lives.” octavius turned to magnus. “he may survive all of this. if he does, we both ought to keep an eye on him. you more than me; you’re of similar ages. and no, no more wine for me. like i said, decisions made now are weighty things. i can’t have too much wine influencing me.” he stood up from the table and smiled at his son. “well, this has been lovely, but i must return to work.”

Magnus: "Really.. I wouldn't have thought he knew anything about that, but yes I'll keep an eye on him." Though Magnus still thought of Adair as a teenager not fit to be a king just yet ...king, Magnus thought his time was still long time away but not know. "I'll see you later father." Magnus tried not to frown, he had expected the poison to take effect faster, but maybe it was better he didn't want to see his father die.

octavius: ( TWO HOURS LATER ) at first, he’d merely felt tired, and chocked it up to his hunting trip. by the time he felt the searing pain in his stomach, by the time he /understood/ what had happened, it was too late. he was now feverishly (literally and figuratively) going through the people he’d seen that day, and the things he’d eaten. could the wine had been poisoned? could will have poisoned the wine? or-- oh gods, /sienna/. but it might not have been the wine at all. it could have been his breakfast. for a moment he entertained the idea that this might not mean his death. perhaps it was some passing illness, or paranoia. but octavius knew the truth. and so he set out to find magnus, to talk to him while he still could. “magnus,” he said when he found him, trying to keep his voice steady. he managed well enough, but knew he looked /terrible/; surely magnus would know something was wrong. “there are a few things you must know.”

Magnus: Magnus had tried to drown his feelings with alcohol, but he couldn't drink more than two goblets, he already felt sick and he wondered if his father was already dead, he was waiting for a guard to open the door to tell him the terrible news. He didn't even want to go and let out all of his feelings against someone in training, all he wanted to do was lay on his bed and keep thinking about Nate in the dungeon and what he had done, he could feel himself sinking slowly into a hole. He was going to his room just when he heard his father talking to him, his father was still alive, and he felt happy about it and at the same time he was distraught because he thought it would be fast and painless and as he watched his father he saw that neither of those things had gone according to plan "Father...what? Are you okay? Do you want me to call a healer?"

octavius: “no, magnus. don’t call a healer.” there was no time to think of the best way of telling magnus all that he had to tell him. quite a bit of it had been strongly implied throughout magnus’ upbringing -- standard fare, warnings to trust no one, warnings never to underestimate, little fragments of strategic advice -- but there were a few, now, that were far more dramatic and far more specific. “i’ve been poisoned. i am afraid there’s nothing that can be done for me.” at his words, he felt a burst of anger. it was difficult to calm himself down; his next words were spoken through gritted teeth. “i think it may have been your brother.” he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. magnus would have to watch will whether it was true or not. better that magnus /kill/ will. octavius realized with some despair that he still wasn’t sure magnus had it in him to kill. a deer, perhaps, or a boar, but a brother? “you must watch him. always.”

Magnus: His father knew that he had been poisoned, he knew he was dying and he was in pain, wasn't this a type of torture? He had wanted for Octavius to die fast and painlessly. Will..his father thought it had been Will and Magnus was fine with that because he didn't want his father to hate him even if he was about to die and he was an awful man that he had poisoned, it was still his father "Will?...I will do as you say father and if I find out that it was him he'll have to pay" Magnus wouldn't hurt his brother at least from this he was innocent. As he watched his father he almost felt like breaking down and start crying tell him he was sorry and also tell him that he just felt it had to be done. But no his face didn't show anything but anger that wasn't diected to Will but to himself for now picking a faster poison

octavius: “even if he hadn’t done this, magnus, he will. someday. i know him. i was like him once. and the things i did... i don’t regret them. not at all. never have i even considered what might have happened if i hadn’t done as i’d felt i had to. but magnus, you cannot let will do them to you. do not let him--” he stopped short of admitting he’d murdered his brother and usurped the throne. “trust no one. promise me you won’t.”

Magnus: Trust no one was something that he had been told through the years, and yet Magnus trusted people, he trusted Nico and Anya...though Anya had left and that had felt a bit like betrayal..And wasn't he the one that was the most loyal person to Octavius? Magnus had always supported his father, and he was the one that had poisoned him. His father had been right all along on that matter "I promise I won't trust anyone." And he was actually meaning it, because if he had betrayed his father, who was to say someone wasn't going to betray him as well?

octavius: octavius nodded, satisfied. “now you will be king. earlier than i had planned. i meant what i said, earlier; adair may be dangerous. and--” suddenly he was wracked with pain, and though he did not entirely double over, there was a moment for which he could not speak. he recovered, and shook his head. “gods. kill will for this, magnus. kill him. you /must/ watch your back. and watch adair, and sienna. sienna was mine, for a time, but she’s sharp, and i’ve never been entirely sure how she feels about you. a patriot, though. be sure she’s looked after, if she needs to be. she has been useful.” he realized, then, that if he did not act quickly magnus would find out that nathaniel still lived. could he charge will with finishing the job? with seeing to it that magnus never knew? but no, he couldn’t. “king nathaniel is not dead. you ought to put him out of his misery soon. tonight.”

Magnus: Magnus quickly approached his father when he doubled over in pain, he hadn't want this, he didn't want his father to suffer and he certainly didn't want to see him dying, Magnus knew this would haunt his dreams forever. He placed a hand on his arm trying to help him "Don't worry father, I will do as you say." He wasn't going to kill Will...and he was going to keep a close eye on Sienna, probably tell her to go back to Ironhaven so he could really know what she was up to. "I will." Tonight the king of Bearoria would sleep in his own bed tended by a healer, Magnus knew he wouldn't sleep. His father would be buried in Ironhaven that he knew.

octavius: octavius nodded even as he worried that magnus would not. that was the most terrifying thing about dying, he decided; he would no longer be a player, or even a spectator. it seemed far from a sure thing that he’d be allowed to watch, even after death -- the gods were not that kind. they were not kind at all. they dealt in chaos, and little else. “i must leave you now. i’ve other business to attend to. magnus, you must not tell anyone you know i was poisoned. i’m sure you can figure out why.” for one thing, he didn’t want will to know that he’d know. if it had been will. the gods knew octavius had a multitude of enemies to choose from. another was that his brother had died in much the same way. better it seem like an illness.

Magnus: "Father...don't worry no one will know and I will go along with everything you told me and you started." He had made this his father was dying in front of him and it was all because of him, Magnus felt sick but he couldn't break not right now, and his father should die seeing his son strong and thinking that everything he planned was going to happen."I will avenge your death and Ironhaven will conquer Zenan." A lie to a dying man was the least he could do. Magnus could feel his heart breaking. "I'll see you in the after life father." He said quietly, because he knew that his voice may threaten to break

octavius: “perhaps you will,” said octavius. or perhaps the gods reserved a special place for people like him. then again, he didn’t regret any of the things he’d done. he’d meant that. his only regret, he decided, was not acting with great enough care. “my brother was like you,” he said, as he turned to leave the room, to find sienna for either a goodbye or an accusation, he wasn’t sure. “take care you do not meet the same fate as he did.” he slipped through the door, weakness apparent (to himself, at any rate) in the way it felt to move, as if he were unraveling from the inside out.

Magnus: Magnus barely remembered his uncle, he could remember that he liked him though, and that he also liked his little cousin too. He had always wanted to be like his father and ended like his uncle? Maybe that was a good thing but as he saw his father walk away he just felt himself sinking further down, he did what it had to be done but that didn¡t mean it hadn't broken him to do so. Magnus locked himself in his room and only managed to think about his father in pain.

[ireneisdacoolest]

Binhi Experience

The Binhi program is much different from the ‘social action’ activities I had done in high school. For one, most of my high school immersion activities took place in more controlled spaces (i.e., a school or a nursing home). Through Binhi, I had my first experience of really being with the people we were visiting.

I went to a Senior Citizen’s Coalition in Sta. Mesa, which has functioned to unite the Senior Citizens in their area and give them avenues of recreation. My Binhi formator made it quite clear that our goal for the session was simple: kuwentuhan. The activity did not call for us to be charitable, but rather, we Ateneans and the Nanays of the area were supposed to come out of the session with an increased sense of unity as equals.

It was oddly comfortable in the home of our assigned Nanay. I’ll admit, the ‘kuwentuhan’ could get one-sided at times, as my 2 fellow Ateneans and I would gladly listen to Nanay and just ask follow up questions. However, there was also a strange feeling that I would get in the moments she revealed how she thought about us Ateneans. They were many stereotypes that I didn’t realize people would actually associate with us in real life. However, it was clear that she thought of us as rich, privileged kids who might be even a little spoiled. This personally isn’t the case of that I see within Ateneo. I could actually see her surprise when one of my kasamas explained that she was a scholar, and when I explained that most of the students in the Chemistry department were actually recipients of financial aid. Other than that, she mostly talked about her family, specifically about her children’s path to a better life through education and perseverance. She also spoke highly of her two apos, who followed the same model of working hard. In her stories, I could see how different my habitus might be from hers and her family’s.

Habitus is the dispositions and lifestyle preference of an individual that forms their perceptions, expectations and practices of their day to day lives. One’s Habitus also tends to direct their actions in such a way that they reproduce and strengthen the social environment that encultured the Habitus in them in the first place. Essentially, it is a cycle that very rarely gets broken.

There were three main, observable differences between my own personal Habitus and that of my nanay. First, on education. Our nanay spoke mostly about her 3 children and their journey in getting a college degree and eventually finding good work. Two of her children ended up working abroad in well-off first world countries, Canada and Singapore. She credits her children’s ability to have done this to the fact that they studied in lucrative fields - Computer Science. She then proceeded to tell us to do something similar, to take the opportunity to study in lucrative fields so that we could become successful. She asked the three of us what our courses were. Two of us were from the Chemistry Department, and when we told her our courses, she met us with approval. Our other kasama was a fellow freshman taking up Communications, and our Nanay did not express the same level of enthusiasm.  This reveals that she likely sees education mostly as something that is purely practical for benefits later on. Although this is not a wrong perspective, I feel it is utilitarian compared to my own Habitus in respect to education. Although I will admit I chose my course partially for practical reasons, it is also largely due to passion. I feel that even if Chemistry was not a lucrative career option, I would still choose to study it regardless.

Second, on country and nationalism. Due to her children’s opportunities to have gone abroad, our nanay was exposed to the lifestyles of people in Canada and Singapore. From her words, these places were havens compared to the Philippines. Often times, her rhetoric caused me to believe she thought of our own country as a lost cause, especially with additional discussions on her distaste at the pool of candidates for the then upcoming senate elections. However critical her opinions and viewpoints were, I felt there was hardly a discussion on what could be done to fix the problems. For example, she much preferred Singapore because the streets were clean since the people were wary of throwing their trash correctly. When the same discussion turned to the Philippines, it sounded as if the same could never be done for us because we, as a people, simply do not find value in throwing our trash properly. I, on the other hand, have a different perspective on country. I personally feel that many of the problems she was talking about can be fixed by public policy, and that the way we get those policies is through political will. I personally want to stay because of the problems I see in the Philippines, so that I may work towards fixing them in my own way and hoping to live to see the day it gets better.

Third, on romantic relationships. My kasamas and I were all girls, and the thing that our nanay kept repeating to us was ‘wag kayo muna mag boyfriend’. To her, it is simple. Do not get a boyfriend while you are still studying because he will distract you from whatever it is you need to do. On the other hand, I do not agree. Her claim assumes that a boyfriend would be my top priority, and I personally do not think this will ever be the case for me. I think this reveals how she tends to view young girls like me. She believes it is better not to engage in a relationship because the likely outcome is that relationship will consume your thoughts. I agree that it is ridiculous to rank your priorities as such but disagree that this is the likely outcome.

I suspect that these differences in worldview come from the simple fact that we had two very different contexts. Her view on education likely stems from the fact that she probably had less economic capital than I do. Some say that being able to pursue your passion in college is a privilege, because some people really do need to put practicality first. As someone who has generally been comfortable, I rarely had to adopt such a decision making schema. I also suspect economic background is the reason for her disbelief in the Philippines. Our nanay’s husband died shortly after her third child was born, so she really had a hard time providing for all of them alone. Given that her children grew up to be rather successful, but in places that were not the Philippines, it is easy to associate better living with being abroad.

Our nanay is older than my actual grandmother, who grew up quite conservative. In the past, women were expected to mostly be wives and put the needs of the husband and family as their main priority. I suspect this is why our nanay believes that I am likely to put the concerns of my relationship before my own, because she believes it is within a woman’s nature. In my own context, I grew up in a more liberal household and was raised knowing how to compartmentalize different parts of my life, and giving attention to each when needed.

This is not to say there were no similarities between the Habitus of my nanay and mine. The values of family and working hard were clearly shared between the two of us. She made it very explicit that we should care for our families even when it gets rough, and that we should work hard to get through those times. I personally could not agree more. I suspect that this consensus comes from the fact we were both encultured with Filipino principles from greater society. Notice that Filipinos are famous for their family loyalty and their belief in meritocracy, which likely extends to most of us living here.

[lindsayvwissman]

On Impending Motherhood

I am not like most of the women I know. So many of them knew they wanted to be mothers. They chose mates based upon that knowledge. They made life decisions based around their desire to bear children. They adopted children on their own when life didn’t work out the way they expected it to. Many of them were simply expected to become mothers — because that’s what you did. You grew up, you got married, you popped out babies, and then you stayed home to take care of them.

I was never like any of those women. I never felt an innate desire to have a child, but if you ask my friends, they’d say I’ve always been the mom of the group. I never felt particularly like a mom to them because they were my friends… but I do feel a desire to take care of people, which I suppose is typically classified as “motherly.”

I made a lot of decisions when I was 20 years old and one of them was that I didn’t want children. I wanted to be a woman with a career. It wasn’t that I didn’t think women could do both (they totally can) — I just didn’t want both. I wanted to wake up in the morning thinking of what I would accomplish that day at work and go to bed at night feeling confident in my plans for total freaking domination. I wanted to be the best in my field and I understood that I would need to work pretty damn hard (for a long time) to get there. I didn’t mind the long hours. I liked them. And kids don’t necessarily fit in with a desire to work 12 hour days.

After that, when people condescended to tell me I would change my mind when my “clock started ticking,” I told them my clock had nothing to do with it. I just didn’t want kids and that didn’t make me wrong or damaged or broken. I was Christina Yang. I wanted to be recognized for my brilliance. I wanted independence. I didn’t want to be “so-and-so’s mom.” I didn’t want to lose who I was.

When I met the man who would become my husband, I almost didn’t go out with him — admittedly, for a few reasons, but in part because I was told that he wanted children eventually. Since I definitely didn’t, I felt it wouldn’t be fair to waste his time. I remember telling the mutual friend that set us up on the phone, “Yeah, but I DON’T want kids… like ever.” I learned later that he was “open” to the possibility, but wasn’t committed to it. I figured he was worth a shot. He was cute, he treated me well, and he made me laugh. After all, it wasn’t like we were getting married or anything. What harm could a few dates do?

We were married within five years — which, by the way, was one of the other things I said I’d never do when I was 20. As per societal norms, nosey people immediately started asking when we’d have children. In fact, they asked before the wedding. Both of us would shrug and say we weren’t sold on it. It was an “if,” rather than a “when.” I distinctly remember asking my friends with children if it was really worth it. I’m not sorry for asking, although I’m sure they were insulted and shocked that it came out of my mouth.

Eventually, we both started coming around to the idea (and no, it had nothing to do with my “clock” thankyouverymuch), but let’s be real here: having kids is petrifying. They’re a lot of work and they need a lot of attention — you literally never get a vacation from being a parent. They’re expensive even before you factor in the cost of college. You’re completely responsible for this tiny human you’ve brought into the world and strangers will have no problem telling you what a horrible parent you are on the Internet. I’m amazed by the people I know that don’t let these fears sway them. My friends who always wanted children just shrug this stuff off and say, “it’s all just part of being a parent.”

Yeah. I know. That’s my point.  

As per my usual style, the way we decided to have kids was also unlike most of the women I know. We talked about kids a lot. We paid attention to our friends with kids and we asked them no less than 400,000 questions. I am certain I crossed some lines and maybe asked things they were uncomfortable with — but because they know me, understand me, and by some miracle, still love me, they answered my questions patiently and honestly. They did not sugar coat. But they also didn’t dwell on the stressful parts, saying they just weren’t that big of a deal in the end.

Even still, we were too practical for “going with our guts” or “following our hearts” — which wouldn’t have helped us anyway, since we genuinely didn’t know what we wanted to do. Instead, we followed some advice given to us by a friend: every single day for three months, write down whether you want kids or you don’t. If you want them the majority of days for those three months, it’s worth doing.

So we did. We checked in with each other and wrote those answers down everyday. Sometimes, our answers were different. Most of the time, they were the same. At the end of three months, the general consensus was “kids yes,” which felt a bit like jumping out of an airplane: you know the risks, you’re probably scared, but you’re also excited and you’re basically hoping your parachute opens when you want it to.

I would argue that no matter how excited you are to have kids (because I truly am at this point), there is quite literally nothing that could ever prepare you for seeing a child on an ultrasound machine for the first time. Better yet — a child you hoped would be there when the wand met the jelly on your skin.

Literally nothing could have ever prepared me for seeing her little mouth move on the big monitor. Her little legs kicking. Her tiny fists clenching. Her unwillingness to cooperate for the ultrasound tech (“She’s doing a handstand… this is the worst possible position for her to be in.”) Her sassiness shines through. She’s mine for sure.

As anyone staring impending parenthood properly in the eye is likely to do, I’ve spent the recent months thinking about what kind of mother I want to be. How I want to help her grow into a person she can be proud of. How I feel about popular parenting techniques. Silently judging the person in front of me in the checkout line who is being a dick to his son.

What I’ve come to is this:

I want to raise a strong woman who is not afraid to stand up for herself or others. I want her to feel comfortable speaking out against injustice and corruption. I want to provide an environment where she can grow confident in who she is as a person. I want to encourage her to follow her passion, while attempting to teach her that money is a finite resource for most of us.

I want to teach her strong moral values by exhibiting strong moral values myself. I want to help her understand that empathy is crucial to seeing multiple sides of a story. I want to show her that those of us fortunate enough to have food on our tables must give back to those who don’t. That the “starving children in [insert country here]” doesn’t have to be a far off land. That there are starving children where we live and they would love to have whatever food I put on her plate that evening. In turn, I want her to see how important it is that we care for our fellow humans — that this world is bigger than her, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a vital part.

I want to help her see that being herself is enough. That maybe someone else plays a sport better than her or can read faster or take a test better, but that doesn’t mean she is any less of an awesome person because of it. Who she is is perfectly wonderful and that she doesn’t have to change for anyone — but especially not a romantic partner.

I want her to learn what makes her happy. And then I want her to do it. You know, assuming that what makes her happy isn’t killing people or something. (Does anyone else fear they’ll give birth to a psychopath? No? Just me, huh?)

I want to help her see that we’re really all in this together. It’s our country. It’s our planet. We’re all responsible for our own little corners and that little things really can make a significant difference. I want to show her that people come in all varieties — but that doesn’t necessarily make them “wrong” — it just makes them different and it’s those differences that make this world such a fascinating place.

I hope she is curious. I hope she wants to learn everything. I hope that she wants to see every corner of this universe.

More than anything, I hope she gets my husband’s patience, since there’s no way she’s inheriting it from me.  

But what I’ve truly realized over the past few months is that… this stuff is what most parents want for their kids. Probably what my own parents wanted for me. I would imagine they didn’t wish for me to be so opinionated, but we can probably blame my dad for that. And if mine turns out this opinionated, she can blame me. Eventually, we all blame our parents for something, right? It’s the circle of life.

There’s nothing like impending parenthood to make you realize how human your parents are. That long ago, they were just these regular people who’d been young and dumb. People who had crazy stories from high school and cheap summer trips during college. But at some point, they were just like me now — trying to figure out what kind of parent they wanted to be. Perhaps I arrived here via the scenic route, but we’re standing in the same place, regardless.

Soon enough, I will be yet another woman working to have the career she wants while raising the child she loves. It will be a whole new level of difficult, but you see, I have good role models to follow. I see them everyday, busting their asses to chase their dreams but still be around to help out with homework at night. I see them working or doing their own homework after their kids are in bed. I see them spending their “free time” pursuing their passions. If anything, she’s boosted my desire to follow my own dreams. Funny how a tiny fetus can motivate you in ways you never imagined.

She’ll be here before we know it. It seems like so many weeks to go, but I know it will fly by and I am more than ready. I want to touch her chubby little cheeks and her itty bitty feet and protect her from all things evil in the world. I can’t wait to see what she looks like, who she looks like (probably her dad — it’s science), and how much of each of us she gets (I hope the hair skips a generation and she gets my mom’s).

I’m sure I’ll think she’s perfect though, no matter what she looks like or how much she keeps me up at night or how exhausted I am because of her sassiness. I’m sure I’ll smile deliriously as I clutch my coffee mug and say she’s worth it. Just like every other mom.

[togreblog]

Nessian Part 14

Thanks so much for the great reponse to this fic, I know both @cataclysmic-star and I have been overwhelmed with the positive responses to this collab!!!!

Parts  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 (Part 15)

Nesta POV (2277 Words) - this one’s a bit of a long one so buckle up

Elain almost certainly thought that me taking off the way I did meant I was flying straight to Cassian, no doubt she was already on her way to tell Mor that she had convinced me to go speak to him and that we were going to be such a cute couple for the next thousand years and beyond. Weirdly the prospect of a thousand years didn’t scare me, but regardless, I wasn’t ready to speak to Cassian just yet. No, I was headed to a small distillery in the back streets of the Rainbow. They had a bar there, the shots were never watered down and were cheaper because you were going straight to the producer. Also, they always had a nice crowd in there. Mostly older fae, both men and women, but who drank for the enjoyment of the taste and the good company, not just to get drunk like those only a few hundred years old, the fae equivalent of teenagers, at Mor's favourite dance bar, Rita's.

I took a moment to compose myself from the brisk flight, I also considered changing form so that the regulars didn't recognise me, I had built quite a reputation for myself, with my weekly visits and I didn't particularly think they would engage in intellectual conversations with me in future if I went in there a mess, got hammered and left again. I took a minute too long considering it and one of the younger waitresses spotted me through the window and came to the door.

"Y'know I can't technically leave until my shifts over, so are y'comin' in or what?" 

We were the only females under five-hundred who frequented the place and to be honest, I think she was older than she let on. I smiled encouragingly at her, suddenly realising that shifting would have been stupid, the people in a bar had seen all manner of things, they didn't all come for the company because they enjoyed it. Some of them needed it for times like these. So I walked into the bar, ordered some strong whisky to help overcome my fae body, sat and drank.

As I had suspected, most of the regulars were happy to listen without judging me. Not that they didn't all form their opinion on the situation. Unfortunately, a lot of them had suffered in past relationships (one Illyrian woman who had lived beyond Rhys's reign had had it particularly bad), so their viewpoints were a bit cynical. By the time we had all had another drink, though, the general consensus was that if I had been given a mate by the same cauldron that had given me my eternal life, then I should live it with him. Filled with liquid courage, I took off on the flight that Elain had hoped I would, towards the cabin.

It seemed, though, that my fae stomach, though more tolerant than my human one, was not strong enough for three shots of undiluted fae whisky and with the wind against me, it took quite a while for me to navigate my way to the cabin. I tried not to follow the bond, I didn't really want Cassian to feel me coming in case I chickened out, or in case he started sending me feelings and I couldn't cope.

Even with a headache forming, I seemed to reach the cabin quicker than I was ready for, the bond grew stronger with the proximity and I was pleased with my decision to not turn up completely sober. My stomach may not be iron, but right now my nerves were steel. I walked towards the door and was about to knock when I stopped. I turned from the door, stepping into a shadow realm.

I walked over to the mirror I kept in this particular shadow realm and looked myself up and down, glad once again that I had decided to freshen up before meeting with Cassian. My mate. I walked away from the mirror and over to the selection of clothes, I decided that in this cold whether a gown, no matter how stunning I wanted to look, was inappropriate, but the fae only seemed to wear gowns or fighting leathers. neither of which appealed, so I turned to the end of the rail, my secret stash, my guilty pleasure and I pulled out a pair of jeans, just like I had worn to sit in the nursery with Feyre and Elain as a child. Strong sturdy fabric, but comfortable none-the-less. I usually only wore the clothes from the human realm around the townhouse and in my secret places. Like a small home I had purchased up in the mountains, not so different from this cabin, but closer to the city, within a little town. I used it to hide from the inner circle, to practise without a trainer to correct me, to wrap myself in magic or surround myself with normalcy to allow myself to forget the world completely and pretend I was human again. Whatever I needed to be, I was free to be it in that cabin. I pulled myself from the thought and quickly used magic to clean myself, change my clothes and sort out my wind swept hair and day-old makeup. I had seen Rhys and Mor do this without stepping into the shadow realms, but the feeling of my clothes swapping places in a split second made my head spin and I was too self-conscious to do it in front of people anyway. I took one last look in the mirror, conjured myself a drink and some mouthwash to clear the already fading smell and feel of alcohol from my body. 

Then I took a deep breath and made to step out of the shadow realm. Just before the doorway came into being from either side, the wall thinned and I saw Cassian stood out on the veranda. He had felt me when I stepped up to the house, could probably see my footprints in the snow from where I had landed a couple of meters from the front steps. He thought I had left. My heart sank, maybe I should leave, he didn't seem to upset. As if he could hear my thoughts from within the shadow realm, he huffed and hung his head for a minute, breathing deeply, when he looked back up and turned to go inside, I saw that tears were stinging his eyes. My heart broke. I couldn't help myself. I pushed as much loved as my cold heart could muster through the bond. I didn't even realise I had done it until I saw him freeze in place and smile. I waited until he had finished closing the door, I didn't want him to see me come out of the shadow realm because then he would know I had been there all along, maybe with the bond he already knew.

I could wait any longer or I would have to go drink some more liquid courage, I stepped out of the shadow realm once and for all and set two hard knocks against the wooden door. It didn't open immediately and I wondered if he was hesitating, but then I heard a crash and knew that he was just running from one of the rooms at the back of the house. I huffed a laugh and it was still lighting up my face in a broad smile when he ripped open the door. I didn't really take him in until I had composed myself and when I did, I was set into a whole new fit of giggles. I always laughed at Cassian's (very) occasional clumsiness in training, but seeing him here, at the door in the situation we were in, hopping up and down on one foot clutching him toe and trying to smile at me, I couldn't help but laugh at him. It didn't seem well received and with all the laughter, I couldn't speak out loud, so I dared to speak to him down the bond. After weeks of hearing him down the bond, I thought it would be a weird sensation trying to send your thoughts to another person, but it was just like thinking and speaking combined, still weird, but it came surprisingly naturally. 

"There was no point in not laughing at you, you look ridiculous stood at the door hopping on one foot, were you really in that much of a rush to get to the door, you weren't expecting food, were you? Also, you would have heard me laughing down the bond anyway, so I may as well do it out loud."

He looked at me before for a minute as if the words were taking a little longer to get to him down the bond. Then he put his foot down, testing his weight on it before stepping aside to let me in.

"Wow Nesta, you look just like that time I visited you."

"Gee thanks, every girl wants to be told she is dressing like it's a month until her next special occasion and she was planning on staying at home, out of the public eye all day."  In truth, I thought I looked nice and knew he meant it as a compliment, but I didn't know how to be nice with Cassian. We always bickered, just light-hearted comments, but enough for me to have fooled myself into thinking he didn't like me. I tried to shake off the thought and looked up at him expectantly, but when his eyes met mine, I knew he had heard what I was thinking. The atmosphere tensed and not that strong sexual tension like when Rhys and Feyre were forced to hold a meeting when they had been away from each other for a week and hadn't yet had any alone time, that awkward silence which blankets the air and chills the atmosphere.

"Cass, I'm sorry I didn't mean for you to... hear, that. You are allowed to express your opinion. I didn't really give you the opportunity to speak last time."

He nodded, "Well, by the fact that you knew where I was, I can only assume that you have heard all of my messages over the past week and if that's the case, you already know that I want you, Nesta. I have been attracted to you since you were a human, I want you, I choose you." When I didn't respond, he lightened his tone and continued, "and now that your immortal, you're going to look like that forever." I smiled but still didn't speak. "You know I don't think what you have done makes you a bad person and you know that I couldn't judge you anyway. You are strong and beautiful, without a mother or father you were put in a position no child should be in. Feyre stepped up and that makes her strong in her own way, but doesn't make you any worse. It doesn't make me love you any less and it never will."

"OK, now that I've actually given you a chance to use your own words. I want to say that I am madly in love with you too. Past relationships have not gone very well for me and I stopped believing in good men. I apologise for that and for everything I said. It was just easier, but if you want me... Then I accept the bond." I spoke confidently thanks to my little stop. Cassian seemed shocked, but he probably thought my lack of responses were due to nerves, so I left him standing there and walked off into the kitchen. I was going to make this man the best damn meal he had ever eaten. Or maybe I would just make something quick because having said the words and with a bedroom mere feet away, I was finding Cassian harder and harder to resist. I heard him move about in the dining room setting the table and it wasn’t long before I had prepared the meal, compromising on taste and speed.

With my father's knee hurt, my mother dead, the money for servants gone and Feyre responsible for hunting, it had always fallen to me to cook. With limited spices and variety, I had learnt to make even the blandest of dishes seem like a feast. Now, with a magic kitchen bringing me everything I could wish for, the meal I made looked, smelt and hopefully tasted delicious. I carried it through to find the perfect bottle of wine to complement the meal sat in a decanter just as I had hoped the house would do. I called to Cassian unsure of where he had gone in the small house. Moments later, he appeared in the doorway and he looked stunning. His wings weren't tucked in quite as tight and I doubted it was just because the doors in the cabin were magically wider to fit them. He had found the perfect suit. Unlike all of Rhys's black ones or the green ones he wore when visiting the camps, this was a deep red, burgundy I think they call it and tailored to fit him perfectly. Needless to say, the food was delicious and it didn't take long for us to clear the dishes and moving on to something a bit more fun.

[moorekaiden1]

Analytical Reflection

Intro

Throughout the semester we have covered a variety of topics centered around Techno Futures, ranging from Artificial Intelligence all the way to Bio art made fusing life and technology. This essay is going to be a reflection back on all the phases we have covered. I will be identifying connections between the phases using assigned readings and a collection of related artifacts and class discussions. The topic of Techno Futures is a polarizing one, there’s a huge variety of opinions surrounding the umbrella that is Techno Futures. There is also a lot of layers of complexity to Techno Futures, from the ethics of new technologies to the nuances of the technology at hand. There are some interesting connections to be found between topics of Techno Future as they all seem to be interconnected and all have at least some overlap if nothing else.    

Techno-Panics throughout history

           It seems that whenever a new technology comes about there are those who oppose it. The justification for this could be fear, nostalgia, money or any number of things in between. But when we find our society in fear of a new technology that is thought to bring a change, big or small, we call this a Techno-Panic. “Humans have a habit of stalling their own progress. From coffee to mechanical refrigeration to genetically altered food, history is littered with innovations that sparked resistance before becoming fixtures in everyday life” (Overly, 2016). In the bigger picture, Techno-Panics tell the story of humanity blatantly slowing its own progress due to fears of the repercussions of its own creations. The process is cyclical, a new technology is introduced to be torn apart by critics and fear mongers after a time passes people start to become more accepting of the technology and realize its benefit, finally, it becomes a part of our every day and no one questions it. Regardless of the promise of new technologies, it seems that apart from technical marvels one of the hardest obstacles to overcome is the Techno-Panic, the fear the people instill in themselves, justified or not. When reading student responses in the 2.4 Questions and Answers it’s interesting to read just how varied the responses tend to be from student to student, with some taking the mindset that technology isn’t bad but it can be beneficial to wait, or others showing a fear that the tech might bring harm to the systems that are currently in place. People tend to have such varying opinions on topics of Techno-Panic that it can be hard to generalize any group's opinion. So perhaps not only is it fear that prevents progress but a lack of unity regarding the technology at hand.

Future of the Body

           When one ponders on the future of mankind, of course, one of the biggest mysteries is how technology will impact the Human body. The possibilities in our imaginations are endless; the potential to edit our genome to eradicate disease, using cryogenics to preserve our bodies for the future when we can be brought back, even being able to replace limbs with fully functional prosthetics. The allure of the future can be fascinating, but we often jump too deep into our fantasies before considering the practicality of what we implement and if low tech solutions are more feasible. In the case of cryogenics, we must wonder if the technology is worth the investment of time and resources compared to something that could legitimately extend lives like genetic modification. In my artifacts for the Future of the Human body, I compiled a collection of content ranging from an image of a man with a robotic arm to a video explaining Crispr and its benefits to humanity. Separately these ideas are all great but together they paint an idea of the idealized human, one past where we currently are. The message to be interpreted is a type of Manifest destiny, through technology we are taking control of our own evolution for better or for worse. “The gulf between ‘human’ and ‘machine’ is closing” (Waterhouse, 2016). I think this quote brings my thoughts on the future of the body together, in that the only way up is to use our creations to better ourselves. The interesting part of this progression is the level of ‘Techno-Panic’ that arises around these new ideas. Through both, our readings and our class discussions concerns of irreversible consequences are apparent and not unwarranted. This goes to show how regardless of the topic a certain level of moral panic or in this case ‘Techno-Panic’ is always to be expected.  

Intelligent Systems

           Intelligent Systems or Artificial Intelligence as they are commonly referred to are some sort of machine with the ability to interpret data. This doesn’t necessarily manifest as the science fiction movies may lead some to believe but in actuality, it can be a variety of things from recommendation algorithms to a Roomba finding its way around your living room. Regardless of what we may think Artificial Intelligence has found its way into many aspects of our regular everyday life. An artifact I collected for this phase listed many different everyday applications; Email Filters, Virtual Assistants, Fraud detection, Airline Autopilot, Smart Homes and as I previously mentioned even Recommendations on platforms like Netflix or Hulu (Mills, 2018). Again, here we find the rhetoric of ‘Techno-Panics’ stronger here than any other phase we have covered. People find the possibility of creating something smarter than us incredibly scary and would like to avoid that possibility to keep humanity in ‘control’. The reality behind this is that a machine is not motivated, has no feelings, it would have no reason to make any negative advances against humanity.  Despite some fears we may have the advancement of intelligent systems that can bring many advantages, such as systems like Driverless cars or Artificial Intelligence for use in Medical research, complex calculations, and other research uses. “The automakers and tech companies developing driverless cars feared that premature regulatory requirements might inhibit their testing of the vehicles, but Congress felt a need to step in as more test cars populate highways” (Washington Post, 2018). Above is a statement from an article on public opinion of driverless cars and safety regulations surrounding driverless car testing. The message shown here is clear, companies want to move forward with testing to make the cars safe, people don’t trust companies to regulate themselves and the government is too slow yet too premature in trying to regulate a technology that isn’t yet there.

Making and Things

           3-D printing and the Internet of things are creating technologies that enhance our lives. This phase of our Techno-Futures theme could be seen as a miscellaneous catch-all, but you would be mistaken to think that this phase doesn’t have its own place in the overarching rhetoric of said Techno-Futures. The phase making and things is the most attainable future that we have covered, the technologies covered here are natural progression to technologies we have had for a long time, therefore, less prone to the hooks of ‘Techno-Panics’. This statement doesn’t mean that there isn’t any Techno-Panic surrounding some of the technologies featured here. “The 3D-printed gun controversy is fast-paced and oft-changing … Theoretically, the guns Wilson's plans make are untraceable. If the metal parts, such as the firing pin, are removed, you could probably put a Liberator in your carry-on luggage and walk through airport security checkpoints” (Zhou, 2018).  People have managed to create scarily effective and untraceable firearms through the use of 3D printers, this could well fall under the Techno-Panic. However, the fear presented from a situation like this is fully justified as it poses a real danger to the public and not just a proposed or unreal danger. When we think of Smart Systems, we think of some of the things covered previously like Artificial Intelligence and Self Driving cars. The Internet of Things is another great example of Intelligent systems, IoT or the Internet of Things is a connected system of sensors of computers that work together to gather data from things around us a basic example of IoT would be a smart home. “In a nutshell, the Internet of Things is the concept of connecting any device (so long as it has an on/off switch) to the Internet and to other connected devices. The IoT is a giant network of connected things and people – all of which collect and share data about the way they are used and about the environment around them” (Clark, 2016). Of course, even IOT comes with its own set of concerns, in a class discussion around IoT there was a question concerning the use of an IoT app from a covered article, the student consensus seemed to be that in this case, the old method was more effective. So, the main challenge to all of Making and Things is striking a balance between convenience and realism.

Cyborgs and Bioart

           As the idea of Techno-Futures become more ingrained in the minds of people, some take their pursuits to the next level. It is here in this phase where we find some of the most outlandish pursuits we have seen, with the likes of Cyborgs where people choose to become part machine and part human, and Bioart where people decide to use technology and biology to create artistic representations. These two could be seen as progressions to our previous the future of the human body, moving past the obvious where we find beneficial progressions to humanity, we now have people making changes to their bodies or the bodies of animals to create some sort of art or give themselves a new superficial ability that isn’t necessarily practical but is interesting. “a cyborg is any human being who incorporates—imports into one’s body—artificial devices or machines … Landre plans to install in himself a system of his own design: an apparatus that senses the cosmic rays that surround us, unseen” (Cohen, 2019).  This is from an article describing a young adult who decided to design and implement a system in himself allowing him to ‘hear’  cosmic rays making him into a ‘cyborg’, the reasoning was that he has always been with technology and wanted to be one with it. In reading the class discussions surrounding these two topics an underlying theme was is it worth pouring resources into these types of pursuits while the practical uses of these technologies in medicine still aren’t deliverable. The majority answer to the previous question was ‘of course it's not reasonable to get sidetracked from the practical use case’. In my artifacts, I have a picture of a cyborg portrayal in a movie, a lot of times we tend to think of cyborgs as these decked out futuristic beings, but realistically everyone of us is a cyborg of some type with cellphones in hand the future of becoming ‘cyborgs’ in a sense of the word seems inevitable.

Conclusion

           So, when we think on the topic of ‘Techno-Futures’ we now have an understanding of a wide range of interconnected topics that fall under the vast umbrella which is ‘Techno-Futures’. When thinking back I can see that some topics covered are a subset of another, for example, I would group ‘Cyborgs and Bioart’ as a subset of ‘Future of the Body’ is the same topic with a more narrow focus, rather than body improvements in the general sense these shoot for artistic or idealistic goals to satisfy ones self. Techno-Panics are the bane of Techno-Futures, yet you cannot have one without the other. throughout these phases, it has become amazingly apparent that every topic of Techno-Future every advancement will always have a push back before it becomes the normal every day. Intelligent Systems are one of the most important things that we are working on today, yet it also receives some of the greatest pushback in the public. Intelligent systems, however, are everywhere, right under our noses and implemented into things that make our everyday lives better Including ‘Making and Things’ such as the Internet of Things. In Conclusion, Techno-Futures tell a story of Humanity and our creations, of us being our greatest adversary and our greatest enemy. In the end, progress will not slow, but perhaps the inevitable push back should be seen as a new challenge to conquer rather than an annoyance that always seems to creep up when progress moves too fast.

References

 Clark, S. (2017, September 19). What is the Internet of Things, and how does it work?. Retrieved from https://www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/what-is-the-iot/.

Cohen, N. (2019, December 9). Lessons From a Teenage Cyborg. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/lessons-from-a-teenage-cyborg/.

Mills, T. (2018, March 7). The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence In The Everyday Lives Of Consumers. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/03/07/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-in-the-everyday-lives-of-consumers/#60b13b3a6f31.

Overly, S. (2019, April 17). Humans once opposed coffee and refrigeration. Here's why we often hate new stuff. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/07/21/humans-once-opposed-coffee-and-refrigeration-heres-why-we-often-hate-new-stuff/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.71896d039551.

Washington Post. (2019, August 22). As driverless car crashes mount, fear of riding in them rises, too. Retrieved from https://www.tampabay.com/news/As-driverless-car-crashes-mount-fear-of-riding-in-them-rises-too_170344568/.

Waterhouse, D. (2016, December 22). How technology is merging with the human body. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2016/12/22/how-technology-is-merging-with-the-human-body/.

Zhou, M. (2018, September 25). 3D-printed gun controversy: Everything you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/news/the-3d-printed-gun-controversy-everything-you-need-to-know/.

[sonderfulrose]

12 Things You Need to Know About SEO

The particular year 2018 is already within full swing, and is quick becoming interesting for SEO. Because when somebody searches for SEO via tone of voice search, he would speak ‘what is SEO' or ‘How in order to do SEO' rather than just requesting SEO. The search engine informs 500-600 updates annually and the particular SEOs need to comply along with these changes to ensure that will their websites follow legitimate marketing practices. They are considered a crucial Local SEO search engine ranking factor. SEO within 2018 means greeting the consumer with the exact information they will are looking for at the particular exact time they are searching for it. This could be on the variety of platforms, from tone of voice search to local businesses plus online shopping. Google algorithms for SEO are usually quite complex and are getting updated constantly to keep company quick-witted and responsive. At the same period, the rise of messaging applications and personal assistants has introduced new challenges which SEO should continue to overcome in 2018. On the particular other hand, traffic coming through SEO is free and organic” and can take a lengthy time to obtain recognized, whilst the traffic generated from PAY-PER-CLICK (Pay Per Click) and SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING (Search Engine Marketing) is not really free of charge and companies pay for to look on the top of the particular Search Engine to get fast not organic results. When it comes to Search engines SEO, the rel=canonical link element has become VERY IMPORTANT over the years plus NEVER MORE SO. So taking time away to complete an SEO training program will only be beneficial with regard to your business as it will certainly help you stay ahead associated with your competitors. The team at MyTasker has modelled an infographic upon SEO Techniques and Strategies which gives valuable insights that are essential regarding driving targeted traffic to your own business website. Regardless of Google best effort, there's nevertheless a loophole and there's nevertheless more to do with regional search or hyperlocal SEO. This can help businesses set up a good SEO platform that is each user and SEO friendly. SEO is the method associated with increasing a website's visibility plus ranking on search results webpages. Staying on top of the particular changing trends in search motor optimization (SEO) is a need to if a website will be observed by targeted customers. SEO in 2018 will be giving us a brand brand-new concept: Instead of typing key phrases on the computer, consumers are usually asking questions. This means the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION trends and techniques will furthermore dramatically change since the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION experts will need to discover out new voice-based keywords with regard to optimization purpose. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is the process of enhancing your website so that this can rank better searching motor results pages, and therefore, provide more traffic to your freshly designed website. Google previous improvements destroyed many black hat styles, many SEOs lost their careers especially after Panda and Penguin, Google panda was affected regarding 12% queries, and penguin simply on 4% on mobile plus desktop queries, and today a single of the Google professional mentioned that is going to become affected more than 40% associated with mobile queries. Within the 2nd chapter of our own SEO guide, you will understand how research engines work, how people make use of them and what type associated with search queries they submit. Last but not least, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is far more complex compared to keywords. The particular most important SEO factors are usually a mobile-friendly user experience simply because well as the page-loading acceleration. So that your SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION if your thinking mobile, should be either responsive or application store strategy with the correct dimensions, design, user-friendly, UX expertise. As SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is now moving towards supplying personalized experience thus, UX might play a vital role within maintaining the search traffic. Voice search can definitely be an important SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION trend to know in 2018. Nevertheless, all too usually SEO 2019 PDF, Local SEO's impact is muted, leaving profits on the desk for several business owners who perform not dive set for additional understanding. Thank you intended for your awesome In-depth Guide, I use learnt some new SEO Methods, I will start with enhancing my site's Dwell Time Next to Creating Visual Content, I can really appreciate In case a person could Write an In-depth Guideline about Creating Embeddable Images”, I have to understand it better. This will be one of the most effective tools for the local SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION services, and every business demands to take advantage of the particular opportunity. 2018 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION strategies should consider visual research. If a person are publishing content online, most likely likely to be curious regarding voice search SEO in 2018. When you want a secure plus stable ranking for your internet site, you should be adaptive, vigilant and conscious of the newest SEO trends. It can consider a LONG time for the site to recuperate from making use of black hat SEO tactics plus fixing the problems will not really necessarily bring organic traffic back again since it was before a fees. Prosperous SEO makes a site interesting to users and search motors. Basically, I'm going in order to go through everything you perform for SEO to maximize the particular entire number of users that will get my asset. While search algorithms and rank factors are constantly changing, the particular consensus within the SEO neighborhood is the fact that related off-site SEO plays a substantial role of one page in order to appreciate the site on effective sites. Even whitened hat, user-focused SEO techniques may fluctuate in efficacy as research platforms change and less moral sites try to game the particular system. Making use of that said…SEO is still just about all about content and links. Link building will be a proven method of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION which means you should get some SEO links best procedures into account for 2018. Check out these 45+ Wp SEO tips and frequently requested questionsย for 2018 to help a person achieve better results in Search results (search engine ranking positions). SEOs will require to collaborate closely with developers and developers to prioritize specialized SEO and usability search motor ranking factors to gain the competitive edge. Meta description plays a main role in search engine position of your post so creating an SEO friendly meta explanation is essential for ranking aspect. Although I'm just the little later than I have got been in the past several years with this post, the particular time has come to reveal my SEO 2018 predictions plus trends to watch. The particular biggest SEO change and pattern I see already happening within 2018 is Google's in purchase to a mobile-first index, therefore if a website is not really yet mobile-friendly and optimized regarding it, it's critical to prioritize this as it is right now fundamental for the SEO success. On-page describes both the content plus HTML source code of the page that can be enhanced, as opposed to off-page SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION which describes links and various other external signals. But there are definitely content of quality on this blog site, including this one: 10 Harmful Website design Mistakes That Destroy SEO” When you have been doing SEO function for clients for any duration of time, some of these types of mistakes will provide you along with the willies. We are coping along with new algorithms designed to focus on traditional style SEO tactics plus that focus throughout the truism that will DOMAIN ‘REPUTATION' plus LOTS associated with PAGES plus SEO equals PLENTY of Keywords equals LOTS associated with Google traffic. We have been a client with MAX Effect Marketing regarding nearly 2 years now plus have kept adding additional providers of theirs during this time period because of the amazing outcomes, that include: Online Ads, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, Web Design & Groupon. This will improve your SEO more than multiple engines by bringing the hike into your SERPs. As the quick reminder, it is the particular search engine's job to display users relevant content based upon what they're searching for, plus it's our job as SEOs to understand what those customers are looking for and produce awesome, relevant content for all of them. Google's punishing algorithms most likely class pages as something similar to a poor UX when they meet certain detectable requirements e. g. lack of popularity or old-school SEO stuff like key phrase stuffing a site. In my opinion, for any business that caters for a specific neighborhood, region, or city, Local SEO is the most important marketing strategy you can implement. Yet what is SEO search motor optimization? These days, most people states, SEO is dead, but We believe, SEO will be the pillar associated with any online business and not really gonaa die. SEO shouldn't impact upon the time it takes in order to create good content. If you really want to improve local SEO and enhance your business's credibility, it has to be an on-going process. Primary on the more personalized user experience because the driving factor behind SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION strategy should make for a good interesting and exciting year within SEO. SEO solutions help in all growth trip to reach the goal on time and gather more traffic in order to the site with quality content composed and displayed on the internet site. One easy way, but mainly overlooked off-page SEO technique in developing local links is creating specific niche market profiles. This way, as an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION specialist, you could associated along with necessary changes and adjustments regarding your tactics so that a person could preserve your present position through not just Jagger, nevertheless for future updates as nicely. Create sure you leverage each one of these SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Trends to stay on best of the organic and included listings of Google SERPs. 50 Best On-Page SEO Methods to rank in the first page with zero Back hyperlinks. Just remember to pay interest to solid content creation plus copywriting fundamentals, engage your audiences deeply, and stay abreast associated with technical trends like backlinks, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION health, site speed, and schema. To get straight into the depths of this subject and know how SEO styles could affect the digital marketing and advertising industry in 2018, I searched for the responses of some associated with the industry leaders. For advanced online marketers it looks something like this particular: you might have an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION plan in place, you may have your list of high quality keywords, you're actively blogging plus your website is optimized. Now SEO developments 2018 have to contest along with limited real estate, preliminary cable connections in addition to all these people already deal with. But if you aren't short on money, use these types of do-it-yourself SEO suggestions to improve your own organic rankings. Whilst this holistic approach will ultimately eliminate a lot of the particular issues created by some SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION practitioners over the years, I actually realise that search engines' engineers will certainly initially overestimate the precision associated with their AI, leading to Penguin-level collateral damage. Well, this particular is it. Hope this SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Trends in 2018 will assist you to be on the particular track and beat your many other competitors. Today, a person are going to know a few most important SEO techniques that will will help to enhance your own organic traffic, keywords ranking plus website optimization. On-page SEO intended for ecommerce is all about producing sure your keywords are within the best places. Location: A few businesses like knowing that they will could visit their SEO firm at any time to spending budget, campaign, and progress over espresso. What exactly is usually useful to understand while all of us proceed towards is 2018 is usually that SEO is already altering, and the ranking within the particular first organic spot is not really the best goal anymore. Nearby SEO specifically can help a person optimise your business for individuals searching from the nearby area. An experienced SEO know the particular technical details followed by the particular major search engines to catalog the WebPages. To smoothen out the software program user interface problem, the internet designing group and the SEO specialist function together to build the research engine friendly programs and program code that can be easily integrated into the customer's website. So, to maintain your own website's high ranking or in order to optimize a site from bottom level to top ranks, ensure that will you know the new SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION trends and set them directly into practice. Additional factors that will should be considered for nearby SEO, but focusing on these types of three will go a lengthy way to not only improve your local ranking, but your reliability and conversions too.

But as Dan Taylor described in a comprehensive look in RankBrain and SEO, there will be no set way to improve for RankBrain, although certain lookup practices are now more appropriate than ever before. A lot associated with people see SEO or Lookup Engine Optimization as a strange industry. Having the page on the search motors my business is a excellent helper for that local business plus is an essential a part of Regional SEO, and I think that will during 2018 it is heading to pass a value in order to the local SEO. Even though, it is touch time intensive to create the quality video, it is a lot more than worth it. Great for visitors and SEO as well. Technical SEO: Assuring all hyperlinks are current, performing keyword analysis, setting up redirects when webpages are moved, fixing errors, making use of proper markup, and so on. As there will be with all sorts or marketing and advertising or advertising technique, there are proven, time examined guidelines that when implemented properly will help you immensely together with your Local SEO campaign.

Using his special connections in the business entire world, he helps ecommerce brands develop their audience through influencers, inbound links, on-page search optimization and specialized SEO -- all rank their brands higher on Google. Regardless of whether we are talking site rate, personalized SEO, or even Google's RankBrain, we are still speaking about delivering the best achievable experience to the user. In the year 2018, the particular SEO marketers will change their particular game and will definitely change their focus beyond the position and revenue issues. 1 SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION may target different kinds associated with search, including image search, movie search, academic search, 2 information search, and industry-specific vertical research engines. From my perspective SEO people are going to have the harder time ranking this season than last based on most the changes that are taking place. I do find though that will Content is still king plus putting lots of articles out that will hit your target market's fairly sweet spot may be the way to proceed. Strong Google My Company hygiene, frequent updates to on-line business directories and a dedication to responding to users' feedback, questions and concerns is Regional SEO 101. From targeting the right keywords making use of Google Keyword Planner to revealing valuable information- content marketing has been and will always be possibly the most important SEO developments for years ahead. 1 of the hardest parts associated with the social media marketing is reaching your own audience and making it. Using social media, including polls, queries, comments, hashtags, and discussions may really help give your articles and SEO a much-needed drive. 2017 brought an entire brand-new set of changes in the particular way businesses market their items and services, marketers try in order to improve their ranking with search engine optimization (SEO), the way people browse the web and much even more. The only goal of penning this article might be to start a conversation around the top SEO tendencies in 2018, which SEO professionals should follow.

She is the founder associated with yaySEO, a boutique professional SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION service for Shopify owners plus e-commerce sites, where you may download a free keyword system worksheet to optimize your on the web shop. In 2018, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION strategies could be more focused towards visualizing the content since it will provide an interactive method to users. All the particular SEO trends and techniques a person leverage will contribute to a far more user-friendly web presence. Single Materials is a digital marketing company in order to companies such as Uber, Amazon and Salesforce develop their revenues online using SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and paid advertising. Hence, a person would not like to neglect the importance of content advertising inside your SEO strategy 2018. Instead, they are simply looking for the very greatest SEO agency to get all of them more traffic and customers through Google. Because more people begin using the particular voice search feature of the particular smart devices and desktop computer systems, a new type of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and website optimization was given birth to.

This SEO offpage technique involves submission of content and websites on high quality webpages to get authoritative backlinks. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION may generate a sufficient come back on investment However, search motors are not covered organic lookup traffic, their algorithms change, plus there are no guarantees associated with continued referrals. The increase in Voice Searcher will need hard work simply by SEO experts. Therefore, it would end up being a good ploy to make use of effective SEO methods to increase your own website traffic FAST. We've gone heavy on off-page SEO techniques revolving around articles. SEO trends that a person could use in 2018 in order to rank your page online are usually brand loyalty. The best possible presence originates from SEO marketing techniques geared toward mobile searches. So is actually time for you to gray the lights, cue the spectacular movie trailer voice and acquire ready, as next year within SEO is looking pretty highly advanced. This shows how slow local businesses have been around the web in updating to SEO and web technological updates. The objective of a increased ranking in the SERP h is to increase quality plus quantity of the visitors the site by creating content plus resources that are relevant in order to target audiences searching for specific information-SEO helps businesses get discovered online. Within this guide I'll demonstrate exactly how to get the most SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION value out from the Google Keyword Advisor. As a CMO, you more than likely cringe when you hear the word SEO” (search engine optimization), because why don't face it — it's not one of the most pleasant marketing tactic to program, strategize and execute. First, understand that schema markup is one of the particular most powerful, least used components of SEO today Schema are usually basically brief snippets of information that can give extra details to find users and search motors. We already understand that User Experience for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION will become increasingly more important within 2018, such as UX will be a major ranking factor. Along with increasing your transformation rate, reviews may also assist to increase the effectiveness associated with your SEO efforts, because user-generated content is a consistent supply of unique and fresh content material that you didn't have in order to pay an employee or service provider to write for you.

Carrying away technical SEO for local research engines is really a comparable process. These aspects may involve websites content technique and its user relevance, SEO marketing, length of time since on the web presence was established and more. A good starting point whenever using keywords for SEO is definitely to identify existing pages that will can use some optimization. You can review your page's SEO health, evaluate SEO metrics for a quantity of pages, and analyze each external and internal links upon any given web page. But, I'm quite certain that by the end associated with 2020, voice search will end up being very common, and you will have a lot of talks going on in the particular SEO world on how in order to optimize the content for the tone of voice search, similar how it's today about mobile. But there is definitely another significant SEO trend through the rise of voice queries. The brandname is powerful for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION even though it may not really be a specific ranking aspect.

[kershmaru-blog]

What is Feminism? An outside male perspective

First I think I need to acknowledge that feminism means vastly different things to different people. There are quite incompatible, warring factions within the movement, and what I dub amateur feminism or feminism of the masses, is another story altogether. I am talking about the feminism of the vast majority of self-described feminists who never came in direct contact with professional gender studies or feminist theory and wish for nothing but equality.

What I think all feminists have in common is the perspective that our world is male-dominated, that there is a relative lack of positive female role models even within the west - which is true if your viewpoint is that you need your role models to share such superficial criteria as sex, sexuality, and gender with yourself - and that our society values males more than it does females.

 I should introduce myself. I go by Kershmaru, which is an old Gamertag I came up with. It consists of a nonsensical first syllable and an ending for Japanese first names. So I am Japanophile. Sue me.

I do value my privacy and privacy rights in general (you don’t have to fear that I expose private conversations between us, or even write about them in an anonymous format without your express permission), but that is not the reason I go by a pseudonym. I may or may not announce my real name after some time. There is a reason for my anonymity: Part of my philosophy is that the source shouldn’t matter and that every post, every argument, and every article should be able to stand on their own, on their own merit.

I am 27, single, male, white, an atheist and from Austria, for those of you who care about such things. Personally, I think that my writing tells you more about myself than those more or less random metrics. In fact, I think the only thing I mentioned which tells you anything worth knowing about my worldview is that I am an atheist.

 Why write about feminism at all? Firstly, because there is a growing divide between feminists and social justice advocates on one side and anti-feminists and anti-SJWs on the other.  There is very little civilized dialogue between the two sides, and in all honesty, I believe such dialogue would be enriching for both sides.

Secondly, despite its vast influence over politics and media, some strains of feminism seem to have developed an “us vs. the world” mentality. I think those people would benefit from an outside perspective. The aim of this blog isn’t to explain your own ideology to you; it is only a subjective viewpoint and an outside perspective.

 I am neither a feminist nor an anti, despite the fact that I am sure I will be accused of being both, if nothing else because of the forums I plan to post this on (minds.com and tumbler).

 I am an advocate for equality as far as it is reasonable.

Some of you might have read this far only to stop after reading about reasonable inequality. For those who didn’t, hear me out: There are currently disparities in rights that are unfair but without an alternative.

The most striking of these rights is the right to bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. (I am well aware that in some states in America, the religious right fights against the right to choose, and I am squarely on board with the feminists on this one. Women need to remain the sole decision makers regarding their own bodies)

To clarify my views on abortion, I regard it as a necessary evil. There are cases in which it entirely is a medical necessity (i.e., Pregnancy within the fallopian tubes, which cannot be brought to term and if unchecked will cause massive internal bleeding and the death of the mother), but for a variety of reasons - I can go more into detail if you want me to - I also am in favor of all other cases except late-term abortion. There needs to be some time for a prospective mother to decide what she wants to do, and she shouldn’t have to make rash decisions. But there should be a time limit after which the rights of the fetus are protected. Such a limit is necessarily arbitrary, but as I said before, a necessity to give the mother time to think. Would I be in favor of fewer abortions? Absolutely. But the way we can arrive there is only by providing easy access to contraceptives, not through clumsy attempts at social engineering through abstinence-only education. It would also help if there were more resources for nascent mothers, like easy access to childcare, legally protected maternity leave (which of course makes women less attractive on the job market) and easy access to adoption services.

 My personal views aside, the status quo in wide parts of the western world is that women have the unilateral power to make decisions on whether or not they will become parents, even after the fact. Men cannot legally interfere with this decision.

If the woman decides thusly, the men become fathers, with all the legally binding obligations that entail. (An exception is a policy in Sweden of which I am not sure whether it has been implemented which would allow men to opt out of paternity, but only by relinquishing all legal rights. That is not equal to the female power to chose; in my opinion a useless policy)

If the woman doesn’t want to be a parent, the man also never gets the chance to.

 This situation is intrinsically unfair. But the alternative, making women into incubators against their will is so dystopian that I will not even consider advocating for it. (on a side note, if artificial wombs were already available, I would likely be in favor of protecting the fetus and bringing it to term in such a device if one of the parents - in this case, the father - wishes it, at least if the conception was consensual in the first place. But because such devices don’t yet exist and will likely have to navigate a maze of “ethical” obstacles, this point though interesting is mute)

There you have it: A right, in favor of women no less, which is intrinsically unfair and unequal but needs to stay this way.

 But enough distractions. Time to get to the meat of it. Feminism.

To some a necessary struggle against oppressive structures, to others a totalitarian system based on religious dogma aiming to police, form, and control every aspect of culture, politics and interpersonal relationships.

Firstly, I agree that there are inequalities in men and women, even within the western world.

I also believe that there are differences between men and women based in biology. Are these differences reinforced by cultural norms and traditional gender roles? I think they are.

As you can see, I neither fully subscribe to an entirely biologic-deterministic nor to a socially constructed worldview. Both lack - to me as a layman regarding gender studies - merit (I also will avoid using overly technical or predefined language in this blog due to the emotional baggage and presuppositions associated with such terms. Here, where I was forced to use it nevertheless is the best place to inform you of my rationale for this decision).

What are these differences? Most of them, like muscle strength, are irrelevant regarding the modern work environment. The obvious exception here are positions that demand high fitness and muscle strength, like construction, firefighting or some military jobs. I am of the opinion that such positions should absolutely be open to women who pass the requirements, though I will admit that men aiming for these posts hold an unfair biological and physiological advantage. Two mutually dependent differences aren’t irrelevant: Risk aversion and resource management (meant are personal resources like stress)

Men are less risk-averse than women (as can be seen in factors such as gender differences in gambling behavior https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4736715/ )

This primes them for high risk, high reward positions which are highly valued by our society (politicians, CEOs)

To clarify, I don’t believe that women aren’t qualified for these positions. Quite the opposite, I think those who make it there in a meritocratic system are qualified. I also find them to be outliers.

Can the frequency of such outliers be increased by shifting cultural norms and by nurture? I believe it can be. But should it at all costs? I am not a father, and I may well never be. But the way I would raise my children, regardless of gender, would be to try to instill in them the same primal curiosity, the same drive to see the beauty in our universe I feel, and to reinforce in them whatever interests they have. I wouldn’t project my insecurities and wishes on them.

The other thing I mentioned, resource management, is in favor of women. Women manage their own stress better, this meta-study on burnout suggests http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001879110000771 and have a higher life expectancy.

There are fields in which women are yet underrepresented which cannot be explained by the two metrics of risk aversion and resource management, for example, science and engineering. This may be partially due to biologic differences, but I do believe we will see more women drift to these professions organically over time. After all, curiosity isn’t a male trait. At least I didn’t see any evidence for it.

I believe in a meritocratic and free system. It may take some time until the gender balance approaches the distribution of genders as dictated by biology, but I don’t see the problem in that. In most circles, no one doubts that women can be as capable as men in a given position, and that, rather than gender parity, is to me the sign of achieved equality.

 Which brings me to my main gripe with feminism. Regardless of their exact strain of feminism, a lot of feminists believe in particular policy implementations that go against meritocracy, such as diversity quotas.

 The belief that those measures are necessary is founded partially in what presents itself to me as a persecution complex: That the world is still in the fangs of patriarchy. There is an interesting philosophical debate to be had on the topic who or rather what is in control of our world and society, but that goes beyond the scope of this blog. I may write an article on it on minds.

 I am not saying sexism is dead, or that unconscious bias doesn’t exist. What I am saying is that bias isn’t the sole explanation for societal ills and injustices. Consider this if you will: A biased opinion against people with the descriptor d. A person with d may be discriminated against by d-cist people and learn that this bias exists. They will now be conditioned to look out for this prejudice, and it will color their perception of reality. If they encounter repeated injustice, perceived or real, they are more likely to attribute it to d and d-cist opinions.

This in itself can pose a problem, if they set out to cure d-cist attitudes. An overreach can antagonize and prejudice people who didn’t hold d-cist positions to start with. Overestimating the scope of a problem or applying the wrong solution can be as destructive as doing nothing at all. It can not only promote d-cist attitudes in reaction to the overreach but can lead to its own set of social problems and injustices. For example, if you insist on thinking in these categories, a person with d might be promoted due to a diversity quota over a socio-economically disadvantaged person without d, who might even have better qualifications and a more significant need for the position.

The belief that d-cist attitudes are rampant in society at large can also lead D’s to self-segregate and take on a hostile attitude towards people outside their community or society at large. This can lead to other problems, like shifting attitudes towards D’s, actual d-cism and mutual hostility.

D can, in this context stand for any arbitrary attribute, from gender, sex, sexuality, race to wearing glasses. (if you think that the last example is ludicrous or ridiculous, remember that Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge murdered people wearing eyeglasses on the suspicion that they were intellectuals. Say what you want about the treatment of women in history and today, but I cannot think of an ideology or system, extant or extinct that promoted female genocide.)

 Herein, as alluded to before, lies my biggest problem with feminism (And the biggest problem of many others): Both its dogmatic, overly simplistic assertions about the nature of our world, and the political solution widely championed by feminists.

 It needs to be said that I respect everybody's right to an opinion. We all would like the world to be different in subtle ways. Some of these problems and complaints seem petty to outsiders (manspreading), but if you feel like there is a problem, you absolutely have a right to speak out. Issues come into play when you try to control culture or media because then you infringe upon others right of expression. I am well aware most feminists, particularly but not exclusively the aforementioned amateur feminists only want perceived equality in specific circumstances that are near and dear to them, such as political representation, positive role models, unbiased education. Again, nothing wrong about that. But most of the proposals I have seen to bring such changes in short time are flawed. And the used rhetoric can be downright abusive. What possible use have “teach boys not to rape” seminars and workshops? Literally everybody knows rape is an unforgivable crime and one of the most damaging, traumatic events to the victims. There is nothing to learn here. The only ones who could learn from such a seminar are those who would never rape in the first place. What right do you have to indoctrinate children to look at each other and themselves as sexual deviants, these barely restrained predatory monsters? But I digress. Do you know that some definitions of rape only encompass penetration, but not forcefull envelopment? That is right, according to some definitions - which have been used for studies and statistics - , if a woman forces herself onto a man that isn’t rape. Not to mention that the current culture makes it very hard for male victims to speak out, especially against female perpetrators. Feminists may interject here that they are addressing these cultural norms, but the truth is that male advocacy or men’s rights is a derogatory term often named in a breath with pick up artists or similar lowlifes. Disparate incarceration and suicide rates, as well as a gendered and biased justice system, are a joke to some feminists. Worse yet, if the issue is brought up some see it as a twisted form of justice, recompense for millennia of oppression.

 There is no doubt that women were denied their fair shake by society. Heck, they still are outside the western world. But there can also be no doubt that things are different now. Claiming otherwise is delusional. We may not yet be a society reflecting the real interests and qualifications of the individuals therein, but the main ingredient missing, in my opinion, is time. Time for genuine bigots to be retired from their place of power. Time for girls to speak out about their “boyish” hobbies and interests and potentially make them into a career. But it is also necessary to acknowledge the progress we already made and to think more critically about complaints concerning sexism or other forms of bigotry in the western world.

 I really don’t know exactly how to structure the following because every subpoint would be deserving of its own blog post, and they may get them, in time. In The meantime, here is a more or less unstructured rant about some common feminist complaints about western society. It is by no means a full list, and I would caution you against using what I have written to extrapolate my stance on other issues. Making assumptions without sufficient information is a profoundly human trait; albeit one we need to work hard to overcome. Feel free to disagree and tell me why it is you disagree. I am more than willing to change my position if you present me with a good argument.

 What about sexualized media? First off, I know that this is an unfair argument because a good part of feminists see female sexuality as liberating and liberated. Personally, I have no problem with any form of sexuality or sexual imagery for the purpose of advertising or marketing. To put it in plain English: Sex sells. Using sexuality in marketing isn’t oppressive or objectifying, it is a good business practice. I agree that it can become ridiculous at times, especially if there is absolutely no connection to the good or service being advertised. It is a cheap tactic to draw eyes, but an effective one.

What about the male gaze in movies? I would argue that the same is true here. And I would also say that not only men sexualize women. Humans, in general, are very good at sexualizing each other, regardless of their sexuality. Envy and critique replace lust as the motivating factor, but women also look at legs and breasts and men at abs.

What about the elephant in the room: the pay gap? It would be more honest to speak about a earnings gap. It is true, men and woman earn disparate incomes, but they also work in different professions. If you compare apples to oranges, of course, there will be a disparity. If you compare people within comparable positions, the earnings gap shrinks. If you control for hours worked, qualifications and other factors it shrinks again. It doesn’t disappear altogether, but that is where the risky behavior and assertiveness comes into play. Women can and should be more self-aware and aware what they are worth, and ask for financial recompense. That is what men do.

(It should be mentioned that there is a gap in payment amongst male and female CEOs, which of course cannot be ascribed to divergent qualifications. But the pay amongst CEOs, in general, is highly variable and depends on the worth of the company. Once a woman is in charge of Amazon, Microsoft or a comparable Company we will see this gap shrink)

On a side note, there are legal protections against pay discrimination in many countries in the western world, including the US. Of course, legal protection doesn’t mean that it cannot happen. Despite my above explanations, I do not doubt that there still is gender-based discrimination in isolated cases. If you think you are being discriminated against, be very careful. You might well have a case, but if you try to litigate and the court doesn’t find in your favor, you might well be out of a job. That being said, you have a right to take up your legal arms and fight in court. As somebody opposed to discrimination, I wish you the best. Nobody should suffer any form of discrimination, least of all due to a trait of their person they have absolutely no control over.

The lion’s share of the earnings gap is due to individual choice. Men work more dangerous and dirtier jobs than women and are compensated for that. You want parity amongst CEOs? What about equality amongst miners or sewer workers? Some careers are simply higher paid than others. A lot of male-dominated fields fall into that category. If a woman wants to enter these fields and she has all the necessary qualifications, she is free to do so, and I would encourage her. As I would encourage everybody to pursue the career they want.

Should some of the traditional female professions be better compensated? Well, talking about dangerous jobs, I think that teachers should be paid much more but also be held to a higher standard.

What about cyberbullying? Well according to the data, http://soc101group2.providence.wikispaces.net/Gender+Distinctions+in+Cyber+Bullying women are more likely to be the perpetrators. That, of course, may change over time and depends on whether or not you count gossip as “bullying.” Also all studies I could find depended on self-reporting, so take them with a grain of salt since that is amongst the least reliable study designs. It should also be said that one amongst the most recent studies I could find (from 2016, conducted amongst US highschoolers), on statista.com showed contrary trends. It might just be that the interviewed girls didn’t count gossiping as cyberbullying; and I am not certain gossip should count. I welcome your thoughts on the matter.

What about “bossy?” When a man is a boss, he isn’t considered “bossy.” Neither is a female boss. The male equivalent to “bossy” isn’t “boss” it is “dick” speaking of which…

What about sexualized slurs you might ask? What about them? How often have you called somebody a dick or a prick and not even thought of it as a sexual slur? This does of course not mean that sexual slurs should be societally acceptable. My point is that those against women already aren’t, while those against men clearly are. Here we come to another aspect of my philosophy, this time concerning free speech: everybody should be allowed a chance to speak freely and out themselves as an ass, the right to free speech doesn’t mean freedom from social condemnation.

 I cannot possibly go into detail on all I touched on without writing a veritable book. This is as good as any a place to take a break. I will be back next week with some thoughts on the Weinstein scandal and rape culture. In the meantime, as alluded to before, I am here to talk. Comment with your thoughts, questions, and of course, criticism. I will do my best to explain myself and my positions. Tell me where you disagree and agree with me and if need be, enlighten me if I made some factual errors or overly simplifying generalizations.