#thoughts on the most recent episode

[centaurianthropology]

Ashton and Silence

One of the things that has fascinated me this campaign is how ready-built Ashton is to be a leader, but how Taliesin plays low charisma to constantly stop them from being one.  Ashton has great ideas, and tends to be one of the two most grounded members of the group.   He has excellent moral intelligence (far better than they’ll admit), and one-on-one Ashton excels at talking people down from their worst points.  

But they also are in constant pain, and they’ve spent their entire life being told that they’re worthless as anything other than a slab of muscle.  So they silence themselves.  And the more unfamiliar the environment or the more people around them, the more they clam up.

Last episode was one of the best examples I’ve seen yet.  Ashton was almost entirely silent this episode.  He admitted to hating camping, likely to do with the chronic pain, but also to do with the unfamiliar environment.  Ashton is a city barbarian through and through, and they thrive in cities.  They are far more confident in cities, even when they don’t know them as well as Jrusar or Bassuras.  But the wilderness?  On an unknown continent?  He’s already on the wrong foot.

And then they go to the village, and before they know it things are spiraling.  It turns out this place was a powderkeg waiting to blow, with two factions that are, at least from appearance, both highly suspect.  The Vasselheim faction are clearly outsiders come here to impose their culture on the locals, taking too much from their land, bleeding their farms dry for distant tribute, and recently sending more and more armed thugs and more religious oppression.  Add to that the Flameguide being clearly an asshole who won’t listen to reason (very classic lawful stupid paladin, and I agree with Emily, likely a Conquest Paladin, some of the worst to deal with), and the Dawnfather folks are clearly assholes who aren’t wanted there.

But though the townsfolk in general seem sympathetic and just want to live free and worship as they will, their charismatic leader also seems to be full-on with Ruby Vanguard ideology.  She wants to tear the gods down, mistaking gods who are behind a divine gate and can’t interact with humans without a great deal of faith, with the corrupt religious institutions that sprung up around them.  But at the same time she gives a distinct feeling of hating those institutions because she’s not them.  She flat-out said that she didn’t want to stop with the town.  She wanted her own elemental worship to take over the world.

It’s a great set-up, because the townsfolk just want to be free, so they’re throwing in their lot with someone who has grand and terrible ambitions.  It’s Ludinus writ small, and playing out on an intimate scale.

And the team wasn’t really given any choice.  Once they were exploring the options, they were already sort of stuck with the elementalists.  And they mostly just want to prevent casualties, but the people in charge of those potential casualties have no care for the people who could die.  They see only glory and their own faith.

Orym spoke up, because that’s what Orym does.  But Orym’s confidence has been shaken, and there was little to no way he was going to manage to sway two fanatics.  Denise sort-of spoke up, as did Laudna, both trying but both also failing.  Bor’Dor and Prism were both basically on the side of ‘let’s fuck up the gods, whoo!’ from the off, Bor’Dor because he doesn’t really know what’s going on, and Prism out of academic bitterness.  In another life, she would have been hard-core Rube Vanguard fairly easily.

And then there’s Ashton, silent in the back, deeply uncomfortable, surrounded by an elementalist group that feels a lot like a cult with a charismatic leader.  How much must he be associating this with the Hishari?  Does it have any connection?  Some remnant faction?  Are they fighting on the side of his nightmares?

But they say nothing.  They stay silent.  They are barely noticed, despite being a big rock person in an elemental-worshipping town.  People should be all over them in fascination, but they aren’t, because Ashton has practically vanished.  They needed to speak up.  They needed to stand with Orym to try to de-escalate things, but instead they are sneaking in the background.  Why?  Lack of confidence.  Self-loathing.  Fear.  This is where Asthon’s low charisma springs from: they will never trust themselves to do the right thing, to say the right words, to really step up and be counted.  So they hide, and things crumble.

[adelrambles]

Tips on Writing Bishop

I've been asked a couple times for advice on how to write a good (03-style) Bishop, and I'm well-aware he can be a bit tough to get a grasp on. As someone who's studied him specifically to learn how to write him as accurately as possible, I figured I'd compile some thoughts in case it'd be helpful to anyone else. I know a lot of Rise takes on him are basing off the 03 version, so maybe this could help generate ideas, too. SO!

Big Overall Points!

At the core of EVERYTHING Bishop does are two primary motivations. The first: the protection of the earth. What this means to him can get tricky, because it doesn't necessarily mean protecting the people, at least not all of them. But it will be better understood alongside the other:

The second: The protection of his sense of safety. Bishop has been deeply traumatized, and everything he does is born of a want to avoid that pain ever again. In his mind, earth is a safe area, a controllable factor, and anything outside it is a danger that must be eliminated. This is why he will still be willing to put himself and other people on the line in service of this; any sacrifice is worth the greater goal. (It's worth noting, Bishop will claim the first as his motivation freely, but is likely not consciously aware of the second.)

Bishop deals in Big Picture ONLY. Another reason Bishop will willingly throw away anything, including the lives of the people he claims to protect, is that he seems incapable of understanding things on a small, individual basis.

Bishop is a cold personality. He does not have strong displays of emotion. He does emote, but for the most part it's muted, so I recommend using emotional bursts very sparingly. (In my own writing, as an example, I try to limit my use of exclamation marks in his dialogue as much as possible.)

At his core, Bishop is afraid, and his response to fear is aggression. This also makes it particularly difficult to talk him down, if he's put in an emotional state. His response to not being in control is often violent retaliation.

With those basic tenants understood, let's move next to some major personality traits:

Bishop is a controlling personality. This is a direct result of his trauma response. Things that can be controlled are safe, therefore he must control everything. If something cannot be controlled, it's a threat that must be eliminated. If he doesn't know why something happened, he becomes angry (including even when it benefits him.)

Bishop is very low-empathy. When writing him, I try to keep in mind that he cannot put himself in the perspective of others. (Or if he can, he doesn't care to.)

Bishop is a sadist. He gets personal enjoyment from hurting others.

Bishop likes fighting, but only when he's winning. He will quickly leave if he can't see a guaranteed victory.

Bishop is paranoid. This is probably self-evident, but it's the reason he's often so well-prepared even when things don't go to plan.

Bishop genuinely seems to enjoy science. He's shown to be far more lenient with scientist characters than anyone else, and he seems to involve himself in his scientists' projects to a degree. Enough to, at the very least, understand their work. (Given he was the one set to dissect the turtles, it might also be argued he has some medical or biology background, himself.)

Bishop is an opportunist and scavenger. He can roll with failures as long as he can find something to get out of it. If he's presented with an opportunity to stab someone in the back, and he has something to gain? He'll take it without a second thought.

Bishop is deeply self-blind. For all his perceptiveness and strategic prowess, Bishop is not very self-aware in the slightest. He is completely blind to his own hypocrisies, and thoroughly confident in his own righteousness.

Bishop adapts fast. He accepts situations for what they are and acts (Though he may still be angry about them, or what have you.) This is likely a skill developed via longevity; the world around him has changed rapidly, but he doesn't feel out of place at all.

Bishop will take extreme risks and thinks wildly outside the box. Also self-evident, if you're familiar with the plans he enacts throughout the show. He'll put a lot on the line if he thinks the reward is worth enough, and he's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what he wants, even if his plans would be considered crazy by normal standards.

Bishop is persistent. If he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it. If he fails, he'll retreat, make a new plan, and try again. It is very difficult to convince him to back down (and certainly not on moral grounds.)

Habits and triggers I've noted:

Being restrained of any sort puts Bishop in a panic. He is more likely to have an emotional response in these scenarios, and seems to have (an albeit muted) desperation to escape. (See: Leatherhead restraining him in the first encounter; His reaction to being trapped on the surgical table in Head of State.)

When being duplicitous or suppressing a reaction, Bishop will go to adjust his tie. This could possibly be considered his tell.

Bishop seems to have a particular fear of aliens blending in as humans. His slayer project was built around the assumption that this is a common threat. (Worth noting: This makes The Shredder the model of the exact threat Bishop is afraid of. Technically, Bishop himself may also fit the description of a threat shaped like a human.)

Writing considerations:

In 03's narrative, Bishop is EPF and EPF is Bishop. Narratively speaking, any organization Bishop is head of acts as if it is an extension of his will and character.

Bishop is shown to strike fear and/or discomfort into most characters he interacts with. Anything beyond this is an outlier, and will draw a reader's attention.

Dialogue-wise, Bishop is generally succinct and blunt. He does dabble in gloating, though, and especially likes to upset others. If he's given a chance to be mean, he'll usually take it. It can help to consider he has a Mission Mode and a Normal Mode. When it comes to Mission Mode, he gets straight to the point and hates unnecessary talking. Otherwise, he's still not very talkative, but will take the time to make pointed jabs or talk through a plan. A lot of his sense of humor seems to be rooted in how He's Better Than You (And You're Going To Die Painfully.)

It's a common pitfall that Bishop is depicted as seeking out the turtles. In 03, once he gets their DNA, he's done with them. Any encounters after that are incidental. Bishop does not care about anything that won't effect his greater goal. If he's targeting another character, it should have to do with a greater plan.

Bishop is an extremely competent combatant, shown to be able to handle up to 7 opponents at once. For a breakdown on his fighting style check out my other post on that!

Bishop is hard to kill, and oftentimes he accidentally contributes to his own defeat. (The hook from Bishop's Gambit is an example I get a LOT of mileage out of, as a perfect symbol of his self-defeating prophecies.)

We almost only ever see Bishop in the context of his work. While it could be construed that he depersonalizes himself, it's much more clear that the narrative depersonalizes him. As far as we, the audience know, Bishop's work is all that he is.

It's unclear if Bishop was released from his abduction or escaped. Depending on which you ascribe to, this can have ramifications for his mindset on how to deal with the alien threat. (Personally, because so much of his inability to cope hinges on a feeling of helplessness, I believe he was released. If he escaped on his own power, that undercuts it, somewhat.)

Thematically-speaking, Bishop parallels both his own torturers and his own victims at the same time. He has perpetuated the cycle that traumatized him in the first place by trying to fight fire with fire. (In that vein, I don't think he's capable of understanding that, not seeing aliens as people in the first place, just dangers. Considering how deeply ingrained his trauma is in his worldview and actions, it would probably ruin him, if he were ever able to actually grasp it.)

Bishop and EPF are likely a commentary on the military of the time 03 was coming out. This can be something worth keeping in mind, when figuring out his greater themes in your story, though it can just as well be discarded if it doesn't fit.

Adding to that, Bishop has an extensive american military background. His skills and knowledge will reflect that.

Bishop also plays on and references a number of real-life alien conspiracies. It can be worth digging through conspiracy history to drum up ideas and themes, too.

The ethical and philosophical quandaries of Bishop's body-hopping and humanity tend to not hold too much weight, because Bishop, himself, doesn't seem to care.

If I think of more I'll certainly be adding on to the reblogs of this post! Or, if you have more thoughts, please feel free to add! If you're in the mood for more Bishop ramblings, that's practically most of this blog atm, but this post is a particular favorite. If you're interested in Fast Forward!Bishop, specifically, consider this post! (also read Taking Pawns. slipped in that self-promo, nice.)

[honourablepranksinatra]

I wish the last Abbott episode showed Janine becoming a bit more disillusioned with the district due to wealth inequality between the district and the schools and made that explicitly part of her rationale for leaving along with wanting to teach because the material was right there.

For 2 seasons, the district is incompetent and the schools are completely underfunded, but then after Janine meets Manny, the district is just magically different and she can contribute to making effective change? I can see why someone with such optimism (and sometimes naivety) would believe that she could, but the district also seems to be portrayed like there are much fewer problems within it with the exception of the superintendent or a bit of pushback with paperwork. But this last episode showed more than ever how the district really hasn't changed because they give the benefits to themselves. Why did Janine magically get a new Apple computer when she had a perfectly good laptop the same day the superintendent said that all plans for the schools needed to be free? How can Simon afford a condo when Janine could barely afford rent last season? Why do the district employees get way better healthcare than the teachers? Janine's negative reactions to this info are shown to be more about her simply not wanting to work there because she wants to be at Abbott with her students than the inherent unfairness.

I wish instead of her just showing up at Avafest, that she had a moment where she called out the district at her party for prioritizing themselves over the students and teachers. In season 2, Janine wants to use the rest of the little grant money they have for a laptop because the school doesn't have ANY that the kids could use. It would be the perfect callback if she pointed out that fact that the district gave her one she didn't even need without even asking.

[baaad-omens]

shoutout to the magnus protocol ep. 5 for actually existing i genuinely thought i'd make it up for the past month or so.

[waywardskychaser]

I’m sure it’s been said before, but I’m still gonna say it. OF COURSE Lazlo made Guillermo’s vampirism struggle his business. My guy acts like he could not give less of a shit about what happens to anyone in that house, but then immediately makes it his problem. He did it to Colin Robinson and he’s at it again. Mans is a nosy bitch with a soft heart and I love him.

[gamesbyalbie]

A prediction for Wuvvy's heel turn that's been lurking in my brain since the duel but seeming more and more possible with each episode:

Wuvvy: "You owe me a favor."

Hob: "Indeed. What would you have of me?"

Wuvvy: ...

Wuvvy: "Stay away from Rue."

*cue Lou and Oscar losing their fucking shit*

[icantspellhocky]

Okay but what if the email to Alice about Sam’s search history is actually from Jon??? As like a warning of "stop stop stop please stop him". Just like the statements Jon is saying. And then either Jon or Martin sent the email with the video to Gwen as a warning of "here’s who your boss is" (or maybe Agustus sent it to give her a leg up???)

[thewhizzyhead]

wait no pero legit here's the thing about the rise of the darlentina shippers okay and why i consider it so groundbreaking in so many ways. first of all, it's philippine mainstream media and gay shit on mainstream media almost never happens here so to actually see people, fans and actors and producers alike, clamor for the narda x regina or darlentina dynamic here - despite it being a fan-pairing and despite the fact that both are in this love-triangle dynamic with the main cop lead- is absolutely insane. SECOND OF ALL, because of the darlentina dynamic and the many, many edits on social media platforms everywhere, abs cbn (aka the studio airing the darna reboot) was able to finally bring back massive social media attention on their teleseryes. and here's the thing about filipino teleseryes: most gen z's stuck on the internet don't give a shit about them anymore because who would give a shit over recycled tropes, cliches, and plotlines that, more often that not, revolve around super straight couples with the same old dynamics and same old heteronormative shit? so, for sapphic filipino twitter to actually give a shit about a teleserye again because of new and actually well-written and well-performed dynamics between the hero and her archnemesis? that is, once again, absolutely insane - so insane that we actually managed to loop in the rest of international sapphic twitter as well. WE ACTUALLY FOUND SOMETHING INTERESTING AND ENGAGING AND REVOLUTIONARY TO WATCH ON MAINSTREAM MEDIA AGAIN AND AS A RESULT, FILIPINO TELESERYE TITLES ARE BACK AGAIN ON THE TRENDING PAGES. WE GIVE A SHIT NOW BECAUSE WE FOUND SOMETHING WORTH CARING ABOUT. but this also means that we also find stuff worth criticizing in the show and in Filipino Teleserye writing in general - and holy shit there are a lot: copaganda especially considering the sociopolitical climate here what with cop shittiness, men-centric writing, cheesy lines, forced romantic pairings, the SUPERHERO SHOW focusing on thE COPS instead of tHE SUPERHERO, the "women empowerment" failing the fucking bechdel test, bland writing that focuses only on the "kilig" factor, inconsistent characterization to the point that narda cites the cop love interest as her inspiration instead of, like, HER FUCKING MOM - THE ONLY OTHER "DARNA" SHE KNOWS, yea you get the point. These issues and more have always been issues in Filipino teleseryes though and we've grown so used to them that we no longer give a fuck anymore. but, because of how much potential the Darna reboot holds - even outside of the Darlentina thing - and because of how incredibly tired we are of shitty, shitty, writing in Philippine television, we continue to make the show trend not just with our love for Jane De Leon and Janella Salvador but with our critiques of the show. Keep in mind, we've been staying away from teleseryes for quite a long while now because of the same old shit and now that another local show has managed to get our attention to the point that we are actively advocating for better writing speaks volumes! so, when you guys see the darlentina thing trend not just on twitter but in other platforms as well, remember that this isn't just a matter of us wanting good gay representation on Philippine mainstream media. this is a matter of us finally wanting good stories back on teleseryes because we fully well know that us Filipinos deserve so much better than the same rehashed and backward plotlines.

[certified-boyliker]

I was going through some posts and a lot of people have noted how similar Miri and Rei's reactions are.

I wonder if that's supposed to show Rei re-growing up. Cause I mean, if you think about how he acts and reacts, it is very childishly. He acted semi-childishly when it came to the cat thing

But I mean, we see him and Miri react the same way, and I think he unconsciously sort of sees Miri as a way to re-live his childhood and re-discover things he didn't have much of an opportunity to experience

[thegroundsofbrooklyn]

i sooo miss writing fanfiction <- unlikely to do anything about this

[zincbot]

WWW EPISODE 19

[maybemountains]

the first thing fancy brew thinks when joe beans tells her to come upstairs is that she's definitely not paid enough to be interrupting her break for customers but she agrees to come up regardless.

the second thing fancy brew thinks when she sees the combination if people in front of her are family. the feeling fades as quickly as it came and it leaves her head aching and her heart pounding. she feels as though she's found a part of herself in them and she doesn't understand why. she pushes the feeling down. 

and then the lot of them yell jancy and oh, these kids (and kids? that's not right and she knows it's not but, then, what is the right word for them?) are loud and she’s already so tired. but they keep going and oh they have the wrong woman, don't they? because she can't remember them at all. and, while fancy brew knows her memories aren’t all there, she’s not sure if she can bring herself to believe that these kids are her family.

they call her their mom but she's, she's not that old, she knows she's not that old, at least. and anyways, one of them is a grandma? so she can’t possibly be their mom, because jancy- fancy brew may not know much but she knows she’s not that old.

and yet, she can't help but think of the pang of familiarity she felt, the pang of familiarity she keeps feeling but -- god her head aches -- but something isn't right here and jancy tru- fancy brew is on the case. 

fancy brew knows nothing. she remembers little of her life before working for joe and still, she can't help but feel as though that didn’t always used to be the case. 

fancy brew may know nothing but she's certain that these... children of hers, aren’t actually her children. they simply can’t be.

but fancy brew is a smart woman, and she knows that, perhaps, if she truly were to know these people, they might be able to trigger some of her memory gain if they talk about memories they'd shared in the past. and despite everything, fancy hopes that she knows these people and fears that she doesn't. 

more than anything, fancy wants to believe that these people are her family, but a part of her is worried. what if she lets them down? what if they are her family and she simply can’t remember them? what if she isn’t? fancy’s not sure which outcome would be worse.

still when she floats the idea, the party takes it and runs with it and she's almost struck by the speed at which they are willing to bare their souls to her. fancy brew is reeling from the blind trust and faith they've put into her, a woman who can't remember and who doesn't know, a woman who may be a stranger. she knows that whoever this jancy is, these kids love her. and fancy is reeling at that fact, at the love they share for the woman they believe she is. 

fancy bre- no, jancy true, does not remember everything. but she remembers cheering york on, she remembers bailing her children out of bad situations, she remembers the butt cloud and an angry (exasperating) horned woman and a sadder, older, horned woman as well and most importantly she remembers Rosé's birthday. 

jancy true remembers her family. 

jancy true used to know everything. 

fancy brew knew nothing. 

currently, jancy true remembers very little. when all is said and done, her memories are fuzzy and her head hurts so much so it feels as though she can't think. 

when jancy looks at the party, her family, her children, she knows that she’ll be okay. because if she knows anything, she knows that these are her children, and, as hard as it may be to believe sometimes, they’re smarter than they may seem.

[giri-giri-waifu]

Anya, playing with dolls she made to look like Yor and Loid: 'Mama, papa, now kiss!'

//pushes both dolls' faces together and makes kissy sounds

Loid comes in to check on her to come watch spy anime. Embarrassed, she chucks the Loid doll across the room, where it smacks into the wall and she hides the Yor doll behind her.

Loid: What are you doing...? = _ =

Anya, smug and chuckling: Nothing. > w >

Later, Yor and Loid tuck her into bed for the night. Yor picks up her doll and Loid picks up his, from where it got thrown. There's a scratch on the doll's face and he gulps, replaying the scene before in his head.

'Why me...?' he mutters as he takes Yor's doll and places both of them in a toy bin. Yor notices the toys slide together so their faces are touching. She blushes and yanks the Loid doll out and throws it against the wall, where the head sticks, leaving the doll's body, limp and hanging. Loid goes pale. 'Why me?' he mumbles as he shuffles off to bed, shocked and very confused.

Anya chuckles in her sleep and Bond gives an exasperated 'borf'.

Just kiss already...

[tokyo-revengers-memes]

Everyone: hey you know you're supposed to actually throw punches when you're fighting, right?

Takemichi:

[cringefaildiaz]

I don't even know what we know about tonights episode. every new episode since Recovery has sent me into a spiral to the point that I've developed a completely new method of interacting with weewoo I have NO idea what's going on

[epickiya722]

Sometimes I wonder if anybody other than Toji ever thought "what would happen to the curses if I killed this guy" when it came to Suguru (when they became aware of what his technique is)?