Fail!
WAY TO FAIL.
That's my favorite manga you're killing! And plagarizing. Newsflash. It's illegal to do that and people will lose their respect for you.
UGH.D:<
To wash off the bad taste: MEME! Stolen from paperteacup
1. Comment here and I'll pick one of your LJ interests and draw a picture using the mighty MS Paint.
2. You have no say in what I draw for you, ( Read more... )
I answer: So what? Darkstar may be a "minor" since he's not eighteen but it's not like they engage in sexual activity. Besides, in a few year's time, he will be an adult so that point is moot.
Let's not forget the "BUT HE'S AN ICKY, UGLY ZOMBIE!"
I answer: I honestly believe the begining stages of learning Magic is not as glamorous as most think it would be. It's like learning to paint or draw or even write. You don't automatically have a masterpiece. You go through tons of sketches or drafts that most people (especially when you're first starting out) will find FUGLY and/or just plain PAINFUL to read/look at.
When you're manipulating energy or life essences, and you screw it up the results generally are worse than a leg drawn at a painful angle or an incredibly convoluted run-on sentence (like this one XD). Charmcaster would have seen far uglier, far more horrible things. Hell, she may have even SUMMONED one or two or ten. If not her, then her Uncle or her other magically inclined relatives.
Darkstar would have the issues where his appearance is concerned, considering he knows what he should look like. But the "attraction" I see between these two are not about how "OMG HAWT" they look. They're smart characters who know that there's more than meets the eye and they're complex enough not to let something as shallow as appearances get in the way of what they want.
"But that's not a healthy relationship! They're not thinking about the other person! Only themselves!"
Honestly? That's the challenge to them. Two inherently selfish, self-centered people eventually acknowledging that they do feel concern for the other's well-being. They will not verbally admit it (because that would be like admitting defeat!) but they will show it through their actions. Darkstar not making Charmcaster become enamored with him when he feeds on her, Charmcaster demonstrating the "Glamour" spell on Darkstar just to make him less defensive about his looks, one mocking the other for getting hurt while helping/healing him/her because s/he will heal the other's wounds but will rub salt in them first. Just because they can and because they know the other would do that should the positions be reversed.
Their personality would allow them to "get" the other and because of this, they know not to pull punches or risk losing the fight. And they're pretty sick of losing to the heroes as it is.
And there you have it. The extremely long-winded explanation why I fucking love DarkCaster. CharmStar is an alternate portmanteau for the ship, but I reserve that for a different universe XDDDDDD
Anyway, moving on... I think one more reason why I can't write KND fic is that I'm honestly confused about the whole adult tyrany thing. That the moment a kid turns into a teenager they have to get decommissioned. But not every kid is a KND operative. What happens to these kids? What are their lives like? Are they automatically recruited to serve the adults or are there non-adult-serving teens the way not every kid is a KND operative? These unanswered questions are what keeps me from jumping into the fandom and trying to write for it because it would affect how I would understand the mental process the characters would go through.
I can totally write Henrietta wondering about the attraction she has for Abbie, but she would attribute that as being grateful for having the curse broken/lifted. But of course she would wonder if it was real gratitude or more? And what would Abbie say about it? Would Henrietta wish she was still Heinrick in order to properly explore these feelings? Wouldn't it be simpler? But as Heinrick, she knows there are things about her that would be lost if she were still Heinrick.
And then I think to myself: Are kids these days really this sexually concerned? And I'm immediately squicked by the idea ;A;
There’s also the fact that it would be believable 5 had a relationship with all the characters at some point as she grew up.
You hit the nail on the head. It's the fact that she has established relationships with all these characters that allows the potential for multishipping 5. And everyone else in the series except 4 tbh.
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As for Mushi, I prefer her over 3 but she's not my favorite either XD but am I the only one who was disappointed the series never followed up with the King Sandy breaking Mushi out of her bedroom after being grounded? Maybe it did follow it up and I never got to see it ;A; but that was a cute villain couple because a little kindergartener ordering his teenager cousins around is just adorable in my head.
As for the random question: The tugging at the collar for me is an off-shoot of the whole "Hot under the collar." That something made the character so bothered that it feels like they can't breathe and rather than consider that the cause is an emotional one rather than a physical one, they feel like their collar is constricting them. So they tug at it in an attempt to distract themselves and alleviate their discomfort. IDK don't take my word for it @.@
Translation? Does your country dub over or have subtitles? Most of the cartoons I watched were on cable TV and I miss having cable because the local dubs here have declined and are just blah with the editing and cutting out parts and RRRRRRRRGH! What country are you from, if I may ask? XD
Demona was such a tragic character. My heart goes out to her, it really does. She'll probably eat it though. Or crush it and I wouldn't blame her for it.
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I also like crack ships in that I can create my own playground and not worry about stepping on something someone else has already thought about. And it’s pretty satisfying when I hear someone say “I never considered it but now I am really interested in it!” [Mytrax is like my golden!child].
Anyway, the author of the fic probably threw in a bunch of characters together because: 1. S/He wanted to write about them without actually delving into any specific fandom, and 2. wanted to insert herself/himself into the story and ‘meet’ her/his favorite characters, who will fawn and whatever at what a special child he is since Tetrax loves him! And safely too, since he’s still a human kid. I only read bad fics that exclude OC. I guess I am not as free-loving as I once believed.
Out of your entire spiel with bad!fic, I thought, “it can be salvageable!” And then you said Myaxx was in it. My brain refused to accept it. Also LKDSFLD NOOOO. If Tetrax has a wife, a kid, and is happy in this relationship, why would putting Myaxx in as a third party with nothing more than a petty melodrama about ‘oh what I’ve missed’? If you do that, you need to at least have her do something useful. Like help negotiate with Vilgax or what not. Oh, and please remember she’s not a maternal creature, or nice, or all that sentimental, oh and she’s a scientist! Stop reducing her to a stereotype of women and relationships. She doesn’t fit into it because she’s not human and her culture proooobably would be a bit different. What with her being an alien and a rather mean one at that. UGH.
That aside. Why would Myaxx fall for Tetrax anyway? In the end of SotO Myaxx went with Azmuth anyway. There was very little to base Myaxx (WHY her anyway, couldn’t Tetrax be the one in love? ) falling for Tetrax. A crush? Okay, love? Ehhhh. No…Love at first sight is a big fat lie.
I am kind of amused, though, at the idea someone else is picking up Mytrax and trying it out (and mangling it in the process).
>///< Aptitude was such a random experiment for me, I expected a million flames and people claiming I was crazy/sick/weird and being kicked off ff.net. It was a pleasant surprise when nothing really happen and it actually ended up getting faved. And you picked up everything I wanted to show in the fic; ‘show don’t tell’ is the hurdle I struggle with most (and ICness). Plus they were surprisingly fun to mess with since they’re pretty out there, no one really writes them, canon is loose, and they’re not typical characters you can pair off and call good.
I wouldn’t have left a review, maybe a PM since you would look like a bad guy; unless the author asks for con-crits. Some people are too sensitive though, but I am of the kind that likes to help others improve.
That reminds me, how’s your AU!Mytrax-repopulation idea going?
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My introductory episode to Avatar was ‘Jet’. And I loved how black, white and gray ‘evil’ was shown. The phrase “You’re a monster!” had never been so true to me. Avatar was glorious! The scenery porn, the plot, the bending, the animation, the research, the characters designs and growth. The characters and AZULA. JALKDFSLD. Azula/Ty Lee. Unf. Have you read their ship_manifesto? It’s pretty damn awesome.
And damn. Zuko/Aang. The Firebending Masters was hilarious. I think it sealed it for a lot of people. Doesn’t hurt that their ancestors were BFF too with a lot of not so subtle subtext. The show liked to indulge everyone (even Azula/Sokka shippers! Which made me squee like a moron).
Mai (Isn’t it said Mei?) was a plot device, and I never understood her appeal. She’s kind of boring to me, and Zuko was boring with her. Plus the Beach episode established why they didn’t work and the show never allowed them a proper way to solve their issues. So why the sudden hook-up? It reeks of bad writing, though I want to say it’s because the writers ran out of time.
I still wouldn’t like it, but it wouldn’t leave such a bad taste in my mouth. It’s as if Mai/Katara were prices to be won, a reward for Aang and Zuko for their hard work and sacrifices. Both of them were kick ass women and the end didn’t need for them to be in a relationship. Funny how that worked.
People breaking up is a fact of life. People breaking up because of silly things is a fact of life. People staying in relationships they shouldn’t be in, another fact of life. And still it bugs me when I hear my friends complaining about how he ‘wasn’t good enough. Because of his habits, or music preferences. Yeah. Even though he was nice, loved her, and his family adored her to death.
I disagree on that the idea that break ups are because of instant gratification. I think it’s because we want perfection and when our expectations aren’t met, we justify the break up. Perhaps it’s an example on the same coin; I find it far too easy to blame it on gratification and not on our own expectations.
Heh. TMNT. It was just as an example. If I shipped anyone from the old show (and the first live action movie) it was Raph/April, but like I said. Preference has a lot to do with how I ship and what I read, even though I am open to just about anything. If you can convince me, I will give it a better chance.
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Vanilla to me is the classic fall in love, marry, get a house, have a few kids and live happily ever after. It doesn’t matter if it’s Male/male or female/female or female/male.
Male/Female relationships aren’t, or don’t have to be vanilla. There are really het sadistic relationships out there. As you mentioned Darkcaster, I don’t believe I would write a fic about them without some sort of warning. They’d be in a symbiotic relationship, sure, but dark themes would run underneath their mutual benefit (i.e. revenge, greed, UST, power hunger).
Same with Mytrax since I don’t believe in adhering to the idea that just because they are male/female it is the only way they can reproduce. It’s projecting my beliefs on another culture and that sets me on edge simply because people do it unconsciously all the time to me. I learned English in a rather scholarly manner and often I am talked to as if I was U.S.A Born, I like what they like and understand archaic jokes/sayings/ideas just because I read/speak/understand English.//side-tracked.
Mojo/Blossom. Ship manifesto has something on them too, and it’s really well done. Her explanation on why it’s not bestiality is rather compelling, though I don’t prescribe to it. Same with Mytrax. Because I don’t see why it’s beastiality. They’re from a different planet and if humans/aliens can mate, so can aliens/aliens, right? What I mean, I agree with your idea of human-qualities help deflate the bestiality argument, but I don’t think it’s a necessity. But then again, I’ve never really been into furies/bestiality so I don’t know how deep the gauntlet for it is, and what the arguments for and against it all is.
So Darkstar is not a one-shot character? I watched his episode and couldn’t be bothered with it because Morning Star was such a Stu and everyone else was being moronic.
And he turns evil-evil? :D ahahahaha. It sounds like he’s one of their better villains along with Charmcaster, though I am afraid of watching the episode introducing her. I like her a lot and Kevin bothers me and I don’t care for him, but I like the idea she was able to manipulate him to get back at Gwen. Let’s see if I can help you with your manifesto (YOU SHOULD SIGN UP AND WRITE IT:D!!! You’re already half way there XD), or at least play devil’s advocate. One should always know both sides of an argument. Side questions, how did you get into this ship?
Well, I don’t really have any solid arguments, I am far too casual a viewer to appreciate Darkstar how you do and I haven’t seen Charmcaster in her debut episode. But I wonder, besides the common enemy being Gwen, would either Darkstar or Charmcaster really work well together? Feeding Darkstar doesn’t seem like something Charmcaster would be happy about, and I don’t think Darkstar would trust her enough to put anything of hers in his body (poison, mind-control substance, a growing dependency).
You’ve presented the characters as being partners, without either really relying on each other Darkstar is the muscle/scheme and Charmcaster the scheme/distraction, but I am not entirely convinced on the idea that they would develop anything past partnership, and I don’t feel a partnership would work either. In fact I am almost sure one would eventually over power the other (betrayal, what), so the relationship wouldn’t work in the end, it would be master/slave. Romantically speaking, I am confused as to where it would even start since they’re one-track minded.
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She would want to rule the earth (if her ambition in the Ben 10 original show was any indication) and he would want to make himself stronger. Would two selfish characters manage through it all to form anything past a working relationship? It seems far-fetched and difficult to believe without throwing some clichéd romantic ideals in there.
My main concern is this: What exactly is this ship about/for? It reeks of short-term, paranoia and certainly it is a car-crash waiting to happen. Why should I ship it? Why is this better (or worse if we are taking the sado-masochistic aspect of the ship) for both parties? How is respect earned for each other, if taking into consideration they are both selfish, where is it earned?
Gwen is, I repeat myself too much, a weak connection between them. Could they find somewhere else to maintain their relationship, should it evolve?
I think it could, but it seems like a very difficult pairing if you’re not careful. Fluffy bunnies and stickers just wouldn’t work for them. Unless it’s a parody.
As for the older-Charmcaster/Ugly!Darkstar. People are shallow. I think you’ve reasonably argued against them, even though it bothers me people are so stuck on beauty. Darkcaster is a way to show how evil can be pretty and ugly, and oh hey, twisted. Looks has very little to do with it. And as for them having sex? Uh. Probably. Teenager meets hot older lady that could/would use sex as a means to gain his trust and/or loyalty? Pff, you know she wouldn’t hesitate; it’d be a means to an end.
They’d give and take. It’s a very dark ship, so I wouldn’t ignore the sexual aspect of their personas.
Which is why I balk at the idea of either becoming enamored with each other. It seems to take away from the couple. I mean, they start caring enough to not hurt each other? Sounds too…too conventional.
If they were to fall for each other, and I am totally weird and biased here, it would be as to see how they can defeat each other, up the ante. They’d burn the candle at both ends. Either they learn and help each other to -be- with each other or consume and destroy each other in the process.
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Its interesting then, how they are decommissioned (the cruelest aspect of the show for me). It seems like a faulty way of managing things, even though it makes sense they only select the ‘truly’ loyal kids to keep their memories. But in this messiness lies all the good stuff! You can write an explanation about the kids who don’t and who do remember. It is implied the kids go on to be teens, then adults and are regular folks. It, to me tbh, probably is a metaphor from the author’s intent. How we forget our childhood and how difficult it is to be a kids sometimes and become preoccupied with our lives as opposed to kids who see adults as ‘lamesville’ and tyrannical, overbearing and looking for ways to keep them away from being kids and having fun.
Oh god, I am so selfish, but I am finding myself more and more hard pressed to not poke you and say “WRITE OSLKDFJDS!” Because I’ve yet to read anything in the fandom as I am afraid of oocness and emo drama fics. You’d be my safe place. I have to settle for myself. I’ve been turning a Lizzie/1 20+ years after, the world is ending!scenario just to see if I can pretend to tackle grown up KND, but it’s just not happening. DX
I’m also trying to figure out how the process of Heiney would work since she’s not from KND and Abby is. It’d be hard for her to look at Abby and not think “she saved me and she doesn’t remember!” and there her feelings could develop? I don’t know! I understand when you say it’s hard to understand the characters if things are so ambiguous.
Mushy and Sandy? I didn’t even see it! I am going to keep an eye out maybe they did follow it and I had not noticed. XD
Kids are concerned with sexual identity. Who they like and why they like them. It’s nothing…actually sensual, it’s just crushes. As they grow up and hit puberty, they’ll start being more concerned with the more mechanical aspect of it all. And I only say this because I had the good fortune of reading a manga that looks into it and develops it slow and honestly and the art/anatomy is damn good.
Oh, the collar pulling thing, it’s such a blink and you’ll miss it thing I saw on an episode of the show. What caught my attention was the fact that the scene was played out in a bedroom and it nearly short-circuited my mind. Then I laughed because it’s so for the adults watching the show, but maybe I was being stupid and I misunderstood what pulling one’s collar means. My sister told me the same thing, so I will assume it just a way to go of 'steam' as they are uncomfortable due to circumstances.
My country didn’t sub anything, but they waited a long time until the show was old so they could play it cheaper. When people were watching new cartoons I was finally getting into Transformers, TMNT, GI Joe, Gargoyles, Sailor Moon, Candy-Candy. It’s why some things are so fresh in my mind. When I came to the U.S. I was so confused as to why everyone else was not into the same cartoons as I was, lol. I am retro kid because of it.
OMG! Demona was tragic, right? I loved her downright to her evil plot and her love-hate relationship with Goliath. She never seemed to be able to catch a break in the show, and if she did it bit her in the butt. Ah, good old complex characters
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And when Tetrax asked why he would obey since, uh, Vilgax already killed his species, Vilgax threatens he'll go after Tetrax's friends. Facepalm. I did it often.
I don't see why anyone would flame you for writing Aptitude. It's not like you wrote Max/Gwen incest (DEAR GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT EXISTS ;A;) or wrote for a pairing that was "breaking up" any of the popular ships. And your writing is amazing. I feel so inadequate after reading your fics 10 times out of 10.
That reminds me, how’s your AU!Mytrax-repopulation idea going?
It is not @.@ I'm constantly arguing with myself about Vilgax's role in it. The Sappy-Cliche writer in me wants to focus on Myaxx's pregnancy and the possibility of the spardling twins cannibalizing her, the Cynical-Hateful writer in me wants me to give up on the whole Myaxx-Tetrax having kids, the Plot-What-Plot writer in me just wants me to do away with the world building itself and just write the pregnancy, and I end up curling up on my bed in a fetal position wishing the voices would come to an agreement.
Or kill each other. Whichever was easier.
In short, all my insecurities about my own ability to form a cohesive, logical story with a natural progression of plot-points is giving me a writer's block the size of Texas. Not to mention after writing the rough draft for the DarkCaster manifesto has left me wondering whether my interpretation of the characters may be deeply flawed. And anything based on deeply flawed interpretations, no matter how well formulated and well written, will result in a deeply flawed fic.
And I love the pairing too much to want to unintentionally write them OOCly just to satisfy this silly desire to see what they'd be like if they ever had kids.
I think it’s because we want perfection and when our expectations aren’t met, we justify the break up.
We may want perfect, and as you said, expect perfection, but why do we expect it to be magically perfect the first time around? Perfection does not simply "happen." It is something people strive for. It is something that people work for. Perfection isn't easy. If it was, a lot of things would be perfect but we see that they're not.
And I think that before the culture of instant gratification people were more aware of this. Instant gratification is at the very heart all about things being easy for the individual. We expect things to happen in an instant because of this culture, and we apply this to our expectations of perfection.
@Devil's Advocate points you raised for the DarkCaster ship
I will probably respond to them over in my main journal. Though not immediately as I kinda want to get Hime's opinion/take on it as well because she's why I got into the pairing. Fuck me, I really have no original thought! All my ships are because of someone else's writing making me consider the pairing as opposed to me seeing the pairing for myself ;A; I AM THE CAKE! I AM A LIE! /wrist
Sorry, sorry, the emo in me has been winning over the cynic and the perky lately.
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We know she used to be an operative. She was one of the best of the best, considering 5 admired her and was so proud to be the younger sister of such an awesome operative. She whould have been decommissioned as opposed to Chad (that blonde kid with a 3-digit code number) who bolted. So how is it that she remembers things about the KND?
And then my train of thought derails into a different station involving the whole KND being simply a "dream" adventure. A childhood memory exaggerated and gloried by those who believed themselves to be operatives. The things they claim they did happened, only on a smaller scale. The large-scale battles and struggles nothing more than their over-active imaginations longing for something grand.
I can somehow see Nigel in the kitchen watching his own child playing in his/her treehouse with friends. He'll remember, absently, vaguely of the times he spent with his own gang. He'll wonder what they're up to now that they've all grown up but not completely grown apart.
Then Lizzie enters the kitchen, still plump, still in glasses but she's grown into them and the weight and spectacles look good on her without needing to submit to the social ideal of beauty. She'll see the nostalgia in her husband's face, follow with her eyes his line of sight to see what he was looking at. She'll see their child playing and then she'll see what else it was he saw: namely his time spent with his friends in the KND clubhouse that used to look so much bigger than it really was.
Part of Lizzie will sigh, slightly irritated that her husband hasn't completely grown up. That part is annoyed he still thinks about his time spent play-battling their teachers, the ice cream vendors, and other supposedly significant adults whose names she can't quite remember. But another part of her, a louder, stronger part of her, the part that made her fall in love with him all over again, makes her smile fondly at him. She'll peck him on the cheek, murmur "Oh Nigey, you'll never change."
And Nigel won't be startled at the touch, he hasn't lost his edge despite aging. He knew she had come in, possibly because of her perfume or the shuffling of her shoes against the floor. He'll smile back, never taking his eyes off the scene before him when he hears the familiar ditty of the approaching ice cream truck. The sound will draw the children from the neighborhood to the sidewalk, and his smile will widen when the truck passes them by, the driver still new to the route, nervous and sweating bullets despite the chill in his vehicle.
Nigel will give his wife a quick kiss, on the lips because he's an adult now, and another on her cheek because, well, just because. "As long as there's adult tyranny to fight, I won't rest!" He will declare in his battle-voice as he makes for the door.
Once outside, he pulls out his weapon. It will not be even remotely 2x4. It will be small, compact, and made of leather. It will be his wallet and he will wave to the truck driver, who apparently only thinks to stop if he's signaled for. The truck will then pull up to Nigel, the side popping open to display the selections.
Nigel will take his time making his choice, much to the adult driver's worry because he might not be able to meet quota and he badly needs this job to make ends meet. And when the first of the children (Nigel's own child to be exact) arrives, Nigel will hoist the kid up onto his shoulders, smirk knowingly at the driver and declare, "I'll have whatever these kids will have."
AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS BUT IT IS NOT A FIC THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED CANON-COMPLIANT OR IC ;A;
I'd ask if you had an instant messenger or something but I know some people aren't comfortable using it so if you're the latter, consider this as just me typing aloud.
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