Repost of myĀ āhumans as aliensā story snippet.
Karikki was sitting in the shipās mess when the most recent addition to the crew stumbled into the room and collapsed into a chair with a relieved groan, dropping her head onto the table.
āRough shift?ā ie said, making a sympathetic noise as ie broke off another piece of ir food pack.
āI could swear the ventilation ducts actually hate me personally,ā she said. āIāve been running around all day.ā A look of horror crossed her features then, and she groaned again, dragging her hand across her eyes. āAnd I left my food packs in my room. Goddamn it.ā
Karikki churred soothingly. āDonāt worry about it, you can have one of ours,ā ie said, getting to ir feet and digging one of the vacuum-sealed silver packs out of the pantry.
Melanie made a noise that Karikki had learned to interpret as grateful and peeled the pack open, looking down at it dubiously. āYouāre sure this is okay?ā
āWeāre nutritionally compatible!ā Karikki said. āThe captain checked, before we hired you on. Just in case you ran out of your own supplies. It should be fine.ā
āOkay. Thanks,ā she said, breaking off a square of the compressed nutrition block and popping it into her mouth.
A look crossed her face then that it took Karikki a moment to identify: disgust, ie realized. That was disgustāwhich was made all the clearer when Melanie gagged and grabbed a napkin, spitting the square out into her hand. āOh my god,ā she said.
Karikki could feel ir antennae fluttering anxiously. āWhatās wrong? Are you okay? Is that a bad texture for humans?ā
Melanie wiped her mouth, scrubbing at her tongue with the side of her hand. She shook her head. āNo, the textureās fine, itās just like one of our protein blocks. Itās the [āā], Iām sorry, I donāt mean to offend you, but itās awful! How can you eat that?ā
Karikki flicked ir ear. āSorry, say that again? I think your translator cut out in the middle. Itās the what?ā
āThe [āā]. It [āā] awful. Iām so sorry.ā
My adaptation of the God of Arepo short story, which was originally up at ShortBox Comics Fair for charity. You can get a copy of the DRM-free ebook here for free - and I'd encourage you to donate to Mighty Writers or The Ministry of Stories in exchange.
Again it's an honour to be drawing one of my favourite short stories ever. Thank you so much for the original authors for creating this story; and for everyone who bought a copy and donated to the above non-profits.
Iām pretty sure none of us will get answers but pleaseā¦if someone knows the secrets to showing empathy without personal anecdotes please speak up. We need answers
(Me (adhd + autism) can show empathy, but not sympathy. For me, itās like I do the exact same thing, but as well as showing empathy through anecdotes I show sympathy through empathy).
I have somethin I guess? Iāve been the Support Friend for most of my life so I managed to get it down to a formula. TW: dog death
1. Ask Questions
This is mainly to keep them talking, that way a) they feel like they have a confidante in you, and b) the pressure is less on you to Say Things. In fact it shouldnāt be about you Saying Things at all, it should be you figuring out where theyāre at and trying to understand.Ā
E.g.Ā āMy dog died, I miss him.ā Ask questions, and when they start talking, let them talk. āWhat was his name?āĀ āHow and when did he die?ā āTell me about him.ā āWhat was he like?āĀ āWhatās your favourite memory of him?āĀ āWhen did you first meet him?āĀ āDid you teach him any tricks?ā Again the point is to keep them talking, the questions are just to get them on a roll. If youāre worrying about what to say next, listen to what theyāre saying and ask details of what theyāre currently talking about, or mentally prepare your next question.
2. Listen
Let them talk. The more you listen to them talk, the more they feel like itās okay to talk to you. If they dwindle off, ask them something else to get them talking again. Upset people usually have a lot to say.
Every now and again you can throw in little sentences like āWow, what a bitch!āĀ āAw, so sad.āĀ āWhat the fuck? Why?ā just to prove youāre still listening and following, and havenāt wandered off into space.
3. When theyāre done, give it back to them
Itās a technique called mirroring. Sum up whatever you heard in short form - if theyāve talked for half an hour about the little details of their deceased pet, say something likeĀ āIt sounds like he was a very good boy/sounds like he meant a lot to you/sounds like you will miss him.ā Itās been known to make people dissolve into a sobbing mess, because this is the part where you prove youāve done your homework, you listened, you care, you get it.
4. If you really want to offer a solution, ask first. You can just skip this step altogether tbh.
Only when someone has finished talking about whatever is upsetting them, ask if you can help.Ā āCan I offer some advice?āĀ Now is the time for SHORT anecdotes. Short.Ā Itās not about you sharing your story, itās about them getting advice. Remember they donāt have to take your advice, again itās about them and their emotions, and they know themselves best. āWhen my dog died, I did this. Would that help?āĀ āI read somewhere about doing this. Maybe try that and see how it goes?ā
Hope this helps yāall. The TL;DR of all this is basically listen, and prove youāre listening.
Every time I think the devs have pushed the Phaidei envelop as far as Hoyo is willing to go, they surprise me once again.
Back at the beginning of 3.1, I publicly questioned whether what we were seeing was just Hoyo-typical yaoi bait for that sweet fan money, or whether we might actually be seeing deliberate coding of a pair of major male characters in a significantly more centralized way than previously done.
Despite the fact that Hoyo has been very consistent in their ship tease for Phaidei, the question of whether or not they actually intended Phainon in particular to be read as a gay character was still up in the air. It's one thing to have male characters dropping slightly sus innuendo for laughs and low-hanging fan service, or to make a male character flamboyant without actually committing to showing him in any close same-gender relationships... but it is another thing entirely to imply that a male character wants a committed queer relationship, and even through 3.3, although Hoyo was certainly pushing the boundary hard, I think a case could still have been made that the devs' primary goal with Phainon and Mydei ship tease was little more than wink-wink-nudge-nudge service for the yaoi fans to push the sales of male units in an otherwise waifu-oriented game.
But I think this trailer might finally be the answer to the question I originally asked, and it has laid some of my last doubts to rest: No matter where things go with Phainon in 3.4 and beyond, at this point I am willing to give Hoyo the benefit of the doubt and say, yes, players are supposed to read Phainon as a queer character (whether you interpret him as bisexual, strictly gay, or some other variation of mlm is free game)--and, importantly--to understand that his relationship with Mydei is not just an ancillary bonus for fans but central to Phainon's own sense of self-identity.
The key is in remembering that nothing happens in media by accident. Every single frame of Phainon's trailer was scripted, and therefore every frame shown after the question "What is your dream?" was deliberately chosen to convey a specific message.
In answering the question "What is Phainon of Aedes Elysiae's dream?" the dev team had several clear, obvious, and perfectly understandable options:
We could have seen Phainon mentally rewind the time and return to his idyllic childhood in Aedes Elysiae. We could have seen him reunited with his parents and, more importantly, Cyrene (who was conspicuously absent from the entire trailer). Over and over, the game has told us that Phainon loved his home, loved his people, and loved the peace that he used to have, so absolutely no player would have questioned it if "Phainon's dream" was to return to the paradise of the childhood he used to know.
But the devs didn't do that.
The power of friendship and found family could have been emphasized by showing quick flashes of Phainon with each one of the Chrysos Heirs: We could have seen Aglaea helping him pick clothes, seen Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon playing with Phainon and chimeras in the Garden of Life, glimpsed Phainon getting scolded by Anaxa at the Grove with Hyacine and Castorice cheering him up, could have seen Cipher tricking him into buying a worthless relic dressed up as a real antique, and then we could have seen him sparring with Mydei, as just one more example of Phainon envisioning a happy life with all his friends and found family beside him.
But the devs didn't do that.
The devs built a trailer that asked Phainon the question "What is your dream?" and then let their massively hyped male protagonist answer: "Let me experience joy by the side of my equal."
This trailer says, unequivocally, that Phainon doesn't need to return to Aedes Elysiae to be happy. He believes the life he desires can be found in Okhema, and his only requirements for that life, for that joy, are peace (a parade of heroes with Mydei and Aglaea, the guardian mother figure, by his side), domesticity (caring for the children of Okhema's next generation), and a return to normalcy (defined literally by the presence of Mydeimos).
The implication is that Phainon had already found his happy ending, had already achieved his dream--and all he wants now is to get it back.
The dev team had every option to say something different, to imply that Phainon had never been truly happy with his life in Okhema, or that Phainon's happiness revolves around everyone he's ever known and loved because he's the Deliverer of all--but instead they decided to tell us explicitly that Phainon doesn't need every single friend and Chrysos Heir to return to him in the same form as they left him (Castorice and Polyxia return not as adult friends but children to be nurtured, for example).
He doesn't need to go back to Cyrene's side to know joy again for the first time since his youth.
Look at this happy bug-eyed bean. Have you seen my son? Now you have.
When Phainon thinks of his own dream, he envisions himself where fate has already brought him--to Okhema, to Mydei.
This isn't tee-hee fanservice. This isn't a quick innuendo for the yaoi cash grab.
This is the dev team deliberately building Phainon's relationship with another male character into the thematic core of his story, linking the completion of his entire hero's journey with a return to the side of another man.
(Image from here.)
Whatever you might think of Joseph Campbell, in a very meta way, universal awareness of Campbell's monomyth has essentially permeated the writing of every modern hero character. (We can argue that the hero's journey never consciously existed for the original writers of mythology, but we can't argue that it doesn't exist for the writers of hero characters today.)
Phainon's arc clearly, step-for-step, maps to the hero's journey, likely in a very intentional way so that the devs can play with the notion of the thin line between hero and villain, the burden of heroism as the conduit for resentment and violence, etc. etc. In light of the fact that Phainon's case so closely maps to the monomyth, it is near inevitable that we see him experience the call to adventure (Flame Reaver's attack) and leave his "known world" (Aedes Elysiae) to pursue the saving of their planet, a conflict which will inevitably push him beyond the brink of death and into apotheosis as an ascended being, a changed man.
But then the hero is supposed to return. Whether or not Phainon's return to normalcy is possible as a changed man, we're supposed to see him try. His journey is meant to be rewarded, his lessons are meant to be learned, and he should be able to go back to the place he calls home, having achieved all he needed to in life.
Aragorn ascends the throne of Gondor with Arwen. Rose Dawson returns the Heart of the Sea to Jack. Odysseus is reunited with his Penelope.
The return Phainon is supposed to long for, the place he is supposed to envision as his normal world, his home, his reward for a journey finally fulfilled... It should be Aedes Elysiae.
But this trailer tells us it's not.
Okhema is the home Phainon dreams of returning to.
Mydei is the person Phainon dreams of being reunited with.
This wasn't a necessary message to send. The devs did not have to link Phainon's individual heroic character arc, the conclusion of the thematic evolution of his character, to another man.
No matter what happens in 3.4, nothing will erase this moment in which the Star Rail writers consciously implied that being with Mydeimos is the end that Phainon would choose for his own journey, the future he would write for himself.
And all of this is improved by the knowledge that Phainon has faced this question about his dreams before. In 3.3, Anaxa asks him this same thing. But when Phainon answers:
Anaxa scolds him for the paleness of the answer, how generic and passionless it is to wish to protect people without even being able to name who you wish to protect:
Phainon's trailer, then, becomes the wham line to this wind-up, the parallel story structure returning to a focal, character-defining moment: Anaxa isn't asking Phainon to voice a practical answer to his query--he's asking Phainon a core question about Phainon's self-identity.
In the past, Phainon was unable to communicate a specific wish or vision for his future because he had no true attachment to the world. He wants to "protect the people he cares about" but isn't able to articulate who that even is anymore, or why he cares about them, how deeply, or what they mean in his life.
In Phainon's trailer, Castorice wishes for a "normal life," and Phainon says "That's not a wish" because it should be hers by right, it should be a given.
In 3.3, Phainon says "I don't want to lose anyone else," and Anaxa effectively says "That's not a wish" because it should be a given, because caring about everyone and placing the weight of their lives on your own shoulders ("being a hero") is a perpetual losing game--it's the same as not actually being able to freely live at all.
So Phainon's trailer becomes an echo. Phainon gets a second chance to answer Anaxa's question, a second chance to tell the world what truly matters to him.
He gets a second chance to show us players what he really wants to protect, not in a vague and detail-less single sentence but with color, life, and specificity.
He still isn't able to say the words, he still doesn't manage to articulate his answer, but we get to see it, nonetheless--the fact that Phainon does have something he longs to possess just for himself: a personal wish for happiness that requires another man to fulfill.
That's how you queer-code a male character, my friends.
This post contains spoilers for the most recent archon quest, Natlan, and Capitano.
FIRST OFF, making the disclaimer I'm a fan of "faceless" Capitano, as hiding his face kind of ups the "horrific" factor. That said, I'm an artist and I want to draw the beloved as accurately as possible...and I can't do that if I can't see his face!
So, I decided to do some digging to try and figure it out what it looks like. We do have SOME visual clues and descriptions to give us an idea in the game, so this is what I based it off of.
First, looking at Capitano himself, we can clearly see that his facial features are still intact (his nose/lips by the silhouette), which means his nose and lips haven't decayed in the way a corpse's would.
(Let's set aside how silly his mask is, the power of anime makes him able to see+obscures his entire face from view)
So...how disfiguredĀ isĀ he, to the point it makesĀ TravelerĀ make a face like this?
Well...he's not a hillichurl. He seems to be a pure-blooded Khaenri'ahn, which would make his decay similar to Dainslief and Pierro.
However, there's really nothing that intimidating about this.
But, Capitano's decay isĀ farĀ more advanced than Dainslief's. We know purebloods don't become Hillichurls, but I thought perhaps the curse was similar. Hillichurls are described as having skin covered in ulcers...which immediately made me think of Deadpool of all things.
I looked up images of Deadpool (from the comics, not the live action), and in some renditions of his face, his nose and lips are still intact (albeit still scarred).
I originally was going to just put lines on top of the mottled skin kind of just like markings on Dain's arm, but then I got the idea to make them split apart, sort of like cracks. Like the ulcers in his skin are slowly breaking apart, letting abyssal energy out of his body, since his flesh literally cannot contain his immortal soul. Maybe I'll work on it more visually, because the cracks and open sores could reveal a sparkly, glowy skeleton or something cool underneath...
Can I pretty pleeease see more of your maskless Capitano? Heās so strange and beautiful and I love him <3 I do not have the words to describe how perfect your design for Capi is.
Also he looks so tired and I love it. He looks like he would eat straight coffee beans (affectionate)
Who am I to deny the public?
(I'll turn this into a small headcanon post. You know how Paimon asked Capitano how he eats with his mask on, and seemingly he ignored her? Well...what if he kind of answered her question by removing the helmet? He...takes it off when he eats. Which could also be why Capitano joined the campfire late in Ororon's character story when they were drinking, because Capitano probably eats alone to prevent people from seeing his face.)
Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers
Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.
Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.
Glance - A brief or hurried look.
Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.
Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.
Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.
Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.
Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.
Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.
Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.
Eye - To look or stare at intently.
Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.
Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.
Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.
Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.
Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.
Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.
Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.
Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.
Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.
Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.
Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.
Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.
Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.
Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.
Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.
Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.
Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.
Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.
Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.
Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.
Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.
Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.
Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.
Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.
Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.
Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.
Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.
Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.
Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.
Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.
Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.
Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.
Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.
Lay eyes on - To see or look at.
Pore over - To look at or read something intently.
Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.
Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.
Dart - To look quickly or furtively.
Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.
Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.
Calling all aspiring storytellers with hearts full of whimsy! Get ready to sprinkle a touch of enchantment into your scenes with my Scene Wo
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