Distractions and Reminders (OT)

> Oh, by all means interject. I keep wondering when I'm going to be accused

> of hijacking the board for my own nefarious ends.

*giggles*

This happens at least once a quiz. At least we're keeping it civil and haven't scared you off.

> That's hard to do. Your worldview influences how you believe people

> function, how you believe their minds work, and that has to work its way

> into your characters.

It's impossible to do completely. I'm talking more along the lines of assuming that the world will work, in fiction, the way it works in real life. I expect very little from life, but I try to expect nothing from fiction.

It's rather like my confusion over how one can dislike evil characters because they don't, in real life, like murderers. It just doesn't make sense to me.

> I know. I also know I can't reconcile that any more than I can the framing

> story for the Avariel article.

Different points of view, I guess. I don't even see anything to reconcile.

> Mixed feelings rarely produce genuine smiles.

But mixed feelings are natural, common and, frankly, unavoidable, I'd say.

> How can they not be the most racist of the elves? To their minds, they are

> better than any groundling, including all oher elves.

Well, if they thought that they would be, but the source material says they don't... and I don't see any evidence that they do. Like I said, different points of view. I consider the context of the word more important than the word choice itself, and thus everything falls into place for me.

-Nyx

> I accept that the intent may not be bad. But you know--that doesn't help

> when you're the person on the other end of that kind of comment.

It just depends on how you take it.

> True story: I was bitching once about getting a 98% on a history test in

> high school. After hearing me go on and on about it for a while, someone

> turned around and said, "Yeah, tell it to someone who cares, Miss 'I

> ruined the curve for everyone else.'"

Like I said, it just depends on how you take it. I never said it doesn't happen, or even that it was invalid. I said I don't understand it and that I don't consider it fair to the character. I also think it was unfair of the other person to say that to you.

> Uh...she's not exactly being tormented in that exchange. She starts off

> complaining to the PC that she's not sure if she can face "this

> wretched existence on the ground," and the other women actually call

> her on it.

That depends on whether you consider her complaints valid or the level of venom displayed by the others to be justified. Particularly Viconia who is... very out of line. Also, I did not intend to pinpoint THAT EXCHANGE as torment; they constantly jump into personal conversations to say how stupid, annoying, pathetic she is. Of course she's going to get upset. I would punch them.

(And yep, she does the same to them. It's all one big catfight.)

> At that point, she lashes out. Her comment to Jaheira about her

> being "an annoying, heartless woman ready to abandon her dead

> husband's memory," would have gotten any other character a good,

> well-deserved slap for being over-the-line.

It was also true.

> And I'm afraid I'm just never going to be able to hear that last line as

> anything other than "I can't stand being stuck on the ground like

> some worm...or, well, you."

And I'm afraid I'm just never going to be able to see it that way.

> *shrug* At this point, though, I have spent far too much time on this

> discussion (though I am more pleased than I can say that we've all managed

> to stay civil) and far too little time working on...ummm...

I always stay civil because I'm actually apathetic about the entire thing. I don't take it personally enough to get riled up over.

Entirely philosophic debate.

-Nyx

> When were people throwing venom at her? I've said, and a couple of other

> folks have said, that we don't much like her as she's portrayed in the

> game. I don't like her because I don't like the way she behaves. I don't

> see why I should feel guilty for finding her character annoying, or for

> saying so.

I haven't said anything about her for months because I truly believe it is utterly a personal preference and entirely a person's own business whether or not they like her. Some of the things said about her make me cringe but I do not have a right to interfere with it, and it is the concern of those involved. But if you take the argument to me, I will respond.

> *shrug* You're a nicer person than I am, then, or you deal with people who

> are.

It has nothing to do with being nice.

-Nyx

> *giggles*

> This happens at least once a quiz. At least we're keeping it civil and

> haven't scared you off.

Heh. No, I don't spook easy. Two years in Wheel of Time fandom'll do that to you. I have never seen that many acerbic cynical grad students in my entire life.

> I haven't said anything about her for months because I truly believe it is

> utterly a personal preference and entirely a person's own business whether

> or not they like her. Some of the things said about her make me cringe but

> I do not have a right to interfere with it, and it is the concern of those

> involved. But if you take the argument to me, I will respond.

I must have missed something, because I haven't seen anything aimed at Aerie that would be more than mid-level on the scale of the virulence I've seen aimed at Anomen.

The Aerie-in-the-wheelchair business causes sparks because it's a classic guilt trip. It's that simple.

> It has nothing to do with being nice.

OK, this is where it stops.

We've pretty much established that you and I and Darkrose come from very different subcultures. In mine, that would be a blatant insult, to be settled with sharpened hair-combs and seconds.