306 réponses à ce sujet

[DalishRanger]

'Tis cool, no worries. As I've told you before, I completely understand with the college thing.

[Olwaye]

It's alright, life happen, we aren't publishers, we won't press you for deadlines

[Taiyama]

All right, I have a bit of free time at the mo'. Not enough to write a chapter, but there is something I want to do to sort of bridge the gap between updates a la my last Interlude. Now we're going to Analyze both Taiyama (pre- and post-Circle Tower) and your glorious writer using Tvtropes! Partly because misery loves company, partly because I can, and partly just to clarify a statement I made where I said Taiyama was based off me--and I mean based in the loosest sense of the term, as you'll see. The only things about him I took from my life was my overall personal development. He's a far more different--and better, in my opinion--person than I am.

Also, keep in mind that things that stay the same across his character development will be put in  the Pre-Circle Tower part.

To start:

Taiyama Surana Pre-Circle Tower AKA "Doormat!Taiyama" or "Moe!Taiyama" 

Shrinking Violet- And how!
Apologizes A Lot- This almost defines the guy.
Magnetic Hero- Taiyama is always this, even early on.
Chronic Hero Syndrome- Taiyama is this throughout, despite his fear in the early part he usually is able to overcome it when others are in danger.
Humans Are Special- Taiyama's opinion on mankind--elves, dwarves, humans, and qunari--not just humans themselves.
Intelligence Equals Isolation-For a while he's this until he meets Jowan.
It Never Gets Any Easier- The first time he takes a human life (the bandits in front of Lothering, incidentally) Taiyama is horrified. It never gets any easier for him to kill and see so much death, though he hides it expertly later in life.
Moe- If your reaction to Taiyama is something along the lines of "He's so adorkable!" then he's Moe to you.
Cursed With Awesome- This is essentially what being a mage IS. On one hand, ostracism from the culture and being treated like a bomb about to explode. On the other hand, ultimate power far beyond any other mortal, even the Templars.
Refusal of the Call- He didn't want anything to do with the Grey Wardens until the Jowan incident, when he very grudgingly allowed Duncan to recruit him.
Neutral Good- The page quote of that by Frederick Douglass ("I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.") is so incredibly fitting. Taiyama casts a wide net recruiting--thieves, murderers, doesn't matter--but always does the right thing and makes sure his followers do the same.
Lethal Chef- I've decided he'll be this. It's very fortunate for Alistair and Taiyama that Morrigan went with them on their journey.
Yuri Fanboy- Very much in the closet about this, but he's very much a Yuri Fanboy. Fun fact: this aspect of him was inspired by a friend of mine who is a Christian and a very good man but is a huge Yuri fanboy. Like that friend of mine, it's not because it's hot--though it is--but because of the inherent sweetness of two women together.
Bash Brothers- With his Blood Brother, Alistair.
The So-Called Coward- He's actually quite a bit of a coward but he always steps up to save the day when he has to.
Yuri Lowenthal- As mentioned in my first post, this is whose voice I imagine him with.



Taiyama Surana Post-Circle Tower AKA "Confident!Taiyama"

Badass- Taiyama has his moments, particularly when he does a...
Curb Stomp Battle- ...on Loghain at the Landsmeet, which you'll see later.
Badass Boast- Taiyama would respond "I don't make boasts, I make promises." but I leave it up to you to decide. He usually backs up his boasts but one friend of mind called him arrogant. I won't lie that he crosses into that territory occasionally, sometimes he overcompensates when trying to pump up both himself (to cover for the remains of his self-esteem issues) and others before big battles.
Rousing Speech- Many of his speeches are designed this way, to give both himself and his allies a morale boost.
Catch Phrase- "Who the hell do you think I am/we are?!", unapologetically ripped from Gurren Lagann. I can't help it, it's just such a PERFECT thing to yell in defiance of your enemies.
Casual Danger Dialogue- Taiyama picks this up from Alistair, (un)fortunately.
The Messiah- No, this trope doesn't mean he's Jesus, but this is what Taiyama is, at least in regards to his ability to bring many different people together to a common cause.
Knight in Shining Armor- He's certainly ever bit the Hero of Ferelden, despite his ****iness.
Determinator- And how. His willpower and his mercy are his two definining traits, in my opinion.
Foreign Cuss Word- Taiyama will occasionally curse in elvish, as you may see later.
Hot Blooded- Again, has his moments as you'll see.
In Harm's Way- This isn't because he gets an adrenaline rush from it or anything, but because Wynne's speech about power really affected him. He'll keep fighting--against darkspawn and all matter of injustice--until his Calling precisely because he realizes just how much power he has as a rare mage off the Circle's leash--and a damn good mage at that. Unfortunately, this has the side-effect (as you've seen) of him being a frequently absent father.
The Fettered- Funnily enough, for all his talk about believing in oneself, when the sh** hits the fan with him he draws strength not from believing in himself, but reminding himself how many people rely and count on him and how much of a responsibility he has to them.
Badass Long Robe- What can I say? I love the Senior Enchanter's Robes.
Big Good- This is essentially what he becomes when he becomes Warden Commander, if you think about it.
Papa Wolf- If you ever mess with Talin, Taiyama will end you. Doesn't matter if he has to go Beyond the Impossible to do it. There's a certain thing that happens in his life which you'll see later here that makes him this way and is also why he cherishes the relationship with his son so much, to the point of being open with his feelings to him more than many fathers do.
Heroes Want Redheads- It kinda fits the whole "Hero of Ferelden" thing that his girlfriend is a redhead, doesn't it?
The Captain- What he becomes in Awakening as Warden Commander.
Authority Equals Asskicking- Again, comes with the territory of Warden Commander.

Chad, your writer

Big Brother Instinct- I have a friend who is my little sister in all but blood. If you hurt her, I will hunt you down and gut you in your sleep, I swear to God.
Blind Without 'Em- I definitely need my glasses to function.
Brilliant But Lazy- I call my intelligence "my sole redeeming feature" and my IQ is above genius level, but I can be so damn lazy sometimes (it's something I'm working on).
Knight in Sour Armor- I live by the Paradoxical Commandments. Despite being every bit the misanthrope, I plan on devoting my life to public service in politics. Don't ask me why--I'll tell you when I figure it out myself--but I love humanity despite hating it so much.
Deadpan Snarker- Definitely.
Jade Colored Glasses- Two years without any friends can change a guy.
Black Comedy- My favorite kind of comedy. I've been known to laugh at things that make others blanch.
Foreign Cuss Word- I use this a lot, you pezzi di merda.
Good Parents- Ignoring the occasional mental neurosis caused by some aspects of my mother's behavior, I have amazing parents. My father, in particular, is one of my heroes.
Guilty Pleasures- *prepares for the outrage or disappointment* I...read the Twilight series. And enjoyed them. I can't help it! I don't care if the writing sucks, but it;s a VAMPIRE ROMANCE STORY! Vampires and romance alone are two things I adore, but when you COMBINE THEM it's irresistable!
No Sense of Direction- To put this in perspective, I was supposed to meet up at a guy's house in high school to do a group project. I was lost for TWO-THREE HOURS! After that, my parents bought me a GPS system.
Not A Morning Person
Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness- I'm notorious for this among my friends.
The Snark Knight-To a T, especially holding myself up to the same impossible standards.
Chaotic Good- Well, chaotic good in the sense that I'm an Anarcho-capitalist and an enemy of the state. Voluntarist, spontaneous order I'm very much for.

Modifié par Taiyama, 07 juin 2010 - 06:21 .

[DalishRanger]

Somebody loves TVtropes. (Can't blame you - it's a fun site)

Very interesting... But I'll not click on the links, because if I do, I'll inevitably never go to bed. TVtropes has kept me up much later than I meant to on many, many occasions.

Also  - woot for needing glasses! Despite the lack of them on my DA ID, I actually wear a pair myself all the time, save for the obvious sleeping/showering/etc. My eyesight isn't super poor, but it's easier to read with them, and I am legally required to wear them while driving.

As for the liking Twilight thing... All I'll say is... Nobody's perfect.

The sense of direction... I think I can beat that. I've gotten lost with a fully functioning GPS. Twice.

Edit: I'm also tempted to call you "The Chad" now, but I don't know if anybody will get, or appreciate, the reference.

Modifié par DalishRanger, 27 février 2010 - 08:50 .

[Olwaye]

Nicely done. Gee I hope TVtrope give you something for all the publicity you make them .

Count me him for the "four-eyes" club, but I will wait at the door of the Twilight one.

Good way of presenting the character, did you do that before creating Taiyama?

By the way I was thinking of a way reuniting the people of Thedas under one name, "sentient" being is a bit long but maybe just "sentient".

[Taiyama]

@DalishRanger: (regarding getting lost) Wow, that's...impressive. I think I've gotten close to doing that a couple of times, though.



And I'm assuming you want to call me "The Chad" as a sort of shout-out to the fact that Sten is called "The Sten"? Or am I missing something?



@Olwaye: I WISH they'd pay me, but I doubt it. Besides, getting others addicted to that damned lovable site is a reward in and of its own.



I actually did not think Taiyama up in terms of tropes at first, but as I wrote him I would occasionally think of what tropes he fit.



As for me, I prefer mankind. Sentient just isn't...poetic enough. I don't know why.

[Avaraen]

DalishRanger wrote...

Edit: I'm also tempted to call you "The Chad" now, but I don't know if anybody will get, or appreciate, the reference.

It might be The Chad...

(eta: I imagine I have the wrong reference, 'cause on reflection I'm actually not quite sure I'd understand the association with Taiyama)

Modifié par Avaraen, 27 février 2010 - 09:37 .

[DalishRanger]

Taiyama wrote...

@DalishRanger: (regarding getting lost) Wow, that's...impressive. I think I've gotten close to doing that a couple of times, though.

I am a master at getting lost on a straight road. My sense of direction is HORRIBLE. I'm impressed I can navigate my own house sometimes.

Taiyama wrote...
And I'm assuming you want to call me "The Chad" as a sort of shout-out to the fact that Sten is called "The Sten"? Or am I missing something?

Nope. You're missing something.

Taiyama wrote...
@Olwaye: I WISH they'd pay me, but I doubt it. Besides, getting others addicted to that damned lovable site is a reward in and of its own.

I actually did not think Taiyama up in terms of tropes at first, but as I wrote him I would occasionally think of what tropes he fit.

I was already addicted to that site long before you linked it. In fact, I'm currently trying to cut it cold turkey for a while so I can get... Y'know... work done.

And if it weren't for that, I'd totally do the same for Legam. Fun times.

Taiyama wrote...
As for me, I prefer mankind. Sentient just isn't...poetic enough. I don't know why.

^ Agreed. Sounds too... Clinical or scientific, I suppose.

Avaraen wrote...

It might be The Chad...

(eta: I
imagine I have the wrong reference, 'cause on reflection I'm actually
not quite sure I'd understand the association with Taiyama)

Chad is Taiyama's actual name, as mentioned in his post (or, it's at least a real name he gave us. Could be pulling our legs, for all I know. <_<)

Modifié par DalishRanger, 28 février 2010 - 12:45 .

[Taiyama]

(regarding the video): Darn, that WAS an obscure reference. My name IS Chad, though--I'm not pulling your leg there. Heck, if you were going to make up a name, wouldn't you choose something a lot less rare? My mom told me she really wanted me to have a unique name.

Also, I just added a few tropes I had forgotten to all three categories. I also have a few questions for you lot:

1. Should I count the tvtropes thing as an interlude-style update and place the link to it on the front page and edit the thread title to say it was updated recently? Should I put the link and not change the title?

2. I'm thinking about making Taiyama a closet Yuri Fanboy, mainly because the Chantry doesn't seem to frown on it like Earth's religions and it wouldn't be a contradiction for a man of faith like Taiyama to be one. Plus, it has some humorous possibilities, particularly in regard to Leliana's conversation about choosing a dress for Morrigan. I can just imagine Taiyama's face going red as he tries to not listen to them. I think it's safe to assume that Olwaye's vote for this one will be "yes", don't ya think? 

Modifié par Taiyama, 28 février 2010 - 04:26 .

[DalishRanger]

I remember stuff from cartoons/movies I found funny ten years ago far more easily than I remember how to get to places - or anything else of import, really. If it's amusing to me in some way, chances are it's stored away in my memory for use later. Otherwise, zip - gone.

I was teasing about the name; I figured it was real, especially since you also have it on your DA page. My name's pretty rare too - Briana ("on-uh" not "an-na" by the way - I hear it butchered all the time. Makes me a sad panda) and I was named thus because it was a) uncommon and Irish.

1. Why not? It's an interesting read/look into Taiyama.

2. YES. DO IT.

[Taiyama]

1. All right, I'll do that right now.

2. That's my catch phrase, damn you! You can't just steal peoples' catchphrases! Why not say something different, like "Make it such!"

Edit: Why, yes, you HAVE caught me in a very Tropey mood.

Modifié par Taiyama, 28 février 2010 - 05:15 .

[DalishRanger]

1.



2. Because I like to pilfer your things just to annoy you, m'dear.

[Olwaye]

Taiyama wrote...
1. Should I count the tvtropes thing as an interlude-style update and place the link to it on the front page and edit the thread title to say it was updated recently? Should I put the link and not change the title?

Taiyama wrote...
2. I'm thinking about making Taiyama a closet Yuri Fanboy, mainly because the Chantry doesn't seem to frown on it like Earth's religions and it wouldn't be a contradiction for a man of faith like Taiyama to be one. Plus, it has some humorous possibilities, particularly in regard to Leliana's conversation about choosing a dress for Morrigan. I can just imagine Taiyama's face going red as he tries to not listen to them. I think it's safe to assume that Olwaye's vote for this one will be "yes", don't ya think? 

1. It's a good idea as the tropes thing is a good peak into Taiyama personnality.

2. Let it be written and acomplished. (Bit long for a catchphrase, but it does sound good).

[Taiyama]

FFFFFFREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

YES! I am FINALLY done with all the tests and speeches and papers before Spring Break! I'm free! FREE!

All right, first thing on the list is to rewrite the Taiyama-Talin Interlude so it doesn't suck like a bucket of ticks. I'm also planning on changing the dialogue some on that, so you might want to read over it again when I'm done. Then I'll write the next chapter of "A Bond Forged in Fire" (finally).

And THEN I'm going to start on a new idea I have for a fanfiction. It's basically an alternate universe of my normal Tales of Taiyama Surana. The thought occured to me as I road the transit home today "What would it be like if the Warden died early in the fight?" so that's what I'm going to write: Taiyama dies shortly after getting together with Leliana and Alistair has to carry on and lead the rest of them as the only Warden left in Ferelden. So far, the best title I can think up is "I'll Carry On" but does anyone have any better ideas?

Edit: All right, edited the Interlude, now for the new chapter.

Modifié par Taiyama, 10 mars 2010 - 11:39 .

[DalishRanger]

Ha ha! Braveheart! xD And woot for time off!

Reread the chapter, got some good improvements. I look forward to seeing your other stuff soon.

As for the title... I'm terrible at them. I can't think of anything better than what you've got.

[Taiyama]

Thank you very much, DalishRanger.

By the way, I think I'm going to start including in my Author's Notes what songs I listen to, if any, during the writing process. For the edit of the Interlude, it was "Libera Me From Hell" from the Gurren Lagann Soundtrack. I'd explain why I chose that, but it'd be a Gurren Lagann spoiler.

Modifié par Taiyama, 10 mars 2010 - 11:58 .

[DalishRanger]

You're welcome.

Gurren Lagann? Why am I not surprised?

[Taiyama]

Because I'm the world's biggest Gurrentard? Love that show so very VERY VERY VERY much. If you took our collective love of Leliana, combined it with our love for Dragon Age: Origins (which is my favorite game of all time), and added in the potency of Olwaye's filthy mind it wouldn't match the power of my love for that show. As nerdy as it sounds, that show changed my life.

[DalishRanger]

Nothing wrong with that. I'm as obsessive with AtLA, myself. I just like teasing you.

[Taiyama]

Yeah, Avatar IS pretty awesome.



I know you are. A pre-emptive sorry if I gush about Gurren Lagann too much, though.



Interestingly, though, the entire show in English is on youtube. You lot should go watch it. Seriously.



To quote myself, DO IT!

[DalishRanger]

I converted many a friend to that show... Also led me to meeting some really awesome people. ... And some crazy ones too, unfortunately.

Eh, no worries. I expect it from you.

Meh. Maybe when I'm in the mood for anime. I can't watch it when I'm not in the mood for it. Especially with dubs. Some are great, others are just awful. I'm always wary when I come across a dub without the option to switch over to subtitles if I need to.

[Taiyama]

Well, let me set your mind at ease regarding the quality of the dub: it is exceptional and I'm not the only one to think that. You have your very occasional flub but that's it. The main characters all do a great job in their roles, especially Yuri Lowenthal as Simon and Kyle Herbert as Kamina.

[DalishRanger]

Eh. I still prefer being able to switch back and forth; there are some anime I prefer dubbed, others subbed. I like making the choice for myself, which is why I don't really watch anime on TV or the Internet and stick mostly to DVDs (often borrowed from friends).

[Taiyama]

Ah. Well, I'll not bother you about it anymore, then.

[DalishRanger]

Bringing the topic back on track - how's the writing going?



And also... Depending on my muse/time, I might be snatching Taiyama for a while again, if you don't mind. I have something amusing cooking in my wacky head.