SeeInBlackAndWhite

Requests are officially closed except to a few specific people (you know who you are). Commissions and art trades however remain open and if you have a pending request that I accepted previously it will hopefully appear before too long! Thank you .

It feels like the last post I made was about the 2011 Big Bang Challenge coming to an end...maybe that's because it was. Anyway! It's back for the 2012-2013 Big Bang and this is just a pimping/advertisement for any and all FMA fans, especially artists and writers, to check it out over in their livejournal community!


fmabigbang.livejournal.com/

Hello, everyone!

I want to thank you all for the support I've gotten recently it's been wonderful, and I am very grateful!

The purpose of this journal, however is to give my apologies and tell anyone that has a request pending with me that I have to put them all on hold. It's nearing the middle of January, leaving me less time than I would like (only a month, eek!) to complete my works for the FMA Big Bang Challenge (it's a wonderful project, this year's challenge is coming to an end but here's the link to the livejournal and every FMA fan really should see what it's all about: fmabigbang.livejournal.com/ ). Anyway, that means I really need to devote as much time as possible to finishing up my work because I am part of a group and I need to hold up my end of the challenge!

Thank you for your patience~
Ginny

The following is a form letter and then the PERSONAL letter I sent to my congressmen, please, people we have to take a stand!

Dear friend,

I just emailed Congress to urge them to oppose the Internet Blacklist Legislation, known as the PROTECT-IP Act in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House. This legislation seeks to give the executive branch power to conduct slash-and-burn campaigns against websites that allegedly host – or even link to – content that infringes on intellectual property rights. That would "disappear" whole domain names, fundamentally undermining Internet security, and/or choke off their financial support. The Internet Blacklist Legislation puts more sites than ever at risk, effectively upending the DMCA safe harbors that have been crucial to the growth of Internet innovation and creativity.

Sadly, these short-sighted and dangerous bills won't do much to stop online infringement – but they will jeopardize our ability to speak and read online with the kind of freedom we cherish in the offline world. Deep-pocketed Hollywood lobbyists are aggressively pushing to control and censor the open Internet, willing to sacrifice free speech and our Internet culture in hopes of controlling how people view their movies and products.

We need to stop this bill before it goes any further. Will you contact your representatives in Congress and urge them to oppose the Internet Blacklist Legislation? Visit: eff.org/r.C8A

They website will give you a form letter if you wish to contact your congressman, I made it a personal letter:

"Many American's long for the days when our Constitution was still a protected right. We can't fix all of the mistakes we have made but you as our congressmen have the chance, the right, and the responsibility to protect one of the few things we have left: Freedom of Speech. Don't allow the government to deprive us of this because of lost revenue or the possibility of copyright infringement. Enacting this bill to censor the internet is an infringement in itself; of our personal rights, our rights not only as human beings but our rights as American Citizens. Please, do not vote in favor of this bill, we need someone to speak out against it, and as our congressmen you are our representatives and our hope."

I don't know who created this meme, but I apologize for my slight changes and hope I haven't offended whoever it is with my changes. It's my personal opinion, as all mary-sue, gary-lou traits are. And before too long I will post an actual bio of this character.

Add +1 for every "yes," for each question and subquestion, unless instructed otherwise.

THE NAME GAME: Lita

Does your character have a Japanese name? No
Even though she is not Japanese? No
Is it a name you came up with? No

Is the character named after you? No
Is it your pen name? No
Is it a name you wish you had? No
Is it your nickname? No

Is the name unusual in any way? (i.e. apostrophes, dashes, etc.) No

Is it a word that would not usually be used as a name? (Ignore, if homunculus.) I.e, Sorrow, Chastity, etc. No
Does this word have anything to do with a special weapon, item, or form of alchemy? No

Is it an exceptionally long name? (I.e, Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way) No

Is it unusual for your character's nationality? No

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

Is your character considered beautiful? Yes
By you? Yes
By a certain someone in the series? No
By everyone in the series? No

Do characters in the series tell her how beautiful they are? No

If the character is female, does she have long hair? (As in, past the upper back.) (Discounting this question as it is quite obvious long hair is the fashion in Amestris and does not a Mary-Sue make, however, the answer is yes)
Does it not disable her in battle? Undetermined
Does it never get tangled? No
Which you describe with many poetic adjectives? (I.e, her long, golden locks blew in the autumn breeze like straw weaved from a royal's fingers.) No

Is the character not human? No
Is she a hybrid of anything? (+2) No
Of a kitsune? No
Of a vampire? No
Of a neko? No
Of a homunculus? No

Is the character the age you want to be? No

Is the character immortal? No

Has the character faced death and survived? Yes
More than once? No

Does your character have an abnormal hair color, even though dye did not exist at the time in which Fullmetal Alchemist takes place? (Pink, blue, green, purple, anything that's not a real, natural color.) No (however also discounting this question one way or another because hair-dye /does/ exist in the world of FMA, we see Ed do it, and don't tell me 'well, only an alchemist can do it' because you're saying no young down on his luck (or her) alchemist ever said hey I can do something almost no one else can do that people will pay for because of vanity and then opened up a shop? Not buying it, besides, how many natural blondes do you know?)
Does your character have abnormal colored streaks in their hair, even though dye did not exist at the time in which Fullmetal Alchemist takes place? No

Do their clothes show off a lot of skin? No

Does your character regularly wear,
Mini skirts? No
Skin tight shirts? No
Belly shirts? No
The color black? No (Not a lot of it anyway)
Leather? No (discounting gloves and/or footwear)
Lace? No (Discounting the occasional undergarment)
Corsettes? No
Something you wish you could get away with wearing out in public? No

Is your character's appearance based on labels and categorization such as Emo, Goth or Punk? (+10) No

Does your character regularly shop at Hot Topic, even though this establishment did not exist back then? No

Does no one take note of your character's strange attire? No (Because it isn't strange)

Do you describe your character in such a way that
They look just like [insert canon character here] except...
They look just like [insert celebrity here] except...: No

PERSONAL TRAITS

Is the character a long lost child of a canon character? No
Two canon characters you paired together? No

Is your character closely related to any of the canon characters? [I.e, Ed and Al's sister, Roy Mustang's brother, Scar's twin... etc.] (+2) No
Have they witnessed the same events of these canon characters as displayed in the series? No
Have they been abroad until the point in which you're inserting your character? ...Explain your meaning please?

Was your character abandoned / adopted? Yes
Off the streets? No
By a canon character? No

Is your character a skilled alchemist? No
Does this skill lead them to be cast out or called a freak / loser? No

Is your character
The last survivor of a clan / race? No
A victim of child abuse? No
A victim of rape? No
An illegitimate child? No

Does your character grieve about their past? Yes
Do they feel guilt? No
Do they have no reason to feel guilt? No
Do canon characters convince them of this? No

Were their parents / guardians killed? No
By Scar? No
By the State? No

Does the character share your religious beliefs? No

Is the character Pagan / Wiccan? (+3) No
While you aren't? No
Do they cast spells instead of use alchemy? No
Do they do both? No

Does the character have an exceptionally good singing voice? Yes (Discounting this one because I believe the only way this makes a mary-sue is if combined with any of the following three questions)
Do they play a musical instrument well? No
Are they in a band? No
Is this band famous? No

Do you and your character share hobbies / interests that mirror each other? Some, and also discounting this because I don't believe a shared interest in reading or linguistics makes any character a mary-sue.

Is the character a person from our world that passed through the gate? No
Because their alternate self had no other choice? No
Because they had knowledge of the other side? No
Did they do this without alchemy? No
With a natural use of alchemy? No
Is this person from the modern day / age? (+5) No
Is this person YOU? No

Do Edward and Alphonse accept your character in their travels? N/A
Within the same chapter they meet? N/A
With Edward's approval from the start? N/A

Does everyone end up liking your character for their
Sweetness No
Attractiveness No
Generosity No
Bubbly attitude? No

Is your character accomplished for their age? (i.e. A seven year old that knows alchemy, a thirteen year old that works for the state...) No

Does your character's past in any way resemble a canon character's? No
Edward and Al's? No
Roy Mustang's? No

ALCHEMY

Does your character come with a "natural," talent? No

Is your character's medium elemental? (i.e., The Flame Alchemist, The Water Alchemist, The Earth Alchemist, The Air Alchemist) No

Can your character create things from mid air? No
Without sacrificing anything? No

Is your character's weapon an extension of their body? (i.e., Edward's arm becomes a weapon when he uses alchemy to create a blade on his wrist.) No
Created by alchemy? No

Is your character considered "the best," at their alchemy? No
Does your character have more than one medium? No

Were they trained by a canon character? No
By the military? No

Does your character use a traditional weapon in this setting, where it doesn't belong? No
A katana? No (Not applicable to my character but I would discount the following from being mary-sue qualities if the character is from Xing as we clearly see the use of these weapons from characters of that origin)
Shuriken? No
Kunai? No

Does your character keep a special, sentimental trinket? Does a letter count?
Is it a family heirloom? No
Is it a gift from a long lost / dead lover? No
Does this trinket protect them from death? (I.e, a locket deflecting a bullet to the chest.) No
Is this trinket a weapon? No

Does your character have powers that do not relate to alchemy? No
Can they fly? No
Do they have wings? No
Telepathy? No
Mind reading? No
Healing powers? No
Are these powers used in battle? No

Is your character not an alchemist at all? (How the heck does that make a character a mary-sue?) But, no.
Are they still powerful? No

Can your character use alchemy without use of a circle? (+4) No
Even though they haven't seen the gate? No

THE LOVE CONNECTION (I will answer all that I can but as this is an RP character I cannot say what could happen in RP but the answer to all of these questions is no based on history only)

Does your character enter a relationship with any canon characters? No

Does your favorite character fall in love with your character? No

Is Edward in love with your character? No
With no regards to Winry? No (From FMA plotline this can make a mary-sue, not original series)
With no regards to Rose? No (This is not a mary-sue trait, Ed/Rose is in no way cannon)
Does your character call him Ed, Eddie, or any kind of special pet name? If she met him she may call him Ed, but that isn't a mary-sue quality either, it's a shortened version of his name that almost everyone in the series calls him at one point or the other.

Does your character get away with calling Edward short? No
On a regular basis? No

Is Roy Mustang in love with your character? No
Is your character in the military? (Doesnotamary-suemake) No
Do they work under him? No
Do they spend more time with him on hours than Riza? No

Is Hughes in love with your character? (+5) No (I'm not even sure that's mary-sue, that's just weird oO)
With no regards to his wife and daughter? No

Is Envy in love with your character? No
Even though homunculi do not recognize this emotion easily? No
Even though your character is a human? No
Does your character, "Teach him to love?" No
Is he abusive? No
Physically? No
Sexually? No

Are any characters fighting over your character's love? No
Does it end in an orgy / gang bang? No

Does your character end up having sex with (+10 if they're raped) No to all.
Edward?
Roy?
Envy?
Hughes?
Scar?
All of the above?
Frequently?

Do any of them confess their love to your character first? No

Does your character lose their virginity to a canon character? No
Is it sweet and painless sex? No

Does your character end up married to a canon character? No
Do they have children? No
Who are amazing alchemists? No
Who are half human, half homunculus? No

THE REAL WORLD

Would you be friends with your character? Maybe?

Do you think everyone who reads your character has a right to like them? This is sort of an absurd question, any person has the right to like any character.

Do you deny when your character is called a Mary Sue? Never happened, but it would depend on the context.
Do you try to prove that your character is not a Mary Sue by pointing out things in the text? When applicable, yes, it would be silly not to. (Unless you're referring to the story text and not text in any FMA series)

Do you take it as a personal attack when someone says they don't like your character? No, it's my character, who cares?

THE PLOT (Same as before)

If the story is told from your character's point of view, do they
Use long descriptions of themselves or what they're wearing? (Longer than maybe two sentences is too much)
About their weapons?
About their hair?
Does this go on for more than a paragraph? No to all.

Is the character held captive by any villains? No
Do they befriend the villains at this point? No
Is this character Envy? No

Does your character still manage to look clean and cutless when,
In heated battle? No
In captivity? No
Being tortured? No

Does your character sacrifice their lives at any point? No
For the greater good? No
To save a canon character? No
To save their love interest? No
To save your favorite character? No

Does your character have violent or suicidal tendancies? No
Do these rub off on canon characters? No
Do canon characters disregard or pity them?No

Is your character ever nursed back to health by a canon character? No to all.
By Edward?
By Envy?
By Roy?
By Scar?

Does anyone severely mourn the death of your character? No
Does your character No to all.
Call Winry a bitch?
To her face?
Get called a bitch by Winry?
Without Edward or Al caring?

SUBTRACT 1 FROM YOUR SCORE IF YOUR CHARACTER

Is 40+ years old
And looks like it

Is honestly overweight
And stays that way

Is honestly out of shape
And stays that way

Has ever been an honest coward
Because they didn't want to get in trouble

Has a real disability
Physically
Mentally

-x-

My final point tally including the questions I considered discounted is 10. Not including those, it's seven. I'd say this character is doing fine.

0-16 Points – Not a Sue. Excellent job. Anyone who calls your character a Sue at this point is a wanker, and you can quote me on that.

16-21 Points – Probably not a Sue, although I'd be very careful at this point if I were you.

22-29 Points – Definitely some Sue tenancies. You might wanna give yourself a good check before it's too late.

30+ Points – You are ridiculous. Go back to the drawing board, and restart, right now.