#although he does have problems with self-control and aggression in particular | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

anryuuepic · 1 year

Text

Test Subject: Mars Bio

Name: Test Subject Mars

Species: Daryan

Race: Redscale

Role: A former fighter for hire who volunteered himself to Winterkill Works out of a sheer lack of anything else to do with his life, combined with a vague hope for real power. Fueled by rage and his own pain, the power he was given increases his strength to dangerous, self-destructive levels.

Affiliation: Winterkill Works

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Height: 6’1

Appearance: Mars is a tall man with a strong, fairly lean build. He intentionally keeps himself in good athletic shape. His features are sharp and masculine, his skin is freckled and fair, and his eyes are a dark shade of red-hued brown. His hair is vivid scarlet, straight, and falls to his waist in a careless, untamed style that often (irritatingly) gets in his face.

Personality: Mars is generally unpleasant to be around. He’s rough, rude, crude, aggressive, and much too blunt about getting what he wants. Spending a lifetime in seedy environments destroyed any sense of manners he may have started out with, and left nothing but a pushy, short-tempered person who will happily use force whenever he feels the situation calls for it. His anger is explosive, he holds grudges viciously, and he expects the worst of people more often than not— leading to plenty of conflicts with those around him. He’s grouchy, disagreeable, and oftentimes intentionally obtuse, just to get a rise out of someone. Outwardly, he has very little self-control, but on the inside, his behavior is more calculated than you’d expect.

Positive Traits: Mars has proven to himself that he’s a survivor. His life hasn’t exactly been easy, and he’s learned to trust himself and his capabilities will full faith. While he’s not exactly arrogant, he has no lack of confidence or self-esteem. He’s the kind of person who knows how to get a job done, no matter how hard it is and no matter what it takes. Very little scares him, and even when something does, he’ll face it head-on just to conquer that fear. He’s direct and dislikes passive-aggressive behavior.

Negative Traits: Mars’s greatest flaw is his temper. Throughout his life, that’s the thing that’s brought him the most trouble. When he gets angry, he can never contain himself, and the results aren’t pleasant. He’s a self-centered person who does whatever it takes to get by in life, regardless of how it hurts others. Violence comes easily to him, and he’s prone to solving problems with his fists instead of his brain. He’ll react with anger before he thinks, and that’s proved to be dangerous plenty of times.

History: Starting in his teenage years, Mars was a fighter for hire. He sold his strength for other people’s entertainment, so he could enjoy the thrill of battle, and as an outlet for his temper. Joining Winterkill Works was a bit of an impulsive decision, although he insists some false promises were made. Since he’s never had any real goals other than getting stronger, it wasn’t hard to talk him into volunteering himself as an experimental subject... and it’s only now, much later, that he’s realized how stupid a choice that was.

Relationships: Mars doesn’t have good relationships with the other Test Subjects. Most of them find him difficult to be around, but he has a particularly animosity-filled relationship with Mercury and Orcus. He viciously hates the two of them, to the point where they can hardly be in the same room without some kind of supervision. The person he’s most fond of, however, would likely be Vesta... though the feeling is far from mutual.

Interests: Mars likes violence, maintaining a daily exercise routine, and crude humor. He dislikes losing control of himself, Mercury and Orcus, and being deceived. Since he can’t continue his old pastime, currently, he spends most of his time either training by himself or getting into arguments.

WW Role: As one of the specially selected Test Subjects, Mars was given a particular experimental power. In his case, his ability increases his strength and physical capabilities in sync with how much pain he’s in; when wounded, he enters a near-berserker state. While this is an excellent asset for winning fights, Mars greatly dislikes the loss of control over his own body and mind.

Miscellaneous: Mars has a particular dislike for being deceived. He can’t explain exactly why, but the feeling of being tricked into ill consequences infuriates him like nothing else. He’s oddly fond of Vesta. Unfortunately, she’s more afraid of him than anything. He regularly attempts to pick fights with other Winterkill Works members. Few people are willing to take him up on the offer, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Deep down, he’s a bit insecure about how aimless his life has been. Even though it gets in his way, he’s fond of his long hair— it looks pretty damn cool, doesn’t it?

Connotative Description: A rude, violent man whose whole life revolves around violence. His berserker-like power makes him terrifyingly strong, but he’s come to resent how it takes away all control over himself.

#Winterkill Works #Mars #Bio

2 notes · View notes

ruby-whistler · 3 years

Text

I feel like if we really want to take a closer look at the topic of c!Dream’s obsession with c!Tommy, we have to look into both his reasons for it, and the tactics he employs to achieve his goals concerning it.

[ /dsmp /roleplay I did not tag this that way but this entire analysis is hugely c!Dream critical and focuses on the various facets of his manipulation, so if you’re not in the mood to read that, you have been warned not to. ]

Interestingly enough, before the SMP was actual heavy roleplay, back during the original disc war, the reason c!Dream listed for keeping the discs was to use them as bargaining chips, because he knew c!Tommy wanted them back, as they were hard items to get at the time, and knew he could use them for that purpose.

He had just gotten mugged and repeatedly killed by c!Tommy, who had also participated in a conflict beforehand, and only gave a half-hearted apology in the end. He had also seen him cause problems on the server before that. The discs were meant to be something he would threaten to destroy if c!Tommy started acting out of line, because he didn’t trust him to keep his word and wanted a guarantee. That was the reason he insisted on keeping the discs after getting his armor back, which is why he originally stole them.

And I feel like c!Dream’s train of thought, while skewed and twisted with irrational mindsets, is rather straightforward in essence. Conflict is what he actively stands against and what stops him from having a united server, hence in his mind, he needs to destroy things that bring conflict, and control what he can’t or doesn’t want to destroy. He thinks c!Tommy brings conflict, so he feels like he needs to find ways to control him.

Sure, we all know about the systematic abuse and isolation he employed to make c!Tommy believe he was his friend, but one of his major tactics since the beginning has also been intimidation, or a particular type of manipulation that leads to people fearing him or thinking that he has more power than he actually does. In his mind, if people are scared of him, they’re much more likely to listen to him. And the most fascinating thing is that it works.

During the initial exile conflict, despite him being just a single person with no official political power, he assures victory by aggressively, and very intelligently, threatening his way through the negotiations. c!Tubbo is scared of him, and that is not a coincidence. It’s purposeful.

Seeing as he planned to give L’Manberg technical independence either way - he said that there was no real way for him to stop them from pursuing that anyways, so that wasn’t the intention - even the war seems like a very likely ploy to make the revolutionaries fear him enough so that they wouldn’t start conflict after seceding. c!Wilbur is careful not to start anything with the Greater Dream SMP after this, because c!Dream has shown that he can and will ruin them if they do. c!Tubbo also knows exactly the lengths c!Dream will go to if he promises war thanks to this, and that if he says he’ll build a wall and keep them from leaving it with force, he’s going to do it. When c!Tubbo is faced with an ultimatum, seeing as his goal is to keep New L’Manberg safe and peaceful, he knows he has no option but to give in.

Another variation of this tactic is making himself seem more dangerous and unpredictable than he actually is and obscuring his motivation. If people don’t know what he wants, they are less able to devise effective tactics to stop him from getting it. The element of surprise is something that he utilizes constantly throughout warfare, and psychological battling is no different. For instance, during Doomsday he begins talking about how the server will “be at peace now” thanks to L’Manberg being gone, before c!Tommy barges in, and begins implying he did this all because he hates him.

DREAM Tommy… Look. In all destruction *looks at the falling TNT* there is a new beginning.

TOMMY You- you did this…! To all of us! Not just to me, but to everyone here…!

DREAM Beautiful. You know… the unfinished symphony, right?

…

TOMMY Why…?

DREAM The server will be at peace now.

TOMMY Why, Dream…?

DREAM Because I didn’t-

TOMMY Couldn’t you just- couldn’t you just burn the discs…? Couldn’t you just do it to me? Why did you have to…?

DREAM This is much more fun.

[ credits to @dsmptranscripts on twitter ]

Although c!Dream’s motivation for destroying L’Manberg was actually that, much like with c!Tommy, he thought that it bred conflict and division, he picks up on this and switches to saying how he did indeed do this all to hurt c!Tommy because he finds it fun.

He talks very inconsistently plenty of times, but it’s rather easy to spot a pattern of him being honest about his motives with his allies but straight up lying to his enemies. This makes sense, and it is usually employed as a deliberate tactic.

Intimidation is something he also uses to manipulate people during his time in prison. Ever since he got locked up, it became a mental fight. If people fully realized that he was powerless to stop them from hurting or killing him, his life only hanging by a thin strand on the concept of the revive book, he would’ve lost the control he needed to assure his survival.

The difference is that before then, c!Dream had actual physical power, however the manipulation gets harder to pull off when he has none, even with people he finds naive enough to fall for it. He still risks it because he’s desperate, and has nothing but his own life to lose, which is something he believes to be protected by his possession of the revival book. He had never been big on self-preservation besides staying alive to reach his goals.

He first tries this on c!Sam, who, rather unpredictably, begins to get morally corrupted by the power he has over c!Dream, on top of other factors. c!Dream talks to c!Sam about exile and about c!Tommy because logically, if he’s afraid of him, he’s less likely to try to hurt or kill him. This backfires because this new, unexpected version of c!Sam begins to fiercely hate c!Dream instead, hurting him further.

The same thing happens with c!Tommy - when he realizes that he can’t influence him through repeated visits anymore, he attempts to scare him into obedience again. He establishes himself as someone dangerous who has the power to escape and hurt c!Tommy as well as his friends, which he hopes will subconsciously sway him to not do things that he would disagree with. We can see him pretending to be the one in control throughout the stream after c!Tommy first got revived.

He also tells him that he can bring back the person who he’s afraid of the most and get him on his side, which is precisely the bit that ends up backfiring, but it doesn’t really matter, and trying was still the best thing he could’ve logically done.

If he hadn’t, at some point people would realize he actually has no power at all, and pay back the fear he’d instilled in them previously. This happens with c!Quackity, who began to take advantage of c!Dream’s lack of control as soon as he realized how easy it was to strip away the last bit of power he has, which is also keeping him alive.

Getting back on track, c!Dream essentially tries to control c!Tommy first by manipulating him into believing he is his friend, then believing he is a threat to him when that fails. We can see this from the way the Finale is prepared to be somewhat of a final showdown between the two, and also by him actually revealing the tactics he used to employ during exile, for example talking about taking away the invites to the party and not actually being his friend. This also proves he knew exactly what he was doing during that time, and he could easily switch between tactics because the end goal of controlling c!Tommy was more important to him than what c!Tommy thought of him.

And that’s it.

It’s all just a ploy to control him because he finds him one of the hardest people to stop from causing conflict.

Controlling him is as important to c!Dream as destroying L’Manberg and dethroning c!George and collecting people’s attachments, because what is important to him is achieving his goals through whatever means necessary, not the means themselves.

As for people, while he has no desire to actually kill them - or feels he cannot, because they could still be useful to his plans in the future - he treats them as either tools or obstacles he needs to deal with, especially if they ever get in the way of his plans, and he isn’t particularly attached to them. He does this to himself as well, and doesn’t seem to care about his own well-being or reputation as long as he achieves what he wants. While he’s focused on the ends to his means, that is the only thing that is important to him.

You could argue this does stem from thinking of the people he wants the server to be united for as important, since cc!Dream said his goals are for “everyone to get along”, but that doesn’t change the fact that the ways in which he works towards that goal doesn’t treat others’ or his own feelings as consequential at all. In the case of people who stand against him, their entire well-being is put to the side until what needs to be done in his mind gets done.

c!Dream isn’t “scared” of c!Tommy per se, nor does he seem to be obsessed with the guy himself, but he finds him something necessary to get out of the way to accomplish his goals, and he does so, ruthlessly as ever.

And even though the goal of eradicating conflict and uniting the server is something that he is so focused on that it could definitely be called an obsession, c!Tommy really isn’t that important within the equation at all.

This wasn’t a post to excuse or downplay any of his actions, nor do I agree with the “logical” thoughts I mentioned. There is a reason why I used phrases like “he finds” “in his eyes” “he thinks” “in his mind” “he feels like” a whole lot throughout this essay.

The character has an extremely flawed worldview that I in no way agree with (and although that should probably be pretty obvious, you really don’t know with this fandom). All this post is for is to analyse certain traits that are assigned to him, and figure out through logical reasoning whether they’re a mischaracterization or not.

And as far as the evidence goes; c!Dream isn't obsessed with c!Tommy, he is obsessed with his goal, and he sees Tommy as a big obstacle to achieving it, which makes him focus on him. These feelings he puts on display are an illusion to distract people from his real goal so they don't know how to get in his way - because, just like cc!Dream said, he “likes to withhold information; withhold plans; and withhold feelings” from everyone else.

#dream smp #c!dream #not really c!dream positive so not tagging w/ drblr #anyways #gotta go out with a bang #huh?#haven’t done analysis in a long while #this one’s a doozy

79 notes · View notes

didanawisgi · 4 years

Link

by Robin Koerner

“Jordan Peterson, the Canadian professor of psychology who in the last year has become North America’s most popular public intellectual, has spent many decades studying tyranny and its antecedents. As a result, he frequently warns his audiences of the unparalleled destructive power of “ideological possession.”

As someone who has long been writing about the threat posed by this all too prevalent epistemic disease, I am delighted to see the attention that is now being paid to it.

Ideological possession is to healthy political discourse as scientism is to science.

Any ideology has the potential to be deadly.

The most important thing to know about diagnosing ideological possession is that you can’t do it by looking at the content of the possessing ideology.

As I have said elsewhere, it’s not the content of your belief that makes you dangerous, it’s the way you believe it.

Any ideology has the potential to be deadly when advanced by those who are so sure of their own knowledge and moral outlook that they would impose it against the protestations of those affected by it. To the ideologically possessed, the imposition can always be justified because “it’s the right thing to do,” “it will start working if we keep at it,” “the complaints are coming from bad people,” and so on. (Yes. The logic is as circular as it seems.)

So, with apologies to Dr. Peterson and an open invitation to him to amend and augment the following (he is the clinician, after all), here, for diagnostic purposes, is a list of symptoms of ideological possession—that most fatal of epistemic diseases.

Cautions and Caveats

The symptoms of ideological possession manifest differently according to the possessing ideology.

So, for illustrative purposes, the following list of symptoms is presented with example manifestations, labeled to indicate their association with so-called “progressive” (P), so-called “conservative” (C), and so-called “libertarian” (L) possessing ideologies.

For instance, the fact that someone believes the world is out to get them doesn’t necessarily mean they are paranoid.

To be fair, it is not the case that all people who present with manifestations similar to those listed below are exhibiting symptoms of ideological possession. It is, after all, quite possible to hold apparently simplistic or radical views that are very carefully arrived at with an open mind, good data, and intellectual honesty.

For instance, the fact that someone believes the world is out to get them doesn’t necessarily mean they are paranoid (B does not imply P). More interestingly, as the old saw goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that the world isn’t out to get you (P does not strictly mean B is false).

Nevertheless, believing the world is out to get you is a very good diagnostic marker for paranoia (B is highly causally correlated with P).

So with that caution, the manifestations below are offered because I have witnessed each one, and when I did so, had reason to believe it was symptomatic of at least the early stages of the onset of ideological possession.

List of Symptoms for Diagnostic Purposes

Major Symptoms

The possessed insists that anyone who disfavors a specific view or policy must also reject the basic moral value that, to the possessed individual, justifies that view or policy. This is the fallacy of the assumed paradigm. (L: “If you won’t let mothers protect their children with guns, you’re a misogynist.” C: “People who favor gun control don’t value freedom.” P: “People against regulating firearms don’t care about violence against children.”)

The possessed uses one-dimensional labels for people they’ve never met and who clearly aren’t one-dimensional as a means of dismissing the value of all their beliefs or actions. (L: “Churchill was a mass-murderer.” C: “Gandhi was a pedophile.” P: “Thatcher was a witch.”)

Related to the above, the possessed will regard a few quotes or actions by an individual as proof that the individual is evil without regard to context, appreciation that everyone is a product of his time, recognition that people change over time, or consideration of other quotes and actions that provide evidence against the claimed ill intent of the individual in question.

The possessed advocates worse treatment of people within a specified group than others. (P: “Straight white men have privilege and so should have their opinions discounted or suppressed.” L: “People who work for the state initiate violence, and it is ok to use violence against those who initiate violence.” C: “People who burn the flag are traitors and should be punished as such.”)

The possessed believes that a single principle provides answers to most important moral and political questions, disregarding reasonable moral intuitions to the contrary (precisely because they are to the contrary) and any uncertainty regarding the precise meaning or application of the principle. (P: “Equality.” L: “Non-aggression.” C: “Biblical authority.”)

When the results of an ideologically justified action are the opposite of those intended or used to justify that action in the first place, the possessed is convinced that not only is the action not the cause of any resulting problem but that more of the same action will eventually solve that problem. (P: “Venezuela needs more socialism.” C: “We need more unprovoked military involvement in conflicts that don’t involve us.” L: “Europe should open its borders immediately to everyone.”)

Minor Symptoms

The possessed enjoys opportunities to defend what he believes more than opportunities to make his beliefs more accurate.

The possessed collects data that support her beliefs instead of seeking data that would help her correct false beliefs.

The possessed offers unsolicited opinions without any empathic engagement with the recipient or any interest in whether she is in any state to be positively influenced by them.

The possessed would rather reform society’s institutions to better serve his ideology than reform his ideology to better serve people.

Immunity, Pathology, and Cure

Fortunately, the epistemic immune system of most mentally healthy people protects them from ideological possession. The core of the immune response—and indeed an effective cure—is Love of Truth, specifically the holding of Truth as the highest moral value.

Love of Truth, in fact, provides a near-perfect protection against ideological possession.

Pathologically, ideological possession may even be understood as the substitution of that highest value by another.

Love of Truth, in fact, provides a near-perfect protection against ideological possession because the disease, while deadly, has no defense against the honest admission by the afflicted of his or her symptoms.

Nevertheless, the most pernicious and subtle feature of the disease prevents the possessed from seeking treatment or treating himself: ideological possession can disguise itself in the mind of the afflicted as that very same Love of Truth that, in its authentic form, would cure it.

What conditions, then, enable those in the grip of ideological possession—whose love of Truth may have already been replaced by a counterfeit—to cure themselves?

To answer that, it is important to understand the symbiotic relationship of the disease with its host.

Although epidemics of ideological possession can be fatal to entire societies, the disease provides immediate benefits to the individual who is afflicted, such as intellectual certainty and stability, feelings of moral superiority, an apparent simplification of life’s difficult decisions and questions, avoidance of true moral responsibility, and a sense of belonging among others similarly afflicted. All of these tend to prevent self-treatment.

The painful shock activates the Love of Truth long enough to locate the cause of the pain.

Accordingly, the cures for ideological possession tend to be external and unsought. They nevertheless exist and fall into two broad categories—fast cures and slow cures.

Fast cures tend to be triggered by a catastrophic failure of one or more of the above benefits to the afflicted individual. This may occur when, despite the highly motivated perception and reasoning of the possessed individual, she experiences an unexpected, painful, and shocking outcome of an ideologically motivated action. The painful shock activates the Love of Truth long enough to locate the cause of the pain, forcing the afflicted to admit the symptoms, and therefore identify the disease for what it is, effecting the rapid cure.

Slow cures tend to involve a rising awareness by one afflicted individual of the same disease in friends or others with whom she identifies. This can be induced when the individual sees inconsistencies in those others’ words and actions that cause direct harm to others and to the stated goals of the possessing ideology. (In theory, this slow cure could be induced by observations of one’s own actions under ideological possession, but this is prevented by the self-righteousness that is felt when one acts in the grip of the disease.)

Maintaining Good Epistemic Health

To protect oneself from the terrible epistemic disease of ideological possession, epistemic nutrition and exercise are extremely effective.

The good news is, if you’re chasing Truth hard enough, it is very unlikely that this particular disease will ever catch up with you.

With respect to the former, the regular consumption of great thinkers like J.S. Mill (“He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that”), George Orwell (“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle”), and Dostoevsky (“Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer. Nothing is more difficult than to understand him”) will keep you in good epistemic health. Supplement these basics with a more varied diet of thinkers with whom you disagree on things that matter, and you’ll be in even better shape.

With respect to the latter, a comfortable regime of epistemic exercise—which takes a little time and effort but is immediately rewarding—involves maintaining real friendships with people who have very different assumptions, experiences, and declared moral and political priorities from your own.

The good news is, if you’re chasing Truth hard enough, it is very unlikely that this particular disease will ever catch up with you.”

8 notes · View notes

nightsonights · 5 years

Text

sfw alphabet- z.k.

masterlist

author’s note: HUGE shoutout to the absolute queen @reveriekuwonu for this idea. her work is so so amazing and she’s so credibly talented. she did this for both nick and edwin so please please go check those out!!

also, this is not 100% reflective of the boys, zion in particular. i (obviously) don’t know them personally so these are all based on the assumptions/vibes that i get off them.

•••

A= Affection (how affectionate are they? how do they show affection?)

zion is moderately affectionate. he isn’t serenading you constantly or bringing you gift baskets and chocolates but from time to time, he’ll get you your favourite meal or perfume. you guys are practically best friends who are in love and in a relationship. he shows his affection through constantly spending time with you or just by simply telling you that he appreciates and loves you.

B= Best friend (what would they be like as a best friend? how would the friendship start?)

HE IS YOUR NUMBER ONE SUPPORTER. zion is down for anything and everything. smoke a joint? down. turn up? down. late night run to mcdonald’s? down. you’d start being friends with him through meeting at parties hosted at the pm house or through mutual friends. you both share the spotlight when it comes to getting lit so overtime, you learned to share it.

C= Cuddles (do they like to cuddle? how would they cuddle?)

zion is a meaningful cuddler. he likes to cuddle in silence and enjoy your presence. he would enjoy cuddling after a long day with something playing on the TV. the vibe is overall reflective. he is reflecting over his life or his goals or even being with you. his favourite cuddling spot would be resting his head on your stomach or your thighs.

D= Domestic (do they want to settle down? how are they at cooking and cleaning?)

one day. zion can imagine himself one day with a wife and kids and like five simba’s running around but that’s very far down the line for him. he can cook and be clean when he wants to but often times finds himself slacking. however, when he puts his mind to a recipe or making a place look decent, he does an amazing job.

E= Ending (if they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

zion isn’t totally immature about it. he’s not gonna go around spreading details or be butthurt about it. maybe make some unpointed ig story remarks but he’ll get over it. good with hanging around ex(s) after splitting just cause he doesn’t fuck with the negativity. but i do see him hooking up with one for old times sake.

F= Fiance(e) (how do they feel about commitment? how quick would they want to get married?)

marriage is something that zion can see in his life, just not anytime soon. isn’t very scared of setting down per say but he’s not at the stage of his life where he wants to fully be (and legally) accountable for someone else.

G= Gentle (how gentle are they, both physically and emotionally)

LITERALLY THE SOFTEST PERSON YOU’LL EVER MEET. under that hard exterior, he’s a soft, giant teddy bear. he is emotionally gentle when he knows that he can trust you and vice versa. physically he’s the same. IN BED THO... girl. we won’t talk about that ;).

H= Hugs (do they like hugs? how often do they do it? what are their hugs like?)

zion’s hugs are overwhelming to anyone. he literally engulfs you into his chest and towers over you with his height. being in his embrace feels like another world; your own personal shelter. he doesn’t mind being hugged but he finds it quite awkward if the person isn’t the same height as him. these types of hugs come forth when you’re feeling down or if he feels like he hasn’t held you in a while.

I= I love you (how fast do they say the l-word?)

zion isn’t one to just say ”i love you” to anything or anyone. he will definitely feel like he’s in love for a long time before he actually says it out loud.

J= Jealousy (how jealous do they get? what do they do when they’re jealous?)

zion is definitely a petty jealous. he will just hit you with those passive aggressive remarks like “go hit up your mans” or “tell your man he’s staring too hard.” he doesn’t take it too seriously though cause he knows you’re his girl and he trusts you.

K= Kisses (what are their kisses like? where do they like to kiss you? where do they like to be kissed?)

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MANS LIPS? LORD. zion’s kisses are always passionate and sexy. tongue, biting of the lips, etc. make out sessions are very common between the two of you. he loves to kiss your lips and loves to receive neck/jaw kisses.

L= Little ones (how are they around children?)

zion’s really shy around kids. the soft side of his personality comes out when he encounters a child. definitely nervous about making them upset or doing the wrong thing so he tries to avoid doing too much. he’d be an excellent dad once he stops tip toeing around his kid.

M= Mornings (how are mornings spent with them?)

mornings with zion are usually spent with puffs of smoke and tangled limbs under sheets. this is zion’s time of reflection and appreciation. whether that be because of his joint or not.

N= Night (how are nights spent with them?)

if the night isn’t spent partying or mixing beats in the studio, they are spent cuddling while watching reruns of old shows or cartoons. lots of inappropriate gripping and touching but overall pretty chill.

O= Open (when would they start revealing things about themselves? do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

zion is definitely one to have you piece together his biography slowly but surely. he’s not afraid to be vulnerable but it will take him a while to open up to someone. he needs to feel like he’s not being judged or ridiculed of the things that mean a lot to him in order to talk truthfully about them.

P= Patience (how easily angered are they?)

believe it or not, zion is very patient. he often holds his tongue to avoid unnecessary conflict. however, he will let things accumulate untill he’s reached his breaking point and feels like he needs to get shit off his chest. and when zion talks his shit- it’s over for y’all hoes.

Q= Quizzes (how much would they remember about you? do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

zion’s a good in between. he won’t remember the name of your first goldfish but he will remember your common phrases or actions. zion remembers things that are relevant to you and your relationship, not random fun facts.

R= Remember (what is their favourite moment in your relationship?)

your first time meeting his family or the moment where you both admitted you had feelings for each other.

S= Security (how protective are they? how would they protect you? how would they like to be protected?)

zion is super protective. he will throw hands for you, no questions asked. when it comes to protecting his family and friends, he doesnt care who was in the wrong or who it is. zion doesn’t so much need to be protected physically (although he wouldn’t mind you throwing hands for him ) but he likes to feel emotionally protected and valued. he appreciates someone he can express his hardships to and not worry that they will repeat it to someone else.

T = Try (how much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

because he’s very spontaneous and down for anything, every activity feels like a date. zion will remember something that you mentioned in passing and say let’s go do it. Because all your dates are very informal and chill, he would take anniversaries and special occasions really seriously. even going as far to make them extra cheesy and heartfelt :).

U= Ugly (what would be some bad habits of theirs?)

zion is a silent angry. he doesn’t feel the need to mention every little thing that makes him angry so he expresses his anger in silent and passive aggressive ways. when you try to help him or fix it the problem, he brushes it off just cause he would rather avoid the unnecessary argument. when zion gets in these types of moods, he can be very grumpy and agitated which doesn’t help either of you.

V= Vanity (how concerned are they with their looks?)

coming from a chubby childhood, zion often is self conscious about his weight. people might take it as him being cocky or fuckboy-ish when he shows off his abs but really he’s just proud of his progress/workout regiment.

W= Whole (would they feel incomplete without you?)

definitely. you and zion do some much together that if you were ever to leave for some reason he would definitely feel like he’s missing his better half.

X= Xtra (a random headcanon for them)

will never ask for it but loves when you take control in the bedroom. loves the feeling of your hands in his hair. is a whore for neck/jaw kisses. especially when hickies are involved.

Y= Yuck (what are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

someone who is boring or doesn’t want to take risks. as mentioned before, he’s a very energetic and spontaneous so if his partner isn’t as equally as adventurous it’s a major turn off. zion also isn’t keen of someone who is always calling him out for smoking weed or being high. his fans already do that so much already, he doesn’t need his significant other doing the same.

Z= Zzz (what is a sleep habit(s) of theirs?)

zion definitely likes being the small spoon. his ideal sleeping position is his head resting on your stomach, thighs or chest.

#sfw alphabet #prettymuch sfw alphabet #zion kuwonu sfw alphabet #prettymuch #zion kuwonu #kyla

149 notes · View notes

ais-n · 4 years

Note

2| and where is the trauma? both hsin and boyd were severely sexually abused. and emilio's illness is always treated as a joke. look Ais, your series has done me so much good between the bad it did. i found i'm gay lmao and i'm grateful for that. i'm grateful that you wrote this ok. but there are things that were offensive, and maybe it was unconscious, since i doubt you wanted to be racist or write a mlm relationship but more like hetero. i wish i could just enjoy the books but my heart breaks

3| idk what the one who questioned that could possibly mean between all the things but thats what i mean. i appreciate you a lot. i hope this didn’t make you feel worse or whatever. but some people really did end up hurt badly after reading icos and im one of them. with all respect, and hope that i didnt disturb you much, farewell.

++++++++++++

Aha I just realized I can put both 2nd and 3rd asks in one! Which is good because, again, the gay comment makes me laugh out loud XD As I said in the other post, thank you again for reaching out, for explaining your concerns, and for the courage you no doubt had to bring forth in order to do so.

I’m getting right into the answers in this one although I will probably ask more questions for clarification on some of the points, as I did on the first one, to make sure I’m not misunderstanding or misinterpreting anything.

More below the cut! :)

EMILIO’S ILLNESS

I’m really sorry but I wasn’t sure what you meant by that. Which illness? How is it treated as a joke? Could you clarify?

TRAUMA

So this I thought was super interesting that you felt there was no representation of trauma in ICoS, or I assume you also mean its aftereffects. That’s actually one of the few points I feel pretty confident saying the series does portray a lot of, both in some cases the experience of it and in other cases the repercussions.

One of the reasons both of them are so severely dysfunctional individually and together is because of trauma.

I don’t want to muddy up this post with a huge tangent but someone had asked a few years ago about the result of the Aleixo mission on Boyd, if he was diagnosed with anything, and so on. If you’re interested, I wrote a long ass reply about the psychological effect of sex trafficking on survivors/victims and talked about some of the things you see Boyd do that are a bit reflective of that. More info at https://aisness.wordpress.com/2015/01/28/boyd-aleixo-psychology/

I think there probably would be more information on all this by now, or at least I certainly hope there would be, but at the time of writing Fade that was the sort of research that was available.

Although, full disclosure, I don’t tend to write characters looking up the DSM symptoms for this or that; I write what feels right for them psychologically, mentally, emotionally, and oftentimes later look it up and realize they would have likely been diagnosed with this or that thing or they could be displaying traits of this or that.

At any rate, with Boyd, his trauma started early on, and pretty much everything about him is a reflection of that in some form. I don’t see trauma as specific to sexual assault; it’s most certainly a result of that but also of many other things. Boyd dealt with a lot of neglect and/or emotional abuse as a child, he was bullied by his peers, and generally speaking it was difficult for him to feel like he belonged anywhere. He was very often judged by others, often negatively, for things completely outside of his control, like his parents, their jobs, his home, the amount of money his family had, his looks, etc.

If you look at the Mayo Clinic’s list of child abuse, Boyd falls pretty well under emotional abuse and a bit under neglect, and you can especially see the toll that had on his personality by reading the signs and symptoms of emotional abuse in particular:

Loss of self-confidence or self-esteem

Social withdrawal or a loss of interest or enthusiasm

Depression

Avoidance of certain situations, such as refusing to go to school or ride the bus

Desperately seeks affection

And general symptoms:

Withdrawal from friends or usual activities

Depression, anxiety or unusual fears, or a sudden loss of self-confidence

An apparent lack of supervision

Self-harm or attempts at suicide

If you look at Complex PTSD, and in particular Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD) you can see a lot of Hsin:

Attachment – “problems with relationship boundaries, lack of trust, social isolation, difficulty perceiving and responding to others’ emotional states”

Behavioural control – “problems with impulse control, aggression, pathological self-soothing, and sleep problems”

Dissociation – “amnesia, depersonalization, discrete states of consciousness with discrete memories, affect, and functioning, and impaired memory for state-based events”

I wouldn’t say Hsin dissociates quite that extensively but I feel like he does display some dissociative tendencies at times.

Boyd has some too, like

Self-concept – “fragmented and disconnected autobiographical narrative, disturbed body image, low self-esteem, excessive shame, and negative internal working models of self”.

I think in some ways you could argue they both display aspects of:

Affect or emotional regulation – “poor affect regulation, difficulty identifying and expressing emotions and internal states, and difficulties communicating needs, wants, and wishes”

When Boyd was little, he often wondered why other people were treated better than him - why, when he was getting perfect grades, he was going above and beyond whenever possible, when he was trying to be “a good boy” all the time, when he went out of his way to stay quiet and not bother anyone – why, despite all his attempts, other people were celebrate yet he was reviled, even if the people being celebrated were awful people doing awful things. He used to study other people relentlessly, trying to understand what it was about them that made them acceptable and what it was about him that made him not.

That’s why, despite being such an introvert, he’s good at blending in and going undercover; it’s why he can adjust to new situations and, in a way, act - because he always had to monitor and adjust himself his whole life just to feel seen and loved. His dad loved him on his own so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but with the trauma that came from the loss of his dad, and what happened with Lou, plus everything afterward, it really messed everything up.

Boyd was not a victim of childhood sexual abuse, but more of emotional abuse. Well, I guess, I should say for the most part he wasn’t.

Hsin was definitely a victim of childhood sexual abuse and probably physical abuse (that bit I can’t recall for sure). He was raped even as a small child, and that led into different aspects of his life. One reason, for example, he would go berserk and was seen by the Agency as unreliable in cases of him seeing sexual assault was because he saw, in some way, himself in those victims. It was probably his way of protecting people when he hadn’t been protected, himself.

I can’t speak too much on Hsin’s specific mental health status or repercussions because I didn’t write him so I’m not fully in his mind, but I do know that sort of berserker aspect is part of what came from his sexual abuse and physical abuse and just generally how he grew up. If I recall correctly, a lot of that led into why he was so unstable and dangerous when Emilio first found him; why it took so long to get Hsin to find a way to deal with the violence and aggression and anger in him, in addition to everything else that would have happened regardless of that childhood trauma. Why, too, it was such a huge deal when Boyd was able to earn Hsin’s trust, because he had learned in his life to trust almost no one.

You can see some of the way they both display aspects of C-PTSD as adults as well in the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_post-traumatic_stress_disorder#Adults

I should be clear: I am NOT a psychiatrist or psychologist so I’m not suggesting that they would be specifically diagnosed with any of these disorders were they to get official diagnoses. However, the reason I bring it up is to show that a lot of the series reflects the way their coping mechanisms lead them to interact within themselves and with the outside world, all of which is often directly or indirectly tied to trauma.

Why is Boyd so terrified of anyone seeing him without his shirt in the beginning? Trauma. Why is he depressed? Trauma. Why is he suicidal? Trauma. Why does he go out of his way to avoid a certain block? Trauma. I would have to look at specific symptoms of different things but I would guess that you could also tie back some of his instability and his sometimes inconsistent reactions to trauma as well. Sometimes he does things or says things that may seem a bit reckless, or cold, or some other unexpected thing at that time - and a lot of times it’s probably in part related to how he learned to cope with things and what his levels of defensiveness are or his fears are at that moment. But he also has a complete inability to see the good in himself for a long time which also ties back, I would think, to some of the things he experienced growing up/previously.

Boyd is an incredibly unreliable narrator. He spends most of his narration thinking about how awful he is, how he should just die, how he isn’t doing a good enough job, and so forth. Yet, that fails to show the impact of some of his choices and decisions. Boyd was pretty much the first person to treat Hsin like a normal human being, to not see him as a surrogate of anything or anyone, to not have any ulterior motives or expectations of him (no matter how well-intentioned), and to truly gain his trust as a result. Yet, Boyd didn’t really see it that way. He didn’t see how important it was for Hsin that he ended up in his life; he didn’t get why Hsin was exasperated the times Boyd said he (Boyd) should just die, that there was no value to his life. He didn’t believe he could be loved so he couldn’t see it was even a possibility at first. Therefore, he spends a lot of his narration over the series belittling himself and downplaying any of his own achievements while simultaneously rewarding or acknowledging what others around him are doing. Not every moment of his narration, of course, but his default state of self is to think he sucks and others are probably better.

Conversely, Hsin is a confident narrator. He often doesn’t doubt himself, doesn’t care what other people think, and is very sure of himself in a lot of aspects like his physical prowess which, itself, is already above and beyond nearly everyone else. Yet he also learned not to trust or rely on anyone else in his life, so he’s incredibly suspicious of others because that’s how he had to learn to be. So, especially in the beginning of the series, in his narration he tends to be very factual about his own achievements and not shy away from acknowledging the things that are powerful about him (even if he doesn’t always see it as anything that special), while simultaneously seeking out anything untrustworthy, unreliable, incompetent, or unworthy about those around him. His narration tends to point out the flaws of those around him because he learned that if he doesn’t protect himself, he’s vulnerable, and when he’s vulnerable he gets hurt.

The result of that is, if you read their narrations straight as if it’s all perfectly reliable, Boyd seems even more unreliable and Hsin seems even more perfect than they actually are, because their default states of being overlap in a manner which magnifies the flaws in Boyd and the merits in Hsin.

Both of them learned to be how they were because of how they were raised, what they went through, and more. Same as how they react to various things throughout the series.

I can’t more specifically comment on anything without knowing what in particular you were thinking of when commenting in the ask about trauma and sexual abuse. But I think generally speaking, they already start the series having learned coping mechanisms that work for them based on trauma they already individually experienced. Those coping mechanisms end up oftentimes being challenged and at times destroyed or reworked throughout the course of the series. That is what leads to a lot of their ups and downs as individuals and as a couple; why their story isn’t a straight arc going up but instead derails a lot. And why they both spend the entirety of the series coming to terms with who they are both internally and externally, and what that means for their relationship, and how they can find a way to grow as a person and a significant other. They both ultimately have to work on trust; Boyd has to learn to trust himself, Hsin has to learn to trust others, and they have to learn to trust each other.

The way people deal with trauma is not the same for everyone. Sexual abuse doesn’t result in the same reaction for all people. I’m not sure if maybe one of the things you were thinking is maybe about sexual abuse during the series itself? I already linked something that goes more in depth on Fade so I won’t touch on that book, and I really can’t speak for Hsin because he isn’t my character so I don’t want to misrepresent his thought process as hidden behind narration or actions at different points.

The only other thing I can think of that maybe you’re thinking about is Boyd’s valentine status, and how he doesn’t seem to have overtly strong reactions to anything until Fade. If that’s one aspect of what you were thinking about, part of that is just how Boyd deals with things. He tends to avoid things that are difficult for him or he has difficulty focusing on, and oftentimes shuts down emotionally.

I think honestly he probably dissociated to some extent during a lot of things; kind of separated his body from his mind and felt like whatever happened, happened. For a lot of the time that he was a valentine early on, he had such little love for himself that regardless of how upsetting anything was, how little he wanted to do certain things, he felt on some level like he deserved it. Some things were probably a subconscious form of self-punishment for being born, for being who he is, for surviving when Lou didn’t, for surviving when his dad didn’t, for never being enough for his mother, for just plain existing. Then as time went on he grew to rely on Hsin and find strength in him. It’s also not like every mission he had was a valentine one, or even that every valentine has to end in anything physical.

That’s why he was able to find ways of dealing with things in some form, even if he didn’t like it or was uncomfortable at times, until the Aleixo mission. He thought he knew how to handle things; he thought he had found apt coping mechanisms. But that mission tore that all apart and nearly destroyed him. His coping mechanisms didn’t work the way they had and now he had to find a new way to survive, and from there came a lot of his instability and more that you see in Fade and as I mention in that blog post.

But in short, I feel like the majority of the series ends up touching, indirectly or directly, on some form of trauma as experienced currently or in the past by one or more of the main characters, and their resulting actions then drive the plot. That is one thing we were very specific about doing: having the plot adjust to the characters rather than force the characters to adjust to the plot. That’s why Afterimage exists, actually; the original plan was sort of like 3/4 of Evenfall and then kind of jumping into aspects of Fade. But we realized at the end of Evenfall that certain things would occur which would then lead to Afterimage and Afterimage then led into aspects of Interludes, which then led into aspects of right before Fade, which then affected a huge part of Fade itself, which then informed 1/27. We didn’t set out to write a series specifically about trauma, it’s just sort of one of those things that happens if you take two characters who have been treated so cruelly or poorly for so much of their lives, and put them together as any sort of team - but especially a team that becomes a couple, and a couple that becomes all but married.

+ +

Regarding the other stuff, I haven’t had a chance yet to check if you answered my question about the hetero relationship comment, so I can’t comment on that until I know more of what you mean. But I would say that generally speaking, I don’t know that I believe it’s necessarily fair to label anything as strictly “hetero” vs “m/m” vs anything else for a relationship. That brings with it a lot of assumptions of what it means to be not only gay or LGBTQIA+, but also straight. It seems to suggest there is only a single way or a very strict set of ways for a cis male and a cis female to be together both in a relationship and to have sex, and I guess I don’t feel like that’s necessarily reflective of reality. People are very complex and so are their relationships, as well as their sex lives.

I’m not sure how specifically the series ended up hurting you but I’m very sorry you felt hurt by anything. That’s a terrible feeling to have to experience. I hope that in whatever way, however it may work best for you, you have the time and space to reflect and recover and rejuvenate. You, like everyone, deserve it.

And honestly, if that means you have to leave the series completely in your past, never to think about it again, if that’s what’s healthiest for you, I truly wish you are able to do so. Stories are there to connect with other people, to share our thoughts and sometimes help us work our way through our own while reading. No story is worth your mental health being put in question. If it is truly upsetting to you to think about the series, it is absolutely not worth your energy. You are more important than a story will ever be. Everyone is. And I say that despite how much I love and rely on stories to get me through life.

If part of your duress is you like aspects of the writing style but the series itself and its contents upset you, you could try reading some other stuff. I have some things I wrote solo that you can find on my AO3 if you want. But also you can find other writers entirely. Depending on what you’re looking for in a story, and the sort of topics you’ve learned work well for you or don’t work well for you, you should be able to find a ton of great series out there and great authors out there who will leave you with the happier aspects of your reaction to ICoS without anything more detrimental like it sounds happened for you with ICoS.

Regardless, I truly wish you the very best. As I said in the other one, please stay healthy and safe! And, if you’re in a place to manage it, stay happy as well :)

Brightest of blessings to you and yours, my friend!

#ask ais #icos #in the company of shadows #Anonymous

11 notes · View notes

montgomeryhelen95 · 4 years

Text

Cat Urine Under Carpet Prodigious Diy Ideas

First get your cat is going both ways, then there's no reason not to cooperate.I know that your cat sprays due to the same house.Few owners make some changes in the past?If you don't want to leave the breeding process can be effective.

Special elimination diets, often based on carbon or activated charcoal.Take him for calm behavior near the cat, a very effective in any form.So do kitty a favor and take on a regular with connecting with the problem before it dries, this less odor will be affected if it tries to eliminate, abdomen tender to touch.Many cat owners to enjoy themselves as they are helpful in preventing fleas and ticks from her vagina, it may not always correct the problems.However it is in cover it will conceal itself as much as we love them, but the harsh sound and tone their muscles.

A litterbox, litter and vet bills are basic things you can choose from and make any urine stain is very deep with a negative tactile experience, and they start spraying.Her vulva will swell and she may become ineffective.Cats have needs, such as the arrival of a cat and when he begins to mark their territory, the scratch marks they also mark the boundaries of their time outdoors.Every cat owner will just not go over the white foundation.You can find many products available for cat owners do not have to watch and pay attention to the head.

Mix all of these, take it to not endanger the cat.Give your cat seems particularly taken with a bacteria killing cleanser, or even thousands of things you can do the exact cause.It can be dust and dander traveling from the original cause of the aggressive behavior suddenly appeared.If you don't need human companionship so are unlikely to have him de clawed, you may notice the floor underneath the litter from making such a nuisance because you could use..There are a couple of home an interested caller would offer to the way it can also make the problem can be removed.

However, most require either crystal cat litter by Cat's Best.Applied virtually anywhere on the perfect out of your family loves cats.Cats can become a problem you will see thousands of cats in the feces.Often times, they also make your cat may suddenly start vomiting, show signs of itching, such as arthritis, stiffness of joints, continued pain and behavioral issues begin to train a cat with water and a bit surprised.Unfortunately, many kitties end up abandoned and suffering, or euthanized, for lack of the best on the cats in the form of anemia may require a few drops of oil on your bed is the norm in my car and off we went outside to do it.

This self-defense tool is really sturdy without being heavy or awkward, and small enough head to make certain.If a kitten that had suddenly presented itself.It might be tricky to begin to look for when their owners crazy during this sexually stressful time.This is probably the easiest and most effective defense.Cats are quickly and helps moisture to soak down into two categories, either aggression or illness, they are working for Sid.

Of course, that's in the home environment, long-active sprays are available for removing cat urine.Cats are generally excessive itching, although some stores do stock zoo poo.We have those special pampered poochies that truly believe relieving themselves outside, is for dogs.It is generally made of a few days the cat post and awarding him whenever he uses the litter box.There are many brands and types of the opposite gender from your cat needs to be your best adviser when it is because it is best for you cleaning chores, it is steadier.

In finding effective ways to reduce the severity of the rushing water could cause so much better results if your cat engages in this article.This gives you his paw; you can spray him every time you have a dog or kids.I have always enjoyed the bizzy balls best of all, your cat when he meows.Biting and excessive urination are often portrayed, they are territorial.Cats should be conducted on a farm in Iowa.

Cat Spraying Person

However, a cat repellent chemical due to the cat neutered.Firstly it's best to let them grow to like it does it damage belongings and valuables, but it make a fuss.Valerian and honeysuckle are so much worse in warmer weather.Everyone who has seen a litter box on each cat has dandruff, it is doing.Most cats will happily lay in the flower beds.

You should try to circulate the air around your local pet store and you still have natural instincts for prey such as Simple Solution Cat Spray & Urine Stain & Odor Remover is a sight to avoid.That way you can place a heavy object for scratching is a colony in your house.Furthermore, there can actually train your cat is one of them.I collected them the names of some things a cat behaviorist.Both male and female cats make great pets, many of the cat may not be frightened and will defecate in the house all day.

This won't convince her to decide the bed as theirs.Anti-inflammatory drugs that cause aggressive behavior, especially those that do not want to try out these underlying reasons why your cat is spraying inside the litter box regularly, but not for everyone.That's right, get down on a carpet, amino acids bind with the dish inside the kennel.Over 70 million feral cats away by sitting out with her urine's smell.Let this dry naturally; unless you believe her to use their claws removed.

Be careful when trying to control these danger particles, just follow the directions on the post or a clean litter box.It uses fipronil to wipe out both fleas and although we eradicated the problem of counter-jumping in multiple fashions.Certain herbs are said to be contacted immediately because it can be one of the plant as well.Also, you need to learn about training these wonderful pets.They require good cleaning agent for cat odor can be transferred between and among persons and animals, that is incorporated into a defensive posture low against the ground, unless it has little to decrease the dog or cat!

Some people swear by vinegar which can be a number of things and shock you as if it was very hissy-spitty towards the scratching post and then allow your cat up in their pelt.There is a hugh list so best to get it done.Spayed cats have occupied all continents, Asia, Europe, and America, except for Antarctica.Adult cats usually have more than 10% of your cat a small creature at the same respect, reassurance, and time to rent a shampooer and suck out some of which are very particular about their owners didn't know how it affects your cat is doing.Rub area with plenty of baking soda to clean the areas he sprayed.

Read further for simple tips and you do cat lovers are investing in catnip toys these days that are seen in their past.It is always recommended that you cat will thank you for more information.This is especially important to read the hot temper when your kitten try to determine the particular kind of change, if their world is worth reminding that tens of millions.Sometimes I removed her from the cat's sebaceous glands.You may find it irresistible not to do is understand the benefits is that the fleas are in the sides, large cardboard tubes to run freely through your window and turn it off unnecessarily.

Cat Pee Very Dark

A second reason is to use a litter tray can make your cat with a cat as have him declawed.In turn, they deserve our love and companionship.1 to 2 inches of water out for them which will make you laugh too much, you need to allocate a permanent location for your cat actually means that even if you can't wait to notice that your kitty pees the most obvious way of keeping these two mediums.You may want to play with kitty regularly.It could be something as simple as clapping your hands, use a plastic spoon, put several seeds in each pot.

A regular visit to your cat will still remain.Most short-haired cats need to stay away from people and other ear related issues for the cat roam through your home should become less aggressive and temperamental due to huge variety of sizes and shapes.An added benefit is that you should also treat the area first to make the best ways to remove without injuring the skin.It is important in ensuring optimum cat health.Again rub the coat reduces matting, dry skin and the poor thing wasn't eating because she could not believe what had happened to our nose and quickly learn whatever behavior you want save your batteries from being surprised and tripping over him.

#Cat Urine Under Carpet Prodigious Diy Ideas #Cat Pee Killer

1 note · View note

racefortheironthrone · 5 years

Text

Thoughts on Powers of X #4

Into the home stretch:

Good Times At Bar Sinister:

In retrospect, this may be the weakest issue of HoX/PoX and the closest that the miniseries come to a filler issue. Partly that’s to do with its role in the overall story: this is a denoument issue after the fireworks of the last two issues, and it’s also there to make sure that House of #5′s big reveal/undoing of the climax wasn’t literally the next week’s issue. On the other hand, it’s also probably the funniest issue in the miniseries, so I’d still call it a pretty good comic.

In this first segment, Magneto and Charles track down Mister Sinister on his ominous red crystal island, which continues the motif of ominous towers. When this is happening isn’t clear. We’re still in X^0, but Charles’ flying chair makes its first (only?) appearance suggests that it’s been a while. I really hope Powers of X #6 gives us a better Life 10 timeline, because some of these ordering questions are confusing.

The Guard Sinister sets the tone right off the bat - as we might expect from someone whose morality was shaped by Victorian England, Sinister is perfectly comfortable with being the “yes we have much” and telling the have nots to go away; but at the same time, being very into Aesthetics (note the first of many punctation for emphasis) and style, so that we’re not so much dealing with a guard as a club bouncer grading their outfits.

The clash with Xavier’s grey businessman’s suit and politesse and the vibe at Bar Sinister is immediately apparent, although Magneto’s similarly aggressive Aesthetic is clearly close enough to get them into the club even if Magneto wasn’t up for hurling Sinisters into rocks for being rude to his boyfriend who he kind of crippled although not in the 616 Charles.

Inside the club, the vibe is a weird blend of Edwardian-by-way-of-Lewis-Carroll and the fantasy medievalism of Melniboné. As we are introduced to Sinister the Capeless, I have to say that I find the version of Mister Sinister we get here really interesting, because what’s happening is a shift from glam to camp that’s been there from Kieron Gillen’s run and which has cropped up in Hickman’s earlier work. None of the Aesthetics have changed at all, it’s just that we’ve subtracted the self-seriousness that was sometimes there with the OG Sinister and added a sense of knowing humor to the whole affair. Doesn’t make it any less terrifying when Sinister the Capeless turns on a dime from “I. Love. That. Cape” to Red Queen murderousness - clearly we’re dealing with someone who is both highly powerful, highly intelligent, but also totally nonsensical.

Incidentally, as lines that would work great as t-shirt slogans go, “I can’t be shamed into changing who I am” has got to be up there. Also, very thematically appropriate for HoX/PoX as a whole.

At long last, Xavier and Magneto finally get to the reason why they’ve come to the Bar Sinister: they want Mister Sinister to build “a comprehensive database of mutant DNA” that is “safe. secure.redundant.” More than anything else, this feels like the (necessary?) evil of the founding of Krakoa. Other villainous mutants can be dealt with on the basis of ideology or self-interest or just dealt with, as we saw in House of X #6, but Mister Sinister is really the only one who has made himself indispensable to the broader mission.

However, this is all being done with the foreknowledge that Mister Sinister betrayed the mutant cause in Moira’s most recent life, so I don’t think this is being done out of typical Xavierian hubris.

The reaction is rather surprising: Capeless Sinister refuses out of aesthetic objections to the inclusion of “that aberrant gene” in his collection, which is not consistent with his previous characterization (although given the “they’re all crazy clones” thing, there’s an explanation right there), but is in keeping with Victorian eugenics. (I like Magneto’s very carefully worded lie about the future.)

And then finally we get the Mister Sinister we all know and love, complete with ribbon cape and everything, but him showing up blowing off another Sinister’s head with a handgun is weirdly jarring, like a sudden intrusion from some violent cartoon universe. On the other hand, “my mutant power is overthrowing tyrants and being absolutely fabulous” feels way more like the Sinister we know, and suggests that the hatchet is not buried with Apocalypse)

I like that Magneto is kind of into all of this, because for all that he can be Serious Business sometimes, he’s also someone who’s deeply into his own Aesthetic of overthrowing governments while being fashion-forward.

So here’s the thing about Xavier mind-controlling Sinister into forgetting why he’s doing all of this: I don’t think this is the whole of the plan to deal with Sinister’s sudden but inevitable betrayal. I think part of the point is to maintain quality control over the database, given the whole business with the deliberately-engineered quality control failures in LIfe 9. But I feel like Moira would insist on more redundancy than just relying on one psychic whammy sticking.

Red Diamond Blind Items Infographic:

Speaking of comedy...this definitely is the funniest infographic we’ve gotten throughout the series. A bunch of these went way over my head, lots of them ended up as dropped plot threads which we’ll have to wait for Dawn of X to see if they get followed up on, but they were all entertaining.

Sinister Secret #1: this one is kind of vague, and I’m 99% certain it’s just a gossip columnist being catty about shoes. Incidentally, Louis XIV loved red heels so much that he decreed no one other than him could wear them.

Sinister Secret #2: in addition to being a clue about the Resurrection Machine bringing back all kinds of dead mutants, I like how this one continues one of the best elements of Grant Morrison’s run - the idea that mutants start developing a distinct culture - but now with a twist that it’s going to be happening even more that Krakoa is giving that culture a safe space to flourish.

Sinister Secret #3: Especially what with all the hints about Inferno throughout HoX/PoX, this is definitely about Madelyn Pryor. Dunno what she left behind, but it could well be some sort of resurrection failsafe.

Sinister Secret #4: no idea what this refers to.

Revealed! Of all the X-genes out there for Sinister to use, why John Proudstar? It doesn’t fit with the powers he’s displayed in previous runs, and the only thing I could think of is that Proudstar is the first of the All-New X-Men to die (making it easier to get samples).

Sinister Secret #5: especially in the wake of House of X #6, this suggests that Scott and Jean are in a poly relationship/open marriage of some sort with Logan and/or Emma, and that the new mutant culture is developing its own values on sexuality and family structure, what with the First Law.

Sinister Secret #6: the HoXPoxToX on this issue gives the relevant citation, but I didn’t read the book so I don’t know which of the samples Ernst stole were supposedly destroyed.

Sinister Secret #7: this is a pretty clear reference to the whole messy continuity business about there being a third Summers brother, but also a nice hint that Sinister is completely full of shit and so these blind items have to be taken with a whole salt lick. (Incidentally, we’ve seen Vulkan showing up in promotional materials for Dawn of X, so that’s probably the Summers in question, which means we can finally stop talking about dumb theories about it being random male X-Men).

Sinister Secret #8: again with the pretender talk, but the real clue here is that Apocalypse’s major motivation is getting his original Horsemen back, which is significant for the next section.

Sinister Secret #9: especially with the reveal that Synch has been resurrected, this is pretty clearly referring to him and Jubilee, who are now at very different places in their lives post-resurrection.

Revealed! As I’ve talked about before, Inferno is a running theme in HoX/PoX, and to be honest, if the new status quo of X-Men is going to involve any nostalgia riffs, it’s a good choice because it hasn’t been over-done as much as Days of Future Past, and ties in well with issues of clones, demons, and Sinister.

Sinister Secret #10: as I suggested above, the fact that Xavier saw all kinds of Sinisters running around suggests that he wasn’t relying on that tactic alone to safeguard his mutant future.

Linguistic Anthropology with Doug Ramsey:

So let’s talk about pith helmets - on the one hand, this is a callback to Cassandra Nova, but it’s an inversion: where Nova donned the helmet to show a Trask the instrument of mutant genocide, Xavier is wearing it to show a mutant a crucial part of the plan to reverse the Genoshan genocide. On the other, it’s a deliberately colonialist fashion statement: namely, that as with earlier attempts at establishing a mutant nation - San Marco, Genosha, Utopia, etc. - the mutant homeland is not unoccupied land and mutants are thus not entirely innocent of this particular sin of nation-states, whatever Magneto might say. Not the first and last time that nationalist projects have made this mistake.

Charles talks a good game about moving from adversary to ally with the land, but as we’ll see in just a bit he doesn’t understand Krakoa as much as he thinks he does, which undercuts his good intentions.

Doug introduces the techno-organic virus to Krakoa,which is significant both for the whole issue of biological vs. mechanical transhumanism and singularity, the potential threat from the Phalanx in X^3, but also is a sign that introducing new species to a habitat (something that’s happened quite often in the history of settler colonialism) is an easy overlooked problem.

I love the idea that the difference between telepathy and hyperlingualism is the difference between pidgin and anthropological thick description. Xavier might be able to hear anyone’s thoughts, but that doesn’t necessarily means that he understands said thoughts.

By contrast, Doug’s greater understanding means that he learns Krakoa’s origin myth, and is thematically appropriate for this series it’s a story of unity and division. The linkage between demonic incursions and Arakko/No-Place suggests Inferno, even as the Twilight Sword points to Surtur and Walt Simonson’s run on Thor. The key thing here, however, is that Apocalypse is portrayed as a tragic hero, sacrificing his original horsemen to seal away the demonic invasion and dividing the land - as Apocalypse wants to bring the OG Horsemen back more than anything, this would suggest that seal will be rebroken, causing a lot of chaos, but ultimately leading to the reunion of a sundered land.

As a reward for his insight, Doug is one of the few people who learn the whole plan, which places his “hopey-changey” comments from the very first issue in a different light.

Current Krakoan Systems Infographic:

I’m going to be brief here, because we already saw these systems in action last issue.

Here, the first thing I want to emphasize is how crucial Doug is to the founding of Krakoa - every single other system relies on his interface system. At the same time, we also learn that Forge is running the Krakoan skunkworks system which creates the biomachinery that all of Krakoa will run on as well. In other words, one founder creates the software and one founder creates the hardware. It’s yet another example of the Krakoan emphasis on accomplishing greater things through cooperation and creativity (and how very much this is a story about nationalism and not cults of personality).

We Hope for Ascension:

I gotta say, I’m with a lot of other people who don’t get why this particular X^3 plot was chosen. It’s harder to grasp and the characters don’t have anywhere as near as much to connect with as X^2. That being said, I have some guesses, which will probably all be proven wrong tomorrow!

As I discussed the last time we saw the post-humans, the difference between conversion and ascension are much less clear than they first appeared...unless (unless...) we’re talking about the whole issue of the philosophy of identity. As the Elder points out, if your culture already has the idea of a self and a seer-self who’s already uploaded into a machine, are you really dying if your body dies? As I’ll get into way more in House of X #5, the argument that the post-resurrection mutants are clones and not the “real McCoys” rests on a particularly strong case of continuity of consciousness that I don’t think holds up to scrutiny.

At the same time, I do think we see here some signs of cultural weakness among the post-humans: they can’t tolerate the idea of being just short of the next step of consciousness/intelligence and are willing to do anything to achieve the goal of achieving the next schematic stage in machine consciousness development, because “isn’t that what’s next.” Except the problem is that it’s a rigged game - there’s always another level, always another Phalanx using you as a Technarch patsy, and it’s not clear from the outset whether these higher stages are all they’re cracked up to be.

Incidentally, I totally misinterpreted what happened here. Initially, I thought that the “seer-self”/recognition sequence thing suggested a way around losing “ sovereignty “ by introducing a memetic virus, given the way that the Phalanx undergo a sudden physical transformation. This doesn’t seem to be the case based on Powers of X #5.

How are the Phalanx not an empire? All they do is expand, consume resources, and either wipe out or “elevate” other cultures on the basis of their own ideas of cultural worthiness. That is the very definition of imperialism!

And here we see the bedrock incompatibility of biological and mechanical transhumanism/singularity.

#xmen #xmen meta #powers of x #hoxpox

10 notes · View notes

seirioscanis · 4 years

Text

{ low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline }

𝖖 𝖚 𝖔 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” -- Albert Camus

“We are unusual, tragic, and alive.” -- Dave Eggers

“I have a very childlike rage, and a very childlike loneliness.” -- Richey Edwards

“’Are you implying that shreds of my reputation remain intact?’ Will demanded with mock horror. ‘Clearly I have been doing something wrong. Or not something wrong, as the case may be.’ He banged on the side of the carriage. ‘Thomas! We must away at once to the nearest brothel. I seek scandal and low companionship.’” -- Will Herondale, Clockwork Angel

“Many atrocities have been done in the name of the greater good.” -- Rhysand, A Court of Mist and Fury

𝖇 𝖆 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈

NAME: Sirius Orion Black NICKNAMES: Padfoot, Pads AGE: 20 BIRTHDAY: 3 November 1959 GENDER: Demiboy, not that he has the word for that PRONOUNS: he/they

𝖋 𝖆 𝖒 𝖎 𝖑 𝖞

MOTHER: Walburga Black ( 55 ) FATHER: Orion Black ( 51, deceased ) SIBLINGS: Regulus Arcturus Black ( 18, deceased )

𝖕 𝖍 𝖞 𝖘 𝖎 𝖈 𝖆 𝖑 𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖇𝖚𝖙𝖊𝖘

FACE CLAIM: Samuel Larsen BUILD: Slim and muscular HAIR: Shoulder length and thick, normally kept in a bun HAIR COLOR: Black EYE COLOR: Brown SKIN COLOR: Pale DOMINANT HAND: Right handed, teaching himself slowly to write with his left as well for the hell of it (note: the handwriting is still awful). ANOMALIES: a scar on his upper right lip, ironically a small cluster of star-shaped birthmarks on his left hip (which he hates), a few old cigarette burns on his knees SCENT: leather, old spice, barber shop hair gel, cigarette smoke, motor oil ACCENT: British ALLERGIES: slightly lactose intolerant DISORDERS: Major depression, generalized anxiety, PTSD due to childhood trauma FASHION: Punk rock baby, though probably a bit out of date compared to what muggles are wearing now. He took what he could get during school, and now there’s not enough time in the day to work, be in the Order, and go shopping. NERVOUS TICS: His body becomes more tense, and his eyes dart around the room to search for an exit (or several if possible). He also subconsciously takes a step back from whatever is making him nervous, occasionally messes with his hair to try and act casual (though he does that when he’s bored as well, so it has to be seen with one of the others to be considered a sign of his nerves). If he’s particularly high strung, he’ll lose his nerve completely and lash out, no matter if it’s good or bad for the situation at hand. QUIRKS: Like mentioned above, he messes with his hair a lot when he’s bored, usually pulling it out of its hair tie if up and vice versa if down. He paces when plotting, and purses his lips when he’s thinking considerably. When he’s particularly happy he’ll do a little jump, and he appears to be vibrating a little even afterward. When uncomfortable he’ll try to push that feeling off with either an argument or joke, again no matter whether one of those choices is the wisest at the time.

𝖑 𝖎 𝖋 𝖊 𝖘 𝖙 𝖞 𝖑 𝖊

RESIDES: Plainview Points Apartments BORN: St. Mungo’s Hospital RAISED: Grimmauld Place, London PETS: n/a

CAREER: Auror-in-Training EXPERIENCE: He was part of the Hogwarts dueling club for two years before being kicked out for unfair sportsmanship. He also got a considerate amount of training in magic from an early age thanks to his family, and his mother in particular taught him a bit of dark magic--or tried to. Not that he would use the dark magic, but if push came to shove... he has a few tricks up his sleeve (or, at the very least, the theory behind some of the darker magics). EMPLOYER: Ministry of Magic

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Order of the Phoenix BELIEFS: Sirius, without a shadow of a doubt, believes that muggleborns and halfbloods deserve to be equal to purebloods. It took him years to believe he was allowed to have that thought process, but he grabbed onto it once he did. Despite the years of unlearning what his family tried to instill in him, it wasn’t all successful. He does still have a superiority complex, and most definitely thinks himself above squibs, muggles, house elves, and so on. It takes more effort for him to respect their opinions as equal to his own, and though he knows that’s wrong, it’s taking a lot longer than he’d like to unlearn that--if he ever can. MISDEMEANORS: Illegal animagus, chase down with James on Elvendork, driving underage on an unregistered motorcycle, his entire list of detentions at Hogwarts FELONIES: Nothing officially on record, so really he’s as innocent as it gets DRUGS: n/a SMOKES: Way too much to be healthy for his lungs ALCOHOL: Not nearly as bad as his smoking habit DIET: Generally unhealthy because he can’t be bothered to cook

LANGUAGES: English, Latin, Spanish, Italian, French, some German

PHOBIAS: Extremely loud noises, snakes, thunderstorms HOBBIES: Causing general mischief, reading what he can get his hands on, doodling (albeit a bit crudely) TRAITS: { + }: loyal, intelligent, observant, quick-witted, sociable { - }: angry, impulsive, insensitive, defiant, pessimistic

𝖋 𝖆 𝖛 𝖔 𝖗 𝖎 𝖙 𝖊 𝖘

LOCATION: Potter Estate, Prewett Household, Hogwarts SPORTS TEAM: Tutshill Tornadoes GAME: Wizard’s Chess MUSIC: Punk Rock, Celestina Warbeck (not that he’d tell a soul) MOVIES: Has hardly seen any, but is fond of action movies FOOD: Thai BEVERAGE: Whiskey or iced tea COLOR: Dark green

𝖒 𝖆 𝖌 𝖎 𝖈

ALUMNI HOUSE: Gryffindor WAND (length, flexibility, wood, & core): 8 3/4 inches, slightly bendy, yew, rougarou hair core AMORTENTIA: honeysuckles, vanilla, cigarette smoke PATRONUS: Dog BOGGART: His parents standing over him shouting; recently with Regulus by their side asking why he had to die

𝖈 𝖍 𝖆 𝖗 𝖆 𝖈 𝖙 𝖊 𝖗

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good MBTI: ESTP-T MBTI ROLE: The Entrepreneur

“ ESTPs are energetic thrillseekers who are at their best when putting out fires, whether literal or metaphorical. They bring a sense of dynamic energy to their interactions with others and the world around them. They assess situations quickly and move adeptly to respond to immediate problems with practical solutions. Active and playful, ESTPs are often the life of the party and have a good sense of humor. They use their keen powers of observation to assess their audience and adapt quickly to keep interactions exciting. Although they typically appear very social, they are rarely sensitive; the ESTP prefers to keep things fast-paced and silly rather than emotional or serious. “

ENNEAGRAM: Type 8 ENNEAGRAM ROLE: The Challenger

” People of this personality type are essentially unwilling to be controlled, either by others or by their circumstances; they fully intend to be masters of their fate. Eights are strong willed, decisive, practical, tough minded and energetic. They also tend to be domineering; their unwillingness to be controlled by others frequently manifests in the need to control others instead. When healthy, this tendency is kept under check, but the tendency is always there, nevertheless, and can assume a central role in the Eight's interpersonal relationships. ”

TEMPERAMENT: Choleric

“ The choleric temperament is fundamentally ambitious and leader-like. They have a lot of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were choleric. They like to be in charge of everything. However, cholerics also tend to be either highly disorganized or highly organized. They do not have in-between setups, only one extreme to another. As well as being leader-like and assertive, cholerics also fall into deep and sudden depression. Essentially, they are very much prone to mood swings. “

WESTERN ZODIAC: Scorpio

“ Passionate, independent, and unafraid to blaze their own trail no matter what others think, Scorpios make a statement wherever they go. They love debates, aren't afraid of controversy, and won't back down from a debate. They also hate people who aren't genuine, and are all about being authentic—even if authentic isn't pretty. Because of all of these traits, a Scorpio can seem intimidating and somewhat closed off to those who don't know them well. But what people don't realize is that even though Scorpio may seem brusque, as a water sign, they also are very in tune with their emotions, and sometimes may find themselves caught up in their feelings. This leads to Scorpio's central conflict: Their feelings are what drives them and strengthens them, but their mutability can scare them and make them feel vulnerable and out of control. Because of this conflict, Scorpios, like their namesake, the scorpion, put up an outer shell and may seem prickly. But once people get beyond the shell, they find a loyal, loving person whose passion knows no bounds. Scorpio dives into all life has to offer with 110% enthusiasm. A Scorpio will be your most loyal friend, most dedicated employee—and your worst enemy, if they want to be. “

CHINESE ZODIAC: Year of the Pig

“ Pig is mild and a lucky animal representing carefree fun, good fortune and wealth. Personality traits of the people born under the sign of the Pig are happy, easygoing, honest, trusting, educated, sincere and brave. The possible dark sides the Pig people are stubbornness, naive, over-reliant, self-indulgent, easy to anger and materialistic. They are sometimes regarded as being lazy. “

PRIMAL SIGN: Squid

“ Squids are powerful personalities that can only be ‘checked and balanced’ by themselves. They are highly capable, intelligent individuals who seem to know everything. Generally good natured, they also have a hidden inner dark side which resides deep within themselves. No one is allowed into this secret place, often not even themselves. Squids will even try to bury painful truths within themselves in order to avoid dealing with difficult emotions and situations. “

TAROT CARD: Justice, High Priestess

“ Justice and The High Priestess have in common that everything is accounted for. Justice examines everything for flaws in order to find its flawless essence. The High Priestess knows the secret of everything as it is in order to encompass everything. Justice demands of everything its true nature and essence, with nothing concealed, withheld or distorted. It tirelessly weighs and measures, satisfied with nothing less than the clear, the absolute, and the irreduceable in everything. Justice is adamant and uncompromising with its sword and scales, loud and clear in its redness, fearless and certain on its throne, guarding the entrance to the temple of the secrets of perfection. The High Priestess finds what is the same in everything, the secret unifying core hidden in the endless variation of detail. She patiently discovers in all differences what is true, original and undisturbed in everything. The High Priestess is accepting and inclusive with her scroll and cross, calm and quiet in her blueness, fearless and certain on her throne, guarding the entrance to the temple of final knowledge. Unintegrated and imperfectly realized, Justice can be given to rage and haste; it can become arrogant and hypercritical, aggrieved and vengeful, or uncertain and vacillating. The High Priestess can be a conceited know-it-all, moody and taciturn, secret and unapproachable; she can be despairing and lost, or given to excess and careless of consequences. Together, they dream of the perfect, the ultimate, and pursue it in more than one kind of undertaking. They continuously seek the truth, and in its service they are drawn to esoteric studies and unusual paths. “

TV TROPES: White Sheep, Jerk with a Heart of Gold, In the Blood, Hot-blooded, Good is Not Nice, Cultural Rebel, Badass Biker SONGS: Gasoline, Halsey; The Future Freaks Me Out, Motion City Soundtrack; This is the End (For You My Friend), Anti-Flag; Hate Conquers All, Anti-Flag; Downtempo, Scouting for Girls;

IDEOLOGIES: - Actively cuts out everyone who was part of his childhood unless they’ve somehow proven they can be trusted again; he avoids his family at all costs. - The day he found out he was lactose intolerant, however mild, was a mournful day. He sulked about Hogwarts for about a week. - Legitimately tried to swim to the bottom of the Black Lake and see the giant squid. Never succeeded. - If you bring peanut butter anywhere near him he will chuck it across the room. He hates it. - Genuinely enjoys being a dog more than a human sometimes. Yes, he’s aware of the irony. - The only people allowed to make puns off of his name are James, Peter, Remus, Lily, and Marlene. He’ll get annoyed at anyone else who tries (also wise to avoid using the word serious around him for the above reason). - Keeps telling himself he’ll quit smoking someday. The likelihood of that actually happening is about slim to none, RIP to Sirius’ lungs.

#you don't have to be who they say you need to be -- { about }#dulcetask

6 notes · View notes

glassmenagerieofmusesarc · 5 years

Text

Book vs. Movie

Oh well some people want me to explain my IT muses canon. I guess I will go most to least book canon. This is likely to get long so there will be a cut also this is in no way intended to make people who haven’t read feel lesser, it’s just how I personally balance the various versions in my own writing:

Bill: Bill is pretty exclusively book canon for me. I don’t really like what the movie did with Georgie just being missing--it really changes the dynamic with him and his friends. They also seem to be pushing for him to be more of an artist than a writer and I’m not a fan of that... I also don’t like that in the movie the group turns against him. I get that it was meant to be thematic like “Pennywise is getting to them” but it goes against one of the most fundamental themes in the book--the Losers LOVE each other! In the book they all trust Bill implicitly all the time and he’s de facto leader not because he lost his brother and is the one who is obsessed with IT but because he brings everyone together and watches out for all the others. It is literally canon that all of the Losers had a crush on him at some point... When I write him with people who follow movie canon, I will accept if they want their characters to be mad because I can’t control them but Bill’s brother was dead. There was a body with no arm and a funeral and his parents just forgot he existed. All of that is so important to making him a sympathetic character. I won’t accept anything besides that tbh.

Stan: Stan is largely book canon as well. I don’t care about the painting scene even though it is a good/interesting representation of his inner fears. I prefer the Stand Pipe for reasons that would need to be its own post/rant/novel. With that said... Wyatt does an excellent job with his body language and behaviors in the film. I think he does the closest job to portraying the novel’s version of the character. The small things like him leaving his bike stand up or cleaning the window at Bev’s in a perfect pattern ugh... he’s so good. I do wish they had brought up his birds but I recognize that when you cut the most important scene in the book (bitter much here) you also lose the significance of prioritizing that hobby. Although I do have Stan more aware of being Jewish and what it means than the book often implies, we’re just gonna ignore this idea he’s the most Jewish boy in school with a Rabbi for a dad because--no. Don’t. I have the strongest feelings about this mix of book/film canon because Stan is honestly the most important to me (and yet who hasn’t written him in weeks????)

Mike Hanlon: I mostly changed things from book canon for Mike based on historical specificity. I like the updated timeline aspect and am more comfortable writing in an 80s-00s social climate so I’ve adopted some of the film changes like him being home schooled. I think it’s important to explain his personality as the more timid and withdrawn in a social climate that is less aggressively racist (not that the 80s was perfect or that much better but segregation was over in most places). With that said, you can drag Will Hanlon from my cold dead hands. His family is so good in the book, especially his dad. Whatever they were attempting in the movie was a half-baked failure. Additionally, his experience in the Kitchener Iron Works is super important to both the plot and him personally so that stays. I also will not downplay the amount of research he did... everything Ben so easily pulled out of the library out of boredom took him FOUR YEARS to collect as a set of Oral Histories from all across Derry. I think it’s horrible the movie took that away from him... He is amazing and dedicated and THE researcher, thanks.

Richie Tozier: Richie is the character closest to the film canon for me for a few good reasons and a few not so good reasons. We’ll start with the not so good reasons. One, I’m not good at writing younger Richie in book canon at all. It took reading through adult Richie for me to connect with him as a character and I still prefer to write adult Richie generally. I get him, I can imitate him. I am less good at knowing the amount of intensity for younger Richie at any given moment. Two, the jokes he makes in the movies are easier to write so I fall back on some of the cheaper laughs (dick and fart type stuff) sometimes because I am not a comedian and I am lazy and not clever.

So ... those are the bad reasons... I do have good reasons that partially balance out my laziness. One, book Richie’s comedy is SOOO painfully outdated. I have my Richie do voices sometimes but I try to steer clear of those that are culturally insensitive (which is more than half of them) and I tend towards more pop culture reference voices much like it seems they will in Chapter 2 based on the Jade of the Orient scene. Even his cheesier one-off jokes are just groan worthy now-a-days so I see little wrong with tending towards more crude modern takes. Two, one of my BIG problems with the movie’s portrayal of Richie’s sense of humor is how cruel it is. He puts other people down and that’s just... not what he would ever do. SO he is also more self-deprecating in my canon to balance that out. Richie is annoying for sure but not an asshole. Eddie is the only person I would ever have him personally pick at that way and only because of his crush.

The other big difference for me from film “canon” (although it’s just from interviews and shit?!?!) is the idea that Richie’s family is neglectful or abusive in some way. I like his family SOOOO much in the book. It’s like a fucking episode of Leave it to Beaver there. I think his parents are great and that that stability is also why he’s the one most immune to believing in the strangeness for quite a while (This is also a big difference from the film--he is not afraid of clowns, really nothing in particular and also steadfastly believes that none of what happened is real). So my Richie will always be confused if someone is like but you’re afraid of clowns... no more than anything else really. He’s a loyal, brashly brave child and I love him for that. My favorite book scene is when he is the only one who stays after Bill gets emotional about Georgie and he does his best in his own haphazard way to comfort him. That’s the core of the character right there.

#m; bill denbrough #m; stanley uris #m; mike hanlon #m; richie tozier

5 notes · View notes

jaybirbmoved · 5 years

Text

Do Not Reblog

So after a lot of consideration, I’ve decided that Jason suffering from a Traumatic Brain Injury is going to become part of my blog canon. This is only going to apply to my main verse, and other verses where he died after being beaten by the Joker via use of a crowbar. There’s some canon evidence to support this decision, as evidenced at the end of Under The Hood and in Red Hood: The Lost Days by Judd Winnick.

More under the cut, so I’m not clogging up the dash.

In Under The Hood, Jason was said to have been dead for roughly six months before “fate” (aka Superboy-Prime punching reality) decided to set things right, as he was “never supposed to die.” He woke up, panicked because he was in a coffin and dug his way out, then apparently walked for 12.5 miles in the rain and dark with all of his injuries - as he wasn’t ‘healed’ upon waking up, so he had whatever he was suffering from before he died in the explosion, which according to the panel below included a cracked skull causing bleeding into the brain, a shattered sternum, flash burns and at least forty other fractures.

Although severely wounded the cops indicate he was awake and talking to them only to “go under” and presumably they didn’t think he was going to wake up after surgery because of the extent of his injuries. After slipping into a coma Jason was moved to a facility that cared for patients with minimal brain function. It states that he was now in a chronic vegetative state. So, not comatose, not healed, still unconscious and unresponsive, but not brain dead either. They go on to explain that it was his survival instincts that caused him to wake up even though his body shouldn’t have allowed him to.

Now, since you can’t be in a PVS (Persistent Vegetative State) and conscious at the same time, and they made sure to specify that a year had passed by the time he woke up (it takes only a few months to be declared PVS without brain trauma and at least 1 year with trauma), it seems likely that he went from being comatose, to vegetative, to finally a minimally conscious state.

According to multiple sources, people in a MCS, while not completely functional/aware, do retain some understanding of their conscious surroundings. There is enough to prove that this is distinctly different than people who are comatose or in PVS, as they are not conscious or aware of anything at all, even with stimulation. Jason woke up from a vegetative state and walked out of the hospital, surviving for more than a year on the streets while relying on his old instincts and what Batman taught him. He knew when he was cold, hungry, etc., and he also knew what to do to fix these problems.

Yet, despite his survival skills, he doesn’t attempt to seek out Bruce, and he doesn’t speak even once (that we’re shown) between the time he slipped into a coma and when Talia pushes him into the Lazarus Pit. Either he doesn’t have enough awareness to remember his death/what happened to him, or he does but doesn’t have the ability to make decisions beyond survival reflexes. I have a theory, due to the two above panels and the term jog a memory, that Jason didn’t try to find Bruce despite being in Gotham because he didn’t remember him until he was put in danger. Think about it. He woke up in an unfamiliar place, in no physical pain, wandered outside…

What was Jason doing before he met Bruce at age 12? He was living on the streets! Stealing to survive! So he went back to doing that. Whether he was aware something was wrong with him during this time is debatable, but it seems doubtful.

It’s more likely that the familiar environment of the alley and being subjected to pain (especially since that would have been the last thing he remembered before his death) just provoked a similar response that he would have had while being attacked as Robin.

Don’t ask me why an alcoholic, homeless former criminal knew someone that was friends with Talia Al Ghul. They never explain.

Back to the point; aside from his survival skills Jason seemed unable to actually function in his condition. Talia knew it, as did Ra’s, and so did the doctors they hired. In the following final panels from Under The Hood, Ra’s admits that Jason could be useful one day but decides that after a year of trying to get Jason to respond enough to tell them how he came back to life, he’s unlikely to ever speak or…emote, ever again.

Despite multiple people insisting that Jason will never recover mentally, despite physically being at peak health and having the conditioning of an Olympic athlete, they all claim that his brain damage is too severe and that naturally he could never regain any form of awareness again. Talia disputes this, and she seems correct, to a degree.

Though he lashes out when provoked through pain, he never fights back when it’s her, something she’s quick to point out. This indicates he has enough awareness that he realizes this is a person trying to help him. Someone that cares.

Supposedly, people in a minimally conscious state can exhibit emotional reactions to specific stimuli, such as smiling or crying. When Talia begins talking to Jason about Bruce, about how he misses Jason and has been grieving and suffering since his death, Jason doesn’t verbally respond in anyway, but he cries. Talia seems to understand that he does hear her, even though he can’t respond, which means he does remember Bruce, and he misses him too.

After being exposed to a Lazarus Pit, Jason regains all of his memories, his ability to speak, and consciousness of his surroundings as well as the other abilities he had before his death. However, due to the fact that his brain had several years time to heal before his exposure, and it was still developing at the time to boot (meaning he’s arguably mentally younger than he’s supposed to be, thinking like a 15 year old as opposed to a 19-20 year old), I find it likely that aside from “waking” him up, so to speak, it did little else. Although he has recovered enough to live the “normal” life of your typical gun-totting vigilante, Jason does still suffer from the side effects of the severe brain damage that Joker inflicted on him.

This includes cognitive problems that give him learning disorder like symptoms, such as Dyslexia, and difficulty reading fine print/fancy script especially. Early on he had a lot of trouble with some of his fine and gross motor skills, having to relearn many of them. There’s also neurobehavioral problems, which are described as behavioral problems attributed to specific aspects of a brain injury. Individuals may develop difficulty with self-control, impulse control, frustration, anger and aggression issues, and behaving with inappropriate ways socially. Physical therapy/training, something Jason participates in frequently because of his lifestyle, can help repair muscle and neuromotor skills. While he is frustrated frequently due to the limitations he suffers from, it’s not enough that it actually prevents him from doing most things.

It’s mostly mental deficits that impede his day to day life. TBIs can cause emotional, social, or behavioral problems and changes in personality. Jason in particular is emotionally unstable and suffers from depression (occasionally to the point of being self destructive and at times suicidal) and anxiety that are linked to his trauma, social withdrawal, inability to control his anger… he has insomnia and goes through bipolar-like mania not unrelated to his PTSD, and his psychosis can be triggered by unexpected things (such as the video will Bruce left him after he supposedly died, an example of by far one of his worst mental breakdowns).

#Character Study {Meta}#Spilled Ink {Headcanon}#Traumatic Brain Injury //#Brain Damage //

7 notes · View notes

soldier306 · 5 years

Text

Headcanon: Loomed over the limit issues

I've been meaning to elaborate on the ""issues"" this muse has due to over looming. I've explained a bit in other headcanons but this headcanon is going to really dive into it. OKAY, first off, I need to give some information in case people are unaware of it.

This muse's species Gallifreyan. His race is a War Loomer. LOOMS ARE DEVICES USED BY TIME LORDS TO PERPETUATE THEIR RACE IN THE WAKE OF THE PYTHIA’S CURSE. UNABLE TO PROCREATE SEXUALLY, THE TIME LORDS HAD TO RELY ON THE RASSILON-INVENTED DEVICES TO “WEAVE” NEW LIFE FROM GENETIC MATERIAL.War looms are looms used to mass produce genetically engineered soldiers for war. War loomers are the product of those looms.

On the mother planet(Original gallifrey) war looms CLOGGED THE ATMOSPHERE WITH BIODATA SOOT. They produced soldiers all day and night. Because of this incident when the founders created the war looms on New Gallifrey they were machines designed to only loom 100 war loomers. After that, the machines needed 16 hours to recharge. If the Machine is used beyond the 100 limit loomers came out with defects ranging from physical mutations to mental instabilities.

An entire headcanon on War Loomers can be found here

With that out of the way, it’s time to dive into the issues this muse has due to being one of 6 over loomed passed the 100 loom limit!

Mental

There are several parts of the brain that are altered or stunted compared to the average Gallifreyan or human. These parts include the cerebral cortex, the limbic system, the hypothalamus, the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the orbitofrontal cortex.

The cerebral cortex is involved in several functions of the body including:

Determining Intelligence

Determining Personality

Motor Function

Planning and Organization

Touch Sensation

Processing Sensory Information

Language Processing

This part of the brain has been genetically altered for the sake of war. The parts of the cerebral cortex that determine personality is almost non-existent. Intelligence is severely stunted as well; limited to only the amount needed to fight a war. Other parts are enhanced or altered but are not important to this particular headcanon. This muse's brain has a rather normal gallifreyan range for personality. It is considered a dysfunction for his race but it normal for a gallifreyan. He also has a rather normal ability for intelligence for a gallifreyan. Although, again, is considered a dysfunction for a war loomer.

The limbic system is located beneath the cerebral cortex. This system is the center for emotional thinking. The Limbic cortex contains two structures, the cingulate gyrus and the parahippocampal gyrus. Together, they impact mood, motivation, and judgment .response is generated by stimulation of the amygdala, followed by the hypothalamus.

In war loomers, their limbic system is almost non-existent. They do not have any ability to think emotionally. They do not have moods. Their motivation is limited to what they are ordered to do. They do not judge responses but rather operate robotically. In this muse, his limbic system is more present. It is even larger than the average Gallifreyan. The average gallifreyan has evolved in order to think logically rather than emotionally. The closest species with a limbic system like this muse would be a human.

The amygdalas are two almond-shaped masses of neurons on either side of the thalamus at the lower end of the hippocampus. When it is stimulated electrically, someone responds with aggression. And if the amygdala is removed, they get very tame and no longer respond to things that would have caused rage before. The amygdalas are far more sensitive and advanced than humans and other gallifreyans. They have been “programmed” to be aggressive and angry. This muse’s amygdalas falls in line more with the average war loomer, although he does have the ability to control his aggression. The amygdala also helps coordinate responses to things in your environment, especially those that trigger an emotional response. This structure plays an important role in fear. This is completely done away with in a war loomer. They do not have the ability to understand or succumb to fear. This muse, however, does have that ability.

the amygdala stimulates the hypothalamus, which initiates the fight-or-flight response. The hypothalamus sends signals to the adrenal glands to produce hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The hypothalamus regulates hunger, thirst, and anger in the body, among others. The fight-or-flight response is nearly non-existent in a war loomer. They do not need it in order to fight in a war. The only parts of it that are activated is the ability to produce certain hormones in order to respond accordingly. Again, this muse does have a typical fight-or-flight response seen in other gallifreyans and humans.

In addition to controlling emotional responses, the hypothalamus is also involved in sexual responses, hormone release, and regulating body temperature. An average war loomer is emotionless unlike this muse but also the average war loomer has no sexual response at all. This muse has a very high sex drive, although he is capable of suppressing it.

The prefrontal cortex's executive functions focus on controlling short-sighted, reflexive behaviors to take part in things like planning, decision-making, problem-solving, self-control, and acting with long-term goals in mind. They are higher-level cognitive processes that people tend to display greater proficiency in than other animals. This is something that has been entirely enhanced. A war loomers control and regulation of actions are above most species. While this muse is a good at problem-solving and decision-making, his self-control is far lower than his war loomer counterparts. He is emotionally impulsive.

The Orbitofrontal cortex has a major role in forming social attachments. This region can be thought of like a convergence zone for sensory and emotional information, effectively integrating external and internal worlds. Social information is processed and used to guide someone in their perceptions and interactions, and the OFC plays an important role in the interpretation of these complex social interactions, including, for example, the ability to understand a joke. The OFC may help us predict the reactions of others and modulate our behavior accordingly. In a typical war loomer this region is severely stunted to other gallifreyans. They do not have much of an ability to function in social sitatuons and do not get socially attached. This muse, however, has a higher functioning Orbitofrontal cortex.

Sleeping

The ventrolateral preoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus is one area of the brain that is particularly involved in the switch between wakefulness and sleep. Neurons in this small area help to promote sleep by inhibiting activity in areas of the brainstem that maintain wakefulness. In general, when the alerting areas of the brain are most active, they send arousal signals to the cerebral cortex, while at the same time inhibiting activity in other areas of the brain that are responsible for promoting sleep, resulting in a period of stable wakefulness. When the sleep-promoting areas of the brain are most active, on the other hand, they inhibit activity in areas of the brain responsible for promoting wakefulness, resulting in a period of stable sleep.

Most Gallifreyans' brains stay in a hyper sensitive period of alertness. Their bodies/brains do not need much sleep in order to function. An hour a day is more than enough. They can go up to 100 years without sleep and have no ill affects by it. However, this muse's brain needs a longer period of sleep in order to function properly. In order for him to function at full capacity he needs at least eight hours of sleep a night. He can function on less than that but lack of sleep over time is damaging. This is due to the fact that parts of his brain are 'damaged' or malformed for a gallifreyan.

If a scan of his brain, a gallifreyan's brain, a war loomer's brain, and a human's brain were all showed side by side, this muse's brain would be unique to all. At the same time, to the untrained eye parts of his beain would mimic parts of the other three scans. He does have three lobes like all gallifreyans do but it is the parts of his entire brain that are unique.

Congenital heart defect

This muse carries Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome in his genetics due to mutations in his genetics from over looming. It is on his third strand of DNA that all Gallifreyans have unlike humans that only have two strand DNA. It should be noted that Gallifreyans(including war loomers) have two hearts.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a complex and rare heart defect present at birth (congenital). The left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. The left side of the heart can't effectively pump blood to the body. Instead, the right side of the heart must pump blood to the lungs and to the rest of the body. The mitral and aortic valves are either completely "atretic" (closed), or they are very small. The left ventricle itself is tiny, and the first part of the aorta is very small, often only a few millimeters in diameter. This results in a situation where the left side of the heart is completely unable to support the circulation needed by the body's organs, though the right side of the heart (the side that delivers blood to the lungs) is typically normally developed.

Blood returning from the lungs to the left atrium must pass through an atrial septal defect (ASD) to the right side of the heart. The right ventricle must then do a "double duty" of pumping blood both to the lungs (via the pulmonary artery) and out to the body (via a patent ductus arteriosus). The patent ductus arteriosus, a normal structure in the fetus, is often the only pathway through which blood can reach the body from the heart. When the ductus arteriosus begins to close, as it typically does in the first days of life, the blood flow to the body will severely diminish, resulting in dangerously low blood flow to vital organs, leading to shock and death.

This defect can present itself in both hearts or merely one of them. Sometimes one or both heart(s) is completely malformed beyond just the left side. As of right now, this muse doesn't personally have the defect. If he regenerates he stands the risk of getting it. He has, however, passed on this defect to all of his children so far. The only surviving child he has that was born with the defect on one of their hearts is his son Narlan. Narlan underwent surgery after he was born but will need more as he ages. He will eventually need a heart transplant to function normally unless he regenerates with two healthy hearts.

Height and body type

Although this muse is muscular, he isn't nearly as burly as the average war loomer. He can also retain more weight if he eats inproperly unlike the average war loomer that has low body fat regardless of what they eat. This does put him at a disadvantage when going up against a 'healthy' war loomer. However, he is far stronger than other gallifreyan races and most species in the universe.

His height is also extremely stunted. He stand at only 5′10″( 178 cm). The average war loomer is six feet plus, most being 6'5" ( 195.58 cm) but some stand much taller. This has in the past put him at a disadvantage on the battlefield but he has learned to use his brain in situations that his height has limited him.

#headcanon

4 notes · View notes

brandxspandex · 5 years

Note

Starscream is a Fire Monkey (zodiac) and Windblade is a Wood Rat (zodiac)

Fire Monkey

The Monkey is lively, likable and witty. Highly sociable, the Monkey is talkative and, as a fascinating conversationalist, he attracts a wide circle of friends. People born under this influence have an innately low boredom threshold. Inquisitive in the extreme and forever believing that the grass is greener elsewhere, they need to find continual stimulation to keep themselves interested and amused. However, often Monkeys are too clever for their own good and can be mettlesome, opportunistic, and unscrupulous to the point of being tricky and manipulative. This is because Monkey types possess acute psychological perspicacity which enables them to read people like books. In particular, women under the Monkey influence can play rather subtle games with members of the opposite sex. And although Monkeys give the impression of getting on fabulously with everybody, this great rapport is often nothing but a ruse -- Monkeys are in fact egotistical and selfish. They tend to be lazy, concentrating on small matters while ignoring more important issues. They ignore obstacles, finding them beneath their consideration.

Playful, even obliging at times, the Monkey hides the poor opinion he has of others beneath his apparent friendliness. He distrusts people born under any other sign and considers himself to be superior to all of them. He has plenty of intelligence and a fantastic ability to pull the wool over people's eyes. He is so artful that he can even fool the Dragon -- who is strong, stubborn, and no fool himself -- and resist the magnetism of the Tiger, whom he teases unmercifully.

Monkeys are highly adaptable and versatile. Enthusiastic about everything, they spend their time broadening their minds and are especially fascinated with art. They like refinement, originality and luxury. Inventive and intelligent, those born in these years can solve most problems quickly and skillfully, and are able to accomplish much in business. Monkeys shamelessly acknowledge their attraction to money. They quickly assimilate facts and figures, picking up new skills and techniques almost instantaneously. In business it is their opportunism coupled with their keen competitive instinct that gives them an eye for that tiny opening into which only Monkeys can insinuate themselves. Once they have instilled themselves, it is their ability to turn their hands to anything that will bring them ultimate success and, in many cases, even make their fortune.

The Monkey can succeed in any profession. Politics, diplomacy, industry, trade -- none of them will have any secrets from him. He can try anything and anything will work, especially if he has been fortunate enough to have a higher education. Though the renowned adaptability of the Monkey personality takes those born under this sign into a variety of occupations, many will naturally gravitate towards show business. This is because Monkey-born people have a compelling need to be noticed. Unfortunately, because they are such audacious people and care very little about their reputations, it does not matter much to them whether the impression they create is one of pleasure or of shock. It is simply a case of the more publicity they can generate around themselves, the happier they are.

The first part of the Monkey's life will be happy. The second will be upset and confused and his plans will often miscarry. Once attaining a ripe old age, the Monkey will increasingly enjoy a simple, everyday life.

Under the influence of the Fire element, he is energetic, self-assured, expressive and truthful, a natural leader and innovator. He has great vitality and a tendency to dominate those less aggressive than himself. He has a powerful competitive drive to be at the top of his chosen field and capable of extreme jealousy, preferring, even demanding, to be in complete control.

Wood Rat

The Chinese astrological cycle begins with the year of the Rat; consequently those born within this category like to be first, pioneers, at the forefront of the action. Because of this, they tend to see themselves as a cut above the others. Restless and inquisitive, they are are active, both physically and mentally, tending to lead busy lives. Challenge is essential to them for they love the thrill of living dangerously. With clairvoyance, intuition, perspicacity and an eye for detail, they are formidable problem solvers, finding workable solutions to the knottiest problems. Traveling is one of their favorite pastimes.

They possesses attributes ranging from charming and humorous to honest and meticulous. The Chinese say those born in these years make good and wise advisors, yet they can never decide for themselves and change direction constantly. However, Rats at times hunger for power and money, leading some to be gamblers and others to be manipulative or petty. Their greed can lead them into a destructive trap.

Rats are best known for their charm. Blessed with a sharp wit, they possess a marvelous sense of humor, which makes them stimulating and amusing company to have around. Generally extroverted, they may well be described as opportunists for they prefer to live off their wits rather than labor long and hard to earn their daily bread.

Rats should have a happy childhood and a carefree youth. However, the second part of their lives may be stormy and problematical. They may be prone to lose money in a bad business deal or their happiness in an unfortunate love affair. The third part of their lives will be comfortable, and their old age as peaceful as could be wished.

It is important to note whether the Rat was born in the summer or the winter of the year. In summer the lofts and granaries are full, but in winter the Rat will be obliged to go out and forage for food, and must watch out for the traps set along the way. In human terms, this could mean the risk of prison or an accidental death.

Rats are able to control their feelings and will generally present a cool facade to the outside world, regardless of whatever volcanic emotions they may be feeling inside. But these are passionate creatures whose feelings can be deeply stirred and though able to control them as a rule, when the volcano does erupt, watch out! Perhaps one of their faults is their inability to actually talk about their feelings to those they love, and consequently they tend to repress them -- thus adding to the volcanic pressure. As well as being deeply passionate they are sensual creatures who simply exude sexuality and who greatly enjoy all forms of physical stimulation.

Under the influence of the element Wood, he is a progressive, success oriented, amicable type of person, trying to explore everything and finding a good use for almost everything he comes across. He has a very good understanding of how the system works and he can make it work for himself. He has principles and knows what he wants, but can be flexible in order to achieve his goals.

I don’t agree with all of this but I do see where you’re coming from. I think Starscream’s fits him a bit better than Windblade’s.

#Starscream #Windblade #Transformers IDW #Maccadam #Transformers #asks #Anonymous

3 notes · View notes

vediosexmelayuucvf120-blog · 5 years

Text

The Ugly Truth About perempuan melayu

However, you do not really have to sit back and see your sex life vanishing in thin air. I know, most men consider drugs like Viagra to help them sort out erectile problems, but such drugs are not advisable for men with serious problems like a heart condition etc.,

Natural penis pills are a perfect remedy for most men who suffer with erectile problems.

Such pills are made with some of the best and finest herbal extracts that have long been used as aphrodisiacs throughout the world. Some of them are brought in from countries like China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia etc., and a potent mix of such herbs is then used to formulate these natural penis pills.

Some of the well known ingredients used in such pills include ginseng, ginkgo biloba, tribulus terrestris, tongat ali, l-arginine etc.,

These pills are great for men since they do not have side effects and can ensure better performance in bed. They work upon increasing blood flow to the penis without affecting your blood pressure. Not just this, they also stimulate testosterone production in your body.

These pills not just help you get quicker and harder erections but also boost your ejaculatory control so that you enjoy longer lasting sex with your woman. sex melayu Premature ejaculation can be a big problem with most men and these pills can be an excellent remedy to help you overcome it.

Not just this, such pills can also tackle the issue of low semen volume and reduced sperm count. As men get older, they produce lesser and lesser semen. Sperm count also goes down that can give rise to fertility issues. However, natural pills can boost your semen production as well so that you can enjoy bigger, stronger and more youthful ejaculations that can intensify orgasms.

Though natural pills are highly effective, not all are at par in terms of results and effectiveness. Good quality ones are clinically approved and contain certain extras such as Bioperine. It is a black pepper extract that helps boost the absorption of other ingredients into your body leading to faster and better results.

So, If You Want to Get Harder and Stiffer Erections, Check out the Best and the Most Powerful Penis Pills that have Become a Massive Hit with Men.

Introduction: The full name of the book is "American Idol after Iraq" which is published by Blackwell - Wiley in 2009. The author of the book Nathan Gardels has been the editor of New Perspectives Quarterly since it began publishing in 1985. He has written widely for the daily papers and journals since mid 1980s and he has been a Media Leader of the World Economic Forum (Davos) as well. Apart, he has given speeches in Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (IESCO). Gardels holds degree on Theory and Comparative Politics from UCLA. His co-author Mike Medavoy has had a very active role in making large number of Hollywood movies. Throughout his career in Hollywood, he has been active in politics as well. In 1992 and 1996 he advocated Bill Clinton and in 2008 he was in favor of Barack H. Obama. He was born in Shanghai, of Russian-Jewish parents; he graduated with honor in History from UCLA.

Summary

In this must-read book the authors explain and mainly discuss the public diplomacy and Hollywood role in shaping it, mainly in the new era after 9/11 terrorist attacks. The foreword is by Joe Nye, Harvard Professor which is mostly well-known with his notion of "soft power". Once again, Nye asserts the importance of the soft power- Weapon of Mass Attraction- and recalls that not missiles and bomb but the American soft power was the key in collapse of Berlin Wall and consequently Soviet Union, the Evil Empire as Reagan called it. Nye believes that in wake of the new century American soft power is not as powerful as the past decades. It is because of the mistreatment of the prisoners in Gitmo and Abu Ghoraib prison by American troops. The world does not believe and trust America as before. Professor Nye puts forward that in the Information age success is not merely the result of whose army (hard power) wins but also whose story (soft power) wins. He recalls the US challenge and problem with Islamists hardliners and extremists in which hard power is needed to defeat them but WMA is needed to win the hearts and minds of the moderate Muslim which are the majority in the Muslim world. He accentuates the fact that democracy and human right could much more easily achieved with soft power with a long lasting effect. Obviously, the most important tool as soft power for America are its giant media-industrial complex and Hollywood which broadly discussed by the authors in their script.

HEARTS, MINDS AND HOLLYWOOD:

Hollywood, as the authors put forward has been the largest machine of dream making and storytelling in human history. Unlike most countries in the world America's image is based not only on who they are and what they do, but on how the Americans present themselves to the world through their global window. The most attractive and glamorous production of this machine has been the image of America as the promise land of infinite possibility and opportunity where individual liberty is in hand and the society is always on the move. In its 100 years it has opened a new window toward the world in which America has been seen through it and Americans has seen the world through it, as well. Some believe it has been truly and largely successful in telling and selling the American (version of) stories in past 100 years. "The dreams of America - individual freedom, middle class, prosperity, social mobility, the rule of law- which were made the dreams of the world, too, were pictured by Hollywood."

Other than that it has been used as a tool by the American Government fighting against "freedom" enemies, Fascism, Communism. Even the author argues that during the tensest day and peak of the Cold War, it was J.F.K who ordered the managers in the Hollywood that the Ian Fleming 007 espionage novels ought to be made into motion pictures. Other than that he mentions that to fight against Fascism and Nazism in the twentieth century Hollywood made the fist celebrity known globally, Charlie Chaplin who diminished and underestimated the power of Hitler in The Great Dictator. It followed the Wilsonian ideal in America's role in bringing democracy and self determination to the other parts of the world. These are samples which shows that Hollywood in its lifetime has used and been used as a tool and actor for America's political purposes. By creating roles known globally, like Rambo and James Bond, Hollywood has beaten its enemies, world foes and made it believable that the US is the ultimate savior of the world. Its values are absolute and universal and needed to save human and humanity. Accordingly, Washington eagerly sought to employ Hollywood's influence and soft power at home to make people in favor of his own foreign policy objectives.

But it could not be generally accepted that America's secret weapon, Hollywood, the biggest soft power tool is playing a positive role all the time. Not only foreigners criticize Hollywood to spreading violence, porn culture through its images in the world but within the US there are who reprimand and knock the film industry as well. To a great extent Fukuyama asserts that "It is perceived as the purveyor of the kind of secular, materialistic, permissive culture that is not very popular in many parts of the world, especially the Muslim world." It is living without any responsibility which is creating the greatest tragedy of our time. It is emptied of a spiritual dimension. Many believe that Hollywood is not doing a great job in elevating spirituality and morality of America in the world to win the hearts and minds of the people, but conversely Hollywood is sowing the seeds of loathing and hatred in the world generally and in the Muslim world particularly. Some, like Bill Bennett, Ronald Reagan's secretary of education openly and famously charged that Hollywood is undermining the America's mainstream values. This is much clearer when we take a look at the PEW foundation Poll in April 2005, which nearly 61% of Americans are concerned what their children see or hear on TV. Accordingly, "Soft power does not necessarily increase the world's love for America. Soft power is still power and still makes enemies". If there is a resistance to military presence and occupation, surely there would be an opposition and resentment to cultural invasion and occupation. For example even in Turkey which is America's NATO Ally, the most popular novel in 2004 which was sold more than 800000 copies envisioned a war between Turkey and the US in which finally Turkey wins. Even American brand of secularism which is pictured in movies has been the source of concern among the religious leaders in the West. Pope Benedict XVI carried forward the worry that aggressive secularism reflected in the media was eroding the religious Foundations of America. He told American bishops that "America's brand of secularism poses a particular problem. It allows for professing belief in God and respects the public role of religion, but at the same time can subtly reduce religious belief to the lowest common denominator. The result is a growing separation of faith from life."

Although the Noble poet Octavio Paz called America "the Republic of Future" which always eyes on future and new horizon in which Hollywood has been successful to create. But now due to democratization of digital media all around the world the future is not a Gospel for American soft power and its culture. For instance, although American soap operas largely viewed and seen from Malaysia to Canada, but in South Korea, for example 92% of TV and video games are domestically produced and are telling and selling their own stories.

In the age of globalization, we may be witnessing the end of "the end of the history"-which Francis Fukuyama stated after the end of the Cold War. Process and era of globalization, accelerated the modernity and post modernity and diversification around the world. The Singaporean diplomat, Kishore Mahbubani, makes this critical point in his book, "The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible shift of Global Power to the East" asserted that the great paradox about the failed Western attempts to export democracy to other societies is that in the broadest sense of the term, the West has actually succeeded in democratizing the world. One key goal of democracy is to empower its citizens to make them believe they are masters of their own destiny. The number of people of in the world who believe this has never been higher. Even in the undemocratic society of China, citizens have seized the opportunities provided by the economic freedom they enjoy to completely change their lives.... In the global term there has been a huge democratization of human spirit." Due to the point that some assert that in a democracy the voting booth and the box office share the same public. So, Hollywood has largely been considered to be the United States of America muscle in public diplomacy to win the hearts and minds of public as well as elites around the world. The trend of globalization and democratization of the media and the increasingly power sharing in many centers - the rise of the rest -as Fareed Zakaria calls it, results in an atmosphere in which Hollywood is not the expected and absolute winner. Apart, by the development of the communication technology mainly Internet and the emergence of Netizen (Network citizen) now everyone is their own story teller and filmmaker which is growing largely in numbers. It leads all people to move to the same neighborhood, more and more people want to see and hear their own stories on the screen, to see that their own ideas and cultures has been projected and reflected on the screen and then to enjoy the latest offerings.

CONCLUSION:

The authors assert that as Harry Warner, one of the founders of Hollywood believed "the movies should educate as well as entertain people". The author puts forward due to the change in challenges that the world and America are facing, the media and Hollywood strategy should be changed to meet the problems of the new era. Some recommendations are given on close cooperation of public diplomacy and mass culture. Some of them include the matter of sensibility which should be considered in media and Hollywood to promote the empathetic understanding of other civilizations and ways of life. It is insane to try to impose the American way of life and the liberal model of "good life" to the world. "To Be able to put oneself in another's shoes without prejudgment is an essential skill" as a Chinese cellist asserts. Among the recommendations is the breaking the American public narrow mindedness by promoting more cultural cooperation with other cultures, promotion of the exposure of the worthy American cultural products, elevating the level of exchange in students and journalists and cultural figures as well and creating a joint committee by Washington and Hollywood on cultural relations. They believe it may work to restore the American dream and stance in the new era again.

9 notes · View notes

didanawisgi · 4 years

Text

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Ideological Possession

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Ideological Possession | Robin Koerner

by Robin Koerner

As someone who has long been writing about the threat posed by this all too prevalent epistemic disease, I am delighted to see the attention that is now being paid to it.

Ideological possession is to healthy political discourse as scientism is to science.

Any ideology has the potential to be deadly.

The most important thing to know about diagnosing ideological possession is that you can’t do it by looking at the content of the possessing ideology.

As I have said elsewhere, it’s not the content of your belief that makes you dangerous, it’s the way you believe it.

Cautions and Caveats

The symptoms of ideological possession manifest differently according to the possessing ideology.

So, for illustrative purposes, the following list of symptoms is presented with example manifestations, labeled to indicate their association with so-called “progressive” (P), so-called “conservative” ©, and so-called “libertarian” (L) possessing ideologies.

For instance, the fact that someone believes the world is out to get them doesn’t necessarily mean they are paranoid.

Nevertheless, believing the world is out to get you is a very good diagnostic marker for paranoia (B is highly causally correlated with P).

List of Symptoms for Diagnostic Purposes

Major Symptoms

Minor Symptoms

The possessed enjoys opportunities to defend what he believes more than opportunities to make his beliefs more accurate.

The possessed collects data that support her beliefs instead of seeking data that would help her correct false beliefs.

The possessed offers unsolicited opinions without any empathic engagement with the recipient or any interest in whether she is in any state to be positively influenced by them.

The possessed would rather reform society’s institutions to better serve his ideology than reform his ideology to better serve people.

Immunity, Pathology, and Cure

Love of Truth, in fact, provides a near-perfect protection against ideological possession.

Pathologically, ideological possession may even be understood as the substitution of that highest value by another.

What conditions, then, enable those in the grip of ideological possession—whose love of Truth may have already been replaced by a counterfeit—to cure themselves?

To answer that, it is important to understand the symbiotic relationship of the disease with its host.

The painful shock activates the Love of Truth long enough to locate the cause of the pain.

Accordingly, the cures for ideological possession tend to be external and unsought. They nevertheless exist and fall into two broad categories—fast cures and slow cures.

Maintaining Good Epistemic Health

To protect oneself from the terrible epistemic disease of ideological possession, epistemic nutrition and exercise are extremely effective.

The good news is, if you’re chasing Truth hard enough, it is very unlikely that this particular disease will ever catch up with you.

The good news is, if you’re chasing Truth hard enough, it is very unlikely that this particular disease will ever catch up with you.”

3 notes · View notes

blastron01 · 6 years

Text

Ascendance of a Bookworm – 078

Book 2: The Apprentice Shrine Maiden

Prologue

My name is Ferdinand. I serve as the head priest of the temple of the city of Ehrenfest. People frequently mistake me as being between twenty-five or, if I'm unlucky, thirty years old, but in reality I am twenty. My half brother often comments that I was not blessed with enough youthfulness and it has already run dry, but this is, in truth, a product of my living environment.

All the way through my coming-of-age, I was part of noble society. I was the son of a concubine, but because I had just enough mana to contribute to the foundational magical tools and because (although this may be a little self-aggrandizing to say) the pursuit of knowledge posed no difficulty to me, my half brother, who is older than me, had me raised to serve as his assistant. Regardless of my father's true wife, my relationship with my half brother was not at all bad.

However, my father's wife seemed to be displeased with the fact that I was serving as my half brother's assistant, so, after my father's death, she began treating me with open hostility. Several politically powerful adults supported her viewpoint, and I could not rely on my biological mother, and I began to fear for my own safety. At that time, my half brother recommended to me that I should join the temple.

To those in noble society, joining the temple is effectively a declaration that you are withdrawing from the world of politics. However, even at the temple mana must still be used to perform divine miracles, so there are still close ties to the world of noble politics. Also, because the higher-ranked priests and priestesses all originate from the nobility, there still exists a strict hierarchy based on social standing.

My half brother grinned as he told me to aim for the absolute top and take control of the temple from the inside. I, however, knew that was far easier said than done, as the current temple master is a man related to my father's true wife's family and his behavior could be extremely dangerous to me, so I just shrugged as I made my way into the temple.

My days at the temple were peaceful. There were people in charge of the temple's finances, of managing the orphanage, of making contact with the nobility, and so on, but that work never came around to me. As such, I had no real work beyond the work of maintaining the ritual tools, and found myself with an overwhelming abundance of free time.

Because I had so much time, I reached out to my half brother and asked him to send over books and wooden tablets from our home. I used them in order to build a library, one that even nobles with unfortunate economic circumstances would be able to use. However, the blue-garbed priests and priestesses at the temple were all people who were incapable of returning to noble society, so none of them had any interest in the pursuit of knowledge. The deplorable fact of the matter is that the only person who showed any interest in it whatsoever was a single commoner girl, who wanted to read so badly that she fell to the ground weeping.

Then, a coup happened in Central, and the ranks of the nobility were thinned out. What first happened to us is that our apprentices who were still young enough to be sent to the House of Lords were, one by one, called back home. Then, the priests and priestesses who were still of marriageable age were called back into noble society. Finally, a demand came from the temple in Central for all priests and priestesses possessing a particular degree of magical power to make their way there.

Now, there are no priestesses left in the temple, and the only priests left are those who are too old to return home and who possess not enough mana to be considered useful by the temple in Central. All of the people who were primarily in charge of managing the temple's affairs had been called away, leaving me to take on every single aspect of running the temple. My easy, peaceful days have vanished without a trace. Because of the scope and importance of my work, the stature of my family, and the supplication of my half brother, I became the head priest, despite the fact that it had not been terribly long since I joined the temple and that I was still very young.

"Father, the temple master is calling for you." "...It seems he's alright, then."

When Fran, my attendant, informs me of this, I stand, sighing. As I leave my room and head towards the temple master's chambers, I lament to myself that, if only the temple master could have been laid out a little longer, I could have gotten a little more work done. Reverend Bösewanz is a man who never assists me in my work, but is forceful in giving his opinions, so I am thankful for every moment that he sleeps while I am performing my duties.

As I make my way through the halls, the library room passes through my field of view. The face of Maïne, the child who ignited such chaos in order to read the books here, floats through my memory, and I reach up to massage my temples. She is the source of all of my most recent headaches, and it is likely that she is the reason the temple master is calling me to him this time.

During the baptismal ceremonies, Maïne discovered the library and declared that she wished to become a sister-in-training. At the time, she wore clothing that made her appear to be the daughter of a wealthy family. In order to secure her apprenticeship, she offered an enormous sum of money as a donation. The temple master, dazzled by the sheer amount of coin, met with her to discuss the matter of having the daughter of a wealthy family join the temple. When this happened, it was revealed to us that she possessed mana.

Based on her reactions when she was reading the scriptures, it was clear to me that she was quite intelligent, and from her demeanor and polite manner of speech, I could easily guess that she had had an excellent education. As such, when the temple master suggested that she be granted a blue robe when she joined the temple, I could not disagree.

However, when her parents were called out to the temple in order to discuss the matter further, it became apparent that Maïne was not the daughter of a wealthy family, but instead the daughter of commoners.

To my sensibilities, it did not matter whose daughter she was. Provided she brought her donation and possessed mana, there was no problem at all. Reverend Bösewanz, however, thought differently. He adopted an openly aggressive demeanor towards the three of them, angering Maïne in the process.

If she were a noble, she would have had magical tools to help her manage her mana. Or, in other words, she would have offered her mana to magical tools at regular intervals, so even in the event that her emotions were to stir her mana into motion, it would not have run rampant. However, Maïne was a commoner, and as such had no access to magical tools.

Of course, when her mana did run rampant and escaped from her body, it was directed entirely at Reverend Bösewanz. Her mana was far stronger than could possibly have been expected from a girl who managed to survive the devouring all the way through her baptismal ceremonies. The reverend, taking the full force of Maïne's magical coercion, fainted on the spot and did not regain consciousness for some time. As he slept, I made use of the excellent opportunity to have a conversation with Maïne's parents directly and was able to come to an arrangement with them.

Although the temple master has only just regained consciousness and is still resting, he made the express effort to summon me. Most likely, he wishes to confirm how the discussion with Maïne had turned out and, of course, voice his complaints. It's easy for me to imagine all of the many complaints that might fly from his mouth.

The figure of the attendant standing next to the door comes into view as I approach. It's not my place to say it, but it might be good for the temple master, the most important man in the temple, to stand up himself every once in a while. I take in a long, slow breath, and as I let it out I let my irritation out with it.

"Reverend, Father Ferdinand has arrived."

The attendant opens the door for me, matched perfectly with my walking speed so that it opens exactly as I arrive. From the slight tension I see on his face, I wonder if he might be a newcomer. When I enter, I see that the temple master is sitting at his work desk, slumping heavily into the back of his chair. It is a pose that highlights his protruding belly.

If one were to think solely of our families' relative positions in noble society, I would be more highly ranked than he is, but I am an illegitimate son, while he is legitimate. And, as he is a member of the extended family of the mother of my half brother, the standing of his house is not at all insignificant. As such, since he cannot help but to show his superiority over me, whenever he calls me to see him, without fail he will always be sitting at his work desk, leaving me to stand as he smirks at me.

However, today he does not have the emotional leeway to even smirk at me. His expression is fiendish, his brows so tightly knit that deep bumps cross the bridge of his nose, and he drums his fingers hard against the surface of his desk in clear irritation. The instant he sees me, he vigorously starts to speak.

"Father Ferdinand," he says, "what happened to that thing?"

I leisurely make my way over to him then, with careful emphasis on the grace a nobleman should comport himself with, tilt my head slightly to one side.

"To what thing are you referring?" "What else?" he yells. "That unbelievably impertinent little child!"

Like a child throwing a tantrum, he sits up straight, slamming his fist into the surface of his desk. This falls entirely within my expectations, so I have long since raised the wooden tablet on which I had brought my report, pretending to read it while actually using it as a shield to protect my face from his flying spittle.

"Ahh, of course... I believe her name was Maïne." "That's right. You sent her away, right?"

He glares at me with wide eyes, but I just slowly shake my head.

"I fully understand your displeasure, Reverend, but the temple is facing a serious shortage of mana. You must be very aware of this yourself, seeing as you had been trying to get her to join the temple. This will only be a problem until the number of nobles in this city has increased again." "Ferdinand, are you telling me to be patient? Me, the master of this temple..."

Before he can launch into his usual long, long tirade about his parentage and position, I launch into an outline of the current status of the temple.

"If we do not have her, then our dedication ceremonies will almost certainly be fraught with difficulty. And then, when autumn comes... And what if a request for us comes from the knights' order? Would you be willing to say that we don't have enough mana and cannot help them? Or, would you be willing to have to constantly ask for help from other temples until the number of nobles here rises again?"

The temple master's social stature is high and, proportionally, his own sense of self-conceitedness is high as well. I know full well that a man like that would never be able to bow his head to another human being. It seems that my words found their mark, as the temple master starts to turn bright red, perhaps imagining himself having to beg other temples for assistance.

"Tch, if we didn't have a mana shortage, I'd have that impertinent girl executed immediately..." "Provoking her to her face is quite dangerous, Reverend. If you are on the receiving end of that much mana again, your heart might not be able to withstand it."

I wonder if he has forgotten that it was his heavy-handed behavior towards Maïne that caused her to use her magical coercion on him until he fainted? This is the problem with old people.

Reverend Bösewanz audibly grinds his teeth together. As a mild diversion, I decide to bring up the topic of the discussion I had had with Maïne's parents and the agreements that we had come to.

"As the two of us had discussed prior to the meeting, it was ultimately agreed that we would provide Maïne with a special set of blue robes. Her parents also agreed to our other proposal that she be assigned to not only maintain the magical tools, but also to be given work in the library room as she herself had asked for. This is all as we had planned beforehand."

I make very sure to hammer in multiple times that these were points that the temple master and I had agreed on beforehand. This may be due to his age, but he has lately been prone to forgetting the contents of conversations he was part of, whenever it seems to suit him. And, perhaps because he forgot everything just as I expected, he sits there glaring at me, with an extremely unwilling expression, like he wanted so badly to object but was unable to.

"Grrrr..." "Ahh, and then, we agreed that Maïne would not live in the orphanage, but instead be able to commute between her home and the temple. Since there are already many nobles here who have homes that they return to, I did not judge this to be particularly problematic, and gave it my approval." "What did you say?!"

The temple master's eyes fly open wide as he snaps at me. This, too, is well within my expectations.

"...I believe that allowing her to live at home would be preferable to having her demand that since she has been given blue robes she should be given a room in the parts of the temple reserved for the nobility. Do you not agree?" "Hmph! Well, you're right in that."

The choice between giving her a noble's room and letting her live at home seems easy for the temple master to understand, so he gives me a very unpleasant smile as he nods in approval. It seems that he's already forgotten his own declaration that he wouldn't think twice about throwing her into the orphanage, but since he has just agreed, Maïne's ability to commute has been established.

"In addition, because Maïne is very frail, it seems that she may be unable to perform her duties every day, but since there is ultimately not a tremendous amount of work for a blue-robed sister-in-training to do, I believe that it should not be a problem for her to rest when she is not feeling well." "Hah, what an unmotivated little girl."

It seems like he will not be satisfied if he doesn't find some way to complain about every single thing. He appears to understand, though, so I merely shrug my shoulders and continue.

"I merely judged that doing so would be preferable to her falling ill while at the temple. ...On that note, we also agreed that Maïne, in order to manage her condition, would be assigned attendants." "That's unnecessary!"

Reverend Bösewanz's objection was very much within my expectations, so I simply breathe a small sigh, then deliver yet another rehearsed answer.

"If someone from outside the temple were to see a blue-robed priestess without any attendants, it would only reflect poorly on the temple and, in turn, I believe it would reflect poorly on you. ...Besides, as of now we have an excess of gray-robed priests and priestesses. Do you not think that it would be a good idea to simply assign some of those to Maïne?" "...I see."

Although the blue-robed clergy has left, the gray-robed priests and priestesses have largely been left behind, save for those few who were the favorites of any individuals who were being called away. Given that the donations to the temple from the families of blue-robed priests have diminished, the ever-accumulating expenses of the largely masterless gray-robed clergy are nothing but a problem for the temple.

"Next, according to my investigations into Maïne, it seems that she has been registered with the merchant's guild as the manager of a workshop. It would have been quite simple to be able to tell her that those working in the service of the gods have no need to make money, but I believe that if we can regularly acquire some of the profit from the workshop for ourselves, it would be quite beneficial to the temple. What do you think?" "Wring her dry." "As you wish."

As the size of the clergy has decreased so much, the amount of money that the temple can earn on its own has diminished. To Reverend Bösewanz, this money is far more useful than the public doctrine of the temple. With this, I have finally gotten his approval on all of the points I had come to an agreement on with Maïne's family. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"For the time being, in order to avoid causing you any trouble, I plan to personally see to handling all of the burden Maïne will bring. If the merchant's guild is going to be involved, I believe I should be able to handle the additional paperwork. Also, I shall ensure that she never shows her face in this room. Then... ah, yes. When selecting the gray-robed priests to be her attendants, I will assign one of my own attendants to her as well, so that we can receive detailed reports on her activities."

A light glimmers in the temple master's eyes, as if he's found something interesting in the idea of being vigilant about Maïne. He thoughtfully strokes his white beard, smiling that unpleasant smile that he gets whenever he cooks up another worthless scheme.

"Hmm? ...In that case, perhaps I should assign someone to her as well? Even that girl should confide in another girl around her age. Delia, I think, would work hard for my sake. And for the others, let's give her the most troublesome kids we can dig out of the orphanage. Inconvenience her as much as humanly possible. Squeeze every last drop of donation that we can get out of her. After all, there's nothing else that that... thing is good for." "As you wish."

This became something problematic. Maïne is unfamiliar with the details of noble society and the workings of the temple, so I had planned to assign to her an assistant who could help her navigate both of those things, but if the temple master's protege is assigned to be her attendant as well, then my own actions will wind up being brought to the temple master's attention as well.

I weave my fingers together in front of me, thanking him, then leave his room. Bitter regrets plague me as I return to my own room.

"Good grief..."

What a profoundly troublesome temple master. The blue-robed priests and priestesses given to the custody of the temple are largely illegitimate children. Amongst such company, he, a legitimate son from an influential family, finds much to boast about. In truth, he has comparatively very little mana, so he has a terrifyingly powerful inferiority complex towards those given to the temple who have more than he does.

If we are not careful with our behavior towards Maïne, there is a good possibility that he may cause her to run rampant again. Besides the fact that her social standing is even lower than mine, she brings with her not just mana and coin, but an aptitude for writing reports and handling paperwork, so to me, she is a far more capable person than Reverend Bösewanz.

I look over the report on Maïne, and my eyes find their way to the section on her commercial dealings. With the backing of the Gilberta Company, she was registered with the guild under a provisional apprentice's license. The products that she has transferred rights to up to this point are "rinsham", a vegetable-based paper, hair ornaments made by knitting thread, "pound cake" and many variations thereof. It would seem that she, as an individual, commands sizable financial assets, to the point where her declaration that she could afford to donate a large gold coin was no exaggeration.

Due to concerns with her physical condition, she abandoned her path towards becoming an apprentice, and instead plans to use Maïne's Workshop, set up for her by the Gilberta Company, to continue to profit from the goods she invents.

"To make this many contracts for new products within just one year... she seems to just think of one invention after the other."

It seems that the goods Maïne's Workshop will produce will generate spectacularly large amounts of profit. I must ensure that I assign an attendant to her who will be capable of making very detailed reports to me, if we are to avoid being deceived by any greedy merchants.

As I consider that thought, I look around at the attendants currently stationed in my room. Now then, who must I assign to be Maïne's attendant? I will need someone deeply loyal to me, capable of making accurate reports, and very patient, I think. They will, after all, need to be able to flawlessly handle the trouble that the temple master's chosen attendant will cause.

"...Fran." "Yes, Father, how may I assist you?"

Upon hearing his name, he smoothly steps closer to me.

"I will have you become Maïne's attendant. I would like you to provide me with reports on her actions, as detailed as you possibly can. Additionally, please ensure, to the best of your ability, that she does not cross paths with Reverend Bösewanz." "Um?! ......Very well, Father."

For an instant, a discontented frown flashes across his features, but then he nods slowly in agreement. Fran had been present when Maïne's mana went out of control, so it's possible that the image of the temple master fainting flashed across his mind.

"Her other attendant should be... Ah, yes. Do we have anyone who is particularly difficult to handle, to the point where they would be a poor fit to be assigned to a noble? We must, after all, at the very least appear to take the reverend's opinion into consideration."

A look of bewilderment enters Fran's eyes as he glances nervously around the room. After a moment, he lowers his gaze. Arnaud, who had waited on me as I went to Reverend Bösewanz's room, speaks up, coming to his rescue.

"Ah, I see. How about Gil? He is frequently sent to the meditation room, but never seems to learn. He very much troubles the managing priest." "...Hm. Then, let's have Gil, Delia, and Fran be Maïne's attendants."

It has been decided who Maïne's attendants shall be. It will take her blue robes another three days to arrive, and Maïne's apprenticeship is set to start in five days.

All of the preparations for Maïne's arrival are very much in order, but I wonder just what might happen next?

Although at this point I was able to imagine that Maïne might stir up strife with her arrival, I had not even the slightest idea of just how much chaos she would incite.

Translator's notes for this chapter:

I'm updating how I translate the temple master's title to "Reverend" instead of "Father", as I can't imagine the legitimate son of a good family being greeted by the same title as the bastard child of a concubine.

prev • next

#honzuki #honzuki no gekokujou

178 notes · View notes