Sorry @frenchy-and-the-sea​ but Tumblr keeps ruining my read more attempts if I dare to save a post as a draft or edit it... anyway here it is again but with the PROMISED CUT in the right place:

Permission to ramble about Ciphers? Why THANK you! Mostly under the cut because that’s how I [try to] roll these days.

Ciphers

So, a Cipher is basically a rare individual who is able to learn languages at a ridiculous rate, only needing to be taught words and phrases once before they are dedicated to memory. It is a hereditary skill, and there are nine Cipher families currently in operation, which is down from what used to be over twenty In some cases, the ability just disappeared suddenly. In others, the Cipher died before having children and it never manifested again. In others, it skipped too many generations and was effectively ‘lost’ because, even if it did reappear, no one was actively looking for or fostering the ability and it just sorta… flew under the radar.

Ciphers generally have a pretty straightforward life-path. They are born, their ability is discovered at a young age (typically by their Cipher parent, who will test their ability to learn language periodically). The first years of their life are largely dedicated to the explicit teaching of all the languages known by their family, which can vary based on location, exposure and issues mentioned in the previous paragraph. Then, when they are old enough, they go to work for a member of the nobility (royalty, lords and ladies, etc.) who will act as their patron until they grow old enough to tire and be replaced by the next Cipher in their line.

In the earlier days after the Divide, Ciphers played an extremely vital role in translating and deciphering texts, documents and inscriptions, determining what should be kept of the old world and what should be destroyed. They were essentially the gatekeepers of information, as they were the only ones who could actually understand what was written, and if the language was utterly unknown, they had the best chance of decoding it based on languages that share geographic and  linguistic similarities. They were also key players as the world began to establish its new order, privy to the highest meetings and negotiations, serving as trusted translators between royalty as the kingdoms began to form. They were, essentially, essential.

However, almost 600 years post-Divide, things have changed. Trade Tongue was developed in the mid-second century, which has opened communication significantly across the known world. Languages have also consolidated considerably, particularly with the expansion of the Khathi Empire, meaning there are fewer one must learn in order to serve as a functional translator. Majority of texts have been located, decoded, and sent away to the various archives to be locked in dusty rooms. Basically, Ciphers have found themselves in a world that has largely outgrown them. They are a convenience, rather than a necessity. Where they used to deal with incredible artefacts of the past, tasked with uncovering lost knowledge, they are now more likely to be found performing general bureaucratic services to ‘earn their keep’.

The tradition of patronage has continued largely due to the generational bond formed between Cipher families and their noble patrons (who often remain loyal to a single Cipher family, and visa versa). This allows current Ciphers to still live comfortably, but there is no real prestige associated with their abilities anymore. In fact, they are often actively disliked, as when their services do happen to be required, their patron sets the price (and that price is usually very high). So, many now view Ciphers as little more than lapdogs whose main function is to line their patron’s pocket. And they’re really not wrong.

Delver is the only active Cipher who lacks a patron. He basically acts as a freelancer, strutting around the kingdoms, spreading word when he is in the area. His general practice is to undercut the local cipher for work needed by the lower classes, and overcharge the nobility for his discretion (given his lack of affiliation). He is also from the only Cipher family where the ability has not skipped a generation, but that comes with its own cost that has only recently begun to manifest. There are theories that the Cipher ability skips generations as a kind of biological safety mechanism, as over time having that many languages at your fingertips can become overwhelming for any one mind. If a generation was skipped, the Cipher’s knowledge had to be consolidated and written down as best as possible, all while maintaining regular day to day work and duties. As a result, a lot tended to slip between the cracks, and often large portions of knowledge were lost in the process. While this meant that less languages were passed on when the ability reappeared, it alleviated some of the strain on the individual’s mind. There had been no real consequences for Delver’s line until his great-great grandfather, who was said to have gone mad in his seventies. Then his great grandmother, at about the same age. Then his grandfather, in his late fifties. Then his mother, in her early forties.

TBH I know it’s nothing particularly exciting on paper, but I think what excites me about the whole prospect is because I like the idea of change, and how time and development causes people and places and skills to fall in and out of favour. The joy I get out of it is writing from the perspective of someone who is trapped in a place of impotent bitterness, and how that jaded feeling changes the way he approaches the world. Delver longs for a challenge - dreams of the days when everything was mysterious and exciting, and people looked to Ciphers as links between the past and the present. Now, people just look to him for a seal and a signature, and he desperately wants to be more than that.

Romance tropes are good and all, but you know what relationship trope is real juicy? Mentor/student. Now before you roll your eyes and brush me off, I’m not talking about the run-of-the-mill Ben Kanobi and Luke Skywalker mentor/student relationship where a wise old man teaches a curious youngster a skill set that makes them priceless. While the student might be frustrated with or appreciative to the mentor, the emotional connection there is pretty shallow. When the mentor dies we shrug it off, the student cries a little bit, everyone forgets them and there’s next to no emotional impact.

No, I’m talking about the relationship between a rebellious, rude teenager deemed worthless by society. Im talking about a straight rod, middle aged mentor with a religious zeal for honor and who has probably never broken a single rule in their life (Bonus points if they had a legalistic, obedience centered job such as a police officer or military veteran). Hear me out here.

Student is a messed up, broken kid either lacking authority or with crappy parental figures that don’t care about them. They’re a rebel and a troublemaker by choice and whether they’re proud of it or not they’re not going to change any time soon. Finally society gets to a point where they’re not going to tolerate student’s crap any longer and are ready to make an example out of them. That’s where mentor comes in. The clean-cut mentor sees the world as a system of values where everything is either right or wrong and there are no gray areas. They are not only the most respected person in society but one of the most adored. In other words, they are the exact opposite of student. When student faces harsh charges for their actions, mentor takes pity on them, resolving that if only someone had taught the teenager the difference between right and wrong they would be a loyal, upstanding citizen. Suddenly mentor is enlightened. What if THEY were the one to take student under their wing and change the course of their life? What a noble cause! Confident in their ability as a teacher, mentor offers to take student under their care and make it their personal responsibility to indoctrinate them. Student is reluctant to accept this because it means losing all of their previous freedom to an unsuspecting, ignorant mentor, but they have no choice. Student knows one thing for sure though. Mentor is going to regret this decision every moment they’re together.

Fast forward and nothing is going according mentor’s plan at all. Student is going out of their way to cause trouble and be disrespectful, and when mentor tries to teach them anything they blatantly ignore them, making it very clear that they don’t care. Mentor slowly begins to realize that they don’t know the first thing about raising children and have never once in their whole life felt so discouraged and clueless. The pressure builds up, until finally after a yelling argument with the kid the mentor breaks and tells them they wish they had never tried to help the student in in the first place. However, what hurts mentor the most is student’s response. “Figures. Nobody’s ever wanted me. I wouldn’t expect you to either.” The matter-of-fact apathy in student’s demeanor kills the mentor. They excuse themselves.

This confirms to student that they aren’t wanted and though they’re not surprised or even disappointed, for some reason their heart feels heavy and they decide to make things easy on the mentor. Later on that night, mentor is summoned. Student had gone behind their back and committed a heinous crime. To the rest of the community the solution is clear. They pat the mentor on the back and assure them that they did everything they could, that just by trying to redeem the lost soul they had proven to be one of the most heroic members of society. However, student has proven themselves impossible to correct and therefore must be dealt with rashly (e.g. they could be hanged for their crimes, sent to a juvenile prison, an asylum, a slave in the coal mines, just whatever works best for the fictional universe they’re in). What it all boils down to is that mentor doesn’t just have the right to bring the student to justice, but they should. It’s not just the fair choice, but it’s the wise, honorable, right choice. It’s the perfect situation for them. Give up the student that’s caused them nothing but pain and be hailed a hero.

They can’t do it. For the first time in their life, mentor is tempted to go against their better judgement, their honor and the wise counsel of their peers and make an emotional decision. Student was wrong when they said that nobody wanted them. Mentor wants them, though they can’t quite explain why.

Mentor is told they’re making a mistake, that their choice is foolish, that they’re just prolonging students overdue judgement, but they don’t care. They have made their decision. Mentor will recompense for student’s actions and though it will cost them both their honor and their physical possessions, they will take student back as their own and won’t give up trying to get through to them. Student is in shock. They had never dreamed that someone would sacrifice so much for a person who didn’t deserve it- specifically them. For the first time in their life they felt wanted. Protected. Heck, even loved.

Student doesn’t change over night, but they’re clearly more respectful towards mentor, more enamored by them and more receptive of their teaching. They no longer see mentor as their slaveholder, but as their protector and friend. Mentor doesn’t go easy on them and student does not hesitate to complain about the workload, but they begin to work with a new zeal because now they have a motive to work. They want to make mentor proud. For the first time they realize they’re desperately starved for mentor’s approval, so they work hard , begin to copy their habits, even go out of their way to do things without being asked. They never talk about their feelings, but they want to be close to mentor. For the first time they know what it feels like to be loved, and they want to return that love in every way possible.

Mentor has no idea what possessed student to change, but nothing in the world could have made them happier. They begin to recognize the student’s longing for approval and it occurs to them how much they want to pay it forth. Mentor knows what it’s like to do great things and be praised for their deeds, but they have never been more proud of anything than the scruffy little public nuisance that lived in their house. Student wasn’t just their responsibility, they became their joy. They were proud enough to call them their son/daughter.

Of course student doesn’t become perfect overnight. Clearly they revert to what they know and cause trouble multiple other times. However, the disappointment master expresses to them when they’re caught is enough to make them realize that they’re former way of living is no longer appealing to them. They value their mentor’s opinion too much and nothing hurts more than their disapproval.

This is just a sample of a mentor student relationship that could work in a variety of different storylines. It doesn’t need to be the main focus of the story (i.e. if the theme is action and adventure, then the student and mentor might be forced to go on a dangerous expedition, or the student might grow up and leave the mentor, or either the student or mentor is taken and the other has to go save them, something like that). What’s great about this relationship trope is that it creates a solid base for an impactful story. It might explain where the student gets their ideals, why they’re so strongly committed to their mission, or why the mentor is willing to give up everything they hold true to in order to save one specific person. If done correctly, imagine how painful it would be to the readers if either the mentor or student had to sacrifice themselves for the other. Imagine the arguments. Imagine them crying because they’re sick with worry for the other one.

The thing that sets this relationship apart from the Obi Wan and Luke mentor/student trope is the focus is on the relationship and not either person’s abilities or personal value. Both the mentor and student have to give up aspects of themselves, but they end up with something they value much more. It’s what’s special about both characters. I believe the lack of this relational foundation in most movies and books is why viewers lack interest in the main character’s goal when they’re looking for someone they care about. If the relationship is the backbone of the character’s motives, then it needs to be the backbone of the audience’s reason to cheer the character on.

What sets this apart from romance tropes (other than romance tropes being ridiculously overused) is that this is a relationship trope almost everyone can relate to. Not everybody has fallen in love, but everyone has had an authority figure in their life and many have had authority over someone else. The audience can relate to the characters, and the relationship becomes more real to them. And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with a romance trope when it’s DONE RIGHT, in my personal opinion, a well executed mentor/student trope tops all else. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for middle aged, honor-centered, FLAWED military veterans and rebel teen nuisances becoming each other’s everything. You can judge for yourself.

BUNGOU STRAY DOGS & The Art of its Characters

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

As an artist and casual manga reader I tend to be picky with my choice of reads, though I've bent my standards every now and then, Bungou Stray Dogs is a manga that I find absolutely exceptional-- no surprise considering it's one of my favorite series. An interesting story, beautiful and striking artwork, and an amazing cast of characters.

Written by Kafka Asagiri and illustrated by the talented Harukawa35, the story follows Nakajima Atsushi, an orphan who has a life-changing encounter with a mysterious man named Dazai Osamu, and through an unforeseen turn of events, ends up becoming an agent at The Armed Detective Agency-- an organization that employs skillful individuals with supernatural abilities. From there Atsushi makes friends and foes alike, and tries to find the purpose of his life.

It's formulaic premise of "young protagonist becomes affiliated with organization and battles other organizations", reminiscent of most shounen titles, is where most of its similarities with that demographic end. Instead of expanding its world and delving into lore, the series focuses on its characters, their growth, and their relationships with the world, each other, and themselves, befitting of a seinen title. It has a unique gimmick to its characters as well--that being that their namesakes are real-world authors and literary pioneers.

Kafka's background in literature credits their adaptation of these literary figures into characters, making good use of their analytical and writing skills in interpreting the authors and their works into characters with abilities that pay homage to their namesake's famous works. Their skill as a writer is nothing to be looked over either, having written 8 novels, 2 light novels, and co-wrote one screenplay-- specifically for the series' film, "DEAD APPLE".

Its gimmick lends itself to the characters especially, often making references to the author or their works through their personality or character design, and becomes the foundation for the characters's overall story.

The character Dazai Osamu, for example, is a suicide-maniac determined to die a painless death, preferrably with a lover to accompany him to the other side. This is a direct reference to the real-life Dazai, who had attempted multiple suicides, one attempt being with his wife, however, he had survived while his wife did not. Dazai's character also meditates plenty about morals and ethics and what it truly means to be a human being, depressing over the fact that he will never probably be considered "human" by society's standards; his real-life counterpart's famous novel, No Longer Human, is a meditation on human society and what it truly means to be a human, and how to fit into the mold of what we generally deem as "human"--it also happens to be the name of Dazai's ability, which allows him to completely nullify any other ability through physical contact, rendering the once supernatural ability user into a regular human.

Their abilities work as great metaphors as well, and Francis Scott Fitzgerald, the leader of an enemy organization known as The Guild, is a good example of this. The Great Gatsby is one of the most notable works his real-life counterpart has written, the novel's themes focusing on wealth and criticising achieving "the american dream"; the character's ability, "The Great Fitzgerald", enhances his physical strength and prowess depending on the value of the items he exchanges it for, be it either cash or objects. This quite literal metaphor ties with how the character sees the value of people through their economic and social status, and becomes one of the driving forces behind his later character arc. From this we can determine a cruel and heartless man, but one who values hard work and ambition, stopping at nothing to achieve what he wants.

Aside from the characters themselves, some of their relationships and interactions are also influenced by their real-life counterpart's relations with contemporaries, as well as the time period during which they were active.

The real-life Akutagawa Ryuunosuke and Nathaniel Hawthorne, for example, have opposing views on religion, specifically Chrisitanity; Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, deals with the themes of sin and repentance through Christian faith, while Akutagawa's "O-Gin" is a historical fiction that takes place during the edo period and reflects on the spread of Christianity to the people of Japan and how the paranoia of the government manifests, it's also noted that during his final moments while reading the Bible, he claims that he can believe in the devil, but not in the existence of a God. In the manga, during a confrontation on the port, the characters Akutagawa and Hawthorne exchange lines of dialogue, a notable taunt coming from Akutagawa, "Irmão'', being a direct reference to the ancient ministers who have introduced Christianity to edo period Japan.

The characters are intensely rich in personality and humanity, showing that not every character is strictly black or white, Dazai and Tanizaki Junichiro--another member of the Detective Agency--are great examples of this; Dazai's character is a mystery, and is, personally, very hard to break down. He is a man who has shown to have very flexible morals and ethics, but is also extremely loyal and attempts to be a goodhearted person. Relatively, Tanizaki is led to be believed that he is a docile and kind person--a running gag in the show being that he is very shy-- but is willing to commit any atrocities for the well-being of his younger sister, including murder. He puts his and his loved one's interests first, and that nearsightedness can put him and others around him in danger.

Besides the written aspect about the characters, the designs done by Harukawa35 are so beautifully crafted to convey their person through a glance. Their clothes, physical features, shapes, color palettes, even down to their silhouettes are uniquely distinct from one another and feel very personal to that character. Here are some of my favorite examples:

Atsushi's belt, which gives his silhouette a sort of "tail", referring to his ability which allows him to transform into a tiger. His purple/gold irises are striking visual cues that allude to his supernatural ability as well.

Akutagawa's billowing cloak; aside from it's practical use for his ability, it also gives him a distinctive silhouette, along with the ruffles of his shirt and the cuffs of his sleeve that contrast the sharp edges of Rashoumon.

Margaret Mitchell's outfit which, although impractical in a battle, conveys her character of a southern belle very well. Her soft, bright color palette compliments the design of her partner, Hawthorne, who mostly dons darks and greys. Similarly, the soft and round shapes abundant in her design contrasts that of Hawthorne, who is sleek, angular, and sharp by comparison.

Nakahara Chuuya's overall design, which characterizes him perfectly (accurate considering the fact that he was the most difficult character to conceptualize, according to Harukawa). The dark colors of his outfit contrast the bright orange of his hair and blue eyes, giving the idea that despite his position as an executive in the Port Mafia, his personality is as wild and stark as his features. The billowing cloak gives his silhouette a sense of dominance to make up for his small frame, broadening his shoulders and making him appear bigger. And accessories such as his hat, gloves, and choker are all very symbolic to important aspects about his story:

the hat being a gift from Arthur Rimbaud along with the chain accenting it, possibly taken from Paul Verlain;

The gloves covering his palms as he never uses his fists in battle, and only removing them when he becomes possessed by Arahabaki;

And the choker symbolises his loyalty to Mori Ougai and the Port Mafia, for which he is called a "Dog of the Mafia" by Dazai.

And speaking of designs, the various rivals and partners in the series have not only great complementing visual designs, but chemistry, story, and writing as well. Rivals/Partners such as Soukoku (Dazai and Chuuya), Shin Soukoku (Atsushi and Akutagawa), and Mori Ougai and Fukuzawa Yukichi-- the leaders of the main opposing organizations, the Port Mafia and the Detective Agency, respectively--all have amazingly distinct contrasts in terms of visual cues, my personal favorite being Shin Soukoku's black and white theme, as seen in their contrasting color palettes, outfits, and personalities.

I could go on about the Rivals' various dynamics and stories, Character analyses, and such and such, but @bsd-bibliophile has made much better analyses and are very detailed and more refined in terms of composition and content (I would not be able to touch upon Atsushi's themes of existentialism without having to delve into the author's works and the character's story, much less with any finesse, my skill level is nowhere near that standard :'))), so go check their blog out for further in-depth reading!

To wrap it up, Bungou Stray Dogs is a great manga with not only fantastic writing in its story, but in its characters as well. To be able to convey rich, layered stories through people has always been the reason I've wanted to work with Characters and more specifically, Storytelling. This series has rekindled my passion for Storytelling and has made me appreciate how important and fantastic Literature is as well (seriously, to be able to paint images in your mind and make people think and feel through words alone is a skill that I can only dream to achieve).

on ch 82 and what the hell is the deal with phos

super long wall of words ahead, you've been warned. also, im not qualified to discuss the emotional effects of trauma, so please correct me where im wrong and don’t hesitate to add on this post

contains an analysis of phos’ character arc, explanation on why and how they snapped and what might happen to our child next:

1. genki phos 2. post winter phos 3. laphos 4. on trauma 5. on snapping 6. speculations about the future

so, first things first, I could not help but notice the sheer number of parallels between this chapter and other significant points of the story. it seems to me that parallels are becoming more and more frequent as the moon arc goes on, and that’s not just because there are simply more chapters to draw parallels from as the story grows in size.

I believe that we’re at a turning point in the story, or even that the turning point has been reached, (aechmea telling barbata to fix phos for the umpteenth time is most likely going to give phos the last treasure, but ill get to it).

so, to try and understand what in the seven hells is going on with our baby at this point (the fandom collectively adopted phos since chapter 2, sign the papers if you haven’t already and donate to the fund to send phos to therapy) let’s retrace phos’ character journey.

1: genki phos

the phos who is too good for this world, too pure, the cinnamon roll who has no idea what the hell is gonna happen to them. oh joy.

hnk sets off as a coming of age story. phos is the youngest, they’re seemingly useless in a society that values usefulness above anything else so genki phos is initially driven by lack of purpose.

i’ve speculated already on the characteristics of the lustrous society, a society that emphasizes sameness over difference and that has no place for outcasts like phos and cinnabar. your value, in lustrous society, is dictated by how much and in which way you can contribute to the survival of the species, with elite fighters (the diamonds) being at the apex of the social pyramid and everyone else coming after.

additionally, while gems live in a highly interdependent and close-knitted society, such interdependence never takes into account emotions, loss, imagination, introspection and free-thinking. the society is extremely practical, apathetic, immobile, and everyone is expected to conform to that.

think about antarc: they’re the poster child of lustrous society: a 3 mohs hardness gem who managed to become an elite fighter out of sheer willpower, who’s blindly loyal to sensei, who sacrifices themselves for the greater good (the group’s interests > the individual’s interests), that does little if any introspection and that is happy about all of this and wants to leave it this way.  

phos isn’t like this at all.

since the very beginning of the series we learn that phos is an anomaly. and that’s okay, other gems have been anomalies, like padparadscha, cinnabar, even antarcticite, but while those gems found a way to tip toe to the margins of lustrous society to remain unobtrusive exceptions, or forge themselves into proper, useful members of the group, phos cannot do that. which is ironic, because we know that one of phos’ core characteristics is that they’re able to change and to bring about change in a world that is as immobile and still and stiff as… well.. rock.

like @ruddy-rutile​ pointed out in a past analysis, phos’ problem wasn’t so much that they didn’t fit in, but that they didn’t fit in the appropriate way: they’re emotional, they’re loud, they’re unreliable, they’re not apathetic. they’re kind. compassionate. imaginative. and imagination is something the other gems lack.

this fuels a deep sense of self-hatred that even at this early stages of the story is lying just beneath the surface and oozes out quite easily, like when phos wants to help ventricosus and mumbles that it’s no problem if they die in the attempt, they’re a good for nothing after all, what difference would it make if they dont come back. at least they were able to help someone, contrary to how they were unable to help cinnabar.

this is the leitmotif of the series: phos is a kind, selfless gem who cultivates a deep sense of self-hatred. the internalized pressure and need to feel useful turns into a necessity for change. they need to save cinnabar, they need to save ventricosus, they need to become a fighter, they need to help sensei.

contrary to most of the other gems, phos loves and loves openly and unconditionally, they’re self-less by nature and that selflessness is a barrier that hides the real reason theyre so ready to put their life on the line for other people: the fact that phos thinks that their own life isnt wort a scrap.

as someone who believes to be worthless, guided by shame and guilt just for being alive and fueled by a deep desire to feel loved and accepted (just like a child), phos is unable to cope with grief and emotion if not by guilt tripping themselves even further.

the fact that the amethysts were almost taken is their fault, the fact that cinnabar is suicidal is their fault, the fact that antarc was taken is their fault, same with ghost’s abduction. the only way phos knows to cope with this guilt is by doing what every other gem does: bury these feelings deep inside their head and throw themselves into work. be useful, like alexandrite, rutile or red beryl.

2. post winter phos

what was a story about purpose, about phos’ coming of age, reaches an end at this very point, with antarc’s death. phos has become stronger at this point of the story, they have agathe legs and gold arms and they have grief to cope with, trauma.

just like alex’s job is studying the enemy and red’s job is making clothes, phos’ job is the one they originally desired for themselves: to fight. because there is nothing as valued as a good fighter in gem society and probably young phos unconsciously hoped to overcome self-hatred by taking on the most useful job there is.

post winter antarc is a skilled soldier, so skilled that bort wants to pair up with them. phos has reached their old goal: through loss and maturity, now they have a place within their society, they’re accepted and appreciated, valued but not loved. because these gems are so, so bad at emotions.

and this is where ms ichikawa begins to fool us all. she had us think that this story would be simple, but now hnk starts its steep and unrelenting detour toward existentialism and phos begins their dance toward madness and bottomless grief.

post winter phos is a soldier, they can fight off lunarians, but theyre still blaming themselves for antarc’s death.

we already said that phos is a very emotional gem and they possess a fervid imagination (probably just like lapis). so what do they do? they start thinking. “maybe i can retrieve antarc if we collect enough pieces. if i can communicate with the lunarians. if i can understand why we’re fighting.”

thinking quickly turns into questioning: why are we fighting? why are we so weak? why am i different? what changed me? is it the new additions, is it just life experiences? can we change? how can we change? antarc told me i shouldnt shy away from life, so im gonna push myself further and further.

that’s when shiro’s arc happens and sensei seems to know something about it, something he won’t tell the gems. phos’ questions suddenly turn to him.

phos is pretty much paranoid at this point of the narrative: they have experienced loss for the first time. consumed by guilt and grief for antarc’s recent abduction (even if phos still doesnt know what death means, we’ll get to that in a while), phos cannot think straight. they can’t be questioning the one authority every gem recognizes, the person phos and everyone else wants to protect, their leader, father, teacher.

phos feels like scum just for even thinking about it, as loyal and young as they are. and yet once you start questioning one minuscule thing about the way you have always lived your life, more and more will follow. it’s a cascade effect and it becomes faster the higher the number of questions, until you’re left with nothing but doubts and you must take into your hands the responsibility to find out for yourself.

this is more or less what happens to phos. they feel awful for doubting sensei the first time, in chapter 27, so they spill their guts to cinnabar, confessing their sins. but what cinnabar says does anything but put phos at ease: of course phos is doubting sensei: he’s shady, everyone knows.

however, while cinnabar is a quiet outcast, extremely prudent (and cowardly if you want) in the way they decide to face life, phos is the total opposite. they just needed a little nudge, they were already on the edge of a cliff of doubts and existential fears. cinnabar’s words are the second, big step that sets phos off on their path to the moon.  

chapter 28 is when we see phos self-destructing because of this inner conflict for the first time, a pattern that will be repeated again and again the more phos loses sight of the truth, of a reliable something, a goal to cling onto and find direction.

it is ironic, because phos becomes a direction, a goal, the gems and the moon people’s hope (ch 59 and 72), but in doing so they have no hope left for themselves. let’s not forget that phos is very young by gems’ standards, not to mention in comparison to the moon people. how fair is to expect from a traumatized child to save the world and find answers to questions that run thousands of years deep and give phos nothing in return?

the pressure is enough to break phos and it does, quite literally, over and over and over again.

3. Laphos

lapis’ head comes at a time when phos was literally no longer able to manage this pressure.

it brings a waft of fresh air, it brings what emotional, kind phos needed to detach themselves from grief: coldness, rationality. and yet, it takes something away from phos as well: laphos is the phos that can no longer talk with cinnabar, the phos that brings cairn to reject the gems altogether and launch themselves into their kin’s killer’s arms. laphos is the gems and lunarians’ hope for a brief time, then it becomes the enemy.

i find it interesting how phos feels responsible for goshe and morga’s abduction too, even if phos was unconscious when it happened. phos has no clear boundaries between themselves and the rest of the world. they feel responsible for everything and guilty for everything. whatever they do will never be enough neither to make up for their past mistakes nor to find everyone a clear sense of purpose, safety, truth.

ichikawa plays with truth a lot. truth is that the lunarians are bad people and the gems must defend themselves, truth is that sensei is shady, truth is that the moon people are actually good, truth is that death is real, truth is that sensei is evil, truth is that cinnabar hates phos, truth is that the gems are evil, truth is that sensei is the only one that loves phos. who knows what the next truth will be, but can you call it truth, at this point?

if there is one point, i believe, that ichikawa is trying to make clear is that truth is subjective and that it changes, just like phos’ goal, the more knowledge you acquire and the more mistakes you make. truth is subjective but it must be sought after: you gotta keep fighting, you gotta move on even if you keep making mistakes, even if you cant undo your actions.

and another thing i think she’s trying to say is that you cannot make it alone. the moment phos tried to take it all on their shoulders, they moment they acquired lapis’ head, is the moment everything came crumbling down ten times faster than before.

and the most ironic part is that phos is still kind, even underneath that mantle of aloofness: they tried to do everything by themselves because they didn’t want to put anyone in danger, but in doing so they manipulated the gems just like aechmea. and aechmea knows and he’s been using phos for this.

4. Even more trauma

running after truth and after newer and more nuanced goals, phos has completely lost sight of themselves.

where do their alliances lie? what about their history? phos wakes up in ch 72 after the night raid and immediately breaks into pieces because they’re reminded of how cinnabar attacked them, the one gem they thought was their friend. one of the few truths phos had been clinging to.

phos wakes up after the night raid and asks the enemy “to the lunarians i look like a gem and to the gems i look like a lunarian. what am i?”

they break into pieces because they still believe they’re useless. they couldn't save cinnabar, they couldn't save antarc, they couldn't communicate with the earth gems, they couldn't even see adamant.

this is reminiscent of the very beginning of the manga: phos needs to feel useful, they need a goal, they need to be good at something. and just like they were ready to get lost at sea forever to help ventricosus they’re ready to die for someone else’s cause (not even phos’ own because they have no idea what to believe in at this point) just to be of use. after all, to phos, phos is nothing more than a scrap.

euc disagrees. ch 71 “we need you in our future” is a sentence that phos has probably ached to hear for centuries. “we need you. you are loved, you mean something, you are enough. you belong. we cannot build a future where you aren’t part of the equation. you matter”

and look at the way phos looks at euc. they can barely believe them and in fact they don’t. phos expresses some concern about dying (”after all, those less than 5 includes me”) but they still throw themselves into danger, they still take no care of themselves.

Phos’ self hatred and self-destructive tendencies run deeper than euc’s words could ever cut. those words meant well, but they were too little too late. phos thinks they don’t deserve this kind of hope, they  cannot understand it, cannot fathom a world in which they are true and so they will go on believing that they are alone and worthless. next time they go on earth, they’ll go alone and unharmed

it is ironic. they did so much, they went to the moon and back multiple times, put their life on the line multiple times, made more progress toward unveiling the truth about the lunarians and finding a way for them to be free of samsara than anyone else did in hundreds (presumably) of thousands of years. they did it by themselves. in barely three hundred years. that’s impressive. and yet it’s not enough for phos. in their mind, they just keep failing.

so what’s the big deal? they can sacrifice themselves, it’s the least they can do and no one will miss them after all. unfortunately, this is true, at least to some extent.

im appalled by how little even the moon gems care about phos. they’re so self-centered it’s almost funny.

even alex, who has gone through loss and grief if not as much at least in a way similar to phos cannot find enough compassion in themselves to be concerned about phos’ wellbeing after a few months on the moon.

ive heard people mention how this could be a result of the moon people injecting who knows what into the gems or manipulating them someway or another, but i believe that there was no need to. phos is an anomaly after all, their kindness is an anomaly. the lustrous are little more than self-centered children: they are able of little if no introspection and they cannot process complex emotions like grief if not by shutting off those emotions altogether.

the moon gems are still vaguely concerned about phos. in ch 76, when phos departs for earth for the last time, they do tell them to be careful and come back if things get bad, but they do little more than that. it’s little comfort and too little emotional closeness and by no means close to the huge amount of support and (emotional) assistance that phos needs at this point.

phos tries to make do with what they have: a will to end this war and the superficial words of what should be their family, but it’s not even remotely enough. and yet phos, just like any other lustrous, is very bad at introspection: they don’t notice or if they notice they repress it. what’s one more thing down the subconscious after all? it’s fine. phos can take it, until they can no more and they snap without having any idea that they will snap.

phos’ journey, which has made them increasingly more emotional, fragile and human (the last one quite literally) has also made phos even more alone than they were at the beginning of the story. more alone, with the same sense of worthlessness, the same urgency to be good for something or self-destroy, and so much more grief, trauma, guilt and repressed emotions.

5. snapping

“I mustn’t think of anything” phos reminds themselves in ch 76. because thinking never brought anything good and because euc would see right through it. 

once again, phos is repressing emotions. here they go, trying to be a cold blooded killer, ready to betray sensei again, the one person who has been good to them and that phos tried to hate with all their heart but just couldnt.

as ive written in a previous analysis, one of aechmea’s lowest blows was to tell the gems he was exploiting and manipulating to reach a salvation he doesnt deserve that if the gems want to acquire freedom they must do so by themselves. talk about coherence. 

but that isnt all, he sinks even lower than this: he makes phos and the others question sensei’s affection for them. he says that sensei’s love is fake, it’s synthetic, the gems should totally make him pray or destroy him, no remorse, no strings attached. it’s such a dirty move.

no wonder it confuses phos even more. phos believes it, or tries to, they say they want to break sensei into pieces, but after the night raid they realize that it cant be that simple. sensei never attacked them. he has always been good to phos. and phos feels even more worthless, more of a traitor for daring believe in love, in sensei’s affection, when here they are, on the lunarians’ side, ready to betray him again. 

how dare phos hope for anything? they dont deserve love, they dont deserve hope, they dont deserve happiness. they can try to give it to other people, they’ll kill themselves in order to do so, but they have no more hope and no love left for themselves, and they had so little to begin with.

as ive said, phos has little self-awareness and little introspection. i do believe that they had no idea they were going to snap until they did. even in ch 77, when sensei tells them he cannot pray, phos spends their last seconds of consciousness (before being attacked by all of the gems) to kindly ask him to pray. they dont care about themselves, but they dont reflect long enough to consider that reaching out to sensei like that could be interpreted as hostile by the paranoid earth gems. i think this is the first sign that phos is about to snap: they’re quite literally desperate.

tired beyond measure and forced to spend 220 more years in isolation, broken into pieces scattered all over the island, when phos comes to their senses again once kongo reassembles them they’re beyond despair. this war is taking the last toll on them and phos has no more energy to go on.

“please,” they say “pray. do it for no one else but me. grant me mercy,” from one bodhisattva to the other. they’re still somewhat normal, but when sensei fails to pray again phos can’t take it anymore. desperation and rage, fueled by hopelessness, worthlessness, grief and exhaustion make phos launch themselves against sensei, which, ironically, it’s exactly what the story needs.

apparently, phos is human enough to activate sensei but not human enough to make him pray. however, when the two of them join hands, sensei can actually pray. maybe it’s because both phos and sensei are intended to be bodhisattva? maybe because human voice commands are not as strong as contact? i have no idea.

phos has snapped by the way, and it’s weird how they go from “If only you weren’t here” to “sensei actually loves me” in a couple of chapters. in a certain way, we’re seeing phos going back to their roots: they love sensei and trust in sensei’s love, they’re once again openly emotional and impulsive, they’re once again ostracized by the gems (of course, much more violently this time).

i have written about how, after ‘fusing’ with sensei for a brief second, phos doesnt speak for the entirety of ch 81. they look and act like a literal monster, a scared animal, which is ironic since we know that they’re now human. i hypothesized that they might be reborn and that’s why they don’t speak, they’re a literal infant, but in light of ch 82, i think they’re simply hurt beyond measure. 

they reversed to their old emotional persona, vomiting out all the emotions and pain and rage and hate they repressed during these 300 years. and yet they still don’t hurt anyone, not as much and as deliberately as they could at least.

they’re conscious enough to recognize the notebook and be reminded of their lost friends, realize how little the earth gems care for phos and for what they’re doing. and, i believe, when phos is rescued and comes back to the moon, they are, for the first time in the whole manga, enraged by the earth gems’ stupidity and sheer ungratefulness.

phos has been fighting for the wellbeing of everyone for centuries, putting their life on the line, never asking for anything in return and always believing that they were doing the right thing. and yet it’s not enough.

aechmea is a clever politician, and like every good politician he’s good at picking up changes and turning them in his favor. 

he notices that there’s something wrong with phos and with the way they feel about the gems. maybe he doesnt yet realize that phos is angry at them for being ungrateful, but he senses something so he provokes phos: “you said to leave you on earth last time. did you change your mind?” that is “i’m not your enemy. see? im doing what you want me to do. not quite like those people down there on earth. oh, wait, were those your friends? aw, such a pity. to think they attacked you after everything you’ve done for them. but they’re your family, right? i’ll send you back to them if this is what you want. see? i’ll listen to your wishes. i am grateful.”

look how intently he looks at phos as phos incoherently and obsessively repeats the same thing over and over: “he would have prayed. he would have prayed for me. he loves me. he would have prayed.” if you want, this is also a syìubtle way for phos to apologize: they still feel responsible for their failure, but aechmea must understand: phos did everything they could, it would have worked, it was the gems’ fault.

adamant put phos back together, showing phos that he still cares. he is the only one that loves phos, while the gems (all gems, phos doesnt care much for differences at this point) keep hurting phos even if phos is only trying to help. so they must be killed. to hell with them all. and, notice, phos doesnt include themselves in the ‘gem’ category: they’re no longer a lustrous. they’re a monster, a liminal creature.

with nothing left to believe in if not sensei’s love and a promise to make him pray and then die in peace, phos wants to destroy the only thing that they believe stands between them and finally being useful, but also between them and freedom (freedom from suffering, from guilt, from existing, from their pain, from being): the gems.

this isn’t the first time that phos wants to kill something: in ch 68 they spoke about crushing sensei to pieces. it’s heartbreaking how phos went from “if only the moon people weren’t here” to “if only sensei weren’t here” to “if only the gems weren’t here.” will it turn into: “if only i weren’t here?” who are phos’ allies? who does phos feel kinship with? who is phos? they no longer know, and they’ve not known for a long time.

aechmea has noticed and he’s quick to turn the situation to his advantage. he shakes phos’ hand, he’ll grant them freedom just like phos will grant the lunarians’ freedom. he’ll forgive phos for failing, for their sins, for the bottomless despair and guilt that phos has been living with for centuries. salvation, hope, that is all phos needs.

as @rinboz pointed out, phos’ gold in ch 82 takes the shape of a lotus seed pod, a direct reference to when antarc was abducted and the gold had turned into a lotus flower. 

through pain, phos had blossomed into a new character that day, marking the beginning of their long journey toward truth and toward discovering that there is no truth. the day the story changed from a coming of age manga to something much, much more intricate.

phos’ pod is empty, they have nothing left to lose, it’s a dead flower. this is the end of the journey that started with antarc’s abduction. when phos wakes up again, it will probably be with new memories and a new addition to their body, possibly red diamond. 

phos’ self destruction has reached its apex because it finally became so intense to extend outwards, to other people that, in their immense grief, phos wants to bring down with them. this might be a minuscule form of progress: anger is better than repressing emotions at least, but phos’ problems are far from being solved.

6. on the future

what will be of phos then? it really depends.

the fact that they’re finally showing all that sufferance and those emotions they tried so hard to repress is good, but aechmea is still there to take advantage of it. 

phos will never be free as long as they dont associate themselves with someone that truly loves them and as long as they cant find someone that can help them deal with their emotions. aechmea is just using them and only ichikawa knows what he meant when he told barbata to be careful with those 200 years emotions.

theoretically, phos was unconscious during the timelapse, but if there are emotions to treat carefully maybe they weren’t? maybe the change we’ve seen in phos this chapter depends on what they had to endure during that time. or maybe aechmea simply wants to make sure that his pet is easy to use.

i do believe we’re close to the end. i dont know if it will be the end of the series or just the end of phos as we know them. i could hope for something good to finally happen to them and for them to heal, but it would take a therapist or someone that loves phos. 

maybe euclase could side up with sensei, they seemed the most concerned about phos’ status and the most prone to believe them. maybe goshe and cicada could do something again, maybe rutile will fix padpa once more and padpa will talk with the earth gems (not very likely, but im throwing theories left and right at this point), or maybe barbata will refuse to follow aechmea’s instructions, at least in part, and try to help phos.

as always, im afraid we’ll have to wait. in the meantime, please hug phos. if you read up to this point hug phos. hug them now and shower them with love, because no one else will

Patriarchy has been extremely successful, despite its recent vilification. Most cultures worldwide are patriarchal – to find examples of successful matriarchal societies you either have to turn to ancient history, remote outskirts of the world or feminist fiction. However, this hasn’t stopped the feminist collective from queefing out books and even a hashtag hailing the end of patriarchy in a textbook example of incestuous amplification.

What patriarchy, after its apparent downfall, will be replaced with remains to be seen. Hamsterizations aside, there is surprisingly little data available about what life would be like in a society made up of only men or only women. An enterprising social scientist might want to perform an experiment where groups of men and groups of women are left to their own devices, having to work together to survive against the elements and build a civilization from scratch. However, this scientist would have a very hard time convincing ethical review boards that the inevitable suffering of his participants would weight up against the value of the data.

Luckily, reality television is not bound by ethical constraints and once in a while, in its never ending quest for viewer ratings, reality TV accidentally performs a very interesting experiment that social scientists would never be allowed to do.

Quite a few years ago, I had the pleasure of watching the Dutch version of Survivor (Expeditie Robinson) with my feminist roommate. That particular season would have two islands, one populated by men and one populated by women. My roommate had been promoting that particular series to me and the other students in the house for weeks because it would show us, according to her, what a society run by women – free from the evils of patriarchy – would be like.

And it did. Oh it did.

Here is what happened: initially both groups were dropped on their respective islands, given some supplies to get started and left to fend for themselves. In both groups there was some initial squabbling as people tried to figure out a local hierarchy. The men pretty much did whatever they felt was necessary – there was no leader giving orders. Men who felt like hunting, foraging or fishing did so. Another guy decided he was fed up with sitting on sand and started making benches. Others built a hut that gradually grew and evolved. Another guy cooked every night. Within days a neat little civilization was thriving, each day being slightly more prosperous than the previous one.

The women settled into a routine as well. The hung up a clothesline to dry their towels, then proceeded to sunbathe and squabble. Because unlike men, women were unable to do anything without consensus of the whole group. And because it was a group of at least a dozen women, consensus was never reached. During the next few episodes, the women ate all their initial supplies, got drenched by tropical storms several times, were eaten alive by sand fleas and were generally miserable. The men on the other hand, were quite content. There were disagreements of course, but they were generally resolved.

Eventually, the people running the program decided something had to change. In order to help the women out, three men would be selected to go to their island. In return, three women would take their place at the men’s island. The look on my feminist roommates face during this episode was priceless.

Initially, the three men selected for the women’s island were ecstatic, for obvious reason. But then they arrived at the island and were greeted by the women.

‘Where is your hut?’, they asked.

‘We have no hut’

‘Where are your supplies?’ they asked, dismayed

‘We ate all the rice’

And so on. The three men ended up working like dogs, using all the skills developed by trial and error in their first few weeks – building a hut, fish, trying to get the women to forage. The women continued to bitch and sunbathe. The three women who were sent to the men’s island were delighted – food, shelter and plenty of male attention was freely available. They too continued to sunbathe.

And that my friends, is what patriarchy is. My former roommate, unsurprisingly, is no longer a feminist.

Now this might all be a fluke, a white raven, an exceptional case not representative of society as whole. But that particular season of Dutch Survivor is not unique. CBS broadcast several Survivor seasons in the US, where men and women started off in separate groups. In most cases (the Amazon and One World), the result was the same. The men quickly got their act together, getting access to food, fire and shelter while the women spent a lot of time and energy on petty little squabbles, eating their meager supplies, getting drenched in storms and generally being pathetic. The opposite situation, where men didn’t get their act together while women quickly built a functional micro society, has not yet been observed outside of feminist fiction, and it probably never will.

https://www.returnofkings.com/27852/why-patriarchy-is-the-greatest-social-system-ever-created“

One of feminism’s irritating reflexes is its fashionable disdain for “patriarchal society,” to which nothing good is ever attributed. But it is patriarchal society that has freed me as a woman. It is capitalism that has given me the leisure to sit at this desk writing this book. Let us stop being small-minded about men… If civilization had been left in female hands, we would still be living in grass huts.” – Camille Paglia, lesbian feminist, in Sexual Personae

In the feminist creation myth, patriarchy is original sin. It is the Lucifer from which all evils flow. Without patriarchy, we would all live in a genderless role-less feminist garden of Eden.However, just as the name Lucifer actually means light-bringer, patriarchy is actually an enlightening influence which has brought humanity out of the mud into civilization. Feminism only exists in the shadow of the massive abundance produced by patriarchy. Patriarchy is not the enemy. Patriarchy is the greatest social system ever created.

The Myth of Patriarchy

Feminists ascribe all social ills to patriarchy. Like a medieval inquisitor looking for evidence of the devil, patriarchy’s influence is supposedly all around us – our media, our schools, and even our most intimate relationships. Patriarchy is responsible for domestic violence, lost promotions, mean comments on twitter – even women’s own feeling about themselves.

Anyone who doesn’t subscribe to feminist dogma is believed to be possessed by the influence of patriarchy and in need of exorcism by an ordained Priest of the Cathedral of gender studies theory. They are forced to renounce their views, or face excommunication from the public sphere. In more honest times, the dominant religion simply called freethinkers “heretics” and burned them at the stake.

Origins Of Patriarchy

In reality, there is nothing so mysterious about patriarchy. Patriarchy is a division of social roles based in natural biological gender differences.

Males and females have very obvious self-evident biological differences. Women can have babies. Men cannot. Women’s bodies are designed for nurturing, with wombs, breasts, and hormonal cycles. During pregnancy, women are unable to physically exert themselves. Men’s bodies are designed for physical exertion, and as a whole, physically stronger.

Imagine you are part of a small tribe in a survival situation. Conquest, war, famine, death – any of the four horsemen could strike at any moment. How would you divide social roles?

As Jack Donovan states in The Way of Men:

Because your group is struggling to survive, every choice matters. If you give the wrong person the wrong job, that person could die, you could die, another person could die, or you could all die. Because of the differences between the sexes, the best person for jobs that involve exploring, hunting, fighting, building, or defending is usually going to be male. This is not some arbitrary cultural prejudice; it is the kind of vital strategic determination you need to keep your group alive.

In other words, traditional roles are the basis of our survival as a species.

The Sacrifice Of Men

In patriarchy, men sacrifice their energy, their time, and sometimes even their lives for the betterment of women and children, and women give themselves to nurturing children and families.

Feminists define patriarchy as a system of dominance, in which men oppress women. This redefines men’s sacrifice as an act of control, rather than love. Many men are perfectly happy to have sex with women without offering any protection or value to the woman or her resulting children. It is an act of love that men willingly give up their freedom in order to provide for women, and their young.

Patriarchy is about love. It is about the love of human beings in families, tribes, and small communities working interdependently for the benefit of one another.

Feminism Was Created By Capitalism

Feminism in it’s modern form began in the last hundred years, when industrialization moved our economic survival from requiring hard labor to requiring skilled labor. Work used to require hours of physical lifting, now it requires sitting at a desk. This transition made it possible for even the weakest women to work.

Employees are much easier to manage as interchangeable cogs than as gendered individuals with unique needs. In fact, convincing women to work doubles the size of the work force, allowing employers to half everyone’s wages. It’s simple supply and demand. As the book Revolution From Above chronicles, early feminist movements – even Marxist feminists – were bankrolled by major capitalists in order to increase the workforce and lower wages.

Feminism is a product of capitalism. The “you can have it all” message is an attempt by corporations to swindle women out of their biological needs. If you’re a feminist, you’re a capitalist, because you’ve make work a greater priority than community, children, or love.

In families, each member is irreplaceable, but in a company everyone is replaceable. In patriarchy, women toiled for one man who loved her and the children he gave her. In capitalism, women work for many men completely indifferent to her and willing to disposes of her the moment cheaper labor appears.

Feminism Commodifies Relationships

In patriarchy, selfish relationship impulses were restrained. In capitalism, they are encouraged. Each member of a tribe of community works for the benefit of those around him, but in capitalism men and women are independent agents, with no loyalty or duty to anyone else.

Roles that were traditionally played by family are now outsourced. Group homes for the elderly, day care for the children. Even mentors and friends can be bought in the form of therapists and life coaches.

This system destroys intimate relationships. It selfishly benefits a woman to bear the children of strong lone alpha’s rather than the man providing for her. It selfishly benefits a man to impregnate every available fertile woman with no intention of further contact. Alpha fucks, beta bucks.

Feminism has created a war between the sexes with each side trying to maximize their profits in the sexual marketplace while spending as little as possible. We’re all little atomized corporations united only by the laws of bio-mechanics.

Men Have Lost Reason To Work

This new dynamic has freed men from work. In his new book Bachelor Pad Economics, Aaron Clarey advocates a minimalist approach to money – buy only what your need and using your time for your benefit rather than a corporation’s. This approach is already being taken as men drop out of the system, earn less than women, and avoid higher eduction.

The reason men worked hard was to provide for their families. Men didn’t work long hours out of self-interest. They did so out of love. Most men can subsist on very little. It’s been said that civilization was created to impress the opposite gender. Without reward, there is no reason to work. No carrot, no jump.

As a society, we’ve reached a point where technology has eliminated the need for everyone to work. Just as capitalism freed women from their natural role, it’s freed men from theirs. Masculinity has been reduced to a fashion statement.

Return To The Natural Order

While we understand that animals exists in natural groups – a herd, a flock, a pack – we forget that man is an animal too. Man’s natural group is the tribe. Humans are mammals. We learn through relationships, rather than instinct.

Children require love, attachment, and stability that can only be found in emotional bonds with present adults. They are not interchangeable cogs. You can’t buy a mother’s love or a father’s wisdom. Love cannot be outsourced. Authentic love is only possible within patriarchal community.

To a company, non-working children are a nuisance. The epidemic of single motherhood, plummeting birthrates, and mental illness is due to the rejection of traditional roles. If society wants healthy happy children and loving stable communities, it must embrace the lost values of patriarchy.

In the early tribes, humans were entirely dependent on one another. Now they are independent and unsatisfied. Returning to traditional roles means living interdependently, and align with the natural order not because we have to, but because we choose to. We could exist alone, but we are fulfilled together.

Of course, feminists will call this oppressive. They want you to be free – free from community, free from belonging, free from love. A mass of apes fighting over the highest value mate behind a gilded cage.

Memes Kill Creativity?

Memes vs. Genes

In the 1976 book The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins coined the term 'meme' to describe something with symbolic meaning that spreads by imitation from person to person within a culture. This idea is an analogue to the nature of selfish gene, described similarly as a piece of genetic material possessing information required to be able to replicate themselves inside a living. The only key difference in both terms is that the gene is natural, while memes are artificial. The rest of memes' operating schemes completely mimic the genes perfectly. In our current timeline, memes as we know today are taking many forms: as image macros, short videos, and rick-rollicking music. Memes in imageboards and forums have been pushing internet porn traffic into a stalemate and putting our power grid into unnecessary burden. Of course, memes are not to be regretted, but otherwise need to be taken seriously, since they are able to put our current understanding of media industry and economic system into shame.

As with every other thing that have existed, memes are not exempt in its dualistic nature. If you ever venture to the depths of dark web, you may know that memes also took part in the infamous mimetic Tumblr-4chan War. Not only that, some memes are reportedly causing harm towards some users, even though it is often disguised or said to be a dank joke or mere sarcasm. Memes have seen its share of use in online bullying, mass shootings, and hate crimes, cowering behind the freedom of expression tag. Regardless, memes are also an extremely effective form of information transmission. Like all living systems with no set moral standards, memes do evolve and are subject to natural selection. Memes, like genes, actually work like a mindless machine. Again, this is eerily like the performance of DNA in living systems. The last thing we want from this thing is virulence.

Every day, something went viral on Twitter. Hashtags are flaring into the top trends, some videos are being watched billions of times, and another cat vs. cucumber pic garnered thousands of likes. Viral properties of a virus (duh) is defined as the capability to multiply quickly in relatively short amount of time. The term saw a huge increase in usage during the dawn of the internet age and the rise of computer malwares spread through unsecured ports of network protocol. This term is being applied to memes, as it is like a virus (which is a pure embodiment of a selfish gene). Now, a lot of people are utilizing memes to create art, because it enables them to cater the short-attention spans of current internet users. They create shorts, illustrations, inside jokes, and small comic strips. Some of you might not agree with me on this one, but stay with me now and I will explain to you why I would like to treat memes and art as a single unit of interest in this argument.

The dawn of meme-technology

Viral memes and their popularity are now often considered important in defining a time period in the internet culture. Now every netizen can somewhat distinguish the approximate age, sex, and political views of other users from the usage of rage comics, meme songs, and meme platforms they use. Intuitively we can make a generalized difference between the userbase of Reddit, 4chan, 9gag, Vine, and now Tiktok. Others, by the share of relatability with sub-genres of different areas of interest (film memes and game memes). Some others, even, in the perspectives of different social and economic class system (first world problems and third world success memes). Meme preferences to us netizens are ironically giving away our anonymous identity. Identity which the media companies are vying to get their hands on. That's where I would like to come into my opening argument: both memes and genes which originally possesses no intrinsic value, suddenly become a subject of value with technology.

How do we draw the logic, I say? The ones and zeros inside electrical systems are value-free, so does DNA in living cells. As we meddle ourselves with biotechnology to manipulate genetic material for profit, we also simmer ourselves in the computer sciences and tweak physical computation to perform better. We give value in the inanimate object by manipulating them. In our world, we often heard these expressions: that communication is key, sometimes silence is golden, and those who control the information wields the power. What’s these three statements have in common? Yes, information and expression. Memes are the simplest form of both. This is the beginning of the logic: memes are no longer in and on itself independent of external values. The infusion of utilitarian properties in memes as artificial constructs are seemingly inevitable, and for the better or worse shapes our current society.

We might have heard that somewhere somehow, the so called ‘global elites’ with their power and wealth are constantly controlling biotech research and information technology—or, in the contrary, they control these knowledge and resources to keep shovelling money and consolidate their power. Memes are one of their tools to ‘steer’ the world according to their 'progressive agenda', seemingly driving the world ‘forward’ towards innovation and openness. Nah, I am just joking. But, stay with me now. It is actually not them (the so-called global elites) who you should be worried about. It is us—you and I, ourselves—and our own way of unwittingly enjoying memes that are both toxic and fuelling the age-old capitalism. Funny, isn't it? We blame society, but we are society. But how are be becoming the culprits yet also be the prey at the same time?

Middle-class artists are hurt

Now, aggressive marketing tactics using memes are soaring. Media companies are no doubt cashing in the internet and viral memes to their own benefit. Streaming and cataloguing are putting up a good fight compared to their retail, classic ways of content delivery. This is quite true with the strategies of Spotify and YouTube, other media companies alike. They can secure rights to provide high-quality content from big time artists and filmmakers and target these works directly to the end consumer, effectively cutting the cost of distribution which usually goes to the several layers of distribution line like vinyl products, radio contracts, and Blu-ray DVDs. I believe this is good, since it is like an affirmative action for amateur artists to start a career in the art industry. Or is it? Does it really encourage small-time artists to begin? Yes. How about the middle-class artists? Not necessarily.

You might sometimes wonder, “how the hell did I get somewhere just by following the trending or hot section in the feed?”. This toxicity of memes often brings some bad things to our tables. Social media algorithms handle contents (like viral memes) by putting those with high views or likes to the front page, effectively ‘promoting’ the already popular post and creating a positive feedback cycle. By doing so, they could capitalize on ad profits on just few ‘quality’ contents over huge amounts of audience in a very short amount of time. The problem is most of the time, these ‘quality’ contents have no quality at all. They just happen to possess the correct formula to be viral, with the correct SEO keywords and click-bait titles with no real leverage in the art movement. This way, I often find both the talented and the lucky—of which the boundaries between them are always blurred—overshadow the aspiring ‘middle-class’ artists who work hard to perfect their craft.

If you are already a famous guitarist with large fanbase, lucky you, you are almost guaranteed to top the billboards. What, you have no skills? Post a video of you playing ‘air guitar’ and… affirmative actions to the rescue. Keep on riding the hype wave and suddenly you get to top trending with minimal effort, thanks to your weird haircut. Those haters will surely make a meme out of your silly haircut, not even your non-existent guitar skills. But still, hype is still a hype, and there’s no such thing as a bad publication. This also answers why simple account who reposts other people’s content could get much more followers than the hard-working creators. Not only being outperformed by the already famous artists taking social media by storm, now the ‘middle-class’ artists are also dealing with widespread content theft and repost accounts because of the unfair, bot grading system. It is unimaginable how many nobodies got the spotlight they don’t deserve just because they look or act stupid and the whole internet cheers around them. Remember, this is not always about the artist, but also the quality of the art itself. I believe a good art should be meaningful to the beholder.

Why capitalism kills creativity

The problem in current art industry is that we are feeling exhausted with the same, generic, and recycled stuff. We indeed already see there’s less discourse about art now. Sure, the problem lies not in the artist or medium, but is in the viewers—the consumer of the art form—and how the capitalist system reacts to it. The hyper efficient capitalist system doesn’t want to waste any more time and money trying to figure out what’s new or what’s next for you. What we love to see, what is familiar to us, the market delivers them. The rise of viral memes phenomenon in the social media pushes the market system to the point where they demand artists to create the same, redundant, easy art form. Listen to some of The Chainsmokers’ work and we'll see what music have become: the identical 4-chord progression, the same drop, the predictable riser, and the absence of meaningful lyrics. We sat down and watch over the same superhero movies trying hard to be the next Marvel blockbuster. The production companies are also happy not to pay writers extra to come up with new ideas and instead settle with borrowed old scripts from decades old TV drama. Disney's The Lion King and its heavy use of the earlier Japanese Kimba The White Lion storyline is one guilty example.

Despite it initially being an economic system and not a political ideology, it is untrue that many Marxist philosophers usher the suppression of art. While it is ironic that Stalinist policy intends to curb ‘counter-revolutionaries’—in this case his enemies—by limiting freedom of press and media; American propaganda added further so that it seems that the ideology is also limiting art and kill creativity. We all know the Red Scare in the U.S. during the Cold War saw a popular narrative of communism and socialism that is devoid of freedom of expression. This state propaganda then further become ‘dehumanization’ and make freedom of expression invalid under the guise of equality. Marx argue that total equality is not possible, and the uniqueness is being celebrated by having them doing what they do best and provide the best for their community. Thus, an individual's interests should be indistinguishable from the society's interest. Freedom is granted when the whole society is likely to benefit from an action. According to Mao in his Little Red Book, freedom of expression in art and literature, after all, is what initially drive the class consciousness. It is capitalism, not communism, that kills creativity.

If left unchecked, the threat of this feedback loop is going to cause a lack of diversity, resulting in stale content, less art critique, and overall decline in our artistic senses. Artists’ creativity that are supposedly protected by the free internet are destroyed within itself through the sheer overuse of viral memes. Capitalism has successfully turned the supposedly open, free-for-all, value-free platform that is the internet against the people into a media in which they are undeniably shaping new values on its own: the art culture that's not geared towards aesthetics and appreciation, but towards more views and personalized clicks. How social media and media industry caters to the demands of the consumer are, in Marx's own words, “digging its own grave”.

Spare nothing, not even the nostalgia

Well, people romanticize the oldies. The good old days, when everything is seen as better and easier. Look at the new art installations that uses the aesthetics of naughty 90s graphic design to become new, the posters released in this decade but with an art deco of the egregious 80s pop artist Andy Warhol, or the special agent-spy movies set frozen in the Nifty Fifties. Nostalgia offers us a way to escape from the hectic choices of our contemporary: different genres of music, dozens of movies to watch, and different fashion to consider. We choose to settle with our old habits, that we know just works. Remember how do we throw our money on sequels and reboots and remakes of old movies we used to watch during our younger days? We don’t even care about new releases at the cinema! Did you remember how Transformers 2 and their subsequent sequels perform at the box office at their opening week?

The huge sales of figurines and toys of Star Wars franchise—if we could scrutinize them enough—came from the old loyal fanbase of the late Lucasfilm series, not primarily from new viewers. Then suddenly, surprise-surprise. Our love for an old franchise deemed dead enough to be remembered and treasure soon must be destroyed to pave way for three new outrageous sequels (the ones with Kylo Ren and Snoke) by the grace of our beloved capitalism. Sadly, nothing is left untouched by the capitalism’s unforgiving corruption. Nostalgia has become a gimmick that makes people like some art more than they should, because it’s familiar. It is another way of squeezing your pocket dry.

Not that it is bad to make derivatives like covers or remixes, but the trade-offs are far too high. Consequentially, the number of original arts is now very little, because artists don’t bother making new stuff if they just aim for a quick buck. Most of the young adult novels are essentially the same lazy story progression with only different time setting and different character names. Most of them even have the same ending! No more a beautiful journey like the thrillers of Dan Brown or the epic adventures of Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings, which defines their respective times. Do we seriously want to consider Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey as a unique work? Isn’t the Hunger Games and the Maze Runner essentially the same?

If you play video games, you must have known that the trend always starts over. Game developers are making gazillions of sequels, and only a few of them that are actually good. Most are outright trash. Oh, wait, old video games like Homeworld are also getting remasters to cater the demand of nostalgic consumers. No new Command and Conquer release from EA Games? Re-release the 25 years old Red Alert because people will re-buy it! Profit!

15 June 2020 8.03 PM

birth chart reading for @lunarvesta

hello! welcome to your reading. I’m gonna give you a quick overview of what I’m going to analyze about your natal chart. feel free to ask me anything if something isn’t clear, of course. you’ll find out your dominants’ influence on your persona, your physical appearance, impression on others and the way you approach the world; your ego, identity, the real you; your reactions, your desires, inner emotions; your way of expressing your feelings, your mind and ideas; your desires and approach to love; your energy tank, instincts and temperament; in-depth analysis of each house with their rulers and analysis of heavy aspects; love life + soulmates/karmic partners interpretation; your relationship with your friends; your family life; your approach to career and work in general + possible jobs suggestion; your style, fashion sense analysis; life purpose and past life description; basic transits’ analysis to describe your current mood and, last but not least, your secret skills, how to make the most out of your soul and manifest what you desire based on your birth chart.

🦋 chart shape, dominants

your chart is a seesaw shape. your life focuses on different ideals and interests, often constrasting between each other. from one side, this gives you the ability to be adaptable and find solutions easily. on the other hand, you may struggle with balance; for example, you might find yourself dedicating your life to your relationships, neglecting your ego or viceversa. you need to learn how to harmonize these energies.

your dominant planets are mercury, jupiter and pluto. you are an extremely intelligent and open-minded person. you could experience lots of karma in your life, you may come across unfortunate events, but they'll be crucial for your self-growth. you probably have amazing communication skills too.

your dominant sign is gemini. you are a very intelligent individual, you are thirsty for knowledge and you also have great communication skills. you have a witty sense of humor, you're able to make everyone feel at ease with your sympathy. people may say you're two-faced, but in reality you just act in the most appropriate way based on the situation you're in. you despise boredom, you're very experimental in your life, but others may mistake this trait for flakiness.

your dominant element is earth. you're a loyal and stable individual. you value longevity in your relationships, and that makes you quite picky. you can easily appear as cold, as opening up to someone you don't know well is too much of a risk for you. once you do, though, you'll stay forever. money and material possessions are important for you, as you understand that financial stability is one of the main qualifications in life.

🌎 ascendant in libra, 11° / 2nd decan ruled by venus and uranus

you're naturally likeable, you have a particular charm to you that makes everyone drool over you. you're very nice and outgoing, you always try to make others feel at ease. you're very considerate of others' feelings. you strive for fairness and justice, it's the way you approach others and the world. basically, you treat others like they treat you: if they're kind with you, you'll be very sweet. otherwise, you'll turn very sarcastic and harsh, almost cold at a certain point. this can make you seem extremely provocative, especially with your venus conjunct your mars. you're very opinionated, you always feel the need to express your thoughts as you're very proud of them. in addition, since you always decide whether something is right or not, you may come off as a know-it-all. on the other hand, you're very sociable and you enjoy being in company, doesn't matter whether you're with your family, friends, lover etc. you may get to know many people throughout your life, but your friendships may not be much stable. you are surrounded by people, but you could feel lonely particularly often. I also need to point out that libra is ruled by venus, the planet of beauty. you're most likely very attractive and magnetic. even if not necessarily conventionally, people find themselves attracted to you. you may have sparkling doe eyes, with also full lips and a defined cupid's bow. your face is more on the longer side, perhaps you have an heart-shaped face, with high cheekbones and a pointy chin. you may also have naturally amazing, fluffy and flowing hair. your body also has a lot of curves and softness to it. your eyes could also be slightly hooded.

libra ascendant square cancer moon: you may have troubles understanding others’ real feelings for you. you may feel as if everyone hates you, like everyone is talking behind your back when it’s the opposite. you’re particularly sensitive about others’ view and opinion of you, you may get deeply hurt when people criticize you. you could have the tendency to act differently than you usually do, in order to preserve your feelings. this is obviously a toxic behaviour, that fills you up with your own stress and doubles it. due to that, you may become very moody and nervous, ending up hurting others yourself. or maybe, it’s the other way around; your feelings are so overwhelming that you can’t hide them, and that could put you in embarrassing, unpleasant situations. you may show all of your emotions on your face, ready to be read. yet, you probably don’t want to be read, therefore you end up feeling ashamed of your own emotions. the way to cope with this placement is finding someone similiar to you; someone who’s trust-worthy, and very sensitive and empathetic too. someone who’d never judge you for you think or say, and that would always help you becoming the best version of yourself. someone that understands you, without having to explain all of your behaviours and habits.

libra ascendant square cancer jupiter: you probably learn a lot from people around you. you're most likely surrounded by wise, spiritual and possibly foreign individuals in your life. they help you to grow up, both spiritually and mentally. this placement also enhances your libra rising, making you look even more outgoing and approachable. you're also very open-minded, and you rarely have prejudices. the downside to this placement is that you may be depend too much from your friends or lovers, especially when it comes to your beliefs. you're easy to influence, and you may change your mind often if others disagree with you. you could possibly have high expectations from others, creating a false idea of those who surround you. at least, you're aware of your abilities and you have the potential to make the most out of them, but you're modest about it. you don't come off as bossy as other jupiter - asc aspects would.

🌞 sun in taurus, 25° / 3rd decan ruled by venus and saturn

you’re more sharp-witted and pragmatic than the typical taurus. you value stability in both romance and in your day-to-day life, like at work. you take care of your body and style in any sort of way, as your libra ascendant confirms. after all, the 3rd decan of taurus is a great balance of beauty and brain. I imagine that you're not very extroverted, you prefer staying in, but I repeat that you still probably have nice social skills that could take a while to develop. or at least, they're your secret skills. you like keeping your mind active everyday, especially by following your passions. if you’re the logical type, you might enjoy playing sudoku or things like that. on the other hand, if you’re more philosophical you might enjoy reading, writing etc. you have a great sense of duty, that makes you want to excel in whatever you do. in addition to this, you’re also very stubborn. you probably get in arguments with others because you don’t accept their advices/criticism and prefer going your own way. you may also tend to overindulge a bit, and become a bit lazy. you're also very attached to food and you may have the tendency to overeat. yet, since you have a strong earth dominance, you probably don't gain weight easily. you enjoy the finer things in life, but you might struggle with jealousy because of that. you have the tendency to look at other people’s achievements and get disappointed about yours.

taurus sun square aquarius uranus: this aspect makes you crave independency. you like doing things your own way, especially since it’s backed up by your fixed dominance. you’re really creative and intelligent, yet this may be misunderstood by those who surround you. you stand out for the way you think and your interests, and some may even perceive you as ‘weird’. I honestly think that, if well-devolped and paired with a good use of words, this aspect can be highly beneficial for your growth. a lot of successful people, like bill gates and stephen king, have this aspect, as it gives one the ability to imagine unordinary things that can impact society in a good way.

🌙 moon in cancer, 19° / 2nd decan ruled by the moon and pluto

with your moon in cancer, your privacy and security are the centre of your life. you need to be and feel emotionally stable to fully take advantage of all of your skills; for example, if you argue with a loved one of yours, especially if it's someone from your family, you could get very unmotivated to do anything. you need to feel complete to function correctly, and when you can't, you rely on material goods; e.g you may overeat, buy a lot of useless things out of stress, drink... anything that apparently helps you to cope. on the other hand, you're very affectionate, even clingy at times, but your feelings are very pure. because of that, you may also be extremely sensitive, you could be afriad of others' judgment for example. you have a very acute maternal istinct, you're most likely the dad of your group, especially since you have a libra rising, another accommodating sign. it comes natural to you to take care of others and nurture them, you'd definitely make an amazing father. the problem with this trait is that you may sometimes take the blame for something just to protect others, you could often say white lies to help your loved ones. you just want to do something beneficial for others, you're extremely generous, but don't forget that you should take care of yourself first. also, since you feel the need to help others, you may often bottle up your emotions without anyone that is willing to help you work out your problems. make sure to always have some private space in your day-to-day life, it is extremely essential for you to develop your own ideas and also to understand what to do for your personal growth.

🗣 mercury in gemini, 9° / 1st decan ruled by mercury

mercury is in its natural place in gemini, your whole chart flows very well! you have great problem-solving skills, you are extremely intelligent and astute. when you were younger, you probably used to be the winner at games like hide-and-seek. this placement also enhances your thirst for knowledge of any kind, you want to learn at least a little about anything, from science to foreign cultures. yet, since you want to learn so many things all at once, you may lack precision and be a little bit superficial. on the other hand, you're a fast learner, and since you also have your moon in cancer, a water sign, you may also be very intuitive. you may often find people predictable, but in reality you're just ahead of them. you're also very open-minded, even though you still rely more on logic, not like your sister sign is sagittarius. yet, it's easy for you to be flexible in your day-to-day life, you don't have to follow a schedule to have everything under control, even though you may often suffer from stress and headaches due to this lack of organization. you may have a very youthful and positive voice, you just give off good vibes, you know? mercury is also retrograde, so you may have troubles communicating your thoughts in a clear and understandable way. due to this, people may misunderstand your ideas and opinions and viceversa. you're more introspective, you're better at thinking than speaking, which may make you more of a listener.

gemini mercury conjunct gemini saturn: this placement gives you limitations and lessons regarding the way you think and talk. it may be that you're too shy to approach others and to say what you think, so you just don't try. otherwise, if you actually take action and try to overcome this problem, you could get into troubles. that's probably caused by the fact that you don't really pay attention to your words. you're quite straight-forward, and due to your mercury also opposing your pluto you could always seem as if you're up for a fight. you may be particularly pessimistic, or maybe you lack confidence in social interactions due to these problems, which could be possibly caused by your parents, or perhaps interfer in your relationship with your family. in fact, you may argue quite often, and misunderstandings are also common. this is something that gets naturally better with time, but in order for it to happen you need to take action. you may for example start speaking more in school, perhaps you could apply for class president. anything that allows you to challenge your mind and voice, in order to make you gain experiences and become a master at it. many celebrities, once they mastered this hard aspect, got loads of success. you can do that too, you just need to work on it.

gemini mercury opposite sagittarius pluto: you may become a bit manipulative. you probably don’t even realize it, though, as you have the ability to make people do what you want them to do. you probably love being right, especially during arguments, and you always manage to be so thanks to your skills. your words are like knives for others, they can truly cut deep through their ego. you’re direct and blunt, as you just say what you have in mind with no filters. you can develop a provocative attitude without even realizing it, which can obviously cause you conflicts. you need to be more careful about how you communicate your ideas, otherwise you could seriously damage other people’s self-esteem. on the other hand, if you acknowledge your flaws and work on them, this can actually turn into diplomacy. take advantage of your interest in your inner self and of your libra rising to find out how to be a bit more gentle in choosing your words.

❤️ venus in gemini, 25° / 3rd decan ruled by mercury and uranus

this is the flirtiest, most romantic gemini decan, but also the flakiest and most indecisive. your flirting style most probably includes jokes, teasing... stuff like that. even though you may seem flaky, as you like experiencing romance with different types of people, you're actually quite picky. in fact, in order to fall for someone, you need to feel mentally attracted to them, not just physically. someone ignorant and stubborn that doesn't care about learning something more definitely isn't for you. you're not the type to be super romantic and sweet with your partner or just people in general. you show your affection for example by sending them memes, making ironic jokes about them etc. also, when you're into someone, you probably get very talkative! you start asking them simple questions about their life, even things like 'did you have lunch?'. also, you talk about them with all of your friends, and you find yourself thinking costantly about them. you're very curious of nature, but you're only interested in getting to know what catches your eye.

gemini venus opposite sagittarius pluto: you find yourself having crushes on random people often, love at first sight could be common for you. but when you seriously fall for someone, they’re your only thought. you start searching for info about them online, and you wanna become a part of their life too. you love intensely, but not everyone may enjoy that. there are people that could feel overwhelmed by your love, others that would vibe with you and offer you the same kind of affection. ironically, you tend to attract bold, but also independent people that most of the time don’t want anything serious. you’re prone to get jealous and possessive very easily, and this makes you suffer, as you may think there’s something wrong with you. maybe, it may even remind you of something that happened during your childhood, perhaps your parents were also very protective of you. love for you is a constant grow; your relationships will be hard, but there’ll always be something to learn to improve yourself and your confidence. little side-note, you may often date karmic partners, aka partners from your past lives, so you may often experience this 'I’ve already seen you before’-vibe in your new encounters and relationships, and you’ll always learn something from all your relationships.

gemini venus conjunct gemini mars: in relationships, you're probably very intense. you feel strong feelings, and you have no troubles expressing them to your partner. you could even get clingy at some point, even though you could not realize it at first. you're a passionate lover, and you most probably love physical affection. that means that you need a partner that is just as passionate and bold as you are. you may be dominant in relationships, hence you need someone who can stand up for themselves and keep up with you. loving you is a challenge, and you need someone who's willing to try you. the bad side of this aspect is that you may be quite impulsive when it comes to relationships; you could break up with someone all of a sudden, or perhaps you could get angry easily. you're quite dramatic, but you cool down in a short amount of time if it's nothing too serious. you need someone that understand this side of you, and that is willing to stay and accept you with all your flaws.

☄️ mars in gemini, 22° / 3rd decan ruled by mercury and uranus

you're driven by the sense of intelligence. your intellect is your greatest strenght, it's your energy tank. you're interested in a bunch of things, and hence you may have troubles staying focused on one thing at the time. you probably have tons of hobbies, and you may end up not being much precise since you have tons of things that you have and want to do. you cannot stand boredom, you need your day-to-day life to be exciting and, above all, offer you something new to learn and / or experience. you probably fancy being very active: you go out often, you workout, you may also be the type to love partying and things like that. you're extremely witty and curious, and you want to live your life to the fullest. you may often change your style, your opinions, maybe even your personality, and that could make you seem confusing and / or unreliable.

gemini mars opposite sagittarius pluto: with this placement, I assume that when you were younger you were some sort of victim. you could have been bullied, for example, you used to be insecure about the way you looked and were. you could have felt different from others, and they took advantage of that to make you feel even more insecure. or maybe, it was a parent, or every authoritative figure in your life, that restricted you from following your own ideals. because of that, now you constantly feel the need to prove yourself. you probably tend to accumulate a lot of anger all together, which you need to let all out or you could explode. you could find comfort in physical ways to relieve stress, like punching bags, slamming doors, etc. or perhaps, when you're angry you just get overwhelmed by all of your emotions. you may cry, scream, even throw up in certain cases. on the other hand, you are extremely magnetic and attractive to others, you naturally draw people towards you. you're also extremely passionate in whatever you do, you put your whole heart in doing things you love. you're very hard-working and determined to achieve your goals, and I find this beneficial considering that your gemini energy tends to make one superficial. with this aspect, you're probably more dedicated than the common gemini.

🏡 houses, interceptions

your 1st house is in libra. you have a peaceful approach to the world; you most likely don’t like conflicts, you prefer avoiding them, even though you may have some troubles with that due to your blunt gemini mercury opposite pluto. you probably care a lot about your appearance, and because of that you could get insecure from time to time. usually, people with libra in their 1st house look for themselves in others, as their chart is basically upside down. your ideas may often depend on what others think for example, or perhaps you're very sensitive about others' criticism about your looks for example. the ruler of the 1st house is in the 9th house: you could be foreign, or perhaps you have a foreign 'appearance'', people may mistake you as a foreigner. you have a very free-spirited vibe around you, but you also look very approachable. you may be interested in philosophy, literature, possibly also in travelling and foreign languages and cultures. they most likely play an important role in your life.

your 2nd house is in scorpio. this placement can make you seem a bit selfish. in fact, you’re extremely possessive of your possessions, you don’t want to share them with others. there’s a lot of karma around your finances. in fact, if you’re too stingy, it may bite your butt. you need to give in order to receive, so I’d suggest you to share your things more with others. you could share a meal with a friend, for example. you’ll surely get something positive back from it. your finances may not be stable either; they are in constant change, and while this placement can make you earn quite a great amount of money, it can also make you lose everything you have. no inbetweens. the 2nd house is also about self-esteem, your relationship with your appearance. you have contrasting feelings about it; some days, you’re very confident. other days, you hate yourself. you may find flaws in every single picture you take or every pants you try on. it’s a very intense placement, as you may often feel as if you need to change your appearance in order to love yourself. based on other placements in your chart, it could indicate that you overwork yourself to feel more confident. studying, travelling and just feelings smart in general also makes you gain more security in yourself.

your 3rd house is in sagittarius, with also your pluto and chiron placed there. this is an amazing placement for a writer! you’re extremely open-minded and philosophical. you’d probably do great at poetry or just literature in general. you’re thirsty for knowledge, you aspire to learn everything you can, you enjoy being smart and educated. you most likely love comedy, and you have an amazing sense of humor yourself, you’re able to light up the room and make everyone burst into laughter even if you don’t mean to. you’re also very intelligent, you’re able to memorize things fast and you’re also a fast-learner. you may be less into gossips than other libras, as you’re very benevolent and considerate of others’ feelings. in addition, you’re able to see the good in everyone, there’s no reason for you to talk behind someone’s back. actually, it’s the opposite. you’re quite impulsive, you say things as they are. pluto here, in fact, makes it impossible for you to hide your emotions. if you feel sad or angry, people will most likely be able to tell. on the other hand, you’re particularly expressive and deep with your words, they're very memorable in a certain sense. people may find themselves thinking about what you said for days, as you may often hide hidden meanings beyond your sentences. chiron here also makes you very self-conscious about your ideas, though. you may often have great ideas, but you end up keeping them for yourself as you're afraid of saying something wrong. perhaps, you could even have some problems to your voice itself, you could stutter often for example. the ruler of the 3rd house is in the 10th house: your job may involve communication, you'll most probably interact with other people in your future career. or maybe, you might write stuff, hence you could be a writer, a journalist, etc. possibly, you would do well as a therapist too. you may also communicate through artistic outlets, hence you could be an actess, a singer, etc.

your 4th house is in capricorn, with also neptune placed there. I can tell that your childhood was quite complex. not necessarily bad, but there were a few things that you still remember to this day. your parents could have been very hard-working and focused on work, possibly wealthy too. they were very responsible and cared a lot about you, they always made sure you had everything you needed, even though they could have been slightly absent from time to time due to their jobs. they could have also been quite strict or over-protective, perhaps even violent and controlling. or maybe, one of them could have even died. your parents may also be divorced. people with a capricorn ic usually find something missing in their childhood, they had to deal with responsibilities from a young age. it could even be that you started working when you were still a teen. in addition, neptune could have made you a bit more insecure as a child than other capricorn ics. you weren’t much extroverted, you preferred staying in, drawing, playing games etc. possibly, you were also close to arts. the ruler of the 4th house is in the 9th house: you could come from a foreign place, or perhaps you moved houses a lot during your childhood. perhaps, you have someone in your family that is from a different country, culture or religion from yours, or perhaps they're able to speak more than one language. your parents could have been very successful at school, they could actually be professors. you might've always been a smart kid, you could've grown up learning more languages and you were most likely good at school too. you also got to make lots of experiences during your childhood, you might have travelled a lot.

your 5th house is in aquarius, with also uranus placed there. you’re extremely creative, your ideas are very innovative, and you may have particular hobbies, interests or taste than others. when you’re able to fully express yourself, you gain full security and you start experimenting and inventing new things. you could be the type to start new fashion trends, music styles, art styles… basically, you’re a creative genius. your hobbies may also involve astrology, as well as human studies like psychology, or also anything that has to do with technology. you may be into videogames for example, tv series, social media… they’re your way to spend your free-time and relax. your relationships may also be very unconventional; you could usually date people online, or perhaps you may have the potential to meet someone through dating apps. they’re quite unstable, they may end out of the blue for example.

your 6th house is in pisces. in your daily life, you hardly ever have a structured schedule. you go with the flow, you take things as they come. you may often have your head in the clouds, you could get distracted easily and you may literally creative oscar-worthy movies in your head instead of doing what you need to do. your job may involve arts, images, possibly even fame. you should definitely use your creative talents for your possible career. also, you could benefit from helping others; you could be a psychologist or therapist of any kind, a nurse… any place where you’re able to help others. again, you could also help others through your art, hence with your lyrics, books, etc. when it comes to diets, workout routines, skincare routines etc. you could lack consistency, even though your venusian energy makes you more motivated to take care of your appearance. you may sleep a lot, it’s easy for you to feel tired and stressed even when you’re not over-working yourself.

your 7th house is in aries. love is most likely not your priority in life. you need independence, and you’re able to stand up for yourself on your own. you don’t need someone else to help you. you tend to attract partners in your life that are hot-headed, stubborn, assertive and goal-oriented. they strive to be the best at everything they do, they’re extremely competitive and willing to do anything to achieve their goals. basically, you attract very dominant partners, and your other placements suggest that you're quite fine with it, you like being nurtured in a relationship. you may often experience power struggles between you and your partner, which cause you issues in every relationship you get in. in fact, at the same time, you wouldn’t stand someone too submissive either, as you still need someone that would mentally stimulate you. they may actually be quite selfish and self-centered, they’ll care more about their own development rather than that of you two as a couple. an aries 7th house indicates that while you’ll have a very active, passionate spouse, you may also experience lots of arguments and discussions in your marriage life, perhaps even physical violence since mars doesn't make very positive aspects, so beware of that. the ruler of the 7th house is in the 9th house: you may meet your future spouse abroad, or perhaps they're foreign. they could also be from a different culture from yours, or at least they're able to speak more than a language. they'll be very open-minded, but also quite impulsive.

your 8th house is in taurus, with also your sun sitting in this house. you have the most stable, stubborn sign in a house that requires constant change. you probably hate changing your routine and stepping out of your comfort zone. changes are hard for you to accept; you find it hard to change job all of a sudden for example, or even letting go of a toxic friend of yours can be stressful for you. also, you could be quite materialistic and fond of material possessions, causing you to be a bit too stingy, which isn’t good for your karma. another reason that this house contrasts with your 2nd house in scorpio is that you feel like you constantly need to change, but ironically slow taurus makes your changes way slower than usual. sometimes, when they happen, they’re so subtle that you probably can’t even see them or at least notice them at first. yet, they'll actually become the centre of your life. in fact, your existence in this lifetime revolves around constant improvements and learning lessons. this placement may also indicate that you could get an inheritance, even though there may some troubles around it due to your poorly aspected venus. you could also have a violent or painful death.

your 9th house is in gemini, with also mercury, saturn, venus and mars in a stellium. you’re most likely extremely curious about anything the world has to offer. you want to make new experiences and adventures, you want to find out anything about other cultures, places, etc. to open your mind and gain some new knowledge. you probably love travelling, and you may have quite a few dream destinations to visit. the 9th house is also about higher education, and hence you’re probably successful at school. you most likely enjoy studying, and you could get more than one degree actually. or perhaps, you got to study different subjects before choosing your final university, you were quite indecisive at first. you may as well be bilingual, or at least you’re extremely talented at foreign languages. you can probably mimic different accents pretty well, even if you don’t visit other countries. you may also have eccellent communication skills, overall, which could be extremely useful for your future career, but I’ll talk about that later. it could be that your family is also bilingual / foreign, or perhaps they have a different religion / culture. you could also live abroad, possibly with them. venus in this house indicates that you may often date people from a different nationality or culture from yours, and perhaps you'll actually marry someone from abroad as the rest of your chart suggests. you may also find yourself falling for unavailable people, and hence they could either be physically unavailable, like celebrities for example, or even emotionally. they could be already taken, for example. last but not least, saturn is also in this house: you strive for freedom, you want to be your own boss. you don't want others to tell you what to do, but saturn here may make you struggle to achieve your individuality. perhaps, during your childhood, you were restricted from acting the way you wanted. it's like your ideas were disrespected, and you weren't allowed to embrace them, or perhaps you were afraid of the consequences. it may be that when you try to break free from what you consider to be a limitation, you may come across a few struggles that could possibly hurt you. luckily, this is an aspect that will naturally get better time with time as you get more mature. the ruler of the 9th house is in the 9th: you’re an open-minded person who’s probably into history, literature/poetry, philosophy etc. you may also have a knack for studying different languages and travelling a lot, as they help you increase your creativity and hence your inner child.

your 10th house is in cancer, with also the moon and jupiter sitting there. your career needs to be private. that doesn’t mean that you can’t become famous of course, but you prefer being more hidden at job, you may even work from home or from a young age. many celebrities with this placement, in fact, started working when they were still young. also, cancer indicates that your future job will give you the opportunity to express and / or deal with your / others’ feelings and emotions, and considering that the ruler of this house, the moon, is in the 3rd house, I can see you working in the communication field. you could become a writer, a singer, an actress, as well as a nurse, a therapist… anything that allows you to express your emotions while also communicating something is suitable for you. you could possibly also choose the same career as your parents, or you may handle the family’s business for example. you could also end up doing the job of your childhood dreams. you feel the need to pursue a meaningful career in your life, you want to feel emotionally connected to it. you don’t only want something that allows you to earn money, you also want to gain wisdom and maturity from a job, and hence you could even be a bit picky in choosing your future career. yet, you'll be extremely successful and lucky, as jupiter is your most elevated planet. you'll approach your career with optimism, you'll find joy in working, and that will pay you back.

your 11th house is in leo. with this placement, you’re probably very popular among your friends, you’re most likely the most talkative or funniest member of your group. you may also attract very popular people yourself in your friendships, perhaps even celebrities. possibly, you could even make friends that allow you to gain recognition and / or popularity, doesn’t matter whether it’s in school, job, etc. your friends could also help you feeling more confident, you may be way more talkative and sociable when you're in their company, their presence comforts you. you have big dreams for your future, you want to be praised and recognized for your success, and you may actually dream of fame, even though I don't think it's exactly your case. you'd rather be successful in your small environment. the ruler of the 11th house is in the 8th house: you may often receive gifts from your friends. they could be particularly wealthy, too. or maybe, they are your soulmates, and you may learn a lot from them. you could sometimes discuss, but those events will just help you to grow up.

your 12th house is in virgo. this is another placement that indicates that you are an amazing writer! in fact, the 12th house is about secret skills too, and virgo is ruled by mercury, the planet of communication. you do the math. with this placement, though, I feel like you may feel restricted from pursuing your goals, or even a career in the public eye, as you’re quite sensitive to others’ criticism about you. you strive to be perfect all the time, and your libra rising wants to constantly have a nice reputation. a scandal, or even simple haters, would probably be the end of you. you also have venus placed here, meaning that deep down, you actually crave affection from someone else. yet, you may be afraid, or perhaps too shy to approach a possible partner. but remember, the 12th house is also the house of secret talents! in fact, especially with your libra rising, you’re extremely likeable. you shouldn’t be afraid of not being liked back, for example. remember that your love life will get better with time, as you become more mature in that field.

❤️ love life, soulmates

in love, you attract aries, aquarius, leo and virgo placements. your future spouse will most likely have leo and virgo traits placements, maybe a leo - virgo cusp. they’ll be very similiar to you: bold and confident, but also with a warm heart and a hidden insecurity to them. you may meet them during a fun situation, hence at a party, during a vacation, in a restaurant, at a concert, a social gathering… possibly, even online, as I’ve already mentioned before. also, your spouse will most likely be your friend at first, or perhaps you'll get to meet them through your friends. your children will have strong aquarius, possibly capricorn placements. they’ll be very dreamy, they’ll have big goals for their life, and they’ll also be extremely intelligent and creative as well.

👶🏻 family life

your father is probably a very caring person that knows how to stand up for himself when he has to, but he may struggle to do that. he’s very smart, caring and optimistic, and he could come from a different country from yours. maybe he’s of another religion, or he can speak other languages. he could have cancer placements in his chart, possibly sagittarius too. your mother, on the other hand, is a bit more serious and focused on work, but she always made sure you always had what you needed. she was probably the strict parent in the family, I feel like you probably have a better relationship with your dad than with her. also, she may have capricorn, aquarius, pisces or sagittarius placements in her chart. if you have siblings, they most likely have sagittarius, pisces and scorpio placements in their chart. they could also be foreign or skilled at foreign languages, and you may feel very at ease with them. you have an amazing bond with them, you’re able to both relax and have fun together, even though there could have been some power struggles during your early years, you were very jealous.

📊 career

with jupiter as your most elevated planet, I assume you would do well at any career that involves foreign languages. you may work for a multinational agency like the onu, for example. or perhaps, you could be a translator, or you'll just directly move abroad to work. you may also have to travel often. or perhaps, since jupiter is also about education, you could become a teacher or even a professor. you may teach foreign languages, for example, or perhaps you may even work with children, or just people younger than you in general. with that 9th house stellium of yours, you love knowledge and you're also very open-minded, you'd definitely make a great teacher. you could also be great at writing too.

👚 fashion sense, style analysis

I imagine you put a lot of effort into your outifts, yet you don’t show it. you want to look effortlessly good, you don’t want to give the impression that you tried. your style may be quite minimalistic and simple, with lots of jeans, sweatshirts, plain t-shirts… I see you being more into natural shades, like white, grey, beige etc. you’re also not very fond of using too many accessories, you’re stylish but still very simple. you have this natural charm to you, hence you still look good even though your outfits may not be too complex.

👁 past life, life purpose

during your past life, it was hard for you to get out of your comfort-zone. you preferred staying in your small environment rather than challenge yourself. that made you again awareness of how to act in small communities, but this lifetime you need to go farther than that. you need to prove that what you learned in your past life is the key to nurture your skills, and be able to apply them in a larger environment. you may find yourself travelling a lot, gaining lots of widsom from your experiences... in this lifetime, you basically need to learn through the communication abilities you gained in your previous life.

🤔 major transits analysis / september 22nd

uranus is currently transiting your 8th house, and it's going to be conjunct your sun in a few months; I'd keep an eye on this placement, as it can signify a sudden event that could literally change your life, especially since it's going to touch your natal sun. as of now it's not harshly aspected, so I don't think there are many negative effects of it in your life, but it could even manifest as a sudden death. anything that will force you to react and change something in yourself. also, transit mars is currently in your 7th house; you may often find yourself having arguments with people lately, especially with romantic partners, so try to choose your words wisely to avoid conflicts.

🧿 manifest what you want, secret skills

your secret skills revolve around finances and just security in general. with a positive attitude, you may attract material luck: money, clothes, houses… everything that you desire. since you’re a logical person, I assume the most efficient way for you to manifest through the LOA is writing! take a notebook and just write down positive affirmations, such as 'I have the car of my dreams’ etc. you may also write them on post-its and glue them around your house, so that you can accelerate the progress. you can also try to idealize your wish before trying to manifest it. for example, if you want a new sweatshirt, try to imagine yourself wearing it. you could also go into a shop and actually try that sweatshirt it on; being in contact with it will boost the law of attraction even more.

this is the end! thank you again for booking a reading :) hope it resonated with you!

Justice Society of America #4 (1992)

Ultrahumanite exhibits all the characteristics of a man happy to be reunited with friends: cheerily laughing, bright happy expression, hands on hips, weirdly-shaped massive hard-on.

Forgive me for the erect penis joke but I felt it was in the tradition of Grunion Guy. You might find it funny if you knew how uncomfortable it made me to type it and how worried I was for a second that my mother might see it. But then I realized that if my mom saw it, it would mean my mom read Grunion Guy's blog, and then I almost threw up. That would be so embarrassing! Normally I would be on the side of the Justice Society of America because they are the good people with the good values. But how good are their good values if they are trying to stop a job creator and upstanding corporate citizen like Ultrahumanite who is just trying to run his Ultragen business the best way he knows how: with stormtrooper bodyguards to defend labs where they experiment on animal-human hybrids? Anything that hurts corporate profits is a bad thing for capitalism and the Justice Society of America should know that, being that they have "America" right there in their name. Although they also have "Society" in their name and that is a bird whistle for socialists. The bird whistle is the dog whistle of the left because it is more pleasant to listen to and it isn't aggravating or obnoxious and it makes the world a better place for everybody (except people who hate birds and probably own guns to shoot those stupid birds. Stupid birds. So dumb).

Oh no! Nobody warned these old timers that we aren't doing prison rape jokes anymore!

Wildcat has some great words of wisdom in that previous panel. It is the most scienciest science statement I have ever read (unless it was the mathiest math statement): "If X did not happen, Y would have happened! Thusly I have proved we are better than you! QED! In your face, Ultrahumanite!" Whenever I would lose a game of Dungeons & Dragons with my friends Bullpup and McGroover, I would say, "Oh yeah? Let's see you make a delicious sandwich!" Then they would back down and they would be all, "Yes, you are correct, Pickle Boy. You are the better friend with the most useful skills and we are only good at pretending to slaughter Kobold families for copper coins." That's pretty funny if you realize Dungeons & Dragons is about adventurers invading the lairs of creatures to steal their material possessions! Doctor Mid-Nite does not quip with the others because he might be dead. Do not forget these guys are really old! It does not matter how many muscles they have or what kind of cardio breathalyzer tests they can pass; they still have super old bones and a lifetime of clogged arteries. One slip or the slightest bit of extra exertion could mean Stroke City or Brokenhipsville for these cool cats! That is old person slang! It is very humorous!

Now they goof on his stutter? I am beginning to wonder who the real villains are in this story!

Look how happy the Ultrahumanite is! And these old guys have been nothing but bitter, cynical old winds from the butt! Plus he is a successful businessman and scientist who has created life! It sounds like he has turned over a new leaf now that he no longer has to steal bodies. I am not ignoring the laboratory full of hybrid creatures; I'm just going to assume that they were all volunteers until it is proven otherwise. You cannot go through life never eating the buttered bread that fell on the floor buttered side down! Ultrahumanite decides to recount his past for some reason. This made me laugh because I was thinking, "Yeah! They are old men. They cannot remember stuff from so long ago and also they have enlarged prostates!"

But which is actually worse: making fun of somebody's disability or sympathizing with Nazis? I've got some hard questions to answer!

Some things are unforgivable but one thing I think we can all agree to forgive is a hot woman who sided with the Nazis.

How does a huge ape body reflect the Ultrahumanite's desires? Please do not answer, "He loves to copulate with monkeys," because that's what I an suggesting by the question and you would look like one of those fools on Twitter who thinks they are hilarious by restating somebody's joke in a less subtle manner.

Ultrahumanite continues to explain how he became such a pillar of the business community. It is as boring as you would expect a PowerPoint presentation from a business man would be. That was probably the joke! Why is not the trademarked name "PowerPoint" two words? If you are going to bother capitalizing the second "P", you might as well just separate the words. Maybe it was somebody's online name when they were fourteen years old. It is always a smart decision to just run the two words together rather than separating them with an underscore. And it is easier to read when the second word is capitalized (as opposed to every other word capitalized or just the consonants. I do not understand young people). Nobody remembers to put underscores in when searching for a name online!

"Ultrahumanite! You are experimenting on innocent people, ruining the environment, causing unknown amounts of damage to the populace of every city where one of your labs operates but Ted Grant and the world just want to know one thing: was that hot Nazi body the real you because 'Rrrrrow!'"

You think I am making a joke but I don't joke about things that I don't joke about and one of those things is that Ted Grant has previously expressed interest in cultivating an intimate relationship with hot Nazi Ultrahumanite. Specifically, he said earlier that she "swept him off his feet." He only used that phrase so Al could make a joke about how they were hanging upside down so the sweeping off of feet is still happening. But I think, in his heart, he wanted to say, "She made me spontaneously become a man every time we wrestled. Is that okay under the Hays Code? Can I get away with that amount of innuendo?!" The Ultrahumanite has to go deal with The Flash who has literally suddenly appeared. Weird how the word "literally" is never actually needed when it is used properly. I guess using it in a hyperbolic and exaggerated fashion is really its only job. While Ultrahumanite is gone, Doctor Mid-Nite "double joints" his wrists to escape. I'm pretty sure Grunion Guy's wrists were double jointed by the amount of times he wrote about masturbating. He was a crude jerk but I still hope he rests in peace in that pauper's cemetery down by the toxic sludge factory. Doctor Mid-Nite takes on the guards while The Atom and Wildcat rush out to save The Flash who is The Flash and almost certainly does not need saving. While Doctor Mid-Nite is beating up the guards, he suddenly becomes a stand up comedian. Was I wrong to assume he was an actual doctor? Is that just his stage persona? I would tell you why his jokes were funny if they were but I cannot figure them out. Why is this an old joke (and if it is, why would he even retell it when it is nonsense): "I know you're out there because I can hear you breathing"? The Flash gets encased in some living green goo that absorbs heat and kinetic energy which might also be a definition of heat? I'm just a sandwich maker slash writer's assistant who has never once showed an ounce of curiosity about the real world so forgive me for languishing in my ignorance. At least I own a thesaurus. Back in Gotham City, Jesse Quick appears for a page or two to remind everybody that she exists. "Hello! I am the hot daughter of the infomercial guy! I have also deluded myself into believing a mathematical equation gives me super speed! It makes no sense!" Jesse takes some papers proving that Ultragen is breaking laws so the JSA has the right to beat the crap out of its CEO. For comedic effect, they have a little more confusion over Ultrahumanite's pronouns (which, to be fair, he has not expressed any preference for and doesn't seem to mind using whatever pronouns match the gender he seems to be expressing) before rushing off to punch her in the face. I don't know what pronouns to use either but she was a super hot Nazi so let's just go with that one.

See? She is a scientific genius!

At first I was all, "Oh, big deal! So The Flash is trapped in goo!" And then the Ultrahumanite was all, "You cannot breathe without oxygen!" And then I was all, "Oh no! I had not thought of that! Somebody save him, preferably an old guy from the JSA or I will feel cheated out of my hard earned buck twenty-five." I keep laughing at that previously scanned panel and how Wildcat and The Atom are hiding behind trees the way characters do in comic strips. So ridiculous! It is even funnier if you remember that they are old men! I bet you are laughing a lot more now! Doctor Mid-Nite arrives because he "smoke bombed" with his previous stand-up gig. Get it?! If you understood the play on the word "bomb" there and that I meant the fight against the guards when I said "stand-up gig," you would be cracking up like crazy!

Yeah. A smoke bomb! We all know that is where he keeps them!

The Flash breaks free and Doctor Mid-Nite punches Ultrahumanite in the nose, breaking it. Ultrahumanite is so vain that he falls to the ground, defeated! And that is when the Calvary arrives! That is funny because I used the wrong word and now you are picturing a crucified Jesus riding up on a horse to save the day instead of Green Lantern, The Flash, and Jesse Quick arriving on a Green Lantern construct! Justice Society of America #4 Rating: A. I have not read as many comic books as Grunion Guy but this one seemed pretty good in comparison to the ones I have read, like WildC.A.T.S. #1 and pick any issue you want of Youngblood. One more "What gender is Ultrahumanite?!" joke for the road!

Alan felt this was the kind of thing a heterosexual would say. It's funny because he "New 52" comes out of the closet later!

note: sirens are an exclusive species group that can only be created with a siren pass which are purchased from the point shop or awarded during challenges. however, those who participate in our site buzz will be allowed to make a siren at no cost!

There are many ideas and impressions surrounding Sirens. In some tales, Sirens are temptresses of the sea; luring travelers and fishermen alike to their untimely deaths. In other versions, Sirens are painted in a kinder light; portrayed as curious, playful creatures who seek to help others. Arguably, both conceptions of the Siren are true because just like people, Siren come with different attitudes and beliefs, including whether or not it is their duty to protect the weak, tempt others into danger, or whatever they see fit.

Many believe Sirens come the very depths of the bottom of the ocean where the light is unable to reach the bottom and no human can venture alone without the assistance of technology. Others believe they are the descendants of gods like Poseidon; rulers and guardians of the sea. Regardless what mysterious past the sirens may possess, they live much simpler lives in Dismal; often traveling through the Niobrara River and the town's local White Bear lake when in their true forms.

Like the fae, sirens often feel as though they are protectors of nature, specifically the waters that runs through the town and believe in watching over the living creatures that inhabit it. Though there are so few of them across the world due to pollution and hunting, they remain a powerful species especially when surrounded in their element. Sirens are highly social creatures and often live closely with their own kind, referred to as 'pods'. Typically, sirens are led by the eldest matriarchal figure within the pod. The sirens of Dismal are no different, though additionally their species have decided to combine their numbers with the fae, referring to themselves as 'the guardianship' since they hold the same values as them and have a mutual understanding as being the most vulnerable species of Dismal.

{ appearance }

Sirens can manipulate their appearance on land to blend in with human society with very little difficulty. Their appearance will not appear out of the ordinary in comparison to any other human being, other than some creatures with a keen sense of smell will remark that they have a specific scent to them that comes from living in the waters nearby. In their true form, Sirens appear as they often do in fairy tails; a human torso with a fish tail that navigates them through the waters. Their tails range in all different kinds of color, shape, and length depending on genetics and where they come from, often matching the local fish of their birth region. Their fingers also typically have webbing between the individual digits and their skin takes on a more scaly appearance which is often undetectable without a shimmer of light casting over them. 

{ abilities }

AQUATIC RESPIRATION: All siren have the ability to breathe underwater and above water, allowing them to remain in both water or on land for as long as they desire.   AQUATIC ADAPTION: siren have the ability to adapt to all underwater environments, swim swiftly with great precision, endure high water pressures which allow them to dive deep, and endure both extreme high and low temperatures of water.     AQUATIC SENSES:

While in the water, sirens senses are heightened; allowing them to perceive normally regardless of distortions in the water.     LAND ADAPTION:

All sirens are able to transform to give themselves a human-like appearance that allows them to walk on land and function as other land-dwelling creatures would be able to. AQUATIC LIFE COMMUNICATION:

All sirens have the ability to communicate with other aquatic life through a telepathic connection. Other aquatic creatures do not have coherent thoughts or language, so much of the communication is trading images, feelings, and memories with one another.   AQUATIC LIFE SUMMONING: In addition to communicating with aquatic life, sirens can call to creatures living in the water and ask them to complete tasks or requests for them. While it is not always guaranteed (some creatures are more stubborn and self serving than others) it can be extremely useful when in dire situations.    SIREN’S SONG:

Though not every Siren is gifted with singing abilities, those that do have the gift are often described as having mesmerizing and hypnotic voices that can often put others into a euphoric trance where they become blissfully unaware of what they were doing and their surroundings and instead find themselves determined to locate the source of the sound. the effectiveness of their song is usually based on their age and their skill range, meaning some sirens have very little difficulties hypnotizing others while younger sirens can only keep their attention for so long before their target snaps out of it.     COLD IMMUNITY:

While both on land and water, sirens are invulnerable to the cold. Their bodies create antifreeze proteins which prevents their blood from crystallizing and allow them to survive polar regions.    

{ weaknesses }

DEHYDRATION: While sirens are able to walk and live among humans, they must always return to a body of water or they risk dehydration. sirens dehydrate much faster than any other creature, especially during the summertime when the sun is at its strongest. Drinking lots of water and taking showers/baths helps prevents dehydration, but only for so long. The only thing that will absolutely help them avoid dehydration is returning to a large body of water, such as an ocean or a lake.

the magical current that runs through dismal allows sirens to endure being out of water for longer periods of time. additionally, the overall conditions of the river and lake passing through dismal are substantial which has improved the health of the local sirens.    LONELINESS: sirens are very social creatures and need to be socialized with their own kind or humans. Despite some sirens despising humans, they feel drawn to them and tend to fall in love with them or strike up faster bonds with them in comparison to other creatures. sirens who do not socialize with their own kind or humans will fall into a depression and often become ill, which can result in death.    LAND: sirens are able to function and blend in with humans easily, but their powers stop working while on land (aside from shape shifting and siren's song), making them more vulnerable to dangers surrounding them and limited ways to escape in comparison to being in the water.  

{ misc. information }

MATURITY: sirens exhibit their powers from the day they are born. Most sirens will give birth and raise their offspring in the water for many years before bringing them ashore and introducing them to human society while others choose to do the reverse, depending how close they want to be with humans. CREATION:

sirens are ONLY born and never created.   LIFESPAN: sirens who strictly live in the water are known to live on forever, keeping their youth and beauty but isolated from human society. Those who decide to live on land have a shorter life expectancy and begin to age as well. At this moment we are only accepting sirens who are 1000 years old and younger. If you would like to make a siren who is older than 1000 years, you make purchase an age extender in the point shop and create a siren as old as 10,000 years.     REPRODUCTION: sirens can produce with any creature with the exception of vampires. sirens carry their offspring like humans, however they must return to the water and will not be able to shift until they deliver their child. Their pregnancies usually last up to 9 months.    

{ the guardianship }

note: every siren is a part of the guardianship. we do not allow loners.

With the siren population being on the brink of extinction in the human realm, sirens of Dismal knew it was important to stick together in order to protect themselves from the potential threats that lurk around every corner. However, even though there was strength in their unity, it wasn't enough to keep them safe. Though Dismal has always claimed to be a safe community for all species to live in, the townsfolk, specifically the police department of Dismal fail to acknowledge the fact that there have been several missing cases involving sirens that have never been solved. In response, the faeries and the sirens of Dismal have joined their forces together in what is known as 'the guardianship' to protect one another from the dangers in and outside of Dismal. Many also dedicate themselves to the protection of the wildlife surrounding the town as they know it is crucial to keep their natural resources untouched so that they can live healthier lives. Unlike many of the other groups residing in Dismal, the guardianship doesn't ask those who are interested in joining them to partake in any test or prove to loyalty. The fae and sirens have been through enough and they are aware each of them have had their own struggles before ending up in Dismal. They simply ask that they protect one another and to never betray their own kind.

So having watched the first season of Transformers Cyberverse, I’ve got some thoughts to express. Overall I thought it was boring and a bit uninspired in places, but I generally think that’s more on me as a veteran fan. The first season aims to tell the abridged origin of the Great War, which seems loosely based on the Aligned and IDW origins: the Decepticons came to power to overthrow a oppressive government. As such it doesn’t do much new, so it’s nothing I, or other veterans, haven’t heard before, but as an entry point for new fans, I think it serves its purpose to give them the general gist of things. Interwoven with the backstory is Bumblebee and Windblade’s exploits on Earth, as they dodge enemy Seekers, fix Bee’s memories (which is where the flashbacks come from), and locate The Ark to reunite with the other Autobots. Like the Bumblebee movie, the titular Autobot has lost his memories, and fumbles his way around in a child like manner, needing Windblade’s Cityspeaker skills to refresh his memory so he can tell her where the Ark is. This part of the story is a little better, as it offers more original material, with additional flashbacks as to how Bee and Windy met. Their friendship is rather touching, if mildly cliche from a teenage romcom scenario. Back on Cybertron, Bee was a charming dork while Windblade was the new girl in town (like in IDW, she’s from Caminus), and feel in with the popular clique: Starscream’s jets. Charmed by Bumblebee’s antics and disgusted by Starscream’s cruelty, Windy decides to hang with Bee and a friendship is born. The sparse prewar segments are generally the best parts, showing a simplified glimpse at what Cybertron was like. There’s a hint of mild Shapeism, in that the jet Transformers think they’re the cream of the crop, and look down on ground vehicles. Similarly, cars don’t have a high opinion of the smarmy jets either. Nevertheless, everyone seems to generally get along just fine at MacCadam’s Old Oil House, with Soundwave and other Seekers providing musical entertainment. MacCadam’s is probably the best episode of the first season, which shows the subtle collapse of Cybertronian society though small timeskips. Cities are reduced to rubble, tensions are high, but the Oil House stood firm for the longest time, helped by MacCadam’s strict no fighting policy. When Megatron intends to rip the place apart looking for Deadlock, owner Mac transforms into an unseen form to frighten the tyrant off, and lets the future Drift stay for as long as he likes. Also a new Cybertronian sport, Cube, is shown, which seems to be Quidditch mixed with football. It’s honestly not that interesting, but Bumblebee was such a big fan of the sport, he tries to sneak into the stadium to see it, ultimately interfering in a game (though at this point he was trying to stop a bored Starscream from ruining the game). Worth nothing Cyberverse’s sister series, Rescue Bots Academy, also includes Cube and it’s other biggest fan Hot Shot. The present day stories though do have their flaws. There’s really no point for the Autobots to be on Earth, as it feels obligatory more so than anything else because that’s what previous stories did. The Robots in Disguise factor seems largely abandoned as nobody bothers to scan Earth modes, and freely run around in their space forms. Grimlock seems to be the only one who scanned an Earth form however, though this wasn’t made immediately clear in flashbacks since he still had saurian like kibble. (Hindsight suggests he probably turned into a vaguely saurian tank however). Really, outside of Grimlock’s brief backstory and Shockwave’s plan to raze Earth in order to kill the Autobots and collect the Allspark, the Transformers could’ve been running around Pluto or Mars instead. Nobody interacts with or befriends humans, so there’s not much of a drive to defend Earth beyond it’s the right thing to do. And also the Ark, but still. Character work is probably the worst aspect of the show unfortunately. Outside of Grimlock, MacCadam and Teletraan X, nobody really has any interesting personality or quirks. Bee is transplanted from his Movie and Prime incarnation, while Windy seems mostly defined by her sisterly relationship with Bee. As such she doesn’t really work on her own, as she lacks any of the traits possessed by her earlier counterparts. At best I can say she’s loyal and a good fighter, but without someone to bounce off of, she’s uninteresting. Bee doesn’t have anything new going for him either. He still speaks with his radio and is the little buddy, but that’s about it. Oh, the Allspark apparently reacted to him on Cybertron, implying a greater destiny, but nothing else is said about this for the time being. The only other major presence are Slipstream’s Seekers, but they might as well have been Vehicons, as there’s little to no character development for any of them. They’re all little more than dumb thugs. At most, Slipstream wants to look good in front of high command, but this isn’t explored much. Really the only interesting Seeker is Acid Storm, who due to animation errors and, perhaps a lack of communication between the show runners and Hasbro, is said to be gender fluid to cover up the error. It’s actually a fun idea that could be fleshed out more, among other things, on how other Decepticons view it (Slip is fine with it, but Shockwave sees no combat value in it), but I fear they’ll not be allowed to do so. The other legacy Autobots and Decepticons seen have nothing new to offer, and are who they’ve been in the original G1 cartoon. Grimlock is an exception as he has a split personality, being prim and proper in robot mode, but his classic caveman brute in beast mode. In an example of telling, not showing, Grimlock was revealed to have reigned on Earth during the dinosaur age, allegedly creating an advanced dinosaur society. It’s another cool idea, but as we’re not really shown how this worked, it feels half baked at best. Many wish we would’ve gotten a spotlight episode of Grim and his dinosaur friends instead, but who knows, maybe a possible IDW Cyberverse comic might dip into that more. Because of the show’s 10 minute time frame, a lot of more emotional and impactful scenes are stunted pretty badly, most notably a flashback detailing a heroic sacrifice by Blurr, but it’s clear the writers are doing their best with what they’ve got to work with. Similarly new Decepticon Shadow Striker also gets the shaft in development. Characteriszed as a shortfused, competitive girl, Shadow was at one point the Decepticons’ top bounty hunter and sharpshooter, but an accident following the capture of Optimus left her severely crippled. Now having a mishmash body cobbled together by Shockwave, she’s no longer able to do a lot of what she was able to, and is driven by an insane fury to get revenge on Bumblebee, who played an admittedly minor role in her accident. They’re supposed to be arch enemies, but their limited interactions feel very forced. If anything she had more chemistry with fellow impulsive wreckloose Hot Rod. It does feel like there might be set up for her to switch sides, as Bee has been shown to cut her some slack that she partially acknowledges, but I might be looking too hard into it. Overall, Cyberverse repackages what came before it, but does very little new to innovate. The season finale ends with the Decepticon Battle Fleet zeroing in on Earth to wipe out the restored Autobots. This at least suggests a straight forward 80’s style clash between Bots and Cons next season. I’m hoping the second season has some better stories, but talk of killing off a lot of the characters (a jokey comment in particular says Optimus dies immediately in the second season, with another implying Bumblebee becomes Goldbug), makes me a bit skeptical of the show’s story going forward. I’m still gonna check it out though, and if the Goldbug thing is true, I wouldn’t mind seeing that side of Bee again.

The Book of Joseph. Chapter 5

“They command you not to kill,

not to steal. Do you think they are

doing it to save your soul? No.

They could not care less about your

soul or your life. Killing, stealing —

they just want to be the only ones

allowed to do those things.”

Sermon from the Project at Eden's Gate.

One night, Jacob woke John and me. Without a word, he led us out of the barn and began pouring gasoline on everything inside it. Then, he set it on fire.

After that, he freed the animals and burned the stables as well. As the flames rose higher, the light, the crackling, and the cries of the animals woke our guardians. They ran outside in a panic, still wearing their pyjamas.

By then, Jacob had swapped his cans of gasoline for a sturdy axe handle. He knocked out the still drowsy man with a few blows. He was left lying on the ground, face bloodied, illuminated by the flames, his wife screaming in terror while we watched the sight without the slightest feeling of pity.

We had been lied to. Now there was no chance that we would call them Mum and Dad.

Jacob also burned the house, the cars, and everything our guardians owned. When there was nothing left to bum, we sat on the ground and watched the fire consume and purify the place where we had endured so much suffering, like scouts watching a campfire.

And so we confirmed the suspicions of the psychiatrists who had examined us the first time: the Seed brothers were dangerous. They had a tainted and nefarious bloodline. What did it matter that we had been humiliated, exploited, and starved? The rest of humanity was not satisfied. Who were we to dare to rebel? We had to be stopped. We needed to be separated urgently. The authorities placed Jacob in a juvenile detention centre, which could be more accurately described as a prison for minors. He left between the arms of two police officers, like a guilty man, like our father. But before he did, he reassured us, promised us that we would be reunited soon and that we would never leave each other again.

He told us everything was going to be ok. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

For John and me, still at the orphanage, it was time to get back on the adoption merry-go-round. We were visited by infertile couples, visited by people who were bored but too allergic to get a dog, visited by those who wanted to save their souls by doing a good deed; we saw anyone who wanted to adopt a child, whether or not they had good intentions.

John was the first to go. He was the best looking, the least odd. He was adopted by a rich family who, I imagined, lived in luxury in Atlanta or one of those gated communities we had never set foot in.

As for me, I was picked a few times with varying results. Once, and only once, I ignored the psychiatrist’s advice and talked about the Voice. I was immediately sent back to the orphanage, the same way you return a defective household appliance. I think they were hoping I was still under warranty and they could quickly exchange me for a more normal child free of charge.

But most families who welcomed me in treated me well. They were brave people who almost made me forget that my brothers were far away.

I hope they do not suffer when the end comes.

Of course, I came across many other children during these years: temporary siblings, classmates, teammates, and the like. I had a hard time connecting with them. I was different. I could feel it. Everyone saw me as the odd one out secretive, a lonely orphan. Teachers and professors worried about me spending so much time on my own. They did not know I wasn’t alone. The Voice’s message was on a constant loop in my head, promising me an extraordinary destiny.

And so, I went from family to family, year after year. When I became a man, and was free to travel wherever I liked, I returned to Rome with the intention of finding my two brothers.

I had not heard anything from them. We had not seen, called, or written each other. I knew that the government would not help me. They did not have the right and no one would make the smallest effort for the brothers to find each other. But I did not doubt that we would be reunited. This was our destiny. I returned to our neighbourhood, looking for our street, our house. But neither the house nor the street were there any longer.

Instead, there was a shopping centre. One fine morning, someone had decided that our suburb needed to become both respectable and profitable. And to do so, the rabble had to be pushed out and their hovels razed. Someone had simply thrown a dart at a map and thus sealed the fate of dozens of families. Because, when the rich move in, the poor get kicked out. Where the Seed house once stood, there was now a fancy pet store with a frame maker and an overpriced barbershop on either side.

The neighbourhood was unrecognizable. Back then, people threw rocks at stray dogs and shaved in broken bits of mirrors, and the most valued skill was knowing how to avoid having your meagre possessions seized by the repo man or a collection agency.

The local residents had also radically changed. They now had jobs and cars, houses with manicured gardens and happy children. They didn’t need to borrow money to pay their bills.

I would find no answers here, in this place where I no longer belonged. I left before any of the residents, casting suspicious glances my way, could call the police.

I began squatting in a part of town that looked more like where I had grown up. It was an old packing plant, unused since its production line was relocated elsewhere.

I no longer needed to worry about where I was going to sleep, but I didn’t have anything to eat. I was a well-presented and polite young man, so it was easy for me to find a job as an elevator operator at a hotel.

It was a night job paying minimum wage, but my needs were few and I wanted to keep some of my time free to search for leads on my brothers. It was a win-win.

My duties consisted of asking people who got in the elevator what floor they wanted and pressing the right button. That was it.

I suppose it must have been reassuring for customers to see a man dressed like an organ grinder’s monkey paid to press a button for them.

One night, after several uneventful months, three drunk men wearing tuxedos entered the elevator. Alcohol had made two of them extremely chatty, clouding their better judgement, which usually prohibited them from talking to the hired help. The third man was blind drunk, and I had to help the other two get him back to his suite. They offered to buy me a drink as thanks, but I declined.

They asked if drinking was against my religion. I said no. They asked what religion I belonged to. I said I didn’t know, but that the Voice spoke to me. They didn’t say anything in response, but notified the hotel manager the next morning.

He called me into his office and fired me on the spot. As easy as pressing a button.

I took it as a sign: I needed to refocus my energy on finding my brothers as quickly as possible.

I searched the archives and newspapers. I flipped through year-books, scanning all the faces in the pictures of dances and sporting events until my eyes watered, but I never spotted the name Seed or the familiar faces of my two brothers.

While frequenting the city’s libraries, where I had become a regular fixture, I grew interested in religion. In spite of myself, I still sought to understand why the Voice had chosen to speak to me. Living in a society where people who wore the wrong brand of shoes or who hadn’t read the right books were openly disdained, how could I understand why the Voice had chosen to speak to the middle child of a poor family from the South? Society is harsh and insidious; it keeps us from living just as it keeps us from rising. Society needs to disappear.

I read everything I could get my hands on. I discovered something about those who took a vow of silence, who danced to exhaustion, who lived in caves as hermits their entire lives; those who fasted, vowed celibacy, prayed non-stop, ingested hallucinogenic plants to speak to spirits in the afterlife, flagellated themselves in the name of their God. All of them had the same goal in mind: They were begging for something to fill the emptiness inside of them.

These people know they are missing something, something that cannot be found in this world, at least not in the world as it is today. They are the most sensitive people in society, the most tormented, the most radical, and also the craziest. It is from these people that saints, martyrs, and chosen ones are selected. I knew that when the time came, I would have to choose from among these same people to share my destiny.

Roleplaying Races 4: Orc

Born into a brutal society that is in turn born from a harsh environment, today we’re talking about orcs!

The concept of orcs as a race of savage humanoids that usually serve a greater, evil power may have been popularized by Tolkien, but before that, the word orc appears to have been derived from Orcus, after a god of the underworld that would become a major name in D&D as well. Prior to Tolkien, orc seems to have been synonymous with ogre, as well as fiends and the like.

Within Tolkien’s work, orc is synonymous with goblin, since they are one and the same, but the films would later prefer to use goblin to refer to smaller, scampering groups, and prefer orc for the more hale and hearty warriors, particularly the Uruk-Hai (more on them later this week!) The origins of these creatures ranging from elves tortured to the point of losing all grace and passing on that ugliness of heart, mind, and body to their offspring, to foul creations of Morgoth meant to mock the creations of the goodly gods, depending on which set of his notes you read through.

Regardless, orcs have long filled the traditional role as the brutish humanoid raiders whom were “definitely not quite human” (Racism allegory!) and therefore could be killed by heroic figures without moral quandary because they “Would likely go on to kill goodly folk” and “Are creatures of evil” and so on. However, several works have gone on to help develop the orc race beyond such simplicity.

In Pathfinder, orcs are typically slightly taller than humans, and generally have more muscle mass. Their skin is often a dull green, though other colors exist, and they tend to have coarse body hair. They are also square jawed, and many possess prominent, tusk-like lower canines.

Typical orc society is indeed a brutal one, rife with a violently-established pecking order. More debased orcish societies often leave manual labor up to the weakest in said pecking order, usually slaves and weaker orcs, and also develop misogynistic tendencies as another way to establish dominance over others, with orc women having to work much harder for recognition in such societies.

HOWEVER, that doesn’t necessarily have to be your orc society. Certainly the aforementioned might-makes-right model works for orcs dwelling in caves or the underdark/darklands of your world, where resources are limited and strength is often the only saving virture, but not every orc culture is going to be like that.

Orc societies that live on or closer to the surface may raid when they need to, just as other races might, but they would almost certainly have agriculture and livestock, to say nothing of skilled labor. After all, proving ones strength through the perfection of a craft is just, if not more, valuable than merely being able to kill and pillage.

Regardless, orcs put a lot of value on proof of their might, not just in prowess on the battlefield, but also in hardiness, every scar a badge of courage for its owner, a story of a battle or hazard survived. So great is this desire for such markings that orcs usually have their healers alter or supplement their magical healing so that those wounds do leave such scars rather than smooth, unblemished skin.

While they respect strength, only a fool would consider orcs universally brutish, for even the most stereotypical orc raider is capable of cruel cunning, and those in more enlightened societies have the education to back up their intellect.

Even the smartest orc tribes still have to deal with the mutual mistrust they have with most other races, due to their raiding lifestyle and societal urge to dominate others.

 Orcs are very physically powerful, but they somewhat brutish in demeanor, having limited interest in intellectual and social pursuits.

They also are extremely dangerous in battle, not only learning the basics of combat with falchions, axes, and other traditional orc weapons, but also having a vicious ferocity that lets’s them keep fighting on till the very point their heart stops, even when otherwise debilitated by their wounds.

Given their subterranean origins, orcs have excellent night vision, but their eyes are very sensitive to bright light.

Of course, there is plenty of variation to be found with orcs. Some force themselves to adapt to sunlight by staring at the sun, weakening their visual alacrity, but no longer being pained by the daylight, While others grow up feral, having poor mastery of language, but having greater survival instincts. Mountain-dwelling orcs are excellent climbers, while others have keen noses, though the latter lament that some orcs live in such squalor that they have powerful immune systems, though their odorous company leaves something to be desired.

 Whether they lost out in a power struggle or simply feel a wanderlust, orcs do indeed heed the call to adventure time and again, learning to temper their fury while interacting with other races. Martial classes are a favorite among them, playing to their strengths, with casting classes and those requiring mental prowess being rather limited. However, they do have many alchemists among their number, brewing the combat-drug laced war paints of their people, and of course, the scarred witch doctors, who trade bodily harm for spellcasting power from their pain-reveling patrons. Shamans and druids make up most of their divine casters, while sorcerers represent the extent of most orcish arcane magic. Of those with occult power, kineticist seems to be the most popular option, though an orcish mesmerist can go far by dominating with both body and mind.

And that about covers orcs, though later this week, we’ll see a bit of a connection between them and another entry!

A high quality Leisure Time Can Bring a Positive Effect on Your Life

Leisure has traditionally already been defined as a period of relaxation or leisure; the time of period aside from daily job or home responsibilities. Spare time has typically been used by people as an option to work; a way in order to get away from the rigours of and loved ones life. It had been not just used for relaxing and alleviating stress; leisure time seemed to be a moment for socialising with friends and family members. As leisure activities become more common and accepted, several different leisure activities have emerged as well-liked leisure activities. For example , games such as video gaming, computer video games, and sports such as golf are becoming significantly popular leisure activities. Videogames can supply a quick way to relax, reduce stress, improve focus and motor abilities, or assist individuals to be able to cope with the demands every day life. https://www.vingle.net/ecotourismexa Sports possess a physical element, helping improve muscles and help people to exercise and develop their health and fitness. These three leisure activities are simply some of the many that are available for enjoyment; there are many others, several of which are becoming more and more popular. In addition to these kinds of three mentioned leisure activities there usually are also other leisure activities, like heading on guided travels, learning a new hobby or talent, playing a sports activity, going to the gym, or taking part in cultural activities and hobbies. With the growing popularity of leisure actions in society, the particular importance of getting leisure time to be able to enjoy them will be growing.

It is usually important for folks to be able to be able to be able to enjoy their leisure time time and in order to be able to take advantage of these free time activities. The value of possessing a very good quality leisure time and the benefits this can provide a new person's life are very well recognised, and right now there are a number of different techniques in which folks could make the many out of their leisure time. That is will no longer anything that is available to those who have got very specific requirements or wants -- everyone can discover time for amusement and luxuriate in some of the benefits it may bring to their life. One associated with the benefits of using a good top quality leisure time is it can often assist someone to rest and to reduce pressure. This can assist to prevent any emotional problems that may arise from stressful situations inside life. The rest that one could gain from a good quality spare time can help to be able to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, which can be a major reason behind unhappiness. A good quality leisure time can help a individual to boost his or even her mental function, increasing his or perhaps her capability to think and solve issues. A good quality spare time can help a person to concentrate on tasks and decrease distractions. Leisure actions could also lead to be able to a feeling regarding satisfaction or success, like when a new person feels they have achieved a job successfully. Leisure activities can also assist to reduce feelings of boredom, especially if they are well planned. Individuals who have a good quality of leisure period is frequently motivated to be able to take up more leisure activities, because they are able to achieve a goal. A few people can make use of leisure activities since a means to enhance their performance at your workplace, in schools, in sports, or at any other area associated with their life. Leisure time time can also be a good important social store, such as when the social element of a individual's life improves. That is not difficult to find activities you take pleasure in, or that help you to unwind. If you possess a good top quality free time, you will certainly be more encouraged to engage in other leisure activities. Leisure time can lead to a greater perception of fulfilment and well-being, which may also lead to a great improvement in basic health. Leisure time can lead to an improved relationship between loved ones, as this encourages individuals to invest more time with their friends, in addition to can allow people to bond with other people. Having a new good quality spare time also gives a person an possibility to spend time with people who share the same hobbies and interest. This can become beneficial in helping to be able to strengthen relationships, and also allowing a particular person to meet new people and develop friendships. It is feasible to find many benefits from using a good quality leisure time time, including its positive impact upon health, well getting, relationships and sociable skills. Leisure moment is a fantastic way to enjoy life and make the most out of your life.

Promote

-further the progress, support activity, encourage, advocate, develope, boost.

-give publicity to so as to increase public awareness, advertise, market

-advance raise to higher potion or rank, upgrade elevate advance

-slang - to get possession by doubtful means or integrity. Google/dictionary

I’m trying to understand promotion from the beard/ gf perspective so bear with me. In my position as a professional we are promoted by hard work and by advancing OUR knowledge. Generally, as in all professions, as you work in your profession a higher level person takes interest because you show promise, integrety, your ethical behavior is sound and and you are seen as potential leadership material. YOU must prove yourself. You advertise and market yourself through YOUR behavior, willingness to go above and beyond. YOU. taking responsibility through work ethic, professionalism, can do attitude, willingness to change as the market and values change. 

How do you promote a beard/gf. M went to school for Media Studies and Television Production gaining analytical and practical skills in broadcasting and studio applications. She was a writer/producer/ director of promotional content @ Fox/Showtime//Freelance. She works at ABC/NBC/USA as a student (per bio on her site). WHY is she no longer marketable? She was suppose to be working for Fox/RM didn’t spend much time there. What happened to her job with Fox before that. While I know the rumors and speculation I choose not to surmise. She was also a member of 3 bands. She seems to have abandon all her choices in life with the exception of one beard/gf.

I can only speak for me…pretty sure others would agree. I derive my self esteem by contributing to society. I take pride in what I do. I have a reputation to uphold and take that seriously. I would say most people see me as a hard worker, compassionate as well as passionate for my career, family and life.

How does one abandon all skills and not replace those skills through more school as well as on job training. All anyone sees is a strain, drain on society and one unsuspecting, no two souls.

I honestly do not understand how you promote a gf. And just to spell it out as I’m sure “someone” is thinking “wife” (which will never happen) is not a promotion it is a partnership. A person does not have to be seen with their partner to feel good about themselves or make sure they get attention. I would have a very hard time looking in the mirror every day.

While the definition my state public awareness, advertisement, marketing, publicity I have never heard of a bf, real or not, being apart of that. Perhaps support. Not what is happening right now. If it was D’s bar yes. He is not even a partner. And where is the partner, if this is bar promo. Call me jaded…confused…and all around aggrivated/ vexed/angry. Yes the contact gives M rights and D has done nothing but do his duty/requirement. You M/PR have no consideration but your own. Remember payback/karma, you may not like the returns. We will stand behind the two souls you are trying hard to destroy, and for what, so no one can have D if you can’t. So sad. You all will be the ones left standing in the dust. 

bjpb8

**************************************************************************

This is very introspective my friend, I have many of the same questions. I feel like this is one of those cases that we will never truly understand.  There are those who think connections are more important than skills and hard work. This is one of those and she is demanding what she think she is owed. I just wish they would require that she also made an effort and at least tried.

The Hobby: Creative Capital and the Death of Pleasure

Recently at work, I asked my colleagues what their hobbies were. The dictionary defines a hobby as “an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure”. I wasn’t surprised at some of the responses: a lot of my peers told me they didn’t have a hobby because they didn’t have time, but when pushed a little more, admitted to reading, gardening or playing a sport. A few colleagues interjected; any form of exercise, to them, was not a hobby but a necessity - interesting I thought (and a lot to unpack there for perhaps another time). However, one of my colleagues who I know to be very creatively active outside of their job, told me they didn’t have a hobby. "What about your podcasting?” I asked. The response was not what I would have expected; my colleague got so mad at me, their podcasting was not a hobby, it was a pursuit - it was a product of creative capitalism. 

The opportunities for creativity for most people’s lives is increasingly scarce. Exhausted after a day of work; there is less time and less money to pursue creative expression. Anyone who does find the time to create outside of their day jobs must then decide on its creative capital - its value rather than its pleasure. The funny thing is, is that once we have found a creative activity outside of work that gives us pleasure, we are quickly followed by a feeling of self-loathing or guilt. Our society’s puritanical roots assure us that any form of creative self-indulgence is morally wrong, so to make it more acceptable we remove the pleasure and focus on the value. As more and more jobs and processes become systematised, concentrated and commodified, the everyday micro acts of creativity must also fall under those rules. And so the creative act of fulfillment no longer becomes about pleasure, it becomes about capital. 

“Everyone is creative” is the slogan of a broad cultural shift in our society: “the artist” is being held up not as a poverty-stricken social malcontent, but as a triumphant pioneer of the new economy. Today, when the idea of a good, steady, life-long job seems impossible, corporate propaganda encourages us all to see ourselves as artistic souls. Instead of relying on big bureaucratic organisations like paternalistic corporations or the meddlesome nanny-state, we should all, like artists, rely on our personal portfolio of skills, passions and past accomplishments to secure short-term, no-string-attached “gigs”.

The reality of course is that no-one feels any special passion for working three part-time jobs, and few achieve aesthetic satisfaction from working in a call centre. But the idea of the artist and the promise of creativity are today being held up as “carrots” for workers in the age of creative capitalism. In our economic situation, many of us do free creative work all the time. We record music on our computers, we Photoshop images, we make short films, we write blogs or fan fiction - we teach ourselves. And we create what the internet calls ‘content’ and we do so because we enjoy it. So why can we not admit to ourselves that this form of work is pleasure, and not some form of individualised commodity? 

We try and survive in this digital world, amidst increasingly casual and unsecure employment with few guarantees about our futures, because of this creativity becomes a highly individualised means of solace. The number of people we consider artists and the range of things we consider creative practice are expanding everyday, and while there is a lot of potential for people to create new forms of community and empowerment, it all takes place within and as part of the expansion of global and local poverty, exploitation, and social dislocation.

Despite all this, establishment pundits have declared ours an age of creative capitalism. Capitalism, they argue, is the best system for providing creative opportunities for everyone. Indeed, many argue that capitalism thrives on what is called “creative destruction” - the way competition forces companies and individuals to constantly reinvent themselves or go under, the way the incessant drive towards profit forces innovation and dynamism. What capitalism does, in effect, is fundamentally shift what we could call the “economy of creativity”: it drastically alters what sorts of creativity we think are valuable and it focuses humanity’s creative energies towards earning ever greater profit for the few. This system has quickly destroyed the planet and most people’s lives because it has no vision for the future. It is driven by irrational and pathological competition for profit, not by any compassionate and collective social vision. Imagine what the world would be like if we focused our creativity towards other ends?

I’m not going to lie, you can be very creative under capitalism, and many people are. But real creativity, the sort of creativity that is about pleasure and community fulfillment is almost impossible under capitalism. It is a privilege reserved for a very select few, usually based on their ability to make someone else money. Capitalism doesn’t make good use of human talents; it relies on exploitation and a fundamentally unjust division of labour. This system imprisons creativity in the prism of brutal economic “necessity”. 

We need to focus on making it clear that real, deep creativity can never be achieved as an individual possession but is always a collective process, bound up with values of equality, social justice and community. The promise of pleasure can only be fulfilled in a very different society than ours. Creativity must embrace its potential and promise as a key part of cultivating critical, revolutionary communities that resist capitalism, colonialism, gender oppression and racism and create fierce and sustainable alternatives within and against the status quo. Creativity and pleasure are, in part, the way we refuse our current “reality” and, in a very small and often abstract way, propose or model something different. 

Image: Oscar Mellow, The Pursuit of Pleasure, 1972. Courtesy of Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre.

CONGRATULATIONS, JEN!

You have been accepted for the role of ISLE OLLIVANDER. ”she was no earthquake, she wasn’t even a rock unless you needed someone to lean on” sold us one thousand percent. From start to finish this application was absolutely beautiful. We love all the way that you expanded on her personality, her values, and especially on her relationships. There’s a common misconception that kind, introverted characters are boring but your Isle’s quiet resolve, artistic empathy, and conscious effort to see beyond the blinders of her own privlidged upbringing are thoroughly and undeniably fascinating. We look forward to seeing how she grows into her own over the course of the game. Please look at the CHECKLIST for next steps. Welcome to Blood Royals!

♕ I: OUT OF CHARACTER ♕

NAME / ALIAS: Jen

♕ II: CHARACTER INFORMATION ♕

FULL NAME: Isle Hemera Ollivander

Isle – a diminutive of Elisabeth which ended up being something of a compromise between her half-German mother and British father when one wanted a classic name and the other wanted a name that would be remembered other than just her surname.

Hemera - the primordial Greek goddess of daylight and her mother’s name.

Ollivander -   means ‘he who owns the olive wand’, suggesting a Mediterranean origin.

FACECLAIM: I’d like to change her fc to Laura Harrier please!

DATE OF BIRTH: March 14th, 1952, Pisces

Pisces are selfless, they are always willing to help others, without hoping to get anything back. Pisces is a Water sign and as such this zodiac sign is characterized by empathy and expressed emotional capacity.  Ravenclaw Pisceans spend so much time dreaming or reading books of legends that it’s a wonder they ever come down to earth. Care must be taken that they do not neglect their material needs, including those that involve sleep, food, and drink. They are quiet students, not always the best in their classes, but tend to be brilliant at subjects which they are personally interested in. Shy and nervous, they are easily bullied or intimidated, and need some looking after by more assertive students.

HOGWARTS HOUSE & YEAR: Ravenclaw, 1963 - 1970. Isle was a hat stall, with The Sorting Hat torn between Hufflepuff for her soft heart and longing to belong, and Ravenclaw for her natural curiosity and fascination with just about everything. In the end it took her own decision into account with her hoping that a house that challenged her more might help her reach the heights her parents hoped for.

GENDER & PRONOUNS: Isle identifies as female and uses she/her pronouns.

SEXUALITY / SHIPS / ANTI-SHIPS: Panromanic, demisexual. Isle has an almost whimsical nature about her at times, the idea of romance something she holds very dear to her heart when it was always so lacking in her parent’s lives. Her soft heart means that she finds herself getting easily attached to people and she has more than a knack for finding something good and worth admiring in almost everyone she means. This means that she is almost constantly drifting in and out of love (in all its varying forms) with those around her but she can never quiet allow herself to be so free with intimacy when to her it should be something special and far from gratuitous.

My main ship for Isle would be her with chemistry (although the idea of her and Corban is so interesting to me and so much could be done with that. Opposites attract is my kryptonite so I have a lot to say but don’t want to babble or get ahead of myself XD I also think her feelings for Royalle could go either way as well) and of course that means that my anti-ship for her would be no chemistry.

OCCUPATION: Wandkeeper and assistant wandmaker to her Great-Uncle at Ollivanders.

ALLIANCE: Neutral. She’s doing her best to remain balanced between the two groups, avoiding too much talk of the war and its sides even if she is more sympathetic towards the Order.

POLITICAL VIEWS: Her parents are immensely proud of their pureblood status and what it means for them in their society and some of that pride rubbed off on Isle at an early age. It wasn’t until later that she started to question just what exactly made her apparently so much better than those who weren’t members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. But even now, their lessons are hard to unlearn and she finds herself having to apply compassion to ensure that she’s seeing the situation for what it is rather than what she’s told to see. But for the most part, Isle tries to distance herself from politics when it’s such a divisive subject and there doesn’t seem to be an answer that two people can agree on to any topic. So while The Order might tug on her heartstrings more, Isle is determined not to take sides when everyone she knows seems to be being pulled in different directions.

KNOWN FACTS:

Despite being something of a wallflower, Isle rather enjoys all the balls she’s encouraged to go to due to the fact the her natural delicateness lends itself rather well to being a good dancer.

While his uncle is renowned for his wandmaking skills, Isle’s father Gerrell Ollivander chose not to pursue the same career and instead forged a name for himself in the Wizengamot. His known to be a hard man to appease when he feels as though the law has been broken but there’s whispers that he is far more sympathetic to those who share the same level of blood purity as he does.

Her mother has one of the finest personal collections of wizarding antiques in Great Britain and perhaps Europe. It was a tradition started by her mother and some of the pieces date as far back as Medieval times. The collection is her pride and joy and it’s little secret that she speaks more fondly of it than her own daughter.

Isle is making something of a reputation for herself in the wand-making trade with her designs gaining in popularity with each one she completes. She might not be able to match the speed of her great uncle but the wands that she creates are so beautifully and intricately carved that it’s almost obvious that each is a labour of love.

BOGGART: Ollivander’s burning, all of her hard work and the one place she felt she truly belonged being taken away from her.

AMORTENTIA: first scent is warm, rich and comforting - hot chocolate with smooth undertones of hazelnut. She smells pine - fresh and clear - reminding her of cool autumn days and hours spent in amongst wands. The last scent is dark and smokey, heady and intoxicating, out of place yet soothing all at once. It almost makes her want to abandon the other two familiar scents altogether.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: At least four detailed personality traits

Trusting and naïve - her ability to seek and believe the best in people is both one of her greatest assets and biggest weakness. Gossip is something she hears but rarely pays any attention to, preferring to instead to make her own decisions about whether a person is good or bad. Despite being empathetic and sympathetic, she tends to take people at their word and at face value, making her very easy to deceive and lull into a false sense of security.

Adroit and hardworking - Her natural understanding of wands is perhaps something that it could be argued she inherited but Isle prefers to see it as a combination of natural talent along with her desire to learn as much about it as possible. Once she starts working on something, she’s almost always adverse to stopping until it’s finished and keeping people waiting. As far back as her time at Hogwarts she used to pour all her time and energy into studying and her own personal research with little concern for anything else. Even now she has a habit of losing herself in her work, time passing without her noticing and all other necessities forgotten about.

Compassionate and selfless - there’s no other way of putting it, Isle is just softhearted. Other people affect her deeply and she without fail will always want to help them with anything that’s troubling them. She will always make herself available to those who reach out even at the expense of her own time and even health. It’s where she feels most at ease around other people and she’d by far rather be the listener than the sharer.

Artistic and imaginative - her designs are truly something to behold, sketches coming to her at all times of the day and night as she find inspiration in the smallest, simplest of things. She has a tendency to be a dreamer, to let reality slip away just enough so that she’s living in the ideal world where tensions aren’t rising and everything is at risk.

Shy and unsure - while Isle doesn’t necessarily think lowly of herself and knows that she has her strengths, she struggles to believe that they lend themselves well to life or success in the society that she was born into. With her own parent’s disinterest, she feels as though everyone else might eventually come to the same conclusion about her and it makes her hesitant in conversation in the hopes to delay their decisions a little longer.

Curious and inquisitive: might have struggled to always perform well under the stress of tests but there’s no denying that the young woman still has a thirst for knowledge. It might not be for anything particularly academic but if it catches her interest then without a doubt she’ll have bought two books on the subject within the hour. She has an almost constant sense of wonder at the world and feels as though her interest curiosity will never be sated.

SPECIAL SKILLS: While Isle will be quick to claim that it’s nothing but a simple indulgence in her free time, she’s quite a talented piano player which dates back to lessons that her parents used to pay for for her and a love of music that quickly followed. Though perhaps not the most clinical with her technique, her light touch and the feeling that she pours into each piece make up for what she might lack technically.

BIOGRAPHY:

Born to two proud Slytherins whose ambition and need for advancement seemed to know no bounds, Isle never quite possessed the same iron-hearted will that they did. Instead she inherited her mother’s looks and took her father’s name but remained all together more soft than they had hoped for. A difficult childbirth meant that she was to remain sibling-less and though she never failed to do everything she could to please her parents and be the pureblooded princess they wanted her to be, they grew more and more disinterested and distant with every bird she tried to save or poor soul her eyes filled with pity for. Their high hopes would never be realised and for that disappointment alone they threw themselves into their work, leaving their daughter either in the care of family - mainly her great uncle where she spent hours enraptured by his work with wands- or the house elves.

With every year it became obvious that she’d never have the qualities needed to shake up society and progress to the very top. She was no earthquake, she wasn’t even a rock unless you needed someone to lean on. Instead the daughter of Hemera and Gerrell Olivander’s daughter was more like water, calming and soothing but with hidden depth most people never saw when her quiet demeanour was only the surface. But just as it became more obvious to her parent’s that she wasn’t what they’d wanted, Isle herself began to see that neither of them were truly happy. Their marriage was one of convenience, two like minds joining together to conquer what they could, and while they knew how to put on a good face as much as the next Pureblood, behind closed doors it was painfully obvious to her that even if they accomplished their goals they’d never be truly happy or satisfied. It seemed like a hollow way to live any way.

Vows were made to her younger self to not become the shadows of people that her parents were, to keep some sort of love and hope to light her life and prevent her from following the same path that they did. From the moment that she entered the Great Hall, Isle was almost convinced that she’d end up in Hufflepuff with her parents convinced of the same thing and almost despairing of the idea that their offspring had fallen so far away from them. Except she managed to surprise them all when her quiet intelligence and natural curiosity earned her a place in Ravenclaw. From that moment on her parents stood a little taller when they claimed her as theirs and began to take some sort of interest in her once again which she welcomed though was hesitant to let herself become too reliant on their attention.

The rest of her time at Hogwarts was characterised by her unassuming way of going about her work, the hours that she used to have to spend in the library to keep up with her peers mostly going unnoticed. She kept herself under the radar - despite her parents urging to put herself out there more - but still managed to garner herself something of a reputation for being the best listener and shoulder cry on, always more than happy to be there for anyone who needed her. But as her final year approached, she found herself worrying about what she would do with her future. It wasn’t until she spent the Easter break working with her uncle as she had taken to doing since she was fourteen while her parents jetted off elsewhere, that an offer was made by him for her to come and work with him after she finished her studies.  With that weight off her shoulders Isle was able to focus on her final year and achieve the grades that she wanted. The day after her last day she had little hesitation in going to see her great uncle and she’s been working there ever since with long says surrounded by wood and cores only broken up by the events her parents still urge her to go to unless one of her friends pulls her away to have some fun every once in a while.

CONNECTIONS:

Royalle – the other woman is a force to be reckoned with and Isle almost envies her that ease within herself but she’s never been one for negative feelings so instead all she has for the other woman is admiration and a sense of love. While Royalle seems to rely on her for support, Isle relies on her for company, though she’d never voice it out loud. There are days when she doesn’t know what she’d do without the other girl who helps her feel more at ease in her own skin and she’s always thankful that she chose her to be her friend.

Corban - his reputation means little to her when she’s always liked to make her own mind up about people and never judge until she knows them. Almost deaf to the rumours, Isle is instead draw to him for reasons she can’t explain. There’s more to him than meets the eye, of that much she’s certain, and it peaks her curiosity and empathy enough that she’s been unable to forget their interaction even if she’s far too hesitant to think of starting up a conversation again.

Garrick Ollivander - he’s the man who gave her a place to feel as though she had some sort of calling in life. Something useful and endlessly engrossing so that she could make peace with the idea that she was never going to follow in her parents’ footsteps. But she’s still able to stick to her family’s roots, just not with the inheritance most expected but it’s a chance she’ll always be grateful for.

♕ III: FREESTYLE ♕

I’ve created a mockblog here that has a few of these things on it as well as a few inspiration posts!