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wickedpact · 4 years

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dear tumblr user crim wickedpact pls write the essay/dissertation about nicky being shakespeare's fair youth (if you have time, ofc!!)

Not To Imply Nicky Was Shakespeare’s Fair Youth But Ive Read The Fair Youth Sonnets & Nicky Was Definitely Shakespeare’s Fair Youth, an essay by me, tumblr user crim wickedpact

background knowledge: our man shakespeare wrote some 120 sonnets about a young man referred to as the Fair Youth during the mid 1590s; there has been some debate among shakespeare enthusiasts whether shakespeare’s interest in the Fair Youth was platonic or romantic (but like. they were definitely romantic). no one knows for sure who the Fair Youth was, but it was definitely nicky and my first and most important piece of evidence regarding this hypothesis is the ‘lmao babe do you remember that guy who had a crush on me?’/ ‘i try not to remember the guy who had a crush on you’ look joe and nicky exchange when Merrick brings up shakespeare during the movie. especially since gina confirmed in a tweet that joe and nicky canonly did know shakespeare

my second piece of evidence is that it just Works (except for a couple small facts like.. the Fair Youth was prolly closer to his 20s than his 30s. and the fact that shakespeare implies that the Fair Youth slept with his mistress at one point. but he doesnt know what hes talking about shhh we IGNORE)

long post under cut

A. The Description Matches

when describing the Fair Youth (who I’ll call the FY from now on), shakespeare says he has a ‘gold complexion’ and ‘beautiful eyes’ and compares him to a ‘summer’s day’. He says the FY has “A woman’s gentle heart" and “An eye more bright than [women’s are], (...) Gilding the object whereupon [they] gazeth”

As much as shakespeare’s perceptions of sexuality and gender are very........ late 1500′s (whoo boy sonnet #20 is a wild ride) ...... the description does match, and also:

B. The Fair Youth Refused to Get Married

it’s never really said why one way or another (shakespeare assumes it’s because the FY is selfish) but the FY didn’t/wouldn’t take on a wife and have a kid, and this was something that was a real sticker for our man Willy S. because, as he says in his sonnets a million times: beauty doesn’t last forever, but having a child not only passes down the FY’s beauty, but also blesses the woman the FY would have a child with (im not saying shakespeare wanted to bear the FY’s children, but he definitely did)

Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother. For where is she so fair whose uneared womb Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?

(ie. If you don’t renew yourself/ have children, you deprive the world and deprive a woman from having your child, since what woman out there is so beautiful that she wouldn’t want to bear your child?)

Like.

1.) if nicky is the FY then so many of these poems center around the idea of nicky growing old sometime soon and that must have been pretty funny to Nicky and

2.) the fact that shakespeare would have been So Desperate for nicky to find a wife must have been the opposite of funny to joe. considering the ease of his and nicky’s relationship and the fact that being gay in late 1500s england was probably not a walk in the park, it is very likely shakespeare wouldn’t have known they were in a committed relationship-- or at least not known how close they actually were. Thus:

C. The Rival (aka. Joe)

shakespeare mentions having a poetic rival in regards to the FY in several sonnets. In sonnet #21 he talks about how he’s not like Those Other Writers who use grand metaphors to talk about their muses

So is it not with me as with that Muse, Stirred by a painted beauty to his verse, Who heaven itself for ornament doth use And every fair with his fair doth rehearse, Making a couplement of proud compare With sun and moon, with earth and sea's rich gems, With April's first-born flowers, and all things rare,

(ie. I’m not like other poets who, when inspired by a ‘painted beauty’ use heaven and every other beautiful thing on the planet to make a grand comparison to their muse: he specifically lists the sun and moon as examples as well as other beautiful things)

He then goes on to say

And then believe me, my love is as fair As any mother's child, though not so bright As those gold candles fixed in heaven's air:

(ie. my love [the FY] is as beautiful as any other beautiful person, though I wouldn’t compare them to the stars/heavens (which is what he means by the 'gold candles’. those are stars.))

So shakespeare insults poets who compare their subjects to the sun, moon, and stars (amongst other things) and in the comics, Joe does literally exactly that

That man is the stars in my sky, and the sun that lights my days. That man is the moon when I'm lost in darkness, and warmth when I shiver in cold.

shakespeare also goes on to say in the same sonnet “Let them say more that like of hearsay well / I will not praise that purpose not to sell” which is to say ‘let people who like that kind of language use it, I wont because I don’t want anyone else to have the subject of my affections (the FY)’.

(which is a bit of a contradiction regarding his feelings abt the FY getting married, but these sonnets are full of contradictions. shakespeare was a confused dude; man spent the first 100 or so sonnets convinced the FY loved him back only for him to start wondering if the FY ever loved him near the end)

(not to mention Marriage For Love wasnt really.. much of a thing in Ye Olden Times but thats a different conversation. so shakespeare prolly didnt associate marriage with love/competition? anyways)

Shakesy-boo goes on to complain about this rival several times. In #79, he says

Yet what of thee thy poet doth invent He robs thee of, and pays it thee again. He lends thee virtue, and he stole that word From thy behaviour; beauty doth he give, And found it in thy cheek: he can afford No praise to thee, but what in thee doth live.

(ie. everything ‘your poet’ (as the FY apparently favored this unnamed rival) says about you, he takes it from you in the first place. he talks about your virtue, but learned the word from watching your behavior. he calls you beautiful but only discovered beauty by looking at your face. every compliment he gives you he took from you in the first place)

[and, as a smaller example, he also bemoans the fact that people want to paint the FY in #67, saying, “Why should false painting imitate his cheek, / And steal dead seeming of his living hue?”. and yknow. Joe’s an artist.]

And then another example in #86

Was it the proud full sail of [the rival’s] great verse, Bound for the prize of all too precious you, That did my ripe thoughts in my brain inhearse, Making their tomb the womb wherein they grew?

Was it his spirit, by spirits taught to write Above a mortal pitch, that struck me dead?

(ie. he’s talking about how he’s having difficulty writing abt the FY and is rhetorically asking if ‘the proud sail’ of the rival’s verses was the reason his ‘ripe thoughts’ were killed in their ‘womb’. He then asks (again rhetorically) if it was the rival’s ‘spirit’ (or creativity, maybe) ‘’’‘by spirits taught to write’’’’ that killed his own drive to write. none of the analyses I’ve read really explain what shakespeare means by ‘spirits taught to write’, other than maybe being a joke or reference to something we dont know, but... ‘taught by dead people to write in a way mortal people can’t’ very much sounds like a description of an immortal poet, eh?)

Which brings me to,

D. Willy Boy Thinks There Are 500 Year Old Writings About the Fair Youth

shakespeare talks about people having written about the FY ‘500 years ago’ from the late 1500s in #59 which......................... would have been around 1100 AD. :thinking face:

Oh that record could with a backward look, Even of five hundred courses of the sun, Show me your image in some antique book, Since mind at first in character was done, That I might see what the old world could say To this composed wonder of your frame;

(ie. Oh if I could look back 500 years and see how you were described in some old books so I could see/reference what people used to write about you)

Which again brings me to,

E. I’m Not Saying shakespeare Stole From Joe, But:

1.) In #22, shakespeare says this,

For all that beauty that doth cover thee, Is but the seemly raiment of my heart, Which in thy breast doth live, as thine in me:

(ie, your beauty is due to the ‘clothes’ my heart gives you-- probably means something like ‘you’re beautiful because i love you’. goes on to say his heart lives in the FY’s chest, and the FY’s heart lives in shakespeare’s chest)

so: shakespeare tells the FY he has shakespeare’s heart. in comparison, Joe calls nicky ‘my heart’ in the comics...... :thinking face x2:

2.) In #109, shakespeare tells the FY ‘thou art my all’,

For nothing this wide universe I call, Save thou, my rose, in it thou art my all.

which rings similar to Joe’s ‘he’s all and he’s more’ as well as (from the comics) ‘he is my everything’

and just saying. joe looks pretty #done the mention of shakespeare.

F. The last One

Despite shakespeare writing 30+ poems about the FY eventually growing old, the very last poem he writes about/for the FY says,

O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power Dost hold Time's fickle glass, his sickle hour; Who hast by waning grown, and therein showest Thy lovers withering, as thy sweet self growest.

(ie. you [the FY] have power over the ‘mirror’ (fickle glass) of time as well as time’s ‘harvesting’ ability (sickle hour) and as you grow older, you remain beautiful while your lovers [shakespeare] wither and grow old)

The transition from ‘get married and have a baby before you get old!!!!’ in #1-20 to talking about the FY’s presence in 500 y/o books in #59 to admitting the FY isn’t growing old in #126 kinda seems to imply shakespeare learning of/about nicky’s immortality at some point, and this last poem is him accepting it.

TLDR: not only does it make perfect sense if nicky was the Fair Youth from the FY sonnets, but it also makes perfect sense if joe was the Rival from the FY sonnets. its canon nothing will convince me otherwise

#IS THIS GETTING TAGGED? YES #nicolo di genova #joe x nicky #my_essays #the fair youth saga

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redrobin-detective · 3 years

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Wanna hear another of baby Robin’s never written DP fic AUs? So when I was a freshman in high school and on the tail end of my first DP hyperfixation, I also became obsessed with the Indiana Jones trilogy (not to date myself but this was before that awful fourth movie). I had a pretty decent outline so here’s what I remember* (IE the bare bones are same and I uh tweaked it a bit)

So! It starts in an AU world where the ghosts attacked the human world and caused society to splinter a bit. Neither side won but they kind of aggressively co-exist, humans interacting in the Zone and ghosts haunting the real world. During the invasion, Jack, Maddie and Jazz were killed by one of the powerful ghosts who led the initial uprising, Plasmius. Danny had been young (I think I said 10) and had hid, watching his family be murdered, unable to do anything. It really affects Danny and he vows to find the ghost that killed his family.

Years later, Danny is in his late teens-possibly early twenties and he is an experienced ghost archeologist (I distinctly remember this title being in my notes lmao). He spends a lot of time researching ghosts and working with them, he’s as well known in the Zone as he is in the human world. He has many ghostly allies as he primarily seeks to understand ghosts and find a way for humans and ghosts to coexist but also not so secretly hunting Plasmius. His sponsor and basically foster parent is Vlad Masters, his parents’ former partner. He’s very encouraging of Danny’s pursuits and need to find the six fingered man Plasmius and often provide information.

The first arc would vaguely follow the plot of Raiders with Danny getting a tip about Plasmius seeking to open Pariah’s sarcophagus in order to gain the power to take the human world once and for all. Danny recruits Valerie to help him stop the ghost king from being unleashed. Val had trained under his parent as a hunter and she and Danny aren’t on the best of terms given how generally passive he is with ghosts. Uh middle bits, middle bits. The sarcophagus was opened but they managed to prevent the ghost king from awakening. Danny and Val part as friends and Danny gets his first look of Plasmius before he vanishes. It spurs him onward.

The second arc followed Temple of Doom as Danny ventured deeper than he’d gone before into the Ghost Zone. He finds the girl he’d crushed on in high school, Paulina, is working as something of an indentured servant in a Zone bar. Danny rescues her along with Danielle, a quirky girl living on her own within the Zone. Danny, Paulina and Dani get trapped by a ghost cult of uh some sort. Danny is suspicious of Dani who not only looks like him but has weird knowledge of both him and ghosts. They all escape, Danny risks his life to protect Dani despite her behavior. She reveals as thanks that she’s not really human, she’s a hybrid clone made using Danny’s DNA by Plasmius to throw Danny off his trail. She flees deeper into the Ghost Zone to escape both Danny and Plasmius leaving Danny wondering how the ghost got his hands on Danny’s DNA in the first place and why.

The third arc revolves around, you guessed it, the Last Crusade. Danny can feel himself getting closer and closer to Plasmius. He’s realizing that things about the ghost aren’t adding up entirely and that he has a special interest in Danny though he can’t figure out why. Masters, sensing Danny’s frustrations, finds another ghost archeologist, Samantha Manson. Danny and her click right away and make good progress. The existence of Danielle proves there can be a middle ground between human and ghost so Danny thinks Plasmius may be in that category and he may be closer than he thinks. Suddenly Danny is nervous of the people around him and for good reason. Sam ends up being another spy to lure Danny into a trap by Plasmius. He promised her access to so much ghost knowledge if only she led the boy along. She instantly regrets it and goes to get reinforcements to save Danny.

Danny awakens in his parents’ old home, uninjured and confused. He soon discovers that Masters and Plasmius are one in the same, a human with ghost powers created by Jack and Maddie. The ghost who killed his family, who Danny has been hunting half his life, was also the man who gave him a home afterwards. The cruel irony infuriates Danny and he confronts Vlad. He asks why he spared Danny, why the charade? Vlad killed the Fentons in a rage when he learned they were trying to make a portal to the GZ (the same portal that half killed Vlad). He turned on humanity as part of his broader revenge and planned to use the Fenton Portal as a way to mobilize an army. To his fury, he learns that the Fenton portal was DNA activated. That’s when he discovers that he accidentally left one Fenton alive and takes Danny in. Only, somewhere along the way, Vlad comes to love Danny as a son and he’s afraid that activating the portal will hurt/kill Danny. Vlad made the clones to try and find a way to activate the portal without hurting Danny, Danielle was an attempt who fled before she could be killed.

Sam shows up about then with reinforcements, human and ghostly allies Danny has acquired over the years. Vlad is split between wanting to kill Danny for his interference and just, being unable to hurt his sorta son. Plasmius is too powerful and ghosts are wearing out being in the human realm, access to the Ghost Zone would help. Danny doesn’t really think, he just activates the portal and receives a massive shock of ectoplasm to his system. Danny Fenton steps in, Danny Phantom steps out. Vlad is devastated bc he felt Danny die and, deciding the battle isn’t worth it right now, retreats. Only Danny isn’t wholly dead instead a human/ghost like Vlad.

But yeah the story would have essentially ended once Danny became half-ghost with the implication that he would confront and stop his sorta foster father and put the Zone and earth back in order. Blah Blah something about Vlad being the human/ghost to throw the worlds out of whack and Danny, with his foot in both worlds even before his powers, being the one to help the worlds coexist.

#danny phantom #danny phantom au #I swear on 10 bibles the notes outline I had was called Dandiana Jones bc its an absolutely stupid name #honestly this idea was surprisingly interesting and well thought out for 14-15 year old me #I remember being really intrigued by the idea of Danny having ghostly adventures pre-powers #that getting his powers would be *the* end and he was acting as a sort of bridge long before he got them #also the fucked up relationship of Vlad & Danny good job past brain that one hurts #also just the idea of like ghost archeology (as stupid as that name is)#just danny understanding it was ONE ghost who hurt his family and using that anger to gain better clarity into ghost culture #pointedly refusing to be a *hunter* and instead keeping an open heart and mind #sometimes strange things happens when fixations converge

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bigskydreaming · 3 years

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Not a huge fan of how often fics raising the ‘Dick and Bruce fight over Dick going to college’ angle seem to be of the opinion that Dick’s just stubbornly not getting what Bruce is trying to teach Dick about the value of an honest buck and the realities of supporting himsef in the real world where things might not necessarily be handed to him.

Just saying, personally I feel that loses sight of the fact that Dick wasn’t just a child performer.....his performances were a JOB. He was WORKING as a kid, even before the age of eight. Was he part of his parents’ entire act? Nope. Did he enjoy working with them? Yup.

Does any of the above actually change the fact that no one, no matter how ‘naturally gifted they are,’ rises to the level of skill and acclaim Dick ALREADY HAD, for HIMSELF, before he ever even met Bruce.....without putting in endless hours of WORK, day in and day out, to be the best of the best?

And can anybody really argue that no matter HOW much work Bruce puts in to further his skills as Batman, and no matter how regularly or willingly Bruce goes into work at Wayne Enterprises.....he in contrast was born into a lifestyle that meant he grew up with an awareness that he would never actually HAVE to work a day in his life if he didn’t WANT to? That even the fact that he just took off for a few years touring around the world learning the skills he’d need as Batman, instead of just focusing on what he’d need to know to take over the family business, demonstrated an awareness that whether or not he actually ever DID that - ie took over as Wayne CEO - was entirely up to him and his own discretion, and not an obligation or something he’d need to do in order to support even the way of life he’d grown up accustomed to?

Aaaaaaanyway, I’m just saying that perhaps thinking that the born billionaire has something to teach the kid who was an accomplished professional of no small acclaim by the age of eight......

Is not the flex people are going for when they whip it out.

Bruce Wayne gave Dick Grayson a lot. Taught him a lot. Provided him with a lot.

Dick Grayson has a lot to be grateful to Bruce Wayne for. Things he learned from him. Things he credits Bruce for helping to make possible for him.

But there are still things Dick has and that Dick knows, that have absolutely nothing to do with Bruce and did not come from him.

Dick’s work ethic is most definitively one of those things. It was in place long before he ever even heard of his future adoptive father.

And the realities of not having a financial cushion to fall back on and needing to put in long hours of work in order to help provide for your family is another thing he never needed to learn from BRUCE, specifically. Do I think his parents and the rest of the circus probably did a lot to protect Dick from the worst of any financial hardships they faced and let him grow up as much as possible without worrying about the things they as adults worried about? Yes, I absolutely do.

But my point remains that both Dick and Bruce throughout their respective childhoods - just as ALL children do - only became more and more cognizant of the realities of the world and money and personal responsibilities as they grew older.

But their growing awareness of such things were only ADDED ONTO the foundations they both already had in place from their early childhoods, when it came to what all of the above looked like from their respective point of views.

And Dick and Bruce, at their respective ages of eight, for instance....already had EXTREMELY different foundations in place.

Even once Dick moved into Wayne Manor, his past was not erased as a set of foundational experiences. No matter how cushy various experiences he had while living at the Manor were, they did not overwrite his past, they merely provided an alternative set of experiences for him to juxtapose with his earlier life....an INCREASED perspective. A WIDENED vantage point, allowing him a greater grasp of the wide spectrum of financial realities between his starting point and Bruce’s.

Just.....for all the things that Dick gained from living with Bruce or that Bruce taught him.....I feel like his work ethic and his views of what it even means to NEED to work or to be self-reliant.....prooooobably not something he ever needed to gain from Bruce SPECIFICALLY.

I mean, personally, I’d argue the above is actually what provides the blueprint for what we ACTUALLY see borne out in the comics time after time, no matter that he never graduated from college and didn’t particularly want to go in the first place.....Dick has never been someone who wants to rely on anyone else for financial support and has always prided himself on having a steady job on top of his vigilantism, paying his own way. He’s just not someone who particularly feels he needs a job with any specific level of prestige or has many financial needs or wants beyond basic necessities and well, the stuff he uses for his vigilante work. And while he does at times turn to Bruce for help with the latter stuff, its all in the name of the PEOPLE he helps with that, not like, personal financial gain or comfort, y’know? It doesn’t really belong in the same conversation as like.....’Bruce just wants Dick to be aware of what its like to work himself in order to pay his own rent and bills’.....especially since as I said earlier....Bruce isn’t ACTUALLY aware of what any of that is like?

So it just seems like a very backwards approach to things myself, and I do wonder how much of the focus on that is actually just instinctive, society-derived bias that stems from how much we’re led to believe from an early age that billionaires, by virtue of how much money they have, just naturally know more about money and hard work than anyone who doesn’t have as much money as they have....otherwise wouldn’t those other people have as much money as they do as well? Etc, etc.

Anyway, just putting that out there, because uh, I mean I don’t really think a big deal NEEDS to be made about Bruce’s own capabilities or knowledge when it comes to paying bills, basic adult skills, etc, like.....its not like anything I’m saying here is to profess that Bruce by comparison has to be useless at all of the above or in any way particularly clueless or incompetent....

I’m just saying that like, AS a point of comparison - which he innately becomes the second a narrative positions him as having a very divergent view of financial realities than Dick, and this being something they disagree on or argue about - the guy who was literally wage earning by age eight to help provide for his entire extended communal family in a literal financial sense......

NOT perhaps the best person to position as the less knowledgable, more naive counterpart to the guy who has only ever left the lap of luxury by his own conscious choice and always with full awareness it would be there for him to return to whenever he chose, even without him needing to do anything at all to ensure that or keep it supplemented via working for a paycheck, thus freeing him up to focus on nothing BUT his vigilantism and personal priorities.

*Shrugs*

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nightwingmyboi · 4 years

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Hey so I was wondering about Dick's Romanian heritage. Is it mentioned a lot in comics or media? Is he dark skinned in any adaptations? Is it true he originally went to Juvie after his parents died? Where would I go to find this stuff out? Thanks!

Sure! So, Dick’s heritage is a pretty complex topic. I think it’s best to leave the explanation to [this post]. Since I know not everyone will click the link, just to briefly clarify something: Dick is Romani, not Romanian. Being Romanian means being from the country of Romania. Romani people are scattered across the world. Also, Dick is typically depicted with light skin in canon...him being Romani would not conflict with this, because the Romani people have a large range of skin tones. Not at all opposed to him being depicted with darker skin, but just so that you know. Very, very strongly recommend checking out the post for the whole story (edit: and checking the reblogs for the counterpoint to said post!!)

Robin (1993) Annual #4

As for your other question...in one version of Dick’s origin story, following his parents’ deaths, Dick was sent to Gotham’s Youth Center. This center was essentially a juvenile detention center; most of the kids were sent there for committing what are described in comic as “adult crimes.” It was a very rough environment for Dick, especially in the aftermath of his parents’ deaths.

Dick going to the center after his parents died is technically a retcon of his origin (ie it was something added later). I know for some reason certain people hear the word retcon and immediately are like “then it doesn’t count!!!” but I think that is very much the wrong approach. True enough, some retcons are bad--that is, those that completely ignore previously established characterizations or plot points, and in doing so often radically change the story for the worse. It’s fine if people want to ignore those bad retcons, I do so myself. But, that’s not true for every retcon lmao. I’d say the juvie origin retcon is a great example of a good retcon. It really helps to clarify and enhance the original story, and I don’t think it should be dismissed. Hear me out here:

1.) The juvie origin doesn’t replace any previous origin story--it really only adds to and improves upon the timeline of Dick’s original origin.

For the most part, in previous tellings of the story, Dick’s origin went pretty much straight from his parents dying to him and Bruce in Wayne Manor. It’s a pretty sudden, jarring jump; the in-between was largely left to the reader’s imaginations or implied to not exist at all. And I’ll be real...the pacing and immediacy of events is pretty wonky and unreasonable. In one of the most extreme speed runs through Dick’s origin I’ve seen, Dick’s parents die and Batman immediately swings down from the rafters and tells Dick that he’ll solve the case...while Dick’s parents’ bodies are still cooling a couple feet away (Batman #436). Yeah, that is absolutely ridiculous lmao, as is the idea that Bruce just immediately adopted Dick the day his parents died. I think that the juvie origin very nicely slows things down and helps to organically fill in the gap of time that would and should exist between Dick losing his parents and being taken in by Bruce.

2.) The juvie origin helps to rationalize Bruce’s reasoning for taking Dick in.

In previous origin stories, Bruce’s main motivation for taking Dick in is that he saw his own suffering reflected in Dick and wanted to help him. I dig the parallels between Bruce and Dick...but this is very flimsy reasoning to adopt someone lmao. With all the tragedy that occurs in Gotham, you cannot tell me that Bruce had not run across some orphans before. Bruce sympathizing with Dick certainly should be part of what motivates him, but there needed to be something more. If there is not some immediate, urgent reason to adopt Dick, then it makes zero sense that Bruce would try to raise him honestly. Why would Bruce tear Dick away from his remaining family and friends at the circus? Why would Dick want to leave? And even if Dick could no longer remain at the circus, why wouldn’t Bruce allow Dick to go to a good foster home, especially since Bruce is so laser focused on his solo crusade against Gotham’s crime that he doesn’t even allow himself to have a steady girlfriend half the time? Lots of plot holes here!

The juvie origin fixes a lot of these issues! Staying at the circus is not an option for Dick, not because Bruce just snatches him away, but because legally Gotham Juvenile Services says that the circus is an inadequate environment for raising a child. Dick is sent to juvie, and the comic makes a point of showing Dick nearly being beaten to death almost immediately upon arriving.

Dick is in danger and he’s lost in the system, so there is no longer a possibility for him to land in a good home. Initially, when Bruce goes to find Dick, he’s still tracking him down only with the intention of getting justice for Dick by solving his parent’s murder. But Bruce is a good person at heart. When Batman finds Dick trying to escape from the juvenile hall, beaten to hell, he intervenes. The next morning Dick is taken in by Bruce Wayne.

So now, taking in Dick isn’t Bruce tearing Dick away from the chance of having a loving family and throwing him into the dangerous life of a crime fighter; taking Dick in is Bruce saving Dick from a horrible situation, possibly even saving his life. The only way to get Dick out of the potentially deadly situation he was in quickly was for Bruce to take him in as a foster parent. Bruce’s actions actually make a lot of sense! And Bruce is forced by necessity to take on a fatherly role that he does not feel suited or prepared for, rather than him adopting Dick on a whim. The juvie origin gives this scenario the urgency and necessity that it desperately needed.

3.) The juvie origin has been around for a long time, and pretty successfully adds nuance to Dick’s character without completely altering or changing who he is.

The juvie origin is a retcon that has been established for about 25 years, fyi. Robin Annual #4, which is where this idea first came into play, was released in 1995. There are also references to this origin story in Nightwing Vol. 2, and that comic series ran from 1996 to 2009, so it’s not like the juvie origin is completely baseless or totally removed from the narrative.

Nightwing (1996) #11

Also...Dick Grayson has been around for 80 years. In DC comics, I’m pretty sure he is predated only by Superman and Batman. You are inevitably going to have to add nuance to his character as time goes on. The juvie origin adds a very interesting complexity to the character and his fight against crime, considering he himself has been in the system...there’s so much untapped potential there!! So yeah, I feel like the juvie retcon is a very valid addition to Dick Grayson’s origin story. Plus, Robin Annual #4 is just a very well written and well thought out comic book that really fleshes out Bruce, Dick, and Alfred’s initial relationships to one another in a realistic way, and more people should check it out.

What I’m saying...is that more people need to get on board and accept the juvie origin guys!! It’s my favorite origin for Dick, hands down. Thanks for giving me an excuse to talk about it anon.

As for where to go for more info…well, you can always check out Dick’s DC wiki, or anyone else’s, for basic summary info. For me, I always like going straight to the source. You could find a comic rec list that focuses on what you’re interested in and just dive in and build your knowledge that way. Sometimes if you google around, you can find neat creator interviews that address questions like the ones you asked. If nothing else, I’m sure there are people on tumblr (like me :D) or elsewhere online who are willing to help you out and point you in the right direction if you’re curious about something in particular. Idk if other people know of a good resource for things like this?

#thanks for the ask anon!#ask #dick grayson #robin #bruce wayne #batman #alfred pennyworth #juvie hall #meta #romani #romani dick grayson

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allykakamatsu · 3 years

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Hypothetical P5A

Okay, gonna make this clear right up front, I wanted to make this post for a while but the main reason I decided to do it now is because the Atlus announcement thing is almost here, and also cause I saw a video on this topic by Thorgi’s Arcade (go watch it btw it’s good) and while I agree with a lot of what he said, there’s also some things I’d change, not just cause I disagree, but also cause I think it would be fun. Anyway enough beating around the bush, let’s do this

Gameplay

I’m a firm believer in the phrase, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and the Arena games are already really good so not much to change. That being said, I still wanna change some things. First off though, we are keeping this 1 vs 1, no tag team matches. The arena games already have a lot of Mechanics going on and trying to keep everything as well as some new stuff WHILE adding a tag team button, yeah no let’s not outside of maybe a bonus mode.

This means I can’t add Batton Pass in as a new mechanic to represent P5, but I have a solution, that being Technicals. Status ailments already exist in this game, so how about when you inflict one and do a specific combo you do more damage, also providing risk vs reward as the player with the status will have a better idea of what the opponent will do making them more predictable. Also as for Persona’s, mostly everyone’s will be fully evolved, minus Yu cause him getting a final boss persona normally is a tad to OP, meanwhile the P5 characters will have their starting Persona’s, but they will evolve for big moves, like awakened mode supers and instant kills

I’m also borrowing Thorgi’s Arcade idea of having supports giving a slight buff in battle, like if you pick Fuuka your meter can build faster for a bit, meanwhile if you pick Futaba you’ll get an attack and defence buff. It’s the fairest way to include them without having to make them playable. I know Rise is already playable but this roster is going to have to be small as it is, and being a support doesn’t mean you can’t be DLC later.

Also, we’re not bringing back the Shadow Characters, just, we are not dealing with the likes of Shadow Naoto again.

:readmore:

Story

I am about to cop out a bit here, but Thorgi’s Arcade video had a really good idea for the story so I’ll just link it here https://youtu.be/yyB5rEM9UVU

youtube

To summarise for people who don’t want to watch, Nyarlathotep, the main villain from the Persona 2 games, has been gaining strength from all the suffering humanity has gone through due to 3, 4 and 5, and has gained enough strength to create a new Joker to try finish what he started and destroy the world. Mitsuru might think the Phantom Thieves are behind it cause this is clearly persona related and the fact that the leader of the PT’s is also named Joker is public knowledge, Naoto gets largely the same idea, Katsuya and Maya decide to have their own investigation, meanwhile the Phantom Thieves are trying to prove their innocence and help save the world. Nice excuse to bring everyone together, but who will the everyone be?

Base Roster

Okay, I know the dream is getting everyone from Ultimax back plus the new P5 characters, but given Arc System’s standard for small base rosters, I’m not holding my breath. The ideal would be everyone plus who I’m about to say for P2 and P5, but I’m keeping it… somewhat realistic. Anyway onto the actual size, 16 seems fair enough. One more than the most recent Guilty Gear game for a series that had pretty big success so that sound fair enough. Let’s get the obvious out of the way though, all the base 8 Phantom Thieves besides Futaba are making the cut

Okay so that’s obvious but how will they play? Starting off with Ren/Joker, Smash Bros already laid a great foundation with him being very fast on the ground and in the air plus being great at combos, so I see no reason to change that. Also no need for him to be a Jack of all trades either cause spoilers, Yu is coming back and he already fills that role.

As for the others, Ryuji I can see being a slugger charge hybrid. Basically starting out he hits pretty hard but is a bit on the slow side to compensate, but just like any good athlete, give him a chance to warm up, ie do a charge input, and he becomes a lot faster and has better combo potential. Or we could make him a toned down version of Little Mac where he’s great on the ground but he’s in trouble the second aerial combat is involved. Then there’s Morgana who with his ability to turn into cars and the fact he introduces thief tools like smoke bombs, I can see him being a faster but frailer successor to Teddie.

Then there’s Ann who, no doubt, she’s a Zoner, and with her fire she’ll be Yukiko’s sort of successor. However instead of healing, I’d implement the fact that she learns concentrate and have it so the more she charges it up, the stronger her attacks get, but the Meter will gradually go down over the match. Yusuke, as tempting as it is to cop out and say ‘have him play like Vergil in Marvel vs Capcom’, I have a different idea. Namely, take advantage of the fact that Yusuke can learn counter by having him be the defensive specialist, set up ice traps to freeze the opponent, and if they get close, he can either counter or go for some combos.

Then there’s Makoto who would definitely be a grappler. I mean, she practices Aikido and is really strong, she can 100% pull it off. Finally Haru…… TANK! I mean come on, Haru wields an axe, has a grenade launcher, and Melady is literally a dancing tank in a pink dress, it just makes too much sense. I’d also give her a bit of armor cause if she’s slow she at least needs a chance to get her attacks in.

Okay so that’s 7 out of our 16 slots down, and given that one slot will have to be saved for the Evil Joker who would be the villain, we’re halfway done with 3 games to go, lord help me.

Okay, starting this off with P4, I’m gonna give them more than the others purely because they were the focus of the originals and there’s less realistic cuts I can make compared to 2 and 3. To make things simple, every returning character would play the same, and as for the ones I’d bring back for the base roster, we’ve got Yu, Yosuke, Chie and Naoto. Why them specifically? Well Yu is the main character, Naoto being a detective would basically mean she’d be the one getting everyone involved in the first place, Chie is currently training to be a cop as confirmed in P5 so her getting called in makes sense, and Yosuke is the best investigator after Yu and Naoto, he’s always up for a mystery and the second he learns Yu is involved he’s joining in. I just couldn’t cut him.

Now before the really painful cuts, Persona 2 is really easy. Out of Innocent Sin party members, by the end of the series Maya is the only one left with a Persona, and Katsuya is not only older brother of Innocent Sin’s protag Tatsuya, but he’s also pretty important and a detective so he’s definetly the one Maya’s dragging into this. As for how they play, they both use guns like Naoto, but how I’d mix them up is with Katsuya, I’d let him attack while moving (unlike Naoto who has so stay still to fire) at the cost of less combo potential, meanwhile Maya dual wields her guns so she’ll probably play like Noel Vermillion from BlazBlue where she’d more or less just use the guns to get longer reach melee attacks instead of shooting.

Now, for the hard part. There’s only 2 slots left, one of them basically has to go to Mitsuru (not that I’m complaining I’d probably add her anyway) meaning now I have to choose between the rest of the Shadow Operatives/SEES for the last slot. I narrowed it down to the 3 that were in the original Arena cause they’re the most plot relevant, but that still meant I had to choose between Akihiko and Aigis. I ended up deciding on Aigis though cause A, with Labrys not making the base roster someone has to represent the robots of the series, and B, with Akihiko currently pulling a Ryu by travelling to get stronger, it makes more sense that Aigis would be closer and easier for Mitsuru to call up. Honestly I was tempted to bump the roster up to 17 so I could have both of them on the base roster, but this is ArcSystems, 16 is already kinda pushing it.

DLC

Given that this is a modern fighting game, DLC is inevitable. However since this DLC will likely be like Ultimax where the story acts to wrap up loose ends and have a new story, it’s going yo be big, especially since there’s going to be a fight with Nyaraloptep, so go big or go home in this case. Okay so first order of business, anyone who was in the previous arena games who wasn’t in the base roster is getting added back in, it’s only fair. That out of the way, the new faces I’d add are Futaba actually being playable now and the big 4 P5 characters I skipped, Akechi, Yoshizawa, and Sophie. Before anyone asks though, Sophie was added into a Dragalia Lost collab with Koei Techmo not being credited so she’s likely Atlus’s copyright so she's safe to add.

With that out of the way, how would they play? Starting with Futaba, I’d think she’d be the resident puppet fighter, sitting on top of Necinomicon and only occasionally adding in some of her own attacks like a projectile. Also she'd also probably act as a bit of a grappler cause her Persona has tentacles (no hentai jokes please) which have long reach so that'll be perfect for it. Next up is Akechi who I can see as semi being two characters in one. My basic idea is that at first Akechi will be fighting with Robin Hood and he'll be a solid jack of all trades with a slight focus on rush down. However once he goes into his awakened mode he'll gain Loki, which will increase his speed and attack strength, at the cost of his defence, turning him into a glass cannon.

Next is Yoshizawa, or 'Sumi as I like to call her, and her thing will be she's the mobility focused fighter, namely constantly moving around the stage and poking at her opponent while doing it, at the cost of being frail. Finally there’s Sophie who would be a combo focused zoner, as in her standard projectiles (the yo-yo’s) wouldn’t hurt that much on their own, but she can string them together into the fancy yo-yo tricks to potentially do big damage. As for how much this DLC would cost, it’s going to be very big, so €25 to €30 sounds fair

I think that more or less covers my thoughts. I could keep going on about this for a while, but I think this is a good place to stop. Hope you like my idea!

#Youtube #persona 5 #persona 3 #persona 4 #persona 2 #persona arena #phantom thieves #investigation team #SEES #shadow operatives #happy 25th anniversary Persona!

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allalrightagain · 3 years

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I promise I didn’t forget about you @lunapwrites, it just took me a bit to put my thoughts into (a lot of) words.

You said: I am... Extremely interested in this. Especially because my personal HC for Arithmancy and Runes is literally like Wizard Coding. Here for it.

I do agree that Arithmancy and Runes are like wizard coding, because I do think they share a lot of hallmarks of what we traditionally thing of code looking and acting like: you input a combination of symbols/numbers/letters into a text based system and get an output of whatever the code is supposed to do (ie magic, formatting your website, running an application, etc).

I should clarify that in my original post, I was thinking more scripting languages like Python, since that's what I’m currently studying, and it's specifically scripting languages that I was thinking resemble spells in canon (versus other types of code like markup languages (html) or compiled languages (C)).

I think of Arithmancy and Runes as closer to a compiled language— the finished product is a set of instructions /compiled/ into an application that works with the data it's given. In other words, you build the whole thing, then it can run the steps you built. Potions, in some ways, also fits into this category.

Scripting languages, otoh, aren't compiled, and are (at least, as I'm using here*) interpreted /scripts/ or individual pieces of code where specific actions are associated with each piece. It's faster and easier to use, and can, in many cases, be used piecemeal.

The linguistic methodology of spells in Harry Potter (specifically what we see of Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms) functions similarly to the syntax in scripting languages. One command performs an action, often but not always on a subject/input.

So you can use a command like print() where the text you want the application to spit out is in parentheses, and likewise you can shoot sparks, where you choose the color of sparks either mentally or verbally with a variant of the same command and directed wherever you point your wand.

Likewise, the commands are highly specific— for magic, the wrong wand movement or pronunciation can have disastrous results or be a completely different spell; for code, the wrong word or missing punctuation can cause a crash or a different action than intended.

Everyone I know who uses scripting languages regularly

1) has scripts they know off the top of their head,

2) has a file somewhere with the scripts they use just often enough that they forget in between uses, and

3) still has to google specific code or situations because they don't remember or don’t know exactly what their looking for.

So what I was struck with (as I looked up a highly specific command in a specific module which I've never needed before and will likely never need again) is that magic users would need to know a whole library worth of highly specific spells, and would probably still run into situations where they know there's a spell, but it's not one they've used before or regularly, and would have to look up and then apply that spell.

I would imagine that Hogwarts, not unlike a lot of IT/data science programs, start you off with a collection of easy and necessary scripts/spells, and teach a lot more theory than is initially obvious. It feels like you’re learning highly specific commands, which you are, but the goal of magical education is not unlike “learn to code” classes— to teach you the commands you’ll use so frequently you’ll never forget them, the rhythm and methodology of using those commands, and what to do when you don’t know the command.

Take switching spells for example— how often do you need to swap the positions of two similar sized objects? Probably not often, but you might use other, possibly more complicated spells that have two fixed objects, and it will use the same fundamentals and application, you’ll just have to look the spell up when you need it.

A final note on the application of this knowledge is that jobs that require coding knowledge typically involve a portion of the interview in which you prove your ability to fix or write code, sometimes in a specific language, and sometimes in whatever your preferred language is, so long as it's capable of performing the required tasks. However, once you get the job, they might have specific scripts that everyone uses within that team/company's specific function (in my last job, someone literally emailed me a 5 page long list that they'd been adding to since they started working there).

So it's reasonable to assume many wizarding world jobs both require a sort of “magical interview” where the interviewee is asked to perform specific spells or solve specific problems, and then once they get the job, are told the commonly used spells in that job. A person with good reasoning skills or a large working knowledge of spells would have an advantage over one who didn’t, but a person who already knows the specialized spells would have an even greater advantage in the interview process, but not necessarily after that.

(As a side note, code == magic adds a bonus layer to Snape's character specifically. We know he creates his own spells/code with the primary goal of hurting others, creepily pines for a girl who “friendzoned” him and hasn’t talked to him since they were fifteen, joined a terrorist org, and complained that other magical people don't use logic enough. Tell me he doesn’t hang out on the worst parts of magical Reddit/4chan/etc.)

*the actual languages that fit into scripting vs compiled aren’t necessarily cut and dry, and there are several that are used for both categories, where the individual scripts are compiled into a full application and used as such. Similarly, I think some transfiguration and charms could be used more like a compiled language— think of Hermione's bag with the undetectable extension charm, or Sirius and James' mirrors.

#hp #hp meta #lt talks #I know uh... just enough code to be dangerous so if some of this might be slightly inaccurate #I tried to tldr but I think my brain started melting so...#tldr the original post #let me know if this does/doesn't make sense #I spend so much time thinking about code right now I'm not sure how well it translated #code vs magic

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rotationalsymmetry · 3 years

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A brief history of Unitarian Universalism (casual, with swears, have not fact checked as such but I think it’s correct): In New England back before US independence, there was Calvinism -- you know, that predestination thing, you’re already going to go to heaven or hell, but you should be good anyways so people will think you’re going to heaven, or something like that. Then there wasn’t. Then there was Congregationalism. Which was a lot more chill, but still very “fuck Catholicism”. And around this time, deism was on the rise: the idea that maybe God created the universe, then fucked off, and hasn’t been actively involved with anything since. Then, some people who were actually reading the Bible, because you can’t look down on Catholicism unless you actually read the Bible, were like... wait, maybe Jesus isn’t all that. You know -- the Savior, the Son of God, one third of the Trinity, all that. Maybe he was just, like... a prophet, or some guy who said some interesting things. A teacher. And other congregationalists were like: uh, what, no, Jesus has to be all that. If you don’t think Jesus is all that, how can you even call yourself a Christian? And they decided they couldn’t really be around each other any more. So the first group, which was mostly in Boston, started calling themselves Unitarians (because they rejected the doctrine of the Trinity and instead believed in a one part God), and incidentally at some point also stopped calling themselves Christians because the other guys had a point, and the others called themselves the United Church of Christ (UCC.) Emerson and Thorough -- sorry, Thoreau -- were both Unitarians, as were John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and pretty much everyone else from Boston in early US history. (We like to claim Jefferson, because his beliefs were kindasorta similar to Unitarian beliefs at the time, but as I understand it he was never actually part of a Unitarian congregation.) (Btw: if you’re lgbtq+ and Christian, they’re a pretty friendly denomination. If you’re lgbtq+ and Christian and you think the UCC is too liberal (in the religious sense) or you want a majority-lgbtq+ congregation, consider MCC, which is otherwise unconnected to all this. If you’re not Christian and are lgbtq+ -- atheist/agnostic, or maybe something else if you’re down with worshipping with people that aren’t specifically your thing -- Unitarian Universalism tends to be pretty good. As in: we have a bunch of gay/lesbian ministers and other religious leaders, and a few transgender ones. (Knowledge of less mainstream lgbtq+ identities can vary a lot between congregations and generations -- the younger generations tend to be more aware than the gen x’ers.) I’ve been involved with Church of the Larger Fellowship for most of the past year, which did zoom worship before it got cool and serves people around the world, and people like me who live a mile from a UU brick and mortar congregation but still can’t get their disabled ass over there anyways. Anyways, CLF has more POC on the worship team than most UU congregations (the denomination does tend to run pretty white), is very social justice oriented even by UU standards, and is somewhat more cool about general weirdness than most congregations, which again for UU congregations is saying something.) Then, at some point (sadly, I’m significantly more familiar with the history of the first U than the second) there was this other protestant denomination in the South (as in, the US South) where people decided that God was too nice to send people to hell for all eternity, so they started calling themselves the Universalists, as in Universal Salvation. All dogs go to heaven. Well, time passed, each denomination evolved in its own way. (In particular, Unitarianism caught humanism pretty hard -- the joke was the Unitarians believe in one God at most.) In the -- ok, I’ll look this one up -- in 1961, there was a big old merger, creating Unitarian Universalism, and in the process, everyone got together and was all...wait, so what are our official beliefs about God and stuff? Should we even have official beliefs about God? Maybe we can unify around some ideas around how people should treat each other instead. So they did: they drafted a set of Principles (broad-strokes guidelines on how people should act -- peace is good, truth is good, people have value, stuff like that) and a set of Sources (where UU’s get their ideas about God and morality and so on from, starting with direct experience) and left everything else up to the individual. And then a little while later, the tree-huggers got a seventh Principle and a sixth Source added in -- respect for the environment and Earth-centered religions, respectively -- so now the joke is that UU’s believe in one God, more or less. Currently there’s a movement on to add an 8th Principal that explicitly names racial equality and fighting oppression as something we value, since while the current Principles mention justice and equality, they don’t specifically name race, and the people of color who have stuck with the predominantly white denomination figure Unitarian Universalism can and should be doing better on that front. Unitarian Universalism runs religiously liberal (ie, decentralized, individualistic, non-authoritarian, non-dogmatic, inclined to believe science over the Bible) and politically progressive. Unitarian Universalist congregations tend to be very politically active and concerned with social justice, mostly in a well-educated middle class kind of way: committees, Robert’s Rules of Order, donating to non-profits, Get Out the Vote, inviting in speakers and asking “questions” that aren’t really questions, forming partnerships with other congregations and community organizations, etc. Many UU congregations have put a Black Lives Matter sign out (and when necessary keep putting it out when it gets torn down or vandalized), shown up for the protests, opposed the weird immigration BS that’s been going on in the US recently, etc. In addition to more charity style work, like food pantries and homeless shelters.

Point is: yeah it’s got flaws (don’t even get me started on Unitarian Universalism’s flaws) but if you’re a social justice person and want to meet other social justice people who are doing things, Unitarian Universalism can be a good place to look for that. You get more done in groups.

You’re less likely to burn out, too. With marginalization, it’s complicated, right? Again, for LGBTQ+ people, it’s going to be better than most religious organizations. For people a little bit on the autism spectrum, you probably won’t be the only one. (If you’re unmistakeably autistic, people might be weird/ableist; it might depend on the congregation.) If you’re from a working class background or are currently kinda broke, you might run into some frustrations or feel like you don’t fit in; if you’re a poc or if you’re disabled (or your kid is) or you want a lot of personal support, you might struggle more -- this really might vary a lot, but at least the congregations I’m used to tend to assume congregants can mostly stand on their own feet, metaphorically speaking, and have some extra time/money/skills/whatever that can be directed out into the wider world. It can be a good place for pagans and Buddhists and other people who don’t want a church but are having trouble finding a church-like religious community where you can hang out with people on the same spiritual path. (Uh, for a while UU congregations were emphatically not churches and some officially still aren’t; others gave up and were all “eh, it looks like a church, whatever, we’re just a weird church.) Some congregations are more atheist-dominated than others -- many avoid Jesus language most of the time, some avoid God language most of the time (UU’s who believe in God tend to believe in God in a relatively abstract/metaphorical way), some I hear are pagan-heavy, others do use Christian language a lot more. In all honesty you don’t have to go to Sunday worship if you don’t want to, and really a lot of UU’s don’t; if you want to be heavily involved in the congregation but don’t want to go to Sunday worship and don’t want to deal with pressure to, one way out is to teach RE (religious education -- basically “Sunday school”) the RE curricula are amazing, just absolutely astounding, and if you’re teaching it you get a ton of leeway with adjusting anything you don’t like. (Which could happen -- a lot of this stuff was developed before the idea that cultural appropriation is a big problem became mainstream in social justice circles.) What adult worship is like has basically zero correlation (perhaps negative correlation) to what RE is like. (Which sucks for young adults coming of age in a UU congregation, like I said don’t get me started on UU’s flaws.) Finally: for people who care about sex positivity and sex ed, Unitarian Universalists (in partnership with UCC) developed Our Whole Lives, a sex ed curriculum that, well, it’s not abstinence based education. You wouldn’t expect sex ed coming from a religious org to be better than the sex ed in schools, would you? And yet. Comprehensive sex ed that acknowledges gay bi and trans people and that disabled people have sex too and teaches about birth control and masturbation and abuse and consent and boundaries and bullying and internet safety and abortion. It’s good stuff. The course aimed at teens is most popular of course, but there’s actually (age-appropriate) OWL curricula for all stages of life: young kids, adults, older adults, everyone. And it’s versatile enough to be taught in secular contexts (after school programs etc). Given the direction that unfortunately a lot of school districts in the US have been going in in terms of sex ed, it’s a really important program.

#Unitarian Universalism #unitarian universalist history #feels weird plugging the denomination when I get so frikkin frustrated but still #if it's not something you know about and you care about social justice #it's something you should know something about #even if you're not interested personally #I'm open to questions on this drop me a line

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blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years

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Anonymous asked: Do the intellectual elites basically set the direction of how society thinks? Over the centuries, the general public has followed philosophical trends in the academic world so how do these beliefs and academic theories filter down into the mainstream? Is there anything we can do to stop it?

It may seem like in our current turbulent times that the elites do the thinking for the masses. And if one stands back to look at the flash points of intellectual history that indeed feels true. But equally one can stand back and ask critically if this is really so?

Who are you actually talking about? Who are these intellectual elites? I dislike these generalisations because they are unhelpful. How does one define elite? Is it intellect? Is it cachet of social position? I think our so-called university elites - professors etc - are in their own existential crisis because of how commodified a university education is becoming. They are beholden to students as consumers. It’s a worrying trend.

Of course it didn’t use to be like that because then our intellectual elites had both recognised intellectual prowess and a social cachet. In other words they had power. I think the modern day academic is many ways a powerless and even pitiful figure at the mercy of university managers and money men.

Nor do I think one thinker dominates over others as they might have done in the past.

A case van be made that ideas today are democratised. Power resides wherever their is a vacuum. It doesn’t reside in the class room but on social media.

In our more recent times intellectual trends like post-modernism and now social critical theory have been seeping into the mainstream. Even Donald Trump has brought up critical race theory to the wider watching populace as a beating stick over the left.

But many ordinary people would be hard pressed to name the actual thinkers (outside of just lumping people together as an amorphous mass e.g. cultural marxists or far right conservatives). It’s more true to say that all ideas now fight in the market place of ideas as a product for people to consume blindly.

But why one idea takes off and another doesn’t is something I don’t have answer for. Or where is the point where ideas from top down meet reality from bottom up and create some kind of intellectual and social momentum? I don’t have time to get into that here.

Another thing is that like an MP4 download the compression size of the complexity gets eroded the more it is downloaded and passed around. In other words people start arguing over labels and top line arguments than actually grapple with the deeper and more complex ideas contained.

This isn’t to say there are no problems with such theories - e.g. critical race theory - because there are. For the record, I am hostile to such philosophies as a Tory as I am towards many lefty isms plaguing the modern university campus that find their way into the public square.

Rather than attack the messenger (ie people) one should critically examine the arguments from every side. This is true for any theory and wherever it comes from. We engage ideas not people.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record so let me play devil’s advocate and suggest an alternative if only to muse upon on it.

I was having a stimulating series of conversations with a professor of intellectual history and other academic historians and political scientists from prestigious French institutions at a friend’s dinner party not so long ago. Like any French dinner good conversation is expected along with good food and wine. Arguments are meant to be robust and even heated but never personal. Arguments are won as much by charm and wit as it is by intellect. It’s all very convival and civilised.

Anyway, we touched on many things from the sorry state French politics, Brexit, Trump, and Covid of course. The usual stuff I imagine. But because of who was around the table the discussion enjoyably explored much wider issues.

For me it’s always interesting to hear the premise from where people build their arguments. For the left secularist the Enlightenment becomes the cornerstone from which the lens of history is viewed and interpreted. For the conservative it’s anything before the 1789 Revolution. Both actually looked at change and the ideas therein as from top down. The ground up (or the view from below) was given short thrift.

I suggested an alternative premise more from a playful motivation than absolute empirical evidence - if only to liven things up a little as the conversation was becoming stale and even predictable.

Perhaps the direction of influence could also be seen the other way round? That is to say that philosophical theories formalise and develop ideas that are already in circulation in society and culture.

Did you get that? Let me explain.

Remember Hegel's beautiful and profound observation that 'the owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk. In the words what Hegel was saying was that philosophical theory comes afterwards, reflectively, when a development of ideas or institutions is complete and (he would add) in decline.

Plato's 'Republic', at least its political portion, was as the late Michael Oakeshott once put it, 'animated by the errors of Athenian democracy'. Any citizen could participate in politics and help determine policies and legislation without any knowledge of the relevant matters. Plato saw democracy as the politics of ignorance. If every other human inquiry or activity recognised expert knowledge - in his famous example, you wouldn't let just anyone, regardless of their lack of specialist skills, navigate a ship - why not politics, too ? Why should politics be special in not requiring knowledge of the proper ends and means of political action as a condition of participation. Think of this what you will, but the 'Republic' was rooted in its contemporary context and was a response to it.

Aristotle's 'Politics' is a theorisation of the Greek polis, which was already passing out of independent existence under the impact of Alexander the Great's conquests. Athens was a city-state, and a democracy (albeit a limited one). Even though Aristotle was not born in Athens his views were accepted until he was shunned after the death of Alexander.

Aquinas' 'Summa' was a response to the recovery of Aristotle's writings and to the ongoing beliefs and practice of the Catholic Church - as well, of course, to movements which he opposed in theology.

Hobbes' 'Leviathan' is clearly a recipe for avoiding the kind of political and social chaos caused by the French Wars of Religion and the English Civil Wars. They were in his rear-view mirror when he wrote his tome.

Hume's 'atomistic' view of the nature of experience as composed of distinct impressions and ideas drew on the model of Newtonian 'corpuscular' physics.

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason asks how knowledge is possible, with the glories of Newtonian physics in the background. His emphasis on the place of reason in ethics is fully in the spirit of the Enlightenment's celebration of reason.

John Stuart Mill's 'On Liberty' was a counter-blast to the pressure toward conformity which he thought he saw in the England of his day.

Logical Positivism was a response to the huge, brilliant developments in science - relativity and quantum theory - and took the form of scientism, the view that scientific knowledge is the only form of deep and accurate knowledge (of all real knowledge).

Marxism was a response to the embryonic birth of the modern capitalist system after the industrial revolution in Britain. Both Hegel and Marx formulated their theories by what they observed was happening with the birthing pains of modern industrial capital society. Cultural Marxism is a different beast entirely.

I could go on.

I am not suggesting, of course, that there was anything crude or mechanical in the way these philosophies emerged from their contexts. They all added independent thought of great subtlety. But their problems and the terms of their solutions were set by their times, at least as they understood them. It’s plausible but may not be completely true. But that’s part of the enjoyment of musing upon whimsical thoughts without the conceit of being certain.

Anyway something to think about.

Thanks for your question.

#question #ask #hilosophy #ideas #society #ideology #culture

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talpup · 4 years

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Lost Song:10

Summary: The war between the Dragons and Griffons ended 233 years ago, and both races right along with it.

Or so it was believed. There are three individuals that will soon change that.

Kai is the last of the Dragons and he seeks to take what he sees as his rightful place and rule over all of Oblvi. Meanwhile, Shouta, the last Sphinx, wants nothing more than to do his job; keep the peace and and teach the young Fourth’s to hopefully avoid the mistakes of their ancestors. And Teris, a Foundling who is just trying to understand and survive in this strange new world that is supposedly her own.

All three have their own wants and desires, but Kai’s plans, Teris’ existence, and Shouta's past mean that none of them may get what they want.

This fic is rated explicit and has warnings of sex, violence, and other possible triggers. For a full list of story tags please check the fics AO3 (link to that at the top of my tumblrs homepage).

Notes: Flashbacks/memories are in italics. I decided to give Pops a name. Ryuu. For those of you who haven't read BNHA Vigilantes. His Purple Highness is a character from there.

10.1

Shouta entered the library of his Ilca dorm carrying a stack of essay’s to grade. His student's complained every time he assigned them homework. As if they alone suffered. If anything, they had it easy. They only had to write a single paper. Where as he had to grade them all. He set down the pile and frowned at the top page. ...And try to decipher Kaminari’s handwriting, he thought with a tired sigh.

Shouta shuffled the Venti-High Elf’s essay with its chaotic scrawl to the bottom of the pile and sat down. At least he had the next few nights off from patrol. Though it was doubtful he would get any rest from the time off. Not with members of the Council arriving and the truth of Teris being a griffon needing to be guarded. If anything, he’d probably get even less sleep than usual.

The thought of Teris had Shouta reaching into his pants pocket in search of the item he had been carrying around for two days. His hesitance was illogical and had to end. With Elders of the Council arriving later this evening, he could no longer stall. He had to give Teris the gift today.

A soft humming growl reverberated in Shouta’s chest. Not gift, he corrected himself. Why did he keep on thinking of the thing as a gift?

He growled again at the other, far more crucial failing on his part. With the Council Elders arriving this evening, Shouta should've given the thing to Teris this morning. But the infuriating woman had had been spoiling for a fight. And with the little sleep he had invaded by dreams of her. Shouta, in his irritation, had given in and snapped back. Because of that he had held off giving Teris the bracelet. He couldn’t say why, but he didn’t want to give her the gift in anger. It’s not a gift, Shouta told himself inner voice stern in it’s scolding. It’s a necessary thing for her protection.

Shouta entered Nedzu’s office. “You wanted to see me.”

“Yes. Please come in and have a seat. We have a concerning issue. Tea?” The Director of Traverseen Hall offered.

Shouta sat before the Hybrid’s desk and shook his head. When Nedzu didn’t even make himself a cup, Shouta realized just how serious the matter was.

“I’ve been informed that some Elders of the Council will be coming to Traverseen Hall. They wish to see the Foundling’s.” Nedzu said.

The heckles on the back of Shouta’s neck rose in protective aggression and worry. “Teris… There a those on the Council that will know her for a griffon at first scent.”

Nedzu nodded. “I’m aware. It’s not an easy thing to tell a Fourth's species by scent alone, especially when both parties are in human form. But there are those on the Council who were high ranking in the Griffon Court and dealt with griffons often and closely enough to know Teris is one at first whiff. While a few others would be able to do the same, having specialized in hunting and stalking out griffon locations for the dragons. If one such Elder is part of the group that’s coming. I fear there is little we could do to stop them from taking Teris before the panel. And we both know what that would mean.”

Shouta's chin ducked, teeth baring in a snarl that was hidden by his capture weapon. Teris was his. He would end anyone who dared tried to take her from him.

Nedzu went on. “It’s why I called you here. I’m aware the Dryad King found a small library of books near where he discovered you. And that he kept those books secret from the Council, gifting them to you as your inheritance as the last Sphinx. I was hoping somewhere in that small portion of what remained of the vast stores of Sphinx knowledge is something that could assist us in this.”

Shouta had barely been able to focus on teaching his class that day. When the school day finally ended he had filed out quicker than his student's. He had missed dinner and evening lesson with Hizashi and Teris. Having called in a favor with Nemuri to cover his patrol, Shouta had spent a sleepless night locked in his chambers scouring the books in his personal armory for something to help. An hour before sunrise, he had found a solution. If he combined a specifically forged charm and overlayed a certain spell on it… The following night had been another sleepless one.

An echoing clang of metal hitting metal sounded from deep within the bowels of Traverseen Hall. Even in the middle of winter the furnace room was as hot and sweltering as hell. The place was windowless and dark. The sole light of the furnace fire throwing long flickering shadows.

Tired and slick with sweat, Shouta set down the hammer and examined the layered mix of salted iron and shining silver. He pushed back his plastered hair and wiped the sweat from his brow with a leather gloved hand. One more turn in the fire and a few more hits of the hammer, and the charm would be complete.

The cuff bracelet he was making could've been made from of any metal. It definitely would've been easier and far quicker if he opted not to blend two separate metals. But given the dangers Teris would face on the patrols she and Hizashi would go on with him, Shouta found it illogical to waste the opportunity to add other layers of protection.

Sweat rolling down his bare chest, Shouta smiled, pleased with how the gift was turning out. He frown at the cuff. Why did he keep thinking of it as a gift? It wasn’t a gift. It was a necessity. He wasn’t doing this to court Teris. He was doing it because the Council was coming and Teris needed protection from being sniffed out as a griffon. Him making this thing had nothing to do with his care for her. He had no care for her. The only reason he was doing this was because it was his responsibility as Ilca leader to see both Teris and Hizashi protected.

Shouta didn’t dare ask himself if he would’ve put the same amount of time and effort into making the item look perfect and pleasing if it were for Hizashi's protection instead of Teris’. Shouta did his best not to examine his thoughts where Teris was concerned. Why would he? Teris was an annoyance he’d rather not think about at all.

Black pants hanging low on his hips, Shouta stepped back to the fire. It was cathartic to thrust the confounded item he kept thinking of as a gift into the blaze.

Humans might’ve needed protection against the furnaces heat and sparks. But even in human form Shouta didn’t have to worry about such things. The only thing he had to worry about was getting this right the first time. While he had enough material in the stores of his personal armory to make the gift. He only had enough for one attempt.

Shouta turned the long tongs, evenly heating the salted iron and sliver. More strands of inky black hair fell from the messy bun. The escaped dark waves clung to his face and neck. Sweat sizzled on his body and evaporated. It rolled down his chest and pooled in his navel then continued on and caught in the dark trail of hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants.

Thoroughly heated, Shouta pulled the red hot metal from the flame and returned it to the anvil. The firelight highlighted the rolling muscles of Shouta's back as he took up the hammer and lifted it. He brought it down with a clank and mass of sparks.

With the charm forged he now had to place the overlaying spell on it. But something made him pause. The charmed bracelet would muddle the scent of the wearer’s species. While the spell would stop the charm from interfering with the wearer’s personal scent. It meant that Teris would still smell like herself; but she wouldn’t smell like a griffon. But what if one of the coming Council members were so familiar with griffons that muddling the smell of Teris’ species wasn’t enough?

If he added a few strands from his mane. No. The underlying scent of a Fourth’s species became stronger and much more prominent in their true form. Such a powerful scent of hereditary marker would garner attention in itself. But if he were to add some hair from his human form, the charmed bracelet would carry and muddle his species scent along with Teris’.

Shouta hummed, pleased at the thought of Teris having a part of him so close. He frowned. What kind of silly youngling thought was that? Why would he even want Teris to keep a part of him close when he couldn’t stand and didn’t want to be near her? Growling, Shouta blamed his exhaustion. He rubbed his tired eyes and read over the instructions for making the charm to be sure the addition of his hair would work. Satisfied that it would, he pulled the tie holding his hair back. The dark, sweat drenched locks fell with a plop.

He smirked at the thought of how Teris would react if she knew she would be wearing his unwashed hair around her wrist. But it was more than a petty vengeance. His beastly scent would be more potent this way.

Shouta reached up and sectioned out a bit of hair from the nape of his neck. Mind wandering back to the thought of Teris keeping a part of him close, Shouta carefully braided the strands unaware of the smile that crept onto his face.

Shouta stared down at the bracelet in his hand. Like all creators he easily picked out every minute flaw in his creation. Even though he had been careful in braiding, and selected the best portion of the strand to use. His critical eye found the braid sloppy. It’s weave marginally tighter at one end of the cuff and looser at the other.

At least he had done a bit better with the actual metal work. The layers sandwiched silver and salted iron so thin a Fourth would have to be in their true form and squinting to see them. The cuff looked like one solid piece. The salted iron giving it a charcoal color. While the silver gave it a sheen. His braided hair looked like a decorative black metal detail. And with the charm finished, its spell set in place, it may as well have been. Even in their true form, only a small handful of Fourth's would be able to see it as the hair it truly was.

Shouta ran a calloused thumb over the bracelet. He wondered if Teris would like it. The clock in the great room chimed the hour. Teris would soon be returning from her lessons with Kai. A slight nervous excitement bubbled up inside him. He scolded himself. This wasn't a courting gift. It was something he had to do protect Teris from the Council.

What if she did more than not like it? What if Teris rejected it? Maybe he should have Hizashi give it to her. Teris would surely be more accepting of the bracelet if given from Hizashi instead of him. A low growl rumbled in Shouta’s chest at the thought of Hizashi giving Teris the gift he had worked so hard on.

Shouta stared at the bracelet and sighed. Truth is getting harder and harder to ignore, he thought. He shook his head and told himself to shut up.

It’s an illogical waste of time and energy to continue attempting to deny the truth, his inner voice continued. You’ll have to face the fact of it sooner or later. Why this stubborn insistence on delaying the inevitable?

I don’t know what you’re talking about, Shouta told himself.

Stop trying to convince yourself otherwise. Just admit that you want her, his voice of reason sounded. This blatant denial of facts is childish and doesn’t suit you.

I don’t want her. I can barely stand her, Shouta argued with himself.

Then why worry if she’ll like the cuff and accept it?

You’re right, he told himself. It’s a necessity not a gift. As her Ilca leader, I’ll simply order Teris to wear the thing.

That’ll certainly warm her to you and win her favor, his inner voice taunted.

What do I care if Teris warms to me, he thought.

You did proposition her with seeking release, he told himself.

That was simply so I wouldn’t have to go to Nemuri. It’s not like I asked Teris to mate or be companions, he reasoned.

You wanted to though, his voice of reason pressed.

No. I didn’t, Shouta thought getting annoyed with himself.

You were disappointed when Teris turned down your offer of release.

Release, he thought. There’s no feelings involved with that.

There can be, his rational side argued.

Yeah, well, there wouldn’t have been if Teris accepted, he told himself.

You should ask her again, he thought. With her around you’ll be needing release more often. You need it now. No doubt she’s needs it too. Maybe after you give her this gift…

The main door to the dorm opened drawing Shouta’s attention and ending his inner argument. He rose to his feet and exited the library. The sight of Teris made him pause. She was beautiful. Lips slightly swollen and redder than usual. The ends of her hair damp and wetting her shirt. Wait… The smell of sex carried across the great room and assaulted his nose.

Shouta growled, heckles rising. The light excitement he had felt upon seeing Teris darkened and disappeared. His heart clenched. Chest aching as if physically wounded. Incisors lengthening Shouta pressed teeth painfully together, trying to get himself under control. The image of biting down and ripping Kai’s throat out danced in his mind along with other far less desirable scenes of Teris and Kai together.

A faint burning red mixed and tinted his charcoal colored eyes. He was kill the Dragon for taking what was his.

She’s not yours, his inner voice of reason taunted. You don’t even want her. Remember?

Right, Shouta gruffly thought. He had no interest in Teris. No desire to take and claim her and make her his. She was free to seek release with whomever she pleased. The only reason it mattered to him was because Teris was a griffon and Kai a dragon. That was why he was upset. No. Not even upset. Just concerned. As Teris’ Ilca leader, it was his duty to protect her. And Teris had just unknowingly put herself in further danger by seeking release with Kai.

Teris’ nerves were still on edge from the encounter with the red winged man. Relief instantly filled her at the sight of Shouta. His presence alone made her feel safe and secure. Shouta would know what to do and how to deal the winged man.

Teris rushed across the room to him. “Shouta--”

Shouta stepped back with a hard blowing exhale. The smell of sex and Kai on her was too much to handle. He couldn’t bare it. He shoved the bracelet at her, letting go without a care if Teris had a grasp on it or not. “For you.”

Teris fumbled with the item thrust at her. She didn’t even look at it. “Okay. But first--”

Shouta made his way to the still open door. He needed to get away from the stench of Kai and sex on her.

“Shouta! Where are you going? I need--”

“I don’t care what you need. Either deal with it yourself. Or wait till I get back.”

Teris stared after him, hurt and angry by his dismissal. She wanted to ask when he’d be back. Wanted to yell and demand he stay and listen.

Shouta slammed the door behind him.

Teris jumped, startled by the resounded sound. Left alone with her worry and growing anger.

10.2

Even after a long hot shower Kai was still upset he hadn’t been able to bring Teris back to his rooms and properly tend to her. Though she had assured him she was fine with a quick cleansing dip in the hot springs, he had wanted. Needed. To do more. It was his own propensity for cleanliness, mixed with the instinct to care for his chosen mate that had left him angry and distressed about his inability to properly tend to her.

Next time, Kai thought as he buttoned up his shirt. Next time he would show Teris what a good, caring attentive mate he would make her.

His cock stirred at the memory of Teris beneath him. The feel of her tight silken heat was something he would never forget and couldn’t wait to feel again. His eyes closed remembering the way she had moaned and cried out his name. He frowned recalling how she hadn’t been blushing or nervous at the start. Even in the heat of the moment with beastly instincts running high from the chase Teris hadn’t behaved like a virgin.

A growl bubbled in his chest. It was cut short by a knock at his chambers door.

“Enter.” Kai called, tightening his tie in place.

The door opened revealing Hari. “Master Ryuu has been seen on his way. He will be here shortly.”

“All work has been stopped?” Kai questioned, wanting to make sure.

Hari nodded. “All work ended late last night, just as you ordered. The Ilca has informed your followers to cease and conceal all doings until they have been told it is safe to begin again.”

“Good.” Much as Kai hated having to pause his efforts to reclaim the lost Dragon throne. Continuing them while members of the Council were here would be reckless and foolish. Especially when one of the visiting Council members was the man that had found his egg and raised him.

Kai exited his room and walked down the long hall. Hari turned and followed a respectful half-step behind the Dragon.

“I hope it’s alright. I took it upon myself to order the Ilca to busy themselves elsewhere this evening.” Hari said.

“Excellent. There’s no reason for them to meet Ryuu anyway.” Kai’s eyes slid to Hari. “Though if they do happen to find themselves in his presence they are to show him every level of respect.”

Hari nodded. “Of course, Sir. Master Ryuu is the reason you are here to give us purpose and hope. He deserves the utmost respect for that. I will make sure the Ilca knows it.”

“He’s a kind man who might suggest you stay with us. But we both know you have work to do. So after I introduce you, take your leave. Understood.”

“Yes, Sir.”

A knock on the door sounded just as they reached the great room. Hari quickened his steps to answer.

“Master Ryuu. It’s an honor.” Hari bowed. “Please. Come in.”

Ryuu looked about the Ilca dorm. The space seemed to expand and contract, perspective changing in direct response to his focus. He had known Traverseen Hall had been built by some of the most powerful Dwarf clans a thousand or so years before the rise and rule of Dragons and Griffons. But that didn’t make it any less impressive to finally see the ancient and powerful magic the place was imbued with.

“Do you ever walk around in your true form in here?” Ryuu questioned, a desire to try himself welling up. As a Tengu, his true forms size wasn’t hugely different from his human form. Still, to see and experience how the space altered to accommodate the change…

“That would be unseemly. You raised me better than that.” Kai said.

Ryuu’s eyes fixed and focused on the Dragon. A warm smile sprung to life. “Kai. My boy.” He looked the young Dragon over. “Not such a boy anymore. Look at you.”

Kai cleared his throat, glad for Hari’s preemptive removal of the rest of his Ilca.

Ryuu smirked and glanced out of the corner of his eye at Hari. “I’ve embarrassed him. He was never good with being fawned over. Now praise. That’s a different matter entirely. Kai’s never had any issues with being told how smart and special he is.”

Hari ducked his head and looked away, uncomfortable. He could feel Kai’s molten eyes on him. Judging and waiting for reaction.

After a brief moment, Kai spoke. “This is Hari. My second.”

Well aware Kai was subtly telling him ‘enough’, Ryuu inclined his head. “And I’m sure Kai’s told you all about me.”

Hari bowed again. “Master Ryuu. It is an honor.”

“You already said that my boy. Are you looking to make this old Tengu blush?”

Kai felt the beginning of a growl at Ryuu’s informal address. It didn’t matter whether Ryuu had called Hari ‘my boy’ because the Tengu already felt a warm favor toward him. Or simply because Hari was introduced as his second. Kai didn’t like it. Ryuu was his mentor. Hari his second. His things didn’t converse or bond without his say.

Even though the Ilca dorm was empty save for them, Kai extended a hand toward one of the private sitting rooms. “Shall we sit.”

Ryuu nodded and stepped in the direction Kai had gestured. He stopped when Hari bowed and turned away. “You’re not joining us?”

“He has work to do.” Kai answered for him.

“Ah. Of that I am far too familiar with. Even here work follows me.” Ryuu said, entering the sitting room.

Kai paused, respectfully waiting for the Tengu to sit first. “If I may ask. What brings you here?”

Ryuu’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. “They didn’t tell you?”

Kai stared across the coffee table. A tight tenuous smile graced his lips. “I am rarely told anything.”

Ryuu chest lifted and fell in a sad silent sigh. He wasn’t some deluded old man that thought if people were more kind and welcoming Kai wouldn’t being looking to reclaim his throne. But he liked to believe that Kai would’ve softened and responded if he was treated with less guarded animosity simply for being a dragon. And yes, Ryuu was aware of Kai’s plans to claim the lost dragon throne. Even if Ryuu’s clan of spies hadn’t reported hearing such whispers. He knew Kai too well having raised him.

“We are here to meet the Foundlings.” Ryuu said, speaking of himself and the other Council members he arrived at Traverseen Hall with.

Kai blinked, pretending this was news. Just because that Rat Director hadn’t informed him of anything didn’t mean his wasn’t fully aware of things. He simply had wanted Ryuu to be the first to bring Teris up.

“I was charged with the females Foundling’s instruction.” Kai said.

A proud smile tugged at Ryuu’s lips. “So I’ve been told. What can you tell me of her?”

Kai took in a breath, resting forearms on knees.

Ryuu’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly noting a subtle change in Kai’s expression.

“She’s smart. Clever and capable. Eager to learn and able to retain what she’s read or been told.” Kai could go on forever talking about Teris’ desirable attributes. But he didn’t want to appear like a lovesick fool.

“High praise coming from you.” Ryuu commented. And it was true. Kai was a hard man to please.

Wanting his mentor to properly meet and get to know his chosen mate, Kai offered. “I’m sure you’ll be seeing her during tomorrow’s gathering. But if you wish, I could have her join us for dinner tomorrow evening.”

Thinking of the reason he and the others were here, Ryuu nodded. “I would like that.”

Kai inclined his head. Glad to have his plans so easily set. Now all he had to do was invite Teris who would surely and readily agree.

Oblvi Facts 1

(aka info dump cause I’m a lazy writer who’s not making the effort to fit this seamlessly into the fic)

A bit about Dryads:

Dryads of Oblvi were one of the first earth Spirits in existence. Like Venti, they are elementals. Though not the Elemental of earth.

They are ruled by either a king or queen. Their current ruler, His Purple Highness, is also an Elder on the Council. His reign as King began 380yrs into the 867yrs Dragon-Griffon war. And he has ruled as the Dryad King for a total of 711yrs.

Dryad’s do not mate/bond. It is against their nature and something they are incapable of doing. Occasionally Dryad’s will take on or become companions with one or more Fourth’s. But as a whole they simply seek and provide other Fourth's with release. Unmated Fourth's or those lacking a companion will often seek a Dryad out for release. Though not compelled by their nature or some order to accept a Fourth seeking release. A Dryad will rarely, if ever, turn the seeking Fourth away. Release/sex is not needed for a Dryad to live. But it does provide many benefits to the Dryad, their home tree, and consequently surrounding flora.

A Dryad’s home tree is the tree they were born from. It more than houses their soul. It is their soul. The only way a Dryad can be away from their home tree for more than a day is by taking and carrying a cutting of their home tree. Even then, if the cutting were removed for whatever reason the Dryad would weaken, wither, and die sooner than the usual day they could survive away from their home tree. This is why the chosen Piece of Their Person for all Dryad’s is a cutting from their home tree.

Since a Dryad’s home tree is their soul, the physical and emotional state of a Dryad will effect their home tree. This is most noticeable when having sex. As a Dryad’s arousal heightens flower buds will appear on the cutting and home tree. During the act, those buds will grow. Upon orgasm/release the buds will blossom and bloom. The magic imbued within the pollen of a Dryad’s release will carry on the air and spawn a reaction in the surrounding plant life causing those plants to blossom and flower in kind. While it’s not necessary for a Dryad’s sexual partner to orgasm for this to happen. Their partner's release does strengthen the magic in their pollen thus creating and supporting further life in the area surrounding them and their home tree.

10.3

Along with her own personal quarters, Nemuri had a different set of chambers where she took Fourth's seeking release. While she wouldn’t have minded allowing some of her regulars into her personal space. Having separate rooms was all together easier for a number of reason. Not the least of which was the feelings of one of her three companion's.

Poor Sekijiro. Tonight was suppose to be his night. But when Shouta who rarely sought release and always scheduled appointment several days in advance had shown up without one, Nemuri couldn’t send her friend away.

Thankfully she had been the one to answer the door and had been able to tell Sekijiro of their evenings delay without Shouta hearing. Cause let’s face it, Shouta had already been apologizing and trying to leave despite his clear need for release.

The Sphinx's level of control amazed her. As a Beast still early in his prime one would've expected Shouta to come seeking release at least once a week if that little. Yet it had been months since Shouta had last sought her out. And she knew for a fact Shouta didn’t have agreement with anyone else to seek release from.

Speaking of agreements. Along with scheduling before hand, despite Nemuri telling him it wasn’t necessary, Shouta had a list of set rules. Lists of preferences or strict no’s were rather common. But Shouta's list was extensive. Nemuri supposed it was part of Shouta's nature as a Sphinx to want to be prepared for every possible outcome. Never mind his need for control as an apex alpha.

Despite one of his rules being no cuddling after, Shouta always provided other forms of aftercare. It was an unnecessary thing. And most who sought release didn’t do it. If she needed tending after Nemuri had her companion's for that. But whether it was because they were friend's. Or Shouta was simply such a caring lover it bled through even in this professional setting of release. Shouta always asked if she needed anything. If he had tied her up, his calloused hands would smooth over her body seeking out tense muscles or knots to message away.

Shouta hadn’t tied her up this time. There had been no scene to lengthen his release. There hadn’t even been much foreplay. Not that Nemuri was complaining. Shouta always satisfied. And tonight was no different. Already having one orgasm, Nemuri was well on her way to a second.

Panting and sweating Nemuri's nails raked up Shouta's strong arms encouraging him along. She delighted in the way his biceps quivered and rolled under her touch. Shouta growled. His powerful hands gripped her hips, holding her still.

The head of his cock hit that spot inside her. Nemuri threw her head back and moaned. Her sensitive pussy clamping down around his thick pulsing length.

Shouta's hands tightened, fingers digging into Nemuri's flesh, adding a delicious pain to her pleasure. Nemuri moaned again. Shouta’s betraying mind once again wondered what Teris would sound like. His teeth scraped over and bit into his bottom lip wanting to bite at Teris’ tender flesh. He wanted to feel Teris dig her nails into him. Wanted to hear Teris moan and scream his name. He would mark her and claim her as his. Would feast on her lips and…

The cutting of Nemuri's home tree laid at the base of her throat jostling with Shouta's every hard, deep thrust. Three new dark purple buds sprung out near the already blossomed flowers.

“Fuck.” Shouta cursed, thrusts growing ragged and rougher.

Nemuri's back arched, pressing her breast into Shouta's large groping palm. He tweaked and twisted her nipple. She moaned again. The coil within her tightened further making her vision go white.

Shouta's eyes squeezed further shut. Teeth gritted, he shook his head. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? Balls heavy and tight. Cock throbbing and ready to burst. He was so damn close to cumming. But it wouldn’t happen. Why wouldn’t it happen? Why couldn’t he cum?

Growling, Shouta stopped.

“Wha--” Dazed by her impending orgasm, Nemuri lifted her head.

“Sorry.” Shouta mumbled.

Despite the set rules Shouta had about no kissing or touching of the face or lips, Nemuri reached out to cup his handsome face. It was an instinct born of desire to help her friend and happened without thought.

Shouta jerked his head back. He grabbed her wrist and pulled it away. “What are you doing?”

“Taking care of you.”

Shouta let her go and pulled his cock out of her wet heat. He rose to his knees, chest rumbling with a noise of disapproval. Deep voice stern, Shouta shook his head. “No. You know I’m not looking for connection or affection. Merely release. Nothing more.”

Arousal fading, the purple buds on Nemuri's piece withered and fell away leaving only the blossomed flowers from her first orgasm. “I’m well aware. I just thought that with everything going on you might need something more to help you along.”

“Going against the boundaries I set isn’t going to make me less tired or distracted by the Council’s presence.” Shouta said, face expressionless.

Nemuri blinked rapidly eyes rolling in her head. Is that the excuse he was going with? They both knew full well him being tired and distracted had nothing to do with it. Still, he was right about her crossing a line. It didn’t matter how pure or earnest her reasoning was. It had been unprofessional and wrong.

“I’m sorry. I overstepped. It won’t happen again.” Nemuri said.

Shouta gave a curt nod of forgiveness, the matter over and forgotten the moment she said it wouldn’t happen again.

Nemuri propped herself up on elbows. Her piece fell safely between her breasts. The cutting of her home tree hanging by a smooth, shining cord of black leather. “But if you ever want to properly kiss or allow the touching of faces. I would be okay with it.” She shrugged. “Who knows? It might make what you were imagining feel more real.”

Shouta's eyes sharpened. The rest of his face an expressionless mask. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m not offended. Plenty of Fourth's seeking release close their eyes and pretend to be with someone they favor.”

“My eyes were closed because I’m tired.” Shouta said.

“So you were falling asleep while fucking me? Now that would offend me.”

Shouta sat on his haunches and sighed. He knew Nemuri had been close and felt guilty for leaving her in want. “I could finger or go down on you.”

Nemuri smiled gently. Shouta was such a sweet, caring person. Not that many knew it. Seeing only the cold hard exterior of indifference Shouta displayed to protect himself. “You already gave me one release. This was for you, Shouta. What’s going on? Why couldn’t you finish?”

Irrational as it was Shouta refused to accept the known facts on why a Fourth was unable to finish. He rose up and moved from between Nemuri's legs to sit on the edge of the bed. “This arrangement works because it’s of benefit to both of us.”

“This arrangement works because you tell yourself it’s of benefit to both of us.”

Shouta looked back at her.

Nemuri sat up and shrugged a shoulder. “It’s true and you know it. Even if I didn’t have three companions. There are countless others who regularly provide me with release when they seek it for themselves.” She looked over Shouta's strong, naked frame and smiled. “Not that release with you isn’t some of the best I have.”

Shouta huffed. He shook his head and looked away. Wavy dark hair fell across his face hiding the light blush Nemuri's praise evoked.

Nemuri got out of bed and slipped on a robe. “So what’s the matter?”

Shouta took the tissues she offered him and wiped his softening cock clean of her arousal. “Just tired.”

Well aware of the same facts Shouta was blatantly ignoring, Nemuri challenged. “You’ve been tired before and always finished.”

Shouta tossed the tissues in the bedside trashcan and reached for his clothes.

“Does it have anything to do with a certain member of your Ilca?” Nemuri pressed.

Shouta’s head snapped back to her. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Nemuri smirked at the Sphinx's furrowed brows and bared teeth.

Fingers fumbling with his pants zipper, Shouta muttered. “This has absolutely nothing to do with Teris.”

“Who said anything about Teris? I was talking about Hizashi.”

Shouta's eyes narrowed. He didn’t need to see Nemuri's dancing blue eyes to know the Dryad was toying with him. He could hear the smirking tease in her tone. “This has nothing to do with anyone.”

“Fine. But I’m here if you need to talk.” Nemuri sighed.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Shouta brusquely pulled on his long sleeve shirt.

“As you say.”

Shouta suddenly softened. “Sorry. I didn’t check. You need anything. Water? Warm towel? I could draw you a bath.”

Nemuri smiled in thanks. “No, Sweetie. I’m good. Just gonna take a quick shower and meet Sekijiro.”

“Alright then.” Shouta turned and made for the door.

Nemuri opened her mouth to ask one more time if he was alright, but stopped. There was only one reason why a Fourth in their prime wouldn’t be able to finish. Shouta knew that just as well as she. If he wasn’t ready to admit to it there was little she could do to help. At least at the moment.

Shouta walked through the long hallway of Nemuri's Ilca dorm. Lost in thought it took him a moment to register Sekijiro’s presence.

Waiting for Nemuri to finish with her unexpected caller, Sekijiro had left the doors to his rooms open. It was bad enough he had to suffer sharing Nemuri with her two other companion's. Never mind the Fourth's that continually called on her for release. But tonight was suppose to be his night alone with her.

Having heard Shouta exit the hated chambers Nemuri used for those seeking release, Sekijiro moved to stand in the doorway of his quarters. The smell Nemuri and sex on the Sphinx invaded his nostrils. His red eyes glowed. A deep, dangerous growl echoed through the long hallway.

Sekijiro would’ve thought that as a beast Shouta would understand. Or at least have sympathy for his situation. It wasn’t as if the Sphinx didn’t know about his predicament. Badly kept secret that it was. There wasn’t a single Fourth in Traverseen Hall, aside from the student's, who wasn’t aware Sekijiro was emotional mated to Nemuri. That as hers and hers alone Sekijiro couldn’t have sought release elsewhere. Even if he wanted to it would've been useless. He wouldn’t have been able to finish.

Shouta inclined his head in stiff greeting as he passed. “Kan.”

“Aizawa.” Sekijiro growled out between clenched teeth.

Bad as Shouta had felt for Sekijiro. He had seen it as the mans own fault for falling in love with Nemuri when Dryad’s were incapable of mating. It had struck him as irrational that Sekijiro had let his feelings grow to the point that the Vampuric Gargoyle was essentially one-sidedly mated. That was until tonight. Until Shouta discovered first hand that no matter the effort you didn’t always have a say in who you fell in love with.

10.4

Teris had grown more and more furious as time progressed. How dare Shouta leave like that when she needed him. Of course Hizashi, ever the peacemaker between her and the ill-tempered Sphinx, had tried to soothe her anger saying Shouta was probably on edge about the Council’s arrival. So what? For some reason everyone at Traverseen Hall was on edge about the Council’s arrival. Far as Teris saw it that didn’t excuse Shouta’s behavior. Kai never would’ve ignored her and walked out like that. Kai would've listened and…

Teris shivered. She had never seen Kai act violently. But something told her the Dragon was more than capable of doing so. She pushed aside the foreboding feeling and inner knowledge that she never would've gone to Kai about the winged mans kiss, and continued pacing the great room.

She hadn’t told Hizashi about the encounter with the strange winged Fourth either. Hizashi had only stopped by the dorm to change and get ready for his date with Oboro. Teris hadn’t want to ruin his time by worrying him. Or worse have Hizashi call off the date to stay with her until Shouta returned.

It wasn’t really that big a deal. Angry as Teris was about the unwanted kiss. It had been the look in mans eyes that truly disturbed her. The sharp dissecting gaze that seemed to pierce deeper than skin and bone. Like she was some sort of puzzle to examined and solved.

Teris unconsciously rubbed the bracelet Shouta had given her. The act brought a calming comfort. Her muscles relaxed then tightened when she caught herself. Teris growled and pulled her hand away from her right wrist. A petulant urge to take the thing off welled up inside her. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Why had Shouta given it to her? More like threw at her, Teris thought with a huff. ”For you.” Shouta's gruff words as he thrust the bracelet toward her replayed in her mind.

Teris looked down at the bracelet for the hundredth time. Not overly large or ornate, it held a reserved, subtle beauty. Her fingers traced over the braiding wondering what metal had been used for the decorative detail. The thing was flawless. Certainly the finest piece of jewelry she had ever owned.

With another growl, Teris made for the door. Waiting around here was driving her crazy. The night was nice. Maybe a stroll would take her mind off everything. Besides, the last thing she wanted was for Shouta to return and discover she had been waiting for him.

Teris opened the door and walked straight into the Sphinx. She crashed into Shouta's solid chest and stumbled back a step. Strong arms wrapped around and steadied her. The smell of sex and someone she vaguely recognized as Shouta's fellow Ilca leader friend Nemuri burned her nostrils.

Face an inch from hers, Shouta stared into Teris’ wide eyes. Her mouth was slightly open, warm breath ghosting over him. She had showered and changed. The smell of Kai and sex was gone, leaving her scent alone to delight in. Shouta’s humming purr went unnoticed by Teris who pushed and pulled away.

“Get off!” Teris tripped over her feet and stumbled again.

Shouta reached to steady her. Teris slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me.” Teris hissed through bared teeth.

A low displeased sound came from Shouta's throat. The known facts were wrong. There was no way he loved this irritating, ungracious woman.

Teris’ gut twisted, heart aching. Was that where Shouta had been? Having sex with Nemuri. Had it been a scheduled meet up for release? Or just something that happened? Both prospects were equally upsetting.

Why, she asked herself. You had sex with Kai only few hours ago. What’s it matter who Shouta seeks release from?

It matters because I was unsettled by that winged man and needed him, Teris thought. Shouta's my Ilca leader. He’s suppose to be there and help in times of trial. If he left in a rush when I needed him just to— Her mind stopped, forcing the abhorrent image of Shouta and Nemuri from her head.

She took shallow breaths through her mouth trying to lessen the sicking stench of sex and Nemuri from invading her senses. Needing fresh air more than ever Teris took off down the hall.

“Teris. Get back here.” Shouta stared after her a moment. When she didn’t stop and return he stormed after her. His longer stride saw him quickly catch up. “Where are you going?”

“Away.” Teris puffed, trying and failing to pull ahead of him.

“It’s late. Get back in the dorm.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

“Teris…” Shouta’s hand brushed her arm.

Teris spun right hand swinging out.

Shouta grabbed her wrist before the slap could connect. Teeth bared he pulled Teris to him by the forearm he held. “What’s wrong with you?”

“You! You’re what’s wrong.“ Teris accused, free hand pushing against Shouta’s firm chest.

Shouta stood immovable. His eyebrows knitted together. “Me?”

“You with your face and hair and way you move. That voice that makes me—“ Teris didn't know if she caught and stopped herself. Or stopped because someone was approaching.

“No!” The man approaching complained. “Don’t stop on my account. I just love watching confessions of love. There’s nothing better. Well, there is. But I wouldn’t watch that unless you two invited.”

Shouta stiffened. His eyes darted down to Teris’ wrists. Relief washed over him. She was wearing the bracelet. A warm exhilaration blossomed in his chest. She was wearing the bracelet.

Shouta’s thumb brushed over the metal made warm by its contact with Teris’ wrist. The spell broken when Teris pulled her arm free of his hold and turned on the newcomer.

Shouta did the same. The both of them telling that a there had been no confession of love because neither felt anything of the sort.

The Dryad King smirked at the way the two spoke over each other in their rush to assert their mutual dislike. This era’s youth sure were curious. Why did they insist on making everything so difficult? Granted in his day there had been a war raging. The youth of his time having serious matters to contend with. Still, was this ages young ones that in want of tension and spectacle? Surely they could find meaningful trial elsewhere. Love was suppose to be easy.

Shouta stopped. He frowned at Teris who continued on for a time.

“Your Highness.” Shouta inclined his head to the tall, slender man. “Are you lost?”

The Dryad King placed a manicured hand to his exposed chest. The buttons of his dress shirt undone all the way down to his tailored vest. “I came to see you, Shouta.”

“We’ll be seeing each other at tomorrow’s afternoon gathering.” Shouta said.

The Dryad stepped ever closer. His footfalls eerily silent on the wooden floor. Teris noted the mans apple green shoes perfectly matched his three piece suit down the shining gold embroidery that depicted lush swirling leaves.

His Purple Highness shook his head and sighed in disappointed disapproval. “You’re always so gruff and distant, Shouta. No wonder you and your lady friend are unwilling to accept the truth of your love.” Shouta and Teris opened their mouths but His Purple Highness went on. “It’s been years since we last saw each other. Can you blame me for not wanting to wait to see how the young Sphinx I found and finished raising is getting on?”

Teris turned to Shouta. “This is His Purple Highness?”

Shouta heaved a tired sigh and nodded.

“You’ve hear of me?” A large beaming smile cracked the Dryad King’s face.

Teris looked back at the man and blinked. He was… Different from what she expected. Though she couldn’t really say what she had expected. Certainly not some ostentatiously dressed man wearing a dark purple wizards robe over an impeccably tailored skinny cut suit.

The Dryad wagged a finger at Shouta and tisked in teasing censure. “Have you been sharing story’s of me, Shouta?”

“No.” Shouta deadpanned.

His Purple Highness looked at Teris. “Whatever he’s told you. I swear it’s a hundred times more salacious.”

The man stopped in front of Teris. He held his hand out, knuckles up. Teris quirked a brow. Did the Dryad expect her to kiss his ringed fingers? He was the Dryad King. Maybe it was expected protocol. Kai had never mentioned what to do when faced with a species royal leader. The only time he talked about them was to dismiss and belittle their authority.

She glanced at Shouta for direction. Shouta gave a small, subtle shake of his head.

Relieved, Teris gripped the Dryad’s fingers and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m--”

“It’s you.” His Purple Highness breathed.

With the smell of sex and Nemuri perfuming the air, His Purple Highness hadn’t registered the woman’s scent. But when Teris had moved, her scent had wafted through the air and tickled the Dryad King’s nose. Her scent was warm, fresh, lovely. And the underlying scent of her species… Muddled as it was, His Purple Highness wouldn’t have been able to tell what she was if he hadn’t smelled this particular Griffon before.

It was early spring. Snow still clung to small shaded patches of earth. The Dryad King walked through the forest alone. Nature was a living thing. If left alone for too long it would grow sinister and violent. This forest had been void of life for quite some time. Why? What was warding the lesser creatures away?

His Purple Highness followed his senses. Pulled to the thing that was keeping everything else at bay. Green shoots of new plant life sprung up and spread in his wake. Deep in a cold stone cave he found him. A young Sphinx frozen in time by a Gargoyles stoning spell. The boy was hold something. Clutching it in his hands. His small frame curled around it as if to protect it.

A feather.

Not just any feather.

Stoning spell removed the young Sphinx was slow to wake. It gave the Dryad King time to realize the youngling held a griffon feather. As he plucked the speckled grey and white feather from the Sphinx's tightly balled hands the Griffon’s scent wafted through the air, tickling his nose.

His Purple Highness had hid the feather for Shouta’s safety. Even then it had taken calling in several favors and making countless promises for his fellow Elders on the Council to agree to let the Sphinx live. Even now Shouta was watched. The ax hanging over Shouta's head ready to drop at the first mistake he made.

Eventually Shouta forgot about the feather he had been found clutching to his heart. Yet even without it, the Sphinx had managed to find his Griffon. And with her, the dangers His Purple Highness had tried to protect Shouta from.

Love was suppose to be easy. But that didn’t mean it always was. Sometimes love came with great hazard and difficulty.

This fic will have a LOT more world building than my others. Please feel free to comment or send me an ask if you have any questions.

Thank you to those who have left hearts. And a special thank you to those who have left comments and/or reblogged. They really mean a lot.

Special thank you to @inorganicone2230 who knows of my love for the mythic and encouraged me to start this fic without stressing about the other two I’ve got going. Your friendship means the world to me.

#aizawa shouta #kai chisaki #nemuri kayama #yamada hizashi #kan sekijirou #His Purple Highness #lost song

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kalyan-gullapalli · 4 years

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Post # 129

The world's first Parliament of Religions...

On 11th September, 1893, the modern world's first Parliament of Religions was convened in Chicago, in order to create "a global dialogue of faiths." In that parliament, Hinduism was represented by a young monk we all know as Swami Vivekananda. When called to the podium, Swami Vivekananda mentally prayed to Goddess Saraswati to get rid of his nervousness, and then began his speech with the salutation, "Sisters and brothers of America!". To these words, he got a standing ovation which lasted for a full two minutes. When silence was restored, he greeted America, the youngest of the nations, on behalf of "the most ancient order of monks in the world, the Vedic order of sannyasins, a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance!"

Exactly 100 years later, in 1993, again in Chicago, a centenary parliament was convened, followed by one every five years or so - in 1999 in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2004 in Barcelona, Spain, in 2009 in Melbourne, Australia, in 2014 in Brussels, Belgium and in 2018, in Toronto, Canada.

But do you know where the first ever Parliament of Religions was held? In a place called Kalyan or Basavakalyan, in Bidar district of modern day Karnataka, in the 12th century. Therein lies a tale.

By the middle of the first millennium of Anno Domini, ie. by the 5th-6th centuries AD, Hinduism vied with Buddhism and Jainism to remain as the dominant religion in the country. However, by then, it had lost its fluidity. It has become rigid, with its uncompromising rules and water-tight hierarchies. It was relevant only to the Brahmin and Kshatriya castes - a small percentage of the population. The majority - lower castes, the casteless untouchables and women - probably found Hinduism stifling and not liberating. Buddhism and Jainism had fewer entry barriers, but their strict austerities were not easy to follow. In this context, The Bhakti movement took birth and provided a solution to the masses.

The Bhakti movement, which began around the 8th century AD and continued well into the 15-17th centuries, was a breath of fresh air into Hinduism. First of all, it was an inclusive movement. It was not restricted to the "classes"; the "masses" could participate. Second, it emphasized on an individual relationship with God, using the most basic of human assets - emotions, rather than on complicated rituals and rites, that needed specialized knowledge. It created saints out of cobblers, potters and untouchables - both men and women.

One such prominent social reformer, poet, philosopher and statesman was Basavanna, also called Basaveshwara, of the 12th century Karnataka.

Basava was born in 1105 AD in a Brahmin family in Northern Karnataka. He rose to become the Chief Minister in King Bijjala's Court. As chief minister of the kingdom, Basavanna used the state treasury to initiate social and religious reforms. One of the many initiatives he undertook was the setting up of the Anubhava Mantapa, widely regarded as the World's first Parliament of Religions, in Basavakalyan.

Mantapa = Assembly or Pavilion; Anubhava = Spiritual experience

The Anubhava Mantapa was a center where spritual experiences were shared by all and sundry. It was a public assembly which attracted men and women across various walks of life, from distant lands to openly discuss spiritual, economic and social issues of life.

It was an academy of mystics, saints and philosophers, called Sharanas. It was presided over by the mystic Allama Prabhu. Other giants like Akka Mahadevi, Channabasavanna and Basavanna himself were participants. The Anubhava Mantapa worked to build a vibrant casteless, creedless society. The Sharanas belonged to all strata of the society.

The main mode of exchange of ideas was through Vachana Sahitya. Vachana literally means - that which is said. In practice, however, they are prose texts - simple to understand, rhythmic poetry.

Great deal of importance was given to dignity of labor and equality of all segments of the society. One of Basavanna's most famous Vachanas is Kaayakave Kailasha - which actually means Work is Worship. Kaayaka = Work; Kailasha = Path to salvation.

This Parliament of Religions also had its own charter. Below is a summary of its founding principles.

The Anubhava Mantapa gave rise to a system of ethics and education, at once simple and exalted. It sought to inspire ideals of social and religious freedom. It even created in a sect of people called Lingayats, who are a significant part of the socio-cultural fabric of Karnataka even today.

Unfortunately, the spirit of the Anubhava Mantapa was crushed when an inter-caste marriage that Basava facilitated was annulled and the couple were punished for the same by the King. Basava's dream of the classless society was shaken as he resigned as Chief Minister in protest and died an year later.

The Anubhava Mantapa still exists in Basavakalyan.

Basava, the Anubhava Mantapa and the Sharana movement were displayed on the Karnataka tableau on 26th January, 2020, as a part of the Republic Day celebrations.

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quirkwizard · 5 years

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Quirkworks: A Wizard’s Guide to Making Quirks and Characters

Please note that this is a guide. I am not telling you how to make your Quirk or your character, merely explaining my personal process of what I think constitutes a good Quirk and character.

-Quirk Name

The name of your Quirk should be short and pithy; something that rolls off the tongue and is easy remember. It should quickly convey what your Quirk is about. To accomplish this, it is best to keep the name of your Quirk to one to two words and under six syllables, using abbreviations or compound words can help with this if you want to get a specific idea across, and apply wordplay when appropriate.

-Quirk Type

While this is mostly understood throughout the fandom, it bares clarifying. The three types of Quirks can be boiled down as such.

Mutant: A permanent alteration to the body. Transformation: A temporary but notable alteration to the body. Emitter: Everything else.

I even made a little chart to help make things clear:

-Inspiration-Where the Quirk is from

While it is not necessary to do so when making a Quirk, a fair amount of Quirks have been inspired by other characters. However, as characters usually have many powers, it is best if you take one aspect of that character and make it into a power. For example, if you wanted to make a Quirk based around Wolverine, he has several abilities you could base a Quirk off of. Regeneration, Claw Protrusion, Metal Bones, Enhanced Senses, or even Berserk Rage.

It’s doesn’t need to be a perfect translation either as long as you get the general idea of the power across. For instance, Spider Man’s abilities of Wall Crawling and Web Slinging are represented in “Slide and Glide” and “Tape” respectively. Keep in mind, some abilities must be weakened to fit within the setting.

If you want to make a Quirk based off of something you may not know much about, you should do a little research into what the effects may be. I recommend something meant to teach kids, since it is teaches whatever information you may need in the quickest and simplest way possible so you won’t need read to deep into it.

-Integration- What the Quirk does

It is important to be clear on exactly what it does, as it is set up for how the rest of the Quirk works. Quirks are a singular ability, which can often be described in under a sentence or two. What can be done with the Quirk is taken from that single idea. And while there are multiple uses for a Quirk, it is all based around that single ability. Captain Celebrity doesn’t just fly and have super strength, he has a special barrier which allows him to fly, but he can control in order to replicate super strength. Though small, unspoken aspects can be added to help the Quirk function without it being that big of a deal. IE Stain not getting sick from drinking blood or Bakugou’s arms being resilient enough to withstand the explosions he produces.

However, some abilities can have minor additions to their power set. This is fine as long as it makes sense for a Quirk to have an ability to function or if it something small that doesn’t really hurt anything by having it included. For instance, “Lizard Tail Splitter” comes with a healing factor. This makes sense as the user needs to detach their body parts and could easily lose them. “Queen Bee”’s bees having syringe stingers is not that big of an issue in the grand scheme of the Quirk.

If you ever find yourself questioning how a Quirk functions, it’s best to just chalk it up to what I like to call Quirk Magic. It’s basically the part of the Quirk that allows the Quirk to do what it does, like Uraraka being able to make things float or the part of Ectoplasm that allows him to make the goo he does. This doesn’t excuse not thinking through how a Quirk functions, such as not having real world physics or consequences apply to what they do, just try not to overthink it.

-Application-What can be done with the Quirk

This is taking the basic ability and coming up with all of the possibilities it has. Just try to keep it reasonable within the confines of the Quirk you have set up. For instance, Bakugou is able to propel himself around via the force of his explosions, which is a reasonable use of the ability with how his Quirk is set up. It would not fit is he suddenly began shooting explosions from his feet, healed people, or started shooting fireballs. This can be divided into the following categories.

Offense: How it can do damage Defense: How it can protect the user or others Mobility: How it can help the user get around Information: How it can gain knowledge Support: How it can help allies Hindering: How it can weaken enemies

Sometimes a Quirk can be given a certain advantage by how it functions. For instance, “Forced Quirk Activation” is a pretty mediocre power, but it is improved by the fact that the effect is delivered through the black spears which give it more range and the user can do other things with the black spears. “Tape” is a pretty okay Quirk, but is made better by it’s relatively unnoticeable drawback.

-Limitation- What keeps it from getting out of hand

Good rule of thumb: every power in the series has some inherent weakness to it. While it can be trained around or lessened in someway, it will always be a part of the Quirk. It would be best to follow some kind of logic with the limitations, such as a Quirk that enhances muscles requiring the user to train their muscles or a Quirk related to darkness has a weakness to light, and give each Quirk at least two drawbacks. However, there are some widely used choices you could pick or take inspiration from:

-Range of the Quirk This often more of an exchange then a drawback. The stronger the ability, the shorter the range (”Overhaul”, “Compress”) -Focus on a certain body part (”Black Hole”, “Big Fist”) -Reliance on a finite resource What the user eats, the Quirk draining their stamina (”Blood Control”, “Wave Motion”) -Reliance on the environment Time of day, needing a substance around to control, (”Dark Shadow”, “Cement”) -Reliance on the user’s mental state How well they are emotionally or their ability to concentrate. (”Clones”, “Pop Off”) -Reliance on a substance Needing something to activate the Quirk (”Sugar Rush”, “Homing”) -Reliance on someone’s body Something like their gender or blood type (”Magnetism”, “Blood Curdle”) -Backlash from overusing the Quirk (”Explosion”, “Electrification”) -Certain knowledge being necessary (”Creation”, “Warp Gate”) -Time limitation An actual time limit or something else keeping the user from using the Quirk too long (”Permeation”, “Overclock”) -Complicated use How difficult it is to activate or some innate problem with how it functions. (”Brainwashing”, “Attraction of Small Objects”) -Dangerous abilities A lack of accuracy or just the through the sheer power of the ability. (”Decay”, “Knockout Gas”) -Limited application This can be a problem even if the Quirk excels at it’s chosen application (”Telepath”, “Heal”) -Limited Capabilities Limited or limiting speed, strength, or staying power of the Quirk (”Hardening”, “Telescopic”)

But I do recommend you try to stay away from drawbacks that are severe in how detrimental they are for the user. For example, a drawback that takes lifespan or drives the user insane are just so much of a handicap that it likely be too much of a problem to be worth dealing with no matter what the ability may be.

Let’s try this system on a few canon Quirks:

Quirk Name: Permeation Integration: The user can cause their body to pass through physical matter. Application: -Phasing through attacks and defenses -Shooting yourself at your enemies Limitation: -Everything, good or bad, passes through him, meaning he can’t harm anyone and he can’t see, hear, or even breath.

Quirk Name: Zero Gravity Integration: The user can put anything they touch with all five fingers into a state of zero gravity. Application: -Moving debris -Throwing enemies off balance. -Greater mobility for the user and their allies. -Dropping objects or people to damage them. Limitation: -Needing to touch something to activate the Quirk. -The user will have nausea if they use their Quirk too much or use it on something that is too heavy.

Quirk Name: Frog Integration: This Quirk gives the user all the traits of a frog. Application: -A long prehensile tongue to grab things or smack people. -Sticking to surfaces. -Strong legs to kick or jump around. -Camouflaging to blend in with the environment. Limitation: -The user is weak to the cold, and will enter a hibernation state if suddenly exposed.

Things to Avoid

While My Hero Academia is a very creative series, there are ideas and concepts that just don’t belong with how it has been done so far. Things that are generally supernatural, unfounded with what the series has set up thus far, or is simply too strong to fit within the scale the universe are best to be avoided. Examples like these include:

-Manipulation of Time, Space, Luck, or any other vague/powerful concepts -Anything having do with magic or religious figures -You can take inspiration from stuff like this, just don’t overtly mention it like saying you are gaining power from the stars or becoming an actual angel. -Anything relating to the afterlife, undeath, or the soul -Creating life/intelligence from nothing, making something sentient, or forming something from fiction or imagination. -Something far above the level of power within the series.

Quirk Power

While it doesn’t have any sort of official “power level”, it does help give you a general scope of the series and the abilities there in. Just something to make it easier to classify your ability, what you want it to be, and how it may compare to the rest of the Quirks.

D Tier

The lowest tier, these Quirks are notable by their dull effects, lack of potential, or just having too many limitations to be practical in a majority of scenarios. These Quirks are often given to civilians; too weak or unimpressive to worth noting in most cases. They can be good, but it will take a lot of training.

Examples: “Attraction of Small Objects”, “Fly Swatter”, “Gecko”, “Invisibility”, “Leafipulation”, “Love”, “Permeation”, “Quad Arms”, “Tail”, “Telescopic”

C Tier

While stronger then D Tier, they are still not much to write home about. Quirks like this are generally stronger, but can sometimes have limited applications, or have strong effects with strong drawbacks. These Quirks are often given to weaker students or mook villains.

Examples: “Air Walk”, “Big Fist”, “Food”, “Knockout Gas”, “Leap”, “Pop Off”, “Sloshed”, “Telepath”, “Zoom”

B Tier

While stuck in the middle, this is where Quirks start to get impressive. Quirks in this group are have stronger effects, more versatile/applicable, or just have less notable drawbacks. These are often given to stronger villains or more remarkable students.

Examples: “Acid”, “Blade Tooth”, “Brainwashing”, “Clones”, “Dupli-Arms”, “Erasure”, “Explosion”, “High Spec”, “Lizard Tail Splitter”, “Voice”, “Zero Gravity”

A Tier

The more notable Quirks in the series. These Quirks are often just inherently more powerful then most or just have a broader power set then a majority of other Quirks. These belong to high profile heroes or villains.

Examples: “Compress”, “Earth Flow”, “Fat Absorption”, “Fierce Wings”, “Flight” “Gigantification”, “Hellflame”, “Meatball”, “Search”, “Sludge Form”

S Tier

Hands down some of the strongest Quirks within the series. These a notable by how unique they are in comparison to the rest of the Quirks we have seen, whether that is because of how strong the effect is, how versatile the power is, and how rare they are in story. Note that this tier is inconsistent, as it mostly boils down to whatever Quirks people think are the strongest, and will vary depending on who you ask.

Examples: “Manifest”, “Creation”, “Whirlwind”, “Dark Shadow”, “Black Hole”, “Warp Gate”, “Half Hot Half Cold” “The Ones”, “Rewind” and “Overhaul”.

Tiers are Irrelevant:

As the series has shown time and time again, how powerful a Quirk is doesn’t matter when put in the hands of certain people. Mirio, in spite of having a ultimately lackluster Quirk, was able to rise in the ranks to become a truly great hero. Denki, in spite of having an amazing Quirk, is held back by his own ineptitude and falters because of it. The whole point of this tier list is to give you a general idea of how strong certain Quirks are relative to the rest of them and how you want to write your Quirk. If you want to make a powerful character, aim for an A Tier Quirk. If you want to make it seem like your character trained relentlessly to get where they were, give them a D or C tier Quirk to make the struggle more noteworthy.

Character Name:

These are often puns or other kinds of wordplay. Try to relate them to your character’s power, their personality, or what you want to do with them in your story. They can even be references to real life locations or ideas. For instance, Shoto contains the kanji for “burning” and “freezing”, alluding to his Quirk. Twice’s surname of Bubaigawara is taken from the a train station in Tokyo run by two different railroad stations, alluding to not only his Quirk, but his differing personalities.

Personality:

Characters are often influenced by their Quirk relative to their personality. Iida is highly driven matches his car-based Quirk, Shigiraki is drawn towards destruction fits perfectly with “Decay”, and Mt. Lady love of attention works great with “Gigantification”. Now this may be a coincidence or a joke, but it is something you may want to consider when designing the personality of your character. That or their Quirk depending on which you make first.

Hero Name:

A hero name should represent the kind of idea, theme, or idea you want to put forward. There are three types: -Personal Names: Names that represent some goal they strive for or idea they wish to convey. For instance, All Might represents his desire to be number one; someone who stand above all as a protector. Lemillion is a reference to Mirio’s dream of being able to save a million people. These are the names you give to important or main characters.

-Memorable: While less personal then the previous category, it still tries to convey what the hero is about and makes them easier to remember. These incorporate the brand a hero goes for, some clever wordplay, or just a reference. For example, Uravity is a combination of Uraraka’s name and the name of her Quirk “Zero Gravity”. Best Jeanist is a reference to a famous modeling competition where competitors would model jeans. A majority of hero names fall into this grouping

-Humorous: These are more jokey names, with not as much thought put into them as other characters. They include things like naming yourself after your own Quirk, ones that make no sense, or are just jokes by the author. Such as Can’t Stop Twinkling, which is a joke based around Aoyama’s flamboyant personality. Bubble Girl is a lazy name, just the hero’s Quirk with a pronoun added on. These are best reserved for one off, background or gag characters.

Costumes:

Costumes are important as they get across the character’s personality or the kind of brand they would like to represent. Like Ojiro being dressed in something resembling a Gi or Present Mic dressing like a rock star. But while that is a key aspect of them, the main point of a costume to either prop up the user’s abilities or cover their weakness, whether that be their Quirk or just how they fight. Unless your style of fighting or your Quirk can be independent of the costume, such as the Quirk having drawbacks the costume can’t counter, the practicality of the costume needs to come first. Back to the earlier examples, Ojiro’s style of fighting of complimented by the freedom of movement offered by a Gi, and Present Mic’s long distance techniques is not limited by his choice of clothes.

However, you should try to keep it within the technological limits of both something made for a costume and the world as a whole. Unless necessary, it should be compact or simple, as the hero is often moving a lot to fight crime and they don’t need something weighting them down. The series, while more advanced then ours, still hasn’t reached the points of nano-tech, super suits, or anything out there in terms of technology.

Aesthetic Mutation:

Some of the characters look rather strange, with cases of it being completely unrelated to their Quirk. This is an Aesthetic Mutation, covering all of those unexplainable changes to a person. This can be in small ways, such as Kirishima having sharp teeth or Mina having black eyes, or major ways, such as Tokoyami's bird head or Shoji's monstrous face. As long as it isn't a new power or isn't beneficial to the user, like if Koda's rocky skin did anything to protect him, then it will be probably be okay.

Family Quirks:

You shouldn’t feel the need to include the Quirks of your character’s family members unless they are somehow important to your character. Otherwise you’re only doing to end up racking your brain trying to come up with ideas and just waste your time on it. If you want your character to be the result of a Quirk Marriage, try coming up with the resulting Quirk and work backwards from that.

Giving your characters powerful Quirks:

Sometimes people will want to give their character powerful Quirks. Only two kinds of people should have Quirks that powerful: those with a personality drawback(s) or villains.

Characters with personality drawbacks are held back by themselves, making them much less powerful as a result and helps in balancing things out. Villains are suppose to be stronger, as they are meant to be a challenge to the hero, so it makes sense to give them an advantage like that.

Overhaul exemplifies both of these ideas remarkably well. Not only is he a major villain, but his germophboia keeps him from ending a fight or killing someone by using “Overhaul” to turn them into mush since he’ll get blood all over himself otherwise. Todoroki, at least in his introduction, is a good example as well since he refused to use his right side and ultimately suffered in his performance on top of being an antagonist to Izuku during the Sports Festival.

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booksandwords · 4 years

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Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Read time: 8 Days Rating: 5/5

The quote: Who cares about the crowded, broad road? I’ll walk the single-plank bridge all the night. — Wei WuXian

Warnings: The novel has some not minor issues with consent. It can be read as non-con or dub-con. It gets even murkier in the added chapters.

A big thank you to @exiledrebelsscans for the translation.

In the interests of full disclosure I read Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (aka Mo Dao Zu She or MDZS) after seeing The Untamed Okay so I saw it twice in quick succession, sue me. This prior knowledge meant I know the endgame to a degree I know the villains, I know most of the main players and I know the general plot. This review, as all my status updates did may contain so minor spoilers. But given the popularity of MDZS's adaptations, it's more than what people likely already know coming in. This review uses the standard short forms for character names.

The plot is gritty and at times nearing grotesque. If you are reading a translation chances are it is the Exiledrebelsscanlations version, heed their warnings there are some things that you really don't want to read while eating. The writing is layered and complex. You are required to keep track of time and people, weapons and families. One of the most telling quotes is “We are all human.” It is something that is at the heart of the story. Humanity, love. And the price we pay for both. It challenges your ethics and your concept of perception if you let it. Or you can just treat it as a fun ride. But you do need to think enough to follow the characters and plot.

My familiarity with The Untamed lead of course to comparisons between the source material and the adaptation.

The most glaring difference is the treatment of women. MXTX is a woman, it makes sense that her women are strong characters. Madame Jin is so much more than we see. Like Madam Yu, she is a fierce woman who intimidates her husband. Both these women are feared in the novel but Jin is played differently in the adaptation.

Separate post for Wen Qing. The Untamed did not do WQ justice. You know those scenes where her and Wei WuXian are searching for a way to help Jiang Cheng? Core regrowth or transfer in eps 17 & 18 yeah they are redundant. Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's vision of WQ is a badass. She created that process herself, well before WWX and JC the theoretical nature remains but she created it. Why would you remove that? The lady is a boss.

Writing allows for characters motives and actions to be better explained. JC and Jin Ling in the endgame. WWX and relationship with Xiao XingChen, his sympathy. Su She and his whole deal. Everything is still set up. But it's easier to keep secrets where required.

The characters are more balanced. As in WWX is still his prodigious self but he doesn't know everything. People have the knowledge they impart to him and Lan WangJi. Such as LXC and NHS.

The glaring difference is the use of sexuality. This is a Yaoi novel. WWX uses Mo XuanYu's homosexuality as a weapon. And there is a typical level of homophobia given the appearance of the apparent time. That said, MXY/WWX is referred to as a cut-sleeve as a slur, it comes from an amazing place and I love it

I want to ramble about the Yi City Arc (aka the Grasses chapters). This arc is dangerous to emotions in all forms this is something that fans talk about a lot. It is so well written it's a brilliant use of narration and skill. But to me, The Untamed did it better. Wang HaoXuan's performance changed a whole character and added depth. My favourite comment on Yi City (which I could talk about for hours) is "in a world of noble families Yi City is just four orphans destroying each other body and soul" Among the extra chapters there was one I liked. Villainous friends add some depth to the Yi City Arc characters. It adds Xue Yang's courtesy name, how he met Song Lan & Xiao XingChen, and the slight that started their deterioration. Also Song Lan's mysophobia. The rest of them aren't great. I can see why they exist by I wish I hadn't read them. (See also my rant on consent)

Okay. We need to address the elephant in the corner. Consent. For reasons not made especially clear one of the main characters wears an intimate accessory in full view and within reach of everyone at all times. The nature of this item is not readily explained but for another to touch it without permission is a violation. This violation occurs multiple times and it's never addressed not really. There are some worrying issues with drunken sexual activity, WWX knows LWJ isn't in his right mind and proceeds anyway. To a degree, I think this might be a cultural thing (ie BL/ Yaoi) but it made me hesitant. Not nearly as much as the rape fantasy, just thrown out there with no discussion. Or the two-time travel extras. They are rape (? I think, I skim read) and adult!WWX having sex with only-just-legal!LWJ (kind of, it's complicated). Though Bichen being used as a toy is certainly something. Look there is explicit consent, implicit consent, dubious consent and non-consent. This book runs a very fine line sometimes. It is a book I know, and I'm judging by western standards but the medium doesn't negate the need for clear writing, particularly when the target audience is young/ new adult. Usually with consent this murky it would lose a star it hasn't because I'm truly not sure where the fault lies.

Right to wrap this up because this was a rambling mess. I think fans who read this will have the same problem I did. Comparing it to an adaptation. This is Chinese, the adaptations have the issue with censorship. This has more freedom and allows some women to be strong and do their thing. There are some problematic elements but they are cultural. But it is beautiful and well worth reading if you follow along. If you can get through the first few chapters you can get through the book.

Goodreads

If you haven’t watched The Untamed the full mainland China version is available through Viki.com

#grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mo xiang tong xiu #the untamed #book review #exiledrebelsscans #read 2020 #adapted books #kt reviews #mlm #tw dubcon #tw noncon

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newcatwords · 4 years

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who i mean when i talk about the white man

the beauty of the agent smith character from the matrix is that he can inhabit anyone, meaning that anyone can become him.

this is one of the ways i think about the white man.

usually, though, when i talk about The Man, i mean the high level operatives of the state & industry...judges, gatekeepers, bosses. but it also includes the more anonymous enforcers: cops, soldiers, etc... these are people who can bring the hammer of the state down on you if they so choose. they have chosen to become the hand of the state..the mouth of the state..acting on its behalf, doing its work, etc.

is america the white man’s state?

well it was founded by 100% white men:

it was founded for white men. it was not for white women (who couldn’t vote, etc.) or black people (who were enslaved, 3/5ths of a person). it was not for the people who were already living where these men were trying to form their country: native people weren’t even allowed to become citizens of USA until 1924.

you can argue that the white men who ran this place (and who started institutions like the major universities, etc.) have gradually let other people in - women, black people, jews, immigrants, etc. but the rules & values of the american government, of major universities, of news organizations, etc., are in almost all instances the rules & values of those original white people & the white people that have been running those places ever since.

even things like tech products (like this website!) that are meant to be for anyone to use, where technically anyone can work, are the white man’s tech..primarily built & founded by white men..primarily in the white, western tradition of high tech. almost every discipline you can get a degree in (like computer science) was invented & founded by white men working within universities run by white men. this is the most basic sense in which i mean these instutions belong to the white man. he founded them. they are his creations. he continues to create them - publishing the news, keeping the university running, keeping the government running.

you may want to become a part of those institutions - to be in government, to work for a major tech company, to be a cop or a teacher, to be recognized in the art or business world, to get tenure at a major university, etc. ..which is your business and you do you. right now i am writing in the white man’s language (english), using his technology (a computer, the internet, this website), and i, too, try to get my hands on his money (dollars) if at all possible lol.

not all white men are agents of the white man’s state, but most of them (especially if they’re straight and/or christian) can become a part of it. all of them benefit from it (you’re just not as likely to get killed by a cop during a traffic stop if you’re white. this is just reality.).

almost anyone (with the right papers, with the right skin color) can become The Man...when you as a white person call the cops on a black person, in that moment, you are The Man. when you as a white person try to police someone else’s behavior..or question whether they are in the right place etc...in that moment, you are The Man. if you’re gatekeeping your favorite hobby or industry, in that moment, you are The Man. that’s the beauty of the agent smith character in the matrix - agent smith can execute the full power of the state (ie, visit death on you) and anyone can become him.

it’s much harder (in many cases impossible) for certain “others” to enter various parts of the white man’s world. but it’s possible! look at your black & women cops. look at your colin powells and condoleezza rices..look at all the queer people who are allowed to rise to the top. which is why i think of being The Man as a condition, not as something essential about who you are. of course some people really are The Man on the inside lol - they were born into it or have adopted it or really think they know better and can’t see any other way. waddaya gonna do.

many white people especially are confused about the things that make up white culture. it’s especially difficult to understand because part of white culture is insisting that its culture & ways are universal. so every time you’ve heard a white man say “this is human nature” or “all people do this”, that in itself is white culture. white culture claims to be a neutral culture and a universal culture. but the more you learn, the more you discover that things you might have thought were neutral or universal are actually historically, geographically, & culturally specific to whites/westerners..they are things that were invented by whites/westerners.

here’s one example: many people think that some form of jail/prison/confinement of a person who did a bad thing is universal, or at least very common throughout time and in many parts of the world. but jails/prisons were invented in the west and in fact through much of the west’s history, these were not the main or preferred ways to punish people. michel foucault’s book “discipline & punish” is a good history of the invention of the prison.

when i say “a product of white culture” or "western culture”, the white reader might think “well i’m white and it’s not *my* culture.” that may be true! now imagine the whitest of the whites: your new england snobs, your english posh snobs, the good ole boys who run your town or state, your oppressive church leaders, an elected official who hates you & lies to you, a smug know-it-all educated technocrat (it might be you!), a karen, a cop, the trumpists, the polite skeptic liberals who are always telling you to temper your expectations, the shmucks who make the sexist, dumb hollywood movies, alllll the gatekeepers... their culture, the way they do things, the things they value, that is white culture. it varies. the white conservative’s culture is not the same as the white liberal’s culture, but they do have some things in common, like wanting to keep america going. both of their cultures are white cultures.

these whites are the people who make the culture that so many of us have grown up in - not just those of us in the west. the white culture machine includes academia (which produces scientific knowledge, histories, & the social theories & policies that many reforms are based on), tv, movies, the music industry, the art world, fashion, wall street, the tech industry, the news, professional sports, the politicians & cops (that are so often the content of the news), schools, white churches, most philanthropies, and all kinds of national (& many international) interest groups (ngo’s, advocacy groups, etc.).

these are institutions that (like the US government) were founded primarily by white men and have been run primarily by white men since their founding. they have all the money. they have power - whether it’s commercial power, political power, power to shape the national conversation, power to define what is true (only western science can say what’s true, according to western science!), power to give you a job or take it away, etc.

if you want to be “at the top of your field”, you are almost always meant to strive to join one of these white institutions (mostly white mens’ institutions). you might say “well there’s nothing particularly white about them..it’s just a news company..or an ad company. they’re just doing business.” but when i say white in this context, i mean that the people who founded them were either 100% white or mostly white. the people who have always run them have been either all white or mostly white, and the people who run them now are either all white or mostly white. in this sense, they are the white man’s institutions.

it can be hard to understand that because they are often the national or otherwise “official” thing: national news, or the biggest national/international companies, the top national/international universities. they certainly sell themselves as “the official thing” because it doesn’t sound great to say “the official newspaper of the white man.” and they want to be the official thing. they want to be the top x in the world. that’s an important white, western value as well - wanting to be the thing for everyone. the UN was not the dream of all peoples. it was the dream of some specific white, western people who created it.

here in america, a white man’s state, we grow up in that state’s schools, learning the history it wants us to learn. we watch its tv and listen to its music. we read its news and use its tech. we & our ideas..many of the things we think are true..many of the things we value..have been installed in us by that state and its various mouths (the ones who teach its desired history, tell you how you should look, what you should want out of life, what you should buy):

(above graphic from the movie “they live” (1988))

but we do all have a choice about which aspects of the white man’s culture we choose to adopt..we have choices about which of his values (progress, superiority of humans over nature & animals) we adopt..choices about which books we read & which movies we watch. is the matrix white man’s media? it used to be, but the wachowskis left the club ;). now it’s white trans women’s media :}

one final thing: is everything that white men do or think part of the white man’s culture? are all white men The Man? i hope that this post has made clear that i think the answer to both questions is “no”. i hope i’ve also made clear that non-whites and non-cis-het-men can very much be The Man or agents of The Man at times, or even their whole life. i’m not saying that it’s necessarily bad or necessarily good here, i just want us all to be honest with ourselves about who we are & whose work we’re doing.

a related question: if you start a club and you’re a white man, is it the white man’s club? i think it depends..it might be. do you work within the white, western tradition? do you accept its assumptions (capitalism is good, meritocracy is real, etc.)? do you further its culture? do you support its work? do you subvert it (by insisting that the club & its ways & rules are co-created with women, POC, etc., as real equal co-founders, for example)? do you use your position as someone the cops might believe, or someone the manager might listen to, to get your way & get what you want? ..to get someone else out of the way when you want? you might be The Man!

we can debate specifics - whether industry x or person y or instution z or cultural value n is white, but for me it comes down to this: was the value/government/institution founded by whites/westerners? has it been run & carried forward by whites/westerners? you can also ask whether it primarily benefits whites/westerners (who are allowed to rise to high positions or allowed to not be as likely to be killed by the cops, etc.) and whether it promotes the values/goals of The White Man. if a judge, a cop, an elected official, a principal, a high level church leader, a university president, and a corporate leader can all agree on it, then in my book, it promotes the values/goals of The White Man. an example of values that might fit this bill include an agreement that we should not try to dismantle america, for example. that one should work within the system...that industrialism is the way to go...etc.. primarily these are pro-establishment values. and “the establishment” is another way that i think many people talk about the white man’s culture & institutions.

anyway, this post has gone quite long. thank you for staying with me till the end. i hope it’s provided at least a rough sketch of what i mean when i talk about the white man or The Man and i hope it’s given you something to think about. i apologize for not going into the history of the usage of “The White Man” or “The Man”..i started writing this on a whim & haven’t done a historical dive. please forgive me for that. thank you.

#whiteness #whitesupremacy #culture

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sirjustice252-blog · 4 years

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How some machines made another way

The govt can create such in the link below to facilitae the burial of her tax payers who cant afford nice burial as each employ is deducted like 1% to cater 4 the above.

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=benovelent+fund&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

The dodo vegetable seeds can also be hurled to produce machines like generator when their cut photos placed like in sewer water, dough, chaff or crop remains after harvesting. Dodo leaves as well when placed in the above make even buses when saliva or feces hurled unto the offering, lets say big vehicles like lorries or trucks mostly and even generators as well as some few small vehicles. Just try many group of people who can do so, until u make a machine using that process and u okay it as look forward to making another that have refused to do using other methods of the boom described in tumblr a/c sirjustice199. As explained in the link below as Jeremiah 9 guided me- the govt will be on his should as the same veg in Africa is carried to be sold dude, some times take things literally as kids and u find answer without thinking big- Christ with little kids/children to bring us home

https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=images+of+dodo+vegetable&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjwipKArYvqAhUVDWMBHVnlClIQsAR6BAgKEAE&biw=984&bih=658#imgrc=u9BBzq2-fWoryM

Dude many types of vehicles as buses shape are heads of people as u see them when alive resembling those vehicles u think. We they die after long their graves exhumed and the head cut and place in the named above awaiting the boom process and even with jets and air-planes.

Deep fried Nile perch esp though other fishes types can do as well are placed in the above to make like stereo systems and many electronics like home and office appliances in the boom process.

Pepsi cola made like coca cola but they have added neem leaves unto it, to make it more strong in its effects that makes people buy it as wild sunflower leaves much mixed with few neem leaves like in the ration of 3:1 made in the boom process as inserted in water then either u spit saliva, urinate or hurl the mixture with seldom apple seed. Try with unripe or ripe 1 to get which 1 works dude cause 1 may fall to call me a liar early.

When u spray ya be with water as ya bedding to the like ya perfume on the armpit amount shortly b4 u sleep, it makes ya sleep tight, if u never know. Apply that gimmick homey, don’t underestimate the power of the 1 mind as respect every1 equally cause they may got what u lack and of utility today, tomorrow and forever dude as in the down link

https://www.google.com/search?source=univ&tbm=isch&q=water+spray+bottles&client=opera&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgiO6HsovqAhVqD2MBHTXaDj0QsAR6BAgHEAE&biw=984&bih=658

My people i did not know that Robinson or Minaj might succumb to my love as i sent her my text and with empty hand, 1 approached me as i located her house to shovel snow in her compound that they have accepted. friends i did not know i could win their hearts as i was just joking wanting to leave it knowing it will not head anywhere. So guys am getting myself together, tomorrow i will start committing sin in Swahili “Wasee nita-anza kufanya dhambi next week na hawo”. What u despise super women love as they see ya bad past as away to treat low class people with respect not those who behave nice ever who don’t know the ripple effects of the bad character as those who have passed the same so can control the same more than people who have not passed into such when they fall, looks at u with tongue-tied eyes which many a women hates to see. No ability to solve conflicts amicably, what we are looking up-to dude if u did not know, 4 ya information, Malachi 4 to bring us all home or pump sense into our minds to stop judging people early giving them names. Hawo madem wanaanza official kuchesha na bulungu, yaani kuipatiya hapiness as bliss au fulaha tele, mchungu mzima.

Why war as in the link below cause all ya dubious dirty ways to illicit wealth blocked, Guys lets think twice and pro-act as explained above.

https://ednews.net/en/news/world/432260-s-400-and-s-500-systems-will-be-able-to-shoot-down-us-hypersonic-missiles?fbclid=IwAR0F5NhIQBxYNqXXiu3uJQRC4VXfBcvJr0L40VssRAbcCWy8Ym4PHq2SkcA#.Xum6mUfDFbg.facebook

China made speaker link below

https://feiyangelectronic.en.made-in-china.com

Yellow hurled potato gives thick/fat gadgets/machines while white give sleek, so the choice yours. Most big stereos are made using kunde placed in dough, sewer water or chaff were the boom process done with spitting thick saliva many people while good xmas lights using in local dialect called osuga seeds while you hurl them with cold sewer water and boom ya xmas lights dude.

The dredger mentioned below used to dig holes across the earth crust from below can be made to dig from up above to below where the overlapping shaft at the end age has grills that another made like applying on the body oil can or stainless steal water bottle looks likes but thins towards the hind part and as well can miss the above grills but has like the tank small opening section to reach inside like with battery replacement and repair and so forth and so on where the above is WI-FI controlled as in the links below, Drum major instinct to guide us bro

http://www.china-bottles.com/metal-bottle/stainless-steel-water-bottle/vacuum-insulated-car-tumbler-cup-with-spill.html

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQrk5dITMESivk1tKiPrS4GP0hHRvAy_Bg_3eKq6s3nrUgdxvJM&usqp=CAU

https://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/oil-drums.html

The long tall phone boosters should be removed as pay-Tv and internet lacks such but got the same technology, these boosters returns peoples information to the enemy which is Russia as when their is anything tall within the estate than in the CBD inculcates a bad spirit of disrespect among teens to the aged as people tend to fear tall people out of nothing as it cans the tall people pride themselves out of the above long booster spirit just within the estate as u don’t go down town to locate 1 but just within. In developed world such boosters aint around so the respect if u did not know dude. Go slow let the white man tell u this cause they had innovation from onset. But mostly considered, if u love tall women or men, kinda, u love kids, short people Korea, big biceps people, kid haters,fat people like west Africa and so forth and so on. The booster got a spirits that moves along the roads at night, no kidding dude, Siriasi bro. False images as they control the world as boosters do to ICT.

Low speed gear is stronger than high speed of equal price, so if place on a truck can carry much good than the later but u can buy 1 high speed gear then connect to the shaft that the motor of the low speed gear rotates to carry much load if u did not have much money to buy the big gear like 4 a bus or a truck and save big dude, Got to know this homey. As in the below link bro

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/china-low-speed-high-torque-hydraulic_60194320604.html

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/high-speed-gear-reducer-gearbox-reducer_60207918001.html

Ecclesiastic 4, okwaju seed when soaked the lake water goes down as the lands that hold the water expands towards to reduce the water line b4 it can burst to get to like nearby cities along the line of weakness like Lake Victoria with Kakamega city and many cities along the great lakes of USA like Chicago. Koch chwa, worker and vineyard parable, mfalme wa yawhodi or lost coin parable to remind us of Christ sayings dude.

No miracle can happen that u do this and that with excuse that u wanted God to speak or send his prophets again to warn us now that we got ict to store such 4 future generation will not happen as u got the same along time but delude those u colonized u did not have such. No land can be created or new climatic conditions, beauty is every nation has learnt how to make machines so, will save that money they used to buy the same as much with some artificial foods. The gimmick is to reduce population to meet ya GDP if your nation got large population u cant feed after along period of time like 10-20 years like by half where their are laws baring women to give birth no unless they are 30 years but with 1 or 2 kids not as previous as u wanted. And the above machine bought on credit not on cash as long ago stressing many a citizens giving them pressure not able to enjoy their lives. Even salvation cant do the above, u want as u have known it aint God making the machines but the devil making our lives livable period dude. Nations championing high populations to other nations to sell their machines will be caught off-guard when those nations have learnt the above stopping the above hidden gimmicks once and 4 good 4 the better.

Certain young man helped the city but his knowledge/wisdom no-longer heeded, Henepin county, MN- heaven on earth dude. Yath, dawa, medication, Manhattan, German with Samson, ther, cow with Jesus, Rabat with Moses, how to make hidden treasure triggering migration and like SA economy, Butler county, tea made in boom process, Norway with artificial made natural gas, Wichita with weed parable, devil, u got condom why give birth to kids u cant father to disturb others with during judgement that guided me dude. Malachi 4 pitch darkness with dubious drone business in lake, sea or Mt areas. Britain print money, Kansas was Egypt along time, boxer, reason why Whites hate roots of david as he guided people in his saying rather a blessing in disguise to get him off fire in hell where the white man changed the same a man after my own heart so many hurl stones on people to be another said above as God talk to them personally to be acquitted out of fire 4 hurling people with stones hurting them even if they did not repent.

2goinvoice money are plane fall money and with the security measure placed above such atrophies, 1 reason 4 its removal if u did not know not and sunk ships as well while bulish or binomo and more are money from pockets of arrested 4 life in prisons or hard drug money from the pockets of arrested to be taken in jail or shot.

Arnold Schwarzenegger slept with house wife? 1 tells me the same but its beautiful and locate 1 if u got the extension of this syndrome, where people have an eye on ya maybe after what u have done good or future hope with u. If u sleep with such your picture get off people, so they live u all alone and many people wonder, he was a man of the people who attracted many to him but has been left free noways, reason being the above as many advised to do the same. Some good, Mr white has tought people to be like bad b4 they start giving ya names. Get lost off peoples mind or memory dude. Mathew 5 to bring us home, reason why David slept with Uriah’s wife if u did not know.

Since the innovation of Nyamau, now they don’t give a damn but still sit around wanting to now if people of not all that tall height loves them as well as those younger in age to them as their minds have been changed as the grown ups they love knows nothing as far as invention is corned that has now settled their minds to liberty so wants the not short people but in pretense. Life aint about maturity but how to be self-sufficient and the 1 who can give a woman that takes the day and 1 who is fast at defending such wealth and their well-being as security with Military. Nyamau now sets as free to love the age who are ladden in pure jealousy as they have investigated who insists on natural plantations to set them free after being marketed which with the boom process aint the case, cause with 1 buying of such foods can take ya even 4 centuries without buy again from the producing nation as with tea, coffee or cocoa as u set a side some KG to make tomorrow in the boom process, again and again making such producing nations poor out of no knew purchase of such cash-crops. So dude think twice with the aged in power as they don’t think big.

Pepsi cola or coca cola home of Origin link below

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=pepsi+from+which+country&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&hs=tYW&ei=YwbrXqLDLIyVkgWJoZeQDw&q=coca+cola+from+which+country&oq=coca+cola+from+which+country&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQA1AAWABgmWgAcAB4AIAB3QOIAbQGkgEFMy0xLjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjigP2R24rqAhWMiqQKHYnQBfIQ4dUDCAs&uact=5

It will not be over as u think, until Mr Hindu stops that he knows much or gets to his own nation is when me, KEVINELSON, will say its over and to be well with us rather such later speeches are senseless and of no magnitude but of hunger dude, Got me bro. Cause it crystal clear now they are looking 4 places to eat with their kids in turmoil with those they hope would succumb to their demands.

U can even hurl with kale or spinach esp 4 oil products, kerosene, liquid detergents, petroleum and chemical products like thinners etc Just giving it a try dude.

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