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babylon-crashing · 1 year

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tarot of syssk [booklet]

We live as we dream ... alone. ~ Joseph Conrad.

Originally I intended to use as many gender neutral terms as possible, settling on honorific titles like Sovereign, Ruler, Mx, Sonkeigo and Sensei (both Japanese terms for teacher), but I ran out of words, so I fell back on Mother, Crone, Lord, Lady, Master and Mistress as well. I am always open to suggestions if there are other ideas.

Each card is written in English, as well as Japanese and a made-up language called Galactic Basic (Syssk's mother tongue). Since a lot of choices that I made fall under the “Rule of Cool” heading (see: it seemed like a good idea at the time) in hindsight I see how foreign languages might be confusing, as if they're hiding vital information needed to understand each card. They're not. They could be removed entirely and the card would still be the same.

The decks I consulted in designing the cards were The Rider-Waite deck, The Barbara Walker Tarot, The Hermetic Tarot and Yonas Lunata's Qabalistic Tarot.

Since symbolism only works if a person can recognize the symbols being used here are my notes for cards that differ enough from The Rider-Waite deck as to be confusing:

[0] THE FOOL.

Childlike. Adventurous. Spontaneous. [R] Naive. Overly Optimistic. Not looking before the leap.

Notes: In Shintoism (Japan's native religion) the Torii Gate behind Syssk represents the border between the secular world and the sacred and acts as a passageway into a shrine's sacred space. It is the cliff in The Rider-Waite deck. The beckoning good luck cat is called Maneki-Neko, and ceramic versions can be found in shops and restaurants throughout Japan as a way of welcoming customers in.

[I] THE WITCH: Onibaba.

Self-confidence. Delight in Occult studies. Talented performer. [R] Manipulation. Lies. Power for the sake of power.

Notes: Onibaba literally means, “demon woman,” and plays many roles associated with European witches and witchcraft. The symbol behind her is a bagua, used in Taoist magic to represent the fundamental principles of reality. Because this card corresponds to the Magician, I included the four elemental symbols of water, air, fire and earth, as well as a cup, a coin, a wand and a pentagram to round things out. For more information on Onibaba, I suggest Kaneto Shindo's 1964 masterpiece of the same name.

[II] HIGH PRIESTESS.

Experience. Wisdom. Intuition. Teacher. [R] Using knowledge without wisdom. Two left feet. Unbalanced.

Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck the High Priestess is static; she sits in a chair, holding a book of wisdom and not really doing anything else. Learning wisdom, however, comes in many forms and here it is all about dancing as an ancient form of praying for rain. Dressed as dragons, people would dance and beseech the gods for another fruitful year.

[III] EMPRESS.

Motherly. Growth. Nurturing. Abundance. [R] Shallow. Ignoring the bigger picture. TERF.

Notes: While the Empress here is the same as found in The Rider-Waite deck, the background depicts what royal childbirth was like in ancient Japan, which I found fascinating.

[IV] EMPEROR.

Architect. Laws. Authority figure. [R] Loves chaos. Patriarch. Control freak.

[V] HIEROPHANT.

Blending of traditions. Knows some dance steps. Gives good advice. [R] Counseling needed. Can't think for oneself. Drowning in dogma.

Notes: One of the curious strengths of Shintoism is its willingness to blend in with other, outside religions. Like the dancing found in the High Priestess, here a Shinto priest dances to Syssk's drumming, while Buddha and a Taoist monk look on.

[VI] LOVERS.

Romance. Sharing. Equal partnership. [R] Separation. Arguments. Incompatible partnership.

[VII] PALANQUIN.

Drive. Ambition. Understands what makes things go. [R] Procrastination. Mind-forg'd manacles. Can't move forward.

[VIII] STRENGTH.

Confident. In control. Inner resources. [R] Drained. Depression. Fear.

[IX] HERMIT.

Meditation. Alone by choice. Finding answers in oneself. [R] Unwanted loneliness. Withdrawn. Need for introspection.

[X] WHEEL OF FORTUNE.

Prosperity. Windfalls. Paid your dues. [R] Stuck in a rut. Refusing change. Afraid of taking chances.

[XI] JUSTICE.

Fair assessment of oneself. Desire for equality. Karma. [R] Out of balance. Unfair treatment. Ill fate.

Notes: Taking a more psychological approach to this card, Syssk looks in the mirror and sees her shadow side looking back. Until we can be impartial in judging ourselves we are unfit to judge others.

[XII] GALLOW'S TRUTH.

Sacrifice for wisdom. Suspension of disbelief. Calm before the Storm. [R] Indecision. Literal hang ups. Impatience for outcome.

[XIII] DEATH.

Cosmic transformation. New outlook. Letting go. [R] Fear of change. Living in the past. Need to let go.

[XIV] TEMPERANCE.

Blending of Heaven and Earth. Compromise. Tolerance. [R] Need for moderation. Lack of indulgence. Addiction.

[XV] DEVIL: The Four Noble Truths.

Shadow self, unhealthy attachment, addiction. [R] Releasing one's own limiting beliefs, exploring dark thoughts, separation from the world around you.

Notes:In The Rider-Waite tarot, The Devil is all about unhealthy attachments, restrictions and fear of one’s own sexuality. In other words, all the negative aspects of your personality that you need to work on. Here I focused on an idea from Buddhism that there are four aspects of being human that no one can escape from: that [1] we all suffer, [2] our suffering has a cause, but also [3] there is a solution to end our suffering and it’s up to you to decide if you want to [4] do what it takes reach that end. The Four Noble Truths. The demon on the right side of the card comes from an ancient legend about an Oni (a mountain demon) who fell in love with Buddhism and decided to walk the path of enlightenment, even though everyone else would still only see a monster. This is, ironically, the same situation Syssk finds herself in but instead of seeing a kindred soul all she sees is an Other (an Other othering another).

[XVI] TOWER.

Chaos. Sudden Change. Destruction. [R] Time to grow and move on. Rebuilding with a clean slate.

[XVII] STAR.

Hope. Dreams. Goals. [R] Losing hope. Disillusioned. Depressed.

[XVIII] MOON.

Imagination. Visions. Infatuation. [R] Self-deception. Insecurity. Hazy understanding.

[XIX] SUN: Dancing for Amaterasu Omikami.

Dancing for liberation. Glee. Restoring cosmic order. [R] Dark days. Unfulfillment. Turning away from the light.

Notes: Another example of dancing for the divine. In the Shinto creation story, the goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu Omikami, (for complicated reasons) hid herself away in a cave and let the world grow cold and barren. The goddess of the dawn, Ame-no-Uzume, realizing that something had to be done, invited all the humans to the mouth of the cave and performed such wild dancing that the Sun goddess reemerged to see what all the laughter and dancing was about. Thus, burlesque dancing saved the world, once again.

[XX] JUDGMENT: Seppuku.

Self-annihilation only way to save face. Making logical decisions. Practicality. [R] Bad Karma. Poor Judgment. Dishonor.

Notes: Even if a person knows nothing about Japanese history they've probably at least heard of the warrior-class called the samurai and how they often committed hara kira (seppuku) ritualized cutting open of their stomachs to atone for some sort of sin. In The Rider-Waite deck, uses the Christian idea of divine judgment, with Archangel Gabriel blowing a horn and zombies rising up out of the ground, hungry for brains. Here, though, the day of judgment is always at hand since your lord might, for any reason at all, order you to commit suicide in one of the more painful ways imaginable. No salvation, no good deeds or bad deeds weighing down your soul, no sitting at the right hand of the Patriarchy, just the atrocious need to save face and the horrific lengths that some people will go to carry out their lord's wishes.

[XXI] RETURN TO THE VOID.

Endings and beginnings. Cycles. Success. [R] Delay in fulfillment. Lost. Unable to accept change.

Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck, the World is all about completion. Here Syssk's exile on Earth is over. Her rainbow UFO is fixed, she leaves terra firma for the celestial heavens, clutching her beloved katana sword, the only souvenir of her adventures that she takes with her.

[XXII] HAPPY RABBIT.

Wild Card.

Notes: This card can be left out, if one wants. It is modeled after the Happy Squirrel, a joke that appeared in an episode of The Simpsons, when Lisa goes to get a reading done. (“Is that bad?” “Perhaps, the cards are vague and mysterious.”) It has since shown up in actual decks, though for the life of me I cannot figure out what to do with it besides give a nod to Stan Sakai's epic tale of Usagi Yojimbo, a masterless samurai rabbit, who wanders the roads of Edo-period Japan and was a big influence in my formative years. I reused two of figures from the 10 of Wand's Mistress of Artful Trickery (a kitsune fox-spirit) and drummer.

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[COINS]

[0] ACE OF COINS: Sovereign of the Earth's Roots.

Magnetism. Ideas for making money. Working with hands. [R] Lack of creativity. Money woes. Singing the Blues.

[2] OF COINS: Ruler of the Syndicate.

Multitasking. Business partnership. Financial harmony. [R] Trouble juggling responsibilities. Distracted. Chaos.

Notes: Originally this was titled, “Ruler of Multitasking,” since the 2 of Pentacles in The Rider-Waite deck is all about balancing multiple priorities, except “multitasking” feels like such a modern term, it just felt off. I discovered, however, that one of the older definitions of the word, “Syndicate,” concerns itself with harmonious group work … though its modern usage is almost entirely mob-related. Perhaps there is a better term somewhere.

[3] OF COINS: Lord of the Joint Venture.

Communal work. Craftsmanship. Apprenticeship. [R] Unskilled. Unprepared for upcoming tasks. Problematic individualism.

[4] OF COINS: Mx of Earthly Powers.

Working the Earth. Honest labor. Financial stability. [R] Poor stewardship. Salting the Earth. Failure to understand growth.

[5] OF COINS: Master Destitution: the Ronin's Path.

Abandoned. Living paycheck to paycheck. No security. [R] Recovering from disaster. Temporarily unemployed. Returning to work.

Notes: If a samurai was a warrior who served a lord or lady, then a samurai who had (through many different ways) lost their lord or lady was called a ronin. Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is such a person, wandering the land on a musha shugyo (warrior's spiritual pilgrimage), occasionally selling his services as a bodyguard. Sakai, in turn, was greatly influenced by samurai movies of his childhood, such as Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), from which Sergio Leone heavily “borrowed” the idea for his Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars (1963). The term ronin means, “to be cast adrift upon the waves,” without family, friends or financial support.

[6] OF COINS: Sensei of Resources.

Asking for what you need. Gifts. Inheritance. [R] Not getting help from others. Having to quickly pay back debts. Bad credit.

[7] OF COINS: Mst of Bitter Profit.

Hard work leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. [R] Climbing to the top. Indifference in coworkers' suffering.

[8] OF COINS: Qy of Sagacity.

Wise in the way of Money Magic. Taking on an apprentice. Education is liberation. [R] Losing interest in school or work. World-weary.

[9] OF COINS: Sonkeigo of Abundance.

Reaping what you sow. Money is stable and growing. An sea of opportunity. [R] Unexpected expenses. Exhausting one's resources.

[10] OF COINS: Mistress of Uncanny Wealth.

Finding riches in odd places. Money is good or will be so soon. Secure and stable finances. [R] Major financial loss. May have to burn down the business and flee on foot. Crazy setbacks.

[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF COINS: Champion of a Rich Harvest.

Free market rules! Beginning a new career. Abundance of merchandise. [R] Village market starting to hate you. Delays in beginning the reaping. No one wants what you're selling.

Notes: Corresponding to the Page of Pentacles, here Syssk and a friend have come to sell the rich harvest of the 4 of Coins at market. There is some debate about whether female samurai existed (why it is important for some people to say that historical warriors, like Hangaku Gozen, ‎Nakano Takeko, ‎Niijima Yae and ‎Ohori Tsuruhime weren't samurai, but rather simply high ranking women from samurai families, trained in the Way of the Blade, who fought in battles, I don't know)‎ however, the term used to describe such people is Onna-Musha. The nice thing about telling a story of a xenomorph marooned on Earth is that no one will accuse me of being historically accurate; if you can suspend your disbelief long enough to accept Syssk you can also embrace Onna-Musha as samurais as well, I suppose.

[12] SAMURAI OF COINS: Knight of the Verdant Green.

Satisfaction from an important job. Moving up in the world. Trees love you. [R] Unexpected change in job. Boss out to get you. Coworkers can't wait to see you fired.

[13] SEISHITSU OF COINS: Lady of the Forced Profits of the Earth.

Materialistic. Gold digger. Trouble handling practical money matters. [R] Unselfishness. Generosity. Has the Golden Touch.

Notes: The Queen in The Rider-Waite deck and tying in with the 5 of Coins' concept of destitution, a wealthy elite is served the best food that the restaurant can offer while in the background, poor Syssk, without a single coin to her name, curls into a fetal ball and wishes (not for the last time) that she was back home.

[14] DAIMYO OF COINS: Lord of the Joys of Capitalism.

Good business sense. Making Robber Barons sexy again. Obsessively industrial. [R] Monopolizing power. Delights in inequality. Blind to the machinery of capitalism being oiled with the blood of the workers.

Notes: Daimyo is the term used for Kings in ancient Japan; in this case, the King of Merchants (for what it's worth.)

__________________________________________________

[CUPS]

[0] ACE OF CUPS: Sovereign of the Root of Riotous Water.

New relationships. Sensuality. Birth. [R] New relationships delayed. Next step delayed. Troubled pregnancy.

[2] OF CUPS: Ruler of the Fertile Imagination.

Romantic passion. Equal and balanced relationship. Sharing mutual feelings. [R] Unbalanced desires. Unrequited love. Not attuned to one's harmony.

[3] OF CUPS: Lord of Dubious Company.

Wild celebrations. Orgies. Going all out. [R] Fear of overindulgence. Bad family gatherings. Addiction.

[4] OF CUPS: Mx of Heinous Phantasy.

Striving for more. Dreaming large. Feeding a healthy ego. [R] Unsatisfied. Not realizing the value of one's current state. Boredom.

Notes: In The Rider-Waite deck, the 4 of Cups deals more with issues of apathy and being so narrowly focused as to ignore the world around you. Here, Syssk really loves her blue cup, to the extent that she does not see the helpful Oni (mountain demon) offer up its own, nor the horrific shadow on the wall behind her. Daydreaming is wonderful, except when the world is out to get you and you need to focus.

[5] OF CUPS: Master of the Song of Regret.

Fear of avoidance. Facing unpleasant realities. Lost in nostalgia. [R] The need for struggle. Evolution. Growing pains.

Note: Apparently Syssk can play musical instruments. Even though lover's suicides did happen I see this card more as a cautionary tale about what not to do when you're filled with regret.

[6] OF CUPS: Sensei of Childhood Memories.

Making peace with one's childhood. Past returning with new meanings. Owning one's passions. [R] Horror of family. Outgrowing a relationship or person. Becoming your own toxic parent.

Note: The Barbara Walker Tarot talks about the 6 of Cups being about childhood traumas and memories. Of course Syssk would also have some sort of parent somewhere and in this case it is Xenomorph Queen from the Alien franchise. It's a side of her past that she doesn't like to talk about, probably because the only thing xenomorphs seem to do in these movies is drool and screech … so much alien drool. Some families are so embarrassing that the only thing you can do is change your name and flee to an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. (Thank you, Douglas Adams)

[7] OF CUPS: Mst of Uncertain Opportunities.

Discovering your inner road map. Idealism. Loving all your children ardently. [R] Too many dreams without plans. Lacking passion. Dreams turn to whimsy.

[8] OF CUPS: Qy of Abandoned Dreams.

Leaving the past behind. Owning one's loneliness. Follow through. [R] Lack of closure. Imaginary slights. Settling for the mundane.

[9] OF CUPS: Sonkeigo of the Blade.

Achieved goals and dreams. Skilled master. Uniqueness of craft. [R] Smugness. Unrealistic goals. Not knowing one's limits.

Note: One of my goals with this deck was to make it easy enough to understand so that a reader wouldn't need to know about samurai, their Bushido code of ethics and/or Japanese history (so, naturally I slapped Japanese text on each card because being inconsistent is something that I apparently strive for). The Way of the Blade is, briefly, the idea that a warrior can and will cultivate an, “implacable fighting spirit to overcome their enemies.” How one wants to define an, “implacable fighting spirit,” is left up to the reader to decide; however, for me it means honing your skills until you are a master at whatever it is that you're doing. In that way it hearkens back to The Rider-Waite idea of contentment, satisfaction and gratitude.

[10] OF CUPS: Mistress of Sublime Harmony.

Dreams coming true. Love and familiar surrounding. Comfort. [R] Happiness delayed. Troubled commitments.

[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF CUPS: Champion of Rebellious Floods.

Crossing life's floods with help. Growth from self-reflection. [R] Lack of patience for ones own needs. Need for reflection. Immaturity.

[12] SAMURAI OF CUPS: Knight of the Purifying Cascades.

Willingness to heal. Emotional growth. Spiritual meditation. [R] Ignoring pain. Pushing oneself too hard. No sense of humor.

[13] SEISHITSU OF CUPS: Lady of the Sovereignty of Waters.

Powerful. Life-giving. Cyclical like the tides. [R] Oversensitive. Chaotic emotions. Destructive love.

[14] DAIMYO OF CUPS: Lord of the Turning Waterwheel.

Karmic completion. Just parent. Gentle law maker. [R] Weak nature. Unreliable. Natural born cheater.

__________________________________________________

[SWORDS]

[0] ACE OF SWORDS: Sovereign of the Root of the Air.

Beauty. New Ideas. Empire of the senses. [R] Lacking curiosity. Overbearing. Confusion.

[2] OF SWORDS: Ruler of Peace through Power.

No compromises. Battle of wills. Standstill. [R] Reconciliation. Compromise. Accommodating difficulties.

Note: During the late Edo period in Japanese history almost every large family had a family crest that was worn on the right and left sides of their kimonos. Samurai crests usually featured flowers of some sort, falling leaves, cranes in flight or sacred trees. At some point I decided that Syssk needed a crest as well, so I settled on a stylized version of the face-hugger parasite from the Alien movies (the first stage of xenomorph development after it leaves the egg). The purpose of this card was summed up nicely when Frank Herbert wrote, “Absolute power attracts the corruptible.” Under the right set of circumstances we are all corruptible, even visitors from the celestial kingdom.

[3] OF SWORDS: Lord of the Moon's Sorrow.

Balancing one's feelings. Healthy friendships. Riding the turbulence. [R] Love triangle. Jealousy. Heartache.

[4] OF SWORDS: Mx of the Respite before the Storm.

Recovery. Rest. Recuperate. [R] Sensing upcoming doom. Cutting recovery short. Dread.

Note: A trope that runs through some horror literature is the idea that monsters, while they can assume the shape of a mortal, are often undone when their shadows reveal their true, monstrous form. Of course this only works if a person is observant enough to pay attention to such things and not, as Syssk and her friend are doing, get caught up in fantastical story telling, oblivious to the danger sitting right in front of them. Often we think that the storm we must face is far off and we have time to recover, when, in fact, it has already consumed us.

[5] OF SWORDS: Master of Defeat.

Exile. Deceit. Hidden or old enemies surfacing. [R] Ugly truth revealed. Detachment emotions. Coldness.

[6] OF SWORDS: Sensei of Senseless Struggles.

Realizing the path forward isn't the best. Campaigning. Following your own path. [R] Blinded by bad directions. Out of the frying pan into the fire.

[7] OF SWORDS: Mother of Betrayal.

Getting played. Being used. Leaving yourself too open emotionally. [R] Trust issues. Skepticism. Suspicion. Uncertainty.

[8] OF SWORDS: Crone of Ambitious Passing.

Owning who you are. Speaking one's mind. Being fabulous. [R] Walking on eggshells. Fear of independence. Not being true to oneself.

Note: I am a horribly cynical person and this is, perhaps, the most cynical card in the deck. Syssk works hard to try and blend in with the unwashed masses surrounding her and it is a thankless task. She's mastered make-up and how to sit politely, poetry and tea ceremonies, the katana sword and the samurai code of ethics, Bushido. None of this changes the fact that when people see her all they can see is her monstrous appearance and not the enlightened soul. For some of us being an outcast is much more preferable than having to compromise or hide who we really are, but I suspect, for Syssk, that is not an option open to her and everything about this planet is hellish in one form or another. In a world that has yet to invent the steam engine, let alone FTL drive, the endless prattle that the Earth is the center of the universe and that humanity is some sort of beloved pet for a Creator god blew her mind the first time someone said it and every time since. An ancient Zen koan asks, “What is the ocean to a frog living in a well?” Or, to put it slightly differently, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ford Prefect (also an alien marooned on Earth), “would often gate-crash university parties, get badly drunk and start making fun of any astrophysicists he could find till he got thrown out … fifteen years was a long time to get stranded anywhere, particularly somewhere as mind-boggingly dull as the Earth.”

[9] OF SWORDS: Sonkeigo of Malice.

Workplace stress. Worried sick. Enabling a bully. [R] Light at the end of a tunnel. Recovery. Burden lifted.

[10] OF SWORDS: Mistress of Painful Endings.

Betrayal. Stabbed in the back. Crash and burn. [R] Learning from mistakes or betrayal. Getting back on feet. Communicating well with others.

[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF SWORDS: Champion of Rejuvenating Zephyrs.

Attention. Grace. Source of springtime. [R] Premature autumn. Crudeness. Disregard.

[12] SAMURAI OF SWORDS: Knight of Typhoons.

Courage. Quickly and unexpected change. Riding out the storm. [R] Pointless violence. Change as disaster.

[13] SEISHITSU OF SWORDS: Lady of the Sea's Sovereignty.

Grace. Rectitude. Hidden powers. [R] Bitter. Delight in drowning fools. Indifferent.

[14] DAIMYO OF SWORDS: Lord of the Raging Winds.

Owning one's own power. Bending reeds and breaking oaks. Sharp mind. [R] Nasty and mean spirited. Abusive. Ball of agitation.

__________________________________________________

[WANDS]

[0] ACE OF WANDS: Sovereign of the Root of the Flames.

Passion. Starting point. Answering the call. [R] Lacking creative thinking. Uninspired. Tunnel vision.

[2] OF WANDS: Ruler of Foreign Influences.

Embracing the alien. Long-distance relationship. Synchronicity. [R] Traditionalism. Incompatibility. Old and moldy.

[3] OF WANDS: Lord of the Far Expanse.

Counseling. Returning home. Third party assistance. [R] Third party interfering. Impulsiveness. Lacking the initiative.

[4] OF WANDS: Mx of Martialed Armies.

Stability. Gathering one's forces. Firm foundation [R] Debilitated commitment. Troubles of cohabitation. Adynamic planning.

Note: This is suppose to be an army on the march but I am unsure if that's apparent.

[5] OF WANDS: Master of Strife.

Serving a fair and just ruler. [R] Serving a vicious and wicked ruler.

Note: The term “Bushido” has been referenced several times so far. I have been calling it a samurai code of ethics, concerning all aspects of moral attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. The best example of its essence comes from Stan Sakai's The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy, where the following conversation takes place between our rabbit ronin Usagi and a samurai who serves the antagonist of the story:

Usagi: You'd die for a lord who vilifies you? He doesn't deserve your loyalty!

Torame: I'm a devotee of Bushido, the samurai's code. Do you remember the warrior riddle I told you?

Usagi: “Which more exemplifies Bushido? The samurai who serves a good and fair lord, or the one who faithfully serves a wicked lord?”

Torame: The Samurai who is loyal to his unprincipled master because he who remains faithful even in adversity has the greatest warrior spirit. After all, “samurai” means “to serve” and devotion to your master is paramount.

[6] OF WANDS: Sensei of Nauseous Sacrifice.

Victory at a price. Losing by winning battles. Stress vomiting. [R] Unable to understand why you lost. Disillusioned. Rewards long delayed.

Note: In The Rider-Waite deck, the 6 of Wands deals with public recognition over one’s success. Here, however, the card has more to do having to preform some sort of task that you find personally abhorrent in order to succeed. That, too, usually has very public ramifications (think: selling out for money, or sacrificing a friendship to get ahead) but you’ve decided that failure is not an option, so the ends justify the means, as they say.

[7] OF WANDS: Mother of Valour.

Attacked from all sides. Win battles and playing well with others. [R] Attacked from all sides. Defeat. Feeling drained and stressed.

[8] OF WANDS: Crone of Swiftness.

Expanding horizons through travel. Talking to people or seeing new places. Reading new ideas. [R] Frustration and delays. Can't seem to communicate. How do you make this hawk go?

[9] OF WANDS: Sonkeigo o£ Tenacity.

Bad ass with a katana. Ready and prepared for what is ahead. Good at defeating others. [R] Paranoid from many past battles. All vain pomp. Sound and fury signifying nothing.

[10] OF WANDS: Mistress of Artful Trickery.

Duplicity as a positive thing. Getting others to carry your burden. Looks great with nine tails. [R] Overburdened. Too many responsibilities. Unable to see what is right in front of you.

Note: In Japanese folklore, Kitsune are trickster fox spirits that have the ability to shape shift into human form. The card speaks to the 4 of Sword's warning that a sinister shadow might be concealed in the most charming of outer appearances. In this case the Kitsune is using a life-size puppet to manipulate others, while Syssk, jamming on her biwa in the background, remains oblivious to any danger.

[11] ONNA-MUSHA OF WANDS: Champion of the Luminous Flames.

Companion. Assistant. Helper. [R] Refusing advice. Lone wolf. Getting foolishly burned.

[12] SAMURAI OF WANDS: Knight of Thunderbolts and Lightning.

Person with an inner fire. Using the storm to your advantage. Good at dodging the wrath of the gods. [R] Anticlimax. Thunderbolts and lightning very very frightening. Need for follow through.

[13] SEISHITSU OF WANDS: Lady of the Uncanny Glow.

Eroticism as creative power. Living life to its fullest. MILF. [R] Burns out quickly. Restlessness. Unsatisfied.

Note: The erotic nature of our lives is profoundly spiritual. Since Syssk is the avatar for the reader the question of where Syssk falls in the sexuality spectrum has come up and while she is certainly intersexual (bodies that fall outside the strict male/ female binary) trying to define an alien species in human terms will only take us so far. She identifies as a “she/ her,” and while she is curious about the concepts of sex and romance she has yet to find anyone willing to teach or share. Perhaps she is Panromantic (someone who can experience attraction to anyone regardless of gender identity, sex or anatomy) or perhaps she is Demisexual (someone who does not experience attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection first), but what is important is that it's something only Syssk herself can decide upon and, as of this writing, she is still weighing all her possibilities.

[14] DAIMYO OF WANDS: Lord of the Song of the Turbulent Fire.

Owning one's self. Charming. Legendary. [R] Forked tongue. Smooth talker who is massively insincere. Sucka MC.

__________________________________________________

Originally the deck was going to feature astronauts and their Alien familiars. But that path would lead only to issues of copyright infringement, which is why Syssk ended up looking the way that she does and not like this:

[Magician]

[The Hanged One]

#syssk #tarot #tarot of syssk #myart

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arcticdementor · 3 years

Link

I have to begin this column by admitting that “Biden” (note: when in quotation marks, I refer to the “collective Biden”, not the clearly senile man) surprised me: it appears that my personal rule-of-thumb about US Presidents (each one is even worse than his predecessor) might not necessarily apply in “Biden’s” case. That is not to say that “Biden” won’t end up proving my rule of thumb as still applicable, just that what I am seeing right now is not what I feared or expected.

…

I think that both of these grossly oversimplify a probably much more complex and nuanced reality. In other words, “Biden” surprised many, if not most, Russians. That is very interesting by itself (neither Bush, nor Obama nor Trump ever surprised the Russians – who knew the score about all of them – in any meaningful way).

My strictly personal guess is that there is some very serious infighting currently taking place inside the US ruling class. Furthermore, that serious infighting is not about core principles or even strategy – it is a dispute over tactics only.

We have to keep in mind an old truism about outcomes: John F. Kennedy once said that “victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan” and he was right. When any group seizes power and effectively controls its interests, all is well, and everybody is busy consuming the proverbial milk and honey. But when this group suffers a series of humiliating defeats, a typical cascade of events begins:

Finger pointing: everybody blames everybody else (but never himself/herself)

Hindsight wisdom: “if I had been in charge, this would not have happened!”

Infighting over quickly shrinking spoils of war

A collapse of the centralized center of authority/decision-making centers

Generation of subgroups, fighting each other over their sub-interests

In other words, following many years of extremely weak presidential administrations (since Clinton, imho), it is hardly a surprise that infighting would take place (in both parties, by the way). In fact, an apparently chaotic set of uncoordinated, or even contradictory, policies is what one should expect. And that is exactly what we have been observing since 1993 and this dynamic has been getting worse and worse with each passing year).

…

That being said, there are some observations which might be helpful when trying to at least (indirectly) identify who are the main groups fighting each other.

The hardcore, really nutty, russophobes are still here, especially in the US media which seems to be serving not so much “Biden” as much as some “crazies in the basement” kind of cabal. Next to the legacy ziomedia, there is an increasing number of US/NATO/UK military officials who are foaming at the mouth with threats, warnings, complaints and insults, all against Putin and Russia. This is important because:

The “Zone A” media has comprehensively and very effectively concealed the very real risks of war with Russia, China and Iran. And if this was mentioned, the presstitutes always stressed that the US has the “best military in the history of the galaxy” and that Uncle Sam will “kickass” anybody he chooses to. If the people of the USA were informed of the truth of the matter, they would freak out and demand that this path to war be immediately abandoned and replaced with a meaningful dialog.

US/NATO/UK authorities have talked themselves into a corner where they have only two outcomes left: they can do what the US always does, that is to “declare victory and leave”, or they can force Russia to protect her borders on land, air and sea and, thereby, face a major military humiliation delivered by Russia.

Truth be told, during the recent naval exercises UK and US officials made a lot of threats and promises to ignore Russian warnings, but in the end, they quietly packed and left. Smart choice, but it must have been painfully humiliating for them, which is very dangerous by itself.

…

There will be many more NATO exercises in the Black Sea in the future. Ditto for USN operations off the Chinese, Iranian or DPRK coasts. This (always explosive) combo of ignorance, arrogance and incompetence could result in a major war.

LAnother option is the terminally delusional UK government (supported by those Brits who still have phantom pains about their lost empire and, of course, by the largely irrelevant 3B+PU gang) might do something really stupid (say, like this) and trigger a war with the DPRK, Russia, China or Iran and then the US would have to move to defend/save a British Navy which is mostly a joke (at least by Russian or Chinese standards). The main problem here being that the USN is also in a terrible shape and cannot compete against Russian and Chinese standoff weapons (I mean that literally, there are currently no defenses against maneuvering hypersonic missiles! The only exception would be the Russian S-500). The latter two nations, by the way, have joined into an informal and unofficial military alliance for many years already; check out this article and video or this one for a recent update).

But opposite, de-escalatory developments are also taking place. First and foremost, “Biden” seemed to have “farmed out” the “Ukrainian dossier” to the Germans and washed Uncle Shmuel’s hands from it. If so, that was a very slick and smart move (which is something we have not witnessed from any administration in decades!). I highly recommend this translation of a most interesting article by arguably the best Ukraine specialist out there, Rostislav Ishchenko.

Ishchenko goes into a lot of interesting details and explains what “Biden” apparently just did. Frankly, the Germans richly deserve this full-spectrum mess and they will be dealing with the consequences of this disaster for a long time, possibly decades. In fact, the Germans are stuck: they want to be the Big European Leader? Let them. After all, the EU politicians, led by Germany, did all they could to create what is now often called “country 404” – a black hole in the heart of the European continent. Germany is the biggest economic power of the EU? Good, then let the Germans (and the rest of the EU) pay for the eventual reconstruction of the Ukraine (or of the successor-states resulting from the breakup of the country)! Russia simply cannot foot that bill, China most definitely won’t (especially after being cheated several times by the Ukies) and the USA has absolutely no reasons whatsoever to do so. I would even argue that chaos (social, economic, political, cultural. etc.) in Europe is probably seen by the US ruling class as highly desirable since it 1) weakens the EU as a competitor 2) justifies, however hypocritically and mistakenly, a “strong US presence” in Europe and 3) gives NATO a reason (however mistaken, misguided and even immoral) to exist

The US is protected from the fallout (immigrants, violence, extremism, etc.) of the Ukrainian disaster by distance, the Atlantic, a much stronger military (at least compared to anybody else in NATO). The US can print money in any way it wants and has no interests whatsoever in the (dying) Ukraine. If Ishchenko is right, and I agree with him, then there is somebody (possibly a group of somebodies) who is a lot smarter than anybody in the Trump Admin and who figured out that the Nazi-occuppied Ukraine should be an German/EU problem, not one for the US.

There is, of course, also the pessimistic analysis: the US is on the retreat everywhere, but only for the following reasons:

Regroup, reorganize, buy time to develop some kind of coherent strategy

Focus on each adversary separately and prioritize (divide et impera at least!)

Re-analyze, re-plan, re-design, re-develop, re-train, re-equip and re-test pretty much everything in the US armed forces (which have not been shaped by any rational force planning in decades)

Those who believe the strategic retreat theory (I am not personally discounting this version, but I do not see enough evidence – yet – to endorse it either) typically add that “the US only left Afghanistan to hand it over to the Taliban/al-Qaeda and unleash them against “soft underbelly of Russia”. Now, that is utter nonsense, if only because Russia does not have a common border with Afghanistan.

…

Coming back to “Biden’s” great retreat: if “Biden” is smart enough to hang the Ukraine on Germany, “he” is probably too smart to predicate the US foreign policy towards Russia predicated around the “soft underbelly” thingie. As for all the “fire and brimstone” threats of war against Russia, they are not impressing anybody as the Russians, the Chinese and the Iranians know that a confident and powerful country does not need to threaten anybody, if only because the actual capabilities of these country are a very telling “threat” by themselves. But when a former superpower is weak, confused and frightened, it will make many roaring statements about how it can defeat the entire planet if needed (after all, the US military is “the best military in the history of the galaxy”! If you doubt that, just listen to Toby Keith!). In other words, while in the West threats are an instrument of foreign policy, in Russia, and in the rest of Asia, they are inevitably seen as a sign of weakness, doubts and even fear.

Then there seems to be a long list of weapons systems, procurement plans and “defense” monies which have been pulled back, including the (truly awful) LCS and F-35. While it is true that the US is gradually phasing out fantastically expensive weapons systems and platforms which were also more or less useless, this show the ability to at least admit that all that talk about super-dooper US superweapons was just that, talk, and that in reality the US MIC is incapable of producing the kind of superb high quality systems which it used to produce in large quantities in the past (Arleigh Burke, F-15, Jumbo 747, the Willys Jeep, F-16, A-10, Los Angeles SSN, KH satellites, etc.). This is why the F-15X is designed to “augment” the F-35 feet (by itself a very smart move!).

Such an admission, even if indirect and only logically implied, might show a level of maturity, or courage, by “Biden” which his predecessors did not have.

Could it be that the folks at the Pentagon, who do know the reality of the situation (see here for a very good Moon of Alabama article about this), figured out that Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump vastly over extended the Empire and now they need to regroup and “re-everything” to achieve a more sustainable “defense” posture?

Could it be that “Biden” will deliver what Trump promised, i.e. to end the useless (and unwinnable!) wars, stop caring too much about the agonizing EU, silently accept that Russia has no intentions (and no need!) whatsoever to attack anyone and focus on the biggest non-military threat out there: China. Maybe.

As far as I know, many (all?) simulations – by RAND and the US military – and command staff exercises have shown that the US would lose badly to both Russia or China. Could it be that “Biden” wants to put Russia and China on the backburner and “deal” with Iran first? The latest news on the US/Israel vs Iran front is not good, to say the least.

…

So what are we left with?

Frankly, I am not sure.

I think that there is very strong, even if only indirect, evidence which there is some very serious in-fighting taking place in the “Biden” administration and there is also strong, but also indirect, evidence that the military posture of the United States is undergoing what might end up being a major overhaul of the US armed forces.

If true, and that is a big “if”, this is neither good news nor bad news.

But this might be big news.

Why?

Because, objectively, the current US retreat on most fronts might be the “soft landing” (transition from Empire to “normal” country) many Trump voters were hoping for. Or it might not. If it is not, this might be a chaos-induced retreat, indicating that the US state is crumbling and has to urgently “simplify” things to try to survive, thereby generating a lot of factional infighting (at least one Russian observer specialized in “US studies”, Dmitrii Drobnitskii, believes to be the case: see the original article here, and its machine translation here). Finally, the state of decay of the US state might already be so advanced that we can consider it as profoundly dysfunctional and basically collapsing/collapsed. The first option (soft landing) is unlikely, yet highly desirable. The second option (chaos-induced retreat) is more likely, but much less desirable as it is only a single step back to then make several steps forward again. The last option (profoundly dysfunctional and basically collapsing/collapsed) is, alas, the most likely, and it is also, by far, the most perilous one.

For one thing, options #2 and #3 will make US actions very unpredictable and, therefore, potentially extremely dangerous. Unpredictable chaos can also quickly morph into a major war, or even several major ones, so the potential danger here is very real (even if totally unreported in Zone A). This, in turn, means that Russia, China, Iran, the DPRK, Venezuela or Cuba all have to keep their guard up and be ready for anything, even the unthinkable (which is often what total chaos generates).

Right now, the fact that the US has initiated a “great retreat” is undeniable. But the true reasons behind it, and its implications, remain quite obscure, at least to me.

I will conclude by asking you, the readers, for your opinion: do you think that the US is currently in a “contraction phase”? If yes, do you believe that this is a short-term only phenomenon, or will this retreat continue and, if yes, how far?

#unz review #the saker

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alixanonymous · 4 years

Text

How A Demon Commissions An Angel ~ A Daminette FanFic ~ Chapter 5: An Exchange Of Information

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: November 5, 2021 5:30 P.M.

Subject: RE: The Plan

Dear Marinette,

(Am I assuming too much by addressing you by your first name if you’ve already addressed me by mine? If so, that would be a little hypocritical, wouldn’t you agree?)

Just as a general rule, I probably won’t get any references you make to any kind of children’s show (I had to look up Arthur after your first email). Like I mentioned before, I lived with my mother for the first part of my life and the idea of her ever even considering letting me watch cartoons is laughable. I did look up what you were talking about however and it seems like you were describing when shows try to portray a person’s conscience by putting an angel and a devil on either of their shoulders. In that case, I would agree with your assessment: between the two of us, I would definitely not be the angel in this case.

I’m grateful for that fact too as it seems that your kindness has only helped you to be so easily taken advantage of by those closest to you. You asked me for my thoughts on your situation so I trust that you won’t hold anything I say against me (again) on account that the whole point of this is that my opinion will obviously contrast with yours.

Here’s how I see it: Your friend (although I hope you will choose not to call him that any longer) is simply not in a position to offer you friendship and so in any case he cannot be angry at you for not accepting whatever he can give. What are you, a dog? What can he expect, that you will come when he can call but accept being ignored the other half of the time? Surely you have more self respect than that if your first email to me meant anything.

As for feeling guilty, he chose to put his needs above yours, if he blames you for doing the same, then he is a hypocrite. He made his choice and he will have to face the consequences for it; in no way is any of that your fault.

After reading your last email, I must admit that it’s relief to see that you at least have some idea of how this will work because saying that all this is new to me would be a gross understatement. As for the aforementioned incident that started this whole ordeal, let’s just say my family’s lecturing on the subject more than sufficed. If I come across any situations that I could use another opinion on, I will let you know. I confess that writing to you is far more preferable than being chided by any of my idiot brothers.

On the subject of idiot brothers, for the commission, the sweaters would be for Grayson and Drake and the jacket for Todd. I trust your judgement when it comes to the designs and will be ready to give my disapproval should anything on the sketches seem off-putting. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. As for the NDA, I’m afraid you’re right in that I cannot oblige. I trust you understand.

Sincerely,

Damian W.

Postscript: Considering what happened the first time I ended an email

to you with two initials, can you really blame me for not taking any chances, especially when you take into account my “snobbish” self, your word not mine, and the fact that my self-esteem is still suffering from your first email. I mean if you really want something to feel guilty about…

From:[email protected]

To:[email protected]

Date:November 6, 2021 1:30 A.M.

Subject: That’s Not How This Works

Dear Damian,

I’m afraid that simply saying you “trust my judgement when it comes to the designs” is not going to do it. If I tried to design anything based on the information you gave me, all I would have to go on is that you want two sweaters and a jacket. Do you have any idea how many types of sweaters and jackets there are?

On top of that, didn’t your father say these gifts have to be sentimental? If you really want the pieces to be meaningful I’m going to need a lot more information on your brothers. Tell me about them. What kind of relationships do you have with them? How would you describe each of their aesthetics? Imagine what you think would be their ideal sweater or jacket and then describe it to me, the more details, the better okay?

As for what you said about my uh maybe-maybe not a friend, I won’t deny your thoughts were somewhat valid if not a little harsh. I just need some time to think it over. I guess, beyond the guilt, I’m having a little trouble moving on. I mean besides the fact that he’s practically my only friend left in the class, he was also the first boy I ever really liked. Once upon a time, I thought I was in love with him even… It all seems so silly now. I’m just struggling with the fact that so many people in my life aren’t who I thought they were. Anyway, I don’t need your opinion on any of that last stuff, okay? I think the rest is up to me and like I said, I need some time to figure this out.

Thanks for listening, Damian. You do have a way of putting things into perspective. Now please, give me a better understanding of what I need to make your brothers so we can get this show on the road. Love,

Marinette (Which you can call me!)

P.S. I like how you lectured me on how being kind allows people to take advantage of me and then proceeded to try and guilt trip me into ignoring your past misdeeds. Fyi, Mr.Postscript née Blackmailer? It didn’t work!

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: November 6, 2021 5:30 P.M.

Subject: What The Hell Is An Aesthetic?

Dear Marinette,

I understand that I’m not a fashion designer myself but I really can’t see how much answering your questions would help with the design. How will knowing about my relationships with them help you make their clothes? If I tell you I don’t like one in particular, are you going to make theirs out of a scratchy material or something? Are you sure that question wasn’t posed out of curiosity because you gave me more insight on your personal life but I didn’t offer anything on mine? I assure you it’s nothing personal, I simply like my privacy.

As I’m sure you can guess from the subject line, I had a little trouble researching what aesthetics are because nothing seems to make sense. It’s as if a lot of people collectively decided to use a word wrong. I don’t know what you want me to say.

In hindsight, I can admit I didn’t really give you much to go on but in all honesty I think my brothers will probably freak out simply over the fact that they’ll get to have MDC originals. If I were to guess what they’d like, I’d say Drake could really do with something comfortable, Todd’s wardrobe consists mainly of biker jackets and I truly couldn’t see him wearing anything else, and Grayson? He’s the easiest to please but if we’re going for sentimental value I think a Christmas sweater would do, the tackier the better.

Is that enough to work on? Sincerely,

Damian

Postscript: Have you yet to realize that while you let your “friends” walk all over you, you seem to not let me get away with anything? Is it also too much to assume from your email that you’ve since discovered you can do better than your good-for-nothing friend?

From:[email protected]

To:[email protected]

Date:November 7, 2021 12:01 A.M.

Subject: (Sigh)

Dear Damian,

No, that was not nearly enough to work on. All I have to go on at the moment is that Drake wants a comfy sweater, Todd’s fashion sense is limited to leather jackets, and Grayson wants a “tacky” Christmas sweater. I don’t even know where to start with that.

Now because it’s taking us so long just to sort out the basic details, I was going to suggest we exchange phone numbers to make things go a little faster but as it seems that you think I have nothing better to do than wonder about your personal life (I do by the way), I’m worried you’d accuse me of being a stalker. So, let me try to be a little more clear.

Sentimental value comes from using what you know about a person to give them something that would mean more to them personally than say a random stranger on the street. I can’t help you much with the design because I don’t have a relationship with your brothers. I don’t know them and I have no clue what they like or want. Still with me?

The reason I asked about relationships to them is because the more personal you make the gifts, the more thoughtful they’ll be considered and, here’s what your stake in this is, the more likely you are to not be sent away. I was looking for details like inside jokes, common interests between your siblings, maybe things you bonded over in the beginning. A lot of my inspiration and artistry comes from little small details expressed in the design through methods like stitching or embroidery.

I can now see that it might be hard for some people to know what might provoke inspiration. So I’ll start with some small specifics: What colors are their favorites? Hoods or no hoods? Zipper or buttons? Pockets? Like I mentioned before, it would be a really big help if we could set up a time and just hash this out through text messages. It’s important that we’re on the same page here. If you don’t like the first few rounds of designs, well then we’d really be cutting it close for time. I’d normally be doing this kind of a commission in person or at least over the phone or skype.

That being said, if it’s truly something you’re not comfortable with, we can totally find a way to make this work. Okay, Damian? Love,

Marinette

P.S. I’m beginning to see that there’s a difference between writing to you and dealing with my classmates. I don’t know if it’s because we’re not face to face or the fact that you’re still practically a stranger. Something about our emails makes me feel, I don’t know, self assured again, maybe your arrogant manner just trumps any restraint I’d otherwise have. And as for if I’ve learned I can do better (Now who’s more invested in the other’s social life?), you might be interested to know I’ve stopped replying to my no-longer-a-friend’s texts.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Date: November 7, 2021 6:30 A.M.

Subject: Let’s Get This Over With

Dear Marinette,

I see I may have overlooked a little when it comes to the designing process. I didn’t mean to insult you by saying your questions weren’t valid. In my defense, I may have been a bit frustrated after failing to learn what an aesthetic is (you still haven’t explained that by the way). I also think I’m beginning to understand what you mean about sentimental value and of course I want to maximize my chances of staying.

So, here’s my phone number: X-XXX-XXX-XXXX. I will make myself available today from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Gotham Standard Time which is 8:00-11:00 p.m. Paris time I believe. Does that work for you?

As for your smaller questions: Grayson’s favorite color is dark/ navy blue, Drake and Todd both like red and black. On the subject of hoods, possibly one for Drake’s sweater, perhaps the kind that has those ties that can be pulled to close it, and for Todd’s jacket, definitely. If a zipper or button is needed then zippers would be preferable. As for pockets, perhaps we could go over them later. I suppose it would depend on the design.

I trust this email was a little more helpful than the last few and look forward to your further contact, if the timing’s to your liking. Sincerely,

Damian

Postscript: I can’t say I entirely understand what you mean but our emails are definitely new territory for me as well. I couldn’t imagine talking to my classmates the way I write to you. While I am satisfied to see you made the right choice (with my suggestion mind you) about what to do about your no-longer-worth-a-thought peer, I find it quite misrepresentative for you to say I’m invested in your social life when this whole deal of ours was your idea in the first place.

Needed to go over this while writing chapter nine and figured while I had the document up I might as well repost it here. To any of my AO3 readers, guess what? Chapter nine is practically finished! I still have a few more details to work out but it should be up either today or tomorrow! I’m both nervous and excited to finally have it posted! Anyway, see you soon!

Master List

#MariBat #Daminette #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Damian Wayne #FanFic

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yutaya · 3 years

Text

Iron Fist Rewatch: 1x01: Snow Gives Way

-Someone barging into Ward's office acting like they own the place and also know Harold is alive must have sent such a jolt of fear through Ward for a second

-Ward puts himself between Danny and Joy when it seems like Danny might get physical

-Ward tells Joy not to have Danny arrested - Harold concerns?

-Danny PTSD set off by the elevator turbulence?? But he was fine going up. Just stress induced? He's shaking.

-FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT BREAK INTO THAT HOUSE

-Joy's dog just disappears after this episode?

-Danny just meditates or something to get that dog to calm down. Calms his mind so as to seem not a threat / not present? Is Danny some sort of animal whisperer? I'm now positive that at some point during Danny and Ward's Adventures Across Asia, they were stranded somewhere for some reason, Ward is complaining about being stuck in some muddy backwater hick town or whatever, Danny just sort of strolls up to some large animals (attached to a cart? Wait, that would be stealing. Hm...) goes all zen state, then says to Ward "they'll take us to the next town" like that's a normal series of events and not COMPLETELY INSANE, DANNY, WHAT THE F---.

-Pictures on Joy's shelf: Harold with his arm around young Joy, all six of them on some vacation. Rands + Meachums kind of separated in this photo, though. Don't people normally stand closer together in group photos? Also, young Joy much shorter than young Danny. Note: Wendall's hands on both Heather and Danny's shoulders. Harold's hand on Joy's shoulder. Ward and Danny both have hands in pockets.

-"Dad says rules are for pussies" ;___; (Young Ward refusing to pay monopoly rent because he just doesn't want to. Starting the corrupt financial elite training off early, huh?)

-"Oh, here comes Mommy and Daddy to protect you and give you lots of hugs and kisses and tell you what a sweet little boy you are. It's disgusting. *sweeps all the game pieces off the table even though they've clearly been playing for awhile and it's not like Danny just won he was only asking for like $200*" Ward, you dramatic bitch. Also, they were literally only saying they were home, not necessarily rushing in to protect Danny from the Big Bad Ward refusing to pay $200 monopoly money. Metaphorically, I suppose this is still Ward being a sore loser, though. It's not monopoly Danny beat him at, it's having parents who love him. T_T AND THEN HE LIES ABOUT IT, PLAYING THE BELEAGUERED BABYSITTER, ASDFGHJKL - WARD. (Note: neither Danny nor Joy speak up against this blatant unfairness. Previous failure? YOU'RE SUCH A BULLY, WARD.)

-Big Al is first person to be friendly to Danny and I'm sure Danny doesn't forget it. Headcanon Danny is def actively caring towards 'lower class', including homeless and drug addicts, and actually sees + treats them as equals. Classism definitely a theme in these shows with the people who struggle financially like Colleen being the kindest and most charitable and the rich being assholes.

-But also why is he informing Danny that the internet can be used as a search engine with no prior indication in their conversation that Danny doesn't know this? I mean, Danny does not, in fact, know this, but.

-In the news article, the photo of the Rands is the same one in Joy's apartment, but the Meachums are not there. However, they are not merely cropped out: the background extends into the spot they should occupy. Did some poor news article graphic designer have to go find a photo of that tourist spot background at the exact right angle and photoshop them together to get rid of the Meachums, or was Joy's photo a photoshopped family vacation image, which could have explained the awkward distance between the two families, even though it wouldn't have been that hard in editing to set them all closer together? Maybe they all still went on the same vacation together, but instead of asking a passerby to take a photo for them, both families took photos of each other and then someone combined them at a later date? Practically speaking, that still means the angle would be likely to be off for the background, and it's also suspicious that there are zero other tourists around. These rich families rented out the entire space?? Would lend to lack of external parties to take a group pic for them. Obviously, IRL explanation is they're all photoshopped onto a static background, but fun to think of the in-universe reasons. ...Actually, most likely explanation is that they took multiple photos - Rand only, Meachum only, maybe also kids only, Wendall+Harold only, etc, as well as group. So this entire train of thought is inconsequential. Oops.

-Harold had a big event funeral, "mayor and everything"? That must have been fun for both Harold and Ward, with significantly different usages of the word 'fun'.

-Hello Joy, not only did I follow you home to accost you at your front door the morning after I attacked the security at your workplace to enter your probably restricted top floor executives offices, I also did extensive research into your childhood history down to the position you and your friend played on your childhood soccer team, oh and also I broke into your house yesterday where I interacted with your dog. Now watch while I prove my physical prowess by flipping over a taxi.

-Bird flying into city while Danny meditates?? Symbolically, follows the idea of the bird flying through the pass that was Danny's sign to leave K'un Lun and return to NYC. Spiritually - what? AU where the bird is Danny's spirit animal and he's connected to it / seeing through its eyes right now. For the HDM AU fans: bird could be Danny's separated dæmon? (Would a HDM AU Danny's dæmon be a dragon? Honestly, idk how much dragon stereotypes match Danny's personality. Would have to think about that. Would be funny if someone else had the dragon dæmon, not any of the Fist holders.)

-Danny. Danny. Colleen JUST HUNG THAT FLYER UP. Take one of the little tabbies, if you must, that's what they're for, but don't take the entire flyer down! Those cost money, you know. And it takes time to cut all those little tabbies out and then go around hanging the flyers up.

-Colleen be like "dear god, this is why you shouldn't be nice to people, they start trying to hit on you, @ random park dude, please stop talking at me and following me while I continually shift out of your line of vision"

-Danny: "Hey you speak Chinese? I speak Chinese." Colleen: "I'm Japanese you dick. :)"

-Ward: I'm gonna make sure our personal security team is guarding you against this clear and present threat, but also we're still not calling the police??

-Ward turns this from either a crazy homeless guy or a scam artist into a potential organized corporate sabotage - the kind of threat that Joy is more easily able to compartmentalize her emotions on and crush under her heel?

-Ward just gets into a moving vehicle with someone he has verbally acknowledged as an active threat to his family. Did you have ANY stranger danger safety lessons growing up, Ward?

-Danny now appears to be actively threatening Ward, while using the reasoning that Ward and everyone else have been seriously trying his patience and he's in danger of losing his temper, but he's still giving Ward one last chance to back down. Note: this is a technique commonly employed by abusers, and probably more triggering to Ward than Danny knows, even though Danny probably actually does think he's being sincere as opposed to manipulative.

-->Aaaand Ward responds by ratcheting up instead, because of course he does, IMMEDIATELY leading to the gun to head scene. oh, geez.

-Danny provides personal details - probably this is the moment Ward starts to believe it might actually be Danny somehow, against all logic and reason. He looks shaken, then immediately starts trying to gaslight Danny. asdfghjkl WARD.

-->Ward lying to Danny's face and putting himself in the position of the righteous with Danny as the person in the wrong when they both know it's a lie is very reminiscent of the monopoly scene from when they were kids and the implied constant behavior from when they were kids. But this time, Danny doesn't accept it the way he did as a kid. He stares at Ward, remembering this pattern, actively teetering on PTSD flashback mode, and fights back. Makes Ward think he might be about to kill them both - while having flashbacks that hinder his ability to stop so Danny in hindsight gets freaked out about what he almost did too. (Note: looking freaked out and claiming he didn't mean to almost kill them both just now was probably more concerning to Ward rather than less.) And then he promises he'll be back because this isn't over. gdi, Danny, no wonder Ward wants you gone asap.

-Colleen, trying to tell Danny to go away because he's being a creeper: TAKE A HINT TAKE A HINT

-Danny, casually: Oh yeah Master Lei Gun "The Thunderer" used to smack me hard in the face with the practice swords

-Colleen bringing a sword to a gun fight

-Danny grabs enemy's gun, but not to use as weapon/defense - only to disarm it and run off - which Colleen sees.

-What festival is this that's happening in Chinatown? Has anyone figured out an IF timeline? Could compare dates to real world events, see if there's any potential cross over.

-None of these bystanders so much as bother to look at the fistfights happening 2 feet away from them

-Ward sitting in his office eating his food (it has decorative greens so you know it's ~fancy~) and answers his phone smiling because he's expecting the good news that Danny-probably-an-impersonator-but-also-potentially-maybe-not-but-we're-not-thinking-about-that-Ward-get-a-hold-of-yourself is dead. Way to be a villain stereotype, Ward. I know you try real hard at it so good job uwu

-Harold intro. Ward clearly at his beck and call and just as clearly resentful of it. "I think...” *resigned* “-of course, right away." is such immediate shorthand for someone abusing the power imbalance. (Note: Ward puts off approaching Harold with the "Danny problem" until night 2, tries to handle it quietly until he has implicated himself (Danny now knows Ward tried to have him killed) and Danny is still present and now an even bigger threat)

-So many elevators. All express to specific floors/areas? This lobby is so unsettling. Elevator leads to another hall full of elevators, then stairs, then handprint access to hall with second elevator into penthouse. (Note: Ward is one of those people who press the close door button multiple times with a frustrated facial expression)

-Ward to Harold: "How do you even know about that? ...Shit. Are you behind this? Is this another one of your stupid tests?"

-Harold to Ward: "I wish you would take things like this more seriously, so I don't see my company destroyed."

-Photos on Harold's shelf: young Joy, posed photo of Meachums in formal-ish clothing, Harold's hands on both kids shoulders, indistinguishable group of people on a bridge(?) somewhere. Group photo atop a fancy box, Joy photo in front of the Meachum family photo. On Harold's desk: another photo of young Joy, this one looks like one of those posed school photos where they have the kid stand against a "tree" backdrop.

-Ward says out loud that he could ignore Harold and Harold wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Harold casually observes that Ward is now and has always been childish. Ward remarks that Harold has been telling Ward he's disappointed in him his whole life. Harold is still disappointed in Ward right now.

-Harold: this is how you make your employees loyal to you. *proceeds to display his complete dominance over Kyle, who looks nervous and threatened by the direct attention* Ward: "Jesus, Dad, what the hell is wrong with you?" (Still doesn't do anything to remove Kyle from this situation though)

-Harold lectures at Ward as if everything Ward has ever done is wrong, always, including snapping his fingers at him when he starts to speak himself, like a bad dog, and listing off things that Ward has already brought up to Joy as if Ward is an incompetent who would never consider those angles himself

-Ward makes a snide comment, Harold snaps at him, Ward smiles a little bit because he has succeeded in getting under Harold's skin for a moment

-Harold: Leave this to me. I'll tell you exactly what to do. Ward: Like always. Harold: Like always.

-Awww, Danny was rushing back to tell his new friend Al all about Ward sending people to kill him, possibly looking for advice? ;_; (Also, why is there a foreboding music significance to Al having a bird tattoo? Does this ever come back??? I don't remember this mystery going anywhere.)

-Danny is lurking in Joy's office. He doesn't say anything even slightly reassuring, like that he has an appointment, just heavily implies that he snuck in. sigh.

-"I'm not gonna hurt you," Danny laughs, after displaying a whole lot of extremely threatening behavior. Joy smiles, drugs him, and buys time until it kicks in.

#iron fist rewatch #iron fist #snow gives way #my stuff #the immortal iron fist

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mysterylover123 · 5 years

Text

Another Top 20 Favorite BKDK Moments

mysterylover123

Yes, I actually found even more! Looking through the series for other moments just kept delivering unto me more BKDK stuff, until I finally had so many they needed another list. These are admittedly mostly smaller moments, compared to the first list, but I still though they were worth including.

My Next Top 20 Favorite bKDK MOMENTS:

#20. “Deku, that has to be my codename.”

“Time to Pick some Names” Chapter 45/2.14

What Happens: Midoriya decides to choose “Deku” as his hero name. We get Bakugo and Uraraka’s reactions to his decision, along with Bakugo vs Deku replay.

Why I Like It: Though this is also probably my favorite Izu/Ocha moment, I do like how BKG giving Deku the Hero Name fits in with some of the other LifePartner characters in the show (Erasermic and Mirio/Tamaki). It’s minor and mostly Izu/ocha, but I still wanted to include it.

#19. Waiting up for Deku

Chapter 163/Internship arc’s ending

What Happens: Bakugo (and Todoroki) both wait up for the Internship kids to return from their harrowing experience. Bakugo plays it cool, but this was the night before the remedial course, so we know he’s actually concerned.

Why I Like It: While again this one can apply to Kiribaku, Kacchako, and Tododeku as well, we shouldn’t discount BKDK either - since Bakugo did indeed wait up for Deku’s group. Also Kaminari calls him Kacchan now too :)

#18. “You’d die in the exam!”

Highlights from KiraElric’s meta (Link: https://kiraelric.tumblr.com/post/158423114578/my-best-friends-a-fucking-nerd-and-an-idiot-god)

Chapter 1/Episode 1 “Izuku Midoriya Origin”

What Happens: Deku’s desire to go to UA is revealed in front of the class. Bakugo freaks out, but unlike the rest of the students, doesn’t laugh at Deku, but instead demands to know what he can even do in the UA entrance exam.

Why I Like It: Well this is our introduction to Bakugo and he’s designed to come off as a complete ass. But the subtleties of the rivalry are present from the beginning: first, Bakugo dismisses his other classmates as extras but freezes when Deku’s name is brought up, he doesn’t laugh at him, and demands to know what the hell he can even accomplish. It comes across like Bakugo knows, subconsciously, that Deku can probably do great things, but doesn’t want to admit it (because that’s the reason, we hear it stated later on).

#17. “What about Deku?”

Highlights from above post: https://kiraelric.tumblr.com/post/158423114578/my-best-friends-a-fucking-nerd-and-an-idiot-god

Episode 5 “What I Can Do for Now”/6 “Rage you Damn Nerd”

What Happens: During the quirk apprehension test, Bakugo checks to see how Deku is doing. When Deku displays his quirk for the first time, Bakugo freaks out and demands an explanation.

Why I Like It: Bakugo is very fixated on Deku. He takes time out of his own test to see how Deku is doing in the exam, and is absolutely stupefied when Deku displays an ability - in hindsight, he seems at least a little justified in getting so mad, since Deku must have been lying to him their entire lives - he doesn’t know yet about OFA -so what other explanation is there?

#16. “That was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Chapter 37/Season 2 Episode 9 “Bakugo vs Uraraka”

What Happens: Bakugo, when fighting Uraraka, is cautious of her because he knows she’s friends with Deku. After the match, he confronts Deku about “his” scheme, and Deku corrects him, informing him it was Uraraka’s idea (though not from lack of Deku trying).

Why I Like It: While I’d like to think Bakugou is careful of Uraraka at first because she helped beat him before, he states he did it because she’s friends with Deku. It’s Deku he confronts, Deku who he thinks came up with that scheme. Deku also knows Kacchan well enough to tell that he’s not going to hold back against Uraraka, and tried to help her win against him too. He goes into his match with Todoroki soon after, and says the phrase that Bakugo repeats to him “Where are you looking” while demanding that he not hold back (same as Kacchan does).

#15. “Still should’ve broken some bones.”

From: Chapter 70/3.02 “Wild Wild Pussycats”

What Happens: Bakugo, having heard about the Shigaraki incident, mutters that Deku should have fought back against him, despite Hagakure’s protests.

Why I Like It: This scene is tiny and flashes by fast, but it does show that Bakugo, whether he’ll admit it or not, thinks highly of Deku and believes that he could’ve taken on a super villain. It also shows that he probably agrees with Deku and Todoroki about heroics, breaking rules to save others and the like - we saw Iida and Deku disagree on this, etc.

#14. You didn’t help me!”

Chapter 1/Episode 1 “Izuku Midoriya Origin”

What Happens: Bakugo, post sludge villain, is preoccupied with Deku, leaves behind his offers to be a hero and runs after him to remind him, loudly, that he didn’t save him. He slouches off like the good Tsundere he is, and Deku smiles.

Why I Like It: This moment’s visuals and dialogue are so at ends with each other. Basically on Bakugo’s side 1) he ignores all of his offers from pros to brood about Deku 2) he chases after Deku, with a very sweet delivery of his name in the sub, just to tell him that ‘he didn’t help, and 3) Deku actually looks happier after this conversation, no longer brooding and smiling. It’s the weirdest scene, because the dialogue is so angry and derivative, but the body language comes across as sweet and sincere. (Also earlier on, depending on the translation, Kacchan’s friends ask him if he wants to go check out girls, and Bakugo loudly protests against this idea, after having brooded about Deku the entire walk home. Guess he’d rather be thinking about Deku.)

#13. “Don’t compliment me!”

From: Chapter 194/Joint Training Arc

What Happens: Deku sees Bakugo’s new winter costume and starts fanboy-ing over it so much that Bakugo tells him to stop, chewing on his speech balloon.

Why I Like It: As I pointed out in an earlier post, this is another romance trope they check off (dismissing a complement). But moreover, it’s Bakugo seeing Deku watching him, asking what’s up, and Deku openly gushing about how awesome he thinks he is. Uraraka, pay more attention - Hatsume’s not the one you should be punching yourself in the face for jealousy towards. (In all seriousness, this moment is so cute. Deku’s so openly admiring)

#12. “No point if I can’t do better than Deku!”

Episode 2.12/Chapter 43 “Bakugo vs Todoroki”

What Happens: Bakugo, during his fight with Todoroki, loudly proclaims that he won’t accept a win unless he can stand up to the same thing Deku stood up to. Deku even cheers Todoroki on in a way that makes Bakugo smile, because he wants to win right. When Todoroki doesn’t give him that he flies into an unstoppable rage.

Why I Like It: Bakugo’s fixation on Midoriya just dominates this arc, even in Todobaku/Tododeku scenes like this one. Bakugo pitches a fit when his childhood friend is brought up (in a scene that can be easily parodied into “It’s not like I like that idiot baka” territory), and demands that he be given the same fight that Deku faced. He has to be as good as Deku, basically, or else he’ll be left behind and he knows it.

#11. “Because you’re amazing”

Episodes 6-7 Battle trial Arc Deku vs Kacchan

What Happens: Deku and Kacchan fight in the Battle Trial Arc. They both go all out and Bakugo freaks out about Deku holding back. Deku calls him an idiot and says he wants to beat him because he’s amazing. All Might notices his passion. Deku passes out and Bakugo’s anxiety fit starts.

Why I Like It: Never let it be said that Deku can’t “Idiot Baka” too. This is one of their darkest, most intense scenes, but woven into it is their future, more positive bond. Deku ignores teamwork with Uraraka and takes Kacchan on. Bakugo is upset that Deku wasn’t honest with him. Deku feels guilty about that. Deku tells him he’s amazing and that’s why he wants to beat him. Fighting Kacchan gives Deku the strength to go beyond.

#10. Sitting Together

Chapter 2-3, Episode 3 “Roaring Muscles”

What Happens: After a snippy exchange, Deku and Kacchan sit together at the entrance Exam. When they’re handed out their assignments, Deku notes “They’re splitting us up so we won’t work with any of our friends.”

Why I Like It: While they tsun-tsun a lot in this scene, even in Chapter/episode freaking 3 Deku and Kacchan thought of each other as friends. They say it, right there. They sit together voluntarily. They commentate on what’s going on. BK’s dialogue in the manga is less confrontational than the anime. + Bakugo and Uraraka walk in in the same pose, and Deku compares saving her to saving Bakugo. Deku gets 0 villain points, Kacchan 0 rescue points, to hit home how they’re two sides of the same coin. Chapter/episode freaking 3.

#9. “Arrogance? No…”

From: 2.02 Roaring Sports Festival

What Happens: Bakugo gives the Pledge of I will Win. Everyone thinks he’s being an ass except Deku, who thinks that he’s intentionally making things hard for himself. Kacchan bumps into Deku afterwards, with a challenging intent in his eyes.

Why I Like It: Nobody understand Bakugo quite like Deku. While he often slips up in how he handles the Lord of Explosion murder, (early on), Deku definitely gets him. (“You’re a piece of work, but I get it.”) He sees straight through his facade here and is the only person we hear giving him the benefit of the doubt. Bakugo for his part also makes sure to let Deku know that he’s still his #1 rival. (Also: Jealous Kacchan in the Locker Room when Todoroki challenges Deku. Just in case you thought him challenging Shoto wasn’t about Deku.)

#8. “Don’t lose, All Might!”

From: 3.11 “One For All”

What Happens: Watching All Might’s final fall on TV, a panicking Deku and Kacchan shout out in unison their cheer for him to do his best, not to lose. We got some sweet Horikoshi sketches in the manga when this ep aired of D&K as the heirs of AM.

Why I Like It: Deku and Kacchan disagree on a lot, but they both love/worship All Might. They’re set up as his two heirs, the heroes who will take up his legacy, and in this moment they yell out in sync, cheering him on (standing together voluntarily). It’s super emotional, but just a quick reminder in this big payoff episode that BKDK is alive and well.

#7. “What do they want with Kacchan?”

From: 3.04-3.07 Training Camp Arc

What Happens: Deku, while fighting Muscular, learns that Kacchan is in danger. As the fight goes on he goes more and more into BKG territory. This powers him up for 1 million% and throughout the rest of the arc.

Why I Like It: While this moment is mostly about Kota (the kid we specifically compared to Kacchan earlier), it’s also important how pumped up Deku is on the need to rescue Kacchan throughout this arc. Like, all he has to do is hear his name in the context of threatening and he goes bananas, more so than for anyone else. 1 million% OFA is Deku’s saving urge + Winning urge fused together.

#6. “Thanks for the idea, Kacchan!”

From: 2.03 “In their Own Quirky Ways”

What Happens: Deku, taking inspiration from Kacchan’s quirk, comes up with a plan to win the Obstacle Course race.

Why I Like It: One of my favorite Deku moments ever, where he goes bananas and wins it all. Deku’s first and biggest #1 win in the series so far, and who does he have to thank for it? The inspiration he takes from Kacchan. It even seems like he gets his second wind here once he hears Bakugo’s voice and falls, upside down in profile, towards Kacchan. We intentionally have him cute Todoroki out of the frame here, just in case you missed who he’s thinking of. And Deku wins, all because of Kacchan.

#5. “Just like Kacchan then!”

From: 1.10 “Encounter with the Unknown”

What Happens: Deku, trapped with Tsuyu and Mineta by villains, tries to think of a way out of their situation. He thinks to himself “what would Kacchan do” or “act like Kacchan”, and succeeds in beating up the villains.

Why I Like It: “What would x do” is a phrase the series likes to throw around its couples (Izu/ocha, todomomo; Iida’s is more platonic because he also lists his brother). And here’s Deku saying it about Kacchan. Finding once again the strength to win due to thinking of the symbol of Victory. It’s nice that the inspiration isn’t one-sided either, as Bakugo seems to have adopted Deku’s rescue policy later on. Love these two.

#4. The Hideout Raid

From: 3.08-3.10 ‘From Iida to Midoriya’/‘All for One’/‘Symbol of Peace”

What Happens: Deku goes against his own safety to save Kacchan from the LOV. He freaks out when AFO shows up but regains focus when he hears Kacchan’s voice. He comes up with a plan that relies on who Kacchan is as a person, and successfully saves him.

Why I Like It: Take note, Naruto, on how to properly retrieve your rival: #1. Go against the authorities’ wishes to get him back, not on their orders. #2. Consider your rival’s wishes and friends, and #3. Don’t force it. In all seriousness, my favorite part of this is Deku regaining focus when Kacchan turns up. He was panicking and experiencing death dreams, but one word out of Kacchan’s mouth and he’s back on task.

#3. “Just watch me, Deku”

From: Chapter 206-7, Joint Training Arc

What Happens: Bakugo, going into his training test, mentally asks Deku to watch him. Watch him Deku does, as he shows off his new teamwork and rescue skills and wins the day. They share some light banter afterwards.

Why I Like It: So much. Sexy Sestuna Tokage on one side, demanding attention, while BK & DK only have eyes for each other. Deku watching Kacchan. Kacchan demanding Deku watch him. Kacchan saving to win, as Deku must win to save. Their light challenging banter afterward, All Might calling Kacchan a “good friend”. (All Might stop shipping them, they’re not best friends yet!) Like if you want to see how BK benefits from Deku, outside of having someone he can cry in front of, here it is. Deku makes him a better person. And he wants Deku to see that he’s a better person now.

#2. “He lit a fire under me”

From: Joint Training Arc Chapters 208-216

What Happens: Deku gets hyped for his match because Kacchan “lit a fire under him”. He wins his fight despite his power freak out, and we get lots of worried Kacchan shots during and after the battle, just as we got Deku shots during his.

Why I Like It: The other side of the coin: Deku wants to win thanks to Bakugo. He’s ready and raring to go, smiling and optimistic. Their teams both win, all to 0, because of this (the only teams to do so). + Bakugo looking concerned for Deku when his powers go out of control like the good BF he is. I’ve talked about the big BKDK moments in this arc before, but these subtler ones are just as powerful

Extras:

-Winning the Tokyo Tower Contest

-Bakugo cheering for and smiling when Deku (and All Might) win in the movie.

-Filler Pool ep where Bakugo makes sure to remind us he’s Deku’s rival, in case we forgot.

-Omake and various incidents where Uraraka calls them “fated enemies” and roots for them to reconcile. (does she want an OT3?)

-Mothra!Deku and Godzilla!Kacchan (queen and king of horror cinema)

-A few bNHA Smash shenanigans:

Baby Kacchan’s crush on Deku

Vanilla ice cream mixup

Bishonen Bakugo being all kinds bi

Deku blowing off their OFA date

Fanboy stalker Deku

-The Couch stuff

-Pop poll 4: Holding the two halves of AM’s sword

#1. “I’m headed for the top, why should I care?”

From: 2.02 “Roaring Sports Festival”

What Happens: Deku is feeling unmotivated to do well in the Sports Fest, until he overhears Bakugo stating that he’s headed for the top and that’s all that matters. This finally gets him psyched to go and motivated.

Why I Like It: Why’s this #1? Well partly because it’s the biggest oversight from the last list, but also because it’s so subtlely important. Deku doesn’t get hyped to do well in the Sports Fest, that very definitive story arc, until he hears Bakugo’s resolution and how dedicated he is. It’s Bakugo’s words that motivate him to go forward and beyond here, just as he so often does. This is what causes hime to do well in the fest and acknowledge how important Iida and Uraraka’s motives are too, and yell at Todoroki for holding back, and in doing so change the course of so many stories. Yes, most of that is Deku’s own strengths shining - but the best kinds of relationships are the ones that make each partner better through being together than apart, aren’t they?

#my hero academia #katsudeku #bakudeku #bkdk #katsuki bakugou #izuku midoriya #bakugou x midoriya #izuku x katsuki #ships #otp #top 10 #top 10 moments #katsudeku meta #izukatsu

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cyb-by-lang · 6 years

Text

Shell Game (1/?)

Wherein Kei relives the worst part of any education system: standardized testing.

Seriously.

My Hero Academia crossover ahoy.

Infiltration was not a mission type Gekkō Keisuke was designed for.

Didn’t mean she didn’t have the skillset for it, no matter how she’d reached that point. Despite a Gordian knot of coincidences and at least one soul-based mishap, she was still left with a strong Nature Release specialty, immense endurance from being a jinchūriki, something of a multicultural education, and the ability to read, speak, and write English. Between the limited preparation time and the possible threat level faced by any shinobi who attempted this mission, there were only so many candidates even before dimensional travel was factored into the Hokage’s decision.

Which was why she was chosen for a very special mission to infiltrate a Japanese high school.

Hey, Isobu.

Yes?

Riddle me this: How am I, a freaking special jōnin, supposed to answer this question?

Kei, it had to be said, had not needed to compose an essay for anything in Japanese since her successful Chūnin Exam. Mission reports? Sure. Fūinjutsu write-ups? Part of the job. Proposals regarding usage of village resources for local and national problems? It cropped up on occasion, but not consistently.

Isobu’s mind peeked over her figurative shoulder.

American high schools only required students to register or be registered for coursework by their parents, as far as Kei recalled. Her actual high school years were a little vague by this point, having devolved into hallway-shaped blurs punctuated primarily by friends and trivia. Mostly friends. In Konoha, compulsory education for shinobi was less of a formal affair and more on-the-job training a thousand times over, leaving holes all over the board.

And unfortunately for Kei, Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, and English were all required topics. Kei’s Japanese was better than some of her peers, given the emphasis her skillset placed on calligraphy and kanji, but social studies was a wash. Japanese was probably not much better, and it was followed down the drain by mathematics. Science was middling, given the problems imposed by slamming into an alternate universe with ubiquitous internet when the shinobi-ruled world barely understood radios.

But dammit, Kei at least knew some things. Even if her English was informal, she’d done her time in the appropriate school system. Time to get some use out of it.

It was just a matter of muddling along until she could get to the practical.

Why couldn’t a friggin’ hero academy of a high school just involve knocking muggers unconscious? Kei knew how to do that. Without killing anyone, even!

You were supposed to change the exponent too, said Isobu, who read the questions through Kei’s eyes.

Dammit, Kei thought, and erased her second equation. She cracked her knuckles and drew glares from the students around her, but ignored them. At least it’s not differentials. Always sucked at those.

…You know, seeing you attempt calculus at this stage would be hilarious.

Thanks a bunch, Kei told him, and got back to work.

The math test came and went. The social studies test followed suit, reminding Kei that her “peers” were working with a solid decade of education and cultural context she didn’t have. Even if she’d been truly Japanese, there was a real chance a child from her version of Japan would have failed the entire section on Quirk legislation. She probably didn’t fail science, between Isobu and Kei’s discussion method and what she could extrapolate from the briefings regarding Quirks. And English? There was something of an edge there, and Kei and her Tailed Beast buddy had ever been a pair fond of using everything at their disposal to win.

And then, the dreaded practical exam.

With Isobu acting as her live-in Jiminy Cricket, in the exact opposite way a conscience was generally supposed to work, Kei managed to tune out the DJ-like announcer for the practical examination on the big day. She had her paperwork in front of her, a mission prodding at the back of her head, and a whole room full of hero-hopefuls who were probably going to hate her in about fifteen minutes. She did listen to enough of the explanation to know how the robot targets were going to be scored, and could see some figures in the crowd start to slump for one reason or another, but ultimately the information felt extraneous.

Kei had no intention of allowing a written exam keep her from completing her mission. To that end, she would happily destroy every opponent in the examination stadium with only Water ninjutsu. It was a nice way of working off stress.

Kei filed out of the room alongside the other potential students when the intro spiel was over, taking in the crowd. She could see a wide variety of body types, features, and open fear among the examinees. Assuming any of them got in, she’d try memorizing names and faces then.

Her mission would take priority.

“You need to have a paper trail.” Sensei’s frown had been audible over the connection, probably because he had no experience with cell phones and a lot of experience with genjutsu. Not a Luddite, but really unfamiliar with tech.

“That won’t be a problem. We’ll just have her take the entrance examination along with all the other heroes-to-be.” The Mickey Mouse soundalike had given her chills, at least up until she’d realized that they actually were speaking to a talking mouse. Sensei probably would have called him a summon, but Nezu assured them that Quirks worked in mysterious ways. And he actually was a mouse. Probably.

Maybe?

“If it’s what the client wants…” Sensei’s chakra signature remained wary, but it hadn’t shown in his voice. “One academic year or until the threat is ended, whichever is shorter.”

Sort of like any warranty, really. Kind of funny in hindsight.

None of them had any real appreciation for the risks, then.

“By your command, Hokage-sama.”

And here Kei was, dressed in gym clothes for a school she’d never attended and waiting for the hammer to drop. She tapped her shoes on the ground idly, getting used to wearing something other than sandals for the first time in nearly a lifetime, just to feel a bit more prepared. The exam robots were just there for racking up combat scores on opponents who didn’t bleed. Some of the kids around her would be able to go all out. It’d be fun.

But apparently not for the kid just to her left, who looked like someone told him life was cancelled. He had his arms crossed and eyed the entrance like it was a gallows, not a set of unusually large double doors. Another kid looked like she was going to throw up from sheer nerves. Two boys were stretching, while a girl near the front of the crowd was nearly bouncing in place.

Welp. Time to blow off some steam.

“GO!” screamed the digitized voice of the cockatoo-headed announcer, and Kei went to work.

#catch your breath fanfic #my hero academia #crossover #shell game #snippets #Keisuke Gekko #Isobu

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megalotrash · 6 years

Note

For the drabble prompts, Classic Sans and Swapfell Sans with 3. Hiding together in a really tight space? :3

Hey Rehlia! Went for a Office Au for this one, hopefully that’s ok! (Like cop Blue I’m here 5696% for Black in a suit :P)

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15663888/chapters/36531102

Under the cut:

Sans despised his job.

He hated the shitty hours, the tiny desk he had to share in his sauna of an office, and the boss who couldn’t even remember his name. But the new ban on smoking really was the last straw. The powers that be had decided that their whole office block was going to be smoke-free. It sounded great in theory with it banning the bigwigs smoking in their private offices, something Sans despised when he had to deliver something upstairs and left itching for his own smokes. What wasn’t great was them removing the designated smoking areas completely. No shelters, no ashtrays, a complete site-wide ban. If Sans wanted to light up now he had to walk down five flights of stairs, out the building, and down to a street corner at the edge of the block. Which was pretty fucking difficult when he only had a half hour lunch and redundant five-minute breaks.

Which was why he was currently shoved into an annex that the security cams couldn’t see. Sat on a cold stone step contemplating how he was going to hand in his notice as he blew smoke into the autumn air.

The sound of footsteps approaching made him freeze and want to stub out his cigarette initially but with what he was thinking right now being caught breaking the rules would make it easier to leave. What he didn’t expect was for the footsteps to stop momentarily before another monster turned the corner and practically fall on him. Sans’s magic ran cold when he felt the scrape of bone against bone and realised just who the skeleton monster on top of him actually was.

No one in the whole office ever dared to refer to the CEO’s assistant by anything but his nickname with most of them not even knowing it either. He was known only as Black.

“Shit, I Didn’t See You There,” Black said a little casually for someone who was basically straddling a stranger. “Guess I’m Not The Only One Who Figured Out The Blind Spot Huh?” he laughed lightly, sending vibrations through Sans’s ribcage before he removed himself from their tangle of limbs. “I Hope You Don’t Mind Sharing.”

Sans was dumbfounded, could feel his whole skull flushing with magic, but managed to fumble a semi-coherent sentence; “yeah, it’s- i don’t mind.”

Black gave Sans a smirk that highlighted his sharp features before he sat down next to him and began searching his pockets for his own smokes. Watching him kicked Sans into gear and reminded him that he still had a lit cigarette between his shaking fingers. He flicked off the excess ash and smoked it quickly before lighting up another right after. All the while unable to take his eyes of Black pulling out an old tin from his pristeen jacket. Black was immaculately dressed as always; his deep burgundy suit would have looked stupid on anyone else but it fit him like a glove. Sans should have guessed it wasn’t just the office drones that had been affected by the ban. But right now he couldn’t focus on anything else other than Black’s suit sliding against his Ulna as he started to roll himself a smoke. He found himself taking another long drag when he saw a sliver of Black’s purple tongue sealing the rizla making his skull coloured even further.

It just didn’t seem fair that he not only had to not freak out about being so close to someone so many pay grades above him and have his casual crush on the guy kicked into high gear. Sans had always admired Black’s attractiveness from afar but having him pressed up to his side was really doing things to him. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he wanted to-

“You Know.” Black’s voice cut through the silence as he gave Sans a sideways glance. “There’s No Need To Act So-”

Black gestured towards Sans with his brow bone raised as if he couldn’t quite think of the word. Luckily Sans’s shitty ass mind had a broken filter and was more than happy to give him the answer.

“intimidated?”

“Yeah That.” Black shuffled back on the step they were wedged on so he could look at Sans properly and give him a smile that made Sans’s soul flutter. “It’s My Fault Really- Sorry-You Obviously Know Who I Am...But I Haven’t Asked Your Name Yet.”

It took Sans longer than felt comfortable to realise that Black’s hand awkwardly extended towards him was an invitation for a handshake. He’d heard rumours about the guy around the office, most of them bad, and here Black was being a perfect gentleman. Black didn’t need to be nice to Sans. Hell, Sans was used to monsters like him walking all over their underlings. So, again, he opened his mouth before thinking.

“sans,” he replied while returning the handshake despite his mind screaming at him for being in over his head.

“ Really?!” Black almost yelled, surprising them both before he caught himself.

Sans didn’t have the confidence to question that outburst so he just nodded softly. He didn’t miss how they hadn’t actually broken the handshake, mainly because he couldn’t believe how nice Black’s soft bones felt against his. Black didn’t seem offended, quite the opposite in fact.

The smirk he’d been giving Sans earlier was back.

“Well Sans, Got A Light?”

There was something in Black’s expression that made Sans feel like a deer in the headlights but he was too nervous to figure out what it was. He dutifully fished for his lighter and passed it to Black while ignoring the way his magic tingled when their fingertips touched. Sans took another drag of his cigarette and tried not to flinch every time he heard Black failing to light the flint. It was obvious to him in hindsight that Black wouldn’t be used to losing shitty lighters that only worked when you flicked them a certain way and was about to offer to light it for him when he felt Black sliding the lighter back on his lap.

“Hmm Not Working For Me,” Black whispered now he had leaned in closer, the deep pools of magic in his sockets sparkling with all sorts of promises. “Hope You Don’t Mind Sharing This Too.”

Black reached over to the hand Sans had the cigarette in but instead of taking it from him just brought Sans’s hand up to his mouth. He took a drag while maintaining eye contact as if daring Sans to freak out or something. The one thing that Sans could think of doing was perhaps the stupidest idea he’d ever had. He was screaming internally as he went on autopilot and closed the gap between him and Black and pressed their teeth together. He knew that he was probably going to lose his job, or even his fucking life, for doing something so stupid. But the small squeak of surprise he heard while Black opened his mouth was momentarily worth it.

Sans felt Black exhale into his mouth and almost went giddy with the fumes. To his surprise the other skeleton hadn’t pulled away, and when Sans moved back Black immediately directed the cigarette back between his teeth. Sans took in a long drag and moaned when Black kissed him with enough force to slam his back into the wall. They went back and forth like this until the cigarette had burnt out, bringing in tongues when the last of the smoke had dissipated. It was all over far too soon when Black’s phone started to ring and he drew back with a string of curses. He had a short conversation with whoever was on the other line before hanging up and stumbling to his feet.

Sans was in a daze wondering if the last ten minutes had actually been real when a small cough told him that Black hadn’t left yet.

“See You Around Sans,” Black said after looking Sans up and down a final time then vanished around the corner.

Sans immediately fumbled to find his shitty lighter and lit up again. He knew he was running late on his break, something he cared about deeply now that he had no intention of leaving. But it wasn’t like he could turn up to his desk with a flushed face and tight pants without causing all sorts of shit.

He just needed to calm down… and plan how he could shuffle his shifts around to take the same break for the rest of the week.

MeGaLoTrash

Kofi | Commissions |

#Sanscest #rottenjoke #classicpoision #undertail #ut sans #sf sans #office au #nsfw-ish #highly suggestive #smoking #shotgunning #makeouts #unresolved tension #Trashy's follower celebration drabbles #my fics

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wolfgabe · 6 years

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Can we please stop saying Nintendo are idiots when it comes to online

Okay so recently some more details have been revealed on how cloud saves will work with The Switch online service and it as it turns out certain games will not support it out of cheating concerns most notably Splatoon 2 and Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Evee. Predicatably people are now up in arms over how the Switch’s supposedly biggest online game doesn’t support cloud backups and again using this as a means to trash the Switch online service and rant about how inept and stupid Nintendo supposedly is when it comes to online functions and they still don’t understand the internet. I feel this is false for various reasons considering Nintendo has actually been experimenting with online services since the 90s believe it or not. Remember the Satalaview and the Gamecube broadband adapter anyone? Heck even the N64DD was intended to have it’s own online service via Randnet.

Nintendo’s primary reason for lack of cloud backups in Pokemon and Splatoon primarily stems from concerns involving potential trade abuse and item duplication. This is not too surprising in hindsight when you consider how rampant save scumming was with Splatoon 1 which is likely part of the reason they do not allow save backups to external SD cards with Switch.

The more I think about the more I believe it has less to do with incompetence like so many people seem to believe and more with various technical reasons that many probably won’t be able to really understand. There is a distinct difference between cloud saving and cloud backup which basically creates a snapshot of your current data. In a game like Splatoon 2 it’s not hard to see that this could lead to a lot of data inconsistency headaches with no way to ensure your data is always up to date regardless. In order for cloud saves to work in Splatoon 2 not only would they need a whole new set of servers but they likely would have to completely redo the save system which itself would probably require a massive overhaul of the source code because Splatoon 2 was not originally designed with storing data on severs in mind.

Pokemon should hardly be a surprise as Game Freak disabled save backups on the 3DS games and expecting it to be no different here is just wishful thinking

I was sniffing around Reddit on a thread relating to this and someone actually brought up a very interesting point referring to something known as the consensus problem .

“It’s not as trivial as you would think. In distributed systems, this can be reduced to what's called a consensus problem-- we want N machines to agree on a single consistent view of the state of some save. Under some system models, guaranteed consensus is provably impossible (this is called FLP Impossibility, and it was a very big deal when it was first discovered in the 80s.) Unfortunately, the Switch is much closer to these models than competing devices, as it is portable and consequently allows for things like local trades even when offline.”

“In general, the rule is that you get to pick two of these three statements to be true:”

“The data is consistent across all devices (you can recreate a single timeline of updates.)”

“The data is always available (reading/writing the data is always allowed.)”

“The system is partition-tolerant (it works even when some parts are offline.)”

“This is called the CAP theorem, and as you can see, a save system that works while offline and disallows cheating requires all three. If they did some very complex things in the background, they could still get a property called "eventual consistency", but I am working on a PhD in distributed systems and have several years of previous industry coding experience, and even I would not want to sit down and hammer out such an algorithm, because it is far too prone to oversight for the marginal benefit.”

In essence data consistency and availability are probably the two biggest hurdles with Switch and they are not a problem that easily solved like so many people seem to assume.

Really though I fail to see how exactly this is such a big deal when this has really been the norm for some time now. Even during the Wii days you could not back up games with Wi Fi capability.

I have nothing against criticism but the constant trashing of Nintendo’s online and using as it an excuse to say they are incompetent is getting tiring and needs to stop.

#nintendo #nintendo switch #nintendo switch online

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perfectirishgifts · 3 years

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Authenticity Fuels Greatness: 4 Lessons From Jeff Blue And Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/authenticity-fuels-greatness-4-lessons-from-jeff-blue-and-linkin-parks-hybrid-theory/

Authenticity Fuels Greatness: 4 Lessons From Jeff Blue And Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’

Authenticity Fuels Greatness: 4 Lessons from Jeff Blue and Linkin Park’s ‘Hybrid Theory’

“I knew intrinsically I had the qualities to be an A&R person, but I didn’t have them on paper. I didn’t have the connections. I didn’t have the experience. But I knew that I had the talent and the drive.”

That’s Jeff Blue, the guy who saw before anyone else did the genius in a group of young musicians ultimately known as Linkin Park – who were combining genres and creating a hybrid mix of rap, rock, hip-hop, metal and electronic music that propelled them to the top of the charts. Their first studio album, “Hybrid Theory,” became the biggest-selling debut album of the 21st century. The Grammy-winning group remained one of the most successful acts for nearly two decades, and is one of the few who can truly claim to have created an iconic sound.

Do you think that would have happened if they’d worried about having the proper credentials on paper? No touring experience, no press, no radio? Do you think they ever would have been discovered if Blue believed the people rejecting him and the band, telling him he didn’t have the right background or experience to recognize talent when he saw it?

I’ll answer both of those questions: no, and no.

It’s easy to see the potential for success in hindsight. We can look back now and think, of course Linkin Park made it. They were doing something so original. Who would say no to that?

Nearly everyone, it turns out. Blue and the group faced down 44 rejections from labels, producers and managers. Think about what it takes to fall down and get back up again 44 times, and to continue believing in what you’re doing.

When artists break the rules and smash the standards of the past with an individuality that takes everyone by surprise, it can be easy for us business-types to write it off as something that artists do – in fact, as something that artists are expected to do. We tell ourselves: But I’m in the corporate world where there’s a path to follow, a fit to match, certain education and experience expected, specific credentials to acquire.

But that’s why I respect Blue’s story. Because music is still a business, which requires recognizing a vision, amplifying and nurturing talent, marketing and branding authenticity and believability, and selling it worldwide. Blue has his own story of breaking through the standards of the past to find a way to recognize and activate his own capacity.

Blue has a new book out: “One Step Closer: From Xero to #1: Becoming Linkin Park,” published by Permuted Press and distributed through Simon and Schuster. Blue is a multi-platinum A&R executive, producer, award-winning songwriter, music publisher, attorney, journalist, and manager whose acts have collectively sold more than 100 million albums. In addition to Linkin Park, he’s worked with Macy Gray, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Daniel Powter, the Last Goodnight, Hoobastank, Better Than Ezra, DJ Ashba, and co-music supervised Aaliyah’s Queen of the Damned soundtrack.

But he didn’t achieve all of that by being on the “right” path. He achieved it by creating his own individual path, remaining authentic to himself and avoiding the traps of assimilation.

“You have one life to live and everything leading up to the present moment sets you up for potential future success,” said Blue. “All dreams are riddled with roadblocks. Otherwise they wouldn’t be dreams. The only way to deal with roadblocks is to set up a map with many alternative routes. The longer route will take you out of the way, but the road will be less crowded. And while the competition is taking the crowded road straight to the middle, you will forge your own road that will lead you to the top.”

When the Front Door is Slammed, Find a Back Door

Blue was in law school when he discovered what A&R was. An A&R rep is someone who’s responsible for scouting and nurturing talent, and bringing those musicians into a record label. (A&R stands for artists and repertoire).

He decided that’s what he wanted to do with his life. He learned that the accepted path to A&R was to start as someone’s assistant.

“I was working as an intern at MCA records,” said Blue. “I asked every single executive there if I could be their assistant. And every single one told me: ‘You’re in law school, you can’t do anything creative. Plus, you’re the type of person who would take my job.’ I got tired of hearing that, and it was frustrating because I was working so freaking hard. And all I wanted to do is be the assistant, because that was the springboard to A&R.”

Blue was determined to make himself indispensable to the people who could help him get a foot in the door. He was open enough to look for opportunity in unexpected places.

“One day I was in this guy’s office and I noticed something that I’d remembered seeing in every executive’s office: music magazines. I started reading those same magazines, and noticed they all had reviews of new bands. And I realized there were journalists writing these reviews, and these executives were relying on these journalists to help them discover new artists.”

So, rather than continue trying to get an assistant job that no one wanted to give him, Blue set out to become a music journalist.

“I had no experience whatsoever,” he said. “I called up every single magazine there was. They kept telling me no, because I had no experience as a journalist. But I kept calling.”

He finally got someone on the phone at a magazine that had already rejected him multiple times (just think about how tenacious you have to be to keep calling someone who’s already rejected you). This time there was an unfamiliar voice on the other end: a woman answered and said she had just replaced the former editor. She didn’t know Blue and didn’t know he wasn’t on staff.

“She asked me, ‘Oh, are you one of our writers?’ I knew instantly this is my moment and I have to jump. So I said yes. And she was relieved, because she needed someone right away to cover a band that night. So she sent me out on my first assignment, to the Troubadour in Los Angeles. I’d never written a thing in my life.”

Within 24 hours, Blue wrote his first journalistic piece ever, got a rave review from this new editor for his writing talent, and ended up becoming the manager and the drummer for a different band that he saw that night at the Troubadour. Ultimately, he became the top writer for this industry-leading magazine.

Writing music reviews wasn’t a lucrative gig. He was making $10 an article, and it cost him more than that just to pay for parking, for gas and for drinks. But people at record labels were starting to notice and appreciate his ability to assess talent, and they started requesting him specifically to review their bands.

One thing I appreciated about this early part of Blue’s story is that he didn’t just seize an opportunity to get his foot in the door. He used that opportunity to design a curriculum for himself to learn the skills he would need to learn to be a great A&R rep. When people in any industry cling to their outdated standards, often it’s because they have tunnel vision about what it takes to become great at something. But there are many different ways to acquire expertise and wisdom.

Opportunities are everywhere, yet few have eyes to see them. Clearly, Blue did.

“The skills I acquired by becoming a journalist were indispensable,” said Blue. “I learned how to analyze music, musicianship, star power, what makes a great song – because I had to write these things down in a way that I can communicate to other people. So when I sat in meetings later as an A&R guy, I could be specific and explain what I liked, what I didn’t like, what I would change, and how, both to the artist as well as the label. And that was all because of the time I spent as a journalist.”

But his ultimate goal was to do A&R. So he packaged his collection of about 80 articles in major music magazines and sent them to everyone listed in the Yellow Pages of Rock. He followed up by calling every company, manager, publisher and record label on the list, literally working his way from A to Z.

“I was rejected all over again. They told me, you’re a threat to us because you’re highly educated and you’re a lawyer. One person actually told me to take law school off my résumé. But it only takes one person to believe in you to affect your life. You can’t give up.”

He reached the last company on the list: Zomba Music Publishing.

The president invited Blue to come to New York for an interview. But again, it seemed that yet another leader was blind to his own standardization traps. In the interview, this president asked Blue what artists he would sign. Blue gave him a list of new bands that the president didn’t know. You would think that would be a sign of creativity, but no, the president wasn’t happy with that list. He asked Blue: “What about the artists you would sign to make us money? You didn’t even mention Pearl Jam or Nirvana.”

Blue pushed back: “Well, a monkey could just pick the Billboard top 10. I’m somebody who wants to go out and discover bands no one’s heard of and break new ground. The exec told me, ‘You’re not the right kid, you don’t have any experience.’ So I walked away heartbroken, my dreams were crushed. That was my last shot. I came back the next day, just to tell him, ‘I’m going to make somebody a ton of money, you’re making a mistake by letting me walk out of this office.’”

The president let him walk out.

But then: “Three months later, some of the bands on my unknown list were getting attention and the head of the publishing company offered me the job.”

Some of the first artists Blue signed were Macy Gray, Limp Bizkit and Korn. He then signed his intern, a nineteen-year-old UCLA student and his unknown band, to a development deal after the band’s very first show. That band became Linkin Park.

“Strive to create your own back door access while everyone else is attempting to cram through the front door,” said Blue.

Believe In Your Own Capacity

When you believe in your own capacity, you can free yourself to believe just as passionately in the capacity of others.

In “One Step Closer,” Blue chronicles the early days of Linkin Park, from their first demo and Whisky a Go Go performance as Xero, through their tireless efforts to perfect their iconic sound and the discovery of Chester Bennington as front man. Blue was there when no one else believed – first as their publisher, then as their A&R guy. This is his memoir of that incredible journey.

“Every single A&R person, every producer, every manager, every record label major and indie, told me Linkin Park didn’t have any of the qualities of a hit band and I should run the other way because it was making me look like a failure since I was the only believer. It was the same thing that happened when I developed Macy Gray.”

Blue trusted his gut, but he was also willing to listen and adapt. Here’s his advice for all of us.

Listen intelligently. “Listen to the reasons people are rejecting you, evaluate those rejections, and make an educated decision whether you should adjust your direction. I had to listen to what everybody was telling me. I knew Linkin Park’s original lead singer wasn’t great. But I kept him there for a while because that’s what the band wanted.”

Adapt. “Part of Leadership is making tough decisions. I had to make the tough decision to fire the original lead singer, knowing that the rest of the band had the talent but the missing ingredient was still out there. I searched high and low for a new front man and eventually found what would turn out to be Chester Bennington.”

Attach yourself. “When I had four major label job offers, I made it part of my employment agreement that Linkin Park must go with me anywhere I went. I believed in the band and never gave up. In fact, I doubled down and bet my entire career on five individuals that no one else believed in.”

Follow your gut. “When you follow your gut, you can only blame yourself. Even before we were successful, I could sleep at night knowing I was following my heart and failing, as opposed to following the masses and failing. In any business, you make your name and legacy on staking everything on the horse that no one believes in. People don’t remember the guy who went along with the masses. They remember the leaders who went against the grain, who stuck it all on the lines when others didn’t believe, betting on themselves against the odds. That makes the success that much more memorable and legendary.”

The Individual Defines the Business

Blue experienced what many of us experience in the corporate world. The path up the ladder is predetermined, and anyone who tries to go their own way will meet a lot of resistance. But he shows us how much more meaningful it can be when you discover ways to accelerate your own capacity in your own way.

Once he stopped trying to “fit,” that’s when he achieved success for himself and for the artists he championed.

Each of us has our own way of navigating, exploring, learning and inventing that doesn’t fit a specific box. We shouldn’t wait in that long line of people trying to cram in the door. We have to find our own way in – and that individual journey that we take will help us make an even greater and more authentic impact on our organizations and on our world.

If Blue had been threatened by standardization, if he’d gotten sucked into those traps, the rest of us would have missed out on music that inspired us and surprised us, challenged us and delighted us.

The same is true for the impact that you can have on the rest of us. If you remain trapped in standardization, holding yourself back because you don’t quite fit someone else’s definition of experienced – then you’re depriving yourself, your team, your organization and the world of all you have to offer.

As Blue told me, for himself and for the artists he’s assessing: talent is essential, but there are a ton of talented people. Resilience, drive and the ability to overcome adversity are the qualities that create stars.

Adversity may make or break you. But adversity primarily reveals you. In the case of Blue and Linkin Park, it revealed greatness.

From Leadership Strategy in Perfectirishgifts

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toongrrl-blog · 4 years

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The Mommy Myth: Attack of the Celebrity Moms

Gonna try and structure it a lil’ bit different, hit it!

Debby Boone

January 1981, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as president and Debby Boone, 1978 Grammy winner, poses with her three month old child for the cover of Good Housekeeping. Like her father who has oozed his brand of sanitized rock ‘n’ roll (as not to freak out white parents and grandparents), Debby has become a pioneer: the celebrity mom profile. Inside the issue we learned that baby Jordan eats very well and sleeps 8 hours a night (good) and he is healthy because Debby took SUPER GOOD CARE OF HER BODY during her pregnancy as she ate health food and weighed only a pound less than before she was pregnant (okay Deb), mostly due to healthy food and prayer (news to the church ladies my Mom knows), this was a surprise (okay), and baby Jordan loves music because his grandfather Pat Boone and great-grandfather Red Foley were musicians (well most babies like music and noise). The celebrity mom profile where she reminds the female reader that she is a poised, trim, stylish, perfect mother unlike you the mom who stresses over tax season, is a household drudge, and eats junk food when the kids are asleep.

Kirstie Alley

February 1994, Kirstie Alley (remember Cheers, Fat Actress, It Takes Two, and Look Who’s Talking?) invites In Style magazine into her fourth house in Bangor, Maine that she paid in with cash, a house that is like her: “at once down-to-earth and whimsical”. She’s a mom now with a “playful sense of style” that is evident by the decoupage grapes on her son’s highchair and was made to look antique and worn. One year old True (that’s his name!) has his highchair facing a ceramic pig holding a blackboard on which a new word appears to encourage his reading proficiency (never too early to start teaching kids to read!) We see Kirstie’s life is made easy with decorators, nanny, a cook, and personal assistants and True having two hour nap times (I will check with relatives of young babies and toddlers to see if possible) where Kirstie works out with a personal trainer and eats a fat-free lunch (well we know what happens when you diet for so long). Kirstie gushes about how “being a mother has given me a whole new purpose. Every day when I wake up it’s like Christmas morning to me, and seeing life through True’s eyes gives me a whole new way of looking at the world” (yeah I don’t know anyone who actually feels that way and what about those who found a purpose without having kids? Sorry charity volunteers and recovering alcoholics!)

Flash forward to 1997 where Kirstie is star of the then-new Veronica’s Closet where she has a new man, new show, and a new baby. We learn her Maine home has fifteen bedrooms and she loves decorating this huge place, which includes a nursery-rhyme garden for True and baby Lillie. Kirstie talks about this facial treatment she has every morning where she blasts her face with oxygen and enzymes with a plastic hose hooked up to two pressurized tanks (guess Joan Crawford’s beauty regimen wasn’t hardcore enough?).

Annie Potts

I admit there could be some bias here, I grew up on Annie Potts (Ghostbusters, Designing Women, Any Day Now, Pretty In Pink, GCB, Toy Story) so that might color my commentary (though I try to keep a bit of Susan J. and Meredith here). In California, we enter Annie Potts’s “Casa de Mayhem” (actually really cute, nice to see she nice great decorating sense outside of Iona’s fabulous digs) where her nanny corrals Potts’s 16 month old where a wing was built in the anticipation of the baby Jake’s birth (how?), where there is a darkroom for her husband, a bedroom for the assistant (late night slumbers?), and an office for Potts and also a pool. Somehow her white furniture remains immaculate (just like Megan Draper’s white carpet). Annie Potts believes that her son may be the reincarnation of her cat Gus and covers her chairs with cow-print vinyl.

Cheryl Ladd (Or a more Honest Time that was soon to be past)

During a different time Ladies Home Journal in March 1979 reported on Cheryl Ladd (Charlies Angels star and singer for Melody) as a mother where she admitted even with her household staff and her four year old with a nine year old’s vocabulary (by 1979 standards!) , it can be stressful which Goldie Hawn admitted to in smaller profile. Back then the celebrity moms were glamorous and embraced intensive mothering but they admitted it had it’s ups and downs, sentiments that were gone by the late 1980s where “motherhood was sexy” or “blessed”. Also the houses and toys became more lavish and the moms were always gushing with Whitney Houston stating she “never found anything more fulfilling than being a mother” (okay that makes me sad in hindsight, RIP Whitney and Bobbi Christina) and celeb moms saying they have transformed as people since having babies (babies are not reform school people nor life coaches). And was so awkward when Christie Brinkley said she got it right with her 3rd kid (no shade really, she was neat as Gayle Gergich).

In Celebrity Momma land there was no such thing as postpartum depression, saggy tits, leaky nipples, extra fat or economic, political, and social barriers or sexism, racism, and classism or even bratty kids or lazy or tired partners. They were (in the words of Michaels and Douglas) “June Cleaver with cleavage and a successful career”. They were allowed to bring the kid to work and they were always in love with their husbands....until not (these gushing profiles were the equivalent of that couple on Facebook with the perfect photos but argued a lot in real life). And while most of us bounce between the hip cynic and the corny romantic, we can see through it but still feel insecure by it.

Princess Diana (and the Rules of Celebrity Motherhood)

She was one of the most watched celebrity moms ever since her engagement to Prince Charles and even after the Royal Gyno certified her as a virgin and fertile in 1881...no I mean 1981 when she married him. Then in June 1982, William was born while she was around 20 years old. This girl clearly was picked by the Royal Family because she was young, pretty, not very assertive, fertile, and a virgin. He was her sister Lady Sarah’s ex-boyfriend and she thought he was hot since she was 16....keep in mind there is like a fourteen year age difference and she was a late teenager when they got engaged and married. The Press talked about his adoration for her and they had for a while the image of the picture-perfect family where nothing was wrong, she was naturally very thin and he thought she was the only woman in the world for him and wouldn’t want to be another woman’s tampon. Of course the cracks were obvi, early on, the Royal Family was all about projecting that image and Diana played along, being and playing devoted mom and she was, just she couldn’t be tired or want a lil space from the kids while the cameras were rolling. She even looked slim during her second (!) pregnancy! Which she timed perfectly. We now know that was a eating disorder. She had a ton of tasks on her schedule (charity) and often turned the kids over to a nanny but tried to give a normal life to her kids and expose them to people less privileged than they. Diana was a child of divorce, close to her younger brother, was depressed and bulimic, happened to marry a guy from a tradition bound family when she was starting to find herself, why does our culture encourage women to bound themselves to motherhood and marriage before they figured themselves out as people? And we know stuff about the Windsors as a family from The Crown.

1. “The mom is gorgeous, in clear control of her destiny, and her husband loves her even more once she becomes pregnant and the baby is born.”

2. “They are always radiantly happy when they are with their kids.” And the kids are always happy too, as it reflects well on the moms...

3. “They always look and feel fabulous--better than ever--while pregnant, because they are nutrition experts and eat exactly what they should and have the discipline to exercise regularly. No varicose veins, no dreaded ‘mask of pregnancy’, no total exhaustion, no unflattering comparisons to Weber barbecue kettles or Chris Farley. And they time their babies perfectly. Control, control, control.

4. “Whatever your schedule, whatever institutional constraints you confront that keep you away from or less involved with your kids, it must be clear that they are your number-one priority, not mater what.” Big thing when working moms were dealing with workplace rules making it hard to be there for their children and be on top at work.

5. “There must be some human frailties, some family tragedies, some struggles or foibles that bring the celeb down a peg, make her seem a bit more like us and allow some of us to identify with her.”

6. “The celebrity mom is fun-loving, eager to jump up and play with the kids at a moment’s notice. She’s always in the mood. She never says, ‘Not now honey. I don’t feel like it. Mummy’s tired. Mummy’s too lazy. Roller-coasters make Mummy barf.”

7. “...truly good, devoted mothering requires lavishing as many material goods on your kids as possible.” You even have to be lavish with the nursery.

Moms of Color

When the genre found it’s boom, Celebrity Moms were mostly white and straight (except for Rosie O’Donnell and the then-closeted Jodie Foster) and many writers and editors at women’s magazine said that white women don’t want to read about black women (crushing a soda can in my hand). Then women like Whitney Houston and Gloria Estefan started having kids and magazines like Ebony have done profiles like “The New Motherhood” and “The Joys of Being A Stay At Home Mom” where educated and employable black women became housewives (no statistics offered) and yes Ebony has always done that and spotlighted activists and their families. I also want to point out that the magazine has always been socially conscious, because Police Brutality and racism are still alive, with recently black celebrities posing with their sons as a statement against the police killings of young black people.

Now Susan J. Douglas and Meredith Michaels ask: should moms of color be glad to be celebrated with this lofty pedestal or be concerned about how fragile this pedestal is? I think Jodie Landon says it all.

Why all this matters

The Celebrity Mom profile presented a narrow view of motherhood not afforded to many ordinary mothers (whether you are of color or white, working class or middle class, have many kids or just one, are religious or spiritual or atheist, stay at home or part-time or salaried) cannot live up to. Celebrity Moms have existed for a long time but when the 1980s came, that is when motherhood practically became even more of a sport or a performance about how one can be the perfect supermom and make those who feel ambivalence feel like they are terrible mothers who ate too many junk food and were always tired, and had photos with no photoshop or personal trainers or stylists. In the Reagan era, being wealthy was chic: “trickle-down” economics, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, dramas about wealthy people, ads from Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren that breathed new life into the preppy look, Merchant Ivory films focusing on wealthy people in the old days and Mommie Dearest was a bestseller on the bookshelves and the theaters that made publicists very busy.

Also let’s talk about the beginnings of People magazine. In 1974, after market researchers for Time magazine noted that readers read the “People” section first before reading other parts of the magazine, Time-Life launched People magazine. Following was Us Weekly in 1977 and then the tabloids started doing more celebrity journalism, even local TV news magazines like Evening which gave way to Entertainment Tonight and then we heard the more serious news shows talking about celebs. Also while we were turning away from “experts” who were never moms or did diapers, we looked for role models as we needed to be role models and Celebrity moms were women who had lucrative and high-paying jobs and motherhood; they were also attractive role models as they suggested an alternative to being a frumpy or presentable-but-in-the-background or sexless has-been after having kids. Then women’s magazines started featuring more celebrities and they have before but now more so than ever. Redbook magazine, according to an anonymous employee who reported to Douglas and Michaels, said that the magazine conducted focus groups to see which celeb would sell the best: one year it was Kathie Lee Gifford, a few years later it was Meg Ryan, also headlines with words like “a tragedy” “triump” or “a secret” or a combo sold like hotcakes. This is not to suggest people working the magazines or the celebs keeping their brand were calculating cynics, just take things with a grain of salt...

What about Regular Moms?

Let’s give up for the Joan Holloways, Trudy Campbells, Betty Drapers, Karen Wheelers, Rochelle Rocks, Debbie Eagans, Tamme Dawsons, Peggy Olsons, Megan Drapers, and Joyce Byers of the world. Who while reading this piece of treacle, are dealing with unhelpful or tired or abusive husbands or having no husband, struggle with feedings and diaper changes, with loving their babies and missing their old lives, and with having a bit of weight after baby or had to fight it off and still find that things are very different. Who had their sleep disrupted after baby and spent a good chunk of their day in curlers. The Moms who felt sick, swollen, fat, gross, un-sexy during their pregnancies or even sans pregnancy, and never had that “glow”. Basically the moms doing all they can for their kids and have their own demons to exercise and are made to feel bad by their role models; some of them didn’t have role models (like their Moms don’t understand the context of their lives).

Celebrity Mom profiles bring up the same stereotypes that plagued women like Betty Draper and Karen Wheeler: that women are all nurturing and maternal, love all children, and prefer motherhood to anything even work and are the main responsible figures. Also add the competition from consumer culture of pitting moms against moms and encouraged self-loathing in women.

To ordinary mothers of America, those of us lacking the staff of a French chateau, and the joyful outlook that goes with it, these ceaseless profiles of celebrity moms with their perfect children and perfect lives are a rebuke, a snub, and a warning. Fail to get with the program and your kids will not make the grade, your husband won’t look at you the way he used to, and, worst of all, other mothers will see you for what you are: an unworthy loser, a bad mother.

To all the Women stuck with the Second Shift, homeschooling, keeping the home afloat along with their careers during this Pandemic, thank you. Shout out to the Lois Foutleys working the front lines while they deal with their families and to the Helen Morgendorffers who wish they were at work (really, don’t let any “having a child is more important than a career” people make you feel bad). And to the essential workers like Joyce.

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hope-faith-love-abide · 5 years

Text

So I just finished Part One of the game so I’m much farther into the story now than when I did my first impressions and uhhhhhh I have a lot of thoughts because WHAT THE CRAP ASFSDLSDJAKJ

(MAJOR spoilers below the cut)

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED AND A LOT OF IT I DIDN’T EXPECT WHAT THE H E C K

I expected Jeralt to die - I mean, the title of the chapter is The Cause of Sorrow and he keeps saying stuff like “It’s time I told you all this Very Important Backstory, but I gotta go somewhere so I’ll tell you when I get back”, which is a pretty classic trope. I definitely didn’t expect the WAY he was killed though (freaking Not Monica), and the scene was still absolutely heartbreaking, especially the fact that Byleth wasn’t able to stop it even with Divine Pulse, and then it’s apparently the first time in her whole life that she cried :(

I really liked Jeralt, so I’m still sad that he really is gone.

ALSO I’ve come to really like Seteth and Rhea (more thoughts on her in a sec), especially as I’ve gotten to know more about him and Flayn. And I definitely did NOT expect it to be revealed that Flayn is actually his daughter, not his sister. That was a genuine surprise for me. But it makes even more sense why he’s so protective of Flayn, and in hindsight it makes a lot of sense too, since Flayn would always talk about her mother, but Seteth never said anything his mother, so I suppose the hints were there.

With Rhea, I can’t decide if Byleth’s mother is her sister, so she’s our aunt, or MAYBE (since I don’t know Rhea’s actual age) Byleth’s mother was her daughter so she’s our grandmother?? IDK, she keeps hinting at and almost saying something, but then something interrupts her so she never finishes, and I can’t figure out what the reveal will be.

But an even more surprising reveal, she can TURN INTO A DRAGON???? WHOA DUDE. She wasn’t kidding when she said she’d be able to defend the monastery. I thought she was just going to do some really strong magic or something, and instead she turns into a DRAGON. WOW.

But back tracking to before Rhea has to turn into a dragon, finally understanding more about Sothis and Byleth’s connection is pretty cool, and it was cool to see them joining together in order to get out of the void. I knew Byleth’s hair was supposed to change at some point, so it was neat to find out how that happens. Though it was also sad too since it meant Sothis wouldn’t be around to talk to us anymore. I really liked her, so it made me sad whenever I’d explore the monastery but she wasn’t there to talk to or give us her random commentary on things anymore :(

But anyway, once that happened, and then Rhea was all like “ah yes, you have been blessed by the goddess, now you should go to the Holy Tomb for an important thing” I was still kinda suspicious of her and thought for sure she was going to like attack us or do something weird like “now as part of this ritual you must die” or something idk, but lemme tell you that is NOT WHAT HAPPENED AT ALL

So the Flame Emperor shows up (”with Imperial soldiers”, someone says) and I’m like “well, okay, I expected something like this too. Obviously there was going to be a battle of some kind”. The fact that imperial soldiers are with him is interesting, but I figure they’re either being controlled or maybe the Flame Emperor got more people on his side, y’know, whatever, no big deal, let’s fight.

So we do that and we attack the Flame Emperor and the mask gets knocked off and

IT’S EDELGARD????????

My boy Dimitri loses his mind (and so do I) and now he thinks Edelgard is responsible for the massacre of his family and friends four years ago, and then she DECLARES WAR on the Church of Seiros and everyone else since she’s secretly already become the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire and she wants to reunite Fodlan under her rule and now she’s going to attack the monastery and

*screaming*

This escalated so quickly and I genuinely wasn’t expecting this turn of events and I am so concerned about Dimitri because he’s completely losing it.

So the battle starts, and everything is going fine, but I guess I got a little risky with some of my tactics and Byleth gets killed, so I have to use a Divine Pulse to go back.

So I do that, but then another terrifying situation occurs. A bunch of enemies start ganging up on Felix. First Edelgard uses a gambit and everything explodes and is on fire, and it takes him down to 8 HP. And then someone else comes at him and I’m already like “well, crap, probably going to have to use another Divine Pulse” because I refuse to lose one of my units at this point.

But then the enemy attacks and Felix DODGES it and then kills the enemy. And I’m freaking out. And then ANOTHER enemy comes at him and he dodges AGAIN and ALSO KILLS them. And I’m screaming on the inside. And finally it gets back to my turn, and Felix takes damage from the fire and LIVES WITH ONE (1) HP.

Forget any doubt I had about Felix, this boy is a little punk but also an absolute star student, you get all the A+’s and golden star stickers in the world, I love you so much, Mr. MVP. And he was indeed officially the MVP of the battle after I had Byleth defeat Edelgard so I could get that battle to finally end.

And after all that that’s when we get the cutscene where Rhea turns into a dragon to save everyone, and then Byleth goes back to help her and gets knocked into a chasm???

And then we get the five year timeskip, which I did know about, and it seems I was partially right that Byleth would somehow be taken out of participating in the story during that time. I thought she’d be in a coma or something, but I guess falling into the void works too.

So I also had seen the designs of the house leaders after the five year time skip, but when we finally found Dimitri it still hurt me seeing him like that :( My poor baby has had it so rough :(

And that’s where I stopped but I’m so excited to get back into it because I really really want to know what’s happened to everyone else. AND because I’m having so much fun. This is the most fun I’ve had with a new game in awhile.

#brigette's rambles #fire emblem three houses

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