#Denge Wood

[esamastation]

Part fifty of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven forty-eight, forty-nine

-

There hadn't been all that many duels in PIDW. There was Sha Hualing's invasion, sure, but Shen Qingqiu barely even needed to fight there, he'd just let his sword fly and do all the talking, and that was fine. There'd been other fights, of course, serious fights against demons and beasts, but not that many formal duels.

Most of the fighting Shen Qingqiu had done had been sparring - and a great majority of that against his students. He was primarily a teacher, after all, not a frontline combatant, and he enjoyed sparring with his cute little disciples. There was nothing greater than seeing your student realise they were improving.

It, probably, left him with some bad habits, when it comes to duelling. He can't quite turn off the censorious eye of a master, looking for flaws in his opponent's stances, looking where they have room left to improve.

Deng Yuto is technically very good, his form is solid and his blows precise, he's clearly been taught by a good teacher. But he's very stiff and formal and puts too much emphasis on the transitions - something that can become a habit when you learn your forms in big groups.

If he was one of Shen Qingqiu's students, he'd be praising him for his efforts and telling him to let loose, to set aside the lessons and really go with the flow! He clearly has the techniques down - now is the time to learn how to apply them freely!

But Deng Yuto isn't Shen Qingqiu's student.

He's Sephiroth's opponent. And Sephiroth is probably supposed to kill him.

Blocking another technically perfect but very stiff attack with Masamune, Sephiroth considers his options. Angeal is standing somewhere behind him, radiating concern and worry and fear. Reno is hiding in the woods nearby and probably recording everything, if not on video - because cameras here are still huge and hard to lug around, thankfully - then in writing. And across from Sephiroth, behind his opponent, stands a squad of Wutai warriors, cheering for their captain and nervously waiting for the outcome.

Sephiroth wishes he had time to analyse their character design. It's delightfully mixed. Sleeveless tangzhuang shirts with more Japanese armour - what is it with this world and their disdain for sleeves, anyway? SOLDIER with their sleeveless turtlenecks, and now this. What, is everyone living for their next chance to flex their biceps or something? Don't they get cold? Tch!

Sadly, it probably means he can't find a proper Xianxia style hanfu in Wutai. Shame.

Deng Yuto steps back, swinging his spear decisively. "Fight me seriously!" he demands, and Sephiroth realises he'd fallen into a teacher's mindset after all, stepping back and letting his opponent lead.

"Ah," Sephiroth sighs. He's being insulting to his opponent. "Very well. If that's what you want."

His opponent braces himself, pale but determined. Behind him his men fall quiet, watching with expectant horror. It's painfully clear what they expect.

Aiyah, guess he better make it quick and impressive for them!

Sephiroth salutes his opponent with the Masamune - and then slices Deng Yutos gunspear into four pieces and finishes with the edge of his blade at the man's throat.

"You're finished," Sephiroth says to the man left holding the remains of his spear shaft. "Yield."

Judging by the look the man gives him, he might've as well told him to dance a jig. "What?"

Your life, man! Take it! "Yield."

Deng Yuto's hands shake and he drops his spear. "I do not," he says. "I challenged you for my men's lives - I will not yield them."

What? "I don't want your men's lives," Sephiroth says, exasperated. "And I don't want to take yours. Yield and leave."

The silence is deafening.

Then, "... Maybe the butchers at Shinra have finally given the Demon a full lobotomy?" someone in the Wutai group suggests, in Mandarin. 

Which is kind of confusing for Sephiroth's brain because he kind of hadn't realised they weren't speaking Mandarin before? Uh…

"It must be some kind of trick."

"He's lost his mind…"

"Hasn't he always been insane?"

"We can't trust him - the Demon is a monster, he has no honour. They let us go and follow us to kill the lord -"

Sephiroth looks at them over Deng Yuto's shoulder, blinking slowly. For a moment he thinks of doing or saying nothing… but his drama-loving heart couldn't bear letting this go. "What thick faces Wutai warriors have, to say such things right in front of the one they're insulting."

The captain stiffens and the Wutai warriors all go very quiet. "Oh, great," Angeal mutters behind Sephiroth. "Now what?"

"Who taught you to speak our tongue?" Deng Yuto asks warily.

"No one. This one simply learned," Sephiroth answers and arches a brow. "Is this Sephiroth not allowed? Is the language sacred?"

"... Your mode of speech is archaic," Deng Yuto comments, looking confused.

Ah, well. Probably! That's what happens when you end up as a highly respectable Peak Lord in a Xianxia stallion novel for years! Though he doesn't have that big of a sample yet, the way the Wutai soldiers speak the language sounds a little rude to him. So informal! 

With a scoff, Sephiroth draws his sword away and sheathes it. Behind him, Angeal breathes out a sigh of relief.

"You are letting us go?" Deng Yuto asks, unsure.

"Does Captain Yuto wish to die?" Sephiroth asks plainly and tries to be haughty. Think, big bad. "This Sephiroth will oblige, should Captain Yuto make it necessary. But as of now, this one has no interest in death."

There's a confused murmur going through the Wutai warriors, though nothing distinct enough to make out. Deng Yuto motions them to be quiet and looks at Sephiroth levelly. "Then what is… Sephiroth's interest here? Why has he come to this place?"

Sephiroth considers his answer and then decides, fuck it. It's not like he's going to fight this war, anyway! "This one is seeking seclusion and an opportunity to better himself."

There's an incredulous wheeze coming from the group of Wutai warriors. "He expects us to believe that?!"

Sephiroth says nothing to that, arching his brows at Deng Yuto. After a moment, the Wutai Captain takes off his helmet, to reveal a man in his thirties with a serious but handsome face and long black hair in a tail. He puts his helmet under his arm and for a moment looks at Sephiroth, clearly trying to figure him out and just as clearly failing.

Ah, he must be really OOC right now. It's surprisingly gratifying! Life without a System is truly great.

"Sephiroth is not here to fight?" Deng Yuto finally asks, slow and incredulous.

Ah, well. "This one can't deny he has orders," Sephiroth admits. "But as things stand, no. This Sephiroth is in seclusion and would rather concentrate on his personal cultivation."

Judging by the reaction that gets, they not only understand the word, but they also get what he means by it. There's shock, some incredulity and what's clearly intrigue in Deng Yuto's face. He looks at Sephiroth like he's seeing something new and strange.

Not that strange, though, it turns out! Whether it's based on Taoism, Buddhism, or something else, it seems like this world has some form of cultivation, after all.

Isn't that an interesting turn of events?

-

👀

#fanfiction #ff7 #svsss #sephiroth #shen yuan #angeal hewley #shen qingqiu

[raelle-writing]

Jin and the Dichotomy of Cowardice and Bravery

Yes I know the title is esoteric, bear with me. I've been thinking a lot about how in episode one, Jin calls himself a coward when he's talking to Phee.

It's possible he was saying that just to get Phee to leave him alone, but honestly he seems to believe it. And he certainly has some avoidance tactics. Running off to the US and never coming back isn't the healthiest of coping mechanisms. And we still don't know exactly what he's running from. Phee? What happened to Non? His friends who don't seem to care much about him? All of the above?

It seems that Jin self-identifies as a coward, which is interesting because when he's put in stressful situations and danger, he acts in an extremely brave manner. He doesn't show any signs of hiding or running away when faced with danger.

When they find Por in the woods, Jin is one of the first people to go up and check on him, instead of pausing/freezing and freaking out like many of the others. He and Phee are the ones who wrangle the others to help Por, and find the saw.

Throughout the next episodes, Jin is one of the ones trying to keep people on track. He seems relatively calm in the face of all of it, and focused on trying to get them out/get them help.

He's also the one most willing to help the newbies investigate the weird stuff happening, instead of shutting them out like a lot of the others from the original group. He's the one who stops Tee from destroying the tape, jumping into a fight without second thought.

He's also the one who goes out first to lift the shirt off Deng's body, and then later goes back to cover it with a sheet when the others are unsettled by it.

And throughout all of this, he's the one who comforts the others when they need it, and offers them physical reassurance when they're freaking out.

He's also one of the ones Tan calls for when he comes back injured, and he's one of the ones Phee asks to come help him look for Top after he's gone missing. He's clearly someone the others see as a really steady presence, since he seems to be top of mind when things go to hell.

Jin is also not at all hesitant to go into the temple. He's the one Tan clings to, clearly afraid when they enter. He's freaked out when the ghost attacks him, but doesn't run. In fact he checks on Tan before the ghost swings the ax at him.

He talks about being scared when he's in the coffin with Phee, but that's after he's already done so many brave things...

All of this makes me wonder - why does Jin see himself as a coward? Is it because he didn't stand up to his friends more about Non? Is it because he's running from things with Phee? Is there something that happened in their past that makes Jin feel like a coward?

It's very interesting from the outside perspective, and makes me wonder even more about what happened in the past. Because we know something took away Jin's happy smile and turned him into someone much more dispassionate and snarky. But we still don't exactly know what.

We also don't know why, if Jin liked Non so much and didn't like how his friends treated him, Jin is still friends with all of the bullies. Maybe that's the core of why he thinks he's a coward.

I don't know if I have a concrete thought to complete this, I just find the dichotomy of how Jin sees himself, versus how he actually acts in the series. It's fascinating to see and adds a lot of depth to his character and I can't wait to see how he's developed further!

#jin DFF #Jin dead friend forever #copper phuriwat #dead friend forever #DFF #DFF the series #dead friend forever the series #DFF spoilers #DFF episode 5

[turtlesocksv2]

Liveblogging DFF Ep 2

It's time for Dead Friend Forever episode 2!

Ok I have to say this but it cracks me up every time i watch a Thai show and we get that little disclaimer at the start saying "we do not condone any characters/jobs/actions in this show it is for entertainment only" like what kind of 2003 FF.Net "Please don't sue me i am poor and only playing with these characters like dolls" ass thing to see in front of Mafia Dramas (Kinnporsche), Serial Killer hijinks (Dead Friend Forever) and fucking bittersweet adult midlife crisis vibes (Moonlight Chicken).

Top is absolutely losing it, and they need to leave poor Fluke alone. He is trying his best! What more do you expect from him?!

Oh, Tee is the first to break off from the group. RIP Tee, we'll see how that works out for you.

The mask the killer wears really is very freaky. well done, props department.

Phi the only one awake. I see you. I support you in your killings.

Oh I really thought Top was donefor there. Phi taking control of the group is so interesting. The way he leads everyone down what investigation paths...

Alright just what did you guys do to Non last time??? thank god the 3 newbies to the group are having a little sidebar asking that question. Clearly whatever it was was awful for the group to jump immediately to Non is Dead and his Ghost is Cursing Us and He Wants Us Dead Too for What We Did. But also, i think this rules out All Three Newbies working together to I Know What You Did Last Summer the group, otherwise this scene would make no sense. We'd have another Gossip Girl Dan situation where actions taken when they're alone don't add up to the reveal. So at least 1 of the newbies is not involved.

LOL at Tan trying to get Fluke to spill what the core group knows. If i was Fluke I'd be feeling very very threatened right now. "You think you're going to be next. I'm worried about you." and now Jin is being mean to Fluke too! for the love of god, Fluke is trying! just because he wants to be a doctor doesn't mean he can perform surgery in a cabin in the woods! Leave him alone!

"a good-mouthed and good-hearted man like you doesn't need to remind me" yessss. kill him.

lmao Por has old fucking floppy disks. are these people old enough to have used a floppy disk in their lives. but i know i've got old floppies around somewhere so it makes sense there'd be some at a like summer vacation house that gets used rarely. but also, did i miss that Por hid the footage last episode? because otherwise wouldn't the harddrive that had the footage still be in the room they were all in when Phi hooked it up to the TV?

Was that a mystery medicine bottle in the closet? 👀👀 yeah i'm gonna need someone who can read Thai to to screenshot and tell us what that says.

Oh i really don't need the squelching noises from Fluke tending to Por's wound, please.

Ok, that Por jumpscare with the balcony door got me. and How the fuck does Por have the strength to strangle someone when he's been bleeding out all night?! Obviously a hallucination or something but what caused the hallucination?!

Thank you, White, for bringing back up that they are in the Cult Sacrifice Woods and this might be a Cult Killer or have to do with the cult. a very important thing to remember.

I would absolutely be looking at that footage the second Tee and Top turned their backs, the fuck. No you don't get to act that sus about what happened three years ago and play it off! Phi fighting the fight to keep that footage intact and eventually seen. Tan trying to gently break the idea that the group was bullying Non to White.

oh SHIT the way Uncle Deng got fucking GOT by that wire i screamed! i knew something was going to go down because obviously they couldn't escape the valley mansion in episode 2 but jesus. fucking. christ.

Tee finally remembering he has a boyfriend that he abandoned to the serial killer lmao. Tee and Top keep almost getting away and then going back. they are being herded like cattle. but also, it's kind of sus.

No PhiJin and barely any TeeWhite stuff this episode, which makes sense in that they are busy they don't have time to fuck, but i do find it interesting that PhiJin seem to be on the same page the episode with like no relationship tension between them just situational worry considering Jin was literally biting Phi's dick last episode. Putting aside grudges to stay alive: i'm proud.

anyway that was a really good episode! Tee and Top are the worst. Fluke needs to get the fuck out of this toxic friend group. White needs to dump Tee and get the fuck out of this toxic friend group. Phi and Tan can kill whoever they want i support it. ❤️

#dead friend forever #dff the series

[corujalesbica]

Planning on doing some bnha musical aus

And if you're thinking " Robin, don't you ever get tired of drawing mha characters ?"

The answers no, I don't :)

Anyways

So. Here's what I want to do :

Heathers

Midoryia as Veronica

Todoroki as JD

Bakugou, Kirishima and Kaminari as the 3 Heathers

Either ochaco or Iida as Martha (maybe both of them )

Dear Evan Hansen

Probably gonna do deku as Evan and bakugou as Connor but I won't decide rn because thinking about dear Evan Hansen is making me sad

Mamma Mia

Aizawa as Donna

Present Mic as Sam

Ms joke as Bill

All might as Harry

Shinsou as Sophie

Kaminari as Sky

Midnight as Tânia

Oboro as Rosie

The greatest showman

Shigaraki as Phineas Taylor Barnum (aka the shownman )

Hawks AS ZAC EFFRON ( the character is Philliph Carlyle )

Dabi as godamn ZENDAYA!!! ( the character is Anne Wheeler )

Spinner as Charity Barnum ??? (Do u guys Shipp spigaraki??)

Magne as Lettie Lutz

Idk who to put as Jenny Lind ( the singer )

Toga as Deng Yan ( the acrobat )

Compress and Twice as random people in the shown or smt ( might invent especial roles for them )

Legally Blonde

Toga as Elle Woods

Ochaco as Vivian

Probs bakugou as Warner

Midoryia as Emmet ( but in an alternate universe in which Elle ends up with Vivian )

Dabi and Hawks as the Gay or European guys

Everyone else as background characters ig

The prom ( tododeku genderbend )

Midoryia as Emma

Todoroki as Alyssa

Present Mic as Barry

All might as an less asholery Dee Dee Alen

Aizawa as Tom Hawkins ( the teacher )

Midnight as Angie Dickinson

Be more chill

Haven watched bmc yet but this is gonna take forever anyways so I'll update it when I watch it

High school musical

Momo as Gabriela

Jirou as troy

Todoroki as Taylor

Bakugou as Chad

Midoriya as Kelsie ( the piano girl )

Monoma as Sharpay

Aoyama as Ryan

Aizawa as the drama teacher (but less bitchy )

I totally didn't write a 7k word one shot a couple years ago on this au ( with lots of momojirou + background tododeku )

Teen Beach movie

Momo as Tanner

Jirou as Leila

Shinsou as Mckenzie

Kaminari as Brady ( Yeah I'm going for ALL queer shipps what about it )

Mina as Cheechee

Bakugou as Butchy

Midoryia as Rascal

Todoroki as seacat or smt (just cause I think that's funny )

Dekusquad in general as surfers

Bakusquad in general as bad bitches motorcycle ppl

I really just don't want to have to write the names of some background tbm characters literally no one remembers

#boku no hero #shinkami #erasermic #mamma mia #teen beach movie #heathers #dear evan hansen #be more chill #legally blonde #the prom #high school musical #the greatest showman #my hero academy #bnha #mha #tododeku #momojiro #dabihawks #bnha au #bnha art #aizawa shouta #present mic #midoryia izuku #shouto todoroki #toyua todoroki #keigo takami #shinsou hitoshi #kaminari denki #toga himiko #togachaco

[theshadowsnetwork]

Dear Director Doi,

Like clockwork, Deng Jia's pieces continue to pour in on unmarked boats that beach themselves on the shore. The boats are easy to dismantle and the wood is then used for other purposes. It's like they are eager to share these works with us, but in a way that doesn't use proper channels or result in excess waste.

But today, a piece came in that wasn't addressed to anyone, nor does it resonate with anyone... at least, anyone noteworthy. The note attached says the recipient is to contact "Abidalla."

In this instance, I believe the recipient is me. The painting depicts a planet dangling over a singularity. You may or may not recall a NASA project codenamed "Project Stargazer," which launched after NASA recieved a radio message from a faraway planet. It was Earth's original, and thus far only "First Contact" scenario.

The initial message told their story of their deity abandoning them to greed after the governments monetized a divine cure for a disease that swept much of population. The planet was left to the deity's four daughters, each commanding a chain that hangs the planet over an expanding singularity. As a result, the planet does not spin and there is no day-night cycle. Also, the new gravity situation caused much of the southern hemisphere to be uninhabitable.

NASA didn't know what to make of the story, but they knew for a fact that the message was indeed sent from an extraterrestrial source, and that was enough to investigate. The project is slow, since there is a two-to-four decade delay between message and reply. To date, we've only made contact 3 times.

As a bit of an astrophile myself, the project was of great interest to me growing up and if our art benefactors are implying that they know something about this project, I would like to be informed.

I'm asking for permission to pursue this further, and make contact with this Abidalla when we know more.

[magical-bigbang-noona]

More toxic 💩 driving me crazy how stans will turn a blind eye to anything their idols do.

WTF is wrong with Kim Heechul? I mean, he's another one who I felt was problematic but again, even I shrugged some of it off. Now he's giving a not really much of an apology for his latest drunk screw up on a friend's video blog.

Yeah, he was drunk. That's not an excuse. The stuff he said against feminists and one certain group of women was ignorant and offensive, though not surprising from a privileged Korean male. Korea is not exactly the capitol of feminist tolerance. Still not an excuse.

He gave the standard "if what I said bothered you" &" I'm sorry you felt that way" victim blaming, non apology which is classic passive aggressive no responsibility taken, sorry not sorry, the problem is with you not me crap.

I stupidly looked at the comments and almost unanimously are the female stans saying he was just "telling it like it is" and has nothing to be sorry for. Wow. How these girls can just throw their own gender under the bus for a crush I will never comprehend and hope I never do.

Same with Kris Wu. Yes, sentencing in China is harsh, but you know, maybe he shouldn't have been RAPING GIRLS while he was a celebrity there. But we got girls crying over his prison sentence and how long it is and blah blah blah.

And once again, I'm pissed because while I wasn't into his music I did like his work as an actor. Yet again, warning niggles for years like I had with S* but yeah, I ignored them too. And that is on me. I'm not claiming I'm completely immune,I need to learn to not ignore red flags, but when I'm faced with proof that a celebrity I had a crush on or admired committed crimes against another human or willingly broke laws with full knowledge of what they were doing and are not really sorry for it other than getting caught then yea, I usually feel horrible and betrayed and then write them out of my life. Not slam the blinders down and go, nah, I like him so he couldn't have done that, end of story.

Take Deng Lun aka Allen Deng, another C-drama celeb I loved. Watched a bunch of his serials. Then he gets indicted in the Chinese crackdown of celebrity tax evasion. Like, in the millions of dollars, somewhere in the neighborhood of 16 million USD. He knew what he did, he deliberately hid his income, he said he did it because "everyone was doing it" (sound familiar?). To be honest a lot were and yes, it was quietly ignored for years til citizens made such a big protest about the differences in treatment that the authorities decided to make a show of coming down on celeb tax dodgers.

He was wildly popular and then literally lost all of his jobs and lucrative endorsements overnight. And fans were crying and metaphorically rending their shirts, saying they are with him and he didn't deserve to lose his status and poor him, we need to let him know he didn't do anything wrong, and meanwhile I'm just upset that someone I liked so much was involved in that.

Just because someone is a celebrity it doesn't mean they couldn't possibly commit crime. Or if they did they had to be a completely clueless, innocent babe in the woods and it's not their fault.

Take TOP. He was and is my bias. Do I think Korea's laws on certain prescription drugs and marijuana is unnecessarily strict? Yes. Doesn't matter.

Do I think he had reasons he turned to marijuana use? Yes. But he still knew how stringent the laws were, he used it, and got caught. And yeah, he lied too at first. Am I happy about that? No. But the situation was what it was.

Regardless of his mental state, and personally, if you think mental health care is bad in the States it's pretty much non existent in comparison in Korea, he was aware of the laws and as a citizen he has to adhere to the law, even if I, a fan in the States, thinks it's stupid and too harsh.

He screwed up. He was liable, he paid his penalty with lenience that yes, considering his life long mental health conditions is justifiable,and the fact that he was so sorry and upset he took an overdose and almost died was also a factor, he admitted his guilt, he was truly sorry for everything, he got the help he needed, and carried out the rest of his duties as quietly as the press would let him.

I never thought of him as a saint who did no wrong. That he deserved none of his penance and was a lily white angel just because I like the man a lot.

I mean, this is simplifying it all, and don't get me started on the almost repeat of the same situation with B.I. of iKon and how I thought and still think YG is a swirling cesspool that harbored a lot of shady crap and when the pins were down they threw their own artists under the bus to protect themselves. They made for a bad environment IMO and yes, I even hold the Co. and YG himself as a terrible influence on S* and feel it all had more than a hand in that whole mess. But in the end, S was a 30 yr old man, not a child, and he knew damn well what he was doing and what the people he was associating himself with were like.

As the saying goes, you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas. So the continuous infantilising of him and saying how he never could have possibly even put a toe out of line knowingly just because you can't deal with your crush not being a blameless ethereal being is just infuriating to me and always will be.

#people fuck up #make bad decisions #commit crimes #deal with it #toxic fandom #kpop #seungri #kris wu

[abyssalaus]

MILGRAM International

We making our own MILGRAM casts now.

Name: Prisoner 001/ Habib Tyjani Gender: Male Age: 14 Country: Jimeta, Nigeria Height: 5′0(152cm) Hair & Eye Color: Black & Amber Birth Date: December 26th Color: Alabaster(EDEAE0) Music Genre: Blues Rock Image in Undercover: Smashing in the warden’s chest with a doorknob. Name: Prisoner 002/Haokaha Hibiki Gender: Female Age: 31 Country: Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, Japan Height: 5′11″(181cm) Hair & Eye Color: “Cold Turquoise”(a5d0cb) Birth Date: March 15th Color: Turquoise(40E0D0) Music Genre: City Pop Image in Undercover: Turned away from the warden, a pillow on their face Name: Prisoner 003/Heath Bobby Hamada Austria Gender: Male Age: 26 Country: Rosario, Agusan del Sur, Phillippines Height: 6′3.5″(192cm) Hair & Eye Color: Auburn & “Cashmere Rose”(cb8097) Birth Date: September 4th Color: Rose Quartz(AA98A9) Music Genre: Psychobilly Image in Undercover: Forcing the warden to stab themselves in the stomach. Name: Prisoner 004/Mekhla “Dipi” Chakrabonse Gender: Female Age: 18 Country: Pa Deng, Kaeng Krachan District, Thailand Height: 5′4″(162cm) Hair & Eye Color: Mousy Brown & “Hydrogen Blue”(33476d) Birth Date: June 11th Color: Sapphire(D4AF37) Music Genre: Hyperpop Image in Undercover: Uh...what appears to be Dipi standing over a glitched blob. Name: Prisoner 005/Dhaki al-Baccus Gender: Male Age: 17 Country: Somewhere in the Middle East Height: 5′7″(171cm) Hair & Eye Color: Black & “Max Green-yellow”(d9e650) Birth Date: May 10th Color: Green Earth(DADD98) Music Genre: Rap Rock Image in Undercover: Cutting away at the warden’s neck Name: Prisoner 006/Franciane Pires Rocha Gender: Female Age: 19 Country: Rio Verde, Goiás, Brazil Height: 6′0″(183cm) Hair & Eye Color: Ash Blond & Green Birth Date: April 10th Color: Malachite(0BDA51) Music Genre: Progressive Metal Image in Undercover: Warden in a headlock, head getting jerked to the left Name: Prisoner 007/Zubarev Demian Mikhailovich Gender: Male Age: 51 Country: Slyudyanka, Irkutsk Oblast, Russia Height: 5′8″(173cm) Hair & Eye Color: Graying Flax Blonde & Blue Birth Date: January 7th Color: Metallic Gold(D4AF37) Music Genre: Electro-swing Image in Undercover: Warden getting shot through the head with Demian in the background. Name: Prisoner 008/Eden Wheelwright Gender: Female Age: 18 Country: Perth, Western Australia Height: 5′3″(160cm) Hair & Eye Color: Titian & “Pure Black”(595652) Birth Date: October 8th Color: Garnet(733635) Music Genre: Math Rock Image in Undercover: Walking over the warden, their body mangled beyond belief with tire marks on their back. Name: Prisoner 009/ Joshua Robespierre Gender: Male Age: 22 Country: Baltimore, Maryland, United States Height: 5′2″(158cm) Hair & Eye Color: “Outrageous”(824438) & Hazel Birth Date: February 9th Color: Opal(A8C3BC) Music Genre: Dance-punk Image in Undercover: Standing over the warden, crushed under a pile of wood. Name: Prisoner 010/Donna Oliverio Gender: Female Age: 20 Country: Macereta City, Italy Height: 5′10.5″(179cm) Hair & Eye Color: Strawberry Blonde & “Plum Cheese”(670728) Birth Date: August 25th Color: Ruby(E0115F) Music Genre: Sampledelic Hip Hop   Image in Undercover: Dragging the warden away, blood and foam coming out of their mouth.

#milgram #milgram international #fan project

[redmusex]

#002: CRITIQUE - The New China Playbook by Keyu Jin

This is a really difficult book for me to evaluate. On the one hand, Keyu Jin deftly provides a broad overview of the reforms brought about under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, the socioeconomic impact of these reforms, and the economic machinations of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), privately owned domestic companies, and foreign capital. I learned a lot about the history of modern China from this book, and I particularly found the passages describing the problems of education in China, the repercussions of the One Child Policy and competition between SOEs and private firms fascinating.

However, my main problem with this book lies in its framing of the contradiction between socialism and capitalism in China. The subtitle suggests this “third road” between these two economic modes of production without really defining that system. She basically argues that China is a social democratic country without using those terms, i.e. capitalist but giving a bigger slice of the pie to the working class. She also doesn’t explain Marxist economic theory very well on the very few occasions she chooses to engage with it. Chapter 2 is a particular example of this where she equates total factor productivity (TFP) with an answer to Marx’s theory of surplus value.

Politeconomy is not my strong suit, so bear with me here, but it seems as though Jin is making an argument against the Marx's theory of the tendency of the rate of profit to fall. She doesn't really explain Marx's theory beyond claiming that Marx identified the cause of this phenomenon as mere "capitalist greed". Marx argued that technological innovation enabled more efficient means of production In the short run, physical productivity would increase as a result, allowing the early adopting capitalists to produce greater use values (i.e., physical output). In the long run, if demand remains the same and the more productive methods are adopted across the entire economy, the amount of labor required (as a ratio to capital, i.e. the organic composition of capital) would decrease. Now, assuming value is tied to the amount of labor necessary, the value of the physical output would decrease relative to the value of production capital invested. In response, the average rate of industrial profit would therefore tend to decline in the longer term. It declined in the long run, Marx argued, paradoxically not because productivity decreased, but instead because it increased, with the aid of a bigger investment in equipment and materials. 

TFP theory argues that an increase in the means of production, particularly improved technology, tools, machinery, etc, creates an increase to the production of outputs, i.e. creating more commodities and/or at a higher quality. 

Now if I'm missing something, let me know in the comments, but it seems to me that Jin is making an argument that technology enhances the productive forces, which therefore increases productive output. It may be obvious to some that Marx has basically made the same argument in his TRPF theory. But the glaring error--or obfuscation--that stands out to me is the unwillingness or inability to address the profitability of these outputs. This, of course, stems from a failure to address where the value of a commodity comes from, which is human labor power. Even in her own chart in Chapter 2, Jin demonstrates that an increase in TFP can only temporarily prevent an economy from stagnating. Because the value of a commodity decreases with the amount of human labor power, profitability of the capitalist mode of production is not guaranteed forever. The more humans are replaced by machines, the less valuable and usually cheaper--and therefore less profitable--commodities become.

My favorite example of this concept is with using guitars. The factory-produced Yamaha guitar may sell in stores for, say, $200. It's got cheap paint, a plastic nut, a bolt-on neck and body made of low-quality wood. But the custom shop guitar, made with rare, high-quality wood cut from a single block, a bone nut, mother-of-pearl inlays on the fretboard hand-shaped into a set of flowering vines that stretch across 24 jumbo frets; now that might run you, say, $5,000. The human labor power put into the cheap Yamaha as opposed to the custom shop guitar, along with the different quality materials, are what determine the value of these commodities, which ultimately influence their varying prices. 

But to her credit, I think she does paint an accurate picture of multiple mechanisms of democratic input from the people within China, both through official and unofficial channels. Her critiques of the government and the party are often fair, and she does not make the case for “regime change”, but rather for the next generation to take ownership of their country--to which I would ask: are you referring to "China's growing middle class"? Or are you referring to the brave entrepreneurs who sold rationed goods and were later allowed to be millionaires under Deng Xiaoping? 

She does not paint China as an imperialist aggressor on the world stage, and highlights the willingness of the government to engage in more equitable loans to African, Asian, and South American countries than the US or the US-dominated IMF. She has a fair view of the Belt & Road Initiative. She is correct to point out that BRI is not a charity project, but it is an opportunity for countries to make crucial investments in their people and economies. And she makes it explicitly clear that, if an armed conflict were to break out between China and the US, China would not be the aggressor in such a conflict, contrary to most Western media outlets. But this view, charitable as it may be, cannot be holistic when considering other aspect of Deng's China, namely his foreign policy.

The book focuses a lot on China's place on the world stage as of the past few decades, but doesn't even gloss over the Deng administration's open collaboration with the United States to fund and arm the Khmer Rouge as they waged a genocidal war with newly liberated Vietnam. As fascinating as it was to learn about the post-Mao reforms in China, it would have been equally revealing to learn more about the negative impacts of Dengism both nationally and internationally.

Ultimately the author seems to believe that the Chinese people lived under absolute squalor from the end of the civil war in 1949 to the beginning of the “opening up” period of 1978 brought about by Deng Xiaoping, but she fails to mention the massive  improvements in the quality of life for hundreds of millions of Chinese people that were brought about post ‘49, including a massive increase in literacy rates and lifespan, which she herself acknowledges at the end of the book are crucial factors for measuring the economic success of a country. 

TL;DR—I think the intention behind this book is genuine in providing a window into Chinese economic life and making the case that the Chinese should determine their own destiny. But that window is about a hundred stories above the ground floor. What I find ingenuine about the book is it’s clearly bourgeois class perspective masked in its portrayal of socialism with Chinese characteristics as a benevolent and “flexible” capitalism, i.e. social democracy/democratic socialism, whatever you want to call it. This becomes clear especially when considering the books frequent forays into Great Man Theory through praises of Deng Xiaoping and his economic reforms and the author's refusal to offer a good faith engagement with Marx's critique of political economy.

Other books I recommend on this subject include:

Fanshen: A Documentary of Revolution in a Chinese Villiage by William Hinton

China’s Economic Dialectic: The Original Aspiration of Reform by Cheng Enfu

The East is Still Red: Chinese Socialism in the 21st Century by Carlos Martinez

And finally I recommend folks read the books/articles of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Xi Jinping and form their own opinions on Chinese economic theory.

October 29th, 2023

#book review #bookblr #books #reading #redmuse #china #politics #socialism #communism #marxism #marxism leninism #xi jinping #deng xiaoping #keyu jin #economy #political economy #chinese culture #Chinese history #history

[softepiloguehq]

Ola, mods. Sugestão de FC feminino para filha de deuses egípcios?

Olá, anônimo! Vou fazer uma listinha pra você. Espero que algumas dessas sugestões sejam de seu agrado. Qualquer coisa, é só nos chamar novamente, sim?

Alyah Chanelle Scott (1997)

Joy Sunday (1996)

Sydney Park (1997)

Javicia Leslie (1987)

SZA (1989)

Aicha Faye (1999)

Yara Shahidi (2000)

Nyane Lebajoa (1994)

Danielle Brooks (1989)

Samantha Logan (1996)

Laura Harrier (1990)

Faia Younan (1992)

Tara Emad (1993)

Imaan Hammam (1996)

Awuor Dit (1997/1998)

May Elghety (1998)

Kylie Bunbury (1989)

Ashley Moore (1993)

Sharon Alexie (2000)

dasilvadakid (1999)

Cheyenne Maya Carty (1996)

Adut Akech (1999)

Anyang Deng (2002)

Nura Habib Omer (1988)

Lupita Nyong'o (1983)

Celeste O'Connor (1998, não binárie)

Carmen Solomons (1991)

[ EDIT ] Eu queria adicionar mais algumas também, hehe!

Aïssata Diallo (1994, usa hijab)

Aiyana A. Lewis (1997)

Alisha Wainwright (1989)

Amandla Stenberg (1998, não-binárie)

Ange José (2000)

Angel Nyan (1999)

Angelica Ross (1980, mulher trans)

Anne Barreto (1994)

Arlo Parks (2000)

Brittany O’Grady (1996)

Camilla de Lucas (1994)

Chelsea Tavares (1991)

Chloe Scantlebury (1999)

Doja Henshaw (1998)

Greta Onieogou (1991)

Halle Bailey (2000)

Jadah Doll (1995)

Jamilla Strand (1997)

Jéssica Maurice (1995)

Jordyn Woods (1997)

Kendra Bailey (1997)

Kenza Boutrif (2001)

Kiana Ledé (1997)

Lame Cobain (2001)

Lovie Simone (1998)

Mahkyli Simpson (2003)

Mariama Diallo (1993)

Mona Leo (2001)

Nikki Thot (1990)

Ocean Lewis (1999)

Onyi Moss (1986)

Ryan Destiny (1995)

Samira Ahmed (2001)

Summerella (1995)

Vanessa Morgan (1992)

Yandeh Sallah (1997)

Yetide Badaki (1981)

#admin: omega. #admin: alfa. #mwfc

[skrutskie]

It’s... well past that time again, but in my defense, I was a little busy (👀). But better late than never—here’s the playlist for VOWS OF EMPIRE. Roughly in story-order, as usual, so think about it too hard at your own risk. 

Shoot to Thrill // AC/DC // i’m gonna take you down / yeah down down down / so don’t you fool around // a song for toppling out the back of a shuttle after revealing your deepest darkest secret

Carry Your Throne // Jon Bellion // if you’re lost in this darkness / i’ll carry your throne / no i won’t let it swallow you whole // a song for imperials against all odds

Young Fathers // Typhoon // i just called to tell you / i just called to say / learned all your mistakes / passed down through generations // a song for coming into the sins of your legacy

Carried Away // Passion Pit // i’m your friend, don’t quote me / but not a friend worth noting / yes please don’t ever note me as your friend // a song for gal and hanji putting their heads together

Cobrastyle // Teddybears // my style is di bom di bom di deng di deng digi-digi // a song for wraith squadron shenanigans

Lonely Boy // The Black Keys // oh, oh-oh, i got a love that keeps me waiting / a song for plotting a reunion

Wild Heart // Bleachers // to think everything must die for anyone to matter / gotta find any way to your wild heart // a song for balconies and breha at night

The Whip // Locksley // you pull up in some guy’s car around four / i punch him, kiss, then carry you inside // a song for keeping the wraiths at bay for a night

THAT’S WHAT I WANT // Lil Nas X // tell me lies, we can argue, we can fight / yeah we did it before, but we’ll do it tonight // a song for a free hour

Out Of The Woods // Taylor Swift // we were built to fall apart / then fall back together // a song for breha rooftops and finding the answer

Here It Goes Again // OK Go // just when you think you’re in control / just when you think you’ve got a hold / just when you get on a roll // a song for “betrayal”

Little Game // The Colourist // was i your hit and run? left for dead and now you’re gone // a song for going back to the sides you belong on

Greek Tragedy // The Wombats // cars are flipping, i’m in hot pursuit / my character’s strong but my head is loose // a song for you and your girl

Let’s Get Married // Bleachers // i know it’s bad when we look out / but bad, bad people don’t live in our house, so— // a song for an imperial wedding

Genghis Khan // Miike Snow // but the waves hit my head / to think someone’s in your bed // a song for gal in crisis

Everybody Talks // Neon Trees // i could hear the chit chat / take me to your love shack // a song for the newlyweds 

Shout out to My Ex // Patent Pending // forget that boy i’m over it // a song for gal laying it on thick

Your Love Could Start a War // The Unlikely Candidates // you’re burning up the sky / you’re a constellation / swear i could die in this revelation // a song for gal’s command

Horns // Bryce Fox // in her heart is a hole / there’s a black mark on her soul // a song for sole bloodright

HUMBLE // Kendrick Lamar // nobody pray for me / it been that day for me // a song for the full force of the imperial fleet

Little Black Submarines // The Black Keys // i should’ve seen it glow / but everybody knows that a broken heart is blind // a song for tactics out the window, nothing but revenge

Lightning Tent // Wildlife // you can rely on me / i will always let you down // a song for one last betrayal

 Lion // Saint Mesa // you’re like an empress / you’ve got fire running down your cheeks / you burn everything you see // a song for her total victory

Rumble And Sway // Jamie N Commons // don’t you tell me no truths / i want all of your lies // a song for a solid kick out the airlock

Dying to Live // Smallpools // my shield of rusted metal / can’t keep this world from falling apart / so let’s tear this down together // a song for an antidote 

Kiss This // The Struts // i did all i could / so kiss this one last time ‘cause i’m gone for good // a song for superluminal, battlefield at your back

City // ADHDS // let’s run away from uninspired lives and find our place together in the sun / we won’t look back, we’ll just enjoy our time / braving stormy weather / you and me together on the run // a song for us

#booklr #bonds of brass #vows of empire #emily skrutskie #the bloodright trilogy #playlist

[mybeingthere]

The house where Deng lives. 

Once upon a time, eight years ago, I was driving out of Chiang Mai in Thailand and stopped outside a strange fence surrounded by cement sculptures, rattan hangings and huge ceramic pots. This was my first meeting with Deng, who has become a dear friend. 

Two years later he bought a piece of land with a few old structures. A year later the place was filled with his creations. He simply makes everything from everything - scrap metal, ceramics, wood, shells, rattan, fabrics, beads.... 

It was a strange mixture of things - some pagan sculptures, some huge metal and cement "skyscrapers", myriads of cute little birds or bunnies, woo-doo dolls, quilts.... you name it - Deng was making it. 

Deng is an artist by birth - rooms in his houses and sheds looked as artistic as they would decorated by a New York designer - the bed in one of the photographs - his quilt, his paintings, his hangings, his colour on the walls....

Some objects were stunningly beautiful, some looked good in groups - together it was like a Hollywood set, except it was a private house. He didn't have a shop (some big hotels occasionally bought his large rattan sculptures), he was unbelievably cheap, he was also kind and caring. 

Those who know Thailand, see much creativity around, but rarely native artists use every material under the sun and don't have a market stall. He was not in any guide book or listed as an artist. Deng was for those people who got lucky and discovered his kingdom by accident.

[shcherbatskya]

Ooooooooooh!!! All around the world, we could make time Rompin' and a-stompin' 'cause I'm in my prime Born in the North and sworn to entertain ya 'Cause I'm down for the state of Pennsylvania I try not to whine, but I must warn ya 'Bout the motherfuckin' girls from California Alabama baby said "Hallelujah" Good God, girl, I wish I knew ya I know, I know for sure That life is beautiful around the world I know, I know it's you You say "Hello" and then I say "I do" Come back, baby, 'cause I'd like to say I've been around the world, back from Bombay Fox hole love, pie in your face Living in and out of a big fat suitcase Bonafide ride, step aside, Mike Johnson Yes, I could, in the woods of Wisconsin Wake up the cake, it's a lake she's kissin' me As they do when they do in Sicily I know, I know for sure That life is beautiful around the world I know, I know it's you You say "Hello" and then I say "I do" Where you want to go? Who you want to be? What you want to do? Just come with me Oh, I saw God and I saw the fountains You and me, girl, sittin' in the Swiss mountains Me, oh my, oh, me and Guy O Freer than a bird 'cause we're rocking Ohio Around the world, I feel dutiful Take a wife 'cause life is beautiful I know, I know for sure Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang I know, I know it's you Ding, dang, dong, dong, deng, deng, dong, dong, ding, dang Mother Russia, do not suffer, I know you're bold enough I've been around the world and I have seen your love I know, I know it's you You say "Hello" and then I say "I do"

#anyways. #samael speaks

[yeonchi]

Warriors Orochi: The Recollective Redux Part 4.2: Wu Side Stages

Chapter 2-X: Battle of Changshan 常山の戦い

Orochi Army and Ishida Army vs. Resistance Army Allied characters: Sun Ce, Hanzō Hattori, Zhou Yu Third-party characters: Mitsunari Ishida Enemy characters: Mitsuhide Akechi, Huang Zhong, Xiaoqiao, Kotarō Fūma

Unlockable character: Kotarō Fūma

Clear Chapter 1 to unlock this stage.

Sun Ce based himself at Changshan to prepare for his next battle, but was attacked by Resistance forces led by Mitsuhide Akechi. They seized the storehouses before Sun Ce could organise his defences. Therefore it became imperative to reclaim the storehouses as quickly as possible…

Mitsunari Ishida will only appear as support if all three supply captains have been defeated.

To unlock Kotarō, defeat him after all three supply captains and wood oxen have reached the main camp. Finally, defeat Mitsuhide to win the battle.

Chapter 3-X: Battle of Jianye Castle 建業城の戦い

Coalition Army and Nō Troop vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Lu Meng, Taishi Ci Third-party characters: Nō Enemy characters: Fa Zheng, Dong Zhuo, Masamune Date, Zhenji

Unlockable character: Nō

Clear Chapter 3 to unlock this stage.

Upon learning that Sakon Shima was sent to Sun Ce under orders from Nobunaga Oda, Sun Ce decided to repay this debt. Nobunaga’s wife, Lady Nō, was being held by the Orochi Army in Jianye Castle. Sun Ce sent Lu Meng and Taishi Ci on a mission to rescue her.

Orochi Army officers will appear to stop Lu Meng and the others. Enemy messengers will continually be sent for extra reinforcements. Defeat the messengers to prevent the reinforcements from arriving.

To unlock Nō, ensure that no messengers escape the castle. There are a total of twelve messengers appearing three at a time escaping through one side each. Also note that Nobunaga Oda cannot be in your team when you play this battle. Defeat all enemy officers to win the battle.

Chapter 4-X: Battle of Wan Castle 宛城の戦い

Coalition Army and Kunoichi Troop vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Ieyasu Tokugawa, Hanzō Hattori Third-party characters: Kunoichi, Yoshimoto Imagawa Enemy characters: Jia Xu, Kojirō Sasaki, Zhenji

Unlockable character: Kunoichi

Clear Chapter 4 to unlock this stage.

Ieyasu Tokugawa defected from Orochi’s forces at the same time as Sun Ce. Since then, he offers aid to the various Resistance units fighting against Orochi’s rule. When he arrived in response to a distress call from Wan Castle, he found it already in flames after an attack from the Orochi Army. Ieyasu bravely plunged into the inferno to rescue as many as he could…

The battlefield will be on fire throughout this stage. There will be various people trying to escape, from peasants, lady samurai and handmaidens to the village chief and even Yoshimoto Imagawa. Enemies will come every time an escaping unit appears. Defeat those enemies to aid their escape. When they successfully escape, they will offer gifts to the player.

In the original game, certain officers would only appear when the escapees struggle to or fail to escape over a certain number of times. In this version, those officers will appear when playing this stage on Hard or Chaos difficulty.

Jia Xu will appear in place of Guo Jia and Kojirō Sasaki will appear in place of Pang De in this battle.

Kunoichi will appear to reinforce Ieyasu. To unlock her, make sure all peasants escape, including Yoshimoto.

Finally, Zhenji will arrive. Defeat her to win the battle.

Chapter 5-X: Battle of Anegawa 姉川の戦い

Coalition Army and Daqiao Army vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Sun Ce, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Hanzō Hattori, Lu Su Third-party characters: Daqiao Enemy characters: Dong Zhuo, Sima Yi, Deng Ai, Zhong Hui, Zhang Chunhua, Motonari Mōri, Takakage Kobayakawa

Unlockable character: Daqiao

Clear Chapter 5 to unlock this stage.

At Sekigahara, Sun Ce tasked his wife, Daqiao, to give support to his brother, who was still fighting for the Orochi Army. However, Orochi turned upon her as a traitor and sent Dong Zhuo to attack her. Sun Ce immediately sprang to her aid upon hearing of her plight…

Zhang Chunhua will appear in place of Guo Huai in the western garrison. Motonari Mōri and Takakage Kobayakawa will appear in place of Zhang He and Niu Jin as you approach the gate to the eastern garrison.

To unlock Daqiao, rescue her within the first 7 minutes of battle (originally 5).

Chapter 6-X: Battle of Ōsaka Bay 大坂湾の戦い

Coalition Army (and Yoshimoto Imagawa) vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Lu Meng, Masanobu Honda, Lu Su, Ieyasu Tokugawa, Zhou Tai, Ina, Hanzō Hattori Third-party characters: Yoshimoto Imagawa Enemy characters: Lu Lingqi

Unlockable character: Lu Lingqi

Clear Chapter 6 to unlock this stage.

A letter arrived for Sun Ce. It was a challenge, issued by Lu Lingqi. Lu Lingqi followed her father into joining the Orochi Army, but she began questioning their ways after seeing Diaochan turn on the Orochi Army. Lu Meng was sent to find out where Lu Lingqi’s true loyalties lay…

This is one of few stages where the unlockable character is different from the original. This was done to maintain Keiji’s status as a staunch officer of the Orochi Army (and to account for future appearances in other stories).

Lu Lingqi appears in place of Keiji Maeda in this stage. Lu Su appears in place of Zhu Zhi as the first allied reinforcement unit to arrive.

Every couple of minutes, Lu Meng will make an announcement that reinforcements are arriving, at which point you need to head to the main camp and sound the drum, otherwise Masanobu Honda will sound the drum for you after one minute. You will need to guide the allied reinforcements to the enemy main camp while defending the allied main camp from the enemy.

Yoshimoto Imagawa will also appear, without having to sound the war drum, a couple of minutes after Hanzō arrives. Guide him to the enemy camp as well.

To unlock Lu Lingqi, have all allied officers (with or without Yoshimoto) arrive at the gates of the enemy camp within 20 minutes and defeat her to win the battle. If this has not been met after 20 minutes, Lu Lingqi will take her chances with her father and Orochi.

Chapter 7-X: Battle of Ji Province 冀州の戦い (uses DW5 Battle of Ji Province map)

Coalition Army vs./and Honda Army vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Lu Su, Sakon Shima, Taishi Ci, Naomasa Ii Initial enemy/Third-party characters: Tadakatsu Honda Actual enemy characters: Dong Zhuo, Hisahide Matsunaga, Munenori Yagyū, Motonari Mōri, Takakage Kobayakawa

Unlockable character: Tadakatsu Honda (3/4)

Clear Chapter 6-X to unlock this stage.

Sun Ce became privy to information that the Orochi Army were marching on the altar in Ji Province. If the altar were lost to Orochi, it would have dire consequences. Lu Su set out to defend the altar, but he did not find the Orochi Army, but another terrible warrior standing guard…

Yukinaga Asano replaces Munenori Yagyū for the Honda Army in this battle. For the Orochi Army, Hisahide Matsunaga replaces Masamune Date while Munenori Yagyū, Motonari Mōri, Takakage Kobayakawa and other Mōri officers will replace the Date officers along with Naohide and Yasusato Matsuda.

This is one of four battles required to unlock Tadakatsu Honda. To impress him, defeat him yourself when he appears for the second time within 5 minutes (originally 2).

Chapter 8-X: Battle of Chibi 赤壁の戦い

Coalition Army and Lu Xun Army vs. Orochi Army Allied characters: Ieyasu Tokugawa, Sakon Shima, Ranmaru Mori, Naotora Ii Third-party characters: Lu Xun Enemy characters: Orochi, Da Ji, Lu Bu, Masamune Date, Kojūrō Katakura

Unlockable character: Lu Bu (3/4)

In Chapter 7, rescue Sun Jian and Sun Quan within 7 minutes of the start of battle to unlock this stage. This was originally 3 minutes but all the message spam in the game would potentially prevent it from happening unless you paused the game until the voice line finished.

The Sun family was reunited again, but Orochi gathered all his soldiers at Chibi, hoping to stop them from reaching Koshi Castle. Ieyasu and Sakon advanced in an attempt to wipe out the Orochi Army…

Ranmaru Mori appears in place of Zhu Zhi and Naotora Ii appears in place of Chunyu Qiong in this battle. Kojūrō Katakura appears in the northeast part of the battlefield. Yang Qiu appears in place of Zhu Ran as well.

Orochi will appear in this battle if Chapter 8 has been cleared.

This is one of four battles required to unlock Lu Bu. To impress him, just defeat him without running away from him. However, if you confront Orochi/Da Ji without going near Lu Bu, he will charge upon the allied main camp.

#dynasty warriors #samurai warriors #warriors orochi #warriors orochi z #warriors orochi: the recollective redux

[gargarismo-blog1]

溪​​​山​​​清​​​遠 (​​​Streamy Mountains, Limpid Remoteness)

溪山清遠 (Streamy Mountains, Limpid Remoteness) is an acoustic and adapted version of the album 雲山夢樹 ​(​Clouds, Mountains, Dreams, Woods), which consists of Piano and Dongxiao (Chinese traditional instrument)

1st Album：

雲​​​山​​​夢​​​樹 ​​(​​​Clouds, Mountains, Dreams, Woods) pestproductions.bandcamp.com/album/clouds-mountains-dreams-woods

crédits

paraît le 31 mars 2024

All Music Created and Recorded in 2023 Mixing and Mastering by Nekkomix

Cover Design by Magister Barbatum Cover Art 晴麓橫雲圖 by Emperor Huizong, Song Dynasty 溪山清遠 Calligraphy by Zhao Mengfu, Song Dynasty Layout by Deng

Special Thanks: DeathWitch, Magister Barbatum, Vrolok

srenhlinmrews.bandcamp.com

#black metal #dark folk #pest productions #heavy metal #Bandcamp

[intrepidhikers]

How to Do Manaslu Circuit Trek in 11 Days

How to Do Manaslu Circuit Trek in 11 Days

The Manaslu Circuit Trek is a spectacular journey that takes trekkers around the world’s eighth highest mountain, Manaslu, in Nepal. This 11-day trek is an ideal choice for those looking to experience the beauty and challenge of the Himalayas away from the more crowded trails like Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Circuit. The trek is not only a physical adventure but also a cultural experience, as it winds through remote regions rich in Tibetan culture.

Highlights of the Trek

Varied Terrain: Trekkers will navigate through diverse landscapes, including lush forests, rugged valleys, and high-altitude passes.

Larkya La Pass: The highest point of the trek at 5,106 meters, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Himalayan peaks.

Rich Cultural Experience: The route goes through traditional Tibetan villages, where trekkers can immerse themselves in the local culture and lifestyle.

Flora and Fauna: The region is rich in biodiversity, with a chance to witness unique Himalayan flora and fauna.

Remote and Less Crowded: Being less traveled compared to other popular routes in Nepal, the Manaslu Circuit offers a more solitary and authentic trekking experience.

Physical Demands and Preparation

The Manaslu Circuit Trek is considered a challenging trek due to its high altitude and the physical endurance required. Trekkers should be in good physical condition and have some prior trekking experience. Acclimatization days are essential to adapt to the high altitude and reduce the risk of altitude sickness.

Cultural Aspects

The trek provides an opportunity to experience the rich culture of the region, influenced by Tibetan traditions. Trekkers will pass through villages with Buddhist monasteries, chortens, and mani walls, offering insights into the spiritual practices of the local communities.

Accommodation and Logistics

The trek is typically completed in teahouses, which offer basic lodging and meals, adding to the authentic experience of the trek. The starting point is a drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola, and the trek concludes with a drive back to Kathmandu from Dharapani.

Best Time to Trek

The best times for the Manaslu Circuit Trek are during the spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) seasons when the weather is most favorable.

11 Days Itinerary

Day 1: Kathmandu to Soti Khola

Duration: 7-8 hours

The journey begins with an early morning drive from Kathmandu to Soti Khola. This includes both sealed and unsealed roads, passing through Dhading Bensi and Arughat before reaching Soti Khola.

Day 2: Soti Khola to Machha Khola

Duration: 5-6 hours

The trek starts in the woods, heading upriver along the Budhi Gandaki River before descending to the riverbed and following a mountain trail with numerous views.

Day 3: Machha Khola to Jagat

Duration: 6-7 hours

The route involves crossing the Machha Khola River, passing through Khorlabesi and Tatopani, and entering the Budhi Gandaki Valley. The trek to Jagat Village offers a change in vegetation and landscape.

Day 4: Jagat to Deng

Duration: 6-7 hours

The trail leads through Sirdibas Village and crosses a suspension bridge to Philim. The journey continues through Ekle Bhatti and Pewa Village before reaching Deng Village. [25]

Day 5: Deng to Namrung

Duration: 5-6 hours

Starting with a steep ascent and then heading back down to the Budi Gandaki River, the trail passes through several small settlements. Near Namrung Village, you'll encounter many Mani stones.

Day 6: Namrung to Samagaun

Duration: 6-7 hours

The trek passes through Lho Village, with views of Ngadi Chuli. A short detour to the Pungen Glacier offers views of Mt. Manaslu.

Day 7: Samagaun to Samdo

Duration: 4-5 hours

This segment involves crossing yak and cattle pastures and entering the valley, with views of surrounding peaks, before reaching the Tibetan refugee village of Samdo.

Day 8: Samdo to Dharmashala

Duration: 4-5 hours

The trek crosses a wooden bridge over the Budi Gandaki and involves a gentle ascent to Dharamsala, surrounded by mountains and the Larkya Glacier.

Day 9: Dharmashala to Bimthang via Larke La Pass

Duration: 7-9 hours

The trail reaches the highest point of the trek at Larkya La Pass (5106m), offering views of several Himalayan mountains. The descent to Bhimthang involves passing an iced-over lake and rocky terrain.

Day 10: Bimthang to Dharapani

Duration: 6-7 hours

The final trekking day involves a downhill path through rhododendron and oak forests, eventually reaching Dharapani in the Annapurna region.

Day 11: Dharapani to Kathmandu

Duration: 6-7 hours (by jeep)

The journey concludes with a drive from Dharapani to Kathmandu, passing through lush green hills and terraced farmlands with mountain views.

#northnepaltrek #himalayaview⛰️ #blog

[requiescat-aria]

My DAIMYO is dead. I only want BUSHIDO. | Nori | Epilogue

It’s hard to stand on your own two feet again.

The theater is as familiar as ever, with its cobwebbed corners and the permeating smell of dust. The constant looping de-deng of a shamisen from the brittle speakers of an old CD player. Little has changed since the last time he was here, though he can only hope that the building’s fixtures are more secure. Having a lead actor shattered under a mountain of wood and cardboard should be a wake-up call for any respectable businessowner. 

He fields the usual questions, the ones he’s been rehearsing in his head so as to not stumble over his words. Going through the motions, like usual. Yes, he’s alright. He’s still going back to the hospital for physical therapy, his limbs atrophied from the medical bed’s stiff frame and starched sheets. It might be a while before he takes another role, but he’ll be back. He just wanted to come visit and see how everyone was doing. It’s been a while, after all. But it’s a real shame what happened to Shishou. Still, he passed away in his home, surrounded by loving friends and family. 

And isn’t that nice? Not everyone gets to die that way. Shouldn’t we all be so lucky.

The hospital’s stark, white interior bore little difference from the clinical atmosphere of the TRIAL. When Nori first opened his eyes, there was a flash of panic. Maybe he’d never left. Could it have been a lie? But before he could process that, he was flung back to reality by arms thrown around him and the sobbing of an-chan, oh, god from his younger sisters. Asuga, red-faced and looking as if she’d like to slap him for making them all worry so much. Kaida, barely restraining herself from pouncing on him like an old friend she hadn’t seen in years.

And their mother, teary-eyed and trying to find the right words with which to greet her son.

Welcome back.

There was some sort of mysterious theatergoer who had gone to see The Love Suicides at Sonezaki that day. A foreigner, one of his fellow actors would later tell him, maybe some kind of tourist. If so, it was kind of strange that he was at their humble establishment rather than a more famous one like the Kabuki-za. The story was relayed to him of how this man, with a strange name that his fellow actor butchered every time he tried to say it, rushed the stage after the collapse of the tree and started digging through the rubble, finally managing to pull the comatose lead actor out by the arm.

Nori listened, and a smile tugged at the edges of his lips. He was met with a scolding. What are you laughing about?! You almost died! 

It was kind of funny, though. Picturing Crocell carrying him bridal-style out from the remains of the set.

But he kept this to himself. How would he explain it to anyone?

He was still at the hospital for treatment, but he went with his family to Shishou’s funeral. People stood and spoke in hushed whispers, eyeing the kabuki master’s portrait sitting on the butsudan. But there were flowers, so many flowers, and the whispers were those of fond memory. His teacher had affected the lives of so many, not just him.

Nori tugged at the cuffs of his suit jacket and tried not to think of how, if not for his luck, his family would have had to sit through another funeral. 

Shishou’s widow approached him as his family prepared to leave. The Yagyu name is yours now, she said. She held his hands in her own, and he could feel her every raised vein and the wrinkles on her palm. Do what you like with it. But know that you are welcome here, always.

During the TRIAL, he had thought of hanging his hat and leaving the stage. It felt like the world was changing around him, but he stayed the same. Had he gained anything meaningful from the experience? It felt like the others had, and that he had fallen behind. The detective and dealer had found love. The idol and the killer had found family. 

What did he have, but a name he felt he could not live up to? But the pity of others as they crested so easily through the water while he floundered and struggled for air?

Maybe what he had found was resolve. A desire to keep living. He had viewed himself as a flimsy reed, incomparable to the might of a great tree. But a reed bends in the wind. It does not break, and it does not fall.

Taneyori Yagyu IV stands on the theater stage in plainclothes, his shoes directly on the tape-marked X where he was meant to stand during that fateful performance. He wouldn’t be returning to the theater for a while. Right now, his stage was the couch in his therapist’s office, and she was his only audience. 

Someday, he’d come back. He’d cake his cheeks in paint again and sing to the heavens in hopes that those who stayed behind would hear. He’d reach out to the others and finally be able to face them without feeling that they had something he fundamentally lacked. He’d grow old and withered and pass on his name to another aspiring actor, like his mentor had before him, and his before that. 

For now, though, he stands on his own. Soon, he’ll be able to run.

「終わり」

#Taneyori #submission