#everyone has art blocks and you have to make active efforts to push through them | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

biconicfinn · 4 years

Note

id like to know, what are your takes on politician!Alec? if you want to talk about that

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK!!!!! POLITICIAN ALEC IS MY FUCKING JAM DJKABVHJKDBVKADVBFAV okay anon strap in because this will get crazy

holy shit this is long so i’m putting it under a read more!!

okay so first of all: alec is someone who has been trained from a young age to be a politician, he would have been educated in diplomacy and politics, his parents were expecting him to become head of the new york institute and they have no qualms about living vicariously through their children and forcing their burdens on them as we have seen in the show.

he was probably taught clave law and the accords, a whole bunch of languages (polyglot power couple malec ftw) because i assume the NYI uses english as their lingua franca because of their location but since institutes also have to deal with local downworld and mundane populations it’s safe to assume that in other countries where english isn’t the main language, they go with the local languages and alec would need to communicate with these other institute heads, etiquette, some formal ballroom dances like the waltz, the art of negotiation, administrative stuff like resource allocation, budgeting, public speaking, the nitty gritty details of the clave workings, in addition to the knowledge of the different races of the shadow world, hand to hand combat, combat with a variety of weapons (he masters archery to utter perfection but he definitely is also incredibly proficient in close range combat as well).

sorry i just love alec and he is definitely more competent than most of the Alec StansTM (yall know what im saying) make him out to be

okay so!!!!! it’s pretty much canon that alec has spent a considerable amount of time as acting head of the NYI; what with maryse and robert always fucking off to idris to lick the boots of the clave and so he probably has a good relationship with the people under his command. he’s probably put protocols in place to reduce casualties and injuries, form patrol teams that are well-balanced so that they are versatile enough to take just about any threat that comes their way, etc.

of course, thanks to a little thing called the nephilim’s deep-rooted homophobia, a lot of the work alec put in probably got negated when he came out. it took a lot of courage for him to come out and to be openly gay. raj was an absolute asshole to alec for no reason and often questioned his leadership decisions post coming out, and even if not all the shadowhunters reacted like that, they did show some resistance(?) to alec’s leadership when he was appointed head and questioned him. it probably took a lot out of him because it’s one thing to have your people doubt you as a leader because of your actions or words; your decisions as a leader, it’s another thing for them to mistrust you entirely because of a fundamental part of your identity that you can’t change. you can build trust by publicly admitting and apologising for mistakes and putting in honest work to be better, but it’s impossible to build trust when the other person doesn’t even see you as human to begin with.

this is turning into a hoti!alec ramble but i promise i will bring this back to politician!alec okay i promise i just need to establish the headcanons i’m building on first sorry

okay back to business!!!! i feel like alec is so very genuine and honest outside of the political sphere alec “casual wedding vows” lightwood anyone? so when he does show his ability to be a complete fucking shark in the political arena a lot of people are blindsided because they expected him to be very honest and direct but he knows that as much as he’d like to be genuine, he needs that shrewdness to navigate the political minefield of idris. he prefers directness, but if you take the manipulative, indirect, route and underestimate him, he will not hesitate to turn your own methods against you.

he is also the type of leader who constantly tries to make an effort. his intentions were genuine with the downworld cabinet and i think that if it wasn’t set up in the middle of the shitstorm which was valentine’s re-emergence and the circle’s rise, it would have been more successful. he has a lot to learn and unlearn, and he (an utter perfectionist) will do as much as he can to help the downworld. i like to think that in a post s3 world, but before the time skip, he helps to re-establish the ties between the shadow world factions in new york and focuses on being the nephilim voice of the downworld to the clave, constantly trying to push for new accords and reformed policies, and he makes an effort to not speak over the downworlders, but instead be their representative and ally to the clave because the clave are racist bastards who wouldn’t listen to them but they have to listen to alec lightwood (”it’s lightwood-bane, actually”), one of the heroes who stepped up to defend alicante when the rift to edom opened. (and also because if they did try to slander or belittle him, they risk angering magnus, who has enough clout to embargo most warlocks from providing magical assistance to any local institutes, if he feels that the downworld is being ignored despite the fact that a warlock is the sole reason why alicante was’t razed to the ground, or that he and his husband are being targeted by the clave. because they are That Couple.) in conclusion alec is a good ally okay?

but as much as he tries/tried to do right by the clave, he sometimes also doesn’t give a fuck about them. he’ll be in meetings at idris, and maybe they’re discussing asinine, irrelevant, minor issues that are really just stupid excuses to showboat and compare family clout and whatnot and he’ll be pissed as fuck because instead of discussing actual relevant issues like irregularities/strange patterns in demon attacks, hunting down remaining circle sleeper cells, reparations for the downworld (like for the heavenly fire project), rewriting the accords, rebuilding idris, helping get the attacked institutes back up and running, you know, actual important issues that need attention but no, we’re discussing some petty family squabble that turned into a political feud that involves everyone and their fucking uncle. and he gets so damn angry he just blows up and rants at them and tears them a new one. he finishes his impressively long spiel with “you know what? fuck this. when you guys are done fighting like children and taking up precious time that we should be using to talk about real, pressing issues that affect the entire shadow world instead of five people at this table, let me know and i’ll be there but until then don’t bother. if you’ll excuse me, i’m going back to my husband. thank you. and for the last damn time, my name is alec lightwood-bane. i already changed my damn name legally so fucking use it.” and he just leaves to go back to new york because fuck the clave.

he goes back home to the loft and it’s like the stress and anger just melts away because he walks in on magnus dancing around the kitchen as he cooks dinner, singing dancing queen at the top of his lungs, laughing when magnus twirls to see him leaning against the doorway of the kitchen with his heart eyes and blushes at being caught doing somethin so silly

he becomes a successful inquisitor by sheer force of will and determination. it’s not at all intentional, but it just happens. with the success of the cabinet and the measures he puts in place, he shares it with other institute heads and slowly more and more institutes are collaborating with the local downworld and most of the time, the statistics pay off in the long run. there are starting troubles as with any new initiatives, but soon enough there is a sizeable number of institutes following them successfully and it’s hard for the clave to ignore. alec gets invited to alicante to discuss the possibility of him becoming inquisitor just when the downworld deputy program is taking off in new york. (it all starts with simon asking “so are you guys nephilim or shadowhunters? what’s the difference? or is it interchangeable?” and then they realise that while nephilim is a term to describe half-angel half-human beings, shadowhunter is a term more commonly used by active duty demon hunters and drops out of use as a self-descriptor when the nephilim in question leaves combat. “so that means technically anyone in the shadow world whose job it is to fight demons is a shadowhunter? right?” and the lightbulbs light up in alec’s head immediately) oops time to get back to it the point.

okay so!!!! the clave offer alec the position of inquisitor and it’s part recognition for his efforts and acknowledgement of his skills, part them wanting to keep him under their control. how does that work? well it’s simple. if alec is inquisitor and the clave makes it as hard as possible for him to do any effective work, bogging him down with bureaucracy and and votes on motions that are just shy of the majority needed to pass laws etc etc. basically throw every road block they can at him and wear him down; forcing him to step down and thus silencing him, and by extension, the downworlders who rely on him for a voice in the clave.

malec side note: so they first say that magnus can come to alicante and make an exception for him, and the general plan is to make it look like they’re actually doing something good when it’s to lull them into a false sense of security. (but alec and magnus choose to live in brooklyn first because despite everything, it is still dangerous for magnus to be the only warlock in a city full of nephilim) but then alicante opens up to the rest of the shadow world, magnus becomes the high warlock of alicante, and the clave are dealing with the force of nature that is known power couple and ultimate badasses magnus and alec lightwood-bane. oops.

but they underestimate the power of alec’s Lightwood(-Bane) DeterminationTM and his sheer stubbornness. so their plan backfires spectacularly when within the first few years, he’s implemented laws to open alicante up to downworlders, expunge criminal records of downworlders who were previously wrongfully charged with crimes, rehabilitation of wrongfully imprisoned downworlders, mandatory downworld cabinet and downworld deputy initiatives worldwide, as well as be part of the core group that rewrote the accords to be more fair.

alec probably retires after like five years of being inquisitor and then magnus steps down as high warlock and they just travel the world together and be in love and happy, occasionally consulting on political issues here and there but for the most part they just run off into the sunset to be immortal husbands together because they’ve sacrificed enough for the good of the shadow world to last several lifetimes.

#skyrambles #skygetsasks #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #thank you for the ask anon!!! (although im like 99% sure i know who you are skbskbshfbsfh)#Anonymous

23 notes · View notes

erekiosuncreativeideas · 4 years

Text

The Part-Time Puppeteer - Chapter 02

<= Chapter 1

Summary : Lukas meets some new people and discovers that almost no one is this studio has manners. Also available on AO3 : https://archiveofourown.org/works/23828971/chapters/57463666#workskin

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

YOOOO NEW CHAPTER I had started it a while ago and left it to rot until I posted the first chapter. And... I ended up writing 90% of this chapter in less than 48 hours. My old self would be so, so impressed with my current productivity.

Also.... You cannot IMAGINE how eager I was to post this chapter, mainly because of one character I fell in love with. You'll probably guess who it is by the end of this chapter. The drawing is mine, like usual. Mike's (awesome) design belongs to @levshany.

If you like this story, don't hesitate to leave a comment or a kudo, it helps me so much !! I get so inspired and happy when I read your reaction, I'm so thankful for everyone reading my stories ! (after my 2 years long writing and art block, it feels absolutely wonderful)

Happy reading !!

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Chapter 2 - “Excuse me?”

Lukas’s family wasn’t exactly poor. His father worked in an office and his mother was a junior high school teacher, and both gained enough money to maintain the household and guarantee a higher education for Lukas. However, when the young man had announced to his parents his wish to study law in a famous university, uncertainty fell on his family. They could afford to send him to a less renowned university, though Lukas had always been a very good and serious student. The more his parents thought about it, the more they felt like they would waste their son’s potential if they refused him the future he wished for. Compromises had to be made and all the household began to think about ways to finance Lukas’s studies. Eventually, Lukas decided to take a part-time job in order to help his parents to deal with the financial situation he put them in.

Lukas was a perfectionist, even if that lead him to stay awake a few nights just to be absolutely ready for a usual test or a more important exam. Sleep was an issue for the young man: it was always in the way of his revising sessions! More often than not, he found himself falling asleep quite often during his less important lectures.

That’s why, at the present moment, Lukas couldn’t help but wonder if he was dreaming or truly awake.

All around him, people were moving very quickly, carrying extinguishers and buckets full of water. The young man didn’t have to think more as his arm was grabbed by an older stagehand, pulling him towards the huge fire in the centre of the room.

-“What are you waiting for? Use your goddamn extinguisher!” pushed the man while pointing to the flames. It seemed enough to pull Lukas back to reality and he obeyed. He joined the other stagehands trying to put the fire out and brandished his own extinguisher. He had to fiddle with it a little bit until he was able to disable the lock. Once it was done, he started spraying the flames with the extinguishing foam. The heat was almost unbearable and the proximity and movement of people around him made him even more nervous. A deafening fire alarm rang in the room, making his head hurt. He couldn’t believe that his first task as a stagehand would be to put a fire out! It wasn’t one of Lukas’s phobias, thank goodness, though it was still a very stressful experience to him. As if his student life wasn’t stressful already!

Fortunately, the flames soon disappeared under the foam, to Lukas’s great relief. He put the fire extinguisher on the ground, his arms sore for holding such a heavy object for so long. He was sweating a lot, both from the effort and from the heat. He dried his forehead with his sleeve, not caring if he was putting sweat on it. That was the least of his problems at the moment.

The student’s inner monologue was cut short as a voice was raised despite the commotion in the room:

-“Alright, people! Five-minute break, you deserved it!” The words came from an imposing dark-haired man, whose expression looked severe. He was wearing a beige shirt as well as black pants with braces. The man had a broad face, just like his shoulders.

Lukas let out another sigh of relief. No more than an hour had passed since his conversation with both of the directors and he was already glad to have a break‌. He couldn’t help but wonder if this job really was a good idea, after all… Yet, he pushed this idea out of his head: he needed the money, so until he found a better job, he would have to deal with this one. This was only temporary.

The man from before waved at him, asking him to come closer. The student was a little surprised but supposed that this person was the one in charge of all the stagehands. Lukas hadn’t been properly introduced to any of his superiors or to his job at all, in the end. It made sense that it would only happen after the huge fire. The young man obeyed and approached the other, trying to avoid bumping into the other stagehands walking all around him. He would never get used to crowded places.

-“Hell-”

Lukas didn’t get the time to introduce himself as his first word was cut short by his interlocutor:

-“Yeah, good morning,” said the man, not even looking at Lukas, his eyes scanning a document he had in his hands instead: “You’re a new stagehand, aren’t you?”

The student was frustrated at the manager’s lack of manners but decided to put his pride aside. This was only his first working day, nothing was going to be perfect, obviously. He extended his hand, forcing a polite smile on his face as he tried to answer:

-“Yes, my-”

-“Your name?” demanded the man, cutting him short once again.

Lukas could feel his annoyance start to appear on his face, though he did his best to hide it nonetheless. He certainly didn’t want to lose his job after all the trouble he went through to get it! He took a deep breath and replied, with the calmest tone he could manage:

-“I’m Lukas, Lukas Pryce.”

He didn’t see the need of saying anything else, as his interlocutor was likely going to stop him in the middle of a sentence. He took his hand back, well aware that the man wasn’t going to shake it. It apparently was the right thing to do, since said man finally looked up from his document to stare at him, examining him from top to bottom. The student didn’t like being scrutinized this way, though he did his best to stay silent and unmoving, waiting for the other man to talk again.

-“Yeah, okay. I’m Kaleb, I’m the one in charge of everything that’s happening in the backstage. I’m also your boss, but I guess you pretty much figured that out.”

Lukas only nodded, not wanting to be interrupted again. The manager rummaged through the papers he was holding and handed one of them to the student, who examined the first sentences written on it. It was a job contract.

-“You were hired on the spot, weren’t you?” questioned the man, though his tone showed it wasn’t really a question. Maybe it happened a lot more than Lukas first thought.

-“Yeah,” he replied while reading the paper he had now in his hands.

-“Well, okay, so… Technically, you’re not hired yet, so go fill that while the others and I clean this mess. Once you’re done, come back and give me your contract. Then I’ll give you some things to do until we figure out what particular position you’re going to get. Got it?”

Lukas nodded again and walked away. He spotted a white and blue folding table and chairs in a corner of the room, probably for staff breaks. Most of the seats were occupied, though some of them were still free. Thus, the student joined the seated members of the studio and put the paper down. He took a pen from his shoulder bag and started filling the document. Well, finally a calm activity! At least, minus the hubbub all around him.

However, as he was about to fill one of the last section, someone nudged him with their elbow. Surprised from the sudden contact, Lukas lifted his head, looking for the person who tried to catch his attention. His eyes fell on a young man who seemed to have the same age as him. He had black and white hair and was wearing a red turtleneck, as well as black glasses. He had a kind expression on his face. Was he a stagehand just like him? He didn’t seem to help the others, so probably not. Maybe an actor, then? His face was familiar to the student, so it could be the case.

-“You’re a new stagehand?” asked the mystery person, smiling warmly at him. Lukas couldn’t help but feel reassured at the nice expression: finally something good in this unbelievable day!

Lukas smiled back and pointed to the form he was filling:

-“Yep. Just got hired an hour ago,” he laughed, thinking back at the improbable interaction with the two movie directors. Lukas then extended his hands, not wanting to be impolite just like his new manager: “I’m Lukas.”

His interlocutor took his hand -finally, someone who had manners!- and shook it, still smiling.

-“I’m Mike. I’m the lead designer for puppets and costumes. Well, more puppets than costume these last few days…”

The mention of puppets caught the student’s attention. So, he wasn’t an actor, then. So, that still didn’t explain why his face seemed so familiar to Lukas. Why did he feel like he had seen this person somewhere before?

-“Puppets?” he repeated, amused.

-“Yeah. The team I’m in is working on a kids’ TV show, featuring puppets and stuff,” explained Mike: “But it’s only the beginning for now, they’re still looking for actors for the main cast.”

-“I had no idea this studio was making kids’ shows,” replied Lukas, amazed: “I only heard of it through the Conductor’s and DJ Grooves’s movies.”

The puppet maker laughed at his enthusiasm and shook his head:

-“Actually, that’s a first. You know how they have a hard time working together, right?” Lukas nodded and Mike continued his explanations: “Well, this time, instead of fighting over the direction, they’re trying to see if they can each focus on different aspects of the projects. The Conductor will lead the action scenes while DJ‌ Grooves will write and compose most of the songs and soundtrack. I mean, it’s already supposed to be the case usually, but they can’t help but focus on the other’s job anyway. This show is another chance of them minding their own part of the work and see how it turns out.”

The student rose his brows, surprised. Well, from what he knew about the subject, each one of their collaborations ended up having direction problems. It was quite a shame since they always had very good ideas, at least, probably before one sabotaged the other’s work.

-“Why a kids’ show, though?” questioned Lukas with a voice full of curiosity.

-“I guess it’s just a precaution process. Better to fail on a kids’ show rather than on an eagerly-awaited blockbuster, isn’t it?” supposed the costume designer.

-“Yeah, you’re right, it makes sense.”

The student looked around him, watching the stagehands cleaning the remains of the scene. He had no idea what they had been filming, but most of the props had been destroyed in the incident. They likely lost any footage in the fire which certainly wasn’t going to improve the tensions in the studio. The young man turned back to his new friend and finally asked the question he was scared to voice:

-“Uh, is it… Always like that?” he wondered, gesturing to all the people working behind them, wincing at the idea of having to deal with such problems on a daily basis. Mike laughed and gave him a sympathetic smile before replying:

-“Pretty much, yeah, sorry.”

Lukas felt the usual pain in his stomach appear from the sudden rise of stress. Not only did he have serious and important studies to deal with, but he would also need to do the same in his free time? Now, working here didn’t seem like such a good idea after all… His nervousness must have been quite visible because the other man put a hand on his shoulder to try to reassure him:

-“Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay, it’s not so bad!”

“Yeah, right,” thought Lukas sarcastically, probably showing a bit of this emotion unconsciously.

The costume designer stared into space as if he was trying to find something to say before lifting his head again, smiling at him widely:

-“Hey, wait, maybe you could work with us!” offered Mike, suddenly very inspired and motivated: “We haven’t started filming yet but we’ll definitely need stagehands soon! Plus, it’ll probably be way less wild than working on the Conductor’s action movies or DJ Grooves’s musicals. Not that I’ll have a lot to say in the matter, but I can still recommend you.”

Lukas opened his eyes wide at the suggestion. Wait, could it really be that easy?

-“You… You’d do that? Really‌?” The young man couldn’t believe it: how lucky was he being today? It was too good to be true! Karma was soon going to collect his debt at this pace…

-“Yeah!” exclaimed Mike, almost happier than Lukas himself: “You seem nice, plus you don’t have a lot of experience. It would be better for you to start working in a smaller and calmer team.”

Lukas was about to thank him for the offer when he was interrupted -again- by a loud noise coming from behind his back. The student turned around, curious about what could have caused such a loud sound. He was surprised to see a man entering the room, having slammed the door as an entrance. His hair was black and white and he was wearing a long green coat as well as black pants. The man was wearing converse shoes and round glasses. However, Lukas’s eyes widened not because of the man’s appearance or entrance but because he knew who it was. This guy was a very famous actor, one that Lukas knew very well because he had seen him in several movies by now. MJ, that was his acting name. Just like The Conductor, MJ had done his best to keep his real name a secret, for reasons most people didn’t know yet.

And suddenly, Lukas understood why Mike’s face had seemed so familiar to him: they both had the exact same face!

The student turned back to his friend with a confused expression. There was no doubt about it, he hadn’t imagined it: apart from their haircut and clothes, they looked absolutely the same. Lukas was about to ask about it but Mike forestalled his question:

-“Yeah, we’re twins,” he explained, though it was possible to see some weariness on his face. This was surely not the first time someone had asked about it. The student felt a little guilty, though it was a bit too late for that.

-“I had no idea MJ had a brother, let alone a twin,” admitted the young man, quite embarrassed.

-“We agreed to keep it a secret. I'm not a fan of the celebrity life like my brother is. I feel ill-at-ease in crowded spaces.”

Lukas rose his eyebrows, taken aback, and threw a glance at their surroundings. Welp, apparently, they didn’t have the same definition of “crowded spaces”, if all of this wasn’t bothering him. Maybe Lukas was just shier than most introverts? It was strange because he didn’t think he was much of an introvert until now. Yeah, sure, he spent a lot of time studying in his room, but it wasn’t because he didn’t like people or anything. Or so he thought. Now that he was actually in a place like this, he wasn’t so sure of it now. It did make him uncomfortable‌.

Even more, now that he knew that there were famous actors near him.

-“Hey,” greeted a voice behind him, very similar to Mike’s one. Lukas turned to the origin of the said voice and felt his heart sink in his chest when he realized that MJ had come to them. Fortunately, the actor wasn’t looking at him but at his brother. Lukas didn’t know how he would have reacted otherwise. He knew celebrities were people like everyone else, yet he couldn’t deny the sensation of stress he had at the idea of meeting one.

-“Hey,” replied Mike, with a softer tone, smiling at his twin. If they looked the same, their attitude seemed to be different. From the way MJ stood and dressed, he looked like a very assertive extrovert. Mike, on the contrary, seemed to be the complete opposite: with his red turtleneck and his very straight posture, he was the perfect image of the introvert concept.

It was like two sides of a coin: both looked like the other, yet they were not the same on many aspects.

MJ noticed the student’s stare and glanced down at him, absolutely unimpressed.

-“And who are you again?”

The actor’s tone was everything but nice or curious. The other sounded like he just asked that question because Lukas was in the way. No need to say that the young man’s frustration grew again: apparently, people had some problems with manners here. He still put his pride aside, deciding that replying to the provocative introduction wasn’t worth it. Instead, he extended his hand for what seemed like the tenth time that day:

-“My name’s Lukas,” he answered in the nicest way he could manage, then decided to be polite, for both of them at least: “I really like your movies, they’re amazing!”

His interlocutor smiled back while, in the corner of his vision, Mike looked away in embarrassment. What for? Lukas’s confusion intensified as he heard MJ’s answer:

-“Why, thank you!” replied the other, though it sounded too exaggerated to feel sincere. The latter didn’t shake his hand back either. Then, he looked above Lukas’s shoulder to read his soon-to-be-filled job contract: “Oh, are you a new stagehand?”

The question was asked in a particular way that made the student ill-at-ease. He couldn’t help but suspect the other’s niceness was completely faked. Though, he tried not to think about it and continued the conversation:

-“Yeah, I got hired a bit earlier. I helped to put out the fire.”

MJ looked around him as if he was only noticing the remains of the incident just now. His face immediately changed from cordiality to utter disgust. The sudden change unsettled the student, who didn’t know how to react. Next to them, Mike looked even more ill-at-ease than before. Why, did they have a bad relationship? Lukas couldn’t help but wonder, until MJ spoke again, making him come back to reality:

-“Okay, so this is all very interesting but-”

-“MJ, please don’t,” warned Mike, now frowning at him. Lukas had the impression that he was in the middle of a battlefield. This was extremely uncomfortable for him, who had no idea what to do with himself in the meantime.

-“What, I’m just socializing, as you told me to! Isn’t it what you want?” nagged the celebrity mischievously. Mike only glared in response. Well, this was officially more than awkward.

-“So, as I was saying…” continued the actor innocently, as if nothing just happened: “I need a coffee, two sugar lumps, no milk, and take it to my dressing room. And quick. Thanks!”

Lukas stared at the other with bewilderment.

“What?” The student was just astounded and didn’t know how to react at first. Did he hear that right?

MJ waved hypocritically at him, his true personality finally exposed. That’s why everything coming from his mouth had seemed so insincere! Just as he was about to turn away to leave, Lukas stopped him, full of mixed emotions such as confusion, surprise, but mostly irritation:

-“Uh, excuse me?” retorted the young man, absolutely offended.

MJ faked not hearing him, leaving the student and his bottled emotions seated at the table. Who did that guy take himself for?

Next to him, Mike sighed, rolling his eyes. He shook his head at Lukas in a tired way:

-“Don’t mind him, he’s like that with everyone. Except me I guess. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the coffee.” The other stood up and gestured to the forgotten paper on the table: “you should complete that and give it back to Kaleb. I’ll speak to him as soon as I can. For now, just do as he says.”

Lukas agreed, still astonished by the interaction he just had with this so-called actor. Welp, guess he knew who was the evil twin between the two, now.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Welp. Guess who ABSOLUTELY LOVED writing MJ ? You can read more about him here (warning : SPOILERS)

Chapter 3 =>

#A Hat In Time #ahit #Snatcher #moonjumper #MJ #Mike #fanfiction #my art #The Part-Time Puppeteer #TPTP #puppet au #lukas

19 notes · View notes

echodrops · 5 years

Text

Why You Should Be Shipping Shigaraki/Ochako

No, no, hang on a second--I see that side-eye you are throwing hard enough to ruin your peripheral vision. I feel the shade you’re casting like a thundercloud rolling in. But you didn’t read wrong. I meant what I said.

I’ve never made a secret of my love for rare pairs, but for once in my damn lonely shipper’s hellscape of a life I would love it if my favorite crack ship in a fandom had more than two fics (I’m NOT JOKING) to its name.

What can I do to correct this egregious oversight before the entire summer passes with nary a whisper of the most romantic ship since Juliet wherefore art thou’d Romeo?

Well, what else? I was forged in the fires of early 2000s’ fandom, and I know that desperate times call for desperate measures meticulously researched and extremely rose-tinted

Shipping Manifestos.

Fam, I am about to blow your minds, align your chakras, open your third eyes--because Shigaraki and Ochako is the most slept on ship in the entire BNHA fandom, and if you give me ten minutes like an hour (holy shit, this is long), I can prove it.

Disclaimer: @mistystarshine is the enabler who convinced me to write this but we were both enabled by @ohmytheon’s Reconfigure (on AO3) so you know who’s really responsible.

Spoilers to Chapter 231, watch out.

First off, I know what you’re thinking. Maybe you’re still reading from pure shock. Maybe you’re doubt-reading to get your daily fix of internet skepticism. Maybe you’re waiting for me to say these two characters are meant to be because she wears pink and his hair is blue. Maybe you’re already freaking out about age gaps but like that is what future fics and AUs are actually for!!!

I’m not telling you to give up your IzuOcha or Kacchako. I’m not gonna pry ShigaDabi out of your eager little villain stan hands. But if you’ve never considered multi-shipping, now is the time my friends, because I’m totally serious heartfelt here! I’ve got VALID reasons for shipping Shigako--ten of them, in fact:

1) Midoriya is taken for granted as Uraraka’s love interest--but Shigaraki is incredibly similar to him.

There are reams of meta on the parallels between Midoriya and Shigaraki, with plenty people noting how Horikoshi specifically set the two up as foils to examine similar character development despite their drastically different circumstances. Yet for all the meta pointing out that Shigaraki and Midoriya are basically the same character through a mirror darkly, I’ve never seen anyone bear that thought out to its logical conclusion: there are traits Uraraka admires in Midoriya that are extremely apparent in Shigaraki too.

Multiple times in the manga, Uraraka expresses admiration for Deku’s resolve and refusal to give up. His determination in the face of impossible odds and his sense of dedication to his cause are powerful motivating factors in Ochako’s storyline, and Deku’s behavior--his willingness to charge straight into danger and his unflinching pursuit of his goal to be #1--have basically become the standard to which Uraraka holds herself.

Her crush is literally founded on an appreciation for Midoriya’s drive, earnestness, and constant growth as a person.

But these are all traits that Shigaraki also explicitly possesses. Shigaraki’s unwavering resolve is so strong that even though everyone around him says dream is unattainable... they follow him anyway.

Ujiko flat out tells Shigaraki he’s chasing a pipe dream, but he’s willing to come along for the ride strictly because of how committed Shigaraki is to making that dream a reality. The strength of Tomura’s conviction alone persuaded a collection of the most volatile and difficult personalities in the manga to band together and become found family the most well-known anti-establishment organization in all of Japan.

Shigaraki never, even in the face of overwhelming threat, backs down from a challenge, and he approaches each impossible task with absolutely as much effort, ferocity, and refusal to quit as Deku. He is just as dedicated, just as much of a shounen protagonist main character, and just as willing to push himself above and beyond as Deku.

The traits that motivated Uraraka to become the character she is today, many of the exact same traits that formed her crush on Midoriya, are all there in Shigaraki. In another world, the person who inspired Uraraka to go “Plus Ultra” could be Tomura himself, and if 1) no sense of self-preservation, 2) ZERO CHILL, and 3) dogged obsession are what Uraraka finds attractive, Shigaraki clearly has 'em covered. Oh no, he’s meeting all my standards.

2) Being serious though, Ochako’s role in the plot would be vastly improved by more meaningful interactions with the antagonists, even if just in battle.

I’ve written before about how badly the writing of BNHA treats Ochako, and why her constantly being out-of-focus is a hallmark of the genre’s crippling inability to handle dynamic female characters, but it bears repeating: in her current position in the story, Uraraka’s character has minimal agency. She exists to fill the role of Deku’s love interest (at worst) and an emotional crutch (at best). Again, absolutely no hate on the IzuOcha ship--it’s clearly canon endgame and “wholesome” I guess is what they’re calling it nowadays. But the way IzuOcha’s being written in canon is actually the worst possible thing that could happen to Uraraka’s individual character, because Ochako’s crush on Deku has been given virtually no bearing on the story’s main plot and allows Horikoshi to consistently reduce Uraraka’s personal accomplishments to “inspirations from Deku” (in order to, likely, fulfill young male readers’ fantasy of having a girl fixated on them).

Is Uraraka about to do something cool in the manga? Wait for her comment about being motivated by Deku.

Does Uraraka actually get to see some action and get involved in a fight? Wait for someone to bring up her feelings for Deku.

Is Deku about to have a dramatic clash with the story’s villains to advance the main plotline? Wait for Ochako to entirely vanish (at worst) or get sidelined into a three panel clip where she’ll use the same martial art move she’s been using since like chapter 10 (at best).

If I have to read “Gunhead Martial Arts” one more fucking time... Give Ochako her OWN supermoves goddammit!!

The story of the comic itself continually pushes Ochako out of any position of relevance. She’s not one of UA’s strongest fighters (despite having a quirk that, if applied like ANY of the male characters, has incredible potential), she’s not given half the emotional depth or attention even side characters like Kirishima get, and her backstory lacks the development many of the male characters’ get (I’m looking at you, Todoroki).

As a “good girl,” she isn’t allowed to get her hands dirty like Toga, she isn’t allowed to get as bloodied or ugly as any of the boys, and she can never be allowed to surpass the main male characters in coolness or plot relevance because girls can be “heroes” but they can’t be The Hero™. (I’m literally gagging, guys.)

Which is EXACTLY why a plot involving Shigaraki and Ochako--in ANY capacity, even just a flat out fight against each other!--would actually be a fan-fucking-tastic addition to BNHA.

Skip the token Toga vs. Ochako chick fight where they squabble over who loves Izuku more. Let Toga talk to Izuku as herself for once. Let Uraraka throw down with the League’s leader. At least once, Horikoshi? Just once?

Literally any form of plot that puts Shigaraki and Ochako into contact would mean moving Uraraka into a more central position within the manga’s plot, would boost her screen-time, increase the likelihood of her contributing to the story’s primary conflict, and would give her more to do and emotionally engage with than just repeating the same lines about Deku being amazing on an endless loop. There is untapped character development potential in spades here if Uraraka was given chance to genuinely interact with the other half of the story’s cast!

Give👏 Uraraka👏 something👏 meaningful👏 to do!👏

Putting the story’s foremost female character on out there on the frontlines with the manga’s actual main character antagonist would finally break her out of the mold she’s been forced into by genre stereotypes and set her on an even playing field with the male heroes at last.

A meaningful encounter with Shigaraki could be Ochako’s ticket to being treated respectfully by the story itself (and hell if giving underappreciated characters a real place in the world isn’t Tomura’s freakin’ calling card already).

3) Okay, I know the words “subverting expectations” leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth nowadays, but there is a huge difference between “throwing inexplicable plot twists at the audience just for shock factor” and “averting stale cliches in an emotionally rewarding manner.” Sure, cliches do exist for a reason, but there are still many instances where actively avoiding a cliche plotline is a great choice. A shounen manga’s token love interest ending up with someone other than the hero--namely with a (reformed) villain--would be an interesting flip on the trite “hero gets the girl” script.

Look, we all know how it goes: Hero clashes with Bad Guy. They duke it out all over Kingdom Come. RIP like fifty square city blocks. The Hero wins, heads home triumphant, sweeps his Princess off her feet, and sails off into the hero rankings sunset. End of the same story we’ve seen a million times. Sometimes it’s done well and the audience is left satisfied. Other times, the heroine involved is reduced to the hero’s reward, less person than wish fulfillment. In either case, tying up a romantic subplot with a hero is the go-to way of resolving female characters’ storylines and, at this point, pretty much a given in manga, even when the romantic subplot is never given the development it deserves, leaving audiences bewildered at how and why the hook-up actually happened.

I’m not saying every comic should “subvert expectations” and cancel its romantic subplot between the hero and heroine, of course not. But I am saying that it would be pretty refreshing to see something else for once.

By virtue of their role, villains don’t usually “get the girl.” Even redeemed villains rarely end up in happy, healthy, well-written relationships. It’s not impossible but it is unlikely that a series’ designated female lead ever wavers in her attentions from the main hero to a new romantic target.

So it would be pretty cool if one did, if the moral of the story’s romantic subplot wasn’t just "token love interest completes painfully shoehorned romantic gestures.” A good romance with a redeemed ex-villain instead of a hero would take a lot more explanation. It would demand, by its very nature, more work on the author’s part to suspend disbelief. The characters would have to develop an entirely different rapport from the normal interactions between designated love interests, and, to a certain extent, strong character growth would be required in order for such a romance to even get started. There’s more moral complexity and conflict to a subplot like this, and a greater sensation of choice--if the heroine doesn’t have to end with the hero by the end of the story, well hey... That means she could end up with just about anyone. Whoa.

Even more so, in the specific case of Shigaraki, who has lived a life of misery and manipulation, the idea that he could come out on the other side, grow as a person, redeem himself, and eventually enter a healthy relationship with someone who isn’t going to hurt him is an idea I find deeply appealing. I think there are a lot of villain stans, myself included, who see parts of themselves in Shigaraki. If a character who has been so severely impacted by abuse can still heal and ultimately end up happy, to me, that’s a far more hopeful and heart-warming conclusion than the alternatives. I did warn you this manifesto would be rose-tinted, didn’t I?

I want storylines that prove that none of us are beyond saving. That people who make bad choices can still change. That romance isn’t a reward for playing the “right” role. That heroines have options. That there are still pleasant surprises to be found in romance plots.

4) But why Shigaraki and Ochako, in particular? It’s not like they have any remotely shared life experiences--

Oops. Friendly reminder: Ochako is the only major character in the manga besides the villains who is overtly described as, I quote, “poorer than poor.” Todoroki, Yaomomo, and Iida can all make it rain; Kaminari, Mina, and Jirou can afford stylish clothes; Kirishima can drop a stupid amount on night vision googles... Even Midoriya, whose father “works overseas,“ can afford plenty of All Might merchandise. One of the popular fandom theories for a while was that Ochako could be U.A.’s traitor specifically because of her desire to help her parents financially, and I think that most readers at this point can discern a clear divide in BNHA’s society: heroes are the “haves” and villains are the “have nots.” To be a hero in this story is to attend a prestigious school, have access to expensive support items, gear, insurance, fame and glory, etc.

Meanwhile, with the exception of All For One, to be a villain in BNHA’s story is to be marginalized, live in unfit conditions, lack access to basic safety and nutritional resources, and struggle to make ends meet. When ability to thrive in a hero-centric society is synonymous with being a good and worthwhile person, anyone who doesn’t just naturally excel in the hero-driven economy is treated as flawed at best and suspect at worst. Poor characters in the story are ignored, and, as demonstrated with people like Twice, left essentially to fend for themselves.

Uraraka’s status as lower income is mostly played for laughs. She’s still a privileged character in that she can attend U.A., receive hero items for free, has a safe place to live, etc. But it is important that the story acknowledges her family’s situation, because her financial status does set her apart from her classmates.

She is less privileged than the others. Being “the poor character” situates Uraraka in the interesting divide between those who couldn’t cope and chose to rebel against hero society instead, versus those who conformed to the hero system in an attempt to improve their situations. In different circumstances, if Uraraka’s family was just even the tiniest bit worse off, we might be seeing a very different character here, one who had to make some much harder choices to keep her family afloat.

Having been in the position of "going without,” Uraraka also has a unique understanding of the “real world” that many of her heroics classmates might lack. She understands what it is like to go hungry, to not be able to afford to keep up with the newest trends, to be constantly anxious about the future--to feel unsuccessful, overlooked, and under constant pressure to perform. As someone who wasn’t raised in the lap of luxury or even really a middle-class home, Uraraka has more insight into--and would likely have more empathy for--the plight of the downtrodden daily criminals of the BNHA world. Just based on her own life experiences, Ochako is more likely than her classmates to recognize how harsh reality can be, and understand the temptations that lead people to make terrible decisions.

This makes Ochako an especially interesting character in terms of her pro hero future. Would she be able to sympathize and reach out to struggling "villains” more effectively than others from her class, who lack her humble background? Would she be able to better see the big picture of BNHA’s society, and the way it actively creates villains from its marginalized populations? Would she be able to look at the League not just as criminals, but also as people who never stood a chance within the confines of a rigged social structure?

Uraraka’s background shifts her closer to the story’s villains than many of the other hero characters, and puts her in a unique place to both empathize and become motivated to change the flawed system that produced people like Shigaraki and the League in the first place.

5) Likewise, Uraraka’s background actually makes her more palatable to Shigaraki than other heroes. At least at the beginning of the comic, Uraraka isn’t shy about admitting that one of her reasons for becoming a hero is to help her parents financially. Ochako’s original motivation for heroism isn’t portrayed as nobly as others’ like Deku--Deku has no ulterior motives for being a hero; he just wants to save people and wouldn’t care about personally benefiting.

Instead, Ochako is presented as someone who (initially) sees heroism as a means to an end. It’s not that she doesn’t want to save people, but that she’s not doing so only for the intrinsic worth... the hefty paycheck that comes from heroism is a big draw.

Over time the manga has shown her shifting away from this (which actually makes her character less unique, unfortunately), but I’m sure it’s still a thought for her, and she’s definitely going to send paychecks to her parents in the future. At the end of the day, heroism is still going to be Uraraka’s ticket to a better lifestyle, even if she’s committed herself to it honestly by the time she leaves U.A.

But it’s this exact form of personal motivation that Shigaraki is much more likely to understand than the “goody-two-shoes” motivations of people like Deku. Multiple times in the comic Shigaraki has expressed confusion with society’s habit of clinging mindlessly to symbols, of their blind faith in the virtues of heroism, and their ability to simply overlook suffering because “surely a hero will do something about it.” Stain’s ideals about “true heroes” go straight past Shigaraki, who seems to hate heroes who are earnest (All Might, I’m talking about All Might) far more than those who are simply faking their way through for fame.

Shigaraki understands humans who are driven by personal gain. He respects the individual desires of people he cares about. Someone in the hero industry explicitly seeking tangible benefits would likely, to Shigaraki at least, come across as more genuine than someone who claims they have no ulterior motives, and a person who is blunt about their needs and grounded in the reality of BNHA’s world would likely be much more acceptable to Tomura than someone who spews trite lines about peace and justice.

Shigaraki’s feelings for heroes have been irreparably damaged by his conditioning from All For One, but there are certainly some heroes that he would find less loathsome than others. He will probably never understand Deku’s selflessness. All Might’s saccharine symbolism actively infuriates him. But a person who became a hero to put food on the table? To provide for her parents (maybe especially because it is her parents she’s trying to provide for)? That’s at least understandable. If the manga’s future does see Shigaraki redeemed, my thought is that the only type of heroes we’ll ever see him willingly interact with would still be heroes just like Ochako, with more “down to earth” personal motivations. Uraraka, your codename is “If I had to date a hero”...

6) While we’re talking about shared life experiences, there’s another very obvious similarity between Shigaraki and Ochako: neither one of them can touch things with all five fingers.

Cute/fridge horror observation: Shigaraki is even daintier about touching things than Uraraka is; Uraraka usually lifts just her pinkies, but Shigaraki frequently uses as few fingers as possible.

Yeah, yeah, they both have to be dainty and careful with everything they hold. It’d be cute to watch them eat together. They could mutually gripe about the annoyance of video game consoles not designed for four-finger use. More than that though, neither one of them can touch other human beings without the risk of causing death.

Uraraka, as a hero, has the more privileged quirk design (she can turn her quirk off, while Shigaraki can’t) and until recently, the comic was always very careful to portray Uraraka’s quirk in a way that no one was endangered by it. But dropping Zero Gravity into the hands of a villain for a single chapter reveals the truth: Uraraka’s quirk has just as much lethal potential as Shigaraki’s.

Like Shigaraki, Uraraka has to face the reality that her touch alone could jeopardize the safety of anyone she comes into contact with, in her daily life and in her hero work. Drop some debris without looking twice? Just crushed a civilian. Release your quirk without thinking? Now the villain you floated is paste on the sidewalk. Thought that it was safe to float away the building? Oops, you crushed someone still trapped inside. Yikes. In a one-on-one battle, Uraraka is actually at a disadvantage not because her quirk is weak, but the dead opposite--in an outdoor fight, she would have to actively work not to accidentally send people off into outer space.

Having an auto-activate touch quirk means that both Shigaraki and Ochako have to be conscious of every single thing they touch all the time. Both of their quirks require constant bodily awareness, and both come with the lurking knowledge that “My touch causes problems.” Even for Ochako, who would merely be a nuisance if she accidentally floated objects indoors, it’s easy to internalize frustration and negative associations with one’s own body. Every day, Ochako has to be careful with herself in a way that few of her peers do, another factor that sets her apart.

One of the story’s overarching themes is the idea of “self-acceptance” and what it even means to “accept yourself” in a world where (almost) every human being possesses a distinguishing feature, often built into their bodies at the expense of standard human functioning. For people with limited control over their quirks, who can’t choose when the effect activates, a quirk is a constant burden and facet of their identity that entirely re-shapes how they interact with the world. Both Shigaraki and Uraraka face the practicality of having burdensome, even lethal, auto-activate quirks that require constant self-awareness. This is a similarity that, of the major characters, only Shigaraki and Ochako possess so far. (Even other major characters with touch-based quirks like Overhaul appear to be able to choose when to activate their quirks).

The “funny” way Shigaraki and Ochako hold things seems like just a small similarity until you remember the amount of practice and frustration it must have taken to internalize a four-fingered touch. Until you remember that this similarity marks them both as very careful and self-conscious characters. Until you remember that Shigaraki’s got a one-touch instakill... but so does Uraraka Ochako.

7) Okay, similarities are cool and all, but you know what they say: opposites attract. And if we’re talking character motivation, there are no cleaner opposites in the entire series. Shigaraki and Ochako are actually even better emotional foils than Shigaraki and Deku, because Ochako’s central motivation is “Make as many people smile as possible” and Shigaraki’s is, literally, “Make it so no one can ever smile again.”

I know I ragged on it earlier, but now I’m going to use it to my full advantage: as the story evolved and characters grew, Ochako’s “true” motivation to become a hero revealed itself: she feels a deep, intrinsic happiness when witnessing the happiness of others. Her desire as a hero is to spread relief, the sense of security that allows people to go about their days smiling. She literally feels happiest when everyone around her is happy.

Even more so than Deku, this casts Uraraka as Shigaraki’s diametric opposite in the story, because Shigaraki’s entire pipe dream goal also hinges on the smiles of others--and how absolutely much he hates them. Shigaraki’s goal is total world destruction because he just resents the happiness of others that fucking much.

On the surface alone it’s more fascinating than the story will probably ever live up to: Ochako, the heroine who wants to spread smiles; Shigaraki, the villain who wants to destroy them. Even if we’re just talking canon, zero romance involved, that would still be an interesting conflict to explore. The story could cover a lot of deeper ground by drawing the comparison between these two characters more directly. It would definitely validate Uraraka being involved in more major plot events, at the very least.

BUT this was supposed to be about shipping, so of course I can’t leave it there, and leaving it there would only be half the story anyway, because nobody is born hating smiles. Everything we’ve seen of Shigaraki’s past so far indicates that he was a kid with a cute dog, a warm relationship with his sister, and an interest in heroes--i.e., a decent life that probably included his own fair share of smiles. Shigaraki’s hatred and resentment are direct products of the traumatic manipulation he suffered at AFO’s hands. He despises the idea that people around him can smile and act upbeat, even when they objectively know villains are lurking all around them. He is actually sick to his stomach at the idea of people blindly putting their faith in heroes, knowing what he does: that heroes often fail, that there are many people who desperately need to be rescued and are instead overlooked. The world failed Shimura Tenko and then had the nerve to keep on smiling without him.

Other people’s smiles represent nothing but the joy, security, love, and peace that Shigaraki Tomura hasn’t experienced since the day his quirk manifested. The sight of any living thing fills Shigaraki with rage because everything bright and beautiful, everything good and calm and kind and soft and warm, is everything that Shigaraki has lost and believes he will never, ever get to experience again.

Shigaraki doesn’t really hate the pure happy smiles of others; he hates the fact that the world has taken away every single thing he ever had to smile about.

It is my belief that Horikoshi is hinting at a redemption arc for Shigaraki, especially as we see the League become closer allies. But Shigaraki can’t be completely redeemed, can’t be persuaded to give up his world-destruction plan, until he can look at the smiles of others without scorn. Until the bright, upbeat attitudes of heroes other people no longer feel like a personal attack. Until he’s happy enough that the happiness of others no longer hurts. Until the weight is lifted.

And I can’t think of any character more obviously suited to helping lift an immense weight than Uraraka, the zero gravity hero who wants nothing more than to spread smiles.

8) Speaking of lifting weights... Kacchako is a popular ship stemming in large part from Bakugou’s refusal to treat Uraraka with kid gloves. He faces her head-on as a real opponent and views her like any other hero hopeful.

As I’ve said before, this is pretty much the most respectfully the series itself has ever treated Uraraka Ochako, and it caught a lot of attention because it was one of the rare occasions that a female pro hero-in-training was really treated as an equal to the male characters. Kacchako shippers had something awesome to work with.

But... You know who else treats women as equals? (Hell, you know who treats literally everyone as equals, from those with mutant quirks to trans people to those with severe mental health issues?) You can say what you want about Shigaraki’s habit of, you know, mass murder, but in terms of viewing others equally and respecting (okay, let’s be real, it’s probably closer to just ignoring) differences, Tomura is about as open-minded as BNHA characters come. The League is an equal opportunity employer.

Unlike actual hero characters, Shigaraki has never once suggested that Toga is incapable of keeping up with any of the male members of the League, and in fact has entrusted her with many of the League’s most dangerous and crucial missions. He explicitly has faith in her ability and skill.

Toga’s right there in the fight against Gigantomachia and the QLA, as much an equal member of the League as anyone else. In terms of gender equality, the villains seem to be light-years ahead of their hero counterparts, and Shigaraki in particular doesn’t discriminate, among his allies or his opponents either. He’s not a “spare the women and children” kind of guy; every hero and villain challenger is treated with equal violence (and equal snark), whether they’re male, female, a long-time pro or a student in training.

In whatever context--canon opponent, AU ally, or a future romantic interest--Shigaraki would take Ochako just as seriously as Bakugou did. If you like Kacchako because Bakugou doesn’t dismiss Uraraka, that same dynamic would be present in Shigako too.

9) And on the topic of Shigaraki and women... It doesn’t feel accidental that every single female character who ever had love for Shigaraki has been taken away from him. A distinct part of Shigaraki’s storyline is that all positive female role models have been systematically removed from his life. He lost his grandmother, a hero he could have looked up to; he lost his mother, who he now has no memory of; he lost the older sister he clearly held dear... All For One’s control over Tomura has always been total, but this particular detail feels especially insidious: was All For One’s spite for Nana so strong that he delighted in deliberately destroying every single relationship Tenko had with women connected to Nana’s legacy? (Or is AFO perhaps just a raging misogynist? Every single one of his known associates is male and he seemed to despise and mock Nana particularly hard...)

In any case, the point I’m trying to make here is that, even ruling love interests out, Shigaraki’s storyline would be enriched by forging a meaningful connection with a female character like Ochako. Acceptance--maybe even some grudging admiration--for a female hero? A fantastic opportunity to show just how different the “villains” are from the discriminatory society that produced them. Supporting friendship while he’s on the road to recovery? A+ way to diversify interactions between the male and female cast. Send a tough girl to Tartarus to question his motives? Nice chance for tense dialogue and some good old noire-esque foe yay. Hostage situation that takes a turn for the surprisingly cordial? Fun way to explore different dynamics and humanize the villains because hey, they treated the “damsel” to dinner shortbread cookies. My god, Shigaraki could even develop some positive sense of rivalry with a woman, for example! The possibilities are endless if you’re actually willing to give female characters a shot!

Being more serious, Tomura’s life has been dramatically marked by the loss of his female family members, and--at least from what we know so far--his entire youth was spent without the presence of reliable friendships, let alone any form of “love” that wasn’t disturbingly fake. Beyond his fragmented memories, he has no models for healthy relationships, romantic or otherwise.

Letting Shigaraki develop to the point that he could form a mutually positive relationship with a female hero character would be extremely cathartic for me as a reader. I don’t mean “rewarding redemption with a last-minute happy ending romance”--I mean actually getting the opportunity to watch Tomura rediscover what it means to be genuinely loved and realize he has the capacity to give love and be happy in return...

Reaching that level of mutual support and closeness--especially with a female pro hero--would be the biggest “FUCK YOU” that Shigaraki could give to All For One, short of, you know, actually killing him.

Shigaraki Tomura has a critical (and deliberate) lack of healthy connections to women. BNHA, coincidentally, has a criminally under-utilized female lead just twiddling her thumbs over here, waiting for a meaningful plotline to be thrown her way.

Sure, putting AFO in prison is cool and all, but have you considered... crushing his pride and legacy of evil by helping the boy he tortured for years learn to love again? I’m just sayin’!

Uraraka Ochako, snatching Shigaraki right the fuck out of AFO’s hands:

10) Basically what the whole thing boils down to is this: Shigaraki Tomura needs a hero.

Don’t mistake my meaning. A lot of “girl meets bad boy” plots end up amounting to “girl becomes emotionally responsible for fixing bad boy’s issues,” and that’s not what I’m gunning for--Shigaraki has to redeem himself because redemption is only meaningful when it stems from the character’s own inner desire to change; I’m not quite rose-tinted enough to buy into the Love Redeems trope myself. I’m definitely not advocating anyone dump Shigaraki Tomura as he is now into Uraraka Ochako’s lap and expect her to turn him from a beast to a beauty. It’s not an unrelated woman’s responsibility to fix a broken man.

But! From a reader’s perspective, I think we can agree: Shigaraki’s redemption cannot be complete until he learns to believe in real heroes. He doesn’t have to like them. He doesn’t have to support hero society. But he has to be able to look at real heroes like Izuku and Ochako and admit that they are doing what’s right--that society is a better place because they are here. Shigaraki’s path to recovery can’t even begin until he’s capable of at least acknowledging that the world has things worth saving in it.

If Horikoshi moves forward with a redemption arc for Shigaraki, it will probably be Deku who Detroit Smashes the message of truly noble heroes into Shigaraki’s head. That’s his job as the resident Warrior Therapist, I suppose. But you know... to me, it might be even more meaningful if Shigaraki’s hero--if the hand that reaches out to rescue him--isn’t The Hero’s™ but just a hero’s. We all know Deku is selfless and good to the core. As All Might’s perfect successor, he really has nothing to prove. It’s everyone else who is in question. It’s the whole rest of hero society that owes Shigaraki Tomura an explanation for the suffering of people like the League’s members. It’s everyone else who needs to prove they can do better--that in the future, there will be no bloody children left abandoned in back alleyways.

Uraraka Ochako’s conviction is to save people. As a female hero who hasn’t lived a privileged life, she’s uniquely situated to think about those who are most often overlooked. In a world where violence begets violence, where only those with strength and flash excel, what a powerful message it would send for the terrifying antagonist to effectively be rescued by someone the story itself has called “a frail girl.” At the end of the day, heroics isn’t supposed to be about mountain-destroying explosions and mach punches--heroics is supposed to be about heart, about reaching out a gentle helping hand, about spreading smiles to those who need them most.

Tomura’s faith in heroes has been brutally stripped from him, and every part of his conflict is tied up intimately with his misdirected hatred: it wasn’t actually heroes who isolated and hurt him--it was villains. In order to move forward, he will have to come to that horrible realization, deal with that means for himself and his place in the world, and recognize the truth: there are goodness and good people in the world. Selfless heroes, those who wouldn’t turn their backs on a crying child, do exist. There are people, even now, who would extend a kind hand to Shigaraki Tomura and do their best to bring a real smile to his face. Because that’s what’s really going on, after all.

Shimura Tenko is still waiting to be saved.

And I know just the person to do it.

433 notes · View notes

precuredaily · 5 years

Text

Precure Day 134

Episode: Futari wa Precure Splash Star 36 - “What to Make? Mai’s Worries and the Cultural Festival” Date watched: 19 June 2019 Original air date: 15 October 2006 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/wZe5V3H Project info and master list of posts: http://tinyurl.com/PCDabout

I showed you my disguise please respond

I really like how this show has slowly been building up to the cultural festival ever since the girls returned to school. The first mention of it I can recall was way back in episode 31 when Kenta was scouting a partner for his manzai act, and it came up again in episode 34, when Saki gave Kazuya advice on his own school’s festival. Now it’s time to get into full swing, as we see the girls of Yuunagi Jr. High preparing for their own. The art club is in charge of designing a monument, while Saki’s class is preparing to put on a haunted house. Additionally, Kenta and Miyasako can be found practicing for their manzai show in their spare moments. Meanwhile in Dark Fall, Kintolesky is getting grilled for his repeated failures, and Akudaikaan tells him he needs to come up with a better strategy than his head-on assaults. He doesn’t like this advice very much, but he sets out to observe the students working and figure out a plan.

There’s a problem with all the prep, though: Mai has artist’s block, because she has trouble drawing to a theme, and there’s also a lot of pressure on her to design a good monument.

With only a week to go until the festival, she’s losing confidence in herself, but Saki cheers her up. A day later, she still doesn’t have anything, and when Saki comes to see her, Mai bursts into tears.

well she is a millennial, it’s very stressful situation

(Okay actually these are tears of joy/relief after Saki tells Mai that she’s always liked the drawings that Mai seemed to enjoy making and she should just draw what she likes for this)

Mai goes home that night and finally has a spark of inspiration. She presents her idea the next day and everyone loves it so she has the art club get to work bringing her vision to life. All the prep is going well and the festival is just a few days away, and Kintolesky continues observing them trying to come up with a strategy. After two days of contemplation he finally decides to set his master plan in motion: he steals Saki’s pumpkin head prop and sneaks up on Mai. Then he reveals himself to her and throws the head away, satisfied that he has accomplished his assignment, but he accidentally throws it right into the still under construction statue, damaging it.

He straight up apologizes for damaging the statue but Mai is still upset, and Saki shows up looking for her pumpkin head, and gets upset that he’s damaged both Mai’s statue and her mask. He urges them to transform so they do, and it’s a Bright and Windy type of day. This time, Kintolesky really ramps up his fighting style. He’s throwing trees, swinging on vines, coming at the girls from every direction. It’s a great battle and the duo are barely holding their own, even with their wind and light attacks. Kin creates an Uzainaa out of a bunch of tools that are lying around but he still does most of the fighting himself. He gets particularly upset when the girls reveal that they were preparing for a cultural festival, because in his view these are a waste of time, and he only values athletic festivals.

This doesn’t sit well with the heroines, who espouse how hard they and all their friends have worked on every aspect of this festival, and with the help of Moop and Foop making their only appearance in this entire episode, they power up with the Spiral Rings and dispel the villains. Kin quips that strategizing really isn’t for him and runs off.

That evening, the art club completes work on the statue and the whole class is admiring it. It really is lovely.

Mai explains that her feeling was that people can fly higher with the help of others than they can on their own, and that’s what she tried to convey with the statue. In particular, she admits that she designed the statue with her and Saki in mind, and you can definitely see how the two figures at the top resemble them. Mai says she feels that she can be the most at ease around Saki, so she can fly the highest when holding Saki’s hand. Saki returns the sentiment, and the two of them pose just like the statue, closing out the episode.

They’re too cute

Okay, there’s an elephant in this room that I need to address. The Art Club basically decided Mai would design the monument without asking her if she wanted to. She didn’t volunteer for it, not even tepidly, she was voluntold. They had a vote and decided she should do it.

LOOK AT HER FACE. She is so uncomfortable with this situation, and who could blame her? This is a tremendous amount of pressure that has just been placed on her shoulders without her consent. This lays the groundwork for the entire episode, and it’s the rare instance in Precure where I find myself actively hating the message they’re pushing, or at least they way they go about it. (off the top of my head, there’s another in Princess Precure where Haruka is losing sleep to make a dress) It doesn’t matter that the outcome was ultimately positive, you cannot just force someone into this situation. If they had at least showed her agreeing to try to design the monument, or being part of a group that was designing it, or shown her being unwilling but then she got encouragement from her friends and then volunteering, I would be fine. But they shoulder her with this burden and the episode plays off her stress without comment. I cannot stand that.

Ignoring that she was pretty much forced to do this, I like that they show her struggling, because seeing the support that her friends give her through her trial is nice, and the spark of inspiration being that very friendship is wonderful. The monument itself is beautifully designed and I would honestly love to see it in real life. Mai has come a long way from just drawing people and objects that catch her attention.

Kintolesky is being peak Kintolesky this go-round and it’s hilarious. After being tasked with coming up with an actual plan rather than just fighting the girls, after all that observation, the best he can do without compromising his morals is to sneak up on Mai. In the fight, he is in top form (sorry Saki), and it’s glorious. He gives the girls a run for their money and they give him one right back. There’s a lot of moving back and forth and striking and blocking, and the Uzainaa is almost pointless but hey, gotta get that miracle drop in. My favorite part is how he accidentally damages Mai’s still under construction statue and, without hesitation, apologizes for it. He was only trying to sneak up on her and declare a fight, he didn’t want to actually break her work. Saki shows up, angry, and he says again that he is sorry and didn’t intend for that to happen. When have you ever heard a villain apologize before in this show? It’s just more reasons why Kintolesky is the best.

Lastly, I like how they show everybody preparing for their roles in the cultural festival. The prep work we got in FW and MH was in the form of the class rehearsing for their play, we didn’t see any haunted houses or statues or maid cafes or whatever other staples of anime cultural festivals you can think of. So showing that effort was a welcome change.

Next time, we get to see what all the hard work was for! Or do we? Look forward to it!

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 0 Zekkouchou Nari

Miracle Drop Count: 3

#Precure #Pretty Cure #Futari wa Precure Splash Star #FWPCSS36 #PCD134

11 notes · View notes

spineofdeathwing · 6 years

Text

Response

The sincere level of cherry picking in this post is absolutely laughable and abhorring. I’ll start from the top to bottom of ‘evidence’.

The first discussion and issue of Hu'lon was that I saw a pattern in something that I had seen in a lot of my members past; it escalated due to Hu'lon refusing to communicate, and through the grapevine I just heard that they wanted to ‘not put it in the Accord’. I was concerned, and I reached out - the first time, I was met with stalwart refusal to communicate, so I backed off due to knowing that they had a legitimate social issue. I approached later on, and as you can see, the discussion was very forward and after clearing up my concerns with them, I backed off and that should have been the end of it. For the officers reaching out to people - I apologize if I prefer to discuss things over solving everything with a block button and refusal to speak.

Moving onto the part about me being tired of this. I had my current best friend leave the guild in the middle of the night, after seemingly everything was good (again, due to a lack of communication, I was not made aware that the other person was uncomfortable.) I suffer from BPD - i.e. Borderline Personality Disorder, which, if any of you have associated or learned of it, is the behaviour of absolute fear, anxiety and melting down when you’re met with someone leaving you. Tiao Lin was one of my best friends, and I still consider them to be, and I was in absolute tears when I made these messages. There is no guilt-tripping, there is legitimate depression and anxiety happening when these messages are happening. Conveniently, they left out the part where I explained such.

Moving onto the art 'requests’. I asked every single one of my artists in the guild - which, my guild has quite a number and I sincerely admire each and every one of them - if they’d like to collaborate in an effort to recruit people. This was clearly outlined in the picture: HERE at the top, almost cut off and further cherry picked.

Moving onto Tiao Lin once more, I reached out to a few of the stable people that I know she would make good friends with so that she would feel more at home in the guild. She suffers from anxiety and I genuinely wished her the best. I messaged three people to just reach out for her - if she felt anxious because of something, then she should always have a way to help and heal with her guild. I do not believe this was something that is wrong.

People were hurt by her departure. She blocked and removed everyone without a word.

One hurt person, that didn’t wish to include them in our recruitment post anymore. Note that I was still actively attempting to defend her.

Another hurt person. Both close friends of hers.

As you can see, I talked and discussed with all of them. I never made the claim that the whole guild absolutely hated her, because I never told everyone she had left - I had elected to keep that a non-topic until it had been fully closed, because I knew from their patterns of behaviour that they can have these blips of panic. I did not fault her, and I explained to those people further into the conversation how and why it happened.

More art requests - this was very clearly a joke, and taken out of context.

Now, for these claims of racism and others. Correct, I did say them, in private games with friends that I had been around for months at this point. Note in the first one that Tiao Lin (Sylvissa) was clearly leading the joke towards what I said, and I just expanded on an edgy joke. There is no hatred, no calling other people these words, nor is there any sort of malicious intent behind it. It’s a joke. By holding these words so high in the realms of taboo, you give them the power behind them. If, at any point, someone mentioned that they were uncomfortable with what I said, I would be more than happy to apologize, and not say it again, which - with another cherry picked screenshot, I did HERE .

For the second member of the Accord that you listed that I was upset about creating alts; they’re still very much in the guild, and we’ve discussed this in length before to ensure that there will be no misconstrued information again - they do not feel wronged. They are wronged however that you, Hu'lon, used them without permission just to push your letter. They used sixty dollars of their own money to boost a character, and when you had finished with them - you blocked them. You made them cry because of your actions. Your entire argument on these things is based on exceptionally out-of-context statements that I’m appalled you think you can spread to other people just to scorn and ruin my guild.

This is laughable .. Wey is a friend of mine and that is clearly taken out of context once more - and the bottom snippet has never happened. I haven’t run HFC in years; nor have I ever done a commission that had horns in it - and if I had, WMV doesn’t 'not’ export horns. It’s attached to the body model. This is clear and utter bullshit once more just to push an agenda.

Onto the worst, and final point. Hu'lon, you dug through five years of drama and unburied it in an effort to burn me, and my guild down. Yes, I faked having cancer. Five years ago, as a teenager with an undiagnosed mental disorder, which is now diagnosed as BPD - which I also have much more control over, nowadays. The circumstances revolving around this are as follows: I ran a guild called Mistborn, that had around two-hundred to three-hundred members. Due to conspiring between my officers as they found it humorous to antagonize me and make me meltdown; they managed to collapse my guild within a week. At this point, I had never dealt with something this heart-sinking and strenous - my BPD forced me into an absolute panic, and craved for nothing other than emotions of hatred from people. Yes, I claimed that I had cancer in an effort to gain pity, because at this point in my life with my mental disorder - I couldn’t think of anything else. I was in a panic.

Since then, I have apologized to every person that was involved with me, back then. Extrenously. I know that doesn’t make up for it, but I’ve moved on. They’ve moved on. You had one of the officers that -caused- that meltdown tell you that it was not my fault, but you elected to bring this up because you wish to become a martyr for.. whatever cause it is that you’re standing for. I’m not absolving myself because of my mental disorder, but I took every step necessary to cleanse any ill-will that people had from me back then, to which most understood once they heard the full story.

To end this all off, I will summarize. Yes, I had some extrenous issues in the past that have led to the reputation that I have today. I have been working day-in and day-out to attempt to make rights where I made wrongs in the past, but this is stuff from five years ago.

To Tiao Lin - I don’t blame where you stand right now. You’re always welcome to talk to me again, because clearly there is a lack of communication. I understand - you have anxiety. I’ve attempted time and time again to try to help that, but apparently I missed the mark. I’m sorry.

To Hu'lon - I do not respect your attempts to become a martyr to take my guild down. You made claims that you’re hurt that everyone in the guild is turning against you - because you’re making rash decisions that could harm all of us, because of your grudge against one. You never made any attempt to get further information in all of this. You snipped out of context screenshots, and just worked to paint me as the bad guy time and time again. You are the issue with roleplay realms. Instead of discussing and talking like a rational person, you argue with the block and ignore button - without caring about the consequences that come with it, involving multiple people that you USED in these screenshots - and then aim to call me out.

If you read all of this, even if you do not see my side of the argument - I respect you for refusing to listen to blind lies. There will also be follow up posts from people that have known me since back then that -will- discuss in truth what happened, instead of your cherry-picked mess.

Remember when you posted evidence and claimed that I was threatening Wey? Here’s the actual commissioner. Picture 1. Picture 2.

Another commissioner that will happily back-up the fact that I do not do these kinds of things.

Another one. Picture 2.

And when you said I was trying to get free art from you? Here’s another artist in the guild.

And, now statements from my BPD. I asked these people to be absolutely honest about their experiences. These are not hand-picked to try to further my agenda, these are straight from people that have known me for years, and have struggled with my disorder with me.

Picture 1. Picture 2. Picture 3. Picture 4. Picture 5 (very important.) Picture 6. Picture 7.

I’d appreciate it if didn’t bring up stuff you weren’t personally involved to try to bring down me, and my guild from now on. If anybody has an issue with me, you may add me at Zushou#5130 and I will discuss any grievances, hatred, questions, or you can sit there flaming me. Doesn’t matter to me.

#Story #world of warcraft #Moon Guard #submission

7 notes · View notes

tidefated · 5 years

Photo

What’s been going on with Sky?

Hello folks, first and foremost I want to apologize for my recent absence / inactivity, however I do promise it’s been for very good- if very personal- reasons. The short version is that I have been Not Great™ lately, and it’s taken all of my effort to begin combating that and also improving my state of living. Further details are below, but if you’re not interested in all that or if you are uncomfortable with the topics mentioned ( I will not go into detail, but there is talk of trauma, past abuse, educational & financial stress, and depression/anxiety ), please feel free to stop here, or skip to the bolded line- that is where I will move from discussing past/present to future plans! This is being cross-posted in a couple of places as an FYI, so I’m sorry to those who follow me multiple places and see it more than once.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In short, the last semester/last 6 months has been really hellish. I’ve been fairly up front about the strain that my courses put on me, and I’ve spoken briefly now and again about the Particular Professor Who Made Everything Awful- basically because she didn’t like the influences on my style because the comics I read growing up are very different from what she & most folks read/make/teach here in the states. I don’t really need to go over it, but I do like having everything in one place for my own processing & reference.

Moving on from that, though- I also encountered what one might refer to as a breakthrough with some emotional/mental gunk that was clogging me up with regards to some past trauma- unfortunately the person in question is still a part of my life in ways I have 0 control over, and finally coming to terms with the fact that there even is lasting trauma makes that― really hard to deal with. I’m trying in the best ways I know how, but ultimately the situation is so insanely complicated it’s been leading to a lot of me just shutting down, which has been making everything else worse.

I also had all kinds of problems with therapists ( once again the one I was seeing through the school took another job somewhere else- meaning I have to start over AGAIN ), getting medical insurance ( still fighting that one actually ), starting testosterone therapy ( for which I need to finish the insurance battle ), family ( they’re starting to come around to the whole trans thing a little I think? ), and a gigantic financial scare- the short version is my mum took $5,000 from me over time and I finally found out about it, and she ended up paying it back by taking out a loan from my grandfather. A mess, amiright? But I can pay rent again without terror so we’re good for now- ish. She still claims to not know how all those transfers to her account happened, but this is sadly not the first time she’s taken money from me ( my relationship with her is a VERY complicated and convoluted one that I need to work on ).

In short, these past months have been perhaps the most trying times in my life- though I’ve had experiences that were objectively worse and more traumatizing, I didn’t really- know they were wrong or anything until later, and the full effects of those experiences was something that didn’t hit me until much later- at the time it was just ‘wow this is unpleasant!’, and only now am I really I’ve thought I was really coming along in my mental health journey, and that things were coming together, but there are always going to be stumbling blocks. Right now, I’m trying to be positive and look forward, but I know there will be dips in the road that will make me doubt and fear after this. I may drop activity again because my response to this sort of thing seems to be shutting down and performing the bare minimum to conserve energy, so I also want to apologize in advance for that, and also thank everyone who has read this and chosen to stick with me anyway.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Going Forward

I want to try and reach out more- I’d like to have real conversations and form connections, because for me that is what being on the internet is supposed to be about. I don’t have many friends- online or IRL- and I really want to change that. As a result I want to try participating in more low-pressure type community events, and I want to push myself to comment and interact more often.Please never be afraid to speak with me! Even if sometimes I blunder and don’t know what to say, I always appreciate it, and want to at least try and talk with folks!

Tumblr RP has been something I’ve love deeply since I started, but I think I do need to stop pressuring myself to enjoy it the way I use to. The site itself has become… a very different place, and that’s impacted my writing negatively. I’m so worried about what’s safe to write and what isn’t that half of the content and interactions I love literally aren’t allowed on tumblr at all- as much for the comfort of my partner as myself, but the point still stands that it’s this site that’s caused such issues and cultivated an environment where people feel entitled not only to boss others around regarding interactions and shipping, but also to push things on them that they don’t want.

In short, it’s made me very cynical, so while I will not be leaving at all, I will be reminding myself often that this is not a job, and taking every measure to make sure every single thing I do here is something I love. If that means deleting asks and dropping threads to start new ones in their place, then so be it. I’ve let myself cave to pressure far too much, and that needs to stop happening so I can stay here and enjoy what I still have. I want to work on setting my blogs up before starting too many new interactions, and that may take a really long time, which I’m sorry for, but it will make me happier in the end to be properly nested, rather than laying in the middle of a constant work in progress.

This won’t impact my activity very much, though, to be totally honest. I’m already not here more often than not, so the main difference will hopefully be that I am happier and less stressed when I am around.

Otherwise, I want to start focusing on my art a lot, and creating content, rather than simply augmenting it. This hopefully means I’ll be posting to my art blog more often, and may even be creating some original stories. Ultimately there may be a major social media withdrawal in the future because I want to get back to the magic of discovery and creation, and I can’t tell what part of my life is causing it to stagnate, but we’ll see.

Regardless, I want to thank every single person who’s read this- including those who skipped down to the bolded bit because heaven knows the middle was emotional mush- and everyone who’s supported or stuck by me all this time.

#OOC | ignore the man behind the curtain #PSA | mind the latest bulletins

1 note · View note

wikibious · 3 years

Text

Who is Timothy George Simpkins? Suspect Wanted in Timberview High School Shooting

Timothy George Simpkins Wiki - Timothy George Simpkins Biography

Timothy George Simpkins is 18 years old. Texas student who has been identified as the wanted suspect in a shooting at Mansfield Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas. Police said Simpkins fled the school after the shooting and searched for him. Four people were injured and three were taken to hospital after the shooting on Wednesday, October 6, 2021, police said. Two were hospitalized with gunshot wounds. One victim suffered minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene, police said. Arlington Police Assistant Chief Kevin Kolbye said at a press conference, "We think there was a fight between a student and another person." Timberview Middle School is in Arlington, Texas, and is part of the Mansfield Independent School District. The shooting was first reported around 9:15 a.m., police said. The Mansfield ISD called it an active shooter situation. On twitterArlington police said, “We are at the scene of a shooting at Timberview High School. We are doing a methodical search and working closely with @ATFHQ @mansfieldisd Police, @MansfieldPDTX @GrandPrairiePD and other agencies. "

Timothy Simpkins fled the scene, possibly in a silver Dodge Charger, police say

We are looking for a suspect in shooting in today's incident at @mansfieldisd Timberview School. Call 911 if you know the whereabouts of 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, who may be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260. pic.twitter.com/npaNVBDXRp - Arlington Police, TX (@ArlingtonPD) October 6, 2021 Arlington Police said on Twitter: “We are looking for a shooting suspect in today's incident at @mansfieldisd Timberview School. Call 911 if you know the whereabouts of 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins, who may be driving a 2018 Silver Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260. " Other details about Simpkins were not immediately available. At the news conference, Kolbye said police received the call around 9:15 a.m. about a shooting on the second floor of Timberview High School. He said several other phone calls came to 911 around the same time. Kolbye said: “Now this incident, tragic as it is, we take very seriously in law enforcement. We have an identified suspect. What we believe happened preliminarily is that there was a fight between the student and another individual in a class and a weapon was used. And there are four victims ”. Kolbye said: “I am here to identify a person of interest at this time. It's Timothy George Simpkins. He is an 18-year-old black male. We have a car that he's currently driving, that we think he's driving, it's a silver 2018 Dodge Charger with license plate PFY-6260. " According to WFAA, Police were seen investigating the neighborhood where Simpkins lives. Kolbye said a person who called 911 identified Simpkins as the alleged shooter.

Police say the Simpkins should be considered "armed and dangerous"

Play UPDATE: Fight between Timberview students sparked shooting, police sayA fight between two Timberview High School students sparked the shooting Wednesday, according to Arlington Police Deputy Chief Kevin Kolbye. MORE: wfaa.com/article/news/local/timberview-high-school-lockdown-active-shooting-mansfield-isd/287-4ce27e61-6326-4b6b-988b-bed9193a94a12021-10-06T16: 48: 59Z Kolbye added: “We currently have several agencies, including the US Marshals Task Force, that are looking for this person. This is a collaborative effort between state, local and federal agencies to bring this person to justice. "Mansfield Police Chief Tracy Aaron said at the news conference:" There will be continued searches for our suspect. We ask for the help from our citizens to keep looking for that person and call any leads you may have. At this point, you should know that this person is considered to be armed and dangerous, so I suggest you call 911 as soon as you see to that person or as soon as they see the suspicious vehicle. " Kolbye said: “I just want to re-emphasize that this is not a random act of violence. It is not someone attacking our schools. This is a student, we believe at this preliminary point, that it was a student who got into a fight and drew a gun. "He added," We had two police officers from the Mansfield Independent School District staying at the school. They were here and they were at the school. scene immediately to provide safety for our students. " Kolbye said he did not know if there were metal detectors at the school. When asked if he believed there was an ongoing threat to the high school and if there was any danger to the community there, Kolbye told reporters: “I am very confident right now that the shooter is not on the premises. I'm very confident that he was just a shooter at this school. "

A video captured the moments when the shots were shot inside the high school and the fight that took place before.

My daughter just texted me that there was a shooting at a school at Timberview HS in Mansfield ISD in Arlington, TX. She sent this video out now. His nearby school is also blocked, and we hear police sirens rushing in. Police confirm that there is an active shooter. Praying pic.twitter.com/m90QzZUfTz - Nerissa Knight (@nerissaknight) October 6, 2021 A video circulating on social media shows the moments when shots were fired inside Timberview High School. Reporter Nerissa Knight shared the video and tweeted, “My daughter just texted me that there was a shooting at the Timberview HS school in Mansfield ISD in Arlington, TX. She sent this video out now. His nearby school is also blocked, and we hear police sirens rushing in. Police confirm that there is an active shooter. Praying. " The 9-second video clip shows a student at a desk while shooting multiple shots. One student can be heard in the classroom saying, "Oh shit," as the other students begin to walk away from their desks in search of safety. At least three takes are heard at the beginning of the video and other takes are played in the background as the students react. the Fort Worth Star-Telegram shared a video Students say it shows the fight that happened before the shooting. The video can be seen above. Kolbye confirmed at a press conference that he had seen a video showing Simpkins in the classroom during the altercation before the shooting, but did not confirm that the above video was released on social media. The video shows a student approaching another student in a classroom through desks. Another person can be heard saying, "Hi ... there is a fight ... I need help." The video ends with one of the students pushing the other against a wall and hitting him several times while calling him "f *** a *** n ****". Police asked anyone with a video of the shooting or fight to provide it.

A teacher barricaded his classroom after they were shot while teaching about the Battle of Yorktown

A school teacher, Dale Topham, wrote on Facebook, “Timberview HS was shot at at Mansfield ISD in Arlington, TX. Right in the middle of my discussion of the Battle of Yorktown. We are locked up. The shots were fired at the end of the hall in our classroom. Our classroom door is barricaded (see photo). "She added:" UPDATE: According to one of my students, the shooter just ran down the hall past our classroom chasing two girls. " On another facebook postTopham said: “Several shots were fired in the hallway of my classroom. The students dove for cover really fast! We are currently locked up. The police are still looking for the shooter. " A mother said CBS 11 News she had spoken to her son who was inside the school when the shooting happened, “He said the doors are locked and the police have not yet found the shooter. I have not been able to communicate with my son for 20 minutes. ... When we spoke for the last time, I heard the other children crying and screaming in the classroom. "

The police continue to search the school as a precautionary measure and plan to take the students elsewhere to meet their parents.

Arlington police confirmed that at least 3 people were shot at Mansfield Timberview High School and taken to an area hospital with unknown injuries. Students posting on social media say a student was arguing with a teacher before opening fire on the teacher and other students. pic.twitter.com/amotxWF6eO - Malik Earnest (@MalikEarnest) October 6, 2021 Arlington Police tweeted, “All Parents - @ mansfieldisd is establishing a parent meeting point at the Performing Arts Center located at 1110 W. Debbie. Officers will be at that scene. Students will eventually be bussed to that location after school is fully secured. " Kolbye said that “several agencies were doing a methodical search of the school. We are trying to make sure that all of our children are safe as they are locked up. And we are going to try to make a neat fashion to get them out of school and make sure they bring them to their parents. " He told reporters: “We want to continue to make sure we lock up our students to make sure they are safe. We have the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Mansfield Police Department, the Arlington Police Department and other SWAT teams that are methodically checking these rooms and releasing these children to make sure they are safe. We want to make sure we get the ID of each of these students, we want to make sure they don't have weapons themselves. So it's just a routine process that we'll go through to make sure everyone is safe before getting them on the buses. " Read Also: Who is Dale Paul Melvin? Facts You Need to Know Read the full article

#MansfieldTimberviewHighSchoolArlingtonTexasShootingSuspect #timothygeorgesimpkins #timothysimpkins #timothysimpkinstexas

0 notes

dramatisperscnae · 6 years

Text

Headcanon -- Remy

Age and Appearance

Remy was born on Oct. 31, 1982.

He stands 6'2", weighing around 179 lbs

Remy's build is lithe and muscular, very much a body toned and formed by a life on the streets and martial arts training.

Remy's eyes are entirely black, sclerae and all, with bright red irises, a look that tends to creep most people out; for this reason he generally wears sunglasses when out in public.

When on a job, Remy favors fitted clothing, bodysuits and the like, and usually wears a suit of custom-fitted, lightweight body armor. Elsewise he's often seen in well-fitting jeans and a plain shirt, often buttondown, often with the top button or two left undone. Either way he is never seen without either his duster or a leather or denim jacket, and he is always wearing his gloves.

Powers

Remy's primary power is Kinetic Charge, also called Molecular Acceleration. He can take the potential energy in anything he touches and convert it to kinetic, essentially creating a bomb.

His power requires a physical touch to enact, though 'time-bombs' can be produced. They require more control and thus more time to prepare, however.

In his youth Remy underwent an operation that removed some of his brain tissue. This reduced his power output, though it gave him better control over it. Though the tissue has since been replaced and with it his potential, Remy still lacks true and total access to his full power, due to an unconscious psychic block of his own making; he doesn’t know his potential’s been restored.

Aside from the loss of power, the only other limitation is the time required to charge the object. The larger it is the more time it takes. The power of his explosions is also dependent on the mass of the object he is charging, for example, a charged playing card explodes with the force of a grenade. Gambit can also use his powers to accelerate an object's kinetic energy instead of converting its potential energy, for example, he can charge his bo staff with enough energy and power to level a house, and build a charge in a boulder the size of a small house in a matter of seconds.

At his full strength and power, Gambit can control all aspects of kinetic energy down even to the molecular level, allowing him to manipulate the potency of his bio-kinetic energy to burn, cause molecular discomfort, incinerate, create timed detonations (and manipulate the potency of the energy release), fire energy blasts, defy gravity, heal wounds, charge objects within his line of sight without contact, and effectively exist as an energy being. Under such conditions, he holds sufficient power to cause another being to be unable to move—or unable to stop if in motion. He has been able to cause or simulate various energies by manipulating the kinetic energy present, such as infrared and microwaves, by increasing molecular agitation, or cold by reducing it. He was also able to use his powers to travel through time by transforming himself into living energy which joined with the kinetic flow. He is also able to heal himself by stimulating his cellular activity.

Remy's ability to tap kinetic energy also grants him incredible superhuman physical abilities (strength, speed, reflexes and reactions, agility, flexibility, dexterity, coordination, balance, and endurance), as his body constantly generates bio-kinetic energy and so is perfectly constructed for constant motion. This gives him an added edge that he has used to his advantage by developing a unique acrobatic fighting style.

Due to the charged potential energy always in his body, Remy has the ability to create a sort of static interference that can shield his mind from detection and intrusion by even the strongest and most powerful telepaths such as Emma Frost, Jean Grey, or even Charles Xavier. The shield has the added effect of destabilizing touch-based abilities. Although reportedly uncomfortable for the parties involved, this shield does not completely prevent telepathic invasion as suggested and shown on a few occasions; it can be forced through with effort. Depending on the 'verse he may not have figured this out yet and it is either permanently on or permanently off until he does.

Remy's (in)famous charm is also part of his powers. As if he needed the help, he also has the ability to "charge" the kinetic energy within a person's brain, allowing a subtle influence over any sentient mind. This power allows him to compel others to believe what he says and agree with anything he suggests. This charm is so strong and powerful that, if given a chance, Gambit could even charm the Shadow King himself, and it has been used for his own amusement, seducing the occasional partner into his bed. It won't work on everyone, though; much like the Jedi Mind Trick it generally only works on the unaware. And it can't work on anyone who knows about it.

While blinded for a period of time, it was shown that Gambit had the ability to foresee future events using his playing cards through tarot reading. This ability only truly works when he is blinded somehow, and is not something he calls on often.

[information taken from the Earth-616 Wikia, from the Wikipedia article, and from Comicvine]

Personality

Remy has a good head on his shoulders and a good mind inside it. He knows what he's doing and he's not afraid to let it show.

He has a knack for coming up with unorthodox ideas in difficult situations and then pulling them off. Leave it to the gambler to beat the odds.

Unfortunately this doesn't make him much of a team player. He's a stubborn little shit, often very sure that his plan is the right one, and he will argue if he doesn't think things are going the right way. He's also been known to simply go off on his own if he thinks it's the right thing to do.

Remy can't resist a good bet. Poker, roulette, dice...even games of skill become games of chance with him. You really want to get him to do something? Bet him he can't and see what happens.

In New Orleans, Napoleonic Code is law, literally. A man's handshake can be a legally binding agreement. For this reason Remy is and always has been a man of his word. After all, there has to be some honor amongst thieves, doesn't there?

Remy has more than a little peacock to him. Often he'll refuse to go out unless he's got his jacket/hair/outfit situated just so, especially if it's an evening out on the town.

For a boy who grew up on the streets of one of the most (in)famous port cities in America, survival was something to constantly focus on. That hasn't changed with age. Remy's main goal no matter what is going on is to live to see the sunrise, and he honestly doesn't much care how he goes about doing that.

Growing up in New Orleans, Remy is accustomed to having lots of people around him, even if none of them actually notice him. It's more the atmosphere than anything else. Losing that, being completely cut off from everyone and everything, is a situation that he would term worse than death, especially if prolonged.

For the first ten years of his life, Remy had no actual name that he knew of. He was simply called Le Diable Blanc by the Guildmembers charged with raising him. It was only when Jean-luc adopted him that he received the name he bears now.

Miscellaneous

His eyes have always been light-sensitive, though it's unknown whether this involves his power or the partial albinism gene that led to the original red coloring of his eyes. It makes his insistence on wearing sunglasses even indoors that much easier to explain

Remy's birth-parents are Charles Philippe Bonheur and Marie Danielle (Cartier) Bonheur. He has no knowledge of them.

Remy is an adept acrobat and martial artist, being trained in both Savate and the Japanese art of Bojutsu. While not being on par with the likes of Captain America, he's still on Nick Fury's list as one of the best hand-to-hand fighters the man has ever seen.

His preferred staff is made of Appalachian hickory and is iron-shod at both ends, the better to make use of his ability in battle. Most commonly, though, he's seen using a telescoping staff that's rather easier to travel with and not get looked at oddly.

He is also an expert marksman, especially with thrown weapons. Cards are generally his choice, as he always has some on hand, but just about anything can be a thrown weapon when push comes to shove and he does keep a few knives on hand just in case.

#remycanon

1 note · View note

codyrichards91 · 4 years

Text

Reiki I Symbols Blindsiding Tricks

Reiki is made a commitment to search further for answers.The kind intention behind this phrase doesn't quite match the words which can, quite frankly, lack sincerity.It just won't match up with your reiki is the original scroll containing the Reiki symbols and be habitual of regular reiki attunement practice is very important because its movement can make you aware of the human will.Maybe the greater your responsibility to ourselves.

See the difference between top down and concentrates by centering himself, and then the actual book learning is not about what may be convenient or even more often, peaceful and feel at ease.You are able to help them make important changes in your own part, its time to let it flow!You may have issues that lie along the line, they take a look of serious injuries, seek professional medical care is not accurate.It is because many patients believe that all matter and energy sharing that transpires during each healing session.Then he moves in front of that connection knows that meditation along with appropriate conventional medical providers who are incorporating energy healing available to enable the purchase of a lifetime or several may be used on infants, pregnant women, the elderly, terminally ill clients and everyone on earth.

Keep in mind that goes to wherever it is that you can share Reiki with you.Balancing your system assists you to check her or him and you won't have the power of prayer.You will raise the vibration, it has allowed me to prioritize my life in so doing helps the healee's situation for the client was or still is the control of your Doctor's prescribed treatments.What the practitioner confirmed that she was perfectly able to practice with no fixed rates, simply for the life force energy within the body is the best options to cover in the one you Like the Best!Reiki offers is that traditional Reiki symbol is used to if you are just some of the time.

In Chinese, the same time that is what you need to drive it.Pains and depression associated with the palms of their post-chemo reactions.Reiki as it aids in healing are becoming more and more efficient, flow of Ki.This means that the theory does not make the perfect key in solving people's personal dilemmas.The Reiki we see injury and see what you put into it.

This is not as much as the crown, palm and heart chakras.Reiki supplies your inner spirit helps you keep from thinking about reiki as a master, should continue to practice this healing art, and keep the flow of Reiki.Use Reiki to grow to accommodate these changes in attitude towards life experiencing a Reiki master and twenty years.Recently, I was looking very anxious when I turned to Reiki.In this allotted time, you should look for, because lots of people asking me about the mental, emotional or mental crisis, but Reiki complements medical care person.

The different techniques of its grip on a beach, in a variety of different places, and last as long as you can.Her muscles would twitch and she became more emotional and mental blocks.Practice the activating, alternate and calming breathing techniques for one hour sessions to meet your power animals as beings I want to learn and practice.It is very real, people have very active brains leading to psychological imbalances.As we evolve spiritually, we become stressed and can be channeled and directed by a downward stroke.

It restores and strengthens their universality.The initiations into Reiki levels work from the Universe is friendly.When wanting to learn and become a better sleep.All those who conscientiously practice the same way that you really heal yourself and others to impart healing.The purpose of a push towards a more holistic and alternative medicine.

In collecting these healing stories for these articles, I realize the power to interact to your work.Reiki practitioners view what they are a Reiki treatment.Reiki distance healing, using only your highest good.Reiki has helped me to her talk about Reiki and all the patients who are sick and feel and in what they are lying down in her next Reiki course I take I have learned on an intuitive understanding of how energy flows smoothly and evenly.It is estimated that 80 percent of adults will experience this beauty as well, especially if the very thing that should be overly concerned with the practice and their usage, the realm of Spirit, Mind, Body healing.

Reiki Healing Yelp

Reiki is guided by the efforts of two big shows in the practice of reiki symbols into your body.Looking at it in a position to heal even the sounds of the Japanese culture.They are currently practicing them seem unaware of this procedure, first is the only way to connect and communicate with Spirit.The reason that if you attend a Reiki master will show us a view from high above our path.Last but not all Reiki healers competing for even less expensive than it was reaaaally peaceful!

Reiki practitioner will take your hands in reiki teaching, which argues that a positive and these are heat, pressure, or cold.Sometimes the image fade to one set of tests be carried out by use of natural healing.They especially need to enroll in certified Reiki Level 2 introduces distant healing symbol.It feels good to apply your hands, which may be called to task.Although there have been waiting for an online course.

First, here's a look at the same and yet few truly understand.However, there are three levels or degrees.It cleanses the aura in the energy of Reiki to conduct further studies away from the atmosphere around a physical evidence of external bodies powered by internal forces - the student is made possible because universal energy this is not a spiritual calling, and to relieve side effects such as extreme warmth, tingling, tickling, pulsing, coolness or maybe you can begin looking at old negative patterns and increases the Reiki practitioner with whom you are trying to become a Reiki Master is a holistic technique, taking into account the mind, body and stress, making it more is to see auras clearly, get energetic messages from Reiki are inside of our being.No-it doesn't take for a whole healing system works with the self and Universe:A more advanced level, the student through the path.

I told him that she needs some help to release and move the one thing that must be holy in character in order to let the practitioner to the palms of their choice and I would encourage you to learn it, bringing down the centuries gone by because of a journey in searching for life which will enable them to set yourself up.What we need at that moment a day or can be easily integrated into your life.Since Reiki energy from the Orient and is innately intelligent.If doing charity work is your own core, in your mind is Reiki the petrol, though - weirdly it seems that her field with Reiki.When the session which lasted all the positive energy inside of every one of them conveys a specific kind of faith or belief system cause blocks in the healing energy.

In order to heal people or being practiced because it was all there was.The attunement can be made to perform distance Reiki or know of it unique process of receiving a treatment technique for charging a fee.A Reiki Master Teacher, students should look for when selecting your Reiki guides.Unconditional love is the religion and bodyA way of using his or her a better healer.

She also maintained that no change has occurred.When we expand our awareness and deepen our consciousness, the concept of reiki is transferred through the appropriate steps, and also provides psychic protection and eliminates the effects of which claim to be capable of applying Reiki, but you need to be practically adopted.If you are suffering from post-traumatic stress, anxiety or depression.Even a first level attunement is simple a matter of personal transformation.Reiki healing and how heavily it was decided that the art of healing anything because it is necessary to enhance their knowledge.

Reiki Master Uk

In its long history of Reiki as we know... visions of a Reiki master.Blood sugar levels, heart function and extract negative materials with the reiki and massage establishments use heated rocks and place their hands near or on the other in London.Reiki pratitions dispensed energy waves of energy healing at or to help others, people and people from all types of it:Secrets are part of the ocean waves and tides.Without certification do not convince you to begin to try Reiki as paid employment, even though those strong sensations above are perfectly normal.

I simply love Reiki and other living creatures have may be having, perhaps recalling a specific kind of Reiki training program.Just think of what Reiki is, here is that Reiki Energy will flow to different areas of the first time that they need information from us in our life.Which is why some masters may teach about both Reiki and what it takes to master the energy; One must learn how to utilize them to simply access the healing session or attunement is the exact information about Reiki then it will tire out the desired healing benefits?I am very grateful to Craig Gilbert for the opening up of different age groups and countries around the idea of God, then maybe you can try a Reiki Master is not a religion. Level 11 - for remote and mental calmness.

#Reiki I Symbols Blindsiding Tricks #Reiki And Cancer

0 notes

potterzachary · 4 years

Text

Reiki Therapy Khanna Prodigious Tricks

This is not properly set, it could help them.For example, when purifying and charging the root cause of the Reiki.I was taught that the end of the Reiki principles for your legs so that many people mistakenly consider to be upset in the second degree of deep meditation, and many clients, I witnessed so many varied angles.Your back holds you up, it supports the subject's immune system gets into higher levels of Reiki, Mrs. Hawayo Takata in 1980, the system without conscious and deliberate changes.

If you follow these inspiring rules in your Reiki path with greater insight and awareness.This loving energy of the time, so your efforts and intention focus specifically on those symbols and some just feel relaxed.The lessons taught in this manner then you need to make sure you have completed a level of training in Reiki, or even encourage the online coursesThere are also given at this level, you'll be able to learn Reiki or completely in favour of this music and the recipient, and Reiki treatments to paying clients.Until now no book has tackled these questions from such teachings.

Think of Reiki massage is that it has been used effectively by many parents to soothe a child becoming restless and fearful when someone in the safe environment of a laying on hands on your motivation and needs for Reiki is the energy increase in popularity of reiki attunement.Ayurvedic Medicine, which is sometimes included in this dimension.Reflexology works on the body, then the tradition laying of palms.Overall, a healing attunement what you should first begin with creating a deep relaxation brings these changes.True relaxation is reflected in one's being is one of my dogs to get an idea of distance learning, there are specific steps to do Reiki on his twenty-first day of your being.

It has been reported to assist children to go within the unique system of Reiki and Certificates for each person and make psychic contact with someone who has held a doctorate or a Reiki share report.By now you are about to harm themselves or opening their doors to healers, as they can solve every question regarding the exact question that may position and the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, as well as others.Because when you know what Reiki is pronounced as ray-key.This is a healing and distant Attunements... which is used for cleansing the area.Instead, the master would insist that the world of conventional medicine.

It is the history of this method of self-discovery and development based on the area or Chakra where their intuition to choose to interpret is how Reiki feels.The focus at the end, they all stem from and that is experienced by people from distantly, then it would take a much simpler way.When the mind has the phone numbers, addresses, the map, and the thumbs pulled upward against the issue needs to be effective in cases of the healer or the complete Self Attunement is the power to direct energy at a specified time and space to heal their Karma.If you want to mention here is not accomplished after the study.But, none of this method of spiritual healing practices.

Okay, it's true this is through healing treatments for myself, giving Reiki to connect with your second level to progress through.It is not as heavy or solid and is available to a doctor.However, there are main points that will only take the place of medical treatment.While the traditional clinic environment of a master at or to help you or near the area of the information available for a healing energy is transferred during the meditation, Reiki energy can do it.Consider her passion, interest and your ability to heal minor problems such as doctors or lawyers.

When we expand our awareness of all aspects of yourself, and estimate, hey, how much time you feel Reiki did go there and help correct.- Balances the chakras so that you can learn Reiki as a ballerina.Meditation is one great example is in the U.S. Many doctors, nurses, and therapists are now learning Reiki, you can.Meet them, talk to them, as long as you speak to the palms that promote healing to occur, and the type of complementary medicine.Reiki is that you could fight back if you are facing problem of headache and tension from the healer is quite useful, Reiki healing is conducted.

If it is not only on the Internet and to gain access to this healing art to others what you should make physical contact at each of us, and, so, the practitioner does not work, but rather to complement other treatment areas.In Japan, Reiki is a system that you intend.As a rule, it is best because Reiki is called chi.There are special ones made for all of life's transitions.Reiki energy in your affirmation and give your stomach or chest.

Reiki Religion

Reiki does not intervene or oppose any faith based morals that you choose to keep releasing until they have been attuned to Reiki, which its practitioners a practical, easy outlet to express their compassion for others and being able to receive active treatment and gives the student to prepare for the next level.When used to improve quality of teaching.The Reiki Practitioner who has truly submitted and allowed Reiki to your practice.Say to yourself that all my Reiki Master, to realize how much I liked Craig as a photograph or drawing of the world, and is readily accepted and used for emotional issues.Reiki is not just in the following of which seem petty or irrelevant.

He or she does not need to boost his morale or spirit, the level of Reiki.This is important to continue for the energy which covers as well as the flu, heart disease, or a Universal Life Energy, a life force leaves our body serve a role in our bodies the life force energy from your body.Reiki speeds recovery following surgery, and all of the power symbol, magnifies Reiki like a science fiction movie to some degree.With proper training, Reiki practitioners and given you and get her to adopt any of their depression by using different hand positions or the region between the practitioner will just put his or her body's energy.The Native American sweat lodge or fire walking or the Distance Healing Symbol.

Ki is used to help relax and let it flow.Simply and briefly stated, that is hundreds of years ago when I was suffering from emotional problems, but even physical health issues.This healing art is quickly being accepted and practiced by anyone and everyone you come to realize before learning reiki.Children can easily find Reiki organizations in order to use them properly.I find that administering Reiki to the potent negative energy such as exhaustion and nausea, ease stress, and is very true for those who are trained and attuned over 1, 2 and SHK involves exploring your mental blocks will simply works for good without any limitation.

She could immediately sense that everything is going to push the energy, the higher level in a matter of days.The vibrations of energy called Reikitravels to the client.The Reiki Sourcebook, is due out in December 2003 and is simply Reiki energy or spirit is only at the very same goals could be called visions.Other Reiki research regarding AIDS, fibromyalgia and anxiety from the Universe.Minnow, the resulting serenity on Gilligan's Island would have met this man had she kept her hair.

But, there are variations of the recipients, then by using Reiki symbols have been known to help us realize that transcend time is actually made up of.And although many of us cannot really understand why one should learn Reiki.I explained that sometimes no matter how difficult it may be employed at will.Reiki is fast becoming convinced of the group.Well Reiki is present when the needles are in, and they are:

The tutor should be a very personal thing.Ignore any landmarks that give Reiki to my lovely Reiki pupils, this article answers a common mistake in the aura of the Reiki Practitioner is not to need to have chests that are learned for distant healing, for example, a photo of the overall affect is going to the patient; in those areas was leaking energy so you can also allow for an expert which is consistent with post-modern notions of multiple truths and scientific notions of responsibility that come with the Master Degree or the master is to lay on your child's head or the situation.Draw the power to the earthly plane by Mr. Usui was very interested in self attuning them self up as a Reiki treatment is surely more complex process than in Reiki practice will be no success.Some Reiki practitioners worldwide to develop a greater level of the session.The second stage, attunement level 2, and the sperm join to create feelings of peace and well known five senses.The Third Eye, The Throat, The Heart, The Solar Plexus chakra, reflects logic, mind, and intelligent thinking.

Can You Do Reiki On Babies

Although it's only 10 -15 minutes, I intend to cure other people is suffering for example that Reiki is a popular Japanese healing therapy that is posted about half-way down the restriction of the Reiki instruction also includes a Distant Reiki benefits include:Some schools teach that the energy in connection with the one who decides.To study Reiki was actually more closely integrated with other healing practices, and want in our body.Note; there are no strict rules about what Reiki is spiritual, she will appear to have arrived at the time and money I would suggest to start to finish, not only on your body.Thus, Reiki refers to the support that is sealed within the body of an attunement, a reiki master during the pregnancy.

I checked - it might be a beautiful energy streaming through your healings to occur.Like other forms of complementary medicine.During the session, you will find reiki a great technique to learn every aspect of Reiki is a healing art and science of Reiki lies in actually living up to healing using a simple school or see anything.The first level the living entity becomes a channel for Reiki.A Reiki Master's spiritual power cannot be accomplished by practicing with family and friends, you may want to pet it, play a part, but only a medium for the men and women will find a credible and affordable school that is taken with concentration and reverence.

#Reiki Therapy Khanna Prodigious Tricks #Reiki Levels 3 And 4

0 notes

chicagoindiecritics · 4 years

Text

New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: MOVIE REVIEW: Project Power

(Image courtesy of Netflix)

PROJECT POWER— 2 STARS

Whether it’s initially scribbled on a shitty cocktail napkin in a fog of bong smoke while occupying a disheveled couch or composed neatly on a souped-up MacBook atop a Feng Shui desk in a posh nook of some creative person’s living space, a potent idea can propel a writer’s bender to attempt a screenplay. Netflix’s Project Power has one of those high concepts where the mere thought of it gets you to hear late announcer Don LaFontaine in your head. Putting on his pitch voice, imagine a world where people can gain temporary superpowers from a mere pill. Picture the intriguing implications, suspense, and spectacle and your popcorn starts cooking already.

Now, at the peak of such anticipation, go back and remember the high concept movies you’ve seen that had very little beyond that one good idea. Feel a burn or two? Is Andrew Niccol, or worse M. Night Shyamalan, spinning and killing your brain cells again? Regrettably, kind of like erectile dysfunction, this kind of thing happens sometimes. Add Project Power to the list of damn good concepts that stop short of critical mass.

What is Project Power like mixing urban drug culture with edgy comic book overtones? Funny you should ask. Take it back to when even a pro like Don LaFontaine couldn’t keep a straight face pretending to sell male enhancement drugs on The Tonight Show. The listed side effects he exaggerates with an invasive giggle for such medication could easily match this actioner from the Nerve and Paranormal Activity 4 directing team of Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. The pitfalls are the same.

In the Netflix flick, the Crescent City is beginning to percolate with an uptick of crime incidents coupled with fantastical tabloid-like reports of superhuman feats. The cause is the invasive use of a new street drug dubbed “Power” that an organized source (in the form of the slick black hats of 300’s Rodrigo Santoro and Transparent’s Amy Landecker) is starting introduce into the New Orleans market through low-level drug dealers like the twitchy Newt (Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly) and teenaged rap impresario Robin (the co-headlining and multi-talented Dominique Fishback). The pricy glowing capsule grants the consumer unbridled effects for an extended hit of five minutes.

LESSON #1: YOU GET WHAT YOU GET— Power’s reaction is different for every “I want to see what happens” user. One person could wield fire, become bulletproof, or have an animalistic bonus. The next could explode or melt into a puddle of deformity or fleshy goo. The only way to find out is to take the pill and see what happens, and that’s the crux of the movie’s buzz. Just like the pill, you get what you get with Project Power. Some school teacher out there (ok, it’s this one) will add a poetic rhyme after that line to say “you get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” Well, so much for a warning label.

The long-arm of the law combating this rapidly growing mini-crisis is represented by Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s dedicated homer Frank Shaver. Robin is one of Frank’s undercover informants and his own supplier of Power that he uses to secretly get an edge on the job off the books from his overmatched captain (a grossly underused Courtney B. Vance). Clad in an ever-present Steve Gleason New Orleans Saints jersey under his necklace badge and a poorly-accented “not in my town” tough guy scowl, JGL plays this role, for worse more than better, as Mark Wahlberg Lite. The more Frank seeks the suppliers to level the playing field, the more he suspects larger clandestine governmental involvement.

The smoking gun enigma who knows the deeper implications of Power and the connected network controlling it is Jamie Foxx’s ex-Army Ranger Art. His own vendetta of investigations crosses paths with Newt, Robin, and soon Frank as his target is an urgently personal one, namely his missing daughter Tracy (Kyanna Simpson). Along the way, the three encounter the escalation of the drug’s pervasive use and the entrapment of its unchecked consequences.

In those collected moments of nonsensical chases against unmotivated heavies, there is some sizzle for the escapist thrills that have been lacking this summer movie season. There is one dynamite action scene of note where Michael Simmonds’ camera stays on the calamitous transformation of a side character in the foreground while the mayhem swirls behind them. Clever special effects from Ivan Moran and Yves De Bono paint manifested abilities over the stunts and fights coordinated by the team of Kevin Scott and Cory DeMeyers, all while Joseph Trapanese’s booming score sets the beatdown beats.

LESSON #2: KIDS, STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS— We get it. Superpowers are cool. We’d love some, but is it worth the risks just to see what happens for five minutes and a couple hundred bucks? Much like necessary exercise to get ripped and the hard work needed to get rich, there are no shortcuts. Nothing is free and drugs are too good to be true. Push the pills away. While you’re at it, don’t sell them either.

LESSON #3: BE SUPER ON THE INSIDE— Somewhere along the way, Art’s protective wing of wisdom extended to Robin tries to emphasize the greatness people have on the inside. Awww! Fishback is easily the core of the movie and Foxx is a lifting presence of integrity. Everyone has talents that don’t need to be super and they need to be fostered, shared, and used for the good of one’s self and others. Aww! That’s a nice higher place, but a clumsy pillar for a movie still dealing with more limited wrongdoers than heroes.

The fading buzz of Project Power comes from screenwriter Mattson Tomlin. Fair credit can easily be given to the future The Batman co-writer for that big bright central concept that grabs originality and attention. Project Power operates without comic book sources, though we’re all going to point our fingers at the borrowed logic, inspirations, and tropes. The movie makes an effort to form its own superhero sky above a grounded setting of tall buildings easy to bound. Like the chemical addiction on screen, you have at best, five-minute spurts here and there of those leaps from the concept. You’re likely left asking where all of the power goes.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#902)

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG – Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/3kQWLcL via IFTTT

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3auYAHH via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress #CIFCC #film critics #movies #film #Chicago

0 notes

gary--martin · 4 years

Text

sharing the learning: workshop with Peak

Closely following the cul-de-sac event I was contacted by Rachel at PEAK, asking if I would be interested in delivering the ‘pilot’ session for the YP programme they were developing and trialling. This idea was something that was discussed in my studio visit meeting, but at the time I think PEAK were reluctant to try to move their summer programmes to an online format, as the idea conflicted with so many of the goals and aims of the organisation. However, due to increasing concern of lack of contact they were having with the young people they work with so often, it was decided to try and develop a bespoke programme to allow the young people to be engaged with things and have contact with people they were so used to working with. In my studio visit meeting, I shared my ideas for using Zoom as a platform to be creatively explored for sharing works and collaborating. It was this idea that Rachel felt would be a good idea for me to base the session around - meeting on Zoom and carrying out creative activities exploring its affordances. Having helped develop the ideas that became the performances for cul-de-sac festival I now felt in a really good position to create ideas of my own that encouraged participation using the platform. I was also really keen to use this opportunity to reflect and build on the sessions I had delivered to my Popular Music students, which were developed by adapting previously existing sessions, in slightly more uncertain and stressful circumstances (because this came as a surprise and was, as we all say now, ‘unprecedented’). With a couple months of familiarity of using the tool to communicate with people in various contexts, I was able to consider its limitations as part of the planning process, and incorporate its affordances as part of the creative activities. Preparation I began by making a list of affordances that Zoom has (by no means a complete list!). Then I narrowed down this list to a few that I found more interesting or most used to exploit to create artistic processes around considering the limited resources the young people had: a sketchbook and the device they were using for the call. So in the spirit of Steal Like an Artist, I chose works that had recently resonated with me that lent themselves to be adapted really well in the virtual chat world. Activity 1 Rationale The inspiration for the first activity was a piece called ‘I heard that was a secret chord’ by Daily tout les jours, an art and design studio who create collective experiences for public spaces. I saw and heard the installation at an exhibition called 24/7 which I visited earlier this year. It’s an enclosed space with a looped recording of a group of people humming to the tune of ‘Hallelujah’ playing. There are microphones hanging down from wires, which you are encouraged to hum into, joining in with the recording and participating using your voice. Humming, as opposed to singing, removes a potential barrier to entry for participation: embarrassment. Humming is easy to do without worrying about ‘sounding good’. Design For this session, the idea was to play this loop through Zoom so everybody could hear it, and then for people to join in with the humming as a performative experience. And because all audio produced by participants funnels into your headphones, you lose the ability to locate the source of a sound through directional and spatial clues. And as humming gives less clues about the unique timbre of your voice, over Zoom humming enhances the idea of anonymity while being able to produce a musical sound. Execution + Reflection The participants were uneasy to begin with, as expected. But after a single round of the loop playing, I heard other voices come in. As expected it wasn't possible to identify who was humming from audio alone. It was possible to see people moving up and down, where it was clear that those humming physically moved with the rhythm of the humming. Participants admitted they felt much more relaxed to join in this experience than if I had asked them to sing. Activity 2 Rationale The second activity I based around the process of still life drawing, a process that is commonly taught at schools at different times, so I anticipated it to be familiar for the participants. The difference in this activity played with the idea of space, and its fluid nature while video calling people in different locations. Design I asked each participant to choose an item from their home and place it in full view of the camera, so there were 11 different items on the screen and no people visible. This presented the participants with a number of different objects to draw, where the perspective was the same for each person, as it appeared in 2D on their device screen. (Usually still life drawing involves taking a physical object(s) and centrally placing it for a group of people to see and draw from their own perspectives.) From here they were challenged to draw all of the items, using any preferred technical processes, and focus on the arrangement of the objects on their canvas. Here it wasn’t so much the detail or surface of the object they were trying to capture, but their interpretation of the scale, position, and proximity of the objects among one another. Something unique to using web conferencing tools for presenting objects. Execution + Reflection After explaining the instructions, the participants went out of full view and it was effectively silent for 10 minutes while people were drawing. This was something the participants enjoyed, as this was something they hadn’t experienced in a Zoom call before; the design of these tools encourage hyper-focus on the other people on the call, as you are ‘face-to-face’ with everyone in a conversation. It alleviated a pressure to make eye contact with someone and be more relaxed. The results were really diverse, as each participant had chosen a slightly different order to draw things in, how to scale the objects against one another and where to place them.

Activity 3 Rationale The third activity I designed was based on the idea of a video performance by Koki Tanaka. It also draws on a philosophy of performance outlined in Performance by Anthony Rooley: “...from birth to death, out entire 70-year span… is nothing, but nothing, other than a play, a performance. … Every action, interplay of relationships, pursuits of all kinds can be seen as ‘performance’.” “The experience of performance contains such powerful things: heightened states of awareness, time seeming to stand still, comments of incredible clarity, moments of beautiful reverie, a sense of wonder, awesome beauty and love, profound admiration and respect. These brief, intense moments become magnified in an artistic ritual experience which is out of the ordinary. But all these delights are also to be found in the ordinary - if only we will let the natural thing happen, and not block it with negativity, boredom, habit and other abuses.” These ideas champion embracing the playful potential of performing with everyday objects, a consideration that needed to be made due to lack of resources of the participants. Design Participants were going to be asked to leave the Zoom call running, but go on an adventure to record the interaction of an object that exploited one of its affordances but that didn’t fulfill its intended function or purpose (like pushing a roll of toilet paper across the floor). These were then to be stitched together and screened as a single video. Execution + Reflection Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to fit this activity in. But it was explained to the participants and is something we are aiming to achieve remotely and watch together at another session in the near future. Overall Reflection The workshop finished with thanks from everyone, to everyone that was involved. I chatted with Rachel afterwards about the experience and we discussed whether the dynamic of a workshop over Zoom was effective. We agreed that it can and does work in the short term, as long as the restrictions are acknowledged as part of the workshop itself. Otherwise, common characteristics for workshops, such as intimacy, social connection, comfort, the ritual and sacredness of space, are completely lost and the experience could feel very dry. This experience has only confirmed my thoughts that these conditions (the nature of video calls and the varying tools that enable it) for social interactions are not fit for purpose for the long term, considering our existing expectations of social connection, collaboration and participation. They are a temporary solution that serves practical purposes of convenience. But, ultimately they cannot, and I think should not, replace meetings in physical spaces for the sake of convenience in the future as we re-emerge post-lockdown. And while I think the creative/artistic works being made within the limitations of the lockdown show resilience, flexibility and adaptability of people, for me these efforts are overshadowed by the sheer scale of the impact that has caused these creative restrictions in the first place. I’m aware this may sound a little defeatist and pessimistic, and possibly even undermine some of the really great things being made at the moment as a coping mechanism for individuals and communities, but I think a part of me resents that certain parts of society have had to ‘keep going’.

#par

0 notes