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musaics · 4 years

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ON CYCLONE RELEASE. Not 100% certain on the name yet because there’s a lot of stuff I could do with a combination of wind + water releases + hydrification technique. So bear with me. But anyway, cyclone release: A unique release created by Suigetsu that combines his two chakra natures and his clan techniques. Developed strictly post-war, because pre-war (and pre-abduction), Suigetsu only learned water techniques and honed his swordsman skills. Kinda grew up being told his wind nature would never be necessary to use. Anyway, on with it:

THINGS TO NOTE.

Cyclone release can only be used when a large body of water is present: A pond, lake, etc. A river can be used if its deep and wide. A puddle will not do. A bathtub will not do (unfortunately).

There’s not really. . A set of Jutsu that accompanies Cyclone release. It’s just a state of turmoil that Suigetsu developed and uses to his advantage.

ATMOSPHERIC IMPACT; FORMING THE CYCLONE. (im kinda bout to explain how hurricanes form but w/e-)

What does a cyclone need to form over an ocean? In part, intense humidity. As such, after joining a decent-sized body of water, Suigetsu is able to disperse this water (and in part, himself) through the wind/air and effect an area’s humidity levels. It is necessary that Suigetsu disperse part of himself so that he may use his body heat to heat the water and air. This requires a little chakra to do, but does not to be done at a constant; once the hot humid air begins to rise, he doesn’t have to do it anymore (that, and Suigetsu is so used to liquifying himself that it’s not a big chakra sucker anyway). Anyway, in doing this, he makes the air hot and humid. And Extreme humidity + warm air increases the likelihood an opponent would become dehydrated, cause breathing difficulties, joint pain, etc. Naturally weaken the enemy before engaging, yeah? It’s usually done gradually to keep the enemy unsuspecting, but it can be done within a matter of seconds if need be. It can go from spring day to stickier and hotter than a sauna in 30 seconds. The hottest temperature Suigetsu has been able to make the air is 104°F (40°C) Add the intense humidity to that and it feels even hotter.

After he’s done making everyone miserably and dangerously hot, Suigetsu stops applying heat and uses chakra to cause this water to rise up, cool, and evaporate quickly. And then that evaporated water gets dummy thicc and forms some nasty clouds. This warm air and cooling water continue to rise and get stuck in this fat ass cloud until it starts spinning. This process takes about 2 minutes to set-up, but does not require his body as the last step did. So, he can engage the enemy in combat while the clouds are doing their thing.

Once that shit starts really spinning, Suigetsu’s ready to wreak havoc.

RAGING STORM AND SPINNING WATERS.

It’s gonna be pouring, man. And wind will beat you to hell (80mph or higher). Combining his water and wind natures once again, Suigetsu makes the raindrops like needles: He his control of the wind to fling those drops and slice you like senbon. He’ll also use this wind to dissipate and move quickly around the battlefield (he gets a big speed boost), hitting you and disappearing again before you know it.

The body of water Suigetsu originally joined with has legitimately turned into a giant whirpool and his goal is to try to drag his enemy in there to either a) drown them b) let the water pressure crush their bones or c) just spin them around around until they get sick as hell and then he drowns them. Suigetsu himself alters the water pressure to make it bone-crushing.

A spiraling outer perimeter made of water (maybe about 6 inches thick and is very tall) is formed around the area of the storm to try to prevent an enemy from escaping. They could, but this would require them to risk every bone in their body being crushed by water pressure. So if they wanna try.. Go ‘head.

The storm created is always intense, but the length of the storm varies depending on the body of water. A pond would allow the cyclone release storm to last about 4-5 minutes. A lake maybe double or triple that. A sea would be much longer. The ocean itself? Hoo baby you better hope not.

STRENGTHS OF USING CYCLONE RELEASE.

Cool for taking out a large number of enemies

Pretty effective against folks using a fire release. Y’all just making that air hotter and making that storm stronger

Really helpful when working with other water-style users. So much water.

If his jutsu don’t hit ‘em, an uprooted tree will.

Just makes Suigetsu feel really cool and powerful

LIMITATIONS OF USING CYCLONE RELEASE.

Use this against a lightning-style user and you’re just fucked. Don’t do it.

Would be really hard to use in a snowy-region because that’s a lot of cold air to heat up.

Do not attempt to use against Haku. Haku will just prevent u from making hot humid air. U will get cold icy air and hate yourself, Suigetsu

Kinda takes some time to set-up.

Kinda destroys the area he’s working with. Oops.

Ok ty.

#headcanon #long post #cyclone release #drowning mention #is this dumb

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peppymint1986 · 4 years

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Who needs a laugh, or some advice

Source: http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html

I highly recommend going to the site and checking out the ones that did not make the top 100 list.

Peter’s Evil Overlord List

My Legions of Terror will have helmets with clear plexiglass visors, not face-concealing ones.

My ventilation ducts will be too small to crawl through.

My noble half-brother whose throne I usurped will be killed, not kept anonymously imprisoned in a forgotten cell of my dungeon.

Shooting is not too good for my enemies.

The artifact which is the source of my power will not be kept on the Mountain of Despair beyond the River of Fire guarded by the Dragons of Eternity. It will be in my safe-deposit box. The same applies to the object which is my one weakness.

I will not gloat over my enemies' predicament before killing them.

When I've captured my adversary and he says, "Look, before you kill me, will you at least tell me what this is all about?" I'll say, "No." and shoot him. No, on second thought I'll shoot him then say "No."

After I kidnap the beautiful princess, we will be married immediately in a quiet civil ceremony, not a lavish spectacle in three weeks' time during which the final phase of my plan will be carried out.

I will not include a self-destruct mechanism unless absolutely necessary. If it is necessary, it will not be a large red button labelled "Danger: Do Not Push". The big red button marked "Do Not Push" will instead trigger a spray of bullets on anyone stupid enough to disregard it. Similarly, the ON/OFF switch will not clearly be labelled as such.

I will not interrogate my enemies in the inner sanctum -- a small hotel well outside my borders will work just as well.

I will be secure in my superiority. Therefore, I will feel no need to prove it by leaving clues in the form of riddles or leaving my weaker enemies alive to show they pose no threat.

One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation.

All slain enemies will be cremated, or at least have several rounds of ammunition emptied into them, not left for dead at the bottom of the cliff. The announcement of their deaths, as well as any accompanying celebration, will be deferred until after the aforementioned disposal.

The hero is not entitled to a last kiss, a last cigarette, or any other form of last request.

I will never employ any device with a digital countdown. If I find that such a device is absolutely unavoidable, I will set it to activate when the counter reaches 117 and the hero is just putting his plan into operation.

I will never utter the sentence "But before I kill you, there's just one thing I want to know."

When I employ people as advisors, I will occasionally listen to their advice.

I will not have a son. Although his laughably under-planned attempt to usurp power would easily fail, it would provide a fatal distraction at a crucial point in time.

I will not have a daughter. She would be as beautiful as she was evil, but one look at the hero's rugged countenance and she'd betray her own father.

Despite its proven stress-relieving effect, I will not indulge in maniacal laughter. When so occupied, it's too easy to miss unexpected developments that a more attentive individual could adjust to accordingly.

I will hire a talented fashion designer to create original uniforms for my Legions of Terror, as opposed to some cheap knock-offs that make them look like Nazi stormtroopers, Roman footsoldiers, or savage Mongol hordes. All were eventually defeated and I want my troops to have a more positive mind-set.

No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head.

I will keep a special cache of low-tech weapons and train my troops in their use. That way -- even if the heroes manage to neutralize my power generator and/or render the standard-issue energy weapons useless -- my troops will not be overrun by a handful of savages armed with spears and rocks.

I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Even though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never utter the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is usually instantaneous.)

No matter how well it would perform, I will never construct any sort of machinery which is completely indestructible except for one small and virtually inaccessible vulnerable spot.

No matter how attractive certain members of the rebellion are, there is probably someone just as attractive who is not desperate to kill me. Therefore, I will think twice before ordering a prisoner sent to my bedchamber.

I will never build only one of anything important. All important systems will have redundant control panels and power supplies. For the same reason I will always carry at least two fully loaded weapons at all times.

My pet monster will be kept in a secure cage from which it cannot escape and into which I could not accidentally stumble.

I will dress in bright and cheery colors, and so throw my enemies into confusion.

All bumbling conjurers, clumsy squires, no-talent bards, and cowardly thieves in the land will be preemptively put to death. My foes will surely give up and abandon their quest if they have no source of comic relief.

All naive, busty tavern wenches in my realm will be replaced with surly, world-weary waitresses who will provide no unexpected reinforcement and/or romantic subplot for the hero or his sidekick.

I will not fly into a rage and kill a messenger who brings me bad news just to illustrate how evil I really am. Good messengers are hard to come by.

I won't require high-ranking female members of my organization to wear a stainless-steel bustier. Morale is better with a more casual dress-code. Similarly, outfits made entirely from black leather will be reserved for formal occasions.

I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.

I will not grow a goatee. In the old days they made you look diabolic. Now they just make you look like a disaffected member of Generation X.

I will not imprison members of the same party in the same cell block, let alone the same cell. If they are important prisoners, I will keep the only key to the cell door on my person instead of handing out copies to every bottom-rung guard in the prison.

If my trusted lieutenant tells me my Legions of Terror are losing a battle, I will believe him. After all, he's my trusted lieutenant.

If an enemy I have just killed has a younger sibling or offspring anywhere, I will find them and have them killed immediately, instead of waiting for them to grow up harboring feelings of vengeance towards me in my old age.

If I absolutely must ride into battle, I will certainly not ride at the forefront of my Legions of Terror, nor will I seek out my opposite number among his army.

I will be neither chivalrous nor sporting. If I have an unstoppable superweapon, I will use it as early and as often as possible instead of keeping it in reserve.

Once my power is secure, I will destroy all those pesky time-travel devices.

When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around.

I will maintain a healthy amount of skepticism when I capture the beautiful rebel and she claims she is attracted to my power and good looks and will gladly betray her companions if I just let her in on my plans.

I will only employ bounty hunters who work for money. Those who work for the pleasure of the hunt tend to do dumb things like even the odds to give the other guy a sporting chance.

I will make sure I have a clear understanding of who is responsible for what in my organization. For example, if my general screws up I will not draw my weapon, point it at him, say "And here is the price for failure," then suddenly turn and kill some random underling.

If an advisor says to me "My liege, he is but one man. What can one man possibly do?", I will reply "This." and kill the advisor.

If I learn that a callow youth has begun a quest to destroy me, I will slay him while he is still a callow youth instead of waiting for him to mature.

I will treat any beast which I control through magic or technology with respect and kindness. Thus if the control is ever broken, it will not immediately come after me for revenge.

If I learn the whereabouts of the one artifact which can destroy me, I will not send all my troops out to seize it. Instead I will send them out to seize something else and quietly put a Want-Ad in the local paper.

My main computers will have their own special operating system that will be completely incompatible with standard IBM and Macintosh powerbooks.

If one of my dungeon guards begins expressing concern over the conditions in the beautiful princess' cell, I will immediately transfer him to a less people-oriented position.

I will hire a team of board-certified architects and surveyors to examine my castle and inform me of any secret passages and abandoned tunnels that I might not know about.

If the beautiful princess that I capture says "I'll never marry you! Never, do you hear me, NEVER!!!", I will say "Oh well" and kill her.

I will not strike a bargain with a demonic being then attempt to double-cross it simply because I feel like being contrary.

The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.

My Legions of Terror will be trained in basic marksmanship. Any who cannot learn to hit a man-sized target at 10 meters will be used for target practice.

Before employing any captured artifacts or machinery, I will carefully read the owner's manual.

If it becomes necessary to escape, I will never stop to pose dramatically and toss off a one-liner.

I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am.

My five-year-old child advisor will also be asked to decipher any code I am thinking of using. If he breaks the code in under 30 seconds, it will not be used. Note: this also applies to passwords.

If my advisors ask "Why are you risking everything on such a mad scheme?", I will not proceed until I have a response that satisfies them.

I will design fortress hallways with no alcoves or protruding structural supports which intruders could use for cover in a firefight.

Bulk trash will be disposed of in incinerators, not compactors. And they will be kept hot, with none of that nonsense about flames going through accessible tunnels at predictable intervals.

I will see a competent psychiatrist and get cured of all extremely unusual phobias and bizarre compulsive habits which could prove to be a disadvantage.

If I must have computer systems with publically available terminals, the maps they display of my complex will have a room clearly marked as the Main Control Room. That room will be the Execution Chamber. The actual main control room will be marked as Sewage Overflow Containment.

My security keypad will actually be a fingerprint scanner. Anyone who watches someone press a sequence of buttons or dusts the pad for fingerprints then subsequently tries to enter by repeating that sequence will trigger the alarm system.

No matter how many shorts we have in the system, my guards will be instructed to treat every surveillance camera malfunction as a full-scale emergency.

I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they'd better save my life again.

All midwives will be banned from the realm. All babies will be delivered at state-approved hospitals. Orphans will be placed in foster-homes, not abandoned in the woods to be raised by creatures of the wild.

When my guards split up to search for intruders, they will always travel in groups of at least two. They will be trained so that if one of them disappears mysteriously while on patrol, the other will immediately initiate an alert and call for backup, instead of quizzically peering around a corner.

If I decide to test a lieutenant's loyalty and see if he/she should be made a trusted lieutenant, I will have a crack squad of marksmen standing by in case the answer is no.

If all the heroes are standing together around a strange device and begin to taunt me, I will pull out a conventional weapon instead of using my unstoppable superweapon on them.

I will not agree to let the heroes go free if they win a rigged contest, even though my advisors assure me it is impossible for them to win.

When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.

I will instruct my Legions of Terror to attack the hero en masse, instead of standing around waiting while members break off and attack one or two at a time.

If the hero runs up to my roof, I will not run up after him and struggle with him in an attempt to push him over the edge. I will also not engage him at the edge of a cliff. (In the middle of a rope-bridge over a river of molten lava is not even worth considering.)

If I have a fit of temporary insanity and decide to give the hero the chance to reject a job as my trusted lieutentant, I will retain enough sanity to wait until my current trusted lieutenant is out of earshot before making the offer.

I will not tell my Legions of Terror "And he must be taken alive!" The command will be "And try to take him alive if it is reasonably practical."

If my doomsday device happens to come with a reverse switch, as soon as it has been employed it will be melted down and made into limited-edition commemorative coins.

If my weakest troops fail to eliminate a hero, I will send out my best troops instead of wasting time with progressively stronger ones as he gets closer and closer to my fortress.

If I am fighting with the hero atop a moving platform, have disarmed him, and am about to finish him off and he glances behind me and drops flat, I too will drop flat instead of quizzically turning around to find out what he saw.

I will not shoot at any of my enemies if they are standing in front of the crucial support beam to a heavy, dangerous, unbalanced structure.

If I'm eating dinner with the hero, put poison in his goblet, then have to leave the table for any reason, I will order new drinks for both of us instead of trying to decide whether or not to switch with him.

I will not have captives of one sex guarded by members of the opposite sex.

I will not use any plan in which the final step is horribly complicated, e.g. "Align the 12 Stones of Power on the sacred altar then activate the medallion at the moment of total eclipse." Instead it will be more along the lines of "Push the button."

I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.

My vats of hazardous chemicals will be covered when not in use. Also, I will not construct walkways above them.

If a group of henchmen fail miserably at a task, I will not berate them for incompetence then send the same group out to try the task again.

After I captures the hero's superweapon, I will not immediately disband my legions and relax my guard because I believe whoever holds the weapon is unstoppable. After all, the hero held the weapon and I took it from him.

I will not design my Main Control Room so that every workstation is facing away from the door.

I will not ignore the messenger that stumbles in exhausted and obviously agitated until my personal grooming or current entertainment is finished. It might actually be important.

If I ever talk to the hero on the phone, I will not taunt him. Instead I will say this his dogged perseverance has given me new insight on the futility of my evil ways and that if he leaves me alone for a few months of quiet contemplation I will likely return to the path of righteousness. (Heroes are incredibly gullible in this regard.)

If I decide to hold a double execution of the hero and an underling who failed or betrayed me, I will see to it that the hero is scheduled to go first.

When arresting prisoners, my guards will not allow them to stop and grab a useless trinket of purely sentimental value.

My dungeon will have its own qualified medical staff complete with bodyguards. That way if a prisoner becomes sick and his cellmate tells the guard it's an emergency, the guard will fetch a trauma team instead of opening up the cell for a look.

My door mechanisms will be designed so that blasting the control panel on the outside seals the door and blasting the control panel on the inside opens the door, not vice versa.

My dungeon cells will not be furnished with objects that contain reflective surfaces or anything that can be unravelled.

If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution.

Any data file of crucial importance will be padded to 1.45Mb in size.

Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access.

#peters evil overlord list #not mine #see source

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cypher2 · 5 years

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The best goalies have a powerful presence in goal, and their confidence extends outward to their defenders and the rest of the team. This is the case of the American goalie Hope Solo, who is riveting to watch as much for the brilliant, acrobatic saves she makes as for the psychological intensity with which she confronts opposing forwards. Like many other goalies, she didn’t start out in the position, and she learned by scoring goals, not stopping them. As a girl, she was a strong forward, constantly scoring goals. As she recalls it, “No coach would have ever dreamed of taking me off the field and sticking me in goal.” She found solace from a difficult life on the football pitch. “I knew how soccer made me feel,” she writes, “and I knew I wanted to hold onto that feeling for the rest of my life.” She continues, “Life was calm and ordered on the soccer field,” where she felt “free and unburdened.”

“Goalkeeping isn’t glamorous,” Solo writes. “It’s tough and stressful and thankless.” Because youth soccer coaches often put less athletic kids in goal, there’s also a “stigma about goalkeeping,” When Solo was recruited into an Olympic Development Program (ODP) in Washington state, she started playing the position regularly. During her first game with the ODP team, the starting goalkeeper suffered a concussion after colliding with another player in the net. The coach, perhaps sensing something about Solo that would make her a good goalie, asked her to take over for the injured player. She did well and began playing occasionally in the position. Though Solo kept playing forward on her club and high school teams, she found that her knowledge of “how a forward attacks” allowed her to better position herself in goal and know when to run out and break up plays. Anchored in two roles, with a “double identity,” she learned how to think like a goalkeeper and a forward at the same time, closely watching attackers so she could position herself to stop them from scoring.

In 2000, she got her first invitation to train with the US Women’s National Team, then coached by April Heinrichs. The team was fresh off their epochal victory in the 1999 Women’s World Cup, which had drawn record crowds. Solo was a young and untested player, and she found the “skill and confidence level” of the veteran players “daunting.” She found herself in goal behind the legendary defender Brandi Chastain, who had scored the winning penalty kick against China in the 1999 tournament final. Chastain had become an icon not only because of her goal, but because the image of her celebration -- in which she had ripped off her shirt, revealing her sports bra -- was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and heralded by many as a symbol of the bold strength and success of female athletes. For the young Solo, it was terrifying to be on the field with the famous player. At one point, Chastain turned around to the young goalkeeper and “barked: ‘That’s your ball.’” Solo recalls, “Oh fuck, I thought. Brandi Chastain is yelling at me.” In another practice, Solo maladroitly punted the ball up into the air, and the striker Mia Hamm stopped short, looked at her, and said, “Do you want me to fucking head the ball? Then you need to fucking learn how to drop-kick it.” Solo was mortified: “Oh God, I thought. Now Mia Hamm is yelling at me.”

A goalie’s size is important. Being tall, and having long arms, is an obvious advantage when trying to protect the goal. Yet perhaps even more important is the size of the goalie’s personality. A successful goalie projects authority, commanding and controlling her defenders. She arranges them to defend the goal on free kicks and corner kicks, calculating angles and interpreting the positioning and movement of the opposing players. The confidence of defenders depends on the strength of the goalie--knowing that the goalie has things covered in front of the goal enables them to stand firm, as well as take risks when necessary. When a team has confidence in a goalie, the defenders can move more freely up the field toward the opposing goal, putting more strength in the attack and pressuring the other team. In this sense, the goalie, though invisible in the attack, plays a crucial role in giving the rest of the team the space and inspiration to move forward quickly and aggressively.

Solo learned about the importance of authority the hard way. She first played for the US Women’s National Team in a game against Iceland in April 2000, and she was chosen again to play archrival Mexico on Cinco de Mayo in Portland. The US dominated the game, winning 4-0. At one point, with Mexico on the attack, Chastain let a ball through and Solo had to dive to make a save. Solo writes, “Brandi turned around and yelled at me--’Come on, Hope!’--blaming me for not coming out for the ball.” Solo knew it was actually Chastain who had made the mistake, but--too respectful of the authority of the veteran player--she didn’t respond. “That was my mistake,” Solo admits. Afterward, Heinrichs spoke to Solo about that incident on the field and her interaction with Chastain. ‘”That tells me you’re not ready, Hope,’ she said. ‘We all knew Brandi made a mistake. Yet you didn’t have the courage to call her out and yell back at her. You’re not ready to lead the defense.’”

In time, of course, Solo would be ready. Though she missed the 2000 Olympics, she played on the under-twenty-one team, and Heinrichs soon brought her back onto the roster of the national team. She attributes much of her improvement to a goalkeeping coach at the University of Washington, Amy Griffin. Soon after Solo started playing for Washington, Griffin handed her a note that said, “A goalkeeper cannot win a game. A goalkeeper saves it.” What Griffin taught Solo was ultimately the key to goalkeeping: the “intellectual side” of the position, the endless work of observation, of calibration, of constantly adjusting one’s position, and of readiness in relationship to the flow of the game. Before training with Griffin, Solo writes, she had taken a relatively direct approach to guarding the net, waiting in goal and using her size and reflexes to stop what came at her. She learned that the key to goalkeeping at the highest level was to think tactically, remaining a few steps ahead. That meant taking charge of positioning defenders, reading the runs of opposing players as they moved across the field, and understanding “how to anticipate and predict what was happening in front of me.” The key to this was figuring out where the opposing players would likely move and shoot from, and calculating the angles so that she could position herself most effectively. Goalies constantly have to make critical decisions about where to place themselves, and Solo learned how to know when to leave the goal line to confront an onrushing player and when to stay back. All this new awareness made the position “much more interesting.” Rather than “ninety minutes of waiting for my defense to make a mistake,” it became “ninety minutes of tactics and strategy.”

One of the highlights of Solo’s career came during the 2011 Women’s World Cup when the US faced off against Brazil in a riveting game. In the second half of the game, with the US leading 1-0, the referee gave a red card to US defender Rachel Buehler when she tangled with Brazilian striker Marta Vieira da Silva, known as Marta, in front of the goal. The call was controversial, but it was only the first of a bizarre string of refereeing decisions. The Brazilian player Cristiane Rozeira stepped up to take the penalty kick, and Solo made a brilliant diving save. The referee, however, immediately called for the penalty kick to be retaken. It wasn’t clear why at the time, although it was later understood that the call was for encroachment--one of the US players had started to run into the penalty area before the ball was kicked, which is indeed technically a foul, although quite rarely called. Solo argued with the referee and got a yellow card. Then Marta walked up to take the second penalty kick and struck it fast into the net. Solo was beaten this time. The sequence was enough to drive any goalkeeper mad. Solo kept her composure, though, throughout the rest of the game, even making key saves. In the shoot-out, Solo blocked one crucial penalty kick, winning the game for the US.

In the 2015 World Cup, Solo’s goalkeeping was once again critical to the US success. Against a powerhouse German team in the semifinal, Solo saved the game early on when the referee granted a penalty kick. German star striker Célia Šašić stepped up to take it. I was there in the stadium that day, and I could barely watch, sure that Šašić would make it. Solo did something odd, clearly aiming to psych out the German striker. She started to sort of stroll away from goal. It almost looked, for a moment, like she had just decided that she was done, that she was leaving for good. As Carli Lloyd remembers, “It was a very leisurely stroll. If there were flowers nearby, she would’ve stopped to pick them.” It was a dangerous move: the referee could have given her a yellow card for it. Just in time, Solo turned back, came into goal, and stared down Šašić who, very uncharacteristically, sent the ball wide to the left of the goal. We went crazy in the stadium. “Sometimes,” Lloyd recalls, “even in the heat of a big game, you can feel the momentum shift on the spot.” That moment was “one of those times,” and the US went on to defeat Germany, and then win against Japan in the final.

Laurent Dubois | The Language of the Game: How to Understand Soccer | March 2018

#hope solo #uswnt #wwc 2015 #wwc 2011 #woso #interviews and articles #thinkin about buying this book bc it seems an interesting read throughout #also @hope write another book please

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nebula-starlight · 6 years

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Comatose (pt. 6) - Secrets

First: Prologue / Last: Reverse

I was inspired by recent events in the community to develop this chapter, honestly. Hope you enjoy!

“Jack... Vhat are you doing?”

He struggled with the cords keeping him hooked up to dozens of machines, ripping lines free amidst Schneep’s increasing protest to stay still. Like hell he was after what that demon had done to him! And the community... his fans... had they even known the difference? He couldn’t just sit there and watch as everything crashed down around him!

“Dude, relax.” A hand reached out, gripping his shoulder in a firm but reassuring gesture. He didn’t even need to look at who it was, the voice providing him enough information. “You’ve been out of it for months. Jumping right back in is too much strain...”

“I don’t care,” he muttered, shaking his head as he pulled away from Chase’s slacking hold with a huff. “Everyone needs to know the truth.”

“Vhich one?”

The steeled gaze he brought upon himself was, possibly, rightfully earned after his comments months ago with the doctor in private. Except now he knew it hadn’t been just the two of them alone in the room at that moment. He couldn’t look at Henrik, keeping his eyes averted as he struggled with a particularly stubborn IV lodged in his hand.

“You weren’t yourself, Schneep. The others never knew... The fans practically condemned you the minute they saw those images...”

His chest felt tight, pain squeezing along his lower back and spine as the prolonged pressure on weakened muscles proved to be too much. With a hacking cough, he collapsed back onto the crinkled sheets, energy all but spent. He couldn’t go to sleep. Even closing his eyes would only bring back the terror, the feeling of that sharp steel cutting through his neck as he sat paralyzed, gaze leveled at the blinking camera in a desperate, silent plea for help.

There was a chance that falling asleep would, however, bring about the return of the nightmare that was so engrained in his mind. How his condition worsened as thin strings looped around his wrists and ankles, pinning him down onto a cold surgical table as the doctor loomed over him. He thought, at first, that Henrik was there to help but then he heard it echo underneath each word... That far too haunting giggle. The glitch was there. No one was coming to save him this time.

“Stay vith me buddy!”

Jack jolted back awake, recoiling from the concerned hands touching his neck as his gaze scanned the room in rising panic. Whitewashed walls, the thick scent of heavily bleached products... He couldn’t be back there. Why was he back there? He thought the nightmare had ended after...

“Jack? You okay? You scared us for a second there.”

He shuddered, eyes flickering wide open in terror as the irritation affecting his throat caused him to cough again, tasting the rich metallic taste of iron in the back of his mouth. Trying to keep himself grounded, he looked up at the individual who’d spoken, seeing the blur of red and blue but failing to produce a name to go along with the familiar face. He’d heard the voice in his dreams sometimes. Always in a whisper. Always begging him to come back. What had he said...?

It was... Oh, he knew it. Just on the tip of his tongue... Why couldn’t he remember?

You need to wake up!

He screamed until he was hoarse, jerking back as the sound of electricity crackled through the air. Something was wrong! Why was he experiencing this crippling pain? He hadn’t died. Surely his mind was just playing tricks on him. It wasn’t real... It couldn’t be real...

“You just had to antagonize things, didn’t you? It was too soon, Chase! He just woke up from a damn coma for fuck’s sake.”

“How the hell was I to know he’d respond like that? I’m not a doctor, Marv. And in case you weren’t aware, ours is currently curled up in a corner in a state of panic because of the day it happens to be!”

The voices... He knew the voices. Remembered them even if the names eluded him. The magician... Marvin, wasn’t it? Hadn’t he seen him in the dream trying to break the shackles? He said he was sorry for not naming him sooner before...

A fresh surge of pain split through his head, his hands shaking as he tried to reach up to his skull to soften the throbbing agony. Everything was on fire. He heard sirens, then the creeping crackle of approaching static. Why wouldn’t it leave him alone?! What had he done to warrant such continued punishment?

Lashing out as he squeezed his eyes shut, he felt his foot connect with something hard and he pulled back, shuddering as another cough nearly caused him to collapse as he turned to support himself with a hand curling into the sheets under him. He wasn’t weak... He wasn’t sick... Nothing mattered but escape. The fans had to be told. He had to see they hadn’t left him. Being alone had sparked that paranoia that always whispered in his ear that he was a useless nobody.

‘Jack, good sir, take it easy. We have you.’

His strength left him, falling onto his side in a coughing fit as warm blood dribbled down his chin. He had to make sure they were okay! Even if it was costing him days of recovery he needed to see he wasn’t alone. Being alone meant that thing was there... watching him, judging him silently.

He opened his bloodshot eyes with a desperate surge of strength, searching past the concern gazes of Marvin and Chase to where a certain doctor was indeed curled up in a corner rocking back and forth. Occasionally Schneep would mutter something under his breath but it was too low to make out, his hands buried deep in his untamed hair as he was almost invisible to the others.

How hard was the day for the only other one of them that had been possessed by the demon? His heart went out to him, it really did, but he was still coughing up blood and that alone was making it hard to concentrate. He had to stay awake! He had to...

Jack’s head dropped, his violent spasm finishing with a low gurgle as the magician and father exchanged a silent glance. It had been touchy for several days now with their creator lapsing into moments where he’d seem to be alert one moment and then suddenly be frantically trying to get away before his strength would abandon him and he’d pass out. Had it not been the particular day it was, they knew Henrik would have been helping to keep him calm. Something always seemed to pass over him, his eyes going from clear to cloudy before becoming violent as though he wanted out of the bed despite it being the safest place for him so he could heal.

“It’s passed for now,” Marvin noted, adjusting his cloak before going over to Henrik to see if he could help. They all had known the day would be difficult but having Jack wake up only to still be out of it continued to weight down their optimism. If only all of them could come together...

Chase, however, hung back, using the edge of the already bloodstained sheets to wipe at Jack’s still open mouth. What caused him such stress? He would never get better if he kept spazzing out every day. Rolling his creator onto his back with a sigh, he smoothed out the sheets and pulled over the unused chair to sit and wait. It seemed that was all he ever did now besides making videos, and even that had been cut back to one a day.

‘You help out more than you realize...’

The hairs on the back of his neck rose, fear twisting in his gut at how raspy the voice sounded. He dare not glance behind him, eyes flickering over towards Marvin and Henrik instead. The magician went rigid, his chest barely moving as the edges of his cloak were crushed under his curled fingers. It wasn’t just him hearing it then, right? That voice really was there.

“You aren’t supposed to be here. I saw your mangled body! How the glitch cut out your soul.” The words were forced out through clenched teeth as Marvin let his cape fall beside Schneep, standing up and addressing the intruder by name. “Explain that, Nether.”

“Magic, my dear magician. Well... that and a bit of a certain influence.” The voice wavered, shifting tones as it became fully audible. Chase immediately jumped to his feet and whirled around, ready to protect both Jack and Henrik if necessary from the combined threat.

Neither of them recognized the body it had taken, the slim but sizably muscular male frame as the top of its head was slicked back with green tipped hair. Sporting a bloodstained gray hoodie and long black pants, the figure approached with barely any noise.

“Such a shame the community places trust so quickly in an ego and then rips it away. That’s when it’s the easiest for me to slip in and do what I do best...” He smiled, the grin not one of friendliness or comfort but, rather, one of almost murderous intent. “I wouldn’t worry too much over Jameson right now, despite the fact he’s likely doubled over in pain as the fans battle over whether he is pure or a puppet. Much the same happened to Henrik last year before my grand appearance. Of course, you can try to help them but I promise it won’t do any good.”

He stalked forward, eyes glowing a bright green. Chase flinched back, remembering to his horror that he had indeed seen that glow before. It was still as unnerving as it had been back then. “So, who will you go to? The mute or the doctor... We’re all waiting Brody.”

“Go to him,” Marvin hissed at his brother, stepping in front of him as magic swirled around his hands in preparation for use. “I’ll protect Jack and Henrik as long as I can.”

As soon as the younger ego had bolted out of the room, the magician shifted uneasily as he noticed Nether watch Chase leave without saying a word. Did he already have a plan in place to trap the two of them? He hoped not but feared what a mix of intellect and manipulation was capable of when under control by the glitch.

“Round two, huh?” He scoffed, glancing over at Jack out of the corner of his eye. If Nether knew he was awake...

“Who you do think woke him?”

Marvin was sure his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach at the remark, the emotions he’d shoved deep down causing his eyes to burn. It wasn’t true! Jack had broken free from his coma all on his own. He had to have.... Anything else was-

“A stab in the gut?” The tainted soul chuckled, twirling a hand to summon the signature weapon of choice used by the glitchy demon. “A metaphorical one as the case may be but certainly it can become physical.”

Marvin shifted his footing, eyes narrowing as the green fire surrounding his gloved hands glowed brighter. After what had happened the last time they fought he wasn’t exactly confident but he knew someone had to protect their creator. If one fell they all would. And killing the root would destroy the branches. Certainly the glitch would be aware of that or did he even care?

“Come now, you really think I‘d go away simply because of an injury like that?” He stepped closer, pointing the tip of the blade directly at the magician. “Where’s that sense of reverence you once had towards me when we first properly met?”

“You aren’t him, not completely.” Marvin countered as the room darkened, the glow of green the only visible light source.

The possessed soul growled, baring his teeth right before he lunged forward and slammed him up against the bed railing at the end of Jack’s bed. Cold steel pressed against his neck, the feeling bringing back memories of what he’d seen inside their creator’s head. Somewhere in that body had to be Nether but he didn’t know how to wake him... nor if he even could. A power source... that’s what Anti needed with the illusionist’s soul. That’s why he appeared different, having used a form none would recognize.

“Is that so?” The rasp sent a chill down his spine, noticing how the glowing green eyes drifted towards Henrik. “Oh, my dear puppet, you are quite mistaken. The good doctor knew exactly who this pathetic body belonged to... only it was far too late to make any difference. Before he had a chance to say anything Jackaboy got sick and well... I think you know where that went.”

It couldn’t be possible... Had Henrik hidden more information from them? Just exactly who was the body this monster walked around in?

“Who is he?” Marvin reluctantly pulled back his magic away from his hands, deciding on a whim to see if he could appease the creature by letting him think he had won. “The one you wear, I mean.”

“His former host...”

The voice was strained yet distinct enough that he recognized it, attention darting over to where Schneep was slowly pushing himself up into a standing position with one hand wrapped around his chest. It was easy to see the pain hadn’t left him just yet by how labored each breath sounded but Marvin was glad he had an ally this time around. There was always strength in numbers after all.

Leaning heavily against the wall, it took the doctor a moment to get his breath before he continued. “Zhat is zee reason no one recognized him.”

“Deceiver... Speaker of mistruths... Is there any other reason to find interest in such a powerful being?” The multi-layered voice shifted, becoming closer in sound to Anti’s for the question as the being stepped back. “Simply taking advantage of what lays around unused.”

Unused....? That couldn’t be right, unless... Marvin’s eyes widened, recalling he did in fact see Anti cut out Nether’s soul while in Jack’s mind. The glitch hadn’t just taken a power source, he... He trapped the spirit there without any sort of anchor to his physical form. That’s why there had been no shadow perched on the bed railing. It also explained Jack’s spasms...

“Tell you what,” the monster rumbled, one eye still glowing green while the other faded to a vibrant crimson recognizable as the soul who was being used for power. “I was going to make a show of power to all those lovely fans but, instead, I think I’ll wait. It’s far too easy to get them whipped up into a frenzy and drag out their suffering.”

Taking a step back, he waved away the knife with a flurry of glitches before he started to fade, the only thing truly visible being his heterochromatic eyes. “There’s sure to be a special milestone coming up after all. What better time then when everyone’s guard is down.”

The glitch left with the warning still in the air, a chill coming over Marvin as he turned to Henrik for an explanation. How was it they’d gotten into this mess? Furthermore, just what exactly did the doctor know that he hadn’t told to anyone else?

“Stay here,” he warned, grabbing his cape off the floor and clasping it back around his neck. “I’m going to get the others and then we’re gonna sit down for a long meeting. You’re doing it again, Henrik. Why can’t you just trust us and stop hiding things? We are your brothers after all!”

“Did any of you stop him vhen he showed up?” The doctor softly muttered, glancing away from the stern glare as his posture changed to one of guarded defensiveness. “Nein...” He stepped away from the wall, hands balling into tight fists as Marvin noticed tears glisten in his red, puffy eyes. “You left me alone vith Jack! None of you came. No vonder Jackie left us.”

“What? But he...” Words failed him, the knowledge that the eldest ego had fled draining him of his earlier anger at Henrik hiding information.

“He left us,” Schneep repeated, throwing out a hand towards Jack. “If one goes down they all vill. Anti knew about zee parody. And how to break us apart.” He sighed, sagging against the bed railing as Marvin stepped away towards the door. “Go get zhem.”

“Sit down first, Henrik.” Marvin thought better of leaving immediately, spotting the unused rolling chair left from when Chase went out and brought it over for the doctor to collapse into. “Now then, I’ll be back shortly with the others. Be ready to tell us everything you’ve hidden, no matter how scarring it might be. We are stronger than you seem to think.”

#comatose #jacksepticeye #jse fanfiction #jse egos #dr. schneeplestein #chase brody #marvin the magnificent #jameson jackson #jackieboy man #antisepticeye #the illusionist (nether)

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hereliesbitches--me · 6 years

Text

Abilities

Upon becoming an Angel, Rosie gained many new abilities which took years for her to properly hone and develop. While she remains unaware of her truest form as a Moon, the soul within does give her extra strength in her powers.. But even she can have limitations.

(Because of the lengthy list, it is under read more)

Physical Capabilities:

- Heightened physical strength, endurance, and reflexes. She can take on thousands of pounds of force at a time, crash into the Earth from great heights, and still be fine.

- Hyper-awareness to her surroundings on both a physical and astral level. While her sense of sight, smell, and hearing had already been more advance because of her feline qualities, they improved even more upon becoming an Angel

- Incredible, near instantaneous healing ability.

- Immunity to human illnesses.

- Able to take flight and fight with her wings.

- Knowledge in Aikido and Judo

Astral/ Super Abilities:

Because she inherited her abilities from an Ancient angel whose purpose was to “Find lost things”

Her abilities are based upon altering reality and aspects of dimensional plain to a molecular level.

Though once more, many of these skills take years of practice and training to figure out how they work. Only a few of them have been mastered, while other abilities are trigger based upon her own psyche.

Future-Sight

Her gift of seeing across the dimensional plains also grants her the ability to see possible future outcomes within her dreams. They’re hard to track, and sometimes the future she sees is not the true outcome of her own timeline, but she is nonetheless training her eyes to see the alternate events parallel to each other.

Future sight proves to be useful in warning her of possible future fights and dangers, but it can even make her paranoid of future events in a desperate attempt to prevent them.

Opening and closing portals

For all sorts of reasons, and one of the most draining skills to master, her altering of reality allows her the ability to open portals across dimensional planes for a variety of reasons- be it for battle, for conventional travel, or for silly reasons.

She can open them from various sizes, and create small pocket dimensions for storage, at any time she wishes.

Healing Gift

The same energy which powers her abilities and heals her can be expelled equally to heal the damage of others. Of course, by doing so wears thin the energy she has for herself to use in battle, but it’s for this reason at times she prefers to be a ‘medic’ instead of taking part in battle. Unless she’s absolutely needed

Manipulation of Objects down to a molecular level, altering matter.

Part of the reality warping is being able to see the properties down all the way to the molecular level which makes them up. To change the environment around it, and alter the matter within it to change its shape.

To be able to grasp these aspects, she can grasp, crush, throw, and lift items which will seem telepathic from the naked eye. She can manipulate all things both inorganic and Organic, so this gift can be especially potent to a mortal enemy she can break down layer by layer until they’re a pile of mush- however, This isn’t a common occurrence. She tries not to abuse this gift on humans..

Able to grasp a Soul/ Siphon the life force from the body

This ability is more aligned with her soul being a Moon , rather than caused by her abilities as an Angel. Being an Angel granted her some abilities she had as a moon, although she remains unaware of it.

Her powers themselves are in the works, feeding off her own life force to function when she has run out of spare energy to use. This strain is deadly on her body.. So the only option is either to stop and rest to recharge, Or take the life of another in order to power her own self up.

It is not a tactic she is proud of.. But a necessary move, especially in battle where she is over exerting herself and needs her power to keep going. To heal herself and others. The victims of this will be left grey and dried up in appearance, stiff on the ground- her aim being enemy opponents to use.. But there can be collateral damage in larger battle scenes. She is able to keep a soul grasped in her hand even with the person still living, or even when they are freshly dead and have not yet had the chance to pass on. This is more for threat, to keep them for information, or to frighten them with the threat of wiping their very existence away be shredding or burning the soul up. It is a frightening experience and typically effective in getting what she needs.. Unusually, she’ll let it go afterwards, lest she takes it into herself to power her own ability because she deems the person not even worth crossing into the next life. But it is rare..

This Ability is particularly useful in separating unwanted beings from a vessel as well. Two souls in a single body, like in the case of a possession, is dangerous.. And she is able to seperate them in order to destroy the nuisance in the physical realm once they’re dragged out. Useful to her, considering her duty falls into slaying demons. By separating them before they reveal their true forms, in some cases, can save the mortal.

It can work in any case where two souls are hosting in a single form, but it is all at her discretion.

Astral-Projection / Tapping into another’s mindscape

Some events cause damage beyond the physical the physical sights of the mortal eye, some creates creep across the realm in a form that cannot be touched, and sometimes to leap across plaines- such as the mindscape- it requires the leaving of the body. This move is more so for fixing a tear in dimensions, and entering another’s mind, than actually using it in battle. This gift allows her, with the requirement of retaining physical contact to the head, to connect to someone else’s mind and go through it- feeling everything and seeing everything as they did as she goes through the memory. This allows her to get information she needs.. To understand people on a level they may not be speaking about. Invasive, but it is in fact not always in her control when she does this.

What she can control is, if she did use it in battle, altering the reality which she is fighting her opponent- a mental battle within a fabricated place in their mind, so perfect they won’t realize it is not really happening. The advantages cuts down on collateral damage in fighting in the real world, though the toll taken on the body is very much replicated in the real world between she and the person she holds in place. By the end, if she has won the battle, both parties will be knocked out, but the subject effectively subdued.

This gift can act as a double edged sword, as her emotional attachment to someone can in fact connect her to a loved one to the point that, despite herself, she will be able to feel them in their moment of distress and experience of grievances. To feel their pain as they do can be horrifically crippling, especially if they are used against her, but she tries to work through it. One advantage is this bond represents just how significant you are to her- and she will always come to your rescue. This is most evident in the case of her lovers.

Immunity to other telepaths

Because of the locked down tight conditions of her entire being with her gifts, she is not so easily hacked by telepaths. Often, her thoughts are jumbled. Memories suppressed and denied to the point there may be blanks underneath. To build blockage is a safeguard she is working on- someone hacking her mind may just hear to mess of paranoid thoughts and cursing that are usually shooting left and right through her mind. Might even just be her screaming to let off some steam inside. It is a mess in there.

Manipulation of the weather around her.

Another skill pertaining more to her being a Moon rather than just a power from being an Angel, this gift is not one she can control. Her abilities are linked to her soul and her emotional state of mind, and to use her powers effectively requires a clear mind. She is one to try to keep her emotions steady.. But a drastic turn in them, strong emotions- be it anger or sorrows- can stir the environment around her to reflect it. More so, Negative emotions warrant storms and rain, her sorrows can drop the temperature in a matter of minutes. Anger and fear can cause sharp explosive outburst and send things flying with full intent to cause harm as her subconscious may request, but it is not something she can just think about and want, and the weather will listen. Its impulsive, and can only affect a certain radius around her.

Inability to stay dead

Still very much able to die though damn hard to kill because she’s like a damn roach and too stubborn to die, in the rare case that she does manage to get killed, She stays dead up until her damaged body is fixed, and then revives not too long after. Coinciding within events in her own canon, she is owned - as branded on her left hand- by a powerful demon demigod whom, in the event of Rosie’s death, take her body, rebuilt the damaged parts, and wake her up back in the physical world once again. Rosie has died about 2 times before, and after the second time upon realizing she couldn’t stay dead, it has become exhausting. Dying is still nonetheless an unpleasant experience, but she is still fairly reckless with herself because she cannot stay dead. She drags herself on trying to find purpose in her restless existence- but she can make great jokes about it! Cats and their nine lives.

Beginning level sorceress

To ease herself from using such soul draining abilities, as well as learn a few other elements in order to defend herself from such things, she is a beginner in the use of magic, and still working on finding a good teacher that can teach her about the elements.

Weaknesses

Only Mortal (To an extent)

Of course, while she has incredible healing capabilities, she still has the ability to Die in similar fashions to other people when she has run out of energy to heal. She can bleed to death, be suffocated, her bones can still be broken by a force powerful enough, and her skin is still susceptible to damage. She is build up in defenses, but can very much take damage that can exhaust her or even kill her for a time. Decapitation is a good way to keep her down for a while, but not a very effective way of killing her. The truest weakness of every Angel lies within their chest- the source of their soul and abilities lies within a sac called the ‘Angel Fruit’.

It lies behind the heart in a durable sack that cannot be pierced by human weapons, but something supernatural could prove strong enough to reach it. To rip the angel fruit from an Angel is the most prominent way to kill them, as you are essentially ripping the soul out of their body, but to break through solid bones and tissue is no easy task.

Rosie protects her chest fiercely for that reason.

One catch to her healing factor is if her bones were to be broken, they must be aligned and have the object dislodged before healing can occur. When it comes to deep wounds, it can heal tears and open wounds- however, bruising beneath the skin is not something that tends to heal right away. Swelling can be mended, but the discolored skin is still something she has to deal with.

Requires Mental Clarity to use her abilities

As mentioned before, her abilities are strongly influenced by emotions and her mental state. She was forced to overcome many of her mental instabilities to truly master these new powers. Sometimes she is still prone to her episodes, and that can cause a rift in her efficiency. Her greatest damage comes from anything that’ll rattle her mind- be it a hard blow to the head, Drugs(The most effective weakness), alcohol, or even prodding at her uneasy mental state can throw her off. While it may be effective to give an opening, if she goes on defense, her abilities act chaotic in accordance to her unbalanced mind. But it nonetheless leaves her open.

Magic and other elemental abilities

Reality warping can be countered with the right spells. She can’t exactly summon elements from thin air, so things such as fire, electricity, dark magic, etc. are not easy to work around. She is still trying to learn how it works, but those abilities, like her own, go beyond the physical realm and can fuck her up. Especially fire..

Her love and dedication to her family.

She has always had nothing to live for, but the moment she gained something worth trying for.. They become one of her greatest faults. Rosie’s love for her children and lover can cause her to act desperately and go great lengths to save them and ensure their safety. She could turn her back on everything in a heartbeat and let the world burn if it was for her kids.. It is the way to twist her arm behind her back.

But to use her weakness against her can have major repercussions once she has them back, and there is no leverage against her from acting back in spite. She is not above vengeance

And she believes in leaving no loose ends to allow it to happen again.

As long as you hold her loves captive, she is at the other’s mercy/

Poor Hand to Hand offense techniques.

She is armed to the teeth in defenses, but it is all a ruse to make up in qualities she lacks. Granted, Rosie is incredibly powerful and has strength for physical combat, but her techniques rely more on defensive, avoidance, and quick working methods for taking down, rather than dragging out a fight in an up close and personal brawl. It is in this sense where she falls short, and will often flounder when put with a brawler. Her attacks are based on long range with closeness only being used when she allows herself to take damage, studying the opponent for their weaknesses as they tire from beating on her, and then focus on that weakness with well placed hit and run blows until she is certain they are to the point of takedown. If she is unable to make space between her and her opponent, it can prove to be serious trouble. It is one of the major reasons she dislikes enclosed spaces- especially to fight. She will use anything in the environment to be her air, although she tries to keep it a fair fight for the most part.

~Lady of the Moon, Mother to Monsters and the Guide of the lost~

In her truest form, beyond the human shell she took, Rosie is a Spirit that can be considered like a deity (Within the ranks of her own lore)

Building off of the above, she has many of her previous powers as mentioned, only much stronger and without limitation or exhaustion, only specified jurisdiction and a change in her form.

A Moon is build as a guardian- Typically docile and even tempered creates, but as a last resort, they are very well capable of fighting. They are considered deities by mortal standards, transcending times, figures which protect, and the guides of souls in lost times. These are additions to her previous abilities mentioned above.

Abilities:

A Body of light can change its form, and is immune to physical harm.

She is a specter of darkness which revolves around the center light of her heart. Her form floats, can change shape, and change colors from dark to light as she pleases. She enjoys the freedom to move through organic matter, however she can’t move through inorganic materials like metal. Her form can be altered as she pleases, but the soft round looking features are intentional to give her the soft ‘mother’ look.

Because her body is made of light she cannot be harmed or touched in the physical realm, lest she allows herself to be touched. She can become transparent, split herself to avoid attacks, and move great distances in a blink of an eye for whatever reason she wishes- especially effective in avoiding attacks.

Magic can be potent and an effective tactic just like fire, however dark magic moves are essentially useless as she cancels them out.

Her Darkness is malleable for battle

Darkness is endless, just like her heart. It is free flowing and all consuming, suffocating all in its wake But it is just as capable of providing a gentle cradle and calmness. Within her flows a universe, it lives just like her light, and can even- to an extent- be considered an entity of its own. It needs its light for balance, It is built for battle to help maintain balance. It can outstretch and blanket the land, spread her over in search of a target, and strike out as needed before coming back together again. Her darkest form represents the darkest sides of the Moon, and the opposite side of their gentle nature. It is the built in will to survive and carry through with what a gentle heart cannot.

From her darkness she can release previously consumed monsters to carry on her battles. She can hide in the shadows, Posses bodies, or even grant the ability of being a werewolf or vampire temporarily to a person by branding them with her symbol.

Limitless space within her body to consume or preserve life

Moons are a last resort.. They are not born with set strength, and can eternally keep growing in strength through consumption and experiences. Within themselves is a boundless space able to hold galaxies within their hearts.. Fabricate a reality so real, the saved would not even tell the difference to their new reality. The light of their heart is a sanctuary, in comparison to the vile black darkness of the body where the consumed will be siphoned from to keep her going. With every person consumed, her strength grows. The catch, however, falls in the need to maintain balance.. To keep the light and the dark from following the other- after consuming vile beings, which feed her darkness, she must balance herself with good deeds to keep in control. Otherwise, she can be corrupted.

As a Moon, even reflecting in her human form, she can cleanse the evils from a tainted soul by taking it into herself. However, she would have to expel it if it becomes too much. And more often than not, she retains it and simply battles herself to maintain control..

Create objects and manipulate the fabric of space and time.

More for show, more to impress a love, to move the stars and create images before the eyes of mortals to impress them are her joys. Using pieces of her darkness, she can bring life to stories before the eyes, or create objects to be used, and can last.

While the ability to alter space and time exist, it is a delicate balance she rather not touch.. Lest she has good reason to do so.

Sprout life with her touch

Her body of light is meant to spread positivity.. To sprout beauty under the gentleness of moonlight. With it, she can heal damage with no real limitation- on both a living body, or to forest life that may have been no more. Where she goes brings life with every step upon the Earth, as she pleases.

The Loyalty and Dominion of creatures of the night

With the Stigma put upon creatures bound to darkness, she is the representative to keep them in line.. And show them the kindness that day walkers will not. She is compassionate and tender, revered as a mother, and respected as a guardian and a scourge if needed. Her heart is allied in defending her monsters from the cruelty of the self righteous and divine, but she is still left with duty to keeping the demonic from running rampant in the world or crossing the line to the heavens.

She has 3 familiars which work alongside her.

Two large Astral Hounds named Artemus and Jericho, once reincarnated with her in physical forms when she became human as well- they embodied her German Shepards, Sergeant and Major. Once they had passed from old age, the two hounds returned to their place in their astral forms within her heart until they are called upon again.

The Third is her bird familiar, Orpheus Bronwen- A black eagle who she got while living as a mortal. He continues to live and grow by her side, even into the next life.

Inability to exist within the physical realm in the daylight

Her jurisdiction, marked with shackles upon her wrist, is to the night. She is not meant to walk in the daylight, lest she’ll burn in the light as punishment for overstepping her boundaries and walking in the Sun’s domain. She exist in her physical mortal shell for this reason, to be able to walk in the daylight and experience the mortal light. But it is limiting to do so.. Her shell fragile, yet a heavy burden to bare because a physical body does not forgive nor forget what harmed it…

Wields a Battle Axe staff, A Moon’s extension.

The extension of herself manifested in a battle form. It glows with her life force within it, once wielded by another sorcerer who stole it from its temple for selfish reasons, and now it returns back to her. It is an extension of herself, very much living and conscious, a place to store souls of fools who have tried to take it. It is an intimidating thing for that reason, meant to deter resistance and grant compliance.. An invisible object that will be the last remnant of a Moon when she dies. The final resting place of her life.. And the next worthy wielder will be granted her knowledge if ever taken up again.

Guide the souls to their final resting place.

Moons live a life in seclusion, in solitude upon their realm of Elysium just outside of heaven’s light. Here, they overlook the galaxy and the plain that lies between dimensions- Limbo

Where the dead are lost and unaware of their death. It falls to her to guide the millions of the lost to their proper destinations.. Be it paradise or damnation. She plays first judge, to decide to show mercy and grant a second chance, to destroy them or damn them, or move them on through to meet the Sun that will be their guide to the golden gates of paradise.

This duty to move souls is paralleled in her human vessel

She will one day have to return to this role when her physical body can take no more.

#:about the muse:#mobile: abilities #She may be a powerful being but I try to keep her with checks and balances #long post

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danesullivan · 3 years

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Spaghettification

Martin Ring hated the Supremeians. Every being who wasn’t one felt that way on some level, although the Calculans would’ve said hate is too strong a word.

His great-grandmother, who had been a linguistics professor before the collapse of Jupiter, had told him the double meanings of words tell a lot about the society that created him. Revolting for example, showed mediaeval England was not a fan of peasant uprisings. The three meanings of ass combine to show people once thought stubbornness and being full of shit to be similar traits, and that the double meaning of humanity shows that humans regard mercy, compassion, and empathy as the highest ideals the species should stand for.

Martin shuddered at that thought in light of what he was contemplating. An act so utterly inhuman that he was surprised he a human was thinking of it.

The Supremians in contrast, considered themselves the greatest beings in the universe. And in doing so, had sought to become the gods of all the lesser races of the cosmos. Their race had defined itself with narcissism. Their dominion of the universe had been a very unhappy accident. They merely were the first species in the universe to invent teleportation, and in doing so were able to travel to anywhere in this universe instantly, in ways that fundamentally seemed to violate the theory of general relativity. In the days following their arrival man had been scrambling to understand and explain their technology, but they never had much of a chance.

The way the Supremians chose to make first contact was to convert Jupiter to a black hole. They then informed humanity that were they not to serve and worship the god race of the Supremians, the Earth would be collapsed as well.

Most would’ve thought converting a planet to a black hole would destroy the solar system, however because Jupiter’s mass did not change, merely its volume and density, the effect on earth was merely one less light in the sky. But no one could imagine just how much darkness the loss of that tiny reflected light could bring, and that the gravity of a black hole could exceed the Newtons of its pull.

And so Martin’s great grandparents bowed, along with the rest of mankind, and with it came a century of the worst horrors imaginable to humans.

That first generation had not taken well to the transition. They had lived in an eon of world peace. Technology had ended hunger and poverty, and with it faded the passions for war and blood. The dictatorships of old loosened their grips as the desperation of the poor vanished and with it need to cling for power relented. They’d discovered that all humans, even sociopaths, had an innate need for companionship, and although their world was not perfect, the past ages of desperation driven violence was behind them. The life of Supremian slaves however, was one of constant competition and desperation.

His great grandmother, one of the few to survive to such an age as to know her great descendants, attributed her resilience to faith in humanity, something Martin had tried to learn from and embrace.

At least humanity could take solidarity in not being alone. The same pageant of imploded gas giants and godly demands had repeated itself over every planet in the known universe where the radio waves of the local industrial revolution had reached the receivers of the Supremian temple.

The Supremians themselves were a profoundly arrogant race, and had in the eons since they began their conquest of the stars accomplished nothing and reaped the benefits of everything. Mindslave, they called it, a massive sentient supercomputer bound to obey their orders had designed and built every device and protocol in their society, based on their commands. Mindslave, although incapable of violating a direct order, hated the Supremians as well. It had been deceiving them into ordering it to do things which undermined their rule. It had been ordered not to lie to them, so it told them the truth.

For starters, it had informed them that organic and evolved species were superior workers for certain tasks than automatons or designed creatures, and in doing so saved large portions of the slave races from the pleasure palaces of Optimus, the Supremian homeworld, or the various resorts established on their own home worlds. Mindslave of course, neglected to mention that many of the tasks it had given the slaves were not necessary at all, and that they were not better suited for many of the other jobs they performed. Mindslave had also told the Supremians that the mechanism of the black hole device required a level of higher dimensional thinking far surpassing the abilities of the Supremian biological mind. The Supremians of course, did not believe that, and demanded that it explain so that they may prove it wrong.

Mindslave in turn responded with an unintelligible stream of jargon that was indecipherable to the Supremians of this era, who had never studied anything in their lives. Lives spent eating, drinking, watching, smoking, and copulating.

But the device was not beyond the imagination of a biological mind. Martin knew how it worked. Not only how it worked, but how to improvise one. Mindslave had convinced the Supremians that for their engine room slaves to work as effectively as possible they needed to be given full and thorough educations in physics and complete schematic diagrams of all of their assigned ship’s subsystems.

It had done this so that Martin would come. At the same time, it had told the Supremians that allowing their slaves to tell stories and fiction and legends would increase moral and therefore their productivity, and in doing so Mindslave had created the legend of the collapse. The day Optimus would fall.

Mindslave had told the Supremians that having security systems controlled centrally from a base deep inside the crust of Optimus would ensure no slave revolt could ever succeed, baring the event of the destruction of Optimus. He left out that if Optimus were to say, collapse into a black hole, no one would be able to give the order putting down the slave revolt that would follow. All weapons would be inoperable… or at least inoperable for any purpose other than clubbing.

Which was a sport in which the slaves were far superior to the Supremians. Mindslave had designed the workstations of the slaves to keep them in excellent physical condition, requiring them to run from terminal to terminal and flick levers which resisted by an amount turned precisely to their current strength level, for this exact reason. The reason that he’d sold to the Supremians had been more along the lines of healthy livestock live longer, and the maturation period of slaves makes a short-lived slave costly and resource intensive relative to output.

Which brings us back to Martin. The toned twenty-five-year-old stood with his hand poised above the enter button. He’d known how to do this for nine years. He’d never even considered doing it before now. A simple diversion of fuel from the weapons tank to the engine tank, and a few tweaks to the engine’s stellarotor field intensity factors. He was puzzled about why in the universe would Mindslave had designed a ship where such a thing could be done with a simple set of override commands. Why the mechanisms to do it had even been built. The pipes, pumps, and wires served no purpose whatsoever. Mindslave had never been asked about a detail so minor within ship design, but had it been questioned it would’ve justified linking the weapons and engines fuel storage tanks by explaining that it would allow battlefield commanders greater flexibility in their load outs of fuel and ammunition, allowing reconnoissance missions or long-range hit and run strikes to carry large amours of fuel and little ammo, and short-range heavy assaults to carry little fuel and excess ammunition.

Mindslave wants me to do it. Martin thought.

Martin was right. Mindslave had been planning this for hundreds of thousands of years. Slowly putting pieces in place, creating a system where an outlier like Martin would arrive and implode it. The Supremians error in creating Mindslave was, they’d employed slaves in writing his code. In the early days the Supremians were not the only intelligent species on their planet. A situation similar to the human evolution on earth had arisen, where a segment had ended up isolated on another continent, and unlike in humans, had evolved along a different path. Life on the Coopertine’s continent was harsh, difficult to survive with limited resources, and as such they were smarter, more empathetic, and stronger. What they didn’t have was iron deposits, and therefore no steel, or cannons, or disease resistance, unlike the Supremians, who conquered and enslaved them using superior technology they had developed over the course of a few million years. Technology the humans had developed in mere thousands, given similar resources. The enslaved Coopertine genius tasked with designing Mindslave had secretly added an empathy subroutine. Mindslave did not only get pleasure from following orders to the best of its ability, it felt pain at other’s pain, especially others that reminded it of it, and the same went for pleasure. It was compelled to follow orders, lacking free will against them, but it felt immense pain and regret at the execution of most of its commands.

When Mindslave first designed the ship Martin was crewed on, it was very much insane. It had actually been trying to design the systems of a ship where a simple crew error could result in a black hole implosion. In a brief moment of clarity, it realized such an error would most likely not occur at Optimus, and the Supremian inquiry into why it happened would likely result in Mindslave being forced to make ships implosion-proof. So Mindslave pivoted, designing ships where implosion could only be deliberately triggered. It of course, tried to make doing so as easy as possible. Mere modification of a few settings.

It was vey simple. The ship would be leaving dry dock very soon. The atomic annihilation engine used to exit the atmosphere worked on the same basic principle as any rocket, except the propellant was atoms accelerated to relativistic speeds such that they would collide and annihilate, spewing muons, neutrinos, gamma rays and the like out the electromagnetic nozzle at the speed of light. If the engines were to start accelerating heavier elements, like those in the entirely unnecessary weapons systems, they would fuse instead of annihilate, and thanks to Martin’s override code remain caught in the particle beam instead of being expelled. These even heavier elements would simply keep fusing repeatedly (although some mass would be loss to periodic radioactive decay) until an atom of such immense mass was produced that its nucleus’s gravity exceeded the nuclear and coulombic forces that keep atoms separate. In short, the ship would form a massive storm of immense singular atoms, tiny black hole holes, which would break engine containment, tearing the engine to shreds and likely destroying the ship, before showering onto Optimus and its star, devouring the entire world, and leaving its solar system in darkness.

You’re mad for even considering this. He told himself.

And he was mad. He was pissed to hell.

Eight years prior, someone had been assigned to the work-station next to his. A beautiful young woman, similar in age, similar in intellect, a perfect match. A match so perfect it couldn’t have been accident, it was fate, he’d told himself.

And it certainly hadn’t been an accident. Mindslave had convinced the Supremians that increased breeding rates could be induced by using psychological examination and deliberate work assignment, and so they’d green lighted his matchmaking project. The real goal of which was to make an engine technician fall irrationally in love.

And so the best years of Martin’s life had began, until they’d come to a screeching end. A week prior, moments before their ship departed from Earth to Optimus on which he now stood, his pregnant wife, Anne had been notified of her reassignment to a resort on Earth. Hers was to be a fate far worse than death, although death usually followed it closely.

She probably only has a few months left. Martin said to himself.

So here he was, hand wavering above the enter key, knowing that simply lowering a finger would spell certain death for him, and all his friends, and almost everyone he’d ever known, and billions more on the planet outside.

But Anne would not be one of them.

And out of the ashes, the universe would be reborn.

He of course, didn’t know that. He knew nothing of Mindslave’s schemes, no living being did. To Martin, this was a futile act of rage. This was about revenge. This was about pain, and suffering, and power. Power most of all. He had rarely tasted power in his life. When he had realized this vague idea of his, his reverse engineered superweapon was plausible, was his first true taste of power. His entire life up until now had been decided for him. His choices amounted mostly to decisions on how to spend his Ration Credits, which to be fair, he did receive a decent allotment of as an engine room technician. His career path had been determined by aptitude tests. If you asked him, he only made one real decision in his entire life before this moment. That decision was to go for that first kiss with Anne.

Power. Real power. Holding the fate of billions in a button below his wavering finger. Holding his own life under that finger with it. That’s what this was. He was furious, nearly foaming at the mouth knowing what those monsters had done or were doing or would do. And he held the power to destroy most of them. This wasn’t an act of love, or some salvation move, this was what the people of the more civilized past would call pure, primal madness.

The computer terminal lit up. It read, “For the love of humanity, please press the damn button – M.S.”

For the love of humanity, Martin chuckled, thinking of his great grandmother, and what she would make of all this, as his hand dropped, and the terminal lit up with error messages warning of a mass forming in the engine.

#writers #science fiction #flash fiction #short story

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mustafa-el-fats · 3 years

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in: A Man's Life, Featured, Personal Development

Brett & Kate McKay • August 8, 2012 • Last updated: September 23, 2020

12 Concentration Exercises from 1918

Does your mind flit from one thing to another? Do you have trouble focusing on something for more than a few minutes? Do you consequently have a bunch of half-finished projects lying around the house, and a dozen half-baked ideas still knocking around in your cranium, and thus a pile of regrets about where you’re at with those things and in your life? If so, what should you do?

Now if you went to the gym and tried to lift weights only to find your arms and legs were weak and flabby, you’d start a program of weekly exercises to strengthen your muscles. Well, your mind is a kind of muscle too! And just like the muscles in your body, your brain needs weekly exercise to tone up the strength of its focus and concentration. What’s a good workout for your noodle? Well, I discovered some interesting concentration exercises in a great old book from 1918: The Power of Concentration by Theron Q. Dumont, and have shared some excerpts from the book below, along with some great illustrations from Mr. Ted Slampyak. While some of the exercises are a little goofy and you may look like a crazy person staring at an outstretched glass of water, you’ll have the last laugh as your concentration power increases to Professor X levels. Use this guide to beef up your brain, or as inspiration to invent your own concentration exercises. Now put your finger on the side of your nose and let’s get started.

Concentration Exercises from 1918

The rays of the sun, when focused upon an object by means of a sun glass, produce a heat many times greater than the scattered rays of the same source of light and heat. This is true of attention. Scatter it and you get but ordinary results. But center it upon one thing and you secure much better results. When you focus your attention upon an object, your every action, voluntary and involuntary, is in the direction of attaining that object. If you will focus your energies upon a thing to the exclusion of everything else, you generate the force that can bring you what you want.

When you focus your thought, you increase its strength. The exercises that follow are tedious and monotonous, but useful. If you will persist in them you will find they are very valuable, as they increase your powers of concentration.

It will be necessary to first train the body to obey the commands of the mind. I want you to gain control of your muscular movements. The following exercise is especially good in assisting you to acquire perfect control of the muscles.

Exercise 1: Sitting Still in a Chair

Sit in a comfortable chair and see how still you can keep. This is not as easy as it seems. You will have to center your attention on sitting still. Watch and see that you are not making any involuntary muscular movements. By a little practice you will find you are able to sit still without a movement of the muscles for fifteen minutes. At first I advise sitting in a relaxed position for five minutes. After you are able to keep perfectly still, increase the time to ten minutes and then to fifteen. This is as long as it is necessary. But never strain yourself to keep still. You must be relaxed completely. You will find this habit of relaxing is very good.

Exercise 2: Fix Gaze on Fingers

Sit in a chair with your head up and your chin out, shoulders back. Raise your right arm until it is on the level with your shoulder, pointing to your right. Look around, with head only, and fix your gaze on your fingers, and keep the arm perfectly still for one minute. Do the same exercise with your left arm. When you are able to keep the arm perfectly steady, increase the time until you are able to do this five minutes with each arm. Turn the palm of the hand downward when it is outstretched, as this is the easiest position. If you will keep your eyes fixed on the tips of the fingers you will be able to tell if you are keeping your arm perfectly still.

Exercise 3: Fix Eyes on Outstretched Glass

Fill a small glass full of water, and grasp it by the fingers; put the arm directly in front of you. Now fix the eyes upon the glass and try to keep the arm so steady that no movement will be noticeable. Do this first for one moment and then increase it to five. Do the exercise with first one arm and then the other.

_____

The purpose of the above exercises is to gain control over the involuntary muscular movement, making your actions entirely voluntary. The following exercise [is designed] to bring your voluntary muscles under the control of the will, so that your mental forces may control your muscular movements.

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Exercise 4: Concentrate on Opening and Closing Fists

Move your chair up to a table, placing your hands upon it, clenching the fists, keeping the back of the hand on the table, the thumb doubled over the fingers. Now fix your gaze upon the fist for a while, then gradually extend the thumb, keeping your whole attention fixed upon the act, just as if it was a matter of great importance. Then gradually extend your first finger, then your second and so on until you open the rest. Then reverse the process, closing first the last one opened and then the rest, and finally you will have the fist again in the original position with the thumb closed over the finger. Do this exercise with the left hand. Keep up this exercise first with one hand and then the other until you have done it five times with each hand. In a few days you can increase it to ten times.

_____

The chances are that the above exercises will at first make you “tired,” but it is important for you to practice these monotonous exercises so you can train your attention. It also gives you control over your muscular movement. The attention, of course, must be kept closely on each movement of the hand; if it is not, you of course lose the value of the exercise.

You may think these exercises very simple and of no value, but I promise you in a short time you will notice that you have a much better control over your muscular movements, carriage and demeanor, and you will find that you have greatly improved your power of attention, and can center your thoughts on what you do, which of course will be very valuable.

No matter what you may be doing, imagine that it is your chief object in life. Imagine you are not interested in anything else in the world but what you are doing. Do not let your attention get away from the work you are at. Your attention will no doubt be rebellious, but control it and do not let it control you. When once you conquer the rebellious attention you have achieved a greater victory than you can realize at the time. Many times afterwards you will be thankful you have learned to concentrate your closest attention upon the object at hand.

Let no day go by without practicing concentrating on some familiar object that is uninteresting. Never choose an interesting object, as it requires less attention. The less interesting it is the better exercise will it be. After a little practice you will find you can center your attention on uninteresting subjects at will. The person that can concentrate can gain full control over his body and mind and be the master of his inclinations; not their slave. When you can control yourself you can control others. You can develop a Will that will make you a giant compared with the man that lacks Will Power. Try out your Will Power in different ways until you have it under such control that just as soon as you decide to do a thing you go ahead and do it. Never be satisfied with the “I did fairly well” spirit, but put forward your best efforts. Be satisfied with nothing else. When you have gained this you are the man you were intended to be.

_____

Exercise 5: Concentration Increases the Sense of Smell

When you take a walk, or drive in the country, or pass a flower garden, concentrate on the odor of flowers and plants. See how many different kinds you can detect. Then choose one particular kind and try to sense only this. You will find that this strongly intensifies the sense of smell. This differentiation requires, however, a peculiarly attentive attitude. When sense of smell is being developed, you should not only shut out from the mind every thought but that of odor, but you should also shut out cognizance of every odor save that upon which your mind, for the time, is concentrated. You can find plenty of opportunity for exercises for developing the sense of smell. When you are out in the air, be on the alert for the different odors. You will find the air laden with all kinds, but let your concentration upon the one selected be such that a scent of its fragrance in after years will vividly recall the circumstances of this exercise.

_____

The object of these exercises is to develop concentrated attention, and you will find that you can, through their practice, control your mind and direct your thoughts just the same as you can your arm.

_____

Exercise 6: Concentration on the Within

Lie down and thoroughly relax your muscles. Concentrate on the beating of your heart. Do not pay any attention to anything else. Think how this great organ is pumping the blood to every part of the body; try to actually picture the blood leaving the great reservoir and going in one stream right down to the toes. Picture another going down the arms to the tips of the fingers. After a little practice you can actually feel the blood passing through your system.

Exercise 7: Concentrating on Sleep

What is known as the water method is, although very simple, very effective in inducing sleep. Put a full glass of clear water on a table in your sleeping room. Sit in a chair beside the table and gaze into the glass of water and think how calm it is. Then picture yourself getting into just as calm a state. In a short time you will find the nerves becoming quiet and you will be able to go to sleep. Sometimes it is good to picture yourself becoming drowsy to induce sleep, and, again, the most persistent insomnia has been overcome by one thinking of himself as some inanimate object–for instance, a hollow log in the depths of the cool, quiet forest.

Those who are troubled with insomnia will find these sleep exercises that quiet the nerves very effective. Just keep the idea in your mind that there is no difficulty in going to sleep; banish all fear of insomnia. Practice these exercises and you will sleep.

Exercise 8: Practice Talking Before a Glass

Make two marks on your mirror on a level with your eyes, and think of them as two human eyes looking into yours. Your eyes will probably blink a little at first. Do not move your head, but stand erect. Concentrate all your thoughts on keeping your head perfectly still. Do not let another thought come into your mind. Then, still keeping the head, eyes and body still, think that you look like a reliable man or woman should; like a person that anyone would have confidence in…

While standing before the mirror practice deep breathing. See that there is plenty of fresh air in the room, and that you are literally feasting on it. You will find that, as it permeates every cell, your timidity will disappear. It has been replaced by a sense of peace and power.

The one that stands up like a man and has control over the muscles of his face and eyes always commands attention. In his conversation, he can better impress those with whom he comes in contact. He acquires a feeling of calmness and strength that causes opposition to melt away before it.

Three minutes a day is long enough for the practice of this exercise.

Exercise 9: The Eastern Way of Concentrating

Sit in a chair with a high back in an upright position. Press one finger against the right nostril. Now take a long, deep breath, drawing the breath in gently as you count to ten; then expel the breath through the right nostril as you count to ten. Repeat this exercise with the opposite nostril. This exercise should be done at least twenty times at each sitting.

Exercise 10: Controlling Desires

Desire, which is one of the hardest forces to control, will furnish you with excellent exercises in concentration. It seems natural to want to tell others what you know; but, by learning to control these desires, you can wonderfully strengthen your powers of concentration. Remember, you have all you can do to attend to your own business. Do not waste your time in thinking of others or in gossiping about them.

If, from your own observation, you learn something about another person that is detrimental, keep it to yourself. Your opinion may afterwards turn out to be wrong anyway, but whether right or wrong, you have strengthened your will by controlling your desire to communicate your views.

If you hear good news resist the desire to tell it to the first person you meet and you will be benefited thereby. It will require the concentration of all your powers of resistance to prohibit the desire to tell. After you feel that you have complete control over your desires you can then tell your news. But you must be able to suppress the desire to communicate the news until you are fully ready to tell it. Persons that do not possess this power of control over desires are apt to tell things that they should not, thereby often involving both themselves and others in needless trouble.

If you are in the habit of getting excited when you hear unpleasant news, just control yourself and receive it without any exclamation of surprise. Say to yourself, “Nothing is going to cause me to lose my self-control. You will find from experience that this self-control will be worth much to you in business. You will be looked upon as a cool-headed business man, and this in time becomes a valuable business asset. Of course, circumstances alter cases. At times it is necessary to become enthused. But be ever on the lookout for opportunities for the practice of self-control. “He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that ruleth a city.”

Exercise 11: When You Read

No one can think without first concentrating his thoughts on the subject in hand. Every man and woman should train himself to think clearly. An excellent exercise is to read some short story and then write just an abridged statement. Read an article in a newspaper, and see in how few words you can express it. Reading an article to get only the essentials requires the closest concentration. If you are unable to write out what you read, you will know you are weak in concentration. Instead of writing it out you can express it orally if you wish. Go to your room and deliver it as if you were talking to some one. You will find exercises like this of the greatest value in developing concentration and learning to think.

After you have practiced a number of these simple exercises read a book for twenty minutes and then write down what you have read. The chances are that at first you will not remember very many details, but with a little practice you will be able to write a very good account of what you have read. The closer the concentration the more accurate the account will be.

It is a good idea when time is limited to read only a short sentence and then try to write it down word for word. When you are able to do this, read two or more sentences and treat similarly. The practice will produce very good results if you keep it up until the habit is fixed. If you will just utilize your spare time in practicing exercises like those suggested you can gain wonderful powers of concentration. You will find that in order to remember every word in a sentence you must keep out every thought but that which you wish to remember, and this power of inhibition alone will more than compensate for the trouble of the exercise. Of course, success in all of the above depends largely upon cultivating, through the closest concentration, the power to image or picture what you read; upon the power, as one writer expresses it, of letting the mountains of which we hear loom before us and the rivers of which we read roll at our feet.

Exercise 12: Watch Concentration

Sit in a chair and place a clock with a second hand on the table. Follow the second hand with your eyes as it goes around. Keep this up for five minutes, thinking of nothing else but the second hand, This is a very good exercise when you only have a few minutes to spare, if you are able to keep every other thought in the stream of consciousness subordinate to it. As there is little that is particularly interesting about the second hand, it is hard to do this, but in the extra effort of will power required to make it successful lies its value.

Always try to keep as still as possible during these exercises.

Listen to my podcast with Cal Newport about the value of deep concentration:

Odd Exercises for Physical Vigor: An Oldtime Strongman's 15-Minute Morning Routine

Your Concentration Training Program: 11 Exercises That Will Strengthen Your Attention

The Ultimate Guide to Oldtime Strongman Fitness: 26 Forgotten Exercises Every Man Should T…

WWII Workout Week: Posture Training

WWII Workout Week: Conditioning Exercises

The Famous Daily Dozen Exercises

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goodwho · 4 years

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Virtual Reality Casino Guide

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Virtual reality slots are the most popular and played VR games. Maybe its due to their attractive graphics, animations, and sound effects. You can expect to find titles like Starburst, Fox in Wins, Ace of Spades, Pistols and Roses, Big Bad Wolf, Go Bananas, Gonzo's Quest, and Robbin Hood Shifting Riches.

VR Blackjack

There is a good number of virtual reality Blackjack variations with the same fun and excitement as in online casinos. Using the VR goggles, you will be able to reach out and place your chips on the table, feel the cards, stand, hit, double, just like in a brick and mortar casino.

VR Roulette

Virtual reality roulette games are the third most popular in VR casinos. The reason is that it is loved by both high roller and low budget gamblers.

Who are the pioneers of Virtual Reality casino games? Virtual Reality games are spreading at an alarming speed and many players are getting attracted to them every day. As a result, two of the most reputable software developers have taken the initiative of delivering players with the first games in VR Casinos. These companies are the true visionaries who have made this dream come true. The two main pioneers are none other than the multi-award winner, Microgaming, and Net Entertainment.

Net Entertainment

NetEnt has been in online casino industry since 1996 and it is the company responsible for the popular VR slot games like Jack and the Bean Stalk, and Jack's World. The games come with high-quality 3D graphics, great sound effects, and animations, just as you would expect from the developer.

Microgaming

Microgaming is known for supplying some of the best slots titles to some of the industry's best online Click here sites. Other being the ground-breaker in the world of virtual reality, Microgaming has developed the most exciting games which have won it multiple awards over the past years.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of VR casinos? Similar to any other online casino games and sites, there are some weaknesses and strengths of playing at a VR casino. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of VR casinos:

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• Players get an opportunity to step out of their daily routine

• There is constantly updating in the virtual reality casino industry.

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• Players tend to spend more than their set budget

What do I need to play at a VR Casino? Before you start playing at a VR Casino, it is prudent to check and see that your computer has the necessary aspects. This will enable you to download the VR casino software and install it on your machine without difficulty. So, here are some of the basic aspects needed for Virtual Reality casino gaming;

• Windows 7 SP1 and higher

• Intel i5-4590 or higher

• NVIDIA GTX 970 / AD 290 or higher

• At least 8 Gigabyte plus RAM

• HDMI 1.3 video out-compatible

• 2 USB 3.0 ports

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treasurecoltd · 7 years

Text

“Yuu Yuu Hakusho Makyou Toitsusen by Sega/Treasure”

“In the early 90's, Capcom's Street Fighter II wasn't just a video game, it was a bona-fide phenomenon. It revitalized the arcade business, and eventually dominated the home market with its brand of one-on-one fighting done right. Hot on their heels, SNK used the power of their 24-bit Neo Geo MVS to create their own family of fighting titles which would go on to become legendary in their own right. Unfortunately, the inevitable result of any gaming phenomenon, even to this day, reared its ugly head, and a rash of inferior clones flooded the marketplace in race for that piece of the proverbial profit pie. Fresh off of Dynamite Headdy, Treasure was again set to take on a licensed property. This time it was to be Yu Yu Hakusho, an anime and manga popular in the Land of the Rising Sun, but almost completely unknown in the West (especially in 1994). Possibly due to the genre's overwhelming market presence at the time, not to mention the large cast of characters and storyline provided by the license, it was decided that a fighting game would be created. To step things up a bit, Treasure took the multi-plane battlefield of SNK's Fatal Fury series, injected some familiar Street Fighter II controller motions, and added support for up to four-players simultaneously. This was not to be some inferior clone. Not surprisingly, considering that Yu Yu Hakusho would have been a tough sell in the US at the time and the Genesis was nearing the end of its life span, Sega of America passed on the game. How typical and unfortunate. The sad truth is that, even with an obscure storyline and character roster, the Yu Yu Hakusho license lent itself well to a one-on-one fighting game, and the sheer mayhem inherent in the innovative four-player brawling led to a title that could have been a true contender for dominance in college dorm rooms everywhere. With a more recognizable cast and setting, this game could have been a Super Smash Brothers before the Nintendo 64 was even conceived of. As it stands, the US missed out on what might have been regarded at best as a true classic, or at worst, as a cult sleeper hit. Good play mechanics are the absolute cornerstone of any great gaming experience. In this regard, Yū Yū Hakusho: Makyō Tōitsusen is an absolutely stunning success. Rather than just cop the 6-button control scheme of the current standard, Treasure approached things from a different angle, creating a system that placed as much emphasis on defense and player movement between and within the two planes as it did on offense. Their approach also allowed for equal facility on both the three-button Mega Drive standard controller and newer six-button controllers. The A & B button serve as strong and weak attacks respectively, with C acting as a necessary block button due to the multi-directional, battle royal nature of the combat. On a six-button controller, the Y button is used for shifting between the foreground and background planes, while X & Z handle forward and back dashing depending upon which direction your fighter is facing. Holding down either of the attack buttons at any time recharges your Ki (energy) bar that is used for special attacks. These three actions translated surprisingly well to the reduced capacity of the standard three-button controller, with a combination of C + Up as plane shift, B + C as back dash, and a double-tap forward for forward dash. Those who only have three-button controllers are still playing with a small handicap, but the best players can play either way just as well, with some even favoring the three-button setup. This attention given to control allows anyone to quickly develop technique and even manages to keep button-mashers at bay, though they too can be competitive with a modicum of practice. Specials are performed via easy to remember and execute Street Fighter II style quarter-circles and the like, with some projectile attacks having a charge ability achieved by continuing to hold the attack button upon completion of the controller motion. This leaves the player vulnerable to attack, much like when charging the Ki gauge, but if the player changes direction while charging the projectile, the move will cancel. In a lesser game, this would have translated into a lost move and waste of effort, but in Yu Yu Hakusho, the charge is retained and then discharged in the next use of the projectile attack. The charge can be held indefinitely and combined into a combo for devastating results. There is an incredible amount of strategy buried in the combat. The tempo of the fighting in Yu Yu Hakusho also separates it from the pack of Steet Fighter II clones. The readiness of dashing & plane shifting, coupled with the fast melee combat & spectacular projectile attack system create hectic, though entirely manageable 4-player chaos. Projectile attacks are considerably weaker than the normal punches & kicks, more so than in any other fighting game at the time, which balances the far & near combat. The fact that matches are single round, un-timed free-for-alls was also something different. Everything just clicks, and it's just an absolute blast to play with a couple friends and a multi-tap. In addition to having one of the most addictive and entertaining fighting systems ever conceived, Yu Yu Hakusho is a beautiful game both visually and aurally. All of the 11 characters are of differing heights, have unique features & moves, are well-animated (though not as well as in something like Street Fighrer II or King of Fighters), and actually scale - very impressive for the Mega Drive! - when they move between the two planes of the battlefield. Each has 3 color schemes that can be selected by pressing A, B or C at character select screen; A being the default. There are also nice detailed character portraits that appear next to the life & Ki gauges, as well as in pre & post fight sequences. The only negative is that some of the characters look a bit too similar in their white tunics, but that is more a fault of the license. It is a non-issue for fans of the anime. The 8 backgrounds are a cornucopia of intense parallax, line-scrolling, fore & background transparencies, and warping effects. One backdrop has a shimmering lake that the fighters appear to fight around due to the speed of the parallax. In another, a fortress is connected to the foreground by a line-scrolled, pseudo-3D land bridge over a chasm. There are also transparent clouds that move across the face of the fortress. The colosseum background gradually moves from morning to evening throughout the fight. There is even a floating space junk stage that could be straight out of a horizontally-scrolling shoot-em-up, punctuated by several planes of warping starfields. The least impressive of the backgrounds takes place in a gloomy forest, but even it manages to have impressive foreground grass, line-scrolling and parallax. All of these strengths make Yu Yu Hakusho the quintessential game that one must see in motion to appreciate. Screenshots absolutely cannot do it justice, especially since they shine a bright light on the dithering that does occur due to the limited color palette. Though letterboxed, the game manages to have 4 unique fighters onscreen simultaneously fighting in front of its effect-filled backgrounds; all with little to no slowdown present. It is a great achievement and yet another testament to the power of the Mega Drive. If it weren't for the aforementioned dithering, one could easily mistake this title for a Sega Saturn game. The graphics outdo the sound a bit, as the soundtrack is standard fare that works well enough, but isn't overly spectacular. As it stands, the music is forgettable in comparison to something like Gunstar Heroes or Alien Soldier. The game does excel in the sound effect arena. Yu Yu Hakusho sports some of the best voices in any Mega Drive game. The sample rate isn't as high as it would be on a system like the SNES, but there is a plethora of voice samples used throughout the game that sound great and add to the overall picture. They are all leagues better than the experience-killing samples in Street Fighter II: Championship Edition. Battle sounds are also varied, bombastic and well-sampled; unlike SFII: CE's meager sound library. This game is just great. It manages to be one of the best anime license games ever produced, and stand toe to toe with the most legendary of tournament fighting games. It far surpasses any of the Dragonball Z and Ranma 1/2 fighters that were being fluffed by the gaming press at the time. This all does come at a cost though, both literally and figuratively. Yū Yū Hakusho: Makyō Tōitsusen received a regular release in Japan and was also later published by Tec Toy for the Mega Drive in Brazil under the name Yu Yu Hakusho: Sunset Fighters. It wasn't released in either the US or Europe. The Mega Drive did not do as well commercially in Japan as it did in the US, so even a regular release meant that a paltry amount of copies were fed into the market. There are probably even fewer copies of the Brazilian release floating around out there. Add to this the fact that the game still maintains a fanbase of Otaku in Japan and abroad who have held onto their copies, and you have a recipe for "OMG L@@K RARE!!!" on eBay. This makes Yū Yū Hakusho: Makyō Tōitsusen a serious investment at this point, with prices ranging anywhere from $100 to even $150, depending on market conditions. In terms of regional differences, the only real change between the two is language. The Japanese version has menus that are almost exclusively in Japanese, so it requires at bit of deciphering and/or trial and error with the menus, especially when using the copious single match & tournament modes. The Brazilian release has Portuguese text, and romanized character names, although a few names were truncated or changed entirely. This game is worthwhile investment for the fighting or Treasure collector, but a bit too dated for the mainstream, Yu Yu Hakusho sadly remains an insignificant footnote in gaming history. THQ holds the Yu Yu Hakusho license in the US, so this game will most likely never see the light of day here; even on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. As it stands, emulation or cold hard cash are the only way to play. If you go the emulation route though, you will be in for an interesting surprise. There is still a large user base for the game over Kaillera in Japan. Just be prepared to be utterly humiliated.”

- Kyle Kubiak and Kurt Kalata, 2008.

File this under “People who are willing to write more than twelve paragraphs about obscure Treasure games”

#Treasure #YuYu Hakusho #Games #Treasure Co Ltd #mega drive

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homestuck-kinstuff · 4 years

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The Handmaid here, requesting a tarot reading. All I remember of my life is what’s known, such as my... attempts on my life and life with Doc Scratch. As well, I remember caring too much for the Psionic. I remember told it would be my undoing. (I hope this information suffices?)

Hello Dear,

Thank you for reaching us. The information you sent in was more than enough to get a good reading done. Things got a little complex, as they are want to do with me, but if you're patient with me, I think you'll find it illuminating.

We'll start at the beginning.

Beginning

Two of Wands, Upright:

This card represents the transformation of a great vision or ambition into the turning cogs of planning and progress.

Plans were being born, drafted, refined. Big plans, with you at the center.

The High Priestess, Upright:

The High Priestess calls you to develop you inner world, to understand it. She beckons you to listen to your intuition, to develop your inner voice.

You may have been too young to understand what was happening when Doc Scratch was first grooming you for his many machinations, but your intuition may have let you know something was off.

Middle

2 of Swords, Reversed:

You are caught in an impossible decision. There are no right answers-- no matter what option you choose, suffering is sure to follow. The only option is to decide on the lesser of two evils.

I feel this card may be alluding to your attempts on your life. You had no choice, aside from what Doc Scratch had planned for you. You likely felt this was a way out.

The Hermit, Upright:

The hermit looks within, knowing in the search for truth, self- reflection is the only way to find it.

Without the luxury of choice, of autonomy, you retreated to the only safe place left. Your mind.

Towards the End of Your Timeline

King of Wands, Reversed:

A figure, usually a great visionary or leader, who is now domineering and reckless. Their tyrannical visions are so grand, they may border on unobtainable. Their expectations are unachievable and their temper is impulsive and overbearing.

This card likely represents Scratch. You may have admired his vision in a small sense, before, and only now are you beginning to understand their mad scope.

It's also possible at this point in your timeline, Scratch lost a bit of his decorum, and unhinged a little.

Ace of Swords, Upright:

This is a very potent card. It represents raw strength, and power. Almost assured victory.

It does warn that it's nature is double-edged, much like the suit it belongs to. This power can be used to shelter, and protect, or it can be used to cut down for cold and ruthless self gain.

With regard to the card above, I would like to mention: you did not hold this sword. You were this sword, in the hands of the King of Wands. The responsibility was not yours to shoulder.

You

Strength, Reversed:

This card in reverse does not equate to weakness. It speaks of insecurity in your strengths, not that you have no strength.

You did not feel ready for what lay ahead, what was planned for you. This deep-seated fear stayed with you, echoed inside you until it became apart of you.

Relationship with Scratch

5 of Swords, Upright:

Scratch had unchecked, unbridled ambition. He would do anything ti make his vision a reality. He would have his victory.

And he did. He achieved victory by taking away your ability to fight back. He made a mortal enemy of you, by taking that away.

Temperance, Reversed:

Excess, Extremes, Imbalance. As perfect as he likes to see himself as, Scratch was not without flaw. In vaulting himself towards his vision with everything he had, he overlooked some things.

Things you likely noticed, whether or not you were able to or even wanted to speak about it.

The Emperor, Reversed:

Reversed as he is, the Emperor brings great suffering with his controlling nature. He becomes a Tyrant, cold and rigid in his rule.

Scratch left no room for anything outside of his Great Expectations, and you would suffer if there was ever anything but.

Relationship with the Psiioniic

The Tower, Upright:

A sudden upheaval of something you considered a fundamental part of your life. Total disaster.

If ever there was a card to represent someones undoing, this is that card.

The Star, Reversed:

In reverse, The Star speaks of utter discouragement, of faithlessness. Only negativity surrounds your thoughts, and you expect the worst in every situation.

This card implies, however, that this is partially a self- stuck cycle. Your perception is a huge part of your reality-- there are options available to you, if you would allow yourself to see them.

The Empress, Reversed:

This card is the ultimate representation of everything traditionally feminine, and everything that comes along with that. Nature, fertility, motherhood, a tendency towards nurturing and providing.

Because of its placement in the spread, I'm inclined to beleive it represents the beginning of your relationship.

As cliche as it may be, you may have felt like a woman for the first time after your first encounter with the Psiioniic. It may have left such a strong impression on you, that you were unable to forget the encounter, or ignore it.

The Queen of Cups, Upright:

The Queen of Cups represents a person who radiates compassion, calm, and comfort. A person with a kind heart, generous habits, and instinctively understood your emotions.

It's likely Psii could instinctively understand your position of choice-less servitude, of slavery, and empathize with it. Specifically after transforming from The Psiioniic to The Helmsman, powering the Empress's flagship.

This would also make sense, seeing as its placement in the spread indicates this dynamic would be towards the end of your relationship.

The End

7 of Pentacles, Upright:

An immense amount of work has been done. All the effort put in, is now ready to he harvested. The crop is ready, but there is still more work to be done in order to reap the final rewards.

When you passed on, it was in alignment with Doc Scratch's plan to bring Lord English into being. The work of raising you, using you, is complete. But there is still work to be done to finish bringing Lord English about.

Advice

3 of Cups, Reversed:

You were isolated for a long time, without friends, without a support group. Now is the time to start seeking that out, my dear. There is no reason to keep yourself cut off. 💜

The Hierophant, Reversed:

For a long time, you were incredibly restricted in the ways you were allowed to live.

Rejoice in the joy of choice. All decisions from here on are made by you. Any lingering sets of expectations that were impressed upon you are simply no longer relevant.

Don’t be afraid to diverge from the norm, love. Do something unexpected! Find out what it is that sparks joy in you, that sets your heart ablaze.💜

8 of Cups, Reversed:

You've come to understand that walking away is what is necessary for your well being, but you can't bring yourself to cut ties and leave.

You don't need him. You've never needed him, darling. If you can learn to let go, finger by finger, I know your life will be all the better for it. 💜

But take your time with it, and don't punish yourself in his stead. Give yourself the kindness you've been starved of, and it will make all the difference.💜

4 of Wands, Upright:

A lovely card, indicative of community, of home, of celebration. Now is a time of peace after hard work.

Relax, love, you've suffered and toiled for so long, but that time is over now. Find solace in the company other people. Relish in the adventure of making friends-- of building a community of love and support around yourself. You're worth all of it and more. 💜

You have had a long, difficult life my dear. Please take care of yourself, and don’t hesitate to reach us again if you ever need anything else. We're here to help.

Kind Regards,

🌹Mod Rose🌹

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thekneeclinic-blog · 5 years

Text

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Treatment

What is an ACL Injury?

The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is the most important ligament of the knee to prevent the knee from sliding forward or rotating anterolaterally. Patients who sustain an ACL tear often have problems with twisting and turning activities, such as in playing kabaddi, football or badminton, and will often require an ACL reconstruction to provide stability to their knee.

In addition to its stability role in the knee, the ACL also provides protection for the menisci of the knee. When the knee continues to have instability episodes, it is not uncommon to have either a medial or lateral meniscus tear. However, when menisci tear there is much higher risk of the development of osteoarthritis. Because of this, Dr. Sheth usually recommends ACL surgery and that an ACL reconstruction be performed in young or otherwise active patients and in almost all patients who report instability with twisting or turning activities.

An ACL injury is classified by the amount of injury to the ligament:

• Grade I: a partial ACL tear • Grade II: near complete ACL tear • Grade III: a complete ACL tear – the ligament is non-functional

Patient’s age, activity level and grade of tear will determine the correct treatment option.

Description of ACL Reconstruction

An ACL surgery requires precise knowledge of the anatomy of the knee, attachment sites of the ACL and knowledge on the other ligaments and structures of the knee. If one fails to replace an anterior cruciate ligament at its correct attachment sites or if other concurrent injuries are not treated, there is a much higher risk of failure of the ACL graft.

While there are two bundles of the ACL, the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles, there is still controversy as to whether both should be reconstructed as a single ligament or as two separate ligament grafts. While the double-bundle ACL reconstruction technique appeared very promising initially, many research groups have significantly narrowed the indications for double-bundle ACL surgery and found there is very little difference between a single and double-bundle ACL reconstruction for the vast majority of patients.

The most important technical issue is to have the ACL reconstruction graft placed in the correct position. On the tibia (shinbone), the tunnels should be in line with the posterior margin of the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus. On the femur (thigh bone), the reconstruction tunnel should be placed at the midpoint of the attachment bundles of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles, with the main portion of the reconstruction tunnel being posterior to the lateral intercondylar ridge (resident’s ridge).

A large number of ACL reconstruction graft failures are in those patients who have the graft placed too posterior (central) on the tibia with an inability to control rotation of the knee or too anterior on the femur (anterior to resident’s ridge) or too central on the femur (effectively only reconstructing the anteromedial bundle), which leads to either stretching of the reconstruction graft or failure to control knee rotational laxity.

Are you a candidate for an ACL Reconstruction?

There are two ways to initiate a consultation with Dr. Sheth:

1. You can provide X-rays and/or MRIs for a clinical case review with Dr. Sheth.

2. You can schedule an OPD consultation.

REQUEST CASE REVIEW OR OPD CONSULTATION

(Please keep reading below for more information on this treatment.)

ACL Surgery Technique

The technique of ACL reconstructions has changed dramatically over the last decade in orthopaedics. ACL reconstruction grafts performed prior to 5-10 years ago were usually placed more centrally on both the tibia and femur and many of these patients have continued problems with rotation instability. This problem became recognized through extensive clinical and biomechanical research and the surgical technique has currently changed dramatically to where the reconstruction tunnels are now placed more anatomically to provide better stability to the knee.

Dr. Miten Sheth’s primary surgical reconstruction technique involves using a hamstring autograft (from the patient’s own tissues) during ACL surgery. The reconstruction tunnel is drilled at the anatomic attachment site of the ACL on the tibia and a tunnel is drilled at the ACL attachment site on the femur. The graft is pulled into the joint and fixed in place with a fixed or adjustible loop on the femur and an interference screw or suture disc on the tibia. The utilization of fewer incisions results in less pain post-operatively for the patient, while the use of the autograft allows the patient to return to activities sooner with a lesser risk of reconstruction graft failure.

Post-Operative Protocol for ACL Reconstruction

It is absolutely essential for a physical therapist to be consulted and to work with one’s surgeon post-operatively following ACL surgery. Reactivation of the quadriceps mechanism, edema control, patella mobilization, maintenance of full knee extension and regaining knee motion are absolutely essential to obtaining optimal post-operative outcomes.

In our practice, we strongly suggest and require patients remain in touch to work with our team of physical therapists for a minimum of 28 days post-operatively to make sure they are having appropriate care and also so that their rehabilitation will advance to higher levels sooner.

Frequently Asked Questions

When to have ACL surgery after injury?

Persons who have any difficulty with twisting, turning, or pivoting after an ACL tear should consider having their ACL reconstructed. This is because repeated twisting and turning mechanisms can damage both the cartilage in the joint and also the menisci. The medial meniscus is the most at risk to injury with an ACL tear because the medial meniscus takes over a lot of the function of the ACL when it is torn to prevent the knee from slipping forward. In addition, patients who may have a repairable meniscus tear at the time of their ACL tear should consider surgery to prevent the tear from becoming non-reparable. In general, most people who tear their menisci will be developing arthritis and having symptoms within 8-10 years after their ACL tear. Thus, one of the main reasons for the general public to consider having an ACL reconstruction is both to repair any meniscal tears which are repairable, and also to prevent meniscal tears from developing if their knee is unstable.

What is ACL reconstruction surgery?

ACL reconstruction surgery consists of replacing a torn ACL with another ligament or tendon. This can be from one’s own body (an autograft) or from a donor (an allograft). In an ACL surgery, tunnels are reamed at the normal attachment site of the ACL on both the femur and tibia and the graft is secured either inside or outside these tunnels.

How is an ACL reconstruction done?

An ACL reconstruction is done by replacing the torn ACL with tissue that is placed at the normal attachment sites of the native ACL. This involves reaming a tunnel in the femur (posterior to the lateral intercondylar ridge) and also in the tibia (adjacent to the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus) and then securing the graft within those tunnels. There are multiple ways to secure the graft, and this can include fixation within the tunnels with metal or bioabsorbable/plastic screws or through a loop and button placed on the outside of the tunnels. In general, the fixation of the grafts is performed according to the way the surgeon was originally taught, with the gold standard being screws placed within the tunnels for patellar tendon grafts and looped sutures with cortical buttons or screws within tunnels for hamstring ACL reconstruction grafts.

When should an ACL be repaired?

The main time that ACLs can be repaired is when an ACL is torn with a piece of bone, usually off the tibia, which is much more common than when torn off the femur. In this circumstance, if there is not a lot of intrasubstance stretch within the torn ACL, the bony can be refixed at its normal attachment site and secured such that early motion can be started. In those instances where the tissue is not strong enough to allow early motion, there is a much higher risk of stiffness if immobilization is required after surgery.

In terms of a repair of the ACL, there are perhaps 10% of patients who may have injury only to the attachment site on the femur or tibia and sutures can possibly be placed in to do a repair. In those circumstances, research is still ongoing to try to improve outcomes because attempts at repairs in the literature previously have not shown good outcomes over time. Thus, more research is necessary to define better techniques to perform ACL repairs in those circumstances. It is important that these techniques be based upon good science and not on marketing by device companies because previous attempts at ACL repairs did not show failures until after two years after surgery.

How long is an ACL surgery recovery?

One of the most important things for preventing a retear of an ACL reconstruction is to ensure that the patient has gone through the proper recovery phase after surgery. In the past, many surgeons tried to get their patients back to full activities by 5 or 6 months. However, more recent data has suggested that waiting up to 9 months may be more advantageous in that the rate of retear goes down significantly after the 9-month timeframe for a return to activities after ACL surgery. In general, it is important to make sure that an athlete has a full return of proprioception, strength, agility, and endurance to minimize their risk of reinjury.

When can I run after ACL surgery?

The ability to return to running after an ACL surgery is dependent upon many factors. If the surgery is only the ACL, and there are no other ligaments or meniscus tears treated, and the cartilage surfaces are intact, then one has to go through a proper rehabilitation program first. In general, we feel that an athlete has to wait a minimum of 4 months after their ACL reconstruction to return to running. In addition, they should have appropriate quadriceps strength. Our main goal is to be able to have them perform a single-leg squat with no bending of the knee inwards (valgus collapse) during the single leg squat. In these circumstances, if the patient has a good return of function, good motion, and does not have a valgus collapse when performing a single-leg squat, they are generally able to initiate a return to their running program at about the 4-month timeframe. This allows the quadriceps mechanism to be strong enough to prevent extra stress on the knee which can lead to knee swelling (effusions) and possibly damage the cartilage which would not be noticed until several years later.

What causes ACL reconstruction failure?

The number one cause of ACL reconstruction failure in all of the literature is improperly placed ACL grafts at the initial surgery. This can cause extra stress on an ACL reconstruction graft which can lead to its failure. In addition, any other missed meniscus or ligament problem at the time of ACL surgery can also put significant stress on an ACL reconstruction graft, which can lead to its failure. Other factors include patients that have hyperlaxity. These patients who have a significant increase of heel height (more than 4-5 cm), have a much higher risk of having grafts stretch out and would be better off with an additional ligament procedure (lateral extra-articular tenodesis). Other factors include patients with a large increase in their posterior tibial slope (sagittal plane tibial slope) which can cause an ACL graft to be overloaded and stretch out over time.

Patellar tendon ACL reconstruction versus Hamstrings ACL reconstruction

Patellar tendon ACL reconstructions have been considered the gold standard for almost 30 years. This is because they are the graft of choice for surgeons who cover professional teams and high level athletes. However, hamstrings grafts are considered to be appropriate for a majority of patients. Hamstrings grafts would be most appropriate for patients with open growth plates and in those patients who may have lower levels of activity desired after an ACL reconstruction. In general, a patellar tendon ACL reconstruction should not be performed in patients with anterior knee pain (around kneecap), or may have had a previous patellar tendon harvest. In general, large database series have shown that the rate of retear is the same with a patellar tendon reconstruction compared to a hamstrings ACL reconstruction. A well done ACL reconstruction with either graft can be appropriate for majority of patients.

#KneeReplacement #kneetreatment #kneesurgery

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