#CAIDS

[militantinremission]

The Woman King: The latest example of 'Tricknology' at work

History is written by the Victor. We have to be mindful of this, whenever We see historical accounts of Our People. Slave Reparations have become a global conversation, & the descendants of European Colonizers, as well as those that benefited from Slave Labor are working feverishly to shift the narrative to Afrikan Tribes. Ultimately, They should be the ones to pay. There's some truth there, but Afrikan Chiefs & Kings received 'trinkets' (Rifles, Rum, Dashikis, ect...), while The Colonial Powers attained a Work Force that enabled them to control Global Affairs. Afrika is essentially Asset Rich but Cash Poor. Europe & America benefited from Slavery far more than Afrikan Kingdoms, & are therefore required to pay the lion's share of what is owed.

There are several problems w/ 'The Woman King'. To begin w/, it is historically inaccurate. Several Black Media Outlets have pointed out that Dahomey was a notorious Slave Trading State. They use Smithsonian documents, & historical accounts from 'The History Channel' & other sources to show how Dahomey not only traded Slaves to Europeans, they enslaved tens of thousands of their tribal rivals to fuel their domestic production. This notion of the Dahomian 'Woman King' being a Slave liberator, is Disney Magic. This may explain why it is failing @ The Box Office; during a time when it literally had No Competition. Antonio Moore of 'Toneralks' pointed out 'The Woman King's' average of $1,300/ Screen, compared to Black Panther's average of $18,000/ Screen.

My biggest issue w/ this movie, are the people behind it. This feat of 'tricknology', was the brainchild of Maria Bello. According to her, she was writing about 'Women's History'. She wanted to tell a 'Brave Heart' story set in Afrika. What We got, was a fantastical mix of Harriet, Black Panther & Braveheart- all rolled into one. It was written by Dana Stevens, & Directed by Gina Prince- Blythewood (of 'Love & Basketball' fame). Jason Black, of 'The Black Authority' did a dumpster dive into the background of these Women. Both of the Writers are White Women, & the Director is a Bi- Racial Black Woman raised in a non- Black household. The question arises: How can 3 Women w/ NO TIES 2 the Afrikan or Black American Experience actually write & direct such a narrative?

The obvious answer, is w/ Great Casting. 'The Woman King' is a $50M Production. The Cast includes: John Boyega as King Ghezo, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, along w/ Viola Davis, as General Nanisca. NO ONE seems to be critical of the performances; the issue, is Maria Bello's 'narrative' itself. The only acting critique that i've seen, is in regard to Viola playing a teenaged Nanisca. Unlike David Kaluuya's portrayal of Fred Hampton, Viola is credible as an 'Amazon Warrior'. Most of the positive comments that I have read about this movie, are in regard to the performances. Even in the Social Media debates, supporters lean heavily on the Actors. This group has argued that 'The Woman King', is just a Story, why are We getting so worked up over a Movie? It's just entertainment.

Some have made claims that any critique of this movie, is part of a misogynistic agenda to undermine Women in general, & dark skinned Black Women specifically. Again, The Cast has been largely celebrated for their performance. This rhetoric plays into the 'tricknology' behind Maria Bello's Storyline. Ironically, Black Women have been the biggest critics of 'The Woman King'; Black Men are standing w/ their Women, but Black Women are making the most noise. When looking @ this movie through panoramic lenses, a few things come to light:

The blatant attempt to tug @ Black Women's heart strings w/ the story of an Afrikan Woman strong enough to stand up to the 'Dominant Men' of her universe- King Ghezo & the European Slave Traders. Black Women were expected to embrace this 'Historical Tale of Black Girl Magic' the way We embraced 'Black Panther'.

The inaccuracy of this 'narrative'. In it, The Oyo are solely blamed for trading Slaves to The Europeans. The truth is, Dahomey paid tribute to Oyo for the use of Porto Novo, before eventually defeating them. They controlled Porto Novo when the British Navy blockaded the Port to end Slave Trading in the Region.

Dana Bello presents Nanisca in the image of Harriet Tubman. She tries to convince King Ghezo to shift from trading Slaves, to trading Palm Oil; & later fights to liberate Slaves. There is no substantiation of this, but even if this is true, the narrative ignores the fact that Dahomey kept a large Slave population for their Palm Oil production & other industries. They were a Slave Economy.

Why this character? There is this emphasis on a 'Woman King', but isn't that essentially a 'Queen'? Elizabeth 1 & 2, Catherine 'The Great', & Victoria were ALL strong Women on the throne of Power. None were referred to as a 'Woman King'. Instead of focusing on a controversial figure like General Nanisca, why didn't Maria Bello & Dana Stevens look @ other Strong Women in Afrikan History? Hetshepsut was actually a Pharaoh (Shekem)- The ONLY female Pharaoh On Record. Queen Nzinga stymied The Portuguese. Queen Amina led her troops into battle. I understand the feminism behind a story about Amazons, but Nanisca is a flawed character. The Writers had to warp her story in order to tell it.

The ongoing effort by Hollywood to virilize 'Strong' Black Female characters. Wonder Woman, & now Nubia are how Amazons are classically depicted. General Nanisca doesn't fit this model. She falls into the societal perception of Serena Williams. No matter how feminine Serena presents herself, Society sees her like a female Mike Tyson- a Pit Bull in a dress. Maybe it's a Western view, but Black Women can be Strong, Powerful, Nurturing, AND [Very] Feminine. The Writer that puts those traits into a Black character will achieve that coveted 'Black Panther' reaction.

The pushback over 'The Woman King' has legitimacy. Black Filmmakers should be the ones telling Our Story. If Non Black/ Afrikan people desire telling ANY PART of Our History, a (collectively respected) Black Historian should be required to critique their screenplay. The pushback shouldn't stop w/ the Writer(s), Producers, or Director. The Cast Members should also be held to some account. Lupita Nyong'o was approached to do this Movie back in 2018, but backed out of the Project, after doing a documentary on The Agojie Warriors for The Smithsonian Channel. It's rumored that Lupita cried when she learned what Agojie Warriors did to The Yoruba. Viola Davis et al could've done their research.

As a Community, We have begun to question those who speak for Us. That should also be expanded to include those who represent Us in Sports & Entertainment. The current debate surrounding HipHop Music & Culture has some people saying that We need a vetting process. Entertainers that don't represent Us w/ respect & dignity shouldn't be supported. In the case of 'The Woman King', it shows a trend regarding the roles that Viola Davis chooses. I personally think that she is a powerful Character Actress. Viola Davis brings an intensity that few can match. She is the Cecily Tyson of Generation X. I put her on the same level as Cate Blanchett & Meryl Streep. That said, I must admit that I have struggled w/ some of Viola's roles.

I muddled through 'The Help', but 'How to get away with Murder' & 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' confused me. What were these characters trying to get across? How are these roles helping to frame a positive Black perspective in Society? I find myself asking the same question in regard to General Nanisca. How does THIS depiction help the global perception of Black/ Afrikan Women? I don't mean to dump on Viola Davis, but she's The Star of this lie. John Boyega has shown that like David Kaluuya, he's an 'Actor who just happens to be Black'. Viola acts like Sistah Gurl when she does interviews, so I think that she has some explaining to do.

Why would she play a role that would move Black Americans, West Indians, & Afro Latinos to cheer for the people that enslaved & delivered Us to European Slave Traders? THIS is the essence of 'Tricknology'. Meanwhile, Agojie Warrior Holloween Costumes are already being advertised to Our children.

-Black Girl Magic indeed.

[tenojan-in-tevinter]

If i had a nickel for every time I've become unreasonably attached to a human male character from a BioWare game with dark hair and brown eyes who you meet in the very first mission of the game, and has trust issues either with himself or others or both, and is also voiced by Raphael Sbarge, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's happened twice.

Im talking about them

[sca-nerd]

GO MAKE AN AWARD RECOMMENDATION.

This is your reminder that their Majesties (current and future) rely on the eyes and voices of the populace to recognize the exceptional members of your Kingdom. They cannot see every act of service or skill, and they need your help to ensure that those who shine brightly are celebrated.

Do you know someone who deserves recognition? Whether it’s for service, arts, combat prowess, simply being a lovely person who makes events or activities that much better, or any other outstanding contribution, please take a moment to submit your award recommendations.

Don't be afraid to recommend yourself. You are allowed to be proud of your own contributions and request that you be recognized for them. If you are hesitant to do it, then ask someone in your Kingdom to do it for you. Everyone should be appreciated for their contribution of living the dream, because without each of you there isn't one.

And for those who don't feel the need for awards or even like they don't deserve one - then please accept my sincere gratitude for being who you are and being that person well. You're awesome, and I appreciate you.

Sincerely, Your SCA Mom (or Aunt)

[thurstongrey]

[thivell]

Sharing Some OCs

Hi hey! I have uhh… a Jedi and a handful of half baked clone sketches I did when I was bored (there’s a few more but post is already long)

also this is a real long post and I apologize

——————————————————————————————————

Jedi OC

Dunno how effective his pole staff works but hey it’s cool and does exist canonically -

——————————————————————————————————

Clones - most of my sillies are clones rn. Currently I’m working out a battalion that’ll be my little clone collection but I also have an oddball squad that’s a little mix of canonical characters and ocs

451st Battalion Clones

not all my babes are drawn out but a few are- they are incredibly rough though and we’re drawn when I was just finishing up the clone wars show

Commander Delgado/ CC-8933

Captain Maverick/ CT-4751

First Lieutenant Makeshift / CT-9663

Second Lieutenant Krypt / CT-5769

That’s it for my boys rn, but I’ll slowly start making my way through the rest of them- with my stuff still being fidgeted around I’ll most likely change the 451st boys into being 176th and go under my Jedi OC.

——————————————————————————————————

Marines

I have two marines Port/CT-3742 and Starboard/CT-5065. They got their names because of the directions of the numbers (Port’s are all facing left and Star’s are mostly facing right). But what’s silly about them is they’re always on opposite sides with Starboard seen on the left of Port and vice versa especially when they walk. Why is that you ask? Well it’s because while most clones are ambidextrous they still have preferred hands; for Port that’s his right and for Starboard it’s his left. They’re both little shits that when combined make one half of a braincell and that’s all they got and they definitely gaslight the shinies into thinking they have port and starboard mixed up. They were based off of two orcas with the same names.

——————————————————————————————————

Oddball Squad Clones

so the oddballs are essentially clones that look too different or are deformed due to genetic degradation, you can think of them as being like 99 but being the precursors to the bad batch. As stated earlier it’s a mix between canon and non canon clones. As of right now there are

Two canon clones - Captain Vaughn and Commander Blackout

I have not drawn Commander Blackout but he has aniridia which is an eye condition where there is little to no pupil in the iris, causing vision issues. For him it’s not too severe, he needs some corrective measures in his helmet but can see even without them, but he does have light sensitivity and often gets migraines due to fluctuating pressure changes behind his eyes. He also has incredibly dark eyes and blackout styled tattoos that start from his upper back then go down to his pecs and down his arms, also has some on his calves.

Vaughn I have drawn- he has vitiligo that in the photo mainly collects on his face with multiple different layers of different skin pigmentation showing, but it is a full body thing (it even goes to his hair). But it’s one of the main reasons he keeps his helmet it on for long periods of time

There’s 4 non canon clones right now: Whiteout, Zombie, Caid, and Discovery. Both Whiteout and Zombie have sketches but Discovery and Caid don’t.

Caid (Kade)

Caid’s thing is that he is completely mute due to the fact that his larynx never developed. He’s got some skin warping and scarring over his throat from it. He has quite of a few scars over his face and notably knuckles because he throws himself into every battle. He’s a little spicy and sassy. you can think of him as Bumblebee from the transformer series if you’ve seen that. Right now his backstory is a little wobbly but everyone in the oddball squad usually has multiple facets of training if they can. Caid mainly works as a nursery care taker and watching over the tubies and the other very young clones but he also goes on high stake reconnaissance missions to gather intel. The way he communicates is mainly though GHS (Galactic Hand Signing- my SW version of an international sign language) and he also has short field commands embedded into the com device in his vambrace (he usually has a data pad on him too to type out anything he needs).

Discovery

Discovery has two major deformities that affect his arms; his left arm barely ever developed and ends mid bicep and his right arm stops just after his elbow for a few inches. For this he was given cybernetic replacements but he’s mostly used as a lab rat for testing, he doesn’t like it but it hardly squashes his never ending child like curiosity with the world he’s been exposed to. Usually getting him in trouble with Vaughn and frequently visiting Whiteout, the medic.

Whiteout/ CT-8651

Whiteout has full albinism, from his skin to his eyes, and while they aren’t true twins- he and blackout consider themselves ones as they have been in the squadron the longest. Whiteout specializes in being a medic but also does pretty well with a sniper. He’s incredibly soft spoken and sweet and occasionally gets a stutter but he’s trying his best. Especially with Zombie watching over him now he feels safer to stand up for himself.

Zombie

now .. the zombie explanation has to be a little lighter for the sake of ages and tumblr. I cant sugar coat this exactly but I won’t go into the nasty details.. Zombie got his name dude to the fact he was put back together with parts that belonged to other squad members. It was a suicide mission and none of them came back alive but they were used in an experiment by one of Nala Se’s apprentices. He got his name zombie 1) from his lack of talking 2) his usually stone cold or mildly agitated exterior and 3) from the fact his scarring show off how he was literally stitched back together.

He wasn’t originally part of the oddball squad since on his original body his only odd thing was the fact he and green eyes but after he comes back he very quickly gets pulled into it. He has an absolute soft spot for Whiteout and is the equivalent to scary attack dogs with separation anxiety

Whiteout and Zombie as of right now will eventually be tagged on to 104th with Wolffe and Caid might be going into 212th or works mostly under them for missions.

that’s all for now lovelies, thank you for reading!💕

[permanentstyle]

https://www.permanentstyle.com/2023/04/reader-profile-jeff.html

Reader Profile: Jeff

[postcard-from-the-past]

Interior of the Caid's house in Mostaganem, Algeria

French vintage postcard

[faggotwalkwithme]

GUYSGUYSGUYGS I JUST MADE A BINDER AND IT FREAKING LIKE?? WORKS??

[lem-argentum]

ok HERE…. my tav <3 caide clockbell at ur service ^< <3

[powernappin]

26. clem & isidore for my favorite spellslinger @/birdboyy

💜🖤 they are so toxic together 💛❤️

[undeadsomulo]

Character Analysis: Sirica

Sirica.

 I've been thinking of this character like, a lot. Back then, during purgatory of reception week at formerly-known Fort Hood, I binged-watched KRBAY during my days slowly decaying in my barracks room going through the motions of being processed into my new unit. It was just comfort waves washing over me so a lot of details were mushy and I usually only watched it after I drank a lot. So I wasn't fully paying much attention to the episodes. 

Now, I have been rewatching it again to get some ideas (okay, mostly one episode) and this girl shows up for a sinful amount of short time in the entire series and she's the most interesting character ever?

I just realized something about episode 60. She has this really cool multi-weapon that isn't really made clear where she obtained it from but it does have the Holy Nightmare Logo on the handle. It seems like a high possibility that Holy Nightmare also manufactures weapons as well. 

Here's what I think and kind of connected these dots myself. I may not have been the only one to do it, but here's my humble take:

King Dedede is ordering his monster of the day. As he's talking about the "invader" CS speaks as if he knows of her. Immediately like "oh white alien girl?" there was some familiarity when talking about her. Also, I don't think it's a flimsy coincidence that CS sent the very monster that killed her mother. 

What am I getting at?

I think CS dude gave Sirica her weapon.

How would she have known that Meta Knight was on mission with her mother and the whole story of what went down? And not even really the whole story but somehow a painted version that Meta Knight left Garlude for dead? I think CS fed into it and I know that Kirby is target number one for elimination but the Star Warriors and Nightmare aren't exactly best friends. 

I fully believe it was in hopes that Sirica would take down Meta Knight AND Kirby but CS (who's canonically a dickhead) wanted to give Sirica a big hate boner for Meta Knight and then simply have Kirisakin just kill them all off. 

But I found it interesting that CS spoke of Sirica like he knew of her by extension through Garlude.

Also, Sirica sucks at aiming. Someone please give her aim bot. I'm not trying to paint her like some incompetent idiot, she's been around the block obviously, but I get the vibes she's still getting used to her weapon. I know it's a children's show and they can't exactly show characters getting riddled with holes but I like to think Sirica was only somewhat trained enough to use the weapon.

Like I couldn't totally see a young hot-blood, out for vengeance being easily manipulated and maybe CS guy casually training her. Like putting Sirica in some battle arena where she practiced against low-tier demon beasts. Honestly could totally see that. Then Sirica sent out on the hunt for Meta Knight after being spoon-fed some lies. 

Sirica knows how to use her weapon well enough to get what it needs to do and switch it to whatever she needs it to do but these are just some nuances I picked up on the English dub that I thought it'd be interesting if this were the case rather than "lol she must've stolen it". 

I may have glazed over some details, again I watched the English dub because I have to comb through YouTube and other sites to really find the episodes and the English dub is all I can really handle if I'm being honest. I could go into a little bit about how Meta Knight didn't immediately recognize Sirica either. Most likely because he never:

1. Has seen her grown up.

2. Never actually met her in the first place only heard of her through Garlude. 

I'm just saying Sirica had to remind him of her mother, and that can be chalked up to a lot of things because I'm sure Meta Knight has known a plethora of warriors in his time and has seen so many of them fucking die that eventually faces just start blurring together. 

Because life and precious time being against me, it has been a hot minute since I sat down and actually watched the anime. But I do casually still try to do so because now, as an adult, I can fully appreciate it more and even stem my own headcanons from it. 

[dedalvs]

I feel like the more i try and make a conlang the less i understand my native language. I had to pause your audio book yesterday to google the difference between this, that, and the. Now im looking up has vs had.

I'm glad that my book has done this to you. Let me introduce you to a concept that was introduced to me by Joseph Heller's Catch-22. We've all heard of déjà vu—the feeling that we've previously experienced something novel—now let me introduce you to jamais vu. Jamais vu is the experience of finding something familiar utterly bizarre. Like taket he word plaid. Like...look at that word. Plaid. How the hell do they get off saying it rhymes with glad?! Plaid. What a weird word. Plaid. The more you look at it, the less sense it makes, and the more convinced you become that it can't possibly be spelled that way. Plaid. Plaid.

PLAID.

PLAID.

PLAID.

Totally bizarre.

Plaid. Plaid. Plaid. Plaid. Plaid.

And it takes like a full day for it to be normal again for you.

Plaid.

My good lad in plaid.

My good plaid lad.

Glad my plaid lad had rad Brad as a dad. Double plus unsad.

Plaid.

[ink-5oul]

Walking on the road straight up breaking it and by it , i mean my phone screen.

[thurstongrey]

[sirladysketch]

We're allowed to share our full illustrations for the Of Folk & Fable tarot project!

I had the Page of Earth, featuring the Scottish critter Cat Sith (cait sithe, cat sidhe, etc, spellings may vary). Tales of this kitty vary, from stealing souls to granting wishes. Either way, not a critter to cross!

We're also SUPER close to our final stretch goal, be sure to check the project's page for more info.

[permanentstyle]

https://www.permanentstyle.com/2023/12/the-jacket-as-coat-seijis-commission-from-tailor-caid-and-others.html

The jacket-as-coat: Seiji’s commission from Tailor Caid and others