#class: [f100]

[1990danieljohnston]

there's nothing more destructive than a bored rich person

[fanaticmorelikefantastic]

"No you don't understandd Yakumo is my man fr!!!" I scream while they drag me into the asylum.

But on a serious note Yakumo's entire character scratches an itch in my brain I didn't even know I had.

And he's hot imo but I digress-

I feel like he's a very unique take on the trope of 'starving artist'.

When we're first introduced to him, he's passed out on the floor buck naked scratching his balls and cradling a bottle of alcohol. Unsurprisingly, this instills the idea of him being trashy aand, due to the cultural connotation of balls=funny (which I have a number of opinions about but again I digress) the reader begins to assume that he'll be a rowdy comedy relief type character.

This assumption is blown out of the water at least to an extent by the reveal of his painting during class introductions. The piece portrayed was melancholy and soulful, not to mention the incredible amount of skill present. Even though the manga is in black and white, we can still tell that the colors are rich. This kind of piece is in direct contradiction with his presented personality which is loud, straightforward, and friendly. This lets the reader know that there's more to this character than there may seem.

This is only compounded when he gives Yatora a mini history lesson during the Tokyo project mini arc. The juxtaposition of his smoking the money out of his wallet till he needs to fish to eat and deep knowledge of Japanese theatre history (which, is something that might usually be associated with more wealthy persons) add to the mystery of him. Now, he has evolved from a strange and rowdy broke guy to someone who has the ability to understand and appreciate the finer things in life, despite staying in his comfort zone of poverty, be it on purpose or by accident.

I'd also like to touch on the philosophy behind his work; to make the strongest art. It sounds like something straight out of a typical shounen piece, some broke boy striving to be the strongest. This perception is compounded when we see him associate larger paintings with stronger paintings. It seems childish at first. Just because a painting is large doesn't mean it's strong. Paintings can't even be strong in the first place. This view, however, discounts one important thing, the strength of the artist making the work. Speaking from experience, it's hard as hell to make large works, I've never even made an f100, let alone the gargantuan sizes of paintings that Yakumo churns out for every project or assignment. It takes an obscene level of endurance, focus, and drive to complete a piece of that size, and for him to do that every time without fail takes strength. I saw somewhere online that art isn't the piece, but what happens inside the artist while it's made. If the artist requires immense strength to make the piece, then the subsequent work is strong.

This takes us to the central question of Yakumo's person. What is strength? What does it mean to be strong? As with most things in this series, it's complicated.

Yakumo represents strength. Be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual strength, there are times in the story where he exhibits all aspects of it. When learning of his backstory and how he discovered art, we see that Yakumo was victimized throughout his formative years. Whether it was his so called parents, or the woman he lived with, it seemed like he was constantly subjugated to abuse. I don't know if it was middle or high school when he moved in with the mystery woman (my brain wants to think that it was middle school, but I'm not sure). Either way, he was a child who was living with an adult. We don't get it directly told to us, but it is STRONGLY implied that this lady raped and/or physically hit him multiple times throughout his stay there. He described it as hurting each other, but clearly the child being violated by a full grown adult would be hurt more than the woman victimizkng a child. Despite the hurt this caused him, when recounting his experience, Yakumo focuses more on the few good things that happened, see, his discovery of art. He doesn't act like it was all sunshine and rainbows, but he doesn't emphasize how hard things were for him. To me, the story of his past shows the extent of his mental strength. He not only persevered through his hardships, but he used it as a catalyst for his future. It takes a great amount of strength to do that.

He leaves that house, we know, and enrolls in a cram school. He works in construction at night and studies art during the day. He goes without food and spends hours learning new techniques. It takes physical strength to do that. To endure harsh conditions for that long and not crumble under the pressure requires an incredible level of endurance and, for lack of a better word (or the presence of an opportunity to use the right word) strength. Assuming that he's still working in construction (albeit with less hours assuming he's selling his works too) and going to college and chugging out competition pieces of massive size, he undoubtedly has physical strength.

On the topic of emotional strength, I cite the entire story of Sarada and her death. I spoke on the situation in my first bp post as well as the one about Yotasuke so the story of the thing is already established, but I'd like to elaborate on Yakumo's grieving process. He still used her brush. He still saved her empty canvas. He saved small reminders of her everywhere. It certainly gives an air of guilt, though nothing completely concrete. Something to consider is that he's going to school right after her death. From my knowledge of the timeline, the start of his first year in university is almost immediately after Sarada's death. To be able to not only attend university, but begin to make new friends and carry on despite still being in the throws of grief requires emotional (and mental to an extent, but I already talked about that) strength. This also adds a new context to his introductory scene. Maybe the reason he was drinking till he blacked out on his friend's floor was because his other friend died almost a month prior.

I think that spirit is somewhere in between mental and emotional. As such, I feel the culmination of strength in attitude and behavior results in strength of spirit, as well as vice versa.

[agent-scotch]

🏎️ - Huck

Send “🏎️” for my muse to assign you a vehicle/car based on your muse.

@thespieswholovedme

1967 Ford F100 Ranger

"Oh the Classic Ford Ranger, an American icon. While other cars are a symbol of speed, technology and wealth - the Ford Ranger is all about reliability and trust. What the ranger lacks in speed, it makes up in sheer strength with a horsepower of 160 and V8 engine. The spacious truck bed is perfect for any farm hand or laying back to stargaze. Top of the line coil suspension means it's your best friend on off roading camping trips in the wilderness. Truly a vehicle about making and passing down memories."

Class: Full sized pick up Truck Layout: Front Engine Rear wheel Body: 2-4 door Engine: 360 CID (5.9 L) FE V8 Assembly: San Jose Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic Top Speed: 144 km/h (90 mph) Acceleration: 13 sec

[ezrafairchild]

Basics

Full Name: Ezra Jebediah Fairchild

Birthday: April 30th

Age: 74

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

Religion: Baptist

–Religious Level (1-10): 10

Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama

Current Residence: Birmingham, Alabama

Height: 6’ (formerly 6' 2")

Hair Color: Grayed with streaks of black

Eye Color: Dark Green (let's pretend Jeremy Irons matches that okay)

Sexuality: That is about the silliest question he ever did hear. The good Lord would not have gone and made Eve for Adam if there was no reason behind it.

Love/Romantic Preference: The prettiest unripened peach of a woman.

Relationship Status: Twice a widower. Married his childhood love when they were 14, but she gave out on him a few years later. Later married a woman who had been widowed herself with a sweet girl named Delilah. It's a blessing she reunited with their Father before all that mess happened with the girl.

Languages Known: English

Details

Car: 1962 Ford F100 in baby blue with a little rust for character [x]

Phone: Landline

Music Genres: Gospel, Folk, Bluegrass

Wardrobe: Old classic southern upper-class attire. "His Sunday bests" [x] Will always have a handkerchief embroidered with his initials EJF. Walking cane with a silver wolf's head at the top, tarnished finish from wear, with teeth baring. Old brown leather loafers.

Estimated Net Worth: $50 million (and saved every penny)

Ransom Value: *crickets*

Education: Has no need for any of that higher education. His higher education comes from the only good book he knows. Amen.

Accent: Southern (9/10 strength)

Bloodlines + Connections

Wesley Bartholomew Fairchild | Grandson/Son

Delilah Celeste Fairchild | Step-Daughter | Resides in Belmont Psychiatric Hospital, the Celestial Wing.

Mary Magdalene | Bless that Catholic girl's heart

Levels

Drinking (1-10): 0 like a good Baptist would, even if he still has bourbon around the place... says it's good to resist temptation as a testament of faith.

Swearing: 0 also like a good man of the Lord would do. But don't you test him.

Smoking status: 8. Cigarettes seem in bad taste, but he smokes from a pipe.

Drugs: 0 and never will. 

Cooking proficiency: 0. Any man who knows his way around a kitchen has been around his mama's apron strings for too long.

Intelligence: 7. In spite of Ezra's lack of formal education, I wouldn't underestimate his way of the spoken word, but throw in some "higher education" words at him and he will be a bit lost by that gibberish noise you have.

Emotional/Social Intelligence: 5. His way or the highway, but he's got the added advantage of southern hospitality keeping him at a 5.

Creativity: 2. This man's creative thoughts only involve harming vulnerable girls!

Temper: 7. He's bad when he's mad, but he's cool, calm, collected right up until then.

[militaryleak]

Royal Jordanian Air Force Places New F-16 Fighting Falcon Fleet Under Contract

The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) has fortified its combat capabilities with the expansion of its F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. Lockheed Martin has confirmed the transformation of the previously accepted letter of acceptance (LOA) into a formal contract, marking the procurement of 12 Block 70 aircraft. Originally, Jordan had signed the LOA for eight Block 70/72 aircraft in June 2022. However, the latest announcement on January 11 reveals an increase in the number of Block 70 aircraft to 12. The Royal Jordanian Air Force operates a total of 64 F-16A/B aircraft, 16 of which are ADFs, while the remaining 39 are MLUs or have been modified to MLU standard. Jordan has operated Fighting Falcon fighters for many years, and is now refreshing the fleet with AESA-equipped aircraft. These aircraft are equipped with the General Electric F100-GE-129D afterburning turbofan jet engine, distinguishing them from the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW229EEP engine used in the Block 72 variant. The F100-GE-129D engine boasts an 81% parts commonality with the F110-GE-100, recognized as the safest single-engine powerplant in U.S. Air Force history in its class. This advanced engine provides significant mission advantages, including over 30% additional thrust during critical low-altitude combat operations. The F110 engine powers the majority of today's advanced USAF F-16C/D aircraft, showcasing its reliability and deployment capability across various theaters of operation.

The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) has fortified its combat capabilities with the expansion of its F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. Lockheed Martin has confirmed the transformation of the previously accepted letter of acceptance (LOA) into a formal contract, marking the procurement of 12 Block 70 aircraft. Originally, Jordan had signed the LOA for eight Block 70/72 aircraft in June 2022. However,…