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noosphe-re · 4 years

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‘The Future of the Future’ by JG Ballard

One of the most surprising but barely noticed events of the period since the Second World War has been the life and death of the space age. Almost twenty years ago to the day, 4 October 1957, I switched on the BBC news and heard for the first time the radio call-sign of Sputnik I as it circled the earth above our heads. Its urgent tocsin seemed to warn us of the arrival of a new epoch. As a novice science fiction writer, I listened to this harbinger of the space age with strong misgivings — already I was certain, though without the slightest evidence, that the future of science fiction, and for that matter of popular consciousness in general, lay not in outer space but in what I had already christened `inner space', in a world increasingly about to be remade by the mind.

None the less, I fully expected that the impact of the space age would be immediate and all-pervasive — from fashion to industrial design, from the architecture of airports and department stores to the ways in which we furnished our homes. I took for granted that the spin-off of the US and Russian space programmes would transfotm everything in our lives and produce an extrovert society as restlessly curious about the external world as Renaissance Europe.

In fact, nothing remotely like this occurred. Public interest in the space flights of the 1960s was rarely more than lukewarm (think, by contrast, of our powerful emotional involvement with the death of President Kennedy and the Vietnam war), and the effects on everyday life have been virtually nil. How many of us could name, apart from Armstrong himself, a single one of the men who have walked on the Moon, an extraordinary achievement that should have left a profound trace upon the collective psyche? Yet most of us could rattle off without a moment's thought the names of lone transatlantic sailors — Chichester, Chay Blyth, Tabarly, Clare Francis ... Looking back, we can see that far from extending for ever into the future, the space age lasted for scarcely fifteen years: from Sputnik I and Gagarin's first flight in 1961, to the last Skylab mission in 1974 — and the first splashdown, significantly, not to be shown on television. After a casual glance at the sky, people turned around and went indoors. Even the test flights taking place at present of the space shuttle Enterprise — named, sadly, after the spaceship in Star Trek — seem little more than a limp by-product of a television fantasy, More and more, the space programmes have become the last great period piece of the twentieth century, as magnificent but as out of date as the tea-clipper and the steam locomotive.

During the past fifteen years the strongest currents in our lives have been flowing in the opposite direction altogether, carrying us ever deeper into the exploration not of outer but of inner space. This investigation of every conceivable byway of sensation and imagination has shown itself in a multitude of guises — in mysticism and meditation, encounter groups and fringe religions, in the use of drugs and biofeedback devices — all of which attempt to project the interior realm of the psyche on to the humdrum world of everyday reality and externalize the limitless possibilities of the dream. So far, though, the techniques available have tended to be extremely dangerous (drugs such as LSD and heroin), physically uncomfortable (the contortions of classical yoga), or mentally exhausting (the psychological assault course of the suburban encounter group, with its staged confrontations and tantrums, its general hyperventilation of the emotions).

Meanwhile, far more sophisticated devices have begun to appear on the scene, above all, video systems and micro-computers adapted for domestic use. Together these will achieve what I take to be the apotheosis of all the fantasies of late twentieth-century man — the transformation of reality into a TV studio, in which we can simultaneously play out the roles of audience, producer and star.

In the dream house of the year 2000, Mrs Tomorrow will find herself living happily inside her own head. Walls, floors and ceilings will be huge, unbroken screens on which will be projected a continuous sound and visual display of her pulse and respiration, her brain-waves and blood pressure. The delicate quicksilver loom of her nervous system as she sits at her dressing table, the sudden flush of adrenaline as the telephone rings, the warm arterial tides of emotion as she arranges lunch with her lover, all these will surround her with a continuous light show. Every aspect of her home will literally reflect her character and personality, a visible image of her inner self to be overlaid and enhanced by those of her husband and children, relatives and friends. A marital tiff will resemble the percussive climax of The Rite of Spring, while a dinner party (with each of the guests wired into the circuitry) will be embellished by a series of frescoes as richly filled with character and incident as a gallery of Veroncses. By contrast, an off day will box her into a labyrinth of Francis Bacons, a premonition of spring surround her with the landscapes of Constable, an amorous daydream transform the walls of her bathroom into a seraglio worthy of Ingres.

All this, of course, will be more electronic wallpaper, the background to the main programme in which each of us will be both star and suppotting player. Every one of our actions during the day, across the entire spectrum of domestic life, will be instantly recorded on video-tape. In the evening we will sit back to scan the rushes, selected by a computer trained to pick out only our best profiles, our wittiest dialogue, our most affecting expressions filmed through the kindest filters, and then stitch these together into a heightened re-enactment of the day. Regardless of our place in the family pecking order, each of us within the privacy of our own rooms will be the star in a continually unfolding domestic saga, with parents, husbands, wives and children demoted to an appropriate supporting role.

Free now to experiment with the dramatic possibilities of our lives, we will naturally conduct our relationships and modify our behaviour towards each other with more than half an eye to their place in the evening's programme. When we visit our friends we will be immediately co-opted into a half-familiar play whose plot-lines may well elude us. Even within our own marriages we will frequently find ourselves assigned roles which we will act out with no rehearsal time and only the scantiest idea of the script — on reflection, not an unfamiliar situation. So these programmes will tirelessly unfold; a personalized Crossroads or Coronation Street perhaps recast in the style of Strindberg or Stoppard, six million scenes from a marriage.

However fanciful all this may seem, this transformation of our private lives with the aid of video-systems and domestic computers is already at hand. Micro-computers are now being installed in thousands of American homes, where they provide video-games and do simple household accounts. Soon, though, they will take over other functions, acting as major domo, keeper of finances, confidant and marriage counsellor. `Can you afford the Bahamas this year, dear? Yes ... if you divorce your husband.' The more expensive and sophisticated computers will be bought precisely to fulfil this need, each an éminence grise utterly devoted to us, aware of our strengths and weaknesses, dedicated to exploring every possibility of our private lives, suggesting this or that marital strategy, a tactical infidelity here, an emotional game-plan there, a realignment of affections, a radical change of wardrobe, lifestyle, sex itself, all costed down to the last penny and timed to the nearest second, its print-outs primed with air tickets, hotel reservations and divorce petitions.

Thus we may see ourselves at the turn of the century, each of us the star of a continuous television drama, soothed by the music of our own brain-waves, the centre of an infinite private universe. Will it occur to us, perhaps, that there is still one unnecessary intruder in this personal paradise — other people? Thanks to the video-tape library, and the imminent wonders of holistic projection, their physical presence may soon no longer be essential to our lives. Without difficulty, we can visualize a future where people will never meet at all, except on the television screen. Childhood, marriage, parenthood, even the few jobs that still need to be done, will all be conducted within the home.

Conceived by artificial insemination, brought up within the paediatric viewing cubicle, we will conduct even our courtships on television, shyly exchanging footage of ourselves, and perhaps even slipping away on a clandestine weekend (that is, watching the same travelogues together). Thanks to the split-screen technique, our marriage will be witnessed by hundreds of friends within their own homes, and pre-recorded film taken within our living rooms will show us moving down the aisle against a cathedral backdrop. Our wedding night will be a masterpiece of tastefully erotic cinema, the husband's increasingly bold zooms countered by his bride's blushing fades and wipes, climaxing in the ultimate close-up. Years of happy marriage will follow, unblemished by the hazards of physical contact, and we need never know whether our spouse is five miles away from us, or five hundred, or on the dark side of the sun. The spherical mirror forms the wall of our universe, enclosing us for ever at its heart ... — JG Ballard, The Future of the Future, Vogue, 1977 (A User’s Guide to the Millennium)

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juniperpublisherscellscienc-blog · 5 years

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Immunological Challenges to the Development of Chagasic Mega Syndromes-Juniper Publishers

Abstract

Chagas´ disease is one of the most serious parasitic diseases in Latin America, with a social and economic impact that far outweighs the combined effects of other parasitic diseases such as malaria, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis. Chagas’ disease presents two well-defined phases, the acute phase and the chronic phase. The acute phase lasts for approximately two or three months. After this phase, the patient enters an asymptomatic state, which characterizes the beginning of the chronic phase. In the chronic phase of the disease, the destruction of components of the enteric nervous system leads to the development of megaesophagus and megacolon. Mega syndromes are characterized as dilatation of the organ associated with an inflammatory infiltrate that is the main responsible for the destruction of the enteric neurons. This review aims at organizing the data previously known about the challenges faced by the immune system in the presence of Chagas disease and the establishment of the chagasic megaesophagus and megacolon in an attempt to discover which is the key mechanism that defines the installation and the protection against the digestive form of this pathology.

Keywords: Chagas’ disease; Chagasic megacólon; Immune system

Introduction

The first suspicion of the existence of the digestive form of Chagas disease came in 1916, when Carlos Chagas himself observed that during the acute infection, some adults exhibited a marked dysphagia for foods whose ingestion needed to be accompanied by water. Patients reported that food transit was interrupted in the esophagus, causing immense pain. Even the ingestion of fluids could be difficult, being sometimes impossible, and in this way, the need for it to be administered in small doses. This phenomenon, without pathogenic explanation, was then termed “Mal do engasgo” [1]. The digestive forms of Chagas’ disease are present prominently in the regions below the equatorial line, with esophagopathy occurring in approximately 7 to 10% of cases and colopathy in 3 to 7%. The chagasic megacolon affects, above all, the sigmoid and the rectum. It may manifest as an isolated disease, but is often found associated with megaesophagus or Chagas’ heart disease. It is more common to adult (30 to 60 years) and more incident in the male sex. As the first symptom of mega colon is constipation, both the clinical and the anatomical diagnosis are usually late, after the establishment of the dilatation [2]. Optical light microscopy shows chronic, focal and diffuse inflammatory infiltrates in the muscularis of the mucosa, in the sub mucosa and in the muscular layers, lesions of the enteric nervous system, especially of the my enteric plexus, periganglionite and focal or diffuse gang lionitis with intense regressive phenomena of the neurons arriving at the complete destruction of the nervous ganglia of the my enteric plexus, with consecutive fibrosis, ulcerations and chronic inflammation of the mucosa, focal or diffuse in more advanced cases, reaching the sub mucosa, inter muscular interstitial fibrosis, focal or diffuse, due to myositis, periganglionitis and ganglionitis [3]. Ultra structural changes of my enteric plexus consist of lesions, usually focal, of all components of the ganglia: neurons, Schwann cells and nerve fibers. Therefore, it is common, in the same ganglion, the existence of neurons, sometimes deeply damaged alongside others morphologically intact. In severe cases, the lesion may be diffuse and the ganglion ends up being replaced by dense fibrous connective tissue [4]. It is permissible to admit a progression of the lesions of the plexus, which worsen proportionally to the duration and degree of the mega. The accumulation of feces in the colon causes light dilation and compression of the mucosa. Compression, in turn, leads to ischemia, and secondarily to degeneration, necrosis and ulceration of the mucosa. In the mucosa so ulcerated begins a secondary inflammatory process and independent of the inflammation induced by Chagas’ disease itself. This inflammatory process reaches my enteric plexus already previously damaged by T. cruzi, further aggravating the destruction of the enteric nervous system (SNE). In turn, the sub mucosal plexus suffers the consequences of the lesions of my enteric plexus, due to the synaptic relations between them. Inflammation secondary to stasis added to destruction of the plexus and interstitial components evolves into interstitial fibrosis of the sub mucosa and inter muscular conjunctiva. In turn, increasing the resistance of the medium requires more effort in the muscle fibers for contraction. Over time, hypertrophy and regressive changes in muscle fibers occur. The latter is consequence of disorders of metabolic changes of muscle cells and the interstitium induced by inflammation itself (vascular changes, edema, cellular infiltrate and fibrosis) that interposes between them. Because the sub mucosal plexus is closely related to muscle cells, it is easy to understand how myositis and its squeal can further damage the lymph nodes [5]. The scarcity of parasites in relation to the intensity and extent of the lesions in the chronic phase of the disease led several authors to evaluate the involvement in autoimmune factors of the pathogenesis of the chagasic lesion. Some authors point in the existence of a crossreaction between autologous components and T. cruzi antigens. Studies using an experimental infection model by T. cruzi suggest that during the acute phase of infection there would be a polyclonal activation responsible for the release of self-reactive clones that would persist for long periods in the host, leading to the appearance of lesions [6]. Although parasitism is scarce in relation to the intensity and extent of the lesions, several studies leave no doubt as to the presence of the parasite in the tissues of chagasic patients [7], found that the cardiac inflammatory process was particularly evident in parasitized muscle cells. Barbosa et al. [8] demonstrated, through autopsies of patients with diffuse chagasic myocarditis, the presence of T. cruzi amastigote forms into heart samples as well as extra-cardiac tissues. In the last decade, using polyclonal anti- T. cruzi to detect parasite antigens in heart tissues of patients with chagasic cardiopathy, Higuchi et al. [9] have shown a close correlation between the presence of parasite antigens and the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrates. Another methodology used is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, through which T. cruzi DNA is detected in inflammatory lesions in patients with Chagas’ and Chagas’ cardiomyopathy with megaesophagus [10,11].

The inflammatory process of the chronic phase of Chagas disease always shows signs of cellular activity. In the chagasic megaesophagus, inflammatory infiltrates are composed of 72- 93% of CD3-IR T lymphocytes, 6-29% of CD68-IR macrophages and 1-4% of CD20-IR B lymphocytes. About 1-35% of the inflammatory infiltrate cells in the muscle layers express TIA- 1 (T-cell intracellular antigen) a protein found in cytotoxic lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells. Natural Killer CD57- IR cells were rarely observed. These findings suggest that cytotoxic T lymphocytes may be involved in the pathogenesis of chagasic megaesophagus as well as in the development of heart disease present in some individuals with chronic infection [12]. Corbett et al. [13] analyzing tissues of chagasic patients with megacolon demonstrated the presence of Natural Killer cells, thus suggesting their participation in the continuation of the chronic phase inflammatory process of the megacolon of chagasic patients. Lemos et al. [14], studying patients with the digestive tract of Chagas disease, performed peripheral blood analysis of these individuals to verify the circulating lymphocyte phenotype. A significant decrease in the number of CD3/CD4- IR T lymphocytes and CD19-IR B lymphocytes was observed. The number of CD4-IR T lymphocytes / number of CD8-IR T lymphocytes was decreased from individuals with advanced megaesophagus, thus demonstrating a more significant decrease in the number of CD4-IR T lymphocytes, which is not observed in cardiac non-mega-chagasic patients [15]. As a marker for activation of T lymphocytes in mega-bearing patients, an anti- HLA-DR antibody was used and in this way elevated levels of activated T lymphocytes were demonstrated, which had already been observed in patients with Chagasic or even asymptomatic heart disease. Still in mega-bearing patients, there was also a decrease in the percentage of CD4/CD28-IR cells, which initially suggested that the lack of the CD28 co-stimulation molecule could in some way lead to failures of immune resistance mechanisms and contribute to progression of the disease. This hypothesis is in part corroborated by the studies of Miyahira et al. [16] that evaluated the role of the CD28-CD80/CD86 co-stimulation pathway to the resistance of mice to T cruzi infection. This study concluded that this pathway is essential for the organism to develop resistance to T cruzi, since the abolition of this pathway led to a decrease in the production of interferon and the activation of CD8-IR lymphocytes, resulting in an exacerbation of parasitemia.

Eosinophils are important cells in resistance to T. cruzi infection and their role in chronic phase pathology has been considered by several authors [17,18]. Eosinophils synthesizes and release several bioactive mediators and are important to both intestinal physiology and defense against various pathologies [19,20]. These cells have intra-cytoplasmic granules that may vary due to the degree of maturation and activation of the cell. These granules have four main substances: primary basic protein (MBP), cationic eosinophilic protein (ECP), eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and eosinophil-derived neurotoxin (EDN). These proteins give the eosinophil a high capacity for cell destruction. For many years eosinophils have been believed to possess only pro-inflammatory action, but it is now known that these cells are also capable of secret immuno-mediators that may participate in the modulation of the inflammatory process. In the intestine, eosinophils are found mainly associated with observed lesions and acute and chronic inflammatory processes, and their role in defense against parasites is well known [21- 24], using mice infected with T cruzi, evaluated the kinetics of eosinophil release by bone marrow, suggesting a role as these cells in the parasite resistance process. Molina and Kierszenbaum performed a series of studies in which associations between eosinophils and the pathological changes induced by T. cruzi were demonstrated. In myocardial studies of chagasic patients, deposits of a neurotoxin derived from eosinophils in the myocardium of chagasic patients were observed, as well as the presence of activated eosinophils. A correlation between eosinophil concentration and severity of inflammatory lesions in the myocardium and skeletal muscles was also demonstrated. Later these same authors, using cultures of cardio my ocytes infected with T. cruzi, showed that eosinophils and neutrophils play an important role in the destruction of T. cruzi in myocardial cells [19,25,26].

Another cell of the immune system that plays an important role in the evolution of Chagas’ disease is the mast cell. Mast cells are multi-functional cells, being important both in intestinal physiology and in defense against pathological processes. These cells release pro inflammatory molecules, such as histamine and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Mast cells are also capable of increasing the permeability of the intestinal epithelium in situations of chronic stress, inflammatory processes and parasitic infections through mechanisms not yet known [27]. Mast cells function as the main link between the immune system and the enteric nervous system, detecting, encoding and transmitting information about these systems. Signals sent by mast cells in response to an invading agent act both on the immune system and on sensory neurons [22,28,29]. The evaluation of the role of mast cells in the pathology induced by T. cruzi infection has already been the subject of several studies. Almeida et al. [30], working with mice infected with T. cruzi, showed in the stomach of these animals a reduction of acetylcholine levels and an increase in histamine levels, probably due to the large number of mast cells in the gastric wall. Postan et al. [31] through in-vitro studies have suggested that the presence of mast cells is directly related to the development of fibrosis in cardiomyocytes infected by T. cruzi. Recently, Freitas et al. [28] demonstrated that the presence of serotonin is closely related to the concentration of mast cells in the colon of chagasic patients and that this would represent the main form of communication between the immune system and the enteric nervous system. This would represent a great possibility of pharmacological intervention in inflammatory bowel diseases where intestinal transit is compromised due to an intense inflammatory reaction.

Conclusion

We believe in the existence of an interconnection between the immune and neuro endocrine systems. This link would promote a bi-directional information exchange about the immune system and the enteric nervous system. Mast cell activation, besides performing roles in gastrointestinal physiology, plays a crucial role in the inflammatory process, being one of the main encoders of intestinal signs that will culminate in motor responses, visceral perceptions and activation of cells of the immune system in gastrointestinal pathologies.

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by funds from CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científicoe Tecnológico) Grant 404718/2016-7, Brazil.

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aragakisan · 7 years

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ARAGAKISAN’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET!

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Miyu/Myka/Mint OOC Contact: IM’s, or ask for my discord drop. I sometimes suck at replying to instant messages in time, but I’ll try my best!

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Shinjiro Aragaki of Persona 3, a founding member of the anti-Shadow group by the name of SEES. A tragic accident involving the then 16-year-old losing control of his Persona and resulting in the death of a single mother caused Shinjiro to leave his team behind one and a half years before the main plot’s timeline and to live in a constant state of self-loathing and guilt over said event, isolating himself from others completely. He initially tries to forget about his trauma, coping in extremely unhealthy ways (both physically and mentally) - though as he is unable to do so, his past catches up with him in the form of a revenge plot and is what eventually leads Shinjiro to an unfortunate fate of either death or a several months long coma, depending on the version of the game.

Points of interest:

1) Despite his scary looks and seemingly tough and intimidating attitude and presence, Shinjiro carries deep down an extremely caring and warm personality, constantly worrying and looking after others. He keeps this trait hidden to his best ability as his desire is to appear strong and reliable, though no matter the effort put into the tough guy act his true nature tends to constantly shine through in various ways regardless. If your muse happens to be in trouble or danger, you may just be able to count on Shinjiro to save the day - or at least take care of the aftermath, as his concern and selfless willingness to help often reaches out to anyone in need (and deserving) of help, not limited to his friends and loved ones.

2) In canon timeline Shinjiro is plagued with feelings of burdening guilt and self-loathing at almost all times due to an accident he cannot stop blaming himself for. This results in distant, standoffish and defensive behavior, pushing or attempting to push others (especially those worried for him) away. Keep this in mind in regards to interacting with my muse in this timeline especially; he won’t share - and if he shares it is hugely dependent on the person and he still won’t share a whole lot. In addition to this, Shinjiro is an introvertby nature and will rarely approach another person unless they are a close friend or in need of help, or otherwise forced to co-operate and interact. He also generally doesn’t talk much.

3) Shinjiro loves two things above others: animals and cooking. Especially dogs will cause the boy to smile and act a lot less on guard than usual (as long as no other people are around to witness it), revealing once again his true, gentle nature. Cooking on the other hand is more than just a hobby for the young man, but instead a passion. Leave it to Shinjiro to cook a meal resembling in its quality something taken straight out of a cookbook, to teach others about the secrets of the craft or to shame you for your eating or cooking habits. Getting him to cook you something may still be somewhat of a difficult task, extremely dependent on the situation as well as the inquirer.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Dependent on the timeline and/or the verse.

In a canon (or P3P’s FeMc route) verse before Shinjiro rejoins the ranks of SEES, Shinjiro will be living most of his days and nights on the streets, wandering around and helping those in trouble or alternatively, taking part in shady deals with a group of criminals by the name of Strega. Shinjiro’s health is in a constantly deteriorating state due to the use of Persona-suppressants (a drug used to seal away or control one’s Persona) that he gets from the group in exchange of these deals, resulting in more or less noticeable symptoms in addition to the strained state of his mental health. In the same verse a little later on Shinjiro will be part of his old team once more, fighting alongside his friends and eradicating Shadows for one full month before his eventual departure - making his time limited and scarce and thus affecting the threads based on this verse in many ways.

This blog will also include verses of anything before the game’s main plot’s timeline, including timelines such as: childhood, pre-SEES (2007), SEES’ first fighting days before Shinjiro’s accident (2007) – as well as anything after the fact before April 2009.

In a post-Nyx verse Shinjiro is a coma survivor, resurfacing from his coma after the events of October 4th sometime in early February, though he is dispatched from the hospital later in April. Shinjiro will no longer be depending on the use of suppressants, his health slowly but surely returning and improving. A chain of events also leads to the boy’s closure regarding his trauma and reconciliation with Ken, resulting in Shinjiro’s resolution, evolved Persona and a gradually improving state of mental health as well - able to finally stop obsessing over his past trauma. He is a returning student of Gekkoukan High, now one grade behind his own age group, working diligently in order to finally graduate high school and through that get his life back in order. This verse is my blog’s MAIN AU, and a lot of interactions deemed impossible or unlikely in the canon verse may or may not be set to happen in this verse. It is also the only verse in which romantic shipping occurs (not counting crushes or something lowkey that isn’t dating, etc). The default version of this verse is somewhat of a “everyone survives” type of an ideal, alternate world in which Nyx is sealed with some additional help, though depending on some details I am willing to RP a version including the protagonist’s death as well. This AU welcomes the male MC as the protagonist as well despite coma route originally being FeMc exclusive, though some details will obviously change.

— Crossovers and other AU-type of deals will be discussed case by case.

Where to find them:

Back alley of Port Island Station

Iwatodai dormitory

Tartarus

Iwatodai Strip Mall, more specifically Hagakure’s

Any given place in Port Island

Gekkoukan High (pre oct 4 2007 & AU only)

Current plans:

1) Redemption. To pay for causing the death of Ken Amada’s mother - in any way the boy in question sees fitting, going as far as to be willing to forfeit his life for the cause.

2) Protect and look after loved ones. Shinjiro keeps a close eye on his friends, worrying and looking after their health, safety and needs to the best of his ability.

3) Getting his “shit together”. AU verse. Finally (even if a year late) graduating high school. Finding a job (preferably cooking related) and a place to stay in. Settling down.Maintaining his health - both mental and physical. Maintaining and improving his relationships. Fulfilling his new resolution by living looking after and watching over the boy whose life he’d once ruined. Honoring his new, second chance at a better life.

4) To fight alongside his friends once more. AU verse. In order to redeem himself for the loss of progress and the trouble he once caused SEES (Akihiko and Mitsuru) with his departure, Shinjiro decides to participate in the activities of the Shadow Operatives later on and for some time. This is also to take full advantage of his new, stronger and now stable Persona, as well as to ensure Amada’s chance at a normal childhood as much as possible by filling in for him whenever needed.

5) To lead a normal life. AU verse. Sometime after his mid twenties, Shinjiro will forfeit all Persona-related fighting once more in order to lead a life free of all things related to Shadows and Persona, to live life as a normal citizen. He may never be able to fully leave Shadow-related things out of his life due to his close ties with other Persona-users, but it is no longer what his life revolves around.

Desired interactions:

1) DEVELOPING ALREADY ESTABLISHED BONDS. Exploring and developing the familial bond between Shinjiro and Akihiko - all timelines included. Exploring and developing the boy’s friendship with Mitsuru, an old friend and teammate. Exploring and developing (and fixing) Shinjiro’s bond with Minako, including a possible romantic relationship first unsuccessfully established in the Portable-timeline prior to October 4 and finally given a second chance in the main AU verse. Developing Shinjiro’s extremely complex relationship with Ken, especially after Ken’s change of heart toward the older male. I also need a Koromaru to RP with, seriously.

2) GETTING TO KNOW THE REST OF SEES. I want more interactions with the rest of SEES too. All of them. From Shinjiro being a “super senpai” (direct quote) to Junpei to the Hierophant being a cooking instructor to Fuuka. I also need to establish relationships with characters like Minato, Yukari and Aigis as the games particularly lack interactions between Shinjiro and these three. At least that’s how I feel like.

3) STREGA. Shinjiro shares a rather interesting, complex and conflicting relationship between Strega. They aren’t friends, but they aren’t necessarily enemies either (that is until Shinjiro decides to rejoin SEES). A lot goes on between them, Shinjiro somewhat trapped in this troubling situation. Where did it all begin, how did they find out about each other? How do they interact outside of their shady business deals and blackmail? How does each Strega member feel about Shinjiro? These are all things I need to know.

4) Interactions with characters from other Persona games can always turn out to be rather interesting, Persona-users or not (and “normal people” in P3′s universe too!). I am also very open to crossovers of any kind. Don’t be afraid to approach me even if our characters have never canonically met each other. OCs are welcome too, as long as I am able to learn enough about them from you to know how to interact at all.

5) Childhood threads, adulthood threads etc. Anything outside of the canon timeline deeply intrigues me and is something I desire to develop and explore.

Offered interactions:

1) FRIENDSHIP, COMPANIONSHIP AND SUPPORT. As is mentioned in my rules, I am not someone very open to romantic shipping as a personal preference of mine: my muse for it is extremely picky. Friendships of any kind are hugely encouraged, however! Even if my muse may not be the easiest to get to know up, close and personal, deep down he is quite kind, friendly and caring and it may not take a whole lot for him to care enough to worry about your muse as well, even if they don’t yet know each other super well. Perhaps our characters could be fighting alongside each other toward a mutual goal? Characters that are already friends or acquaintances with Shinjiro may also be able to explore various types of interactions and situations and further development. Whichever the case, I will rarely (possibly never) turn down a friendship of some sort with my muse. Shinjiro needs friends. He is also the ideal character for a big brother -type of a relationship, which is why I’ll be super hyped to RP friendships with child muses as well.

2) COMPLEX, UNPLEASANT INTERACTIONS. As much as I love tender feelings and friendship and as easy as it is to make Shinjiro care for your muse, it isn’t hard to make him dislike someone either if they end up crossing the Hierophant’s strong, personal values deeply enough. Or perhaps your muse has something against Shinjiro for whatever reason? I want complex and unpleasant situations and relationships that cause deep and conflicting feelings and opinions. Good example of this is Strega, which I mentioned previously, though other characters may be able to develop similar (mutual or not) distaste with Shinjiro as well. Misunderstandings, blackmail or other threats, fighting, enemies, grudges, danger and more - all are situations I’m interested to explore.

3) ANGST. Let’s be real, Shinjiro may just be your go-to muse for some angsty interactions, angsty as is his whole backstory as well as his whole character during the canon timeline. Due to this fact angst from my muse may or may not be guaranteed to happen at least to some degree at some point in time, but it may be easy to explore your own character’s angsty feelings or situation with the help of my muse as well.

4) Any type of plotting and just casual interactions too are extremely welcome! I am super open for pre-established relationships, new verses and AUs. If you have an idea or wish to interact with me, don’t be afraid to send me stuff, to contact me or like my starter calls etc. I am here to write and explore both different kinds of relationships as well as my own muse; his feelings, thoughts, motives and development and I tend to think all interactions contribute to it at least to some degree.

Current open post/s:

Starter call

Anything else?:

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arabellaflynn · 5 years

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Advent Calendar: "Ku-Ula, The Fish-God Of Hawaii"

From Hawaiian Folk Tales, compiled by Thomas G Thrum, published 1907 by A C McClurg & Co. I don't know a great deal about Hawai'ian lore, nor about Hawai'i, for that matter. I mainly went with something interesting, that involved only a moderate amount of cold-blooded murder, and didn't have any women sold into slavery or being awarded as brides. The story of Ku-ula, considered by ancient Hawaiians as the deity presiding over and controlling the fish of the sea,—a story still believed by many of them to-day,—is translated and somewhat condensed from an account prepared by a recognized legendary bard of these islands. The name of Ku-ula is known from the ancient times on each of the islands of the Hawaiian group, and the writer gives the Maui version as transmitted through the old people of that island. Ku-ula had a human body, and was possessed with wonderful or miraculous power (mana kupua) in directing, controlling, and influencing all fish of the sea, at will. Leho-ula, in the land of Aleamai, Hana, Maui, is where Ku-ula and Hina-pu-ku-ia lived. Nothing is known of their parents, but tradition deals with Ku-ula, his wife, their son Ai-ai, and Ku-ula-uka, a younger brother of Ku-ula. These lived together for a time at Leho-ula, and then the brothers divided their work between them, Ku-ula-uka choosing farm work, or work pertaining to the land, from the seashore to the mountain-top, while Ku-ula—known also as Ku-ula-kai—chose to be a fisherman, with such other work as pertained to the sea, from the pebbly shore to ocean depths. After this division Ku-ula-uka went up in the mountains to live, and met a woman known as La-ea—called also Hina-ulu-ohia—a sister of Hina-pu-ku-ia, Ku-ula’s wife. These sisters had three brothers, named Moku-ha-lii, Kupa-ai-kee, and Ku-pulu-pulu-i-ka-na-hele. This trio were called by the old people the gods of the canoe-making priests—“Na akua aumakua o ka poe kahuna kalai waa.” While Ku-ula and his wife were living at Leho-ula he devoted all his time to his chosen vocation, fishing. His first work was to construct a fish-pond handy to his house but near to the shore where the surf breaks, and this pond he stocked with all kinds of fish. Upon a rocky platform he also built a house to be sacred for the fishing kapu which he called by his own name, Ku-ula. It is asserted that when Ku-ula made all these preparations he believed in the existence of a God who had supreme power over all things. That is why he prepared this place wherein to make his offerings of the first fish caught by him to the fish god. From this observance of Ku-ula all the fish were tractable (laka loa) unto him; all he had to do was to say the word, and the fish would appear. This was reported all over Hana and when Kamohaolii, the King (who was then living at Wananalua, the land on which Kauiki Hill stands) heard of it, he appointed Ku-ula to be his head fisherman. Through this pond, which was well stocked with all kinds of fish, the King’s table was regularly supplied with all rare varieties, whether in or out of season. Ku-ula was his mainstay for fish-food and was consequently held in high esteem by Kamohoalii, and they lived without disagreement of any kind between them for many years. During this period the wife of Ku-ula gave birth to a son, whom they called Aiai-a-Ku-ula (Aiai of Ku-ula), The child was properly brought up according to the usage of those days, and when he was old enough to care for himself an unusual event occurred. A large puhi (eel), called Koona, lived at Wailau, on the windward side of the island of Molokai. This eel was deified and prayed to by the people of that place, and they never tired telling of the mighty things their god did, one of which was that a big shark came to Wailau and gave it battle, and during the fight the puhi caused a part of the rocky cliff to fall upon the shark, which killed it. A cave was thus formed, with a depth of about five fathoms; and that large opening is there to this day, situate a little above the sea and close to the rocky fort where lived the well known Kapeepeekauila. This puhi then left its own place and came and lived in a cave in the sea near Aleamai, called Kapukaulua, some distance out from the Alau rocks. It came to break and rob the pond that Ku-ula had built and stocked with fish of various kinds and colors, as known to-day. Ku-ula was much surprised on discovering his pond stock disappearing, so he watched day and night, and at last, about daybreak, he saw a large eel come in through the makai (seaward) wall of the pond. When he saw this he knew that it was the cause of the loss of his fish, and was devising a way to catch and kill it; but on consulting with his wife they decided to leave the matter to their son Aiai, for him to use his own judgment as to the means by which the thief might be captured and killed. When Aiai was told of it he sent word to all the people of Aleamai and Haneoo to make ili hau ropes several lau fathoms in length; and when all was ready a number of the people went out with it in two canoes, one each from the two places, with Aiai-a-Ku-ula in one of them. He put two large stones in his canoe and held in his hands a fisherman’s gourd (hokeo), in which was a large fishhook called manaiaakalani. When the canoes had proceeded far out he located his position by landmarks; and looking down into the sea, and finding the right place, he told the paddlers to cease paddling. Standing up in the canoe and taking one of the stones in his hands he dived into the sea. Its weight took him down rapidly to the bottom, where he saw a big cave opening right before him, with a number of fishes scurrying about the entrance, such as uluas and other deep sea varieties. Feeling assured thereby that the puhi was within, he arose to the surface and got into his canoe. Resting for a moment, he then opened the gourd and took out the hook manaiaakalani and tied the hau rope to it. He also picked up a long stick and placed at the end of it the hook, baited with a preparation of cocoanut and other substances attractive to fishes. Before taking his second dive he arranged with those on the canoe as to the signs to them of his success. Saying this, he picked up the other stone and dived down again into the sea; then, proceeding to the cave, he placed the hook in it, at the same time murmuring a few incantations in the name of his parents. When he knew that the puhi was hooked he signalled, as planned, to tell those on the canoe of his success. In a short while he came to the surface, and entering the canoe they all returned to shore, trailing the rope behind. He told those in the canoe from Haneoo to paddle thither and to Hamoa, and to tell all the people to pull the puhi; like instructions were given those on the Aleamai canoe for their people. The two canoes set forth on their courses to the landings, keeping in mind Aiai’s instructions, which were duly carried out by the people of the two places; and there were many for the work. Then Aiai ascended Kaiwiopele Hill and motioned to the people of both places to pull the ropes attached to the hook on the mouth of the puhi. It was said that the Aleamai people won the victory over the much greater number from the other places, by landing the puhi on the pahoehoe stones at Lehoula. The people endeavored to kill the prize, but without success till Aiai came and threw three ala stones at it and killed it. The head was cut off and cooked in the imu (oven). The bones of its jaw, with the mouth wide open, are seen to this day at a place near the shore, washed by the waves,—the rock formation at a short distance having such a resemblance. Residents of the place state that all ala stones near where the imu was made in which the puhi was baked do not crack when heated, as they do elsewhere, because of the imu heating of that time. It is so even to this day. The backbone (iwi kuamoo) of this puhi is still lying on the pahoehoe where Aiai killed it with the three ala stones,—the rocky formation, about thirty feet in length, exactly resembling the backbone of an eel. The killing of this puhi by Aiai gave him fame among the people of Hana. Its capture was the young lad’s first attempt to follow his father’s vocation, and his knowledge was a surprise to the people. After this event a man came over from Waiiau, Molokai, who was a kahu (keeper) of the puhi. He dreamed one night that he saw its spirit, which told him that his aumakua (god) had been killed at Hana, so he came to see with his own eyes where this had occurred. Arriving at Wananalua he was befriended by one of the retainers of Kamohoalii, the King of Hana, and lived there a long time serving under him, during which time he learned the story of how the puhi had been caught and killed by Aiai, the son of Ku-ula and Hinapukuia, whereupon he sought to accomplish their death. Considering a plan of action, he went one day to Ku-ula, without orders, and told him that the King had sent him for fish for the King. Ku-ula gave him but one fish, an ulua, with a warning direction, saying, “Go back to the King and tell him to cut off the head of the fish and cook it in the imu, and the flesh of its body cut up and salt and dry in the sun, for ‘this is Hana the aupehu land; Hana of the scarce fish; the fish Kama; the fish of Lanakila.’ (Eia o Hana la he aina aupehu; o Hana keia i ka ia iki; ka ia o Kama; ka ia o Lanakila).” When the man returned to the King and gave him the fish, the King asked: “Who gave it to you?” and the man answered: “Ku-ula.” Then it came into his head that this was his chance for revenge, so he told the King what Ku-ula had said but not in the same way, saying: “Your head fisherman told me to come back and tell you that your head should be cut from your body and cooked in the imu, and the flesh of your body should be cut up and salted and dried in the sun.” The King on hearing this message was so angered with Ku-ula, his head fisherman, that he told the man to go and tell all his konohikis (head men of lands with others under them) and people, to go up in the mountains and gather immediately plenty of firewood and place it around Ku-ula’s house, for he and his wife and child should be burned up. This order of the King was carried out by the konohikis and people of all his lands except those of Aleamai. These latter did not obey this order of the King, for Ku-ula had always lived peaceably among them. There were days when they had no fish, and he had supplied them freely. When Ku-ula and his wife saw the people of Hana bringing firewood and placing it around the house they knew it foreboded trouble; so Ku-ula went to a place where taro, potatoes, bananas, cane, and some gourds were growing. Seeing three dry gourds on the vine, he asked the owner for them and was told to take them. These he took to his house and discussed with his wife the evil day to come, and told Aiai that their house would be burned and their bodies too, but not to fear death nor trouble himself about it when the people came to shut them in. After some thinking Ku-ula remembered his giving the ulua to the King’s retainer and felt that he was the party to blame for this action of the King’s people. He had suspected it before, but now felt sure; therefore he turned to his son and said: “Our child, Aiai-a-Ku-ula, if our house is burned, and our bodies too, you must look sharp for the smoke when it goes straight up to the hill of Kaiwiopele. That will be your way out of this trouble, and you must follow it till you find a cave where you will live. You must take this hook called manaiaakalani with you; also this fish-pearl (pa hi aku), called Kahuoi; this shell called lehoula, and this small sandstone from which I got the name they call me, Ku-ula-au-a-Ku-ulakai. It is the progenitor of all the fish in the sea. You will be the one to make all the ku-ulas from this time forth, and have charge also of making all the fishing stations (ko’a lawaia) in the sea throughout the islands. Your name shall be perpetuated and those of your parents also, through all generations to come, and I hereby confer upon you all my power and knowledge. Whenever you desire anything call, or ask, in our names, and we will grant it. We will stand up and go forth from here into the sea and abide there forever; and you, our child, shall live on the land here without worrying about anything that may happen to you. You will have power to punish with death all those who have helped to burn us and our house. Whether it be king or people, they must die; therefore let us calmly await the calamity that is to befall us.” All these instructions Aiai consented to carry out from first to last, as a dutiful son. After Ku-ula’s instructions to his son, consequent upon the manifestations of coming trouble, the King’s people came one day and caught them and tied their hands behind their backs, the evil-doer from Molokai being there to aid in executing the cruel orders of Kamohoalii resulting from his deceitful story. Upon being taken into their house Ku-ula was tied to the end post of the ridge pole (pouhana), the wife was tied to the middle post (kai waena) of the house, and the boy, Aiai, was tied to one of the corner posts (pou o manu). Upon fastening them in this manner the people went out of the house and barricaded the doorway with wood, which they then set on fire. Before the fire was lit, the ropes with which the victims were tied dropped off from their hands. Men, women, and children looked on at the burning house with deep pity for those within, and tears were streaming down their cheeks as they remembered the kindness of Ku-ula during all the time they had lived together. They knew not why this family and their house should be burned in this manner. When the fire was raging all about the house and the flames were consuming everything, Ku-ula and his wife gave their last message to their son and left him. They went right out of the house as quietly as the last breath leaves the body, and none of the people standing there gazing saw where, or how, Ku-ula and his wife came forth out of the house. Aiai was the only one that retained material form. Their bodies were changed by some miraculous power and entered the sea, taking with them all the fish swimming in and around Hana. They also took all sea-mosses, crabs, crawfish, and the various kinds of shellfish along the seashore, even to the opihi-koele at the rocky beach; every edible thing in the sea was taken away. This was the first stroke of Ku-ula’s revenge on the King and the people of Hana who obeyed his mandate; they suffered greatly from the scarcity of fish. When Ku-ula and his wife were out of the house the three gourds exploded from the heat, one by one, and all those who were gazing at the burning house believed the detonations indicated the bursting of the bodies of Ku-ula, his wife, and child. The flames shot up through the top of the house, and the black smoke hovered above it, then turned toward the front of Kaiwiopele Hill. The people saw Aiai ascend through the flames and walk upon the smoke toward the hill till he came to a small cave that opened to receive and rescue him. As Aiai left the house it burned fiercely, and, carrying out the instructions of his father he called upon him to destroy by fire all those who had caught and tied them in their burning house. As he finished his appeal he saw the rippling of the wind on the sea and a misty rain coming with it, increasing as it came till it reached Lehoula, which so increased the blazing of the fire that the flames reached out into the crowd of people for those who had obeyed the King. The man from Molokai, who was the cause of the trouble, was reached also and consumed by the fire, and the charred bodies were left to show to the people the second stroke of Ku-ula’s vengeance. Strange to say, all those who had nothing to do with this cruel act, though closer to the burning house, were uninjured; the tongues of fire reached out only for the guilty ones. In a little while but a few smouldering logs and ashes were all that remained of the house of Ku-ula. Owing to this strange action of the fire some of the people doubted the death of Ku-ula and his wife, and much disputation arose among them on the subject. When Aiai walked out through the flames and smoke and reached the cave, he stayed there through that night till the next morning, then, leaving his hook, pearl shell, and stone there, he went forth till he came to the road at Puilio, where he met several children amusing themselves by shooting arrows, one of whom made friends with him and asked him to his house. Aiai accepted the invitation, and the boy and his parents treating him well, he remained with them for some days. While Aiai was living in their house the parents of the boy heard of the King’s order for all the people of Hana to go fishing for hinalea. The people obeyed the royal order, but when they went down to the shore with their fishing baskets they looked around for the usual bait (ueue), which was to be pounded up and put into the baskets, but they could not find any, nor any other material to be so used, neither could they see any fish swimming around in the sea. “Why?” was the question. Because Ku-ula and his wife had taken with them all the fish and everything pertaining to fishing. Finding no bait they pounded up limestone and placed it in the baskets and swam out and set them in the sea. They watched and waited all day, but in vain, for not a single hinalea was seen, nor did any enter the baskets. When night came they went back empty-handed and came down again the next day only to meet the same luck. The parents of the boy who had befriended Aiai were in this fishing party, in obedience to the King’s orders, but they got nothing for their trouble. Aiai, seeing them go down daily to Haneoo, asked concerning it, and was told everything; so he bade his friend come with him to the cave where he had stayed after his father’s house was burned. Arriving there he showed the stone fish god, Pohaku-muone, and said: “We can get fish up here from this stone without much work or trouble.” Then Aiai picked up the stone and they went down to Lehoula, and setting it down at a point facing the pond which his father had made he repeated these words: “O Ku-ula, my father; O Hina, my mother, I place this stone here in your name, Ku-ula, which action will make your name famous and mine too, your son; the keeping of this ku-ula stone I give to my friend, and he and his offspring hereafter will do and act in all things pertaining to it in our names.” After saying these words he told his friend his duties and all things to be observed relative to the stone and the benefits to be derived therefrom as an influencing power over such variety of fish as he desired. This was the first establishment of the ko’a ku-ula on land,—a place where the fisherman was obliged to make his offering of the first of his catch by taking two fishes and placing them on the ku-ula stone as an offering to Ku-ula. Thus Aiai first put in practice the fishing oblations established by his father at the place of his birth, in his youth, but it was accomplished only through the mana kupua of his parents. When Aiai had finished calling on his parents and instructing his friend, there were seen several persons walking along the Haneoo beach with their fishing baskets and setting them in the sea, but catching nothing. At Aiai’s suggestion he and his friend went over to witness this fishing effort. When they reached the fishers Aiai asked them, “What are those things placed there for?” They answered, “Those are baskets for catching hinaleas, a fish that our King, Kamohoalii, longs for, but we cannot get bait to catch the fish with.” “Why is it so?” asked Aiai. And they answered, “Because Ku-ula and his family are dead, and all the fish along the beach of Hana are taken away.” Then Aiai asked them for two baskets. Having received them, he bade his friend take them and follow him. They went to a little pool near the beach, and setting the baskets therein, he called on his parents for hinaleas. As soon as he had finished, the fish were seen coming in such numbers as to fill the pool, and still they came. Aiai now told his friend to go and fetch his parents and relatives to get fish, and to bring baskets with which to take home a supply; they should have the first pick, and the owners of the baskets should have the next chance. The messenger went with haste and brought his relatives as directed. Aiai then took two fishes and gave them to his friend to place on the ko’a they had established at Lehoula for the ku-ula. He also told him that before the setting of the sun of that day they would hear that King Kamohoalii of Hana was dead, choked and strangled to death by the fish. These prophetic words of Aiai came true. After Aiai had made his offering, his friend’s parents came to where the fish were gathering and were told to take all they desired, which they did, returning home happy for the liberal supply obtained without trouble. The owners of the baskets were then called and told to take all the fish they wished for themselves and for the King. When these people saw the great supply they were glad and much surprised at the success of these two boys. The news of the reappearing of the fish spread through the district, and the people flocked in great numbers and gathered hinaleas to their satisfaction, and returned to their homes with rejoicing. Some of those who gave Aiai the baskets returned with their bundles of fish to the King. When he saw so many of those he had longed for he became so excited that he reached out and picked one up and put it in his mouth, intending to eat it; but instead the fish slipped right into his throat and stuck there. Many tried to reach and take it out, but were unable, and before the sun set that day Kamohoalii, the King of Hana, died, being choked and strangled to death by the fish. Thus the words of Aiai, the son of Ku-ula, proved true. By the death of the King of Hana the revenge was complete. The evil-doer from Molokai, and those who obeyed the King’s orders on the day Ku-ula’s house was fired, met retribution, and Aiai thus won a victory over all his father’s enemies. After living for a time at Hana Aiai left that place and went among the different islands of the group establishing fishing ko’as (ko’a aina aumakua). He was the first to measure the depth of the sea to locate these fishing ko’as for the deep sea fishermen who go out in their canoes, and the names of many of these ko’as located around the different islands are well known. from Blogger https://ift.tt/2OV3K6M via IFTTT -------------------- Enjoy my writing? Consider becoming a Patron, subscribing via Kindle, or just toss a little something in my tip jar. Thanks!

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