#i just mostly wanted to focus on the aids themselves

[divorcedfiddleford]

@tazmiilly and i talked for no fewer than six hours today about parallel ford and his mobility aids. here's some of what i came up with

you can barely see it but credit to @badwaves for the institute logo (link to a drawing he did with it)

image IDs are in alt text; design notes below the cut

Image ID: a screenshot of writing on a digital whiteboard. the text reads as follows:

wheelchairs - 2

foldable chair - easily transportable - designed for manoeuverability in high traffic/urban areas - mostly used at the end of a long day

motorized chair - for long treks/field missions - ridged metal frame - designed for rough terrain - souped up by fiddleford

two or three canes

fancy cane for formal events (mostly for fashion)

everyday cane (sturdy, classy)

field cane (collapsible, has a concealed weapon)

mabel puts stickers on all of them

end image ID.

[lexa-griffins]

I think we need milf Lexa smut for wanheda's dagger week. What if milf Lexa sleeps with her kid's hot young babysitter Clarke

Lexa has some wild three, five and seven year olds that despite working from home, she cannot keep up with so she decides to hire a nanny from these nanny type services that focus on all day childcare.

She is home and she can help whenever needed but she can also have so quiet to work as the nanny watches the kids.

Clarke is great. She is a med student wanting to be a pediatrician so she is wonderful with the kids. She's good at arts and is always pishing for the kids to bring out their inner artist and always has activities to keep them entertained. Lexa really enjoys having her around

Clarke is, unfortunately, also extremely hot. Lexa has managed to distract herself from this mostly until the weather turned, and the sun was constantly out. With a pool and a nanny certified in first aid Lexa had no issue letting Clarke be outside with the kids in the water, up until the bikini top that although conservative still cannot hide her chest fully and the tight swimming shorts give away a little to much about what's between Clarke's legs.

And Lexa shouldn't. She is early 20s med student, funny and sweet and deliciously sarcastic in a way that makes her somehow hotter but Lexa is still almost 20 years her senior and her employer.

Still, Lexa finds herself putting herself together just to stay at home more often. So much so her oldest comments on how pretty she looks every morning, the sweet smile with two missing teeth the absolutely cutest thing to Lexa.

It is on one of those hot days. The kids have tired themselves out and have all gone for a nap. In the meantime Clarke entertains herself with cleaning up the toys from outside, still in her swimming outfit.

That is when Lexa, unware of Clarke's outside cleaning up, steps outside after clocking out early, the weather too hot for her too focus. Her old bikini, much too small in some areas, was the first thing she put on as she steps outside only to be greeted with Clarke bending over, her chest nesrly spilling out of her bikini as she empties the water toys.

"Oh sorry, Miss Woods, I didn't see you there. I was just clearing out the kids toys." She sounds out of breath the moment her eyes fall on Lexa.

"Its alright. I was just going to sunbathe for a bit. Care to join me?"

It is the offer that dooms her.

Because not ten minutes late the bottom of Lexa's bikini dangles from her ankle, her leg throw over Clarke's shoulder as the younger girl thrusts her dick inside of her with abandoned, fingers pulling at her nipple as she fucks her hard. Lexa has no idea what sequence of event got her here, but she'd do them over and over again.

A loud moan escapes her. One that Clarke muffles with her hand, hushing her sweetly.

"Shhh, quiet baby."

There is nothing between them when Clarke fills her with her cum. Lexa doesn't find it in herself to care.

By the time the kids wake up an hour later, Lexa is in the kitchen making pancakes as Clarke cuts up some fruit, both having finished and cleaned up, still a tension between them.

Nothing more happens for a week. Until another horribly hot day forces the kids on to the pool and a nap that immediately knocks them all out. Lexa had the day off and decided to enjoy it by the pool with the kids and Clarke, doozing oof before Clarke puts the kids down for their nap.

When she feels her sun vanishing Lexa opens her eyes, gasping the moment her eyes land on Clarke's hard cock above her face. She hears her chuckle at her expression, tapping the tip of her dick on Lexa's lips.

Lexa shouldn't. But she still did.

[the-breath-in-air]

An "oh no what am I going to watch after Fellow Travelers is done?" List

When I first saw the trailer for Fellow Travelers I was disappointed because it looked predictable. Turns out it wasn't nearly as predictable as I thought, and is actually quite good. But then I got to thinking...why not share a list of series and movies that folks might be interested in watching once Fellow Travelers is done airing.

--

If you want to see more about McCarthyism, Roy Cohn and the Lavender Scare:

Bully. Coward. Victim. (2019) and Where's My Roy Cohn? (2019) - Both of these documentaries focus on the life of Roy Cohn, from his time at the McCarthy hearings, to his time as the Studio 54 lawyer, to his work during the Reagan era and his eventual death from AIDS. Where's My Roy Cohn? also focuses in on Roy Cohn's working relationship with Donald Trump. "Bully. Coward. Victim. was produced by the granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg and as such, it also focuses more on the lasting impact of Cohn's role in their executions. There's a lot of overlap between the two documentaries, but I think they're both worth watching if you can.

--

If you want to see more stories of gay men in the 1950s:

Against the Law (2017) - This is a biopic about Peter Wildeblood, a man who was put on trial for homosexuality and who, remarkably, acknowledged that he was gay during the trial. This trial and Wildeblood's later actions, are considered pivotal in the movement toward decriminalizing homosexuality in the UK. The movie takes place mostly in the 1950s and, again, deals with queer men trying to find love in a time in which laws, social norms, etc. made it exceedingly difficult to do so. The drama is interspersed with interviews in 2017 with real queer men who were alive at the time of the trial.

--

If you want to see more stories of ruthless politicians trying to hide that they're gay:

A Very English Scandal (2018) - As the title suggests, this miniseries takes place in the UK. It's based on a true story...even the more outlandish moments. Jeremy Thorpe (Hugh Grant) is a career politician who's been hiding that he's gay for decades. He's developed a ruthlessness and callousness to his own situation and he, predictably, treats everyone around him as disposable. Then along comes Norman Scott (Ben Whishaw), a young man who Thorpe is instantly attracted to. But Scott struggles with self-acceptance and mental health issues, and Thorpe has no compassion nor patience for any of that. The result is a dark comedy about this doomed relationship alongside the change to the law in the UK to decriminalize homosexuality.

--

If you want to see more stories of queer folks in the 1980s:

It's A Sin (2021) - This is a miniseries that follows a group of queer folks during the 1980s in London. It's all about their search for love and finding themselves and whatnot, even as they are forced to deal with HIV and AIDS. It's a good show that is worth a watch, especially if you haven't seen much else about being queer in the '80s.

--

Angels in America (2003) - Of course Angels in America was going to end up on this list. It is one of the definitive pieces of fiction on living in New York during the AIDS crisis. The play was originally performed in 1991...just four years after AZT was approved for use in the US to treat HIV and AIDS. It's big, and complex, and as much about the state of the U.S. at the time as it is about these individual characters and their lives. Also, Roy Cohn shows up, working as a political operative for Reagan. It really is, as it's subtitle says, "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes."

[rgr-pop]

I have a friend in the midwest who's looking for a political org and i was wondering if you could you offer some advice. Are there qualities you would look for in an org that would make you feel like, okay, these are people I can work with?

Yea! I think there’s a ton of variation and it depends on what kinds of work they like to do or want to learn to do. I’d be happy to talk to them directly about their city.

As a materialist, I sort of think any group or org can be worth trying—doing so gives you a sense of the conditions and things to learn, and helps you follow where people are, which is the best way to learn about a new place you live. Always join stuff, you can always stop going if you don’t like it, never try to start something from scratch until you’ve been going to stuff for a long time (unless that something is a union in your workplace :p). Your friend should just trust their instincts but be open to learning from others, honor their time/energy/boundaries, and watch out for red flag orgs that don’t respect boundaries and don’t allow members to vocalize concerns or bring ideas to the table. I think that’s the key line.

For me personally, I am only interested in deep involvement with democratically organized groups that are not primarily concerned with providing service to people who are mostly non members. I definitely respect and work with these kinds of orgs all the time, but it’s not where my organizing energy goes — I am not a mutual aid person, but your friend might be! Examples of groups locally that I like and work with and would trust as a model are food not bombs style mutual aid as well as some urban farm style stuff (some of which can be soooo fashy but some i like here!), syringe access and harm reduction, eviction defense and other anti carceral rapid response. I do work with abortion funds and infinitely recommend anybody who can stomach it do the same (they can reach out to me for info on their local funds). I’ve been doing stuff around parent/childcare/repro and I would strongly advise to tread carefully there given the entrenchment of socially conservative religious actors. Just stay vigilant and research. Antifascist style orgs are also very interesting, frustrating, messy, frequently dangerous, occasionally surprisingly fascist, and presently useful—look into them but be thoughtful.

Questions to ask, many of which especially apply to mutual aid style groups: is there a leadership structure, and if so, how do leaders become leaders? Is there a board of directors? Who is on it? Do we have money, and if so, where does it come from, who decides how we use it, and what is its legal status? Who decides what work we do and how? Do I as a participant have a vote, the potential to run for leadership, or the right to propose work or organizational ideas? How does this group conceptualize the relationship between me, the community at large, the people we focus on, and people in other places? What other orgs do they seem to be connected to? Is anyone paid staff, and if so, what are their working conditions and how do they relate to the non paid staff? What does this org have on paper, online, etc.? What kind of safety or security norms do they have? Do they have a procedure for handling violence or just mundane conflict between participants? How are everyday decisions handled? None of my judgments relate to an assessment of the people themselves, per se—which is NOT to say I don’t make those judgements lol.

Many different responses to the above are valid depending on the work, and not having clear answers doesn’t mean that an org is bad, especially if it’s open to development. Having said that, again, I only organize with groups that give me a vote. And I think everyone should consider that guide.

My pitch for joining DSA if you have a chapter is that it has the best answers to the above compared to anyone else. It has the most things you can do as a beginner, the widest variety, and the best opportunities to grow yourself as an organizer, and it’s the biggest leftist organization in blah blah you’ve heard it. I strongly recommend not getting too involved with small communist leftist factionalist orgs (I won’t name them here), but there are a million exceptions, especially in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis with long deep weird histories. And no need to hate on them, either. If some communist league seems to be really doing something and not uhhh openly trafficking people or something lol, go off. (Where I live this is the case on campus!) The other exception is the IWW. It’s always fine to join the IWW, especially for labor, and there really are a handful of cities where the IWW is effective and the place to do rank and file labor work (and mostly those are in the midwest!) In many more cases the IWW is a sad little thing but it’s our duty to be nice to them.

In conclusion “make you feel like you wanna work with them” is complicated—I’m a hater, and do not enjoy the company of most of these people, or in fact even the masses in general. You have to find your own balance, which requires pushing yourself out of your comfort zone for a little while, and see how the org reacts. But ultimately, you don’t need to want to work with the people—you need an org that is productive and moves by creating conditions for people to work together regardless of whether they like each other. Fundamental premise of socialism and communism specifically, and it’s what sets us apart from tendencies on the right and common versions of certain tendencies on the left whomst I won’t name. My #1 advice is always to avoid any group whose mission is based on affinity and friendship between its members. (But if you make friends with them, go off)

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 42 - The Trial

TW: mentions of genocide, totalitarian regimes, political extremism, and alcoholism. This one gets silly after I get lost in the sauce of analysing Bonta's political structures throughout history.

He was trying to toast them but couldn't reach. That's when the Darkness began to grow within him. That's the true sad backstory of Joris.

Not the last time he's too short for a toast in canon.

"ALBUM PHOTO"

Also, I will be real, by now I am actually unironically fluent in the Astrubian alphabet (non-cursive, non-handwriting). I don't know whether to be ashamed or proud of the lengths I went to, for this blog.

I think this takes place at the same time period as episodes 26 (A Hairy Mystery) and 50 (A Deadly Charm), because during both of those he also lived in Bonta, while Lou worked in law enforcement in some way. This would place those episodes before, or slightly before, all the adventures Kerubim would have with these three guys.

We are making some real progress here, folks.

Bonta, city of good, city of justice, everyone. Nothing corrupt or evil has ever taken place in it.

And it is definitely not just as bad as Brakmar.

Yes Kerubim. There are.

"DOSSIER"

Presented without comment.

Let's ignore the yet another instance of Kerubim being an unreliable narrator, or that ticket saying "KANI LAND", and focus on more important things:

Do you think Lou utilized girl power correctly when she sentenced three men, one of whom was scammed, the other of whom was robbed, and the third of whom is literally mentally ill, to prison? Do you think it was real Bontarian justice when she accepted a bribe to reverse that decision, and then decided to put the man who gave her that bribe in jail for four months to ensure she would receive it?

People who have only watched the shows may not be aware just how canon Bonta's evil nature is, and how much of a joke and a sham its "The City of Good" name is. It hasn't been explored in the Wakfu series, — actually, on the contrary, it has been portrayed as unquestionably good, through its aid to the Sadida Kingdom, through Joris's good deeds, — while in this series, its corruption is mostly played as a joke.

But it really is an unending nightmare that keeps failing everyone within it.

From people who are forced to mold themselves into an aspirational, heroic image, by completely destroying themselves with untreated mental illnesses and alcoholism, — like Bakara, or, to a lesser degree, Kerubim,

To people caught within its intrigues, unfairly convicted or framed. Like Julith's framing, which was an inside job, perhaps by the Huppermage temple itself.

To the fucking Huppermage genocide that happened centuries after, during a civil war, which has forced the survivors to flee to an island.

To the tolerance and acceptance of nobles like Ush.

Bonta has sucked badly for 600 horrid, horrid years, and it will likely never stop sucking, because the gods who founded it also suck ass.

It's such a tar pit, it's insane.

Anyway, man I wonder if trying to fix a city for 600 years, while knowing that this city killed your parents, made your aunt an alcoholic, and then resulted in the genocide of your people, would make someone want to start, perhaps, a militant fascist dictatorship with LOTS of guns, and slavery (BUT WOKE) as well as exploitation. Because only they, all alone, with like, two other people, can fix it. With guns. Haha.

Man, my headcanons are getting more delusional by the m——

GOD FUCKING DAMMIT.

[alpaca-clouds]

Ojamajo Doremi is very wholesome

Let me tell you about this super sweet anime series that released 1999 and that surprisingly still holds up today. It also is probably the most wholesome and heartfelt series i have watched. I will regularly rewatch this show and let me tell you, I will laugh and cry each time.

The series is of course (you have read the headline) Ojamajo Doremi. A magical girl anime that ran for four ~50 episode seasons and a 13 episode OVA, that is set during the third season.

The main character of the show is a girl named Doremi, who wants nothing more than to be a witch. But magic isn't real, is it? Well, one day she finds a strange old woman in a shop and being obsessed with witches, Doremi rightfully deducts that this weird old woman is a witch.

POOF.

This transforms the witch into a frog. Because it is a curse laid onto the witches: If a witch gets found out by a human, they will turn into a frog.

And the only way to break the curse is for the human to become a witch themselves. So, Doremi has to become a witch now. Only that she is not very good at it. Soon enough she gets found out by her two best friends, who henceforth have to become witch apprentices themselves.

But...

That is actually not what makes the series great. What makes the series great is, that it is a show about mutual aid and empathy. Because Doremi is actually a very empathic girl, who really wants to help the people around her. Yes, she can be selfish at times (especially when it comes to food), but at her core, she wants to help other people.

And hence the show focuses mostly on scenarios like this: A person in the periphery of the girls has a problem. Maybe it is classmates arguing, maybe it is bullying, maybe it is a lost pet, maybe someone struggles to find a job and so on. And the girls will try and help the people along with their magic.

Later on we also learn about the problems of witches, who do have to struggle with their immortality at times.

And for a children's show this series most certainly goes places. Sure, many episodes focus on just normal things that kids might struggle with. But there is also an episode about depression and suicidal thoughts. There is an episode that tackles a kid struggling with accepting their mom working as a hostess. There are several episodes about racism. There are stories about wars (those told through the witches, who lived through them). There is a story about someone being infertile. And in the OVA there is also an episode in which a child dies of cancer.

But... all of this happens in a way, that children are able to understand them. Are able to empathize with them. And I think... That is amazing and very valuable.

Really, it is an amazing show. If you have not watched it before, go watch it now!

[kindred-sims]

Caleb had been left with much to reflect upon following his confession to Jo about his fears.

He’d never really given them much thought before, he wasn’t sure if ever really had if he were to be honest. For so long he’d buried away the memory of his father’s untimely death in the back of his mind, to where it couldn’t dare do him any harm. He’d done well to put it aside, to focus on taking care of the farm for all these years, so much so that he had never really gotten the chance to let himself fully process it.

Grief was a funny thing, he thought. It chose to leave you alone for the most part, but could come creeping back in at any moment without warning, leaving you feeling as if you were suffocating. Memories you thought long since packed away would flood your mind, and would haunt you until you couldn’t stand it anymore.

This had been Caleb’s deal for years, and he didn’t think it’d affected him as much until his most recent birthday.

It felt wrong to him, that he was slowly becoming older than the man who had raised him. The man who’d always given all for his family, had taught him the important values in life and had done much in his short years to aid Caleb into becoming the honest man he was today. It was those same values that Caleb had wanted to instill in his own son, and he knew that in his own selfishness, had failed to see that he had been going about it the wrong way.

He couldn’t change who Henry was becoming, it was impossible and he realized that now, no matter how much he hoped the opposite.

The least he could do was try and make him understand.

One afternoon, when Henry had returned from school, Caleb had pulled him aside and asked him if he would like to go on a walk with him, as there was something he wanted to show him. Henry had been skeptical at first, thinking it to be a ploy to get him out in the fields, but he’d complied and the two had departed together.

It’d been a mostly quiet walk, as Caleb hadn’t really been sure what to say. He’d never been a man of many words, at least, not the big important ones. He knew his son was likely still cross with him for the argument, for the awful things he’d overheard, and he couldn’t exactly blame him for that. He just hoped that by doing what he was doing now, that he could make things right again.

“Where are we going, Papa?” He was brought back to reality by his son’s voice, glancing to see that familiar sense of curiosity sparkling his expression.

“Oh, so you thought to ask me just now, did you?” Caleb chuckled lightly, in spite of his troubled thoughts. “Well, Henry, you heard me before. There’s something very important that I’ve been meaning to show you, and I think today you’re finally ready to see it.”

“Yes, but what is it? I want to know!”

“In due time, son. We’re almost there, I promise.”

Henry huffed impatiently, but had said nothing else, and they continued on, not stopping until they’d reached the promised destination.

Two gravestones. Placed beneath a giant oak tree, the names Irving James Wakefield and Elizabeth Rose Wakefield engraved into them. Of course, one stone was more worn than the other, much as Caleb had tried to keep it tidy over the years. Admittedly he’d slacked on doing so lately, and could all but feel his mother’s presence nagging at him for it.

When was the last time he’d even been here, he had no idea. And he felt shame for it.

“These are your grandparents, Henry,” Caleb explained, as Henry said nothing, only staring long and hard.

“I figured it was high time you met them,” he continued. “See, they used to run the farm themselves, a long time ago. And when I was ‘round your age...well…”

Caleb paused, the words catching in his throat before he could speak them. He didn’t want to speak them, wanted so much to push them back away where they belonged, where they wouldn’t bother him.

But he needed to speak them. He had to.

“...your grandfather—my papa, got into a terrible accident one day, and was killed on his way coming home from town…”

Horrid memories flashed in front of him, visions of the neighbor who had found the accident approaching their front step, Mama fainting to the ground as soon as she’d been told. How he himself had run away to the fields, and had refused to come back inside, not even when night fell.

Shakily inhaling, he kept on.

“That left me to take care of the farm, and you know what that meant for me?”

Henry shook his head.

“It meant dropping out of school. It meant throwing my books away, and getting my hands dirty, because I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t let all the things my papa worked so hard for to go to waste.”

“But...what about school? Didn’t you miss it?”

“Honestly? No. It’d be a sin if I were to say otherwise,” Caleb admitted.“Oh sure, I missed my friends, and I miss the opportunities it could’ve given me, but I decided a long time ago there was no use in grieving what I couldn’t have. I learned to be content with my lot in life, and that I could live with the sacrifices if it meant I’d made my mama and papa proud.”

He turned to face Henry, kneeling to be level with him. A serious, gentle expression on his face.

“You see now, son, that I didn’t mean anything cruel by my words. They didn’t come from a place of anger, nor did they come from a place of hatred,” he said. “This farm, this land, is our home, Henry. It has been for at least three generations now, ever since your great-great grandfather set foot on it a long time ago. When I see you shirking your responsibilities, it makes me worry you might grow to be careless, that you won’t put the same love and effort into this place that we Wakefields have been doing for a long time now. And—and I’m not trying to say that your mother wasn’t right, that you don’t deserve a chance to go out and have fun, I just want to know that you’ll give just as much care to your chores. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I...think I do, Papa…”

“Good. That’s good. And while we’re at it, I should let you go ahead and know – I’m perfectly alright if you want to go off and play with your new friend...what was her name, Millicent? Your mama already told me all about her and how nice of a girl she is, so I won’t stand in your way if you want to spend time with her.”

“Really? You mean that?” Henry’s eyes lit up, making Caleb’s heart swell. Such earnestness, such eagerness reminding him of himself at that age. Perhaps he and Henry did have some things in common after all.

“’Course I do. But it does come with its regulations, you know. I don’t want to be coming home to find your chores unfinished anymore, you hear? Anything I tell you to do, you get done, and then you can go spend time with your friend—or you could even read your books, if that’s what you wanted. Does that sound fine to you?”

“Yes sir! I’ll do my best, I swear I will,” Henry was beaming now. He threw his arms around Caleb in a hug, and Caleb was glad to return it, as the heavy clouds that had been gathering in his mind for the past few days slowly began to dissipate.

[nonspeakingkiku]

can I hear more about puzzle? He looks cute and interesting

Yes! Also thank ☺️

Hehe infodump incoming.

Puzzle is Kiku's Zootopia OC. He is a Holland Lop Red fox hybrid. (in Kiku's personal Zootooia AU/headcanon hybrids are possible but not common and some mammals look down on them, especially predator/prey hybrids. And they aren't well known because they tend to keep to themselves.)

He's queer (ftm/nonbinary, aroacespec, and in his words "It's fuckin Complicated".)

He's multiply disabled, deafblind(myopia, CVI, mid-low range hearing loss, and capd) nonverbal/nonspeaking autistic, a full time AAC and mobility aid user (white cane, AFOs, forearm crutches, rollator, and wheelchair/stroller.) and has PTSD

He is a DJ/EDM producer (heavy focus on House (especially Big Room House) and Dubstep and graphic artist (traditional and digital).

He has Cerebral Palsy, EDS, pots, and other physical disabilities.

He has apraxia/dyspraxia, is unreliably and minimally speaking, and communicates using his communication device (the zootopian equivalent of an Accent), several ipads, his phone, letterboards, core boards, communication cards, picture cards, tactile symbols, sign language, and noises and gestures. He's also suprisingly vocal for a rabbit. (rabbits IRL don't make a whole lot of noises, mostly squeals and screams when greatly distressed, hind paw thumps to warn of danger, and tooth purring (they grind their back teeth together when content, in a sound that resembles other mammals purrs) and one of the biggest tells he has that he isn't Just a rabbit is all the noises he makes.

Physically he's a pretty even mix of rabbit and fox, although he's a bit big by rabbit standards for a holland lop he's much smaller than most red foxes. He has both bunny and fox teeth, his muzzle is longer than most bunnies but shorter than most foxes and he has a bunny like nose. His hind legs and paws are shaped more like a fox but he can suprisingly still hop like a bunny and he's also suprisingly fast running on all four paws. Although running without his AFOs isn't the best idea because of his unstable joints (CP and EDS) and tight leg muscles. He can move without his mobility aids but it results in pain that gets worse the longer he goes not using them.

He also likes to dance and sing but doesn't do so professionally, because he thinks he isn't very good at it.

He is an omnivore and eats meat. But he also has arfid so his diet is pretty restricted (he eats a lot of processed chicken, like chicken nuggets and tenders, fish, and certain veggies (carrots, broccoli, squash) and fruits (strawberries, bananas and watermelon).

His favorite colors are pink and purple.

He loves dressing up and looking pretty and wears a lot of crop tops. Although he usually wears baggy cargo pants that hide his AFOs.

He's very sascastic and can come off as rude to mammals he doesn't know but he's actually just guarded and trying his best to pass as male (he didn't pass as well when he was younger, before his top surgery. He still has his dewlap, although it's not very prominent and he just looks really fluffy.) He has large floppy bunny ears and a very fluffy fox tail. Although unlike some lops, he can stand his ears straight up or airplane them.

Kiku can write more too. ☺️ And feel free to ask questions about Puzzle if y'all want.

[stephiethewephie]

FACTS ABOUT PIPER

I NEED TO START UPLOADING MY OWN CONTENT AGAIN! OK HI AGAIN ITS ME!

Time to learn a little more information about Piper.

Character Profile if you don't know who I'm talking about

First, we'll start with some positive/neutral facts.

First off, autistic! Just to put that out there (Undiagnosed before she arrived at NRC, gets diagnosed in Twisted Wonderland)

Positive adjectives to describe her: Caring, considerate, compassionate, supportive, kind-hearted, patient, adventurous, imaginative, curious, VERY FORGIVING TO THE POINT THAT IT MAY BE CONCERNING, and creative.

She has a big imagination and a great amount of creativity. She’s normally doing little DIY arts and crafts projects when she’s not in school or playing in the woods.

It can cause her to daydream, and have her head in the clouds at times. Making her lose focus or track of time. It's gotten better as she's gotten older... mostly.

Loves adventuring out in the woods with her friends (which, for the most part, are her stuffed animals). She especially finds interest in the nature that lies within the woods. Some of her adventures and findings transfer into her projects. Even incorporating objects she finds in the woods into her work.

Some of her favorite creatures in the woods are the different moths and butterflies. She can tell you a lot of interesting facts about them! Even of ones that are not from England! She plans on traveling to find the moths and butterflies she has yet to see in person!

She does not like bees that much despite her mom’s occupation and her love of honey.

She, of course, has the same stuffed animals that Christopher Robin has. Including her favorite, her pooh bear! But, she always loves receiving more!

She loves soft things because they are calming and help her when she gets overstimulated or anxious. They're also some of her favorite things to stim with!

She had to leave her house and the woods at the age of 10 to go to boarding school. There, she was only allowed to bring one stuffed animal, which she picked to be her pooh bear, to school with her.

She can be naive and gullible at times. But, she is indeed smart. Academically speaking, she’s a top student. Just like her parents want her to be.

She loves helping people in any way she can. Whether it be helping with a task, doing favors, or just being an ear to listen to and/or giving advice. She loves making sure everyone feels loved, supported, and appreciated for being themselves. Making their lives easier and more enjoyable and just making their days a little brighter is what makes her feel useful and important brings her joy!

Being around and helping a lot of people, she knows a lot of things about pretty much everyone she helps. By using this information and reading the mood of the person, she is able to assist them without them even asking for it. With around a 70% chance of accuracy.

VERY MUCH THE MOM FRIEND! Do you need a snack? She has cheese crackers! Do you need bandages? She’s got a whole first aid kit! Did your socks get wet in the rain? A fresh pair coming up! Do you need a hug? COME HERE SWEETIE!!! She’s pretty much prepared for anything anyone needs!

Speaking of moms, her mom is a beekeeper who sells her honey at the market near her house. She also bakes delicious treats with the honey she harvests, such as Piper's favorite, Honey Cake! She always tells Piper she's as sweet as honey! That doesn't mean, like a bee, she doesn't sting (not physically) sometimes when Piper gets herself into trouble. But, it's all out of love for her daughter, and Piper knows that...

Her father is an English elementary (or primary school) school teacher and a well-known children's book author. Piper gets her imagination and creativity from him. He is the main encourager for her adventures and lets her imagination run wild. He, however, dialed it down a little when she got older and he wanted her to focus on getting a good education...

She also has a black cat named Edward which she brings to boarding school as an emotional support cat. But, he doesn't really like her for some reason, so they have not really gotten along.

"Oh Bother..." Now we get into some of the things that are not too pleasant. (TW for low self-esteem and self-care and anxiety attacks)

For someone who encourages others to love themselves and see the worth and importance they have, she doesn't demonstrate that behavior in herself.

She has very low self-esteem because of her struggle to make friends in the past. To the point where she thinks that people only want to be around her because she’s helpful and pretty much does everything that she’s told. She thinks if she starts to hang out with others, they will just find her a bother.

She doesn’t mind her situation that much because she likes helping others and making them feel better. She thinks she has to. She has to make sure everyone is doing good.

"It's all that I'm good for," She'd say. "... It's all that I've got."

But, she won’t lie and say she doesn’t want something more.

Who is there to give her what she has given everyone else?

She is also a pushover and likely to put blind trust in others, which can lead to some danger.

Some people have used her helpful nature to their advantage, but others actually see her for who she is and want to be her friend. She’s just too blinded by her thoughts to see that and unintentionally pushes anyone away that tries to befriend her.

This also leads to her putting everyone's needs above her own. Which leads her to burn out and feel alone many times.

It certainly didn’t help when the magic mirror basically told her she’s a nobody in the world of Twisted Wonderland. So, might as well do what she does best. What she's good for.

This also brings up the issue of maintaining platonic relationships. She hasn't a lot of experience being a friend, so she's not good at actually being a friend with someone and not their 'therapist.' Even, unintentionally, seeing her classmates as no more than those in need of her assistance instead of potential friends.

Sometimes, while trying to help others, it can lead to a misunderstanding where it ends up making the situation worse. This can often lead to her having an anxiety attack over failing to help, or hurting those she intended to help.

You can usually tell when she's about to have an anxiety attack/meltdown with her, "Oh d-d-d-dear!"

During those times, she usually walks somewhere no one can see her, sits down somewhere peaceful, puts on her pink, fluffy, headphones, and holds onto one of her plushies. Calming herself down, but not directly facing the problem at hand. She doesn't have time for that.

Side Point: She also wears those headphones when she is in a crowded or loud area in order to avoid overstimulation such as the cafeteria or hallways.

And while she does like physical touch, if you touch her without permission or a heads up, she will shutdown/meltdown.

And I think that's all I'm gonna say for now! Hopefully you have a good gist of her character! Next I'm going to write about her relationship with the other characters and how that changed as the story progressed! So, stay Tuned for that!

I also started writing my first fic with her where you will learn about what happened before she got sent to Twisted Wonderland! It will be available on AO3 and I will send the link when I post it!

Till then,

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!

Picrews:

https://href.li/?https://www.dolldivine.com/mega-anime-avatar-creator こんぺいとう＊*2メーカー

[jyndor]

how are u going to say it doesn’t matter who you vote for and here you are actively pushing kamala

here we go, time to use our brains kids

so let me say this: I think kamala harris is an objectively better candidate than either joe biden. I think a ham sandwich would be a better candidate than joe biden lol. I think that if someone is going to vote in the us presidential election, they would be smart to vote for a kamala ticket over a trump ticket, assuming that her policy platform is mostly in step with the democratic platform and doesn't try to out-fash trump on immigration or israel.

I do not think me saying that is pushing kamala. it's just my opinion, and I'm not even committing to voting for her. I'm not telling anyone they have to vote for kamala. I'm especially never going to tell palestinian americans that they need to vote for anyone because like what kind of monster would I be??? and I also do not think voting is harm reduction, not in the way many us american liberals say it is. I think voting is a tool, one of many, that can be effective in choosing your opponents. I think kamala will be an easier opponent to fight than trump. this is what organizers are saying, this is what activists are saying, this is what I personally believe based on my understanding of trump and republicans in general.

no, that does not mean it will be easy. I think kamala will become a war criminal like any us president will be. I think her record is mixed. I know I will fight her on day one, and I will also have to fight the liberal vote blue maga types because they refuse to give a fuck about anyone other than themselves.

I don't think there's a single candidate who I would be happy to vote for. even cornell west would become a war criminal. that is what will be the case until the united states is dismantled.

now, here's where I'm sorry to tell you that my vote for president does not matter. I have explained this many times. I live in delaware, and delaware has THREE electoral votes. there is not a way in which my vote will make or break a presidential election. when I lived in chester country, pa, I lived in a swing district. I voted for hillary in 2016 because my vote mattered a LOT more then. it is what it is.

I would probably recommend people living in swing districts to vote for the dems, but I'm never going to speak down to voters, and I'm never going to do that bullshit because it doesn't work. the only good argument I have ever heard is that we should vote for the candidate we think we could most easily beat through organizing. everything else is noise and ineffective when it comes to reaching those of us who are so angry we want to stick it to the dems.

if you think any of that is pushing kamala... idk man it's not that simple. it's the dems fault we are in this position. I see any nominee that isn't joe biden as a victory against genocide joe, even if we haven't won the fight. but this is a big step in pushing the party to represent the views of most of its base better. as far as I know, kamala doesn't hallucinate about golda meir lol she's too busy being copmala

anyway voting is a tool not the end of civic responsibility. focus on mutual aid, on community and esp LABOR organizing, on helping the people around you and building networks of support because no matter what we will only need more of that in the days and years to come.

[arguably-so]

Drive-thrus should have video options

Hear me out (joke intended).

I am a hard of hearing person who, very luckily, mostly has enough hearing to still understand speech and music (though I mishear a lot of things and miss large chunks of a song unless volumes are high or adjustments are made to the frequencies I can't hear as well). I don't often use hearing aids because I also have sensory issues, and most of the ones I've tried turn out to be very physically uncomfortable if worn for more than a few minutes at a time. Generally, I use lip-reading as a huge supplement to understanding speech, even with hearing aids (because hearing aids don't necessarily boost all the frequencies you've got trouble with), and as such, even the mask mandates were incredibly difficult for me, as they were for many, many other people with hearing difficulties.

Every single time I've had to use a drive-thru, either because I'm in a rush or because there's no parking or whatever the case, I've had to strain my ears desperately, sometimes even with hearing aids, to be able to hear them. "If only," I've thought to myself time after time, "I could see the mouths of the people on mic." Being able to read their lips would solve 90% of my issue, and definitely help a huge number of deaf and hard of hearing people in making a drive-thru more accessible. There's also, then, the potential of ASL being utilized in the drive-thru, which is currently 100% impossible to my knowledge.

Now, I realize how much more difficult that could make being a drive-thru operator. I also realize that, realistically, it's easier for most people with the same problem to just go inside the fast food place themselves and get their food that way. Issue is, this isn't always possible.

Not all drive-thrus actually have an indoor ordering counter. In fact, many, many restaurants are now going drive-thru only.

The drive-thru line goes faster. The entire point of a drive-thru is for people on the go. Most drive-thru restaurants focus more of their speed and effort on drive-thru goers, as dine-ins clearly have more time to stick around to wait. In this way, Deaf persons are effectively not allowed the same level of efficiency.

Parking is not always available. Sometimes, the drive-thru is the only realistic option if you need to otherwise park to be able to go inside.

Contact avoidance is sometimes a necessity. Be it because you caught a little cold, or because you've got a bigger underlying health issue, or because you've got social anxiety, it's reasonable to want to avoid anyone who might be a little too close indoors.

Fewer options. Regardless of reasoning, no matter how you look at it, this is a removal of options that hearing people get without a thought.

(these are not all of the reasons, just the ones I could think of off the top of my head)

Maybe there are these options in some places, but why are they so scarce if so? We have regular street crossing buttons that now beep and talk for the blind. Wouldn't a video option in a drive-thru be convenient for anyone with hearing losses? Especially after Covid, as Covid has caused inner ear damage in huge parts of the population, we should be making more normalized accommodations for those with hearing difficulties and Deaf persons, including and especially in the obtaining of basic necessities and things most of the population takes for granted.

Other Deaf/hard of hearing people, I would love your opinion on this.

[woltourney]

ROUND 3 / SIDE B / POLL 1

El Shizuka (@bounusstage) v. Huge Beef (@isayoldbean)

El Shizuka:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. El Shizuka, He/They

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Xaela Au'ra

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. A malicious healer mostly, but will fill any role.

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Crystal, Diabolos

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. They were adopted by a merchant couple who lived in Doma. The couple were able to flee to Kugane during the occupation and and on the way, found El and his siblings. Quite how they ended up so far from home was another question, but one the couple didn't dwell on too long before they took the children in. As things grew more dire and business become slimmer, El decided to embark on a journey to help make ends meet as an adventurer. While El's siblings were content to help with the family business, El found themselves rather inept in the sales department. Indeed, they often caused more trouble than anything. He was charming at first sure, but protective to a fault. Strong willed and accustomed to the slimy nature of swindlers and thieves, El often found himself causing an uproar in the streets if he sensed anything or noticed something was amiss. If he wasn't giving someone hell by messing with them, he was definitely caught in a physical altercation with someone brazen enough to try and take from them. It did occur to El that some took out of necessity. But with their own family struggling to make ends meet, he couldn't just turn a blind eye. Indeed, it was well known not to attempt to steal from the Shizuka family stalls. Not unless the only thing they wanted to walk away with was a black eye or a missing tooth. Perhaps even both. Unfortunately, this did nothing for business and as such, El was relegated to more… behind the scenes duties. Perhaps for the best. Still, as things became harder El wanted to lend a hand anyway he could. Seeking a means to render aid some other way, he heard tell of brave souls who ventured into the unknown, who would come back with bags of gil in hand. Being the adventurous sort himself, El made it their mission to set a course for that adventuring life he's heard so much about. Though their family was unsure of the idea at first, he assured everyone he'd be fine. The merchant couple couldn't deny their son's ability to hold his own. After all, it was he and their eldest that often kept food on the table as hunters. Not to mention the myriad confrontations their wayward son had gotten themselves into. Though adventuring was lucrative work, it was unarguably dangerous too, but El promised his family he'd make it home with piles of gil in hand and then some. He never told anyone about his visions though, and that part of the reason he set out was to find some answers. Though he never gave them much thought, and even used it to his advantage at times, there was an undeniable pull. A call to arms so to speak. At least, that was what it felt like to El. They had no other way to describe it, and nobody at home to talk to about it. But perhaps, out there in the unknown, he may find someone who understood.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. El shrugs with a weak smile across his face. "In truth, I but joined for the fun of it.." He said with a flick of his tail. "But for the pity points, I have a family to feed." Said El, their smile widening. Though it was a bright expression indeed, there seemed to be a touch of insincerity in it. "My parents are but humble merchants in their twilight years after all." El said, hand over his heart while his half lidded eyes found their focus on the ground at his feet. "All I want is to come home to them with enough gil that they may rest easy." He finished, laying on the drama as he spoke.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. This is the most I've ever thought about El's backstory. but I loff him i do i swaer. biig lizards good. ; Q;

Huge Beef:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Huge Beef, she/her

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Sea Wolf Roegadyn

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. WAR, MCH, NIN, RDM, AST, FSH (Note from submitter: CUL)

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. Crystal Malboro

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Beef was a fearsome pirate captain who was mortally wounded in an ambush and presumed dead. Hydaelyn intervened to ensure her survival, but the tremendous burst of aether she expended in doing so accidentally wiped Beef's brain completely clean and left her with total amnesia. With nothing but her axe and a talent for busting heads, she decided to set forth and become an adventurer. It turns out that it's a great way to get into fights without getting in trouble with the law, earn fame and money, and get the ladies swooning, so she couldn't be happier with her chosen line of work. In her free time she works on fishing boats, seeks out gourmet recipes, and works her charms on as many beautiful maidens as she can.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. "What kind of question is that? Why WOULDN'T I win? Have you seen me?"

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. hi this is my wol she's a terrible person but she's incredibly sexy so it's fine i guess. also her name is huge beef. because she's huge and beefy. ok thank you for perceiving her

[mahounomanga]

Mai (a.k.a. Mai, the Psychic Girl)

I am extremely grateful to live in a time where English translations of manga are as accessible as they are. There are plenty of titles I either plan to cover on this blog, or have covered already, that would not have been accessible to me just fifteen years ago. Even if we're only talking about official releases, we are in an era when I can walk into my local Barnes & Noble and buy volumes of semi-recent magical girl titles like Cosmo Familia, Machimaho, and Nirvana. Today I want to take a look back to the beginning of that legacy, and examine what was probably the first magical girl manga ever to get an official English release.

Mai is a 1985 manga written by Kazuya Kudo and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. The story revolves around Mai Kuju, a 14 year old girl with powerful psychic abilities, especially psychokinesis. At first she mostly uses her powers to amuse herself when bored; however, she catches the attention of the Wisdom Alliance, a shadowy organization tracking young psychics worldwide. Mai is one of five teens the Wisdom Alliance has taken an interest in, and once she realizes she's being followed, she has no choice but to go on the run. Encountering danger at every turn, Mai accepts help from those willing to offer it, but when the going gets tough, the tough get psychic.

The story is highly serialized, gradually building on itself and undergoing major status-quo changes along the way. Usually these changes have to do with who Mai's allies are at any given time. One of the things that stands out to me about this manga is the number of people who come to Mai's aid. Ordinarily this kind of character-trying-to-escape-from-a-myserious-group story carries a message of "trust no one", and I was honestly glad to see that subverted here. These supporting characters (usually) don't detract from Mai's story, but reinforce her as the emotional core of the narrative. Oftentimes, Mai's reaction to the events unfolding around her are given as much focus as the events themselves, especially early on. I found this series more compelling than I expected, and even with a chapter count higher than any other manga I've read for this blog yet, it was decently easy to get through. It helps that the chapters were short and well-paced. Lavishly detailed panel compositions draw out the action in some scenes and sell the more tender moments in others.

Not everything about this manga is great though. A content warning is in order for violent and erotic imagery. The violence is used sparingly, and it often conveys the emotional impact and stakes of the narrative, but still, the headsplosions felt unnecessary and caught me off guard. The horny stuff is generally pretty tame, but it does show up more frequently near the end. There's some occasional nudity and inevitable panty shots during the flying scenes, which, whatever, but Mai sustaining outfit damage during the final battle felt completely uncalled for. The political implications of this story are a bit messy as well. Not just in the sense of dated gender relations and gender stereotyping (though there is plenty of that too). The Wisdom Alliance alludes to real-world political systems and historical events in ways that can be hard to parse what the author was implying. They even go so far as to draw comparisons to the Third Reich in terms of the amount of power the Wisdom Alliance holds, which feels questionable. Not to mention, there's some racial stereotyping going on with the psychic kids from other countries. Japanese and white characters in this manga are almost always drawn attractively and/or with realistic proportions, while the Mongolian and Vietnamese boys are... visually distinct let's say. Almost everything about the way they act and talk feels like it's designed to other them, and it's really uncomfortable to read honestly.

The series was co-created by Kazuya Kudo and Ryoichi Ikegami, with Kudo on writing duty and Ikegami drawing the manga. Both worked with Kazuo Koike early in their careers; Ikegami providing illustrations for Koike's 1973 manga I Ueo Boy, and Kudo being one of the first students of Koike's renowned story writing course, Gekiga Sonjuku, in 1977. Both men also worked predominantly in adult-oriented manga with dark and mature themes. From what I can tell, Kazuya Kudo never illustrated any manga, all his stories I know of were drawn by other artists, but he continued writing manga well into the 2000s. Mai is perhaps his best known work, though he is also remembered for Pineapple Army and Nobunaga, the latter of which was also illustrated by Ikegami. Ryoichi Ikegami has been making manga since age 17, and he is still active in the industry as of this writing. Like Kudo, he usually collaborates with other mangaka, drawing rather than writing. One of his earliest works was the 1970 Spider-Man manga co-written by Kousei Ono and Kazumasa Hirai. Three of the manga he drew for have been adapted into OVAs: Kizuoibito in 1986, Crying Freeman in 1988, and Sanctuary in 1996.

Mai was originally published in Weekly Shounen Sunday, a Shogakukan publication, from March 20, 1985 to April 2, 1986, for a total of 53 chapters. The series was reprinted by Shogakukan in six tankobon volumes between July 1, 1985 and July 18, 1986. Media Factory reprinted the series twice in the 2000s, first as three volumes between 2002 and 2003, then as two volumes in 2006. Most recently, Shogakukan published a digital version of the original 6 volumes on April 28, 2020.

But of course, that's only the manga's Japanese run. This series was also translated into Portuguese, Italian, Chinese, and most famously, Mai was among the first manga to be officially published in English. Viz Media collaborated with Eclipse Comics to release the series as Mai, the Psychic Girl from May 19, 1987 to July 12, 1988. Mai (, the Psychic Girl) would prove popular enough with western audiences to warrant multiple reprints, which Viz continued to handle after Eclipse went defunct in 1994. The chapters were compiled into four volumes in 1989 (this time by Titan Books), and a three volume Perfect Collection was published by Viz from 1995 to 1996. Such a widescale release at the dawn of the North American anime and manga boom means that this series is decently well-remembered, seemingly moreso in America than in Japan. (Though that could also have to do with the Japanese title being so nondescript it's difficult to search.)

In fact, Mai, the Psychic Girl was so beloved that there were talks of adapting the manga into a live-action film. This project languished in development hell for decades and ultimately wouldn't see the light of day, despite a script being written and a soundtrack being completed but never released. Over the course of the film's troubled and inconclusive production, it was worked on at different points by Sony, Columbia Pictures, Tim Burton, and Francis Ford Coppola, with Burton expressing interest in the project as recently as 2010. It's unlikely a Mai, the Psychic Girl film will ever happen now, but still, it's kind of a cool side note.

Anyway, back to the manga's English release. I had my concerns going into this, given some of the xenophobic attitudes of the time, and especially because of the tagline on the cover that reads "She is pretty. She is psychic. She is japanese." (Lowercase j? Really?) Thankfully the translation job doesn't seem to lean too heavily into that kind of orientalism. I don't have a secondary translation to compare it to, or a copy of the raw Japanese text, but at the very least the character names are unchanged and the localization team didn't try to hide that the story is mostly set in Japan, in contrast to later and more infamous localizations. There are some nods to American pop culture, such as Mai singing Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles in the first chapter, and cameos from recognizable cartoon characters like Snoopy, Garfield, and Mickey Mouse throughout, but from what I can tell, these were in the original. As far as I'm aware, there were only two visual edits made. One was a nude scene being removed from the initial run, which was restored in later printings. The other, and more substantial edit, is that the whole manga is "flopped", a term that refers to the mirroring of pages and panels. Flopping was a common practice in early manga localization given that Japanese books read right to left whereas English books read left to right. Weirdly enough, the flopping here seems a little inconsistent. There were a couple of times I caught details switching sides from one panel to the next. It's not egregious but it is noticeable.

No magical girl manga was officially localized in English before Mai. But I did specify at the beginning that this is probably the first magical girl manga ever to get an official English release. Which raises the question: is Mai even a magical girl manga in the first place? That's... debatable. I talked a little bit about psychic magical girls before in my post on Sennome-sensei, and I stand by the assessment I made in my initial post defining the boundaries of this project that the magic in a magical girl series doesn't have to be literal. It can instead derive from sci-fi or supernatural elements such as E.S.P., so long as the story otherwise meets the criteria of the genre, namely that the story is female led and driven by her using her powers. Therein lies the disconnect with this series. The number of supporting characters in Mai, the Psychic Girl is staggering. That's not a problem in and of itself, after all, many of these characters are pretty fun. Hands down my favorite is Intetsu, a university student with a big heart who might not be a full-on himbo but is at least himbo adjacent. But the sheer number of other characters means there are some chapters, particularly in the middle section, where Mai doesn't appear much. She's still the main character mind you, (no other character gets more focus, and the story manages to continue being about her even in her absence), but it's still a noticeable difference from other titles we've covered. It doesn't help that even when she does show up, there are a couple of stretches of time during which she refuses to use her psychic power to avoid inadvertently hurting anyone. All of this is without even taking into consideration authorial intent: i.e. I doubt the creators intended to make a magical girl manga. Mai, the Psychic Girl draws influence from a lot of different genres. It's an absolute kitchen sink of tropes ranging from martial arts and sword fights to international espionage and government conspiracies. If Kudo and Ikegami wanted to throw in a power trinket or a transformation, it would not have felt too out of place. And yet, this series does not contain any recognizable magical girl signifiers of the time, nor does it draw any influence I can identify from magical girl works that came before it. That's just not the kind of story they were trying to tell.

But despite everything I just said, there are plenty of moments in this manga that feel magical girl-esque somehow. There are certain narrative and visual cues that are not exclusive to the magical girl genre, but are still very prominent within it, which do show up in Mai in some capacity. For one thing, Mai has a puppy named Ron which spends so much time with her, he ends up developing latent psychic abilities of his own. This manifests as extrasensory perception of danger, which he uses to warn Mai of incoming threats, much like some mascot characters do in certain later magical girl works. Mai also has two best friends (named Yumiko and Rie) who are average schoolgirls from whom she has to keep her double life a secret. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how often they reappear in the story, as they and Mai genuinely care for one another, and their friendship very effectively establishes that despite her abilities and the danger she consistently finds herself in, Mai is an ordinary girl. Speaking of how Mai relates to others, the Wisdom Alliance eventually calls in one of the other teen psychics, a German girl named Turm Garten, to help eliminate Mai. A major story arch revolves around the one-sided rivalry between Turm and Mai, the latter of whom just wants to be friends, and it's very much evocative of the dark magical girl archetype. I also feel the need to point out that the series starts with Mai having a prophetic dream, something that jump starts the plot of a few high profile magical girl works. And lastly, we find out early on that in the Kuju family, psychic powers are passed down matrilineally. Mai comes from a long line of female protectors, and this revelation influences the way she thinks about her destiny.

Mai, the Psychic Girl is a mixed bag in just about every way. Some aspects of it are deeply artful, other aspects are atrociously tacky. There are things about it that have aged like milk, and yet it does boast some historical significance. I like it for what it is, even if it's not my usual cup of tea. It's not what one might expect from a magical girl manga, but if you enjoy magical girl stories, you might enjoy this.

[indepth-mbti]

How does Ni work as an auxiliary function throughout realtime situations?

Commonly, all I find about Ni is the obssession over concepts, abstracts and the unknown. However, this doesn't help me to understand how an ENTJ would use Ni to deal with unpredictable situations. When putting famous ENTJ characters under the spotlight, I see that their Ni is mostly about trying to plan accordingly to their predictions and having a few secondary plans up their sleeves just in case. I can't see when characters such as Five, Jude, Katsuki and Azula showed any sort of respect over misticism, and since I barely have that as well and once read that 'If you're not into the abstract, you're probably not a high Ni-user', I can't put my finger on my type.

I'm not sure I phrased that question well, though. By the way, thank you for creating a Tumblr blog as well! It makes the interaction much smoother.

Ni is not only about concepts and the unknown, although most Ni doms agree that it is a common obsession for them.

Ni is a function that synthesizes the objects of the world into one ultimate concept and essence to create a sense of direction and purpose; it is a function concerned with underlying meanings and implications.

In an auxiliary position, it is common that Ni takes a more supportive or antagonizing role (this may relate to the relationship with the tertiary function) but ultimately it is meant to produce in you cognitive growth and provide you the necessary weapons to complement the attitude of your dominant function.

Both Te and Fe doms are types concerned about making an impact on the world through their decisions: Fe doms want to contribute into something larger than themselves, and Te doms want to get results aligned with external/rational structures. Auxiliary Ni usually manifests as aspiring to something bigger and to guide the Te/Fe energy into the right purpose. This can make them switch into tert Se unhealthiness and make them overreact when reality doesn’t meet their expectations. As Te/Fe is an objective function, auxiliary Ni tries to impregnate a meaning into these tangible and external goals.

A good example of the use of Ni in ENFJs is Marthin Luther King and his use of aspirational/abstract speeches, always under the light of a Fe rhetoric (Us, our people). ENFJs use their personal impressions of the world to aid their Fe, desiring a meaningful life. They focus on an aspirational idea (always related to a personal interpretation) to be able to influence the objective world and its ethical dynamics, even merging themselves and this meaning into the Fe structure they are aligned to.

As you point out, ENTJs are usually depicted in fiction as characters that try to create a direct path into their single-minded desired result, which only suits a stereotyped vision of ENTJs. If you want a more real example of them in fiction, try Sachi from Oyasumi PunPun. ENTJs tend to be strategic and reflective while making their moves, focusing on long-term achievements; ENTJs are the best at seeing the concrete potential in an idea. Ne users tend to be expanders of ideas – seeing multiple possibilities – while Ni users synthetise into the best possible ideas – ENTJs are the best example of how the synthetising nature of Ni is at the service of the goal-oriented nature of Te.

[crapmagak]

Engage Drip Marketing: Celine

Oh boy, another hypothetical pattern to be destroyed. Are we getting characters every Monday and Friday? We shall see.

Today, we get Princess Celine, another seemingly major character. Important enough to get her own emblem ring, and a spot on the special edition cover, but not the main. This makes me think most of her relevance will be relegated to the Firene chapters of the game. For now, though, let's check her out.

Intro tweet…

Celine is the First Princess of the Kingdom of Firene, and Alfred's little sister. She is kind and innocent, and a philanthropist that tries to solve everything with peaceful negotiations. On the other hand, it seems she isn't against fighting to protect peace.

And then the cutscene tweet…

A conversation between Celine and Alear. As the Princess of the peaceful Kingdom of Firene, she is beloved by the people.

Celine: "I wanted to thank you, O Divine Dragon.

I heard from my brother, Alfred, that you accepted Firene's request for help.

And you saved me here too... Thank you very much."

Well, looks like we’re getting another classic anime stable, the imouto (or “Little Sister” for the gaijin). I’m pretty indifferent to the trope, but, eh, anime games are gonna anime. I do like how they went whole hog with the nature themed disney princess look, even if her skirt’s kind of silly. The crown is also interesting, making her look more royal than her older brother. I wonder if she’s the actual royal heir for some reason.

We also see the cutscene in a chapter full of windmills and a fortress in the background, making me think we first meet her in the windmill chapter. We also don’t get a good look at Louis and Chloe though, so perhaps they aren’t her retainers.

Lastly, more story details. Seems like our heroes don’t do to Firene to escape, but rather to offer aid of some sorts. I’d say Elusians are invading, but we mostly see a lot of corrupted and bandits in these maps. Perhaps some kind of bandit king has appeared?

Now we get two juicy gameplay clips…

Celine's starting class is Noble/ Mystic, same as Alfred. They are adept at magic, and can also wield swords.

Celine’s class is an interesting case. Seems like the lords of Blazing Sword, the Noble classes weapon types and stats are dependent on the individual characters who have it. Considering how many characters are on that special edition, we may be seeing a lot of unique nobles. As for her class… Well, there's a bit of a problem with sword/ tome users. That being, they tend to just devolve into being just tankier mages. Happened to Robin, happened to Celica, the only one it didn’t really happen with was Nohrian Noble Corrin, who only gets tomes in the late game. Still good units, but the sword ascept kind of gets lost in the wayside. Just can’t beat that range and magic resistance being an uncommon stat.

One thing that stands out is her class sprite, which looks almost identical to the one in the leak, save for the weapon, which has been switched from a tome to a sword. Considering her special engage attack was magical, it seems like an odd thing to shift focus on. In both scenes Celine starts weilding a sword, so perhaps sprites shift base on what weapon you’re wielding? 

As for the maps themselves, we get two. For the sword crit animation, we’ve got a map at night in a destroyed village (Probably the one we saw Chloe in before). To my horror, though, it seems like fog of war is back in this game… To put a long rant short, I don’t like fog of war, I think it’s simultaneously boring and frustrating, and feel that it fundamentally undermines a lot of the tactical elements the series is built on. 

However, I did notice something upon a rewatch. There’s an empty torch on the map, and a corresponding icon on the mini map. If you can light them to permanently increase vision in certain spaces, that could make fog of war work. We’ll just have to see.

When it comes to the map itself, Celine seems to be level 6. We also see another character is engaged, who I believe to be Alfred. Basically, if you look real close in the original trailer, after he does his charge attack, you can see Alfreds engaged, over world model, and he has those same ornaments. Also we can see Chloe and Louis on the map as well.

Outside of that, we see a little item marker on the enemy Celine’s about to kill, who has a droppable hammer. She also has an armor slayer in her inventory, and considering you also get a hammer in this map, it's safe to assume the boss is some kind of armored unit. Also, when performing her crit, Celine assumes a position used by myrmidons (we also see a lot of enemy sword units assume the pose), so it seems like her sword animations aren’t unique. In contrast, her magic crit pose was different from Clans. Makes the sprite change more curious.

Next, we have another castle/ fort map. Celine is level 7, so this one probably takes after the previous one. Perhaps our heroes are coming to reclaim their castle or the like. And in the corner, it seems there may be a courtyard section of the map. Your units seem to be split up for this map, which is curious.

We also get another big stealth reveal. We see an enemy thief with a grayed out dagger icon. Seems they’ll be their own weapon type again. I wonder if they’ll be two ranged with status effects like in Fates, or garbage like in the Tellius games. Hopefully the former. I’m curious if fists will also beat daggers since they’re gray. 

One last curious detail is that the enemies in the fort map have the same label as those from the previous map. In the first trailer, they’re called “ruffians” which I assume are analogous to bandits and brigands. Again, curious that we’re fighting predominantly bandits in these chapters.

Outside of that, it seems like we have five Firenesse maps so far, which gives me hope that each country's arch will be giving plenty of time to breathe. Though I am a little curious. Will Etie, the Ax man, Louis, and Chloe be the only other Firenesse characters we get? Seems like a small group of units to spend so much of the game with, and considering potential class variety, in general. Well, considering the entire gang hasn’t been present in any of these recent crit animations, perhaps they’re benign save for later.

[sonofcoulson]

1955 Namor: The Battle of Wakanda

Open on happy scenes in Talokan. But in a darker corner, away from prying eyes, a figure with their face obscured by clothing asks a nervous Talokanil if everything is ready.

Cut to S.H.I.E.L.D. team (Peggy, Howard, Jacqui and Brian Falsworth and James Braddock) en route to a Roxxon oil rig in the Atlantic ocean. They flew to Mexico in Howard's new jet and went by helicopter from there.

Howard (to Peggy): Hey, Peggy, how are you? Seems like Agent Sousa is still on your mind.

Peggy: Mind your own bloody business. Jacqueline: Oh but is he though Peggy? Do tell.

P (to Brian, exasperated): I suppose you want to know too?

Brian: I'm not getting involved.

P (sighs): My grieving process is private but I am just fine, thank you. Happy now?

(Awkward pause)

H: Have you heard from Adam Brashear lately?

P: Will you keep your nose out of my personal life and focus on the task, please.

J: We just don't like to think of you all lonely.

P: Well, that's very sweet Jacqui, but I really am fine. In fact, I often think I would be better off without any men in my life.

(Pointedly looks at Howard)

H: Ouch…I was just trying to be a good friend.

P: No, you were being nosey. Now, we are heading into a potentially delicate and dangerous situation here. All the pertinent information again please Howard.

The rig has put in reports of attacks and sabotage by blue people that escape, seemingly unaided, into the ocean. It is Homo Mermanus, the Talokanil.

They land and have a brief discussion with the rig manager when they suddenly come under attack again. This time it's a full on assault by Talokanil in air breathing respirators ("Didn't know they had those…" says Howard). Having Spitfire (Jacqui), Union Jack II (Brian) and Howard's dehumidifying weapons prove quite handy. James Braddock seems to be holding his own as well.

Meanwhile, back at Talokan, the nervous Talokanil from the opening scene rushes to tell Namor about S.H.I.E.L.D. assaulting a patrol team from an oil rig in the Atlantic.

He rushes off, full of rage, taking Attuma and Namora and some of the royal guards with him. He leaves his old friend Bobo in charge.

They arrive at the rig and see S.H.I.E.L.D. doing exactly what the nervous Talokanil had said, but they see that this is no patrol, the unit is too large for a patrol. They aid the unit and is about to kill James when he sees Peggy and she yells for him to stop. He ceases hostilities and angrily asks Peggy 'where is the peace of which we spoke when we last met?'

She explains that they were investigating reports of sabotage when the rig was subjected to an assault. They were just trying to defend themselves.

As Namor has a soft spot for women he relents and asks a nearby trooper if this is true. The trooper spits at his feet and says that he would make peace with the humans when all they do is harm the ocean. That they should fear the Talokanil.

Namor is too angry at the insubordination to entertain the point. He goes to strike the trooper when another grabs him and then they are all suddenly coming for him, holding him down, trying to beat him. He resists. Attuma, Namora, Brian and Jacqui try to help him while the others resume their defence of the rig workers taking refuge inside. They seem to be a legitimate target for the Talokanil. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are surprised by the level of hatred towards humans and the sudden attack on Namor.

Meanwhile in Talokan, Byrrah (Namor's old rival) is taking advantage of the absence of the King (and his Tri-Team) to stage a coup. It has been planned meticulously in advance with former Royal Guard Krang while they were both in exile. They have amassed significant forces amongst disaffected/exiled Talokanil, enough for two teams. Byrrah has planted sleeper agents in key roles (royal guards, military, courtiers etc) who can take the loyalists by surprise.

The Royal guards and the army are mostly killed or arrested trying to protect Namor's old friend Bobo. Bobo is arrested and remaining loyalists have to submit to Byrrah or flee.

Back at the rig, our heroes are dogged and eventually drive the rebels back into the sea. The rebels yell that Krang will deal with him (in Talokanese obvs).

Namor is full of rage, again, and wants to rush back to Talokan. Peggy points out it's probably a trap. He goes anyway, taking Namora and Attuma with him. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to get the rig workers and themselves to safety in Mexico.

On the way to Talokan, the Tri-Team (Namor, Namora, Attuma) encounter fleeing loyalists. They warn Namor not to go back as Byrrah has successfully staged a coup.

Once Namor has admonished them for fleeing he asks about Bobo.

They say he is alive but being held.

He asks the loyalists for help. Only to glad to atone for fleeing, they agree to cause a distraction under the pretense of a small insurrection against Byrrah. Using the distraction, they sneak in and free Bobo. Unfortunately they get seen during the escape and Bobo is mortally wounded protecting Namor.

He tells them a loyalist soldier told him that Krang's forces are leading a land invasion to Wakanda as they have the metal they need to build the weapons, equipment and infrastructure necessary to conquer the surface world. He says they will head to the Mediterranean Sea and follow the Nile all the way to Lake Victoria.

Bobo dies.

Unable to retake Talokan without support, with a dead best friend and a potential breaking of the 'if you leave us alone, we'll leave you alone' treaty he has with the US, Namor is livid. He has Namora and Attuma head off to round up the fleeing loyalists, while he recklessly heads to Lake Victoria alone.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. team are in the middle of a briefing in Mexico about the oil rig siege and the political climate within Talokan. They receive reports blue people in the Nile at various points in Africa over the past few days (Egypt, Sudan and then today in Uganda). Not a coincidence that Talokanil rebels stage a coup on Tuesday and then Talokanil are sighted along the Nile by the weekend, thinks Peggy. Howard surmises that they might be heading to Wakanda to plunder their vibranium to make weapons and equipment. They wonder how many rebels there might be. The Nile is at its fullest in September and could potentially conceal many fighters if they were patient in the build up.

Peggy asks Howard how long, he says at least 24 hours even with the jet.

Peggy says we need to leave, now, and they all scramble. Peggy sees that Howard isn't moving and asks him if he's waiting for it in writing. He says there is one person that can get there faster than us. Peggy reluctantly concedes and says she'll make the call. Howard calls ahead to his contacts in Wakanda. Then they set off.

Namor is swimming as fast as he can. He is even faster than regular Talokanil and is set to get there before S.H.I.E.L.D.

Meanwhile, we see the final cohort of Krang's rebels arrive to Lake Victoria in Wakanda at night, the ones from the rig fight. He congratulates them on their diversion and laments that S.H.I.E.L.D.  was there to save Namor's life. Telling them to rest he takes another team onto the shore of the lake. They move in formation with new, longer lasting respirators and weapons stolen from Talokan in the first uprising. As they carry out basic tests of their weapons the Wakandan border tribe arrives to investigate but the initial wave are outmatched. Then the shelling starts and we see tanks and aircraft on the way. The rebels are driven back into the lake.

They regroup, quickly strategise and spread along the lake and start using their superior strength and speed to overpower infantry and heavy ordnance. Their vibranium spears and newly invented hydrobombs are a blow to the Wakandans, but the battle is still very much on.

We cut to underwater and a rebel soldier is stealth tackles by something super speedy. And another. And another. It is, of course Namor. He tries to do it again but has lost the element of surprise. He grabs the first rebel but another one grabs him and slows him down. Soon they are all piling on. Namor manages to wriggle free and swims as fast as he can up past the surface into the air. He narrowly dodges a spear which is caught by Adam Brashear, The Blue Marvel. Namor is about to engage in battle with him, when he reassures him that they both seem to be there to stop the invasion. Adam is very powerful but has to hold back in case he destroys everything around him. They patrol the shore and succeed in driving most attacks back into the lake. The Wakndans see this strategy from the two outsiders and aid them in doing so.

Things go quiet. Krang changes tack and a large rebel force rush the rear of the Wakndan forces, taking them by surprise and causing some damage.

Then the Black Panther! King T'Chanda and his Dora Milaje arrive and are a match for the Talokanil rebels. He is also powered by vibranium and they are all equipped with vibranium weapons and better trained to fight on land.

Adam stays to try and hold the shore with the border tribe. Namor heads over to help the Black Panther with the surprise attack along with other Wakandan forces.

Namora, Attuma and the loyalist Talokanil forces arrive and Namor has them cut off the escape route through the Nile.

The surprise attack runs out of steam and all the rebels are forced back into the lake.

Namor calls Krang forth to represent the group. He says he has been denied an honourable challenge for the throne. Byrrah waited till he was called away by Krang's distraction and sneaked onto the throne like a coward. 

He asks if Krang is a coward too. He says "Won't you come and 'deal with me?'?".

This is too much for Krang who shows up and accepts the challenge. There is some consternation from the others but King T'Chanda says they must respect others customs, this is for honour.

They arm themselves with Talokanil vibranium spears and battle.

Krang is a very strong member of his species but Namor is stronger and faster. Namor bests him after a tough fight, but Krang will not yield. He rises again and again and is beaten down each time. It is brutal and plays out in front of everyone. Krang is only stopped when he is mortally wounded. He says Namor is soft and lets the surface dwellers do what they want, poison the sea etc. Namor says Krang was impatient and Talokan's time will come.

Then S.H.I.E.L.D finally turns up. Other African defence forces turn up and the lake is surrounded. The rebels are now trapped and leaderless. They try to make a break for it but between Namor, the loyalists, Black Panther, the Wakandans, S.H.I.E.L.D., the superhuman and the forces from the countries surrounding the lake they are all captured. They then have to listen to Namor's speech about how the one they believed in is gone, a fine warrior who was riled by Byrrah into rash action. How they all saw from this battle that Talokan was not ready for it…yet ("Yet?" says Peggy).

"Byrrah is weak, not Namor. Namor has shown you his strength. Byrrah is jealous and petty. He does not care for Talokan like you. He will not fight for Talokan like you…" etc.

He ends up convincing most of them. Those that still disagree are taken prisoner and Namor sends them back to Talokan. He will join them.

He speaks to Peggy, Howard Adam and King T'Chanda asking to keep their 'let's leave each other alone ' treaty. Peggy agrees. King T'Chanda appreciates that Namor may want to keep the existence of his nation quiet and has made arrangements with the generals from the other nations for their promise of secrecy. Namor says their discovery could destroy their nation. King T'Chanda agrees and has similar reservations. He asks Peggy, Howard and Adam if they will keep his nation's technological prowess secret. Howard says they could help a lot of people. T'Chanda responds by saying that if the rest of the world sees that Africa has something, they will try to take it. They would be fighting battles everyday. He doesn't want that for his people. Namor doesn't want that for his people either. Peggy agrees to the request.

They both offer to help take back Talokan. Namor appreciates the offer but says his people would tear them apart in the water. Peggy hopes they don't cross paths again because that will mean that Talokan has peace. King T'Chanda says he hopes that Wakanda and Talokan can be allies again in the future. 

Adam says his powers will work underwater. Namor declines the offer saying that he must show his people his strength and heads after his team after trying to kiss Peggy's hand ("oh lord" says Peggy (as in another man in her life that someone doesn't need)).

Adam offers her a lift home. She thanks him for his kindness but declines. She says she prefers a seat belt and a parachute when flying.

Post credits:- Namor looking at the sunrise as his forces gather and prepare for the battle ahead. Namora says we are ready. Namor says, then let's go home. 

1955 Namor: The Battle for Talokan

Follows straight on from the previous movie and details the Battle for and recapture of Talokan. Byrrah is scared, as well as weak and petty and is cruel to his supporters as a result. This leads to many of them turning on him which helps the loyalists no end.

At the end Namor deems him unworthy of an honourable death and sentences him to the rest of his days in prison. Byrrah loses it in a massive fit of jealousy and tries to kill him but Namor is too wily for that and returns the favour, saying he should have taken prison.

Namora and Attuma also star.