#because unfortunately the powers to be in america affect everyone

[sayruq]

One of the best things about the Ansar Allah enforced naval blockade, besides the economic harm being done to Israel, the rest of the world being forced to isolate Israel, America's might crumbling at sea, and other countries like Malaysia being inspired to act, is that it forces people to keep talking about Palestine.

In the first month of the genocide there was so much pro Palestine fervor, more than I had ever seen before. Many zionists were consoling themselves by outright stating that the rest of the world would get tired of seeing the conflict and move on, allowing Israel to act with impunity. And unfortunately all signs were pointing to that. Pro Palestine content was starting to get suppressed on social media. The protests got smaller and smaller.

Then Yemen started seizing and attacking Israel linked ships because Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians. Every single statement put out by the Ansar Allah group mentions the genocide, makes sure that everyone knew that's why they were attacking those specific ships. Multiple large shipping companies had to change their routes. Israeli port city of Eliat is practically a ghost town now. America has tried and failed to form a coalition that can take on the Yemenis (for the second time in a decade, the first time being the Saudi-led coalition that has destroyed large parts of Yemen and caused the deaths of over 300,000 civilians).

Suddenly, the whole world was affected by the genocide. It's impossible to ignore it which means the protests, boycotts, disruptions at companies that are arming Israel, etc are still on going. People are still talking about Palestine on social media. More importantly than all of that is countries being forced by their citizens or their own interests to call for a ceasefire. Would Canada or the UK call for a ceasefire if their citizens and the world at large had stopped paying attention to Gaza? Definitely not.

Every UN resolution ends on the conflict the same way - almost every country in the world calls for increased humanitarian aid to Gaza as well as an end to the violence, except the US and Israel. Rather than isolating Palestine, the two countries are isolating themselves and losing a great deal of soft power in the process. I doubt this would have happened this quickly without the naval blockade.

[apr1lr4in]

EDDSWORLD FALLOUT AU

Ok I'm putting this here because I have had this as an idea for so long and I don't rlly expect eddsworld fans to rlly be into fallout BUT I AM, OK? I got a lot of points I wanna talk abt and MAYBE I'll draw it MAYBE SETTING- Every fallout game is in America and EW is not, but I think I can keep the setting in England. As ur gonna see later, I thought Tord being a synth would be fitting. BUT UNFORTUNATLEY synths are only present in Fallout 4 and that is largely due to the institute not being a huge presence anywhere but Massachusetts. Compromise? There is no institute, but something similar (Will talk more in the Tord section) EDD- Honestly I LOVE cowboy Edd, but the only game with a huge cowboy setting would be New Vegas. But think about it, a survivor in the wasteland who is obsessed with prewar relics and clothing. Places like the midwest or even the Mojave are very different from England, but Edd seems like the kind of guy to be into the whole Prewar cowboy nerd. Ofc he's the protagonist, I'm not sure what kind of name he would have though. You know, lone survivor, the courier, i forgot what the protag is called in fallout 3 i havent played it. The "Goulden one" would be kind of funny though. I want him to have the same energy as the Courier, got shot and survived and is now a menace in the wasteland. But he's more heroic obv, going on silly adventures with the gang and make the wasteland a better place

TOM- I can see him being a vault dweller, but choosing to leave the life of one. It wasn't working for him and he probably didn't live in one of the good vaults. He travels with Edd and matt because he probably would get killed if he went by himself (Alcohol and chem addict) and is possibly out for revenge. Revenge for what? You'll se :3 ofc this is just brainstorming, maybe he wouldn't end up as a vault dweller and perhaps Edd was the vault dweller and Tom is the jagged wastelander. MATT- I have to say it, Matt is a ghoul. But does that affect his self esteem? No! I don't think there's a single ghoul in fallout who doesn't have a captivating personality, Matt is no exception. He is definitely the type to pick up random junk from the wasteland and is over encumbered. And he loves those fuckass monkey symbol things that make noise if you've played fallout 4, you know what I'm talking about,,,shudder) But people don't take him seriously BECAUSE he is a ghoul and full of radiation. But Edd has a good reputation and is able to vet for him. I also just thought what if he was a celebrity before the war? That would explain his lingering ego, but failing to realize nobody really cares anymore. RED ARMY- Notice how I didn't put Tord here? That's because he is unfortunately the enemy. Moreso his Red Army, but he isn't aggressive towards Edd or anyone else. He thinks positively of the 3 (maybe except Tom), but the issue is his reign against the wasteland. Think of him like Mr. House or the Brotherhood of Steel (Not the vegas BoS, they can go kys) he is the only military force around, but it's not a good one. The Red Army are known for their brutal enforcement of rules and are in fact transhumanists. They want to slowly take control of everyone and "improve" the human form. Why? Tord is essentially a partial synth. Not fully robot, but not a natural human. Yes his robot arm is coming back and YES power armor is being involved. I would like to mention that as much as I want to include characters like Paul and Patryck in this post, they are not as "essential" as the main 4. They are still Tord's righthand men, but it would be unfair of me to include them in this post and not other lesser known character. I DO have plans though, but I'll have to iron all of this out first. Larry will be thought of dw bing and larry fans, all 10 of u <3 These are all ideas! Basic thoughts i've had for a while now and maybe some ppl won't understand it. But if anyone does like fallout and EW...GIVE ME UR IDEAS!!! Perhaps even draw up some designs? I know I def will revisit this but I have a haircut today

[expectopatronum18]

Us non Americans generally don't care about who an American president puts in positions of power because it doesn't impact us and it's not our place to speak about it either. However, America's foreign policy decisions affect everyone so imo we can speak on that.

Ik i said tht Trump was unpredictable but I sure as hell didn't expect him to make Pete Hegseth the Secretary of Defence. That was genuinely surprising and unexpected, even by trump standards. Didn't know who tht guy was until yesterday. And I'm sorry but his takes on foreign policy are downright illogical and awful. It's not lyk there's room for discussion and debate, this guy is literally a neocon. His arguments don't even make sense, he seems lyk one of those podcast dudes with a mic who just makes random wild claims about stuff he doesn't fully comprehend, and that's what makes him so dangerous in this position. Obviously it's different when ur rambling on fox news and when u need to actually act on things as the secretary of defence, but i sure as hell wouldn't put my money on this guy(even if trump is ready to trust this guy with an $87 billion budget)

The only potential silver lining is the argument being made that the administration of the Pentagon is a massive task and this guy has never been in such a post before, so irrespective of his foreign policy he won't stay in office for very long

Uk how so many ppl voted for Trump to end the 'forever wars'? Yeahhh tht shit unfortunately isn't happening any time soon, like I've said before, both the parties wouldn't have done tht.

[mrultra100]

Quick lil' note to bring up before Pride Month

Just because Trump has been finally found guilty due to his hush-money felon, that doesn't mean he's fully out of the game entirely. While he himself can't vote, he's still gonna run for the elections this fall.

As brought up by @headspace-hotel, along with a post made by @dappercritter, Trump plans to do alot of awful things with his Project 2025 thing should he somehow win. That includes things like taking away the rights of the LGBQ+ community, women, blacks, etc, revert alot of environmental treaties and the like, get rid of abortion and have force women who are r@ped to have their r@pists' babies, resume the use of nuclear weapons, and other horrible things. This'll affect other countries on a negative scale too.

Now, regarding the people who are mad at Biden for siding with literal terrorists on a genocide, I know you are all upset by this, but keep this in mind.

Trump not only wants to endorse Israel, but also wants them to "finish the job". And that goes for any and all Republicans that side with him.

I know it all sucks with Biden, but given that we all have a few months left before the elections. let me make a few things clear.

I do not support Biden in any way. He, however, is our only opition that doesn't result in fascism taking over our country. As unfortunate as it sounds, this is the reality of it all

Again, Trump and the far right wants to support Israel with their ongoing genocide with twice the spite

A third party isn't really gonna help much for those who don't wanna vote for both Trump or Biden

Calling Biden out on his actions and not voting for Trump are two things that can and should coexist.

I have plenty of friends in the LGBQ+ community that I don't wanna see harmed by Project 2025

Does it suck that we're in a lesser of two evils situation? Yes, it most certainly does. But I'm begging you all

PLEASE VOTE FOR BLUE AND SHARE THIS AROUND.

If we want the good things in the country for years to come, along with a chance to continue with helping Palestine, please vote for Biden. He's a bad president, but only voting for him just to keep Trump and his ghouls out is a very valid reason to do so if you wanna keep not only America, but also the world at large from falling into a even worse hellhole than what we're in now. Nobody ever said that this game was fair, but you still have the power to help prevent the overgrown Oompa Loompa and his cronies from ever getting back into office. For those who want to help keep Pride. Month a thing and to help keep the LGBQ+ community here in the states safe, y’all need to grit your teeth and pick Biden. It’ll basically be the end of America as we know it if Trump wins again.

Fuck Trump.

Fuck MAGA.

Fuck Israel.

Fuck fascism.

Please spread this around to help stop Project 2025 from happening. Palestine still matters, but so does everyone in the U.S. and other place being harmed. With your support, we can finally have a chance to be done with this rotten Cheeto and his cult for good.

[trex-nonsense]

political ramblings because i can't shut the fuck up apparently

I so desperately need Americans to realise that most of you don't live in a first world country. Particularly under Trump, you are basically just 50 smaller third world countries.

I'm from the UK and I recognise that my country has historically played a large part in how this came to be, and in a lot of ways we are no better, but no access to free and life saving health care is not something that so-called developed countries should have.

the people who think America is great are truly just the uneducated (those for whom the sentiment is very untrue) and the rich (those for whom the sentiment rings true) and I don't know how the uneducated can become educated, especially now going into this next period.

If you are poor, Donald Trump does not care about you. If you are a woman, Donald Trump does not care about you. If you are a person of colour, Donald Trump does not care about you. If you are not part of the 1%, DONALD TRUMP DOES NOT CARE ABOUT YOU.

if you voted for this man and you aren't someone who hoards your wealth in the billions, you have well and truly fucked yourself over. you will not be looked after under Trump, you will be discarded in favour of profit at the drop of a hat.

this is not necessarily to have a go at just America, because I truly feel sorry for everyone living there at the moment. If you're a Trump supporter, I don't sympathise with you for that, but I'm sorry that you haven't had the access to education, and been taught to value empathy above anything else.

I don't believe humans are greedy by nature, I cannot. There is good in the world and I know it, but as long as we allow leaders with only a mind for money then we're letting greediness fester within us.

I know I'm just screaming into the void with all this but I'm just... I'm scared.

Fascism was already on the rise, but with America on board with it, the world is absolutely fucked now.

I'm scared for every woman in America who is unsafe simply because of the body they inhabit, whether they be cis or trans. I'm scared for every queer person, I'm scared for every person of colour, and I'm scared for every disabled person. I'm sorry that your country fails you and will continue to fail you, and I'm sorry that you are unsafe. If I was American, I would be fucking terrified, and I honestly don't know what I'd do.

All I can say is please hold out. Good will prevail as long as we let it. We have to fight for a better future and while it didn't work in the election, you cannot let this quell your desire for justice from those who seek to take away your rights.

Capitalism is evil for the simple fact that it makes us put profit over community, connection and empathy. That is not the way we are supposed to be. We are supposed to care about each other and take care of one another. so let it be like that ! simply say fuck you by looking out for each other and keeping each other safe. and make sure to fight at every turn — vote in every local election. If you turf out republicans at every stage of the democratic process then it can only do good.

*big sigh*

maybe none of these thoughts linked up but I'm just fucking tired of the right wing winning, and I'm terrified for the world that we're going to be leaving the next generations. I only wish the powers that be would feel the same way.

This is so bleak but sometimes I just wonder what's going to end us first — capitalism imploding on itself à la karl marx or climate change burning up the planet. unfortunately neither would come quick enough for people like Trump to realise the error of their ways.

alright, rant over. If you're an American that will be affected by the legislations we know are coming, I love you and I'm sorry, and if anyone needs it I will always offer my support. you will get through this, good will prevail, and you will see a day where you are given what you are owed.

[thereallifecath]

I doubt I can reason with you, but truly, we are voting for an administration we can protest. An administration we can criticize. One that may actually change if pressured enough. You said yourself you don’t know how the ballot works. Here’s how it works: there’s two candidates that could possibly win. That’s it. Harris, or Trump. Third party is statistically impossible. This isn’t how it should be, but it is. A lot of vulnerable people (see: those listed in your pinned post) would be devastated under a second Trump admin. With Harris, we have a fighting chance at maintaining or improving our rights, and can continue to fight for Palestine without unfathomable repercussions. This would be all but impossible under Trump. Please don’t weigh in on USAmerican elections online when you admittedly don’t understand them. Thank you for listening, and understand I mean no disrespect by any of this, just hope I can give some insight on the unfortunate reality of our choice. Not voting for Harris is a vote from Trump and essentially my own death warrant as a marginalized USAmerican.

Starting any response off with ‘I doubt I can reason with you’, is immediately disrespectful and a cop out. You don’t know me, we’ve, as far as I’m aware, never conversed before and so I am confused as to why you feel ready to make that assumption - that I’m an unreasonable person.

I am Australian, so I am aware of how frustrating it is to be constantly told to vote for the lesser of two evils because statistically the other parties won’t win… but I also understand that that statement is very much a ploy to keep us voting for the same two parties. Here in Aus, there is a ranking system on the ballot, so you can vote for your first choice, second, third, etc. So that is very different, to my understanding of how the US American’s ballot works. You claim that I admitted to not understanding how American elections work, when I didn’t - I stated that I don’t know how specifically the ballot works - as in what it looks like. I was having a hard time getting a straight answer on whether there is other parties on the ballot other than Republican and Democratic, and I understand now that there is but like here, it’s unlikely that anyone else will win. It is of course, easier for me to say that I would vote someone else, as again here it’s different but I also don’t know how real change is supposed to happen if we (globally) just shrug our shoulders and accept the system instead of fighting it or trying to change it. How is anyone other party ever going to have a chance if everyone collectively just agrees to that shitty vote for the lesser of two evils bullshit. I’m not telling you - and I didn’t once say that I hate Americans for voting for Kamala, I was mainly criticising celebrities and people in power for supporting this rhetoric instead of trying to invoke real change.

You say a lot of vulnerable people would be devastated under Trump rule as if no one is being devastated now. I am very much aware of the struggles the American people face, as the Australian government/parliament follows and kisses USA’s ass more often than not. What happens in America doesn’t just happen in America, it’s a ripple effect that affects life and laws here too. The police here take inspiration from the USA’s police, and Prime Ministers always buddy up to the Presidents. In saying that it’s not as overtly bad here as it is in America, but USA news is constantly broadcasted here. There is of course one candidate that is worse than the other, and in no way am I saying that you shouldn’t vote or that voting for Trump would end up better than Kamala, but talking about it like Kamala is going to be better than him, feels wrong. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are basically the same at this point, they both want the same things, except one is just a lot more open and honest about it than the other. Kamala first and foremost will always be a cop, and she is not going to go easy on protesters and that’s evident in the last four years - hell - the last eleven months with Palestine Protests and police’s abhorrent behaviour towards students and other protestors. She may not have been President, but she was Vice, and I wonder how much in the past two years has been Biden, and how much has fallen to her because of his age and physical state at the time. By vulnerable people, I wonder if Muslim, Palestinian, and Middle Eastern citizens of the US as a whole, are considered under your definition, because if you ask them their lives don’t get better with either option. Same goes for the black community, it’s been horrible for decades, Kamala isn’t going to actively make it any better. And considering a high portion of violence against African Americans and people of colour is done by the police, why do you think Kamala is going to listen? I don’t want anyone to die or get hurt, and I understand that under Trump more people will be in danger, but Palestinians don’t have a threat of danger - they’re past that - the danger is a constant, almost a certainty that they will die sooner or later… if no one stops it now. I’m not telling you that whole stupid thing of ‘you can’t complain cause it’s worse in x’ I’m saying that I don’t see how just voting for the lesser of two evils is going to help anything, when you could band together and vote for a third party instead. Statistically it may be impossible but physically it’s not? You could invoke real change.

And the ‘you’ part isn’t even the main issue I had. I am more than allowed to criticise celebs for their engagement in an active genocide and how their behaviour and influence affects real issues. I have lost all hope in celebrities this past year and to see two celebs I loved, especially Misha Collins, endorse a woman who supports the genocide is disheartening for sure, and considering the fucking emotional wreck you naturally become when you see burnt body parts of kids on the fucking daily, yeah I’m gonna be angry, and yeah I’m gonna be angry at the people who are putting their hand in to help the wrong side. Both Trump and Kamala want Israel to succeed, and I don’t see how standing on the side of either can be seen as the right choice. I don’t want Trump to win, but shit has been fucked under the Biden/Harris administration and I of course get angry when I see people praising her. And really, a whole GEEKS FOR HARRIS/WALZ event when you have not done a single fundraiser for Palestine? Fuck that, that’s just openly being ignorant of the people suffering because of Israel yes, but also because of the USA’s involvement as well as Canada’s, Australia’s and Britain’s too. The western imperialist countries have done NOTHING to help Palestine, instead we have disgusting officials encouraging the killing of babies - celebrating it even, and we just have to sit back and stay partial to the bullshit. I’m tired of the system and you should be too, be radical, try to change the system because it’s not working for anyone and Kamala isn’t going to change that. The least we can do is demand that Kamala understand that the president should serve the people, and that to get the people’s vote she must divest from and sanction Israel.

And look I’m not going to fault you for voting for her, in complete honesty, I get it, it’s a fucking difficult situation. But I am going to fault everyone involved in creating this stupid event, because they could’ve put on a fundraiser or sanction Israel event sometime in the past eleven months, but they didn’t and they still could’ve put on an event to convince the people that they do have a choice and they can actually change things by voting third party. Yeah people aren’t going to vote third party if they are told they can’t or their vote doesn’t matter if they do. And I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings in any way, I genuinely am, but I am fucking tired of seeing people in so much pain and not being able to do much about it. The least these celebs can do is openly campaign against Israhell but they don’t, and I’m more than entitled to tell them to fuck off when instead they support Kamala Harris.

The protests for Palestine have been going on for 75 years, there is very little tiny chance that Kamala is going to somehow listen to protestors when she’s elected and change things. We have to change things, the people, and I get it, you can’t change things is you’ve got a dictator preventing you from doing so, but talking about Kamala like she is going to help… isn’t it.

[feminismisstillahatemovement]

You missed the point of my question where I asked who’s attacking men at night, you spend all your time attacking feminism which has its faults and yet many of the problems affecting women and men are caused by other men, you attack women and feminism more than the structural and cultural issues specific to men, men cause the most rapes the most murders the most violent crimes etc it’s also men who suffer at their own hands. You could spend your time trying to advocate healing of emotional damage from centuries of war and abuse where men are treated like emotionless meat shields and women are treated like prostitute incubators and we all suffer but you spend it punching down on women who until unbelievably recently in only western society have had very little open power at all. You, at your heart still want to preserve these structures that hold everyone down because at least you’ll still have your hierarchy left in the old world where things at least still sense to you even if they’re terrible. You’ve been warped more into this ideology since your last blog because all you truely have is anti - anti women, feminism etc. This account isn’t good for you

*sigh*

My stalker's back. Again.

You missed the point of my question where I asked who’s attacking men at night,

No I didn't: I made fun of it.

you spend all your time attacking feminism,

Well, not ALL my time...

which has its faults

It certainly does. Which, because it is an enormously insidious and influential political ideology, with the whole of the western world under its spell, seems to me a vitally important thing to address. It's what the young 'uns call 'speaking truth to power'.

Whereas you seem to spend all your time sending anonymous hatemail to me, a solitary and powerless individual in this mixed-up crazy world, instead of staying on your meds and getting help. Because this is the only attention you get.

and yet many of the problems affecting women and men are caused by other men,

Other individual men. And other individual women, of course.

you attack women and feminism more than the structural and cultural issues specific to men,

In 2022, the most destructive structural and cultural issues specific to men are directly caused by feminism and feminist policies.

men cause the most rapes the most murders the most violent crimes etc

Individual men. My second point to your earlier "question" was that, if you lived in America, you could put the word "black" before the word "men" and you would still be statistically correct, but I would hope that you would see that to blame "black men" as a group for everything wrong in America would be a terribly hateful, bigoted and harmful thing to do. The fundamental issue here is that feminist indoctrination has left you incapable of seeing that you're doing something identical but even worse, on an even larger scale.

it’s also men who suffer at their own hands.

Again, it's the "their" that you've got wrong: ascribing collective guilt for individual actions because of the patriarchy theory mind virus which still has you in its grip.

You could spend your time trying to advocate healing of emotional damage

I do. Once we rid the western world of divisive feminist propaganda and policies, men and women will be free again to see each other as fellow human beings, brothers, sisters, fathers, daughters, mothers, sons, friends and lovers, rather than "victim" and "oppressor" classes. I'm up for that. Are you?

from centuries of war and abuse

War is, sadly, a human constant: it will always be with us, unfortunately, in one form or another. There's never been a culture or a century without one in its history. If it's not religion causing it, then it's politics. If it's not politics then it's greed. If it's not greed then it's hunger. Men may have been the ones sent to die in their millions but women benefited from their protection and sacrifice just as much as the men who stayed home, and in larger numbers.

men are treated like emotionless meat shields and women are treated like prostitute incubators

Please stop watching The Handmaid's Tale. It's not real and it's not good for your brain.

and we all suffer

Exactly: we ALL suffer. Every one of us will get sick, and lose loved ones, face hatred and abuse, and every one of us is going to have to die. Let us recognize our common humanity in the face of our common suffering, instead of allowing ourselves to be divided up into warring classes: one half of the world to be applauded for - and protected from - the smallest things, and the other half scapegoated for everything under the sun.

but you spend it punching down on women

(*citation needed)

who until unbelievably recently in only western society have had very little open power at all.

Neither had men. In fact, all of us have very little open power today: One vote for terrible people who don't represent you every four years, especially when diluted by tens of millions of other people in the same boat, is very, very little power or relevance at all.

I really like the "unbelievably" in that sentence, too. It says more than I think you intended about your mindset and worldview.

You, at your heart still want

Your knowledge of my innermost heart is lacking accredited sources.

to preserve these structures that hold everyone down

No, I want to end the influence of institutionalized feminist hatred of men. Which is something that demonstrably exists, unlike the purple seven-headed sock-stealing monster under your bed you call "The Patriarchy".

because at least you’ll still have your hierarchy left

I have no idea what hierarchy you think I belong to, other than your patterwacky sock-stealing monster. Which I don't believe in.

in the old world where things at least still sense to you even if they’re terrible.

If by "in the old world" you mean a time when reason and fact-based arguments still held sway over nonsensical and emotion-driven conspiracy theories being aggressively rushed into governmental policy, then yeah, I'll take a frank acceptance of actual empirical reality over the delusion and hysteria of your "new world" any day.

You’ve been warped more into this ideology

I belong to no ideology. Whereas you're a feminist.

since your last blog

Thanks for confirming how long you've been sending me these anonymous, passive-aggressive poison pen letters.

because all you truely have is anti - anti women, feminism etc.

"Feminism" does not equal "women": one is a political ideology, the other is every second human being on planet earth. You really need to learn the difference.

And as I've already said, it is only once people are liberated from the utterly cancerous effects of 50-100 years of feminist indoctrination that any healing between the sexes can begin and something better can be built.

This account isn’t good for you

It's still better than being on Twitter.

[violetlunette]

Why Shiggy and the Meta Liberation Army should be in BNHA:V

Okay! So, surprisingly a lot of people have taken an interest in something I said about why the villains in “My Hero Academia” and “MHA: Illegals / Vigilantes” should be switched. Everyone was super patient, and I’m really grateful for it, so here’s the post!

Now, before reading, keep in mind that this is all opinion based. Also, you’re going to be seeing a lot of “what I would have done” or “they should have done this.” This isn’t me saying that I’m better than the author (I’m not. I constantly struggle with my fanfics). This is just me discussing some things for fun.

(In other words, take it with a grain of salt.)

And please keep in mind that the Main Series is still ongoing and nearly 400 chapters long, while the Spin-off is nearly 130, so I may get some things wrong. (If that’s the case, please be polite in your corrections. Otherwise, you'll be ignored and blocked.)

Notes:

*Spoilers!

**My Hero Academia Main Series

**My Hero Academia: Vigilantes / Illegals

*Some Tomura Shigaraki Critical (Well, to be accurate it’s how the Main Series treated him.)

*Long Post, which is why there are no images

*I am writing this while sick (not sick-sick, but sick enough) so grammar may be off and I may forget a few things.

So, here’s a quick summary on both the main antagonists and the protagonist.

Let’s start with our hero first;

Koichi Haimawari is the protagonist of the BNHA spin-off, BNHA Illegals / Vigilantes. Like Izuku, he had dreams of becoming a hero. Unfortunately, he missed his testing because he stopped to save a drowning young girl. Because of this, he spent his life living as a "normal" person, who isn’t allowed to use his quirk. Even so, Koichi had an innate desire to help others. Because of this, he would secretly go out at night doing small things like helping people find their way, finding lost items, and crossing the street—actions which are technically against the law as it’s an illegal use of quirks. One day while saving a girl from a group of thugs, he meets a mentor named Knuckle Duster, who wants to train him as a vigilante. At first, Koichi refuses, wanting to be a “good citizen” but finds he’s not the type to sit back and do nothing as people are getting hurt. So, he starts training under Knuckle Duster till the latter leaves, leaving Koichi to do what he can, which amounts to usually distracting the villain till a hero shows up (though he gets a few good moments). After helping to defeat Six at the end of the series, Koichi goes to America to become Captain Sunshine’s sidekick.

Now, on to our “tragic” villains.

Shigaraki Tomura, real name Shimura Tenko, is a young man who is descended from one of the One for All users and All Might’s mentor, Shimura Nana. He grew up in an abusive home, as his father would beat him for his desire to become a hero. His father hated Nana for giving him up, believing she abandoned him for her hero work. (Not realizing that even if she retired, her enemies would still go after her and him.) One day, Shiggy’s quirk manifested. With it, he accidentally killed his entire family, including his dog. He wanders around in the street for a long time, but even though adults saw him, they would look and walk away, stating that a hero would come to help. But one never did. Instead, All for One, the main villain of the series, came. He took Shiggy in and for the next decade, or so, brainwashed him to make him his successor and his new body, choosing him specifically to try and affect All Might. Just before All for One is captured, he passes his quirk to Shiggy. Thus Shiggy becomes the “big bad” of the story (in writing, but we’ll get to it). He tries to gather villains to his aid but struggles. Eventually, he “succeeds” by beating the Meta Liberation Army leader. Now we discover that he is possessed by AFO’s consciousness which will swallow his if Izuku can’t reach him.

The Meta Liberation Army is a group of Villains with political power. They advocate for the right for normal people to be allowed to use their quirks unrestricted, which they claim is a human right. However, their methods are villainous, including domestic terrorism, kidnapping, and murder, hence their villain status. After Shiggy beats Re-Destro, they join the LoV and help in the destruction of Japan. Now that we have the basic intros, let’s move on to the reason we’re here; why do I think that the villains should be switched? As well, as some plot points? Well, first off the MLA and Shiggy fit the tone of BNHA:V better. The Spin-off is mainly supposed to be a story about “ordinary” people doing what they can. So, it would fit better with the theme of the story if the villains weren’t part of some overly complicated secret drug organization but were instead “normal” people who fell through the cracks or fighting for their rights. In this case, Shiggy and the Meta Liberation Army.

It’s actually interesting how little has to be changed for Six and Shiggy to switch places.

Merely have it that instead of Shiggy meeting AFO, he meets a member of the Meta Liberation Army. His backstory can stay the same. Abusive daddy with mommy issues (only this time the heroine is a random hero, not Nana), quirk going wrong, people being assholes and ignoring a child in distress, and being taken in by an extremist. (Serious, aside from giving a reason for AFO to take a special interest in him, Nana plays no role in Shiggy’s arc or development. Write her out, and almost everything stays the same.)

In fact, I believe wholeheartedly that Shiggy’s backstory would be better and more natural fits the overall theme of BNHA:V.

Again, the theme is about ordinary people doing what they can, and with Shiggy, no one did the bare minimum. (Serious, sit the child down, call the police, wait for a hero or policeman to arrive, then leave. Boom! There’s one less terrorist in the world.)

Aside from everything All for One did, Shigaraki only became a villain because ordinary people, for whatever reason, didn’t do anything. If ordinary people had done the bare minimum and tried to help Shiggy out, then he wouldn’t be a villain.

Plus, everything that makes him an ill-fitted villain in the main series is what makes him a great villain in the spin-off.

Now, what makes Shiggy a bad villain in the main series? Well, bad isn’t the right word. It’s more like he’s not as strong there in a narrative sense.

First, Shiggy has no personal connection to the main heroes, in this case, All Might and Izuku. The story tries to give that to us with Nana, but really think about it; how does it affect them overall? Honestly, it just gives All Might a sense of guilt that AFO is using Shiggy. That’s it. As for Izuku, the two had one confrontation one on one for over 300 chapters. ONE.

Honestly, Izuku had a deeper connection with Overhaul and Muscular. Both were the first real villains Izuku took on in a fight, who taught him what it means to be a hero and why heroes have to fight villains. Bottom line, there is one thing to connect Shiggy and Izuku as rivals; their mentors hate each other. (Okay, and Izuku wants to “save” Shiggy and Shiggy wants to be saved but still.

In addition, MHA is a story that needs an active villain to push the story along, as it's a series with an overreaching plot. Shiggy is NOT an active villain.

I’m sure others will argue, but Shiggy very rarely moves the story along. At first, he does;

He leads the villains to attack UA and introduces the main characters and the readers to the villains. After that, his actions are more like they’re filling up space as they have no real effect on the main plot. 

He reaches out to Stain? Stain gets caught in his introduction arc. (Plus that was AFO’s idea.) 

He releases four Nomus after Stain pokes him a bit; none of them have an effect on the overarching plot. (Even though Bat Nomu SHOULD HAVE but I digress.)

He attacks Izuku in the mall? The most you can say is that it encouraged U.A. to change sites but is that really such a change story-wise? 

The attack on the camp; AFO’s orders, and he didn’t go. True, he ordered the villains there to kill Izuku, but again, nothing comes from it. And the order to kidnap Bakagou came from AFO. 

Then after AFO is captured and Shiggy finally gets his chance to shine, guess what? Overhaul takes over the arc, and the other members of the league go to work. (Does Shiggy do anything there? I’ll be honest, I don’t recall.) He takes Overhual’s arms and quirks, but does use that to move the story at all? (Does he even use it? Oh well. I’ll admit that’s the one good thing he did.)

The only time Shiggy’s actions fuel the story is when he and the rest of the League fight the Meta Liberation army and convince them to join. Then after that, he goes to sleep like Sleeping Beauty till Mic’s wonderful voice wakes him up. (Is he even in the Endeavor arc?)

After that, Shiggy releases a tidal wave of death and fights for a while, but then AFO takes over as the big bad again.

(Again, I may be mistaken but please be polite in your corrections.)

My point is that Shiggy’s actions rarely move the plot along, and in a story like MHA, that’s a failure.

In Vigilantes, on the other hand? His reactionary state is perfect. Why? Because Koichi’s story isn’t an overstretching arc, it’s mostly episodic. It’s the Pro-hero's subplot that has the overreaching story (and it’s not really needed, but I’ll discuss that later).

Because BNHA:V is mostly episodic and a “simple story.” (Minus the Pro-hero subplot.) The story could focus on Shiggy’s arc more and just have him wandering around, occasionally causing trouble. After all, Koichi’s story is just him being Koichi. True he trains and fights the odd villain, but the people around him push the plot, not him.

This gives them something in common; they merely react to what happens to them. However, they’re also different in how they react.

Koichi, despite being laid back, is always active and doing what little he can to improve life for himself and others. When he reacts, he reacts to assist those around him and acts very humbly.

Shiggy, meanwhile, reacts with annoyance and entitlement for most of the story. He does as little as possible while demanding others do stuff, throwing a tantrum like a brat, and lashing out with violence at any mere inconvenience. (For the sake of fairness, in the villain arc, he steps up—but then he goes to sleep, and AFO takes over! Seriously, for most of the manga, he does less than everyone around him. But I digress.)

Having Kochi and Shiggy just wander around, living their lives would work great. Shiggy could be doing random stuff for the MLA and occasionally fighting with a hero while Koichi does what he already does, and it would fit together, even if they don’t meet much.

But more than any of that, I believe that Shiggy needs to be saved by a hero like Koichi, NOT Izuku.

The reason for this is that while Shiggy blames heroes whenever he thinks about his pain, he’s not thinking about heroes. He’s thinking about the people who ignore him. Ordinary people who decided not to do a thing.

Koichi, despite everything, is an ordinary person. In the BNHA world, he isn’t special. His quirk isn’t flashy like All Might, and he's not a chosen successor of a great legacy. Koichi is just a normal guy, inspired by All Might to do the best he could to help others. Even if it’s just in small ways, like helping someone with directions, finding lost items, distracting a villain until the authorities come, or helping a cat find a home. THAT’S the kind of hero Shigaraki needs, a normal person doing what he can.

Izuku is great, but he isn’t a normal person.

He’s not only a hero in training but the successor to the greatest hero in Japan. But he carries a special quirk that is super powerful. If Izuku saves him, it’s not an average person doing their best it’s the successor of a great hero, carrying a mantle. And that doesn’t round off Shiggy’s arc very well.

Likewise, Koichi needed to fight a villain like Shiggy so he can realize his efforts aren’t wasted, and they matter. Because if someone like him had been there, then Shiggy wouldn’t have suffered, and his actions may have saved someone else. His acts are small, but they matter, and such a thing would inspire others to do more. This is why he would be able to reach Shigaraki.

The Meta Liberation Army should also be in Vigilantes, and they should be the big bad of the story. The reason for this is that another one of the themes of BNHA:V is about quirk rights and whether or not the average person should be able to use them. Something that the MLA is all about. Koichi, despite not doing anything immoral is considered a criminal because he uses his quirk without a hero’s license. Having the MLA as the main enemy introduces a great conflict, AND shows us both sides of the dilemma; Yes, people like Koichi and Pop can use their quirks to help, but people like the Meta Liberation Army use their quirks to harm others. (Of course, to even this, I’d have more vigilantes. Have Soga’s gang and Tamao join the fight.) Having the MLA as the big bad would give the story a chance to be about people fighting for what they believe in and how it’s a person’s individual actions that make them bad or not, regardless of their cause. (Something I think the main series is TRYING to do.) And I think this message would be stronger, narratively, in BNHA:V. In the BNHA world, Vigilantes were the ones to show the world that quirks could be used to help people and introduce the hero profession. So, having a vigilante push forward the idea of Quirk rights, and quirk society, would be poetic.

And that’s it, that’s my thoughts on this subject for now! Thanks to the ones who were patient in waiting for this! I hope it was worth it. Please re-blog with your own thoughts on this. And if you’re curious about why I think Number Six and Queen Bee should be in the main series, please go here.

[a-tale-never-told]

Historical Events and Questions

//Greeting everyone, Mod Sam here. Today, I'm doing something different compared to my other methods. As you know, one of the main themes of this story blog is history and how it can significantly alter our modern world as we know it. Unfortunately, given the key factor that the majority of my audience doesn't know what history even is, I took it upon myself to fix that with some... unique solutions.

//First, I tried to make two Google Docs explaining the main topics about the Stasi and the Soviet Union, but since they did rather... poorly, I've felt as if I needed to stop focusing on the worldbuilding for now and channel the rest of the writing into the characterization and dialogue in order to improve the story, which is still my main objective. However, I wasn't just going to let the historical aspect disappear into irrelevancy, though it would be less focused on untill we get deep into the story.

//Then, one of the anons came to me and suggested that I do a similar strategy for worldbuilding by organizing it into a separate tab for each key piece of worldbuilding, which is ironically enough what I originally planned to do when I had time, but I didn't because since Nagito appeared, I got flooded with asks related to him, so I didn't have time to make it.

//But now, I'm ready to answer these important, vital questions that you all have honestly been waiting for since we started this story, so I'll be going into this in question format, answering the questions that are massively relevant to this blog and the plot as a whole. So, without further ado, let's begin.

'What is the Cold War? And how does it affect the story?'

//The Cold War was essentially a worldwide conflict fought between two superpowers. On one side, you had the United States of America, coming off of their absolute victory against Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan after the Second World War, with them being the only nation that had their homeland basically unscathed or damaged during the conflict (Unless you count Pearl Harbor) and being the champions of democracy, and the other major superpower in this world was the Soviet Union, aka Russia, who pretty much suffered the absolute worst amount of damage and casualties of all countries that were involved in WW2, but had rapidly rebuild themselves to become on par with the US, in terms of military power and influence.

//The thing that made the Cold War unique was that both America and Soviet Russia never fought one another, instead deciding to channel their international, ideological influence through wars in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, supporting the participants on opposing sides, as well as a massive nuclear arms race, and what most people remember the most when it comes to the Cold War, espionage. If you have ever seen a James Bond film, you know what I'm talking about, except it was far more difficult and complex than Bond.

//The Cold War began shortly after the end of WW2 and lasted untill 1991, when the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed and formed the modern Russia we all know and love today, leaving the US and NATO as the sole victors of the conflict. Notable conflicts and events of the Cold War era include Korea, Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Angola, the Arab-Israeli Wars, the Iran-Iraq War, and numerous more conflicts I can't even mention here. So in short, this conflict is a major part of the story and plot.

'What is the Soviet Union? And why do they matter?'

//The Soviet Union is a complicated topic to get in itself, as I did a whole Google Doc explaining why, but if you want a simplified short version of it, they were essentially a political entity formed out of what remained of the former Russian Empire (Yes, Russia was an empire back then.). But it wasn't just Russia, it was anywhere the Russian state shared a border with, with a few exceptions. Countries that joined the Soviet Union besides the Russians were Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Baltic States, and several others.

//By 1917, Russia was on the immediate verge of collapse, as constant losses to the Germans, abysmal tactical command, and incredibly poor supply issues both at the front and at home caused an immediate collapse of the country. Riots broke out over food shortages, police clashed with protesters, and even with military soldiers who had mutined and had now come to join their fellow civilians in the streets. Eventually, Nicholas II resigned as tsar (Or the king) of Russia, a temporary government made up of several Russian politicians, who came together to stabilize the situation and try to control the rampant amount of anarchy and chaos in the city.

//However, they weren't able to hold onto power for long. A Russian political communist by the name of Vladimir Lenin, a hardline Marxist, who also rocked the mother of all goatees, eventually led a revolution against the government, overthrowing them with relative ease and installing himself along with his political faction, the Bolsheviks, essentially a group of radicals that were tremendously just as bad, if not worse than Lenin.

//After a brief and particularly bloody civil war, and a period of state violence known as the Red Terror, Lenin passed away in 1924, giving the reigns of power to Joseph Stalin, who is basically history's version of Maverick Storm and Junko Enoshima combined, and would become one of the most tyrannical and monstrous dictators and men that ever lived. Stalin essentially transformed the Soviet Union down a different path, at the cost of millions of deaths in the span of decades, but that's a really lengthy story for another time.

'Explain the racist system of Apartheid. How does it affect the society of South Japan?'

//Apartheid South Africa is certainly a very interesting topic in history, as it is the absolute dark reality the American state could've been if just a few awful decisions had been taken. Considering that Apartheid is a really underrated villainous part of history that doesn't even get mentioned as much as other parts of racism and bigotry, I decided to use that as the basis of South Japan.

//Apartheid was an institutionalized version of racial segregation across South Africa when the minority white population enslaved the majority black, African population and segregated them in basically every part of society imaginable, as well as dominated the culture, society, and politics of South Africa from 1948 to the early 90s. For example, there was a law that forced black Africans to be removed from their homes and forced into segregated neighborhoods, and laws made it illegal for South Africans to pursue sexual relationships across racial lines.

//Imagine if Hitoshi and Kaori never married due to the existing legislation law banning relationships between racial boundaries or if the Owaris were evicted from their household due to being African-Japanese, so that's one of the numerous examples of Apartheid. Think of the American South in the 1960s with segregation, except abysmally worse. In fact, most of South Japan's policies when it comes to racism and sexism are based off of South Africa's. Apartheid officially ended in 1991, when the legislation was repealed and elections were held in 1994 that elected Nelson Mandela, a prominent opponent of apartheid, as the first black African president of South Africa.

//In short, Apartheid lives on throughout this alternate version of Japan, as you have all been shown with Hope's Peak.

'How is Japan divided in this AU? Explain.'

//Well, the division of Japan happened due to Operation Downfall, the planned, amphibious invasion of Japan during WW2. While in our timeline, the nuclear bombs prevented any such invasion from happening due to the American government not wanting to waste more lives to take the islands, in this AU, the invasion goes underway resulting in almost the entire Western and Southern portion of the nation taken by the Americans and British, and the Russians take the Northern side of it, and the island of Hokkaido as well. Naturally, it was divided along the same lines as Germany was, with Britain and the US getting the Southern portion, while the Russians gained the rest of the North to themselves.

//Naturally, to the Japanese public, this didn't particularly sit well, as they feared being occupied and seeing almost half their culture and national identity being stripped away by foreign powers, especially Russia. But in the end, the partition was signed and Japan was officially divided amongst the three powers.

//Fun fact, China was originally supposed to get a portion of the nation in the middle of the country, but due to the Chinese Civil War and China falling to communism in 1949, they were denied that position.

'What is the Stasi? How do they matter?'

//The Stasi are essentially the foreign and domestic intelligence network of East Germany, similar to the Kgb. Formed during the 1950s, and located in East Berlin, they served as one of the most effective spy agencies of the Cold War, and the most feared.

//If you were caught by the Stasi, you are significantly screwed, as they would psychologically manipulate their victims and literally make them go insane, all the while disguising their involvement in the manipulation themselves. Think of abuse stories, and child abuse, incredibly toxic relationships, and the Stasi would certainly use such tactics to their advantage. It is disgusting yet effective to them at the same time.

//They maintain their information through an extensive network of civilian informants, only extending their reach to unprecedented levels. About 1 of every 63 East Germans was a Stasi informant, and they possibly have agents in the millions in the state, and abroad. They also financed several Neo-Nazi groups to discredit the West and spread disinformation about HIV and AIDs that the US created the diseases, and even tried to assassinate the pope. In short, they are probably the most degenerate group of individuals that we have on this blog so far, and it's saying something when we have people like Junko Enoshima and Junya Utsugi, who are scumbags on their own.

//So, I'm going to stop here for now. I'll be sure to update it when I can since this post is taking an incredible amount of time to create and post, as well as the fact that I don't want to bore you all with this, as I just felt like these were the most important topics to address so far. Obviously, this is not the end of the lore tunnel, as I'm making sure to update the lore constantly whenever I'm not occupied with the story or as the plot and the story goes on, and I do intend to explain more, just in different areas that simple posts like these cannot explain.

//I seriously hope you enjoyed this lore post, and I will post a link to it in the tab, in the Lore/Worldbuilding section. Otherwise, I hope you all have a great day, and I'll see you shortly!^^.

[sharuk28]

/sigh/ I'm usually not following trivia in all honesty and I typically avoid politics or anything that may typically be detrimental to my mental health because I desperately needed to protect it or else I wouldn't be alive right now, so please forgive me, anyone who's reached out genuinely for help but have been met with no response.

That aside, even I can't avoid what's currently going on in the US forever. My mental health is doing a whole lot better now so I wanted to make some exceptions to my rule of avoiding negatives, since I think I'll be able to handle it even if it's a little. I'm sorry, but I needed to put my health first. However, I still have a heart, that's why I avoided instead of ignoring it.

My heart goes out to everyone, not just the Americans who didn't want trump in power but everyone who tried and did what they could, even if youre not in america. The US is a major figure in the world as a whole, so what happened most probably will affect us all. I don't actually know the majority of the details, what he wants to do, and how it actually affects people, and I hope I don't have to... but some folks I care about are in the US, and they're really distraught, and I can't imagine..

Stay safe out there, everyone. If anyone needs someone to talk to or anything at all, please consider chatting to me. I want to help.. but I can't actually promise that I'll be able to if my mental health starts declining again. So please, reach out if you must, but please don't take it personally if I take awhile or altogether don't respond.

If you're someone I actually know, then there's obviously an exception, and my doors will be open for y'all even if I'm not currently doing well, so do please reach out. I'll do what I can to lend support or at least help with morale. Please stay safe out there. I'm sorry I'm not offering more... Please take care of yourselves and don't beat yourselves up if you forget every now and again. It's times like these where it's hardest to remember to be kind to ourselves and others, and it's unfortunate that it's also times like these where it's most needed.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

My day and my week are ruined. How can you vote for this criminal? I'm about to cry. If it was only about America, I would almost not care. But I feel sorry for Ukraine, even if they are strong and smart and will prepare for Trump's presidency. But Ukraine cannot rely on its partners. North Korea and Iran are more reliable partners. Russia already celebrates. Especially Germany (I am from Germany) is not a reliable partner, Scholz is an arrogant coward and now the world has to deal with Trump too.

Yeah, same. If this would just affect Americans, I would feel sorry for everyone who will lose rights over the next years. But it literally will influence my life. As a German and as a European. And I know I repeat myself - but my heart breaks so much for Ukraine.

Of course they will. But without support from Ukraine and Europe not stepping up their game (and there is no sign of it at the moment or anywhere in the future right now), Ukraine will have a major problem and every plan will turn into dust. Even if Europe finally wakes up and acts - without America's support, winning will be much, much harder and will take longer and cost many more lives.

It's a sad and dark world when dictatorships and autocracies are better and more reliable partners than the west / democracies. Also, this sends fatal signals to North Korea, China and Iran.

Scholz is literally the worst chancellor at the worst time possible. I can't wait until he is gone and SPD and all the Russian bootlickers disappears into the political death they deserve after everything (and that's coming from a former SPD voter). Unfortunately, the alternatives doesn't look much better (assuming that Habeck has no chance of becoming Chancellor next year or whenever the election is). (Merz can pretend as much as he wants that he's pro-Ukraine but he is not. He is pro-Ukraine because it fits his narrative and he can get votes with it. His party is still the same and the only actual, real pro-Ukraine voices will have no power like under Merkel and back in CDU gouvernment times. Besides that Merz would be an awful Chancellor too and it would not help Germany on bit to solve problems. Or improve rights for everyone.)

Scholz could easily announce Taurus today and declare that Ukraine will join EU and NATO and call for an emergency meeting between the most important countries and organize massive support and weapons or kick the asses of partners to sped up delivery.

Oh, right. He's too busy congratulating Trump and feeding Lindner's ego. 🙄

[almaqead]

"The Celebration." From Surah Al Anfal, "The Spoils."

Ramadan Day 24

The President of the United States of America yet struggles to the tell the world about law and order, and instead allows the darkness to continue to fall. All he has to do is explain the Family Research Council, Heritage Foundation, Republican National Committee, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and all anti-marriage equality and Pro-Life organizations are being closed due to their potential to incite apartheid Crimes Against Humanity and be done with it.

The fates of all Jews, Muslims, and ordinary Christians are at stake if he does not. Billions of others are scared.

Allah told Muhammad to "beware of trials that do not affect all of us" and it was time for the Prophet to stretch out his hand:

8:24-26:

O believers! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. And know that Allah stands between a person and their heart, and that to Him you will all be gathered.

Beware of a trial that will not only affect the wrongdoers among you. And know that Allah is severe in punishment.

Remember when you had been vastly outnumbered and oppressed in the land, constantly in fear of attacks by your enemy, then He sheltered you, strengthened you with His help, and provided you with good things so perhaps you would be thankful.

Commentary:

Believers are not outnumbered or Outnumbered by the legions of the devil. All we need is one good man to take the stage, and in the light of day explain how the blessings of God found in a free nation include protection from the kind of fiends that are growing wild, like mushrooms in America.

Once they are gone, ridding the world of Hamas, Hezbollah, and that freak in Iran will be easy as they support the former.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 24: Respond to Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life. The Value in Gematria is 12298, יבב‎טח‎. "they are whining, of coruse!"

v. 25: Beware of a trial that will not only affect the wrongdoers among you. The Value in Gematria is 8355, חגהה, "Like a holiday celebration!"

v. 26: Remember when He sheltered you. The Value in Gematria is 13825, יגחב‎ה‎‎, "they will back up when you charge."

The truth about what is happening in America must be told and it must be contrasted with the laws our nation has agreed to uphold. To fail to uphold treaties and engage in ethical practices while a tyrant vies for power and a future malignant state takes shape is corruption the likes of which the world has never before seen.

Donald Trump and the forces that are behind him must be stopped. This is the most important priority for the human race at this time. Everyone will be so glad when he and his Party are dead and buried, this God has promised us. We could all use some good news right about now; unfortunately, only one person can deliver it, and that is President Biden and he is holding back.

Even still, imagine a world with Pro-Life and anti-Muslim rhetoric in it and pray God will urge him to act. The planet is in tatters because of these people. They mustn't be forgiven for what they have done to it.

[publicschooll]

Healing From Work-Related Trauma As A Black Woman

As a woman of color, I find it difficult to not have my identities intersect and affect multiple parts of my life simultaneously. My experience at my last employer is exactly this personified. As I've discussed on my personal TikTok page, I made the difficult decision to leave my job after working there for a little over 2 years. It pains me to be a habitual job hopper but it's my unfortunate reality. If you don't identify with a marginalized identity, then it's difficult to comprehend what the black experience in white corporate America is like. Goredema talks about the reason why many black workers job-hop.

Not everyone is having the same experience, but fatigue, exhaustion, frustration, and isolation are taking their toll and [SHRM] research data shows that.(Gonzales, 2022)

Black people and people of color in general often become teachers in roles that don't require them to teach. They become professors in all the isms, respectability politics, microaggressions, and overall professionalism. They take on the mental load that becomes physically exhausting.

Most white people have never had to look for people who look like them in an environment. They do not understand why representation is important because they've never experienced an absence of it. In my Racial Justice Fellowship at Rutgers University, we were painfully tasked with watching White People, a documentary on MTV. There was an interesting part in which there were almost exclusively white teachers who taught students on native land. The dichotomy between traditional educational structures and this one presented an interesting power dynamic. It required the teachers to assess not just race but colonialism with a different lens whereas if they taught in a traditional public school setting this would not be the case. Yet, this is another example of how people of color become teachers. Although the actual teachers should be teaching, they are learning bits and pieces of history from the students. The responsibility of teaching and mental anguish starts from a young age.

When you work in Human Resources, you are an advocate against the mistreatment of others while often being mistreated yourself. Companies bitch about desiring their teams to bring their authentic selves to work but my authentic self is having uncomfortable conversations about race and not talking about why my hair grew 12 inches since the last time you all saw me. But on to the thoughts..

These thoughts are written from my perspective as a black woman but may be useful to anyone experiencing trauma at work and needing to heal.

1. Speak up even if you are afraid of losing your job. (And document)

There were so many instances where I talked myself out of speaking up or waited until something had gotten way out of hand before saying anything. Don't just be vocal in meetings or in person, make sure to keep an electronic trail as well. Send fully fleshed re-caps. Link articles to support your point. Repeat if you need to. Your voice could prevent someone else from experiencing the same thing. Ask for the things that you need. Companies are constantly dishing out disparate treatment, ask! And if you are declined, remind them that you know they've done these things before and can do it for you.

2. Organizations hire racists, and you don't have to accept it.

I changed my original text about organizations being racist. Of course, there are some organizations that were built on racism, slavery, and oppression like Unilever but most organizational culture at companies is built by the people. It's not a stand-alone institution. Companies do hire racists and you don't have to work somewhere that does. There came a point when I compared my then-current state to my past ones. I would often say at least I'm not in a basement(I was stuck in a basement for like 4 hours twice a week as a consultant). Or, at least I'm not the ONLY black person(I would become the only black person in HR or in my role at several companies). Or at least the racism is packaged in microaggressions(I was asked for feedback and then told I always have something to say). I wrote about the illusion of inclusion nearly 2 years ago, and unfortunately, this concept still rings true. There is no value in accepting the lesser of two evils, especially when it comes to your mental health.

3. Workplace trauma is not your norm, nor should it ever be.

As a society, we've normalized hustle culture, working crazy hours, and chasing the bag amongst many other ridiculous things. When you're accustomed to living in chaos, it becomes a component of who you are. It becomes embedded in your personality.

Repeated micro-aggressions in the workplace and in some cases outright retaliation and bullying that induces trauma (Gorgla, 2020)

Dealing with an erratic narcissist became a regular occurrence for me. Before I left my position at my most recent employer, I reviewed old emails that were obviously a cry for help from this person at "it again" with no one to curtail their behavior. After almost a year, it turned into textbook retaliation that occurred until the end of my duration there. Citing that during my last week, this individual removed me from meetings to prevent me from saying farewell.

4. Remember that we are not trying to convince them to change, simply pointing out the error of their ways.

This was so helpful to me later on after the onset of frustration. We know the world is inherently racist, and it's not likely that I am going to change the racism that lives inside of someone. But, my goal in advocating for myself is to let them know that the behavior is not acceptable. PERIOD.

5. If you can afford to, take time off and touch grass, seriously.

If your job can not grant you a leave of absence and you're able to negotiate a severance or get some sort of unemployment income to leave, take it! My first month was an adjustment. I hadn't known life without chaos in such a long time it was hard to figure out what to do. Part of my personality became this job and I clearly had Stockholm syndrome. I had no idea what to do without my abuser. This is month 3 of leaving my job and I've accomplished so much. I am slowly remembering bits and pieces of myself pre-job and even discovering new interests as a result.

If you are experiencing some of the things mentioned in this post and would like to chat, feel free to hit the ask button or message me on social media. Also, know your rights. Discrimination and harassment are illegal and in most cases, retaliation is a form of harassment. I always recommend taking legal action. Not enough of us do.

[foodinsecuritypdx]

Food Insecurity in PDX - Jennifer - Leading Social Change

Everyone should be able to have access to food no matter where they are. However, that is not the reality for those who are food insecure. Food insecurity is defined as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. This can be a temporary situation for a family or can last a long time. Food insecurity is one way we measure how many people can't afford food” (Feeding America, 2023). Unfortunately, food insecurity affects more than 34 million people in the United States, which also includes 9 million children. To narrow it down, approximately 77,000 people experience food insecurity in Portland, with the highest number of people facing food insecurity in Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood located in SE Portland (Arden, 2023). Because I have lived in this neighborhood my whole life, it is something that I can’t ignore or turn a blind eye to. I have friends and family that live in this area with me, and to not acknowledge this problem or speak up about it would mean accepting the problem as it is when it should be changed. Four other neighborhoods in Portland that face high rates of food insecurity include Centennial, Hazelwood, Lents, and Montavilla (Arden, 2023). To further highlight how dire food insecurity is in Portland, several neighborhoods are also “food deserts,” which means “that they lack sources of fruits and vegetables within one mile of a shopper’s household” (Loomis, 2022). The neighborhoods are Argay, Pleasant Valley, Centennial, Wilkes, and Powellhurt-Gilbert, which happens to also include the neighborhood I live in (Loomis, 2022). From a USDA assessment and survey that was conducted, “those living in PHG express that they are facing food insecurity. PHG’s percentage of households experiencing limited access to healthy food is 17%, which is higher than the Multnomah County level of 11.9%” (Loomis, 2022). This is highly concerning for me to read about and my heart hurts for my community. People should care more about these issues because it is not enough for people facing food insecurity to advocate for themselves. Those who are privileged and in positions of power should advocate for them too. With more hands on deck, policies can be made to expand SNAP benefits and allow more people to be eligible. WIC benefits can allow for more foods to be included in the benefits. Food insecurity has far too many negative effects on people. It can cause health issues when people have to choose between food and medicine or healthcare, it can make it more difficult for a child to learn and grow, and it can lead to having to choose between food and rent, bills, and transportation (Feeding America, 2023). No one should have to choose between necessities that are essential to living. Food is what everyone needs to survive, and it is not something that people should have to give up. Doing my part means a lot more than just speaking up about it. I must take action and urge others to do so as well. Only by working together will we have any chance at reducing food insecurity in our communities. 

Arden, A. (2023, March 1). These are the most food-insecure neighborhoods in Portland. KOIN.com. https://www.koin.com/news/portland/these-are-the-most-food-insecure-neighborhoods-in-portland/#:~:text=The%20numbers%20show%20that%20in,Gilbert%20Neighborhood%20in%20Southeast%20Portland. 

Feeding America. (2023). Hunger and food insecurity. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity 

Loomis, F. (2022, December 21). Food insecurity in Portland, Oregon. Medium. https://metgroup.medium.com/food-insecurity-in-portland-oregon-67b5b3fae04

[mlndless]

Look who just woke up- is that ANDY BIERSACK? No, I must have been mistaken,  that’s JEREMIAH GRAVES from THE FLASH(OC). I heard he is 28 and stuck here just like everyone else. Even in the 20’s, they  still give off a FROZEN ICICLES, HAUNTED MEMORIES, ENDLESS JOURNAL WRITING impression. They’re  known to be quite EMPATHETIC, but have a tendency to be CYNICAL on their bad days.

Gender/Pronouns

Cis Male - he/him

How long have they been in Sydney?

Three months.

Job

Circus Performer

Which suburb do they live in?

bondi

Memories of their real life : tw - mentions of death

Jeremiah grew up in Keystone city,  adjacent to Central city. His single father did his best to provide for the both of them but eventually his workaholic lifestyle left Jer entirely orphaned at the age of 15. Bouncing around foster homes, Jeremiah did his best to follow in his father’s footsteps and started working as soon as he turned sixteen but he never tried to bond or even get along with the people that took him in. He lived a very solitary life up until he was affected by the explosion of the particle accelerator.

The one person he had opened up to in one of his foster homes, his best friend and secret crush died trying to save his life. More specifically, Jeremiah accidentally killed him. They had been on the water front at the edge of Central city, partaking in some late night drinks. His friend had managed to find cover during the blast but Jer had been distracted by something in the water and it was too late when he finally realized his friend was screaming for Jer to follow him. He woke up and felt a cold touch on his lips, he realized quickly that it was his friend frozen solid after trying to resuscitate him. Jeremiah had woken up with the power of ice breath.

After this life changing event, Jeremiah became highly apathetic towards life. He let himself drift through Keystone, only staying because of the memories the city held for him. He never revealed his powers to any and did his best to control them, although that was quiet difficult when he was sick and coughing. Overall, he simply wanted no part of the new freak show that Central city had become once metas appeared, regardless of the fact that he could not escape that he would always be one of them.

What was their fake life like?

In this life, Jeremiah woke up in a circus tent, confused and bewildered. It had a strange feeling of home and he soon learned that he had become apart of the circus as a runaway when he was a trouble teen living in America. Eventually, to become more than just a stage lackey, he tattooed his body from neck to toe in order to give his body stage appeal as the head clown put it.  The circus (aka Mooney’s Circus), quite popular, eventually went on a European tour and made it all the way to Australia where it currently resides. Unfortunately, Jer still has his powers but he continues to hide them and has embraced the carney life style since he woke up in this new world.

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 5 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Guardians

Helloooo! Did you think I was done? No!

My PhD thesis chapters were approved last week, so have some celebratory meta. I haven't seen the latest Season 4 episodes, so do forgive me for not being up to date.

Welcome to the next part of my analysis of the basic concepts of Miraculous Ladybug. Today we are talking about Master Fu, Order of the Guardians and how little everything here makes sense. I highly recommend reading previous parts to fully understand this one, but I'll try to quote most parts of earlier posts.

Order of the Guardians

Order is an international and ancient organisation (New York Special showed us the guardian from North America and he was dressed like Su Han). Presumably, Miraculous jewels were created by these people. Guardians are responsible for the preservation of jewels and knowledge about them. They also distribute Miraculouses to worthy people around the world to combat mostly magical threats, but sometimes jewels are used against normal threats too. It's implied that Master Fu used Miraculouses during WW2 when he was in Paris. Perhaps he performed some spywork with Marianne, but the magical nature of his interferences was discovered and he was forced to flee, before returning to France many decades later.

Why does the Order need so many people to take care of a 3 Miracle Boxes? If its only purpose is to preserve knowledge, keep magical secrets and distribute Miraculous jewels then wouldn't it be more logical to have Master-Apprentice system? It's much easier to keep magic knowledge a secret and train a few people in martial arts than doing the same in the self-sufficient temple full of people, keeping in mind that a good part of them are teenagers and children, who are bad at keeping secrets. Also a single person can travel around the world much easier to give out Miraculouses. Imagine that we have a few active guardians traveling the world with Boxes. What do other people at the temple do in the meantime? They teach the next generation about the powers of each Miraculous and Mirakung Fu, but besides that?

Master-Apprentice system gives us more personal conflict between Fu and his mentor and makes his relationship with Marinette and Adrien more nuanced. In this scenario Fu accidentally caused the death of his Master at 14 because he wasn't careful. It makes sense for him to take on only 1 or 2 students if this is how things were done with Miraculous Guardians. This Wang Fu is very cautious and protective, he spent the majority of his life afraid of hurting someone else and never took an apprentice as a result. But now he is ready to try again, since he is not getting any younger and he likes these 2 kids. He wants them to succeed. Maybe Master Fu, becomes the father figure for Adrien in this situation and a guide for Marinette. Just think about it. This way writers avoid the need to develop all these extra characters (Su Han) and traditions related to the Order. All inconsistencies I mentioned before and later in this post are gone now! Hell, even memory loss and the changing of the Miracle Box shape could make more sense. We also raise the stakes post-amnesia, if it happens of course (the whole Season 3 finale didn't make sense, so stay tuned for my next meta). Marinette and Adrien are on their own now, there's no one who can give them answers. It's very fun scenario, which has potential to be brilliant. Any thoughts on that?

The existence of Order of the Guardians is not quite a secret, at least it wasn't in XIX century China. Master Fu in "Feast" says that guardianship was considered "a great honor". It implies that people who lived close to the temple of the Order knew about Miraculouses and what exactly guardians did for the greater good.

The existence of other Miracle Boxes around the world makes sense from a real-life perspective. Writers have the ability to create many stories set in the same universe and use them for merchandise and an almost unlimited amount of content. Judging by the unholy amount of specials in production, this is exactly what the creators are going to do. It probably won't go down well, but who knows?

However, it doesn't work in our main story. The main conflict is Paris-centred. Gabriel's motivations revolve around Emilie's resurrection and Season 4 gives us more reasons to suspect that Adrien's mom wasn't as wonderful as everyone says. Hawkmoth still remains the main villain of the show and most likely it's going to stay that way. There's no point in moving the main story to different places for the sake of introducing more Miracle Boxes from around the world. Ladybug and Chat Noir aren't needed to fight something halfway across the world unless Hawkmoth also changes locations.

LB and CN are centrepieces of this franchise. They brought success and money to ZAG. Creators constantly need to remind the audience that this new piece of media with new characters who will never be mentioned again is connected to Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Writers have to come up with reasons to include our heroic duo into the story even if makes no sense.

New York Special had to introduce American Heroes whose names rarely come up in the fandom because people stopped caring about them or their stories shortly after the release of the Special. I barely saw any content dedicated to them. In order to bring LB and CN into the story, you have to include Hawkmoth too. Gabriel suddenly needs to get his hands on the Eagle Miraculous and goes to USA. Marinette and Adrien suddenly have a class trip to New York. Unfortunately, their presence in this story is required only to expand the world of Miraculous and attract fans of the show, so that they could keep an eye on new content related to newly introduced characters.

In the end, it's not their story. Events of the special don't affect main story of the show and the development of the love square is merely an illusion, because Adrien and Marinette are no closer than before. In season 4 LB and CN are growing apart and their test of trust in NY Special doesn't matter. Perhaps, some people don't see it that way and it's their right, but I find it hard to see NYS as a valid contribution to canon. I mean, even people in large portion of the fandom state in the tags on AO3 that "specials are not canon", "specials didn't happen" or "ignores both specials". It speaks volumes about continuity and preferences of your fandom.

Shanghai Special didn't give us more information about the Order, which is located in China, history of Miraculous jewels. We still don't know much about how Gabriel and Emilie found Peacock and Butterfly. Maybe, Marinette's family had connections to Miraculous jewels. Maybe, Adrien does some snooping and discovers research his parents made while Gabriel is away. All of these are relevant to the main story. However, we got something much different in the end.

Marinette chases Adrien across the globe and they make new friends. Fey becomes Ladydragon and now has a direct contact with Marinette through her uncle. Gabriel's desire to get his hands on the Prodigious comes out of nowhere. Apparently, he had been planning this trip for years, presumably even before Adrien was born. It probably happened at the same time as Agrestes found 2 Miraculouses. He bought bracelet-key (which is also a Miraculous apparently, but its Kwami is a Guardian of the Prodigious and they existed separately for a very long time - and let us not dwell on this mess) from some shady mafia boss, who can easily find out just who Gabriel really is (fashion designer billionaire) and use this information to blackmail him. This Special didn't answer important questions, but it gave us a new superhero character.

The real question is whether Miraculous as a project will survive long enough for writers to create content for every minor character they introduced in all specials. This is only a beginning after all.

Miraculous is not a global show and it can't be globalised in a way that makes sense, at least with Ladybug and Chat Noir in the centre of action. Case closed.

Mirakung Fu

I liked the idea of Mirakung Fu introduced in "Furious Fu". It makes sense and things rarely do in this show. Miraculous grants its holder superhuman strength, stamina, endurance and ability to fight. This means that essentially transformed heroes are guided by magic in combat. There's nothing personal in the way Miraculous holders fight. You can predict their moves and learn how to fight this magic guidance, which is what Su Han does.

However, if the holder has any special training, skills or knows any martial art in their civilian life then they become more dangerous opponents during transformation because now their fighting is a mix of magical moves and their personal knowledge, tricks and style. Therefore, Adrien and Kagami as skilful fencers have more chances of winning against someone who knows Mirakung Fu than Marinette, for example.

Memory loss

At the end of season 3, we find out several things:

apparently, now Miracle Box can change appearance to suit its guardian;

when Guardian passes down the Miracle Box to someone else, they lose memories not only about everything related to Miraculous, but also about pretty much everything in their life (Fu doesn't recognise Marianne, instead he experiences the love at first sight)

Master Fu trains Marinette to be the proper holder and next Guardian off-screen. He says that her training as the holder is complete in "Feast" and wants her to become the next Guardian. Fu told her lots of things, and yet, he never mentioned the fact that he would lose his memory after relinquishing the box, nor the fact that Marinette would lose her memory afterwards. She finds out about this from Wayzz after the battle with Miracle Queen and the letter that Master Fu gave her. That's not proper training! How on Earth do you forget to mention this memory loss? How?

Master Fu's amnesia is a convenient plot device that removes him from the narrative almost completely. That's mostly all there is to it. Why? Because it doesn't make sense.

Fu was around 7 or 8 when he started his training. The disaster at the temple happened when he was 14. He stated that his training was never complete, which means that he never passed any magical ritual, never swore an oath or was bound by some kind of spell that made him subjected to the rule of memory loss.

Miracle Boxes belonged to the order, not Fu. Their design reflected their country of origin because these Miraculous were made and kept in China. They were just standing there on the shelves not magically bound to anyone in particular. When Feast attacked, monks just tossed Wang Fu the miracle box and grimoire. No one at the temple lost their memory after Fu took the box with him (Su Han is the proof). Su Han not only remembers Fu and his mistake but everything that happened that fateful day as well. In "Furious Fu" Marinette explains Su Han that Master Fu lost his memory in the very first conversation they have. However, after Ladybug and Chat Noir fight Su Han on the roof and escape with the Miracle Box, the latter searches for Fu and attempts to take his staff from him. In this scene, Su Han acts like Fu knows very well what is going on and who he is.

Su Han should be aware of the memory loss rule as the Celestial Guardian. He remarks on the different shape of the Mother Miracle Box and calls her "incorrect", which means that Su Han should have been able to easily tell that previous Guardian lost his memory and the Miracle Box is now bound to someone else. But he doesn't say anything. Moreover, since Su Han is supposed to know about amnesia, he seemed awfully chill about forcing this 14-year-old girl in front of him to give up the box and her memories. Hell, Chat Noir wasn't on board with this. But we get zero reaction from Su Han.

During the first conversation between Marinette and Su Han, he doesn't ignore what she is trying to say, instead he actively comments on every word. Even if Su Han didn't listen when Marinette told him about Fu's memory loss, than he still should be able to understand that Fu doesn't recognise him, because of common sense and the "incorrect" shape of the box. But nothing of the sort happens. Because writers apparently forgot that "memory loss" is supposed to be known to everyone in the Order. On-screen it looks like Su Han is not aware of the "amnesia rule".

"Furious Fu" makes the concept of memory loss a plothole no matter how you look at it. Just like "Timetagger" and "Chat Blanc", as well as "Kwamibuster" this episode is not consistent within itself. It does not surprise me, however.

Grimoire and Guardian Staffs

Let's talk about the Miraculous Grimoire. Good things first.

There are no illustrations of Miraculouses in camouflage. Kwami can't read its contents, only guardians can. Certain elements are written in riddles as an additional precaution. The book contains only the information people have learned so far, which means that Miraculouses have more unexplored potential ("Mr. Pigeon 72"). It describes powers of each Miraculous, provides information about weapons, has instructions for potions that don't make sense (see previous parts).

Unfortunately, everything is about to go downhill from here.

Guardians are taught how to read the writing in this book. They can read it just like people learn to read texts in a different language. This means that one can read Grimoire like any other book (you don't need to consult some guide to decode each letter or word). Master Fu proclaimed Marinette an almost fully trained Guardian. He should have taught her how to read the Grimoire then (he doesn't know the code very well, but he knew enough to understand the general meaning and content of the book according to "Collector"). He didn't. We don't know why. He shows her powers of every Miraculous but doesn't teach her the code.

Master Fu knows that Grimoire now belongs to Gabriel Agreste. He knows that it's dangerous for someone else to have it. If they knew how to read the Grimoire, they could discover all secrets of Miraculouses and harm Ladybug, Chat Noir and other heroes. It's very important to keep the information about the code top secret because Fu is not the only one with the source material.

What does he do then? Master Fu proceeds to write a French translation of Grimoire for Marinette, a translation that he doesn't even need. He carries it with him at all times on a tablet (without any precautions) just like the Miracle box after "Feast". Naturally, it means that in "Miracle Queen", Gabriel and Nathalie easily managed to get their hands on the tablet and Miracle Box. It allows the plot to happen, sure. But it doesn't make any sense.

"Furious Fu" created another curious plot hole. It will probably be ignored, of course. Su Han has a staff with a magical compass that allows him to find any Miracle box, but not the Miraculous jewels for some reason. How does the staff work? Can it locate the box without the Miraculous? If yes, then it seems useless. What's the point in the ability to locate an empty box? If it can locate the box only with the Miraculous jewels inside, it implies that the staff can track the location of every Miraculous too. So, Su Han could just locate the Butterfly and Peacock without any problem. But he talks about reassigning Ladybug and Black Cat to adults and defeating Hawkmoth like locating the Butterfly is not possible. This situation makes the Guardian Staff a simple plot device that creates plot holes and its only purpose is to explain how Su Han found Marinette.

Also, I have a few more words to say about this. Master Fu had a Guardian Staff that was never mentioned before. I wonder why? That's because the staff didn't exist before "Furious Fu" was written. Writers just went: "Do you know what would be cool? If Fu's cane was really a secret Guardian Staff with a compass all along that he decided to keep even after he lost his memory? It would make people wonder whether Master Fu is faking amnesia, and everyone will definitely call him an awful mentor after this even though we kind of tried to make him a good and responsible person."

Fu didn't give it to Marinette and didn't mention it to her. Why? When he gave up his memory, he should have written about this in his letter at least. Why did he decide to keep it? He can't use it anyway now.

Please note how in the flashbacks Fu didn't take any staff with him when he escaped the temple. Su Han seemed to know how Fu's staff looked like. It means that Master Fu didn't make this staff himself, because it belonged to the Order.

Su Han wasn't even surprised that Marinette didn't have the staff as the current Guardian. Was she not supposed to have it? He never questioned the fact that the former Guardian without memories has the staff. Su Han actually returns this staff to Fu after he is deakumatized and Fu acts like they have never met before. Why did Su Han gave the staff back when he knows what it is and to whom it should belong (to him or to Marinette as the current Guardian)? The staff is useless in the hands of the civilian. Does Marianne know about its secret? We'll probably never find out, unfortunately.

Guardian Staff of Master Fu has a compass too and therefore this also makes it a plot device, just like Su Han's staff.