#because it’s reminiscent of an (inverted) mountain

[fangrurin]

Fashion of the Great Houses of Westeros: House Arryn of the Eyrie

[cheri-translates]

[CN] 3rd Anniversary Love Carnival - Kiro

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an event which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

Kiro’s Prologue: here

3rd Anniversary Masterlist: here

[ KIRO ]

The machinery starts moving, pulling the boat slowly as it makes an upward climb. The end is dense and dark, making it difficult to see.

I’m sitting in the first row, nervously adjusting the plastic raincoat I’m wearing. When I turn my head, I see Kiro’s mouth opening and closing.

In order for the raincoat to better shield us from the splash, it comes with a zipper near the hood area, which can keep the entire head covered.

MC: Mm?

Kiro: You... vous.

MC: What?

The clamour of the crowd mixes with the sound of the machinery. Along with the plastic raincoat, I can’t hear his voice at all.

He suddenly reaches out, pulling the zipper in front of me, at the same time revealing his own face.

Kiro: Come to think of it, this raincoat is really troublesome. I said - don’t be nervous! The first attraction marks a good beginning, and is just meant to establish a foundation.

[Note] “Marks a good beginning” is translated from 开红门 (“kai hong men”). This directly translates to “opening a red door”. Keep this in mind for later :>

MC: ...is it too late for me to say that I’m regretting this?

Kiro: [laughs] Should we jump off the boat?

He smiles broadly, as though he’d jump off with me the moment I say “Let’s jump then!”.

Kiro: It’s all right! Just treat it as us climbing an upside-down mountain, paving the way to a new phase.

MC: If it’s a new phase... would it be an even more dangerous adventure?

The climbing has almost reached its end. The light streaming from the peak of the mountain gradually enters our vision, and fall onto Kiro’s sparkling eyes.

Kiro: A new phase in which I’d like you even more.

The sky is so blue that it’s akin to a tide, gently covering Kiro’s back. The entire world is quiet, as though it has stilled.

In next second, I feel my body being tilted. The splashing water suddenly blocks the entire sky, the waves swirling into arcs, like the corners of a secret smile.

Kiro: [laughs] Is it too late to pull up the raincoat’s zipper... [screams]

MC: ...probably. Ahh---!!!!

Kiro: Ahh-----!!!

The speed of the swirling water crashing back down on us is reminiscent of several explosives, splashing onto our faces.

When we reach the ground, the water, like torrential rain, evokes exclaims from visitors waiting at the side.

The boat courses leisurely along the track, towards the end point. At this moment, no one is paying any attention to the two poor souls who have been soaked to the bone.

We look at each others’ sorry state, realising that the zipper in front of our faces have only been pulled up by a quarter. We lapse into silence.

Kiro: ....haha...hahaha!!

MC: Hahaha.

Kiro: I was so close to helping you zip it up fully just now!

MC: Same for me.

At the exit, the wall displays on-ride photos from the previous group of visitors.

On one of the screens, there are two people reaching out for the other party’s face, smiling brilliantly.

Kiro and I share a glance, and walk to the service counter.

Kiro: Hello, please print the ninth picture in the first row!

Looking at the picture, I can’t help but laugh. Kiro casually sweeps his hair upwards, then smiles as he tidies my messy hair.

MC: I spent the morning applying makeup. This is truly marking a good beginning.

He uses a tissue to wipe my face. From the side pocket of the backpack I’m carrying, he retrieves a stick of lip gloss. Leaning down, he lifts my face slightly with one hand.

Kiro: Don’t move.

The stick of lip gloss lands carefully on my lips, making me so nervous that I can’t help but close my eyes. The air I breathe into my lungs contains the unique scent belonging to him.

After the lip gloss has been applied, what replaces it is an even gentler and softer touch.

It’s so quick that it seems like an illusion.

I open my eyes to see a few drenched strands of Kiro’s hair drooping downwards mischievously. The corners of his lips are lifted, and the colour on his lips and mine are similar.

Kiro: Okay, it’s “red” now.

[Note] Kiro is playing with words here by referencing both the colour of the lip gloss, and to “marking a good beginning”, which, as mentioned above, is translated from 开红门 (“opening a red door”) in Chinese!

[ PART TWO ]

Since we’re already drenched, we decide to seize this chance to try all the attractions which involve water.

Kiro: Miss Chips, let’s take a break over here!

Kiro pulls me over to sit at a corner of the hot spring resting area. Dipping my feet into the warm hot spring, I feel the fatigue in my body dissipating along with the steam.

He removes various props from his face, brushes the beads of sweat from his forehead, and releases a long sigh.

Kiro: The heat almost killed me. I can finally breathe.

MC: You’ve worked hard, big celebrity.

Kiro: It’s not hard work at all.

He leans his head against mine lightly. His feet also shift closer, sticking to mine.

Seeing our legs pressed together, my face starts to feel warm. Perhaps it’s due to the hot spring.

Kiro: Hm? MC, what’s wrong? Are you too tired from earlier?

MC: Nope! It’s just that… this hot spring is too comfortable, and I feel a little sleepy.

Kiro: Ahh… Wake up, Miss Chips! We’ve barely finished half of today’s challenges!

His expression shows concern as he turns his body to the side. Because of the movement, his toes lightly brush the sole of my foot. The other leg shifts over, accidentally rubbing against my instep.

Like a feather brushing and rubbing against my heart, bringing with it a wave of numbness.

MC: I’m awake, I’m really awake! You… just sit properly!

Kiro: [laughs] Miss Chips, why do you look so nervous?

A certain someone doesn’t seem to be aware of what happened, his big blue eyes blinking innocently.

It’s all because of you!

Although that’s what I think in my heart, my mouth starts searching for another excuse.

Kiro: [laughs] Hm?

MC: I’m just worried someone would suddenly come…

The facts show that it’s easy to regret words that have just been spoken.

Several couples walk towards us one after another, sitting on the flight of steps not too far off from us.

Seeing this image, I immediately reach out for Kiro’s face before he turns around.

He widens his eyes. Due to me being overly frantic, I exert too much strength, causing his entire person to turn over, and our legs to be entangled.

MC: …people are here!

Kiro: [laughs] I hear them.

MC: Don’t say anything!

Kiro: It’s all right. They can’t hear us.

His voice is very soft, buried in the bubbling hot spring. But the warmth of his breath is on my face, and I can’t help but hold my breath.

Kiro: I suddenly realised that my hair is a little messy right now.

MC: How can you tell?

Kiro: From your eyes.

MC: Pfft. In that case, what else can you see in my eyes?

Kiro: Hmm… I’ll have to take another look.

He shifts his head slightly closer, as though he’s truly searching for something in my eyes.

Kiro: I see…

Kiro: That MC was lying earlier.

I freeze for a moment, sensing that Kiro has placed his feet beneath mine. Stepping on them, my entire self seems to be lifted up, and I feel light as a feather.

Kiro: Do I make you very nervous?

MC: …you already know the answer.

Kiro: It can’t be helped. Miss Chips was just too cute just now.

MC: I’ll leave you to take the inverted roller coaster by yourself later!

Kiro: This punishment is too much!

Despite what he mutters, his eyes are smiling.

The couples behind us finish resting, and they get up to leave the hot spring area.

I also prepare to release our interlaced hands. However, in the next second, Kiro lifts his hand, placing mine on his face. My feet are once again tangled with his.

Kiro: I need to prepare myself for taking the inverted roller coaster by myself.

Kiro: Let’s stay like this for a while longer, okay?

[ PART THREE ]

MC: I think we need to slow down…

Kiro: Agreed.

Of course, I couldn’t bear to let Kiro take the roller coaster by himself.

We support each other by the arm, preparing to head to a more light-hearted ride.

MC: “Ready Ready”… what’s this?

Kiro: From what the guide map says, it seems to be a 4D theatre?

According to the introduction on the guide map, groups of two will be seated in a sphere-shaped cabin which will course along the tracks. The tracks don’t seem to have a large amplitude.

MC: It should be an attraction similar to “Soaring over the Horizon”. It seems pretty all right.

-

Kiro: Go! Go! Go!

MC: Wa ahh—!!!

Kiro: [laughs] M-m-m-miss Chips, hide behind me quickly!!!

The woman crawling out of the well follows behind us. Just before she reaches us, the door shuts.

The sphere-shaped cabin seems to jolt, and the image of a gigantic spaceship appears in front of us.

The yellow gorilla wearing a crown suddenly smashes through the iron wall above us, reaching out to grab us.

Kiro: MC, come see!

Outside the base, the sky is filled with wyverns. Young people who are sitting on their backs and wielding long swords greet us.

We sit on a wyvern, breaking through the large doors of the jail, crossing the lava mountain and the castle of a mage. On an uninhabited island, a pink-haired girl waves at us.

In the vast ocean, an elderly man is in a small boat. The gigantic, jade-like tail of a whale resembles a hug from the sea.

On top of an ivory tower, a man wearing a mask steps on revolving flowers, showing us a poker card.

Kiro: Hahaha, this is way too cool!!

A person stepping through the clouds next to us waves a long stick in his hand, opening a new path for us.

A panda police officer blows on its whistle, directing the wyverns to land.

When the hatch door slowly opens, I realise that this short, fantasy-like journey has reached its end.

Kiro: Even the name of the ride is a reference.

MC: That was incredible! Just how many Easter eggs are there…

Kiro: Mm… 27?

MC: …why did I only count 16?

Kiro: Let’s see!

Kiro takes my hand, explaining the various images in the ride while we walk.

MC: But there was a hotdog man at the corner, right?

Kiro: There was also a man wearing an X mask on the roof.

MC: There was a dolphin at the corner of the group of small animals.

Kiro: And behind her was a hidden white snake girl.

MC: …

Kiro: …

Our footsteps pause at the same time. Exchanging a silent glance, we turn our heads in synchrony and rush towards the ride.

Kiro: Hello! We’d like to go one more time!

-

MC: There’s a killer whale chasing someone over there!

Kiro: There’s a hot air balloon and a white dragon above the street! And that mountain!!

MC: Where did we count until?

Kiro: 31?

With our four hands together, our brains crash.

MC: Hold on, we missed it, we missed it! Over there!!

Kiro: …

MC: …

We step off the sphere-shaped cabin, more or less identifying all the Easter eggs.

What we had missed earlier was just a small image.

Kiro: [sighs, then laughs] Let’s go, Miss Chips.

I blink, staring at Kiro who looks unaffected. Then, I tug on his hand.

MC: Cough cough. I’ll give you a chance to express your opinion!

He blinks gently, a little expectant and a little hesitant.

Kiro: …won’t the third time be boring?

MC: Will you let me be bored?

What replaces his response is a full embrace.

Kiro: Of course not!

[ PART FOUR ]

The cafeterias in the Love Carnival must have gone through a lot of designing in order for moe flowers to appear easily for couples.

Every single themed cafe is packed to the brim. I hurriedly pull Kiro, who is wearing a wig, away from these “danger zones”.

There aren’t many people in the forest right now, leaving only the rustling of leaves.

MC: It’s a good thing I thought of this scenario beforehand.

Kiro: Deng deng deng deng!

When we speak in unison yet again, we retrieve picnic mats from our individual bags, and look at each other blankly.

MC: …I made enough for two. Did you also buy two sets?

Kiro: I was worried the cafeterias would be too crowded and we’d get hungry.

Kiro: But…

His voice grows soft, and I don’t know what he’s struggling with.

In the end, he purses his lips, turning his eyes to me.

Kiro: I didn’t buy them.

MC: …hm?

He chuckles in embarrassment, spreading the picnic mat smoothly on the ground, and taking out food boxes from the bag.

Seeing these food boxes, I’m left slightly stunned. Based on my memory of how long I’ve known Kiro, it seems that I’ve never had a taste of his cooking.

Kiro: I was thinking that since today is such a special day, even if we couldn’t sit in a cafeteria to have a couple set meal, we should at least have something special. I don’t want you to be left with any regrets today, so I was wondering how to make things different for you.

Kiro: And then… [laughs sheepishly] what you see in front of you happened.

I lift up Kiro’s food box. The rice has been scooped up in a crooked manner. Although the carrots could be said to be in heart-shapes, they look more like the heads of an arrow.

In the messy omelette, the ham seems to have sneaked out secretly. Perhaps it wanted to have a breath of air after being in such an enclosed space.

The octopus sausages are like blooming fireworks, hiding in the gigantic rice ball, too shy to see anyone. Meanwhile, the sandwich looks incredibly full, and it seems to have chicken drumsticks in it.

This looks like a far from perfect bento - shoddy and clumsy.

Kiro: …what’s in front of you is already the best attempt.

MC: How many times did you make this?!

Kiro: I’ll let it remain an undisclosed secret forever.

He places his palm on his chest, closing his eyes and saying this quietly.

Chuckling, I hand the bento that I’ve prepared to him. In exchange, he gives me a few minutes’ worth of praises.

MC: This seems to be the first time I’m eating what you made.

Kiro: There shouldn’t be a problem.

He looks at me with certainty. His expression is exceptionally serious, causing me to laugh aloud.

MC: Why didn’t you show this to me before?

Kiro: They weren’t good enough.

MC: Have you met your standards now?

Kiro: Of course not! I just felt… that you’d be happy with this.

His eyes are bright, akin to a sun being hidden by soft clouds which are unable to shroud the light.

This perfectionist is slowly, bit by bit, willing to display the areas he isn’t perfect in before me.

Like the tender belly of a kitten.

MC: I’m especially happy. But if something does happen, you’ll have to take responsibility.

Kiro: Of course I’ll take responsibility! Even if nothing happens, I’ll also take responsibility! [laughs] I’ll take responsibility after eating.

The afternoon sunlight is just right. The quiet forest is reminiscent of a small world, embracing us.

MC: I’ll be digging in now!

[ PART FIVE ]

The heavy Pendulum drags us far away from Mother Earth. Our feet are suspended in the air, and continuously scale to greater heights.

As of now, I’m hugging the safety bars in front of me tight.

MC: Kiro, you liar!

Kiro: I’m not! I was duped into coming here too!!

After lunch, we proceeded with the carnival challenge. After going through all the tests earlier, we had pretty much conquered a majority of the attractions in the park.

That is, aside from one of them - the Turbo Drop, which is so tall that it pierces the clouds. It looks as though it’s inviting people to scream in an unparalleled manner.

Because it looks overly frightening, and that the entrance has been designed to be hidden in an obscure place, there are extremely few visitors who ride it.

Kiro: The staff told me that this was very interesting! The entrance was a tower, and I thought it was an attraction where we could look at the scenery from a high altitude.

MC: I can understand all of this, but…

We’ve reached the peak of the Turbo Drop. Over a hundred metres in the sky, the winter air is especially cold, and the empty Turbo Drop seems even more desolate.

I feel as though my heart is already dead.

MC: Why didn’t you let go before we boarded the Turbo Drop!

Kiro: How could you bear to let me go through this on my own!

MC: I have to harden my heart during such circumstances!

Kiro: You could treat it as… us going through a hardship together.

MC: What kind of a hardship could be even more terrifying than this!

Kiro: Just think about it. Don’t novels and movies always have such scenarios? Two lovers experience some… challenge from the world.

He reaches out, gripping my hand tightly.

Kiro: By getting through the difficulty, people can see the determined love of the couple, and they eventually overcome all the barricades! As long as we complete this challenge, the future will be full of tranquil and beautiful days of enjoying each others’ company! This way, do you feel filled with courage?

MC: Does this count as Mr Kiro’s exclusive secret to success?

Kiro: This secret can’t be used by anyone. It only works when it’s related to you. Whenever I face anything frightening, as long as I have this mentality, I’ll feel omnipotent, and that there’s nothing I can’t do.

MC: In that case, me too!

I grab his hand tightly, the view beneath my feet frightening beyond compare. But because Kiro is here, I feel as though I can press on through this.

Holding him as we walk towards the end-goal, all the challenges along the way are simply temporal.

MC: Wait.

Something occurs to me.

MC: This has nothing to do with you dragging me up here.

Kiro: Haha.

The music from the Turbo Drop resounds, signalling that this frightening experience is reaching its end.

The incredibly rapid wind brushes past my ears. In the midst of the weightlessness rushing though my entire body, I hear Kiro’s words.

Kiro: If Miss Chips weren’t around, I definitely couldn’t do this on my own!!

-

With jelly-like feet, I lean against Kiro’s frame. Even so, I can’t help but sulk, my soft fist smashing against him.

MC: …“the future will be full of tranquil and beautiful days of enjoying each others’ company”?

Kiro: Welcome to your tranquil and beautiful days with Kiro.

MC: How would you know about that?

Kiro: I just know it.

His voice is soft as he leans towards my lips. It’s as though his words are at my ear, and requires some weaving before it can reach my heart.

Kiro: Because every day will be a future like this. The only difference is that there will be different kinds of beauty.

MC: in that case, what kind of beauty is it now?

Kiro: Right now…

His voice suddenly grows softer. He takes off the hat he’s been wearing all this while, and covers our side profiles.

Kiro: Lift your head, and I’ll tell you.

Fireworks event: here

[jgroffdaily]

Warning: This article contains spoilers about Frozen 2

When Frozen premiered in 2013 and didn’t feature any significant solo songs for star Jonathan Groff, some fans were understandably miffed. After all, Groff earned Tony nominations for his roles in the Broadway musicals Spring Awakening and Hamilton (maybe you’ve heard of it?), and he played Jesse St. James in the musical-comedy series Glee. In other words, the man can sing.

Much to his (and fans’) delight, Frozen 2 rectifies this issue with the ’80s soft-rock ballad “Lost in the Woods,” which his character Kristoff sings surrounded by reindeer. The scene is reminiscent of cheesy music videos of the era and is one of the film’s highlights.

Ahead of Frozen 2’s opening weekend, Groff spoke with EW about his first reaction to the song, why he was worried it would get cut, the importance of seeing “a Disney leading man with a sensitive side,” and more.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: The only solo snippet we got from you in the first Frozen was the short number “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People.” Were you aware going into the second film that people were upset that you didn’t sing more in the original? JONATHAN GROFF: Well, that’s actually funny you say that about the reindeer thing because I feel like with Frozen 2, they didn’t take the easy route, which would have been to do a re-creation of the first movie or introduce a bunch of new characters. They just sort of dug in deeper with the characters from the first movie and cooked things and expanded on them. And they told me they were going to try and write me a song for the second movie, and I couldn’t imagine how they were going to do it. And then part of what inspired that song that I get in the second film is this weird personality quirk that Kristoff has where he expresses his emotions and subconscious through that weird voice for his pet reindeer, Sven — just as many of us who have pets do weird voices for — and that was sort of a funny joke in the first movie. Then in the second movie that quirk ends up becoming an entire ’80s soft-rock jam, and it’s sort of Kristoff’s way of expressing his deep, deep emotional feelings that he has for Anna. So they took that little quirk from the first movie and then expanded it into this intimate epic ’80s number.

What was your first reaction whenever they introduced you to the song and its concept? I honestly couldn’t believe that they were going to take such a left turn. I thought, “Oh, I can’t imagine that an ’80s slow jam is going to not get cut from the final product of Frozen 2,” because it was so shocking and surprising and jarring. And I think that’s part of what makes it so brilliant in the movie. It’s also really kind of a gift for the adults watching the movie because, you know, I’ve seen it three times, and the adults in the crowd are the ones that are getting all of the kind of ’80s references in the animation and the sort of execution of the song. The kids are laughing too, but the adults are the ones that are really in on the joke, and I’m thrilled that it made it into the final cut.

It’s so funny you say that, because earlier this week I was talking with a co-worker who had taken her daughter to a screening of the film. And she said her daughter got so mad at that part because she couldn’t understand why all the adults were laughing at Kristoff. [Laughs] They’re like, “Kristoff is really going through it!” It’s so funny because it makes sense. Even when we were recording it, I talked a lot with [composers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez] about toeing the line between emotion and camp, and telling the joke of the song, but also doing it with real sincerity. Because those songs from the ’80s, they’re not making a joke. I mean, it seems like it’s funny now because they are such a music of a specific time period. But in those moments of those videos, it was a more innocent time. And there was a purity to it that we sort of laugh at now, but that purity is also actually what the character is feeling. So it was fun to kind of just have that balance of awareness and camp, but also actual emotion that maybe that little girl is plugged into, of “He’s really going through it.”

And you provided the vocals for all the reindeer in the song too, right? Yeah, I think it’s like 18 different vocal tracks that I laid in. It was the Kristoff and the Kristoff harmonies, and then the Sven background and the Sven background harmonies.

So we went from having not enough Jonathan Groff to having — Eighteen different vocal lines. [Laughs] Yeah, it’s chock-full in that particular song.

The film of course features plenty of empowering moments for young girls, but do you feel like having Kristoff sing a song might also be empowering to the little boys who are watching? I really do think so. I love that Kristoff is a Disney leading man with a sensitive side. And that’s what this song really expresses, is sort of his soulfulness. And oftentimes in entertainment, we’re seeing a man go off on an adventure and a girl left back at home singing about her feelings. And then this, as Frozen often does, they inverted it, and Anna goes off on an epic adventure and Kristoff is left to sing about his feelings and his love for her. And then when he joins the action towards the end of the film, he’s not there to sort of take control and take the spotlight. He’s there to support her. He rescues her from getting stomped on by a giant, and the first thing he says is, “I’m here for you, what do you need?” I think we really need to hear men saying that to women right now, culturally. And then at the end of the movie, she’s like, “I’m sorry that things are so crazy.” And he says, “It’s okay, my love is not fragile.” And that sort of enduring, supportive partner is, I think, a beautiful thing to have in an animated movie, both as an example for women of what they deserve and for men to take a page from Kristoff’s book.

Speaking of Kristoff’s playbook, how would you rate his proposal in the end? I think he nailed it because it came from the heart. And he meant it. He just felt it in the moment. It’s not that the other proposals were failures. It just wasn’t there. He saw it as a failure, I think, because he was feeling self-conscious, but it just was not the right time. And I think he spoke from the heart at the right time. I think that’s all you can ask when you’re expressing your deepest feelings for someone, which is just to know when the moment is to say it, and it just so happened that the three previous times weren’t the exact right moment.

A third film has not officially been announced, but if you could envision a song for Kristoff in a potential sequel, what would it be like? Oh, this is a really tough question because I couldn’t even imagine how Kristoff was going to sing in the second movie. I was like, “How are they going to get a mountain man to sing a song?” And they were so sweet, Bobby and Kristen, for saying, “We’re going to really try and get you to sing in this one.” And they ended up creating that ’80s ballad that I could have never in my wildest dreams imagined would have happened. So, I honestly have no idea.

Well, at the end of the film Anna becomes queen, which would make Kristoff the king… so maybe a riff on another song in the Disney canon, “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”? [Laughs] That’s the irony of it, though, is that that’s not what he’s angling for. He’s just there to support her. I don’t know, is he a king if really the queen is the ruler? Yes, I guess he is, technically. It’s definitely not a position that he ever was anticipating or had the ambition to have. So maybe the words would have to change if we did that song.

Frozen 2 is in theaters now.

[littleeyesofpallas]

Bleach - Name Games

Not a family by name or blood, but a kind of found family. (at least the way they were originally presented)  This time I’m tackling the Visored! And while I’m at it I want to address some of the broader thematic elements going on with their original character designs.  Buckle up, this is a long one... 

Hirako(平子) Shinji(真子)

Shinji’s name is actually kinda of a false start to this one.  His names read as “Flat-Child“ and “Real-Child“ but that’s keeping in mind that -ko(子) for “child” is actually just a really common suffix for names, and not one generally used to ascribe literal meaning.  (Typically because of its diminutive implications it denotes a female given name, but it applies neutrally to family names, and even generally is not uncommon in male names.)  So his name kind reads as “Flat Reality“ or “Flat Truth.“

But this one isn’t actually about the meaning of the words, it’s a different kind of name game.  As we all remember, when Hirako introduces himself to Ichigo’s class at Karakura High during his original entrance at the start of the Arrancar Arc, he writes his name on the board mirrored and mentions how he’s “good at doing things backwards.”  At the time it was a reference to him being a hollow (Remember that when Ichigo’s inner hollow was given a chapter cover, his “name” was Ichigo’s but written mirrored) and would later influence his zanpakutou, Sakanade(逆撫)

As an aside here, Sakanade(逆撫) has been kind of erroneously translated as “counter stroke” in English, which is technically accurate as a literal translation but is kind of needlessly vague; For one the word “Stroke” here specifically refers to the act of stroking as in petting, patting, or smoothing over, and not something like a sword stroke; secondly the “counter” here should read more obviously as “reverse,” “opposite,” or “inverted.”

Moreover, Sakanade(逆撫で) is an actual verb already, so it doesn’t actually need to be broken down in the first place.  The word actually means exactly what it sounds like as well as having a colloquial use as, “rub the wrong way.”  Yes, other than just meaning to literally “pet in the opposite direction” (as with petting a cat or dog from tail to head) it means “to irritate” or “to annoy,” (which the former action invariably does) and that is an apt description of Sakanade’s powers.

Anyway...  About Hirako’s name not being about the meaning: the joke is that whether you write the name forward or backwards 平子真子 -vs-  子真子平, you still get Shinji(真子) out of it.  As in, his name is still legible both forwards and backwards.  Plus both kanji, 平 and 真 have horizontal symmetry, so they don’t change when mirrored..

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

Okay... let’s do an easier one...

Sarugaki(猿柿) Hiyori(ひよ里)

My personal favorite Visored, has a nice straight forward name Saru(猿) as I’m sure anyone amply familiar with anime knows means “Monkey” and the Gaki(柿) is the word for the fruit “Persimmon.”  The image of a monkey in a persimmon tree references an old folktale present in various east-asian cultures about a greedy monkey who cheats other animals before eventually receiving its comeuppance at the hands of the animals it has wronged.  In this case it’s reflective of Hiyori’s general image, sandles, track suit, decidedly tomboyish and unladylike; the “mountain monkey” is a poor, rural character type in Japan, not dissimilar to the American hillbilly of the Appalachia.

In that same vein, the name Hiyori(ひよ里) has a peculiar rural slant to it, in that it uses hiragana in place of the first component.  The ri(里) is a common place indicator in surnames meaning “village” or “hamlet” but like many Japanese surnames that reference landmarks like -kawa(川)“-river,” “-yama”(山)-mountain,” and “-da”(田)”-field,” the important part isn’t actually the locale but the descriptor preceding it; Which mountain?  Which river?  Which field?  Which village?  In the case of Hiyori, it’s not clear...  The fact that the village she appears to be named after doesn’t have a kanji again lends to this impression that, like the peasants of Soul Society’s Rukongai, the person who named her didn’t know how to read or write kanji.

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Muguruma(六車) Kensei(拳西)

I think this one has gotten pretty good visibility in the fandom already because of the relation with Hisagi Shuuhei.  The eventual explanation of Hisagi’s 69 tattoo would be that it was copied directly from Kensei’s, and that Kensei’s comes from a mix of his name Muguruma, and the fact that he was captain of the Gotei 13’s 9th squad. (Personally I don’t like this explanation, and I think there’s pretty reasonable cause to assume this was a later decision and not a part of Kensei’s original conception or design.)  But the reason behind that being Muguruma(六車) Mu(六) which is the Japanese numeral “6″ and Guruma(車) meaning “wagon” and later updated to mean “car.”  In the Turn Back the Pendulum sidestory, this name is played upon in how Kubo styled Kensei’s 9th squad as a Bousouzoku(暴走族) the term for a Japanese biker gang (although they often include sports cars), where the “Six Car” reading becomes emblematic of his gang.

There’s a lot about the Bousouzoku that is culturally specific to Japan, but much of the familiar American cliches do actually carry over.  One distinct aspect of how the Bousouzoku opperate however, is that they are predominantly a youth culture phenomenon, as any wide spread, organized criminal activity among adults quickly steps on the toes of the much better established Yakuza scene.  For this reason it is very rare for Bousouzoku to persist in direct group activity into their adult years, although often bikers become easy recruitment targets for Yakuza.

Kensei(拳西) is actually an odd one for me.  It’s both super straight forward yet somehow together really obtuse.  Ken(拳) for “Fist” and sei(西) for “West;“ both are pretty singular in their meaning, so it’s not like there’s any uncertainty to what each one means, but I can’t make heads or tails of the two together.  For one,  Ken(拳) is usually something you’d see put on the end of a compound, and when it’s used that way it tends to denote a kind of martial arts style or technique.  It might still be meant to read as “Western Fist” or essentially “Western [style] Fist” and Kubo just liked the sound of Kensei over Seiken.  It might be a reference to the fact that Kensei’s original design was largely reminiscent of a kind of military look and feel, with a combat knife for a zanpakutou, short hair, combat boots, and pants that look like they could be part of military fatigues. (the tank top sorta throws the look off, though.)  But this was a theme that was dropped by the time the Visored got reincorporated into the story after their long absence.

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Yadoumaru(矢胴丸) Risa(リサ)

...is another odd one.  Her surname, Yadoumaru(矢胴丸)  has pretty clear implications, Ya(矢) means “arrow” and dou(胴) means “hull” as in the part of a ship, and maru(丸) doesn’t actually have an explicit meaning.  The kanji does generally mean “round” or “whole” both in reference to a circle, but it is most notably a suffix used in naming both naval ships, and frequently boys.  Given the rest of the name the imagery seems clear, Yadoumaru(矢胴丸) is meant to read as “Arrow-Hull Ship.“*  And although the uniform has heavy ties to school girl aesthetics and fetishism (which in turn link to her preoccupation with adult books) the tie here actually seems to be to the origins of the Japanese school girl uniform as a modification of the European naval uniforms introduced to Japan in the 1800s.

*edit: I’m an idiot.  A Yadou(胴丸) is the sleeveless chest plate and skirt piece in traditional samurai armor, which also carries over into kendo sports armor.

Adding to this, the name RISA (sometimes romanized as LISA) being written in katakana and not kanji or even hiragana works together with the naval associations would seem to imply she’s of mixed birth?  Possibly the daughter of a foreign naval officer stationed in Japan, hence a Western name and a ship as a surname?  In fact, most Japanese ships would be named after some mythical figure or indeed named like a person, so the literal descriptor of “Arrow-hull” actually sounds like what someone would call a ship they didn’t know the name of, tacking “-maru” on to the end.

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Let me also take a moment here to complain about the fact that Kubo originally wrote Rabu(ラヴ) and Roozu(ローズ) as katakana, pretty clearly denoting them as the English words LOVE and ROSE and while those seem pretty implicitly like nicknames it also implied in conjunction with their designs that they were both foreigners.  So the fact that he retconned them to being nicknames based on more conventionally Japanese when he decided to make them previously SoulSociety shinigami names bugs me...  But that being said

Aikawa(愛川) Rabu(羅武)

Man, what is it with Kubo and black people and “love” gimmicks?  Zomarri’s Amor, and PePe’s The Love, Love’s whole thing...  The name Aikawa(愛川) means “Love River,” and Kubo’s clever shorehorning of kanji into the phonetics for Rabu that he’d already used for the nickname Love use  Ra(羅) for “silk,” but specifically a thin or sheer kind, and bu(武) for “warrior”/”soldier.“  The associations with sheer silk and negligee seem very intentional, so his name really is basically “flowing love, [sexy] silk soldier.“  And that’s it, it’s actually super straight forward.  I dunno why he looks like an unemployed slacker, in a tracksuit and sneakers, lounging around reading manga, though.

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Otouribashi(鳳橋) Roujuurou(楼十郎)

This might be my favorite as far as name games within the Visored.  The given name Roujuurou(楼十郎) means “Watchertower 10 Son;” Rou(郎) being an exceedingly common suffix in boys names meaning “son.” (this is incidentally how anyone with a rudimentary familiarity with Japanese knew for certain Yuushirou(四楓院) was a boy at first glance, where as a bunch of other people thought he was a girl.  In case any of you were around certain fandom circles for that whole drama...  More on him later though, because he’s got a fun name too.)  It’s not super clear if the arrangement here denotes the “Son of the 10th Watchtower [family],” or the “10th Son of the Watchtower [family].”

The surname Otouribashi(鳳橋) is a great little work of poeticism, where Outouri(鳳) is the Japanese name of the Chinese Feng(鳳) which in the most colloquial sense could be translated as “Phoenix,” but there’s a little more to it than that...

See, the Feng is itself the male half of the mated pair of mythical birds together called the Feng-Huang(鳳凰).  The Japanese pronunciation Outori is actually directly taken from Ou(王) meaning “King” and Tori(鳥) meaning “bird.”  The mythical Feng-huang is in fact king of birds, but more broadly represents a union of yin and yang, and is a common visual element of Chinese weddings evoking harmony.  As a part of this theme of unity it is said to share features of many different birds, and also of the 5 fundamentally opposed colors associated with Chinese daoism and fengshui: Red, Blue/Green, Black, White, and Yellow.  This particular feature has been tweaked over time to depict the Feng-huang as more broadly multicolored, and associated with the rainbow.  (it’s also the basis of the Pokemon Ho-oh, if that wasn’t apparent)  For a number of different mythological similarities, the Feng-huang have become erroneously thought of as “the Chinese phoenix,” but I’m not going to get into all that here...

So, getting back to the name, Bashi(橋) means “Bridge.”  The, again false equivalence based, but more easily understood translation of Otouribashi(鳳橋) thus being “Phoenix Bridge.”  But what is shaped like a bridge and directly associated with the Feng?  A rainbow.  His family name is just a really fanciful and kind of poetic reference to a rainbow.  In conjunction with the “Watchtower” referenced in the name Roujuurou(楼十郎) I’m tempted to take to the meaning of “10th [Floor of the] Watchtower Son” as it implies a high floor, and in the common mythological motif of rainbows as actual physical structures, a high tower would be the sensible entry point to a rainbow bridge. 

Also this is why he has a bird mask.

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Kuna(久南) Mashiro(白)

Let me just come right out and say that I haven’t got a damn clue on this one.  Mashiro(白) means “White.” Ku(久) means “long time,” na(南) means “South.”  She dresses like a super sentai character, specifically one of the original Himitsu Sentei Goranger team, and her mask is a nod to Kamen Rider, with its antenna and big round bug-eyes.  I don’t really see a connection with the name and the tokusatsu theme though.

Small aside, Tokusatsu is a genre of Japanese TV and film that was originally named for its emphasis on special effects like camera tricks and editing in post, used most noticeably in children’s shows like Super Sentai and Kamen Rider.  That distinction became less and less relevant as special effects became more widespread, and so it is now used mostly to refer to live-action costumed super hero shows.

Super Sentai is btw the source material for the American franchise, Power Rangers, from which Saban Entertainment originally bought the footage that they would cut together with their own original footage, and later from which they would buy the costumes in order to shoot their own shows from scratch.

Also of note is that Ishinomori Shoutarou, author of the original Cyborg 009, was also the original show creator of Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.  His work created the transforming(henshin) hero, the body suit and helmet aesthetic, and the heroic billowing scarf, effectively inventing the Japanese superhero almost single-handed.

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Ushouda(有昭田) Hachigen(鉢玄)  

Another funky one...  “[To] Exist [in] a Shining Field” might be the best way to read Ushouda(有昭田)?  Its really the U(有) that gives me trouble here, as it just means “Exist”/”Existance.”  And Hachigen(鉢玄) seems to read Hachi(鉢) meaning “bowl” and Gen(玄) meaning “deep,” “mysterious” and in certain contexts “occult.”  I’m not sure if that “deep” is really a physical deepness or just a sort of “profoundness” that would fall more in line with “mysterious” and “occult.”

Either way I think the general meaning is actually pretty clear, “bowls of rice from a shining field” evoke an image of kind of mythical field of magical produce, eating from which grants a kind of magical quality and sustenance.  In other words, his name is saying that Hachi is such a huge guy and so gifted at magic because he ate a lot of food that grants magic power.

I have no idea why he has the tux or the shaved hair though.  Stage magician?  Fancy gourmand?  But again then why the shaved head and the cross bones?  And Kubo did eventually come up with for him is strangely Balinese looking?  It seems reminiscent of Barong, king of spirits; A benevolent lion/bear monster that defends mankind from Rangda, the demon queen and master of blackmagic.  But apart from the superficial appearance and broad ties to magic, there’s not a lot really tying the two together.

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It’s hard not to just go off on all the weird little design choices, and loose ends, dropped plot points, and retcon’d details that surround the Visored in Bleach.  They really were just such a great concept utterly wasted by terrible pacing and some truly confusing priorities as far as publication goes, eithe ron Kubo’s part, editorial, or both...  But that’s a story for another time...

[theangrypokemaniac]

Shunned by all decent, God-fearing folk for centuries, Alola's isolation has fueled an unnatural way of looking at the world.

Rattatas were such a problem they imported Yungoos and Gumshoos from another region to control numbers.

Then why are they classed as Alola Pokémon?

Once purple, the climate has inexplicably transformed 'Retarda' into a black rat, which:

A. Eat their own babies.

B. Carry bubonic plague.

If that's not a winning combination, this beast now comes replete with the comedy villain moustache of a wartime spiv offering nylons to flustered housewives, and a side order of bovril if she's optional.

I presume facial hair on a furry scamp is what I see, not another set of polyps tearing through his face, having blocked the nasal cavity.

Raticate wasn't the prettiest of creatures, yet Alola's offering exceeds that low bar considerably.

Countless surveys attest to the dramatic boost in popularity the rodent community receives when stuffed so full they're ready to throw up.

Hey, don't knock it. Raticate are very picky in their eating habits.

It's a rat. They live in sewers. It gnaws every surface available.

Now yer telling me they're effete and squeamish?

Yes. In fact, such is their famed fastidiousness an infestation is a welcome development for restaurants.

...

Yer what?

It's true. Count yerself lucky to find a kitchen swarming with rodents. You certainly are in for a taste sensation.

Indeed. I am reminded of an early Pokédex entry on Raticate, describing its 'disgusting feet'.

Fancy them stinking tootsies treading through the crème brûlée?

And I thought they were vermin to be eaten by mongooses (mongeese?), but now caterers crave their company?

Make yer mind up!

Animals dwelling in human excrement, never mind their own, add such flavour to a meal.

Should I object to the presence of canonically dirty Pokémon in a food preparation area, I'd be the weirdo.

What a comfort that is to know.

This insalubrious patronage gets yer shut down elsewhere, but Alola's standards of hygiene are low, so low they rebranded plague rats a positive rather than bothering to dust once in a while.

If Marsh Mallow really desires a Michelin Man star for the caff she'd best designate the cleaning to her lazy-arsed dad. Then it won't be done.

Come on, he's a waster if ever there was one. He's so thick a gorilla taught him to cook, being part ape himself.

Invert the middle letter of 'Abe', and what d'yer get?

Leave Monkey Man to his own devices and the whole place will descend into a prize-winning shit-tip in no time.

That's where yer going wrong, love! There's not enough botulism at your gaff!

All I can express is relief there aren't cockroach Pokémon. Can you envision the threat to public health were they to be encouraged?

...

I'll have you know Pheromosa is very wary of germs.

You keep lying to yerself if it helps.

Yeah, because Alola cockroaches are special, so much more sophisticated than anyone else's.

So much more sexy than cockroaches in lesser parts of the world.

Yeah, it's come to that.

Biohazards Grimer and Muk are a most unsettling presence.

A supposed island paradise of endless fruit groves, clean streams and forests, should not feature sentient gunge.

Besides the technicolour nightmare, the heat has produced an unfortunate sticky side to their gooey nastiness.

Reminiscent of slugs, various detritus adheres to their bodies, to the extent cat litter lodges in their empty gums like soiled teef.

What a lot of mess there is about the streets, much more than anywhere else. Seems the populace are content to reside in their own filth.

Not true. Grimer and Muk were brought in to deal with a mountain of rubbish.

Oh? It was as I said then.

The picture painted brings to mind the wasteland of Parallel Alola, without having Guzzlord to blame.

This teaches us three things about the locals:

1. Litter doesn't chuck itself in the bushes.

For all the yawnsome preaching about living in harmony with the environment, there's a rampant lack of respect for Mother Nature.

Don't come here moralising! Yer've been fly-tipping!

2. They feed trash, dyed with luminous toxic chemicals, to Pokémon.

Pancakes is just a ruse!

Damage to D.N.A. is now obvious, given the paranoid stare in those haunted eyes.

It's not enough to use living things as bins, they're infecting 'em too!

Sod what long-term effects this may have on life expectancy, Alolans demand their rights.

These privileges being to desecrate the landscape with abandon, and someone else can clear it up.

Look at 'em! I bet they glow in the dark!

3. Incest has a shockingly deleterious effect on the mental faculties.

Can't we just burn it?

NO! The polar bears are drowning! Avoid that at all costs!

Chuck it in the sea like the recycling plants?

NO! Turtles eat shopping bags! We want an eco-friendly solution.

How about nuclear waste?

That's the ticket!

Why sweep the roads yerself when rancid slime can be shipped in as slaves?

That's Grimer, such a pollutant no life can exist in its wake, and Muk, who spreads disease?

Yes, and then we'll let it loose to multiply.

What could go wrong here?

[ratbound]

EXPEDITION II.             – THE MISTWOOD. 

–– You hadn’t thought you were doing anything wrong. In your mind it was just a normal camping trip, albeit into a forest deeper than most. There wasn’t much that you had heard about the Mistwood, other than its general location. You prepared everything you thought you would need; food, water, supplies to make a fire, a simple first aid kit, and most importantly… a tent. In a way, you were trying to prove that you were able to do something like this on your own. Trying to prove that you were capable of surviving, gathering information, and being useful. 

You left notes of course, and at least let your brother, Haru, and Shouto know you’d be away camping for the weekend. 

It seemed to be going well, at least at first. Most of what you found were old ruins that behaved in strange ways, inverting only when you saw them from the corner of your eye. Thinking that maybe you were seeing things or reached a point of exhaustion, you decided to wander a short distance away from them to set up camp. Settling down with your notebook, you jotted down your findings as you ate the mushrooms you’d foraged. They were tough, and tasted burnt from being left on the fire too long, but you stomached them regardless. 

Eventually you stopped trying to find the right words to describe what you saw, and went to sleep. The forest was nice and warm, and despite the uneven ground, you sunk into the kind of sleep that goes right down to your bones. It’s the sort of comfort that only comes after a long stint of gardening, once your body believes that it’s truly earned it.

It’s for that reason you almost don’t wake when you hear a sharp crack echoing in the distance, your eyes slipping shut once more until you feel the slightest pressure against the shell of your ear. A child’s voice speaks in a whisper, as if they’re telling you a secret.

     “ You should go mister, they’re coming. They’ll be here soon. They’ll eat until there’s nothing left of you.” 

You jolt upright, heart pounding in your throat as you take in the words. Who would let a child come out this far? Did you just dream it? Stay still for a few moments, contemplating on what to do before another crack sounds in the distance. You decide to take the risk and leave your tent. If there’s a child lost somewhere in the woods, you should try to help them get home, now. 

When you look around, however, the only thing left in the fog is the shape of the shifting buildings you had wandered through earlier. Beyond the old stone, and the hoots and howls, you hear another large crack. It’s close. Close, and too large to be a deer or a bear. 

Normally you’d rely on where the rats of the forest would take you. Away from the danger. However, they don’t come, and you can't will them to. The child’s voice never returns, either. 

You decide that going home early might be a better idea. However, you make the mistake of going back into the buildings, thinking that maybe the child you heard might be scared and hiding there. You leave the tent where it is, taking your backpack and nothing else. 

The inversion of the buildings seem to have become more aggressive, you notice. You try to focus on shining your flashlight in every corner, hoping to find the owner of the child you heard earlier. The cracking from outside has stopped, or at the very least, you believe you’ve navigated far enough from the source. It’s at this point you brave calling out a bit louder. 

“Hello? If you’re here, please, come out. I only want to-” you call to the child as you round a corner of a building, but your voice is cut short as heat hits your face. It takes a moment to register the damp breath, and the fact that you are staring at teeth in the darkness. 

Then they begin to open, and draw nearer as you watch in horror. You only barely manage to surge backwards before jaws clamp down, inches from your face. The teeth open again, but this time you realize they’re coming. You jump back to get as much distance as possible before turning to run. There’s only a split second where you see the face attached to the maw, its flesh pulled too far forward to be human despite the shape being so reminiscent. It’s eyes are beady, sunken in so far that you’re sure it can barely see. But you don’t think it needs to. It can tell where you are. 

It had been hanging from the ceiling before, but you hear it drop behind you as it ambles after you on too long limbs. The creature lets out a sound like metal against metal, yet somehow guttural and undulating. It’s a horrible sound that vibrates through you, and you nearly trip from shock. It’s enough to make the trees you dodge through feel less real than they are. 

The ground shakes around you as you try to escape, and once again, it screams. You smash into a tree, rolling down a short hill. You try to get your legs to move, but they do so too late. You feel something sharp pierce into your front, knocking the wind out of you in a way you can barely comprehend. You transform almost immediately. Your bag drops with loud thud where your body used to be. In the corner of your mind, you barely register the sound of thundering weight shifting, and then quickly leaving.

It’s the last thing you remember when you wake up, autumn leaves bigger than you are collecting against your pile of clothes, and your bag. 

Your body feels too heavy to move, and your mouth is incredibly dry, filled with a bitter taste that makes your eyes water. Despite the weight on your small shoulders, you struggle with one paw to look over the mountain that is your bag. 

The buildings are nowhere to be found, and instead, you find yourself alone by a pool of water illuminated by rays of moonlight. The gurgling rush of a distant waterfall would be enough to lull you back to sleep, were it not for the searing pain blooming under the fur covering your side. 

You try to close your eyes, to let yourself fade back into the comfort of the dark. But each time you do, the waterfall seems to become louder as if it’s asking you to stay – to not give up just yet. 

You crack your eyes open. It seems far away, but by the time you’ve struggled to the water’s edge and taken a drink, you hardly notice the time that’s gone by at all. Cold coats the sore edges of your throat, and without any strength left, you fall into the water. It’s all you can do to keep your snout above the rippling current, clinging to the edge as you fade out again. 

In the morning light, the world is smaller again. You’re on a trail, clothes and bag next to you as if someone had set them there for you to find. Red wounds still bloom along your arm and your ribs, but they’re far cries from the gashes they once were, threatening to take you into sleep.

You shakily dress yourself, remembering the voice you heard, and the beast you saw. It feels as if it happened weeks ago, though it couldn’t have been more than a few hours. You wonder... if you hadn’t transformed, what would have become of you? Would you have lived? Would that beast have left?

It causes you to pause.

That thought stays with you as you make your hobble your way to the edge of the forest, your body heavy, almost too sluggish to go on. You send a text to Haru, once you reach the edge of the city, sending a location signal before propping yourself up on a lone tree. 

It isn’t until you see a tuft of Haru’s white hair coming over the hill that the pressure you’d felt in your throat builds, and your eyes begin to sting. It’s in that moment you realize all of the things you almost lost. It isn’t until you see him that you realize you get to go home today, and see the people you were risking your life for. You had thought you’d lost them, all because you felt like you needed to do this on your own. All because you didn’t think to ask one of them to come with you.

 You cry as you realize that, more than anything, you want to see your brother. You don’t care what crazy story he tells you, just so long as he stays by you while you go to sleep. You want Haru to pick on you in that fond way of his, telling you jokes you don’t quite understand. You want to play video games with Badou again, and see get him riled up over it. You want to tell Hatori you’re sorry for snapping at him the first chance you got, instead of telling him that you know he’s hurting too. You want to tell Rin that you’re tired of being at odds with her, and tell her you want to understand how she looks at the world. 

You want Honda-san to come back home, so you can show her what you’ve learned to cook while she’s been away. You want that stupid cat to come back to haunt you, so that she can smile so brightly it lights up a whole home. 

You want to go to school, and garden with Shouto. You want to eat zaru soba with him, and fall asleep next to him again. Like you did in your dreams.

And you realize, it’s all possible. You get to do those things now because when you needed it the most, you were able to turn into a rat. 

You don’t know how to process this realization. The feelings are complicated, and have a long history that can’t just be changed in a day. 

But you won’t forget. You’re alive. 

[doge-w-a-bloge]

Ah, I've been meaning to send another ask yesterday, but somehow forgotten about that orz. I've looked at that theory you linked before, and it does sound very convincing! I can't think of anything else to contribute to the theory, but I've been wondering if there's any sort of meaning from FriskChara's color inverted shirt (and the fact they have the same soul type) From UT's view point, most people used to chalk it up as the difference between good vs evil, [1/3]

only later on we learned that it certainly was not the case. The theory that Frisk is somehow Chara’s reincarnated soul doesn’t feel right either, because not only they both should not exist simultaneously, the inverted color scheme feels like it’s making a point about them being polar opposites of each other rather than their similarities (contrary to what most reincarnation trope suggest) [2/3]

Looking @ Kris and their suspicious design choices…I cant help to feel that it will somehow be a quite important plot point in Deltarune. [3/3]            

First of all, a little nitpick… Frisk and Chara’s shirts are very loose approximations of inverted colors at absolute best, so I don’t think their shirt colors are part of some “opposites“ metaphor. Chara’s shirt is probably first and foremost designed to match Asriel’s shirt (and the golden flowers), anyways.

(I also don’t really think of Frisk and Chara as “polar opposites.“ Different people? Yes. But they’re implied to have similar reasons for climbing the mountain noone returns from…)

And Frisk’s soul being Chara’s soul reincarnated is…technically not impossible? After all, Chara’s consciousness seems to currently be fueled by DT-awakened soulless “essence,” just like Flowey/Asriel’s consciousness is. They exist separate from their original SOUL, which could still be out there.

It’s not a theory I strongly believe, but it’s not a theory i strongly disbelieve, either. (Maybe I’m just used to the idea of characters co-existing with their own reincarnations from various fandoms I’ve been in as a child and teen, though…)

As for the last thing… Kris’ clothes are similar to Chara’s, and the shadows over their eyes are also reminiscent of Chara’s depiction in the sepia flashbacks in UT… but their hair color and skin tone are also exact matches for Frisk, and their name is reminiscent of both characters’ names. Whether it’s just a red herring, or something more meaningful, still remains to be seen.

At the very least, it’s interesting that they act as an expy for both Chara and Frisk, while the other party members have only one UT “counterpart“: Asriel (including Flowey) for Ralsei, and the still-mysterious city-girl “Suzy” for Susie.

[friedaromo186-blog]

The Professionals And Cons Of Slot Antennas

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[theseadagiodays]

June 8, 2020

Art in Isolation

Artists listed clockwise from top right: Miriam Tingle, Shaheer Zazai, Ariel Shea, Veronica Pausova

I think, for me, there has been no group of people for whom I’ve had more empathy during this pandemic than those inside care homes.    I recognize that many of these facilities provide stellar support for their residents, as they struggle with ill health.  And I can think of nothing more honorable than a profession that allows people to face end of life as gracefully as possible.  However, I still think that there is a good reason why so many of us carry fear about such places.  Particularly given the restrictions imposed on these facilities during Covid, residents are now faced with what, perhaps, most chronically terrifies humans: the possibility of dying alone.  The Japanese even have a word for this - kodokushi or lonely death.

Thankfully, nursing homes and hospices have made extensive efforts to ameliorate these fears.  They are arranging regular digital communication for patients, with their loved ones.   And artists are also addressing this problem in very meaningful ways.  

Vancouver pianist, Matthew Li has been playing virtual performances for isolated patients all over Canada. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-may-4-2020-1.5554395/this-classical-pianist-is-offering-hospital-patients-virtual-private-music-recitals-1.5554784   And there are many other performers doing the same.

Also, this Toronto artist/curator team has organized an art donation program that has succeed in collecting over 200 original works, from the artists themselves (see photo above), to deliver (with fully compliant sanitary measures) to nursing homes in their area. https://cdnartinisolation.format.com/works-test

What’s important to acknowledge is the fact that end-of-life caregiving is a two-way street.  Sometimes, those in palliative care are less afraid to die alone than their loved ones are to be denied the opportunity to serve, comfort and seek closure.  So, it is beautiful that these gestures of music, and art, and video calls can soothe the souls of everyone involved.  

June 9, 2020

Making Lemonade

I don’t know about you, but lately, I feel like I’m drinking an awful lot of lemonade (and yes, sometimes spiked!).   Don’t get me wrong.  I usually love lemonade.  In fact, there are summer days when the craving hits me so hard, I can focus on nothing until it’s quenched.  I guess there’s something about the bittersweetness and resiliency of a drink that turns lemons into lemonade which usually attracts a “path-of-most-resistence” girl like me.  However, if I’m to be completely honest, I’m beginning to run out of Plan B’s.  Sure, there have been plenty of really tasty ones so far.  Like the socially distant private cocktail class for 6 that we gifted two of our friends (with us & their partners), when their big 40th & 50th birthday plans went caput with Covid.  One had hoped for a trip abroad with his family.  The other had booked a large venue and invited 100 friends and family for his now cancelled-‘til-‘21 bash.  So, mixing maitais and shaking whiskey sours as a back-up plan certainly wasn’t half-bad.  Then, there is the fact that my treasured local pool (a rare ,137-meter swimming facilty right on the ocean, available to the public for only $4 per visit) hasn’t opened this season, and probably won’t all year.  So, what did I do?  I rushed out to buy a 1 mm spring wetsuit, intent on “ocean hiking’ instead.  My inaugural swim, last Sunday night, down wind and down current, surrounded by mountains and the cityscape, which ended just below an eagle perched only 20-feet overhead, was an admittedly euphoric moment.  

So, believe me, I know I have no right to complain.  I’m just recognizing that, currently, I feel like I’ve pretty much tapped my creative juices to the max, which means that I’m looking for things to fuel my imagination for the months to come.  In my quest, I stumbled upon this particularly sophisticated back-up plan, which I imagine will be inspiration for many.

The Kanneh-Mason family is likely the most famous musical family you’ve never heard of.  All seven, that’s right, seven of these siblings are top-shelf classical musicians, conveniently covering nearly the full string family with 2 violinists, 3 pianists, and 2 cellists.  And, remarkably, their parents, who moved from Sierra Leone to England, where the children were raised, had only minimal exposure to musical instruments as kids.  Sheku, the third eldest, may be the most reknowned, having had his debut Carnegie Hall cello recital at just 20.  However, right by his side was his older sister Isata (23) on piano.  And it’s the lemonade that she recently squeezed out of a bum lemon which inspires me right now.  She’d been excitedly waiting for her upcoming Royal Albert Hall debut, a performance of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, originally scheduled for April 18th.  So, once it was cancelled, as all family phenoms do, the five oldest kids, shoeless and in sweats, performed a string trio and double piano arrangement of the piece from their living room, in a livestream performance on the exact concert date.  Even more notable than the oodles of talent and sensitivity that pour out of this one family, is what seems to be their genuine humility and gratitude, amidst the disappointment of a postponed dream, just for the opportunity to share their passion, even in far from hoped-for circumstances. #glasshalffull

https://www.classicfm.com/artists/sheku-kanneh-mason/family-isata-beethoven-live-stream/

June 10, 2020

Poet as Witness

Interestingly, this has become a very poetic moment in our lives.  This time, rife with fear and heightened emotions, has been witnessed, as poets do so well, with acuity and depth of vision.  Somehow, the poet as witness is able to observe something too large for most of us to contain, and then distill it for us into digestable doses that cut right to the bone.   I’ve heard many people speak of inboxes replete with verses sent from friends meant to comfort or console.  And it has felt appropriate and almost necessary for me to leave people at the end of each of my weekly guided meditations with a relevant poem that they can sit with.  The publishing world has recognized this need for poetry, too.  Consequently, Random House has, with lightning speed, put out a compilation of poetic work created during this period.  Together in a Sudden Strangeness was released today.  And in one entry from this stunning collection, Joshua Bennett’s raw words speak to the helplessness that he felt when he was not allowed to accompany his pregnant wife to her ultrasound during Covid.

Dad Poem by Joshua Bennett

No visitors allowed is what the masked woman behind the desk says only seconds after me and your mother arrive for the ultrasound. But I’m the father, I explain, like it means something defensible. She looks at me as if I’ve just confessed to being a minotaur in human disguise. Repeats the line. Caught in the space between astonishment & rage, we hold hands a minute or so more, imagining you a final time before our rushed goodbye, your mother vanishing down the corridor to call forth a veiled vision of you through glowing white machines. One she will bring to me later on, printed and slightly wrinkled at its edges, this secondhand sight of you almost unbearable both for its beauty and necessary deferral. What can I be to you now, smallest one, across the expanse of category & world catastrophe, what love persists in a time without touch.

Other poets have found a more literal way to turn some of this current hopelessness on its head.  And their reflexive approach is not new.  The violin duet, Der Spiegel (score above), often wrongly attributed to Mozart but written by another 18th century unnamed composer, is meant to be performed with Player One reading from top to bottom, and Player Two from bottom to top.  Cleverly, the two parts have unique yet complementary melodies that make a cohesive whole when performed together.   Similarly, Britt MacKinnon’s poem, Covid 19 Outlooks manages to paint a realistic picture of the simultaneously bleak and hopeful perspectives that many of us vascilate between, right now.  You just have to make sure to read it in reverse after you’ve read it from top to bottom.

I have no hope or control. Nobody can convince me that I still have a future. I recognize that I am safe and loved But I am overwhelmed by fear This situation dictates my daily well-being. I refuse to believe that There is a bright future ahead. Our world is disrupted. No longer do I feel that We have support and help from our leaders. During self-isolation. I am reminiscing and dreaming. Now I cherish the good old days. My way of life Changing Because of COVID-19

June 11, 2020

Dance On!

The fluctuating moods expressed in MacKinnon’s poem can be found in an abundance of art created during this time.  Mark Morris is known for his music-driven choreography and unorthodox elegance.  One of my former in-laws, Rita Donahue also danced with his company for many years, which adds an even more personal interest to my fandom.    His wide range of styles and moods is well-illustrated in the three pieces that comprise his latest virtual offering, Dance On!  From the uncomfortability of his discordant Lonely Waltz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hfkn4FI2CI) to the raw, visceral desperation of Anger Dance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mdAmS81E0Q) to the comic simplicity and object puppetry used in Sunshine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKAt2vBlMRw), the emotional evolution that I had as an audience member was much like the shift I experienced reading the poem above, upside down.   Geoff and I have always loved handstand therapy as an effective mood booster.  So, I’m taking this as a reminder to bring more inverted poses into my life.

June 12, 2020 

Rap & Gown

I have a confession.  As a rapper-wanna-be, flutist, with long curly hair and a name that begins with L, I secretly believe that Lizzo is my alter ego.     With her chutzpah, self-love and straight-talk, I think she is a prime role model for people of all ages and races.  And strong voices like hers are exactly what we need at this time.  Obviously, others agree, because she was invited to inspire stay-at-home graduates with her silver sounds on this collaborative performance of Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance with the New York Philharmonic.  Now, that’s a grad ceremony that should have been worth coming out of quarantine for!

https://www.classicfm.com/artists/new-york-philharmonic/lizzo-plays-flute-class-of-2020-youtube-ceremony/

[sistercelluloid]

Seeing a pristine print of a favorite film on the big screen—and then listening to one of the stars reminisce about it afterward? Now that’s a Big Night.

Last night, RogerEbert.com editor-at-large Matt Zoller Seitz presented the 1996 classic as part of his fabulous “Movies with MZS series” at the IFC Center in New York’s West Village. Normally after seeing this film, audience members scramble into the streets, starving and salivating, to the nearest Italian restaurant, or even a pizzeria if that’s the only thing handy. But this time, as the closing credits rolled, Tony Shaloub and Seitz took the stage. And a great conversation made us forget how hungry we were.

Here are some of the many highlights:

In the original run-throughs, with just a script at hand but no financing, Shaloub played Pascal. But by the time they were ready to roll, they decided he and Tucci—who were good friends and close in age—should play the brothers, Primo and Secondo. Then Giancarlo Giannini was slated to play Pascal, but backed out at the last minute. (Kind of making him the real-life Louis Prima.) Far from having to settle, though, they snagged Ian Holm for the role. “I idolized him from the time I was an acting student,” Shaloub recalled, his voice breaking up. “He was just… so great.” (And now, could you picture anyone else playing Pascal?)

How did Big Night end up with two directors, Stanley Tucci and Campbell Scott (who also played Bob, the cheerfully relentless car salesman)? Shaloub explained that because Tucci is in almost every shot, he wanted a second pair of eyes, and he and Scott had known each other since high school and had a great rhythm together. What was it like with two men behind the lens? “It was great,” said Shaloub. “I felt like I had twice the help, twice the input.”

Asked if it feels different to be guided by actors as opposed to full-time directors, Shaloub smiled and put his hands over his heart. “Oh yes. Oh yes. They know what you’re going through. You feel safe.” But, he added, they also nudge you to get out of your comfort zone, even as they protect you. Tucci and Scott also helped him work out Primo’s feelings toward Ann (Allison Janney): Did he really have a crush on her, or was he just doing what others expected of him? Turns out yeah, he was kinda crazy about her, as was Shaloub about his co-star: “Allison, she’s so open, she has such a big heart.”

Shaloub was surprised that a couple of bits of business he added on his own were kept in by Tucci, including one where the shy Primo—who, he said, “would really rather just stay in the kitchen”—climbs into the display case while picking out flowers with Ann. “Stanley said ‘That was a little cheap!’” he laughed. “But then used it!”

You know that awkward pause in the scene where Primo can’t understand why Secondo laughs when he says “It’s raining outside”? It was genuinely awkward. One of the actors—Shaloub couldn’t recall which—went up on his line, and you can actually see the discomfort on Tucci’s face as he looks from one co-star to the other. Holm finally broke the silence with “What the fuck?”

When it came time to master his Italian accent, Shaloub reminded Tucci that he had a bit of a head start after playing Antonio Scarpacci on Wings for five years. “No,” Tucci drolly shot back. “Not that accent.” He ultimately had two dialogue coaches to help him nail it. Tucci, on the other hand, speaks fluent Italian. “Sometimes [when we were going back and forth] he’d start to improvise,” Shaloub laughed. “And I’d be there like… I got nothin’.”

Shaloub also got some coaching with the cooking, working in restaurants on both coasts (and for years after, scoring scads of free meals from chefs who adored the film). Tucci, who wrote a family cookbook in 2012, already knew his way around the kitchen—as is clear in the film’s final, extraordinary scene, where the camera is a still, silent witness as Secondo, Cristiano (Marc Anthony) and Primo recover from the night before, and the brothers literally fall back on one another as the screen goes black. Because it’s all shot in one long take, the slightest misstep would have shattered everything. “I think we ended up getting it in about six takes,” said Shaloub. “And Stanley, flipping those eggs, got it right every time.”

Oh and no mention of Big Night would be complete without talking about the timpano.

In the New York Times review of the film, the dish got its own sidebar, with Frank Bruni calling it “an impressive, delectable mountain of perfectly cooked pasta, tender meatballs, egg and salami, swathed in a rich ragu and folded all together in a lissome dough. It is an excavation to eat this, and one to be undertaken slowly, carefully, so as to catch every prism of flavor. The vivid compliments given to this in the film Big Night are unrepeatable here, but we are sure you’ll find some choice adjectives of your own.”

We’ll leave you here with the recipe, which includes links to the meatballs and sauce in Tucci’s cookbook. Hope you weren’t planning on doing anything else this holiday season. Mangia!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH

4 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3tablespoons olive oil, more for greasing pan

Butter

FOR THE FILLING

4 cups 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch Genoa salami pieces, cut 1/4-inch thick

4 cups sharp provolone cheese chunks, about 1/4 by 1/2 inch

12 hard-cooked eggs, shelled and quartered lengthwise, each quarter cut in half

4 cups small meatballs

7 ½ cups Tucci ragù sauce, meat removed and reserved for another use

3 pounds ziti, cooked very al dente (about half the time recommended on the package) and drained

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely grated pecorino Romano

6 large eggs, beaten

PREPARATION

Prepare the dough: Place flour, eggs, salt and olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. (A large-capacity food processor may also be used.) Add 3 tablespoons water and process. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together and forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead to make sure it is well mixed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. (The dough may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight; return to room temperature before rolling out.)

Flatten dough on a lightly floured work surface. Dust top with flour and roll it out, dusting with flour and flipping the dough over from time to time, until it is about 1/16-inch thick and is the desired diameter. (To calculate the diameter for the dough round, add the diameter of the bottom of a heavy 6-quart baking pan, the diameter of the top of the pan and twice the height of the pan.) Grease the baking pan generously with butter and olive oil. Fold dough in half and then in half again, to form a triangle, and place in pan. Open dough and arrange it in the pan, gently pressing it against the bottom and the sides, draping extra dough over the sides. Set aside.

Prepare the filling: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have salami, provolone, hard-cooked eggs, meatballs and ragù sauce at room temperature. Stir 1/2 cup water into sauce to thin it. Toss pasta with olive oil and allow to cool slightly before tossing with 2 cups sauce. Distribute 4 generous cups of pasta on bottom of timpano. Top with 1 cup salami, 1 cup provolone, 3 eggs, 1 cup meatballs and 1/3 cup Romano cheese. Pour 2 cups sauce over ingredients. Repeat process to create additional layers until filling comes within 1 inch of the top of the pan, ending with 2 cups sauce. Pour beaten eggs over the filling. Fold pasta dough over filling to seal completely. Trim away and discard any double layers of dough. Make sure timpano is tightly sealed. If you notice any small openings cut a piece of trimmed dough to fit over opening. Use a small amount of water to moisten these scraps of dough to ensure that a tight seal has been made.

Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Cover with aluminum foil and continue baking until the timpano is cooked through and the dough is golden brown (and reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees), about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 30 or more minutes to allow timpano to cool and contract before attempting to remove from pan. The baked timpano should not adhere to the pan. To test, gently shake pan to the left and then to the right. It should slightly spin in the pan. If any part is still attached, carefully detach with a knife.

To remove timpano from pan, place a baking sheet or thin cutting board that covers the entire diameter on the pan on top of the timpano. Grasp the baking sheet or cutting board and the rim of the pan firmly and invert timpano. Remove pan and allow timpano to cool for 30 minutes. Using a long, sharp knife, cut a circle about 3 inches in diameter in the center of the timpano, making sure to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slice timpano as you would a pie into individual portions, leaving the center circle as a support for the remaining pieces. The cut pieces should hold together, revealing built-up layers of great stuff.

You may assemble the timpano in the pan it will be baked in and freeze it. It will take three days to fully defrost in the refrigerator before it can be baked as directed.

Tony Shaloub Affectionately Recalls His BIG NIGHT Seeing a pristine print of a favorite film on the big screen—and then listening to one of the stars reminisce about it afterward?

[pets-beaty]

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8 Yoga Tips With Poses for Beginners | Yoga Poses

Yoga Poses | There are many good reasons to add yoga to your training routine. Yoga improves muscle tone, flexibility and balance, and it helps you relax and reduce stress, thanks to the characteristic pranayama breathing (which simply means you constantly breathe in and exhale through your nose). Some studies have even shown that yoga can reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain better than traditional therapy alone.

Ready to try? Here, eight beginner positions - called "asanas" - are recommended by yoga teachers.

1 Easy Cross Leg (Sukhasana) for Stress Relief

Yoga Poses | Sit cross-legged on a yoga mat with your hand on your knees, with the palms facing up. Keep your spine as straight as possible. Push the bones you are sitting on down into the floor - your "sitbones" in yoga speaking. Close your eyes and inhale. "This is a great pose for beginners to use as a review," says Gwen Lawrence, yoga coach for the New York Giants and other sports teams and celebrities. "Just sitting on the floor gives you a perfect way to see and feel the external rotation on the legs." This posture also increases back flexibility and can help to relieve stress.

2 Cat-Cow Tip posing for back pain

Yoga Poses | Sit on your hands and feet with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Divide your weight evenly over your hands and spread your fingers wide. Breathe in and around your back as you bend it up as you lower your chin to your chest; feel the stretching of your neck to your tailbone, like a cat. As you exhale, lower your back down to a scoop shape as you lift your head and tilt backwards. "Repeat a few times to loosen your spine and open your chest," says Susie Lopez, a New York yoga and wellness educator.

3 Tree Pose for balance

Yoga Poses | Start by standing upright in front of this posture. Put your hands together in the prayer position and lift them over your head. Balance your right leg. Bend your left knee to the left and press your left foot onto the inner thigh of your right leg. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat. "This posture helps the body stretch for a long time, from the heels to the tips of your fingers," says fitness trainer and wellness coach Shea Vaughn, author of Breakthrough: the 5 principles of life to defeat stress, to look good and to find Total Well . Being (and mother of actor Vince Vaughn). It will also help you to improve your balance and flexibility.

4 Downward Dog for Flexibility

Yoga Poses | Your body forms an inverted V shape in the downward facing dog. Start by placing both hands on the mat in front of you, with the palms facing down. Your hands must be something for your shoulders. Place your knees on the floor directly under your hips. Breathe out as you lift your knees from the floor and lift your buttocks and hips to the ceiling. Push the top of your thighs backwards and stretch your heels down towards the floor. Keep your head between your upper arms and in line with them, not hanging down. Look at your belly. "The most important thing is to create a long straight back," says Lopez. Hold the position for 5 to 10 breaths and try to deepen your stretching with each exhalation.

5 Child's Pose for Relaxation

Yoga Poses | This is one of the most healing of all yoga postures, says Lopez, reminiscent of the fetal position. When you feel overwhelmed or tired, you relax in the child's posture, she says. From a downward facing dog, simply bend your knees and lower your butt on your heels as you bring your chest to the floor over your knees. Lower your shoulders and go to the ground. Place your arms along your body, palms up, or you can support your head by folding your arms under your forehead. Breathe and relax as long as necessary. This pose is also good for stretching your back, says Jane Foody, New York area instructor, yoga teacher trainer and author of Guided Relaxation and Savasana scripts for yoga teachers.

6 Baby pigeon posing for hip flexibility

Yoga Poses | From hands and feet, move your right knee forward between your hands. As if you are performing a breakdown, slowly make your left leg straight behind you and hold the knee and the top of the foot on the floor. Now turn the right knee to the right wrist and lower it to the floor with your right calf flat on the floor and your right foot resting under your left groin. Lower your upper body over the bent leg, all the way to the ground or resting on your elbows. Breathe in slowly and exhale five times. Before you change sides, push your left leg back to stretch the calf muscles. Repeat with bent left leg and right leg stretched. This pose is a favorite for runners because it increases hip flexibility and also releases the buttocks and low back, says Lawrence. "If you run, lift, cross or turn, you have to do this to stay strong and flexible and improve your performance." It may be a challenge in the beginning, but you will learn to love this pose, Lawrence promises.

7 Standing Mountain Pose for relaxation

Yoga Poses | This pose is pure simplicity, says Lawrence. Stand still, with your chest open and wide and your hands beside you, and feel your feet on the floor and the sensations in your legs and back. Then analyze your posture for a mirror. Lawrence lets her athletes hold long pencils in each hand as they stand. "I say they have to look at the pencils and, like a compass, see how they point, are they the same, aim one point straight and the other one at three on the clock?" This pose will show if you have imbalances in your shoulders and give you instructions on what to work on. If a pencil is turned in a lot, your shoulder is like that too.

8 Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani) for restoration

Yoga Poses | This is a great end pose for beginners and people who have experience with yoga. Lie down on the floor with your ass straight against a wall. "Walk" your legs straight up, so that your body is in an L-shape with your torso flat on the floor and perpendicular to the wall. You may want to place a rolled up blanket under your lower back for support; keep your elbows on the sides on the floor for extra support. Bend the toes to feel a stretch in the backs of your legs. Breathe deeply and hold the position as long as you want. To free yourself, bring your knees to your chest and roll to your side. Advantage of this yoga pill: it revitalizes tired legs and brings renewed vigor in your step, says Lawrence.

8 Yoga Tips With Poses for Beginners | Yoga Poses

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