#situations depending on how its used (this is a metaphor for the discs)

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 196: Beastmode, Brainwashing, and Batrachian Bullshit

Previously on BnHA: Everyone said hi to their new brother Shinsou. Aizawa and Vlad announced the specifics of the day’s training exercise. Each class was split into 5 groups of 4 which will be pitted against each other one at a time. The goal of the exercise is for a team to successfully capture all 4 members of the opposing team and throw them into cute Rat Principal jail. Shinsou was randomly assigned to join one team each from class A and class B. He just so happened to be teamed up with class A’s first group, which also includes Kirishima, Kaminari, Kouda, and Tsuyu. They’re up against class B’s team of Shiozaki, Sabretooth Shishida, Tsuburaba, and some guy with a braid and a visor that reminds me of those Kanye glasses. The battle began and the 1-A kids pondered how best to sic Kaminari on the 1-B group. But before they could figure something out, Shishida -- who has a literal beastmode quirk -- and Tsuburaba came barreling at them in a surprise attack. They were just about to strike a finishing blow when Shinsou suddenly shouted something using Tsubu’s voice, revealing that the weird mask thing he’s been wearing is actually a voice changer, oh damn.

Today on BnHA: Shinsou uses his quirk on Shishida, but a quick-thinking Tsuburaba traps him inside a soundproof air box and then quickly snaps Shishi out of it. Shishi proceeds to slam Kaminari into a wall but gets himself zapped in the process. Tsuyu takes advantage of the chaos to snag Tsuburaba with her frog tongue and haul him off to jail. When Shishida lumbers after them, Kirishima and Kouda intervene, but Shishida uses his beastmode to fling Kirishima like 50 feet into the air, where he’s then captured by Shiozaki’s vines. Shishi grabs Kouda and takes off, giving B Team a 2-1 lead. The teams regroup, and Shinsou apologizes to Tsuyu and Kaminari for failing to capture Shishida more quickly. The other two reassure him and Kaminari declares his friendship, before Tsuyu announces that she has a new plan. Turns out that Kaminari fired his pointer disc thingy earlier and planted it on Shishida, which means that they can now track his location. We then cut to Team B and Shishida, who is sniffing around unawares trying to track the rest of Team A. Suddenly he announces that Tsuyu is heading towards them... and there are apparently three of her.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my mostly-unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’m caught up with the manga now at chapter 222, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

awesome, a flashback explaining Shinsou’s quirk! I know some of this already because it was mentioned in response to my speculation about Izuku being AFO’s son and potentially having the AFO quirk. but it’s still cool to get to this point in canon

so basically, Shinsou just concentrates and thinks “brainwash that person” and then tries to get the target to respond, and if they do then he gains control over them and they’ll do whatever he says (unless they can snap out of it like Izuku did; it takes a “certain degree of force” to accomplish that)

and he says that although he’s never tried, he doesn’t think he would be concentrate enough to brainwash more than one person at a time

now that part I did not know, and it makes this fight much more interesting! because I assume he’s targeting Beastmode who is the biggest threat here. but it means that they still have to deal with Tsuburaba though

also doesn’t this contradict what we saw in the sports festival, though? he had multiple people brainwashed at once for sure there. “never tried it” my ass

(ETA: I think what this means is that he has to brainwash them one at a time. he can control multiple people at once, but if he were faced with four different un-brainwashed people and he tried to get them to all fall under his control simultaneously he wouldn’t be able to handle it, basically.)

and this is interesting too

so much for any fleeting hope that Shinsou could potentially serve as a truth serum character in Nemoto’s place. damn

wow he’s really getting detailed here

this is actually encouraging to me, because it means that Horikoshi is taking steps to add more checks and balances to Shinsou’s super OP quirk (making it so that he can’t just interrogate villains that easily for instance), which suggests that he’s getting ready to add him as a full time character. bring it on!

so flashback!Kaminari, who really isn’t as dumb as everyone always makes him out to be -- having the lowest test scores in a class full of geniuses is hardly anything to be ashamed of -- is saying that it must be tough now that everyone knows how Shinsou’s quirk works from the sports festival

and now flashback!Shinsou is pointing to his voice changer mask and explaining its purpose

...hold up, what? it loses its effectiveness? than what is the point

okay I just went and found Mangastream’s translation which makes much more sense, here it is

looks like I’m gonna have to go back and forth between these scanlations today. or maybe I’ll just stick with MS for now because this is the third issue the JBox translation has had in as many pages, so

(ETA: yeah, aside from this one panel I ended up just using MS for everything because it’s easier and I don’t have to worry as much about inaccuracies.)

that sounds like some bullshit as far as the explanation for how this thing changes his voice, but it’s The Future so I’ll roll with it lol

anyway so Kaminari is thoroughly impressed and says that with that he’s basically unbeatable

he’s not, though. as long as the opponent takes care not to respond to any voice, no matter who they think it is, they’re safe. though it does hamper their ability to communicate with each other

but anyways, I suppose situations like that are where the capture weapon comes in, though I imagine he’s still very much a novice. I seem to recall that it took Aizawa a number of years to master it himself, and Shinsou’s only had about six months

so flashback Shinsou is saying that whether the voice changer is strong or not depends on him

and as he says that, the flashback is ending and we’re cutting back to the present

and he’s unveiling the capture scarf! yessssss

-- uh oh

lol well that’s one effective way to shut him down

and now Tsubu is smacking Sabretooth upside the head to snap him out of the brainwashing

damn, class B. not bad

and now they know what’s what

but this must have given the other class A kids a few essential seconds to regroup, right? Kami where are you, let’s do this

why does this panel make it look like his attack is focused in his hand. the human stun gun method would work just as well in this case so long as you’re quick. though I get why you’d maybe want to keep your distance from Beastmode there

nooooooooo

MY BOY SACRIFICED HIMSELF

or Beastmode sacrificed himself. because he must have known what would happen if he touched him, but by doing so he took out class A’s queen in exchange for a measly pawn or knight or bishop or whatever you want to make him in this stupid chess metaphor I pulled out of my ass lol

(ETA: actually THEY’RE BOTH FINE SOMEHOW so never mind! April Fool’s, I guess.)

meanwhile Tsubu jumped off of his back just in time to avoid being stunned himself

Tsuyu you better take this guy out. he’s too good and you’ve still got Shiozaki and Braidvisor to deal with on top of that

oh thank god, he’s still in one piece. I know, it’s just a training exercise, but y’all know how brutal this school can be, and what with them having access to Recovery Girl, they’re probably cool with letting the kids take a fair amount of punishment before they’d actually consider stepping in

(ETA: listen, these supposedly responsible adults were apparently cool with everyone potentially burning to death two fights from now, so I feel like I was absolutely right to be concerned here.)

ahh, there we go!

yes Tsuyu yessss, you know I love it when characters actually listen to me lol

-- oh shit

YEAH WHAT GIVES

Kouda and Kirishima are stepping in to give Tsu some cover though!

I’m a little worried about Kouda but at least Kiri is in Unbreakable mode. sure hope his time limit on that has increased

oh snap!!

[theme from Ant-Man intensifies]

look who got over his fear of bugs! I’m so proud of you Kouda

HEY WHAT

THAT’S CHEATING

son of a bitch. I really ought to be rooting for class B here because they need to win at least two of the first three in order for this to play out the way I want it to with Bakugou and Deku’s matches both being do-or-die, everything-on-the-line. which means only one of the other 3 class A teams can win, and so I want that to be Momo lol

but it’s just so hard to go against that natural instinct to root for class A, man. these are my children, give me a break

anyway, Shishida says that Kiri is the only one who can pose a threat to his ability, and that’s why he’s...

...punting him into the sky oh good lord

KIRIIIII

oh snap he’s remembering their intel about Shiozaki coming at them from the left

and he’s looking to the left and AHHHHHH

JESUS CHRIST CLASS B I WAS HOPING TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP TONIGHT

and now Shishida is free to kick Kouda’s ass oh shit

Kami’s running over to try and save him, and he’s firing his disc weapon!

Shishi’s dodging but that’s okay since as we know, this is a two-stage attack

Tsuyu’s descending on Shishi from behind, but it seems like he’s aware of her presence

these guys have a counter for everything, goddamn

and now he’s bounding off with Kouda in tow

and just like that, the formerly outnumbered class B is now tied with class A in terms of available manpower

but class B actually has the advantage now because they’ve captured two of class A’s members whereas only one of their team was captured. meaning that if they just wait out the clock, they’ll win

so now class A has to go on the offensive, which is gonna be tough because Tsuyu is more suited to rescue operations than combat, and Shinsou is still just a novice. so they really only have Kami, and they’ll have to be very careful with how they use him because if he gets taken out they’re screwed

seems like the odds were in class B’s favor from the start for this battle. their team is all powerhouses, whereas this is arguably class A’s weakest team in terms of combat quirks. damn

why is he guarding the cells? once they’re captured they’re out. there’s no rescue element to this game as far as I recall, he should be out in the field with the others

lol meanwhile the captured Tsuburaba is trying to figure out whether he accidentally got to first base

the answer is no but good try kid

also who’s commentating. this definitely isn’t Aizawa or Vlad, or All Might either. the only other teacher there is Midnight, as far as I know, but this doesn’t quite sound like her either. did Mic skip out on his afternoon classes in order to come watch too. is there anyone left to actually teach school right now

now Tsuyu is busting through Shinsou’s air prison with a lead pipe

she says the air barriers are much stronger than they were back at the sports festival when Bakugou was able to break through with his bare fist

and now she’s all “class B sure is strong” and YEAH

LOOOOOOOOOL

SO IT WAS VLAD OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS. THIS IS A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF YOU AND I LOVE IT

sorry Mina but this is class B’s day today honey

Sero and Satou are discussing Shishida who seems to be the breakout star of class B so far in this battle

but meanwhile Deku’s focus is on Shinsou, which is smart given that he’s going to have to go up against him in just a little bit

and meanwhile Kami is turning to Tsuyu for leadership now

yeah, you really didn’t play that out so well. you already knew his quirk going in, basically. you could have spent that time coming up with a strategy

poor Shinsou

he has very expressive eyes. I can’t believe we had to wait nearly 200 chapters for this boy to finally become one of the main characters

Tsuyu says she should be the one apologizing

well. yes, you guys should have had a plan. but I’m not so sure about the not-having-him-on-the-front-lines part. you all are so good yourselves precisely because you’ve been on the front lines from day one. trial by fire runs in class A’s blood, so let him get a taste of that too, maybe

Kaminari says it’s impressive that Shinsou did even as well as he did, and that he saved his ass

Kaminari honestly gives Kirishima a run for his money as the goodest boy in 1-A. this kid is affectionate with everyone

Shinsou is brushing off the compliment like a good tsundere and he’s all “...whatever” and says they should come up with a plan

EWWWWW

TSUYU WHY

she’s telling Kami to “look at his pointer.” what?

and now we’re cutting to class B again

actually they’d really be better off just booking it out of there and hiding someplace to wait until the time runs out now. the 1-A team has no trackers left and like I said earlier, they currently have the advantage. there’s no point in confronting the rest of them and risking getting caught

I was waiting to see if someone would point this out like they usually do, but it appears this time they’re not! Horikoshi is this a plot hole or are they just not thinking this through

you can actually avoid him either way, dude. seriously

ah, looks like he smells something all of a sudden

what the hell is going on

how is he amazing for having failed to notice something lol

(ETA: or, duh, it’s sarcasm doy)

so okay, now Kaminari is running somewhere and he’s all charged up and thinking back to when Mei first made his little stun gun

-- oh!

how did he not notice that lol omg

this means that if Kami gets in range he can take him out with one shot!

holy shit!!

SINCE WHEN IS THIS SOMETHING A FROG CAN DO

but now Shiozaki is stepping up to bat oh shit

my dudes are we actually going to get the Tsuyu battle we were robbed of back during the internship arc. holy shiiiiiit

and that’s it for today! tune in tomorrow to find out what kind of bizarre frog shit our beloved Froppy will pull out of her hat next

[tipsycad147]

How to make your own chakra stone set

by Michelle Gruben

A chakra stone set is a small collection of gemstones, in which each stone corresponds to one of the body's subtle energy centers. You've probably seen them for sale in metaphysical shops and online.

Chakra stones are used in energy healing and meditation. Witches and Pagans may also use them for spellwork or divination. To the well-practiced crystal user, a chakra set is like a painter's palette. Handling the chakra stones allows the practitioner to focus on a particular vibration (or "colour" of energy), quickly accessing it to achieve his or her aims.

Making your own chakra set is an easy and fun exercise, even for crystal beginners. It's a way to create personalized tool for healing and contemplation. As you assemble your chakra set, you'll learn lots about the various stones and their energetic properties.

In this article, we'll look at how to put together your own set of chakra gemstones. We'll also share some instructions for getting your chakra stones ready to use.

The Colour Method

The concept of chakras, or psychic energy centers, originated in ancient India and is part of the discipline of Yoga. But Western magick workers have thoroughly adopted the chakra system, thanks in large part to New Age writers in the 1970s and 1980s. The most widely-read book on chakras is probably Wheels of Life, which has sold over 200,000 copies since it was published in 1987.

In New Age thought, there are usually seven chakras. Each chakra corresponds to a different color on the spectrum, with red at the base or Root Chakra, and violet (or white) at the top of the head. The colours represent different frequencies of vibration, from low to high. The idea of a "rainbow" of chakras has been so influential that it shows up in most modern writings on psychic energy.

Making Your Set

While not everyone agrees whether the colours of the chakras are literally true, the rainbow is indeed a handy metaphor for different types of energy. So we'll use the rainbow concept to help put together our bag of chakra stones. (Bonus: Choosing by color helps you remember which stone goes with which chakra.) We'll also stick with the usual seven chakra system—though you may feel free to adapt your kit to a system with more or fewer chakras.

One more note: For each chakra, I've included a list of suggested crystals or stones. Choose your favourite stone from each category, and end up with a chakra set that's truly unique.

Tumbled gemstones are the most popular for chakra kits, because they're relatively inexpensive and hold up the best to being handled. But crystals can be found in all sizes and shapes. Crystal spheres, wands, discs, pyramids, jewelry, uncut rough stones—any of these can be assembled into chakra sets.

I've tried to balance rare and expensive gemstones with ones that are readily available at most crystal shops. (A few stones appear in more than one list. Choose the attribution you feel is most appropriate.)

Root Chakra

Associated with the colour Red, the Root Chakra sits at the base of the spine.  It allows one to connect with Earth energy, and is strongly linked to instinct, survival, and the physical body. Many Root Chakra stones, like Red Jasper and Hematite, contain a high concentration of iron.

Just about any red or earth-coloured stone can represent the Root Chakra in your kit. Black gemstones—often associated with protection—are also suitable Root Chakra stones.

Suggested stones for the Root Chakra: Red Jasper, Hematite, Garnet, Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Mahogany Obsidian, Ruby, Red Tiger's Eye.

Sacral Chakra

The Sacral Chakra is located near the navel, lower back, and sexual organs. Its color is Orange and it governs passion, pleasure, and creative force.

Since the Sacral Chakra rules appetites, look for stones in bright, mouth-watering colours and pleasing textures. Our favourite Sacral Chakra crystal has got to be Carnelian—a vibrant red-orange gem whose name means "fleshy."

Suggested stones for the Sacral Chakra: Carnelian, Amber, Pink Moonstone, Citrine, Orange Calcite, Sunstone, Gold Sandstone.

Solar Plexus Chakra

Located in the middle of the body (just below the rib cage) the Solar Plexus Chakra is the center of personal power. Strength, charisma, confidence, and willpower are attributes that it controls. It's linked to the colour Yellow. When shopping for Solar Plexus stones, look for a yellow-gold colour, and/or stones with sparkles and rays.

Suggested stones for the Sacral Chakra: Tiger's Eye, Citrine, Yellow Calcite, Ametrine, Rutilated Quartz, Yellow Aventurine, Yellow Jasper, Yellow Sapphire.

Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra allows one to experience love, generosity and empathy. Its main functions are processing emotions and connecting with others' energy.

Green is the colour usually assigned to the Heart Chakra, and there are many, many green stones that are excellent for Heart Chakra work. But some stones on the list are pink or mixed colours. Not to worry. Remember: The earliest texts on pranic energy don't mention chakra colours, so it is likely that chakras of yogic and tantric traditions were colourless. Pick a stone that screams "heart energy" to you, regardless of the colour.

Suggested stones for the Heart Chakra: Green Aventurine, Jade, Emerald, Rose Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Peridot, Unakite, Green Calcite, Green Fluorite, Rhodonite, Malachite, Chrysocolla.

Throat Chakra

The Throat Chakra is linked to colour Blue, and it governs communication, self-expression, and truth. Situated between the head and the heart, it helps to mediate between thought and emotion. It's no big surprise that most of the stones on this list are in shades of blue.

Suggested stones for the Throat Chakra: Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Kyanite, Blue Tiger's Eye, Blue Goldstone, Amazonite, Turquoise, Blue Apatite.

Brow Chakra

Also called the "third eye," the Brow Chakra is located just above the eyes, between the eyebrows. Its color is Purple, and visualization, dreaming, and intuition are some of its functions. Working with the Brow Chakra helps to awaken psychic gifts (and perception in general).

When choosing crystals that vibrate with the Brow Chakra, deep blue or violet stones are recommended. Stones with iridescence or moving patterns are also very stimulating to the light-sensitive third eye.

Suggested gemstones for the Brow Chakra: Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Purple (or Rainbow) Fluorite, Shungite, Labradorite, Moonstone, Opal, Kyanite.

Crown Chakra

Located just above the head, the Crown Chakra is the body's link with celestial and/or Divine energy. Just as White combines all the colours of the rainbow, a fully-functioning Crown Chakra blends all of body's diverse energies into a unified being.

Crown Chakra gemstones tend to be clear or white in colour. They are though to be the stones with the highest and purest vibrations.

Suggested gemstones for the Crown Chakra: Clear Quartz, White Moonstone, Opalite, Selenite, Angelite, White Sapphire, Apophylite, Milky Quartz, Celestite, Moldavite.

Putting it all together

Pretty soon, you should have collected seven (or five or nine or ten) stones to go in your chakra set.

If one of the stones doesn't feel right, or doesn't appear to be playing nice with the others, then kick it to the curb. (I mean, gratefully place it somewhere to be re-purposed.) Keep shuffling rocks around until you have a set that represents the chakras to you.

Next, you'll want a home for your stones. A dedicated bag or box keeps the set from accumulating physical and psychic dust when not in use.

Depending on what stones you've picked out, some of them may need to be stored separately from the rest. Softer materials can pick up dings and scratches from their pokier neighbors. Selenite and Fluorite, for instance, are fragile divas. To avoid the problem, choose gems that are close on the Mohs scale. Or, work out a way to keep them in separate bags or compartments.

Finally, as with any magickal tool, it's a good idea to cleanse and bless your chakra stones. Use your favourite crystal cleansing method. There are several effective methods: Smudging, sunlight or moonlight, water (if it won't harm the stones you've chosen), other crystals, visualization, and breath. Set your intention that these stones will be your partner on your journey of learning and healing.

Attuning chakra stones

If you like, you can follow the cleansing process with an attunement exercise. This is definitely recommend if you've made the chakra set for your own personal practice. Basically, attuning your stones allows each one to get acquainted with the energy center it's going to represent.

To attune your chakra set, dim the lights, light some candles or incense--whatever helps you get into a meditative state. Take a few deep breaths and let go of any energy build-ups or distracting thoughts.

Starting with your Root Chakra stone, place each stone in turn over the chakra that it corresponds to. You will be adding the stones one by one, until you're "wearing" all of them. (Unless you have a lot of hands, the easiest way to do this is lying on your back.)

You can use a diagram of the chakras to help you place the stones—but remember chakras can be in slightly different places on different individuals. You will know the first stone is placed correctly by its feel. Some people experience the feeling as equilibrium, or heaviness, or a light tingling vibration. I like to describe it has a ball settling into a hole in the ground—once it's in the right place, it tends to stay comfortably settled.

Once the stone is placed on the chakra, gather some of the energy in that chakra and send a little pulse outward. This is similar to directing energy with your hands, but the energy starts in and exits directly from the chakra center. It may take the form of a beam, or a ball, or small petals of energy reaching outward.

Wait for a reply. You may feel the stone either absorbing the energy or reflecting it back to you (or a little of both, or nothing at all.) Take another breath, and try it again. Let the stone and the energy of your body "talk" until they feel as if they are in harmony. Do this until the stone can't possibly accept any more energy, or you sense that the dialogue has stopped.

Leaving the Root Chakra stone in place if possible, move on to the Sacral Chakra. Repeat the stone-charging process. Though you will be focusing on attuning only one stone at a time, you will have a gentle awareness of all the tones you have charged so far. Remove the stones in the reverse order, starting with the Crown Chakra and working down to the Root Chakra.

To check your work, put the chakra stones in a bag or on a table and gently run your receptive hand over them. Do you feel a difference in energy between the stones? Some may feel warmer or cooler than the others, or appear to vibrate faster or slower. (That's good!) If you did an exceptional job of attuning the stones to your body, you may even feel sensation in one of your chakras when holding the matching stone.

Your chakra set is now ready for energetic healing, divination, and meditating on the chakras. Chakra stones may need to be cleansed and re-attuned periodically to keep them working their best.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/making-a-chakra-stone-set

[heroesarelife]

So here’s a piece I have been working on for the beautiful @fandom-trash95 as a secret santa gift <3 it was not a request, but I hope you guys enjoy it just the same ^^ i was experimenting with a different writing style and exploring ways to play with structure a bit.

This is an All Might piece with their OC, Aiko, in a platonic capacity. Aka: dadmight goodness.

Aiko has a telekinectic sort of quirk, and is the daughter of a known and loved local hero (made up). That hero is in fact abusive and nobody would believe her about it, so her actual hero/example is her mother due to her strength of character. She’s 15 and wanting to go into heroics through gen ed. Does not ken how to fight.

Takes place after All Might’s true form is revealed and after his injuries are healed.

Word count: 2397

Warning: May contain mentions of abuse. Hinted depression/anxiety. Body dysmorphia. So so much angst.

It was either too early or too late, depending on how one looked at it. Toshinori liked to think it early, blissfully choosing to ban his ever so frequent restless nights from his memory. It was a brand-new day and, he decided, so should be his attitude towards it; novel and unwearied. With that fresh thought playing in his hopeful mind like a scratched disc, the once number one hero found himself jogging in the UA yard.

Many years had passed since he last felt the need to care for his body in this way. His whole self had been, for as far as his remembrance could reach, defined by healthy strength and sheer power, especially once he acquired his quirk – or rather, a quirk he had made his own through no small struggle. But before that, he would run. As fast as his legs could bear him. Going against time, fighting all odds that seemed strategically designed to disturb his desired path and crash his dreams. Only to find there was no end to his pursuit, no matter if he was called a hero, let alone number one. Even as the indefatigable media and dry-cut history books branded him as the pillar of peace, a bringer of hope in a world so deeply rooted in chaos. And he had foolishly believed the tales, if not in themselves at the very least moved by the feeling behind them. Allowing himself to be what was needed of him without sparing a passing thought to the limits that time imposed. To the chilling reality of his own mortality.

A merciless thing now forced upon Toshinori’s existence. Declaring its presence in every pained step of his flimsy excuse of an exercise. Felt throughout the junctions of his shaking joints, of the miserable wetness of his ragged breath. Making him so very painfully aware of how he was now reduced to nothing but a sorry shadow of his old splendour; a fragile creature, stripped of anything he once understood as intrinsic parts of himself. An antique in his own right. His body so unrecognizable to him as it was a stranger, a thing more dead than alive, glued together entirely by angled bones, stale blood and deep regret. The sudden notion filled him with unbearable anxiety, scratching him raw from the insides of his already too bleary structure.

He stopped then, battling to breathe, to stand. To be alive. Unsure on whether his struggle arose from the physical effort or the oblique fear he so wanted to deny. It was truth too: long had passed since he felt afraid, so much so he had barely lost grasp of its meaning. He couldn’t say he missed the emotion.

Dry leaves crackled a soft sound under his body as he sat gingerly on the grass. Resting. Regretting. Every contained movement an apology, as if abashed for the space his existence occupied in the world. Dawn approached timidly enough, traces of light prying holes through the dense clouds. In his current state of mind, the golden hero felt it was a fitting mirroring of his own soul; it laid helpless while dark thoughts hammered it with unforgiving fervour.

It was decidedly a bad space of mind to be, and he would have likely been stuck on that miserable vicious cycle for a long – well, longer – time, weren’t for the curious sounds. Subtle and distant, masked by the gentle ruffle of leaves and careful bird’s twitting. Out of place and yet familiar. Immediately recognizable despite its faintness, like a road travelled often and again as to be found even if blindfolded.

He got up, painstakingly and insecure on these foreign limbs, and followed the invisible trail, finding his way through air rather than soil. Sure enough, there it was. The source of the sounds stood tall amidst the hidden training ground, the unmistakable energy of a striving hero surrounding the young girl’s body; much more telling than the evident exercise could ever be. And Toshinori had some pride in his ability to recognize a hero’s soul at first glance. Something that proved useful on his particular line of work. Or what used to be, he corrected himself hurriedly, with no shortage of shame.

She hadn’t noticed his presence, and he was thankful for the small blessing. The slender girl was deeply engrossed on her own exercise, which seemingly consisted of eradicating a piteous wooden dummy existence to no more than shreds and broken pieces. An objective, he was quick to realize, she was failing at. She staggered on her feet, all movements uncertain in nature, uncoordinated jabs and kicks throwing the promising strong body off balance, uneasy, coy. Lacking the motivational energy he could so clearly see she possessed. As if her soul and body were in disarray, somehow disconnected from each other.

When the growing frustration apparently reached a marked limit, the youngster let out a fiery scream, her quirk lashing out in chaos. An invisible force throwing all the training equipment far and high, the shocking crashing sound putting to flee all the poor unsuspecting animals on the immediate vicinity. The so-called symbol of peace had approached – or so he must, at a given point, since he found himself close to the border of the training ground, staring at the wreckage it had become. In plain sight for the student to see him, which promptly happened, her body turning with impressive smoothness despite the anger, and haunting suddenly, shakenly.

He could have understood – was in fact half expecting – if the girl had blown up on him, seeing his presence as prying and as added pain to injury. Or maybe she would shy away, embarrassed to have had a witness in that singular moment. Or, more irrationally, somehow starstruck by being face to face with no one other than All Might. Instead, he was humbled. In an impressive demonstration of self-awareness, she stood still, silent. Chin up and clenched trembling fists the only indications of possible nervousness.

He bowed his head slightly and forced a smile, raising his hands in peace. Attempting to ease the situation. “That was a nice quirk, indeed, young student! I’m impressed I haven’t noticed you in training before with the rest of the class.”

Immediately, he realised he had said the exact wrong thing. Instead of relaxing into casual conversation, she kept her position, something like hurt moving behind her eyes and then hidden masterfully. He would have been impressed, had he not been busy feeling terrible.

“Of course you wouldn’t.” She answered dryly, resenting. “You all only look at heroics. I’m with general ed.”

Giving himself a metaphorical slap, he grimaced. The girl wasn’t wrong. However, typical of its dry nature, plain truth tended to be a hard pill to swallow. He opened his mouth. Changed his mind. Closed it again. Was no matter; she wasn’t paying attention.

“I don’t care about how difficult it is. I have my mother’s quirk, and I will become a hero just like her.” The bold statement carried within an odd note, almost as in a rehearsed conviction. If you repeat it enough times, it becomes true.

Conveniently saved from giving a proper answer about the failed school system, he lashed onto the opportunity. “Is your mother a pro, then? What’s her hero name? I might know her.”

A head shake. Firm, emphatic. “No. I said she’s a hero, not a pro. My father is a pro, but he’s not a hero.” Her voice raised slightly at that, hard with challenge. “Do you know the difference?”

The sudden serious topic caught Toshinori unawares. A kind being, he took no offense from the remark, allowing it to simply exist instead, harmlessly floating in the air between them. Of more importance was the feeling behind it, he decided. Because he could see the apprehension, the sad belief driving the words. The adult in him very much conscious of the surprisingly complicated anguish he could see on the youngster’s expression. It clenched at his heart, a feeling of protection rising there, as vivid as it was strange.

“He doesn’t deserve to be called a hero.” She went on. Maybe to fill the silence. Or maybe to assure herself. And then raising her head, sudden and abrupt, looking at him with something like sorrowful acceptance. “But you don’t believe me. No, you wouldn’t. Nobody does.” Her voice faltered, its shakiness being covered by a flimsy laugh.

He smiled softly, somewhat saddened. Dropping altogether the attempts of redirecting the conversation towards safer topics. She was having none of it, and he too had to admit he lacked the will to keep the pretence. Toshinori struggled. Lost in the situation and yet the need to help overcame him, despite not quite knowing how. The way he knew wouldn’t work anymore. Those days were over.

He reached a hand, placing it awkwardly on her shoulder, hoping it would bring comfort.

“I believe in you, young lady.” He said then, finally. The honesty of his words matching hers. “I still have enough integrity within me to recognize the truth when it stares me in the eye. Or so I like to think.” And that was, perhaps, the only honest thing that passed through his lips in a rather long while. Such recognition shook his structure to the core. What a hero he was.

Her eyes widened, unbelieving. And then, simply and acutely, filled up with raw emotion. She looked as surprised as him by the sudden outburst, but the intensity of it overcame her with such power he could clearly see it was beyond of her control.

He squeezed her shoulder gently, in assurance. “It’s okay. You can let go.” And she did, burying her face in both hands and allowing the feeling to cleanse away, escaping through her fingers and dripping onto the earth, like pure offerings of liquefied frustration.

This he could handle. This he knew, maybe a bit too much, he thought with no small amount of endearment, remembering the kind boy he had chosen as his successor. So Toshinori stood close, solid and understanding, hoping that would be enough as he, too, was depleted of much more to give.

Slow and sure the shaking under his hand subsided to smaller intervals, until all that was left was the relieved weakness that usually followed breaks of such strong nature. She took a step back, sniffing through the emotional hangover and wiping clumsily at the wet cheeks. It did not escape his eyes on how she now looked lighter, as if the irons trapping her limbs had been removed at once. He sighed, relieved.

“Do you think I can make it?” The girl asked then, somewhat shyly, eyes cast down.

“Make it?”

“Into heroics. With my quirk, I mean.” She clarified, looking up and facing him directly. “You are All Might, right? So you should know. If it’s possible, for me.” She finished, lamely.

Toshinori looked into the youngster’s dark eyes, sparking with the threat of controlled tears, recognizing in its depth the longing so akin to his own; bridging past, present and future. The hardship and fear. And the buried hope, hidden in such a way as to not show itself overmuch. Dreading what would become of it if her dream got pulverized to dust by the cruel mortar of reality. Because so he could understand, some things didn’t change.

“Well, I’m not very mighty right now.” He said for lack of something better, scratching the back of his head, at a loss. Feeling thoroughly inadequate for what this one child needed; all too aware of how little he was reduced to. How less of anything he currently was.

“You are still All Might.” Came the answer. Not surprise, nor judgemental. Rather she sounded puzzled, almost delicately curious. As if pointing out an obvious answer. “Nothing is ever created or lost, only transformed, right?”

That took him aback. A deep part of him – a fearful one, always ready to hold onto self-depreciation – reacted strongly, prompting him to reject the wild notion at once. Holding his stand, he looked at his hands instead, pensively. They were big and callused, angled and rough around the edges, used and abused for many years to count, winning against a multitude of enemies. Keeping the piece through sheer strength and peril. While still the same size, they were now frail things, almost disconnected from the rest of him, a reminder of what he could never do again.

But as the girl stared at him expectantly, he thought that maybe it was less a matter of fact and more of interpretation. Free transformation. Perhaps there were people he would never be able to reach as his old self that he could in his current form. With these very same hands. And perhaps a little too late in his life, he came through the rather rattling realization that some things could only be effectively handled through a more complex touch than a shallow-minded punch could ever allow. He closed his fist slowly, considering the perspective that there was something else his fists could hold onto. And protect.

Well, wasn’t truth found in the oddest of places? But Toshinori has never been a picky one.

“The problem” He began, decisively. She raised her head in interest, her ears metaphorically peeking up to absorb whatever he was about to say, while carefulness and fear still lingered in her eyes. “Is not your quirk. But your fighting ability. If you train that and master how to use your quirk alone, you can become a powerful hero.” He said, meaning every word. “I could teach you some of the basics.”

She smiled then. Finally. It was a bright thing that he would like to see more of. Yes, this was the right decision. Maybe there was more to him, and to everything he had gone through, than the ability to defeat new villains with mindless power. He could still do things that would bring meaning to the world, even if not in the straightforward and simplistic way he had grown used to.

Hope had not been born with him, and wouldn’t die with his last breath either. If he could make sure that it would live through and be translated with the next generation of heroes then maybe, he thought, a single Symbol of Peace would no longer be necessary.

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[aikainkauna]

More meme answers

Right, so Big Dave asked me these, still from this meme:

10: What’s your biggest writer pet-peeve?

I like how this comes from someone who knows I consist of 97% pet peeves, and that pet peeves hold my skeleton together. Others’ bodies run on ATP; my cells burn pet peeves.

Right. I don't even know where to start; there are SO MANY. But I guess my number one would be all the anti-romance and anti-poetry bullshit that gets touted as good writing advice. It all stinks of (often unconscious) misogyny to me, because it's... well, it's the same thing as with frills and ornament and emotions (which are all deemed GIRLY and FRIVOLOUS), just in writing form. It's just covert machismo. I do understand that in the zine era, fanfiction suffered from *so* much bad purple prose, but not all poetry is purple prose. In fact, the whole concept of purple prose is so flawed that it should be torched--it's such an easy stamp to slap on anything that dares describe something in poetic, romantic terms. It's a hatred of beauty, with echoes of Protestant puritanism as well and just... everything I loathe. What the actual fuck do these people think is wrong about deriving aesthetic, even ecstatic beauty from the things you see and feel? What's wrong with that? Who does ornament harm? No one. It's one of those basic human instincts, a need for beauty. The human imagination is so enormous and our capacity for all kinds of crazy experiences (often shoved into the realm of religion and therefore devalued by so-called rationalists), ecstasies, the dreams we dream at night... no, to cut that out would be to try and erase our humanity and to make us into machines. So I will have none of that.

Bad writing is bad writing. Azure orbs and limpid pools are crap because they've been *overused* and because people use them without putting *thought* into them. Bad metaphors become bad because people just use them as shorthand. And while shorthand does have its place (you can't write without it), you have to always use metaphors *consciously* instead of just writing on automatic, and the poetry should make some sort of sense in context (even if it's an intuitive, emotional, dream-logic). If you described just a normal swaggering guy walking like a panther, it wouldn't be that interesting an image--but once you link that to talkie era Conrad Veidt specifically, *then* it starts to get colour, starts to resonate, starts to acquire some "wow"--because it's a fucking *heureka* experience, an insight. Because he really *is* of a panther's nature, Connie. And if you just use "impalement" in the context of sex as shorthand--like, "he impaled him on his cock, then came inside of him, the end" it's not evocative of much. But if you go into the experience of the recipient, have him thinking of how he feels "as if it's never going to go in, and oh fuck, now he expands on the inside and his guts are being pushed up, fuck, it's like impalement..." it starts to work because it ties that to the context of that specific character and situation. So so much of it depends on context.

And once you take away the poetry, you take away the soul. Prose without poetry is like taking vitamin tablets and amino acid powders instead of having a great, nourishing meal with all its scents and tastes. Poetry is like love, like imagination, spirituality--that which makes us happy and fulfilled.

13: What’s your favorite writing quote?

That Angela Carter thing, relating to the above.

37: What’s your oldest WIP?

You are peeking into eldritch abominations here, my friend... I have an unfinished Devil of Winterborne fic from 1997 on a floppy disc somewhere. And a Clarice/Hannibal poem from 2000. Those will never see the light of day, I don't think. As for the ones I do intend to finish (insallah), meaning the ones with Connie characters in--I think I have one little ficlet from Ahmad’s POV that I haven’t posted yet. But it’s kind of inconsequential, so I haven’t felt it’s that important a fic--it’s just one of those fics that describes a little moment. In this case, he sees Jaffar and Yassamin making love in the crystal and decides to go off with Abu instead, and that’s *all* there is to it. The oldest Jaffar/Pwinzezz ones that I do look forward to actually finishing are ones where there are Wild Shipboard Ravishments (because we really have not had enough of those) and then I’ve toyed with an idea of a Jaffar resurrection fic for years, now. Where he does get shot in the head at the end of the movie, but in good fantasy/mythological tradition, he’s stored a copy of his soul into his amber pendant or his crystal pendant and Halima finds it and, according to his instructions (because he was prepared for this), brings him back to life. Mostly because he has blackmailed her into it somehow, and this all ties in with the fate of a woman Halima loves, and only Jaffar knows how to get her back together with Halima, and they have a very fraught relationship while she nurses him back to health, shall we say. But I haven’t really had any more ideas beyond that for the story--where to take it, or at least any ideas I’d be that interested in pursuing.

Aaand then there is potentially Falcon 3, towards the end of their lives, because I want them to die together so that one won’t be miserable and heartbroken after the other half of her/his soul has left this Earth. But it’s not time for that yet.

The one I’m likeliest to finish next (after Roses 23) is another cabinfic, and/or maybe some more Veidtbone RPS. That’s about it--I don’t, thankfully, have that many WIPs because I hate the idea of never finishing a story. So I only start on ones where I (usually) feel like I can finish them, too. All of my nature rebels against the idea of abandonfic, and I never, ever start posting a fic until it’s finished--I couldn’t do that to my readers (or myself). I’ve got a stubborn honesty/duty fetish that way.

[uglymanchronicles]

UMC:R Chapter 5: Compiling

A lazy first-person ‘journal entry’ chapter.  Merry Christmas.  There’ll probably be one more chapter before the prequel arc is done.

Uh, okay, testing. Test. Tes-tiiiing. Alright. Uh, this is Evan Abrams and it’s… May 18th. So it’s been a week since I, uh, ‘woke up’, and I think I’ve got my head wrapped around this whole situation. I’m recording this as a kind of way to, you know, make sure everything’s in order, that I’ve got my plans together, all that. Plus, if I suffer another, uh, memory loss or something, I want an easy summary on hand. I don’t want to have to spend another week playing catch-up with my own life.

So, to summarize, a week ago today I found myself in a bar in Arizona with no memory of how I got there. I eventually figured out that I’d basically erased about three months of my memory through some hideous DIY surgery. I’m still not sure exactly why I did this to myself, and I seem to have sanitized the notes I kept from those missing months to keep myself from figuring it out.

Shit, I’m not doing this very well. The big picture is, I apparently discovered that the… supernatural? Is real. That word sounds wrong for describing this type of thing. But there’s magic, and monsters, and people with special abilities… I have so many notes about all kinds of things, I’m honestly amazed by the sheer volume of data I was able to gather.  I did it really well, too, really professional, I…

Okay, don’t get caught up in sucking your own dick, Evan. Oh yeah, that reminds me—sometime during the missing time I got really fucked up. Like, physically. My face looks like an old steak. Not sure how that happened. A few serious wounds on the rest of my body, too, but here’s the good news. Remember how I mentioned special powers? Apparently I’ve had one my whole life, but something ramped it up recently. I heal very quickly. The process leaves some serious scars, it seems, but the internal healing seems flawless. I have no residual pain from what I’m pretty sure are gunshot wounds.  Even if it’s been three months, that shouldn’t be possible. I hit my head really bad a few days ago and minutes later there was no sign of any injury. No pain, no mark, no blood except what got in my hair. According to my notes, my body can recover from near-mortal injuries in hours, if not minutes. Apparently it ‘focuses’, if you can assign some kind of intent to a biological process, on making me functional and mobile as soon as possible, so it rushes the skin repair. Keep me from losing too much blood, prevent infection, make sure it doesn’t get worse. I guess it scars up so bad because of that, but I think that’s a fair price to pay for being extremely durable.

This all kinda brings me back around to what my plan is going forward. I really hit the weights hard these past few months and I’m fucking huge now. My pre-brain erasure self got into a pretty serious exercise routine—at least two hours a day. I was worried it’d be a pain in the ass, but my body seems to remember the movements. It feels good. I’m so strong now, and I’ve been doing yoga and a bunch of really tough stretches and, well, I feel amazing. I feel like I could be sexy. Except for the face, I mean. Oh, uh, and I checked, it didn’t heal old injuries, so no improvement below the belt.  Oh well. Maybe there’s a possibility out there.

Okay… enough about that. I keep getting distracted. There’s just so much to take in. The reason I’ve been bulking up and did all this is because I decided to do something about… well, the intersection of the ‘normal’ world and this new one. Not go out hunting monsters or magic-users or whatever, but… just protect people who can’t defend themselves from things like that. Be an equalizing factor. Give people some protection from things they don’t even know they need protection from. Maybe keeping some of the bad things at bay will let things really improve for the world, you know?

But I can’t do that just by being buff and unkillable, though it certainly helps.  I can’t help people just by throwing myself into this metaphorical meat grinder. So I somehow got my hands on something called The Book of Fate, which is the lynchpin to some kind of magic ritual that will make me, if my notes and the translations are correct, an “Agent of Karma”. Apparently the people who devised this thing—over literal millennia, mind you—believed that the universe, reality, everything, whatever, actually wants to be a just place, but it can’t directly intervene in its own self. Like how we can’t actually directly fight our own diseases, we have to trust in our body’s internal systems to deal with them. Anyway, these people believed that the moral arc of the universe actually does bend towards justice, and all this research, experimentation, and sacrifice they did was to give someone the power to actually do what needs done. To make sure good things happen to good people, bad things to bad people, mercy and justice metered out appropriately, all that jazz. Apparently it’s supposed to allow the… user? To develop great supernatural abilities as they act in accordance with “the will of the Universe” or something like that.

That sounds amazing and everything, but a lot of it’s pretty vague on the kind of powers you get or how you’ll even know what constitutes “the will of the Universe”. There are some mentions of being granted extraordinary senses or awareness, but again, vague. I don’t like the idea of playing judge, jury, and executioner… if I have to fight people or things to make things right, I’ll do it, but… just enough to handle the things that are outside of existing systems. I don’t want to make people think that society is obsolete and can’t protect them. I’ll just… you know, handle the things that the normal world isn’t equipped to handle.

God, I hope I don’t have to kill anyone.

Uh, anyway, one thing the research made clear is that I won’t have any difficulty finding trouble, at least. My earlier self wrote about a concept called an “entropy sink”, which is apparently what I’ll become in addition to being an “agent of Karma”. Apparently, by fighting bad shit I’ll be soaking up that entropy, that chaos and evil created by said bad shit, which in turn will make more bad shit tend to happen to me. That sounds miserable, but better it happens to the big strong guy with super-healing than to some poor kid playing in their back yard, right?

I’m not worried about that part. The more good I do, the more bad I find, but the stronger I get. Sounds like a fair deal to me.

So, uh… most of my ‘normal’ work has been automated by this point. My Amalgorithms (note to self, check on the progress on that trademark applications) seem to have been improved a bit recently, so past me wasn’t just focusing on the superhero stuff. They can probably handle any projects that come my way, but I think I’m going to stop putting out so many feelers for now. Might need to start working on the Blaccat project again, though; I may need to take some extra-legal measures sometime in the future, depending on which way this goes. I’m sure there will be times when I need some information that’s not, uh, public.

So I keep finding little hide-aways I apparently carved out of some of the empty spaces in the RV. I’ve found a couple of serious guns, a lot of ammo, and a lot of… pharmaceutical.  I am committing so many felonies just by knowing about this car.  But I apparently also built several, well, let’s call them tools.  Like a suit of low-profile body armor I 3D-printed and wired together.  I have no idea if that works or not and I’m not keen to find out, but the old me’s notes seem sound.  I guess I’ll find out if somebody shoots me and I wind up with a wound full of weird plastic discs.  

I think I’ve said all I need to say.  Most of the ingredients for the Book’s ritual are gathered, and I’ve already rented a cabin out in the middle of nowhere to perform this thing.  Apparently the moon needs to be a waxing crescent for this to work, so I’m going to have to wait a couple weeks to actually perform it, but I’m going to get everything set up in the meantime.  The only thing I really have reservations about is that the ritual needs a ‘focus’, and it apparently has to be something with great emotional significance to me.  The obvious answer is Mr. Nex, but… I don’t know if the focus survives the process. All the other ingredients get used up, apparently, but nothing says anything about the focus… do you think it’s what he’d want?  If he was actually alive and knew all he would know about me, having been by my side my entire life?  God, listen to me.  I’m 27 years old and I’m having a crisis over a stuffed giraffe.  But… I guess he wouldn’t be of great emotional significance if the thought of giving him up was easy.  I’ll either figure something out or suck it up.  There are greater things at stake here than my feelings.

God, I’m gonna have to kill someone, aren’t I.

[skittyminecraft]

splat c!bench trio weapons? thoughts?

tubbo: heavy splatling remix/sloshing machine neo (or kensa)

ranboo: kensa glooga dualies/n-zap '89

tommy: sploosh-o-matic 7/kensa splattershot jr

[jennifertple]

Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi’s bánh đa trộn.

It’s impossible to explain why certain dishes have the names they do given the sometimes arbitrary, untraceable nature of language. This impossibility doesn’t mean that wondering about them is a pointless activity. Indeed, one shouldn’t resist the head-scratching nature of different dish names that the written language fails to distinguish, including food names that takes on different lives, taste and appearance when they cross regions. These questions always result in more traces, possibilities and questions about the past, and if one is lucky, unexpected discoveries along the way.

Chả and Nem

Chả is made from a mixture of fish flakes, vegetables, herbs and spices that are pulverized together and then quết (pressed and folded into a paste) until the final product is elastic and gummy. The paste is then put in boiling oil, which allows fat to infiltrate the meat and enhance its flavor while browning the skin. Just like the alluring smoke wafting off grilled cơm tấm meat, it’s hard to ignore the pleasing fragrance of shallots, herbs and fish that emanates from a bánh mì stall frying chả cá.

While someone from the southern and central parts of the country might be familiar with this version of chả cá, it refers to a completely different dish in Hanoi, though still with fish as the main ingredient. Making chả cá in a Hanoi eatery involves no grounding or quết. Instead, fresh fish is cut into cubes and marinated in a mixture of ground riềng (galangal), mẻ (fermented rice), pepper, turmeric, shallots and shrimp paste and then cooked on a charcoal grill before being pan-fried with a generous amount of dill and spring onions.

This is not to say that the ground fish form of chả cá doesn’t exist in northern locales such as Hanoi. Chả cốm, for example, consists of a mixture of cốm (flatten young rice kernel), mọc (pulverized pork meat quết into a paste) and lean pork, shaped into a round disc and fried. Ha Long also has chả mực, made using a similar method as the southern chả cá but with squid as the main protein.

Hanoian’s chả cá, also known as chả cá Lã Vọng.

How to quết your chả.

The world of chả can be roughly divided into four domains: grilled or fried fresh meat, such as in the cases of bún chả or Hanoi’s chả cá, which is more commonly seen in northern provinces. This linguistic use is rare in southern and central cuisines. Meat mixed with spices and aromatics in a well-kneaded paste and sometimes fried seems to be the most ubiquitous use of the word in these regions. Examples include chả cá thác lác (southern-style fish cake with thác lác fish), chả lụa (a pulverized meat mixture made with the quết technique), and central Vietnamese chả bò (an identical dish to chả lụa but made with beef). The third grouping includes fried spring rolls like chả giò, common in southern and central cuisines. Meat or fish patties such as chả cá mòi (fish patties made with sardines) and chả rươi (patties made with mealworm and eggs) are more common in the north.

Examining Han-Nom characters provides a possible explanation for why chả has so many different linguistic uses. Anthony Tran Van Kiem’s Nom and Sino-Vietnamese dictionary and the dictionary published by the Nom Preservation Foundation list six Han-Nom characters that translate to chả.

The first character, 鮓 in its traditional form and 鲊 in its standard form, is romanized as zhǎ. The word refers to salted, preserved fish, or a dish made with ground vegetables, flour and other condiments. Interestingly, in Chinese provinces like Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi, 鮓 (zhǎ) refers to a method of pickling vegetables and meat with rice flour or flour.

These dictionaries provide no information regarding two terms. 鮺 and 𫆢 don’t have Mandarin equivalents because they are pure Nom words that were introduced during the later stages of Nom language development, when the writing system broke away from Han traditions.

Another character that piques interest is 炙 (zhì), which, according to Nguyen Quang Hong’s Nôm Characters with Quotations and Annotations, has three Vietnamese readings, including chá, chảand chạ. Chá refers to grilled or fried seasoned meat or fish. Chả however, is a term of negation (i.e. don’t) in Vietnamese. Another exclusively Nom word with an identical meaning to 炙 (zhì), a definition of the frying and grilling method, is 𤌄, pronounced as chả.

A little more digging reveals a fascinating link between zhì and the common Vietnamese phrase khoái chá, which describes the feeling of really liking something. The term, according to Vietnamese scholar An Chi, is rooted in the phrase quái chá, an abbreviated Vietnamese reading of an old Chinese metaphor 脍炙人口 (pinyin: kuài zhì rén kǒu; Vietnamese: khoái chá nhân khẩu). In Mandarin usage, 脍 (kuài) refers to thinly raw sliced meat, while 炙 (zhì) refers to grilled meat and 人口 (rén kǒu) is a person’s mouth. When put together, the phrase refers to the ecstatic joy of consuming a kuài or zhì dish, but it is often used as a metaphor to describe something popular, especially a poem or a work of literature that pleases people they way these meat dishes do.

A look inside Technique du People Annam provides insight about another character. The book, published in 1909, is a collection of drawings and text describing the activities and culture of Hanoi, written in both pure Nom and Han characters. Its Vietnamese translation for bún chảcorresponds to two exclusively Nom characters. The first one, placed on top, is the written word for bún, and the bottom for chả. While the first character is recorded in the dictionary, the second is nowhere to be found. One can see its resemblance to 詐 (zhà), which means to cheat or pretend in Mandarin.

Bún chả in Technique du People Annam.

Overall, the Han and Nom characters associated with chả sometimes refer to a piece of meat itself, or the grilling, frying or grounding methods involved in its preparation. Chả, when used in modern Vietnamese, seems to fit under one of these two broad, flexible umbrellas.

This leads us to another common word, nem, which is often paired with chả in various idioms, including the famous saying “nem công chả ph��ợng,” which describes a Hue royal dish commonly served to kings and elites in feudal times. The saying is sometimes used as a metaphor for a fancy feast, or fanciness in general. Công translates to peacock and phượng translates to phoenix, but the dish’s precise historic ingredients are unknown. The majority of modern interpretations rely on different definitions of nem and chả and rely on visual representations of the phoenix and the peacock.

Ton Nu Thi Ha, a descendant of mandarin wives in the Nguyen royal court, suggests that the nempart of the dish is made with peafowl meat, spices and sugar and left to ferment for three days, while the chả is made with pheasant meat, ground with herbs and spices, quết and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. Whatever the original dish, nem công chả phượng will look different depending on which meaning of nem and chả one uses. One can find spring rolls, sour nem and different types of sausage on a tray of nem công chả phượng in someone’s home or an online recipe.

Nem is most ubiquitously understood as a type of fermented sausage that uses lean pork, spices and rice wrapped in either guava or gooseberry leaves with garlic and chili and then further wrapped in banana leaves. This tight wrap produces an anaerobic environment that enhance the growth of lactic acid bacteria, which feed on the rice, contributing to the dish’s iconic sour taste and helping to prevent salmonella.. While people in the south and central regions simply use the word nem for this dish, northerners opt for the term nem chua.

This fermented sausage is popular in neighboring countries too. One can recognize it and its Vietnamese name in Thai (naem or nham), Laotian (naem moo or som moo) and Cambodian (nam) cuisines.

Nem enjoys another meaning in northern provinces. There, it describes fried spring rolls, which southerners often call chả giò and central regions, with the exception of Thanh Hoa Province, call ram. Although similar in essence, not all chả giò or nem within the same region are the same, with versions varying in their types of fillings and wrappers. Rice flour wrappers are more common in the north and central regions, while southerners are more familiar with wheat flour based wrap or rế, net wrappers. Interestingly, the fresh version of spring rolls are called nem cuốn (rolled nem) in Hanoi, while southerners are more familiar with gỏi cuốn.

When placed before other words, nem invites even more meanings. For example, nem chạo or nem thính is a dish that uses pork ear mixed with ground, roasted rice, similar to bì in Saigon.

The chả and nem pair also exist in the common saying ông ăn chả bà ăn nem (the husband eats chả, the wife eats nem), in which they are used as metaphors for an illicit female mistress and an illicit male lover, respectively. The metaphorical connotation of chả and nem here suggests there is some sort of commonality between the two, despite them often being placed in oppositional spaces.

Chè and Bánh

Food used

Bánh Trôi Nước (The Floating Cake)

Thân em vừa trắng lại vừa tròn (My body is both white and round)

Bảy nổi ba chìm với nước non (In water I now swim, now sink)

Rắn nát mặc dầu tay kẻ nặn (The hand that kneads me may be rough)

Mà em vẫn giữ tấm lòng son (I still shall keep my true-red heart)

English translation by Huynh Sanh Thong.

Once again, different names for the dish and the different regional variations emerge. Bánh trôi nước doesn’t exist in Saigon. Rather, the dessert that the poem seems to be describing resembles chè trôi nước, a dish consisting of glutinous rice balls with mung bean filling, coconut milk and sugar syrup simmered in ginger.

Chè trôi nước. Photo via YouTube account Vanh Khuyen Le.

Bánh might be the most all-encompassing word used in Vietnamese food. It can refer to savory or sweet treats of different sizes and shapes. Bánh phở is a rice noodle, bánh cuốn is a flat rice noodle sheet with fillings, bánh bao is a bun, bánh giò and bánh ú are triangle-shaped rice dumpling, bánh mì is a baguette, bánh đa can either be a noodle or a rice cracker depending on regional dialect, bánh tráng is the catch-all term for wrappers and crackers, bánh ngọt is an umbrella term for sweets made from wheat flour, bánh tôm is shrimp fried in batter, bánh xèo is a thin crepe, bánh đậu xanh is made from mung bean paste, bánh gan and bánh flan are made with an egg custard base and don’t even have flour as the main ingredient.

Bánh is fascinatingly flexible and often combined with a word that describes a cooking method, an ingredient, an appearance or a sound. The word originates from 餅 (bǐng) in Mandarin, which is a common term for many Chinese flatbreads, pancakes and objects that have a round, flat appearance. This association with shape extends to Vietnamese, as tires and steering wheels are called bánh xe and bánh lái, respectively.

Bánh in Vietnamese is even more all-encompassing, as it also includes foods that are mainly made from flour, powders and legume-based pastes in various shapes. The term also has a similar pronunciation in different languages, such as Lao’s pǣng, which means flour or powder, and Thai’s bpɛ̂ɛng, which also refers to flour or starch, with the addition of ground meat. Khmer’s bañ has two meanings; one shares the same proto-Mon-Khmer root with Vietnamese’s bắn, which is to shoot; the second means cake or pastry. In countries with a language tradition closer to Chinese, like South Korea and Japanese, byeong and mochi are the readings for the hangul and kanji version of the character.

Similar to bánh, chè is also a common term used for some beloved soupy desserts. In northern provinces, chè standing on its own also refers to tea, which is more typically called trà in the south. While it is common knowledge that tea etymologies are similar across countries, how Vietnamese chè took on another cluster of meanings is a mystery. Perhaps it’s because both the dessert and beverage are liquids. Or, perhaps it has roots in an entirely different language, such as Khmer.

As if the matter isn’t already complicated enough, two Hanoian snacks defy common associations for chè:chè lam and chè kho. Chè lam is made with sticky rice flour and molasses with peanuts, while chè kho is made of ground mung beans that are steamed, sautéed and shaped into a round loaf. A similar version of chè kho in central and southern regions is called bánh đậu xanh tươi.

Chè lam. Photo via Eva.

Chè kho. Photo via Lao Dong Thu Do.

Ho Xuan Huong’s poem provides a different overlapping of categories. In it, she describes herself, and women in general, as sharing the fate of the sweet sticky rice dumpling. It floats and sinks within nước non, which refers both to water and country, and is at the mercy of the hands of those who shape it, yet still keeps a lòng son, (literally, red heart; figuratively, loyal heart).

When people in the south read the poem, many assume that Ho Xuan Huong is referring to the sticky rice ball floating in syrup in a bowl of chè trôi nước. Imagining she is actually describing a different, northern dish allows for an interpretation that reveals an even greater brilliance.

It is more likely that the poet is referring to bánh trôi, a slightly different dessert. In the 1914 woodcut version of the poem, the Nom title is translated to bánh trôi, without the nước. This dish involves several small sticky rice dumpling eaten with sesame seeds without sugar syrup. The filling doesn’t contain mung beans like chè trôi nước, but instead a cube of đường phên (a type of reddish-brown rock sugar made of sugar cane molasses). Some sources suggest that lòng son is a play on words because the dumpling fillings share a color with an actual heart.

Bánh trôi dumplings are boiled, and thus the floating and sinking that Ho Xuan Huong mentions could refer to the up-and-down movement of them during the cooking process. In the 1914 version, she uses the character 㵢 for trôi, which means gliding and drifting, or sôi (boiling).

Another version of the poem published in Que Son Thi Tap gives the poem the name Lưu Thủy Bính, a synonym for bánh trôi. In Technique du People Annam the entry for bánh trôi also uses this name for the dish: 流水餅 (pinyin: liú shuǐ bǐng; Vietnamese: lưu thủy bính). Lưu means flow, stream, and together lưu thủy means flowing water.

Bánh trôi entry in the book. Note that the first and last characters are different because they are Nom writing variations liú and bǐng.

If one considers this definition involving flowing water, one can see a parallel in terms of movement with a practice performed during the Den Hat Mon festival, which commemorates the Trung sisters in Phu Tho, Hanoi. It was here that the sisters jumped to into a river, committing suicide after being defeated. Because the sisters were reported to have ordered rounds of bánh trôi before going into battle, it is prepared on the occasion and placed in 49 lotus flowers, which are released into the river. Is the poem also referencing the sisters?

Perhaps the metaphorical use of bánh trôi in Ho Xuan Huong’s poem also applies to the slippery relationship between language and food. It’s constantly renewing, changing, slipping, taking on new lives and colors with and against the currents of culture and history.

----- Sưu tầm------

Sunday reading 

[tipsycad147]

How to make your own chakra stone set

Posted by Michelle Gruben on May 25, 2017

A chakra stone set is a small collection of gemstones, in which each stone corresponds to one of the body's subtle energy centres. You've probably seen them for sale in metaphysical shops and online.

Chakra stones are used in energy healing and meditation. Witches and Pagans may also use them for spellwork or divination. To the well-practised crystal user, a chakra set is like a painter's palette. Handling the chakra stones allows the practitioner to focus on a particular vibration (or "colour" of energy), quickly accessing it to achieve his or her aims.

Making your own chakra set is an easy and fun exercise, even for crystal beginners. It's a way to create personalised tool for healing and contemplation. As you assemble your chakra set, you'll learn lots about the various stones and their energetic properties.

In this article, we'll look at how to put together your own set of chakra gemstones. We'll also share some instructions for getting your chakra stones ready to use.

The Colour Method

The concept of chakras, or psychic energy centres, originated in ancient India and is part of the discipline of Yoga. But Western magick workers have thoroughly adopted the chakra system, thanks in large part to New Age writers in the 1970s and 1980s. The most widely-read book on chakras is probably Wheels of Life, which has sold over 200,000 copies since it was published in 1987.

In New Age thought, there are usually seven chakras. Each chakra corresponds to a different colour on the spectrum, with red at the base or Root Chakra, and violet (or white) at the top of the head. The colours represent different frequencies of vibration, from low to high. The idea of a "rainbow" of chakras has been so influential that it shows up in most modern writings on psychic energy.

Making Your Set

While not everyone agrees whether the colours of the chakras are literally true, the rainbow is indeed a handy metaphor for different types of energy. So we'll use the rainbow concept to help put together our bag of chakra stones. (Bonus: Choosing by colour helps you remember which stone goes with which chakra.) We'll also stick with the usual seven chakra system—though you may feel free to adapt your kit to a system with more or fewer chakras.

One more note: For each chakra, I've included a list of suggested crystals or stones. Choose your favourite stone from each category, and end up with a chakra set that's truly unique.

Tumbled gemstones are the most popular for chakra kits, because they're relatively inexpensive and hold up the best to being handled. But crystals can be found in all sizes and shapes. Crystal spheres, wands, discs, pyramids, jewellery, uncut rough stones—any of these can be assembled into chakra sets.

I've tried to balance rare and expensive gemstones with ones that are readily available at most crystal shops. (A few stones appear in more than one list. Choose the attribution you feel is most appropriate.)

Root Chakra

Associated with the colour Red, the Root Chakra sits at the base of the spine.  It allows one to connect with Earth energy, and is strongly linked to instinct, survival, and the physical body. Many Root Chakra stones, like Red Jasper and Hematite, contain a high concentration of iron.

Just about any red or earth-coloured stone can represent the Root Chakra in your kit. Black gemstones—often associated with protection—are also suitable Root Chakra stones.

Suggested stones for the Root Chakra: Red Jasper, Hematite, Garnet, Black Tourmaline, Obsidian, Mahogany Obsidian, Ruby, Red Tiger's Eye.

Sacral Chakra

The Sacral Chakra is located near the navel, lower back, and sexual organs. Its colour is Orange and it governs passion, pleasure, and creative force.

Since the Sacral Chakra rules appetites, look for stones in bright, mouth-watering colours and pleasing textures. Our favourite Sacral Chakra crystal has got to be Carnelian—a vibrant red-orange gem whose name means "fleshy."

Suggested stones for the Sacral Chakra: Carnelian, Amber, Pink Moonstone, Citrine, Orange Calcite, Sunstone, Gold Sandstone.

Solar Plexus Chakra

Located in the middle of the body (just below the rib cage) the Solar Plexus Chakra is the centre of personal power. Strength, charisma, confidence, and willpower are attributes that it controls. It's linked to the colour Yellow. When shopping for Solar Plexus stones, look for a yellow-gold colour, and/or stones with sparkles and rays.

Suggested stones for the Sacral Chakra: Tiger's Eye, Citrine, Yellow Calcite, Ametrine, Rutilated Quartz, Yellow Aventurine, Yellow Jasper, Yellow Sapphire.

Heart Chakra

The Heart Chakra allows one to experience love, generosity and empathy. Its main functions are processing emotions and connecting with others' energy.

Green is the colour usually assigned to the Heart Chakra, and there are many, many green stones that are excellent for Heart Chakra work. But some stones on the list are pink or mixed colours. Not to worry. Remember: The earliest texts on pranic energy don't mention chakra colours, so it is likely that chakras of yogic and tantric traditions were colourless. Pick a stone that screams "heart energy" to you, regardless of the colour.

Suggested stones for the Heart Chakra: Green Aventurine, Jade, Emerald, Rose Quartz, Pink Sapphire, Peridot, Unakite, Green Calcite, Green Fluorite, Rhodonite, Malachite, Chrysocolla.

Throat Chakra

The Throat Chakra is linked to colour Blue, and it governs communication, self-expression, and truth. Situated between the head and the heart, it helps to mediate between thought and emotion. It's no big surprise that most of the stones on this list are in shades of blue.

Suggested stones for the Throat Chakra: Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Blue Kyanite, Blue Tiger's Eye, Blue Goldstone, Amazonite, Turquoise, Blue Apatite.

Brow Chakra

Also called the "third eye," the Brow Chakra is located just above the eyes, between the eyebrows. Its colour is Purple, and visualisation, dreaming, and intuition are some of its functions. Working with the Brow Chakra helps to awaken psychic gifts (and perception in general).

When choosing crystals that vibrate with the Brow Chakra, deep blue or violet stones are recommended. Stones with iridescence or moving patterns are also very stimulating to the light-sensitive third eye.

Suggested gemstones for the Brow Chakra: Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Purple (or Rainbow) Fluorite, Shungite, Labradorite, Moonstone, Opal, Kyanite.

Crown Chakra

Located just above the head, the Crown Chakra is the body's link with celestial and/or Divine energy. Just as White combines all the colours of the rainbow, a fully-functioning Crown Chakra blends all of body's diverse energies into a unified being.

Crown Chakra gemstones tend to be clear or white in colour. They are though to be the stones with the highest and purest vibrations.

Suggested gemstones for the Crown Chakra: Clear Quartz, White Moonstone, Opalite, Selenite, Angelite, White Sapphire, Apophylite, Milky Quartz, Celestite, Moldavite.

Putting it all together

Pretty soon, you should have collected seven (or five or nine or ten) stones to go in your chakra set.

If one of the stones doesn't feel right, or doesn't appear to be playing nice with the others, then kick it to the curb. (I mean, gratefully place it somewhere to be re-purposed.) Keep shuffling rocks around until you have a set that represents the chakras to you.

Next, you'll want a home for your stones. A dedicated bag or box keeps the set from accumulating physical and psychic dust when not in use.

Depending on what stones you've picked out, some of them may need to be stored separately from the rest. Softer materials can pick up dings and scratches from their pokier neighbours. Selenite and Fluorite, for instance, are fragile divas. To avoid the problem, choose gems that are close on the Mohs scale. Or, work out a way to keep them in separate bags or compartments.

Finally, as with any magickal tool, it's a good idea to cleanse and bless your chakra stones. Use your favourite crystal cleansing method. There are several effective methods: Smudging, sunlight or moonlight, water (if it won't harm the stones you've chosen), other crystals, visualisation, and breath. Set your intention that these stones will be your partner on your journey of learning and healing.

Attuning chakra stones

If you like, you can follow the cleansing process with an attunement exercise. This is definitely recommend if you've made the chakra set for your own personal practice. Basically, attuning your stones allows each one to get acquainted with the energy centre it's going to represent.

To attune your chakra set, dim the lights, light some candles or incense--whatever helps you get into a meditative state. Take a few deep breaths and let go of any energy build-ups or distracting thoughts.

Starting with your Root Chakra stone, place each stone in turn over the chakra that it corresponds to. You will be adding the stones one by one, until you're "wearing" all of them. (Unless you have a lot of hands, the easiest way to do this is lying on your back.)

You can use a diagram of the chakras to help you place the stones—but remember chakras can be in slightly different places on different individuals. You will know the first stone is placed correctly by its feel. Some people experience the feeling as equilibrium, or heaviness, or a light tingling vibration. I like to describe it has a ball settling into a hole in the ground—once it's in the right place, it tends to stay comfortably settled.

Once the stone is placed on the chakra, gather some of the energy in that chakra and send a little pulse outward. This is similar to directing energy with your hands, but the energy starts in and exits directly from the chakra centre. It may take the form of a beam, or a ball, or small petals of energy reaching outward.

Wait for a reply. You may feel the stone either absorbing the energy or reflecting it back to you (or a little of both, or nothing at all.) Take another breath, and try it again. Let the stone and the energy of your body "talk" until they feel as if they are in harmony. Do this until the stone can't possibly accept any more energy, or you sense that the dialogue has stopped.

Leaving the Root Chakra stone in place if possible, move on to the Sacral Chakra. Repeat the stone-charging process. Though you will be focusing on attuning only one stone at a time, you will have a gentle awareness of all the tones you have charged so far. Remove the stones in the reverse order, starting with the Crown Chakra and working down to the Root Chakra.

To check your work, put the chakra stones in a bag or on a table and gently run your receptive hand over them. Do you feel a difference in energy between the stones? Some may feel warmer or cooler than the others, or appear to vibrate faster or slower. (That's good!) If you did an exceptional job of attuning the stones to your body, you may even feel sensation in one of your chakras when holding the matching stone.

Your chakra set is now ready for energetic healing, divination, and meditating on the chakras. Chakra stones may need to be cleansed and re-attuned periodically to keep them working their best.

https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/making-a-chakra-stone-set