#that actually embodies the Olympic spirit

[triple-to-stag]

can’t believe raygun got an Olympic spot but chuso didn’t

[ummick]

Mick Schumacher On Fashion, Le Mans and Fronting Tommy Hilfiger's New Campaign

It's a big year for sports, as the Paris Olympics near, tennis champs prep for Wimbledon, and the Euros inch closer. In the midst of it all Tommy Hilfiger is getting in on the action with the release of an International Games collection. Refashioning timeless icons for the new generation, the collection is a modern interpretation of the brand's 1996 capsule collection released to celebrate the Olympics arriving in Atlanta, reworking track-ready styles including archival varsity jackets, rugby jerseys and basketball vests in Tommy's signature red, white and blue. Speaking on the new collection, Hilfiger says: "The sporting calendar sets the cultural pulse for the year, and 2024's shaping up to be amazing. We're building on our legacy of working with pioneers in sport and reimagining timeless American icons through an archival lens." To front the campaign, the US house has turned to the global sporting stage to curate a team of athletes who embody the brand's spirit, including All-Pro NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs, college basketball guard Deja Kelly, star of the all-Japan skateboarding association Aori Nishimura, and Formula 1 driver and current member of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, Mick Schumacher. Ahead of the collection drop, in the conversation below we speak to Schumacher about his first memories of Tommy Hilfiger, his personal style, and prepping for Le Mans.

Ella Joyce: "What was it like working with Tommy Hilfiger? Do you have personal memories of the brand?" Mick: "It was great! Not only is it exciting to wear Tommy and to have attended the NYFW show with all the exceptional details, but to be a part of the campaign and the bigger brand story is just incredible. A personal memory for me is when the brand worked with Ferrari back in the day, before their current partnership with the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team. My dad used to bring back so much kit and, honestly, I was just running around as the best-dressed kid in school!" EJ: "How does the campaign resonate with you?" Mick: "I really believe Tommy was able to create something that brings both sport and style to the table. I'm sporty, I love to do my workouts and be active outdoors, and to be able to do that fashionably is so important. I was so happy to be part of this campaign with other athletes, too. It was amazing to get to know them better and see how their sport and personalities impact their individual styles." EJ: "Off the track, how would you describe your personal style?" Mick: "I think the best word would be 'changeable.' I love to experiment and try new things with my style. I think you can see this across my social media, but I would probably look different if you saw me on the street two days in a row. From a classic look to a more casual or baggy streetwear look, I love the creativity that comes with personal style. It's so fun."

EJ: "You're currently competing in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. How's it going? What's coming up next for you?" Mick: "Yes, we just had our first race in Qatar, a ten-hour race! It was the first time I had to be on for that amount of time while learning and experiencing that type of race, but it was an interesting run. We learned a lot as a team. One of the cars even scored points, so it proves that we're on pace and the project is moving in the right direction, especially as everyone is gearing up for Le Mans." EJ: "Do you have any pre-race rituals?" Mick: "I don't, actually. It depends on how I'm feeling in the moment. If I'm nervous or stressed, or whatever it is, I'll always try to adapt to what's happening. Maybe one day I'm nervous so I have to work on calming down, and another day I'm too calm so I have to pump myself up. It all depends on the day."

EJ: "You're photographed alongside a host of other athletes for the campaign. How do you think your generation of athletes compares to generations which have come before?" Mick: "I think we are really different to athletes from the previous generation. Of course, social media and phones have made an impact, but it's also because we're so precise about what we're doing. We have strict training and a solid laid-out plan in front of us on how to achieve our desired results. We have so much research and information which leads our way, while back in the day it was more experimental." EJ: "America and collegiate heritage heavily inspire Tommy Hilfiger. Is there a specific place which inspires you?" Mick: "The racetrack. I've always been a part of it, from doing laps in a car to just being on the track. In terms of style, I've always been interested in fashion, most likely inspired by my dad at a young age; however, my girlfriend is heavily involved in the fashion world, so it's helpful when I need to know what looks good and what doesn't. Inspiration is all around, so it depends on where I look!"

[linkspooky]

Wild Tiger - Gojo and Yuji

If Megumi and Geto together represesent the black yin, then their respective counterparts Yuji and Gojo both embody the white yang. Thus, Yuji and Gojo as mentor and student are two characters who are very similiar in nature. Rather than passive, feminine,  yin standing in the shadows they both are active, masculine yang standing in the light. More on the foiling between Yuji and Gojo underneath the cut. 

1. The Strongest

There are a lot of similarities between both Yuji and Gojo you can point out right away. They are both light haired. They are both the more lighthearted person in the duo, the cheerful, silly ones in comparison to their dark haired more self serious counterparts. Yuji and Gojo both tend to come off as normal teenagers, they drop pop culture references, flirt with girls, read manga. If Geto and Megumi tend to be the more brooding ones, removed from the world around them and stuck inside their own heads it’s Gojo and Megumi who are actively taking part in the world as much as they can.

Basically, in any situation they’ll be the ones less inclined to take that situation seriously, whereas Geto and Megumi are prone to be the ones to take the situation too seriously. Despite the fact that Yuji and Gojo are the more childish of the duo and act like teenagers (Gojo acts like a teenager even as an adult, isn’t he impressive) and more prone to being emotional rather than overthinking there’s also a serious level of distance between themselves and their feelings. 

Gojo notices this about Yuji right away, despite the fact that curses are by some definition “alive”, Yuji doesn’t show any hesitation at all in fighting against them and killing them. It’s odd for what was a normal teenager before this point to act this way, to not even be a little scared by curses. Gojo marks Yuji out as one of the “crazy ones” like him right away because they both suffer from this disconnect between their head and their heart. 

Yuji and Gojo are parallel. Yuji’s craziness is Gojo’s craziness. They even go on similiar journeys before becoming the strongest. In the beginning of Yuji’s character development, and the flashback chapter for Gojo they both experience the same thing. First, a near death happens at the hands of an enemy. Until this point Yuji and Gojo have always been the strongest. Yuji has always been like olympic levels of athletic (for some reason), both Yuji and Gojo were always good at whatever they tried when they were younger and never tasted a serious defeat. 

That is until they experience their near-death and taste weakness for the first time. 

After this point they both flip. Rather than being humbled by their near defeat they become arrogant. Yuji’s flip is more literal, he flips from the dominant personality Yuji, to the other personality within him the curse Sukuna. Gojo, after unlocking the secrets of reverse jutsushiki and perfecting the unlimited becomes more arrogant. These moments are meant to be paralleled to each other, we’re supposed to see Sukuna’s arrogance in Gojo’s apparent flip after becoming the strongest because they both quote the same text “ Tenjou tenge yuiga dokuson. It means “Above heaven, under heaven, I am alone worthy of honor”.

These scenes are further paralleled, because they also fail to save someone. Gojo fails to save Riko, because he let Toji through when he promised Geto that he would cover his back as the strongest.

Yuji similiarly fails to save Junpei, after offering him a chance to come back to Jujutsu High with him and fight together. They also both fail to save the person they wanted to save for the same reason, because they failed to take the situation seriously enough and got sloppy. Yuji forgot Nanami’s warning to him to watch out for the patchwork faced spirit, and Gojo got so arrogant he dropped his guard around Toji.

After these failures however, Yuji and Gojo’s solutions is always to become prouder rather than to humble themselves. They always end up seeking out more and more strength. When Yuji loses Junpei, his response is to flip to being angry and killing Mahito. When Gojo loses Riko, his response is to go on a power trip. They always both double back on strength. This is a parallel to this. 

Which is why Gojo and Yuji click and get along so well, they think the exact same way, they both are convinced the solution to every problem is to just try to be the strongest so you will never lose. Yuji and Gojo have this weird understanding of each other, Yuji thinks Gojo is an admirable person and is always listening to him just because he’s the strongest, Gojo thinks Megumi should learn to swing for the fences more like Yuji. 

2. I Alone Am the Honored One

Yuji and Gojo’s strongest character trait is both their pride, the pride they take in themselves, the pride they take in being the strongest. However, pride isn’t a sin. It is for the both of them a strength and a weakness. Yuji and Gojo are both people dedicated to improving themselves, to lifting themselves up to be the best individuals they can be. While they’re obsessed with becoming stronger, they also use their strength pretty unselfishly. Megumi and Geto are both people who choose who to save. Geto only cares about sorcerers, Megumi only cares about what he arbitrarily deems as good people.

 Gojo is someone who is constantly working to save the masses, he does the most missions out of all the jujutsu sorcerers and is constantly busy exorcising curses for the sake of everyone to the point where his job is his whole life. He also, doesn’t just force everyone to submit to his strength by killing all the higher ups until he’s left. He’s not a tyrant. He works within the system to help people because he’s always choosing his actions along the lines of what will help the most people possible. 

Gojo and Yuji are both self centered people who use their strength in an unselfish manner, though for different reasons. Yuji is emotionally moved to helping people, and Gojo is tied down by using his powers responsibly. However, despite using their strength for the sake of other people they are also both strongest when they are alone and this is a weakness for them. 

They both make the same decision and the same mistake in the Shibuya arc, which is to run off ahead alone even when they have back up they could have waited for because they assume that everything will just be better if they handle it entirely by themselves.

Gojo goes all the way down to the subway alone and gets boxed. Every fight that Yuji faces alone in Shibuya arc (against a name character that matters) he loses. He loses to Choso, as a result of deciding to run ahead of Megumi instead of waiting for backup. He was completely losing to Mahito, and would have died had Todo not shown up to give him backup. Kamo Noritoshi Sr. even tells this to Yuji directly to his face, you alone are not enough. 

Yuji fails to get Gojo’s box back by himself, and once again has to be saved by people working together as a team, the Kyoto students led by Utahime (somebody Gojo dubbed as weak) showing up to interrupt the fight. Yuji and Gojo are both the most active characters always running off to save people, however strength isn’t enough to save people, especially when they’re acting alone. This leaves both of them feeling insecure, because they try alone, and fail alone, they believe that they themselves are not enough. 

These scenes once again are parallels. They try to save people, and then when they fail hold themselves entirely responsible. Their habit of acting alone also comes from this distance between themselves and their emotions which I described earlier. Yuji and Gojo only see themselves in their utility to the other people around them. Yuji has to be doing something in order to help others. 

Both Yuji and Gojo are consumed by what I am going to dub the “chosen one complex” where they have to believe there’s a reason that they’re given such tremendous strength. They have to use their strength in order to help others. Otherwise, why do they exist? Neither of them allow themselves to exist unless it’s in service of others. Yuji can’t live on unless he’s helping people like his grandfather told him. Gojo HAS to hold the whole Jujutsu World on his shoulders. 

In other words they see themselves and their relationships with others in this way. People can’t simply like Yuji and Gojo, they need to need them. Yuji is surrounded by allies because he is useful to them, because he’s strong enough to be around them. They see everything even themselves through the lens of strength. Nobody would want to be with them if they were weak. Geto didn’t like Gojo, they were only together because they were the strongest together.

If you’re not strong people will leave you behind. That is the only way Yuji and Gojo can comprehend their tangible connection to other people. That’s also why we see a similar emotional denseness for both Gojo and Yuji. It’s not that Gojo is uncaring, he does actually take notice of people’s feelings and tries to be considerate in his own way.

They both notice small little details about people while missing huge ones. Gojo noticed something was off about Geto because he was interested in him and observing him that close, but he took him at his words that he was fine when he was in the middle of his mental breakdown and was caught completely offguard by it. There’s an entire chapter about the small little details that Yuji notices about people. 

However, Yuji and Megumi fail at basic communication and are constantly hiding secrets from each other, the same way that Geto and Gojo once did.

They are at the same time extremely observant, and emotionally dense, and this is entirely about how they see themselves. Yuji and Gojo can only exist in service to others. They’re only going to be surrounded by people if they are strong enough. Which is why they also wish for what is exactly the same thing. Yuji wants to die surrounded by people, and Gojo wants allies that are just as strong as he is. However, they both go about it in the entirely wrong way. What Gojo wants is people who are as strong as him to be equal with him. However what Gojo needs is to emotionally open up to people and allow other people to be equals with him on an emotional level because they don’t need to pass some physical test of strength. 

Gojo and Yuji are both characters who want to be surrounded by people, and yet they’re always running off ahead of everyone else to die alone. That’s the contradiction about themselves they need to fix, in order to keep living as more well balanced people. That’s why they both need Geto and Megumi as the other halves of the equation, because they can’t solve it on their own. 

[raeynbowboi]

How to Build Apollo in DnD 5e

That’s right, today we’re tackling a herculean task by trying to build the golden boy of the Olympic Gods: Apollo. Now, obviously, we can’t build Apollo as an actual factual literal god, it would break the game and it would be preposterous. However, Apollo translates really nicely into DnD. He has many skills, multiple powers so that we don’t have to pad his spell list with crap, and he’s also shown off his fighting style across multiple myths and legends. Keep in mind that while I am using Apollo himself as our template, this is also a GREAT resource for if you want to play as a Demigod child of Apollo (such as Will Solace), a worshipper of Apollo, Apollo’s chosen champion, or if Zeus has condemned your godly gloriousness into the pimply awkward adolescent body of one Lester Papadopoulos. 

To start things off, we should examine Apollo’s many skills, abilities, and his MANY MANY MANY domains as a god.

Athletics - Apollo is the god of athleticism, though he shares this domain with Hermes. The original Olympic Games were held in his honor, young Greek boys held him up as the ideal of masculine physicality, and they still crowned winners with his sacred laurel wreath long after the games stopped being held for him.

Animal Handling - Before giving them to Hermes, Apollo was a pastoral god with a herd of cattle, and he also has horses that draw his solar chariot across the sky. There’s also art showing Apollo riding on the back of a swan, and he had a crow as his sacred messenger at least until he got angry and burned its feathers black.

History - Apollo’s been around a long time, and more importantly, he’s the second smartest and the second wisest of all the gods after only Athena herself. He invented mathematics, and two of his muse daughters embody history and astronomy, big staples of Ancient Greek scholarly rhetoric. A third daughter covers epic poetry which by modern standards would make her the muse of novels and plot-driven storytelling.

Intimidation - Diomedes carved a bloody canyon through the Trojan forces, but one threat from Apollo was all it took for him to scamper off with his tail between his legs.

Medicine - Apollo is the god of medicine, and as such, would be good at healing and checking for injuries.

Performance - This one’s a no-brainer, Apollo is the god of music, the father of the muses and the demigod Orpheus, and beat pan in a well-known musical battle.

Perception - Apollo is the god of prophecy, it’s hard to get the drop on a guy who may have seen your attack coming 30 years before you tried anything.

Persuasion - With the possible exception of Zeus and Aphrodite, Apollo is definitely a contender for the largest list of lovers by a single Olympian God. They had a terrible penchant for ending poorly, and he didn’t always pass his persuasion checks, but dang it if he didn’t try his hardest.

Religion - Apollo is a god. This is where I’d put any skill check for knowledge of Greek mythology, such as remembering myths, legends, heroes, demigods, the weaknesses of monsters, and mythological artifacts.

Now that we’ve covered Apollo’s skills that we should aim to provide him with, let’s examine his domains and abilities for appropriate spells, and figure out what spell lists he needs to be pulling from.

Magical Abilities

Archery/Athleticism

Divine Favor (Paladin, War Cleric) Heroism (Bard, Paladin, Battle Smith Artificer, Order Cleric, Peace Cleric) Hunter’s Mark (Ranger, Vengeance Paladin) Jump (Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard) Longstrider (Artificer, Bard, Druid, Ranger, Wizard) Zephyr Strike (Ranger) Cordon of Arrows (Ranger) Enhance Ability (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard, Glory Paladin) Conjure Barrage (Ranger) Crusader’s Mantle (Paladin) Flame Arrows (Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard) Haste (Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard, Land Druid (Grassland), Glory Paladin, Vengeance Paladin) Lightning Arrow (Ranger) Skill Empowerment (Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard) Conjure Volley (Ranger) Steel Wind Strike (Ranger, Wizard) Swift Quiver (Ranger)

Disease

Inflict Wounds (Cleric, Oathbreaker Paladin) Ray of Sickness (Sorcerer, Wizard, Death Cleric) Ray of Enfeeblement (Warlock, Wizard, Death Cleric, Grave Cleric) Vampiric Touch (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Death Cleric, Grave Cleric) Blight (Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Death Cleric, Grave Cleric, Oathbreaker Paladin, Alchemist Artificer) Sickening Radiance (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Vitriolic Sphere (Sorcerer, Wizard) Contagion (Cleric, Druid, Oathbreaker Paladin, Undying Warlock) Harm (Cleric)

Fire

Create Bonfire (Artificer, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Firebolt (Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard) Burning Hands (Sorcerer, Wizard, Light Cleric, Wildfire Druid, Fiend Warlock, Genie Warlock (Efreeti)) Hellish Rebuke (Warlock, Oathbreaker Paladin) Aganazzar’s Scorcher (Sorcerer, Wizard) Dragon’s Breath - Fire* (Sorcerer, Wizard) Flaming Sphere (Druid, Wizard, Alchemist Artificer, Light Cleric, Celestial Warlock) Heat Metal (Artificer, Bard, Druid, Forge Cleric) Scorching Ray (Sorcerer, Wizard, Artillerist Artificer, Light Cleric, Wildfire Druid, Fiend Warlock, Genie Warlock (Efreeti)) Fireball (Sorcerer, Wizard, Artillerist Artificer, Light Cleric, Fiend Warlock, Genie Warlock (Efreeti) Flame Stride (Artificer, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard) Fire Shield (Wizard, Wildfire Druid, Armorer Artificer, Battle Smith Artificer, Fiend Warlock, Genie Warlock (Efreeti)) Wall of Fire (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard, Artillerist Artificer, Light Cleric, Forge Cleric, Celestial Warlock, Fiend Warlock) Flame Strike (Cleric, Wildfire Druid, Devotion Paladin, Glory Paladin, Celestial Warlock, Fiend Warlock, Genie Warlock (Efreeti)) Immolation (Sorcerer, Wizard) Investiture of Flame (Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Delayed Blast Fireball (Sorcerer, Wizard) Firestorm (Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer) Incendiary Cloud (Sorcerer, Wizard)

Healing

Spare the Dying (Artificer, Cleric) Cure Wounds (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Celestial Warlock) Healing Word (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Alchemist Artificer) Healing Spirit (Druid, Ranger) Lesser Restoration (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Celestial Warlock) Prayer of Healing (Cleric) Aura of Vitality (Cleric, Druid, Paladin) Beacon of Hope (Cleric, Devotion Paladin) Mass Healing Word (Cleric, Alchemist Artificer) Greater Restoration (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Celestial Warlock) Mass Cure Wounds (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Battle Smith Artificer) Heal (Cleric, Druid) Regenerate (Bard, Cleric, Druid) Mass Heal (Cleric) Power Word Heal (Bard, Cleric)

Light/Sun

Dancing Lights (Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard) Light (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard, Aasimar Race) Sacred Flame (Cleric) Faerie Fire (Artificer, Bard, Druid, Light Cleric, Twilight Cleric, Archfey Warlock) Guiding Bolt (Cleric, Glory Paladin, Celestial Warlock) Branding Smite (Paladin, Battle Smith Artificer, Hexblade Warlock) Blinding Smite (Paladin) Daylight (Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Celestial Warlock) Dawn (Cleric, Wizard) Destructive Wave (Paladin) Holy Weapon (Cleric, Paladin) Wall of Light (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Sunbeam (Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Crown of Stars (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Holy Aura (Cleric) Sunburst (Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Music, Sound, Etc.

Vicious Mockery (Bard) Word of Radiance (Cleric) Thunderwave (Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard, Armorer Artificer, Artillerist Artificer, Tempest Cleric, Fathomless Warlock, Genie Warlock (Djinni)) Knock (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard) Shatter (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Armorer Artificer, Artillerist Artificer, Tempest Cleric) Thunder Step (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Divine Word (Cleric) Power Word Pain (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Power Word Stun (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Power Word Kill (Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

Prophecy/Divination

Guidance (Artificer, Cleric, Druid) Detect Magic (Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard) Identify (Artificer, Bard, Wizard, Knowledge Cleric, Forge Cleric) Augury (Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Open Sea Paladin) Find Traps (Cleric, Druid, Ranger) Locate Animals or Plants (Bard, Druid, Ranger) Locate Object (Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard) Clairvoyance (Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard, Great Old One Warlock) Divination (Cleric, Druid, Wizard) Commune (Cleric, Glory Paladin) Legend Lore (Bard, Cleric, Wizard, Undying Warlock) Contingency (Wizard) True Seeing (Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard) Foresight (Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard)

SPELL DISTRIBUTION

In order to determine the best way to play Apollo, I’m going to showcase how many spells they get from each group, and add on additional spells based on class features, subclass spell lists, et cetera. The ultimate goal is to try and find a balance between as many of Apollo’s spells as possible.

Bard: (4,0,1,7,3,6,8) 29 + Magical Secrets (6-8): 35-37 Cleric: (1,3,2,14,9,2,10 ) 41 + Light (6): 47, Death (4): 45, Grave (3): 44 Paladin: (3,0,0,3,5,0,2) 13 + Devotion (2): 15, Glory (5): 18, Vengeance (2): 15 Ranger: (11,0,1,3,1,0,4) 20 Sorcerer: (5,5,14,0,5,3) 32 + Divine Soul (32) 64 Warlock: (0,4,3,0,2,5,2) 16 + Celestial (8): 24 Wizard (7,6,15,0,7,7,10) 52 + Theurgy (26): 78

RACES, BACKGROUND, AND ALIGNMENT

Racial Options

As an Olympian, Aasimar is a good fit for Apollo. He gains a resistance to Radiant and Necrotic damage, healing hands, and the light cantrip. Since Apollo doesn’t fly around on his own, the best choice for Apollo would the Scourge Aasimar.

Another good choice would be Variant Human. Give Apollo +1 DEX, +1 Casting Stat, take Athletics, Performance, or Perception for your skill of choice, and give him the Alert feat so he can never be surprised or Fighting Initiate to give Apollo the Archery Fighting Style if you’re not planning on giving him any Fighter levels.

Viable Backgrounds

Acolyte (Insight, Religion) Athlete (Acrobatics, Athletics) Entertainer (Acrobatics, Performance) Noble (History, Persuasion) Custom Background: Olympic Athlete (Athletics, Performance)

CLASSES, SUBCLASSES, AND BUILD OPTIONS

BARD

In terms of raw flavor, Bard is probably the best choice for Apollo, as being the god of music and poetry, as well as his numerous romantic entanglements, fits the image of the classic DnD bard. The Bard’s magical secrets also ensures that any non-Bard spell you really want can still be collected. While Bard doesn’t have the highest count of compatible spells, Bard has a nice, even distribution of Apollo’s abilities, with a little bit of almost everything. Casting with Charisma is also very on-brand for Apollo’s general depiction in media. The bard’s ability to steal any spell also means that it can exploit the Paladin and Ranger spell list specifically and swipe their high-level spells much closer to the bard’s early-to-mid level.

LORE

The Lore Bard specializes in learning and recounting tales of myths and legends, collecting information and gossip, and sharing insights to those who seek it. A rather fitting choice for the master of the Oracle of Delphi and the father of the muses. The added magical secrets is also a great choice to give Apollo more versatility in his magical abilities. The Lore bard also expands its skill list, which is fitting for the overly talented god of music.

VALOR

The bard of the Battlefield, the added focus on melee combat means that this build option is a good fit for not neglecting Apollo’s mastery of archery as a major component of combat without needing to take levels of fighter.

CLERIC

A very good contender for the build, Cleric is the only class out of all of the options that got at least 1 spell in all 8 categories. As Apollo is the god of healing and medicine, Cleric provides the biggest selection of healing spells, as well as the most radiant damage. Clerics have good Hit Die, and with enough Constitution can withstand damage long enough to aid and heal themselves and others. They get access to plenty of divination spells to call upon the help of the gods and the forces of luck and fate at play in the universe to guide them. On the character level, Apollo does seem like the sort of god that would worship himself.

LIGHT

Far and away Apollo’s best choice for building him as a Cleric, Light gives Apollo access to more fire spells to fit his solar theme, and the ability warding flare is rather fitting for the god of light to use.

RANGER

If Apollo didn’t have so many other abilities, Ranger might have been a great choice for him. If you want to fixate entirely on his role as an archer and a hunter god, then by all means, Ranger is a fitting choice for Apollo in that respect. But when taking the whole of his mythos into consideration, it leaves too much on the cutting room floor, and the only real reason I’d consider giving him Ranger levels is that Hunter’s Mark helps encourage him to use his archery skills more.

SORCERER

Honestly, this one might have had a chance if not for Sorcerer’s abysmally small spells known. Thanks to a lack of subclass spells and having to stretch 15 spells across 9 spell levels, the Sorcerer walks away with the smallest spell list of ALL the primary casting classes. It doesn’t matter that Divine Soul Sorcerer gives Apollo access to a wide variety of spells because his miniscule spell book means that he can’t flex that variety whatsoever.

DIVINE SOUL

I wouldn’t advise building Apollo as a sorcerer, but if you’re set on Sorcerer, the Divine Soul is the best possible origin for Apollo, as it gives him access to radiant, fire, divination, healing, and ‘disease’ spells.

WARLOCK

Warlock is a surprisingly decent pick, especially if you’re playing a mortal that obeys Apollo, or even if you’re as Apollo himself swearing fealty to Zeus, Helios, or some other celestial entity. By making Apollo’s pact boon the Pact of the Blade, Apollo can make his pact weapon a bow and arrow, and unlike the Paladin smites, the Warlock can Eldritch Smite with their bow.

CELESTIAL

Like Ranger, the Warlock prioritizes Apollo’s skill with a bow over a lot of flashy magic, but unlike the Ranger, by following the Celestial patron, Apollo gets a rather decent assortment of radiant spells and healing spells. It can’t compare to the shere volume of the full casters, but it certainly works in Apollo’s favor.

WIZARD

Due largely to the Wizard’s massive spell list, it’s not surprising that Apollo actually has an impressive variety of spell options that work for a Wizard build. Lore wise, Apollo as a wizard makes some sense, as Apollo is considered to be clever and wise, even if he is not the single smartest god on Olympus. However, that wide range of magical power comes with two shortcomings: Wizards can’t learn healing spells, and it abandons his archery skills by the side of the road.

BLADESINGER

While the bladesinger does seem to favor melee combat, nothing says that you couldn’t multiclass a little with Fighter or Ranger to give Apollo Archery fighting style and prioritize Apollo’s bow as a bladesinger. Everything else works rather nicely, giving Apollo additional speed, AC, magical power, striking power, and attacks. If you’re hellbent on Apollo being a Wizard, but you still want to give him the melee option, the Bladesinger is the best option to do this with.

DIVINATION

Probably the wizard subclass everyone would assume for Apollo, Divination is one of Apollo’s primary gimmicks, and the portents of the Divination Wizard are ridiculously overpowered. It’s amazing, and the kind of game-breakingly good skills you’d expect when fighting the god of prophecies.

THEURGY

Although technically UA and no longer valid, if your DM will permit the Theurgy Wizard, this is the only way to play Apollo as both a Wizard, and as a god of healing and medicine. Furthermore, Apollo can straight up steal domain features from the cleric domain he chooses, and unlike the Cleric where the choice of Light is obvious, the Theurgy Apollo has a little more wiggle room, since he already gets access to most of the spells we chose Light for. As such, Apollo could choose Life to supercharge his healing, Grave to keep people from dying, or even War to be better adept at fighting with a bow. The choice is really yours and how you feel Apollo works best as a build.

BUILDING APOLLO AS: A VALOR BARD

Race: Scourge Aasimar (+2 CHA, +1 CON) Background: Entertainer (Acrobatics Athletics, Performance) Class: Fighter (1), College of Valor Bard (19) Skills: Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, Survival Alignment: Chaotic Good

Fighting Style: Archery Number of Attacks: 2 Damage Resistances: Necrotic, Radiant Instrument Proficiency: Lyre

STATS STR 10 DEX 20 CON 14 INT 8 WIS 10 CHA 20

Skill Expertise (4): Athletics Medicine Perception Performance

Bardic Magical Secrets (6): 4 Divination 5 Swift Quiver 5 Contingency 6 Sunbeam 8 Sunburst 9 Mass Heal

Apollo’s Spell List

C Dancing Lights, Light, Mending, Message, Vicious Mockery 1 Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Hunter’s Mark, Faerie Fire, Thunderwave 2 Lesser Restoration, Locate Object, Shatter 3 Clairvoyance, Mass Healing Word  4 Locate Creature 5 Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds  6 True Seeing 7 Regenerate 8 Power Word: Stun 9 Foresight

BUILDING APOLLO AS: A LIGHT CLERIC

Race: Variant Human (+1 Wis, +1 CON) Background: Entertainer (Acrobatics Athletics, Performance) Class: Ranger (2), Light Domain Cleric (18) Skills: Animal Handling, Medicine, Perception, Survival Alignment: Chaotic Good

Fighting Style: Archery Feats: Alert

STATS STR 8 DEX 16 CON 18 INT 8 WIS 20 CHA 10

Domain Spells:

1 Burning Hands, Faerie Fire 2 Flaming Sphere, Scorching Ray 3 Daylight, Fireball 4 Guardian of Faith, Wall of Fire 5 Flame Strike, Scrying

Apollo’s Spell Book

C Light, Sacred Flame, Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy, Word of Radiance 1 Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Guiding Bolt, Hunter’s Mark, Inflict wounds 2 Augury, Lesser Restoration, Locate Object 3 Aura of Vitality, Clairvoyance, Revivify 4 Aura of Life, Divination, Locate Creature 5 Contagion, Dawn, Greater Restoration, Mass Cure Wounds 6 Harm, Heal, Sunbeam 7 Fire Storm, Regenerate 8 Sunburst 9 Mass Heal

I won’t go through the process of building the Warlock or the Wizard, as I only decided to build the two I felt had the strongest case, but I think Apollo came out fairly well considering the monumental task of cramming so many skills and abilities into a single playable character without cheating. Apollo is certainly a tricky god to build, but one that I feel came out pretty well.

[imhereforbvcky]

Vivid - Part 8 (End)

Masterlist  -  Series Masterpage

Summary: Have you ever met someone who completely embodies a color? Not an aura, not synesthesia. Just… They walk into the room and when you spot them, you think to yourself, “Wow. That is a walking hurricane.” When Clint Barton serendipitously meets a free-spirited stranger, he sees red. Chapter: the longest epilogue ever

Warnings: Swearing, goofiness, fluff.

Word Count: 3951 (whoops)

“Do we have to go?”

Clint hadn’t even opened his eyes as he grumbled the question into your pillow. Afternoon sun sifted through the window like a beacon. It called for him and warmed the smooth skin of his shoulders as they rose and dipped over a haphazard heap of rumpled linens.

As a rule, Clint didn’t sleep much. Coffee and stress and a hundred half-healed wounds (corporeal or otherwise) made that a certainty. But when you did manage to coax him to bed, he slept like the dead and was more reluctant to rise than a corpse.

“’Fraid so,” you answered, smirking at him as you dropped the dress over your waist to examine it from every angle in the mirror. “I baked.”

“You didn’t have to,” Clint argued. When he felt the bed dip beside him, he dropped a long, heavy arm over your legs. Ever-restless fingertips tapped eratic drumbeats against your hip.

“I wanted to,” you shrugged. “I want your friends to approve of me. For you.”

You bent forward and kissed his sleep-tossed hair. He smiled, eyes still closed, fingers still drumming away.

“What do you think? Does this color go well with anxiety?” you asked, fluffing your dress into a wide sweep.

Clint looked at you then, over hills of rumpled down and bright white cotton.

His heart stuttered as you shoved damp hair behind your ear and gave him a lopsided grin. You sat there, fidgeting with your dress, smiling at him in the late morning sun, alive and bright as a red silk scarf caught in the wind, waving and beckoning to be held and loved and savored.

It struck him that even now, after all this time – after mistakes and missions and trepidation – you still looked exactly the same to him as you did the day he first saw you. You still blazed the same impossible shade of red.

Right then, in your bedroom with its messy and overflowing closet, sitting on your bed surrounded by discarded clothes and sunlight and his nicked-up, bruised-to-hell arms… he knew.

Well shit, he thought, because he knew he loved you. He was in love with you. Head over heels, lasso the moon, walk five thousand miles kind of love.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” you challenged with narrowed eyes and an exaggerated frown. “Is it too much? I was gonna wear leggings so it’s not so over the top. It’s all wrong, isn’t it?”

He breathed a soft chuckle and reached for you with lazy hands. You let him drag you down beside him, forgetting about all the places you needed to be. Not one of them held a candle to this, just being right here with him.

Reticent lips pressed a quiet kiss to the top of your head. The sweet familiarity of it brought a smile to your face that could be described as nothing but content. But when you tipped your chin to look up at Clint it stopped short.

There was a hint of a smile, a softness in the clear blue of his eyes. But it was tainted with a heavy dose of sadness. Heartbroken and heartsick. It radiated off him in waves and knocked the wind from your lungs. It was like standing chest deep in a great rolling sea and watching, motionless as the waves crashed over your head.

“Clint, what’s wrong?” you whispered. Even your voice had fled for higher ground.

A warmer smile started to grow. “Nothing,” he said, tugging softly at the ends of your hair. But he still looked at you as if you might disappear, or worse. He looked at you like you were too good to be true and it was breaking his heart just to look at you.

He wanted to say it; say ‘Nothin’s wrong, I just love you, that’s all.’  But he was so afraid of shattering whatever illusion he was lucky enough to be living in just then. In his world love was a tool and a weapon, power over someone. It wasn’t soft, it wasn’t fun, and it sure as hell wasn’t safe. He wasn’t quite sure how to make that word fit on you.

“Nothing’s wrong. It’s perfect. The dress.” He cleared a suddenly very dry throat. “You... I love it.”

Your gaze danced over his features for a long moment, reading and measuring, trying to see what he wouldn’t say. He swallowed hard, with apparent resolve, looked up with a smile and kissed the back of your hand.

“Are they really that bad?” you asked, frowning at his this sudden shadow and smoothing his hair. It sprang back to its wild places. Just like Clint always did.

“No,” he chuckled, kissing your palm when you circled his ear and scratched over his jaw. “Actually, yes. Sam will love you but harass me. Natasha, you know. Barnes is a pain in my ass...”

“Sounds like a long day for you.” You kissed the tip of his nose. He smiled and relaxed a bit more.

“Wanda will send us both knowing looks, which is a little unnerving when you’re not used to it, but she’s aiming for comfort. She’s trying.”

“Should I be taking notes? Should you be getting dressed?” You ran tingling fingers over his bare chest.

“And if I can help it…” he grabbed your hips and with one swift roll, dragged you over top of him. Lithe, archer’s arms caged you in quicker than your yelp of surprise. He kissed you, happily and none too gently. “You will never ever meet Wade.”

You never fought him, never pushed away. It wasn’t in your nature. Your affection came freely, along with all your other emotions bubbling just below the surface. Instead, you nuzzled your nose against the long line of his neck and pressed your cheek to his toned shoulder, glad for his easy laughter. He could always calm you in an instant. The buzzing worries that bounced around your over-active brain stilled the instant he curled around you.

“Who’s Wade? And why can’t we meet?” you hummed against his sun-warmed skin.

Clint chuckled and shook his head lightly. “’Cause he always says red’s his color.”

“C’mon!” you pleaded. A wide smile brightened your entire face, and you nearly choked on your own laughter, it was so big. Clint loved your laugh. It always made him grin one of those loose, dopey smiles that Natasha teased him about.

In the narrow space of the elevator, so close to that laugh and your warm soft skin, he blew right past grinning and straight into snickering.

His hands held your hips tightly and spun you to face him. His sorry excuse for a stern reply crumbled the second you started giggling. His head fell to your shoulder and you let him push you gently back against the elevator wall.

“No,” he grinned, kissing the top of your shoulder before pulling back and looking more seriously. “No. I’m way too heavy for you.”

“Are you kidding me? I have the legs of an Olympic cyclist!”

“No you don’t,” he chuckled.

“Fine, a Scottish Caber tosser.”

“A what?” his nose crinkled. You loved when he did that. The little nose-scrunched frown. He never really frowned at you. He’d still have this sweet lop-sided grin and his sharp blue eyes would be bright and soft all at once, and his nose would crinkle or his brow would crease. Just like it did now. “That sounds dirty.”

“You know the giant pole thingy.”

“Getting dirtier.”

“Shut up, I’m trying to make a good impression!” you shoved him in the chest. He didn’t budge.

“Why not an impression of yourself? No one cares about your squat record.”

“Uh because myself is the fool who got herself taken hostage at a concert. I refuse to live another day as the damsel in distress in your friends’ estimation. Ya know, the mcfreakin’ Avengers.”

Clint shook his head and gently curled his hands around yours, and drew them to his chest. “Nobody thinks that. And what about me? I’m a mcfreakin’ Avenger. Don’t you care what I think?”

“I gave you the Heimlich last month when you choked on your In-n-O—mmph!”

He’d clapped a hand over your mouth with a shush. “No one likes a tattle-tale.”

A muffled laugh tickled his hand and he grinned down at you until he felt a wet slippery glide against his palm and jerked his hand back. “Did you just lick me?” he scowled down at his hand. You only grinned up at him. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“I can’t believe you won’t help me make a good impression!” you whined. “Please?” Stepping toe-to-toe, you kissed his knuckles. He still held one of your hands curled tight to him.

He knew you well enough now to recognize that the bright red energy that he loved so much was an overflow of emotion. It was every sense burning hot and wild right at the surface of your skin. Every thought – good or bad – came over you with equal strength. The spontaneity he loved, the affection he enjoyed, and now the anxiety you couldn’t settle, and the regret you couldn’t swallow.

The elevator chimed, announcing its arrival on the requested floor. Clint groaned, relenting at last.

Steve heard the ruckus as he passed and paused.

First he frowned. He’d been a soldier now longer than not, and even as a civilian, he’d spent much of it waiting for a fight. When he heard sporadic thuds and grunts, his mind went first to trouble.

But when he heard a snicker, then a full-bellied laugh that he recognized, he relaxed. Even smiled, albeit while shaking his head.

Clint always came with a clatter.

“Ow! Clint! No, put your knee up here.” He didn’t recognize the voice, but he could guess who it might be. Natasha had threatened them all to be nice.

A cacophony of giggles followed another hollow thud.

“Holy shit, what did you eat for lunch today? A brick?”

“Just one of Marco’s pizzas.”

“So… a brick.”

The door slid open and Steve stumbled back. From within the elevator two people barreled out as one. Clint was perched on your back, and you wobbled forward for two short steps before tumbling to the ground in a fit of laughter.

“Oh my god!” you wheezed and rolled into Clint, burying your face in his chest to try to quell both the hysterics and the shame.

“Do we need a medic?” Steve smirked.

Clint was rubbing his elbow and shot Steve a half-smiling glare.

You looked up, thwarted, sore, and thoroughly embarrassed. “Hi.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. Clint made clumsy introductions to match your graceless entrance.

“Pleased to meet you.” Steve was raised with politeness perpetually on the tip of his tongue. “It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Aw, you talk about me?” you teased, tipping your head only slightly to give him a swift peck on his neck.

He shivered and squeezed you tight. “Nat overshares.”

“That doesn’t sound like something a spy would do,” you frowned.

“I’m a spy!” he complained. “You didn’t even know I was an Avenger when we met, I’m that good.”

You rolled your eyes with a grin and reached up to offer Steve a handshake. Steve obliged and leaned down to shake it, chuckling at both your antics and your reluctance to get off the ground.

“As you can tell, I make really great first impressions. And I make uhm, muffins too.” You sat up finally, scanning the area for the bag of home-baked treats you’d prepared for the day.

“I’m not sure they survived the fall,” Steve grimaced, glancing behind Clint.

“Excuse you,” you argued immediately and didn’t even think to regret it. Most people would think twice about contradicting Captain goddamn America within the first 30 seconds of meeting him. Most reasonable people, anyway. But you had never been governed by reason. “That was a semi-successful piggy-back ride! The fall was just… just…”

He looked at you with half a smirk, waiting. Clint was chuckling at your side. His hand closed around yours. Relax.

“The fall was a less-than-ideal dismount.”

“Well,” Steve leaned down, gently pushing Clint forward and freeing the plastic bag full of half demolished muffins he’d been laying on. “Clint’s not a very good rider then. He ruined your muffins on the uh, dismount.” He passed the bag as you and Clint clambered over each other to get to your feet.

“Oh no, Clint’s a very good ride,” you said with a huge grin and a wink.

Clint’s laugh ripped out of him like a released balloon. It came in a sudden burst and bounced off the concrete walls. Steve, on the other hand, had turned seven shades of red.

“Yeah!” Clint agreed, snatching the bag form Steve, who stood frozen and mortified. “And they’re not ruined.” He reached in and shoved a handful of loose, crushed muffin into his mouth. Crumbs tumbled between his fingers and bounced off his shoes.

“I’m judging by this reaction,” you made a sweeping circle with your finger around Steve’s face as he shook his head, cheeks working their way backward through the progression of color you’d just witnessed. “…that I should ease up on the ‘that’s what she said’ jokes.”

“Oh no,” Natasha chuckled. She was walking quietly down the hall, sliding a coat up her shoulders. “Making Steve blush is one of our favorite team-building activities. Hello, милая.”

You waved, returning her greeting with an easy smile.

“It’s not team-building,” Steve grumbled.

“Sure it is,” Clint grinned over at Natasha, holding out one of the few in-tact muffins. “We have a leader-board and everything.”

“Friendly competition builds relationships, Steve,” Natasha scolded.

He rolled his eyes.

“Leave him alone,” Wanda chuckled. She gave his arm a convivial squeeze.

“Thank you.”

“He’s a gentleman.”

“That’s what he wants you to think,” Bucky winked as he joined the little crowd now gathering at the elevator.

Clint tossed him the last undamaged muffin.

“These don’t look like bodega muffins.” He frowned down at it, carefully drawing back the paper and fixing a wary eye on Clint. “Since when do you cook?”

“Hell yeah!” Sam cheered as he jogged down the hall. “Road snacks!”

Clint held the bag out for him and Sam looked in, opened his mouth to ask what happened, then thought better of it. Clint Barton might be an expert archer, a grade A SHIELD spy, and an Avenger, but when he didn’t have an objective, the man was clumsy as all hell. Come to think of it, even on-mission, he was the first one with a bruise and the last one out of med-bay.

“Clint, what soccer mom did you lift these off of?” he teased, poking him hard in the ribs.

“Hilarious.” Clint instinctively hunched over to avoid Sam’s prodding. “Assholes,” he grumbled.

The group piled into the elevator, full of smiles and an easy sort of excitement for the day. New York City was a big place and they were a big team. They came together in odd groups and last-minute pairings in their down time. Today, Steve had decided to go to one of the city’s many well-supplied museums and a little group had formed. Clint decided it was as good a time as any for you to meet the family, so to speak.

“They’re home-made,” Clint said, beaming down at you as he threw an arm over your shoulders and squeezed you to his side. You grinned up at him, equally excited for the day ahead. The nerves that had been roiling in your stomach all morning had begun to settle now that the worst possible introduction had already come to pass and evolved into something rather pleasant.

The group’s smiles slowly turned to stifled giggles and meaningful looks, unspoken conversations that you couldn’t understand. The silence stretching on in the elevator had begun to border on discomfort.

You glanced between them, trying to read them. Nothing, of course. A room full of spies and soldiers. Finally you turned to Wanda who gave you a sympathetic smile. That worried you most of all. A wave of anxiety rose like an ember kissed by a strong wind.

“What?” you asked, turning to glance at Clint, then back to Wanda. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” she said softly, glancing helplessly at the others, biting her lips. She was trying to find the right words, trying not to blurt out the wrong thing. She knew how badly Clint wanted this to go well. Even worse, she could sense how anxious you had become.

Bucky finally caved with a groan. “I can’t do it.”

“Barnes!” Natasha fired a look so lethal, you wondered if looks really could kill.

“I’m sorry,” he turned to your wide, nervous eyes. “But these are awful.”

Clint promptly elbowed Bucky in the gut. He doubled over with a laugh, all while your mouth fell agape and all the color drained from your face.

“Quit ganging up on me! I’m not messin’ around.” Bucky complained and snatched the bag of muffin remains from Clint. “Try one,” he said before tossing what was left of his inside.

“I’m gonna kill you,” Clint hissed in reply. He reached into the bag with his eyes still locked resolutely on Bucky’s and shoved an entire fistful of crushed muffin into his mouth.

“Oh my god,” you groaned and buried your face in Clint’s shoulder.

He merely shrugged, and grabbed another handful.

Bucky looked to Steve, who demurred, avoiding all eye contact. Instead, he stood picking at the parchment paper, absolutely refusing to join this conversation.

Bucky’s last possible ally – Sam – chewed on his lip for a moment before he too sighed and tossed his handful of crumbs in the bag. “Shit. They’re not good, man.”

Willing yourself to take a deep breath, you shoved your hand into the bag, grabbed a piece, and took a bite.

One bite was enough. More than enough. It was salty and tasted of raw flour. Every couple of bites, your teeth sank into something chewy. There should have been absolutely nothing chewy in a cinnamon swirl muffin. They were beyond repugnant and you immediately reached for the bag and spit out your mouthful.

You looked around the elevator at the defenders of the earth that you had just inadvertently tried to poison. Some were smiling, some chuckling, Wanda looked at you with only a soft, kind brand of sympathy.

If it weren’t for the cool and unwavering calm of the man at your side, you’d have bolted. You looked up at him, still chewing on a mouthful like it was the best thing he’d ever eaten and you laughed. He was a walking pillar of courage and he was always willing to let you lean on him. Let anyone who needed it, really. He was kind that way.

He was a cool breath, a sturdy hand, the midnight pizza date after a bad day, the guy who ate the muffins. He would be there no matter what. So you would be too.

Natasha was one of the smilers. She dropped her mostly in-tact muffin into the bag when you took it from Clint and held it out to her. The others followed suit.

The elevator chimed your arrival on the ground floor and you sighed, trying to rally your spirits. A few steps and you’d spotted a garbage bin in the lobby. Before you could take another step, Clint’s hand wound around your arm. He took the bag and unceremoniously guided you to follow the others toward the exit while he reached for another bite of muffin.

You looked up at him incredulously.

“Clint!” you balked. “What are you doing? Those are awful!”

He shrugged and gave you one of those lop-sided grins and kept walking, bag in hand while you stood frozen on the steps.

Natasha joined you, linking her arm through yours and urging you forward to join the group.

“Why did he do that? He’s probably going to get food poisoning,” you worried, watching him every step.

Natasha looked over at you. Half a smile curled her lips and a single brow arched sharply. You know exactly why, it seemed to say. She was an expert at non-verbal communication. Probably part of the reason she and Clint got along so well.

“Yeah, I know,” you smiled, looking ahead to him again. It grew into a chuckle, a little watery, like a cup filled too full and spilling over in lapping waves.

“He might not say it,” she conceded.

“Yeah, I know that too.”

“But he does.”

You looked her steadily in the eye and nodded; an acknowledgement and a promise. An ‘I know’ and a ‘me too.’ She smiled and you squeezed her arm against your side before untangling yourself from her.

“Hey!” you hollered until the group ahead turned to look back at the pair of you. Your gaze never drifted from Clint for a second. “My turn.”

You charged forward toward him. Toward the constant calm that cooled your wild energy, toward the shiver up your spine, and the safety in the fire. He laughed, warmed by the ease with which you loved him, and turned. He let out an involuntary huff when you leapt up onto his back.

He carried you like that all the way to the museum and up the steps and inside. You pressed your cheek against his and closed your eyes, enjoying this for just a second more. It was an easy stillness, a comfortable coolness in your chest, as opposed to the raging red blaze.

Before Clint, you’d thought love was a fire and it was meant to burn you up. So you’d chased gasoline and called it passion. Now, you realized that was never love. It was a mirage in the dessert and it was a lie.

In the time you’d spent getting coffee in the middle of the night, sharing pizza with a dog on the sidewalk, and protecting each other from the sting of the flames, you’d come to understand. When you love the right person, it’s not a fire or a battle and it shouldn’t hurt.

The little things were where you’d learned to find love now, not in the pain of a fight and the salve of making up. That was a dance of fire and war, and you’d found something softer, gentler, happier with an embattled Avenger. You’d found the little things. And when it came down to those things, you found yourself fitting together as easily as breathing. It was like finding a part of yourself that you didn’t know was missing.

You’d found a piece of yourself there in Clint Barton and you didn’t ever want to let him go.

“I love you,” you whispered in his ear.

It had been an impulsive thing to say. But you trusted Clint not to hurt you, because you don’t hurt the ones you love.

He turned his head just slightly and smiled. You couldn’t see it from your spot clinging to his back, but you could feel his cheek swell, pressed against your own. He gave your legs a squeeze tight against him. A small action, a little private affection in a room filled with people.

He didn’t say it back, and you didn’t expect him to, didn’t need him to. This love had never been in words. It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t a clanging battle or a raging fire. It was sure, and calm and comforting. And as long as you were both breathing, it would always, always be there.

The end! yay, i finally made it a month later than promised, my b. Ran out of steam. Hopefully I didn’t lose too much of the flow picking it up again so much later.

Will reblog with tags shortly!

[soyouareandrewdobson]

Things Dobson mocks because he is too ignorant...

One “talent” Dobson seems to have, is the ability to alienate a lot of people through his opinions. And while he claims to be proud of that talent because he believes those he alienates are just assholes and racists who disagree with him CAUSE he attacks their abhorrent worldviews, the reality is much simpler; On average, people just don’t like him cause Dobson has no idea what he is talking about, which won’t however stop him from mocking the mere existence of certain things/interests and the people enjoying them. And those people tend not to be racists who want to see non-white people go extinct, but simply nerds and enthusiasts who like to enjoy their hobbies without the input of someone who won’t get over how he was bullied as a nerd back in school, but at the same time will bully you for being “nerdier”.

I could go into more detail how I mean that by analyzing a lot of his anime related SYAC strips as well as his soapbox strips on comic culture in a row. However, for the sake of “simplicity” I just like to go over one of his oldest strips, published around 2011. Back when Dobson was portraying himself still as a human. This strip alone will show how even a decade back, Dobson could just be an asshole to any “nerd” who dared to be into stuff he wasn’t, how he could manage to piss off many people all in one going AND be unfunny.

Now the first thing I want to put out is that I do not even think that Dobson’s primary intention with this strip was to mock others and their interests. See, one thing about So you are a cartoonist especially in its early days was, that it was in a way Dobson’s attempt to make himself look likeable in the eyes of others. He portrayed himself just as an Average Joe, wanting to make comics. This strip itself was even part of a series of strips I like to call “Things Dobson likes/dislikes”, which really were just him in each panel pointing at something he is into or not.

 And honestly, part of me does not mind it. It is just Dobson’s attempt to show others how “quirky” or contrarian he is. The problem really steams more from the following two facts: a) It is not really a cartoon or comic if you think about it, because there isn’t a joke, punchline or story attached to them, just Dobson showing off what kind of person he is and b) that his “things I do not understand” comic is really mean spirited compared to the others if you look just a bit deeper into it.

Right from the beginning the strip is just indicative that this will be more mean spirited than Dobson will later like to claim it was. Otherwise he would not feel the need to say “chillax” as a sort of semi defense mechanism, cause if he really intended to make his grievances heard through “good fun” he would not need to say that. So from the gate we can assume its snarkier and more hurtful than it needs to be. So lets get through the things he does not understand, shall we?

Sports: I will admit that I am not really into sports myself, neither as a fan or someone participating in it competitively. I go to the gym however in order to feel good about myself and do something for my health instead of going every Friday to McDonalds. In addition, as long as you do not go overboard with being a fan or participating in it, I understand how sport can unite people (see events like the Olympics and Soccer worldcups) , and while I am baffled upon the fact that the salary of many people in sports (particularly soccer and football) are ridiculous high in addition to money they make with advertisement deals etc. I have respect for them. Respect for how they can stick to a hard training schedule, can take injuries, will do stuff for charity etc. Furthermore, unlike Dobson, I do not believe people who are into sports are dumb. Yes, I know the stereotype about college footballers and sports who only graduated because of their sports activities and are otherwise “meatheads”, but that stereotype does not apply to everything in reality, Dobson. Ever heard of NFL lineman Duvernay-Tardif, who also has a degree as a surgeon? Granted, he made that title only in 2018, seven years after the comic was made, so look a bit further and see what we find… Oh, look: Myron Rolle, college football player and later members of the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers around 2010/12: Has a bachelor degree in exercise science and in 2008 studied for a Master of science for medical anthropology in the UK.

Ron Mix, famous AFL and NFL football player forever immortalized in the Hall of Fame has a Juris Doctor Degree and after his work as a sports became an attorney.

 And that are just three examples googled up in relation to American football. Other famous sports worldwide have degrees in medical and sports related sciences. Heck, one of Europe’s most famous boxer’s in the 2000s, Vitali Klitschko, not only has a doctors degree in sports, he is nowadays head of the governing party of Ukraine, following the independence of the country in 2014.

So stop wiggling your three sets of eyebrows and cease your smug grin and shove that periodic table up your ass, Dobson. I bet you yourself don’t even fucking know the chemical symbol for silver or titanium you Agonizing Twat who never got over the fact some popular kids in school bullied him.

 Final Fantasy: I doubt Dobson ever even tried to play Final Fantasy or ANY JRPG, honestly. Heck, not only does Cloud look pretty wrong (anime hair seems to be another thing Dobson can not draw) but frankly, the statement of Cloud being an emo is false and is based on misinterpretation. Bear with me for a bit; Final Fantasy 7 is in my opinion a good game and it had a major impact on the series and the perception of JRPGs in the west. However, I do also believe that many people overhyped its quality over the years. Including SquareEnix themselves, who particularly around 2005 released all sorts of tie in and sequel games, including also the movie “Advent Children”. Or as I like to call those things, Tetsuya Nomura’s wankfest, because now all of sudden everything is related to some guy called Genesis, we have even more characters to supposedly care about than we already got through the original game, happy end override happens almost on every corner and “goth” aesthetics are everywhere. And Cloud himself became an embodiment of that emo/loner stereotype in anime and manga around that time, despite never having been like that in the original game if you ask me. Yes, Cloud in the original game went through a lot of emotional trauma and he was not like some happy go lucky laid back shonen manga protagonist. But he also didn’t come off as a pretentious fucktard who never showed emotions and shut himself off from his friends and allies. He was more of a determined person who still cared for others and wanted to stop Sephirot so no one suffered like he did. His most “depressing” moment was when Sephirot revealed his false memories, making Cloud question his own existence as an independent being to the point he was broken enough to hand the Meteor sphere to Sephirot, but that was about it.  But hey, “emos” sell better, so SquareEnix tried to sell that aesthetics and others were just so dumb and further misinterpreted it as emoness being Cloud’s main character trait, when in reality freaking Squall Leonhard in his original game was worse than Cloud in comparison.

I also find the implication of Dobson, that Final Fantasy is pretentious in that panel funny as fuck. Cause Final Fantasy 13s’ pretty dumb story and wankery of clicheed anime tropes not withstanding, the average Final Fantasy game has a straightforward fantasy plot of good guys vs bad guys, with some twists and anime tropes thrown into the mix. The most pretentious guys in those games really are just the bad guys when they talk on average about how the world is suffering and misery, and even that is just straightforward nihilism to justify why they want to destroy everything. It is in fact so straightforward, most little kids will get it particularly in the first 6 games of the series, which are just set in more “classic” fantasy worlds to begin with. I am not saying the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole is flawless (I really am not a fan of 13 and its sequels, but if you like it, you do your thing) but you do not need a thesaurus to get why people enjoy it or individual games from it. So stop hating on an entire game series, which btw has actually some pretty awesome female characters in protagonistic roles in it too.

 Twilight: Both an example of Dobson’s hypocricy and idiocy. Idiocy cause frankly, what is hard to understand why people liked the books? Twilight (in my opinion) was just a professionally published self insert fanfiction, in which Bella/the reader fell in love with the local bad boy who just happened to also be a vampire. Sure, a vampire in name only (seriously, if you asked me, the Cullens could be replaced with a lot of other fantasy creatures and it would barely affect anything), but that is beside the point. Shameless romance stories about someone falling in love with the bad boy who deep down has a heart of gold and just needs someone to fix them, are nothing new. So I was not surprised that people, particularly teenaged girls and other women, enjoyed it. It was the romance literature equivalent to fast food which just happened to explode in popularity because Young adult novels were a simultaneous hit and something needed to fill the void after Harry Potter. I read the first book myself and I thought nothing in particularly wrong with it, aside of the fact I thought the book itself was plotwise kinda dull. But that was not why people bought it, they wanted Bella getting together with the bad boy. The fact Dobson did not understand on what the popularity was build up on, is just an example for how Dobson does not even in theory understand how stories work and what it is on a pure technical level that makes them interesting and sell worthy to others.

As for the hypocritical aspect, that comes up nowadays when Dobson claims he feels bad for mocking Twilight all those years ago and how people were bad for making fun of it and Stephenie Meyer. That those who did it were like women hating assholes and still are if they do not apologize. Cause frankly, I feel a majority of people “apologizing” are just dishonest with themselves now. Apologizing primarily because in the eyes of some other people they look up to, if they do not they will be pariahs. Especially when extend of their initial childish disdain for Twilight becomes clear. I e.g. do not hate Lindsay Ellis aka the former Nostalgia Chick, but the fact she made a big apology video on Meyer was laughable when you see how she “stood” to her opinion back in the day to the point she wrote a novel to mock the kind of story Twilight did. Sure, she admitted to a lot of her own faults back in the day so there was also some self reflection to it and I respect that. But I think in a way this was also a tactic to just appease some other people and it does not take away that initially she had those thoughts about Twilight. And frankly, Twilight is problematic in a way.

Again, I read the first book and I did not consider it the worst thing in the world, just kinda dull for my taste. However, having read on a lot of things that happen in the book series itself, it is clear that Bella and Edward are some pretty horrid and selfish characters who barely get called out or face consequences for terrible actions. Take also into account the pacing of the story and you get on average a book series that deserved a certain amount of criticism from a technical point of view and Meyer’s at least being questioned about some of her decisions in the writing process. It did however not deserve book burnings or people mocking and harassing fans and the author, the former being mocked by Dobson here funnily enough.

 Transformers: And what is it you find weird about people caring for cars? This is not even me being a cars fan here or something, I just ask because even that “explanation” is no explanation at all. He is just saying “I don’t care for X because I also do not care much for Y”. The correlation between the two is missing.

As for why people care about those two things Dobson, perhaps it is for the following:

Cars because people like the aesthetics, the technics, like to build stuff or get a rush by driving them. Transformers, because people just like action as well as the lore to the franchise and think giant robots turning into vehicles is cool, as long as Michael Bay is not involved in creating a story.

Furries: As with cars, likely aesthetics. Anthropomorphic animals have been part of our culture even long before cartoons (just look at fables, fairy tales and legends all across the world involving animals) so I assume there is even something more subconsciously involved with it. And frankly, I like furries myself. Some of them are way better artists than Dobson could ever be. That said, I do as an individual draw a line at furries that harass other people and show creators, hurt animals or are combining their interests with some really weird sex fetishes (two words: diaper fur). Which I guess do many other people cause there is a healthy amount of furries and non furries who have standards. The thing is just Dobson seems to think all furries are the same. Not to forget that for a long time he did everything denying he was interested in furries, citing his college as a reason for it cause people there installed a hatred for furries into him. A wonder then he would even enjoy Looney Tunes anymore. And honestly, himof all people mocking people for having a “sick” fetish? I am sorry Dobson, but compared to the kind of inflation you drew, I would say the average furry (as in someone who just draws two adult fursonas making out with each other under consent) is less “disturbing” than you. Someone who did not just inflate the female, at times underaged victims, but also made them pop/killed them.

DnD: I wish I had the comment Dobson posted on deviantart under the comic, as in it he digged himself even deeper with every panel and the explanations he gave. Just to show I am not pulling it out of my ass when I say for DnD one of the main reasons he hated it was that he thought nerds made the fantasy genre even nerdier by adding math to it.

Oh no. The fact people have to add numbers from a couple of dices together is too high of a math concept for Dobson. So those people must have absolutely no lives and are all just fat, bald and with acne.

Seriously though, fuck off. I am not into table top gaming, but whoever is, they shall just have fun. And stop body shaming nerds with the way you draw the DnD player here (and in that other infamous DnD comic he did), especially when you yourself look like a shaved egg in real life. Heck, did you know of all people Vin Diesel enjoys DnD?

Just let the people enjoy their adventure campaigns and come together once in a while instead of being shut offs like you, whose only experience with an interactive fantasy story involves playing Skyrim at 10 fps.

And yes, I am aware that Dobson has changed his opinions on DnD now thanks to some podcast. But based on his record, I feel that Dobson only did join it because it is now the cool thing to care on average about DnD as nerd. In addition he also did not own up to his past “mistake” till people just called him out on his bullshit often enough.

Klingons: Okay, I am not much of a Trekkie myself, but again, I get that people just like the aesthetics of them and the story crafted around Klingon culture within the franchise. So, just let them have fun with it. What is even the “joke” here? That people enjoy it despite it “just” being black Asian barbaric samurai in space, which is a very simplistic, in my opinion even outright racist description based on the choice of words here? Frankly, I am glad he did not just also add a racist Japanese accent to the guy here.

So there you have it: Things Dobson does not understand and essentially mocks for existing. And don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with Dobson not “getting” those things. Everyone has their own tastes, likes and dislikes as well as reasons why they are into it or not. I e.g. understand that people enjoy Bob’s Burger, but I myself really do not like the show much, because most characters come off as annoying to me in terms of personality and quirks. That said, I understand the visual appeal to it, if you like it that is fine and if you ass why I don’t like it I will give an explanation to it. What I will not do is make a comic mocking the existence of it, imply that my disinterest is correlated to me thinking there is also something inherently wrong with you if you enjoy it and build my disinterest on none existing issues with the thing in question.

Dobson however seems to have done that quite a couple of times and combined with his self righteous nature, it becomes kinda obvious why people began hating his stuff to the point that almost all of 4chan and tumblr developed a stern disdain for him.

[sparklyjojos]

CARNIVAL recaps [6/13]

Today’s recap: A visit in Ryuuguujou, pen name switcharoo, and Juku the accidental sniper.

--

TWELVE

09 Nov 1996 — 15 Nov 1996

ARC DE TRIOMPHE

--

Juku and Nemu ride to Ryuuguujou, the splendid residence of the Ryuuguu family. On the way they talk about how Juku has yet to make any meaningful progress in investigating “Tsukumo Jaki”. They only have one small clue: witnesses say the person who sent the threatening fax looked androgynous and wore double denim. It might be the same person as the one described in Cosmic, so the one who sent Dakushoin’s manuscript to JDC. The scary implication is that whoever is behind the Crime Olympics could also be the true mastermind behind the Locked Room Lord case.

The detectives were recently given advance copies of Joker, which has some interesting and suspicious parts as well. Juku is quite surprised that this “Seiryoin” would know about his secret conversation with Yaiba [the one at the very end of Joker].

As they get close to Ryuuguujou, Juku takes off his sunglasses to look at the scenery through the car window, while Nemu gets lost in thought. Not only does Cosmic contain information about Maimu’s child and other predictions, but it reveals Nemu’s own secret—she’s colorblind. She, Juku and Ajiro should be the only ones who know about it, and yet. With Cosmic in circulation, other JDC detectives are now pestering her with uncomfortable questions, and she resorted to claiming that the mysterious author had just made that up. [Here the narration hints ominously: however, the fact that she is colorblind will be very important in a few years… but that’s another case, for another time.]

Nemu thinks about how Ryuuguujou looks as wondrous as the actual palace from the tale about Urashima Tarou, and how Jounosuke himself has this unreal fairytale atmosphere of sorts. Then again, so does indescribably beautiful Juku and a bunch of other people in JDC. [The narration pipes in again to state that Jounosuke’s quirky personality will be of importance in the Crime Olympics. The author is really trying to make sure we remember things for the future.]

The Tsukumo siblings are sad that not everyone could gather in Ryuuguujou. Ajiro is missing, Kirika is hospitalized, Amagoi is busy with a case in Italy, and Hikimiya and Christmas couldn’t return on time because of getting involved in the latest Billion Killer case in France. It’s sad, but the reason why the Tsukumos came to visit Jounosuke in the first place is depressing in itself.

Noticing Nemu’s sadness, Juku asks her if she still has the omamori from him—an invisible talisman embodying his will to always protect her, which he gave her at the very beginning of her path to becoming a detective. She answers that of course she still carries it, as a part of her. Juku says that he prays there won’t come a day when she would truly need it—hopefully never. [This is incredibly heartwarming, but also sounds like he gave her a gun.]

--

Let’s go back in time a bit to explain why Hikimiya and Christmas couldn’t make it on time.

The fourteenth Billion Killer case involved a jet plane teleporting from the sky to just above a Parisian street, decimating everything in its path, and exploding when it reached Arc de Triomphe. Hikimiya and Christmas were on that plane, but luckily managed to get away with only some injuries; Hikimiya broke his left arm and his beloved laptop.

Frau D happened to have been in Arc de Triomphe at the time and sustained serious injuries, so he would have to be hospitalized for months. He seemed to be pretty cheerful when Hikimiya visited him, though, and said (who knows whether seriously or in jest) that he wasn’t going to die until he won Hikimiya’s heart. Frau would be incapacitated for the foreseeable future, so he asked Hikimiya to take over his responsibilities working with the Egg Mac and the Desert Colosseum AI. Hikimiya was pissed off at the prospect, since he really wanted a break; the crashed plane was supposed to bring him back to Japan, but now he had to stay in Paris for who knows how long. Before exiting the room in a huff, Hikimiya asked why exactly Frau had been in Arc de Triomphe, to which he got a grin and the answer “to look after your plane leaving—because I love you, boy.” (Hikimiya was really, really not sure if this was a joke or not.)

Later Hikimiya met up with Christmas, who informed him that Jounosuke was going to Peru for an investigation in a few days. That seemed just preposterous—Jounosuke was seriously ill and should stay in bed—but you can’t really get through that guy’s stubbornness sometimes.

Then again, Jounosuke didn’t even know yet that he had Alive. Nobody wanted to tell him. Did the plane not crash, Hikimiya and Christmas would go to Ryuuguujou with everyone to spend time with him before the disease progressed further.

--

Back to the present day in Ryuuguujou…

Otohime, Jouka, Juku and Nemu all gather in Jounosuke’s bedroom to his delight. Juku says that Inugami Yasha wanted to visit too, but is busy with something in his hometown right now.

Jounosuke is in high spirits, claims that he’s just fine and will sooner die from boredom lying in bed all day, and this sort of giant mysteries like the Crime Olympics just waiting to be solved don’t happen every day, you know! He states that in a few days he’s going to Peru, as the local president asked him for help. They banter a bit with Otohime in a true sibling style, “please rest for the love of god” versus “but I’m fine, and listen, THE MYSTERY!”, culminating with Otohime asking Jouka to please look after this petulant child.

The conversation moves to Somedaring Amagoi, the teenage JDC detective dressed like a miko priestess and seeming like a copy of Jounosuke in terms of making horrible worldplays.

Amagoi gave a few detectives omamori, but seemed to mix them up by accident; Jounosuke inexplicably got anzan (supposed to help with pregnancy and delivery), and Juku got gakugyo-joju (mostly for students dealing with exams, but also for gaining knowledge in general). Both men laugh about it, but still appreciate the thought and carry these talismans close to their hearts (Jounosuke can complain about Amagoi being an annoyance all he wants, but he wears that omamori even when he’s lying in bed in pajamas all day).

Jouka tells the others what she investigated about the mysterious “Seiryoin Ryusui”. They thought at first that it could be Dakushoin’s sister Minase Nagisa, but Nagisa denies it and claims that judging by the writing style, Cosmic and Joker could both have been written by her brother—but he died in 1993, so how would he know about current things like Maimu’s ability?

Otohime, who is an avid reader, is able to distinguish between the writing style of Dakushoin and Nagisa enough to realize that Cosmic and Joker are actually more similar to Nagisa’s own books. However, this doesn’t have to mean that Nagisa is lying.

Jounosuke realizes what Otohime means: they had the pen names of the twins mixed up all along! Perhaps it was the brother Tamei Hidetaka who published under the name “Minase Nagisa”, while his sister Tamei Madoka used the handle “Dakushoin Ryuusui”, and they’ve been keeping this switch secret from everyone.

This sounds probable, but Juku and Nemu think the truth may be even more complicated: this switch may involve a mysterious third writer. Tamei Hidetaka would receive manuscripts from that someone and act like they were his own. That third writer might be that “Seiryoin” they’re searching for.

---

Otohime and Juku excuse themselves outside, leaving the other three to talk about Cosmic. Nemu is concerned about a brief passage claiming that Jounosuke’s parents subjected him to some sort of brainwashing. It must be a lie—Mr. and Mrs. Ryuuguu are nice people—but Nemu’s fuzzy reasoning tells her vaguely that there might be more to it. Jounosuke’s tendency to always wear black, call himself “Ryuuguu” in third person, make machines malfunction with one touch, be fascinated with words, present almost too happy of a demeanor sometimes… is there more to all of it?

Jounosuke jokes that this Seiryoin guy should hurry up and write a book about the current events so they could get even more clues, maybe called Carnival or something.

As Nemu leaves the room, she thinks briefly about love. Jounosuke and Jouka are very good friends with similar atmosphere, but obviously don’t have any romantic feelings towards each other (especially since, as Jounosuke himself stated many times, he’s just not attracted to anyone no matter their gender). The same can be said about Juku and Otohime.

Nemu kinda only now realizes that she herself never really was in love—or perhaps was too immature to realize what her feelings were...?—and while thinking about this, she reminisces about her old friend Ajiro Souya.

---

Shortly before the Tsukumo siblings arrived at Ryuuguujou, one of Otohime’s bodyguards, Matsuo “Macho” Mentei, suddenly fainted while looking at the scenery. It turned out that he had somehow, in some way, made eye contact with Juku, who was at the time staring at Ryuuguujou through the car window. Even though the two couldn’t actually see each other from that distance, Macho still fainted. Juku apologizes to him profusely, and later he and Otohime talk in the hallway.

The narration informs us that the friendship between the Ryuuguus and the Tsukumo siblings goes back sixteen years to the Saimon Family Murder Case, during which little Juku stayed at Ryuuguujou for some time. Due to their deep connection Jounosuke treats Juku a bit like a younger brother, while Otohime has the kind of deep understanding with him where they can spend time together in comfortable silence.

Juku and Otohime talk about the Crime Olympics and what the “ultimate trick” used in it could be. Otohime states that there’s no such thing as something “ultimate” or “the best of the best”—the concept of something “ultimate” only makes sense if nothing can actually reach that level, because then the definition of “ultimate” would just shift to mean something even better.

Juku thinks that whoever’s behind the Crime Olympics might be using a new technology of some kind, something that just like radio waves can’t exactly be spotted if you don’t know they exist. He compares it to how Matsuo Mentei has fainted due to “something unseeable”. Otohime responds that this today was just an accident, so it’s strange to compare it to something like the Crime Olympics.

Juku says that who knows, perhaps the “trick” behind the incident with Matsuo Mentei and the trick of the Crime Olympics will turn out to have the same origin.

--

THIRTEEN

16 Nov 1996 — 22 Nov 1996

GREENWICH

--

On the second day of his trip to Peru, Jounosuke falls into a deep feverish sleep due to Alive, and when he finally wakes up, he seems like a different person. Innocent charm all but disappears from his face and something dark creeps into his usually cheerful atmosphere. He wants only Jouka to stay by his side and proposes to her. Christmas is delegated to investigate the Easter Island in case a Billion Killer case happens there.

Christmas feels like the world is going insane.

Counting the newest Billion Killer case—the Royal Observatory in Greenwich being destroyed—over four hundred million people have died so far.

--

[END OF PART 1 — CARNIVAL ACT]

--

[>>>NEXT PART>>>]

[anythingsaidproductions]

My song “Riot Grrrl Zine” is a long time coming from the way I grew up. Being a child in the 90’s put me in an odd spot with finding what it was to be empowered as a girl. Flooded with pop culture, I became immersed in a certain idea of “GIRL POWER” that would later drown me. I saw women who performed music in an entirely different way than I saw men. Therefore, as I grew into a young woman who, herself, wanted to be a singer, my idea of what I had to look like became my main focus.

I appreciated the large landscape of possibilities with music from a young age. I loved how it made me feel, without having to be touched. As I grew up, insecurities would set in, and self doubt would pave the way to self sabotage. The desire inside to sing and perform music has never been questioned. I simply didn’t see in the mirror what I saw on TV, or in magazines. The reality of being a pop singer felt like less of a possibility as time went on.

By the time I was 15, I had dealt with “normal” issues like parents divorcing, moving towns, and gaining emotional-eating weight. The end result left me unhappy with my body and unhappy with myself ultimately. At that age, I had made attempts at self-harm and being bulimic, but I wasn’t able to push past the physical pain of it. When a friend of mine gave me a burned CD of The Used’s self-titled album, I was reminded of how music numbed my emotional pain. I couldn’t get enough of this beautiful, angry and very sad music. Anything in this genre, I became obsessed with. Linkin Park, Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance became my remedy to life.

By the time I was 18, I was figuring out music was my only answer. I remembered how badly I wanted to be a pop star when I was younger, but I didn’t look like Britney or Christina. I started desperately seeking a woman to look to for guidance. Paramore became my rock. They embodied the music that got me through my years, but had a woman singer who I could relate to. I no longer wanted to be a popstar, I wanted to be able to sing. Sing my heart out with every bit of pain I was drowning in.

The problem was that every time I opened my mouth to sing, my childhood insecurities resurfaced. I was comparing myself to the level of talent and skill of experience Hayley Williams had herself. I just wanted to make music that felt good and sounded good, but I had no real understanding of what it took to become that level of singer.

I did what I knew I could, and I found a voice teacher who specialized in live-performance singing and rock music based training. I trained and I practiced and I visualized and I believed this was happening for me. I believed that my dreams were around the corner, and I was going to be on stage with Paramore themselves, singing a duet. I worked hard, and started writing a lot of music. I was able to write and record a 6 song EP entirely on my own.

As quickly as I believed it was happening, I just as quickly lost hope in my dream. The EP I put out didn’t get me signed, it didn’t blow up on soundcloud, and my youtube videos of song covers weren’t going viral. I blamed everything on not being “good enough.” Finally, the glorious day came when I watched the documentary called Miss Representation. I took the red pill, and I woke up from “the matrix” of the patriarchy. I had no idea how my mind was manipulated into seeing myself as a participant in this world.

Flashbacks to being 10 years old, in the locker room of the tennis club, as my grandmother stands me in front of a mirror. She pinches my tummy, which is exposed from my two piece bathing suit, and tells me “This is fat. You don’t want this.” She was a Hollywood starlet, and I know honestly it wasn’t her fault she believed this was the base of a woman’s value. She was looking out for me, the best way she knew how. In her industry, to be skinny, was to be liked. This is what fed my doubt for the next decade of my life.

At 25, I watched the documentary The Punk Singer, about Kathleen Hanna and her part in the Riot Grrrl movement. For the first time in my life, I felt like I had the green light to go after my dreams. I wanted to sing my pain, and these women knew how. The honesty of their experiences, being screamed through a microphone was a whole new world for me. Up until this point, I thought only men could do this, and definitely the only ones who were taken seriously. I finally saw that I could make my music, and not have to look or sound a certain way.

I desperately sought anyone who would want to join me in my crusade to make loud music. I struggled to find bandmates, and so I looked to my partner of 5 years. She had originally introduced me to Riot Grrrl music, so I asked if she’d be willing to learn the bass guitar. A short amount of time went by before our band, I Dream of Darlene, was created. We wanted the name to combine our passion for strong females in good sitcom television, and our “punk rock” attitude. Naming our band after Darlene Connor from the show Roseanne, we felt like we had plenty of inspiration to get us going. We wrote songs surprisingly well together, and made a set list we were both proud of.

I was too eager. I was too earnest. I wanted to be on stage creating an experience. I booked us shows, and before I knew it, we were on stage. Simple rhythms and easy chord progressions were trying to carry the meaningful message I felt like I was singing. When the show I had put the most time and thought into finally came, we played to a nearly empty venue. Drive and passion are important, but I was reluctant to do the work before putting it on display.

Hiend sight truly is the clear vision of our actions, and most definitely the mistakes. The self doubt was obviously still eating me from the inside, because I practiced music the same way I looked in the mirror, with blinders. I never really allowed myself to examine my body too closely, for fear of how badly I would tear myself apart. I never allowed myself to participate in my own music, for fear of hating what I was working on. I don’t think I ever truly gained the calluses on my fingers that would have led to proper guitar playing.

Like every other project up until this point in my life, I put it up on the shelf to be finished at another point. This was in 2016, and since then I stopped performing live. I went to my voice lessons, but still hiding away from the world. Until I got an invitation to audition for t.v. show The Voice. I thought to myself, this is it! Immediately, I began my training like I was going to the Olympics. I pushed myself farther than I ever had before, my own dedication actually inspired me. I sang so much, that come the audition, my throat and voice was shot. Regardless of not getting it, leaving the audition I was elated. I was actually doing what I had always wanted to do. Sing.

A lot of events happened in my life between 2016 to 2019 that molded me and helped me grow. For a year, my wife and I took care of our niece when she was just 10 months old. I grew patience, I grew understanding, but most of all I gained the faith in my capabilities to go after any dream of mine if I took the right steps.

My voice teacher set me up with his best friend’s son to produce a song together. For years, he had told me that he loved my song “Riot Grrrl Zine,” and promoted it more than I ever did. It needed some finishing touches before being sent off to be produced, so I sat down with my wife and asked her how she first discovered the music of the riot grrrl movement. I wanted the song to have these answers for people hearing it for the first time, and who don’t know about this movement. Filling in some new lyrics, and finding a bridge to complete the song, finally it was finished and sent off to the producer. Now I waited... Finally the day came to go to the studio. Things were finally moving forward and I was going to a real music studio to record my own song!

The hardest lesson to learn is that I needed to experience life to grow. No book or movie can give the full understanding it takes to make things happen. I sat back in my comfort zone for many years, hoping that enough wishing on stars was going to make things happen. Action has to take place, and the more times that action occurs, the stronger that dream becomes a reality.

“Riot Grrrl Zine” is my story of how I may not have grown up with riot grrrl music, but it eventually reached me and made its imprint on me. I may not embody the punk rock spirit entirely, but the music is a piece of me and I am excited to share this with the world.

[taz-writes]

Introduction to Nymia/Colorverse

I mentioned making a post about that other secondary storyverse the other day, right? Well, here it is! (Fair warning, this is less of an active WIP than a concept I like to play with—I probably won’t create any finished product for this world for a WHILE. It’s more of a creative sandbox than a proper novel-in-the-making.)

TLDR; magical girls/boys in a fantastical 1800s steampunk-adjacent setting work together (with varying levels of success) to right the wrongs of the world they live in. Although they were all trained together for a few years in their early teens, it’s been a while since they’ve reunited, and they’ll have to contend with challenging geography, a generations-long war, and their own clashing ideologies before they’ll be able to start figuring out what the problem is. The whole thing’s 90% driven by my love of dramatic irony and secret identities.

Genre-wise, this is another fantasy, but it has a very different flavor from Feilan. It’s also a bit more mature in general, straddling the YA/NA line because of the ages of the protagonists. The timeline flipflops and some scenes are set during the squad’s Academy days as young teenagers, but the real plot happens when they’re in their early 20s. I wouldn’t say this is darker--Feilan gets super fucked up in places--but it’s probably going to feel a little less optimistic, and there are more shades of grey. 

The Colors

Regardless of where in Nymia one hails from, everyone knows of the colors. You may know them as gods, or archetypes, or spirits, or ancestors, but their influence is ever-present and ever-powerful regardless.

The colors are manifestations of human symbolism and belief. They began as formless congregations of a natural energy that flows throughout the planet, and as early humans developed civilization and encountered them, they began to take on the traits of certain colors in the spectrum of light. They are influenced by humanity, and influence humanity in turn—more like primal forces of nature than thinking, feeling beings. Despite this, though, they have clear wills of their own and personalities. They’re sort of... human-adjacent, but ultimately something greater. Human mages are able to draw on the powers of the colors and cast magic based on their color of choice!

The precise meanings and powers of the colors vary by the culture and social class of the believer, but they are worshipped across Nymia, and plenty of patterns pop up. Unfortunately, most of Nymia doesn’t get along—of the four realms consisting the continent, two have been at war for generations, and the remaining two are somewhat isolated from both the warring countries and each other.

Each generation, the colors choose humans to wield their powers and enact their will to encourage peace and balance throughout the realms. These humans are called the Paladins. They’re not very well-known, though, because the last few generations of paladins were not strong enough to make a significant difference or achieve much of anything. This generation, those paladins are our protagonists! Which brings me to...

The Characters

This storyverse is WAY more character-driven than my other WIP, which is why I keep dodging around it and hiding from a plot, but the characters are the best thing I’ve got going here. I won’t beat around the bush, just introduce them.

Talxin Zatruc is the Paladin of Red! He’s really short, he barely hits 5’3”, but there’s a lot of intensity packed into that petite form. Red is the color of plague, poison, decay, and death. As such, they tend to be vilified in most places, and redmages aren’t winning any popularity contests. To Talxin, though, red means something else. He was raised dirt-poor in the country by parents trapped in Elcrin’s broken legal system, and to them, red is the color of justice. All things are equal in death, after all. His red magic isn’t limited to just killing people. He’s not a very trusting person, and he tends to stammer a lot and bow out of conflict, but there’s a core of steel under his surface. He’ll cross any line if it means achieving a better world. He’s like, my way of protesting about how badass Anakin Skywalker could’ve been if the Star Wars writers gave a shit.

Syzyga Lazuli is not in fact associated with the color blue! She’s the Paladin of Orange, who represents exploration, navigation, innovation, and human ingenuity. In her native country of Kelrie, she’s in constant demand fixing trade ships and assisting mapmakers, but her true passion lies elsewhere. Syz is an avid inventor, constantly creating new ways to make the world a better and more exciting place. Remember Master Builders from the LEGO movie? That’s basically what Syz’s orange magic does, it’s pretty cool. One of her trickiest creations is the wired mechanical “exoskeleton” she wears on her arms (cooler name pending), which compensates for an extreme hypermobility disorder she’s dealt with since childhood. Her ultimate dream is to create a functional flying machine—something that many orangemages have attempted, but none have succeeded in so far. She likes pointy things, stargazing, and using said hypermobile hands to occasionally one-up Nyrene’s attempts to freak people out.

Soenya Arrenya is the Paladin of Yellow. The emoticon :} is an accurate summary of her personality. Yellow is associated with weather and natural disasters as a trickster archetype, but they are also a patron of underdogs and comedians. They’re one of those archetypes whose interpretations vary wildly by location. Soenya hails from a remote town in the northern Sapiran tundra, the kind of place where ice tornadoes are things that exist, and her notion of practicality is... we’ll just say, it’s a bit different from the city-dwellers’. She doesn’t have much concept of property damage (or property). She’s really flirtatious and will hit on just about anyone, which embarrasses her colleagues sometimes, to the point where most of the other paladins figure she’s just doing it to mess with them. She and Nyrene do NOT get along.

Darrus Colere is the Paladin of DICK MAGIC Green, and I did NOT draw him buff enough in this picture. He needs to be like twice as buff and twice as Big. He’s almost 6’4” and deserves to be built like an Olympic deadlifter. Green is associated with healing, plant life, fertility, and sexuality. They’re one of the only two colors ever given a gender, as in Sapir Green also represents masculinity. Darrus is valid to fuck. Unfortunately he’s also easily flustered and a little bit dense, he tends to get strange ideas in his head and it takes a LOT of pushing to redirect him. He’s got inertia. Darrus cares more about plants than most people, he will run after you crying if you step on “his” grass. He and Talxin shared a room at the Academy as baby 13-year-olds and they’d fight constantly because Talxin kept accidentally killing Darrus’s houseplants with poorly-controlled red magic. Also, he’s genuinely terrified of Talxin, which in terms of sheer physicality is hilarious. At his core, he’s a very caring person! He expresses affection by lecturing people on your behalf. It’s kind of sweet. He’s from Kelrie like Syz, but the other side of the country.

Anlied Atidae is the elusive Paladin of Blue. Raised in the upper echelons of Sapiran society, she’s still grappling with the extremely repressed behavior she was raised to exhibit, but even behind her veil of mystery she’s a strange and deeply thoughtful individual. Blue is the archetype of thought, philosophy, emotion, and the human mind. In Sapir, Blue represents femininity. Although private, Anlied is very sincere in her desire to help others. Her life of privilege and nobility tends to blind her to the reality she lives in, though, and even as an adult she is very naive. She’s all about the conceptual thought exercise of fixing the world but stalls short in horror when presented with an actual problem. Despite using magic that specializes in emotion and the mind, she has very little awareness and understanding of her own emotional experience. Rationality is prized above all else in Sapiran society, particularly in the noble circles Anlied grew up in, and it is considered taboo to express any kind of emotion outside of a Blue temple. As emotions are sacred to Blue, they should be shown to Blue alone. Some Sapiran royals will even veil their faces in blue fabric as the ultimate expression of non-expression. This culture.... this culture seriously messed with Anlied’s head.

Nyrene Enkeli is the Paladin of Purple and the team’s most infamous wildcard. She’s tall, skinny, pointy, and an avatar of mayhem—literally. Purple is, among other things, the archetype of chaos. They also represent cycles, wisdom, and the passage of time. Nyrene really likes knocking people off-guard, and can produce an impressive variety of disturbing noises. She also swallows swords, spits fire, and juggles like a fiend. She’s the sole representative among the paladins of Nemmonay—an elusive free state off the coast of Kelrie that shelters pirates, outlaws, and a dozen other criminal elements holding each other together in a perilous state of organized anarchy. Nyrene is the embodiment of that trope where a character has to remove all their weapons, and holds up the line for 20 minutes picking tiny knives out of their hair and bootsoles. Upon first glance, she seems like she’s totally off her rocker. She says weird stuff that doesn’t make sense, and does weird stuff for shock value alone, and generally moves like a cat that’s seen a ghost in the corner. What she really is, though, is a bona fide genius. Nyrene’s purple magic allows her to travel through time to a certain extent, and she’s often balancing two or more perfect loops at once, with some really bizarre caveats added to make sure the streams don’t cross. She has a lot of ulterior motives. She considers Syzyga her best friend, because Syzyga is the only person who hasn’t panicked at the sight of spontaneous sword-swallowing. She really doesn’t get along well with Soenya.

Pariya Spinel is the current Paladin of Pink, though she wasn’t the first in this generation. The OG pink paladin turned out to be such an unspeakably awful person that Pink themself appeared to strip her of her status. Pariya joined the group late and didn’t have much time to get to know the others, which she’s rather self-conscious about, but pretty much everyone likes her. She doesn’t have too much to worry about. Pink is a tricky archetype to pin down. They’re associated with creation, they’re the pantheon leader, and they have symbolic ties to space and the heavens. In practice, this means Pariya has the power to create things like energy constructs or even just simple objects. It’s a difficult and tiring power to use but has the potential to be super broken. Pariya isn’t very good with her magic, and she’s extremely anxious and self-conscious about it, to the point where her nerves may be preventing her from doing much of anything at all. She’ll get there, one day...

So, yeah! That’s the squad! Not pictured is Rovato, whom I’ve mentioned briefly on this blog before—he’s the main antagonist in this universe. He’s a paladin of Silver. Silver used to be part of the pantheon, once upon a time, but they’ve been forgotten over the last few generations for an assortment of reasons. Most of those reasons have to do with Rovato. As purple represents chaos, silver represents order, and the exertion of will upon the whims of the natural world. Silver once had different aspects in the same way the other colors do, and in Sapir they actually represented change and manipulation—this is the aspect Rovato exploits. He’s used some loopholes in the magic system to make himself into a near-immortal shapeshifter and he wants power and stuff. I’m still working out the plot, so this could change, but that’s what I have right now. 

The general backstory is that the Paladins were gathered together by the elusive headmaster of the Academy, a school on an unclaimed island meant specifically to train each generation’s set of paladins and prepare them to bring peace to the world. While at the Academy, they were not allowed to share their real names or anything about their origins, so that they couldn’t judge each other for their differences and stuff. The paladins are spread across the continent to represent all four realms and every end of the class spectrum and the whole point of the team is to encourage unity. Can’t have them being racist at each other! Unfortunately, the status quo of the war between Sapir and Elcrin shifted dramatically during their third year at school, and they were sent back home before being allowed to learn each other’s names and origins and all that stuff. Now, approximately five or six years after the Academy disbanded, something is happening that can only be resolved by the paladins themselves. So now they have to get the team back together, and seek each other out across national borders and geographic obstacles and LOTS of weird culture clash. I’m still working on figuring out what’s happening. Like I said, the plot’s a work in progress.

And that’s that! I don’t know how much I’ll talk about these guys here, since the colorverse story has been on my back burner for a LOOOOONG time, and I still want to get through Feilan in the next century. But I wanted to introduce them, so I could talk about them without confusing literally everyone. They’re my second-oldest set of OCs after the fairies and I care about them quite a lot. 

[margridarnauds]

Ronan Mazurier for the character thing. I want to know your first impressions of the Trash Panda Boi.

Keeping in MIND that my first time watching 1789, I was 17. 

First impression

I’ll be honest, I think it was something like “Oh, he’s hot, but scruffy. Oh wow, they’re both hot. But I’m not bi as fuck, oh no. I just want them to both live and have babies and survive the Revolution.” Like, the ONE thing I can distinctly remember from my first time with 1789 was spending long periods of time looking up fanfic on ff.net after my creative writing class at my local community college, desperately hoping for someone to give me the “Ronan and Olympe live in the countryside and raise a litter of Ronans” fic my teenaged self so richly deserved. (Which…is HILARIOUS given what I WRITE these days. I came so, so close. Incidentally, I REALLY didn’t like Lazare.) 

My issues with Louis Delort’s Ronan aside, I can STILL say that he’s pretty damn attractive. He’s just…also whiny. And bitchy. And really shouldn’t be within 5 feet of Olympe. 

With Zuka Ronan, I don’t think I BOUGHT it? Mainly because I didn’t understand that Ronan was DESTINED to be a twink. I think that I thought he was too helpless. 

With Teppei’s Ronan, it was like, “Wait a fuck, he looks familiar. Wait a second…is that L? IT IS. Oh my God he looks like a baby. HE’S SUCH A SCRAPPY LITTLE SHIT.” 

With Kato’s it was, “…Oh. It’s you. Again.” 

(These are really more my impressions from the 2018 trailers VS the 2016 ones, because Toho!1789 REALLY didn’t leave that much of an impact on me when I first saw the trailers. Yet another area where my teenaged self was very, very clueless.)

Impression now

Applicable to all Ronans, across the board: Scruffy Boi. Goblin. Also a definite twink. Possibly a reincarnated raccoon. 

In all honesty, I’ve tried to put so much thought into him over the course of nearly two years, it’s hard to really put Ronan into WORDS for me. Like, he’s become very, very important for me the last couple of years. He’s very, very flawed, he makes some terrible decisions, he’s hot-headed, can’t hold his liquor, narrow-sighted, insensitive, and is basically like a cat that someone tossed in a pool at one point and sometimes gets into random fights in the street (also might have fleas). But he also has SUCH a huge heart and really EMBODIES the spirit of the revolution as it stood in 1789, idealistic and fierce and so TIRED of a world that told them that they were fated to die in the muck because of a trick of their birth, questioning WHY they shouldn’t have the same rights as everyone else. There’s just this…SPARK to him.

Favorite moment

When he high fives Charlotte during Au Palais Royal, that moment in the Zuka one where he starts singing about how they can be with the ones they love and Peyrol comes up from behind him, when he calls out the Revolutionaries for their asshattery… 

Idea for a story

I have, like, 50 different ideas at any given period of time. I really, really want to get the Zombie Apocalypse AU off the ground, and the Assassin’s Creed AU (When I…actually…am able to get ahold of the glitchy Assassin’s Creed). And the Tanz der Vampire crossover (Ronan VS Herbert fighting for Lazare’s affections), the Terra Nova crossover, the Reincarnation Fic that is also a College AU…      

There’s also one moderately fucked up thing I’ve considered as far as dealing with Ronan’s reaction to Thermidor, but I would be VERY scared to actually write it up even though it would be 100% consensual. And one of these days, we’ll actually GET to the main body of the Abomination, though I have no idea what the fucking plot is anymore. 

Unpopular opinion

I don’t THINK that there’s really enough in the 1789 fandom to really…HAVE an unpopular opinion on Ronan? There was a time when I was a bit of a minority in the English-speaking 1789 fandom as far as actively LIKING him while still not really shipping him with Olympe, but I think the balance has shifted a little since then. My evil plan is working. 

One thing that I’ve noticed a bit in, say, the Russian and Chinese fandoms in particular is to have a particularly weak, subby Ronan VS HYPER sexual, predatory Lazare and…I mean, I can ROLL with it, but I tend to think that with them in a genuine RELATIONSHIP, Ronan has Lazare wrapped firmly around his finger and is the one most likely to initiate…things. I blame Takarazuka!Laz for looking so smitten half the time while he’s interrogating him. Like, Ronan’s a sub, but he’s not SPINELESS. Peyrol wouldn’t have noticed him if he didn’t have a spine, and he’s going to call Lazare out every single step of the way. It’s a kind of odd equilibrium that they establish. 

Favorite relationship: 

I have no idea what to choose. Me? Have a favorite relationship for Ronan? What could you be- *a dozen unfinished Peyronan fics fall out of the folder I’m carrying* Fuck. 

Either Peyronan or Ronan’s relationship with Solène, because the Mazurier sibs always have my full heart. 

Favorite headcanon

I have so, so many Ronan headcanons at this point that it’s hard for me to keep track. 

This is probably going to end up in the Abomination in some form or another, but Ronan got his absolute HATRED of any kind of injustice when he was about 8, when his mother died. It became obvious fairly early on that there were issues with the birth, and his father sent him to get help while he stayed to help her, along with the other women (Solène, ~6-7 at the time, stayed outside). He ran for ages, trying to find the local matron, but she was away somewhere else, so he went to the local physician instead, who swatted him away because his family couldn’t pay. By the time Ronan went back, his mother was dead, and even though his father told him time after time again that he’d done everything he could, he always felt a deep sense of shame over it, like he hadn’t done enough, paired with anger over a system that would turn a blind eye to that kind of suffering. That would come back in FULL FORCE after his father’s death, where he internalized his own guilt over escalating the situation with Peyrol into revenge. 

Also, he’s a chronic cuddler, due to growing up sharing a bed with his father and Solène, often instinctively cuddling with Lazare for warmth. Lazare’s repressed, touch starved ass will never SAY that he secretly likes it, but sometimes, when Lazare is late in coming to bed (which is often, given that he’s a workaholic) and crawls into bed with him, Ronan will find himself being pulled over to him. 

Also, he’s the reason behind most of the animals they adopt. Because he can’t STAND to see animals being abused and abandoned in the street, and Lazare, as we’ve established, is thoroughly whipped, even though he CLAIMS that Ronan is going to be responsible for taking care of them. (Somehow, Lazare is the one who always ends up walking the dog in the early hours of the morning, because, well, he’s up anyway. And one day, when Artois the cat is having stomach problems, he stays up the whole time. Which Ronan relentlessly makes fun of him for.)

[blueflameforyuzu]

Hanyu Yuzuru - Starting from his face, Falling for his talent, Staying for his character

Note: This is a translation of an original article by Vogue China for their WeiXin/WeChat mobile platform. I’m quite surprised this actually made the cut, even if it’s just content for Vogue China’s mobile platform. What started as a Hanyu costume appreciation article quickly revealed its true form as a Hanyu appreciation post and the fangirling is anything but subtle. Not that I minded Ci The words in the brackets and the ~ are not my translator’s notes and personal input but are part of the original article. Captions for photos are in italics.

Click the link to view the original article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9bHolfsTxbJ2XYsmG465ng

There are more pics and gifs there, the writer has definitely spent a lot of time and effort on this labor of love so do check it out. Even if you don’t understand Chinese, a picture speaks a thousand words, so let all the pics do all the talking for you.

Hanyu Yuzuru - Starting from his face, Falling for his talent, Staying for his character 始于颜值，陷于才华，忠于人品  (T/N: Describing the journey of most fans - you notice his good looks first, then you appreciate his talent and you stay as a fan/become a loyal fan due to his outstanding character)                                 

"Blue roses do not exist, Hanyu as well, he gives an impression that he does not belong in this world", Japanese photographer Ninagawa Mika has said this of Hanyu Yuzuru. This youth who is already a legend at the tender age of 23, what other miracle-like surprises can he bring us?

Every year, the Japanese imperial family will host a spring garden party and invite outstanding personalities from all fields to view the flowers, converse, eat delicious food and listen to music at the Shinjuku Gyo-en.

This year, among the 1940 guests, one person’s arrival created a stir among the assembled ladies - he is 2 times Olympic champion Hanyu Yuzuru.

Just a few days ago. Hanyu Yuzuru held a celebratory parade in his hometown Sendai with over a hundred thousand people in attendance. This year, he was invited to the garden party (the last time was after he won in 2014), and even the princesses revealed that they had held hands together to cheer for him (insert fangirl heart eyes) ~

In this type of formal setting, female guests normally choose kimonos or suits while male guests usually appear in hakamas, suits or uniforms.

Hanyu who has donned suits both times has said that he prefers a slim-cut which fits his body well. He might have said so, but perhaps Hanyu is too slender (actually his muscles are well-developed, and his body fat percentage is super low), it is hard for a run-of-the-mill suit to fit well on his body.

Hanyu at last week’s parade. His suit might not be the best fit, but it is way better than his uncle suit from years ago~

Compared to the western suit, actually a traditional hakama suits Hanyu better, but this super low-profile Olympic champion really doesn’t have too many opportunities to show us~

Hanyu’s first appearance in a hakama for a 2015 photo shoot

A earphone-maniac and game otaku, this prince-on-ice who exudes an ethereal aura doesn’t really care about fashion in his private style, basically he lives in sportswear.

Sportswear can actually look so good ~~

He seldom does magazine photo shoots, after all he is not an idol or celebrity (but once he does, it’s a big production)

Hanyu captured by Ninagawa Mika for Aera magazine

However on the ice, Hanyu’s style is varying and elaborate, every costume can be said to be a piece of art. Asymmetrical designs, crystals, gradation, Japanese style, classic, lace…...a perfect combination of masculine heroic spirit and feminine softness and beauty.

Figure skating is about both athleticism and artistry, and as the ‘absolute champion’ of this sport,  Hanyu has already declared that he is one-of-a-kind just from his costumes.

CHOPIN BALLADE NO.1

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The most beautiful moment

The Olympic version where he passes his hand through his hair with shut eyes

We’ve already established that Hanyu is a ‘skating fairy’, Chopin is a program which best embodies his ethereal aura and elegance.

After the end of the 2014 Olympic season, Chopin V1.0 made its debut. From the white to blue gradation, the rows of crystal embellishments and the flowy lantern sleeves, it creates the effect of a grand introduction and conclusion while on the ice, and reflects the leisure and calmness of this well-known piece of music.

Close up of V1.0. Not only are there rhinestones, you can also see the blue-purple pearl embellishments

Chopin V2.0

For Chopin V2.0 in the 2015 season, the color of the costume has changed from sapphire-blue to sky-blue, and gold elements have been added to the sleeves and waist. The belt is changed to gold as well (all of these reflecting the champion’s desire for gold).

Olympic Chopin V3.0

For the Olympics season, the chosen blue shade is a deep sky-blue in between the colors of the previous versions. The gold elements are up-up-upgraded as well - gold crystals and pearls are added to the neckline and the colorful rhinestones on the gold belt are extremely shiny (yet very lowkey), a perfect complement to the rush of thick emotions and fanatical fervour of the ballade’s climax.

SEIMEI

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The most beautiful moment

The opening “ Guiding both heaven and earth onto the right path” action

Hanyu’s signature hydroblading move (Hanyu himself says his eyes here can kill~)

Among all of Hanyu’s programs, Seimei which was inspired by the movie Onmyouji is definitely the most famous.

Seimei V1.0

At an ice show before the start of the 2015 season, Hanyu revealed this program for the first time. After being redesigned by designer Ito Satomi and Hanyu, the Heian-era karigime becomes a lighter, more convenient and fitting costume.

Still from the movie Onmyouji, played by Nomura Mansai

Kyogen stage actor Nomura Mansai who plays Seimei in the movie had a one-to-one exchange with Hanyu and gave him a lot of suggestions on the hand movements, rhythm control and character understanding. When the program was officially debuted in competition, we saw ‘Hanyu Seimei’ V2.0.

The most obvious changes were that the shoulders and waist were looser so as to allow for easier movement. The light green ribbon ties on the sleeves are now bordered by grass-green. There is an additional mesh insert on both the front and back. More gold embellishments and green embroidery and rhinestones were added. And the black gloves - there are many hand movements when Seimei casts his spells and the contrast between the black gloves and white rink is more stark.

Close up of V2.0 details. Intricate gold bead work, embroidery and rhinestones

During this Olympic season, V3.0 makes an appearance. A large portion of the bead work and embroidery is removed and replaced with crystal embellishment instead (3000 pieces were allegedly used). The main reason for this change is to lighten the weight of the costume so that it is easier to jump.

Even the belt is changed to a gold color which looks more majestic and as per the old design, it is embellished with crystals of varying sizes. There is a slight change in the color of the costume as well; a touch of deep red is added to the purple while the lace ties becomes cyan/teal.

The front, back, sleeves and even the lower part of the shirt is embroidered with an even more lavish golden phoenix design (all in all, the champion must be commanding + regal), at the back there’s even a signature Seimei ‘5 point star’.

Usually, skating to Japanese-style music is not favorable in international competitions, but this program has helped him broke the world record twice and win the Olympics again in 2018. Actually, just from the details on this costume, you can already see how much he has fine-tuned this program’s choreography.

LET'S GO CRAZY

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

Skating on bent knee while bending backwards

In all of Hanyu’s programs, Let’s Go Crazy (nicknamed ‘Go Crazy’ by fans) is the program which drives fans the most-most-most crazy. Basically every time you watch it, you get a nosebleed. All the lil actions woven in the program are designed to bedazzle and drive you crazy.

This is Prince’s famous song. In April 2016, the pop star passed away. Hanyu, who was then preparing for the new season, together with his choreographer decided to use this song as a tribute to Prince and came up with a crazy and bold program.

Comparison of the LGC costume with Prince’s costume, Yuzu’s costume is actually slightly sheer

The inspiration for the costume came from Prince’s concert. This song was in the album ‘Purple Rain’ so the costume was mainly in purple. The vest over the shirt and the standing collar were all references to the outfit worn in the MV. The bead work and sparkles on the vest were also designed based on the photos.

His hair was also styled differently from the usual, his hair was combed back in a style that reveals his forehead, which was rare. Actually his hairstyle was based on Japan’s ‘i-ta men’ style. This term originates from the samurai Date Masamune who lived during the Japanese warring period. He was brave and valiant and excellent in warfare, yet he dressed magnificently, so ‘i-ta men’ was used to describe such men. Later it evolved to describe playboy/dandy type of men.

NOTTE STELLATA

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The most beautiful moment

His silhouette during the sit spin resembles a swan

Notte Stellata is an exhibition program which Hanyu used for 2 seasons. In Italian, Notte Stellata means ‘a sky full of stars’.

During the Great East Japan earthquake seven years ago, Hanyu was at the Sendai ice rink practicing and after escaping, he sought refuge at a school gymnasium for several days. There was no electricity in the entire city and only the stars in the sky shone brightly, planting seeds of hope in the youngster’s heart and hence this program came to be.

Adorned with white feathers and featuring a daring off-shoulder design and deep V-cuts in both the front and the back, the costume has the grace and elegance of a swan; and the crystals scattered on the sleeves and the bodice are just like the stars in the sky.

Perhaps it is his perpetual youthful looks and his slender body frame, even in a design which seems feminine, Hanyu is able to make it his own. This is one of his special traits.

Actually most of Hanyu’s exhibition pieces revolve around a common theme - praying and wishing the best for the disaster area. Having ‘escaped’ after the earthquake, he has always felt that he has not done enough for the disaster area, so he has donated his bonus for winning the Olympics and the revenue from the sales of his autobiography and so on, and he has always tried his best to express these emotions during his exhibition skates.

Hanyu exhibition piece in 2015 Believe

Hanyu exhibition piece in 2012 Hana ni Nare

Hanyu exhibition piece in 2012 The Final Time Traveller

Hanyu exhibition piece in 2014 Hana wo Saku

So most of Hanyu’s costumes for his exhibitions are usually softer compared to his costumes for his competitions and are usually made of chiffon with pleating and floral decorative details. Under the dim lights on the ice rink during the exhibition, it is like a beacon of light, full of life.

HOPE & LEGACY

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The most beautiful moment

Hanyu’s signature Ina Bauer

The Biellmann spin which usually can only be done by female skaters, it requires the body to be very flexible

This is the most emotive of all of Hanyu’s free skate programs and till today, it still holds the world record for the highest score for the free skate. Hope & Legacy is the theme song for the 1998 Nagano Paralympics and is composed by the famous Hisaishi Joe. And this year is exactly the year Hanyu started skating.

This program is like an exchange between Hanyu himself and the ice rink, Since he started skating at 4 years old, figure skating is almost his entire life. From longing to desire to adversity to fear and finally to the release of emotions and rapture, these were all showcased in a single breath.

Just like the blue, green and white gradation signifies the the sky, the earth and the rink, everything is as natural as the floating clouds and flowing waters, and the scattered rhinestones are clustered even more closely than before, just like the shining marks that Hanyu has left behind in his journey.

It is indeed profound that after a mistake resulting in him in fifth place after the short program at the 2017 World championships, he went on to perform this free skate perfectly and broke the world record at 223.20 points, creating the impossible and aiding him in capturing the gold medal.

This costume actually has a ‘previous form’ six years ago. It was the season right after the 311 earthquake and the short program is titled Etude.

To Hanyu, this is a costume which was in remembrance of the disaster, the many layers of blue are used to express the giant waves and the sea and to commemorate everything that was lost in the earthquake and the tsunami. At that time, he was only 17 and he could already deliver such a soulful performance.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The most beautiful moment

The hand movements depicting wearing and removing the mask

POTO is a classic song that has been used by many other figure skaters, yet Hanyu’s interpretation still manages to inject freshness.

The earliest version was pieced together from red, black and white fabrics in a asymmetrical fashion (the black part is openwork lace) and aptly fits the character who has lost himself in his obsession for his love and has the resplendence of the men’s court attire in the 19th century.

However, this costume was sealed after just wearing it once; before the competition he collided heavily with another skater and sustained severe external and internal injuries and even had to have an operation. Hence this version of POTO was never seen again in competitions.

The redesigned POTO costume went from figurative to an imagery style, the concept of the veined patterns are interlaced with the doomed love between the angel and the phantom, but the designs on the collar, the end of the sleeves and the waist still retains the elements of the Romanticism period.

PARISIENNE WALKWAYS

— YUZURU'S COSTUME —

The opening brushing his hands-over-head and raising his leg teasing move

The handsome side-lunge and point move

Fans call it the ‘Big Parisienne Saunter’ and it’s the program that has made many fall for him. Hanyu started using this short program since the 2012 season, and it is from this time that he started breaking all kinds of records, and it even became the first short program to ever break the hundred point barrier at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

At first glance, it looks like a simple shirt + belt + pants combination, but actually the shirt is full of thoughtful details: the pleats on the front and back are adorned with sparkles, and in line with the blue and white color scheme which seems like the blue sky, the sparkles look like shiny stars hiding in the clouds, which perfectly matches the aura of the youth who had just turned legal.

There’s a detail here, which is our ‘perfectionist’ Hanyu even had a matching bottle cover with his costume (it should be hand-made by Hanyu’s mum’s deft hands) ~

An elaborate figure skating costume can easily cost up to ten-thousands, Hanyu's costumes were initially designed and hand-made by his mother and subsequently he collaborated with designers Orihara Shizuko, Ito Satomi and famous figure skating veteran Johnny Weir. Every costume is worth to be admired and appreciated. Actually Japan is holding a Hanyu photo and costume exhibition, if you’re in town, why not go take a look?

2011’s Romeo & Juliet designed by Orihara Shizuko

The costume for 2010’s Zigeunerweisen designed by Johnny Weir and handmade by Hanyu’s mum

2009 Junior GPF’s costume for Mission Impossible

For an Olympic gold medallist to have such high popularity, can it just be attributed to his appearance and the sport’s intrinsic entertainment value? To explain, we can probably use the well-known phrase “starting from his face, falling for his talent, staying for his character”.

2 times consecutive Olympics champion, 12 times world record breaker and the current record holder for the highest scores for the short program, the free skate and the combined scores, behind these hard facts are his perfectionism and determined performances.

“There is no meaning if you do not try your best at doing what can be done, this cannot be called ‘staking your life’.”

Every time before he goes on the ice, he’ll touch the ice as a sign of respect towards the sport

To clearly say “hate to lose” these three words, Hanyu seems like a high-spirited teenager. As long as it’s a silver, he will be super frustrated. He doesn’t just does highly difficult jumps, he combines them with difficult entries and exits to score the maximum GOE. His techniques in competition are clean, there are definitely no petty tricks. He has many injuries and his condition seems to fluctuate high and low but he has never faltered at the crucial timing. When some athletes choose to retire after becoming famous, he is still passionate about the sport and has declared that he wants to challenge the 4A and quintuple jumps…… Just as Hanyu himself said, “I have bet my entire life on skating”.

Just a strong determination is not enough, Hanyu’s brain can be said to not lose to his athletic ability. He is enrolled in Waseda University and is able to respond within seconds to change his jump layout to make up for lost points. He has produced his own ice show and his candid responses to tricky questions from reporters are all charming points both on and off the ice.

“I do not talk about who my rival is, I am my only rival”

“Although this is just my way of thinking, the ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ in life will balance out, and finally result in zero”

We hope that the name ‘Hanyu Yuzuru’ will live on forever and become a power of vision and a light of tenderness.

[gdwessel]

Okada Makes Olympic Torch Run A Year Later; Jushin Thunder Liger Inducted into WWE Hall Of Fame; Incomplete List of NJPW / NJoA Wrestlers At Mania Weekend Events

Delayed was not denied for Kazuchika Okada, as this past Tuesday 4/6/2021, the Rainmaker finally made his Olympic torch run through his home city of Anjo, in Aichi Prefecture. Okada was one of several that day, an event that was supposed to have taken place last year, however, we all know what happened with that. It’s a thread that will go through a lot of this post, actually.

Speaking after the event, Okada said:

Okada said that ‘everybody was waving and smiling as I made my run, so I wanted to return those smiles right back to them. It was a fantastic experience’. Okada continues to embody the Olympic spirit and the King of Sports as Tokyo heads toward  the summer Games.

You can see a video of his torch run here. It also has a nice little paragraph by Okada talking about growing up in Anjo for you to read.

Also on Tuesday, the WWE held its own delayed Hall Of Fame event, combining its classes of 2020 and 2021 into one event. One such wrestler inducted (from the 2020) class was Jushin Thunder Liger (Keiichi Yamada), who received a plaque and ring as part of his induction. Speaking on his behalf were the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio Jr., and the former Prince Devitt, Finn Balor. Liger himself said:

‘I am so excited. I have goosebumps all over me; this is the first time I’ve ever been so nervous to speak. It’s a great honour to be inducted into this Hall of Fame, and to receive a Hall of Fame plaque and ring. I’m just so glad that I became a professional wrestler. Thank you!

Thank you all so much. Thank you to all of my fans in WWE.’

Mind you, Liger’s output in WWE was nowhere near prolific. Officially, he’s had two WWE matches -- the first at the WWF/NJPW/AJPW Summit Show on 4/13/1990 at the Tokyo Dome, where he beat Akira Nogami; the other at the NXT Takeover: Brooklyn show on 8/22/2015, where he beat Tyler Breeze. (Some think this was the door that opened for WWE to sign away Nakamura, AJ Style, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows.) That said, he was somewhat prolific in WCW, and WWE owns all of WCW’s footage and history. Either way, it’s an honor for him, and congratulations to him.

As you might be aware, this is Wrestlemania Week, where in addition to the WWE’s flagship event, many and sundry indie promotions (and AEW) are running shows in and around the Tampa area (well, Jacksonville isn’t near Tampa). This was supposed to happen last year, and matches such as Minoru Suzuki v. Orange Cassidy and Shingo Takagi v. Chris Dickinson were to take place.

Sadly, none of those are happening this year, and from what I hear, GCW’s Collective started off in a pretty disastrous manner. I don’t know MUCH more than that, as I’m really out of the loop on American indie wrestling, and if I’m honestly, don’t much care right now. 

That being said, at GCW’s Bloodsport 6 (probably starting by the time this gets posted, oops), IWGP US Heavyweight champion Jon Moxley will be taking on former NJPW wrestler/commentator Josh Barnett in the main event. Also on this show are Young Lion Alex Coughlin v. Royce Isaacs, Rocky Romero v. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (!), NJoA’s Chris Dickinson v. Shane Mercer, and recent Super J-Cup 2020 finalist Lio Rush v. Yoya. DIckinson and Rush will also be appearing on other Collective events as well. 

Meanwhile, tomorrow at ACTION Wrestling + Southern Underground Pro’s joint show “Have Fun, Be Sad,” the main event will be card bookers Violence Is Forever (Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini) v. current Impact World Tag Team champions Juice Robinson & David Finlay Jr. THAT ought to be good. I believe these are FinJuice’s only bookings during Mania Weekend. This show also has friend of the show O’Shay Edwards v. Jon Davis, so sounds like it’s worth checking out.

Sadly, this is as complete as this is getting, as I mentioned, not really in the indie scene right now, but if I learn more, I’ll update it here. Enjoy it all if you are watching tho!

[robertbassweb]

Vision Boards Templates

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Vision Boards Templates

A vision board can be shown prominently in an assigned sacred space, or a small version of it can be brought in your journal.  Having vision boards templates at hand makes it all easier.

And every time you see your vision board, you’re actually doing short visualizations about your goals, aiding draw in the points you want in your life.

In this article, we will learn even more about vision boards as well as cover 25 fantastic vision board templates you can use to develop your very own vision board.

  Vision Boards Power

Vision boards capture your individual desires or lasting objectives and aim to imagine your forthcoming year, years or whole existence.

As James Allen placed it, “Desires are the seed startings of truth.” Some people for that reason additionally describe vision boards as dream boards, while others call it prize mapping or assembling their love listings.

You could just recognize them as inspiring image collages that function as a vibrant and tangible representation of your personal future in the most radical overview.

Individuals frequently insert drawings, icons, quotes, phrases and also words that represent or signify the experiences, sensations as well as ownerships they want.

Given that it is much less regarding the tool, yet a lot more concerning the material and also the result it carries you, you can develop them based on your choice– either literally or electronically.

  The Technique of Mental Visualization

A lot has actually been covered the power of visualization, a method that aids you get down to your wishes and also wishes so you can start turning them right into reality.

It shows you to continually keep in mind as well as assess them to provide advice, improve your spirits and put yourself, including your subconscious, to function, in the best direction.

Pictures can intensely promote our feelings because our mind typically responds to them rapidly as well as powerfully. You may keep in mind the old stating, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Evidently, numerous Olympic professional athletes have actually been using visualization often.

They were extra effective, nonetheless, when they envisioned themselves training instead of winning which highlights the relevance of procedure or taking action, as opposed to simply imagining a future state or accomplishment.

“Anything the human mind can think, the human mind can attain.”  This declaration by author Napoleon Hill mirrors the idea of some that you can attain whatever you desire through visualization.

Hill described his “secret” to success, occasionally likewise called “Law of Attraction,”  in his world-famous book “Think and Grow Ric”h

Even if that is more of a pseudo-science theory, he was positive that we attain success in the physical world in due proportion to our attitude, with a firm belief in ourselves and constant advising of our deepest desires.

A focal point of his thesis, developed after a lot of meetings with successful people over a long duration of his life, was creative-imagination meeting desire-for-action as a cause for their health.

In addition, his theory was that when suitably promoted, our brain creates a plan on both an aware and subconscious degree.

In his opinion, by the process of visualization, we become responsive to motivation, ideas as well as even “luck” as a result of acknowledging as well as acting on beneficial opportunities.

  Benefits of Visualization Through Vision Boards

If you press your life right into a purposeful direction while also provoking activity, also on a subconscious degree, you might locate on your own beginning to work on one of the most essential tasks, hesitating much less, asking even more directly for what you want and also ultimately moving on.

A vision board allows you explore, find and make your desires clear and also tangible.

With a recurring aesthetic tip of your objectives, you will quickly internalize them and after that can finest concentrate your efforts. It allows you to execute your plans to at some point turn desires right into truth and lead a pleased and also met life.

Already, prior to also accomplishing your objectives, you instill your mind with confident, hopefulness as well as future-orientation.

And the stronger the pictures resonate with you, the even more they prompt activity which is the only means to accomplishment.

    The Advantage of Vision Boards Templates

Nevertheless, not everybody has the high-end of time to create a vision board from square one.

As well as others might be hesitant to make a “freeform” sort of vision board.

If this is the circumstance you locate yourself in, a design template is an alternative yet efficient means to create your goal board. All you need to do is complete a layout with appropriate picture cutouts as well as affirmations that represent your vision.

Today, we’re including 25 vision board templates concepts that you can utilize as motivation for your following dream board. Unless or else stated, these layouts are downloadable and devoid of their developers’ sites.

They can likewise act as instances to spark your own creative thinking.

  7 Vision Board Templates

In my research of vision boards templates I discovered an excellent article on the site Develop Good Habits that I think I should reproduce here as it contains great vision boards templates examples.

Here are my seven vision boards templates favourites for you.

  1. Vision Board Kit

via Making Life Blissful

This package has everything you need to develop a vision board. There are 6 groups you need to fill up in this layout: self-care, skills, connections, just-for-fun, education and learning, and also wellness.

You can easily customize this organizer to suit your choices.

Supplies that you can use include tinted pens, magazine cutouts, and also printables. Organizer stickers additionally function well (check out this post on the most effective planner sticker labels).

  2.Vision Boards Templates – The Best Year

via Moritz Fine Designs

You can utilize this design template to think of things you have actually learned from the previous year, as well as things you’re happy for and also things you have actually attained that made you happy.

It additionally includes areas for the important things you wish to improve, things you want to try, as well as places you intend to enter the coming year.

Make conceptualizing and producing a vision board a fun family members task, and allow your children take part! Include their suggestions in the board. You can likewise let older youngsters attempt creating their own vision boards templates.

  3. Three-Pillar Vision Boards Templates

via Eisenhower

Dividing your ision board into classifications aids keep objectives manageable. Popular goal classifications consist of:

Self-improvementRelationshipsFinancialCareerSpiritualityHealth

This theme has columns for the three most typical groups of personal visions: self, social, and also safety and security.

  4. Big Dreams + Goal Inspiration

via Bloggers Get Social

This design template is made to be uploaded online.

If you have a blog site or your very own web site, this is a great way to show your visitors what you intend to achieve in the years ahead. Perhaps they’ll be inspired to develop their very own dream boards as well.

The template is editable on PicMonkey, which is an online picture editing and enhancing site.

Their goal is to “equip creatives” and also motivate aesthetic interaction.

  5. Printable Vision Boards Templates

via Carrie Elle

If you need a vision board that can conveniently be slipped right into an organizer to take anywhere, this printable layout is right for the job.

Anytime you require to examine your objectives, it’s as simple as taking out your coordinator and also mosting likely to the web page where you’ve placed your vision board.

A vision board is like your “whole-year resolution.” Compared

To New Year’s resolutions, which you are most likely to forget when February goes along, a vision board’s physical visibility offers a daily aesthetic and also responsive tip of all that you intend to show up in your life.

  6. My Vision Board

via Lady And A Blog

This template supplies areas for different categories of personal objectives. You can choose to fill up out simply packages that you want, after that view your goals materialize.

The groups include monetary, physical, things to attempt, dreams, spiritual, and domesticity. This design template is downloadable as a.pdf data.

  7. Adventure Awaits Template

via A Subtle Revelry

This template was produced in Canva.

For those not familiar with Canva, it is a drag-and-drop visuals layout device with a big data source of images as well as font styles, which has assisted non-graphic designers as well as experienced developers alike produce graphics for internet sites as well as printed media.

Here are some overview questions to assist expand your desire board:

What do you see yourself performing in the following 3 years or so?What do you want to achieve?

What places do you intend to see?What things do you wish to do?

    Vision Boards Templates FAQ

How do I create a vision board template?

STEP 1: START YOUR DESIGN. Go to Canva and select the US Letter Size (or a large dimensions (like 1800 x 2400 pixels) option. ... STEP 2: SET UP YOUR GRID. ... STEP 3: ADD YOUR IMAGES. ... STEP 4: CREATE YOUR VISION BOARD ONLINE.

What is a vision board examples?

A vision board is a visualization tool which refers to a board of any sort used to build a collage of words and pictures that represent your goals and dreams. They can be bought from a professional supplier or made with cork or poster boards.

Is vision just a dream?

Your vision is made up of your dream or big picture and your purpose or your why. The bigger more real your vision is, the more you can buy into it. You must embody your vision because it is your vision, it is personal to you, it is your responsibility, your perspective your position in the world.

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  The post Vision Boards Templates appeared first on Manifestation Matters.

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[gwdiscotech]

Mascot Research - Japanese, Olympic and Other

Japanese Mascots:

Pop Culture in Modern Japan is all about the cute, unique and crazy. This interest is perfectly encapsulated by Japan's recent obsession of the last few years and that would be mascots. While in the West mascots would generally be reserved for sports or maybe brand promotion, the mascots known as Yuru-kyara in Japan have a much larger scope, to the point that most things have it's own mascot; Hospitals, Charities, religions and even different branches of the military have their own mascots.

Mascots in Japan are commonly very cute and simplistic, though there are some exceptions to this, there are a few that are extremely creepy and/or rather complex. A common theme amongst the mascots are food and plants that are related to Japan itself, many of them are also cutesy and stylised animals.

Notable Mascots:

Domo-kun: Domo-kun is the mascot of Japan's largest broadcasting organisation: NHK. He first appeared for the first time in 1998 in short stop-motion sketches on stations and on TV and has been popular ever since.

Kumamon: Kumamon is the primary mascot for the prefecture Kumamoto which is located in the south of Japan. Kumamon became a popular character in 2010 when promoting the Kyushu bullet train, the next year Kumamon won the yuru-grand prix and despite all of this, he is bizarrely creepy.

Fukka-chan: This is probably my favourite, they're adorable and shows one of the bizarre aspects of Japanese mascots. Fukka-chan is the symbol of Fukaya city in Saitama, representing the city's leek production.

Kanitori-kun: Kanitori-kun is a three-eyes hybrid of a bird and a king crab and a mascot of the Kaike Grand Hotel in Tottori prefecture.

2020 Olympics:

Given that the Olympics this year is taking place in Tokyo, it's fitting that the Olympics’ mascot for 2020 has a very cutesy, anime design. Thankfully the Tokyo 2020 website has a rather informative description of the mascots and their origins.

Miraitowa: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games mascot is styled with the Ai (indigo blue) Ichimatsu pattern from the Tokyo 2020 Games emblem, a tribute to both the respected tradition and modern innovation of Japanese culture. Miraitowa has a personality inspired by the Japanese proverb, “learn from the past and develop new ideas”. Miraitowa is cheerful and remarkably athletic, and also has a very strong sense of integrity. It has a special power to instantly teleport anywhere it wants. The name MIRAITOWA is based on the Japanese words "mirai", meaning “future”, and "towa", meaning “eternity”, and represents the wish that through the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a future of everlasting hope will carry on in the hearts of everyone around the world.

Someity: The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games mascot, with its mighty powers and cherry blossom tactile sensors, is quite a cool character. Someity can use the sensors on the sides of its head for telepathic powers, fly using its Ichimatsu-pattern cape, and even move objects without touching them. Someity has a calm and quiet presence, guided by great inner strength, but can display superpowers that embody the toughness and determination of the Paralympic athletes. Someity loves being in nature, and can communicate with natural elements, such as stones and the wind. The name SOMEITY comes from "Someiyoshino", a popular type of cherry blossom, and the phrase "so mighty". Someity can show enormous mental and physical strength and represents Paralympic athletes who overcome obstacles and redefine the boundaries of possibility.

Previous Olympics:

Most of the mascots of previous Olympics follow general rules of a mascot, like being simple and memorable. Again, being cutesy seems to be a priority in the design, with a lot of animal centric designs with large eyes and morphed body proportions.

London 2012: This guy's name is Wenlock, created by Iris design agency and he takes his name from the town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire, which hosts the traditional Much Wenlock Games. Apparently, these games awere one of Pierre de Coubertin's sources of inspiration for the modern Olympic Games. According to the story by Michael Morpurgo, Wenlocks's metallic look is explained by the fact that he was made from the last drop of steel used to build London's Olympic Stadium.

Grenoble 1968: "Shuss" was the name given to this mascot by the agency commissioned by the Organising Committee to advertise these Games. Shush is apparently a little man on skis in the position to which his name suggests, the top of his large two-coloured head, which rests on a unique zig-zag flash shaped foot generally features the Olympic rings. This interesting character was created by Aline Lafargue.

PyeongChang 2018: Soohorang is the mascot of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games and is a stylised white tiger, mostly likely chosen because the white tiger has long been considered Korea's guardian animal. “Sooho”, meaning protection in Korean, symbolises the protection offered to the athletes, spectators and other participants of the 2018 Games. “Rang” comes from the middle letter of “Ho-rang-i”, the Korean word for “tiger,” and is also the last letter of “Jeong-seon A-ri-rang”, a cherished traditional folk song of Gangwon Province, where the Games will be held.

Beijing 2008: Beijing in fact had five mascots, all of them corresponding with the natural elements and, apart from Huanhua, with four popular animals in China. Each mascot also represents the colour of one of the five Olympic rings. Each also bears a wish, it was traditional in ancient Chinese culture to transmit wishes through signs or symbols. Each name of the mascots rhymes by repeating the same syllable: a traditional Chinese way of showing affection to children. Linking the five names forms the sentence "Welcome to Beijing" (Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni). The mascots form the "Fuwa", which translates as "good-luck dolls". Their creator is Han Meilin.

Beibei the fish is a reference to the element of water. She is blue and her wish is prosperity. The waves on her head are based on a design in traditional Chinese painting.

Jingjing the panda represents the forest. He is black and his wish is happiness. Porcelain paintings from the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) were the inspiration for the lotus flowers on his head.

Yingying, the Tibetan antelope, represents earth. He is yellow and his wish is good health. Decorative elements from Western China appear on his head.

Nini, the swallow, represents the sky. She is green and her wish is good luck. Her design is inspired by those on Chinese kites. Swallow is pronounced “Yan” in Chinese, and an ancient name for Beijing was “Yanjing”.

Huanhuan is a child of fire. He is red and transmits the passion of sport as well as symbolises the Olympic flame and spirit. Dunhuang grotto art inspired the decoration on his head, together with certain traditional good-luck designs.

Mascots From Other Countries:

Bill the Goat: Bill is the mascot for the United States Naval Academy. The mascot exists in two forms, a live goat and represented by a costumed midshipman. There is also a bronze statue of the goat in the north end of the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. In both iterations of the mascot wears the colours of the Naval Academy which are blue and yellow, also the costumed variant of the mascot is highly characterised and the designer clearly tried their best to make it cute which is odd given that Bill is a mascot of a branch of the American Military.

Kingsley: This is the mascot for the Scottish Football Club “Partick Thistle” and was designed by a Turner Prize-nominated artist (Somehow) artist named David Shrigley. Kingsley succeeded Jaggy MacBee, a bumble bee who had been the club’s mascot from 2011 to 2015 as part of the club’s sponsorship with MacB. The creator said that he was designed to represent “the angst of football fans” and I assume therefore the mascot’s design is rather crude and “scary”.

Michelin Man: Bibendum or otherwise known as The Michelin Man is the mascot of a French tyre company Michelin and has been around since the Lyon Exhibition of 1894 where the Michelin brothers had a stand and is one of the world’s oldest trademarks. The idea for the mascots came from when the Michelin brothers noticed a stack of tyres that appeared to them like a man without arms; a few years later they met a French cartoonist that eventually brought the mascot to life. The mascot concept hasn’t changed too much, it’s still a humanoid figure made out of tyre’s, but over the years the design has lost a lot of the creepy elements that it had in the original poster and has become much more approachable with proportions closer to an actual humans as well as other small details like a cartoon face. From 1912 onward, tyre became black when they added carbon as a preservative and a strengthener, in response to this the Michelin man had a short stint of being black instead of white, though his design was quickly turned back due to printing and aesthetic issues. Despite his more modern design.

Notes:

From what I can see

[alwaysaprille]

Of Vesta, Gaia, Theo and Other Myths

Saw the stuff floating around about Vesta (based off of the name of Becca’s ship in the lab) and had to add my own take on the mythology aspect, so here goes:

To start: Vesta is the virgin goddess of the hearth, home and family in Roman mythology. She is very rarely shown in human form and is most often depicted as a fire or flame. I think, in the world of The 100, The Flame specifically is Vesta’s equivalent.

Continuing on: Vesta, a super virgin, is also the goddess of fertility and is often referred to as a Mother, as she is the goddess of fertility she is often associated with phallic symbols. 

However, I think there are signs that someone else might step in and take over for the Flame. And I think that person is Gaia. As soon as I saw the Vesta speculation, my mind immediately hopped to the scene in the trailer where Gaia holds the Flame to her forehead. 

Gaia, as we all know, is the Greek mother of all life, Vesta is traditionally referenced as a Mother (and is incidentally the granddaughter of Gaia-that can't be a coincidence, right?) 

Ovid is quoted as saying: "Vesta is the same as the earth (Gaia), both have the perennial fire: the Earth (Gaia) and the sacred Fire (Vesta) are both symbolic of home."

Another reason I think The Flame itself is Vesta? The flames of the sacred fire of Vesta were believed to be indispensable to the preservation of the Roman State.We already know that whenever the Flame loses its host they immediately seek another.  The Flame preserves the memories of all the Commanders not the actual Commanders themselves. Without the Flame we see the literal falling apart of Grounder culture, because the thing that preserved them is gone and that thing wasn't L/xa. If they'd found another suitable Commander and given them the Flame the Grounders would still be trucking along.

The Vestal Virgins = the Nightblood Scouts for obvious reasons, they keep the Flame alive and...if it should ever die out, it is their job to rekindle it (aka find another Nightblood). So the Commanders in this scenario wouldn't be Vesta, because Vesta is the Flame, they would be the hearth, which holds the Flame.

An interesting possible connection here is that water was forbidden to be in the inner section of Vesta's Temple and could not stay anywhere on the property long. We know a Nightblood who ran away from the Flame and surrounded herself with water don’t we? But I’m not developing that right now. 

Going even deeper, A Christian Emperor named Theodosius I permanently extinguished the sacred fires of Vesta, ended the Rites of Vesta and disbanded the College of Vesta. How does this relate to The 100? Theo is the name of Roan’s grandfather.

Now, obviously Roan’s grandfather didn’t end the use of the Flame or disband the Nightblood Scouts. 

Ancient Theo (heretofore referred to as "A.T.") declared the "Trinity" form of Christianity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) the only true Christianity and stopped state funding for any pagan religion. He also convened a council where they determined that the third person in the Trinity was the Holy Spirit so that’s where that comes from. He’s also likely to have disbanded the Olympic Games. 

So I'm thinking either Grounder Theo (G.T.) attempted to get rid of the Flame (which might explain the Ice Nations long and testy history with Trikru?) Or Roan will successfully get rid of the Flame or, in its absence, attempt to create a new form of rule (aka his own) and get rid of anyone who chooses to abide by the old laws. 

If Roan does succeed at this, then maybe Gaia will become the literal embodiment of the Flame (especially as this sense hints at people finding their purpose-remember Bellamy’s speech to Riley? And Gaia’s certainty that she was doing the right thing? And Indra’s little ditty about her daughter leading armies?) Like...without the Flame, who holds the memories and keeps the culture alive? The Vestal Virgins. Who are the Nightblood Scouts To add on to the possibility of Gaia "replacing" or “becoming” the Flame (Vesta): The Vestals were charged with not only the keeping of the flame, but also the keeping safe of the wills of people like Cesar and Marc Antony, they guarded other sacred objects and served as surrogate housekeepers for all of Rome. 

Moving past that though. Someone pointed out that the Vesta IV (the Rocket Raven found) is only a two-seater. Historically, the Vestal Virgins began with only two women. Eventually they expanded to included four and finally six (although some believe that a 7th spot was added-this is doubtful).  

And this is where I tapped out. Everyone is free to comment and add on as you see fit!!!! Tagging some people @rosymamacita @forgivenessishardforus @abazethe100  @ginalou16 and anyone else who’d like to comment.

[angrycollectordaze-me-blog]

Assignment代写：World skills competition

下面为大家整理一篇优秀的assignment代写范文- World skills competition，供大家参考学习，这篇论文讨论了世界技能大赛。有着“技能界奥林匹克”的世界技能大赛，属于世界性的比赛，而且在职业技能赛事中处于最高层级的地位。世界技能大赛从举办至今，其赛项、题目、评分机制以及考核标准等方面，都给职业教育起到了极大的启示和借鉴作用。世界技能大赛的竞赛题目以典型工作任务为导向，这样做不仅能够激发学生的主动性，同时也有��地解决了教学与生产相互脱节的现象。

With the reputation of "skills Olympics", the world skills competition belongs to the world and is at the highest level in the professional skills competition. Since its inception, the world skills competition has provided great inspiration and reference to vocational education in terms of competition items, topics, scoring mechanism and assessment standards.

With the rapid development of China's vocational education, we should take the world skills competition as the carrier, "seize the opportunity to explore a path for the development of socialist vocational education with Chinese characteristics" view has been more and more recognized. This assignment mainly studies and analyzes the competition item setting, examination and selection criteria of vocational skills competition, how to play a positive role in promoting vocational education, how to achieve the effect of promoting learning and reform through competition.

The title of the world skills competition is oriented by typical tasks, which can not only stimulate students' initiative, but also effectively solve the disconnection between teaching and production. The topic of students' daily training is a certain link of actual production, and the whole training system can constitute a complete production process, so that our teaching and actual production are linked. For example, the assessment of electrical device setting project of the 43rd world skills competition is for household appliances or commercial electrical installation. This module can be realized by using programmable relay KNX bus technology, and three to five different cables will be used. Therefore, we set the courses of electrical devices according to the actual needs, including the learning of programmable relays, KNX bus technology, and the classification and use of cables, etc. This "DaoTuiShi" curriculum integration method, not only satisfy the actual needs, avoid the waste of resources and course of repeat, and can from set out actually, make the students set up "merit" innovative undertaking three creative spirit, make the students in middle school, learn to do, combine theory with practice, the competition into teaching, and thus promoting teaching.

The basic requirements of the world skills competition emphasize the implementation of industry technical standards to ensure technological progress and play a leading role. At the same time, the content of the competition must be consistent with the production of enterprises, so as to ensure that the content of the competition is realistic and leading. For example, in 2017 at the 45th session of the world skills contest, audition in hunan for the xxix olympiad "information network wiring project" requests the contestant to optical fiber cable and copper cable for troubleshooting, performance testing, and with wireless technology and network application ability, can do it according to the technical standards independently of fiber optic cable, copper, 19 inch cable installation, the final projects are: install wi-fi, network setup. These topics come from the practical production practice, and have a leading role. Docking world vocational education teaching skill competition is actually teaching docking with the reality of industry, enterprise, school education can keep up with The Times has even advanced, can guarantee the school learned knowledge won't lag behind social, so that the vocational school students to become skilled talents social needed, able to work and dedication to the frontline positions.

Therefore, it is an effective way to improve the quality and connotation of vocational education development to take the world skills competition as the guide, to promote the integrated teaching reform, to promote the reform through competition, and to combine industry and education.

"Vocational education has distinct professional, social and popular characteristics." This is comrade wen jiabao's understanding of the nature of vocational education, and this speech at the national vocational education conference directly defines the nature of vocational education. If vocational education is merely school education, there will be a lot of problems. For example, teaching is disconnected from production, leading to unsatisfied employment requirements of enterprises, and school education is wasted and cannot be applied to society. Vocational education should not only be school education, but also vocational education: students study for the purpose of employment, teachers teach according to professional requirements, and schools train according to industrial standards. In order to achieve the above goals, promote employment-oriented teaching objectives, and make vocational education truly become vocational education, we must first create a cultural atmosphere, establish employment-oriented cultural orientation. In this way, vocational college students can play a positive and important role in the society, so that our people can truly trust vocational education, so as to eliminate the inherent prejudice and choose vocational education according to their own needs.

For the world skills competition, quality and accuracy are more important than technical difficulty. The assessment standards of the world skills competition are all based on the standards of enterprises for the production of workpiece, with strict provisions on accuracy and aesthetics. For example, in the 43rd world skills competition car painting project in 2015, it is required that the overall paint should be sprayed with more than five or six layers, but the thickness error of the upper and lower layers of paint should not exceed 0.01 mm, which is about 1/6 of the diameter of a hair. Therefore, in order to guarantee quality, we should not blindly pursue "quick success" and the so-called "achievements", but take "perfect" as the standard of assessment. Such work emphasizes excellence and requires a lot of hard training, which will consciously cultivate and shape students' spirit of craftsman.

The reason why craftsman spirit is advocated in vocational education is that vocational schools cultivate front-line workers in the future, and high-quality workers determine the future of an enterprise or even a country. For school education in the past, each task is completed using unqualified "qualified" as evaluation standard, and if the vocational colleges docking skills contest in the world, and emphasizes the meticulous, strives for perfection the spirit of craftsman in the vocational school to cultivate students can meet the requirements of enterprise production, and is an excellent workman, thus increase the employment rate of the school, as well as the cultivation of the school gives students a good craftsman spiritual environment.

Many enterprises have reported that our graduates, especially fresh graduates, have to receive training before they start their jobs. This phenomenon is not only due to students' lack of ability, but also due to students' lack of work thinking and professional quality compared with workers, as well as their lack of standards and good production habits. Working thinking not only exists in the work site, our daily life and teaching process in many small places can be used as the carrier of training students working thinking, so in teaching teachers should be strict requirements and review every link, every process and every detail. For example, the preparation before class in the practical training course, such as the position of tools and instruments, the wearing of safety protection devices and the cleaning after class and other seemingly small details, are the embodiment of working thinking, which can show that a student has very good working thinking and professional habits. To strengthen the cultivation of students' working thinking and to integrate the standards and standards of skills competition into the teaching is actually to ask students to apply the standards of the enterprise for talent cultivation and to put professional ethics and quality through the whole teaching process.

In recent years, China has attached great importance to the world skills competition and achieved fruitful results. At the same time, it has promoted the holding and development of China's vocational skills competition. To participate in the world and study skills contest, is in order to fully study and play as a guiding role and influence of top professional skill competition, promote the reform of vocational education in our country, for our country to cultivate excellent students and workers, improve the level of professional teachers in our country, in many ways to realize vocational education quality improvement and the connotation development.

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