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wheelsome · 4 months ago

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Klub Outside QnA (601-700).

Q604

This is a question about Kidō Corps. In the original story, there is a description of them opening the Senkaimon, but what do they usually do? Like covert operations, depending on their characteristics

A604

The Kido Corps are in charge of the research & development of Kidō, more specifically in “making Kidō easier to use”. Shinigami can use Kidō is because the methods of learning it have been well established thanks to the Kidō Corps research.

Q605

Regarding Kyoka Suigetsu's complete hypnosis, for example, if you use a camera to photograph something that appears to be something else during hypnosis, will the photograph or video appear to be the original thing?

A605

If the person taking the photo or video is already under hypnosis then they will not be able to see the real thing.

Q606

Byakuya addresses individuals outside his family either by their last name or full name, so is there some reason why he calls Renji by his first name?

A606

It’s because Rukia called him by his first name.

Q607

In volume 35, chapter 313, there’s a part where Nnoitra says in a flashback, “I want to be cut down…”, but is that a scene where he was talking to Tesla rather than being a monologue to himself? If so, was Tesla the only one who knew about Nnoitra’s wish (if that’s the correct way to word it)? I love the flow of those scenes from the words in that flashback to the moment when Tesla collapses, and it’s forever etched into my memory.

A607

That’s correct. He’s speaking to Tesla.

Q608

I’d like to ask about the change of shape in the Zanpakutō belonging to the 5th Espada, Nnoitra. In the flashbacks, during the time he was 8th Espada, there was one crescent-shaped part, but later it increased to two. What is the primary cause behind this change of shape in his Zanpakutō? I’m thinking that it involves factors such as amplifying the amount of basic Reiatsu and changes to the mind and body through training, but what do you say?

A608

It’s a change in the quantity and inherent quality of his Reiatsu. An Arrancar’s sword is their power itself, so changes in Reiatsu are likely to manifest in its shape.

Q610

Is Captain Ukitake's grave on the site of Ukendo? Or was it built somewhere else?

A610

Ukitake’s grave is located in the old site of the Ugendo Quarters found in Squad 13.

Q611

When souls arrive at Ryukongai after being buried, do they just appear out of nowhere? Or do they pop up in a predetermined location once they're buried?

A611

After the souls are exorcised they just spawn randomly in Rukongai.

Q614

Genryusai Yamamoto Shigekuni was erased by Yhwach, but Szayelaporro told us that is in Hell. So, will a Shinigami not be destroyed even if he is hit by the Quincies spirit bow?

A614

Quincy arrows were originally designed for Hollows, so they cannot erase anything else.

Q616

What do Gigi and the others think of Bambi? Also, do the five of them get along?

A616

It would be hard to explain that here but all four of them have different opinions on Bambi and whether they get along with each other depends on how you view things.

Q617

Regarding the captain's haori, in the First captain's and Gokui Meimei-hen versions there was a slit at the back hem, but is it possible to choose whether the slit is made with the sleeves or without it?

A617

The first gen captains haori, which used to have a slit in the back to make it easier to carry their zanpakutō but it's not there nowadays because the captain's rarely carry their zanpakutō's due to a long period of peace.

Q619

I love how cool the Arrancars mask patterns are! Are the mask pattern different for each individual? Or was it given to them by Aizen as an influence when they became Arrancars, like the numbering of the espada?

A619

Each design is unique and differs between individuals.

Q622

If Hōzukimaru is in sealed state and chants "Rip" Hōzukimaru, will he be released into the Sansetsukon state? Or is "Rip" not a release command, but rather a way to turn from a spear into the three-section staff?

A622

Hozukimaru’s release command is “Stretch”, which assumes the spear form. Whereas “Rip” is a special command which assumes the Sansetsukon form when releasing his Shikai.

Q623

Shinji Hirako has been appearing since the first volume, but was he scheduled to appear earlier? If so, I'm curious as to what role he was supposed to play...

A623

Even though that was the initial plan, he ended up not becoming one of Ichigo’s classmates, because I thought people would go like “Oh, he’s been in Ichigo’s class this whole time. Just like Uryu?”. His character would’ve been the exact same though, regarding everything else.

Q625

During the TBTP arc, Tessai was shocked saying " Did the vice-captain stopped my Hadōwith a chantless Danku". Would Tessai’s Hadō 88 have broken through the barrier and ignored the “block all Hadō's underneath 89” property if the chantless Danku had been casted by an average Lieutenant?

A625

Yes, it would have and prior to Aizen, no Lieutenant has ever used a chantless Danku.

Q626

Is it possible for Yhwach to bestow holy letters to Shinigami, Hollow & Arrancars?

A626

If he so wishes, he could grant them schrift as well.

A627

All the Zanpakuto's that haven’t received a usage permit yet are stored within the personal office of each Captain, VC and soldier station.

Q628

Can Ginjo's bankai be stollen by the Sternritter's medallion? Or is it impossible because it has hollow power mixed in?

A628

It cannot be stolen by the Medallion, due to it being mixed with Hollow power.

Q631

100 years ago, the 9th squad captain Muguruma wore a special white uniform similar to captain's haori, but why did commander-in-chief allowed it? Did he not get angry and say "No it's too complicated!"?

A631

Captain commander did get mad but since Muguruma already made it he was using it.

Q638

I believe that the Loyd & Granz brothers are identical twins while Karin & Yuzu are fraternal twins. Is that correct?

A638

You are right.

Q640

I have a question about Mayuri's makeup. Mayuri-sama's makeup doesn't come off even in intense battles, so does he uses cosmetics that contain some special ingredients (ingredients that never come off?).

A640

He has a specialized device that draws a pre-programmed pattern on his face when inserted in.

Q644

Is Hikifune Kiryu's normal state, plump or skinny? I believe it's the skinny form because Shinji didn’t recognized her in her fat form and she loses a lot of weight when cooking, so she stores up fat for that process specifically.

A644

I believe the "form" she spends the most time in is her normal one.

Q647

Do Arrancars take bath? If they do, wouldn't Nelliel for example be unable of wash because of the mask on her head?

A647

The mask remnants are not stuck on arrancars bodies and actually hover above the skin slightly, which should allow them to wash underneath.

Q648

When Toshiro's Bankai was stolen by the medallion, He described it, as if the soul of Hyorinmaru itself was also stolen. However, does the fact that he could still use Shikai does mean that Shikai can be used without zanpakutō spirit?

In the Zanpakutō Rebellion arc, only those who had learned Bankai could use Shikai even though their Zanpakutō had materialized and defected. So does this mean when a shinigami masters Bankai, the power of Shikai becomes shinigami's own power rather than that of the zanpakutō spirit?

A648

Shikai is the state in which the wielder’s power is reflected onto the sword. While Bankai is the state in which the "ego" born is developed and manifested onto the sword.

Q651

Akon was portrayed in the Hell chapter to mainly fight by using various substances and devices. While Mayuri does have a zanpakutō which he uses, do the other members of R&D don't have one to carry with themselves?

A651

Akon certainly has a zanpakutō, as well as other members.

Q652

At the end of Volume 6, Episode 50, it is reported that Rukia was found in this world, is the search for these missing Shinigami also the work of Onmitsukidō? Or is it work of a special division yet to be revealed?

A652

It is indeed the 4th Onmitsukidō division, called Hichoutai that is in charge of locating missing shinigami's and due to the nature of their work, the unit has deep connections with the Research & Development Department, sharing a lot of their work.

Q654

By removing their mask, an Arrancar takes on a human-like appearance. But do any further changes happen due to aging and other such factors? Or is it like in Nelliel’s case where her appearance changed due to external factors like having been weakened?

A654

It ranges from those who change after a few years to those who stay the same for hundreds of years. In general, physical changes occur. However, it’s more so due to spiritual and reiatsu changes rather than aging.

Q655

In case of Arrancars who have a human appearance, does it reflects the original appearance of the soul that the Hollows consumed when they become a menos? Or is the appearance of the souls that they’ve attacked up until then also mixed in randomly?

A655

Generally, it’s the appearance of the “devourer” that remains.

Q657

If by the time a person in the Living World has already awakened some spiritual sort of power before they pass over to SS, could they enroll in the Shin’o Academy or even become Shinigami, if they wish to do so? Also, are there any characters that have gone through this process?

A657

It’s possible. But I will neither confirm nor deny the existence of such individuals.

Q658

When I was discussing about the wound on Hinamori's chest with a friend, it came up how in the Arrancar Arc Kisuke said how the 4th Division Captain and Vice Captain's Kaidō was better than Orihime's power of rejection, which got me curious and made me leave this question. Leaving aside the recovery of Reiatsu, which one provides a more efficient treatment?

A658

All three of them use different methods so they can’t be compared with one another. Kisuke’s statement was in regards to Orihime’s prowess at that point in time as well as a means of keeping her away from the front lines.

Q660

Does Aizen decide the Espada replacements? Or is it similar to the title of Kenpachi, in which the victor replaces the previous one and Aizen simply assigns them a number?

A660

Both scenarios are applicable.

Q661

Are the standards for appointing seated officers in the Gotei 13 differ from squad to squad? Considering their distinctive characteristics, I assume seated officers appointed for the 4th and 12th divisions are also accounted for their healing and research capabilities apart from their combat skills.

A661

Generally, the upper ranking seats are appointed by the captain. So rather than the standards differing from squad to squad, they differ from captain to captain.

Q665

"Are Aaroniero and Szayel doing well in hell?"

A665

Yes.

Q666

What are the abilities of Isane Kotetsu’s zanpakutō, Itegumo? Since she’s a member of Squad 4, I imagine they’re healing related.

A666

It’s an ice-snow type with healing properties.

Q667

Ukitake gave Hitsugaya candies because their names were similar. Was there any other reason for doing so besides this?

A667

Ukitake is simply affectionate towards children by nature so he doesn’t need any particular reason to do so.

Q670

I have a question regarding Yayahara Yuyu. When she arrived to the Living World in the Hell arc, I didn’t see her carrying a zanpakutō, but instead she was fighting with her bare hands. Was she using Hakuda? Or does her zanpakutō transform into her nails while in Shikai?

A670

Her Shikai is indeed her nails. She often uses her Shikai for styling, despite being scolded about it from the members of other squads, that is.

Q671

Did Katagiri and Masaki ever talk to each other when they were at the Ishida Residence? I thought it would’ve been cute for two girls of close age talking to each other. Katagiri’s tenure as a servant seemed quite long and it didn’t seem like she had many friends either.

A671

They did. Since Masaki is the type of person who talks to everyone, Katagiri who was close to her age was like a friend to her.

Q673

Is there any male character from Bleach media out of the Living World, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo or among Quincies that you think is the most handsome (or that you consciously draw in a way that would be considered handsome)?

A673

Hitsugaya, Byakuya, Szayelaporro and Haschwalth. All of them fit the “beautiful character” archetype so I draw them accordingly.

Q674

I have a question regarding Stark. How strong is he really? I can't imagine him being stronger (or more lethal) than Barragan, so I guess it’s his spiritual pressure?

Also, regarding the timing of him joining Aizen's forces, judging from the way it was depicted it appears that he joined the Espada after Aizen had already acquired the Hogyoku.

If so, then:

1) His spiritual pressure was so strong prior to splitting that even someone of Aizen class couldn't detect it.

2) Aizen had sensed it, but considering his spiritual pressure it could have been difficult to deal with him, so I guess that Aizen decided to leave him until the situation had settled.

I really like Stark, but he doesn't appear much and I have little hope that he will return in any future media. So I would like to know more about him!

A674

It’s 2). I think Stark's appeal is that he's a guy who’s difficult to read.

Q675

If Chad, Orihime and Uryu were to be given an Asauchi and they trained properly with it, could they also obtaine Shinigami powers in the form of a zanpakutō in addition to their own unique powers?

A675

I think they can.

Q676

In the past, when Urahara was promoted as the captain, Aizen seemed to have a somewhat meaningful answer to Hirako's response. However, since Aizen’s reply seemed a little deeper, could it be that Aizen had Urahara in his sights since before he was even made a Captain? Did Urahara already make a name for himself by that point through some kind of research? Or were they classmates during Academy days?

A676

Aizen had known Urahara since before he started getting involved with Yoruichi.

Q677

Even among all the defeated characters, I feel like Szayelaporro is the one character that has returns the most. Is he one of your favorite characters?

A677

Szayelaporro is a very eccentric man so even for short lived scenes he stirs things up, which is why I end up using him.

Q678

Q: When Hiyori kicked Urahara in the groin back in the TBTP arc, she was left in agony. What did Urahara had hidden under his hakama?

A678

It was an iron loincloth.

Q679

I’m really happy that the scene with kid Shunsui made it in and wasn’t cut!! Thank you so much!! When did you come up with the visuals for it?

A679

It’s not just Shunsui, but as I was drawing their kid versions the story just happened to flow like that. It’s not something I consciously thought about.

Q680

The Monk is said to be the person who gave names to all things, but how are the names of Zanpakutō techniques decided upon? Are the techniques named along with the name of Zanpakutō?

A680

Techniques that make use of Zanpakutō abilities are mainly decided by the Zanpakutō themselves.

Q681

I believe Chad has been living alone for a relatively long time, but how good is he with housework?

A681

Regardless of his skills, Chad likes cleanliness, so he keeps his room real tidy. He doesn’t cook much because he’s always focused on training, but he’s good at it.

Q682

Where do the ingredients that Seireitei residents and Shinigami eat come from (mainly meat, fish, and fruits and vegetables)? I can't really picture it, but are there any fields or ranches in Seireitei? Or are they procuring meat and cultivating fields in the mountains and forests of Rukongai? I feel like the latter is likely to be ravaged by people with spiritual powers or Hollows.

A682

There are Seireitei territories in various parts of Rukongai, where hunting, farming, livestock farming, and fishing are carried out.

Shinigami are also assigned to manage each area and management is passed down from generation to generation.

Q685.

What’s the difference between Shunpo and Sonido? I'm especially curious about Sonido which has the characteristics of slipping through the perception senses.

A685

Shunpo is mainly done through training the physical body, Hirenkyaku is done by training the ability to manipulate Reishi, while Sonido is executed by converting the Reishi within the body into “something that is not Reishi”.

Q688.

Are the names “Kojaku” and “Ginrei Kojaku” passed down through the Ishida family? Or did Uryu come up with them himself?

A688

The names come from documents regarding Japanese Quincies, which are found in the Ishida family.

Q689.

Regarding the Aushwalen that was used in the later part of the story, the Bambies & Bazz-B still continue to use their Schrifts and there’s no evidence of them having lost their powers. Taking into consideration that they’re relatively part of the younger generation quincies, is it safe to say that they survived due to Aushwalen targeting old quincies first and having already taken the necessary amount of power that was needed at the time?

A689

The necessary amount of power is taken from old and weakened Quincies, in that order. Also, Bazz-B and the girls are young and their abilities are also high level, therefore their protection against Aushwalen is naturally high which resulted in them only having their powers “reduced”.

Q692.

Do Ichigo and Renji ever cook?

A692

Renji can cook, although it doesn’t look or taste particularly appealing. Ichigo thinks he can cook better than him, but he sucks at it in reality.

Q694.

When you thought of the name ��Hirako Mako” (「平子真子」), was there something that inspired it? I found it unusual to read "Mako" (「真子」) as "Shinji" (「シンジ」), so if there was an original source, please let me know.

A694

Since Hirako’s theme is “upside down” , I chose letters that were almost symmetrical so that they could also be read when written upside down.

Q695.

Is Yūshirō, Yoruichi’s only sibling? I wonder if she has other brothers because her name contains “numbers” and “time of day” (Night & Evening). If others do exist, do their names also include “numbers” and the characters for “Morning” & “Noon” respectively?

A695

Whether there are other siblings or not is a secret. However, children who can potentially become heads of the family receive names containing characters that represent “numbers” and “time”.

#bleach #klub outside #tite kubo

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saguette · 5 months ago

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What do you think Johnny's art looked like before he was stripped of his powers? This is something that bugs me a lot, and I'm curious about what you think.

ok i needed to draw a few shitty pictures to demonstrate cuz i wanted to talk about more than just his previous art but his art journey in general IDC if there's some canon tweet that proves something i said wrong or out of timeline these are my headcanons and projections so you either like it or not.. anyways I think his style pre-pre-JTHM (lets say 15-18) depicted many things, He was good at realism and fluctuated just fine between stylized art and big hefty works with a lot of detail. His stylized works looking similar to Jhonens and the whole 2000's artstyle cuz its fitting.

Of course he's like, a late teenager around this time so its GOOD but not perfect. If you pulled up a few of his drawings from this time he would probably be embarrassed by all the disproportionate limbs and goth girls he sketched and thought were badass. He probably has old sketches of friends in his style regardless if they asked to be drawn or not since his art was something he was proud of and people around him made him feel proud of. His old art also feels like it'd have anime elements unintentionally to add to that amateur artist swag. Johnny doesn't like anime copies but stuff he rips inspo from was anime inspired so it rubbed off on his work too. Moving onto PRE-JTHM (18-20) Is when his art started to get more serious and complex. In his happy era he took to drawing lovecraftian horror sometimes but it was always the secondary focus of any drawing.

Moving out and growing up was around the time his mental state started to worsen and he started using art to cope with emotions rather than just use it for fun, drawing complex monsters was a subconscious way to depict underlying mental illness that's out of his hands. He cant depict what he doesn't know he has, he can only scribble things that feel someone close to him because there is no physical appearance to emotions. He never liked his art around this time because it always felt unfinished or wrong or like it just didn't interpret what he wanted right. Overtime his art lost coherent appearance, quality, and meaning which made it feel worthless. It wouldn't be all that bad but it reached a point not even he knew what it was trying to be and it was frustrating. How can your own art not make sense to you? Its weird to let your hands go and do their own and you not recognize what they're trying to say. Which leads to SHORTLY BEFORE JTHM-and later.. Johnnys NEW preferred method for art currently is a little abstract, it became two extremes of the same thing; nothing. his art lost alot of what it used to be so he says he cant draw anymore.

Johnnys lovecraftian horror art slowly engulfed itself over time and always becomes an abstract mess. Its purposely made to be incomprehensible by having too much, regardless if its creation is poetic, an outside view not being able to tell what it is or how much work went into it is on purpose. its metaphorical or whatever.. Johnnys fucked up or something.. Whereas Noodleboy i imagine was made by him drawing a stickfigure one day to see if he can still "draw" and overtime gave him his features like angry eyes and that big hair, creating his own sort of vent sona to replace the sketchy abstract art he used before. Noodleboys chaoticness is too sporadic to rip any meaning off of, he also purposely represents nothing. His existence uses up paper the same way, just without all the extra effort. SORRRYYYY long tangent thats probably super messy i just winged it. but i cant help myself ive thought about this for a while ik i didnt strictly answer the question but i had so much more to say

#jthm #jthm ask #my art #jthm art #johnny c

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mirai-e-jump · 6 months ago

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Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Character Book: Bark out! Get on! Main Cast & Voice Actor Interviews (translations below)

Publication: July 26, 2024

Iuchi Haruhi x Hayama Yuki x Suzuki Miu Saito Ryu x Soma Satoru x Miyazawa Yu

"We'd like you to introduce the main characters while telling us what you think about each from the point of view of the character you play. Now then everyone, if you'd please start by introducing Taiya."

Hayama: Ishiro, the character I play, has known Taiya for quite a long time, but even Ishiro has trouble reading many of his words and actions. Before meeting Taiya, he was a person who didn't exist in Ishiro's world, so he's endlessly curious about him. The same is true for all the other members besides Ishiro, who wondered about Taiya and thought, "What kind of person is this guy? It seems like interesting things will happen if we're together," which caused the number of Boonboomger members to increase. I think Taiya's a person of great charm who can draw people in. As for myself personally, I believe that as the story progresses, more of Taiya's good and interesting qualities will be depicted.

Suzuki: Taiya's the type of person who talks by showing by example.

Iuchi: I feel like I'm the one being praised, it makes me somewhat happy (he laughs shyly).

Suzuki: You can find people like him in your school class. The charismatic one, or the kind of person who's naturally at the center of attention.

Saito: From Jou's point of view, Taiya's someone he admirers, he's the very image of a hero that he dreams of. That's why when he learns in Bakuage 8 that the original reason for the formation of the Boonboomgers wasn't to be righteous heroes who fight evil, he becomes confused and resentful, as he feels that it was such a departure from his ideal image. However, after coming around and understanding his idea in depth, I think he still trusts and admires him. Sometimes I feel that Taiya also responds to Jou's trust in him when they fight the Kurumaju. (he turns toward Iuchi) They sometimes fight together, right?

Iuchi: It happens sometimes. Like when the opponent was Block Wall Grumer in Bakuage 7.

Saito: Jou's able to jump over the blocks with the help of Taiya. He also guides Jou outside of battle, so he still sees him as a trustworthy leader.

Soma: Genba became a member of the Boonboomgers in Bakuage 7, but he knew about Taiya since Bakuage 1, and has had a connection with him for quite some time, so I think he has a stronger trust in Taiya than with the others. Both of their pasts and the relationship between the two hasn't been revealed yet, so that's one of the points I'm looking forward to seeing in the future.

Miyazawa: It's difficult to state what Sakito thinks of Taiya. When they first met, there was a part of him that looked down on Boonboomger itself, but since Taiya has exceeded his expectations by acting differently from what he imagined, he must be starting to think that it'll be okay to accept Taiya. Sakito hasn't been able to be honest (laughs), but I think those feelings in Sakito will change into something more passionate in the future. However, at the time of this mooks release, things still feel alittle delicate (laughs).

Suzuki: Still, Sakito said to Taiya in Bakuage 18, "If only there had been an adult like you back then," so I have a feeling that he doesn't hate Taiya.

Miyazawa: He doesn't hate him. But he still doesn't want to fully admit it, or rather, he didn't intend on becoming friends with Taiya and the others. However, over time since their encounter, he's seen things like how Taiya fights and interacts with people, and he understands that Taiya has something that Sakito doesn't, so I feel that he's stuck between not wanting to admit it and being attracted towards him.

Iuchi: I feel that when I play the role. That's why Taiya's in the process of trying to take more and more steps towards Sakito.

Suzuki: It seems like an unusual pattern, doesn't it? Mira and the others want to follow Taiya and understand him more, but Taiya doesn't come on to them that strongly. With Sakito however, Taiya makes the first move.

Iuchi: For Taiya, he seems to have a tendency to be pushy before becoming friends, and then quietly watches over them once they do become friends.

Suzuki: It's almost like being in love, don't you think? He's like…the kind of person who's initially very eager, but when it comes time for us to like him, he stops caring about us (laughs).

All: Ahahaha! (laughs).

Hayama: Ishiro's victim number 1! While in a state of falling apart, he decides to follow Taiya, who told him, "I like you," but now he acts very cold towards him…

Iuchi: Hold up! (laughs). I'd like to add an additional explanation for the sake of Taiya's honor. Up until around Bakuage 9, for the times when it was just him and Boonboom (Bundorio), and the times when it was just him and the other members, I used to change up my performance alittle. He recognizes them as his friends, but he doesn't completely give up the passenger's seat, or trusts them enough to let them watch his back…I played the role with the impression that the only person Taiya could show his true self to was in front of Boonboom. And yet, after Bakuage 9, which was a turning point in the story, I changed my mind alittle. Because he feels that he has to lead everyone, there's a part of Taiya that unconsciously tries to be cool, but I think I realized in that episode that he was being dragged along by his friends. After that, the way he treats everyone is similar to when he's with Boonboom. I try to play the role with the feeling that he's dragging them along, but that they're also dragging him along.

Hayama: Ummm, can I ask you a question? You say he entrusted Boonboom to have his back before Bakuage 9, but couldn't he have entrusted it to Ishiro…?

Suzuki: Chasshiro's acting jealous! (laughs).

Iuchi: He of course has a high level of trust in Chasshiro, however, the point is that he's spent more time together with Boonboom than he has with him. For the times when it's just Taiya and Boonboom, the times when it's the three of them - Taiya, Boonboom and Chasshiro, and for the times when he's with everyone else, each causes my performance to change alittle bit.

"Now, on to the next. Can you tell us about Ishiro?"

Hayama: (looking at them with anticipation).

All: (a few moments of silence).

Hayama: Why is it always like this for Ishiro?!

Saito: No, we're just thinking (laughs).

Iuchi: I feel that Chasshiro's a really cute character to watch. This is true as Taiya, but also as myself. Before filming began, a staff member said in regards to Chasshiro, "He's a person who's not quick to acknowledge others, but when he does, he admits it. That's because he sees the person for who they really are," which I think is absolutely true. He's probably more attentive to each of them than Taiya, and he'll change the way he treats each one to suit them, which I think is what makes him cute. And then, when something happens to Taiya……for example, when Sakito says something to Taiya, Chasshiro's the first one to jump on him, which is what I also like about him. Even if Taiya also feels this way, he's reluctant to tell Chasshiro and just laughs.

Hayama: As Ishiro, I believe that my role is to calm Taiya down, which is why I confront right from the start. Ishiro doesn't care who he has to go through, he'll intervene to help him calm down by saying, "Just think about it for a moment."

Saito: Wouldn't you say he responds differently to the people and things that Taiya approves of?

Hayama: Of course!

Soma: It's like he has to see for himself what Taiya's OK with.

Hayama: That's right. Since Taiya's preferences are unexpectedly wide, Ishiro feels like he has to judge them properly.

Miyazawa: I think it's similar to what Byundi is to Sakito. Boonboom doesn't appear in battles with the Hashiriyans, does he? After the Kurumaju becomes giant though, he fights as the Boonboomgers Robo. However, Chasshiro always fights beside and in front of Taiya. In this respect, it gives me the impression that he's the same as Byundi for Sakito.

Saito: The person Chasshiro likes the most really is Taiya, huh?

Suzuki: Everyone knows that Chasshiro likes Taiya, but at the same time, I wonder what Taiya thinks of Chasshiro.

Hayama: I think Chasshiro is undoubtedly in love with Taiya as a person. He seems like a person he wants to follow from the bottom of his heart.

Suzuki: Yuki-kun shines the most when he's talking about Chasshiro, and he really has a great desire to get close to the character more than anyone else. When he gets an opportunity to talk like this, he can't stop. Every time he does, I think about how much he loves Chasshiro.

Hayama: I love him!!

Soma: That's why you don't let others speak for you, you'd rather say everything yourself (laughs).

"Next, please follow this up with Mira."

Soma: I feel that she's been a key player in every episode that's been aired over Boonboomgers past 20 episodes, or rather, she's the one who supports this story.

Suzuki: Since she works part time jobs in a variety of places, she has the advantage of being flexible and adaptable to any story!

Saito: Still, I have a feeling that the Hashiriyans will show up at Mira's part time jobs. Like a certain great detective…

Soma: Because an incident happens everywhere she goes? (laughs).

Saito: Right. I can't help but consider that Mira might be Hashiriyan (laughs).

Suzuki: (laughs). Regarding future developments, there's still alot we don't know about yet, so that kind of development isn't impossible.

Miyazawa: All things considered, I think it's great that our only female member has a personality that allows her to interact with everyone without any barriers. She was working together with Genba in Bakuage 10 and Chasshiro in Bakuage 14, and regardless of who she's paired with, it doesn't feel out of place.

Suzuki: This is something I'm conscious of when acting. In addition, I'm careful and try not to look like I'm a couple with anyone.

Saito: So far, she and Jou have never faced an incident as a pair before, but they're often together in the garage. I think this is because Mira and Jou have similar cheerful personalities, so they tend to often be together in lively scenes. In Bakuage 13, when Boonboom Marine and Boonboom Safari were activated, Mira says to Jou, "Let's have a match to see who can gain their approval first!," to which Jou agrees. I feel that they're often excited together like that.

Iuchi: Well then, how do you think Mira looks from Jou's perspective?

Saito: I guess she's like a big sister you can rely on. They compete with each other equally, but I think Jou feels that Mira's dragging him along anyways.

Iuchi: Mira was the first one to join the Boonboomgers, so I think there's a part of him that recognizes her as his senior.

Miyazawa: He addressed her as "Mira-san."

Suzuki: Now that you mention it, at first it was "Mira Senpai," but now it's "Mira-san."

Iuchi: As Taiya, my impression of Mira is that even when she's alone, I can expect her to do something unexpected. Sometimes unexpected chemistry occurs when members are paired with each other, but as an individual, Mira exceeds my expectations.

Suzuki: Like in Bakuage 3.

Miyazawa: In Bakuage 20 too!

Iuchi: I think Taiya loves that kind of Mira.

"Next, we'd like to hear about Jou."

Suzuki: Jou is…cute! He's so sweet. He's like a dog, with the image I have of him being to faithfully follow someone's lead.

Soma: He always has an incredible amount of energy, no? Still, there are also times when his raw emotions clearly come out. This could be seen in Bakuage 15, where he develops a friendship with a Kurumaju.

Miyazawa: They were also in that episode, but Jou's actions and words impress me every time.

Hayama: In Bakuage 6, after being attacked by the Kurumaju, Ishiro exclaimed, "You're the purest shade of black in the whole world!!" (laughs), unintentionally revealing how he really feels. While it may have been due to the influence of the Kurumaju, I think Ishiro sees Jou as, "The person I've shown my shameful side to."

Saito: When they get involved with each other, Jou will sometimes tease Chasshiro, but I believe that's because of the change in his relationship with Chasshiro since Bakuage 6.

Miyazawa: We fought ATM Grumer in Bakuage 19, and I felt that the subordinate vibes Jou had at that time were amazing (laughs). When we were attacked, Chasshiro said, "Everyone, get behind Jou!" treating him as a shield, and when Sakito asked, "You as broke as me?" he replied, "No, I mean…"

Saito: Hahaha (laughs).

Iuchi: He's a police officer who's very diligent, but maybe he's not the type of guy to lead the Boonboomgers.

Suzuki: He's diligent and extremely kind, so everyone likes him, and he's the kind of character that can be anyone's subordinate!

Saito: Is that supposed to be a compliment? (laughs) I certainly can't deny that he feels like a subordinate, but…

Soma: Don't worry about it. Jou's the kind of person you'd hope to have at a police station.

Miyazawa: Being a police officer means you're not just doing your Boonboomger activities, you're doing your job properly every day. That's honorable!

Iuchi: Jou's got a strong heart.

Suzuki: Right. I think it's because of that strong heart that Bakuage 15 was such a touching episode.

Iuchi: He wouldn't even take down the Kurumaju since it didn't attack people. Once he made up his mind, for the sake of proving to Taiya that the Kurumaju was safe, he suggests, "I'll spend the night with it tonight and prove it to you!," and that if the Kurumaju got out of control, he'd take care of it himself. Jou being able to make such decisions is one of his good points. While he may have some subordinate vibes, you can tell that he has confidence in himself.

Suzuki: For that episode, I cried during the dub recording stage, when things like the sound effects weren't even added in yet. That's how explosive his performance was!

Saito: I'm grateful to Director Hayama Koichiro for his help. Director Hayama also has a strong heart within him that demands "more!," and I believe that this is the reason why we were able to create such a moving story.

Miyazawa: Because he has a strong heart, there's something endearing about Jou. I think it's wonderful to have juniors who have confidence in themselves, as opposed to juniors who just follow along and say, "Senpa~i!" I can feel that they're not just trying to sweet talk me, but that they really admire me. I think the feelings I have towards Jou are similar to that.

Suzuki: It's certainly cute enough to follow along, but it also builds respect from the seniors side.

Miyazawa: Right. It's the Hayama Yuki type! (laughs).

All: Ahahahaha! (laughs).

Hayama:…Are you teasing me?

Iuchi: I'm pretty sure it's a compliment.

"Continuing, we'd like to know about Genba. Despite appearing since Bakuage 1, he's also a mysterious character."

Soma: That's true…(he hugs his shoulders).

Miyazawa: You trying to hide something by posing like that? (laughs).

Soma: Fufufu (laughs).

Suzuki: The impression I get is that he's a person who speaks softly and says stuff like, "It's XX isn't it?

Saito: When we were first given an explanation of the characters, I remember being told that Jou was more "rigid" and that Genba was "soft." So, he's not the exact opposite of Jou, but I imagine him to be in a contrasting position.

Iuchi: As Satoru-kun mentioned earlier, the relationship between Taiya and Genba hasn't been made clear, but they may have history as long or even longer than Taiya and Chasshiro. They don't say much to each other, and don't get weirdly clingy, but I see their relationship as one of trusting each other without words, knowing that the other will take action when needed and do what's necessary.

Soma: That's right. I think he provoked Chasshiro abit in Bakuage 9, saying things like, "The informer really spoils Taiya" and "You're a child, aren't you?," but once they started fighting together again, I think he started thinking, "This is how the informer should be, so I'll do this."

Iuchi: There's a trusting relationship between Chasshiro and Genba too, don't you think? It's different from the one with Taiya, where it's more like they're business partners who appreciate each other professionally.

Hayama: That's what I think.

Suzuki: Genba's strong point is to compensate. Rather than pushing the Boonboomgers forward, it's more like he's supporting them from behind.

Soma: He said that before joining the Boonboomgers. It was, "I'll keep you guys supplied, help you develop, and see it through." However, since they started fighting together, I think his feelings toward everyone have changed over time. I think at first, deep down, he felt indifferent towards them, but I feel like things have changed alittle.

Suzuki: When Mira and Genba were transporting the delivery in Bakuage 10, Genba stopped and told her about himself. He said, "I'm not sure how serious I am when it comes to myself. That's why this time, I decided to take on the delivery mission that you guys get so absorbed in." It was a moment when he opened up his heart to us, and I felt that he's grown alittle closer since then.

Soma: That was a rare scene where Genba talked about himself. That scene was probably my longest line as of now. He's not the type of character to talk much, and certainly not about himself.

Suzuki: Also, at the end of Bakuage 10, when Mira asked, "Do I tend to be used as bait?" Genba said, "Mira, you were of great help." From my own perspective, I thought that scene was very adult of him. It was like calming a small child (laughs) who's looking at things objectively.

Iuchi: Genba makes alot of statements that seem to be foreshadowing or hold hidden meaning. It's going to be key to the story going forward.

Miyazawa: For Sakito, he has a way of using his words to deliberately stir things up with Taiya and Chasshiro in an attempt to make them emotional. However, Genba doesn't respond even when he provokes him. I have a feeling that this is where Sakito feels that something's not right. He's not trying to get to know him that deeply, but he doesn't give the reaction he's looking for, so he's an intriguing character.

Suzuki: That's for sure, I don't really understand Genba. Him fitting into the MBTI is the one thing I can't imagine (personality test that sorts personalities into 16 different types).

Soma: I see~! (laughs).

Saito: Is Genba…the 17th type? (laughs).

Miyazawa: Speaking of, what type do you imagine Mira to be?

Suzuki: I think of her as an ESFP, the entertainer type!

Miyazawa: Hmmm~. It'd be interesting to apply that into the role.

"Since you mentioned that Genba's an adult, we have to ask, how do you see the age order of the six members?"

Iuchi: Sakito is the oldest. Next is Genba, then Taiya…

Hayama: I think Ishiro's after that.

Suzuki: For Mira, I was told that she's around 20 years old.

Saito: What about Jou? If we assume that he just graduated from high school, entered the police academy, completed his internship, and was only just assigned to his current police station, he'd be around 20 years old or so?

Soma: Well then, I guess Mira and Jou aren't really that different.

Saito: Jou addresses everyone with "-san" which gives off the impression of him being the youngest, but…

Suzuki: Although Mira's younger in age, she's his senior among the Boonboomgers, so I think that's why he calls her "Mira-san."

"Maybe it's not based on the number of years since your acting debut, but on the time you've been a Boonboomger. Now, let's get back on the topic, please tell us about Sakito."

Hayama: BoonViolet's suit is so cool!

Saito: That bow (Boonboom Controller's Bowgun Mode) is really nice~.

Miyazawa: Let's not just talk about appearance! (laughs)…but, I guess it can't be helped. With the exception of Taiya, he hasn't interacted that much with anyone.

Iuchi: Well then, I'll speak as Taiya. I think that when he looks at Sakito, he feels like he's seeing his younger self. This is all just my guess, but Taiya probably went through alot when he was a child, and I feel that he can relate to some of the things Sakito says.

Saito: I also had similar thoughts when I read the script. That's why Taiya's so enthusiastic over Sakito. I think that in his own past, he experienced something similar to what Sakito experienced, and things went in the wrong direction, so he wants to pull Sakito up and save him.

Miyazawa: For Sakito, who isn't aware of his circumstance, he can't help but think, "You're trying to meddle in my private affairs…"

Suzuki: Still, I feel that Taiya's acting in a properly calculated manner. Mira would get involved unconsciously, but Taiya seems to decide how far he'll go before making a move.

Iuchi: And then, he'll properly hold back.

Saito: Once he's gone as far as he can, he'll take a step back. He steps back with the confidence of, "Now the rest will follow."

Iuchi: What does everyone think of Sakito? Chasshiro, how do you feel?

Hayama: Taiya seems to trust him, so he allows him to enter the deliverer's garage, but I get the feeling that Ishiro's always on his guard. I'd say he only trusts him about 10-20%. Isn't Genba the same way?

Soma: Yeah. Sakito was born on Earth, but he's been connected to the Hashiriyans in space for some time, so Genba's in a position where he doesn't fully trust him. That's why Genba doesn't show his hand, and I think he puts up a kind of wall between them that says, "Don't get any closer."

"Going even further, we'd also like to ask about the characters that are closely associated with the Boonboomgers. Can you tell us about Bundorio Bunderas?"

Saito: At the end of the day, Jou and Boon-san are very good friends.

Suzuki: Jou and Mira are very good friends with him.

Saito: Yeah. Boon-san teases them, and they'll often hang out together. That's why it seems to me that the way he gets involved is different for Jou, Mira, and everyone else. There are still many aspects of his involvement with Sakito that we don't understand…

Soma: In terms of the emotions of the characters, Mira and Jou are cheerful, while the rest are calm, so the way they interact with Boonboom will probably also change.

Iuchi: Still, with how they've dragged him along in the past, Boonboom is pretty emotional.

Hayama: When you first read the script, didn't you think his character would be cuter? I think I spoke about this with Miu-chan before. She said that when Matsumoto Rika-san's voice was added, it changed her interpretation.

Suzuki: It felt like I had been given a new way of interpreting him. In my mind, I had the image of a "cute boy," but when Matsumoto-san's voice was added, he turned into a cute, yet simple minded and energetic young man.

Iuchi: I get you, I get you.

Saito: In the beginning, I think Suit Actor Yohei-san's performance was also cuter. But it felt nice with the footage that included Matsumoto-san's voice. I guess this is the power of Matsumoto-san's voice.

"And now for Byun Diesel. Since he's only been around for a short time and hasn't had much interaction with characters other than Sakito, we'll leave it up to your own impressions."

Hayama: I'm just gonna say it, I think he's unfair.

Saito: That's right. It's unfair that Byundi's able to fight alone!

Iuchi: I see. Boonboom has to combine with the Boonboom Cars, so…

Saito: Byundi can fight on his own and is strong. He can fly too!

Hayama: When he becomes a Robo, his helmet changes shape and his eyes appear!

Miyazawa: He's impressive, huh? Sakito can be rather harsh, but Byundi's voice is calm and makes me feel that he's paying attention to his surroundings. Hanae Natsuki-san is the voice of Byundi, and when I was allowed to observe his recording, hearing Hanae-san's voice impressed me, and all at once my picture of Byundi's character became clear. At that moment, I felt like I finally grasped "what kind of character Byundi was." Suit Actor Takada Masashi-san was also observing the recording, and I'd like to think that that's where Takada-san got the ideas for what movements would be best. From Hanae-san's performance, I had the feeling that the image of Byundi was shared by everyone.

"The members of this production are quite the unique individuals. We're also looking forward to the film "Promise the Circuit," which releases in theaters on July 26."

Iuchi: We filmed it at Fuji Speedway!

Saito: Man, it was amazing!

Soma: We could see Mt. Fuji. I've never filmed at a place like that before, so I was overwhelmed.

Iuchi: The guest cast is also extravagant, and it was really cool when we all simultaneously Boonboom Changed at the end. It's a film that will seriously crank you up when you see it. And then……(he's deep in thought).

Soma: "Seems like you're in trouble" (laughs). The movie is what you'd call a self homage to Bakuage 1 of the TV series, or rather, there's a girl who can't gain control of her own wheel.

Saito: That was Mira in Bakuage 1, but now that Mira's become a Boonboomger, how will they treat this girl?

Iuchi: The film shows the growth of the characters!

Hayama: The simultaneous Change that Haruhi mentioned is also a big highlight, with each of us having our own cool moments. Both the informer and procurer play an active role in their fields.

Suzuki: This film is a compilation of the best parts of Boonboomger, and I'm sure that it'll leave you thrilled!

Miyazawa: Please make sure you go see it in theaters!

"Iuchi-san, on behalf of everyone, please give a message to the fans of the show!"

Iuchi: For the title of this mook, "Bark out! Get On!," If you pronounce it like a native speaker, it becomes "Bakuagero!" It's a fine title, and I think you'll enjoy the many fun pictures of everyone in it. And then, please support Boonboomger as we crank up even more from now on!

Matsumoto Rika

"When it was decided that Matsumoto-san would be involved in Boonboomger, she was first asked to record the voice for the Boonboom Changer and other toys, and from there, she was offered the role of Bundorio Bunderas. What kind of character was described to you at the time?"

Matsumoto: That he was a good friend of Taiya, the main character, and that despite looking like a robot, he was a life form from outer space. There was no particular description of his personality, and they told me that I could play the role however I saw fit.

"What were your thoughts when you saw Bundorio's voice and movements combined in the broadcast?"

Matsumoto: When I recorded the voice for the toys before playing Bundorio, I was quite enthusiastic. I want the toys to be something children can become attached to. When a child picks up a toy and plays its sounds, it cheers them up, gives them courage, and it distracts them from their loneliness….I wanted it to be that kind of toy, so I put that feeling into my voice. After that, I had the opportunity to appear in the TV series, and I gradually began to realize that children were watching me, which made me very happy. Until last year, I played the role of the main character in a long beloved anime for 26 years, so I have a strong sense of responsibility toward children. Now, it's time to cheer up children with Boonboomger. Including children, I have a great desire to crank up the spirits of everyone who watches.

"Have you spoken with Fujita Yohei-san, the Suit Actor for Bundorio?"

Matsumoto: To be honest, we still haven't met yet. During filming, Fujita-san says the lines as he performs, and I can hear his voice when I'm recording. So, I know how he's performing on set, and I also feel that I have to infuse my voice so that Fujita-san's movements appear more vividly on screen! We work together to create the role, or rather, he and I simultaneously become one, and I try to perform in a way that'll make people feel like my voice and the power of my words are really coming from Bundorio. To be honest, alot of the lines are improvised (laughs). However, it's because I improvise that I can say "Bundorio's genuine words," ones born out of the impulse of each moment, and I believe that they'll reach everyone.

"What direction is Matsumoto-san taking in her performance as Bundorio?"

Matsumoto: Since Taiya has a rather cool feel to him, I wanted to give Bundorio abit of a comedic element, and I want to make him a charming character that people will love. While he has the appearance of a robot, he's a character who's vulnerable and has a heart overflowing with humanity, so I hope that viewers will feel his humanity and become emotionally attached with this life form. I hope that people can see the uncool parts of Bundorio as cool. However, I want to express myself in a realistic way, without being deliberate in my expressions. Bundorio's a challenging role to play, so I hope to make him more exciting from now on.

"As Bundorio, you sing the ED song "KotsuKotsu PONPON" and the insert song "Curry is spicy but beautiful."

Matsumoto: In our first meeting I said, "I hope the ED will be fun, have dancing, and will put a smile on peoples faces as we say, "See you next week!," and that's how we created the song "KotsuKotsu PONPON." In the beginning, the start of the ED song was just Bundorio bowing, but when I watched the broadcast, I wanted to add some lines, so I asked them to record my voice, saying, "I doesn't matter if you use it or not." And just like that, starting with the ED for Bakuage 10, Bundorio's greeting of, "We're all here. Let's get cranked up!" was added.

"So that's how it all started. Speaking of, do you have any favorite lyrics?"

Matsumoto: In the ED, when Bundorio's the only one in the spotlight, he sings, "Everyone is different, and that's alright, so be proud of who you are." Now that I think about it, the last part was initially, "You and you~and you and you together." However, when I selfishly asked, "I'd like to see the words "laugh" included in the lyrics" they agreed.

"There are many beautiful lyrics scattered throughout the song. The song "Curry is spicy but beautiful" is a cheerful song that's typical of Bundorio, who's good at making curry."

Matsumoto: My personality is a very eager one (laughs), that's why I suggested to the staff, "It'd be nice to have a song about curry that incorporates Bundorio's identity." And so, they wrote a song about how to make curry. Every household has their own taste for curry, and it's all alittle different, isn't it? With that in mind, recording it gave me a kind of warm feeling.

"At the time of this publication's release, the show has aired up to Bakuage 21, but which episodes have left a lasting impression on you?"

Matsumoto: It's Bakuage 15. I cried while performing in the studio. The story is focused on Jou and Keytarou (Kaseki Grumer), and Bundorio's in a situation where he doesn't have much of an attachment to Keytarou. Still, since Bundorio transforms into the giant Boonboomger Robo and fights Keytarou, he has to link his feelings with those of Jou, who's piloting the Robo. I recorded multiple takes of the scene where he delivers the final blow to Keytarou, but I struggled with how I should say it to convey the sadness of the scene. Then there's Bakuage 9. Cracks start to form in between everyone's relationships, or rather, it's an episode of emotional conflict. There were some serious performances and Bundorio had alot of lines, so it was particularly memorable. And then, I of course still really love Bakuage 1! It had alot of momentum and energy, and it really made me feel energized. When my mood is alittle low and I watch, it blows all my negative feelings away. I always try to do the recordings with the feeling of, "I don't care if my voice doesn't come out the next day!" (laughs).

"What kind of scene would you like to perform as Bundorio?"

Matsumoto: I think it'd be interesting to see a so called "deviation," where the Hashiriyans take over his body and he becomes evil. It'd be like fighting against your own heart and the hearts of your friends, and their bonds prevail.

"That sounds interesting. Finally, please give a message to the fans."

Matsumoto: Every Sunday morning I watch Boonboomger, and I'm working on this production with the hope that the week that follows will be incredibly happy, bright and energetic, so I hope you enjoy looking forward to it. It's airing so quickly, that 21 episodes have gone by in no time at all, but I'll continue to give my all and do my best from now on, so I look forward to your support!

Hanae Natsuki

"Since Byun Diesel made his entrance in Bakıage 16, what kind of feedback have you received?"

Hanae: I received quite abit of feedback on SNS, and a classmate of mine from elementary and middle school, who I was also super into the Super Sentai series with, contacted me and said, "So you're finally gonna be in Super Sentai!"

"On that note, which series were you most into?"

Hanae: I remember watching "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger" and "Gosei Sentai Dairanger" when I was still young enough to remember them. I was particularly obsessed with "Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger" and "Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger."

"This is your first time performing in a tokusatsu production. How do you feel it's different from recording for an anime?"

Hanae: Often times, there are unscripted lines or I'll have to adlib. Since Byundi's Suit Actor, Takada Masashi-san, performs various movements during filming, I'll sometimes receive instructions from the staff during recording like, "Please add some lines to match with the movements here." I felt that the need to have quick thinking to immediately come up with something interesting on the spot was necessary. What surprised me when I watched the broadcast was the speed of the CG and battle scenes. Since I haven't had many opportunities to watch the Super Sentai series since becoming an adult, but I was impressed by how they had retained the good qualities of the past while also making use of new technology, and I cried alittle because I was affected by my childhood memories.

"What kind of character do you see Byundi as?"

Hanae: His position is that he's the rival of Bundorio Bunderas, and since Bundorio has a lively personality, I initially thought of him as a sort of contrast, someone who's a mature and cool character. He's still cool at his core, but as the story progresses, I'm discovering that Byundi also has a mischievous, a passionate, and a kind side to him. I thought it'd be more enjoyable if I could show Byundi's various expressions, so I've been consulting with the Director of each episode and adjusting the direction of his personality.

"What's your impression of Sakito Homura, Byundi's partner?"

Hanae: He's the confident "Ore-sama" type, and even though he made his appearance in the middle of the show, he's got a presence that seems to say, "I've been here from the beginning," which is really cool. As for Byundi, he's been with Sakito since he was a child, so he must see things from the perspective of a parent. He trusts him, and he wants to leave things up to Sakito's better judgment, but he also can't help but worry. It's like, "I wonder, will my child be able to handle this properly?" (laughs). However, it's not just that he's watching over him, I think he feels that they're like brothers who can share their joys together, so I feel like he treats him with a wide range of emotions.

"In addition to Sakito, another character closely associated with Byundi is Bundorio Bunderas."

Hanae: Bundorio's a character who livens up the place just by being there, and I also like the way he interacts with Byundi. In Bakuage 19, we see a flashback of Bundorio choosing a safe detour in front of the Milky Way, which had been an obstacle in past races, and Byundi jumping over it to claim first place. Still, instead of bragging about it, Byundi told Bundorio, "That race is long over…just leave it behind already." Even though they're rivals, I think they're a wonderful pair who recognize each other.

"Still, there are also depictions of Bundorio saying and doing things that make him feel inferior to Byundi."

Hanae: I think Byundi's a gentleman. Because he acknowledges Bundorio, he always fights at full power. As a result, Byundi's race results are better than his, but he doesn't look down on him. Although, that may be where Bundorio feels inferior. On the other hand, there's a scene where Bundorio told Byundi that he "couldn't face him," but when Byundi was in trouble, he rushed to the scene to help him. They help and support each other, so it's a wonderful relationship.

"The one providing Bundorio's voice is Matsumoto Rika-san."

Hanae: She's played the main character in a long running anime series that I've watched since I was a child, so I've listened to her voice for a long time and have great respect for her. So,I'm happy and nervous to be able to work with her. It's kind of a strange feeling, don't you think? The idea of crossing paths as rivals with a character who speaks with a voice that I've heard since childhood. For live action actors, when you work with actors you've watched since childhood, you inevitably end up playing the role of parent and child, right? I don't know the exact ages of Byundi and the others (laughs), but I think the real thrill of being a Voice Actor is that I'm able to play characters who are probably rivals of the same generation together with people of different generations.

"Hanae-san also does the voice of the Boonboom Controller, an item used by Sakito in the show and that's also being sold as a toy."

Hanae: First, they talked about recording the voice of the Boonboom Controller, and after that, I was asked to provide the character's voice. The Boonboom Controller is really cool. It looks like a wheel, it can change into Bowgun Mode, and it emits my voice when the commands are entered. The toys we played with as children are special treasures that we remember even as adults. For the children who enjoy the show, I hope the Boonboom Controller will be the same. I'm glad and grateful to be apart of their memories.

"At the time of this publication's release, the show has aired up to Bakuage 21, so please tell us your favorite episodes or scenes."

Hanae: In Bakuage 19, Byundi calls out to Bundorio, "Use my wings." The development of the Robo piloted by BoonRed and the others being powered up with parts from the additional warrior was hot. And then in Bakuage 18, I also liked the conversation between Sakito and his friend Osada Kakeru. Kakeru says to him, "I've been looking for you," but Sakito thinks he's talking about the card, so Kakeru has to tell him, "I'm talking about you!"……It makes me cry thinking about how all alone Sakito must've felt at the time.

"The motif of this show is based on cars, do you have any memories related to cars?"

Hanae: Around the time I was 25 or 26, I decided to get a driver's license and went to a driving school with my wife. I was working as an MC for a morning variety show at the time, so I would go to driving school at around 8 a.m. after the live broadcast to take just one or two lessons, and then head out to the set at 10 a.m…..I did that for about three months. I think I did a pretty good job (laughs).

"That sounds hard…Finally, please give a message to our readers."

Hanae: Although Sakito and I joined in the middle of the show, in the midst of many charming characters, I hope I can play the role of Byundi as well as the other members who have been in the show for a long time. I hope that you'll continue to support me!

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sionisjaune · 11 months ago

Text

George/Alex sex shop meet cute, ft. George's questionable customer service skills and unquestionable knowledge of inventory:

Alex finds himself in the sex shop because he has decided, after great deliberation, to face up to the fact that he is a bisexual man, and his occasional hookups require more equipment than he has in his flat.

He tugs open the door which boasts a cheery little welcome sign that is quite possibly adorned with an anthropomorphized, ejaculating penis, and tries not to flinch when his eyes meet row upon row of phallic objects in glossy packaging. The bell on the door jingles as it swings shut, and Alex crams his hands in his pockets, surveying the aisles.

Choosing to get the job done quickly, Alex rocks up to the first aisle and strolls past the shelves decisively. He chooses a dildo at random and pulls the box off the rack to examine it. The packaging reads EXTRA LARGE HOG in graffiti letters with a grinning devil waving a pitchfork underneath the logo. The dildo itself is grossly fleshy in a shade that would imply that the phallus’s owner (if it had one) was suffering from jaundice.

Alex flings the dildo back on the rack, repulsed. God, maybe his own cock will have to do. He doesn’t know if he has the stomach to stay in the shop for long enough to make a purchase.

He’ll call Lily, he considers, backing away from the shelves. He’ll ask her where she bought her cute little rose thing and then order online with a hand covering his face, peeking through the cracks between his fingers. People have told him he’s good in bed, right? He wouldn’t get any less ass if his nightstand drawer remained empty of dildos and cock rings and butt plugs and whatever other horrifying—

While Alex spirals about the state of his sex life, someone down the aisle coughs.

Alex’s heart skips a beat, and he nearly springs backwards, his trainers squeaking on the floor while he regains his balance.

“You really shouldn’t buy that one,” says a pale, pinched, and actually rather fit employee standing two metres away from Alex. His hair is floppy and a rather ordinary brown, and his collared shirt is buttoned to the throat. His name tag reads George.

“Beg your pardon?” says Alex, and nearly chokes swallowing his own saliva.

“I said you really shouldn’t buy that one,” says George, sweeping a hand through his hair and frowning. “If you’re shopping for a missus, studies have shown that thermoplastic elastomers can disrupt reproductive health.”

“Missus,” says Alex, rolling the word over on his tongue. “Thermoplastic elastomer.”

George blinks owlishly. “Yes. And if you’re shopping for a mister, TPE is porous, so it’s very difficult to properly sanitize,” he explains.

Alex shakes his head. He glances at the wall of dildos in their gaudy packaging and then back at George. His lanyard seems to be patterned with the same little walking, grinning pensises that the welcome sign bore.

“What’s TPE?” says Alex, for lack of anything better to do with his mouth.

“Thermoplastic elastomers,” says George. “I just said.”

“And those are?” says Alex.

George runs a hand through his hair again and sucks in a breath. He steps towards Alex—which causes shivers to course down Alex’s spine, for some reason—and points towards the EXTRA LARGE HOG box.

“Look,” he says, pointing to the corner of the box which bears writing so small Alex can barely read it. “TPE. Not body-safe.”

“So,” says Alex, information whirling in his head. The fluorescent lighting is giving him a headache. The glare glancing off all the clear plastic packaging gives the sex shop a dream-like quality, like any second Alex will wake up erect and sweating through his covers. “So, why would it be on sale if it’s… not body-safe?”

“You see,” says George, his eyes lighting up. “Since sexual enhancers are classified as novelty items rather than therapeutic medical devices, manufacturers are able to exploit a gaping loophole and produce products for cheap using unsafe materials. For example, our top-selling Starbright Bangers—” George gestures to a display of pale, jellylike dildos of increasing length and girth. “—contain phthalates which have been shown in male animals to precipitate a greater risk of malformed penises, and—” George’s jaw snaps shut.

Alex inhales, his hands balled in his pockets, staring straight into George’s giant eyes. “You can keep going,” says Alex.

“No, I—” says George. “No. I’m done.”

“So,” says Alex. He pulls his fists from his pockets and forces his hands to hang limply at his sides. “So I’m looking for a dildo.”

“Ah,” says George, blinking again. “What kind of dildo?”

Alex swallows. “Any kind? I’m not exactly an… experienced buyer?”

“Okay,” says George, tilting his head back and forth. “Alright. Do you know what you like?”

“It’s not for me,” says Alex, quickly. “It’s just that I want to… spice things up, in the bedroom.”

“Ah,” says George, again. “So we’re looking for something versatile.” He spins to face the aisle, scanning the wall of dildos. He glances towards Alex, his dark brows furrowing. He really is rather pretty, Alex thinks. Pretty in that prim, poncy way that boarding school fantasies are supposed to be. Not that Alex has ever had any of those.

“You never did tell me whether you’re looking for a missus or mister,” says George.

“Either. Both,” says Alex, throat dry.

George hums, tapping his foot. He squats to the floor, tugging a box off the lowest shelf. “Try this,” he says, handing it up to Alex.

Alex turns the box around and squints at it meaningfully. The packaging is rather nondescript, offering a photo of the product (slim, blue, rechargeable) and the product name (SKINNY SATISFIER).

“Great,” says Alex, pinning it under his arm. “Perfect. I’ll get this. Thanks for your help.”

George unfolds from his squat, rising to a height that’s maybe just a millimetre shorter than Alex. “You don’t want anything else?” says George, making his big owl eyes again.

“I’ll just be on my way,” says Alex, stuffing his hands in his pockets again. “Thanks a bunch.”

George’s mouth opens and then closes, a bit like a fish. Then it opens again. “You should probably get an anal plug,” says George. “Very popular. And you can get them without rhinestones on the bottom, if you're worried. We have all sorts. Hold on a second.”

George dashes down the aisle while Alex remains frozen, dildo under his arm. When George returns, he’s carrying an armful of boxes. “Here,” he says. “Pick the one you like.”

Alex eyes the mountain of boxes and the product images he can see. Some of them are rather feminine. He supposes he could use them on a girl. Or on a boy of a particular persuasion.

“They’re all… body-safe?” says Alex.

George rolls his eyes. “Stainless steel. So, obviously.” He makes meaningful eyes at the heap of boxes in his arms.

“Great,” says Alex, plucking one at random off the top.

George lets out a breath and dumps the remainder on a shelf strewn with bottles of novelty lube. “I can ring you up over there, if you like.”

“Oookay,” says Alex, fisting his dildo in one hand and his butt plug in the other. He follows George up to the cash where a scary-looking girl with teased hair and a lip piercing is ringing up a complicated leather harness.

“Here you go,” says George, when he’s finished scanning Alex’s items and has presented Alex with a (thank God) plain paper shopping bag to carry them in. George plunges his hand into a jar beside the register, pulls out a handful of foil packets and drops them in Alex’s bag. “Every customer gets a free scoop of lemon sherbet flavoured prophylactics with a purchase of thirty pounds or more,” George explains.

“Brilliant,” says Alex, wondering when he’ll wake up.

George waves, his lanyard swinging against his shirt. “Shop again soon!”

#i wrote this #galex

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moesthoughts · 1 month ago

Note

Long distance relationship with Jacob

a long distance relationship

jacob custos x gen neu!reader

warnings . . . fluff, some relationship issues but you both make up, suggestive themes

pre long distance :

You both met in the summer while working as camp councilors at Hackett’s Quarry. (obviously) Overtime your friendship changed into a “summer fling”, you practically couldn’t keep your hands off of him.

Though, with the end of summer camp approaching. You knew you would eventually need to sit down and talk about what was truly going on between you both. Would you establish a relationship, or would you leave it behind once camp was over?

You knew that you fell in love with Jacob, even if you both only knew each other for a few months. He was funny, sweet, really good at kissing, and he was smoking hot.

One issue: Did he feel the same about you? He seemed like he did, the only way to find out was to talk about it.

So you braced yourself for a possible heart break and sat him down, confessing to him what’s been on your mind.

At first he was confused, weren’t you guys already together? At least that’s what he thought. Though as you spoke, he realized he should’ve officially established things awhile ago.

Of course Jacob wanted to stay with you, he was in love with everything about you. From your personality, to your looks. He couldn’t find a flaw even if he tried to.

Only issue was, you both were going to schools 5 states away from each other. That was when you both agreed long distance would have to do. I mean, you both went out of your way to have this conversation for a reason.

long distance :

There isn’t a time where Jacob isn’t texting you. His texts ranging from complaining about people and classes to asking how your day is to plain flirting.

“might go insane if this teacher keeps yapping all i can focus on is his bald head lol”

“hey i miss u im gonna try to come visit sometime”

“you look sooo fine in ur insta post can’t wait till i see u again”

You swear he hasn’t heard of a comma, it’s endearing that he’s always making an effort to reach out to you though. You always make an effort to respond to him, even if you’re busy in class.

Get ready to receive shirtless photos, mirror pictures, post work out photos, etc. You have to hide your phone everytime you get a snap from him or see that he sent you a picture over text.

Even though nudes aren’t ideal, you both share them once and awhile. Sure it’s hot, but you both would rather see each other fully in person and not over facetime or in photos.

Let’s be for real, you both are broke college students. Jacob curses himself for not being able to get you gifts all the time but he makes that up by spending quality time with you, there will always be a facetime call from him.

You both can be caught up in different things though, so texts will subside as well.

Long distance is hard, especially if it’s a relationship and there’s needed communication. You both fight time to time. You, being frustrated that Jacob with “I’m always right” attitude. And Jacob, being ignorant to the problem itself.

You both have your flaws, from that one awful night back at Hackett’s Quarry you both saw each other under high stress. It wasn’t pretty. To say you weren’t surprised that he was acting this way in a fight was an understatement.

You love him, he loves you. Couples have disagreements, and each time you both fight one of you caves in and apologizes, that’s when you both fully communicate your feelings.

Other than silly bickering, you two have a pretty stable relationship. So there’s nothing to worry about.

When you were finally on winter break, Jacob happened to still have another week until his came up. You took a flight to the state his school was in before you returned home.

It was his final game of the season, and you wanted to go either way. So you decided to surprise him.

Once you came up to him on the field, he instantaneously threw his arms around you and swayed you both around. You took him into a kiss. The way he bounced around and laughed warms your heart.

It got heated once you both went up to his dorm.

Outside of that day you both try your best to visit each other before the summer, you’ll see each other during summer camp anyway. But it’s nice to have some alone time.

You both are happy, and that’s all that matters to either of you. Long distance or not you both have a stable relationship!

I’m a bit rusty at Jacob it’s been a hottt minute (thank god for this year’s replay) but I hope you like it! This was fun to write ❤️❤️

#moesthoughts #the quarry #the quarry x you #the quarry x reader #the quarry imagines #jacob custos #jacob custos x reader #jacob custos x you #jacob custos imagines #moeswriting

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years ago

Text

America's largest hospital chain has an algorithmic death panel

It’s not that conservatives aren’t sometimes right — it’s that even when they’re right, they’re highly selective about it. Take the hoary chestnut that “incentives matter,” trotted out to deny humane benefits to poor people on the grounds that “free money” makes people “workshy.”

There’s a whole body of conservative economic orthodoxy, Public Choice Theory, that concerns itself with the motives of callow, easily corrupted regulators, legislators and civil servants, and how they might be tempted to distort markets.

But the same people who obsess over our fallible public institutions are convinced that private institutions will never yield to temptation, because the fear of competition keeps temptation at bay. It’s this belief that leads the right to embrace monopolies as “efficient”: “A company’s dominance is evidence of its quality. Customers flock to it, and competitors fail to lure them away, therefore monopolies are the public’s best friend.”

But this only makes sense if you don’t understand how monopolies can prevent competitors. Think of Uber, lighting $31b of its investors’ cash on fire, losing 41 cents on every dollar it brought in, in a bid to drive out competitors and make public transit seem like a bad investment.

Or think of Big Tech, locking up whole swathes of your life inside their silos, so that changing mobile OSes means abandoning your iMessage contacts; or changing social media platforms means abandoning your friends, or blocking Google surveillance means losing your email address, or breaking up with Amazon means losing all your ebooks and audiobooks:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/08/facebooks-secret-war-switching-costs

Businesspeople understand the risks of competition, which is why they seek to extinguish it. The harder it is for your customers to leave — because of a lack of competitors or because of lock-in — the worse you can treat them without risking their departure. This is the core of enshittification: a company that is neither disciplined by competition nor regulation can abuse its customers and suppliers over long timescales without losing either:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

It’s not that public institutions can’t betray they public interest. It’s just that public institutions can be made democratically accountable, rather than financially accountable. When a company betrays you, you can only punish it by “voting with your wallet.” In that system, the people with the fattest wallets get the most votes.

When public institutions fail you, you can vote with your ballot. Admittedly, that doesn’t always work, but one of the major predictors of whether it will work is how big and concentrated the private sector is. Regulatory capture isn’t automatic: it’s what you get when companies are bigger than governments.

If you want small governments, in other words, you need small companies. Even if you think the only role for the state is in enforcing contracts, the state needs to be more powerful than the companies issuing those contracts. The bigger the companies are, the bigger the government has to be:

https://doctorow.medium.com/regulatory-capture-59b2013e2526

Companies can suborn the government to help them abuse the public, but whether public institutions can resist them is more a matter of how powerful those companies are than how fallible a public servant is. Our plutocratic, monopolized, unequal society is the worst of both worlds. Because companies are so big, they abuse us with impunity — and they are able to suborn the state to help them do it:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/testing-theories-of-american-politics-elites-interest-groups-and-average-citizens/62327F513959D0A304D4893B382B992B

This is the dimension that’s so often missing from the discussion of why Americans pay more for healthcare to get worse outcomes from health-care workers who labor under worse conditions than their cousins abroad. Yes, the government can abet this, as when it lets privatizers into the Medicare system to loot it and maim its patients:

https://prospect.org/health/2023-08-01-patient-zero-tom-scully/

But the answer to this isn’t more privatization. Remember Sarah Palin’s scare-stories about how government health care would have “death panels” where unaccountable officials decided whether your life was worth saving?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26195604/

The reason “death panels” resounded so thoroughly — and stuck around through the years — is that we all understand, at some deep level, that health care will always be rationed. When you show up at the Emergency Room, they have to triage you. Even if you’re in unbearable agony, you might have to wait, and wait, and wait, because other people (even people who arrive after you do) have it worse.

In America, health care is mostly rationed based on your ability to pay. Emergency room triage is one of the only truly meritocratic institutions in the American health system, where your treatment is based on urgency, not cash. Of course, you can buy your way out of that too, with concierge doctors. And the ER system itself has been infested with Private Equity parasites:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/17/the-doctor-will-fleece-you-now/#pe-in-full-effect

Wealth-based health-care rationing is bad enough, but when it’s combined with the public purse, a bad system becomes a nightmare. Take hospice care: private equity funds have rolled up huge numbers of hospices across the USA and turned them into rigged — and lethal — games:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS

Medicare will pay a hospice $203-$1,462 to care for a dying person, amounting to $22.4b/year in public funds transfered to the private sector. Incentives matter: the less a hospice does for their patients, the more profits they reap. And the private hospice system is administered with the lightest of touches: at the $203/day level, a private hospice has no mandatory duties to their patients.

You can set up a California hospice for the price of a $3,000 filing fee (which is mostly optional, since it’s never checked). You will have a facility inspection, but don’t worry, there’s no followup to make sure you remediate any failing elements. And no one at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracks complaints.

So PE-owned hospices pressure largely healthy people to go into “hospice care” — from home. Then they do nothing for them, including continuing whatever medical care they were depending on. After the patient generates $32,000 in billings for the PE company, they hit the cap and are “live discharged” and must go through a bureaucratic nightmare to re-establish their Medicare eligibility, because once you go into hospice, Medicare assumes you are dying and halts your care.

PE-owned hospices bribe doctors to refer patients to them. Sometimes, these sham hospices deliberately induce overdoses in their patients in a bid to make it look like they’re actually in the business of caring for the dying. Incentives matter:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/12/05/how-hospice-became-a-for-profit-hustle

Now, hospice care — and its relative, palliative care — is a crucial part of any humane medical system. In his essential book, Being Mortal, Atul Gawande describes how end-of-life care that centers a dying person’s priorities can make death a dignified and even satisfying process for the patient and their loved ones:

https://atulgawande.com/book/being-mortal/

But that dignity comes from a patient-centered approach, not a profit-centered one. Doctors are required to put their patients’ interests first, and while they sometimes fail at this (everyone is fallible), the professionalization of medicine, through which doctors were held to ethical standards ahead of monetary considerations, proved remarkable durable.

Partly that was because doctors generally worked for themselves — or for other doctors. In most states, it is illegal for medical practices to be owned by non-MDs, and historically, only a small fraction of doctors worked for hospitals, subject to administration by businesspeople rather than medical professionals.

But that was radically altered by the entry of private equity into the medical system, with the attending waves of consolidation that saw local hospitals merged into massive national chains, and private practices scooped up and turned into profit-maximizers, not health-maximizers:

https://prospect.org/health/2023-08-02-qa-corporate-medicine-destroys-doctors/

Today, doctors are being proletarianized, joining the ranks of nurses, physicians’ assistants and other health workers. In 2012, 60% of practices were doctor-owned and only 5.6% of docs worked for hospitals. Today, that’s up by 1,000%, with 52.1% of docs working for hospitals, mostly giant corporate chains:

https://prospect.org/health/2023-08-04-when-mds-go-union/

The paperclip-maximizing, grandparent-devouring transhuman colony organism that calls itself a Private Equity fund is endlessly inventive in finding ways to increase its profits by harming the rest of us. It’s not just hospices — it’s also palliative care.

Writing for NBC News, Gretchen Morgenson describes how HCA Healthcare — the nation’s largest hospital chain — outsourced its death panels to IBM Watson, whose algorithmic determinations override MDs’ judgment to send patients to palliative care, withdrawing their care and leaving them to die:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/doctors-say-hca-hospitals-push-patients-hospice-care-rcna81599

Incentives matter. When HCA hospitals send patients to die somewhere else to die, it jukes their stats, reducing the average length of stay for patients, a key metric used by HCA that has the twin benefits of making the hospital seem like a place where people get well quickly, while freeing up beds for more profitable patients.

Goodhart’s Law holds that “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” Give an MBA within HCA a metric (“get patients out of bed quicker”) and they will find a way to hit that metric (“send patients off to die somewhere else, even if their doctors think they could recover”):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodhart%27s_law

Incentives matter! Any corporate measure immediately becomes a target. Tell Warners to decrease costs, and they will turn around and declare the writers’ strike to be a $100m “cost savings,” despite the fact that this “savings” comes from ceasing production on the shows that will bring in all of next year’s revenue:

https://deadline.com/2023/08/warner-bros-discovery-david-zaslav-gunnar-wiedenfels-strikes-1235453950/

Incentivize a company to eat its seed-corn and it will chow down.

Only one of HCA’s doctors was willing to go on record about its death panels: Ghasan Tabel of Riverside Community Hospital (motto: “Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life”). Tabel sued Riverside after the hospital retaliated against him when he refused to follow the algorithm’s orders to send his patients for palliative care.

Tabel is the only doc on record willing to discuss this, but 26 other doctors talked to Morgenson on background about the practice, asking for anonymity out of fear of retaliation from the nation’s largest hospital chain, a “Wall Street darling” with $5.6b in earnings in 2022.

HCA already has a reputation as a slaughterhouse that puts profits before patients, with “severe understaffing”:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/workers-us-hospital-giant-hca-say-puts-profits-patient-care-rcna64122

and rotting, undermaintained facililties:

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/roaches-operating-room-hca-hospital-florida-rcna69563

But while cutting staff and leaving hospitals to crumble are inarguable malpractice, the palliative care scam is harder to pin down. By using “AI” to decide when patients are beyond help, HCA can employ empiricism-washing, declaring the matter to be the factual — and unquestionable — conclusion of a mathematical process, not mere profit-seeking:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/26/dictators-dilemma/ggarbage-in-garbage-out-garbage-back-in

But this empirical facewash evaporates when confronted with whistleblower accounts of hospital administrators who have no medical credentials berating doctors for a “missed hospice opportunity” when a physician opts to keep a patient under their care despite the algorithm’s determination.

This is the true “AI Safety” risk. It’s not that a chatbot will become sentient and take over the world — it’s that the original artificial lifeform, the limited liability company, will use “AI” to accelerate its murderous shell-game until we can’t spot the trick:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/10/in-the-dumps-2/

The risk is real. A 2020 study in the Journal of Healthcare Management concluded that the cash incentives for shipping patients to palliatve care “may induce deceiving changes in mortality reporting in several high-volume hospital diagnoses”:

https://journals.lww.com/jhmonline/Fulltext/2020/04000/The_Association_of_Increasing_Hospice_Use_With.7.aspx

Incentives matter. In a private market, it’s always more profitable to deny care than to provide it, and any metric we bolt onto that system to prevent cheating will immediately become a target. For-profit healthcare is an oxymoron, a prelude to death panels that will kill you for a nickel.

Morgenson is an incisive commentator on for-profit looting. Her recent book These Are the Plunderers: How Private Equity Runs — and Wrecks — America (co-written with Joshua Rosner) is a must-read:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/02/plunderers/#farben

I’m kickstarting the audiobook for “The Internet Con: How To Seize the Means of Computation,” a Big Tech disassembly manual to disenshittify the web and bring back the old, good internet. It’s a DRM-free book, which means Audible won’t carry it, so this crowdfunder is essential. Back now to get the audio, Verso hardcover and ebook:

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/05/any-metric-becomes-a-target/#hca

[Image ID: An industrial meat-grinder. A sick man, propped up with pillows, is being carried up its conveyor towards its hopper. Ground meat comes out of the other end. It bears the logo of HCA healthcare. A pool of blood spreads out below it.]

Image: Seydelmann (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GW300_1.jpg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #hca healthcare #Gretchen Morgenson incentives matter #death panels #medicare for all #ibm watson #the algorithm #algorithmic harms #palliative care #hospice #hospice care #business #incentives matter #any metric becomes a target #goodhart's law

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rels-tenim · 25 days ago

Text

That outsourced Oblivion remaster/remake that leaked a few years back is circulating the rumour mill again, and I've got to say… I'm really nervous.

Oblvion is one of my all time favourite games, quirks and all. I love the way the world looks, exaggerated 2006 bloom lighting and all. The NPCs with their smiley, doughy faces are beautiful (and you guys are just mean!) I'm worried that updating the game to 2024 graphical sensibilities will strip the game of a lot of it's original charm, especially if they really do port the entire thing to Unreal.

I don't want to see some weird different, potentially soulless version of the game being the one that everyone plays and associates with Oblivion going forward. That thought kind of makes my heart sink a little.

At the same time, lets face it, Oblivion as it is does not run well on modern PCs. It's actually getting more and more unstable over time in ways that the Unofficial Patch can't compensate for. These days, I can barely walk around the overworld without the game crashing to Windows every ten minutes, or the terrain in the Gold Coast eating itself. I really want to a way of playing the game stably without having to reluctantly resort to the old console release.

I could also see some quality of life improvements from a well made remaster. Things like the game being less fussy about when you can change your weapons, and of course the removal of the A-Bomb glitch. Fixing up some of the unfinished and broken side quests would be neat too, as well as sneaking in some cut concepts like different body types. The Construction Kit is also barely usable in it's current state, but I doubt an engine port made by a different developer would even open that can of worms.

I think what I really want is an equivilent to OpenMW for Oblivion. Something made with care and attention by fans of the game rather than a sloppy Unreal Engine port made for a quick buck. The Oblivion fanbase still seems kind of small compared to Morrowind and Skyrim, so maybe I can only dream right now…

#Text Post #Rels Rambles #TES #The Elder Scrolls #Elder Scrolls #Oblivion #TES IV #Yes I am still alive and didn't run off after that Legends vent #But I am in living in a hotel between homes without my art tablet or my Elder Scrolls games. Back to normality soon I hope!

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pseudopony · 6 months ago

Note

I have an idea for you.

Imagine being an absolute bitch to Dale. Usually, he'll take it on the cheek and give you a smile. Trying to be extra nice to earn your affection back. But what if he's in a particularly bad mood and decides he doesn't want to take your shit today. I have no doubt that man can drop his act and go straight sadistic.

Imagine the interrogation scene, his voice tone change. Oh my God. And now he's being absolutely horrible to you. Giving you a taste of your own medicine while he pushes you to your knees and degrades you <3

OHHHH MY GODDDD...truly only you have the power to make an ask higher quality than the writing itself - thank you ma'am ill give it my all

It was just like all the other times. Well, it looked just like all the other times. Yet again, that little flame in your tongue was firing off daggers towards your sweetheart - and it seemed to be going well, too. He always seems to take it fine enough, despite the obvious repression of the gritting of his teeth, or the tenseness in his jaw. He's rather talented at biting back his temper, especially when it comes to you.

In fact, on most days, your bold claims would almost make him laugh. To him, its more like a chihuahua yipping up at him from the floor below (though admittedly you are more than capable of genuinely wounding him if you catch him at the right moment). But not this time. God knows what's got him set off, wether it was another run in with that sarcastic little shopkeep, or perhaps a disagreement with Ruth, he's definitely not in the mood for your games. However, here come the games nonetheless.

At first, it wouldn't even seem like it was effecting him at all. He'd come off to you as eerily calm - almost a full circle contrast against his usual erratic state. His stare pierces a hole into some random section of floor, pulse unnaturally high compared to its regular idle state. His fingers dig mercilessly into his knees as he listens to your speech, waiting patiently for you to toss him that one final blow. And he knows you will. He's more than aware that eventually, one of your snide remarks will send him over the limit.

However, when it finally does, he has no interest in expressing it to you with words. Even if he did, I doubt he'd find them in any kind of timely manner. Something tells me he's not too great at talking about his problems (no shit). Waiting patiently for you to finally whip your head the other direction and begin to storm off, only to stop you right then and there with an iron grip on your hair. His fingernails press deep into the flesh as soon as he makes contact, a low rasp resonating from his throat and cutting you off just as soon as you begin to protest. "Aww, you don't wanna play anymore?" He doesn't sound all that playful himself. No matter what you say, he's dragging you towards himself until he's got your back pressed in against his chest. One hand maintains its place on your scalp, whilst the other snakes around to grip firmly upon your jaw. His breath is just as shaky as your own has become as he bends down to meet your gaze side to side, mouth mere inches away from the small of your neck. "It's no fair if I don't get a turn too, you know."

I can't imagine it takes much to set him off, really. It'd only take the span of a few months to quickly uncover all those little things that really make him lose it. But when you do finally push those buttons in the order that makes him tick, it's a matter of minutes before he's returning the favor.

#i have so many problems #longlegs #longlegs 2024 #dale kobble #dale ferdinand kobble

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sunnie-angel · 3 months ago

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The Ghost of You: Update

so based on the poll i did last week, it seems like people want me to upload the unfinished second chapter of the ghost of you. it's a pretty rough draft and it's not my proudest work, but i've been fighting with this update for so long that at this point i'd rather tentatively mark this fic as done than keep fighting it until i hate it. the chapter is posted below the cut as requested and at some point in the future i may revisit this fic, but this is all there is going to be for now. i'm sorry to anyone that was looking forward to a more satisfying ending, but i'd like to keep my fond memories of this fic.

If this were one of Ms. Einarsdottir’s romantic fairytales, your handsome prince would have come back to you the very same night and begged you to explain. If this were a fairytale, you would have told him all about your ghostly visions and tearfully asked him to forgive you for not sharing this with him sooner. If this was a fairytale, he’d say there was nothing to forgive, you’d fall into his arms for a kiss and the two of you would live happily ever after. This is not a fairytale.

You call in sick that first aching morning, painfully aware that you’re leaving your friends and co-workers in a tight spot but being brutally honest with yourself, you know that you’ll make mistakes and at the hospital, mistakes cost lives. The lingering weight of Matty’s life, cut too short too soon, already hangs on your conscience. You won’t add another to it, won’t create more heartache in the world. So instead you spend the day sitting on that same blasted couch staring numbly into the distance. The mug wrapped in your hands grows cold and yet you don’t notice enough to care. Slowly as the hours stretch on the quality of the light changes as the sun travels high overhead of a city that won’t conveniently pause itself for your fractured heart. Notifications cause your phone to vibrate and buzz intermittently. You don’t check who it is until it’s dark out and you finally move from your statue-like position to turn on some lights.

A few of your work friends from the hospital have sent you get well soon messages. There’s a few missed calls from Steph, but you dismiss the notifications with a flick of your finger across the screen. You’re in no mood for re-hashing the hurt that hangs like a shroud over the apartment, wouldn’t even know where to begin to find the words.

There’s some leftover soup in the fridge and you heat it up on the stove. It’s as you’re dumping rice noodles into the pot that the smell of it really hits you. You’d made the soup noodles the night before, something quick and easy that even in his distracted state you’d known that Jason would devour. Your face is now oddly wet. It’s over stirring a pot that the first tears start to fall, anger and frustration mingling with numbness and a bone deep sadness. This was not the way things were meant to be. There was supposed to be laughter and joy in the apartment, shared sorrows halved, and a ring on your finger in a few months, a promise of forever. The rooms are cold and empty now, echoing with their silence.

Jason doesn’t come home that night, or the next. It takes a full week of dragging yourself out of your lonely bed, staring unfeelingly into the bathroom mirror at your dark circles as you pull back your hair to get ready for work, of dodging questions about your silences and dark moods and fending off well-meaning invitations from coworkers for coffee, that you realize that Jason may not be coming back. That despite all your years together, shared moments and shared secrets, this one last truth might be what breaks you apart. That thought hurts, in ways you hadn’t considered before.

It takes another week to wrap your head around that possibility. Another week of missed calls and texts from Steph and Dick, a DM from Tim, but nothing from Jason himself. His clothes are still in the closet and his collection of recipe cards from Alfred still sit on the kitchen counter. The bottle of cedar scented body wash taunts you in the shower the same way your single set of keys by the front door does. His presence haunts every room of your apartment more effectively than any ghost you’ve ever encountered.

It is Ms. Einarsdottir with her fairytale romances that begins to pull you together again. She listens as you stumble through your story, a copy of Jane Eyre in your lap as a cover for the tears that occasionally escape you. In a quiet corner of the Gotham library, you begin to sort through just how deeply his reaction has hurt you to the only person that really knows the whole story.

“Oh dearie, you really have been through it, haven’t you?” She clucks. “He seemed like such a nice boy too. He made you happy once, very happy I think.” She strokes your hair as best she can for a person without a physical body. “But he’s hurt you quite badly now. There may come a day when he apologizes, and Lord only knows he’ll need to spend ages making it up to you, but dear you can’t live waiting for him to make that decision.”

“I know that. And I know that he’s hurt me. But I also know that he’s hurting too. I can’t get the image of his face, how devastated he looked, out of my head.” Your voice shakes, thick with choked back emotion. “I’ve got all this love for him still and it’s sitting like a lump of coal in my chest.”

“Dearie,” Ms. Einarsdottir says, leveling you with her gaze, “your love for that boy might never change. But right now, you need to have more love for yourself. Right now he’s hurtin’ over a what-if that the two of us know isn’t true. He’s hurt you–” she raises her voice before you can interrupt, “and that’s a fact. If he can’t figure out how to handle his hurt, if he isn’t capable of loving you for every last thing that you can do, then he was never the one for you. No matter how much you still care about him.” Her words land heavy in the relative silence of the library, bitter in the way that the most effective medicines are. You swallow heavily, and continue to stare at the book in your lap unseeingly.

“Now it sounds like there’s a little boy out there that needs your help. From the both of you. Let doing the right thing get your mind off of other things. And if that boy can’t get himself to accept your help out of fear, then you’ll know where you stand and I will know whether or not I need to start putting the fear of God into that boy.”

You smile weakly at her attempt at sternness, the deeply etched smile lines of her face so incongruous with her words. Thanking her, you make your way out of the library mulling over her words. She’s not wrong, that Matty needs help, help only you can give him. The only sticking point would be if you can make yourself reach out to Jason, if he’d even listen to you.

It takes a few more days for you to come to a decision, and even then it is less of a conscious thought than a half-cocked choice that comes about because of how desperate you are for caffeine. Buying a cup of coffee, you drop your change, coins rolling every which way. One of them comes to a stop on the cobbled stone right as Matty dies again. His fingers still look so fragile scrabbling in the dirt, you think. Matty’s still there, trapped in the courtyard with the only good coffee stand in all of Gotham General Hospital. You can’t ignore the fact that he’s there anymore than you could the first time. He dies three times while you wait in line for your coffee, your already weary heart buckling under the strain of his terror. It makes you angry at yourself for how long you’ve left him there like this, too distracted by something as inconsequential as a broken heart when he’s been facing the stuff of nightmares without respite.

The rest of the day passes by in a daze, but by the end of it you’ve resolved to return to the courtyard, to Matty. The sun’s going down by the time you clock out, the courtyard much emptier now that the coffee stand has closed for the day. It’s just you, the pigeons, and Matty. Hands tucked into your coat pockets for warmth, you call out to him.

“Matty! Matty, I’m here. Can you hear me?” Your voice isn’t that loud, the same firm but gentle voice you use with the traumatized children that cycle through your ward, but it causes him to flinch.

“D’you know the way home, miss?” He asks again. You have to strain to hear him over the noise of the ambulance bay and the rush hour traffic.

“Tell me where you are Matty and I’ll tell you how to get home, alright?” Your voice is coaxing, but you know that you’re short on time. If the loop continues to play out the way it always has, there’s precious little time before whatever is chasing Matty catches up to him.

“I’m walking home from practicing the piano…” his voice trails off into nothingness as his eyes go wide with fright. You can do nothing but watch him, a fist in your chest, as he dies in the dirt. With a flicker the loop starts up again, Matty reappearing a few steps away from you. Taking a deep breath in, you start again. You stay for another hour with Matty, until the air is so cold that it slices up your lungs with a hundred paper cuts on every inhale and all the streetlights have turned on. You’ve asked every variation of where are you that you can in those brief few moments before fear consumed him. It’s selfish, but for that whole hour not once did you think of your own empty apartment until you’ve flipped the lights on in it.

And so it goes for the rest of the week. Every day after your shift, you’ll spend an hour or so with Matty. Not every day do you try and find out more from him. Sometimes you simply try to comfort him. He reminds you of someone and it takes a while for you to figure out exactly who. It’s Jason - or more accurately the ghost of Jason Todd, dead and gone too soon. Something about the lightness of their limbs, their shared love of the arts, the way their deaths have left them trapped, it has you even more determined to set Matty to rest.

#jason todd x reader #sunnie writes 🌻

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felassan · 1 year ago

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BioWare Blog post: An Update on the State of BioWare

by BioWare - August 23, 2023

"Hello again, Today, rather than discuss one of our upcoming projects, I’d like to share an update about the studio itself and outline our vision for BioWare’s future. In order to meet the needs of our upcoming projects, continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality, and ensure BioWare can continue to thrive in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, we must shift towards a more agile and more focused studio. It will allow our developers to iterate quickly, unlock more creativity, and form a clear vision of what we’re building before development ramps up. To achieve this, we find ourselves in a position where change is not only necessary, but unavoidable. As difficult as this is to say, rethinking our approach to development inevitably means reorganizing our team to match the studio’s changing needs. As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare. That is deeply painful and humbling to write. We are doing everything we can to ensure the process is handled with empathy, respect, and clear communication. With that last point in mind, I want to take a moment to explain how we got here, what we’re doing to support our colleagues, and what this means for BioWare’s current and future games. WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW After much consideration and careful planning, we have built a long-term vision that will preserve the health of the studio and better enable us to do what we do best: create exceptional story-driven single-player experiences filled with vast worlds and rich characters. This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age™: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect™. We’ve chosen to act now in part to provide our impacted colleagues with as many internal opportunities as possible. These changes coincide with a significant number of roles that are currently open across EA’s other studios. Impacted employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance as they apply for these positions. While it’s unlikely that everyone will find a new role within the company, we are committed to supporting our staff as they navigate this change. Our sincere hope is that they can continue their exemplary work at studios who stand to benefit immensely from their talents. IMMEDIATE IMPACT If you’re wondering how all of this will impact development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, let me be clear that our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that we’ll have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential. I can also tell you that every member of our team, even those departing BioWare, deserves credit for crafting a spectacular experience. These are our colleagues and friends, and we would not be here without them. I am so proud of all the work our team has done. WHAT COMES NEXT While this is an extremely difficult day for everyone at BioWare, we are making changes now to build a brighter future. We’re excited for all of you to see what we’ve been building with Dreadwolf. A core veteran team led by Mike Gamble continues their pre-production work on the next Mass Effect. Our commitment to quality continues to be our North Star. As cliche as this sounds, there truly is never a good time to enact changes like this, but we trust that we have the right leaders and team in place with vision, passion, and proven track records to deliver world-class Dragon Age and Mass Effect experiences that our fans will love. For now, I want to thank everyone at BioWare—past and present—for making the studio what it is. I also want to thank our community for your continued support. We’re eager to reveal more about Dreadwolf, and we look forward to discovering what else the future holds. Gary McKay General Manager, BioWare"

[source]

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #mass effect #mass effect 5 #video games #long post #longpost

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fourtyfourcatss · 19 days ago

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[████████ 100%] — @tillichan !

ᨒ↟ 𖠰𖥧˚⚘ … FILE #1 SERVAMP MATCHUP

“What a beautiful soul..” — something soft draws you in, to each other, for each other. Like visiting a lake upon spring, and seeing the sunlight shimmering upon its surface. Yes, your matchup has to be this person..

[ LAWLESS ] ᨒ↟ ⋆｡°

𖠰𖥧 there is something despicable that he finds within himself which is alleviated by your presence—the first person that came to mind so strongly was Lawless when I read your information multiple times, and this is why. There is a manner of which that you write that makes me believe that you are a very “ethical” person; ethical as in a perceptual quality defined by a focus on the human, social, moral, and emotional content of reality [1.] — not a lack of logic. And, it is within this frame of mindset that allows Lawless to become deeply infatuated by the state of your being. But let’s get to that.

𖠰𖥧 Lawless is characterized by an aggression in his hedonistic nature that is extremely hard to overlook at first, but you have this quality to you that unravels his character. What I mean by this is that once you solve one problem of his (which is his need for love, which we will get to) this man unravels. His problems start to really untangle by itself because his main problem is with his own mental state.

𖠰𖥧 Lawless himself is a very hurt individual (as are all characters within the servamp series lol); he’s very externally emotional. And, you are internally emotional. There is this connection between the two of you when this is realized. The way you feel too much is actually an aspect of interest that you stroke within him; how are you so connected with people? How do you make yourself so likable; and to him later on, so lovable? And your calmness, openness, kindness; tolerance of him despite how he is— shows to him the answers he seeks. You see, I would not say he’s self centered as opposed to his wiki— I think it’s an oversimplification to his core character—rather than to say that he’s very stuck within his own problems. He has been grieving.. he’s one who wishes so strongly to be loved, and to love back, and this need has become so overwhelming yet concealed by himself from the conditions of his immortality and state of being (I can see him going into his animal form to make it easier for you to hold him) that it has been the precipice of his concerns. Your traits completely turn these issues from the inside out; so naturally, so gently that Lawless feels seen and appreciated with you. There is this gentleness that accompanies your empathy; and it feels so “clean”, so wholesome to him, your connection with animals, your voice, your face. He very much loves looking at you (not so surreptitiously); he is a romantic at heart. Someone who would take apart his entire system to fit yourself in, and truly implement your goals and aspirations and thoughts into his own. He doesn’t strike me as the type to try to plan into the future, but “live in the present”; so he’s ready to give up on a lot of things in order to be with you. I think it’s because of his fear to think about the future. You, on the other hand, seem more future oriented. If the two of you convene about your plans for the future; it will draw him more confidently out of his own shell, and allow him to confront what he desires again. On your part you may not wish to talk about harsh topics because of it’s uncomfortable nature (but some things must be discussed); I think Lawless at this time would tell you to say things straight to him because he isn’t someone who is so easily offended. He can take what thoughts and opinions you do hide to his face, and allows you to become more confident in expressing yourself too. He doesn’t coddle anyone using sugarcoated words. The way this happens is perhaps, he sees some hesitancy in your demeanor, and immediately clings onto it. It’s not a bad thing; following up with these uncomfortable topics, the conversation will grow more comfortable and deepen in thought. He has more of a simplistic (but logical) thought process; when he sees you need help he will pursue, and let you stop overthinking regarding subjects.

𖠰𖥧 At the same time, he would love teasing you about your preference with animals, but it is never malicious or uncomfortable, because you can tell with his voice that he is actually very giggly at this; the level of affection that you hold is something so dear and profound to him, and he himself also does have a preference for animals. You can see how he softens when he looks at you while you are focused elsewhere, how he somehow becomes so different, very gentlemanly towards you. When you exit cars, he will hold his hand out. When he sees your hands turning the pages of your books, or petting animals, he feels the urge to kiss it. You let him display a level of affection as a result of this because you make him feel like his emotions will not be laughed at. Lawless loves compassionate peoples; but to a degree of realism, someone who does what they can, like you. It’s not just the compassion but also the passion inside; You make him melt.. The best to to describe this is comparing the two of you to poetry in motion. It’s like a harmonic dance in a sense?

𖠰𖥧 He’s also quite a yapper, so having you, who’s a great conversationalist, makes him exceedingly excited to talk and meet with you. The two of you could engage in stimulating and lively conversations, and grant each other new insights based on your experiences and thoughts. Be careful! Every time you tease him, he will tease you back with twice fervor. It will never be uncomfortable, but very attracting. He has a way of using sweet words and his own sensuality in his body language playfully to color in the tones of your conversations.. It is never aggressive, but sensual, the way he calls you sweetie, honey—or gestures to grab your attention, to seek it, and your subtle remarks back will keep the two of you on your toes. I think that he is someone who would want to fuse into the sanctity of your presence.

𖠰𖥧 He’s a deeply interesting, charismatic, fiery, unstoppable force, moving constantly, like a chihuahua with separation anxiety. This is a trait which might strike a lot of apprehension within you, but, you’re actually the perfect owner of such a chihuahua. You seem like someone who often stays ruminating in place.. your intuition is something I can see help you make decisions, but as a fellow intuitive type, I can guess that there is still a level of uncertainty in this decision. Lawless is someone who is very ambitious, decisive, and he is calmed by you, while you become inspired around him. He’s a very competent person outside of how necrotic he seems; and he will back down if you are uncomfortable; he does have regrets about things. he has this “can do attitude” that doesn’t feel egotistical but more like an actual promise. He mobilizes you, encourage you to take risks, challenges you to grow beyond your comfort zone. You feel like the type to get stuck inside your head before you even act, and he can bring you out of this “stuck” feeling if you go too deep. You also seem like the kind of person who may be taken advantage of sometimes due to being unable to turn people down sometimes. It’s a matter of pressure and what needs to be done, perhaps, but like how he is, he will always stand up for you. He doesn’t just abandon the people he chooses to be with. It’s like.. being whisked away by a prince in a fairy tale, but instead of bringing you away from your home, he waltz’s you back to your doorstep. This is how I feel about your relationship; it is built upon softness and thinking of one another. A warmth of home, and of sincerity. Neither of you want to be insincere at all, and both of you can display your true colors to one another. This draws away from his hedonistic qualities and makes him see life in the mundane and everyday life.

𖠰𖥧 As a result of all what you do to him, another big comfort of his being is what accompanies you in return. Sanctuary and attraction. He makes you feel safe. He feels superbly special to see himself allowed in your comfort zone, and fumbles awkwardly to meet your likings. When you tell him to just relax, he feels himself doing it on purpose. Remember how I described him like a chihuahua? He acts a bit like one too (haha), not dehumanizing, but as in, he fetches you whatever he knows you enjoy. He will spring out to go pick flowers and fruits for you, he will treat your animals nicely—(he knows how it feels to be an animal, how they feel as animals..). He cuddles up to you if you are alright with it; in cold weather, he pushes your hands into his own pockets. He pays attention to your every word and preference. He would entertain you with his presence alone, and accompany you because he loves to. You aren’t boring to him; and these fantasy stories makes him curious. It’s the kind of relationship where words is not truly needed when you’re enjoying each other. He’s someone who has seen a lot of fantastical things throughout his life— would you like to listen to him speak about it? (These are honestly a congregation of my general headcanons, but there will be a shorter section on it later). He praises you exceedingly, haha, I think you’d find him slightly out of place. In the beginning he is. He’s very cocky, but all the same, he is much more than just that. His cockiness just makes things more interesting later on (especially as the two of you influence one another). It’s ok; he lowkey gets spoiled by you.. so I think he’d rather not act out of line. He’s more like your hype man! He will without fail make you feel special, like someone precious. Sometimes, it’s lowkey embarassing 😭 it’s like… you’re unimpressed by this guy. And that encourages him to be even more bold, and it’s just funny at the end. He’s someone who absolutely feeds off your joy; your happiness is my happiness. He is this kind of intense person, fiercely loyal, and he only ever says what he means, does what he wants; and this simplicity makes you feel secure in both your relationship and around him, since he becomes so inherently protective of the people he do have left that cares about him— so reliable. He is responsible after all— for you. You’re lovely, so he never puts you on a pedestal, and respects you as an individual, and loves you like an infatuated lover would. He makes you feel seen in a humane way. It makes you feel like the things you have done are worth it.

𖠰𖥧 Why him and nobody else? Well, many things I took into account. Firstly, I didn’t want to give you any characters that was extremely assertive (and thereby intrusive) — but enough so they would be the one approaching you first. I wanted to give someone with more mobilization, more extroverted, but also not very high energy as to tire you out. However, someone assertive enough to chase, with both idealism and realism (which brings pleasantness due to the optimism it brings). Additionally, someone with a disposition similar to yours about possession and space would be important. They could not be too internally conflicted and necrotic. I wanted to give you someone who was very “internally deep” (pique your interest), at the very same time, who can be influenced by your traits and can be changed by it. Lawless is the proper fit for this… he is willing to change, unlike so many other characters within the narrative who are so headstrong and will butt heads with you. You can see the good in him, and this is so very important.

Ultimately; someone who can be gentle.

𖠰𖥧 RUNNER UPS (☎️.) ALL OF LOVE. This one definitely also has a chance of happening; but it can also lean more towards a more platonic relationship style. I feel like you might get too.. comfortable? There’s less “spark of love!” And more, “friends hanging out by sitting next to each other, not speaking, but still very fun.”

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#additional headcanons…]

A househusband; his motto to your relationship is to get spoiled and spoil you back. Well, he has no money to spoil you with, but acts of service. Let him lay on your lap for an hour while you’re birdwatching? He’s already off to prepare your bath for you when you two get home. Gardening? He’s always by your side with it. You’re cold? Hm, take his jacket! Servamps don’t get cold anyways (he’s shivering actually). Will absolutely blush if you share any of your clothing with him. You can say he’s… he’s kind of like a tsundere!

Well, the way your relationship truly starts to develop is that he starts appearing at your front gate arbitrarily.

“It’s cold out! Won’t you let me in?”

Licht is an avid slanderer of Lawless; he’s an Angel, and that man’s eve, so he’ll take responsibility and drag this guy back whenever you want it. Ah, but it is good to be without lawless pestering him for a while… would you mind keeping Lawless for some time while he practices? He appreciates it, truly.. don’t worry! He’ll always make sure to collect him at the end. It won’t take too long. So in a sense, he’s kind of like the supervisor while you two inadvertently start courting each other. Yes, inadvertently—you two get comfortable around each other. It feels like one of those relationships where he confesses, and you’re like “? Ok.” And then go about your day until you realize half an hour later.

Absolutely gets slightly pouty because of the cat and dog sometimes. Transforms into a hedgehog and wedges himself between them to get your attention too! They’re very interested in him, and he ends up playing with them in his own way until he gets too tired 😭 defeated hedgehog.. rolling around until you pick him up.

Gets absolutely dogged by you in chess games. Not at all overconfident nor bragging (his demeanor around you is different compared to others -> like a calm dog), very inquisitive. Speaking of dog.. will definitely take care of your pets for you when you are busy.

Tickle monster here. But usually, he’s more of a cuddle monster. Warmth makes him feel.. more alive. What? You’re cold? That can’t be, doesn’t that mean your blood circulation is poor? He will make sure to make you feel warm before you two go out to walk the pets. Always taking care of you physically whenever he can.

He’s never truly been in a romantic relationship, or understand how it works normally, you’re going to have to explain some things to him 😭 he isn’t dumb though, so he can surmise a lot of things by watching, er, unrealistic television shows. It’s the only thing he knows because he watches the most dramatic ass rom coms and randomly brings it up expecting you to know. Why would you know??? He thinks you’re a very intelligent person, so he really expects a lot out of you sometimes, even if it’s nonsensical.

Finds your lifestyle interesting because it’s not what he expects from a modern human. He often sees people doing things in excess, eating, smoking, drinking; he kind of finds you endearing in this way that you take care of yourself and fulfill your basic necessities while also pampering yourself physically and keeping yourself healthy. He finds you very elegant (you are), and that makes him somewhat flustered (since he’s into that). A lot of times you kind of reawaken his past, almost noble demeanor inside him, and he ends up serving you like you’re a princess (holding your groceries, massaging your arms, etc).

You’re probably his exact type; the kind of person he needs at this moment in order to become healthier. And this makes him feel flustered and adoring around you; it makes him want to comment on the little things you tend to do, or how cool you seem. You have this kind of composure that makes people feel at ease around you with how chill you seem, and this is exactly what he needs to take direction in his life and become a better person for himself and others— and for you.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#first meeting]

“Ah.. you..”

The cold weather had already formed frost inside the crevices of windows, where the faint gloss of condensation ran over the expansive panels of the concert hall.

The first meeting is something that is very small, but very intriguing. The recital stage should be this way, to the left, you’re sure of it. But following that direction, the signs were not the ones you were told it would be. You peered around near a wall, but the people striding around you look very busy, and you don’t want to bother them at all—you can tell you will get some annoyance tainted answer, and you don’t want to bother with that right now. However, it is a fancy recital. A big name pianist by the name of “Licht” will be playing— a lot of people are scrambling in order to meet him today. Including your parents.

“Don’t be late,” you remember hearing. The thumping in your chest gets louder and louder.

Then, there was suddenly a tap on your shoulder. However, as you looked back, there was a flash at your peripheral, and an outdoorsy scent passed by in a split second—the kind that reminds you slightly of a cat. In front of you, a blond man with a black scarf stood, grinning.

“‘Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye than twenty of their swords…’ Hahaha..! You lost, little lady?”

There is this perverse, almost innocuous tone in his words, as if he is expectant of something. This feels like it is something important, and you’re not sure why, but as your explanation leaves your tongue, his face rescinds a subtle expression you couldn’t quite catch. “Hah? You’re not here for Licht?” He suddenly seems calmer. Your face, still dispassionate, glances at him.

It was then, that a pair of doors opened nearby, and the limelight that filtered through that slanted square doorway limned the two of you in its radiance. Any movement can be discerned from how harsh the light is, but for a moment, you could almost see him getting lost in the light refracted from your eyes. But only for a moment.

The first impression is characterized by two words; “boring” on his end, and “off” on yours.

He looks tired now, mood swinging like a pendulum. And he shrugs, before pointing to another door opposite of where the two of you stands. “There. If you’re looking for the other musicians. They’re performing there.”

After the performance, you find your mind still straying to him. Something about him seemed off. There is a slight hope in your heart that he may be someone like you..

Opening your hand, you find an illuminated piece of vine. But you close it as soon as you hear your parents calling for you.

This is about a week before Licht’s actual interrupted performance in the manga, and after this, you’re surprised to see your parents knows Licht. You recognize this blond haired man next to him.

Your mother nudges you gently, teasing you to make some more friends your age since you’ve moved here. Licht doesn’t give out his phone number easily, so Lawless offers his own! When this happens, Licht also gives you his phone number (to make sure lawless isn’t going out of hand). You don’t like mobile phones much, but you don’t want to reject it since they’re giving it. That’s how it first starts.

Asks you tons of questions about your day, your work, many things. Lawless would honestly start to visit your house if you mention your preference. (This may be even worse to you though). This is how he gets to know you at first, but it doesn’t feel too unpleasant. After, he just starts to grow on you, and it feels natural to see him at your house randomly to hang out.

What he finds annoying in regards to you is how restrained you are. You seem like the type to truly conceal your grievances when it happens, and this mannerism is both understandable (to some extent) and irritating to Lawless. It’s reminds him of that stupid elder brother’s eve..

You mention that you’re good at dealing with adults who act like children? That’s him at first. Honestly he’s still childish, but less so later, transforming into “youthful” instead.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#crush] + [#confession]

𖠰𖥧 with a crush, he becomes extremely hesitant, and much more withdrawn. Hes also anxious; he feels like it’s safe anywhere unless you’re in your home. With all the conflict that has been going on, he’s glad that you’ve decided to aid in the sidelines instead of rushing over. This is a conflict between vampires; a guardian of nature (to be elaborated on in roles) should not be involved so intimately, even if it may be more fun. You seem like the type to help when you can, so many people are grateful to you for that. Ah, he couldn’t have been bothered with whatever you did before, but now he’s relieved. Isn’t that hypocritical of him? A man such as himself, you might dislike that aspect of him. He’s convinced himself that you would never reciprocate his feelings back, in short.

𖠰𖥧 this makes him superbly hard to deal with, even though he’s also acting very squishy in matters regards to you. Licht judgingly glares at him at the corner of his eyes when he brings something related to you up. He’s sheepish and slightly indignant.

𖠰𖥧 how is this overcame? Well, as an impulsive person, Lawless is unable to control his mouth whenever he wants to speak, you see. Whenever he’s with you, he just starts talking. Eventually, he gave up on trying to be restrained around you (funny how he disliked this aspect of what he felt towards you when he did it himself!) and the two of you started hanging out again.

𖠰𖥧 because of all the factors stated above in the matchup section, falling in love, confessing… it just happens. It’s just natural. You probably said something that brought him into a romantic mood, and he, judging the atmosphere, promptly confesses. It happens on a dark evening, where the cherry blossoms are in bloom. He picked something up from the convenience store while you waited outside, and emotions just swelled up within him when he saw your face. He is in love, he is in love, he is in love. He didn’t know it would happen again.

𖠰𖥧 and the tang of the sweet flowers was in the air. He never liked this smell, as it reminded him of flowers in funerals and… oh, but you look so lovely. There is darkness all around you, and you look somewhat antsy. He should step it up and protect you, shouldn’t he? His heart feels very present and his face feels somewhat flushed.

“…stay with me from now on, ok?”

Haha, that’s his style of confession. And he leads you back to the picnic area where you left your things by the hand. He’s a vampire, but he feels hotter than normal.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#role] + [#abilities]

A human blessed by the nature spirits? What a rare sight. Not even much priests or priestesses are bestowed this honor, much less rangers and hunters of the old….

Distanced from servamps, C3, and the conflicts that arose— you were an ordinary person until one day, where you found yourself lost in the mountains.. when you returned, you found yourself with strange abilities that suddenly emerged.

As it seems, you’ve become some kind of chosen guardian of the natural regional area near you. Something like a priestess in Inuyasha, if you are familiar with that. Other than spending time in that place a little longer, not much has changed. It seems to have a protective effect on you; trying to separate you from the chaotic world of mystical creatures. Thus, whenever you enter this plane, it separates into a space where nobody can come in or leave without your jurisdiction. Like a safe haven in a sense. Your abilities have specific characteristics that have also been altered by this blessing.

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary—How does your garden grow?”

A long distance continuous spell which generates protective effects based on distance. The user is able to create luminous vines that are invisible to others with both physical and spiritual properties that offers a few things specifically. These vines can grow from anywhere that is viable for plants to grow as long as the user knows the location.

Claircognizance. Upon vines coming into contact with a being, you can ask a question in your mind (thus long distance) and perceive the TRUTH. It doesn’t exactly tell you what is a lie, but whenever there is a lie, a second voice tells you the hidden truth. This works on animals as well, which interlinks with the second ability.

Animal coercion. Any animal that comes into contact with the vines can be influenced to follow an order. For example, a bird can be used to spy on enemies. It would take more out of you, but humans is also possible. As it is an influence of gentle force, the person/animal usually doesn’t know they’re being influenced. This makes it hard to detect. Then, you can use claricognizance to understand what happened.

Adaptation. These vines can be used in order to close wounds, hold the bleeding, etc. it will temporarily adopt the necessary conditions of a certain organ to trick the brain into keeping the body working. In a life or death situation, this saves a ton of lives. Latching onto allies, the vines can grow into thick walls to shield people, or extend in order to grapple or entangle enemies, or even be used as a means to escape for allies who have it on hand. Outside of closing wounds, this can also be used in order to bind enemies. As it is made using magics, it is hard to break unless it is done with a spell or large attack.

I do have reasons for this kind of ability, so if you want to know why specifically it’s so utility based, ill tack it on.

ᨒ↟ ⋆｡° [#relationships]

— ALL OF LOVE is your best friend. He may speak such weird things sometimes, but he’s a very gentle and sweet person who makes you feel at ease. He has this deep empathy similar to yours, so he can truly understand how you feel. He uplifts you. Always invites you into the mansion to have a tea party, especially to spend time with the children there afterwards. If you bring your pets, even better—he’ll make sure to have treats and things set up for them. They absolutely adore you! When you two first met, it was through these kids, since they didn’t know the directions to a certain sweet shop. You two immediately hit it off, and discuss the books you have read and or just the general state of situations. He thinks you’re kind of similar to a very matured Misono without all that attitude, with your elegance and your affection for others. It’s very cute, and it makes him want to protect and pamper you. Always makes sure to send you home with a heat pack, or more clothes if it’s needed after your visit— or just goodies like some new sunscreen he thinks is great for you. Very much tries to spoil you materialistically, or offer you some profound advice if you ever need it. Dependent on some variables, he may even have a crush on you. You’re lovely, too lovely. If you ever tease him, he’ll start to flush.

EMOTICON DYNAMIC: (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) (him) + ( ദ്ദി ˙ᗜ˙ ) (you)

— MISONO thinks of you as a sister. He can’t help himself even though he tries to reject this, but you’re someone that he truly could picture as his older sister. He admires your cool-headed attitude towards things, and thinks you’re cool! A lot of the eves are teenagers, and they’re very impulsive, somewhat self-centered teenagers; having someone who thinks things through like you while still being considerate towards their feelings is something he is grateful for. It makes him feel seen, and happy. You exchange some tips with him for his health, and he lends you his drivers if you need it. Though, he absolutely doesn’t like Lawless much. He’s seething while watching that man throw himself over you, he absolutely doesn’t deserve you..! But if you’re happy.. well, maybe he can tolerate lawless a bit more.

— LICHT the absolute goat in your relationship with Lawless. Listen, he doesn’t do this for anybody, but he likes you. You’re someone who has all the traits to earn his respect, especially with how tolerant you are of him (that’s to be expected!!), you don’t act all cheerily fake, or impulsive, you have some ear for music, and your upbringing is similar while you don’t try to pry into his life or lick up to him. He appreciates this. That’s why he acts a bit like a “supervisor”, or a “matchmaker” in your relationship when you need it—he has a very keen eye, so it would be very insightful to listen to what he has to say about things as well. He understands both of you well, and he definitely also has accompanied both you on your little dates. (“It’s not a date!” Lawless yells. Yeah yeah, you devil). But if you have anything you want to say, he’ll turn an ear to you. Other than this entire relationship thing, the two of you are strangely close friends. You don’t hang out often, no, but the emotional distance between the two of you seem very small. While Snow Lily may be your “best” friend, he is your closest friend. Your insights make him reconsider situations at hand, especially since you speak in a way that makes him much more comfortable and respectful towards, as he may seem very cold to people sometimes. You two meet by odd coincidences, like at the park, and just sit down and talk to each other about how things have been.

— MIKUNI thinks you’re a nice girl. Haha, but you should definitely get out of here before anything else happens. If you still continue, good for you, he supposes. He’s very curious about your abilities and how other things come to play, and he’s happy you make his younger brother so delighted. (In his place, yes.. perhaps he is a little jealous). He’ll even bail you out if you ever get into trouble with C3. He often cheerfully asks you some very bizarre questions whenever the two of you meet, but as always, he is very emotionally distant and doesn’t like it when people close in on him. You respect that, and the two of you have this nice acquaintanceship.

— GEAR is similar to you, yet he is also not similar to you at all. He is the closest you can say to be somewhat of a teacher figure, a mentor figure, for this world you have suddenly found yourself in. The two of you are both disconnected from vampires, with other supernatural forces at hand, and this factor, alongside the similar viewpoints the two of you share, allows the two of you bond. You met him on a family trip to England, and had passed through London, where you first met Yotaro. He understands you well, and can really say things that hits the target almost uncomfortably. But he absolutely adores you, I know I’ve been saying this a lot for a lot of the characters but like you’ve said, you usually give a good impression to people. Definitely ships you some nice tea/coffee he’s been trying out, books since he’s a bookworm himself, and gives you some funny little tips regarding your dogs (since he is a werewolf). He’s very patient with you, and enjoys your company if you ever visit. Most of your exchanges is done overseas, but.. while I write, it feels like this guy would definitely see you as a child to take care of— so, father figure somewhat as well? He is very proud of you whenever you show him the new techniques you can perform with your powers, or really, just anything of note that you’ve done well.

— YOTARO gives me the feeling of a childhood friend—like a bit of a brother. I guess this is your new family now, Gear, Yotaro, Tilli trio, even though Gear and Yotaro don’t have the relationship you do with Gear. He thinks you’re a very dutiful person, you see, and the two of you seem to share similar values in terms of material living. I can see the two of you roaming markets together and him sharing all the tricks in the book that he picked up by being a carer. Cooks you your favorite whenever you visit, and shares recipes he finds. I’m not sure how to describe this other than “familial”. He’s your other hype man, albeit realistically, and somehow makes FaceTimes enjoyable with his enthusiasm. If you need anyone to confide in, he’s your guy. In the time where you and Lawless was getting together, he was very subtle in conveying his opinions across to push the two of you together. Thinking back on it, it was so obvious!

— KURO and you are best buds. Yes there is a difference between that and best friends. You are the first person to ever take him upon his “hold me and calm down” nonsense, but he definitely smells the scent of your pets on you, and end up crawling away. He gets reminded of his siblings whenever he sees or smells animals. (“It’s kind of a pain..” <- what’s with this half assed answer????) But the two of you are the chillest duo together. Even if you don’t like his habits, you never judge him on it, and since you love the fantasy genre, he would definitely try to invite you into playing rpg video games with him. Please do indulge him, he’s kind of lonely on that end 😭 do it for the fantastic storylines. I’m slightly lazy to write another section for Mahiru, but you and him would also be great friends. Having you around in this chaos.. it feels like a relief.

EMOTICON DYNAMIC: ૮(˶╥︿╥)ა (Kuro) & ( - ⌓ - ) (you).

[a/n] I hope you’ve enjoyed! I yapped way too much with this one 💀💀💀 I didn’t write platonic relationship for lawless because it would just be the same thing except without the romantically charged dynamic.

#matchup exchange #servamp #servamp matchup #mutuals! [☎️]

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 month ago

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By: Andrew Doyle

Published: Dec 30, 2024

‘Protect Trans Kids’. It’s one of the many slogans you will see frequently displayed at protests by gender ideologues. At the recent demonstrations outside the US supreme court, where the state of Tennessee’s ban on ‘gender-affirming care’ was being challenged by the ACLU, there were even young children holding placards bearing the phrase. But if adults don’t understand what it means, how can the children who it ostensibly describes?

The concept of the ‘trans child’ has become an essential tool in gender activism. In order to justify reorganising society according to ‘gender identity’ rather than sex – and thereby admitting men who identify as women into female-only spaces – it must first be determined that the concept of a ‘gender identity’ is real. And if there is such a thing as a sexed soul that is misaligned with our body, it must surely be present from the moment of conception. As such, being ‘trans’ is not a decision one makes in adult life, but an innate quality that exists at all ages.

J. K. Rowling posted a statement on X regarding this topic earlier this week.

‘There are no trans kids. No child is “born in the wrong body”. There are only adults like you, prepared to sacrifice the health of minors to bolster your belief in an ideology that will end up wreaking more harm than lobotomies and false memory syndrome combined.’

The subsequent firestorm was inevitable. Even the most sensible of comments on this topic are liable to whip up a frenzy of rage and indignation. This in itself is proof of the absurdity of the proposition. If the concept of a sexed soul was legitimate, measured debate and discussion would be adequate to persuade the undecided. But given the weakness of the claim, threats, insults and tantrums are the more likely tactic.

The term ‘trans’ has been muddied in recent years by insisting that it is an abbreviation of ‘transgender’. Previously, it had denoted ‘transsexual’, a term that specifically relates to those who have undertaken surgery or other medical interventions to appear as the opposite sex. The lexical shift to ‘transgender’ implies that the existence of a ‘gender identity’ is incontestable, and that we each have ‘an essence of male or female’ (as one trans campaigner explained to me). No such essence exists, and so ‘transgender’, like ‘non-binary’, is grounded in belief rather than reality. It is a form of self-identification, a way to classify oneself with a concordant set of behaviours, tastes and dress codes, much like ‘goth’ or ‘punk’.

Given that no human being has ever changed from male to female or vice versa, the term ‘trans’ must therefore refer to a process undertaken to appear as the opposite sex. There are two methods by which this can be achieved. Firstly, there is the transvestic approach, by which attire, accessories and behaviour is adopted according to sex stereotypes. For example, a man might wear a frock, high-heeled shoes, lipstick and a long wig, tilt his head coquettishly, and generally behave in a caricatured manner of a woman. Cross-dressers rely on sex stereotypes for effect; whereas many women routinely wear jeans and a t-shirt and no make-up at all, a man who did this would be unremarkable and not identifiably ‘trans’.

The other approach is surgical intervention. For men who wish to appear as women this can include: orchiectomy (removal of the testicles), vaginoplasty (removal and reshaping of the male genitals to create a faux-vagina), breast augmentation, facial plastic surgery, tracheal shave (reduction of Adam’s apple), vocal surgery to raise pitch, hair removal and hair transplants. For women who wish to appear as men, this can include: mastectomy (removal of breasts), pectoral implants, hysterectomy, vaginectomy and phalloplasty (the removal of the vagina and creation of a faux-penis), and body contouring.

Whereas any adult surely must retain the right to dress as he or she chooses, there is a debate to be had regarding the ethics of such surgical procedures. To offer an analogy: if a man desperately desires to have his own arm removed, is the doctor who carries out such an operation not violating his professional responsibility to ‘first do no harm’? Would not psychotherapeutic treatment be more appropriate? On the other hand, many individuals who identify as trans argue that ‘gender-reassignment’ surgery is a psychological necessity. Irrespective of where one stands on that debate, it should be clear that no child can possibly give informed consent to any of these procedures. And so if ‘trans child’ approximates to ‘transsexual child’, then such a thing cannot rightfully exist.

However, if we decide that ‘trans child’ means ‘transgender child’, then we are in the realm of a philosophical or pseudo-religious belief. It is certainly possible for children to believe that they have gendered souls which do not align with their bodies. But such an esoteric view has not developed from a mature process of reflection and analysis. This is the same reason why Richard Dawkins objects to the concept of a ‘Christian child’ or a ‘Muslim child’. In such cases, invariably we are using a shorthand for ‘the child of Christian parents’ or ‘the child of Muslim parents’. Children are simply ill-equipped to have grappled with complex theological belief-systems and weighed up whether they accept them as valid or not.

Moreover, the term ‘transgender child’ points to a highly specific principle within a broader ethos. Given that it refers to the notion of a soul in the wrong body, it is closer akin to the idea of a ‘possessed child’ rather than a ‘Christian child’. Again, it is unfeasible to suppose that an infant could possibly have interrogated these beliefs with any degree of intellectual rigour. The main difference is that trans activists are lauded by the media and political class, whereas exorcists are given a wide berth.

As such, whichever way one looks at it, the very concept of the ‘trans child’ is incoherent. It makes sense to speak of ‘trans people’ because it is an effective shorthand for ‘people who call themselves trans’ or ‘people who believe they were born in the wrong body’, or ‘people who, out of psychological desire or necessity, present in accordance with the stereotypes of the opposite sex’. For the same reason, we can describe someone as a ‘Catholic’ without sharing his or her faith in transubstantiation.

But we need to recognise that this is a belief-system that no child can possibly comprehend, and so the phrase ‘trans child’ makes no sense. To use the phrase at all is to participate in the indoctrination. So while anyone has the right to refer to ‘trans children’, we have the right to tell them why such a phenomenon does not exist.

"A child is not a Christian child, not a Muslim child, but a child of Christian parents or a child of Muslim parents." -- Richard Dawkins, “The God Delusion”

"A transgender child is like a vegan cat. We all know who's making the lifestyle choices." -- Blaire White

The idea of a disembodied gendered "essence" disconnected from the biology of your anatomy is as ridiculous magical thinking as auras, astral projection, Islam's djinn, the Xian soul and Scientology's thetans.

Anyone who goes on about a "gender identity" should be treated no differently than someone with a ouija board and tarot cards, handing out copies of The Watchtower, or inviting you to a free "audit" session.

#Andrew Doyle #ideology #queer theory #gender ideology #trans kids #protect trans kids #trans children #gender lobotomy #gender phrenology #gender identity #magical thinking #mysticism #religion is a mental illness

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arc852 · 7 months ago

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9. Warmth

Definition: the quality, state, or sensation of being warm; moderate and comfortable heat.

Summary: Jimmy wants to go to class with Grian and Joel.

G/t: Grian and Joel are humans, Jimmy is a borrower

Word Count: 2200

AO3 Link

Time for another installment in the Bad Boys Borrower College AU! I'm so excited to share another part of this! I hope you guys enjoy!

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Jimmy couldn’t help but pace back and forth, trying to gain the courage to just ask. He had been thinking about this for a while now.

He wanted to go to class with Grian and Joel.

It wasn’t just a spur of the moment decision. He had been in many dorm rooms and even the communal kitchens and lobbies but he had never actually been to any of the classrooms or lecture halls within the college.

Mostly because they were in a completely different building to the dorms. The journey to get there by himself wouldn’t even be worth it. If he was still by himself, borrowing like normal, he wouldn’t even consider going over there.

But he was no longer by himself. Now, he had some friends, human friends, who provided him everything that he needed. He no longer needed to gauge if something was worth it or not. If he wanted to do it, he could.

Well, as long as Grian and Joel agreed. And he wasn’t sure how well they were going to take him asking to go to class with them. He understood the dangers and the risks that could come with being in a space with a lot of humans but at the same time he was so curious about the things Grian and Joel got up to when they weren’t in their dorm.

So he just needed to ask and probably make his case. But he could do that.

Right now, both Joel and Grian were actually in the middle of getting ready for class. Joel was stuffing some books and papers in his backpack and Grian was tying his shoes. They were about to leave and Jimmy still hadn’t asked them if he could go.

“U-Uh, guys?” Jimmy asked, and suddenly all the attention was on him. Welp, no backing out now. He took a deep breath. “I want to go with one of you to class.” He said rather than asked. He thought telling them what he wanted, rather than asking, would work itself out better for him.

Joel and Grian’s eyes were wide. They looked between the two of them and then back at Jimmy, trying to process his request. “I’m sorry, what?” Joel asked.

Jimmy huffed. “I want to go to class with one of you guys.” Jimmy repeated. “I’ve never been to any of the classrooms and I’ve always been curious about what you guys learn and get up to. I thought it would be…fun?”

Grian ran a hand down his face. “I don’t think that’s really a good idea Tim. What if something happened? Where would you even stay? Our backpacks are so full you’d probably be crushed before we even got to class.” The thought made them all shiver but Grian was better at hiding it.

“I was actually thinking about staying in a, uh, pocket.” Jimmy said a bit sheepishly. It was the first time he was suggesting something like this. But he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it before.

“A pocket?” Joel repeated, hand subconsciously finding the pockets he had in his jeans.

“Yeah, but not those kinds.” Jimmy said, pointing to where Joel’s hand was. Those kinds of pockets seemed much too stiff and uncomfortable. He would not like being shoved in one of those, that’s for sure. “I was actually thinking more along the lines of Grian’s hoodie pocket. The one on the front.” The hoodie in question was laying on the edge of Grian’s bed.

Grian lifted the red hoodie up and took a look at the pocket. He never really paid much attention to stuff like that but now he found himself thinking about how it would be having Jimmy in there. The thought was a bit weird. “I mean, you would probably have plenty of room in there but Jimmy, I still don’t think--”

“Come on! Nothing is going to happen. I trust you guys to make sure I’m safe. Besides, if I’m in your hoodie pocket, it’ll be easy for you to keep an eye on me. Er, keep uh, a hand on me.” Jimmy said, trying to make his case and pleading just a little bit.

Grian and Joel’s chests warmed at the mention of trust. Jimmy trusted them to keep him safe, to the point he wanted to take the risk and go to class with them. Hearing it out loud was not only nice but it was also breaking their resolve. They exchanged another glance, in which Joel simply shrugged. Grian sighed.

“...Okay. We’ll try it out.” Grian finally said and Jimmy celebrated. “But if anything happens we are never doing this again.” Grian said, cutting Jimmy off. Jimmy just nodded, still grinning.

Grian sighed again and then put on his hoodie. He smoothed out the wrinkles and placed his hands in his pocket to make sure it was properly spaced. He then took his hands back out and reached over toward Jimmy.

Jimmy barely had to brace himself as Grian’s hand wrapped around him. The grip itself was solid but gentle, secure but not suffocating. It always amazed Jimmy how much control human’s hand in their hands. It was such a powerful tool and yet Grian and Joel used it in such gentle ways. Jimmy couldn’t help but flex his own hand subconsciously as Grian lifted him up and off the nightstand.

Grian paused for a moment, thinking. “Should I just…stick you in there?” Grian said with a wince. Neither of them had ever put Jimmy in a pocket before. He didn’t know what the protocol for this was.

Jimmy thought for a minute before shrugging. “Yeah, I guess.” He didn’t really see a better way to do it.

Grian nodded and lowered Jimmy down to where his pocket was. He hesitated for a moment before gently stuffing the hand that held Jimmy inside. From there, he carefully released the borrower and pulled his hand back a little but didn’t fully take his hand out. “There. How are you doing?”

“Yeah, and how does it feel?” Joel chimed in, crouching so that he was eye level with Grian’s hoodie pocket. He could just barely make out the tiny lump that he knew to be Jimmy.

Jimmy shifted a bit, getting into a more comfortable position. He sat up, using the solid wall behind him to lean against. The fabric was comfortable to be in and that, paired with Grian being so close, gave a nice warmth to the pocket as well. It was actually rather nice, which Jimmy hadn’t really been expecting. Tolerable, sure but not nice. He would even go so far as to say that he liked being in here.

“It’s good!” Jimmy said, raising his voice a bit more. He wasn’t sure how well they could hear him from amidst the layer of fabric. “It’s actually pretty comfortable in here.”

“Huh, really?” Joel asked, surprised Jimmy actually seemed to like it. “It’s not too stuffy in there or anything?��

“Nope!” Even with Grian’s hand inside the pocket with him, the two entrances into the pocket were giving him enough air for it to not be an issue.

“Well, I guess we’re actually doing this then.” Joel said, standing back up. Grian gave him a look.

“What’s this ‘we’ business, I’m the one who has him in my pocket.” Grian said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder before placing his other hand in his pocket as well. He looked down, unable to even see a sign of Jimmy from this angle. “It’s not too crowded with both my hands in right?”

Jimmy shook his head, then quickly realized they couldn’t see him. “Nope! It’s fine!” Maybe it was a little crowded but Jimmy didn’t mind. He was used to Grian or Joel’s hands being close. It actually gave him some comfort in this situation. Because despite being the one to want this, he was still nervous about it.

“Okay then, we’re leaving now so no more talking.” Grian said as he reached the door. “If you need anything, just hit my hand or something, okay?”

“Got it!” Jimmy said and then fell silent as he heard the door open.

As Grian and Joel walked down the hall, they were a bit tense. “This is weird.” Grian admitted.

Joel looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, I bet. I’m not even the one who has him and I’m nervous.”

Someone passed by them and they did their best to act normal. Once they were far enough away, Grian let out a breath. “I feel like he’s just out on full display despite the fact he’s hidden.” Grian reached out a finger and gently nudged Jimmy’s side, he was met with tiny hands trying to push it away. He smiled slightly. At least Jimmy was right in that regard. It did make him feel a bit better that he could make sure Jimmy was still there and okay.

“Although, if you think about it, it’s kind of weird in a different way too.” Joel brought up as they finally left the dorm building. The sky was overcast but thankfully there was no rain.

Grian looked at Joel confused. “What do you mean?”

Joel shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s just…this is the first time we’ve ever brought Jimmy out of the dorm room. It feels different. More…real, I guess. If that makes sense?” Joel ran a hand down his face. “Or not, maybe I’m just rambling cause I’m so nervous about this.”

Grian shook his head. “No, I think I get what you mean.” It was hard to put it into words. But taking Jimmy out of the dorm room made him feel more real. Like he really did exist outside of it. They both knew that already, of course, but actually experiencing it was another thing entirely.

A featherlight touch patted his finger and Grian couldn’t help but smile.

They made it to the biology building first, which is where Joel and Grian would part for now. Joel stepped back a bit. “Alright, I’ll see you both later. Don’t get into any trouble.” Joel said. He wasn’t sure how he was going to focus in his classes knowing Jimmy was out but he would have to get by. “I’ll meet you guys back at the dorm for lunch.”

“Sounds good. See you later.” Grian waved goodbye to Joel as he made his way to the next building over and then Grian entered the biology building.

As Grian entered his class, a wave of voices could be heard. Jimmy jumped slightly, not used to having so many loud voices around him at once. Sure, he had looked in on a college party or two in the past but that had been a long time ago. He had grown used to the quiet atmosphere of Grian and Joel’s dorm room.

He felt Grian sit down, the pocket getting just slightly more smushed in the process but still not too bad. Grian kept his hands in his pocket for now and Jimmy briefly wondered if he was going to forgo taking notes in order to keep his hands inside. Jimmy hoped not, he didn’t want to be responsible for Grian not getting the information of the class down.

A finger came up and nudged him in the side again. Jimmy put his hand on the fingertip, letting Grian know he was still there. It was nice to be worried about, if Jimmy was being honest. And every touch and nudge was Grian showing off that worry.

A few moments later, the class quieted down and only one voice spoke. Jimmy assumed that was the teacher getting on with the lesson for the day. So Jimmy sat back and did his best to listen.

Though, it became clear very quickly that Jimmy had no hope to understand what the heck the teacher was talking about. It was like that time he sat with Grian while he was studying. No words were making sense, not put together the way the teacher was saying them anyway. Jimmy slumped back, a bit defeated by the prospect that he wouldn’t be learning anything new today. Had there even been a point in coming out with Grian and Joel then?

He looked to his right, at one of Grian’s hand. The warmth he had felt when first being put into the pocket had only grown. But not to an overbearing degree. It felt nice. As a borrower, Jimmy was almost always cold. His small body couldn’t contain much heat like a human’s body could. So Jimmy liked to soak up any warmth he could. And in this pocket, next to Grian’s body and hands, he had never felt so warm and comfortable.

Maybe there was still a point in having come out here with his humans after all.

With the lecture now being background noise, Jimmy shifted closer to Grian’s right hand. In turn, Grian’s hand cupped around him, surrounding him in even more warmth. Jimmy let out a small sigh and before he knew it, he had closed his eyes and fallen into a peaceful sleep.

#g/t #giant/tiny #au #borrowers #mcyt g/t #hermitcraft #hermitcraft g/t #hermitfic #gtjuly2024 #day 9 #borrower jimmy #tiny jimmy

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