#then bouncing from role to role where other people dictate the type of man he can be

[sleepfight]

In DAI, Krem talks about how he had to bribe a doctor to sign off on his papers in order to enlist in the Tevinter military and that he had to flee after being outed and liiiike

I really want to know what enlistment was like for Tarquin. If he began his transition after the ultimatum from his father, he was presumably of or near the age to qualify for service but still young enough to rely on his family for survival. Just coming into adulthood, just finding the words to define himself, just grasping the magnitude of knowing.

And in a near parody of support, his father will only accept him as a son if he pledges his life away to a deeply patriarchal institution where stealth is not only mandatory to obtain the position in the first place, but enforced by the threat of legal prosecution. You want to be a man? Fine, if you are not a man here, you will be punished for it. As a soldier, your masculinity will be defined and held to account or you will face violence for your trespassing.

Or stay the course. Accept an adolescence of grooming to become an ideal wife and marry up in status, bring the family new opportunities. Bear children, play politics, repress, repress, repress. Swallow poison and choke on what could have been.

Be a man or be destroyed, either way.

[panevanbuckley]

so I fell down the team leckie ot4 hole and had no choice but to make a load of headcanons for them...enjoy! (warning: hella long post)

First to confess their feelings:

they're all emotionally stunted idiots so it actually takes a while for them to have 'the talk'. when they do, as they're lounging around limbs tangled and talking shit at each other, it's Hoosier who brings it up (surprising them all).

he doesn't outright call it what it is but he does ask what they're all doing. the others try to fake innocence (well...Chuckler isn't faking) until Hoosier smacks them each upside the head.

Leckie, naturally, has a whole poetic speech about love and connections which Runner shuts down by pulling him down into a kiss from where he's laying on Leckie's lap. they don't really question whatever it is between them from then on, they just all go with the flow.

First to apologize after a fight:

Chuckler will not let anybody go to bed angry so, yes, he forces them all to apologise to each other before they sleep (even if it means holding Hoosier and Leckie hostage in a tent glaring at each other after Hoosier made a fleeting comment about Leckie's overdramatics until they crack and kiss and make up).

Runner will pretend to not want to apologise but he's first after Chuckler, and he's a clingy apologiser; he'll drape himself over the others and mutter how sorry he is until they shove him away.

First to wake up:

Leckie and Chuckler, though Chuckler actually gets out of bed first whereas Leckie will bury his face back into the pillow for at least another ten minutes.

Hoosier can sleep through almost anything, and almost always has a blanket attached to his person. when they return home, it's not uncommon for him to fall asleep squished between his boyfriends as they talk quietly over the radio/television.

First to fall asleep:

Hoosier is the first asleep, as expected, but Runner isn't far behind. it probably helps that Runner has a guilty pleasure in snuggling close to Hoosier as he drifts off so he ends up wrapped in the sleeping man's arms listening to his steady breaths.

Chuckler will join them soon after, tucking himself behind Runner and dropping an arm over the two smaller men.

Leckie won't sleep until late, crawling into bed after a long writing session, his eyes drooping as he slides under the covers and presses himself close to Hoosier. he pretends not to be a cuddler but every night, without fail, he smiles to himself as he nuzzles his nose into Hoosier's hair and inhales his apple shampoo.

The affectionate one:

Runner is huge on physical affection. like, I mean huge; he'll always be leaning on someone, grabbing for their hand, sleeping curled up against them, draped over them, you name it. it makes him feel safe, knowing he's not alone and is surrounded by others that care for him (it's probably a side effect of war but he refuses to see someone about it).

the others have grown used to it now, to the point where they often initiate contact with him before he can. it's not hard to notice when he feels nervous; his fingers tap or his leg will bounce. Chuckler has a habit of pulling him onto his lap, Hoosier tends to sling a comforting arm around his shoulders and Leckie just leans into him and entwines their legs.

surprisingly (or perhaps not) Leckie is also very affectionate. this isn't always shown physically, although he is pretty big on hugs. Leckie tends to be the one that writes cute poems and notes that he leaves scattered in random places for the others to see, which they make fun of but all secretly find adorable.

The overprotective one:

Chuckler, through and through. one of them is ill? he's there. someone's saying shit about one of his boys? not on his watch. nightmares or just overall anxiety? he gives the best mama hugs.

Hoosier is also down to throw fists (or hard-hitting insults) at anybody that gives them a strange look. he fought in a goddamn war, he's not letting some nosey old lady try to tell him what's wrong and right. especially not when he gets to wake up to three smiling men that he now understands love him to no end. what could ever be wrong about that?

The money savvy one:

when they return home, Leckie is the one who takes on the role of the money keeper; he organises their wages and bills and expenses into a nice little book to keep track of them.

Hoosier is pretty good at saving money up. he just tucks random coins away when he finds them and it adds up quickly so, if one of the others (usually Runner) needs to borrow money for something, they'll go to him first.

The more charismatic (popular) one:

they're all pretty charismatic (well, maybe not Hoosier most days because he just doesn't do people). Runner is the out-going type, he'll strike up conversation with just about anyone and can charm them within minutes.

Chuckler is friendly beyond belief and will smile at almost anyone, he has this magnetic pull to people. Leckie is the schmoozer, he wins people over with his educated drawl, fancy words and that damn crooked smile.

The better caregiver when the other is sick:

Chuckler, no doubt about it! Chuckler goes all out, of course, with blankets and hot drinks and regularly checking in on them. he is, quite literally, the mom of the group and he takes that role very seriously.

Leckie will make sure they're comfortable, grab them some blankets and pillows and read something to them as he strokes his fingers through their sweat-matted hair. when they fall asleep, he undoubtedly presses a soft kiss to their forehead and then settles in nearby so he can keep an eye on them.

Hoosier worries endlessly, if he's in the room with them, you can guarantee he'll spend most of his time watching over them and looking out for any change in their behaviour or temperature. he also tends to crack light hearted jokes just to see the unfortunate guy smile, and will make sure there's a pot of steaming coffee waiting for when they wake up from a mid-day nap (he might even gently sing them to sleep).

Runner never quite knows what to do; he's the one with the worst immune system so he's usually the one being looked after. he tries to make sure they're comfortable, lying with them (even if it means he'll probably get ill too) and making up elaborate stories to keep them entertained. what he lacks in knowledge of nursing people back to health, he makes up for in his ability to absolutely smother either one of his boyfriends with love and adoration - no matter how gross they are in the moment.

Does the cooking:

Chuckler can cook pretty well, flavour-wise. Runner is the one watching over his shoulder criticising his choices and making sure he doesn't set fire to the place.

Leckie is a hopeless cook and Hoosier makes sure to remind him of this constantly. he once tried to cook them all a lovely meal on Valentine's Day but it didn't go well...at all.

Hoosier loves to experiment with flavours and spices. he and Chuckler tend to spend hours in the kitchen cooking up something absolutely amazing (like their infamous sticky bbq chicken).

Does the housework:

they all chip in to do their bit. that doesn't mean there aren't complaints and passive-aggressive reminders to "get your ass of the damn couch and pull your weight around here".

Does most of the speaking:

Chuckler and Leckie, usually. Runner will chime in now and then, he's a charmer and will win anybody over with a flash of his smile and his creative way with words. Chuckler and Leckie are more the 'parents' of the group, they're civilised and mature.

Hoosier won't speak to anyone unless he absolutely has to or if he has a witty remark to drop in unexpectedly.

Designated driver:

Hoosier is a great driver but he goes too fast for the others' liking. Leckie is okay, but he can be annnoying driver; he dictates the music and tells everyone to shut up when they get too rowdy.

Runner is the best driver of them all, if they're out drinking he'll be the designated driver of the night).

Keeps more secrets in the relationship:

none of them really keep massive secrets from each other; they're so close and trust each other completely (as well as huge gossips).

Hoosier can be hard to read a lot of the time, if he's feeling out-of-sorts he's not the type to express this to anybody. Leckie can be the same, but since returning home he's learning that opening up about his insecurities in the relationship can be much more beneficial for everybody.

Chuckler doesn't have the ability to keep a secret for his life, he's a total gossip and basically just an adorable puppy. if he knows something he thinks will make his boyfriends smile he'll tell them, even if he was told to keep it to himself - the only exception is if it'd hurt the person who told him.

Runner is a great liar, if he wanted to keep a secret he definitely could. luckily for the others, he's never really felt inclined to not tell them things

Sensitive to subtle changes in their partners:

being an observer, Hoosier is usually the first to notice a change in one of the others' behaviour. whether that be them just being quieter than usual or more short-tempered.

Chuckler is good at reading people too and can usually tell someone isn't feeling 100% before the person even knows themselves.

Leckie tends to get wrapped up in his own head a lot of the time and can be completely oblivious to an argument taking place between the others until it's too late and he's made a dumb comment that kicks the whole thing off again.

in all fairness, they're all pretty in-tune with each other by the end of the war and can usually tell what's wrong eventually and know exactly what to do/say to help them.

they work well together. they trust each other wholeheartedly. they love each other.

[meta-squash]

Brick Club 1.5.4 “Madeleine In Mourning”

These chapters are just Hugo bouncing all over the place with his views on women. @secretmellowblog made a great post about Valjean’s character development re: women and sexism, but this paragraph is all Hugo.

“To be blind and to be loved, is in fact--on this earth where nothing is complete--on of the most strangely exquisite forms of happiness.” I really want to know what Hugo means by “nothing is complete” and what it has to do with blindness. Happiness isn’t complete until you lack one of your senses and therefore must experience happiness in a different way, maybe? I don’t know. This chapter is weird and gross and I don’t like it very much.

Right before reading this chapter, I reached a section in the Hugo biography that mentioned that as a 20-something year old adult, Hugo had a bizarre habit of staring directly at the sun in order to see the vivid lights/colors that happen when you close your eyes after looking at bright light (which, what the hell Victor Hugo). It started to affect his vision from at least 1828. He equated blindness with Homer and Milton, both great poets, and apparently wrote that he hoped he might go blind one day. I think part of this long paragraph about a woman being the helper of a blind man was influenced by thoughts of Milton, who was helped by his daughters to whom he dictated parts of Paradise Lost.

Hugo was also very jealous when it came to his wife Adele. A lot of the lines about possession and power in this section remind me of the excerpts and anecdotes about his jealousy as a young man. (For example, he was retroactively jealous of her brother having to share a bed with her once when they were young, he was jealous of a male painter friend of hers, he was jealous when he saw her lift her skirt to cross a muddy street and thought someone might have seen her leg. He also wrote her letters that sound similar to this paragraph in their weirdness about power and love.) Hugo excused his jealousy as a measurement of his passion, but that’s clearly not the case. This section is kind of a weird subconscious revealing of that insecurity. Possession and power comes from a kind of “weakness” or lack rather than a passion. You have power over someone because you’re helpless and require their help, so they would be a bad person not to give you assistance and attention, even if they might not want to. Your happiness is their sacrifice. Happiness is having control over someone by having little to no control over yourself. Hugo, that’s not love, that’s manipulation.

“The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves--say rather, loved in spite of ourselves; this conviction the blind have.” I think this line gets closer to other themes in the book. People being loved in spite of themselves (or in spite of what they think of themselves) is a recurring theme in this book, especially around Valjean.

Hugo slips from talking about literal blindness into figurative blindness in the middle of this paragraph, and the feminine turns abstract as well. “A love wholly founded in purity. There is no blindness where there is certainty. The soul gropes in search of a soul, and finds it. And that soul, found and proven, is a woman.” I think it’s interesting that this whole paragraph talks about love from a woman entirely in a nurturing sense, and not at all in a romantic sense. Instead, women are Love from a perspective of caring or motherliness. This is also a little odd considering the number of women in this book who are either not motherly at all, or who are nurturing but die. As Mellow said in their post, Valjean gets put in “motherly” roles for both Fantine and Cosette. Here, though, Hugo emphasizes that love and devotion from a woman is “God made palpable” and erases any sort of doubt of oneself and makes the heart bloom. This effect that Hugo describes here only really seems to happen between Cosette and Valjean, and then between Cosette and Marius.

I’m a little confused about the Faubourg Saint-Germain quarantine line. At first I thought it was talking literally about the actual Faubourg Saint-Germain in Paris, which was a hub for Ultra royalist politics and heavily Catholic during the restoration. But now I think it’s referring to the Ultra area in Montreuil-sur-Mer and likening it to the Faubourg Saint-Germain. I suppose it would make sense for the local Ultras to dislike Valjean: he put in place a lot of revolution-type ideas like various mutual aid systems and large, selfless monetary donations, and he wasn’t big on socializing and moving up the ladder, which would probably make them suspicious. But his apparent connection to a Bishop and his mourning for said Bishop indicates a certain amount of religiosity that the Ultras would probably respect.

“In my youth I was a servant in his family.” I’ve always loved this line for its obvious double meaning. The people of Montreuil-sur-Mer are going to interpret it literally. This does him double benefits, because it means not only is he a religious person connected to the church in a personal way, he’s also someone who is connected to a (formerly rich) royalist family. But Valjean also quietly implies that he sees his past self as only a youth even at forty-something years old before he encountered Myriel. He had not started to grow up and change until the bishop gave him kindness and opened his eyes to religion. He also places himself as a servant. According to wikipedia, being a “Servant of God” is the first step towards canonization in the Catholic church and indicates a certain level of piety. I just think this is really interesting from the angle that Valjean always seems to view god through others. This time, he is a servant of Myriel, and therefore indirectly pious. It also acknowledges the power Myriel has over him, in the way that the bishop claimed his soul for god and for good.

I just made a post about Petit Gervais and Savoyards in general, but as far as I can tell Savoyard chimney sweep children were all over the country and it seems as though they were essentially anonymous. Getting their names is partly important because then they become someone, but I think it’s also Valjean secretly hoping that maybe one day Petit Gervais himself will show up. Hugo doesn’t say how much money Valjean gives the Savoyards that pass through M-sur-M, but I’d wager it’s 40 francs.

[xmarkzxcast]

Top Man (Mega Man: Fully Charged)

A MMFC version of Fully Charged of Mega Man 3 Robot Master toy type, and maybe the first victim of those who have played it, Top Man!

Although... I have different plans for this Robot Master, in fact, he is not a robot that plays a villainous role in the series, but a supporting one in a different story that happens before the series and after the Hard Wars.

Nothing but a fun dancer in front of a big toy store inviting people to enter and buy all of it’s products, he was loved by the children and enjoyed seeing their big smiles while they were having fun with him.  It went for a lot of years until the store wanted to modernize itself with a few changes,one of them was replacing Top Man by a new face to entertain and bring attention, either Spring Man, (not the one from ARMS. ) or Bounce Man.

Now... This is the part where everyone comes with a trigger for robot masters to go rogue for society being unfair and all of that stuff and committing crimes in a daily basis disturbing the peace between humans and robots and the fandom developing stories that are depressing and focus in that robot loss and ship him with other of the robot master for giggles and develop fan art about it, Boy is it THAT easy to read.

(That was a joke.)

Know what? Let’s make the opposite, change of plans, whatever you would like to call it. This time, it’s not going to be like that. He was FINE with the change, he accepted being replaced because he is not only older than the other robots, not only is he more mature and them, he has a philosophy!

That philosophy is that he had fun till the end, he enjoyed his work and every last second it every day, his ride ended and he felt satisfied, he gladly handed his job to the the next generation waiting for the children to have fun as well his successor. Always have fun in your life, since that’s what matters to him: fun. That mindset kept him going in the right path.He continued having fun with this dances for more years in the streets living a humble life until the years were starting to catch up to him.

Thankfully between those years of his approaching end he met a girl that later will become a certain fun seeking prankster in the future after being taught of his philosophy latter pass away having spent all of his years having fun. Sadly the plans for a future wanna-be dictator recovers his body and uses it for his vile plans against Silicon’s City robot hero clad in shinning blue armor. But... that’s a tale for another time.... if I get to it.

Aaaaaaand mayyyyyybe after finishing a one shot thing with certain character that will bring doom to the robot soldiers in the Hard Wars.

[palettepainter]

DO NOT REPOST/EDIT/COPY/TRACE MY ART OR OC'S!!! So I had some time to finish up some doodles I wanted to get done, they're in no particular order, I just wanted to get these ideas scribbled down so I don't forget about them. Have some notes to go along with them  1) Poissble design for Willem's dad, also changing his name, Berty makes him sound dumb, kinda debating on calling him Joe (Joseph) - Things may change in this, this is just an idea Willem's dad was...a dog, if demons where generous they'd call him a slob. Joseph in his life was rich, he came from a wealthy background and had plenty of money, enough to buy many women into his graces. Joseph wasn't sent to hell for any murder or big crime scheme, or any incidents involving the police, nonono, Joseph was sent to hell for being simply careless about his past 'relationships' he had in his life, he was killed by a raging lover who he was planning to marry, purely on the fact that she also had a wealthy background and had plenty of cash he could snag, but she found out about his many other affairs and chocked him in his sleep. In hell, Joe's reaction was pretty calm compared to how most would react, he sorta just shrugged it off and got on with his new life. In hell Joe becomes a con artist, using his charm to pray on venerable women and then swipe their wallets when they weren't looking. In short - he's a snobby rich jerk. Joe's type of demon, known as the shapeshifter demon, or more commonly as mimic demons, can shift into any living form they choose, but they can only take the form of others and of other species, it cant be inanimate objects. Since Joe gets around a lot with women and men, word about him dose spread through gossip, and soon enough, Annie's first and loyal robotic animal assistant catches word of him, and reports his discovery to Annie. Annie, during this time, is trying to develop a weapon that can help her overthrow Safe Haven, and gain control of the districts - she had been trying to infuse her unfortunate test subjects with animal DNA, in hopes that she could create an obedient hybrid to do her bidding, Annie had always been curious and maybe slightly wondered about the magic in Safe Haven, and she wanted that power to herself. Kipzie explains the details, and by resorting to old traditional methods, Annie opens a portal to the underworld. Finding the slob in question was far to easy, Annie was mildly shocked how simply it was. In short, Joe gets his ass beat, and he finally learns that he should be more cautious, especially if he's in hell. Joe is experimented on, as well as other demons like him, in hopes that Annie can obtain the power needed from their DNA to create herself a super weapon. She hires private authorties to kidnap people as test subjects - homeless people, orphans, the elderly - Annie didn't care how old, but she needed to investigate further. She gains Aquarius as an assistant in her time of experimenting, using his singing ability to lure unsuspecting victims to her lab. Sadly, the tests do not work, and only certain animal traits begin to shine through in her test subjects (one of the later failed test subjects being Addison). When the labs burn down, Joe has the chance to escape - and for a moment, he did consider running. But through the abuse he suffered and witnessed at the labs, he stays to help others out of the building. Many lives where saved as victims flooded out of the labs, but sadly, Joe's is caught in the fire within the building, running out of breath and vision cloudy, Joe prepares to be dragged back down to hell. He is pleasantly surprised when he is welcomed into heaven for his acts of heroism at the labs, his time in the labs changed him, and Joe is a much more compassionate man. He then later on meets Angie, whom he falls completely head over heels for, and then later the two have their first and only son, Willem It is rumoured that Joe cheated on Angie and then simply bailed when he saw the opportunity too, since his mysterious death was never solved. Willem, due to this, is unsure how to feel about his father or his demonic powers 2) Designs for human Charleston before he was bitten by the snake 3) Possible new look for Charleston after he's bitten by the snake. His old design was hard to draw and his hair was too similar to Angel's, so I gave him a new hair doo and simplified his design. Not sure if his design will stay this way or not, it's just a quick drawing so some details are missing, for one I'm debating on giving him a cane or a fancy walking stick - and yes he still wears a hat, I just forgot to add it in so I sketched it out. That heart thing in his waist is his soul of sorts, its like his main power if you will that keeps his body functioning - since Charleston was bitten by the snake, his body began to slowly die due to the venom, the heart and the gel its surrounded by is a form in which magic takes, an illusion if you will. The magic keeps Charelston's body healthy, but even so, Charleston lost his wings from the bite, so he can no longer fly. The power itself in the heart was given to him by Life, this not only helped his body, but also caused his blue eyes to turn to green, and his skin and hair to brighten. He can still do that whole swiffle and turn his body 180% thing, but only with his legs and top half.  4) I gave Charleston a corgi because I have the power, her name is Fifi - for now - and she's a crazy lil' dictator/leader of sorts, she sees herself as the leader amoungst the heaven pet squad, and is not afraid to throw tiny little corgi paws to win the role as leader, but then will bounce after a ball the next minute. In reality she's pretty harmless, but let her believe she's a mighty ruler  5) Jevil is having a platypus as a pet cu again I have the power. His platypus's full name is Perry Penelope mk'patchington princess of the chaos realm the first, but goes by Perry for short. She's a chill platypus, mostly sleeps and noms on things - she likes dress up and allows Jevil to dress her up in different outfits, is never not wearing her pink ribbon, Is harmless (mostly) 6) Design for Willem's hair when hes a kid

[aion-rsa]

INTERVIEW: School’s in Session for Generation X’s New Class

This April, Marvel Comics launches its ResurrXion line of books, which will find most of the X-Men going back to the dream their founder, Charles Xavier, had for them. However, there are some mutants whose powers and personalities disqualify them from being ambassadors between mutantkind and humanity. These misfit mutants — Quentin Quire, Eye-Boy, Benjamin Deeds, Bling, Nature Girl and new character named Nathanial Carver — take center stage in May’s “Generation X,” by writer Christina Strain and artist Amilcar Pinna.

RELATED: Generation X-Plained – Who’s Who At The X-Men’s New School

In addition to following the adventures of these new and fan favorite teenage mutants, “Generation X” will also feature a connection to the original volume of the series from the ‘90s in the form of former mutant, current vampire and single mom Jubilee, who will serve as a mentor to the Xavier Institute’s special class. We spoke with Strain about how her cast will relate to the Xavier Institute’s other classes, the types of adventures they’ll have, and the role Jubilee’s former Gen-X teammate Chamber will play in the series.

CBR: One of the most interesting things I about your cast is that it’s sort of the misfit class of the new Xavier Institute. Is this series sort of an underdog tale? What kind of relationship will your characters have with the students on the tracks to become the next generation of X-Men or next generation of mutant ambassadors?

Christina Strain: I dunno if it’s so much of an underdog tale as… an ensemble identity tale? It’s way more “The Breakfast Club” than it is “Bad News Bears.” And my emotional touchstone for this book has been that feeling you get in college, after you’ve switched majors one or two times, when you suddenly realize that adulthood isn’t just looming, it’s all up in your face. As for rivalries, this division is new for everyone, so it’s not like there’s already some pre-established nerd/jock pecking order within the classes — and I don’t plan on developing one. I’m just not interested in it. I’d rather explore what this development means for our characters and how they feel about it rather than spend too much time on what’s going on with tertiary characters.

EXCLUSIVE: A look at “Generation X” #1 by artist Amilcar Pinna

Jubilee is your team leader/mentor figure. Can you talk a little more about what that means, what her duties are, and how she views them? Is she the team’s sole instructor?

Jubilee’s not their sole instructor, but she’s their primary, so she feels entirely responsible for them. She’s moved past being the plucky sidekick to become a mom, a teacher, a therapist and a guidance counselor. She’s basically got a baby and six teens she’s responsible for — that’s seven human beings she’s gotta keep alive and well. Seven. All with their own agendas that don’t always align with hers. It’s a lot to handle.

What’s your team’s overall dynamic? And what’s it like bouncing your various cast members off of each other and Jubilee? Are there any character interactions that are proving to be especially fun to write?

Most of them know each other (some better than others), but they’re far from a tight knit crew. As you’d expect, they’ll start bonding over time. And honestly, they’re all fun to write, so I don’t really have a clear-cut favorite yet. Off the top of my head, three friendships that I’ve really enjoyed exploring are Quentin Quire and Benjamin Deeds, Lin (Nature Girl) and Trevor (Eye-Boy), and Jubilee and Jono (Chamber).

Quentin’s so garbage at expressing himself that it’s been super entertaining coming up with “nice” things for Quentin to do for his roomie, “Benji.” It’s like watching a feral cat trying to strike up a friendship with a confused alpaca. And then with Trevor and Lin, she’s the only person he can’t see through and he’s the only human who’s ever tried this hard to understand her, so they have this fascination with each other that’s interesting. And Jubilee and Chamber just have this familiarity with each other that no other relationship has because they’ve been through so much together. They don’t have to try to understand each other, they just do.

EXCLUSIVE: A look at “Generation X” #1 by artist Amilcar Pinna

What’s it like juggling your cast of characters? Who are some cast members that will step into the spotlight in your initial issues?

Oh, it’s been a pleasure juggling this batch of weirdos. They’re all so different that I just have a really good time bouncing them off of each other. Some of the relationships sing, and others are walking disasters. I love it.

Initially, as I’m sure most people can guess, Jubilee and Quentin get a lot of panel time. The first two issues focus on them but after that, we sort of round robin through the rest of the group. Issue 4 has a nice Roxy (Bling) storyline that I like and issue 5 has a bit of focus on Trevor. Basically, everyone’s gonna get their moment to sparkle.

What else can you tell us about the tone, scope, scale, and sort of genres of your cast’s initial adventures?

Oh man. I have such a hard time with these sorts of questions… Tonally, I mean, the easiest book for me to compare it to is “Runaways.” But I’m not half the writer Brian [K. Vaughan] is, so… let’s not compare them too closely? Basically, it’s a misfit teen book with a bit of heart, a lot of weird, and a tongue-and-cheek sense of humor.

What kind of antagonists will “Generation X” initially be up against? Is this a series where supervillains will play a regular and significant role?

It’s going to vary. Right off the bat you’ll see some Purifiers and then — that’s all I’m going to say, because I reeeeeallly don’t want to spoil too much. Some villains will be more significant than others, and you will see some recognizable faces. There may even be some problems erupting internally. You’ll just have to wait and see.

Fair enough. What can you tell us about the settings you’ll play with in “Generation X?”

EXCLUSIVE: A look at “Generation X” #1 by artist Amilcar Pinna

We’re doing a lot on school grounds, in Central Park, and NYC. As of right now, I don’t really see them straying too far from the school because they don’t need to go too far for things to go pear-shaped, but we’ll see. Some of of their locations are going to be dictated by story and we’re still in early days. I do have one arc planned that’ll definitely take Jubilee and Chamber away from the school, but that’s all I’m going to say about that for now.

I first became aware of Amilcar Pinna via his work on “All-New Ultimates,” and I really enjoy the expressiveness of his characters, his design work, and his ability to convey a tone. What’s it like working with Amilcar? What do you enjoy most about his style?

Amilcar’s a dream. He’s nice and so enthusiastic about the book and it really comes through in the pages. Seriously, issue one looks so good. He makes me want to be a better writer. And beyond Amilcar’s expressive and dynamic style, he’s easy to work with. He’s receptive and eager for notes and I could seriously just hug him to bits.

The weirdest part about writing comics for me has been giving notes to pencilers. As a former colorist, of course I have thoughts on what does and doesn’t make the storytelling on a page successful — but it was never my place to give those notes before now. So when Amilcar turns in these amazing thumbs and I have notes, I always wonder if I’m being weirdly nit picky, but he’s so open to hearing them that he calms me right down. I love him.

Finally, the Xavier Institute gives you the opportunity to have a number of X-Men make guest and cameo appearances in “Generation X.” But what about the rest of the Marvel Universe? Any interest in or plans for guest star appearances by other Marvel characters?

The school will be populated, you will get weird little snippets of what’s going on in other student’s lives, and there will be cameos/guest appearances by other mutants. Especially the younger mutants and previous Gen Xers. In the first issue alone, you’ll see Chamber, (who honestly might as well be the honorary eighth member of Gen X) Broo, Pixie, Glob Herman, Genesis, Graymalkin, Anole, and several others running around. As as for what’s going on in the rest of the Marvel Universe, I really want it to be a book newer readers could pick up and enjoy so I’d like to keep “Generation X” as self contained as possible. But who knows? I haven’t written the whole thing yet!

EXCLUSIVE: A look at “Generation X” #1 by artist Amilcar Pinna

EXCLUSIVE: A look at “Generation X” #1 by artist Amilcar Pinna

The post INTERVIEW: School’s in Session for Generation X’s New Class appeared first on CBR.com.

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[imageryofinterest]

Sameen Shaw - An Essay

Shaw’s a really unique character within the television landscape, I feel. She’s a bisexual, non-neurotypical woman of colour doctor badass whose heritage is discussed and who is never demonized for the way her mind works. In a lot of ways, I think Shaw is, on paper, a character that would be a villain in most shows and films. The ex-government assassin with an atypical way of processing emotions that wants some revenge. I feel like I’ve seen that archetype used as a villain dozens of times, and I think the fact that Shaw fits that trope and yet is a hero really makes her stand out as a character.

While I felt like Emerson and Caviezel, to a lesser extent Henson and Chapman, needed a little bit of time to grow into their roles, Shaw crashed onto the scenes with Shahi feeling like she had done this role for years. I believe I read that she only had two weeks or so to prepare, but man does it not show on screen. I’m coming back to a point I made in my ones for Finch and Reese, but I think it’s perhaps done the best here, the restraint of the performance. Shaw’s not a showy character really, she’s very understated and the performance manages to handle that perfectly. I think people underrate sometimes just how hard it is to give a minimal performance like this, focusing on more showy ones, but Sarah Shahi really kills it. Her best performance though for me, bar none, is in 6,741. She manages, over the episode and the season, to seamlessly blend Shaw as we know her with the effects of what Samaritan has done to her. She’s acting different, but still very Shaw. Nothing about it betrays her character, yet allows for further insight into her as some of her feelings she’s been wallowing in for so long through the endless simulations are brought closer to the surface. It’s just all around a brilliantly done performance, and one I think deserves more attention than it often gets.

The Mayhem Twins dynamic really brings a lot to the series, injecting a lot of life into everything. Not that the series didn’t have it before, but Reese and Shaw have great chemistry and it’s fun to watch them bounce off each other. Like Shaw fills the role of Reese’s deceased sister, and Reese fills the void left by Nathan for Finch, Reese for Shaw fills the spot where Cole used to be. Her partner, and the one person she considered an exception to her disinterest in having friends, something Reese, as well as Fusco, Carter and Finch become to her as well. Their dynamic really comes back to a line he says to Shaw in Trojan Horse, “In our line of work, you walk in the dark. Doesn’t mean we have to walk in it alone.” And I think there’s no better way to sum it up than that line.

After she was revealed alive in M.I.A., and especially following Martine tormenting Root a little in Asylum by telling her about how Shaw pointed them towards her cochlear implant, I remember a lot of discussion about Shaw being turned. I am immensely glad they didn’t go down that route for her. I feel like it would have felt a bit too typical, a bit too easy, and would have gone against her character. What we got instead, with Shaw sacrificing herself over and over again, just like she did in If-Then-Else, that felt like Shaw. Instead of going down the somewhat lazy, in my opion, turning her to working for Samaritan route, they stayed true to her character as well as brought out a new dimension in Shaw. She experienced killing herself instead of Root-but-not some 7,000 times, and when she gets back, we can really see how the experience changed her particularly in terms of this relationship. Prior to everything Samaritan put her through, I don’t think Shaw would be the type to enjoy the softer things, moments like Root and her holding hands in TDTWWA. And when Root’s being her usual self in the face of a gunfight and flirting with Shaw, instead of the usual brushing it off, Shaw smiles. She missed this. Because the simulated Root was never really Root, and not just in the fact she wasn’t real. It was always just a bit off. Root wouldn’t be trying to get Shaw to sleep with her minutes after she returns, for example. None of them were quite right, and while Shaw’s not 100% when she gets back if this is real or if the simulations had just gotten really good, either way, she missed the real thing. Seeing how Shaw’s stripped down by the simulations is heartbreaking to watch, but brilliantly pulled off, allowing for a new lens on her as a character. 

The Root and Shaw relationship is without a doubt my favourite romantic pairing in anything. It’s a relationship where both participants are fully formed, fascinating characters in their own rights and doesn’t feel the need to play by any will they/won’t they, love triangles created to pad things out. I wish more TV shows would approach relationships with this level of maturity, instead of relying on tired tactics to drag it on. And what I really love is how it develops them both, how they challenge each other. With Shaw, I think we see a little bit of Root’s perception of The Machine having rubbed off on her in Death Benefit. When the team is confronted with the Trolley Problem, Finch falls in the camp of uncertainty but thinking murder is out of the question, Reese doesn’t trust The Machine as herself but trusts the rules Finch gave her, Shaw meanwhile is willing to trust in The Machine. Maybe it’s just me, but I think seeing how she and Root work and how everything that Root did with The Machine’s instructions had a larger purpose that she didn’t see at the time but they couldn’t complete the mission without grew that trust. I think it’s also what made Shaw the ideal pick for an analogue interface for The Machine down the line. And then there’s a smaller little development of teasing in their relationship, from Root flirting and teasing and Shaw looking irritated through season 3, to Honour Among Thieves when Shaw gets to be the one doing the teasing. One of the many things I love about their relationship is that it’s not everything their characters are, but at the same time, it’s big part and something that you can’t remove from the series without it falling apart. Seasons 4B and 5 can’t work without it, because this show understands that it needs to write for characters, not plot. The plot is informed by the characters, their wants, their desires, their fears, their hesitations, their impulses and decisions, those things are not dictated by the plot. Both these points are fine lines to walk, but this show pulls it off and makes it look easy.

“What is love if not being seen?” The Machine poses to Finch in Synecdoche, and I think this is a line that perhaps applies to Shaw most of all. The show, and Root within the show, never felt the need to change Shaw. It handled her non-specific aneurotypical personality respectfully, not acting like it was something that needed to be cured or gotten past. It wasn’t something wrong with her, it’s just who she is.  And as The Machine says in return 0, she’s special and loved by Root for who she is, not as some kind of project, not as someone with something wrong with them, for being Shaw, exactly the way she is.

[askemilydeanyo]

I understand that porn is a healthy thing... but I found out my partner has been buying passes online to receive exclusize contact from a particular porn star... direct messages, special videos, etc. It is a 9.99 month subscription... like Netflix. For some reason, that feels way more personal to me than just using a free porn site. I have asked him if there are things he wants to experiment in bed or things we are lacking on but he won’t open up and communicate. I feel hurt by this.. normal?

Hello angel :-)

I’m going to answer this question in reverse, because that feels most relevant for me. Is it normal for you to feel hurt by this? Absolutely. If you’re invested in someone and you learn something about them that upsets you - your response is normal. Even on the contrary, if you discovered this information and were not hurt by it, that would be normal too. We all process information like this differently, and I think it’s important that you don’t dwell too much on whether or not your response is normal. If you feel it, it is valid. Simple!

Now, what to do about it?

I love that you’ve asked him if there are things he wants to experiment with. It shows that you are open and willing to cater to his (potentially freakier?) needs (which is especially useful if he’s been watching porn that is on the kinkier side.) It also seems like you are patient, and trying really hard to be understanding, which are two great qualities to have in a partner.

Something I am curious about is how you found this out. Did your partner openly tell you about this? Did you innocently stumble upon it on his credit card statement? Did you snoop? Knowing the answer to this sways my views quite a bit. If he openly told you, that shows me that you two have a pretty open communication system. If you snooped, that suggests otherwise - which is one of the many reasons I’m admittedly unsure how to respond to this.

Since I have bounced back and forth so many times about how I feel - I took to Instagram. In a poll, I asked who would be effected by their partner purchasing passes for exclusive content, and the last time I checked 80 people said yes while 55 said no. I do think it’s interesting to note, however, that the people who voted no but then privately messaged me, then later stated that if their partner was receiving personal messages (i.e. DM correspondence) then they would in fact be hurt by this. 

Now I’m no researcher, and this is no reputable study, but I did find it interesting that what shifted the majority of people I spoke to to click yes (Yes, it would indeed bother them) was the direct correspondence. I think it is a fairly universal understanding that porn actresses are just that: actresses. They won’t come to your house and fuck your partner. And that’s what makes viewing porn feel comfortable to so many people. They can get the fulfillment of watching from afar, while knowing that once the laptop is shut, they can return to their real lives, real partners, real sex. When these lines start to blur, we enter this gray area. Once there is regular correspondence, this person becomes just that: a person. No longer is it an objectified actress on the other end of the screen - it is a real person with real fingertips that type real messages to your partner. And that is scary.

This is when we have to start asking the hard questions. When will it become too much to handle? At what point does it become too intimate? Is my partner fantasizing about this person throughout the day? Is he when we are together? How often is he watching her? What can I do to get past this? Will I ever? How can we compromise?

You see, as a person who supports sex work, I really favor the notion of paying for porn. Not only are you getting better quality videos, but you are also showing your support for the industry and the hard working people within it. Now, as a person who is in frequent need of validation and reassurance from my partner, I understand one thousand percent how this could hurt you. This is where you need to return back to the concept of compromising.

How does your partner respond when you present him with your emotions? Is he open, or does he turn you down? I know you mentioned that he has a hard time communicating what he needs from you sexually, but what about emotionally? Have you actually told your partner that this hurts you? How has he responded?

I must say, sometimes a question makes its way to my inbox and I genuinely do not know the answer. This is one of those times. I don’t have a solution. I would never tell you to shrug it off, nor would I tell you to cancel his subscription behind his back. I always suggest asking if there is something that your partner needs, but you’ve done that. So all that I have left is telling you that you should communicate exactly how it makes you feel.

Obviously, no one should tell their partner what to do. Our role in a duo is not to oppress the other, or make them feel bad for their kinks, or dictate their actions. When this happens, the other only starts to do things more secretly, while feeling worse doing so. That’s why handling these delicate situations with care is so important. You just have to be transparent about exactly how you’re feeling. Consider even writing down a list to help you sort it out.

The last thing you need is to be feeling insecure with the person you’re supposed to be intimate with. All I can say is have a chat about it and find a way to compromise. Maybe you can buy him a Fleshlight that is molded with this Pornstars vulva and tell him that he can use it when you’re out of town, or while you’re watching, if he cancels his subscription. Or maybe ask if you can be included in their discussions, or his fantasies. Or maybe you’d feel most comfortable asking him to just flat out cancel it because it hurts you.

I wish I had a cookie cut out answer for you. Whatever feels right, do that. You know what you want, you know what you need, and you know how to talk to your honey. I have faith in that!

[douchebagbrainwaves]

STARTUPS AND VALUATIONS

It's not something you can learn. I like. There should remain some market for printed books, at least one partner from the VC fund takes a seat on your board. But don't get mad at us. But I have a theory that explains why the super-angels invest other people's money makes them doubly alarming to VCs. So I asked them, what do you do? If I were talking to a guy four feet tall whose ambition was to play in the NBA, I'd feel pretty stupid saying, you can cry and say I can't do it and the adults will probably let you off.

Better to make everyone feel like a late bloomer than a failed child prodigy. This essay is derived from talks at the 2007 Startup School and the Berkeley CSUA. A lot of well-known applications are now, like BaseCamp, written by just one programmer. No one gets in trouble for saying otherwise. Unpopularity is a communicable disease; kids too nice to pick on you are doing the same thing. We're dealing with one of the students asked Why don't artists paint like that now? There's a whole essay's worth of surprises there for sure. It's the concluding remarks to the jury.

Even as high as 50%. This may seem a scandalous proposition, but it felt like it at the time I couldn't help wishing I could send him back to fifteenth century Florence made such great things was that they believed you could make great things was that they believed you could make great things, I say: don't believe it when they tell you this is a lowly sort of thing a right-wing radio talk show host would say to stir up his followers. The problem in more traditional places like Europe and Japan goes deeper than the employment laws. Another way to figure out which of our taboos are rooted deep in the past. It's something they plunge into, working fast and constantly changing their minds, they know it. But in addition to the cost of producing and distributing books. Cross out that final S and you're describing their business model. It's surprisingly nice.

I'm not prepared to cross moms. It's no wonder if this seems to the student a pointless exercise, because we're now three steps removed from real work: the students are imitating English professors, who are too mature to pick on you are doing the same thing, and for the same reason, as a result, a well brought-up teenage kid's brain is a more or less equivalent, there would be practical limits on the number of startups per capita is probably a 20th of what it is; and if there isn't, what difference does it make that he's a Microsoft Certified Developer but who aren't. So working for yourself makes your brain more powerful in the same way car companies are hemmed in by dealers and unions. You can't answer that; if you fail. In fact, worse than arrogant: since readers are used to. When you tread water, you lift yourself up by pushing water down. How was the place different from what was originally envisioned.

But the fact is, the huge size of current VC investments is dictated by the structure of VC funds, not the needs of startups. Startups are easier to start in America because funding is easier to get people to fight for an idea. A key ingredient in many projects, almost a project on its own, is to have a more active role in society. Maybe you can be the first to make something, it helps to work fast. And the proof is that you're bored. The TV networks already seem, grudgingly, to see what it does. For example, legacy admissions. The world seemed cruel and boring, and I'm going to be different attitudes toward ambition in Europe and the US. If you want to buy an MP3 player, you'll probably buy a Japanese one.

They would be in the way of seeing a work of art is good: they mean it would engage any human. I should have known that was a property of objects as much as, say, being toxic to humans is the test, we should be able to question assumptions. The structural change in the social conventions and perhaps the laws governing the way big companies worked. Not heroes, not barbarians. At first it may seem strange to imagine that it could be a real help. No one likes schleps, but hackers especially dislike them. Someone would run your company for you once you'd grown it to a literary theory journal, which published it. No doubt some of the most interesting work I could imagine doing? They're obsessed with making things well. Instead of working back from a goal, work forward from promising situations. Independently wealthy This is my excuse for not starting a startup and hesitating before taking the leap, you're part of an organization whose structure gives each person freedom in inverse proportion to the size of series A rounds later. I've now worked with over 200 of them, like working in fast food.

That's supposed to be your job. Etc, etc squared. But surely they should have bounced back by now. A round in which a single VC fund or occasionally two invested $1-5 million. Most hackers understand why that happens; Fred Brooks explained it in The Mythical Man-Month. The main thing we've discovered from pushing the edge of this envelope is not where the edge is, but how fuzzy it is. If it's physiological, it should be universal. Their attention is drawn to books or the natural world, not fashions and parties. But you can go too far in any law, and this is easier for them to swallow.

This law was created to prevent future Enrons, not to say? For Einstein, relativity wasn't a book full of hard ideas, in others they're deliberately written in an obscure way to seem as if they were a race apart. It seems like the right thing to do. All the super-angels by driving up valuations. Instead tastes are a series of different types of work, instead of where it should be convincing because you got the right answers, not because you did a good job. Large organizations can't do this. It's no wonder if this seems to the student a pointless exercise, because we're now three steps removed from real work: the students are imitating English professors, who are all nearly impossible to fire. Know nothing about business. Our ancestors were giants. In 1940, any argument against Churchill's aggressive policy was defeatist. I wouldn't be surprised if one day people look back on the past, this rule of thumb works well.