#underdog ventures

[andrescasciani]

¡Acaba de editarse en España! "Del Fondo" de Vicente Muñoz Alvarez, ilustrado por Andrés Casciani. Libro-álbum editado por Underdog Ventures (2024) Disponible en librerías y en underdog@underdogventures.art andrescasciani.com

[titsthedamnseason]

i’m only on like page 2 but i’m here for the well of ascension drama like what do you meeeeeeaaaaaan the approaching army is elend’s own FATHER i am SEATED for this !!!!

[harley-the-pancake]

Apparently H hates Hannah

Personally, I can’t wait for H to find out

[sokosmic]

Love, Values & Money:

Venus Thru the Houses

Venus, often known as the planet of love, beauty, and money, holds a profound influence in astrology, symbolizing what and how we value life's treasures. It governs our affection, the way we express love, and our aesthetic preferences, shaping our attractions and the pleasure we derive from art, beauty, and social interactions. Beyond the realms of the heart, Venus also dictates our financial wellbeing, highlighting paths to prosperity through what we cherish and find joy in. It reflects our approach to money, from earning to spending, emphasizing the importance of harmony and satisfaction in our material pursuits. Essentially, Venus serves as a guide that illuminates our desires, and defines our sense of beauty. It also steers our financial ventures towards fulfillment and balance. Understanding Venus's placement and aspects in a birth chart can unlock secrets to navigating relationships, financial success, and uncovering what truly brings us joy.

Venus 1st House -

You love working on your self-image. You value your independence. You make money through your creative pursuits. You love sticking up for the underdog. You value confidence. You make money in leadership positions. You love showcasing individual expression. You value authenticity and charm.

Venus 2nd House -

You make money in the food industry. You value your own self-worth. You love material comfort. You make money in real estate or business related fields. You value sensuality, physical touch, and gifts. You love creating an aesthetically pleasing environment. You make money in joint ventures or by building partnerships. You value being rewarded for hard efforts. You love luxury items. You make money with wise investments or through avenues that appreciate value over time.

Venus 3rd House -

You value your mind. You love to talk. You value good communication. You make money in your local community. You value your siblings. You love a nice vehicle. You make money in sales or commerce. You value facts or the opportunity to learn new things. You love to research. You make money as a researcher or writer. You love taking short trips.

Venus 4th House -

You value family. You love your mother. You make money in real estate or by having a family business. You love your childhood memories. You value security or being secure. You love emotional expression. You make money working from home. You value your intuition. You love being a homebody. You make money researching history.

Venus 5th House -

You value creativity and pleasure. You love expressing yourself through artistic or creative endeavors, finding joy in romance and leisure activities. You make money through the arts, entertainment industry, or any field that allows your creative juices to flow. You value joyful experiences and love affairs. You love investing into creative projects. You make money in businesses related to leisure and entertainment.

Venus 6th House -

You value service, health, and daily routines. You love helping others and are passionate about improving well-being for yourself and those around you. You make money in health care, the wellness industry, or services aimed at enhancing others' lives. You love animals or caring for people or animals that require help. You value efficiency and practical solutions. You make money in administrative roles or businesses focused on efficiency or making improvements.

Venus 7th House -

You value relationships and partnerships deeply. You love when interactions are harmonious and fair. You make money in legal fields, counseling, or through partnerships that require a balanced approach. You love social gatherings and networking. You value collaboration and partnerships. You make money via marriage or from a partner. You value compromise and diplomacy.

Venus 8th House -

You love exploring the depths of relationships. You value transformation, intimacy, and shared resources. You make money in finance, investments, or managing other people's resources. You love researching occult topics and taboo subjects. You value psychoanalysis or digging into fields dealing with crisis or trauma. You make money with an esoteric or occult business.

Venus 9th House -

You value adventure, philosophy, and higher learning. You love traveling and exploring different cultures. You make money through education, publishing, or international business or travel. You value freedom of belief and wisdom. You love engaging in philosophical debates and spiritual quests. You make money from religious or spiritual leadership, or as a cultural ambassador.

Venus 10th House -

You love achieving goals and gaining recognition. You value aspects of career, reputation, and your public image. You make money in high-ranking positions, the arts, or public relations. You love to plan and structure for success. You value ambition and responsibility. You make money in entrepreneurship or industries that value tradition and prestige.

Venus 11th House -

You value friendships, community, and your goals for the future. You love social reform and working within groups. You make money through technology, innovation, or community-driven projects. You value individuality and collective progress. You love unique expression and the freedom to be authentic. You make money in networking and social movements, such as non-profit organizations or social enterprises.

Venus 12th House -

You love spending time alone. You value your spiritual connection to Source. You value your privacy. You make money working remotely or in isolated environments. You love visiting far away lands. You make money from embracing your spiritual path. You love fantasy genres. You value compassion. You make money working in hospitals or prisons.

[artbyblastweave]

I was wondering if youd read Hench yet.

I feel like the premise and the start were solid, and the main character's framing of superheroes through a strict environment cost-benefit analysis was interesting.

But it feels weird that in it's criticism of heroes it just sorta...gave villains a pass. Plus the incredibly loose world building, which early on was a strength in establishing the "you know how this works", vibe, but as the book progresses and the plot hinges increasingly on old interpersonal drama, it's suddenly a big gaping hole.

These are my broad criticisms of it, yeah.

Full disclosure- this is the book I was vagueing about a couple months ago, the one where I got annoyed because the back cover copy was pulling the "no ethical consumption under capitalism" card in relation to working as a henchman, in a way I found disingenuous given that many supervillains are on the face of it much, much worse for the world than the average tech start-up- particularly the kind of supervillain with a staff. But I also thought it would be disingenuous to bitch a book out purely on the grounds of its back-cover marketing department copy, so I bought it and read it. And unfortunately the final roundup on that tension appears to be that villains aren't that bad, are they? Maybe even kinda girlboss even!

Bulleted list under the cut!

The opening is strong, and gave me high hopes, specifically because of how it seemed to be aware of these tensions. Anna, our protagonist, opens as a temp in the employ of a sleazy c-list supervillain who's performative in his interest in his staff's wellbeing but doesn't hesitate to put his interns and temps in the meat-grinder for a leg-up; even a decisive loss to an A-list hero is a way to climb the ladder if you're a C-list villain. On the other side you've got superheroes who are horrifyingly cavalier with the lives of anyone they've deemed to be "on the other side." The protagonist is framed collateral damage in the grand idiot melodrama between two sides that don't give a shit about the lives of the little people in distinct but interlocking ways, and that's pretty compelling- particularly because at this point we're still coloring within the lines of the typical genre paradigm! That mutual self-centered apathy, the ways in which people get pigeonholed into specific roles in the melodrama that define and dehumanize them, drove seven seasons of The Venture Brothers, and now we get the tragicomic spin on that dynamic, we get a story told from the perspective of one of the henchmen or random civilians who get callously offed as part of a sight gag about how awful all of these people are!

That's not where it goes, though. @st-just has a pretty great writeup where they point out that for a story driven by the premise of heroes that cause immense collateral damage and use their institutional influence to dodge the consequences, the story is oddly incurious about the level of damage that Leviathan's enormous criminal organization does in the course of its operations; how many people have died because of all those superweapons he's handing out to lower-level villains? It's all oddly bloodless, and it feels like it keeps pulling back at the last second from the protagonist truly suffering moral injury- or from acknowledging that moral injury. Given how much of her plan involves waging psychological warfare on heroes until they snap publicly, there's a bit of an eric-andre-who-would-do-this vibe coming from then pinning that collateral purely on the heroes. I never got a good read on how self-aware the story is about the fact that Anna very, very quickly becomes attached to real tangible power in a way that makes her underdog framing feel extremely hollow; how quickly she becomes like her former boss, arraigning henchmen in the line of fire for the sake of the Grand Plan. One of those stories where it keeps gesturing but I can't tell the extent to which it intends to commit with a sequel.

The worldbuilding, as you mentioned, is an issue, because there's a failure to clarify quickly enough the larger systems that incentivize the heroes and villains- in fact, it often feels like the characters are operating from within different incentive systems, from different settings. The early sections of the book read like a "Silver-Age-taken-seriously" situation, similar to The Venture Brothers- the casual levels of temp-agency integration, card-carrying supervillain-as-tech-start-up boss, and of course, the myopic violence of free-agent cowboy cop vigilantes-slash-celebrities who never get called to account for it. Halfway through there's a pivot and now there's a Draft, capital-D, and it turns out that this has actually been a superhuman registration setting the whole time? "Supervillains" are actually just any superhumans who don't toe the line? "Superheroes" are screened for in middle schools and separated from their families? That's, uh, not completely incompatible with the aforementioned dynamic but it's a bit of a kludge! There are beats that are really great- Quantum relocating from New Zealand for a chance to partner with Supercollider only to end up subordinated for sexist-marketing reasons, the fucked nuclear family shit going on with Flamethrower and his kids and with the Ocean Four- that imply a level of individual career discretion on the part of the heroes that you'd need to do some work to square with whatever pressures are being exerted by the higher powers. It's actually pretty important who's calling the shots here and to what extent! If the climax is predicated on wanting to overthrow the system you need to make that system consistently visible and legible through the rest of the book!

As you mentioned, the book also pivots into there being a deep interpersonal drama that propels the back half; Leviathan turning out to actually be a former superhero who was dramatically wronged in a morally clear-cut way by Supercollider, who murdered his mentor for inside-baseball cape politics reasons and had this covered up. I've got really mixed feelings on this, because although the seeds of something fascinating are here it feels like one of the ways in which the book is hedging itself. Supercollider's callous but genre-standard disregard for hench lives isn't grounds enough to condemn him, no, he also has to have committed some off-duty murders as well, and he's a shitty boyfriend on top of that, he's a supervillain dressed like a superhero. We get Leviathan's justified grievance, and spectacular violence enacted on agents of an obviously evil system, but no up-close-and-personal villainy- he's functionally a hero with a villainous aesthetic (and a smattering of anecdotes about awful shit that he's done, but the story isn't interested in really making us feel it in the way that it is with Supercollider.) There's a beat that I really liked, where Quantum tells Anna that their respective villainous and heroic bosses care far more about beating each other than they do about the women in their lives or anyone else working under them. I think it was a grave misstep that this turned out to not be where the book went; making it so that there actually is a clear-cut good guy and bad guy in the Leviathan/Supercollider conflict, that they're fighting over something that matters, pushes the entire story dangerously close to what I term "Banal Hatswap" territory.

For more of a vibes-based criticism; and easily my most uncharitable; the entire story is written in a register of self-righteousness, and I have a hard time separating what's meant to be the biased viewpoint of the protagonist from what's meant to be the author Displaying The Correct Applause Lights for Twitter. You've got a protagonist who cracks a one-liner about supporting Penal Abolition.... who also puts out a hit on a guy who slowly dies horribly of sepsis as a result. A one-liner about a female superhero's "suspicious WASP" vibes, right before she emotionally manipulates said hero and arranges to have her kid kidnapped. "It's not my job to kinkshame, buuut," right before proceeding to leverage the embarrassing sexual proclivities of a superhero who's roundly characterized as boorish and misogynistic in conjunction with that. Bemoaning how Quantum, a strong heroine of color, is subordinated and put through the wringer by the patriarchal marketing machine, before acting as the major practical driver in the total collapse of said heroine's life. (This one is the one the protag displays the most self-awareness about, which might be related to the subtext that said superheroine is a potential love-interest.) Grandstanding about and predicating the whole plot on how all human life is valuable and villains don't deserve to receive life-changing brutality.... before being party to Quantum's graphically-detailed levels of payback against her shitty ex Supercollider, I mean we're talking like arc 14 Vicky Dallon levels of body horror and violation here, in borderline pornographic detail. All of this feels like either a very clever reproduction of how the very online know how to say all the right things to launder the fact that they constantly do all the wrong ones.... or it's just. an unreconstructed example of the thing. I can't tell, but the back-and-forth bothers me a lot. It's a situation where it becomes super fucking obvious how much Worm benefited from constant alternate-POV interludes; getting any of this from the head of someone other than Anna would go a long way for me.

Ultimately the book heavily depends on my sympathy for overeducated, temporarily embarrassed white collar computer touchers who throw in with evil worldwrecking conglomerates in exchange for dental. Unfortunately I think we all just axiomatically have it coming and superheroes would ideally pulverize way more of us so there's a level on which I was lost from the word go

Now, for the sake of a balanced assessment I'm going to go over a bunch of the ideas in the book that I did think worked really well:

As mentioned, the opening is extremely strong; the nightmare existence of living paycheck to paycheck as a temp, juiced up by the genre-elements, the slice-of-life hardscrabble existence of a woman at the bottom of the economic totem pole constantly having her attempts at a life worth living blown up by her proximity to this nonsense. Having a date break down because you have to drive your maimed henchman friend to the ER is a fucking amazing beat. Unfortunately the narrative moves away from this low-level approach very quickly, because a lot of what's going on with this thing is that it's a specific strain of power fantasy- a significantly-more-competently-executed version of a kind of villain-falls-for-his-hardworking-assistant Wattpad romance. That's not a pejorative or a criticism, just a kind of power fantasy that requires an end-of-act-one escape from the nightmarish mundanity in order to function. But I like the nightmarish mundanity! Bring back the nightmarish mundanity

The book has some great beats about the intersection of superheroics and women's issues. In a nod to the plight of superheroines from the silver-age and earlier, Quantum Entanglement is a superheroine with reality-warping levels of firepower who's constantly forced to downplay her own presence and individuality in order to help juice up the brand of her male partner Supercollider; in the climax it's revealed that this extended to subtly using telekinesis to create the false impression he's capable of independent flight, which is, implicitly, this settings version of Superman's transition to flight from really big jumps. There's a tendency for superheroines to get big power-bumps in conjunction with an arc about succumbing to a very gendered insanity- Malice and Avengers Disassembled being two prominent examples I can think of- and Quantum's eventual break from the monstrous Supercollider feels like commentary on this. In another one-and-done beat you have the heroine Abyssal, whose career is on the verge of being derailed by her third pregnancy; the catch is that she's a member of what's implied to be a family team (think New Wave or the FF) and her pregnancies are laced through with expectations and hopes that the kids will exhibit powers and be able to pad out the roster. By the end of the book she's mentioned to have been permanently benched, and another member of her team is killed "on-screen-" but that's alright! We've got her three kids waiting in the wings! A deeply grim superheroic spin on a very real kind of patriarchal pressure to set your own career aside to perpetuate your family. Compellingly fucked in all the worst ways.

There's a one-off beat about a nursing home for retired superheroes who are having difficulty controlling their powers in their old age, and it's portrayed as a fucking warzone; dementia-ridden psychics and pyrokinetics constantly inadvertently chewing through the staff and causing gigantic disasters. I think the age-based incontinence of superpeople- and the damage they can cause through no fault of their own- is a really underexplored area for superhero deconstructions, one adjacent to a lot of real-life problems faced by caregivers, and often problems that have no good answers. Near and dear to my heart, this particular problem.

The character of Supercollider is compelling down many of the same lines that Homelander is compelling; a "Superman" figure constructed by marketing-department fiat, with no identity of his own, difficult for the characters to sincerely hate in the end simply because it's impossible to determine where the marketing copy indoctrination stops and the hollow shell of a human begins, Surrounded by a meticulously constructed, rotating "Bat Family" extended cast that are his only semblance of human connection despite how immensely distant he is from them in every way that matters; the designated love interest with whom he's going through the motions, an utterly superfluous sidekick he's implied to be grotesquely co-dependent with to the point that his efforts to keep him safe in the field is a major driver of the collateral damage he does. Most of this we get third hand as Anna is mincing his support-system from the outside in, but the implied inside baseball is genuinely gloriously fucked, and I'd love to have seen some of it go down from the inside.

Anyway, 2.5 out of 5. Good ideas and character concepts that desperately needed more room to breathe, fun worldbuilding beats that desperately needed fleshing out to give those ideas and character concepts that room. Genuinely, this should have been a 1.7 million word web serial.

[ladyveronikawrites]

DOMINATE THE GAME

Pairing: Noah Sebastian x Female Reader

CW: 18+ MNDI, Coach/athlete au, coach athlete sexual relationship [all parties regardless of being fiction are of legal age of consent]

The National Women’s Soccer League Anti-Harassment Policy: This policy prohibits the use of coercion, force, intimidation, or Power Imbalance to pursue sexual contact or an intimate relationship of any sort.

The story includes: oral (male receiving), vaginal fingering, p in v sex, mentions of contraceptives. If I missed anything please let me know💜

This is real person fiction; Fiction based on real people in fictitious situations.

A/N: Huge shout out to @nerdraging4point0 for helping me with this fic, holding my hand every step of the way as I venture into new waters. Coach Davis caused a bit of a frenzy in my server and well here we are. Also, check out her coach au, Underdog 🥎

word count: 2.5k

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It’s your third lap around the track and you see him talking with your coach on the sidelines. Coach Davis is back for his third week of observation. Whatever that means. He hasn’t said a single word to you or the other players. You barely remember his voice since he only whispers from the sidelines at your coach and has only addressed the team to introduce himself on the first day. Not even a “congratulations” when we won our last game last week. 

Nothing.

You huff as you pass the pair slowing your pace just enough to roll your eyes at Coach Davis in his stupid sunglasses, boring varsity hoodie-from a rival college no less, and his fucking lame ass dad baseball cap. 

“You’re going to regret that.” Suddenly the air expels from your lungs, leaving you wheezing and coughing. Easing your pace to a steady jog, you gather your breath as you close the distance between you and your best friend Kate. 

“You ok? I saw you having a fit over there after you passed Coach Davis.” This time you fake a coughing fit to cover up the burning in your cheeks and the strange feeling in your stomach as his name rolls around in your brain like a terrible game of racquetball.

“Yeah, fine,” you say between forced coughs before ending your charade by clearing your throat and then spitting into the grass field beside you. 

“Yeah, ok whatever you say,” your best friend rolls her eyes as you grin back at her. Just then, Coach Chris blows his whistle and you and Kate pick up the pace,  joining the team at the benches.  Folding your arms to match him, you narrow your eyes at the to-be-assistant coach. 

“Coach Davis will be leading practice today as I have a club meeting right now. He will take good care of you, I have faith in him.  Remember we have an away game Saturday morning, be at the field at 7 am for warm up before we commute.” 

“Yes Coach,” we all respond in unison. Coach Chris nods at you knowingly, the captain of the team, before sauntering off the track. 

“We are going to do things a little differently today,” his voice is low and soft as he scans over the team but you can feel his intense gaze land on yours through his tinted sunglasses. He speaks straight into your soul “You all have great potential, I want to see it. I want to feel it!” 

Your heart jumps into your throat as you wait for what comes next. Coach Davis drags the whistle from around his neck to press against his plump lips. Instantly, your mouth goes dry, and something strange stirs in your belly as you stare just a moment longer. You don’t hear the tinging of the whistle, lost in thought about what his lips would feel like pressed against yours. 

Transfixed, you don’t recognize the flurry of bodies surrounding you until you hear your name being screamed into your ear. “Hello!? Don’t make me repeat myself!” Coach Davis towers over you glaring, “Get out onto the field, now!” You bow your head slightly, balling your hands into fists as you swallow down the humiliation. Your stomach bubbles with rage and your shoulders tense. You've been playing soccer since you were 6 and this prick dares to tell you how to play. 

“Yes, Coach,” you say through gritted teeth, jogging to Kate but she isn't in her usual spot. Fucking Bastard. He has us set up for the ‘Drill from Hell’ as we call it. We never do it with Coach Chris because it just doesn't work for our team. 

“I see some concerned eyes and whispers. If you don't like the way I coach you can get the FUCK OFF MY FIELD!” 

My Field. Your knuckles turn white as you grind your teeth.  No one breathes. No one moves a muscle. The only sound is the high-pitched shrill of the whistle.

We run this drill three more times before Jessie faints, abruptly ending the practice. “She'll be fine. Sydney get her water and a protein bar.” Coach nonchalantly before stalking off the field.

What the fuck. 

When you make your way to check on Jessie, she's alert and drinking water. “How are  you?” You ask, looking between her and Sydney. Syd looks rattled and Jessie has some color back into her face.  

“Yeah, I'll be ok. There was a party last night-” 

“Alright, I get it,” you raise your hand cutting her off before giving Syd a sympathetic smile.  When Jessie gets this way,  Coach Chris just lets her sit out of practice. But this practice was far from normal.  You follow Jess and Syd into the locker room to find it deserted. Figures Kate would bail. 

Sighing, you open your locker to check your phone.  You get a poor excuse from Kate as to why she abandoned you and as you sling your bag over your shoulder your phone chimes. Your jaw drops to the floor. It's Coach Davis, but in a tight white tank top and his short hair slicked back.  He's covered in tattoos. Mother fuck.

<Kate: God, he's hot 

I can't do this right now.  You slam the locker shut and collapse against it. Groaning, you screw your eyes shut tight and pinch the bridge of your nose in a feeble attempt to ground yourself. You hope you never see Coach Davis again. Who died and made him God, like the fuck. Has he even coached a day in his life? 

You push off the locker and say goodbye to Jessie and Syndey before heading out the door. Somehow you find yourself at Coach Chris' office just a few doors away from the locker room. Your hand hovers over the doorknob as your brain battles between running away and giving Coach Davis a mouthful, you are the captain of the team after all, and Coach Chris has supported you since day one. 

“Coach I need to-” Your hasty demand dies instantly and your feet turn into cement when you spot Coach Davis doing push-ups in front of Coach Chris’ desk. 

“99, 100!” Coach Davis grunts as he jumps up from the ground when he turns to face you, all of your pent-up tenacity and wit plummets to your stomach. “I knew you’d come,” Coach Davis smirks as he wipes himself off with a towel. His glistening muscles flex with every minute movement. How could something so simple be so arousing?

“I- uh,” your brain short circuits as you track his flexing back muscles when he turns to throw the used towel into the corner of the room. He leans back against the coach’s desk and crosses his legs at the ankles, folding his arms around his chest.

“Spit it out already,” he barks. You try to swallow down the words you know will get you in trouble, but the lump in your throat gets in the way. His annoyed gaze spikes your anxiety. It’s all too much- his deep voice and damp hair sticking to the side of his face…. 

Wait, is that a scar from a dermal piercing? Fuck me. 

The words tumble from your parted lips before you can shove them away and bury the thoughts of a pierced and tatted Coach Davis. 

“Fuck me-” Before the last syllable echoes through the silent room, your eyes go wide and your hands instantly cover your mouth as you begin to retreat. Your eyes go wide when your back hits the wall with a thud. Your shoulders tense and breathing shallows as you wait for your harsh discipline. His features stay neutral except for a small curl of his pouty lip. Did he just smile?

“I’msosorrycoach-” you stammer out an apology when he pushes himself from the desk. Your heartbeat skyrockets as he takes a step closer to you. “I should go.”

Your cheeks flame red as you turn to leave. Your hand is just about to make contact with the doorknob when you find yourself being harshly spun around. Slamming to a solid chest, all of the air expels from your lungs, leaving you stunned and breathless. He doesn’t give you time to adjust your stance before pushing you against the wall, leaning over to lock the door and close the blinds before caging you in his toned tattooed arms. 

“Come on now, where’s the fight?” Your blood boils as a smug smirk spreads across his face. “You are the captain of the team? Aren’t you?” He sneers, flashing his canines right in your face. 

I want to wipe that smug smile off of his face, your thoughts turn dark. You know he is your superior and you’d lose your scholarship in an instant if someone found out. But there’s something about this moment, it’s exhilarating and you think he wants it too.

Coach Davis leans in to inhale your scent before stepping back. You force your expression neutral as he casually cracks his neck before clearing his throat. “Let’s try this again,” he huffs. “You are the captain of the team? Aren’t you?” He all but screams in your face.

“Yes, Coach.” Your usual confidence springs back into your voice as you stare intensely back at him. If he wants to play, then game fucking on. 

“Then lead!” His voice booms loud in your ears as he closes the distance. You suck in a breath as he leans down at nips at your earlobe.

“Lead. Me.” He bites out through clenched teeth. 

Lead me. He wants me to do what?! 

Then it hits you like a freight train; him- his pheromones mixed with a bite of bergamot that is softened by vanilla. When you take another breath to calm your mind, your system is bombarded by him. The ache between your thighs is answer enough. 

“Don’t make me-”

“Kiss me!” Before you have a chance to take it back and ruminate on the consequences of your actions, large hands clasp around your face in a vice grip as full lips crash into yours. At first, your body tenses to his touch, but when he moans into your open mouth, you melt like putty in his hands. It’s all tongue and teeth as you both fight for air, fight for dominance- and this time you aren’t giving up so easily. You shove him in the chest breaking your heated kiss and you laugh at his shocked expression. 

“Fiesty little on-”

“Pants off. Now,” you demand. 

In an instant, his pants and boxers are pooling at his ankles, his hard cock springing to life. Goddamn, he’s covered in tattoos. Your pussy flutters around nothing as you bite down on your lip hard, tasting copper. 

“I wanna hear you,” you say cooly as you sink onto your knees. You spit on your hands before wrapping them around the base of his shaft, jerking him a few times. Peering up at him through your thick lashes you add, “I wanna feel you come undone.” 

Coach Davis groans as you take him in your mouth. You dig your nails into his thick thigh muscles earning a hiss and a curse as you take him deeper until you gag. Wrapping your hands around the rest of him, you hollow your cheeks sucking him harder. Bobbing your head up and down, he curses your name. You know he’s close so you double your efforts. Suddenly, pain shoots through your scalp as fingers grip your hair pulling you off him. 

“As much…” Coach Davis pants. “I want you to keep going, I-” Coach Davis grips the back of your neck pulling you up to him. He latches his lips to yours, all-consuming. Wrapping your arms around his waist, you snake your hands under his shirt, using your fingernails to claw at his back. 

“Fuck,” he groans against your lips. Coach Davis leans back to drag his hands over the desk knocking papers and folders to the ground before gripping you by the hips and hoisting you onto the edge of the desk. You squeal when your feet lift from the ground but it instantly melts into a moan when he spreads your legs apart and slides your panties to the slide before shoving a slender finger inside your slick walls.

“That all you got Coach?!… oh fuck!” he sinks another finger in without warning. He finger fucks you until your legs start to tremble and then he pulls out. 

“I’m on the pill!” you blurt out as you watch him line up his red angry cock against your entrance. “I’m clean too, I just got tested last week.” You don’t know why you tell him this as your heart pounds in your chest. Maybe it’s to help calm your nerves or to urge him on. His eyes turn dark at your confession.

“Good. Girl.” He punctuates each word with a shove of his thick member. 

The little support your propped-up elbows give out almost instantly as he drills into rough and relentless. You lay back and shut your eyes, giving into the sensations as the coil in your core winds up tighter. A loud groan rumbles from your throat and suddenly a hand clamps over your lips. 

“Only quiet girls get to come, got it?” Your breathing becomes labored but you manage to move your head slightly in understanding.

Coach Davis grips your hips tighter, skin slapping, bringing you closer to the edge when he hits the spongy sweet spot. Instantly, your fingernails find purchase on his tattoos forearms. 

“Oh my god, you’re close, aren’t you…God you feel so good… come on, let go and co-”

All of a sudden the doorknob giggles. “Fuck,” Coach Davis curses under his breath as he pulls out of you. “Under the desk, quick.” You dive under the desk just as his footsteps cross the room.

“Coach Cerulli,” there’s a rasp in Coach Davis’ voice when he answers the door. 

“I was ju-” There’s a pause when Coach Chris clears his throat. “Never mind, I’ll…uh come back later.” 

“What do yo-” is the last thing you hear before the door shuts, leaving you alone in Coach Chris’ office. 

A few heartbeats pass and you muster the courage to leave. You stroll from Coach Chris's office, looking both ways down the hall to ensure you aren't caught. Walking down the hall with a stupid grin on your face you stop in your tracks when a pair of angry voices carries to your ears, echoing off the walls of the empty hall. 

“I’m not stupid, Davis, your ruffled clothes, the papers on the floor… for fucks sake.” Coach Chris's voice is stern and loud. “You need to end this now before it gets out of control.” You hear the shuffling of feet and incoherent grumbles.

“What did you say?” Coach Davis asks.

Chris sighs, “There was this player on a softball team I coached..” his voice trembles a little bit. You cover your mouth turning on your heel quickly to head down the opposite hall.

Back at your off-campus apartment, you scroll through your texts to find that Kate will be out late despite an early game tomorrow. Relief floods your system as you plop down on your bed, knowing you won’t be faced with an unwanted interrogation. You are about to put your phone on dnd for the night when a text from an unknown number pops up. Your stomach tightens, he got the note you left in the mess of papers on the floor… but what if it’s not Coach Davis?

<Since I got you nice and warmed up, ready for practice?

Coach Davis?>

<Of course, my good girl

How can I be sure?>

<Would Coach Cerulli send you this?

Your mouth drops to the floor at the picture, the size of him. Arousal heats your core as the memory of him and your unfinished business.

Fuck it.

Yes, Coach, I’m ready for practice.>

tysm for reading! read part two here

[its-me-jane-lane]

thinking about movies the gang would be into:

quinn is the easiest. i think the early 2000s romcom wave would absolutely floor her. she might even grow closer to daria as she realizes that a lot of them are modern adaptations of classic literature. she’d start reading classic romances and realize she actually enjoys them? definitely seeing her as a fan of clueless, mean girls, ten things i hate about you. also less mainstream, but party girl is so quinn coded. you’d probably have to force her to watch it, but she’d come out the other end as a huge fan.

daria would definitely appreciate a good social commentary, with emphasis on the absurd ones. cronenberg and lynch feel like safe spaces for her to venture, but i can also see her liking pre-codes and ingmar bergman. my gut says videodrome, persona, and the passion of joan of arc.

jane is into the art of the grotesque, but not without some greater narrative purpose. this extends to both beautifully deranged queer films (waters, almodóvar), and violent horror with a heart (creating a minor overlap with daria’s cronenberg roots). pink flamingos, dark habits, the fly.

trent wouldn’t be a big movie guy, but i can see him being into brendan fraser’s comedy era, with emphasis on airheads and monkeybone. maybe also encino man.

jodie not only cares a lot about her identity as a black woman, but like daria, she’d love a good social commentary. i can see her having a deep connection with set it off, though her favorite director would ultimately be spike lee. do the right thing is 100% in her top four. her and daria’s idea of a good social commentary can differ, but they get along a lot in their overlap. she does, however, occasionally fall for the charm of a bad rom/com/dram, she’d just never admit it out loud. she’s shown mack plenty he could blackmail her with though, if he ever wanted to.

he won’t though. mack doesn’t mind, as he ends up liking them too, but he’d love a comedic or underdog sports story. i unfortunately don’t know enough of those to give specifics on that, though. maybe white men can’t jump?

kevin and brittany watch kids movies but this isn’t a bad thing. it’s (implied) canon that kevin likes (the daria equivalent of) the muppets, so those are his go-to films. he loves the celebrity cameos, but doesn’t know their names, so he goes, “that’s that guy from that thing, or whatever!” i think brittany would like the animated barbie movies (and actually secretly understand the deeper themes in the later canon)!

[valyrfia]

I have to way I'm a bit surprised by all the hate charles gets and all the support carlos gets

I used to think charles was more popular

I guess when it comes to Fandom he does have a bigger one, but I think general audiences seems to support carlos more

Maybe it's underdog narrative idk. Like charles is constantly called spoiled, brat, whiny etc whenever he says ANYTHING that isn't super nice, while carlos can bitch as much as he want and barely gets called out

Fandom is always a bubble. I'd say the top two drivers in fandom are probably Charles, Max, and Lando because they're the ones that are popular with younger audiences. It's certainly not true outside. Sure, there's an RPF to fandom, but I think it's also worth noting as well if you're in F1 fandom, you're probably a more avid viewer of the sport than most casual fans, so things like Max's current domination are made more interesting by knowing the ins and outs of his journey, and it's easier to reject anti-Charles viewpoints because when you watch a drive like Suzuka in real time and look at the data afterwards, you understand why the past four WDCs think him generational, and why Carlos is a GOOD driver, indisputably, but has a deficit of skill in comparison to Charles which is masked with luck.

Also ultimately, it's a difference in what type of PR sells to different generations as well. Charles has carefully cultivated quite a strong parasocial relationship with a very loyal fanbase mainly comprising of the countries of Italy and Monaco and younger fans–he does this through playing into inside jokes online with his fans, making us feel like we have a 'special' understanding with him by liking certain tweets, or using certain emojis, or using pictures for his instagram that sneakily reflect a piece of online discourse that happened on a race weekend. Carlos has gone for the more traditional media approach of an underdog narrative to gain sympathy, but he doesn't have the same legion of loyal fans as Charles and makes no effort to build the same fan backchannels that Charles does, which is why I think that Charles, ultimately, will win the PR game. The support of traditional media is fickle, but the lecfosi would follow Charles into hell if asked. It's why Charles knows ventures like LEC or his music will succeed, wheras can the same be said for Carlos outside of Spain?

[purpleheartskies]

Robby's Hero's Journey - The Character Archetypes

Also titled Robby is the underdog - Part 8

(Text in blue font is quoted content.)

A character archetype is a common recurring representation of a character that embodies a set of universal and recognizable traits or characteristics.

Typically, there are 8 character archetypes seen in a Hero's Journey. In Robby’s Hero's Journey, some of the characters' roles are easier to identify than others', but most are identifiable. It's important to note that a character can fit different archetypes at different points in the Journey, though a character usually embodies a primary archetype in the Journey. This post will review which characters fit which archetype in Robby’s Hero’s Journey.

The archetypes:

Hero

Herald

Mentor

Shadow

Ally

Shapeshifter

Trickster

Threshold Guardian

The Hero

The hero is the central figure of the story (protagonist) who undergoes a journey, facing challenges and transformations. The hero often starts as an ordinary person who is then called to adventure. They are present throughout the entire journey, from the ordinary world to the return with newfound knowledge or power.

Robby, of course, is the hero in his Hero’s Journey.

"Well, you are the tree, Robby. You've got strong roots. You know who you are, right? So now all you've gotta do is visualize what you want your future to look like, and then you make it happen."

Robby is the protagonist, which is still shown in s6. In part 2, especially, it was interesting how central he was. Everyone treated him horribly, but he was still at the center of the scapegoating. He was also the only teen to have had all three new antagonist teens be antagonistic or be an opponent towards him. The rivalry between him and Kwon was well-developed, with a lot of parallels between Kwon and him. Zara noticed and later targeted him. Axel was/is set up as a opponent for him in official matches. This can't be said for any of the other teens. Also, the lack of support from all three senseis towards him and the lack of one-on-one conversations between him and the senseis, especially Johnny and Daniel, are glaring. During the brawl, Johnny, Tory, Sam, and Miguel each came or tried to come to Robby's aid.

Based on Vogler's version of the Hero's Journey, stages 1 to 9 spanned s1 to s5, stage 10 spanned s6 part 1, and stage 11 started in part 2. Stage 11 is the Resurrection stage and the climax of the story. In this stage, Robby will have his final "transformation". At one point in part 3, Robby will choose his "need" (believing in himself and finding balance) over this "want" (a relationship with Johnny, for which he gave up who he is and stopped believing in himself) in order to achieve the goal of his journey. Stage 12 of Robby's Hero's Journey will then span the remaining episodes after Robby's final transformation.

The Herald

The herald is the “call to adventure.” They announce the coming of significant change and become the reason the hero ventures out onto a mysterious adventure. The herald is a catalyst that enters the story and makes it impossible for the hero to remain in status quo. Existing in the form of a person or an event, or sometimes just as information, they shift the hero’s balance and change their world.

Daniel is the Herald. He issued the "call to adventure" to Robby in s1e6.

Daniel: "You wanna stick around. Learn something." Robby: "Sure"

The Mentor

The mentor often possesses divine wisdom or direct experience with the special world, and has faith in the hero. They often give the hero a gift or supernatural aid, which is usually something important for the quest. The mentor may also directly aid the hero or present challenges to them that force internal or external growth. After their meeting, the hero leaves stronger and better prepared for the road ahead.

As I went over in my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, Daniel serves as the main Mentor in Robby's story. In fact, he is The Mentor in the The Mentor stage of the Journey. He imparted Robby with lessons about finding balance, understanding who he is, and thinking about his future.

Robby: "I just wanted to get back at him [Johnny]." Daniel: "I know. But you're never going to find balance that way. You can't let that bad blood change who you are. I'm not saying you need to like the guy. I know I never will, but he... he is your father. And believe me, you're lucky to have one. You just gotta try to remember, he's... he's not a monster. He's just a guy with a lot of demons. Mr. Miyagi always told me there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher. And your dad had the worst teacher there ever was. It sent him down a wrong path. But you don't have to go down that path. Do you understand? You don't have to ever become him. Trust me. You let go of all that anger, and I guarantee you, no matter what happens tonight, you go home feeling great."

Daniel continued to provide mentorship from s2 to s4.

Kreese and Silver have also taken on Mentor roles in important points of Robby’s Hero’s Journey. 

In s3e5, Kreese’s advice to Robby was crucial for Robby surviving juvie. This advice led to Robby striking first for the first time and eventually led him to Kreese and to joining Cobra Kai.

"Now you're in the real world, kid. You might wanna learn to strike first."

In s4e1, Kreese also told Robby that he has enough potential to become a champion and he just needs to show it to the world. In s4e10, although Kreese's lesson wasn't good, he was still being a Mentor to Robby when he asked Robby if he was fighting an opponent or a friend, during the match with Kenny.

Silver's lesson to Robby in s4e4 was crucial to Robby's Journey and was the start of the The Approach stage.

"You've learned to channel your anger, but you're afraid... If you want to become a champion, you need to dig out that fear and face it. Because if you don't, it's going to hold you back forever."

Silver also tried to impart a lesson on Robby in s5e9: "There's a difference between being heard and being listened to. They heard you, but they listened to me."

Since s5, in general, Robby seems without a Mentor. Maybe because Johnny is present physically in Robby's Journey now. In anything Johnny and Daniel should both be playing this role, but both are too focused on their own issues and each other. Johnny is also not a Mentor for Robby. Johnny is Robby’s Shadow.

The Shadow

The shadow is the main antagonist of the story. The shadow reflects the darker aspects of the hero, sometimes represented as the mirror image (opposite) of the hero and their beliefs. Overall, they are the antagonist or villains present throughout the whole story in varied ways. The shadow is the "monster under the bed," and could be repressed feelings, deep trauma, or festering guilt. These all possess the dark energy of the shadow. It is the dark force of the unexpressed, unrealized, rejected, feared aspects of the hero and is often, but not necessarily, represented by the main antagonist or villain. However, other characters may take the form of the shadow at different stages of the story as "foil characters" that contrast against the hero. They might also represent what could happen if the hero fails to learn, transform, and grow to complete their quest. At times, a hero may even succumb to the shadow, from which they will need to make sacrifices to be redeemed to continue on their overall quest.

As I talked about in my Robby has a Hero’s Journey post, Johnny is the Shadow character. This is what I said in that post.

The Shadow is one of several character archetypes that plays a role in the Hero's Journey. The Shadow can be the part within the hero that they don't like or that is deep repressed feelings or trauma. The antagonist or villain to the hero usually is the physical version of this Shadow.  Robby's main conflict is with his "hate", as his main goal is to break the cycle of generational trauma. Robby's "hate" due to his trauma is his internal Shadow. Johnny is the character and antagonistic force who represents and causes Robby's "hate"; Johnny has been Robby's external Shadow throughout the series. Daniel called Robby's conflict with Johnny "bad blood" in the avt locker room in s1e10. In s2e1, Johnny also said that he doesn't want to have "bad blood" between them. In s3, Robby said that Johnny should be his worst enemy because he abandoned Robby. In s1, after Robby saw Johnny give Miguel the gi and hug, Robby went to Daniel to piss Johnny off. In s4, when Sam brought up that Johnny knows Robby is a "good person" and that Johnny's "trying to change", Robby shifted to anger and said that Johnny had a choice and he chose to become a drunk loser who still hasn't figured out his own life and now he wants to make up for lost time to feel better about himself. Robby then joined Cobra Kai to prove that the Cobras and he are better than them, the Miyagi Fangs. Robby especially wanted to prove that he is better than Johnny. Robby reacted based on his "hate" both times. In this scene in s4e10, Robby is talking about this "hate" that he feels because of Johnny's behavior and him choosing Miguel over him consistently. (He can also be referring to the school fight wrt his "hate" for Miguel, but had Johnny supported Robby over Miguel after the school fight, Robby's "hate" for both of them probably wouldn't have worsened so much.)

In s6, Robby continues to struggle with his traumas. In s6e5, his "second place" trauma was exposited, and that of course has greater roots in how Johnny (and others) treats him. In s6 part 2, Robby's struggle with his internal Shadow is shown to be worsening. He kept losing focus in his fights and eventually resorted to drinking to cope with his abandonment/replacement trauma. In s4e4, he said that doesn't want to end up like Johnny, but by s6e8, his trauma has worsened so much that, when he believed that now even Tory had abandoned and replaced him, he decided to drink for the first time and got drunk, like Johnny does. He also fought with anger, not balance, when he fought Kwon in s6e9.

As I mentioned above, Robby is in the middle of the Resurrection stage. This stage ends with the final transformation and win. Something will happen that will cause Robby to start confronting his worsening mental health and Johnny (especially Johnny's behavior towards him), which Robby stopped doing after the apartment fight (the end of his Ordeal stage).

"I'm sick of blaming you, Dad." Robby is tired of all of the trauma Johnny's behavior causes him. Since Robby said those words, the traumas have worsened. Throughout Robby's life, Johnny has abandoned, neglected, replaced, abused, and scapegoated Robby.

The Ally

Allies are friends or companions who support and accompany the hero through their journey. They often complement the hero's skills and help them face challenges. Allies can also be characters who aren't as close to the hero but offer some type of help along the way.

Robby doesn't have a consistent, trustworthy Ally. Although characters have played the Ally role in his Journey from time to time throughout his story, none have been an Ally the whole way through.

This lack of consistent support from an Ally or a Mentor is actually a key aspect of Robby's character journey. The lack of support impacts his mental health greatly and makes it harder for him to succeed in his Journey.

The Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter adds dramatic tension to the story and provides the hero with a puzzle to solve. They can seem to be one thing, but in fact be something else. They bring doubt and suspense to the story and test the hero's ability to discern their path. The shapeshifter may be a lover, friend, ally, or enemy that somehow reveals their true self from the hero's preconceived notion. This often causes the hero internal turmoil, or creates additional challenges and tests to overcome. The shapeshifter blurs the line between ally and enemy. Often they begin as an ally, then betray the hero at a critical moment. Other times, their loyalty is in question as they waver back and forth. Regardless, they provide a tantalizing combination of appeal and possible danger. Shapeshifters benefit stories by creating interesting relationships among the characters, and by adding tension to scenes filled with allies.

Sam, Tory, and Kenny have this role in Robby's journey. 

Sam started out as an ally to Robby, but after the school fight, Sam had a choice and she chose. Although they’re "friends" now, their friendship is superficial at best. Sam still acts like she did nothing to hurt or betray Robby and acts like Miguel bears no fault in the rivalry with Robby. Robby has stopped holding people accountable for hurting him, so he went along with Sam using him in s5 (like she had tried to in s4). He also had his own reasons for wanting to take down Silver and Cobra Kai. They have been "friends" since.

Tory also fits this role. Since they became friends and then lovers, Tory has betrayed Robby twice now. First, as she helped Kreese in s5. Second, as she joined Kreese behind Robby’s back for the ST. Robby isn't faultless in their relationship. In s5, he gave her the break-up ultimatum because he wanted to distance himself from Cobra Kai. In s6 part 2, his side is more complicated as she was putting up walls and refusing to communicate. Both of their traumas were at their worsts. Although Tory believes that Robby cheated, Robby didn't cheat and what Zara did to Robby is not his fault. (Narratively, it is shown that Zara took advantage of him while he was drunk. Robby blaming himself, while not even able to recollect what happened, is par for him. I'll address this again later.)

It was interesting to see how both Tory and Sam betrayed Robby in s6e6. Tory told Sam that she had told Robby about Kreese. This was low because, in s6e5, Tory had told Robby not to tell anyone that Kreese had come to talk to her. Tory also made it sound like Robby knew about the offer Kreese had made to her, but in Tory and Robby's conversation just earlier, Robby asked Tory if this (joining CK as captain) was what Kreese had come to talk to her about. Later, when the others were confronting Robby about talking to Tory, Sam told them that Robby knew about Kreese and Tory. Sam didn't even talk to Robby about it first. Both girls threw Robby under the bus about Tory joining Kreese.

Sam and Tory indeed are this archetype in Robby’s journey. Each girl played a role as his ally, as a friend turned girlfriend. Both relationships feature betrayals of some sort by the girls. Their trust and loyalties with him fluctuate. Both girls are narratively attached to him more than to any other boy (Miguel included). 

Kenny also fits this role. He too started out as an Ally. As Robby trained him, Robby did try to curtail Kenny’s desire to fully become Cobra Kai. After Robby showed “no mercy” to Kenny in their match, Kenny chose to fully adopt and stay Cobra Kai. Robby did apologize to Kenny for the match, and it took some convincing from Robby to get Kenny to join Miyagi-Do. (Honestly, I wasn’t so keen on how much Robby insisted that Kenny join Miyagi-Do.) Since then, there hasn’t been much of their relationship. However, this relationship was used as a major turning point for Robby, as Kenny was the “mirror” that Robby looked into during his Ordeal stage. It’s also through Kenny that Robby’s weakness of compassion was explored.

Miguel seems to be playing this role since the apartment fight. Between Miguel not taking accountability in s5e5 and continuing to scapegoat (s6e2), intimidate (s6e5), and bully (s6e6-7) Robby, Miguel puts on the appearance of friendship with Robby. When Miguel "apologized" in s6e9, he didn’t reveal the true context of his behavior: his jealousy of Robby being Johnny's son, and Johnny supporting Robby's captaincy win. Instead, Miguel deflected on the reason. This wasn't an actual apology. Robby believes that Miguel is his friend but Miguel is not. In s5, Miguel only became Robby's "friend" after Miguel got to beat the shit out of him and scapegoat him completely for their rivalry and school fight. The baby plot device also cemented Miguel's place more in Johnny's life. s6e8 showed though that Miguel will not tolerate Johnny favoring or supporting Robby more than Miguel. Miguel is most definitely not a true friend. s6 continues to show that explicitly and subtly. Miguel actually does have a primary role in Robby’s story, which I'll get to in a bit.

The other teens in the Miyagi-Do are shapeshifters too. Their alliance and loyalties to Robby shift, depending on the circumstances. After the school fight, the Miyagi-Dos had taken part in scapegoating Robby for the school fight that Miguel had caused and escalated between him and Robby. Miyago-Do teamed up with the bullies (Johnny, Miguel, Hawk) first, before Robby even joined Cobra Kai, but the Miyagi-Dos called Robby a traitor. In s6, although they're all Miyagi-Do now, the scapegoating for the school fight and other things continues...

The Trickster

The trickster is the jester or fool of the story that not only provides comic relief, but may also act as a commentator as the events of the plot unfold. Tricksters are typically witty, clever, spontaneous, and sometimes even ridiculous. The trickster within a story can bring a light-hearted element to a challenge, or find a clever way to overcome an obstacle.

I’ve been trying to nail down who fits this archetype in Robby’s story. Demetri is a possible character. For example, in s6e6, after they saw Tory in the hotel lobby, Hawk asked if Robby would be okay, and Miguel said that he would be. Demetri bluntly said, in comedic fashion, that he himself wouldn’t be. Though Demetri can be more annoying than funny, he does have moments of levity and commenting about the events. He doesn't seem to have had an important impact on Robby’s journey, as some tricksters may. But again, not all the archetypes in every journey fit the molds exactly.

Anthony may be another trickster, as he has moments of levity and calling things out too.

For Johnny's and Daniel's Journeys, Amanda, for example, fits this archetype as one of her roles. She lightens a lot of moments and calls out the absurdity of events often. She doesn't play this role for Robby’s story specifically though. In fact, she told Daniel to ignore Robby’s feelings after the arrest because Robby’s "a teenager". She also told Daniel to let Robby go after Robby walked away from Daniel outside of juvie. Though, she had given him advice in s2e4 about mistakes. She may be a Shapeshifter in Robby's Journey, specifically.

The Threshold Guardian

I'm going to take some time with this final archetype because a few characters fill this role. I'll also talk about the inanimate Threshold Guardian in Robby’s Journey.

What is a threshold in the Journey?

A threshold can be any dividing line between one point and another. A border between one space and the next, between one state of being and another, the threshold in your story represents a moment in time that changes everything for your protagonist and their fate. They’re crossing over from one form to another, one place to another, one mindset to another. The hero will go through several throughout his journey and each one is important because each means he has "made it" to the next phase of his journey. Often the hero will have to bypass or defeat a person or thing that makes getting through the threshold rather difficult. These beings or obstacles are called "Threshold Guardians"—their purpose: to stop the hero in his tracks.

About Threshold Guardians

This archetype guards the first threshold—the major turning point of the story where the hero must make the true commitment of the journey and embark on their quest to achieve their destiny. The role of the threshold guardian is to help round out the hero along their journey. The threshold guardian will test the hero's determination and commitment and will drive them forward as the hero enters the next stage of their journey, assisting the development of the hero's character arc within the plot. The threshold guardian can be a friend who doesn't believe in the hero's quest, or a foe that makes the hero question themselves, their desires, or motives in an attempt to deter the hero from their journey. Ultimately, the role of the threshold guardian is to test the hero's resolve on their quest. A threshold guardian is an archetypal character who stands between the hero and their goal. The guardian might be another person, or it might be an object, animal, or event. To pass the guardian and progress the narrative, the hero must typically change in some way, try something new, or overcome challenges. The Threshold Guardians often represent the status quo. The hero is the maverick, renegade, or rebel trying to cause change, while the Threshold Guardians are defenders of the way things are. The threshold guardian is usually a secondary or tertiary character whose entire purpose within your story is to be an obstacle for the hero. In the annals of mythology, the Threshold Guardian were generally minions of the story's primary antagonist, and served a very literal purpose. As time passed, and storytelling got more sophisticated, so has the role of the Threshold Guardian. The ally of the antagonist – This Threshold Guardian is actively working to stop the Hero from reaching their goal – the true antagonist of the story.  There is often a symbiotic relationship between a villain and a Threshold Guardian.

Miguel is the primary Threshold Guardian

In my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, I stated this about Miguel's role in the Robby's story:

Although Miguel is an antagonistic force towards Robby, Miguel is more an extension of Johnny (and Sam). Robby's actions are primarily driven by his "want" (a genuine relationship with Johnny) and his "need" (understanding who he is, overcoming his "hate", and finding balance), which are both tied to Johnny as he is the main source of Robby's trauma and "hate".

As mentioned, the Threshold Guardian blocks the threshold between the ordinary world and the special world, but Guardians appear at important points to "test"/"block" the Hero.

Miguel is the most prominent Threshold Guardian in Robby's Journey. Miguel especially is (one of) the biggest obstacle when it comes to Robby getting to Johnny, the Shadow. 

Robby about Johnny and the Mexico trip: "uh... it wasn't really that kind of trip. But, uh, we did work out a few of our issues. There's still some that are just too big to solve." 

In s1e5, although Robby had seen Johnny give Miguel the gi and hug, Robby had only taken an action that would affect Johnny—getting a job with the LaRussos. Robby's first interaction with Miguel was the beach party in s1e9, where Robby tried to protect Sam but Miguel attacked him. In the s1 avt, before going out for the final match, Robby said to Daniel that Robby has to face "him" eventually, talking about Johnny—The Shadow. But, Robby faced Miguel in the match! Miguel is the Threshold Guardian that is an Ally to the Shadow, the Threshold Guardian who has a symbiotic relationship with the Shadow throughout the series. Although Robby lost the s1 avt, he had fought with balance and honor. His win was internal. He and Daniel then reopened Miyagi-Do and crossed the threshold into the Special World.

Robby's main fights with Miguel are the s1 avt (Crossing the Threshold), the school fight (Tests, Allies, and Enemies), the apartment fight (end of the Ordeal and start of the Reward), and captaincy fight (The Road Back, another threshold crossing).

Robby's first fight with Miguel, the primary Threshold Guardian, was right before Robby crossed the threshold into the Special World. Robby finally got a victory over Miguel as Robby was crossing back into the Ordinary World in The Road Back stage.

The s1 avt and captaincy fights were points in Robby's Journey where he was crossing the Journey thresholds. Note, in these two fights Robby had balance in his fights. In fact, Robby’s struggle with balance was featured as a component of each fight. Yes! Robby’s poor mental health/balance is also a Threshold Guardian. I will get into this in a bit. 

The school and apartment fights each resulted in major shifts in Robby’s journey, both externally and internally. 

The school fight took place during the Tests, Allies, and Enemies stage. Miguel pushed Robby to his limit. He lost his balance, had a "fight" trauma response, and accidentally injured Miguel. After this, Robby expressed hopelessness in his journey for the first time, "But you were right. It was a mistake trying to help me because I can't change." Robby was contemplating giving up on the Journey. Robby was put in juvie and lost everyone’s support. 

Robby did give up on his goals for a time. Then, in s4e1 Robby decided to compete for the trophy and a better future because of his conversation with Sam, in which she'd brought up Johnny and that triggered a trauma response in Robby. In s4e4, Silver's advice to Robby to face his fear emboldened Robby to confront his Shadow once again in The Approach.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been afraid... afraid that I'm gonna end up like you. But that's not gonna be my fear anymore... because I am better than you."

The apartment fight took place at the end of the Ordeal stage. Robby was pretty much beaten into place by both Miguel (the main Threshold Guardian) and Johnny (Shadow) as part of the toxic family. Robby was also welcomed back by everyone. However, he had to give up who he is, including his self-worth, as he stopped standing up for himself and his side of the story. Because of the situation, he chose his "want" (relationship with Johnny) over his "need" (who he is and finding balance). At the beginning of the Ordeal in s4e10, Robby had expressed his second statement of hopelessness. "I screwed everything up… It just made things worse and now it's never going to get better... I'm sick of blaming you, Dad." At the end of the Ordeal in s5e5, Robby ended up giving up who he is because it was never going to get better.

Both environments/situations that Robby entered into after the school fight and after the apartment fight have been traumatic but in different ways. Both have resulted in severe internal changes in Robby, further worsening his mental health and worsening his struggles with balance. Robby’s losses, in karate and in life, are setbacks in his Journey. Not to mention, the apartment fight was a mirror to the school fight.

Since the apartment fight in s5e5, Miguel has played a Shapeshifter role, as I described above. However, Miguel's primary role in Robby's Journey is that of the Threshold Guardian, especially when it comes to his attachment to Robby's external Shadow–Johnny. Miguel's conversation with Johnny on the plane in s6e8, for example, is a setback for Robby gaining a true relationship with Johnny. The little bit of "support" Johnny gave Robby because he'd won the captaincy was challenged by Miguel. Johnny's attention straying from Robby to Miguel and staying focused there, like after the school fight and for the Mexico trip, are other examples of how Miguel is an obstacle in Robby's Journey to achieve his goals ("wants" and "needs" are both goals).

Miguel's antagonistic behavior towards Robby when it comes to Johnny, Sam, and the karate championships (especially in S1 and S6) are interestingly described by the following:

This important archetype character's entire existence is wrapped up in guarding the threshold. For this to make sense as you create your story, there has to be a really good reason why. Finding out this reason why will help you build out your threshold guardian character's backstory and motives (because, remember—every character, even the secondary ones, need motives). In many instances, threshold guardians are willing to make dramatic sacrifices to protect their threshold. They want to keep their special world separate from your hero's world. They don't like the fact that your hero is trying to shake things up by crossing between the two. It's messing with the status quo. Maybe the guardian realizes that the hero's willingness to cross boundaries is a threat to the way things have always been.

Carmen is also a Threshold Guardian, an indirect one. She actively scapegoats Johnny and Robby for Miguel's faults and violence in the fights and has kept Johnny’s focus on Miguel, like when Johnny talked about his failures with Robby or about being uncomfortable being a “dad” to Miguel. The baby plot device, for all intents and purposes, is a Threshold Guardian as well. I've always said that the baby was introduced primarily to impact Robby in his character journey. He is the only one who changed because of its introduction into the story. And the circumstances around that change moved Robby from one stage (The Ordeal) to the next (The Reward) in the Journey. In s6, the family scenes being done in a way that excludes Robby, either subtly like with everyone praising the scapegoating essay or explicitly with Robby not present at all, is also very telling. (See my post about Johnny, Robby, and the family in s6 part 2.)

Robby's "hate"/trauma is also a Threshold Guardian

Robby's "hate"/trauma is a Threshold Guardian, in addition to being his internal Shadow. This is shown explicitly in a lot of his fights. The battle is both internal and external in these fights. 

The internal threshold guardian - While not as common and not as easily recognizable, sometimes stories include internal demons as threshold guardians—something within your main character that's preventing them from moving forward and that they must learn to overcome. It might be a past trauma, addiction, fear, etc.

The overall theme of the series is about finding balance, not just in karate but in life as well.

"You remember lesson about balance? Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?”

In my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, I said this:

In s4e10, Daniel told Hawk during his match with Robby: "This fight is not about him. The biggest battle is always the one within. Okay, concentrate, defense, focus, power. You find your balance, and those points will come. All right?" This also applies to Robby's journey and his conflicts with his "hate" and with Johnny.

In that fight, Hawk resorted to mostly using Cobra Kai against Robby so didn't need to rely on his balance, while Robby resorted to mostly using Miyagi-Do, lost his balance after he looked in the "mirror", and eventually lost the fight.

Robby's balance has been emphasized in Robby's fights with Miguel and Hawk throughout the series, and in Robby's fights in s6 part 2, as part of The Resurrection stage.

Hawk is another main Threshold Guardian

Hawk had first injured Robby in the s1 avt and that enabled Miguel to do more damage. Hawk was also the person Robby fought and lost against in the s4 avt. This was the start of Robby's Ordeal stage. He lost his balance during that fight and lost the fight.

In my Keeping the Peace post, I talked about the correlation between the s5e8 scene of Johnny recapping the avts with the boys (more unreliable narration on Johnny’s part; Johnny keeps trying to reframe Robby's reality) and Robby’s s6e5 shadowing boxing scene.

Interestingly, in the s5e8 scene, Robby is sitting with his Shadow–Johnny–and the two main Threshold Guardian characters —both of whom were trained by Johnny and primarily use Cobra Kai as their fighting style like Johnny does (while Robby primarily uses Miyagi-Do). Johnny talked about the first avt, the main fight during the Crossing the Threshold stage, as if Miguel hadn't cheated and as if Robby had lost the tournament fair and square. In s6e5, Robby’s "second place" trauma was emphasized using the avt matches to these two Threshold Guardians.

Other Threshold Guardians in Robby’s Journey

Trey and Cruz were the obstacles Robby had to overcome in the Refusal of the Call stage in s1e7.

Shawn played this role in s3. Robby had to defeat Shawn in order to "advance" in the Journey. In this case, Robby chose to strike first for the first time.

In s4e1, Robby had to fight the Cobras to secure his place as their leader. They became his allies after this.

In s6 part 2, as part of the Resurrection stage, all 3 new antagonists played some role in Robby's Journey. (I will speak objectively about Zara here, based on what is portrayed in canon. My post about the SA and it's framing and marketing explain that all of Robby's traumas, especially by other characters, are framed and marketed the same way. I will treat the SA as I treat those other traumas and will address it as such.)

Of these three, Kwon was explicitly set up as Robby's rival. He has many parallels to Robby. While Miguel is a foil character to Robby, Kwon is a mirror character to Robby. (I hope to address this more in a post about Robby in part 2.) Robby kept losing to Kwon until their match in s6e9. Although that fight is cool, Robby fought with anger and made sure to make it hurt, which made the Shadow proud. Robby didn't rely on Miyagi-Do and didn't fight with balance. In terms of succeeding in his goal of finding balance, Robby had a major setback. He was angry that he'd fallen for Kwon's mind games, and he took his anger out on Kwon. Kwon fits this description of a type of Threshold Guardian.

To increase tension and add to your hero’s internal development, this archetype should represent something greater to your hero than just a simple test of their ability. Maybe your guardians represent the bigger, worse villain that your hero will need to go up against in the future. Maybe they represent your hero’s internal conflicts and faults that they’ll need to overcome at some point. Maybe they represent a weakness that your hero has been trying to hide.

Miguel matches the first "maybe" that is listed. Kwon seems to match the other two "maybe" because a lot of Kwon's insecurities matched Robby's.

Zara is another Threshold Guardian. It stuck out to me that Robby losing in his matches really hit him hard after the SA. He seemed to be somewhat coping with his lost matches before that, even with Miguel bullying him about his poor performance in his matches. But, it was after the SA that he blamed himself for the whole team losing. Hawk and Demetri were being dumbasses about Kenny and had made things worse in their first group match, but Robby just put it all on himself. When Miguel talked to Robby, Robby specifically mentioned messing up off the mat too, when he said that he shouldn't be captain anymore. His drinking didn't seem to upset him; what Zara had done upset him much more. He specifically called the latter the "stupid" thing he "did". This makes sense because of his confusion and self-blame over it. This experience traumatized him, like his other traumas have. His self-blame increased and his mental health worsened.

Axel is another Threshold Guardian. He is an interesting one because Axel and Robby didn't interact much until their match, which was interrupted. They will compete again in part 3. I did find Axel's line and frustration with Robby interesting: "Are you going to keep defending, or are you going to fight?" When I heard this line the first time, I thought: "This is some meta-commentary about Robby's people-pleasing." Robby has stopped fighting for himself and has been on defense with all of his "friends" and "family". He has shown his edge once in a while, like with Miguel in s6e5 and s6e7, but it's not enough. Robby's people-pleasing is a defensive behavior he has to consciously counteract to start fighting for himself again. Threshold Guardians challenge the Hero. Axel’s line stuck out because Robby is at that point in his journey where he needs to stop defending and start fighting his main antagonists, his Shadows.

Although the Axel-Miguel rivalry is set up, not much thought and time has been put into developing their rivalry. Axel's interest in Sam is the only basis for it. Kwon and Robby's rivalry was well developed. Kwon is a mirror character to Robby, but Kwon was obviously a misdirect. Axel seems to be another misdirect as the final Threshold Guardian before Robby faces his Shadow. Axel is set up with a sad backstory (meaning his redemption is set up), and his conversation with Sam on the beach foreshadowed him joining Miyagi-Do. Miguel is the one who has been at the main thresholds. He is the primary Threshold Guardian. (Hawk is secondary to him). Like Robby had said, he and Johnny still have some of the issues (Miguel/Diazs) that are too big to solve. s6e8 showed that Miguel is still an issue between Robby and Johnny. Robby is also excluded from the family in important ways. Miguel also keeps the rivalry going as he pleases, as shown with his bullying Robby until he got Johnny's attention back. In a way, Miguel bullying Robby in s6e6-7 was Miguel acting as a Threshold Guardian at the time, affecting Robby's mental health. The Miguel-Robby rivalry is not over yet, and Robby’s side of the story has yet to be explored and resolved. (I'm aware of the leaks, but I'm also aware that people shut down conversations about other theories for the leaks that can also be possible. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

Overall, a lot of the characters have identifiable archetypes in Robby's Hero's Journey. The main characters in his Journey especially are easier to classify into the archetypes. After part 3, I may do a revised version of this post because the story will be over and the roles may be more defined for some of the characters after that.

(As always, please don't comment or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships.)

[jeonscatalyst]

https://www.tumblr.com/jeonscatalyst/766182943535382528/httpswwwtumblrcomjeonscatalyst76183610766937?source=share

And i have always wondered why in the world anyone would undermine jimin's musical success because on sns followers or engagements he might not rank #1 but he's ranking #1 or #2 every single time BTS had released albums and members had their solo songs in it as b-side. Him and jungkook has always been #1 or #2 like they switch those numbers yet people underestimated his success. And how do people see him and think he'd not want to release solo music? I think years ago he was the first member who wanted to do solo songs or like Frist member to mention those things. He's always wanted these things but as you said people by that i mean armys/ jkkrs and other jm biased too misunderstood his intentions and i wonder why. He lives for that stage.

Hi anon,

I agree but I think part of the reason why some people didn’t really see his potential (atleast compared to Tae and Jk) was because this entire fandom had always seen him as the third most popular member and least popular of the maknae line. You need to understand that before the solo era, many unfortunately hadn’t had the opportunity to see how good the members would perform with solo songs and even though we know they had already performed solo songs within the group and Jimin and Jungkook’s always did much better than everyone else’s this whole fandom was still caught up on who gets the most views on fancams, who has the most instagram followers and stuff like that. That was how they measure success and we know that Jimin doesn’t get the most views on fancams and doesn’t have the most followers on instagram and his posts don’t get the most likes so naturally they assumed he only came after Tae and Jk in EVERYTHING including their solo success. They didn’t realize that the boys excel in different aspects.

Another thing is that, Jimin has always spoken so much about how much he loves being in the group and rarely really spoke or looked interested in solo ventures, of course this doesn’t mean he wasn’t interested because we know that even while he was working hard on his solo albums he said nothing about it which led people to believe that he was lazying about and not doing anything like the other members who were doing this or that or flying here and there but we see that he wasn’t lazying about. I think all these things contributed to this entire fandom underestimating him as an artist.

His immerse success in the solo era came as a blow to so many because they could never imagine. When Jimin got a number one on Billboard Hot 100, and then Jk got it too, this entire fandom was 100% positive that Tae would get one too. Why? Because to them, he was always the most popular member because of followers, views and likes and to them, that equaled success in music so that is why they were beyond shocked when he didn’t and that is why some people are still so bitter at Jimin because he was always viewed as the underdog. Everyone knew he would be successful but very few people thought he would be more successful that who they believed was the most popular member and that is why even till this day, they try so hard to discredit his success because they still cannot believe their eyes and ears.

Jimin once said “SILENCE IS GOLD. DON’T WASTE TIME” and he did just that. He let people think what they wanted to think of him. He let people say he was lazy, not ambitious, unmotivated, depressed and all the stuff they said about him when he was working on his albums and only came out when he was ready to show results.

He took “never let people know your next moves” too seriously. lol.

[the-average-melli]

Melli is the tallest twink frolicking through Hisui

When I saw Volo, I thought he would be the tall guy™ for Pokémon Legends Arceus since his height is emphasised in his concept artwork. I was sorely mistaken. There is another stinky, smelly contender for this distinguished honour of tall guy™--an underdog, if you will.

This thing twinkie is rediculously tall. He has no right to gallavant through the fields of Hisui as such a long boi. For the sake of my self-indulgent fanfictions general curiosity, I decided to guesstimate how long this boi actually was. (Was? Is? He lived in the past. He was.)

The Volussy has a canon height of 190 cm in his concept art. Thankfully, they included some kind of canon height for one of these characters. The Pokémon game designers rarely add info like exact height or age, forcing silly humans such as myself to hyperfixate at 4am on such random details.

Using generator, am gonna assume that Akari is about 135,5 cm based on where she stands compared to Volo in the concept art. My estimates are in increments of 5 because they are a very rough estimate. Pls add more canon heights in the future for characters, Pokémon

There is immaculate HD wallpaper for Pokémon Legends Arceus featuring the literal GOAT Dialga✨️, and Akari standing beside the leader of the best Clan. The wallpaper shows both characters in the foreground which makes it easier to imagine the height difference. Hurrah!

After adding them into the graph, I would venture to say Adaman is somewhere around 170,5. Not in the same league as Volo, but size doesn't matter kings!

In his stinky concept art, sMelli is announcing how amazing Adaman is and for once, he is recognising someone outside himself as amazing.

He he's screaming! Andhehasanicevoice

I adjusted Stinky sMelli's pose to better see the difference between the two. The shoulders are slightly raised because of the pose. His knees are no longer weak and his palms are no longer sweaty.

The top of Adaman's head is somewhere slightly below sMelli's stinky shoulder. Adding him into the graph with this general difference leads me to speculate that this atrociously stinky twinkie is approximately 215 cm. He is well over 200 cm no doubt, which means only Zisu of the Security Corps could possibly rival him. She is super-ultra-mega tall!

I had to make a meme in light of this fantastic revelation

I can now understand how sMelli bodied every guard posted outside the Galaxy Expedition HQ. RIP Beaureguard. He invited himself and shoved his way up the stairs to include himself. He didn't even bring any of his Pokémon with him so I like to imagine sMelli either went for the cheap shots and kicked each guard in the pokéballs, or he threw them aside. He is apparently one of the tallest characters in this game, so I would expect nothing less out of a pissy twinkie like himself.

[whispering-clan]

Ooooo Growlingclan really interests me, they seem like very much the underdogs here. Were they upset by losing mountain territory to Whisperingclan or did they go go up into the peaks? Do they still resent Echoingclan? Whats their culture like?

Ehehe I love talking about the lore fir these clanssss

Growlingclan is actually more so allies with Whisperingclan! Whisperingclan has a similar origin to their own, they see themselves in them and so they were the first to back them up and consider them a new clan. It was with the backing of Growlingclan that Whisperingclan got to join gatherings!

Growlingclan did venture into the higher mountains sometimes, but they didn't go far. Over the generations they have become better adapted to their territory terrain so they find it more difficult to hunt in the higher elevated mountains. They are good rock climbers but they don't like the risks that come with the even steeper terrain.

Also Growlingclan and Echoingclan eternally have a rivalry, the best relationship they can have is begrudging tolerance, which is where they are right now mostly thanks to their leaders (Growlingclan's especially). Both clans have their own versions of events that they believe happened in the Civil war and both think they were in the right and the other was the villain, but truthfully it was so long ago nobody remembers the truth.

[verymaudlin]

HUGE EXCITING NEWS FOR MUSIC LOVERS! I officially have a ko-fi listing for my Customizeable Spotify Playlist commissions! Commission me, and the possibilities are endless. I've done playlists dedicated to Twin Peaks, a specific OTP from the Venture Bros, synth music for the apocalypse, "eerie oldies", scrappy underdog low-fi low budget music, music for groovy vampires, demented clowncore tunes and more! Your suggestions can be whatever you wish, and I'm here to make your wish come true ☺️

[adamwatchesmovies]

Arthur Christmas (2011)

It’s not too late for audiences to recognize Arthur Christmas as a holiday classic and I’m happy to help make it happen. Earnest, clever, funny and memorable - all without stepping on the toes of other yuletide staples - it’s a solid pick to keep the whole family entertained.

When Arthur Christmas (voiced by James McAvoy), son of  the current Santa, Malcolm Christmas (Jim Broadbent), realizes his father has missed a child on Christmas Eve, he is determined to bring her the bike she asked for. Unfortunately, Santa is too tired to venture out again and Arthur’s older brother, Steven (Hugh Laurie), is too focused on the 99.99% success rate he helped achieve to care. Despite the family’s objections, Arthur, Grandsanta (voiced by Bill Nighy) and elf Bryony (Ashley Jensen) of the Wrapping Division decide to venture out, determined to get the little girl her bicycle.

I should clarify certain aspects of this film’s mythology before going further. Here, the title of “Santa Claus” has been passed down from father to son for generations. There used to be flying reindeer but they’ve been replaced by a flying saucer-like high-tech sleigh. To make it around the world without being detected, Santa depends on his legion of elves. He depends on them a little bit too much, in fact. The current Santa, now on his 70th mission, is a figurehead. Steven handles nearly every aspect of the delivery. He’s the prodigy while Arthur is the screw-up everyone prays will stay out of the way on the big night. The movie is about his family - and the audience - realizing that despite all his faults, Arthur might actually be more qualified than anyone else to be Santa Claus.

Adults will latch onto Arthur in no time. They'll see that his determination to make the Holiday right for everyone, to look past percentages of gifts delivered and to fudge the ratio of naughty to niceness when necessary, embodies the true spirit of December 25th. The question is whether he has what it takes to accomplish his mission before the sun rises in Trelew, Cornwall and little Gwen wakes up to look for the bicycle she asked for. Even if he doesn't, the fact that he’s trying means you’re cheering for him with every once of yuletide spirit you’ve got. His underdog status and tendency to get in over his head means the kids will relate as well. They'll know right away the bureaucratic mentality that's seeping into the North Pole is wrong.

Arthur gives the film an inherent sweetness and earnestness. He also brings many laughs. Basically dragged along for the ride by his eccentric grandfather, the two get into all sorts of mishaps around the world as they navigate over big cities and oceans while trying to remain incognito. It’s a lot of semi-episodic gags but they all work and in between, there are great bits of character development. We learn that there’s a lot more to this magical family than we first suspected.

From Aardman Animation (their second computer-generated film after “Flushed Away”), this is a great-looking movie with the same attention to detail that would’ve gone into one of their claymation productions. All of the gadgets the elves use to complete their missions, the huge variety of environments the sleigh finds itself in, little gags that didn’t need to be there but were inserted because someone on the design team had a great idea - like Steven’s Christmas tree-shaped goatee - mean there’s always something to see in each frame.

Every year, we get a new batch of family Holiday movies “just because”. These have no lasting power, no clever ideas and no reason to exist except to add to the pile of “new content” on the various platforms we’re subscribed to. Instead of gambling on that new release, go find Arthur Christmas. While it didn’t necessarily bomb at the box office, its receipts tell me you probably didn’t see it, which means there’s no better time to rectify that mistake than now. (On Blu-ray, December 23, 2021)

[necronatural]

Greatest fucking tragedy in the world is Kaiju no.8 starting as like this underdog action where the Kaiju transformation makes up for his shortcomings so he has the power to use his cleanup knowledge and then 3 arcs later it's Everyone Working Hard To Hit The Monsters Real Good, And Main Character Can Hit Gooder. Dandandan would never drop its dedication to being fucking stupid in its venture into more shounen battles. For shame

[cyberpunkonline]

The Great Tech Heist: How East Coast Money Made Silicon Valley’s Wild West Look Like a Rigged Casino

Let’s take a trip back to the ‘90s. Picture it: everyone’s wearing acid-wash jeans, video game cartridges are getting blown into like they’re ancient relics, and the internet is that weird thing we only use to email chain letters and download Metallica tracks on Napster (sorry Lars). The tech world is exploding, right? West Coast kids, wired up on Mountain Dew and Jolt Cola, are coding like mad geniuses in their garages, while on the East Coast, fat cats are throwing cash at any startup that promises to "disrupt" something, anything. Sounds like the American Dream? Think again.

The Myth of the Silicon Cowboy

Look, we’ve all heard the fairy tale: Silicon Valley was built by scrappy hackers, rebellious dreamers who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and revolutionized the world. Yeah, no. Turns out, the tech boom wasn’t just a bunch of geeks in garage startups waiting to change the world with code—it was funded by some serious East Coast money. Yup, while the West Coast had the talent, the algorithms, and the vision, it was those Wall Street fat cats who swooped in with their big, dirty bags of cash when the rest of the world still thought the internet was just a fad for nerds.

Let’s not look at this through rose-tinted glasses. The West Coast might’ve had the hackers and engineers, but the East Coast had the old-money institutions and finance bros itching to throw dollars at anything with "tech" in its name. It wasn’t just about innovation, man. It was about control. The future wasn’t some wild frontier—it was a rigged casino. And the house? You guessed it. Ivy League-educated venture capitalists who had their claws in the game long before anyone knew what "dot-com" even meant.

East Coast Money, West Coast Hustle: The Unholy Union

Picture this: West Coast techies, hyped up on vision boards and overly optimistic projections, meeting East Coast investors in their slick suits, who smell like cigars and finance spreadsheets. It’s a match made in capitalist heaven. The techies needed funding to keep their dreams alive, and the financiers were happy to oblige—so long as they got a cut, or better yet, all the power.

This wasn’t a one-off thing. This was a system. East Coast money turned the Valley into a playground for the rich before the innovation even had a chance to breathe on its own. The money vultures from Boston and New York didn’t just see an opportunity; they saw a way to control it from the start. The ‘belief gap’ (you know, that time when people still thought tech was a passing trend) was patched over not by pure innovation or passion, but by heavy financial artillery.

The Fad That Wasn’t: Dirty Money and Nepotism

Let’s get real. Tech wasn’t some magical, equal-opportunity goldmine. It was a “get rich quick” scheme for anyone with the right connections or enough dirty cash to play the game. Nepotism was as rampant in the tech space as in any other industry—maybe even more so. Those that had old money? They were the ones who got in early, while the rest of us were busy playing GoldenEye and waiting for dial-up to connect.

Sure, there were a few exceptions—some genuine innovators who actually did come out of nowhere to change the game. But for every scrappy underdog success, there were a hundred trust-fund babies whose families were plugged into the venture capital pipeline. The rise of the tech industry wasn’t fueled by underdogs, but by a calculated infusion of East Coast dough—making sure that when the chips fell, the same people who always win were the ones holding the cards.

Media vs. Tech: A Clash of Titans or Just a Slow Dance?

And let’s not even get started on the media’s role in all this. If you thought the mainstream media (MSM) was rooting for the rise of the internet, think again. The old guard—newspapers, magazines, television—they were terrified. Internet? Pfft. Just another fad like laserdiscs and slap bracelets, right? Wrong. But of course, they had to protect their interests, so they downplayed it at first. "No, no, people will never want to read their news on a screen." Yeah, well look where we are now. They couldn’t hold back the tide, but they sure as hell tried.

And when they couldn’t? They hopped on the bandwagon, rebranded themselves as “digital pioneers,” and started their own media conglomerates online. They played both sides, hedging their bets, and ultimately getting in bed with the very tech companies they once mocked.

The House Always Wins

Look, it’s no accident that tech became what it is today. It was designed to succeed in a system that benefits the already-powerful. When East Coast money plugged into West Coast talent, it wasn’t to help build a utopian future of innovation and creativity. It was to control the next big thing. The old money powers weren’t afraid to take over the narrative—and as usual, the house won.

So yeah, every time you hear about the "wild west" of tech and how it was all about risk-takers and visionaries, take it with a grain of salt. Sure, there were some rebels in there. But the real power move was knowing which side of the table to sit on. And unless you were part of the old guard with the right connections, you were just along for the ride.

As Hunter S. Thompson would probably say, it’s all one big swindle. The game was rigged from the start, and now we’re all stuck in this digital casino, hoping we can at least break even. But let’s face it: the house always wins.

And remember, folks—when you’re sitting there staring at your screen, watching tech giants swallow the world whole, just know this: behind every slick algorithm and groundbreaking app, there’s probably a cigar-smoking finance bro laughing all the way to the bank.

And that’s the real joke.