#which is the sort of continuous internal logic that I find very appealing

[bvlavender]

A Story A Day Keeps COVID Away – 05/06/20: Crisis #348

“Goddammit, when am I now?”

I froze. That’s not possible, I thought. You are alone, on a spaceship that is about to crash. Your panic about the engine is just manifesting into voices in your he-

“Ooo, microgravity. It’s been a while since I felt that.”

Putting up my fists, I whirled to face the person who couldn’t possibly be behind me. But the woman, floating towards the engine room door, utterly fascinated by floating fabric of her maroon dress, seemed so real that I nearly-

She was floating towards the engine room. I pushed off the control panel behind me and tackled the stranger into the portside window. Even though I held her pinned, could feel the odd stiffness of her – was that a hoop skirt? – I still couldn’t quite believe that she was there. “Who the hell are you.”

At my words, the woman beamed brightly. “Oh, English. How I missed you.”

In response to that baffling statement, I raised a fist. “Tell me how the hell you got on my ship in the next ten seconds or I knock you into the next solar system.”

She didn’t even flinch. “I get randomly transported to crisis situations in order to prevent and/or mitigate whatever catastrophe is happening at the time. I don’t have any control over it, I don’t know why it happens, and it’s been happening for a very long time, so if we could just skip the surprise and get to the stop-the-disaster bit, that would be great for both of us.”

I could barely process her story. I couldn’t decide if she was an excellent liar, or if the tale was so absurd it had to be true. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance.

Turbulence wracked the ship, slamming us both into the window. Through it, we could see the star that the ship was rapidly falling into. The emergency alarms, which had already been gratingly loud, increased their pitch and frequency. We both covered our ears.

The woman yelled over the sirens. “I presume that, whatever’s wrong here, fixing it is more of a two person job?”

Her deduction was correct. And regardless of the truth of her story, I doubted that she wanted to die a fiery death in the unrelenting heat of a red dwarf. “Do you know anything about flying a CJ-97?”

She shook her head. Of course. I made my way back to the control panel, unlocked one of the compartments underneath it, and tossed her a comms earpiece. As I set up my headset, she followed along.

“Comms online?” She nodded. “Alright. I’ll be going into engineering in a minute.”

Before I left the controls, I deployed the last of the liquid nitrogen reserves into the engine room’s cooling system. Now, the air in there should be warm instead of flesh-melting. Then, I positioned the woman in front of the panel, carefully maneuvering around her anachronistic dress. “Keep us steady towards the bearing on screen. Use the trackball to control the navigation system.” I pointed at the round sphere set into the centre of the control panel. “If we drift too far, use the boosters to put some extra juice into it, but don’t use them too much, the engine’s already about to blow. Lever to the left of the trackball is for port, lever to the right is for starboard. Don’t touch anything other than that. Do you understand?”

She nodded again, placing one hand on the trackball – which immediately slipped off, as the trackball was spinning wildly. Startled, she used two hands to grasp it with more vigor. The ship groaned, but steadied slightly. She grinned at her success. I tried not to hyperventilate at the sight of her obvious incompetence, grabbed my toolkit from under the control panel, and made my way over to the engine room door.

When I opened them up, a blast of hot air engulfed me. I prayed that nothing had caught fire. “Lady. Talk to me.”

“What?”

“Talk to me.” I unhooked my gloves from the side of my kit, and pulled them on. “I do better when I’m talking to other people.”

“Okay. Um. What’s your name?”

“Zaxy Renington. Yours?”

“Kimberly Zhu.”

I started unscrewing the hatch over the auxiliary engine. “Nice to meet you, Kimberly.”

“Pleasure’s mine. If you enjoy conversing with other people so much, why are you out here alone?”

My fingers fumbled on the last screw. “Wow. You do not waste any time. Cut to the chase, huh.” I popped off the hatch, and was buffeted by another wave of steamy vapors.

“You get good at that when you’re always stuck in other people’s worst nightmare. Care to share?”

Hesitating for just a moment, I began to take the aux engine apart. “Dropped my boyfri- ex-boyfriend off at his home station. I was making the return trip alone and… decided to blow off some steam. Made some risky maneuvers.”

“You literally flew too close to a sun!”

“I was trying to get a gravity assist from Gliese 163!” As I snapped at her, something snapped under my hand. A new alarm was added to the cacophony.

“You sure you don’t want me to shut up?”

I rewired the area around the new holes in the aux engine. Two of the alarms went quiet.

“…Alright then. Why’d you break up? You seem like a lovely lady.”

“One, we barely know each other. And two, I’m. not. a lady.”

There was quiet for a long moment. “Ah. My apologies. Is that why-”

“Yes.” I ripped out a piece of tubing harder than I’d needed to, and reconnected it to the main engine. “Even in the era of space exploration, some people are stuck in the stone age.”

“Well, speaking as someone who rarely ever knows what year it is, I think you’re better off without him.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I know. I was the one who decided to make the split. Doesn’t hurt any less.” I screwed the hatch back in place. “Doesn’t make me any less stupid for overclocking the engine while trying to vent my breakup blues.”

“How do you know how to fix an engine anyway?”

“CJ-97s are ancient. I bought this cheap, and then refurbished it myself.” Grabbing the now-spare parts, I made my way over to the main engine. “It’s still a bit of a lemon, but I’m in trade school for a reason. Eventually I was going to learn how to retrofit a proper nav AI into this thing myself, but if I hadn’t put that off for so long, I never would have met you.”

Kimberly laughed. “What a shame that would have been.”

With a final twist, I removed the hatch covering the main engine. “Kimberly. You see the big red button at the top of the panel? Near the screen?”

“Yeah?” Then, she made a distressed noise. “Does that-”

“Press it.”

“Will that cut the engines?”

“Yes.”

“Won’t we fall into the star?”

“Kimberly?”

“Zaxy, we’ll die.” As if to punctuate her point, the ship groaned. More alarms started to blare.

“This is the part where you shut up. Press the button. Once I’m out of the control room and I shut the door, press it again. Please. Trust me.”

There was silence on the comms. Then, all of the alarms went off, and the emergency lights turned on. She had cut the power.

I got to work. I could feel the burn of the engine parts through my gloves, but I gritted my teeth and kept going. The ship creaked and crackled, and I could feel the star’s gravitational pull growing stronger as we got closer.

“Zaxy.”

“Just a minute.” I winced as a half-melted screw nearly seared through my glove.

“Zaxy, we don’t have a minute.”

“Just… a… moment.” Sparks flew from the wires in my hand.

“We don’t have that either!”

“Good thing I don’t need it.” I replaced the last piece, and didn’t even bother to put the hatch back. With a well-placed kick, I flew away from the main engine and through the doorway, grabbing the handle and swinging the door shut as I went out. “Now!”

By the time she had pressed the button, I was at the controls. I grabbed the trackball with one hand and pushed the engine to full throttle with the other. I jammed my leg into a nook behind the control panel, so when the ship jolted from the push of its engine against the pull of the star, I stayed in place. Kimberly, however, crashed into the portside window with a cry of pain.

“You could have warned me!” she yelled, though she was muffled by the glass smushed against her face.

“Yeah, well.” I pushed the trackball harder. “You could have warned me before you showed up.”

“That’s not how it works!”

“Then tell me, how does it work?” The bearing we were on previously wasn’t achievable from our current position. I punched in a different route, one that we could get to if I was somehow a better engineer/pilot than I’d ever dreamed. “I work better when I’m talking, remember? And I’ve done all the sharing I care to. Your turn.”

In the reflection of the navigation screen, I could see Kimberly push herself up from the glass. Not quite enough of a push for get her too close to me, but enough for her to not be getting an eyeful of red dwarf. “I do this a lot. Like I said. Get people out of crises, save the day, yada yada yada. And then, once it’s over, I’m gone.”

I wrenched the trackball towards the proper bearing. “Out of your control? No going back?”

“No. Some people have tried to get me to come back, but… it’s not reliable. Lightning can strike the same place twice, but when it happens isn’t your call, you know?”

“I’m about to turn on the starboard booster.” By the time Kimberly processed what that meant, she had already bumped into the engine room door. “Can’t say I didn’t warn you that time.”

Kimberly’s laugh was a bit harsher. I heard the folds of her dress crumple. “No. You’ve got better manners than whatever force is stringing me along.”

We were just about to break free of the star’s gravity. “Hey. If you’re going to leave soon, then I just want to thank you. Pretty sure I would have died if you weren’t there to-”

I stopped. I had turned to look at her, to better see the woman who had saved me before she went to save someone else.

But no one was there.

[utilitycaster]

@geekwiththeglasses sorry to turn what was probably a comment you were just making very normally on my post on why I like Beau’s arc as is into a wholly unasked for diatribe on my Grand Unified Theory of Fandom Discourse but I saw the comment during some downtime at work and had thoughts and also a long drive home during which they could percolate. Feel free to ignore because it’s long and only sort of responds what you’re saying, but I wanted to post it and credit you for sparking that thought.

(also just for anyone else reading this is under a cut because it’s very long, but also, spoilers for both CR campaigns).

Anyway, put simply: People like what they like, they don’t like what they don’t like, and will come up with rationalizations for why they are correct in liking or disliking something that they already liked or disliked for much more basic reasons. I fully include myself as guilty of this but anyway we’re all dealing with a different internal ruleset for what is “correct” to like, disagreement is inevitable, and that’s okay.

So: I like Fjord. I like paladins. I like vengeance plots. I like boats, which is a thing I did not realize was a thing I liked in rpgs until I looked at characters I was really enjoying and was like hmm whole lot of sailors in here. I like charisma casters and swords and the trope of What You Are In The Dark and people realizing they’re way in over their head and having to do the hard work to get out of it. So like, this is in general a plot that is going to appeal to me, and I have biases in that direction.

With that said I don’t see how it’s not integrated into the overall plot? To be fair this reminds me of a lot of things I’ve said, about how CR has always been a character game vs. TAZ which was much more clearly a story one. Actual play, especially with a fairly open world and especially truly live/unedited actual play, ends up having to be a character game by default because you’ve deliberately introduced a random element that you cannot cover up; you’re going to get unexpected deaths and victories that don’t totally seem earned. Which is something I think is a feature, not a bug; if I wanted something to fit a particular narrative there’s countless movies and books and TV shows that will do that.

But back to the idea of plot: The Mighty Nein is a group of seven people and they all have things going on; in Fjord’s story, this is the normal narrative: make a deal with an unknown being in a desperate moment, slowly learn about this being, eventually learn just how high the price is, reconsider, get punished, reject that being, find a new path, the being you betrayed is now your mortal enemy and will continue to be so until it gets what it wants or you kill it. This is a very straightforward redemption arc. It’s just that Fjord isn’t alone, and those encounters with the enemy he betrayed happen to occur while all of the group is on a boat going somewhere else.

The thing it’s this is how the vast majority of arcs are. In the middle of chasing down Yasha and the Angel of Irons cult the party went into an extraplanar space (from an item that popped up randomly thanks to a stowaway that happened in the middle of the pirate arc) to save Yussa, with absolutely no knowledge that said action would end up tying back into the Angel of Irons. And even then, there were clear points within that space where Caleb and Veth’s stories were the ones being served, rather than the party’s search for the Angel of Irons.

When do we decide something is integrated or not? Vax had his promise to the Raven Queen and the subsequent story of that  interrupt the Chroma Conclave; while Vax is a fictional person I bet Vax would consider it a disruption. We split long-running actual play games into arcs, because it’s hard to refer to things otherwise, but life and stories are rarely just a series of tasks we complete and learn from and then are finished with, and “integrated” ends up meaning less “does it make sense from what has happened already, even if it’s not narratively pat” and more “is it what the viewer wants”, (ie, is it narratively pat).

I would also argue that Percy’s arc wasn’t any more or less integrated into the plot than anyone else’s. It was self-contained, because the story it was telling was about specific people who corrupted a specific space, (we can say the same about the Travelercon arc being about specific people in a specific space) but even then it wasn’t really. Ripley popped up when the party was chasing down leads for a vestige in Ank’Harel, and the Briarwoods ended up resurfacing for the final arc with Vecna. I mean, Percy himself told Vox Machina prior to everything going down they didn’t need to get involved! It’s not like the Chroma Conclave, when dragons attacked the party’s home! It was a choice! The party could have said “you know what? We’ll deal with the Briarwoods in Emon, but we’re not going to Whitestone.” But of course they didn’t, because what is D&D if not a story about found family, and what is a found family if you’re not part of each others’ stories?

Anyway the point is no one needs to have a logical reason why they’re frustrated by one character’s arc, or wish they had more content about another character, or like or don’t like certain characters/ships/plotlines, and honestly I find a lot of reasons people come up with involve twisting canon (the ruleset for ‘correct’ I tend to use) or cherrypicking or even just having wildly different interpretations of material to make that choice somehow justified when you are allowed to just...have preferences. Like people are allowed to just be tired of Fjord because it’s not what they want to watch right now, and that’s fine! I don’t agree, but I don’t think they’re wrong for having different preferences!

It also means that if someone comes into my inbox and gives a reason for why their dislike is valid and I don’t find the reason valid within canon, I’m going to dispute it because I’m generally argumentative and contrarian and pedantic and so on, but none of this changes the fact that they’re still allowed to dislike the thing and my opinion ultimately doesn’t matter.

[yourbespokeartisanalapocalypse]

Terror in the Crypt

So... last night I continued my Halloween-inspired binge of horror movies (who am I kiddding, I watch them all year round like an obsessive weirdo) with this little doozy...

Yes, it’s the slightly obscure and much maligned Terror in the Crypt (1964), based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 lesbian vampire tale Carmilla and one of Italian director Camillo Mastrocinque’s final films.

You can watch the entire film for free here but before you do, let me tell you why I love films like this even though so many reviewers complain about them. 

For a start, as a fan of all things gothic, I’m a sucker for any movie which opens with a scene like this:

Horror films of this period really take a lot of effort over period stylisation (emphasis on style not accuracy) while not worrying at all about the constraints of authenticity. So we end up with vintage 1960s hair and makeup mixed with beautiful late-Victorian costumes and interiors. The anachronisms, for me, are a big part of the appeal because they create a sense of the uncanny, a feeling that this exists in some space outside of time, outside of reality, as though you’re watching a dream sequence that only follows its own internal logic. 

That sense of uncanny dream logic is only further cemented by the sorts of things I know people complain about. The acting does often seem wooden - in fact, there are times in this film when the acting is so wooden and the faces so expressionless and the speech so toneless, that it feels like a deliberate choice, as though these characters are themselves caught in a disconnect, as though they too are feeling as though they are reading lines or going through motions they cannot control. Sidenote: I actually thought Adriana Ambesi, who plays the central character was very good and will hear no criticisms.

The film’s dreaminess is actually a key feature of the plot since so many scenes occur at night, often after the central character has been sleeping. In scenes like this one below, a character awakes and...spooky things happen. Is it real? Is she dreaming? The mystery deepens!

It may be that the script is poorly written (apparently it was written in only a matter of days), or it may be an effect of a bad dub, but the dialogue has an overwrought, over-determined feel to it, that draws attention to its own theatricality. And that, too, feels uncanny, unreal, and, dare I say it, a bit dream-like to me. How can I not love lines like:

“Oh it's so beautiful here. Perhaps nature has purposefully set the stage and is waiting for the actors to enter... But who knows if the play is farce or tragedy? This is a spot where one could come for pleasure...or for death."

Let us not forget that Le Fanu’s original tale begins with the narrator describing a strange visitation from a mysterious woman. Afterwards her father tries to assure her it was a dream: 

But I was not comforted, for I knew the visit of the strange woman was not a dream; and I was awfully frightened.

The original story is also written from memory, and of a time which seems dream-like in recollection: 

I now write, after an interval of more than ten years, with a trembling hand, with a confused and horrible recollection of certain occurrences and situations, in the ordeal through which I was unconsciously passing.

Le Fanu’s story is so deeply invested in psychological experiences - in the tricks and vaguries of memory, and in blurring the borders between dream and reality. It also makes clear that even though the vampire might elicit “a strange tumultuous excitement”, the narrotor finds herself wooden and listless: 

"...my energies seemed to fail me. Her murmured words sounded like a lullaby in my ear, and soothed my resistance into a trance..."

So yes, i guess you’d be perfectly justified to say that in Terror in the Crypt the dialogue is stilted, the acting wooden, the period poorly rendered, but honestly, to me those are all things that add to its charm because they all make it feel dreamlike and unreal in a way that isn’t too far removed from the original Victorian text. 

Watching Terror in the Crypt I feel like I’ve stepped into someone else’s dream and I genuinely wish modern horror films were more interested in that dream-like quality. There are exceptions, of course, but after c.1980 it feels like horror took a turn away from the psychological. 

As an interesting note, according to this review, the end credits on the American International TV version have Anglicized names which reference people blacklisted by Hollywood in the 1950s: 

This creative renaming might have been the act of someone on the American side, thumbing his nose at the legacy of the blacklist; but it could also have reflected the wishes of the Italian crew, since many of the talented Italian directors and technicians identified themselves as Communists during the early 50s (though many changed their minds after Krushchev's speech on Stalin, and after the brutal response of the Soviet Union to the Hungarian Uprising in 1956), and ended up working with many of the Hollywood expatriates (heck, Halevy even ended up co-writing Horror Express for the Spanish).

Oh, and just to finish, for any Christopher Lee fans, this film will be more of a curiosity than a delight. He’s in it (highly billed too) but only in a very minor role. Though I suppose if you were to go by lines in the script then it’s a much bigger role than when he played Dracula for Hammer!

EDIT: I just finished reading Carmilla and in hindsight this movie is actually pretty faithful to the original text. Bravo Hammer!

[vegetacide]

Whump●tober -Shaky Hands

Veg-notables: So I decided that this one needed a revisit as the aftermath of 10.Unconscious intrigued me.. I intended to take a break today.. oops.. failed. 

@gumnut-logic  ::sneak attack…::

Obligatory whumptober stuff: @whumptober2019 @la-vie-en-whump

Blanket warning: Post brain explosions.. With residual ouchiness and discombobulation

Characters: Virgil/Kayo...

Whumptober - TaG’verse

Previous post for this can be found HERE 

1. Shaky hands

Enjoy…

oOo

The fight to regain consciousness was a grueling task as Virgil’s brain sluggishly began to turn over and his internal dialogue fought to crawl back to the land of coherent thought. The first snips of reality peppering in and out of cognizance were in a weird tableau of hazy screen shots that left him confused and utterly disoriented.

The first thing to really registered in the slow moving molasses of his mind was the soft pad of retreating steps.  The sound stood out in sharp contrast to everything else for some reason but he just couldn’t muster the energy to figure out why. No sooner had the thought entered his mind, than it was briskly whisked away with the invasion of light flashing over his closed eyelids.  

The residual ache behind his twinging optic nerves thrummed along with his heartbeat and forced him to shut down anything too complicated to process. Which didn’t leave him with much to work with except maybe breathing.  

Uhg,  what the hell? 

Shielding his eyes as the bright afterimages swirled about the inky darkness he wanted to marshal something from his flagged system to seek out and destroy the invasive luminescence.  Unfortunately that would involve ambulation and that too seemed beyond his current abilities.

A twing again.. Right, stick with breathing..   

Cautiously, he cracked open gritty eyes. Blinked repeatedly at the sting as they instantly began to water. A quick, foggy eyed glance about told him what he needed to know; location.  He was in his room, though how he actually got there was a blank in his memory.

From what little he could remember, he had been on the flight deck of Two running post flight checks when the first inclination of an oncoming migraine started to present itself.  After that, things grew very murky.  Tiny little blips of colour and texture.  A hard, cold surface, ebony richness, the scent of jasmine,  a soft lilting voice, a warm breath across his skin then there was nothing. 

Reaching up a hand to rub at the tension at his brow, a tug on his arm forced him to open his eyes again.  “..shit…” He softly cursed as he took note of the IV line and his eyes traced up the line to hazily take in the bag of saline hanging above the headboard. 

He’d really done it to himself this time and he was not looking forward to sorting this mess out once he was back on his feet.  With the way he was feeling though that was still a while off.   

Drawing in a deep, fortifying breath, Virgil heaved his torso off the bed with herculean effort and almost immediately regretted the action when the room started to spin and distort.  Maybe not one of his best ideas but considering what had transpired over the last so many hours he didn’t think he could possibly dig himself in any deeper than he already was. 

Swinging his legs off the side of the bed,  he leaned forward to rest his head in his hands, elbows braced firmly on his knees. He was intent on getting his ass out of bed and across the short distance to the his ensuite bathroom but as he looked up he almost groaned at how far away the door appeared to be. The temptation to just return to the soft confines of his bed was growing proportionately to his waning strength.  

Staring at the bathroom door just five feet from him, he willed his body to heed his mental commands.  Feet firmly planted and he readied muscles to bunch and push off when a hand landed on the back of his neck and a quiet voice whispered in his ear.

“And where do you think your going?”   

Flinching as the figure behind him scared the living shit out of him, Virgil found himself thumping to the floor with a not so very manly yelp.   Pressing his hand to his racing heart he cursed vehemently. 

“Well, good morning to you too.”  Kayo smiled leaning over the side of the bed and looking down at him.  “Don’t let Grandma hear you swear like that or she is liable to wash your mouth out with soap no matter what state your head is in.”

With the easy grace of someone who knew how to handle herself, Kayo unfurled herself from the bed and crouched down beside him.  “Come on, I’ll give you a hand.” 

All he could manage was a grunt.

Kayo tutted and ducked under his arm to help him up. He sometimes forgot how strong she wasn and in moments like these he was grateful for the practiced ease in which she used it. 

Settling him back on the edge of the bed, she unhooked the saline bag from the quick release.  her eyes concentrating on the task a little too hard for his liking.

There was a pensiveness about her that he knew well.  She was brooding and trying to figure out the best way to broach a subject that she was unsure of.  Not a good thing considering he had a pretty good idea what the content of her musings was.  

Reaching up he rubbed at the bridge of his nose and once again contemplated hermitting himself away for the next century. 

Her cool hands took hold of his forearm and pulled his hand away from his face.  Checking over the catheter, she made sure the valve for the quick release was securely closed and the small bit of line was fastened in place with an extra strip of medical tape. 

“Bathroom.”  She ordered and tugged on his arm

Back on his feet once more Kayo shuffled him off into the bathroom. She stayed a pace behind as he entered the cool confines of the tiled space and as she passed through the door, she adjusted the lights to low knowing his eyes would be sensitive to it for at least the rest of the day.  

While he took care of business, she turned the shower on and adjusted the controls. The muscles across his back tightened as the tension in the room grew  with each passing second. “In you get.”  She said once she was satisfied with the temperature but didn’t meet his eyes.

He obeyed with little complaint. He really didn’t have the energy to put up much of a fight and besides the idea the warm water washing away the sweat and easing his tired muscles did sound appealing.  

Looking down at himself he realized that he was still in his arming tunic from the other day and with a snarl he pulled it up and over his head. His boxer came next though the act of ditching those took some effort as he wobbled like a drunk on one leg. Kayo steadied him with a sturdy arm and he gave a nod of thanks. 

Naked and shivering as the cool air touched his sweaty skin he dragged in a breath, got a whiff of himself and instantly paled.  A lovely combination of sweat and vomit mingled in his nose and he winced as his stomach gave a retaliatory squeeze. 

Biting down on the impulse to toss his cookies again; like really there was anything in there to bring up, he forced his body to move and stepped under the warm spray of the shower. 

Soap, shampoo, rinse, repeat. Stand like a statue and drown.. Was that possible while in the shower?  

The stall door opened and Virgil groggily opened his eyes.  Probably not possible, he mused. Wow he really was out for lunch still. His thoughts were sluggish and random and head felt like it was floating above his body.  

“Out you get.”  Another order and she still wouldn’t meet his gaze. 

Damn it.

Stepping out she dried him off and wrapped a towel around his waist before leading him back to bed. He had to admit the shower was a good idea, it had helped a little though it had sapped what little he had left in the tank on reserve. 

A clean muscle shirt and boxers followed and she pulled back the sheets, an open invitation to get back in. 

Effort expended, he did as she silently asked and sank back into the softness of his bed.  

God, he was tired and he hated the lethargy that was going to dog him for the next few days.  This episode had been a bad one. He knew he had over extended himself but what choice had he had.  Lives had been at stake and if he could do something about it he was duty bound to step up to the plate, consequences be damned… or so he had thought. 

Pushing the pads his fingers into his eye sockets and tried not to let the continued strained silence get to him.  In his state, though his patience for waiting it out lasted a whole of thirty seconds.   “Kay…”

“I wish you wouldn’t push yourself so hard.”  She plowed right over him.  Flattened him by the tone of her voice, the worried edginess to her usually pleasing lilt. 

Crap on a cracker..  Virgil pulled a heavy breath into his lungs and the exhaustion weight down on him.  He was tempted to look and see who had placed the house on his back but the answer to that was obvious.  Himself.

Whatever his intentions at the beginning of all of this….several days ago, he hadn’t  intended on scaring her.  

He kicked himself with a groan. “Kay.  Look, I’m sorry I worried you.  It’s been a hard few days and I didn’t plan this…”

“That’s exactly the problem.”  Her green gaze shifted and lasered in on him.  “You push and push and push and completely forget that you’re human.”

She turned away from him, fusing with the saline bag as she hooked him back up again. Her handling of the IV rough and it was obvious even to his foggy brain that she was uncomfortable revealing this part of herself even to him.  “Do you know what it was like to see you like that?”  Her voice was a whisper but he heard it loud and clear as if she had used a bullhorn.  

With a bit more effort than he cared to admit, he grunted back to his feet and stepped towards her.  Reaching out he caught her hand in his and was dumbfounded to find it shaking.  

Words caught in his throat, he pulled her to him and wrapped her in his embrace. “I’m sorry.” He whispered in his ear, his voice rough as her shoulders quaked. Shit  “I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry. I’ll try harder but please don’t cry.”  

Her shoulders silently shuddered under him, the only sign that she would give of her distress and she buried her face into his neck. Her willowy arms encircling his waist and holding on tight as she tried to rein in her rampant emotions. 

Christ, he’d done it this time.  She never cried. He’d really scared her this time for her have become this upset.  

He would rather deal with her ire and scathing tongue.  Her anger was something he knew how to handle and something he much preferred. Tears though? From her?  He was at a complete loss.  

He would do better. He had to.  

He swept a comforting hand down the length of her back and brushed a kissed across her crown.  An unvoiced promise in his actions, he would do anything to make this right again. 

Energy flagging, he pulled her down to the bed with him and tucked her into his side. Comfort and sleep first then they would tackle figuring this out.  He would figure this out. 

The fading ache behind his eyes gave a little thump.  A friendly reminder of what happened when he neglected himself that he wasn’t soon to forget.   

After this he was sure he was going to have to contend with his big brother… Something that he didn’t look forward to considering the state that Kayo was in. 

Shit.... 

The End.

oOo      

Next post can be found HERE

The Master List of prompts can be found HERE

[affiliatemark3tin9-blog]

Why Affiliate marketing online Is the greatest Solution to Begin a web based Organization

online business

If you've got educated you enough with the details readily available to us by means of the online market place, then you really should have understood by since your pursuit of a occupation within the company ladder is futile at most effective. Mainly, the theory is usually to get started as an intern, then a daily worker, then transfer as many as a supervisory and/or managerial position and finally approximately the chief degrees in the corporate organization that you are in. Personally, I have practically nothing towards this sort of aspiration as I too once dreamt of these factors myself; nonetheless, the toll it will require to obtain to precisely wherever you should be could no less than take thirty years; twenty if you are exceptionally fantastic at it.

online business

The situation is many of us won't be able to be extraordinary and apart from the fierce competitiveness in engage in, you will even have to experience the insurmountable quantity of forms, racism, favoritism, gender inequalities as well as other adverse issues as a way to basically go up the ladder. The trade-off isn't a really perfect payoff even from an optimistically assessed standpoint. For that reason I might advocate that you just begin your individual business enterprise along with the lowest priced approach to get it done is by constructing an internet online affiliate marketing website or web page.

Defining Affiliate marketing online

Online marketing is surely an uncomplicated income-generating organization method where you're taking the function of the promoter and support the producers and sellers link with all the finish buyers. It ought to be crystal clear that irrespective of whether you are taking a passive or active role in this enterprise, you happen to be in no way the originator or creator of your products/services you advertise. However , you will get a little portion of the income as compensation however. It is really mainly a 3-way relationship in between you, the vendor and also the consumer.

What Affiliate marketing online will not be

In case you get an unsolicited e-mail inviting you to be part of an affiliate community and it is really requesting an upfront payment, then you undoubtedly really need to scrutinize them and locate out no matter whether or not they're scam or legit. Go to the Better Organization Bureau (BBB) and learn about the organization, if you can't discover any, then go to internet online affiliate marketing discussion boards and dialogue boards. They might know a lot about these fraud web-sites as news spreads speedy in social media marketing and message boards. One more detail to search for is that if these people today are selling you unrelated products or something that you simply won't ever manage to use, much like the $350 "Secrets to Online marketing Success" e book or several other catchy titles; while a few are genuine nevertheless they you should not cost you that top.

The truth is it is possible to master primary internet online affiliate marketing from top rated ranking internet sites and blogs. The truth is, they could teach you a lot more beneficial data than all individuals specialised publications and DVDs that other people are selling. Getting an affiliate is free of charge after you indicator up to affiliate marketing plans as well as only issue that should actually set you back cash is web hosting, that's about $70 - $100 a calendar year for your internet affiliate marketing weblog. A handful of other fees could consist of a unique website/blog brand (optional), your electric bill; employ a blog site author (optional simply because you may compose the blogs yourself) and possibly paid advertising and marketing to market your site or weblog (optional).

Forms of Affiliate internet marketing

What's appealing about internet online affiliate marketing is that you can gain commissions in more approaches than most of the people believe. Make it possible for me to explain the 3 different forms of online marketing and the way you may make by them.

one. Unattached Affiliate internet marketing - This type of affiliate marketing will not likely have to have way too considerably operate from you, you don't even must set up an online marketing blog like those for Amazon Affiliate Courses. This really is extra like a PPC marketing and advertising (pay-per-click) where by you just clearly show affiliate adverts on web pages that permit this sort of internet marketing after which you can get yourself a commission for each click by means of that website buyers make on the adverts.

2. Relevant Internet affiliate marketing - This sort of internet marketing is exactly where you will be needed to have some amount of involvement which is where by you make an affiliate internet marketing site or web page and generally clearly show affiliate inbound links on just about all of your website/blog pages. In addition, you make a fee for every time a web user clicks via the affiliate inbound links.

3. Involved Affiliate marketing - This type of advertising and marketing may well demand you to actually use the products/services prior to deciding to create a review about them and you simply need to be able to write a more detailed and truthful evaluations.

It is possible to select from these 3 styles of affiliate marketing online procedures, but most internet affiliate marketing systems takes advantage of the sort 2 affiliate marketing online, which has some degree of involvement and on the net existence from a conclusion.

Placing the Cogs and Wheels With each other

Since you have got an notion of what online marketing is all about and what its popular pitfalls are, you happen to be wanting to commence your journey to fiscal liberty as well as a rich way of life! Online marketing is simply like every other variety of business enterprise and you'll have to plan a strategy months or even many years forward before you decide to begin, so I'll provde the fundamental technique of the best way to come to be an affiliate marketer, signing up for affiliate programs, putting together your affiliate marketing online blog site and every one of the other vital facts about it.

Methods to become an affiliate marketer:

1. Decide what area of interest subject matter you should use on your blog site or web site. It is really improved to put in writing critiques or common information regarding products/services that you're passionate about, since you can generate improved posts for them in comparison to people who you don't like. As an illustration, should you be mad about crochet or kids bicycles, then that is the niche you should pick for your personal website! Affiliate courses use a huge inventory of things on the market and they do include crochets and bicycles for just a reality. In case you are much more of your business-minded personal and you simply feel you'll be able to compose pretty much on something, then by all suggests pick the specialized niche that is most profitable among the great deal.

2. Generate your website and buy an affordable but responsible internet hosting. You don't need a internet designer to build an internet site or possibly a blog site. You may use WordPress, Weebly, Net.com, Blogger, eHost and other people to do that. Utilizing their user-friendly "click & drag" features you may create your blog/website in 5 - 10 minutes!

3. Study standard SEO and use it on your site or site. Search engine optimization or SEO is a very very good promoting system to make it possible for your web site to generally be known throughout the entire net or not less than the majority of it. If your web site is easier to locate in search engines, then it can be much more convenient for persons to visit it, and a lot more visitors indicates more revenue for you.

4. Discover social networking promoting to extend your presence on the web. In reality social media marketing advertising and marketing or SMM is also a part with the grand scheme of SEO and without it, your SEO campaign would not be as successful as you'd expect it for being. There are pretty much billions of folks hanging about the internet on a daily basis and substantially of them are in social websites web sites. It would be a logical choice to acquire visitors there to your web-site and increase your revenue potential.

5. Discover about paid out advertising and consider it deeply on whether you will need to use it or not. Paid out advertisements assistance since they target the right style of folks who are already looking for products and solutions that you simply encourage. Meaning there is a good chance that they will buy. Wouldn't you wish them to buy products as a result of your affiliate links? I'd!

6. Start filling up your site with content. In case you plan to write boring and unimpressive weblogs and content articles, then I'd advise you to definitely no longer continue in your pursuit of creating an affiliate marketing blog site, since I promise you people today won't would like to read your weblogs or visit your site. Produce posts that could impress you first. This will let you know no matter whether or not men and women will wish to read about what you have to say. When you can find an extremely critical person to judge your writing, then that would be better as it will assistance you greatly improve on your writing style. Reader engagement is absolute in affiliate internet marketing. It will determine your income capacity, so do your very best in writing content on your site above all else.

The way you make in affiliate internet marketing:

� The manufacturer/seller signs a partnership deal while using the affiliate network or program and in turn, when you sign up using the affiliate community being an affiliate, the partner affiliate community offers you a small percentage share on every item you helped sold.

� You will have to have to embed or display affiliate one-way links on your website or affiliate marketing site with regard to the products and solutions you might be promoting. The purpose of these back links is always to guide your blog site readers towards the seller's webpage (that is usually within the affiliate network's site) so that they might make purchases from the things they like.

� The percentage commission on each and every sale range from 1% - 10% (some give far more than 10% but rarely) which is how you generate cash flow. For example, an internet person happens by your site about coffee machines and he/she read your site review or informative article. The reader was impressed by your web site and decided to click on over the affiliate link, then make a obtain of one coffee machine worth $350. If the affiliate community allowed 7% of that amount to become your fee, consequently your cash flow for that sale alone will be $24.50.

� You might notice that $24.50 is a little amount of money and not ample to convince you to definitely turn out to be an affiliate; on the other hand, for those who were equipped to bring 10,000 visitors to your weblog from the span of thirty days and about 4,382 individuals bought coffee machines for themselves, then your revenue for that particular month should really be $107,359! If you are ready to bring as a lot visitors to your web site on a regular basis, then you really can bet that your monthly money should really be around these numbers. Now it is possible to appreciate the value that SEO and SMM can do for the affiliate marketing online small business.

How Much can you Make?

The straight answer to this question is... there is NO LIMIT to how substantially you'll be able to earn. The web page called Pickmyshaver.com around October or November 2013 and then 8 months later its regular monthly profits became $8,446! If it had continued as is it would receive over $50,000 a month by now, except that it was purchased in Flippa by an anonymous buyer for $60,100 all-around June 2014. Which is just one web page and I'm pretty sure on your very best day you can manage two - 3 web-sites for internet affiliate marketing.

At this point I will let you use your imagination as to how a great deal you can get paid; or is it how hard you desire to receive. It is really entirely approximately you. I am confident that this article should really aid you will get started in creating your own private affiliate marketing blog and gain not just funds, but your independence from your everyday worries of life. When you start earning over $8,000 a month, then you really can buy more time to spend it while using the men and women that matters to you most - your family. I wish you each of the greatest and do not forget to drop a comment below and tell me how online marketing has changed your life like it has changed mine.

Affiliate Marketing is the most profitable online business to make money online and build a passive income. In Empire Marketing proof you can find tips and secrets to create your business and conquer the financial freedom. We promote only the best affiliate marketing programs. All of those provide; top niche products, high paying and recurring commission plans, and marketing materials to promote their products. Moreover, every program is reliable and secure. Through the blog and other products like books and courses, we will lead you from the start in every stage of your business journey. Indeed, you could find suggestions on how to avoid mistakes and scam in Affiliate Marketing.

Empire marketing proof covers every aspect of affiliate marketing and other specific digital marketing and entrepreneurship niches as email marketing, SEO, paid ads, mindset, etc.. We suggest tools and strategy. We review products, software and programs.

[booksandwords]

Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection

Read time: 102 Days (Intermittent) Rating: 4/5

Contains Stories By: C.M. Stunich, Elizabeth Briggs, Margo Bond Collins, Laura Greenwood & Arizona Tape, L.C. Hibbett & N.M. Howell, Lena Mae Hill, Eva Chase, Julia Clarke, Bea Paige & Skye MacKinnon, Amy Sumida, Chloe Adler, AJ Anders & Amanda Perry, Angelique Armae, Joely Sue Burkhart, Caia Daniels, May Dawson, LA Kirk & Lyn Forester, Jackie May, Cecilia Randell, Erin Bedford, Catherine Banks and A.E. Kirk

Overall It took me a while reading this to figure out what was frustrating about it, primarily the stories are first stories or prequels. I would have preferred more stand-alone stories. It is not impossible to create a world in this shorter space but it seems that authors have used it to provide fanservice and some background they wanted but had not written previously. I really hope most of these get published as individually, especially the 1st stories. This is a reasonable collection if you like reverse harem and want something to break up your other reading, none of the stories are taxing. And there is something for all tastes.

See No Devils by C.M. Stunich Disclosure: See No Devils is why I bought Realms and Rebels. I have written a full review which I will post when and if C.M Stunich publishes the story individually. I'm glad I bought it See No Devils is a fast-paced fun ride with brilliant characters that engaged me and made me theorise the significance of characters, of situations. Any story that can do that in 10 chapters is impressive. I loved the characters and the writing, both are amusing and intelligent. This is definitely a series I will be keeping an eye out for. 4.5 stars.

Light the Fire by Elizabeth Briggs Light the Fire is a prequel in the Her Elemental Dragons series (1st book Stroke the Flame). It's not a series I have read but this does make me want to read it, as any entry in an anthology should. The lore is brilliant, there are reverse harems woven into the world, the mythology and I like the fate angle that was used. What really struck me reading Light the Fire is the feeling of fan service, Calla and her men appear in Her Elemental Dragons as supporting characters this feels like something that fans wanted, had asked Ms Briggs for. (Full review is available here.) 4 stars.

Her Big Bad Wolves by Margo Bond Collins Another story with editing issues. Days and names were wrong sometimes. Liam was originally Seth I think and there is one instance where that wasn't changed. And there are continuity issues in the timeline. It is a helluva into a world with decent lore. I would love to spend some time getting to know, James, the pack historian. He is the brains trust and after the alpha the best person to introduce a reader to the world. Has the feel of a prequel if or when the series continues I don't think this will be a necessary read just a pleasant addition. But it did it the nail on the head to a degree S's options are a complete, balanced man. This is common in a reverse harem. (Full review is available here.) 3 stars (.5 loss due to bad editing)

Fifth Soul by Laura Greenwood & Arizona Tape Fifth Soul feels like a lost opportunity. The harem is 3 men and 1 woman centring on a bisexual protagonist. It is a situation I had thought of but never seen in a stand-alone. Given the authors have a series for this universe (Dragon Soul, Torn Soul protagonist Holly makes an appearance) it could have been published left on its own and done very well because that is a situation that is a fantasy for some. It is lost in here this anthology. It's also odd, the lore isn't explained well, the writing isn't consistent and there is too much focus on a single relationship. It's rushed and disappointing because of that. I can't even make this 2 stars. 1.75 stars

A Nightmarish Mystery by L.C. Hibbett & N.M. Howell I have never read any of the Cats, Ghosts and Avocado Toast series, that put me at a distinct disadvantage reading A Nightmarish Mystery. This story fits between A Vet Vanishes (book #2) and A Devilish Disappearance (book #3) and is admitted fan service, though not the kind of fluff one expects from fan service, this is heavy and dark. It can be read as a stand-alone though that is not its intention. I give props to the authors for creating a situation that allowed for fans to get what they wanted but didn't mess with the continuity of the series. I know from the authors note that A Nightmarish Mystery is different to the series but reading this first does not endear me to the series, does not make me curious to read it. Might that defeat at least part of the purpose of the story? 2 stars.

Twisted: A Fairy Tale Mash-up by Lena Mae Hill Another 1st book in a new series unlike the others though this one is explicitly aimed at the YA market. From the time I read it's intended audience I questioned its place in this anthology, Realms and Rebels seems to be aiming at a more mature audience. But Twisted had more sexual intimacy than a few of the others and some seriously dicey consent. Twisted has a well-executed setup Little Red Riding Hood meets Three Little Pigs. Having the leading man be not particularly likeable was a good thing in the scheme of things but Cayenne frustrated me a combination of her Red Riding Hood nature and her attempted modernity, it rubbed me the wrong way. My biggest issue was the questionable consent she sort of assented to their actions but not strongly enough for my conscience. (My full review of Twisted) 3 stars.

Raven’s Fall by Eva Chase Raven's Fall plays with Odin's raven Muninn, the raven of memory and the idea of shapeshifting. When Muninn transforms she appears as standard with a gorgeous black dress. What I really like is the use of the phrase "what in Hel's name" this is possibly the origins of the curse used now, Hel guardian of Helheim the Norse equivalent of the underworld. The language in Raven's Fall is fantastic, it is beautifully descriptive. The raven, the rogue, the healer and the charmer. They are an intoxicating combination. Muninn's innocence/ naivety is endearing because it is understood, she isn't human she is an immortal who has never experienced humanity's joys. Her men share easily, but their stories broke my heart. Mythology is always a whole lot of fun, make it Norse and it becomes even more bloody and vindictive. Reading Raven's Fall certainly made me interested in reading more of the Their Dark Valkyrie series.

Charms of Attraction by Julia Clarke Fantastic characters. Charms of Attraction focuses on the relationships the protagonist has with not only the men in her life but her sister. The portrayal of the sibling relationship between protagonist Katerina and sister Ana is particularly good. I really liked one date in particular. There is potential in the series, as with so many in the anthology though polyandry in the norm in the society. I will say though this story does really need a warning for those sensitive to domestic or psychological violence situations, violence plays a major role in Katerina's past and is discussed in some detail. 3.5 stars

Hell’s Calling by Bea Paige & Skye MacKinnon The first book in the Infernal Descent series re-imagining Dante's Inferno. I enjoyed the characters and the plot definitely looking forward to reading more. This story establishes the word, the characters, some of the internal relationships but stops short of anything drastic physically. Hell's Calling does for me what an entry in an anthology needs to do It makes me want to read more in the series. I want to know what happens to Ciera, Maro, (Cer)Beres, Plutus & Tris. 4.5 stars

Twisted by Amy Sumida What a brilliant take on the Wizard of Oz. It just works for me, nothing feels out of place. The origins are obvious and the twists are so clean and logical. My full review of twisted

Inconceivable Origin by Chloe Adler I read two chapters and stopped. I found the protagonist insufferable, she rubbed me completely the wrong way. Also, I have major issues with rape, I'm sure that there the author finds a way to write her way out of it (we are talking about magic here) but I can't do it.

On The Edge Of Forever by AJ Anders & Amanda Perry WTH just happened? So much promise, so much build. It was so rushed at the end I got head spin. Actually, the story felt incomplete, there is nothing confirming the status of the story as a first or a prequel, it just ends. I was so happy reading the start of this. It has an interesting lore that the authors did their best to explain as briefly as possible. The men having a pre-existing relationship helped for succinct writing as they could talk among themselves rather than just to her. The protagonist is badass and her familial relationships are brilliant. but their end is disconcerting. It's still a 3.5/4 star story.

Eclipse by Angelique Armae Bastet is a fave deity. I had to attempt to put aside some of my own issues to read this, I try to stay away from titles with any BDSM elements, even light ones. Spanking is part of the makeup of Eclipse. So this is an alright read if you don't mind your mythology being butchered. I liked the characters, to a degree I liked the lore but I cringed at the use of Egyptian mythology it just wasn't working for me. The truly appealing aspect of this story was the relationships, the reader meets the immortal daughter of Egyptian Goddess Bastet, Marcus the Lion, Lucius the Tiger and Horatio the Panther in present-day Manhattan but their relationship has existed since 30 B.C. It is an established, happy relationship. There are intimate moments with two of the three men but not the 3rd that was disappointing. 2.5

Queen Takes Jaguars by Joely Sue Burkhart Absolutely gorgeous. So much sex-positivity. I really loved the confidence and the owning of womanhood. I definitely made want to read more of the series (despite it having a different perspective). There is a whole scene in a hotel which is both hot as hell and emotionally devastating. I really liked the characters and the lore. (Full review is available here.) 4 stars.

Sovereign of Soul by Caia Daniels 3 chapters in I gave up. it didn't grab me and had done an awful job of explaining the lore and wtf was going on. Essentially it felt like a combination prequel and fanservice piece, despite only being a prequel. The series does have an interesting basis for the harem creation though.

Ugly Magic by May Dawson This is one of the stories I skipped for no real valid reason. I stopped 4 chapters in one day and didn't pick it up for about 5 weeks. By which point I was completely lost and it just made more sense to skip it.

At Water’s Edge by LA Kirk & Lyn Forester To me At Water's Edge is more a journey of self-discovery than a typical reverse harem, it feels like it's more about her than her relationship with them. The ending is just gorgeous. The story is quite self-contained. There is a lack of explanation that didn't detract from the enjoyability, I get the feeling there is some serious lore in play. I really like the portrayal of the neriads is perfect, they are quite bratty, teenage girl. 4 stars

My Soul To Keep by Jackie May A nicely written, pleasant story with lovable characters in an interesting setting. The protagonist is window-able, she is quite easy for you to see yourself in. Fairy-tale but in the best possible way. A shared trait to Her Big Bad Wolves by Margo Bond Collins with day by day dating to try and choose a man. 4 stars

Blinded Beauty by Cecilia Randell Odd, not bad just odd, it wasn't gripping for me. Blinded Beauty makes decent use of fantasy themes. it doesn't get bogged down in the lore it just gives you tid bits. Polyandry relationship is a non-issue is just happens, which works well. I quite like the characters though. 3 stars

Indebted to the Vampires by Erin Bedford I skipped this one. I just couldn't. it's short the synopsis just didn't appeal. I can see a way to make it not dangerous but it would be difficult.

Moon Academy by Catherine Banks Again the skipped because the premise really didn't appeal. It is possible it might have worked but by the time I got to Moon Academy I was done. I might come back to the 4 (?) I missed but I don't know.

Demon In Distress by A. E Kirk Demon in Distress is a definite book one, or possibly the working base for a book one. It just comes to a dead stop. After reading it I felt like it shouldn't be in here, I really hope they publish it stand alone. It is a dissatisfying end to the collection. It isn't awful but it does just stop with a clear indication of the future direction. I didn't enjoy it, I did enjoy See No Evil which faces the same issues. 2 stars.

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: Nichijou

They said it couldn’t be done! My resolve almost faltered! But here it is: KyoAni’s[1] Nichijou dubbed and in my hands!

Nichijou is so well regarded, and the scant clips I’ve watched such high quality, I ordered the Blu-ray collection sight unseen. Which, historically, I’ve done only for acclaimed films, and even that’s rare.[2]

I was not disappointed. It quickly replaced Lucky Star[3] and Azumanga Daioh[4] as my favorite slice of life comedy series.

The animation is great, the comedy on point, and the characters and (dubbed) performances are charming and very likeable.

Now, like a fool, I’ve set myself to analyze a comedy… woo-hoo…

Spoilers. Just go watch the show now.

Nichijou is super charming.

It has strong comedy, but there’s also plenty of segments that make you smile and kind of enjoy that life exists, and friendships such as those depicted are capable by horrible humans.

I’ve never been struck by the visceral appeal of Moe before. I’ve watched K-On (which is a fine series), Lucky Star (good comedy, if steeped in its era), and have dabbled in the media here and there, but Nichijou is the first series where I felt the charm.

In the latter half of the series, there’s a recurring segment which is dedicated to sweet, small moments that you expected to be subverted (due to the rest of the segments) but is played straight and just makes you smile.

But it’s also really, really funny, in a well written, logical progression sort of way.

A good quick example is that of the Go-Soccer club, which begins as a funny background detail of posters advertising it being seen around campus. Then a few incidental characters discuss it in the background. Then, we get a segment featuring the two members and we learn its founder formed the club as a place to goof off and play simple playground games. So which is a decent punchline to a running background gag.

Then a new member comes along who is a champion Go-Soccer player hoping to continue the hobby in his high school years. Then we learn one of the teachers also is an enthusiast of the sport that apparently exists, but is resistant to be the club advisor.

Then we witness a few bits of the game being played, and it’s a confusing, Calvinball experience that will never be explained.

The entire show is built like this. A premise is introduced, expanded upon, exaggerated, and the silliest options taken when possible without seeming forced (within the context of a comedy world anyways). And there’s also lasting changes in the details. A gag changes windows for the focal classroom into stained glass, and those windows remain as such for the rest of the series.

But the real strength of the series isn’t finding joy in small miracles or escalation of events, but how interconnected everyone is and how those connections make life better.

At the start of the series, most of the cast have tangential relationships, but the segments stand alone with their own sub-casts. The main trio (Yuuko, Mio, and Mai) work off one another and have their classmates in the background, and those classmates sometimes get their own focus segments, but the segments are fleeting and seem to run off their own internal narrative, unconcerned with others. Slowly, over time, we learn new relationships that put new spins on past segments.

Mio gets a job at a stand, and her supervisor’s impossible and ethereal standards gets the better of her. Then that supervisor is revealed to be the father of one of her classmates, who is being crushed on by the friend of a girl who has a tsundere relationship with a boy Mio also has a crush on.

Also, Mio’s sister is a kendo mentor figure to the tsundere girl.

These relationships are all static. They existed before the series began, but were revealed when it would be funny.

The one exception is the Shinonome lab cast: a grade school aged prodigy, the robot she built, and later a cat they adopt. The cat’s adoption is the first time a relationship is formed on-screen, and is the straight man the duo needs for the first half of the series. The three are rather reclusive, with Nano the robot sometimes going grocery shopping, but they never have meaningful interactions.

But the series is about how everyone connects with everyone eventually, and the bridge is built when Nano is allowed to attend class and join the school-girl trio as a fourth friend.

The final episode puts a pin in this with a segment of Yuuko stumbling through the school to ask Nano is they can visit her house. We watch the full journey as every trip and small mistake Yuuko makes improves the lives around her in a small way.

It’s a really good series and… I don’t know, it’s a comedy, those are impossible to analyse! It’s fun, good natured, and is family friendly! Watch it.

In conclusion, a segment about a deer wandering onto the school’s campus.

---

[1] After the tragic arson attack of Kyoto Animation, I’ve decided I should probably put a little more effort into highlighting the specific studios and people who put the work in. [2] I probably should add A Silent Voice to my physical collection. Also by Kyoto Animation, by the way. [3] Also Kyoto Animation. [4] J.C.Staff! Not everything’s KyoAni! This studio has also done the second season of One Punch Man, Revolutionary Girl Utena, and a bunch of middling tier adaptations that some seem to appreciate but not particularly loudly.

[davidbuddbg]

Chapter 6: What if it’s worth it?

Taking my car wasn’t an option. The bodyguards could probably track it from a distance with some sort of device. I went in to the garage, on the minus 2 floor of the building. I pressed on a button of the car key in my hand and the lights of a Porsche 911 turned on. In my souvenirs, the car was less red, but after all, it had been a while since I’d last driven my dad’s car.

I couldn’t use my phone for guidance since the police had confiscated it. That meant I had to put my open laptop on the driver’s seat and I hoped I would come across no Police officers, especially, you know, because of the gun inside my bag.

I didn’t put in the exact address into the Nav, but rather a parking lot about two miles away. I backed away carefully from the parking spot, knowing father would kill me if I scratched his baby.

Now on the road, I began to remember why I loved this car so much. The very sound of the engine made you feel free and it was as if you could forget everything else. The drive went by smoothly and the Porsche swept through the highway. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was doing something dishonest, naughty even. Should I have told David? I began to worry, but then realized it was too late: I was almost there and had no phone.

I parked the car on the parking lot which was almost empty if not for the overfilled dumpsters clustered around the fences. I took my handbag from the driver’s seat and placed my laptop inside, also making sure I still had the gun.

I was weary and shaky as I walked on the wet asphalt, hoping I had correctly memorized the way. The streetlights were scarce and I could hear the echo of my own steps, somehow exuberating my uneasiness.

When I was less than a mile away from the given address, the echo distorted, resonating differently. I took a turn I didn’t need and noticed there was someone walking behind me. “Fuck,” I cursed internally, feeling rather helpless in the middle of nowhere with no phone. I turned another turn, into a smaller alley this time and the shadow followed me in.

I stopped in my tracks, appearing as if I was searching for something inside my bad so I could confirm the suspicions. Just when I was about to think I had been imagining things, an arm encircled my neck from behind, strangling me. I knew it!

Now on overdrive, I instinctively kicked the man behind me in the crotch area before freeing myself from his hold in the short seconds of confusion that followed my kick. I immediately grabbed the gun from my bag and pointed it at him, the safety off and my shaky finger on the trigger. It was just a kid, I noticed. Sixteen or seventeen, maybe. The black-haired teenager was looking at me with fright, his hands up in the air as he pleaded for me not to shoot.

My hand was trembling. I couldn’t shoot someone at point blank, even as exhausted as I was. “Just leave me alone and go home,” I shouted, shaking my head. The teenager immediately complied, leaving me alone. I took a few seconds to calm down before I started running too, to the address in the email.

I arrived at the house. It wasn’t difficult to find since there weren’t that many on that street. While it wasn’t exactly in ruins, it did seem as if no one had taken care of it in a long while. I let out a long breath and squared my shoulders before walking up the stairs to the porch. Just as I was about to knock, a bald man dressed in a suit opened the door.

“Miss Guinness, come on in,” he greeted me. His voice seemed neutral, neither happy nor displeased at seeing me. I followed him inside and noticed the wallpaper was coming off in bits and the wooden floor cracked too much for it to be safe.

The bald man led me to a large room, and there she was! Julia Montague sitting down on a chair, looking all banged up, as if she’d gone through hell and back. She managed a smile at my sight, moving as much of her face as she possible could through the severe burns.

“Alma,” she spoke, her voice so weak it became close to a whisper. “I’m happy to see you made it out just fine.” Julia tried sitting upright, but she could barely move, at least not without help.

“What happened?” I blurted out, my eyebrows furrowed. How was she even alive?!

“After the explosion, as I was brought to the hospital, I met with Anne Sampson,” Julia explained before coughing heavily. “She and rest of the high placed staff at the New Scotland Yard thought playing dead was the only way for me to make it out alive.”

Julia gave me more details, but it didn’t make sense in my head. “David and I are suspects!” I shouted, full of accusation. Maybe she was safe now, but she’d definitely left a mess behind herself.

“I know you didn’t plant the bomb, Alma,” Julia said softly, as if that would reassure me. “That’s why I called you here.”

“You’re right Julia, I didn’t do it,” I spat out, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “Neither did Dave but he’s now under investigation!”

Julia sighed, and I was envious at how she managed to stay calm in such times but I wasn’t about to cut her some slack. “Alma, I know you love him,” she declared straightforward as if it was a universal truth. “That doesn’t mean he can be trusted.” I cocked an eyebrow at her, before leaning back against the sofa. “Alma, don’t tell me he never behaved suspiciously?” She said leadingly, but it was almost as she was daring me to defy her statement. And I had zero tolerance for dares.

“No, he never did behave suspiciously.” I affirmed with authority though I was lying through my teeth. She most likely knew it but didn’t say anything.

Speaking lower again, Julia asked me to keep the tablet hidden. She couldn’t trust Sampson’s people with it and for some reason I couldn’t quite grasp, she thought I could be trusted.

“Alright, it’s getting late,” Julia deadpanned, making me look at the clock. It was after 5am and if you concentrated enough, you could distinguish the birds chirping outside. “So, let me tell you the real reason I called you here.”

Julia needed me to pursue my internship. No, she needed me to spy on Mike Travis, who was acting at the interim Home Secretary. She didn’t trust him, and I had no option but to accept this, this mission. She handed me an old red Nokia. “The text messages you sent through this phone can’t be traced,” she explained.

I left the house around 6am and the neighbourhood did seem a lot less gloomy and daunt in daylight. I made my way back to the car, feeling confused, betrayed, angry… So many things at the same time, I believed my head would explode at any given second but somehow it didn’t. She did give me an idea though, and I stopped at an electronics store in the outskirts of London to buy two cell phones before heading back to my parents’ flat.

----

The elevator arrived on the seventh floor, and I stepped out walking to the front door. The bodyguard on duty seemed surprised to see me.

“Miss, I thought you were inside,” he stuttered, looking at the closed door and then at myself again.

“Well, I’m kind of a magician,” I chirruped rather irritated before letting myself in as the man remained outside, looking puzzled.

Once inside I called for David but I didn’t get a reply. I walked to my bedroom, or rather to our bedroom but he wasn’t there and the bed was made up. I searched the entire apartment, becoming more aggravated each time I didn’t find him. Sighing in defeat, I opened the front door again.

“Hey, did you see David?” I wondered lightly, not wanting to show any more emotion to a stranger.

“He left a couple of hours ago,” the light-haired man replied, short and sweet as he continued standing straight.

“And you let him?!” I blurted out, almost screaming as I realized I had no means of contacting Dave since he had no phone.

“Miss, our duty is towards you, not him,” he explained and I felt so much anger rush inside me that I could either knock his head unto the wall or the shut the door with so much strength, I’d wake the entire floor. Rationally, I took the second option even though the first one was more appealing.

Inside the flat, it took me a while to calm down and start breathing normally again. I didn’t know what was going on with me. I was now sobbing, my back sliding down against the wall of the bedroom until my butt hit the floor.

This wasn’t me, I thought drily. I didn’t cry, I didn’t raise my voice, I didn’t panic. Those were emotions which has absolutely no logical or rational purpose and I was a rational person. Crying wouldn’t make the pain go away, screaming wouldn’t make the situation stop and panicking wouldn’t prevent events from happening. And yet, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling any of those emotions.

I wiped the ears away from my cheeks with the back of my hand and tried steadying my breath. “You’re alright, Alma,” I whispered softly to myself. “You’re just exhausted, you haven’t slept in a few days,” I continued, breathing in and out slowly. I almost managed to convince myself of that but there was a feeling at the back of my mind that I couldn’t shake. Something was wrong, I just couldn’t pinpoint what.

I took a quick shower and changed into clean clothes, misleading myself into thinking this made everything okay. I hid my laptop and gun again, before leaving the flat and meeting the fair-haired bodyguard again. “Can you drive me to the Homeland Security HQ?”

They drove with me to work but because of Britain’s exclusive jurisdiction on security matters inside the building, they couldn’t follow me in. Somehow, I still had the clearance with allowed me to get to the main floor, just like Julia had promised.

Once there, I immediately rushed to the reception desk. “Hey Susan,” I chirruped, making the middle-aged woman look up at me. “Is there any way I could speak with Mike Travis?”

Susan replied that he wasn’t taking any visitors today but that she would ask nonetheless.

“He’s waiting for you,” she informed me, holding the door to Julia’s previous office open for me.

“Sir Travis,” I greeted him as I approached his silhouette to shake his hand. Somehow, I had never liked him and I was rather sure the feeling was mutual. He indicated for me to take a seat and so I did.

“Miss Guinness,” Mike Travis spoke and I could finally pinpoint exactly what about him made me so distrustful: His voice sound just like Wormtail’s from the Harry Potter movies. “I didn’t think you’d want to continue your internship after all that’s happened.” So, Travis did want to get rid of me.

“Oh, well,” I chuckled falsely. “You know how us Brits do it: Keep calm and carry on.”

He didn’t seem convinced by my act, not in the least but he had no official or legal grounds to terminate my internship. Especially since he knew who my uncle was. Instead, he assigned me to boring legal duty with the rest of the legal advisors. Great.

I did witness how he held a security meeting, with Stephen Hunter-Dunn and Anne Sampson, among others, but I had no way of joining them. The day seemed to draw on. The work was of the most boring kind and most of all, I was worried about Dave. The only positive thing was that in the legal advice service, your day ended at five. And when the clock hit five o’clock I was more than ready to leave.

I rushed into the car downstairs. “Home?” The oldest bodyguard inquired as he turned on the engine.

“No, take me here instead.” I forwarded him a piece of paper in which Dave’s address had been scribbled. I didn’t want to be clingy, to chase after him but he had no phone and I was worried. After more than twenty minutes, the car stopped in front of a line of grey, monotone, identical houses. I had never been here but we were at the right address, so this had to be it.

I exited the car and the men followed me around the block until I found the correct house number. I knocked on the door but there was no answer. Then I found the doorbell and decided to ring it, but no one came to open the door.

“Miss, are you sure you gave us the correct address?” The bodyguard asked kindly, seeming rather worried about my panicked state but his concern only managed to anger me further. I tried to look through the blinds but the house seemed empty. He was probably with Vicky, I tried to convince myself but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

“Will do you do me a favour?” I asked the light-haired one again as I crutched down next to door. The young man nodded. “Take your phone and set up an appointment with a glazer, please.” I finished, just before picking up a rock and throwing it at the window, which immediately shattered.

Without giving it another thought, I slid myself inside, trying not to cut myself. “You guys stay here,” I ordered, before moving away from the window. The house was very grey and monotone, just like the whole block. It made me wonder if Dave had given me the correct address all those months ago when we first met.

“Shit!” I cursed out loud. I slid down to my knees next to him, behind the couch. His was lying on the floor, against the back of couch and the fabric was ruddy. “Oh, my gosh, David!” I blurted out, panicking as I grabbed his shoulders to pull him upright and my hands came back tainted with blood. “What the fuck happened?!”

He finally raised his head, looking at me. His face was stained with blood, but what caught my eyes were the dried-up tears around his eyes and on his cheeks. I wasn’t doing okay since the bombing, but Dave was doing worse. He tried to speak, but his throat was raw and he coughed before trying again, his voice barely audible. “The bullets,” he mumbled, pointing at the gun on the floor, next to the crutches, “they were blanks.”

“Thank God for that David,” I spat out sarcastically, staring at the gun. Dave was mumbling something about someone having broken into his flat, but I didn’t care about that when he was in this state. Seeing Dave like this made me realize I wasn’t up to the task. Maybe I could help, but I wasn’t enough. Not when he was this bad. “I’m taking you to the hospital,” I announced, seeing the wound on his head.

Dave protested with all the strength he had left. “Don’t, love, please,” he begged.

Silently, I helped him stand and handed him the crutches. I waited for him to sit down before I went to the bathroom downstairs to retrieve the first aid kit Dave had told me about. Now inside the bathroom, under the cold light, I noticed I had managed to smear my face with my bloody hands. With his blood. The freezing water hit my hands in the sink, making them tremble more if that was even possible. I wanted to cry, but my eyes wouldn’t let me. I couldn’t. I needed to be strong, for him.

Somewhat calmer though still shaky, I returned to the kitchen, he was sitting upright staring straight ahead. Following his gaze, I noticed the four envelopes positioned on the buffet and immediately knew what was inside. Instead of commenting on that, because what would I even say, I searched for a Youtube video on my phone to learn how to stitch.

“Can you at least tell me why?” I finally dared ask as I hunted down the bullet fragments on his skull with a pair of tweezers. He didn’t even budge under my touch.

Dave didn’t answer and after a few minutes, I no longer expected him to, but then his face broke down again and he confided in me. “I’m an invalid, Alma,” he spat out, like he was disgusted with himself. “First, I wasn’t capable of doing my job and protecting you,” he admitted. I wanted to interrupt him, disagree, after all I was still alive, but he went on before I had the words figured out. “And now, I’m not even capable of walking properly, let alone run,” his voice was seemingly louder now as he continued his rant. “I’m not even able to put a bullet through my brain,” he blurted out in agony.

I took the time to remove the last fragment from his skull before speaking. I needed to figure out what to say and how to say it, or this would all go up in flames.

“Dave,” I cooed, squatting down in front of him and taking his hands in mine. “Dave, look at me,” I repeated before placing my thumb under his chin and forcing his eyes to meet mine. The bright blue orbs were washed out and it broke my heart into a thousand pieces.

I let out a long breath, before speaking softly. “I don’t care whether you can walk smoothly or run. Neither do Ella, Charlie or Vicky, Dave,” I spoke in earnest, taking a moment to wet my dry lips. “We love you for who you are. You’re aren’t just some PPO, David,” I stopped for a second, my voice cracking under the emotion. “You’re a human being. You’re a father, a husband, a friend, and a lover.” I felt too warm all of the sudden, putting myself out there like this, completely out of character but at least Dave was still staring at me. “Most of the time, you’re also a provider, but you are much than that and you remain the David Budd we love even if you need to stop being the provider every once in a while, and be the received instead.”

Dave’s eyes broke out in tears and I closed my eyes, internally cursed at myself at having made things worse. Again. But then I felt his arms around me, he was hugging me, sobbing next to my face, and let him stay like this for as long as he needed.

The mood was much lighter as I cleaned his scalp with alcohol and stitched his wound to the best of my abilities. Afterwards, I helped him downstairs to the bathroom, and he didn’t protest. I did notice however, that he was walking with more ease and it brought a smile to my lips. I let him get dressed in peace and went outside to let the bodyguards know we were going to the safe house. When Dave joined us outside, he was wearing a black cap and it suited his face.

The ride to Vicky’s house was relatively silent. There were some things David and I needed to talk about, but those were important matters we couldn’t discuss with strangers listening in on us.

Vicky tightly hugged Dave as soon as he stepped inside. She opened her eyes mid-hug and mouthed “thank you” at me. Then the kids came running downstairs, both hugging their father, almost making him loose balance.

It was only after a few emotional minutes that Ella noticed I was there. “Who are you?” The little girl asked suspiciously, with those big eyes only kids seemed to be blessed with.

“I’m Alma, a friend of your dad’s.” I wasn’t sure how to introduce myself to the kids but Ella simply shrugged it off before hugging me as well, taking me by surprise. Charlie was a lot more reserved but he did smile and nod when I said hello.

Vicky had ordered pizza and we all sat around the table for dinner. Some chit chat was made, but it felt as we, the adults, were all hiding something.

Out of nowhere, Ella stopped eating her slice of pizza and looked up at her dad with confusion. “Why are you wearing a hat?”

David looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “It keeps my head warm,” he managed to say after a few seconds but neither Ella nor Charlie seemed convinced. Gazing at them, Dave started silently sobbing. I looked at Vicky, not knowing what do it, but she didn’t seem better prepared for this situation then I was.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Charlie asked, his childish, happy voice cutting through the sombre atmosphere.

Dave started shaking his head softly before speaking weakly. “Nothing, I just need a hug.” At once, both kids jumped up from their chairs and went to hug their father again. And if Dave’s face was anything to go by, their hugs were indeed the best painkillers in the world.

Letting Dave have some quality time with his kids, I grabbed the empty pizza boxes and followed Vicky into the small kitchen. She was piling up the glasses in the dishwasher and silently pointed to a big cardboard box where they seemed to collect all the recyclables.

“I know you aren’t just a friend,” Vicky said, breaking the silence. I turned to face her, somehow scared she’d be angry but she actually sported a small grin on her face. “It’s okay, Alma. I’m happy if he’s happy.”

Her words stung even though she most likely didn’t intend that. Dave wasn’t happy and I felt powerless to change that. “Do I want to know the reason for the cap?” Vicky asked after a few long seconds had passed, observing Dave with the kids as she leaned against the doorframe.

“I suppose your first guess is correct,” I intimated, finding a subtle way around the sensitive subject. She knew what the cap was hiding, it was obvious and yet not enough for it to be publicly discussed. “I’m going to try to convince him to seek professional help.”

Vicky sighed before turning around and putting her hands on the top of my shoulders. “Good luck with that, Alma,” she sputtered, somewhat hesitant. “I’ve been trying for years without luck.”

David and I remained with them until it was time for the children to go to bed. The kids appeared heartbroken as Dave wished them goodnight, but he promised to come by again soon.

------

Now on our way home, Dave did appear to be in higher spirits. I wouldn’t say he was happy, but he did seem soothed, even surprising me when he took and kissed my hand as we were being driven home.

Just like all the previous days I could remember, I was tired, incredibly so. But considering Dave’s state, it’s not like we would have gone out clubbing anyway so I ignored the fatigue, thinking it was normal. I doubted he even did go clubbing in his free night. We both got dressed for bed and for the first time, appeared to be like normal people.

I was reading a Turkish novel, Kurt Seyt vê Sura, I’d begun months ago and had just found again on the nightstand. Dave was lying in bed next to me, setting up the new phone I had handed him when we arrived home from dinner.

“Love?” He asked eventually, his Scottish accent smoothly breaking the silence and I breathed out a small ‘huh’. “I know we never really talked about that, but hum-,” he stopped mid-sentence, reconsidering his wording and I dropped my book, rather interested now. “The whole condom story the other day made me wonder if you took another contraceptive.”

I chortled in genuine amusement, but Dave was silent and confused. The fact that men, even in their thirties just like now, always became so uneasy when discussing contraception was too funny. “Yes, Dave, I’m on the pill,” I finally managed to reply when I regained my breath. “Don’t worry about that.” To be fair, considering the amount of stress I had been under in the past weeks and how exhausted I was in this moment, I doubted my reproductive system even had enough energy to work properly.

Silence conquered the bedroom again and I was about to turn off the light when I saw Dave rubbing his shoulder, a small grimace on his face. “Here, let me give you a massage,” I offered and gestured for him to turn around, which he did. Careful as not touch the wound on his thigh, I straddled him, putting my weight on his buttocks.

For the first time, I now realized how deep the scars on his back really went. While some were fine and almost imperceptible by touch, others felt like crevasses, like they had been carved into his skin and flesh with nothing but cruelty and pain. I sighed internally as I mentally took in the causes of the scars and it reinforced my belief that David needed therapy if his mental scars were just one tenth as deep as the ones on his back.

Putting these thoughts to the back of my mind for now, I grabbed some hand lotion I always kept on my night stand and started rubbing it into his skin, carefully avoiding the bandage on the back of his shoulder. Instantly, I felt Dave’s muscles quiver and then relax beneath my hands.

“Thank you for today, love,” Dave murmured against the pillow after a few minutes. “And seeing Ella and Charlie again, I really needed that.”

I didn’t reply, instead I placed a kissed on his deepest running scar hoping that somehow it would help. When his skin had fully absorbed the lotion and my arms were tired, I rolled over to my side with a sigh.

“You know what, honey?” I used that nickname on purpose to make him move since I never used it otherwise. To my consternation, David turned his head towards me but didn’t move the rest of his body. “I think you should turn around and give me a foot rub.” I simpered, on the border of erupting with laughter.

“Sorry, love, but I can’t do that,” Dave whispered, his face still buried against the pillow. Curiosity was now getting the best of me, I mean, I could have just said no.

“Oh, come on, Dave,” I insisted still amused, now grabbing his good shoulder to roll him around myself.

To my amusement, and to Dave’s unjustified embarrassment, I quite immediately understood why Dave didn’t want to turn around when I saw the growing bulge inside his black boxer brief. Well, it had been a few days, I told myself as I licked my lips. “I could actually help you with that, you know?” I suggested brazenly, looking up at Dave with an expression I hoped was sensual.

“Oh, you can?” Dave dared me with his deep voice, now having positioned his left arm over the pillow to support his head, and his embarrassment had now obviously dissipated, into something more confident.

“I do believe it’s within my area expertise,” I purred, trying not to laugh at my own words as I took off my bra and moved to straddle him. Dave pulled himself into an almost upright position, his attention now having diverted to my breasts. “On one condition, though,” I added, already panting with excitement.

“Whatever you want, love,” Dave moaned, the fabric of our underwear rubbing against each other as his tongue took over my nipple. Satisfied with the answer, I pulled off his boxers and pushed my panties to side, our bodies almost able to connect but not quite yet.

I pulled his face away my chest until I could trace kisses on his face, from his lips to his ear. Finally letting our bodies connect, I whispered my condition in his ear, “you’ll start therapy next week,” before moaning with pleasure.

[arcticdementor]

Architecture is suffering a crisis of confidence. More and more mainstream figures in the field are admitting that the profession has lost its way. As I previously mentioned, Frank Gehry, the world’s most famous architect, recently said that “98% of everything that is built and designed today is pure sh*t. There’s no sense of design, no respect for humanity or for anything else.” Architectural thought-leaders seconded and thirded him. And he’s since been fourthed by another.

…

And now The New York Times, the ultimate arbiter of elite opinion, recently published an op-ed that declared, “For too long, our profession [architecture] has flatly dismissed the general public’s take on our work, even as we talk about making that work more relevant with worthy ideas like sustainability, smart growth and ‘resilience planning.’” The authors are not kooks on the fringe but architect Steven Bingler and Martin C. Pedersen, former executive editor of Metropolis magazine, both of them very much in the establishment.

The authors observe that self-congratulatory, insulated architects are “increasingly incapable … of creating artful, harmonious work that resonates with a broad swath of the general population, the very people we are, at least theoretically, meant to serve.” Bingler and Pedersen note that this has been a problem for over forty years (my emphasis), and that things are even worse today.

As a case in point, they mention the 2007 “Make It Right” charity program, founded by amateur architect and furniture designer Brad Pitt. The program invited firms, most of them avant-garde, to design housing for poor New Orleanians whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The architecture world was exhilarated: The initiative was to be a showcase for how the best contemporary design could improve lives.

The predictable result was weird, sometimes discomforting houses of non-native motley futuristic design that have virtually no relation to each other or the beloved historic architecture of the city. A story in The New Republic called the 90-some houses a waste of money and a distracting sideshow: The homes were expensive to build ($400,000 on average) and the high-tech fabrication has made them expensive to fix; mold has grown on the untested experimental materials, and the eco-wood decks and stairs are already rotting.  The neighborhoods are wastelands—failures of urban planning that isolate residents from social networks and public services.

…

While most of the architectural establishment has responded to the op-ed with noticeable silence, Mark Lamster, architecture critic for the Dallas Morning News, did bravely publish a post on Facebook in which he began by quoting the opinion piece: “We’ve taught generations of architects to speak out as artists, but we haven’t taught them how to listen.” Lamster then commented, “super-smart nyt op-ed from Martin Pedersen and steven bingler [sic].”

What is most telling, however, is the vitriolic response the op-ed triggered in Aaron Betsky. Called “one of the 21st century’s architectural power brokers,” Betsky is the former head of the Cincinnati Art Museum, and was director of the 2008 Venice International Architecture Biennale, the most important architecture show in the world. An architectural priest and patrician, he is to the profession what The New York Times is to the chattering classes: a voice of the high-status quo. Indeed, he writes for Architect, the official magazine of the AIA.

Betsky rained down on Bingler and Pedersen with ridicule and scorn: Their piece was “so pointless and riddled with clichés as to beggar comprehension.” He summarized their position: “we have three of the standard criticisms of buildings designed by architects: first, they are ugly according to what the piece’s authors perceive as some sort of widely-held community standard (or at least according to some 88-year old ladies); second, they are built without consultation; third they don’t work.”

Yet Betsky then admitted, “All those critiques might be true.” They are irrelevant, he claims, since architecture must be about experimentation and the shock of the new. (Why this should be the case he does not say.) And sometimes designers must stretch technology to the breaking (or leaking) point: “The fact that buildings look strange to some people, and that roofs sometimes leak, is part and parcel of the research and development aspect of the design discipline.” Ever brave, he is willing to let others suffer for his art.

At no point did Betsky consider the actual human beings, the unwilling guinea pigs who live in the houses. He implicitly says of the poor residents: Do their roofs leak? Let them buy buckets. And as for sickness-inducing mold, there’s Obamacare for that. Betsky also does not consider what a leaky roof means to people whose prior homes were destroyed by water. The architects, having completed their noble experiments, effectively say like the arrogant King Louis XV of France: “Après moi, le deluge” [After me, the flood]. No wonder architects have an image problem.

Betsky also would not appear to care that some of the new houses look like they have already been damaged by a flood. As he wrote in May, “Buildings under decay are much sexier than finished ones, perhaps because they remind us of our own mortality.” It logically follows that the “decaying” Katrina houses are simulated ruin porn, a pleasing mix of sex and death. He had previously said that the decay of New Orleans even prior to the hurricane could seem “elegant” to some. One of his favorite architects, the Dutch firm MVRDV, proposed a Make It Right house that looked like a trailer broken in two, and another one that looked like a house piled on top of a house.

…

Modernist architecture, like Modern art, has tended to be a revolt against bourgeois taste (and values): If granny, abuelita, or bubbe is for it, they’re against it. But if bourgeois taste is bad—all that chintz and those lace curtains, those cushy sofas, that flag flown from the front porch—just imagine what architects think of the working class and poor. If the architects had their way, elevator music in New Orleans public housing would be screeching Stockhausen, not native Louis Armstrong or Fats Domino. Modernists have no room for harmony, rhythm, or soul; they are high-culture elitists, not multiculturalists who celebrate class and ethnic diversity.

Many leading 20th-century architects, including Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe, were openly disdainful of the public’s preferences. On occasion they evinced subtle and overt racism. In 1913, in one of the most influential essays in the history of Modernist architecture, “Ornament and Crime,” [PDF] the Austrian architect Adolf Loos declared that modern man (read: white northern Europeans) must go beyond what “any Negro” could achieve in design, and strip away all that is superfluous, all that is morally and spiritually polluted. It is Papuans and other primitives who, like innocent children, ornament themselves with tattoos. Loos’ race has superseded them: “the modern man who tattoos himself is either a criminal or a degenerate.” The same held for ornament in architecture. (To this day, architects—who continue to believe they are the vanguard of civilization’s progress—find ornament retrograde. Yet ordinary people stubbornly continue to adorn themselves with cosmetics, jewelry, and, yes, tattoos.)

In the 1920s, during the time he was a member of the French Fascist party, the seminal architect Le Corbusier said he was disgusted by the “zone of odours, [a] terrible and suffocating zone comparable to a field of gypsies crammed in their caravans amidst disorder and improvisation.”  He also chimed in with Loos: “Decoration is of a sensorial and elementary order, as is color, and is suited to simple races, peasants, and savages… The peasant loves ornament and decorates his walls.”

…

Betsky, to his credit, doesn’t pretend that architects should even try to make outreach. Showing little sympathy for democracy, he says that appeals to the public are “mystical.” The people—the 99%—do not deserve a seat at the table. Yet Betsky would have us believe that he and the architecture he supports are “progressive.”

[scripttorture]

(pt 1 of 2) So I've got a character (A) that gets snagged by this group of mercenaries/assassins in the hope of drawing out this other character (B) they've been trying to kill. B is telepathic, so the group is hoping that by torturing A he'll have to come and save her. It doesn't work, and A goes through about three days of torture (beatings, mostly) before she's rescued by another character, C.

(pt 2 of 2) C and A are from different races that are mortal enemies, but C saves A because torture is something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. Granted, he does the bare minimum to save her, but could that sort of thing be enough to shake A's firmly held beliefs about C's whole race? Secondly, how do I patch things up between A and B? I've got a lot of people being unreasonable, especially in the short term, but I'm not sure how reconciliation should go, since A is mad and B is ashamed.

Whenit comes to strongly held beliefs I don’t think there are many firmanswers.

Evidencealone generally doesn’tshake our beliefs and we have a marked tendency to pick and choosethe evidence we cite, emphasising and giving more weight to thingsthat support what we believe. We do this even when we’re aware ofthis effect. It seems to be a universally human trait.

Butevidence coupled with emotional appeals canchange people’s minds. People can also gradually change over time.

Thekey word here is ‘can’. It is possible.That doesn’t mean it happens every time.

Thingslike de-radicalisation programs domake a measurable difference in the broad sense. But they don’treach everyone they interact with.

Andthe things which trigger a change of heart are not always fastacting. They can be things that gnaw at a person over a course ofyears, gradually prompting them to shift their stance.

Essentiallyyou could choose to take this either way. You could have A’s viewof C’s people changing, either abruptly or gradually. But you couldalso have A write the incident off as an exception to the rule orotherwise dismiss it. Either response can happen in real life.

Let’sstep back from the success rates of organisations like After Hate fora moment and address this as writers.

Ifyou wantA to have a massive change of heart then however quick the change itcan’t feel like it comes out of nowhere. The readers have tounderstand the process A goes through emotionally.

Whichmeans the reason behind this has to be more than C’s actions: itneeds to be the feelings and thoughts those actions prompt in A.Otherwise the change is going to come across emotionally flat.

ShowA struggling with these thoughts and feelings, swinging betweendoubting what they were taught and what they experienced. Don’t betempted to make this change easy and don’t be afraid to show Afalling back on old, toxic patterns occasionally.

Movingon from these sorts of hateful idea isn’t easy. It means aconcerted choice every day to address your own toxicity and dedicateyourself to being a better person.

Thatsort of introspection, judgement and emotional work is always inprogress. People often slide back a little even if they’re makingprogress over all. That isn’t unusual.

AndI honestly think that this change will read better if it involvessome internal struggle. The best way to present that will vary withhow you write. If it’s from A’s point of view you can show it asis. You might be able to work it in to conversation with C.

Youmight find having B pick up on it works as well, because that thengives you a way to tie these separate sub-plots together. It mightwell be easier for A and B to argue about how A feels about C/C’speople then it is for them to address their problems with each other.

Whichleads us to A and B’s relationship.

HonestlyI think this is something you should be tailoring to the charactersbecause the ‘right’ answer is going to vary with the individualsinvolved. It might be helpful to unpack some ‘logical knowledge’vs ‘emotional assumptions’ on the part of both characters though.

Let’sstart with A.

NowA probably knowsthat rescuing her wasn’t just a question of skill or bravery. Arescue mission is a difficult and risky prospect, highly likely tofail and extremely rare in reality.

She’dknow that B would find it difficult to rescue A. If B doesn’t havean organisation backing them up then a rescue would have been almostimpossible to pull off successfully.

She’dknow that a rescue attempt could result in B being captured andtortured too. She’d know that an unsuccessful rescue attempt couldeasily lead to A herself being killed.

AdditionallyA would also be aware that torture was warping her perception of theworld. A would probably not always be awareof where She was being held or many of the details of herimprisonment.

Ifall B has to go on for a rescue mission is A’s thoughts then A mustknow that B would have had trouble finding her.

Awould also know that the more B connected with A’s mind the moreimpaired B would be. Because B would also be experiencing thedisorientation, confusion and delirium the pain of torture causes.This sort of confused thinking would leak through and create animpairment even if B couldn’t experience A’s pain.

Bwould also know, logically, all the reasons they couldn’tpractically have rescued A.

Bwould be in the unfortunate position of having a second-handexperience of A’s trauma throughout. The threat of torture is veryreal here. It’s immediate. B’s fear of that is legitimate andshouldn’t be dismissed.

Butthat logic doesn’t trump the emotional side of all this.

Andthe emotional side is that B probably feels like they let A down. Aprobably feel betrayed and hurt and abandoned. They bothprobably feel isolated from each other and like it’s harder totalk.

Neitherof these sets of feelings are logical or rational. But there’s anextent to which that doesn’t matter.

Ithink the best way to address it is directly. Which doesn’t providean easy resolution.

Thething is- most torture victims don’texpect to be rescued. They are not in a position to…. think there’sany possibility of rescue. A’s position here is unusual and thatcomes in part from her being privileged enough to know powerfulpeople. Contact with other survivors might help A realise this andprocess a little of how she feels emotionally. It might help heremotionally accept that the expectations she had of B wereunreasonable.

Havingthem talk about it, the reasons why A expected something and thereasons B couldn’t provide it is an important first step. But thisisn’t something that’s going to resolve overnight. Oneconversation, even if they do listen and understand each other, isn’tgoing to resolve everything.

OnA’s side it’s a case of rebuilding trust. I think that’s ofteneasier to write because we see so many examples of it in literature:trust lost and rebuilt. It’s something that’s best built upslowly over time with a lot of actions on B’s part rather than withsome kind of ‘Big Damn Heroes’ moment.

Agood starting point would probably be helping A with her recovery.Consistent help with the little things she’s struggling with (whichinitially may include eating, getting dressed and moving about) wouldgo a long way.

Shemight not forgive B quickly or at all. She may stop relying on B toprotect her. But care is important too. It’s possible to trustsomeone with some things, some aspects of life and not others.

Partof this depends on how deep you want their reconciliation to go. It’sperfectly possible for them to completely rebuild their relationshipso it’s just as strong as before, but it would take more work thenrebuilding something shallower.

Ithink in some ways B’s side of this emotional problem is harder. Acan meet other torture or trauma survivors and learn that theexpectation of rescue is a fantasy out of most people’s reach. Shecan gradually come to trust B again if they both communicate honestlyand B takes the time to try and care for her, to try and build thatfriendship back.

ButI get the impression B has lost their trust in themselves and that’sa lot harder to regain.

Angerruns out of steam eventually. And sick angry people still need to eator help getting out of bed.

Shamecan eat at someone for the rest of their life.  

Myhonest instinct is that if these were real people they’d both needtherapy. A lot of therapy.  And while that’s not something that wecan work in to every setting emotional support definitely is.

Bis going to have to forgive themselves for what happened. A big partof that means accepting their own powerlessness in this situation,which is a terrifying thing. It create a sort of emotional push-pulleffect, forgiving themselves means accepting something incrediblyfrightening so it’s easier to avoid those feelings and hold on toarrogance.

Itcan sometimes be easier to tell ourselves we’re cowards or badpeople then it is to accept our own limits.

EarningA’s trust again may not necessarily combat these feelings, B mightcontinue to feel unworthy of that trust.

Thereare a lot of ways to write a set up like this convincingly and well.I think you’ll get the best results by trying to tie thecharacters’ progress to both the overall story and the charactersas individuals.

They’reprobably going to go mess up a few times. They’re probably going toheal at different rates and be ready for different things atdifferent times. Try to be aware of how other things that arehappening in the narrative might effect the characters emotionally.Because the other things going on in their lives could be useful toprompt this kind of emotional growth.

WhenI’m trying to reconcile characters I often try to think about whatthe root of the problem is. It’s often not what the characters areexpressing or consciously aware of as the ‘problem’.

Inthis case I’d guess that it’s ideas of safety and security on A’spart and ideas of duty and bravery on B’s. Those ideas are thingsall of us can understand but the ways they’re expressed areparticular to your characters.

Ihope that helps. :)

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[darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts]

A Different Time pt3

Warning: Scientific Nerdy Ninja, strong language

MasterList

---

Chapter 3 – Tactless Advice

It was a bit of a shock to see my friend standing before me but there was still no doubt that it was him. Yukimura turned around and gave me a happy smile and a wave.

“Hey Sasuke long time no see.”

Finally reaching his side we share a small fist bump before walking towards the Inn where I have my room.

“Why are you here Yukimura?”

“Hey what’s with that? You not want to see me?” He pulls a small pout answering my question with a question.

“It’s not that, I’m always happy to see my bestie you know that. I’m just surprised because you have no business here as far as I can remember.” There was no reason for Yukimura to be here. Azuki was where he had been given orders to seek out information in not all the way out here in the back of beyond. Also, he was on a break. Lord Shingen called it time off for good behaviour. It sort of made it sound like an early release from prison.

“Yeah that… Lord Kenshin was getting all worked up and so Lord Shingen cut my time off from spying a bit and sent me here to check on you so I could report back that you are ok. It has been nearly a week you know?” Yukimura tilted his head as he looked at me.

Drawing a mental tally of time spent traveling, then being thwarted in my attempts to gain access to the Daimyo’s residence, I realised he was right. My previous estimate on time for this mission had racked up a number of delays. The image of her popped up in my head. What on earth was that about?

“I’m sorry to have been the fuel that drove you into having to come and check on me.” I shook my head a bit, attempting to clear the image from my mind whilst also apologising.

“Oh, don’t give me that I wasn’t that worried. To be honest I’m glad to get away again Lord Shingen is driving me mad with his constant sneaking around looking for sweets and chasing every woman he can find in town. Don’t get me started on Lord Kenshin, I think that man is starting to go even crazier. You know he challenged a member of kitchen staff to a sword fight the other day because he was given the wrong tea set?” Yukimura sounded exasperated as he described the situation at home.

“That does sound pretty dire. I’m sorry you had to go through all of that alone.” I held my tone together somehow whilst simultaneously apologising and trying to avoid sniggering at my poor friend’s experience. I knew it could be bad our Lords seemed to require babysitters, if I’m honest though Lord Shingen is more laid back. Lord Kenshin whilst a brilliant man, is also an acquired taste much like his prized sake and pickle plums combination.

“No, you’re not! I can hear you smirking even if your face hasn’t cracked into one. Anyway, what’s taking you so long? Thought you said it was an easy in and out job.” Yukimura put his arm on my shoulder dragging me towards him in a conspiratorial fashion.

“I would prefer to have this discussion inside.” He nodded in agreement and followed me inside. The owner of the inn was a very nice old man and he managed to arrange for Yukimura to have a room near mine. Bowing in gratitude we left the front of house retreating to the back and into my room.

---

After several cups of tea, and a carafe of sake, Yukimura finally had been clued in on all that had happened. And now in a typical Yukimura fashion had exploded into a full range of emotions that would put a modern-day actor to shame if they had been told to recreate it.

“So, you are telling me that a female ninja who had been attacking you for the last few days invited you to her camp and you just went along with her?” His jaw hanging open like that made him look a little like a koi in a pond.

“Yukimura you are getting the wrong idea.”

“Wrong idea? Sasuke man seriously. It’s basic survival, you don’t just follow your enemy.” Yukimura smacked his palm onto his forehead in frustration.

“But she isn’t my enemy.” We had been going in circles with the same topic for a while now. I had been up all night and was planning on retiring to my futon as soon as I arrived back to my room but with the arrival of Yukimura I had rejected the idea until we had finished talking.

“So, what you fancy her?”

“Pardon?” His adamant tone of voice as he said that caught me off guard and I nearly repeated my blunder from earlier with her by inhaling my tea.

“You like her. You know as a woman. Ack don’t make me spell it out man seriously I haven’t had enough to drink to have that conversation with you.” Yukimura had turned red all over his face right the way to the tips of his ears. It was an endearing quality in my friend. He found something so uncomfortable to talk about and yet still attempted to do his best and talk about them regardless of his own embarrassment. I however wasn’t entirely focused on that right now. I was trying to assess the accuracy of his statement. How do I feel about her? I don’t even know her name.

“I would have to say that based on current levels of understanding and data that I have gathered on the subject that there may be a possibility, given the right circumstances and all the varying factors involved. That is to say the increased levels of adrenaline and norepinephrine in me causing my heart rate to increase, that I could possibly find myself in an infatuated state with her at some point in the future.” I spoke as I tried to process my own feelings and thoughts into words.

I had taken to studying the social interaction of people after I arrived in this era, partly due to trying to fit in for work purposes but also partly because the way in which couples interact in this time seemed to be more open and easier to study. There were not the modern issues of embarrassment about all PDA situations. It was an intriguing notation to me that I could compare romantic entablements in the Sengoku period to modern era entanglements.

“So, you want to have sex with her then.” Yukimura blurted out as he rolled his eyes.

“Yukimura there are times your level of understanding and tactlessness astound me.” I had often experienced Yukimura and his outbursts of tactlessness but that had been with women present.

He didn’t usually do something similar when we were in private. Or maybe it was because this was not a topic that normally involved me directly. It was normal for us to talk about everything and anything and naturally the topic of females did arise from time to time but it was more generalised. Yukimura seemed to actively avoid relations with women except for casual hook ups and although I can say I could see the appeal I also knew deep down it was not something that I would really enjoy past a basic chemical level.

“Well yes or no?”  Yukimura had leaned forward to look into my face. Clearly the sake had relaxed him enough to forget the idea of personal space.

“It isn’t as simple as that.” I sighed as I pushed myself to stand and retrieve some sake for myself. If we were to continue this discussion regardless of time of day I was going to require something stronger than tea.

“Sure, it is. Sasuke we are living in a world of uncertain futures. You could die at any minute. My point is if you want something you are going to have to be willing to take a risk.” Yukimura was always sincere and his voice right now also carried with it the weight of personal experience and a desire to help. I found my mind racing once more and the image of her rose again in the sea of thoughts and queries. What do I want to happen?

---

Yukimura eventually left my room in search of food and left me to get some sleep. It was now much later and I was watching from a window as the blue and purple hues of twilight changed into the darker shades of night. It was nearly time to go to work.

I gathered my swords strapping them onto my back in a way that meant I could move even if it did make navigating in the crawl spaces of a ceiling awkward. I strapped my throwing knifes onto my leg and made sure I had an adequate amount of smoke bombs and ground spikes tucked into my tunic. Leaving the room via the window I hopped from roof top to tree to rooftop and balcony until I reached a quite street and dropped to the ground to walk on terra firma.

My mind wandered back to the conversation earlier and my unanswered questions bubbled up again to the surface of my mind. Could I handle leaving here and the possibility of not seeing her again? Does she feel the same? Could she feel the same?

Well we had only just met and just because we were both from the future was no guarantee that she would be attracted to me. Also, she might already have someone she is romantically attached to. The idea my logical brain had put up as an issue to my curious emotional internal discussion made me feel a little like the ground spikes in my tunic had imbedded into my chest.

I stopped at the corner of the intersection between the road leading into town and the road that led to the compound. There were guards in the area and although they didn’t seem to be particularly well trained it would have been reckless to assume that they couldn’t get lucky. Lord Kenshin’s training had resulted in me developing skills that built on what he called “natural abilities.”

When I asked to be trained as one of his Ninjas it wasn’t an immediate yes. I had saved his life and Kenshin knew that, but he wanted me to prove I was worthy to take on the tasks of a ninja in training. It took about 4 months of him running me like I was some sort of pack animal crossed with delivery boy.

The menial tasks he gave me blended in with basic training for strength and agility before finally he declared he would agree to me training on the proviso that he himself took care of my training personally. It was brutal.

I had so many bruises and cuts from the first year in training before I was strong enough to at least block a full Kenshin force style attack and rebuff his katana in order to get away. I had nightmares to start with a shudder ran up my spine just thinking of the sneak attacks. In modern-times we didn’t have sword wielding men randomly appearing actively trying to hurt you at every opportunity. It was like something from a pink panther movie crossed with a Texas chainsaw massacre.

Drawing back from my musings and memories, I watched as the two guards on patrol walked past me and slipped out of my hiding spot hauling myself up int a tree near the compound wall and swinging myself towards the stone fortifications.

– Cough, Cough –

Oh, fantastic. I flattened against the top of the wall and looked below me. I had managed to land above another guard. He was leaning against the wall smoking a pipe, the trails of smoke rising towards me in the darkness made my nose tickle. I suppressed a desire to sneeze and moved slowly crouched low along the wall away from the guy taking a smoking break.

It’s amazing how easily you can move when someone isn’t trying to throw something at you. The thought caused me to smile beneath my scarf and I scanned the area looking for my point of entry. It should be on this side but on the second floor. The building itself was two stories high, it wasn’t unheard of but it was a rarity in this era.

Clearly this Daimyo was as bad as rumour had you believe. Over taxing to gain more wealth and spending it on lavish bouts of self-indulgence and opulence. If Lord Kenshin had been here he would have cut down the second story of the manor himself. The idea of Lord Kenshin going toe to toe with a strong building made me feel amused. However, I also knew that for the God of War, even if his opponent was a brick wall he would still attempt to win. Something about the building and the amount of men on patrol guarding it had settled into the back of my mind since I first saw the place and it was still causing an uneasy feeling in me. What am I missing?

Rounding the walls, flitting between shadows I finally lined myself up with the entrance I was looking for. I say ‘entrance’, in actual fact it is just a small enough gap in one of the rooms of the castle. I don’t know why but the window there was always just a little open with its shutter put in place over it on the inside. Taking my chances that no one will see me, I dived onto the ledge by the window and pushed the shutter with my hand through the gap. It was loose and didn’t seem to make a noise so I entered in through the window and lowered myself soundlessly to the ground inside.

– Gr…mmm… –

There were moaning sounds of a someone in the darkness. Please tell me I haven’t just landed in someone’s bedroom while they are ‘preoccupied’. My eyes adjusted to the loss of light in the room and I could see the outlines of a few people but this was wrong. They were lined along the walls and either laying or sitting in place hardly moving. There was a very small lamp by what looked like the door to the room and I decided to light it and illuminate my curious mind. Almost as soon as I managed to light the lamp I regretted my choice.

“What the Hell?”

---

[porgthespacepenguin]

first thoughts about episode 11

So a few hours behind most people, I have finally watched episode 11 and … what a ride!

First let’s start off by comparing what I had predicted earlier on with what actually happened:

The eye injury Michael inflicted on Voq in episode 2 ended up super important (Correct)

Voq revealed (Correct)

Voq fighting against mirror!Voq (Correct)

Lorca being revealed in the same episode (Wrong)

Ash/Michael going down in flames (Correct)

Ash vs. Voq being the only prime vs. mirror showdown (Wrong)

4/6 isn’t too bad a score, and the episode honestly exceeded my wildest hopes (which I keep low on purpose). I am happy to get stuff wrong as long as it’s better than I anticipated! And it was.

And I admit I’m pretty proud of figuring out the eye injury was important, as it was what almost immediately clued me in to Ash being Voq and I have not seen it discussed anywhere else (if someone else did figure it out as well, feel free to comment and I’ll amend my post).

Now onto the analysis. Beware, this is not a meta, just some ideas after watching the episode a few times.

Ash/Michael – welcome to tragedy, population: us

Forewarned is forearmed: the show definitely did warn us, though not in so many words, that this could only end in tears. Regardless, witnessing Ash and Michael’s relationship crash and burn was beyond painful.

I wrote in my earlier meta that I didn’t believe that Ash/Michael could come back from all this. I stand by my opinion more than ever after episode 12.

First and foremost, there is the fact that as soon as Voq got his memory back (and therefore his full agency) he made his choice, in full conscience.

And that choice was to murder Michael.

Let that sink in for a while.

He chose to murder her in cold blood.

Worse, if mirror!Saru hadn’t intervened, he would have gone through with it and succeeded. It was only because of Michael showing kindness to Saru earlier on that she didn’t die.

Later on in the episode, Voq shows no remorse. No regrets. Not even a hint of internal pain.

To me, more than anything, this highlights that their relationship is dead in a romantic sense.

You can come back from a lot of things – lies, double-crossing, even betrayal – but attempted murder without a hint of remorse or regret is more than a line crossed.

Especially as they are an established relationship, not two adversaries on a battlefield (I would not hold their first fight in episode 2 to the same standard, for example – that was a clearly different situation).

If the show did walk that back, and put them back together, I don’t think I could continue watching. I liked Ash/Michael but after watching episode 11, I’m out.

Some people have speculated that Michael could potentially find mirror!Tyler and pick up the relationship with him instead. I see many issues with this:

Assuming there is even a Tyler…

And his mirror!version is not a racist jerk…

Michael did not have feelings for Tyler, she had feelings for Tyler/Voq…

And just picking up a spare right after losing the original guy feels a bit… cheap?

I know, I can hear some of you saying: wait, aren’t you the one who wrote that long boring meta about how Lorca had a past relationship with mirror!Michael?

Yes, I am. And I stand by it, by the way. I truly think it would be really lovely storytelling to have Lorca finding his lost love in another universe after tragedy struck (and if Michael hadn’t been sentenced to life in prison, to a literal “future full of misery”, I’m not sure he would have interfered at all – just a gut feeling).

When it comes to Michael and Ash, trying to replace the original guy (who attempted to murder you) with a lookalike equipped with a better personality is problematic to say the least.

It would cheapen their actual relationship (past or not, it did exist!) and totally erase Voq from the equation, leaving us to wonder what purpose this whole arc served. Unsatisfying on so many levels, so that’s a  pretty firm no from me.

In the future, what will happen with Voq?

Until we go back to the prime!universe, probably not a whole lot. Michael might have to face him again to come to terms with some things, though.

Once we are back, from a story perspective Voq will have to resume his own narrative arc, which means potentially breaking out with L’rell and going back to the Klingons.

Perhaps a resolution to the war can then be found before the end of season 1 but it would necessitate a time jump: no way can we go believably from murderous fanatic Voq to “humans are not so bad” Voq in 2 episodes.

We might get there eventually, if his experiences as Ash can bring him the same wisdom mirror!Voq displayed. But again, this type of character development takes time.

Before we move on… in hindsight all of Tyler’s declaration of love and protection sound pretty hollow right about now. And yes, I’m bitter about it on Michael’s behalf.

Michael deserves better, dammit.

Michael/Lorca

The agony booth scene

So much to unpack here, it almost deserved its own post.

Before anything else… poor Gabriel. I mean look at him. He needs a hug and a stiff drink, is what he needs.

So, the agony booth scene. They are both standing. Lorca looks like hell, he is shaking and barely holding together. Importantly, this has stripped away a lot of his defenses. He is not in control the way he usually is, not anymore.

Michael is conflicted about what to do with the rebel base. Lorca’s response is immediate, do what you have to do and bomb them if you have to.

Now I have seen some people react to this as confirmation of Lorca being evil or being out to grab the throne for himself.

But let’s keep a few things in mind:

Lorca is familiar with the Empress, and he correctly foresees the fact that she will be mightily displeased at her orders not being followed. Michael is taking a huge tactical risk by being merciful, and it ends up having huge consequences.

Even if he is not affiliated with the rebels, it doesn’t follow that he would not be leading a rebel Terran faction of his own. As far as we have seen, the rebel group led by Voq doesn’t seem to have any Terran members. It would be fairly logical that there would be dissent within the Terran ranks beyond the non-human resistance.

The conversation that follows is pretty amazing. This is one of the first time we see Michael inspire Lorca, pulling him toward her idealism and Starfleet morals and away from the mirror universe’s darker, more ruthless standards.

After all, wasn’t that explicitely one of the reasons he chose her?

You chose to do the right thing, even at great personal cost.

That moment, all the way back in episode 3, made me certain that Lorca isn’t evil.

Dark? Maybe. Morally grey? Sure.

Evil? No.

I mean let’s be logical about this. If I were a villain intent on committing a villainous plot, I wouldn’t go ahead and specifically pick a person with a strong moral compass to help me with it. They would of course try to thwart me at every turn. It would make zero sense.

Ah, penguin, I can hear some people say, but what if Lorca needs her, specifically, to access the Empress? Wouldn’t he recruit her and then manipulate her into doing his bidding then?

Sure. So let’s take a detour to “How to manipulate someone 101”:

Destroy your victim’s self esteem

Use gifts and favors to create a feeling of obligation

Isolate them from their support system: family, friends, romantic attachments

Denigrate their achievements

Undermine their self confidence

Punish the victim for perceived transgressions

Right. And in contrast, so far Lorca has:

Helped her rebuild her confidence on her own (contrast the start and beginning of episode 3, it’s such an amazing change)

Given her a job and a place aboard a starship again, while avoiding her gratitude as much as possible

Helped her maintain or rebuild her support system: mounted a rescue for Sarek (family), gave her Tilly as a roommate (who was the only one good hearted enough to look past Michael’s transgressions and befriend her), and kept his opinion to himself concerning her relationship with Tyler (though he was undoubtedly jealous)

Praised her for her strategic mind and her strong sense of morale

Encouraged her to take pride in herself (“You did well, Burnham. You should be proud.”)

Trusted her with the most important missions

Ignored at least one transgression that could have landed her in the brig (that fight they had on the bridge in episode 9)

I’m sure I’m forgetting things but you get the idea.

Honestly, if he needed her only as a tool, it would have been much smarter to keep her under his thumb with her confidence broken. Look how pliable she was at the start of episode 3.

(Again, I do think that the fact that Georgiou is the Empress is significant, and that having Michael on his side against her is a tactical advantage – but that’s not the whole of it, by a long shot.)

Anyway, moving on.

Michael sweetens the deal by adding the part about finding out how the Fire Wolf leads his coalition, but essentially it all boils down to:

She appeals to his moral sense

She asks him not to force her to commit such a terrible act

And it works. Partly because after so much torture, Lorca’s defenses are way down. But I think it’s mostly because of Michael’s ultimate secret weapon: she says please.

Seriously.

She says please, and… that’s that.

Just like with the Sarek rescue mission, Lorca just gives in and makes an illogical tactical decision (which, I might add, results in the Empress coming straight for them at the end of the episode).

Visually, I don’t have much to say beyond the extensive use of choker shots. Those are very often used to create emotional intimacy and tension, as I’ve mentioned many times before. This is not a shot you’d use for people who are not developing a strong relationship of some sort (be it friendship or romance).

And finally… Lorca’s “Hurry back. Please.” just kills me.

That’s not an order. That’s a plea.

The meeting room scene

Their second scene together is quite different. Lorca is looking a little better, while Michael seems shattered by her recent betrayal.

By the way. I love how Michael (who is a tough cookie) is psychically exhausted after 3 days in the mirror!universe and how much reflection (pardon the pun) she is doing on it.

Hopefully it will help mitigate her anger at Lorca when she finds out he is from the mirror!universe too (and has spent his entire life there without turning into a human-shaped demon spawn like the rest of the Terrans). At this point, overthrowing the Empress is starting to look like a moral imperative.

Lorca informs her they have to stay longer, for reasons that are both tactically sound and highly convenient, because I’m pretty sure he plans to face the Empress at some point (though probably not right there and then).

There also a lovely little morsel I wasn’t expecting: Lorca sounds jealous. He can’t bring himself to say “liked” or “loved” (that little pause is very telling) and when he says “Tyler”, you can tell he truly wanted to say “what’s his face”.

As an aside, I think he only noticed Michael’s partiality for Tyler in the previous episode, when Ash had a panic attack in the worker bee. I don’t think I mentioned it in my main meta, but I adore the way Lorca manages to sound at once gruffly protective (“You can relax too. He’s safe.”) and jealous despite himself.

Moving on.

Michael just can’t take it anymore, she’s scared, and she just admits it to him, leading to this amazing exchange:

“I don’t think I can survive this place alone.”

“You are not alone, Michael. We will survive this place… together.”

And then Lorca takes her hand. This is the first touch we have seen him initiate with her. It’s also the second time he calls her Michael, and that’s not a coincidence.

Not Michael Burnham, not Burnham, not Specialist Burnham.

Just plain Michael.

Right there and then, Lorca is not being her captain. He’s just being a man, comforting a woman.

Even more importantly, @trashywestallen made a brilliant point in one of our discussions, which I hadn’t noticed until she pointed it out.

This scene is meant to be the mirror of the scene in episode 10 when Ash reaches for Michael’s hand during their discussion in the mess hall.

Both Ash and Lorca are on seated the left, while Michael is sitting on the right. (Very quick aside, the man on the left/woman on the right is imagery commonly found in classical paintings, with the Arnolfini portrait commonly cited as an example.) Both contacts are initiated by the man.

That’s where the similarities end, because everything else is inverted.

In the scene with Ash and Michael, the camera zooms in on their joined hands but very noticeably, the shot is obstructed by a teacup.

Contrasting this with Michael and Lorca: their hands are in plain view. There is even a shot with the light streaming in from behind through the window and onto their joined hands.

Another major difference: Tyler grabs Michael’s hand possessively to reassure himself. Lorca lays a calming hand over Michael’s to reassure her.

Ash takes Michael’s right hand with his right; Lorca covers Michael’s right hand with his left. Symbolically, this is hugely significant. The left hand is the hand (or arm) a gentleman or a knight would use to escort his lady: keeping the right hand, his sword hand, free to defend her.

Lastly: Ash asks her to let him handle things on his own; Lorca says they will figure it out together.

Point taken, I guess?

Everything else

Stamets! I am pretty glad to have been wrong about there being only one twin encounter. Go save your love, Paul. (Though mirror!Stamets freaks me out a little).

Empress Georgiou is utterly terrifying. I love it.

Michael lying to spare Saru (while Saru lies to spare her) is just lovely. Also interesting to note she is willing to lie for a good cause (not unlike other people I could name…)

Michael’s kindness to mirror!Saru coming back to save her is almost karmic.

Mirror!Voq was awesome. Wise, strong, everything a leader could be. Unfortunately, that means prime!Voq is the evil twin. Bummer.

Mirror!Sarek, who’s met Michael all of 5 minutes, is more validating and full of praise than our own Sarek. Seriously, dude, you’re going to have to step up the dad game, presto.

[yi-dashi-a]

//Mmmmore Yi parent drabbles, the home stretch edition. I don’t know why I’ve been so nervous to post this part, so I decided I would post it at the dead time of the night when no one is up pfft. I love these two a lot though, and I’m sad that I’m almost near the end about writing them. Maybe I’ll do some prequel stuff that lends more context, and then backdate it in the tag. IDK.

  But anways, if you read this, enjoy the Yi’s Mum Now Has A Bad Time edition, as if to imply she’s been having a good time this whole time.

Some kind womenfolk of the village, at some point, approached her with a clean pair of robes. She let them undress her where she knelt, caring little for their generosity or her decency. It was of a boorish design, though she could admit that the make of silk was comforting upon her tired muscles.

“Fitting for a woman who’s to be wed someday.” They may have said in overly chipper spirits, “And for the wife of a Wuju Master. You’re so beautiful! You and Master Chao make an excellent pair. I hope he wakes up soon.”

She’d told them thank you, though she didn’t remember how she said it. Her hearing was static, her focus only on internal words that would assure her she might be married some day. But there was nothing. Not even the background noise of a man’s thoughts he couldn’t keep a hold on. It was so silent. He was silent.

She was kneeling right in front of him, yet she felt alone.

He breathed in and out, but otherwise he seemed comatose. Occasionally jade electricity would flicker about his form, and she noted these occurrences with a sudden explosion of hysterics. Even if she wept atop his body, bedded in one of the tens of sleeping dorms in the grand school, he said and did nothing.

It only began to feel like days waiting once sores began to develop on her knees. Da-Jhei had to drag her to her feet by then, though she was grateful for it in the end. He said something about a trial having taken place. Something about Chao’s father petitioning exile for himself, and that now he was gone. It all didn’t matter to her. If he was here, she’d deal with him. If he was gone, hopefully he’d deal with himself in his exile.

Only when tea wet her throat did she finally feel like she could internalize what people were saying. It wet her vocal chords too, and after so long only using them to scream, speaking sentences were welcoming to them.

“Thank you…” She said simply. She had to start small.

“It’s no problem. And when Wuchao wakes up, he’ll find that he’s now Yi Wushi.” He replied with a comforting smile, “I’m not sure how the ceremony will go, but we’ll figure out something. He deserves it either way. Though if you’re his stolen wife, I’m not sure you know all about… why.”

“We weren’t going to get married.” The woman took a sip from her tea, too tired to even stop their plots from spilling out her mouth, “I know everything he’s been willing to tell me. It was all a ploy to stop the abuse…”

“… O-Oh. Uh… I guess it worked in a way? What I mean to say is… It has worked. Definitely. But if all that’s so, then… what are you to him? If you don’t mind me asking. Obviously it’s… serious, between you and him.” The world almost began to fade out on her again, but not before she could steady herself to say,

“I love him. He loves me. We love each other.”

“Right… Good! It’s good. I’m glad for him, and for you…” She had to wonder if it was simply a Wuju trait to be so bad at small talk, but she enjoyed her tea instead. When she was finished with it, and was absentmindedly pouring herself a second cup (even as he reached to do it for her), she finally felt the need to examine the burly stranger. The one who had done all he could to care for her and Chao in the days that had swept by her,

“… What are you to Chao, Da-Jhei?” She asked the man. His squarish jawline would have surely been appealing to some people, though he covered most of it with a thick scruff. He had that light brown Highlander beard though, kept so pencil thin about his mouth until it sprawled off into braided segments. Shorter hair too, at least for a Wuju man. He kept it in a short top knot, though any free hair barely made it past his chin.

But in all her examining of him, she hadn’t taken a moment to consider her own words. She quickly amended her statement, “I mean… Wuchao, or… I mean…”

“Just call him what you like.” Da-Jhei’s eyes grew sad, “And I guess you can just call me Jhei now. I don’t think I’ll be going back to my Master. But… We’re like brothers, in a way. I came here to study Wuju when I was six. Chao was already in his twenties or so then. I’ve always looked up to him. Always thought of him like my older brother, even if he didn’t think the same. And we were all almost like a big family, but… you’ve met my Master. It wasn’t to last.”

All she could do was let out a contemplative hum, and that was leave enough for him to continue, “He would reprimand us for our failures, but if Chao were to falter at something…” The man shuddered, “… Yi Wushi, or Master Heng, has something planted in his mind that none of us are privy to. There is something about Chao that made him into a beast. Others have said it’s the lust for control, but then why wasn’t it all of us that set him off? Even though Chao is a brilliant Wuju Master, better than all of us, Master Heng was determined to make him feel like a dog... But I don’t want to go on. You’re already tired.”

“… It’s okay.” She whispered, “He doesn’t tell me. I want to know…”

“I guess… I just don’t want to talk about it.” The man hid behind his teacup, “It’s hard to think about. It’s been decades so… I’m just glad it’s over now. For his sake, my Master’s sake, and just… everyone’s sake. It’s been a rough… whole of my life, but I wouldn’t be the man I was without everything that’s happened. Chao wouldn’t be either, I guess.”

“And that’s a good thing..?”

The man before her stopped for a moment, his face washing to some sort of mix of fear and concern. Her eyes were dead against his of darting brown though. It seemed so very logical to her, but he seemed to take his time to muster his voice,

“Miss Shouhou…”

“Huan.”

“Huan, then.” He looked away, though she didn’t flinch or follow his eyes, “… I’m grieving the loss of my brothers and father right now. It might seem strange to you… but we were all raised here together. I wasn’t born here, but all I know is that my actual mama and papa left me here and never came back. Whether it was because they didn’t want to, or that my Master didn’t let them, I don’t know. But now I’m a man, and I just had to tell my father to either leave or die because he tried to kill my eldest brother. I really, really… don’t want to be scolded as if I had a choice in this. I’m taking the positives out of my experience. I was able to still stay myself even when some of my brothers could not…”

“I understand...” She said, when she didn’t understand at all, “It’s hard for everyone.”

“But hey. It’s… over. He’s gone. Chao is the Master now, and when he wakes up I’ll happily serve him as the Lord of these Lands.”

“Chao…” It was as if, suddenly, she realized she wasn’t spending every second of her time staring at him. She placed down her tea, caring not as she spilled some upon herself, and tried to rise. But her legs complained, and even if she wobbled to her knees she felt herself fall down upon the backs of her legs once more, “I-I have to—”

“Huan.” He had that Wuju grace and speed surely, because Jhei was at her side before she knew it. There was a background sympathy to his expression, but she chose instead to focus on his dumb smile, “Take it easy. If you want to get up, just say so.”

“I want to go back to Chao.”

“He’s going to be the same as always. I don’t want to tell you how to look after yourself, but I think you need to get up and away from that room for a while.”

“What if he wakes up while I’m not there?” Her voice was frantic, as if her vocal chords were fearful of all this life they now felt, “I need to be there when he wakes up.” But all Jhei did was stare with his stupid, expressive eyes. He let silence speak for him, and she despised what it said, “Do you think he’s not going to wake up?”

“I think you need to go for a walk with me, is what I think.” The man endeavored to stand, taking her with him whether she wanted to be half carried or not, “You’re going to be here for a while, perhaps longer than that if you and Chao decided to get married. Let me show you around the village. There’s plenty to see, and we need to stop your blood from pooling in your ankles. I don’t want to see a lady get swollen feet just because another of Heng’s sons is not polite enough to wake up already.”

If she had learned anything over the past weeks, it was that she wasn’t a force to be questioned. At least not in that moment, as spacey as she was. She was a mage of power and scope the likes of which had impressed Elders, was another lesson remembered, and she quickly realized she needed not his help. So she broke away from him, and she watched herself levitate off the ground in his wide, darting eyes.

“He needs me now more than ever.” She said to him then, floating away slowly, “Perhaps another day.”

“H-He’s… He’s not going anywhere, Huan.” The man stammered, but even stammered words could make good points. When she spirited herself away on the winds of her mana, it was as if more days passed her by the moment her knees hit the floor. But it was justified, all this time spent. She had to feed him, or at least try. Turn him to prevent bed sores. She had to whisper comforts to him, just in case he was still conscious in there. It did, however, become apparent to her that he was to be the same as always, and his burly Wuju brother was there in the doorway, waiting to finally take her on that walk no matter the time she took.

And, in her own good time, she did learn to walk again. She saw the sights of the village by his side, protected from those angry village folks that blamed her daemoncraft for everything. But it was quaint all the same. Homely, secluded, and tucked away. She could see herself living here the more she convinced herself she was unsatisfied with her teaching work. It was also good to have an impassioned guide to lean on, and he seemed not to mind if she took more comforts in that than he knew.

But more time passed. More ritual turning of his body. More spoon feeding, and more whispers while she cleaned him. However, with more time, the more she learned how often she could stray away from his bedside. Meditation sustains him, or so Jhei had told her, though she still took her moments to cry regardless. And, so enthralled in his suffering she was, she didn’t even notice when womanly cycles passed by uneventful. She was, if anything, glad to not have to deal with feminine discomforts, though that wasn’t to say she didn’t feel them elsewhere. The rational woman in the back of her mind panicked at the implication, but her outward face bore her pains and changes as if it were merely a part of caring for her love.

Her only true problem then became Jhei. He acted as Head of House, though he seemed woefully unprepared for the duties of a Clan Lord. That wasn’t to say she knew anything about that, but her studious nature lent well to keeping House. But the time they spent together made her mind do somersaults. The longer it was just her and he in the halls, the more she felt herself irrationally magnetised to the man. Whenever he would make a quip he thought was funny, though in reality wasn’t at all. Whenever he would get frustrated and snap, demeaning her for her gender before apologising for it soon after. Whenever she would catch him crying; mourning over the loss of his father, and the brother that seemed would never wake up…

… She had to remind herself, when glances were had in the mornings they’d happen to use the bathhouse at the same time, that he was not Chao. He may have had similar struggles, but he was no substitute for her rational mind. Even when he tenderly lay a hand upon her bare shoulder, and she felt like she could whip around and kiss him regardless of his intent, all she could reply with was that he may help her wash her back. He protested her continued hope Chao would wake up, though not in so many words, and did an acceptable job at helping her prepare for another day.

Chao had never been unfaithful, and she’d cry about how foolish her heart could be.

And miracles weren’t predictable things, she found as the second month of her time there was half way to becoming her third. They happened suddenly, and never how you planned them to. She certainly wasn’t expecting anything interesting to happen when she was in the middle on sorting bartering accounts for the Wuju Lands, and checking through mail to see if any letters she had sent had been responded to. Her and Jhei were content to discuss the previous Master’s dealings in foodstocks and horses, before her mind picked up on the faintest mental static,

Is someone..?

It was a mumble, a whisper, or barely coherent syllables, but she at least made out a voice not her own in her mind. Her posture perked up immediately from her boring work, and even Jhei seemed affected by the slurred tones. Of course he’d say something when she wasn’t there. That had to be just like him.

… Is… there someone… talking… about me?

“Chao!” Even if it were just a hallucination, it was powerful enough to make her rise to her feet. Even if her legs were numb with all her sitting around, she still found it in her to run. Faster than even the learned Wuju Disciple lost in parchment across from her could. She’d memorized the route to his room exactly, and her feet held her true until she stumbled into his presence. Though she almost knocked herself unconscious when her face hit the wooden floor, or maybe it was just exhaustion catching up with her, she still used her arms when legs had failed.

She crawled to him, crawled to on top of him, because she needed at least this one comfort before she could move on with her life. She grasped at his face and blinked the tears away from her eyes, only to find… nothing. He was still unmoving, bar the rise and fall of his chest.

… Huan?

But there was that voice. It almost made her want to laugh with excited relief until her throat was raw.

“Chao. Open your eyes.” The words came from her in breaths gifted directly to his ears, “Open your eyes. Talk to me with your words.”

I’m still tired. I can’t… but I’m trying. I’ve been… trying.

“You can’t be that tired, you stupid child. You’ve been sleeping for so long!”

Is that so..?

She slapped at him. Just for good measure. Just to see if he would chide her for it. He didn’t,

“Yes! I want to see your eyes. Open your eyes so I can see them.” But she was impatient, so she opened them for him with a thumb. Clearly she saw his pupils adjust to the light of the room, but there was no conscious reaction from him, “Chao, can you see?”

I’m not awake. I can’t see anything.

“Chao.” Said Jhei from nowhere. At the very least he wasn’t present in her world, “Come on now. I can hear you. Wake up already. You’ve been worrying this woman half to death. What’s a few pints of blood lost to a Wuju Master? I think you’ve just been playing this up, all this time.”

Don’t rush me… He continued on in spite of any chidings, Did you hear… what I’ve been trying to say this whole time? Any of you? I’ve been trying to talk to you this whole time...

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” She soothed, taking her thumb and instead using it to caress his cheek, “Open your eyes first.”

And then, sluggishly, the miracle. He took his time because of course he did. Stubborn was the old man; she felt as if he’d never let him live his stubbornness down. Not that she was complaining too much. A few hours more was nothing in the face of months. But there was subtle movements and squirming. Convulsing even, so jarring in motion that she almost thought she’d lose him again. Life was returning to him though, and eventually, softly, his distant eyes left their lids by his own volition. The only failure of his efforts was that when he tried to open his mouth to speak, nothing but husky rasping spewed forth.

But he had his telepathy. Never had she been happier for it.

I wanted to apologize… He thought with subtle movements of his lips to complement the notion, … for dying, for a second or more. I didn’t mean it…

She was too far gone in her hysterics to even think of a response back, so she merely took his head into her hold and threatened to have him pass out again with how tightly she clutched him.

[ginnyzero]

Women in TV Pt 2

(I am continuing my discussion about females in television…)

I like a good procedural. There is something about them. They tend to be neat and tidy, the mystery gets solved. The bad guy gets caught. The good guys win out the day. Sort of like my favorite types of movies, action movies. Except procedurals can do this in under an hour, a feat that no action movie has yet captured. I’ve tried my fair share of them. Some are just too creepy (Criminal Minds) or too boring (Leverage) or I get several seasons in and something leaves a very bad taste in my mouth so I go look ahead on the wikis and realize that this is just spelling trouble. (This method hasn’t failed me when I got behind in Grimm and Castle.) In fact, the procedural that I’ve somehow managed to stick with despite its flaws is Bones. (I keep meaning to pick up Rizolli and Isles to watch, but keep being distracted by Project Runway.)

Both Bones and Castle revolve around the ‘job oriented’ female role that solve crime. Temperance “Bones” Brennan is a forensic anthropologist and Kate Beckett is a murder detective. These are both very strong, very intelligent women who had to work hard in fields dominated by men to get where they are. Regardless of the series being named Castle for the main male protagonist Richard Castle, the viewers know that the series really revolves around the women in Richard’s life, his muse, Kate, his mother, Martha and his daughter, Alexis. There is also Laney Parish, Kate’s best friend and the M.E. for the precinct and Victoria Gates, the tough as nails police captain. There are plenty of strong females to choose from.

The series Bones also revolves around Temperance, her friends, co-workers (often the same thing) and interns and primarily her working relationship with Seeley Booth. Bones has more strong female characters outside of Temperance. There is her best friend Angela who is there for emotional issues (I’ve learned things from Angie). There is Cam, her boss. There are the rotating interns, though there are more males than females among them. There is also the DA, Caroline.

Both series have strong female characters going for it. Ones that stand up for themselves. They have life goals and plans and the men in their life are nice, but not necessary. So, why did I stop watching Castle, but continue with Bones?

It really came down to how the showrunners handled their characters in crisis. At the end of Season four of Castle, Beckett was put at a rock bottom state by the showrunners. Instead of sticking to her ideals and being the woman that we had spent four seasons worth of show time with, Kate Beckett instead was written to go to Castle and say that Castle was completely right and she was completely wrong. This lead to the next half of a season of Kate questioning whether or not she and Castle should be together due to their financial and supposed social disparity. And whether or not Castle was truly right and Kate was truly wrong was quickly sidelined for this soap opera-ish, high school feeling plot line that didn’t end until Alexis was kidnapped and by then, I didn’t care anymore. I felt insulted that my intelligence and that a female character like Kate Beckett was reduced to this emotionally at high school level moron when she’d never exhibited such traits before.

Whereas, when Temperance faced a crisis and was close to rock bottom, while she sought Booth’s comfort, she didn’t give up the core of who she was to do so. And in the continuing seasons, when Temperance and Seeley sought to build a family together and decide on things like job versus home and house buying and where Christine should go to kindergarten, Temperance never abandoned the core of who she was as a character. They may have argued, but they also compromised based on each other’s values. If something is important to Seeley, Temperance would consider doing it because what is important to Seeley is also important to her. She didn’t question whether or not she and Seeley should be together in a high school angst ridden way. They worked together. They were forming a family together. She didn’t see how there was much difference. They got along at work. So why couldn’t they get along as a couple? (We know it doesn’t work like that, but logic!)

Now, there will be some who argue that Temperance having a baby was against her character and they liked the fact that she was an outspoken advocate for not having children, on the other hand, I also see Temperance feeling she has a duty to pass on her genetics in hopes of passing on her intellect. (Not that this really works, but you get the idea.) She is very logical in her thought processes, so once she was pregnant, I couldn’t see her terminating it. She never exhibited a great deal of maternal emotions after either.

Two words: Character consistency.

Procedurals don’t all have to revolve around solving crime. Some shows are more of “monster” or “crisis” of the week variety. The show The Librarians I think falls under “crisis” of the week. Despite the title, the Librarians really isn’t about the four librarians, but it is more about their guardian and protector, Eve. But the title The Guardian was already taken and the television show is continuing in the universe of some made for TV movies in the vein of Indiana Jones, “The Librarian and the…” The idea is there is a Library that is a holding vault for magical artifacts and original edition books and The Librarian is the keeper of it and goes out and collects artifacts for safekeeping so those with villainous intent can’t get their hands on them. And The Librarian, who is generally a genius of some sort, needs to have a Guardian since, geniuses can’t always be counted on to act rationally and save themselves when they are in the throes of intellect. The series starts off with The Library choosing a new Guardian in the form of Eve and they discover that the villains of the season are killing off those that have potential to become the next Librarian. So, plot happens and the new Guardian is left to train up four apprentice Librarians so to speak, while The Librarian goes off to do his own adventures. She, the Guardian, and the apprentice Librarians end up having their own adventures as she ‘trains’ them to survive.

(I find this whole concept refreshing, perhaps it is the appeal of Ghostbusters, where the nerds can also be action heroes and save the day. The Librarians doesn’t leave me with the slimy aftertaste of Ghostbusters however.)

What I liked about this show is the use of a female protector rather than a male as we normally see in shows such as this (or movies for that matter, the Terminator anyone) and that Eve is smart enough to bring more than just brawn to the table as she deals with a group of ‘geniuses.’ She has to be, at times, the social glue that keeps them all together and interface with those they come in contact with. What was really nice about this show that unlike with Killjoys, her love interest, the Librarian, wasn’t around so by force, Eve couldn’t be reduced to a love interest role. If she often played the role of the fool of the Tarot deck, it was to get the apprentice librarians who play the role of the Pope, the intellect card, to get their head out of theory and into the moment. Which if you have been around any artistic or intellectual types, one knows that sometimes getting them to do anything but talk is like herding cats.

Eve had her flaws. There were times she most certainly didn’t want to be there. She had a short temper and would rather use her gun to solve problems. The lack of clear planning often annoyed her. Along with the Library’s tendency to reorganize any space she tried to make for herself back to the way it was before she rearranged it. The story as the Librarian stands wouldn’t be the same without Eve, as they actually showed in one episode where Eve visited four different timelines where she died in her role as the Guardian protected the four apprentices and how things went horribly wrong in those universes.

I can only hope that the Librarians continues in this vein and in the second season doesn’t reduce Eve to the role of a love interest.

(Once again, to be continued…)

[wrestlingisfake]

Wrestle Kingdom 13 preview

This is New Japan’s 28th annual January 4th stadium show (and the 13th time it’s been called “Wrestle Kingdom.”)  In Japan the New Year is a multi-day celebration, where kids are given money and many businesses are closed through 1/3, so running a 1/4 show is kind of like doing an after-Christmas sale, except you spend your money on wrestling.

This show is scheduled to start Friday at 4pm in Tokyo.  I think the pre-show match will be at 4, and then they’ll take a break and the main card’s opening match will be at 5.  The main card will probably run about four or five hours, if not longer.  You can check your local start time here.   Watching the show live is fun, but planning your sleep around it can be exhausting, so don’t feel bad about catching it on-demand over the weekend.

Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - Omega is defending the IWGP heavyweight championship, which is essentially New Japan’s world title.  Tanahashi won the 2018 G1 Climax tournament to earn this title shot. 

The build for this match has revolved around the idea of a difference in styles.  In the 2000s, Tana led NJPW out of a decline into a new boom period, largely built around the Japanese strong style.  Omega, who sees himself as the Next Big Thing, believes the company should shift to a mix of styles to better appeal to an international audience.  You can kind of liken this to the conflict between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the mid-90s--old school versus new school, solid fundamentals and realism versus showmanship and some irreverance.  Frankly, I haven’t heard much of Tanahashi’s side of things, so it’s come across to me like Kenny is making a mountain out of a molehill, but there you go.

Tanahashi was literally the company’s ace for about a decade, but he hasn’t held the IWGP title in five years, and his story arc since then has been about slowly falling out of the limelight while Kazuchika Okada has picked up the ball.  Major defeats and real-life injuries were heavily emphasized in early 2018, to set up the reversal of him winning the G1 Climax in dominant fashion.  So now at 42, he’s doing the big “still got something left in the tank” comeback, which has reenergized his fanbase.  His G1 final victory was one of my favorite matches of the year, and it’s been a treat to see him back on top.

Omega famously moved up from the junior heavyweight division in 2016--taking over Bullet Club and introducing The Elite in the process--leading to an epic rivalry with Okada for the title.  The Okada/Omega feud basically broke Dave Meltzer’s scale, producing six-star ratings and finally an unthinkable seven-star match.  Omega is at the top of his game in New Japan, and arguably where he always wanted to be.  But his contract is expiring this month, and the Elite have vowed to stick together, and most of them have already declared their intention to start their own US promotion, All Elite Wrestling.  It’s not yet clear if Omega wil leave NJPW for AEW, or if he can somehow do both; it’s not impossible that he could pass on AEW and stay in NJPW, although that would be a surprising turn.  Omega’s future plans could dictate the outcome of this match, which means the outcome may be our first sign of what those plans might be.

I’m expecting a Match of the Year candidate from these two.  Is it going to be some insanely perfect match that breaks Meltzer’s scale again?  It’s not worth raising expectations that high.  If it’s “only” 4¾ it’ll still be fucking fantastic, and then you’ve got the drama of Tana’s comeback and Omega’s possible farewell on top of that.

My gut says it’s time for Omega to lose the title, and time for Tanahashi to win it.  Even if Omega re-signs (or continues with the company as a free agent), I think the time is right for him to get knocked down and get back up.  And if Omega is leaving, there’s no better way to go out than on top, doing the honors for a living legend in the main event, and giving a final bow to the crowd at the Tokyo Dome.

Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito - Jericho defeated Naito to capture the IWGP intercontinental championship back in June, so this is the rematch.  A stipulation has been added that neither man can be disqualified, at Jericho’s request during the contract signing.

Jericho unexpectedly came to New Japan in 2017 to set up what seemed to be a one-off match with Kenny Omega for Wrestle Kingdom 12 last year.  Perhaps sensing that he couldn’t steal the show in terms of workrate or technical finesse, Jericho reinvented himself as an out-of-control brawler, which at least set him apart from the regular headliners.  Just when we thought he was gone, though, he assaulted Naito on the January 5 show (New Year’s Dash) to set up his next big program.  It’s really a perfect rivalry, since Naito is all about remaining totally chill, whereas Jericho’s current character is uptight, frustrated, and in his own words “fucking crazy.”  In their first match, Jericho pretty much brutalized Naito in shocking fashion to win the title, so this is less about the gold than Naito getting some payback.

Jericho has hyped this match by arguing that he’s never lost to a Japanese man since returning to New Japan.  It’s not a very impressive stat, since he’s only had three matches in this run and he’s 2-1.  But it’s about all he can hang his hat on, since everybody knows he’s basically the aging star who will put over the big stars at the end of each of his feuds.  The only reason anyone would think Jericho could win this match would be to set up a future match so he can just lose to Naito later.  That’s okay--not every feud has to be an unpredictable  pick-’em--although I am impressed with his ability to make the most of the situation, and still come across like a major test for Naito.

The irony of Naito being favored to regain the intercontinental title is that he infamously thinks the championship is redundant and unimportant.   (In his first reign, he tossed the belt around like it was trash, letting it literally fall apart.)  So in theory winning this match would be a prestigious moment, except he’s going to be handed a prize he explicitly does not want or care about.  I’m sort of curious how they’ll book a third IC title run for Naito, and I think we’re about to find out.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White - This is a pure grudge match, plain and simple. 

A year ago Kenny Omega tried to recruit White for Bullet Club, but Jay swerved him and accepted Okada’s invitation to join CHAOS.  Within ten minutes of joining the stable, White literally promised that he would betray Okada, to Okada’s face.  Jay went on to a beat Kenny Omega for the US title, stole the show in the San Fransciso, and then scored wins over Okada and Tanahshi in the G1 Climax.  When Tana won G1, White logically deserved a chance to challenge him for the Wrestle Kingdom title shot, but Tana preferred to challenge Okada instead.  After Tanahashi beat Okada in September, White laid them both out with help from Okada’s right-hand man Gedo, and demanded a match with Tana.  White came up short against Tanahashi in October, so he and Gedo beat Tana down; Okada ran in to make the save.  Bullet Club (which had by then separated from Omega’s Elite) interfered to reveal White and Gedo were now part of the faction.  Jay White has since been acknowledged as the undisputed leader of Bullet Club, bringing his 2018 full circle.

Needless to say, it’s been a huge year for White.  It’s amazing to think that he only returned from excursion a little over a year ago, and that he was a curtain jerker before that.  If Kenny Omega is really on his way out, there’s a huge spot opening for the top foreigner, and it’s pretty clear who NJPW has earmarked for that role.  But what’s more amazing is that he’s risen to the occasion.  Jay White always had this deer-in-headlights look, and his Switchblade gimmick felt like a WWE-esque attempt to market a stringy-haired white boy as a deadly badass.  I wanted him to do well, but I didn’t expect much; I never dreamed he’d be capable of what he’s accomplished.

Meanwhile, Okada has been doing sort of a slump storyline, where he’s struggled to find his way after Omega ended his two-year title reign back in June.  His slump fits perfectly with White’s rise, since Jay clearly thinks he’s finishing off a has-been, and Okada needs to resist that kind of thinking if he’s ever going to get back on top.  The big question, of course, is whether White wins here to send Okada tumbling further down, or if Okada finally gets the big victory that has eluded him for six months.  Either man could recover from a loss down the road, which means anything could happen here, which is pretty exciting.  But the Ranmaker is The Guy in New Japan these days, and I’ve long since learned not to bet against him.  Okada wins. 

KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori - Ishimori is challenging for the IWGP junior heavyweight title.  Ishimori was introduced in April as Bullet Club’s new “Bone Soldier” (the previous one had been lovable jobber Captain New Japan, so this was an improvement).  He was the runner up in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, losing a great match to Hiromu Takahashi.  Between Takahashi’s injury, Will Ospreay’s chase for the NEVER title, and Marty Scurll’s probable departure, it looks like Ishimori is the future of this division.  To prove it he’ll have to beat Kushida, who has dominated the junior division for years.

There have been rumors of Kushida possibly going to WWE (which would have been unthinkable a year or two ago, but that just goes to show how much things are shaking up in pro wrestling lately).  Of course, I haven’t heard a timetable, so for all I know he could really be leaving, but not for another six months, which would have no impact on this match.  Even so, New Japan needs to decide which guy they’re going to build this division around.  If Ishimori’s the guy, now is the time; it’s just that simple.

Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson - Cody won the IWGP United States title from Juice in September, and Juice has been trying to get this rematch ever since.  Aside from the Global Wars tour with ROH, Cody hasn’t appeared with New Japan for three months, so the angle to finally make this match ended up being “New Japan just announced it one day.”

Cody has officially signed with the new All Elite Wrestling promotion, as both a wrestler and an executive vice president, so this may well be his last match in New Japan.  By all rights, he should give Juice a star-making performance and then put him over to set up another top foreigner.  But I can’t shake the feeling that there’ll be some kind of twist in the story to make me wonder where the hell they’re going with it.  Maybe it’s because I’m used to shitty WWE booking, or maybe it’s because I was so annoyed that Cody won the title from Juice in the first place.  We’ll just have to see.  But on paper, I have to think Cody does the job.

Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. EVIL & SANADA vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson - The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama and Loa) are the defending IWGP heavyweight tag team champions.  Evil and Sanada earned this title match by winning the 2018 World Tag League tournament, notably defeating the champs in the finals.  By all rights Evil and Sanada should get a 2-on-2 match, but the Young Bucks (Nick and Matt) pointed out that they never received a rematch after they lost the tag title to GOD in September.  So this match is a three-way, and the first team to score a fall on either opposing team wins the match and the championship.

Like Cody, the Bucks have officially signed with AEW, which may or may not spell the end of their New Japan run.  Logically, they should lose the fall, but it’s harder to say whether GOD or the spoopy creppy bois will end up with the title.  New Japan seems to be higher on Evil than anybody else in this match.  It probably doesn’t help that Tama Tonga is always doing this Brian Pillman shit where he acts like a lunatic that wants to get himself fired, to the point that I just assume he’ll be in the doghouse and lose his key matches.  If it was me, I’d push GOD hard.  But it’s not me, so Evil and Sanada are probably going to win.

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre, Jr. - Ishii is defending the Revolution Pro British heavyweight title.  RevPro has a working relationship with New Japan, and has been content to let the title be the centerpiece of a feud between Ishii and Suzuki-gun’s Minoru Suzuki and Sabre.  (In fact, Sabre is the only British person to have held the British title in the last three-and-a-half years.)  I’ve never gotten into either of these guys as much as, say, Dave Meltzer, but I do like the mix of “mean headbutt-y fireplug” and “submissions expert twink.”  Seems only right that the Brit should win, but I’m not sure RevPro actually cares.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado vs. SHO & YOH vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI - Despy and Kanemaru are defending the IWGP junior heavyweight tag team championship.  This is actually a rematch of the 2018 Super Jr. Tag League tournament final, which Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) won to earn this title match.  It’s not clear why Takagi and Bushi were added, but I suppose since they didn’t lose the fall in the tournament final, it can be argued they deserved a spot.  Anyway, it’s another three-way, so the first team to score a fall wins the match and the title.

Five out of six of these guys have been feuding over the title for nearly a year--originally it was Hiromu Takahashi teaming with Bushi, but Shingo was introduced to fill that spot after Hiromu’s neck injury.  Three-way feuds aren’t totally bad, but when the division only has three teams, it’s way too obvious that the feud is just lazy “put ‘em all in there” booking.  I would really like to see Sho and Yoh win the belts, and then see the other two teams split and go after the junior singles title while some new junior teams emerge.  But I’m not counting on it.  I could easily see Despy and Kanemaru retaining to drag this out further.

Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay - Ibushi is defending the NEVER openweight championship.  (NEVER was sort of a spinoff brand that New Japan experimented with several years ago; all that’s left of it now are its titles.)  Originally the plan was for Ospreay to enter this match as champion, but he was sidelined with a rib injury so they eventually moved the title onto Ibushi instead.

This is technically the opening match for the main show.  One of the big stories you’ll hear about this show is that it’s so stacked that Ospreay vs. Ibushi--a dream match with very high expectations--is just the opener.  Personally, it hasn’t sunk in for me how big this could be.  I like both guys, and I’ve seen them have incredible matches, but I never really considered the implications of them working together on a big stage.  That’s probably a good place to be, since I won’t have myself worked up for an instant mega-classic where a “merely” great match would disappoint.

What really interests me is the idea of Ospreay winning the openweight title.  In theory the championship is designed for heavyweights and juniors to fight over, but in practice it’s primarily been passed around heavyweights.  (Ibushi isn’t much bigger than Ospreay, but he’s technically billed as a heavyweight.)  It would be a big loss to the junior division if Ospreay left that behind to defend against guys like Jeff Cobb or Zack Sabre or Evil, but those matches would be fresh and intriguing.  A year of Ospreay getting clobbered by heavyweights but hanging on to the title would be pretty cool.  Of course, they could be meaning to do that basic idea with Ibushi instead, so I could see either guy winning.  But I’m pulling for Ospreay.

I really hope these two don’t kill each other landing on their necks a lot. 

Trios gauntlet match - This is to determine the #1 contender team for the NEVER openweight six-man tag team championship.  The match will start with two trios; when one team wins a fall, the other is eliminated, and another team enters the match.  Teams will continue to enter one by one, giving a natural advantage to the final team.  The last team remaining wins, and goes on to  challenge Taiji Ishimori & Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa for the title on January 5 at New Year’s Dash.  Normally, the championship team would be defending the title in this match, but Ishimori and GOD were already committed to other title matches higher on the card.

The scheduled teams are:

Togi Makabe & Toru Yano & Rysuke Taguchi

Minoru Suzuki & Davey Boy Smith, Jr. & Lance Archer

Hangman Page & Marty Scurll & Yujiro Takahashi

Hirooki Goto & Chuckie T & Beretta

Yuji Nagata & Jeff Cobb & David Finlay

There probably won’t be much in the way of angles in this match, although there are some issues worth noting.  Makabe and Yano were a tag team before a nasty falling out years ago, but they found themselves on the same side recently while aiding Tanahshi and Okada against Bullet Club.  Hangman Page is known to be headed for AEW, and Scurll may be following him in a few months; Yujiro is going nowhere, and if he’s ever going to turn on the Elite, this is as good a time as any.  Chuckie T and Beretta were having some issues last month where Chuckie kept getting their team disqualified, so that’ll probably come up in some form here.  Yuji Nagata was a late addition, replacing Michael Elgin due to a knee injury.

It’s impossible to predict a winner in this thing.  On paper I think the Minoru Suzki/Killer Elite Squad group is the strongest combo.  Of course, if they start the match, their chanc’s’f winnin’ drast’lly go down.

[mctvcker]

Seven Benefits Of SEO 2019 That May Change Your Perspective

When one hears "SEO, inches it's almost automatic to begin thinking of technical matters for example links, website indexing, and therefore forth. Still, even for the particular best websites, maintaining a best organic SEO ranking requires continuous keyword monitoring and content re-doing. Writer and consultant Peter Kent offers helped businesses including Amazon plus Zillow with SEO and on-line marketing. Very first, understand that schema markup is definitely one of the most effective, least used parts of SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION today Schema are basically short snippets of data that may give extra information to look customers and search engines. SEO is definitely a marketing discipline focused upon growing visibility in organic (non-paid) search engine results. Simply no matter how many times Search engines tweaks or evolves The Criteria, from Panda to Penguin in order to Polar Bear, these logical plus intuitive core SEO tips ought to remain timeless. Certainly, all those searching for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION agencies will have to create their selection by passing SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION companies through careful and careful scrutiny, to ensure that all of them to get the best within search engine optimization for their particular business website. The article provides you 12 methods for E-commerce plus establishing an SEO optimized site which will help you improve your business exposure and visibility upon search engines. Making use of keywords in your article name, article body and resource will be a great SEO article composing strategy that may make your own articles more effective in appealing to attention from search engines. Use SEO strategies like as transcripts and tags in order to help your videos appear increased in search results and bring in more viewers over time. The traditional strategy to SEO has been devoted to creating excellent content that will is easily searchable via research engine bots. To realize SEO, you'll also need in order to know how Google search functions. 2019 may still use many of all these newly implemented tactics, but look for engine optimization experts are in addition suggesting there will be even more. Currently more than half associated with searches account for mobile gadgets, and the number will surely move up in 2019. Within the remaining 2018 quarter, a person need to invest in mobile-first content that will rank a person higher in mobile search within 2019. The vast majority of your SEO learning need to come from online resources, yet there are a few textbooks that will help you conceptually understand the history of lookup, search engines, and how SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION has changed through the yrs. There are a lot of methods that webmasters use within order to entice potential clients to their site—one of the particular most important and effective associated with those being Seo (SEO). SEO is important for plenty of companies because if individuals find you using a web research and find what they're searching for, you can receive a lot of new web visitors that will can help you earn even more money. Good SEO follows guidelines that Search engines determines are best practices in order to have your articles ranked upon top. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION services do thorough keyword study for the specific website, and after that optimize the information on the particular basis of these keywords plus theme of website.

Deciding on the best key phrases is critical for successful SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and it is easy in order to choose the wrong ones through falling into the trap associated with optimization. Research engine search engine optimization, or SEO, is the procedure of enhancing your site's rank in search results. Web Marketing SEO, and in specific, Google SEO is the essential. Get into your competitor's URL into the particular SEMRush search bar and you will end up being provided with a list associated with SEO keywords, with their ranks and traffic. About: Brighton SEO is made up of courses and a one-day search marketing conference. Before this change, the greatest practice was to avoid concealed content at any cost because it wasn't as effective regarding SEO (it was either as well much to crawl for the particular bot in some instances or even given less important by Search engines in others). This is due to the particular fact that you will require contents to be submitted in order to the websites for whom a person are working as an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, when you build the hyperlinks, you will need to supply the profile information, and a person will also have to produce articles for submissions as properly as numerous other types associated with written work. If you've actually searched for something online (and most of us have), a person already know read more regarding SEO than you think a person do. All of us already see this trend within several places, like extremely specific targeting of social ads -- some brands still approach SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and content creation with the one-size-fits all attitude. Without the doubt, one of the greatest trends that has already started to take place and may continue well into 2018 could be the consolidation of niche MarTech gamers by larger content cloud suppliers, with the role and significance of SEO increasing significantly all through this transformation. SEO Internet marketing provides major components, which develop the particular website traffic, and top lookup engine rankings. SEO is brief for Seo, and there is usually nothing really mystical about this particular. You might have heard the lot about SEO and exactly how it works, but basically exactly what is a measurable, repeatable procedure which is used to deliver signals to search engines that will the pages are worth displaying in Google's index. Topic clusters possess been lauded because Five Common Myths About SEO 2019 the future associated with SEO and content strategy, yet are widely underreported on (so now's the time to hit! ) 93% of B2B companies use content marketing. Teresa Walsh, Marketing Professional at automobile site, Cazana, forecasts that hyper organic targeting will probably increase its importance in 2019 with more location search plus more voice search. We get to the particular bottom of on-page SEO issues in order for search motors to clearly see what your own website is all about. SEO requires you to continuously become a student because of exactly how quickly the algorithms of research engine companies change. Google's punishing methods probably class pages as some thing akin to a poor UX if they meet certain detectable criteria e. g. lack associated with reputation or old-school SEO stuff such as keyword stuffing a site. If you may look after SEO, you may get lost among the trillions of links out there. Heading forward SEOs have to become able to quantitatively show the particular value of their online advertising by identifying and implementing Essential Performance Indicators (KPIs) that will certainly demonstrate the value added simply by their SEO initiatives. The topic cluster model is definitely your way forward in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION this year, but it's not really the only method to obtain your website content to position higher once it's been produced. WIthout simple SEO in spot, your business may not always be a result on the lookup engines when a customer will be specifically searching for your enterprise! SEO information can help improve your sociable efforts, and social media may help with the search rankings. Within his book Ultimate Explained Customization Your Website, SEO and web marketing expert Jon Rognerud displays you how to create a top of the line website and get top rank on all search engines. 00: 38 SEO will be heading towards voice search. SpyFu will be really a paid tool that will uses 11 years of historic data to help you discover your competitors' most profitable key phrases and the keywords they've utilized for SEO and ads. The simple truth is that on-site navigation hackers like search bar with smart autocomplete, internal linking with point texts or immediate customer assistance boost both UX and SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. Even though it is tough to assume about the modifications that might take place inside 2019, but we know regarding sure what SEO trends associated with 2018 will take greater dominance in 2019. 55 The difference from SEO is the majority of simply depicted as the distinction between paid and unpaid concern ranking searching results. I get into much more detail in SEO Titles on pages: 15-Point Checklist for B2B and B2C Brands, which explains the right way to work in relevant keywords that will accurately reflect the page content material. Are good nevertheless SEO potential may be decrease when compared with single links. The training behind our SEO expertise had been developed from years and many years of learning from mistakes marketing and advertising with our other businesses. The in-depth guide contains the most recent SEO best practices so a person can improve how your content articles appears in search results, plus get more traffic, leads, plus sales. Keyword analysis definitely belongs to the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION basics. I'll start by stating that social mass media and SEO are heavily linked to each other. Black head wear SEO attempts to improve ranks in ways that are disapproved of from the search engines, or even involve deception. This particular is more tedious and tasking than inorganic SEO because this particular is how all the key phrases get a full blast associated with attention. SEO: It stands for Research Engine Optimization. Within this post, we will break this down in the complete first timers guide to SEO: what SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is, how it works, exactly what factors affect search and exactly what sorts of changes you may make today to improve your own search optimization. The no follow hyperlink has been contradicted many instances over where SEO is included and it depends on the particular web owner concerning if they will allow them on the web site or not.

Off-page SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION concentrates on increasing the authority associated with your domain through the act associated with getting links from all additional websites. Regarding: Search Engine Journal's flagship meeting, SEJ Summit, is dedicated to providing SEO pros the actual require, with an agenda of unique, first-run presentations covering the newest SEO and PPC tactics through renowned experts, plus excellent network opportunities. SEO combines official lookup engine guidelines, empirical knowledge, plus theoretical knowledge from science documents or patents. This is usually a half-day workshop at LeadsCon that will be designed for you to give attendees an end-to-end see of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), how it works, and real things they can do these Blog9T days to improve their SEO efficiency. After the Search engines Panda algorithm appeared, SEO professionals realized just how much key phrase frequency and density matters. SEO means optimizing your posts so it shows up a great deal more often in search results. 33. With social media systems like Facebook diminishing visibility associated with companies and brands, SEO (as well as paid promotion) will be becoming critically important for traveling traffic to your social stations. 2019 dates TBD. ). Why go to: One-track conference full of forward-thinking, tactical sessions in SEO, development marketing, the mobile landscape, analytics, content marketing and more. ” Don't miss the LeadsCon Meeting in Vegas, March 4-6, 2019.

A lot of of these so-called 'tweaks' include advertising and link-gathering, and I actually use SEO and article advertising for that. Within 2018, your SEO success will not depend on how well a person optimize your website for Search engines. But if you're brief on money, use these diy SEO ways to improve your natural rankings. If you choose SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, you're helping Google's spiders in order to crawl and understand your posts. The job of a good SEO is to manage the particular optimization of websites to assure they gain site traffic from research engines such as Google and Bing. One great bit of content that will ranks well within the lookup results is its beginner's explained SEO. SEOs in addition to online marketing specialists in standard who are dealing with global websites or for online firms thinking about going international can certainly benefit from attending ISS. We might like to serve you in order to save money and your power by offering affordable SEO solutions to increase link popularity. Work the key phrase into the SEO page name, content header, image, image oll text, etc. SEO equipment provide position monitoring, deep key word research, and crawling through easy to customize reports and analytics. Certainly, white hat SEO always integrated creating high quality, unique content material as a prerequisite for acquiring long-term quality results, this reality hasn't changed. Beyond compensated and organic, there are various other types of SEO and expertise and niches within search motor marketing. You discuss core SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION strategies and tactics used in order to drive more organic search prospects to a specific website or even set of websites, as properly as tactics to avoid in order to prevent penalization from search motors. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Smart links allows you in order to specify a word, like 'SEO' and then link it in order to a post on your web site. It's great for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION to feed the search motors a good amount of keyword-rich links. Sites making use of organic SEO in the strict sense is going to end up being much like organisms, meaning they will will grow, expand and adjust over time according to readers' desires. No matter the business, the age of business, or even status of competitors, every company should at least implement fundamental SEO strategies to help their own offerings get found on Yahoo and google. So your SEO if your own thinking mobile, needs to end up being either responsive or app-store technique with the right dimensions, style, user-friendly, UX experience. Dark hat SEO methods, such because the use of keyword filling and link farming, can furthermore boost organic SEO. SEO will be important in every area associated with advertising, marketing, design, optimization, movie, content, mobile and e-commerce, regarding without SEO all is untuned in need of synchronization, such as an orchestra of musicians without a good experienced conductor. Unfortunately, 95% of links through SEO link building never provide a single new visitor in order to your website. If you work in research marketing, you'll know that SMX is one of the greatest search engine marketing conferences associated with the year, covering topics which includes SEO and PPC. SEO is conducted each on-site and off-site via various resources that are the existence of your web identity associated with different social media platform plus prominent display of your home page's link on other well-reputed internet sites. Our unique data science-driven SEO & content marketing platform can help your eCommerce business reveal millions of dollars' worth of earlier untapped organic search marketing possibilities. On the other hands, if the website doesn't make use of any digital marketing strategies or even SEO services, no one troubles to search for pages plus pages on Google just in order to find your website and check out it. Some dentists, who possess tried applying SEO, have not really been very successful in moving their website to the best of Google search engine. Prior to we do, let's check out there a couple essential areas regarding SEO: social media and cellular. SEO can price between $100 and $500 for each month if you do this yourself with a keyword study tool. This SEO guidebook explains acquiring links from exterior domains. Let's review the fundamentals of SEO (search engine optimization). SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION is conducted on the knowning that webpages rank because associated with how relevant a webpage is definitely to a search query plus how many links point in order to that webpage. Business professionals try to rely on these SEO techniques intended for optimization wishing for a larger profit. In 2018, SEO is content and articles is SEO, content is electronic and digital is content. Before starting a good SEO project, site owners need to carefully read through the site owner guidelines that every search motors provides and follow recommended greatest practices. This is clear that when website owners hire a search engine marketing SEO expert, they stand the better chance of maximizing their particular SEO services. Search motors cannot understand this type associated with content, so it's vital that you design and style video pages in an SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION oriented manner. Subscribe to our weekly SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION and daily SearchCap newsletters for a summarize of all the latest SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION related news, tips and strategies from Internet search engine Property and other sources all more than the Web. When you aren't logged in, go to SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Toolkit » Keyword Research » Keyword Overview. For just about any SEO technique to operate successfully you will need content and that will can come in any type like keywords, articles or sites. From 2019, AI will certainly be utilized by the businesses to acquire higher rankings upon search engines. Consequently, it can be a great idea to incorporate expenses regarding professional SEO content in your own quarterly marketing budget. Google will see right by means of sneaky, black hat SEO strategies like creating duplicate pages, generating pages with thin content simply for the sake of obtaining more pages and buying inbound links. If you speak about search ranking in SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, you're talking about the place of your content on lookup results pages (SERPs). Kent Lewis, Owner, and President of Anvil, the performance-based firm based out associated with Portland, says that in 2019 voice search and Amazon lookup can be a lot more notable than they were in 2018. Google Search Console (Webmaster tools) is one of the particular SEO basics. If you need to find out how We actually do it, visit Content Czar for the free gift plus details of the way i use write-up marketing and SEOcious to get top Google listings. It really is geared towards SEO professionals (in-house and agency), marketing managers, and business people. But now SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION considers tweets, retweets, Google+ authorship, as well as other social signals. Besides position the web site, the SEO team will become fault Client's marketing or product sales team by converting surfers or even visitors into buyers. Because therefore much sharing now takes place on major social media systems, social signals may become simply because important to SEO as period on page, editorial linking, plus content quality. Using social mass media marketing in PA with SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION tactics can help boost the website's ranking and popularity. This may create friction and the impact that most well-designed websites are usually very poorly optimized for SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION. They have impacted SEO during the past as well by bringing back links, and today it's even even more.

Carrying out technical SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION for local search engines is usually really a similar process. Search engine optimization (SEO) will be a way to generate even more (and desired) traffic to your own site with the help associated with better search engine rankings regarding a keyword. SEO had gone through drastic changes over the many years and getting higher rankings upon search engines by stuffing the particular information with too many key phrases is a thing of the particular past. This should be considered a crucial part of any local SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION checklists, as reviews and rankings could make it easier to stand out in search engine results. Research Engine Optimization, or SEO, need to rank in as one associated with the biggest part of your own finances for online advertising. SEO or even Search Engine Optimisation is the particular name given to activity that will attempts to improve search motor rankings. Search engine marketing (SEO) is the procedure intended for affecting the visibility of the website or a web web page in a web search engine's unpaid results—often referred to since " natural ", " natural ", or "earned" results. Nearby SEO utilizes a variety associated with strategies — getting your web site ranked on search engines such as Google, business directories such because Yelp, Superpages, Foursquare, Yellowbook, Search engines My Business listing, Bing Locations for Business page, localized articles on your website, online evaluations and other strategies. We frequently compose in-depth analyses on the method SEO and digital marketing will be used to boost the traffic in order to various websites.

An extensive dental marketing plus dental SEO campaign can end up being attained by the enterprise just if the web address associated with a dental practice contains in to all the promotional materials intended for the business. This shows the importance of focussing voice search engine results within order to grow your company, marketing, and Search Engine Optimization(SEO) strategies. They obtain this by increasing their internet site rank through a method known as SEO or even search engine optimization. Just like most other SEO approaches, be certain your links are appropriate, plus be careful to not cross the particular line into excessive linking : you don't want your guests to obtain annoyed. Bryan Yeager, Research Director at Gartner, will certainly share 9 Key Insights through Gartner's Marketing Technology Survey in order to Help You Prepare for 2019 and Beyond. SEO is a combination associated with digital marketing efforts all functioning together to increase a website's value to users and presence in search. On-page SEO (also identified as "on-site" SEO) will be the take action of optimizing different parts associated with your site that affect your own search engine rankings. In 2019, we'll have to optimize voice research answers with CTAs that Google's algorithms don't pick up upon, but humans do. Dan Mallette, Lead SEO Strategist at each InVue Digital & HearstDMS, forecasts that SEOs will need in order to optimize for voice search and discover new avenues as SERP real-estate shrinks. Obviously, a social media marketing webpage that has more interaction will probably bring bigger SEO benefits in order to some business than one the fact that has less interaction, but basically having a social presence will be a good start. Voice lookup is going to be one particular of the main parts of concentrate for SEO in 2019 plus beyond. By 2019 mobile advertising will represent 72% of all US digital advertisement spending. These people should understand that SEO Internet marketing and advertising mandates a business website, considering that it is a necessary on the internet marketing tool. Eventually you can post these pages on various SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION sites or simply submit the particular web page so that the particular search engine spiders can examine on your created content. The history of SEO will go back to the 90s whenever the search engines emerged regarding the first time. High quality content material is critical in any lengthy term SEO strategy. Successful SEO includes on-page strategies, which use intent-based key phrases; and off-page strategies, which gain inbound links from other internet sites. So, along with content advertising, SEO now must be deeply aimed with your company's PR initiatives. Information will be a good introduction to and summary of lookup engine optimization (SEO), a very important tactic for driving visitors to your blog. There is usually a lots of misinformation about exactly what an SEO campaign (company) may accomplish when it comes in order to search engines engine rankings. But using the particular SEO analysis tools, you may increase the chances of your own website's high ranking that can provide you with more traffic and ultimately, more business and revenue. Those who have the many to achieve are small businesses that will before a new harder period breaking into the snug SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION world.