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rayveewrites · 3 years

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Ray Hijacks the Team ZIT Ghostbuster AU Again

So @shadeswift99 made a few posts a while ago about a Team ZIT(S) ghostbuster AU, And then I may or may not have hijacked the post to add in ideas for most of the other hermits because why not.

Now, back then I was spitballing ideas and making them up on the spot, which is admittedly my usual writing process, but hey.

That said, I've had more time to think about it, and then last night I blacked out for a few hours and came to with a Google Doc filled with short bios for all of the hermits and a handful of hermit-adjacents. Now, this rapidly turned into an urban fantasy AU in my hands, but hey. It's fun.

This is in alphabetical order, with alternate personas (EX, Helsknight, Beetlejhost) beneath their original counterparts when applicable:

Bdubs

Lives in an old mansion in the woods alongside Doc for reasons known only to them. Bdubs works as an interior designer, with a side gig as a freelance hairdresser. His eyes are unnaturally large, similar to Keralis’, and he is at least partially a plant. Completely feral and frequently gets in trouble for having knives on him at all times. He and Cleo have a thing called Knife Club which makes everyone else nervous. Nobody messes with Knife Club. It’s not worth it. Sunbathes frequently.

Beef

Is a perfectly normal human being. He works as a butcher with a side gig as a graphic designer specializing in album covers and spends his free time playing pokemon and dragging Etho along to social events. He was the first person to spot the cryptid, and the first person who Etho approached of his own accord.

Biffa

Is a ghost possessing a robotic shell. Biffa is from the future. While initially his main goal was to get back home to his own time, Biffa has since made friends and settled down into a new life running a cafe specializing in a wide range of teas. He’s quite content with this, and has actually found himself far happier than he was in his own time. While his nature means he can see, hear and touch ghosts, his body was built specifically for a disembodied soul to be in the driver’s seat, and he doesn’t want to risk another taking control. Also, he has more important things to do than have fistfights with ghosts.

Cleo

Is a ghost possessing her own dead corpse. Her nature allows her to see, hear and touch ghosts. Can and will fistfight spirits. She works as a teacher, so she’s usually busy, but occasionally in really nasty situations the Beetlejhost will drag her in to break a ghost’s legs. Does sculpture in her free time, and is actually really good. The only one who can wrangle Beetle to any real capacity, and she’s learned to keep him on a fairly short leash. Housemates with Joe, and Keralis also pops in pretty frequently. Has Knife Club with Bdubs. Has an enchanted flower crown that prevents her from decaying further; a gift from Beetle. Recently started learning magic in the form of necromancy and illusions. Has an ongoing ‘feud’ with Zloy, in which she temporarily traps his soul in random inanimate objects every now and then.

Cub

A bit of a ‘mad scientist’ archetype, Cub’s experiments are not exactly the most ethical, though they’re at least more professional than Doc’s. Responsible for the creation of Jevin. Cub gets possessed stupidly easily- sometimes willingly- and can usually handle it himself but sometimes has to call for help. Has a magical method of communication with Scar for exactly this reason. Has a day job as co-owner of a business called ConCorp, which he started with Scar. Has probably broken the Geneva Convention.

Doc

Was presumably human at one point. Now an abomination. Repeated experiments on himself have resulted in a massively changed facial and foot structure, a body covered in mottled green scales, claws, and goat horns. He lost half his face in one of his experiments, and constructed a new cybernetic one. He lost his right arm fighting God. Killed said god and would do it again. Lives in a mansion in the woods with Bdubs, though nobody’s really sure why. Owns a casino because of course he does. Also a living crime against fashion, because the man refuses to wear anything other than his tattered lab coat, torn jeans, and crocs.

Ely

Runs the local radio station. Nobody’s ever seen him in person, and nobody knows where he gets people’s voice clips for his remixes. Probably a cryptid. Maybe a ghost. Seems pretty chill, despite the blatant invasions of privacy.

Etho

Is a cryptid. Lives out in the woods in an abomination that can barely be called a house. Has never been seen in anything other than full Kakashi cosplay. Tends to keep to himself, but occasionally lets Beef drag him along to social events, often with Doc and Bdubs. Nobody really knows what his deal is. Probably not human. Probably.

False

Used to be part of an illegal underground cage fighting ring, until she earned enough to buy her way out. Having grown up in said ring, she struggles to adjust to normal life, but living in a town where the barista is a robot and the local tailor has wings makes it easier. She now has a job as security at Doc’s casino, alongside Iskall.

Grian

Is either an angel or a demigod, but nobody knows which. Has wings. Is both a tailor and an architect. A complete gremlin who has elaborate masks of various birds and will wear them to commit crimes. Eats seeds. Messes with everyone else’s plants. Lives in Jungle Wood Flats. Volunteers at the local theatre.

Hypno

Has three eyes, but hides the third one under a bandanna at all times. Can see ghosts with it. Had problems with sections of plumbing randomly getting clogged and also making very weird noises, and eventually called Team ZIT when the plumbers couldn’t find the source. Was prepared for ghosts, but wound up with a slime creature instead. Works in a $2 store for some reason.

Impulse

Is fully human. The most sensible member of Team ZIT (which admittedly isn’t saying much), Impulse has a day job as a freelancer building custom PCs and fixing broken tech. Agreed to the whole ghostbusting deal because he was bored, mostly. Was the first one to meet Skizz face-to-face, and is the one to own that particular place outright. Gets possessed every now and then, usually by larger spirits. Used to run solely on caffeine and chronic anxiety until Zedaph started getting on his case about his sleep schedule. Now he runs on less caffeine, more sleep, and the same amount of chronic anxiety.

Iskall

Was part of a cloning experiment to create the ultimate hitman, and was the only known one to both survive and escape before the whole thing was shut down by the authorities. Their eye and arm were replaced with cybernetics in order to increase their already enhanced abilities, and they were chased by said authorities, eventually winding up on Mumbo’s doorstep and becoming Mumbo’s problem. Now works as security at Doc’s casino, alongside False. Lives at Jungle Wood flats. Occasionally volunteers at the local theatre. Does bonsai as a hobby.

Jevin

Is the slime creature in the pipes. Hypno lets him live with him under the condition he stops blocking the plumbing and making weird noises at 3 AM (Jevin still blocks the plumbing and makes weird noises at 3 AM, just not as much as he was). Has taught himself to take a humanoid shape, and likes having fingers. Sleeps in the bathtub because he can. Was created from a vat of chemicals in a secret lab underneath the house, which used to be owned by Cub. Doesn’t really talk to the man in question that much, but will occasionally refer to Cub as his father for the sole reason of watching him go through eight existential crises in three minutes. Has a glock.

Joe

Head librarian at the local public library, and has read a lot of books on Supernatural Things. Is a veritable fountain of exposition if you can figure out what he’s saying or have Cleo along with you to threaten the integrity of his shins. Has never been seen in the same place as the Beetlejhost. Are they the same person? Are they entirely separate beings? Is there a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde-type situation going on? Who knows!

Beetlejhost

Literally nobody really knows what his deal is. Nobody. Team ZIT ran into him on a call that they expected to be a false alarm and then he decided to follow them home. Spends most of his time being a minor nuisance in the most bizarre ways possible. Is implied to be responsible for the Ever Given getting lodged in the Suez Canal, but never confirmed. When he’s not bothering Team ZIT or getting them out of tight spots, he’s usually pestering Cleo, the only one who can keep him in line. It’s not really known if he and Cleo have a history or if they’re just Like That.

Keralis

Is a ghost haunting an architecture firm, and is mostly bound to the building, though he can travel to other buildings the firm has built, which is, uh, most of them. Initially only able to do small things- mostly writing notes or drawing diagrams- he eventually meets the Beetlejhost when the latter follows Mumbo to work one day for shits and giggles (he wanted to see how long he could mess with Mumbo before the man noticed. As it turned out, about a week, and by the end it was Iskall who noticed). After a couple of days in which Beetle teaches Keralis Ghost Things™, he scares half the office when he finally manifests for the first time. Has unnaturally large eyes and nicknames for most of the workers. Has no idea how he died or what his unfinished business might be. Very knowledgeable about architecture, and his input is usually very much appreciated.

Mumbo

Is a perfectly normal human being who does IT at Keralis’ architecture firm. Lives at Jungle Wood flats and spends most of his free time tinkering with tech and trying to keep Grian and Iskall out of trouble, which is a losing battle. Has a large, beating golden heart in his flat. He’s not really sure what its deal is, but if he feeds it apples it produces enough power for the entire building. Oh, and if he forgets to feed it for an extended period of time it starts draining his bank account. It’s really weird.

Pixlriffs

Was a perfectly normal human being until he died protecting a certain Russian zombie and became a perfectly normal ghost. Was a reporter in life and is a reporter in death. Runs a blog alongside Zloy about the local goings-on, supernatural or not. The blog’s the type where unless you live in/near the town you most likely won’t stumble across it, but they do have a small following of outsiders who assume the blog’s just a work of fiction. His unfinished business is to prevent Zloy from doing anything particularly stupid, a constant battle. Is able to go more places than Zloy due to being incorporeal, but respects people’s privacy. He’s bound to Zloy to a certain degree, not being able to go beyond a certain range of his friend. The range is pretty big, though, and he has plenty freedom of movement.

Python

Had a run-in with the fae as a kid, in which he accidentally pissed one off. In retribution, the faerie challenged him to answer a riddle or he’d be turned into a snake. Python’s answer was partially correct, so the faerie only transformed him partially. Python is fairly chill, though he strongly dislikes the cold and starts hissing if anyone disturbs him during Sun Time™. Sometimes Bdubs, being partially flora, joins Python for Sun Time™. He’s not venomous, because, you know...python. Also, he has a mildly disturbing habit of strangling rats and mice and then eating them whole, but he can’t help it and just tries not to do so when he has company.

Ren

Is a werewolf. He’s pretty chill regardless of form, though it’s only been recently he’s been comfortable enough leaving his ears and tail visible. He works as a lumberjack. One time Pixl introduced him to Monty Python’s Lumberjack Song and it quickly became his favourite thing. He spends most of his free time volunteering at the local theatre because Ren is absolutely a theatre kid and nobody can convince me otherwise. Gets possessed every now and then. Lives in Jungle Wood flats.

Scar

Works as a landscape developer. Gets possessed absurdly easily, though not quite as frequently as Cub. Has a magical method of communication with him. Technically co-owns ConCorp, but isn’t as involved. His cat, Jellie, is very obviously an eldritch abomination in feline form and he is comedically unaware of this. Lives in Jungle Wood Flats with Grian, Iskall, Mumbo, Stress, and Ren.

Skizz

Is the ghost haunting Team ZIT’s office. He was murdered by someone he’d thought was a friend who was trying to use his place to hide from the cops, and he’s stuck around, haunting the building. His unfinished business is to make sure nobody else uses the building for anyone shady, but the ghost rumours tended to chase most people off. Eventually he gets used to having Team ZIT around, and when Tango admits he doesn’t really have anywhere to go one day, Skizz eventually makes the decision to finally unlock the still-furnished upper floor for him. He’s bound to the building, but Impulse learns that carrying Skizz’s old vest with them allows him to leave. After that, Skizz sometimes accompanies them on missions and occasionally just hanging out. He’s usually more helpful than the Beetlejhost is.

Stress

Is a witch. Stress lives in Jungle Wood Flats and works as a doctor who specializes in supernaturally caused injuries- Team ZIT are some of her best customers. She also sells magic potions of various kinds, and has a side gig as a florist. She’s 90% of the Jungle inhabitants’ impulse control. Also has cryokinesis.

Tango

The Team ZIT member with a car. He gets possessed with frankly ridiculous frequency, but claims not to believe in ghosts for a long time (and keeps up the bit for even longer). Has developed various signals to indicate when he’s being possessed again. The strongest one, a rather nasty demon Cleo and the Beetlejhost had to team up on, left him with his glowing red eyes. He didn’t really have anywhere to go before Impulse bought the office, and tended to sleep on the couch or in his car until Skizz decided to let him into the upper floor, where he now lives alongside Zedaph and Impulse.

TFC

A now-retired ghostbuster, TFC calls in Team ZIT one night when he finds himself in over his head against a ghost with a grudge. He winds up becoming a bit of a mentor figure to the trio, usually coaching them over the phone if they’re not sure how to deal with one of the stranger spirits. Lost his leg years ago in a fight with a poltergeist that could have gone better, and now has a robotic prosthetic made by Doc.

Wels

While Team ZIT was out investigating some rumour or another in the woods, they came across a large stone box. Following video game logic, I guess, they then decided opening this large stone box sounded like a fun idea. Well, Tango and Zedaph did. Impulse was a bit more hesitant. The box actually held a medieval knight who’d been put in an enchanted sleep for centuries by his demonic doppelgänger, and was very much not prepared for modern life. Team ZIT took him to Xisuma, who happened to live closest, and Wels is currently helping out on the farm and trying to adjust to life in the 21st century. He can understand and speak modern English just fine because magic. Volunteers at the local theatre quite a lot.

Hels

Is Wels’ doppelgänger. Technically a minor demon. Won a fight with Wels and sealed him away for centuries as a result. A recurring problem. His real motivation is that he really desperately doesn’t want to go back to Hell, but he’s too proud to admit it. Lives in the woods with EX, who’s basically his only friend, though the weirdo with the brown cardigan keeps pestering him about his backstory and feelings for some reason. Has minor pyrokinesis.

Like Biffa, XB is also a ghost from the future, though it seems to be a different timeline than Biffa’s. His unfinished business is preventing the apocalypse, but he has no idea how to do that, no idea if he’s in the right timeline, and is pretty sure he’s gone back a lot farther than he probably should’ve. Also, there’s the whole paradox issue, where if he prevents the apocalypse he never has a reason to go back and prevent the apocalypse, so he doesn’t prevent the apocalypse, so he has to go back and- he tries not to think about it too much. He mostly just hangs out in an abandoned house on the edge of town and vibes.

Xisuma

Is a beekeeper. Nobody’s ever seen his face; when he’s not in his beekeeping outfit, he’s either wearing a helmet, or (more recently) an extremely lifelike and detailed animal mask (is it a mask?). Actually a shapeshifting alien, he crashed down to Earth after a scuffle with his evil clone and was stranded because Earth doesn’t have the right tools or resources to repair a spaceship. These days he’s actually found he’s happier tending to his bees, selling honey, and helping his friends out, and probably wouldn’t leave Earth even if he could. It’s a simpler life, but a pleasant one. He bonds with Biffa over a shared love of tea and being stranded in a technologically inferior world and finding a home.

Evil Xisuma

Is Xisuma’s clone. Feels that if everyone’s going to call him ‘Evil’ he may as well own it. Shot his original’s spaceship down in a scuffle but wound up being brought down with him. Currently hides in the woods. Generally more of a minor nuisance than an actual danger. Used to spend his free time bothering X but has gotten put off by Wels, who has a problem when it comes to evil clones. His friends consist of Hels, who is a terrible role model, and Zedaph, who’s trying to help him work through his problems behind everyone’s backs. Can summon lightning because he deserves it.

Zedaph

Is the reason Team ZIT is ghostbusting in the first place. He’s a sheep shearer by trade, but that’s a fairly seasonal thing and ghostbusting is more fun anyway. Has somehow never been possessed, and claims it’s because he’s always standing next to Tango. He makes sure the other two gets enough sleep Because we all know they can’t be trusted to do it. Probably has some sort of really bizarre and situational magical powers he is thoroughly unaware of. Qualified to be a licensed therapist. Made friends with Evil X at one point, somehow.

Zloy

Like Cleo, he’s a ghost possessing a corpse. Unlike Cleo, there’s a good chance it’s not his corpse. Eh, it’s not like anyone else was using it. Runs a blog with Pixl, because why not. Was already a zombie when he met Pixl, who was still alive at the time. His body is a bit more decayed than Cleo’s, but it’s fine. His goggles are enchanted with the same preservation spell; it’s not really ever explained where he got them from. Has no regard for privacy but is fortunately unable to turn invisible or phase through walls due to inhabiting a physical body. Both can theoretically physically fight ghosts and has enough time to physically fight ghosts, meaning he would be a valuable ally if he could be bothered. Lives in a graveyard. Has an ongoing ‘feud’ with Cleo, in which he puts jabs at her on the blog. Once spent a week as a (very sarcastic) floating potato.

Hermiton

Is the name of the place they all live in/near. Located in an ambiguous location in an ambiguous country, Hermiton is technically large enough to be considered a city but has Town VibesTM. Supernatural going-ons are a fairly normal part of life, and a good number of inhabitants aren’t humans. Despite this, the wider world seems mostly ignorant of the existence of ghosts, magic, etc. I’m not too sure about geography, but it’s surrounded by forest in most directions and in a warm enough climate to not have snow in the winter (so Python doesn’t, you know, freeze to death). Most people don’t tend to bat an eyelid at strange-looking people walking down the street or serving them at the store; they’re used to it by now. There are several theories as to why Hermiton specifically has so much going on when it comes to the supernatural- ley lines, secretly the resting place of some long-forgotten god, et cetera- but it’s actually more of a case of ‘people who have supernatural traits hear rumours of a place where a lot of people have supernatural traits and go there in search of answers/a place to belong’. This doesn’t exactly explain where all the ghosts came from, but hey. Nothing’s perfect.

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incorrect-mha-bnha · 4 years

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BNHA Baseball-Quirkless AU

Where Midoriya is actually Bakugou’s older brother by 12 years and is permanently paralyzed from the waist down, has to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

(This is going to be a long thread and I will never trust the Keep Reading again for deleting this entire thing once already~ So, apologies)

Main Characters

Katsuki (I’ll figure out a last name later)

Baseball Prodigy

16 years old

Has been playing since the age of 5

His dream is to go pro, become the best baseball player ever

Best player on his team. Was pushed into Varsity, freshman year for his insane pitching speed that broke the JV catcher’s wrist with a curve ball.

He’s got the makings of an All Star with all the determination, skills, even the support of his entire family + friends.

Katsuki has an infamously nasty attitude on the field and off. It makes him hard to work with in any position they may give him. (He raises hell if he is not on the mound).

He’s got a real good arm, an almost perfect pitch and a fire driven soul.

They rely on him, and they should. Katsuki has led his team through many championships, tournaments and games. There are scouts lined up just to get a glimpse of his insane curve ball. Katsuki has all the glory, the pure etched tanaz to get things in his life, there is just one problem.

He’s stuck under his brother’s shadow

Izuku (Same as Katsuki)

Ex Baseball player

Being a pro baseball player was his only dream, what he was working for.

Permanently paralyzed from the waist down, a lot of scarring all over his body

Izuku was the Underdog at an extremely young age. Making Varsity on tryouts without having to work for it like Katsuki, who spent hours pushing his speed above average, busting his ass to be the best.

Izuku had an unchallenged power that seemed like it came overnight. That’s where he got the nickname Underdog (don’t even ask, because I like it). He never played well in Middle School, but he had that dream to keep him going. Got into High School and became the equivalent to a Senior’s level of skill by Freshman.

Note: Yagi took Izuku under his wing and formed a bond. They became extremely close, working hard to keep Izuku’s abilities up and rising. (There was no extreme favoritism but Izuku looked up to Yagi’s skills and abilities anyway).

Izuku was someone loved by all, with a personality that kept his team working at their best. Izuku had the greatest leadership skills ever seen, the highest pitching speed in the country’s Varsity Leagues and an even better rating on the college scouting boards.

By Junior year, Izuku was already taking tours of campuses

He’s a legend in their High School, an idol to every baseball player and student that ever roamed those halls.

Katsuki never understood it. He hated being compared to his older brother, being overshadowed by someone who couldn’t even play anymore. Getting compared to a broken man, someone who Katsuki had never once seen pick up a ball while he was growing up. Katsuki held resent for his brother, his effortless favoritism, the saintly image they painted him in. Why was Izuku so praised, adored and given such a high podium when there was nothing really great about him? Why was Katsuki always having to measure up to him, getting backhanded praise about his hard work that never really compared to Izuku’s? All Katsuki craves to do is finally beat Izuku and prove he is the better player. Show everyone he could do it when Izuku couldn’t- but to do that, Katsuki has to defeat some demons and dig some old ones up as well.

Side Characters

(Everyone is older then Katsuki, Kirishima is the youngest upper class man.)

Izuku’s Team/Friends

Todoroki (Back up Pitcher, Catcher)

Iida (3rd Base)

Ojiro (Infield)

Shinsou (Outfield) [I might switch him to Katsuki’s side]

Yagi Toshinori/ All Might- His coach name (Coach)

Note: After Izuku became paralyzed, Yagi retired and never went back

Tsuyu (Close friend)

Uraraka (Best friend since childhood, stops by to bring Izuku to Therapy sometimes. Is like Katsuki’s older sisters, though he won’t openly admit to it.)

Katsuki’s Team/Friends

Kirishima (Back up catcher, outfield)

Tamaki (Back up Pitcher, Main Second base)

Mirio (Main Catcher- Kirishima’s mentor)

Fat Gum (Coach)

Tetsutetsu (Football player- Kirishima’s friend)

Tomo (YES BITCH, OKAY? Sigh, I’ll figure out a role for my man)

Sero, Denki, Mina, Jirou (Kirishima’s friends from the beginning, will be Katsuki’s friends later)

Eijirou Kirishima

17- going on 18 years old

Openly Pansexual

Quit football in Middle School to play baseball after stumbling upon a game where the catcher nicknamed Crimson Riot over turned a 2-17 score game just by his catching and fielding alone. Ever since then, Kirishima has wanted to be just as good of a catcher and played the game ever since.

He got into Varsity without being pushed up. Working for it through his own pace, earning many scouts and skills.

Eijirou is ruthless, powerful and surprisingly agile for such a tall, bulky body. He has an amazing personality, is resilient and strong. His insistence to work hard every damn day of his life and commitment to push him and Katsuki beyond their limits was initially where Katsuki started to form his attachment to the catcher.

Tamaki and Mirio took Eijirou under their wings to help mold him into an amazing catcher. Tamaki worked with him to handle many different pitches and field situations. Mirio showed Eijirou ways to communicate with a pitcher, working restless to become a rock wall behind the plate.

Note: Mirio looked up to Izuku at a young age and wanted to be a catcher that could take a pitch from someone as great as him

Eijirou watched how they bonded/interacted as a Pitcher and Catcher duo on the field. He took that visionary partnership and found Katsuki, his perfect man pitcher.

He is about the only one that can handle Katsuki’s attitude on the field, able to keep him in check, finish plays and command the field simultaneously. Eijirou has no issue with reading Katsuki either, or telling him what to do during a situation.

He is older than Katsuki, responsible with more experience in High School level games.

He is the assigned catcher for whenever Katsuki is put into play, as demanded from the blond himself.

Eijirou is a voice of reason, a place of solace.

Knows when to reel Katsuki back in or let him expel all his pent up emotions. Even if it’s through an unsolicited late night practice the blond may pull Eijirou on.

Eijirou builds his relationship with Katsuki easily, able to break down walls and a thorned exterior to really bring out the best in him.

Katsuki sometimes can’t stand it when Eijirou gets all “high and mighty” with him, but it’s just the catcher taking a mature stance on a situation to better communicate the problem.

Please Note: This is not going to revolve solely around Kirishima and Bakugou. The characters and their backstories + roles will be shown but the main relationship being written around is Katsuki’s and Izuku’s with endgame KiriBaku that happens in the backlight

Eijirou has his own set goals and dreams. Planning to attend the same college that Crimson Riot had and maybe catch alongside him.

He is always there to help guide Katsuki, hone in his theatrics and wildfire personality. Katsuki likes that for once there is someone that pushes back at him and won’t just roll right over. Eijirou is a force to be reckoned with, never just taking something lying down and that’s perfect for Katsuki’s boundary pushing tendencies.

He introduced Katsuki to all his friends and gives the pitcher people to trust and fall back on.

Eijirou has engraved into Katsuki’s head that he is a safe space and has proved it many times. Whenever things at home get too hard or Katsuki can’t mental handle seeing Izuku, he will run away to Eijirou and decompress. The catcher hardly minds, doesn’t even complain when Katsuki randomly climbs up and bangs on his bedroom window until it’s opened, just to go in for a long needed rant or pull Eijirou out to practice.

Katsuki let’s loose around Eijirou. Being vulnerable with him (Eijirou is the first person to know about his resent for Izuku and it does stump the Catcher drastically at first).

Eijirou confides in Katsuki just as much, randomly pulling him in for a hug or hanging off him at any chance. The older boy likes to desensitize him a lot.

Eijirou is the happiest guy in school, with the same cheerful spirit as Izuku. He has many friends and knows how to bring the team back into focus when it’s not going their way. They turn to their bright catcher in times of need when the spirit is low.

Side Notes/Scene Cuts

Everyone’s endgame goals are different. For example: Kirishima- Be a really good catcher like his idol, go to the same school and play just as good. Mirio- Catch for a Pitcher as great as Izuku. Tamaki- Keep living through that feeling of striking someone out with Mirio. Bakugou- Be the BEST, finally step beyond his brother’s shadow. Izuku- Just wanted to play pro, never cared about being the best even though he had that potential. Only ever wanted to play forever, to keep going. To stay on the field for as long as possible.

Katsuki was 4 when the incident happened

Their family told Katsuki that Izuku’s disability came from a really bad car crash, (The school doesn’t speak of the incident, pointedly avoids talking about it). I don’t want to give it away, but Izuku wasn’t the one driving the car when it crashed.

Katsuki doesn’t remember anything that happened but he does have a nasty scar from it that he hates. (Rubs the marred tissue as an angry/nervous habit)

To touch back on this^ because the incident was very traumatizing to Katsuki at such a young age and with being told so many times it was a car crash when he asked or over hearing it when he was around- Katsuki’s mind completely pushed everything back and repressed the scene. He also assumes the incident happened well before he was born. Which means, when Izuku does finally say the truth and explains? It’s going to be like he experienced it for the first time, getting bad whiplash from the memories.

The incident happened right after Izuku’s team won a tournament game, they were on their way to win the championship. Literally in the parking lot about ten minutes after winning, and it happened.

When Izuku woke up, they told him he’d never walk again and wouldn’t get to play baseball anymore. His team lost the entire tournament. He never went to college.

Izuku never once looked at baseball again, too pained by it. He couldn’t stand hearing about it or seeing Katsuki talk so happily about the game without breaking down. The incident broke his spirit drastically. This means that he has never gone to a single practice/game for Katsuki. (I touch on why after a few bullets)

Izuku stopped smiling, and shut himself away. He felt cheated, sold short but understood it was his choice. For the first three years after the incident, Izuku was extremely depressed. (He went through years of therapy after, and is in a much better head space now but some days are really hard). He stayed in his room for those years while Katsuki grew up, hallow and crying.

Like, Katsuki went from growing up with a bright and lively brother to having an empty home and empty heart.

Izuku hardly ever leaves his room, sometimes isn’t even there. (Out at his countless Therapy appointments). When Katsuki gets home from school, even on days after practice or a game, the only thing that tells him his brother is home would be Izuku’s shoes at the front door.

Katsuki loved his brother, looked up to him as a role model, someone he wanted to be like. Katsuki still does love Izuku, probably even more now. Izuku was his light, his favorite, the one person Katsuki wanted to impress. To please and get praised by. He was Katsuki’s biggest inspiration and source of happiness. So, when that sunshine went away. When Izuku stopped smiling, stopped leaving his room and laughing. Stopped being himself for the first time in their life, it messed up little Katsuki (which is expected). Because of Katsuki’s personality (which I will change in his younger years for reasons), when Izuku pushed himself away from everyone, wasn’t smiling anymore, started to decline drastically. The boy became hurt and disappointed, not understanding why Izuku was faking his happiness. Couldn’t handle being brushed off (it wasn’t on purpose, it is a forgivable mistake) Katsuki started to become really angry.

That’s initially when he started calling Izuku ‘Deku’. It was a way of expressing and dealing with the anger inside.

Izuku hurt him a few times, put Katsuki on the path to be resentful and dejected.

For example:

- At the age of 5, Katsuki started playing baseball because he loved the game, thanks to Izuku. He came home from his first practice and immediately barged into Izuku’s room with his uniform on and a dirty ball waving about proudly. Little Katsuki told Izuku all about how he caught the ball and even lost a tooth for it. Izuku, of course, praised him because the boy was clearly excited but the cheer in his voice never really reached his eyes. Katsuki could tell he wasn’t being truthful about it and thought Izuku wasn’t proud of him at all (even though Izuku was just trying to hold it together). Their mother quickly pulled Katsuki out of the room and shut the door, telling Katsuki that Izuku is very tired and he is very happy for him. (That cover up worked well for awhile, until Katsuki got older and the let down feeling never really went away when they said it).

- Izuku wouldn’t go to any of Katsuki’s banquets/practices/scrimmages/games/tournaments/team+family dinners. Each time the boy asked over the years, Izuku would apologize with that pained fake smile and say he couldn’t make it. Or their parents would say Izuku was tired/not feeling well/at an appointment and Katsuki would kinda just go “Oh...” and get ready. In the beginning, Katsuki was just so excited and pumped to invite his older brother to everything. Grinning wide and barging in the room (because there was no problem with it before) so he could ask or share his accomplishments with Izuku. Like his first home run, base steal, successful slide into home plate, or just hitting the ball on the first try. Sometimes, Izuku would say he did a good job then close himself off or their mom would call Katsuki out before the man could work up a response. Slowly, Katsuki just stopped going in and started knocking. The door never opened and Izuku hardly answered. After awhile, Katsuki just passed by Izuku’s room. Glancing at the stripped bare wood for a fleeting moment and kept going.

Katsuki grew up upset about not having his brother/feeling like he never had one in the first place and being pushed away. Katsuki festered, grew rancid with resent for the man until he hardly spoke to Izuku. He loves his brother but it’s difficult on both ends. He doesn’t even know really why Izuku is in the wheelchair.

Katsuki remembers walking into his brother’s room to see the man had fallen on the floor, in tears over something in his hand. Katsuki made a surprised noise, stuck in the doorway from the first sight of seeing his older brother so broken. Izuku startled, wiping his eyes and faked a smile while putting the item out of sight. Katsuki went to ask if he was okay but was pulled way quickly so his parents could help Izuku back into the wheelchair.

I want to clarify that their family wasn’t pulling a Elsa&Ana type deal. They just didn’t want Katsuki to grow worried and become upset or possible make the situation worse until Izuku was in the right head space.

Katsuki hasn’t seen the inside of Izuku’s room in too many years, misses the days where he’d climb on his brother’s bed and read Comics the young boy couldn’t even understand yet.

Izuku wants to be there for Katsuki, wants to support him with his dream. To cheer him on in the stands but it’s really hard to be around that atmosphere again without his mind going really critical. He has been going to therapy, talking and slowly building his confidence up. Taking his time to get better so he can support Katsuki but it’s all mental on his part. It’s something Izuku will need to break through on his own.

Izuku does smile more, he’s happier than before but the rift between him and Katsuki never healed.

(On a happier note). Eijirou is really buff and soft. He will randomly pick Katsuki up at night to go for a drive or knock him upside the head when he isn’t all there/being rude. (My Kirishima is going to be a little ooc but it’s for the development of the overall story).

Izuku used to call Katsuki ‘Champ’ or something along those lines and still does whenever they pass each other in the house because I said 😔🥺 hours. Can we just imagine for a moment: Katsuki as a happy little kid, grinning wide and cheering his older brother on in the stands. Izuku coming over with his bright smile and lets Katsuki hug him with excited babbling. Then Izuku puts his Baseball cap on him and says “Thanks, Champ!” And Katsuki’s entire face lights up!!!

I want to play around with everyone’s appearances because this is clearly indulgent so maybe a hoh Katsuki with it having direct ties to the incident? Who knows. Either way, I’m going to have my reasonable fun.

I will probably add more to this post slowly overtime and I’ll just retweet it over and over... not sorry. As I said, this got deleted once already so there is no doubt that I left some things out but this is my big ass plot. Any suggestions? Constructive criticism, go right ahead. This is about the biggest motivation I’ve had to write something in two months so my ass is already rough drafting while writing out some things for @localinferiorgood ‘s amazing Gang AU idea. I have a lot to research and edit before this shit goes public but I’ll see how it goes.

Also, don’t steal my idea. It’s kinda rude. If you get inspired by this or want to write it with your own twist, credit or ask me.

Either way,

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lettheriverflow · 3 years

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An Interview with Tristan Spinski

Jaime Molina: Please introduce yourself.

Tristan Spinski: I grew up and have lived all over the place, both here in the US and a little time abroad in SE Asia, so wherever I've lived, I've always been from "somewhere else". For the last 8 years, I've lived along the Maine coast in the northeast corner of the United States.

I had an undisciplined, passive interest in photography growing up and through college. In my mid 20s I went off to graduate school at Berkeley to work on my writing with the goal of becoming a journalist. The program encouraged students to explore other forms of storytelling, and I opted to take a documentary photography course taught by Ken Light and Mimi Chakarova. That was in 2004, and was my entry point to photography and what was to be my career and a life fully immersed in photography and visual storytelling. You never end up where you expect to, at least not in my experience. Over the years I've migrated from news-driven priorities into conversations about land use and the intersections of culture, economy and the landscape. I recently wrapped up a project on gas drilling in Pennsylvania, where I partnered with a sociologist for his ethnography about a community that has a long history of tethering its economy and cultural identity to natural resource extraction. As that chapter closes, I'm embarking on two new series — one involving endangered birds, and another being a close examination of a landscape near my home.

JM: Why is it important for you to work with conservation publications/organizations?

TS: I believe in the work they do and feel a responsibility to contribute. Once I had a foundational understanding of photography and, through assignment work, had experienced a spectrum of issues and stories, I began to unpack my motivations and inspirations. I found/find it difficult to be honest with myself and to distill what I truly want to stand for with my life and work from the pressures, distractions and seductions of the media cacophony. And there are so many realities that influence my practice and path — privilege, family, where I was raised, what I read, my friends, I could go on forever.

JM: Is there a writer or book that influence your current practice? and why?

TS: I think every author I read influences my practice. It's a mixture of elation, that I'm absorbing a book or article and actively applying it to whatever I'm working on, and also a bit of insecurity, as I assume that I don't have a strong enough constitution of self to resist being swayed. What's that cliche about bending so you don't break?

A standout that I consider a creative "North Star" would include J.A. Baker's "The Peregrine". I've been thinking about how to describe this book to you and what it means to me for more than a day now, and everything I try to convey feels blunted and clumsy. The humility of Baker traversing the English countryside to observe and understand the falcon elevates to a synthesis of science, classical literature and meditation that makes my heart ache.

Gay Talese is also a foundational influence in my own practice. It was required reading during college, and I'm grateful for it. "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" sets a standard for a fly-on-the-wall perspective, patience and character insight, as Talese was never granted an interview but rather was able to spend time in proximity to Sinatra as he went about his business and socialized. There's a great collection of Talese's writings, "Fame and Obscurity", that I would recommend.

Ryszard Kapuscinski has become enormously influential to me in the last few years — ground level observations and personal experiences in the field working as a reporter that glide seamlessly into the stratosphere of geo-political forces. I was on assignment in Madagascar a few years ago and brought a copy of "Travels With Herodotus" with me. The writer I was working with borrowed it while I was laid flat in my tent with a boiling rash and a debilitating stomach bug. He finished it, acknowledged how it made him reconsider our own situation and project, and then I read it as I began to recover and I share my gratitude for Kapuscinski's mastery of craft. I think it might have saved the project! "Another Day of Life" is also a mind blowing, in the worst, most necessary way. I think that whatever Kapuscinski book I read most recently would be my favorite of his and would say is the most personally influential.

And to further my point about how everything influences me, I read "The Overstory" by Richard Powers last spring, as COVID shut the world down. That set me on a course with my work to think critically about trees and consciousness beyond what we (humans) are capable of seeing. And when I say it influenced me, I don't say that lightly. After I finished "The Overstory", I started researching mushroom suit burial options for when I die (someday, hopefully not soon), so that I somehow become part of a tree as my own biomass is recycled back into the earth. I feel a bit self conscious as I write this. But it's true. I told my wife my wish/intention with this, which was jarring and probably something I could have led into a bit more gracefully. I told her to read the book, and then she'd understand. On my current landscape project, I'm thinking about this book every time I'm on site.

And now I'm reading "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I don't want the book to end. It's like eating a dish and getting upset that with every bite you're closer to finishing it. To your earlier question on why it's important to me to work with conservation organizations, I'll quote Kimmerer, out of context, here: "What else can you offer the earth, which has everything? What else can you give but something of yourself?"

JM: How have you been producing work during COVID times, and how do you think it will affect your practice in the future?

TS: COVID has been both enormously disruptive, as well as clarifying. Save two or three projects, almost all of my assignment work has been COVID-related in the past year. Only one has put me in an vulnerable situation, which was early in the pandemic and wasn't intentional. I live in a sparsely-populated, rural pocket of the United States and have stayed close to home. Most assignment work has me documenting the social and economic impacts of COVID on a regional scale. And all of this has been at the request of editors at various publications, so I have no personal attachment, other than I live here and feel a commitment to my family, my neighbors, my community and my state, so I do the best job I can under the circumstances. It's necessary to communicate what's happening and I participate because it's my job, as I consider something like this to be an "all hands on deck" responsibility and it's no time to demand to be hired for passion projects.

My personal work has stalled. Completely. I just sent a year's worth of film into the lab, none of which amounts to more than random entries to my imaginary journal. This pause has made me reset, forced me to read, think, talk out ideas, and generally reconsider what I'm doing and why. I just started an examination of a nearby landscape. I wish I had found a path forward with this project earlier in the pandemic, as it's accessible and nobody is around, but I couldn't (and still can't), which is frustrating and keeps me up at night. So now I'm attempting to work my way through it. We'll see.

JM: Could you tell us why did you decide to submit that photo to LTRF?

TS: While a lot of my work is rooted in landscape, a conversation I'm interested in having revolves around the fraying relationships and growing distance between people and most other living things. In that context, this image felt appropriate.

JM: What is your favourite bird?

TS: Ha! My favorite bird seems to change daily. I have friends who are ornithologists, and they will casually mention an insanely interesting fact about a bird that catapults that particular species to the top of my list. Or I'll read some jaw-dropping statistics and lose my mind. For instance, last autumn I got to work alongside Scott Weidensaul along the northern coast of Maine, close to where I live, as he studied migrating saw-whet owls. They are tiny and ferocious predators that fit in the palm of your hand. So I became a bit obsessed with them, and then got to reading Weidensaul's book, "Living on the Wind", about bird migrations. Early in the book he talks about Blackpoll Warblers, which use air currents to aid their transcontinental migrations from western Alaska, east across northern Canada to the Atlantic and then south to Venezuela — "an overwater trip of 2,000 miles — a passage with no rest, no refuelling, no water, during which each will have flapped its wings nearly 3 million times. 'If a Blackpoll Warbler were burning gasoline instead of its reserves of body fat, it could boast getting 720,000 miles to the gallon,' note two researchers." I had to look up images of the bird, and realize that I've seen these and never gave them a second thought. But think about how truly magnificent these little creatures are. And it's not just the spectacular that makes me love a bird. I was out walking my dogs last spring and I heard a bird chirping that sounded, to me, just like R2-D2, from Star Wars. Turned out to be a Bobolink, which also sounds like a Star Wars character. But they look like disheveled little Franciscan monks — dark bodies with a circular yellow patch of plumage on the back of their heads resembling the bald patches, which is devotional practice of tonsure. I then learned that where I walk my dogs is designated as a Bobolink breeding habitat, so it became a daily symphony of R2-D2s. And when they fly, they appear a bit slow and clumsy, almost like they've had a few beers before taking off. So maybe that's my favorite bird. I'm sure I'll read something or see something soon that turns my attention elsewhere.

JM: If you could give yourself any piece of advice right now what would it be?

TS: I'd reiterate the advice my late father, who I admire more than I can express here, gave me: Simplify.

Thank you Tristan!

___________

Tristan Spinski

Let The River Flow on Instagram

Issue 1. Available now.

#photography #LTRFINTERVIEWS #lettheriverflow #Interviews

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swipestream · 5 years

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New Release Roundup, 9 February 2019: Science Fiction

A.I. extermination fleets, shape shifting mecha, and desperate gambles feature in this week’s roundup of science fiction’s newest releases.

A.I. Void Ship (The A.I. Series #6) – Vaughn Heppner

Through desperate tactics and by deliberately keeping a low profile, we survived the machine assaults longer than any human or cybership thought possible. But now our luck has deserted us. The main A.I. brain-core has just given human extinction top priority. The robots are massing an armada to exterminate us.

We’ve done what we could in expectation of this grim day, grabbing enemy factory planets to mass produce warships. And we found an ally, the Star Lords of Roke. But it’s just not enough, damn it.

We need more…like the alien void ship Hawkins once saw. Or maybe we can make a deal with the treacherous Cog Primus. One thing’s sure. We’d better do it soon or we’ll join thousands of other extinct species obliterated by the hateful death machines.

Bringers of Hell (Tau Ceti Agenda #6) – Travis S. Taylor

HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE

Despite unprecedented victories on the part of humanity, the war with the alien Chiata Horde drags on. The Chiata may be temporarily hindered by the cunning tenacity of General Alexander Moore and the men and women who fight at his side, but they have no intention of beating a hasty retreat. In fact, intelligence suggests that the Chiata Invasion is at hand, and with numbers sure to overwhelm humankind. But hope has come from an unlikely source: the Thgreeth, long-dead inhabitants of a world ground under the heels of the Chiata millennia ago. In the crumbled ruins of their homeworld is a map—and it may lead to victory.

PHOENIX WILL RISE

Meanwhile, Alexander Moore’s daughter, Deanna Moore, now known by the callsign “Phoenix,” wages a personal war on the Chiata. Grievously wounded in the battle for Thgreeth and rebuilt with state-of-the-art cybernetics, she leads a group of mecha-suited Marines known as “The Bringers of Hell.” Once a tough-as-nails Marine, she has been reborn as an implacable scourge to the Chiata. And nothing will stand in the way of her mission: to take down the alien scourge.

HER ENEMIES WILL PAY

The Grand Alliance (Blood on the Stars #11) – Jay Alan

Hell is Unleashed

The Hegemony controls Megara, the Confederation’s capital. War has raged for five years. Millions are dead, vast fleets of ships have been destroyed. But in the stronghold where Tyler Barron and his comrades have gathered their allies and the last of their strength, a plan is being devised.

Barron and his people have fought bravely, stubbornly, relentlessly, but the Hegemony has been too strong. Now, Barron is relying on the one source of strength that remains to him.

Defiance.

He will not surrender, he will not yield. And he will not remain meekly on the defensive, waiting for the enemy to bring forward reinforcements to launch the final assault.

That leaves only one option. Attack. Take back what the enemy has captured. Bring the war to the invader, and send them reeling back into the Badlands from whence they came.

The fight will be difficult, the odds steep. But Barron is ready to take the final gamble, and as one, the thousands of spacers he leads are behind him, shouting a single rallying cry.

Back to Megara!

The Link (AI Empire #1) – Isaac Hooke

An impossible enemy. A fleet surrounded.

Jain and his fleet of elite AI warships hurry to Earth’s defense when an alien empire known as the Link stages an all-out attack. Though his fleet is equipped with the most powerful weapons tech ever developed, with enough firepower to raze an entire moon base, even Jain’s mighty vessels prove no match for the enemy.

When unexpected allies show up, the tide seems to turn in his favor. But will it be enough?

Perhaps. The aliens were expecting to find a race of organics barely out of the stone ages.

It must have come as quite a shock when they realized they faced a budding AI Empire.

Also available: The Alliance (AI Empire #2)

A Pale Dawn (Four Horsemen: The Omega War #8) – Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey

After a stunning victory at the Merc Guild shipyard of Golara, the leaders of the Four Horsemen mercenary units of Earth have decided it’s time to take back the colonies the Merc Guild has captured, and the Horsemen split up to liberate them.

While the Merc Guild still has humanity outnumbered, Alexis Cromwell, the leader of the Winged Hussars, has incorporated the ships captured in Golara into her fleet, and she hopes the Humans can achieve local superiority across four systems with her new battleships and her Egleesius cruisers. And…if the attacks go well, the next target might even be…Earth, itself?

But Peepo, the leader of the Merc Guild forces, didn’t get to her position by being stupid, and she continues not only to thwart the Humans, but also in her efforts to find the Hussars’ secret base in New Warsaw. If she can find it, she has a fleet ready to destroy it, and then the Humans will have nowhere left to run.

The forces are on a collision course, with all sights set on Earth. A pale dawn is rising, and there’s only one question that remains—who will be left standing when the clock reaches noon?

Quantum Mortis #4: We Regret to Inform – Vox Day, Steve Rzasa, and Matvei Daniilovich

Chief Warrant Officer Graven Tower is a ruggedly handsome military policeman who hates aliens. Fortunately, as a member of His Grace’s Military Crimes Investigation Division – Xenocriminology and Alien Relations, he gets to arrest a lot of them. Sometimes he even gets to shoot them.

Chief Tower and Detector Derin Hildreth of the Trans Paradis Police Department are investigating the murder of the Crown Prince of Morchard, and when there is a second attempt on the life of his brother and successor, they rush to the scene. But their investigation is complicated by the discovery that the assassin is in the employ of a foreign embassy. Does Tower dare risking the wrath of an ambassador with diplomatic immunity? Do you even have to ask?

Renegade Union (Renegade Star #9) – J.N. Chaney

After waking up on the floor of an unknown ship, and with no way of contacting his crew, Captain Jace Hughes is forced to fight his way through a myriad of soldiers. With no memory of the battle or how he arrived on the ship, he has no choice but to act.

By shooting his way out.

Along the way, Jace must rescue survivors, fill the missing gaps in his memory, and stop the enemy from accomplishing their goal–a mission that could lead to the destruction of Earth and all its people.

But with most of his crew missing and no sign of reinforcements, there’s little hope to be had. To make matters worse, there’s a hostage on the ship, and the enemy will stop at nothing to defend their new prize.

A Shifting Alliance (Galaxy Ascendant #3) – Yakov Merkin

The Galactic Alliance, made up of friends old and new, as well as recently reconciled enemies, finds itself facing down the massive, monolithic, and oppressive Revittan Empire.

High Executor Darkclaw, who not long ago led the invasion of the Alliance, now fights to preserve, to restore peace. Grand Admiral Nayasar Khariah finds herself fighting alongside former foes in the face of a greater threat. An unlikely heroine, the former small-time criminal Ayil Lotyk, finds herself even further enmeshed in conflicts well above her pay grade, nevertheless is risking everything for a cause greater than herself—to her own surprise.

Even as the Alliance struggles with the Empire, there are those within its borders fighting against it. A lifetime Imperial loyalist, who now questions his place. A survivor, fighting to protect the weak and forge a better future. An observer, who sees something deeper and more sinister afoot, and cannot stand idly by.

The galaxy is aflame once again, and things will never be the same.

Titanborn (Children of Titan #1) – Rhett C. Bruno

Offworlders are only worth the price on their heads.

After three decades as a Pervenio Corporation Collector, chasing wanted offworlders and extinguishing protests throughout the solar system, Malcolm Graves doesn’t bother asking questions. So long as the pay is right, he’s the man for the job. But his latest assignment doesn’t afford him that luxury.

A high-profile bombing on Earth has the men who sign Malcolm’s paychecks clamoring for answers. They force him to team up with a strange, augmented partner who’s more interested in statistics than instinct, and ship them both off to Titan to hunt down a suspected group of extremists: Titanborn rebels who will go to any length to free their home from the tyranny of Earth’s corporations.

Heading into hostile territory, Malcolm will have to use everything he’s learned to stay alive. But he soon realizes the situation on the ground is much more complex than he anticipated…and much more personal.

Wings of Redemption (The Terra Nova Chronicles #3) – Richard Fox and Josh Hayes

The galactic balance of power shifts against humanity’s fledgling colony on Terra Nova.

After narrowly escaping a brutal attack, Chief Kit Carson and her surviving Pathfinders reach the Zeis Homeworld. Their mission is to seek new allies among the uncharted stars continues, but first they must end the insurrection tearing across the planet, threatening the fragile negotiations.

Governor Ken Hale is in a desperate race against time to build up the colony’s defences. When his new soldiers are found dead on the colony’s streets, he must turn to a retired assassin to help hunt down the deranged killer.

And the greatest threat of all, the ancient Ultari Empire, rekindles under the iron rule of a returned Emperor. Their quest for vengeance will burn across the stars…and Terra Nova is the next target.

New Release Roundup, 9 February 2019: Science Fiction published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

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trendingnewsb · 6 years

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The Right Can’t Fight the Future

It seems axiomatic that the past and the future cannot exist at the same time. Thanks to the space-time continuum, people from different centuries cannot live simultaneously. The same goes for a nation, which cannot survive pulling toward the future and toward the past at once.

The United States is at a fulcrum. We are two countriesone lurching for the future, one yearning for the pastthat cannot live together, because we cant be both things. Donald Trump may have brought on the breaking point, but he didnt create the schism. It was already there for him to exploit. It was there during enslavement, when President Lincoln declared that the country could not survive half slave, half free, and it took a civil war to force these two nations: one brutal but pastoral, the other urban and focused on finance and technological innovation, often with its own kind of cruelty, to remain under one roof.

Today, Trump is speeding us toward declinethe very decline his supporters so feared. His imperious leadership; his familys grubby pretense at royalty and the apparent mad dash among members of his cabinet and White House team to hawk their positions for cash and luxuries have the feel of a decrepit regime looting the palace in its final days; stuffing the silver in their coats as they flee into exile.

Trumps announcement of anachronistic trade tariffs this week was portrayed as out of the blue, but it was no such thing. Trump ran on ending multilateral trade agreements and recreating an America of the distant past that culls every human and material resource from within. Republicans who are now in full blown freakout over a potential trade war voted for exactly what theyre getting.

In every way, Donald Trump is a president built for the past; a benighted, late 19th Century figure who spun his supporters a tale that he could restore a bygone era when coal fires burned, factories hummed, steel mills belched out soot and opportunity and a (white) man with a sturdy back, a high school diploma and a song in his heart could buy a little house, marry a little wife and have 3 cherry-cheeked kids he didnt ever have to cook or clean for, plus if he can afford it, a hot mistress on the side. Trump is the slovenly but brash, gold-plated emblem of a time when in the imagination of his followers, black women hummed a tune while they cleaned your house or did the washing, black men tipped their hat on the street but didnt dare look you in the eye, and neither would dream of moving in next door. A time when women asked their husbands for an allowance, not their boss for a promotion, men were allowed to be men complete with ribald jokes and a slap on the fanny for the pretty secretary at work, and there were no gays, no trans people, no birth control they somehow just didnt exist! The rural folks were the salt of the earth and we only let in a certain kind of immigrant whose only goal was to shake off his ethnicity and assimilate. Everyone went to (separate) church on Sundays and everyone got along. Its a plasticine world that for many must feel like it truly existed, though of course it never did.

Going backward, to a world without ambiguity on race, gender and work is a powerfully attractive idea, particularly for those who fear losing their cultural and social hegemony as the nation browns, and their economic ascendancy as technology creates new industries they scarcely understand.

But heres the thing: the past really is past. Coal is still a dying industry and America will never again have an industrial revolution. Its other countries turn to do that now. Black and brown people arent giving up our dignity, including the right to protest and to survive mundane encounters with police. Immigrants arent going away (and in fact we need them to keep the economy and the safety net flush). LGBT people arent going back into the closet. And women are staying in the workforce, with many aiming to become the CEO, while insisting on hanging onto our reproductive liberty. There is indeed a sizable minority of Americans who want to go back to the old times. But we arent going back.

Neither is the world.

While we regress, the rest of the planet will go right on trading without us. Tariffs on other countries will invite tariffs on us (Europe is already considering levying them on everything from Levis to Kentucky bourbon to Harley Davidson motorcycles). And protectionism will protect zero American jobs, while hiking the prices of everything we buy thats made with aluminum and steel, from cars to washing machines to pots and pans. Donald Trump, who never built a building with American steelpreferring the Chinese variety insteaddoesnt care about any of that. He only cares about the show. And he always gives his people a good show. But the economy does care. And America will pay a price for their P.T. Barnum president and his temper tantrums.

Meanwhile, there is another America, which is busy concerning itself with the future. Its the America that produces two-thirds of this countrys economic output, though it represents just hundreds of counties versus Trumps thousands. Its the America that objects to Russian interference in our elections, that welcomes immigrants and their economic contributions, that recognizes that even ancient institutions like marriage can modernize, that views womens full equality as a boon not a threat to civilization, that doesnt want to be ruled from Biblical texts or by a savage gun lobby, and that wants America to be a part of the world, not its creaky, cranky, lonely adversary.

In particular, young AmericansMillennials and post-Millennials, have had enough of our tired wrangling. Theyre sick of the Baby Boomers social agonies and the clenched grip of the World War II generation on American social and political life. They want an end to throwback rigidity on guns, gays, and religion. And they neither respect nor revere the current president of the United States.

Far from becoming more conservative with time, young Americans are staying right where they were when Barack Obama was first electedon the left of centerif not growing more progressive. Its why Republicans are so keen to suppress their votes. Where my generation, Generation X, polls at 51-41 percent blue over red, for Millennials the Democratic-over-Republican preference is a daunting 62-29, while Boomers are 48-46 D versus R and their parents, in the Silent Generation, tilt Republican 51 to 45 percent. The main reason for the increasing liberalism of the younger cohorts? These generations (including the youngest group, Generation Z) are chock full of young people of color. They are the most racially diverse generation in modern American history. And by next year, Millennials will be the single largest generational group in America, with their ranks swelled by immigrants (which explains the urgent right wing push for mass deportation.)

Does anyone really believe they will somehow morph en-masse into NRA-obedient, Fox News-zombie, anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-immigrant, maniacal healthcare destroyers wholl vote for serial sexual predators? Sure, the so-called alt-right can nab some Millennials to conduct their meme wars and more extreme members for their torches and khakis brigades, but truth be told, the majority of their peers are abandoning them or even refusing to date them. Young Republicans are more likely than their older counterparts to have left the party after Trumps election, with nearly a quarter of those aged 18 to 29 doing so during Trumps first six months in office. They live within a popular culture that tilts overwhelmingly to the other side; one where NBA players are hanging out at the museum rather than going to the White House, and openly calling the Republican president a bum.

With its broad and seemingly absolute power over the country, the Republican Party may not feel like it is dying, but it is dying nonetheless, at the hands of youth and multiracial population growth. The GOP can rush to install voter suppression traps and other restraints on change to try and keep the tide from coming in. But it will come anyway.

For the Democrats, the challenge is that they havent exactly built themselves for the future either. They will benefit from the coming wave because they are the default vehicle for the futurists ambitions. But that doesnt mean they wont have to change as well, by delivering on the soon-to-be largest generations demands, so they truly believe that political participation is a meaningful path to progress.

Perhaps the biggest challenge future-facing America faces is that past-craving America has a dogmatic and consistent voting base and a determined and persistent ally: Russia, which alongside its embedded mercenaries from the so-called alt right are harnessing maturing modern tools like social media to keep the futurists at bay. But we wont have a president who cuddles up to Russia and neo-fascists forever. Eventually, the fight against them and their propaganda will be joined in earnest and won.

The future is coming. It cannot live alongside the past. And in the end, it cannot be stopped.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-right-cant-fight-the-future

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