#'if you plan to be in SF let me know... maybe we can meet for dinner... kind regards' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

meatheadosis-sf · 3 years

Text

Hypnocon 2021

The 22nd annual North American convention/conference for men into men into erotic and recreational hypnosis will return to San Francisco this year. It's free to attend (with donations welcome).

$139/night event room rates for the Con weekend (and the day before and after, if you'd like to enjoy the rest of the city while you're here). Locals, or people making other arrangements, can of course attend without booking a room.

Enthusiastic informed consent is required for any hypnotic play (or other play, for that matter) at the Con. There will be presentations about negotiating consent early Saturday morning and before each play party.

Check out http://Hypnocon.com for more details and the group rate hotel booking info.

____________________________

SCHEDULE

October 15th - 17th at the Hotel Spero in San Francisco CA

At past Hypnocons, because they're free, many people were able wander in at will, to see only the events they were interested in. Because of this year's vaccination requirement, that won't be true this year. Once you've registered, you can certainly come and go as you please (hang on to those name tags!), but you must register!

Proof of vaccination is REQUIRED by the city of San Francisco and the hotel itself, and will be checked at registration. A digital photo of your vaccination card is sufficient, assuming the name on it matches your photo ID. To the best of my knowledge, no one planning to attend will be crossing any borders to do so. If you are coming from a different country, please let me know before you come, so we can figure out what works as proof for you.

Friday:

Registration 2p - 6p in Jarvis's Corner (the desk will direct you to it). Hypnocon is completely FREE (donations are welcome), but you do need to register so that we can check your proof of vaccination (including photo ID), and give you your name tag. Name tags will be created with both scene/screen name and the name you want to be called at the Con, color coded to distinguish hypnotists, subjects, switches, and observers from each other. Feel free to add preferred pronouns.

After 6p, you may be able to find someone to register you at the hospitality suite, but we're all here to enjoy the Con ourselves. You'll have to gamble. You MUST register, show proof of vaccination, and wear your name tag to attend!

If you would like to be notified via text when things happen that aren't on the schedule (e.g. where people are going for dinner; when the play parties start, etc.) you can choose to put your name and phone number on the Text List. We'll also be posting news to the Discord server.

Several people volunteered on the survey to be part of a Welcome Team, to introduce newbies to people, break the ice and help everyone get comfortable.

Friday and Saturday nights, VisibleRestraint and their partner will host a Kinky Hypno Play Party in their suite.

Flanelbear will host the Hospitality Suite, which is a great place to socialize, meet a hypno partner to play with, and see impromptu demos.

Unscheduled social time for the rest of Friday. We won't have the meeting room until Saturday, but the hospitality suite will be open (though limited in seating). Jarvis's Corner might sit another small group at the table, and there's a small restaurant inside the hotel.

This might be an excellent time for out of towners to visit Mr. S (in-store shopping has returned), since it closes at 6p. And of course all of the Tenderloin restaurants are nearby. Impromptu groups of people go out for dinner together based on food preferences, and maybe one place will draw a big group - it's a great way to get to know each other.

After dinner, you can join the play party, hang out in the hospitality suite socializing, or hit the SOMA or Castro bars. The SF Eagle will be within a 30 minute walk, or about 17-20 minutes on the Muni 9 bus, and I know there'll be a Hypnocon contingent there Friday evening. Or maybe you'll find a hypnotist or subject to play with privately in one of your rooms.

Saturday:

8:00a - 9:00a Registration in Jarvis's Corner (see above). You MUST register, show proof of vaccination, and get a name tag in order to attend! There's a brief window for latecomers, but it's important to get here in time for the first presentation:

9:00a - 9:50a Negotiation And Consent by VisibleRestraint [50] Enthusiastic, informed consent is required BEFORE engaging in any hypnosis at the Con, so everyone is encouraged to attend this workshop. There are nuances to hypnotic negotiation that might not be familiar to those of you who are old hands at BDSM consent negotiations.

10:00a - 10:50a Hypnosis 101 by JohnBear [50]

11:00a - 11:25a JoshSF will give a "Pre-Talk" [25]

11:30a - 12:20p Hypnovices: Sharing The Kink, And Onramps For Hypnocurious Doms by MindFoxxx Muscle [50]

12:20p Just before we break for lunch, we'll have the traditional (and optional) Group Photo taken [10]

LUNCH BREAK

1:30p - 2:20p The Awakenings Project: Preliminary Results Of A Formal Study Of The Erotic Hypnosis Community by SamHypnosis [50]

2:30p - 2:55p Hypnosis And Rope Bondage by VisibleRestraint and their partner [25]

(! No gap, in order to get one ten minute break instead of two five minute breaks)

2:55p - 3:20p Hypnosis And Working Out/Muscle Growth by GreyMuscleBear [25]

3:30p - 4:20p Kinesthesia Bootcamp - Wondertushy will awaken, develop and enhance our somesthetic (aka kinesthetic) sense. [50]

4:30p - 5:15p Horny, Tranced, And Stupid - a panel discussion by RicktheTist, VisibleRestraint, and Visible Restraint's partner (open to others who'd like to join in) [45]

6:00p (?) Group Dinner - location TBD

8:00p Kinky Comedy Stage Hypnosis Show performed by The Dominicator. A separate donation bucket will be there specifically for him, and we encourage people to enjoy this show even if they're not staying for the rest of Hypnocon.

Sunday:

9:00a - 9:55a Jarvis's Corner will again be manned briefly for latecomers needing to Register for the day.

10:00a - 10:50a Hypnosis And Neuro-Linguistic Programming by JoshSF

11:00a - 11:30a Hypno And Pup Play - Further Down And In by AnimalJSmith

11:40 - 2:00p SpiralBear will facilitate group participation hypno games. Fractionation Station and Speed Trance will involve everyone as either hypnotist or sub.

Checkout time at the Hotel Spero is 12p noon. You'll be able to store your bags in the hospitality suite, the meeting room, or with the front desk, so that you miss as little as possible Sunday morning/afternoon. We have the meeting room until 2:00p, and the Hospitality Suite for the rest of the day.

Many attendees are booked through Monday checkout, so the fun doesn't have to end - but we won't have the meeting room after 2p, so anything else will be completely informal.

67 notes · View notes

systematic-advice · 2 years

Note

How do I improve alter-to-alter communication? We don't have an inner world and I can't really hear their voices in my mind, and that makes me think I might just have c-ptsd or bpd. Is there any way I can get my alters to talk to me? Or at least get those who want to talk to me to talk to me? Ty!! <3

Hi there Anon!

I'll be upfront in saying that our System started breaking down our walls a long time ago and that our System has never struggled 'too' much with that sort of thing. There are only select Alters in ours that struggle to communicate with others.

I think a good suggestion might be to start journaling. I'm not necessarily talking about the traditional 'write out your day' journal. But setting our a time every day (Our therapist suggested about an hour before we plan to go to bed) and write 'something' in your journal. Just a line, maybe two or if you're up to it an entire entry. This helps to track mood, state of mind and for people with DIDOSDD, sometimes it can be helpful to see when other Alters are forward. Difference in writing style, difference in tone, difference in entry length, sometimes a difference in handwriting or even not doing an entry at all with no memory of consciously deciding not to. All of these things 'can' be signs.

Another thing we strongly advocate for here on this blog is inward searching. I know you said you don't have/ don't currently have access to an inner world and that's okay! That's normal. A lot of Systems never visualize a place of meeting. But sitting quietly or with music and carefully reflecting on your day, your feelings your actions and your inner monolog/ dialog can be a great way to understand what kind of changes you might be going through. Whether it's that you don't remember your day at all (A clear sign of amnesia and a possible indicator of someone doing things for you) or that you remember feeling very disconnected from your world. Maybe it's feeling things related to friends or family you'd never otherwise feel. All things to consider when you're trying to sort out you understanding of who or what is influencing you mentally. Once you've identified the key signs you might find it easier to either reach out to those Alters.

Basically we advocate for a lot of Mindfulness Therapy. I know resources on that can be hard to find as I've been looking for anything better than the two links we currently have, but from what we have seen it's a good place to start from. We'll link below to those pages.

If any of our followers have any other suggestions please let us know! We've had pretty good communication for a while now and when we started actually trying, there was very little in the way of resources. We wish you all the best Anon! I hope this is at all helpful to you.

Edit: I’m dumb and forgot to add the inks. Full disclosure this comes right off of another ask we answered.

What is MBCT? + 28 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Resources - Positive Psychology.com

Applying Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Treatment - University of California SF YouTube (This on focuses on Mindfulness and depression specifically. Recorded 2012) These have really been the only resources we’ve found concerning mindfulness.

#🦇 :: on leather wings #an agony uncle speaks #they asked #did #osdd #did system #osdd system #actually did #actually osdd #actually plural #dissosiative identity disorder #otherwise specified dissociative disorder #System #Systems #Agony Advice

23 notes · View notes

toomanyf4ndoms7 · 2 years

Text

Enter the Kombat Kids episode concepts part nine.

@twobellsilence

“Lost and Found”: When an attempted espionage mission into Mileena’s rebel camp goes south, Jin and Jacqui find themselves having to rely on each other to make it back to their team. (KF OW)

Memorable dialogue:

Jin: The fuck are you looking at?

Jacqui: Just starting to figure out why you’re such a dick to me all the time.

Jin: I’m a dick to everyone, don’t think you’re special.

Jacqui: Yeah, but when its me you constantly bring up my ex revenant dad, no matter how many times I fucking tell you to cut it out. So I’m going to figure it out. What have I done to you to make you feel the need to bring up my dad’s trauma?

Jin: None of your business, Briggs.

Jacqui: We’re stuck together so it is my business.

Jin: You really ain’t gonna let this go?

Jacqui: Nope. Tell me.

Jin: Geez, I don’t know. Maybe because your dad got brought back to life while my fucking cousin is still rotting in the ground. Maybe it’s because your family actually cares about you instead of using you as their god damn trophy to bring honour to the name. Maybe it’s because you got to meet your fucking dad while I had to make do with the stories I was told as a kid.

Jacqui:

Jin: Happy?

“Red handed”: After an eventful lunch break the team heads to their lockers to get their belongings. But something very important is missing and they have to get it back.

Memorable dialogue:

(After everyone finds their wrist communicators missing)

Cassie: So I had a note in my locker saying that if we want our toys back, meet me in the cafeteria and we’ll settle this.

Jin: It’s Chris and his merry band of dumbasses.

Takeda: How can you tell?

Jin: The handwriting is atrocious and they signed their signatures.

Jacqui: What’s the plan?

Cassie: Simple, go in there, get our shit back, maybe get some victory food afterwards.

“Don’t let them see you”: As news of Quan Chi reaches the SF, Sonya regretfully sends the team down to the Netherrealm to perform a simple scouting mission to check things out. But sometimes a simple plan can get complicated very quickly. (NR)

Memorable dialogue:

(The revenants spot the team and they have to retreat back to Sareena)

Sareena: What happened?

Cassie: Revenants saw us, we gotta move. How fast can you open a portal to get us the fuck out?

Sareena: Maybe seven minutes?

Jacqui: Hold em off for a few minutes while you open a portal. *deep breath* Alright.

(A few of the revenants enter the clearing including Lao, Liu, Kitana, and Sindel.)

Liu Kang, smirking: These are the ones Raiden replaced us with? He must be desperate.

Sindel: Cruel of him to enlist those so young into a hopeless battle.

Kitana: Their age is of no consequence. Intruders will be dealt with.

(Jin looks at Lao, who stares back silently)

Jin: We don’t have to fight. We can help you get out of this place, out of Quan Chi’s hold.

(The revenants get into their stances)

Liu Kang: Quan Chi has gifted us purpose. Allow us to show you his gifts.

Cassie: So much for talking it out…

#enter the kombat kids #revelations and stupidity #mortal kombat

7 notes · View notes

blitzturtles · 3 years

Text

Title: It Starts Like This, Ch. 3/?

Rating: Teen and Up

Fandom: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind

Pairing(s): BruAbba, Platonic Bucci Gang

Summary: “I’d ask how you’re feelin’, but I’m guessin’ the answer’s ‘not so hot’?”

Bucciarati hums at him in lieu of an actual response.

Notes: Turns out being dead has a bit of a long term effect. Who would have thought?

This fic got away from me, so I'm breaking it down by character interaction (sort of). This is Mista's part of this very Bucci-centric fic.

Mista is too busy watching a movie from his spot on the living room couch to notice his two new companions until one of them is practically deposited on top of him. He startles but reigns in his reaction when he sees that it’s Bucciarati. He looks like-- ‘hell’ would be putting it nicely. The poor bastard looks like someone put him through the wringer, either before or after running him over with a train.

“What the hell?” Mista asks, looking up at the room’s only other occupant. Abbacchio isn’t looking at him so much as frowning at the back of Bucciarati’s head.

“He had three seizures,” Abbacchio says finally. Bucciarati makes a noise in the back of his throat and flaps a hand uselessly in Abbacchio’s direction.

“Three?!”

“Yeah,” Abbacchio says shortly, “They did it on purpose. I need to--”

“Wait, what the fuck? I thought they were supposed to help!” That’s the whole reason Abbacchio took Bucciarati, right? Giorno had told Mista about it earlier after Abbacchio had apparently stopped by his office for long enough to explain why he was skipping out on work for the day.

Abbacchio pinches the bridge of his nose. Now that Mista’s looking at him, Abbacchio also looks wrecked, but in a different way. Exhaustion shows despite his makeup, and there’s black smudges around his eyes. It’s not significant, but enough that Mista has to wonder if Abbacchio attempted to clean it up after making a mess of it.

“They have to trigger them to-- I don’t know, evaluate them or whatever,” Abbacchio starts for the hallway. “I’ll be back in a minute. Just keep an eye on him.” He’s gone before Mista can respond. His voice has an odd waver at the end of his sentence that gives Mista a good idea of what Abbacchio is up to.

No problem, if the man needs a minute, Mista’s more than happy to keep Bucciarati company.

“I’d ask how you’re feelin’, but I’m guessin’ the answer’s ‘not so hot’?”

Bucciarati hums at him in lieu of an actual response.

“Yeah, thought so,” Mista shifts them so Bucciarati is tucked into his side. He wraps one arm around him, loosely, before letting the Pistols out to find perches of their own. They’re pestering him too much to keep them locked up, and the extra eyes can’t hurt.

They catch onto the situation quickly enough. Five snuggles up against Bucciarati’s neck, half obscured by black curtains of hair. The braid is still absent, which means there’s a lot more to hide in. Mista figures that that’s about where the rest of the Pistols end up, considering the fact that he can’t exactly see them.

As long as they aren’t fighting, Mista’s sure it’s fine.

He turns his attention back to the TV. He had only just started the movie about twenty minutes ago. Giorno had kicked him out of his office, claiming that he needed to focus on paperwork. Mista doesn’t think his presence was the problem, but he gets the nerves. They’re all a little on edge. It’s why he’s got a movie on in the first place. Something to distract himself, but now he has Bucciarati pressed against him. He remembers what Abbacchio said about stimulation the other day and decides to turn down the volume to near silence. He’s only interested in the gun-slinging parts anyway. Mostly so he can judge the accuracy (or lack thereof).

The two remain in silence for well over fifteen minutes before Mista is startled by the sensation of someone petting his head. Only it’s not his head. He glances down to see that Five has come out of his spot to cling onto Bucciarati’s shirt-- Mista takes a moment to appreciate the fact that Abbacchio got Bucciarati to wear something other than a suit in public, but that’s not important. He’s more concerned with the Pistols and what they might be getting up to.

But Bucciarati doesn’t seem bothered as he gently pets Five’s head with two calloused fingers. Five starts chattering away at him almost immediately. Talking about anything and everything. Mista’s cheeks heat up slightly. They don’t have to be so embarrassing, he thinks to himself, but Bucciarati doesn’t seem to mind. Nor does he seem to mind when One and Seven clamor in for their turns.

Mista startles again when he turns his head and ends up face to face with a blue helmet and a head full of spikes. They’re inches apart, and it’s a little unnerving to be stared at by something that he can’t actually meet the eyes of,

“Hey, SF.”

Sticky Fingers reaches past him and extends a hand out to the remaining Pistols. Two and Three climb on, each grasping a finger, while Sticky Fingers settles themselves on the floor, in front of the couch.

It’s a little odd to watch a stand so much larger than his own sit on the ground with their legs crossed, as if that’s totally normal. Mista has a feeling it has something to do with Bucciarati’s current condition. Five is always quick to pop out when he thinks Mista is in danger. Sticky Fingers must feel their user’s distress, and, if petting the Pistols is helping Bucciarati, they might as well join in.

Absently, Mista notes that Six must still be in Bucciarati’s hair.

“I thought I told you to keep an eye on him,” Abbacchio grouches upon his return. His footsteps give him away, thankfully. Mista doesn’t think he can take another shot at his ego. He’s already been startled twice. A third time would be absurd. (A fourth would be catastrophic. He’d definitely have to go check on Giogio with that kind of luck.)

“I am,” Mista says with a half grin, “Got fourteen of ‘em.”

Abbacchio grumbles something under his breath as he approaches. His fingers brush over Sticky Finger’s head carefully, “You know he doesn’t like it when you fuss.”

Sticky Fingers gives him a look that honestly amazes Mista. He doesn’t know how a stand with half their face obscured can be so expressive, much less expressive the level of unimpressed that SF is.

“Yeah, yeah,” Abbacchio pats Sticky Fingers and moves past them to take up the nearby chaise lounge.

Mista takes a moment to look him over. More so than earlier, and he winces. Abbacchio’s eyes are definitely red, despite his newly redone makeup. He must be trying to do his best to hide from Bucciarati. Not that Abbacchio walks around all that often with his face bare, but to take the time to redo his makeup and at least attempt to look like he hasn’t been crying from the stress… Mista feels for him, but he doesn’t know what he can offer.

He’s tempted to give Abbacchio his spot on the couch, so that the two can curl up together, but Bucciarati seems content where he is. Mista’s afraid to move him around too much, plus, Abbacchio isn’t exactly shy about asking (demanding) for something when he wants it.

The trio lapses back into silence. Bucciarati’s seemingly dozed off with two Pistols cupped under his hand. Two and Three join the pile when Sticky Fingers’ form dissipates, apparently recalled to their owner upon his falling asleep.

“They really take a lot out of him, huh?” The seizures, not the Pistols. Mista doesn’t think he has to clarify.

It’s weird to see Bucciarati like this. Two days in a row no less. There have been times-- in the past-- where Bucciarati had worn himself into complete exhaustion, but it’s a rare sort of thing where Bucciarati shows his weakness. Mista’s privileged enough to have seen it only because he’s been Bucciarati’s right hand a countless number of times. Plus, despite how he acts, Bucciarati isn’t that much older than him. He can’t soldier through everything. He has limits, like the rest of them. And trauma. So much trauma. Mista thinks anyone other than Bucci would have suffocated under it all by now.

“They gave him something to help relax his muscles. It’s supposed to help with the seizures, too,” Abbacchio explains, weary eyes flitting across Bucciarati’s form. He looks much more relaxed now, thankfully. Abbacchio doesn’t exactly like seeing his partner this way, but he prefers it to the painful tension that had been there earlier.

Mista frowns, “This all sounds crazy dangerous.”

“It is,” Abbacchio admits, eyes darting away.

“Oh,” Mista looks down at the man curled against him. Right.

“They wanted to admit him.”

“And he said ‘no’.”

“Nailed it,” Abbacchio sighs. “Look, it’s not exactly my place to tell you this, but… his father had seizures, too. One of the bullets,” he motions vaguely. Uselessly. He hates all of this, and he feels like he’s out of his depth, “Nicked his brain. Fugo and I think this is more uh-- he called it an ‘anoxic event’, but anyways. We don’t think it’s a hit that did it, but from when Giorno brought him back.”

“Oh yeah, Giogio said Bucci didn’t wake up when he healed him at the church. He had to do CPR.”

“Yeah, exactly, and it took him a minute. The brain doesn’t like that anymore than a bullet, I guess,” Abbacchio runs his fingers through his hair, only now realizing he never put his headpiece on. He can’t bring himself to care about it now.

Mista nods. That makes sense. He’s had his own head injuries in the past, and they usually throw him for a spin. He couldn’t imagine that being dead did the brain any favors. No blood flow, means no oxygen, and that usually means cellular death. That’s how Giorno explained it, anyways, and it makes sense to Mista

He runs his fingers up along Bucciarati’s arm. A gentle, comforting touch that he hopes isn’t too much. The man needs a break. Maybe they can plan a getaway for him.

“You said they gave him meds. They gonna always do this?” It’s honestly scary to see Bucciarati like this. Quiet and compliant. Mista doesn’t think there would be much protest no matter which way he might turn the man. He won’t. He doesn’t want to hurt him or set off something worse, but it’s disturbing all the same. This isn’t the man they’re used to, and he knows Bucciarati would hate it if he were more aware.

“Depends,” Abbacchio shrugs. He tries to sound nonchalant, but it’s obvious he’s failing, “Everyone responds to different shit differently, but this was more like what they’d give him if he went to the ED.”

It’s a lot to take in. Mista’s starting to get why Abbacchio looks the way he does. He feels completely overwhelmed, and he’s not actually dating the guy. He can’t imagine how Bucciarati is coping with all of this. Stubbornly, but it’s got to be a lot. More than anyone should have to deal with.

“I’d offer to get you something to drink, but I’m kind of pinned down by your partner here. But you look like you could use it. I still have seven sets of eyes… if you want to.”

“Maybe a little bit,” Abbacchio says after a moment. He wouldn’t consider it if Bucciarati were awake, but all he’s doing now is stressing over something that none of them can do anything about. He’s a coward for it, nonetheless. Bucciarati isn’t getting a break from any of this, except for when he’s unconscious. And Abbacchio has spent years trying to quell his tendency to reach for the bottle when life pushes him too hard, yet here he is.

“You’re overthinking it, dude.”

“Shut up,” Abbacchio grumbles as he gets up.

______

One glass easily turns into two, then three. Somehow he loses the bottle before it turns into four. He can’t figure out where to, and that keeps him busy and distracted for a while.

Whatever it takes to get Abbacchio out of his own head, Mista thinks. He teases him a bit, but he’s just relieved that Abbacchio doesn’t look like he’s going to have a breakdown if someone says the wrong thing about the color of his nails.

He doesn’t point out that the bottle is next to him and Bucciarati now. It’s not his own doing, of course. Bucciarati is firmly pressed against him, seemingly more drool than coherency. The Pistols can’t lift it either, at least not in any way that they could have gotten past Abbacchio unnoticed. The only thing that could do that would be the golden shine of a familiar zipper.

The other thing he fails to mention is the way Bucciarati had whispered, ‘shhh’, against him as SF made off with the bottle. It’s a little funny, and Mista’s happy to keep the secret for now. He figures Abbacchio’s good. Prone to drinking more than he needs to, he’s almost as likely to send himself careening back off the mental health cliff if given the opportunity (and enough wine). Right now, he’s perfectly tipsy and distracted.

Abbacchio eventually gives up his search for the bottle-- he never suspects his partner, nor his aptly named stand.

Bucciarati quietly restarts the movie and turns the sound up a bit. He doesn’t feel great, but his thoughts aren’t completely static now, which isn’t to say much about the coherency. There’s a full body nausea that he can’t shake, either, but the medication makes him feel somewhat detached from his body. Enough so that he doesn’t think he’ll be physically sick.

The television catches Abbacchio’s eye after a few minutes, and the man is scoffing almost immediately at some horribly inaccurate detail or another. Bucciarati says nothing, but he smiles in amusement.

“Thank you,” he whispers to Mista when he thinks Abbacchio is too engrossed to notice.

“No problem, Bucci.”

Mista grazes his fingernails over Bucciarati’s arm, a gentle press that feels nice against sore muscles. Bucciarati hums in response, once more grateful for his right hand. He’s not sure what he would do without his team.

#bruabba #bruno buccellati #bruno bucciarati #leone abbacchio #guido mista #jjba #jjba part 5 #golden wind #vento aureo #blitzwrites #blitz #fic: islt

19 notes · View notes

steve0discusses · 4 years

Text

Yugioh S4 Ep 24: Someone Actually Called the Cops.

So recently I was like, “I should do something different than my usual” and I decided to open up a little thread for critiquing ppl’s short stories, and I kid you not, the very first story I got was someone’s Seto Kaiba erotica. Which, even in erotica form, did not have very much romance in it. So, now that Yugioh will apparently haunt my every waking move forever until I die, lets get back to S4. Lets desperately get back to canon. I miss canon.

Last we left off, Kaiba lost KaibaCorp...again. Really feels like he loses this company once every couple of years (weeks if we count season 1-3). Except, this time, Dartz didn’t read the fine print in the legal files that says the company must be run by a member of the Kaiba family. While that was a huge plot point with Pegasus, turns out that Seto and Mokuba’s memories have been blended so thoroughly, like a very fine Shadow Realm smoothie, that they just...forgot.

And like I’m positive that Roland remembers, but Roland’s not gonna say something and accidentally reveal he’s the 4th Kaiba brother and have to get abducted all the time and actually work for a living. Anyways, they forgot why Pegasus abducted them in the first place in Season 1, and honestly, so did the writers of this season 4 years later. Not like it mattered, because if Seto and Mokuba did take Dartz to court, the world would end before their case would even start.

Which is how, after one talk with Roland, Seto and Mokuba just sort of laid prone on the metaphorical ground and let it wash over them that yes, KaibaCorp is gone.

I really like this extra-long helicopter, PS.

Both members of Kaiba’s Sunglasses Army decided to align themselves with Kaiba, although honestly, I don’t think anyone else in this company has realized that they’ve been bought. It happened...1 hour ago. Like what do you even do if your company randomly gets bought in the middle of a workday? Like no lead up, no indication, just BAM you’ve been bought?

And if Duke works for Pegasus who got bought out by Dartz and then Dartz bought Kaiba Corp-------What does that make Duke? Is he gonna have to start wearing sunglasses inside?

Anyway, Roland knows better than to tell Seto Kaiba he doesn’t work for him anymore while still in the same helicopter as Seto Kaiba, who already crashed one plane today and will crash yet another plane before this episode is through.

(read more under the cut)

Seto decides to align with Yugi since he needs to confront Dartz eventually. Which is when we find out that Seto always planned to align with Yugi and was just giving him a really hard time.

Because over the last several episodes, Seto has had an entire team at this random museum in Florida in order to take some pictures (that really should have already been on the internet but wtv, it was 2003 so maybe it wasn’t?)

It’s like most of the way through s4 and the biker ninjas still send me. How did he make SO MANY biker ninjas? At what point was Dartz like...and now...all my mooks...will be ninja bikers. Or orcs. Mostly Ninja bikers.

Did Alister or the others ever tell him “hey, Master Dartz, I get that your 10000 years old but like...do you not understand what a biker is?” and was Dartz like

“clearly bikers are the most evil thing in the world, obviously.” completely unaware that most bikers are just 45 year old accountants.

In these scenes we also get a gander at their laptops and, if you ever want to see high level life crippling OCD anxiety in picture form, it’s illustrated very clearly right here:

Not only did they draw this keyboard in 1 pt perspective, they used like a ruler to draw all those letters so they were the same size. Some artist put so much time getting this nice and crisp and smooth...and then this happened.

And I’m pretty sure they died after that. I’m pretty sure this scene killed an artist.

It’s at this point that Yami kinda puts two and two together and was like “WE BOUGHT PLANE TICKET’S, YOU ASSHOLES.”

(It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen Mokuba smile like this, and it’s because he’s been hiding the fact for So Many Episodes that he and his brother prepped like hours ago to get this huge dunk on the rest of the party. He just wants to dunk on them so bad. Look at him. His company was bought today. BUT he gets to spend time with his bro dunking.)

Serious question, will Delta refund your flight if the Great Leviathan appears in the sky and tries to eat your soul to reboot the world from the ground up?

Of course not. They will never refund your flight. Trick question.

We switch back over to Rebecca and Duke, who have been absent from this show for so long, I actually forgot what Duke’s name was and had to think for like...5 entire minutes until I remembered that his nickname sounds like a poop and I was like “oh man, what name of poop would it be???” and then I recalled “Dookie. Yes. His name is literally Dookie. Wow that took way too long!”

Then we start a story arc I’d to call “My Kingdom For a Sharpen Filter” where, much like King Lear, the Yugi crew splays themselves on a battle field just strewn with different ways to sharpen an image, but can’t for the life of them use any other one, but the one deep in the heart of what is now DartzCorp.

And so yes, we are going to fly to San Fransisco, hop into ye Olde KaibaCorp, and log into proto-Noah in order to read a language that Arthur Hawkins can already read.

This is nonsense, but they put it there because it’s something to do. And honestly, it’s not a card game, so I’m down for this change-up. Lets go visit a version of Noah’s brain. At least they won’t drop an orichalcos for the 12th episode in a row.

On the way, Seto decides to try and egg on Yugi.

This backfires as you expect it will because Yami doesn’t freakin care. Like he’s not Yugi, he doesn’t care who the King of Games is, he harnesses freakin Dark Magic. The Wizard never cares if he’s King Arthur or not, and in fact, he probably prefers it....

..................Except in that spinoff where they had Yugi as a reincarnation of King Henry VII.

...................................................never mind.

And then Seto Kaiba says this actual line and I just...

WH.

WHHH

WHAT?

This entire show is just watching Yugi desperately cling to his scary ass hobbies. The tagline of Yugioh is “1001 reasons to go back to school and get a real job.”

What does Kaiba think Yugi does when he’s not around? Does he actually think Yugi attends school or sleeps at night or works an actual job? Like...he thinks Yugi has...NO HOBBIES.

Very interesting insight into what Seto considers a hobby and not hobby.

Especially since this Yami, who spends most of his spare time farting around his scary ass brain castle and getting lost. Occasionally he is forced on a date with Tea and wipes minds. That’s it. That’s all the things Yami does outside of hobbies.

Anyway, what is Dartz doing during all of this?

After this, Dartz pulls back the literal curtains on this room to reveal these candles that each hold the soul of someone he’s murdered.

There are not NEARLY enough candles for this segment.

A very brave man to have candles littered on the floor when his hair is down to his ass and all of his mooks have floorduster coats.

I really want to know what the local arts and crafts store thought when Dartz strode in there and bought every single tiny styrafoam skull during the Halloween sale and was like “can I put souls in these? You sell the kind I can put souls in, right?” and then immediately pulled out like a dozen 50% off coupons like a complete asshole.

Anyway, using this candle hocus pocus, Dartz uses the Orichalcos powers to take advantage of something Yugi did in the first episode. We distantly recall there was a giant eyeball in the sky--turns out if you bust up the eyeball with, lets say, a card that has a dragon on it, the eyeball will explode into many tiny Orichalcos pieces that will fall all over planet Earth.

So apparently Yugi didn’t save anyone at all when he busted that eyeball, because he instead set in motion Dartz’ evil plan to eventually use these many tiny Orichalcos pieces like the one seen here, to kill the hell out of people.

Good job, Yugi. Too bad you missed the Actual Bakura.

In fact, actual Bakura is probably the only one who survived this incident because I guarantee that Ryou Bakura is too busy eating all the contents of his fridge out of stress. He’s probably opened his window at this point, seen the crazy lights in the sky and in the street and was like “Blooooooody nope nopenopenopenopenope” and just locked the windows and doors, turned up Hercule Poirot to max volume, and stuffed his face with cookies.

(Or biscuits, I guess.)

WELL.

I don’t know how to tally that.

Yugioh not only broke the tally I was using to measure the distance they spent commuting this season, it also broke the tally on the amount of people who have died on this children’s show.

That’s a really big number.

We’ve had real duel monsters for a couple weeks but youknow...this time they’re extra, extra, extra real. More so than the last times. Also they’re all Orichalcos versions of their cards so their extra edge now. They’re the hot topic versions of what were already pretty hot-topic ass cards.

MMM. We come full circle, back at a dock, a warehouse, and some huge ass boat.

Right where we belong. Where all friends meet, where we can all finally be one.

Yugioh found one of the only cities that has a very famous and tourist heavy pier/warehouse district in it just so the Yugi gang could finally feel comfortable in their natural habitat. HOWEVER, there’s just one tiny problem in this scene, and it’s that it’s not overlaid with the actual soundscape of a SF pier, which is that of 100000 screaming seals

youtube

I don’t have a seal problem, you have a seal problem.

Anyway, the only healthy adults here attempt to follow the children into danger but someone on the animation team was like “we just lost the keyboard drawing guy to that capslock! We cannot lose any more interns to a crowd scene with 9 people in it and 2 dead bodies!” and they uh...

And we immediately eject Roland and whoever that weird sunglasses guy is out of the script. Mokuba gave them a longing glance as they helicoptered away. Maybe because he missed his Dad stand-ins that he went through such efforts to call in the first place. Or more likely, because Mokuba would have preferred to be on that helicopter and far away from whatever the hell is going to go down on this dock.

Honestly the rest of Joey’s storyline this episode is him going rogue because of Mai rage, and it both comes out of nowhere and also seems very on point for him.

Meanwhile, Rebecca’s unbridled rage towards Yami Muto is still low key hilarious to me.

Witness the only character here who thinks Yami should suffer actual consequences and witness Yami just appear to not give a single damn about it.

Nearly spat out my own drink watching this.

The...

...police...

...exist in this universe?

Anyway, while Tristan and Tea try to locate a payphone to dial 911, Seto and Yugi decide to invade Seto’s own company by going through an elevator that you have to reach through the sewers.

Straight up I don’t think SF even has sewers. At least, not in the sense that you can walk in em like New York or Paris or other cities that have sewers. Our sewer systems are very small cuz we got something called “liquefaction” which means our ground is so soft (and artificial--a lot of the land is fake), that when there is an earthquake, certain parts of the city will...liquefy. It’s Terrifying. We kind of...avoid going and building underground except in certain stable places. (like even BART gives me the heebies.)

I just have a very strong distrust of basements, caves and other underground places in general and it’s not because of spiders, or ghosts or whatever, I’m just afraid of faultlines. It’s like having an active volcano, but you just don’t see it, and we haven’t had a Big One since 1989 so...any day now (I mean, 2020 has been such redic content, that I think we’re finally ready)

Again, Japan has way more intense Earthquakes than we do, and yet they have a billion underground subways and very, very tall buildings, so like, this is mostly a big cultural difference between the two of us. And the bedrock. They probably have better bedrock than we do (honestly, I just have no idea).

MASTER HACKER SKILLS.

Almost as good as that time he hacked into Pegasus’ company by dropping a satellite on it. I’m starting to think Seto actually doesn’t know how to use a computer.

Anyway, Seto is faced with...real cards, real monsters, indisputable evidence, and he decides, it’s time. It’s time to finally face facts.

So, while these two are just flinging cards around willy nilly, Tea and Tristan are ...actually talking to police.

4 seasons. They’re actually doing it.

Although, TBH, they probably should have gone to the Japanese Embassy first? Just throwing that out there.

Ah Yugioh, the only kids show around that tells you point blank not to trust cops. Timeless.

U.S

In some weird underground earthquake hazard, Rebecca proves that she is smarter than Seto Kaiba. She’s maybe even the smartest person on this show. Nice that we gave her nothing to do this season but pine over Yugi who is already taken by Tea who he is also not even dating.

Not that I love Rebecca or anything, I actually have a hard time with her voice, but like...they really dropped the ball on Rebecca.

If she does end up joining Kaiba corp as their back up Felicity Smoak while Seto just runs around aimlessly punching stuff that really is just offbrand Arrow but with cards. And with slightly less resurrections.

So, lets get a gander at that computer.

We didn’t get to see Kaiba pull out 12 other discs to complete the installation process for these all these Hard Discs. Maybe the lure of throwing a very aerodynamic CD across the room like a paper card was so strong that his dev team forced him to switch to these defunct squares?

PS, I am a true millennial, OK? But, I don’t remember Hard Discs.

Hard Discs were SO long go. I stopped using these damn things in Elementary school. The last Hard Disc I ever touched was in college, when I had to put my art portfolio on a disc to submit it to my degree. I don't know even why. Everyone had a mac, so I knew no one’s computer in the department even...HAD a disc drive so it was like...whomst among you has this damn computer from 1997? Whomst among you is still using Windows 95? WHY would I put IMAGES on a floppy when I can just email them to you?

Anyway, I had to get a USB hard disc reader, and to get that reader, I had to call my Dad who had legacy software because he’s a computer engineer, and he had to mail it to me.

In that same portfolio review, PS, I also had to submit my portfolio as slides.

I didn’t even know where to produce slides so I had to ask all these old people and go to the last photo processing store on earth to get digital pictures turned into negatives and then turned into freakin slides.

SLIDES.

I honestly think they just did that to weed people out of the art degree.

Anyway, I tell you this story just to say that there is no way in hell that Kaiba was using a hard disc during the height of the CD era. We were CD or go home since 2000. We had pretty decent jump drives at this point. We had wifi. It was realllly bad wifi, but we had it. Your phone could connect to the internet. It would charge you 50 bucks, but it COULD connect.

Who on the Yugioh team DID this?

Anyway lets see these pictures that for which, we spent thousands of dollars in unused plane tickets, destroyed a Caltrain, killed 2 ancient Atlanteans (and their dog), killed 3 random mid-villains, walked across the entire Peninsula, crashed an international plane, and left both the plane and the train to rot gas fuel into the nearest lake which is right next to a ghost graveyard?

Yeaaaaaaaaaah!

Like he reads it and is all “They’re gonna resurrect Atlantis” and it’s like WE KNOW. Dartz and his hooligans have talked about starting their Utopia to reboot the world since Gurimo. Since Day 1.

Man.

Anyways, there was one plus to the pictures, and it was that Seto Kaiba recognized the Oricalchos logo.

just...

The Oricalchos logo is...

...This logo, Seto?

You...didn’t recognize...seriously? Not until just now? You have been inside of this logo, rearing to lose your soul to Alister 2 times, and he only recognized it...just now.

I mean Seto takes a while y’all. He’s a genius, but his memory is so, so bad, that he will Eventually get smart, but you have to wait until like episode 24. But he’ll get there. Just gotta be patient.

And, when he saw it, he wigged out in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

Y’all I feel like I’ve seen to many weird zooms on Kaiba’s crotch in this show. Or just in life in general, especially after that surprise fic. That’s all.

I don’t know why everything exploded, but maybe the logo is cursed in the same way as God Cards? I dunno.

Anyway, this is when Dartz shows up with his brand new dog.

So they run outside onto the roof.

Now listen, does every Kaiba Corp building need the same weird ass roof? Is it like a McDonalds?

Because I’m just picturing this type of roof in SF and I’m having a time.

Forgive me if I made this lemming joke already. He’s just stood on a cliff’s edge so many times I can’t keep up.

RIP Dragon Jet, who took us from S3-S4, you’ll always live on in our memory, you glorious, wasteful, beautiful death trap.

Seto and Yugi are fine by the way, they just kinda jumped out, as you do when you’re an immortal god possessing a small boy and a...whatever the hell Seto is.

It’s at this point we reintroduce Valon because Joey went rogue and has decided to take on Dartz by himself. This is what happens when Tristan leaves the party. You always need Tristan to hold back Joey by his armpits to keep him from fighting random people.

So I guess Valon’s gonna die next episode. That’ll be nice.

What’s great about this show is each arc is just watching each villain die. You know they’ll die. But...how much?

Anyway, that’s all for today. I’m still drawing a hell ton of stuff so I don’t know when the next update will be...but just now I haven’t dropped off or something. I’ll...eventually get to it.

And if you just got here, this is a link to read all of these in chrono order.

Anyway, I mentioned Hercule Poirot, (because watching a hell ton of BBC was how I spent time with my family when I was a kid, and my very Southern Grandma freakin LOVED Hercule Poirot) So here is the best subplot of that show, which is David Suchet eating stuff.

And which doesn’t want to embed for some reason. Probs can’t embed more than one video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17antzzJrzQ

50 notes · View notes

aka217 · 3 years

Text

OK, SO 2020

Welp.

I’m certain I won’t have to come back to this post to remember what happened this year. This year the world shared one similar experience; a year that seemed to have sat still while also continuously rampaging tragic events one after the other. A catalyst in many ways. It stands no reason that my year has not aligned with the rest of the world, yet we’ve managed to make it even more interesting. This year will be transcribed countless times, so let me focus on the parts in which are uniquely mine:

Despite the world falling to a pandemic, lock downs and quarantines for most of the year, it amazes yet how much I’ve squeezed out of this year. First and foremost: we did it. We moved to the west coast. A long time coming, some delays, some uncertainties. But we prepared, we agreed, we wanted something new. Clearly nothing stood in our way this year, we were going to go. As much as a curveball a pandemic can through at us, we were resilient and making the move. It’s not all positives, as settling here is a mix bag: unable to fully experience the city, me not quite sure how I like this position, Ashley not able to secure her next career opportunity, not able to even visit back home. But look, we made the move, we are here, let it not go to waste, as there are experiences still available and unique that we should not take for granted.

Let’s map out what happened this year:

January. The year started with a visit from the Cabacoys to Disney and SeaWorld. Shortly after, in the most gratifying way, I used up most of my vacation for the year in a single trip. We traveled to the California, a kind of sneak peek at what’s to come. Knowing our financial situation would be up in the air very soon, it was our best option as we’d see a variety of friends, family, places, all the while having lodging mostly covered. Although sick in the beginning (hmm? Nah just congestion) San Fran consisted of me watching the Witcher and eating Popeyes chicken sandwiches among other SF delights. The drive down Highway 1 was spectacular, this time not as foggy, giving us great views of the ocean all the way through. We were able to take the scenic Monterey coastal drive, passing through pebble beach and the like. Stopping at our favorite little hotel in San Luis Obispo, we find ourselves in LA the next day hanging out with the newlyweds. After the trip, January rounds out with a nice Disney breakfast with my family.

February started with a quick trip to Playa Linda, wearing ski jackets to the beach. Valentines/birthday weekend was the long-awaited Vigo cruise to the Bahamas. There’s something so satisfactory about a trip where I don’t anticipate anything, and everything comes at a delight and surprise. Next up we have G-Ading’s wedding, being the only wedding we end up going to this year! Very memorable time, and the food, oh my jeez it just kept coming. And last, on the final day of February (jk leap year), was my last day with JBT AeroTech. 8ish years would come to a close. The first place to give me a chance at becoming an Engineer and letting me not only prove to myself I could, but to give me opportunities to fulfill dreams bigger than my own.

March. Whoa now. This is a sensitive month for many people. And while many may mask as March entirely being pandemic, that part didn’t quite start until March 14. Let’s not forget what I managed to pull off before then. First off, Science Night Live in Orlando, something we’ve been wanting to do but finally was able to go. Second, Conexpo Las Vegas. I had an inkling that I would not be going with JBT this time, and so I booked it with my own money and still went. This expo is so cool for someone in the industry, there’s so many great vehicles to check out. Plus I figured it would be a good place to be to meet with connections and find Cali opportunities. Strapped for cash I secured shared accommodations and dinners provided my business acquaintances, but quickly evaporated as many attendees pulled out due to the growing pandemic (not locally yet, but this was an international expo). I managed to scrap together living spaces, and find alternative free meals. And while the people I was supposed to hang out with did not show up, I stuck with now old coworkers and even ended up finding new acquaintances there, which culminated to the most lux Vegas party I can imagine in penthouse suites (plural), a wild night I won’t forget.

And that’s double true, because the next day the lockdowns started to occur. I come back home to quarantine, lock down, uncertainty. One day I’m dancing shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people (which how lucky I didn’t catch anything then) to now not coming within 6 feet of anyone, stocking up on groceries and toilet paper. It was all so strange. We were afraid to hug my nephew, him being confused when he saw us, a confusing time of unknown. Initially I thought being out of work was going to be weird, maybe nice in some ways. And in a way it was; an unease of not having something to do, but all the while glad I didn’t have to work through this coping phase of the pandemic.

April was a weird time for me. What was supposed to be 2-week quarantine led to what we now know to be months. It still felt like more March, as nothing has progressed in the last weeks. Ask me now what happened and all I can remember is watering the grass everything, or waiting to water the grass every day. Nothing really else. Well, ok, maybe securing a job in Oakland (it really is about who you know), and slowly purging and moving out of our house. Towards the end of the month we went to Ocala to see Ashley’s parents once more, as it marked the start of our goodbyes.

May was wild and nonstop. While the world waited, we had to find a way to say goodbye to friends (heart breakingly distant), family, and our possessions. We had plans to seek out our favorite food spots and share final meals with people, but that was not possible. We made visits with family, while trying to figure out where to stash away the items we were not ready to give up on. I also said goodbye to my Miata. This car meant a lot to me, symbolized a lot, characterizes me in many ways. I always enjoyed driving it. And it if wasn’t raining, the top was down, and even sometimes when it was raining. It is a piece of me I had to let go. I have no regrets, I did not take it for granted, and I can only hope that I find another car that brings me as much joy each time.

And so, mid-May, we make the move. You can wait for the perfect moment, but as we see here there is no perfect moment, so my advice is this: now is probably the next best chance. We couldn’t wait any longer, and maybe regrets to go sooner can be argued, regrets of not going can be as well. And so we embarked on our journey to Oakland. I start my job to following week. It was a strange time as everything, and this time basically everything, was a strange new place to be. New city, new job, new world. But we did what we could. We have support here of friends and family, and we turned to them immediately. This month will start to shape the remainder of the year: food take out, video games, facetimes, picnics, cousins. We explored the Bay Area (by means to buying and selling Facebook marketplace items) just to get a feel of the surrounding areas and try to get our bearings.

June and July were much of the same. While Ashley took a trip back home, I stayed back, exploring the hills in a rental (more on that later). My Dad made a pitstop here as he finally managed a flight out of the Philippines. I had not seen him since December, and so much has happened since, so it was nice to see him just for a brief moment; because if not it would have been more than a year, because as I write this I have not seen him since. The rest of the months we try to explore various areas, including the Berkeley observatory, Golden Gate Park, Emeryville Marina, Ocean Beach.

August is much the same as you can expect, though we do see Ashley’s Cousins more, as well as my cousins and their daughters. Ashley hosts her birthday on our landlord’s porch, where we go through a makeshift game of “we are not really strangers,” a moving game much harder to play without the ability to hug at the end.

September picks up and gets more interesting as we start to explore further away from the city, including a nice relaxing day down at whale cove beach, as well as a relaxing vacation (away from the heat waves, smoke, and fires) down in Saratoga/Santa Cruz area.

October was another trip, this time all the way down to Paso Robles for a birthday celebration, exploring the vineyards and a bonus trip up highway 1. Although much different, it was nice to get a trip with a big group of friends. October we also saw a couple movies, including a private screening of Tenet (wut) and my first drive-in movie ever, Coco, and once more another drive-in for Hocus Pocus.

November was much of the usual, as we are limited in options (and a bit limited in finances) to try anything new. We made the very difficult choice not to travel back to Florida for thanksgiving, and instead spent thanksgiving with just the two of us, although we cooked for 8.

December is here, and we squeezed in a few interesting pieces. I took a drive out to some of the mountains towards San Jose in a newer Miata. Another weekend we spent in San Rafael, where we didn’t leave the hotel the entire time. A very welcoming weekend with no pressure, no rush, just stay in and play video games, watch movies, and eat in (room service and delivery to our door!). That was a nice weekend with the only expectation was that we were doing nothing. As Christmas approaches, we venture out into the city to look at some of the lights. We also manage the watch Elf at the drive-in (although the foggy night didn’t make that easy), and once more drive-in to see Wonder Woman 1984 before the new year.

Alright, quick tidbits:

Cars I’ve rented – BMW 330i, Hyundai Santa Fe, Nissan Altima, Fiat Abarth 124, Jeep Wrangler, Mazda Miata. A nice plethora of cars this year, and with the availability of mountains in the west coast, and the convenience of Turo, I have the opportunity to take nice day long drives through the windy roads. This was one of my goals for moving and I’m glad I’m still able to put that into fruition. It’s convenient to have nice back roads so close, and the beautiful highway 1 coastal road for longer trips. It was nice to rent a couple convertibles, including a few similar to my Miata. I hope next year brings some more interesting cars, and hopefully some off-roading fun as well. It’s hard to pick a favorite, as each ride held a unique experience. But I am thinking about getting a Jeep so…

Best Thing I Ate – man there’s so much to consider. G-Ading’s wedding was crazy delicious, the best wedding food ever no question. Having a mini Hot Ones episode at Ashley’s parents and at Kevin’s was delicious and the conversation meaningful. I started my goodbye food tour but didn’t see it through, but that came with some favorites from Gators Dockside, Pho Vinh, Gold China, Vicky’s Bakery. As far as the West Coast: Farmhouse Thai’s Lao platter is tray full of little wonders. And here in the Bay Burmese is plentiful (something that should definitely make its way into Orlando). Let’s not forget a couple homemade treats, such as Mia’s delicious Ube cookies and smore bites, and Ashley’s brownie muffins she considers was a mess up (I think they were perfect).

Between the pandemic lockdown and my new Xbox, I’ve played quite a few notable games. My favorites this year include Nier Automata, Jedi Fallen Order, and The Outer Worlds. Breath of the Wild also has now become a comfort food/ re-watch staple this year in Cali.

A couple movies/TV to note watching: Before Sunrise, Columbus, Westworld season 3, Mandalorian Season 2, Dash & Lily.

There’s a lot that can be said about 2020. There were big expectations, and life comforts, which were all stripped from us. And so while we made a big leap into the unknown, the rest of the world follow suit. But it’s hard to say if it was a bad choice or good, because I really don’t know what would happen if we stayed in Florida. Maybe things were more familiar and grounded, maybe see family a bit more. But what jobs would we have? Would we have been at higher risk of getting Covid? Who knows. But what I do know is that right now we are fine. We are healthy, we are financially stable, our family is healthy. And we may be limited in the interactions we can have, but that does not mean we can’t enjoy some of what this west coast adventure had in store for us. I think it was important that we experience the change, chaotic as it was.

We purged ourselves of the past: got rid of old clothes, old furniture, old junk of our college and early adult years. We carry with us only the essentials, and have a new outlook on what we acquire along the way. May would see us move out of our home, be in limbo back in Miami, and even once we got to Oakland, we would move just 2 weeks later (and move out again 3 months later, and we’ll be moving again this January). This is a year of being unsettled, which was to be expected with the move, but add a global pandemic, marches for equality, an uncertain presidential election, nothing was the same, everything has changed.

But honestly, since many of life’s grievances are a shared collective, my year relatively was ok. Pre-Covid was fantastic and jam packed with family and trips, par for the course of what I deem important to me. And even during the pandemic, my comforts are driven by much of the same elements: friends, family, and trips, albeit a bit differently. I have hopes for next year, I really do. I don’t think things will go back to normal, and for us there is no normal here. But I think things will settle and be grounded, and we can look forward to more of things that make us whole and human. Things that may have been missing this year are the grander friends vacation trips, and the live concerts and museums. I also hope to see my family soon, and get back to a place of comfort and familiarity, even for a brief moment. I hope to see more of that next year. But all I can ask is that our health and wellbeing stay intact.

2020, you were a nightmare. But catalysts are never calm, and the outcome is sure to be filled with great energy.

3 notes · View notes

jokertrap-ran · 4 years

Photo

[Stand My Heroes] Case File:研究対象Sの記録 (Case File: Records on Research Subject S) Event Story: Investigation ①～③ Translations

*Master-list is in progress *MC name is retained default Izumi Rei

Part 1 / Part 2

--I might have been born into this world as a “Being”, but… I do not know the contact of “Others”

“Humans” are also something that I cannot comprehend due to how absurd they are.

That’s why…That’s precisely why, I—

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Interrogation Room ☆⋅⋆

Arakida: I’m asking you if you abducted and confined eight people in an underground facility.

Male Suspect: …I apologize for that. I just wanted to see how they’d turn out in the very end.

Arakida: --

Male Suspect: I mean, aren’t you curious about it too, Mr. Officer?

Male Suspect: Aren’t you curious about what they might be hiding? About the reason fuelling them to attempt escape from the underground facility?

Male Suspect: Is it family? A lover? Friends? Their job? Interests? Or is it a promise they made?

Male Suspect: That reason only exists because they’re “Human”. But what if you were only a “Being”? Isn’t fleeing an instinct?

Male Suspect: I was simply gathering reference material for my next new work under the pen name of “Benio. SF. Takeshi”!

Sugano: (Whew, this guy’s really screwed up in the head.)

Arakida: --Real name: Akao Takeshi. So, you’re admit that you’ve confined these people.

Male Suspect: Like I was saying! I’ve only done this all in light of attaining material for my next sublime masterpiece—

Arakida: …I know of such writers who do that, but you’re a totally different case.

Sugano: (Seems like this’ll be a long and gruelling process…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Division ☆⋅⋆

Natsume: --Oh? They say that the writer “Benio. SF. Takeshi” has been arrested.

Aoyama & Yui: Benio…?

Rei: Is that a pen-name…?

Natsume: That’s right. Seems like hhis real name’s “Akao Takeshi (28)”

Natsume: Arrested on grounds of Kidnapping, Assault and Attempted Murder.

Natsume: He’s a pretty popular young author out there. He’s even No.1 Trending on Social Media.

Rei: Heh…Oh, you’re right. He’s even on the top when I search him up on the net.

I clicked on the records we had on him on my laptop. The words “Investigation Department One” entered my field of vision.

Yui: …I see. “New Generation Writer SF, someone who’s works can also be enjoyed by the Young Generation.”

Aoyama: This is the first time I’m hearing of him, though.

Imaoji: It seems like he first gained popularity through publishing a series of short stories on the net.

Natsume: His popular work’s a science fiction set in the near future where a guy eats the female as a part of the mating routine…ugh.

Aoyama: What morbid taste.

Rei: “His motive was to gather reference material for his new work, and he admitted as such during interrogation.” –Or so it’s written here.

Yui: Looks like the eight people he kept captive all managed to escape just fine.

Natsume: It’s also written here that one of the eight people held captive managed to escape and made it to the nearest Police Box in the area.

Imaoji: Wow.

Rei: The guy who escaped also provided his motive for escaping the place during an interrogation.

Aoyama: “It’s my Wedding Anniversary, so I absolutely had to get out of there”, huh.

Rei: That’s a pretty romantic reason, all things considered.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

The conversation ended with us coming to a joint conclusion; no matter what had gone down in that place, it was a good thing that all the victims managed to escape unscathed.

--A few days later.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Inside the Car ☆⋅⋆

Seki: I’m sure you must be tired from walking around all morning. Should we grab lunch somewhere before heading back? My treat.

Seki-san and I had spent the entire early afternoon investigating the area where a new drug was rumoured to have been circulating.

Rei: Thank you so much! I think I’m starting to get a little hungry.

Seki: We’ve been at it all morning after all; good work. We’ve managed to attain some remarkable information so let’s go get a good meal.

Seki: Is there anything you’d like to eat?

Rei: Let’s see…I think I’ll settle for something Japanese. A set meal, maybe?

Seki: Nice. Seems like there are lots of stores around here that sell those too.

Rei: That’s right. It caught my eye when I saw it through the car’s windscreen.

Seki: ----The one over by the traffic light seems like it has a carpark.

“Exquisite Set Meals, 700 Yen~” I caught sight of the flag sparkling under the sun.

Rei: I’m rather interested in whatever their Exquisite Set Meal is.

Seki: Shall we settle for that shop then?

Rei: Okay!

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Izakaya ☆⋅⋆

Shop-keeper: Welcome! How many people?

Seki: Two…

Rei: (It’s pretty crowded in here…)

The store wasn’t very big and one could see that it was a full-house at a single glance.

Shop-keeper: Sorry, will a shared seating be alright with you?

I met Seki-san’s gaze and affirmed him that “I’m okay with that” with a nod.

Seki: We’ll take that, thank you.

Shop-keeper: Thank you very much! Two people; shared seating!

I could hear joyful and enthusiastic calls of “Welcome!” from coming from the kitchen area as we headed to our seats. And then--

Sugano: --AH.

Rei: Ah.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Izakaya ☆⋅⋆

Sugano-kun and Asagiri-san were seated at the table we were led to.

Seki: What a coincidence.

Asagiri: Indeed. Feel free.

Saying that, they both stood up from where they were seated and moved further in to allow us space to join them.

Rei: Thank you so much.

We proceeded to seat ourselves at the table, only to realize that that said table was devoid of food.

Rei: Did you just arrive?

Asagiri: What sharp inference skills you have. That’s right.

Sugano: The Seasonal Set Meals here are really good and they change every season.

Seki: I’m guessing that that’d be the Fried Oyster Set right now?

Sugano: Yup. It’s crunchy and juicy and absolutely delectable!

Rei: Ahh…I can already taste and feel the oysters.

Sugano: Haha. But the Scallop and Ebi Mixed-Fry set is also a pretty bad boy!

Rei: Ahhhh…I can taste the Mixed-fry set already, but my stomach still has the oysters in mind…

Sugano: Haha!

We chatted for a while before an employee came by to serve us water and to hand us wet towels and the menu.

Seki: What are you settling for, Izumi?

Rei: Hmm, I’m still thinking.

Asagiri: I’ll take the Ramen Set.

Sugano: Tsukasa-san, were you even listening to my recommendations?

Asagiri: I’ve actually been craving ramen all morning.

Sugano: Actually, is there even a time where you don’t crave ramen…?

Asagiri: What a stupid question.

Rei: (He really like his ramen…)

In the end, Asagiri-san took the Ramen Set while Seki-san and I took the Fried Oyseter Set. Sugano-kun decided on the Mixed-fry Set and that concluded our order.

Sugano: Oh, come to think of it. There was that one guy in Benio SF’s short stories who loved ramen and was supervising a shady research facility.

Sugano: I recall that he was portrayed to be able to talk for days on end when it comes to anything ramen-related.

Both: ----

Asaigiri: Don’t go giving out investigation information at the drop of a hat like that— Or so, I’d like to say.

Asagiri: But that was something that had already uploaded onto the internet to begin with, isn’t it?

Sugano: That’s right.

Sugano: Rei and Seki-san, have you guys read it before? Benio’s light novel that’s been the talk of the masses recently.

Asagiri: A Science Fiction that takes place in the near future— It’s nice to hear and all but right now, it all boils down to being a criminal’s childish delusions.

Rei: A Science Fiction that takes place in the near future…

Seki: Is that the story that gave birth to his motive as a criminal?

Sugano: Yes…Oh, right. This shop is really thorough in their preparation of food, so it’ll take some time before our food arrives.

Sugano: Shall we talk about his childish delusions as a makeshift way to kill time while we wait? This time in our own style.

Them: ----

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

--This facility was where the “Special Ability Programme” took place.

It also housed “Special Subjects” within its compound. This facility will be…

Watabe: We needed a “Special Communicator” in this place. That’s why I reached out to you with an offer.

Natsume: It’s nice to meet you, Number 1230.

Rei: Am I to be referred to my number at all times…?

Yui: There are a lot of subjects housed here. We’ve also got many communicators like you.

Yui: So it’ll be easier if we just referred to everyone by their serial numbers. It reduces the complications involved.

Rei: …Alright, I understand.

Rei: So…why was I called to this facility?

Yui: Allow me to rephrase your question. “Why is a normal Office Lady (OL) like me who works for an ordinary company-“

Yui: “Being scouted by the Special Research Facility that’s being funded by the National Budget?” --How’s that sound?

Rei: Thank you for translating…

Watabe: The answer’s—

Watabe: Who knows?

Rei: Who knows…?

Watabe: No, sorry. We don’t know what the requirements are when it comes to selecting a communicator.

Natsume: In other words, we only know what the job pertains.

Natsume: Communicators generally face the inmates, in other words you’re going to go up face-to-face with the subjects.

Rei: I’m going up against them? …How is it generally like?

Yui: It’s obvious, don’t you think? You’ll do so with your heart, body, and mind. Basically, you’ll be communicating with them.

Rei: Huh…? I understand the part about the heart, but…wait, what do you mean by body-

Yui: Exactly what I just said.

Rei: --!?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

Rei: C-Communicating with them with my body…? Regardless if it’s on orders by the country, this is a little…

Rei: I can’t do it! I’ve never met them before in my entire life, and it isn’t even ethical in the first place and—

Watabe: Haha…

Rei: !

Natsume: You’re jumping to conclusions way too quickly.

Yui: Seems like I’ve taken this joke a little too far.

Rei: Joke…?

Watabe: There’s only one job for a communicator,

Watabe: To be chat buddies with the subjects since they cannot leave this facility.

Watabe: It’s a straight-to-the-point job with no questionable ethics in play.

Natsume: Well, you’ll still be eaten whole if you let your guard down in here, though.

Rei: Wha-

Yui: Have you not learnt?

Rei: Ugh…it’s a joke again, isn’t it?

Natsume: Sorry, sorry.

Watabe: You can rest assured. Everyone here isn’t all too different from us who lead normal lives.

Watabe: So you can just talk to them like how you do to everyone without base for suspicion.

Yui: Just treat them like normal humans.

Rei: (The more we talk about it, the more confused I get about what I’m even doing in such a facility…)

Rei: Why are the subjects inmates here anyway? What’s the motive?

???: You’ll best bring that up to the chief.

Rei: Huh…?

???: --

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

Rei: (Who are they…?)

Imaoji: Nice to meet you, No. 1230. I’m Imaoji, the supervisor of this facility.

Asagiri: I’m Asagiri.

Arakida: …Arakida.

Imaoji: We’ll be protecting you from everything and anything while you’re here.

Asagiri: I’ll bring you to the chief.

Arakida: ……

Rei: I’ll be in your care then…

Watabe: See you, No. 1230.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Chief’s Office ☆⋅⋆

Imaoji: --Pardon the intrusion.

Arakida: We’ve brought. No. 1230.

???: Right on time, I see.

Seki: Glad to see that you’re here. This is the Hattori, the Chief, and I’m Seki, the Vice-chief.

Rei: I look forward to working with you.

Hattori: Chief is just a title.

Hattori: The real Chief of this place is the one who created this place to begin with.

Rei: ?

Seki: This facility was built to isolate people with special conditions and to shield them away from the rest of the world.

Hattori: In the name of justice and love.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Chief’s Office ☆⋅⋆

Rei: ……? Special condition? Whatever do you mean?

Seki: I can’t divulge that.

Rei: Eh…?

Hattori: Well, let’s just leave the complicated parts at that—How about you go meet them instead and see for yourself?

Seki: Let’s bring you to a subject to talk to, where you can do your job as a communicator.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

I followed the supervisor with no questions asked as he took the lead before finally stopping in front of a door.

Arakida: --Here we are.

Imaoji: We’re normally stationed right outside of the room so we’ll be leaving you here.

Rei: I-I’m supposed to go in there alone…?

Asagiri: We’re able to tell whenever there’s an anomaly in the inmate.

Rei: …Alright, I understand.

Imaoji: Before you enter, there’s just one other thing I have to tell you.

Rei: ?

Imaoji: Having a relationship with an inmate is forbidden, so please do watch out.

Rei: I don’t think a relationship’s even possible, given the atmosphere in here…

Imaoji: Heh. Well then, feel free to open the door.

I sucked in a deep breath and turned to face the door.

Rei: (Behind this is a subject who has become an inmate…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Room ☆⋅⋆

???: --Oh! You’re here!

Rei: --!?

???: Come on, come on in. Let’s start~

Rei: (He’s way more cheery and optimistic than I expected…)

Rei: Pardon the intrusion.

???: Haha. You can just sit over there. Are you nervous?

Rei: …Yes.

Sugano: Aren’t you an honest one! Actually, we can do away with the polite speech. No need for that here.

Rei: …Okay, sure.

???: I can’t help but to be in high spirits since this is the first time I’ve ever got a communicator assigned to me.

???: I was so excited that I didn’t manage to get even a wink of sleep last night.

Rei: Oh, me too, actually.

Sugano: You too? –Actually, what’s your name?

Rei: Oh...I’m 12-

Sugano: Not your serial number.

Rei: --Izumi Rei.

Sugano: Rei, then. I’m Sugano Natsuki!

Sugano: Hey, Rei.

He suddenly turned to look straight at me, his gaze turning into one of utter seriousness, as if he had just turned into another person; a twin of sorts.

Sugano: Let me out of this captivity.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Room ☆⋅⋆

Rei: Wha-

Sugano: Please? I’m about to go stir crazy from being kept cooped up in this place.

Rei: But…

Sugano: I’ll become yours.

Rei: I’m sorry, what…?

Sugano: I’ll give you anything within my means if you help me.

Rei: Even…Even if you tell me that…

Sugano: ----

Rei: Urk…

Sugano: Just kidding~

Rei: --!

Sugano: I’m joking. It’s just a joke~

He mentioned the word “joke” louder the second time round. He turned to look up. Following his gaze, I could see a surveillance camera mounted on the wall.

Rei: (I suppose they’re listening in to all the conversation that goes on within this room too.)

Rei: (…Well, I suppose that’s to be expected. They are inmates, after all.)

Sugano: But, you know. I’m glad to see people who come in from the “Outside”. They’re always like a breath of fresh air.

Sugano: I do talk to people like You-san, but it’s usually pretty boring in here.

Rei: You-san?

Sugano: Hm? Haven’t you met him? The chief.

Rei: Ahh, you mean Hattori-san!

Sugano: Yup, yup. Pretty handsome, isn’t he?

Sugano: Actually, all the supervisors here have a pretty high facial deviation.

Rei: Now that you mention it…I think you might be right. But, I was so nervous back when I met them, so…

Sugano: What about me?

Rei: Huh?

Sugano: How would you rate my looks?

Rei: You’re…

Sugano: Oh, wait. I think I’m better off not hearing it. I think I might just pin you down if you told me that I was worth a 100 points.

Rei: ???

Sugano: Or are you that sort of communicator, little miss comm?

Rei: I-I’m not going to do it with my body!!

Sugano: Ahaha. That’s a nice reaction. It’s really…how do I put this? Hmm…

Sugano: Like a proper human, I guess?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

I left Sugano-kun’s room as he saw me off with a farewell line of “Come by soon again!”

Imaoji: Good work.

Rei: Oh, Good work to you too.

Imaoji: I’ll see you to your room.

Rei: Thank you so much.

Asagiri-san and Arakida-san where no where to be found, so I ended up walking alongside Imaoji-san, alone.

Imaoji: How was your first job as a communicator?

Rei: I was a nervous-wreck, overall.

Imaoji: I understand how you feel. The job this time round came by so suddenly, I’m sure you must have it hard.

Imaoji: It’s almost unheard of for a communicator to be privately scouted and hired like you were, so we fully intend to aid you to the best of our abilities.

Imaoji: Do tell us if there’s anything troubling you.

Rei: Thank you.

Imaoji: You don’t have to thank me for it.

Rei: (Whoa…he really does have good looks and a good facial variation.)

For me to be able to think of such thoughts, I suppose my initial nervousness must have worn off. And this must be all thanks to Sugano-kun, since he was such an easy person to talk to.

Imaoji: --Oh?

Rei: ?

In direct line of his vision as he came to an abrupt stop was—

Natsume: I’m telling you, this isn’t anything dangerous at all.

Arakida: Then allow me to check it.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

Rei: (The two of them are…having a dispute over something?)

Natsume: It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not like you have anything to lose anyway.

In his hands was something that resembled a Headgear of sorts, made up of increasingly bizarre and complicated machinery parts.

Arakida: I have. I lost 3 days to sleep…

Natsume: But that was Kotaro-san’s Nutritional Drink at work so that’s not my fault!

Imaoji: What are the two of you standing around here talking about?

Natsume: Ohh, good work.

Rei: Good work today.

I got closer to where they stood and lowered my head.

Arakida: --

Imaoji: Are you asking for experiment assistance again?

Natsume: He’s lumping my experiments together with Kotaro-san’s warped ones!

Natsume: Even though all mine does is to only measure your brain waves!

Arakida: Absolutely not.

Natsume: You seem pretty adamant about it.

Arakida: Tsukasa-san told me to never trust you lot from the Research Department whenever you dish out the word “only”.

Natsume: ……Tsuduki Makoto’s pre-release book.

Arakida: !!

Rei: Wait, you mean THAT famous author?

Natsume: He actually came down here not too long ago seeking data for his new work since it was something science-related.

Natsume: Tsuduki-sensei said that he didn’t mind showing us researchers his new work if we promised not to accidentally leak word of it.

Natsume: So I thought that maybe I could share it with you as thanks for your help.

Arakida: Urk…

Natsume: You heard me, No. 1230. You’ll be able to read it if you cooperate with me; how about it?

Rei: It’s a new work yet to be released to the world?

Natsume: Yup!

Arakida: Damnit…

Rei: But that Headgear…

Natsume: It really only just measures your brain waves. It’s absolutely nothing dangerous at all.

Rei: Then—

Arakida: Wait.

─────────────────────��───⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Hallway ☆⋅⋆

Natsume: What is it; Arakida-san?

Arakida: ……I’ll do it.

Natsume: Huh?

Arakida: I’ll cooperate with you.

Natsume: But I’ve already passed it over to No. 1230-

Arakida: Ngh…

Rei: (I-If he’s making such a pained face over this, then I suppose…)

Rei: I’ll back out if he’s willing.

Arakida: --

Rei: (He looks really happy about it…)

Imaoji: Heh.

Natsume: Is that so? I suppose I’ll have to ask Arakira-san to do the honours then.

Arakida: Of course.

He took the Headgear and plopped it atop his head.

--And when he did, an AI spoke from the device, stating “Activation Complete”. …Suddenly, plumes of smoke started billowing from the device.

Arakida: !?

Imaoji: Smoke is…

Rei: Wait a minute, isn’t this…Isn’t this thing burning!?

Natsume: Huh? Wait, this brain wave measuring device’s…

Natsume: Ah! I accidentally brought the one that Kotaro-san prodded at!

Arakida: OI! I CAN’T GET THIS OFF…!!

Natsume: Oh no. Kotaro-san might be the only one who knows how to remove it.

Natsume: Please run to the Research Lab.

Arakida: THIS IS WHY I DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT…!

The both of them made a mad dash for the Laboratory and disappeared down the hallway.

Rei: W-Will they be okay…?

Imaoji: Of course. It’s a usual occurrence after all.

Rei: It’s something that’s normal…?

Rei: (Now I really wonder if I can survive in this facility…)

I rubbed at my eyes that had gotten slightly teary from all the smoke the device atop Arakida-san’s head had been emitting…

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Research Facility: Room ☆⋅⋆

Sugano: What’s with that! That’s so amusing! I want to be there too to see it with my own eyes.

Rei: You think so…? I didn’t see Arakida-san this morning.

Sugano: He might have just overslept. –Want to go pay him a visit?

Rei: Wait…Can you even leave this room?

Sugano: Sure I can. There’s a condition though.

Ran: A condition?

Sugano: You’ve got to put a collar on me.

Rei: (A collar!?)

───⋅𝕿𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊…⋆⋅☆

#Stand My Heroes #スタンドマイヒーローズ #スタマイ #Sutamai #Translations #Otome #Case File:研究対象Sの記録 #Case File: Records on Research Subject S #Sugano Natsuki #Arakida Sosei #Natsume Haru #Imaoji Shun #Watabe Satoru #Hattori You #Seki Daisuke #Aoyama Itsuki #Yui Kotaro #Asagiri Tsukasa

7 notes · View notes

luninosity · 4 years

Text

Yay! A short story I wrote a while ago for a Women in SF contest (didn’t win) will be out from JMS Books in May!

It’s m/f (for that anon a while back who asked about whether I’d do more of that) but both protagonists are very happily openly bisexual.

It’s also the story that I pitched as, “like a Regency romance ballroom first meeting...only in space...like, the ballroom is part of the Galactic Empire and the dashing captain is the captain of a starship. And there’re gay and ace secondary characters on Kit’s crew. And also there are jelly sun-candies and champagne and dress uniforms.”

Want the beginning?

“You never call your mother,” Lady Elise’s virtual image grumbled across time and space. Imperial Starship Captain Catherine Everington contemplated thumping her head against her own desk, under the sympathetic artificial gleam of the wall lights. She didn’t. Her mother would see.

She said instead, “I’m calling you now,” which was true and therefore inarguable.

“Only because I called you first. Ten times.”

All right, maybe it was arguable. “Mother, I’m busy.”

“You are not too busy for this. It’s important, Catherine.”

“To you,” Kit said, and tipped her chair back on two legs, mostly to watch her mother cringe. Her chair was used to this, and bent obligingly. The captain’s personal briefing room folded curved sleek walls around her in solidarity; out on the Dreamer’s bridge, she knew, her crew would be waiting. Her family. Her home. “I’m not part of your politics. I haven’t been that for years.”

“I’ll make it an order if I must.”

“You don’t have the authority.”

“I’m having tea with the Lord Admiral tomorrow, and he’ll be perfectly delighted to issue you a new set of directives.” Steel and rose petals; lace and swords. Kit sighed again. Her mother was every bit a child of the aristocracy, each diminutive inch crackling with brilliance. Lady Elise’d been born to power, and wouldn’t let anything as simple as not technically in fact being a commander of the Imperial Exoplanetary Survey Service stand in her way.

Kit, of course, would inherit all that power.

She tried not to think about it, most days. About the title, the planets, the gardens, the vast shipping consortium. About that other life, full of waltzes and ballgowns and necklaces strung with rare gems from a thousand worlds.

About the disappointment in her mother’s eyes, when faced with an only child who’d chosen the Academy and exploration and clunky exo-suit boots and short spiky hair and the delicate curl of tattoo-script along her left forearm, the lines her crew had convinced her to get while they’d all been merrily tipsy on the resort planet of Mira, on leave and planning the next leap into the unknown, toasting the IESS motto with sweet winter-vine wine: We seek the next star…

At the moment all the stars glittered, tantalizing and slipping even further away, outside her briefing-room window.

She tried, hopelessly, “I don’t want to.”

“You have a duty to the family, Catherine.” Lady Elise shook out flowing sleeves, smoothed them down, and did nothing so inelegant as cross her arms or scowl. “To the name. To the position. You will someday be the fifty-second Lady of the Fourth—”

“I know!” So did her crew. Qi’in had laughed for twenty minutes. Serena had asked about Lady Elise’s famous dazzling salon nights. Gil, Kit’s unflappable second in command, had known her since the Academy, and had raised eyebrows and said, teasing, “So now that everyone knows, can Richard and I borrow your summer home on Utopia One for a vacation, sometime…?”

“You can’t ignore your social obligations forever.”

“I’m working, Mother!”

“Yes…so you are.” Plainly a personal insult, that. Elise eyed her daughter with steel behind blue-and-silver bejeweled eyelashes. “I do know it’s quite a current trend for ladies to slip on trousers and run corporations and even join the Fleet—and don’t think I’ve not heard that you’ve inspired them—but, Catherine, you’ve made your point. You needn’t run around in the dirt of strange planets any longer. We all know you can, if you so desire; you’re perfectly capable of whatever you’d like to achieve. So you’re welcome to return home for the Emperor’s celebration gala.” In that voice the words welcome to became an order. Not to be disobeyed.

“Mother—” But it wouldn’t do any good. Hadn’t on any of the countless other occasions, over the previous ten years. The chair curled itself more closely around her.

Changing tactics, perhaps. Kit tried, anyway. “We’re half a galaxy away and busy, we’ve got three more worlds to survey, we can’t just call off the mission for a celebration—”

“Darling, it’s the end of the Regency!” Her mother spread both hands: can’t you see it? “It’s positively historic. Our new young Emperor finally of age—it has been nearly twenty years, and we’ve had those six old men bickering with each other for so long about what’s best for the throne, so this will be the beginning of an era…I wonder what he’ll wear. His uncle Pericles always favored reds, with that overdone gold embroidery…”

“He’ll wear clothing,” Kit said flatly. “Mother, you don’t need me there. I only ever embarrass you.”

“Oh, how can you say that?”

“It’s true.”

“Of course it is, but you don’t have to say it.” Lady Elise sighed. “Catherine, we are one of the leading families of the Empire, like it or not, and you are the only child of the Fourth House. Your absence would be remarked. But it won’t be.”

“…because I’m going to the ball.”

“Precisely.” With a head-tilt, contemplative. “You ought to wear blue. Or green. You look lovely in green.”

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does.” Those sapphire-blue eyes, a shade poets had once committed sonnets over, looked surprised. “The trend-setters, the dressmakers, the tailors, the weavers…the merchants who import various dyes…the murmurs in ballrooms, in palaces, whether you’ve worn this color or refused that favor…it all leads somewhere, Catherine. How many times have I told you?”

“Enough,” Kit said, and instantly felt guilty, that undefined sense of generalized shame that came along with her mother’s beauty and political acumen and precisely calculated raptures over a bolt of new chiffon. Lady Elise was in many ways everything her daughter was not; and even Kit sometimes forgot as much, fooled along with the rest of the universe by the spun-sugar smile.

She said, not precisely an apology, “You think it will be noticed, then. If I’m not there.”

Her mother waited, eyebrows up.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“The celebration is two weeks from tomorrow. You’d have more time if you’d answered my earlier messages.”

More guilt. Kit shoved it down. She’d not been precisely ignoring said messages, only…putting off returning the call. “We’ll…try. All right?”

“Wear your hair long if you can. Softness happens to be in style this Season, not that anyone truly believes anyone else’s appearances of innocence, of course.” Elise thought this over, and added, “Particularly not Lady Patrice. We all know she’s sharing Regent Lancel’s bed, and honestly, showing up with that undone hair and those dewy cheeks and those protestations of purity is all in such poor taste. At her age, too.”

Lady Patrice happened to be Elise’s friend, or as close to the term as possible. Kit chose not to mention that her mother was the same age, minus a month or two. “This is as long as my hair gets, Mother. And you don’t actually expect the new Emperor to look twice at me. Besides, the poor boy will have just claimed his throne. You can’t imagine he’ll be hunting a spouse on the same night.”

“He might,” Elise observed, implacable. Kit glanced out at the stars for support. The new Emperor was luckier than he’d ever know that her mother was ineligible as a future Empress, given the need for an heir.

“I’m not planning to seduce him. I’m going to meet him, congratulate him, and smile. And then leave.”

“Seduce him—honestly, Catherine. You make it sound so calculated.”

“It isn’t?”

“Please refrain from discussing sexual conduct in front of the Emperor.” Elise paused, thought for a second, then conceded, “You may do it, however. If he shows any interest.”

“Bright stars,” Kit said, with feeling, and buried her face in her hands.

#starlit balls and starship captains #my fic #soon #original fic #jms books

31 notes · View notes

ladyhistorypod · 3 years

Text

Episode 9: Monkey See, Monkey Do

Sources:

Helen Martini

Museum of the City of New York

IMDB

British Pathé (YouTube)

New York Heritage Digital Collections

Further Reading: My Zoo Family, Cubs in the Tub, Mother to Tigers

Dian Fossey

Biography

BBC Earth

National Geographic: The Renegade Scientist Who Taught Us To Love Gorillas

Zoologist Dian Fossey: A Storied Life With Gorillas

Lady Science

DW: Made For Minds

Alana’s Surprise Lady

The Age

SF Gate

Kokoflix (YouTube)

PBS

Gorilla Foundation

New York Times

NPR

Washington Post

ABC News

National Geographic

National Geographic (YouTube)

60 Minutes Australia (YouTube)

Attributions:

birdsong, water splash, Zoos & Young Animals, Under Water

Click below for a full text transcript of this episode!

Haley: A brief warning about the following episode of Lady History: this episode contains sensitive topics such as murder, violence, and racism.

Archival Audio: Gorilla at Large! The most murderous, destructive beast man has ever seen! Gorilla at Large! In 3D and color by Technicolor!

Lexi: Alana, do you want to share your good news?

Alana: I do, I have very good news. So, in– I think it was episode five– we very subtly mentioned that GW had to let me into school so that Lexi and I could live together and um… Actually the same day that episode seven came out, we found out that GW let me into grad school.

Lexi: Woohoo!!

Haley: I feel like that's a universe telling you like “here is why” if it aired on the same day.

Alana: Yeah, definitely. I really think like. My dad was like “did you put– did you talk about your podcast on your application” and I was like yeah. I listened to– the suffragist episode? I listened like four times the day it came out. I was like this is so good. We're so good at this.

(Lexi laughing)

[INTRO MUSIC]

Alana: Hello and welcome to Lady History; the good, the bad, and the ugly ladies you missed in history class. I’ve run out of ways to say that we're on Zoom but Lexi what's the difference between monkeys and apes?

Lexi: Like. You want me to scientifically give you the difference?

Alana: Sure.

Lexi: Monkeys have tails.

Alana: Monkeys do have tails.

Lexi: There's a lot more but like monkeys do have tails. And that's the easy way to tell. So please, when you take your child to the zoo do not call the chimps or gorillas or orangutans or bonobos monkeys. As someone who previously worked in a zoo, and witnessed mothers and nannies telling their children “look at the monkey sweetie” to an intelligent ape, I… Nope. Mm. Okay.

Alana: That's why I picked that question for you. Also, Haley. Haley, what’s your favorite zoo?

Haley: I am a zoo connoisseur. I love zoos. Love me some animals but I'm going to have to go with my hometown, my first zoo ever was the Bronx Zoo. I have many memories, some scary, some pleasant, some very confusing but generally just like would ten out of ten live there.

Alana: And I'm Alana and my personality is fifty percent I love aquariums.

Haley: No.

Alana: Why are you shaking your head at me Haley?

Lexi: I also love aquariums.

Haley: Fish freak me out.

Lexi: Aquariums freak you out?

Haley: Fish and birds like, scare me on a personal level.

Lexi: Those are my favorite animals! I had a fish tank in my nursery as a baby. I think that's where my parents went wrong because I got a degree in museum studies and I just want to work with living collections that would be fantastic, so hit me up, any zoo in America. Actually, any zoo in the world. I am mobile. I am single. I do have a parrot so if your country does not allow parrots to come in from foreign countries please consider me off your list. But if I can bring a parrot into your country and you want me to work in a zoo or aquarium hit me up.

Haley: Cal Academy is right for you, that's where I– very close to where I currently live and they have like their live collection. I thought their penguins were fake. Like I did not realize because the way– Okay, the way the Cal Academy is set up is that when you walk in you’re greeted with this like giant forest– like what is called, atrium? Aviary is for the birds, right? So this is just like a whole encapsule of foliage and you can see some like butterflies go around and you can see the beginning of the aquarium, and the whole bottom floor is the aquarium and it's really really cool. You also have like an albino or white alligator. I forget what the guy's name is called, but it's like a white alligator that they have to– if he ever gets hurt and like he starts bleeding, since he’s white it's very noticeable they have to like hide him to not scare the children it’s a whole thing. Oh, the penguins. The penguins are in like their African, early human wing which are all taxidermy animals or like faux bones those like display of human origins like the Smithsonian and then one wall it's just penguins and then they started moving I truly just jumped out of my skin. This was like at a… the first time I went was at like an adult night, 21 and older, you get a drink, you walk around the like, museum.

Alana: That’s sexy. I want to go to that.

Haley: I had like a beer in me and then the penguins started moving. People have like very mixed feelings on the Cal Academy but it's mostly people who like hate zoos, and like don’t understand that like some zoos are actually decent. Like it’s– we're not talking about GW Tiger King zoo, we’re talking about like–

Lexi: That's not a zoo. That's just not a zoo.

Alana: That’s not a zoo!

Haley: The amount of people who have fought me when I'm like “I love zoos” they're like “animals should be wild” and it's like “no. You do not put a hurt penguin back with its herd.” Like the elephant missing a tusk? Is not going to do well. Like GW Tiger King zoo? Not a zoo. That’s just–

Lexi: Science is important.

Alana: Science is important!

Lexi: The zoos on Tiger King, not science. When you go to a zoo, or are considering going to a zoo, look up what their contributions to scientific research and animal welfare are. If they are not AZA certified, do not go there. There was an incident recently in which the Pittsburgh Zoo, which used to be AZA certified, became un-AZA certified. It’s still an okay zoo but like in general look for AZA certifications. But the thing about AZA zoos is they follow a species survival plan, which means they don't decide when and where the animals go. There is a larger conglomerate that decides when animals need to be moved around. And so if one zoo needs a gorilla that will breed with another gorilla because that is what is best for gorillas all over the world, they will move the gorilla. They get a private plane and they take the gorilla with the keeper to meet its new keeper and that's where the gorilla moves because it's all about the science and the species preservation.

Alana: I really like the New England Aquarium and I'm not just saying that because I hope Erin Keif is listening. Um, even though I do hope she’s listening. Hi, Erin! We think you’re really cool!

Lexi: The aquarium in your homeland is beautiful.

Alana: It's so cool. I love the big old tube and then you like walk up around the tube. I think that's dope. I love that. That's like their main exhibit and I think it's so cool. I also saw like– I was in Boston maybe ten years ago; little more, little less, and there were like jellyfish! Right off the docks! Because we’re killing the turtles! That’s what I learned at the New England Aquarium!

Archival Audio: The llama family and cousins are all in the market for babysitters. While Mrs Helen Martini serves in that capacity for 3 little tiger kittens, born of parents themselves born and raised at the zoo, the triplets are concerned mainly with calories and vitamins and rather resent the working press. They're not up to scratch, yet, but they sure know the proper facial expressions. What a picture they make! (Tiger cub meowing sound)

Lexi: So, Haley, we were talking about your favorite zoo in the world. What was that zoo?

Haley: The Bronx Zoo.

Lexi: And do you know much about the history of the Bronx Zoo?

Haley: I probably used to, you're gonna have to fill me in on this one.

Lexi: Do you know who the first female zookeeper of the Bronx Zoo was?

Haley: Your lady?

Lexi: Yes! Helen Martini!

Alana: Her name is Martini?

Lexi: Yes, her name is Martini. So like, wonderful. We’re already off to a great start. But yes that is when talking about today so I thought it was very relevant that you mentioned how much you love the Bronx Zoo, that it's your home turf, because it was her home turf too. So a quick preface to our upcoming story, finding digital sources on Helen is extremely difficult. I had a really hard time with it. It appears very little has been published about her, particularly online and she doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, so for information about her life I had to use an IMDB page that exists for her, which I'm not sure if it's accurate and I'm not sure why it even exists, she was not a movie star. So take all this info on her early years with a tiny grain of salt. Once she actually starts being involved with the zoo that's when the information gets a little more accurate. Helen Martini was born on June 5, 1912 in Newfoundland, Canada. Her father, Matthew Delaney, was a merchant seaman and Helen was born with an eye problem that doctors told her parents would result in her eventually going blind. After father's death in 1925, her mother took her to New York to undergo eye operations. These operations helped protect her sight. Some attribute her caring personality to this turning point in her life. As an adult, Helen married a man named Fred. He worked as a jeweler and the couple lived in an apartment in the Bronx. Fred and Helen decided to have a baby, but unfortunately lost their child due to miscarriage. Helen was told by doctors that she would never be able to have a child. Helen turned her attention to caring for fur babies instead. She and Fred became diligent pet owners and avid animal lovers. The couple also lived close to the Bronx Zoo, and frequently visited the furry friends that lived there. One day, Helen saw an ad for an open position at the Bronx Zoo. At the time, American zoos only hired men as zookeepers. So Helen did what any sensible woman in mid-century America would do. She encouraged her husband to quit his job as a jeweler and apply to become a zookeeper. Fred had no formal training or experience in zoology, but he got the job. Fred became the keeper of the lion house, which was home to an array of big cat species. In 1942, a lioness had a cub and refused to care for it. Worried it would die, Fred decided he needed to enlist the help of the best animal mom he knew- his own wife Helen. Helen took in the cub and named him Macarthur, in honor of General Macarthur. Helen cared for the cub in her and Fred’s apartment, following the zoo’s protocols for care. At the age of 2 months, Macarthur was thriving and he returned to the zoo to live among other lions. Two years later, the zoo’s female tiger gave birth to three cubs. She abandoned all of them, refusing to nurse or care for them. Helen, who had successfully saved Macarthur, was again called upon to care for the baby big cats. She cared for the three cubs in her apartment, just like Macarthur, but the zoo had no set protocols for abandoned baby tigers. There was no guide for her to follow, as the Bronx Zoo had never successfully raised orphan baby tigers before. Helen, determined to succeed and help save the animals, used her own motherly instincts, her previous experience working with lions, and extensive research to develop a method for rearing the cubs. Much of her method was improvised, and used trial and error. Eventually, she developed the perfect diet to get the tigers fit; milk and water in the early days, then the addition of chopped meat as they grew. All three cubs became strong and were able to go back to the zoo. Helen had become a successful zookeeper, all without ever being paid or rewarded in any way. So the Bronx Zoo decided to do the unthinkable- hire a woman. Helen was officially hired as a zookeeper and became America's first woman to work as a professional zookeeper. Her role was to care for baby animals, and she established the Bronx Zoo's first nursery. She converted an old storage space into a place for orphaned and abandoned baby animals. Helen still cared for the youngest babies who needed round the clock care in her apartment, but the older couples are able to thrive in a space all their own. In 1945, Helen was a household name in the Bronx, known by many as a woman with tiger cubs in her apartment. Photographers from Look magazine visited her home, documenting the unique situation of her and her husband. Baby tigers rummaged through the fridge, sat in Helen's armchair, and even rummaged through the cameraman's bag. Helen did not stop at just lions and tigers. She knew other baby animals at the zoo would not be able to thrive if their mother stopped caring for them. Throughout her career, she also raised black leopards, marmosets, jaguars, gorillas, deer, antelopes, and even skunks. Her favorite of this was still, of course, the tigers. Before her retirement in 1960, she had raised 27 tigers in total. In 1951, newsreel video of Helen shows her caring for a baby gorilla named Mambo and refers to her as an “ardent disciple of Spock and Gessell” two child care experts of the era. In the video, Helen feeds baby Mambo from a bottle and sets him in his crib for a nap. You can watch this clip on YouTube and I will include the link on our Tumblr. In 1953, Helen and Fred published a book of photographs and stories which they called “My Family Zoo.” In this book, Helen mentions personal accounts of her favorite animals- Bagheera the leopard, Ugly the howler monkey, Zambezi the lion, Dolly the deer, and Dacca, her beloved tiger cub who went on to have cubs of her own, making Helen a tiger grandma. Unfortunately, this book is out of print and extremely rare. The cheapest copies seem to cost around $60 today. Helen has also inspired several modern children's books including “Cubs in the Tub” and “Mother to Tigers” which are both about her raising the three initial tiger cubs. Helen's work establishing a nursery at the Bronx Zoo was revolutionary in the world of zoology and zoo management. Through her efforts, dozens of vulnerable baby animals were saved and went on to live healthy lives as ambassadors for their species. Her observations of their behaviour and reflections on the issues of raising baby wild animals in captivity provided a foundation of understanding for future zookeepers. Helen, who brought motherly kindness and a caring nature to the zoo, is proof that sometimes a woman's touch is all an industry needs to progress. Also, I just wanna make a quick plea that if any of you are skilled Wikipedia editors, please help my girl Helen get on there and link it to the Bronx Zoo page so that people can find her because she is so cool and there are not many resources on her out there.

Alana: I have a question. Is Bagheera named after The Jungle Book Bagheera?

Lexi: I believe so, but it could just be a coincidence. But it sounds like it, probably.

Alana: It seems like it.

Lexi: Yeah.

Alana: I remember people were talking about the… it's like my mom's favorite song from Jungle Book, where King Louis, the orangutan king, is like singing with Mowgli and people are like “that's racist” and I'm like. I have bad news for you guys. About the Jungle Book. Bad news about Rudyard Kipling.

Lexi: Ruining their childhoods.

Alana: Yeah, for real. It’s like I… I… I have bad news, you know that guy, the guy who wrote The Jungle Book? He also wrote something called “The White Man's Burden” about how it's white people's job to civilize people of color. So maybe… beating a dead horse a little bit.

Archival Audio: In a land, in a forest grim and grand, where the chimpanzees and the cinnamon trees live a simple life with the simianese, a big gorilla he.

Haley: Born in 1932, she is known as the woman who gave her life to save the gorillas. Dian Fossey lead an incredible life and this story is definitely a roller coaster. Honestly guys this might have been the like hardest story for me to write because one, there's so much information about her out there, a lot of that information is conflicting. Based on the author's bias. It is also something that like. Like 1932 is not that far away it's less than a hundred years and it's not like she was– she… born and died between like before 1950. She's kinda more relevant. She knows Jane Goodall, we'll get into all of that. A lot of that information was hard to dissect. Let's– let's hope I did a good enough job for y’all. Please don't come out– come after me if I left something out. I could honestly go on for hours this could have been like a two parter for me. Alright. Let's start this history book at the beginning. Dr Dian Fossey was born and raised in San Francisco, California and she grew up in an environment surrounded by animals. So much so that she wanted to be a veterinarian, and fun fact she was an avid horseback rider so we got a horse gal for us here. Fast forward a little bit. Dian Fossey didn't really study veterinary, but she was still in the whole helping people, helping animals– because like humans are animals– and graduated with an occupational therapy degree. Moved to Louisville, Kentucky where she was the director of the Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital as an occupational therapist or she was the head of that department. This was in 1955 hence the dumb name. I really hope that wasn't the name but it was in 1955. There she also was living on a farm so she couldn’t super get away from animals because she did own some, had the whole farm life. But it wasn't enough to fulfil her adventurous side, and as the years went on, she was kind of itching to do something more and going back to animals seemed like the obvious choice. So in September 1963, Dian went to Africa for the first time ever. This trip not only cost her her entire life savings, but also an entire bank loan had to be taken out just so she could like go to Africa and do some research. Well, this clearly paid off because while visiting Kenya, Tanzania, and other places, she met paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey and her husband archaeologist Louis Leakey. And this is a side note like snaps they introduced her as Mary Leakey and her husband and my jaw just dropped I was like yes I was going to do this anyway! It was also the relationship that she had with the Leakeys, that she met up with Jane Goodall. And the Leakeys at this point wanted to find ways to make sure other areas– because paleoanthropology is the study of like really really old things, fossils, before human life– they are the guys who did Lucy. Af- Afric– Africanus– what was it–

Alana: Australopithecus

Haley: Austro– Someone please say it.

Lexi: Australopithecus africanus, right?

Haley: There we go. Yes, that is Lucy. It was also this relationship with the Leakeys that she was able to meet Jane Goodall. And Jane Goodall was part of this whole Leakey corporation, society, relationship, business type thing, because the Leakeys as paleoanthropologists were really interested in studying primates and how they worked genetically, historically, all that stuff with our ancestors as Australopithecus Africanus etcetera etcetera etcetera. We can truly visit this for hours and hours and hours. However, we don't have the time. So Dian kind of got the gorilla side of it and she also met with native wildlife photographers who were working on a documentary about African gorillas, and it was there that Dian was like “yes, I love gorillas, I really want to continue this, this is where I was meant to be.” And back in the States Dian kept thinking about Africa, endangered gorillas, and how she can get more involved. She ended up accepting an offer which allowed her to live among the mountain gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then Rwanda, because of like the civil war that was happening she had to move around, be safe. In Rwanda, she established the Karisoke Research Foundation in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park to be like the base camp for her research. She grew her name in the primatology field and was the leader on the physiological and behavioral side of mountain gorillas. So really looking at how they interact with each other, and what individualistic qualities they resemble, so not seeing them as purely these hungry animals that will rip you from limb to limb. How did they act with their children, how did they act with their others like the male versus female, how do they act with other species in the area, all that good stuff. And her work also extended to the protection of our furry comrades by shedding light on how poachers kill gorillas and the violence against them overall. This opened up for international recognition of her work and the work to protect specifically the plummeting numbers of gorillas. So by this time, a lot of people knew her name. During this time, as she was building her framework for her research foundation, doing research herself, she obtained a PhD from Cambridge and then was now Dr Dian and continued more research through Cornell University. However, here on Lady History we have to cover the bad or the ugly. And… So… Look at the show notes for more, but I'll just give you the gist of why her as a conservationist wasn't necessarily a great woman. Like the two didn't have to blend. You can be a great conservationist but a shitty human being. Because in the eyes of the local Rwandans, they were often offended by the way she treated them. This is really like, reading this back I feel– I am getting such– just nervousness I– these are not my words, these are hers. So she would kind of call like a group meeting and go down the list of things and she just turned to locals and be like “my Africans.” It's not great. Even if it's like a little bit racist, it’s still racist. There's also instances of people not being paid on time, but I couldn't find concrete evidence more on like the foundation and research headquarters as a whole, because like she obviously, while was the head, she's not the only person in charge of things, like that’s not how like, a budding foundation worked. Many people– this is like a heavily debated topic in the fields of like how much praise do we give her because she had… she was racist at times, and she was discriminatory. But she did make these huge contributions and the lives of like endangered gorillas. She did devote much of her life to protect the “gentle gorillas” as she would call them from the human and environmental hazards. Unfortunately, her life was cut short because on December 26, 1985, she was found hacked to death. And a lot of this was kind of like circumstantial because they have not found the guilty party and prosecuted them for murder, but they believe that she was murdered by poachers at her Rwandan forest camp. Yeah, Alana’s face is dropped. It took a turn.

Lexi: You’ve never seen Gorillas in the Mist?

Alana: No!

Haley: So I watched Gorillas in the Mist, and I get to that, it's in her legacy. But my mom like turned it off or somehow– I don't remember this ending. I didn't remember that she died. And I read it again and I was like racism… Murder!

Lexi: She did that classic mom thing where you turn off the bad part of the movie.

Haley: I really think that’s what happened.

Lexi: I didn’t know there was a second VHS tape to the Sound of Music for twenty years.

(Alana laughing)

Lexi: Because the Nazis! And I’m German, so I wasn’t allowed to know there were Nazis.

Alana: Oh, that’s such a big problem!

Haley: Yeah, yeah. As you all know I like to just add a little bit of the legacy, and her legacy is still living through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, formerly named the Digit Fund, that's also linked in the show notes. Otherwise the book she wrote in 1983, Gorillas in the Mist, was turned into a movie, as Lexi said, which starred Sigourney Weaver in 1988. I don't know. I'm kind of stuck on this girl, on whether like, I think she's a great– she's definitely not a great human, personally, but like her contributions to science. But I just want to provide all information and be like… and let's respect that she did help the gorillas out, but probably did it in a way that we all cringe now.

(Archival music)

Alana: We've been talking about zookeepers, zoologists, primatologists, you know, that's the theme of the episode. But I feel like we're leaving a key demographic out of this discussion. So my lady for today is Koko the gorilla.

Haley: What?

Alana: Yeah.

Lexi: Fantastic.

Haley: I'm so on board for this.

Alana: Gorilla ladies are ladies.

Haley: I'm speechless

Alana: I’m so glad.

Haley: Bravo. This is fabulous, I’m excited.

Alana: Thank you. I'm also excited. So Koko was born on July 4, 1971 and her full name was Hanabi-ko which means fireworks child. And as I'm saying it I'm realizing that that's a Fourth of July reference… like, fireworks. I just got that. Isn’t that fun. And she was born at the San Francisco Zoo. She was a western lowland gorilla who– they have the best Latin name ever it's gorilla gorilla gorilla. And another woman, Dr Francine “Penny” Patterson, started working with her on sign language in 1972 when Koko was only a year old. And then Dr Patterson started the Gorilla Foundation in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1979. Koko learned a lot of sign language. She knew at least a thousand signs and probably understood about two thousand words because Dr Patterson would talk while she was signing. And that's about the vocab of a toddler. but also like what are non human animals but toddlers? Because I walk a dog, her name is Missy, I love her very much– if she won't leave the park with me, you do that thing that you do with three year olds– “okay bye Missy”– and you walk towards the gate. And what does she do, every single time, she comes running up to me. I say “bye Missy” then she comes. Really what are animals but toddlers. She had a companion named Michael who was rescued from the jungles of Africa and they were supposed to be a breeding pair because it seemed like Koko really wanted a family, in addition to western lowland gorillas being an endangered species. And that's that whole thing about gorillas getting on airplanes with the keepers and private jets, that we were talking about earlier. They didn't actually end up breeding they just became best friends. Like just best friends and they were playmates and it was very fun. He was also learning sign language and potentially learned how to tell the story of watching his mother get killed by poachers. Which… you can learn a little bit more about that I'll leave a link to that in the show notes. So Michael died of a heart condition that's very common in gorillas, and they brought in a second breeding partner whose name was Ndume... also learned sign language. Koko did get pregnant, but she had a miscarriage and couldn't get pregnant after that. So, similar to Lexi’s lady. So instead they got her kittens. Lexi is so happy about this. This is the best story ever. In 1984–

Lexi: Kittens… I’m sorry.

Alana: I know!

Lexi: It’s just so cute!

Alana: I know! In 1984 she adopted a kitten named All Ball that she named, by signing, because she apparently loved rhyming words in sign language. And that inspired a book called “Koko's Kitten” and it's a little kids’ book and it's still in elementary schools all over. But then the cat got hit by a car and died, which is too bad. But for her forty fourth birthday, in 2015, they got her two more kittens and she named them Miss Gray and Miss Black because they were gray and black. Here's where the story gets maybe not as fun. In 2005 Koko kind of got Me Too’d? Three employees at the foundation, three other keepers claimed that Koko asked them to lift their shirts and show her their nipples, which Dr Patterson encouraged. They settled out of court, but like they were sued. That is kind of weird, but– and I was a little bit in disbelief– but also Robin Williams, who famously met her in 2001, talked about her doing that to him. It's just– it's jarring. So that's all very Tiger King, except Dr Patterson is actually like a scientist and has published real papers and isn't horrible. When Michael died, Koko actually expressed grief for him, the same thing when Robin Williams died. The Nat Geo article announcing her death, they had a quote from some guy who really had the audacity to talk shit about zoos while they were talking about how Koko died. And this person was like “yeah she did all these cool things for science but also she shouldn’t have been in a zoo.”And I was like oh my god… Let the people mourn an icon. But she is also– Koko herself has had a lasting legacy. She expanded how we think about animals and language. Like humans have to keep adding to the definition of language so that we can exclude how other species communicate. And some people think that she was only mirroring Dr Patterson or Dr Patterson and her associates were projecting, but Koko signed to herself and there's video in a 60 Minutes Australia segment where she's signing to herself. She has a hat, that is a flowered hat, it's a flower bucket hat. It's real cute, it's something baby Alana would absolutely have worn. And so she's signing “flower” and “hat” to herself. She would also invent signs. Like, she didn’t have a word for “ring” so when she saw Dr Patterson wearing a ring, she signed “finger bracelet” which is pretty much what a ring is. So I just think that Koko… it's a lot that we can learn about grief, and how animals express grief, and how we express grief, and how we can communicate with things. Because animals absolutely learn words. Like we teach dogs words. We teach them– you know– sit, stay, all that. So they know some human words. You can teach animals words in whatever language you speak. There's a dog who comes to the park who speaks Spanish. His name is also Coco! I don't think it's the same kind of Koko though, but. Yeah so that's the story of Koko. I'm so glad you guys liked my surprise.

Lexi: I love it. I'm a big nerd about the whole Koko situation because I am a big nerd about animals talking. Linguistic anthropology has always fascinated me, and I think it extends to animals, and a lot of anthropologists don't think it should extend to animals. But I read this book in high school, because I was reading all the books about birds I could possibly find because I had one, I have one still. And the book is called “Alex and Me” and–

Haley: I know that book.

Lexi: The person who is the scientist in that story was inspired by the Koko experiments to do something similar with a bird, and because birds don't have hands, it was vocal- completely vocal communication. And the bird learned to say phrases and even once asked an existential question. So… he asked “what color Alex” which is technically an existential question. And that's how he learned what the color gray was, because he was gray. So that's really interesting that animals do that stuff.

Haley: So my grandparents, I believe I've talked about this before, basically got a male and female cockatiel, started breeding them, and would often give them to their friends as like “hey you're really old, you live alone, here's a friend.” And I remember visiting one of their friends who had one of these birds and the bird would just start talking. And like she taught the bird how to speak, I– at least Spanish, because they're all Spanish speakers. And the bird I think was like a bilingual bird. Because I think he would respond to me and I'd speak English to it. And this bird would just like talk and be like “hello. How are you?” And I just remember as like a small child being like “this bird's talking to me. I thought this was just in movies.”

Lexi: There’s actually a lot of evidence that birds know their names too because parrots, specifically, their moms give each baby a name that's a sound, and while they don't sound like human names, each baby has a sound that is associated with them. So when we raise a parrot in captivity and we call it it's name, it learns it has a name which is–

Haley: Yes.

Lexi: Really, really cool.

Haley: We had them–

Alana: That is amazing.

Haley: –before cockatiels.

Lexi: You can find this podcast on Twitter and Instagram at LadyHistoryPod. Our show notes and a transcript of the show will be on ladyhistory pod dot tumblr dot com. If you like the show, leave us a review and tell your friends, and if you don't like the show, keep it to yourself.

Alana: Our logo is by Alexia Ibarra, you can find her on Instagram and Twitter at LexiBDraws. Our theme music is by me, GarageBand and Amelia Earhart. Lexi is doing the editing. You will not see us, and we will not see you, but you will hear us, next time, on Lady History.

[OUTRO MUSIC]

Haley: Next week on Lady History, it's the witching hour. We’ll be casting a spell on you and discussing some women of witchcraft, women of vampirism you name it, it's spooky season, and we're here to celebrate.

Alana: Dogs are liberal because they love people, cats are liberal because they're smart.

Lexi: Yes. Mhmm. All animals are liberals.

Haley: I also believe dogs can't be evil.

#feminist history #womens history #feminism #history

1 note · View note

randomnameless · 4 years

Text

I've been straying too far from Naga's light and ended up on SF, it couldn't be as bad as redshit...

How wrong I was!

Anyways, amusing take I noticed was

"you should have been given a chance to hear Edel in the tomb and rhea refusing and turning into a dragon would have been more of an incentive to fight against her"

Which is uh... Not that wrong per se, but in what kind of an alternate reality would it have changed a thing?

Rhea willing to pause and listen to Edel would mean :

She's willing to listen to the person who (to her knowledge Flamey and the Monica gang are one and the same) :

Knows about their draconic identities (why capturing Flayn for her blood otherwise?)

Plans to use her dead sibling's hearts to turn humans into monsters

Knows their identities plus the power of their blood and hearts --> she might want to turn them into gauntlets or work with the people who turned her family into shiny weapons

Let a serial killer kill random students (until he found her niece)

Remire

Jeralt's death and the students turned into monsters just before his death

Tried to kill the professor in the forest

Right now ; ordered them all to be killed if they tried to oppose her and brought Metodey

Fought against her former classmates + Billy and tried to kill them

Is hell bent on recovering every crest stone

Not everything's right in those takes, and Rhea can only guess so much with the limited cards she has in her hands.

The simple fact that she's able to express regret when we met her in the tailtean plains shows that she has calmed down a bit - but here in chapter 11? The revelations + living right now someone barging again in her home to steal her dead brethren's powers, on top of being threatened and having some of her beloved students being threatened too?

There's no way Rhea’s going to accept anything else but Edel's immediate death.

Which is sad, because she wouldn't listen to anything, even if, per miracle, Edel suddenly decided to spill the beans - whatever those beans could be... (the Agarthians experimented on me I swore I'll destroy them but I need to kill you first because... Eww dragons? )

Which is why her overreaction is perfectly coherent - it might shock the player and might be the reason why you'd pick "no I will protect Edel" option. Not because you'd care about Edel, but because you want to know why and hoped Edel would give you answers about the crests, the beasts, why Jeralt died etc... But nope :) on a side note some SF posters felt tricked, they only wanted to know the truth but picking this choice led them to be embarked on the "Adrestia great again" train...

Otoh, thinking about the Tailtean convo, Rhea regrets having to fight Edel who's her first friend's descendant, but she doesn't go ballistic seeing her new relic - did she knew it was a fake one?

Tailtean happens after Flayn and Seteth's fight, we can't meet birdie in CF so it Rhea could have come to the worst conclusion (Indech/Macuil was turned into an axe?). Idk maybe some "who did you slaughter to make that weapon?!" thing.

Gfdi I'd die for some nabatean content any kind of content as long as gremlin's not here.

#Fe16 #Fire emblem three houses #fire emblem three houses spoilers #Somehow #Rhea #Infamous chapter 11 #In this game dragons have human reactions and emotions #No one calls Tibarn ax crazy when he wants to break Izuka's neck #And this is before Izuka says that everything he did was for science #Maybe Izuka was forced by Lekain to lead those researches?#Nope we don't care #If Edel and Rhea might reconcile it will first be a stupid idea #Second it will be impossible to do so in chapter 11 #Even 12 #Maybe later but not those two chapters #Worst mom hate

10 notes · View notes

shijiujun · 5 years

Text

history3 ep10 summary - POOR SHAO FEI AND TANG YI BB, this is what heartbreak looks like

I JUST ABOUT DIED. I DID. THE LAST PART WAS MAD - just this 30 seconds alone carried the entire fucking episode

We are at the halfway mark - Part of me doesn’t want it to end at all but I need to see the birthday cake and domestic scenes ASAP!! Currently I’m just enjoying the ride and so glad we get to see Chris and Jake and Andy and Kenny and everyone of those other hot and excellent actors in this show. I’ve never done a GIF or subtitled in all my years on tumblr before History3 - life changing this is what this show is and I’m so happy we’re all doing this together! Let’s make it through the halfway mark together omgosh excited guys!!!!!

Shopping scene with Shao Fei + Hong Ye: Hong Ye is telling SF to walk faster they go into a department store and she keeps changing clothes OMG LOL THEY ARE SO CUTE TGT!!! She wears smth with ruffles and then asks SF how it looks and then he’s like ‘why do u look like a seaweed’ and she’s like ‘who’s a seaweed you’re a seaweed’ and then she dances LOL and then LOL HE FELL ASLEEP WHILE SHOPPING WITH HER AND LOST HER omg Shao Fei seriously

They’re playing a game on the escalator this is the funniest shit and OF COURSE she brings him to a lingerie shop and omg Shao Fei so poor thing just sits there and OMG YAS HONG YE SISTER-BROTHER RIVALRY and she buys him UNDERWEAR and she’s like “hang on a second, this is too big for you, you need a smaller one” LOL BURN

Carpark/shooting scene: They’re almost like friends or something, although later after we see the hong ye and bodyguard ah de scene you’ll realise why she was speaking to shao fei like that (because she knew smth was going to happen and she thought everything was going to go to plan but who knew they were coming with guns) and anw, then the bullets start going off and shao fei protects her with all of his body like OH MY GOD - And wow the angle of the shot and how it struck SF is totally wrong and omggg this scene was faster than I thought JESUS CHRIST - is it just me or did Shao Fei get hit on the wrong side? Either they missed a scene or the bullet came from elsewhere

and then we get the scene of tang yi storming into the hospital and he goes straight for hong ye first, hugs her as she cries etc. and then hot doctor is there and when hot doctor is NOT SMILING YOU KNOW SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN - anyway, the nurse tells hot doctor that the surgery has been prepped, and then hot doctor nods and says ‘let’s go’ - and that’s when tang yi REMEMBERS AND LOOKS UP - “is that for meng shao fei?” And his look of absolute regret is ridiculous

and hot doctor just somberly nods

Police chief STILL DOESNT KNOW THAT SHAO FEI HAS BEEN SHOT omg he’s going around doing his usual shit and everyone is clearing shit with him and fuck he misses shao fei so much I like that they finally show that shao fei is useful in the office and everyone is dependent on him and then suddenly Yu Qi turns up because she somehow got the call that shao fei is in the hospital

Oh goddddd Tang Yi’s face as he sits there AND LOL Dao yi (glasses guy) knows police chief quite well he called him Brother Bao, and tells him to calm down and they will take care of everything but POLICE CHIEF AINT HAVING NONE OF THAT BULLSHIT he pushes dao yi aside and this is one of the only times he can legit grab a mob boss by the neck and not get shot at after - police chief loves Shao Fei so much you can tell he totally lost it and Hong Ye genuinely feels bad and she’s saying sorry over and over to him as tang yi sits there catatonic - tang yi is totally quiet

also not sure if you guys caught it but the older guy in the investigative team, the one who always kind of says smth subtly bad about shao fei, he shot a look to bodyguard ah de when police chief was confronting tang yi in the hospital - they are totally up to something, corrupt police!!!!

The rest of the investigative team - LOL Zhao zi: “wow I’ve never seen police boss chief grab someone so much larger than him by the neck” - Yu Qi really likes Shao Fei, she’s crying by herself at the stairs and police chief is the one who’s standing by Shao fei’s door the moment he’s out of surgery and he scoffs “what ‘they’ll take care of everything’? the moment they heard shao fei was going to pull through they all left’- he tells zhao zi that they’ll start investigating who the fuck was behind the shooting and reminds them all to be careful

Captain Shi: “those who dare to touch any one from the investigative team, I’ll bring them all back to the police station!!!!”

OMG WE GET THE SCENE WHERE TANG YI IS HOTLY WALKING AND RIPPING OFF HIS JACKET AND OH JESUS CHRIST BRASS KNUCKLES?!!! Anw here’s the gem oh my god: Tang yi comes in where the culprit is already seated and he tells everyone to get the fuck out (OMG YOU KNOW HE MEANS BUSINESS)

Ah De is like ‘boss, this is a small thing, let me do it’ - and he’s so damn insistent on interrogating the culprit himself even though tang yi is literally ready to set fire on the bitch you know and i’m like AH DE THAT IS SO NOT SMART YOU WANNA DIE?!

and well, we all called it - tang yi hears that and he’s like wtf and he gets mad, hauls bodyguard ah de off his feet and slams him against the wall and yells: “SMALL THING?! HE TOUCHED MY PEOPLE, AND YOU CALL IT A SMALL THING?!”

and bodyguard is like fuckkkk: “yes i’m sorry boss, i said the wrong thing, i’ll leave now”

and then he goes out and hovers by the door while tang yi puts on his brass knuckles and starts punching the dude who is yelling a bit like... not realistically HAHAHAHA - and omg Jack hit it right on the nail, he asked Brother De why he looks so worried and ‘jokingly’ asks, “why, do u know the person inside?” And Brother De is so angry and defensive - jack totally knows what is up

Brother de and Hong Ye meet up and here we find out that they ordered the hit on shao fei in a sense to get rid of him - they wanted to show tang yi that shao fei can’t protect anyone and then chase him away, but they were supposed to come teach shao fei a lesson with like wooden sticks and not guns - hong ye was a bit stunned by that as well and she asked ah de like wtf did you really want to kill me?! and ah de is like confused also, he doesn’t really know how the plan went wrong?! and hong ye is like, whatever, i will cooperate with you only up to here, if tang yi manages to get any answers, it’s all on you (like not cool hong ye, tang yi would totes forgive you if you just admitted it i think)

anyway, switch to the balcony scene with tang yi and jack, where jack asks who it was that ordered the hit, and tang yi says: “chen wen hao”

okay so my theory is that maybe chen wen hao really has smth to do with this - he kind of derailed the plan and changed it to legitly wanting to kil hong ye and shao fei (more hong ye than shao fei more likely) - but right now they dont know it they just think that they’re safe and their story checks out

Okay so Hong Ye and Dao Yi - Gosh she’s kind of a brat but I get where she’s coming from. anyway she leaves brother de and then dao yi is waiting for her in the carpark - the man knows he way better than she knows herself, and i think he knows that she had something to do with the shooting, but he didn’t say anything except to hint that she better leave shao fei up to tang yi and stop trying to interfere. hong ye is adamant that shao fei is a different kind of person from them, and dao yi is like: “that’s for the boss to decide. the way he treats him... shao fei is different to him”

OH MY GOD THANK YOU SOMEONE SAYING IT AS IT IS FINALLY NO MORE SUBTLE LOOKS AND SMILES SOMEONE SAID IT

and anw, hong ye manages to make this entire thing about her and how dao yi doesn’t love her - sister, i really get you and dao yi really needs to get his shit together, but srsly, a man just got shot for you because you were unhappy with his presence - and gosh unrequited (actually requited) love, but i get her in this part

but seriously, i get that she want shao fei out of the way but they way she did it was totally wrong, does she not know that tang yi is soft for him and cares for him like he has no one else before? she was willing to hurt him to make a point, and then ah de is - gosh dude get a grip

AND OMGGGGGG TANG YI’S FACE AS HE IS BY SHAO FEI’S BEDSIDE - this is what heartbreak looks like guys, he looks like he’s saying goodbye and his fucking expression - wow Chris did a fucking good job he totally looks heartbroken and as if shao fei died or smth, he’s holding his hand and air-tracing his nose and he looks like he’s going to cry - HE REALLY LOVES HIM GUYS - the emotion was really right on point

(and lol the chinese audience - they were scolding tang yi during the first part of the ep because he didn’t seem to have much of a reaction to shao fei’s injury and then when the last part came everyone went BATSHIT CRAZY)

what the fuck is going to happen next episode? i ask, but i know already - tang yi is getting ready to say goodbye to shao fei and push him away because he realised how dangerous it is for shao fei to be around him BUT OUR FAVE CHARACTERS WILL FIND SOME WAY TO BE TOGETHER AGAIN NO WORRIES I DOUBT THEIR BREAKUP WILL LAST MORE THAN AN EP

#history 3: 圈套 #history3圈套 #history 3: trapped #history3: trap #history3 spoilers #summary

52 notes · View notes