#ch sun tzu

[khookn]

Sun Tzu again, I love my son. I hope you like looking at my son

#khoo art #fanart #art #my art #clone high #ch sun tzu #sun tzu #clone high oc #ch fanclone #fanclone #clone high fanclone

[journeytothewestresearch]

I've heard that Wukong has a heart of gold (literally), as well as iron lungs, and a metal spine from being in Lao Tzu's furnace and eating molten Copper from Guan Yin and was wondering if this is true.

Monkey states that in ch. 34:

When old Monkey caused great disturbance in the Celestial Palace five hundred years ago and was refined for forty-nine days in the eight trigram brazier of Laozi, the process in fact gave me a heart strong as gold and viscera hardy as silver, a bronze head and an iron back, fiery eyes and diamond pupils (Wu & Yu, 2012, vol. 2, p. 131).

The legend of his adamantine body predates the 1592 JTTW. For instance, Sun claims the following in the early-Ming zaju play:

I plundered Laozi’s gold Pill of Immortality, and have endured so many alchemical transformations that my muscles are brass, my bones iron, my eyes fire, my pupils gold, my asshole lead and my prick is pewter (Ning, 1986, p. 142). 

Another example comes from the 13th-century JTTW. He is referred to as the the “Bronze-Headed, Iron-Browed King of the Eighty-Four Thousand Monkeys of the Purple Cloud Grotto on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits” (Wivell, 1994, p. 1182). And the story ends with the Tang Emperor Taizong enfeoffing him as the “Great Sage Steel Muscles and Iron Bones” (Wivell, 1994, p. 1207).

Sources:

Ning, C. Y. (1986). Comic Elements in the Xiyouji Zaju (UMI No. 8612591) [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Wivell, C.S. (1994). The Story of How the Monk Tripitaka of the Great Country of T’ang Brought Back the Sūtras. In V. Mair (Ed.), The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature (pp. 1181-1207). New York: Columbia University Press.

Wu, C., & Yu, A. C. (2012). The Journey to the West (Vols. 1-4) (Rev. ed.). Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.

#Sun Wukong #Monkey King #Journey to the West #JTTW #Lego Monkie Kid #LMK #invulnerability

[komaneko-kun]

The importance of Yan Zhengming’s femininity

I don’t intend to try to guess what priest was thinking when writing yzm, but since taoism is a big part of liu yao and yzm is such a powerful cultivator, i thought it’d be fun to do a short analysis of the way femininity is perceived in taoism and how he embodies that

If you read the Tao Te Ching, you’ll notice that it describes comparisons between a lot of  dualities or two sides of the same coin that complement each other, the yin and yang concepts represent those opposite natures that, despite seeming so contradictory and different, exist in balance and can even alternate or superpose each other in nature, among the different things that are considered yin and yang (like dark and light, moon and sun, passive and active, etc.) there is femininity (yin) and masculinity (yang)

In many chapters, Lao Tzu describes Tao as something inherently feminine and maternal, since it’s considered the mother (母) of all things, it’s continuously referred as “woman” or “female”, Lao Tzu creates comparisons between femininity and masculinity, but keeping femininity as the dominant one or as having the main role in the comparison. Lao Tzu prefers and suggests that one should be more feminine, because, at least in the way it was perceived at the time, it is closer to Tao and represents one of the most important concepts in taoism, the concept of wu-wei (inaction or effortless action) better (i’m not going to explain wu-wei so i don’t divert too much from the topic but as someone who’s passionate about it i invite you to look it up!) 

some examples of this in the Tao Te Ching:

“Knowing the manly, but clinging to the womanly,

You become the valley of the world.” (Ch. 28)

“A great country is like the lower outlet of a river.

It is the world's meeting ground, the world's female.

The female always surpasses the male with stillness.

In her stillness she is yielding.” (Ch. 61)

“Can you open and close the gate of Heaven

And act like a woman?” (Ch.10)

(i could go on about how revolutionary it was for femininity and women to have such an important role in taoism in contrast to a male-dominated confucian society but that’s for another time) so, in general, femininity is highly valued in taoism, it represents the origin of life, water and movement, it’s something both active and passive, because it’s tied to wu-wei, as Stefan Stennud explains in his interpretation:

“You should have no wish to rule, or to make use of the powers you have at hand. Then you understand when to do nothing, which is usually the best. To Lao Tzu, this attitude is the female one, and he definitely prefers it – for men as well. Traditionally, men have sought power and were eager to use it in abundance, while women preferred to leave things be, in order to do the least damage. That's the wisdom of doing nothing”

So now that we know femininity’s role in taoism, how does this relate to Yan Zhengming?

because i believe he represents that perception of femininity very well, he’s a man that’s constantly described as feminine, both praised and mocked for it at times, he’s someone that takes great care of his appearance and values things that are commonly associated with femininity, but not only that, i think a lot of fans can agree that he also behaves like a mother to his siblings, not really like a gentle and patient mother, more like the mother that scolds you and calls you ungrateful (but still works hard to protect you and give you a good life…-sob-), Yan Zhengming is powerful but chooses not to use it to dominate or be aggressive against others, his ambitions aren’t centered around becoming even more powerful, but to ensure a peaceful life for him and his family. his kindness acts indirectly and passively, so even though he’s more reserved with his affection towards his family, it’s always present, he doesn’t need to boast about it, it’s simply shown through his actions, he will effortlessly do everything for them because that is his nature

and yet these contrasts still exist within him, he’s both the gong and feminine, he’s strong but doesn’t exert senseless violence, he possesses both qualities associated with femininity and masculinity, but with a predominance of femininity, i think it’s interesting considering how he’s pretty much one of the most powerful cultivators of his world, han muchun could be associated with it since his personality is full of gentleness and nurturing

anyways i couldn’t help noticing this while reading taoist texts, i hope you found it interesting too!

#liu yao #yan zhengming #六爻priest #taoism #btw i love talking about liu yao w a taoist perspective so...lemme know if i should write more of these lol #i know it's my blog and i can do what i want but ;;;;;;;;; i also think will who cares #bla bla bla self consciousness

[everybodyhatesrand]

#wheel of time #the wheel of time #towers of midnight #ehr podacst

[incarnateirony]

March 24 - Aries, The Emperor

Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus.

From the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Cap 37 and 39.

12-15.  Come with me, and I will give you all that is desirable upon the earth. Because I give you that of which Earth and its joys are but as shadows. They flee away, but my joy abideth even unto the end. I have hidden myself beneath a mask: I am a black and terrible God.

25-26.  The weak, the timid, the imperfect, the cowardly, the poor, the tearful— these are mine enemies, and I am come to destroy them. This also is compassion: an end to the sickness of earth. A rooting-out of the weeds: a watering of the flowers.

33-39.  I reveal unto you a great mystery. Ye stand between the abyss of height and the abyss of depth. In either awaits you a Companion; and that Companion is Yourself. Ye can have no other Companion.

Many have arisen, being wise. They have said “Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It.” Many have arisen, being foolish. They have said, “Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime.” I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both! Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose the other!

TTC Ch 39: When the daytime sky is dark and overcast like night, the nation and its people will surely suffer much.

March 24: Venus Sextiles Jupiter March 25: Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Libra

Full Moon is considered visible in effect March 24's final hours.

A lunar eclipse is a release. It is a full Moon partnered with the lunar nodes, which are astrological symbols of destiny, purpose, and evolution. Eclipses bring purpose, depth, meaning, where the voice of our own higher wisdom becomes louder, felt in our bodies, unable to be ignored. They remind us, over and over again, of our own knowing. They remind us, over and over again, of the importance of listening, trusting, loving, appreciating, and honoring the voice that comes from within, for it always whispers what we most need to hear.

It is coming. And it will be, and should be, and it is.

Mine are the dark-blue waves of music in the song that I made of old to invoke Thee – Strike, strike the master chord! Draw, draw the Flaming Sword! Crowned Child and Conquering Lord, Horus, avenger! By the Song I invoke Thee!

In my hand is thy Sword of Revenge ; let it strike at Thy Bidding! By the Sword I invoke Thee!

By the sun, by the sun, I evoke thee!

#Youtube

[baeddel]

another thing re: Sun Tzu and the maxims. in the section i quoted, where he shifts from analysis to poetical maxims, they take this form: “do x like y”, ie. “in rapidity be like the wind.” why be like the wind in particular? because it is fast. “in immovability [be like] the mountain.” why like the mountain? because it is immovable. its easy to understand why people think this is sophistry. “when not moving, remember not to move.” but thats not what is being accomplished by these lines. while the later commentaries (quoted on suntzusaid.com) tend to elaborate by drawing on further qualities of the object in question (“the wind is not only swift but, as Mei Yao-ch`en points out, 'invisible and leaves no tracks.’ ”), the main point (as i see it) is that each of these tactical virtues (speed, unit coherence, ferocity, and steadfastness) correspond to the natural elements, mentioned at the end of the previous chapter: “water, fire, wood, metal, earth.” in those days this cosmology was taken so seriously that people believed that even dynastic successions followed a cycle laid down by the elements. although the correspondence isnt perfect. there are four rather than five of such maxims. unit coherence is “like the forest” and would correspond to wood, ferocity is “like fire” corresponding to fire, steadfastness is “like a mountain” which would be earth. but the first is wind rather than water or metal. so maybe not... in any case i think the comparisons to nature are supposed to be more than metaphors & its also intended to develop a systematic theory of war, on the theory that there is a harmony and homology between things, such that virtues of war should respect the natural virtues. its possible that the “dark and impenetrable as night” in the next maxim is doing similar work; i know ‘dark’ is conceptually laden in Laozi (’the dark female, the gate of the world’, generative emptiness etc.).

i will admit that he does say “ponder and deliberate before you make a move” on this page.

[duhragonball]

Battle Tendency Liveblog: JJBA Ch. 105-108

“Master Kars has taken a fighting stance!   I... I wasn’t expecting tongue...”

Hey, remember Wammu?   Well, he’s dead now, so the only Pillar Man left to worry about is the leader, Kars.  His army of vampire slaves don’t like this, so they try to bumrush our heroes, but Lisa kills a few of them, then threatens to destroy the Red Stone of Aja unless Kars honors their agreement. 

And Kars is cool with that.   He only took off his headdress and exposed his antennae to prepare for the next one-on-one fight.   He then kills his unruly henchmen to prove that they don’t speak for him.  Moreover, Kars is now willing to fight Lisa Lisa.   Earlier, he said that he didn’t like fighting women, but now that he’s seen her in action, he’s on board with the idea.

But he doesn’t want to fight in Skeleton Heel Stone, where Joseph and Wammu squared off.   Instead, he chooses the Piza Berlina Temple, right next door to the S.H.S.  Apparently, after a hard day of chariot racing, the winners used to come here to worship their gods and drink the blood of the losers. 

It’s weird to me that Kars and Wammu should be so familiar with this place, and carry such an abiding respect for it.   I mean, they’ve viewed ordinary 20th Century humans with utter contempt, dismissing them as backwards primitives.   Santana disassembled a German rifle like it was easy, and he’s supposed to be the big dummy in the Pillar Men.   That’s how little they think of 1938 technology and civilization.   The Hamon users in this story only get a bit of respect because they‘ve become worthy adversaries. 

And yet, the Pillar Men seem to be a lot more respectful towards ancient humanity.   Esidisi knew the writings of Sun Tzu, if not the man himself.   You’d think he’d just ignore or devour Sun Tzu sooner than look at him.   And you’d think Wammu would have wanted to fight in the traditions of his own culture, but instead he’s all into this ancient human racetrack.    It can’t be because it’s old.   Compared to Wammu, it’s positively brand new.  

On the other hand, these guys are the last of their kind, as we’ll learn in a few chapters.   Human culture is the only kind the Pillar Men have gotten to see, and it’s been that way for about a hundred centuries now.   If Esidisi wants to read a book, he’s pretty much going to have to tolerate human authors, because that’s all that’s left.   And if Wammu wants to admire a sporting arena, he’s stuck with places like these, built by those pesky “primitives”.  

Joseph asks Lisa to let him fight Kars instead, since he’s still worried about her being a woman.   Also, he believes Kars is weaker than Wammu, so he should be able to defeat him.   But Lisa insists on handling this, and she strips down to this circus outfit.    That sounds like I’m making fun of it, but I’m not.   It looks pretty badass, but also period-appropriate. 

The fight is very short.  Kars pulls some sort of disappearing act, then emerges from one of the stone surfaces of the temple, trying to slash at Lisa from behind with his blades.    But Lisa has it scouted, and she wraps her silk scarf around Kars’ arm, charges it with Hamon, and kills him, wham, bam, thank you ma’am.  

And then the real Kars emerges from the same stone, and stabs Lisa in the back.   Somehow, Kars disguised one of his vampire minions to look just like him, right down to the blades in his arms, and sent that flunky out as a distraction.    It’s a cheap trick, and a complete 180 from the honor displayed by Wammu in the previous fight.  Kars doesn’t care.   He doesn’t care about dishonoring Wammu’s memory, nor does he care about breaking his word.   The only thing Kars cares about is getting the Red Stone of Aja, and now he has it. 

Unfortunately, this takes Lisa Lisa out of action for the rest of the story.  Kars hasn’t killed her, but she’s too badly hurt to do anything from here.   That kind of sucks, because Lisa’s such a cool character.   A friend of mine once complained that Lisa got a raw deal in Part 2, and we should have gotten to see her get a big fight, on par with Joseph vs. Esidisi, or Caesar vs. Wammu.   I can’t really disagree with the sentiment. 

However, I have a hard time figuring out how such a fight could have been worked into the story.   She couldn’t beat Kars, for Pete’s sake.   He’s the final boss of Part 2, so it sort of falls to Joseph to do the honors.  And she couldn’t beat Wammu or Esidisi, because Joseph was the one who needed the antidote to their poison rings.  Lisa could have lost to either of them--the way Caesar lost to Wammu-- except she’d have to die, which would spoil the big reveal of her origin story.

So maybe there needed to be an extra Pillar Man in the cast?   Not Santana, because he’s too weak, but maybe Kars’ group has a fourth guy named Talqingedz or whatever.  So Lisa Lisa could mop the floor with that dude... and then what?    Would it really carry any dramatic weight for her to defeat a guy like that?  A Pillar Man so ancillary to the story that the plot would flow just as well without him?    When you get down to it, Lisa Lisa’s dream opponent for Part 2 just ends up looking like Wired Beck, a random jobber presented solely to establish her credibility as a fighter.   And we already got Lisa vs. Wired Beck, and clearly that wasn’t satisfying enough.   So Lisa Lisa vs. a Pillar Man probably wouldn’t have been much of an improvement.  

Nonetheless, I think it’s a valid criticism of Battle Tendency.  You come out of this story wishing we could have seen more of Lisa Lisa in action, and we just aren’t going to get it.   But the root of the problem isn’t that she didn’t get to fight more, it’s that she was presented as a fighter when that really wasn’t her role in the story.   She’s a teacher, training Joseph and Caesar in the ways of the Ripple, but more importantly, she’s an enigma.  Who is she?   What’s her connection to the Joestars?  To Straizo?   To Caesar?   Where did she get the Red Stone of Aja?   And so on.  

Her Ripple mastery makes her one of the strongest fighters on the board, but that’s just another piece of the puzzle.   I think there was a profile of Lisa Lisa in the manga that said her Ripple was three times stronger than Joseph’s.   But we never get to see it demonstrated, because that’s not the point.  We’re just supposed to wonder who this lady is and how she got so powerful, and where has she been this whole time.    I think this is also why everyone keeps writing her off as a woman.   It’s not just chauvanism, it’s intended to keep the reader off-balance.  One minute Joseph and the Pillar Men are respecting her power, and the next minute they’re dismissing her.    It keeps you guessing. 

I suspect this is one reason why Araki dealt Lisa Lisa such an inglorious defeat here.   Could Lisa have defeated Kars in a fair fight?   Yeah, I think she could.   But if she cleaned his clock, it would defeat the mystique of the character.   The same is true if Lisa lost to Kars in a fair fight.  We’d say “Oh, okay, she wasn’t quite as strong as Joseph, so that’s that.” 

Now, the other major reason for Kars to defeat Lisa Lisa like this is to demonstrate Kars’ main character trait.   He only cares about achieving his objective.   Wammu had his warrior code, and Esidisi had his devotion to his comrades, but Kars has only himself and his goals.   He had Lisa and Joseph cornered in the abandoned hotel, but they didn’t have the Aja Stone on them.   Lisa made that bluff about a bomb, and then proposed this contest to settle things.   Kars agreed, but not because he had any intention of honoring the agreement.  He just let things play out because he knew Joseph would bring the Stone to the battlefield, and even if Wammu lost, he would still have all of these vampires to back him up.  

That’s how Kars was able to defeat Lisa.   He used Wammu’s own honor to lull Lisa into a false sense of security.   After seeing how noble Wammu was in defeat, and how gracious Kars was in disciplining his vampires, she began to believe that Kars would fight her fairly.     That was Kars’ plan all along.   Once he had her isolated on the temple, with the Red Stone of Aja on her person, he made his play.    It’s dirty pool, but it worked, and that’s all Kars cares about. 

This makes Joseph super-duper pissed, but what’s he gonna do about it?   He’s way down there on the ground, surrounded by vampires, and his Ripple is weak from the fight with Wammu.    So now Kars can just watch from a safe vantage while his henchmen tie up the last loose end.  

But then, the Nazis show up, led by Stroheim, complete with a repaired cyborg body.  And Speedwagon and Smokey are here too, along with a fighting contingent of the Speedwagon Foundation.   And they came prepared too!  Everybody’s armed with UV emitters.   To be sure, ultraviolet lamps haven’t worked so well against the Pillar Men, but against ordinary vampires, they seem to do the job quite nicely.   

So while they clean house, Joseph climbs up to where Kars and Lisa are, and he’s ready to throw down.   Joseph has plenty of harsh words for Kars’ dirty tactics, but Kars doesn’t care.   This has all been a chess game to him.   The Ripple Clan, the vampires, even Wammu and Esidisi, they were all just pieces on a board, maneuvered and arranged until he could secure a path to victory with minimal risk.  

See, that’s the other thing about Lisa Lisa.   It’s very subtly expressed here, but Kars was clearly very worried about her.   He knew Joseph was a threat because he killed Esidisi, but he knew he could use Wammu to wear Joseph down.   But Lisa Lisa is even more powerful and experienced than Joseph, and she’s shrewd enough to destroy the Stone if cornered.    He knew he couldn’t beat her at her own game, so he let her think she was playing her own game in order to set her up for that sneak attack.   If Kars hadn’t done that, he’d be dead by now, or the Stone would be lost or destroyed.  

Likewise, I’m not sure Kars is confident about a fair fight with Joseph, even though he’s tired from fighting Wammu.  I mean, you’d think he’d just charge Joseph and cut his head off if he could, but instead he lures him into another trap.    Before Joseph got up here, Kars tied Lisa’s feet to a rope.    He made sure not to kill her, but only so he could use her as a hostage.   Kars tosses Lisa down, and Joseph has to grab the rope to keep her from falling to her death.

And the whole point of that was to keep Joseph standing still.   He can’t let go of the rope, so he’s in no position to defend himself.   Now Kars can just walk right up to him and kill him at his leisure.   As far as Kars is concerned, this is what fighting is all about.   Not a test of strength and skill like Wammu’s ideal, but the achievement of victory at minimal risk.  

And this is where we see Joseph exceed Lisa Lisa.  They both got suckered into Kars’ traps, but Lisa doesn’t have Joseph’s penchant for trickery and quick thinking.    She’s got more Ripple power, sure, but that doesn’t matter against a guy like Kars.   I’m starting to get the impression that Kars is a lot weaker than Wammu, since he fights so conservatively in this story.   He may not be able to afford to fight Joseph in any other way.   

So how in the hell can Joseph get out of this one?   Well, first he tries to kick Kars to keep him away.   Kars just cuts his leg, along with a section of rope that was in the way.   Joseph’s Ripple is so weak that the kick did nothing. 

Then Joseph sets his own scarf on fire and talks about how he has a plan, and it’s so awesome that he can make this work before the flames reach his body.    Kars thinks this is just desperate posturing, and all Joseph seems to do is swing away.    Kars thinks he’s trying to get some distance so he can recover his Hamon energy.

Then Kars cuts the rope, since Joseph won’t stand still and get murdered.   

And it backfires, because Joseph did more tricky rope tricks!   Hermit Purple, bitch!

Basically, that very first bit, where Joseph tried to kick him, even then, Joseph had a plan.    He got Kars to cut a section of rope, which he then used to tie his own leg to the rope holding Lisa Lisa.   Then he goaded Kars into cutting the rope so Lisa would fall, not realizing that Joseph had her secured with his other rope.   Also, that other rope got caught on Kars’ own foot.   It’s complicated. 

Oh, wait, I forgot to talk about chess.   Okay, so earlier, Kars was gloating about using Lisa as a pawn to achieve checkmate.   It’s a good analogy, but I’m pretty sure chess was invented within the last 2000 years.   In other words, Kars literally slept through the entire history of the game.   So for him to be talking about it now, I have to assume he learned about chess during that month while Joseph was training.   That kind of sucks.   Esidisi and Wammu were running around trying to find the Red Stone of Aja, and Kars was probably chilling out in Switzerland playing chess and drinking hot cocoa all night.   Wotta heel.

Then Joseph pulls himself back up with his scarf and uses Overdrive against Kars’ blade.  Joseph’s Ripple is so strong that he just powers right through, destroying the blade on Kars’ arm like it’s no big deal.  That’s interesting, because when Joseph first saw Kars’ blades, he worried that he wouldn’t be able to block them, and now it’s Kars who wasn’t strong enough to block. 

Maybe “Light Mode” was more of an illusion than a genuine power?  I mean, the blades are super-sharp, but I never understood what difference it made for them to be all sparkly, unless it’s a psychological trick to demoralize the enemy.   It definitely worked on Stroheim, and it worked on Joseph for a while, but I don’t think Joseph’s gotten that much stronger since their last encounter.   

Anyway, the Ripple worked, and Kars’ entire arm explodes.   Yeah!  Then he falls off the temple, and Joseph loosens the rope to help him on his way down.    Cool!  Then Kars lands on a bunch of spiky rocks, the same gruesome fate he intended for Lisa Lisa.   Yeah, how’s that taste, Kars?   You loincloth-wearin’ piece of crap?  

So... yeah, we won!  Great job everyone!  Except for the Nazis, they can all go fuck off and die in a fire.   Smokey’s feeling a lot better about everything, so he asks Speedwagon about Lisa Lisa.   See, earlier, Lisa revealed to Joseph that she was the baby that Erina rescued at the end of Phantom Blood.   But Erina told Smokey about the same baby back in New York, and Smokey knows that Lisa Lisa is Joseph’s mother.  

Except, Erina told Joseph that his mother died of a disease when he was a baby, so how can Lisa be alive and a Ripple Master?   Speedwagon agrees to explain, since Smokey took care of Erina while he was away, but he insists that Smokey not reveal any of this to Joseph, because it’s Joestar family business.  

I hadn’t really considered it until now, but this is the first time we’ve seen Smokey and Speedwagon interact so far.   They’ve gotten to know each other off-panel, and they seem to have a bond over their shared respect for the Joestars, so it lulled me into thinking they’ve appeared together before this.    Anyway...

The origin of Lisa Lisa isn’t all that complicated, actually.   She was raised by Straizo and became a Ripple warrior, while Jonathan and Erina’s son, George Joestar II, joined the British Air Force in World War I.   George and Lisa fell in love, married, and had a baby, Joseph.  

The catch is that there was one last zombie from Phantom Blood.   Speedwagon and Straizo thought they got all of Dio’s zombies, but one of them was very clever and managed to stay hidden.    He just made sure to eat his victims’ entire body, so as not to leave any physical evidence.   Also, he faked a disability to excuse himself from any daylight activities.    By the 1910′s, he had successfully infiltrated the RAF as a Major.  

So George learned of this, because he knew all the Phantom Blood lore from his wife and mother.    But George never had any Ripple abilities himself.   He may have had the potential for it, but he was never trained, and I guess he didn’t develop it naturally, the way Joseph did.  

So he tried to gather evidence to expose the zombie Major, but his plan backfired and the zombie killed him instead, then covered up George’s death by reporting it as a plane crash.    Speedwagon and Straizo investigated this, but before they could act...

Lisa got wind of it and took matters into her own hands.  She killed the zombie major, but she did it in front of another officer.   The authorities knew nothing of zombies or Stone Masks, so they just thought she murdered an RAF officer in cold blood.    So she had to leave Britian as a fugitive, and she’s been living in exile in Italy ever since.    The Speedwagon Foundation has been trying to clear her name, but I doubt there’s whole lot they could do about a case like this.

And there you have it.   Erina was so heartbroken over the death of her son and the exile of her daughter-in-law that she asked Speedwagon to never tell Joseph what really happened to his parents, and to keep the Ripple a secret from him.   Of course, none of that really worked, because Joseph developed the Ripple on his own, and Straizo and Stroheim forced Joseph to develop those abilities even further, leading him directly to his long lost mother.   Erina wanted to protect Joseph, but she couldn’t save him from his own fate.    Smokey starts crying, and I’m like “same tbh.”  

This ties back to a point I made early on.   When I watched the anime, it seemed kind of random to introduce Smokey, then drop him for most of the story, then bring him back at the end.   But now, it makes a lot more sense.   He was a viewpoint character, but only so far as the stuff about the Joestar Family.   All the fighting and Ripple stuff could be done without Smokey, since Joseph could function as his own viewpoint character for that part.   And while it’s kind of weird for Smokey to be absent for so long, it helps that he seemed to feel the same way.    He clearly went out of his way to join Speedwagon on this mission to Switzerland.  He simply cares about the Joestar Family that much.    He couldn’t sit in New York and wait for an update.

Anyway, Lisa’s going to be okay, and the vampires are all dead, and Kars is slowly dying from the Ripple wound Joseph gave him, so it looks like we’re all finished here.   Stroheim decides to put Kars out of his misery by shooting him with high-intensity UV rays.   Maybe that’s overkill at this point, but we might as well let Stroheim have his fun.

Oh SHI--

So yeah, Kars had the Red Stone of Aja this whole time, but he only just now decided to use it.   That’s because the Stone will only amplify the power of his special Stone Mask if there’s a powerful light source.    This whole fight has been happening at night, so Kars had to wait until morning to try this little stunt.  But Stroheim has helpfully supplied a bunch of UV lamps, and those work just peachy, thanks.   Fuck Stroheim forever.

And just like Dio and Straizo before, the Stone Mask digs bony protrusions into Kars’ brain, but this time the mask has the Super Aja powering it, so Kars stands to gain even more power, turning him into... what exactly?  

#jojo's bizarre adventure #battle tendency #joseph joestar #kars #lisa lisa #robert e o speedwagon #smokey brown #rudol von stroheim #george joestar ii

[foryouthegays]

A;LDSKFJAS IM VIBIN ON YOUTUBE ND WATCHIN A REACTION TO THE FIGHT SCENES IN THE NEW MULAN AND ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS A ‘QUOTE NOT BY SUN TZU’ -SUN TZU THING AND I  JUST

TE CH NOABLADE?

[rosethornewrites]

Fic: the thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break, ch. 10

Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī & Wēn Qíng, Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn

Characters: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Wēn Qíng, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Granny Wēn, Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī, Wēn Remnants, Wen Meilin (OC), Fourth Uncle, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén

Additional Tags: Pre-Slash, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Secrets, Crying, Masks, Soulmates, Truth, Self-Esteem Issues, Regret, It was supposed to be a one-shot, Fix-It, Eventual Relationships, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, wwx needs a hug, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Filial Piety, Handfasting, Phobias, Sleeping Together, Fear, Panic Attacks, Love Confessions, Getting Together, First Kiss, Kissing, Boys Kissing, Family, and they were married, Bathing/Washing, Hair Braiding, Hair Brushing, Feels, Sex Education, Implied Sexual Content, First Time, Aftercare, Morning After, Afterglow, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Torture, Scars

Summary: A necessary discussion is had between Lan XiChen and the refugees, and between the brothers.

Notes: Chuntao, the name I gave a random auntie, means spring peach. I headcanon that popo and jifu are basically the Dafan Wen elders at this point, thus why they stay for the entire discussion. Can you imagine being lxc and being shown undeniable proof that you’ve been lied to by your sworn brother—oh wait, that’s canon. But this discussion had to be had without wwx present for a variety of reasons, especially from lwj’s perspective. Basically, wwx has enough burdening him, and lwj feels it’s his turn to shoulder some of it (and high time the rest of the cultivation world shouldered some of it as well). Also, there’s just a lot of philosophical aspects here, including Laozi, Confucius, Mozi, Sun Tzu, Mencius, etc. A lot of ancient Chinese philosophy is rather anti-war (coming from multiple periods involving warring states) or even advocates overthrowing rulers who are cruel to the people. The included Sun Tzu quote referenced by lxc was basically to convince captured soldiers to fight for your side (especially charioteers) through kind treatment, so while it doesn’t technically apply to civilians one could imagine you’d want civilians to be willing to provide for troops. I’m really just starting to delve into it all.

AO3 link

Chapters:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

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Lan WangJi can’t help but notice that XiChen’s attention is on Wei Ying, as popo and Wen Qing keep putting food in his bowl and bullying him to eat more. Where normally Wei Ying would be endearingly dramatic about it, for the amusement of all, today he eats quietly, accepting their cajoling without complaint. 

A-Yuan is the one to ease Wei Ying from the odd quiet, holding up his chopsticks with a bit of food.

“Xian-gege eat!” he demands. “Xian-gege too skinny.”

The delivery is a mix of popo and Wen Qing while also being completely a-Yuan, and Wei Ying laughs with the rest of the Wens before eating the morsel of food and reaching forward to pinch the boy’s cheek.

“All right, a-Yuan, I’m eating. I promise. You eat yours, and I’ll eat mine.”

The interaction leaves XiChen smiling in amusement, but there are other emotions under the surface, questions Lan WangJi knows he wants to ask but is holding back. He knows eventually he’ll have to answer some of them, but for now he joins the others in adding food to Wei Ying’s bowl. 

His zhiji gives him a look of mock betrayal, then holds out his chopsticks with a bite of food and an expectant look that Lan WangJi indulges, taking the bite of food. But then he feeds Wei Ying with his own chopsticks, something that makes some Wens chuckle and Wei Ying blush. He doesn’t look at XiChen to see his reaction.

Lunch is over too soon, and Wen Qing plops a-Yuan into Wei Ying’s lap.

“Nap time for little boys,” she jokes.

“Xianxian isn’t little,” Wei Ying chirps. “Xianxian is three.”

Wen Qing rolls her eyes at the game.

“Brat,” she says, but fails to hide a smile. “Go on, then.”

Lan WangJi touches his shoulder before he can move to get up.

“Would you like me to play for you until you sleep?”

He is gifted with an adoring smile.

“We’ll be fine. Spend time with your brother.” 

Wei Ying nods to Zewu-Jun.

“I hope you don’t need to leave too quickly.”

XiChen smiles, clearly picking up on his meaning.

“No, I’ll still be here later. I hope to spend some time getting to know the people here.”

Wei Ying nods, though his expression briefly dips into a sort of knowing pity at what he likely knows they will learn, then takes a breath that’s half yawn. He stands, hefting a-Yuan.

“Aiya… I guess a-Yuan and I get to try out the new bed first. Time for little radishes to sleep.”

He heads off through the interior passage to the cave, and a-Yuan’s response echoes.

“Xian-gege is a radish too? Can a-Yuan call you Luobo-gege?”

The echoing of Wei Ying’s laughter is almost musical.

Unfortunately, with Wei Ying gone, XiChen’s questioning gaze turns to Lan WangJi. He meets his brother’s gaze stoically, intending to answer questions, but he will not offer information. 

“Everyone seemed insistent on urging WuXian to eat,” XiChen finally says.

It isn’t a question, but Wen Qing answers anyway.

“It took a while to get food growing. We didn’t have a lot. That idiot kept slipping his rations to a-Yuan. We’re breaking him of that, now that there’s enough food.”

It surprises Lan WangJi when his brother looks alarmed at that.

“But he can no longer practice inedia,” he breathes. “How badly has his health been impacted?”

Wen Qing glances at Lan WangJi, her gaze pointed, and he knows she is asking how much XiChen knows.

“Wei Ying told xiongzhang he no longer has a golden core,” he tells her. “That he did not have one when Wen Chao threw him here, and throughout the war.”

A bit of tension leaves her frame, and she turns to XiChen. The explanation is clear enough for her to understand Wei Ying didn’t reveal his sacrifice and her hand in it.

“This is not the first time in his life he has faced extreme malnourishment, and each subsequent time impacts his health more drastically. He is more susceptible to illness, doubly so without a golden core.”

“This isn’t the first time?” XiChen echoes. “WuXian has starved before?”

This time it’s a question, so Lan WangJi answers. 

“After his parents died, before Jiang FengMian found him, Wei Ying spent several years homeless as a child, here in Yiling in fact. And then Burial Mounds, the three months he was missing. He told you of the resentful energy—not much grows here naturally.”

XiChen closes his eyes, and Lan WangJi is reminded how much his brother’s face expresses the emotion he feels. He can see XiChen understands exactly how poorly Wei Ying is doing, if only one aspect of it. He knows his brother will learn worse, as he did.

“He has no core to cleanse the resentful energy that infiltrates his body, which is as much a pressing matter as the starvation,” Wen Qing continues. “Only a few days ago he leeched resentful energy from a plot of land so it could be farmed safely. If not for Lan WangJi’s help, he’d still be working on it, and barely functional when he wasn’t.”

“Truly,” jifu adds, having wandered over, “when he told us we were in Burial Mounds, we thought we had been led to our deaths anyway.”

“But that boy told us we could survive,” popo says. “He’s made sure of it, but it costs him. And we can’t even stop him because otherwise things would be worse. Aiya, he’s barely grown, but he’s suffered so much.”

The aunties and uncles have pulled chairs close, and he can see XiChen studying them, finding only faces ruddy from farming, many middle aged or older. Many are nodding their agreement with popo.

“And he brought a-Ning back to us,” one of the aunties—Chuntao, if Lan WangJi’s memory serves—adds. “He tries so hard.”

“We can never repay him,” Meilin-yi says softly. “But we can try to help him, to make him healthier. Do more of the work so he can rest.”

“He is truly blessed to have your care,” XiChen says.

His comment is met with discomfort in the faces around them. 

“It’s kind of you to say so, Zewu-Jin,” jifu offers. “But if not for having saved us, he could go home and live in peace. We are blessed by his righteousness, but he is condemned to this.”

Lan WangJi has not been amongst the Wen remnants away from Wei Ying much, so this is the first he’s heard of it. But this, at least, he can ease in them, if only through acknowledging the cultivation world politics in play.

“No,” he says. “Sect Leader Jin wants the amulet. Wei Ying would have been cast out, or worse, regardless.”

XiChen winces but doesn’t correct him. Wen Qing’s face goes carefully blank.

“Only those who do not seek power are fit to be entrusted with it,” she says, a variation on the teachings of Zhuangzi. “Wen RuoHan sought the yin iron and look what came of that.”

“The yin iron piece hidden at Dafan Mountain was in our goddess statue,” popo tells XiChen. “She came to life and started stealing souls when he removed it. A-Qing and a-Ning lost their parents that day.”

“A-Ning lost part of his soul that day,” Wen Qing whispers.

Wen Ning puts his hand on his sister’s shoulder in comfort, and she reaches up to place hers over it.

XiChen already looks overwhelmed, but there is so much more to tell him, including what Lan WangJi failed to report regarding the Dafan Wens during the journey he and Wei Ying undertook.

“I did not have the opportunity to report before the attack on Cloud Recesses. Wei Ying and I had to reseal the statue—Wen RuoHan sought to use it as a weapon, along with the people he had turned into puppets. These people.”

The memory of a chain around Wei Ying’s throat, of him going limp… Though it had turned out to be a ruse, the bruising around his neck had been dark enough to make clear how close he had been to death.

Truly, that Wei Ying had killed one of Wen RuoHan’s owls had likely made him a target well before Indoctrination. 

“My family was held hostage to force my cooperation,” Wen Qing tells him.

XiChen sighs softly, looking around at the group as though just realizing how few of them there are, how many must have perished under Wen RuoHan or in misguided vengeance after the war.

“I wish I could change what has already happened, but we can only move forward. If you are amenable, I would like to learn more about your treatment in the labor camps.”

This has been something Lan WangJi has dreaded to learn more of, as he knows from what little he saw at Qiongqi Path that their treatment was inhuman—beyond inhumane. 

Stories are told haltingly. Of screams in the night. Of beatings and torture and rotten food. Of the young women disappearing one by one—dead, raped or sold to brothels, no one knew. Of the children succumbing to illness one by one. Of others disappearing. Of brazen murder, bodies dumped into a ravine, the one where Wei Ying and Wen Qing had found Wen Ning. Of degradation and hopelessness, of waiting for death. 

Of groups being taken by a smiling man “for interrogation,” and never returning.

“Some were Qishan Wen,” a-Ning breaks in. “Others were Dafan.”

Some of the Wens have scars to show XiChen, evidence of their time abused in the labor camp. Lash mark scars on backs and legs and arms. An uncle’s broken arm that had partially healed wrong and required Wen Qing to rebreak to set and heal properly. A brand mark burned in the shape of a peony on the shoulder of one of the aunties.

The brand is especially shocking, harkening to the treatment by Wen Chao’s mistress, the scar in the shape of a sun on Wei Ying’s chest. That the Jins have resorted to the same type of cruelty, even ignoring the apparent genocide of the Wens, shows Lan WangJi they are too far down the same path as Wen RuoHan, and he hopes his brother is coming to the same conclusion.

Aunties and uncles wander in and out during stories, some getting back to work after telling their piece, some helping Wen Ning clean up after lunch. Some leave for a bit, overcome by emotion, and return to tell more. Others go back to the fields, or to work with the dyes. These are tales they have experienced; they don’t need to hear them retold.

The horror of their accumulated stories, and the fact that all clans are complicit in failing to oversee or regulate, just trusting the Jin at their word… It’s overwhelming. 

Eventually, only popo, jifu, Wen Qing, and Wen Ning remain in the communal hall, the others having returned to their chores, or to handle the emotions brought up by reliving their trauma privately. 

“WuXian saw this?” XiChen finally asks softly, his jaw taut.

“He saw enough,” jifu says. “Not all of it, but he saw the bodies. We weren’t allowed to bury them. He probably guessed much of the rest.”

XiChen only nods, looking devastated. Whether at the betrayal of being lied to by the Jins—or one in particular—or devastation at the souls not put to rest, Lan WangJi didn’t know. Or perhaps it was having to see the effects on the living souls forced to take refuge on a mountain that was a mass grave. 

It could also be his culpability as a sect leader, of one of the remaining four great sects in not establishing a way to monitor the work camps, something that should have been done regardless of the need to rebuild. 

Likely, all of it weighed on his brother.

“We were told the civilians would be watched over at Qiongqi Path. That only those who took part in the war would be executed,” XiChen says softly.

He sounds lost, and Lan WangJi wonders who told him this—he thinks it is likely it was Jin GuangYao. XiChen wouldn’t look as though he felt betrayed had he only been lied to by Jin GuangShan.

“They lied,” Lan WangJi tells him bluntly. “Wei Ying and I saw Jin ZiXun using fleeing civilians in chains as target practice. Women, children, old men… When we confronted him, he claimed the Lan and Nie sect leaders had agreed anyone concerned with yin iron should not be alive.”

He watches XiChen close his eyes again, watches shame cross his face—the same shame he has felt, a necessary shame.

“‘Captured soldiers should be treated kindly and kept,’” he murmurs, quoting Sun Tzu. “That civilians would be treated with such cruelty…”

His voice is hoarse, as he seems to recognize the immorality of what was allowed to occur, that perhaps the warning against becoming one’s enemy has been disregarded too easily, and something akin to the depravity of Wen RuoHan has taken hold, unchecked until Wei Ying’s actions. 

And Wei Ying has been painted as the villain, the subject of a vicious rumor campaign including accusations of grave robbing, kidnapping, and cannibalism, the source of all ills, when he is simply farming and trying to survive. 

The anger Lan WangJi felt in the tea house threatens to rise to the surface again, the slander against his zhiji, his husband, someone who upholds the values of justice and righteousness at the cost of his freedom and reputation, absolutely unacceptable. 

“Their camps were just a way to kill us more slowly, outside the view of the other sects,” Wen Qing comments. “A-Ning was pierced though with a defaced Qishan Wen flag and tossed down a ravine to rest among the bodies of others killed. He was still alive when we got there, but his spiritual cognition was gone. The guards killed were those who participated in his murder.”

“I d-don’t remember killing anyone,” Wen Ning admits. “Nothing between p-passing out from pain and waking up here. It’s just a b-blank space in my memory.”

“There were at least fifty bodies down there,” Wen Qing whispers. “Wei WuXian waded into the water with me, and we checked each one until I found him.”

XiChen winces, his fist clenched under the table. He knows, likely, that their testimonies will mean little in terms of seeking justice. The winners of the war would decide the narrative of the labor camps, and the Jins had plenty of time since Wei Ying’s actions to erase evidence of their crimes. 

That night in the rain, Wei Ying’s expression had been of a man disillusioned, a man who could take no more of the established order if it meant tolerating injustice. And if he had spent that time wading in fetid water tainted by corpses, seeking the body of the man he owed his life to, his friend, knowing that man was almost certainly dead… Lan WangJi could understand what would lead him to turn his back on the cultivation world that had allowed such an atrocity. 

What use had Wei Ying for orthodoxy after that?

“They decided all Wens were responsible for the war,” jifu said, his voice tired. “Children like a-Yuan, grandparents like popo… Everyone. If not for young master Wei, we would be gone as well, and no one would think to care. He came to rescue a-Ning, and what he saw led him to decide he would leave none of us in that place.”

“Wen Ning rescued Jiang Cheng after the fall of Lotus Pier, and likely prevented Wei Ying’s death during indoctrination,” Lan WangJi explains.

“During indoctrination?” XiChen asks.

“Wen Chao p-put him in the dungeon with a d-direwolf,” Wen Ning supplies haltingly.

Lan WangJi goes cold—not a mere dog, but a direwolf? That Wei Ying survived long enough for aid to come is a miracle. He wonders how badly his husband was injured, but knows the herbs and energy boosting medicine at least left no scarring; he has mapped each of Wei Ying’s scars each night, and none seem to correspond with the rips that had been in his robes that day. 

But back then, Wei Ying had a strong golden core.

“They did not expect him to survive the night,” Lan WangJi manages, though his calm is forced. “He believes he was intended to be an example, a warning to the rest of us.”

“Wen Chao did intend that,” Wen Qing acknowledges, lips pursed. “He was furious he survived. I knew a-Ning had intervened, but not that Wei WuXian had been locked in with that beast until later.”

XiChen is quiet for a bit, pale and clearly digesting the information. Lan WangJi is certain he knows this only scratches the surface of Wei Ying’s trauma, especially as xiongzhang is unaware Wei Ying is terrified of dogs, that he is revisiting his earlier feelings of having failed him—he has felt all of this himself. He still feels it.

“Then it seems WuXian owes a life debt to Wen QiongLin,” XiChen finally comments. “Which would usually expire upon death, but he remains spiritually conscious.”

Wen Qing draws in a sharp breath at the ramifications; though XiChen doesn’t have all the information—particularly regarding the surgery she had performed to transplant Wei Ying’s golden core to Jiang Cheng, which she seems to believe cancels out any such debt—Lan WangJi agrees with his brother’s assessment.

“Further, as WuXian was at the very least betrothed to WangJi at the time, the life debt is also his.”

While Lan WangJi fully expected this statement, it’s clear the Wens did not. Wen Qing looks overwhelmed, and Wen Ning seems confused. Jifu and popo look as though they might cry. They know what is meant here, know that this is a statement of responsibility. XiChen is condoning his support and protection of the Dafan Wens.

“GusuLan as a whole must recognize the life debt,” XiChen continues. “And as sect leader, I consider it valid. You saved my brother’s husband, and his family.”

The wording almost implies the Lan clan as a whole owes a life debt, which goes beyond what he expected—it offers an extra measure of protection. But Lan WangJi sees some of the logic his brother is going for and decides to add to it.

“Given that Wen Ning rescued Jiang Cheng from Wen Chao at Lotus Pier, and he and Wen Qing sheltered the Jiang siblings and Wei Ying at the Yiling Indoctrination Bureau, it is likely the Jiangs also owe a life debt.”

XiChen smiles at him, his eyes shrewd, calculating in a way Lan WangJi rarely sees from him. He wonders if the betrayal his brother feels over the lies he has been fed by a trusted friend has sharpened him in this way, leading him to think deviously where he usually would not.

“Of course, since Lady Jiang is to be wed to Jin ZiXuan, that would extend the life debt to him. And if Nie HuaiSang aided in protecting the Dafan Wens during the incident you mentioned, Wen Qing and Wen Ning similarly owe him a life debt.”

Wen Qing has been staring open-mouthed, but she seems to catch on quickly. Popo and jifu clearly understand and are overwhelmed. Wen Ning looks confused but seems content to listen and let his sister explain later.

“You’re proposing there exists a life debt among eight people?” she asks.

“I’m only summarizing what has occurred,” XiChen answers congenially. “I could hardly propose such a thing in the current political climate. It would undermine the Chief Cultivator. As a sect leader, that would be irresponsible of me.”

The smile on Wen Qing’s face is almost wicked.

“It seems like a matter between the eight of us,” she says. “What an auspicious number. Perhaps you would be willing to send a letter to Lady Jiang for me, Zewu-Jun? In the current political climate, anything from Yiling to Lady Jiang would garner red flags…”

“Of course. I need to send a missive to Sect Leader Jiang anyway on behalf of WangJi and WuXian, and I’m sure he would be willing to deliver a letter to his sister.”

Wen Qing rises and bows to him, then to Lan WangJi.

“Thank you. I will excuse myself to compose the letter. I’m sure Hanguang-Jun would be happy to give you a tour of our humble home.”

Popo and jifu excuse themselves to work on their projects—popo to aid in the dyeing, and jifu to work on his next carpentry project—so overcome with gratitude they almost kowtow to XiChen before they leave. XiChen, unsurprisingly, urges them not to bow; Lan WangJi knows this is partly out of guilt. Wen Qing tells Wen Ning to help with the dyeing project and move the dye vats outside before leaving as well, presumably to compose the letter.

Lan WangJi leads his brother from the hall, and around the various vegetable patches, explaining abundance of radishes nearly ready for harvest, showing him the new field with its newly sown crop of tomatoes, squash, beans, carrots, beets, peppers—for Wei Ying, he explains—and a small herb patch.

“WangJi, though the answer is obvious to me, questions will be asked about the validity of the marriage,” xiongzhang says during a lull.

He knows he is specifically thinking of shufu, but also likely of other elders who will oppose his marriage. Short of Wei Ying’s death, there is nothing they can do—and he will ensure the former does not occur.

“It has been consummated,” he replies, and is kind enough not to add ‘repeatedly’ or ‘enthusiastically’ to the assertion, however true they are. “It cannot be annulled.”

XiChen smiles and nods, and Lan WangJi leads the way back toward the settlement so he can see the structures the Wens have built and live in.

“Honestly, the closeness I witnessed between you two made that clear,” XiChen admits. “You are rarely so free with touch, WangJi, and the intimacy you share is undeniable.”

He can feel his ears heat at his brother’s unabashed comments; this is not a discussion he expected to have, but it is undeniable that touch has become an added and welcome part of his relationship with Wei Ying. He would touch him always if it were practical. 

“We are happy, xiongzhang,” he says softly. “Despite the difficulties faced here, we are happy together. I know the elders and shufu will likely not be pleased with our union. If it becomes necessary for me to break with GusuLan—”

“Never,” XiChen interrupts, his tone forceful. “No, WangJi, didi… I will not allow them to cast you out. You have a responsibility to your spouse, one recognized by Lan Yi herself. You will always be welcome in the Cloud Recesses.”

Lan WangJi nods, grateful for his brother’s support. He knows he and Wei Ying, and likely the Wens as well, will have a supportive voice at Cloud Recesses. 

“I will, of course, visit as much as I am able,” XiChen continues. “And if shufu insists on coming, it will be with my escort, so you may rest easy on that matter. You will probably want some of your personal items from the jingshi, as well.”

Rarely does Lan WangJi feel choked up, but XiChen’s dedication to his happiness is something that has often overwhelmed him.

“Xiongzhang, I—”

He stops when the sound of loud crying fills the air, coming from the Demon-Slaughtering Cave. Lan WangJi immediately recognizes a-Yuan’s wailing—a-Yuan, who should be napping with Wei Ying. He breaks into a run.

#my fanfiction #mo dao zu shi #the untamed #untamed art #mdzs #mdzs fanfic #mdzs fanfiction #chen qing ling #cql #cql fanfic #cql fanfiction #lan zhan #lan wangji #lan xichen #wei wuxian #wen qing #wen ning #wei ying #lan yuan #wen yuan #wen qionglin

[picsofsannyas]

Times of crisis are both dangerous and immensely important

Osho says.

Times of crisis are both dangerous and immensely important – dangerous for those who have no courage to explore new dimensions of life. They are bound to disintegrate into different kinds of madness, because their mind was made by the society. Now the society is disintegrating, the mind cannot remain; its roots are in the society. It is constantly nourished by the society – now that nourishment is disappearing.

Because the society is disintegrating, a great suspicion, a doubt that was never there before, is bound to arise in the individuals. And if they were just obedient people who have never gone beyond any limit that society has decided, who have always been respected, honorable citizens – in other words, just mediocre – they will immediately go mad.

They will start committing suicide, they will start jumping from high buildings… or even if they live, now they don’t have a mind which can help them to figure out the situation for their life. They will become retarded, stupid, idiotic, may become schizophrenic, split into two persons – or perhaps a crowd.

In times of crisis, the danger is for those who have enjoyed the times when the society was settled, when there was no problem, everything was at ease, they were honored, respected. These were the people who had enjoyed the obedience of the mind, and these are going to be the sufferers. It is a simple arithmetic. They will go psychotic, they will go neurotic – and these words don’t make much difference.

I have heard a definition. One psychoanalyst was asked, “What is the difference between psychosis and neurosis?”

And the psychoanalyst said, “The psychotic person believes that two and two are five. And the neurotic person knows that two and two are four, but is not at ease with the fact that two and two are four.” So the difference is very fine. Both are in trouble.

But times of crisis are of tremendous significance for those daring souls who have never bothered about society’s respectability, its honors; who have never bothered about what others think about them, but have done only that which they felt right to do; who have in a certain way been always rebellious, individualistic. For these people the times of crisis are just golden, because the society is disintegrating. Now it cannot condemn anybody – it is itself condemned, cursed. It cannot say to others that they are wrong. It is itself proving wrong; its whole wisdom is proving just foolish, superstitious.

The daring individual can use this opportunity to go beyond mind, because now the society cannot prevent him, cannot hinder him. Now he is free.

It is almost like a situation in a jail… when the doors are open, the guards have disappeared and the jailer is nowhere to be found. The people who have some sense, some intelligence, will use it for freedom. But those who have become so enslaved that they cannot think of freedom – imprisonment has become their home – they will simply panic, “What is going to happen today? No guards? No jailer? The doors are open! Who will take care of us? Who will provide food for us?”

There will be people whose slavery has penetrated to their very soul; these people will go berserk. But the people who always were in search of a moment when they can escape from the prison will be immensely happy. This was the time they have been waiting and praying for. They will escape out of the prison into the open sky. Going beyond the mind is going into the open sky, full of stars, the moon, the sun – the immensity of it… It becomes yours; the whole existence becomes yours.

The mind is a small cage.

So moments of crisis are both… and that is what is happening all around the world. There has never been so intense a search for spiritual growth, for meditation. But there has never been so much madness either. Both are happening because the status quo is no longer powerful; it has lost control. […]

But it is a beautiful time. The grip of society is lost. Yes, the mediocre will suffer, but anyway they were not enjoying, they were not really living; they were simply being hypocrites. By being insane at least they will be real, authentic. They won’t lose anything – of course they won’t gain much….

But the people who will go beyond mind will create the new man, the new mind. And the most special thing to be remembered about the new mind is that it will never become a tradition, that it will be constantly renewed. If it becomes a tradition it will be the same thing.

The new mind has to become continuously new, every day new, ready to accept any unexpected experience, any unexpected truth… just available, vulnerable. It will be a tremendous excitement, a great ecstasy, a great challenge.

So I don’t think this crisis is bad; it is good. A few people will lose their masks, and will be actually what they are – neurotic, psychotic – but at least they will be true and they will be honest. You may think they are mad; they are not mad, they are simply in a state of very great surprise. They have believed too much in the old mind, and it betrayed them.

But the best of the intelligence will reach to heights unknown before. And if even in a traditional world, a man like Gautam Buddha or Chuang Tzu or Pythagoras is possible, we can conceive that in the atmosphere that the new mind will create, a thousand-fold more awakened people, enlightened people will become easily possible.

If the new mind can prevail then life can become an enlightening process. And enlightenment will not be something rare, that it happens once in a while to somebody very special; it will become a very ordinary human experience, that only once in a while some really idiotic person misses.

Osho, Beyond Psychology, Ch 41, Q 1 (excerpt)

#osho #crises #opportunity

[khookn]

Sun is just looking for a place to sit down and play games during prom, I think they'd look dapper in suits

Idk oc brainrot he's my lala

I'd like to believe Confu and Sun would make good friends haha

#fanart #khoo art #art #my art #clone high #ch sun tzu #ch confucius #confucius #sun tzu #ch oc #ch fanclone #fanclone #clone high sun tzu

[ttechnologie]

download Book free Diet and Health pdf

CHUAN, adding that there were two other CHUAN besides. This has brought forth a theory, that the bulk of these 82 chapters consisted of other writings of Sun Tzu -- we should call them apocryphal -- similar to the WEN TA, of which a specimen dealing with the Nine Situations [15] is preserved in the T`UNG TIEN, and another in Ho Shin's commentary. It is suggested that before his interview with Ho Lu, Sun Tzu had only written the 13 chapters, but afterwards composed a sort of exegesis in the form of question and answer between himself and the King. Pi I-hsun, the author of the SUN TZU HSU LU, backs this up with a quotation from the WU YUEH CH`UN CH`IU: "The King of Wu summoned Sun Tzu, and asked him questions about the art of war. Each time he set forth a chapter of his work, the King could not find words enough to praise him." As he points out, if the whole work was expounded on the same scale as in the above- mentioned fragments, the total number of chapters could not fail to be considerable. Then the numero.   

Download book Free: https://elkoutoub.blogspot.com/2020/10/diet-and-health.html  

#diet #dietcoke #health #healthcare #book #reading

[roo-the-fox]

WELCOME TO CHAPTER 2!!!! I am sleep-deprived and loopy lol!

I think I’m gonna add in some songs for you to listen to while you read, so here you go 😊😊

Roo’s Playlist:

Your Dog Loves You- Colde (feat. Crush) // Wi Ing Wi Ing- Hyukoh // When You Fall- Sam Kim, Chai // Photograph- offonoff // 247 - Junggigo

Anyways, Enjoy!!! 💜💜💜

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GIRL’S TRIP- Ch. 2

“Yeah, we’ll be there soon, Unni! Thanks for renting out the space to us, I really appreciate it! Yeah.... Yeah.... Okay, see you in about 15 minutes. Mmhmm... Okay, bye!” Savannah hung up her phone and turned to Annie and Jilly. “That was Ivy. She said that she’ll meet us outside the apartment when we arrive in Apgujeong. It’s the cutest shopping and fashion area! And it’s within Gangnam so we’ll get to be in that general area.”

“How exciting! But you didn’t have to take care of our housing arrangements, we could’ve helped!” Annie said from the front seat of the taxi car, Happy excitedly looking between the window and the driver.

“Yeah, we could’ve helped pick out a place. You wouldn’t even let us see the pictures of the place.” Jilly said, pouting. Savannah knew it drove her friends crazy to not know about the apartment, but she really wanted it to be a surprise for them after all they had done for her over the years.

“Don’t worry about it, guys! I wanted do this and you can always pay me back with food.” Savannah said, grinning widely at the thought of food. Annie and Jilly just rolled their eyes and sat back in their seats, looking out the window at the beautiful city. The mix of modern and traditional living harmoniously throughout the buildings. Beautiful architecture, extraordinary sculptures, and exquisite temples flooded the city with culture and life. Annie and Jilly forgot their anxieties and immersed themselves in the sights of the structures and the sounds of the bustling people.

“Ahjusshi, it’s my friends’ first times in Korea. What should we eat first?” Savannah asked, leaning to the side so the taxi driver could see her in the rear view mirror.

“Hmmmm,” The driver rubbed his face, thinking about the different types of decadent dishes that the country had to offer. “You had a long flight, yes?” He said, looking over at Annie, who nodded. “Then, I would suggest something hearty. They never serve enough food on those planes. Either budaejjigae or jjajangmyun.” All three girls were almost drooling at the thought of the dishes. He was right, they really had only eaten snacks on the flight, partly due to the nerves of traveling, partly because of nerves from a certain group of guys.

“Thank you, ahjusshi.” Savannah said, smiling gratefully at the driver. It was mid-afternoon now. By the time that they were settled, it would be dinner time and they could go grab something delicious.

The girls kept up the conversation with their driver, who had reached over to pet the puppy who wouldn’t stop staring at him until he gave her the proper attention. After a few more minutes, they finally arrived at the apartment. Savannah called Ivy to tell her that they had arrived. Savannah was pulling the suitcases out of the trunk when a very excited Ivy ran up behind her and embraced her. Savannah turned around, shocked, then squealed at her friend, excitedly hugging her back.

“I missed you so much! Oh my gosh, how are you? Are these your friends? Hi, I’m Ivy! Savannah and I were co-teachers before!” Ivy rambled off, shaking Annie and Jilly’s hands. “Oh! A puppy! She reminds me so much of Pie! Can I hold her?” Ivy asked, hopefully. Annie just nodded and handed over the shih tzu.

“Yeah, she’s the one who gave me my Korean name.” Savannah laughed before pulling out the rest of the bags.

“Yeah, some of our kids would always ask her about it so I gave her one. But come on, I’ll take you up to the apartment.” Jilly paid the taxi driver for the ride and they followed Ivy into the building. In the elevator, she told them about her family buying the plot of land a while ago and that it was full of luxury apartments. She added that the interior was made with an industrial yet clean feel to it.

Reaching the right floor, they walked to one of the doors and Ivy balanced Happy in one arm while she pushed in the key code. The door chimed it’s little welcome ring when Ivy opened the door to a beautiful open apartment.

Annie and Jilly’s jaws dropped as their entered the gorgeous French-modern home. Savannah just smiled and turned to Ivy, taking her shoes off before entering the space. Ivy put Happy down, letting the dog finally roam free. Annie and Jilly basically jumped out of their shoes to look around the living and dining areas. They squealed and awed over the details and view.

“Thanks again for letting us have this one.” Savannah said, leaning against the wall with Ivy.

“What’s so special about this apartment, in particular?” Annie inquired, turning around with an eyebrow raised

“It’s got four rooms. Savannah told me that there would be four of you and I just so happened to have this one open up recently.” Ivy smiled. Annie and Jilly turned to Savannah, daggers basically shooting at their friend. They had been told that there would only be two rooms for the girls to pair up in. Savannah just shrugged and smiled.

“Anyways, let’s get dinner sometime this week. Okay? Also, I left my number, the gate code, and the door code on the counter in the kitchen. Oh, and trash day is on Thursday. Call me if you need me!” Ivy explained, putting her jacket and shoes back on.

“Sounds good, I’ll message you on Kakao once we get SIM cards.” Savannah said, walking her back to the door. “I appreciate everything you’ve done. Say hi to your hubs and baby for me.” Savannah gave Ivy another hug before she left. Once the door closed, Savannah turned to see her two best friends stalking towards her with stern faces. Savannah just sighed, shoved her hands in her pockets, and prepared for the worst.

“Why didn’t you tell us?!” Annie barked. “This place must have cost a fortune.”

“Yeah, especially because we’re going to be getting our own rooms! Dude, please let us help you with this!” Jilly pleaded.

“No guys, its fine! I’ve wanted to do this since we started thinking about it. I saved up money from my last series and I got a huge signing bonus for my current series. I specifically wanted to do this for you guys. Please don’t take that away from me.” Annie and Jilly pouted at her, knowing that they couldn’t convince her otherwise.

“Fine,” Annie sighed. “Let’s go take a look at the rooms. I want to get settled before we head to dinner.”

“We need to get our phone cards before the shops close too. We can do that on our way out.” Jilly said, grabbing her suitcase and hoisting it up the stairs.

After looking around the upstairs areas and heavy deliberation, the girls decided on their rooms.

Annie’s room:

Jilly’s room:

Savannah’s room:

The girl’s moved their stuff to their rooms before taking turns in the shower. They were all greasy and gross from the flight and they wanted to clean up for dinner. The weather outside was still chilly, especially as the sun started to set so the girls decided to dress a little warmer before setting out.

Jilly’s outfit:

Annie’s Outfit:

Savannah’s outfit:

Leaving Happy with some food and water, the girls set off to find food. Annie and Jilly told Savannah to pick the restaurant since she surprised them with the apartment. They walked down the busy street until they passed a phone shop.

“Hey, let’s get our SIM cards while we’re out!” Jilly said, pulling the other two into the SK shop. After 30 minutes of working with the staff, they finally got their cards implanted in their phones, new phone numbers set, and paid for the next month of service. With that taken care of, they set off for dinner once again.

Looking around the surrounding streets, Savannah finally spotted a budaejjigae shop and she pointed it out to the others.

“This is perfect for a cool night like this! Let’s go!” The other two followed her into the shop and they sat down next to the window. Their mouths watered as they looked over the menu. Finally deciding on their order, they called the shop owner over and pointed out the stew they wanted along with a few sodas to help cut some of the stew’s greasiness. A few minutes later, their food came out and the owner watched as the girls’ eyes nearly flew out of their sockets at the beauty before them.

Once the budaejjigae had fully cooked, the girls started digging in. They all moaned out at the array of flavors hitting their tongues, only to receive weird looks from the patrons around them. Ignoring them, they fully dug into the delicious meal, savoring every bite and element within the spicy broth. They talked about what they wanted to do the next day, seeing as they were all exhausted and they wanted to be up and recharged once morning came around. Upon reaching the bottom of the pot, they slowed down on their eating and relaxed into the seats, looking out at the people walking by.

“So have you guys thought about reaching out to the boys?” Savannah asked, quietly, causing the other two to blush. They had been so focused on the apartment and food that the incidents from earlier in the day had somehow slipped their minds.

“Not yet. I wouldn’t even know what to say to him.” Annie said, looking down at her phone.

“Me too. How do you even talk to them?” Jilly said, taking a sip of her soda.

“Talk to them like you did on the plane. Like their ‘normal people’,” Savannah said, putting air quotes around the last part.

“Says the girl who could barely look Tae in the eyes. You didn’t even look at Namjoon.” Annie said, looking at her with a raised brow. Savannah just slouched.

“I dunno, dude. But from what you guys said, you told them that you’d message them once you guys got your SIM cards.” Savannah countered, grinning mischievously. Annie and Jilly just looked at each other, flushed.

“Okay, but should we plan out what we say first?” Jilly asked, looking between the other two.

“What about just ‘Hi, it’s Jilly/Annie from the plane.’ It’s just letting them know that you didn’t forget about them.” Savannah threw out, taking the last bite of stew.

“What if they forgot about us?” Annie whined. She fiddled with her phone, looking at Yoongi’s contact.

“I HIGHLY doubt they did. Especially with how Yoongi was looking at you. Besides, it doesn’t hurt to try though.”

“Easy for you to say, you didn’t get any of their numbers. You’d be freaking out like us if you had.” Jilly pouted.

“Very true, but maybe there’s a reason I didn’t get it. We don’t all need to be freaking out here.” Savannah just smiled. Annie and Jilly just stared down at their phones.

“Jilly, did you get a chance to put Kookie’s number in your phone before we left the apartment?” Annie asked, whispering so no one could overhear. The last thing they needed was someone attacking them over talking about BTS.

“I did in the taxi when we were leaving the airport.” Jilly said, sipping on her soda. Annie nodded and they both looked back at their phones. Savannah looked over at Annie’s phone and smirked.

“I’m surprised you didn’t put him down as ‘Yoongles Bear’.” Savannah chided, earning a light shove from Annie.

“Shut up! I wouldn’t do that... yet.” Annie whispered the last part, causing the other two to smirk.

“Okay, I wrote something out. Can you guys look over it first?” Jilly said, causing the other two to look at her. She handed her phone over to Annie and her and Savannah read it: ‘Hey, it’s Jilly, from the flight. I got my SIM card 😊’.

“That looks good, Jilly!” Annie smiled.

“Yeah, but I’m nervous to send it.”

“Wait, you didn’t want us to push send for you?” Savannah asked, wide-eyed and biting her lip.

“You didn’t. Please tell me you didn’t.” Jilly said, grabbing her phone from them. The message was still in the typing box. Jilly glared at Savannah, who just stuck her tongue out at her, jokingly.

“But for real, do you want us to send it for you?” Annie asked, pulling Jilly’s attention from Savannah.

“Ummm, I don’t know. How about this; You type out your message and we’ll send the messages from each other’s phones.”

“Ugh, but I don’t know what to say.” Annie said, frustrated.

“Babe, just say something along the lines that Jilly said. It’s just an introductory text. You don’t need to worry too much about it.” Savannah said, her face finally serious. Annie just nodded and typed something out. She handed the phone over to Jilly and she read it: ‘Hey, it’s Annie. I’m glad that Happy could keep you company on the flight.’ Savannah looked over and read the message as well and nodded.

“Looks good to me.” Jilly said, handing her phone over to Annie. “Okay, let’s send them on the count of 3... 1... 2... 3.” And, with that, the texts were sent.

A few minutes of anxiety-induced silence filled the space. Savannah was looking in between the two girls who were trying not to look at their phones. She knew they were both riddled with anxious thoughts so she stood up, making both of them jump out of their own minds.

“Come on, let’s go walk around. You two need some crisp fresh air.” Savannah said, grabbing her bag and walking over to the cashier, paying for their dinner while they gathered their stuff.

“Will you stop paying for stuff?!” Jilly groaned once they were outside the restaurant.

“Nope.” Savannah said, winking at Jilly. They walked down a shopping street, looking in some of the windows of the cute shops and seeing the trends and pastel colors that comes with the spring season.

“It’s supposed to warm up a little later this week. We can hopefully wear some of the cuter outfits that we brought and get some good pictures with the cherry blossoms.” Jilly said, looking at the array of blossoming trees that lined the street. One of the shop’s doors were open and playing beautiful classical music, adding to the romantic atmosphere of the street.

“That would be really nice.” Annie agreed, still looking at the cute clothes and accessories in the shops. She was excited to find some cute outfits at the shops. The styles in Korea was very different to American styles and she was happy for the change. She turned to find only Jilly looking at the trees and people walking around in cute outfits.

“Where’s Savannah?” She asked, looking through the small masses of people that bustled through the street. Jilly looked down the line of trees until she spotted a familiar head.

“There she is.” She said, walking over to where the girl stood. They found Savannah taking pictures of a lamppost’s light filtering through the cherry blossom leaves and petals.

“Savannah, I swear. Why didn’t you tell us you were stopping?!” Annie scolded her.

“I would’ve caught up eventually. I just wanted to take this picture.” Savannah said, not taking her eyes off of her camera.

“Ah,” Jilly started, “We should probably get back to take care of Happy. We’ve been gone for a few hours.” The girls looked over at Jilly, then their watches. 9:38 PM. The girls nodded and started heading back to the apartment.

The walk back was chilly but, with their bellies full of warm food, they were able to talk and enjoy the nice crisp air. They laughed and talked the whole way home. They were almost to the apartment when they stopped at a convenience store for drinks and snacks. Once they finally got back into the apartment, Happy came running up to them, excitedly.

“Hey guys, I’m gonna take her out to go potty. I’ll be right back.” Annie said, clipping Happy’s leash onto her harness and taking her outside.

While out on the apartment walking trail, a ding went off in Annie’s pocket. She pulled out her phone and squealed when she saw the name pop up on her lock screen. Nearly dropping her phone, she stuffed her phone back in her pocket. Quickly, she cleaned up after happy, threw the waste back into the bin, and hurried Happy back to the building.

Savannah and Jillian were just finishing up with putting the snacks away when Annie barreled through the door, shih tzu in tow behind her. The other two looked behind them, startled at the sudden outburst.

“Yoongi text me back!” Annie panted. Savannah and Jilly’s eyes went wide and they ran over to her.

“Really?? What did he say?” They spoke in unison.

“I don’t know, I haven’t looked yet. I freaked out too much.” Annie said, sliding out of her shoes and taking the leash off of Happy, who just trotted away.

“Well look! Let’s see what he said!” Jilly squealed. Annie pulled the phone out of her pocket and opened the message.

Savannah cupped her hands under the phone, afraid that Annie would drop it. Annie just stared at the phone, reading and rereading the message. She couldn’t believe what he was said. Jilly and Savannah couldn’t tell if she was breathing, so Jilly slipped the phone from Annie’s hands and set it on the dining room table.

“Why don’t you go get changed and wash your face, then you can respond. Okay? Give yourself time to think of something to say.” Jilly pushed Annie towards the stairs where her and Savannah followed, wanting to change into their own PJ’s, as well.

Once everyone was washed up and changed into their pajamas, Savannah heated up some hot water for tea and cocoa. Annie grabbed her phone and the girls proceeded over to the couch, curling up under blankets and sipping their drinks.

“Have you thought about what your gonna say?” Savannah asked.

“Kinda. I’m still in a state of shock.” Annie said, processing the fact that Yoongi actually text back.

“Well, why don’t you start by replying to his question?” Jilly offered. Annie just nodded her head and started typing it out... then erasing... then typing again.... and erasing again.

“Babe..” Savannah started.

“I know, but I don’t want to come off too technical, you know? Sometimes, I can’t control how I come off. I don’t want to be short or anything.” Annie ran her fingers through her hair, thinking about how to strategically text the rapper back. She started texting back and hit send before projecting the phone at Savannah, smacking into her stomach.

“Oof, what the hell!”

“I’m sorry, I’m just nervous!” Savannah rubbed her stomach while looking down at the screen and reading out the message.

“Yeah we arrived safely, haha. Savannah surprised us with a really pretty apartment in Apgujeong. Did you get home safely? 😊”

“Babe, that’s perfect. You don’t need to stress about it more.” Savannah said, placing the phone on the table. Jilly just ‘awed’ at Annie and giggled as Annie lightly smacked her arm.

“By the way, Jilly, did Jungkook text you back?” Savannah asked, leaning back against the cozy couch.

“Oh right, my phone is on silent. Let me check!” She said, reaching into her jacket pocket. She pulled out her phone and looked down at the screen.

“Not yet.” She said, a tone of sadness in her voice.

“Let’s be honest, he’s probably at the gym.” Annie shrugged, a light playfulness in her voice.

“or scarfing his face with Jin... or wine drunk again.,” Savannah chimed in, smirking. “Anyways, don’t worry about it right now. We have a full day to seize tomorrow and we should get some sleep.” Annie and Jilly nodded, draining the last of their drinks before cleaning up the mugs and heading upstairs.

Once in her room, Jilly stretched out on her bed and started watching videos when a familiar name popped up on the screen. Jilly’s eyes went wide and her phone slipped from her grip, falling right onto her face.

“Ow, shit!” She cursed, rubbing on the bridge of her nose. Sitting up, she opened the message and squealed.

“Why is he so cute???!! I can’t handle it!” Jilly moaned, flailing her legs on the bed in overwhelming excitement. She rolled around the blankets before sitting up and typing out her message: ‘Yeah, we ate Budaejjigae because it was chilly outside. It was so yummy 😋 Did you get home safely?’

With that, Jilly plugged in her phone and fell asleep after a few long minutes of thinking about the events of the last 24 hours.

—————————————————————————————————————————

This story belongs to roo-the-fox. Do not repost, please.

[corvid-420]

that ch*po also discouraged listeners from reading by mocking the idea someone would read machiavelli or sun tzu was weird and suspicious then and it’s weird and suspicious now.

[aurianneor]

Червеното и Жълтото

Червени шалове срещу жълти жилетки във Франция или White Supremacists срещу либералите в САЩ. Това са два настоящи примера за модел, който се повтаря през цялата история.

Когато авторитарната власт се чувства толкова застрашена, че смята, че полицията вече няма да е достатъчна, тя мобилизира част от населението си в реакционна група, за да тероризира бунтовниците. Историята ни казва също, че успехът на бунтовниците е рядък, но силно подкрепен от следните действия:

Не минимизирайте значението на появата на реакционни групи Никога не толерирайте техните антидемократични езикови елементи Стремете се към кратко действие, което да продължи няколко месеца, насочено към икономическите интереси на финансистите на властта Систематично осъждайте недостатъците на режима и техните милиции. Реакционерите ще бъдат разделени и ще имат повече трудности да се убедят, че защитават справедлива кауза Цел за демократична и антикорупционна цел. Перспективата за отключен национален пазар може да накара други страни да се откажат от авторитарното управление или дори да пропагандират бунтовниците

През август 1921 г. полицията, армията и страйкбордерите (жълти) нападнаха 10 000 червени шалове (червеногуша), които осъдиха ужасните си работни условия във въглищните мини: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bataille_de_Blair_Mountain

Гордеем се, че сме „червеногушни“. Време е да възстановим този термин: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/apr/14/redneck-pride-west-virginia-protests-strikes?CMP=share_btn_tw

Декември 2018 г., Емануел Макрон или неговите поддръжници стартираха червено движение на шал, за да се справят с жълтите жилетки: https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2018/12/29/une-marche-de-soutien-a-macron-prevue-a-paris-le-27-janvier_a_23629212/

През 2014 г. червените, подкрепящи тайландското правителство, също избиха гражданите в жълто: https://www.rtl.fr/actu/international/thailande-bilan-des-violences-a-bangkok-porte-a-deux-morts-et-45-blesses-7767489886

В цветните революции са включени и използването на символи (чадъри в Хонг Конг, грозде в Молдова, лалета в Киргизстан и др.) Историята показва, че почти през цялото време тя завършва в кръвта на бунтовниците или чрез предателството на техните представители, се присъедини към коалиция “национално спасение”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour_revolution

Гражданските конфликти в Украйна и Югославия завършиха със сделки след намесата на НАТО: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Ukrainian_revolution#21_February

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Agreement

Конфликтът вече е доста напреднал в САЩ (бунтовници, известни като „либерали“ и про-козметични „бели супремаски“). Либералите са статистически наказани по-строго за техните протести и имат по-малко лекота на използване на оръжия. : https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-charlottesville-arrests-white-supremacy_us_5bbcaf13e4b028e1fe41b345

Настоящият подход има за цел да засили борбата срещу “белите супермагисти”: https://www.sapiens.org/culture/charlottesville-violence-lessons/

За да бъдат успешни, про-демократичните активисти трябва да вземат под внимание способността за обучение на авторитарните държави и да бъдат постоянно иновативни в своите стратегически избори.

Изследователите представят дълъг списък от фактори, довели до свалянето на авторитарните режими в Сърбия, Грузия, Киргизстан и Украйна. Успехът на цветната революция се определя от наличието на фактори като:

Използване на разделения между принудителните сили на режима Обединете недоволни бизнесмени, които са желали и са в състояние да предоставят финансова, логистична и медийна подкрепа на опозицията Имате продемократичен капитал Направете непопулярни управляващите елити Ангажиране на младежта Инициирайте чужда намеса Университет на Фрибург (CH): http://commonweb.unifr.ch/artsdean/pub/gestens/f/as/files/4760/42821_182433.pdf

Още едно проучване, което показва, че успешните цветни революции са активно подкрепяни от чужди страни или от НАТО, защото те могат да се възползват икономически от демократизацията на страната, за да поставят своите икономически шампиони. Пример: Япония финансира МОТ, защото допринася за подобряване на условията на труд в Китай и по този начин увеличава цените на техния пряк конкурент: https://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/colour_revolutions_3196.jsp

Много обширно проучване на Университета в Денвър в световен мащаб. „Използването на техните разделения с помощта на срам е най-ефективното средство за спиране на въоръжени проправителствени групи“: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nka8OZnPWOU

Техният уебсайт, посветен на използването на бунтовниците по целия свят: https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/

Петиция към ООН за Референдум за народна инициатива в съответствие с цел 16 за устойчиво развитие „Мир, справедливост и силни институции” (https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg16), за референдум за гражданската инициатива: подпишете тук: http://chng.it/TXCknMhm чрез Промяна и предаване на вашите приятели :-)

To read this article in English: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/181554498725/red-scarves-against-yellow-vests-in-france-or

En français: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/181545667825/foulards-rouges-contre-gilets-jaunes-en-france-ou

用中文（表达: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/181671264070/红色和黄色

in het Nederlands: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/181580236905/het-rood-en-het-geel-gebruik-deepl-om-te-vertalen

日本語で: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/181707937615/赤と黄色

Les 2 France, jusqu’à quand?:https://www.tumblr.com/edit/159935833145/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Faurianneor.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F159935833145%2F2-france-jusquà-quand

Travail famille consommation vs liberté égalité fraternité: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/158740398389/travail-famille-consommation-vs-liberté-egalité

The message behind colors of the wind: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/171590120955/the-message-behind-colors-of-the-wind

Nos ancêtres les marrons: https://aurianneor.tumblr.com/post/159072203590/nos-ancêtres-les-marrons-il-nexiste-quune-seule

“For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.” Sun Tzu -  The Art of War

Езичниците, злите - Gilets jaunes: https://youtu.be/cBiHJxGxz1g

L’ONU interdit à la France l’usage des grenades et lanceurs de balles car cette violence d’Etat dissuade les gens de manifester pacifiquement. 
Rights of ‘gilets jaunes’ protesters in France, ‘disproportionately curtailed’, say UN independent experts | UN News 
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1032741

#жълт #червен #червеногуша #gilets jaunes #полиция #краста #стачки #червени шалове #правителство #граждани #либерали #Доналд Тръмп #бели превъзходници #вендета #жълти жилетки #aurianneor #милиция #emmanuel macron

[msdoctorwho]

Fire Meet Gasoline, Ch. 9

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13461255/chapters/34141604

But it's a bad bet, certain death But I want what I want and I gotta get it When the fire dies, darkened skies Hot ash, dead match, only smoke is left -Sia

In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. -Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

As hurt, scared, and angry as she was, Bulma had a hard time blaming him for leaving. He’d only just started to let himself be comfortable with her, to settle into a new life, to figure out who he was away from a dead planet and a nightmare tyrant. How else could she expect him to act, blindsided with the overwhelming responsibility for another life, fearing a distraction that could rob him of the achievement on which he’d staked his entire significance?

While she obviously hadn’t gotten knocked up all by herself, they both knew if she hadn’t pursued him so relentlessly, they’d still just be sort-of-friends.

That was the worst bit -- she missed him, she missed the easy company of their fledgling friendship, and hated that it might be gone, forever. Sometimes she wished it could all go back to the way it had been before, too.

But there was no use dwelling on that -- she needed to move forward, and there was work to do.

With her child’s father in space, potentially never to return, the possibility of wishing back Nappa and Raditz had become a certainty for Bulma. She needed to know more about them. She wanted more for her child than a lost, dead, heritage.

And the feeling that they deserved the same second chance as Vegeta had been nagging at her ever since she’d spoken with him about it. Now, he wasn’t here to fight her on it.

Or give a fuck what she did with the rest of her life on Earth.

It was easy enough to collect the dragon balls again on her own. She took them to the middle of nowhere to avoid inconvenient questions from nosy friends.

She hadn't counted on stumbling into Gohan, who, from the look on his face, was also hoping to be alone and escape the notice of anyone he knew.

“Hey, Bulma,” he said, looking surprised and guilty.

“What’s up, kid?” Bulma asked, calculating whether or not to lie to him.

“Dad thinks I’m doing homework, and Mom thinks I’m training.” He paused. “I just needed a break.”

“You’ve got a lot of expectations on you, kid. It’s not really fair.” She ruffled his hair, embarrassing him with the childish gesture. “But if anyone can live up to them, it’s you.”

Hand to the back of his head, he looked bashful and changed the subject. “What are you doing out here, with the Dragon Balls? Can I help?”

She looked at him for a long time, and then looked away. “You’re not really a kid anymore, Gohan. What I want to do isn’t necessarily smart, and it isn’t safe, but it’s what I feel in my heart is right.”

She went on, looking out over the jagged cliffs of rust-colored rock, baking in the afternoon sun. “If I let you stay, I’d have to ask you not to tell your parents and I don’t want to put you in that position.”

He thought for a moment. “I think Dad would want me to help you even if it meant lying to him. And Mom...well, I’m going to be in trouble with her today either way,” he laughed uneasily.

Bulma nodded, and began to summon a dragon.

The majesty of Shen-lon never got old -- a vast creature that seemed to touch the sky, booming voice echoing in her ears. This time, she felt like he was eyeing her a bit in judgment.

She worded her wish carefully. “I wish for Nappa and Raditz to be alive again, but unable to harm me or anyone I care about.”

If she played her cards right they’d never uncover that failsafe.

In an instant, they towered over her, blinking and disoriented. Raditz recovered first. “I remember you, little human,” he hissed.

Nappa’s eyes narrowed in recognition.

She didn’t cower, budge, or lose eye contact. “Aren’t you at all curious about why you’re no longer dead?”

At this they looked uncertain. Suddenly coming back to life was a lot to handle, even for them.

“Vegeta asked me to find the Dragon Balls and bring you back,” she lied.

Nappa snorted. “Prince Vegeta doesn’t ask anyone to do anything.”

She had to smile at that. “True enough, but fortunately for him I agreed with the idea.”

“Why, little earthling, would you ever do that?” Nappa’s soft growl was much more intimidating than Raditz’s brash, insulting tone, as he stepped closer.

“Stay away from her!” Gohan warned, his forward motion cut short by Bulma’s quick gesture to stay put.

“Nephew!” Raditz’ surprise was evident, but there was nothing warm in it. “Come to greet your uncle?”

He cracked his knuckles, and even Bulma could feel the auras flaring to life around her. The Gohan who had cowered from these aliens was long gone, replaced by a young man eager for a fight. She’d bet her airship that Piccolo was monitoring them from somewhere, as well.

Bulma needed control of the situation now.

“Stop this at once!” she commanded, in their own language. “Power down, and show more control than a green cadet.” Translated more accurately as, “Stop jerking off instead of thinking.” Her tone was haughty, arrogant, and scathing.

The two Saiyans, all three of them actually, gaped at her open-mouthed. She imagined they could not have been more surprised than if Vegeta himself had unzipped her skin like a suit and stepped out to reprimand them. Their collective gathered power fizzled out in shock.

“A lot has changed while you’ve been gone, assholes.” she said, ignoring them to brush non-existent lint away from her clothing, an arrogant display of confidence.

“Clearly,” Nappa replied, gruff, and suspicious, regarding her like a talking cockroach.

“The short version is: Gohan is with me because Kakarot recognized Vegeta as his Prince, became a Super Saiyan, and killed Frieza to avenge your planet.” Mostly killed, she amended, in her head.

Gohan couldn’t follow the conversation, but he heard his name, and his father’s, and Frieza’s. The Saiyans seemed to be listening attentively, so he let himself relax.

Bulma continued, “Vegeta is on a training mission to ascend, as we’ve been warned about a new threat to Earth.”

“And why would Prince Vegeta give a shit about a threat to this pathetic ball of mud?” Raditz challenged.

“Is there a reason needed to fight, Saiyan, beyond glory, blood and victory?” she replied coolly. It was a very Vegeta, very Saiyan answer. The implied Saiyan subtext was a bit more like “Is that not enough to get it up for you?”

“...the brass balls on this bitch,” muttered Raditz, cowed enough to do it under his breath.

“What is Prince Vegeta to you, woman?” Unlike Vegeta, when Nappa used this form of address, it was distant but respectful. His eyes were curious.

For the first time her composure flickered. “I’m his...” she paused, searching for a Saiyan label that commanded more respect than “baby mama,” and coming up wanting.

“I’m his earthling paramour,” she finally ground out, her eyes daring them to comment. It implied higher status than “whore” or “concubine”, but not by much.

Nappa’s head was spinning. She spoke like a soldier, with the rude, direct structure of the barracks, none of the bullshit equivocation of the aristocracy. Her flawless accent, though, and her tone -- that belonged to a queen. The clear ring of command belonged to a general.

She sounded like Vegeta.

She sounded like Vegeta, with a cultivated fondness for creative vulgarity and a habit of using and discarding feminine pronouns like she could only be bothered to use them when she felt like it.

She was a fascinating and infuriating creature, and he could see all too well what Vegeta’s interest in her might have been.

Raditz only laughed though, almost to the point of tears. “As if! The Prince never eats local cuisine!” Literally: “never fucks cannon fodder.”

She grew more and more still, the longer he went on, and Nappa felt he had seen warmer light reflected off of glaciers, compared to the icy glint of her gaze.

“Put your useless, lowborn brain to work, you unwashed troglodyte, and use your enhanced senses to figure it out.” She opened her arms, daring him to do it.

Raditz approached her with caution, though it was clear by now her only weapon was her tongue. He lifted her hair, curiously, and then dropped to his knees to investigate her scent, his nose practically in her crotch. Her face flamed, but she didn’t move.

His expression was suddenly a lot less smug. “It’s faint, but she does smell like him.” He stared at her with a lot more curiosity now, which inexplicably made her feel shy. She ignored it.

Nappa rolled his eyes and stepped up to her, looking for more important tells. She watched him, warily, but allowed him to pull her sweater off her shoulder, exposing her neck.

Raditz gave a low whistle. “Well, someone’s been biting --” Literally: “Looks like he bit off more than he could--”

Nappa cut him off with a wave of his hand. If she’d had any idea what a mark like that meant, she wouldn’t have introduced herself as only his lover. Nappa had long ago given up trying to figure out how his Prince’s mind worked, but this was a next-level mess.

And…

His hand drifted lower, respectfully, hovering over her lower belly, searching. He dropped to his knees without thinking, automatically, and punched Raditz in the calf.

“Kneel, idiot, she is mother to the next heir of Vegetasei,” he said only. He wasn’t a kind man, but it seemed cruel even to him to add the rest when it was obviously unknown to her.

And the claimed mate of your Prince.

Which is how Bulma found herself with two loyal if somewhat feral Saiyan subjects, however much she tried to convince them otherwise.

Her parents were used to her “taking in strays” at this point. Her mother was delighted to host “friends of Vegeta” and her dad greeted them warmly with only a little grumbling about moving up the R&D on his food replication tech with two more Saiyans to feed.

She convinced them without too much trouble not to blast her parents or anyone else into oblivion for neglecting to use Vegeta’s title, telling them that since he’d been living on Earth he had stopped using it.

Raditz was insufferably pleased that the first legendary to arise in millennia was from his own direct bloodline. He was desperate to find out more, convinced that he himself should be able to do it, too. At her insistence he agreed to wait to visit Goku until she could break the news herself, but he wouldn’t wait long.

That was going to be a fun conversation with Chichi.

Turns out, the two of them were indeed better conversationalists than Vegeta when it came to Saiyan culture, though the comparison wasn’t entirely fair. Nappa reminded her that all of Vegeta’s knowledge came from what he’d learned as a young child, or from a book, or his elders. He’d experienced none of Vegetasei’s culture or society as an adult himself.

She was ashamed of not having figured that out herself, as it should have been obvious.

“If he was insufferable, that was my doing,” Nappa told her, one night when they were sitting alone over coffee, the first and only Saiyan to take to the bitter Earth beverage. “He was a boy, tormented by a monster, told he was a Prince. Fortifying his pride and his power was all I could do for him.”

“He would hate that you’re telling me this,” Bulma said.

“Which one of us is going to tell him?” Nappa asked.

She sighed. “Either of us, if he asked.”

He grunted, pleased with the loyalty in her answer, however difficult it might make life for them both.

If he ever comes back, Bulma thought.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her, however hard he tried.

He trained to utter exhaustion, in the most extreme conditions he could produce, and still she haunted him.

Unexpectedly, there was a monitor in the ship connected to a camera in her lab, an old feed that had never been disconnected. There was a fearful symmetry in the way he watched her now, the same way she had observed him in the beginning.

She didn’t spend much time at her desk, but he would catch her, now and then, eating instant noodles, drawing schematics, engine grease smeared on her cheek, in her hair. Sometimes he saw the remnant of tears, or dark circles from lack of sleep, but in general she looked like she was doing well, doing better than him.

The curve of her belly appeared overnight as if from nowhere, and he watched it increase with growing dread. No matter what he had said to her or himself, he kept thinking desperately that she was alone, unprotected, it was his duty to be close, to make sure both she and the child were safe. The way he had never been safe.

He was not the kind of man who should have offspring. He knew nothing of fatherhood other than the distant man who’d made a feckless bargain to save himself by giving his son over for certain abuse.

He should not be a father, he had never wanted to be. But it was happening whether he’d willed it or not, and suddenly the terror that he’d never ascend wasn’t only about himself anymore. The androids were coming -- had already come, the boy had said, and Earth had been crushed beneath them.

He had to ascend, he had to, and for once Kakarot wasn’t in his thoughts at all.

In his nightmares of failure, he didn’t dream of his own death anymore.

Only hers.

#vegebul fanfiction #vegebul #vegeta #vegeta x bulma #bulma