#gaslighter Ishmael is home | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dakotacrisis · 4 years

Text

A Day In The Life Of Gorilla

Gorilla is a silent character but his inner thoughts are anything but. Hereby referred to as Ishmael because I doubt he would refer to himself as Gorilla.

---

The alarm clock went off and Ishmael got up for another day of work as Adrien Agreste’s body guard. Another day of subtly working around his emotionally stunted employer to let the socially inept teenager have a couple hours of normalcy while still retaining his job. It was a fine line but thanks to Gabriel’s frequent absenteeism and Adrien’s innate ability to sneak away it was not hard.

After getting dressed and having a long look in the mirror contemplating if he should shave the muttonchops Ishmael headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Nathalie was already there sipping some coffee and doing the newspaper suduko. She gave him a half-awake greeting and returned to her task.

Ishmael went to the cupboards and sighed. He understood when he moved to France that there would be cultural differences but he really missed big breakfasts. If he could get a weekend off he’d go visit his sister in Kirn. See how his brother-in-law is doing. Play with his nephews. Eat something other than a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Soon it was time for him to drive Adrien to school. The poor boy looked like death as he slid into the backseat of the car. There had been an akuma attack last night that must have woken him up.

Upon getting to the school he waited to make sure Adrien got inside okay. One of Adrien’s friends, Nino, came up to talk to him along with some other classmates. Immediately Adrien perked up. Public school really had been the best thing to happen to that boy.

After running some errands it was time for Adrien to be picked up to go to his photoshoot. Unfortunately when he got to the school the scene playing out at the front entrance was the exact opposite of the happy environment Adrien had been dropped off in. Chloe Bourgeois was planted firmly in front of Adrien and loudly complaining at Adrien’s new co-worker Lila Rossi.

This ought to be good. Ishmael rolled the window down far enough to hear what was going on.

“It is utterly ridiculous! I will not condone this!” Chloe yelled.

Adrien said something but only Chloe’s screams could be heard from the car.

“If your dad wants someone to partner modeling with you then it is going to be me! Not this out of season, romper wearing, disrespectful, philistine.”

Philistine? He wasn’t aware Chloe carried that word in her vocabulary. He was a little impressed.

There was some more talking from Lila and Adrien to an angry Chloe before a third girl entered the fray. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. The little designer that lived in the bakery had all of Ishmael’s respect. Being one of the few girls in Adrien’s circle that had a crush on him but didn’t force herself on the boy.

Case and point, Marinette came up behind Adrien and tapped him on the shoulder before pointing towards the car waiting for him. He looked back at the car with a gesture to Marinette to follow.

Yes. Come on baker girl! Take the invite!

She nodded and the two quickly snuck away from the fighting girls and hopped in the car.

“Phew,” Adrien collapsed in his seat. “Thanks for coming by when you did, Marinette.”

“No problem.” Marinette beamed. “Thanks for letting me tag along to your photo shoot.”

“Well I know how into fashion you are.” Adrien teased sending the girl’s face aflame.

Ah, young love. Even if one of them was too oblivious to see it.

Speaking of photo shoots Ishmael should probably stop eavesdropping on a couple of teenagers and drive to said photo shoot.

“Adrien!” Chloe started stopping after the car with Lila right on her heels. “Wait!”

Nope! Ishmael peeled out leaving the other girls in the dust.

Adrien and Marinette continued talking in the back leaving Ishmael to his thoughts.

Maybe if he could find some really heavy traffic that could give the two kids in his backseat more time to talk. He was not above admitting that he really like the baker girl for Adrien. Now if only the boy would drop his crush on Ladybug to pursue it.

Ishmael understood where the infatuation with the hero was coming from but at a certain point it just wasn’t possible. He had read enough comics to know that heroes dating civilians never ends well! Secret identities, misunderstandings, kidnapping and ransom on the regular. It was enough to give Ishmael anxiety just thinking about it. He was hired to protect Adrien. He would lose his mind if the boy kept getting taken hostage by akumas trying to use him as collateral for Ladybug’s earrings.

This job was stressful enough with Gabriel Agreste constantly breathing down his neck. He didn’t need the rest of his hair to go full grey because Adrien wanted to be the next Mary Jane Watson!

They pulled up to the site of the photo shoot and Ishmael waited in the car.

He liked to use this time to look up everything he could about parenting, abusive relationships, and adoption legalese. Not that he was secretly planning to expose Mr. Agreste’s gaslight parenting and adopt Adrien as his own until his mother can be found. That would be crazy.

The work gave him some reassurance though. He at least had some understanding and preparation if Mr. Agreste did ever go too far and action needed to be taken. He cared about that boy so much. Had been watching over him since he was a little kid. Came to see him as a son even if he couldn’t outwardly show it. He’d be damned if he didn’t get custody in the event that Mr. Agreste had an...accident.

Okay. That got a little dark. Ishmael wasn’t about to go and beat up his employer for not being more involved or directly invested in Adrien’s life. The thought was tempting though. So...so...tempting.

CRASH!

Oh what now? And there was an akuma turning everyone into giant flowers. Great. Does Hawkmoth ever take a day off?

Ishmael jumped out of the car to find Adrien and get him to safety when the akuma spotted him and shot what looked like seeds at him. He shielded himself from the assault only to then wake up some time later sprawled on the ground.

Had he gotten turned into a flower? What kind of nonsense was that? At least if he was back to normal that meant that Ladybug and Chat Noir had restored everything. Past events gave him reason to believe that Adrien was fine but he wouldn’t be able to stop worrying until he saw the boy.

Quickly he rushed onto set and saw Adrien stroll out into the open. Thank goodness he was safe. Ishmael stayed outside on set after that. After they wrapped up he was supposed to take Adrien straight home but when the boy came up to him with that hopeful look in his eye and an innocent plea to stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery for a couple minutes for treats with Marinette, Ishmael couldn’t say no.

As long as they got home within the hour it shouldn’t be bad. The teenagers walked into the bakery and Ishmael had to resist the urge to go in and pick up some goodies for himself. He was working. If he wanted pastries he should have picked them up while Adrien was in school.

A few minutes went by and Adrien bid Marinette and her parents goodbye before heading back to the car. A little pink box in his hands. Oh great. Now he was gonna be stuck in the car with the smell of fresh baked pastries teasing him.

Adrien got inside and popped open the lid. “Hey Gorilla,” Adrien scooted forward in his seat and held out a macaron for him. “I got you one. It’s green tea and white chocolate flavored.”

Ishmael took the offered macaron with a small smile. Green tea and white chocolate was his favorite flavor.

They drove home and Ishmael tried not to show his annoyance when they entered and Mr. Agreste was waiting at the top of the stairs. What kind of holier than thou intimidation tactic was this?

You are not a king overlooking his subjects! Come down to eye level! Where did this attitude come from? Before this jerk face got big he was living in a rundown studio living off of microwave meals and patching thrift store jeans. You’re not a haughty as you make yourself out to be, Gabe! The fact that Emilie agreed to marry you was nothing short of a miracle considering what a prominent and wealthy family she came from. You were a tortured artist hobo next to a happy-go-lucky princess!

Calm down. Let the overbearing prick in his peppermint ensemble complain about being ten minutes late. It’ll be over soon.

Adrien looked disheartened by his father’s words. He apologized and tried to rationalize that they were only ten minutes late but Mr. Agreste was having none if it. And to top it all off he had Nathalie take the box Adrien had brought home from the bakery.

Berate the boy for being late. Pair him with a co-worker he doesn’t like. Rarely join son for meals. Barely talk to son. All of that was one thing but to take the poor boy’s treats? Was nothing sacred?

Now thoroughly miserable Adrien ascended up to his room. Nathalie handed the box from the bakery to Ishmael. “Dispose of this.” She glanced up at Adrien’s room before following Mr. Agreste into his office.

Ishmael knocked on the door to Adrien’s room but no answer came. Quietly he opened the door but didn’t see anyone. He must be in the bathroom. He deposited the box on Adrien’s desk and left.

He may not be able to protect Adrien from everything but at least he could help him in other ways.

#i thought it was cute #and potentially funny #miraculous ladybug #the gorilla #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #gorilla got sass

63 notes · View notes

aion-rsa · 3 years

Text

In Black Lightning, The Worst Villainy Isn’t Super

https://ift.tt/2Qa7817

This Black Lightning article contains spoilers for Season 4, Episode 8, “Things Fall Apart.”

Things really do fall apart in the latest episode of Black Lightning. After returning home from their honeymoon in the Akashic Valley, newlyweds Anissa and Grace are greeted warmly by the family in a surprise celebration. The reception is unfortunately cut short by the arrival of the FBI, who serve Jefferson a search warrant based on an accusation of embezzlement from Garfield High School. This is merely a start to what is clearly a coordinated effort by Tobias to ruin Jefferson Pierce.

The thing about being a pillar is that people look to you for support. And when you falter, it weakens the foundations of everything you helped build. Jefferson made Garfield a top performing school in the city, and the reverence the community has for him extends far enough that even ruthless gangsters like Lala put some respect on his name. It’s easy enough to convince people that metas are unnecessary and even dangerous, and it wouldn’t take much to make people question Black Lightning. But people know Jefferson, he’s a part of their lives. Jefferson Pierce embezzling from Garfield High is a serious betrayal, and even the mere accusation shakes people’s faith. And Freeland desperately needs faith.

Black Lightning Gives Us a Glimpse at a Painkiller Spinoff, and We Want More

By Nicole Hill

Why Black Lightning’s Jennifer Pierce Twist Works

By Nicole Hill

Tobias didn’t destroy Freeland, that’s on the Markovians and the ASA. But he did take advantage of the destruction. He preyed on the city’s vulnerability, and undermined the people’s faith in their existing institutions—which includes Jefferson Pierce and Black Lightning. And all of his plotting has given him leverage over the Pierces, and over the entire city of Freeland. He weaponized the people’s fear and their faith, and made himself a hero. Tobias has always been a real threat and he’s always just barely been beaten, but he’s learned a lot from his losses and is more dangerous than he’s ever been.

The first few episodes of the season saw Jefferson struggling to redefine his heroism in the face of his best friend’s death. He tried to hold onto Jefferson Pierce, educator and man of the community, and put masked vigilante, Black Lightning, away. Tobias has essentially taken that away, and now, again, Jefferson has to redefine himself in this new reality that Tobias has crafted. Whatever Tobias is planning with the new “hospital” and Monovista’s energy emitter cannot be good for Freeland. And with so much on their collective plate, the Pierces may not be able to stop it. Putting Jefferson in the city’s crosshairs keeps Black Lightning distracted, cause Jefferson will do whatever he can to restore people’s faith in him.

While Freeland has more heroes than ever, with JJ, Blackbird, and Wylde, there is also a meta-hunter in the city and he is more than a match for all of them. Ishmael attacks Anissa and Grace while they’re breaking into the hospital to get answers about a patient’s mysterious gene-editing treatment. Ishmael is powerful and he is studied, and they only gain the advantage in the fight when Grace fully transforms into her leopard form. Between Tobias and Ishmael, the Pierces are on the ropes. And with Chief Lopez, Monovista, the Kobra Cartel, the 100… There is no shortage of people coming for the Pierce family.

Black Lightning has always done a good job exploring different concepts of power, and it’s at its strongest when it is dismantling or recontextualizing what power is. Lynn is a great example of a character who has toed the line between powerless and empowered, and whose strengths and weaknesses are often flipped, making her a heroic victim of sorts. She’s powerful because she thrives when she’s at her lowest, but that means she often has to be broken down to find her most powerful self. The Pierces have all, at one point or another, been worn down. And they have all had to find ways to not just survive, but win. This season builds on that, and continues to take the Pierces to new depths, which will make whatever victories they have more gratifying. I expect things will get a lot worse for Jefferson before they get better, but I am still excitedly along for the ride.

Additional thoughts.

JJ is Jen but maybe is not and I don’t know what this means, but it could be yet another way the writers tear the Pierces down before building them back up.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Gambi is really manipulating and gaslighting the hell up out this woman and of all the morally ambiguous things he’s done on this show, this feels the most egregious

The post In Black Lightning, The Worst Villainy Isn’t Super appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3tC2w1Z

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

0 notes

locutius · 6 years

Text

12: Why Alexa was laughing at you 😂+ Consensual software

When your VUI refuses to follow instructions

No, it's not the premise for a new sci-fi film - it's what happened on a variety of Alexa devices, scaring the ever-loving-bejeezus out of the people. That is, until Amazon changed the command from "Alexa, laugh" to "Alexa, can you laugh?".

Note that the laugh no longer sounds like a ghost child haunting your kitchen. Also, I can't wait for when people start gaslighting each other using voice interfaces. "Did you hear something?" "No, I didn't hear anything." "I could have sworn I heard something."

Alexa, Please Stop Laughing

😂😂😂

Night-mode for Google Home = lifesaver

Unlike every human being in existence, your Google Home or Alexa or whatever you use (What do you use?) doesn't understand the context in which it's responding to your request. Rocking out at 6PM? Guess what, now it's 9:30PM, your kid's asleep, the house is quiet, you ask what year Sputnik launched and get an answer at VOLUME SEVEN.

Great. Now you'r

Smart home devices aren't very "smart" yet, but now you can turn down the volume on your Google Home after hours.

Follow these instructions to set the night mode on your Google Home

. Yes, it's a just a dumb (as in, not a smart, learning from you a la Nest "Smart") scheduler, but it should save you that awkward 11PM blaring trivia answer.

Note: There are TWO (yes, count 'em, two) places where there are settings for your Google Home device. Follow the instructions linked above, that's how you'll find the right setting. And yes, this is a per-device setting.

🦇🦇🦇

Smart Home technology...wastes?!?...energy

In leaky, poorly built, or old homes, smart thermostats and other devices can save energy. But with something like the Passive House (it has 18" of insulation), having a "smart home" doesn't do you a lot of good, energy-wise.

This pair of articles contains some info I didn't expect: most homes have 65 devices sucking down energy at any given time. Wow. (Note: there's some ableism in the articles, ignoring that for some people, having the ability to turn on and off lights without walking through a dark room can be a help.)

Vampire power is back, and it's thirstier than ever in the new smart home

Smart Home technology won't save energy; it wastes it.

🦇🦇🦇

Consensual Software

No, this isn't about Consent Blockchains (which are a fucking horrible idea - pun intended) - it's an open-source project advocating for better user consent in software design. Take a look at their Twitter account - you'll cringe. And then you'll go update your LinkedIn settings. Consensual Software on Twitter: https://twitter.com/consentsoftware

👍👍👍

"Great Rooms" as a space for introducing new tech

"Great Rooms" are the combination of kitchen, dining, and living space, frequently found in American homes built in the last 20 years. Nowadays we call it an "Open floor plan" because "Great room" sounds like the 90's, but the concept is the same - a giant unified space instead of separate rooms for cooking, eating, and relaxing or entertaining. This paper by Scott Mainwaring and Allison Woodruff explores great rooms, including the hedonic experience, wastefulness, invasiveness, and the implications for technoogy design. Disclosure: Allison and I used to be on the same team at Google, but she doesn't know I'm sharing this paper. And she wrote the paper while she was at Intel Research. Read the article (PDF): Investigating Mobility, Technology, And Space In Homes, Starting With “Great Rooms”

🔗🔗🔗

Locutius links

Trying to cover the "whole world" with the voice interface Scott Huffman, VP at Google gives a brief (2 min) interview on Google's Assistant + VUI + AI / Bloomberg Tech

Projector + Nest Cam = Verifying you know everyone in The Walking Dead Thanks for the laugh, Jina! / @jina on Twitter

Toward an ethical, transparent, and fair AI - a reading list "We also need to remind ourselves that algorithms don’t exercise their power over us. People do." / Eirini Malliaraki on Medium

Cathy Pearl is doing an AMA next Tuesday, March 20th / Proof on Twitter

Ever heard your own echo on a conference call? Arghghg. It turns out that a delay of over 50 milliseconds creates a 'train tunnel' effect and distracts you. This is the technology that prevents that: Echo suppression and cancellation. Always nice to know the technological underpinnings of your work, right? / Wikipedia

💸💸💸

The best thing I bought this week

I'm a huge "25 things on ASOS that are sooo cute" window-shopper (I have never bought something from ASOS, sorry Buzzfeed), so I figured I'd share two essential items. One is for people with dogs. One is for no-dog people.

Do you have a dog? Does it like to chew on things? Get your dog a Benebone bacon dog bone. My dog can eat a Nylabone in 15 minutes. Benebones last for a month. Also, when these come in the mail he hounds me (haha)until I open the box. Required dog photo below.

Stop trying to manually squish things into your carry-on suitcase. Get yourself a set (or two) of Eagle Creek Pack It Specter Compression Cube Set (they should be ~$32). Stacy-Marie Ishmael recommended packing cubes last year. I finally took her advice and now I regret all of the times I didn't use them. They are AMAZING. I am actually thinking about bringing a robe with me.

👋👋👋

I'm heading to Tokyo tomorrow to give a talk at UX Days Tokyo and teach a day-long VUI design & prototyping workshop. It's my usual half-day workshop, but it'll be live translated line-by-line, so it will take twice as long. I'm also planning more and shorter activities for the workshop since time flies when you learn from activities, not lectures. Wish us luck!

また今度 (next time),

Abi Jones Editor, Locutius Is there something I missed?

Reply to this email with a link! Want to chat? I’m on Twitter at @jonesabi

Disclaimers: Yes, this newsletter includes affiliate links! I have made $1.13 so far. I am raking it in. And yes, I work at Google. The views in this newsletter are mine, not Google’s, obvs

#locutius #VUI #voiceux #locutiusletter

0 notes