#so i guess i should learn more about the gun debate as it pertains to Black liberation bc i only ever hear the white side of the gun debate | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cblgblog · 3 years

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Sorry I’m advance but one of my other favorite accounts just reblogged a Tony scene and people are talking about Civil War and how it made them Stan Tony, and how when they watch that movie they hate team cap👀 Then someone was all about how he was sleep deprived and how much pressure he was under and couldn’t understand how people didn’t like Tony because. Someone literally said that when someone says they don’t like Tony in Civil War they say “did you watch the same movie as me.” I’m baffled. Oddly enough someone else said, “he just wants to help everyone.” Sorry for the rant but I think people forget about what the accords are and what it would mean for people. Side note, I hope you’re having a great day/night 😀

No sorry needed!

I feel you man, I do. Honestly, I’ve unfollowed people based on similar posts when I was in especially Done moods, so.

Look on the one hand, the movie would’ve been a narrative failure if everyone was in favor of one side or the other, right? The whole point of the damn thing—besides giving the Mouse overlords more money—was to spark discussion, debate. Which, yeah, we’ll call that the tame description for what actually happened. But just, the thing was meant to split the fanbase so in that regard…winning? Thanks, I guess?

Film is also very obviously subjective, different strokes for different folks, so yeah, ten people can watch a movie and none of them are gonna see the exact same film. Let’s try to remember that this is, in theory anyway, a good thing. I just read a professional film review yesterday where I had the same reaction. What film were you watching, dude? Incidentally his reviewing partner said the same thing.

So honestly, no, they weren’t watching the same film as you or I or anyone else, because everyone brings their own biases and experiences and knowledge and interests into a thing, and that’s always going to flavor how it’s viewed. Again, let’s try to remember that this is good. In theory. Heavy on the theory.

That out of the way? Let’s get into Tony specifically so his uber stans can find this and scream at me on anon as though I just shot RDJ with a nuke.

Oh yeah, he was stressed. Oh, he was sleep deprived. Yeah, I’ve heard that. And that it’s Pepper’s fault, if she hadn’t left the poor baby, if she was there to rein him in, he’d be fine dammit, leave the baby alone!

Here’s the thing. You know who gets a pass on their shit behavior when they’re upset or tired? Actual babies. Actual babies and toddlers, and children, up to a point. Because they actually cannot always help themselves. Their bodies and brains are different, they have not learned better.

When you’re a 50-year-old man who’s supposedly the world’s bestest superhero, who wants, wants to be in charge of protecting the whole world? You need a little more self-control than that. The sleep deprived excuse works if you snap at someone before you’ve had your coffee, not for this. Roseanne Barr didn’t get to blame Ambien for her racism, Tony doesn’t get to handwave CW away because oops, I was tired.

Really? You’re a superhero, dude. Most of your teammates are tired too, that’s part of the gig. If you crash and burn this badly without your afternoon nap, fucking hang up the armor and go back to your billionaire playboy lifestyle.

Speaking of that, sure, right. It’s Pepper’s fault because she left him. Put aside the argument on whether that was justified or not (cough, it was and she should’ve stayed away even though they are adorable together). It’s not Pepper’s job to keep Tony sane. It’s not any partner’s job to do that for anyone. If she wants out, she has a right to that, without Tony going off the rails and blaming it on her. Seriously, he says part of the reason he backed the Accords was to “split the difference” with Pepper.

Dude. You were an asshole and you lost your girl. You destroyed all your suits, turned an emotional and mental corner in IM 3…and then relapsed 4 minutes later I guess because Whedon. Either way, Tony admits himself that he does not want to stop. So instead of doing that, or finding another partner who can accept that, you back an unjust international law that pits you against your team, your supposed friends? Go to therapy, have a pint of ice cream, cry into your pillow, send her more of those strawberries you sent her in IM 2 that she’s allergic to. You don’t go trying to change international law in ways that could ultimately affect millions of people because your girl left you.

Honestly—and thank God they didn’t do this but—the only way the Pepper excuse works in excusing his behavior in any way is if she’d died. Or been severely injured like Happy in IM 3. Still wouldn’t be okay, but, like Quill messing up their chance to stop Thanos because Gamora died, it would’ve been more understandable. Understandable, not excusable, and the way the MCU treats their women as manpain fodder, we’re probably legit lucky we didn’t get this.

As for him wanting to help everyone. He does in fact want that, I think. The problem is that his need to feel like he’s doing that is stronger than his rational mind, or his want to actually help in a constructive way.

Tony is too smart. He’s dumb as hell in many instances, mostly involving people and relationships, but he’s also too smart, and he’s been told for too long that he’s smart, and he’s bought into it. Ultron. Suit of armor around the world, protects the world, no more alien threats. It’s a simple concept on paper that fails in execution. So there are people with dangerous powers. Okay, we’ll make a set of laws to keep them from being dangerous, problem solved. But again, it isn’t.

Tony is not used to problems he cannot solve. He’s a genius, right? He can fix anything. He should be able to fix anything. That’s how he feels. But not everything is zeros and ones and circuits, things that can be fixed mechanically like his armors can. The people he wants to protect are not built that way. But he needs to feel like he’s doing something, because he’s terrified of what happens to the world if he doesn’t. So he creates these simple solutions to complex problems. The suit of armor, the Accords. They sound good in theory, but the problems they’re trying to solve are bigger than they are. And Tony, way back in IM 1, he sat back for years, clueless that his weapons were being used for bad things. He says it to Cap in CW. When he found out what his weapons were being used for, he went in and stopped it. Whether or not he should’ve known that already is a separate issue here. The point here is that when he found out, too late or not, he went in and did something about it.

Tony needs to do something about it. Again, go back to Cap in AoU, Tony’s nightmare sequence. Steve asks Tony why he didn’t save them. Tony’s ultimate nightmare is that he sits back and does nothing, and his inaction causes everyone to die. Which is where you get Ultron. Something he came up with because of what he saw in space in Avengers 1, then doubled down on in AoU. It’s where you get the Accords. Oops, he caused someone to die, he killed Charles Spencer. Must do something about that right now so it doesn’t happen again, and he won’t have to feel this guilt. He should be collaborating with others to come up with solutions (no Bruce in AoU doesn’t count because Bruce was dumb there), or at the very least, taking more time to think through the repercussions of the things he puts out there. But he doesn’t, because he’s got his savior complex that tells him that he alone can and must fix this, and because he’s too dumb to realize how not-smart he is in certain areas.

“We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I’m game.”

Isn’t that what he says in CW, or something very close to it? Whatever form that takes. That’s the issue, right there, whatever form that takes. Realistically, yes, there should be laws regarding people with powers, the same way there are special laws pertaining to people who carry guns, or people who are licensed to fly planes. You have a thing/can do a thing that not everyone else does, so there are regulations pertaining to that thing. Laws change with the times, they always have. Some new technology comes up, eventually there will be laws that regulate it. As there should be, honestly. The issue with the Accords, Steve’s issue with the Accords, was not the basic idea. He says as much. He says that it could work, but there would have to be safeguards. Safeguards that are not in the Accords that Tony wants him to sign.

It's not a matter of oh, fuck the law, there should be no law governing these people, they’re above it. The problem is that the law as it’s presented here is unjust. There’s what, a month between Lagos and Ross coming by to tell them about the Accords? A month is not enough time to properly analyze such a big issue, Especially when you’re reacting out of fear, which is what happened with Lagos. People died because of an Enhanced person, an Avenger, in this case. Lawmakers don’t want that to happen again, they especially don’t want the political shit storm that comes with it. Damn, we look like we were asleep at the switch here, not having anything to throw at this problem earlier. Quick, let’s throw together this thing so no one can say we’re not addressing the problem.

Patriot Act of 2001, anyone? 9/11 happened, the public were rightfully terrified, the US said oh man, these are unprecedented circumstances, we’ve never had this before. Don’t worry though, we’re on this, we’re protecting you. The reality being that that bill simply gave the government too much power, most of it being used against people who were not actually threats, and it’s debatable, to say the very least, whether or not that law helped more than it hurt.

No law is perfect. No law ever will be. It’s not possible. We still have to strive for perfection though, have to aim there so that the laws we get are as close to fair as possible. Tony’s a big deal. If not for his “whatever form that takes” attitude, he might’ve been able to use his influence to pressure lawmakers into coming up with a fairer bill. Hey, I’m me, the public loves me, I will endorse this bill publicly and work on getting the rest of the team to sign, but you need to change this and this and this first, or no deal. Instead, he took the easy way out, the quickest, easiest way for him to feel like he’s atoned for his sins without actually doing anything. Whatever form that takes.

Tony’s not wrong because he backs the creation of a law that addresses these things. He’s wrong because he says himself that he does not care what that law does, specifically, so long as it exists. He’s wrong because he violates said law upteen times during the movie, while preaching to team Cap about what assholes they are for not backing it. He’s wrong because he cares more about feeling as though he’s tackled a problem than he does about taking the time to make sure that the thing he’s proposing is actually a good idea. He’s wrong because of what he does with Bucky, though that’s honestly a separate issue, for the purposes of this discussion.

Anyway, that was longer than I ever wanted it to be. Damn. Next time you see a comment about CW being the reason people stan Tony, just remember there are other people out there who stopped stanning Tony because of that movie. Everyone’s entitled to see a piece of media however they see it, and although the Tony stans are often the loudest, there are plenty of like-minded people out there who share your take on events. Block who you need to, unfollow who you need to, blacklist what you need to, and don’t let them get you down.

Hang in there, and have an awesome day :)

#pro steve rogers #pro team cap #anti tony stark #anti tony stans #anti iron man #anti team iron man

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writeyouin · 7 years

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Swerve X Reader – A Human Crewmate - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Changes

A/N – Based on a lot of @rocksinmuffin head-canons so extra special thanks to them for that. Special thanks to the commenters on the last chapter for being super awesome, @tranformers-4-life @lilysflowershop

Warnings – None.

Rating – T

After much debate between the four bots who knew of your presence, it was finally decided that they’d have to tell the crew about you; they couldn’t exactly keep you hidden like some sort of pet and you couldn’t live the rest of your life in one room, never getting out. However, with advice from Rung and Ultra Magnus, it was decided that the crew would only find out when you were ready. As such, Rodimus would visit your ‘room’, which wasn’t much more than a metal desk with a hastily crafted bed and toilet on top of it, to ask if you were ready on a daily basis daily. Each day for a week you gave him the same answer, ‘no’, before heading back to bed.

You realised it was somewhat pathetic that you were hiding away in your room, neglecting bodily care but you could barely come to terms with never seeing Earth again, let alone being stranded with an alien race. Fortunately, as far as thinking ahead and taking care of yourself went, Ultra Magnus had the food problem covered and while the food wasn’t amazing, it did sustain you. Rung meanwhile, also visited daily, repeatedly asking you to see him as a patient, whilst also trying to respect your request for space; when you wanted to talk, you’d ask.

Eventually, your bodily odour got the better of you. It served as a reminder that you had to help yourself or slip further into the bleakness of depression. With one more day to gather courage, you awaited the return of Rodimus.

Rodimus was ecstatic to hear that you were ready, mainly because he was having a hard time keeping you a secret; the crew would be so excited. Despite his elation, you had a few requests to make of him first.

“Sure, sure,” he answered confidently, “whatever you want. If I can get it, I will.”

“Okay,” You said, thinking of your list. “First off, I need a proper room Rodimus, I’m talking one with a fully-equipped bathroom, and I won’t go out before that because I really need a shower. Then there’s the little things like a washing machine and dryer, a proper bed, not that this one’s too bad. Also, clothes, these ones need washing,” you tugged your shirt. “Oh yeah, food. Magnus isn’t doing too bad but he’s not human and putting peanuts in butter doesn’t make peanut butter so like, I need to see what stores he has to see if it’s going to last… are you even listening?”

Rodimus’ optics had glazed over and he was grinning broadly; he was actually planning his speech to the crew and getting to the ‘Til all are one’ part when you called him out.

“Sure I am, you said bathrooms,” he answered, affronted.

“And…?”

“And some other stuff too.”

You glared at him, “Rodimus, this is important, do I need to get Magnus for this or are you going to listen?”

“Alright, fine but we’re going to need someone else for this job.”

“Who?”

“(Y/N), meet Brainstorm, he’ll build all that human stuff you need,” Rodimus introduced a blue and white bot who had a scrutinous gaze or so you thought; the face plate unnerved you, it made Brainstorm’s emotions hard to read until he spoke, reflecting his personality in his voice.

“Magnificent,” Brainstorm marvelled, inspecting you.

“Oh, um thanks,” You replied, feeling awkward.

He laughed, “No, not you. It’s magnificent that you get to meet me. After all, I’m clearly the smartest being you’ve ever encountered.”

“And the humblest,” You added under your breath.

“Anyway, lucky for you, you get to spend your time with me while I build your room.”

“Ha, yeah, about that, I actually have to see Rung about something, unless you need me here.”

“Even better, now it’ll be a surprise.”

“…Right. Rodimus, can you sneak me to Rung please?”

Rodimus smiled cockily, transforming into a car before your very eyes. You stared, stunned and unsure of what to do or say. The door opened, inviting you in and making the situation stranger still. You weren’t concerned about yourself, for surely it would be like any other car ride but would it feel bad for Rodimus? Like a parasite that needed ejecting. Gingerly, you sat in the front seat, feeling out of sorts as a seatbelt wrapped over you. With a whoop of joy, Rodimus sped off towards Rung; you’d been wrong, it wasn’t like anything experienced before.

Fortunately, Rung was alone when you arrived, allowing Rodimus to let you out and transform back.

“Resident human here to see you Ring but first, how was that (Y/N)?”

“Uh…”

“Speechless huh, so cute. Well I don’t mean to brag,” Rodimus crowed, clearly bragging, “but that’s definitely the best ride any humans ever had.” He didn’t leave time to respond as he left the room, whistling.

“I have a feeling he’ll be quite hard to keep up with,” You noted quietly.

Rung chuckled, “Never a dull moment, that’s for sure. Now, I’m glad you’ve come to see me (Y/N), is there anywhere in-particular you’d like to start? With Earth, perhaps?”

A dull throb of pain resonated within you at the mention of the home you’d never see again, leading you to retort, “Oh no, none of that psyche stuff, not today. I just came to ask some questions, if you don’t mind.”

“Absolutely, whatever you want to know, uh, would you like to sit?”

A quick glance around the room revealed the difficulty of finding an appropriate spot. You scanned every surface, smiling at the model ships, big enough to fit you in, and what you presumed were sweets for Cybertronians. After a minute, you spoke, “I’ll take the desk, if you’d give me a lift please.”

Rung obliged, lifting you to the desk, where you sat cross-legged; he sat opposite, on his chair, waiting for you to speak.

“I guess my curiosity finally got the better of me. First off, do Cybertronians have gender constructs? If so, are you all male?”

“We do pertain to genders yes but not all bots are male. After the war however, our females were scattered.”

“War? Hang on, we’ll come back to it in a minute. How long do bots live?”

“Billions of years, our bodies simply go on with the proper care and attention.”

Your mind reeled at the possibility of living that long; it was incomprehensible what you’d do with that much time. “How will the others re-act to me?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say, just like you couldn’t say how each individual human on your planet would re-act to me; only time will tell.”

“Rodimus… he told me about a co-captain, Megatron. Why won’t Megatron see me? He knows I’m here, Ratchet told me.”

“Megatron is… troubled, especially by organics. Once you learn of our war it will become clearer.”

The answer was dissatisfying, it left too much unsaid. “Alright then, tell me about the war, the crew, the ship and its quest, no matter how long it takes.”

After hours of explanations from Rung, multiple queries from you, and several questionable snacks brought in by Magnus, you had a decent knowledge on Cybertronian history as well as the answers you’d been looking for. It was almost terrifying to think about how one bot’s reasonable disdain against an unfair system led to the destruction of countless worlds and the citizens who lived upon them. Then again, humans hadn’t been so different within their own species; one should never forget the acts of power-hungry men such as Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. However, nobody was asking you to meet Hitler and treat him with indifference; how could you do so for Megatron?

Before you could ask more about then mysterious co-captain, a call came through Rung’s comm-link, informing him that Brainstorm was finished and Rodimus was on his way back to pick you up; something you were thankful for because exhaustion was beginning to set in. Politely, you thanked Rung for his time, assuring him again that you’d be back if you wanted to talk about life’s deeper matters. He saw you out with a smile, hiding his worry about your mental welfare. As a psychiatrist, he had to trust that you’d keep your word and come to him, though he wished, not for the first time that he could make you stay and release any bottled-up emotions that might harm you later down the line.

“So, what do you think?” Brainstorm beamed.

You gaped at the room before you. It contained everything you needed and more. It was still set on the table so nobody would accidentally step on you if they came to visit or went in the wrong room accidentally. There was a kitchen with all the sparkling, chrome appliances you could never afford on Earth, like the kind featured in glossy magazines or on TV. The bathroom was the only room with walls added around it to ensure your privacy. Many luxuries had been added, including a TV bigger than a cinema screen against a wall across the room. Another wall had been completely replaced with glass, showing the vastness of space outside. Even the bedroom was spectacular, including several wardrobes (yet only two other outfits), the new bed was a canopy bed, like something a princess might have. Yes, the room had everything you needed and more, there was only one problem. No matter where you looked, pictures of Brainstorm were printed on every surface. The bed spread had a full-body image of him finger-gunning, the shower curtain was him in a rather promiscuous pose, the table which served as your floor held different closeups of him; lamp shades, cushions, even a dress which had been brought in for you. Everything depicted him.

“Aww, who’re we kidding? You love it, I can tell. How could you not? I am after all, your favourite mech. Hmm… I do wonder if I should sign any of it, would that be too much?”

“I um, right now, I- I think you’ve done enough,” You said, finally finding your voice.

Brainstorm sagged slightly, “Oh.”

“No! I mean, I love it but I wouldn’t want to ruin your uh, artistic vibe, by asking you to do even more for me.”

“…Right.”

“Uh, it’s just… I mean…” You sighed, “I suppose the bed wouldn’t be complete without a signature.”

Instantly perking up, Brainstorm signed the bed with a laser pen, making it permanent. It read, “From the mech you live for, Brainstorm.”

Considering his sudden burst of energy, you realised quite how manipulative he could be; it was all an act.

“And now, as much as I’d love to stay, I have much more important science-y stuff to do, bye,” he let himself out, leaving you alone once more and very overwhelmed.

You were unsure of what to do first. Despite your need for sleep and a shower, you found yourself staring outside, to the vast expanse of space; looking out there, at the cold darkness that had come close to being your demise, you felt more alone than ever. The thought made you cry.

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darthrevaan · 7 years

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Things Come Together - RvB Rare Pair Week Fic

Title: Things Come Together

Relationship: Katie Jensen/Volleyball

Words: 2679

Summary: Even in the midst of war, not everything is torn apart. Jensen and Volleyball during their time in the New Republic.

Notes: Written for @rvbrarepairweek ! Let’s spread some Jolleyball love ;)

Available on AO3

People have told Katie a hundred times that she and Volleyball are so close, they must have been childhood friends, right?

Katie always smiles and shakes her head. Nope. We met the day I joined up.

“Joined up” is a misleading phrase. Katie Jensen didn’t sign up to join the army; she just didn’t have much of a choice. When you get pulled out of a burning building by a young man in armour who tells you, “Hang tight kid, we’ll take you back to base” – well, you don’t tell him no.

Back then the rebel army still had a required age to sign up for military operations, so Volleyball – two months older than Katie, nearly sixteen and just about bursting to get started – was loud, larger than life, a warm, bright distraction from the well of grief that sat hollow in Katie’s chest. She still went by Amira then, and she spotted Katie the moment she shuffled into the mess hall, shoulders hunched, hugging herself with her arms.

“Let’s get you some food,” she said, her voice blunt but kind. “I’ll show you which bits are vaguely edible.”

Volleyball and the others carried the conversation that day, and Katie was grateful – she could just listen, distract herself without having to worry about contributing.

She learnt all their stories in time. Most followed a similar pattern; parents or other guardians lost to some accident or calamity, they’d migrated here for safety, out of necessity, or sometimes, for revenge.

“My dad used to be part of an anti-government group,” one of the other girls told her one night. “Back when they used to do peaceful demonstrations and debates, y’know. He told me he used to get arrested every other week; that’s why Mom left him, he said.”

“She didn’t like the arrests? Or she didn’t believe in the cause?”

Katie could just about see the other girl shrug in the darkness. “Both? I don’t know. I guess, if she’s still alive, she’s a Fed now.”

Her name was Julia; she died on their third mission after completing training, a supply run in the hills west of Armonia. Katie can still remember Julia telling her about the nightmares she used to have – being shot by a Fed soldier who took her helmet off to reveal her mother’s face.

If people have family with the Feds, they don’t talk about it. It’s not a taboo subject, but it’s a pain one mostly keeps to oneself.

A few weeks after Katie joined the New Republic Volleyball turned sixteen and joined one of the training squads, so she saw a lot less of her. When Katie turned sixteen as well, she became part of the same squad.

“I asked if we could form our own team,” Volleyball told her in the dorm after lights out. “They told me I’m too young to lead one. But one day, right?”

Katie had nodded. “Yeah, definitely.”

Katie had never had occasion to hold or shoot a gun before, and she was disappointed to find she wasn’t that good at it. “You’ll improve with time,” the trainer told her, and she sure hoped so; even hitting near the target was an achievement for her right now.

Volleyball was a slightly better shot, but far and away better when it came to hand to hand. “I used to beat kids up behind the bike shed at school,” she’d say, grinning from ear to ear.

“I don’t think that’s something to be proud of, Amira,” Katie would reply, and Volleyball would laugh, her loud, raucous laugh that always made people turn and look and set off a weird fluttery feeling in Katie’s stomach.

It was when Volleyball picked fights that Katie got worried. Usually she kept it to snarky comments or sharp words, but the first time she got in a fistfight was the first time Katie felt truly scared for her best friend. It all came to nothing, ending with both combatants limping moodily away from each other after being yelled at by a senior officer, and Volleyball letting Katie lecture her as she wrapped a bag of some frozen vegetable she’d pilfered from the kitchen in a towel so it could be held to her black eye.

The second time Volleyball got in a fistfight was mostly memorable because it was the first time Katie saw the New Republic’s mercenary up close.

“Time out, wildcat,” Felix had snapped, and the way he pulled Volleyball back by the collar of her uniform did sort of remind Katie of a cat with its kitten. The other guy slid backwards on his butt, getting quickly out of range, holding a hand to his bloody nose while Volleyball glared murder at him. “Why you wailing on the guy, anyway?” Felix asked, sounding irritated rather than angry.

Volleyball transferred her glare to him. “He called Sam a bitch.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. “And no one calls people names while you’re in town, Batman? That it?”

Volleyball didn’t answer, just glared at him until he made a disgusted noise and released the back of her shirt. “Whatever. Just clear out, and don’t let Kimball find you fighting.”

“He’s an asshole,” Volleyball had fumed later when they were back in the dorm.

“Has been since we joined, well done for noticing,” Chopra said from the other end of the room.

Volleyball threw a shoe at her, which she ducked with a yelp. “Seriously, though. What a fucking douchebag.”

“He kills people for money,” Katie pointed out, “Did you expect him to be a paragon of virtue?”

That made the other girls giggle, and even Volleyball cracked a smile. “What big words you use, Miss Jensen,” she said.

“I read a book once in a while,” Katie sniffed, faking haughtiness, and that made Volleyball laugh.

Volleyball got her chance at leading a month into their training. A simple capture-the-flag exercise, it should have gone easily enough.

Of course, few things in their lives went easily.

“That,” Volleyball groaned, slumping down onto the bench next to Katie, “was a disaster. A fuckin’ shit show.”

“It was only your first time,” Katie said, trying to sound encouraging.

“The first and only time.” Volleyball put her face in her hands. “Not like they’ll let me take the lead again.”

“Never say-”

“Never,” Volleyball said grimly. “Katie, we charged right into their ambush and got shot down to the last man. And woman. Last human. Whatever, we just plain sucked, okay?”

“It was your first time,” Katie said again, emphasizing the words. “No one’s perfect on the first run.”

Volleyball had just made a discontented noise and started eating her soup.

Despite mishaps of tactics, they’d both graduated to full New Republic Privates after their intense four-month training program, and begun to run real missions.

Actually being on the battlefield, Katie discovered, was nothing like being in the training hall. She desperately tried not to freeze up and lose her head, but it was hard to concentrate on anything but the sound of bullets whizzing around her, the roar of her own heartbeat in her ears.

Still, she survived where many others didn’t – though whether that was down to skill or luck, she can’t say.

Now she and Volleyball are standing with the others on what passes as the New Republic’s parade ground, listening to General Kimball make a speech about their new arrivals.

“War heroes?” Katie hears Volleyball whisper over the radio. She darts her eyes to her HUD, confirming that she’s is talking to her over their own private channel. “Do you think it’s for real?”

“I don’t know,” Katie hisses back. “Why would war heroes be all the way out here?”

Volleyball is silent at that, but Katie can tell from her silence that she’s thinking about it. “You think they’re fake?” she asks after a moment.

“I haven’t even met them yet,” Katie says, noncommittal. “But if General Kimball believes it…”

“Hmm.” Volleyball lets out a long, low sigh. “I guess we’ll just see for ourselves.”

The Reds and Blues aren’t exactly what Katie would have expected of war heroes. They’re not confident and self-assured like Felix, don’t have the quiet strength and determination that emanates from Kimball. They’re not even that good at capture the flag.

But there is something about them. They may not be perfect soldiers, but they’ve seen things. Sometimes when they speak, it seems to come from a well of personal experience that Katie can’t begin to fathom.

And sometimes they can’t talk to her without their voice breaking every five seconds like a fourteen-year-old boy.

Well. Actually that’s just one of them in particular.

“This helmet’s almost done, sir,” Katie says, fixing the last few wires into place.

Captain Simmons just nods at her; he prefers to communicate non-verbally where possible. She’s wondered if she should offer to take up learning military hand signals, if only so they could communicate more effectively.

Still, when they’re not trying to hold a conversation, it’s kind of nice to sit and work side by side. Irrespective of his communication problems, Captain Simmons is matching her blow for blow – if one reimagines the phrase as pertaining to wiring cameras into helmets, that is.

When she gets back to the dorm Volleyball is the only one still up, sitting on her bed in the near-darkness, arms crossed, just waiting. “It’s almost midnight, Katie,” she whispers, disapproving.

“Lost track of time,” Katie mumbles, pulling her armour off.

When Volleyball doesn’t speak, Katie looks up and makes out an expression of vague suspicion through the darkness. “We were rewiring helmets,” she says quickly, “Nothing weird.”

Volleyball rolls her eyes. “From anyone else that would sound like bullshit, but because it’s you?” She snorts and lies back on her bed. “You managed to get a project like that done without exchanging words? Or was it the conversation that slowed the whole process down?”

Katie feels slightly defensive at Volleyball’s derisive tone, though she tries not to show it. “It’s just a fiddly bit of work. That’s all.” She clambers into bed, pulling the covers snugly down over herself. “I’m going to sleep, V. I’ll see you in the morning.” Volleyball only grunts in response.

They don’t really talk about the whole team leader thing. Volleyball is smart enough to know that she’s not really cut out for the job – her head for tactics hasn’t noticeably improved since their first dramatic failure – but Katie knows it stings nonetheless. Having your teenage dream crushed isn’t a pleasant experience for anyone.

But it’s not like being team leader really means anything, not when you’re disposable enough that your Captains prefer to sneak away in the night just so they can leave you behind.

And then get killed. There’s that, as well.

Katie’s hiding in an unused section of the base when Volleyball drops down beside her, huffing out a breath as she hits the ground. “Thought I’d find you here,” she says, voice soft.

Katie sniffs and says nothing.

They sit in silence for a while before Volleyball says, “They left to protect you, y’know.”

Katie bites her lip. “And if we’d been there, if we’d had their backs like we were supposed to, they might not have-” The tightness in her throat cuts her off.

“Not from the way Felix tells it.”

“Fuck Felix,” Katie snaps, so forcefully that Volleyball jerks round to look at her. “He doesn’t know, not for sure. We could’ve done something.”

“I…” Volleyball stops, the fingers of one hand tapping against the other, as if she’s not quite sure how to put into words what she wants to say. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Katie,” she says after a moment, “But I’d rather have you than them.”

Katie looks at her long and hard, then glances away. “That’s only sentiment talking.”

“Maybe.” Volleyball taps two fingers on the knee plate of her armour, two quick sharp taps. “But aren’t feelings what makes all this matter?”

Katie can’t, as it turns out, argue with that.

As they gear up for their assault on the capital, Katie often finds herself thinking back to that quiet night rewiring helmets with Captain Simmons. It’s always seemed so strange to her, how someone can be so alive in one moment and so very dead in the next. How someone’s memory can linger like a ghost, almost as corporeal as their living body, even after they’ve been put in the earth.

Volleyball comes to her the night before they leave for Armonia. There’s a ledge about halfway up the walls, easy enough to scramble to up the cliff face at the back of the motor pool, and from it Katie can lean back against the rock wall and look up through the gash in the earth that hides them, out at the starry night sky.

She hears Volleyball grunting with the effort pf climbing and the scrapes her armour makes against the rock face long before she sees her. Her friend finally hauls herself up onto the ledge, out of breath, and flops down beside her. “You make it look so easy,” she complains. “Scrambling up here like a monkey.”

“One thing I can still beat you at,” Katie says with a grin.

“Yeah yeah, cocky,” Volleyball taps the side of Katie’s helmet with her fist gently, a gesture that’s come to replace ruffling someone’s hair among the troops. “What’re you contemplating up here all alone?”

“Our possible imminent death?”

“Cheery.” Volleyball mirrors Katie’s casual slump against the wall and folds her arms. “You don’t think the plan’s gonna work?”

“It might work, but I also might die in the process.”

“You could have died in any of our missions.”

“Yeah,” Katie shrugs, “But this is taking the capital. It’s on a whole other level. Kimball’s not hiding the fact that there’ll be casualties.”

“I can’t see it being you,” Volleyball says confidently.

“Because you don’t want it to be me,” Katie says.

“No, I’m pretty sure you’re too smart to get shot.”

Katie can’t tell if she’s joking, but she laughs anyway. “No one’s too smart to get shot.”

Volleyball makes a noncommittal noise and says nothing.

They sit side by side for a long time in the quiet night, neither saying anything. The only sound is the wind whistling through the caverns, night creatures rustling and calling, and a few quiet noises of late night activity from the base.

After a while Volleyball reaches up and pulls off her helmet, taking a deep breath of unfiltered night air. “I’m gonna miss this place if things go south,” she says quietly.

Katie snorts. “This hole in the ground?”

Volleyball smiles in the darkness. “It’s more than that. The people… the people make it more.”

“So what you’re saying is, you’ll miss us,” Katie says, and also reaches up to take off her helmet. The humid, hot air hits her skin, bringing with it the smell of earth and the jungle.

“I’ll miss you,” Volleyball says softly. When Katie turns to look at her, she says, “You in particular, I mean.”

“Really?” Katie says, feeling a grin pull at her lips without being able to suppress it.

“Yeah,” Volleyball says. She sounds breathless. “I mean… you… You and me are…”

“We’re what?” Katie breaths.

Volleyball hesitates, then whispers, “Fuck it,” and leans in to kiss her.

Katie stills, and there’s a single, magic moment when everything goes quiet, as if the world is holding its breath. Volleyball’s lips are soft and warm against hers. After the first second of surprise, Katie kisses back as best as she knows how.

After what seems like hours, Volleyball pulls back. “Sorry,” she whispers, “Probably should’ve given you a little more warning on that one.”

Katie shakes her head. “That was good,” she says, her voice just as soft, “Didn’t need any warning.”

Volleyball laughs quietly. “What?”

Katie blushes, hoping the darkness will hide it, and says, “I’m trying to tell you that you can kiss me whenever you want, idiot.”

#rvbrarepairweek #rvb #katie jensen #rvb volleyball #red vs blue #one day we'll cruise down blood gulch avenue #mine

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zbadamsblogs · 6 years

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Power Word

In Week 4′s tutorial, we discussed the importance of words. We use them everyday, but how often do we actually use them to their full, powerful effect? The idea was to think of words that are rarely used in our lexicons, and how these, usually, foreign words, can replace the commonly used words, we use everyday. This, for me, is quite personally important, as I have been on the discovery of interesting, and unique words, for a few years now. It all started when I began to watch Qi, (Lorimer, I. 2003-) the British comedy show. The quite interesting idea about this particular show, is the level of intellect, matches the quick wit of humour, in one of my most suited embellishments, for me ever. I consider myself quite funny, and quite intelligent, as if the show were made, just for me. The concept of the show, revolves around discussing varying topics and facts, in regards to anything that is Quite Interesting. But, what I found to be most interesting, was the host, Stephen Fry. A decorated comedian, and writer, Fry was arguably, to me, the most captivating part of the show. He is extremely well-equipped with knowledge, and has a way with words, that had such a profound effect on me, that I could not help but to keep watching the show, on an incessant binge. What Fry was most capable of doing, to me, was to demonstrate the way words could be used, to not only convey the concise message, but to define elegance, in eloquence.

Since then, my pursuit of words has becoming something I do, more so as a hobby, rather than a purpose for education, although that does not deter from me learning something new. In my writing, I find ways to include these words, and find pride when I do so, successfully. Much like what we discussed in class, using words that paint the picture, in a more succinct and precise way, is something to always consider, when trying to battle the defiant word count.

From these past few years, I have saved some words, both on google, and in my dictionary app I use. These words may be from shows, like Qi, or even from video games, documentaries, television shows, etc. Maieutic - An interesting word pertaining to the Socratic method of Elenctic debating. Two individuals have a discussion, trying to stimulate critical thinking. I could use this in terms of debates, I might have with someone else. Apocryphal - I discovered this word on a podcast, discussing the validity of several religious ideas, and beliefs. It is a fictitious statement, or idea, which is generally regarded as true.

Pastiche - basically a word which means paying homage to something. Pretty much anything comedy based, these days, stemming from that of Monty Python. This word, for me, could be used a lot, because I am heavily influenced by others. Acolyte - an assistant, mostly for a priest. I believe this word came through a game I played. I am sure I have heard of it, but never considered the spelling. Eugenics - beliefs that aim to better the genetic quality of humans. This came from the same podcast, different episode. This episode talked more about the supposed, survived Nazi’s in South America, in Colonia Dignidad (now Villa Baviera). Researching this, might have been a bad idea.

Calumny - Slander and defamation. This fits well into the idea of utilising different synonyms, for the same, or improved result.

Paroxysm - a sudden outburst of a particular emotion or activity. This can be used to replace ‘outbursts,’ ‘convulsions,’ ‘episodes.’ Loquacious - talkative. I got this one from none other than Stan Lee, the comic book genius. I suggested this word in class, as it sounds so beautiful to say, and euphonic. Cavil - Make unnecessary objections or complaints. Working in hospitality, (Hungry Jacks) this could be word of the day, all days ending in Y.

Parlance - A way of speaking, like a dialect or jargon in particular fields. As I belong to specific fields of activity, and many terms appear, specifically to the fields.

Cognoscenti - A well-informed person on a particular subject. This word was plastered right in the subtitle of an article on Slash, the Guns N’ Roses guitarist, in a music magazine. I saw the word and thought; ‘what the fuck is that?’ Some words, I forget, but cognoscenti is definitely not one of them. Prophylactic - I mean, it is an awesome word, as in preventing diseases, but the North Americans provide a better use of the term. It’s like calling a pencil, a graphite word-caster.

Portmanteau - a combination of the sounds of two words, and their meanings. This is the type of word, that everyone should know, as we use portmanteaus, almost everyday.

Tmesis - the addition of another word, in a compound word. This I discovered on Qi, by Stephen, with the fun fact that it is the only word in the English dictionary, with T and M, together at the start of the word. Un-Fucking-Believable. Contronym - a word with two opposite meanings. In the vein with synonyms, and antonyms, I never considered contronyms. I guess it will be fine.

Decolletage - Well, you can not be mad at me for trying. Very euphonic, as most french girls, I mean, words are.

Daltonien - Colour-blindness. knocks off one word of the count, nothing to be purple about.

Cicatrix - A scar of a healed wound. I think this word is awesome. Sounds like it belongs in a J.K. Rowling novel. Laconic - in contrast to loquacious, people who use few words. Sounds like a gaelic phrase, which may not be true, for there is no such thing, as a quiet Irishman. Macarism - Making others happy, through praise. Maybe what people should aspire to be more like. Weird, because the dictionary says you can not be macaristic.

These are just some of the words in which, I have stored over a few years, in order to help me remember them, and to hopefully utilise them in my vocabulary, whenever the chance, arises. I think words, and language, is the most important part of human potential. It is how we communicate with one another, but people refuse to learn anything, or practise things differently. I will always seek to be better, not just in my lexicon, but in my life, as I try to grasp all the knowledge, I can contain.

References:

Lorimer, I (dir.) 2003-, Qi, Television program, Channel 1, British Broadcasting Corporation

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zeroviraluniverse-blog · 6 years

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Utah shooting range offers "gunfighting" course for teachers

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/utah-shooting-range-offers-gunfighting-course-for-teachers/

Utah shooting range offers "gunfighting" course for teachers

Teachers practice during a concealed firearm permit class in South Jordan, Utah. Utah allows permitted concealed weapons in public schools.(Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, AP)

While recent school shootings have inspired some to turn to anti-gun activism, others have been inspired to “pack heat” on K-12 and college campuses.

Rowdy’s Range, a shooting range and supply business in St. George, is offering a gunfighting course specifically geared toward educators who wish to carry a concealed firearm in the classroom.

According to the course description posted on the Rowdy’s Range website, the Gunfighting 101 class will cover several skills over 5 days, including situational awareness, predator evasion, use of force laws, combat marksmanship, how to property holster and draw a pistol, footwork and one-hand techniques.

The class is described as a “40-hour live-fire class designed to teach educators critical skills needed to safely, effectively and efficiently operate a pistol in a defensive situation.”

Utah’s gun laws: What you need to know

A certain type of training

Brett Pruitt, who instructs the course at Rowdy’s Range, said this type of training is different than marksmanship or bulls-eye shooting; it involves more tactical skills.

“Even untrained individuals can hit a target with a pistol at a distance of 10 feet,” he said. “It doesn’t take a lot of training. What wins the day is how you use realistic tactics that have shown to help the good guys win in gun fights.”

The course costs $795; however, Rowdy’s Range is offering the course in an abbreviated 2-day format free for educators on March 13-14.

Course participants are required to bring their own materials, including a pistol in working condition, at least 1,000 rounds of ammunition, a holster, ear and eye protection, and appropriate clothing.

Individuals enrolled in the course will spend just one day in the classroom, while the other four days will be spent practicing on the shooting range.

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Washington County School District has no policy pertaining to teachers who choose to carry a concealed weapon on campus. (Photo: The Spectrum File Photo Illustration )

Policies in place

Steve Dunham, director of public relations and communication at Washington County School District, said the district has no official policy relating to teachers who choose to carry a concealed weapon in the classroom.

“If the teacher chooses to do that, it’s their choice, it’s their right, and we’ll respect the law when it comes down to that,” Dunham said.

School districts are required by state law to implement emergency protocols across schools. According to the WCSD policy for an armed intruder situation, teachers are immediately required to call for a lockdown, dial 911 and notify an administrator as soon as possible.

More: Two decades of school shooting survivors speak out about solutions

They’re also required to clear students from hallways and bathrooms and move them into classrooms, locking the doors behind them. The policy then requires teachers to move students to an interior wall, turn off the lights, and pull window shades down.

If possible, teachers should barricade the door and disallow anyone to enter or leave the classroom until a “uniformed officer” opens the door.

For teachers facing an immediate threat, like if a shooter is entering their specific classroom, the WCSD protocol is as follows:

Tell students to “Get Out” to a place of safety.

When safe to do so, take attendance and report missing or extra students by text, email or phone to the office unless instructed differently.

If the weapon(s) has been dropped or discarded, secure the area where it is located. It is normally best not to attempt to handle it yourself. Notify the administrator or responding public safety personnel.

Remember that a weapons use scene is a crime scene. No attempt should be made to clean up blood or other evidence without the approval of the senior law enforcement official.

Remember that there may be hazards from blood or other bodily fluids at the scene.

But what if a teacher who is armed feels comfortable deviating from district policy and decides to draw his or her weapon and engage the shooter? Dunham said WCSD doesn’t have a preference either way, and that “it depends on the situation.”

“In most situations, the teachers would need to protect the students by securing the classroom and remaining with them,” Dunham said. “There may, however, be situations where a teacher may choose to step forward and engage to protect students. Student safety should always be the focus before a choice is made.”

AR-15 rifles are displayed at Impact Guns in Ogden on Friday, March 2, 2018. (Photo: Deseret News Hive)

Teachers’ reactions

Pruitt said the shooting range hasn’t received any feedback, either positive or negative, from community members regarding the course, but that several teachers from WCSD and Iron County School District have signed up or expressed interest in it.

But not everyone agrees that teachers should be armed. Geneal Jacobsen, who was an educator in Utah for 29 years, said guns in the classroom can make an already bad situation worse.

“I have nightmares about students taking armed teachers’ guns,” she said. “I guess if a teacher wants to learn how to shoot and get a concealed weapon permit, that is a choice, but taking it to school is a bad idea.”

Michael Jurgensmeier, a Southern Utah native who now teaches in Idaho, also said he is against teachers carrying weapons in the classroom.

Jurgensmeier said his opinion isn’t based on a “liberal bias,” and he’s formed his opinion based on research, some of which was conducted by the state of Texas.

“I think if a person were to do some research, they [would] find having another firearm in the situation would make the situation worse,” he said. “I love my colleagues at work, but I can’t imagine feeling safer with any of them packing heat around children.”

If you carry a gun: Are you morally obligated to use it when confronted with a mass shooting?

Pruitt said the course instructors understand not every teacher is going to be armed, and that not every teacher wants to be armed.

“I love my colleagues at work, but I can’t imagine feeling safer with any of them packing heat around children.”

Michael Jurgensmeier, teacher

“They signed up to teach and not fight with guns,” Pruitt said. “We don’t teach in the hopes that they have to use (guns) — we teach in the hopes that they live a peaceful life, but in case they are ever forced into that situation their chances of coming out alive are much greater than if they rely on luck or what they saw in a movie.”

An ounce of prevention

However, educators aren’t just limited to chance or “what they saw in a movie.” Eric Young — who has taught deescalation courses in schools, banks, hospitals, and trauma centers for five years — said educators should first use the best tool they have, which is the ability to observe.

Young’s course, which will be offered for free at Rowdy’s Range on March , aims to teach educators how to identify when a student deviates from his or her typical behavior, figure out why and engage rather than ignore.

“The last thing you want anyone to do, teachers included, is draw a weapon,” Young said. “It’s a pretty proven method in terms of looking at certain areas of the body and certain behaviors, like eye movement or proximate behavior, that deviate from their normal baseline behavior.”

A faculty member participates in active-shooter training at the public high school in Clarksville, Ark., July 11, 2013. (Photo: Danny Johnston AP)

For example, Young said he’s used deescalation tactics on students in his own classes as an assistant professor of communication at Dixie State University. A former student of his slammed his mouse down in a computer lab while students were working, and Young said the student’s outburst of anger frightened others in the class.

“I knew he was carrying a weapon,” Young said. “I was right there, asked what the situation was and removed him from the class to talk to him. At first he was defensive, but it was critical to keep my stuff together so I could get him out of that classroom.”

The idea of this type of training is to give teachers an alternative to firing at an assailant by recognizing nonverbal indicators and using threat assessment before the individual gets a gun in his or her hand.

Young added that by the time a shooter is engaged, it’s too late.

“This is training that needs to go across the board, not just with teachers,” he said. “If you’re dealing with students in K-6 or K-9, that’s going to be a debatable issue, but with young adults, the training needs to be beyond faculty because everyone is on the front line.”

The techniques are not complicated, Young said. For example, simple communication between teachers and students can be successful in disarming a shooter in certain situations.

Young was inspired to teach the course after the Sandy Hook shooting, which took the lives of 20 children and six adults in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School former student Ariana Gonzalez weeps at a cross of slain Marjory Stoneman Douglas coach Aaron Feis, on a hill honoring those killed, Friday, Feb. 23, 2018, in Parkland, Fla. Teachers and staff returned to the school, to begin to organize and prepare to welcome students next week. Over a dozen students and teachers were killed on Valentine’s Day in a mass shooting at the high school. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald via AP) (Photo: Charles Trainor Jr, AP)

Although Rowdy’s Range has offered a gunfighting course specifically geared toward teachers in the past, the decision to offer a course at this time was influenced by the national gun debate and recent school shootings like Parkland.

“We want teachers who choose to be armed on campus to be safe, informed and trained,” Pruitt said.

The course focuses on defending oneself with a pistol. When asked about the effectiveness when dealing with a semi-automatic weapon such as an AR-15, a firearm commonly used in mass shootings, Pruitt said “the type of weapon is not important.”

“Mindset is the most important thing,” he said. “If there’s multiple bad guys, you shoot the greatest threat first.”

“Guns are not the answer — dialogue is the answer,” Young said. “Guns are the last resort, and what we do have is our ability to go through and see something is not right with an individual and compassionately engage with them before the incident escalates.”

Follow reporter Emily Havens on Twitter, @EmilyJHavens, and find her on Facebook at facebook.com/emilyjhavens. Call her at 435-674-6214.

Read or Share this story: https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2018/03/08/utah-shooting-range-offers-gunfighting-course-teachers/404990002/

#gunfighting #offers #range #shooting #teachers #Utah #News #Random News

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