the-heroic-changeling

[the-heroic-changeling]

Turns out, if you synchronize the two different Postmodern Jukebox recordings of Radiohead’s “Creep” you get a gorgeous duet between two anxious and self-conscious lesbians

[the-heroic-changeling]

Well, I finished Kamen Rider Kuuga.

It’s solid. Basic premise is an ancient tomb is opened and releases a horde of monstrous beings. A cheerful man finds a belt afterwards in the ruins that lets him go toe to toe with the monsters. It’s a bit more complex than that though. Events compound and build on each other, there is a real sense that episode 46 is ages from episode 1, and not just in how strong Kuuga is. The ordinary humans learn how to fight and counteract the monsters too, research is done, and false leads are examined and abandoned. There is a real sense of progression in the series, and in solving the mysteries of the Grongi, Kuuga, and the Linto. Part of the mystery is that the monsters (the Grongi) mostly speak in an artificial language (I think it’s Japanese but with letters substituted) which was untranslated originally, so the audience had to figure out the monsters’ motivations alongside the characters. I will note that the version I saw was the shout factory sub, which translates it from the start. Which was controversial among old fans, but I was fine with it.

The characters are pretty interesting, and the women tend to be more fleshed out than in other Kamen Rider series I have seen. None of them are combatants, at least on the human side, but they are pretty fleshed out, and a few of them are pivotal in understanding the monsters and fighting them, as well as understanding Kuuga’s abilities. Like I said, events build on each other. The side characters all have arcs and grow, some struggling with fears for their child, some grieving for their dad, some fearing Godai will lose himself to the power of Kuuga. And while the main villain is unseen for most of the series, his presence is quite known throughout the latter half of the show.

Worst things I can say about it overall is that there is a massive cop presence in it (ew) and that Kuuga doesn’t get too much character development in the series. He starts off with his backstory pretty much settled. There is depth in him though, particularly with people very close to him. He sometimes comes across as a stepford smiler. He can’t stop smiling, no matter how unhealthy it is. Freaking get this man a therapist.

There are a few issues I have with the final ten episodes or so though, namely that it felt like their episode count got cut down near the end. Like there was a bull Grongi who was hyped for a while, shown to be dangerous and could change forms, but he did not get an arc, only the first half or so of a single episode was devoted to his game. Likewise the third to last episode skipped over Kuuga’s first fight with the main villain, they showed a few clips as flashbacks, but the start to the show’s freaking climax was skipped. The final fight Kuuga had in the series also felt a bit disappointing, just a slugfest. Which can be effective, but it just felt like a letdown. Doesn’t help that the last episode is just the aftermath, with Godai barely appearing, and not transforming in the whole episode.

Still, imperfect ending aside, the show was good. And it’s available to stream for free with English subtitles on Tubi and shout factory. I will say apparently there was a sequel novel, where like a decade later one of the show’s recurring cast members discovers the prototype of Kuuga’s belt. I’m kind of interested in getting that one day, provided it’s not sexist. Because in case it’s not clear, it is one of the recurring cast’s women who appearantly dons the belt. And its one who has a lot of trauma about the Grongi. I don’t know, her getting the belt interests me, especially because she’s more likely to give in to rage than say Sawatari, and if you lose control of the Kuuga powers, you will become “the harbinger of ultimate darkness.” Plus it means Kuuga technically has a woman for the secondary rider, which is cool.

[the-heroic-changeling]

Reblogging because I could not post this story on this account for some reason. 

Welp, it’s Election Day and I am terrified. As I think are most folks.

So yesterday, while stressing out about it, I came up with a new short story. Well, story is generous, it was a bit of a self-indulgent wish-fulfillment scene, not exactly a three act story with conflict and climaxes. The problem was of course that though this story was an escape, the subject matter touched on one of my quickest acting triggers. I don’t know why it stresses me so, neither the story or the subject directly refers back to my life. But just thinking on it can cause panic attacks, So as I spend time plotting it, I start getting really unstable. So, I decide “if I write it, then the good parts will be spoken into the world and be fresher, and I will feel better.” So I spent an hour and a half spitting it out. And I did feel a lot calmer. Admittedly my main coping mechanicism is writing but still.

Anyway, since the story is short, and plenty of folks are stressed too because of Election Day, I figured I would post the story and maybe offer some release. Keep in mind I wrote it in an hour and a half and barely edited it, it is very unpolished. As for what kind of story it is, it is a story about a sewing witch who is visited by a teen seeking to curse someone. Though who the teen wishes to curse complicates things. To spoil it, it’s effectively a story about being accepted as trans, with aspects of “we always have been here, our history just was stolen.” Which I fear will be very related to the election, depending how it goes and it’s fallout. Throughout the last four years the destruction of the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft has been weighing on my mind. Without further delay, the story is posted below. @thefingerfuckingfemalefury @jogress @muceybbds @millyblank @neshtasplace if you would be interested, here you go.

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The Purchase of a Curse

…

At first there was only the rustling of wind in the gloomy wood. Grandmother Theresa paid that little mind, the wind would not harm her. Instead she whistled into it, her hum carrying across the forest. “How spin your webs, sisters and brothers?” There was only silence, but the wind brushed aside the branches to cast the forest in moonlight, showing countless spiderwebs glistening in the night.

Grandmother Theresa smiled fondly at the webs, before leaning back inside her wooden hut. Spiderwebs covered her windows like a mosquito net, and small webs filled the corners of her hut, eating away any parasites that entered her home. Such helpful weavers.

The old crone dressed in silvery white silk, a long flowing dress with a large brimmed hat on her head. Sticking out of her hat were two sewing needles, each at least a foot in length.

Then she heard footsteps on the wind. Uneven, the runner was tripping and falling at times, frantic. Whoever it was, they drew nearer to the Grandmother’s hut.

The hut was itself shaped a bit like a spider, eight trees had been shaped to grow into its supporting stilts, with two rooms, a far large room for the abdomen, a small room where the trapdoor hung, and a humble bedroom as the bed. She knew the trapdoor should have been in the abdomen room, that way the rope would recall spinnerets. It vexed her daily. But the hut had taken decades to grow, the mistakes she had made she was forced to live with.

The footsteps grew louder, forming closer, still uneven. It was just one set of feet, not the Crusaders then. And the unevenness, the fast heartbeat, the runner was scared. Still, Grandmother’s hand adjusted her hat, her finger coiling around one of her sewing needles. Those needles were sharp enough to pierce leather, an always useful part of her ensemble.

Then the feet stopped, as heavy breathing gasped out underneath the hut. Grandmother waited for a time, as the runner panted out. Until finally the crone called out, “will you be climbing up then, child?”

The rope ladder began to sway, and Grandmother peered down at the climber. Child was not exactly right, though all were children compared to Mother Theresa.

She sat down and waited, as the teenager climbed up. Grandmother looked over the visitor, dress torn by twigs and leaves, hair unkempt.

Grandmother Theresa let the teenager pant and breathe, before saying, “not many know the path to my hut these days. You have come for my weaving.”

“I-I heard you know the old ways. Th-the old magic.”

“I do. Why have you come?”

“F-for a c-curse.”

The Grandmother continued to adjust her hat, before speaking in an older dialect, “curses come with a price. Sometimes I get paid. Sometimes the price was already paid long before you come to me.” That was what her teacher had always stressed, before she was burnt alive by the Crusaders.

“I-I will do anything.”

“What kind of curse do you want? Know that my expertise is in cloth, you must seek another Grandmother to curse another way.”

“C-can you c-curse someone’s clothes? S-so that if she ever put on a dress or a skirt, the clothing would change and twist into a simple pair of trousers or a shirt?”

Grandmother Theresa eyed her visitor closely, “who do you mean to curse? Are you merely meaning to embarrass a rival, or is it something else?”

“Y-you are the Grandmother of the Woods, y-you have seen so many unnatural things over your long life, cursed so many—”

“And how would this curse be unnatural?”

“I-I want the c-curse to be put on myself.”

She eyed the teenager, before looking away. “My eyes are going in my old age, apologies young sir.”

He blushed, looking away, “I-I—“

“You have lied twice to me.”

“N-no, I have not.” He swallowed, his amber eyes quaking.

“First you lied by requesting a curse. You do not require a curse,” her expression softened, “you require a blessing, do you not? And that is far easier.”

“A-a blessing? Only a Priest of a Burning Hunt can—”

“They would not know a blessing if it hit them on their aft end. But you lied a second time to me. You brought up the unnatural. What you describe is incredibly natural.”

“N-no, it isn’t,” he whispered, looking over his body.

“The Burning Hunt only conquered this land two generations ago, and already they have burnt away so much,” she spat, “you come seeking old ways? The old ways are that you are not uncommon. Different, but known quite well. Not unnatural in the slightest. We called you Chosen Men, for you would chose who you are.”

“I-I never knew that.”

“Yes, I am not surprised. There were Chosen Women too, the Unchosen, I made a choice as well, there were so many who the Burning Hunt’s Crusaders wiped from history. They are young, and you are old.”

He said nothing, so Grandmother Theresa said simply, “so, what would you ask of me?”

“I-I told you.”

“That blessing will be yours,” she waved at him dismissively, “but there are others things I can give you as well.”

“Like what?” The shiver leaving his voice.

“A blessing is easier than a curse. While I can only curse through cloth, I can bless with far more. If you would wish, I could shape your body as you would wish it.”

His face turned a scarlet like strawberries, and she said gently, “the offer would always be open, if you would not be comfortable or safe doing it today.”

“I-I am not ready. I need to think.”

“That is more than fine,” Grandmother Theresa drew her sewing needles in one hand, and scooped up some spider silk from the corner of her hut. As she felt the texture of the silk in her hand, “if you would be interested in a less permanent change, I can make you a garment that would compress your body, and flatten your breasts. I would also put a blessing upon it, that no one may remove it, save if you truly want it removed.”

“Yes,” he almost blurted out, and she nodded, and began to sew the siblings, stretching and knotting the strands of silk together. The silk seemed to grow like grass straightened out by a fierce wind, he could swear she had far more silk now than when she began.

Finally she handed the band of cloth to him and said, “if you wish to put it on, I will look away.”

“Thank you, Grandmother,” he dipped his head low, and she turned away.

“You are welcomed. What may I call you?”

“Oh, um … Lanum?”

“‘Traveler,’” the Grandmother nodded as she sat, back to him, “very well Lanum. May you travel far and see many remarkable things and many caring people.”

There was a gasp, like the breath of a swimmer who had just avoided drowning in a lake. She did not turn, until he said, “you may turn now.”

Grandmother Theresa turned around and drew her needles again, and a fresh clump of silk. “Apologies, my sisters and brothers,” she whispered, “I will bring you some fresh flies in the morning.” She pressed the silk to the floor of her hut, and began to stretch it, widen it out. Until the silk began to form an intricate circle.

She eyed it, grunted with satisfaction, and said, “now spit in the center.”

“Just spit?”

“Just spit.”

He reared his head back and spat, and immediately steam began to evaporate off each line of silk. The web dissolved before his eyes, vanishing.

Then Lanum felt a strange sensation on his skin. Like a puppy snuggling into him. He looked down to see his clothes sharpen and loosen, stretch and tighten. His dress severed and fused back together into pant legs, the clothing on his chest split into a shirt. The rips and tears in the clothes patched up as they shifted color and texture.

Splat. A tear smacked to the wooden floor, and Grandmother Theresa grunted, “don’t be so thankful. You should have gotten this blessing long ago. Just be aware not only will any clothes you put on shape to your liking, they will mend themselves from any cuts and scratches.”

“I … thank you,” he paused, “d-do you have a knife?” She handed him a sewing needle, and he grabbed his long hair in one hand, and hacked it off. It fell off him like rain, before being blown away by a gust of wind.

Lanum sighed finally, looking back at the crone and handing back the needle. “The price.”

“Paid,” she said again in the old dialect, returning the sewing needle to its resting place in her hat.

“Why do you say it in that way?”

“Words change. What now means ‘to pay’ comes from a word meaning ‘to take,’ either as payment or stolen,” she answered dismissively, “and much has been stolen from you. Now, where will you go?”

“I … I do not know. I had planned to say I had accidentally wandered in your woods, and you had cursed me for intruding. But I … do not know if I should now.”

“Head west,” she said simply, “until you see a great cliff above the sea, where windmills tower like oaks. In that village, the old ways are still practiced.”

“Then, then why do you stay here?”

“In case someone needs me,” she smiled, “and my spiders would not do well by the sea.”

“Thank you,” Lanum started to bend his knees, before wincing, and moving instead to bow. Then slowly he climbed down the ladder, and began to stride through the forest, his hands shaking like young turtles’ flippers as they pushed themselves down the beach into the embrace of the ocean.

Grandmother Theresa watched him go, before walking back to her window. “Watch him, will you?” She whistled, and the wind whistled back, sweeping westward past her house and after the young man.

[the-heroic-changeling]

i hate to be the bearer of bad news but a jewish cemetery in michigan was desecrated with graffiti saying "trump" and "maga" today

they are accepting volunteers to help clean-up if you live in the area as far as i know. i couldnt find a donation link but their website is here. if you see one please link it/add on/etc.

[the-heroic-changeling]

Importance of the racism in the case of Kamala Khan

First I just want to say that I am happy that Kamala is in another AAA game and is a focus of it. This is the shit Marvel should be doing in the first fucking place instead of making the hundredth fucking Peter Parker cartoon that is shit anyway. They should be making content with the newer characters anyways since they are made to appeal to teen demographic to begin with and they can’t do that in a medium that demographic doesn’t have regular access to.

Hiwever, the more I see of the Avengers game, the more I am seeing an erasure of Kamala’s origin.

This is the first page of Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel. Right from the get-go, the audience is forced to know that Kamala is Muslim. But that is not all. They are forced to confront the idea that her religion isn’t just a character trait, it is something that he grapples with on a regular basis. Kamala’s Muslim beliefs is a core theme of Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel. It is literally as important as Peter’s Great Power and Great Responsibility. It’s the central focus of her character.

And not just her own struggles with it but the racism she faces.

And not just racism from others but internalized racism or in Kamala’s case, Islamophobia. Kamala feels that her religion is too restricting. She feels like it keeps her from being free and happy especially in a country that touts Western Secularism that deliberately expunge brown people’s cultural beliefs.

And Kamala’s love for the Avengers and particularly Karol Danvers is not just fandom, but self-hatred.

She wanted to be white. She wanted to be pretty and popular like her school resident mean girl, Zoe. She wanted long flowing blonde hair just like Carol and Zoe. And that is important when dealing with her origin. You can’t just take away that context.

Sure, you say that she is a huge Avengers nerd but it’s not the same as being like a normal nerd. It’s particular. It’s purposeful. Her fandom was a symptom of her lashing out against her strict family and religion. Her obsession with Karol was not because of Karol’s deeds and heroism of which Kamala couldn’t even witness anyway since the majority of Karol’s battles are off planet. It’s because Karol was everything that Kamala wanted to be.

It is kind of like the point of Kamala Khan. She doesn’t think of herself as beautiful but thinks Karol and Zoe are the epitome of beauty(Eurocentric standards of beauty). She feels that being Muslim only means something when she is in predominantly Muslim countries.

Kamala’s origin is not just her realizing her dream. It is a journey of identity. It is not just about her being a fan girl. It is taking pride in her culture and her religion. She becomes Ms. Marvel when she starts embracing her culture and her identity while still simultaneously in odds with it but again, it’s her culture to be at odds.

She is the quintessential Muslim Hero. A champion for practicing Muslims and ex-Muslims.

The game is not out yet. But the more I see of Kamala being the core of the game, the less I am seeing what made of her a controversial figure in the first place. And that is why they are doing it. First, they are introducing her through the Avengers which yeah, no. Sure, I get not wanting to deal with Terrigon Gas nonsense but it’s more than that. Her purpose becomes exonerating the heroes in their own failings. It’s meant to serve them and their narrative instead of one that focuses on herself and her struggles. She becomes their heart. Their pathos. Their plucky motivating girl to reunite.

And I’ve seen this with Spider-Man PS4 as well. It erased Miles’ origin and went as far as to lighten his and his mom’s skin. Instead of Miles being his own character, he became Black Peter Parker and Peter Parker’s teen sidekick. You know...the very thing that Spider-Man was created to be against.

It is a growing trend when it comes to some heroes that make that transition from comics to other sources of media. Especially since most of the creators of said characters are people of color or attempting to write from the perspective of people of color. And it is not just video games. We are talking Marvel’s Rising and Marvel’s Spider-Man cartoon where again aspects of the characters are sanitized in the addition to being molded to be neutral.

Kamala Khan isn’t just another member of the Avengers or just another fan girl idolizing these heroes. She isn’t just an audience surrogate to these characters.

Now I can be wrong and this game could be a one to one scene for scene in accordance to her origin but I’ve already seen how they linked her power to some shit the Avengers were apart of. And tell me how much sense that a poor girl from a first generation immigrant family in New Jersey travels to San Francisco to see some parade for the Avengers. I have already found some cause for concern.

@ubernegro

[the-heroic-changeling]

I love that classic precure gay energy

[the-heroic-changeling]

Immortal Hulk #11 - by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett

Well, damn. I picked this issue up because someone assured me Puck got a good showing. I did not expect to see this, and I mean that in the best way. 

[the-heroic-changeling]

(source)

this video really helped me feel more confident that i was washing my hands the right way

[the-heroic-changeling]

Given that this movie brings up the possibility of Shin Godzilla learning how to fly, has anyone drawn him in the Godzilla vs. Hedorah flying pose?

[the-heroic-changeling]

no talk with me im angy

[the-heroic-changeling]

You know if Covid-19 has taught me anything it’s that the anti-government survivalist type in every Zombie apocalypse movie would be among the first to die.  They’d all be like “The so-called “Zombie Plague” is fake news deigned to make Trump look bad! I’m going to church!“

[the-heroic-changeling]

[the-heroic-changeling]

When you’re in the 1400’s Florence and your buddy starts coughing

[the-heroic-changeling]

Why we need masks for all

Okay, I am going to put myself out here: we need masks for all. If you live in a country that doesn’t have widespread use of masks in public, this one is for you.

Here is a graph of coronavirus trajectories by country. All those countries in blue have widespread public use of masks, in addition to other measures.

Obviously I am not basing all of this on a few countries that have managed to slow the spread. Here is a link to a summary of 33 scientific papers that show that masks (even handmade ones, we’ll get to that) reduce spread of infection for the general population. Many of these studies are themselves meta-analyses of data. The evidence is mounting that public mask usage is an important strategy to reduce COVID-19 transmission. I want to highlight this paper in particular which modeled that public mask usage could slow or even stop the spread of an influenza pandemic.

(The CDC and WHO still maintain that healthy people should not wear masks. Preserving them for healthcare workers is important, but that is a separate question from whether they work or not. It seems likely from the evidence presented above that they do help at least somewhat)

Of course, there is a nationwide shortage of masks in most countries. Medical grade masks must be reserved for healthcare workers (if you have some, look for local ways to donate them, many hospitals are accepting donations). So where do we get the masks for the public? We follow the lead of the Czech Republic and Taiwan and make our own. Here is a great summary of how the Czech Republic went from 0 to 100% public mask usage, in less than two weeks.

A person makes masks and a “mask tree” where neighbors could donate handmade masks to others. Note that masks (or anything really) can be effectively sterilized by heating above 70C (158F) either in the oven for paper masks or using regular cycle in your washer and dryer for cloth masks.

Studies have shown even basic household materials like t-shirts can be effective at blocking droplets that contain viruses.

Are they as good as n95 respirators? No. But outside of certain medical procedures, the disease mainly spreads through droplets, and these homemade masks are still pretty good (though not perfect) at blocking those. This goes both ways: the masks provide a layer of protection to protect you, but ALSO contain a lot of the droplets you could be spreading. Some people with the disease don’t have any symptoms at all, so wearing masks is also important to reduce the chance of infecting others.

Masks, like social distancing, don’t have to be 100% effective in order to help flatten the curve.

Here is a model from the Seattle area, which shows how small changes in social contacts can effect total case numbers. You can see that even reducing contacts 25% has a profound effect on case numbers after a few weeks. The same thing would be true if wearing masks reduced transmissions by just 25%.

I want to point out that as long as you don’t take risks you wouldn’t take otherwise and keep your hands off the mask, there is very little risk to doing this now as we wait for further scientific evidence. And the evidence is mounting that simple masks reduce risk and slow spread.

In the Czech republic, they went from no one wearing masks to 100% (it is now mandatory in public) in about 10 days. While the mandatory order to cover your mouth and nose is only a week old, they have seen a slower growth of cases than the rest of Europe despite lots of testing.

Basic masks can be made with just a t-shirt and scissors, no sewing required. This video shows you how, just wear your mask higher on your face than this guy. (Video is changed from original post to one that doesn’t require Facebook login)

And a few more tutorials

DIY facemask with filter pocket from Maker’s Habitat (video)

Facemask with adjustable wire and filter pocket from Easy2Sew (video)

Craft Passion Face Mask Pattern (pattern & instructions)

A Dr Explains how to make a facemask from a HEPA filter (video)

Simple mask that can be made with a sewing machine, from Craft Passion

If you get good at making homemade masks, especially the ones with HEPA filters, some hospitals are now accepting donations of homemade masks as well. Check to see what is going on in your local area.

If the papers cited above are correct, wearing a mask now when you need to leave the house for essential chores will reduce the time it takes to bring our cases down, and public use of masks could be invaluable in keeping cases low when people start to go back to work.

We can change our culture from stigmatizing masks to expecting people wear them. It happened in the Czech Republic in less than two weeks. We can do it too.

If you have the time, please watch this video. It was the thing that really made all of this click for me, and it has a ton of great information. Here is a shorter video from the Czech youtuber who started the movement in his country which I also recommend watching & sharing.

Please reblog & add resouces, tutorials, or mask selfies! There are three main things you can do to help spread the word and normalize mask wearing: 1) share videos & other information on the topic; 2) take a selfie of you wearing a home-made mask; 3) spread the message, with hashtag #masks4all.

[the-heroic-changeling]

Is it just me, but do you sometimes not want to write a concept or plot so much as write an aesthetic? Like, I just want to write about a small town in the American south, or about an eerie shadow road. I don’t have, or desire, plots for those stories, but I have the vibe of them. And that’s all I want

[the-heroic-changeling]

Not at MoCCA Online Con Day 1: Yiddishkeit Evil Eye Patches 

These 3.5" embroidered patches are inspired by Jewish folklore, and feature calligraphy of a traditional Yiddish protective phrase–“kein ayin hara”/“no evil eye”–and another anti-evil eye symbol, the fish.

“Kein ayin hara”, also pronounced “kinahora”, is said to protect yourself from the evil eye and malevolent spirits, especially after receiving good news. This excerpt from the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project gives a good overview of the phrase.

Fish are said to be incapable of being affected by the evil eye in the Talmud. There’s a lot of fish imagery in Judiaca, and my fish design was inspired by these illuminations from the 13th North French Hebrew Miscellany.

Each patch comes with a postcard-sized backing card briefly explaining the cultural meaning, and can be displayed on the card or sewn onto a bag or jacket (they are iron-on, but based on personal experience the shape needs to be sewn on as well for max stability).

These patches have become one of my favorite things to sell at cons because people get SO EXCITED when they see them! There’s not a lot of Yiddish at comic cons–especially on items like this–and I’m so happy at the positive response and chance to share my culture in new ways through my art.

I just got a new batch of these patches in for the 2020 con season…which may not be happening…but it does mean there is plenty of stock online and ready to ship! (if you preordered one they should ship this week)

Buy a Fish Patch!

Buy Flat-Rate Shipping!

[the-heroic-changeling]

I’ve come to the conclusion that She-ra is a dark and angst filled lesbian magic girl anime aimed for children. Send tweet.