Poem: "The Cutting Edge"
Apr. 25th, 2015 02:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the March 3, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from stardreamer. It also fills the "no honor among thieves" square in my 7-30-14 card for the ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
genprompt_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by curiosity. It belongs to the Antimatter & Stalwart Stan thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
WARNING: This poem contains some tense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. There is incarceration, reference to lingering damage from previous injuries, explicit self-harm, blaming others, psychological manipulation with intent to harm, negative coping methods in general, and use of superpowers for petty mischief. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your headspace before reading onward.
"The Cutting Edge"
After he got out of the hospital
and into jail, Shiv still spent his time
practicing in hopes of regaining his aim.
The headaches and the shakes had finally
gone away, but his blurred vision
had improved only a little.
The other inmates gave him a wide berth anyway --
nobody wanted to piss off a supervillain.
Shiv still had his cutting edge where it counted most,
a weapon that not even the cops could take away,
talent sheathed inside him like invisible steel.
During the trial, he fidgeted with the smooth nickel-iron
of the turbo cuffs, creating tiny curls that cut into
the skin of his wrists all the way around,
taking his mind off the proceedings.
Afterwards, the bailiff exclaimed over the smudges
of blood and had the cuffs off him in an instant.
"What happened?" the older man demanded as he
opened a first-aid kit and began tending the small injuries.
"You must have put them on too tight,"
Shiv lied. "Now look what you've done."
The bailiff's stricken expression was almost
as gratifying as sticking a knife in someone.
Then some Jesus freaks had to come
thump a Bible at him and tell him to mend
his wicked ways, or at least that's what Shiv heard
after the candy-coating was licked off their fancy speech.
As if that wasn't enough, Antimatter and Stalwart Stan
stopped to talk with him. "What do you want?"
Shiv grumbled, not really wanting to see
these two except at knifepoint.
"Wanted to see if you're okay," Antimatter said.
"Yeah yeah, you and the Jesus freaks,"
Shiv said as he made a face.
"Oh, you mean the two guys from Mount of Olives?"
said Antimatter, looking down the hallway. "You don't
have to worry about them. They only ask once.
So if you ever change your mind, you'll have
to get in touch with them yourself."
"Hey, what happened to your wrists?"
Stalwart Stan frowned over the bandages.
"Police brutality," Shiv drawled,
and took delight in watching
the eyebrows go up in shock.
"He's just messing with you,"
said Antimatter. "Ignore it."
Stalwart Stan gave a disgusted shake
of his head and stalked away.
Shiv reached out with his power and sharpened
one of the D-rings on Stalwart Stan's shoe enough
to cut the lace, then dulled it back down to something
more difficult to trace but still capable of wearing
through the shoelaces faster than usual.
It took only a few paces for him to trip.
Shiv hid his laughter as Antimatter scurried
to pick up his probably-boyfriend.
He missed Antimatter, a little; the fawning tagalong
had been fun while he lasted, although in the end
he had betrayed Shiv just like everyone else.
Maybe Shiv could find a new boy in prison.
* * *
Notes:
"The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-- Diane Arbus
Narrow handcuffs are hazardous and can cause temporary or permanent injury. Zip ties can be even worse. Wide handcuffs, like the turbo style, are much safer and more comfortable. Terramagne-America uses handcuffs which are broad and solid. They do ratchet down, but have a second lock to prevent accidentally going tighter once they are set. They are extremely difficult to break or pick open, so they're also more secure. The main drawbacks are that they're heavier and more expensive.
Self-harm is a negative coping method, usually used by women but also found among men. Shiv likes to play with sharp things. Sometimes he injures himself as a distraction, or just careless fidgeting; other times does it deliberately to implicate other people. Here is a workbook on reducing self-harm written by people who have been there themselves.
Blaming others is a type of psychological manipulation. Shiv does this constantly. He just doesn't see how his own actions lead to undesirable consequences. There are ways to stop playing the blame game and let go of manipulation.
Mount of Olives is a T-American charity which helps supervillains stop being supervillains, inspired by John 8 where Jesus saved the adulterous woman. Olivian personnel work in pairs, a pro-bono lawyer with a counselor. They take on cases with extenuating circumstances, or where the supervillain was pounced on by police while minding his own business, or other indications of wanting to turn over a new leaf. The lawyer deals with the legal side of things, and the counselor helps the soup learn social skills to establish a more responsible lifestyle. It's important to keep their background in mind when trying to help at-risk youth. Shiv's personality and behavior imply that he came out of an unhappy home.
"Jesus freak" is one rude term for certain types of Christians. Shiv is grossly overstating the situation; Mount of Olives folks are polite and low-key.
D-rings on hiking boots or heavy sport shoes provide a sturdy anchor for laces.
stardreamer. It also fills the "no honor among thieves" square in my 7-30-14 card for the genprompt_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by curiosity. It belongs to the Antimatter & Stalwart Stan thread of the Polychrome Heroics series. WARNING: This poem contains some tense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. There is incarceration, reference to lingering damage from previous injuries, explicit self-harm, blaming others, psychological manipulation with intent to harm, negative coping methods in general, and use of superpowers for petty mischief. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your headspace before reading onward.
"The Cutting Edge"
After he got out of the hospital
and into jail, Shiv still spent his time
practicing in hopes of regaining his aim.
The headaches and the shakes had finally
gone away, but his blurred vision
had improved only a little.
The other inmates gave him a wide berth anyway --
nobody wanted to piss off a supervillain.
Shiv still had his cutting edge where it counted most,
a weapon that not even the cops could take away,
talent sheathed inside him like invisible steel.
During the trial, he fidgeted with the smooth nickel-iron
of the turbo cuffs, creating tiny curls that cut into
the skin of his wrists all the way around,
taking his mind off the proceedings.
Afterwards, the bailiff exclaimed over the smudges
of blood and had the cuffs off him in an instant.
"What happened?" the older man demanded as he
opened a first-aid kit and began tending the small injuries.
"You must have put them on too tight,"
Shiv lied. "Now look what you've done."
The bailiff's stricken expression was almost
as gratifying as sticking a knife in someone.
Then some Jesus freaks had to come
thump a Bible at him and tell him to mend
his wicked ways, or at least that's what Shiv heard
after the candy-coating was licked off their fancy speech.
As if that wasn't enough, Antimatter and Stalwart Stan
stopped to talk with him. "What do you want?"
Shiv grumbled, not really wanting to see
these two except at knifepoint.
"Wanted to see if you're okay," Antimatter said.
"Yeah yeah, you and the Jesus freaks,"
Shiv said as he made a face.
"Oh, you mean the two guys from Mount of Olives?"
said Antimatter, looking down the hallway. "You don't
have to worry about them. They only ask once.
So if you ever change your mind, you'll have
to get in touch with them yourself."
"Hey, what happened to your wrists?"
Stalwart Stan frowned over the bandages.
"Police brutality," Shiv drawled,
and took delight in watching
the eyebrows go up in shock.
"He's just messing with you,"
said Antimatter. "Ignore it."
Stalwart Stan gave a disgusted shake
of his head and stalked away.
Shiv reached out with his power and sharpened
one of the D-rings on Stalwart Stan's shoe enough
to cut the lace, then dulled it back down to something
more difficult to trace but still capable of wearing
through the shoelaces faster than usual.
It took only a few paces for him to trip.
Shiv hid his laughter as Antimatter scurried
to pick up his probably-boyfriend.
He missed Antimatter, a little; the fawning tagalong
had been fun while he lasted, although in the end
he had betrayed Shiv just like everyone else.
Maybe Shiv could find a new boy in prison.
* * *
Notes:
"The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-- Diane Arbus
Narrow handcuffs are hazardous and can cause temporary or permanent injury. Zip ties can be even worse. Wide handcuffs, like the turbo style, are much safer and more comfortable. Terramagne-America uses handcuffs which are broad and solid. They do ratchet down, but have a second lock to prevent accidentally going tighter once they are set. They are extremely difficult to break or pick open, so they're also more secure. The main drawbacks are that they're heavier and more expensive.
Self-harm is a negative coping method, usually used by women but also found among men. Shiv likes to play with sharp things. Sometimes he injures himself as a distraction, or just careless fidgeting; other times does it deliberately to implicate other people. Here is a workbook on reducing self-harm written by people who have been there themselves.
Blaming others is a type of psychological manipulation. Shiv does this constantly. He just doesn't see how his own actions lead to undesirable consequences. There are ways to stop playing the blame game and let go of manipulation.
Mount of Olives is a T-American charity which helps supervillains stop being supervillains, inspired by John 8 where Jesus saved the adulterous woman. Olivian personnel work in pairs, a pro-bono lawyer with a counselor. They take on cases with extenuating circumstances, or where the supervillain was pounced on by police while minding his own business, or other indications of wanting to turn over a new leaf. The lawyer deals with the legal side of things, and the counselor helps the soup learn social skills to establish a more responsible lifestyle. It's important to keep their background in mind when trying to help at-risk youth. Shiv's personality and behavior imply that he came out of an unhappy home.
"Jesus freak" is one rude term for certain types of Christians. Shiv is grossly overstating the situation; Mount of Olives folks are polite and low-key.
D-rings on hiking boots or heavy sport shoes provide a sturdy anchor for laces.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Shiv!
Date: 2015-04-25 09:50 pm (UTC)Re: Shiv!
Date: 2015-04-25 10:04 pm (UTC)For me, it's because he's a malicious little prick. Shiv just plain likes hurting people. Himself included. He enjoys pain and manipulation. He does it on purpose, and not even out of snapped temper -- he's more often cool than hot when he does it. Okay, granted, he has squat for positive coping skills and probably came from an awful background. But I suspect that a better background would simply have put him in a boardroom, instead of a back alley. He'd still be messing with people for fun. He is capable of some affection but it's pretty warped. He didn't hesitate to flip Antimatter from friend (or at least "pet") to enemy, and he's not dealing well with the fact that Antimatter and Stalwart Stan aren't anywhere near as serious about him as he is about them. Think of it as a one-sided nemesis crush.
>> yet overall, it's a great development of the series, and I loved the poem itself. <<
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Shiv is a dick, but he makes a fun squeaky toy.
*ee ee EEEEeeee*
"Stop TOUCHING me! I am steel and blood and death!"
*eeeEEEEEeeee*
Re: Shiv!
Date: 2015-04-25 10:18 pm (UTC)Re: Shiv!
Date: 2015-04-25 10:23 pm (UTC)Well, it wouldn't be difficult to get them fighting.
If we really wanted to torment them, though, we'd need to figure out a way to stick them in a social skills class or something like that.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-04-25 10:55 pm (UTC)I've been wanting to see what Shiv was up to. I almost feel bad for him. Almost.
Thank you!
Date: 2015-04-25 11:09 pm (UTC)I'm glad you like it.
>> I've been wanting to see what Shiv was up to. <<
:D I have a few more ideas for him too.
>> I almost feel bad for him. Almost. <<
You can feel bad for him being an unhappy guy in a crappy situation, without agreeing with him or approving of his behavior.
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2015-04-30 08:39 am (UTC)Yes, this, exactly. He deserves better, just by the baseline of EVERYBODY deserves better than this kind of shit. OTOH, you can't make somebody accept help. Shiv seems to be a canonical example of the AA "has to hit bottom first" type, and he's a long way from being there yet. Right now the only feasible thing to do with him is keep him locked up where he can't do serious damage to himself or anyone else.
Stan had to try, of course. He wouldn't be Stan if he hadn't. :-)
Re: Thank you!
Date: 2015-04-30 08:57 am (UTC)Sooth. Especially in Terramagne, people adhere very strongly to that ideal. They don't always live up to it, but they follow it like chasing the evening star. Good practice makes good progress.
>> OTOH, you can't make somebody accept help.<<
Attempts to do that wind up doing a lot of damage.
>> Shiv seems to be a canonical example of the AA "has to hit bottom first" type, and he's a long way from being there yet. <<
Yyyyyeah. 0_o
>> Right now the only feasible thing to do with him is keep him locked up where he can't do serious damage to himself or anyone else. <<
See now, that's where it gets interesting. Shiv has been in jail before, so he's comfortable with the concept and finds it familiar. Except this time he's gone and gotten people worried about him in whole new ways, which changes the circumstances. He has only noticed part of this so far, and it's going to get a lot more interesting.
Evidently the Quakers in Terramagne didn't bail out of the penal system the way they did here, and someone had a conversation like this...
Quaker: "Uh, God? We put the dangerous people in cells so they can't hurt anyone else. But now their personalities are melting off."
God: "Yes, that's happens to humans in isolation. It's bad for them."
Quaker: "So how do we fix it?"
God: "Figure out a way to give them interaction without letting them hurt themselves or anyone else."
So they've been working on that a while now. Shiv being a dangerous little brat, he gets a cell to himself, with a big viewscreen. Plenty of things to do, and people to chat with, but minimal opportunity to bother anyone vulnerable or otherwise make trouble. If he can behave himself at least somewhat, there are communal options for meals and exercise and so forth, but most of his interactions are carefully managed. He finds it weird and unsettling.
>> Stan had to try, of course. He wouldn't be Stan if he hadn't. :-) <<
Sooth. Stan the rarest of the rare, an Unsullied Hero. He wants to save everyone, even the villains. <3 He is plausible, because he's holding down one end of a very wide spectrum. Most people are in between.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-04-26 12:42 am (UTC)• "Jesus freak" is one rude term for ^ Christians.
^ certain types of
> both in my experience and as I read the article you linked to
Thoughts
Date: 2015-04-26 01:14 am (UTC)Yep.
>>• "Jesus freak" is one rude term for ^ Christians.
^ certain types of
> both in my experience and as I read the article you linked to<<
I have made the change. Hopefully it won't cause confusion, because Shiv really isn't drawing that distinction.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2015-04-26 01:49 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2015-04-26 01:56 am (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2015-04-26 03:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-04-26 12:26 pm (UTC)Good job, well written.
Thank you!
Date: 2015-04-26 07:44 pm (UTC)Shiv seems to be having that effect on people. What's happening to him is miserable, but he's a wretched little prick who really has brought it all on himself even if he refuses to acknowledge that.
>> Good job, well written. <<
Yay! I'm glad you liked it.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-04-27 04:28 pm (UTC)On the third hand, nasty little twits like this are a big reason we can't have nice things. (And he is so, so punchable.)
Yes...
Date: 2015-04-27 08:17 pm (UTC)That seems to be the consensus about Shiv. He is ECR Boy.
>> On the one hand: obviously in need of some help. <<
There are not enough days in the week for all the therapy he needs ...
>> On the other: so very obviously incapable of asking for, or accepting, said help. <<
... and won't do, exactly. He's very resistant. Which rather implies how badly it has gone for him in the past when people tried to help.
>> On the third hand, nasty little twits like this are a big reason we can't have nice things. <<
True. Terramagne does a somewhat better job of managing this.
>> (And he is so, so punchable.) <<
Heh. Yeah. :D Feel free to use Shiv as a punching bag if you wish.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-04-28 07:37 pm (UTC)Yeah. He doesn't get nice things either... which is part of the ECR, probably. (He reminds me of a character I enjoy/hate elsewhere: a saboteur whose claws actually mostly end up in his own back.)
>>Feel free to use Shiv as a punching bag if you wish.<<
Thanks! I may just.
Re: Yes...
Date: 2015-04-29 07:46 am (UTC)Yeah. He doesn't get nice things either... which is part of the ECR, probably. <<
Too true. Probably the nicest thing that happened to Shiv recently was meeting Antimatter, and look how that turned out. 0_o
>> (He reminds me of a character I enjoy/hate elsewhere: a saboteur whose claws actually mostly end up in his own back.) <<
Ouch. Yes.
>>Feel free to use Shiv as a punching bag if you wish.
Thanks! I may just.<<
Yay! Well, next up is "gentlemen in distress" in May so that fits.
Not apropos but...
Date: 2015-04-27 03:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-04-27 09:54 pm (UTC)Well...
Date: 2015-04-28 12:29 am (UTC)Mostly, yes. He is capable of following some rules, if it's to his advantage, as in working for Boss White. He is capable of maintaining relationships and even feeling some positive emotions such as affection and respect. But it's all warped toward his own interests. He refrains from doing a lot of horrid things not because he thinks they're wrong, but because they just don't appeal to him. He has standards, but they're things like performance, rather than morality. I'm not sure he has a conscience, in the sense of things he won't do for moral reasons.
>> Some supervillains are generally principled people who, for whatever reason, operate outside of and sometimes contrary to the law. He is not one of them. <<
About two-thirds of Terramagne supervillains are principled. It's that last third of methodical sadists and disorganized crackpots who cause some of the worst damage. Even other supervillains tend to dislike them.
Shiv is ... kind of borderline. He actually makes a great henchman because he can follow orders from someone he respects, and he's very effective in combat. He even tolerated Shithouse quashing the cigarette gambling between Shiv and Antimatter. But Shiv is definitely in the group of supervillains who just plain like hurting people.
>> Trouble won't follow him - he'll drag it along whether it wants to come along or not. <<
You just gave me the most appalling mental image of Shiv playing Kick the Morality Pet with trouble. I'm envisioning Trouble as a yappy, scruffy, mongrel alley dog that Shiv keeps kicking and occasionally tying cans to its tail. And Trouble slinks around hoping to steal a string of sausages because Shiv is a reliable source of fights that knock over things that might have food in them.
So then Antimatter and Stalwart Stan see this. Antimatter is all "Hey! Quit kicking the dog, you big jerk!" and Stalwart Stan goes "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" and it turns into a big brawl. At the end of which, Antimatter tries to coax a growling, cringing Trouble out from under the rubble.
Trouble bites him and runs away, sausages in tow.