#Indian Family Story Research

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Food in Fiction Writing

Often, we structure our days around food; a family meal, the office lunch break, dinner out with friends or maybe late-night instant ramen to get you through a deadline. But how do you include these moments in fiction writing? And what can you make this say about your characters?

Food as Habit

Giving your character eating habits and tastes can really flesh them out.

Try to think about where they eat, who with, and what?

Habits make our characters come alive, giving them the sort of real interior life that readers can identify with.

Make use of their tastes in moments of emotion – after a climactic moment, do they come home and relax by cooking, or try and escape to a fancy restaurant among friends – or do they not have the energy to eat at all?

Food is a great way to show character rather than telling.

Food as Subtext

Another great way food can show instead of telling is to use it in a conversation, when people are saying one thing but meaning another.

Often, when people argue, it starts off as a small problem – like burning the dinner, or what restaurant to choose.

Use food as a starting point in conversations when people are letting out their emotions through another meaning.

Let your characters debate their marriage through a restaurant without enough vegetarian options, or show someone’s romantic interest through appreciation of a badly cooked meal.

Food as Structure

You can show a lot about the order of a character’s life through when they eat.

Meals are a very everyday moment in your story that can provide order or disorder – if your character has to meet someone for lunch, obstacles preventing this can provide tension.

Eating is often entangled with a tight sense of time, so use this to your advantage.

Even small moments of tension and disorder can add a lot to your story.

Food as Sensation

Food invites rich and flavourful description.

All our senses are engaged while eating – not just sight and taste.

Think about how you can describe the intense smell of a curry, the way it feels as you chew it, the sizzling sound of the frying pan and the bubbling of the rice.

Create a rich sensory experience in your reader, maybe try and make them hungry.

A full-bodied description will make your scene come alive.

Food as Setting

Food is rich in cultural associations and tradition.

Do some research into where you are setting your story and explore what people there eat, when, and why – your character might be eating Sil (pickled herring) in midsummer, as is the tradition in Sweden, or celebrating Diwali with Besan Ladoo and other Indian sweets.

It is important to build a sense of specificity into the food.

But don’t fall into the trap of problematic food and cultural stereotypes – a character could just as easily be eating a burrito in Manchester as in Cancun, Mexico.

Food is often a shortcut to cultural understanding.

In the same way that literature connects stories with disparate readers, food itself acts as a vehicle for empathy in the communication between cultures and communities; both food and literature connect the self to the other in an act of empathy.

The act of eating is intimate, and hunger is vulnerable.

Picture your protagonist at her weakest, then give her a big plate of meaty spaghetti bolognaise, a Styrofoam tray of late-night cheesy chips, a ripe fresh peach, a hot bowl of Pho, or maybe an ice cream sundae.

At once, the writing will be enhanced simply for all of the rich sensory detail, and we will also see this character more clearly – she is given something physical, and a tension rises between the comfort of the food and the struggle of her situation, whatever it may be.

Stories thrive on tension and its release, and food is an incredible tool to either deflate or enhance that tension.

Food is inexorably connected to humanity, and so naturally plays a significant role in literature.

Food writing offers sensuality, symbolism, tension and empathy – for your readers and your characters alike. 

Even if you're not writing foodie fiction or lavish descriptions of every meal, you can still use food to help readers learn about your characters. For example:

A character you want to depict as adventurous might try unusual foods from their region, like crunchy grasshoppers or grubs for an American, or a character can show that they're stressed and busy by forgetting to eat or chowing down on prepackaged food because they don't have time to cook.

You can show readers a character's heritage or familial background by having them cook or remember beloved family recipes, or demonstrate that they're artistic by having them plate their food beautifully.

A tip for writing about food is to use all 5 senses in your descriptions to really help your reader see, smell, taste, feel, and even hear the food.

Try and avoid words that are general and can make it hard to envision something specific. Let's take an apple.

We could call it delicious and beautiful, but that doesn't help us understand the specifics of what it looks and tastes like.

But if we say that it's shiny red, that it smells fruity, tastes sweet but also puckeringly tart, and that your teeth crunch on its firm white flesh, you can almost envision it yourself.

Wine-tasting can help you find words for fleeting and elusive flavors.

Keep a book of adjectives that work well for flavors: salty, sour, sweet, sugary, sharp, spicy.

Smell is important too: vinegary, burnt, fishy, fruity.

Temperature may be a little easier: hot, warm, cool, cold, iced.

Texture: dry, slippery, hard, damp, nutty. And so on.

How to Describe Food in Writing ⚜ The Vocabulary of Wine

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[bucephaly]

Reconnecting Cherokee Masterpost

I’ve had a few Cherokee posts blow up on here and as a result I’ve gotten lots of ‘my grandma said she was cherokee’ ‘I’m supposed to have Cherokee roots I wish I knew anything about it’ ‘I was never taught anything about my Cherokee ancestry’ type sentiments in my activity. So! I wanna make a little masterpost with some resources on how to verify or disprove these types of family stories and how to get started for those interested in reconnecting!

A little about me and a disclaimer. I’ve not been reconnecting that long, about a year and a half, and before that I didn’t know I was Cherokee. I did not grow up Cherokee and I am white. What I’m going to be talking about is simply resources for genealogy, language, good places to connect online, etc. these are all things I’ve dealt with as I reconnect, but I am not any sort of authority on Cherokee issues or culture. The purpose of this post is to get people who know absolutely nothing about Cherokee identity and community started in learning more and seeing what needs to be done before reconnecting. And I acknowledge that the genealogical records and resources available for Freedmen descendants and Afro-indigenous people may not be as conclusive, and I simply urge Afro-indigenous people to do what research you can. I am also only Cherokee, I can’t speak for how any of this works for other tribes. Now, to get started

I’ll be talking about

Genealogy

Enrollment

Basic info about Reconnecting

and Language

Genealogy

Genealogy is the most important first step for anyone wanting to reconnect, or even just wanting to claim Cherokee ancestry at all. Unless you have done genealogy research that has shown ancestry connecting you to ancestors on the accepted Cherokee rolls or you are or have family who are citizens of one of the 3 federally recognized Cherokee tribes, please do not make claims of Cherokee identity or ancestry.

Fake ‘granny stories’ of Cherokee ancestry are very common, particularly in the South / Appalachia. These stories often go something like ‘my great-grandmother was fullblood Cherokee. She hid out from the soldiers rounding the Cherokee up for the Trail of Tears.’ There are many many variants, such as children being adopted by a white family, being traded away, or just otherwise being left behind or abandoned. I also frequently see ‘they escaped and hid in the mountains,’ ‘they pretended to be white / black,’ etc. Remember, the Trail of Tears happened in 1838, 185 years ago. My ggg grandfather was 2, so unless you are 60+ it would be unlikely that a great grandparent was alive during that period. This mythical great-grandmother is also occasionally an ‘Indian princess.’ There are many excuses for why ancestors might not show up on known Cherokee records, such as ‘the records were burned in a courthouse fire’ or ‘they were intentionally removed from the records,’ etc. Physical features are also claimed to prove stories, such as high cheekbones, dark hair, darker skin, etc. Old family photos showing grandparents with tan skin, etc, are also brought up pretty frequently. None of those prove anything, as many people of European or mixed ancestry can have these traits. Stories like this are also not exclusive to white families, they can definitely be present in Black families as well. These stories are most often entirely fabricated or resulting from a misunderstanding. It’s pretty common to have someone be familiar with the fake stories but convinced that their family story is the one exception and has to be real, which ends up being instantly caught as fake by anyone that knows the history, you’d be surprised haha. Here is a post I’ve made talking about fake stories in more depth.

DNA testing cannot prove descent from any specific Native tribe. An ‘indigenous American’ result on a DNA test does not prove native ancestry, as DNA tests are frequently wrong especially when it comes to ‘trace ancestry’. Nor does a DNA test showing 0 native DNA prove that one doesn’t have native ancestry. DNA tests are a novelty and irrelevant to native genealogy. The only time they are useful is in finding cousins through DNA matches, which can be especially useful for adoptees. Here is a post where I go more in depth on this

Now, getting into actual genealogy, the main process with Cherokee genealogy is fairly simple. I’m not going to go in depth on the process of genealogy in general, there are plenty of resources for that. Get what info you can from your family [names, birthdates, places people lived] of your recent ancestors, then find their census records [census records from 1950 and earlier are publicly available] or what records you can, and go back, finding their parents, etc. The goal is to get around to 1900. See where they were living at that point, as that will effect what rolls they might be on. There are three main Cherokee rolls that are looked at for determining ancestry [but there are other rolls as well]

The Dawes Rolls taken between 1898 - 1914 recorded the Cherokees living in the Western Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory before Oklahoma Statehood. This roll came with allotments, parcels of land given to the Cherokees. Cherokee Freedmen are also recorded on this roll, along with Intermarried and Adopted Whites. This is the roll that CNO and UKB uses for enrollment. Here is where it can be searched.

The Baker Rolls taken between 1924 - 1929 recorded the Cherokees living on the Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina. This is the roll that the EBCI uses for enrollment

The Guion Miller Roll taken between 1906 - 1911 recorded Cherokees living anywhere and was associated with a cash payout.

I can’t find free searchable databases of the Baker or Miller rolls, but you can find them on some ancestry sites like ancestry.com with a membership or free trial. Also, be aware that these rolls all have “Declined” sections of people who applied and were declined for having no proof of ancestry, mostly just applying to try to get money or land meant for Cherokees. This is especially true of the Miller roll, where 2/3rds of the applicants were declined.

If your ancestors aren’t on any of these rolls, can be found in US census records before 1900, or aren’t living in the Cherokee homelands in the early 1800s, they are almost surely not Cherokee. Also, be wary of results on ancestry sites that start cropping up in the 1700s where the only evidence is another person’s family trees. There are many people claiming descent from Dragging Canoe, Chief Moytoy, and others that put these things on their ancestry trees when none of these people have any descendants. And people will just make up entirely fictional people. Just be sure there are actual documents tying them to the Cherokee and to your ancestors [as people will make up fake children of real figures like Nancy Ward as well]

There is a fantastic resource for Cherokee genealogy in the Cherokee Research and Genealogy Facebook group. The researchers are experts on Cherokee genealogy and will run your lines for FREE and determine conclusively whether you have Cherokee ancestry or not. When they find someone with Cherokee ancestry, they will also find your ancestors’ enrollment applications, allotment locations, etc. they’re really fantastic and I highly recommend checking them out and saving yourself the trouble of doing the research yourself. Just read their rules thoroughly. Even if you did do some research, if you hit a wall or just want confirmation, check them out! Especially if you think you found legitimate ancestry, getting them to double check will remove any doubt.

Enrollment

There are three federally-recognized Cherokee tribes. Each has their own community, resources, and different requirements for enrollment. These are: the United Keetoowah Band [UKB] located in Tahlequah, OK, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians [EBCI] in Cherokee, North Carolina, and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma [CN or CNO] in Tahlequah, OK. Each of these have distinct histories. Cherokee Nation is the largest by far.

Be wary of fraudulent state-recognized Cherokee tribes. If a Cherokee tribe is not one of the three mentioned above, then it is not recognized by the others as legitimate. These state tribes often take resources that are supposed to be going to legitimate native communities [such as school funding], spread misinformation, etc. These communities often have obviously fake non-Cherokee traits such as ‘naming ceremonies’ and members with laughably stereotypical names like ‘spirit wolf’ and ‘white owl’ lol [also, this is specifically about state tribes claiming to be Cherokee, I can’t speak to the legitimacy of other groups.]

Two of the three Cherokee tribes have a blood quantum requirement. Blood quantum [BQ] is how much ‘native blood’ one has, depicted as a fraction. BQ is a very complex topic in native communities, which I won’t get into here. EBCI has a 1/16 BQ requirement, so to be a citizen you must has 1/16 Eastern Cherokee blood, as well as have an ancestor on the Baker Roll. UKB has a 1/4 BQ requirement, so citizens must have 1/4 Cherokee blood and an ancestor on the Dawes Rolls or the 1949 UKB roll. CNO has no BQ requirement, if an ancestor is listed as By Blood on the Cherokee Dawes Rolls, or listed as a Cherokee Freedman, then you are eligible for CNO citizenship.

Do not come into Cherokee spaces just asking what sort of benefits enrollment can get you. It’s pretty disrespectful and makes it seem like you only care about what you can take from us.

Reconnection

So you did your genealogy and found that you have documented Cherokee ancestry, what next? Reconnection is a long and difficult process and I’ve barely even started, but I’ll try to give what resources and info I can.

Who can reconnect? This can vary between people, but most often I see people [biased towards Cherokees who are active online] saying that anyone with legitimate documented Cherokee ancestry can reconnect. Some people prefer reconnectors are able to enroll in one of the 3 tribes, some prefer people have connected living family, it varies a lot. In my experience as someone who is white and not a citizen yet, if you are respectful and humble, people are pretty accepting. It’s also important to think about why you want to reconnect. You need to be prepared to give back to your people as much if not more than you get. That means learning the language, the history, learn about current issues, etc. Don’t go into it just wanting to be able to say you’re Cherokee as a fun fact or get some sort of monetary benefit. It’s also important to remember that you will get asked to prove yourself. Don’t be offended if you’re asked if you’re enrolled, who your family is, how you’re Cherokee, etc. This is part of our cultural protocols. Not only do we want to keep people with fake family stories from getting into our spaces, we also just like finding relatives! It’s also very important to remember your place as a reconnecting Cherokee. Don’t think having legitimate ancestry suddenly means you’re able to talk with authority on native issues or suddenly claim to be oppressed. If you’re white, don’t suddenly start claiming to be a POC or “white-passing,” you can be white and Cherokee. Cherokee is not a race.

Reconnecting is a difficult process, especially if you are far from any Cherokee communities. You cannot reconnect alone. You aren’t reconnecting to some distant past, or to stories in a book, you are reconnecting to a living community. This can be tough for people who are far from Oklahoma or North Carolina, and there are some things that are not really possible to learn except in person. But you can still learn, and there are some online spaces. I particularly find the ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᏍᎦᏚᎩ (Cherokee Community) Facebook Group valuable. It’s kinda small, but it’s one of the best ways to engage with Cherokee community online. Sorry if you’re a Facebook hater, Facebook is going to be your best bet for actually meeting people and engaging. The Cherokee Community group requires proof of ancestry before members can join. This usually just means sending your tribal ID or your thread in the Cherokee Research and Genealogy group to an admin and they’ll let you in.

Here are some good basic things to check out for reconnecting

OsiyoTV

Cherokee Nation YouTube

Museum of the Cherokee People YouTube

Cherokee Stories of the Turtle Island Liars Club by Chris B Teuton, Hastings Shade, Sequoyah Guess, Sammy Still, and Woody Hansen

Cherokee Earth Dwellers by Chris B Teuton and Hastings Shade

Mooney’s Myths of the Cherokee [note: this was written by a white man in 1910 after after spending some time with the Eastern Cherokee. The history is iffy, but the stories were recorded directly from Cherokee storytellers.]

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation by John Ehle

Do your own research, but be extremely wary of Anything posted publicly online. There is lots of misinformation about Cherokee culture. Personally, I mostly do my learning in the vetted Cherokee Facebook groups, in books written by actual citizens, and by talking with connected friends. Google is rarely your friend in this case.

Language

The language is the center of our culture, it is what makes us Cherokee. It is our duty as Cherokees and as reconnecting people to learn the language. I can’t stress enough how important it is. If you aren’t putting any effort to learn the language, it shows others that you aren’t committed and you will likely have trouble getting any help reconnecting from others, it just looks bad haha. Not saying you have to be fluent overnight, I’ve been reconnecting for a year and I still am very much a beginner, ‘it doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop’ as CNO language teacher Ed Fields says. Luckily, there are plenty of resources for learning online!

It’s good to learn the syllabary or at least familiarize yourself with it early, as it’s a good introduction to the sounds present in the language. It’s an important part of our culture and the language too. There are also many learning resources that are only in syllabary, so you’re missing out on those if you don’t know it. Here are some good resources for learning:

Simply Cherokee Syllabary by Marc W Case [HIGHLY recommended. I got reasonably confident in syllabary in like a weekend thanks to this book. You can find fairly cheap ebooks versions. It has a story for each character that makes it so easy to remember and associate the characters with their sounds.]

Learn Cherokee Syllabary app [Apple] [Android]

Syllabary fonts and keyboard

There are lots of resources for learning the language. It’s really good to hear it as often as possible when learning vs just reading it, as I’ve messing up so much in my pronunciation from just reading it and now I’m having to break habits. You preferably want to hear first language speakers. There are two main dialects of Cherokee, usually roughly split between Eastern and Western. Dialects vary a lot within those communities as well. If you still have contact with any relatives that speak Cherokee, it’s always better to learn as much as you can from them.

Cherokee Nation language department [just explore this site, they have lots of resources!]

Cherokee Learner site [explore this site too, this is a great compilation of pretty much every Cherokee language resource, eastern and western]

Online Cherokee Class with first language speaker Ed Fields

RSU Cherokee Lessons [youtube]

Mango lessons

Other apps, including the Memrise course

Online Cherokee dictionary

That’s all I can think to say right now! I’ll probably add to this later as I learn more, find more resources, and get suggestions from others. But for now, good luck, ᏩᏙ, ᏙᏓᏓᎪᎲᎢ !

[zepskies]

The Honorable Choice - Part 3

Pairing: Dean Winchester x OFC 

Summary: June 1872. Captain Dean Winchester of the U.S. Cavalry is tasked with one job: break a wild mustang. He just didn’t expect the woman who infiltrates his camp, intent on freeing her tribe’s horse.

AN: The last chapter! Hold on, it's about to get bumpy...

Disclaimer: I got inspired after a recent rewatch of Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron (literally a perfect movie), as well as having Yellowstone in the back of my brain. I’ve done extensive research for this one, both on the American Indian Lakota tribe, and on American history during this time in the late 1800s (AKA: the Old West, during the American Indian Wars and the Sioux Wars). Of course, one of my main goals is to avoid inaccuracies, both historical and cultural.

**Pronunciation guide at the end!

Jacklesverse Bingo24 Prompt: @jacklesversebingo Western AU

Song Inspo: The Spirit Soundtrack

Word Count: 5.7K

Tags/Warnings: 18+ only. Protective Dean, survival situations, smut (mutual masturbation, fingering, and more), angst, and fluff.

🐎 Series Masterlist || Bingo Masterlist

🎙️ Listen to the podfic version here!

Part 3: Worthy

They travel together for two more days. Dean isn’t really a talkative man, but inevitably, he finds himself speaking to fill the comfortable stretches of quiet plodding across the grasslands.

He tells her about growing up on his family’s farm, where his father was firm but fair, and a larger-than-life presence when Sam and Dean were kids. His mother though, she was the only one who could ever go toe to toe with John Winchester and win.

“She tamed him,” Mila remarks with a smile. Dean’s lips quirk in response.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he chuckles, “but he knew he couldn’t pull a whole lot of shit with Mom. She’s a real pistol when she’s gotta be.”

Talking about them makes his heart heavy and sobers his mood, so he deflects with other stories, other chapters of his life. 

He talks about going through basic training alongside Benny Lafitte. As privates, Dean pranked his friend by filling his lumpy old pillow with raw eggs and chicken feathers. In retaliation, Benny swapped Dean’s morning coffee with actual dirt and hot water. Their boyish games escalated until they were nearly kicked out of the military.

Dean managed to smooth things over though. He’s always had a way of charming people, even the gruff Sergeant Major, Bobby Singer.

Mila admits that she and her cousin Šóta used to sneak out of the village when they were younger. He taught her how to climb trees, how to fight and protect herself, and how to ride a horse astride, like a man. He was the only one who ever encouraged her to have the “free mind” her mother dreamed about.

The more she confides in him, her eyes sparking with life and her hands gesticulating along with her words, the more Dean listens.  

On the third day, it’s nearing mid-afternoon when Dean slows Baby to a stop. After miles and miles of forest and grassland covered, they’ve finally approached a large, wide river. Mila stops beside him.

“My tribe lives beyond the river,” she says, “but the current is strong now.”

Dean looks over at her. A question he hasn’t wanted to ask crops back up. He feels that now is the time to voice it.

“Yeah, about that…I’m thinking your tribe doesn’t take very well to outsiders,” he says. “White men in particular.”

Mila presses her lips together. He can tell she’s been thinking the same thing, but she turns to him with a determined set to her features.

“I will protect you,” she says.

Dean frowns. He doesn’t like the sound of that. On one hand, it warms him that she seems to really mean it. On the other hand, he doesn’t want to know what it’ll take for her to protect him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asks.

She turns her face away and doesn’t seem to want to answer at first.

“Mila…”

“The Chief is my uncle,” she says at last. “He will listen to me.”

Dean blinks. Well, that changes things…maybe.

He’s still not convinced, but at this point, he really doesn’t have many options. It’s either take his chances with her tribe, or become a vagabond. He’s not sure how long he could survive in wilds of the West alone, especially while trying to dodge military patrols.

In the past three days, it’s taken Dean all that time to come to terms with a simple fact. He’ll likely never see his brother again, or his mother. It’s a pain that cuts into him deeply, down to his bones. It stings behind his eyes.

But if he only has two choices, then he at least wants to make sure Mila gets home safely…even if that means he won’t be.

He’s come this far. If his career is worth the price of what he feels is right, then his life is worth it too.

With that decision made, Dean expels a long, somewhat faltering breath. He locks away the rest of his uncertainty, his apprehension, and even his grief. He hides it deep inside, where she won’t see it. 

“All right, the current doesn’t look too bad over here,” he says, pointing to farther north along the river. “The horses can make it.”

Mila nods in agreement. She still looks uneasy, though she tries to hide it too. She ventures ahead into the river. Dean follows close behind.

The water is shallow at first, but it all too quickly gets deeper. The horses plod over the river stones and vegetation under the surface, and the humans are led deeper, until they’re submerged into the water up to their waists.

It’s good that Mila rides that giant mustang; if she were on a mare, like Dean, she’d already be sunk up to her shoulders. Baby’s a big girl, to be sure, but Mila is nearly a foot shorter than him, with a smaller frame. He watches her carefully as she makes her way ahead of him.

That’s why he’s able to act fast when Mato slips, dunking Mila under the water. She gasps and tries to cling onto him, but the current is fierce. It pushes Mato down the river no matter how much he scrambles and kicks at the water, braying wildly in distress.

Shit! Dean tugs sharply at Baby’s reigns and strives to catch up to them. He grabs Mato’s reigns and pulls and pulls, until he and Baby are able to drag him to the other side of the river where he can get a foothold with his hooves.

Mila is starting to fall off his back. She struggles to cling on while the river pushes at her, with her wet hair falling in her eyes. Dean leans back as far as he can to try and pull her up.

“It’s okay, I’ve gotcha,” he calls out, even though his heart hammers with alarm.

She reaches out for his hand in turn. Just as his fingers begin to close over hers, a wave from the current crashes into her. A short scream tears from her throat after she loses her grip on Mato’s neck. Without her weight, he’s able to pull himself back up onto the bank along with Baby.

Damn it! Gut-wrenching alarm spears Dean into action. He leaps down from Baby and removes his gloves, his hat, and his uniform jacket, so he can dive into the water. Thank God he’s a strong swimmer.

Mila seems to be too. She carves through the water against the current the best she can and tries to keep her head above the waves, but Dean can see it’s a losing battle. He manages to grab hold of her arm, and then wraps an arm around her waist to keep her close. Both of them work together to try and cling to any passing rock or low-hanging vine as the current sweeps them out toward an ultimate end.

A waterfall.

Of course. Goddamn it. Dean doesn’t know how steep it is on the other side, and he doesn’t want to know. All he’s trying to do is keep himself and Mila above the water.

She hooks her hand around a sharp rock. It bites into her hand, making her cry out, but she clings to it for all she’s worth. She holds onto Dean just as tightly, even though the current wants to take him. She tries to pull him closer, close enough for him to get a hold on the rock as well.

This time, it’s Dean who loses his footing. The rocks slip beneath the soles of his feet when he attempts to gain some leverage.

A shout of surprise escapes from him when he fails, and it gets swallowed up by water rushing down his throat.

“Dean!” Mila yells, for the first time using his name. The last thing he registers is the fear in her eyes—afraid for him.

The river takes him over the edge of the abyss, and he falls.

He never expected that he would get to open his eyes again, let alone to the sight that greets him. Mila’s familiar face, framed by the dark, drying waves of her hair, is bright with firelight. It dances in orange-gold across her features. Her eyes are warm like rich molasses when she looks down and finds him awake.

She smiles in relief.

He realizes that he’s lying on soft grass with his head pillowed in her lap. She’s taken off his boots and half of his white undershirt; she tore one of his sleeves to wrap around a mercifully shallow gash in his shoulder.

The horses are drinking from the river nearby, with a pile of apples split between them. There’s a fish roasted over the fire, but all Dean cares about is the way her fingers are running through his hair. She sings a soft song under her breath while she passes her other hand over his injured arm without touching it.

He doesn’t understand the words, but he thinks she might be trying to heal him. He’s heard plenty of stories about the Sioux people, most he’s taken with a grain of salt. He does remember Cas saying that their healers are different from doctors.  

Dean’s never given their hoodoo much thought, but right about now, he hopes it works.

“Mornin’,” he croaks.

Mila’s relieved face becomes touched with amusement.

“It’s night,” she says. “You slept for a long time.”

Dean wants to sit up and take an inventory of his injuries, but he can’t make his body move just yet. He’s too tired and bruised. He also likes being in her arms. He likes her fingers in his hair, now moving to his cheek. He sighs through his nose in contentment as her thumb drifts over his overgrown stubble. 

“Thank you,” she says. Emotion is thick in her voice.

Dean meets her eyes again, and he smiles. He raises the back of his hand to touch her smooth cheek, gently. He lets his fingers glide across her tan skin, down the column of her neck. Her breath hitches.

She takes his calloused hand in her slender one. Her long hair falls like a curtain over her shoulder, almost like it’s shielding them from whatever is left to come for them beyond the forest. Dean wraps an ebony strand around his finger, just to feel it fall loosely again.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” he says.

Mila graces him with another smile from her lips. He wants to know what they taste like.

“I guess you are pretty, for a White Man,” she says teasingly.

Her fingers trace his brow, his jawline, even the tip of his chin. She seems to be avoiding his plush mouth, even though her gaze keeps dropping there. Dean pretends to frown.

“Sweetheart, that’s not the way you talk about a man,” he says.

Her brows raise. “No?”

“Handsome. Strong. Toothsome, if you will,” he says, enjoying the way she begins to blush. “That’s what you wanna call a man.”

“Toothsome. I don’t know this word,” she admits. “Am I supposed to eat you?”

Dean resists the urge to say the first incorrigible thing that pops into his head. Instead, his body shakes with laughter.

It’s difficult at first, all his muscles pulling at him in protest, but he raises himself into a sitting position. He cups Mila’s cheek, dragging his thumb across her lower lip. Her lashes are dark and long. They move when she looks up at him. He knows the look in her eyes, wanting, desiring, but also unsure of what she should allow him.

Dean leans in slowly, giving her time to decide.

She tilts her face up to his. He noses at her cheek, his eyes falling closed along with hers.

He finds her lips with his own on instinct and feeling alone. Soft and tender movements, testing, asking.

She answers him. Her fingers tangle in the front of his tattered shirt as her lips begin to move against his. Dean wraps an arm around her waist and gathers her against his chest. His other hand glides down her arm, down her side and along every soft curve. Her clothes are still damp, and so are his.

“It’ll be faster to dry our clothes if we’re not wearing ‘em,” Dean rumbles. His voice is deep with desire. He presses kisses along the side of her jaw, behind her ear, down her neck and shoulder. He earns her pleased hum, her heavier breaths, and her fingers once again in his hair.

“I can’t,” she gasps. She says something in her native tongue, too fast for Dean to even register. He slows down so he can meet her eyes.

“What was that?” he asks. Her face falls, and she starts to trip over her words.

“I am not…how you say, married. I have to be…”

Dean smiles ruefully, sliding a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Chaste?” he offers. She nods, her brows furrowed. Her grip on his shirt tightens.

“Yes,” she says. “In the eyes of my people, it is…”

“I get it,” Dean says. When she still seems conflicted, he presses a kiss to her forehead. 

“Really, I understand,” he says.

His problem is that he stares into her eyes too long, and at her kiss-swollen lips. He dives back in for another taste.

This time, he’s a little less gentlemanly than he promised. His tongue sweeps along her lower lip, begging entrance. She makes a sound of surprise, but she opens up to him. Her gentle hands slide up his chest to hold his face, and her thumbs stroke his cheeks. He holds one of her wrists to keep her there as his tongue dances with hers. She tastes like the river, and like salty tears.

Had she cried for him? How long did she sit with his body, waiting to see if he would wake up?

Despite those worrying thoughts, Dean knows this feels right. More right than he’s ever felt.

It’s harder than he might’ve imagined, but he still pulls away, before he won’t be able to stop himself. Mila pants for breath. She seems to feel she should let him go, but also doesn’t show any sign of wanting to. Smiling, Dean caresses her cheek one more time before he turns to the fish she roasted.

“This looks good,” he says, clearing his throat. “What kinda fish is this?”

With a sigh, she attempts to steady herself and moves to join him by the fire.

That night, Mila dreams.

She dreams of wings, white and beautiful. She hears the cry of an eagle before she sees his great wingspan take off in flight. He soon finds his mate, and they dance together in the sky. 

When she wakes, the fire has gone out and it’s still dark in the night. It takes her a moment to realize that she’s safe. Finally safe.

And she’s lying securely in Dean’s arms.

She’s no longer conflicted when she stares up at his face.

She will bring him home to her tribe, and she will explain. If they still don’t welcome him, then she prays for the strength to keep to her honor. Because now, she begins to realize…

Her heart has already chosen.

“Kimmímila, what have you done?” her uncle asks in the language of their people.

He is Tahatan, Chief of their tribe.

Mila’s father, Chatan, and her cousin Šóta have tied Dean Winchester to a post in the center of the Chief’s large tipi. Dean kneels with his head bowed in respect, even though he keeps sneaking looks at Mila to try and gauge what’s happening. He doesn’t understand a word of any of it.

“You’ve brought this outsider into our village, this White Man!” Tahatan shouts, his voice deep and resounding.

Mila steps forward, despite her mother’s embarrassment and her father trying to grab her shoulder. For the second time in her life, she defies her father for what she believes is right. The first was to rescue a member of their tribe—because even a horse’s spirit should not be broken by greed.

“Uncle, I’ve told you the story, though you don’t want to believe it,” she says. “Dean Winchester saved me when he could have killed me, or worse. He defied his own people. He is dead to his own people, for me, and because of me. You may think they lack all honor, but this man is different.”

She looks over at Dean, and he meets her gaze. He wears an anxious frown as he looks between her and the chief, but she has a feeling that his fear is for her, not for himself.

She kneels beside him, then looks up at her uncle with all the stubbornness she’s ever possessed in her life. She feels it’s led her to exactly this moment.

“And we are one,” she says. Nerves trill up her spine as she says it. She predicts the way shock falls over the room. The way her father curses out loud, angry. The way her mother covers her mouth in dismay. The way the Chief takes a step back, tilting his head at his niece.

“You would take it that far?” he asks.

Her face doesn’t change. “It’s already done.”

Tahatan is beside himself, both angry and perplexed. He goes back to his chair of wicker and wood that lies centered in the room. He drops heavily into it. After a long while, in which he thinks in silence…he releases a heavy sigh. He gestures for his brother and his son to untie Dean. The men do so, but they don’t let him go free. They force him to stand and bring him forward to kneel again before the Chief.

“Dean Winchester,” Tahatan says.

“Yes, sir,” Dean replies.

“You prove yourself to be a man with honor,” he says in English. “Kimmímila has chosen you. She claims you have chosen her in return. Do you deny this?”

Dean glances over at her. She bites the inside of her lip, a bit worried about how he’ll react. She’s not sure he completely understands what Tahatan is telling him, but he nods, regardless.

“No, sir. I don’t deny it,” Dean says.

“Then, you will be allowed to stay, and live among us,” Tahatan declares. "We will see for ourselves what you are. We will see if you are worthy."

Dean gives a nod, crossed with a bow of some kind. He obviously isn’t sure of what he’s supposed to do, but he does say thank you. Mila wraps her hands around his uninjured arm and helps him to his feet. She smiles at him to let him know that the worst is over. He blows out a breath in relief.

“Is that it?” he whispers. He expected more of a thrashing, if he’s honest.

“Almost,” she replies. The two of them stop short before her father, Chatan.

Dean straightens up and holds out his hand. “Sir.”

Chatan glances down at the white hand extended toward him. His gaze raises back up to Dean. 

He grunts in acknowledgement, but he turns on his heels and storms out of the tipi. Her mother comes forward next. She examines Dean from all angles. She takes his face in her hand, somewhat squishing his cheeks, so she can look deeply into his startled eyes.

She seems satisfied by what she finds, and she lets him go. Afterward, she takes Mila’s hand and heaves a deep sigh.

She kisses her daughter’s hand and says nothing else, leaving them to find her husband and calm him down.

Dean turns to Mila with a look that says, please tell me that’s it.

She smiles more genuinely.

“Come,” she says.

She leads him by the hand out of the Chief’s tipi and through the village. Dean takes in the rows of other tall, cone-like structures covered in buffalo skin, as well as all the faces that turn to stare at him in a mix of curiosity, wariness, and even fear. Some of them whisper to each other, taking their children by the hand and keeping them close.

Dean’s still on guard himself, even when Mila takes him to a smaller tipi. It’s been closed up for a while now, by the look of it. Weeds have grown right outside the entrance. 

“This one’s yours?” Dean asks.

She pauses, giving him another small smile. “Ours.”

Dean raises a brow. Ours. Really?

She opens the flap in the front and beckons him inside. There’s still enough daylight to shine through the outer lining. Inside, his gaze flits over the old pile of stones in the center for heating, clothes folded in the corner, some cooking pots and utensils, paintings on wood and clay, and a couple of beaded decorations. Buffalo skin bedding is laid out on the other side with a couple of soft looking furs. 

Son of a gun. Dean doesn’t even blink as he processes it all. He’s in a damn tipi. This is really about to become his life.

Shaking his head a little, he forces himself to focus on Mila. She’s his anchor, and she seems to sense that he’s reeling. She guides him to sit beside her on the bedding, holding his hands in hers. After a moment, he reaches up to tuck a curling strand of hair behind her ear.

“You didn’t get in too much trouble because of me, did you?” he asks.

She shakes her head. “No. My father and uncle are very similar. Strong to anger, but it is quick to run out. At least with me.”

Dean thinks he understands. Short fuse, quick fizzle.

“There is just…one thing,” Mila says. Her eyes fall away from his, like she’s embarrassed. He squeezes her hands.

“What?” he asks, his brows furrowing. It gets her to look at him again, but she seems worried to tell him.

“To convince my uncle to let you stay, I told them that we…” she trails, trying to find the right words in English. “That we are married.”

Dean’s brows raise high. His heart trips up faster. Okay, “ours” makes a lot more sense now.

“I am sorry,” she says quietly. “I didn’t want you hurt—”

“Sweetheart,” Dean says, cupping her cheek. Even with the hammering of his heart, he grins. “I’m pretty sure that’s where this was going anyway.”

In fact, this is a best-case scenario, as far as he’s concerned. He leans in to kiss her, and it doesn’t take long at all for her to sigh in relief, melting against him.

“We’re married, huh?” he asks. “No ceremony? No white dress?”

“We are bonded,” she replies, nodding as she meets every one of his kisses. “Or, we will be.”

She tugs him closer and revels in the feeling of his hands beginning to roam her body, sliding down her waist, her hips and thighs.

“Guess that means we have to seal the deal,” he grins. His lips drift away from hers to burn a familiar path across her cheek. He takes to nibbling her ear, making her flinch and laugh as it tickles.

“Seal-the-deal. What does that mean?” she asks.

Dean chuckles lowly in her ear. “Oh, I think you know.”

He guides her onto her back, over the comfortable mess of furs. He wants to take his time exploring every inch of soft, tan skin, but he first sweeps her hair away from her eyes, the back of his hand brushing against her cheek. She smiles up at him softly.

“Do you regret?” she whispers, reaching up to touch his chin with two slender fingers. “Do you regret helping me?”

Dean considers her question. He knows he’ll carry his family in his heart until the day he dies. His brother, his mother, the memory of his father. Benny and Cas, even Jack, and so many others.

It’s already a heavy burden, but he had always been prepared to lose his life on the battlefield, in service of his country. At least this way, he gains a new life. 

“No. Never did,” Dean replies. “Not even once.”

He bows his head toward hers, and he proves it to her. His lips capture hers, fueled by passion and wanting. Mila’s hands slide over his shoulders and down his back. Maybe without her realizing it, she implores him to let go of the weight heaped on his shoulders.

When he begins to bunch up the hem of her dress, she sits up to help guide his hands. Her quickening breaths mesh with his as the first layer of clothing drops beside the bedding. His tattered shirt joins her dress, along with pants and shoes and boots, until all that’s left is skin against warm, bare skin. He lays on his side right beside her and explores wherever she lets him begin.  

“Beautiful,” Dean murmurs, as his lips follow the column of her neck, down between her breasts. Her breaths rise to meet him, especially when he begins to toy with a dark, pebbled nipple. Her fingers slip through his hair, and his name falls from her lips. He palms one breast while kissing and gently teasing the other, exploring sensitive flesh and grazing her sensitive fleshwith his teeth.

“No man’s ever touched you?” he asks, despite knowing the answer.

She shakes her head, her fingers gripping his hair tighter as his lips and tongue move against her skin.

“No,” Mila gasps a reply. Her hand slides down the back of his neck, and the more he teases her, her nails soon create faint red lines down his back, her thighs squeezing together. She feels a throbbing ache at the very center of her. Despite her inexperience with men, she knows what it means, and she knows what she wants.

Dean’s mouth drags away from her breast. He pulls back so he can meet her eyes. A smile curves his lips, and he takes one of her hands from his shoulders. 

“Have you ever touched yourself?” he asks. He guides her hand down her body, brushing over a wet, sensitive nipple, down her stomach, and between her legs. This time, Mila nods in answer. She stares up at Dean with eyes like molten honey. He leans in to kiss her neck.

“Show me,” he says.

She shudders at the depths in his voice. It increases the flood of wetness she already feels, even before she slips two fingers between the folds of her sex. She gathers some of that slick and circles it over the source of her pleasure, the small nub above her entrance.

Dean takes his hardened length in his hand. While she writhes by her own hand, he drinks her in with his eyes. A soft groan falls from his lips as he pumps himself a few times, sliding a thumb across the weeping head of his cock.

He can’t be a spectator for long though. He nips tantalizingly at her neck, creating a zing of added sensation across her skin. She whimpers, though she tries to stifle it, her knee bending further.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Dean says. “Let me hear you.”

He releases himself and replaces her hand with his own. He slips two long fingers inside her drenched entrance, earning a gasping moan from her. She latches onto his shoulders and buries her face into his neck. She whispers fervent things he doesn’t understand, but it only spurs him on.

His thumb circles insistently over her clit as his fingers pulse inside her. Her hips buck a needy rhythm against his hand, until her thighs begin to shake, and her inner walls squeeze even tighter around his fingers.

“Shit, that’s it, baby,” he pants gruffly against her cheek. “Let go for me.”

Warmth snaps and floods from her throbbing core, and she cries out near his ear, her nails biting into his skin. Her release coats his fingers.

Mila drops her head back against the furs underneath her. Her chest rises and falls quickly while she tries to catch her breath, her eyes tightly shut. Dean surprises her with a soft kiss.

“Mila,” he prods. He wants to see her eyes again, so pretty and wanton when she comes. He veers away from her lips to kiss her cheek, and then the other side of her neck. “Let me see you, sweetheart.”

She huffs a small laugh. Opening her eyes, she gestures to her bare body. “This is not enough?”

Dean’s lips tug at a smile. He shakes his head. “As a matter of fact, no.”

He shifts over her, finding his place between the cradle of her thighs. His elbows come to rest on either side of her head. She feels trapped by his body, even as she welcomes his weight and the feeling of his arousal, long and heavy and hard, trapped between their bodies. This man fills every corner of her world in this moment.

“If I’m your husband now, that means I get all of you,” he says with a grin. She gazes up at him, both in blushing amusement and affection.

“All of me,” Mila repeats. She takes his face in her hands and brings him closer, until her lips are a whisper from his. “Then I want all of you.” 

Dean chuckles. “You sure about that?”

She smiles in satisfaction, and her lips claim him this time. One kiss turns into many, each one mounting in passion and desire. Dean groans into her when she begins to touch him. Her hands are soft, but direct in their seeking; they caress his shoulders, run down his chest and stomach, and then, more tentatively explore the now painfully hard length of him pressing against her.

He makes a grateful sound of pleasure when her hand wraps around his cock, squeezing gently. His fingers bury themselves in her hair.

“I want all of you,” she says, this time a plea and a demand all at once as she strokes him.

Dean nods in agreement. He’s come this far. He can do that for her too.

He spreads her thighs a bit wider and encourages her to adjust the angle of her hips for him. His hand glides down her plush thigh and gets a healthy grip. Then he slides his hand under hers and guides his cock through her folds, first just holding himself at her warm, wet entrance.

He manages to wait for a second, in order to meet her gaze. She’s already holding onto his arms tightly, like he’s become her anchor. Her thighs wrap around his hips and beckon him closer.

Slowly, he pushes inside. He takes care in how he works her open. She winces at the sting of his girth stretching her, but his fingers once again massage her clit, stroking her arousal back into a keening flame. He swallows her gasps and moans as he bottoms out inside her, fully sheathed. Tears prick at her eyes, but not from pain.

Mila’s dream flashes like a waking vision behind her eyes. Wings take flight, along with the gleam of a golden beak and a sharp eye.

She blinks, and the image disappears. She’s left with the man who has become hers, making love to her with every stroke of him deep inside her. She presses grateful kisses across his neck and shoulder, wherever she can reach while she clings to his strong arms.

The thick head of him brushes a sensitive place over and over, one that tightens the coil in her lower belly and makes her core tremble again with warmth, until her body convulses against him, pulsing in pleasure, gripping him tight from the inside. Mila’s fingers clench in his hair just as tightly as her release hits her in a powerful wave; even her voice becomes lost to it.

Gritting his teeth, Dean grips the soft flesh of her hip and chases his own end. The way her inner walls choke his cock, he has no choice but to come hot inside her, his spend mixing with her own release. A strangled shout tears from his throat.

He has to brace himself before he crushes her. With his forearms resting on either side of her head, he lowers his forehead against hers. Her legs slip from where they’ve been tightly molded to his hips, her feet meeting the floor. Eventually he slips out of her. He watches his seed drip out and create a mess on the dark furs. The sight of it satisfies something primal deep inside him.

Later he’ll ask her about washing up (and about supper), but for now, he just turns onto his back beside her. She inches toward him, and he raises an arm so she can splay out against his side. They both lay there for a moment in the quiet, just catching their breath together. It marks the end of a long journey, and yet, the start of one too.

Mila turns to raise onto her elbow. She reaches over to wipe the sweat from his brow in a tender touch. Dean smiles up at her. He takes her hand and presses a kiss into her palm.

“I could get used to this,” he says.

Her eyes widen in surprise, but then she laughs softly. “Yes.”

Her hand moves down to his chest, over his heart. She sobers as she considers her people, and how much trust has yet to be bridged—not only her own father and uncle, but the entire tribe. When she led him through the village, they called him wašíču.

Fat-taker. Greedy White. Not one of us.

“It will be hard for you here,” Mila says. She worries it will be too hard for Dean.  

He just squeezes her hand, earning her attention through tumultuous thoughts.

“I’m not afraid of a little hard work,” Dean replies. His usual confident charm is infused in his smile, but she has a feeling he’s just trying to reassure her.

Sensing she’s not convinced, Dean reaches up to hold her cheek, guiding her to look at him and not the floor.

“Listen. I made my choice, and I’m sticking it out, come hell or high water,” he says.

Mila’s brows knit together. “Hell-or-high… What does that mean?”

Dean sits up on his elbow along with her. He takes her chin between his fingers and meets her gaze.

“It means if you want me, you’ve got me. The rest, we’ll figure out as we go along,” he says.

A smile slowly lightens Mila’s face. She tilts her chin up to meet him with a kiss.

“I will be with you,” she says. It’s a promise.

Dean smiles back.

“Good,” he says. “Because that’s just about all I need.”

AN: There we have it, friends. 💜 I really, truly hope you enjoyed this mini series! To be honest, I have more ideas for this little world (like how Dean might try to assimilate into this culture), but I'll leave it to you guys to let me know if that's something you'd be interested in reading.

Until then, I would love to know what you thought of this chapter! 

Pronunciation Guide:

Šóta ("sho-tah") Chatan ("chat-tan") Tahatan ("ta-hat-tann") Wašíču ("wash-ee-jew")

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Series Tag List + Dean W. (Part 1):

@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms

@foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @roseblue373 @this-is-me19

@emily-winchester @spnexploration @deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @iprobablyshipit91

@sanscas @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @kaleldobrev @spnwoman

@thewritersaddictions @just-levyy @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @pieandmonsters @globetrotter28

@adoringanakin @theonlymaninthesky @teehxk @midnightmadwoman @brianochka

@chevroletdean @agalliasi @venicesem @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24

@ladysparkles78 @solariklees @deansbbyx @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley

@sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @deanfreakingwinchester @chernayawidow @mimaria420

@fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @waywardxwords @waynes-multiverse @twinkleinadiamondsky @ajjustice

@ades106 @my-stories-vault @cevansbaby-dove @kayleighwinchester @rizlowwritessortof

@tmb510 @skyesthebomb @syrma-sensei @harleycao @king-of-milf-lovers

@pizzagirlxnsfwx @justsom3onesworld @beskarfilms @lunaticgurly @artemys-ackles

@malindacath @mrsjenniferwinchester @jc-winchester @charmed-asylum @fromcaintodean

@violetlilysunshine @traiitorjoe @tsofo26 @k-slla @jackles010378

@deanbrainrotwritings @urfav-tz @alwaystiredandconfused @torchbearerkyle @mrlonelycat

@deans-daydream @deanwinchestersgirl87 @rachiem4-blog @sweettimelady @leigh70

@aylacavebear @liopleurodean @brujaporfavor @xiphoidbones @xsophianicolex

@jays-bonnie-on-the-side @skoveu @nyotamalfoy @kmc1989 @ghostslillady

[uispeccoll]

Voices from the Stacks

Ul'nigid'

Ul'nigid'is a moveable book by artist Rhiannon Skye Tafoya, created in 2019 at the Women’s Studio Workshop in Rosendale, New York. This is edition six of 44, signed by the artist.

The book can take on multiple forms and shapes, with an accordion pamphlet and movable walls made of woven paper. When fully unfolded and standing up, the book resembles a basket. It features five poems in English with accents in Cherokee syllabary. The poems are those of remembrance, healing, love, home, and heritage. The cover shows an illustration of the artist’s grandmother, and the title is printed in both English and Cherokee.

The piece draws on traditional Cherokee weaving techniques used for river-cane basket making, but with the artists own contemporary weaving design. Instead of white oak and rivercane, she uses handmade paper. In her artist’s statement, Tafoya explains that the weaving design “represents the energy of my indigenous lineage as well as the urge to break out of boxes that a colonized society puts my identity, culture, and art into.”

The book was made in honor of the artists maternal grandmother, Martha Reed-Bark, who was a Cherokee medicine-woman and basket weaver. The title Ul'nigid’, which translates to “strong,” embodies her resilience and spirit.

From the publisher: “Ul’nigid’ is a demonstration of love and remembrance, wherein each technical process portrays strength and delicacy, allowing the artist to communicate a contemporary indigenous voice with deep influences from her traditional grandmother.”

Rhiannon Skye Tafoya is a printmaker, weaver, digital designer, and book artist affiliated with the Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo tribes. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in print media from Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking and sculpture from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In her work, Tafoya seeks to share and preserve personal and familial stories, cultural knowledge, and the Cherokee language, while still paving her own journey through contemporary art.

Explore more artists’ books on InfoHawk+, the Book Arts Research Database, or visit us in person.  

-Anne M, Olson Graduate Research Assistant

[dollishmehrayan]

BATBOYS DATING INDIAN!READER ── .✦

a/n: this is request (here) by anon but omg, the amount of questions and research that went into this omgg so I hope you guys enjoy and that I didn’t get anything wrong omg but literally I have like 5 Indian friends and like lots of friends around the world so I tried to ask them but all of them approved.

tags: ( batboys x Indian!reader)

DICK GRAYSON ── .✦

Cultural Enthusiast: Dick loves learning about your culture and asks a million questions about the history and significance behind every tradition.

Loves Indian Food: He will absolutely insist on learning how to make your favorite dishes, though he might need a few tries to handle the spice levels. "Is this mild? Because it feels like lava."

Bollywood Drama Fan: He gets hooked on Bollywood movies. Expect him to belt out romantic Hindi songs after only watching the subtitles once. His favorite genre? Over-the-top romance.

Celebrates Everything: Dick will go all out for festivals like Diwali or Holi, decorating Wayne Manor and forcing Bruce to wear a kurta. ("C'mon, Bruce, it’s festive!")

Hyping Your Look: Anytime you wear a saree, lehenga, or traditional attire, he’s speechless, openly admiring you and saying, "How am I even real to have you?"

JASON TODD ── .✦

Subtle Learner: Jason isn’t the type to ask questions outright but will quietly research your culture on his own to better understand and appreciate it.

Obsessed with Snacks: Once he tries things like samosas, pani puri, or chaat, he’ll never shut up about them and ask you to teach him how to make them. “If I learn this, I’ll never go hungry again.

Festival Protectiveness: During Diwali, he’ll hover around you to make sure you’re safe from fireworks and loud crackers. "Do you need earplugs? I don’t trust this neighborhood."

Subtle Appreciation of Traditions: He loves when you tell stories of mythologies like the Mahabharata or Ramayana, quietly finding parallels with his own struggles.

Sassy Compliments: "You look like a goddess in that outfit, and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees."

TIM DRAKE ── .✦

Loves the Details: Tim is absolutely fascinated by the intricate designs of your traditional clothing and the amount of work that goes into it. He’ll compliment every embroidery or bead.

Overthinks Gifting: For festivals or birthdays, he’ll spend hours trying to find the perfect gift that honors your culture—whether it’s jewelry, sarees, or books on Indian philosophy.

Enjoys the Food Adventure: Tim has a terrible spice tolerance but will bravely try your cooking just to impress you, tearing up while saying, "This is delicious."

Cultural Festivals, Tech Edition: He’ll help set up fairy lights or use tech to create a synchronized light show for Diwali, because "plain candles are too simple."

Admires Your Strength: Tim secretly loves how strong your cultural identity is and feels inspired by your confidence in embracing your heritage.

DAMIAN WAYNE ── .✦

Mutual Respect: Damian respects and admires the depth of Indian culture, especially its emphasis on family, art, and honor. He’s intrigued by the philosophical aspects.

Desi Food Connoisseur: Out of all the Batboys, Damian handles spice the best and will genuinely enjoy dishes that others would find unbearably spicy. "This is not ‘too much.’ It’s perfect."

Loves Animals in Indian Mythology: Damian will listen intently when you explain the importance of animals like cows, elephants, or even Garuda in mythology, seeing them as sacred beings.

Precise Festival Preparations: He’ll research every aspect of your traditions to ensure he participates respectfully, whether it’s helping with rangoli or lighting diyas.

Secretly Protective: If someone mocks or misrepresents your culture, Damian will not hesitate to put them in their place. "You will show proper respect, or I’ll personally ensure you regret it."

BRUCE WAYNE ── .✦

Tries His Best: Bruce doesn’t know much about your culture at first but will make a genuine effort to learn, from attending festivals with you to eating spicy dishes without flinching even if it burns.

Helps with Family Relations: If your family is strict or protective, Bruce’s natural charm and respect will win them over. He’ll probably wear a sherwani to meet your parents.

Thoughtful Gestures: For Diwali, Bruce will make sure the Batcave and Wayne Manor are cleaned, organized, and decorated to your liking, even if it takes hours.

Admires Your Strength: Bruce will respect how deeply you hold onto your culture and traditions while navigating Gotham’s challenges, seeing it as a reflection of your inner strength.

[burningcheese-merchant]

Wake up, BurningCheese/GoldenSpice babes, new poorly drawn blorbos just dropped

They look cooler in my head, I swear.

the images didn't show up the first time wtf lol

The kids are finally here, yay. I promised I'd show you them, and I finally stopped being an asshole and followed through. Almost got 200 followers and I'm very grateful for it - really, I'm nobody. I'm just some clown who says dumb stuff and makes dumb memes and writes cringey stories, and yet I convinced almost 200 people to tune in. Thank you all so much, users on here and anons in my inbox alike. As a token of appreciation, you can all endure my rambling about my OCs and witness a person in their early 20s draw like a 12 year old.

The boy is Pepper Jack (or Pepper Jack Cookie). He's the firstborn and older than his sister by a few years. He takes after his mother in a lot of ways, primarily in her appearance (save for nabbing his father's red eyes). He's incredibly bright (and a smartass lol), preferring to think his way out of conflict rather than fight his way out... not that he's above violence at all, if that glaive doesn't give it away lol. He harbors a deep sense of love and loyalty towards his family and his peoples, and carries the weight of his responsibilities and heritage with as much confidence and poise as he can muster. (There are/will be times where he stumbles, of course. He's not perfect. He struggles a lot more than he lets on, really. But he tries his best, for everyone's sake.)

The girl is Matar Paneer (or Matar Paneer Cookie). Again, she's the younger one by a few years. She was all but made in her father's image, save for inheriting her mother's eyes. She's a little firecracker: lively and fun-loving and stubborn as a mule. She doesn't ask "can I have/do this thing", she tells you "I'm going to have/do this thing". Golden is proud as anything to see her daughter be so greedy... until that greed comes into conflict with her and Spice's authority lol. But she's a good kid, despite being such a handful. She has an enormous heart and is not afraid to stand up for others/what's right, and she loves her parents and brother more than anything in the world. She might doubt her own capabilities, she might secretly fear that she's not strong enough to do what she needs to... but she keeps pushing anyway, because she'd honestly choose death over quitting.

Your eyes are not deceiving you, Pepper Jack's wings are blue lol. There's an actual reason for that. And that USO (Unidentified Sitting Object) in Matar Paneer's hair is a lotus (the cheese one in the GCK decor set lol). There's a reason for that, too. I thought it would be cool to give Jack a glaive and swap out the normal blade for that of a khopesh sword (glaives are not Egyptian, they only saw use in Asia and Europe, but I just HAD to give him a glaive), to add that Egyptian touch. Paneer's supposed to be wearing a pattu pavadai, it's a traditional Indian dress for young girls. It's a blouse plus a skirt. She's holding katar, Indian knives (Cilantro Cobra has them, too). And her hair's supposed to be in a low ponytail.

Merchant thinks that if they explain what their terrible drawings are supposed to convey, people will understand their intended vision and the pain will stop

I sat down and did research into both Egyptian and Hindu mythology for the sake of drawing inspiration for them both. I'll explain in detail in another post, but basically: both of them take after one Egyptian god and one Hindu god each. Golden takes after Ra and Spice takes after Shiva, so I figured I'd follow along that line.

Please flood my inbox with questions about them now. I've really been dying to talk about them for ages now. I've drafted extensive character sheets for them both, I even made up in-game descriptions for them lol. They're my little fankid blorbos and I love them :') I hope you all come to love them, too

(Also, I'm sorry they're on lined paper. I'm visiting family rn and that's the only paper my grandmother has in her house. I'd have to drive to a stationery to get printer paper and I'd really rather not drive in this particular country lol (shit roads, even shittier drivers). I'll doodle them on printer paper whenever somebody remembers to bring me some)

[vidavalor]

Ngk.

Yes, this is meta on ngk. I know, right? Possible origins and other layers of meaning? Ngk.

When Crowley uses it, "ngk", as we know, is the sound of a very clever word nerd just being so floored, confused, overwhelmed, or otherwise incapable of speech that we might think that what he says sounds like a bunch of random letters. It comes out like a curse at times... or a !!!!!... or it would be a squeak of frustration, if only his voice weren't so deliciously low. People read it as the verbal equivalent of a short keysmash and, emotionally? It probably is, but... those letters are not at all random.

The reasons why these letters were chosen are so. very. Crowley. that I think you'll find that the character's (and Pratchett's) interesting word kink might, as Mrs. Sandwich would say, put a smile on your face. 😊

I am pretty sure that ngk is two, different but interconnected, word history jokes related to the Greek language. Why the Greek language? Because it, along with Latin, is at the core of basically every language that etymologists refer to as being part of the Indo-European language family, which is pretty much every language of European countries, the Persian Plateau (sometimes referred to as the Iranian Plateau), and the northern Indian subcontinent. If you ever do word history research on words in English or Indo-European languages, it won't take you longer than two minutes to start finding your way back to the Greek roots for many of the words you look up. Greek is both a language in its own right and also the part of the origin story of words in dozens of other languages. Greek is at the core of the etymology-inspired figurative language in Good Omens and in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.

Because Greek has existed as language for literal ages and is so foundational to the study of other languages, etymologists needed a way to differentiate between the before and after period of big change in the Greek language.

Known to date, there really was one, massive shift that the language underwent over a period that has been narrowed down but the exact time and cause is debated. The most common theory is that it is related to The Fall of Constantinople and the collapse of the Byzantine Empire. The point is that, during this semi-disputed period of time, Greek underwent some big shifts that are, by and large, what differentiate between what we'd call "Ancient Greek" when looking at word history and how Greek has been written and spoken since through today. It's all the same language but it's just shifted so much, especially during this one period, that there are differences in it that people looking at word history need to be aware of when looking at the origins of words versus what things might mean or how they might be spoken in Greek in our current times.

In order to do that, etymologists created the term "New Greek" to mean Greek as spoken after this period of massive change to differentiate it from the Greek of more ancient Greece. NGK or ngk is the etymology world's acronym for "New Greek." Making this even more confusing? At some point in the last couple of decades, etymologists began calling "New Greek" by a different name-- "Modern Greek"-- but it means the same thing and, from what of it I've seen, they have largely kept the same ngk acronym. (The change to "Modern Greek" happened after Good Omens was first published.)

So, the first thing of the two things that ngk is? It's Crowley being so speechless or over everything that he's like argh, it's all fucking New Greek. He's cursing or exclaiming in frustration using the acronym for the shift in languages that underpins all of the languages he most frequently speaks, the evolution of which he lived through. Even word-nerdy poets have moments of FUCK WORDS and that appears to be one level of what ngk is. This also might be a little joke as well on the controversial old idiom that exists in different forms throughout different languages-- "it's all Greek to me"-- that was popularized in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. For more on that, I'd refer you to this really interesting Atlas Obscura article on the idiom.

Ok, so, that's the first of the two Greek-related things that ngk is. Let's look at the other one so you can see just how great a Crowley joke this...

While ngk is an acronym, it also, separately, happens to be a double consonant sound in Greek. Do not worry if it's been awhile since you studied a language, I will simplify. 😊

In English, a double consonant is when a consonant appears twice in a row in a word, like the two times in a row the letter l appears in the word balloon. In Greek, it's a different thing. A double consonant in Greek is a combination of two consonants that make one, collective sound together. Greek double consonants are closest to (if not exactly equivalent to) what is called a digraph in English phonics, which is the sound made by two letters commonly put together, like sh, qu, ch, etc. When you were first learning English, you were taught things like how sh makes a "shh" sound, in addition to learning the individual letters of the alphabet, right? That's kind of what some double consonants are like in Greek.

One of the Greek double consonants is the combination of the letters gamma + kappa in the Greek alphabet. When you say the double consonant of gamma + kappa aloud?

You are saying: "Ngk."

The letter gamma here in this double consonant is pronounced a little differently than usual and has what's known as the "gamma nasal" quality that causes it to be pronounced like "ng." Kappa here is pronounced and written like the English letter k, for which it is the direct ancestor. The pronunciation of the gamma + kappa double consonant is the sound that Crowley says in the bandstand in S1.

So, Crowley is actually cursing/exclaiming out a double consonant of the Greek alphabet...

Why? And why this one, when there are a bunch?

Start by checking out how the uppercase and lowercase letters for both gamma and kappa are written below:

Uppercase gamma is the crank part of a crank tool. Lowercase gamma is the origin of the English letter y-- homophone: the signature word of questions: why?

Gamma is a term used all over the place in math and science, including gamma rays from electromagnetism and gamma waves, observable neural movement that is connected in the mind to large-scale, high-level cognitive activity, often related to memory, perception, creativity, and attention. These are also some of the brain waves most impacted by mental health issues and that are also some of the most affected by things like meditation.

Gamma is also a Greek word for the camel. (Lest you think that Good Omens forgot a rideable animal for their never-ending horses/transportation euphemism fiesta... found the missing camel! 😂) The word gamut also comes from gamma and originally referred to music-- the entirety of the musical scale-- but now you can say "runs the gamut" about anything in a way that means the same thing as the idiom "from soup to nuts"-- just everything, from beginning to end. From creation to completion and back to the start again.

Kappa has ties to some Crowley-related science and spirituality, such as The Kappa Effect, which is a theory explaining how the mind's perception of distance can affect its perception of how much time has passed. In early Buddhist scriptures written in Pali, a kappa-- referred to as a kalpa in later writings-- refers to a very long period of time between the creation and the destruction/recreation of a world or universe and related to the lifetime of that world or universe.

So, we have memory, time, the creation of the universe, crank tools, asking questions... these letters are turning into a whole list of Crowley-related things, yeah? There's more...

Kappa is written in both cases like the letter k-- homophones: 'kay (as in, ok/okay) and cay.

The etymology of ok is actually an example of a briefly-existing cant vocabulary, which... heyyyy. That feels relevant, yeah? 😲

In the late 1830s, a (very limited) cant vocabulary emerged in New England that created new slang out of making acronyms out of intentionally misspelled existing phrases. It is thought to have started or been encouraged by a Boston Morning Post article that mocked a competing newspaper by saying it was spelling things the way its rival did-- spelling "all correct" as "oll korrect." A lot of issues of newspapers from this time period no longer exist so the exact issue that caused this paper to troll its rival is unknown. There is some speculation that it might have been something of a class warfare battle being played out between papers who appealed to different groups of people, given that the mocking "oll korrect" sounds, when spoken aloud, to be of the same pronunciation quirks of the 'pahk the kah in hahvahd yahd' variety of Boston accent.

"Ok" is believed to have originated as an abbreviation of "oll korrect." This article either prompted-- or was an example of-- a cant vocabulary that did a rare thing-- united Boston and New York lol-- for a little while in the late 1830s. There were other abbreviations used as words like this, for which you had to understand one of Crowley's favorite word things-- homophony-- and know the pattern to understand. KG meant "no go", off of the homophonic "know go," for example.

Ngk, like ok and these other words, is an abbreviation being used as a a word. Not of one that's misspelled but one that is from the cant vocab of etymology nerds, making it fun in an especially meta sort of way.

The most famous of these phrases from this late 1830s Boston/New York cant-- and the only one to survive-- is "ok", which etymologists think was probably was helped to remain by being picked up and used in President Martin Van Buren's failed reelection bid in 1840.

As you can probably tell from the fact that I said that it was used in a Presidential campaign, the cant vocabulary spilled into the mainstream and, so, lost relevancy as it was no longer something that not everyone understood. "Ok" was kind of like the "brat" of the 1840 U.S. presidential campaign, in some ways? Once everyone got the joke, people still used it in the mainstream because it was a quick thing to say or write as an affirmative but its subversion was lost by its meaning becoming commonly understood.

While this 1830s cant vocab was *much* smaller, the best anyone can tell-- more like a handful of phrases and not much more-- it's kind of similar to Polari, in terms of the language burning out but leaving lingering words in mainstream English.

Ok, so the other word from kappa: cay.

A cay is a low island. It has a synonym-- one definition of the word key (Key Largo, The Florida Keys, etc.). So, we have a low island-- the use of the beach/the sea/fish/bodies of water as figurative language for sex in Good Omens-- and its also the word that is a key. Keys you use to start engines to drive and also to unlock language. A key is the necessary component to interpreting hidden language and here's one of the keys/clues to taking apart the use of language in Good Omens right here in ngk.

Kappa is from the Phonenician kaph, which meant the hollow of the hand (the palm) when it is forming a cup shape... as in when praying/meditating or when creating or presenting something...

...and the sole (homophone: soul) of the foot-- its arch, in particular. Arch, alternative meaning: playful, knowing, dry teasing.

In other words, kappa, etymologically, is the movement of the hands and feet-- it's living on Earth. It's using the hands to make magic and art, to worship and give to others. It's the the cobbler walking the Earth-- living life.

Crowley's story is the double consonant of gamma+kappa. Not just the angel he was and his life on Earth since his fall but how they're really all intermixed into one person because he's always been the one person. Ngk is who he is and that is why, of all the possible sounds, he says this one.

While it was both an acronym and a sound prior to the novel, ngk was, to the best of my knowledge, not written as a word in its own right prior to the publication of Good Omens. Crowley's exclamations are the first utterances of ngk as a word and our understanding of what it means comes from the context of when and how he uses it in the novel and in the series. In that way, ngk is Good Omens' own contribution to language evolution.

Terry Pratchett, who wrote his Discworld novels and Good Omens with etymology-based figurative language, made word history such a big part of Good Omens that he had the book itself contribute to language evolution by having it birth a word in Crowley's ngk.

From interpreting its meaning by the context of how Crowley uses it... from researching from where this grouping of three letters as a word could have originated... from incorporating the word into fan art and fanfic... and from using it amongst ourselves in real life and explaining it to other people if they ask for the last couple of decades?

We've all been collectively helping Terry Pratchett contribute a new word to the English language.

Let's get it into the dictionaries next. 😊

[thisismeracing]

I lost the ask's request, but here you go, honey! <3

requests are CLOSED

CARLOS DATING AN INDIAN GIRL | CS55

Warnings: mentions of food; tooth-rotting fluff; mentions of family members; not proofread.

A/n: Just a quick reminder that there are many shades, experiences, and backgrounds when it comes to Indians and their culture, what I am writing does not resume everything, but rather brings a piece of it to the table. <3

▸ my masterlist | my taglist | patreon guide ▸ support my writing by reblogging, leaving a comment (don’t forget to follow me if you like the piece), or buying me a coffee)

This man will start to tell India's story, location, and importance in the political context to everyone who dares to act uneducated around him!!! Most of what he knew he got from you, but the other half he got curious and just went on his own treasure hunt on the internet and, yes, shockingly, bookstores - he ordered online, but it still counts (those were his words);

Let's say he has never been to India outside the context of racing, so going with you for the first time makes it even more special (he will spend a few hours of the vacation telling you about the old Indian GP);

Carlos loved eating a traditional meal with your family, and he loved it even more because your grandpa taught him about the history behind eating with your hands and suggested he tried it if he wanted to (he had never felt the texture of food or appreciated its flavor quite like the way he did when he gave the tradition a chance);

You told him the story of the Taj Mahal while you walked there, and, of course, he got into a rabbit hole of questions and Google searches and even a book recommendation from a family member of yours (he told them about the experience, just like he told in the group chat of drivers he was part of);

The man bought just about everything in Chandni Chowk! You touched it, he bought it, and even when you didn't, he would point at a colorful fabric and say that the color suited you - but then again, in Carlos' eyes everything suited you, and you looked even more stunning when proudly displaying your heritage;

Pakora's probably his favorite snack, and, for now, his favorite dish is Dal Makhani (you still introducing him to the cuisine);

He'll love your family, and probably be added to the family group chat where he'll dutifully answer every message your parents, cousins, and so on send;

Carlos will casually ask if you would want two weddings or just one in India (yeah, his research took him to the wedding traditions, and he saw a few TikTok videos - he loved the energy and the colors, and of course, the story behind everything);

Looks even more handsome wearing a bandhgala!!!!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi,

'm writing a novel set in the 1900s, including scenes from WW1. Any tips on maintaining accuracy for that period and writing in the style of novels from that era?

Authentic Portrayal of a Historical Era

If your story is set in another time and place, you'll need to do some research to make sure you get the details accurate. Luckily, there's information available online, in books, and on YouTube of just about every historical era in every place.

I want to take a moment to stress the importance of place, because life in early 1900s New York City would have been a little different from life in early 1900s Sacramento, for example. Likewise, life in an early 1900s Scottish village would be quite different from life in an early 1900s Indian village. So, make sure your general research pertains to the country of your story's setting, and that your specific research is geared toward a specific village, town, city, or region--or at the very least (if your specific location is imaginary) the closest real world proximity. Likewise, it's also very important to take socioeconomic status into account, because once again, life for an early 1900s socialite and her family in Manhattan would be quite different from the early 1900s life of a farmer in rural Manitoba.

When you're doing your research, you'll want to pay close attention to the following details:

-- societal rules and norms -- rules and norms around love and marriage -- role of culture and religion -- clothing, architecture, decor -- food and drink -- music -- customs, traditions, festivals -- typical occupations -- treatment/roles of women -- treatment/roles of children -- typical home life -- government and justice system -- transportation, tools, and weaponry -- notable "pop culture" and current events -- slang, idioms, and popular sayings -- important mythology, folklore, and urban legends

YouTube is a great resource for documentaries and documentary style videos to get a good breakdown of particular topics. Like, for example, let's say one of your characters is a wealthy New York socialite. There are videos on YouTube that will show you how a wealthy American or British woman (for example) would dress in the early 1900s. Likewise, you can watch a video about World War I or anything specific to WWI that you want to learn about.

WQA’s Guide to Internet Research Researching a Historical Topic Setting Your Story in an Unfamiliar Place Writing About Difficult to Research Topics

Happy researching and writing!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[backtothe99]

(18Trip Translation) Tao Kinouchi SSR: Best Wishes Snap - Level +1

proofread by jellyfish_apple, azurecrystalz and niri

While the story uses the male protagonist's name (Kaede), the differences in the script depending on the protagonist you play as have been noted down

Part 1

Location: HAMA House Living Room

Everyone at HAMA Tours: Happy birthday~!!

[Pop, pop!]

Tao: Thank you so much. You really went out of your way for me today…

Tao: Like, everything’s amazing. The living room is decorated so beautifully, and the food looks so fancy and tasty.

Chihiro: Hehe ♪ We’ve got all of your faves here, TaoTao~! Meat, fish, naan curry… ♪

Chihiro: But celery’s banned from HAMA House for today, sorries~

Raito: The information you put in your profile book was a great help. By the way, the curry is authentic and ordered from an Indian restaurant the Kitakata family has close ties to.

Nagi: We tried baking the naan ourselves. The Night Team will take responsibility and eat the uneven ones, so please enjoy the pretty ones.

Nayuki: Good grief, to think they were even discussing getting a tandoor installed for this.

Liguang: In the end, we simply asked Kamina how to make it in a frying pan.

Kaede: We’ve got seconds, so eat to your heart’s content!

Tao: Okay, thanks. The smell alone is enough to make my stomach rumble…

Chihiro: The cake absolutely meeeelts in your mouth! Props to our in house Chef Ushipoyo!

Chihiro: It’s a cube cake tower made of TaoTao’s fav game consoles and video game boxarts♪

Kinari: The cake has been recreated to look like the original “Surpass The Original! A Chronicle Cake For Veteran Gamers”, with icing used throughout.

Tao: Amazing… There’s so much attention to detail. Even the buttons from the very first Enstation are exactly the same.

Liguang: Doing such thorough research is a good trait of Kurama’s

Kuguri: So, where would you like to start? I will feed you whatever you want.

Tao: Yeah, no need…

Kinari: Tao, happy birthday. My gift to you is this assortment of video games.

Tao: I’m amazed you found this many! There are all sorts of stuff in here, both old and new…!

Kinari: I was researching what you would like, and this naturally happened.

Kinari: … Confirming increase in body temperature and heart rate, as well as looseness in cheeks.

Kinari: I am happy you are happy with it. I look forward to continuing working alongside you as members of Ev3ns.

Tao: Same here. Thanks, Kinari.

Liguang: Shēngrì kuàilè (1), Kinouchi. Take this.

Tao: Wha… This is… the new jacket from my favorite brand!? No, I can’t accept something as nice as this.

Liguang: Stop being shy and just accept it. Lots of people would want to be in your shoes.

Tao: Y… Yeah… Okay then, thank you.

Tao: Oh, by the way, how is Xingbing-san doing? Please thank her for coming to our concert the other day for me.

Liguang: … Got it.

Nagi: … As always, Liguang-san’s got the air of a king. His luxurious presents are beyond the realm of man…

Tao: Hachinoya-san?

Nagi: (I should’ve given him my gift earlier.  But it’s too late to turn back now, so I’ll just pretend it’s not garbage.)

Nagi: My gift is the complete collection of Elephantastic Memorial discs. The volume 1 debut performance footage includes a bonus scene that’s a must-see for all fans. But, um…

Nagi: I hadn’t considered the possibility that you might already have this. If you’d like, you could maybe keep it to show it to your friends, or you could use it for emergency funds in case of financial trouble.

Tao: I don’t own a single one, so this makes me really happy. Let’s watch them together at some point.

Nagi: Ba-dump. So this is the carefree smile of the unspoken rizz king... So charismatic.

Tao: (I got presents and a cake. This is pretty much a picture-perfect “birthday party”.)

Tao: (… It would’ve been unimaginable back then.)

Chihiro: Taaao! Howzit? Are you happy?

Tao: Yeah. This is the first birthday I’ve properly celebrated since coming here.

Tao: And that’s without mentioning all these things you’ve done for me. Of course I’m happy. No amount of thanks will ever be enough.

Chihiro: I see… Ehehe, I’m glad ♪

Chihiro: Theeen, time for a toast~?

Chihiro: Look, Raitin got champagne. He was all, “I’ll splurge for Tao’s birthday~☆” 'bout it!

Tao: Seriously?

Tao: (Actually… Is it just me, or is Chihiro more excited than usual today?)

Kuguri: … But of course, maci.

Tao: Woah, Kuguri-san! … Uh, could you not read people’s minds so casually?

Kuguri: Fufu, you’re pretty much an open book, maci.

Kuguri: Our brave nyuszi even managed to drag me around to help for today. Does that not send a thrill down your spine?

Tao: Wha…

Chihiro: Wai– Don’t be a snitch, Kugurin! So embarrassing~!!

Tao: Chihiro…

Chihiro: … You always grant so many of my wishes. I wanted to celebrate you properly in return!

Chihiro: Happy birthday, Tao!

Tao: … Yeah. Let’s make this a great year, with everyone.

Tao: (I’m really so thankful…)

Tao: Ah…

Tao: (This is the party game Taiki and I talked about wanting to play… The game was sold out back then so we couldn’t get it.)

Kaede: Tao-kun?

Kaede: Did you maybe find some game you’d like to play? Which one?

Tao: No. It’s just…

Kinari: No matter how “ordinary” something is. It becomes “special” when you do it on your birthday. … That is something you and the others have taught me, Tao.

Kinari: As such, playing games on your birthday will become a special memory for you as well.

Kaede: Yeah, Kinari-kun is right.

Kaede: No need to hold back! Plus, it’s been a long time since we played a game together, Tao-kun! Let’s do it!

Chihiro: What’s it gonna be, Tao~?

Tao: Then… Just for a while. I’ll go bring the console!

Part 2

Tao: Hah… I had fun.

Tao: (After that, everyone else came too. We ate delicious food and played games.)

Tao: (The President’s thorough planning blew me away, and the game Ushio gave me was fun too.)

Tao: (I had a few intense matches with Ryui-san, and Chihiro took a picture of the Chief and Hachinoya-san trying to figure out which character is which…)

Tao: (I made so many memories. I never thought I’d get so excited…)

Tao: … Haha. I was so into it that I started sweating.

Tao: Alright, time for a bath.

Muneuji: Kinouchi-san.

Tao: Muneuji?

Muneuji: I am glad you are still here. Could I take up some more of your time for the Random Gift System assignment?

Muneuji: … I became so engrossed in cheering during the matches earlier that my duties nearly slipped my mind.

Tao: You and Akuta were holding megaphones and cheering loudly from the back, it’s no wonder you forgot.

Tao: Thanks to you guys, I got even more fired up… Or actually, the games became all the more fun.

Muneuji: There is not a single person who would not be excited watching such a heated battle. I have also learned something today: the world of gaming is deeply complex.

Muneuji: Ah, I am neglecting my duties again. I’ll cut to the chase.

Muneuji: Happy birthday, Kinouchi-san. May this year be a fruitful one for you.

Muneuji: This is my gift to you.

Tao: Oh, bar soap!

Muneuji: Yes. I resolved to make this my present when I found out that you like bar soaps.

Tao: Bar soaps are nice. You slowly make the bubbles yourself, and they’re smooth to the touch.

Muneuji: Agreed. I also enjoy the faint, nostalgic scent they carry.

Tao: I get you. It’s such a gentle scent, isn’t it?

Muneuji: I asked Azekawa-san to analyze your skin type, and carefully selected and ordered the ingredients for this bar soap based on those results. Please give it a try if you’d like.

Tao: You got a custom-made one!?

Muneuji: It is not particularly difficult. Anyone can do this if they know the procedure. Would you like to order one together next time?

Tao: Sounds interesting! Let’s discuss the details later.

Muneuji: Understood. I will look forward to it.

Tao: … Oh yeah. Muneuji, I was about to go for a bath, so do you want to try this soap out?

Muneuji: …

Muneuji: Truth be told, out of all the items I ordered, this was the most refined, so I was curious how it would feel to use… I will take you up on your offer then, thank you.

Muneuji: As the opportunity has come to us, I will wash your back, Kinouchi-san.

Tao: Uh, that’s…

Tao: (A little embarrassing. But…)

Tao: (… It’ll remind me of the past.)

Tao: Then, I’ll also—

Kuguri: Let’s go, maci ♪

Tao: Uh!?

Muneuji: Domeki-san.

Kuguri: To think you’d be entrusting me with your defenseless back. … Okay. I’ll take such good care of you both.

Chihiro: Heeey! There you are, Kugurin~!

Chihiro: Gee! No spoilers! I told you we’d invite them together!!

Tao: Chihiro? And…

Muneuji: Azekawa-san and Kitakata-san as well. The entire Evening Team is here.

Chihiro: It’s gettin' late, so we came to invite y’all for a bath!

If the protagonist is male: Chihiro: I invited Chiefy too, but he had some work to get done and couldn’t make it. Sadge.

If the protagonist is female: Chihiro: Chiefy stocked up on fruit milk today! Let’s all drink up after the bath~!

Raito: A lot of us have gathered. Shall we all wash each other’s backs? You know, the way they do it by being in a circle.

Muneuji: Taking a bath while getting to know the Evening Team better… Yes, this sounds like it will be a valuable experience.

Tao: Oh man…

Tao: … Oh, the sun’s setting.

Tao: (… Today was a good day.)

Muneuji: Kinouchi-san?

Tao: It's nothing. I'll be right there.

NOTES: (1) happy birthday in chinese

[ausetkmt]

Her name was Julia Chinn, and her role in Richard Mentor Johnson’s life caused a furor when the Kentucky Democrat was chosen as Martin Van Buren’s running mate in 1836.

She was born enslaved and remained that way her entire life, even after she became Richard Mentor Johnson’s “bride.”

Johnson, a Kentucky congressman who eventually became the nation’s ninth vice president in 1837, couldn’t legally marry Julia Chinn. Instead the couple exchanged vows at a local church with a wedding celebration organized by the enslaved people at his family’s plantation in Great Crossing, according to Miriam Biskin, who wrote about Chinn decades ago.

Chinn died nearly four years before Johnson took office. But because of controversy over her, Johnson is the only vice president in American history who failed to receive enough electoral votes to be elected. The Senate voted him into office.

The couple’s story is complicated and fraught, historians say. As an enslaved woman, Chinn could not consent to a relationship, and there’s no record of how she regarded him. Though she wrote to Johnson during his lengthy absences from Kentucky, the letters didn’t survive.

Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, who is working on a book about Chinn, wrote about the hurdles in a blog post for the Association of Black Women Historians.

“While doing my research, I was struck by how Julia had been erased from the history books,” wrote Myers, a history professor at Indiana University. “Nobody knew who she was. The truth is that Julia (and Richard) are both victims of legacies of enslavement, interracial sex, and silence around black women’s histories.”

Johnson’s life is far better documented.

He was elected as a Democrat to the state legislature in 1802 and to Congress in 1806. The folksy, handsome Kentuckian gained a reputation as a champion of the common man.

Back home in Great Crossing, he fathered a child with a local seamstress, but didn’t marry her when his parents objected, according to the biography “The Life and Times of Colonel Richard M. Johnson of Kentucky.” Then, in about 1811, Johnson, 31, turned to Chinn, 21, who had been enslaved at Blue Spring Plantation since childhood.

Johnson called Chinn “my bride.” His “great pleasure was to sit by the fireplace and listen to Julia as she played on the pianoforte,” Biskin wrote in her account.

The couple soon had two daughters, Imogene and Adaline. Johnson gave his daughters his last name and openly raised them as his children.

Johnson became a national hero during the War of 1812. At the Battle of the Thames in Canada, he led a horseback attack on the British and their Native American allies. He was shot five times but kept fighting. During the battle, the Shawnee chief Tecumseh was killed.

In 1819, “Colonel Dick” was elected to the U.S. Senate. When he was away in Washington for long periods, he left Chinn in charge of the 2,000-acre plantation and told his White employees that they should “act with the same propriety as if I were home.”

Chinn’s status was unique.

While enslaved women wore simple cotton dresses, Chinn’s wardrobe “included fancy dresses that turned heads when Richard hosted parties,” Christina Snyder wrote in her book “Great Crossings: Indians, Settlers & Slaves in the Age of Jackson.”

In 1825, Chinn and Johnson hosted the Marquis de Lafayette during his return to America.

In the mid-1820s, Johnson opened on his plantation the Choctaw Academy, a federally funded boarding school for Native Americans. He hired a local Baptist minister as director. Chinn ran the academy’s medical ward.

“Julia is as good as one half the physicians, where the complaint is not dangerous,” Johnson wrote in a letter. He paid the academy’s director extra to educate their daughters “for a future as free women.”

Johnson tried to advance his daughters in local society, and both would later marry White men. But when he spoke at a local July Fourth celebration, the Lexington Observer reported, prominent White citizens wouldn’t let Adaline sit with them in the pavilion. Johnson sent his daughter to his carriage, rushed through his speech and then angrily drove away.

When Johnson’s father died, he willed ownership of Chinn to his son. He never freed his common-law wife.

“Whatever power Chinn had was dependent on the will and the whims of a White man who legally owned her,” Snyder wrote.

Then, in 1833, Chinn died of cholera. It’s unclear where she is buried.

Johnson went on to even greater national prominence.

In 1836, President Andrew Jackson backed Vice President Martin Van Buren as his successor. At Jackson’s urging, Van Buren — a fancy dresser who had never fought in war — picked war hero Johnson as his running mate. Nobody knew how the Shawnees’ chief was slain in the War of 1812, but Johnson’s campaign slogan was, “Rumpsey, Dumpsey. Johnson Killed Tecumseh.”

Johnson’s relationship with Chinn became a campaign issue. Southern newspapers denounced him as “the great Amalgamationist.” A mocking cartoon showed a distraught Johnson with a hand over his face bewailing “the scurrilous attacks on the Mother of my Children.”

This political cartoon was a racist attack on Johnson because of his relationship with Julia Chinn. (Library of Congress)

Van Buren won the election, but Johnson’s 147 electoral votes were one short of what he needed to be elected. Virginia’s electors refused to vote for him. It was the only time Congress chose a vice president.

When Van Buren ran for reelection in 1840, Democrats declined to nominate Johnson at their Baltimore convention. It is the only time a party didn’t pick any vice-presidential candidate. The spelling-challenged Jackson warned that Johnson would be a “dead wait” on the ticket.

“Old Dick” still ended up being the leading choice and campaigned around the country wearing his trademark red vest. But Van Buren lost to Johnson’s former commanding officer, Gen. William Henry Harrison.

Johnson never remarried, but he reportedly had sexual relationships with other enslaved women who couldn’t consent to them.

The former vice president won a final election to the Kentucky legislature in 1850, but died a short time later at the age of 70.

His brothers laid claim to his estate at the expense of his surviving daughter, Imogene, who was married to a White man named Daniel Pence.

“At some point in the early twentieth century,” Myers wrote, “perhaps because of heightened fears of racism during the Jim Crow era, members of Imogene Johnson Pence’s line, already living as white people, chose to stop telling their children that they were descended from Richard Mentor Johnson … and his black wife. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that younger Pences, by then already in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, began discovering the truth of their heritage.”

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review 32 – The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

This is the first book this year I picked up specifically and entirely because it got a Hugo nomination; I’d previously vaguely heard of it, but never in any detail and the title didn’t really grab me. Despite what an exercise in masochism the whole ‘read every nominee for best novel and novella’ turned out to be last year, I’m actually very glad I stuck with it. Not sure I’d actually vote for it – this years best novel slate is actually incredibly strong – but it was an absolutely lovely and just fun read.

As one might assume, the story follows the eponymous Amina al-Sirafi, infamous and legendary corsair, smuggler and general rogue plying the Indian ocean sometime in the 12th century. Dragged out of an obscure retirement by the aristocratic mother of a former crewman whose fate still haunts her, she is sent on a mission to rescue the crewman’s kidnapped (or runaway) child by the twin incentives of more money than she could ever spend on one hand and blatant threats to the safety of her own family on the other. From there, she puts her crew together, has an unfortunate reunion with her demonic not-technically-ex husband, makes a pact with an island of officious peris, and races to prevent a Norman warlock from seizing control of an ancient relic to make war upon God.

The setting is honestly the point of this as much as the actual plot or any of the characters are. The late medieval Islamic maritime world and the wider Indian Ocean trading networks are an incredibly rich milieu to sink your teeth into, and one the author’s clearly fallen wholly in love with. I can’t speak for their accuracy, but little details of life and flourishes of historical terminology drip off every page, and the whole thing sings with the amount of research that was put into it. It’s the vanishingly rare work of fiction with a list of further reading at the end that actually makes me want to go hunt them down.

Specifically placing it in the twelfth century is kind of interesting, in terms of placement in the Islamic Golden Age – long, long after political power became fully fragmented and the Islamic world was linked more by economic and cultural ties, in the midst of the Crusades in the Levant, but still a few generations before the Mongols sack Baghdad. I really don’t have any ideas or assumptions about te why here, it’s just centuries later than the voyage of Sinbad the book is clearly riffing off of, so it makes me curious.

The enthusiastically researched and real-feeling setting does sadly kind of stop with the characters. Amina is sincerely religious and comfortable with the supernatural in a way that feels much more fitting than the vast majority of fantasy protagonists, but in every other sense she is clearly written to be relatable and sympathetic to an assumed audience of modern liberals. (Near-)Queernorm settings are great, but does jar with the fixation on historical grounding a bit. (The whole beat where dragging a runaway bride back to their family and decades older rich fiancee is unfortunate but for their own good until it’s realized they’re trans also kind of feels like a parody of a certain kind of identity-focused liberalism).

Between this and the Radiant Emperor duology I’m definitely rediscovering a real love for historic low fantasy. The research burden is immense but it’s hard to beat the actual past for making a world that feels lived in and real, and provide the vital sense that there are a thousand other stories happening just out of shot. The complete lack of generic-western-fantasy magic and monsters is also nearly as appreciated as the lack of castles and earls.

Which is good, really, as if you ignore the setting there isn’t really much to chew on here. To an extent this seems deliberate – the story is trying to be a pulpy, larger-than-life swashbuckling adventure, what with the getting dragged out of retirement for one more big score and the getting the band back together and the cackling 1.5-dimensional villain trying to make himself as unto god. In the main it absolutely succeeds at this (though the introduction of a generous and competent pirate captain who lends Amina a ship and a spirit-cutting magic sword out of nowhere at the end of the second act does strain things a bit). It does end up feeling a bit like using the most gorgeous, lusciously details stage in the world for a bunch of puppets to act out a pantomime, though – Amina is basically the only character in the entire story that feels like a person instead of a cartoon. They are, at least, more amusing cartoons than not. Raksh the murderous but cowardly ambition-seeking incubus husband was a highlight.

All in all, a very fun, page-turning read. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

[o-hora-o]

do you have thoughts about any other researchers/scientists who the NA branch scientists might have known? such as Ford, Bohr, etc? I know you've mentioned them before and I was wondernig if you had thoughts about them.

I'm so thankful for this top-tier question 😭❤️ tho I'm not sure that you expected such delulu answer but I'm a nerd so here we go. To understand who the NA branch/42 lab might have known, we should dive into the world of science lore and go through connections between scientists who lived mostly in the late 19th-first half of the 20th century (hello, Hans Bethe, you 100-year-old cheater).

So, we have these 4 major groups: physicists, inventors/electrical engineers, chemists and mathematicians (yes, some of them can be put into several groups, but don’t mind it pls).  

Of course, this map can be expanded even further but it’d be too much. The main idea here is that all of them kinda knew each other one way or another.

Let's start with the biggest group: Physics

Niels Bohr is undoubtedly one of the biggest figures along with Einstein and Planck. They were like 3 holy spirits who became guiding lights for many other scientists. As a fun fact, Niels was in this Indian mythology fan club too.

For example Albert was fascinated by Hinduism and Buddhism, philosophical and cosmological concepts (the Upanishads text to be precise) and the idea of unity of all existence. So was Carl Jung btw, but he was more into the mythology part itself. Schrödinger, being a sucker for philosophy, was deeply influenced by Upanishads and Vedanta (It can be seen in his What is Life? book where he explored the idea of unity of the self with the universe and the existence of two souls: individual and universal, which was a parallel to how particles behave in the observer's presence). And in Bohr’s case, he was influenced by Hindu cosmology. Just as Erwin, he found parallels to his ideas in Indian philosophy. 

So, as I said, Niels Bohr was one of the most influential physicists and a central figure in the history of quantum mechanics and atomic theory. He was a life-long friend of Einstein but they had a silly relationship: they often debated on the interpretation of quantum mechanics. For example, Bohr was rooting for Copenhagen Interpretation.

The main idea of the Copenhagen Interpretation was that until you look at a particle, it doesn't have a certain position or speed, therefore it exists in different places all at once. But the moment you look at it, it chooses its place and speed. It's as if until you open your eyes, all things around you exist in different states. Feel paranoid now? You can thank Bohr and Heisenberg for that. "It’s not the particles' fault for acting weird, it’s just how the universe works at this super tiny level". But Einstein was skeptical of the view "How can particles be in two places at once? That’s just crazy!" and commented it as “God does not play dice with the universe”. 

So despite different views Einstein and Bohr kept being bff with mutual respect and admiration for each other. Imma just leave it here:

Max Planck, being not only one of the founding fathers of quantum theory but also a father figure to the science world itself, was both Einstein and Bohr’s mentor (Planck’s biography aka driven by vision broken by war is still my angst roman empire help, that was the saddest thing you can read). And Bohr, just like Planck, played a key role in mentoring the following generation of physicists too. 

And this is where we meet Werner Heisenberg, one of Bohr’s most gifted students. Heisenberg aka Uncertainty Principle guy, Heisenberg aka one of the main Architects of Quantum Mechanics guy, Heisenberg aka Schrödinger’s pain in the ass guy.

Friendship between Heisenberg and Bohr was truly a legendary one, Bohr treated Werner like a family member, like a son, but unfortunately this friendship was shattered when Heisenberg took part in the German nuclear project. 

There’s this mysterious story about Heisenberg’s visit to Niels Bohr in nazi-occupied Denmark in September 1941 and the story about unsent letters which were significant episodes in the history of quantum physics. “Mysterious” because it is unknown what exactly they talked about but it is said that during their conversation, Heisenberg seemed to avoid direct discussion about the atomic bomb and its consequences. That meeting was emotionally tense, with Bohr feeling betrayed by Heisenberg. 

It is also said that after the 1941 visit Heisenberg wrote an unsent letter to Bohr. The content of this letter remains unknown but it is known that Heisenberg was deeply upset and troubled by their tense conversation and relationship. Heisenberg had likely tried to express his confusion, regret, or desire to explain himself to Bohr. Some historians say that Heisenberg may have been trying to signal to Bohr that he had not been fully loyal to the German nuclear project or even that he had deliberately slowed its progress. 

In 1943 Bohr fled Denmark to escape the occupation. Before leaving, Bohr wrote an unsent letter to Heisenberg. He wrote how disappointed he was with Heisenberg, Bohr believed that the pursuit of knowledge could not be divorced from the responsibility of how that knowledge was applied. There was also the “Copenhagen” play written by Michael Frayn about this story between the two. Angst fic right there. 

Nevertheless, Werner interacted with many many greatest minds. Planck influenced him deeply and supported his work, Werner’s father was a friend of Sommerfeld, then he studied with Wolfgang Pauli and Max Born was another mentor of his and they both worked on Matrix Mechanics.

Schrödinger aka "I don't like it, and I'm sorry I ever had anything to do with it" guy, Schrödinger aka “I insist upon the view that all is waves” guy, being inspired by Louis de Broglie, had a totally different approach and contrary to Matrix Mechanics he developed Wave Mechanics. Bohr was more of a philosophical mentor-debater to Erwin and even then their relationship was far more distant than the one between Bohr and Heisenberg. Just like Einstein, Erwin was wary of Copenhagen Interpretation. Unlike Einstein, this classical vs modern approaches disagreement became a rift that didn’t let Erwin build a strong bond with Heisenberg or Bohr.

And the funniest part is that Schrödinger’s “cat experiment” was created to prove Copenhagen Interpretation wrong and absurd (though it didn’t contradict Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle).

Once Bohr invited Schrödinger to be his house guest and then started a debate about the Copenhagen Interpretation. He tried to convince Erwin that it was right for several days after which Erwin fell ill and Niel’s wife had to nurse him.

“There was Bohr, the indefatigable debater that he was, sitting on the edge of the bed continuing the debate, oblivious to the late hour, as though he were engaged in the most serious of scientific discussions, while I, in my bed, could hardly keep my eyes open".

Btw De Broglie's theory was inspired by Einstein AND became publicly known because of Einstein. De Broglie's work could have gone unnoticed for years, if Einstein had not paid attention to it. Einstein told Born about this idea and therefore triggered a chain of new theories in the world of quantum mechanics. At that time, physicists listened to every word of Einstein, and as soon as he mentioned de Broglie's ideas in an article, Schrödinger was immediately inspired.

Speaking of Max Born, he was also one of the central figures in the quantum mechanics field and a part of Copenhagen Interpretation club. He first studied mathematics and turned to physics only after finishing his doctorate. Because of that Born wrote his works with exceptional mathematical precision which was very different from Bohr's intricate theoretical sketches, which contained brilliant ideas and physical intuition, but often required refinement in the mathematical part (the curse of many physicists). However, both geniuses were important to a new understanding of atoms. And of course Born knew everyone I mentioned previously and even more since he mentored not only Heisenberg or Oppenheimer but he had many assistants who were also well known physicists.

But let’s go back to the one who had the most connections, Einstein, and look at his relationship with the Curie family (of course Chemistry group can be expanded way more but we’re trying to not go far away from the ae cast here). Even though Albert didn’t have such a strong bond with Curie as he had with Bohr and Planck, he and Marie were great friends who built their friendship on shared experience of being outcasts. In his letter Einstein expressed admiration for her work on radioactivity while Marie was deeply impressed by special theory of relativity. Their friendship is mostly known for Einstein's support during Curie’s scandal in 1911 (Einstein was one of a few who defended her). And in return Marie supported and encouraged Albert’s work that at that time was seen as absurd and outrageous. Moreover they both played important roles in the Solvay Conferences (another science world crossover aside from Manhattan Project). 

Yes, they didn’t work together on scientific projects but instead they just preferred sending letters to each other discussing either work or personal matters like families, concerns about too much public attention or Sklodowska expressing how difficult it was for her to be a woman in the male-scientific world. 

By "concerns about too much public attention" I also mean that Einstein disliked giving interviews. As he once said:

But I can give you this silly anecdote instead:

Since I mentioned how Einstein’s work challenged the science world shaped by Newton, we need to meet a certain astrophysicist in this story. To many, Einstein’s ideas seemed to rock the foundations of classical mechanics which was a true blasphemy. But most importantly, everyone thought that it was unprovable. How to measure the bending of space-time?

And this is where Sir Arthur Eddington appeared on stage, a British astronomer and mathematician.

In 1915 Einstein published his general theory of relativity, which proposed that massive objects like stars and planets could bend space-time. This theory, even more radical than his special theory of relativity, predicted that light could be bent by gravity - a phenomenon that could be tested by observing stars near the Sun during a total solar eclipse. Eddington saw an opportunity. For years, astronomers had speculated about Einstein's theory and the coming eclipse of 1919 would offer Eddington the perfect opportunity to put Einstein’s prediction to the test.

As the moon passed in front of the Sun, they observed stars near the Sun's edge. According to Einstein’s theory, the light from those stars should’ve appeared to shift, bending as it passed near the Sun’s massive gravitational field. Eddington’s results confirmed the prediction. The light had indeed bent, just as Einstein had said it would.

The news sent shockwaves through the scientific community. Einstein’s theory of general relativity had been validated by experiment. The very fabric of space-time, once a mathematical abstraction, became a proven reality. Eddington’s observations were seen as a triumph for the world of physics and for the first time Einstein’s name became known to the wider world. 

In the following years the friendship between Eddington and Einstein deepened. Eddington explained and defended Einstein’s work to the English-speaking world. Their correspondence, filled with mutual respect and admiration, continued until Eddington’s death in 1944.

Of course I also should mention Marcel Grossmann. He was a Swiss mathematician and also Einstein’s friend and a classmate. They had a close work relationship regarding development of General Relativity theory. 

You see, despite the stereotype, Einstein was good in mathematics, but he was more about physical intuition. And since he didn’t have this intuition in mathematics like, for example, Ramanujan, he encountered mathematical problems that were beyond his own skills while developing his theory of General Relativity. Therefore, he needed help from mathematicians like Marcel Grossmann. 

Grossmann was well-versed in the mathematics needed for the theory of General Relativity. He introduced Einstein to mathematical concepts such as Riemannian geometry and Ricci calculus which was much needed for the equations that describe the bending of spacetime in General Relativity. Without Grossmann's help, finding mathematical language to express physical ideas of the theory would’ve been Einstein’s huge headache.  

Aside from Grossmann there was also Hermann Minkowski – another great mathematician and a former professor of Einstein. Instead of assisting in the theory of General Relativity, he helped with the development of Special Relativity theory. Minkowski realized that Einstein's theory could be elegantly expressed in terms of a four-dimensional spacetime through the mathematical language.

While we’re in this Mathematics group, let me introduce you to one of the big heads - John von Neumann. A true legend of many fields and thanks to that he had vast connections (and thanks to participating in the Manhattan Project too).  

One anecdote about the relationship between Einstein and von Neumann comes from von Neumann’s colleague and Einstein’s friend, mathematician Kurt Gödel. According to Gödel, one day, while Einstein was talking with von Neumann, the topic turned to the nature of space and time. Einstein was very passionate about this and more philosophical while von Neumann took a more practical mathematical approach.

"You are thinking about space and time as something fundamental. But we can make it all a product of the way we approach the equations".

Einstein chuckled and remarked:

"Well, John, you have a way of turning the most beautiful ideas into something utterly cold and mechanical".

And of course, Bohr had intense debates about the Interpretation with John too.  But, despite their differences, they respected each other’s intellects, and Bohr even referred to von Neumann as “the cleverest man in the world”.

Von Neumann’s relationship with Enrico Fermi was a close one. Fermi and von Neumann could converse about everything, be it nuclear physics or latest developments in quantum mechanics. Yeah, they shared many interests. Together, their abilities led to some interesting collaborations during the Manhattan Project and in nuclear physics.

My boy, my proud and joy, Richard Feynman, the charismatic and playful physicist (no, really, he was the legendary childish rascal, Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman was a chef’s kiss) who would later become famous for his work in quantum electrodynamics and his ability to dumb down complex ideas (no, really, The Feynman Lectures on Physics -), had a deep admiration for von Neumann and was influenced by von Neumann’s ability to make tough problems elegantly simple.

Yeah, one of the most famous stories about von Neumann is that he was a child prodigy. When he was just six years old, he could divide large numbers in his head. Then, his parents had to hire a tutor to teach him mathematics but the tutor quickly realized that von Neumann was far beyond him. One day, von Neumann’s father gave him a large number and the young John immediately calculated the square root. The father asked him how he could do that and Von Neumann simply replied with "I memorized the tables of square roots".

The reason why it was important to add him here was that not only that he knew mostly everyone but also he knew Alan Turing and Alan Turing is someone lab 42 might have worked with.

Enrico Fermi, usually known for his paradox (shout-out to Remembrance of Earth's Past fans) was also a huge figure in physics, a brilliant man with dry humor who created the first nuclear reactor and took part in the Manhattan Project. 

Fermi and Niels Bohr were two of the central figures in the development of nuclear physics, and their collaboration during the Manhattan Project was essential to the creation of the first atomic bomb. 

Oppenheimer described Fermi’s ability to get to the core of a problem saying:

"When I have a difficult problem, I go to Fermi. He just looks at it, and then, within minutes, tells me what’s wrong and what I should do"

Another Fermi’s famous collaboration was with physicist Leo Szilard, with whom he developed the concept of the first nuclear reactor. 

Szilard and Fermi had this funny interaction during the construction of the reactor:

Szilard: Enrico, are you sure this will work? 

Fermi: *smiles* We’ll know in a few minutes 

Now, the inventors. Let’s talk about Ford and Edison~

They were THE besties. The story of how Ford and Edison met is just dhsdfhfjgh it’s the story of two pioneers who first met in the early 1890s and formed a strong friendship that lasted till the end. 

Ford was kinda an unknown engineer with a huge passion for machinery and innovations who worked at the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. One day, Ford got a chance to meet Edison, and according to Ford himself, the encounter was nothing short of life-changing.

"I was just a boy, and when I met Edison for the first time, I had the feeling that I had met the right man at the right time. He was a great influence on me. I was keen to learn how things were done, and he had a way of seeing things that made you want to follow him". 

Ford admired Edison’s vision of using technology to improve everyday life. Ford saw in Edison a kindred spirit, someone who was not afraid of failure and who constantly looked for ways to change the world through innovations (no, fr, the man couldn’t live a day without coming up with new ideas). In return, Edison was impressed with Ford's enthusiasm and his skills in the engineering field.

Ford's dream to build a car and his persistent drive to make things work even when others doubted him resonated deeply with Edison’s own mantra: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration”. 

It is said that once Edison told Ford:

"I’ve never met a man who knew so much about engines as you do. I think you’re going to make a lot of progress, young man. You have something inside you." 

These words meant the world to Ford (At that time he was working on his Model T and established his Ford Motor Company which, of course, Edison used to visit). In the 1900s Ford and Edison began to form a deep personal friendship. The two often spent time together at Ford's estate or in Edison's laboratory. 

"Ford is one of the great men of the modern age. He has an instinctive ability to build things, and he's not afraid of taking risks. I think he will be remembered as the man who revolutionized the way people live".

"He taught me to never be afraid of making mistakes. Edison was a man who would look at a failure as nothing more than a step in the direction of success. He always kept moving forward".

In later years, the friendship between Ford and Edison continued to flourish. Moreover, Edison and Ford (+ Harvey Firestone and John Burroughs) had camping trips which became a cherished tradition, they called themselves "Vagabonds" who annually embarked on a journey to reflect on life. Ford became a revolutionary figure of the automobile industry while Edison’s inventions changed the world in ways that Ford could hardly have imagined when they first met.

Edison’s health worsened during the 1920s, he had been suffering from many illnesses but still continued to work in his West Orange laboratory. Ford offered financial and emotional support and was one of the last people to visit Edison before Thomas died in 1931.

Ford wrote:

"It is a great loss, not only to us, but to the whole world. Edison was a man who believed in progress and the power of human imagination. I have always thought of him as one of the greatest minds America has ever known."

Yes, Edison was a world-changing man who was interested in many things, including wireless telegraphy. He even received a patent for the early version of wireless telegraph before Guglielmo Marconi’s breakthrough in the history of radio. But Edison was more focused on the DC (direct current) and even though he was highly competitive, Thomas never fought with Marconi about radio patents. Instead of competing with Marconi, Edison chose war with George Westinghouse. 

In the meantime Tesla was involved both in the radio patents war and AC/DC war. Tesla felt as if Marconi stole his ideas or copied his patents about wireless transmission through radio frequency. Marconi was awarded in 1904 which Tesla felt bitter about, especially since he had the curse of not being recognised by the public. But then in 1943 it was acknowledged that many of Marconi’s innovations were based on Tesla’s earlier work. Unfortunately Tesla died earlier that year. 

And if we talk about the AC/DC war, Tesla was rooting for AC (alternative current), so was Westinghouse. Westinghouse hired Tesla in the 1880s to work on improving the AC and together they successfully competed against Edison. 

"War of Currents" is the most famous rivalry in the history of science and technology.

Edison thought that DC was safer and easier to control. “We will make electricity so cheap that only the rich will burn candles” he said. But Edison’s success was limited by the nature of DC itself, it required power stations to be built very close to where the electricity was used. Tesla, on the other hand, created the AC system that could transmit electricity over long distances, unlike DC.

"I don’t believe that the electric current will ever be the one to be destroyed, I am confident that my system will triumph". And Tesla was right about it.

If you've read this far, you likely share a similar reaction:

------------------The AE hcs------------------

Planck took Ein, Schrödinger, and Bohr (let’s change Niels name to Ellen) under her wing. Emma corresponded with her colleagues, mathematicians and astrophysicists, to help Lieserl prove her theory. It was decided to send Lieserl to London where she studied under Eddington and greatest mathematicians of the time. She eventually stayed at the College, continuing her research there. Meanwhile, Schrödinger and Bohr stayed in the NA branch. At some point Schrodinger escaped Bohr to rehab to finish her work in peace and quiet and Bohr, being bohr-ed out of her mind, entered her mentor era and met Heisenberg. Together, they developed the Copenhagen Interpretation - unfortunately for Schrödinger who returned around then and immediately regretted it. Ellen and Lieserl had a deep passion for cosmology that Emma had introduced them to during the early years of mentoring them. Ellen would often engage in long passionate debates with Ein about the nature of the universe. Her fascination with the cosmos wasn’t the only strong forte of hers for she also loved discussing Indian mythology with Tesla, and at times, Schrödinger would get dragged into these discussions as well. On the other hand, Nancy’s father had been a lifelong friend of Ford and not only her family owned Ford cars but also, after Thomas’s passing, Ford supported Nancy both financially and emotionally. This was crucial as Nancy had inherited the biggest influential company of the country. With Ford’s mentorship, she was able to step into her new role with confidence.

-----------------------------------------------

If someone has more hcs, please be welcome

[bigfootbeat]

Painted Rock Bigfoot Petroglyph

The Bigfoot petroglyph located at Painted Rock is an intriguing fusion of cultural significance, mystery, and history. Painted Rock, a massive, horseshoe-shaped feature covered in prehistoric rock art, is located in California's arid Carrizo Plain region. One petroglyph in particular sticks out from the others because it resembles contemporary accounts of Bigfoot, a mythical creature. The Chumash and other local native peoples created these petroglyphs thousands of years ago. For these prehistoric people, the rock served as a hallowed location for spiritual rituals, storytelling, and ceremonies. The creatures, humans, and mythological creatures depicted in the carvings and paintings on the rock are said to symbolize different facets of their mythology. Characters that resemble Bigfoot suggest the existence of stories about large, enigmatic creatures in indigenous culture long before modern Bigfoot sightings, adding to their intrigue.

The Yokuts tribe's petroglyphs at Painted Rock on the Tule River Indian Reservation are the main Bigfoot attraction. These, according to author Kathy Moskowitz Strain of Giants, Cannibals, Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture, show a family of Bigfoots known as "the Family." Folklore suggests a lengthy history of enigmatic, enormous animals, with the oldest of these glyphs, known as "Hairy Man," estimated to be 1,000 years old. North American folklore frequently portrays the creature as a massive, bipedal ape-like creature that lives in isolated woodlands, lending credence to its legendary status. Numerous theories have been raised regarding the possibility that the Chumash people saw or heard tales of a beast similar to the one depicted in the petroglyph. The Bigfoot petroglyph is more significant than just a picture of the fabled beast. It acts as a bridge across cultures, tying together historical customs and contemporary folklore. This intersection draws attention to the innate human urge to conjure up tales of the enigmatic and unknown, either to explain observed events or to represent anxieties and cultural ideals. The petroglyph also stimulates discussion about the transmission of oral traditions and the evolution of narratives over time. It raises the question of whether real-life experiences, metaphorical depictions, or a combination of both influenced the figure. The petroglyphs at Painted Rock are fascinating because of their ambiguity—they offer insight into the thoughts of individuals who lived millennia ago, but they are still subject to interpretation. The Bigfoot petroglyph at Painted Rock is significant not just historically and culturally, but it also contributes to the preservation of indigenous traditions. Locations such as Painted Rock are essential for comprehending the daily routines and spiritual practices of the ancient occupants. To keep these ancient voices alive, efforts to preserve and research these petroglyphs help people understand the rich tapestry of human history. In summary, Painted Rock's Bigfoot petroglyph is evidence of the myth's continuing strength and the close ties that bind the past and present together. It captures the enigmas of antiquated artwork and stories that have influenced people's perceptions for ages. Whether viewed as evidence of early Bigfoot lore or as a symbolic figure within indigenous mythology, the petroglyph remains a source of amazement and interest, compelling anyone who encounters it to contemplate the stories etched into the stone.