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[tahirkarim2244]

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[communist-manifesto-daily]

Socialism: Utopian and Scientific - Part 7

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1892 English Edition Introduction - 2

History (the role of Religion) in the English middle-class

When Europe emerged from the Middle Ages, the rising middle-class of the towns constituted its revolutionary element. It had conquered a recognized position within mediaeval feudal organization, but this position, also, had become too narrow for its expansive power. The development of the middle-class, the bourgeoisie, became incompatible with the maintenance of the feudal system; the feudal system, therefore, had to fall.

But the great international centre of feudalism was the Roman Catholic Church. It united the whole of feudalized Western Europe, in spite of all internal wars, into one grand political system, opposed as much to the schismatic Greeks as to the Mohammedan countries. It had organized its own hierarchy on the feudal model, and, lastly, it was itself by far the most powerful feudal lord, holding, as it did, fully 1/3rd of the soil of the Catholic world. Before profane feudalism could be successfully attacked in each country and in detail, this, its sacred central organization, had to be destroyed.

Moreover, parallel with the rise of the middle-class went on the great revival of science; astronomy, mechanics, physics, anatomy, physiology were again cultivated. And the bourgeoisie, for the development of its industrial production, required a science which ascertained the physical properties of natural objects and the modes of action of the forces of Nature. Now up to then science had but been the humble handmaid of the Church, had not been allowed to overlap the limits set by faith, and for that reason had been no science at all. Science rebelled against the Church; the bourgeoisie could not do without science, and, therefore, had to join in the rebellion.

The above, though touching but two of the points where the rising middle-class was bound to come into collision with the established religion, will be sufficient to show, first, that the class most directly interested in the struggle against the pretensions of the Roman Church was the bourgeoisie; and second, that every struggle against feudalism, at that time, had to take on a religious disguise, had to be directed against the Church in the first instance. But if the universities and the traders of the cities started the cry, it was sure to find, and did find, a strong echo in the masses of the country people, the peasants, who everywhere had to struggle for their very existence with their feudal lords, spiritual and temporal. The long fight of the bourgeoisie against feudalism culminated in three great, decisive battles.

The first was what is called the Protestant Reformation in Germany. The war cry raised against the Church, by Luther, was responded to by two insurrections of a political nature; first, that of the lower nobility under Franz von Sickingen (1523), then the great Peasants' War, 1525. Both were defeated, chiefly in consequence of the indecision of the parties most interested, the burghers of the towns – an indecision into the causes of which we cannot here enter. From that moment, the struggle degenerated into a fight between the local princes and the central power, and ended by blotting out Germany, for 200 years, from the politically active nations of Europe. The Lutheran Reformation produced a new creed indeed, a religion adapted to absolute monarchy. No sooner were the peasant of North-east Germany converted to Lutheranism than they were from freemen reduced to serfs.

But where Luther failed, Calvin won the day. Calvin's creed was one fit for the boldest of the bourgeoisie of his time. His predestination doctrine was the religious expression of the fact that in the commercial world of competition success or failure does not depend upon a man's activity or cleverness, but upon circumstances uncontrollable by him. It is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but of the mercy of unknown superior economic powers; and this was especially true at a period of economic revolution, when all old commercial routes and centres were replaced by new ones, when India and America were opened to the world, and when even the most sacred economic articles of faith – the value of gold and silver – began to totter and to break down. Calvin's church constitution of God was republicanized, could the kingdoms of this world remains subject to monarchs, bishops, and lords? While German Lutheranism became a willing tool in the hands of princes, Calvinism founded a republic in Holland, and active republican parties in England, and, above all, Scotland.

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[brodygold]

The Golden Opportunity

A 200 follower special

The sun hung high in the sky, casting its warm, golden glow over the vast expanse of the rolling plains. The dry, rustling grass swayed gently in the breeze as William sat atop his stallion, surveying his ranch. He’d worked the land for years, pouring his blood, sweat, and tears into it, and it had become a part of him. The rhythms of ranch life were second nature to him now—waking before dawn, tending to the cattle, and spending long, solitary hours out in the open. It was a life he enjoyed, even if it was a bit lonely.

Despite his contentment, though, something had been gnawing at the back of William’s mind lately. Strange stories had begun circulating in nearby towns, passed along by ranch hands and traders at the market. Tales of a mysterious group known only as the Golden Army. They were said to travel from place to place, recruiting the best of the best—men who were not only strong and skilled but also held an untapped potential for greatness.

Most people dismissed these stories as mere myths, gossip meant to entertain and provoke curiosity. William, pragmatic as he was, tried not to give them much thought. After all, he had a ranch to run, and he’d always prided himself on staying focused on what was in front of him.

Still, the stories lingered in his mind, especially on those long, quiet nights when all he could hear was the distant howl of coyotes and the rustling of the wind through the trees. He would find himself with a cigar in hand, thinking about what it would be like to join a group like the Golden Army, to leave behind the life he had built in exchange for something unknown, perhaps even extraordinary.

One afternoon, as William rode his horse along the southern edge of his property, he spotted something unusual in the distance. A group of riders, their figures shimmering against the horizon, were making their way toward him. There was something striking about them, even from afar. They rode with purpose, their horses in perfect formation, each rider sitting tall and proud in the saddle.

As they drew nearer, William’s curiosity deepened. Their golden jerseys, vibrant and gleaming, caught the sunlight, reflecting it like molten metal. The leader of the group was a tall, imposing figure who seemed to radiate authority. His golden jersey was trimmed with white, and his horse—larger and more powerful than the others—was adorned with matching gold and white tack. The group approached William’s position at a steady pace, their horses’ hooves kicking up small clouds of dust as they came to a halt a few feet in front of him.

The leader dismounted gracefully, his sharp eyes locking onto William. “You must be William,” he said, his voice deep and confident. “We’ve been watching you for some time now.”

William, still sitting atop his horse, frowned. “Watching me? Who are you?”

The man smiled, but there was something unreadable in his expression. “I am Richard, Captain of the Golden Army. And this,” he gestured to the riders behind him, “is my team.”

William’s pulse quickened at the mention of the Golden Army. He had heard the stories, of course, but seeing them in person was different. There was an aura of power about them, something magnetic and undeniable. Still, he was cautious.

“I’m just a rancher,” William said, his tone guarded. “What do you want with me?”

Richard took a step closer, his boots crunching in the dry grass. “We don’t want you to be ‘just’ anything. We see your potential, William. You’ve got the skills we need, and I believe you’re destined for more than this.” He gestured to the vast expanse of land behind William. “We want you to join the Golden Army.”

William’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Join you? But I’ve never been part of anything like that. I’m no soldier, no competitor. I’m just a rancher.”

Richard shook his head, his gaze steady. “You underestimate yourself. You’ve spent years honing your abilities out here—working the land, riding, leading. These are the very qualities we look for in our recruits. You have the strength, the discipline, and the determination to ride with us.”

William opened his mouth to protest, but before he could speak, Richard pulled something from his pocket. It was a medallion—a round disc made of pure gold, engraved with intricate patterns that seemed to shimmer and shift as the light hit them. He held it up before William’s eyes, letting the light glisten off of it.

“Look at this, William,” Richard said softly. “Focus on it.”

William’s gaze was drawn to the medallion almost against his will. The way it glinted in the sunlight was mesmerizing, the swirling patterns pulling him in deeper. He blinked, trying to shake the feeling, but the longer he stared, the harder it became to look away.

“You’re tired of the same old routine,” Richard’s voice was low and hypnotic now, barely more than a whisper. “You’ve worked hard, but there’s a part of you that craves something more. Something greater.”

William’s thoughts were slowing, the world around him beginning to blur. The medallion swung gently back and forth, each movement sending a ripple through his mind. He tried to speak, to protest, but the words wouldn’t come. His body felt heavy, as though the very air around him had thickened, pressing down on him.

“Relax,” Richard continued, his voice soothing, almost kind. “You don’t need to fight it. You don’t need to think. Just listen to my voice, and let the medallion guide you.”

The golden disc seemed to pulse in time with William’s heartbeat, drawing him deeper into a trance. His eyelids grew heavy, and his grip on the reins loosened as his body swayed slightly in the saddle. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that something was happening to him—something profound, something irreversible—but he was powerless to resist.

“You’re no longer William,” Richard’s voice was everywhere now, filling his mind completely. “That name no longer belongs to you. You are Clayton now, a rancher in service of the Golden Army. You are one of us.”

*Clayton.* The name echoed in his mind, at first foreign, but then... familiar. As Richard repeated it, the name seemed to take root, growing stronger with each repetition. The memories of his former life as William—the years he’d spent working the ranch, the countless hours he’d poured into building his life—began to fade, dissolving like mist in the morning sun. New memories took their place, memories of riding with the Golden Army, competing in equestrian events, and earning glory for his team.

"You are Clayton," Richard said one final time, his voice firm and commanding. "And you belong to us."

Clayton blinked slowly, his eyes glazed and unfocused as the trance began to lift. When he finally looked up, the world seemed different—brighter, sharper, more vivid. He felt a strange sense of calm and certainty, as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The ranch, his old life, felt distant, like something from a dream he could no longer fully remember.

Richard smiled, satisfied. “Welcome to the Golden Army, Clayton. We’ve been waiting for you.”

---

From that day forward, Clayton’s life changed entirely. His ranch was left behind, forgotten like a chapter in a book he had closed. His world now revolved around the Golden Army, and under their guidance, he flourished. The Golden Army was more than just a group of riders—they were a brotherhood, bound together by their shared commitment to excellence in equestrian sports and a life of discipline and camaraderie.

Clayton quickly adapted to his new role. His horse, now fitted with golden tack, responded to his every command with perfect precision. The Golden Army’s training regimen was rigorous, but Clayton found that he relished the challenge. He spent his days practicing dressage, show jumping, and cross-country racing, honing his skills under the watchful eyes of Richard and Jackson, the co-captain. Each day, he grew stronger, faster, more attuned to his horse.

The Golden Army was known throughout the country for their dominance in equestrian competitions. They weren’t just riders—they were legends, revered by fans and feared by rivals. Clayton quickly became a key member of the team, his natural abilities and ranching experience giving him an edge over the competition.

But the true test of his loyalty and skill was the Grand Equestrian Challenge, the most prestigious event in the sport. The Golden Army had won the Challenge for years, but each victory was hard-earned, and the competition was fierce. This year’s event was particularly important, as they would be facing off against The Titans, a rival team known for their sheer physical prowess and aggressive tactics.

The days leading up to the Challenge were intense. The Golden Army’s training sessions became longer and more grueling, with every rider pushed to their limits. Clayton, though new to the team, was determined to prove himself. He worked tirelessly, his body aching from the long hours in the saddle, but the sense of purpose he felt was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. He wasn’t just competing for himself—he was part of something larger, something greater.

On the morning of the Grand Equestrian Challenge, Clayton stood in the stables, adjusting the golden tack on his horse. The sound of the crowd outside the arena was already deafening, a steady roar of anticipation. His golden suit gleamed in the early sunlight, and the emblem of the Golden Army on his chest seemed to pulse with life, filling him with pride.

Richard and Jackson approached him, their faces calm but serious. “Today’s the day, Clayton,” Richard said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve trained hard for this, and you’re ready.”

Jackson nodded. “We ride as one. Trust in yourself and in your team.”

Clayton felt a surge of confidence as he mounted his horse, the weight of the moment settling over him. This was what he had been preparing for, what the Golden Army had shaped him into. He was ready.

The competition was fierce, but the Golden Army was a force to be reckoned with. Each event was more difficult than the last—dressage required perfect control and poise, while show jumping demanded precise timing and coordination. Clayton’s horse responded to his every movement with grace and power, and together they executed each maneuver flawlessly.

As the final event—the cross-country race—began, Clayton found himself neck-and-neck with The Titans’ best rider. The course was treacherous, with sharp turns and steep hills, but Clayton’s instincts, honed from years of working the ranch, kicked in. He guided his horse with expert precision, gaining ground with each stride.

The roar of the crowd reached a fever pitch as Clayton and his rival approached the finish line. In the last few moments, Clayton urged his horse forward with a burst of speed, crossing the line just ahead of The Titans’ rider.

The Golden Army had won.

As the crowd erupted in cheers, Clayton was surrounded by his teammates, their faces beaming with pride. Richard approached him, his expression one of deep satisfaction.

“You’ve done it, Clayton,” he said, his voice filled with respect. “You’ve proven yourself, and you’ve earned your place among us.”

Clayton smiled, the name now feeling as natural as breathing. He had found his true calling, his true purpose. No longer was he just a solitary rancher. He was Clayton, a rider of the Golden Army, and he knew that this was where he belonged.

Together, the Golden Army rode back into the sunset, victorious and united, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead.

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Here we go, something I've been thinking about for some time now!

Thoughts on Moon Knight from the comics and his story: 

G-d said to Abraham, "Go forth from your native land and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." -Genesis 12:1 

Marc Spector fled from his father’s house. Depending on which time line you go off of, Zelenetz or Lemire, you get different reasons for him leaving. 

In Lemire, you can see Khonshu infiltrating Marc’s life little by little from childhood until he is an overbearing image. The main aspect being that you see Khonshu calling to him “Come to me.” 

Eventually, at his father’s funeral, Marc leaves his father’s house for a new land. 

There was a famine in the land --Aside from the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham--And Isaac went to Abimelech, King of the Philistins, in Gerar.  - Genesis 26:1

And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you have become far too big for us." So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the wadi of Gerar, where he settled. - Genesis 26:16-17

Marc found war with the marines. He learned to fight and kill and he was good at it. Again, depending on if you follow a number of different versions of what happened: Attacked his commanding officer and was discharged, had a mental breakdown and was discharged, ran off on his own, or finished his term and left…. It really varies from run to run. 

Either way, Marc left the life of the marines and wandered off into the desert where he settled and found his way into the Mercenary life. 

"Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban." - Genesis 27:42-43

Marc Spector had a big brother, Randall Spector. Introduced in 1979 by Moench, he was the estranged brother of Marc who had followed him into the Marines and eventually became a killer. He held a bitter grudge against Marc that eventually came to a big battle that ended with Marc killing him. 

Again, depending on which run you follow, this has been re-written a few times and Randall meets different ends multiple times. Randall was later re-written to be Marc’s little brother, but this was probably just sloppy writing with a lack of editorial fact checking. 

Later on, Randall is depicted as being incredibly Jealous of Marc. He becomes Night Shadow, and later, Shadowknight as he attempts to become Khonshu's true avatar. He repeatedly tries to become stronger than Marc and to take position as head of the Khonshu cult and avatar. 

If we follow the storyline of Marc leaving the Mercenary business after he dies in the desert, he left Randall behind here. Possibly even before that when he joined up with Bushman’s group that eventually left him fleeing the desert to start a new life as Moon Knight. 

When Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to Ishmaelites, who brought Joseph to Egypt. - Genesis 37:28

Marc Spector died in the desert and donned his white cape and cowl to become Moon Knight. Marc was revived by Khonshu and became his Avatar. Metaphorically, he had entered Egypt and would soon become the slave to Khonshu, who would then rule over his life and often make his life a living hell. 

When he left the desert for America. Here, he did his best to not be Marc, but to let Jake and Steven run the life when he wasn’t Moon Knight. 

When Pharaoh learned of the matter, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled from Pharaoh. He arrived in the land of Midian, and sat down beside a well. - Exodus 2:15

Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go back to my kinsfolk in Egypt and see how they are fairing." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." -Exodus 4:18

There was great unrest between Marc, Jake, Steven, and Moon Knight. Especially on the Khonshu issue. Many times, Marc tried to disappear. In various runs by various authors, you see him fake his death a few times… even actually die a few times, only to be revived many times. 

In Lemire, we find the trio coming together and rising up against Khonshu to become a working system. Khonshu demands that they continue to serve him and the three of them at last leave Egypt. 

But your carcasses shall drop in this wilderness, while your children roam the wilderness for fourty years, suffering for your faithlessness, until the last of your carcasses is down in the wilderness. You shall bear your punishment for fourty years, corresponding to the number of days-fourty days- that you scouted the land: a year for each day. Thus you shall know what it means to thwart Me. - Numbers 14:32-34

Despite the system coming together and the silencing of Khonshu, there was no peace in the system. Rather than work as one, they drifted and became more Mr. Knight than their own individual lives as they had once known. They fell again and again to Khonshu’s will, despite Marc’s intense bitterness towards the old bird. 

Eventually, when Khonshu was locked away in Asgard jail, we find Marc learning what it means to be not only himself, but to accept community. He forms a family and makes friends. He starts to let go of his past traumas that kept him away from people. 

It is this acceptance of community that re-awakens Steven and Jake and invites them (by force) to become a part of life again. They force Marc to start to take care of himself and they learn how to function as a united nation. 

The last name “Spector” is an Ashkenazi Jewish name taken from the original name of “Szpektor”, meaning “Teacher’s Assistant”. 

Now, the story goes that Moench met someone in the office with that name and he thought “Well that’s a pretty cool name!”. After he had created the character, he learned the Jewish origins and rather than ignore it, he let it play out. In my books, this put Marc up there with The Thing (Ben Grimm) on the list of very few original cannon Jews in the Marvel universe. 

What continues to amaze me is just how utterly Jewish the story of Moon Knight continues to be. Even without trying. 

Steven, who embodies Tikkun Olam (the act of giving in an effort to better the world). Jake, who has always been the heart of the system and the G-d Wrestler. Then we have Marc. The one who wanders the desert, rejects and questions everything, and who always returns. The one who carries the Trauma of whatever happened to him and the Trauma of his people deep in his veins. Not to mention, Moon Knight, who is a Golem in the truest sense. 

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that Moon Knight is not Jewish and that his comic is not one of a Jewish story. 

[marymary-diva17]

The girl with the white hair

sully kids x reader x tonwari kids + norm/spider and more

Since the navi of the forest and ocean clans had become alliance, in the fight against the rda. There was a chance of having all the kids attend school together and get to understand the sky people, who were fighting for them. There were worries about this project happening and it seems to be going well, but soon word of this alliance had reached far away clan, Soon tales of this alliance had gotten the attention of one girl.

Y/n " easy girl easy we are here" you had come from far away on pandora, you had heard about the alliance and war that had taken place in the forest and ocean. From your clan olo'eytahns and traders, but you were amazed about the tale of this School with the sky people. Many of your clan and nearby clan hate that idea but you welcome the idea to learn and see other places, and maybe make new friends as well. So after getting the approval from the tshaik and great mother you went along with your plan to, see if you can make an alliances and new friends as well.

y/n " now I'm going to need you to be on your best behavior today, you will have to wait here to else where we don't need any trouble" you are petting your creatures companion on her head. You soon gave one last pat before you soon walked off, towards the sky people building.

y/n " please great mother watch over me and bless me on this journey" you could see navi children from the forest and ocean gather around the sky people home, they seem to be having a good time and there is a sky people child with them as well. They seem to be very friendly as well.

y/n " They see, very nice well it no or never" you soon made you way down the path leading towards where all the children were gather, soon enough they looked up and saw you.

????? " who the she"

???? " I don't know I have never see her before and look at her, she look so different"

????? " hey be nice you idiot hey there"

y/n " hello"

????? " I'm netyeam and who most you be"

y/n " I'm y/n I have heard about this place and the alliance that had been made, and came to see if I can learn as well from the sky people"

???? " wow"

neteyam " that amazing we have to speak with norm our teacher but I think he wouldn't mind"

???? " norm will be chill with it and hey she a navi I haven't seen before, maybe this will be good for us all"

neteyam " oh yes I forgot let me introduce my siblings lo'ak, kiri, and tuk"

lo'ak " hello it nice to have someone new here with us"

kiri " I love your outfit I have never seen something like this before even your hair is a color I haven't seen at all"

y/n " thank you"

tuk " you are very beautiful"

y/n " thank you little one"

neteyam " these are our friends spider, aonung, and rotox, tsireya"

spider " wow I have never seen a navi like you before in my life"

y/n " well I have never been near a sky person this close and mostly one of their kids"

spider " cool"

tsireya " hey it nice to meet you and you can sit by me today in class"

y/n " thank you"

aonung " how come I have never seen any navi like you before, you seem freakish to me with your clothing and hair ... ahh that hurts"

rotxo " sorry about him we are still working on manners"

y/n " it okay"

norm " there you children are sorry for being a bit late something came up .... oh hello who might you be young lady"

neteyam " she came to join the class uncle norm"

y/n " yes I heard about what was happening from this traders and came here to see what I can learn, if you don't mind me joining"

norm " no I don't she is from one forest clan or ocean clans"

lo'ak " I don't think she from around the forest or any of the other lands of mountain or plains"

aonung " she definitely not from any of ocean or reef clans I can tell you that"

tsireya " be nice everyone"

aonung " we most know what she if working for the evil sky people"

y/n " I'm not working for them I'm from far reaches of pandora, that what I can tell you"

aonung " ummm"

lo'ak " back off dude give her a chance"

norm " well let give the girl a chance and if she came all this way we have to offer her request" the children had nodded their heads, they were not wrong you were different from them. as you were a different shade of blue and you clothes were different as well. Even your hair that was pure white raised questions.

norm " well come on let get to class and maybe our new kid can tell us something about herself and her clan ...."

y/n " umm"

norm " if she wishes to we will not make you tell us everything"

y/n " thank you"

kiri " come you can sit with me I sit with tsireya as well, I can help you learn about the forest and answer any questions you have"

y/n " thank you" you soon walked with the group towards their outside school, you were siting with the girls during some of the lessons. You had leaned about the sky people who are actually called humans, and their lifestyle along with the forest and ocean clans as well.

tsireya " what are you clothes made out of they are very beautiful"

y/n " these are made from leather and some other materials as well, the color had been from flowers they were later dyed into the clothes"

tsireya " wow"

y/n " I had the top and skirt made by a family member I have other clothes at home, but these are the ones I wear on daily basis"

tuk " I love your hair accessories"

y/n " thank you they are made of wood, leather, and other stuff I had made some of them and other were gifts"

kiri " this is your song cord right" kiri was pointing towards the song chord that was wrapped on your skits.

y/n " yes I can show you closer if you wish"

navi girl " yes please" you soon showed them you song chord and it was beautiful.

tuk " wow you is so shining with all the crystals"

y/n " yes I added them as they were milestones in my life"

lo'ak " wow I like it"

spider " yeah it amazing y/n and it so cool as well"

y/n " thank you"

rotxo " if you don't mind we asking a personal question"

y/n " it matter on the question"

rotxo " why is your hair white I have never seen that before"

y/n " well I was born with this color hair it common where I live among some navi"

aonung " wow so there more like you"

y/n " yes"

neteyam " what about the paint on your legs and arms"

y/n " this is ceremonial paint along with blessing paint as well, the tshaik paint it on me before I left as blessing for the great mother to watch over me"

kiri " that wonderful so you clan blessing in the great mother"

y/n " yes we do we even have a spirt tree to her as well we pray together and spirt trees to see the ones we lost" the kids seem to be enjoying learning from you.

neteyam " that wonderful"

norm " If you don't mind we asking y/n why haven't any of us heard about you and these far off clan, grace my mentor knew about most of the clans on here"

y/n " well the clan where I live keep their distance from the sky people, we heard all the stories about you and have seen some of the evil ways of the RDA ... but have kept awya for many reason some of them I know and others I don't .... I'm sorry I can't tell you anything else"

norm " it okay y/n I hope you can give humans a chance"

y/n " I will"

norm " children until the time being we will keep out new friend here, near the human homes and the school here .... I know you all wish to show her your homes but that might not be the best idea"

spider " dad she mean no harm and we want to show her other stuff as well"

norm " well we can talk more about this later on we might have to end lesson for now ... will we see you again"

y/n " yes if you wish for me to come back"

lo'ak " well you already joined us and there no getting away now, so you are stuck with us" you soon laugh and smile looking at the group.

y/n " then I will be back again and hope to learn more" the rest of the day with them had went well, you soon parted ways with them as everyone was heading home. You did the same as well traveling the journey home.

y/n " well we are home girl you did a good job why don't you got get something to eat and rest, and it seems like you had good day as well" you soon pat your creatures thanking her for being good and giving her something to eat, you soon made you way back to the village.

y/n " now get home and make sure everything goes well and if anyone asked questions just answer them"

????? " there you are little sister" you soon heard a voice you knew so well, you soon looked up to see your one of your brothers.

y/n " hey Vosmi"

Vosmi " hello y/n my little sister it good I found you, the family has been wondering where you went"

y/n " oh I was out like usual"

Vosmi " come you can tell me more later now come on let get you home, and storm is rolling in and we don't need you out here alone" you had noted your head as your brother guided your home, you had smiled and waved at your clan mates as you head home. Everyone else expect scouts and warriors were heading home.

warrior " vosmi you found our clan wondering child"

vosmi " yes it seems like my sister had wonder off today like always"

y/n " hey I was explore to see what else the great mother has to offer and following the guidance of eywa"

warrior 2 " never chance little one" you had smiled as you brother had sent you home as he spoke with his friends and older warriors, you made you way towards home.

y/n " ......" you soon pulled back the flap door soon caughting the attention of counil meeting.

y/n " good evening everyone sorry for the interruption"

???? "little sister you are home we were still close of coming to find you"

y/n " no need to send a party for me brother I'm home now"

vosim" yes I found her coming from one of her many joinery of exploring like always, I wonder what tales she has now"

????? " that our little sister"

elder " she is blessed your whole family has many talents and gifts olo'eythans you should be proud"

elder 2 " it seems like your daughter has found her way in life" you had smiled.

????? " thank you but we will have to end this meeting as we need to, speaking with our daughter" the meetings soon ended as everyone who was not part of the family soon left but the home still had many people in the home. You soon looked at the four oloeytahns who were looking at you, their daughter who stood there. Your brothers were all either sitting or standing while looking at you.

????? " what are we going to do with you"

y/n " love me as your daughter" you smile your brothers either hold their laughter or laugh.

???? " there a spirt to you that we can't contain ma y/n and maybe one can, as they makes you special"

y/n " thank you"

????? " kindhearted, outgoing, and smart with pure hearted how you are our daughter"

???? " she like her mother we all know that"

y/n " yes I'm"

????? " well we can talk more about your day and where you been, as there are many questions"

tshaik " well that will have to wait my sons" your grandmother the clan tshaik had entered the home looking at her family.

???? " I need to have some words with her about her becoming tshaik when she older and other matters, that the great mother had shown me"

????? " mother we most speak with our daughter"

tshaik " you can ask her later by boy and I will have some words with her as well about coming home late" your fathers knew there was no winning for them, as your grandmother soon took you with her. You soon reacher spirt tree and looked at your grandmother.

tshaik " so well me child how was everything was it true to what the great mother showed you"

y/n " yes" you and your grandmother soon started talking with each other while sitting under the tree, there was something special to you and a reason why the great mother had sent you a sign today. that night as you had dinner with your family you were still think about the day you had and friends you made, you were hoping to see them again and see what else this future may offer you.

[kayatoastkkat]

infodump time!

this is for my TOH au, some basic information for the big three of the cast and what their roles are! aaaand maybe also a sketch dump since I have too many pencil drawings of this au...

Dr. Henry Jekyll

Leader of the Secret Society for Wild Magic. Also a part-time potions seller. 

After graduation from Hexside, his initial aspiration was to join the Emperor’s Coven. As such, he began trying to test out his magical prowess and became a curse researcher, collecting rare curses (akin to Eda’s) and began looking for cures. While some of his methods proved effective, during this time Jekyll was deeply absorbed into his work and started neglecting his own health, leading Lanyon and Rachel to become very worried for him. 

One night, while researching a particularly gruesome curse, Jekyll believed he finally worked out a cure. With no other subjects, he could only test it on himself. Thus, potion in hand, he decided it was a great idea to go curse himself with a cure that he believed was mostly effective.

Lo and behold, that was the first transformation. The curse lashed out in black ribbons, enveloping Jekyll before diving straight into his heart, issuing several screams from the brunette until all that was left was a bundle of loose clothes, shattered glass, scraps of paper leftover from the curse and research, and one tiny blonde gremlin among said loose clothes. Thus, that very night, Hyde was born. A curse that should’ve killed Jekyll, torn his very body apart, taken control over the leftover scraps, now resides in his body as half of himself, shares his memories and would become the mask Jekyll uses to indulge in activities he finds unacceptable for himself to engage in. The potion that failed to cure the curse is now the key to transforming into each other.

With Hyde, Jekyll quickly realised that joining the Emperor’s Coven is no longer a feasible choice for himself and instead, with Lanyon’s help (due to his family being super wealthy and influential) was able to pull some strings and fake a Potions coven sigil, thus taking suspicion off of him while keeping his status as a wild witch.

His palisman is a crow named Crowley. His staff also never initially had the red gem lmao, he stuffed it in himself to try and give it a more sophisticated look. He also has ear piercings! First made just to get Hyde to stop whining, he later decided he may as well wear something, namely tiny black diamond studs.

Mr Edward Hyde

bithc.

Jekyll’s personal “assistant”. A trader and scammer at the Night Market. He often enjoys committing petty crimes and also trades his potions for rare ingredients required for more powerful spells. Sometimes he’d even bring a few of the Lodgers to sell their inventions too, to make sure the Society still has snails to spare for basic necessities. Most of what Hyde earns in the Night Market goes to his nighttime adventures, but whatever’s left by the time he transforms back will be used by Jekyll to keep the lights on in the secret Society. Besides the Night Market, he likes to go drinking at the sketchier parts of Bonesborough, often getting into skirmishes and bar fights. He relies on Jekyll’s magic and rarely ever uses his palisman to avoid divulging his identity. For transportation, he prefers teleportation spells or magic some wings to make a quick escape. No, he’s not a bird beast. I’ve long decided he is not some crow beast or something, he’s just an amalgamation of Jekyll’s worst traits.

He has about the same relationship with Jekyll as in TGS, perhaps even more tense as Jekyll is very concerned about ensuring that Hyde keeps a low profile and does not reveal the fact he’s a wild witch. Hyde hides it about as well as you’d expect, and eventually the information that he doesn’t have a sigil is picked up by the Emperor’s Coven. He’s never gotten caught before though, oh, and he also idolizes Eda the Owl Lady very much, but never goes to find her, since he’s terrified of Hooty.

The oopsy-doopsy arson will still happen, which I will cover eventually but bottom line is it’ll make Belos strengthen efforts into finding and tracing Hyde’s roots. Through the following disagreements and punishment from Jekyll, Hyde learns he can block Jekyll from using his magic for short bursts of time, and eventually with practice, longer periods spanning from hours to days.

He also has silver ring earrings. Every time he transforms he takes the time to take off Jekyll’s plain black diamond studs to replace it with them and I find that funny.

Dr. Robert Lanyon

A master illusionist, one of Jekyll’s closest friends and co-runner of the Society. Also helps around Jekyll’s potions business.

He’s the reason Jekyll was able to stay a wild witch in the first place. He was able to use his Illusion magic to fake a sigil for Jekyll and using his position of power, pulled some strings to prevent the scouts from investigating further. His father is a prosperous Constructions witch who helps Belos strengthen the castle and fortify bases for scouts throughout Bonesborough, earning him a position of high rank in the Isles. Lanyon despises it though, and took Illusions to spite his father, who wanted him to take a more “useful” track in school such as Abominations or Constructions so he would have more job opportunities. Outside attending dinner parties or finishing errands for his father, he does whatever he wants, usually sneaking off to parts of Bonesborough or to the Society to see Jekyll. He doesn’t even necessarily attend dinner parties, often preferring to have an illusion of himself attending. Lanyon Sr pretends not to notice this.

Unaware of Jekyll’s curse, he hated the idea of Hyde being affiliated with him and yet always so dangerously on the brink of exposing his identity as a wild witch, but so long as Hyde continues helping the Society stay afloat and doesn’t get caught, Lanyon keeps his thoughts to himself. That is, until the arson changes everything. While he helps sort out the paperwork and aids Jekyll in keeping the Society hidden, he is not close to any of the Lodgers and prefers to pretend he isn’t associated with them, mostly out of concern and to keep suspicion off him and by extension, his dear friend.

He has the most insane piercings too, with large gold spheres resembling Eda’s, along with two more piercings further up his ears.

also, minor thing but I've finally given this au a proper name lol, it's now called The Crow House after Jekyll's palisman, which is a crow! I've also updated the tag for it in my pinned post so not to worry!

[atthebell]

practical advice about college you say?

[the weird spaces between some paragraphs are because i hit the character limit on content blocks which i didnt really know existed until now, fascinating!]

Don't buy too much shit. There will be a lot of things that people tell you are useful— buy things that seem like necessities, then figure out what you need from there. My grandma tried to buy me all kinds of crap and some of it was utterly useless, whereas other random stuff was super helpful (like towels, you should own at LEAST two towels, more if you reallyyyyy don’t want to do laundry).

Decor and things to make your dorm room (if applicable, also relevant for apartments etc.) feel more lived in are excluded from the above; if you want to have a million pieces of art on your walls, absolutely go for it. In fact, other people will think you're cool and want to hang out with you, I'm not even joking. Maybe invest in a bean bag, those are also a good seating thing for small rooms. I had a regular bean bag and then a giant one and it was a great way to have fun seating in my room (I hosted a lot of hangouts/let people just chill in my room a lot, so your personal mileage may vary).

Go find free food. There is more free food than you could even imagine on college campuses, go find it and don't be afraid to bundle some up in a napkin or some Tupperware and take it home. This is genuinely grad student 101 (grad students often don't have meal plans like undergrads) but is very relevant to all elements of college. I was notorious amongst friends and acquaintances for going to all kinds of events and bringing food home, and it was awesome. I could swipe some bagels from a student org social and the next morning I wouldn't have to worry about waking up early enough to grab breakfast from the dining hall or, heaven forbid, cooking.

Along similar lines, keep a decent amount of snacks/food in your room. Do you love trader Joe's chocolate covered almonds? Goldfish? Wasabi peas? Keep a stash in your room at all times. Future you will thank past you, especially when you're feeling down or studying or both. If you have a mini fridge or anything like that, keep a few cold things in there, like Gatorade or energy drinks for late nights or even cream cheese for the previously mentioned free bagels.

Join some student orgs! I assure you that while I have always been an over involved maniac of a human being, I am not anything even close to a social butterfly. You don't have to be, but having a few connections, especially with people in similar circumstances to you (first in your family to go to college, low income, women in stem, queer, latine, whatever your background and/or situation may be). You might not meet people you click perfectly with, but you'll at least be able to connect with people who get your experiences on some level. I truly do not know what I would've done without my college’s first gen/low income program or the Jewish community I found going to various events.

Professors are way more chill than you think. I say this as someone who asked for extensions every single semester/quarter of university i was in and again went to several incredibly prestigious colleges. Many professors are way less hardass than you may think, and some are the kind of people who will invite you over for shabbes dinner and become incredibly important mentor figures for you. The latter are harder to find, but there are plenty of extremely cool professors and TFs and lecturers who are always down to talk about course content or any number of topics. Everyone always says this but go to office hours! It really helps and it's just a great way to connect better with people passionate about the same things you are.

Grades are stupid and bad. This is not specific to college; the focus on grades in all levels of education is ridiculous and counterproductive to learning. This is important for you to know and remember, even when grades DO matter; for transcripts, for grad school, for getting jobs and scholarships and other opportunities. Trust me, I understand that grades matter, but I want you to know that they shouldn't, and you aren't stupid or worthless if you struggle with academics, or if you feel like your grades don't reflect your effort. Grades are a way to standardize (retch) measurement of learning, but they don't show the full or accurate picture. You are so much more than your grades or where or what you're studying.

Take fun classes! I know a lot of STEM majors make it incredibly difficult to dip out of course tracks, but if you can, try to take some fun and diverse classes. Take a gender studies class, take a theater class, learn photography, take a wacky science class, take a language course (this one I want to specifically highlight!!!! learn a new language while you're in a setting that's way easier (for many people) to learn one in!), find a beloved professor from another field and dip your toes in. I took all kinds of wild classes (religious studies is not a major where they fill up your schedule with required classes, at least not at my university) and had a blast, and it's good to have some familiarity with different fields and possibly how they connect with your own. Also it's just fun! You can meet new people and learn a lot from studying something you haven't before.

Be very nice to your custodial staff but know that they are probably deeply underpaid and understaffed. And get to know your housing staff too so you know more about who to call in certain situations. Also get a tool set so you can fix minor stuff yourself.

Don't be afraid to party, but also don't feel pressured. I spent most of my college years in a group of friends who played board games every week instead of drinking, and I personally did not drink until I was 21 for various personal reasons. If people make fun of you, don't hang out with those people. If they pressure you, stay the fuck away. If people are judgy about your drinking/partying/hookup choices? They can go fuck themselves. Find people who respect your decisions, either way, no matter what they are, and anyone else can fuck off.

I didn't really date or hook up in college but I did get hit on by a lot of beautiful bisexual women. If a very hot girl that you want to hang out with in a sexual or romantic context asks you to teach her to play pool, just say yes. Do not shoot yourself in the foot. If someone sets you up on a date with a friend of theirs and you guys vibe better as friends, never let this person go. I'm joking but that's how I met my best friend who I adore perhaps more than anyone else in this world so you never know what the universe will hand you.

Get more sleep. Whatever amount of sleep you're getting, try to sleep more. Sometimes homework or frat parties or boyfriends matter a lot less than just getting a few more hours of sleep, and you will retain information better and feel less like shit. Please get more sleep and maybe drink less caffeine.

Befriend some grad students! I'm completely unbiased (<3) but grad students have a lot of insight about college and life as a young adult, and they're often very cool. They might invite you over to smoke weed and talk about Kant— I cannot stress enough that you never have to do something you don't want, but say yes to this if it's at all appealing. Definitely not another personal anecdote.

Connect with your first gen/low income and/or financial aid office(s). They will have incredibly helpful info, including about getting jobs or scholarships or even just the experience of being low income at college. Also, if you're attending a California Community College, apply for the CCPG (previously known as the BOGW)! It waives all enrollment and tuition fees if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements. I would add more resources but I am a Californian so that's what I have at the moment.

Kind of related, if you're leaving university right now with student loans and you're low income, apply for the SAVE plan to make smaller (or no) payments and less (or no) interest. It's been saving my ass for a while now and it could be helpful for you.

Drink more water. If you need it cold, get a brita pitcher thing and put it in your minifridge if you have one. If not, ice from the dining hall + a decently insulated water bottle. You should be drinking on average 8oz every two hours, or every one hour when it's really hot.

Have a craft or a hobby or a video game or a show or a book or a movie or something that you can do like. At least once a week as Chill Time. Personally I would have some Chill Time at least once a day, but if you are busy to the max, Chill Time once a week is mandatory. Doesn’t have to be the same time every time, but if it is, clear your schedule. That is the only thing happening then. No one gets to interrupt Chill Time. Not to be confused with hanging out with friends, which is still a good activity you should do many times a week. This is Chill Alone Time, where you just sit with yourself and do something you like to do alone. Get a coloring book, learn how to cross stitch, read a book on native birds, whatever suits your fancy.

If you are anything like the hot mess express that I was, you will go to class in pajamas/sweats. This is fine. There are probably some people out there who care about this, but you should ignore them. Similarly, if you, for instance, wake up at 1pm for your 1:30pm class, feel only the amount of shame necessary to make you able to be on time to class (if the prof cares) and nothing more. I stayed up til 4:30am every single night my freshman year of college it is a miracle I was ever awake during the day and the fact that I managed to do my coursework and still have a social life continues to be a mystery to me today. Anyway, your fashion choices in college but especially your first year should never be judged to any significant standard. If you’re wearing clothes at all, that’s commendable.

If you’re on a biking campus, wear a helmet. This is not optional, wear a fucking helmet. Also for the love of fuck have a bike light and use it at night you do not want to be smushed by a car at 3am biking back from wherever you’ve been.

If you do not know how to do laundry, ask someone. Please do not just go into the laundry room with full confidence and dump 16 loads worth of detergent into a washing machine and fuck it up for everyone. Also not a single dorm dryer will ever work correctly. Know this, and invest in a drying rack or be content to fry the shit out of your clothes at 90 minutes of high heat.

Communicate with your roommate(s). You do not have to be friends, you don’t even have to like each other, but you should be on the same page about stuff. Especially re: sexiling, taking the trash out, volume levels, friends over, etc. etc. You don’t want to get to the end of the year and then realize your roommate fucking hates you because you never asked if she was cool with whatever thing you’ve been doing that’s been annoying her.

This is just general young adult life advice but: You will fuck up. Like, probably more than you think. But you will be okay, and you should know that everyone does that. You’re learning how to do stuff on your own, you’re possibly leaving a bad situation or even a great situation into something you don’t know enough about to possibly be prepared. It’s hard! It’s going to be hard for a bit! But you are not the only person who’s done this, and there are a lot of people out there you can talk to and find support from. The worst thing you could possibly do is isolate yourself, so please don’t do that. Find some good people, eat some good food, and for the love of fuck get more sleep.

[aria-ashryver]

Welcome To The Jungle | Choices MC Colony | Episode #4

Dorian: so, just to recap: a nearby settlement hired a PI to investigate whether a neighbouring faction of theirs were actually cannibals -- turns out they are, and now that PI is running for her life and needs our help? Rin: That's pretty much what I picked up over the comms, yeah Marianna: Seven pirate raiders from the Venom Chokers Daenarya: Oh, hey I know those guys! Yeeeeah, yeah they'll eat you. Brienne: Some of them also spit fire. Luca: Sorry-- they spit what, now? Anitha: We're helping her, right? Dorian: …Us versus seven angry, fire-spitting, cannibal raiders? Oliver: Yes, we are helping. Dorian: Yeah, totally! Nothing about that sentence is terrifying! Luca: snorts Rin: …chicken. Dorian: I'm not scared. Marianna: Yes, you are. Dorian: Shush.

Aaaahhhhh oh god everything is fine aaahhh

Good news! Carina is safe and (mostly) well! And since we did such an excellent job on the rescue mission (and were sooooo brave and not at all terrified) she's decided to join us for good.

Welcome to the Jungle, @stars-are-within-me's Carina 💖👋 Lovely to have you aboard

[LINK] - Episode 3.5 (ask) - a little overview of the base so far!

Okay, welcome to Episode #4, folks. Its been an exciting few weeks of raids, illnesses, and wild animal attacks, so I think our MCs are due a nice period of calm to relax, take stock, build up our base, and enjoy the bonds of friendship.

ok so we took stock, the stocks aren't great.

Turns out doubling your colony size overnight really hits you in the food department! Who knew. Fortunately, we do have some folks who know a thing or two about crops and gardening, so we've now got two thriving farms, as well as some chickens (Wilbur and Clementine) and our new cow (Tallulah) who we traded some nomads for.

omg the baby chicks are sleeping in the hay that's so cute 😭

(also, something weird happened and all of our crops were turned into strawberries for like a week before I noticed? We had to replant everything lmao. Idk who was behind that one)

Its been nice to just see folks bonding and chatting about stuff while they work too 😊 At the moment, Evie and Luca are the OG colony besties - Evie helps Luca with their building projects quite a bit, so they have lots of time for Top Notch banter. Clearly.

Luca: *ADHD-fuelled rambling* Evie: yeah, i like this one he's weird

Some of the other colonists are finding comfort in each other in this harsh and unforgiving jungle too 👀 A few situationships have started to crop up here and there?? (and I find it utterly hilarious that once again, its mostly the Blades MCs who are Blades MC-ing)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you want to change/update any of these settings (bc I'm limiting things like lovers and marriage, etc at the moment), just let me know! [Here is a link] to current sprite stats!

Luca and Oliver have both been flirting a lot lately, so I feel like they might the next two to become a thing lol.

Luca: Great party, Oliver! Just what we needed after getting attacked by cannibals. That was crazy, right? Oliver: Yeah, that raid was a nail-biter. Ha, good thing no one else got bitten though. Luca: …You could bite me. Oliver: … Luca: If you want. You seem broad-minded. Oliver: ...what? Luca: what?

Speaking of biting people (apt segue is apt); a group of vampires have asked if they could host a coven meeting at Cedar Station! (They'll pay us with books!! Fuck yeahhhh books!)

Ricky, stop interrupting the coven meeting. Read the room. It's full of purple smoke and spooky spectral demon eyes.

One of them liked Cedar Station so much, she decided to stay! Cameron? Sergio? No, we used aliases. It's Jiahao. Yes, my cape is amazing.

Welcome to the Jungle, @choicesmc's Jia!! ✨ (I've never had a vampire colonist before, I'm hyped)

Ooh, and right on the heels of this! A roaming caravan of hunters and traders passed by the colony (and enjoyed the seaside for a little bit lol) -- and one of the guards who had been helping herd and protect their animals decided to stick around too!

Welcome to the Jungle, @dutifullynuttywitch's Autumn!! *wipes tear* our lil family keeps growing 🥹

I'm so glad this has just been a period of relaxing and making new friends. I'm really enjoying this calm. Surely nothing bad will happen, right?

Surely nothing bad will--

Surely nothing--

*grits teeth* Surely nothing bad will--

SEVENTEEN MAN-EATING MONKEYS???????

Guys please not now, do you not see us hiding from the swarm of angry monkeys??? 😭😭😭

ok no, we can always make time for humanitarian aid. We were sooo brave and fought off enough monkeys so Marianna and Oliver could sneak away and donate money to *checks notes*: Norma Rubivine the child brawler who is very good at mining despite being only 7 years old because she is a Dirtmole.

(me, crying: Norma come back and hhelp me w the monkeys. Please. Norma.)

Surely nothing bad will hap--

Surely nothing-- AGAIN with the insects???

(*through tears*) Surely nothing bad will--

Aaahhhh ow ow ow almost everyone is downed we have run out of hospital beds aahhhh

So uhhh. Let me end this episode by saying: Dorians arm got cut off by raiders and he almost bled to death and I felt really bad so I made him mayor.

🎉🎊🎉

Thank you once again for letting me borrow your darlings @dr-colossal-pita @choicesmc @rosesnink @stars-are-within-me @lover-also-fighter-also @cadybear420 @storyofmychoices @dutifullynuttywitch ✨✨✨

[minecraftbookshelf]

Secret Life Obituary Column

I wrote these after Session 6 episodes went up, enjoy!

LDShadowLady

LDShadowlady, also known as Lizzie, was a well loved member of the Life Community, though that might have been hard to tell from the long list of enemies she amassed this season, as well as the way almost no one joined her for anything ever.

She was known for her theatrical sense of humor and fondness for mischief, as well as her bad luck and lovely base, with its charming aesthetic and hospitable, berry-lined pathways.

A recent Red, Lizzie had many plans to seek violent vengeance upon her server-mates for their acts of theft, noncompliance, and for her own entertainment. It is a great injustice that she was taken from this server so soon, before she was able to truly embrace the opportunity to put them into action.

She is survived by her husband, Joel SmallishBeans, as well as the entire rest of the server.

She was preceded by every single one of her cows, and all her hopes and dreams of chaos and slaughter. -

Solidarity Gaming

HE IS FREE!!!

A veteran of the Life Series (and of dying in it) Solidarity Gaming, also known as Jimmy, Timmy, and “oh no, Tim what did you do?!” has now departed from his fifth life adventure.

After some time spent wandering the server, he settled on the mesa and began construction on the landmark now known as “Baxter”, thus establishing what would become the base of operations for the first wave of Reds, and even, for some of them, home.

He took to the series with enthusiasm and much barking. Embracing his role as one of the first Reds on the server, and even committing the first out-right murder of the series and establishing a rivalry with Skizzleman of The Heart Foundation.

In this sad time we must take a moment to send our posthumous congratulations for his new, second-to-last, record of survival on the Life servers. It was a short-lived victory, but a meaningful one.

He was preceded in death by a four season long curse and by his fellow Red, LDShadowLady.

He is survived by his teammate and fellow big dog, Martyn InTheLittleWood, and everyone else.

-

Mumbo Jumbo

Mumbo Jumbo was taken far too soon from his second Life Series through a combination of his commitment to the bit and his own previous actions.

Mumbo’s series was characterized by his willingness to support his friends in whatever course of action they chose to take, the results of which can be seen by any who look to the Mounders' base and the wonky alignments thereof. He joined in on jokes, hyped up builds, and complimented people often on things they were only doing because they had to.

Mumbo is survived by his original team, The Mounders, who he immediately turned upon and attempted to murder in the last hour of his life, as well as a single member of his new team, the Big Dogs, InTheLittleWood. He is also survived by The Heart Foundation, Gem & the Scotts, The Roommate Alliance, and the proprietor of Trader Scar's.

He is preceded by fellow Reds; LDShadowLady and SolidarityGaming, and his every sense of loyalty to earlier alliances.

[please-let-me-be-horny]

Good morning folks, D&D recap time! Nothing but nerdy ramblings below 😌

Ok ok, so we are continuing our current quest of locating the missing traders that mysteriously disappeared. During our time in the town where they were headed to, it's evident that SOMETHING is going on.

Town is just too perfect, everyone is very nice, and anyone you touch suddenly lakes you feel great, they have a whole lake full of dead bodies that they are suspiciously defensive of, which is what they use for fertilizer for their crops. And to make things worse, NPC's we have interacted with are disappearing...from the town AND our memories.

But we need money. So whilst we're in town doing our little investigation, we pick up some work from the mayor to take out some werewolves. We travel to where the werewolves were last spotted, and on our way, we discover the caravans that belonged to the people who went missing, closer to the town than the werewolf den, but baring no marks of a struggle. The caravans have also been placed on an area of magically enchanted soul that acts as really aggressive quick sand. Whoever placed these caravans here didn't want people finding them.

We eventually get to the werewolves den. Discover that the werewolves living there are a little old couple who are in hiding. They have loved in the area for years and have had to stop hunting in the woods around the town because the townsfolk keep attacking them.

Now.

During our whole stay, our barbarian has become a little TOO keen about joining the town, and all he talks about now is how lovely the town is. Half way through a perfectly civil conversation, he ATTACKS the old couple, forcing our rogue to jump Infront of his sword to protect them, and forcing me to Polymorph him into a rabbit to render him harmless. Picked him up by the ears and backed the fuck out of the werewolf den whilst my party calmed them down.

Deciding that they weren't worth killing, as the last time innocent people were murdered, it caused a spire to form and a portal to a different plane to open up. These spires have been confirmed to be sapping the energies out of our plane of existence. So instead, we opened up a little tree portal and sent them to live in our guild so they could live in peace.

We later found out that the 5 werewolves I uh..."minced" with trees after they attacked us (and turned out necromancer into a werewolf) turned out to be the old couples kids...

We go back to town. Collect our reward. Say hello to the town idiot (the bell tower attendant called Jeff who mimicks the roosters call from the bell tower to wake the town up) and went to the tavern for a night's sleep. We wake up the next morning with no sound of a rooster, and no memory of Jeff ever having existed.

Now. As a DM? This whole town is screaming "False hydra". The memory loss, the weird way people are behaving, the disappearing people, it all adds up. But as a character in someone else's game? I would not know that. So my character is currently a paranoid mess because "something isn't right here. I've had the Heebie jeebies ever since I got here. Even the flowers don't behave the way they should." (Being a druid and speaking with plants and animals is an incredibly useful ability when you don't trust a single person around you)

Tl:Dr, went to kill some werewolves and ended up realising that our barbarian is somehow charmed and the town is probably totally unaware that they're being controlled and prey'd upon by a malicious entity. 🫠 It's full on Invasion of the body snatchers.

[ordon-shield]

Debut Age AU

A Link’s Meet AU with the twist that every Link is the same age as their first game, with every other character remaining the same age.

Regent (Zelda 1/Adventure of Link) was just passing through Hyrule when he was 31, when he ran into Impa being attacked by monsters, and after saving her decided to deal with some more on his way so no one else would be attacked. This somehow ended up with him fighting and defeating Ganon. 6 years later, now 37, he earned the Triforce of Courage and woke the sleeping princess. His nickname comes from his involvement in helping Hyrule recover since the two princesses were considered too young to rule.

Journey (A Link to the Past/Oracles/Link’s Awakening) was 30 when Agahnim took over Hyrule, imprisoning Zelda. Following his reckless nephew to the castle, he ended up helping Zelda escape, but ended up with a bounty on his head as a result. After defeating Agnahim and Ganon, he travelled to far-off lands, and had only just returned to Hyrule, now 32, when the time travelling began. His nickname comes from his fondness of travelling, which is actually part of his business as a trader of rare goods.

Fierce (Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask) grew up with the Kokiri, but left as a teenager once it became clear that he wasn’t one of them, never receiving a fairy partner. In a period just after the end of the Hyrulean Civil War, he managed to find plenty of work as a mercenary, becoming well known for his skill with a sword and bow. Eventually he ran into the then Gerudo Prince Ganondorf, as they were the same age, and they actually got along pretty well, becoming close friends and perhaps something more for a time… When he was 24 he was approached by Impa on behalf of Princess Zelda, asking him to collect the Spiritual Stones on her behalf. After pulling the Master Sword, he slept for 7 years, and woke up to a kingdom ruled by Ganondorf. After saving the Sages and having a very dramatic final fight with Ganondorf, Zelda sent him back to his original time. Leaving Hyrule after having to uncover the plans of his old friend, he found his way to Termina, now 25, where he acquired the Fierce Deity mask that gives him his nickname.

Multitude (Four Swords) was the first Hero of the Four Sword, drawing it and enchanting it to split the mind as well as the body when he was only 21, and using it to save Zelda from Vaati.

Captain (Wind Waker) was a young swordsman at 19, looking for ways off the island he’d lived his entire life on, when his little sister who he’d practically raised was kidnapped by a giant bird. Catching a ride with some pirates (and adopting their captain as a new little sister) he ended up crossing the Great Sea, finding the lost Triforce of Courage, and beating up an old man. Getting his own ship, he set out with the pirate crew to find a new land, being pulled into the World of the Ocean King when he was 21, and having to save it.

Green, Blue, Red, and Vio (Four Swords Adventures/Manga) were originally one Link until he drew the Four Sword at the age of 19, splitting into four separate aspects. Fighting Vaati, Ganon, and their own Shadow, they eventually managed to rescue Zelda and the six Maidens.

Smith (Minish Cap) was also 19 when he started his adventure, having the odd trait of being able to see the Minish long after his childhood. He reforged the Picori Blade into the Four Sword himself, proving himself a master sword smith.

Lupine or Lup (Twilight Princess) is exactly the same with no changes. He’s 17 and his game is also 17 years old.

Conductor (Spirit Tracks) is also somewhere around the same age as he was in canon at the age of 14, having just finished his training as a train engineer.

Wings (Skyward Sword) was 12 when his adoptive older sister Zelda fell from the sky when she took him to practice his flying after she won the Wing Ceremony. Too young to join the Knights Academy, Link still descended below the clouds wielding the Goddess Sword to try and find her, helped by her worried classmates. Along the way, he ran into the Demon Lord Ghirahim, who was so insulted at Hylia choosing someone so young and inexperienced to fight him that he refused to fight Link without teaching him some swordfighting skills first.

Mural (A Link Between Worlds/Triforce Heroes) was 10, the youngest hero of the Downfall Timeline when he saved the worlds of both Hyrule and Lorule, having not even started his blacksmithing apprenticeship yet.

Scarf (Hyrule Warriors) was only 9 when he got recruited into the army of Hyrule as part of a poorly planned policy. Seeing this, the guardian of time, having grown fond of the Hero after watching so many versions of him decided to interfere. Deciding to not just adopt the young hero, but also to collect the Triforce and use it to ensure none of his future incarcerations would have to fight so young, she set off the War of Eras.

Lil Link/Tiny/Shorty (Breath of the Wild/Age of Calamity) was 5 when, following some Koroks into the Lost Woods, he found and drew the Master Sword. Initially, the Champions were relieved to heard this, assuming that it meant they still had many years to prepare for the return of Calamity Ganon. Unfortunately, he attacked just a year later. The Champions fled, unwilling to leave Link and Zelda alone to get to their Divine Beasts, Zelda awakening her powers after Link was badly injured. They managed to get him to the Shrine of Resurrection just in time. Three years later, he woke up again, and with the help of Zelda and the Champions, they were able to defeat Calamity Ganon with Link only having to strike the final blow.

[discet]

So what's the trio like in the Scorched Earth AU?

Aw man, Im glad people enjoy the SE!AU Edit: Wow this post got long. Context for the AU

The trio in the au grew up in the small settlement of Old Saint. All are 15 (everyone is 2 years older in this AU.) Born within a season of each other, the girls I think were raised together probably from infancy.

Anne's parents ran the Inn/restaurant in town. They are good doting parents, though a little strict with Anne trying to keep her safe.

Sasha father was a woodsman while her mother raised some kind of chicken-adjacent animal. They weren't divorced but they reaaaaally should have been. Sasha has a reasonably

Marcy's father was a kind of town tinkerer: forging tools, fixing stuff, etc. Marcy's Mom was a trader, often doing circuits around the valley delivering some of the tools and inventions her husband makes. Very attentive to her education, but are often busy for most other things.

Timeline

Age 5: The three of them are fully conscious kids and are adorable little kiddos running around and being sweet.

Age 8: All learning bits and pieces from their parents trade. Anne learns to forage for spices and herbs in the forests around Old Saint and cook some of her family recipes. Sasha is taught how to identify tracks in the forest to avoid monsters and how to handle an axe. Marcy learning tinkering, math, and figures

Age 10: Starting to grow more independent and exploring the forests around Wartwood. The Trio sets up a kind of secret hideout in one of the natural caves a short distance out of town.

Age 11: One summer just before the summer melts the mountain pass Marcy's parents approach the Boonchuy's and ask if they can look after Marcy for the summer. They and a few other merchants from the valley have joined together to form a little caravan to head to a major settlement to trade outside of the valley they should be back before the winter. Marcy and Anne were of course on board, summer of sleepovers. The Boonchuy's are of course happy to look after her. Marcy gives her parents a big hug as they head off.

Age 12: The summer and fall pass by but they don't return. Then the valley gets cut off again and now Marcy is with them for the winter. But it's probably all right. They got waylaid or delayed... but then the summer comes again, the pass melts and Marcy's parents still haven't returned. So Marcy just... doesn't really leave and the Boonchuys carve out a little bit of their home for her to make her own. (They never get news of what happens, but some time during the road trip I think they find the remnants of the caravan, destroyed and looted). Marcy ends up starting to help out keeping the books and fixing up things around the Inn

Age 13: Sasha has had enough. Now an important detail for this AU, Sasha has pretty good relationships with her parents individually, but has been in a cooking pot of toxicity since she's been five. In the middle of two people she cares about as they snipe and hurt each other. She blows up at both of her parents just unloading years worth of repressed frustration with the both of them before storming out for the day. She goes and retrieves Anne and Marcy from the Boonchuy's and they all go off ranging for the day in the forest so she can just be somewhere else. Night comes and as the trio is finally deciding they should head back, they see a bright light coming from the town along with smoke rising.

It was the herons they're told, came in, wrecked a great deal of the town. They find Sasha's parents among the wreckage, and Sasha has to deal with the guilt that the last thing she said to her parents was that she "hated living in this house with you!"

With no other place to go, the Boonchuys of course step up and take Sasha in as well. Sasha helps out around the inn as a waitress on busy nights and provides meat for the kitchen thanks to her new obsession - monster hunting.

Sasha becomes possessed by the idea of killing the herons who killed her parents. Marcy and Anne narrowly convince her to not just storm straight into the valley to look for their nest. Eventually landing on the argument that she should work her way up so that when the time comes she'll be ready. Which is how Marcy and Anne get kind of dragged into her obsession and we get a bit of that toxic dynamic from canon. With Sasha pushing her friends into ever more dangerous situations and dismissing their concerns about them.

Age 15

Start of story. The trio have become pretty adept monster hunters in the intervening years. Marcy specializing in trapping and knowing the weaknesses of various creatures (many a late night in the archives equivalent to make sure they were prepared for anything they meet out there). Anne with her athleticism is on scouting duty and more often than not in charge of leading creatures into the ambush. Sasha of course is the muscle, dealing killing blows when the plan goes right and straight up fighting when things go wrong.

Bee and Oum are of course concerned about this new hobby, and not just for Anne's sake since they've come to see Sasha and Marcy as their own. But its hard for them to raise too much of a protest since by this point they've probably saved various folks around town and driven off some predators together. They're just relieved when the three of them come home at the end of the day.

Also just some quick outfit ideas.

Anne wears mostly lightweight clothing to stay agile on her feet, with a chitinous breastplate to keep her organs safe. Maybe a hunting spear to hold monsters at bay.

Marcy doesn't wear a lot of armor herself instead relying on mossy looking cloak to camouflaged her. Wields a heavy crossbow she fashioned for herself to aid a fight from afar.

Sasha wears armor Marcy fashioned for her of furs and chitin and wields with her father's woodcutting axe.

[fox0war]

Okay pspsps come one come all I finally m going to make a proper intro for some of my cerifikn characters so y'all can meet them!! ------------ Also please consider joining the group! It's an ARPG (Art Role Playing Game) with several species, easy to aquire MYOs, a Semi-Open species for any and all newbies, and great community! Plus various other things I love! It is 16+ to join though so keep that in mind ------------ Anyways, now that we're done with that lil bit, are you ready to meet my lil cast? ;D (all refs here will be the most recent as of posting! Some may need to be updated in the future do to lore or just being outdated lol)

First off: My first character! It feels only appropriate to shine a light on her! Say a proper hello to Moss! She is a Smog-Imp! A type of Abyss demon which is also a very large single cell organism! She, in particular, is a 'Tundra' form one! Which means she's quite fluffy, has teeth on her mask (the bird skull looking thing), and unlike other Smog-Imps can consume meat! Though, she tends to stick to the standard plant diet anyway. She's also a serial adopter! She has much too many kids for me to list ATM but who knows, maybe she could adopt you too!

She's also in a relationship with the mysterious NPC named Vlad! Who while technically an NPC, is also a character owned by @pikku-peruna! A good friend of mine who is also the group's owner! (Say a friendly hello to them for me!) Moss was gotten through a 2021 MYO event! She's one of my most used characters :D ------------ Now you all, if you've been following me, have met Pho'Bous before via his stories! And while his ref is somewhat out of date, he is also quite darling to me! Also gained through that 2021 MYO event (Which is what spurred me to join in the first place, fun fact!) it took me ages to get his design down on paper (or well, screen?) in a way I enjoyed! His design only being fully settled a year and a few months later! Fun fact, this sad little man was originally going to be a dragon themed guitar player, but I like this sad little we cat way better XD

He is also one of my most used characters! If that wasn't already evident in how many posts I've made writing stories for him lol. He's currently on track to become a necromancer but shhh.. nobody tell him that <3 ------------ Ah yes a more recent one! Pri'tas was designed in 2023 as part of one of the group's design challenges! (Yet another free way to gain characters) Blessed with all of the "Master's Traits", mysterious features gained from an even more mysterious and unknown "Master". Pri'tas, himself, never met him, the Master just owed his parents a favor, but Pri'tas is now very dedicated to him. The Master didn't know what he was signing up for I guess, eh?

The government is currently looking for him too, no not because of all the murder, silly! But because having all of the Master's traits gives you mysterious powers, powers that they want to research. So uh, maybe don't tell anyone you saw him here, k'ay? (; ------------ I have tons of other characters too! Such as a traveling trader, a harpy-like Smog-Imp trying to escape the same cult Pho'Bous loves so very much, and did I mention the several demigods? Well, I have those too! Feel free to ask about them or any of these characters! but the best place to ask is in the group, where I post about all my characters much more often! ------------ One more time, credit to @pikku-peruna! Owner of the group and species here! Go say hi to her for me <3 (And respect their pronouns or else I'll punt you)

[aita-blorbos]

(ocs) AITA for becoming a pirate?

My family hates me for this but i think im doing fine so idk,,

i got bottom surgery but i couldnt afford the medical bill so i was like welp i dont have anything going on rn plus pirating seems like it pays a lot, so i joined a crew. my family thinks im doing this to run away from them and my responsibilities but this shits way better than getting a boring trader job and i never really liked my family anyways

AITA? im not going back regardless i just wanna know

(edit) thank you for all the advice but im gonna ignore all of it ive been seeing this glowing shape in the water recently and all the rest of the crew doesnt beleive me. they think ive gone mad just cus im worshipping The Great One. i know for a fact im not hallucinating it but no one else has seen it so maybe i am idk. i cant go back now i need to appease The Great One or ill be struck down to the depths and eaten alive (Her words exactly) help

[piratesofhyrule]

The Story That Will Never Be Told 4(I think?): The Yeti

Considering how many other options were up, I'm a little surprised this one got such a high ranking! Pleasantly so though, so let us get right into it

Now the Yeti have only appeared in Twilight Princess (to the best of my knowledge that is), but they left quite the impression on us all. I figured that Hebra would be a good place for them to make a comeback as what're essentially "ice Gorons" if you will. Physically huge and imposing, but some of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

They were the original inhabitants of Hebra millennia ago, their highly specialized adaptations to cold weather the main reason why they've not gone much farther then Hebra's icy peaks (having thick waterproof fur and blubber is great for the cold alpines, not so much anywhere that's above 10 degrees). True there's small settlements of them in other cold locations such as the Highlands of Gerudo and Lanayru, but for the most part they're found almost entirely in Hebra.

The Rito and Yeti get along fairly well, the Rito's expanse along southern Hebra and Tabantha well outside of the interest of the Yeti while their arctic homes were too environmentally extreme for the Rito. However, both had plenty of specialties that they eagerly trade for. Yeti cuisine is incredibly popular among the Rito while they can acquire ingredients from afar for the Yeti to enjoy. But more importantly, both the Rito and Yeti are considered "the grandchildren of the Frost Witch". Veelith is a patron spirit to both, her rare visits eagerly anticipated by Rito and Yeti alike.

Now most Yeti are happy with staying in Hebra, but one particular cook among them longs for adventure. Yemo's a young man amongst the tribe, already an accomplished cook and its his culinary expertise that's the main drive behind his desires to see more of the world. He wants to expands his cooking repetoire, sample dishes from the other far-off lands that the Rito traders talk of. It has been a longtime dream of his, one that was given an opportunity under the direst of circumstances.

Selmie's one of the very few Hylians that lives up in Hebra, ergo she has become regarded as a friend to the Yeti as well. A hurricane nearly strikes Hebra, but is suddenly dispelled, much to her relief. During a routine foraging trip through the frozen peaks, she finds a young Hylian man, one that's frost-bitten and badly wounded. Too far from her cabin, she takes him to the nearest shelter; the Yeti.

Rescuing travellers (or laying them to rest) is pretty common for the Yeti and with Veelith visiting them, it was quick for them to get the stranger into recovery. Assured he was in good hands, Selmie then returned to her cabin and is almost immediately visited by the famed Rito pirate, Revali. Apparently a shipmate of his went overboard a few days ago and they've been searching for him, Selmie in turn pointing them towards the Yeti.

Sure enough, the Rito crew find their wayward deckhand. Teba's first to see him and in a state of delirium, Link briefly wakes up and reaches for Teba, murmuring "Dad, it hurts"

Days later, when he's recovered and lucid enough to travel, Link wants to find the Yeti that had been providing his meals. The cook in question is Yemo, the two just chatting and comparing cooking methods. They hit it off so well that Yemo asks if he can join the crew and Link's up for it, promising to endorse the Yeti's recruitment aboard The Wolf of the Seas.

[faintvibes]

Historical Hetalia Week Day Three: Discovery

Day Three: 0 - 1500 // Discovery @historical-hetalia-week

When I saw the prompt for this day, my first thought was the age of discovery and Europeans conquering (duh)- but my second thought was to flip this on its head. When Europeans 'discovered' new lands and people, those people had to 'discover' the Europeans at the same time. You could arguably say they did a better job, considering indigenous cultures tended not to view themselves as superior to European cultures and so approached their ways of life with respect and curiosity- which was very often not true to other way around. So, I decided to show this through three characters (Fiji, Hawaii, and Tangata Whenua- who is explained in my day one post) entering a (mostly) European hall, dressed in relation to the year their tribes formed a kingdom- which could be seen as the 'ultimate' attempt to be viewed as European equals.

More explanation under the cut!

So let's start in the middle, where the story is shortest (and where my vision was most certain): Hawaii. I'd like to preface this by first of all saying that I am very much of the opinion that a personification of Hawaii existed prior to Hawaii becoming a US state- and that the representation of the state is the same who represented Hawaii previously. This is for a variety of reasons:

Unlike, say, Germany, Hawaii didn't become united by all the Hawaiian tribes agreeing to join hands and work together. Kamehameha the Great took control of the islands through a series of conquests for the sake of uniting the Hawaiian islands. Only one willingly joined under his banner- but very much in the sense that they joined under his banner, and not as an equal. So, these personifications likely were subordinates to the Kingdom of Hawaii, should they have stuck around at all. Additionally, as the Hawaiian identity began to emerge, and people associated more with the kingdom than their original tribes, I believe it makes sense that these remaining personifications would have faded, while Hawaii stuck around.

When the US annexed Hawaii, they replaced its government and absorbed the existing Hawaiian nation into the overarching USA. Because of this, it makes most sense to me that Hawaii became a subordinate of America, as opposed to being replaced by a new personification. However, I can understand the logic behind that thought.

And probably others that I'm blanking on right now

However, that's a future problem! For now, we have a Hawaii as a newly established kingdom- from about 1810, which is the generally agreed upon year for when the monarchial government of Hawaii was established. However (as will be the case for all 3 of these characters), she very much is not an expert on European culture. Though she does a lot better than her two companions in this illustration, due to Hawaii being a very prominent trading spot to Europeans (though this hasn't reached its height yet)- something King Kamehameha the Great pushed hard for. Her hair is quite close to the fashionable style of the day, though her bangs are quite a bit longer than what was preferred. Her dress is based off of these French Regency dresses (taken from James Laver's 'World of Art: Costume and Fashion'):

Particularly from the left drawing- which actually depict dresses from 1803- and which are summer walking dresses. Likely not the right style for this sort of event. So while Hawaii has tried her hardest to dress for the occasion, she's lacks understanding regarding the more intricate details and rules of European styles. This isn't meant to make her look misguided or stupid- I imagine that the traders stopping by on Hawaiian shores are more into selling goods than talking extensively about fashion. And whoever sold her this dress likely... twisted the truth a little.

The purple is a remnant of an old style of dress I was going to draw her in (from Panorama's 'A History of Fashion: From Loincloths to Lycra', by Jacqueline Morley, David Salariya, etc):

However, I figured dresses that are, quite literally, the height of fashion at the time (and undoubtedly being custom ordered by the wealthy wearing them) aren't likely to yet making it as far as Hawaii. However, I admit that the purple probably isn't the most accurate colour for her dress to be, still.

Now, for Tangata Whenua!

While a more extensive explanation of who she is has already been given in my Day One post, I'll give a brief summary here:

My personal perspective on New Zealand's personification differs quite a bit from canon's, and so I use an OC in place of the canon character. (This character is not Tangata Whenua.) While considering when New Zealand would have originated, where she stands on things such as Māori-Pākehā relations, I came up with the concept of Tangata Whenua. She represents the Māori culture/te Ao Māori, and has been around since roughly when the first Polynesians arrived in what is now Aotearoa New Zealand. While in modern times she likely goes by the name Aotearoa, at this point that has not really caught on in reference to all of New Zealand. The Kīngitanag (Māori King Movement) established its first monarch in 1858, while Pākehā began to use Aotearoa as the Māori name for New Zealand in the late 1800s, while Māori did not adopt it until likely the 1900s (perhaps even the late 1900s), though I cannot find a clear answer for this. For some time, Māori only used it to refer to the North Island. Tangata Whenua means 'people of the land', and is a culturally significant term in Māori- I cannot think of a way to quickly summarise this significance, so just trust me.

**Pākehā is a Māori word initially (and most commonly) used to describe European NZers. Sometimes in modern times it is used to refer to all non-Māori NZers.

So, while New Zealand adopted a monarchy when it became a colony of the British Empire in 1840, Tangata Whenua did not until the establishment of the Kīngitanga in 1858. However, it's important to note that the majority of Māori tribes never aligned themselves with the Kīngitanga, and it was never the prominent government in the New Zealand islands. However, it holds a very significant position when discussing the New Zealand Wars- especially in regards to North Island (where most of the wars took place).

As another additional note, I have realised while writing this that I forgot to discuss Tangata Whenua's extraordinarily long hair in my Day One post- I'll be adding that once I finish typing this up. However, let me also explain here:

In Māori culture, the head (and thus hair) is considered very tapu (sacred). Long hair often indicates high status. In fact, in traditional Māori culture, one's hair may only be attended to by one of more mana (generally refers to reputation/status/legacy- doesn't have a close English concept unfortunately, but for now think of it like rank or status). As the personification of the Māori culture, Tangata Whenua was probably viewed as quite an important atua (god, sometimes translated as spirit), meaning no mortal could have more mana than her. As a result, unless any other atua decide to stop by for a chat, there is no one who can style her hair, or cut it. (I imagine she still brushed it, at least because unkempt hair was a sign of mourning.)

After so long, Polynesians currently being believed to have landed in New Zealand sometime from 1250-1350, Tangata Whenua's hair must be ridiculously long. I believe I likely underestimate its true length, no matter how extraordinarily long I draw it. I am not yet decided on how she keeps it in modern times, however (considering Māori people no longer follow this tradition) she likely drops it at some point.

Now, regarding clothes. Given I have a book on fashionable New Zealand dress around this time period, it is what I have consulted. This book is 'Dressed: Fashionable Dress in Aotearoa New Zealand 1840 to 1910' by Claire Regnault. Specifically, I have referenced (for her bodice and skirt) this evening bodice and skirt once owned by a Margaret Watt from Whanganui:

This isn't what I'd consider, exactly, the fashionable look in the late 1850s- and that's why I think it's perfect for Tangata Whenua. In her case, she's likely a lot more familiar with Europeans in day-to-day life than Hawaii, and so has had more opportunities to get familiar with the rules of their fashion. I just don't see her as someone who would care much for those details. The Māori quite often worked European fashion/culture/etc into their existing ways of doing things- but very much in their own way. So Tangata Whenua is not (unlike Hawaii) trying to match European fashion, but using it as a suggestion. This is further emphasised by the kākahu cloak she has tied over her shoulders, and her hairstyle- where the front mimics fashionable ideas at the time, but she's mostly left the back alone, in a ponytail. (This already shows some deviations from the traditional handling of her hair.)

And now, Fiji! The Kingdom of Fiji lasted only three years, uniting the tribes in 1871, however it only took months for government overspending to lead the new kingdom to acquire unimaginable amounts of debt. This lead to social unrest, which prompted the Fijian government to reach out to the British with an offer to hand off the islands to them. By 1874, and agreement was met and the Kingdom of Fiji became the Colony of Fiji. As such, I've interpreted the representation of Fiji to be the most nonchalant regarding this whole monarchy thing. This is most immediately noticeable in the suit he wears:

As you can see, it dates to 1829- quite a while before the unification. I imagine, unlike with the other two, he did not put much effort into picking his outfit beyond 'European' and 'I like it'. Or perhaps this was the most recent European outfit he had, and rampant debt meant he was unable to update it. This is also why, unlike Hawaii and Tangata Whenua, he is not facing forwards. His attention has been drawn away by the walls.

Fijian hair traditions fascinate me, and are certainly something I would like to further explore. In short, Fijians also traditionally applied the concept of sanctity (tabu) to the hair, and in general longer hair meant higher status. However, this hair was never to touch the ground. Style it however you want (dying was also quite possible), but hair must never touch the ground. It lead to some quite interesting fashion trends. Fiji here would have historically had longer hair, but I imagine he took the arrival of European fashions an excuse to try a shorter, simpler style. Here are some examples I've found online:

From the Polynesian Cultural Center Blog

Regarding the background:

While in general this is meant to be a non-descript European hall (with the purple meaning to imply this is the hall of somewhere quite important- though again, I think I've been a bit too extravagant in my use of purple), the detailing on the rug's edge and the door is Polynesian-inspired.

The pattern on the rug's edge is inspired by the ahu ahu mataroa pattern, which can represent talent and achievement in sports/athletics, but can also represent a new challenge. I'm intending the latter meaning. The pattern on the door is loosely inspired by the koru pattern, which symbolises new life, growth, strength, and peace. The inclusion of the last is meant as ironic foreshadowing. This pattern has been represented with sharper lines than is usual, and in unusual colours (it is usually shown in green, mimicking the koru spiral of an unfurling silver fern)- the former is a sort of hint towards the challenges these kingdoms will quickly face (though Hawaii will have to wait a little longer than the others), and the latter is a show of merging with European culture- where these colours are generally more valued.

And you've made it! Congrats on reading this whole thing (I am patting you very gently on the head should you be comfortable with this). If you don't mind, reblog/comment this with a smile emoticon (your choice of which) to let me know someone's actually paid attention to all this! It's not something I expect, but it is greatly appreciated.

:)