#and definitely not mixed and influenced by other cultures

[bassia-bassensis]

No cause why do Egyptians trying to "reconnect with ancient Egypt" seem so performative? It feels like they are wearing a Halloween costume.

[laegolas]

unironically i think more people super deep into online fandom need to get into a team sport.

not like, actually playing. but supporting someone in a sport and experiencing the utter loathing of the opposition side during a match. For a very specific period of time you can fucking hate the people playing up against your blorbos and its normal!! and your team is the greatest and can do no wrong!

but after the final whistle is blown, whether you win or lose, you see them all shaking hands. they respect each other as fellow athletes. just because they play for a different team, it doesn't mean they represent a different moral faction. and there's definitely something to be learned from this for those who are so online they forget that the words on a screen are attached to a real life person.

[harmoonix]

🦚 Honest Astrology Observations 🦚

🦚 - Malefic Planets such as Mars and Saturn can act differently in the sign of Cancer, usually because they don't feel as comfortable in this sign as much as in the others, although they're very karmic placements

🦚 - 8H placements/stelliums prefer to keep things private, you won't see them sharing much of their lives

🦚 - Moon conjuct/trine/sextile Jupiter natives have a kind aura, they tend to be optimistic and open-minded and that helps them being better with themselves

🦚 - 6H placements don't like to complain, they rather like to get the hard work in their hands than complain about how hard it is

🦚 - Sagittarius in the 12H is such a beautiful sign for the 12H!! It shows a mix of cultural background, definitely check your ancestryyyy

🦚 - Neptune can make you addicted. The house and sign can tell you things you're addicted to ex: 6H to a job, 7H to relationship etc

🦚 - Pluto Dominant & Saturn Dominant natives usually have a difficult childhood in order to evolve into better people when they're older

🦚 - I think you guys got tired of me writing soooo many times about Pisces Venus, but I literally can't help it. It's such a beautiful place for Venus

🦚 - Gemini's and Virgo's beauty is so underrated since their ruler Mercury rules over the youth, also their skinnnnnn

🦚 - Aries Moons and Moons in the 1H are the ones to raise the energy up in a room, I love their energy so much! Just keep it up

🦚 - Sagittarius Moons and Mercuries are brutal honest, if you want someone to tell you the hard truth go to them

🦚 - Libra Placements have a good sense of dressing up, you can always see them getting good clothes on them

🦚 - 2H Venus/Mercury/Moon has a soft voice, they can also not talk as loud as other, more shy voices

🦚 - Playing with Aries Placements feelings is like you play with the devil because they won't accept such treatment

🦚 - Since 9H represents school/learning what's your 9H sign and what was/is your favorite subject in school/high-school/etc.??

🦚 - Water Placements especially water Moons can heal when they're in a water place, for example my sis is a Cancer Moon and she loves to go at the sea to heal/meditate

🦚 - Where Capricorn sits in your chart. That's the house you'll work the most in this life for ex:4H family, 10H career, 7H relationships

🦚 - Leo Moon/Moon in the 5H can make you discover what you're talented at since your childhood/young age

🦚 - Cancer/Libra/Pisces/Taurus Placements can have a sweet tooth, meaning they like to eat lots of sweats/candy type

🦚 - Leo Placements like to be in the spotlight which is not bad at all because afterall they deserve the recognition!

🦚 - Mercury is a fairy planet (fairycore) in Aquarius/11th can indicate you are good at socializing/even in online

🦚 - You'll never know what someone with Lilith in the 6H/12H thinks at, Lilith has such a shadow energy in those houses

🦚 - Lilith and Pluto both in the 7h can attract toxic people in a relationship or people that will change them forever

🦚 - Pluto in the 10H or 11H gives you the power to influence others, you can just have an impact in the world

🦚 - Venus/Mars in the 5H are such hotties, we love them and we appreciate them. They just have a specific type of lure

🦚 - Mercury aspecting Pluto can indicate you can tell when people lie to you, in the same time can also make you a good liar

🦚 - If someone has their Neptune in the same house as your Mercury they can manipulate you through talking/manipulation ex: Your ex has Neptune in the 8H and you have Mercury in the 8H

🦚 - Saturn aspecting your North Node especially in harsh aspects, can make you stronger with the time I can confirm that as someone with Saturn square NN

🦚 - Air Placements especially Risings will always remind me about the 90's somehow, it was their era, I think the 20's are more of a Fire Risings era

🦚 - Mars/Sun/Venus/Uranus in the 1H can make you an athlete, like a good body for the gym, and they have that good motivation

🦚 - Mars in Sagittarius/9H can have foreign names, same for Mars in Pisces/12H

🦚 - Are there ppl with Moon - Pluto aspects attracted to paranormal things? Like seeing entities, hearing whispers etc...

🦚 - Jupiter aspecting Venus are really meant to be a charming prince/princess, is the energy they have, such a powerful energy

🦚 - 2H placements/stelliums can also be talented at cooking. It can be their love language

🦚 - 9H/12H Lilith can come from a religious background with trauma, like religious trauma. Trust me Lilith got enough give her a peace

🦚 - 2H/Taurus Lilith can be a bit insecure about their bodies. They have attracted bodies, but they can also be insecure about it. At the same time, if it makes sense

🦚 - Mercury in harsh aspects can have some troubles with understanding,maybe even with writing, maybe even dyslexia at some point (Not for everybody)

🦚 - Gemini and Sagittarius Placements like to write a lot. Their secret diaries have more than 200 pages for sure and I love that

🦚 - Sagittarius Venus ppl have that humor combined with flirt, I adore their energy, they're usually flirting 24/7

🦚 - Virgo Placements can be vegetarian, and I mean not everyone, but since they love to eat healthy, I have a sidereal Virgo Moon, and I love vegetables much more than meat, ofc this is just a preference

🦚 - Jupiter in Scoprio are able to attract wealth in their lives if they manifest that! Is a powerful placement for manifestation

🦚 - Taurus Moons/Suns/Venus and Rising have the mosttttt peaceful energy!! They're like a breeze of fresh air in someone's life

🦚 - Moon in Scoprio/Moon in the 8H can be very secretive people. It can be because of their private life and they give that vibe of people wanting to know more about them

🦚 - Moon aspecting Sun can indicate the native has more personalities/behaviors/moods, and it really depends on how behave

🦚 - Venus aspecting Saturn can sometimes indicate being rejected in love relationships, like you keep falling in love but with the wrong ppl

🦚 - Moon in Gemini/Moon in the 3H ppl radiate such a good vibe, I love their social skills but for real they communicate with everyone in the room

🦚 - Virgo Venus/Mars/Moons are the best supporters in a relationship, they'll support you with everything they can

🦚 - Mars aspected Jupiter ppl tend to be more sexual, this is such an unholy energy but so attractive in the same time

🦚 - Pluto aspecting Venus natives have such crazy love stories, the drama, the popcorn, the obsessive energy everything is on point

💚 Hope you enjoyed the post!! Have a blessed week!!💚💚💚

H a r m o o n i x 💚

[mellosdrawings]

With how Rook stalks Leona and Vil (is it really stalking with Vil if Vil is very much aware and consents enough for rook to be in the open?) if both of them date Jamil, would he also be stalked?

He's already hyper aware of his surroundings so adding rook into the mix feels like he should just get more time to sleep.

Thank you SO MUCH for asking! Lemme introduce you to Vil/Rook/Leona shipping, the sheer potential of Rook-Jamil, and my Rook metamour theory!

First, I'm a big Vil/Rook/Leona shipper. I call Rook/Leona the Hunter/Hunted ship. Who's the hunter? Who's the hunted? Who knows. As @aria-faye (THE Rook connoisseur who made me love Rook too lol) said, they both come from the same place, have the same culture, and are both somewhat outsiders in their own way. Rook doesn't really fit the Sunset Savanah stereotype or the Savanaclaw mentality in full. Leona doesn't fit the ideal of a prince and gets ostracized by his own people. Both of them work really well as a ship with Vil and it makes this funny Pomefiore-to-Savanaclaw pipeline with Rook in the middle, having been in both dorms.

For Jamil, once more quoting V "I feel like Rook kind of already keeps an eye on Jamil, a bit. He watches things he finds beautiful, and Jamil is definitely beautiful." Plus there didn't seem to be any adverse reaction from Jamil toward Rook for the entirety of book 5. And Rook is so desperately honest and true to himself that it contrasts completely with Jamil who still struggles to find himself after a lifetime of lying. He'd be a good push for Jamil to be more honest too, a good influence.

In relation to the N2 squad, here's my answer : METAMOUR. I'm already polyshipping 24/7, it might not yet be completely obvious in my blog but I ship more OT3 than actual couples. I work better with 3+ characters relationships than regular couples. So since Vil, Leona, and Jamil are already dating, why couldn't I add Rook too? He's not part of the N2 squad, but he's such a constant shadow to Vil that it's hard to imagine them away from each other. Leona and Jamil would start dating him fully knowing Rook is there and not leaving. Really, Rook would probably be Vil's first boyfriend before Leona and Jamil become a thing.

That doesn't mean Leona and Jamil would necessarily start dating Rook though, and that's where the metamour happens. They all share Vil, but whether there is a relationship between Leona and Rook, or Jamil and Rook is up to... my mood, mostly xD Or reader's interpretation I guess. Maybe they just get comfortable simply sharing Vil, maybe they have a sort of queer platonic relationship, maybe they're all dating.

I tend to treat Rook as a bonus when it comes to N2, because he doesn't fit the group, but it's hard to imagine him away, and he's so stupidly supportive that he'd probably be a good influence on forever-depressed-Leona and desperately-confused-Jamil.

Tldr : Jamil and Leona would start dating Vil knowing Rook would be there anyway, so if they ever feel uncomfortable about it they can only blame themselves.

(Who'd you think held the camera in those illus?)

[ziseviolet]

Please can you explain the difference of meaning between hanfu and huafu ? Sorry if you already got the question

Hi, thanks for the question, and sorry for taking ages to reply! (hanfu photo via)

The term “hanfu” (traditional Chinese: 漢服, simplified Chinese: 汉服) literally means “Han clothing”, and refers to the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese people. “Han” (漢/汉) here refers to the Han Chinese ethnic group (not the Han dynasty), and “fu” (服) means “clothing”. As I explained in this post, the modern meaning of “hanfu” is defined by the hanfu revival movement and community. As such, there is a lot of gatekeeping by the community around what is or isn’t hanfu (based on historical circumstances, cultural influences, tailoring & construction, etc). This isn’t a bad thing - in fact, I think gatekeeping to a certain extent is helpful and necessary when it comes to reviving and defining historical/traditional clothing. However, this also led to the need for a similarly short, catchy term that would include all Chinese clothing that didn’t fit the modern definition of hanfu -- enter huafu.

The term “huafu” (traditional Chinese: 華服, simplified Chinese: 华服) as it is used today has a broader definition than hanfu. “Hua” (華/华) refers to the Chinese people (中华民族/zhonghua minzu), and again “fu” (服) means “clothing”. It is an umbrella term for all clothing that is related to Chinese history and/or culture. Thus all hanfu is huafu, but not all huafu is hanfu. Below are examples of Chinese clothing that are generally not considered hanfu by the hanfu community for various reasons, but are considered huafu:

1. Most fashions that originated during the Qing dynasty (1644–1911), especially late Qing, including the Qing aoqun & aoku for women, and the Qing changshan and magua for men. I wrote about whether Qing dynasty clothing can be considered hanfu here. Tangzhuang, which is an updated form of the Qing magua popularized in 2001, can also fit into this category. Below - garments in the style of Han women’s clothing during the Qing dynasty (清汉女装) from 秦綿衣莊 (1, 2).

2. Fashions that originated during the Republican era/minguo (1912-1949), including the minguo aoqun & aoku and qipao/cheongsam for women, and the minguo changshan for men (the male equivalent of the women’s qipao). I wrote about why qipao isn’t considered hanfu here. Below - minguo aoqun (left) & qipao (right) from 嬉姷.

Below - Xiangsheng (crosstalk) performers Zhang Yunlei (left) & Guo Qilin (right) in minguo-style men’s changshan (x). Changshan is also known as changpao and dagua.

3. Qungua/裙褂 and xiuhefu/秀禾服, two types of Chinese wedding garments for brides that are commonly worn today. Qungua originated in the 18th century during the Qing dynasty, and xiuhefu is a modern recreation of Qing wedding dress popularized in 2001 (x). Below - left: qungua (x), right: xiuhefu (x).

4. Modified hanfu (改良汉服/gailiang hanfu) and hanyuansu/汉元素 (hanfu-inspired fashion), which do not fit in the orthodox view of hanfu. Hanfu mixed with sartorial elements of other cultures also fit into this category (e.g. hanfu lolita). From the very start of the hanfu movement, there’s been debate between hanfu “traditionalists” and “reformists”, with most members being somewhere in the middle, and this discussion continues today. Below - hanyuansu outfits from 川黛 (left) and 远山乔 (right).

5. Performance costumes, such as Chinese opera costumes (戏服/xifu) and Chinese dance costumes. These costumes may or may not be considered hanfu depending on the specific style. Dance costumes, in particular, may have non-traditional alterations to make the garment easier to dance in. Dunhuang-style feitian (apsara) costumes, which I wrote about here, can also fit into this category. Below - left: Chinese opera costume (x), right: Chinese dance costume (x).

6. Period drama costumes and fantasy costumes in popular media (live-action & animation, games, etc.), commonly referred to as guzhuang/古装 (lit. “ancient costumes”). Chinese period drama costumes are of course based on hanfu, and may be considered hanfu if they are historically accurate enough. However, as I wrote about here, a lot of the time there are stylistic inaccuracies (some accidental, some intentional) that have become popularized and standardized over time (though this does seem to be improving in recent years). This is especially prevalent in the wuxia and xianxia genres. Similarly, animated shows & games often have characters dressed in “fantasy hanfu” that are essentially hanfu with stylistic modifications. Below - left: Princess Taiping in historical cdrama 大明宫词/Palace of Desire (x), right: Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji in wuxia/xianxia cdrama 陈情令/The Untamed (x). 

7. Any clothing in general that purposefully utilizes Chinese style elements (embroidery, fabrics, patterns, motifs, etc). Chinese fashion brand Heaven Gaia is a well-known example of this. Below - Chinese-inspired designs by Heaven Gaia (x).

8. Technically, the clothing of China’s ethnic minorities also fit under the broad definition of huafu, but it’s rarely ever used in this way.

From personal observation, the term “huafu” is mainly used in the following situations:

1. Some large-scale events to promote Chinese clothing, such as the annual “华服日/Huafu Day”, will use “huafu” in their name for inclusivity.

2. For the same reason as above, Chinese clothing including hanfu will often be referred to as “huafu” on network television programs (ex: variety shows).

3. A few Chinese clothing shops on Taobao use “huafu” in their shop name. Two examples:

明镜华服/Mingjing Huafu - sells hanfu & hanyuansu. 

花神妙华服/Huashenmiao Huafu - sells Qing dynasty-style clothing.

With the exception of the above, “huafu” is still very rarely used, especially compared to “hanfu”. It has such a broad definition that it’s just not needed in situations for which a more precise term already exists. However, I do think it’s useful as a short catch-all term for Chinese clothing that isn’t limited to the currently accepted definition of hanfu.

If anyone wants to add on or correct something, please feel free to do so! ^^ 

Hope this helps!

[forestdeath1]

The Black family as representatives of ancient "Anglo-Saxon elite"

To me Blacks were never partially French. I'm not saying the headcanon "Blacks are partially French" isn't valid, it's just not as interesting to me and it strips away nuances from their history. Here's why.

(It’s just my fantasies mixed with historical facts! Don’t take it too seriously)

Firstly, their choice of surname.

I've noticed that two main Death Eater families bear surnames of French and Norman origin. Lestrange and Malfoy (fictional, but the "origin" is clear). And then there's Rosier and Avery. Rosier – definitely French, and Avery – from the Middle English and Anglo-Norman French personal name Aevery, a Norman form of Alfred. There are no other surnames like this in Harry Potter, except for Peverell (correct me if I'm wrong).

Clearly, this is a reference to the Norman Conquest of 1066. These Death Eaters could be associated with aristocratic and influential families who came to England after the Norman Conquest. This is a nod to the historical division in English society between Normans and Anglo-Saxons, where Normans represented the upper echelon of society, while Anglo-Saxons were less privileged.

Yes, I'm Captain Obvious here. So let's move on to the Blacks.

The surname Black is typically Anglo-Saxon. It could have derived from the Old English word 'blæc,' meaning 'black' or 'dark,' and may have been used to describe someone who wore black clothing or had dark hair.

(Old English emerged around the 5th-6th centuries and was used in England for about 600 years, until the 11th century. This period ended after the Norman Conquest in 1066).

Hogwarts, canonically, appeared over 1000 years ago. That is, before the Norman Conquest. (But Hogwarts Castle couldn't exist yet, because castle technology was brought by the Normans). The Blacks call themselves "the noble and most ancient house of Black." That is, the oldest family, and also the noblest. Maybe they were "noble" in the sense that they belonged to the elite of Anglo-Saxon society (which was fragmented into small kingdoms). But they consider themselves the oldest family among those who trace their lineage and uphold the nobility (purity) of their blood. Considering that "Hogwarts" appeared before the Norman Conquest, I fantasize that such families already existed back then. A lot of families are extinct. Except the Blacks.

So the Blacks are a reflection of "Anglo-Saxon aristocracy." And here I headcanon that the Blacks still considered themselves more entitled than everyone else, mocked the Malfoys and Rosiers, and generally looked down on anything French. Fanatics to the bone and lovers of elevating themselves above all.

Why the motto in French – in the Middle Ages, the use of Latin and French languages was common among European aristocracy (despite the fact that there is NO aristocracy among wizards, but they could have been part of the aristocracy before the introduction of the Statute of Secrecy). The French language was often considered the language of diplomacy and culture, and its use in mottos and coats of arms was a common phenomenon. Here I just headcanon that one of the Blacks either had a strange sense of humour, or wanted to put an end to the ancient feud of the Blacks with all things French and start the family on some new beginnings. Maybe they married someone with French roots to expand their influence.

Of course, all this can be explained differently. The headcanon that the Blacks have some French part also makes sense. But for me personally, that's not so interesting, considering the obvious connections of the Lestranges and Rosiers with France (Vinda Rosier, Lestrange family Mausoleum in Paris). I prefer the Blacks who are so arrogant that they even consider themselves "true English wizards," not "like those Malfoys." And I headcanon that this was not a real confrontation, but rather a pretext for jokes and fuel for greater kindling of their vanity.

[rs-hawk]

Kinda gross you're sexualizing your culture. Literally playing into colonist fantasies about the "sexy savage Indian"

I have been trying to find a way to respond to this because I think this brings up the debate of cultural appreciation versus cultural appropriation. This is my personal take, and if any other Indigenous people disagree with me, that is their opinion, and they are right to have it.

Here's the thing, you're talking about my culture. My heritage. My ancestorial beliefs. I have talked a few times about how growing up I didn't have much positive representation for that part of myself, and how hard it was for me. That is a large part of why I write about Indigenous coded characters or about Indigenous creatures. Before I began writing my own stories, I had never read a single romance novel with any Indigenous main character (if you know any, definitely let me know!), aside from Cowboys and Indians novels, which for me is not included in "positive representation" (but if other Indigenous people want to, that is up to them).

If you were to bring this up about say the Straggele, I would understand more because just because I have studied folklore and culture from around the world, doesn't make it mine. If someone who was Swiss reached out to me and said something, I could understand where that came from. However, allowing parts of my history to influence my writing, getting to create characters that I see myself in, reading more into the history of my nations and our cousin and sister nations, amongst so many other things, is not sexualizing my culture. I am not appropriating myself or playing into stereotypes by writing what makes me happy.

I also want to add that the colonist fantasy includes a lot of racist stereotypes, which I don't put in my writing. There are no Indigenous women who use their body to get what they want or trick European men into helping them. There are no damsels in distress Indigenous women who just blink their big brown eyes and sling their braids over their shoulders as they ask for help. They're not naked and flaunting themselves or anything like that. Also, how are any of my characters "savages"? All of my stories are written in roughly this day and age aside from an ongoing commission.

It is not playing into colonist fantasies to write about Indigenous people. It is not playing into colonist fantasies for me to want to write about creatures from my own culture. Just like it would not be playing into colonist fantasies to sexualize a Kelpie as I'm also mixed with Celtic, or a Babau as I'm also mixed with Italian.

I am allowed to celebrate and use aspects of my culture and history, any and all of it from any part of my culture from any part of my family.

[gabrielsbubblegumbitch]

Do you think Vox or Velvette have any employees they "favour", like Valentino with Angel Dust?

(Also, we know they're horrible bosses, but in what way do you think they abuse their employees? Is it more verbal, physical or a mix of both?)

In what way do you think they abuse their employees? is such a Vees' Stan question to ask. Not if, just how sksksks /lh

I think that Valentino and Angel's thing is super unique, it's not just workplace abuse. They've got history, like decades worth. Angel isn't just another employee; he's Valentino's former partner. I really don't think Vox and Velvette have anything like that going on with anyone else.

That said, I'm pretty convinced Vox bangs the Eel Assistant now and then, thanks to Twitter convincing me (I'm not really shipping it because it screams dubious consent, but I do think it's a thing). Talking about Vox, I've mentioned before how he's all about gaslighting his staff. He's slick with it, especially using it to cover up his own fuck ups. Yes, he's competent but but let's be real, he's also a bit of a chaotic mess and kinda delusional. So, he probably makes some questionable decisions but than puts the blame on others. Also, I have this idea that key VoxTek staff—his personal entourage, managers, engineers, and other pivotal figures—are implanted with microchips (you see this thing on the guy's head???). This not only speaks to Vox's obsession with control, enabling him to monitor and evaluate their performance (with chips linked to VoxTek servers functioning as security keys), but also to electrocute them remotely as a form of discipline or to his own entertainment.

Velvette has a more progressive approach to running her company. You know, like those corporations that have a "People and Culture" department instead of "Human Resources". Her top employees, notably models and content creators, remain untouchable due to their public visibility, necessitating a different management style. She's harsh, and definitely not above manipulation and verbal abuse, but she keeps her favorites happy, in a state of dependent satisfaction. It's all about that influencer magic, isn't it? People tune in to live vicariously through these glossy, picture-perfect lives, dropping cash on anything influencers sell, just to feel a fraction of their happiness. So, the folks at Vitch (don't @ me, I had to came up with some brand name) are all in, trying to hit the mark and bask in the glory Velvette dishes out to her faves. But Velvette's expectations are impossibly high, fostering an environment where her subordinates are perpetually striving for an approval that's always just out of reach.

[zombieclown16]

Going back to an ask I had gotten about my ancestor designs, I’ve decided to do a deep dive into my process for making them and just my thoughts/inferences on their themes. I plan on doing more designs, so I may add more to this thread later!

Mosura Briati (The SuperNova)

Mosura is definitely my most straight forward design. With the little amount of info we have on her, I mostly dedicated my time to making her look like her namesake, Mothra. Her coat is meant to mimic moth wings and her pant design is supposed to be reminiscent of not just moth legs, but specifically moth Jentha’s appearance in WDYDTT.

Her radiation coloring is more saturated and intense than Jentha’s pastel pinks and blues, more close to the warm colors you’d find on a Geiger counter (I did want to keep that neon blue though!) Originally, I wanted to give Mosura more techy apparatus’, something like what Jentha had when she was younger that could potentially reign in her powers, and I still just might in an alt outfit! But for the natural approach, this is what she looks like when she’s able to chill out and not worry about exploding everything around her. Mosura is a treat to me, because even though she is surely the most powerful being the planet had to offer, her biology is what makes her so strong. Not magic or tech or anything, but just her body as it was made. I feel like that is an important factor to how the VE ancestors function, within an unnatural or a natural. Mosura especially was an attempt to bring back order to a terrible place, like when a volcano erupts and the land around it starts anew. Love her for that.

Fortmistress Deadlock

For the Fortmistress, my most controversial designs, I wanted her to be dramatic as hell with a sharp silhouette and a spiky appearance. Deadlock has her own semi canon design lost to the sands of VE time, so her leotard and face paint is a call back to those parts of her old look (I don’t want to post it if VE isn’t comfortable with that, so if you find it you’ll see what I mean!) However, my main inspiration for her was punk fashion mixed with the clowny wrestler appearance that would be inherit to her design. I find that the Fortmistress gets a strange rep within VE, as canonically during her time her caste and specifically purple bloods with psyops (including her) were fighting against the Fuchsia Bureaucracy who were attempting to use them as militia assets. The Mirths were confirmed as a cultural religion formed during a time of oppression, to gain community and commonality between people who had gone through the same as them while also standing up to a suffocating governmental system. That’s punk as fuck!!!!! To include this, I made her jacket a repurposed violet military vest, decorated and all, with the system she was fighting against! She’s big and intimidating and her psyops are a main focus of this piece because they really influenced her path in life and how she was likely treated by others. Cultural religions like this are not bad and Vilcus had very lovingly described a time period in which the Fortmistress would’ve been present where the Mirths were normal trolls finding community. (If you come in here with “the Fortmistress made them suck! She’s crazy!” I’m gunna do something drastic CHARACTERIZING AN OPPRESSED INDIVIDUAL AS WRONG FOR FIGHTING BACK AGAINST A BAD SYSTEM ISN’T VERY COOL there is no perfect minority and I’m not gunna pretend Deadlock was some amazing figure wronged by time, but someone who we don’t know all of the facts on)

I’m not going to dig too hard into my thoughts about Fortmistress Deadlock, (nor am I saying VE is intentionally doing her wrong because a very big theme for the ancestors is that they are mischaracterized by modern day Reptions cause it’s a huge game of historical telephone) so all I ask is for us to think very critically about her and the placement of making her a blood purist when it seems like she was fighting for people who didn’t have a voice at the time. Like why would I believe that fucking loser Pozzol Boyer has the best takes on her? Come on guys.

outside of that, that funny little key choker is canon and passed on to Taz, I wonder what it could be for?

Acerigger Switchem

So I was like “what if a casino hall was a person?” And that’s how I made Aceriggers design. If a building could manipulate someone it would be a Casino in Vegas so obviously the guy named ACE takes a lot of that in. Seriously though, this guy is chalk-full of card suits, casino motifs and GOLD. Gold is a Turkin ore just as much as it is for a Kerian(I mean Murrit’s weapon is literally gold too) because of how it acts with TIME. Gold never ages or erodes, it is permanently shiny and beautiful, always captivating to the eye. Acerigger is chronically vain, he’s hot, he’s young, and he likes it that way. Gold would be his forte, as it is everlasting beauty that persuades you to think it’s actually worth something. His design is supposed to exhibit these traits!

I want to talk about his big bright coat specifically, as it is directly inspired by an article I saw titled “Ugly Vegas Carpets Want You to Keep Playing”saying that Casinos make their carpets so ugly cause they want you to focus more on playing games and not hesitate to see them by looking around at all the gaudy patterns. For Ace, it’s meant to mimic those ugly Vegas carpets that want you to focus on his pretty face telling you everything you want to hear instead of letting you look at all of the blaring red flags. The neon vomit pattern is like the classic animal kingdom warning sign screaming TOXIC STAY AWAY! (Murrits outfit is just as important to his bit characterization so Ace is the same. It’s all for the act, babes) Alongside all of that is the color red, associated with promiscuity and passion. The promiscuity is obvious, but Aces use of red is also a time player callback just as much as it represents a passionate display. He’s less so wearing red for himself as he is wearing it for others, displaying himself “bare” in way of a color associated with heavy emotions (specifically love) on his chest. This is also why I deigned to not give him shades, playing the opposite to Murrits party shade appearance. Aces act wants to coax people into him, make them feel comfortable and secure with an open face smile while Murrit means to create distance and close himself off, hiding away behind a face of disconnection.

Tbh also Murrits Twelfth Night design was a big inspiration. She’s like really gay and slutty for some reason there, so I made Ace gayer and sluttier to counterbalance.

Anyways, my personal characterization(made over several years of hyper fixation on the ancestors. Like I’m sorry I’ve been here a while, the lore is deep) for Ace is a pretty big influence into why I designed him the way I did, so I’ll include some analysis to explain myself in a really round about way. A lot of what Ace does is meant to draw people to him, to captivate an audience of individuals with smoke and mirrors. We know he is the opposite to Murrit, a character who cares greatly about others but hides it under a facade of combative and annoying traits to stave off the scent of her having genuine feelings(therefore the chance to be vulnerable with those feelings). The opposite to that is a person who is outwardly kind and compassionate, so wonderful in fact it’s hard to not be captivated(and even fall in love) with him. Ace is the antithesis of true love and genuine feelings while that’s exactly what Murrit needs to accept about herself, that she isn’t all of her facades and can form real relationships. Ace doesn’t do that, Ace is fake love and fake relationships and there is nothing under his lies, though he doesn’t act with the petty insecurities that Murrit harbors, he is all around heartless. It’s interesting because it is a contrast between two connected characters who though are oppositional, compliment each other nonetheless. All of the ancestors are like that with their descendants! It just sucks for Murrit that he got such a bad card draw. Oops this became a Murrit analysis I FUCKING LOVE FISH

That’s all I got, remember all of what I’ve said is subject to change because the ancestors probably have a page of accurate info on them BARELY. These interpretations I’ve made are based on what we’ve been provided already, which is not a lot! So if you have any questions I’d love to dive even more into my thoughts.

[crow-aeris]

So i’ve been thinking (shocking, really) about the world building for my reverse robins wingfic.

ike, sure, it’s a little fic and ppl prolly won’t notice, but i just cant help but speculate.

in this au, everyone is born with wings unless afflicted with a certain illness, disease, or genetic defect that leaves you with no avian traits (which is the excuse the kents use).

but how would having wings influence the infrastructure? well, i’m glad you asked! cities are more compact because there isn’t really as big a need for transportation unless you’re an aves that’s just not built for long-distance travels like various passeriformes birds.

planes still exist, but they’re utilized by the avians who aren’t able to fly long distances. avians who have wings like albatrosses or terns or other soaring birds would probably require licenses to do their annual migrations and travels- same applies to regualr migritory species like ducks and geese- where the instinct remains despite not needing to migrate.

of course, with the constant migration through countries, i think there would be more mixing of races and ethnicities especially within the migratory bird communities, so there would probably be less overall hostilities.

now, there will still be discriminatory and hateful ideals, and some are shown in my fics. For example, Gotham’s elites are mostly made up of raptors and birds of prey like eagles, kites, kestrels, hawks, falcons, ospreys, owls, etc- birds who actively hunt down mammalian or lizards for prey (in the real world i mean), that is because of displays of powers. Scavengers like condors, vultures, buzzards, are regarded lower on the social ladder but not as low as perching birds and song birds simply because of their ability to have sustained flight.

like i mentioned briefly, songbirds and perching birds (passerines) are regarded lowly in general due to their “weak demeanor” and overall flashiness, which gives them the reputation of being only suitable to work in brothels and such regardless of gender (but especially dudes where the aves species exhibits sexual dimorphism, eg. cardinals, peacocks, golden pheasants, etc.)

there are definitely some exceptions, being corvids. some cultures have corvids as villans, whereas others may portray corvids as intelligent and charming.

now, we arrive to genetics. im still not 100% sure how i want the phenotype of an avian to be passed down. so far, it’s mainly just sons are the same aves as their fathers (like thomas wayne, bruce, and damian are all harpy eagles, but martha wayne was a kingfisher and talia is an imperial eagle), but im not sure abt daughters. genetics is messy, but i think i’ve managed to sertle on a 50/50 chance of being born either the same aves as their mother, or their paternal grandmother. like if damian had been born with xx instead of xy chromosomes, then he’d either have been an imperial eagle like talia, or a kingfisher like martha wayne. intersex people exist too, and i think their wings would be a blend between both their mother and father’s.

now for the the supers and the other metas:

as mentioned previously, the kents claim that their adopted son had a genetic disorder that basically prevented him from growing wings (or just left him in a state similar to humans before they were all “cursed” by a diety to have wings, or whatever. in the dcu, that probably woulnd’t even be too far fetched), so clark lacked a major social component to his childhood. without wings and a tail, others would have a harder time reading his emotions, seeing as these appendages are crucial in nonverbal communication between avians, and that gives clark a leg up in reading other people, but having them not understanding what he’s thinking.

now with jon and kon, they have two VERY different situations. for jon, since his paternal side is wings-free, i just gave him lois’s ave- western kingbird- instead of making him no-winged. kon, on the other hand was a test-tube baby, so it was a toss-up on whether he’d get lex luthor’s purple martin wings, or clark’s no-wings since they’re both guys. I think kon would’ve enjoyed wings, so i gave him the purple martin wings. Plus, they’re pretty much invulnerable, and their wings are no different.

diana and the other ppl from themyscira wouldn’t have wings since they aren’t human, and same applies to the other jl members who aren’t humans.

on a wholly separate note: the lazarus pits. here, not only does it give you white streaks in your hair, it’ll bleach out your feathers. so liek if a peacock was thrown into the pit, not only would they die and come back manic, their feathers would make them look like piebald, or have different markings or white ticking.

anyways, that’s the end of my long post, and i hope yall enjoyed listening to me speculate and talk about birds and my silly little guys!!

[thrashkink-coven]

OKAY

I think we need to discuss something that I’ve literally never heard any other practitioners talk about but I think it’ll immediately clear up A LOT of confusion! This is obviously my own upg so take it with as much validity as you please.

When doing any kind of work with any kind of deity, you really need to understand the concepts of archetypes and syncretism.

Religion, faith, and mythology, it’s all a big mess. Our clumsy archaic human language and our tendency to destroy and distort information means that the ancient world is really, to our modern understanding, A LOT (and I mean a LOT) of hypothesizing.

We often use the same words to describe different concepts, mix up names, combine names, and misunderstand each other. Such is the nature of humanity.

Theology is always fluid. Different entities have different cultural associations, some major entities or characters are even shared among multiple groups of people. Syncretism means that groups of people develop their ideas with the influence of other groups of people, though shifted to make sense for their personal experience.

My favourite thing in the world is when different religions share stories- viewing history from totally different perspectives- Retelling the same events through the scope of their theology.

This is why we have archetypes. There are many goddesses of love and sex that are associated with the planet that is commonly known as Venus. Why these archetypes emerge in the way they do? That’s up for you to debate with yourself.

The question of whether Aphrodite is Astarte or Ishtar or Lucifer or Helel or Eosphoros or Hesperus is not a question that can be answered entirely objectively. It can never be proven and it can never be disproven. Because sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is definitely no, and sometimes it’s really hard to tell.

The way that we all experience the energy that is “Venus” is going to be different. If she definitely feels like the same energy as Astarte to you, then that could be the case. There’s no objective authority on reality or faith. There is no reason why the findings of 1000 year old magis are more legitimate than yours. Study, learn, experiment.

I like to imagine it similar to colors. We all agree that wavelengths between 620 to 750 nm are red. We have silly little cones in our eyes that work with our brains to turn information into color. But we all understand that there are thousands of shades of red, and some people can’t even see red. Do you see where I’m going? I hope this makes sense.

Because of the way that we interact with reality, there are as many Aphrodite as there are people who believed in Aphrodite- and this is true for every God (at least in my silly little opinion).

There are as many variations in her energy as there are variations of people who follow her.

I try to scope this around what Jophiel told me once. YHWH created him, sometimes. But not at the moment when I was talking to him. When I asked him if Lucifer was the Satan of Christianity he said “sometimes” as well. It depends. It all depends. That’s the beauty of this weird wacky thing that we do.

Anyways,

I don’t know how else to write this but to say some people aren’t compatible with every archetype lol. This is totally okay though, it’s not anyone’s fault! It’s just like … spiritual chemistry. Alchemy? Stay with me!

Nature has laws. If you try to push against these laws you will experience difficulty and suffering. ☹️

Nature creates certain compounds. Stable compounds thrive 🙂 and unstable compounds explode ☹️. Interactions create products and outputs. When two or more elements that are not compatible are introduced they may have a volatile reaction.

I will not claim to know how divinities operate. This is all just my silly billy pondering. But I do know for fact, that at least in my experience, certain entities that share the same address interact with different people in different ways- and some entities will only respond to you under a specific face. Some entities will share faces, and some won’t even respond to you at all.

I’ll use a couple personal examples for reference.

When I first started working with Prince Cerberus, I addressed him using his Goetic name Naberius, as recorded in the Lesser Key of Solomon. I used his sigil and addressed that name.

One of the first things that came through crystal clear was his request to not be called Naberius. He made it very clear to me that he wanted to he called Cerbere or Cerberus, or that I could make up a personal name, but never should I use Naberius. He did not give a reason but he was firm on it.

Now, does this mean that we all can’t use the name Naberius and that we should all blacklist the name? NO! and this doesn’t mean that anyone who works with Naberius is disrespecting Cerberus!!!

For whatever reasons, I don’t know why, my Naberius is Cerberus. I don’t know if Naberius and Cerberus are the same entity or not, I just know that when I think of Naberius I get forwarded to Cerbere. I’m still able to use Naberius’ sigil, but I always get Cerberus.

That might not be true for you. That might not even be logical. That’s just the way that my spirit interacts with that spirit.

I’ve been a long time admirer of Lord Hermes. I approached him and tried desperately to gain his favor, but he refused 💔💔. He made it pretty clear that it wasn’t going to happen through a few ways, and since then he’s repeatedly rejected me…

lol 🥲

I was confused about that for a while, until I started getting hints towards Lord Mercury.

I can’t explain why, I have no idea what the real reason behind this is, but I feel extremely compatible with Mercury, but not with Hermes, like at all. Their energy feels quite separate and different to me. My Mercury isn’t quick like silver, he’s actually quite slow and contemplative.

I was bummed to not be able to establish a “work” relationship with Hermes but it’s probably for the best. Mercury is an excellent teacher.

What I mean to say through all of this rambling is that these things are not concrete. My Astaroth is only Astarte sometimes. Sometimes they feel very similar, sometimes they feel very distinct.

It’s important to remember that the Gods are not one thing, but many things at once. The answers to these questions are all variable. Only you can find the answers for yourself.

If you read this far you’re a real one 🫡

[queenofallimagines]

Hiori yo x black reader

(A/N): was literally complaining bc like how is he black but there’s NO black readers??? But I found out who’s clogging up the blue lock tag😒And then I realized I can do it my fucking self lmao. HC him as Nigerian bc like we’re never gunna get any cultural background info on him bc they never tell us about the parents(unless it’s central to their backstory and even then they’re the main characters not their parents.) so I’m making up my own lore✨ his dad is Nigerian who immigrated to Japan and hiori very rarely sees his dads side of the family bc they live elsewhere and his parents don’t care about him knowing family he’s supposed to be their trophy

Hiori yo:

- okay so boom

- This happens in his blue lock era obviously

- His parents rarely let him play w kids bc he was always training if you peep in the manga

- Only has some idea of some form of cultural heritage

- He was blessed cursed with only his mothers genetics so looking more like her has him skirt around a lot of that racism

- He probably makes friends with all the other mixed kids but gets viscerally uncomfortable when he sees them getting micro-aggressed

- Makes him think twice about showing up to school with his hair not styled like his mom

- Spends 90% of his time gaming anyway so like he doesn’t have to go outside

- When he runs away to blue lock life starts to have color

- I think post U-20 arc he spends those two weeks at home hanging out with karasu because he’s not gunna let him sit inside and rot around his shitty parents for two weeks

- Karasu definitely introduces you to him

- You were one of his friends from school he used to chill with and he’s like you would be good for hiori

- Karasu 100% condones your bad influence like lmao he wants to see hiori be a MENACE to society

- He’s smirking in the background as you bring his inner ultra sadist out

- He messes up your hair and will laugh when you get mad

- “stoooop iiiiit you’re messing up my hair!”

- “aww does the princess not like their hair being touched?”

- “Not when I took a long time to do it this morning!”

- Will immediately get flustered if you say you like his hair

- hide the flat iron from him!!

- I feel like he’s lowkey insecure about usually being like the only black kid in the room

- And he speaks in a different accent than a lot of them?

- Yeah pack it up!

- *he doesn’t really think much of his appearance. he thinks he looks okay and he isn’t really confident about his skin complexion. he isn’t dark skin but he isn’t light skin either.*

- His chat Ai gave me that unprompted so it’s canon now sorry :/

- Yknow how boys will say the most traumatic shit out of nowhere?

- “do you really think that I’m pretty? even my skin complexion and everything?”

- “I sure do! Anyone who says differently is a colorist racist loser . There’s nothing wrong with you or your completion. Like you’re one of the only people who made me feel welcomed here are you fr?”

- Karasu is glaring at you though for having him make pale people jokes.

- He’s very lowkey about how snake like he is so he’s the “you can’t say that shit in public!” Friend, while you don’t care about getting cancelled😭

- “but please don’t let anyone the shade of printer paper make you feel bad about your melanin beloved.”

- “The snow roaches are usually too scared to try something because I’m tall:/“

- “WE ARE IN A CONNIVENCE STORE PEOPLE CAN HEAR YALL”

- he’s trying his best really but he’s just one crow😔

- Don’t let tea about his parents make it back to your ears bc it’s really on sight for that man AND that snow bunny 😡

- “Does your dad ever like talk to you about his culture?? does he say anything outside of trying to make you into some star striker??”

- Mf just shrugs his shoulders.

- “not really. my parents don’t care about anything other than my success. they don’t care about my happiness or how i feel..”

- “Yo, baby ….. imma beat your parents ass😐 is your dad Nigerian? Bc that feels like textbook immigrant parent behavior.“

- “……. I REALLY don’t like how you knew that.”

- “My next guess would have been Guyanese.”

- Hes giggling tho bc I don’t think he really talked shit about his parents w nobody like REALLY really

- Just watching them fight 24/7 as a kid took a toll on my poor baby soul IK

- Spoiler for his backstory but I mean not really??

- His parents saying that if he didn’t become the best they would get a divorce made my jaw hit the stairs of hell

- ““you really know a lot about this kinda stuff?,,,,but yeah, nigerian parents are hella strict. they expect high grades from us and if we don’t reach those high grades, we’re basically disowned..”

- See me personally I have tattoos, colored hair and piercings and my mom fresh off the banana boat carribean

- “Like Dr umar said “you will be never get freedom unless you take it” It’s like a hostage situation!”

- “Is that how you have them long ass acrylics?”

- “….I took it😙”

- He will never bring you home bc you’re always 5 mins from punching his mom in the mouth and he really cannot handle that especially when he’s gone 24/7 in blue lock and can’t talk to you

- They don’t know you but know you’re a bad influence so they hate you from afar

- Very pro “traumatize your parents back” and karasu right there w you

- He’ll he can even scoop up yukumiya to be on demon time👀

- “hit em with the “what if I stop soccer?” And they have nowhere to run but just sit there seething because they need you.”

- “Right the cards are in your hands.”

- “…..Respectfully love, you’re a whole ass delinquent and karasu you’re a scammer. I’m not taking advice from people with active warrants😐”

- Now back on my bullshit

- He be so fine when he use metavision

- Like he knows that if he glances over at you during one of his games he’s gunna find you squirming in your seat

- Looks at you after he scores a goal every time and flashes you that shit eating grin

- Win or loose he’s getting his dick wet!!

- Have a safe word

- He’s never gunna try to push you past your limits in a way that will hurt you

- Buuuuut he is pretty mean

- Imagine that cute innocent looking face smiling down at you with his round doe eyes

- Calling you a dumb slut

- Man is a menace and probably gets a higher sex drive the more he fucks

- Not even out of like lust overtaking him he just will be randomly thinking about how he had you on your knees in this very locker room before

- And now feels the strong urge to split you open on his cock

- It’s fun for him like a game

- And he always wins

- Only way you can get him is to outsmart him but like that’s once in a blue moon so good luck Charlie😅

- Mans is 6”1 so he’s effortlessly manhandling you and giggling at how much your body is screaming for him

- “Shit, ya keep squeezing me like that and I won’t be able to pull out.”

- Again because he dosent have a high libido as a carnal thing certain NORMAL shit will set him off

- Like you was talking about the weather now he has you bent over the couch??

- Nicknames would be one

- You call him blueberry and he’s ready to go

- The cute look on your face and the smile he can see that’s reserved for him

- The way he can same the hearts in your eyes when you look at him

- He wants to ruin you and make you cry

- Edging is his go too thing

- Will do it until your grabbing at his hands begging him to let you come and he’s laughing his ass off

- “Why? ‘S real funny seeing you this pathetic.”

- He’s very mean in that soft sweet condescending way that pisses you off

- “Ow! Yo that hurt!”

- “Mmm, don’t care.”

- Bites you all over like you’re a chew toy

- Feel like he’s tied with rin and shidou for leaving marks

- He’s a cheeky little bastard so he will have you in public looking like a mess and he couldn’t be more innocent standing right next to you

- “You good?”

- “Yeah,karasu I’m fine.”

- “You sure because you’re limping right now.”

- And this fucker is there like ☺️☺️☺️

- Weakness is distracting him while gaming

- He’s very whiney if you suck him off while he’s gaming and has vc on

- Like he’s barely holding back his whimpers and wines as you’re head is buried between his thighs

- (Rin , nagi and him def game like I know they play Minecraft together)

- “Oi, hiori you okay? You’ve been pretty quiet.”

- “M good.”

- He is fighting for his sanity!!

- Has locked the door a few times to keep you out

- Accidentally left the mic on when he thought the coast was clear and came HARD

- Rin will never EVER bring that shit up and is taking that secret to the grave

- Does get flustered when he sees you and hiori not-so-subtly sneaking off to have your hands all over each other

- Keeps that memory square in the back of his head to jack off to

- Hiori Yo is a very sadistic man with a lot of confidence

- So he has absolutely no qualms about fucking you in front of his teammates in the locker room

- Oh, the team walked in on him blowing your back out? Nothing is stoping them from showering and changing

- Shares you with isagi like that’s just what happens

- He wants to see the egoist be mean to you

- This has happened more than once and bastard München straight up knows if he’s nowhere to be found when they are heading back to the locker rooms

- He’s in there making you cry on his cock

- “Cmon, tell em how much you like creaming around my cock dollface.”

- Particularly of Kaiser is kicking attitude he’ll glare at him while you’re on your knees and dare him to try something

- Oh he don’t care about doing it in the pxg locker rooms either

- Shidou has unfortunately walked in on him sitting beside you on the ground pushing your head down so you can take Rin’s cock even deeper

- “Ne, Rin-Chan. Look at how I can see you in their throat.”

- Hiori if anything isn’t going to play by the rules or be fair about it

[aesethewitch]

Learning to Cook Like a Witch: The Absolute Beginning

So, you're looking to dip your toes into kitchen witchery, but you have zero experience cooking. Or, maybe you have experience that's not so great or that wasn't informative. Or, maybe you just don't know where to start, because no one ever taught you how to cook.

Great! Cooking can be intimidating to even approach when you're not used to it. I'm lucky in that I grew up cooking with my family and had the chance to take several cooking-based classes in high school. Not everyone has that sort of opportunity, so I'd like to pass on my experience to others!

(Note that you definitely don't need to be the best cook in the world to be a kitchen witch. No one's perfect! But it's okay to want to improve your skills, too.)

If you want to learn to cook, the first step is to familiarize yourself with the basic terms, measurements, and tools you'll be working with. Start with the following:

Learn the names and uses of the tools in your kitchen (for example, spatulas for spreading frosting vs. spatulas for flipping burgers)

Measurement conversions (how many teaspoons in a tablespoon, how many tablespoons in a cup, etc.)

Familiarize yourself with commonly used measurement phrases such as "dash" and "pinch," and learn exactly what they mean by that

Abbreviations for measurements (teaspoon = tsp = t, tablespoon = tbsp = T, etc.)

Various cooking terminology and the difference between terms, such as the difference between mixing, creaming, folding, and emulsifying

Read recipes and look up words you're not familiar with

Knife safety! Learn how to hold a knife properly and cut things without risking your fingers, and also learn how to keep your knives sharp. Remember, a sharp knife is a safe knife!

Once you've got knife safety down, learn how to cut an onion - dice, chop, and slice your way to delicious victory!

Learn fire, oven, and stovetop safety!

Familiarize yourself with what's in your spice cabinet; taste things if you've never had them, and look up common recipe usages for them

Learn about the Maillard reaction (this is what turns meat brown!)

Familiarize yourself with common substitutions, such as for cornstarch, buttermilk, and shortening/lard

Start with simple recipes; many chefs say you should start with omelets, white sauce, and homemade stock, and I tend to agree. Learning just these three things teaches a number of techniques that translate to a hundred other recipes!

Eat more food! Try new flavors, experiment with dishes from restaurants, ask questions about what's in what you're eating. Sample dishes and spice combinations from other cultures. Smell things before you eat them. Think about the flavors and how they're working together.

Watch videos from cooks on YouTube, or watch cooking tv shows! Honestly, Alton Brown's Good Eats was a foundational influence for me as a child, and I cut my teeth on Food Network. YouTube-wise, try Basics with Babish!

Pick a recipe you think looks good or that you've had before and just make it! Simple as that, just follow the recipe. Get the ingredients, follow the steps, eat the food!

Not everything you make is going to be good. And that's fine! Learn what went wrong and why. Figure out what tastes good and what doesn't. Let other people try your food and give you honest feedback. If you think your taste buds are biased or not "good enough," having someone else tell you "this needs more salt" or "this is really balanced" or "this would go nicely over rice instead of potatoes" is powerful.

Remember that you're learning. Look things up. Fuck up a recipe. Burn something. Realize you're missing an ingredient and figure out a substitute last minute. Leave something out, put something else in. Taste, taste, taste. Taste everything. Every time you put something in or complete a step, taste it. So long as it's not going to be a health hazard (such as with raw meat), taste it.

Take your time with it. Cooking is a skill that's earned over time via trial and error. Know that you're not alone in your worry and struggle. Millions of home cooks have stood where you stand, spoon in hand and apron tied tight. Practice, practice, practice.

Once you understand cooking by itself, you can more easily incorporate magic and weave spells into your meals, which I'll cover in another post, since this one is already quite long.

Happy cooking! 🍳🌿

If you enjoy my posts or would like to support my blog, consider throwing a couple dollars in my tip jar! ✨

[neechees]

Hi! I saw your post about how the cowboy aesthetic appropriates many native cultures (thank you for your informative posts btw) and saw the anon asking if there are parts of the aesthetic they can partake in without appropriating, and I thought if a white person buys the stereotypical cowboy clothing from a native owned shop would that be appropriation? Genuinely curious, as on the face of it someone would still be perpetuating the image of the white cowboy, which in itself is harmful as I understand it. Hope you have a good day!

I think it potentially depends on what it is and how it's being done. "Cowboy" fashion pulls from a lot of different sources and Native tribes (but tends to lean into a mix of Plains Native, Southwest Native, and Indigenous Mexican), so like I can't speak for other tribes I'm not familiar with on what is or isn't appropriation on their end. Like, the store I showed with the Native Ledger art ""inspired"" clothing? I'd definitely consider that appropriation. Or if someone bought like a beaded hide vest from a Native artist, I'd also consider that appropriation. I think the cases where it WOULDN'T be is like, if say someone was gifted turqoise jewelry from a Navajo friend, that's likely fine. For certain things, across many tribes, the census is that if you're gifted a piece of clothing from a Native American, you are free to wear it (although again, it can depend on what it is).

Where the thing came from also itself isn't the problem, it's wearing or doing x thing that is. Like if a White person bought white sage from a Native store and burned it claiming to have "smudged" then it's still appropriation, it doesn't really matter that the sage came from a Native store. Or if a White person bought a war bonnet from a Native American specifically to wear it, even though the war bonnet is authentic and Native made, them wearing it is still appropriation. (so, like the beaded hide vest example I gave earlier).

like I said before I can't force people to do anything, and if somebody's gunna wear cowboy fashion then yeah they'll do it. But I think those who do are gunna have to come to grips with the history of appropriation and Native influence in the fashion AS WELL as the fact that (even if you do everything you can to not wear anything Native influenced in Native fashion), the history of cowboys themselves are steeped in colonialism and violent racism towards Native Americans. I know a lot of Native people are kind of... put off towards White cowboys (who are a little TOO into it) for this reason. I know for me, as an Albertan (where cowboy culture and racism is VERY prominent), I certainly am. White people into cowboy shit have to think "am I okay with being associated with that & people potentially being uncomfortable with me if I wear this?" because they will be.

[15-lizards]

What do you think the fashion of Danny’s kingdom would be if she never left Essos and the liberated cities started having cultural crossover’s/renaissances with the freed populations mixing with each other and the Dorathki (definitely butchered that spelling). ? Would love some of your wonderful visual inspo for a fic!

Sorry this is so late I must have missed it

Since the cities are fairly close together, I don’t think their clothing changes much, but the main cultural crossover would come within the headdresses, jewelry, and other accessories and trinkets. Slave populations who have been isolated for generations and had come up with their own traditions are suddenly exposed to other cultures that were just miles away from their own. They start to trade accessories of metal, pearls, shells, stones, wood, and other things with one another, each with its own religious and cultural connotations. Leading to a mashup of the rich microcosms of life that existed in the slave cities

They continue to wear the linens and other light materials they have been wearing, but now due to their freedom, people can now wear other things like cotton or silk imported in from the free cities. A general shape still exists, but with newfound trade with nearby cultures, other influences start trickle in and people begin to make their own decisions based on whatever religious or social or whatever other influence they’ve decided they want to start emulating with their newfound freedom of choice.

[wwrenwrites]

Jason Todd x Filipino! reader headcanons

A/n: i don’t care if this will be my most flopped post, I had to do God’s work

He would LOVE Filipino food

Jason is pretty open with food considering he has traveled frequently for work.

Being accustomed to seeing rice available even if it’s high in carbs lol. Started as a pancit (stir fried noodles) boy to a BIG garlic rice boy ever since you’ve introduced him to it.

Could see him really liking champorado (chocolate rice porridge) for some reason, since there is something so homey about it. Plus it’s not that sweet. He definitely have tried it with tuyo (salted dried fish) when you mentioned it but prefers it just the champorado alone.

Jason enjoys Jollibee most specifically the fried chicken, both of you have movie nights with a bucket on the coffee table with pineapple juice or alcohol. Would find Filipino spaghetti ‘meh’ cause it’s a bit too sweet for his liking but he wouldn’t mind it after a few more tries since there’s that child-like taste that makes it addicting.

Would 100% love lumpiang shanghai (Filipino spring rolls) and quotes as he explains it to Roy or any of his brothers ‘a way better version of Chinese spring rolls’, just like how you told him. He stops craving for the usual spring rolls if you guys go for Chinese take outs from then on.

Despite what the media depicts of having adobo (soy sauce & vinegar chicken stew), sinigang (tamarind stew) or ube hyped. He does think Filipino food is still very underrated compared to Thai, Chinese, Japanese etc.

Could also see him enjoying clear soup stews like pork sinigang & bulalo (clear soup with beef shanks & bone marrow) because of the homey taste versus the flavored stews but he definitely still enjoys them (also see him being a big kare- kare (peanut butter stew) lover by your influence.

Like every other man, he would be a sucker for San Miguel beer. He knew about it even before both of you were dating since there is a small Filipino town in Gotham. Considering he goes to different bars from time to time. He would enjoy the concept of food on sizzling plate but it would take time for him to actually try exotic street food specially Balut (duck embryo) lol. But he’s down for it!

Spicy White Boy

Canon- wise, he knows Portuguese and there are lots of similar words with Spanish. Which I’m sure he knows maybe the most basic and common sense ones; so Jason understanding a good amount of Tagalog shouldn’t be surprising but would baffle you when you find out he started learning bit by bit for you.

It is very impressive indeed, there are not a lot of good resources in studying it. However, Jason is a Wayne and if his father was able to learn Kryptonian. He would easily be in a level of fluency by time.

And being the intelligent simp he is. He would understand it in a good level in less than a year or two when both of you are pretty much ‘all in’ in the relationship. Especially when you brought up one time before you were both exclusive, that you were scared of the idea of your partner being left out in family events even if English is pretty much the second main language in the Philippines.

Though I feel he would have more confidence in trying to speak the language after a few more years including a few slangs cause he doesn’t want to handle the anxiety of being roasted by your family & friends even if he obviously has thick-ass skin.

You keep telling him that he has already won his parents approval (too fast) when he swoon them with just the use of ‘po’ and ‘opo’ the first time meeting them. Plus the very occasional whispers of ‘gwapo’ , handsome, or ‘matangkad’, tall, here and there would give him a mix of a sheepish ego boost.

Culture Differences

THE ‘NO SHOES IN THE HOUSE’ RULE is a mutual practice that both of you have no problem doing. It has always been a routine for Jason when he gets home and right away he would wash up just so he could be in bed with you.

The no shoes rule seems to be only followed by Alfred when he drops by with groceries for him in his apartment. It bewilders his siblings when he makes a big deal out of it even if they are just dropping by (uninvited as usual) but also more like so you wouldn’t get triggered if you get to meet them but frankly it triggers Jason more since he’s quite neat as a roomie (plus future hubby points too.)

THE FAMILY CULTURE in a Filipino household is usually a mix of chaos and laughter which Jason is quite familiar with but with your family he could tell how close all of you are from all the frequent get together celebrations or holiday trips.

But also he was told a few times from some neighborhood titos (uncle) when he was still in the streets that the number 1 rule when dating a pinoy (shortened term for Filipino) is if you’re ‘dating a Filipino you’re also dating their whole family.’ You even tell him when you show pictures of your immediate relatives and family, that it’s basically a whole village if you include your extended relatives which shocks him even more. You don’t even know who are all your aunts or uncles names nor your second cousins.

You gave him a heads up and number of pointers to Jason when you were both talking about your families plus the never ending group pictures and selfies that awaits. You get worried if he would be overwhelmed even if he tells you, “Doll, don’t worry you literally met mine” “It’s not the same.” With a kiss on your forehead and the cute pout he loves still present.

He immediately gets interrogated and compliments which takes him a back getting him a bit shy. Would vibe with your cousins and would be forced to sing. The karaoke machine playing till midnight, the never ending food being offered in his plate but also your baby cousins getting attached to him which you greatly adore. He would purposely annoy you with flirty gestures in front of your cousins just for you to swat his arm or his biceps multiple times getting a reaction from your comments mixed of ‘yiee’ or ‘landi!’(flirt).

SOUVENIRS in Filipino is pasalubong, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re materialistic it’s more of the thought when a person is away; may it be for family & friends.

Jason bringing home food or snacks when he goes out or something unique when coming from a long mission for you has been natural. You don’t expect him to always bring something home for you of course. Fortunately, Jason loves spoiling you and seeing you sulk when you rummage his duffle bag filled with used clothes and is helmet is too cute. Plus, this is definitely one of the first words he would understand besides the word ‘makulit’ (a neutral connotation of annoying, cheeky, and naughty combined.) and other cuss words.

The first time Jason brings you to the Wayne manor Alfred and Bruce immediately doesn’t see you as a threat especially with a bottle of wine or fruits as formalities. You panic a bit when both of you weren’t able to bring anything to the manor every time you go after that, he has to reassure you it’s fine. Though he appreciates and finds it adorable on how much his family becomes fond of you because of how genuine you are.

When you and Jason travel, you would be having an extra luggage for goodies and shopping and would get endless teasing from Jason. You would tease him back though if he needs something but you would also use his luggage as well if needed for everything you bought.