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the-starlight-writer · 4 months ago

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Culture in TKoM's Faerie I: General Foundations of the Land

Hello! Welcome again! Today, we're going to be talking culture. "Culture" is a very broad topic so for this post, we're mainly going to be talking about the world itself and how it's set up. These are questions I got asked a long time ago in my discord server so this post is mostly going to be in the form of a Q&A. Most of these questions came from a list collated by @wondrousworldbuilding. The list can be found here.

How content is the average person?

6, 7/10. Life is okay, people are content. Things could definitely be a lot better especially considering the fact that void fae are being actively targeted and persecuted and that there's an unrest among the people since the last royal family was deposed.

How do people make their living and how big a part of their life is their career?

Some fae have arbitrary but fundamental jobs in roles and sectors like agriculture, food production, pharmacy and teaching. Careers on a whole are not required. A large percentage of the population do have jobs as healers, as bakers, artisans etc, but those who don't get by just fine either because they're being supported by relatives or because they're "civil servants", meaning they work for and are subsidised by the government. Civil servitude doesn't necessarily mean that they do clerical work but it does include that. Civil servants can also be commissioned artists, archivists, artisans, tapestry artists, collectors, weavers, elders, skilled magic practitioners, winery owners, authors etc. These positions are considered government jobs because Faerie highly values luxury and a high standard of living.

How do they treat their close friends?

That's more dependent on the fae themselves but earth fae and void fae tend to be very close knit and treat friends like family.

What virtues do they value in individuals? What virtues do they say they value? If those are different, why?

Generally the virtues most valued in individuals are secrecy and loyalty. The traits stated as most highly valued are trust and empathy but really, everyone wants to keep their best interests in mind and secrets protected from prying eyes.

How do they dress? Does it vary greatly by gender, or not? Is their focus on clothing very practical, religious, sentimental, or simply driven by the latest arbitrary fashion? How do the above answers reflect on the culture on a deeper level?

Styles of dress are cultural and are adapted to fae types and their magic. For example, fire fae don't wear lots of excess layers and tend to wear heat-resistant fabrics. Air fae wear a lot light clothes that flutter in the wind. They also wear aerodynamic clothes as well in case they need to fly. The concepts of masculinity and femininity do exist in Faerie but people are liberty to play around with expression as they see fit. The definitions of gendered fashion have changed slightly over time and more traditional fae whose clothing is deeply cultural do prefer to keep the gender divide somewhat prominent. Undoubtedly religious attire exists but seeing regular fae in that kind of garb is highly unlikely on a day-to-day basis.

At what age does a baby become a child, a child a young adult, a young adult an adult, an adult an elder?

Faerie ages are a little odd. Babies become children when they first start demonstrating outward magical proficiency and a way of deft communication. Children become young adults when their markings fully emerge, their magic proficiency (or lack thereof) is evident and they experience biological development. Adulthood is the completion of biological development and magic proficiency is well demonstrated. Being an elder is once you've existed as long as one complete generation, usually around 100, 150 years.

What is Faerie's understanding of and relationship with art?

Faerie started considering art important after a faerie's human companion pointed it out to them. visual art didn't mean much but that didn't mean they didn't have it. Some of the most famous pieces are landscape works because the world was so intricately designed that there's imagery in the hills and in the waters, especially from above. Each fae type has a kind of art that comes naturally to them e.g earth fae tend to lean toward pottery and ceramics while fire fae do a lot of metalwork.

How do the fae think of pronouns and gender?

Most people are willing to go by they/them pronouns because gender doesn't mean a lot to them but there are some people who are close to their AGAB. It's very up in the air how people identify. Some people never attach to their AGAB at all and go exclusively by they/them. Some people feel a connection to their AGAB but are okay with they/them because of the cultural backing. Other people feel very close to their AGAB and reject the idea of being nonbinary entirely but that doesn't change how it works in Faerie. This has no real effect on presentation though

Once again we have come to the end of a worldbuilding post. See you again soon for the next entry in the series!

#noodle speaks #wip: the king of mycenae #writeblr #fantasy wip #fantasy #fantasy worldbuilding #tkom worldbuilding

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traciekitten · 22 days ago

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so I'm currently finishing up the 4th chapter of my Sky: CotL x Linked Universe fanfic (right here) that I've been working on for over a year now, and for some reason i've only consciously realized now that i have no idea what to do with a good third of these characters.

Below: the brief beginnings of character profiles i made to hopefully start sorting this out, which sorta devolved into humorous character summaries. It did get a little long because there are 10 of them (ended up doing the skykid too) so i put it under the cut. A couple of these, like Wind, take more from what I've seen of their games than directly from the comic.

With any luck, I'll change some of these a lot. I just felt like sharing in case you guys found it interesting or wanted to share your suggestions for the characters i really struggle with :P

Wind, my favorite boyo

More down-to-earth than you might assume, but with so much determination to protect that he doesn't think for even a second before throwing himself into danger. A supportive and steady presence (he is a big brother, after all), but not without a healthy helping of attitude and whimsy. Younger kids think he's cool. He's humble about his status as a hero. Very expressive, of course.

Time, my man

Doesn't often let on about what he's thinking, perhaps to avoid damaging the Chain's confidence in themselves as a unit. Also he just likes being cryptic a lot. Has an almost childish sense of humor and he's sneaky about it, the king of pranks right there. Has a soft spot for kids, but isn't overprotective. Also it's important to me that he has a sweet tooth and doesn't care about healthy diets.

Warriors, the guy i guess

Likes teasing when things are casual, usually Legend. Soon as there are any stakes, he switches to 'Captain mode' and gets serious. Often distrustful of strange things. Takes charge mainly just in battle or battle-related things.

Wild, wilderness guy

LOVES exploring. its his lifeblood, he eats, sleeps, and breathes exploring (literally lol). Loves his homeland so much, not in a patriotic way but because its his home. Tends to get a bit silly and, well, wild. Practically doesn't know what fear is. Will do crazy things because why not. impluse control who? Even more crazy is the fact that half the stuff actually works. Tends to match the energy of whoever he's talking to. Default state is chaotically chill.

Twilight, sunset wolf guy

Protective of the smaller/younger members of the Chain (im afraid the big brother disease is chronic). not afraid to give comfort when needed. Sorta calm and quiet in casual situations, but happily humors the younger heroes' jokes and smiles at their antics. Probably the sweetest of the chain. He has some anxiety about being feared and shunned because of his twilight magic and wolf form.

Legend, grumpy guy who seen it all

Doesn't really wanna be here, but will do his best anyway. Dry sense of humor, usually poking fun at Warriors. Hyrule is his best bud!! Respects everyone's abilities, and knows his limits. The most familiar with the video game logic their adventures run on. His body is pretty worn down from all his adventures, but his experience and skill balance that disadvantage out.

Hyrule, kind of homeless guy

Who is he. What do i do with you. Help

So he used to be super wary of strangers, still is, but he got a best bud and some other friends. He comes out of his shell around them, jokes around with them and stuff. Doesn't talk a whole lot while they're on the move though, i imagine. His opinions on things like magic are valued greatly by the chain i'd think. He's learned this, and offers brief thoughts when applicable.

Sky, sleepy bird and girlfriend lover

Was pretty mischievous during his adventure, but has mellowed out a bit. Just a bit, though. Likes his rest. Fears nothing, he fought a god and won. cares not for property damage, will knock down your wall in the name of his girlfriend.

Four, the Four guy

Is Four. Somehow despite being one of my favorites I'm completely blanking on his personality. WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU CMON

Skykid guide, little quiet guy

Not as outgoing as most Sky Children, but very curious. They think a lot, often overthinking, and they like to observe and learn. Their opinion can change quickly, they can swing from wary to bold and vice versa with seemingly little prompting. Quiet; doesn't call a lot, and doesn't use a lot of different emotes. They don't tend to initiate conversation, but they're respectful and put effort into communicating.

#traciekitten talky #heroes in light au #linked universe #sky cotl #character analysis

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woven-into-us · 5 months ago

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Welcome, and rejoice in our shared past!

The goal here is to show how braiding has transcended time and place to play a role in all people’s lives. Braiding has huge cultural significance, which I want to share with others and learn more about. Braiding was and is a mark of pride, dignity, and resistance in the face of oppression. Plaiting and weaving has for a long time been a way to embrace identity. It means a lot to a lot of people, and this blog is meant to show that.

Whether it be in 7th period before a volleyball game, a bedtime ritual, or a way to keep hair safe from factory machines, people have braided their own and each other’s hair. It carries huge weight, and is one of the oldest forms of connections. With millennia of civilization, there has been hair plaiting present. It is a cornerstone of the way we live and be human.

I believe hair to be the most intimate part of the body, and braiding proves that. The value that has been put on it shows how much importance hair itself and the care surrounding it has. Braiding to me is a practical choice, a connection with my identity, a necessary skill, a way of protecting my hair, and a way of loving it. It represents a quiet rejection of beauty standards, people thinking they have a right to your appearance, and not bothering to bring yourself joy because it takes effort.

More than lofty goals, and overdramatic words (even though I love them so much) this blog is a way to connect with my Hispanic (as far I’m aware, completely Mexican, but as you’ll come to see, I’m not aware of much) heritage. I, like many other people have been raised separately from the way their parents and their parents grew up. This exists as a way to bridge who I am with who they were.

My personal experience with braiding is that I do it to my hair at least once a day, at minimum. I’ve been doing this for almost 2 years, and my skills have improved greatly because of the hours of practice I’ve gotten.

@/sirens-and-scarves is the main inspiration for this blog, both the structure and topic. Braiding is not to me a religious practice, but it is one that carries meaning and is a prevalent feature of art. They are amazing and deserve appreciation for what they do.

I define braiding as the weaving together of 3 or more strands. Twists may be included if I think they’re pretty or elaborate enough. I may also be guessing at a braid being there, especially in old portraits of braided crowns. Feel free to send submissions and talk about your own experiences with braiding. Im not some expert on anything and would love to learn more about something that means so much to me.

How my tagging works at the moment

#intro post

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wandish-tarot · 2 years ago

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Hey there! I've been enjoying your readings and pacs a lot!

I'm here for a free reading, if you feel called. Full disclaimer, I am a reader as well, but I don't want that to scare you! It just means that I know the value of good feedback and will gladly leave it in a reblog on this ask if you do feel like reading for me ^-^

My question: What can I do to have a sucessful day at the artisan fair coming up?

Backstory: I'm going to put the money down for a booth at a local winery's artisan fair, and I am curious if I should bring tarot and crochet amigurumis OR just tarot. I wasn't sure how to word that for a single question, so if you see something about one choice being better than the other, I'd appreciate that greatly, but the main thing is figuring out what I can do to make money and have fun selling my skills (and maybe some amigurumi) at the fair (and subsequent fairs after...hopefully).

"Name": Mortal

Life path #: 7

Big 3: sun ♍️, moon ♌️, rising ♉️

If you need more information, feel free to dm me. I don't share a lot of personal information online, so apologies if that's weird '>.> thanks for this opportunity and I hope to hear from you soon ^-^

Hi Mortal!

I decided to start with some lenormand because it tends to be really good with these kinds of really ""worldly"" practical questions so what I got with that is follows:

You're facing this difficult decision, and feel like you're struggling with how you want to build your "legacy" (which is a lofty word for an arts fair but yeah) and the best way to make a long lasting reputation. Here at the end it indicates that the best way to do that is sharing knowledge and wisdom.

Then bringing in the tarot, what I kind of see there is that trying to blend these two sides of yourself is a nice intention but rather than improving your chances it makes your table kind of busy and adds a lack of clarity.

For me swords can be like the "tactical" side of business so an upright 5 of swords would be like a new innovation building on a stable foundation but here the reversal is like stacking too much on top of a shaky base. But the 5 is doing double duty here, it also point to the idea that letting go of these "too" many ideas, letting the extra swords fall away will let you be more successful as seen with the ace of coins.

So yeah, I see it's probably best for you to stick to just the tarot so your table isn't too busy and it's easier for people at the fair to see what you're doing. I think really simpler is better, with crossroad and mountains next to each other means more options bring up more trouble, so I would limit the kind of readings you offer. Less choices, more clarity, easier to build a "brand" for yourself and have a successful day.

But that's what I've got!

#divination #tarot #tarot reader #tarot reading #tarotblr #diviners #free tarot #free tarot reader #free tarot reading #playing cards #lenormand #lenormand reading #business tarot

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drac0nequus · 9 days ago

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it's hard to describe my fictional city that im world building but one of the foundational ideas of the project is that the entire space is supposed to simultaneously feel like a crowded metropolitan area AND a completely isolated and possibly enchanted natural space.

actually i can list these goals for the project too

it's a my hero academia au so there are superpowers. the entire city is a protest collective fighting for bodily autonomy in a world that all for one succeeded in controlling

there's significant deification and worship of animals and nature, especially in the form of respecting and caretaking observed life. this is separate from the many religions freely practiced

they're a currency free collective and all services and goods are freely given to one another

they freely take in refugees and facilitate the evacuation of at risk individuals, specializing in rescuing whole families with some or all of their possessions. as such it is a diverse and culturally rich community with a high percentage of trauma survivors

while there is a lot of advanced technology, and members of the collective can freely learn skills including how to create and use any technology, the collective largely uses natural materials and traditional techniques for all purposes. there is a lot of community emphasis on sustainable living

there is a loose hierarchy of control, however this is largely shaped around whoever in the collective has enough energy to pitch ideas and who has the drive to convince others to assist with projects. all community projects are volunteer based. there are meetings that all are free to attend which center around communicating ideas to the group

most of the load bearing members of the community are antisocial, eccentric, hyperfixated and elderly. my favorite oc so far is the guy who's obsessed with making bars of soap to cope with his trauma because he's nearly singlehandedly ensuing that the collective cannot run out of this hygiene product. and he couldn't care less and barely even knows because he Hates Talking To People and stays in his beautiful home in the beautiful mountains having his every need met by remote delivery (community member with a cart dropping it off)

my second favorite oc has a quirk that lets her sense the water in flowers with such precision that it allows her to tell the weather. the thing is, she doesn't communicate in traditional ways, and her favorite way to communicate is through dance. so to get an accurate weather report you have to interpret her dancing.

the illusion of the city being a natural or even wilded area is intentionally cultivated to bolster the mental health of those living in the community. it's largely an illusion, and the majority of the greenery are food plants, herbs, and pleasant flowers. the greenery serves to disguise the buildings from eyes on the ground as well as any nefarious parties observing from any distance. the abundance of plants also allows for more private spaces and more freedom to find solitude or a private space for small groups.

there are frequent community events, many of which disperse resources useful to those recovering from trauma.

the farmer's market, open daily, is practically a community parade in itself. because there is no commerce, folks who are acclimated to the culture are greatly incentivised to produce the highest volume possible of their best work. folks have the time, safety and resources to perfect their craft, and as such the community boasts some of the best culinary artists in the world. new members to the community are frequently showered with high quality gifts upon arrival because their external opinion is highly valued. children born in the collective have noticably high standards for a lot of things.

there is so much time to do anything that folks tend to do what they love repetitively, and try new things often and freely. many skilled folks will choose to practice their craft in a public, visible space so that others may sit with them and receive instruction. folks who need specialized tools or spaces will often have their space open and accessible to folks who want to participate, or sometimes just to their favored mentees.

the hero school ua is present to an extent but mostly in name. almost all learning is done outside of a classroom setting, and there is a focus on unlearning rigidity and breaking down colonial social structures throughout the collective which makes schooling counterproductive

literacy is taught largely through poetry, and logic skills are practiced through puzzles and community games. folks outside of the collective were horrified at the education the children within the collective reported, until they were given standardized tests and scored absurdly high. it was quite the hurdle to convince each of those kids to cooperate with a standardized testing procedure, however. nezu and a few passionate others largely plan and structure the readings and games. the majority of the community assist in dispersing materials to the children, and almost everyone participates in the weekly reading, sharing writings inspired by the reading, and of course the competitive aspect of the games. the children don't particularly contextualize their education as schooling because everyone participates freely. this allows for an environment where learning is not seen as childish, and children are less of a separate class than other community members.

they're like? the world's worst kept secret? the world's most visible and obvious secret society. they exist in a legal context but just barely, and because they're in opposition to a fascist serial killer who hunts families for sport, they have intentionally obscure or incomplete record keeping. despite living in the open, the members of the collective are living in a kind of witness protection context. members of the collective do not rat each other out, ever. the incessant plant cover helps in this illusion of secrecy

#㊙️

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shinetechsoftware · 4 months ago

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Self-Learning and Confidence: The Path to Advancement for Female Talent

AI has been a controversial hot topic in recent years. It has not only permeated every aspect of our lives but also had a profound impact on the way we work and what we do at work. Many people are experiencing anxiety about being replaced, and female software developer Jessica is no exception. However, running away from it is futile; instead, embrace it and use it to improve your efficiency and methods. Over the years, she has continuously embraced new things, constantly changing and being changed. After her transformation, she has become more confident and stronger.

Jessica, a female software developer from Dalian in the northeast of China. After graduating from university, she joined a software company and have been working there for eleven years now.

From Developer to Tester: The Shift in Work Approaches and Adaptation

The year 2019 was truly special for me. Before 2019, I was engaged in JAVA software development. It was in that year, after returning from maternity leave, that my company implemented a remote working mechanism. I remember that at that time, there were few opportunities for JAVA projects, but fortunately, I got a chance to work on an automation testing project. This not only marked the beginning of my testing career but also initiated my mode of juggling childcare with work.

When I first joined the new project, I was responsible for manual testing tasks. The work intensity was not very high, but the workload was quite saturated. One of the clients I interacted with was named Brain, and our main communication channels were email and Slack. Later, as the QA system continued to grow and expand, I was assigned to another project team (located in the UK). My work began to involve the field of automation testing, using Cypress to write test cases and being responsible for maintaining daily testing reports.

At that time, due to my poor English listening skills, I felt quite nervous when communicating with clients and even bought a translation device to ensure smooth communication. However, one is always trained through practice. Gradually, I became capable of conducting business discussions in English with clients, and my work ability greatly improved.

Transitioning from a developer to a tester was actually easier than I thought, but there are significant differences in work approaches. Writing code from a developer's perspective focuses on logic and code refactoring; whereas from a tester's perspective, it is crucial to ensure that the code is simple, clear, efficient, and concise. I remember once writing an automation test script that a client reviewed and loved for its structure, which significantly improved execution time by several times. However, he was concerned that colleagues might need more time to understand my code during future maintenance. This minor episode at work made me realize how important adaptability is in the workplace. Opportunities always favor those who can adapt quickly to new environments, which also helped me recognize the importance of AI in the future.

Self-Learning: Enhancing Your Own Value

During the period of working on automation testing, I felt that technical knowledge was not the most critical factor; more important was communication with clients. For example, at the beginning, I only used Java to write scripts (UI scripts), but the client used Cypress, a relatively lightweight language. I had never learned Cypress before and basically wrote code while looking up information. After writing a few cases, I could master the key syntax quite proficiently. After mastering UI automation, I started learning API automation, mainly using Postman to send requests, write execution scripts, and return data formats. In this part, I needed to communicate a lot with developers because I had to understand the types of returned formats and the parameters being transmitted.

Regarding business aspects, I needed to understand the entire system's business processes, which required a lot of time for summarizing and recording in the early stages. Any uncertainties had to be communicated with developers or other staff promptly. Initially, I recorded every module I worked on in a notebook, accumulating information bit by bit before summarizing it. Gradually, my understanding of the system's processes became clearer. This allowed me to quickly pinpoint issues during script execution and provide accurate solutions.

Another crucial aspect is regular summarization. Every month, I review all the tasks I've completed and list them out. For familiar areas, I can quickly go through them, but if there are new module areas, I conduct exploratory testing in those modules. This is also a method of understanding business.

With the accumulation of technical knowledge and deeper business insights, I can easily complete each task. My abilities have improved, and I have also gained recognition from clients.

Embracing AI to Enhance Work Efficiency

Since 2023, with the evolution of AI technology, during the process of working with clients, they have proposed using AI technologies, among which chatGPT is quite commonly used. In everyday tasks, issues such as code formatting, syntax problems, and element positioning can be resolved very swiftly by chatGPT, greatly enhancing my work efficiency. There's also Rakuten AI, which was still in the testing phase at that time and mainly used for writing and executing test cases using AI. It hasn't been widely adopted in our projects yet. However, from the demonstrations shown by clients, Rakuten AI's execution efficiency is truly impressive. Over ten years, we've evolved from manually writing test cases to now being able to generate many test cases at once with the help of AI, which has increased our efficiency several times over.

Throughout my career, there have been moments when I considered changing industries and times when I felt disappointed with my job. However, more often than not, I've maintained optimism, confidence, and focused on self-improvement every day. Many people have asked me if the emergence of AI makes me feel insecure about my career. I believe that as we work in the software industry, we shouldn't fear being replaced by AI. Instead, we should actively embrace AI, make good use of AI tools to enhance our work efficiency and abilities, and ensure that we remain irreplaceable.

#ai #career #learning #software

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chiaryanin2030 · 10 months ago

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Hey Ryan, this is a weird question but I have some time on my hands, are there any courses or classes I can take to boost my self-confidence or mental well-being? ;PP

No worries, that is a really good question! One of the things that has greatly improved my confidence during my time in university was a mandatory course on communication. Although the course was tailored to communication for computing professionals, through insights that were given by the course tutor, I was surprised at how much good communication is related to mental wellness. In fact, communication actually ties into many of the things I have talked about on this blog.

Self-confidence and communication

In tense situations, out body enters a flight-or-fight response, which can cause our negative emotions, our fear, doubt and anxiety, to spiral out of control. This internal turmoil manifests in the derailment of your perfect presentation, an experience that I, for one, was very familiar with during that course.

Pictured derailment, reused from my coursemates with permission

Communication cultivates your self-awareness

Here I have talked about the importance of self awareness, and how better knowing yourself can lead you to finding better ways to grow. So what does this have to do with communication? Part of being a better communicator is having good emotional intelligence. Before even being able to understand people, you need to first have good self awareness to know how your emotions and actions affect others!

By learning to become a better communicator, you are made to reflect on yourself and become cognizant of how you, and others see yourself.

Communication is a key to unlocking opportunities

I think that people really should owe it to themselves to try and practice good communication skills. When I started to take further supplementary classes in communication, dared to speak up more in project meetings, and become more assertive in my communication style, I felt a greater sense of empowerment and control over my life. On the other hand, in the places I have worked, I have found that there was no shortage of brilliant engineers, developers and managers that were unable to reach their fullest potential because they could not get along with the others there. It is quite sobering thought that world-changing ideas have no value when people are unable to get them across to others.

Not only does the ability to express yourself help you to make the most of your skills in the workplace, it's also a powerful tool to defeating stagnation and living a more fulfilled life.

TL;DR: Take a communications course. It does wonders for your mental health and self-esteem.

References:

Eurich, T. (2018, January 4). What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It). Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 22, 2024, from https://hbr.org/2018/01/what-self-awareness-really-is-and-how-to-cultivate-itGoleman, D., & Boyatzis, R. E. (2017, February 6).

Emotional Intelligence Has 12 Elements. Which Do You Need to Work On? Harvard Business Review. Retrieved April 22, 2024, from https://hbr.org/2017/02/emotional-intelligence-has-12-elements-which-do-you-need-to-work-on

Acknowledgements:

Blog description generated by Microsoft Copilot

Blog formatting @ Tumblr.com

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hollyoxleylevel6 · 1 year ago

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Why are traditional crafts becoming endangered in the UK?

The combined effects of COVID 19, inflation and Brexit has had a negative impact on traditional crafts (Lewis, 2023). Lewis (2023) pointed out that the heritage craft skills rely on each other therefore when one part is lost there is a knock on effect on many others. Therefore, this is a major problem for maintaining the history of most crafts in the UK because by allowing the crafts to disappear, future generations will struggle to create their own sustainable and fulfilling livelihoods (Lewis, 2023). Therefore, the loss of the historical methods will great impact the creative industry as a whole because they create the foundation for many sustainable practices.

The cost of Living crisis has also had a negative effect on traditional crafts because creatives are finding it hard to maintain studios because of rising rent, resulting in craft companies downsizing (Cook, 2023). Felicity irons, the found of rush matters and Bedfordshire based weave, also points out that the current market expects products to be completed immediately but most traditional crafts are handmade, so require a longer production time and higher cost (Financial Times, 2023). This shows that it is not just uncontrollable events creating a negative impact but also the way fast fashion and online shopping has changed the mindset of customers.

Last year heritage craft release an updated version of the red list of endangered crafts, where 169 traditional crafts were highlighted as endangered or critically endangered. (Cook, 2023). Therefore, we are at the risk of losing skills that have been a part of the UK culture for centuries. The list was created to raise awareness to the danger these traditional hand craft skills are facing (Cook, 2023).

One of the major factor to the decline in the craft industry was the move to mass product in the 1980s, which is causing people to worry that traditions are being lost because craft councils in the UK are more focused on contemporary crafts instead of historical (Cook, 2023). However, in reality most traditional crafts do still have a place in the market because they are classes as more sustainable than imports or mass produced, which the current market is crying out for. Some Makers have found that using TikTok and Instagram to showcase their crafts have captured the attention of younger customers (Cook, 2023). This has solved some of the marketing issues crafts are facing becuase they are showing the process of how these products are made, emphasising the time and skill it takes to create them. Traditional crafts as a whole will also appeal to a younger audience such as Gen Z because they are currently embracing crafts as a way to escape devices and are focused on finding more sustainable products/services (Mcquarrie, 2023).

When exploring the redlist I found myself surprised with some of the crafts placed on the endangered or critically endangered lists. Traditional Paper Marbling has been placed on the endangered list because the cost of raw materials and the rise of digital printing has made it less popular (Heritage Crafts, 2024). However, this surprises me becuase paper marbing has been something I have been encouraged to experiment with, through workshops offered by the university during freshers events and cheap kits sold by retailers. Heritage Crafts (2023), points out that other techniques are being promoted as marbling when they are not which is lowering the perceived value of the craft skill.

In conclusion, the lack of education around traditional craft skills means younger audiences are forgetting them or dismissing them as unimportant. Therefore, those interested in keeping the crafts alive are diminishing causing the crafts to slowing fall out of popularity in the current market.

This greatly upsets me as my background in art and design means traditional crafts have always held value to me as they have formed the foundation of the skills I currently use. Based on this I have decided to explore how I can raise awareness of these forgotten Practices to younger audiences. I will focus on 8-24 year olds as Gen Z have become more interest in crafts since Lock down because of the slow paced nature compared to fast paced technology. Therefore, this topic will appeal to the, because traditional crafts are becoming something they are beginning to treasure.

Lewis M. (2023). Craft skills under threat with 17 additions to the red list of endangered crafts. [Online]. Available from: https://cultureincrisis.org/news-and-events/craft-skills-under-threat-with-17-additions-to-the-red-list-of-endangered-crafts. [Accessed 28 February 2024]

Cook, G. (2023). The heritage heroes trying to save traditional crafts. Financial Times. 18 August. [Online]. Available from: https://www.ft.com/content/093d89c0-874f-4b78-b909-8e85542bd52e. [Accessed 28 February 2024].

Mcquarrie, L. (2023). Gen Z Crafting Events. Trend hunters. 11 November [Online]. Available from: https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/crafternoon. [Accessed 28 February 2024]

Heritage Craft. (2024). Paper Marbling. [Online]. Available from: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/paper-marbling/. [Accessed 28 February 2024]

#majorproject #Research #LO1 #Concept

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jaeashleyyanila · 1 year ago

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Critical Essay of Equality by Maya Angelou

The purpose of the poem entitled "Equality" by Maya Angelou is to bring and provide a voice to the people experiencing discrimination and racism in different countries more specifically from the oppressive authority of the (White) Americans over the Black people. The author wants to have equality and freedom from the oppressive treatment they are receiving from the Whites. We can notice this purpose on the part where these two lines are repeated after every two stanzas, which says, "Equality, and I will be free. Equality, and I will be free." The black people are longing and demanding the society they are living in for the liberty and equal treatment they deserve.

The issues being raised in the poem are the discrimination, segregation, and racism that these black people experiencing for a long long time. They are suffering from the unequal treatment of the White people specifically the Americans. And through this poem, Maya Angelou employed her writing skills and platform to finally speak up for the equality that he and their entire group truly deserve.

Maya Angelou incorporated the styles of metaphor, imagery, and repetition, and by these styles, he tends to produce a powerful and appealing setting in presenting the issues. The author employs repetition to express things that needs to be highlighted and has a great meaning and value to them, just like how he repeated the word equality every stanza because it is significant for them. He acknowledges and provides imagery about their day-to-day struggles as Black people, what kind of treatment they are getting from the Whites, and how they are longing for the equality that they deserve as a human. As he used the repetition style, it causes a heartbreaking feeling for me as a reader. I believe that these styles that Maya Angelou employed, guarantees that readers understand what he intended to speak and deliver to the audience/readers, which is the issue of inequality and discrimination. I also noticed that repetition is a great strategy to use by those who intend to magnify a specific message or lived experiences of other protagonists in the poem just like how Maya Angelou employs it.

Indeed the author successfully persuaded the audience regarding the issues mentioned in the poem. He gave an emphasis on the issue of discrimination that they are experiencing and it knocked the consciousness and brought awareness to the audience/readers. It allows the audience to feel the exact same way the black people felt by telling their painful and excruciating experiences and pasts. Considering the styles that the author used in writing the poem, it greatly made an impact that will surely be imprinted in the hearts of the audience and will be the future advocate of equality for black people as well. The author took the readers to their lived experiences in their mind and help them understand what the black people are experiencing. And through that, I can say that I was persuaded about these issues.

After reading the poem, this made me realize how cruel people are for not treating blacks equally, and a sense of pity for the people who still have that kind of mindset. We are now living in the present era where we raise awareness about almost every rotten ideologies and practices that we have before, and one of them is about discrimination. It is heartbreaking to see how there are still people who possess this kind of thinking about Black people. They are also human beings and they have the right to be treated the same as the way we treat other people with lighter skin color than them. They don't deserve every discrimination they are experiencing for the rest of their lives. It saddened me to witness how these people get rejected just because of their skin color. They deserve better than this. They deserve to get hired for the job that they want, they deserve to have their own decisions and not be dictated by the Whites, they deserve to vote and run for any government positions. They deserve to have an education and enter any school and university that they want, they deserve to have decent and reasonable jobs. They deserve it because it is their right as a human.

#equality

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demonsandco · 3 years ago

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hi!! i was wondering if you could do a headcannon of the brothers + dia, barb and simeon reacting to mc asking if they could do it in their demon/angel forms?

I sure hope that by “demon form” you meant my version of their forms, because only after I finished writing, did I remember that they have canonical demon forms, too, woops! But Simeon doesn’t have a non-human form in-game so hopefully I was right gjhfkfjh

Lucifer : It’s a rare occurrence to see Lucifer speechless, yet somehow they’ve managed to stun him into silence with a single request. Being intimate in his demon form isn’t something that’s even crossed his mind before, not seeing his true form as anything more than a tool for intimidation. With too many eyes, elongated limbs, and crisscrossing scars highlighted by patches of missing feathers, he truly doesn’t understand what they see in him to pick that over his much more palatable, human form. Yet, despite his initial shock and hesitance, he can’t find it in him to deny their request. If they really want to see his true form, especially in such an intimate setting, then he’ll humor them, but the entire time he’s preparing himself for some sort of rejection, expecting them to flinch away from his touch or to ask him to switch back. He’s astonishingly vulnerable in this form, and craves a positive reaction from them.

(cont under the cut)

Mammon : When he hears their request, Mammon’s relief is palpable. Having sex in his human from has always felt distant to him, as though he were wearing a costume or a skin tight suit. He’s desperate to feel their hands on his demon form, often fantasising about how their hands would feel running across his wings or buried in his feathers, but, while he may have not so subtly hinted at his desires in the past, he’s never had the courage to initiate such a thing himself. He’s immensely excited about their request, so excited in fact that he’s prepared to stop whatever he was doing and drag them off to somewhere private to have his way with them. It also encourages him to spend more time in his demon form around them, now that he knows that it won’t scare them away.

Leviathan : Levi’s knee-jerk reaction is to say no right off the bat. As much as he trusts his partner, he can’t help but think that there’s some sort of ulterior motive behind the request, refusing to believe that anyone would actually want to see his demon form, much less touch it in such an intimate way. While his true form grants him confidence and immeasurable power, in a relationship, it becomes his biggest insecurity. It takes a lot of patience and encouragement to convince him to go through with it, and even then he’s hesitant to even touch them, worried that they’ll think he’s creepy or gross and change their mind. It doesn’t help that he’s practically useless on land and that they’d need to join him in the water to comfortably have sex. He’s understandably nervous, but praise and affection go a long way in easing his worries, and once he gets a taste of how nice it feels, he finds himself asking them to be intimate in his demon form more often.

Satan : Satan isn’t all that surprised by their request. In fact, he’d been expecting it to come up sooner or later. After all, he wants to know every intimate detail about his partner, to see them in their most vulnerable state, so he assumes that they’d eventually want to get to know his true form intimately, as well. He feels some anxiety, of course, his demon form not exactly being human friendly, all rough skin and sharp edges, but he does a good job at keeping his fears at bay and enjoying the moment. It feels freeing, in a way, to have them accept him so readily, to allow something as monstrous as him so close in such a vulnerable moment. With every soft touch of their hands and kiss from their lips, he finds himself falling in love all over again. He craves their acceptance, and the fact that they can see him at his worst and still show him love speaks volumes.

Asmodeus : As much as he wants to tease his partner for having such a lewd suggestion, or to think of it as a chance to introduce them to something new and pleasurable, the only thing Asmo feels at their request is genuine fear. There is very little that he’s afraid of, but the idea of them rejecting him is terrifying, and he’s convinced himself that no one could possibly love him if they saw his true form. He’s very calculated in what parts of his demon form he lets people see, making sure he looks cute and unassuming at all times. He has no problems showing those parts of him to his partner, but the rest of his demon form isn’t anywhere near as cutesy, and he doesn’t want them to associate him with such an “ugly” appearance. Yet at the same time, he wants to be able to be himself around them, to have them see the parts of him that he’s kept hidden. It takes a lot of worry and hesitation, before he finally shows them his true form during sex, the shared lust giving him the push he needed. He’s so prepared for a negative response that their positive reaction is enough to make him melt against them.

Beelzebub : It’s not uncommon for Beel to be seen in a not quite human form around the house, his wings and horns unconsciously coming out while he eats or works out. Knowing this, he’s surprised that his partner has seen those parts of him and instead of being scared, they want to see more. He’s not the type of person to hide who he is to make himself more palatable. He trusts them to know what they want, and he takes their request at face value. At first, he didn’t think too much of it, but the moment he feels them touch his true form, watches them search for his most sensitive areas, he becomes addicted to the feeling. The fact that he’s even bigger than normal in this form excites him more than he thought it would, too, his massive frame making his partner seem tiny in comparison. Needless to say, he finds himself letting his demon form out during sex more often, both because he wants to feel their touch again and because he finds it more comfortable.

Belphegor : Belphie is genuinely surprised that they’d want anything to do with his demon form after how badly things went the first time they saw it. Hearing that they not only want to see it again, but that they want to see it in such a vulnerable moment is a relief to him. He’s always thought that actions speak louder than words, and he sees their request as a sign of trust, something he values greatly. He’s more than happy to show them his demon form, to let them explore his body and create new, much more enjoyable, memories. He also takes it as an invitation to show his demon form more often, taking every opportunity he can to let out his horns as he cuddles up to them or conveniently resting his tail within petting range. Now that he knows they’re not scared of his appearance, he wants them to associate his form with positive and intimate moments.

Diavolo : Diavolo is positively ecstatic to hear their request! He’s wanted to don his true form while being intimate with them since the start of their relationship, but he’s held back out of worry, not wanting to risk frightening them. Truthfully, he’s not too fond of maintaining a human appearance for so long, and he’s almost too excited to let out his demonic features. Hopefully, they had nothing else planned for the day, because he’s already got them wrapped up in his many wings, with his scaly face pressed against their neck. He plans to take his time with them, practically acting as though it was their first time together again, treating them like a priceless treasure in his clawed grasp, showing them everything he can do in his true form that a human could never hope to accomplish.

Barbatos : Barbatos has been waiting for them to ask this for quite a while, and he can’t keep the small smile off his face when they finally do. While he’s perfectly comfortable in his human form, he feels as though it greatly limits his abilities in the bedroom, and he hates to think that he’s not pleasing them to the best of his abilities. He knows that his true form isn’t something a human would be used to, though, so he waited until they were confident enough to bring it up themselves. He sees it as taking the next step in their relationship in a way, knowing that they not only are willing to accept him for what he is, but that they embrace it. With his extra limbs, slick tail and long, powerful tongue, he’s more than happy to show them how much more skilled he is at servicing them in this form, and he’s also surprised to realise just how sensitive his demonic appendages are.

Simeon : It’s rare for Simeon to feel the need to turn his partner down, but he finds himself initially denying their request when they first ask, coming up with some half baked excuses in an attempt to avoid hurting their feelings. Humans never seem to react well to an angel’s true form and he can’t bear to see them regard him with fear, especially not during such an intimate moment. While his angelic appearance may not be as monstrous as a demons, the extra limbs, many eyes and inhumanly tall frame are more than enough to make him look rather disconcerting. Yet at the same time, he doesn’t like the thought of hiding his true form from them, leaving him conflicted. With enough reassurance, he eventually feels comfortable enough showing them bits and pieces of his angel form at a time, and each night they spend together his human form slips away a bit more. At first it’s just his wings, letting his partner run their hands over his sensitive feathers and getting used to the extra limbs, before slowly showing them more of him. Soon enough, he reaches a point where letting out his angel form around them is like a habit, feeling like it makes their time spent together feel more intimate, especially now that he knows his looks alone won’t scare them away.

#obey me #obey me smut #obey me shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #rip sol he's just a regular ol human #angel form #demon form #obey me headcanons #lime time

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has-gilgamesh-doneanythingwrong · 3 years ago

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I wanna hear some stuff about Saitō Hajime! Maybe a short bit about him having just gotten summoned to Chaldea and how he gets settled in? Like, what's his priorities about having shown up to a new place, and how does he prefer to get situated and spend his time?

I'd definitely like to see how he interacts with Okita while he's at it too (be that brief or totally otherwise!), and (very optionally regarding the 3 character limit, not sure if in-passing counts lol) what his thoughts at least are regarding Izou as well.

You can just assume basic canon Chaldea otherwise though, with a rather chill default Master. They/them Guda works fine, I'm just here to hear about Saitō :)

Hello, thank you for the ask!!! I am getting to know Saitō Hajime's character as well, so I can't say this will be perfectly in character; but I'll do my best ^^

Saitō Hajime's Life in Chaldea (ft. Guda, Okita and a teensy bit of Izou)

- Saitō seems rather nonchalant at first, calmly thinking; "Ah, looks like I'll be serving a new lord this time."

- Hoping that he'll be in for an interesting time, he's intrigued to see what his new Master will be like. All the glitz, glam and sparkling leylines that transport him to Chaldea don't really excite him much.

- Despite his rather laid-back approach to his summoning, a part of him vows from the very start to leave if Chaldea ends up being more of a risk to his morals or integrity than he desires. Before he can even face his master, Saitō has already steeled his resolve to place his loyalty within himself first.

-If things get too dangerous too soon, he'll bounce right outta there. - This is because in his past life, Saitō was one of the few members of the Shinsengumi that survived even after the fall of the Tokugawa ruled that they fought loyally on behalf of- until their eventual defeat at the hands of the implementation of the Imperial Family Empire's new rule. - If he could survive a time as turbulent as that, then heck, he'd do his utmost to live this time as well.

- When Guda greets him, with their warm smile, chill personality and friendly approach; Saitō is pleasantly pleased. He could get used to a master like this!! Impressed by the amount of free reign that servants have in Chaldea, Guda quickly gets onto his good side. - To him, this is completely the opposite to life in the Shinsengumi; with its rigid rules, practices and codes of honor. He won't have to worry about being sentenced to the ritual slicing open of his stomach if he decides to take a break now and then. He can enjoy his free time however he wants, and get in some training against brand new opponents. If things stay that way, Chaldea will be right up his street! - In his spare time, he may like to enjoy a good meal with faces both old and new; cheerily chatting over a good drink.

- It's there that he reunites with Okita for the first time in centuries!! As soon as they lock eyes, the two erupt into some friendly banter and teasing; ribbing each other over their life decisions.

"Oho, if it isn't Okita-chan.~ How's life faring for you? Still the same Meagre-chan from before?"

"I don't want to hear that from you, Shabbygumi. You're looking worn out, as usual!"

- Though they start out with some harsh roasts, the two begin bonding over their skills in no time. Saito greatly values as a fellow peer of his, and despite their differences, Okita cares about him as well. - Those two have experienced all sorts of trials and struggles besides one another, giving them a bond of familiarity that only comrades could share. That doesn't mean that he's not going to tease Okita, though. Not at all.

-Before they've even realised it, the two of them are often going together to the canteen to eat Soba together, Saito meeting many new faces along the way!

- Also, Chaldea's Soba is addictive to Saito. There's no way in hell he'd miss out on trying out the canteen's new recipes!

- Saito is also quite loyal to Hijikata, his vice-commander playing an important role within his past life. But he's a bit bewildered by this Hijikata's obsession with pickles, though.

"Ah well. He's as headstrong as before, that Hijikata."

- As for other activities, he'll get in some training too within the stimulation rooms in order to keep his Invincible Blade at the epitome of power- though he may not openly admit to doing that. He may be the sort to keep his training private (gotta stick to his laid-back exterior!)

- As he also has a rather neat and classy fashion style, if Chaldea has any tailoring or clothing areas; you may catch him there as well. - Life is good at Chaldea. Saito doesn't mind it at all. However, he's worried for his Master. The levels of battle, conflict and war they were enduring was beyond his wildest imagination, leaving him feeling a bit concerned for their sake. - If it was anybody else, he could just leave them at any time, or turn tail and flee when the time was right; but around a Master like that, who was standing so strongly and cracking such witty jokes despite the trials they faced...no way in hell was Saito going to leave them behind!! - So instead, he resolves himself to be Master's support by being the kind of person Master can talk to if they feel like giving up or throwing in the towel. He'll do whatever it takes to make sure they're alright, even if he has to drag them out of Chaldea by force. He wants to see his Master put themselves first.

- On that note, Saito digs his Master's sense of humor. A master he can joke around and have a good chat with makes for perfect company. He's glad that he could become acquaintance with such an interesting person.

- Finally, in regards to Okada Izou...let's just say that their ideals are at a loggerhead with one another. Saito respects him for his skill, yet doesn't really agree with the amount of risk Okada put his life in during his tenure as an assassin.

- As for Izou, he tends to be rather sensitive to criticism- even if it's of the joking kind; which means that they may butt heads a little before bonding over some much-needed drinks! After a bit of punching, I think they'd become great friends; with Saito's cool nature balancing Izou's defensive one.

- Is Chaldea the best place for Saito? Not really. But would he feel like leaving once he's there? Probably not. Despite the scale of danger he faces with every battle, he enjoys his Master; his allies' company, and the amount of free license he has to just act as he wants whenever he wants to. For him, it's a pretty nice summoning.

"Looks like I'll be here for longer than expected. I'll be in your care from now on as well, Master."

#fate grand order #fgo #fate series #saito hajime #guda #Saitō #gilgablog #gilgawriting #this was kinda tough but fun

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astrolovecosmos · 3 years ago

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Common Virgo Archetype: The Helper or Supporter

I almost labeled this piece as “Virgo Archetype: The Servant”. While “serving” and “servant’ can have a negative connotation, the role of the servant can be filled with honor, respect, and if you look through history and many religions - holiness. This archetype is about helping others, supporting them, and following those who are worthy of their aid and skills.

There are studies after studies that explore how helping others makes us feel good. Virgo has a desire to feel useful. With their diligence, I can really see Virgo being the sign that makes the world go round. While the earth element tends to always get the burden of being the “materialistic” signs, Virgo has cracked the code to finding meaning by helping others.

While humility, passiveness, or even submission tends to be connected to the idea of “serving” others, Virgo can be very confident about their ability to give back and to be a needed commodity. While being a “helper” or “supporter” can be crucial to understanding how Virgo interacts with others, I think this archetype is a good way to explore their more potent side.

Do you know the type of person who is high-strung and goes above and beyond at school or in the work place? The person you likely can’t stand because they make it harder for everyone else. I bring you the “Virgo Helper”. I’m not here to explore the good and bad consequences of this behavior but what I’d like to highlight is that this person usually does not have a shy, timid, or passive energy. They are NOT the lowly servant to the king, they are the hustler, if you read my last archetype post. They may also be the next teacher or boss. Do not mistake Virgo’s willingness to help others, their patience, and any humble approach as a lack of leadership. They can make great leaders, especially once they have their mind set on leadership roles and train for them.

Speaking of training, the other archetype I was tempted to explore was that of the “craftsman”. This other archetype can still fit into Virgo helping or serving others. One of Virgo’s motto’s could be “practice makes perfect”. If there was one sign I’d guess to take the time to really study and learn a skill, it would be Virgo. While I painted a picture of a young, studious, competitive person in the workplace or school - we can also see a calmer, more put together version of Virgo as a craftsman or master. I am not saying to become a “master in your craft” you have to approach your field the same way this Virgo stereotype does. But fast thinking, enduring, and thorough student and wise, experienced master both fit into Virgo as a craftsman. If you work within the “crafts” whether it be plumbing, graphic design, architecture, etc. you will learn quickly that your job is ultimately a job of service. You provide a “service” to others and your success is greatly dependent on your skill. In many of these fields you don’t get paid unless the customer is happy with your work or you have helped them. Despite customer’s opinions if you are an expert in your field people will need your help. There is respect and prestige within the archetype of the craftsman, along with real world impact. This stereotype of the expert or of the craftsman fits into the focus and power a Virgo can have.

Helping or serving others is an underrated superpower for Virgo. It is key in not only how they interact with others but with the world. When all is said and done, many times you will find Virgo as the winner, the satisfied, or the true hearted. In societies that tend to value the opposite of what Virgo is associated with, I think it can be hard for them to see the beauty in their own sign... plus you know, their natural criticalness. But by helping others we see their strength.

#virgo #virgo season #archetype #stereotype #helpful #support #helper #zodiac #astrology #zodiac sign

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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

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[CN] Shaw’s S2 R&S - What is known as amazing the world

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a Rumours & Secrets, 所谓一鸣惊人, which has not been released in EN! 🍒

This R&S features S2 Shaw, but no knowledge of S2 is required to enjoy this~

In terms of sequencing, this is Shaw’s third S2 R&S!

[ Chapter One ]

When mentioning the tutor of the Archaeology Department in Loveland University, Professor Shen deserves greatest respect. Precisely because of the high academic requirements, he had not recruited graduate students in recent years. However, he didn't find anything wrong with this. He occasionally taught undergraduates, then immersed himself in his own academic research. His days followed a pretty regular pattern.

During such an ordinary time, Professor Shen met Shaw for the first time.

The day he interviewed Shaw was also the warmest afternoon in the late spring of Loveland City. The sycamore trees on both sides of the road were working hard to produce new buds. Professor Shen carried a pile of materials, walking across the sunny open space to the building where the graduate students were sitting for the second round of examinations.

So far, he had re-examined five students. Their performances were very mediocre, and there was still quite a lot of distance from his expectations. However, the student to be re-examined later was slightly different. The materials showed that he was directly recommended to him by Loveland University. Based on his age, he should be a young student. Amidst the twenty-five, twenty-six, and even older re-examinees, he had subconsciously left an impression on Professor Shen.

After dusting off the sycamore puffs that had fallen on his shoulders, Professor Shen entered the classroom. Before long, what accompanied the hands of the clock reaching 2pm were two beeps at the door of the classroom.

"Hello teacher, my name's Shaw.”

Hearing this, Professor Shen lifted his head. The boy at the door was indeed very young, but his flamboyant bluish purple short hair, incomparably avant-garde clothes, and flat expression without much of a smile rendered Professor Shen stunned for a second or two. But he quickly smoothened his expression, warmly beckoning Shaw to enter.

The student named Shaw wasn’t reserved at all. He sat down naturally on the chair in the middle, placing a black schoolbag casually at his feet.

Whether he was making judgments based on appearances or was no longer holding much hope, at that moment, Professor Shen thought that this was another interview where he would simply go through the motions. He raised some standard questions. Unexpectedly, Shaw actually answered them decently. Professor Shen's spirits gradually rose.

"What you wrote about in your undergraduate thesis was..." Professor Shen flipped through the materials in his hands. Just as he found the information, a clear voice sounded fluently. "《A Statistical Analysis of the Age and Gender of Human Skeletons Unearthed in Xushan》. It includes the basic condition of the unearthed human bones, any damage, pathological changes, as well as an analysis of the population and health of that period.”

"Does this mean you’re interested in physical anthropology?" Professor Shen pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, staring at Shaw with interest. "In that case, why did you apply to be my graduate student?" He needed to know that Professor Shen’s research direction was mainly on the appreciation of ancient appliances and field archaeology.

Faced with Professor Shen's sharp and intense gaze, Shaw didn’t panic at all. He shifted his overlapped legs, arching his eyebrows slightly. “Physical anthropology is a field that I wasn’t really familiar with, so I wanted to challenge it to learn more. Teacher's research direction is what I’m truly interested in." After he finished speaking, he added, "By the way, if I have the chance, I’d like to participate in field work a few times."

"Oh? The graduation thesis is such an important aspect. Isn’t challenging a new field very risky?" Professor Shen continued to probe.

Hearing this question, the corners of Shaw’s lips slanted, revealing his first smile of the day. However, there was an incredibly serious look in his eyes. He didn’t give a direct answer, but spoke leisurely, word by word. "Archaeology has always been a risk where expectations may end up fruitless. Don’t you agree?”

The re-examination and what Shaw said greatly exceeded Professor Shen's initial expectations. Outstanding schoolwork, comprehensive knowledge and an open-minded attitude. Except for seeming rather brash and conceited, Professor Shen wasn’t able to find fault with him at that moment. He drew a circle on Shaw's materials, then lifted his head to ask the final question:

"Student Shaw seems to be a young man with a lot of personality. So why did you choose the archaeology major that most people find boring?”

[ Chapter Two ]

The new semester has commenced for almost two weeks. For Professor Shen, aside from the need to attend a few more professional courses, his teaching life doesn’t seem to have changed much. He hasn't taken a graduate student in two years, and he hasn't gotten used to it yet. Fortunately, Shaw has never been someone who would simply wait passively.

After class this morning, Professor Shen returns to the office. Right after opening the stack of archaeological reports he’s been reading recently, there’s a sudden knock at the door.

"Shaw, is there a problem?" Professor Shen removes his reading glasses and asks composedly.

Shaw has a black backpack slung over one shoulder. He strides over to Professor Shen's desk. Scratching his own hair casually, he speaks with laziness in his tone. “Professor, you gave too little homework. Can’t you assign more?”

Professor Shen suddenly chuckles. Even though it’s only been two weeks since school started, he has already seen Shaw's agile mind and excellent learning speed. Professor Shen isn’t surprised by Shaw's request. But in his opinion, being overly eager isn’t always a good sign to rely on.

Professor Shen ponders for a moment, puts on his glasses again, then says to Shaw, "There’s another assignment, but I don't know if you’d be willing to do it.”

“Tell me about it?”

“You could draw pictures of the flowerbeds in school and objects in the classroom, then practice your fundamental sketching skills.”

Treating flower beds as ruins and objects as appliances is a method that many archaeology students use when practising sketching. But when this assignment comes out of Professor Shen's mouth...

Shaw sweeps a glance at the genial Professor Shen as he sits behind the desk. He purses his lips. Without a word, he hauls up his backpack and turns around, walking towards the office door. Just as he’s about to leave, he turns slightly with a soft “hmph”.

He doesn’t know if Professor Shen heard this sound, nor does he care that much. After all, he has once again immersed himself in the pile of archaeology reports.

Just after 5pm, Professor Shen hurries to a research meeting while carrying documents.

The sky at the end of summer is still very bright, clear and azure, without a single shadow of dusk. Professor Shen turns around a corner, and suddenly finds that the back not too far ahead is very familiar - the bluish-purple hair is one of the few in the whole of Loveland University, and he knows at a glance that it’s Shaw. And in front of Shaw, facing Professor Shen’s direction, is a girl with short hair and dressed in a delicate manner.

Professor Shen walks closer and closer. He’s unable to hear what the girl says, and only sees the shy expression on her face.

“Hey, I’m rushing to the band. You’re in the way.” Shaw’s voice is very cold, and even somewhat impatient. The girl seems a little reluctant to withdraw, and reaches out to grab Shaw. However, Shaw turns sideways and steps backwards, dodging instantly. At this point, Shaw knits his brows tightly, his eyes dyed with a sharp and impatient light. “I’ll repeat myself for the last time. I’m. Not. Interested.”

After saying this with a decisive attitude, Shaw walks away.

Walking from behind Shaw to a different branch of the corridor, Professor Shen grips the documents tightly. Actually, whether a student likes to be in a band or is adored by girls, these things belonging to the private lives of students aren’t what he’s interested in nor what he has ever interfered in. To him, what students place value on most are the quality of learning and professionalism. As for other things...

Professor Shen glances at his watch and subconsciously speeds up his pace. While he hurries, he hopes that his original judgment was correct, and hopes that Shaw is indeed a good successor worth cultivating, just as he appeared during the re-examination.

[ Chapter 3 ]

A week passes by suddenly.

Sitting at the desk which receives plentiful sunlight, Professor Shen flips through the stack of sketching assignments that Shaw had just handed in, an imperceptible smile of satisfaction on his lips.

In addition to printed computer drawings, another half are hand-drawn sketches by Shaw using a pen, and they are of pretty good quality. Over the years, Professor Shen had seen too many young kids neglecting hand-drawn sketches because they relied too much on computer drawings. No matter what decade it is, the most primitive and foundational skills should be the most solid.

The sense of gratification causes Professor Shen to sigh. However, the page he just flipped to causes him to stop abruptly - this is obviously not part of the drawing assignment. It looks like an analysis report... Professor Shen props up his glasses, reading it carefully from the beginning. Then, he realises that this is an analysis of archaeological reports. Flipping to the back roughly, he finds that coincidentally, this analysis is targeted at the stack of archaeological reports Professor Shen had been reading recently.

With no time to be surprised, Professor Shen straightens his back in an instant, sits up straight, and reads the analysis written by Shaw from start to finish carefully. Whether it’s the standardised writing format, the hypothesis proposed in response to pictures and existing materials, or the objectivity of the comparisons drawn, they can already be regarded as the standard of a professional.

Even though he doesn’t know where Shaw obtained the archaeological reports, what is undeniable is that he used his "little brain". But what is even more undeniable is that just by skimming through the analysis, Professor Shen can see Shaw’s solid foundational and expansive knowledge.

Through this unassigned piece of homework, Professor Shen feels that what he sees isn’t just a very young student who’s just beginning graduate school. What’s displayed before his eyes is Shaw’s undiscovered potential and possibilities.

Professor Shen gets a full glass of water from the water dispenser, and Biluochun leaves twirl and dance in the transparent glass. He walks over to the window, blowing at the mouth of the cup. Then, he takes a few sips of tea slowly, appearing to be in a good mood.

In his mind, he recalls the content of the analysis report, as well as Shaw's appearance when he came to submit his assignment early in the morning.

At that time, his steps were confident and full of vigour. He walked straight to the table to set down his assignment, then raised his eyebrows in glowing spirits. "Professor, remember to read till the end."

Now that he thinks about it, Professor Shen seems to taste the unhesitating confidence and the unwillingness to admit defeat in Shaw's eyes that he didn’t notice before.

It looks like this kid felt that he was being underestimated before. Full of pent up grievances, he wanted to prove his capabilities! This was simply his slightly awkward yet incomparably confident demeanour...

Professor Shen sighs softly, then can’t help but chuckle.

Before him, the sun is still climbing up at 10am, but the radiance of sunlight is already incomparably dazzling.

[ Chapter Four ]

After a few autumn rains, Loveland City gradually turns cooling. Professor Shen's body isn’t very good, so he puts on a thick coat early.

On this day, Professor Shen comes to the office with a briefcase as usual. He methodically prepares Biluochun, takes out his materials and pen, and puts on his glasses. Just as he’s about to start work, the new young lecturer Xiao Fu suddenly turns to his desk while holding his phone. “Professor Shen, look at this quickly. This boy in the middle looks like your graduate student!"

“Why do I feel as if he might be that student of yours?" Teacher Fu looks increasingly certain that he’s correct. "I met him several times before. It’s that cool and triumphant look. Even the colour of his hair matches!"

Professor Shen lowers his head, pulling down his glasses, and the image on the phone screen is displayed in an instant. It seems to be a video of a performance. The musicians on stage are very lively, and the atmosphere under the stage seems to be extraordinarily enthusiastic. The person playing the bass intently and fervently in the middle - who else could he be but Shaw?

Even before Professor Shen speaks, Teacher Fu has already affirmed to himself. “That’s right, it’s him! I remember someone mentioning that he was in band, but I didn't expect him to look like this...”

Professor Shen's eyes are still focused on the phone screen. In the video, Shaw has the youthful vigour that he can only have at his age. He’s full of spirit, rebellious and eccentric, and exudes fervent vitality. He can attract everyone’s attention almost instantly, as though he's a natural focal point.

But such a Shaw seems slightly foreign to Professor Shen. In the past two or three months, the Shaw he has seen is a graduate student who rushes to and from school, but is very earnest in his specialised course, and is also very meticulous in research.

Teacher Fu has already taken his phone away and returned to his own desk. Professor Shen’s gaze returns to his materials, but there are still some emotions stirring in his heart.

The more interactions he has with Shaw, the more Professor thinks that he’s akin to a treasure. Although he may make someone feel conflicted, he always brings unexpected surprises to others. Initially, Professor Shen thought there might only be jade here. But after more digging, he found calligraphy and paintings and utensils. Thinking that this would be the end, taking a turn resulted in the digging of gold, silver, copper and iron. As for whether there would be other treasures in the future...

Knock knock.

Hearing knocks at the door, Professor Shen lifts his head instinctively - truly, speak of the devil.

"Professor, I came to ask about something." Shaw strides over. Standing before the desk, Shaw looks at Professor Shen with an indifferent expression, as if he’s just speaking thoughtlessly. "I heard that the excavation and inspection of the Hou Yin Tan site will be carried out soon. Anyway, my usual assignments aren’t urgent. I’m thinking of strolling around the area with you.”

Through the spectacle lenses, Professor Shen looks at the seemingly expressionless Shaw, and can’t help but chuckle.

He thinks to himself - perhaps no one has told Shaw that even though he always uses nonchalance as a cover, the insuppressible earnestness in his eyes are unable to conceal his genuine anticipation.

[ Chapter 5 ]

The excavation work has commenced for over a month, and everything is proceeding on tenterhooks and in an orderly manner.

Field excavation has always been a bitter and boring part of archaeological work. In addition to digging for long hours in a desolate field, it’s also common to find nothing after digging till the end. At the very least, Shaw has already experienced it several times this month.

It’s another cold and windy morning. Professor Shen comes to the excavation site early, only to find that Shaw hasn’t arrived yet, which is rare. Something noteworthy is that Shaw has been coming here earlier than him every day. But within a few minutes, Shaw appears, walking over while talking on the phone. Something is said on the other end of the line. Shaw arches his eyebrows in his signature style. "Tch, so long-winded... Got it.”

Professor Shen notices a cute rabbit pendant dangling from the bottom of Shaw’s phone, though he doesn’t know when it first appeared. He shows a smile of understanding, no longer paying attention to Shaw's actions, lowering his head to start a new day of work. After a while, a number of villagers from the vicinity also come over and they all greet Shaw first.

This is also something Professor Shen noticed on hindsight. At some point in time, Shaw had established a rapport with the villagers. Having the villagers in the vicinity cooperate and even participate in an amiable manner is another very important part of field excavation. In this aspect, Shaw's performance can be regarded as attaining a satisfactory full marks.

"Professor, leave the rest of the shaving to me." Shaw squats down beside Professor Shen, holding a shovel in his hand. Professor Shen doesn’t immediately express his opinion. Instead, he smiles slightly. "Finished your call with your girlfriend?" Shaw averts his eyes in a hurry, which is rare. He purses his lips. “Who said that she’s... Professor, don’t get infected by Mr Fu’s gossip.” Professor Shen chuckles while standing up slowly. Then, he pats Shaw on the shoulder. "I'll take a look at the pit."

Shaving is time-consuming and hard work, let alone shaving in winter. In spite of thin sunlight, the bitter cold wind hovers over the site, causing Shaw's nose to redden unknowingly. His ripped jeans have long since been covered in dust, and even his originally shiny earrings are coated in ash. Even so, Shaw simply kneels on the ground with ease, cleaning the ground while holding the shovel firmly, shovelling the ground and four walls carefully.

The shaving takes five hours.

Dinner naturally consists of a group of people eating together. When Shaw arrives, he has already taken a shower and is restored to a clean and refreshed state. However, when using chopsticks to pick out vegetables, Professor Shen notices his unusual behaviour immediately: he rarely moves his chopsticks, and he has been picking the vegetables slower than usual. After a few more glances, Professor Shen realises that his hands had turned swollen during the five consecutive hours of shaving.

Despite this, even after the meal is over, Shaw doesn’t say a word or complain at all.

Professor Shen is even more satisfied with the only graduate student he has. He can’t help but compliment him coolly. "You’ve done a good job recently. If you want to learn archeology properly, you must have this earnestness and inextinguishable momentum."

Shaw pauses for a second, but still has that triumphant expression when he speaks. "That goes without saying." But Professor Shen clearly sees how Shaw's eyes had lit up in an instant, and how his brows raised involuntarily.

Professor Shen smiles while shaking his head, looking at Shaw whose words don’t match his genuine feelings. He doesn’t know what Shaw experienced, and perhaps his cynicism is to some extent a defence mechanism. As long as he pretends not to care, there will never come a time when his expectations come to naught. And this also gives him a chance to rewind the situation. Even though amazing the world with brilliant feats bring with it surprises, it occasionally makes Professor Shen feel that what he’s doing is akin to a child looking forward to rewards...

With this thought in mind, Professor Shen smiles while walking away.

When Professor Shen arrives the next morning, many people are already surrounding the area. There’s an interview with the TV station today, and Professor Shen had long since pushed Shaw out. A young man with such an advantageous appearance is suitable to be on TV.

As expected, the host is holding the microphone and conducting the interview. Looking at Shaw’s knitted brows, Professor Shen can't help but laugh, knowing that he’s trying his best to answer patiently. At this moment, the host suddenly asks a rather familiar question. "Why are you studying archaeology?"

This question seems to pull time backwards to more than half a year ago, when Professor Shen met Shaw for the first time -

"Student Shaw seems to be a young man with a lot of personality. So why did you choose the archaeology major that most people find boring?”

Shaw arches his eyebrows. "Because I like it." He lifts his chin slightly, showing a determined smile. "Isn't liking something the greatest display of personality?”