#but i am a person who practices a religion because of chance; i was born into a religious family and find meaning in the rituals | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chaoticacademicdemon · 2 years ago

Text

Series Agogé, personal proyect

Chapter 1.1: “Aike”

On my way to the Agogé

What is a God? Many times I think about it when passing in front of the churches and temples of my city. After all, I live in Byblos, religion is around every corner. I understand that it is very important but I have never understood the need for so many places of worship in such a small space. Don't they tell us that we can pray to them and all that from anywhere? It really does not seem so bad to me, it is good to have so much variety but I think we have gone a bit too far.

This was where it all started after World War II. I pass in front of the statue that reminds us of Awakening Day, November 16 to be exact, the day old Ayin saw them for the first time. For a while I really liked that story, not because it was interesting, but because it happened where I lived. The Gods have always fascinated me much more unfortunately.

My city became a sacred and pilgrimage site and thus the population reached numbers never seen before, now it is what New York used to be.

In truth, I am very unlucky to have been born here, even with the great living conditions, the new capital-socialist system and the great advances in gender equality. Basically, I live in the center of today's world. I wish I had been born in Frankfurt like my father or in any other city where there was a definite God. How easy it would be to choose the protector God of your city, I can't do it because I would have to choose the entire pantheon.

If the Awakening hadn't happened, right now I would be going to the institute and not to the Agogé.Besides, I'm going to have to decide for myself a God. If I could choose, I would go for Ares or Hestia since they are the ones that could help me the most. That would have been the smart thing to do, but my 9 year old mind had to go where it shouldn't and now all my chances of making a normal pact are lost.

And here I am, I have arrived. I look at the huge planes surely full of students like me and I am filled with confidence to go through the goal. By the way, it is quite beautiful, it is a Peloponnesian style that is not exactly the most outstanding for its beauty but I love the way in which the vegetation has flooded even the highest parts. In front of me is the big square full of people eager for the start of their preparation for adulthood, but I don't want to spend three years doing math and push-ups, much less practicing with my Evepyoc. I want to go home fervently.

All motivation and confidence fade, and I put my hands in my pockets wearily. I turn around ready to leave, when a boy much younger than me approaches me, I can't say his age because I'm extremely bad at that, but he was much younger. I freeze completely when his eyes lock on mine and he stops in front of me. Please no.

- I knew it! This year you are entering the Agogé! I am a big fan!

- Yes, I don't doubt it, now if you let me...

- Are you leaving? Will you let me take a picture with you?

- Uh, well, you'll see...

- Please! I will get thousands of followers if I post a picture with you on my Insta!

- Yeah, but no thanks. I have to go.

- Oh, come on, just one please.I promise I won't post it.

- Yes, of course. - I sighed tiredly - You're lucky, today I'll let you, but in the description you put my real name and nothing else about me, understood?

Why does this happen to me? I don't want to make a bigger scene than what we are already causing, I hope not many people have recognized me, even though I am wearing very baggy clothes and a mask. My plan to get out of here until I calm down has been destroyed and now I really have to go in, thank goodness I skipped breakfast because I'm about to vomit.

At least my parents have brought my things this morning and I don't have to carry my suitcases like the rest of the students who come from abroad. I have only been able to enter this prestigious academy because of my proximity and my, how to say, turbulent past. Classes are taught in English in order to accommodate 70% international students. There is a very good admissions department and all parents dream of taking their children here to study at Agogé. It seems perfect, but right now my room seems perfect to me, not this place filled to the brim with strangers.

From the faces of some of my future classmates, it looks like I'll be the only one who isn't exactly excited about the idea of a student jail that I won't even be able to get out of to go to the movies.

The good thing is that in here there is everything, like a mini city within another, so I doubt that I'm missing anything. I'll do things right, I'll go slowly, I'll get average grades and I'll make a couple of friends, when I realize it I'll have graduated and I'll be able to go home. Aike, focus on the positive, everything will be fine.

I don't like going out, I don't like people in general, so being in the middle of the square with 2,000 or 3,000 other people is like my worst nightmare. I hope I never have a nightmare like this, I prefer to sleep well. Good thing I have Hypnos on my side, otherwise I couldn't have slept well the previous nights. My almost dissipated stress increases exponentially when I see the director on stage and notice how the doors are closing behind me.

I quickly walk to a crowded corner and blend in with the crowd almost to the right corner of the square. The speech begins like any I have seen in my few years, the typical motivational speech for students who begin this stage of their lives with new hope, and then adds:

- With this already covered, I will proceed to explain the rules for the students of the Agogé in the Mégara academy. As you already know, students will not be able to leave the campus except for emergencies and the designated dates that parents will receive in an email. Starting with the important thing, the first thing you should do is turn on your mobile phones. I can assume that everyone has already downloaded the academy application on their phones, following the instructions that we sent when enrolling. Now they must create an account.It will ask for your email, use your full name followed by @mégara.agogé.lb and you can create your account as you would with any social network. Your username cannot be changed at any time, so choose wisely, there have already been many cases of graduating students with ridiculous names.

I follow his instructions and create my account, immediately a scream is heard that I suppose was intended to be Spartan. The rest of the mobiles also emit various noises, but none as shrill and embarrassing as mine. My screen goes white, with the phrase “wait for the next instructions” in all capital letters. Why can't they put an informative video on me and watch it from my house, or my future room? This is a waste of time, we all know what's coming, the points system, the level tests, the duels. I want it to end now, but the director continues her speech.

- The Mégara academy is governed by a points system. In each duel with a student, always carried out under the supervision of a teacher, the points agreed upon in advance will be played. For example, if we do a duel to 10 points, we both pay 10 and whoever wins gets 20. It's easy, right? At the end of the month, a count of points is made and a class will be assigned depending on these. The α rank, the most difficult to achieve due to its high achievement requirement, is also the most advantageous. Points are given weekly to all students and the higher the class, the more rewards.

The points seem something important but we have not managed to explain well what they are for.The idea behind the points is to achieve equal opportunities for all of our students.- I look now at how well he speaks and moves around the stage despite his cataracts. People pay attention to what you say, and now it's time for the most important part of your speech. -The points are obtained by merits, and it will be these merits that will pay for everything that is inside here. Food costs points, books, movies, video games, the basic expenses they may have will be paid with their own means and not with their families' money. In fact, the universal currency is not accepted in any of the establishments and stores. The residence halls are also paid with their points, the most luxurious one costs more but offers better conditions such as a gym, swimming pool and sauna, as well as a kitchen in each of the rooms, which are more like flats.

That interests me, I prefer to cook my own food. In Mégara they are super secret with their internal things, I only know a little about what my father told me and the basics that are known about the points system and all that, but all the services inside are secret. My phone finally reacts and I have access to the catalog of facilities, services, residence halls and my class schedule that is empty.

I also notice that I can buy an exit pass for an hour for 1000 points, I get used to the idea that I'm going to be locked up forever.

The director explains that the schedule varies from class to class and that these will be assigned after the level test. She shows us an area to leave our luggage and I see how my poor suitcases, which had been waiting for me all morning, are crushed by hundreds of them. So basically this is capitalism, great.

Oh no, all the people have gone to leave their bags and I am left alone, my camouflage in the crowd has been lost. I look towards the stage and notice the penetrating gaze of the director, which worries me a lot because, according to what I have been told, her eyesight is severely affected by age. And if...? No, no, it can't be. And that's when I hear her say:

- It seems that we have very interesting new students.

I am about to cry at this point and all I see is that they have posted the lists of the groups in the application I run to find where I have to go. Group 7, well, well, that's a good number. Now I'm going to do a normal job and I'm going to the best room I can find for today, then I'll distribute the points and see what I need.

I arrive first at the meeting point and greet the monitor. He's huge, bald and tattooed, which I was missing, but he's pretty nice. I want to do the test that is quick and go. Hopefully it's a theoretical exam, just focus, write and leave when you're done. I want to leave and we haven't even started.I hope they give me enough points to buy tissues because I can already feel the snot running down my face, at least I'm wearing a mask. People are arriving and when we are all headed to the training ground, I feel unstoppable, ready for anything.

I see the equipment and I understand that it's discus shooting. As long as Apollo doesn't come up with something weird, I'm fine. We organize ourselves and I am the second in the fourth row. There are four lines to shoot, with a ballistic dummy at the end of each and a stack of discs at the beginning of all. We are all prepared and by our reactions you can already tell who is going to do well and who is not. The girl in front of me is shaking, and I take advantage of the noise to reach out and touch her shoulder to check if she's okay, but I only manage to make her scream. She is she I did not expect.

- Are you OK?

"Yeah!" She says she struggles through the sweat that she has completely covered her face.

"Just grab it by the edges like this and extend your arm like this," she explained as she guided him through her movements. I notice the look she gives my black gloves, I guess she looks like she's sick or something, I don't know.

- Thank you! My name is Evelynn!

- Do you have to yell for everything?

- Yeah! Hey, she waits.

- I am Aike. Well, she touches you.

- Oh yeah. Yeah!

She did well for it to be her first time. She now she touched me, what little desire.

I get into position and shoot. Perfect, balanced, that does not stand out much but that is not a suspense. It could be between a 5 and a 7 if it's done over 10, so I'm about to walk away from the lines with my puck still in the air.This is when I feel some very familiar chills and feel a draft come out of my hand. "Aeolus" I whisper, about to have an anxiety attack, a plea, a sigh, a need for him to please not do what I think he's going to do. My prayers are not enough to stop the disc that, driven by an inexplicable wind, passes through the dummy and shoots across the field, having the monitor of another team to stop it before it hits their test.

With tears streaming down my face, I cringe and run to the back, hearing all the whispers and feeling all the stares from my companions. It seriously had to happen to me today, of all days. They won't leave me alone for a single second, they don't understand that I don't want to be the center of attention. I wipe away my tears and blow my nose with a squashed handkerchief in my sweatpants. Please someone did it better than me.

The instructor tells us the points of each one in alphabetical order at the end of the test. Out of 100 points I got 100 and Evelynn 45. I wanted to get 70 at the most, but now everyone is looking at me. We walk to the next test, thank the Gods there are only three and one is a theoretical exam according to what Alex, the monitor, told me.

(Don’t want this to be really long, I’m gonna make it into 2 parts, english is my second language, if there’s something to improve let me know, thanks for making it this far <3)

#ocs #original writing #greek mitology #greek mythology #light academia #pagan witch #female leadership #teen writer #young writer #young artist #writing #writers and poets #writers on tumblr #story #fantasy #first chapter

3 notes · View notes

transsolidarityproject · 2 months ago

Text

Allyship 101 & Resources

We all have to start somewhere – most people are born wanting to be kind and compassionate, but it takes work to undo the underlying negativity we’re taught. Here are some basic concepts to read about, regardless of where you are in your allyship and social justice journey. Or go directly to the end of the page to see resources.

Support the project by reblogging or visiting transsolidarityproject.wordpress.com. Updated last: 12/11/2024

Glossary & Definitions

Common terms that will be used in this post – and are thrown around in the social justice sphere. Not many people take the time to explain them, so here are the definitions as I will be using them.

SOCIAL JUSTICE The belief that ALL people deserve equal economic, political, and social rights/opportunities. In an ideal world, everyone has an equal chance to be happy, healthy, and grow. However, both in current society and throughout history, there is social injustice: certain people get extra opportunities while others get less based on things outside of their control, like race, gender, class, ability, etc. The goal of social justice is to remedy injustice, often by helping those experiencing injustice or getting rid of the causes that create injustice.

OPPRESSION VS. MARGINALIZATION Both oppression and marginalization are big words used interchangeably in the social justice sphere. Oppression refers to the unjust or cruel use of authority and/or power whereas marginalization is the unjust treatment of a person or group based on identity. The technical difference between the two is that oppression is carried out by the powerful (like governments) while marginalization can be done by anyone – including you and me. For more, continue reading and look for the “types of oppression” section of this article.

ALLYSHIP & ALLIES Allyship is the practice of actively working to create social justice and end social injustice, even when particular injustices do not directly affect you. Allyship is active because it is not a fad that one does in their free time – it’s ongoing and often tiring, a commitment to calling out yourself and others when you purposely or unknowingly benefit from injustice. There are a lot of words that people will use to get this message across – advocates, supports, allies, and so forth. The general idea is that to practice social justice and be a compassionate human, you have to commit to the practice even when it is difficult. If allyship was easy, injustice would not exist. Allies are not perfect people who will never do wrong – they’re humans who generally aim to create a better society and are willing to work to make that society a reality.

---

Identity Markers: Who am I?

To understand social justice and marginalization, you have to understand identity markers. Identity markers are parts of your identity or self – these markers are most commonly used to discriminate and harm people, but they also create community. They range from aspects like race and ethnicity to everyday hobbies.

Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality is founded on the understanding of identity markers. Race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, class, first language, religion, national origin, ability, age, and body size are just a FEW identity markers.

Remember: everyone has identity markers. As an exercise, I invite you to take a moment and think about which identities matter the most to you, and which matter less. For example, everyone has a racial identity, but how important is race to you? It is more or less important than your identity related to sexuality, gender, religion, or even your hobbies? There are no right or wrong answers, but understanding identity markers is an integral starting point since the majority of people never critically think about their identities. Those identities shape how you see the world – like if you think the world is fundamentally fair or if it’s warped by greed and cruelty.

---

The Five Fundamentals of Social Justice

When teaching social justice, I always emphasize five fundamental principles: human rights, resources, equity, participation, and diversity. I’ll be going over all of them later, but note that all five of these fundamentals are equally important. There’s no single principle that is more important than the others. Pursuing social justice means you are actively pursuing all five of these principles – if you don’t, you’ll create injustice later on.

Let’s Begin: Human Rights

Human rights are basic fundamental rights that every single person is entitled to solely because they are a person – regardless of where they’re from, the color of their skin, sexual orientation, gender identity, wealth, past crimes, ability to speak English, or anything else.

These are rights that do not need to be earned and cannot be lost – you were born entitled to these rights. Most of the world followed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document with 30 fundamental rights written in 1948 in response to WWII. It’s the most translated document in the world and available in over 500 different languages as well as a comic format and easy-to-understand simplified version. The UDHR isn’t comprehensive, but it outlines 30 basic principles that the majority of the world has agreed are integral to being human. Before it, the world didn’t have a consensus before the Holocaust that all people deserve a certain level of rights.

It’s also worth mentioning that the UDHR is a document through the United Nations. The UN does have power, but that power isn’t absolute since it cannot physically force countries like Russia, North Korea, or Iran to stop committing human rights violations. Instead, they offer guidance – like whether certain countries should be assisted in times of need, if trade should be barred, and they keep detailed documentation and accountability on world powers.

youtube

Making Change: Participation

In social justice, participation refers to whether everyone has access to voice their opinions/concerns AND if they can create genuine change. There are places in the world where people are denied the right to vote or be in public forums and town halls, and there are other places where their votes are meaningless and don’t create actual policy reform.

An example of the first type of participation injustice revolves around the United States territory of Puerto Rico, which is home to over three million people in the Caribbean. Like all US territories, Puerto Ricans cannot vote in presidential elections and have no federal representation in Congress – even though they’re considered United States citizens by birthright. Their tax dollars go towards federal legislation and projects, but they’ve been denied to become the 51st state despite voting in favor during referendums in 2024, 2020, 2017, and 2012. It has a similar vibe to the same reasons the United States originally went to war for its independence from the United Kingdom, but Puerto Rico’s residents are denied the ability to voice themselves.

An example of the second type of participation injustice is federal legislation passed and vetoed here in the United States. For the majority of real democracies, bills have a greater chance to become law if a greater number of voters favor that bill – and vice versa for unfavorable bills the general public dislikes. However, all bills discussed in Congress have a 30% chance of becoming law – regardless of whether Americans love or hate that bill. The average American has “a miniscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact” on laws. Instead, bills become laws in Congress based on the favorability of the United States’ upper classes – which is why even though the average American supports more accessible or universal healthcare, abortion protection, and same-sex marriage, Congress refuses to support those interests. The American public doesn’t support the idea of a national ban on TikTok, but large corporations like Meta fuel bills in Washington D.C do.

youtube

Stuff! Also known as… Resources.

Resources are the things we need to have happy, healthy lives BUT can run out because they’re finite. In my opinion, the simplest definition of resources is “stuff.” In a just society, everyone has equal resources regardless of who they are: every person has clean water, healthy food options, healthcare, housing, etc. Many countries have welfare programs and policies to disperse resources and discourage hoarding – like universal healthcare, free childcare, minimum wage, higher education, pensions, and income supplements.

In unjust societies, resources are hoarded and kept by a small number of people – often called the elite, upper class, or Top 10%. Those resources then become inaccessible to the general public, especially those in poverty. The two most common examples of resource injustice in the United States relate to housing and medicine – wealthy individuals and corporations purchase massive amounts of housing across the nation with the intent of renting out those properties or selling them at a higher price. The US doesn’t have a “housing shortage” because the houses don’t exist, the US has a shortage because houses are being hoarded by a small number of people intentionally raising prices as high as possible. On the other hand, medication can only be produced by licensed entities – and most medications in the United States are protected by corporation-owned patents. These companies have the power and authority to price medication at any price with the understanding that if a product is life-saving, then Americans will pay any price to not die.

Even though insulin costs $2-4 to produce, the average vial cost $275 in 2022 in the United States – astronomically higher than anywhere else in the world. The primary manufacturer of insulin, Eli Lilly, only lowered prices in 2024 due to public pressure and government intervention through the Inflation Reduction Act.

youtube

Equity, Not Equality

Both equality and equity are important – but the difference can be hard to grasp. We want equality, but we have to use equity to get there. Over the centuries, some groups of people have had more access to resources and freedoms than others, so they have built up wealth (aka generational wealth). To get society back on track and create a socially just world, we have to implement short-term equity to bring those without wealth to the same standard as the wealthy.

A real-world historical example of this is the wealth gap between Black and white families in the United States. As a general rule, white families have had over two hundred years to buy land, build businesses, and grow their families’ wealth – which has afforded them university degrees, political offices, and access to the stock market. I say general rule because this is a large generalization – there are millions of white Americans living in poverty, and not all white families can trace their roots to the birth of the US. On the other hand, Black families were not just kept in poverty but enslaved from birth until death – and the cycle continued with practices like predatory sharecropping that kept Black families in debt to their white landlords post-Civil War. In comparison, Black Americans have lacked the same opportunities to build their own generational wealth through buying land, creating businesses, going to university, etc.

Equality is great when talking about rights – everyone deserves the same treatment. It’s also great when we talk about the ideal society, where everyone has the same opportunities. It’s not great when talking about resources since things are already unequal due to history. In short, equality is giving all people the same exact resources and freedoms regardless of need while equity distributes resources and services based on need and circumstance. Resources are finite, so we have to ensure things go to those who need them most.

As an exercise, imagine Congress has approved a bill that aims to bring United States public schools technologically up-to-date with new Chromebooks for students to use while in class – since there’s only so much money approved by the bill, we have to decide the best way to divide up the funds and computers across the US. If we applied an equality-based outlook, every single public school in America would be given the same number of Chromebooks. The pro to this method is that it’s the fairest since it’s based on equality, but it’s not efficient at solving the problem: due to the American education system, there’s a LARGE gap in the quality and funding schools in rich suburban neighborhoods receive compared to schools in poor rural or urban neighborhoods. This method will give new computers to wealthy schools that already have resources and not enough computers to poor schools that are lacking. Yet, imagine if we went with an equitable approach and the Chromebooks were instead given to public schools based on need – wealthy schools would get significantly less due to their lack of need, while the gaps would be filled by supplying more computers to poorly funded schools. The equitable outlook has a greater positive effect and brings the education system closer to pursuing equality in the future by closing the gap.

You can apply this mentality with a lot of things – it’s how welfare is operated throughout most of the world, including the United States. S.N.A.P. (food assistance or food stamps) aren’t given to every single American – that would cost way too much money than the system can handle currently – so instead, it’s given to Americans based on income-related need. Government healthcare and Medicaid, disability and social security, Pell Grants for higher education, housing assistance programs, tax credits, and cash assistance are all operated based on equitable need.

Most people have seen the above image when beginning their journey in social justice and liberation. It takes the above theory and illustrates it nicely for viewers to interpret the difference between equality and equity. In the first panel, the reality of life is that some people hoard resources (the boxes or crates) while others are prevented by barriers (the fence). The second panel illustrates equality, where all three figures are given one crate to stand on to watch the match – but this only helps one of them, since the rightmost person is still barred. Through equity in the third panel, the crates are distributed based on need – so the tallest person stands on their own, while the shortest is given an additional crate, allowing all three of them to see the game. Finally, the fourth panel is the goal of social justice – to create a better world without injustice, where the barrier has been removed entirely.

Diversity is good, actually.

For a just society, we have to actively hear opinions from backgrounds different than our own. This includes different racial, religious, economic, sexual, and even political backgrounds. If a group of powerful people is lacking in diversity, you should ask why others are unable to participate.

Echo chambers harm everyone, and we all benefit from listening to alternative perspectives. By adding diversity, you’re able to develop and defend your own ideas. Ideas that don’t have room to be challenged are always faulty beliefs. Accidents and public scandals happen when diversity isn’t present – like when Amazon served its staff watermelon and Kool-Aid for Juneteenth or when your local store puts Chinese New Year merchandise for sale in preparation for January 1st. When power is diversified, those scandals and errors are able to be corrected before they make large-scale impact. That being said, it’s easy to ignore diversity in favor of filling positions with just anyone – and due to the history of inequality, “just anyone” tends to be cisgender, straight, white, Christian, and able-bodied in the United States.

It’s not a vacuum – social justice is connected!

Next, think about the following statement: “In 2020, 86% of CEOs in America were white cisgender straight men.” Why?

Let’s take the five principles of social justice and dissect this:

DIVERSITY. There is a lack of women, transgender people, queer people, and people of color in positions of power. Since most boards and high-level corporations are run by white cisgender straight men, they unconsciously make decisions that benefit people like them rather than others – like donating to organizations to end DEI or giving staff little maternity leave.

PARTICIPATION. As mentioned in the participation section, the wealthy have the largest effect on US laws – which includes CEOs. In comparison to the average American, CEOs get to participate in creating change more than anyone else – which influences the real laws that pass in Congress.

EQUITY. To be a CEO, you almost always have to have a high-level degree – which is something that other people don’t have equitable access to if they’re unlucky enough to be stuck in an underfunded school district without paths towards accessible higher education.

HUMAN RIGHTS. The wealthy don’t have to worry about access to basic things like healthcare, education, shelter, and food – the types of human rights that are not guaranteed in America, largely due to corporate lobbying. Rather than budget and worry about these needs, they can focus on higher education and career advancement.

RESOURCES. The university degrees and connections necessary to become a CEO require a lot of time and money – which white cisgender straight men have significantly more of on average than other groups. Time spent on studying and going to networking events doesn’t have to be spent on taking a second job to pay rent.

---

Make Your Allyship Active

Allyship is not easy – but it’s a baseline skill to become a better person and a good activist. Real allyship is consistent and shouldn’t matter if anyone is watching you or if you’ll get more followers for posting your solidarity. You’re an ally because you’re a good person and want a better world, even if it might lose you followers.

Allyship requires the commitment to call injustice to attention – you have to want to change society to become better, especially when it’s inconvenient. Otherwise, your allyship is performative. The journey towards allyship is a lifelong practice accompanied by the decision to keep learning – even when you mess up. Good intentions are only valuable if they come with a willingness to accept mistakes and keep going. No one is a jerk for not knowing the latest politically correct term, especially if you’re committed to correcting yourself as needed.

---

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Unconscious Bias

Believe it or not, stereotypes are generalized beliefs that try to keep us safe – we make broad assumptions based on previous experiences and information. Stereotypes are useful when we assume a brightly colored frog will probably be poisonous, that green bananas are not as sweet and tasty as non-green ones, or that a growling bear might maul us. And throughout evolution and history, stereotypes informed us that we should stick to people like ourselves since other groups within the Homo genus were less likely to take care of our needs and well-being.

Stereotypes become negative and unhelpful when applied to modern humans – which is when they warp into prejudice. An English woman in the Middle Ages might have held the stereotype that French people were aggressive and dangerous, fueled by the information told to her through the countless wars between England and France – and that stereotype likely kept her family safe and away from war during her lifetime. Today, that stereotype is counterproductive in a time of intercultural dialogue and diplomacy over violence. Instead, stereotypes influence us to think worse of people based on identity markers – like being Black, Asian, Latine, Indigenous, queer, transgender, disabled, female, or poor.

Unconscious bias is another term for implicit stereotypes, beliefs we fundamentally hold in our inner psyche despite knowing better. They’re ingrained from growing up in an unjust world, and we’re gradually taught these biases through our parents, extended family, friends, schools, religious mentors, coaches, bosses, colleagues, and communities. They’re unconscious because you rarely think about them and they’re as irrational and poorly formed as most of the unconscious self. It doesn’t even matter if you’re directly affected by a certain bias or stereotype – Black Americans commonly hold anti-Black unconscious biases, even if they’re counterproductive, and the same can be said for other marginalized groups.

If you’re curious about learning more about your own unconscious biases, Project Implicit is an international collective through Harvard University that lets you test for a variety of biases for free – like homophobia, Islamophobia, ableism, racism, sexism, transphobia, ageism, etc.

---

Three Types of Oppression: Oh My!

Oppression, or the unjust use of power, manifests in at least one of three ways: institutionally, culturally, or individually. Like the five fundamentals of social justice, no singular type of oppression is superior – they feed into one another, and all three must be combated if you want your allyship to make real change.

Individual Oppression

If an -ism (ex. racism, ableism, heterosexism.) is on a one-on-one level, it’s likely individual oppression – this is the type of oppression and discrimination that anyone can do regardless of identity, privilege, or power. Individual oppression is defined as the personal feelings, assumptions, actions, and behaviors any one person has/does toward others.

COMMON EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUAL OPPRESSION:

Misgendering and/or deadnaming

Telling a sexist joke

Calling someone a slur or otherwise derogatory term

Crossing the street to avoid being near a person of color

Physically harming another person

Real-World Example of Individual Oppression While walking home with their groceries, queer couple Destiny and Addison are holding hands in public. A furious man storms up to them, calls them d*kes, and shoves them to the ground before he’s pulled away by bystanders. The above example checks all the boxes for individual oppression – it’s a very localized example of one person acting out towards two other individuals based on his personal prejudices – and he doesn’t appear to have any remarkable power or authority.

Institutional Oppression

Also known as systemic oppression, institutional oppression is the type of cruelty most people envision when they discuss the injustices of the world. Institutional oppression is the laws, policies, and practices placed upon us by “institutions,” or groups, organizations, or people with immense power.

“Groups, organizations, and people with immense power” is vague – but it purposely includes a lot of people. Institutional oppression is carried out by political figures like members of Congress and the Supreme Court, but also local school boards, lobbying groups, and corporations. On the world stage, institutional oppression is a president or high-level official making cruel decisions on a whim – but systemic oppression looks different on the local level. In our everyday lives and communities, institutional oppression often masks itself in bureaucracy and red tape – but it’s easier to spot once you start asking why such barriers exist.

COMMON EXAMPLES OF INSTITUTIONAL OPPRESSION:

Laws prohibiting abortion or same-sex marriage

Businesses refusing to interview or hire Black names

Insurance companies requiring certain high-level diagnoses for hormone replacement therapy

Banks that refuse to give loans or mortgages to low-income households

Glass ceilings where minorities are barred from promotion

Real-World Example of Institutional Oppression Corporation™ makes an official policy that all transgender staff must use the restroom as their sex assigned at birth rather than the one that matches their gender identity while working. This example could apply to a mega-business like Walmart or Amazon as well as a local store with only three employees – this is a classic example of institutional oppression because it’s a cruel policy being enforced by an entity with authority, such as a boss, business, board director, or corporation. Institutional oppression can be carried out by individual people, but it’s defined by the level of power someone has based on circumstance.

Cultural Oppression

Out of the three types of oppression, cultural oppression is the most difficult to grasp. It’s also referred to as structural oppression, and cultural oppression is the many -isms that influence our biases. Cultural oppression is the collection of beliefs from society about certain identities, such as people of color or LGBTQIA+ people. Most people are unable to directly contribute to cultural oppression – to do so, you have to have a good amount of power within public perception. Due to that, celebrities and the media have the most sway here – but it also includes religion and the stereotypes we hear from our families and communities growing up. Notice that cultural oppression tends to be in the middle compared to individual and institutional oppression: these figures have remarkably less power in creating laws, but they have power in influencing the way we think and feel.

COMMON EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL OPPRESSION:

Gender roles that expect women to take family-centric roles and wear makeup

Stereotypes that argue white neighborhoods are inherently safer than Black neighborhoods

Movies that contain problematic themes, like blackface or vilify transgender people

Real-World Example of Cultural Oppression The latest AAA video game makes record sales but contains anti-LGBTQIA+ themes where transgender people are shamed during a major quest line. Both the video game itself and those who wrote and created the game are at fault for cultural oppression in this example. Its developers refused to alter the game’s transphobic themes – and each player that encounters the game will learn anti-LGBTQIA+ stereotypes from it, especially if they lack media literacy or critical thinking.

The Monster Known as Oppression

The most daunting aspect of social justice and learning about oppression is understanding how these three types of oppression feed themselves – it’s a cycle that benefits those in power to cause more cruelty. Religion uses cultural oppression to teach individuals in the public to demonize LGBTQIA+ people, whereas politicians are taught to cast out queer and trans people through cruel laws. Those laws and stereotypes teach everyday people that LGBTQIA+ people deserve this cruelty and discourage them from taking action. Or that as society teaches that whiteness is better than Blackness through racist biases, a popular online artist creates content that features whitewashing. As that content gets likes and shares, it influences individuals with racist undertones – and those individuals make up the stereotypes society has about Blackness.

“Every time a finger gets pointed at a person – whether they’re a Fortune 500 CEO or a high school student – we’re focusing on an -ist… Every campaign to “cancel” an -ist – whether successful or not – isn’t the same as addressing the system. It brings our attention away from the system and toward an individual within it.” – “-isms, not -ists,” by It’s Pronounced Metrosexual/Sam Killermann

---

What is Privilege?

Privilege is the result of society and institutions valuing certain bodies over others, giving them unearned advantages based on identity. Since privilege is based on identity, it’s entirely outside of your control – no one gets to choose being born Black, able-bodied, cisgender, or queer. By that logic, no one can be an inherently bad person because of privilege.

Privilege is defined by “unearned advantages” – having a certain privilege does not mean you’ve never had to struggle. Most people have struggles in their lives, and everyone has at least one or two privileges and non-privilege. Instead, privilege is the fact you have not been weighed down by additional baggage tied to one identity. The purpose of allyship is to use privilege when appropriate to call out injustice – no one wants to make people feel bad for existing. Social justice exists to create equal opportunities for everyone, not enforce white guilt.

“We highlight how systems inequitably distribute power to some while withholding it from others – based on who we are. We refer to people who are granted disproportionate power as ‘privileged,’ ‘majoritized,’ ‘centered,’ etc. And those from whom power is withheld as ‘oppressed,’ ‘minoritized,’ ‘marginalized,’ ect. Now, nobody is only one of those two. We’re both, depending on which situation we’re in, and what dimensions of ourselves are brought to the forefront.” – “The Social Justice Power Inverse,” It’s Pronounced Metrosexual/Sam Killermann

The graphic is a great visual to frame privilege since it places various identities on a spectrum of power. With every identity that exists in the world, there’s one that is valued as superior and one that is seen as inferior. Consider your fluency in English – as one of the most dominant languages in the world, being a native speaker gives you unearned advantages in the English-speaking world. Non-native English speakers have relative privilege – they had the opportunity to learn English, setting them above non-speakers but under native English speakers. Individuals who don’t speak fluent English are the most marginalized and have difficulty navigating an English-dominant world like the United States.

Remember privilege is based on identity – someone might be marginalized because they’re Black, but privileged because they hold US citizenship by birth and identify as straight. There’s privilege based on disability, wealth, housing status, body size, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, citizenship, education level, race, ethnicity, religion, etc. If you’re still having difficulty understanding privilege, this comic does a great job illustrating it.

---

The Theory of Intersectionality

Make sure you thoroughly understand identity markers before tackling intersectionality – it’s easy to get lost. When people traditionally talk about oppression, they do so in vacuums – like -isms happen separately from one another and aren’t connected. Intersectionality is the belief that oppressions are all connected and people can have very different experiences based on how their personal identities intersect. The word “intersectionality” comes from the idea of a traffic intersection as a metaphor for oppression.

Our lives are shaped by our identities and relationships, which combine to create a very individual experience of the world, oppression, and privilege. Out of the 108 billion humans that have ever existed, there has likely never been a person exactly like you with the same combination. The following video is Kimberlé Crenshaw’s “The Urgency of Intersectionality,” which launched the theory of intersectionality out of academia and into the public consciousness.

youtube

Crenshaw uses the experiences of Black women in America to explain intersectionality – Emma DeGraffenreid was a real Black woman who was denied employment solely because she was a Black woman, but without intersectionality, she had no way to defend that claim.

DeGraffenreid attempted to work at General Motors, which did hire both Black and white workers – so DeGraffenreid wasn’t able to claim the discrimination was fueled only by racism. And General Motors hired women, so she wasn’t able to argue their decision was out of sexism. In reality, General Motors was using a combination of both racism and sexism simultaneously: the only Black workers hired by General Motors were men used for industrial and maintenance jobs, and the only women hired were white and worked secretarial and front-office jobs. It’s only when both of those facts are combined that you understand the lens of intersectionality – how the combination of one’s identities creates nuanced and individual experiences of oppression.

This theory can be applied across all identity markers and oppressions. Visualize three people in your head: one queer but financially well-off man named James, one straight but poor man named Devon, and one queer and poor man named Julio. Using intersectionality to just evaluate their experiences across classism and heterosexism, you can see the different struggles James, Devon, and Julio have. Devon might be lower class, but he isn’t targeted for his sexual orientation; James might be gay but he has plenty of money and resources. At the intersection of classism and heterosexism, Julio is affected by both being queer and poor – he’s less likely to get jobs, be approved by welfare programs, or even be accepted into housing due to his sexuality and wealth status. He likely has a greater barrier to HIV prevention and treatment and he’s unable to file lawsuits if he’s treated poorly.

Additionally, intersectionality also believes all oppressions are connected. Fascism doesn’t happen in a vacuum – there’s a reason why racists are almost always sexists and homophobes. Oppression exists to benefit those in power, whether it’s directly creating profit or simply maintaining the societal system that keeps people from rising up against them. The systems that spread sexism use the same formula as the systems that spread transphobia. Due to this, allyship and activism require us to be committed to combating ALL oppressions – not just the ones that directly impact you. It’s impossible to fully get rid of sexism if you align yourself with transphobia, especially since so much of the ideology underneath transphobia is inherently sexist. You won’t be able to eliminate racism from society without also coming to terms with queer rights and income inequality. At the end of the day, remember: Nazis want to get rid of everyone, it’s just a matter of when.

youtube

Allyship Resources

GENERAL ALLYSHIP Creative Equity Toolkit @ creativeequitytoolkit.org / Dozens of toolkits and self-guided lesson plans to teach yourself about allyship, equity, diversity, and inclusion – all provided for free through Diversity Arts Australia and The British Council. GLSEN @ glsen.org / LGBTQIA+ organization that centers on the rights of queer youth and GSAs (Gay-Straight or Gender-Sexuality Alliances) – one of their regular national events is Ally/Solidarity Week, which includes a ton of information aimed to teach others about social justice. Guide to Allyship @ guidetoallyship.com / A fantastic open-source starter that introduces you to many of the fundamentals of allyship, similar to this guide at the Trans Solidarity Project. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / One of the largest LGBTQIA+ organizations in the world, dating back to 1980. They constantly produce resources and info guides, which cover topics like general allyship to trans issues. It’s Pronounced Metrosexual @ itspronouncedmetrosexual.com / Free online resource hub meant to make all things social justice, gender, and sexuality-related easy to understand. Learning For Justice @ learningforjustice.org / Education space that works through the Southern Poverty Law Center to teach people through their online resources and pivot them towards building an inclusive, multiracial democracy for all of our futures. Movement Advancement Project @ lgbtmap.org / Nonprofit think tank that regularly creates infographics and resources on LGBTQIA+ rights and other social justice issues. Out & Equal @ outandequal.org / LGBTQIA+ organization that largely interacts with high-level businesses and corporations – that also creates toolkits, resources, and guides (most of which are free). PFLAG @ pflag.org / One of the United States’ biggest ally organizations, which provides support, educational material, and advocacy for both LGBTQIA+ people and those who love them. Social Justice Books @ socialjusticebooks.org / Literature resource that gives great recommendations for social justice and allyship-themed books. Straight for Equality @ straightforequality.org / A program operated by PFLAG that serves as a national outreach and education hub for anyone interested in learning more about LGBTQIA+ allyship. The Safe Zone Project @ thesafezoneproject.com / Another free online resource that includes introductory curricula, activities, and other resources for all. Co-written by the same author as It’s Pronounced Metrosexual. The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / A crisis and suicide prevention organization for LGBTQIA+ youth that also creates free guides and resources on allyship.

BISEXUAL+ ALLYSHIP American Institute of Bisexuality @ bisexuality.org / Operates a wealth of programs meant to educate both the general public as well as civic and professional organizations on bisexuality. Bi Foundation @ bi.org / Private foundation through the American Institute of Bisexuality that promotes understanding of bisexual+ topics, offering a large selection of articles and resources to choose from. Bi History @ bihistory.wordpress.com / Just like the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community, bisexuality dates back as far back as humanity – and Bi History is a great place to start learning about queer history. Bi Resource Center @ biresource.org / Organization that seeks to connect the bisexual+ community around the globe, and also provides plenty of resources in their info section. Bisexual Organizing Project @ bisexualorganizingproject.org / Resources offered by BOP, a group committed to building organizing skills among the bi+ community. Bi Survivors Network @ bisurvivorsnetwork.org / Regular chats and support provided by bi+ survivors for bi+ survivors. History of Pansexuality @ historyofpansexuality.carrd.co / Facts and information to learn if you’re interested in the long history behind pansexuality. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / HRC also provides resources and information specific to the bi+ community via their website. Queer Majority @ queermajority.com / Worldwide magazine that produces information, guidance, and critique on queerness. Still Bisexual @ stillbi.org / Advocacy organization that uses education and storytelling to foster public acceptance of bisexual+ identities. Teen Vogue @ teenvogue.com / The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / In addition to general allyship guides, The Trevor Project also has information centered on bisexuality – which explains the details of queerness, bisexuality, pansexuality, and similar identities along the spectrum. Unicorn @ unicornzine.com / LGBTQIA+ magazine that focuses on bisexual+ stories and information.

TRANSGENDER ALLYSHIP Advocates for Trans Equality @ transequality.org / Legal rights organization formerly known as the National Center for Transgender Equality and Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Provides a variety of legal-based resources and information about trans identities. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Additional resources and guidance by HRC about transgender allyship. It’s Pronounced Metrosexual @ itspronouncedmetrosexual.com / Free online resource hub, most of which covers gender-related allyship. Neopronouns @ neopronounss.carrd.co / General starting point for both common pronouns and less common neopronouns. PFLAG @ pflag.org / Educational materials, resources, and support on transgender and nonbinary issues through one of the largest allyship organizations in the United States. Pronouns @ pronouns.org / Practical resource on the basics of pronouns and how they’re used. Terrence Higgins Trust @ tht.org.uk / Health organization based in the United Kingdom that offers free sources and education on trans-related issues. The Proud Trust @ theproudtrust.org / LGBTQIA+ youth charity with free information for both adults and young people. The Trevor Project @ thetrevorproject.org / Resource hub on transgender identities, pronouns, and everything else related to supporting trans people. Trans Lifeline @ translifeline.org / Crisis hotline for transgender individuals that also provides trans-specific resources. Trans Student Educational Resources @ transstudent.org / Allyship and resource website with information on gender, pronouns, and basic trans allyship. Trans What? @ transwhat.org / Starter guide that explains the basics of trans identity to those completely new to the field.

INTERSEX ALLYSHIP 4Intersex @ 4intersex.org / Learn the basics of intersex allyship and human rights through #4Intersex, a project of interACT Advocates. A Gender Agenda @ genderrights.org.au / Australian organization that provides free resources online in addition to supporting intersex, transgender, and nonbinary individuals in Australia. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Curated information and intersex resources by HRC, one of the largest LGBTQIA+ organizations in the world. interACT @ interactadvocates.org / Social justice group that empowers intersex youth through advocacy, public engagement, and community connection – interACT also offers a large selection of intersex resources and guides. Intersex Campaign for Equality @ intersexequality.com / Originally known as the United States branch of Organisation Intersex International, IC4E has grown to lead the fight for intersex human rights and creates educational materials for those interested in supporting intersex identities. Intersex Day Project @ intersexday.org / While the Intersex Day Project largely focuses on International Intersex Awareness Day and Intersex Day of Solidarity, IDP offers additional advice and references on intersex issues. Intersex Human Rights Australia @ ihra.org.au / National body in Australia that represents the needs of the intersex community, providing resources on allyship and bodily integrity. Intersex Initiative @ intersexinitiative.org / US-based organization that hosts a wide selection of basic intersex resources. Intersex Justice Project @ intersexjusticeproject.org / POC-led group that organizes resources for intersex-related protesting and justice. The Intersex Roadshow @ intersexroadshow.blogspot.com / Personal blog that details the real-life experiences of intersex writer Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello, offering advice and guidance on intersex allyship.

ASEXUALITY ALLYSHIP Aromantic-Spectrum Union for Recognition, Education, and Advocacy @ aromanticism.org / Community and advocacy organization with a collection of resources about aromanticism. Asexuality Archive @ asexualityarchive.com / A collection of information and articles related to asexuality. Asexuality Visibility and Education Network @ asexuality.org / The world’s largest asexual community, which maintains a massive resource library on the asexuality spectrum. Demisexual Resource Center @ demisexuality.org / Informative website that covers demisexual questions and advice. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / HRC’s introductory to asexual allyship, as well as graysexuality and demisexuality. The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project @ taaap.org / Asexual and aromantic resource-based organization that provides asexuality individuals with support in every aspect of life. The Asexuality Handbook @ asexuality-handbook.com / Free guide that explains the basics of asexuality for beginners, meant to be understandable, deep, and well-referenced. Free guide that explains the basics of asexuality for beginners, meant to be understandable, deep, and well-referenced.

QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR ALLYSHIP African American Chronicles @ blackhistory.psu.edu / Collection of Black history and stories meant to fill the gaps in traditional education and allyship. Anti-Oppression Network @ theantioppressionnetwork.com / Online collection of resources to support grassroots allyship and activism for Indigenous Americans. Black Queer & Intersectional Collective @ bqic.net / Grassroots community organization that facilitates resources and zines for QTPOC allyship. Healthy Native Youth @ healthynativeyouth.org / Native-centered health and resources materials offered for free through their toolbox. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) @ hrc.org / Directory on several resource hubs through HRC about best practices on supporting communities of color. National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance @ nqapia.org / LGBTQIA+ AAPI organization that works to develop resources to support and represent queer Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Native Appropriations @ nativeappropriations.com / Virtual forum that discusses Indigenous representations, stereotypes, cultural appropriations, news, and activism. Reclaiming Native Truth @ rnt.firstnations.org / National project to foster cultural, social, and policy change that empowers Native Americans. The Guide to Allyship @ guidetoallyship.com / A fantastic open-source starter that introduces you to many of the fundamentals of allyship, similar to this guide at the Trans Solidarity Project. Most of the topics listed within the guide are geared with Black allyship in mind. This is Indian Country @ thisisindiancountry.com / Movement organized by the American Indian College Fund to raise awareness about Indigenous lives and history. White Supremacy Culture @ whitesupremacyculture.info / Online and most current version of the original “White Supremacy Culture” from 1999, alongside resources and additional learning tools to continue your allyship.

---

Enjoy this content and work? Consider helping out by sharing this blog or visiting transsolidarityproject.wordpress.com.

1 note · View note

eyesmadeofpearls · 5 months ago

Text

i'm getting more increasingly upset with the people who claim that anyone (even poc/people generally not even british, irish, scottish, etc) can practice celtic religions, indulge in the culture, and wear the clothes. they do it for the "aesthetic" and they cherry pick the things they like, like foods and clothing. not only this, but half of them don't learn the languages or know the history at all.

it's really simple to understand, if you can respect native americans when they tell you not to wear certain things or do certain things if you don't know the true meaning then why do you constantly disrespect native celts when they say no? i've seen people say because we're white it doesn't matter and i find that funny. culture isn't exclusively a poc thing, culture is music, food, practices, religion, language, clothing, and so much more. you need to respect all races and all ethnicities. and you can't use "well my ancestors were enslaved-". okay well please tell me how i am responsible for that? how every white person born, is responsible for that? "youre privelege!-" you mean the privelege that nobody has? true privelege is money, if you have it you can pay yourself out of jail even if you've actually killed someone. in america, people get paid depending on their jobs and its literally illegal to descriminate against any race in the work place. if you work at somewhere with low pay, that has nothing to do with a white person because theres a 99% chance other white people work there too. either way, two wrongs dont make a right especially when the white people you target dont even have history with slave masters.

so, on to the originaly topic, just.. stop. stop stealing things that dont belong to you. and for gods sake, dont try to make it okay by saying "the british museum" because thats the government, not the people. didn't we learn about this already? do you know how it feels for your government to go to wars with people even if you disagree on that? you learn the hard way you can't convince them what they're doing is bad because theyre so brainwashed. you can fight it, but you can't make a real impact unless you're willing to be called terrorist. oh and, also don't say "but you voted those people in!" because my answer will only be to you; you don't know how voting works. you can't just choose who's going to be the candidates, your best bet is to just find someone who's slightly less worse than the other but you can't be certain they're going to be the best of the best. obviously there's a need for a reform because of this but doing that would cause many people to die and literally nobody could ever be ready for that even if we know it's what has to be done. do you know how much damage riot police would cause? undercover cops? the fbi? a lot. so yeah, just respect native celts. and ps, no, a poc can't be a native celt. thats not how that works and us original native celts have never been black. if you're white with mixed ancestry like italian, spanish, german, or any nord you're an exception because during the invasion and colonization of old britannica the anglos and saxons, norwegian & swedish vikings, and romans invaded. spain is only an exception because of galicia and only if you're from that area.

Here's proof im celtic, by the way. This is after i downloaded my complete raw data from 23 & me and placed it into my true ancestry for results.

#celtic #celt #ancestry #ethnicity #native european #culture

1 note · View note

pagepainter · 6 months ago

Text

Dear parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

You guys will never be able to see this post, but I want to write down how I feel about you guys anyway. Just to get things out of my chest.

Growing up, I never understood why some of my friends have such broken, unrepairable relationships with their parents, until I saw the monsters that emerged from your souls when you guys realized that the color of my soul is different from yours, and I understood why. You wanted me to become someone like you, so you can show off to everyone how marvelous your parentage is. How I can be your trophy daughter. Especially since I'm your first born. And because I couldn't, I wouldn't, you tried to coerce me through various ways and means, only to face an equal force of resistance, if not more.

I used to pity my friends who have turned out so rebellious, hating their parents for what they have made them to be, but now, I can only relate to these friends. We are all trying to grow up to be the person we dream of, but you want to force your dreams on me, because you cannot become the person you wanted to be growing up, so you hope that I could carry that legacy. Dear parents, you have to understand that I am your daughter, but I am not your project.

"I just learned these people only raise you to cage you." Taylor was right. I understand that you guys want the best for me, and you do things for me with good intention, but I find it so hard to feel that from you guys. I really want to give you guys the benefit of doubt, that you guys really meant what was said, that all these things are done out of love, but a huge part of me cannot bring myself to believe that. I know how contradicting you guys can be, always twisting the narratives to your advantage, using phrases like "It's the Holy Spirit" to cover up whatever schemes you have done to get information about me. How can I fight back with that statement? There's no evidence, but it's also a claim that I cannot rebuke. You guys are always changing the rules. Adding more rules. Backtracking on your rules. Giving these rules, but they don't apply to you guys, just me and whoever is affected.

I'm so angry, hurt, and confused, growing up. Now, I'm just feeling indifferent. I've accepted the toxic dynamic in our family. Yet, I find myself crying every time when I see how happy my friends' families are. I just wanted them to see me for who I am. You guys will never understand how detrimental my mental health has been. I go into autopilot mode whenever your presence is around. It's not as bad as last time, because I'm learning how to separate myself from these emotions, prioritizing practicality and logic over emotions. I'm getting better at it, and I want to fully get over it. One day. Consciously telling myself that I have to keep calm and collected despite the anxiety fighting to overwhelm my nervous system. Taking deep breaths while you yell at me, analyzing everything you say so I can point out when you're contradicting yourself. It's working, and I'm glad to see myself taking baby steps to improve.

Your perception of Christian values is so warped that I don't believe in the God you worship at all. Honestly, I have given this religion so many chances, and each time, I'm just greeted with disappointment, and more disappointment. I have decided that I will just take the values in a pragmatic way and build my own understanding upon those values through my church friends and others that I care deeply about. I have my doubts about believing in Christianity, and I will leave it as that. No point trying to get my hopes up anymore. I'm done. Values are values, and I'll just adopt them in a way that's useful and applicable in my life and be a better person.

Lastly, I want to still say that I appreciate you guys for giving me a roof over my head, food to eat, allowance when I had insufficient funds to support myself, taking me to trips to see the other side of the world, paying for my Uni fees, being present at the big milestones in my life — attending my graduations since young, attending my award ceremonies, caring for me in the little ways despite our damaged relationship. But that's as far as I can bring myself to appreciate your efforts. I wish I could give you guys more credit than you deserve, but I've sat down and thought about it for a very long while, and I can't come up with anything else. Part of me is relieved that it remains so. And every time when dad have sit-down talks with me, he would never fail to bring up how the both of you have always been there to attend all the big milestones in my life, but have you guys realized that it's only revolving around my academic life? Like the Asian parents you are, priding yourselves in being the majority ethnic group, feeling so entitled to receiving 'special treatment' as if it's expected. Dear parents, you have to realize that such treatment, is earned. Not given.

I also want to give a huge thank you to everyone that I have met in my life, especially the classmates that I skipped class for just to have heart-to-heart talks at the school rooftop, the friends that supported me to have a mind of my own, to be independent, to fight for what I want, the people that have shown me light and hope when my whole world was dark, the people who never gave up one me, those who told me not to give up on my love for writing, drawing, and sports. You guys have brought me out of my shell to fight, despite knowing what may come, despite knowing I will face multiple defeats. Yet, you guys always show that support in little ways that keep my fire going. I really couldn't have done it without you guys. I wouldn't have been the person I am now. And please don't feel guilty for causing such a separation between my family and I; my relationship with them was already tearing apart since I was 13, and it was broken at 16. Subsequent events are only repeated events that give me a wakeup call, to never be that apologist, to never fall into the trap of becoming the exact version that I have been avoiding my whole life. Sure, these events do create more distance between my family and I, but it also goes to show that they have never changed, despite my efforts to compromise to them. I've tried, I really did. Many times. But now I've given up.

Dear parents, thank you for showing me the kind of person that I would never want to be. To myself, and to others. I can't really say for sure that I love you guys, but I do appreciate you guys.

#mythoughtsexactly

1 note · View note

haorev · 2 years ago

Text

It’s 3:40 am, and I can’t sleep bc cats, so this is gonna be a little incoherent probably

A lot of religious restrictions (which are often just cultural taboos but fucking hell if we call them that bc “cultural and religion are separate” suck my dick religion is part of culture) get put in place to keep order and to keep people safe and to mark your community as a separate community from those around you. If you’re part of that community, you do those things or don’t depending on the case (and of course not every person of every religion follows every tenant and commandment and practice bc humans are human and no human can follow all of the “rules” all of the time). If you’re not part of that community, well chances are your community has its own things that they do to stand out.

Also: a lot of people (especially outside of fundamentalist groups and what we consider cults) actively chose to continue practicing their religion or to stop practicing it or to change their religion (and thus, shock horror, take on a new culture). Parents bring their kids to religious services and teach them their religion because you raise your kids in your culture and religion is part of culture. It’s generally considered yknow at least a neutral thing to want your kids to be part of the culture they were born into once they grow up, or at the very least to share the values you taught them (which are hopefully good and helpful for the community).

How about this: if you can’t be normal about people who are not in fundamentalist groups and cults happily practicing a religion, maybe shut the fuck up?

if someone doesn't want to practice their religion then they can just stop if that's the right choice for them. if a person or other outside force is stopping them, then the blame is on that force and not every single religion on earth. the only exception I can think of is cults that use active manipulation to keep you in, but religion and cult are not interchangeable or mutually inclusive

religious people have the same autonomy to choose their religion as atheists. if someone says "I like practicing my religion and will continue to do so" that is their own decision that they have made themselves. if they want to abide by the limits of their religion, they have the autonomy to make that choice

there are many other traditions you can be born into, for example what you eat or how you dress, and choosing to continue doing those isn't a limit of freedom. choosing to continue your traditions is just as much a choice as choosing to stop

#religion #religion discourse #i am so tired and that means I can’t be bothered to think before I type

870 notes · View notes

merlinbingo · 2 years ago

Text

August Round-Up

We are without frills this month, because trying to open canva crashed my browser twice. I know third time is supposed to be the charm, but I don’t wanna take the chance that it’s actually gonna be ‘third time kills your laptop forever’...

So, if we could all get on with pretending it’s closer to August than October, here’s our double load of stats!

July brought us 42 fantastic fills created by 18 wonderful participants (and one by me, though I don’t remember what it was or when I posted it...). Fics were once again top of the list with 32, but art (3) was edged into third place by fantabulous gif creators (5 fills!), and we also got a beautiful fanvid and a glorious playlist to round things off. Unsurprisingly, most fills were either Merlin/Arthur (20) or gen (12), though Merlin/Gwaine (3) and Merlin/Lancelot (2) have their own share of fans.

As for August, we got 50 fills created by 26 people. 38 fics, six artworks, two gifs, one fanvid, plus the glorious overachievers who decided to do fic and art (one person), and a moodboard and ficlet (one person, but they did it twice!).

On the subject of overachievers, the absolute machine who brought us nine fills in July brought us a further six in August - if you’re who I think you are, you’re well on your way to blacking out a second bingo card, and I am filled equally with awe at your creative output and shame at my own (yeah, those badges I promised wouldn’t be long last time? Turns out they still haven’t materialised...)

Shipwise, it’s the same old story: Merlin/Arthur with 27, gen with 10, and Merlin/Gwaine (2) still plodding along in the background, though this time they were matched by Gwaine/Percival and Merlin/Morgana... The Lancelot/Merlin fills were non-existent this month (if my keyboard did emojis, I’d be sadfacing right now), but we did get a few other rarepairs, including one Lancelot/Will fic - only the fourth work on ao3 to be tagged as such!

Aaaaanyway, enough babbling from me. Please find all of the beautiful fills hidden below the cut, and remember to heed the warnings and practice self care when clicking on those links!

Love, peach x

Gen/No ship

The One Who Will Be King by chaosgenes Rating: General audiences Warnings: background character death Major tags: Baby Arthur Pendragon, Pre-canon, Grief/Mourning Summary: The moment Arthur was born, Uther did not spare him a glance.

The Sword in the Stone by theartsylillipad Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: merlin, merlin bingo, bbc merlin, merlin fanart Summary:

First Snow by demitimelord42 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: fluff Summary: Merlin takes Aithusa to see the snow for the first time

Gwen's pink dress by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Single dad AU by Ice-mint Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Alternate universe, Uther Summary:

Introspection by Ice-mint Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Lady Morgana on Break by monoisbored Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Taliesin by thebookluvrr1816 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Who is the Monster Here? by archaeologist_d Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply, OC death Major tags: pre-canon, Lamia, OCs, explaination of Lamia's origins Summary: In the Old Religion, there was power and then power, good or bad. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And so, the Lamia were born.

Of Farmers and Mercenaries by tigereyes45 Rating: Teen Warnings: Major character death Major tags: Flash Fiction, Ficlet, Angst, Final Moments, Canon compliant Summary: William of Deira became a mercenary after helping Arthur that fateful day. He wanted to serve him again. Sadly, he never gets the chance.

Gwen/Morgana

melting into you by kirani Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: modern AU, vacation sex, established relationship, light bondage Summary: Morgana has been buried in her latest case for weeks but it's finally wrapped up, so Gwen decides to take her on a little vacation. And if she packed some toys in their bags, well, she doesn't think Morgana will complain.

Gwen/Merlin/Arthur

Something Different by Anonymous Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Female POV pleasure, Sexy new ideas to try, Double Penetration, Caring Lovers, Fluff and Fun Summary: Gwen has some ideas to try with her lovers, Arthur and Merlin. How would it feel if they made love to her the same way they do to each other? How it would feel to have them both inside her at the same time? The three of them give her ideas a try.

Merlin/Freya

To a Better Place by devotedwaywardangel1 Rating: Mature Warnings: Major character death Major tags: Mercy Killing, Angst, Hurt Freya (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Blood and Injury, Summary: Set at the end of S02E09 of BBC Merlin, Freya can't heal and magic will not let her die so she asks Merlin to do the unthinkable

Merlin/Morgana

The Best Laid Plans (Get You Laid Old-Lady-Style) by gwen-cheers-me-up Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Pranks, Humor, Sexual Content, Roleplay, Fluff Summary: Merlin transforms into a naked Dolma in Morgana’s bed as a prank. It does not go the way he expects.

Simplicity by gwen-cheers-me-up Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/non-con Major tags: Tentacles, Eggpreg, Multiple Orgasms, Aphrodisiacs Summary: Morgana has finally figured out how to get rid of Emrys for good. Unfortunately for Morgana, she isn’t immune to her own trap. But maybe that’s not so unfortunate after all…

Arthur/Gwaine

it's what my heart just yearns to say, in ways that can't be said by Saurus Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Romance, love confession, canon era, arthur is a soppy bastard Summary: All the signs were there, right before his eyes but Arthur tried so hard to deny it. He thought it must be his imagination, it couldn't be true. He surely, couldn't possibly be in love... Right? or Arthur is a soppy lil shit for one of his Knights.

Lancelot/Will

rise from above by stanzas Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: AU - Canon Divergent, Lancelot lives, Will lives Summary: The first time Lancelot heard Will's name spoken aloud, he was in Merlin's room.

Merlin/Mordred

Call Me Emrys When You Want It To Hurt by MerthurAllure Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Painplay, bdsm, pwp Summary: Mordred loves pain, and Merlin quickly learns he loves giving it to him.

Arthur/Lancelot

Like Honeyed Summer Days by queerofthedagger Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Religious Imagery, Fluff Summary: The point is, Lancelot has never considered himself a religious man, but he is sitting in a clearing, late summer blooming around him, and there is a king lying with his head in Lancelot’s lap, hair spun gold and eyes closed with trust. There is a king lying in his lap, face turned into the palm of Lancelot’s hand, and the small smile quirking his lips is so content that Lancelot fears he will choke on the happiness of it all.

Gwaine/Percival

Will you read to me? by Laevateinn Rating: Mature Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: moodboard, A/B/O, Fluff, Bookstore AU, slice of life Summary: Gwaine and Percival have a nice Sunday morning.

Come on, big boy, tell me what you want. by Laevateinn Rating: Mature Warnings: No archive warnings apply, Underage Major tags: Lingerie, Handcuffs, Topping from the Bottom, College AU Summary: “Gwaine. Gwaine please” The rattle of handcuffs clinking together diverted Gwaine’s attention from where he was kneeling between Percival’s knees.

Merlin/Gwaine

Turn Back - Merlin/Gwaine by tigereyes45 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: angst, let's go back to the start, unwavering trust, Summary: A short video highlighting Merlin and Gwaine's relationship. I edited it from the idea that Gwaine and Merlin would like to turn back time.

Giving Me a Sugar Rush by MerthurAllure Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: PWP, friends to lovers, blowjobs, modern era Summary: Gwaine is a different type of sugar daddy, and Merlin can’t say he’s opposed to it.

Merlin/Arthur

Poetry by thebookluvrr1816 Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

you keep watching my eyes by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Pining Arthur, Getting Together, Court Sorcerer Merlin, Fluff Summary: "Come on, attack me as if you mean it." Merlin adjusts his footing into a defensive posture, expecting his taunt to rise something in Arthur. It does. Apart from his words, his eyes are heavy on Arthur’s, his lips red and smug, his hands clenching and unclenching, ready to cast. A soft breeze ruffles his hair. Arthur swings his sword.

love me, love my laundry by @ravenwilds Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Modern Era, Husbands, Fluff, Arthur's late, Merlin hates laundry Summary: Completely unsurprisingly, Arthur's late, Merlin's been left to do all the laundry, and they're probably going to miss their flight.

Another Roomba AU by Nivelle Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Roombas, Alternate Universe - Robots Summary: In which Roomba!Arthur has a sword taped onto him and is chasing Roomba!Merlin who has been equipped with a shield through the palace.

Live for the Hope of It All by queerofthedagger Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Mentioned Ygraine, Fluff Summary: August days, a stealthy plan to make sure that for once, Merlin will take a break, and the heaviness of memory that tends to come with late summer days. Arthur wouldn't change it for the world.

Forgotten Knighthood - Chapter 4 by evaelisaa Rating: Teen Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Summary: Part 6 of the Knight Merlin series - During a trip where Merlin and Arthur are alone together, Morgana manages to get a hold of Merlin...

The Kissing Fever by Camelots_Daffodil Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Love Potions/Spells, Canon Era, Merlin is Tired, Kissing, Everybody Gets Together Summary: It's spring time in Camelot and you know what that means... love is in the air! Only Merlin thinks that there might be a little too much of it when everyone in the land seems to be unable to stop themselves from kissing whoever is closest. As usual, it's up to him to fix the magical issue before anyone can realise that there's a magical issue that needs fixing.

Nothing Left to Prove by queerofthedagger Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Gym AU, Fighter Merlin, Smitten Arthur, Protective Merlin, Getting Together Summary: Five times Arthur appreciates Merlin's skill, and one time Merlin makes good use of it.

The First Step of Many by Mischel Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Pining Arthur, Fluff, Holding Hands, First Kiss Summary: Arthur is no coward -- then why is it so hard to take Merlin's hand and admit his feelings? And why is it even harder when Merlin catches him pacing and wants to know what's going on?

Almost Accidental by archaeologist_d Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: fluff, dancing, kisses, clumsy Merlin Summary: The first kiss was definitely an accident. The rest of them, not so much.

Playing with fire by Laevateinn Rating: Mature Warnings: Light BDSM, bondage Major tags: Moodboard, shibari, fire play, sub Arthur, dom Merlin Summary: "“Do you trust me?” “I do.” Merlin and Arthur experiment with fire."

A Heart is made to Ache, Break and Heal by royal_spud Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence Major tags: unhinged Merlin, emotional hurt/comfort, Angst, Unrequited Love, Betrayal Summary: Merlin's always been the kindest among them, barely able to stand the sight of a dead rabbit. He despised violence and loathed hunting. And flinched at the sound of clanging metal. But when a sorcerer snatches the king and his knights from their bedchambers one calm night, and forces them all to watch him as he rampaged everything and everyone in his way as he searched of them, well kept secrets come spilling out; leaving them to wonder just how well they knew who Merlin was. If he was the same person who smiled as bright as the sun and sung to himself and made flower crowns. The person they'd known, and adored, and some had even grown to love. Or if he was someone else entirely.

Patron of the Arts by archaeologist_d Rating: Mature Warnings: No archive warnings apply, Graphic depictions of violence Major tags: modern au-no magic, merlin as artist, angst Summary: Arthur always loved to draw but when his father refused to allow it, Arthur left it all behind. Until he met Merlin.

don't you think i look pretty curled up on this bathroom floor by Saurus Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Non-Binary Merlin, Masturbation, Lingerie, Sexual Fantasy Summary: Arthur finds an unexpected item of clothing... Who could it belong to he wonders.

Chemistry part 12 by archaeologist_d Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: angst, arthur is a prat, modern AU with magic Summary: The scrawny kid knew more about chemistry than Arthur did. Who knew he’d fall in love with the idiot?

Doctor, can you fix me? by chaosgenes Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Modern AU, Fucking Machines, Bottom Arthur Summary: Arthur thinks there's something wrong with him and visits Dr Oddlove, a recommended sex therapist, who gives him an unorthodox solution.

Floppy Dick by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Smut, Established Relationship Summary: Arthur learns that it's not wise to accept Gwaine's dares. Merlin is a good boyfriend and offers to make him feel better.

Carefully Planned Coincidences by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, First Time, Fluff and Smut Summary: After watching them pine for ages, Merlin and Arthur's friends decide it's a time for intervention.

Seeking an Alliance by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Porn, First Time, Bottom Arthur, Canon Divergence Summary: To save Camelot Arthur approaches Emrys with an offer of an alliance.

Screw Fear by chaosgenes Rating: Explicit Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Fear of Heights/Flying, Mile High Club, Blow Jobs, Anal Fingering Summary: Merlin is afraid of heights but rides on a plane for work. Arthur, his boss, helps distract him.

Sex Education by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Modern AU, Porn, Gangbang, Roleplay Summary: Arthur teaches his class the wonders of exploring various body orifices.

Dining Out by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Porn, Vampire!Arthur, Immortal!Merlin, Modern AU with magic, Frottage Summary: Arthur needs to feed. Merlin is more than happy to provide.

Drawing by elirwen Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Porn, Modern AU, Bondage, Edging, Dom Merlin Summary: Merlin shows Arthur various pleasurable drawing styles.

Follow the Rainbow by chaosgenes Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Post-canon, Modern, Public Blowjobs Summary: On a sweltering hot day, the Once and Future King finally returns—and lands in the middle of a Pride Parade. Reunions and frisky times ensue.

#bbc merlin #merlin bingo #round up #august round up #look peach has finally done it #stats time

17 notes · View notes

1111jenx · 4 years ago

Note

Hi jen! I don’t know if you noticed this too I have noticed that with the rise of spirituality and new age practices there is also an increase of these ppl specially the creators being anti vaxxers and honestly it's worrying to me. Like we are entitled to have different opinions but i don't think those two things are unrelated, I mean separating yourself from a more scientific approach to things. I think it may come from defying the status quo or even the obssesion with thinking and being different but I think theres need to be a balance for those two and giving those kind of messages sounds insensitive and ignorant idk maybe I'm looking too much into it but I would love to read your opinion

Hey pretty,

First of all, no you're absolutely right. This can for sure be a sensitive topic but I think we should desensitized it and start discussing about it more. Because as of right now, millions, if not billions of people are expected to be taking the vaccine or has already did.

I'm a firm believer of balance. And as skeptical as I sound, I need proof, for almost everything. (Mercury conjunct Saturn in me bye) I need to see books, to see records, to read extensive studies for me to genuinely believe in something. And I did just that with the vaccine before I myself decided to get my first dose and I have no regrets so far. People need to educate themselves on the matter of the vaccine either, to see how it is not just to save themselves but also others. How the vaccine works is that it would need a herd community to be activated. I know you're already educated on this matter so I won't dive too deep in. But the misconception on how "Oh someone got the vaccine but still got COVID aka it doesn't work." No that's not how it works.

And just like you, I'm extremely concerned with the whole antivax thing I'm ngl. As hippie as I seem, I'm living in the civilization that science builds from ground 0 and everything since the moment I were born was infused with a tint of technology. I hope these antivaxxers know that there are a clear line between blind faith and faith. I have seen creators who have PLATFORMS posting antivax informations that are so damaging and attacking other practitioners personally because "they're not letting natural decide" or something, they're also criticizing other practitioners for their progressive actions and that "they're not truly a believer if they take the vaccine". Now this. THIS. is where I seriously am concerned. It reminds me of nothing but blind extremists in my extended family who worship God and swear off the LGBTQ community and trashing other religions, believing that God is good and our God is the only. It is damaging and is stemmed from nothing but hate.

Faith does not mean you get the chance to put your believes on others. You do not get the chance to MAKE others succumb to what you have faith in. You do not get to choose how to others live and function. You having faith means you have expectations within yourself and the energy you give off. And this is where I completely agree with you regarding the status quo idea, it is indeed a privileged for me to be sitting here typing these words out. Millions died from COVID-19, families have suffered. I'm not taking this vaccine in the time of desperation, I'm taking this vaccine in the time of NEED. I just wish other practitioners should realize how they can't have that mindset where "its them or us" because in this universe, we're all interconnected. And we're truly never alone. So we have to be there for one another.

Thank you for your question:) You started my day right💗

love,

saint jenx🪐

#covid tw #astrojenx #astrology #vaccine #hollistic #witchblr

105 notes · View notes

cienie-isengardu · 4 years ago

Note

Not only do I not regret asking you to "RELEASE THE RAMBLES!", I'm sending you requests for more. Below is a list of questions that I asked @bihansthot , and enjoyed their answers, but because you are so thorough, and answer in such depth, I'm re-asking them to you.

Brace yourself, it's a list. I didnt have time to sort thru them, I just copied and pasted, so if any are questions you already answered before, please feel free to include the links.

"LET US BEGIN!"

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

In the spirit of potential future writing, I'm trying to find a building that would make a good substitution for Lin Kuei temple.

I've tried looking up ancient Chinese military barracks/forts, and have found some stuff, but is all exterior. Anyone know of any locations (or several I can cobble together) that would make good inspiration fodder?

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

So, uhm, religion? What's the Lin Kuei's take on that one? I know they are aware of Gods, they team up with/ encounter Raiden all the time, and have literally worked for/against Shinook, so I know they recognize higher powers... but I guess the question is, do they care?

Do they have a religion, or spiritual practice that resembles religion? Or do they have a more practical approach "gods exist, but we just consider them very strong people"?

Which segues into... do they recognize and participate in holidays, or things like birthdays? Or are all their celebrations work related (I.E. successful missions or levels of combat mastery)?

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

Food. What foods do they normally eat? What foods do they like? What foods don't they like? What foods do they absolutely love so much they'll stop what they're doing to get it?

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

If you had to match the Lin Kuei with a dynasty, what one would it be? (I know the 2021 movie has the opening in the Ming dynasty, so the Lin Kuei is at least that old, but given that movie Bi Han hasn't aged in 400 years, and was taken is a child, its probably much older) (and also know the game probably cherry picked random Chinese things it liked).

What do you think the Lin Kuei's view on artistic culture (probably not the right word) is? I know they are heavily militaristic, but in the game, Kuai Liang offers Hanzo tea and he properly prepares it the Japanese way, that says they have something of an education other than just related to fighting?

Lastly, in the movie, everything Bi Han does is "for the Lin Kuei", but the Lin Kuei is on Earth (assumedly), and he is working for a guy who wants to enslave Earth, so what do you think the deal is?

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

Question about the Cryomancers. I know the game lore says that they are supposed to be rare, but I also know that the Lin Kuei have had at least 5 (grandpa, papa, older, and younger Sub Zero, and Frost). 4 of which are part of 3 generations that inherited it even with mixed blood (I'm assuming Mama Sub Zero wasn't Cryomancer since they left her alone).

That's a lot of generations in a row for a rare trait... So do you think the Cryomancers as a group have figured out they're being hunted and have chosen to live in hiding?

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

Lin Kuei society question? I like writing so I also like world building and I think about these things.

Is Lin Kuei society ever covered? I know there is a Grandmaster, a handful master assassins (Sub Zero's, Sektor, Cyrax, etc) and the movies always have a bunch canon fodder lesser assassins.

And they live in the very isolated Lin Kuei Palace/Temple in Arktika (or wherever it used to be)

But is Lin Kuei (we'll call it "village") ever covered? Do they have willing servants, kidnapped slaves, or a mix of both? Are there women (non fighter women, I know there's Frost) or do they employ strictly male help? If there are women, what's their role, and are there children born there? What about Elderly? What about resources, is everything (from food, clothes, weapons, and the raw materials to create them) grown or manufactured on sight by skilled laborers or do they import/interact with the outside world? How vicious or civil is this society, could you be killed for looking at Sektor wrong or do they value your services to a degree? What's the degree? This is obviously a combat culture, but is everyone expected to know martial arts of some variety, is it optional, or do they prohibit it among the servants/slaves? How strict are they on things like clothing, food, alcohol, drugs, "luxuries", or pleasures? Money? If they interact with the world do they recognize and use $$ currency, commodity currency, or a mixture? Internally are the Lin Kuei payed or just provided for? What about illness or injury, if you're not a master and it a serious injury/illness are you taken care of or do they just give you a quick death?

Etc. That's all the questions I can think of, but please feel free to answer questions I didn't ask, if you think of anything else.

Thank you for this wonderful list to talk about! I’m gonna split the answer into smaller parts, for better focusing on each aspect but also so I don’t feel bad for keeping you waiting for ages, lol. For now let’s focus on asks about the religion!

So good questions! I do think they have some spiritual practice(s) because in martial arts the state of a mind is as important as the physical body and religion is one of many ways to shape someone’s mindset from a young age. I do, however, think that Lin Kuei does not worship the gods. They are aware that the gods exist (with Raiden as the thorn in the side) and may even respect their supernatural powers and battle skills but it never has stopped Lin Kuei from desecrating holy places, murdering people and stealing stuff for the best price. So, it seems to me that whatever religion the members of the clan follow, by nature it is rooted in nontheism.

Of course, there is also a chance that Lin Kuei worships some forgotten deity or deities (as a remnant of their ancient connections with Outworld / realms conquered and destroyed by Shao Kahn?) or may even practice ancestor worship which seems like a good way to uphold a widely understood tradition that plays an important role in the discussed community.

The closest thing to religious practice was seen in Mortal Kombat X, when Sub-Zero and his warriors seemed to pray together before statue of god / deity / ancestor / legendary warrior / personalized thing they value the most (sadly, my knowledge about Asian religious practices or faiths is very limited so I don’t have idea if the statue is supposed to represent any real god/religious symbol).

At the same time, it could be just a bluff since Grandmaster was aware of Cage’s team infiltrating the Lin Kuei territory and used this moment to lure them into a trap. Additionally, Mortal Kombat X comics presented once Kuai Liang sitting before the same statue albeit in a completely different (devoid of reverence?) position.

Of course, if we take into account Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the game states that Lin Kuei Temple placed in Arctika was actually once the Temple of Delia (the great sorceress & wife of god Argus) that at some point get abandoned and re-used by Sub-Zero’s clan.

(In the background, we can see a statue of Delia that Lin Kuei does not worship but did not remove for whatever reason. Mixing both old and new games, we can only wonder if MKX!statue is also the remnant of someone else's faith/religion?)

Beside that, Kuai Liang was pretty vocal about Lin Kuei not worshipping the Elder Gods, what was seen in MK11’s intro dialogue with Cetrion

Sub-Zero: The Lin Kuei do not worship the Elder Gods.

Cetrion: We seek gratitude, not worship.

Sub-Zero: I see no distinction.

and personally did not have any reason to pray to the goddess:

Sub-Zero: Why should I pray to you?

Cetrion: Why does a bird flap its wings?

Sub-Zero: I asked a simple question.

In all fairness, in MK11 Kuai Liang seems the most passive-aggressive toward the Elder God while Frost is focused on her ambitions and Noob!Bi-Han just wants to be left alone when bothered by Cetrion. Similar thing happens toward Raiden. Despite gratitude for saving him, Kuai Liang does not spare the god criticism (can’t serve both Elder Gods and Earthrealm, isn’t fit for his role of protector) and in MKX outright says he does not fear divine beings:

Raiden: Sub-Zero...

Sub-Zero: I fear no gods, Raiden.

Raiden': That's why you shall lose.

Surprisingly, Kuai Liang’s interaction with MK11!Fujin sounds less accusing than with Raiden and Cetrion and it is connected closely to their ties with Bi-Han. And maybe Kuai Liang did seek in the past Fujin and other elements to make a peace with them, like he planned to do so in Mortal Kombat 4 Limited comics?

"I came here to make peace with the gods of the elements that you fought [...]"

Anyway, the accusingly behaviour toward Raiden and Cetrion could be just Kuai Liang’s personal dislike for gods and serious authority issues, which makes sense considering how much he suffered because of their meddling and conflicts.

But honestly?

The available examples of Lin Kuei attitude toward gods, demigods and supernatural beings suggest how little the warriors - especially cryomancers - care for them.

Like, we have Bi-Han in Mythologies, who asked Quan Chi about details of mission:

Sub-Zero: If it's so precious, why don't you get it yourself?

Quan Chi: I cannot enter the temple until the four elements within its walls have been defeated. And I am not on the best of terms with the gods of your realm... especially your god of thunder.

Sub-Zero: Tell me about these elements.

Quan Chi outright said he and earthrealm gods weren’t friends and Bi-Han, reading between the lines, could get the idea that he may end on bad terms with Thunder God. Yet he was interested only in elements (lesser gods than protector of realm?) guarding the temple.

Then Bi-Han beat down four demigods and met a displeased Raiden after Quan Chi got the Shinnok Amulet. His reaction? No fear, like meeting an angry god was a normal occurrence.

Rayden: Do you realize what you've done??

Sub-Zero: I was just earning my living.

Rayden: Your clan's ignorance and greed will cost this entire realm. You must now set things straight.

Sub-Zero: Quan Chi could simply be a lunatic sorcerer. I've never heard of an elder god named Shinnok or of a place called the Netherrealm.

Rayden: Well, you'd better start believing in both, because you're going to the Netherrealm and you're going to bring the amulet back. We must act quickly. I have no dominion in the Netherrealm... You are reality's only hope.

Sub-Zero: I'll do it, Thunder God... but only because I have no choice.

And once he came back from Netherrealm, where he was fixing what he messed up in the first place on Raiden’s order, his abrasive attitude did not change much:

Sub-Zero: Here... the amulet.

Rayden: Impressive, Sub-Zero. Perhaps you will reconcile your reckless past after all.

Sub-Zero: That's it? Not even a thank you?

Of course, to some degree Raiden’s words did have an impact on Bi-Han but even the god’s warning about his soul tainted with evil did not stop him from coming back to Lin Kuei. Bi-Han’s attitude and/or approach to gods seems to change somehow once he was reborn as Noob, but that is a different matter for different times.

Anyway, Mythologies!Bi-Han and MK11!Noob act less aggressive toward gods than Kuai Liang. But then we have Sub-Zero from from the MK novel by Jeff Rovin, who not only is not afraid of gods but outright insult them:

“Wait! Be warned, Shang Tsung. He is cursed!”

“Cursed? By whom?”

Ruthay wailed, “By the immortal Yu.”

Shang Tsung felt cold spiders crawl up his spine. “The demigod Yu?”

“Yes… he who is said to dwell in the underground caverns of Horse Ear Mountain… which is sacred to the goddess Kuan Lin. He who protects the canals… and the tunnels… and looks after all who use them, human and animal.”

“What did our brash friend do to Yu?”

“He… killed a man,” said Ruthay.

“What man?”

“A toll-taker… one who had given up a life of crime… one who had been a partner of the man… you… seek.”

“And how did that crime come to the attention of the spirit of Yu?” Shang Tsung asked.

“The man was killed… slowly disemboweled with a sword… while accomplices forced his wife and his son to look on! After his murder… the man’s remains… were dumped into a canal!”

Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow. “Is that all? I was expecting something truly terrible!”

“It was!” Ruthay shrieked. “When he disposed of the body… in that way … he profaned one of the sacred waterways… of Yu!”

Shang Tsung smiled now. “Then he is definitely the man I want,” he said. “Anyone who is impudent enough to insult a demigod won’t be afraid to attack a member of the White Lotus Society, or the gods who watch after them. I will send Hamachi, Ruthay. When he nears his goal, see through his eyes and guide him!”

Book!Sub-Zero was impudent enough to insult a demigod which is why he was one of Shang Tsung’s favorites. And to be clear - book!Sub-Zero did not regret insulting the demigod at all. Even more! He found humor in it!:

He dwelt in a cave two hundred feet up the face of a cliff by the sea. The mouth of his home was barely wide enough to accommodate a slender adult, and was accessible only by climbing the sheer wall of rock, a feat that was impossible for most adults and daunting even to the few arachnids and marsupials that tried it.

Maybe some of them were even sent by Yu, he thought with a smirk, little assassins who would chastise me for having spilled blood in his precious canal.

The less abrasive attitude toward gods was shown by Cyrax, who talked a bit with Raiden over Bi-Han’s remains. He wasn’t outright antagonistic but wasn’t overall respectful either. He talked with Thunder God like he would talk with any other human being that wasn’t actually Scorpion. Frankly, from the named Lin Kuei only MK9!Smoke actually addressed Raiden in respectful manner, with proper bow and the name of lord

albeit did he do so because he respects the divine beings or just out of gratitude for saving him, hard to tell for sure.

So yeah, it seems like no matter what kind of timeline or age or medium of the story, Lin Kuei does not fear gods nor pray to them. And the clan has a long history of dealing with Raiden, so the Lin Kuei had first-hand experiences with supernatural beings. Somehow, cryomancers are the most impudent warriors when it comes to dealing with or criticizing the gods.

Interestingly, as much as Lin Kuei warriors don’t care for gods, most of the known to us named characters believe to have - and to care - for their own souls. Sektor and MK11!Frost embraced the Cyber Lin Kuei idea but Kuai Liang, Cyrax and Smoke were opposed to C.I. project out for concern for their souls among other things. Even Bi-Han, to some degree became concerned about his soul after trip to Netherrealm.

Believing in souls is usually a sign of belief in the afterlife, albeit after all of them went through (the change into cyborgs, death and change into Revenants) this is less a matter of faith (religion) and more first-hand experiences. And let's not forget that regularly dealing over the centuries with Shang Tsung who steals people's souls on a daily basis makes it really hard to not believe spirits are real.

Also, an interesting matter of Lin Kuei practices that could have a religious/spiritual ground and/or be an example of ancestor worship is the clan’s funeral rites. I don’t think we actually saw any Lin Kuei to bury their own (especially after warrior’s failure?) and for sure MK9!Cyrax and Sektor did not bother to take care of Bi-Han’s remains. However the sources provide examples of Lin Kuei keeping corpses, most likely of their own leaders or warriors.

And so, we could see human remains:

put in two coffins on each side of statue

hidden / kept in a block of ice(?) in chamber of Fallen Lin Kuei in which Frost’s frozen body was also laid, but on the altar

Cyrax’s cyber body was kept and guarded by Sub-Zero (and this is like the only thing that Kuai Liang and Cyber Sektor so far agreed on)

and even Cyber Sektor’s remains, even if just for pragmatic reasons, are kept in what seems to be respectful manner:

It could be just Kuai Liang’s good nature to honor fallen of his clan (I’m still not sure if Lin Kuei Palace is the new place for Sub-Zero’s clan or the ancient hideout) but even in MK Conquest TV series, after Grandmaster was killed by then-currently-Sub-Zero, there was the farewell ceremony with clothes on display (cause there was not much left of body after freezing and shattering) while new leader gave the speech promising to punish the guilty.

Which makes me think that Lin Kuei did honor their fallen warriors (especially those exceptional, deserving). Such custom and apparently common belief in soul could also support the ancestor worship - both as some ancient, mythical ancestor(s) connecting warriors into one clan (family) and tradition to follow in the footsteps of forefathers (Bi-Han taking place of his father [old timeline] or grandfather [current timeline] or Kuai Liang taking Bi-Han’s place as Sub-Zero).

My general conclusion about Lin Kuei is that its members believe in souls, have respect and use of spiritual matters (meditation?) and maybe ancestor worship. Whatever the religious / spiritual practices they have over the centuries, it is not something they will share, as the Lin Kuei by nature are secretive people who keep personal things mostly for themselves. The people that joined the clan (Cyrax and Smoke) maybe kept their old, eventual religious beliefs but overall, Lin Kuei warriors did not fear, care for nor pray to gods. They may respect god (Raiden, Fujin) as a person but not because of their divine nature. And even that would not stop them from criticizing said god. Which is pretty much how Kuai Liang and Raiden’s relationship looks like. Grandmaster is grateful to Thunder God for saving him but he won’t blindly follow his authority.

(Kuai Liang has serious authority issues, hasn't he?)

As for holidays, I can’t really see Lin Kuei to follow any specific religious (theistic) special day cause they don’t care much for gods in the first place. Unless they worked undercover and needed to act as normal human beings, religious holidays would mean nothing to them. The warriors may however celebrate their mission success, combat mastery or promotion between themselves or in secret, I think. Like, Lin Kuei did forbid friendship because it was considered warrior’s flaw yet we know some members either were blood-related (Kuai Liang, Bi-Han, previous Sub-Zero - father or grandfather, depending on which timeline is correct) or considered each other a family (Kuai Liang and Tomas Vrbada) and most named characters worked in duos so they have both opportunity and knowledge about each other to celebrate important matters. If they managed to remember anything from previous life, that is. Because from ancient to at least Great Kung Lao’s times most(?) adepts were kidnapped from biological families at a really young age (something around 6 years old). And Mythologies: Sub-Zero takes that even further:

Its warriors are chosen at birth to be raised apart from the workings of day to day civilization and are stripped of their former lives. Only the clan knows their existence. Each of them posses certain skills and abilities that set them apart from normal men. These abilities are passed on from generation to generation and honed throughout the experiences of life.

So, celebrating birthdays doesn’t sound like happening much, unless those with family around could allow themselves such luxury. The clan may however celebrate the day of becoming a fully trained and sworn warrior? Or the fallen warriors? Who knows.

Also, something worth thinking about: in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, when the Grandmaster presented newly appointed Sub-Zero to the rest of the clan, he “celebrated” the cryomancer's first official performance as the execution of two men who failed their mission. So, yeah, celebration of something special in (old) Lin Kuei does not necessarily mean anything nice.

(The next part of answer most likely will be focused either on food or architecture / origin of Lin Kuei. Let's hope I will get it written sooner than later)

<><> EDIT <><>

RELIGION <> ORIGINS / ARCHITECTURE <> FOOD <> FOR THE LIN KUEI <> ART <> CRYOMANCERS <> LIN KUEI SOCIETY <> MONEY & MATERIAL GOODS

63 notes · View notes

knifesxedge · 4 years ago

Note

hi love im deep in ur art blog for reasons and im SO in love with the fact that ur ghoul has his OWN nickname tattooed on him in party's writing they are SO 🥺 was wondering if you wanted to talk a bit more abt ghouls tattoos??? theyre just SO gorgeous and intricately laid out

HI i LOVE u i am KISSING u i would love love love to talk about ghoul’s tattoos 🥺❤️

^ yeah ghoul & party have each other’s handwriting tattooed!! for party it’s one of the only tattoos they have & it’s right over their heart (im sure ive mentioned this fact before but idk if ive explicitly noted that it says ‘sunshine’) and ghoul didn’t have the space to put his right over his heart because poison’s kj symbol is there so his is on his upper arm (they ARE soooooooo 🥺 i love them)

ghoul’s tattoos are a healthy mix of sentimental ink and things he just thought were beautiful. when he met the rest of the four he didn’t have THAT many tattoos because 1. he was 14 2. he’d only been in the zones for a little under a year and a half at that point but the ones he DID have (aka his oldest tattoos) were his knuckle tattoos (‘freed’ and ‘fuck’ what can i say he was 13), the big raven on his upper shoulder and neck (he started believing in the witch very early compared to other cityborns but yeah that tattoo was both a way of symbolizing his devotion to the witch and a way of marking himself as a killjoy/shedding his past in the city in the way that he considered clearest), the fangs on his hand, two bats on his leg, the zombie bite on the other side of his neck (i could get a little more into this but BASICALLY ghoul being an ex-crow trainee + a cityborn + being the only surviving member of his first crew had a problem with feeling inhuman and a lot of survivor’s guilt and so he really. idk he connected a lot with zombies & frankenstein’s monster and ghosts & the like when he was a runner for dr. d post-his crew’s deaths. he got better about Seeing Himself as a Person especially once kobra + the other two showed up but the fascination remained) (also not tattoo-related but that’s when he chose his name. before that he’d been called ‘sandpup’ by his old crew & he never had a chance to tell them before they passed but he really loved that they used that as a name for him especially with how much he didn’t want to associate himself with the city) (ghoul had A Lot of issues but the difference there is that he worked thru them a lot earlier than the rest of the four) and “I FORGIVE U” on the back of his neck (in remembrance of said former crew).

umm along with that kind of fascination with the undead/feeling that kind of connection are the frankenstein stitches on his wrists (tho thats more of a common hc) and he has this pretty big tattoo of abstracted bones following his vertebrae down his throat and chest that he’s gotten expanded/fixed/touched up over the years. ik i do a lot of b&w doodles but i feel like i’ve been kind of inconsistent about coloring (most of his tattoos are color). pretty sure ive mostly drawn them in green (???) but in my head they’re like a faded light blue using natural skin tone as highlights.

his more sentimental tattoos…let me see if i can outline them here. this might not be exhaustive but i will do my best to list what ive figured out at least thus far:

the two little bats on his right thigh are for his grandmother and little sister. his sister (juliet adele fujikawa, b. april 2009 d. december 2014) was killed in a car crash shortly before he left the city, and likewise, his grandmother (charlotte fujikawa [藤川千尋] b. june 1936 d. december 2014) was “moved to retirement housing” at about the same time. that was pretty much the last straw & ghoul left battery city within the week

there’s his crewmates’ symbols on his chest (in order from his right to left: kobra, jet, party) (gotten when their crew had been together for a while. dating this one is based on a couple things: 1. ghoul had been with them for long enough that he felt secure 2. poison and ghoul were friends by this point, or else he wouldn’t have included their symbol and 3. poison’s is over his heart so you can read into that as you will)

text from the graffiti bible on his right calf, as protection for his crew & as a reminder of one of his former friends who was a droid that believed very strongly in destroya’s return

his raygun on his chest (he was pretty proud of the design! this was when he was ~15 or 16) that he had poison’s added to post-sing post-engagement pre-commitment ceremony (so. september 2023) (yes i have my handwritten timeline + my own drawings + my fics out in front of me rn cross-referencing sldkdksksbx!)

one of the girl’s childhood drawings (one she drew of him & her & the stuffed animal he made for her when she was a baby all having a tea party together) from when she’s about 5 or so on his right hip (december 2022 or so)

shooting stars on his upper right shoulder, partially because they’re pretty and blend well with his other tattoos and partially because they’re a reminder of a lot of things, including but not limited to his first night out in the zones seeing the stars for the first time, stories his grandma used to tell him, and right when he’d first joined the fab four and him & kobra sat on the roof during a meteor shower

besides the other one i already mentioned ^ he has more of poison’s handwriting on his left inner forearm — this is also one ive mentioned before but once they’ve been in a relationship for a while they get into the habit of leaving little love notes around for each other! there’s nothing particularly special specifically about the one he got tattooed, besides the fact that it reminded him of poison and they love each other. the text in full (which i don’t think ive ever put anywhere, though im pretty sure ive put fragments of it in fics and art) is as follows:

Good Morning baby <3! I needed new paints, went on a run. Kobra has the Girl @ the Crash Track, Jet’s at the station. call me when you wake up! I love you, be back soon. XO Party <3

he also has the anniversaries of when they started dating and their commitment ceremony (03•03•21 and 10•26•23 respectively) on the inside of his right wrist ^ !

he’s got a snake wrapping around his left leg that kobra picked out and a hand of cards with the ace of spades face up that jet picked out (and these ofc are because they remind him of his crewmates!!)

he has the phoenix witch tattooed on his ribs, left side, styled vaguely after catholic saints (since that imagery can still be found in the inner zones & especially where ‘joys who still practice that religion gather!)

there’s a version of the eye from the mailbox on his right shoulder, and this one is also a sort of symbol of protection/good luck, to show devotion to the witch and to help protect himself and his crew

the constellation libra on his left forearm! this one was done a little while after he started running transmissions and supplies for dr. d! he liked the connection that astrology — whether he believed in the practice or not is up for debate — gave people to the stars, and the feeling that he had a place in the universe, predestined or not

after charlie is born, he gets a portrait of her (~age 4) with her name and birthday underneath done on his left thigh! (~2036)

and on his lower back, he has a fairly simple tattoo of two crows on a wire with their beaks pressed together (aughhhhhh romance) that he gets done as an anniversary surprise for their 10-year (so. 2033)!

his non-sentimental tattoos are largely based off of images from books, either from dr. d’s collection when he was working as a runner for him or from cherri’s after he joined up with the fab four, or else they’re naturally occurring in the zones!! this includes but is not limited to: california golden poppies on the back of his left shoulder, strawberries around his left bicep (he doesn’t ever have a strawberry until he’s like 35, this one is absolutely based off of a particularly pretty illustration), a thundercloud with lightning on his left elbow, a moon on his right inner bicep, a ring of thorns around his right forearm right under the elbow, a dagger on his inner left calf, and a sun, small bat, cross, rose, ribbon (with the word ‘faith’ in script), and wing on his right forearm and hand, all picked from flash sheets

so yeah! that’s about everything i have to say about ghoul’s tattoos atm but ty ty ty sm for letting me ramble abt them i think about his tattoos so much 😔❤️

#danger days #fun ghoul #ttlotfk #killjoys california #headcanons #killjoys #funpoison #hcs #pi's personal #jordan tag ⚠️#query on top #i LOVE U SM !!!!! 💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️#sorry you got an essay & also that it took me all day to get this out i have SO many thoughts #& i really hope i didn’t miss anything but i MIGHT have because tumblr deleted half of what i typed when i tried to save a draft SO.

29 notes · View notes

rockofeye · 4 years ago

Note

Hi! I'm Haitian American and as you are a non-Haitian who practices Vodou, Im curious as to your opinion on this topic. Do you believe Aysiyen se yon pep lwa yo reklame? Many people say that because Haitian are not following Vodou that is why Haiti is in this condition. What do you think?

Hello!

Thanks for your interesting question. I think there are a few ways to look at this.

I do think lwa yo ap reklame pep ayisyen, but I do not think Haiti is suffering because Haitians are not serving the lwa. I fully believe that Haiti is suffering under the long term destabilization brought on by colonization and the continual reach of US and other Western superpower imperialism.

Religion and spirituality do have a part in that. Haiti has consistently been bombarded with messages that Vodou is evil/bad/the reason the country is suffering for a very long time, and it got seriously amped up after the earthquake with well-known religious figureheads in the country and outside it declaring that the earthquake was punishment for people serving the lwa. It has been ugly, and with the rise of the Protestant prosperity gospel nonsense and constant stream of missionaries and religious voluntourism, it continues to be ugly and to exploit the most vulnerable in the country. There are megachurches in the capital that promise people a meal if they renounce their lwa and convert on the spot. I imagine that if you are hungry and without means to get food for you and maybe your children, it seems like a good idea. So...that religious colonization has a big part to play.

With all that in mind, I do not believe the lwa punish for those things or for people not serving their spirits. I have seen the exact opposite happen with my own eyes. Someone I know quite well who has served the lwa since before I was born converted a few years ago due to her boyfriend being a Protestant. Good reason? I don't know, but she made the choice she thought best. During a ceremony under a tree that is very important to our lineage, she got possessed by one of her lwa who came sobbing and grabbed hold of the pye bwa/gwo poto mitan. After that Ogou arrived and spoke with her. He was sad, but he told her she always had a place with him and could return any time she wanted.

Similarly, I've watched the lwa speak to a Haitian who was second generation removed from Vodou (his parents were vehemently against Vodou and he was raised Protestant. A particular lwa looked him in the eye and said 'it's not your fault, you are not responsible, and if things were different you would be here in a different capacity'. It was pretty moving and was a window into the complex understanding the lwa have of their people and of life in general.

I think in the context of your question, it's also worth thinking about our ideas and preconceptions about punishment and the lwa. It's super easy to let ourselves buy into this idea that the lwa are going to smack us or are just waiting to smack us, but I do not believe that is true and it is not what I have seen at all.

Instead, when people do not do what the lwa determine we need for our own betterment, what we tell them we're going to do for them, etc they're not so much getting smacked as they are removing themselves from the influence of the lwa and limiting what the lwa can do for them and even what the lwa are willing to do for them. Even in doing whatever the worst thing you could think of to displease the lwa, they don't lift their hand...they just accept that we do not want what they want and so they become quiet, still, and retreat until we change our minds or whatever.

That's not to say there are not consequences to our actions, but they are consequences we bring on ourselves that fall from our hands and not the hands of the lwa. I've seen things ranging from a lwa looking someone in the eye and telling them that they are currently on their last chance and if they don't change, the lwa will no longer be able to help them to a spirit coming down in a pre-kanzo ceremony and telling someone who was to be made asogwe that they could not take up the asson because they had not yet done what they had promised that spirit to a lwa looking someone in the eye and telling them that the violent death of a family member was preventable, if only they had not broken the very oaths that protected them.

Those are hard things, but lwa yo pa egri...they offer a way out if we are willing to do the work. Even for the person who lost a family member, the lwa had ways for them to move forward. It couldn't bring the family member back but what it could do was prevent that from ever happening again. Men vreman yo pa egri. When we suffer our consequences, they suffer too. They grieve with us and grieve when we are unable to do what is in our best interests. I have never ever seen them turn someone away, not even when a person has betrayed them in the deepest most jaw-dropping way. There is always a chance to do things differently.

For Haiti in general, I think they suffer there too. As I am sure you understand, the situation in Haiti is so complex and multilayered, and it can't be boiled down to folks not serving the lwa. The lwa can do a lot, but the forces of corruption and imperialism are massive and have so crushed the power of the people. Millions and millions of foreign dollars have been invested in continuing to oppress the country while the country remains incredibly rich but without distribution of the vast resources available.

On an individual level, the tide is shifting and people are grasping on to their roots in different ways which ultimately will change their futures. My husband's best friend is Protestant, but he comes from a family who have served the lwa. For years, he's been dead set against serving the spirits and yet that has changed recently with the lwa calling him home...he's dreamed of the djevo and initiation and is going to make that happen. Another friend is a manbo but stopped serving the lwa after a falling out with her spiritual parent, but she was in the temple with us this summer for the first time in years and years and wants her husband and child to follow the lwa into the djevo.

Bit by bit things shift, which changes the larger currents which in turn changes Haiti. The lwa see all things and can see all outcomes, and they have a vision that far surpasses what we can grasp. They know how the proverbial story progresses, and yo pap janm kite pitit yo...they will see Haiti through no matter what.

I hope this helps; please feel free to follow up if I can offer more insight.

#vodou #haitian vodou #haiti

9 notes · View notes

seoafin · 4 years ago

Note

tbh,, i havent read the raws of the interview yet, only the translated ver from fan-translator and b4 i start, i think that this will be just me talking in circle and in no particular order AND a real mess (my brain does weird things after exams) but uhh here we go

gojou collects talented people, and by doing so he finds the people he can most probably relate to, except that he can't, not really, because something in the universe shifted when he was born. and it makes me think of how he's always known it, that he is special, and he's proven it, time and time again— he wants to take in talented ppl and he does, but there rly isn't much he can do for them. for they are talented, more talented than the world can understand,,

but they aren't gojou satoru

gojou took in megumi, bc he knew megumi was strong, and would grow up to be someone even stronger, but gojou can't facilitate or encourage his growth, bc for all they're similar, they are so fundamentally different. ALSO,, while geto was in his life, gojou rly judged everything according to his understanding of geto’s moral compass. gojou wears a human suit and geto is how he learnt to wear it well 🏃

the dragonfly analogy regarding to geto’s response to gojo, who was shown wearing a dragonfly patterned yukata in HI arc,, i’m trying to not think abt the fact that dragonfly symbolized victory in jpn....pain. i quoted from a web here for more explanation : In Japan the dragonfly is known as the "victory insect", or kachimushi, because of its hunting prowess and also because it is known to never retreat. Dragonflies are agile and fast fliers and can even hover, but never fly backwards

and bringing this up again, matricide and patricide are 2 of the 5 worst act to commit in buddhism, and it was said that if u commit one of those act u’re going to spend a real long time in the deepest pit of hell before continuing the samsaric cycle (higher chances to be born as an animal after that probs)— this might be geto’s divine retribution. held no power over his own body and could be considered that he’s the same as those “monkeys” 💀

ALSO the fact that sukuna's interest is "eating" rly drives home his hedonistic philosophy of seeking pleasure for himself. and he’s a cannibal...makes me think if he’ll just chomp on ppl with the mouth on his stomach

randomly, to date i think he hasn't really called himself a human, shaman, or a curse, and has held himself apart from all 3, and we've also the intro of the cursed wombs so i wonder if he’s trying to become, or is, a different entity altogether

so onmyoji got mentioned in the interview and what they practice is called onmyodo and abe no seimei and kano no yasunori were the notable practitioners,, and the kamo in jjk is the same as irl who served the imperial court back then

maybe i was right when i said that the relation between the govt. and jujutsu elders are similar to how the shogunate and imperial court work (ie, the former holds the actual power) but... lets see later,,

and i cant believe that i actually nailed it on the analogy of jujutsu practices by religion,,, so mahayana buddhism, shintoism, and taoism is present in jjk along with their respective jujutsu practices...but between the 3, it shld (?) be taoism > shintoism > mahayana buddhism (which could took a path to pure land buddhism)

it’s weird that the number of curses are supposedly higher in jpn comparable to other countries when taoism was brought from china....tengen sus

so the zenin family tree is sth like :

brothers: [toji's dad] ; naobito ; ougi

so toji, naoya, and maki & mai are cousins of the same generation

[toji's dad] → jinichi (probs) ; toji → megumi

naobito → other brothers, naoya

ougi → maki, mai

but yea i’d call anyone who’s within/close or below my age range as cousins and others above 30 as uncles/ aunts LMFAO,, i dont rly memorize my own family tree 😭😭 especially since most call the other by honorifics instead of names : aunt, uncles etc or attaching said honorifics at the end of a name for an older sibling figure/ older cousins [but like ppl in my country also call the other who are older with sibling honorific even if we’re strangers,,, rly similar to korea’s hyung/oppa—eonnie(unnie)/noona but some uses more genderless honorific] (1)

tw // topic of incest, mentions of abuse

if anyone got the wrong idea when reading this : i am not glorifying/ romanticising incest(uous themes),, i’m looking at this with absolutely no lenses of bias even tho im rly against it

初恋 = literally : first love, or puppy love

恋 = romantic love/ deep longing

i literally don't know how else to put this...🧍and with language barrier...using a western interpretation of the eng word "love" to explain a jpnese term is not quite that simple, unfortunately

that thread omg,, i rly do understand how exactly someone could associated kindness with love bc of my upbringing, it was when i was slightly older that i was just...oh so its not like that orz,,, so the most plausible explanation would be that

but the problem is that,, akutami never specify when exactly she had a crush on them,, and when megumi answered todo’s question she had a “♡” reaction 😶,, uhmmm there’s rly no way to look past this if its this way or be in denial

i’ve seen some of "why wouldn't mai react that way after hearing megumi say he'd like someone who's compassionate when she's surrounded by men like naoya",, well I MEAN,,, that, but also mai probs admires that megumi grew up so well out of the clan, regardless of the fact that he had the foundation (10 shadows) to do so. imo she seems happy for him the way she can't be for maki, bc maki ultimately had to leave her behind

hate to say it but yea,, the 3 clans most likely still practice inbreeding in order to preserve their power and presumably their wealth too 😀

i had an idle thought abt it at first but i filed it deep in the back of my mind asap,, bc i ont wanna jump to conclusion abt this out of all things too early. it’s probably not even in jjk, but all those elite clans in other ani/mangas that produce powerful heirs and whatnot also do the same,,, but this way of (my personal) thinking was influenced when i first got into tsukihime (type-moon),,, i read abt the nanaya family background and found out that they practice that in order to keep their bloodline “pure” (to keep it short : they have an optical power),, and i had this kind of assumption ever since so there’s that

i’m,, convinced the zenins' inbreeding made it more difficult for them to get powerful shamans bc they got 2 jujutsu technique-less children with heavenly restrictions in the same generation: toji & maki

even more convinced that maki might be a bit stronger than toji bc toji could see curses without aid while maki can't so the pay-off must be higher,,, SJJASN IDK ,,, plus naoya sort of implies his older brothers are nothing compared to him, and idk if we should take that as his arrogance or that his older brothers rly are weak/powerless. it would make sense as to why naobito had a lot of sons, ig, as head of clan

i feel so bad that if one of the factors that can caused heavenly restriction is inbreeding,, toji and maki and mai had no say in how they wanted to be born but are scorned for it,, typical asian families projecting their traumas and ideals onto their kids but get mad when they realize that those ideals are ugly...😁😁😁

since the zenin are conservative,, i wonder if they still hold onto old jpnese dining traditions. where in ancient jpn, hierarchical relationships were made readily apparent even within families. a dining table where everybody sat down and ate as equals would be unheard of. rather, each individual is given their own table that indicates their status,,, someone who is not considered “strong” according to the zenin’s views most likely have no place at the table, and probs eat when those who are “strong” finished/ serve them when they are eating

if toji was tossed into a swarm of curses,, i dont think abuse during said time is below them,,,

the zenin clan was already great, but they further amassed power and strength by, what i assume to be, marrying and adopting powerful individuals into the clan 🤔 ,,, i imagine they're like the hiiragi but without doing what they did to shinya (ons reference)

BUT after all that, i like to think that since akutami’s a big horror fan, jjk might be an outlet to explore said topics or even darker ones, so i wouldnt be that surpised abt it. given that there’s more than enough “red flags” before this was dropped : a reference to “tale of hikaru genji” when a grown woman asked for gojou’s number in HI arc (out of all things); granny who transformed into the man’s daughter, sat on his lap and man just touched her waist; mei mei and ui ui ; and...this (incestous theme is in the novel btw)

lets not start with whatever the fuck in kubo’s head in the interview otherwise i’m writing paragraphs with every curse words possible,, those big 3 mangakas are so— UGH,, a planet w out (cis) men like him sounds real good rn 😌 if one of yall out there decide to do it,, pls hmu rly cant do this shit anymore

akutami said i like my men pretty and i like women who will step on my neck and spit in my face (I REMEMBERED TATSUKI FUJIMOTO’S INTERVIEW WHEN HE WAS ASKED ABT MAKIMA AND IT WAS SO 😭😭😭😭) but ykw,, love that for both of them <3

when i said 3 : one piece, bleach, naruto. aside from the blatant depiction/ characterize of women in those 3,, idk if some ppl arent aware yet but oda is friends with two (2) convicted pedos,, man...the major disappointment and disgust when i first find out abt it

anyways this is just my 2 cents (which i think rightfully belong to the trash can) so pls just take this w a lil to no grain of salt - 🐱

YEAH THE ♡ LMFAO I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A “good answer ♡“ heart BUT NOW IM RE-EXAMINING?????

honestly i wouldn’t be surprised if the three clans practiced inbreeding. but ik people are going to be 😡😡😡😡😡 about it when the queen of fucking england is literally married to her (something) cousin. i’m not justifying it but like....love the double standards, just as always with the west 😍

DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT FUCKING PED* LIST THEY SHOULD ALL BE IN JAIL. JAILLLLL. it’s all so gross. that’s why i fucking hate when people look towards manga for positive representation because the chances of that are super slim to zero, especially since the industry is saturated with misogyny and ped******* and a lot of other gross stuff.

i think ppl forget jjk is a horror manga LOL so obviously it’s going to confront darker themes. the question is whether it’s going to be done tastefully or not......

#honestly I don't have high hopes unfortunately 😭#but who knows I might be...pleasantly surprised #idk I don't have high hopes in manga nowadays so hmmm #anyway as always I enjoy ur thoughts <3 ❤️❤️#hope ur doing well!!!#and getting all those genshin impact goodies #🐱 anon #long post

26 notes · View notes

dreamersleeps · 4 years ago

Note

Helloo! I really liked your last post on Endeavor being Ra and all of your posts about myths. It reminded me of something someone told me once. They said that myths are intriguing since they teach us lessons. The gods act no different than us. They make mistakes and these things are told through stories. One of the things they told me was how underworld myths usually mean to accept the past. Your post makes think that it represents Endeavor accepting the past and then being born again.

Hello hello, I am really happy to know that you really liked the Endeavor and Ra post, including my other ones! Thank you for sending in your comments, they’re very interesting. Before anything else, I’d like to apologize for responding so late. I took some extra time to think about how I wanted to reply to your comments. This post ended up becoming super long as well (mostly because of the images).

As you state, I love reading through myths and stories because the majority of them contain lessons for us. You are right when you state that the gods act no different than us, and because of that they make mistakes. Although the numbers who worship and take part in some of these polytheistic religions have greatly diminished over the course of history, in the present time we like to explore these stories and continue to be influenced by them. It is because of their human mistakes that sometimes we even relate to these gods and goddesses. These stories capture our imagination and I’m sure plenty of us have once had daydreams of being a demigod or another mythical figure/creature.

I do think that the High End vs Endeavor fight was a pivotal moment where Endeavor confronts himself, begins to face the past, and is thus “born again.” The depiction of Hawks and Endeavor’s quirks combined together, of flaming wings had a phoenix like imagery to it.

Although Endeavor is “born again” it of course does not mean that he is free from all the horrible things he did to his family. It does not mean a new, fresh start. I think that him being “born again” here represents symbolically that he has made an internal change of mind, accepting a different perspective (although to what extent is up for debate). Phoenixes do not d/ie and resurrect once. Similar to how the sun rises and sets everyday, the phoenix lives a cyclical life of d/eath and rebirth.

I did not know that underworld myths can be tied with accepting the past. If that is true than it definitely does relate back to some of the things I was talking about in my Ra post. So yes, the High End vs Endeavor fight was a very important moment for Endeavor. In a sense, he is “born again” but not with the fresh start it suggests. If he has begun to accept the past what does this mean and how might the next step look like?

As readers, we all bring very different past experiences and beliefs to the table, and that’s the thing about life. We all think differently. The majority of people have valid reasons as to why they think they do, however I am very much against all the attacking, insulting and discourse that have emerged over Endeavor’s character.

Personally, on the topic of redemption: I believe that Endeavor will most likely not be redeemed. This is something that he too also believes. However at the same time while we may have opinions, the question of redemption is not for us to really answer. We are mere observers.

I’ve wanted to do a close read of a certain group of chapters during the Internship Arc for a while. Of course if you don’t agree with what I have to say here or are not interested, than that’s fine. This “analysis” is not written in defense of Endeavor but to take a closer look at how Horikoshi’s been developing and writing him. If anything, please take any excitement you may detect in my writing as my love for “analyzing” and sharing my thoughts.

Chapters 249 through 252 are important chapters after the High End vs Endeavor fight that delve further in to his thoughts and his family’s thoughts as well. You can do a close reading of many of the pages in these chapters but I will only focus on some of Endeavor’s own inner thoughts.

Unfortunately, since I can not read the raw Japanese text, I’m building everything on top of the “official” English translations so please keep that in mind. If the nuances in the translations are off or lost in translation, then my interpretations may be “wrong.” (Btw, I’m only like 95% sure that the panels I’m using below are all from the official English translation).

Let’s begin. The two panels below are from Chapter 249 titled “The Hellish Todoroki Family.”

“I’m trying to make amends... going forward.” The “going forward’ definitely suggests that there was some sort of turning point either during the High End fight or shortly after. The definition of amends in the dictionary is:

reparation for compensation for a loss, damage, or injury of any kind

“It might be too late... but I fall asleep every night thinking about... what I can do for my family.” Endeavor expresses that he falls asleep every night thinking about what he can do for his family. We can only take him for his word but keep in mind that these are his inner thoughts. He isn’t talking to anyone but to himself. I acknowledges that it may be too late for him to do anything, all the damage he’s caused. Despite realizing that there’s a good chance that there’s nothing he can do to amend anything, he still thinks about it.

“Lately, it’s been the same dream. The wife and kids, looking happy... at the dinner table. But I’m... never there with them.” Here he states that he’s been dreaming the same dream. This means that it’s been heavy on his mind. In his dream, his family is happy and he is not there with them. Perhaps he believes that their happiness can only become a reality if he is taken out of the picture.

Now let’s jump to Chapter 252, titled “The Unforgiven.” These panels occur after Natsuo is kidnapped by Ending, and he is rescued by the teamwork of Bakugo, Midoriya and Shouto after Endeavor hesitates and fails to do so.

Endeavor had his flames on while they’re after Ending but he gets rid of them right before or when he catches Natsuo and Bakugo. So Endeavor usually has his flames on and that’s how we saw him depicted until around the High End fight and onwards, where we see him more without his flames.

(This has nothing to do with the analysis but this has to be one of my favorite interactions between Endeavor and Bakugo. He does not hesitate to make comments and remarks... hahaha, gets me every time.)

“Natsuo. Believe it or not... I was never trying to neglect any of you.” Well first of all, Endeavor saying that he was never trying to neglect any of his children is a big slap in the face and to be honest I’m appalled that he states that. Ultimately, it may be absolutely one hundred percent true that he means what he states, however whatever his thoughts may have been, Endeavor neglected them. Period.

Let’s look at Endeavor’s body language. His eyes are cast towards the ground as he can not meet Natsuo’s eyes when he gives his “confession” and it looks like his upper body is bowing towards Natsuo.

Just in general based on what I’ve read and from my own experiences, bowing is practiced for the purposes of respect, courtesy or apology. Typically it is the younger person who bows to the older person or someone from a “lower” position bowing to someone from a “higher” position. Part of Natsuo’s expression of surprise in the left most panel probably has to do with both the words that are coming out of his father’s mouth and the fact that Endeavor is bowing his head down towards him.

“But... all I could do was blame others and dodge responsibility. WIth Toya too... I might as well have killed him myself!” Here he admits that for a while he’d place the blame on others and dodge responsibility, including with what happaned to Touya. He admits that he may as well have killed Touya himself. Personally when I first was reading this, it was actually very interesting to see Endeavor confess these things. Isn’t it kind of surprising to see that he’s admitting to all this instead of continuing to be a character who ignores and refuses to recognize faults and consequences of his actions? Or is it just me.

Natsuo responds with “Didn’t neglect us...? So what...? Toya has always told me everything. It’ll be a cold day in hell... before I forgive you. Cuz I’m not as caring as Shouto.” Natsuo states that “it’ll be a cold day in hell” before he forgives Endeavor. A “cold day in hell” is an idiom meaning: the time of occurrence of an event that will never happen. It looks like he’s kind of smiling probably at how absurd his father’s confession sounds and his eyes are tearing up, a reaction to his sudden confession. He brings up Touya and the estranged state that their family had been living since for possibly as long as he could remember.

“Even so... Even so... you keep showing up for Fuyumi right? And for your mom’s sake?” Here Endeavor’s addressing Natsuo’s statement claiming that he’s “not as caring as Shouto.” Forgiveness is one of those things we are told that we need to do at some point and if we don’t, that it says something about our character. The one who forgives is the one who has had wrong done to and it takes a lot for someone to give forgiveness after all that has been done. So here, Natsuo says that he can not forgive Endeavor because he is not as caring as Shouto but I feel like there’s also a part of Natsuo that feels like he could be a bad person if he can not forgive.

Endeavor’s response is to tell him that despite what Natsuo thinks of himself, the fact that Natsuo continues to show up and try to do things that he doesn’t want to do because he cares about Fuyumi and his mother speaks otherwise. Notice the faded background in this panel as well. Btw, here we can see that Endeavor is indeed kneeling in front of Natsuo. They both are sitting on the ground, together, close to eye level but not quite.

“Your sister loves the idea of being a big happy family... because... that’s exactly what I ruined. She wants that back... she’s so eager to fix everything. And that’s why YOU’RE trying at all. Because you care about how she feels right...?” Each of the Todorokis have different feelings and perspectives about Endeavor. For example, Fuyumi wants to be a “big happy family” which Endeavor acknowledges and claims responsibility for ruining. Even though Natsuo may not want what Fuyumi hopes for, he still comes to visit home despite if Endeavor is there because he cares about his sister.

“Because you ARE caring. So...” Endeavor states that Natsuo is a caring person. He’s been watching what Natsuo will do for Fuyumi and his mother because of how much he cares about them. Another thing that stands out to me in the English translation is that Endeavor says, “Because you are caring” not just “You are caring.”

Shout out to the guy in the car (o_o)

“You’re getting yourself to be able to forgive him. Because you’re so caring.” In response to Endeavor’s counter that, no Natsuo IS caring, Natsuo responds to this by thinking back to Midoriya’s earlier conversation with Shouto when they were cleaning up the dishes after dinner. Midoriya is someone who does not know about the Todoroki family situation as much as we may but he knows Shouto: his classmate and friend. However, we see that Natsuo overheard those words and I think it made him feel like he wasn’t a good person because he feels like he does not want to or can forgive.

We get a closer angle and view of Natsuo and Endeavor sitting on the ground. Again, the fact that Endeavor is kneeling may be why the guy in the car has the expression they have. So I kind of went looking around to see what the way Endeavor is sitting is called and I think the closest would be the seiza pose.

Seiza, is the formal way of sitting down based on ancient Japanese standards. In Japanese, Seiza is very aptly translates to “sitting with a correct posture.” In a historical context, the correct posture is defined to have neatly-folded legs and an erect spine. One’s feet must be neatly tucked in place, underneath the body.

The Japanese consider Seiza with only the highest of regards, as it represents two important values in Japanese culture: courtesy and apology. They believe that Seiza is an essential tool to channel those specific values.

Another important representation that Seiza upholds in Japanese culture is that it serves as a symbol of apology. Someone who wishes to ask for an apology may place his or her hands in front, with the head lowered down. This form of apology is referred to as “dogeza.” This serves as a position of submission, having one accept his or her mistakes (yabai).

The picture below is depicting someone in the seiza pose, apologizing.

This ties in to how Endeavor and the Todorokis live more “traditionally” compared to other characters. We’ve seen the traditional Todoroki house and Shouto’s dorm room at UA as well. Earlier, we saw Endeavor with his head bowed towards Natsuo and here he is no longer bowing but he is still in the seiza pose: a symbol of courtesy and apology. It’s a physical sign of sincerity and humility.

This is how Endeavor is apologizing, even if it is not as direct as some of us would like it to be. And Endeavor tells Natsuo:

“You don’t have to forgive me.” Endeavor tells Natsuo that he has no obligation to forgive him, even when he is his father. What a way to say it though. “Because you ARE caring. So, you don’t have to forgive me.” It was kind of confusing for me when I first read this chapter. Currently, the only way I can read this is that (1) Endeavor realizes to a certain extent of the hurt and pain that he caused his family and (2) it is because of what Natsuo experienced as a Todoroki and what happened to his brothers, sister and mother that he can not bring himself to forgive his father. He hurts for his family because he cares about them. “You don’t have to forgive me.”

We get three panels with Shouto, Bakugo and Midoriya listening in on to this conversation. Notice the white, empty backgrounds in all four panels. Usually this is done to highlight a moment that has gravity and weight. This is them processing what has just been said. The bustling city highway and life fades away and we are left with this moment where time feels like its paused.

Then Endeavor speaks again: “I’m not looking for forgiveness. Just atonement.” We see Endeavor’s left eye, the side of the face that has been scarred after the High End fight. His right eye, the part of his face that has remained unchanged is hidden behind the speech bubble with the words, “Just atonement.”

Seeing as how Horikoshi likes to intentionally place speech bubbles to hint at something from time to time, I’m wondering what this particular placement might mean. I will touch on this later again, but Endeavor has a habit of hiding and standing off to the side when it comes to his family and past. Additionally, this is the first time we’re looking at Endeavor’s face from the front and not from the side during this conversation with Natsuo (excluding the panel from the first page from this chapter when he’s holding Natuso and Bakugo before the conversation begins).

What is atonement? According to the first definition that comes up on Google:

reparation for a wrong or injury

In general religious contexts, it is:

reparation or expiation for sin

In Christian theology, it is:

the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ

So in religious contexts: to receive forgiveness there must be a sacrifice which “atones” for the sin (tastethehoney).

Basically, what I’m trying to point out with the latter two definitions is that this word is often used in religious contexts. I’m assuming that Endeavor is the one referred to as the “The Unforgiven” in the title of this chapter and I think that it’s very interesting that Endeavor’s fire quirk is called “hellflame,” which I’m pretty sure that I can safely say is in reference to the Judeo-Christian/Western concept of hell.

(Forgive my choice of using a simplified statement here but for the purposes of getting a point across...) They say that those who are not forgiven burn in hell.

“Wow. You got a real way with words... all of a sudden! I know how happy it makes sis, having us all together! But... when I see your face... Those memories come rushing back.” Natsuo’s reply comes from Endeavor’s sudden display of apologizing. And as Natsuo correctly points out, they’re still just words. Words do not mean anything unless actions come with them. He mentions how hard it is for him because the “memories come rushing back.” Even though the life they live now is different from the past, the past keeps coming back.

“Why do I gotta be the one to come around? Atonement? How’re YOU gonna make that happen?” Again, when someone apologizes or is looking for forgiveness, the person who was wronged or hurt has to come to a certain place to forgive. As we’ve already established, Endeavor is not looking to be forgiven. So this could be Natsuo’s reply to Endeavor’s claims that he wants to change and be better, because it still kind of requires the other party to “come around” as well. Here Natsuo also asks about atonement. Endeavor can not turn back time and do things differently, what’s done has been done. So, how can Endeavor atone, and what will it look like?

Let’s skip a couple pages to when Endeavor and Natsuo arrive home.

“I’ve let you shoulder all of that. . . and I stood by while you worked hard. But it’s okay now.” This is referring to how Fuyumi has been planning on welcoming her mother back home. Endeavor states that he’s been standing off to the side, perhaps there is a note of apology as he talks about how Fuyumi’s been working hard by herself. Then he states, that “it’s all okay now.”

“It’s always the same dream. My whole family’s there, but not me.” So, Endeavor’s thinking back to his dreams of his family’s happiness. He believes that they can only be happy if he’s not there.

“Because I’m building a new house for you all. One that makes sense for your commutes. And one where you can give your mother a warm welcome back.” He states that he’s building them a new house. One where they can welcome their mother back. This is Endeavor’s idea of what “atonement” might begin to look like

“If I really care how they feel...” He wants to respect their feelings, and not do something because HE wants to.

“I’ll remain here.” It seems that Endeavor believes that one way he can “atone” for his family is to remove himself physically from their lives.

Through this post, am I claiming that Endeavor will be redeemed? No. However, let’s look at what redemption means. According to the first two definitions that comes up on Google, it is:

the action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil

the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment or clearing a debt.

There really is not a way Endeavor can “pay the debt” for all the hurt and pain he’s caused.

So that was a lot but I’m going to point out some things here. Yes, Endeavor is in a position where he is acknowledging the past, and he seems to have begun taking more responsibility for it. He states that he is not looking for forgiveness and is only looking for atonement. However, similar to how he neglected his family because he was running away from the blame and did not want to accept the responsibility due to his actions, he is still in a way running away from it. His idea of “atoning” includes removing himself physically from his family’s lives, partially because he wants to be considerate of his family’s feelings and partially because he believes that they can only be happy if he’s not there. He could be right, but I disagree.

As many others have stated before, it seems that part of the answer to atonement lies with Todoroki Touya. As I suggest in the Ra post, there were two outcomes of the High End vs Endeavor fight: 1) Endeavor, the public hero establishing himself as the Number One Hero and 2) Todoroki Enji as a father beginning to accept the past and its responsibilities (again, although to what extent is debatable).

The fight concludes with Endeavor’s first official meeting with his son, Touya as Dabi. To accept and address the past and its responsibilities, Endeavor’s been taking a passive approach to “atone” partly because he’s kind of treating the past as only the past.

In Chapter 290, titled “Dabi’s Dance,” where we get the Touya reveal, Dabi finally is able to call Endeavor out: "You were finally number one! It’s all you ever wanted! But it must’ve weighted on you, right?! Or was all the praise and admiration like chicken soup for your soul?! When at long last, you could stare your kids in the eye... didja finally start to feel the warm and fuzzy bonds of family?! You must’ve thought, ‘As long as I face the future, I can be better!’ I can tell you’re at a loss for words, so here’s the answer!”

Being Touya, Dabi’s existence brings the past right back to the present. Endeavor can not keep responding in a passive way, dodging the past even if it weighs heavy on his mind and heart.

I suppose this is where the real test of atonement begins.

#endeavor #todoroki enji #todoroki touya #dabi #todoroki natsuo #bnha analysis #mha analysis #bnha meta #mha meta #luna answers #my post

29 notes · View notes