#glider culture

[corvidist]

Alright, Equatorial nomads (They don’t usually get that far south but it’s the Equatorial Desert regardless.)

These groups have been around in various forms since the Yellowstone eruption around 250,000 PA, when large numbers were pushed south when a global cooling effect took hold. As temperatures warmed back up, these groups in many instances either left, or in the case of these ones often began to follow vultures in order to find sources of water, eventually developing into a symbiotic relationship that lasts into the present day. The vultures get protection from ground predators and higher quality food, Directors get water. The cultures started off in the Americas however have become present in Afroeurasia as well.

The original cultures’ use of gliders largely began in response to widespread heat-related death due to exposure to ground temperatures and general idolization of vultures through stories and observation, who seemed to be able to stay in the air almost indefinitely when compared to Directors. Initially, it was believed that families each would collectively reincarnate into vultures. When they allowed Directors to get close enough, much like with corvids in western afroeurasia, groups of Directors would decorate the vultures with a variety of dyes and such. With time, northern desert populations grew, tools became more complex, and flying techniques developed to keep individuals in the air for longer. This led some groups to wonder about the idea of craft that could help them stay aloft for longer, carry tools, and make it easier and safer to move from place to place. 

The first gliders were modeled pretty closely after vultures, essentially being half-dangling, half-gliding knockoff airsleds that individuals would harness to themselves to carry supplies and would regularly go out of control and detach themselves or in some cases bring down the Director as well. Still, techniques improved with time and eventually the idea emerged that much of the issue with the individual sleds resulted from failure to be able to control them directly. Some essentially scaled them up into light surfaces that could (hopefully) be picked up by the wind in the right conditions or after being pulled by Directors, and be controlled afterwards. 

These improved with time, eventually developing into craft that could be lifted up with high winds and the right pitch, kept aloft by the desert’s strong updrafts and controlled by the crew directly manipulating flight controls. The most aerodynamic usually carry a maximum of about a dozen adult directors, with gliders traveling in groups from water source to water source, in many cases using vultures that are found along their path as indicators. When they land, depending on the craft and culture they may take off again using their own power, wait for the wind to pick up, or in later periods use propellers and such to get them in the air. 

These craft have also helped contribute to perhaps some of their most utilitarian and collectivist cultures, as the craft themselves, tools, etc. are made from the carcasses and bones that they come across, from snakes and coyotes to vultures and Directors in their groups, as there simply isn’t much that’s as simultaneously sturdy and lightweight that far in the desert. As such, in some places the gliders are treated as family members, carrying the collective consciousness of the beings that comprise them. These groups regularly will speak to the gliders, decorate them heavily with paints, dyes, and ornaments, purposefully fly over interesting areas as a means of showing them, etc. If a glider crashes, they will be repaired, and if it can't it is considered a major tragedy among the group, and whatever parts that can be salvaged are. Individuals in some of these groups don’t take names, instead opting to be identified by their role in operating the glider, with each role being held in equal value (hence the varied colors of feather dyes in the drawing, also serve the purpose of helping cool them down). Religions, spirituality, and lack of either are present among these cultures as there is an incredible degree of variation among them from family to family. 

It is common for groups that spot one another to merge, following one another to their destination where it is common for a period of celebration (or just general relaxation if it gets long enough) to occur that often lasts until the next time winds are strong enough to pick up the craft by themselves. Groups will exchange food and other gifts, young adults will often engage in courtship, and by the end of it, you typically have some individuals joining one crew or another if things have gone well. These cultures are also known to salvage from crashed airships and abandoned beacons, and to work with both for rescue and recovery. It is not uncommon for stricken airships to be greeted by one group or another to assist in navigation or repairs. It is also common in the present day for beacons to originate in or cease operation and join glider cultures, and many regional Beaconer cultures are heavily influenced by glider cultures.

[marchlione]

atla writers who write aang like a bratty child in the northern air temple episode instead of seeing the pain of a genocide survivor watching his people's sanctuaries being disrespected and desecrated<<<<<<<<

[tellhulla]

It's an admittedly minor thing but something that bothers me a lot about the atla comics (and LoK) is the air acolytes

Why are they all new characters?

Where is Theo, the guy Aang himself said carries the spirit of the air nomads? Where are the hippie nomads from season 2 who were already living a very similar lifestyle to Aang's people?

Are the acolytes even nomads? They seem to just live in the temples by the time of LoK, How is that passing on the air nomad's legacy? How is it keeping the culture alive when they aren't practicing half of the culture?

Why didn't Aang ask the mechanic to make gliders like Theo's for the acolytes so they could fly too? If they have re-domesticated the ski bisons by the time of Korra why don't the acolytes seem to have any? It's not like you need to be an air bender to fly on them so why it's only Tenzin who has one and not the acolytes or even Aang's other children?

It's such a poorly written mess

[gravitasmalfunction]

I'm glad the Torment Nexus has become a meme, because it makes the plot of Iain M Banks' Surface Detail easier to explain: local egomaniac gazillionaire makes obscene fortune secretly providing server space for other civilisations' VR torment nexii, faces gruesomely satisfying consequences according to area woman recently murdered by gazillionaire's own hands.

[ashwings-woah]

writing this down before i forget. Mountain crashers are now gorge crushers, and mountain gliders are the same though. Maybe the ones that are a mix between the two are sometimes called cliff trekkers

[aangarchy]

This scene will never not give me goosebumps dude. Aang, the one person who already gave up so much, who went from having everything to having nothing in the span of a few days (in his experience), who had to accept the new state of the world without any influence of his once highly regarded people, whose entire culture was forgotten by the world, now due to the firenation once again has to give up a part of his identity.

Another relic, an original hand crafted by his people now lost to flames, having to hide the marks he worked so hard to earn. I feel so bad for this boy all the time it makes me so emotional. The symbolism of his glider being consumed by fire on fire nation ground, correlating to how the preservation of Aang's culture is slipping through his fingers bit by bit, how the fire nation is once again a step closer to victory.

[hauntingrabbits]

Batman my little pony AU. Part 2 here, Part 3 here

More info on these under the cut!

1. Sundown Mane/Batpony (Bruce Wayne)

His backstory & general situation is pretty much identical to every other batman out there so I wont get into it.

Other notes:

-His cutie mark is a masquerade mask that I tried to make vaguely bat-shaped. The general public sees his Cutie Mark through the lense of his reputation, and he leans into it heavily to obscure the truth. In interviews, he presents it as being tied to hosting galas (it’s the reason he started hosting those huge masquerade balls in the first place) and/or his fashionable looks, but in truth it’s far more representative of his stealth and disguise capabilities, as well as his masked night time hobbies as a whole.

-He’s not an actual bat-pony in any way, the bat wing appearance is just the costume (intentionally designed that way for intimidation, battle, and obscuring his identity further). Though most citizens assume he’s a true bat-pony, other rumors range from him being a vampire, to an Earth pony with false tech-based wings, to a magically disguised alicorn, to a spirit of the night.

-If Batman were actually to be a pony I think he’d 100% be an earth pony, because his big thing is relying on skill and tech rather than power and he has the whole “normal guy amongst gods” thing going on. HOWEVER. There are actual bat ponies in this show. How am I not supposed to utilize that somehow for the guy whose name is BATMAN? Also with Sundown I think being a Pegasus just fits the playboy personality front he puts up. I don’t know why, its just vibes.

-I think he just doesn’t fly much while patrolling as batpony, instead using his wings for extra jump or for intimidation and cover like with his cape. They’re probably steel-tipped or something too. He doesn’t rely on flight for advantage and trains entirely grounded because he doesn’t want to be dependent on flight and find himself lost if his wings are ever incapacitated.

2. Apollo Honeyscales/Two-Face (Harvey Dent)

Fascinated by the Equestrian legal system and craving a more organized society than what was offered by his generally disorderly and solitary fellow Chimeras, Apollo moved to Gotham to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, ponies are often intimidated by, if not downright terrified of Chimeras, so though Chimera cultures usually give each head equal social weight and three individual names, Apollo quickly adapted to instead try to present himself as pony-like as possible. He used a singular name and pronoun for his whole body, presented the less intimidating, herbivorous-looking goat as his “main” head, and eventually even took to having a faux Cutie Mark applied for media and court appearances. Prior to the attack, the lion and the snake head were never seen talking in public, and even in private the only ponies to have heard them speak were his close friends Sundown Mane and Glider Gold.

After being attacked with acid in court, Scales succumbed to injury and had to be amputated, while Honeybite was left alive but severely scarred. With this event, Apollo’s and Honeybite’s already fragile mental states from years of pony society othering them, the weight of their job, and personal repression finally snapped in their grief and anger, leading Honeybite to fully take the reins and create the criminal persona of Two-Face. Attempts from both Sundown and Glider and to reach out since have been unsuccessful.

Other Notes:

-According to the wiki only one chimera shows up in the whole show so. I made stuff up. -Chimeras typically being solitary is based on the fact we only ever see one in the show. This solitary nature would make it hard for them to have a widespread legal system at all, let alone to enforce it; thus Apollo’s original fascination with the foreign pony legal system. The Chimera in the show also has individual names for each head, each with a slightly different style (the goat following pony name conventions with the name Pumpkin Cake, the tiger following a slightly more violent version of pony name conventions with the name Sweetkill, and the Snake bluntly just being named Snakey). I tried to follow similar conventions for Apollo. I was most happy with the name Scales, because it followed the blunt snake naming convention while also sort of doubling as a scales of justice reference. Apollo is just a reference to Harvey’s nickname in some of the comics, and Honeybite is just for fun.

-His perfectly split coat is unique even among other chimeras, and as Apollo he was generally considered attractive and “exotic” by Equestrian media outlets.

-The temporary Cutie Mark application was done professionally. (Surely ponies have perfected this art, right? Like this has to be something pony society does and has services for, right? Ponies covering up embarrassing Cutie Marks, blank flanks covering up an embarrassing lack of a Curie Mark, Ponies getting Cutie Marks done for costumes, theater, movies, etc… you get it.) Apollo’s choice of a faux Cutie Mark is meant to serve as both a way of further integrating himself into pony society and a proclamation of his legal skills.

-Apollo was a genuinely great lawyer. Ponies on defense were often so preoccupied at the terror of having a lion and a snake silently stare them down that they wouldn’t realize it was actually the goat they should’ve really been afraid of until their entire case had already been ruthlessly torn to shreds.

3. Glider Gold (Gilda Gold)

Even prior to their relationship and subsequent engagement, Glider had long been Apollo’s closest friend and confidant. She saw the way his job and keeping up his image was tearing him apart long before the acid attack, and she deeply regrets not trying harder to get him the help he needed before it was too late. Multiple news outlets have been trying to get an interview with her and their efforts only increase every time Two-Face shows up in the news (despite Sundown’s efforts to dissuade them). She hasn’t been the same since the attack and Apollo’s disappearance, losing interest in her work and finding her friendship with Sundown heavily strained as they both feel the weight of Apollo’s absence.

Other notes:

-I wasn’t even going to draw Gilda originally because she’s such a minor character in Batman stuff but as I was writing out Apollo’s background she nudged her way back in. I like her too much.

-This version is based on her very first iteration where she was a sculptor. Her green coat is a reference to that version’s accompanying Two-Face (also his first iteration), who had green scarring.

- The choice for her to be a pegasus was mainly just to go with her silly name, but I do think being a pegasus would be beneficial to a sculptor. No ladder required to work on high details just fly up there.

-I am not immune to the bruce/harvey/gilda agenda

[emmebearpaw]

I’m of a firm belief that, while a wind glider requires Barbatos’s blessing in order to function, they don’t have to be produced in Mondstadt. Like, it’s easiest in Mondstadt, for certain. Most people there probably have a level of cultural understanding of how to give prayer to the sprite, even if they don’t do it themself. Plus the church probably has a member on staff who just goes to major manufacturers and blesses the gliders they make en masse like kosher salt.

But I think anyone anywhere can do it. I think Barbatos has a good time with it actually. Like surely the requests that are all the same are probably very boring, and so receiving vision that someone in Inazuma has built a shrine and leaving offerings and asking for his blessing Inazuma style is refreshing, etc. A whiff of incense and unfamiliar phrasing of prayer. People consulting books and guides on how to pray. People doing it in ways he never would have guessed. Offerings he wish he could taste but unfortunately are several countries away.

He grants them, of course. Why would he limit the ways a person seeks his guidance? They call to him seeking the power to defy the law of gravity and as the god of freedom and the breeze there is nothing he is more suited for.

[kesslersymbolic]

the boys on the way to fuck up yet another german airstrip.

“but the germans had good uniforms” is the most woefully anachronistic statement in common circulation. the nazis had grandiosity, they had pomp, they had intimidation, and they had esotericism; but something the anemic fascist mind can never, ever comprehend is swag. Swag was invented by the allies, and then it was perfected until no nation could best them in the field of battle

[mleprae]

Finished this guy's lil redesign!

My ocs aren't quite spec bio, I don't consider myself smart enough to write the same level everyone in the spec bio community does but alot of people tag my ocs as such, so I decided to entertain a bit and write abit about Q'wilqilth's biology :3

They are basically an overgrown giant bacteria, often referred as "plague angels", the angel part comes from the fact these critters live in a colossal interplanetary organism that many human cultures refer it as the one and true God.

read-

Q'wilqilth-óó is a Neobacteria, often referred generally as 'angels' (though angels include many other non-Neobacteria), Neobacteria are a domain of organisms whose bodies are made up of bacterial colonies acting in tandem as organs, like organs and cells - each colony houses a bacteria with different physiologies to fit a certain role.

And for the same reason, Neobacteria may be composed of species that are pathogenic to humans (hence the 'plague' angel name), they also take on similar mechanisms and ecological roles to their single celled/simple counterparts.

Q'wilqilth in this case (often just shortened to Q'wi) is a Neomyco leprae, derived from the bacteria that causes leprosy in humans, this species is sophont and is often wearing clothing but I decided to add it in there just to see their markings better, they don't have common names and are mostly just referred to as leprosy plague angels, but some species of Neobacteria refer to them as 'Jade emperors' or simply 'Leviathans'

Like many plague angels, this species is a parasitoid/facultative parasite and relies on deploying their genetic material on a host to reproduce, N. leprae prefers doing this to Neural coils, a species derived from Schawnn cells who produce a mucus that stimulates the production of electricity from Neuron trees.

When bursting out of a Neural coil, most will spend years attached to the Neuron trees their former host was attached to, this phase is important to the development of the 'Ouabain whip', a small organ in their tail that helps them regulate their electronegativity and is later used as a weapon, disrupting Na+/K+ ATP-ase in any predators towards them.

They are mostly nomadic, save for a few small tribes/clans, they can travel long distances thanks to their lipid-rich diet, this species has taken lipid/fat as their primary energy source and carbohydrate last, it may not look like but they have extremely mobile/flexible lips and strong toungues/jaws to suck vegetable oil and starch off Neuron trees, unlike their pulmonary counterparts (Tuberculosis), they are facultative aerobics and can use electricity/eletrons provided by the Neuron trees as a substitute for oxygen in ATP production. When migrating out of the Neural forest, they are equipped with mostly molars, strong jaws, and specific digestory enzymes in their mouths to digest tough animal (?) fat. This gives them a much slower metabolism, allowing them to travel without eating for large amounts of time.

Last but not least, though they are gliders, they have evolved their mycolic acid to be hydrophobic in nature, keeping their skin from getting wet/humid, they are great swimmers and their facultative aerobic nature allows them to survive underwater without oxygen, they can live in a variety of biomes within the Super-organism; squashed between arteries close to the red rivers, in the high lands, golden hills or even the filter. They will however, avoid warmer temperatures and prefer sticking to the poles.

lil sketch of their clothing, representing a epitheloid cell, the body is usually covered in bone sculptures of phagossomes and liver-otters

[weepingchronicles]

yandere azula x reader headcanons this could be read as either romantic or platonic, whatever you wish! tw: yandere, violence, mentions of death, torture, manipulative and controlling behavior, degradation (also maybe a smidge of yandere aang??)

when I say you are fucked if you have this girl yandere for you, you are FUCKED

you are one of the last remaining air nomads, except for aang who is unknown to the world right now and presumed dead

the troubling part is that you have no bending abilities, you were practically raised in the fire nation belonging to azula

you have no spirituality connecting you to your tribe because you know nothing about your culture thus making it hard for you to bend

fire lord ozai had gifted you to azula to keep as a pet basically, only after ensuring you were not the avatar.

growing up with azula has its moments..

azula treats you as bad as zuko, perhaps even worse. she regularly mocks your deceased parents and tribe and knowingly withholds info on your culture in order to keep you dependent on her

you're also not allowed to speak to anyone but azula or a higher rank person.

once ty lee tried to play a game with you since you're both naturally agile people, the outcome was your hair almost catching on fire

as a result, you grew up very fearful of azula but naïve of any outside influence.

the only bright side in your childhood was that you got to keep your life while your parents didn't, and that you somewhat live safely in the palace.

azula likes to keep you on a tight leash, metaphorically (although she wouldn't be against actually doing so-) she has you sleep in your obviously smaller room just across from hers

she doesn't worry about you ever escaping because she has engrained in you that it's impossible, and why bother when you have no family to turn back to, except her? where you get fed pretty well, have a good place to sleep, etc

of course she doesn't mention how she likes to torture you daily

most torture games with azula are psychological, she likes to see you be manipulated to her side and cry but knowing no one else can do that but her

but sometimes her games do get violent

one time she handcuffs your hand to a table, and plays pinfinger on you, enjoying your expression as she pretends to "slip up" and accidentally cut you.

she never majorly hurts you though, she doesn't want her pet to be broken!

you may be thinking that azula doesn't even care for reader! she sees her as only a pet

while that is half true, she cares for you probably more than her own father.

when aang hears one of his last remaining relatives is being held captive, he has no other choice but to save you

when you're greeted by a 12 year old boy who is claiming to be your family and the avatar, you are wary. azula has always said your family is dead, wiped out so how can this be?

it doesn't take much to convince you though after he says he can help you escape.

together you fly away on aang's glider, and for once you feel hope and freedom.

when azula finds out you've been taken by the avatar, she practically breaks

the only thing that stops her from breaking havoc across the nation, is her dad appointing her to capture the avatar

oh she'll capture him alright, and make sure no one puts their hands on you again.

[girlkisser13]

dating avatar aang would include

• aang is a compassionate and empathetic partner, always ready to listen and support you through any challenges.

• the more comfortable he gets with the idea of being in a relationship, the better boyfriend he becomes.

• aang's playful nature means there would be lots of laughter, pranks, and fun activities. expect spontaneous games of airball and snowball fights.

• his connection to nature would inspire you to appreciate and respect the environment, and he’d often take you to serene natural spots for picnics or meditation.

• aang’s romantic gestures would be thoughtful and often tied to the four elements, like creating a small gust of wind to play with your hair or bending water to make beautiful ice sculptures.

• he absolutely LOVES sharing air nomad culture with you, and though some parts of it aren’t exactly for you, you still respect and appreciate the traditions nonetheless.

• always holding hands or touching each other in some way because he likes the physicality of it and finds it comforting.

• you’re always able to calm him down when he’s upset and vice versa. especially when he’s in the avatar state.

• he LOVES taking you on exciting dates, like gliding through the skies on his glider or exploring ancient air nomad temples. he loves sharing his love for adventure and discovery with you.

• aang takes his role as the avatar seriously (after some serious maturing) and would appreciate your understanding and support. he involves you in his duties when appropriate, valuing your input and perspective.

• if you were interested, aang would introduce you to meditation and the spiritual side of the avatar. he'd teach you about chakras, the spirit world, and the importance of balance in life.

• he loves cooking for you and teaching you how to make his favorite vegetarian dishes.

• when you’re bored, he lets you doodle inside of his tattoos. sometimes, you just like to trace them.

• he’s CONSTANTLY doing random stuff to try and impress you.

• aang is incredibly protective of you but in a gentle and understanding way. he’s always there to support you and ensure your safety without being overbearing.

• you’re both always trying to help each other improve on your bending (if you’re a bender), practicing and sparing together.

• though, it takes a lot of time for you to convince him that he doesn’t have to go easy on you. he about worries a lot.

• the two of you have SOO many inside jokes.

• he loves to dance with you. he would definitely teach you some traditional air nomad dances.

• he would do anything to protect you and keep you safe. <33

[ruruumin]

good luck, babe!

₊˚ ᗢ canon! lumine x gn! reader (x endgame! mona).

⤷ when you need a little loving, she's not there.

you can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth. you thought she might stick around longer. having found her lying in the sand with a rather obnoxious, pale-beige companion, you were the first person she met in teyvat. the first one who taught her how to use her wind glider, the one who guided her in her early battles, and the one who put faith in her. the outlandish traveler who has come to find her brother. that was who she was to everyone else. but to you, you thought from the bottom of your heart, she would be the one for you.

the times you’ve shared in dark inns and festivals were more than enough to send your feelings leaping to the top of your throat.

sending her away to liyue was heartbreaking. you knew this was the right thing for her. she was a free soul. she needed to find her brother. you couldn’t possibly keep her tied down to you in mondstadt. it was a selfish wish. an ugly one that sent your head reeling. she gave you a nervous kiss on the cheek, waving to you from the port.

you try to kiss her on her lips but she quickly dodges your advances, telling you she doesn’t want your public display of affection. she tries to comfort you, saying she’ll come back to visit you. and if that doesn’t happen, she can send you letters. 

i don’t want to call it off, but you don’t want to call it love. you have to suck everything up and settle for her short, fleeting kiss. a bitter taste lingers on your tongue. she boards the boat, making sure to wave to everyone crying their eyes out for her. when you shift your sights, you could feel your heart drop to your stomach, seeing the successor of the ragnvindr clan staring fondly at her. 

she occasionally writes letters to you, and you receive them in the comfort of your home, a place where she once took residence. it was signed and sprayed with her signature perfume, a smell that would always soothe your sore muscles. after a long day of adventure, her words are what you look forward to hearing. 

she talks about her journey in liyue. rambling about how delicious the food is, how vibrant the culture is, and how much fun she’s having with her new friends. she likes to bring up two people in particular. this strange fatui harbinger that is constantly getting on her nerves and the second, a very quiet yet protective soul that guards the land. you want to stuff the gross, sick feeling that is building at your core. you don’t want to assume anything. they could just be friends. a very chummy pair of friends, your devil argues. attached to this letter was a photo she took.

and it felt too intimate to just be friends. 

you only wanna be the one that i call ‘baby.’ she signs her name beside a heart, a subtle marking that she still thinks of you differently. you hold this letter close to your chest, ignoring the photos. 

she continues her life to inazuma, the land of eternity. not without a few more letters delivered to your front door, signed with her pretty name in gold ink.

you could only pray for her safety. inazuma was not the most welcoming country. you’ve heard stories about the archon being a ruthless warrior who imprisoned many of her people’s dreams. you want to tell her to return home (to you). you want her to stop her adventures and come back, kiss you again like she did all those nights before. remind you exactly why you’ve fallen in love with her. 

you don’t have the heart to tell her the truth. so you let her travel far and wide. like her time in liyue, she is writing to you about all the people she’s met. you can kiss a hundred boys in bars. a red and white colored samurai, a flirty detective, a kind-hearted blond, and the tea-loving clan leader. one photo after the other they flood like a broken dam. shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling. 

every single one of them influenced her in ways you could only imagine. they gave her the hope to continue moving forward. having accomplished what might be the impossible, stopping an archon’s power with two visions, you can’t help but compare yourself to her many talented friends in other nations.

her letters start to become antagonizing to you. each month they come in, detailing more and more about the things you didn’t want to hear. was inazuma better than what you provided in mondtsadt? or was it your relationship? this forbidden bond between two women. you want to ask her if she feels ashamed, but your heart and mind argue with each other.

like promised, she comes back to you after liyue’s lantern fest. and while you wanted to be the first person to greet her, it’s unnerving seeing the renowned alchemist, albedo, at the port. his eyes brightened up at the sight of her luminous hair and he rushed over to greet her. his sister klee quickly followed behind, her hand reaching out to push him closer towards the elusive traveler. he exhibited an excited expression you’ve never seen in your life, its unlike albedo.

you clutch onto the surface of your clothes, unsure of what to make of it all. 

i’m cliche, who cares? one step after the other, she pushes you onto your bed, fingers entangled. legs brush up against each other. hot breaths on your ear keeps you grounded to reality. her lips kiss the nape of your neck, the bottom of your jawline, the side of your temple. she whispers to you the words you’ve been wanting to hear and it reels your heart right out you.

you’re caught on her fishing line and she has you exactly where she wants you. its a sexually explicit kind of love affair.

and as quickly as she came, she left for the next place: sumeru. it should become routine to you at this point. you go on with your life, once a month a letter comes in, and she’ll always talk about her new friends. this time it was a very attractive scholar from a prestigious akademiya and a short, youthful boy. the latter was originally some kind of god that had been abandoned by inazuma’s archon, but now he has reformed underneath her care. she tells you that he follows her around like a lost puppy, always eager to help her out with denial trailing his every word. and i cry, it’s not fair. 

was every man in the world a better choice than you?

it hurts you to see those photos. seeing her smile so bright, waist snuggly close to her new friends’ hands, their eyes filled with the same adoration you had for her. she never took photos when she was here in mondstadt with you. so why does she do it with everyone else? was it really about you? about your relationship?

i just need a little loving, i just need a little air. she only comes to your house, eager to pepper kisses down your throat. very rarely do the two of you spend time in taverns or festivals. you’ve asked yourself so many questions. so many times. on various occasions. 

and the thought comes up to you in a nauseating wave: she was ashamed to be seen with you. you’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.

she doesn’t return to mondstadt after sumeru. immediately traveling to the next area, she’s continued to capture the hearts of every man in the nation. you wonder to yourself if she’ll ever see you the way you need. if she’ll ever love you the way you wanted. hope is dashed one letter after the other. and you’ve stopped counting. you let them pile up on your desk, unopened and unread. 

you do everything in your power to forget about this outlandish traveler. returning to your singular room, folding the bed without a second thought, cooking meals for yourself. everything went back to how it was before she arrived. at first, it was hard to go back to where you started. you couldn’t forget the soft kisses or the whispers of her voice from haunting you. your heart was still yearning for someone who would never see you properly.

but with time, things will change. you’ll move on. and you’ll love someone else. that is the way of life after all.

you fasten your weapon, booking it out the door to meet a very peculiar girl, one that could tell your fortune with just the palm of your hand. she smiles at you with bright enthusiasm. her skin feels warm when she pulls you towards the open field, her hydro vision glistening underneath the sunlight. 

you were thankful you met her on that fateful day. on a particularly hot day, when you were leaving your house for some fresh air, she was the freedom you were yearning for. you met during one of your commissions and she hasn’t left your side since then. every day felt brighter when she’s around.

she drags you out of your home to dance with her at festivals. she invites you to her place to play a game of cards. she even kisses you on the back of your hand as if you were the most special woman in the world. and most importantly, she’s not afraid to be seen with you. if anything, it fuels her with immense pride. 

it felt liberating being with someone who wanted you.

it’s no longer a surprise to you when you see the luminous traveler at the port. she’s looking left and right for you, golden eyes searching for your figure in thick crowds. she’s out of breath when she pushes through everyone. after her stressful time in fontaine, she’s been dying to see you again. eager to feel your warmth on the tips of her fingers. she wants to ask you why you haven’t returned any of her letters. she needs answers. and she needs you. 

and when you think about me, all of those years ago, you’re standing face to face with ‘i told you.’ she stops in her tracks, heels stomping on the ground as her blood turns cold. hand in hand, you’re sitting next to a woman dressed in the prettiest of constellations. lights shine above you like a halo, highlighting your natural glow. she’s leaning her head against yours, kissing you on the lips. a proud expression is written upon her face, over the moon that she has you.

and lumine could do nothing but watch.

good luck, babe.

[creampuffqueen]

Something Nice

Yangvik Week Day 5: Cultural Differences

Summary: While the team packs for their next trip, Kavik has a surprise for Yangchen.

Word Count: 2440

(will be posted to ao3 later)

~~~~

Yangchen finds that packing supplies is a rather cathartic experience. 

As an Air Nomad, gathering up her own possessions is relatively simple. After all, she owns almost nothing. All she really needs is her glider and a pack with some clothing.

But she has a team now. A team that travels alongside her wherever she goes. The thing about a team is that they need a lot of resources to go anywhere. 

The others are still busy packing up their personal belongings from their Taku safehouse. Yangchen, getting finished early, has opted to keep herself busy by packing up the rest of the supplies they’ll need.

It’s calming, in a way. Even her past lives find it so. Humans still need the same things to survive as they did centuries ago. Bedrolls, food, medicine. Yangchen makes sure to pack extra ginger root; Jujinta gets seasick when out on the open water for long stretches of time. (Not that he’ll ever admit it).

Yangchen and her team are preparing to set sail for Port Tuugaq, and if everything goes well, they’ll be there for the better part of the winter. Former Zongdu Ashoona, on the edge of retirement already, has been by far the most receptive to her plans to reform the shang cities. Hopefully the long winter stay will be enough time to get things in motion, and convince the rest of the shangs and zongdus to follow suit.

Finishing up with the food, Yangchen makes her way to the common area of the safehouse, preparing herself for the most tedious task of all: packing away all of the paperwork.

The table in the middle of the room is littered with maps, records, reports, and more. Stacks of paper are piled haphazardly on small side tables. A bookshelf on the wall sags under the weight of an untold number of logbooks. 

It all has to come with them. The other cities don’t stop needing her guidance just because she’s not living in them. Yangchen takes a deep breath, steeling herself. 

“You look like you’re having fun,” A voice from the hallway calls out, snorting with laughter. Yangchen glances behind her as Yingsu enters the room, hefting a pack on one of her broad shoulders. The firebender unloads her luggage into the pile of already-gathered supplies, heading further into the kitchen. 

“Not particularly,” Yangchen replies with a sigh. She starts gathering up the papers from the table, doing her best to keep them orderly. “But it has to be done.”

Yingsu appears again, leaning against the wall as she bites into an apple she’s produced from seemingly nowhere. “Fair enough, I suppose. Need any help?”

“Thank you, but no. I’ve got it.” The papers are sorted into neat piles, and Yangchen moves to start picking up all the logbooks. It won’t take much longer. 

“I don’t mind helping. I’m all finished with my own packing, anyway.”

“It’s alright,” Yangchen assures her again, “I can handle it.” The stack of books in her arms has grown so tall she can barely see over the top of it. From the corner of her eye she spots Yingsu’s doubtful glance, though the woman says nothing. 

It turns out that the spirits have a sense of irony. While she was looking at Yingsu, one of her lemurs darted beneath her feet. When she next steps, she trips over the tiny fuzzball with a shriek, heading directly for the floor. She only manages to save herself from face-planting by dropping her stack of books and bending the air beneath her, sending her back in the opposite direction until she’s upright once more. 

Hysterical laughter comes from her periphery. Yingsu is doubled over, clutching her stomach. Ignoring her, Yangchen dusts herself off, gathering the dropped books. Pik, the culprit of the tripping, climbs up her robes to cling to her back, chittering as if in apology. 

“You’d think you’d have learned by now that we don’t mind helping out around here,” Yingsu chastises. She discards her half-eaten apple on the center table and grabs some books. 

Yangchen doesn’t answer. 

Standing from the floor with books in her arms, Yingsu wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. “But if you won’t listen to me, I suppose I can just let your pretty waterbender do the convincing. Since it seems like he’s the only one that can ever get through to you.”

“I don’t know if I’d refer to Akuudan as ‘pretty’,” Yangchen replies primly, “I think ‘rugged’ describes him far better.”

“Describes who far better?” Jujinta walks into the common area, brow knitted in concern.

Yingsu grins. “You-know-who.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think I want to listen to this conversation.” Jujinta adds his bag to the pile and turns on his heel. 

Yangchen shoots a glare at the other woman, face warming. “You’re twisting my words.”

“Only because you’re trying to play games with yours.” Yingsu finishes placing the logbooks on the table and goes to grab more. 

Yangchen doesn’t get a chance to reply, because Tayagum and Akuudan choose that moment to trundle into the room, laden with more bags. 

Seriously, how do people manage to accumulate so much stuff?

“I think that’s the last of it,” Tayagum says, wiping his forehead. 

“Don’t put it down yet; we need to start bringing everything to the boat,” Akuudan reminds his husband. 

“We’ll be finished with this soon,” Yingsu adds, “Then I’ll help haul stuff out.”

Yangchen pauses, glancing around the room. “I don’t think Kavik is done yet. He hasn’t brought his things out.”

The three others share a glance between them. For some reason, it makes Yangchen feel oddly flustered. 

“He was still in his room, last I checked,” Akuudan offers. 

“Maybe you should go check on him. See if he needs any help.” Yingsu’s voice is too even. 

Yangchen pins the others with a glare. “Why do I feel like you all know something I don’t?”

Tayagum and Akuudan start grabbing bags and heading for the door. Yingsu has found the sudden need to make sure all the papers are evenly stacked. 

Unfortunately, Yangchen’s interest is piqued. Besides, as team leader, it’s her responsibility to check up on everyone and make sure things are running smoothly. She can’t have Kavik delaying their departure, can she?

Ignoring the looks of the rest of her team, she heads down the hallway and makes for Kavik’s room. 

He doesn’t answer her first knock. Or her second. For a moment, she wonders if he’s actually in his room, as she raises her hand for a third knock.

The door opens before her fist can land, just wide enough for Kavik to stick himself halfway out of the room. “Oh! Yangchen. Hello.”

His greeting is oddly formal. It makes something in her chest feel weird.

“Are you almost finished packing? We need to leave soon.”

“Yes, I’m almost finished.”

He doesn’t say anything else. He just stands there, as if waiting for her to leave, blocking the entrance to his room. 

Kavik has never minded her seeing his room before. 

“Why are you acting so weird?” Yangchen asks bluntly. “Are you hiding something?”

“I’m not acting weird!”

“You are,” She insists. She attempts to peek over his shoulder, but only catches a glimpse of something… orange? Before Kavik steps fully out of the room, shutting the door behind him. 

Why in the spirits’ name would he have something that shade of orange?

Yangchen crosses her arms with a huff. To box her out of his room, Kavik has stepped closer, the sudden lack of distance enunciating their height difference. He isn’t much taller than her, but this close, she has to tilt her head up to look him in the eye. 

She swallows, her mouth feeling oddly dry. “I thought we agreed to stop keeping secrets from each other.”

Kavik’s lips curl into a pout, and she can’t help the way her eyes dart to look at them, just for a second. “It’s not a secret, it’s a surprise. There’s a difference.”

“A surprise? What for?”

Some kind of internal battle seems to wage behind his eyes for a moment, as if weighing his options and deciding the best move forward. Wordlessly, he opens the door again, stepping into the room to let Yangchen see what he’s been guarding from her view. 

“It was meant to be a surprise for you.”

Laid out on his bed is a garment in the same shade of orange as her usual robes. Brown and white fur trims the hood and sleeves, with delicate beading decorating the front pocket. She recognizes what it is - she sees him wear something similar often enough. 

A kuspuk. In her colors.

The room suddenly feels too hot. “Kavik…” 

“I noticed that you don’t have a lot of warm clothing,” He starts to explain, quickly, nervously, red coloring his cheeks. “And since we’re going to be in the South Pole during the winter, I just thought, you know, you might want something a bit warmer -”

“In my colors? You must have gotten it custom made.”

“Handmade, actually.”

Her jaw falls open. “Kavik, you made this?” She draws a hand over the kuspuk, feeling the soft fabric beneath her fingers. The tiny beads on the pocket are forming swirling patterns, mimicking the design of her wooden prayer beads. And the fur…

“Where did you get bison wool?”

Kavik gives an awkward chuckle. “Remember when I went to visit my parents?”

She does. Some time after their plans to stay in Port Tuugaq were finalized, Kavik had asked for some time to visit his parents, saying that he wanted to see them before they spent several months on the other side of the world. Yangchen had of course granted him leave, though she spent the few weeks he was gone missing him terribly. 

Not that he needs he know that part. 

"I might have made a slight detour on the way back and stopped at the Northern Air Temple for a night.”

“You’ve been working on this for that long?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a long process to make one.”

“No, I mean - you’ve been keeping this a secret for all this time? So you could surprise me with it?” She doesn’t know why the idea is so hard for her to fathom. Or why it’s making her heart beat in such a quick rhythm. 

Kavik blinks at her slowly. “You deserve something nice. You work hard enough for it.”

The force of his gaze makes her face warm. She has to look away. 

“Can I… try it on? Or is it not ready yet?”

Kavik nods. “Yeah, you can try it on. Make sure it fits; I had to eyeball all of your measurements.” 

A heartbeat later, his face flushes even redder as he realizes the implication he’s just made. “I mean - I had to, uh, guess all the measurements. I wasn’t…”

Yangchen hides her giggle behind her hand, amused with how flustered he looks, even as her own face heats up. Leaving him to stumble over his words, she slides the garment over the top of her robes, admiring the craftsmanship. 

“I didn’t know you could sew.” It fits her well, though the hem goes a bit far past her waist.

Kavik takes a step closer, eyes roaming over her form. Yangchen takes a deep breath, reminding herself that he has to look at her in order to make sure it fits properly. 

“I’m still not the best at it,” He says quietly. “I had my mother give me a crash course while I visited. We did nothing but practice stitches the entire time I was there. And Akuudan had to teach me how to do the beads; he’s surprisingly good at detail work.”

Ah. So the others knew about this. Yangchen absent-mindedly strokes the fur of one of the sleeves. “And which Air Nomad did you wrangle into giving you some of their bison’s wool?”

“It’s from Mingyur’s bison. He was happy to donate it.”

Yangchen’s chest seizes, hand freezing where it touches the wool. Fengbao’s wool. Wool from Nujian’s older sister. Her eyes fill with tears before she even realizes it, breathing coming in sharp gasps. 

Kavik’s face falls. He reaches for her hands. “What’s the matter? Was that not okay - oof!”

Yangchen bypasses his hands to throw her arms over his shoulders, dragging him in for a tight hug before her tears can start to fall. He flails for a second, surprised, before his hands come to rest gently on her waist, returning the hug. 

They hold each other close for a long moment until Yangchen is able to reign in her sniffles. Even after she calms, a small part of her wants to stay there forever, held in the little bubble of Kavik’s embrace, safe from the needs of the world. 

Alas, her wish is futile. Kavik breaks the hug first, though he doesn’t go far. He brings his hands to her shoulders, smoothing them down the orange sleeves of the kuspuk. “Are you okay with the length of the sleeves? I can tell it’s a bit long; I’ll go ahead and bring the waist up a little.”

“It’s perfect, Kavik. I love it.”

His smile sends a wash of warmth over her, a balm to soothe away her sadness. “I’m glad.”

Yangchen reaches for his hand. She twines their fingers together, squeezing. Words don’t seem like enough to express her gratitude for him. She hopes he can see it in her eyes.

Kavik looks like he wants to say something more. He swallows, squeezing her fingers back. His eyes meet hers, pupils so dark they could swallow her whole. Yangchen’s breath catches in her chest.

He’s so close to her. If she reached up, just a bit, she could…

“Are you two nearly finished? We need to leave.”

Jujinta’s monotone cuts between them, startling them apart. Kavik steps away, glaring at the young marksman standing in his doorway. “Jujinta, do you mind?”

Juji looks decidedly unimpressed. “The Avatar has a schedule to keep, you know.”

Yangchen shakes her head, attempting to clear her head from… whatever that was. “Quite right. Come on, we need to head for the docks.”

Kavik gestures to the kuspuk she’s still wearing. “Do you want me to hem that?”

She supposes he may as well. Though she hates to part with it so soon; it really is warm and cozy.

Still, she slips it off over her head and passes it back to Kavik with a wink. “Give it to me again when we get there. I promise I’ll pretend to be surprised.” 

[musings-and-overanalyses]

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: Why This is My Favourite Ghibli Movie

CW: Major high-school English teacher vibes ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

Nausicaä of the valley of wind is a story of the titular character Nausicaä and her being a bridge between the world of humans and nature to bring peace, thus fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

Nausicaa is the princess of the Valley of the Wind. The film begins with her walking and exploring the Sea of Decay, an area with toxic air, plants and fungal spores. She collects some spores and finds the hard molten shell of an Ohmu (gigantic blue-blooded trilobite-looking creatures), which her people use to make weapons and tools. As the name suggests, the Valley of the Wind is a civilisation that depends on and bases their culture around wind, which one can see through an abundance of windmills and gliders, including the one that Nausicaä rides. They are shown to be peaceful people who do not interfere with the politics of the warring human kingdoms or disturb nature. Nausicaä in particular is shown to have a special gift with animals—from calming Ohmus to having a pet fox-squirrel. As the existence of the kingdom depends on the sea wind that shields them from the effects of the sea of decay, there is a general reverence towards nature and its other members such as the Ohmus, that are often referred to with honorifics.

This was an element I liked: the symbolism goes deep in this film; for example, with the nature of wind—it being the very breath necessary for life is contrasted with its other face, through toxic spores in the sea of decay capable of killing anyone who inhales it.

It is revealed that humans had built The Giant Men, weapons so dangerous—not unlike our atomic bombs as shown through the characteristic mushroom cloud—that the destruction caused by the war had unleashed the fury of the Ohmus, an otherwise gentle species. They wiped out entire civilisations and where they died, the Sea of Decay grew on their decomposing corpses, showing how all life is interconnected and that even in death the rage of the Ohmus, and through them the rage of nature, wouldn't subside. It is then that the viewers find out that this is not some far-off planet, but a post-apocalyptic future on earth.

New species of plants and fungi made the Sea of Decay their habitat—nature and life always find a way. It is implied that the humans lost the war referred to as the Seven days of Fire, but the truth is that it is not a war that can ever be won. Even if you win the war against nature you lose. As the story progresses, we see that the plants and fungi that Nausicaä collected from the Sea of Decay are actually trying to purify the soil and water—nature holds no grudges but only seeks balance.

The seventh of the Giant Men, a sentient atomic bomb if you will, apparently hid underground for a thousand years until the kingdom of Pejite found it for use against their enemy, the Tolmekians. They both remain oblivious to the sheer destruction that can be caused by this Giant Man and they don't care either. Despite the balance between humans and nature being a delicate one, instead of trying to rebuild together, they justify to themselves that the war is necessary for self-preservation and to put humans back on top of the food chain.

In their hubris, the Tolmekians and their princess Kushana believe that with the help of their superweapon they can destroy the Sea of Decay despite knowing that it will trigger the wrath of the Ohmus. The Giant Man however is not complete and hence, though the devastation is great, the final giant man dies and all that is remains to be done is to calm the wrath of the Ohmus.

Nausicaä saves an Ohmu child who was injured by Tolmekian soldiers to lure the Ohmus into a war. She saves the baby Ohmu and sacrifices her own life to calm the sea of maddened Ohmus. The now-calm Ohmu then revive Nausicaä, symbolising the mystical healing power of nature and its ability to support and create life.

Nausicaä is an excellent protagonist, and how the trope of the chosen one is utilised is beautiful and full of symbolism. Right from the get-go, we see her being inquisitive and brave. She is willing to defend her people but not through violence. And it is made abundantly clear that her avoidance of violence is not due to any lack of strength; when she strikes down the soldiers who killed her father, rather than feeling any sense of pride (as one might expect from a character not used to strength), it sickens her. She shows understanding even towards Kushana, whose men took over her kingdom. She sincerely loves and respects animals and plants.

There was a prophecy among the people of the valley of wind that a person clad in blue over golden fields will save their kingdom and bring peace. And towards the end of the film, Nausicaä's clothes becoming blue with the blood of the baby Ohmu she saved and the golden fields being the tendrils of the Ohmus healing her is poetic to say the least.

In addition to a good female protagonist, we also get a powerful female antagonist in Kushana, who starts out as a one-note expansionist ruler, but it is revealed that she lost her limbs and got severely maimed by the sea of decay, motivating her to destroy it once and for all. Proud and arrogant, sure, but she has a motive beyond just wanting power and possesses some form of a moral code. In another story she could be the protagonist bravely defending humanity against the evil, alien-esque trilobites and spores.

It was a unique and meaningful choice on Miyazaki's part to symbolise nature through the Ohmus—alien-looking giant insects—instead of something cute and fluffy. Oftentimes humans care more about the conservation of animals that they find cute (pandas over, say, Panamanian golden frogs), but an animal doesn't have to appeal to human aesthetics to be worth conserving.

Absolutely not to be missed is the breathtaking soundtrack by Hisaishi. There are symphonies, techno music, sitar-like instruments and a child's humming, all elevating every scene to give a moving experience.

Ultimately it is an ambitious story that aims to deal with themes of coexisting with nature, the futility and dangers of war, and of how innocent children who should live carefree lives are dragged into it and made heroes. This film is often categorised as falling into the genre of Solarpunk: a literary and artistic movement that centres around building a sustainable future interconnected with nature and community. Although this film does depict violence and wars, it ultimately shows a peaceful future is possible.

Truly a masterpiece. 9/10.

[ladyanaconda]

Dorcean Headcanons: Hunting

Hunting has great part in their culture. Unfortunately, there's many misconceptions about their view on it.

They have an honor code when it comes to hunting, which is taught to them from a young age. It consists of three simple rules.

Never lay claim to another hunter's prey.

Always perform a clean kill.

Nothing goes to waste

And now, some trivia on this aspect of Dorcean culture, as well as some analysis about their honor code.

Not all Dorceans are hunters. However, it is a preferred career.

Even at his most desperate during his two-year hunting, Besteel never broke the honor code.

Hunting is a dangerous job, and there are days when even the most veteran hunters return home empty-handed. As such, no matter the circumstances, taking an animal from someone else's trap, AKA stealing, is frowned upon, if not utterly vilified. And yes, freeing the animals counts. No wonder Besteel was so mad at Rovender!

As many hunters point out, they hunt 'for sport' because they're hired to do so. In fact, Vamphyr himself once said non-Dorceans would rather have them kill Orbona's animals because they're too cowardly to do so themselves—a sentiment shared by most Dorceans.

Hunters will often decorate the walls of their homes with trophies from their most challenging quarries.

It might not look like it, but hunting gliders require high maintenance. As such, only veteran hunters can afford to have one. And they take very good care of it.

As mentioned before, a hunter will sometimes return home empty-handed. As such, when they make a kill, they will take everything that can be used from the carcass, leaving nothing to go to waste. Hunters who do so are often inexperienced.

They will never use poison—not out of morals, but practicality. Poison can potentially ruin the carcass's quality or, at worst, make its meat inedible. As such, Cassiora's unorthodox use of poisoned or drugged arrows to bring down prey was looked at with disapproval.

When they kill an animal for survival reasons, Dorceans have a small rite that involves thanking it for its sacrifice in their language. If the animal is agonizing, they put a quick end to their suffering.

While Dorceans make their first kill at an early age, they're not considered fully-fledged hunters until they've undergone a rite of passage at 14 years old. They're taken to the Heart of the Forest and left there with a time limit of 24 hours; they cannot return to the village without killing something.

Needless to say, Besteel's kill was exceptional for his young age: an adult vipanther, a deadly predator from the Dorcean homeworld that can give even veteran hunters a run for their money. This was such an impressive feat that the entire tribe threw a celebration in his honor.

Redimus, on the other hand… Well, let's just say that everyone could see he didn't have the character nor the cold blood to be a hunter—something he and Thalyss were quite content with.

Mammusk hunts are held yearly to replenish the tribe's food supply for winter. This is a social event in which most, if not all, of the tribe's hunters take part.

Dorceans have plenty of songs that focus on hunting activities, extolling the strength of a particular hunter, a particularly fearsome creature—such as Broken Tooth. These may be sung in many contexts: before or during a hunt, before battle with external forces, and during social events.

Btw, I imagine the vipanther looking like the tobi-kadachi from monster hunter.

…Without the elemental attacks that is.