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mudaship39 · 10 months ago

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Character bio of the Asian Pasifika demigod and Afro Latine Native alien hybrid superhero main character part 6:

Tattoos:

Their tattoos are divided on whether they appear in their regular human form, divine form, or alien hybrid form. Their tattoos are divided on whether they appear on their masc form, femme form, genderless form, or androgynous form.

He/she/they have black and white and colored geometrical sacred geometry tattoos on his/her/their body as an alien hybrid

These are ethereal divine tattoos that glow yellow, red, green, blue, & white depending on what divine elemental power of divine fire, magma, water, ice, wood, nature, plant, earth, rock, metal, storm, lightning, thunder, sand, fog, steam, & air he/she/they are using as a divine demigod and later god/goddess.

He/she/they have colored holographic cyberpunk science fiction inspired and colored ethereal magical high fantasy inspired tattoos on his/her/their body as an alien hybrid superhuman and demigod metahuman that glow gold, silver, sapphire, amethyst, crimson, emerald, & obsidian.

He/she/they have black and white and colored modern and traditional East Asian Japanese and East Asian Chinese tattoos on his/her/their neck, chest, back, arms, & legs. He/she/they have tattoos of Fudo Myoo, Fujin and Raijin, a Buddha, a phoenix or fenghuang, a dragon, a tiger, a snake, a samurai, an oni, a kitsune nine tailed fox, a kirin, a fu dog or guardian lion, a koi fish, turtles, & lotus flowers. These tattoos are colored gold, crimson, sapphire, jade, amethyst, white, & black.

His/her/their body from their face with facial tattoos, neck tattoos, & upper body (of their chest and back) have traditional South American Indigenous and traditional Indigenous Pasifika tattoos. They have tattoos on their arms from their upper arms (from their shoulder to their elbow) and their lower arms (from their elbows to the fingertips of their clawed hands with opposable thumbs). They also have tattoos on the lower body of their upper legs (from their thighs to their knees) and their lower legs (from their knees to their toes to their clawed feet with opposable toes).

Their entire body is covered in traditional black and white and colored Embera and Baniwa Indigenous Colombian and Chorote Indigenous of Bolivia and Argentina Amerindian of South America tattoos.

Their entire body is covered in traditional colored and black and white Polynesian Hawaiian, Samoan, Marquesan, and Tongan Indigenous Pasifika tattoos. These black and white traditional Indigenous Pasifika tattoos are ethereal and glow silver, gold, cerulean, jade, scarlet, purple, & black as a Pasifika demigod and later divine god/goddess.

Samoan style features rectilinear, geometrical, and repetitive tattoos. They are highly symmetrical body sides. Hawaiian style tattoos feature highly geometric tattoos that are often based on repetition. The male version can include solid areas while the female version is much lighter. Tongan style tattoos are often tattooed from the waist down to the knees in geometric patterns of repeated triangle motifs, bands, and sections of solid black.

Tonga has some of the oldest evidence of Polynesian tattoos based on the fact it was settled first by the Austronesians before the other Polynesian islands. Not only are they some of the oldest but they have a distinct tattooing style compared to other Polynesian people. Tongan warriors are often tattooed from the waist down to the knees in geometric patterns of repeated triangle motifs, bands, and sections of solid black. For the Tongan people the tattoo carried profound social and cultural significance. Women would have similar designs, but with more delicate floral patterns on their hands and lower parts.

Hawai’i was settled around 800 years ago. The tattoo traditions there were similar to the full-body Marquesan tattoos. However, the Hawaiian Kanaka Maoli quickly developed their own unique variations through designs. One characteristic of Hawaiian tattoos is the asymmetry across both sides of the body. As the right side of the body was a solid black and gave spiritual projection to their wearers. This practice was called Kakay I ka uhi.

Historically there was no writing in Polynesian culture. So the Polynesian’s used tattoo art that was full of distinctive signs to express their identity and personality. Tattoos would indicate status in a hierarchical society as well as sexual maturity, genealogy, and ones rank within the society. Nearly everyone in ancient Polynesian society was tattooed. It was in Tonga and Samoa that the Polynesian tattoo developed into a highly refined art.

In ancient Samoa, tattooing also played a hugely important role in both religious rituals and warfare. The tattoo artist held a hereditary and by the same vein. It is a very highly privileged position. He usually tattooed groups of six to eight (usually men) during a ceremony attended by friends and relatives. The Samoan warrior’s tattoo began at the waist and extended to just below the knee.

These were also covered in magical esoteric or arcane and divine demigod tattoos that blazed crimson, amethyst, sapphire, gold, and silver as a mahu demigod of mist and fog who was later bestowed full godhood, divinity, & immortality as a god/goddess of storm.

Depending on where a tattoo was placed on the body, the wearer would be calling for a particular spiritual boom to help lead them through life.

The head is said to be the contact point to Rangi so it is related to themes such as spirituality, knowledge, wisdom, and intuition.

He/she/they wear it as a child of a chieftain and warchief who is next in line. He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos on his/her/their lower arms from their forearms to their fingertips of his/her/their clawed hands with opposable thumbs to represent creativity, creation and making things. This area is from just above the navel to the chest and is related to themes such as generosity, sincerity, honor, and reconciliation. Some may have noticed that this area is placed directly between Rangi and Papa, in order to have harmony between them balance must exist in this area.

Lower body. This area goes from the thighs to the navel. This part of the body directly relates to life’s energy, courage, procreation, independence, and sexuality. In particular, thighs relate to strength and marriage. The stomach or mid area is where mana originates from. The navel represents independence due to the symbolic meaning associated with the cutting of the umbilical cord. Independence is a trait that is valued highly in Polynesian society however individualism is not. All people depending on the sea for sustenance know the importance of sociality and socializing. Polynesian people built their culture around this. Family thus becomes a larger group of people that includes all relatives, friends and neighbors. All of which play an important role.

Joints often represent union and contact. If we look at the body as a reflection of society. We can understand why joints, being the points where different bones meet represent different degrees of relation between individuals. The farther from the head (the chief of the family) the greater the distance in kinship, or the lower the status. Ankles and wrists represent a tie and bracelets placed there often symbolizes commitment. Knees are often related to chiefs (to kneel before them). He/she/they were High King/High Queen and Chieftain and Warchief of several kingdoms as a demigod metahuman and alien hybrid superhuman.

The same word is used to refer both to leg and foot. Legs and feet represent moving forward, transformation, and progress. They are also related to separation and choice. The feet, being our contact with Papa, Mother Nature, are also related to concreteness and material matters.

Human figures otherwise known as enata in Marquesan language represent men, women, and sometimes gods. They can be placed within a tattoo to represent people and their relations. If they are placed upside down then they can be used to represent defeated enemies. A common motif is an enata symbol which is the depiction of a human figure. If this symbol has a row of people, this means that the ancestors are watching over the wearer. Over-stylised enata joined together in a row of people holding hands form the motif called ani ata, which translates to “cloudy sky”. Polynesian languages and a row of enata in a semi-circular form often represent the sky as well as the ancestors guarding their descendants. This symbolizes elders, ancestors, and family deities.

He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos of complex shark teeth. Shark teeth or niho mano deserve a space of their own. Sharks are one of the favorite forms that aumakua choose to appear to man. They represent defense, leadership, power, & ferocity. However they are also symbols of flexibility in many cultures. It was fitting for the strike team commander of the Elites, Paragons, & Sentinels superhero conglomerates that defend the planet, star systems, galaxy, & universe. Another common motif is the triangle shark teeth band which means protection, guidance, and strength.

A spearhead means the wearer is a strong warrior. He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos of a pattern of spearheads. Another typical symbol that is used to represent warrior nature is the spear. Fitting for a former super soldier who fought since he/she/they were a child as a former demigod metahuman and alien hybrid superhuman child soldier. Spear-heads are very symbolic in relation to sharp items too and they can be used to represent the sting of some animals.

The ocean and the sea can be represented by waves. The stylizations of the ocean can often represent ideas such as life, change and continuity through change. Waves can also be used to represent the world beyond or the place where the departed go and rest on their last voyage. An ocean design with a curved circle is significant because it represents the second home of Polynesian people. The sea is regarded as the place people go to rest and die. When the ocean motif is part of a tattoo, it represents life, change, and progress through change.

This is called the brilliant eye where the eyes, nostrils and ears appear to be the prominent elements. Tiki figures can be portrayed in a front view. Sometimes with their tongue stretched out as a symbol of defiance to enemies. The tiki design is a famous Polynesian tattoo design that comes in the form of human-like faces. They are often received as semi-gods or deified ancestors, such as chiefs or priests. This symbolizes past kings, queens, chieftains, & warchief in his/her/their family, clan, & nation. They are symbols of protection, fertility and are guardians over the wearers.

Contrary to what is sometimes believed, turtles drawn upwards do not imply that they are taking the soul of a dead person into the other world. To represent this, a human figure must be placed on or near the shell of the turtle. The turtle, which means good health, fertility, long life, peace, and rest. When this symbol is repeated, it hopes to bring families together.

He/she/they had a Polynesian tattoo of a lizard. Lizards and geckos are often called mo’o or moko and they play a significant role in Polynesian myth. Gods (atua) and minor spirits often appeared to men in the form of lizards and this may explain why the stylized element used to represent the lizard is very similar to the stylized symbol used to represent man. Lizards are very powerful creatures that bring good luck and communicate between the humans and the gods and who can access the invisible world. On the other hand they can also bring death and bad omens to people who are disrespectful. The lizard, which signifies spirits and gods bridging the mortal and spirit worlds. They are all-in-all good luck charms but might lead to ill-omens if disrespected.

Other themes that go hand in hand with the sting-ray image are adaptation, gracefulness, diplomacy, danger, dexterity, speed, & covertness. Fitting for someone who is a shapeshifter, metamorph, & changeling. The tattoos themselves are imbued with divine power as a water demigod and they boost their hydrokinesis as a demigod of the seas and give them command over the seas and aquatic life.

Body art in the volcanic Marquesas dates back to at least the late 1500s. Sailors traveling to the islands over the centuries have helped spread the popularity of tattoos worldwide.

Marquesas, tattoos go beyond ornamental gestures, communicating a specific societal status, paying tribute to legendary heroes or sacred locations, and signifying the offer of protection or fertility.

It’s typical for Marquesan body art to cover the face or head. They stretch all the way down to the feet. In elaborate designs made up of meaningful spirals, bullseyes, crossed lines, geometric shapes, animals, and thick bands of ink alternating with decorative borders. But while the islands' tattoos come in all kinds of styles. Marquesas tradition stands out for its immensely intricate patterns and darkly shaded designs that can take a lifetime to complete.

Around the islands, getting a specific kind of tattoo often depended on the role the wearer plays in the local society. For example, warriors might wear spiral shapes around their eyes and chiefs might get spirals on their cheeks or thighs. Women traditionally received tattoos on their right hands by puberty, to signal they were ready to prepare certain foods and to apply coconut oil to the bodies of the deceased.

Members of certain tribal communities often chose their own distinct patterns. As extensive tattooing can be long, painful and costly. The inking might signal courage, endurance, wealth or even age. Since locals would typically add to their tattoos throughout their lives.

Getting a tattoo in the traditional Marquesan culture wasn't just a matter of making an appointment with an artist and laying still for a few hours. The elaborate, weeks-long or even months-long ritual of receiving that first set of tattoos often involved the entire community. In wealthy families, the firstborn son (opou) began at adolescence. Kicking off an expensive process that started with building a special house on the family’s property for the tattoo artists to live and work in. Also cooking for them during their entire stay.

They have scientific achievements as a scientist, inventor, and engineer in magical and alien archeology, anthropology, biology, chemistry, marine biology, paleontology, psychology, sociology, and zoology. They have artistic accolades as an artist and creator.

They have martial accomplishments as a warrior trained in unarmed combat, ranged weaponry, and melee weaponry. They have military accolades as an officer, soldier, & commander who was a former super soldier in the space military of the federation of the Milky Way, Andromeda, and Zenith galaxy. Heroic and villainous accomplishments as a superhero, antihero, and villain at different points because of free will, necessity, or mind control and being a commander of a cosmic superhero conglomerate.

They have leadership deeds as a high king/high queen of a federation of kingdoms and chieftain and war chief of Mu or Hawaiki that’s like Themyscira, Asgard, or Wakanda but for indigenous pasifika demigods and alien hybrid superheroes. They have spiritual accolades as a mahu fakaleiti pasifika third gender elder and healer for clan and nation.

They have divine accolades as someone born a demigod bestowed divinity as a hero and champion and later ascended to titanancy because *** (spoken in celestial speech to hide from mortal tongue). They have accolades as an alien hybrid. Demigod and alien hybrid as a metahuman and superhuman so long lifespan if not for scientific advances that prologues lifespans for centuries for regular humans too. They were not immortal and wouldn’t choose to be either before ascending to godhood and titanancy that is. God killing weapons exist as well as weapons that can negate powers of metahumans and super humans. Has died before when was still mortal as a demigod several times.

The Afro Latine main character is also connected through their piercings and regalia including jewelry like magically and futuristically influenced rings, bracelets, necklaces, and headdresses. A cyborg or bionic have futuristic holographic tattoos to reflect certain accolades as a transhuman that a non augmented futuristic human has. It’s embedded underneath the skin as opposed to those that are just on the skin of regular humans. Their tattoos reflect not only their accolades but maybe from a specific region that they’re from.

They have bionic implants and cybernetic enhancements where the cybernetic and bionic parts open up and are upgradable and customizable. They have a bionic arm and cybernetic eye as someone who’s a former super soldier war veteran. They have a military grade version for combat vs regular grade bionic arm and eye for regular things for accessibility as a visible disabled person. Tattoos and specialized parts are from certain regions or companies. Prestige parts that are granted only after winning a contest or completing a mission. The main character has opposing versions of traditional native tattoo accolades across their body as a creator, healer, diplomat, liberator, artist, destroyer, killer, conqueror, etc that they both feel happy, angry, and sad over.

Part of the bad was when they were forced against their will to become a child soldier. After being captured by metahuman and superhuman traffickers after they were blackbirded from the now independent Hawaiian kingdom by the earth colonial military. Part of the bad when they were mind controlled to become a super villain or forced by circumstances to become an antihero. All of these fit on their body as a shapeshifter because their form changes if they are in alien hybrid form demigod form as well as kane masc form, vahine femme form, mahu/fakaleiti third gender form, or genderless or androgynous gender form to reflect their gender and gender identity.

Jewelry:

Ryuu/Haruka wore traditional Samoan, Tongan, Marquesan, & Hawaiian headdresses, necklaces, bracelets, rings, & belts as jewelry.

So this was given to him/her/them by an Atlantean King and Polynesian Maori Indigenous Pasifika Chieftain and Warchief means a lot to him/her/them. That’s the reason the Maori attribute the spiritual meaning of strength and power to the Toki. This design represents the Toki which was used to shape the great canoes. The toki was also used to cut and work timber for the fortresses where the Maori lived. It was such an important tool in Maori life that it became regarded as a symbol of power, authority & good character. It was given to them by the King and Chieftain and Warchief as a sign of respect as he/she/they are a King/Queen and Chieftain and Warchief. It is also the mark of a craftsman and an artist.

There are many styles of Hei-Matau from the true hook designs to the more decorative styles which became cherished heirlooms for generations after. Initially the Maori have been fishermen. Their main food source was the sea so a fish hook of premium was a valued item to possess. Worn around the neck the hook became a symbol of wealth, abundance, good health, authority, & power. As well as a mark of reverence for the sea and its life in it. It is also believed to provide good luck and protection while traveling over water. The Maori fish hook symbol refers to being reliant on the sea for their food gathering. The matau is a talisman for good luck.

They were often represented as an example of family love with mother and calf always side by side and touching at every opportunity. Beached whales were cherished as gifts from the gods. They were chiefly valued for the bone which after numerous years of curing was used to carve elaborate jewelry and art works that were frequently passed down for many generations. The whale is the most important animal in the life of the Maori. Besides speed and strength the whale also represents success, confidence, and sensitivity. It represents the bond between animal and human.

A dolphin (Papahu) is an emblem of liveliness, harmony, & camaraderie. The turtle is the mark of a navigator. The dolphin is another Maori symbol of protection. Schools of dolphins were reported to attack sharks circling around canoes. The dolphin shows sympathy with the sea and nature in general. It resembles a free spirit. Nowadays the dolphin represents protection on all types of travelers. So it is another Maori symbol of protection.

He/she/they had the jewelry of the symbol of the Koropepe (The Mythical Eel/Fish). The Koropepe is an eel-type fish and a legendary guardian. It is a symbol of new beginnings and youth, prosperity, & wealth. The koropepe is thought to characterize the curled eel which was one of the main protein sources hundreds of years back in Maori history. Many koropepe have a coiled appearance with bird-like heads. These heads are said to possess its divine power. The design is a relatively modern form as no ancient examples have been found.

He is a messenger of the spirit world. The kotuku represents everything pure and beautiful in Maori legends and oratory. Most importantly the kotuku represents all the people of this land. The kotuku is a traveler who came to this beautiful country and chose to stay. There are more Maori bird symbols such as the huia, kaka, & torea.

He/she/they finally wear a bracelet of the huia bird of which the long feathers were used as hair adornments by Maori chiefs and notables. As King/Queen, Chieftain and Warchief, & as President/Madam President who is the ruler and sovereign of a few countries on several alien planets, moons, & asteroids they wear the long feathers of this Maori bird in their headdress. Intricately carved wooden treasure boxes used to store the huia bird feathers are a characteristic form of Maori art work.

The regularly occurring hands placed on the groin are a direct reference to fertility. Tiki is a good luck charm meant to keep evil spirits away. Other theories state that tiki represents the human embryo. The Maori god Tiki who was considered responsible for the creation of life. The Tiki is a very primordial symbol and is by far the least understood so there are a number of legends about its meaning. Some say he came from the stars and that he was the first man of the world. He is also often depicted with webbed feet which suggest a strong connection to the creatures of the sea. Tiki was respected as the instructor of all things and the wearer of this symbol is therefore seen to possess clarity of thought, devotion, great inner knowledge and strength of character. The Tiki is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol.

The koru design is repeatedly worn as a Maori necklace but present in many cultural expressions. It is a fundamental symbol in Maori art forms. Both on itself as well as integrated in more intricate designs such as carvings and Maori facial tattoos. The spiral is a Koru that represents the fern frond as it opens bringing new life and purity to the world. It also represents peace, tranquility, & spirituality as well as a strong sense of regrowth or new beginnings. The Koru is also often associated with nurturing so when interlocked with others is frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family.

For an artist like Alexander Mack Smith/Alexandria Macy Smith the circle represents the relationship or oneness between the artist and his/her/their craft bringing together head, hand, & heart. The closed circle with a hole in between represents the never-ending circle of life and nature. It also stands for the belief that life has no beginning or end. Both the spiral and the circle are also described as a metaphor for a never-ending journey of discovery and rediscovery. The journey itself with its aboriginal or Indigenous perspectives and sense of direction is the most important act of cultural convalescence. It reflects the importance of being on the move in the present while realizing that the path of tradition is a two-way track. It points concurrently in the present, towards the past, & towards the future.

It tells how the strength of the bond of friendship, devotion, & love will last forever. The Maori single twist symbol consists of a closed loop with three knots. Pikorua as the Maori name this symbol refers to eternal emerging paths in life. The double and triple twists have a comparable meaning but refer more to the fusion of two peoples or cultures rather than individuals. They also refer to the three baskets of knowledge. They were given an eight shaped single twist when he/she/they as someone polyam, queer, & trans married his/her/their Indigenous Pasifika wives.

They were married by their childhood friends, two Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika Atlantean hybrids. These Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika people who married them were European British Polynesian Maori Chieftain and Warchief and Atlantean King Arapeta William Rewi and his wife a Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika Atlantean hybrid. It is something that Alexander/Alexandria and his/her/their Polynesian, Micronesian, & Melanesian wives, partners, & spouses treasure, especially after being married for decades, centuries, & even millennia as metahumans and superhumans in a polyamorous union. The eight-shaped single twist denotes the power of the bond between two people, their loyalty & friendship. It signifies the sacred merger of two people for eternity. Although people will take different paths in their lives they will always be connected and will return to each other. The twist is a powerful statement of loyalty, friendship, and love.

Teardrop or roimata designates healing and console, hope, & optimistic energy. It is often called a comfort stone. The drop is a stylized version of the toki and signifies strength, power, pride, & independence. The core meaning of the teardrop is speed and strength. It indicates the support often shown by dolphins and whales to humans in anguish. So therefore, it is a symbol of protection but also of speed, power, & compassion. It represents the bond between animal and human. It expresses respect for the sea and nature. It is also a good luck charm providing safe passage over water.

They have rings, bracelets, & necklaces made out of magical wood and alien metal.

Piercings:

He/she/they have a tragus ear piercing with a zircon gemstone, a conch ear piercing with a topaz gemstone, a helix ear piercing with a tiger’s eye gemstone, a daith ear piercing with a sunstone gemstone, a snug ear piercing with a spinel gemstone, a lobe ear piercing with a smoky quartz gemstone, an anti tragus ear piercing with a sapphire gemstone, a rook ear piercing with a ruby gemstone, an anti helix ear piercing with a rhodonite gemstone, a forward helix piercing with a quartz gemstone, a lobe transversal ear piercing with a pyrite gemstone, a high lobe piercing with a peridot gemstone, a helix stud lobe with a pearl gemstone, and a upper lobe piercing with opal gemstone on their left and right elvish or lupine like ears.

He/she/they have facial piercings. They have vertical barbell eyebrow piercing with amethyst gemstone, horizontal eyebrow piercing spiked barbell piercing with onyx gemstone, Medusa diamond stud piercing with moonstone gemstone above their lip, dimple studs with malachite gemstone in their cheeks, a spiked labret with lapis lazuli on their chin, a septum ring piercing with kunzite gemstone that goes through their nose, a barbell bridge piercing with jasper gemstone between their eyes on top of their nose, a rhino barbell nose ring piercing with jade gemstone on the top of their nose, nasallang piercings with lolite and kyanite gemstones on the left and right side of their nose, a middle tongue piercing on their tongue, and a third eye stud piercing with hiddenite gemstone on their forehead.

He/she/they have body piercings. They have a barbell piercing with garnet gemstone in their navel, a barbell piercing with fluorite gemstone on their chest, & nipple piercings on their body.

Clothes.

Cybernetic futuristic clothes that look like liquid metal tech. Cybernetic clothes glow with 3d holographic symbols and lights. Has holographic smart technology like futuristic smartphones, glasses, and watches. Incorporates alien and human smart metal. Hi tech clothing that is polished and sleek. With leather, latex, techwear fabrics, & fabrics with a waxed finish. Is inspired by goth and punk fashion. Is bioluminescent and glows in red, blue, green, and purple light. Hi tech clothing that is polished, urban, and sleek. With leather, latex, techwear fabrics, & fabrics with a waxed finish. Is inspired by goth and punk fashion. Is bioluminescent and glows in red, blue, green, and purple light. Is functional wear with technological aesthetics. Cyberpunk futuristic clothes tend to be dark colors like black, browns, dark grey or white. These colors may have highlights of neon colors or neon lights, such as bright blue, green, red, pink, yellow, or purple. Is inspired by military camo with pouches and tactical clothes. Includes googles. more sleek and urban, with functionality and technical fabrics. Clothing with big cuts of fabric. Whether somewhat baggy pants with cargo pockets and straps or boot cut jeans. Clothing with high top sneakers. Clothing with combat boots or biker boots. Clothing with dress clothes, dress pants, & dress shoes. Clothing with box cut or open jackets often with pockets or straps. Clothing with leather jackets or bomber jackets. With the entirety of it being comfortable, breathable, and waterproof.

Divine magical clothes that glow with ethereal magic and symbols. Divine clothes are made out of dragon leather, giant spider silk, wool made from magical livestock, cotton from magical planets, & fur made from chimera or manticore. Clothing that resembles fashion from the Middle Ages or medieval times to the 1950s but with magic and technology.

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bluedalahorse · 11 months ago

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Hi! Could you recommend some sapphic romance novels (preferably not fantasy or science fiction, because I'm not really into these genres)? I saw you mention that you read a lot of them!

Hope you have a great day/night 💜

Hi @impossibleknots! Thank you for the ask. Happy to do some sapphic book recs, and if you stay tuned for a post in response to my next ask there will be additional book recs as well.

So this is a list made to my personal taste—it may not be to anyone else’s taste. I’m aroace-spectrum with some slight sapphic tendencies, and a lot more aro than ace, so my taste for adult romance books tends to be on the explicit side rather than the sweet and chaste side. Like, I don’t wanna read books that are afraid of the part where the sapphic characters are attracted to one another and wanna act on it, you know? And sometimes I come across books that seem to be very afraid of bodies.

For YA, obviously my tastes are a bit different, and I prefer things not be explicit. (While also not like, hiding that teenagers have sexualities.) I’m including some YA sapphic recs because I’m fairly well-read in YA stuff and it never hurts to have more books.

Historical Recs

Pretty much any sapphic novel by Olivia Waite. You cannot go wrong with Olivia Waite! She usually writes in early to mid 19th century England. Her books hit a good blend of cozy and spicy, and the heroines are always doing something like, running a con to bring down exploitative industrialists or similar.

I just finished An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera and while it’s certainly got its over-the-top at moments (the butch duchess and the femme heiress do absolutely hook up in the butch duchess’s private box at the opera) it’s over-the-top in ways that I personally found fun. It’s set in 1880s Paris and both of the heroines are Latin American, and it’s interesting seeing the way the book shows the ex-pat communities and the artsy sapphic communities in Paris at the time.

Contemporary Recs

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is about soccer lesbians and as someone who imprinted on Bend it Like Beckham I recommend it very much. It had a surprise neurodivergence storyline I wasn’t expecting that took delight in all the same.

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers is EXCELLENT. It’s more on the line between sapphic romance and coming-of-age novel, so some of it feels more character arc focused than romance focused, but it’s a great “young adult figuring things out” story.

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake and For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding are not my top top tier recs but they do have charming ensembles of characters surrounding the story.

Young Adult

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo: I mentioned this on my longer recs list, but it’s getting a mention a second time because I cannot fathom why more people I know haven’t read it. Forbidden love in 1950s San Fransisco! Self-discovery! Family history! Chinese-American history! The Cold War! And I feel like it hits so many of the same emotional beats and complex approaches to characters that Young Royals does, so I’m determined that every Young Royals fan should at least try it.

The Love Curse of Melody McIntire by Robin Talley: Robin Talley’s written some not so good books over the years but I think she’s finally finding her niche with this one and with Pulp and Music from Another World. This book is set over the rehearsal of a high school theatre group putting on Les Miserables, and it’s told from the point of view of the stage manager who is NOT supposed to fall in love with one of the female leads but she does. Part of the book is told through stage manager emails and it’s truly hilarious if you’ve ever been involved with theatre in any capacity.

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli: Becky Albertalli gets a bad rep for being like, the vanilla-vanilla cupcake with no sprinkles of LGBTQIA+ writing? Which is just not fair and it’s such a mischaracterization of her as a human being and a writer, and a lot of it also comes down to how her books have been adapted and marketed. I could go on about that but ANYWAY I like this book and how it grapples seriously with things like bi erasure (Becky’s drawing from her own life here) while also having silly college kids engaging in Antics and jokes about a giant sculpture of scissors.

…and that’s my rec list for now! I hope this list helps and that you are having a great day!

#asks #still taking asks if people wanna send them!

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pia-writes-things · 11 months ago

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2, 9 and 22 for the book ask thing? 🥰

2. Did you reread anything? What?

I did! This year was actually quite a big re-read year <3 I reread La Passe-Miroir, book 2, 3 and 4 (book 1 was at the end of 2022) by Christelle Dabos ; His Dark Materials, the whole first trilogy, by Philip Pullman and The priory of the orange tree by @sshannonauthor. They were all so good, and I enjoyed my re-read so so much 🥰🥰

9. Did you get into any new genres?

Ummmm, not really, unless you count latin-american literature as a genre. In that case, yes, I completely fell into latin-american literature and I love it, a LOT. I also tried to read more contemporary novels, and I like them, but it's still not a genre I like all that much, compared to fantasy or science-fiction.

22. What’s the longest book you read?

Hang on a second, I need to check some word counts ^^ Yeah, so, it's absolutely not a surprise but I had a doubt : A Day of Fallen Night by @sshannonauthor. It was the perfect length, perfectly paced and one of this year's instant favourites of mine. If you like high-fantasy, feminist and queer books, I highly recommend it!!

Thank you so much for the ask Nim! I had a blast answering <3

#ask #nimouette #(i love your new handle btw <3)#pia's oversharing #end-of-year book ask

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chuplayswithfire · 2 years ago

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Having managed to meet my reading goal for the year unexpectedly early (24 novels and novellas down so far) I thought I'd share some of the ones I really enjoyed and would widely recommend.

Title: Cemetery Boys

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Synopsis: Urban fantasy set in LA based in Latin American traditions, a trans boy brujex summons the loud irritating ghost of his apparently murdered classmate, who refuses to be released unless they find out what happened to his friends, who were with him around the time of his death. Our hero agrees to help his classmate if he promises to go peacefully to the afterlife, which will let him prove to his family that he is indeed a brujo and not a bruja.

Warnings/Content Warnings: non-explicit transphobia, struggles coping with the loss of a parent, family alienation, murder

Title: A Magic Steeped in Poison

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis: Fantasy adventure set in fantasy ancient China. Our protagonist enters a competition to be the new court tea magician (there's a word but i can say it not spell it) for the princess of the realm, hoping to obtain a magical cure all - her sister is one of many who has been poisoned in a spread of poisonings across the kingdom. the catch? her sister is the one trained in the art of magics, not her.

Warnings: grieving the loss of a parent

Title: The Murderbot Diaries

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian Future

An organic-mechanic fusion construct who calls themself Murderbot is put into So Many Shenanigans trying to first protect their clients and then protect themselves in an increasing array of Events spinning out from the original novella. This is a series consisting of mostly novellas and a full length novel. Lots of focus on the nature of personhood, and what it means to be a person.

Warnings: dehumanization, discrimination, body horror and violence (but not described in an especially gorey way), the usual suspects for dystopian settings.

Title: A Master of Djinn

Steampunk, Fantasy, Murder Mystery

Set in steampunk fantasy Cairo, an agent of the department of magic and artifacts and supernatural entities is given a new partner and the task of investigating a mass murder. All the while, a stranger who claims to be the creator of the mystic age the world now lives in - a world where ancient magics and magical beings such as the djinn themselves have been returned to live alongside humans - is trying to provoke the people of Cairo into revolt. The majority of the characters are Muslim, and the main character is a wlw in a relationship with another woman. I adored them both, and honestly loved the entire wide tapestry of characters I was introduced to A Master of Djinn is really one of the best books I've read all year, and I've read some really good books this year. The universe P Djeli Clark created is vivid and imaginative and incredibly different from the vast majority of fantasy novels I've read before and absolutely, unlike any steampunk work I've ever read. This is actually the third in a series, as there are two proceeding short stories/novellas set in the same universe, however, the book gives you all the information you need on those events.

Warnings: descriptions of non-graphic violence, there are discussions of racism and colonization

Title: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

Genre: historical fiction (recommend the full cast audiobook format)

Synopsis: A historical fiction novel set ten, twelve years after the worldwide Zombie War was declared finished. The history of the zombie war is told from the perspectives of various survivors sharing their stories and understandings of the events that took place in the lead up to, during, and at the conclusion of the Zombie war. Perspectives are offered from characters who experienced the war in countries across the world, and the geopolitical analysis of how various countries and cultures would respond to the zombie war was magnificent. As someone terrified of zombies, I am happy to say that while this book is of course scary at times, it isn't a super graphic gorefest or anything like that.

Warnings: death, mass loss of life, descriptions of combat scenarios, everything you would expect to hear from people who lived through a Zombie apocalypse.

#chu reads #reading list #book recommendations

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wyrmfedgrave · 10 months ago

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Pics:

1. Fred J. Jackson was an American author, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, director & producer for the pulps & stage & screen.

2 thru 6. Fred was a highly prolific author of short stories, serialized novels & movie scripts.

He used the great pen name of Victor Thorne.

Though he usually wrote for the pulp mags, many of his tales were adapted into film - but, by others...

Among his works are:

A. The musical "La La Lucille."

B. The novels "Hidden Princess" & "Anne Against the World."

C. The plays "Iron Woman", "Naughty Wife", "Stop Flirting" & "The Bishop Misbehaves!"

D. The screenplays "Man Hunt", "Wells Fargo", "Miracle on Main Street", "Dark Swan", "Stormy Weather" & "The Fatal Ring."

E. The short stories "High Speed", "Jack of Diamonds" & "The Morocco Box."

7 & 8. "La La Lucille" was one of Fred's best works. Here we have 1 page of the piano score for it & a look at it's stage production as well.

1913: Missives of War!

Bio - This year started out like the last few. With Lovecraft sleeping the days away. Waiting for night's release.

But, his life was about to change...

As a devoted reader, Howard had strong opinions about what he liked. And he wasn't shy about sharing his thoughts.

HPL was a regular commentator, of the early pulps, for 2 years now.

He probably didn't know that his most recent, long & venomous missive was about to stir up a letter 'war.'

One whose 'battles' would last for almost a year!

Lovecraft had become incensed of the amount of space that Argosy¹ had given over to Fred Jackson's "trivial, effeminate &... coarse" romances.

Howard followed this up with his criticism that Fred's characters had the "delicate passions & emotions proper (only) to negroes & anthropoid apes²!"

This led to, as (the writer) "Arthur³" best describes as, "a snail mail flame war" between 'allies' of both men!

For HPL, this meant an attack on himself - as the "Poet of Providence" & the old style language that he used.

Focusing on how Howard must be "in love with his dictionary!!"

Lovecraft responded by complaining about Fred's "erotic fiction⁴" (innocent by today's standards)!

And, how Howard preferred tales "where acts of valor are more dwelled upon, than (the) affairs of Venus⁵."

Numerous of Fred's defenders kept the venom flowing. One going so far as to threaten "to loosen up my .44-6 on that man Lovecraft!!"

HPL then escalated the 'fight', venting his contempt - in verse⁶!

One John Russell became Howard's personal 'enemy' - by responding in kind!!

The whole thing was a sort of an early "rap battle" with "wicked burns" being spit out by both sides!

In the end, both men came to regard each other as intellectual equals, veterans of a rarified battleground...

This poetic "smackdown" would see both men suddenly become 'noticed.'

Notes:

1. Argosy was the 1st American pulp fiction magazine. It specialized in short story, male oriented tales.

2. As usual, HPL likes to use race & bad pseudo-science to empower the impact of his curses.

3. I don't know who writes under this name, so don't ask. She/He/It does have some great turns of phrase.

4. A common trope of this 'romance' material is rape 'enjoyable' enough for the 'heroine' to fall in 'love' with the 'hero' - without her ever consenting to have 'sex'!!!

This is something that still crops up in rape fantasies, porn movies, etc...

5. Venus was the Roman Goddess of Love & Sexual Passion. She's the Latin version of the earlier Greek Aphrodite.

6. Mostly heroic couplets in the style of Pope & Dryden.

Lovecraft's poetic missives include the "Ad Criticos" cycle & " The End of the Jackson War."

Quotes:

1. In 1913 (during the 'war'), Howard stated - in some surprise, "(My little letter) created an immense sensation (of hatred) among... Argosy's readers."

2. In 1916, HPL crowed that, "The editor... had anti-Lovecraft letters - on the following month!"

"Then, I (wrote) another satire, flaying my tormentors in stinging iambic pentameter⁷."

"This too was printed - til the storm of fury waxed high."

(The dispute was, for the most part, quite good natured.)

Note:

7. Iambic pentameter describes a poetic satire written in 10 syllable sentences & composed of 5 parts.

#hpl bio #hpl output #correspondents at war #argosy flame letter war #1913: 1st Rap Battle?!!

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caelstyx-backup · 3 years ago

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I wanted to share some panels from my slice of life, science-fantasy latine webcomic Welcome to the New World which you can now read on both Webtoons and Tapas

#latine sff #latinx sci fi #latinx webcomic #latine sci fi #latin american science fiction fantasy #central american webcomic

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weirdletter · 4 years ago

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Latinx Rising: An Anthology of Latinx Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Matthew David Goodwin, introduction by Frederick Luis Aldama, The Ohio State University Press, 2020. Cover image by bphillips/iStock, info: ohiostatepress.org.

It has been half a century since a few now-canonical Latin American writers introduced magical realism to the world. In that time, new generations of Latinx writers and artists have used that watershed moment as a springboard into new and bold explorations of speculative and fantasy forms. Collectively, they have found exciting new ways to delve into Latinx identities and cultures across genres. Latinx Rising, the first anthology of science fiction and fantasy by Latinxs living in the United States, exuberantly displays the full range of their art. The new and established voices assembled here (including Kathleen Alcalá, Carmen Maria Machado, Ernest Hogan, and other luminaries) invite us to imagine a Latinx past, present, and future that have not been whitewashed by mainstream perspectives. As in the best mixtapes, this anthology moves satisfyingly through the loud and brash, the quiet and thoughtful. There are ghosts, space aliens, robots—and a grandmother who unwittingly saves the universe through her cooking. The result is a deeply pleasurable read that pushes beyond magical realism and social realism to demonstrate all the thrilling possibilities of what Latinx literature can be.

Contents: Foreword: Matthew David Goodwin Introduction: Frederick Luis Aldama Kathleen Alcalá: “The Road to Nyer” Pablo Brescia: “Code 51” Pedro Zagitt: “Uninformed” Pedro Zagitt: “Circular Photography” Sabrina Vourvoulias: “Sin Embargo” Daína Chaviano: “Accursed Lineage” ADÁL: “Coconauts in Space” Ana Castillo: “Cowboy Medium” Ernest Hogan: “Flying under the Texas Radar with Paco and Los Freetails” Junot Díaz: “Monstro” Richie Narvaez: “Room for Rent” Edmundo Paz-Soldán: “Artificial” Steve Castro: “Through the Right Ventricle” Steve Castro: “Two Unique Souls” Alex Hernandez: “Caridad” Carmen Maria Machado: “Difficult at Parties” Giannina Braschi: “Death of a Businessman” Giannina Braschi: “Burial of the Sardine” Carlos Hernandez: “Entanglements” Alejandra Sanchez: “The Drain” Daniel José Older: “Red Feather and Bone” Carl Marcum: “A Science Fiction” Carl Marcum: “SciFi-ku” Marcos Santiago Gonsalez: “Traditions” Acknowledgments Permissions, Publication Histories and Translation Credits About the Editor About the Author of the Introduction

#book #anthology #latinx #fantasy fiction #science fiction #latin american fantasy #latin american science fiction

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writingwithcolor · 3 years ago

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Jurassic period alien interacting with key cultures and historical figures in Middle East & Asia throughout history

@ketchupmaster400 said:

Hello, so my question is for a character I’ve been working on for quite a while but wasn’t sure about a few things. So basically at the beginning of the universe there was this for less being made up of dark matter and dark energy. Long story short it ends up on earth during the Jurassic Period. It has the ability to adapt and assimilate into other life animals except it’s hair is always black and it’s skin is always white and it’s eyes are always red. It lives like this going from animal to animal until it finally becomes human and gains true sentience and self awareness. As a human it lives within the Middle East and Asia wondering around trying to figure out its purpose and meaning. So what I initially wanted to do with it was have small interactions with the dark matter human and other native humans that kinda helped push humanity into the direction it is now. For example, Mehndhi came about when the dark matter human was drawing on their skin because it felt insecure about having such white skin compared to other people. And ancient Indians saw it and thought it was cool so they adopted it and developed it into Mehndi. Minor and small interactions though early history leading to grander events. Like they would be protecting Jerusalem and it’s people agains the Crusaders later on. I also had the idea of the the dark matter human later on interacting with the prophets Jesus Christ and Muhammad. With Jesus they couldn’t understand why he would sacrifice himself even though the people weren’t deserving. And then Jesus taught them that you have to put other before yourself and protecting people is life’s greatest reward. And then with the prophet Muhammad, I had the idea that their interaction was a simple conversation that mirrors the one he had with the angel Jibril, that lead to the principles of Islam. Now with these ideas I understand the great importance of how not to convey Islam and I’ve been doing reasearch, but I am white and I can understand how that may look trying to write about a different religion than my own. So I guess ultimate my question is, is this ok to do? Is it ok to have an alien creature interact with religious people and historical events as important as they were? Like I said I would try to be as accurate and as respectable as possible but I know that Islam can be a touchy subject and the last thing I would want is to disrespect anyone. The main reason I wanted the dark matter being in the Middle East was because I wanted to do something different because so much has been done with European and American stuff I wanted to explore the eastern side of the world because it’s very beau and very rich with so many cultures that I want to try and represent. I’m sorry for the long post but I wanted you guys to fully understand what my idea was. Thank you for your time and hope you stay safe.

Disclaimer:

The consensus from the moderators was that the proposed character and story is disrespectful from multiple cultural perspectives. However, we can’t ignore the reality that this is a commonly deployed trope in many popular science fiction/ thriller narratives. Stories that seek to take religious descriptions of events at face value from an areligious perspective particularly favor this approach. Thus, we have two responses:

Where we explain why we don’t believe this should be attempted.

Where we accept the possibility of our advice being ignored.

1) No - Why You Shouldn’t Do This:

Hi! I’ll give you the short answer first, and then the extended one.

Short answer: no, this is not okay.

Extended answer. I’ll divide it into three parts.

1) Prophet Muhammad as a character:

Almost every aspect of Islam, particularly Allah (and the Qur’an), the Prophet(s) and the companions at the time of Muhammad ﷺ, are strictly kept within the boundaries of real life/reality. I’ll assume this comes from a good place, and I can understand that from one side, but seriously, just avoid it. It is extremely disrespectful and something that is not even up to debate for Muslims to do, let alone for non-Muslims. Using Prophet Muhammad as a character will only bring you problems. There is no issue with mentioning the Prophet during his lifetime when talking about his attributes, personality, sayings or teachings, but in no way, we introduce fictional aspects in a domain that Muslims worked, and still work, hard to keep free from any doubtful event or incident. Let’s call it a closed period: we don’t add anything that was not actually there.

Reiterating then, don’t do this. There is a good reason why Muslims don’t have any pictures of Prophet Muhammad. We know nothing besides what history conveyed from him.

After this being said, there is another factor you missed – Jesus is also an important figure in Islam and his story from the Islamic perspective differs (a lot) from that of the Christian perspective. And given what you said in your ask, you would be taking the Christian narrative of Jesus. If it was okay to use Prophet Muhammad as a character (reminder: it’s not) and you have had your dark matter human interacting with the biblical Jesus, it will result in a complete mess; you would be conflating two religions.

2) Crusaders and Jerusalem:

You said this dark matter human will be defending Jerusalem against the Crusaders. At first, there is really no problem with this. However, ask yourself: is this interaction a result of your character meeting with both Jesus and Prophet Muhammed? If yes, please refer to the previous point. If not, or even if you just want to maintain this part of the story, your dark matter human can interact with the important historical figures of the time. For example, if you want a Muslim in your story, you can use Salah-Ad-Din Al-Ayoubi (Saladin in the latinized version) that took back Jerusalem during the Third Crusade. Particularly, this crusade has plenty of potential characters.

Also, featuring Muslim characters post Prophet Muhammad and his companions’ time, is completely fine, just do a thorough research.

3) Middle Eastern/South Asian settings and Orientalism:

The last point I want to remark is with the setting you chose for your story. Many times, when we explore the SWANA or South Asian regions it’s done through an orientalist lens. Nobody is really safe from falling into orientalism, not even the people from those regions. My suggestion is educating yourself in what orientalism is and how it’s still prevalent in today’s narrative. Research orientalism in entertainment, history... and every other area you can think of. Edward Said coined this term for the first time in history, so he is a good start. There are multiple articles online that touch this subject too. For further information, I defer to middle eastern mods.

- Asmaa

Racism and Pseudo-Archaeology:

A gigantic, unequivocal and absolute no to all of it, lmao.

I will stick to the bit about the proposed origin of mehendi in your WIP, it’s the arc I feel I’m qualified to speak on, Asmaa has pretty much touched upon the religious and orientalism complications.

Let me throw out one more word: pseudoarchaeology. That is, taking the cultural/spiritual/historical legacies of ancient civilizations, primarily when it involves people of colour, and crediting said legacies to be the handiwork of not just your average Outsider/White Saviour but aliens. I’ll need you to think carefully about this: why is it that in so much of media and literature pertaining to the so-called “conspiracy theories” dealing with any kind of extraterrestrial life, it’s always Non-Western civilizations like the Aztec, the ancient Egyptians, the Harappans etc who are targeted? Why is it that the achievements of the non West are so unbelievable that it’s more feasible to construct an idea of non-human, magical beings from another planet who just conveniently swooped in to build our monuments and teach us how to dress and what to believe in? If the answer makes you uncomfortable, it’s because it should: denying the Non-West agency of their own feats is not an innocent exercise in sci-fi worldbuilding, it comes loaded with implications of racial superiority and condescension towards the intellect and prowess of Non-European cultures.

Now, turning to specifics:

Contrary to what Sarah J. Maas might believe- mehendi designs are neither mundane, purely aesthetic tattoos nor can they be co-opted by random Western fantasy characters. While henna has existed as an art form in various cultures, I’m limiting my answer to the Indian context, (specifying since you mention ancient India). Mehendi is considered one of the tenets of the Solah Shringar- sixteen ceremonial adornments for Hindu brides, one for each phase of the moon, as sanctioned by the Vedic texts. The shade of the mehendi is a signifier for the strength of the matrimonial bond: the darker the former, the stronger the latter. Each of the adornments carries significant cosmological/religious symbolism for Hindus. To put it bluntly, when you claim this to be an invention of the aliens, you are basically taking a very sacred cultural and artistic motif of our religion and going “Well actually….extraterrestrials taught them all this.”

In terms of Ayurveda (Traditional holistic South Asian medicine) , mehendi was used for its medicinal properties. It works as a cooling agent on the skin and helps to alleviate stress, particularly for the bride-to-be. Not really nice to think that aliens lent us the secrets of Ayurvedic science (pseudoarchaeology all over again).

I’m just not feeling this arc at all. The closest possible alternative I could see to this is the ancient Indian characters incorporating some specific stylistic motifs in their mehendi in acknowledgement to this entity, in the same vein of characters incorporating motifs of tribute into their armour or house insignia, but even so, I’m not sure how well that would play out. If you do go ahead with this idea, I cannot affirm that it will not receive backlash.

-Mimi

These articles might help:

Pseudoarchaeology and the Racism Behind Ancient Aliens

A History of Indian Henna (this studies mehendi origins mostly with reference to Mughal history)

Solah Shringar

2) Not Yes, But If Ignoring the Above:

I will be the dissenting voice of “Not No, But Here Are The Big Caveats.” Given that there is no way to make the story you want to tell palatable to certain interpretations of Islam and Christianity, here is my advice if the above arguments did not sufficiently deter you.

1. Admiration ≠ Research: It is not enough to just admire cultures for their richness and beauty. You need to actually do the research and learn about them to determine if the story you want to tell is a good fit for the values and principles these cultures prioritize. You need to understand the significance of historical figures and events to understand the issues with attributing the genesis of certain cultural accomplishments to an otherworldly influence. 1.

2. Give Less Offense When Possible and Think Empathetically: You should try to imagine the mindsets of those you will offend and think about to what degree you can soften or ameliorate certain aspects of your plot, the creature’s characteristics, and the creature’s interactions with historical figures to make your narrative more compatible. There is no point pretending that much of areligious science fiction is incompatible with monotheist, particularly non-henotheistic, religious interpretations as well as the cultural items and rituals derived from those religious interpretations. One can’t take “There is no god, just a lonely alien” and make that compatible with “There is god, and only in this particular circumstance.” Thus:

As stated above by Asmaa and Mimi, there is no escaping the reality the story you propose is offensive to some. Expect their outcry to be directed towards you. Can you tolerate that?

Think about how you would feel if someone made a story where key components of your interpretation of reality are singled out as false. How does this make you feel? Are you comfortable doing that to others?

3. Is Pseudoarchaeology Appropriate Here?: Mimi makes a good point about the racial biases of pseudoarchaeology. Pseudoarchaeology is a particular weakness of Western-centric atheist sci-fi. Your proposed story is the equivalent of a vaguely non-descript Maya/Aztec/Egyptian pyramid or Hindu/ Buddhist-esque statue being the source for a Resident Evil bio weapon/ Predator nest/ Assassin’s Creed Isu relic.

Is this how you wish to draw attention to these cultures you admire? While there is no denying their ubiquity in pop-culture, such plots trivialize broad swathes of non-white history and diminish the accomplishments of associated ethnic groups. The series listed above all lean heavily into these tropes either because the authors couldn’t bother to figure out something more creative or because they are intentionally telling a story the audience isn’t supposed to take seriously.*

More importantly, I detect a lot of sincerity in your ask, so I imagine such trivialization runs counter to your expressed desire to depict Eastern cultures in a positive and accurate manner.

4. Freedom to Write ≠ Freedom from Consequence: Once again, as a reminder, it’s not our job to reassure you as to whether or not what you are proposing is ok. Asmaa and Mimi have put a lot of effort into explaining who you will offend and why. We are here to provide context, but the person who bears the ultimate responsibility for how you choose to shape this narrative, particularly if you share this story with a wide audience, is you. Speaking as one writer to another, I personally do not have a strong opinion one way or the other, but I think it is important to be face reality head-on.

- Marika.

* This is likely why the AC series always includes that disclaimer stating the games are a product of a multicultural, inter-religious team and why they undermine Western cultures and Western religious interpretations as often (if not moreso) than those for their non-Western counterparts.

Note: Most WWC asks see ~ 5 hours of work from moderators before they go live. Even then, this ask took an unusually long amount of time in terms of research, emotional labor and discussion. If you found this ask (and others) useful, please consider tipping the moderators (link here), Asmaa (coming eventually) and Mimi (here). I also like money - Marika.

#alien character #historical fiction #science fiction #pseudoarchaeology #Middle-Eastern cultures #South-Asian cultures #Islam #writing with Islam #mehendi #cultural appropriation #areligious perspectives in writing #asks #WWC

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mudaship39 · 2 years ago

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Tattoos piercings jewelry and regalia of my Asian Pasifika and Afro Latine Native MC of the BIPOC and QTIPOC Futurism Project

Tattoos:

He/she/they have black and white and colored geometrical sacred geometry tattoos on his/her/their body as an alien hybrid

He/she/they have colored holographic alien calligraphy and ethereal demigod and later divine deity characters on his/her/their body. These are holographic alien tattoos that glow yellow, red, green, blue, purple, white, & black depending on what cybernetic implant and bionic enhancement powers they are using as a bionic and cyborg transhuman. These are ethereal divine tattoos that glow yellow, red, green, blue, & white depending on what divine elemental power of divine fire, magma, water, ice, wood, nature, plant, earth, rock, metal, storm, lightning, thunder, sand, fog, steam, & air he/she/they are using as a divine demigod and later god.

Their entire body is covered in traditional black and white and colored Embera and Baniwa Indigenous Colombian and Chorote Indigenous of Bolivia and Argentina Amerindian of South America tattoos.

Their entire body is covered in traditional colored and black and white Polynesian Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan Indigenous Pasifika tattoos. These black and white traditional Indigenous Pasifika tattoos are ethereal and glow silver, gold, cerulean, jade, scarlet, purple, & black as a Pasifika demigod and later divine god/goddess.

Depending on where a tattoo was placed on the body, the wearer would be calling for a particular spiritual boom to help lead them through life.

The head is said to be the contact point to Rangi so it is related to themes such as spirituality, knowledge, wisdom, and intuition.

They were on his/her/their chest because in the Polynesian culture Polynesian tattoos on the chest represent kindness, honesty, honor, & resolution. They were on his/her/their head because in the Polynesian culture Polynesian tattoos on the head represent spirituality, knowledge, wisdom, & intuition. He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos on his/her/their arms. He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos on his/her/their upper arms from his/her/their shoulders to his/her/their elbow to represent strength and valor and they relate to people such as warriors, warchiefs, & chieftains. He/she/they wear it as a child of a chieftain and warchief who is next in line. He/she/they had Polynesian tattoos on his/her/their lower arms from their forearms to their fingertips of his/her/their clawed hands with opposable thumbs to represent creativity, creation and making things. This area is from just above the navel to the chest and is related to themes such as generosity, sincerity, honor, and reconciliation. Some may have noticed that this area is placed directly between Rangi and Papa, in order to have harmony between them balance must exist in this area.

He/she/they had Polynesian stylized tattoos of the ocean. The ocean is a second home to Polynesian people and the place of rest when they leave for their last voyage. Coincidentally, turtles are said to join the deceased guiding them to their destinations. So sometimes the ocean can be used to symbolize death and the beyond. Since the ocean is the primary source of food it is no wonder it impacts so much tradition and myth. All the creatures living in the ocean are associated with several meanings usually mutated from their characteristic traits and habits. The ocean and the sea can be represented by waves. The stylizations of the ocean can often represent ideas such as life, change and continuity through change. Waves can also be used to represent the world beyond or the place where the departed go and rest on their last voyage. An ocean design with a curved circle is significant because it represents the second home of Polynesian people. The sea is regarded as the place people go to rest and die. When the ocean motif is part of a tattoo, it represents life, change, and progress through change.

Francisco/Francisca he/she/they had a Polynesian tattoo of a Tiki. One meaning of the word tiki is figure. So tiki is the name given to human-like figures that usually represent demigods contrasting to atua who frequently materialize to men under the shape of animals such as lizards. The tiki can also represent sanctified ancestors, priests, warchiefs, & chieftains who became demigods after their passing. They denote protection, fertility and they serve as sentinels. By stylizing the figure over and over there has been a simplified version that has been reached. This is called the brilliant eye where the eyes, nostrils and ears appear to be the prominent elements. Tiki figures can be portrayed in a front view. Sometimes with their tongue stretched out as a symbol of defiance to enemies. The tiki design is a famous Polynesian tattoo design that comes in the form of human-like faces. They are often received as semi-gods or deified ancestors, such as chiefs or priests. This symbolizes past kings, queens, chieftains, & warchief in his/her/their family, clan, & nation. They are symbols of protection, fertility and are guardians over the wearers.

He/she/they had a Polynesian tattoo of a turtle. The turtle or honu is another significant creature throughout all Polynesian cultures and has been connected with several meanings. The first being the fact that turtles represent health, fertility, longevity, foundation, tranquility, & rest. The word hono, meaning turtle in Marquesan language has other meanings which include things such as joining and stitching together families and representing the idea of harmony. Contrary to what is sometimes believed, turtles drawn upwards do not imply that they are taking the soul of a dead person into the other world. To represent this, a human figure must be placed on or near the shell of the turtle. The turtle, which means good health, fertility, long life, peace, and rest. When this symbol is repeated, it hopes to bring families together.

He/she/they had a Polynesian tattoo of a stingray. Stingray tattoos come in several variations and styles. So this image can hold symbolic meanings. The stingray has the ability to hide in the underwater sands mainly from sharks and is able to cover up with sand and lay still. Most sharks can sense prey in the sand based on movement but for the most part the stingray is able to hide. For this reason its image is classed as a symbol of protection. Other themes that go hand in hand with the sting-ray image are adaptation, gracefulness, diplomacy, danger, dexterity, speed, & covertness. Fitting for someone who is a shapeshifter, metamorph, & changeling. The tattoos themselves are imbued with divine power as a water demigod and they boost their hydrokinesis as a demigod of the seas and give them command over the seas and aquatic life.

The accolades told through traditional divine alien and futuristic tattoos and facepaint for the Asian Pasifika/Afro Latine Native main character as a changeling and shapeshifter has ever changing tattoos that correlate with divine, martial, spiritual, & military accomplishments, deeds, accolades, and achievements. They have scientific achievements as a scientist, inventor, and engineer in magical and alien archeology, anthropology, biology, chemistry, marine biology, paleontology, psychology, sociology, and zoology. They have artistic accolades as an artist and creator. They have martial accomplishments as a warrior trained in unarmed combat, ranged weaponry, and melee weaponry. They have military accolades as an officer, soldier, & commander who was a former super soldier in the space military of the federation of the Milky Way andromeda and zenith galaxy. Heroic and villainous accomplishments as a superhero, antihero, and villain at different points because of free will, necessity, or mind control and being a commander of a cosmic superhero conglomerate. They have leadership deeds as a high king/high queen of a federation of kingdoms and chieftain and war chief of Mu or Hawaiki that’s like Themyscira, Asgard, or Wakanda but for indigenous pasifika demigods and alien hybrid superheroes. They have spiritual accolades as a mahu fakaleiti pasifika third gender elder and healer for clan and nation. They have divine accolades as someone born a demigod bestowed divinity as a hero and champion and later ascended to titanancy because *** (spoken in celestial speech to hide from mortal tongue). They have accolades as an alien hybrid. Demigod and alien hybrid as a metahuman and superhuman so long lifespan if not for scientific advances that prologues lifespans for centuries for regular humans too. They were not immortal and wouldn’t choose to be either before ascending to godhood and titanancy that is. God killing weapons exist as well as weapons that can negate powers of metahumans and super humans. Has died before when was still mortal as a demigod thanks to a creature made of adamantine and mithril born of aether and nether. The Afro Latine main character is also connected through their piercings and regalia including jewelry like magically and futuristically influenced rings, bracelets, necklaces, and headdresses. A cyborg or bionic have futuristic holographic tattoos to reflect certain accolades as a transhuman that a non augmented futuristic human has. It’s embedded underneath the skin as opposed to those that are just on the skin of regular humans. Their tattoos reflect not only their accolades but maybe from a specific region that they’re from. They have bionic implants and cybernetic enhancements where the cybernetic and bionic parts open up and are upgradable and customizable. They have a bionic arm and cybernetic eye as someone who’s a former super soldier war veteran. They have a military grade version for combat vs regular grade bionic arm and eye for regular things for accessibility as a visible disabled person. Tattoos and specialized parts are from certain regions or companies. Prestige parts that are granted only after winning a contest or completing a mission. The main character has opposing versions of traditional native tattoo accolades across their body as a creator, healer, diplomat, liberator, and artist v destroyer, killer, conqueror, etc that they both feel happy, angry, and sad over. Part of the bad was when they were forced against their will to become a child soldier. After being captured by metahuman and superhuman traffickers after they were blackbirded from the now independent Hawaiian kingdom by the earth colonial military. Part of the bad when they were mind controlled to become a super villain or forced by circumstances to become an antihero. All of these fit on their body as a shapeshifter because their form changes if they are in alien hybrid form demigod form as well as kane masc form, vahine femme form, mahu/fakaleiti third gender form, or genderless or androgynous gender form to reflect their gender and gender identity.

Jewelry:

Ryuu/Haruka wore traditional Samoan, Tongan, & Hawaiian headdresses, necklaces, bracelets, rings, & belts as jewelry.

He/she/they had a Toki (Adze) Polynesian Maori necklace. The Toki (Adze) is the Maori tribal emblem of strength. This symbol resembles resolve, control, power, focus, & honor.” “Its shape represents an axe head. The Toki (adze) was used by the Maori as an everyday working tool for shaving and chipping. Sometimes it was used as a weapon. Unique complex adzes were by tradition carved in stone and passed down as an heirloom. The Toki had much meaning to the Maori created from stone or greenstone. It was a vital tool for survival and day to day life of a Maori tribe. So this was given to him/her/them by an Atlantean King and Polynesian Maori Indigenous Pasifika Chieftain and Warchief means a lot to him/her/them. That’s the reason the Maori attribute the spiritual meaning of strength and power to the Toki. This design represents the Toki which was used to shape the great canoes. The toki was also used to cut and work timber for the fortresses where the Maori lived. It was such an important tool in Maori life that it became regarded as a symbol of power, authority & good character. It was given to them by the King and Chieftain and Warchief as a sign of respect as he/she/they are a King/Queen and Chieftain and Warchief. It is also the mark of a craftsman and an artist.

He/she/they also have a necklace of Hei-Matau (Fish Hook) given to them by an Atlantean Queen and Polynesian Maori Indigenous Pasifika Chieftain and Warchief. These very stylized fish hooks represent power, affluence, wealth, fertility. It also represents vast reverence for the sea. This makes sense since he/she/they are the last scion and lord/lady of his/her/their ancient and powerful house. It also is said to provide good luck and safety when traveling over water so is often worn by travelers. The Hei-Matau are also symbols of authority and power which are held in great veneration by the Maori people. They were used as a practical tool for fishing and were often adorned as a sign of admiration for the creatures of the sea. There are many styles of Hei-Matau from the true hook designs to the more decorative styles which became cherished heirlooms for generations after. Initially the Maori have been fishermen. Their main food source was the sea so a fish hook of premium was a valued item to possess. Worn around the neck the hook became a symbol of wealth, abundance, good health, authority, & power. As well as a mark of reverence for the sea and its life in it. It is also believed to provide good luck and protection while traveling over water. The Maori fish hook symbol refers to being reliant on the sea for their food gathering. The matau is a talisman for good luck.

He/she/they also had a bracelet of whales, dolphins, & turtles. The ocean has always been the prevailing force for the Maori people who traveled colossal distances in their long canoes and lived on the gift of the tropical waters. They had a great respect for the creatures on the sea and in particular dolphins and whales. The whale with its immense size and evident intelligence played an essential part in the traditions of the Maori people. They were often represented as an example of family love with mother and calf always side by side and touching at every opportunity. Beached whales were cherished as gifts from the gods. They were chiefly valued for the bone which after numerous years of curing was used to carve elaborate jewelry and art works that were frequently passed down for many generations. The whale is the most important animal in the life of the Maori. Besides speed and strength the whale also represents success, confidence, and sensitivity. It represents the bond between animal and human.

He/she/they had jewelry of the White Heron bird (Kotuku). Kotuku is the Maori word for the rare White Heron bird. It is a symbol of status, purity, & individuality. One of the greatest compliments among the Maori was to liken someone to Kotuku. For it signifies everything extraordinary and gorgeous. It is sometimes referred to as a darling or treasure. The kotuku is one of New Zealand’s rarest birds and is held in chiefly high regard in Maori mythology. As with other birds the kotuku stands for the connection between the afterlife. He is a messenger of the spirit world. The kotuku represents everything pure and beautiful in Maori legends and oratory. Most importantly the kotuku represents all the people of this land. The kotuku is a traveler who came to this beautiful country and chose to stay. There are more Maori bird symbols such as the huia, kaka, & torea. He/she/they finally wear a bracelet of the huia bird of which the long feathers were used as hair adornments by Maori chiefs and notables. As King/Queen, Chieftain and Warchief, & as President/Madam President who is the ruler and sovereign of a few countries on several alien planets, moons, & asteroids they wear the long feathers of this Maori bird in their headdress. Intricately carved wooden treasure boxes used to store the huia bird feathers are a characteristic form of Maori art work.

He/she/they had jewelry of a Tiki. One of the most fashionable and most identifiable Maori symbols. The Tiki is symbolic for the whole Polynesian hemisphere. It is the insignia of Polynesian cultures from Hawaii to Tahiti, to Samoa, & to New Zealand. According to folklore tiki was the first man on earth who originated from the stars. According to myth tiki was the first mortal person who created the first woman after his image. The literal meaning of the tiki symbol is disputed. There are several opinions but the most acknowledged are that tiki stands for fertility. The regularly occurring hands placed on the groin are a direct reference to fertility. Tiki is a good luck charm meant to keep evil spirits away. Other theories state that tiki represents the human embryo. The Maori god Tiki who was considered responsible for the creation of life. The Tiki is a very primordial symbol and is by far the least understood so there are a number of legends about its meaning. Some say he came from the stars and that he was the first man of the world. He is also often depicted with webbed feet which suggest a strong connection to the creatures of the sea. Tiki was respected as the instructor of all things and the wearer of this symbol is therefore seen to possess clarity of thought, devotion, great inner knowledge and strength of character. The Tiki is regarded as a good luck charm when worn and in some areas is also regarded as a fertility symbol.

He/she/they have a necklace of Koru (Spiral). Koru is the Maori word for “bight” or “loop” and refers to new shoots of the silver fern. The spiral shaped koru design is derived from this unfolding silver fern frond.” The circular movement towards an inner coil refers to going back to the beginning. The unfurling frond itself is symbolic of new life, new beginnings, optimism, precision, regeneration, a new start, awakening, personal growth, purity, nurturing, a new phase in life, the spirit of innovation, & tranquility. The koru design is repeatedly worn as a Maori necklace but present in many cultural expressions. It is a fundamental symbol in Maori art forms. Both on itself as well as integrated in more intricate designs such as carvings and Maori facial tattoos. The spiral is a Koru that represents the fern frond as it opens bringing new life and purity to the world. It also represents peace, tranquility, & spirituality as well as a strong sense of regrowth or new beginnings. The Koru is also often associated with nurturing so when interlocked with others is frequently used to represent the strength and purity of a loving relationship within a family.

He/she/they had a necklace of a circle (Porowhita). The closed circle is said to embody the circle of life which has no beginning or end. It also tells of the stars and planets which are part of the circle of life and contain the information of our origins. It is often used to enclose other elements such as the Koru linking love and new life or new beginnings with the circle of life. For an artist like Alexander Mack Smith/Alexandria Macy Smith the circle represents the relationship or oneness between the artist and his/her/their craft bringing together head, hand, & heart. The closed circle with a hole in between represents the never-ending circle of life and nature. It also stands for the belief that life has no beginning or end. Both the spiral and the circle are also described as a metaphor for a never-ending journey of discovery and rediscovery. The journey itself with its aboriginal or Indigenous perspectives and sense of direction is the most important act of cultural convalescence. It reflects the importance of being on the move in the present while realizing that the path of tradition is a two-way track. It points concurrently in the present, towards the past, & towards the future.

He/she/they have a necklace of a twist. The twist with the interweave form represents the many paths of life and love and as such is regarded as the primordial infinity symbol. The single twist or Pikorua (Single Twist) in particular shows the union together of two people for eternity even though they sometimes move away from each other on their own journeys. They will always come together again sharing their lives and blending to become one. It tells how the strength of the bond of friendship, devotion, & love will last forever. The Maori single twist symbol consists of a closed loop with three knots. Pikorua as the Maori name this symbol refers to eternal emerging paths in life. The double and triple twists have a comparable meaning but refer more to the fusion of two peoples or cultures rather than individuals. They also refer to the three baskets of knowledge. They were given an eight shaped single twist when he/she/they as someone polyam, queer, & trans married his/her/their Indigenous Pasifika wives. They were married by their childhood friends, two Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika Atlantean hybrids. These Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika people who married them were European British Polynesian Maori Chieftain and Warchief and Atlantean King Arapeta William Rewi and his wife a Polynesian Indigenous Pasifika Atlantean hybrid. It is something that Alexander/Alexandria and his/her/their Polynesian, Micronesian, & Melanesian wives, partners, & spouses treasure, especially after being married for decades, centuries, & even millennia as metahumans and superhumans in a polyamorous union. The eight-shaped single twist denotes the power of the bond between two people, their loyalty & friendship. It signifies the sacred merger of two people for eternity. Although people will take different paths in their lives they will always be connected and will return to each other. The twist is a powerful statement of loyalty, friendship, and love.

They have rings, bracelets, & necklaces made out of magical wood and alien metal.

Piercings:

He/she/they have a tragus ear piercing with a zircon gemstone, a conch ear piercing with a topaz gemstone, a helix ear piercing with a tiger’s eye gemstone, a daith ear piercing with a sunstone gemstone, a snug ear piercing with a spinel ear piercing, a lobe ear piercing with a smoky quartz gemstone, an anti tragus ear piercing with a sapphire gemstone, a rook ear piercing with a ruby gemstone, an anti helix ear piercing with a rhodonite gemstone, a forward helix piercing with a quartz gemstone, a lobe transversal ear piercing with a pyrite gemstone, a high lobe piercing with a peridot gemstone, a helix stud lobe with a pearl gemstone, and a upper lobe piercing with opal gemstone on their left and right elvish or lupine like ears.

He/she/they have body piercings. They have a barbell piercing with garnet gemstone in their navel, a barbell piercing with fluorite gemstone on their chest, & nipple piercings on their body.

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