#learning about cultures

[maisnamedmoon]

Young Justice Headcanons #1

Don't mind be posting this in German lesson, we are watching Christmas movies and this idea came over me. (The idea doesn't have anything to do with Christmas, I just hate them and didn't pay attention)

When Altantians sing it sounds something like gregorian throat singing.

The first time they heard it they were on a mission, Wally got hit while trying to contain the villain of the week. The wound wasn't deep, it didn't bleed much, but it hurt like a bitch. On the way back in the Bioship KF was laying in the back on a bench clutching his side, groaning every time a gust of wind shook the ship. After a particularly bad turbulence that had Wally wailing in pain, Kaldur'ahm stood and moved to the back, sitting down and taking Wally's head into his lap. After a while the others started to hear something akin to humming through the mind link, looking back they saw Wally seemingly asleep in Kaldur'ahm's lap. Kal was leaning against the wall, fingers raking through Wally's hair, eyes closed and head tipped back a bit, the angle together with the slight movement of his head from side to side gives a view of his gills fluttering in beat with the humming they can still hear in their heads.

The second time was after the weekend when the cave was empty, everyone was with their families, Connor and M'gann were on a date. Artemis, Robin and Roy just came back from Gotham, walking through the sitting and living area to the kitchen when they heard it again. The humming from a few weeks ago, but this time it seemed to vibrate in the air. Silently they creeped closer to the kitchen from where it seemed to originate, peeking around the corner they could see Kal sitting at the kitchen table, writing something, completely engrossed in it, not noticing them. He tipped back his head, mouth slightly open, gills vibrating he started making soft growl like sounds in the back of his throat. They fit perfectly in between the bouts of humming, blending together into a song.

"Is ... Is he singing?" Artemis asked, stunned at the display of Atlantian culture before her. When she didn't get an answer she looked at Roy, who's mouth was hanging open, staring at the dark skinned boy. Looking to her other side Robin was filming the whole thing "I'm so sending this to KF"

The third time was years later, the original team, Beast Boy, Robin and Blue Beetle were sitting on the couches in the living area, playing monopoly, Nightwing and Robin were obviously winning with Kal a close third (as the prodege of the King of Atlantis you had to pick up a thing or two about economics). M'gann, Gar and Nightwing were having a conversation about traditions, M'gann going on about Mars, while Nightwing was giving examples of how customs can change simply by crossing a river.

"Hey, Kaldur?"

Kal gave a sound of acknowledgement, encouraging Beast Boy to keep talking, while focussing on driving Robin to bankruptcy.

"Do the people in Atlantis sing? You know with the whole living in water thing? I'm sorry if that sounds weird"

Kal laughed, "Don't worry, I'm happy to answer questions. Yes, we do sing, the water makes the sounds travel differently, so it sounds different there than it does here, but yes, we do sing, it's part of almost every festivity"

"Oh that's lovely, can you sing something for us?" M'gann asked, always exited to learn something new.

Putting down the dice, Kal leaned back on his hands, face slightly angled towards the cave sealing. He started humming, after a bit his chest started rising and falling, with the growling and grunting sounds that made up a resemblance of a melody. And then he started singing in a low voice, still a bit growly, fist slamming on the floor to keep up a beat.

The team sat there on the couches, some on the floor and stared, mesmerized. Wally and Nightwing started humming with Kal, seemingly used to the Atlantian singing.

[oobbbear]

I want to post this here too because I’ve seen it happen a few times

Please understand that there are cultural differences and language differences, if you see this happening let the person clarify what they meant, that person might just not be familiar with words the western side of the internet use

[somethingsketchy3]

“Our child will always be a Bridgerton, but I should like them to know they are a Sharma as well” 💜🩵

the way this line lives in my mind rent free, like you don’t understand; the weight, the sentiments, the implications, in this essay i will—

ANYWAYS, i really hope to see baby Edmund in S4 👀

[sincerely-sofie]

Outfit swap!

(Shortly before the above:)

[youcalledsworld]

DP x DC prompt

Time traveling Danny Phantom doing missions for Clockwork. On these missions he makes friends and learns about the culture. He always comes back with souvenirs they can be clothes, weapons, books, anything really.

Aquaman invites the Justice League to his birthday party in Atlantis. Everyone was happy to come especially Phantom who was so excited because he hasn't visited Atlantis in a while. Before Arthur could ask what he meant by that Phantom flew away.

Cue Phantom showing up in traditional royal Atlantean clothing that hasn't been worn in hundreds of years because the material went extinct. Now Danny has to fight off Queen Mera and historians demanding he hands it over, while he is refusing to because a kind man gifted it to him for helping save his son and daughter.

[bauliya]

quite nothing highlights us hegemony as americans only now saying omg I’m finally learning about a new culture by going on rednote while the rest of us have been forced to know what the fuck a karjenner is since age 12

[peachdoxie]

Reading all this Batfam fic has me trying to guess what stuff happened in canon based on how often it's referenced in multiple works like I'm some scholar trying to reconstruct some ancient lost ur-text based on other people's retellings of it. Like, I'm pretty sure the Batman canon included a scene where Red Hood breaks into the Titans Tower, attacks Tim Drake, and leaves a message saying "Jason Todd was here." Variants of it have shown up in quite a few fics I've read. Do I know the details? Not really. I think that Tim's shoulder was dislocated and the other Titans were drugged, too, but I'm less sure about those than I am of the event broadly happening. Granted, the first fandom in which I read copious amounts of fic is Danny Phantom, notorious for its extensive fanon, so I'm aware that I can't say conclusively whether or not Red Hood attacked Tim Drake in Titans Tower. But I'm pretty sure it happened.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Thinking about marriage/women's rights on Vulcan Some may think that T'Pring not being allowed to divorce Spock was because he was going through the pon farr but if she were allowed to divorce him at all she probably would have done that a long time ago, confirmed by T'Pol when she's speaking with Koss, who isn't suffering from the pon farr. She says that he can choose another mate (without invoking a fight it seems: note the difference between a 'mate' and a 'challenger') and after he makes it clear that nothing she says will change his mind about marrying her, she finally threatens to declare a kal-if-fee. It's clear that Vulcan women cannot divorce/refuse to marry a man they've been betrothed to under any circumstances if A) He himself doesn't consent to ending their marriage or B) She doesn't have someone else waiting in the wings to be given to in his stead. Though, if the challenger she selects fails to win the fight, she'll have to marry her betrothed anyway unless (again) he decides he doesn't want her after the challenge. That seems like an incredibly unfair system, heavily biased towards men. SNW is an alternate universe in many obvious respects but most egregiously in that T'Pring has a lot of non-canonical agency over her relationship with Spock. It's interesting to me that Vulcan society has women in many positions of power and treats women as equal to men from what I've seen despite these laws. We don't really see Vulcans exhibiting a misogynistic attitude towards women in general but in TOS (perhaps because of its general writing style but it's still interesting to note) both Sarek and Spock take on patriarchal attitudes specifically regarding wives. Amanda says that 'of course' Sarek commands her because "he is a Vulcan and I am his wife." It's worthwhile in my eyes to note that she specifies 'wife' instead of attributing this attitude to women as a whole. Again, with TOS' writing style it wouldn't be out of place for her to say "he is a man and I am a woman." Spock, while in a pon farr induced irritation, states that it's "undignified for a woman to play servant to a man that isn't hers" - again implying that there's something specific about being a Wife in Vulcan society which is different from being a woman in general and demands subservience to a husband. This could perhaps stem from the extreme sense of ownership that Vulcan law has permitted men to have over women. A woman legally cannot point blank refuse marriage. There is no option which guarantees she won't have to marry her betrothed other than death. When T'Pau speaks of T'Pring she refers to her as being 'property' and Stonn, before being interrupted, states he's made 'the ancient claim' - we don't know what this is because he gets cut off but it's obvious they're both using the language of Vulcan law. Men are permitted true freedom to choose. If a woman wants to choose someone else to be with there is no option available to her other than the kal-if-fee which might result in the death of the one she wants to be with. And, if her lover fails, her husband can still just decide he wants to marry her and she'll be forced to. T'Pring gives two scenarios: One where Spock 'frees' her and one where he doesn't - it's still ultimately his decision which is clear when he ends the conversation with "Stonn, she is yours." This again isn't just because of the pon farr as T'Pol also goes through this. Koss can choose another mate and when the option is talked about there's no implication that this would result in any sort of fight (both by the casualness of its mention and by the fact that there's no formal word for it unlike the kal-if-fee.) Also, the fact that Koss does eventually grant T'Pol a divorce and it's all fine means that T'Pol isn't lawfully required to have another man waiting if her HUSBAND doesn't want her. It's ONLY required if SHE doesn't want her husband. Tradition must take precedence over individual desire UNLESS!!! You're a man. Then it's fine. Like, your parents might not be happy but legally you're golden.

[starry-bi-sky]

mmmmmm read a disciple shen yuan/shizun luo binghe fanfic about two days ago where the first chapter was the Immortal Conference arc, and SQQ was the one who had to be pushed into the abyss (he was still the villain) except Luo Binghe was refusing and was like, lowkey losing his mind about SQQ being so close to the edge. SQQ ended up having to be the one to fall in himself because of the system's punishment system. The rest of the fic is leading up to that moment. But like, MMM i've been obsessively thinking about that first chapter for DAYS ever since.

now i've been in svsss for a grand total of *checks watch* a week. but god obsessed with that. I want to write/read a fic where disciple SQQ goes a little nuts down there. Like keep all of the things that make SQQ, SQQ, but just. Throw in a little bit more trauma in there. A little bit of a mental break. Let him go a little nuts as a treat. Just a tad unhinged. I wanna see him go, just a little, "god fuck it, i've tried so hard to change this shitty story's outcome and it feels like everything i've done has been for nothing. I'm going to die in this world no matter what I do, I've been doomed from the start, so might as well die the way I want to." and he just, breaks a little! Under all the stress.

He still retains the traits that makes shen yuan, shen yuan, like his overwhelming kindness. But he's just! yk. A little less patient. Paranoid. Jumpy. Colder. A little more aloof and closed off. A little more Shen Jiu. He's no asshole child abuser, but he was a Number One Hater in his past life and he's leaning into that old habit a little more now.

(On a totally coincidental not-at-all related note, there's not enough SJ-and-SY-are-the-same-people fics out there that i've found. This is totally unrelated...)

The Endless Abyss turns the mind into an over-sharpened blade, and SQQ is both fascinated and perhaps a little excited to explore a place that doesn't have a lot of info on it in the mortal realm, but still terrified out of his mind. And he's no Luo Binghe, he doesn't have the sheer brute strength and power to just bulldoze his way through, so he has to be a lot more sneaky and cunning if he wants to survive.

The fic itself role-swapped LBH and SQQ so that SQQ was the half-demon (which lowkey fucks) and LBH the human, but I'm equally-if-not-more obsessed with the idea that LBH remains the half-heavenly demon and SQQ the human. If only because I keep thinking about SQQ befriending some demons (particularly and specifically a group of succubi) and they grow very attached to this Human Cultivator so through magic plot stuff they create some kind of seal/illusion/talisman that makes SQQ appear as a demon because a human cultivator in the endless abyss may as well be the equivalent of putting a giant neon target on your back.

And iirc Shen Jiu was taught demonic cultivation by that one guy(?? i've only been here a week so im not caught up in ALL of the lore yet) so that could totally happen here.

(On the other end of the realms, poor Shizun Luo Binghe is just. losing his fucking mind over losing his most precious and beloved disciple. About .5 seconds from burning down the peaks himself. somebody sedate him.)

The Endless Abyss sucks and SQQ is having a really terrible time and can feel himself going lowkey mad, but also holy shit look at all this WORLD-BUILDING. look at all this flora and fauna, and oh if he had the equipment for it he'd be writing all of this down. ALL OF IT. He was kinda-sorta-already planning on never leaving the Abyss as some sort of fucked up self-exile and self-preservation thing, but now he might? actually just?? never leave if he can help it, like he lowkey likes it down here.

anyways the next time anyone ever sees SQQ again he's got hair so long its almost touching the ground and he's either in rags and half-feral or he's been completely dolled up by his adoptive succubi sisters and still about three seconds from biting anyone who tries to touch him. (he's also lowkey trying to book it back down to the abyss even if he has desperately missed all of his friends and shizun)

[ventique18]

🐉 surprises you one day by attempting to converse with you fully in your mother tongue. No, not the common language that you seemed to have just automatically learned when you were whisked to Twisted Wonderland, but the language from your original world. Some of his pronunciations are hilariously awkward and he uses slangs here and there that doesn't fit with his usually formal appearance, but he's trying. God, he's trying.

And you don't know why but you feel like crying. This guy, socially inept as he is, is trying to make you feel like you're at home in a place so unlike home.

When you ask how in the world he knew about your language, he confesses that he's been keeping note of words and phrases you absentmindedly use in conversations, along with what he assumes are their meaning. He apologizes for taking too long to be confident enough to speak to you like this, but he was afraid that he'd sound like he's disrespecting your home if he didn't practice enough by himself.

"I know I sound like a fool. Your language is rather difficult on my tongue."

"It's fine... It's... It's more than fine. You didn't have to... You didn't... You didn't have to..." You can't find the words to say to him. You can't properly express your emotions.

"I do not wish to settle for fine... I want to know everything about you. Everything. So,"

"Maaari mo ba akong turuan?" [Won't you teach me?]

[maybevarric]

at the end of tresspasser we see many of the elves mysteriously disappear across thedas correct? honestly this should have been the origin story for the veil jumpers: they get recruited by solas under the guise of restoring the ways of the elvhen.

initially these recruited elves would have been generally supportive across the board because finally there’s some kind of reclamation of their history and their past. finally there is an explanation and some kind of hint of a future as a whole. things are looking up under the protection and guidance of the dreadwolf.

but as solas’ plan would progress we’d start to see a divide amongst his followers, and i reckon this is where the veil jumpers would begin. as a pushback to this. as an act of defiance against what was coming. learning what solas’ plans are for the future of thedas and tearing down the veil and all that. the veil jumpers choose not to reclaim their history and past through these kinds of designs, but instead to learn for themselves because they are owed it. they deserve it. but not at the cost of the world ending.

idk i think the worldbuilding and the lore could have been SO much better. and i think it’s really strange that solas had agents in tresspasser and then suddenly had nothing come the start of datv.

[spookberry]

Another thing I find really refreshing and cool about Descendants(specifically the first one) is that there is no third act betrayal/misunderstanding/blow up between the main characters.

The VKs are all loyal to each other to the end, even once their motives have all changed and theyre no longer happy with the plan they stick together and follow Mal's lead.

Ben realizes hes been love potioned and finds it endearing and goes along with it even when the affects have worn off

Like the first descendants movie is practically allergic to the third act betrayal/misunderstanding despite CONSTANTLY setting up for one

[nenestansunsthings]

having svsss au ideas beyond my station

thinking. shang qinghua goes on a mission as a young disciple to some town in fuckoff nowhere and finds himself in the qiu household. and there he finds a young shen jiu, undergoing the plot he originally intended for him and hadn't realised had become real and he's so young oh god hes so young why is he so small what do you mean that part was real, he hadn't kept it why is it real—

and he panics and sneaks him the Fuck out of that house

and he's not sure what to do but surely sending him to cang qiong will fuck up something in the plot and he can't come under even more investigation and cang qiong tryouts dont happen for months anyway and his system would probably never allow it (it doesnt. it would interfere with yue qingyuans story) but shen jiu is refusing to stay anywhere near this place and wants to learn cultivating to protect himself make sure nothing like this ever happens again and sqh panics harder and

calls mobei jun.

okay. on second thought, maybe this was a bad idea. but he stumbles over himself and shushes baby shen jiu's very understandable freaking out and asks his king for the first thing hes ever asked for other than his own life.

is there any way this human child could learn cultivation in the demon world?

[konjiang]

Do you ever look at moshang and think: "what the fuck are they on?" In terms of courting, they fucked up both the human way and the demon way. It is hard to believe that Shang Qinghua wouldn't look up demon courtship, or Mobei-jun wouldn't confront Shang Qinghua for not accepting his courtship. Bingqiu is obviously not any better.

I wonder in the world of SVSSS which couple is thought to have the weirdest relationship. MoShang or BingQiu.

[demaparbat-hp]

Your zutara fanfics honestly give me life, they’re so beautiful!!!

I see posts where ppl often criticise zutara, as they can’t see katara wanting to leave her tribe and becoming Fire Lady, and I was curious how you interpret this scenario? No hate just genuinely curious 😊😊

Hello, and thank you!

I'm a firm believer that you can make a character do anything without it feeling OoC as long as you've got a solid base. Basically—anything is possible as long as it feels natural in the story.

I never felt like Katara becoming Fire Lady (or Queen Consort, or Lady of the Two Lands, or whatever you wish to call her) would mean leaving her Tribe behind. Her roots are strong and alive in everything she does. She's Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, and she'll remain as such no matter who she marries or what title she carries.

I'm not saying it would be easy. I'm saying Katara's stubborn and isn't willing to give up when she's fighting for something she wants. If she truly wishes to stand by Zuko's side, then woe betide whoever dares say she can't do it.

Being in a relationship is hard. Ruling over a broken nation you were once targeted by is even harder. But I can't really see anyone else taking up the challenge and doing a better job of it than Katara.

Why would making a home of the Fire Nation (or anywhere else, for that matter!) mean forsaking her culture? Wouldn't Katara take the South with her everywhere she goes? Wouldn't Zuko love her culture and make it part of who he is?

Katara has never let anyone else walk over her. She has never shied away from breaking tradition and building her own path over it. Why should this be any different?

[ariadne-mouse]

Happy New Year!!

Thank you to @soath for the drawing suggestion of Bleigiessen shapes, which are a German new year's tradition in which blobs of lead (or more modernly, tin or wax) are melted over a candleflame and poured into water to make interesting shapes, which are then interpreted to predict the pourer's fate for the coming year. I thought this was especially fitting for Caleb, wielder of flame, as in his story he tries to control his past and future with magic - but ultimately grows to meet the world where it is, and meet himself where he is, and forge his fate more organically.

May each of you rise to meet the next year and find what you need :)