#make this country for the tourist and not for the citizens | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gholhuio · 4 months ago

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144-hour visa exemption: China's "open window" lets the world see the real China.

Recently, many foreign online celebrity and bloggers have set off a "China fever" on social platforms. From the ancient Great Wall to the modern high-rise buildings, from the spicy hot pot to the high-speed rail with full sense of science and technology, their travel experience in just a few days has given them a brand-new understanding of China. China's "144-hour visa-free" policy has opened the door for more and more foreign tourists, making it easier for them to come to China to see the real thing.

Visa exemption has brought more "visitors"

For foreigners, China's "144-hour visa-free" policy is very convenient. This policy applies to citizens of 54 countries. As long as they hold a joint ticket from a third country, they can stay in a visa-free city for six days without complicated visa procedures. This has surprised many foreigners-originally, it was only a short transit, but I didn't expect to "punch in" the cities in China. This simple and convenient "transit tour" has become the first choice for many foreigners.

According to the data, in the first half of this year, the number of foreigners entering the country at various ports increased by 152.7%, and more than half of them entered through the visa-free policy. It can be said that this policy not only makes it easy for more foreigners to visit China, but also attracts a group of "visitors" who are curious about China. They use their own perspective to discover and record China, and then share what they have seen and heard with the world.

China in the eyes of foreigners: colorful and true.

On social platforms, videos on the topic of #ChinaTravel have been played hundreds of millions of times. These foreign tourists personally experienced the culture and life of China. Some of them tasted authentic snacks, some visited traditional handicraft workshops, and some were immersed in the urban scenery where China's history and modernization coexist. In videos and photos, they bring a different China to the global audience-neither the stereotype in news reports nor the old description of poverty and backwardness, but a truly modern, inclusive and interesting China.

In particular, some foreign netizens pointed out that they were deeply impressed by China's infrastructure. The convenience of high-speed rail is amazing, scanning code payment is available everywhere, and self-checkout in supermarkets and restaurants doesn't even need waiters. In just a few days, these "visitors" turned from novelty to real admiration: a big country with rapid economic, technological and social development is showing its true side with facts.

Let the world see a more open China

In fact, China's visa-free policy is not only to increase tourism revenue. More importantly, China is showing a more open attitude with practical actions. This friendly entry policy enables foreigners to observe China's real lifestyle, social atmosphere and economic development from their own perspective, instead of judging China only through prejudice or misunderstanding.

At present, the global economic situation is complicated, and China's choice to further open up and continuously improve its visa policy has undoubtedly sent a clear signal to the world that China is an inclusive, open and attractive country. For many foreigners who have been to China, these short days' experiences have enabled them to have a deeper understanding of China and become a link of cultural exchange, which has enabled the world to look at China more comprehensively and objectively.

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labelleizzy · 9 days ago

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Reposting from Morgana Alba on Facebook.

It's a reality check for white US Americans that there's WORK involved in emigration or asylum.

One comment on the original post was, "we're not leaving, my husband would never, he's too attached to his family" and the reply "if that's so, you could be the point person looking after /helping manage things for someone else who's got to flee.

Another point: the assumption that folks have $$ wherewithal and physical health enough to do the process as described. I understand that's not true for all of us, but there's a few items in this list that are good for anyone to try and accomplish:

Get a passport

Get all your important documents in a safe, grabbable space

Set up power of attorney for legal matters (your home, your pets if you have to leave them behind, etc)

Research and network for a possible safe landing person or location.

Otherwise, read the list, have a good think about what might apply to your situation, and start doing your research.

....

Morgana Alba:

You need to have a plan - Actually, you need 3.

(TL/DR - get a passport, a foreign one if you qualify, and start with anything in plan B to take actionable steps today to set yourself up for success)

Just in case you should ever need to uproot your life and move out of a country, for any reason, nothing in particular: you should have 3 plans. Not options. Not ideas. Plans. And I realize not everyone as raised like I was so I’m going to tell you how to make them. (And Step 1 is to have a passport. Do that immediately)

First of all, to be a plan it needs a clear objective, identified required steps, and a trigger point. A trigger point is the deciding factor or event that will automatically activate that plan. You must decide what your lines in the sand are in advance. Historic events rarely feel historic when you’re in them and if you don’t decide what you will not accommodate before you’re in it, incrementalism will paralyze you.

For the best coverage, start with plan C and work backwards.

*****

Plan A: Leaving under the best possible circumstances.

This is where a lot of you get stuck. Leaving under the best possible circumstances is a privilege but it’s not the only way out. This takes a lot of time and research and honestly you should have started this plan a year ago if it was what you wanted. To leave via plan A you should:

1. Research what countries you can live in long term and make a living in. This could mean countries you could transfer to with your current employer, countries that are expat friendly, or countries where you qualify for a work visa. If you have living grandparents or aunts that are citizens of and living in a foreign country you may even qualify for a foreign passport. Start that process now.

2. Start learning the language

3. Apply for jobs in that country

4. Find temporary or long term housing

5. Once you have residency and financial support/employment you can sell anything you aren’t moving and leave.

Trigger point for plan A is typically finding employment for most people.

*****

Plan B: Creating the flexibility for short or long term, potentially temporary, absence

This plan is about restructuring your life so that you could leave quickly even if you don’t have the security of Plan A.

1. Determine where you could go, short term. With a U.S. passport you could stay in most countries up to 3 months as a tourist but wouldn’t be allowed to work locally. Call up friends who live abroad and see who would be ok with a long visit if need be.

2. Start selling things you don’t necessarily love. Do a clothing and items purge. If you do have to leave without plan A there may not be the time for storage and sales so start reducing possessions now while you have the time to be mindful.

3. If you own a place, consider getting a roommate or having family move in so that you may not necessarily have to sell if you have to leave. Having someone else to look after the place and the added financial cushion of rent takes a lot of the pressure off during the departure. You’d have someone back home to ship or store your stuff or sell your car if you aren’t returning but you don’t have to make that call at the time.

4. Plan your financial support. Build up savings as you sell things. Look up what jobs will qualify for a digital nomad visa in the countries you’re considering visiting friends in, and very seriously start applying for remote work that fits those restrictions. Open a non-US based bank account to hold your savings. Get a credit card for this and only this. Stick it in the back of your wallet and forget about it.

5. Hoard Medication. Build up a 3-6 month supply of any required daily medications so that you have a cushion to hold you over between leaving and finding new medical care.

6. Digitize all your vital docs, including deeds and medical files. Store them in the cloud and email them to a friend who lives abroad

7. Have a plan for pets. With plan B you may be leaving them behind if you don’t know how long you’ll be gone or where you might settle. Talk to friends and family now about who would be willing to take them in in this situation.

Plan B is about giving you the most flexibility and options. You make big changes now so that you can be prepared to react to changes around you down the road. Trigger Point for plan B is often unique to the individual and involves law changes like access to medical support or the safety of their finances/job/marriage.

*****

Plan C: Run.

This plan is a last resort. It’s easier and less scary than most people think. But you absolutely need to be ready, and you need to know, firmly, what your trigger point is. This plan is for leaving in an emergency, potentially under scrutiny and persecution, with absolutely no plan to return. You should do as much of Plan B as you can, but you can still do plan C without that prep.

1. Have a go-bag. Your go bag is a waterproof, fireproof, personal-item sized piece of luggage that lives pre-packed with your vital documents (passport, medical records, SSN card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, name change docs, any extra photo IDs etc), your medications, around $1000 in non-sequential twenties, your emergency CC, addresses, phone numbers, and info written down for who you could go visit, proof of ownership docs for your house and/or car, and a single change of utilitarian clothing. Keep a pair of sturdy boots next to it if they don’t fit in it.

2. Pack your carry on. In this bag pack your jewelry, photo albums, grandma’s ashes, etc: whatever bits of precious you couldn’t possibly abandon. You need to make those decisions now, not in the moment. This suitcase must meet the SMALLEST restrictions on carryons for international flights (often smaller than what we’re used to in the U.S., typically 22" x 14" x 9") fill any extra space with toiletries or clothing as they reduce suspicion, but don’t prioritize packing clothing or comfort items. You can get that wherever you’re going.

3. These bags live packed in a safe place near the back door of your house; or in your car.

4. Decide where to run to and have a conversation about cover. In this scenario, if your trigger point is a certain executive order, your goal is to get to airport before enforcement goes into place. You need to know where you’re going and “why” your ticket is last minute in advance. Call up whoever is the safe person you’re running to and build the story. “Someone died suddenly” is a good one. This person needs to be ok with you showing up with 0 warning, and automatically going to the cover story if they one-day randomly get a call from a customs agent asking them to confirm why you’re traveling. If you have kids, have go bags for them as well, and only tell them the cover story.

5. Plan for your pet. Once you decide where you will run to look up what you would need to bring your pet and have those things ready to go (carrier, shot record, etc). Also plan for a situation where you have to leave your pet behind. Discuss with friends and family and get a commitment on who would take then in

6. Have a point person that is remaining behind that you trust to handle your affairs. If you have to run with no notice like this, you need someone here to sell your car, ship any possessions you need, cancel your lease, etc. Find your person and have the conversation about that now.

7. If you need to run you grab your go bags and maybe your pet carrier and you get on a plane. Use your normal bank accounts if you can, and your cash and emergency credit card if you can’t. Buy the ticket online if possible. If it has to be in person look for a visible minority ticket agent and if you’re questioned about the last-minute travel lean on the “my mother just died while visiting my aunt in France (or wherever you’re running). I have to go, I’m so distraught, taking my emotional support cat and kid cause idk when I’ll be back, there’s just so much to figure out. My Aunt has dementia. I have to get there before she does something crazy”

8. Try not to worry about what comes next. Humans have cut and run for thousands of years. You can do it. Immediate defense of life comes first. Everything else can be figured out after you’re safe. Don’t let worry over the logistics keep you in a dangerous situation.

Those are three plans you should have. But keep in mind there’s a lot of middle ground. Do as much of B as you can, and if you have to leave without a job, you can figure it out there. The place you run to doesn’t have to be where you’ll settle. You’l have more time to plan after you’re safe.

Americans have this warped idea of immigration. We believe other countries are as insanely draconian about it as we are but that’s not the case. Do your research. Make your plans. And don’t let fear of the unknown or a lack of planning keep you in danger. You can always just pack your bags and get on a plane to a friend’s place or a Sikh temple, and figure the rest of it out when you get there.

But definitely get your passport

#immigration and emigration #asylum seekers #emergency #bug out bag #get your shit together #get your documents done #know your rights #know your trigger point #are you a frog in a boiling pot?#know when to jump #make your plans #make yourself a priority #do your own research

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anexperimentallife · 14 days ago

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If you need to get out of the US, READ THIS:

Again, if you need to get out of the states and have a location-independent source of income (because on the easiest-to-get visa you won't be able to work here--SSDI or regular social security works, but not SSI), we can help with the logistics of getting settled in the Philippines and make local introductions in Baguio. English is one of the two official languages of the Philippines, too, so although you're encouraged to learn Filipino, Tagalog, and/or Illocano, you can get by with English.

(And I hate that this needs to be said because of today's mercenary culture, but OF COURSE WE'RE NOT CHARGING ANYTHING. I'm just sorry we're not in a position to offer financial help to others.)

It's not perfect here (especially with all China's sabre-rattling), but at least for now, it's safer and freer than the US, especially if you're queer or an ethnic minority. We've been here going on seven years, and I've helped one person get out already, so I know what to do and how to do it. Also, although marriage laws have not caught up yet, queer folks are generally more accepted here than in the states.

As far as mechanics go--As a US citizen you get an automatic 29-day tourist visa on arrival, and can keep getting extensions for up to three years, at which point you board a cheap (often less than 100 dollars) round-trip flight to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, and start your three years over again. (You cannot work on a tourist visa, though, hence the need for location-independent income.) There may be other options depending on your specific situation, but ANYONE from the US can do the tourist visa thing.

The local immigration office here in Baguio is incredibly helpful and sympathetic, and went above and beyond the call of duty for us during our daughter's citizenship fiasco. Everyone there is friendly and helpful, but we'll be happy to introduce you to our contact there just for extra comfort.

I'll post some relocation tips in a day or so, but in general, a single person, or even a couple, can get by on 600 USD a month here with some budgeting and giving up some Western luxuries. 1K USD puts you (as a single person) firmly in lower middle class. You can have fresh produce from the wet market delivered to your door for about a third of what it would cost at the local supermarket, and as for eating out, you can find budget meals for around 2 dollars--some with unlimited rice--if you shop around a bit. Public transit is ubiquitous, and costs literally pennies to use, and taxis start at about 75 cents. (This is all for Baguio, a popular tourist destination city--things are even less expensive if you live out in a small town or in the country--and I've converted to US currency for better clarity.)

Birth control and plan B are available over the counter (birth control pills start at about a dollar for a month's supply), and if you need to terminate a pregnancy, Thailand is close--with no one threatening you upon your return.

Now, on this next part I can't make promises, but we'll also be looking into what it would take to open an English school here to sponsor work visas for folks who want to get out, but who don't have a portable income. (Although as indicated above, English is widely spoken here, it's not the same dialect as anywhere else in the anglosphere, so some schools hire a single qualified American, Brit, or Aussie, as a bragging point, and they focus on people here on spouse visas that allow them to work, so they won't generally sponsor work visas--so I imagine a school with ONLY US-raised instructors would do well.) The English schools here mostly serve foreigners (especially Koreans) attracted to the Philippines' lower cost of living, and there are enough who want to study here that another school would only be adding to the local economy, and not putting any locals out of work.

As for your own education, tuition for a semester at University of the Philippines Baguio campus was about 900 dollars last time I checked.

More later.

#uncle rob says stuff #us politics #relocation

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forsoobado137 · 7 months ago

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🍨dolly_as_prez Follow

🍨dolly_as_prez Follow

It's been five years since I made this meme and nothing has changed lol

156,932 notes

🧻Dorpblorpw93 Follow

Watching Alfred's short films on youtube are always fucking hilarious because I never know if he's being ironic or not. They all look like they were written produced by an over-caffeinated film student but if they had an actual budget. Like they are legit the funniest pieces of media out there and I have no idea if the comedy is intentional or not.

🏞fromthevalley89 Follow

Where do I begin here? The fact that he basically plays everyone? The fact that he included Arthur but didn't let him play as himself and cast him as bad guys? The fact that he was able to get Roderich and Francois on board with this? The fact that he doesn't even name himself and just puts ME? The fact that the end credits are three times longer than the movie? AND HE LITERALLY CAST HIMSELF AS GOD?! This is peak cinema.

🧭justintime12oclock Follow

Also what is up with Tony? Did Alfred just rotoscope his roommate and make him an alien? is it CGI (Really badly done)?

47,459 notes

🌌galaxylesbian Follow

AGAIN?!

🐝beemybestie Follow

Translation: wahhh wahhh my president won't give me money for Louis Vuitton and my seventh mansion so I'm gonna sit on my ass while the stocks plummet and the trains malfunction 🥺

🌟bugdrinkbugrink Follow

Actual translation: I've literally fought in dozens of wars and bent over backwards for this government and all I get in return is a minimum wage paycheck, demeaning insults from my own politicians, and disrespect from tourists that I'm forced to put up with. I deserve better, and by not working, I'm going to demonstrate how fucked you all would be without me. I hope this opens people's eyes to the lack of rights me and my fellow nations have, and that it will force governments everywhere to actually give a shit.

🌷Azaleyaaaaah02 Follow

Also that mansion thing is such bullshit. The reason nations have so many houses is because they have been ALIVE FOR CENTURIES and they can't just stay in one place forever. Also they have had more than enough time to buy houses when they were cheap and pay off multiple properties. Nations aren't just secretly a bunch of out of touch millionaires. They have been homeless, in debt, and have lived in far worse conditions than you could ever imagine.

🌟bugdrinkbugrink Follow

For everyone trying to call nations "selfish" for going on strike because it has negative effects on their countries, that is literally THE ENTIRE POINT OF STRIKES. World leaders think that all nations do is look pretty and die over and over in petty wars. In the THREE DAYS that France (and other European countries) went on strike back in 1976, the stock market plummeted, trade slowed, transportation stopped working, and other citizens stopped going to work. The leaders realized pretty quickly that they fucked up. After they got better wages, the nations returned, and everything was up and running again.

Moral of the story: PAY YOUR NPS A LIVING WAGE! These people have literally sacrificed everything for their nations. So what if France wants to be able to afford iconic French fashion brands? If I was an immortal being who died thousands of times in mankind's worst wars, you better BELIEVE I would demand that I can afford to treat myself.

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#hetalia #in universe hetalia #in universe hetalia memes #hetalia public au #nations revealed au #aph america #hws america #aph canada #hws canada #aph england #hws england #aph austria #hws austria #aph france #hws france #fake tumblr dash #sorry this ones a bit short

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gojoidyll · 5 months ago

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can't even have a vacation

tf 141 x fem!reader (? not really, but if i continue this, then that is where it would lead to)

cw | blood, death, reader gets hurt, grammatical errors, reader is a u.s. citizen (and has a job as an engineer) but nothing else of reader is described, ghost gives a terrible first impression (terrible jokes too), etc.

You raised your phone to eye level, a light, little smile on your lips as you pressed on the white circle on the screen. The camera on your phone sounding out a quiet click as it snapped a picture of the view.

As a U.S. citizen who worked the day they graduated college, you were finally able to take your very first vacation. So with your newly acquired passport, your newly bought luggage, and your taste for something other than the bland walls of your overpriced apartment you turned off your electric and water so you wouldn’t get billed, handed the keys to your sister so she could watch your apartment from time to time and headed off out of the U.S. borders and across the sea.

With all the time you worked, you had managed to obtain a considerable amount of paid time off, two months’ worth, in fact, so taking advantage of that you decided to take exactly two months. The second month of your vacation having your birthday reside in which you plan to enjoy fully in some rich, extravagant hotel and restaurant.

Now, you may not be the richest person, but as an engineer, you could say that you made enough money to at least enjoy the small things.

In other words, you needed this vacation. Where have you decided to vacation to? Europe. Originally you wanted to go to Japan with your two best friends that you had since high school, but one of them is currently focusing on their Master’s program in college and the other is trying to get their nursing degree, and you? You needed the break. You felt like you would explode and disintegrate into dust if you worked another assignment for a moment longer.

Your friends were luckily understanding and even gave you some options. To be on the safe side and not to struggle as much, you decided to vacation where people spoke English. If you had your friends with you, then you would be a bit more daring and maybe visit a country with no English at all (not counting other tourists), but since you were alone, you didn’t want to risk it.

You brought your phone down then, your eyes bright with excitement as you moved out of everyone’s way a bit inside the hallway to sift through all the cool pictures you managed to take.

You were only three days into your vacation and so far everything was good.

“I am getting hungry though,” you said to yourself, “maybe I should go change out my currency in my wallet instead of using my card all the time…”

You thought it over for a moment before deciding that that was what you wanted to do and searched for the map icon on your phone. Though, before you could type out what you needed, the floor shook suddenly, violently. The force of whatever caused the shaking made both you and everyone else in the hallway of the building fall to the ground.

Your knees hit the floor rather harshly as you winced before looking up, the lights flickered on and off before you heard a door slam open down the hall. Shaking your head, you turned so that you were sitting on the floor to see where the door slam came from, only to see the people with guns come up from the stairway.

“What the-“

Before you could finish the question, there were gunshots. The sound made you flinch and duck down as everyone else around you began to scream and hastily get up to start running. Not wanting to be left to whoever started shooting, you managed to get up in your panicked state and follow the crowd. Though, before you could get far, you were pushed harshly from the side making you stumble again and fall backward. Instead of hitting the floor, however, your ass made contact with an abandoned wheelchair instead.

Huffing, you went to stand up, but before you could even move a muscle, your eyes were met with an end of a gun barrel. The mere sight of it caused you to freeze, your hands slowly coming up to raise above your head.

The man holding the gun seemed to start laughing as he called over one of his “buddies” over and started to talk to one another in a language you didn’t recognize. Then the man who still had his gun pointed at you, kicked your shoe and spoke to you. The confused look on your face gave him the answer he needed as cleared his throat.

“Little disabled girl got abandoned, huh?”

Disabled?

You looked down at the wheelchair you were in.

Oh.

You didn’t know if you should correct him or not. I mean, is it morally wrong to act disabled if it lets you live? Biting the inside of your cheek, you decided not to lie about it even if it saved your life.

“Not disabled,” you managed to say, “when I was running, I was pushed aside and fell into the chair. Before I could get up and run again, you were already pointing your gun at me.”

You didn’t know how much English the man understood, but you hoped it was enough.

The man seemed to laugh again as you spoke, “weird accent, you have. United States?”

You nodded, hands still raised.

“Poor little American. Wrong place, wrong time.”

Well, damn.

You watched as he fixed his hold on his gun and re-aimed it. The barrel of it now more center with your forehead. You didn’t realize it, but your breath became quicker, your heart running like a horse as time seemed to slow. It was like you could feel everything all at once. The sweat that started to form in your palms, the way your back started to feel cold, how your legs and knees were as tenses as logs, and the way you could feel your blood coursing through your heart as he thumped loud against your rib cage.

And just as he moved his finger to the trigger, there was another explosion catching the men off guard, a foot soon colliding with the glass window as someone broke right through it.

“Shit! They’re here already?!”

Turning his attention from you, you watched as he shifted his gun to the windows which was when you could finally hear the helicopters and see what you hoped were good guy soldiers zip lining down to the windows and breaking them open.

Bullets immediately began to fly, and this time you didn’t wait for anyone to stop you as you jumped from the wheelchair and made a beeline for the empty hallway.

You passed by a few others who got shot before you, none of them moving. You couldn’t bring yourself to look down at them as you turned a corner, but just as you did you felt a hand roughly grab you and slam you hard against the wall. An arm soon moves to pin your neck making you wince and panic. On instinct you raised your hands to try to remove the arm, but it was like trying to pry a dog’s mouth open. Impossible.

Opening your eyes, you were met with a skull mask. The mere sight of such a mask sent you in a frenzy as you thrashed harder. Bringing up one of your knees, you hit him as hard as you could in his hip. He didn’t even flinch.

Thinking of something new and as quickly as possibly, you reached for his face instead, Your right hand grabbing onto the skull plating and shifting it in hopes of blocking his view.

“Ghost, let her go! She’s a civilian!”

Just as the voice broke through and the arm that pinned your neck was gone, you had let out a sputtering cough. Both of your feet touching solid ground as you hadn’t even realized the man had lifted you.

Looking up then at who you assumed was “Ghost,” you watched as he fixed his mask. His attention back on you.

“Are you alright?”

It was someone else who spoke to you. A man, probably the same age as your father, helped you steady yourself.

“N- no,” you immediately said, “thought he was going to kill me for a second there.”

You raised your hand to your throat and immediately flinched with how tender it already was. That was definitely going to bruise.

“Your accent… American?”

You nodded.

“Why are you here?”

“Vacation. But let me say that it isn’t going to well.”

You all could hear the gunshots going off from where you just came from.

“Come with us, we’ll get you out.”

“Only if he doesn’t pin me to the wall again.”

“No promises,” quipped the man with the mask immediately causing you to make a face at him.

“Next time I’ll aim for your crotch,” you muttered, referencing to when you kneed him in the hip.

He made an amused sound, as he crossed his arms over his chest, “was that what you tried to do when you hit my hip? Cause I didn’t even feel it.”

“You-“

“Enough. Ghost can apologize later, for now we will focus on meeting up with the others and getting you out of here.”

You were tempted to ask why they weren’t going to assist with the fighting down the hall, but kept your lips shut otherwise.

“Ghost, watch our back. Missy, stay behind me.”

So, for now, with the slight pain in your neck and everywhere else, you decided to follow this man’s lead.

Yeah… definitely the worst vacation you ever had, and it doesn’t help that it’s your first vacation either.

“Try not to get pinned again,” Ghost said behind you.

“Then I’ll be sure to watch out for you.”

A part of you knew that he was only quipping at you to make the tone lighter and to maybe not make you so scared of him since he did get you pretty good, but you still kept on your toes. Wait, who even were these guys anyway?

You were so caught up in the way that they didn’t point their guns at you that you forgot to even ask them, but before you could open your mouth the man ahead of you was already prepared.

“We’re the good guys, so don’t worry. You’ll be back home in no time.”

You decided to take his word for it.

#cod #call of duty #simom riley #john price #tf 141 x reader #tf 141 x you #tf 141 #simon ghost riley #ghost simon riley

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whencyclopedia · 28 days ago

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Festival of the Federation

The Festival of the Federation (Fête de la Fédération) was a celebration that occurred on the Champ de Mars outside Paris on 14 July 1790, the first anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. With over 300,000 people in attendance, the event honored the achievements of the French Revolution (1789-99) and the unity of the French people.

The festival itself was a monumental accomplishment, as tens of thousands of French citizens volunteered to labor in the mud and rain to build an amphitheater on the Champ de Mars with a colossal Altar of the Fatherland at its center. The event marked the birth of French patriotism, at least in the sense that such a term is understood today, and was the first celebration of 14 July, France's national holiday, which is still annually celebrated. At the same time, the festival was perhaps the high watermark of unity during the French Revolution itself, since afterward the revolutionaries devolved into factionalism and politics based on terror.

Unifying a Nation

By 1790, France was a nation intoxicated with revolutionary fervor, just as the French had begun to discover their national fraternity. The National Assembly, the representative body that had risen in defiance of the king during the Estates-General of 1789, had already declared the abolition of feudalism and noble tax privileges in the August Decrees and had proclaimed the natural rights of men in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. It was a new day in France, one in which all citizens could stand beside their neighbors as equals, at least in theory if not quite in practice. The feasts of the federations that sprang up across the country and culminated in the ecstatic, massive festival on the Champ de Mars celebrated not only the Revolution but also this sense of unity that had not existed in France under the Ancien Régime.

Prior to the Revolution, Ancien Régime France was a collection of regions that differed from one another in their customs, languages, and sets of laws. Partially owing to their origins as feudal domains that had little in common besides fealty to the same king, some French territories still valued their own local identities above that of the collective nation. Scholar William Doyle uses the example of Brittany where, even on the eve of the Revolution, people were more likely to speak Breton than French and dressed in traditional garments. In some areas, especially in the north, laws were customary, with over 300 local customs being observed. This differed from the south, which largely followed Roman law. As Doyle points out, this could lead to much confusion, as "the law relating to marriage, inheritance, and tenure of property could differ in important respects from one district to another; and those who held property in several might hold it on widely differing terms" (4). Even royal edicts could be contested by certain local parlements, the high judicial courts, which could refuse to register them within their jurisdictions. Other barriers to unity under the Ancien Régime included poor infrastructure outside metropolitan areas like Paris, hindering the flow of information, as well as taxation which also varied from place to place; the whole French landscape was pockmarked with internal customs barriers, set at multiple different rates on a wide range of items. Even currency and units of measurement differed, enough to make any foreign traveler mad with frustration.

But aside from merely upsetting 18th-century tourists, these differences frustrated any kind of national cohesiveness. Historical grievances and feuds between provinces worsened the issue. To some, unity of any kind seemed impossible; to emulate these feelings, French historian Jules Michelet writes:

How will Languedoc ever consent to cease to be Languedoc, an interior empire governed by its own laws? How will ancient Toulouse descend from her capital, her royalty in the south? And do you believe that Brittany will ever give way to France?...you will sooner see the rocks of Saint-Malo and Penmarch change their nature and become soft. (441)

Yet, the Revolution had done the impossible and given hope to France's 27 million people. By spring 1790, King Louis XVI of France (r. 1774-1792) had reluctantly consented to the Revolution's radical reforms and was living as a virtual prisoner in Paris. Down the street from him, the Assembly was working to codify their progress in a new constitution. And all across the country, common people had joined in the Revolution, as exemplified in the Great Fear of July 1789, when countryside peasants stormed the châteaux of their seigneurial lords. By 1790, many in France believed the Revolution to be over and looked to one another with a new sense of fraternity, united in their devotion to the patrie (fatherland).

This unity manifested itself in the form of liberty trees, which sprouted on village greens throughout France. These trees, trimmed of their leaves and branches, were decorated with ribbons of blue, white, and red, the colors of the Revolution and of the patrie. As trees had long symbolized fertility and rebirth, so too had these villages been reborn from the oppression of the Ancien Régime. They were a way for a village to show solidarity with the Revolution, and to tell the world that it "was no longer seigneurial property, and its people no longer dependents" (Schama, 492). Across France, public officials would be sworn in beneath liberty trees, priests would bless them, and joyful citizens would dance around them with hands clasped, entirely devoted to the nation. To paraphrase French socialist historian Jean Jaurès (1859-1914), French liberty, which previously had rested solely with the fortunes of the National Assembly, was now being concentrated in as many centers as there were communes (Furet, 65). Yet the federation movement that would soon sweep France would not be spearheaded by the Assembly or the villages, but by detachments of the National Guard.

#History #14July1790 #1790 #AncienRégime #WHE #[#]

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misfitwashere · 14 days ago

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ROBERT REICH

MAR 18

Friends,

I’m addressing this letter especially to those of you who live in other lands.

As you probably know, we here in the United States are facing the biggest emergency in the history of our democracy, and we need your help.

Trump and other members of his regime (Elon Musk, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Kash Patel, Pete Hegseth, Pam Bondi) are actively undermining our system of government — usurping Congress’s power to fund the government, saying they “don’t care” what judges say, arresting peaceful protesters, investigating Trump’s “enemies,” siding with Putin against Ukraine, encouraging bigotry, and sowing widespread fear.

Please know that the Trump regime doesn’t represent the majority of Americans. Trump won the 2024 presidential election by a razor-thin (1.5 percent) margin, but half of all Americans didn’t vote, including many who voted for Biden in 2020. Polls consistently show most Americans do not support what Trump is doing.

How can you help us?

Like most bullies, Trump can be constrained only if everyone stands up to his bullying — including you.

First, if you are thinking about a trip to the United States, please reconsider. Why reward Trump’s America with your tourist dollars?

Spending by non-Americans in the United States is a significant source of tax revenue and a major “export” of this nation. There’s no reason for you to indirectly support Trump’s economy.

Many international travelers concerned about Trump’s authoritarianism have already canceled trips to the United States. I suggest you do so, too.

Last week, Trump threatened a 200 percent tariff on European wine and alcohol after calling the European Union “one of the most hostile and abusive taxing and tariffing authorities in the World.”

Why reward this bellicose rhetoric? Many Europeans are already skipping trips to Disney World and American music festivals.

Travel from China, a frequent target of Trump’s contempt, is down 11 percent. Chinese travelers are choosing to vacation in Australia and New Zealand instead of visiting U.S. national parks.

Our dear neighbors north of the border, who have long been the major sourceof international travel to the United States, are deciding to visit Europe and Mexico instead.

In response to Trump’s repeated desire to make Canada a “51st state,” Canada’s former prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has urged Canadians not to vacation in America.

An informal boycott by Canadian travelers has begun. The number of Canadians returning by car from visits to the United States already fell by 23 percent in February, and air travel by Canadians returning from the United States was down 13 percent relative to last year, according to Statistics Canada.

Overall, it’s expected that international travel to the United States will drop at least 5 percent this year.

Although we have loved (and profited from) your visits, I urge you to join many of your compatriots and at least for now decide not to come to the United States.

Second, if you are thinking about coming to the United States on a student or even on an H-1B visa, which allows highly skilled foreign citizens to live and work here, you should also reconsider.

Perhaps wait a few years until, hopefully, the Trump regime has ended.

It is not entirely safe for you to be here, in any event.

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, 34, a kidney transplant specialist and professor at Brown University’s medical school, who has been in the United States legally on an H-1B visa, was just deported without explanation — even though a court had blocked her expulsion.

Dr. Alawieh had traveled last month to Lebanon, her home country, to visit relatives. When she tried to return from that trip to the United States, she was detained by U.S. customs and immigration officials and put on a flight to Paris, presumably on her way to Lebanon.

Lebanon is not even on a draft list of nations from which the Trump administration is considering banning entry to the United States.

Even if there’s a shortage in America of skilled workers in your specialty, you could be deported at any time, for any or no reason.

Likewise, if you are considering coming to America on a student visa, you might consider the risk at this time. A Columbia University graduate student was arrested and detained for no reason other than that he peacefully protested Netanyahu’s policies in Gaza.

The administration of Brown University is advising foreign students, ahead of spring break, to “consider postponing or delaying personal travel outside the United States until more information is available from the U.S. Department of State.”

It is not just the risk. It’s also the circumstances. If you care about democracy, this is not the time to come here on a student or H-1B visa because the Trump regime is riding roughshod over the Constitution of the United States.

On Sunday, the Trump regime deported hundreds of Venezuelan nationals from the United States under the centuries-old Alien Enemies Act — which until now has been used only in times of war — even though a federal judge blocked the decision and ordered planes carrying some of the Venezuelans to turn back to the United States.

On Sunday night, Trump told reporters that the Venezuelans he sent back to Venezuela were “bad people.”

But no one can take Trump’s word that these were “bad” people. Trump routinely uses the term “bad people” to refer to those who oppose or criticize him, or whom he dislikes.

Whatever your reason for wanting to come to the United States — as a visitor, a student, or an H-1B skilled worker — you might reconsider your plans.

Deciding not to come would send a signal that you’re justifiably worried about your safety and security here and you are as repulsed by the Trump regime’s attacks on democracy as are most of us Americans.

#robert reich

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twistedwonderlandshenanigans · 2 months ago

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@lumdays I'm pointing at you. Thank you for delivering the brain worms that are @alli-ily au, please notice me prince!!

((If at any point my worldbuilding conflicts with anything you initially had planned, feel free to to tell me ^^))

Story Time!! Sorry for yapping

Once upon a time, Queen Maria Alyana Castello ruled over the peaceful Kingdom of Soledosa. The island, rich with life and culture, thrived as more people from near and far heard of the idyllic coast, the fruit trees, and most importantly, the leaps and bounds they were making in their naval engineering. For years, the island had healthy trading relationships and a booming tourist market; a bridge was erected to connect the island to the mainland. While it took ages to complete, the celebration the night it was finished has been unmatched. Though there were no prominent nations nearby, the people finally had options for how they wanted to travel. The kingdom thrived, the Queen was loved, and the citizens, they were happy. Sometimes, if you stood at the edge of the mainland, a light breeze was more than enough to let you hear the joy and music that rang through the city.

That was over twenty years ago.

Where there was once an island, anyone peering from the mainland would see nothing but grey rocks arranged meticulously into a ridiculously large wall. The shore is visible, and on clear days, you can catch the glimmer of a golden spire poking out from over the wall; one that you could rightfully assumed to the castle.

There are chunks of a bridge still visible, weathering the storms of time, left in uncertainty if they will ever be a part of something bigger again.

On stormy days, when the water churns, and the wind blows, you have to be extra careful to not fall in. The water around Soledosa is no longer safe, hundreds of ships destroyed and discarded, done for no other reason than to make it difficult for large ships from other countries to make it to the shore; and nearly impossible for anybody from inside the walls to, somehow, navigate their way through the shipwreck graveyard to get to land.

When you stand at the edge of the mainland, you're met with nothing more than the rhythmic lapping of waves, a palpable absence in the air, even if you have never visited before. The silence hangs in the air like an omen.

I come here everyday.

Not much changes, but it is my duty, to my princess, to her people.

Every now and again, one of the commonfolk manages to slip through the wall, and waits for my signal.

As long as I can keep telling them she's alive, the people can cultivate hope, harness their anger, and hold strong until she arrives.

Maybe on that day, the people will truly, forgive me for what I've caused.

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Characters:

Maria Alyana Castello: Current monarch of Soledosa. About twenty years ago, her most trusted seer relayed a prophecy in which she was told that her reign would be felled by a weapon stronger than man could forge. Shortly after, her husband became ill, and passed away from 'mysterious causes.' As a paranoid, now single mother, Maria saw it in both her own and her people's best interest if she cut them off from the rest of the world. If her people could get no ideas from the outside world anymore, there was no way that they would be able to develop something beyond man's capabilities, right? Her daughter would be safe from attempts on her life, and the people should be happy with maintaining their beautiful island. In her isolation and fear, Maria grows more irrational and cruel, taking pride in the absolute power she has over her people, and using it to her advantage. Anyone who dares defy her runs the risk of a death sentence, or, the less lucky ones end up suffering in the dungeon.

Xenos Tiberio Morrow: The Seer. After the queen's descent into madness, he couldn't help but feel personally responsible for the actions she took as a result of his prophecy. He helped the princess escape all those years ago, and knows returning now would make for an extravagant bloody show. He lives on the edge of the mainland in a humble hut, focusing his time and energy on finding the princess and confirming her well being. (whether this is like, the ability of connecting to a higher power or if its his magic depends on the world building of the au /lh ^^)

Viz⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ Castello: Soledosa's heir and only hope. Since she was twelve, she would sneak out of the castle to supply the commonfolk with food, water and medicine. She learned plenty from them in exchange, like what life was like before, first aid, different languages, and more. Eventually, when she was sixteen, she was caught, and her mother instigated a mass killing of all those who had interacted with her daughter, taking it as a threat to her rule. During the absolute chaos of the executions, a few locals helped drag her out of the fray and to a hidden exit in the wall. The only thing the locals couldn't do, was teach her how to fight. Over the past four years, Viz has turned herself from a princess to a warrior under the moniker of the Scarlet Crusader; a rogue knight who wears armour of red (and possibly white or black or gold, its still a WIP LMAO) as a promise to avenge those who fell in order to allow her to help the rest of her people. While nobody on the mainland knows about her noble heritage, (and in many cases, her identity is credited to that of a man), she is known for many missions she has taken on, sometimes getting hired by other nobility to carry out certain tasks. (Depending on worldbuilding, I was thinking that she could also receive a cursed sword or ring because I wanted to find a way for her morals to become grey, but there are other ways in case magic isn't a part of the au!! /Lh/gen)

I was also debating Bard Cater to be the 'just a silly little guy' x 'badass' archetype LMAO but idk if I'll go through with it

Anyways, I can't wait to hear more about this au, and best of luck with your studies op ^^

#v talks #twst #twisted wonderland #twst au #twst oc #oc: vizzie #oc: vizzie castello #vizzie castello #I haven't even introduced Xenos to tumblr yet properly lmfao #oc: xenos #oc: xenos morrow #xenos morrow #this au has been munching on my brain for a little while lol #apologies if the tone/storytelling doesn't feel fitting #I will change it if needed /lh/gen #Please Notice Me Prince!!♡

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globalnewscollective · 20 days ago

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Planning a Trip to the U.S.? Your Social Media Could Get You Banned or Detained

Thinking about traveling to the U.S.? You might want to reconsider. New immigration policies under the Trump administration are making it harder—not just for immigrants, but for tourists and business travelers as well. (Sources: The Sunday Standard, Business Standard)

What’s Changing?

Extensive Background Checks on Social Media – The government is now requiring visa applicants and immigrants to submit years’ worth of social media history for background checks. Any post deemed "un-American" or "disrespectful" toward the government could result in visa denial or even detention.

Longer Visa Processing Times – Stricter screening measures are leading to significant delays for tourists, students, and workers.

Increased Rejections & Deportations – Those flagged during the social media vetting process risk not just visa denials, but even deportation if already in the U.S.

How Does This Affect You?

Your Social Media Activity Is Under Scrutiny – If you apply for a U.S. visa, your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and even private messages could be examined for any sign of criticism against the government or its policies.

Speaking Out Could Get You Detained – Under Executive Order 14161, individuals who have expressed "disrespect" toward the U.S. president online can be labeled as security threats. In extreme cases, this could result in being placed in deportation proceedings or even in immigration detention.

Travel Delays & Cancellations – Tourists planning trips to the U.S. may face months-long wait times for visas, making last-minute travel nearly impossible.

Discrimination & Profiling – These policies disproportionately affect travelers from Muslim-majority countries and people of color, increasing the risk of unfair denials.

Economic Consequences – Tourism and business travel are major contributors to the U.S. economy. If visitors face too many hurdles, they might take their money elsewhere.

The Bigger Picture

These changes don’t just inconvenience travelers; they reflect a broader effort to isolate the U.S. from the world while tightening control over free speech. Policies that target immigrants today can easily expand to restrict other visitors tomorrow. If these measures continue unchecked, even those with valid reasons to visit—students, researchers, or professionals—could find themselves shut out.

Executive Order 14161 and the aggressive expansion of background checks send a clear message: dissent will not be tolerated. By monitoring and punishing individuals for their online speech, the U.S. government is moving closer to authoritarian control. Travelers, immigrants, and even citizens may find themselves self-censoring out of fear that their words could be used against them.

What Can You Do?

Be Aware – If you’re planning to travel to the U.S., prepare for increased scrutiny.

Protect Your Privacy – Be mindful of what you post online, as it could be reviewed during the visa process.

Speak Out – Governments and travel organizations should push back against policies that restrict free movement and personal privacy.

Support Digital Rights Advocacy – Groups fighting against government overreach in online surveillance need public backing.

The U.S. has long been a top destination for travelers, but these new restrictions could change that. If tourism, free speech, and international collaboration suffer, America itself will pay the price.

https://www.business-standard.com/finance/personal-finance/us-immigrants-may-soon-need-to-share-social-media-details-with-uscis-125030600619_1.html

#usa politics #us politics #politics #american politics #political #us government #trump is a threat to democracy #donald trump #travel #immigration #immigrants

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soup-mother · 1 year ago

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yanks moving to mexico "because they can't afford to (comfortably) live in the US anymore" while still getting paid in US dollars and fucking up the economy really gets to the heart of the Expat vs immigrant thing.

I'm not the most knowledgeable on it (I'm not in north america) but like from where I'm standing the incredibly tight control on the US-Mexico border really does seem to have that double use of making immigration to the US so difficult while letting yanks travel down to mexico for cheap drugs or medication or holidays or even housing while still having all the benefits of being a US Citizen with a US job paying in US dollars.

which i guess is pretty similar to how Australians treat south east asia as cheap tourist or medical destinations ("just go to thailand" for like beauty surgeries and stuff) meanwhile it's very difficult to get into Australia coming from those countries.

#my post #anti yank action #australia #hopefully this makes sense

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forsoobado137 · 5 months ago

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Hi , i discovered your account a little while ago and i really enjoyed your nation revealed au posts and i wanted to know if you had more France nation revealed au headcanons because your posts about him are hilarious and he's my favourite character

OUAIS FRANCEEEEE! Oh my god there's so much. He would thrive in the spotlight. He's very charming and good looking, so he knows how to control public opinion. I'm not trying to say that every citizen loves him, but he's a very admired national treasure. The French gov takes advantage of this and tries to make him announce things so they'll be taken more lightly. He attends political press conferences and stuff, but he's usually there to look pretty and distract people from getting mad. It's become a bit of a meme like "when they bring out Mr. France, shit's going to hit the fan."

He's been in a few movies back in the day. But he was usually cast as an extra because the gov didn't want whatever erotic scene he was in to "taint the national reputation". He usually does voice cameos in movies now, and he DEFINITELY made a cameo in Ratatouille (he had one line). The only physical cameos he makes are in historical documentaries.

As the "nation of fashion", He's also starred in many beauty commercials, and has been on many magazine covers (duh). He attends fashion shows to support designers, and his tweets during fashion week are always a highlight. He starts a lot of trends too. Luxury brands see his influence and trample over each other for his endorsement.

His social media personality depends on the site. I made a more in depth post here, but I'll sum it up. His twitter is where he posts his "philosophical musings" with a side of memes. His Instagram is where he is in peak slut form, but he posts normal French stuff periodically to get his boss off his back. His Tiktok is a mix of Twitter and Insta, but more focused on making cooking videos and trends. He also loves posting about his cat, and makes matching outfits for him. he often features other nations in his posts, and films them doing mundane silly things.

Since France is the most visited country in the world, he has a lot of interactions with tourists. He does his whole "charming Frenchman" schtick and gives little tours around Paris. He also does tours at the Louvre, though he usually cares more about the paintings involving himself. Despite the fun, he always has to deal with people being disrespectful and entitled to him. It's even worse now in the age of the internet, where everyone's trying to have their fifteen minutes of fame. People record themselves trying to ask him on a date, flirt with him, kiss him, and other things when he's just trying to get his coffee. He politely turns them down, but he's punched many a tourist before.

France has also been in some scandals. He's had many sex scandals. Too many to count. So many that it's not even considered a scandal when he's caught sleeping with powerful people or being indecent in public. He's a very passionate person. He has been arrested many times, often while at protests. He can also get very confrontational with the paparazzi on a bad day. Those videos often go viral, and people talk about how "unhinged" he is (and say he's "iconic" or whatever). Obviously, his outbursts and police confrontations are a very bad look for the gov. But there's not much they can do to stop him without public backlash. So usually they make him apologize.

He's often invited to talk shows and interviews both in France and abroad. For the serious interviews, it's usually about political and historical stuff. For talk shows, it's a mix of "he's so hot" and trying to make a spectacle out of his eccentric moments. Hosts are usually respectful, but English-speaking ones will often poke fun at his English, and sometimes do stuff like "say squirrel" to laugh at his accent. They'll also joke about his "meltdowns" and stuff (half the time they're moments where he's in mental distress).

#hetalia #forsoobado answers #anon #hetalia headcanons #aph france #hws france #hetalia france #francis bonnefoy #nations revealed au #hetalia public au #this was a looooong post #I tried to fit everything in #he's like elegant #and messy also #he tries to put out the image of a refined sexy frenchman #but sometimes his eccentric side comes out #theres more like how he feuds with England publicly #especially after brexit #the internet just sits back with the popcorn

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someoneelsepx · 4 months ago

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TERAPHOBIA LORE DUMP

Hell yeah

In Teraphobia, each island is sorta like its own country, and while each island/country's culture varies, a few things are largely the same across most, if not all, islands. Those things include:

- Skyships are used as public transportation.

- Random eyes are pretty commonly found around the landscape and architecture of most islands, and nobody except Cameron questions this.

- City/town/villiage designs and architecture are intentionally built to properly accommodate for all native monsters varying anatomy and differing abilities/disabilities.

- During seasonal events, most monsters travel to the island the event is hosted on, making tourism very common {Like, people visit Plant Island for Spooktacle, Fire Haven for Feast Ember, Water Island for Eggs-travaganza, ect ect}. Since seasonal events last for around a week, monster tourists often stay in hotels overnight to celebrate.

- Clothes are optional. Neither nudity or modesty is seen as weird. And, socks with sandals is considered fashionable {this is canon in MSM}

- Breeding isn't seen as anything sacred, romantic, sexual, or anything like that. It's just something done casually between friends to keep the population up, plain and simple. Because of this, monsterlings are not raised by any one by-blood "family" {stuff with monster genetics/biology means those don't exist} and are raised by the community as a whole, finding their own family in the process.

- Most monsters are at least somewhat religious, and the closer you get to the Celestial Sanctuary, the more religious monsters you get. Atheists are seen as weird because the Celestials and Colossals are literally right there {this is not me making fun of atheists, I am atheist lmao}. They only have one religion {with different ways to practice it}, only the odd few follow human religions. The religion itself will be elaborated upon later gkszglsglzglzog

- Monsters can choose to buy their own home to live in, or live in castles {which are more apartment-like than castle-like} for free. Castles offer the same quality of life as owning your own home, albeit you might have to deal with the occasional annoying neighbor.

- This should be a given but music is VERY important to them. Not being musically inclined, even slightly, as a monster is seen as a disability.

- And more I haven't thought of yet HA-

Individual island cultures under the cut, because it's gonna be a lot. Note that I'm not gonna do all of them because I don't have lore for all of them.

PLANT ISLAND

Plant Island is the second largest largest island in size {being about the size of the continental United States of America} and the largest in terms of population and diversity. The island landscape itself is a blend of peaceful, quiet forests and loud villiages and cities, both bursting with color and life.

Similarly to the USA, Plant Island is a bit of a cultural melting pot. Because of its diverse population, you can find a little bit of everything depending on where you go; though, one thing that stays consistent is a deep connection with nature and a love for all things spooky.

{The main character, Handler-Helper Cameron, lives in the currently unnamed capitol city of this island.}

COLD ISLAND

Cold Island, despite being the largest island in terms of land, has a relatively small population because most of the land is just not habitable for monsters {although the populationis still decently large}. Kinda like Canada or Russia. I haven't thought much about the culture other than they value found family and generosity, and that the towns there are very similar to Snowdin from Undertale.

AIR ISLAND

Air Island is a stereotypical steampunk paradise, comprised mostly of floating islands and large cities, with very little walkable ground. Most citizens are avian monsters and the monsters that aren't have to travel by skyship to get anywhere.

This island's culture values love {whether it be familial or otherwise} and romance, making it a very popular vacation spot for anniversaries.

They also have a lot of fancy restaurants.

EARTH ISLAND

Florida

Literally just fucking Florida

They have natural disasters galore, namely earthquakes, so their buildings are sturdy and built especially to handle things like that. They also have a large Wubbox population because they have frequent power outages {self-explanatory} and therefore need backup generators.

Even when they're not having a random earthquake, the place is still absolute chaos. Just think of any Florida Man™️ story and I can garuntee you it's happened there /hj

{Despite this, the monsters there are still surprisingly kind and have a strong sense of community, always helping out those affected by natural disasters even outside the island when they can.}

SHUGABUSH ISLAND

Shugabush Island is the one of the smallest islands by far, only being the size of a small rural town in the South; it has a population of less than 100 monsters, and is the home of the Shugafam {who are individual monsters in this AU instead of a species family}. Life there is pretty simple, and almost everyone knows each other. Overall just a chill place for the most part.

More often than not, the island is quiet; however, every one in a while, the Shugafam hold concerts there and the island lights up with life and country fans from all over the Taurus visiting to see.

AMBER ISLAND

Amber Island is like a blend of Native American and black culture, with a focus on community and healing. Very small, like Shugabush Island. Not gonna elaborate more because I'm white and haven't done enough research to represent this accurately.

PSYCHIC ISLAND

{My descriptions ger slightly shittier from here as I have less developed for them, sorry}

Psychic Island is a bit weird. They're very spiritual, with an emphasis on holistic medicine and other hippie shit that I don't know how to word. However, they also highly value education and have some of the best schools and most exapnsive libraries in the monster world. It's also fairly large, and is mostly comprised of big cities.

FAERIE ISLAND

Faerie Island is like something straight out of a Faerie tale book, and no I don't mean the weird and fucked up original versions. More like, idk, Shrek? Yeah, Shrek. That sounds right. Idk how to elaborate more than that.

BONE ISLAND

Bone Island is less of an island and more of an elaborate underground cave system full of water that may-or-may-not be safe to consume and beautiful crystal formations that connect all other underground islands together {like Haven, Wublin, Water I think, ect.}. Despite the cave system being massive, the area where monsters actually live in is comparatively small. Culturally, they're very similar to Hispanic cultures on Earth and have a notably strong connection to the Beat Hereafter {mostly because it's where Clavaveras are native to, who can literally speak to the dead}.

ETHEREAL ISLAND

Ethereal Island is the embodiment of surrealism; because it's located in the pocket dimension, they're very isolated and most things in there are almost impossible for any outsider to understand. Quite a few areas are incorporeal, landscapes are constantly shifting, twisting, and turning making it almost impossible to navigate without help from a native, their technology is leaps and bounds more advanced than we could ever dream of, and the atmosphere is toxic to boot.

It's absolutely gorgeous there tho, if you don't end up with a debilitating migraine from trying to process everything.

MAGICAL SANCTUM

Similar to Ethereal, just more tribal.

CELESTIAL SANCTUARY

Celestial Sanctuary...

...Will get its own dedicated post because I am obsessed with the Celestials and ended up giving them too much lore for my own good. Just note, it is a lot different from the rest of the islands.

#cassidy speaks #my singing monsters #teraphobia au #zoophobia

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