#me: i love caucasian clothes and culture

[magnoliamyrrh]

theres something funny to be abt how all white ppl here are caucasian except. caucasian is a certain part of the world with a certain culture which is. drastically different from white ppl in the west

[bonecarve]

STATS,

NAME. takuma ino note. most people refer to him by his first name rather than his family name, regardless of familiarity. he is also frequently called ino-kun rather than ino-san. AGE. twenty-one BIRTHPLACE. yokohama, japan BIRTH DATE. may 17 ETHNICITY. mixed ( japanese-asian mother, american-caucasian father ) FAMILY. takuma mayumi ( mother ), corey walker ( father ), takuma eito ( older brother ), takuma nao ( eldest brother ) PROFESSION. jujutsu sorcerer AFFILIATION. tokyo metropolitan curse technical college CLASSIFICATION. second grade TECHNIQUE. mediumship ( spirit summoning )

HAIR COLOUR. brown, worn in a mid-length shag EYE COLOUR. brown HEIGHT. 5’7, or 170cm SKIN. freckles along the bridge of his nose BUILD. lean-athletic, favouring agility over strength PIERCINGS. nose, earlobe ( three times on the left side, twice on the right ) DRESSING STYLE. streetwear. dark colours. oversized and baggy clothes (shorts and short-sleeves, privately; long sleeves and pants, professionally). beanies. sneakers. layers. NOTABLE SCARS. large scar across the left side of his forehead. thin scar beneath his right eye, along the orbital bone.  OTHER. ino permanently lost the use of his right eye following his altercation with fushiguro tōji. ( note: the manga implies that ieiri shoko was able to regenerate his eye in some way. i'm choosing to retcon this. )

MORAL ALIGNMENT. lawful good with chaotic tendencies PERSONALITY TYPE. esfj — the consul ( extroverted, observant, feeling, judging ) DEFINING TRAITS. adaptable, naive, optimistic, insecure, caring, altruistic.

BIOGRAPHY,

tba. cool mom raises cool sons. immigrant father fails to assimilate and dips out back to america</3 the whole family would’ve gone together, but SOMEONE had to manifest the legacy cursed technique. mayumi and the boys stay in japan; corey becomes a long-distance father. um. there’s more to it than that. i’ll write it out eventually xoxo

TRIVIA,

ino was the only sorcerer in his graduating class. because of this, his ties to the college proper are perhaps a little looser than those of his peers

he is a legacy sorcerer on his mother’s side, but the takuma cursed technique skipped several generations before manifesting in ino. it did not manifest in his elder siblings

other than nanami, he prefers to spend his time with non-sorcerers. all of his friends are non-sorcerers who ( up until the aftermath of the shibuya incident ) cannot perceive curses or cursed energy. this is an intentional effort on his part. because the job is so emotionally and mentally taxing — and because the risk of losing comrades is so high — he surrounds himself with people and places unrelated to jujutsu culture

he’s an accomplished athlete in tokyo’s skateboarding subculture

tbh he’s garnered a bit of a reputation for being a partier. this guy loves a drinking game. don’t challenge him to a round of pong — you will lose

ino has a fascination with american (rap) culture due to the lingering influence of his absent father and a subconscious desire to feel closer to him

he’s constantly rocking airpods, but they’re hardly ever visible beneath his hat and hair. if you say something to him and he acts like he hasn’t heard it — it’s not an act. he really can’t hear shit past the earbuds

after losing the vision in his right eye, he struggles with balance and depth-perception; however, his channelling abilities have improved. due to his partial blindness, he spends several months post-shibuya remastering his martial art and skateboarding skills

VERSES,

CANON. compliant with current manga developments. in theory i have more to say about it than this. in practice i currently don’t tbh please hold. 

URBAN FANTASY. ino is a medium with the power to summon spirits and channel their respective abilities. while he originally treats these as a party-trick of sorts (à la talk to me), he eventually comes to harness them as a force for good. he daylights as a skateshop employee and moonlights as a vigilante with an unconventional set of abilities, living life with one foot in reality and the other in the spirit realm. ino could probably do more good than he does — have a greater impact against the evils of the world than he does — but he tends toward minimizing his own potential and settling for less.

DEVELOPMENT,

faceclaim

tba

[artsyaprilmr]

Hi there! If you're comfortable talking about it, I'd love to hear more about your process creating Armenian OCs 😊 I've been wanting to incorporate more cultural aspects into my characters (particularly in a fantasy context, like dungeons & dragons) but I'm a bit lost about where to start. Ty! 🙏🏻

Hi! When making an OC, I work on 1. Name, 2. Appearance, 3. Personality and 4. Background. The process is the same for all of my OCs, though armenian OCs are influenced by my own experience and life more than the others :^) I go into more details under the cut!

If my main goal is the representation of cultural elements (ESPECIALLY in a fantasy setting), I focus mostly on naming and appearances. On the other hand, for characters that exist in a world similar to ours background would be much more important. I could explain the logic behind this too, but this would turn into a HUGE text and I'm trying to get to the point as efficiently as possible lol

I tried to keep this as short as possible, so if you'd like any clarifications or have any more questions, feel free to send me another ask or a dm! <333

But let's get back to fantasy! So, if I'm making an armenian coded character in a fantasy setting, I always go for an ethnic name. I feel like non-common (by western standards) names fit really well in fantasy worlds. You can also get away with using old/very traditional names because of this imo.

Appearance, like facial features, clothes and hairstyles also help to bring some parts of the real culture into a fantasy world. With facial features you have to be very mindful to not make a caricature on accident. Despite being armenian I am not safe from this also - I have to think not only about the way I perceive the character, but also about how others perceive them too. For example, Minas (my PC for da:tv and bg3) originally had a big, hooked nose and a unibrow, but I've decided to get rid of a unibrow because both of these features combined reminded me too much of some nasty caricatures about Caucasians I've seen in Russia. Despite there being real armenians, both men and women, who have both of these features, I didn't want to play into a widely spread stereotype and strengthen it with my presentation of the character.

With clothes I am also very mindful about NOT using 1 to 1 copies of actual traditional clothing - I personally find it to be in a poor taste. Clothes are a real part of someone's very real culture, treating them as a fancy thing for some fantasy wizard to wear is wrong, imo. Though elements of ensemble, its embroidery and a silhouette, jewelry and hairstyles are good things to use in a character design! I personally like mixing and matching different elements until I find something I like :^)

Other than names and appearances, if I want to hint at a character being armenian, I add traditional instruments, dances, weapons, foods, maybe even some armenian collocations or words for them to use. In a fantasy world their personality can be whatever I want it to be, just like their background. Because there's no Armenia in a fantasy world, it's important to remember that all the "armenian" characters are actually just armenian coded or armenian inspired. I basically let only the cultural aspects build and affect the character, and not the historic and social aspects (though when you're making an OC that exists in the real world, these aspects are EXTREMELY important).

[shana-reviews-tmblr]

Speaking on my end as someone who is also Bi-racial.

I find Lily's entire stance on her heritage to be VERY questionable.

The only time she has ever, EVER, brought up her heritage was to clap back against criticism.

But what else has she done?

has she tried researching her linage so as to properly trace everything back so she could get in touch with her roots?

if so why not make content or videos talking about that journey? i'm sure her followers would love to see her story on how she is rediscovering herself?

things like language, art, clothing, foods, music, whatever, give us something to go with other than "I put a feather on my online avatar"

because from what i've seen Lily hasn't done anything to show she is in touch with this part of her heritage or cares about it except to use it as a shield.

that is not how this works

and I absolutely agree with you Crimson that this is a complicated situation, but if Lily was this hardcore about and took joy in knowing what her heritage is than why hasn't she tried to document that or do literally anything to show it knowing full well?

I bring all this up because when it came to my heritage, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by it growing up and even though i'm half Caucasian my other half is from a culture so unknown to the world that unless you dug it up or knew about it from history books (which even then we're only mentioned as having been property to 3 different countries) that culture being from Guam where my people are called Chamorro

But unlike Lily, I at least embraced my culture and did what i could to learn about it, be it from my own father, my grandfather, uncles, etc. and was lucky enough to have family who basically lived it. then after moving to Guam i learned more of our history, dances, foods, our own folklore and legends.

I can honestly back my claim to my heritage, can Lily?

that's what honestly frustrates and infuriates me so much with Lily and her heritage and how some people defend her or say this should be something we never use against her.

I'm POC, and I call BS on Lily.

Your heritage and linage, no matter how difficult or complicated it is to learn it

IS NOT A SHIELD TO PROTECT YOUR LYING ASS FROM CRITICSM!!!

Is Lily Orchard actually Indigenous or is she just larping as one to get "PoC" points? Because whenever people bring topics relating to ethnicity she is very dismissive, despite claiming being "supportive".

I've said many times before that you can't throw a rock in Nova Scotia without hitting someone with indigenous ancestry.

However

that does not make that person M'ikmaq, Cherokee, Iroquois, Fox, etc.

It's.... complicated. My own ancestry is complicated, too. So i get it. I'm no snob about blood quantum. It's complicated due to the genocide committed against indigenous peoples.

Lily claims to be displaced... that's not entirely accurate to the term. Lily and her immediate family was not ever displaced. They owned their own home growing up and were never forced to move, and very importantly, never lived on a reservation... that's kind of the key to displacement.

The vast, vast majority of Lily's ancestry is white. Moreover, the one family tie she has back to indigenous ancestry came to Canada for work of his own free will... Lily has no ties to the indigenous peoples of Nova Scotia. That's not her fault, and most indigenous communities, including the M'ikmaq community local to her, are welcoming of people looking to reconnect to their roots, even if their tribal connection is geographically not local. This is how Hank and Sharp found connections to the community out in Ottawa and in Atlantic Canada. (Hank being Lily's grandfather, Sharp being her aunt, both of which I have personally met and discussed these matters with very intently prior to me ever hearing about Lily.)

What is actually being suppressed, at the end of the day, if you're white passing, like Lily and myself? It's the culture. To be considered indigenous, you need to have some sort of cultural or tribal connection. This is something that has been decided on by indigenous people, including people of mixed ancestry! If Lily has no interest in the culture, which is something she has outright rejected multiple times, then:

Lily is not "indigenous." If you are mostly white and you choose to assimilate you lose all claim to that term.

[theepisceswriter]

AOT characters with a black S/O (Zeke, Jean, Connie, Eren, Reiner)

Synopsis: I think the title is pretty self explanatory 🙈

TW: none really besides mentions of food, African-American culture only for right now sorry my foreign babes 😕, not proofread

ZEKE

Someone throw this man a black girlfriend with a dark or regular academia aesthetic P L S because he would love you to the point where he’s obsessed and treat you so good.

Loves finding neutral shades of beige, white, or brown that compliment your skin color nicely while the two of you are out shopping. Will literally come running from across the other side of the store with a brown jacket in his hand like “Look babe, this would compliment the brown of your skin so nicely 🥺 we gotta get Instagram pictures of you in this.”

He also enjoys finding academia type hairstyles and trying to make them work with your natural hair or braids. At least once a week he sends you a hairstyle he found on Tumblr and helps you later that night to try and achieve a black version of it.

The two of you most definitely have viral pictures floating around on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

He’s so soft and patient when it comes yo your hair because he has a beard, so he knows what it feels like having to keep up with something that requires a lot of work. He’ll often come into the bathroom to do his beard and offer you an extra pair of hands when it’s your wash day. His favorite part is to help you twist your hair because he likes seeing the finished product when you take them out.

He also uses your hair conditioners and oils in his beard because they make him smell otherworldly and he likes smelling like you. And yes, he has requested for you to braid his beard once but never again because you both thought he looked too weird like that.

Grisha is the awkward white dad who tries too hard to accept you and says stuff like “Hey, like the new hairdo 😃👍🏾.” Whenever you come around. Bless his poor heart, at least he’s trying and you know he means well.

JEAN

Worships you and the ground you walk on like 24/7. He’s so in love with you and makes sure to let you know that on the daily multiple times. And he’s such an amazing lover and avoids doing cringey shit like calling you chocolate or Nubian queen goddess.

Hangs with your uncles and all the other black men in your family because he thinks he’s cool like that, but they don’t mind at all cause they love him.

His mom is the sweetest mother in law ever. She gets along so well with all the women in your family and they’re always swapping recipes with one another. One day time you and Jean pulled up for Christmas and she had a dish filled with collard greens on the table and they were good too.

He has two chains around his neck dedicated to you: one is your name and the other one is the date you two became official. You also wear his name around your neck and you have a ring with his initials on it.

Getting jewelry is something the two of you do together very often. Matter of fact, swap meets are his favorite place to go to in general and his mind was blown when you first took him to one.

Asks you to put his hair in French braids at least once a month because the process is so therapeutic for him. He loves laying his head on his lap and watching as you make his braids so neat and cute. But be careful though because he does like to “Can you braid my hair? 🥺” his way into some coochie.

Don’t brother teaching him how to braid because even if he does get the hang of it after a couple of sessions with you he’ll always request that you do his hair.

You two have random rap battles with each other alllll the time. It’s pretty split between who wins, but often you’ll call him out for trying to use lyrics from other artists.

CONNIE

Did y’all know me and Connie are blood cousins? Both his momma and daddy black and his full name on his birth certificate is Cornelius Demetrius Jones Springer, so take that as you will…

BUT REALLY, Connie fits right in with you and your culture that it’s nearly identical to dating someone the same race as you.

He has a fitted cap with your name sowed into it on the side with a cute heart right by it. It’s his go to hat and he points is out to everyone who doesn’t know about it.

Has most definitely dragged you along with him to go take one of those 2000’s-esque photoshoots with the airbrushed backgrounds. He even made the two of you dress alike and color coordinate because he’s extra like that and the photos are hanging all over your guy’s house. He carries around a mini version of his favorite picture in his wallet at all times.

You better not ever come around this man with messed up edges, visibly old braids, a too visible lace, etc because he will get on you bad and crack jokes about it the whole day because he’s a menace to society like that. No one besides him is allowed to do it though or he’ll get mad at them.

Do not ask this man to help you take down your braids unless you’re cutting them first because he will cut them crazy as hell and might even accidentally cut some of your real hair off too. He’s a master at dipping braids though, it’s something he takes pride in.

EREN

Literally a POWER COUPLE !

Eren will never have you out here looking wrong. The part on your lace is a little off? He’s telling your hairdresser to fix it! Thinks the hair you got looks too synthetic and shiny? He’s dropping big bucks to make sure you have some silky soft hair extensions.

Made you do him some baby hairs one day when he was wearing his signature ponytail as a joke, but now you’re obligated to slick up his edges for him at least once a week. He even has a silk scarf that he uses to tie them down with at night.

Is a master at finding filters on Instagram and Snapchat that don’t make your skin look Orange or pale so the two of you can have the cutest Instagram pictures together.

Walks around the house 24/7 singing 2000’s R&B songs at the top of his lungs because he’s a menace to society like that.

Supports all your financial needs when it comes to hair clothing or anything in general really. Need a new lace front? He’s wiring $700 to your account. Want a Teflar bag? He’s getting you one in every color. Some new shoes came out and you think they’re cute? He’s getting them for you !

REINER

Your aunties would L O V E a hardworking and burly man like Reiner.

He’s get so spoiled by them all the time whenever he comes around. Sometimes they pay attention to him more than they do you and best believe they slide him all the extra plates and desserts at barbecues. I just know he smacks down on a plate of soul food in like 5 minutes.

Speaking of soul food, you really lit up something in his Caucasian taste buds when you gave him a plate of soul food for the first time because now he’s OBSESSED. Every night he’s begging you to cook for him or asking you for the recipe so he can make it himself. His favorites are macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, and yams ☺️

Will bust a move on the dance floor if your family pressures him to get on it at events. He did a two-step with your aunt once at somebody’s wedding and nobody in your family has shut up about it since because they were surprised at how good he can dance. You were equally as surprised as them.

The best person to ask to help you with your hair because he’s so patient and will make sure that your parts are straight and perfect or use his hands to slick your ponytails up to the gods. He’ll do it exactly how you want it to look too and he makes sure it’s to your standard by checking in with you every now and then.

Encourages you to buy clips or little jewels whenever you take him to the beauty supply with you because he thinks you look so adorable when you wear them in your hair.

[chronic-boogara]

Hello! I saw that your matchups are open, can i ask one? 👉👈 If you don't want to, that's fine!! :)

Uh, well I'm a Brazilian girl, I'm 5'6" tall, I have an hourglass body shape (here this is how we say body shape, this shape is also called "guitar body") and skinny. My hair is brown and wavy, its roots are straight, and the ends are curly, I have two red strands in the front, and two in the back (similar to joey jordison). My eyes are hazel, and they say my face resembles a doll's, I don't know why (maybe it's because my face shape is round and I have chubby cheeks, my eyes are half doe eyes and a slightly fleshy mouth.)

I like horror movies, slashers, vampires, music (funk and goth songs), stories, makeup, taking pictures, being horny (joke), and so on. I'm goth and I love my subculture, but besides goth music, I like glam metal, black metal, heavy metal, death metal, nu metal, emo, grunge, international phonks and funks from my country (MTG, ela me m4mou na rua, vem comigo fazendo hey how, set 2k800).

My MBTI is ENFP and my love language is physical touch and words of affirmation, so I'm very needy and clingy with the ones I love, I'm always giving kisses and hugs, showing happiness, I'm terrified of blood and the dark (ironic, no ?) I like to hear people vent about their problems and give genuine advice. But I'm very attached, I don't see much of my partner's flaws, and because of that I'm very manipulable without realizing it, it's too late to realize and get out of a toxic relationship :( but the cool thing is that I get nervous and curse the slasher in my native language 🤠

"[slasher] VOLTA AQUI SEU ARROMBADO!!" "[slasher] GET BACK HERE YOU BREAKDOWN!!"

"SEU FILHO DA PUTA [slasher] DEVOLVE O MEU PEDAÇO DE BOLO!" "YOU FUCKER [slasher] RETURN MY PIECE OF CAKE!"

"[slasher] SENTA O CU NA CADEIRA!" "[slasher] SIT YOUR ASS ON THE CHAIR!"

Sorry, it was too long and my english is bad :(

𝐢 𝗺𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝗼𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡- 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝗼𝗼𝗺𝐢𝐬

♡your perfect slasher match the is the man himself ; billy loomis. while he’s a bit insane and blood thirsty he’ll save a spot on his cold heart just for you.

♡billy loves how cute you are, not that it would change his opinion on you but he just adores squeezing your cheeks and picking you up. he loves it when you’re angry because

♡you two have a similar taste in clothing and music. death metal is his favorite!! at first he only listened to it to annoy his father but he’s grown to love it. all forms of rock and metal >>. there are so many branches of the genre so he’s always down for something new. he will always make fun of it at first but sooner or later you’ll catch him listening to it. he’s just a stubborn sob.

♡billy will get a bit annoyed if you’re too clingy but he’s a sucker for you he can only resist you for so long. he secretly love shaving you on his arm especially in crowds. he LOVES

♡most of your dates revolve around horror movies. he doesn’t much like to go out.

♡he will be scaring you a lot after you reveal your fears to him. he will be popping out of dark corners , covering himself in fake blood, flashing the lights on and off all to get a reaction. if you get too upset he’ll stop but only for a bit. he loves you but having that power over you is essential.

♡if he is EVER out of line it’s a good thing you’re there to put him in his place. he needs a stern woman in the house with him.

♡billy is a bit toxic and will manipulate you if needed. if you aren’t doing things the way he likes it he’ll convince you that you’re making him sad and get you to do better. he has no problem using his charm on you.

♡as a caucasian man he will be very curious about your culture and where you come from. he thinks it’s a bit weird you don’t do things like people in this country but he grows to appreciate it eventually.

♡he will complain like a bitch if you ever ask to do his makeup but how can he resist those eyes ? just don’t make him wear it out in public okay ?

♡photography is a cool. on the off chance he ever lets you in on his little secret of him being ghost face he’ll have you take pictures of him with the bodies and in the costumes. or maybe you’ll just edit them since you don’t like blood. knowing billy he will most likely force you to take the photos anyway.

♡he’s very protective of you. he doesn’t like it when you’re alone with stu because he knows how unpredictable he can be sometimes. he always keeps an eye on you. if you see little red lights blinking in your house it’s just billy.

♡oh how billy loves you. he could never kill you, you’re his final girl <3

[aleapple1216]

Talbott’s Ethnicity

(First of all: English is not my first language, it’s Spanish. Sorry if I confuse the words between race, ethnicity, ancestry, heritage, and so on. I do not mean to offend anybody, and I would really appreciate any correction.)

Short answer: Talbott is mixed. His mother was probably a Native American descendant. He also has some caucasian heritage by his father’s side. His father was British. 

Okay, but hEar mE oUt

We know that Hogwarts Mystery shows a lot of diversity in terms of ethnicity. Some of them are pretty obvious, but when it comes to Talbott’s ethnicity it’s not clear. One day, I was on reddit and I saw a comment saying that Talbott was probably a Native American descendant, especially by his mother’s side; immediately I started to support that theory, and here's why:

- What do we know about Talbott's mother?

She was a (beautiful) white swan animagus

She was pretty skilled in herbology

She owned a huge garden filled with both magical and normal plants (including pumpkins)

She was a healer at St. Mungo's

She collected some muggle books, one of them being “Of mice and men”

She and her husband opposed Lord Voldemort in the First Wizarding War, but they never joined any kind of organization.

Short time before dying, she made two necklaces with her own feathers, one for her husband and the other for her son.

She was the one who taught Talbott how to become an Animagus so that he could escape if necessary.

She and Talbott were pretty close.

She and her husband were killed by Death Eaters between 1978 and 1981. Talbott managed to scape from this attack due to his animagus form.

Now, what does all that matters?

Well, because there are several things about her that make you think that she is a Native American descendant. In Pottermore, Rowling wrote this article that talks about Native American wizards in Harry Potter’s world. 

This article states that several of the branches of magic in which Talbott's mother and Talbott himself are skilled, are the most developed by ancient Native American cultures: herbology, healing, magic involving animals and also the use of assumed animal forms to escape from persecution.

And talking about assumed animal forms... She was a swan animagus. Swans representes grace, purity, beauty, love, fidelity, and also death. Okay, but it turns really interesting when you search for the swan meaning for Native American Cultures. For Native Americans, swans were sacred animals with a very deep spiritual and magical significance, especially in Shamanism. The swan by itself represents healing, and what was Talbott’s mum? A healer.

Also, did you know that a female shaman is called a “swan” in some Native American languages?

Finally, the matter of the feather necklaces. For North American cultures, feather jewelry was sacred; and it represented both protection and a special bond between the person who gave the gift and the person who received it.��Talbott's feather necklace is like a charm that his mother made to protect him from physical and/or spiritual danger. In fact, that necklace even looks like beads or a dream catcher; both are also talismans representative of Native American cultures.

Once we're done analyzing his mother, let's take a look at Talbott.

Physical appearance

In official art, Talbott is a slender and tall wizard (or at least, he’s taller than Penny, Jae and Chiara) with brown skin, hooked nose, reddish eyes, bIG eyebrows and dark brown hair that seems to be bleached on some parts (we don’t know if it’s natural, magical or chemical bleached).

So what? 

Well, some of his physical characteristics seem to indicate that he is of Native American and Caucasian heritage.

Native American features:

Eyebrows

Lips

Eyes

Skin

Nose

Caucasian features:

His very angular facial features

Slim complexion

Height

Hair

Wearing:

Within the game, Talbott does not have a set casual outfit. He is usually seen in the characteristic Hogwarts robes. But when it comes to the special events outfits, the things become more interesting.

Talbott seems to really like wearing boots. He wears boots in pretty much all of his outfits, except for Festival Fun. Also, he seems to enjoy wearing formal suits with ties. This doesn’t say nothing, but the jewelry he use does.

This jewelry consists on beads, turquoise bracelets, feathers in clothes and bolo ties. All of them are usually seen on traditional Native American jewelry. 

His chest omg

This is the bolo tie.

Why would you say that his father was British? It could be of any other nationality!

Because, first of all: Talbott couldn’t attend to Hogwarts if he wasn’t British or Irish.

Second, the name Talbott is a very English name. And also, his last name Winger has a deeply English origin.

So, what do you think? Do you support the theory?

[thelovelyghostwriter]

Yeah, the Little Nyonya featured polygamy as well. The main protagonists (mother and daughter) suffered because the grandmother was a 2nd wife. They were treated like servants by the 1st wife and had to do all the cooking. Very Cinderella kind of story. My favourite was the love story between the nyonya and the Japanese man. Talk about forbidden love at the brink of WW2.

The show was phenomenal in Singapore, gained so much viewership and highlight to Peranakan traditions. It meant a lot since local SG media don't get a lot of attention.

China did a remake of The Little Nyonya, but honestly I'd stick to the Singaporean version because the setting was in both Singapore and Malaysia in the original. It's closer to the heart too.

I adored Kurapika in the tang suit. He reminds me of what my boyfriend would wear for racial harmony. I think in the 2011 anime I don't see him wearing that. I always giggle because Kurapika's looks seem very caucasian (fair-skinned, blonde with navy/brown(?) eyes) yet his Kurta culture is very Asian (or at least POC).

I read somewhere on twitter that somebody asked a friend who works with historical/cultural traditional clothing and the friend said the closest for what Kurapika normally wears seemed to be an Indian ethnic clothing. Can't seem to find that tweet anymore. It's really hard to determine what Togashi took as inspiration for this, and different sources say different things. Hard to say which source is reliable.

Anyway, I'd like to imagine what someone would wear in a Kurta wedding. Will be interesting to imagine it.

Neon in Kebaya to visit me and @thelovelyghostwriter in her trip to Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia

The version of kebaya Neon is wearing is my favorite type (Kutubaru Kebaya), I always wear this type to semi-formal events.

Kebaya is officially recognised as the national attire of Indonesia,[10][15] and its fashion icon,[16] although it is more popularly worn by Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese people. In Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, it is recognized as one of its ethnic attires especially among Malay and Peranakan communities;[n 3] the complete outfit is known in these region as "sarong kebaya".[6] The style of sarong kebaya vary from place to place throughout the region.

[beoneofus]

✨ 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 ✨

HOLA! My name is Kaylaa :) but I go by my alias(?) which is Devany or Dev for short. I'm 18! ( 11/13 is my birthday ).

I'm 5'7 in height. I'm genderfluid, so call me any pronouns! It doesn't really matter to me <3. I'm pansexual, no lean on any gender and acceptance of everyone! I'm caucasian — a mix of German, Irish, Cherokee, Scottish —.

I love animals, especially Pumas or any in the feline family - they intrigue me. My favorite colors are midnight blue and black. I love horror movies! My all time favorite genre for tv/films. I love to read, and write, especially fan fiction! Nature, Darkness and Space are the top three things I'm obsessive over, in a curious kinda way. They have such a mysterious vibe that it's hard not to be. I live to draw, paint, color, really anything artistic - it's a lifestyle/hobby for me. My favorite sports are basketball and volleyball. I really enjoy nature walks. I love camping! My favorite smells are burning fire wood, wood smoke candle wax, and rainy whether. My favorite season is autumn. My favorite horror movies are House Of 1000 Corpses and The Lost Boys, My favorite Romance Movie being Paper Towns. My favorite TV show is like, a tough decision, but I'd have to decide on the Chucky TV Series or The Originals.

I have a total of 4 piercings! I did have more but... I sadly let them close :') I have 0 tattoos but I plan on getting a snake on my right arm. I love snakes, or any amphibian, they're really cool. I love music just as much as I love horror. My favorite bands are Nirvana, Falling In Reverse and Three Days Grace. My favorite music artists are K. Flay and Doja Cat ( plus a few more ), my music taste is all over the place.

I hate criticism but also love it, because although I'm real sensitive about it I do infact appreciate feed back. I hate bullies, from having my own experience as a kid. I hate judgemental people ( to an extent, Some is acceptable imo ). Hypocrites drive me up the wall. I hate the sound of scratching velcro, I swear I can explode. I hate tight clothes... so uncomfortable. I really despise bright lights. Hamburgers aren't my thing, keep those away from me. BUGS SCARE ME, and I mean shitless.

I'm atheist.. please don't come for me, thanks. I believe in the supernatural, including ghosts/spirits, vampires, skin walkers, etc. I really admire ancient things, they're so spiritual and full of mystery! Antique shops are cool, always count me in when going to those. Voodoo is really fascinating to me, along with dark magic. I'm into really dark things, kinda? I love skulls, or skull figurines. Fossils are really rad and unique. Don't even get me started on culture shops - im obsessed.

Anyways - this is about it? About me? It's really all I could think of. I hoooope this sums up how weird I am. Hopefully no one hates on me. :'')

[moonlit-imagines]

Hi! For the 5k thing, sorry if I’ve put too much!!! If you don’t mind doing this that is, it’s fine if you’re too busy! :D Congratulations!!! <333

Name: Jana Eliza

Gender + Pronouns: Female + she/her

Sexuality: Male-leaning biromantic demi greysexual (wow that’s long XD)

Fandom: MCU (excluding WandaVision characters)

Relationship: Romantic

Love Language: Quality Time as my primary, tie for Physical Touch/Words of Affirmation as secondary bc I’m touch and self esteem deprived 😂

Physical Traits: brown hair, blue eyes, Caucasian, short (5��1” ikkk 😭) but loves stilettos so usually a bit taller, not the cutest XD, IBTC but I have a good (not like big but good enough) a, idk what else to say lol

Personality Traits: Amicable & outgoing (I make best friends in minutes), been told I’m funny (pretty sure I’m just annoying tho lol), somewhat smart? I think???, ambivert, v emotive and expressive, get v passionate abt things, empathetic

Hobbies: Acting, Swimming, Writing, Reading, Singing, Ballet, Cooking/Baking, Researching, Learning Languages, some other stuff

Likes+Dislikes: LIKES: books!, food, eating, listening to music and dancing really badly around the house while I clean (srysly it’s such a good destresser), helping ppl, debates, professionalism, (also dressing professionally or dressing up for dances, my usual style is more casual obvs but I enjoy the suits and if you sharpen your stilettos you’ve got a nice weapon if things go south… if that breaks, it can be a good club too! Just some family friendly tips :D) FUNNY THINGS (I laugh all the time) specifically wit and dry humor (Monty Python? Tony Stark’s humor? Both are amazing) as well as sarcasm and satire;

Other Relevant Info: I want to join ROTC soon if I transfer to a school it’s at; hope to go into law (probably either as a public prosecutor, in foster care law to help with that, or family law to help ppl out of bad situations—basically, the law areas that aren’t as prosperous monetarily lol); trying to learn self defense and get back in shape; loves smoothies; i speak Spanish, English, some French (I read more than i speak), some Italian (I sing more than i speak), some German, currently learning Russian and ASL, hope to learn RSL as well, a minimal amount of Arabic, Hebrew, Finnish, know some basics of Ancient Greek and Latin; I love love love accents and am pretty good at them; I wear either heels or am barefoot and hate all other shoes (AND SOCKS I HATE SOCKS SO MUCH they’re THE WORSTTTT); definitely love memes too much and use incredibly obscure references 24/7; v good at English and writing compared to my classmates; love math and physics (ik, I’m weird like that) and logic puzzles; history is my favorite subject tho and I want to travel the world to immerse myself in different cultures; THE MOST sarcastic person you will ever meet; i say sorry way too much and ppl get onto me for it lol; so much more but this is long enough as is sorry abt that btw!!

CHOICE NUMBER: 4

all good my love, thank you!!!

i ship you with…

Scott Lang !!!

You two had a mission, it was very, very serious. Your world depended on it. It couldn’t go on without you and Scott doing what needed to be done. Clean the house. You and Scott always knew how to make any chore a blast, though, so this was going to be a breeze. You and him had speakers blasting, the perfect cleaning playlist. There was singing and dancing as you scrubbed down the showers, sinks, toilets. You swept and dusted, cleaned clothes and beds, and acted like you two were in a Disney Princess movie. When the day was finally over, you two made it to the couch with the food you ordered in and turned on a movie, recapping the wonderfully spent day in your mind.

5K Shipping Event!

[saintthousand]

What i wish to see in tesvi: long post

Bretons aren't just french-inspired people who like to cook! They're half elves and should have slightly pointy ears! You should be able to modify their magic ancestry and maybe give a little variation to their pointy ears. Also: it could work as a subrace but REACHMEN! Give us different tattoos and facemarkings! Make everyone react differently if your character is a Reachperson or looks like your typical medieval breton! Make nord npcs react to a breton differently if they have rechamen face tattoos! Allow us to learn different spells depending on the cultural background.

Argonians should be able to have those fin-like things give us the full dinosaur experience of argonians! I don't know much about their lore but they come in all shapes. Also there should be different options/quests/reactions/dialogue in-game regarding the Hist, sithis, etc.

Altmer. They should look like in Skyrim, not just like a typical Caucasian Imperialist, leave that look for imperials. They are Golden! Maybe let them shine! Let us adorn our altmers with beautiful makeup and jewelry, let other altmer npcs react calmly to our altmer but make almost all human races act a bit nervous around the altmer.

Dunmer. Ok so i dont really know much about dunmer but they should have more depth to their magic talents! Give us dunmer-based and exclusive spells! Make argonians judgemental towards us and give us mORE FIRE. Also about how they look: theire not just grey, in oblivion they also look blue-ish and purple! Give us more colors! Also also: why do they have to look all wrinkly? ESO dunmers look better i guess.

Nords. Make them real barbaric, i think theyre really well done, specially in Skyrim. It would be nice if we had giantborns / titanborns or something like that. BUT GIVE US A REAL NORDIC PANTHEON!!!! Make them mention shor, talos, alduin not just in battle!!! And even if they're not talented in magic, give us storm/weather/snowy spells or just nature based spells specially for hunting, make them less affected by animal attacks like bears idk. Also let other npcs react to them depending if they're human or elf you know

Redguards. I DEMAND A LOT FOR REDGUARD CULTURE. we need a really different pantheon, we already know there's differences so please if tesvi is based in part in hammerfell dont do like skyrim and just throw the imperial pantheon. Also maybe they have desert based spells to help them survive in long journeys, maybe related to ancient left-handed elves' sand magic??? We need a lot of lore and i hope they deliver. We also need a lot of magic/weapons/culture/quests related to them being the best sailors. Give us war with the maormer! Give us war with the elves! Give us war with the sload and lots of piracy and tales!

I'm pretending left-handed elves are extinct or supposed to be extinct like falmers or snow elfs. I doubt they'll appear as playable races but i want to know what happened to the rest of the snow elfs! Maybe we can get close to a community of survivors of both races? Have access to their technology, weapons, armor, spells like sand-"bending" of the sinister elves, or snow/sun magic from the snow elves

I also doubt we'll be able to play as dwemer BUT since there's a theory about them disappearing because they got yeeted to the future maybe we can see them in tes VI. A lot of them. All of them. Maybe the main quest goes around them re-claiming their abandoned cities. Give us lore about their telepathy, tuning, give us followers and machines please. Even if they dont appear, give us dwemer technology

Khajiit. Ok so if tesvi is partly located in hammerfell, khajiits surely make a huge population since its also a desert. So dont give us just khajiiti caravans. Give us full khajiit marketplaces, guilds, factions, martial arts, etc. It'd be nice to allow us more customization, maybe even allow us to select from two or three humanoid khajiit forms, give us manes, and a lot of adornments. Make them excellent merchants and the most agile race please.

BOSMER! One of my favorite races. GIVE US THE HORNS, give us the chance to make our skin green, have tree-markings, AND IF I WANT TO, GIVE ME THE CHANCE TO FOLLOW THE GREEN PACT! Give us pointy teeth and exclusive marksman talents. I doubt we well be given the wild hunt but maybe we can witness it, or maybe they can extend the "command animal" power into a more powerfull version, let me ride a bear, let me pet any wolf, let me carry snakes idk

Imperials. Ok i know they're the almost the most boring race but it would be nice if they could be based not just off the Roman Empire, but all their colonies as well. Make them excellent at adapting to new cultures. Maybe as an imperial character we suffer the less prejudice except for altmers or something, make them versatile and not just roman, make them not exclusively caucasian, give us Mediterranean vibes, phoenicians, northern african-inspired clothing and weapons depending if theyre imperials from cyrodiil, or born in hammerfell. It would be nice if nocs had some sort of ayleid possessions.

Orcs. I WANT TO SEE THE DRAGONTAIL MOUNTAINS. i want the drama of every clan. But i need to see more than just their brute type. I need to know more about their magic, rites, etc. I want to see their soft side. I want to see that theres more to their fixation with battle, war and lineage, let us see honor, sacrifice and love in the most alien way but show us that theyre not just green tanks. Also their architecture: *chef (chief) kiss*

MAORMER. So its not exactly a playable race, if the game is going to be set in the illiac bay, hammerfell etc. I NEED TO SEE THE FISHY PIRATES AND THEIR HUGE SNAKES. IM A THIRSTY BOY FOR THE SEA ELVES. Give us the chance to play as them, maybe they only have small properties in big ports (i see it as the Nauts in Greedfall) , give us white and slightly iridescent scaly skin. Storm and snake magic all the way! Weather magic! Fog magic! Tridents, harpoons instead of bows, pirates pirates pirates. ALSO MAKE EVERY ALTMER HATE THEM.

Give us a quest involving a forbidden romance between a noble high elf in a breton embassy, soon to be wed unwillingly to a breton noble for family interest, BUT its our job to help them escape with a sea elf pirate or sailor because they're in love!!!!!!!! Make it gay if possible. Give us the gay pirates Todd! Please im begging you!

[virgovalidation]

Get To Know Me!!

So you guys really don’t know that much about me so i figured I would do the GTKM tag without anyone having to send me in questions

What is your full name? Secret! (Revealing my socials and more at 1.5k!)

What does your name mean? I believe it means Youthful

Are you named after anyone? Yes but no

Does your name make any interesting anagrams? nope

If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to? I really like weird and unique names, after watching ‘You’ I fell in love with the name Peach.

Where are you from? A small place in Canada (Revealing at 1.5k)

Where were you born? ^

Where did you grow up? ^^

Who did you look up to growing up? Even before I really got into playing hockey, I really loved Meghan Agosta from team Canada’s Womens Hockey team and I loved Jennie Finch as she also played a sport I was very passionate about. Same with Haley Wickenheiser! 

What are your best characteristics? My sense of humour and my forgivingness!

What are your favorite things about yourself? My strength. I have been through so so so so much that I am so shocked in myself for having such strength to still be kind to people and to look at myself and be able to change any wrong-doings I may have made in the past.

Which of your parents are you closest to? Neither

Which of your parents are you more like? A mix of both

Are your grandparents still married? One side yes, one side no

What relative was important to you growing up & why? Growing up I really wasn’t close to anyone of my relatives 

What is one thing that you’ve never revealed to your parents? That I was a little whore in high school, but they found out...

What would your parents have named you if you were the opposite gender? Hmmm... I am not sure

What do you call your grandparents? Grammy and Grampy

What is your best physical feature? A guy would say my curves. I was blessed with all the right curves. But I personally think my eyes, I have very unique eyes for a caucasian female!

What is your biggest accomplishment? Still being here!

What is your biggest fear? Things that I don’t know

What is your biggest regret? A lot of shit that happened throughout High School

What is your eye color? Brown

What inspires you? Progress

What is the most important thing in your life? I’m not sure how to answer this

What has required the most courage of you in your life so far? Seeking help

Who is your favorite actor? Bradley Cooper

Who is your favorite actress? Margot Robbie

Who is your favorite celebrity? Kylie Jenner

Who is your favorite musician? I love Florida Georgia Line and Dababy, I know a weird mix

Who’s your favorite person in the world? I don’t know, probably my best friend

What is your favorite childhood memory? Skiing or going to sports tournaments 

What is your favorite color? Pink!

What is your favorite cultural activity? Going to sporting events!

What is your favorite drink? at the bar: “Pornstar”, non-alcoholic: Orangsicle from Booster Juice!

What is your favorite fairytale? Aladdin

What is your favorite food? Chicken Parmigiana 

What is your favorite holiday destination? Orlando

What is your favorite ice-cream flavor? Mint Fudge

What is your favorite music genre? Country, but I listen to everything

What is your favorite physical activity? Going for walks, tennis

What is your favorite quote?  It’s from The Office...

What is your favorite snack? I love hot dogs LOL

What is your favorite song? “Look What God Gave Her” -Thomas Rhett

What is your favorite sport? Hockey

What is your favorite time of the day? Right before bed

What is your favorite type of clothing? Shoes!

What is your favorite way to pass time? Tiktok or doing my hair and makeup

What is the name of your favorite restaurant? The Cheesecake Factory or a local restaurant!

What is your all-time favorite town or city? Why? Toronto or New York, two cities with so much life!

[ardeawritten]

So your character wants long hair:

I have butt-length hair. No, really. Thick, neither curly nor straight, antique-bronze-lamp-colored hair. Oodles of it. Here’s what I’ve learned in the years of carting this (Caucasian, straight-to-wavy) extra-limb’s weight of headstuff around: (long text post under the cut)

-it grows about half an inch a month. (”How’d you get your hair this long?” “Uh...I don’t cut it??”) Hair health is scalp-level (good circulation, clean scalp) and end-level (hydrated, protected from wear and abrasion). It gets longer faster the less of that half-inch-a-month is worn off. Hair can be protected through styling (braids, up-doing, keeping the ends protected), clothing (keeping it covered, wrapped) and through products (sunscreen, hair oil, conditioner).

-genetics play a part. I’m a recessive-hair-genes owner in my family (my dad has a second cousin somewhere who may have my same hair but we’ve never met) but I’m north-European/Scandinavian, so the hair comes as part of the easily-sunburns and otherwise-fluffy-as-a-werewolf package that I get from both sides of the family.

-diet plays a part. Hair is dead protein cells, kept supple and hydrated by oils. Died needs to include both in healthy amounts to produce healthy hair.

-culture plays a part. My hair is unfashionably long because I personally love my hair long, but it raises eyebrows sometimes and gets commented on a lot. Victorian era? would be considered unfashionably short. Hair culture will change the products, time commitments, teaching and care available to a long-haired character. (I didn’t know how to care for long hair until I was an adult, because that learning just wasn’t in my short-haired family and social circle and the internet hadn’t been invented yet. I went through a lot of years of scalp pain, tangles, mats, hating my hair touched, bad hair cuts, etc. etc.)

-hair changes over time. I used to be a straw-blond, along with a couple other blond-based friends. Only one of us still is; the rest have darkened to bronze, like me, or other shades of dark blond to auburn. Change is produced by lifestyle (time spent in sun, time spent on hair care and products, environment) genetics and hormones. My head now produces more dark hairs (and white hairs lol) than it did when I was a kid.

-hair requires intentional movement. I have to physically pick up my hair and move it. It gets stuck in zippers, on Velcro, in car doors and seat belts, under my backpack, down the sleeves of my coats, etc. I bring it around in front of me and roll it up in my shirt in the bathroom, because it’s long enough to go places it shouldn’t :P  

-hair collects where it’s been. Both meanings. Every article of clothing I own and room I’m in has a few of my hairs. I make a hairball every time I brush it, because even one hair is a lot of hair! There’s hairballs in my laundry, stuck to my socks and collecting in the vacuum cleaner. If it’s in the food, everyone knows whose hair it is. It also picks up stuff. It’ll smell like wherever I’ve been, collect pine needles and dust, grass seeds, and occasionally insects (got a bee in it once yikes). If I don’t manage it when I’m painting or working on projects, it’ll collect craft supplies, glue, mineral or motor oil or blood too.

-hair is interactive. You know those long-haired LotR elves and dwarves? There are definitely pre-battle braiding circles and post-battle washes and brushes. It’s way easier to braid someone else’s hair than your own, especially if the hair is longer than your own arms lol. After it’s been all braided up and tight for a few hours, getting it loose and giving it a good all-over scalp scritching feels incredible. Same with cleaning it. I can go a week or more without washing, but a good wash feels delightful. Someone I don’t like touching my hair? Abhorrent! Someone I do like touching my hair? Amazing!

-hair is sensitive, literally and figuratively. Literally? I have a lot of it, so thick it gets patted down at the airport because the scanner can’t see through it, but I can still feel every single follicle. One strand caught in a door? I feel it. Someone grabs a handful? I’m knocking their teeth in. Figuratively? Anyone with hair that’s taken years to grow is going to have done so with intention and pride. It takes work, it takes effort, and it’s sometimes a pain, but having it cut without consent is a brutal, terrible act. A character sacrificing long hair is a major thing. A character loosing it to captivity or an enemy, likewise. There’s a reason the Silmarillion fandom is pretty committed to Maedhros’s short hair in his captivity; it’s as much a visual symbol of his loss of autonomy and trauma as his missing hand. Growing his hair out again, if he does, becomes part of his recovery.

So, super long post, but all that to say your character’s Rapunzel-level luxuriant locks are a gold mine of characterization, worldbuilding, bonding, intimacy and trauma. Just remember to let them get their hair up and out of the way before they go charging into battle!! (hi Disney live action Mulan, you remain unforgiven.)

[writingwithcolor]

British Bangladeshi Muslim 21 Year Old

I’m usually a lurker on this blog but, I’ve decided to send in a POC profile - mainly because it’s so rare for me to see someone like me represented in the media. In fact, I’m not certain I’ve ever seen someone Bangladeshi represented in mainstream media 

Beauty Standards 

Colourism is a very big thing still in the Bangladeshi community. My parent’s generation, despite liking to think that they’re very open minded still fall into the trap of the narrow minded view so present in the older generations. I’ve always fallen on the fairer side and as I grew up and developed mild iron deficiency, people would comment on how beautiful my skin was (and some people use the Bengali word for beautiful as being synonymous for fair), whilst my younger sister who is on the darker side but very rarely gets such comments. 

Clothing 

On a day to day basis, I wear casual English clothes or more casual Asian clothing around the house. But, for special occasions where I’m going to be with other Bengali people, I do tend to wear traditional clothing. Essentially, all the women in our house have two wardrobes; one with English clothes and one with Asian clothes. Although, nowadays, the English wardrobe seems to be growing more and more packed. A quick thing - traditional Asian clothes, especially those that are very flashy and embroidered, are heavy and so people don’t tend to wear them that often. 

But - it differs between person to person. My mum wears English clothes around the home but her older sister wears a saree - a plainer saree but a saree none the less. 

Culture 

Culture is an odd one for me because I’ve never felt as if I belonged to either one. Growing up, I didn’t fit into the typical English stereotype because I wasn’t Caucasian and I grew up bilingual. I’d also hear all these bad things about Bangladesh, and the experiences others had around me would mould the opinion I had of a country my family still refer to as their motherland. But, as I’ve grown older and actually started to make opinions for myself, I’ve begun to accept that I can be a part of both, I don’t need to be one or the other. 

Dating and Romance

In my family at least, ‘dating’ is done with the intention to marry. It all remains very chaste - with very little/no physical affection - until after marriage and almost all dates are with chaperones. The only ones that happen without chaperones are those in secret or those happening after the engagement. Nowadays, I feel like love marriages are the norm and most couples meet through being introduced by other people. 

Food

Food is a big part of our culture. In fact, if you’re invited to someone’s house, or if you pop in for five minutes, it’s considered rude to not sit down and have a cup of tea or even to have an entire meal. Food is one of the ways that we show affection for each other and, especially for important days like Eid, food plays a central role. Eating a meal together on a festival day like Eid is one of the few days of the year when all the adults and all the children gather together and spend time together. 

In my home at least, rice and curry is a staple. As Bangladesh is mainly riverine, fish is an important part of the diet. In fact, there’s a saying that if you can’t eat fish, you’re not really Bengali (which makes things a bit awkward for my uncle who is allergic to fish) and in some families there’s a tradition of a new bride cooking a fish curry on the second day of marriage. I’m not sure why, but it’s a thing. 

Home/Family life/ Friendship

I could talk about family for ages … 

My family is on the big side with my Mum being one of eight and my Dad being one of six. I’m one of three, but all of my cousins are considered like siblings - because we were raised as siblings. The familial bond is an important one and it’s often one that’s a burden to bear. For instance, as I’m the oldest granddaughter/niece/cousin I’m called affa by every cousin younger than me (Affa meaning older sister) and this burden is quite a heavy one to bear. It means that when the cousins experience any issues, they run to you to sort it out whether it’s something small or something big and it’s a burden I don’t mind shouldering. After all, it’s one I’ll likely have to carry for the rest of my life. 

Everyone older than you is treated with respect - even if you don’t want to respect them at all. For some reason, it’s an important thing.

Friendship between Bengali girls is … something else. Often we’ll break off and have our own conversation in Bengali as if it’s some sort of secret code and this usually comes in extremely handy when discussing secret birthday party plans in front of the person whose birthday we’re planning. Personally, my parents have never been strict that I can’t have any male friends - I honestly don’t think they care but I know of other parents who insist that their daughters can’t have male friends. 

Language 

To me particularly, the language was an important thing. I grew up bilingual because my grandparents lived with us and they couldn’t communicate in English. But, I don’t remember ever making the effort to learn it - it was something I picked up. I certainly can’t read or write in Bengali but I can speak it. However, this ability doesn’t seem to have transferred to my sister and most of the younger cousins. Most of my younger cousins can’t speak Bengali and so struggle to communicate with our grandparents and it’s sad to say but this isn’t strange at all. Many of the new generation British Bangladeshi’s can’t speak the language and in fact, they don’t care to learn it because they don’t see it as being worth passing along. 

Religion

As a Muslim woman, I find myself being constantly policed. Whether it’s by the media or by those around me. There seems to be a misconception that if a woman wears a hijab (the head covering) then she is the epitome of all things chaste and virtuous - but that’s not always the case. There are so many hijabis I know that don’t pray five times a day or keep their fasts or they drink etc. In fact, I’ve met a lot of muslim women who don’t wear hijab but their niyyah (intention) and their behaviour is inline with religion - my sister being an example. 

The basic 5 pillars of islam, the first of which is the shahadah which is the declaration of faith. This is whispered by father’s into their children’s ears at birth and is the last thing whispered into someone’s ear as they pass away.

The daily prayers are the second - with 5 prayers throughout the day and this is something I know many people struggle with, but I personally think that faith is a personal thing - you alone know your struggles. If you are praying 5 times a day and you are ridiculing someone who only prays once, you may think you’re doing the right thing. But for all you know - that person who prays once a day may be someone who reverted to the faith (revert being what we call converts) and they may be on the road to accepting Islam. Your two minutes of ridicule may even turn someone else away from peace they were hoping to find in Islam.

Zakat is the third which refers to giving alms to the poor and this is often done in the month of Ramadan. 

Fasting in Ramadan is the fourth pillar and during this month, Muslims fast from sun rise to sunset and we’re not allowed to drink or eat anything. (And yes - this includes water. Not even water? Is a question we always get)

The final pillar, the fifth refers to Hajj which is the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Everyone who is able to afford the trip and can make it, should complete it at least once in their lives. All my family who have been, have said that it is the most peaceful time they’ve ever spent in their lives. 

Things I’d like to see less of…

Muslim girls being ‘repressed’ by wearing the hijab and having a curfew and being secretly rebellious once they leave the home.

 Yes, I have a curfew but mostly it’s because my parent’s are terrified after hearing of all the stabbings and the acid attacks that happen to hijab wearing Muslim women

The overly strict father figure who is unreasonable and adores sons over his daughters. 

My father was on the strict side yes, but I realise now, after growing up and talking to him that it was all shaped on his own experiences. Yes, he might not have let me play in the streets until late like other kids but it was because when he was young, if he stayed out too late the racist teens would approach the Bengali children and attack them. My father was strict, but in the way that other parents in his position will be. (If anything, my mother is stricter … and the worst thing she does is text me a list of chores that she wants me to do whilst she’s at work)

That brings me onto the next point; the mother who stays at home being uneducated and relying on her husband for everything. 

There’s nothing wrong with that - but the issue comes when this character is used to put down Bengali women, to try and show how much better Caucasian educated women are. 

Another thing I absolutely can’t stand is the idea of a Bengali girl falling for some plain, boring Caucasian boy and he removes the wool from over her eyes, teaching her how repressed she was and how she should embrace this Western lifestyle. When a boy tried that on me in my first year of uni, I walked away from him the moment he told me that he has a hijab kink because Muslim girls are and I quote ‘untouched and I can teach them everything’.

Things I’d like to see more of…

Supportive family units. 

Whilst I might fall out with my parents every now and then, as is natural, they still support me. My father and I often head out for little ice cream cafe dates and my mother is teaching me to cook (although her cooking style tends to be put enough of this in and enough of that - there’s no measurements of anything) and my siblings and cousins and I gather as a whole every weekend. Those of us that live close enough to anyway. The 20+ of us that do gather, take over a house and all between the ages of 21 and 5 tend to be unruly and can go crazy but it’s a dynamic no one seems to want to represent.

The educated hijabi. 

Goodness, I can’t stand seeing the trope of a girl wanting to marry and pop out babies and etc - yes, it’s a valid trope but again, so many people use it to show how backwards we are. My eyes are even rolling now - Bengali Muslim girls are amongst some of the most driven people I have met and this is usually because the older women in our families weren’t given these opportunities and most people instantly assume that we’re not going to get far. 

Casual mentions of Islam - religion is a big part of a character. 

But I hate it being a controversial thing especially since Islam literally translates to ‘peace gained through submission to Allah’ and newsflash, Allah is the arabic word for God. That’s it. Why can’t we have characters who have to be home before sunset because they need to pray? Or hijabis needing to go shopping for a new headscarf or even phrases like 'this top would be so cute if it weren’t see through’ or 'if only this dress was floor length and then I wouldn’t have to wear leggings with it. I hate having to wear leggings in the heat’. These are things I regularly say! 

Wooow, this is long and I kind of ended up rambling. But I hope it helps someone! 

Read more POC Profiles here or submit your own.

[et-lesailes]

foreign

pairing: ari levinson (chris evans in red sea diving resort, 2019) x reader

themes: light angst, fluff

word count: 2100

summary: you are visiting family in the capital of sudan, and while shopping in the marketplace for groceries, you are approached by a group of intimidating men and women around the same age as you. they are beginning to harass you more and more until thankfully, a handsome man comes to your rescue, even offering to stay with you while you finish up your shopping.

taglist: @viarogers, @evanstush, @chibi-crazy, @chalamet-evans, @world-of-losers, @songforhema

note: requested by anonymous // this was really cool to write in that it was nice to touch a little on more social issues! tbh i used my own experiences with my ethnicity and traveling for this fic, so that was pretty reflective for me to incorporate. hope you guys enjoy this!

** please send an ask if you would like to be added to my taglist of any chris evans related fics!

You looked around the semi crowded food market  somewhat nervously, now regretting that you didn’t ask your brother to come with you. You hated feeling this way in your own native country, but as a half Sudanese, half Caucasian female, you stuck out in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and where your father’s parents resided. Having been born and raised in the United States, it was easy for you to forget that the simple act of grocery shopping was, unfortunately, not so simple here. You felt everyone’s eyes on you, both men and women alike-- staring at your outfit that practically screamed you were American, either giving you judgmental glances or… creepy ones. 

You tried to focus on the kinder citizens around you, relieved that at least some were giving you welcoming smiles; all you had to do was buy some fresh vegetables for dinner and walk back to your grandparents’ house-- it was practically right across the street. You’d be okay. Making your way to one of the stands, you smiled as you gazed upon the variety of produce before you, using the opportunity to actually take in the culture surrounding you. You genuinely appreciated your background and ethnicity, and you loved having the privilege of visiting the country your own father grew up in.  

Unfortunately, you were soon brought out of your reverie, interrupted by a small group hovering a little too close to you. You tried to believe they were simply checking out the fruits and vegetables before you, but you soon started to realize it was you they were checking out. Barely turning your head to try and sneak a more proper glance at them, you were slightly shocked to see that there were also a couple of girls within the small horde of twenty something year old men staring you down. Why weren’t they saying anything? Their amused smirks sickened you; did they support this unnecessary ogling? Feeling unsettled, you moved to a different stand, silently praying they wouldn’t follow. When they did, you felt yourself internally panicking. You started focusing on the potatoes in front of you a little too intently, hoping that they’d decide you were far too boring and not worth their time. Instead, you felt a rough hand squeeze your waist in an attempt to get your attention, your eyes immediately widening. “Hey!” you exclaimed, turning around now met face to face with one of the men, trying not to look as nervous as you felt. “Don’t touch me…”

"What's wrong? You don't want to get your pretty clothes dirty by our filthy hands?" one of the girls jeered at you, and you looked at her shocked, slowly shaking your head incredulously. "No, I'd just rather not be grabbed by a stranger," you couldn't help but defend yourself; you were scared, but you would still stand up for yourself, and you at least felt a little better that you were in a public place. "Oh come on," the other girl scoffed, "we know your type. You think you're better than us. It's written all over your face."

"Now, now," the same man who grabbed you chuckled lowly before you could even reply, "be a little nicer to the little tourist, girls. She's cute, so I definitely have no issues with her." You frowned and stepped away from him, glaring at all of them trying to look as fearless as possible. "I'm really not interested, and my family lives right across the street, so please leave me alone." The girl laughed, only firing in return, "Oh, are you going to cry to Mommy and Daddy? Come on, a little foreigner like you doesn't know how to have some fun? So boring." You narrowed your eyes slightly, starting to get more heated until one of the other boys came up to you from behind, grabbing your waist and pulling you to his body. "That's okay, we can teach her." He spoke with a devious tone, and your anger slipped off your face, fading into an expression of more anxiety upon feeling his hands hold you so tightly. "Stop it! Let go of me!" you tried speaking loudly in order to catch the attention of other market goers, but your voice was drowned out by the music, your presence barely noticeable amongst the bustling crowds too focused on their shopping needs. You were about to have a full on panic attack as the man started pulling you along with him, but you suddenly felt him stumble backwards with a somewhat violent jerk, almost falling down along with him-- until a pair of arms caught you, helping you straighten back up.

"Hey! You heard her, leave her the fuck alone!" You looked up with slightly wide eyes, seeing an older man with somewhat shaggy brown hair accompanied with a rather scruffy beard. He was staring down the group of delinquents with stern eyes, somewhat reminding you of the demeanor of a disappointed and upset dad. "Get out of here, all of you. This is a marketplace for God's sake, there are children here-- have some class." You exhaled in relief as the group gave both of you one last scowl before turning around and walking away, grumbling under their breaths what you were sure were countless obscenities and curses aimed towards you. Returning your attention to your savior, you gave him a small smile, though somewhat cautious-- your brain was on alert mode now, making you slightly paranoid that he may have only saved you to have you for himself. However, a mere few more seconds of looking at him told your instinct otherwise, seeing the concern and even gentleness in his sharp eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked you, turning to face you properly, and you nodded your head only just now realizing your heart was racing. "Yeah, just a little shaken up," you admitted, taking a deep breath but giving him a more thankful smile. "Thank you. So much. I-- I'm not used to being here, if you couldn't tell." You could not help but be interested by him; he did not appear to be Sudanese, given his light colored skin, but considering you did not exactly look neither African nor Caucasian, you could not assume. 

He chuckled lowly, running a hand through his hair. "No worries. It can be difficult the first time here." He looked at you for a few moments, almost as if thinking deeply, before holding his hand out. "I'm Ari. If you want me to accompany you while you're shopping here, I'd be more than happy to." You couldn't help but feel slightly touched at his kind offer, immediately nodding hopefully as you placed your hand in his and introduced yourself. "I would really like that, actually. Thank you..." 

_____________________________

How this man named Ari Levinson had gone from saving you from borderline sexual harassment at a marketplace to sitting at the dining table of your grandparents' home, you had no idea, but you could not say you were displeased with this. He had showed you all types of foods you had never even heard of before, resulting in him helping you carry said foods you couldn't help but buy, resulting in your naturally hospitable grandparents immediately inviting him to stay for dinner. As you all ate dinner together, you learned he was in Sudan for work, though he was rather vague when it came to explaining what it was that he did. However, you did not miss the discreet look he gave you, somehow understanding that he was silently telling you he would explain later. Overall, he was fun to talk to, and he had several interesting stories about all the places he had traveled to-- you could tell your family was impressed, as well, and even your generally overprotective brother had to admit he liked the guy, especially because of what he had done at the market. 

Dinner was soon over and you knew Ari would have to get back to his hotel; you were sad to see him go, but you supposed you couldn't have expected the two of you to be permanent friends after one encounter in a country thousands of miles away from your own. "I'll walk you out," you told him as you forced a smile, waiting until he and your family were done with their goodbyes before heading out the door with him. "Thanks again for everything," you spoke softly, looking up into his blue hues with a more genuine smile, barely nibbling on your lip. "This was a lot of fun tonight." He smiled down at you, and while you had taken into account hours ago that he was quite attractive, he looked even more handsome under the moonlit sky, the twinkle in his eyes even more illuminated than before. "Thank you for having me. Your family is so kind," he replied before sighing softly, looking around then bringing his attention back to you. "About earlier... I can't tell too many people-- hell, I actually wasn't even supposed to tell you my real name. But I couldn't help myself. You just seem trustworthy. I dunno, call it a gut instinct kinda thing." You looked at him in surprise, now wondering if you had somehow befriended a criminal on the run, a prison escapee-- your thoughts were getting ahead of you and this was apparently written all over your face as he let out a little scoff of amusement. "Easy there, I'm not dangerous. Well, not to you, anyways," he said with a playful wink, and you hated yourself for blushing. "Okay, then what is it? Should I even trust that Ari Levinson is your real name?" you teased, partly in an attempt to distract him from seeing the red on your cheeks. It didn't seem to work, however, as he suddenly reached down to caress your cheek, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "It is. I can't really bring myself to lie to you, for some damn reason, when lying is basically a part of my job." Lowering his voice to a whisper, he continued, "I'm an agent. I'm here in Sudan on a mission I unfortunately really can't go into detail on, and I came to Khartoum for a couple nights to get more supplies for said mission." Your face must have been amusing to him because he suddenly laughed, stroking a strand of your hair behind your ear. "Do you think I'm making all of this up? I swear, I'm not... I can show you my ba-"

"No, no," you quickly cut him off; sure, showing you his badge would have only taken two seconds, but you felt a strange, overwhelming sense of trust for this man you had met only hours ago, and you wanted him to know that. "I believe you. I promise. I just..." you trailed off, somewhat shy to keep going, but upon seeing his expectant look, you did. "I'm going to miss you. I really liked spending time with you today. I-- I don't know, it's so weird but I just feel like I've known you for years." He was listening to you intently, a smile crossing his lips as he stepped closer to you. "You don't have to miss me," he murmured, cocking his head, "Do you have your phone on you? Mine died." You blinked and shook your head, frowning. "I left it inside, let me go--"

"No. I don't want you to leave." He cut you off, not even realizing the blush that had returned on your cheeks because of his words because he was too occupied looking around for something. Grinning, he suddenly picking up a stick and walking over to a nearby patch of dirt. Scratching a series of numbers into it, he looked to you with a charming smile, arching an eyebrow. "Better get your phone and save that fast, doll, before the wind or some animal messes it up. But first." He came back over to you, suddenly taking your waist in his large hands and pulling you to his body, pressing his lips against yours in a passionate kiss. You kissed him back happily, smiling against his lips while wrapping your arms around his neck; you were more than ready to take it further, your mind too hazy to even realize you were standing outside your grandparents' home, for God's sake-- until he suddenly pulled back, the same mischievous grin on his face. "I'll come see you tomorrow before I leave, pretty girl. We can continue this then. Until then, you better dream of me tonight." He gave you another rough but brief kiss, then moved his lips to your forehead in a more tender peck before walking off, leaving you speechless, breathless, frustrated, yet ecstatic at the same time.

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: The Fly Collection

David Cronenberg's The Fly is commonly cited as a remake that is superior to the original; an assertion that's difficult to argue, but both films are effective mashups of science fiction and horror for their time. In fact, the Fly franchise - the 1958 original, its two sequels, the remake, and its sequel - is quite good as a whole. Scream Factory has collected them all on Blu-ray in a box set dubbed The Fly Collection.

Each of the five films is housed in an individual Blu-ray case with original poster art, all of which are packaged inside a rigid slipcover case featuring new artwork. 20th Century Fox's existing high definition transfers have been utilized, and each presentation is crisp and clear. The movies are accompanied by a variety of newly-produced special features along with archival extras to make viewers buzz with excitement.

The Fly begins with an atypical murder-mystery, in which the mystery is not a whodunit but rather a whydunit. Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens, Sayonara) immediately confesses to killing her husband, scientist Andre Delambre (David Hedison, Live and Let Die), via hydraulic press - first to her husband's brother, Francois (Vincent Price, House on Haunted Hill), and then to the detective on the case, Inspector Charas (Herbert Marshall, Foreign Correspondent), - but she refuses to say why.

The slow build pays off with a dramatic reveal toward the end of an extended flashback sequence that makes up the film's second act. Andre invented a light-speed teleportation device, the disintegrator-integrator, that he eventually went through himself, only to have a pesky fly unknowingly join him. The result is a disquieting hybrid with a human body topped by a fly's head, revealed in an iconic shot that harkens back to the climax of The Phantom of the Opera.

The creature is ingrained in pop culture, but it's easy to imagine audiences in 1958 being shocked by the dramatic reveal. The theatrical trailer smartly features Vincent Price addressing the audience directly, teasing the "unearthly horror" without revealing anything. The special effects may be schlocky by modern standards, but the overall concept - based on the 1957 short story of the same name by George Langelaan - holds up quite well.

The Fly is directed by Kurt Neumann (Rocketship X-M) and written by James Clavell (The Great Escape), marking his only foray into genre pictures. Neumann died under mysterious circumstances shortly before the film's release, missing its commercial success as one of Fox's biggest hits of the year. Shot in CinemaScope with Color by Deluxe, the picture features cinematography by Karl Struss (The Great Dictator) that makes the laboratory's sleek production design pop.

The Fly's Blu-ray disc has two audio commentaries. The first is a new track featuring filmmakers/historians Steve Haberman (co-writer of Dracula: Dead and Loving It) and Constantine Nasr. It's educational but far more casual than the average historian commentary, and much better for it. The second is a light, cheery track with Hedison circa 2008. His memory is sharp, and he proudly discusses playing his character for the duration, including when his face is obscured by a cloth and, later, the fly mask.

Fly Trap: Catching a Classic is ported over from the 2007 DVD. The making-of featurette includes Hedison, Haberman, David Frankham, Tony Timpone, Donald F. Glut, and more, and even touches on the sequels, but at 11 minutes, it's only able to scratch the surface. A 1997 episode of Biography on Vincent Price features interviews with the likes of Roger Corman, Dennis Hopper, Roddy McDowall, Hazel Court, Norman Lloyd, and daughter Victoria Price. Extras are rounded out by a brief Fox Movietone News segment about movie monsters attending the film's premiere, along with the aforementioned trailer.

Fox was quick to capitalize on the success of The Fly with a sequel, Return of the Fly, released in 1959. This was a time when sequels were not the norm, mind you, so the budget is noticeably smaller. It was shot in a mere 10 days and recycles sets from the first film. CinemaScope was utlized agan but this time in black and white, which feels like a regression yet also lends itself to a film noir atmosphere. It greatly pales in comparison to its predecessor, naturally, but it fares rather well for a rushed, cheap followup.

Price is the only original cast member to reprise his role, although several other characters return to be played by different actors. Well on his way to genre stardom, thanks in no small part to The Fly, Price receives top billing this time around; although he's still not really the main character. That honor goes to Brett Halsey (The Devil's Honey) as Philippe Delambre, the now-adult son of Andre who wishes to continue his father's mysterious work, against Francois' wishes.

Despite Andre's attempts to destroy all traces of his research in the previous film, Philippe is able to successfully recreate the disintegrator-integrator with the assistance of his father's former associate, Alan Hinds (David Frankham, 101 Dalmatians). Hinds, however, is a dastardly double-crosser out to sabotage Philippe for his own gain. He ultimately causes Philippe to suffer the same fate as his father, turning him into a mutant fly creature.

Writer-director Edward Bernds (World Without End) rehashes a lot for the sequel, but there are some interesting twists. While the original story's creature largely garnered sympathy between shocks, the sequel's creature is a victim that's out for revenge. It's occasionally played for scares, although the mask - oversized and cheesy compared to the original - isn't nearly as effective this time around, but the viewer is rooting for, rather than sympathizing with, the monster as a hero.

Return of the Fly's Blu-ray disc boasts three audio commentaries, two of which are new. Frankham showcases a miraculously good memory for a 93-year-old, citing events from 50 years prior with ease. He's joined by friend/actor Jonathan David Dixon, who facilitates the conversation and fills in the blanks as needed. The actor's sweet demeanor and impressive recollection caused me to add his 2012 autobiography, Which One Was David?, to my to-read list.

Film historian/author Tom Weaver's new commentary is informative yet feels conversational; a welcome change of pace from the typically dry solo historian track. The third commentary is an archival session with Halsey and film historian/journalist David Del Valle. It may not be the most enlightening listen, as Halsey's memory isn't as strong as Frankham's, but it's enjoyable enough. Other special features include the theatrical trailer, a TV spot, and a still gallery.

The diminishing budget and resources between The Fly and Return of the Fly pales in comparison to the decline from Return to Curse of the Fly. Released in 1965, the third and final entry in the original series was produced in the United Kingdom. With Price unable to return, as he was under an iron-clad contract with American International Pictures, a new story was conceived. The go-for-broke sequel extends the mythology but distorts the familial lineage, and there's no fly this time around.

Taking another jump into the near future, the film opens with a woman, who we later come to know as Patricia Stanley (Carole Gray, Island of Terror), running away from a mental institution in her underwear. The slow motion sequence is more likely to be mistaken for a Roger Corman exploitation picture rather than identified as a studio sequel. Patricia runs into Andre Delambre's grandson, Martin (The Spy Who Loved Me), and the two quickly fall for one another despite their respective sordid pasts.

Beyond the opening attempt at titillation, this is a slow burner that's decidedly less familiar than its predecessor. Martin and his father, Henri (Brian Donlevy, The Quatermass Xperiment), have continued to make advancements using the technology developed by Andre. They have successfully teleported between Quebec and London with terrible consequences; deformed experiments gone wrong are kept locked away like prisoners. A grotesque effect in the last act is a fitting precursor to the remake.

Director Don Sharp (The Kiss of the Vampire) and writer Harry Spalding (The Watcher in the Woods) present an interesting moral quandary. Once again shot in CinemaScope black and white, the picture has a bit of a Gothic horror atmosphere. It's never fully harnessed, but the plot flirts with Patricia's descent into madness. An ill-advised Caucasian actress (Yvette Rees) playing an Asian role - with obvious fake eyelids to change the shape of her eyes - is a harsh reminder of racist practices in Hollywood.

Curse of the Fly's Blu-ray disc kicks off with an audio commentary with Haberman and Nasr, who once again provide a thorough, analytical look at the film, making a compelling argument for it being superior to Return. In new interviews, actress Mary Manson recalls going under complicated makeup to play the "very, very odd part" of the film's most integral creature, and continuity person Renee Glynne doesn't remember much about her work on the picture but offers a perspective from a rarely-heard crew position. The theatrical trailer, a TV spot, and a still gallery are also included.

When The Fly received the remake treatment in 1986, director David Cronenberg (Videodrome) put his patented body-horror spin on the concept. But beyond the Academy Award-winning makeup effects, which are aberrant and plentiful, lays a beautiful romance. The lean-paced film gets into it right away, opening with quirky scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum, Jurassic Park) meeting journalist Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis, Beeteljuice).

Brundle courts Veronica by showing off his latest invention - teleportation devices known as telepods - and enlisting her to document his monumental findings. Brundle eventually goes through the telepod himself, unaware that a fly is in the device with him. While he's ostensibly unphased at first, he quickly discovers increased physical abilities. The benefits are short-lived, however, as he literally falls apart as the fly molecules overtake the human ones.

Unlike the original film, which hinged on a single, big reveal of a human-fly hybrid, Cronenberg and co-writer Charles Edward Pogue's (DragonHeart) script features a metamorphosis that slowly progresses - with gooey, practical effects by Chris Walas (Gremlins, Raiders of the Lost Ark) - throughout the film. Regular Cronenberg cinematographer Mark Irwin (Scream, There's Something About Mary) captures the atmosphere in an environment that begins cold and gets warmer as the film progresses.

Goldblum's awkward charms are at a peak. He and Davis were already a real-life couple, and their chemistry is palpable on screen. John Getz (Blood Simple) plays the third part of their love triangle as Stathis Borans, Veronica's boss and ex-boyfriend. But the intimacy extends beyond the relationships; the sparse film has but three essential roles, all of whom the viewer gets to know on a visceral level. The romance is supplemented by a heartstring-pulling score by Howard Shore (The Lord of the Rings, The Silence of the Lambs).

The Fly's Blu-ray disc offers two audio commentaries: an archival track with Cronenberg and a new one with The Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg author William Beard. Cronenberg's commentary is a fascinating mix of anecdotes and insight, such as the telepod design being based on a Ducati motorcycle cylinder and how he had to stop Davis from subconsciously mimicking Goldblum's distinct mannerisms. Beard's analytical track digs into the film's subtext and explores its themes, giving context to how it fits into Cronenberg's filmography. There's also a trivia track, in which bits of information pop up while the movie plays.

A new interview with comedy legend Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles) - who produced The Fly under his Brooksfilms banner - is a highlight of the set. The 93-year-old Hollywood veteran chats about Cronenberg, Goldblum, David Lynch, and more. Other new interviews include producer Stuart Cornfeld, who reveals that Robert Bierman was going to direct until a family tragedy prevented it and that John Malkovich was originally sought for the lead role; Iriwn, who discusses the unique experience of working with Cronenberg, including their unfortunate falling out; and Shore, who explains how he implemented tragic themes for his first symphonic score of this size.

A plethora of existing special features are ported over. Fear of the Flesh: The Making of The Fly is a three-part documentary produced by Fox in 2005. The three stages of the film's production are covered by Goldblum, Davis, Getz, Walas, Pogue, Irwin, and more over the course of 135 minutes, not to mention extended/deleted interview segments. The Brundle Museum of Natural History features Walas sharing design concepts and effects materials alongside behind-the-scenes footage. Deleted and extended scenes, including the alternate ending, are also featured.

The disc contains a number of written works to peruse: Langelaan's original short story, Pogue's draft of the script, Cronenberg's rewrite of the script, and three 1986 articles about the film ("The Fly Papers" from Cinefex and "The Fly: New Buzz on an Old Theme" and "More About The Fly" from American Cinematographer). Other extras includes pre-production film tests, the original electronic press kit, a vintage profile on Cronenberg, various trailers, teasers, and TV spots, and still galleries (poster and lobby cards, publicity, behind the scenes, concept art, and four different effects galleries).

Much like the original The Fly, the remake's success led to a sequel. Released in 1989, The Fly II saw Walas assume the director's chair for the first time in his illustrious career. The script is written by Mick Garris (Hocus Pocus), Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), and Jim and Ken Wheat (Pitch Black). The pacing languishes in comparison to its predecessor, but it's not a bad followup overall. While Irwin and Shore's contributions are missed, the film reunites the talents of Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II cinematographer Robin Vidgeon and composer Christopher Young.

The film opens with Veronica (recast with Saffron Henderson, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan) giving birth to Seth Brundle's baby - a squirming, amorphous creature - while Stathis (Getz, the only returning cast member, sporting a fake beard) looks on. The child, Martin Brundle (Eric Stoltz, Mask), suffers from a dramatically accelerated life cycle in terms of both physical growth and intelligence, so by his fifth birthday, he looks like he's in his 20s.

Martin is offered a job repairing his father's telepods in the laboratory in which he was raised. While working, he becomes romantically involved with a fellow employee, Beth Logan (Daphne Zuniga, Spaceballs). Their relationship is far less organic than the one depicted in the previous film, but it largely works. Martin eventually enters a cocoon-like state, only to emerge as a creature with virtually no humanity left for a final act that feels more like an Aliens knock-off than a Fly sequel.

Despite Walas helming several ambitious special effects - including a messy head crushing that initially earned the picture an X rating - he’s unable to outdo his landmark work on Cronenberg's film. The effects feel comparatively restrained with the exception of the the fly creature's final form, which looks a bit too cartoony. Yet, as beautifully tragic as Cronenberg's film is, The Fly II contains what is perhaps the franchise's most heart-wrenching scene: Martin watching his dog - his only friend - go through the telepod with disastrous results.

The Fly II's Blu-ray disc features new interviews with Cornfeld, who opens up about the difficulties of working with the studio on the sequel; Garris, who details his quite interesting original concept that greatly differs from the final product; Ken Wheat, who explains what he and his brother's draft introduced to the project before Darabont came on for the final rewrite; Vidgeon, who discusses working with Walas as a first-time director; Young, who talks about tapping into the emotional aspects and how his score differs from that of The Fly; and special effects artist Tom Sullivan (The Evil Dead), who talks collaborating on the creatures with other artists.

An audio commentary with Walas and film historian Bob Burns, whose extensive prop collection includes several pieces from The Fly II, is carried over. The old friends' camaraderie is apparent as Walas expounds upon the experience, including Davis' reasoning for not reprising her role. Transformations: Looking Back at The Fly II is a 48-minute retrospective from 2005 with Walas, Young, and producer Steven-Charles Jaffe (Ghost, Near Dark). Extended interviews with Walas (a sprawling 80 minutes) and Jaffe are also included.

The Fly Papers: The Buzz on Hollywood’s Scariest Insect is an hour-long TV documentary from 2000 about all five Fly films. Narrated by Star Trek's Lenoard Nimoy, it features Hugh Hefner, Ray Bradbury, Walas, Hedison, and more. Walas' crew's video production journal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the film's special effects. Young provides a master class in soundtrack composition in relation to his work in The Fly II. Other extras include storyboard-to-film comparisons with optional commentary by Walas; the original electronic press kit plus extended segments with Walas, Stoltz, and Zuniga; an alternate ending; a deleted scene; teaser and theatrical trailers; and still and storyboard galleries.

Genre fans should be afraid... be very afraid of not owning this set. Scream Factory has a reputation of going above and beyond for their collector's edition releases, but their box sets - like this and the recent The Omen Collection - are downright essential for horror completists. From presentation to special features, The Fly Collection does justice to each entry in the influential franchise.

The Fly Collection is available now on Blu-ray via Scream Factory.