#she did like ZERO cultural research

[maxdibert]

The most surreal thing about the Harry Potter universe is that J.K. Rowling said that Beauxbatons was the magical school where wizards from not only France but also Spain and Portugal attended. So, Spanish kids going to a school in France where the classes are in French???? HAHAHAHAHA I CAN’T BREATHE

Honestly, I think there’d be an uprising in the Spanish magical congress with banners like “You won’t turn us into GABACHOS” before they’d agree to send all the kids to learn French in the Pyrenees. I mean, literally no normal spanish would ever, under any circumstances, go along with that. Zero cultural knowledge, Joanne, sorry.

[demeterdefence]

even ignoring everything else wrong with lore olympus (which in itself feels impossible) there is just something really egregious and insulting at the way a "modern retelling" over an ancient greek myth just full-heartedly whitewashes the entire culture and mythos.

and it's not like rachel is the first to do it - greek myths and legends have been whitewashed for centuries, depictions of the gods have been categorically stripped of their ethnicity and origins long before rachel got a hold of them. it's the fact that rachel goes out of her way to insult the original myths whenever she can, that she emphasizes and pushes a western-centric mindset and viewpoint over and over and over and not only reinforces the whitewashing, but continues it down the line.

like, this is the first episode.

rachel goes out of her way to mock the original styles and wardrobes of the ancient greek world, and i get her attempt was to make persephone feel "out of place" with the more "modern" clothing that the other gods wear, but it really just does more to a) demonize demeter, who is almost always in traditional clothing, b) sexualize persephone.

go even broader with it, move away from the clothing itself, and rachel doesn't even bother to use any of the ancient traditions that are core to the myths. like for the love of god, she uses a christian wedding for persephone and hades!

greece is the birthplace of modern democracy and had a powerful judicial system, and rachel instead uses the modern / western iteration of court because ... why not

(completely unrelated but the inserts of everyone except eros and aphrodite come from the stupid zoom session zeus had back when he first charged persephone with treason, meaning we have proof yet again that rachel isn't drawing the characters into the scene, she's making pngs and sticking them into pre-arranged backgrounds downloaded from stock images)

and there are ten thousand more examples i could pull, because this is just the whole entire comic. you can look at a lot of modern adaptions and see where things have been modernized respectfully, and where they are done with disdain for the source material - no one is claiming percy jackson, for example, is perfect, but the author took a great deal of care in his research, and the love for the original myths and culture shine through. lore olympus has zero respect for the original stories, exemplified in how rachel demonizes demeter - the actual crux of the myth. it's bad writing and bad research and further attempts to whitewash a rich and storied culture that had people from so many walks of life, who existed in full spectrum of lgbt identity, who did not conform or even know of the world that exists today. you can modernize without erasing it, and rachel's refusal to do so is one of the many issues tacked to lore olympus.

[ngayawneluoer]

the thrill of the chase

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ sully siblings x metkayinan reader

You visit the home of your Omatikayan friends, and Neteyam, Lo’ak, Kiri and Tuk encourage you to get into a bit of trouble and do something you’ve never done before: bond with an ikran.

word count: 2045

a/n: as always nobody fact check this bc i really should have done more research BUT ALAS enjoy

When your parents finally agreed to let you visit the Omatikayan lands, you figured your stay would include some introductions, sightseeing, and maybe some casual shenanigans. The Omatikayan village was rich with culture, and you revelled in the people's hospitality, but it wasn't long until your friends pulled you away from the adults and dragged you into trouble. Silly of you to think it would include something other than scaling mountains.

"This is… harder than it seems," You groaned, slightly trembling as you scaled the jagged rocks of the Hallelujah mountains. It was somewhat embarrassing for you, as even Tuk was racing ahead of you, but you kept telling yourself that you were just in a new environment and that it was expected of you to make mistakes.

"Not so easy when you're the fish out of water, is it?" Lo'ak teased, golden eyes peering down at you from the ledge where he, Tuk and Kiri had stopped to wait for you. Neteyam was right beside you, ready to assist if you struggled too much.

"Steady. Don't force yourself," Neteyam encouraged, an amused smile on his face.

You huffed, trying to hide how you strained with every step, "I'm not a baby, you know. I can climb a cliff without- shit!" Your right hand slipped from the jagged cliffside, and you cut your sentence off with a shriek. Thank Eywa for Neteyam, who had caught your waist to keep you stable and lifted you to hold the branch above you.

"Easy…" Neteyam reassured, hand still on your back as you regained your grip.

"What was that about climbing a cliff?" Lo'ak taunted playfully, which earned him a slap on the back of the head from Kiri.

Just what you deserve for getting cocky, you supposed.

Tuk peeked down, her sweet eyes filled with concern for you, "(Y/N), are you okay?"

Your first instinct was to say no; no, you were not okay because you were dangling from a floating boulder and if you fell, there was virtually zero chance of survival. And yet somehow, you couldn't say this was the most threatening situation you've been in. You survived a war. You could climb a rock.

"I'm fine, Tuk. Almost there."

Lo'ak turned to Kiri, "Should one of us tell them that we are definitely not almost there?"

"I heard that!" You retorted, scowling at the man above you.

"Less talking, more climbing!" Kiri laughed, "Even Tuk did it."

Neteyam rolled his eyes, "Ignore those skxawngs. You're doing great for your first time climbing this high."

"You can do it, (Y/N)!" Tuk cheered, her little hands clapping to cheer you on. You groaned in effort but continued pushing on.

When you finally reached the ledge, you threw yourself onto your back between Lo'ak and Kiri, "I regret ever teasing you for being useless in Metkayina," you whined, sincerity to your words, "I feel like a child here. Except even a child is more capable than me."

"Come on, you big baby. You haven't even gotten to the good part." Neteyam beamed with burgeoning excitement, clutching your arm to pull you back to your feet.

"I swear, swimming is so much more painless than all this. We have it easy back home." You spoke.

"I wouldn't say that. It took Lo'ak forever to get used to riding an ilu." Kiri reminisced as she strolled forward down the path, disappearing into the flora.

Lo'ak rolled his eyes, "Sure. Use me as the object of ridicule once again."

"Well it is true!" Tuk giggled with a mischievous grin on her face.

Lo'ak huffed, his hands coming to rest on his hips as he attempted to lecture Tuk, "Easy for you; you're a kid," he blurted, "Everyone carries you around; you never even had to learn to ride one!"

Neteyam scoffed, a look of disbelief on his face, "Lo'ak, she is seven."

Kiri stalked back with an exasperated look on her face, "Are you guys coming or not?"

"It is Lo'ak's fault, all he does is talk!" you quipped playfully with a smile, knowingly trying to get under his skin.

"I will push you off this mountain."

-

After a bit more bickering and a lot more climbing, you found yourselves close to the mountain peak, a large waterfall framing the path you assumed you were to take.

The five of you connected hands, with Tuk between Neteyam and Lo'ak, followed by you and Kiri. Cautiously, you all crept along the ledge behind the waterfall to reach a clearing with a myriad of ikrans. Finally, you all climbed onto some nearby rocks overlooking the creatures.

"They are beautiful," You whispered with a peaceful smile.

"They are," Lo'ak agreed, turning to you with a suspicious smirk, "Now you will tame one."

You spun to him in surprise, your brow furrowed in annoyance, "What?"

The four siblings tried to hold their laughs in but miserably failed.

"Do it, (Y/N)! We learned to ride ilus. Now you need to learn to ride an ikran." Kiri egged on, Tuk accompanying her with "Yes"s.

You looked to Neteyam for a semblance of help, but he merely shrugged as if to say you were on your own.

"No! What if I fall?" you sneered.

"I'll call my ikran, and we'll catch you," Neteyam quipped confidently.

"Where is your ikran exactly?" You challenged.

"Close by," Neteyam replied, "...probably."

"Neteyam!" you whined, slapping his arm.

Said boy snickered softly, a cheeky grin on his face, "I am only joking! I promise you will not die; I will catch you."

"Well what if they attack me?"

"They won't attack you," Lo'ak replied, "All at once."

You scowled at him suspiciously, "Your wording was awfully specific."

"I was just answering your question!" Lo'ak exclaimed, trying to mask a giggle as he threw his hands up defensively.

"(Y/N). You're not alone. We will help if we see you are about to die." Kiri chuckled.

You gave in with a sigh of irritation, "Okay. Fine," After a moment's reflection, you looked out at the sea of ikrans feeling somewhat determined, "So I just pick one?"

"Wellll… not really," Neteyam trailed off, a slightly guilty grimace on his face.

"Okay," you deadpanned, "How do I know which one to choose?"

"It will attack you," Lo'ak stated bluntly.

If looks could kill, Lo'ak would be dead.

"You forest people must have a death wish."

You knew you most definitely should not be doing this; your mother would probably lecture you until the end of time if she knew what you were doing. And yet there you were, making your way through the ikrans, about to tame one. You could faintly hear the four siblings cheering you on in the background, but you were primarily focused on not getting mauled to death by the enormous creatures. You were so out of your comfort zone when it came to ikrans. They were big, fast, vicious; how those morons managed to convince you to do this, you will never know.

You walked across the clearing, eyes darting cautiously at every sudden movement. To your dismay, every ikran you approached flew away, and as you counted up to 10 creatures flying away, you started to get discouraged.

Your shoulders slumped in bitter disappointment, and you turned back to the group watching you, "I don't think this is working."

"Keep going!" Kiri exclaimed amongst the acclamations of her siblings.

This was humiliating. 

"Please, they are all leaving!" You pouted slightly, pleading with Eywa that they'll let you off the hook and allow you to return.

Suddenly, Neteyam's eyes widened, his body lurching forward and his hands anxiously clasping the mossy branch in front of him, "Watch out!"

A hiss sounded behind you, and you released a shriek as you dove away from the sound and rolled to face the creature that had chosen you as its target. The admittedly gorgeous banshee stepped towards you, a menacing look in its eye as it screeched in your face, sharp teeth bared.

"Took your time, didn't you?" You taunted, standing to face the creature before hissing at it. The two of you circled each other before it dove forward, and you skillfully manoeuvred out of the way to avoid its razor-sharp fangs. Finally, you grabbed its head, wrapping both arms and legs around its neck to attempt to control it.

"Fight it!" Lo'ak screamed.

"Make the bond!" Kiri joined.

You grappled with the mighty reptile as it fought back viciously, but you somehow found the strength to overpower it and connect your queues. Immediately the ikran calmed, and you felt the bond you formed with the creature deep in your bones. A gleeful laugh escaped your throat as your ikran stood slowly with you on its back.

Neteyam breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the iron grip he had on the flora around him. Lo'ak only laughed, playfully punching his brother's shoulder, "I told you they could do it, Neteyam."

Kiri wasted no time and leapt over the rocks to meet you, her siblings in tow.

"You must fly now to seal the bond," she proclaimed.

"You've got this. It's like an ilu. Just no water," Lo'ak said cheekily.

You turned to Neteyam, who was now carrying Tuk on his back, "Trust yourself. We'll be right behind you."

You nodded, breathing deep and turning to face the cliff, staring at the sky ahead. And when you felt that both you and your banshee were ready, you commanded it to fly.

It jerked suddenly, and you released a loud shriek as it nosedived off the mountain. Your body lifted off its back until the only thing keeping you connected was your iron grip on its antennae (and your prayers). Just as you managed to pull back and get the ikran to glide straight, it flew directly into a waterfall, stunning you and making you lose focus. The poor animal tried its best to fly but panicked once again, fluttered directly into a cliffside, then up and down... and up and down again. It would have been an understatement to say you were doing terribly, and the harder you tried to gain control, the harder it was.

"(Y/N)!" You turned to the sound of your name being called to see Lo'ak to your left on his own ikran, "Steady! Stay calm, and your ikran will listen!"

Taking deep breaths, you tried your best to focus on the sound of Lo'ak speaking and calm yourself down. To your delight, eventually your ikran levelled out, soaring straight.

"Yes, (Y/N)! You're flying!" An adorable, excited voice cheered. You turned to your right to see Tuk hanging on Neteyam's back as he flew his ikran. Neteyam wore a huge, proud smile, and he whooped along with his little sister.

Behind you was Kiri on her ikran, one arm in the air as she bellowed excitedly. A proud smile took over your face, and you let out an enthusiastic trill, your friends joining you.

When it was apparent that you had your flying under control, Neteyam spoke up, "Follow me! I'll take us somewhere you will not believe."

-

"You did what?!" Neytiri hissed. The five of you stood in a row in front of her, gazes lowered and ears pointing back in shame.

"Their parents trust us to look after them for three days, and you take them to do one of the most dangerous things they could have done here?" Jake joined, primarily lecturing his two sons, who he knew were most likely the instigators.

Lo'ak huffed, "They're fine, though."

"Yes, I am fine-"

"They could have died!" Neytiri yelled, "And you took Tuk with you? What were you thinking?!"

You were silly to even try to get a word in. There would clearly not be any winning this argument, so you all hung your heads in shame and accepted the lecture.

"-and no more causing trouble. For the one day (Y/N) has left here. Can you do that?" Jake concluded.

You all answered with obedient "Yes sir"s before moping away in silence.

When you were far enough away from the two adults, you finally let out the giggle you had been holding back, and the others joined in.

"So worth it."

-

a/n: currently working on some requests :) thank you to everyone who has been giving attention to my posts and sending in requests, it makes me so happy! i’m seeing avatar 2 again tomorrow so hopefully it will strike some inspiration again <3

[ironboyxs]

Unseen Hearts

Fandom: Stray Kids

Pairing: Felix x Male Reader

Word Count: 4652

Summary: Y/N is a young actor and singer on the rise who has great admiration for Stray Kids, especially a certain member with a huskier voice.

p.s. this is the first time I write about kpop on this blog, I hope you like it! In fact, I was extremely inspired because I've never written so much! and another thing: I mention a Korean ideogram in the story, I tried to do my research but my Korean is terrible, forgive any mistakes. and always remembering REQUESTS ARE OPEN, in the pinned there are the fandons for which I write

You never thought you would be in a serious relationship with a K-pop artist. Of course, you've been a fan of Korean culture since you were 13 and a friend introduced you to the concept of K-pop, dramas and all the rest.

You were lucky enough to have well-off parents who let you study Korean from the age of 13 because you had become completely obsessed with everything about Korea.

But obviously your life didn't revolve around just that, of course you went to shows whenever you could, once you even got a trip to South Korea as a gift to go to a fan meeting.

But one thing that the idol life showed you was that you also wanted to be an artist, you were in doubt between acting and music. After all, you were good at both. In school plays you always got the lead.

Your mother played the piano and from a very early age taught you everything she knew about music, so one of your hobbies, and also a form of therapy, was writing songs.

When you were 18, a family friend who worked for Netflix knew he had a casting call that was a perfect fit for you. You took the test, with zero faith that you would pass.

But it ended up happening, the series was about a fantasy world, four wizard friends fighting an evil entity, you had a lot of fun recording the first season, you made incredible friends, but you never thought the series would be successful.

Until it exploded. And it became the number 1 series on Netflix, with everyone talking about it. And obviously you and your co-stars started doing press tours.

Jimmy Fallon Show

- Hey guys! Welcome back to the Tonight Show! Today we have a very special guest, a talented young man who is having great success with the new Netflix series: Witchbound Chronicles. Let's welcome the amazing Y/N! How are you, Y/N?

- Hi Jimmy! I'm great, thanks for having me here.

- It's a pleasure to have you. Firstly, congratulations on the success of your series! What has the experience been like seeing your face everywhere?

- It's surreal, Jimmy. I never imagined things would happen so quickly. I'm just enjoying every moment.

- This is amazing! Tell us a little about the series. What can fans expect?

- Well, the series is called "Witchbound Chronicles" and it takes place in a completely new world full of magic, fantastic creatures and lots of exciting twists. I play one of the main characters, a young man named Ethan, who discovers he has incredible magical abilities.

- This looks amazing! And what was the audition process like to get the role?

- It was a little crazy, actually. I auditioned without much expectation, and when I got the call that I had gotten the role, I couldn't believe it. It was a dream come true.

- And what was it like working with the cast and crew?

- Everyone was incredible. The cast is very talented, and the team behind the cameras did an incredible job bringing this magical world to life. I learned a lot from all of them.

- I'm sure fans would love to know if there are any funny or interesting behind-the-scenes stories you can share.

- Oh, definitely! One day, we were filming a scene with intense special effects, and one of the animatronics that plays the magical creatures ended up going out of control. It was hilarious to see everyone running for cover, but in the end, everything worked out, and the scene was incredible.

- And what can we expect from the future, Y/N? More projects on the small screen or maybe even the big screen?

- Absolutely, Jimmy! I love acting, and I hope to continue exploring different roles and challenges. Who knows what the future holds, right?

- Hey Y/N, our research team made some interesting discoveries on your social media. It seems like you're a big K-pop fan, is that right?

- Oh yes, Jimmy! I'm completely obsessed with K-pop, it's one of my passions.

- This is amazing! Any specific groups or artists that you really admire?

- For sure! I'm a big fan of Stray Kids.

- Oh, and our team also noticed that you have a certain “bias” as they say in K-pop at Felix! You've been expressing your crush on Felix a lot on social media. Any funny stories or embarrassing moments related to this?

- Well, now that you mention that this is public I would say that all my posts about Felix are kind of funny and embarrassing, actually. I try to keep it light and humorous, but of course, my friends always tease me a little about it.

- That is great! And if Felix or any of the Stray Kids were watching right now, what would you say to them?

- Wow, that's a tough question. I guess I would say how much they mean to me as an artist and as a person. Their work really inspires me, and I really admire their talent.

- I hope Felix sees this and who knows, maybe you can meet one day!

Some time later, on a live that Felix was doing, a fan asked if he had seen this interview.

Chat: Felix, did you see Jimmy Fallon's interview with Y/N, the actor from the series "Witchbound Chronicles"?

- Oh yeah! I saw! It was amazing. I couldn't stop smiling throughout the entire interview.

Chat: Y/N mentioned that he's a big fan of Stray Kids and that he has a crush on you. What was your reaction when you watched this?

- Oh, really? This is so cool! I was very flattered to learn that he is a Stray Kids fan. I think it's an honor when talented people like our work.

Chat: Would you have a message to send to Y/N?

For sure! Y/N, if you're watching, thank you so much for your support! It's amazing to know that you enjoy our work, and who knows, maybe one day we can meet. Keep being amazing!

Chat: It would be great to see a collaboration between Stray Kids and the series' soundtrack, wouldn't it?

- Absolutely! We would love it! Who knows what the future holds for us, right? Let's hope something like this happens.

Meanwhile at your house

- Y/N did you watch Felix's last live? - Your sister came running to ask you.

- No, I saw the notification but I was busy so I couldn't watch it.

- You NEED to see this excerpt!

Your sister takes the phone to you with a cut from the live stream where Felix Yongbok Lee is simply talking about you, and of course you completely freak out!

- MY GOD! FELIX KNOWS I EXIST!

- Imagine if you could meet him in person?

You stop and reflect for a second

- What is it? - Your sister asks.

- My Twitter account simply has 1001 posts about how handsome and hot I think he is! I need to deprive that now!

- Wow, but it's great that he knows you have a crush on him!

- He already knows because of that stupid interview, I don't need to be embarrassed anymore! - You run out to get your cell phone.

A while later on a gossip page

“Recently Y/N S/N deprived his Twitter account and opened a new one saying that it would be his professional account. Does the young actor have something to hide?”

/-/

Months later, with the end of recording the first season of the series, and the end of the press conferences, you feel that it is time to return to music. You had loved that whole period of recording and promoting the series but you felt the urge to write about it all, to put it all in the form of music, and deep in your heart, you wanted to write about something, something that you thought was really silly. actually, but your mother always told you that music was made to express all your feelings.

Unseen Hearts

🎶 Unseen hearts, a world apart,

In the shadows, you're the spark.

A crush so sweet, yet out of reach,

Dreams we chase, lessons we teach. 🎶

- This song is AMAZING! - A music producer friend of your mother said when he heard it.

- Did you really think so? I think it's no big deal.

- Is beautiful! What was the inspiration?

- Ah, silly thing, you know... stupid youthful passion - You said with a bit of shame.

- Y/N, I know you've been wanting to combine acting and music for so long, Bobby can give you that opportunity. – Your mother said

- You have so much potential Y/N. - Said Bobby, the producer and owner of the record company you were now part of.

- Now, ideas for a music video?

The Unseen Hearts video was a success, number 1 in views on YouTube. The clip takes place in a magical setting, reminiscent of the world of the series that you are part of. Include enchanted forests, ancient ruins and mystical locations, having a sense of magic and mystery. The story of the music video centers on you, showing your magical journey in search of your unreachable crush. Throughout the clip you searche for a masked figure who wears a necklace with the Korean character:  리

Comments on Twitter

🌟 Just watched the "Unseen Hearts" music video by @Y/NActorOfficial and I'm absolutely enchanted! The magical symbolism and emotional depth in every scene got me hooked. Matt's talent is truly spellbinding! 🔮💖 #UnseenHearts #Y/NMagic

✨ The "Unseen Hearts" music video is a masterpiece! 🎬✨ Y/N's portrayal of an unattainable crush, wrapped in magical elements, is pure art. The visuals, the symbolism – everything is on point! 🌌🎶 #WitchboundChronicles #MagicalMusic

🌌 Theory time! What if the "Unseen Hearts" video is a metaphor for the struggles we face in expressing our feelings? The crush, shrouded in magic, symbolizes the elusive nature of emotions. Y/N's journey represents the pursuit of self-discovery. 🧐💭 #UnseenHeartsTheory

📜 Lyric interpretation theory: What if the lyrics in "Unseen Hearts" reflect Y/N's emotions towards Felix? The masked figure embodies the lyrical expression of an unspoken crush, with the ideogram pendant serving as a musical symbol of admiration. 🎤💔 #LyricConnection #UnseenHeartsEmotion

🎵 Melodic connection theory: The musical journey in "Unseen Hearts" might represent Y/N's emotional connection to Felix. The masked figure, with Felix's ideogram, is the elusive muse driving the rhythm of Y/N's heart. 🎭💖 #MusicalMuse #UnseenHeartsMelody

//

The Kelly Clarkson Show

- Hey guys! We're here with the talented Y/N, who recently released the amazing music video "Unseen Hearts." Y/N, first, I want to say that the music video is amazing, but everyone is wondering: what is the meaning behind it?

- Hi Kelly! First of all, thank you for the compliment. You know, "Unseen Hearts" is a magical journey, an exploration of emotions and personal challenges. I wanted to convey the idea of pursuing something that seems unattainable, but at the same time, it is an experience of self-discovery.

- Oh, this is fascinating! And many fans are curious about the character that appears in the clip. Can you tell us more about this?

- Of course, Kelly. The ideogram is an artistic representation, a kind of personal symbol. It's a way to add a layer of mystery to the story, allowing each person to find their own meaning in the song and video.

- I get it, I love this enigmatic approach! And what would you say to fans speculating about the music video?

- Well, it's amazing to see the enthusiasm of the fans and the different interpretations they are creating. The beauty of art is in its subjectivity, right? I love seeing the theories and stories that people are coming up with. It's a gift to see how music resonates in unique ways for everyone.

//

Live from Felix a few days later

Chat: Hi, Felix! Did you see Y/N's new video, "Unseen Hearts"? What did you think?

- Oh, sure! I watched it, and I have to say Y/N did an amazing job. The magical atmosphere, the emotional narrative, everything was very well done. I really liked.

Chat: And the music? Do you think it has some connection with you? After all, the character with your name appears in the clip!

- Well, it's interesting, right? I think art is interpretive, and each person can have their own vision. If music is an artistic expression, it's hard to say exactly what it means to Y/N. But I loved seeing how fans are creating their own theories and stories around it.

Chat: We are really curious! Do you think Y/N might have been inspired by you for the song?

- You know, Y/N is an incredible artist, and I'm just one of the many artists who can inspire him. I think the beauty of music is its ability to connect with different experiences and emotions. If Y/N found inspiration in something we experienced, it's an honor.

Chat: Hey Felix, we know Y/N mentioned he's a Stray Kids fan. Do you think he could have a crush on you?

- Oh, really? That's kind of funny to think about. I think it's always flattering to know that people admire our work, whether as artists or as people. And well, I don't really know about that. I'm grateful for the fans' support and affection, but personal relationships are something private, right? Let's focus on the music and Y/N's work, which is incredible.

Chat: We're just kidding, Felix! But seriously, what was it like for you to see your character in his video?

It was a pleasant surprise, for sure! Y/N is a talented artist, and it was cool to see that special touch in the video. I think he did a wonderful job of creating something unique and meaningful.

//

A few weeks later you are invited to perform at the Billboard Music Awards, it would be your first time performing Unseen Hearts in front of such a large audience, you were nervous obviously, but something made you even more nervous.

- Y/N you have no idea what I discovered! - Bobby, who was now your manager, called you excitedly.

- What was it?

- So I was organizing your participation in this year's BMAs, and you know who will be there, STRAY KIDS! They will also participate

You froze, you had followed the news, given interviews, seen Felix's live and knew that everyone already knew the obvious, you had burst out writing a song about the crush you had on a boy you saw once at a fan meeting.

- Y/N… are you there? - Bobby asked from the other side.

- I'm sorry, I just got a little distracted.

- I thought you would be more excited.

- Yes, I'm excited, of course, it's going to be really cool - You said a little disconcerted.

- Now are you ready for the big news?

- My God, is there more?

- It has! So the organization was talking to me, and they asked me if you would be willing to sit at the same table as them, you know, you speak Korean, so you can help the members who don't speak it to fit in.

- BOBBY WHAT DID YOU ANSWER?

- I confirmed your place with them of course, I thought you would love it!

- ARE YOU TELLING ME I'M GOING TO COME FACE TO FACE WITH THE GUY I WROTE A SONG ABOUT?????

- Wait, was the song really about Felix?

- My God Bobby, I thought you were my manager and paid attention to the nuances.

You wanted to pass out obviously.

//

Billboard Music Awards Day - Red carpet.

- Hi Matt! We are excited to see your performance today. What can we expect from this presentation?

- Hello! I'm looking forward to the night, it's going to be amazing. The performance will be full of energy, with a touch of magic and emotion. I hope everyone enjoys it!

- Good luck! Now, we've heard rumors that you and Stray Kids have a special connection. Any future collaborations on the horizon?

- Well, I'm a big fan of Stray Kids, they're so talented. Who knows what the future holds? I'm always open to surprising collaborations. - You say with a bright smile

- Hmm, intriguing! And regarding the "Unseen Hearts" video, many fans speculate about the inspiration behind it. Any subliminal messages?

- Ah, "Unseen Hearts" is an emotional journey, an exploration of personal feelings and challenges. Fan interpretations are fascinating, and I like to leave the song open to different meanings.

- What about the ideograms? We saw Felix from Stray Kids in the video. Any special meaning? - The interviewer asks with an insinuating smile

- Ideograms are like artistic elements, each one can find its own meaning. Sometimes it's just a way to add a special touch to the visual narrative. - You say, wanting to curse yourself for when you had the brilliant idea of putting one of the ideograms of Felix's name in the music video

Interview with Stray Kids

- And we're here with Stray Kids! You guys are killing it as always. We're curious to know, are there any secret collaborations you have in mind? Maybe something with our dear Y/N, who is also here today?

- Well, you know, we are always open to new musical experiences. Y/N is an amazing artist, so who knows what could happen in the future? - Felix responds.

- Interesting! And speaking of collaborations, we saw Felix's character in Y/N's "Unseen Hearts" video. Any idea what this could mean?

- It seems like Y/N wanted to add a special touch to the video. I don't know if there's a deeper meaning, but it's an honor to be included in his art in some way. - Felix says smiling

- What if we talk about the music itself? Any thoughts on "Unseen Hearts"? - The interviewer says wanting to provoke.

- Of course, we all watched the clip and were impressed. The song has a unique vibe, and Y/N's performance is engaging. It's great to see artists exploring different styles. - Bang Chan responds

- It seems like there are a lot of secrets being kept! Speaking of secrets, do you have any future projects that you haven't revealed yet?

- Well, we never reveal all our secrets, do we? You can expect more surprises in the future. - Hyunjin responds, ending the interview.

//

Later, after the red carpet, you have to face reality and go to your seat next to the members of Stray Kids. You're dying of embarrassment, not only because you meet artists you admire so much, but because you know what the topic of the moment is.

You greet everyone in Korean, trying to be as polite as possible, they are all incredibly kind to you.

When it's time to sit down, it's as if fate hates you, and of course your seat was next to Felix.

- I really enjoyed your series on Netflix. - Felix said trying to start a conversation.

- Serious? Didn't you find it a little too fanciful?

- It's too fanciful, but I like things like that, it's really cool.

- Thank you very much - You said blushing.

He looked incredibly handsome that night, you were trying very hard not to stare.

- I really liked Unseen Hearts too, it's a beautiful song.

- Oh thank you, but it doesn't even compare to your work, I'm still quite an amateur. - You always had this habit of diminishing yourself.

- Hey don't say that, your work is incredible. - He takes a strand of your hair and puts it back. - Your eyes are very E/C

He immediately takes his hand out of your hair and apologizes. There was a slight awkward atmosphere but the touch of his fingers in your hair were still there. “You’re not living a fanfic, focus on reality”, you forced yourself to think.

You didn't want to do it but you had to, you didn't want them to keep bothering the boy because of the damn ideogram in the clip.

- Look at the clip, and the ideogram, I'm sorry they keep disturbing you with this, I saw some of your lives and how embarrassed you were.

- Hey no, I thought it was really cool! Was it really a reference for me?

You look down, well, there was no point in lying anymore, right? At least you would leave with the knowledge that your idol would never see you as anything more

- Yes, it was, but you know we all have crushes on famous people, don't worry, it doesn't mean anything big.

- What a shame - He said looking down

What? - You were shocked.

- I wouldn't mind, you know, if it was a genuine crush.

You didn't have time to respond because Bobby came to call you to say that you needed to get ready for your presentation. You ran away with your heart racing, what did that mean, what did Felix mean?

//

- Ladies and gentlemen, singing Unseen Hearts Y/N S/N

On the Billboard Music Awards stage, the "Unseen Hearts" moment begins with you positioned center stage, radiating a magnetic presence. The mesmerizing melody fills the room, creating a magical atmosphere that captures everyone's attention.

The scenery is full of fantastic elements, as you immerse yourself in the performance, conveying the emotion of the music through each note. The audience, enveloped by the magic of the presentation, watches attentively.

During the performance, the camera occasionally cuts to the audience, where Felix from Stray Kids is sitting. His eyes meet at various moments, creating a visual connection that transcends the stage. You, while singing, exchange intense glances with Felix in the audience, conveying deep emotions and a unique harmony.

The exchange of glances is loaded with meaning, as if you were sharing your story not only with the audience, but also with Felix. Every facial expression reflects the intensity of the song, as your eyes meet Felix's, conveying a silent, emotional narrative.

At the end of the performance, the audience bursts into applause, recognizing the beauty and emotion of the performance. You, as you come down from the stage, exchange a final look with Felix, a moment that remains suspended in the air before being lost in the effervescence of the applause.

On twitter

🌟 The exchange of looks between Y/N and Felix during "Unseen Hearts" at the #BBMAs was simply magical! This emotional connection transcended the stage. ✨🎶 #UnseenHeartsMagic

😍 I can't get over the intensity of the looks between Y/N and Felix during the performance! Their chemistry is palpable, and "Unseen Hearts" became even more special. 🔥💖 #BBMAs # Y/N xFelixMoment

🧙‍♂️ I'm absolutely delighted with the performance of "Unseen Hearts" at the #BBMAs. The looks between Y/N and Felix added an extra layer of magic to the performance! 🌈🔮 #EnchantedConnection

🎭 "Unseen Hearts" at the #BBMAs was an emotional journey! The looks between Y/N and Felix brought a unique depth to the presentation. A masterpiece of connection and magic. 🌌🎶 #MysticalPerformance

🤩 The performance of "Unseen Hearts" at the #BBMAs was a visual and emotional spectacle! Y/N and Felix exchanging looks made everything even more captivating. 😊💫 #KPopMagicMoment

😭 I cried at the beauty of the performance of "Unseen Hearts". The intensity of the looks between Y/N and Felix is heartbreaking. A unique emotional experience. 💔🌟 #BBMAs #EmotionalJourney

🎶 The chemistry between Y/N and Felix during "Unseen Hearts" at the #BBMAs is something that cannot be described in words. A perfect fusion of music, emotion and connection. Angry! 👏🌈 #MusicalAlchemy

🌀 "Unseen Hearts" at #BBMAs left my soul vibrating. The looks between Y/N and Felix transcended the stage, creating a unique and magical experience. 🔮✨ #MysticVibes #UnseenHeartsVibes

//

You couldn't believe what had just happened, you had performed Unseen Hearts in front of hundreds of people but it was as if you could only see Felix, you were completely embarrassed by it. How could you be so unprofessional to stare at the boy like that? What would they say about you? What would they say about him?

A knock on the dressing room door makes you stand up. It was the boys from Stray Kids and you quickly rushed to open it.

- Y/N, man, you just killed it on stage! It was amazing! - Bang Chan says hugging you.

You're grateful for the compliment, but a wave of self-consciousness hits you. Did they notice your distraction? Did they notice the prolonged glances in Felix's direction?

- Oh, thanks, Chan! I'm glad you liked it. - You say smiling, trying to hide it.

- Did you see the audience? Everyone was mesmerized. It looks like you worked some real magic up there! - Jeongin says.

Everyone laughs, and you join in the laughter, trying to keep your self-critical thoughts away.

- Y/N, that performance was incredible. You brought such a unique energy to the song. - Felix says with a shy smile.

- And I think our friend here needs to speak to you in private. - Changbin says leading the others to leave the room.

Okay, you thought: now he's going to say that what I did was horrible, that it could cause gossip and horrible repercussions for his career. And so you will have ruined the mere chance of having a friendship with someone you admire.

But his response was very different from what you imagined.

- Yeah… I wanted to ask… if you want to go out with me, do you know after the awards?

The initial perplexity is replaced by a mixture of relief and surprise. You expected the worst, but here Felix is, not mentioning anything about the intense stares, but rather extending an invitation to hang out.

- Wow, of course, I would love to! It would be amazing. - You smile trying to hide your surprise.

Felix seems to relax a little, like he's relieved by his answer.

- Great so! Will be cool. The awards are going to be incredible, but I think after that we can relax a little, what do you think?

- I will love it!

- Excellent! See you after the awards, then. - He says with a dazzling smile

He turns to leave the dressing room, and you stay there, processing the unexpected turn of events. What seemed like a potential uncomfortable situation turned into an invitation to hang out. Perhaps the intense looks were perceived differently by Felix.

Later that night…

"Y/N from 'Unseen Hearts' and Felix from Stray Kids spotted holding hands after the Billboard Music Awards!"

"The beginning of a new ship? Y/N and Felix, moments of romance after the awards."

"Fans are ecstatic over photos of Y/N and Felix together. Could this be the start of a new friendship or something more?"

And on Twitter…

😱 Holding hands? This is real? Y/N and Felix together? I'm freaking out! 😍🥰 # #Y/NxFelix  #UnseenHeartsLove

🚢 Is a new ship being born? The internet needs to know! 😏🚀 # Y/Nlix #ShipSpeculation

🌟 The friendship between Y/N and Felix is so beautiful! We loved seeing the two together. 🤝💖 #FriendshipGoals # Y/NAndFelix

🧐 Holding hands? Are we all witnessing the beginning of something special? 🤔🌈 # Y/NAndFelix #SpeculationsRising

📸 Exclusive photos of Matt and Felix leaving the event. Are we seeing the birth of a new partnership? 🤝💫 #CelebrityNews # Y/NFelixMoments

📚 What do you think of a fanfic based on these photos? 😏💕 # Y/NlixFanfic #ShippingDreams

And so maybe Unseen Hearts weren't so unseen...

[crossdressingdeath]

Care to elaborate on the dislike of "what they did with (Morrigan) in DA:I"?

Simple, snarky answer: I play Lavellan.

More complete answer: Morrigan in DAO could be kind of shitty, she didn't have a lot of respect for... anyone and seemed to make decisions solely based on whether or not they were evil (Morrigan bby please leaving everyone in Redcliffe to die isn't pragmatic when we still have to go through Redcliffe), but she was sheltered and still learning how the world worked so it was understandable, even sympathetic in places. Morrigan in DAI has been out in the world for ten years and has only gotten shittier. In general I'm not fond of the way that the recurring DAO characters apparently haven't grown as people in ten years (hardened King Alistair, a character specifically mentioned as being a good king, writing diplomatic letters to someone he met for at most five minutes like the recently-freed-from-heavy-indoctrination nineteen year old he hasn't been for a decade especially irritates me), it's clear that Bioware is more invested in cashing in on nostalgia than they are in developing these characters as characters, but Morrigan? Bioware, I know negative character development is still development but it maybe wasn't the best idea.

Let me put it this way. In Witch Hunt Morrigan steals a book from the Dalish so that she can learn about eluvians. This is kind of shitty behaviour, but it's Morrigan levels of shitty and she does leave the book outside the eluvian, so the Dalish as far as we see have reclaimed that book and the knowledge in it, and also they had it for years and so logically knew the things in that book already. Definitely they had access to it. And it's also important to keep in mind that that book is the only information we can confirm that Morrigan actually has on eluvians in canon; she's never mentioned as finding any other source. And then in DAI she basically calls the Dalish morons the whole way through and claims that she (a human woman with literally zero connection to the Dalish or elves in general beyond maybe having some friends who are elves and also stealing from the Dalish that one time, the Flemeth situation doesn't count because we're given no reason to believe Morrigan ever for a moment even suspected the Mythal thing or that Flemeth wasn't human or to believe that Flemeth passed on any knowledge about the elves, and certainly not anything the Dalish didn't know) has more right to take this ancient elven font of knowledge sacred to a Dalish god than a Dalish elf does. This despite the fact that if you have the arcane knowledge perk you understand the Well better than her literally just by looking at it (she doesn't know the Well will put the drinker under a geas despite all her research, while Quiz only has to look at it and hear the whispers coming from it to figure that out). I've seen it described as humansplaining and... yeah that kind of describes what Morrigan does. If you play Lavellan she's just constantly really shitty to you about you wanting to engage with your own damn culture and claims she knows better because she read one book that you quite possibly also read. It's not entirely to do with her as a character, some of it is DAI's shitty writing and without it her arrogance could've been just a character trait that she could've moved past (let Lavellan and Solas troll her by straight up lying about the inscriptions in the temple and her going along with it because she won't admit that she can't read as much of it as she claims she can, please), but the way it's allowed to stand unchallenged despite by all logic being horseshit really pisses me off. I don't trust Bioware not to double down on the "Oh this human woman understands this totally unrelated culture that she is in no way part of and has barely even studied way better than the people belonging to that culture do and deserves valuable ancient relics of their people more than them" thing, so I very much do not want to see her in any more DA games.

[starlitjasper]

Thoughts on the Architect Hivemind

I have a theory about the Architect Hivemind and how their culture surrounding other intelligent species affects the explanation given in the game. I’ll be basing the timeline off the Dialogues as listed in the wiki to make it more uniform.

When Al-An first introduces himself, he paints the Architects as much more of a hivemind than they turn out to be. He says: “ We do not think of ourselves as individual, distinct.”

But he disproves this several times. While the easy switch to “I” is easily explained by English being a foreign language Al-An uses for convenience, he switches it without being asked to or even saying  it’s for Robin’s convenience.

Now, I may have missed Robin’s tone when she asked “Why don't you start by telling me who you are?” so this isn’t 100% but the reply Al-An gives is “You may append your seed code to my species designation.”

He then says he has been disconnected from his network, which immediately designates him as an individual.

Another dialogue has Al-An say the Architects do not perceive the difference between who you are and who you work for, and that there was only working in or against the interest of the collective. But when Robin asks whether the architects always agree on everything, he immediately admits that no, they don’t. An individual-less hivemind would not disagree with itself.

When Robin finds an Architect skeleton, she asks if said place is a sanctuary since it looks different from the usual Architect buildings found in the game. Al-An answers it’s meant to be a place to reflect - but a hivemind without the concept of individuals would, in my opinion, probably not need a special place to reflect.

Now, while building Al-An’s body, he keeps dodging the subject and subtly disses Robin’s scientific contribution, but admits everything slowly. The points that stand out is that he lead the research, which implies there is a hierarchy - but an individual-less hivemind would not need such a thing. They would simply research in perfect unison. There would also be no need to make amends as the hivemind would simply calculate this as the entire collective’s mistake, rather than an individual’s, which Al-An says he’s not at the start. He admits to disobeying the network’s directive. If there were no individuals, this would also be impossible. How can the hivemind disobey itself?

But as for the reason Al-An first presents himself as a final stage hivemind with no individuals, I have a theory:

Perhaps, Al-An presents the Architects as an individual-less hivemind because he doesn’t know whether Robin can be trusted - a united front in front of a potential threat. The tiny population (10 000, according to Al-An) is in less danger of getting their members killed off if they don’t have members to kill off. If Al-An presents himself as the entirety of the hivemind, why would Alterra seek out more?

While Al-An trusts Robin more than he does Alterra, she is still a wildcard. Yes, he is in her brain, but that doesn’t mean he suddenly knows the entirety of her mind, as proved by the fact he has to ask her what dreams are, whether all humans like working and a myriad of other things he finds himself confused about. And he lets her know more about his kind as he gets to know her more and begins to trust her (though I wish we got more of the dialogue leading up to it than we did), leading up to him admitting he was the cause of the outbreak on 4546B and even letting her go with him to the Precursor Home Planet. He shows her he was hiding the phasegates from Alterra, which further proves he had a reason to pretend he spoke for the entirety of his race when he wasn’t 100% sure Robin wouldn’t turn on him and hand him over to the company.

Whether this is Al-An’s decision alone or a protocol to follow and part of his culture is unclear. The Architects remain mysterious for the most part, though we do get to know more about them in both Below Zero and the original Subnautica - there, we learn mostly from their own devices issuing various warnings they upload them to their mind (which makes me think the Network is more like internet in their mind, further supported by them being more or less Alien Cyborgs) and from the Sea Emperor’s account. Maybe we will learn more about Architects in Subnautica 3.

[sophieinwonderland]

From some random post we saw while doomscrolling through syscourse(which, are you alright? You're the top poster, which isn't really something to strive for in one of the most hate and rage driven tags systems can find themselves in on tumblr... should take a mental health break every once in a while):

Because, frankly, the anti-tulpa narrative was manufactured to shutdown created systems, and present bigotry in a way that appeared progressive. People aren't actually against words from other languages and religions being used in new ways. They're against these words being used by endogenic systems.

As a pro-endo mixed/POC system who has spent hours upon hours trying to understand the tulpa language discourse argument- I'm honestly really fucking hurt by this hugely inaccurate assumption. I don't see how we're trying to shut down created systems, what i see is trying to educate and steer people away from a term that was created through ignorance, racism [albeit not forwardly malicious], and cultural appropriation.

Tulpa creation bears no connection to Tibetan Buddhism anymore —not that it ever really did, given this exact phenomenon is not actually mentioned to exist, ever, by, i forgot the name of the person who invented the term but i know she was a) white and b) racist in ways outside of this — but is still touted around as being connected and part of that spiritual practice.

It's not about "we dont want endos using this term." It's that we want the term to stop being used ALTOGETHER. We personally have witnessed traumagenic systems exploring creating headmates, and we have steered them away from using tulpa language in favor of "parogenic" as a term.

It saddens us that you can just so brazenly dismiss it as a whole as shutting down created systems while so much else is going on that you're choosing to ignore.

You have a good heart - do more research into why people are saying what they are and don't just dismiss them like that. Please don't speak over those people who are a part of the culture being appropriated, simply because of refusal to change.

And yes, we asked this on anon not out of cowardice, but because we'd really rather not start getting a bunch of death threats on our main blog.

-Enzo

Okay, let's try a thought experiment. Imagine for a moment that there are two universes. In one universe, the anti-tulpa narrative begins and is popularized because it's harmful to Tibetan Buddhists as an ethnoreligious group.

In the other, the anti-tulpa narrative is concocted and pushed heavily by anti-endos as a way of delegitimizing one of the strongest and most well-researched endogenic communities.

What would you say the differences would be between these two universes?

Personally, I think if one were to enter the first universe, you would find several things.

Anti-tulpa sentiment probably would have begun in the early 2000s as the internet was coming into more sidespread use and shows like Supernatural and X-Files would use tulpas as horror monsters.

Similar to above, once backlash started, it would be hitting all presentations of tulpas, including in creepypastas and its use by the SCP Foundation.

Much of the backlash would be coming from members of the Tibetan Buddhist community, including at least some spiritual leaders because yes, religions have hierarchies of leadership.

Well, what about the second universe? What would we expect that universe to look like? Personally, I would expect the following:

There would be zero trace of anyone ever taking issue with the tulpas in shows like Supernatural or X-Files prior to tulpamancy being formed.

All backlash would be focused solely on tulpamancers. Nobody ever would mention the SCP Foundation, Mandella Catalogue or creepypastas about tulpas.

Most of the anti-tulpa backlash would be coming from system circles, and would be heavily pushed by anti-endos. While you might be able to fund a small handful of Tibetan Buddhists who have been convinced by anti-endo rhetoric that it's bad, there would be no spiritual leaders getting involved and most Tibetan Buddhists you ask outside of system spaces wouldn't care.

Which of these two universes do you feel most resembles our own?

Before you answer, here's a fun thread comparing the differences in people's opinions on r/systemscringe vs those on r/Buddhism

When r/systemscringe is pushing a narrative that the word is appropriation while actual Buddhist communities on the same site shrug their shoulders and don't care, this should send up immediate red flags as to the legitimacy of this whole controversy, and which groups are actually interest in pushing it.

Now, I am not suggesting that none of the very small handful of actual Tibetan Buddhists who have taken issues with the practice don't legitimately feel as they claim to.

The problem with propaganda is that it's often very good at manipulating people's emotions. If it couldn't do that, it wouldn't be effective.

We've seen this with similar anti-endo smears, like the ones claiming "system hopping" was appropriated from RAMCOA systems. And sure enough, despite its use in the plural community predating any RAMCOA connection by a full 16 years, this claim still persisted. And some RAMCOA systems were even manipulated by these lies and convinced endogenic systems were stealing terms from their community.

We actually see this same tactic over and over again.

We see it with "system hopping" which they claim was stolen from RAMCOA systems. We see it with "sysmed," which they claim is stolen from the LGBT community. We see this with the very concept of plurality itself.

The fact of the matter is that this has become a core manipulation tactic in the anti-endo playbook, designed to sew division.

[damnfandomproblems]

I'm giving in and putting in an actual response. just incase people don't check replies (tho if it is the obsessive anti Asian twst person I wouldn't be surprised if they did read them)

it takes... no time at all to look up the history of braids ON WIKIPEDIA and find out their actual history. (don't trust news outlets and blog sites) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braid A quote from the page:

"The oldest known reproduction of hair braiding may go back about 30,000 years: the Venus of Willendorf, a female figurine estimated to have been made between about 28,000 and 25,000 BC in modern-day Austria.[4] The Venus of Brassempouy from the southwest of France is estimated to be about 25,000 years old and shows a braided hairstyle.

Although many cultures want to take sole credit for the braid, they cannot be traced to a single origin. Like how different versions of Cinderella are traceable to nearly every culture, braids, too, are polygenetic. One early example of hair braiding takes place in 1279-1213 BCE as recorded in the story of Isis: "when some of the queen's maidens came to the well, she greeted them kindly and began to braid their hair."[5]"

While yes, braids do have significant cultural importance in African cultures, largely out of necessity for maintaining their hair, this does not mean that they "invented" the braid. like another person said, braids even appear in cultures that have had zero contact with African cultures. In case you don't know what polygenetic means:

polygenetic

adjective

Having many distinct sources; originating at various places or times.

Of or pertaining to polygenesis; polyphyletic.

one which is composite, or consists of two or more monogenetic ranges, each having had its own history of development.

This can also be attributed to the fact that braids are not exclusive to hair. "A braid (also referred to as a plait) is a complex structure or pattern formed by interlacing three or more strands of flexible material such as textile yarns, wire, or hair."

This means things like clothing, jewelry, rope, and I would even say baskets. Any thing thing that can be shaped into a braid. Are there specific types of braid meant specifically for black hair texture? Yes. There are TYPES of hair braids designed specifically to protect and maintain certain types of hair, and yes such types of braids can be harmful if used on hair textures they were not designed for. However, once again I must remind you that this does not mean that African cultures "invented" braids as a whole.

"okay so are you saying its okay for white people to appropriate black cultures and use those hair styles?" In the event this is what any of you are wondering... That's not what I'm talking about. That is an entirely different topic that I'm not going into. Cuz tbh I don't know and I don't really have a say in the matter.

What I am talking about is debunking the claim that African cultures invented and therefore own braids, and that any other culture or person not apart of African cultures have no right to use a braids in general, and are racist if they do. For the last time. braids are polygenetic. No one owns them or invented them, and everyone has a right to use them. And this was all easily accessible information that you could literally look up and be done in like 5 mins btw. Please learn to do your research.

Posting this response like this. I will be compiling the anonymous response as one post.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Nigeria’s Role in Invictus Games

Time to review some facts as Harold & M book another private jet to another continent. Hopefully some publications will engage in some research on this.

So how many African nations have attended the Invictus Games (IGs) prior to 2023? ZERO.

In 2022 Meghan Markle unexpectedly announced to the world that she was 43% Nigerian. Ibble Dibble does an excellent job debunking this btw here https://youtube.com/watch?v=0CYNcie-PAs&si=AJ5IF8qLod4KGyda

Setting aside that Meghan’s claim was false, Meghan still announced this on her Archetype podcast episode on “Angry Black Women” featuring Ziwe Fumudoh who is the daughter of two Nigerian immigrants. The highly profane comedienne also attended Northwestern, although it’s unlikely she was in Meghan’s white sorority. Ziwe was, predictably giddy, and the two instantly bonded. Not sure where her jelly post is.

Nigeria “mysteriously” applied to join the Invictus Games also in 2022, but wasn’t eligible to participate until last year’s IGs in Dusseldorf. They brought ten participants. The question is, which is the chicken vs egg? Based on her family’s ancestry records we know she can’t be 43% Nigerian, so did Harry tell M about Nigeria wanting to join the IGs and M thought “great!” I can be Nigerian, realizing no other African countries participate? Or did M make up the Nigerian DNA story and Nigeria latched on to gain more legitimacy and access some stale royal stardust? Or are we supposed to believe her fake story about being Nigerian in 2022 was purely coincidental to Nigeria applying to the IGs in 2022, when zero other African countries have shown any interest?

In January 2024 Harry & Meghan flew to Whistler, BC to attend some IG ski vacation boondoggle that cost IG tens of thousands of dollars for just H&M’s private jets and very luxurious accommodations, to say nothing of the staggering funds spent on this mini vacation holiday for the entire IG staff, Archewell staff & a very small group of competitors, which included a high society dinner with Michael Bublé serenading a large banquet hall of VIPs, including the Nigerian Chief of Staff who invited H&M to swan about Nigeria. Apparently the vets weren’t invited to that dinner, but they enjoyed all the other perks. That Chief of Staff brought some Nigerian participants with him, none of whom seemingly had any experience competing in winter sports, so it seems shockingly wasteful to squander so much money for a “pre-IG trip just so the Chief of Staff can say he met Michael Bublé.

Harry describes this May 2024 Nigerian trip thusly:

”His visit to Nigeria will include cultural activities and will “consolidate Nigeria’s stronghold at the games and the possibility of hosting the event in later years,” Gusau said.

Nigeria has NO stronghold at the games. They only fielded ten participants and have only attended ONE IG. One. That is not a stronghold. So what is the real purpose of this trip? To bribe Harry for a future hosting gig for the IGs? Bribery involving government officials is the most common form of corruption in Nigeria, according to Nigeria. And we all know how big their scam and bots industry is. That means bribery, although technically illegal in Nigeria, is also very commonplace. Wasting money seems like no big deal for them either.

However, the thought of Nigeria hosting the IGs is laughable. Nigeria has travel warnings throughout Nigeria due to widespread terrorism, kidnappings, armed gangs and general crime. The participating countries are advising against travel to Nigeria https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/nigeria-travel-advisory.html

Aside from putting other nations in extreme danger, it would cost Nigeria over $40M to host this week long party. Nigeria’s entire military budget of $3.1B is .003 of our (US’s) military budget. Basically a rounding error. Yet spending over $40M on a week long party for 500 vets from 22 non-US countries is still hefty enough that it merits a lot of lobbying here, since basic vet needs are not fully met. Yet Nigeria wants to cough this much money up so that 98% of the non-Nigerian prticipants can party in Nigeria? Why? Are all there other veteran needs being fully met? What else is in it for them? This can’t be what this trip is really all about

For Harry & Meghan this is all a win-win. They get to have another faux royal International trip where they cosplay still being royals with royal authority & privileges, which they no longer possess. They will be treated as VIPs, staying at the finest Nigerian hotels and riding in armed motorcades, which is apparently the thing Harry misses most about his former life as an actual senior royal. Meghan gets to rub more heavy bronzer on her race card while working to cement her presence as. co-host for all the future Invictus Games with Harry, who is only a patron, btw, and has zero official corporate authority for the IGs. She will be their Lolo waving her Nigerian flag. Harry seeks to throw his weight around proving that he can bring in nations that will pony up the giant hosting fees

There are rumors that the IG Foundation is considering replacing Harry as their patron. Harry believed his big Netflix Heart of Invictus series would stave that off, but that series didn‘t do that well. Perhaps he believes he can bring in all of Africa. I doubt that will work out well. I think this stunt smells like overwhelming desperation.

The Invictus Games Foundation needs to stop this out of control train wreck. Harry & Meghan going rogue on these projects only brings on more intense scrutiny. Will this charity survive if the amount of money spent on H&M is ever made public? If the US hosts the 2026 IGs I can assure you FOIAs will go out to the DOD. If Birmingham gets it I assume the UK will also FOIA the snot out of the records. The truly big waste isn’t in the IGF’s paltry budget it’s in the $30M to $40M plus sponsorships that goes completely unreported on. MSM, please do your duty!

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author: AM_Rike

submitted: April 29, 2024 at 03:32PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[whentherewerebicycles]

ugh I am really struggling with a thing with a former student/mentee of mine. in the week or two of the post-hamas attack aftermath I posted something on instagram that was basically like, i feel an obligation to be an informed global citizen and believe me I read/think about/despair over the news every day but I also think it’s ok to really viscerally hate “doing politics” on social media, where complex, centuries-old geopolitical and cultural conflicts get reduced to a sensationalized infographic some teenager designed on canva last night. at the time I was watching people spread rampant misinformation about the hospital explosion when we had zero conclusive information, and had also just heard jon favreau talking about research indicating that something like 80% of the images and videos people were sharing on social media weren’t actually FROM the current conflict or couldn’t be verified as real. and idk I also have some private thoughts about how american leftists in particular really glom onto this issue because we perceive israelis as ‘white people’ and palestinians as people of color and we get to feel like we are exorcising our own country’s racial demons by advocating for the expulsion of the israeli people from land that many of them actually have deep historical ties to and at least a semi-legitimate cultural and religious claim to inhabiting.

to be clear I think the current israeli government is pretty much your trump-inspired shitty/evil right-wing militaristic populist movement and I feel like their response has squandered every single ounce of empathy garnered by the hamas attacks!! but idk I guess what I want to carve out space for is like, the right to say I AM NOT AN EXPERT HERE. I DO NOT HAVE DEEP ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ROOTS OF THIS CONFLICT. I WORRY ABOUT SPREADING DANGEROUS MISINFORMATION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS IF I SHARE UNVERIFIED SOURCES OR REDUCTIVE TAKES. ALSO I AM A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND I DO NOT HAVE A “PLATFORM” JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT. I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO BE CONFUSED, TO NOT PASS SNAP JUDGMENTS ON RAPIDLY EVOLVING INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS, AND TO ENGAGE IN POLITICS BY MEANS OTHER THAN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING. but idk this former student, who I had a really good relationship with for many years, has just come after me in my DMs and keeps sending me posts implying that anyone who is not furiously posting right now is pro-Palestinian genocide, etc etc, and meanwhile she is posting hundreds of unverified stories a day from Arabic-language sources that aren’t just like, anti-Zionist but are actively pro-Hamas, actively denying that the attacks on Israel happened, and actively calling for the immediate and violent expulsion of all Jews from the area. dude idk she’s not my student anymore so I think I’m just going to disengage/not respond and continue staying off insta because it sucks out there!! but it sucks!

I also just refuse to experience a war via unfiltered social media posts again. I did that for a month or two at the start of the ukraine invasion and I can’t unsee some of the stuff I saw on telegram. I don’t actually think any of us have a moral obligation to watch or share a 24/7 feed of graphic images of maimed corpses and crying children. I can’t make the violence STOP by watching that content and I also don’t believe that ravenously consuming the most terrible moments of people’s lives is a form of meaningful political solidarity. WHATEVER as you can see I still feel super conflicted about how to feel about all of this but I also have to remind myself that IT’S NOT NORMAL to click through my stories or scroll down my feed alternating between liking people’s cat photos and watching people dying half a world away. we were NOT BUILT to process world-historical events this way and it is OKAY to opt out of watching a livestream of human suffering you are personally powerless to do anything about.

[gren-arlio]

Went into this with nothing, came out with Japanese History. Welcome to Episode 10 of (Waku) Puyo Extras: Educational Edition.

(Yeah Lagnus is in the Waku Puyo Manga. There's 3 versions of him due to him basically having DID, and he actually gets solid development. A win for all 10 of us Lagnus fans.)

Hello everyone, it's that teenage boy who spends his time looking into wacky Japanese games again, and welcome to Episode 10 of this series. Finally hit double digits for these episodes, I can finally say it can be it's own series.

With enough research finally under my belt, (whilst also reading Case Closed on my spare time, good manga,) I can finally discuss Arle's Travel Log/Arle Man'Yuki, a game I had zero idea what it was about, but came out with...mostly basic Japanese history, so this is the educational episode of this franchise.

So, what's gonna happen after this? I'm glad you asked. Y'see, on Halloween, it's Her birthday. Yeah, Her. May as well plan a special episode for that, since She's one of my personal favorite characters. It'll be like 80% of just me shitposting, so heads up.

Anywho, with that, hope you enjoy.

So, What're The Origins?

Let me make this clear: What I cover this time around is NOT the entire game. That'll take way, WAY too long, so I'm only covering the pieces I do know. Some parts may also be wrong, as I'm not an expert on Japanese History. I hope you understand.

Well, there's a lot to cover here. Arle's Travel Log was released for Windows '95 in Volume 13 of Disc Station Magazines, back in 1996.

(The artstyle given in the game.)

The game itself is text-adventure game, and oh boy, you'll be reading a LOT of text for this game. There's light gameplay elements, such as clicking specific characters for a game or a battle sequence, but they're padded out from a lot of text.

Now, what's interesting about this game is two major things. First off, the game takes actual elements from old Japanese culture and adds it into their game, but they add Puyo characters/New characters/Jump Hero characters as the historical figures instead. We'll cover the history part in a bit. As well, Arle jumps through time period after time period, ranging from the 1100s to the 1860s.

And the second thing to mention: They have Jump Hero characters in this. You rarely saw them during Compile's runtime, but they made some appearances here and there.

-----

Wait, What's Jump Hero?

I should mention this actually. Jump Hero was another series released by Compile themselves, a series of games with mixed variety in them due to spinoffs (or as they're called, Gaiden Games,) such as platformers, point-and-click adventure games, adventure games, etc. It starred Billy de Babine, the Jump Hero himself.

(Disc Station Vol. 23. Guess Arle's a Yugioh player now, or are those candy? Curiously, Billy also seems to be drawn in the Puyo~N artstyle.)

There's a ton of characters to cover that I won't be...well, covering, such as Billy Burn (or Barry de Babine), Prince Ivan the Penguin, and Margarita Linda, but for those curious, here's the link to the basics of some Jump Hero characters.

Now frankly, Jump Hero can get its own episode, but for now, this is the basics, and what you mostly need to know.

-----

And For Those Wondering What Time Periods:

Well...it's the Heian and Edo/Bakamatsu period.

The Heian Period (Heian is current day Kyoto,) was a period from 784 AD to about 1185, most notably known not only for its virtually 400 years of peace, but also the boom it had on Japanese art and poetry. It was the Golden Age for historical Japan, as due to them making their own vast differences from Chinese art, but also their literature, caused a new and unique Japanese culture.

As well, during this time, politically, Japan was an isolationist country, basically leaving itself from most worldwide talk.

The Bakamatsu Period was much shorter one, from only 1853 to 1867, based off the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867.) The Edo Period was considered the last period of peace for traditional Japan, before they went into an imperial rule, up until their defeat/surrender in WW2 in 1945. The Edo Period was a peaceful one, though for 200 years instead of 400, known best for the economic growth of the Shogunate.

Back to the Bakamatsu Period, it was the final years of traditional Japan, though they're best known for the Shinsengumi Swordsmen, a group of elite swordsmen founded from 1863 to 1869, formerly low ranked Samurais and Farmers, founded to protect the Shogunate due to a massive divide in Japanese politics.

Unfortunately, history was not on their side, and were disbanded in 1869, as well as the end of traditional Japan. You may also know the Shinsengumi from Gintama.

Yeah. There's a lot to cover.

My history may be off so take these with a grain of salt.

-----

What's The Story, Gren?

Ah, the story itself.

It begins with Arle...encountering Satan once again, who's looking to grab Carbuncle. Unfortunately, Arle isn't having any of that and so they duel. However, due to this duel, they get blasted back in time. I'm talking the 1100s back in time.

The Heian Period levels of back in time.

(WATCH OUT ARLE YOU'RE GETTING MARIO AND LUIGI: PARTNERS IN TIME'D)

And now, Arle wakes up in the 1100's. Ain't that fun?

Unsure of where to go, she just sorta wanders around, checking her surroundings and runs into Mamomo, (remember him? Me neither.) and runs into...The Old Man From Third Street from Jump Hero, in the role of an historical Onimyoji, Abe no Seimei. There's even a shrine of him in actual Japan.

And hey, there's Ivan, in the role of Fujiwara no Muchinaga, the most influential person in Japanese courts back in the 10th/11th century, as well as holding the oldest autographic diary for a historically important person.

(Best image I can find...whoops.)

Throughout Arle's journey, she'll not only run into characters from Jump Hero, such as Billy de Babine posing as general Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but also Puyo/Madou characters themselves, posing as either historical figures themselves or just random people, such as Kikimora, Draco and Witch.

Kikimora is in a later year, I believe 1863, while Witch and Draco's in about year 1000. That's why Arle's clothes change. They both look pretty though.

Fun fact about Witch though: She does have a small game where you have to click her, but she must've mastered the damn Body Flicker from Naruto since she goes ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Now why did I say "historical figures" for some?

Well, let's take Rulue for example, playing the role of Tomoe Gozen, and my GOD was Tomoe a badass. A female Samurai, in the 1180s, there was a war going on in the late Heian Period, the Gunpei War, and in that, she was a leader, and went into battle alongside other Samurai. She's most notable not only for that, she's known to at least taken the head of one enemy (Hinda No Moroshige,) and presented it to her leader. Absolutely fucking insane.

Best part is...she was also a devoted wife. Ironic for Rulue but still.

(I had to put SO much respect on her name.)

Oh, and Schezo's here too, since Rulue got the role of a badass Samurai, what did Schezo get?

OUR BOY SCHEZO IS APPARENTLY THE VICE COMMANDER OF THE SHINSENGUMI, HIJIKATA TOSHIZO.

(Vice Commander ain't bad at all. Good on you Schezo. Apparently here, he really cares for his subordinates.)

Toshizo himself had an interesting history. He began off the youngest of 10 siblings, and was raised by his 2nd older brother and his sister-in-law. Spoiled as all hell, he was handsome, but rude to all who wasn't family or friends, until he saw a swordsman from another clan commit Seppeku. He went to that man's funeral and cried.

He spent most of his youth self teaching himself swordplay, and even became friends with the future leader of the Shinsengumi, Kondo Isami. When the Shinsengumi were formed, it was him, Kondo, and two other men, however those two men were kinda assholes, and Toshizo found enough evidence to make one of them commit Seppeku, and assassinated the other. Yep. He did that.

After that, he and Kondo became the leaders of the Shinsengumi, where Toshizo was very strict on the rules, and even got the nickname of "The Demon Vice Commander," and fought in many battles in the Boshin War.

After Kondo was executed by enemy forces in April of 1868, Toshizo died in battle after giving his final farewell to his servant, as well as his katana, a death poem, as well as bits of hair and a photo of himself, in June of 1869. He knew he'd die in battle, but he'd rather die with his government than live with the shame. A week after his death, the war ended...

And that dude is Schezo now. Lmao.

Oh, and who's Kondo? The leader of the Shinsengumi?

Camus. I'm not kidding.

Schezo and Camus are a team. That sounds sick.

Oh, and not shown but characters who also make an appearance (because THE DANG 10 IMAGE LIMIT...):

Minotauros

Zombie

Incubus[?]

Panotty

Serilly

Draco

Nasu Grave

Suketoudara

Skeleton-T

After all this stuff occurs, the final boss of this game is...Owlbear. I mean, could be worse.

-----

After That...Lesson, How's the OST?

As the guy who listened to it...it's okay. Which isn't great for Madou standards. There's nothing honestly too standout, but you're not gonna mute the game from the songs themselves. Definition of passable.

It's honestly quite a tad disappointing that it doesn't have a banger OST, but we can make do with what we got.

-----

And Overall?

If you're willing to check out this game for its Japanese history and some of the wackiness of both Madou AND Jump Hero...I'd say check it out. The characters being played are fairly interesting, and the lore behind the actual people themselves are so...interesting.

And with that...hope you enjoyed this lesson. It was fun researching the game.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

Can you tell us more about who England refers too as mother? And did you divide the UK siblings roughly into two pairs because of Roman Britain? I'm sorry you just keep dropping hints and no one else has asked 💌

Oh lord, okay. So disclaimer, working with prehistory is a fucking crap shoot. Archaeology has a lot of interpretations and not as many facts as historians and archivists like me, especially who studied modern history, would like. And even when history does come to the islands in the form of the Roman writers, that is also largely questionable because propaganda is as old as human communication. So I try to work with what we do know, but before a certain point, I'm basically writing fantasy. But also, no one has to work with history ever in a fucking stupid anime fandom. I'm just a diagnosed anxious headcase who copes with the uncertainty of existence by researching the fuck out of every choice I've ever made sober, including this shitshow of a blog and predecessors. Most of my focus is on much later history, so I'm taking a minimalist approach here and making as little work for myself as possible while at least taking some guidance from history to fit the themes I like so none of this is likely going to be the best take, tbh. That said, onwards into the breach, I fucken guess.

Can you tell us more about who England refers to as mother?

Yes. So most of the time, the conglomerate characters of "Germania" or the fanon "Native America," where dozens and hundreds and thousands of politically interlocked or entirely separate cultures are smushed into one character, make zero sense to me. In the case of Native America, it's downright racist, and in the case of Germania it's basically sucking Tacitus off 2,000 years after the fact. But Brittania could make sense. Being an island separated from mainland Europe made for some attractive socio-political and cultural unity hinted at in writing after the Roman invasion and before the fact in the archaeological record. But how long before the Romans? Where do I begin with Brittania, eh? The Red Lady of Paviland? The Creswell Crags? The Starr Mesolithic Site? Neolithic Chambered Tomb-Shrines? Stonehenge? The Iron Age Hillforts? Ah! There we go, the Celtic arrival in Britain. i.e. the option that makes me do the least work to get the job done. The Celts arrive in Britain about 1,300-800 BCE and in Ireland about 800-500 BCE depending on who you read. There is one tribe among the Celtic that had strong links to Britain and Ireland. The Brigantes were stuck in the border region between what is today Scotland and England, with at least some sort of material connections in Wales and Ireland. So my shortcut to a decent storyline that had some basis in fact, was to have her people interpret her as their patron goddess of Brigantia and link her tightly to Celtic paganism and weakened by the invasions of Rome but also the widespread adoption of Christianity in the 5th century. She was a proud woman who enjoyed the worship she once knew and who loved her children fiercely. She was every bit a Cartimandua or Boudicca. And when Christ and his nails bled her to death, her sons eventually dug her a barrow at the foot of an iron age hillfort, and her only daughter braided her hair and placed her golden jewelry on her one last time and their world was never the same.

And did you divide the UK siblings roughly into two pairs because of Roman Britain?

Yes and no. The Romans did take and hold England and Wales but Wales was much harder to hold onto. Under the Romans, life didn't change there or in Scotland nearly as much as in England. My main reason for splitting them into Brighid and Alasdair and Rhys and Arthur beyond much more modern politics is linguistic. Scottish Gaelic is much more related to Irish than it is to Welsh. And the Welsh word Cymru once referred to both the Welsh and Cumbrians. Now Cumbrian is a fascinating little language that is now dead, but it left a fantastic legacy in its counting system. @oumaheroes headcanons it as being something he uses to refer to his weans, and I, sobbing, concur wholeheartedly. I also have made random references to a shitfaced Arthur babbling in Cumbrian. So with that being a Celtic language in what is today England, et voila, two pairs.

[wardencommanderrodimiss]

On the way down into Area Zero, Scarlett tells her friends a bit about her parents. This mostly raises more questions than it answers.

---

The trek through Aero Zero is even more exhausting than Arven remembers. A slow spiral downhill, waiting every moment for the monsters to attack - for something only half-imagined in the Scarlet Book to spring out of the fog. And his backup doesn’t reassure him; Scarlett keeps rushing ahead to look at wild pokemon, waterfalls, rocks, and straight down into the thick fog below. Even Nemona has to yell after her to be careful, and it has to be bad if Miss Student Council President Battle Aficionado is telling someone to slow down. 

Though Arven is pretty sure that Nemona wants to run into battle with a monster, and she’s only worried about Scarlett slipping off the edge of a cliff. Which, yes, he’s also worried about that. He’s worried about many things. He can multitask.

They reach the second research station, are attacked by a monster that looks almost-but-not-quite like a jigglypuff, and decide it would be a good site to camp for the night. Sada tells them she’ll speak with them in the morning, and that’s it.

“So what are your parents like, Scarlett?” Penny asks, when they’ve all set up on the floor to make their dinners. Arven hopes they’ve packed enough food. He’s hungrier than he thought he would be.

They talked about their families on the way down; the specter of parents hangs heavy over this mad quest. Arven has learned a lot about Nemona and Penny, but less about Scarlett before everyone started to complain about being tired and hungry. Or that was mostly Penny and Nemona. And maybe Arven had also complained. And maybe it was good that all of them did, because one thing he has learned about Scarlett, today and other days, is that she could run straight until she collapses and never think to stop for a rest.

“Oh, they’re cool!” Scarlett chirps, which reminds Arven that she is the youngest of them and would still be at an age where she thinks her parents are cool.

“They seemed nice, when I met ‘em,” Nemona says. “Only briefly, but - lots of pokemon at your house, I remember.”

“Yeah, that’s Mom’s old team,” Scarlett says. “And Dad’s zoroark. They were both trainers when they were younger - I guess Mom still is, she battles for fun sometimes. And it’s good exercise for the team.”

“Would she be willing to battle me?” Nemona asks, because of course she asks that. Arven isn’t even surprised. 

“I bet she would!” Scarlett says brightly. “That’d be fun! Since you’re Champion ranked, and Mom was like - um, I guess she said she’s technically not a Hall-of-Famer, but–”

“Hall-of-Famer?” Arven asks.

“It’s like - like being Champion ranked,” Scarlett explains. “‘Cause the Unova League only gives the Champion title to one person at a time, and they’re the sitting Champion, and they’ve got all the responsibilities like La Primera, and then anyone who beats them gets entered in the Hall of Fame.”

“So why technically?” Penny asks.

“Mrghmph.” Scarlett takes a massive bite out of her sandwich, laden with peanut butter, banana, and whipped cream. “Mghm. Um. I don’t think she said? I can’t remember if she said. Or, wait, she said she could’ve entered, and didn’t, something about that she only battled the sitting Champion later, after he retired, and - I don’t know, it was weird, she didn’t totally answer when we talked about it. Something wonky.”

“Sorry, she could’ve, and didn’t?” Nemona repeats. “League culture in Unova is loco! Gym leaders are celebrities! It’s a full-time job! If I were Champion-ranked - er, Hall-of-Famer, there, I’d never run out of opponents! She turned that down?” 

“Not everyone wants to spend every waking moment in a pokemon battle, you know,” Arven says, but he has to admit - to himself, and no one else - that he’s curious, too. What would it be like to have a normal mother? Is Scarlett’s mother normal? She raised Scarlett, after all, and Scarlett is far from normal.

“But then why challenge the League at all?” Nemona demands. “If you’ve put in all that work to reach the top, why stop right before the peak?”

Scarlett shrugs. “Iunno,” she says through another mouthful of sandwich. “You can ask her, when you battle.”

“So you’re from Unova?” Penny asks. “And your parents moved here, too?”

“Well, I grew up in Unova,” Scarlett answers. “I’m from Kalos, kinda. But they’ve been all around and lived all over, but never Paldea before. So now they’re here!”

“You’re adopted?” Arven asks. Nemona glares at him. Was he not supposed to ask that? Scarlett offered that much. Everyone here knows about his crazy mother. He can ask Scarlett whatever the hell he wants.

“Yeah,” Scarlett says. “Dad found me in the woods.”

“I’m… sorry?” Arven asks. “Found you - in the…?”

“Oh, so he’s a jokester, like my dad,” Penny says. “Says all silly things like that.”

Scarlett frowns. “He’s not,” she says. “I - there’s this place somewhere in Kalos that people call the Pokemon Village. Only a few humans ever’ve known where it is, but when Mom lived in Kalos and Dad was there he found his way there and spent a lot of time there. He and a local gym leader, he said, knew the way. Mom says she always got lost when she tried to go alone. Anyway it’s like, a refuge, for pokemon, away from humans, that’s why it’s secret. But I lived there, when I was little. The pokemon took care of me but they thought it would be better as I grew up if I had a human to take care of me, instead. So they asked my dad if he would take me, because they trusted him.” She grins. “And that’s how I got my parents!”

Silence reigns. No one even moves; Nemona is frozen with a sandwich halfway to her mouth. “That can’t be true,” Penny says. Arven is glad someone who wasn’t him said it. He might not know what it’s like to have a parent, really, but that sounds like the thing a parent would say when they don’t want to tell a kid where babies come from. Except Scarlett is adopted anyway. 

Scarlett’s face falls. “It is!” she insists, almost angrily. 

“That explains your table manners,” Arven says. “You’ve got peanut butter on your nose, by the way.”

“There was Kangaskhan,” Scarlett says, either ignoring or not hearing him. “She carried me around on her shoulders when I got tired. And I’d play with Zoroark and her pups, and there was - was - there was someone else. But I can’t…” She is frowning, still, but it seems more to be directed more at herself, and her memory, than at anyone else’s doubt. 

Arven grabs a napkin and wipes the peanut butter from her nose. She takes another bite of her sandwich and smears whipped cream across her cheek. Arven gives up and drops the napkin on her lap. She can deal with that herself. 

“How long were you raised by pokemon?” Nemona asks. “If you remember it, that’s - how old were you?”

“About six,” Scarlett says. 

Her being raised by pokemon in the woods for half of her life answers a few questions Arven had and yet raises dozens more. 

“How did you learn to talk?” Penny asks. 

Scarlett finally wipes her face with the napkin. “I think I used to be psychic,” she says, quietly and very seriously. 

“What,” Penny says. 

“¿Qué?” Nemona says. 

“Huh,” Arven says. 

“It wasn’t words I had trouble learning,” Scarlett says. “It was the - the–” She exaggeratedly moves her mouth. “Making the sounds. Out loud. But I knew them, and I–” She cuts herself off. Her gaze is fixed on nothing in particular. “Or there was a psychic pokemon? Or - there was someone else, I know there was something I’m forgetting.”

This is the most distressed Arven has ever seen Scarlett, and he’s fought Titans with her. He still doesn’t know if he believes her story, exactly as it is, but he now believes there’s - something weird in her past. Trauma can cause people, especially kids, to forget stuff, right? Or maybe if she’s right, and there was a psychic pokemon - those guys have weird powers. Maybe that caused her problem.

A profound horror overtakes Arven as he realizes, for as weird as Scarlett is, she’s also way more well-adjusted than she has any right to be.

“I bet you kill it in Mr. Salvatore’s class,” Penny says. “Since you had some immersive study for a while there.”

Scarlett grins sheepishly. “Not really,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck. “And my dad can talk to pokemon, too, and that’s still my worst class.”

“You always seem pretty in-tune with your pokemon to me,” Nemona says.

Penny looks at Arven. He can see in her eyes that she desperately seeks solidarity in this conversation - someone else to acknowledge that this is weird. What the hell does Scarlett mean, talk to pokemon? Anyone can talk to pokemon. Whether the pokemon listen, or talk back, is another matter entirely. Arven decides this is not a road he wants to go down right now, and he watches Penny’s face flash through every stage of grief before she nods firmly, having also decided not to pursue this line of questioning at this time.

“I think it’s hard in class because there’s no other context,” Scarlett replies. “Body language, what you’re doing, what the pokemon’s doing… It’s not really fair.”

Arven really would like to meet Scarlett’s parents, though. Not that he doesn’t trust Nemona’s brief judgment of them, but - yeah, he doesn’t trust Nemona’s brief judgment of them. Maybe they are nice people! He hopes they’re nice. They’re nice, and Scarlett really was found in the woods, and Arven will still be able to say that out of all of them, he has the worst parent. And then it will all be fine. They’ll have dealt with the reason that his mother dragged them all down here and then–

He doesn’t know what then.

“Is school supposed to be fair?” Penny asks. “Pop quizzes, trick questions–”

“Ms. Tyme asks so many of those!” Scarlett complains. “She’s so nice all the time, but–”

And they’re talking about school like they always would. Like Scarlett didn’t just say all that. He wants to ask more about her parents. He doesn’t know what to ask, besides that talk to pokemon remark that could mean anything or nothing. 

“Hey, speaking of school,” Nemona says, “why didn’t you go to Blueberry Academy, in Unova? I mean, I’m glad you didn’t! But your parents are from Unova. Wouldn't that have been closer?”

“It’s out in the middle of the ocean,” Scarlett says. “It’s not super close to anything! But it is, well - it’s all about pokemon battles at Blueberry. If I wanted tutoring for battle strategy, I could just ask my mom and a bunch of her and dad’s friends. Naranja has classes on everything. And like I said, my parents have lived all over. My mom actually traveled here once when she was younger but didn’t get to stay as long as she wanted - Paldea’s got all kinds of history like she’s interested in. And Dad will go wherever. So I decided I wanted to go to Naranja, so we moved to Paldea!”

Just like that. Scarlett got to choose what she wanted and her parents let her have it. They rearranged their lives around her. For one sickening moment, Arven is so envious he can’t even see straight.

“That’s cool,” he says.

“You don’t mind having them right there?” Penny asks. “Don’t they start smothering you?”

Scarlett shakes her head. “Mom always says she learned from her own travels when she was young that you’ve gotta have space to figure yourself out. She says one of her friends had a dad who was like, way too overprotective, and that caused all sorts of - anyway, she doesn’t want to get like that. They’re around when I need them but they’ve got their own stuff to do.”

“That’s cool,” Nemona says, looking a little wistful, herself.

She’d said that her parents were normal, that she was glad for the way they were hands-off, but now Arven’s not quite so sure. Maybe he actually has something in common with her, after all. Something besides Scarlett.

“I’ve gotta take you guys all to meet them sometime,” Scarlett says, and Arven can’t tell if she’s picking up anything that he and Nemona are putting down, or if this is her continuing to be herself. Something like a well-intentioned, earnest, wrecking ball. A tauros charging headlong across the plains. “Once everything’s all sorted out here.”

“Sounds like fun!” Nemona says. “You gotta warn your mom in advance that I’ll be looking for a battle!”

“Oh, for sure!” Scarlett says. “I mean, I’ve told them both about you, so Mom can’t be surprised!”

And just like that, they’re making plans for the future. None of them have a clue what Sada is going to say to them tomorrow, or what they’re going to find as they head even deeper into the crater. 

“You haven’t told your parents about all of us, have you?” Penny asks. 

“Of course I have!”

“Oh.”

“What? What do you think I’d say—?”

What did she say? About poor Mabosstiff, or crazy Professor Sada alone in the crater, and Koraidon - how Arven was the one that pushed him off on her in the first place? How honest is she with her parents? She’s not going to tell them about all this, is she? They’re not going to learn that Arven dragged her down into the dangerous Great Crater of Paldea, are they? They’re the type of parents who would be concerned by that, right? Not the type of parents who would ask their child to come down here for them, right? 

“It’ll be fun!” Scarlett is saying. “Right, Arven?”

He missed some of the fillings of this conversation. He has no idea what she’s talking about now. “Right,” he says anyway.

[canichangemyblogname]

IDK how people are surprised by JK Rowling going full mask-off denial of Nazi crimes when she’s been a noted and proud queerphobe and antisemite for years. And also considering the fact that she has come to the defense of and keeps the company of literal self-proclaimed fascists. Her words are alarming, yes, but they do not come as a shock.

JK Rowling isn’t falling down a pipeline, she is part of the alt-right pipeline. She has spent years grooming women across the world into supporting explicitly white supremacist, patriarchal ideas, and she called it “liberation.” Not a single aspect of her ideology is rooted in feminism. She holds zero feminist ideas; she uses the label “feminist” as a shield to avoid accountability, so the detractors who critique her for her blatant misogyny, homophobia, racism, and antisemitism aren’t pointing out the learning she needs to do, but, rather, simply people who hate women. It’s a “witch-hunt” against an “outspoken feminist” instead of a dire warning about how dangerous her ideas are.

I have heard and seen Rowling’s own followers and fans make the claim that “Jewish doctors” are “transing” our children, the same accusation the Germans lobbed against doctors and Jews like Magnus Hirschfeld. To the Nazis, Jewish people were responsible for the “degeneracy” of the modern era. The Nazis absolutely targeted gay and trans people for being “degenerate,” and they blamed their existence and “degenerate nature” on the Jews.

And they did burn the archives at the Institute for Sexual Science in Berlin. These are facts.

But don’t just take my word for it. Read about it at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s encyclopedia:

From the above article:

“Large numbers of Germans were opposed to public discussions of sex and sexuality. They viewed such debates as decadent, overly permissive, and immoral. Many were disturbed by the increased visibility of sex in advertising, film, and other aspects of daily life in the Weimar Republic. For many, Hirschfeld and his institute symbolized what they saw as Weimar’s overly sexualized culture.

Hirschfeld was also targeted because of his Jewish ancestry and his sexuality. This occurred even though he did not observe Jewish cultural or religious traditions and never made his private life part of his public persona. Hirschfeld even became the victim of violent right-wing assaults during the 1920s. In 1921, he was badly beaten in Munich. A newspaper article celebrated the assault and warned that ‘the next time his skull might be crushed.’

Nazi propagandists used him as a prime example of what they called degenerate Jewish sexuality.”

[lily-orchard-gossip-blog]

I used to be kind of a fan of Lily's videos. Like, I never really subscribed to her but I did watch her videos kind of often, even though I've been a huge anime fan for way longer. I'm also currently learning Japanese (so obvs can't claim to know as much as a native speaker) and I've pretty much gotten over my... like, I guess, of Lily's videos through sheer force of will and how utterly goddamn hilarious both her Spy x Family and list of anime she likes videos were. As someone who has been watching anime for 10 years now, and someone who actually is a big fan of Spy x Family, every single thing she says about it is laughable. First of all, she's absolutely fucking clueless about shows that anime fans actually like. Anime fans LOVE Spy x Family because it's wholesome and fun. But also, the most popular manga and anime in recent memory – Chainsaw Man – is a deep and purposeful exploration of trauma and abuse and the author of Spy x Family used to work as an assistant to the author of Chainsaw Man. She's also utterly clueless about the author's feelings on his own manga. Endou Tatsuya does not hate or "feel nothing" towards Spy x Family. He was surprised that it became as popular as it did, but he doesn't dislike the series at all. The most baffling thing to me is that she claims she knows what Japanese people enjoy but has literally zero sources on that. Not to even mention how utterly racist and offensive she is about the Japanese language. She states in one of her videos that every Japanese word has a direct equivalent in English – something that is horrendously untrue to the point that, when attempting to translate, I often have to write entire paragraphs in English trying to explain what one word means and its connotations – and that honorifics and titles are the same or have the same meanings. Again, utter fucking nonsense. God, it pisses me off so much. Sorry I ended up going on a rant here. Just wanted to talk about how fucking deranged she sounds. Lily get your fucking shit together. Either stop talking about anime and how much you hate Japanese people/the Japanese language or do your fucking research before you open your mouth and let whatever fucking nonsense is holding your brain together slip out.

Since we're on the language train, she also doesn't seem to grasp that puns translate horribly. Because they're a play on words, and what might work in one language might not have an equivalency in another.

And that happens in Japanese a lot. You can tell sometimes where translators had to take liberties to just convey a joke because it just couldn't translate otherwise.

Oh, and that's not even getting into popular idioms!

It's really annoying listening to her act like languages aren't a reflection of the cultures that speak them, and just shows how little she knows about the world outside of North America.

[retrowaving1]

Polish Versus Ukrainian Cuisine, Part 1

I have to confess, I have a little sin on my consciousness, namely, I visit Instagram sometimes. In most cases I do that just to catch up with my friends and family, but, you know, as most of young people of my age I just end up scrolling a tiny bit (usually, right until the moment I feel the urge to vomit, as I genuinely hate this place).

Recently, I came across a very cozy video where a Korean home cook mixes a Polish Pierogi Ruskie recipe with some Korean toppings. The thing that confused me the most, though, was the most liked comment under this video left by a Ukrainian woman who claimed that Pierogi Ruskie is a Ukrainian dish and is, in fact, called Varenyky. It's easy to assume that this person has never made a single dumpling, varenyk or pieróg in her entire life, as she kept on claiming that Pierogi Ruskie can have a lot of different fillings and that Polish Pierogi don't have such a big choice of fillings as Ukrainian Varenyky do, so, clearly, this person had zero idea what Pierogi Ruskie actually are, but that's not the point.

This comment made me wonder how different are the two cuisines of those Eastern and Central European countries. Having lived for a long time in both countries, I thought it would be interesting to study this topic a little bit, namely from the perspective of the difference between the staple dishes in two cuisines. After all, we actually are what we eat, especially on the global scale. Everyone knows Italy for their brilliant pizza and pasta, and everyone knows Japan for sushi and tempura, and even though food is not the only aspect of those cultures that made them famous around the world, it definitely adds up to create a full picture of their collective cultural identity.

So, in this post I'd like to share some personal observations that I made throughout my life about Polish and Ukrainian cuisine having lived significant portions of life in both countries, being ethnically related to both and being wholeheartedly fascinated by food.

Disclaimer!!! I'm not a food scientist or chef, nor am I a professional historian. All the notes down here are mostly based on my personal observations and some basic research. I did consult a professional cook and a baker whom I know personally as they happen to be my family members. I do recommend treating everything I share here with a grain of salt (hehe, because we gonna talk 'bout cookin', hehe, so use salt) and bear in mind that different cooks have different approaches to their recipes and your personal experience with Ukrainian and Polish food might differ from mine. That being said, I encourage you to share these experiences whether you are Ukrainian, Polish or anyone else, really. I do not accept such arguments as "Ruskie because Kyiv Rus!", though, as it's not about arguing in the first place, it's about diving into the heritage of those two countries and talking about the food.

Pierogi vs. Вареники

Let's start with them culprits. I think those two dishes are the most confusing ones because of their similarity. Gosh, both of them are dumplings from Europe shaped like a growing moon, aren't they?

The dough for both dishes varies from region to region, from cook to cook. In my experience, both recipes need three basic ingredients:

- liquid

- salt

- flour

The rest depends, really. You can change the four, you can change the liquid, replacing water with milk or kefir, you can add an egg. I personally go with my mother's recipe which is boiling hot water, egg, AP flour and salt.

Two of the striking differences are their size and shape. It seems like Ukrainian dumplings are usually smaller, flatter and quite translucent in comparison to Polish ones, which are big, sometimes even huge (check Pierogi Po Bieszczadzku, they are bigger than my fists, I kid you not), they have a very full body and the dough itself is thicker (the reason is not so much ingredients in the dough as is the method of forming/cutting the circles out of it). They also have a lot of different really funny regional names which very often also refer to the size, shape, filling or method of preparation, for instance, Dzyndzałki (Warmian small dumplings served in soup), Bulwanki (Eastern Polish holiday pierogi with variety of savoury fillings), Sasznie (A type of dumplings from Eastern Borderlands that use potato in the dough) or Sójki (Masovian baked pierogi made with yeast).

The fillings of both Pierogi and Varenyky basically might create their own multiverse. In both Poland and Ukraine, I found so many different combinations of fillings that it would be a waste of time to write about each one of them. However, Pierogi most often have savoury fillings (from meat through cheese and potatoes though different types of groats and the list goes on and on..), while Varenyky have a bigger variety of sweet fillings, including the classic cherry filling. Also, Ukrainians seem to be not very much into the meat filling. In my childhood, I had never eaten meat dumplings in Ukraine, however, at the time, pelmeni were quite a popular alternative. Ah, classic Soviet influence - replace your own with something russian )yuck.

As for the toppings, depending on what kind of filling you are dealing with, there are many alternatives for both dishes, including chives, fried bacon, sour cream, melted butter, caramel sauce (haven't seen this one in Ukraine, but noticed it being popular in Poland with sweet cottage cheese Pierogi) and many others. Both dishes are absolutely marvelous even without any additions.

Now, if anyone says that Pierogi Ruskie are called that way because they are Ukrainian, they are not entirely wrong. This type of pierogi was invented in Eastern Galicia (a geographical region in Western Ukraine which was also used to refer to the Eastern part of Poland; The name derives from its Polish name of territory - "Ruś Czerwona" ("Ruthenia Rubra" in Latin)), however there's a high chance it happened when it was the part of Austrian Empire, when majority of population in this region, especially in big cities including Lviv, were Polish. Either way, this dish is much more popular in modern Poland and has lots of different regional variations that you can meet across the whole country (see the Bryndzylki designed by Polish Highlanders), while it's basically non-existent in Ukraine and in the country they are often called "польські пироги" (literally "Polish Pierogi"). Pierogi Ruskie are prepared with cheese, onion and potato filling, while in Ukraine you are more likely to come across some Varenyky with potato, onion and bacon filling.

Thank you very much for your attention, share your dumpling preferences and experiences in the comments or in the reblogs, share your recipes, go crazy, and let's discuss the food!!

My pierogi variation with cottage cheese and strawberry jam filling (not the most attractively shaped one, but very tasty - my significant other approved them):