#there are so many stereotypes from different countries cultures etc etc etc

[pandoratheprocrasticreator]

anyway obviously ppl should act in good faith and not purposely make racist stereotypes of poc characters but i think a world where every poc character is under constant surveillance by an audience waiting to nitpick for evidence that the author is Secretly Racist, is a world where poc characters are not allowed to be interesting or compelling.

[seventh-district]

not even gonna tag this properly bc i don't wanna get Involved but i do have some Thoughts i need to get out into the void so here we go

(aaa quick edit: CW for mention/discussion of Boothill leaks)

[itsagrimm]

What is a Russian Character and How to write them

As @sarapaprikas-blog and I were working on this post, we noticed a gap of knowledge and public perception that we want to address. Plenty of characters get labelled as Russian in media without necessarily being Russian. On the other hand the Archetypal ”Russian” character often does not mirror the realities of being Russian. We are to talk about that.

What is Russia?

Russia is a country. It is the largest country in the world with over 140 million inhabitants, stretching over 11 time zones. It is often seen as the successor state to the Soviet Union, which in itself was the successor state of the Russian Empire. The Soviet Union and Russia do not have the same borders or government. However, modern Russia draws a lot from its history as the largest and dominant part of the Soviet Union. Before the Soviet Union, the area was governed by the Russian Empire. The Russian Empire, as the name already indicates, was imperialist. The history as an Empire with massive expansion, colonies and conquering different people, is arguably the biggest reason why modern Russia is as big as it is today.

What is Russian?

There is a difference between the language Russian, the ethnicity Russian, and the nationality Russian. In English the difference can be made out only by context. 

Who is Russian?

As aforementioned, there is a difference between Russian (Россиянин) meaning citizen of Russia, and ethnically Russian (Русские). The term Russian (Русские) usually refers to ethnicity, indicating a person who has Russian roots. Russian (Россиянин) implies Russian citizenship, regardless of ethnicity. Thus, a Russian can be someone with Russian citizenship, but not all Russian citizens are Russians in the ethnic sense. Also, not all ethnic Russians have Russian citizenship or live within Russia.

Ethnic-Russians are an East Slavic people. Obviously, they mainly live in Russia. But there are also large communities in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and other countries. The traditional religion among Russians is Orthodox Christianity. The main language is Russian.

The country Russia is home to more than 190 ethnicities, including indigenous and autochthonous people, leading to a variety of languages, religions and practiced cultures. So, someone who holds a Russian citizenship, has ethnic Russian heritage and / or speaks Russian, can look very different than the cliche Russian bond girl or evil-doer indicates. That also means that those who get labelled Russian can live very different lives. Writing a Russian character gives you a lot of room outside of the prevalent stereotyped depictions.

Who is not Russian?

Simple - those who say they are not Russian, are not Russian.

Who are Slavs? What is Slavic? 

The slavic people are a variety of people, ethnically Russian people are part of that group. However, there are a lot of other ethnic groups that are Slavs without being Russian e.g. Poles, Sorbs, Czech, Ukrainians, and many more. Slavic is the corresponding adjective to Slavs. It is often used to describe the indo-Slavic language group. Slavic is also often used to describe the collectively perceived similarities of Slavic peoples' culture. However, that can be misleading and get’s often orientalised as not everything from Eastern-Europe or Russia is slavic.

Russian vocabulary Да - Yes Нет - No Привет - Hi Здравствуйте - Hello Как дела ? - How are you? Хорошо - Good Пожалуйста - Please Не за что - my pleasure  До свидания - Goodbye Пока - bye  Увидимся - See you later Хорошего дня - Have a nice day Простите - I'm sorry. (Plural or honoured addressee) Помогите, пожалуйста. - Help me please. (Plural or honoured addressee) Доброе утро - Good morning Доброй ночи - Good night. Добрый день - Good day / afternoon.

Pet names in Russian About pet names. They are either masculine of feminine . Please don't use words like darling, kitten, baby, pretty, sweetie, little one, little fox, etc. as they sound really strange in translation to native speakers. Pet names are common for close ones (family, close friends, spouses). Sometimes primary school teachers call students by affectionate names. Also sweet old lady may call you ( Дорогой/ Дорогая). But outside of that nobody calls each other by pet names, only using names because Russians are very reserved and private people in general. Gender neutral pet names: жизнь моя - my life солнце мое - my sun or my sunshine  ты мое все - you my everything. лучик - sunray. мое сокровище - my treasure.  мое золотце - my gold or sweetheart. моя любовь - my love. ты моя радость - you are my joy. ангелочек - Angel. прелесть моя - my precious.

Queerness and gender-neutral speech in Russian Being queer in Russia is hard as queers face oppression. Because of that, there is limited to no public discourse on how to adapt and diversify the language to include queer and especially non-binary identities. This is a problem as the Russian language is extremely gendered and expresses a gender binary in near default. While gender neutral pronouns in Russian exist, it's harder to use them in real life as the neutral pronoun “оно” is mostly associated with things or animals and not living humans, similar to the English “it”. Often words generally do not have gender neutral alternatives.  However, one way we suggest for a more gender neutral speech is to avoid most explicit gendering as the flexible syntax in combination with using plural pronouns in Russian allow for more gender neutral speech. For Example: Я люблю их всем моих сердцем - I love them with all my heart. Расскажи мне о них! - Tell me about them.  Дай им время- give them time. Я горжусь ими - I'm proud of them.  Они сделает это сами  -  they do it themselves. Read more about queerness in Russia here: one two three four

Russian swearing                             In Russia, swearing is considered a sign of rudeness and poor manners. Use accordingly. Also, as mentioned here, Russian syntax and inflection are different from English. Meaning one word can be a whole sentence. We punctuated every swearing that is technically a whole sentence and therefore can stand on its own grammatically. Блять - fuck Пошел нахуй. - fuck you  Хуй - dick Пизда - cunt Мы в пизде. - we are fucked / “We are stuck in the cunt.” Ебать - fuck Ахуел. - are you/they crazy?! Это пиздец. - this fucked up Мудак - asshole  Завали ебало. - shut the fuck up Сука - bitch Черт - damn Непизди. - stop fucking lying. / Cut your bullshit. Пизд��бол - Person who lies a lot/ Don't lie  Мамку твою ебал. - i fucked your mom (mostly used by middle schoolers, here in grammatically masculine gender.) Заебись. - holy shit (could be bad or good depend on situation) Похуй! - I don't fucking care. Навешать пиздюлей - to beat up someone. Срать тебе в рот -  To crap in your mouth. Ты ебанулся. - Are you batshit crazy. Заебал. - I'm sick of you. Жопа - ass. Иди в баню. - soft version of Иди нахуй.

Explanation of the Russian Naming System & Patronyms

The Russian naming system consists of three main elements: first name, patronymic and last name. Name: This is the first name given to a child at birth. In Russia, the names are chosen by the parents or relatives of the child. Names can be both traditional (Alexander, Anna, Ekaterina) and modern (Sofia, Victoria, Yaroslav). Patronymic: this is the second name, which reflects the child's origin from his father. Some cultures in Russia also use the mothers name. The patronymic name among Russian people arose in the 10th - 11th centuries and was used infrequently at first, but became widespread around the 16th century. It is formed by adding the suffix "-ovich" or "-aries" to the father's name. For example, if the father's name is Ivan, then his child Ivan or Ivanna will be called Ivan Ivanovich or Ivanna Ivanovna. Last name: This is a family surname that is passed down from generation to generation. It is usually assigned at birth and does not change without special circumstances. Surnames can come from various sources, such as profession, place of residence, origin, or personal characteristics. As a result, a person's full name consists of a first name, a patronymic (if applicable) and a last name, for example: Ivan Ivanovich Petrov.

How to respectfully address a person in Russian. In Russian there are two ways to address someone. Using the polite you (Вы) amd using the formal you (Ты). The choice of mode depends on how well you know the other person and whether you are superior or inferior in terms of age and social position. If you know the person's first name you refer to them by first name and patronymic. For examples: Борис Юрьевич, Ваши рабочие отлично справились с ремонтом- Boris Yurievich, your workers did a great job with repairs. Adults never address a person by name, only by surname or patronymic unless the addressee gives permission to address them in an informal manner. Regulations of most military require their members address each other in formal you( Вы ); subordinates address commanders as товарищ (comrade) + rank , while higher ups address subordinates by military rank and surname. Example: [Colonel to Sgt. Sidorov] Сержант Сидоров, ко мне! Sergeant Sidorov, front and center! [sgt. Sidorov to colonel] По вашему приказанию прибыл, товарищ полковник! Reporting for duty [lit. arrived at your (pl.) request], comrade colonel! Military men sometimes use same forms of address, albeit in singular, in friendly conversation. Example: Сержант, дай сигарету. - Give (sing.) me a cigarette, Sarge. Military hierarchy in Russia You can find useful links here. One Two

[wombywoo]

how did you come up with good names for your original characters? it's something I struggle with, especially the last names :'DD

I honestly love coming up with character names, it's one of my fave parts of character creation 🥰 As for my own boys, I think Vincent's name came to me immediately, while I struggled with Quinn a bit--I actually had his last name first so that helped; I kept the name Lacey in the back of my mind and wanted to pair it with something monosyllabic. And for Vince's last name, I think I considered Croft but went with Craft instead because it corresponds with aircraft and witchcraft, etc, and I liked the vibe~ For some of my other characters, I came up with given names first then did some research for last names...

Suggested research: everyone and their mother knows about fantasy name generator (which I do highly recommend) They have so many categories which can be great for just picking one at random if you're not too fussy, and it can be fun to browse all the options; great time-waster if you're bored 👍

My other option is a site I've become obsessed with called forebears, which is a database for real names across the globe. It's a really neat site that allows you to see how common names are and where they're most prevalent! (fun fact--only 42 people share my married surname!) I honestly spend way too much time on here looking up trivial info, it's addicting 🤫

They even have a feature where you can click specific areas on the map. Here's me googling my own fictional boy to see how common his name is in England:

Turns out there are only 4 Quinns born in South Yorkshire as of 2014....what will I do with this data??? (nothing)

Some more useless insight into which countries have the most Vincents

Tragic news...the french have claimed him 😔🥖

Anyway! if I'm looking for a good surname for an English character, I might peruse this list here and find a suitable choice~ And they have this for every country !!!!! Seriously, it's addicting!

I like to be somewhat ~authentic~ in naming characters from specific countries/cultures, so a bit of side research into naming practices in different regions doesn't hurt. You also don't want to go the jkrowling route and just pick stupidly stereotypical names for your characters either 😅

I would say your best bet is to peruse sites like this, or wait for a sudden moment of clarity where the perfect name is bequeathed to your subconscious (I also rely on this method sometimes)

Also just... let your character's vibe guide you~ Sometimes the best name is one that simply feels like them 👍

[miyulien]

rant.

extremely unrelated post regarding Omori/pjsk or my au!

I am very annoyed by how hoyoverse ultimately refuses to incorporate any kind of melanin or dark-skinned characters in their game(s), especially in genshin, where they take cultures of other people. they take all of the food, the landscapes, the language, and the mannerisms as well as the clothing, (be it over-sexualised at times) but they don’t carry the beautiful ethnic features that the people of those cultures have.

i am aware that hoyoverse is a Chinese company, and its player base is full of Chinese and the standard is very much based on the Chinese standards (pale skin, thin legs, tall stature, straight hair etc.) however, regardless of your country’s beauty standards, you can’t take steal other country’s cultures and proceed to not use the people’s appearances as well, it’s like you say everything they’ve made is beautiful, from the landscapes, the buildings, the cultural traditions and the way they act.. but you. its genuinely so hurtful to see in for example; sumeru,

literally based off of middle-eastern and south-asians, which both of these cultures have predominantly dark-skinned people. but our cultures are being used constantly without our own ethnic features along with it.

the only time I ever see a character with my skin tone in sumeru, is the enemies we have to fight. the disrespect that is, to know your skin tone just isn’t good enough, not marketable enough, so they won’t make you a real character.

the idea that everything we’ve created, things we’ve worked years on, traditions that have been kept and maintained as well as shared over the centuries, is practically perfect and beautiful in hoyo’s eyes.. but, us? we’re not marketable enough, our looks aren’t good enough. the idea of having melanin is jarring nowadays, seeing characters with some sort of “imperfections” like “dark skin” is disgusting. why must we cast away the beauties of others appearance, the way they look in general, but we proceed to be overjoyed at their creations yet not the creators themselves.

it is genuinely super annoying to see how little dark skinned characters there are in genshin, and hsr, I’m not even talking about just adding diversity just to appease others, I’m talking about adding dark skinned characters and just making them normal people, without simply adding melanin just to make others shut up. why can u make every single light skinned character normal, and human, yet you can’t do the same with dark skinned characters? sumeru, natlan are based off of countries/regions that are filled with beautiful different skin tones, and hair types that don’t fit the Chinese beauty standards.

and it’s fine, beauty standards are present everywhere, but it shouldn’t be an issue to not make everything fit your country’s beauty standards, especially when you are profiting off of another country’s culture. also, can we talk about how there is literally barely any proper significance dark skin characters have in their storylines? there is barely any kind of importance that dark skinned characters have in events or even the main storyline, they appear once or twice during the quests but barely matter afterwards? they are constantly shunned and cast to the side, as if hoyoverse is ashamed of including any kind of diversity…? you can take everyone’s cultural backgrounds and their own ethnicity’s creations, but you can’t take their ethnicity’s appearance too? is it so hard to make a character with curly hair, or wavy hair for that matter.. or even make them black? is it hard to have afros, or braids, or make styles other then just exaggerated stereotypical anime straight hair?

I know it is to get profit, and that these characters wouldn’t do as well from what hoyoverse sees..

but, so many people are longing for these types of appearances, so many people want these representations, for dark skinned characters to be seen in media without simply having to be stereotypical or just added for basic diversity, just.. to be normal, like any other light skinned characters are.

It’s like me taking Chinese culture, the beautiful views, the buildings, the food, the mannerisms, and the traditions.. but not their ethnic features. people would be complaining over it and be totally pissed off, but why do we brush off the issue when it’s regarding dark skinned people not getting representation when their literal culture is constantly used in different games, like genshin, but the people themselves aren’t included?

i am not stating that light skinned people aren’t beautiful, in fact they are stunning, everyone is regardless of their melanin or lack thereof, I believe everyone’s features are beautiful, from dark skin, to tanned, to light, or pale. straight hair, wavy hair, curly hair, or coily hair, or even mixes. everyone is beautiful, and that is the truth, they all have features that make them stunning. but it’s just that the representations are so minimal in terms of dark skinned people, that is why I’m making this post.

as u can see, the literal pyro archon has not a shade of melanin, like what? none of the archons have melanin, not a single one of them? literal archons based off of regions that have predominantly dark skinned people, are all pale? huh??

i love hoyo games very much, and I love the stories but i just have noticed a total disregard and practical disrespect of dark skinned people who have stated that they want more representation seeing as hoyo uses their own culture but not their appearances, its just depressing to see what your ancestors have created, the hard work it took for you to maintain your culture, only for a huge company to swoon in and take that culture, and market it, but change your appearances to better fit their idea of ‘attractive’. As if you aren’t good enough, you aren’t marketable whatsoever.

they can easily incorporate inazuma accurately, which is based off of Japanese culture, they can use their ethnic features, and the way that they look, they can use the culture, the food, the traditions and events and the mannerisms and clothing, but they can also use their features? what’s the difference between Hispanic culture, and Japanese culture? why is it easy to use Japanese features but not Hispanic? it’s no coincidence.

I don’t like complaining in general, especially abt this, but honestly I have just seen this happen so much during the updates that I really got tired of cultures being used and praised, but the people themselves aren’t worthy of the same thing because they don’t fit the ‘beauty standard’

at the end of the day, you can do what you want, but if you are going to use a country’s culture, and profit off of it, the least you could do is also include their ethnic features instead of appeasing to your country’s beauty standards constantly.

hoyoverse is a multi-billion dollar company, it really isn’t that hard to include other ethnicites beautiful melanin and natural ethnic traits that they have, like greek noses, flat noses, upturned noses, small lips, big lips, big eyes and small eyes. thick eyelashes, long eyelashes, mixed skin tones, freckles and more, it’s just features that carry beauty, the mesmerising history of a culture to them. it isn’t that hard to include it, if you are willing to steal a culture, and call that culture perfect, except the people that created that culture.

do better, hoyoverse.

[clotpolesonly]

okay so i've been seeing some love for the show's latino!Gansey and i just gotta say, i can't relate aldfkjgh

no shade, i get that we're all desperate for minority rep, and it's really nice to get a latino character that breaks so many stereotypes (wealthy, universally respected, an academic, beloved by literally everyone but without being unduly sexualized, etc etc)

HOWEVER

i feel like people think Gansey as he's written in the books is a blank slate that they can project onto and racebending him won't/shouldn't/didn't change anything about him, but honestly i think that's a bit of lowkey racist take in and of itself? in a way?? in the sense that it plays into the white supremacist idea of whiteness being the default (aka nothing) instead of being its own something with identifiable characteristics.

book!Gansey does have a cultural identity and very strong cultural influences that play a crucial role in his characterization, and that cultural identity is WASP

(the irony is not lost on me alkdfjgh)

White Anglo Saxon Protestants, essentially the "ruling class" of the US for centuries, The Establishment™, etc. they're known primarily for being wealthy, snobbish, and repressed. they're the kind of people who like to think they're Good People but are soooo concerned with image and reputation that they'd rather perpetuate harm than admit they were ever responsible for it.

Mrs Gansey guilt tripping her son for missing her fundraiser instead of, ya know, being worried that he's not responding to any of her texts?

Gansey literally fleeing the country as a PRETEEN because his ptsd made him messy and embarrassing for the family?

his very first thought upon being fatally stung by hundreds of hornets being that he was going to interrupt and ruin the party?

that entire family luncheon where Gansey is constantly on red alert, searching for passive aggression in every single comment (and finding it), reading into every word for What They're Actually Saying Without Really Saying?

that is so WASP it should be in the dictionary next to the term!!! being presentable is more important than communicating directly, at all times, and the protestant roots mean that Suffering In Silence is a VIRTUE. it's a sin to need things and a double sin to ask for them. god forbid you impose upon another person, it's contractually required that you suffer quietly for a respectable amount of time while you drop the subtlest of hints in the direction of whoever you want help from in the hopes that they will do the good respectable charitable christian thing and offer you that help out of the goodness of their hearts, and if they don't, then you suffer some more and also nurse a lifelong grudge against them in the most passive aggressive unspoken festering way possible.

being raised in that culture informs everything about Gansey's personality and how he interacts with other people and forms relationships.

and it also informs Gansey's relationship with his wealth and his position!! Gansey's class guilt is like half of his character arc!!! and we can't pretend that class and race aren't tied together, okay, we can't get away with pretending that race doesn't play a part in people's place in society. for the Ganseys to be old money like they are, and old virginian money at that, to make them anything other than white introduces a whole HOST of complications that, frankly, the show is not engaging with.

the showrunners have made so much noise about diversifying the cast since the books were so white, and they're reeeeaaally patting themselves on the back for this, but it doesn't feel like they put any THOUGHT into how this change would actually affect the characterization!!!!

do they think that a latino in the upper echelons of the (white) (republican) virginian old money social scene wouldn't have a different experience? a different relationship with their money, and with their own heritage, and with other pocs?? that it wouldn't affect and complicate Gansey's relationship with Blue, especially with how much stronger they've leaned into Blue's connection with her cultural heritage and her political activism and how vocal she's been about intersectionality as a poor non-christian mixed race Black woman in appalachia.

Gansey is a latino man who can't speak spanish living in a mansion on a former slave plantation and Blue doesn't have anything to say about that?? Gansey doesn't have any extra layer of guilt or shame about his disconnect from his own culture?? Gansey is so full of guilt and insecurity about so many things, but there's been NO indication so far of how his race intersects with that.

for them to make this kind of huge change, i would've needed to see them really commit to it and show me that they understand the sociological implications of this decision. and they haven't done that. i know we've only gotten season 1, and hey, maybe i'm wrong and there'll be an arc about it somewhere in season 2, but so far i'm wholly disappointed. it really feels like they slipped it in there just to say that they had and then functionally ignored it aside from that one spanish-speaking scene.

what was the POINT except to pat themselves on the back??

[juni-ravenhall]

long post about ydris & circus worker / traveller / romani stereotypes (+ unrelated but related heterochromia)

(.... and sse's behaviour around one traveller-coded character and then of a masc-ish woman of colour while they dont do this with their plain white toast characters)

yasmin told me to write a post about this after i was telling her about it, so here it is.

first for canon: ydris is obvs pandorian, non-human, and his human form does not necessarily read as a specific ethnicity or cultural belonging (but i will get back to his looks later in the post!). he throws in french words but he is pandorian. why he speaks french (or uses it for flair?) is not clear from the lore afaik.

anyway. there are stereotypes about people who work in the travelling circus (or in any circus at all, depending). these stereotypes often go hand in hand with stereotypes about romani people and other travelling people. (im talking both about circus people of the past and present.)

here are some examples of harmful stereotypes about travelling people, circus people, and romani people (often these are founded in being an "outsider", people dont like to trust outsiders and consider them strange for not being exactly the same as themselves, aka xenophobia):

thief, criminal, dangerous

trickery, lying, cheating

seduction, enchanting (can come back to ^ trickery etc)

unreliable, untrustworthy

immoral, and/or follows other morals/laws than "the norm" in the places they travelled to [and this is seen in a negative way]

promiscuous, unfaithful

mysterious, intriguing

using magic / reading fortunes (these can be connected back to trickery, mystery, seduction...)

wild, untamed

"are they good or bad?"

speaks a foreign language or a secret language (and may use this to talk behind the backs of locals / to trick locals)

sexualised on behalf of above points (immoral, mysterious, seductive, enchanting, wild, untamed...)

objectified and/or dehumanised on behalf of above points (i think you get it by now.)

these stereotypes can affect people who are, for example, european or american white people who work in a travelling circus. however, romani people, on behalf of their ethnicity, can be affected by these stereotypes about nomadic people even if that romani person doesn't live a nomadic lifestyle, because these stereotypes about romani people persist as racist and cultural stereotypes even when you take the travelling out of the equation. (i think irish travellers also face the stereotypes regardless of if they live as settled or as nomads?)

now, i want to say some things about ydris looks before i move on with the topic of these stereotypes, but first its important to note that sso is a swedish game made by swedish people, and whats considered "white" or "white passing" in the US is not the same as what it is in scandinavia or northern europe (i cant speak for other parts of europe well enough so i wont). its also more like "what part of europe"-passing rather than just "white" passing.

in sweden, you're not going to meet hispanic americans or african americans, for example, but you will see romani people and kurdish people, for example, and ofc, polish people, estonian people, people from around the area.... the minority groups are different in europe vs the US (vs anywhere else ofc. i hope USamericans learn that nowhere else is the US and you need to stop projecting shit on other places). the idea of whats "swedish ethnicity" or "scandinavian ethnicity" or "european ethnicity" and so on are not equal to "white american ethnicity". remember that many white ppl here can trace back their history like a thousand years in the same country, while white ppl in america are generally like, "my great grandpa came from germany, my great grandma from poland, and my girlfriend's family came from ireland" and so on. theres a mash of different cultures and ethnicities, which isnt the average case for white people in europe. (please: obviously im not saying "everyone is this" just on average. plenty of ppl are mixed here, or have grandparents who moved here, etc.)

i am a swede with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes and i have experienced white ppl colorism (im still not sure if colorism is the right word, but i think so. however its mostly harmless idiocy, but frustrating to hear over and over). i dont mind it anymore, i just think its stupid, now, as an adult. and colorism(?) within white people is not at all as bad as racism that poc experience in the same country - just to be clear. the reason i bring it up isnt to say "boohoo me", but to try to explain what "white passing" or "swedish passing" is in sweden, from a person who literally is white but is not considered swedish enough due to having darker eyes and darker hair.

anyway! ydris has black hair. from a swedish developer and swedish audience perspective, black hair is enough to make a character read as "foreign". (thats why we had this whole tangent ^ above.) but, we also dont need to rely on a vague hint of foreignness, because he throws in french words, and he's from pandoria. and a lot of people will associate the travelling circus and ydris' wagon with romani culture to some degree, whether or not that's accurate (again, circus culture and romani culture and other nomadic cultures can become mixed up). the black hair ties well into the image of a travelling circus person.

ydris is a sort of "chaotic neutral" in the story so far. he has different intentions than the "heroes" and "villains" both, and he is largely self-centered (focusing on his own desires - tho he seems to care about pandoria as well - and he likely experiences different feelings than the average jorvegian does, and his sense of morals and social rules are different). now, im sure you can see how that ties back into some of the stereotypes ive listed: he's a foreign outsider who cant be trusted, he is mysterious, is he good or bad?, he tricks people, he behaves chaotically (wild)...... etc

he also comes across as flirty towards the player, which im sure you can see, ties back in to things from the stereotype list like seduction, enchantment, and being promiscuous. if it helps, consider Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame, as an example of the harmful stereotype of seductive romani. (i loved disney hunchback when i was a kid, and i also want to point out that that movie handles the topic of how esmeralda has to do things just to scrape by, and she is demonised in the eyes of a rich white religious man in power, who is evil, while she herself is a good person and being oppressed and dehumanised. just leaving that here as food for thought, not to really defend or cancel anything, but to encourage ppl to view things in a nuanced way. the stereotypes are harmful and disney is an evil company, but there are also parts in that story that are criticising the right things. then theres other parts that are just ??? )

also, there is a significant population of romani in france, but ofc there are romani across many countries. yasmin pointed out when we talked that french is also seen as a "sexy language" - so it kind of both ties into the "foreign traveller from further down in europe" and "seductive romani" by having him use a language considered "sexy".

ydris also has heterochromia (one light blue eye and one dark blue) which isnt related to the idea of the traveller, but it *is* considered "mysterious", "strange", and potentially "untrustworthy". this is ofc really weird - heterochromia is a real life condition that completely normal people have. having heterochromia shouldnt be portrayed as anything weird or special - there is nothing mysterious or strange about it, or something "untrustworthy" (playing into things like being two-faced).

if you go back up to the list of harmful stereotypes, keeping the things ive said in mind, and how ydris behaves in the game..... im sure you can understand what im saying about the bigger picture. the combination of living in a circus wagon, being mysterious and flirtatious and living by his own rules, being untrustworthy, having black hair, throwing in french words, theres a lot of things that maybe seem okay out of context, but when you put them together, to me, it makes it clear that ydris is like.... romani coded, or something close to romani coded, despite, yes, technically being pandorian, i get it, thank you, its not relevant, he is not real, the staff at sse are real and their biases are real.

theres nothing wrong in itself with being flirty or promiscuous or seductive and whatnot - or with fictional villains, or chaotic, untrustworthy characters - the problem is the stereotype of a group of real people. especially when you're passing these stereotypes on to an audience of impressionable children. why is ydris the character being handled this way? why is sabine the character to be handled this way? why dont they handle plain white toast characters this way?

an important point is that i dont think neither ydris or sabine are really sexualised within the game itself - the more blatant stuff happens on sse's official social media. ydris is sexualised to some degree in the way that he flirts: again, it alludes to the seductive romani person, even if its very mild flirting (the stereotype is still perpetuated). sabine is mostly not sexualised in the game, just hyped up in general, but the social media team keeps milking the fact that ppl are thirsty for sabine. the post is not really about sexualisation as the focus. its about general questionable or outright harmful design choices, that sometimes also has to do with sexualisation and objectification.

this, as usual, isnt about cancelling sso or sse. its about being analytical and critical about the media you consume, and about biases both from creators and from audiences. its about learning how to be more understanding and respectful towards other people. and about raising your voice and holding ppl accountable when they perpetuate harmful things (esp if its people in power, like companies, celebrities, and politicians).

personally, i dont think you arent allowed to think ydris or sabine are hot. its okay if they are your type or if you relate to them or whatever, because like, ultimately we're surrounded by all these characters and real people everywhere in media that are affected by biases. but i DO think you need to actually think about this shit if you are thirsting for sabine or thirsting for ydris. i dont think its great to just be like, omg, typical ydris, he tricked me again and then he seduced me, typical circus people. or to be like, wow, sabine is so hot and should step on me, beefy women of colour are scarier than beefy white women, thats so hot. do you get it? you can be attracted to these charas without being racist or xenophobic or misogynist or whatever, they just happen to be your type, and thats nice, but you do need to think about how you view them and why, and how you talk about them and why, bc a lot of people have biases they arent even aware to, and might not understand what kind of biases you perpetuate. example: how apparently most ppl didnt think about the romani / traveller stereotype implications of ydris so i had to write this post. stay woke and pay attention to potential harmful stereotypes in media, so i dont have to write this shit anymore

[1800naveen]

Chapter 27 of ACOWAR

When I first read ACOWAR and got to the part where Mor is having a breakdown about her dad entering Velaris but Rhysand tells her that he won't get in, nothing really was going through my mind. But something clicked today...

This. Just this. This paragraph made me realize that this is Jim Crow. Sarah Janet Maas, did you create the fairy version of Jim Crow? Has anyone else notice this?

In the late 19th century, these laws were created in the Southern part of the US which legalized racial segregation of the black community and other people of color. Black and white students attended separate schools, with black schools typically receiving far less funding and resources. Restaurants, theaters, hotels, parks, drinking fountains, you name it, were segregated.

Black people weren't welcomed almost anywhere. Signs that said "whites only" to keep them away and racists who would get agitated over a black person coming near their establishment. Lynch mobs chasing them, burning buildings associated with the black community, etc.

This also reminds me of ICE or border patrol. The people who deal with immigrants and will send them back to their countries, the same country that they left behind so that they can have a better life for themselves and their family.

Imagine finally leaving Hewn City. You feel a mix of emotions but happiness is one that fills you. You're finally free and you can see the world now! When you go to Velaris, you notice that some things are strange. People look at you funny, they treat you almost as if you're a criminal, they don't serve you at restaurants, they won't let you have a place of shelter, and you can't even have fun. It clicks in your head that this is not a safe, welcoming place for people like you. When it comes to an end, you're sent back into the darkness that you were came from, where you were born from, and you wonder if you'll ever see the light again.

I'm the daughter of two immigrants who left their country due to a civil war and they haven't been back since they left. When they came to America, it was all before shit like that was more serious so they were lucky not to deal with this crap. In many African countries (including my own), we have tribes AKA ethnic groups. Sarah's description of Illyria and the Illyrians makes me think of the dumb stereotypes of Africans. That we live in huts, that we hunt with bow and arrows or spears, that we're primitive, etc. You can tell in Sarah's writing that she has never actually experienced the things she writes.

I feel sad reading this again and knowing what that's the equivalent of. The woman doesn't even bother to hide her racism. Who am I kidding? If she used a black woman's death to promote her book, she can do shit like this! Sarah, you little white-privileged bitch.

How the Illyrians are portrayed as violent, savage, warmongering people who have a patriarchal system and are based on brown/indigenous people remind of George RR Martin's portrayal of the Dothraki who are nomadic warriors that are seen as brutes, warmongers, people who don't have any respect for their natural surroundings, have a patriarchal system, and their men treat women worse than the Illyrians. These guys are based on the Mongolians. I know George wrote this in the 90s and stuff but there had to be something based on portraying a culture into your fictional story.

My honest reaction to Sarah creating the fairy equivalent of the Jim Crow laws and ICE/border patrol:

Me realizing that if there's major problem that different groups of POC faces, she'll somehow put it in her books so that her white main characters can face it, so that they can finally be the ones that get oppressed:

SJM when you tell her that making her white main characters go through and face problems that people of color have struggled and dealt with for years isn't right:

[scarlet--wiccan]

I have a friend that is half Roma and she explained to me that Romanis are a very diverse population with different ethnics groups having completly diferent traits. How do you think is the best way to tackle that in the comics without being stereotypical ? For example we have Wanda who is dark-skin but we have Nightwing who is probably 1/4 Romanichal (which is considered "white passing" ?) But is portrayed as a dark-skin Roma is many fan arts because this is the steryotype that people associate the Roma's with.

So, I just want to clear up some of the vocabulary here-- first, Wanda and Pietro are not "dark-skinned," by an measure. In current Marvel comics, their skin color usually ranges from an olive tone to like a medium brown, at most. Second, being brown is not a "stereotype." We usually use that word to describe images or pre-conceived notions which are harmful, reductive, or simply not factual. Racial caricatures, which may include skin tone, are offensive, but there is nothing inherently wrong or harmful about drawing people of color with brown skin.

Brown-- and Black-- Romani people are actually underrepresented in American media, and have been for a very long time. This is exclusionary, and it contributes to the manufactured ignorance that American audiences have towards Romani people. The push to depict more Romani characters as visible people of color is about inclusion and authenticity. It is a net positive.

There are a lot of Romani characters in Marvel and DC comics, and most of them are not from the same countries or vitsi. So, ideally, there should be a lot of diversity in how these characters look, sound, and identify. Currently, there is almost none-- the majority of them are white-presenting, which is limiting and harmful, and most references to their heritage and upbringing conform to recognizable tropes. That's the real stereotype here. Should some of these characters have lighter skin or be white-presenting? Yes, but they have to exist alongside a variety of characters who are not.

You are correct that the Romani diaspora is very diverse. It is comprised of distinct groups with distinct histories, which each hold their own identities, speak their own dialects, etc. A lot of people don't realize this, but the Romani communities in Europe did not all arrive at the same time, or by the same route, and of course we've been settled in different parts of the continent for centuries, and in fact live all over the world. So you can imagine that there is a lot of variety when it comes to racial admixture. It's also important to understand that, within the culture, Romani identity is not determined by one's racial makeup. We exist in every part of the world and intersect with every race, and we are Rom because we are Rom, not because of what we look like. We can look like anything.

[bidisaster-peanut-romano]

considering the state of bullworth (the city), what do you think the state of the country or world is like? do you think bullworth has a unique culture, or is it almost representative of the society outside its perimeters?

i think about what hal esposito said a lot when he and lucky were finding things to watch on the tv. "what? war footage and natural disasters doesn't do it for you?"

considering it is highly likely that the world's condition is very chaotic, how might this affect bullworth and its residents?

hello there!!! ah yes, geography. my beloathed

that's an interesting question of course, yes!! my instinctive thought when first reading this ask was what i always asumed, ie: the news hal and lucky were referring about weren't local but, yknow, american general news. also bc paris from the carnival says something very similar in front of her tv, and we know that the carnival travels, so i wouldn't think of something too different.

however!! let's go by steps there, because thinking about it that's something i never properly expanded upon.

so, first of all: canonically speaking, bullworth is in new england. now, as a non-usamerican, i have very little knowledge of anything about hyperspecific cultures in america, maybe just some west coast zones or south and some midwest.

however!! the fact that there are so many kids of italian certain descent and some other kids with non anglophone last names (kowalski, brakus, luna, karamazov, etc) implies that it is an important destination for migrations. this makes me think of earlly 1900s new york, which would certainly be coherent.

now, a long time ago i found the certain information that bullowrth was supposed to be in new hampshire. however, since i have learned that "trust me bro" is never a good source, i went back to dig some deeper into the whole thing: it still seems to be more or less agreed upon that the state is new hampshire, also because someone noted a striking resemblance of bullworth with the phillips exeter academy. of course maybe it wasn't as explicit and direct as this user puts it, but it is suggestive enough that it would be nice to go with it.

now, first about the culture: we mentioned bullworth being basically a melting pot. this means that it is not only unique, but in fact very diverse, also depending on the zone. for example, i think in new coventry you'll find an especially colorful culture, with people coming from different places and different cultures, everyone holding onto their own but also interacting with their neighbor. you'll find people giving each other giving their best wishes to their neighbor for a festivity they don't even celebrate but know the other does. i mean, maybe you'll have some catholic complaining about the shop being closed just that day, but cue to the stereotypical southern italian wife smacking him behind his head and telling her good friend is home with their family and he mustn't be an annoying jerk (not in so many words, of course).

it is probably quieter the more you get closer to the vale. maybe in town there will be the occasional decoration outside of the house or in a shop, but overall… i'd say that the fundamental sentiment in bullworth is, exactly as the school crest says, canis canem edit. mind your own business and you'll live a hundred years, like an old saying goes. keep a good distance, so they don't hurt you and you don't hurt them.

and in fact, the vale is where this hyperindividualism gets ornated with the hypocrisy of the Good People, some facade to keep so that not only no conflict is created, but any chance and risk of it is perfectly concealed. you have the middle class-bourgeois, christian family who greet their neighbors with a smile and then speculate on all their disgraces as soon as the front door closes. and everything that happens in the family stays in the family, dirty laundry is washed at home.

yeah, overall i'd say. the whole point of bullworth culture is self-sufficiency, it's doing the best of what you have and care thoroughly and not let anyone else touch what's yours.

now, the natural condition of the territory: established that we are on the new hampshire coast, i have tried to dig a bit. i will bring up again something i mentioned earlier: i immediately assumed it was us or global news, but, while it is unfortunately enough to desensitize the general public to military violence, natural forces can be… a bit different.

i will tell a small anecdote about me. i grew up in an extremely seismic area, and by that i mean that we would experience at least a couple waves every some weeks, not strong enough to cause damage but enough to be perceived and do small stuff like making small objects fall off or ceiling lamps shake. and, y'know, it has always been perfectly normal for me, it has happened while i was in class and the worst thing was that i smudged a line on the essay i was writing. but then i moved away for college, and, when in geography we started talking about earthquakes, my professor admitted being scared shitless of seismic waves. my friends got the news of some waves in my native area and asked me how my family was; my mom was like “what do you mean four? i only felt three”

what was that to say? well. in my experience, the general masses are much more moved by natural disasters than by wars. so, in some way, the idea that hal and lucky were at most annoyed by the repetitiveness of the news makes me think that they have some experience with it. earthquakes probably aren't the ones, since, well. plate tectonics. which i will not explain here mostly because i have already passed that exam and i want nothing to do with it ever again LMAO. but anyway the east coast is a very stable area of the earth, so no earthquakes nor volcanoes. and, since it is located tightly in a small gulf, i think sea storms and tidal waves are out of the question too.

however! apparently, tornadoes are not too infrequent in the area, nor, i guess, storms and other similar climate events. as i mentioned before: what happens there is that you get kind of desensitized there; the thought of anything horrible happening isn't there, or, if it is, it barely hits with its full force. “but what if it is stronger next time?” we'll all just die, at least i won't have to worry about rent anymore, maybe my boss will finally kick the bucket too, ha-ha. what do you mean someone died in the next city? well, you know, it can happen.

so yeah, when you ask how it affects the people of bullworth- it probably just amplifies whatever nihilism is already there, y'know. see constantinos, who's most probably clinically depressed, or lefty's “life sucks and then you die”, which is disturbing, especially coming from a kid his age.

i guess it's not the only factor, but it does contribute to this feeling of bullworth just being some lost land, forsaken by god himself left to its own devices. it's like the entirety of the population is... in survival mode, as i tend to say; you just pull through, which should be the bare minimum, but there we are. think of yourself first, then your neighbor, but actually fuck your country, since it has never done a thing for me.

[blueberryforestelf]

Russian Influence in Moral Orel:

Okay so a while ago I just finished watching Moral Orel and I noticed that there were some connections between it and Russian culture. I also noticed that the show had just become popular in Russia and there are dubbed episodes available on VK. Even though Moral Orel is an American TV show and the creator of the show is of Greek descent, here are some connections on the show that linked to Russian culture and social cues:

The heavy alcoholism on the show: Clay and most of the people in Moralton are straight-up alcoholics, and even Bloberta was an alcoholic before she met Clay. Of course, alcohol is a significant part of Russian culture and the country has the highest consumption of alcohol in the world. Not only are alcoholic beverages are consumed in high amounts, but is also very much socially accepted and encouraged. Even underaged children are encouraged to drink. In the episode Maturity, Orel thought drinking would make him “wise and mature” like his father and in Help young Bloberta stated that drinking alcohol “makes us better people”.

There’s a city in Russia called Orel.

Orel means “Eagle” in Russian (and other Slavic languages). So in the Russian dub Orel’s name is Eagle.

Ms. Censordoll loves pickled eggs and keeps a jar full of them in her library. Russian cuisine consists of a lot of pickled foods, including pickled eggs, cabbage, potatoes, fish, watermelon, etc.

If you notice in the Puppington household, you’ll see an oriental carpet on the living room floor. Oriented carpets are very common in Russian households and are often on floors or hung on walls.

Clay’s reckless driving and Russia is famous for its many reckless drivers and very frequent traffic accidents (I just had to add this to the list lol)

Clay’s car looks like a Lada (a Russian brand of cars).

The “depressing”, conservative, perfectionistic, and collective culture of Moralton is quite similar to that of Russian culture. The entire town is centered around a church which literally controls everything in the town and how it operates. The people are fed Christian propaganda and are not allowed to think differently or do things differently than what is socially acceptable, otherwise they would be outcasted and have to face harsh consequences. This pretty much relates to Russia’s Soviet/Communist Era of when housing, stores, businesses, etc. were all controlled by the government and not the people. People were not allowed to solely own their own property or businesses, and if they were to speak up about problems and issues facing their economy or speak out against propaganda or the government, they would would face the harsh and legal consequences (i.e. prison camp or deportation). Moralton is quite similar to that, except it’s in the United States where people have more freedom to do want they want and express themselves.

Many people in Moralton tend to be “cold”, reserved, strict, and cynical, which is a common stereotype among Russians.

The townspeople’s love for classical arts, music, and theatre, like in the School Pageant episode. Also Bloberta comes from a family of choir singers/musicians and her singing voice is similar to that of an opera singer. Russians are known for their love for classical and opera music as it is a very significant part of their culture. I’ve met many Russians who come from a family of musicians, are talented musicians outside of their occupation, or happen to own a musical instrument in their homes.

Moral Orel is a satire that explores the hypocrisy of religious and social institutions with a touch of dark humor and irony, which is similar to the works of Russian authors like Fyodor Dostoevsky, who used similar techniques to critique religious and social mores.

Moral Orel is a stop-motion animated series and Russians are very fond of stop-motion animation as it has a rich history in Russian media and cinema. Famous Russian animators such as Roman Kachanov, Ladislas Starevich and Ivan Ivanov-Vano were pioneers of stop-motion media during the Soviet Era. Many beloved animated films and shows made during the Soviet Era were stop-motion animated. Also a lot of stop-motion animated media known today (such as Coraline, Corpse Bride, Isle of Dogs, etc.) are becoming very popular in Russia. Also, Orel loves making little stop-motion movies!

Thanks for reading! 😁

[olderthannetfic]

Jeez, this entire drawn out convo is embarrassing and done to death. BL is romance. It's bound to the same romance tropes as MF and FF, id-driven as many of them are. If you don't like how a male character is written, that just means you don't like the story; move on. A lot of romance and horror both function on the premise of "romanticizing" and "fetishizing" things that wouldn't be desirable in real life. Yes, horror movies do portray murder as something fun for the audience. That's why people like slashers flicks from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. It even became a trend that people would watch the intro of the slasher to see which teenagers are the most annoying, so it's fun when Jason or Freddy or Michael Meyers, or whoever kills them gruesomely. That's why we love the Final Destination films! That's why we like Saw! It's why we like The Evil Dead! It's why we like Wrong Turn! It's why we like Scream! Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Child's Play, Halloween! They're tropey horror slashers with elaborate, gorey murder scenes that become such spectacles of themselves that by the end of the franchises, there's so much blood and viscera that the scenes are parodies of themselves. They're beloved all over the world. And people cheer for the murders in theaters! People love cheering for Freddy Krueger and Michael Meyers, and Jason when they disembowl some 15 year old who was probably just off drinking illegally with their friends. People love cheering for them so much, that there're are crossover films so we can cheer as they fight each other. These are such well-known tropes in horror that they've become cemented in popular culture, so movies like Cabin in the Woods are made. It's popular, extremely so, and I don't know how someone can go 20 years of life and not realize this. Just like how people like reading Twilight wherein Edward basically stalks Bella. Women don't want to be stalked in real life, but they like Edward because it's just a story. No one wants to date a man like Christian Gray in real life, but he's hot in a story. No one wants a guy like Ryouma Ichijou in real life, but it's fun in a tropey BL. The audience is supposed to like him because they want the main couple to get together. If it's not your thing, just don't watch it and move on to something else. The world will keep spinning.

And a lot of people like stories from the antagonists' perspective because it's interesting. This doesn't appear often in things made for children because it's for children, so it has some small responsibility of modeling behavior... because it's for kids. Things for adults don't have all these restrictions because as an adult, you should be able to judge right from wrong in real life, so you can just relax and watch Hannibal Lector abuse and manipulate Will in Hannibal without having an existential crisis about the moral fabric of society decaying. If you can't handle it, you should leave the training wheels on because genre fiction for adults will not always hold you hand--because you're an adult, and you should have common sense to know "murder/sexual assault/stalking/harassment/etc is bad in real life." Children below the ages of 4-5 aren't supposed to watch things like Spongebob for this same reason: they can't tell the difference. If you're an adult, you should be capable of that much, at least.

BL studies is an established academic field that discusses and examines BL across the world in different media forms: manga, manhwa, manhua, anime, donghua, live action, etc. from different countries. Read articles from professionals. Learn about BL and geicomi since apparently it also has to be reiterated that the characters in BL--yes, even the thin, waifs--look like straight men in East Asia. They're ikemen. There are different stereotypes of what queer men look like all over the world, wild concept, I know. The stereotype of what gay men look like in E. Asia are chubby bears, like plumbers, or super ripped men, like the body types typically featured in geicomi, the stories made by men for a male target audience.

Yes, many popular youtubers/breadtubers say convertly puritanical talking points in their videos. Few, if any, actually have media literacy. And few are actually transgressive or nuanced in their discussions of fiction or fandom. If they were, Google wouldn't promote them. You should try reading up more about radfem/TERF theory to recognize these talking points. Everyone who thinks these things isn't walking around around with a neon sign. You should know, since you actually share many of their harmful beliefs, but I doubt you'd call yourself a TERF or a radfem. Read Nancy Friday books like My Secret Garden to learn more about taboo sexual fantasies are how normal they are.

Read BL studies articles to actually learn history, read some Nancy Friday books to get over this weird projection of morality and kink in fantasy, and actually listen when people are correcting you because there's decades if not centuries of research refuting all your "points." No one is saying you have to like these stories for yourself, but you do have to realize the world doesn't revolve around you, and other people will always like different things and that's fine. These stories and discussions have always happened and they're fueled by misogyny and homophobia, as well as a desire for censorship. Read some Oscar Wilde essays too or even more recent BL manga/hwa/etc. BL anime doesn't get produced often because animation is expensive. It's 2023. Why are we pretending that Love Stage is representative of current trends in BL across different countries in different mediums, genres, magazines/publishers since Love Stage came out in the early 2000s?

--

[quillpokebiology]

Geography of Galar

Galar is my home region, and I wanna talk about it more since there's actually multiple cultural regions of Galar. And, at some parts, even different languages! So, here's some stuff about Galar!

Languages

Just getting this out of the way. The most common language spoken in Galarian is, well, Galarian. But there are actually many different 'subcategories' of Galarian. For example, the Galarian I'm speaking is Hammerlock Galarian. But some parts will speak Lean (a language that isn't that common and is spoken and originated in the Glimwood Tangle area), while others might speak other forms of old Galarian. Keep in mind that the languages aren't as common as they used to be because the Hammerlocke kingdom colonized a lot of places. So you won't be completely lost if you visit these places and don't speak the local language.

Southern Galar

Also called Dùaicha by locals, which doesn't really have a direct translation, but it has the old Galarian words for 'country', 'white', and 'field'. Southern Galar is mostly a farming part of Galar, where people have strong accents. The history is pretty neat, as it was once inhabited by different tribes and clans before the people of Hammerlock came and forced them away from their culture. As a lot of history passed, and Hammerlock's kingdom soon died out, the people of Southern Galar were able to gain their cultures back, but of course, there were reproductions, as a lot of their history was lost. While they mostly speak Hammerlock Galarian there, words will sometimes be different.

The people that live in the Crown Tundra tend to have heavier accents (basically the stereotypical Galarian accent you hear all the time), and tend to speak Hammerlock Galarian less.

Central Southern Galar

The place I grew up! Central Southern Galar contains the 1st (first) Wild Area, Turtfield, and the 3rd most populated city in Galar, Motostoke.

The history of Motostoke is rather interesting, being founded in the 1st century and controlled by the old Hammerlock kings. But as time went on and technology started to improve, Motostoke became one of the first industrialized cities in the world!

The Wild Area tends to be different. For one, there's barely any towns there, with some houses and cottages scattered about. And since it's not near most people, they tend to speak old Souther Galarian there (which I would speak with my mom and the other people in the area I lived in). In ancient times, multiple tribes and clans lived in the area, living side-by-side with the Pokemon around them. But the people of the old clans went away for various reasons (colonization, slowly failing economies, disputes, wars, etc).

Turtfield is the second most well-known city in Central Galar 1, purely because one of the gym leaders lives there. The history is still pretty neat, with the artwork depicting the Darkest Day. It's also one of the oldest towns in Galar, still having a lot of culture involved with it.

Central Galar

Hammerlocke

One of the most well-known cities in Galar, which I find interesting since it's not even the capital (Wyndon is). Being one of an old kingdom, descendants from old Hammerlocke are known as Hammerlockians Anyways, Hammerlocke is located in the center of Galar, but I wanna mention it because a lot of stuff has happened here. I can't explain the entire history of it, because I'm most likely not qualified to do that.

But Hammerlocke was a super power in the Galar region, and it managed to colonize a lot of stuff, and is one of the reasons Hammerlocke Galarian is spoken all throughout Galar, spoken in Unova, and a commonly learned second language around the world. They had a monarchy and were run by kings and a couple of queens.

Other than the colonization, Hammerlocke was also known as 'The Dragon Hunters.'' They hunted a lot of dragon types in Galar to extinction, and even as Pokemon started co existing with humans, there was still a lot of stigma around having Dragin types in or near the city, and having one could get you seriously in trouble. Hammerlock actually designed their buildings like that to scare off dragon types. There also one of the reasons Flapple and Appletun look the way they do; they had to evolve to look friendlier to NOT get killed by them!

But now, Hammerlocke is one of the safest places to own a Dragon type in Galar. The wide and expansive area of it as well as the stigma of the area disappearing had led Hammerlocke to almost completely get rid of that stigma entirely (I also like to put that on the popularity of the gym leader here. Ngl, I might've had a crush on him when I was younger).

Central Galar is also home to the second Wild Area. Even fewer people live there compared to the first Wild Area since it holds a lot more dangerous Pokemon.

West-Central Galar

West-Central Galar holds the Leantír and the Creuilg area.

Leantír is the term that refers to the entire Glimwood Tangle area. The word Lea is a Galarian suffix for woodlands or a clearing. Tír is just Southern Galarian for land. The people who reside in this area are known as the Lean people. A cool thing about them is that they are one of the few groups that managed to avoid the colonization of Hammerlocke, purely because the people in Hammerlocke thought that Glimwood Tangle was too dangerous since of the Pokemon there. Because of this, the culture was able to grow free from colonization, and their language has been preserved throughout the years.

There was some stuff that happened though. Like how a guy found Indeedee 7,000 years ago in Glimwood Tangle and took them out to breed them. But another thing that isn't well known is that Leantír use to spread a lot farther than it does now, reaching all the way down to the Stow-on-Side area, and even a bit of Hammerlocke! But Hammerlocke cut down their trees and got rid of their dangerous Pokemon fairly quickly. The Pokemon of the forest than became more wary of people from Hammerlocke, and they ended up attacking any human that wasn't from deeper in the forest, which is why Hammerlocke never went that far.

Creulig is a combination of the old Galarian word for rock and blood (referring to the red-like color of the canyons). One of the largest towns there (Stow-on-side) holds a gym challenge there. It's also the only desert on Mainland Galar.

There were civilizations here in the ancient past, which were realized when old artifacts were found here. But little is known about that civilization, as the history of it only started being documented when newer people moved in.

East-Central Galar

East-Central Galar holds the Nixalba area, which got its name from a forgotten language. "Nix" means snow, while "alba" means white.

The history of the area is really cool (no pun intended), with the Circhester town being around for thousands of years. Originally, Circhester was made in 60 AD, where the first settlers there used the hot springs in the area as a spa area and built their town around it. It became a really popular tourist spot, with the added gym challenge making it even more popular.

The places around it (like Spikemuth and route 8) used to be a lot colder, but climate change and global warming have made it the way it is today. Route 8 has faced a lot of weathering and erosion, which is what gives it its more rocky appearance. But ancient people of the Nixalba area lived there, giving it the ruins it has. In the Hulbury area, people have used that place as a fishing port for hundreds of years.

Northern Galar

Other than the Wyndon district, Northern Galar is inhabited much because of the large mountains making it hard for people to live there. Mostly hikers, researchers, and explorers head there.

However, the history of Wyndon is really interesting. The main city itself was founded in 43 CE when the Hammerlocke kingdom was making its way around Galar. Most of the ancient tribes that lived there were wiped out, and not much is known about the tribes that resided here (which is sad).

The Isle of Armor

The Isle of Armor is a subregion of Galar. Back then, a lot of immigrants from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh came here, and the culture here reflects that. This place is very popular for trainers coming here to get stronger because of the famous dojo they have here.

So yeah, that's the Galar region! Have fun with this information!

Ooc stuff

Honestly, I know this probably isn't accurate to irl UK, but I think it would just be boring to restate UK history. Plus, I don't want the world building to be EXACTLY like it is irl. For one, the game doesn't mention much colonization, and I like that idea. But it would make sense that Galar would have some colonization (it's literally the UK), But I also like the idea of different languages being more common, since it sucks that irl UK has a bunch of dying languages because of colonization. So instead, I made them have colonization, but the languages would stay semi-alive, where you would meet a lot more people that would speak them.

The Isle of Armor was based on The Isle of Man, which mostly has a Celtic history. But from what we see in the game, it has a lot of East Asian inspiration, and I wanted to reflect that here.

I purposely made the places seem bigger than they were since it's stupid to only imagine one small town in the entirety of an area. Plus, we only really see that stuff in the game because it's all we need to see. We can assume there's more people and towns there.

The old clans and tribes are supposed to be old Celtic tribes, but I couldn't think of a name to give them in the Pokemon world...

[minipisi-is-dumb]

why do you headcanon tails as venezuelan?

no clue if this is a genuine question or not but <3 ty for giving me the chance anon

im venezuelan so it can be a easy "why not" is not like our existence in media much less representation is a thing so i can believe anything i want

but !!!! if u want more specific stuff let's go then

1) Mobius is basically latin america. they're all latinos your honor

not just that sonic in general is basically The Franchise in latam ever but also that a lot of other characters are coded as latinos (ex. Sonic as brazilian or argentinian depending on who you ask, knuckles jamaican/peruvian, silver chilean etc are popular hcs) for mannerisms and story and funzies.

Oh and let's not forget The World Map where Mobians live basically in latin america no i will not let it alone

mobian uza is literally just latin america i cannot. point at it enough

2) color pallete!!!!!! is real easy since his whole colors are yellow blue white and red in similar tones to the flag so. another win for the venecos (imma put this old image i made some time ago)

3) his tendency to use even the most "useless" objects and make crazy inventions with it (yes i will acknowledge the paperclips in this one because it's been in different shows and games)can be interpreted in many ways, but is a very huge value for us to just have to go on and fight for better or for worse, we don't let ourselves give up so easy and our working culture has shown that really what's stopping us is the state of our country

there's a really common stereotype for venezuela that we're criminals or lazy or don't work, and that's far from it. idk i feel like tails' story connects with that sentiment of fighting for more no matter what you have ANYWAYS

4) SCIENCE AND HISTORY BABEY!!! Venezuela has been really important historically not just for promote independence in South American nations, but also our scientists and petroleum industry have been contributed a lot to the world.

examples like the diamond scalpel, citgo being an originally venezuelan company, the vaccine against leprosy, the corner clamp and i could go On. but tails being a science enjoyer AND being venezuelan is also a cute detail :)))

that's really it. put projection alongside cute clues ive found and details from venezuelan history (as i am a huge nerd of it) and you get little venezuelan tails!! thanks for the ask anon lol

viva la patria

[thewickerking]

also. Sorry. *applies my clown makeup* as a usamerican i do find a majority of this sites complaints about americans incredibly stupid. the us is pretty huge and has one of the largest populations by country in the world. This is not an excuse for ignorant behavior or anything, but generalizations of americans as these classist stereotypes of conservative hicks and people who don't think other countries are real and don't care abt their struggles is like. incredibly ignorant and complaining about us racism like it's unique (specific things might be sure, but europe isn't less racist and bigoted. France banning hijab, treatment of romani people on a wide scale, plenty of governments backing israel, etc.) Like. Respectfully there's no place in the world safe from all forms of bigotry and ur not better than americans for having Healthcare liiiike. Ppl will mock our government for being bad like there's zero criticism of it within the. Entirety of the us. And also like there aren't bad governments and officials and decisions made in europe????? Like honestly if a european wants to criticize the us i don't want to hear it bc it's likely going to be as biased and closeminded as they claim all americans are. And like there are reasonable things to say about the closeminded usamericans that exist and cultural norms that are bad, and so many other things but people act like it's unique to usamericans and none of its unique!!! the patterns of colonization that seep through everything are everywhere and u need to look in the mirror before complaining abt other countries having problems!! Also like. The constant mockery of systems in place that. Kill people. Our healthcare, school shootings, homelessness crises, etc. Like okay cool did you have fun making fun of victims of harmful systems? Did that make you feel nice and perfect thiusands of miles away? ALSO. there's much to be said abt us centric websites n shit but ppl started talking about that and now white europeans latched onto being morally Right to complain abt the us everytime there's even the slightest hint that someone might live here. Like us centrism is a thing that should be talked about! Stop complaining in the fucking notes of a poll asking if you think damn is a swear and acting like it pains you to have to deal with a slightly different culture. I'm going to rip my hair out. Not going into detail cause this already too long but it's also worth saying that white europeans will very much mock and complain about things being american and bad when it's like. Black people existing. Fat people existing. Disabled people existing. Like okaaaaay complain abt the meanie bigoted american. Call us obese and stupid and aggressive and ignorant. Really shows that you're the good, not bigoted person in this scenario 😐😐

[redrage71890]

I have some AU ideas for you!

Period au: Twisted wonderland only has European culture, while Yuu lives in Asian culture so when they go to Twisted Wonderland. Yuu would be so confused about the culture in Twisted Wonderland and so are the boys with Asian culture

Singing au: Basically, everyone in Twisted Wonderland always sings and so does Yuu

Thank you so much for requesting!

Yuu may be more focused on the Chinese side of culture as I am Chinese and its just easier for me d=====(￣▽￣*)b

I'll see if I can do the singing AU another time

But small WARNING for a little bit of Asian Stereotypes being portrayed, specifically jokes from Youtubers of Steven He, mrnigelng, TwoSetViolin, Jeenie Weenie, Nathan Don and probably more creators, I find them really funny as an Asian person

{Edit: I think I accidentally made this too dramatic for an Asian person, but this is like a mixture of stereotypes and experience I've seen and done before.}

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𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙔𝙪𝙪 𝙑𝙨 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙

Asian! Yuu comes from a strict family that only wants the best from them, which leads them to be strict on careers and work in both school and home.

On a day of normality with studying, cooking, piano practise, violin practise, martial arts practise and etc.

They get sucked into a mirror and ends up in a coffin, slamming the door open and scaring Grim.

Shenanigans ensue and lead back to the Mirror Chamber.

When the Dark Mirror says that Yuu has no magic and is not assigned to any dorm:

'I haven't even been here for an hour and I'm already hearing the yelling of my parents for being a failure at something I never asked for or knew....(┬┬﹏┬┬)'

As soon as they were given the Ramshackle Dorm, they were tired and pissed at its condition. Like why would you not bother to care of a building that's on your campus/property?!

"What?! I'm not helping clean!"

*Summons a pair of slippers out of nowhere with a deadly glare*

Grim immediately starts using a broom to sweep the floor with a terrified look in his eyes.

"Yeah that's what I thought..."

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When they became a student, they're quite different from what Ace, Deuce and Grim to expect.

For starters, they're quite different to how they act around everyone. Putting their head down and head in the books. In a short span of time, they managed to become top of the class with high marks despite being from another world.

This goes without saying that many students go to them for advice and tutoring sessions about the work. They're even getting paid to do so!

Ace and Deuce don't hesitate to ask for help, which Yuu does since they're friends.

Yuu even going as far as asking Trey, Cater and Riddle what's in their curriculums so they could study more. They're clearly taken aback from that but still tell non-the less.

And now people of all years are asking Yuu for help and tutoring.

"Yuu, y-you know you can take a break from all of this right?"

"Ahhh Deuce, yeah I know. Its just force of habit."

"Wait, force of habit?"

"Yeah! I always studied the higher levels in my school, it was a way for me to stay prepared and more understanding of the curriculum."

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*Tears flowing from Yuu's eyes* "AAAAAHAHA RIDDLE!!! I'VE BEEN THROUGH EXACALY WHAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH!!!"

Yuu cries hugging Riddle tightly, the other boys give such concerned looks towards Yuu. Even Riddle was taken aback from this outburst of tears from Yuu, but he returned the hug as a way for Yuu to calm down.

"So are your parents like Riddle's?" Ace asks.

"Oh yeah. They came from a foreign country and wanted the best financially for myself in the future, so they got me to do a bunch of hobbies and aim for career paths with high pay. My dad constantly said that he had to swim a river every morning to go to school and that I should be thankful of what I have, but I think he's exaggerating. Though, this goes without saying that they have high expectations for me to the point that anything below an A is an automatic 'I'm on the streets' kind of response."

This goes without saying that Yuu is overworking themselves at hobbies they were forced to do from the Heartslabyul boys perspectives.

In reality they don't wanna be a disappointment to their family. Also cause they don't wanna be thrown on the streets and working at a fast-food chain for the rest of their lives.

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When the Dorm was fully fixed, with the combination of Yuu tutoring students, assisting at Monstro Lounge and doing jobs around the school for money, fixing and cleaning the dorm themselves and Crowley giving money (with the help from the teachers forcing him to help)

Yuu now has become set on keeping some house rules to prevent any dirtiness from all the hard work they've done.

The first years had a sleepover at Ramshackle one night, Yuu did inform them that they imputed some house rules. To which Ace and Epel grown at.

"Welcome guys! Please come in."

The boys greet Yuu as they enter the dorm.

HOWEVER

THEY

HAD

SHOES

ON

INSIDE

"You really fixed up this place Yuu! How did you-"

*Yuu wielding a wooden spatula in their hands with murderous intent*

"TAKE. OFF. YOUR. SHOES!! I JUST CLEANED THE BLOODY FLOOR!!"

Yeah. Ace, Deuce and Epel looked absolutely terrified at Yuu. Even Sebek and Jack looked scared at Yuu.

Yuu did apologise for their outburst and explained that they really hated shoes on inside unless it’s slippers. Taught by their parents.

"My parents raised me..... You can't blame me for acting like this... ╯︿╰"

"And it doesn't help that I agree with what they say because its so damn reasonable to consider and actually helps me... I try not to be like my parents but I may as well be!"

Yuu proceeding to go on a side tangent about themselves and their parents and just straight up sobs on the floor at their own pathetic self.

The boys just awkwardly hold them as they sob at themselves.