#whole other country whole other culture mostly the same language no communication with the outside

[danieyells]

NO THAT'S FINE I'M FINE WITH REPLIES i just have it under a cut because i'm not trying to raise a huge fuss and i don't wanna put my complaining on people's dashes lmao

YEAH BASICALLY LIKE. . .IMAGINE YOU'VE LOST EVERYTHING AND ON TOP OF LOSING EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN SHIPPED TO ANOTHER COUNTRY WHERE THE ONLY THING FAMILIAR IS MOST OF THE LANGUAGE. You probably would not be doing half as well!!! No it's not supposed to be realistic necessarily but it's still supposed to be 'a story Just Some Guy entering extraordinary circumstances.' the MC is Just Some Guy. And if you aren't Just Some Guy? Proud of you! But she is!! Let her be Just Some Guy and do her best!! She must be completely haggard!

Also another part of the Mc as wish fulfilment is 'I am helpless and normal but everyone around is doting on me in their own way, even if they aren't always nice or safe about it', and my needs are all met. Kind of adjacent to the fantasies of 'i have contracted some mysterious new illness and i've been shipped to a government facility where everyone is working around the clock to look after me and they find out everything wrong about me and fix and resolve my problems and i come out of this with my life bettered'--I know other people have had that daydream, that fantasy, of round the clock care. Yes in those fantasies usually Everybody Is Nice but also they're not meant to be engaging stories with interesting characters. It's a lot like those fantasies! Or fantasies about being abducted and studied by aliens. You live in their world now but you're important enough to be protected. But the world isn't safe for you. Idk. Just. It's a story. A narrative. And you're supposed to see how she does things and lives her life and you can either read it as a story or project onto it. . .but it's still her story, with your inputs providing minimal change to the story. Her story, not yours. And she's doing her damndest

Like maybe she's not the most engaging character of the bunch but she isn't really supposed to be. She's Just Some Guy. That's part of what's interesting about her--she's an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances and that in and of itself is interesting.

Idk if I would have died in her circumstances but I would probably be depressed and stressed and in a lot of pain unless I was introduced to anomalous pain management(which I'm sure they have.) She's being made to run around and risk her life! For the story! For the plot! For the entertainment! And, in character, for her life! She has to get their favor and get close to them so they will care enough about her to want to save her damn life! It doesn't matter if they're mean, the mean ones are the strongest and most capable. The kind ones are the closest thing you have to friends. You need everyone's favor, everyone needs to work together for her sake(and the world's sake) there are stories here and it just!

Annoys me a bit that people cannot conceptualize who and what she is as a character and a narrative entity haha just. MAN MAYBE YOU THINK YOU'D BE SOME BADASS IN THIS SITUATION OR HAVE GOTTEN THE GROUP OF PEOPLE CHOSEN BY DEMONS TO LISTEN TO YOU AND GET THEIR SHIT TOGETHER BUT I DOUBT IT. I REALLY DO. I DOUBT THAT IF YOU TRIED TO FIGHT A GHOUL YOU'D WIN. AND YOU'RE ALREADY DYING SO I DON'T THINK THEY'D CARE THAT MUCH IF THEY KILLED YOU. . . .

Just. Realistically she's keeping her shit together really well. She has fainting spells and zones out a fair amount but she's doing pretty well for herself since the school pays for all of her needs. And maybe that speaks to where she came from, maybe she had nothing to go back to. Maybe this is better than what she has at home. Maybe she's just focused as she can be because this is her life we're talking about and she's trying to live it while she has it, in case she's going to lose it in a few months. Regardless just. It's her. She's a different person from the player, even if she's meant to be easily projected onto for most of the target audience by design. And this is how she's doing it. And all things considered she's really doing great. No she's not some Badass Warrior Princess, yes she's getting dragged around on missions and at school, but what choice does she have? You really think she could do any of the investigations or missions herself? Untrained and defenseless? You really think dangerous artifacts(which, unless they're common artifacts, most of which you need permission to borrow, don't just listen to anybody they only listen to who they've chosen!) would be handed to her and easy to wield untrained so she could just try and go at it alone instead of trying to learn about her new world as best as she can in the time she has between working?

There are stories out there with strong, in control women I'm sure. And if that's what you want I think you'll be able to find it. But getting mad at this mc for being helpless isn't going to make the mc less helpless. I do think it'd be neat if the ring protected her a little--like how, pretending to be hera's snakes, it tried to whip romeo with tentacles in a pinch/emergency--but that would require more than two months of development to discover i'm sure! Like I know it's been six or seven months of the game itself but in game it hasn't even been three. Of course we haven't heard about previous ghouls and graduates' lives, she don't even know the people who're here yet. Of course we don't know anything about the ring and its powers yet, she's trying to figure out the world and the missions and hopefully a way to survive right now!

Just. It's a tiring thing to see a lot lmao. Idk if it's a media literacy thing or a genre familiarity thing or what but it gets kind of annoying to see lmao

BUT I'M GLAD YOU AND OTHERS AGREE HAHA like obviously i know i'm not the only one who thinks this way but it's like. Man. You see it a lot.

Venting about people complaining about MC lol

Is2g everytime i see people whining about 'why can't the mc do anything for herself!!! She should be badass uwu' it's like they don't. Understand her narrative role or function. Or that she's a regular human with an artifact that doesn't do anything for her and she's not allowed to have another one and cannot remove the one she has.

She is SUPPOSED TO BE DEFENSELESS. She is your window into the world and story as a regular ass person! 'i would pick up a weapon--' no the fuck you would not because they would not give you a weapon because regulations say one artifact per person and your ring is your one. 'they're so mean to her why doesn't she stand up for herself!!' because she is a human and they are several times stronger than her physically and she is from a culture where politeness conformity and not making a fuss is kind of the norm and is kind of expected of her 'why isn't she doing anything for herself!' what is she supposed to do. Literally what do you want Basic Bitch Human With No Defenses Besides The People Around Her Who's Going To Turn Into A Creature In Ten Months And Has No Way Of Investigating Or Progressing On Her Own to do. She goes on a mission with them every week she barely even has time to go to classes. She is probably extremely stressed and exhausted. She is completely helpless by design. If you don't like it write a fanfic or find another series or something. MCs like this are meant to be windows into the story, a place you as an ordinary person can project yourself into an extraordinary situation it's not badass wish fulfilment where you're in control, especially not this early on. If she got out of line they would probably put her in containment, or worse she would get hurt and be More Useless and then you'd bitch and moan some more.

Things are allowed to not be to your taste! Things are allowed to not appeal to you!! You do not have to partake of them if it bothers you!!! There are things out there for you and if they don't exist you can make them!!!

[rwuffles]

CAROGENDER．   ➷

pt: carogender. end pt.

DEFINITION ⠀✦⠀ a gender related to caro ( vietnamese tic-tac-toe ); it may also be related to strategy games, one's cultural heritage, family & friends, bonding with others, ( friendly ) competition, and outsmarting one's opponent. this gender is exclusive to vietnamese people. for day 10 of @the-astropaws event: free day. rambles can be found under the cut!

pt: definition, a gender related to caro (vietnamese tic-tac-toe); it may also be related to strategy games, one's cultural heritage, family & friends, bonding with others, (friendly) competition, and outsmarting one's opponent. this gender is exclusive to vietnamese people. for day ten of @/the-astropaws's event: free day. rambles can be found under the cut! end pt.

COINER．  voice of the throne．  ➷

TAGS．  @radiomogai @sevvys @angeltism @zoeynovie @jigumis @boingogender @pupcoins @monarchenwinter @acronym-chaos @flutteringwings-coining @idwl @catboy-autism．  ➷

this is moreso just going to be talking about being queer & viet as a whole than just carogender — we'll get to it when we get to it.

so, as most people here in mogaiblr know, i grew up vietnamese. i'm a second generation immigrant; my parents (especially my mom) and my extended family don't speak a lot of english, i grew up taking part in more vietnamese traditions than american, i didn't watch the same childhood movies most people did, and i didn't eat a lot of american food outside of what i ate at school. i did eat my own weird amalgamations — those were more of an "autism picky eater" thing than being viet, though.

it was honestly a really difficult experience growing up visibly not white in america. my parents insisted on moving to good / safe neighborhoods — which i am eternally grateful for — but it also meant i was mostly surrounded with white kids. i rejected my culture for a really long time under the idea that because i was visibly asian (darker than other kids, "chink" eyes, ugly language, etc.) that i was ugly. i was in kindergarten thinking this! do you know how sad that is? i was 6.

either way, it was a really long journey growing to embrace myself & my culture. it's a much more recent development that i've realized how much being vietnamese connects to my gender identity and queerness as a whole, but i've been trying to reconnect with my culture for years; it's a difficult process. this is especially true when your parents both don't like vietnam or thinking about it. but, our culture impacts who we are as people & how we interact with everyone in our lives.

now, getting into the terms i made: this was a doozy. queerness in vietnamese culture is generally looked down upon — especially within your own family unit. i've seen it best described as "you're open to be queer with anyone except your own family." i can attest to this, if only because the only word i've ever heard in my life to mean "gay" or "queer" in vietnamese is bê đê, which is 1.) derived from a derogatory term in french to refer to gay people meaning 'pedo' and 2.) considered a slur — the exact equivalent is iffy, but i'd say it's like the f slur (in spite of google translate insisting otherwise). so, basically, finding other queer people in the viet community is difficult and finding queer terms in vietnamese (largely reserved "communist" country) is even more difficult. anyways, here's the carogender blurb :3

carogender: this one is super personal to us. caro is essentially vietnamese tic-tac-toe — as mentioned above — though, googling it, apparently it's also similar to the japanese game "gomoku"? i wouldn't know; my dad was the one that showed me the game, and we play it really often. the both of us even have apps on our phones that we just randomly pull up to challenge eachother to caro matches! i think most people use the board for "go!" as a caro board, because caro doesn't have an "official" board you can play on. but, the game just means a lot to us & was the most connected we'd felt to our culture in a really long time — playing it with our dad, our family members & showing it to our friends.

[peachtalia]

I wrote a whole infodump on Herakles headcanons on a priv acc (yk for human version since I prefer to view the guys that way) so I’ll paste it all here cuz fun. It’s gonna be super disorganized and may not carry All of my ideas cuz it’s just me writing whatever came to mind in the moment but I’ll try to organize it the best I can from what I wrote. Also plz take into consideration that I’m not entirely following canon here and a load of it is headcanons with some of canon sprinkled in. Also this is a wip ig

I doubt anybody would read my word vomit cuz I didn’t bother to clean any of this up and my sentence structure is def abysmal as fuck but ig u could say I’m putting this here for my own sake but anyone else is free to read if u would like!!

cw talk of parental loss tho

Okay so I’m gonna ramble about names here cuz it interests me a lot. Obv I’m not Greek or in Greece I just have a deep interest in other cultures and like to research a lot and stalk forums and videos on experiences etc. My ideas may change over time as I learn more about the culture. He feels a bit more old-fashioned to me but anyways yeah nah if I happen to say anything innacurate plz lmk @ anyone who actually reads my word vomit haha

So anyways I def don’t see it as my place to bash on him being given the name "Herakles" cuz I Do know that in Greece they would seem to occasionally give Greek mythological names to ppl (ex: singer who's birth name is Artemios); but I noticed they most often use Christian names tho (also fun fact my irl name is the fem version of an old Greek saint and seems common there along with Hispanic countries that would often do the same lololol)

But at the same time I’d wanna assume that being named Herakles would kinda fuck u over since it would be a huge name to live up to. But that’s just me. Plus to me that adds to his overall life theme

Also I’ve mentioned this before but ppl for years would dunk on his surname claiming that it's "not a real Greek surname" when ... it actually IS, it's just super rare based on what I’ve collected. Admittedly ngly I’ve even been a part of this when I was a kid smh (See: Greek actress with the birth name Evgenia Karpouzi, the fandom would always use the spelling "Karpusi" but that's not language accurate to the more commonly taught Greek language romanization based on what I’ve learned.....

Anywho now onto headcanons and stories I like to apply to him lol

He seems the type whose mom is very huge in the historical arts and preservation field and might've been a Greek history professor and took a huge role in curating and preserving Ancient Greek ruins and artifacts...arranged heritage festivals and exhibitions etc.. Taught culture... Maybe pushed him to be very talented and knowledgeable as a kid and would actively pass down her own knowledge onto him and set pretty high standards for him while also spoiling tf out of him and also being caring yet not as present as a mother due to her career. He grew up very involved in the arts both creative-based and performance-wise but probably mostly the latter. He seems like the type who would be quiet and a bit of a loner at times but was also a lot more enthusiastic and expressive at times.

So anyways yeah not only does he suffer under the curse of living in the shadow of his mothers legacy and not meeting the public expectations in following in her footsteps but a lot of his life is basically formed around her and he wasn’t left with much room to actually form his own personal style due to how heavily influenced he was by her own interest and life path and her passing when he was idk 14 made it even harder for him to even try to let go of any of this cuz besides all of her leftover belongings and the collective community memory of her, it was all he had left of her from within himself so letting go of any of it to make more room for developing his own personal sense of style outside of her existence felt like betraying her or going against her wishes.

He feels deeply guilty for not taking on her legacy after her passing and following in her footsteps but he still does what he can to contribute here and there and still holds a load of pride in what he learns from her + what comes from his roots and besides hanging out with and feeding street cats he still has a lingering fascination and interest in philosophy and observing and maintaining historical sites not only cuz it’s great but also cuz it reminds him of her. It Would also make sense given how canonically he’s portrayed having a home that’s cluttered with his mom’s old things and artifacts that he never wants to get rid of since she passed while he was young.

As for his beef with Sadiq I see it as a ‘obnoxious goofy uncle and petty nephew’ sort of conflict lol. But I like to see it as like. Sadiq was a younger college student of his mom’s who would also do volunteer assistant work for her, so naturally he’d meet Herakles thru that. And with him being that type of guy would screw around with Herakles and poke fun at him yk like how those older guys would treat young kids sometimes and purposely provoke them in a joking yet annoying manner (I have lots of experience of this) and Sadiq himself never saw it as a big deal but yk Herakles Hated that shit and he’s the type to take that kind of stuff to heart. Also Herakles would envy the time he spends with his mom cuz here he is able to get involved with her work life and meanwhile Hera is being some kid at home who sometimes gets to go to his moms work sometimes.

And ooomfg when his mom passes u know damn well that envy turned into pure vitriol cuz Sadiq was able to spend more time around his mom before her sudden death. But Sadiq (still unaware of how deep this shit goes for Herakles) takes Herakles under his wing cuz he feels super bad to say the least.

Now Herakles has one of those large Greek families but he’s autistic* as shit so while he can be loud with them he’s also quiet and a bit of a loner at times so he’d be super reliant on his mother for initiating his interactions with others and she’d take a big part in involving him in family gatherings so u know damn well the second she was gone he didn’t know wtf to do anymore or how to connect with others on his own without her being an extra support lol yk like that one social person that helps interactions go smoother.

* yes I am aware that autism may present differently depending on culture but I’m autistic myself and am basing this on observations I’ve made thru autistic ppl I’ve known in different countries and who also have a similar familial dynamic culturally. Even tho I’m in the US I also have this experience myself with my Viet family members. No duh it’s not ‘just an autism thing’ but yk headcanons

Not to mention him being depressed as fuck over her passing and beginning to self isolate. And being so pitied by family members 24/7 SUCKED Ass so idk ig eventually (after many years and moments of Herakles mostly blowing people off) ppl began to avoid him and stopped inviting him to things like yk that sad thing that often happens whenever someone’s going thru a loss and ppl don’t know what to do about it. He’d ignore their invitations often for years. Of course they’d still try to call or send something or visit every now and then but only very occasionally. It’s like an ‘idk what to do’ sort of thing.

So yeah he’s an only child and was raised by a single mother with a busy and active life where he was always expected to become her shadow whether intended or not. Wow. But despite his family inching away from him, bro still has that younger Cypriot cousin who vibes with him and relates with his quietness and occasional loner behavior so he’d often hang around him cuz the rest of the family would overwhelm him sometimes, therefore even during this time he was the last to stick around for the most part and they’d often hang out in silence. He is a bit more chatty than Herakles tho at times. Idk his name yet. That one Cypriot cousin has a younger brother I think, who’d hang around Sadiq but Herakles’s a #hater and doesn’t really like him for that. He’s the type to threaten to cut ppl off from association and he gets petty and stubborn as hell and holds grudges like u cannot believe. Obviously despite his spite he does still care for Sadiq deep down. He says what he wants but he doesn’t actually wish the guy any real harm and would get super bothered and upset if anybody were to attempt to do so.

Oh yeah and I also mentioned before that I see him being narcoleptic lol *maybe* he occasionally dealt with cataplectic symptoms and it would make sense given how rarely he seems to express strong emotions but I still don’t know. I’m not as knowledgeable in cataplexy I admit. But he’s def on the narcolepsy spectrum and lacks a load of motivation and drive in his life overall. Some of it comes from his mildly nihilistic view on life and some of it is depressiveness and the inability to help himself more on his own accord. It probably took a lot for him to get on a stricter medication routine for it. He tries to take care of himself at the bare minimum but he still doesn’t quite cultivate the best or healthiest of habits. He’s often got others around him trying to help him out and check up on him. Think also of the comic strips of Ludwig trying to help him organize and clean his house and get his finances into check.

Idk how his mom died. Maybe it’s one of those things never spoken about but it was sudden and he was at home when it happened and just remembers it getting super late and dark and him wondering where tf she is each time he’d wake up and him attempting to call her work and go to voicemail each time.

Also back on the topic of his tendencies but Herakles can for sure be the sore loser and jealous type but only depending on whether or not the matter involves Sadiq. Otherwise he’s like eh whatever it’s fine I’ll get it next time) and as I said above he’s also got a somewhat nihilist mindset and wishes to just spend his time doing as he pleases lolll his philosophical info dumps would get mind breaking at times and he just drones onnnn and onnnn and on about it it’s like the kind of stuff that’d make u lie on ur back with ur hands behind ur head staring up at the sky like “yeah……..wow…😕” and would prob put u to sleep cuz he speaks in a slower and softer tone. And you’d prob experience a strange yet vivid dream in the moment. He’s got an ambient and nostalgic feel to his presence that’s hard to explain and melancholy yet oddly calming.

Oh also he still practices Orthodox Christianity besides being an atheist on the most part and not even following any religion or religious rules or moral code bc it’s what he was raised doing with his mom and he feels like it’s what she would’ve wanted lmfaooo I guess it’s for nostalgia’s sake and paying respects to her. Maybe he’s an atheist. Idk. Perhaps his philosophical ideals and stuff he’s learned influences his view on general spirituality and religion so in a way he feels like in the end all gods are all to reach a similar point and intention and are an outer extension/projection of our own subconscious beings and are vessels of hope and focal points for moral code and explanations for the world around us. Or maybe he just views them as beings created to give people’s lives purpose. Or he believes all things at once. Who knows what goes on in his mind.

As for his narcolepsy, his mom may have assumed at first that he was the type of child to nap a lot or that he was lazy, but over time she’d realize something is probably up and would recognize that he wouldn’t be able to help it most of the time and that he actually isn’t the lazy type and works hard when he can. She’d get called by teachers often yelling about his tendency of zoning out and sleeping in class and she’d just respond with “Oh yeah? Well maybe your class isn’t interesting enough if he’s always falling asleep in it!”

So yeah. A load of his life was built around her from the start, and he relied on her for a lot, I mean she’s his mom and all too and the only closer(?) family member in his life given that he’s an only child and has no father. The sudden change of her leaving completely threw his life off course so for years he’s been in some sort of endless state of limbo where he’s both apathetic both saddened yet he might not make it so obvious when around others. He just appears quiet, apathetic and carefree for the most part.

[danonrealestate]

Buying Real Estate in a complex geopolitical region

If you are an American who is looking to buy abroad the first places you will probably think are in either Asia, Latin America or Europe. The reason for this? Our cultures are very similar and have a lot of the same values. But when buying and looking to develop areas like Africa, The Middle East or Central Asia, you will have alot of problems!

The reason for this mostly lies in how the governments there are able to control your land and be able to stop you from doing certain things. Other reasons can be because there are very corrupt people there who will try to swindle you out of your money quickly!

So what does it look like and how are you able to develop in these regions without problems? It mostly depends upon your language and culture that may look different from the person there.

The UAE, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and even Saudi Arabia along with Oman are very welcoming regions that allow for money to flow easily. When you are able to consider these regions the next thing you should do is be able to discuss with the consulates in your area about how to go about this.

Studying the region is quite important and being able to get an idea of what you want to accomplish is always number 1. One region that I left out was Egypt, the reason why I left out Egypt is because the country has a very militaristic government that may become reactionary towards any foreigner that wishes to grow a business in the region and start to take up land and space.

So when you begin your journey you will arrive to some agency on WhatsApp or online and be able to talk with an agent directly and see the prices. When the prices are similar to American housing, that is mainly because a lot of westerners, Americans, Canadians and British already buy there.

For myself personally I focus a lot more on rural farming because it is a good industry that allows you to export food to other countries and is able to get your foot in the door and meet other people. Your whole goal basically is to know the people of the region and be able to scope out who is lying to you and who is honest. That’ll be your first prerogative.

I’ve heard stories about Albania being very tricky in the past and it has honestly been kind of interesting to analyze the Balkans. From my experience, Greece will be your best bet on a safe and easy transaction mainly because they have a stable government. By stable, I mean no civil wars, no extremism.

Here was an interesting scenario brought up by a friend. Can a Christian or Jewish or Hindu community be created in Syria or Iraq? Yes and no, due to the extreme violence and religious extremism that goes on against it, there needs to be almost complete self reliance or outside influence that is helping the community.

It has to start out as a farming community with a lot of weaponry and slowly get large enough to where it is good to host a sort of “metropolitan” area within the community itself. Lots of kidnappings and dangerous scenarios can occur and even military take overs can occur so it is one of those things where you have to be ready to have the community successfully defend itself and have a high birth rate. Food and defense and water are your first biggest things, the next will be creating a presence that may be respected, which would take years of fighting and being able to stand up for yourself. A community has to be very dogmatic and completely focused on its survival.

Eventually though if proven right, it will completely be focused and may even outpace the growth rate of other communities. Once it outpaces its adversarial growth then it’s able to start to have some kind of dominance in the region and begin to call the shots. Now to understand, building these communities requires billions of dollars to build and fight for.

Israel ended up becoming a 7 trillion dollar investment over time and now stands on its own two feet against adversaries in the region. For other communities it might be next to impossible though to pull off and we have moved past that era for colonization.

This was the entire point of colonization in the beginning of the great powers of Europe rising and because of it we now have Canada, South America, Australia and South Africa which all started out exactly like this scenario.

For a real estate mogul who may not have access to the large amounts of money that is stored in Europe or the USA then you would be at a disadvantage and chances are you wouldn’t succeed so it would be better to look into countries that are western friendly already like the UAE or Oman. In Dubai, the prices of houses are skyrocketing due to the demand of wealthy foreign investors buying up the region like crazy. I’m sure everyone has talked about Dubai.

Theoretically anything can be pulled off but it takes a group of people who can work together. One thing to note about Israel’s advances comes from the fact that the Middle East was already controlled by the French and the British at the time who were given these proposals already to create states. For example, the state of Lebanon was created by the French to house Arab Christians, which may be looked at as a failed state today. The state of Israel was proposed to the UK by the Rothschilds in order to house the European Jewish population. The Balfour Declaration.

After world war 2, the United Nations had a vote on whether to accept the state of Israel as a nation which was then created. In 1949, it received a two-thirds majority of the UN 37 pro 12 against and 9 abstentions. So by international both a Jewish state and an Arab state was created in the region which then created a war. One thing to note about this was that before the state was created, Jewish settlements were already in place and beginning to get overwhelming refugee migration coming in from Europe due to the Nazi invasions.

At the time, the United Kingdom was trying its best to limit the migration but even they could not handle the numbers of Jewish refugees coming in. Land development was inevitable and the region would go on to become one of the biggest tech hubs in the world.

How does real estate play into this? It all started out as organizations buying the land and populating the region. This became a perfect example of how it is possible to create a community and have it flourish in a hostile region.

So if you think about it anything is possible. Depending on the project it may take the help of many to build. There are other communities that are on a smaller scale in other lands for example, the fundamentalist Mormon community in Mexico which was started in the 1960’s by the Langford’s for the sole purpose of creating their own version of the church. The leader ended up getting killed by his brother in a dispute but his descendants lived on and created their own community of 1200 that is around to this day. Although rumor has it that a lot of the communities are moving to the USA to get away from the cartels and other forces in Mexico that are battling it.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Frenchie army here. about that anon asking about racism/kpop in France, honestly I don’t have much to add I share your thoughts BMT.does racism play a part in kpop not being more popular here?Probably. is that the main reason? No, don’t think so. I think it’s much more complex than that and i am personal.there’s an important asian community in France (mostly chinese), the Korean community is tiny and concentrated in the capital city. The average French person doesn’t know much about Asia and Asian cultures in general and even less about SK. Sometimes it just boils down to a very simple reason imo:it’s far away, we don’t have much connections/a shared history, our cultures are extremely different, the language is also very different etc also I guess most people aren’t really interested in getting to know more nor have the time/the ressources to dive into a whole new culture, as sad as it is. I’ve got many friends who aren’t interested in kpop because of its reputation, they don’t know much but are influenced by stereotypes, think it’s too heavily manufactured, and that’s it. Or some just don’t vibe with it, same way I have no interest in latin music for ex because it’s just not my thing in general. Also, to me it doesn’t seem like the kpop industry makes much efforts to develop in Europe. It’s still very much a niche thing here as BMT explained. Outside of East Asia, the big kpop labels seem to focus primarily on the US market- understandably, it’s the biggest and most influential one. As BMT said it’s also closely correlated to your age range and the platforms you’re engaging with.so if racism might play a part in why it’s not popular over there, it’s probably not the main reason imo. (Sorry for my crappy English btw! typical frenchie lmao)

Hey anon, thanks for coming back and bringing some more background info on the general audience and the communities. I think your point about not having a connection to it is important. Not the main reason, but it's one relevant aspect. And it's not like France doesn't welcome K-Pop. As PPTM said in her reblog, a lot of events and concerts were held in France, but it's also true that Europe at large is not a big market for this genre. And you're also right, because K-Pop does focus more on the US-market. In the case of France or other countries, this is a topic that would be better understood from a historical point of view and it would take a lot of time and work for me to bring that background, especially since my history knowledge of France hasn't been polished in a while. Yes, racism is a part of how white French people look at other cultures. And not just France. I'm not telling this for you anon because I'm sure you know this better than me, but the history of colonialism and subsequently post-colonialism, plays a big part here. And France colonized some parts of Africa and Asia as well - what was called Indochina. And in the postcolonialist era and due to migration, other cultures were beginning a quite difficult process of integration that ended up being reflected in art as well and what became mainstream and what not. In film studies, I read about Beur Cinema, especially the movement that started in the 80s - film about shared colonial experiences and cultures.

What I'm trying to say in very simplistic terms (if anyone wants to know more, you can do a little research about it), is that France is not a white homogenous country in which the citizens are mostly racist towards an East Asian country and that's why K-Pop didn't reach there as well. The issue is way more complicated and nuanced and I bet there are some studies and research articles on the K-Pop scene in France for those who are interested in this topic.

*For the original asker who wanted my opinion and that of anon, I hope this helps. And for you, Frenchie anon, please forgive me for my bad, under researched attempt at talking about French culture and colonialism. I mostly used some left over information in my brain from some other areas of research.

[potteresque-ire]

Hi! I have been reading your posts and responses to anonymous and I am inclined to comment on your broadly realistic views and detailed analystic answers and let us not forget your ability to be warm in putting forward your opinions. I am truly a huge fan. Thank you for being a station for various answer seekers.

If you have time and patience, please elaborate on the situation GG is still facing post 227. Recently I read various comments insinuating GG copied DD for Douyin night which is absurd but the implication that only one party is still being targeted unnecessarily raise hackles of a lot of solo fans. And I, under any circumstances, DO NOT believe the involvement of the other party. Firm believer of BJYXSZD.

My point is what is being done to stop these antis from targeting GG. Since one of the motive to target GG is to severe the relationship of GG and DD, IMO at least. Does constant attack (external stimulus) on GG (belittling him by comparing him to DD) may have the possibility to effect their relationship (internal reaction)? Objectively yes, but given your perception of their relationship, what is your opinion in this matter, however subjective it may be?

Moreover, how much extreme and sometimes irrational analysis done by bjyx community can lead to harm to both of them especially GG?

Also, I have seen DD being the captain of BJYX in various circumstances but also throwing off people from their old predicted/maintened theories especially in case of Kadians. I am not sure how much to trust these 'candies' since he has a reputation of not giving a f*** of others opinion. So why would he post GG related or non-related content with same kadians. I mean if he posts private content with GG related kadian then why post promotional content with GG related kadian. Does it imply that kadians are related to GG or not or he doesn't care and we are thinking too much. I am not sure what I am writing now, maybe multitude of thoughts poring out here. I am extremely sorry for that.

I do not know whether people believe or not but 1st post by GG yesterday had initials YB in the circle. Not at all explicit, and depends on believers but I felt like he was just trolling BJYX, it may be good naturedly but after his promotional brand picture of shrimp in bunny's hand. I do not know I just felt, dissappointed/bitter/unsure about all of this. I think it is normal to feel this way from time to time even for SZD because along with emotional investment we have rational perspective which is necessary to scrutinize evidence(maybe) from time to time.

I whole heartedly apologize for writing an essay length ask, this is the reason I wanted your patience 😅.

If any other blogger wants to add or comment on this please feel free to do so. Your suggestions are highly welcomed. 🙏

Hello Anon!

I take it that your questions about safety are concerned about the behaviour of c-solos and c-turtles? International fans aren’t likely to put Gg and Dd at any risk. That said, however, frequent fighting among i-fans would likely drain Gg and Dd’s international fanbase, as many fans do not enjoy being a combative atmosphere (I, for one, will run away as quickly as a turtle can run!). Lost i-fans can’t be easily replenished, whether they’re turtles or solos ~ The Untamed, as a foreign language show so beloved that fans are willing to scale tall language and cultural barriers to understand it, isn’t something that comes around often. (stanning Gg and/or Dd does take a lot of work!)

About the arguments. I probably only know about a fraction of them since I do not interact directly with fans outside Tumblr . As far as I can tell, however, recent arguments among c-solos and c-turtles have been ordinary fights, and also, fairly “bi-directional” between the solos (ie. I don’t think Gg or Dd has been relatively exempt from attacks compared to each other). 

These arguments can be heated and some of the attacks may sound vicious, but there’s nothing much to worry about from a safety angle, as they haven’t caught the attention of those outside the fan circles.

The theorising by turtles are also not inherently dangerous. c-turtles have mostly been careful about keeping their discussions among themselves. The only risk it may lead to in the future, that I can think of right now, is the associated YiZhan content on China-based websites (ex. Bilibili, Douyin), which has become fairly plentiful. YiZhan candies used to be relatively obscure given the guidelines of CP fans to keep them among themselves (they call this practice 圈地自萌, literally, drawing a circle on the ground and have fun in it by oneself). These days, however, anyone who’s curious can get a good sense of YiZhan’s story by browsing Bilibili. 

This probably contributes to the continued growth of the turtle population; however, some of this content is created by non-turtles who seek viewership and have little concern over Gg and Dd’s safety. They are the ones who re-upload the BTS, for example, despite the repeated pleas and warnings by the “站姐”s—the superfans who take/purchase these videos—as well as the turtles to not do that. If these content creators go overboard, there’s a possibility that YiZhan content may get caught in the government’s “Eradicating Pornography and Illegal Publications”（掃黃打非) movement. The movement originated in the mid 2000s, and its recent waves have been used as pretext to remove LGBT+ and BL content on line (I will eventually set up a post re: those events). Just last month (2020 Dec), Bilibili has been explicitly named by the government for hosting questionable materials, which means it’s already under scrutiny. Sweeps performed on an entire website are usually broad-based enough that no specific individuals are targeted; however, the government also encourages, with financial incentives, the reporting of specific content and has set up a dedicated website for doing so. While all YiZhan content has no direct relation to Gg and Dd, removal of such content may cause an over-reaction from fans, which can, in turn, lead to accusations of poor fan management by Gg and Dd. Most people will also assume the YiZhan content to be created by turtles.

(Another example of how an alleged turtle mis-step can get the YiZhan fandoms and Gg and Dd tied to the 掃黃打非 movement: a few days ago, a Weibo post showed a photo of a hardcover version of an explicit BJYX fanfic, reportedly sold for profit, and GG haters were calling for an arrest for “illegal publication.” So far, there’s minimal noise on the issue, so it isn’t something to worry about. It can also be fake news, which is so bountiful on the platform and on every aspect of daily life that most die a very peaceful, very well-deserved death.).

Whether fan arguments / theories may affect Gg and Dd’s relationship (assuming they’re in a relationship) … my guess is, not much. Gg and Dd are busy people, unlikely to closely follow their fans’ discussions. Again, I expect effects to be felt only if the arguments get out of hand ~ as in, if they begin to involve the public and/or the government.

As for the question about what is being done to stop Gg being targeted: fan wars are incredibly common in China (as in everywhere else), and Gg and Dd’s aren’t special in that sense ~ it’s just that as turtles, we know about those surrounding Gg and Dd and they feel significant to us. No individuals can stop a fan war ~ all we can do is to not join these wars ourselves.

Personally, I think the international fan base of Gg and Dd, as solos and cpfs, have more chance to achieve peace than its Chinese counterparts — if they choose to want that. Popularity in China is not only quantified (which is likely true everywhere, by marketing departments), but very visibly so. Sales numbers, votes, traffic attributed to each idol are frequently released to the public, possibly to foster competition among fans and drive these numbers further upward. c-turtles’ demonstrated strong performance in pushing these metrics has made them a target to those who wish to have usurp their consumer power. They, therefore, have good reasons to be wary of anyone who try to sway them from their “turtle-ship”, whether to turn them into solos or to lure them into an entirely different fandom. The swaying messages are also not always obvious, not always a direct “your cp suck”.  They can be subtle, many even come from netizens who appear to be fellow turtles, who may say “oh, maybe we (turtles) are wrong” or “we have to be realistic; Gg and Dd will never look at each other publicly again”—messages that cast doubt and sink morale in a fandom that’s already running an uphill battle. Remember: traditionally, CP fandoms are not expected or welcomed to last, and solos have been happy to (correctly) point out that the BTS, the origin of the most solid “evidences” of BJYXSZD, are getting older by the day. c-turtles can’t expect anyone else to help defend their ship if something happens, given CP fandoms’ lack of respectability, given YiZhan being a real person M/M pairing that is often frowned upon. So it’s understandable, to me at least, why c-turtles are on guard, and occasionally, clash with those who they feel may be trying to take away what they love.

i-turtles, I feel, don’t have that many reasons to fight. We don’t really have other fandoms (for example, the up and coming danmeis—the adapted BL dramas) vying for our attention (and wallets). No one can put an expiration date on the YiZhan communities except ourselves.

Another way to see this is: we—as in, the combined Gg + Dd international fanbase, the solos + CPFs—are lucky in a way the fans in Gg and Dd’s home country are not. Collectively, we’re much further removed from the pressure to perform as fans, which is immense in China with their fan circle culture and fan economy. i-shrimps and i-motorcycles ~ some of you are reading this, I think? (hello!) ~ here are my humble thoughts: the solo/turtle ratio of Gg and Dd’s international fans doesn’t make much of an impact on Gg and Dd’s star status, on the popularity metrics that matter. Our spending power is limited outside China’s borders, and while Gg and Dd likely love us equally as fans, our adoration for them doesn’t really matter much, if at all, to the production/media/commercial companies that control the trajectories of their careers. 

Along this line, the turtles’ “double loyalty” doesn’t have much of an ill effect, because there are few popularity contests here that mean much; few times (if any) when the turtles must face the dilemma of whether to vote for Gg or Dd because only a single vote is allowed; few situations where they have only x amount of dollars and must split it equally between Gg or Dd’s endorsements. There’s also much less cause to worry that i-turtles may draw the attention, or ire of the Chinese government ~ the whole international fanbase is too far away, too spread out to destabilise the regime in any way.

What the turtles do have in common with you, the solos, is their knowledge, their love for Gg/Dd. Knowledge, in particular. The people who know about Gg/Dd are still far and in between—at where I am, at least, and my guess is, it’s likely true for many of you too. Think of the turtles as people who you can talk to about your favourite star in places where few people know about him, can help promote The Untamed  far and wide—many people still haven’t heard of the show, and they deserve to.

For the turtles ~ no one can take away our turtle-ship identity, as long as we don’t give it away. No one can report on the our communities to the government and get them dissolved. Our votes, our spending habits are no one else’s business but ours here.

So, Anon, here’s what I think, and these are all very personal opinions, very personal decisions on how to navigate fandom ���

I truly hope that we, as the international fanbase, can try to use this luck that we have. Make our communities not mere copies of their (combative) Chinese counterparts but something different, something with our own flavour, something with more peace and less fighting.

Specifically, I see little cause to try to persuade/dissuade anyone to be a solo/turtle. I find them… not the best use of time. Why? Because frankly, neither solos nor turtles have a better grasp of who Gg and Dd are. Neither solos nor turtles have a truly good grasp of who Gg and Dd are. These discussions are therefore bound to end up with more ill will than conclusions, since both sides are short of facts.

We’re all short of facts as audiences, who’ve all only seen a tiny sliver of who Gg and Dd are as human beings.

I don’t mean Gg and Dd’s star image is fake ~ it’s just that, their star image is their “work face”, and even I, a lowly turtle, must act somewhat differently in my own office. It’s part of being professional.

Gg and Dd’s star image are their professional face, and no professionals worth a salt truly ignore other’s opinions, especially when the profession is being an entertainer whose job is to face and hold the attention of the public. 

This is true for Gg; this is true for Dd.

Social media accounts are also part of Gg and Dd’s professional face ~ whatever is posted on there will be scrutinised by millions of fans, and they know that. The posts do provide some insights about Gg an Dd’s personalities, but they can’t be expected to show a complete picture. No parts of these posts, therefore, whether it’s the content or the kadians, are sufficient evidences for / against any aspect of their personal lives (especially as private an aspect as their romantic lives). Anon, you mentioned promotional marketing materials, and here’s my understanding of them ~ ambassadors such as Gg and Dd have minimal control over their design. The shrimp-holding bunny you’re referring to, for example, is very likely provided by the company.

However, may I also add this? Please try to not think of the shrimps / motorcycles as enemies of the turtles. Millions of people are behind each of these labels, and true for any group of this size, a fraction of its members are bound to be annoying. A small fraction may be awful, even. But they don’t represent the entire group. The shrimps are not only Gg’s fans, many of them have supported him longer than any turtle (since turtle-ship can’t be older than 2018); they’re also the reasons why Gg is in the industry ~ they voted for him in X-Fire. Likewise, a subset of motorcycles have been with Dd since UNIQ; they were there when the Korean ban effectively dissolved his group; they stuck with him when he was attacked for taking on the role of LWJ.

We’re all Gg and Dd’s fans, if you ask people outside the fandom. Remember: few outside China understand why heated arguments can occur between a bunch of shrimps, turtles and motorbikes. (It sounds a bit kafkaesque, just typing it out.)

It’s important not to lose sight too, that Gg and Dd’s social media accounts, where many new candies are found, primarily function as bridges of communication between them and their fans. These accounts do have different degrees of “professionalism” ~ Weibo and the official accounts being more formal, and Oasis, Douyin being more laid back and intimate; still, they all serve similar purposes. They’re not candy generators, or a script Gg and Dd have an obligation to follow to confirm / refute BJYXSZD.

Also: these accounts are accessible and watched by the public, not all of whom are friendly to Gg and Dd.

Re: Gg’s drawing on Oasis. He used the account as it’s intended for—to interact with his fans (the caption of the first draft was an unspoken invitation to shower him with ideas) and maybe, to show off a little (it was a very nice piece of artwork ~ a comment that I, sadly, haven’t seen much of). I doubt he posted his drawing because he wanted fans to carpet-search for traces of Dd in it (even though he probably expected that would happen); I very much doubt he posted his drawing because he wanted his fans to fight over scratch marks or black dots.  

If these fights keep happening, I can imagine a possible outcome. He’ll stop showing us his drawings. His social media accounts will become less and less personal, as they already have.

I’ll share with you my thoughts about candies too, while I’m at it. These are probably not-so-popular opinions, so please take them all with a grain of salt.(Salted caramels? 😊 )

I haven’t looked at why candies are called candies, but I find the name appropriate for how I think of them ~ candies are 1) neither evidences or truth, 2) sweet, 3) treats (non-essential, not like the main course).

The first point is, perhaps, the one I try the hardest to keep in mind. There are posts out there claiming the candies as made-beliefs—generated from edited pictures or videos, exaggerated translations, and their interpretations forced by “guidances” in the annotations/narration. There are also posts claiming that turtles are deceivers, or have been deceived by brainwashers who maliciously created these make-beliefs. A turtle may assume these posts are all lies, all made by antis. 

But, speaking turtle-to-turtle, I’d venture to say this … there’s some truth in the *first* statement. Many candies do, indeed, taste different if their taster returns to the original source—not necessarily unsweet, but less sweet. Candies, remember, are generated by fans like you and I. Same for c-candies ~ they aren’t endorsed by Gg and Dd, aren’t necessarily closer to the truth just because of the relative proximity of their birthplaces to their leads. 

Candy generation is The Tradition of CP fandoms. It’s a celebrated skill, and who doesn’t want to generate a candy that will be talked about, that will be part of the BJYX canon, for as long as the fandom lasts? Some fans are, therefore, also more … efficient in the “marketing” of the candies they generated — in persuading others that their candies are evidences, the truth. “Guidance” photos and videos (which pinpoint the place to watch, sometimes with appropriate sound effects for emphasis) have come about that way, and because they’re easy to digest—especially where language barriers exist—they end up spreading to i-fandoms.

These photos and videos may look more professional / trustworthy, but they often have an additional layer of subjectivity ~ on top of the already subjective opinion of what makes a candy. Translations (of BTS, fake rumours house content etc) also introduce a subjective element. Word choices can significant modify the tone of a conversation; speakers of different Chinese dialects may also have different interpretations of the same phrases. Example: I, as a non Chongqing/Sichuanese speaker, can guess the literal meaning of the “puppy” term Gg used for Dd — 狗崽崽 (gou zai zai) — but I also had to rely on others to tell me how endearing the term is; me being a Chinese speaker actually doesn’t make my interpretation any more valid, or authoritative, in this scenario, because my dialect doesn’t use this term at all. 

It doesn’t mean the people who’ve put in the work have any less-than-good intent; the vast majority of them come from a place of deep love. It’s just that we all carry our own perspectives, and as fans, our strong emotions in our fanworks.

This is why candies are often insufficient as good “points” for arguments, why they fail to convince non-believers, sometimes to the disappointment of some turtles. As evidences, they aren’t objective enough; they’re also often touch upon the assumption that’s mark the fundamental difference between solo and cp fans — the assumption that Gg and Dd are (not) together. Take, for example, this segment from a (polite) ask I got from an anon solo:

All the matching clothes, jewelry, shoes etc. Stopped being valid candy when I realized that the brands have popular stars "endorse" their products. The lightning pendant? Other actors have also worn it. Does that mean they are in a 3-way with (Gg) and (Dd)? Probs not.

Solo anon was correct! Brands have star endorsers, and other entertainers have, indeed, worn the same lightning pendant. The implied argument is also valid: people who don’t care about, don’t even know about each other can wear the same things. Most of us do that on a daily basis with our mass-produced garments.

However, a counterargument can also be made to the statement above, and easily: even the most precious, most beautiful wedding rings (say, from Tiffany!) are not exclusive to the first RL couple who bought them. It doesn’t mean the first RL couple is sleeping with all the couples who bought the same rings afterwards, doesn’t mean those rings aren’t significant to every one of these couples as romantic mementos. More often than not, couples wear matching things not because these things are exclusive to them—because how often can one find things that only exist as a single pair in this world? They wear matching things because they want to see something on themselves that remind them of their significant other and so, as long as the things aren’t so prevalent that everyone is wearing them, they can already serve their purpose.

But you see, Anon, that arguing over this would’ve been a waste of time? Because the solo came in with the assumption that Gg and Dd were not a couple, and the counterargument was made with the assumption that they were. The pendants alone are insufficient to prove either side correct or wrong. No one knows why those pendants ended up on Gg and Dd’s necks, except Gg and Dd and their teams. If I were to argue with anon solo, we can go on and on and on until we’re both left with bitter tastes in our mouths and WWX-red in our eyes, and forget the one thing that really matters: we’re both Gg’s fans.

(We could’ve spent the time talking about how that scene in The Wolf with Ji Chong throwing Zai Xing in the water is ❤️.) (I can’t believe the script waited 30+ episodes to do it. 😂)

This leads to my second point, Anon. Candies are meant to be sweet, and they’re meant to be sweet for you. In Chinese, a term for an expert candy person is a 嗑學家 (the candy-eating in CP fandoms is called 嗑糖 (ketang) ～ with 嗑 ke denoting a specific form of eating that requires breaking something open first with teeth—such as watermelon seeds; a 嗑學家 is a 嗑 (ke)-ologist). A 嗑學家 isn’t someone who can recall the longest list of candies, or spread the most candies around, or convince the most people that the CP behind the candies is real; they are those who can find their own candies in a source material, and be overjoyed by the sweetness of their discoveries without outside help. To me, at least, this term encapsulates the subjective nature of candies ~ what’s right for you may not be right for me and vice versa, and that’s perfectly all right. In other words, there are many candies out there but you’re not required to believe in all of them; instead, you’re free to choose candies to your own liking, compose your own version of the BJYX canon that you love, that you find sweet.

Wait, but you may say. Doesn’t that make my canon fantasy? Yes and no, because candies are based on real events. They’re interpretations, which sit somewhere between reality and fantasy. They’re like … opinion shows on news channels.

But what if I need to convince people of my canon —

Your “opposition”’s canon is as fantastical, and as real as yours — maybe it isn’t, but neither of you have a way to prove it one way or another.

Wouldn’t solos call me delulu, or clowns?

Maybe. But one step outside the fandom, and all of us fans—solo and cpfs—are delulu, clowns.

(That’s why while I’ve used the cpn label, I haven’t called myself delulu, or a clown. Anyone who thinks I have the truth about the love story about a pair of idol I haven’t met from thousands of miles away … the joke’s probably on them, don’t you think?)

Of course and again, Anon, this is only my take! I like candies precisely because I like to watch the real-time generation of candies, which ones different people claim as their own, which candies fall away and which stick around in the fandom over time. As a fic writer, this ship has gifted me with a treasure trove of information ~ what do people think of as romantic gestures, as give-away signs of love? The fun/amazing part of BJYX is that candies are available for so many different answers to these questions. Some people think of longing gazes and sweet smiles; some think of touches that can’t be helped (the many, many, many “fights”); some think of service (buying foods, designing clothes); some think of caring about the other’s well-being (throat candies and dumplings + noodles + crackers); some think of being The Other’s One and Only Exception (Dd being so talkative around Gg, Gg being so … fussy around Dd); some think of expressions through the arts (songs, drawings, dances); some think of grand gestures (the wave heart in the ocean); some think of matching clothes and symbolic accessories (rings); some think of birthdays and anniversaries (314, 622, the first snow); some think of sharing life’s hassles and small tidbits (fake rumour house); some think of … just looking VERY good together. Etc etc.

Some think of a subset of these, some think of all of these…

(Personally, I’m a very picky candy eater. I know about many of them, but only a small fraction impresses on me.)

(Still, I love watching candies. I love watching the joy of people sweetened by them ~ or, when c-turtles exclaim kswl! — the short form of ke si wo le! 嗑死我了! I “ke”ed so much I’m dying!)

This gets to 3), Anon, and I apologise to you too, for answering your not-essay-at-all with an essay! Candies are, to me, treats, and I don’t expect them to come at any frequencies higher than treats do. The reason isn’t because I don’t like candies ~ I enjoy watching them, as I said, even if I don’t eat many of them; the reason is because I don’t expect anyone’s romantic love to leave a trace in everything they do. For example, if I truly find myself in a SZD/SJD discussion re: Gg’s drawing, I’d say the lack of Dd in Gg’s self-portrait doesn’t really mean much. Even if Gg and Dd were head-over-heels in love with one another, Gg doesn’t have to put Dd in everything he touches. Likewise, Dd doesn’t have to present a consistent, or decipherable story with his kadians. This is true for the real-life couples around us too, isn’t it? They don’t perform every single act in life leaving a noticeable trace of their significant other. And the misunderstanding that couples do that — that their romantic lives take over who they are as individuals — IMO, partially explains why people who choose to not to date or marry, people who’re aro-aces, often have a difficult time convincing others that they’re complete humans. Romantic love is, of course, very, very important and can be life altering, but it also isn’t everything about a person ~ especially not if a person who has a career as exciting as Gg’s and Dd’s. Gg and Dd who also have friends, family, (many) talents and interests …

(And lots of ugly icons on their cell phones. Yes, I’m talking about you, Gg. That long-armed Pepe from your 2018 snowless Beijing post will give me nightmares…)

[qqueenofhades]

i noticed that you like to write a lot of heartrender husbands from fedyor’s side of things (which makes sense cause fedyor is fun!) but i have to ask in the modern au, what was ivan thinking the whole first two months 😂??

like was he carrying the joke the whole time? did his brain short circuit around fedyor?? was he worried about what fedyor was thinking or did he just think he was shy? Did he think the first date went well ☠️?

This was supposed to be lighthearted, but then there came Feels. So here is Ivan's backstory in Phantomverse. Content warning for mentions of an abusive relationship, familial homophobia, implied sexual manipulation, and dark themes. Nothing graphic, but duly noted.

Also on AO3.

Brighton Beach, 2015

It’s safe to say that Ivan Ivanovich Sakharov Kaminsky did not ever, not in a thousand years, not in a million, imagine himself ending up here. At one point, even Moscow would have been a stretch, and that was obviously still Russia. The fact that he would be walking down a sidewalk in Brooklyn, under the elevated tracks of the Q train that rattles and bangs overhead, on a cool spring morning to do his shopping at the Brighton Bazaar – in, should this somehow not be clear, America – and then returning to his apartment and his husband is, quite frankly, something out of an alternate-Ivan timeline. One from the Twilight Zone, or whatever they are calling that kind of thing these days. Sometimes when he thinks about it too much, he gets afraid that it is in fact a dream. That no matter how long it has gone on and how good it has been, it will suddenly and inevitably end. After all, he is Russian. Sunny optimism has never been accused of forming a notable facet of the national character, and Ivan himself would never be described as the hopeful type. But God, for this, he does.

He reaches the bazaar – a bustling blue-awninged international supermarket with three-quarters of its signs written in Cyrillic – and steps inside, grabbing a basket and pulling a scrap of paper from his pocket to double-check his list. He knows what he needs, but he likes the tidiness of writing it down, and he proceeds into the crammed aisles, passing customers speaking English, Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbek, Yiddish, and several other languages he can’t identify by ear. Brighton Bazaar stocks all the Russian products necessary to satisfy even a homesick expat like Ivan, and he enjoys being able to navigate the store with ease and read all the labels at first glance. He can get by in English, if he’s pressed, but it’s easier to leave it to Fedyor, who is fluent, and in here, he can conjure the illusion that he will walk out on the street and be back where he truly belongs. He likes Brighton Beach a great deal more than he ever expected to, but it’s no replacement for the real thing.

Ivan collects his purchases, along with a few special extras, and takes them to the counter. He is greeted in Russian by the checkout clerk, who knows him well for always turning up at the same time every Saturday morning with military precision. As Semyon Pavlovich Kuznetsov (who is called Syoma by his friends, but he has not clearly stated that Ivan can use the diminutive and therefore Ivan does not) scans his items, Ivan consents to exchange a few gruff words of small talk on the weather (nice) how the Mets did last night (badly) and the old guy who apparently died of a heart attack two days ago in the Russian bathhouse on Neck Road (making Ivan glad he did not choose said day to attend). It’s this weird Russian-American hybrid of things, since Semyon is the teenage grandson of a Red Army veteran who fought at Stalingrad, but he was born and raised in Brooklyn, loves American video games, and is fully fluent in American pop culture. It startles Ivan to realize that while this kid speaks Russian perfectly, he has probably never done so in Russia outside of a few visits back to the old country when his family can afford it. That is a very personal question to ask one’s grocery clerk, however, and he does not.

And then there’s that other thing, which he would definitely never be asked in Russia, especially not these days. Semyon hits the button to tally up Ivan’s bill, informs him that he owes $56.77, and then says cheerily, “How is Fedyor?”

Ivan concentrates on digging the exact amount out of his wallet in cash, since he never had a credit card when he lived in Russia and is still somewhat leery of them. “Fedyor is fine,” he says curtly, in the tone that makes it clear that he understands this question is an expected part of an American social interaction, but that is all the information he is willing to venture. “Here is the money.”

Semyon accepts it, counts it into the till, and rings the transaction through, handing Ivan his bags and his receipt. “Have a nice day, Mr. Kaminsky!”

“Thank you, Semyon Pavlovich.” Ivan accepts his purchases and leaves the store, taking a deep breath of the salty, sunny air and the wind whipping off the seafront. It’s still a little too early in the year for there to be many bathers on the beach, though there are always people strolling on the boardwalk. It’s only a few minutes to the apartment, which is just off Brighton Beach Avenue and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Ivan buzzes into the old brownstone, takes the stairs to the third floor, and as he unlocks his front door and lets himself in, wonders, yet again, at the sheer impossibility that his life has led him here.

Ivan is the third of five boys, but he was the one who was named after his father. It was not, of course, because they had some special hope for him to be the great inheritor of paternal pride, but a simple matter of logistics. His oldest brother, Roman, was named after their paternal grandfather. His second-oldest brother, Oleg, was named after their maternal grandfather. When Ivan arrived, only then was it proper to name him after Ivan Romanovich, Ivan Sakharov senior, since rushing too fast to glorify yourself as an individual, rather than your community and your ancestors, could be seen as running contrary to the collectivist ideals of the great Soviet Union. By the time his two younger brothers arrived, his parents were hard pressed for ideas; Yuri (for Gagarin) and Vladimir (originally for Lenin, though that has obviously acquired a different connotation those days) were clearly obtained by putting the names of national heroes into a hat and picking.

Five children was quite a lot for a Soviet-generation family, and Ivan doesn’t know anyone else his age with that number of siblings. After all, more children meant more time standing in line at Municipal Grocery Store #5 for food that has to be shared among more mouths, more worries about how to clothe and educate and accommodate them, more chances for one of them to go terminally astray and betray the family honor. Ivan wonders sometimes if his parents only really wanted Roman and Oleg, but decided to keep going as a matter of gaming the system, so much as it was able to be gamed.

By the early 1980s, the aging, decrepit, dying USSR, run by aging, decrepit, dying men, was in the grip of a demographic crisis so extreme that it was a contest between worrying about which one would end them faster: crazy President Reagan with his finger on the nuclear button, or the whole country just keeling over of old age. The idea of what a family even meant had been under constant challenge since the heady days of the Bolsheviks, who denounced marriage as a construct of bourgeoisie oppression and preached for free love and sexual liberation. Then it went hard back in the other direction during Stalin and the Great Patriotic War, holding up the traditional nuclear family as the highest ideal and offering rewards to mothers who had multiple children. Then it lurched away again. Abortion and contraception had been legal and freely available since the days of the revolution and most Soviet women made good use of them. Plus, of course, the obvious difficulties of maintaining a sizeable family when it was increasingly impossible to obtain even basic supplies and foodstuffs. It just made no sense.

Desperately trying to counter this slide toward self-inflicted obsolescence, the late-stage USSR came up with a number of incentives to boost the birth rate by any means necessary. They allowed mothers to refuse to list fathers on the birth certificate, to avoid social shame if he was married, foreign, a drunkard, or otherwise unsuitable, and beefed up programs to support single women with children. They also went back to the old-school plan of granting extra stipends, housing privileges, and state recognition to families that had more than two children, and Ivan himself was the third of his. It doesn’t take a genius to deduce that he was almost surely conceived for the tax benefits.

Not, that is, that it didn’t work. When Ivan was born in 1984, the family lived in a tiny apartment on the tenth floor of a building with no elevator (or rather it did have an elevator, but it was always broken), crowded in with three single young men who were at the very bottom of the list for being assigned housing. By the time his youngest brother, Vladimir, was born in 1987, they had been moved to a small house of their own on the outskirts of Krasnoyarsk, not far from the bus that his father took two hours a day out to the mine. The cynical old joke in the USSR was that the people pretended to work and the government pretended to pay them, though in Ivan Romanovich’s case, the work was backbreakingly real, even if the money wasn’t. He would come home exhausted and filthy after a sixteen-hour shift and yell at Galina Sakharova to feed him, bark at his sons, and then fall asleep in front of the television, only to get up the next morning and shuffle off again.

Ivan Ivanovich has spent a lot of time after he left home trying to understand what that kind of life would do to a man, mostly because he didn’t do it while he was there. Of course he didn’t. He was a child, and it was simply what he was used to, the only way the world could possibly be. On the night of December 26, 1991, as Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev signed the United Soviet Socialist Republics out of existence with a single stroke of the pen, Ivan remembers his father crying and swearing and throwing things at the wall, the heavy yellow-glass ashtray that always seemed unbreakable, perched on the kitchen table to collect the detritus of his constant cigarettes, smashed to bits just like their country, their sense of self, their security. It wasn’t as if life in the USSR was so wonderful. It was just the only thing they knew. Beyond that, there was nothing but the terror of the utterly unknown.

At any rate, the world didn’t end. The oligarchs moved in and began snapping up Russia’s newly privatized economy. Ivan Ivanovich, of course, had no goddamn clue about this either, aside from overhearing his father curse about it some more. He trudged through secondary school and left at eighteen, without even trying to proceed onto university. Those weren’t for someone like him, he knew that. Instead he got a job at the ever-troubled Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant, and went straight to work on the factory floor.

It was around this time that the one disruption in his otherwise humdrum life, the one thing that stopped him from just settling into the same miserable existence as his father and going on like that forever, became too impossible to ignore. And that was the fact that no matter how much Ivan tried to squash it down, push it aside, or otherwise pretend it didn’t exist, he could no longer deny the fact that he was attracted to men, and only to men. He bought some of the cheap porn magazines from the tabak, tried to flip through them and get something out of the girls in heavy eyeliner and bleached-blonde hair, spilling out of their scanty lingerie, and just… didn’t. He wasn’t even interested enough to try a conversation with a real flesh-and-blood woman (not that Ivan had ever gotten through a conversation with another human being, especially a woman, without disaster) and see if it was different in the flesh. Nothing about the experience, even imagining it, appealed to him at all. But men…

He knew it wasn’t right, just because – well, you knew that sort of thing, you didn’t have to ask about it, you didn’t let on. But nonetheless, something, somehow, must have given him away, because one evening after the end of his shift, one of his coworkers cornered him in the back. His name was Konstantin and he was a few years older, big and bluff and constantly smelling like machine oil. He stood there, folded his arms, and said, “I will give you five hundred rubles if you suck my dick, Ivan Ivanovich.”

Ivan didn’t know how to answer. He had never spoken to Konstantin about anything aside from the job. He didn’t like him, he wasn’t attracted to him, and he didn’t want his filthy fucking rubles. He wanted to go home and take a shower.

And yet. He wanted to know. So when he went home, it was with five hundred rubles in his pocket, and a strange, indefinable feeling of something both excitement and shame. He looked it up later and found that it was barely seven American dollars, barely enough to buy a sandwich in this place he now lives. Then after that it became – not a relationship, not exactly. But he had done it once and Konstantin knew that he was at least theoretically willing, and there was no getting away from it now. Soon enough it became something of a regular thing, and then Konstantin wanted to try other stuff and not always pay, and if Ivan ever protested, Konstantin would threaten to get him fired from the factory or tell his family what they were doing. Ivan knew that he couldn’t let this happen, and besides, this was a relationship, or so he would tell himself. It was rough and it wasn’t very enjoyable and he didn’t like the way it made him feel, but it was probably the best he was going to get, here in this place, so he had no choice but to put up with it.

Until one night when his older brother came to pick him up from work, which he didn’t usually do. Something about it set off Ivan’s alarm bells, but he got into Roman’s battered old Zhiguli anyway. They didn’t head back toward the house. Instead they headed for the country, the narrow, crumbling road that led into the vast forests of Krasnoyarsk Krai. The city was often voted one of the most beautiful in Siberia, surviving even its long periods of grim industrialization with something of its soul intact. It wasn’t as cold as Yakutsk or Oymyakon, the places where it stayed at sixty below zero all winter long and boiling water froze when you tossed it out the window. Winters only got down to a few degrees below, and in Russia, that was par for the course. Ivan loved his hometown, and he was used to the outdoors. He was a sportsman, a natural athlete. He played hockey, bandy, football, rugby, and basketball (surprisingly popular in Russia). He swam and boxed. He was tall and tough and muscled and most people never bothered him. But when the car coasted to a halt in the middle of nowhere and Roman turned off the headlights, he was still terrified.

His brother said, “I hear you’re doing things, Vanya.”

Ivan didn’t answer.

“I hear you’re doing things with men.” Roman reached over and grabbed him violently by the shoulders, pinning him against the seat. “Disgusting things. I will not have one of those in the family, do you hear me? Do you hear me? If I find out that you have done it ever again, even once, I will make sure that you pay the price. Are you listening? Say that you understand.”

“Yes,” Ivan said. “I understand.”

What he really understood was that he was going to leave, when he had barely been out of Krasnoyarsk Krai in his life. Going as far as Novosibirsk for a shopping trip was unusual, and once, in school, he went to Georgia, which was the first time he had left the country (though of course, it used to be the country). But he knew that he could not stay here anymore, and in a moment of welcome serendipity, that was also when his conscription notice arrived. At the time, every Russian man over the age of eighteen had to serve two obligatory years in the armed forces (though it has since been lowered to one, of which Ivan does not necessarily approve), and his number had come up. So he quit his job, did not say goodbye to Konstantin or tell him where he was going, packed his few boxes of things, and moved four thousand kilometers and four time zones west to Moscow.

Ivan arrived in the capital trying not to present himself as a wet-behind-the-ears country boy, to act like he knew what he was doing, to show he was much tougher and meaner than any of these spoiled, pampered little children whining about how hard it was when they trudged into headquarters and presented their army notices. In that, he had a genuine advantage; he had worked hard for his whole life, he had already been through whatever could possibly endured with a father and four brothers, and he found the strict routines, harsh discipline, and predictable tasks of the army comforting. Everyone was scared of him, he didn’t need to try (though he did), and that was also gratifying. He worked hard and pleased his commanders, who tried to entice him to stay on as a full-time professional serviceman. There were many opportunities for a man of his talents, and more money than Ivan had ever dreamed of. As for his personal life, as long as he was scrupulously discreet and kept turning in good results, they would not trouble to enquire too closely. That was already better than from what he had expected with Konstantin. Once again, he thought it would be the best he got.

That was where, therefore, he met Aleksander Ilyich Morozov.

Morozov was his opposite in many ways – rich, well-spoken, well-educated, the son of a legendary KGB commander and the inheritor of comfort and privilege even in the lean last days of the USSR. He was about Ivan’s own age, but he had a self-possession and a gravitas that made him seem older. He had started training for a career in the Russian security services practically from childhood, and he had pegged Ivan as a particularly promising recruit. “You should come with me,” he said. “We would find an excellent career for you.”

Ivan was never sure how to respond when Morozov started talking like this. He admired the man and was admittedly attracted to him – not just the dark, elegant handsomeness, but the manifest air of being a person who mattered, who made the rest of the world sit up and take notice and play by his rules – and while he knew that Morozov was ruthless, he wasn’t bothered by that and was willing to do the same when it was called for. Ivan didn’t see the world as some nice candy fairy place where good deeds were always rewarded and violence was always wrong, not least since he knew full well that it didn’t work like that. He didn’t have time for these idiots who thought they would get out there and hold hands and change the world with the power of sunshine and kisses or whatever it was. He didn’t.

Then there was one night when Morozov was at Ivan’s apartment, and they had been drinking and making big plans for ruling the world behind the scenes, and Ivan forgot himself entirely and leaned over the table and kissed him. He tried to pull back almost at once, but Morozov didn’t resist. In fact, he leaned in and put a hand behind Ivan’s head and kept him there, and in that moment, Ivan knew that while this might not be personally objectionable for Sasha (his sexuality was undiscussed but evidently fluid), that wasn’t the reason he was going along with it. It was because he knew instinctively that it was a perfect way to control Ivan, to harness his attraction and his weakness and his willingness to go along with whatever Sasha wanted, and in that, despite all the big plans they had put together and the way Ivan had dreamed of his life changing, it was just Konstantin all over again, and Ivan was straight back at the factory on his knees, small and cornered and powerless. It was visceral and it was wrong and it wasn’t the best he would ever do and he wasn’t, he wasn’t taking that.

They pulled back and Sasha made an enquiring noise, like he wanted to know if Ivan was interested in sealing the deal, and instead Ivan ordered him to leave right now, get out. That was the end of their friendship; they never spoke to each other again, and when his third year in the army ran out, which he had already taken voluntarily, he left. He got a job at some Moscow industrial plant and it was there, through the friend of a friend, he met Nadia Zhabina. And it turned out that she was queer (the first time he had ever heard the word spoken in a good way, something he wanted to be, something he didn’t mind accepting, rather than as an attack), and it turned out after that that she had a friend she wanted him to meet, only it clearly meant that she thought they should go out. Like. On a date.

Ivan flatly shut her down. He did not date, he did not want to date, he did not think he would be good at dating, he did not want to meet some pansy city boy from Nizhny Novgorod who he would immediately dislike, and he was not going to do it, the end. Only Nadia really seemed disappointed, and maybe it was not the worst thing to try a little. This would backfire terribly, he would get over it, and move on with his life.

In Ivan’s opinion, the first date with Fedyor Mikhailovich Kaminsky was, at least on his own behalf, a modest success. He was unavoidably late, thanks to the bus running behind schedule, but he introduced himself, his hobbies, and made it clear what sort of person he was and what he was interested in. He even sent a polite follow-up text with an invitation to meet again. There. No questions, no confusion, everything very straightforward and clear. Nothing to complain about. That was how you did a date, yes?

It turned out, however, that Fedyor Mikhailovich was either very reticent, or perhaps confused, or maybe he did not even know that they had been on a date and Nadia had not clearly explained to him. Burned by his experiences at home, knowing how easily word could get out to the wrong people, Ivan did not want to bring up the subject explicitly, but he had to admit to a considerable confusion. Maybe Fedyor actually liked to just mince around Moscow city parks together, like something out of a Tolstoy novel, or to sit on his couch and watch bad American action movies together. (Later, Ivan learned that Die Hard is actually something of a cult classic, but it’s still slightly lost on him.) That wasn’t bad, because Ivan – to his great bafflement and wariness – liked spending time with him. Fedyor wasn’t like him at all, but they clicked nonetheless. He was the exact kind of idealistic activist that Ivan had long disdained, but it was different with him. When Fedya talked, he liked to listen, to dream about a world that really did work that way. It didn’t, but it felt closer.

Besides that, he was cute. He was well-put together. He was charming and vivacious and could talk to people that they met, while Ivan stood scowling with his hands in his pockets and wondered how long this was going to take. He really desperately wanted to kiss Fedya (and for that matter, do other things to him), and he found himself thinking about it a lot. But what if it was like with Sasha again, and it was either Ivan opportunistically taking it for himself, or Fedya selfishly trying to keep him there, to use him for his own purposes? Maybe Fedya was the idiot. He had to know they were together, right? Or were they together? Ivan suddenly wasn’t sure. Damn it! Why didn’t Fedyor subscribe to the school of just being clear about things? Ivan himself had nothing to do with the problem.

But then there came that night, and Fedya cooking dinner and stumbling through trying to ask him if they were maybe something, and in that moment, Ivan found it all so hilarious that the only thing he could do was sit there and let the whole thing play out. Then it turned out, of course, that they were together, and that Fedyor kissed him just as deliciously as Ivan had imagined, and maybe Nadia Zhabina was not so wrong after all.

Maybe she was not wrong in the least.

Ivan takes his supermarket bags to the sunny kitchen of the mostly-remodeled apartment and sets them down. Fedya has picked out all the colors and wallpapers and furniture and paint, and Ivan has done most of the work, since he is gainfully employed as a handyman and repair-person and he doesn’t want to pay some American to half-ass a job that he can do better. The apartment is really quite lovely now. The living room has been done in a pale, springy green, the white plaster moldings washed and repaired, all the junk of the previous owner finally cleared out except for one or two collectibles that they decided to keep. There’s a bookshelf and a desk filled with Fedya’s work things, a couch and a television and a coffee table and new curtains. The bedroom is big and airy, with a ceiling fan and new carpets. Framed pictures and art pieces hang on the wall. It looks like a place where real people live.

Ivan makes breakfast, cooking and stirring and brewing the coffee, and puts it all on a tray. It’s Saturday, so of course Fedya is still asleep, and Ivan pads through the apartment to the closed bedroom door, balancing the tray on his hip long enough to open it and cast a strip of light inside. It takes a moment, but Fedyor rolls over, groggy and tousled and very, very cute with his bed-headed dark hair and squinting eyes. “Vanya? What smells so good?”

“Happy birthday, my love.” Ivan sets the tray on the bedside table and leans down to kiss him, as Fedyor makes a happy humming sound and throws his arms around Ivan’s neck, cuddling against him like a barnacle. “I have made you breakfast.”

(His younger self was wrong, and he has never been so glad of it.)

(This was the best, this is the best, this was waiting for him, this kind of happiness could happen for him, and he is grateful beyond all words that he fought for it and believed it until it did.)

[goosedawn]

linguistics pog????? :D :D :D i will admit I didn’t do as much thought into the aus/nz language changes as I really should’ve (mostly because my understanding of the regions is basic at best ^^’) and I am 👀👀👀 at your tags……….. if you have more thoughts I would be FASCINATED to hear what you say :D!!! -bio nerd anon

LINGUISTICS POG!!! YEAHHHH

my knowledge of linguistics is limited but its so cool and ur HELLA valid, australia and new zealand are pretty isolated so like. fair (relatedly, most of my thoughts are nz based, i cant really talk much abt australian linguistics) but basically i absolutely have more thoughts >:3c

also im assuming this is still in the context of how language could develop in @possiblyaperson03​‘s strangers on the internet au, so im just gonna clarify this is all purely speculation based on what we know abt the au and my own knowledge + lived experience :D

... i also just keep on going about language development in this au in general so i put it all under the cut :’>

tl;dr: australian and new zealand accents are likely to converge, but also might have a mix of different languages mixed into the way they speak, with pockets of non-english speakers. humans in australia and new zealand might not have as nuanced terms relating to giants, and may not have the same level of understanding regarding the giants language.

....... tl;dr TWO: wild humans might develop “alarm calls” that are shared with other human groups even if they cannot understand each other otherwise, and might even mimic giants. sign and written language could also become more prevalent in giant inhabited areas.

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SO, in new zealand theres already quite a mix of cultures, although. yknow. colonialization ended up in a largely westernised culture/language, with english being the ‘main’ language, however nz sign language and Māori are also considered to be national languages.

nz accents specifically tend to be quicker and kinda. slur some words together, but that also depends on the location around new zealand. people who are surrounded by more Māori influences tend to draw out some vowels a bit longer, which ends up with a slightly different cadence.

im not really sure how to describe the aussie accent kshdfksjd but i think generally its a lot sharper than nz accents but also has more of a drawl, and some vowels are more drawn out/accentuated

i think it would be likely that australians and new zealanders would probably keep these aspects but depending on how much people cross between the two (in lieu of traversing elsewhere, and interacting with other countries) its more likely for the accents to converge.

however!! differing languages would also kind of. stick to how they sounded when they split, with the language spoken by immigrants not only sounding more accurate to the original due to shifts in language in their original location (due to simplification and dangerous situations) but also because of people wanting to preserve their culture.

in new zealand currently (especially in places with a lot of mixed cultures/immigration, in big cities compared to more rural areas) there is already a lot of mixing in terms of accent and language, and even more so with outside influences due to media and such

people do whats referred to as “accent matching“ which is basically changing the way you speak to match other people around you (psychologically, its kinda like mimicking other people so they are more likely to like you/become attached to you because you are similar to them) and so people mimic accents around them and thats part of how you pick up accents when you move to a new place.

so in an isolated space, with a variation of accents, how does that work? honestly i think it would be similar to how things are in big nz cities currently, and because its even more packed together with a whole variation of people who may not necessarily be english speaking is that something that may happen is a mix of language, with people dipping in and out of other languages based off of what specific cultural influences an individual is surrounded by.

this is something that can be seen in places like malaysia, where there is often a mashup of languages and cultures, resulting in a variance of dialects depending on geographical location, picking up some words from other languages depending on who your neighbours are (or at least. thats what i’ve been told by relatives from there, and have seen reflected in the way they speak- they tend to mix english with at least 3 different dialects of chinese as well as malay and indian words)

like i mentioned in my tags on the other post, nz already has quite a few pockets of areas where there are immigrants who either have trouble speaking english or rely on relatives/friends to interact with english speakers, and this is something that is likely to develop in this au as well i reckon. i cant comment on how this might work in australia though.

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also, if isolated with little contact from giants, it would be unlikely for australians/new zealanders to develop terms relating to giants, or at least not terms similar to other countries. they might be more abstract or scientific, with less nuance due to less interaction.

its unlikely humans in australia and new zealand would pick up much accenting from giants and perhaps depending on how long it would be after The Event, may even not be able to say certain words/hear certain differences in giants accents as well!

However, it should be noted that young babies (like a few months old) are able to identify variance in human accents that children and adults cannot, because we learn what sounds to listen out for based on what languages and cultures we are exposed to, so technically we are biologically built to understand a variation of languages, but quickly learn specificity and thus lose that ability.

(RELATEDLY: if this was also true for giants, unless they were brought up around humans when they were very young it would be unlikely that they would be able to tell some subtle differences in human speech, FURTHER solidifying what you said about giants just. not being able to hear human intonation).

in terms of language in countries inhabited by giants, you mentioned that humans might have more simplified language and such, which could result in varying “alarm calls”, much like modern animals have now, which vary depending on where a threat is coming from (e.g. different calls for birds compared to land based predators) these might transcend other language like words, if there was a larger difference between geographical areas.

on top of that, some groups of animals also reciprocally respond to other groups of animals alarm calls due to both being pressured by biological and environmental threats, and i wouldnt be surprised if something similar developed between wild human colonies. humans are great at mimicking, so it could be possible that a series of animal-esque calls, or heck even calls mimicking giants could be something that is used.

furthermore, it might also be likely for some groups of humans to rely more on visual (signed or written) languages to symbolise things, especially if they dont get to interact with other groups, perhaps out of fear of being caught in large numbers. on top of this, having visual signals would be useful for not notifying giants of your presence if you need to be quiet.

warning signs and such would probably be developed pretty quickly, with certain groups maybe having defining features depending on what materials they have (maybe some groups burn warnings into things, vs others who carve the symbols in)

there might also be varying ways of referring to directions that are easier to identify quickly. OH in the alternate universe with wilbur having a guitar, maybe music could be used for communicating certain things also?? idk ive gone on long enough jkfhsdfjhsdf

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thanks for reading all the way to the end! if you got here i appreciate you!! 💛

[dubububbles]

SHINee scenario: Them falling for a foreigner and confessing in s/o’s native language

(Hiyaa!!! I just saw you opened your requests Can you do a Shinee scenario of them falling for a foreigner and they try to confess their feelings in s/i'd native language please?! Thanks!)

Requested by kdrama-i-nation

- Hope this is oki~ ❤️I don’t speak all the languages I chose so I’m so sorry in advance if I made any mistake or missused a phrase in any way 🙈 

Taemin:

When you and Taemin met you were living and studying in Korea as an international student and the two of you happened to be attending the same university. You met on campus as you had a class together, which led to you talking and also studying together every now and again. 

It was a simple friendship at first and even if Taemin was a bit shy around you he was also rather curious and didn’t restrain from asking questions about your country and culture. Every so often he also asked you to teach him different phrases or words in your native language, which he would try his best to replicate. You found it cute and quickly became fond of him that way. 

One afternoon as you were studying together for an upcoming exam he got distracted trying to learn more words of your language, which didn’t really surprise you. However, one phrase that he briefly and shyly uttered definetely did. 

“Me encantas.” 

 Since it wasn’t a phrase you had taught him it made you look at him in question and wonder if it was his way of confessing that he likes you. You quickly realized from the nervous look on his face and his red-stained cheeks that it was definitely the case, which made you smile before you quickly told him that you liked him as well. 

Since you used your own language he didn’t understand at first and you then repeated it in korean along with a small laugh because of the adorable ‘ah’ he emitted. He also lit up with a smile, the beaming smile that you were particularly fond of, and it made you smile as well before you both shyly tried to return to studying.

(Spanish)

Minho:

Minho was actually someone you were familiar with long before the two of you started dating. Although you weren’t a singer as he was you were still part of the same large industry and had worked together on multiple occasions. It was mostly for concerts and other events SHINee had in your country where you had a vital part and often worked very close to them. 

After a few years of meeting occasionally in that manner and gradually getting to know each other Minho gathered courage and then nervously confessed that he wished to meet you outside of work and perhaps even take you out on an actual date. It surprised you at first but since you also had interest in him, you agreed and that’s essentially how it all started. 

Fast forward another year and you were now dating comfortably. It was a simple but sincere relationship and because you lived and worked in different countries it was at distance mostly but that didn’t affect the strong bond that had been built between you. 

Since he knew your language rather well, it was normal for you to communicate with it. Even so, it would still surprise you to hear him wholeheartedly confess how he felt deep down in your native tone, especially as he used a very formal and straightforward phrase.

”愛してる (aishiteru).” 

The way he uttered those words in a shy but determined manner instantly made you smile and find him rather adorable. Especially as you realized he must’ve been holding onto them for several months while waiting for you to be able to meet up in person again. 

Of course, you didn’t hesitate to return those words to him along with a long and sweet hug to amplify the significance they held. 

(Japanese) 

Key:

You and Kibum met in the city of love, though your first encounter was anything but romantic. 

It took place at a fashion event you were both attending where you ended up fighting over a certain item since you couldn’t agree on who had actually gotten their hands on it first. Kibum, being the stubborn diva he is, won that fight which left you holding a grudge and thinking he was rude and despicable.

However, that changed as you coincidentally met at different events and you realized he was actually an interesting person. Although his personality could seem loud and nonchalant at first he was exceptionally warm-hearted and intellectual once you got to know him and both sides were ones you grew fond of. 

In a turn of events you exchanged social media and stayed in touch even as he returned to Korea. Since he was fluent in English that’s how you would communicate, either through messaging or occasional video calls. You would also meet up whenever he returned to your city and there was also a time you flew out to visit him in Seoul. 

Now, you had been dating for over a year and Kibum was once again back in your city. It was a cool summer evening as you sat down on a patch of grass by the river and he pulled you to his side to place a gentle kiss on your cheek. 

“Je veux passer plus de temps avec toi.”

The sudden phrase in your native language had you turn to him in a mix of surprise and confusion, since you had never really heard him say anything besides simple everyday words before. 

“Je t’aime.” He then continued with a warm smile and although it wasn’t actually the first time he told you those meaningful words it still felt that way since it was in your own language this time and in the heart of your own city, which made it all the more special.

(French) 

Jonghyun: 

While living and working in Korea you would use your free time to explore the beautiful city of Seoul and find new places to visit and spend time at. There was a handful that you fell in love with instantly and ended up visiting on a regular basis. 

One of those places was a secluded bookstore that also worked as a small coffee shop. That’s where you met Jonghyun for the first time and where your relationship essentially started. 

Since you were both frequent guests, you ran into each other often and ended up talking and getting to know each other, which quickly evolved into you exchanging numbers and then planning out your meetings beforehand. 

It was simple at first. Using a mix of English and Korean you would speak about yourselves, your different lives and your interests. Although you were from completely different parts of the world the two of you were similar in many ways and both especially enjoyed the many different forms of arts, including music and literature.

Even after you started dating and had done so for several months you would still find yourself coming back to the same secluded coffee shop where you first met and talk about everything and anything. It had always been a special place to you but it would take on a whole new level of significance when it also became the place where he first confessed how he truly felt about you. 

“Ich liebe dich.”

The fact that he decided to use your native language to express his feelings made you feel warm inside and perhaps even fall in love with him all over again. 

Your relocation to Korea was only meant to be temporary, but after meeting Kim Jonghyun you really considered the idea of staying permanently.

(German)

Onew:

You and Onew essentially met through work after you had taken part in a SM writing camp as a producer and some of the tracks you participated in making were picked for an upcoming SHINee album. 

While working alongside them in the studio you and Onew instantly gravitated towards one another. Neither of you could really explain why but you both developed an interest that way and eventually started seeing each other outside of the studio.

Although there was a language barrier you didn’t need to talk excessively to understand one another but instead communicated through body language, simple English or the fraction of Korean you had managed to learn. 

The only language you didn’t use was your own and it stayed like that for most of your relationship. Therefore, it definitely surprised you when Onew came to visit you in your country and seemingly brought a vocabulary of your native language with him. In fact, he uttered several words and phrases during his stay that he had studied on his own beforehand and you definitely found it very sweet of him. 

Though, out of all the phrases he had learned there was one in particular that stood out and caught you off guard when he nervously uttered it one night while you were walking home after a date night. It consisted of three very meaningful words, portraying his deep and sincere feelings for you. 

“Jag älskar dig.” 

After a brief moment of silence and staring at him in surprise you smiled and uttered the same words in return, with an addition of a ‘too’, indicating that you felt the same way. 

He then smiled and squeezed your hand a bit tighter for the rest of your walk through the city. 

(Swedish)

[earthnashes]

Feathers and Flowers: Lore summary

In the midst of doing some altering and rewrite some lore tidbits of my og story, Feathers and Flowers, and figured this would be a good time to make a simplistic masterpost of the rules and overall worldbuilding for the universe the story exists in! :3 All of it can be read under the cut uwu

As a side note please feel free to ask any questions!

Overworld Lore:

-World of F&F is similar to the real world but it is not it exactly. While things like technology and common beats of culture and languages can be likened to be the same, things like its history, cultures, religions, conflicts, and even locations are not.

-Takes place in what’s basically the approximation of the USA. More specifically, the fictional town Fiverstead, Georgia, known for its sprawling lakes, tall trees, and charming rustic cityscape.

-Spirits, Witches, and Magic are all common-place knowledge and, in some cases, considered “open-secrets”. No one doubts the existence of any of them, however magic use is limited to Spirits and Witches, and Spirits interacting with humans directly is uncommon (tho not necessarily rare).

-Common social issues IRL such as sexuality, gender identification, race, so on are not issues this world deals with, and instead is generally accepted. On the flipside, social issues in this world is often associated toward Spirits, Witches, and the existence of magic at all. Spirits, while generally accepted as real and inevitable, garners varied reactions depending on location. Overall, outside of specific context the direct interaction between humans and spirits is commonly seen as strange and unbecoming. Witches are generally seen as outcasts due to their connection to magic and, in proxy, spirits. Spirits in turn are wary and mistrusting toward all humans in general.

-Spirit/human interaction is generally limited to the use of shrines and guardian statues, which are very commonly seen throughout the country. Originally used as a way to regain the favor of Spirits, it eventually morphed into a long-standing tradition in which the person visiting the shrine is required to bring an offering. Offering types varies depending on the type of shrine visited, but in return a Spirit may leave something in place as a sign of acknowledgement or simply trade.

-There are 2 realms: the Mortal Realm and the Spirit Realm. They are two sides of the same coin and exist simultaneously. Without one, the other perishes. Only Spirits have the natural ability to travel between realms using leylines. Humans cannot travel between realms unless aided by a Spirit. 

--------------------------------

Spirit Lore:

-Spirits are a supernatural race with magical power and an important connection to the world of F&F. They are central to the core existence of the world and, should they die or disappear, has devastating consequences to the world as a whole. As such, they are generally thought and revered as gods/demigods, but are also viewed with a hint of fear.

-Spirits cannot and do not have children biologically. They are entirely sterile. Instead, Spirit children are “born” by what is known as The Heart Of The World, a location in which the mortal realm and the spirit realm collide. They are “born” as toddlers

-Spirits are very community-focused/driven; Despite Spirit children being designated an official guardian, the entire community participates in raising them. It’s very common for Spirits to have multiple parents, siblings, and family members. “Family” to a Spirit holds a different meaning to the traditional meaning to mortals.

-Spirits regard mortals as part of the world they are built to nurture and protect, however generally speaking they are wary and cautious of them due to past transgressions. Direct interaction and building any sort of relationship with a human is frowned upon (and in extreme cases, forbidden) in Spirit culture. The only form of communication that is actively encouraged is through the give/take/trade system established through the use of shrines.

-Given their affinity for magic, technology in the Spirit realm is more arcane-based than it is in the Mortal Realm. Magic often fulfills most of their basic needs and as such they don’t have much need things like fossil-fuels, gasoline, electricity.

--------------------------------

Witch Lore:

-Witches (term is gender neutral) are humans born with the natural ability to use magic. While not rare they are a relatively uncommon occurrence; the chances of a Witch being born is high when at least one of their parents is one as well (chances become higher when both are witches), but it’s been known that a witch can be born from two completely mortal parents.

-Overall reaction to Witches varies depending on the country and culture but in the country the story takes place in, Witches are generally seen as outcasts. Once upon a time persecuted as the “evidence of sin” during a rapid rise, then fall, of a religious sect, country-wide tolerance has grown significantly since, however is still in need of improvement. Some pockets of this religion still exists within the states, albeit far more subtle to escape the critical public eye.

-While magical Witches are not as powerful as Spirits, nor can they become more powerful or on par with a Spirit in magical prowess.

-The magic of a Witch does not manifest until after the age of 5. Once it does, the magic will occur in short uncontrolled (but ultimately harmless) spurts before the body becomes accustomed and is able to control the magic by instinct. Further honing the skill requires training and practice, but as a whole all witches have a basic grasp on their magic power.

-Alchemy is an arcane practice developed by witches through use of inspiration of Spirit technology. While it can be used to create harmless gimmicks and enchantments, it’s largely a medicinal practice in which potion making is a core element to the practice. The blood of the witch is a key component to it working, hence why no human is able to perform it.

--------------------------------

Basic Magic System:

-Both Witches and Spirits are naturally born with what’s called a “Tether”, which is the soul-binding connection an individual has to the world around them. Tethers can manifest itself into one of the three archetypes: Biome, Animal, Element. What the Witch or Spirit is tethered to determines what their magic is.

-Spirits always have 3 tethers whereas Witches will only ever have one. Witches never tether to Biomes, only Elements or Animals, whereas Spirits tether to all three.

-Magic in this world is mostly reliant on what you can manipulate within the environment around you, not by creating something from thin air. The only time a Spirit or Witch could get remotely close to creating magic through seemingly nothing is Fire and Electricity, which generally requires the witch to simply draw enough energy to produce their own.

-Witches can have Familiars, but this is generally limited to witches with an Animal tether.

[quizzhub]

All information You Need to Know About Travel to Tibet

Where is Tibet? Tibet may be a region in East Asia located within the Southwest a part of Modern China. When one thinks of Tibet, one might imagine monks, snow-capped mountain peaks, and temples. These are all true about Tibet, but, of course, it's tons more to supply. If you've got been wondering where Tibet is, it borders India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bhutan. Tibet covers much of the Tibetan Plateau. With an elevation of 16,000 ft, Tibet is that the highest region on Earth. the very best elevation in Tibet, which also happens to be the very best mountain on Earth, is Everest, which rises 8,849m above water level.

Is Tibet a rustic or a part of China? Although it's an autonomous region, Tibet is currently a part of China. It uses Chinese currency and follows the Beijing zone and is usually mentioned as Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Capital of Tibet (and other major cities) Lhasa City is that the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China and has been since the mid-17th century. due to the geographical location of Tibet, it's as long as Lhasa is one among the very best cities in the world. Lhasa is home to 2 world heritage sites, which incorporate the residences of the Dalai Lama.

The second-largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China is Shigatse, located west of Lhasa. Other major cities in Tibet include Gyantse and Qamdo.

Although Lhasa is that the capital of Tibet and is home to culturally significant Buddhist sites, it's only the second most populous populated area on the Tibetan Plateau, with Xining being the primary one.

Population of Tibet The estimated population of Tibet is 6.5 million. Historically, the population of Tibet consisted primarily of ethnic Tibetans and other ethnic groups like Bai people, Blang, Bonan, and Mongols, to call a couple of. While the bulk of Tibetans sleep in Tibet, a big number of them also reside in other Chinese provinces like Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan, also as in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and a few parts of Europe and therefore the Americas.

Language is spoken in Tibet Tibetans speak Tibetic languages that belong to the Tibeto-Burman group. Spoken Tibetan language may vary per region, but the written communication, which is predicated on Classical Tibetan, is and has always been consistent. The Tibetan language also has its script, which is shared with Ladakhi (spoken within the Ladakh union territory of India) and Dzongkha (spoken mostly in Bhutan).

Currency in Tibet The modern currency in Tibet is the Chinese Yuan (CNY), which is additionally referred to as Ren Min Bi (RMB). Since China is big on cashless payments, in major Chinese cities people are using WeChat Pay; however, if you're only in Tibet for few days, you would like not to download Wechat and may just use cash for your transactions. Your dollar is not any good in Tibet. Unlike in most Asian countries, only the Chinese currency is often utilized in the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Most of the shops in Tibet also don't accept coins, so confirm to exchange your dollars for the local currency before roaming the region. There are tons of ATMs within the region’s capital, so you'll also withdraw cash anytime you would like to. If you're traveling outside of Lhasa, though, confirm to possess enough cash with you since ATMs within the smaller cities and towns sometimes don't work. Although you'll not find them easily in Tibet, there also are a few cash changes within the area. 1USD is like 7.14 CNY.

Time Zone in Tibet Although China is as big because the whole of us, it only has just one occasion zone within the country – Beijing time. Maintaining one zone is that the legacy of Mao and therefore the Communist Party’s desire for unified control.

The zone in Tibet is that the same as any province in China, which is GMT+8. China shares an equivalent zone with other Asian countries like the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, also as West Australia.

How to Get to Tibet/How to visit Tibet Just like the other travel destination, there are multiple routes you'll fancy visit Tibet. But before you begin booking expensive tickets to fly to Tibet, there are a few belongings you got to check first.

If you're from the US, you would possibly be wondering if Americans can visit Tibet. the solution thereto may be a resounding yes. regardless of what your nationality, you'll visit Tibet as long as you've got the right permits.

First, you would like to urge a Tibet Travel Permit. you'll only get a Tibet Travel Permit if you've got a China Travel Visa. it's going to sound overwhelming, but a visit to Tibet may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Assuming you have already got a Chinese Visa, you'll apply for your permit to enter Tibet. counting on where in Tibet you'd wish to explore, you would like either a Tibet Entry Permit (used to enter Tibet via Lhasa) or Alien’s Travel Permit (used to visit places in Tibet that aren't a part of Lhasa).

Almost all non-Chinese passport holders, with few exceptions for Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong, need a Tibet Entry Permit. For you to urge a Tibet Entry Permit, you would like to seek out an accredited Chinese agency, and that they can process it for you. Your travel won't be possible if you are doing not get a guide, as traveling independently in Tibet isn't allowed.

For the Chinese agency to achieve success in processing your permit for you, it's advised that you simply send your passport and your Chinese Visa copies a minimum of 17 days before your planned trip. If you're applying for a permit together with your documents indicating your occupation as a diplomat, journalist, or government official, you would like to process your entry permit through the Tibet Foreign Affairs Office.

You have to plan your itinerary carefully since you'll only enter Tibet from the departure city listed on your itinerary. this suggests that if you arrive in Beijing and have a couple of days to kill and choose to travel to Shanghai, you can't enter Tibet from Shanghai if your itinerary indicated Beijing as your point of departure city.

Changing the departure city would mean getting a replacement permit, which might take time and extra money. It doesn't mean that you simply can only get into Tibet from a city in China. If you would like, you'll also enter Tibet from Nepal, but equivalent rules apply.

Once in Tibet, carry your permits with you all the time. it's advisable to form copies of the permit since it is often checked multiple times during your stay.

By Train If you're not in a rush, you'll visit Tibet via train from China from cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Xining. Beijing to Lhasa via Qinghai-Tibet Railway takes about 40 hours, though, but this crosses over eight provinces, which might be an excellent opportunity to ascertain different parts of the country from the train. The Tibet Railway is that the world’s highest point on a railroad station, also because the world’s longest track on frozen earth. The journey could also belong, but it'll surely be unforgettable.

By Air No matter which country you're from, as long as you're not a Chinese passport holder, you would like to fly from your home country to China or Nepal to enter Tibet.

From Nepal, there are direct flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa Gonggar International Airport. From China, you'll get an immediate flight from Beijing, Xi’an, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Kunming. Flying from other major cities in China like Shanghai and Guangzhou would require layovers in other cities. Chinese passport holders can take direct flights from Hong Kong to Lhasa.

By Car This is not the foremost popular route since you can't travel independently, but some tourists prefer to pass by car from Nepal to Tibet for a road trip experience. If you're coming from Nepal, you would like to travel through the border at Rasuwagadhi then cross to Tibet. Your Tibetan guide will meet you there, and you'll very likely stopover at the town of Gyirong for your first night before exploring the opposite parts of the region. confine mind that if you travel this manner, you'll need a further permit called Tibet Frontier Pass. Your Tibet tour agency can process this pass for you.

How to get around Tibet Since there's no other option for tourists to go to Tibet apart from arranging a tour with the workplace, your transportation within Tibet is going to be a part of the tour package. you can't take public transportation in Tibet and move around on your own.

Weather in Tibet Tibet features a dry, cold climate with a mean annual temperature from -12 degrees Celsius to 9 degrees Celsius counting on the region. The Tibetan plateaus and mountains have colder weather compared to those within the valleys. a bit like all of China, Tibet experiences spring, summer, fall, and winter.

Best time to go to Tibet The best time to go to Tibet depends on your priority as a tourist. the foremost popular time to go to Tibet is between May to October. you'll experience easier weather during these months.

All you would like to understand about visit Tibet From November to April, the region gets colder and therefore the air becomes thinner. Tibet tours are usually closed between February to March for the politically sensitive time of the Tibetan New Year. No worries, though; your agency will allow you to know which dates are closed to tourists.

Is Tibet Safe? One thing you would like not to worry about once you visit Tibet is your safety. Most of the people in Tibet are devoted Buddhists who are gentle and type. Stealing and killing are both taboos within the region, and even petty theft is nearly impossible in Tibet. the safety within the region is additionally tight. you'll see security officers patrolling constantly. you would like to observe out the animals you would possibly encounter, like the Tibetan mastiff. regardless of how cute the yaks and goats look, try to not provoke them or get too close.

Why attend Tibet? Tibet wont to be closed to tourists. The country remains closed from mid-February to the top of March per annum thanks to heavy snow and some other important political and non-secular events, but aside from that, Tibet tourism has been thriving since they began allowing tourists to return visit in 1984. getting to Tibet may be a great opportunity to go to the “Roof of the Earth” and to get the hidden gems of this heavily secluded region. getting to Tibet is indeed a visit of a lifetime.

Nightlife in Tibet You can only experience nightlife in Tibet if you're visiting Lhasa, which is that the Tibet capital. This still would be considered low-key compared to the nightlife in other cities, like Beijing and Shanghai. Nighttime entertainment in Lhasa is restricted to watching Tibetan shows. There are places where you'll grab drinks and luxuriate in late-night food. Night markets in Lhasa are the simplest places to travel for these late-night excursions.

[asocier]

          because i forget my own headcanons and have yet to really flesh out very important details, here is a masterpost of topaxi headcanons and lore pertaining to alison/nathalie, emile, and leah!  

          tl;dr: new locations mentioned in this post include alsace ( alison and emile’s home country before topaxi ), district 104 ( aka the artists’ corner/the arts district; alison and emile’s home district ), hue ( leah’s family’s home country ) and district 249 ( aka international district; leah’s home district ). 

alison/nathalie and emile clair

          previously mentioned in this post ( but never discussed at length ): the clair family do not have roots in topaxi. more specifically, the family do not have roots in the city of topaxi, though their home country of alsace located on the continent of gaea is part of the topaxi empire and has been for some time. as such, the decision to move to the city of topaxi was a rather easy one, the move done out of much convenience considering how fast the family wanted to start over after alison and emile’s father’s disbarment. 

          to elaborate on the disbarment and its effect on the family ( also pulled from that same post from earlier ): 

          the decision to move to topaxi was hastily made in an attempt to start anew after an unfortunate courtroom incident involving emmanuel clair, emile’s father, who made his living as a well-established defense attorney. his reputation in the courtroom ultimately led to him making some enemies, and a well planted piece of forged evidence in a high profile case led to emmanuel’s downfall and subsequent disbarring ( think ace att/orney tbh ).          

          the blow to emmanuel’s reputation drew media attention not only to himself but his family as well, and with two young children, it was decided that moving away from their home and taking up a new life would be the best, even if this new life wasn’t as lavished as before. and so topaxi was chosen to be their new home – and topaxi is mostly what emile and his twin sister alison know.

         to expand on the last sentence: emile and alison moved from alsace to topaxi when they were five years old, meaning they’re still able to remember their early days outside of topaxi in addition to the family’s move and the reason behind it. they were quite aware of the differences between living in alsace and in topaxi as they adjusted to their new life, and the twins’ slight accent in speech drew attention from classmates who were born in topaxi. all in all, however, the twins do see the city of topaxi more of their home than alsace, and they have a significant attachment to the district their family moved to and grew up in.

          district 104, nicknamed el rincón de los artistas, the artists’ corner, or the arts district for short, is well known for its colorful buildings, cobblestone paved streets, street murals, and frequent live performances in the park located at the district’s heart. many of topaxi’s artists, musicians, and writers either have called district 104 home, performed in one of the district’s performance halls, drawing many from all over to visit the city, even if it’s only for a night, or contributed their works to the district’s own museum. during the day, bazaar vendors are often showcasing their handicrafts, and local performers looking for their big break can be seen busking at the train station or outside restaurants. upon first glance, district 104 seems to be thriving, but many areas of the city struggle financially. 

          similar to how some artists successfully secure and hold onto fame while others struggle, the same can be said about the locals of district 104. on paper, district 104 seems to be doing quite well, but the locals know better than to consider the district wealthy. toci elementary school ( escuela primaria toci ), the school emile currently teaches at, is an example of this dearth in financial support that can exist in some parts of 104. this school, located at 7Sc 19 D104, is home to a little more than 100 students and is considered to be the worst school in district 104 on account of how underfunded it is, how “misbehaved” the children are said to be, and how run-down the area seems to look in comparison to the district’s center. 

          this school also happens to be where alison and emile attended as children. the twins often found themselves returning to this school even as they aged to volunteer and play with the children, the twins acting like older sibling figures to many in the area. considering the fact that the clair family was generally well off and lived quite comfortably, they did as much as they could to support their local community, a sentiment emile still holds very close to his heart. while alison ends up leaving her home district for the central district, her impact in the community can be seen via the murals that are painted on the side of the elementary school and on the side of some of the local businesses. she played an active role in encouraging the youths in her neighborhood to express themselves artistically, and many of those who bonded closely with alison have taken interest in studying art when they’re older. 

leah nguyen 

          district 249, nicknamed el crisol del mundo ( the world’s melting pot ) or more succinctly, the international district, is where leah calls home. while topaxi as a whole is known to house people from all over the world, district 249 has taken the idea of a cultural melting pot to a new level to draw in tourists. rumored to have been a district that acted as a refuge for those displaced from their home countries by the many topaxi conquests decades earlier, district 249 today is comprised of many ethnic enclaves that neighbor one another and is considered one of the most culturally diverse districts in topaxi. any tourist who comes to visit can clearly see the variety of sights, sounds, and tastes the district has to offer just by walking down the main road that splits the district in half. 

          originally from hue located on the southeasten part of the houtu continent, leah’s parents found themselves in district 249 after the second most recent topaxi conquest. with much of the continent already under topaxi rule, it was only a matter of time before the topaxi advancement foreces ( taf ) would move into hue next, and despite the country’s effort to defend itself, it was inevitably conquered, sending many to either flee to neighboring nations or to topaxi itself in hopes of finding refuge and better living conditions than their war-torn homeland. 

          many of leah’s family members participated in the war between topaxi and hue, including her father. while her father speaks little of what he experienced during the war, she’s aware of his continued military service even after he had fled hue with her mother, a story many from hue share as they looked to topaxi for new opportunities and better living conditions than their newly war-torn homeland. enticed by the taf’s promises of honor and good pay, former hue natives swallowed their pride and began to fight on the side of the victor in the most recent set of conquests. this is a story many in district 249 share, as well; after having their homeland ransacked and conquered, many find themselves desperate for ways to support their families and turn to enlisting in topaxi’s army, which seems to be always looking for disposable members. unfortunately, ichor poisoning on account of being exposed to high levels of ichor in a short period of time was common for those enlisted in the army, and it wasn’t long before miasmic symptoms hindered many soldiers from living their lives normally after they were discharged.

          growing up in a community so heavily affected by ichor poisoning is actually the driving force behind leah’s decision to attend university and pursue her current research interest. her studies are very interdisciplinary: while she is officially a student of the psychology department, the research she conducts with her supervisor is a collaborative effort between the engineering, psychology, and robotics departments. interested in measuring the public’s perceptions of the newly developing prosthetic technology and capturing the stories and experiences of those who suffer from miasma ( as a result of warfare, ichor mining, or other sources of ichor poisoning ), leah plays a role in the interview and transcription process of the research and works closely with her research team to present this information to the other departments. 

          having grown up in district 249 all her life, leah was exposed to many different cultural influences at an early age, and as such, she picked up on many useful phrases in different languages during her time in the district. she’s only fluent in two languages, but her ability to understand bits and pieces of conversation in other languages seemed to have added to her appeal to both the admissions office and her current research lab at topaxi’s autonomous cultural university, or universidad cultural autonoma de topaxi ( ucat ). being the first in her family to attend college, there are high expectations resting on her shoulders to be successful, and there’s a constant need for leah to better and prove herself as she navigates academia. she currently resides in district 21, the university district, to complete her studies. it’s a bit far from district 249 so she doesn’t return home often, but she writes to her family when she can and visits during long holidays. 

[butterfly-winx]

Lynphea is very well known for its produce and plentiful tropical and magical plants. However not many people can claim they have actually ever set foot on the planet. 

 - The large planet is uniquely almost entirely landmass and covered by thick forests, spotted by the few great lakes they have. And great they are, more the size of seas of smaller planets, certainly big enough to hold their own Ocean Gates. 

 - Though due to the limited size of the bodies of water, the merfolk residing on Lynphea is rather small, goblin sized and blue grey. They live in large pods and roam the waters without any permanent settlement.

- Contrary to what the lush canopy of trees suggests, forest doesn’t equal forest. The local classification system counts over 100 distinct arboreal biotopes. To outsiders the forests might not appear as different, but the differing seasonal behaviour of the plants and the biotope associated animals are fundamental to the life of Lynpheans.

- As is the case in many other civilisations the environmental circumstances hugely shape the lifestyle people are able to build. Lynphea is no different. Here three factors govern people’s lives: the physical distance from other people, the naturally available resources around them, and the remaining safe to use zones of the planet should no more resources be vailable.

- The people living here have built a life on dependency on wild fruit and cultivation techniques that are very foreign to people used to greenhouse and tended field agriculture. Strategic scattering of seeds and gentle pruning on the nearby vegetation allowed Lynpheans to grow “produce rich paths” close to their settlements. Responsible hunting techniques that are tailored to maintain the population of their prey made sure the species they eat are still able to fulfil their role in the ecosystem. Behaving in a responsible manner like this and avoiding either overpopulation or overuse of resources is critical when people are more dependent on nature than they are on other people producing. 

- When nature really cannot give more - which does happen as no two seasons are the same and sometimes one patch of forest can’t support as many people as it did the year before - settlements pack up and move on, or merge with another group. It’s the natural course of life and no one is too upset about it. The original settlement may be available again in a few season’s time anyway.

- Other than their survival being dependent on nature and hunting/gathering, Lynpheans soon realised that more than all that they also depended on each other. Their lives completely revolve around relations and building up a community. Education with that purpose starts as early as infancy. Child rearing is considered a communal task and all adults are encouraged to take part in it. Children are welcome to look for emotional support outside their birth parents and may even elect a non-related person as their Primary Carer. The adult must be of course consenting, but the process is a natural one and doesn’t happen onto anyone out of the blue- a child wouldn’t name an adult their Prim if they didn’t already spend a lot of time together and formed a bond. 

- Adults who are not comfortable with parenting won’t be any less friendly to probing children, but they have a way of drawing away and being court that lets the kids know they aren’t available. In some settlements adults are encouraged to wear specific colours to signal their reclusiveness, in others henna and other skin markings are used to signal the opposite. It varies from region to region.

- Raised in a sheltered environment of loving adults all around, the education of Lynphean children takes a harsh turn once they reach 11 years and they are released on Nature’s Teaching Path. By that age it is believed children are ready to learn independence as a person and develop their Unique Skills that they can contribute to society with. As important as that is, adults have also developped a way to hammer the ever-present Lynphen thesis home: no one survives without nature. So children are sent into the wilderness alone, as in without adult supervision, where they have to survive on what their teen predecessors have built and what else they can do to on the spot. What could become Lord of the Flies ends in a week of extreme behaviour from the 11-year-olds and forms the steady people who populate the planet. This stage lasts 3 years, adults will however check in on the children a few times a season and supply them with medicine they can’t reasonably produce themselves.

- After that the young adults take up a trade they spend the rest of their lives perfecting. Even though a lot of work is seasonal, and there are lot of seasons where all people in a settlement are needed to help out, people usually have a thing that is uniquely theirs. This might be a cultural practice, a creative hobby ar scientific exploration that they are encouraged to return to once the tasks of the day are done. 

- The community focused aspect both determines and limits the size of settlements. As the planet is comparable in size to that of Jupiter, but only has the population of Andros dispersed over the huge habitable zone. The majority lives in settlements of 200-500 people, but a town can get as small as 23-30 people, which equals one family unit.

- Numbers concerning the inhabitants of the planet, be it human, elf, mer or other are only estimates, as with a lack of centralised governance and the remote settlements official registries are impossible to make. But even if they did, Lynphea doesn’t share a lot with the outside world and doesn’t allow a lot of trespassing.

- With the absence of one governing body there never was a need for people to develop last names, which was mostly done to differentiate individuals in filing lists, mark families and track new births. As all of that is unnecessary on Lynphea, people have opted to give children several first names. In the North most commonly two names are used and the top ten most poplar names are related to bird species. The Eastern Forest and the Equatorial belt uses three names, one of which is chosen later in life by the child themselves after Nature’s Teaching Path is complete. Even further south four names are custom, and in the most eccentric region of the West with the largest settlement of 6000 people, up to six names are used.

- All three names are equal and when forced to off planet, Lynpheans will give it all as first name and attach a geographical tag. Flora’s full name on her Magics resident card reads ‘Flora Augmenta Lisahani of the Kapalong-Elet Valley’ where only the first three are actually her name. Kapalong and Elet are the two rivers that encircle the settlement she grew up with. 

- Spread so thinly and without a government one wouldn’t really think unity persisted on the planet beyond the individual settlements, so it is surprising to learn that the humans of Lynphea do think about the planet as one single country. They speak the same language with some dialects, they celebrate the same weather dependent holidays and practice the same birth and funeral techniques. The colours of their cloths or melodies of their songs that mark the regional differences aren’t all that important to them.

- Lynpheans subscribe to one federalist approach though, and that is the election of a Council, whose job is to collect information across the planet and share the most vital points concerning all residents. With the best interest of all people in mind at all times, they are also tasked with electing the Representatives they send off-world and with overseeing the Quarantine Workers.

- The planet that has been described as close to “paradise on earth” as possible has been battling with a horrible environmental/pandemic issue for decades. There is a rotten core in the Eastern Forests, caused by a malicious fungal growth that carries a very dangerous virus able to infect plants and humans alike. The disease it carries is highly infectious and is deadly in all known cases*, so research has been slow and little insight has been revealed about its cause, progression, and ways of halting the spread of the rot on the planet. The utmost imperative of Quarantine Workers is to isolate infected people or plants or even whole regions and to limit the spread to the best of their abilities. This in the rarest cases can mean abandoning communities.

- Entry to Lynphea is therefore tightly regulated with visa and requires a course of vaccinations as a pre-exposure premeditation. Visitors - and locals alike for that matter- are forbidden from even going near the edge of the infected zone. 

- Exit is even more strictly watched. Many adventurous Lynpheans have been very disappointed with the decision of the immigration office denying them opportunities and exploration off planet. It is hard not to feel trapped when all your life’s opportunities depend on the wind direction and dispersion pattern of deadly spores. Even worse is it for those who crash landed on the planet or came visiting and just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. They cannot ever leave for the fear of spreading the disease to other planets is to great. Lynphea has to become their new home, as it sooner or later would be their tomb.

- For this the Council and the Representatives are incredibly invested in international relations. The more people off planet they can enlist in their cause, the sooner they will be able to offer a cure and prevent 20% of their population still dying from it every year. They joined the Company of Light when it was still a war effort under the leadership of their planet’s own famous Farin Ebenezor Saladin - who has since then fallen out of the public’s favour. How well these  efforts continue to work entirely depends on the Representatives, six families of diplomats living off planet. As election time rolls around, the Council is split as ever, with all eyes on Krystal Gamma, daughter of one of the current Representatives, born off planet, but raised for this exact task. Will she run for office once she becomes of age when summer rolls around?

[ivendarea]

The Kitu

We Persist

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The Kitu originate from the small island chain Drua Shye. Many centuries ago large numbers of them arrived in Ivendarea as refugees, having to flee their homes due to fear of enslavement, exploitation, and worse. The Kitu are a subgroup of the Jali people making up the majority of the population on Drua Shye. At the time of their mass exodus they diverged from the ruling norms established by the fascist government to a degree that threatened their very livelihoods. The Kitu honour a different god than other Jali, and practised magic in ways that were prohibited. Those who were caught worshiping the wrong deity or not adhering to the established laws regarding magic had to face severe legal consequences - from imprisonment and forced labour to death.

Despite living a mostly secluded and peaceful life, many Kitu nevertheless tried to oppose their government, which led to them becoming even more oppressed and in the end prosecuted as a whole. The only way to survive for those who didn’t dare to fight but also didn’t want to give up on their beliefs was to flee their homes.

Hundreds of years later the fascist government of Drua Shye has meanwhile been overthrown, and the remaining Kitu are no longer prosecuted, but still small in number. Few still live the way they used to and are trying to bring back long lost traditions. Those who have fled to Ivendarea meanwhile consider the peninsula their permanent home, generally accepted and integrated into Nyr society, while being able to stay true to their used way of life and religious beliefs. While most wouldn’t consider leaving Ivendarea to return to the land of their ancestors, a lot of Kitu do still have a desire to at least visit their country of origin some day, knowing it only from tales.

Table of Contents:

Culture and History

Cultural Heritage

Language and Dialect

Shared Values

Common Etiquette

Fashion

Art and Architecture

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Courtship Ideals

Relationship Ideals

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Culture and History

The Kitu honour a deity called Yatana that represents the essence of magic. Yatana gifted the first mortals with magical abilities, who then proceeded to shape their own world and surroundings to their liking and advantage. The Kitu believe that the first mages were almost god-like people themselves, but over the course of the eons the following generations’ magical abilities declined until they reached a level comparable to their powers today. 

Cultural Heritage

All Kitu possess magical abilities, as all Jali do in fact. What sets the Kitu apart is that they believe their powers have been granted by Yatana, while the Jali as a whole honour the aforementioned group of first mortals with magical powers as gods, which the Kitu resent. They don’t see themselves as descendants of gods, more as Yatana’s creation and outstretched arm in this world. “Kitu” as a term for their people does in fact mean something along the lines of “hand” or “tool of creation”. Therefore all actions they undertake in their lives should be carried out in honour of Yatana. 

Since the Kitu consider themselves tools of Yatana, not descendents of gods, their understanding of magic is wholly different from most other Jali. In Jali culture there are very strict laws on who even is allowed to perform magic, and to what degree. It is a godlike power that must be used carefully and with intent, never casually. Using it too intensively will make it dwindle. The Kitu though honour Yatana’s gift by using it as much as possible even for more mundane tasks, which is considered dangerous, wasteful, and disrespectful by other Jali. This is one of the reasons why the Kitu try to stick to themselves on Drua Shye, and why they were so heavily prosecuted in the past as traitors and blasphemers prior to their mass exodus. 

In Ivendarea, its land downright brimming with magic, they did not have to fear prosecution or judgement to the same degree as in their homeland. The Nyr, all magically talented themselves, were a little suspicious at first but generally welcoming of the Kitu once they learned about the reasons for their exodus. At the time of their arrival in Ivendarea the Aman’a Valeethi were already the dominant religion in Ivendarea, meaning the Nyr believed in a pantheon of gods that had little influence in this world. While the Kitu only honoured one god, Yatana’s overall “concept” bore many similarities to the Nyr’s gods, and so their religious beliefs were never as scrutinized or questioned as in Drua Shye.

Language and Dialect

In Ivendarea the majority of the Kitu speaks Nyrval in day-to-day conversations, most are also fluent in Trade and Azash. Jalani, the official language of Drua Shye, is spoken more rarely by the Ivendarean Kitu in everyday life, as part of their history and heritage though it is of course still taught in most Kitu-run schools.

Shared Values

Generally well-spoken and modest the Kitu are overall pleasant members of society that easily blend in with a crowd - sometimes they tend to be overlooked though, not always on purpose. 

Having brought forth many great and powerful mages they are a people of knowledge-seekers.  Inherently spiritual beings they feel a close supernatural connection to nature and others, despise conflict of all kinds, and put great emphasis on building strong communities that will help each other and stand by each others’ side in good but particularly bad times.

Common Etiquette

With the given historical background of oppression by their own government, often forced into seclusion and secrecy, the Kitu generally don’t share a lot of personal information with strangers - and similarly consider it rude to ask or press others about their backgrounds. Tolerance of others’ beliefs and cultural differences is thoroughly preached, as it is something the Kitu don’t take for granted and cherish. Modesty and reluctance are also virtues very important to Kitu culture - bragging or other public displays of one’s power, wealth, or influence are frowned upon, sometimes even shunned by the community as a whole.

Fashion

With their exodus to Ivendarea, and over the course of many centuries, the Kitu have over time adopted many parts of the Nyr’s fashion into their own wardrobes. They try their best to blend it, standing out enough already through differences in outward appearance.

The Kitu prefer muted or darker colours, and more often than not tend to wear the style of flowing robes often seen in central Ivendarea. Darker colours not only help with blending in, they also bear some symbolic meaning. Before the Kitu were blessed with magic by their deity Yatana, the world was bleak and lifeless. Through their hands, Yatanas tools, they shaped it, created beauty and life. Dressing in dark colours therefore often is a spiritual statement - a reminder that without Yatana, without magic, darkness would still be omnipresent, and the Kitu are to work against this. It is the burden they carry in exchange for their power.

While the “typical” Kitu wardrobe might appear bleak at a first glance, it is actually very versatile. Upon closer inspection one will notice not as commonly seen textures and dyeing/weaving techniques not as commonly found in traditional Ivendarean textiles. Kitu fashion walks the fine line between being form-fitting - useful for impromptu training sessions to hone their magical skills - and comfortable. Many times translucent fabrics are used to showcase tattoos, making the conscious decision to show a part of themselves that would otherwise remain hidden.

Art & Architecture

In both Drua Shye and Ivendarea not many examples of Kitu architecture can be found. In Drua Shye, during the exodus, the majority of Kitu settlements were destroyed as individual communities tried to rise up against the unjust government.

In Ivendarea the majority of Kitu settled down in larger cities, integrating themselves into the existing communities. The only significant examples of Kitu architecture here can be witnessed in their shrines to Yatana, small temples often build from stone and clay, the larger ones possessing a layered, pyramid-like appearance. Kitu art though, while mostly vanished from Drua Shye, is much more present in Ivendarea. There are many well-known Kitu authors and poets, even very sought-after cooks specializing in Drua Shye’s traditional cuisine.

The Kitu also have a distinct and varied culture of tattoo and body art. Very much in contrary to their often reluctant attitude in social situations, the imagery of the Kitu’s visual arts is bold and loud, expressing what they are not able to express through language or action. Tattoos in particular, beyond sometimes simply worn for aesthetic or spiritual reasons, can carry a lot of hidden meaning. Some depict social status and accomplishments, which is why high-ranking and older individuals are often more heavily tattooed. Other tattoos can also depict a goal a person has set for themselves, be it spiritual or more mundane - those tattoos often appear “unfinished”, e.g. are missing parts or are not at all or only partially coloured-in. As soon as the goal is achieved they are completed.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The Kitu value modesty, generosity, and gracefulness. “Beauty” is a vast term that encompasses all these and many more things beyond physical appearance - how a person speaks and acts, how they treat their surroundings and each other. For the pure physically aesthetic aspects, the Kitu consider tattoos on a person beautiful, because they can tell a person’s entire life’s story without a single word being spoken. Baring their inside to the outside world makes them vulnerable, but also brave and proud of their heritage, which are valued qualities.

Courtship Ideals

Holding themselves back and being generally raised to not be too brash, Kitu courtship is accordingly reluctant and slow-paced. If a person is drawn to another, few Kitu would openly approach the topic in conversation. Actions do more than words in this case, from spending time together, to little gifts, or writing each other poems to express one’s feelings in a less direct manner.

Relationship Ideals

The Kitu usually settle for relationships meant to last, most of them staying with one partner their entire lives. While not technically believing in the concept of soul-mates or rebirth, they do believe that there is a life after death in which lovers, friends, and families will be reunited again.

Thanks so much for reading ♥

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[bazwillendinflames]

Yes Im publishing class fic in the year of our lord 2020... yes I started this in 2018... mind your business 

Ao3

'Magic separates us from the world; let nothing separate us from each other.'

Matteusz always looked forward to coming back to Watford. It wasn't the magic that he missed (it was impossible to miss the magic when he carried it with him constantly). But his parents were strict and he had somehow gone the whole summer without talking to his friends. He even found himself missing Ram, even if his roommate was a slob. But six weeks with no Ram or April or Tanya was unbearable. It was Charlie he missed the most, who was his own category. Matteusz couldn't tell exactly what Charlie was. He wasn't just a friend (Charlie wasn't just anything). But he wasn't his boyfriend either. "You do not have to wait for me." "I don't mind Matti. Besides I won't see you in the summer. That's a whole forty-five days without my favourite person." "I am your favourite person?" 

The same gates he stood outside of now was when he last saw Charlie. They had been leaning against the gate (they probably weren't supposed to be doing it, it was a magickal artefact) waiting for his parents to pick him up. (Charlie didn't have anywhere to go. He stayed at Watford over the summer because his parents were part of the Coven and too busy to be parents.) Charlie had been saying something clueless, as usual, and then Matteusz had leaned over and kissed him. "Promise you will read Narnia over the summer? I think you will like Susan." "Is that in Canada?" It was probably a stupid thing to do. But he'd spend the whole year pining after Charlie. A whole year hoping that Charlie would notice how good he'd gotten at love spells and figure it out. "You are a dork." "You make it sound like a good thing." He'd looked at Charlie then, as the sun shone on his hair. And then he rested a hand on his cheek and leant in. Matteusz had a hundred excuses ready for when Charlie pulled away. Except Charlie hadn't. He'd stayed in place, letting Matteusz kiss him and reaching out to touch his face, to keep him there.  "Matti?" "Yes?" "Look at me." It would have been the perfect moment if his parents hadn't shown up then. They had dragged him away and cut off all communication with anyone. They probably would have locked him in a tower if they had access to one. Matteusz had spent his summer hoping Charlie wouldn't pretend to forget about their kiss. It would break his heart. He'd stared off into the space where they'd sat for too long. Matteusz picked up his bag and walked into Watford.

   "You're okay!" April almost launched herself onto him. She was the shortest person in their group but she still managed to be intimidating, even with hugs. Her chinky rose-shaped ring dug into his back. "Matteusz we hadn't heard from you all summer. Charlie's been so worried! You're all he's been talking about!" "Charlie?" He felt himself start to smile. "You seem surprised. He's your best friend." Friend. The word stung. It meant Charlie hadn't told them. He made himself smile again but it didn't feel right anymore. "Yeah." "Come on," April said, almost dragging him to their table. She was a force of nature at times. The silver flower on her finger glinted. It was her vessel of magic and despite it looking simple, April was powerful. They all had vessels to cast spells and control the magic inside them. It was the only requirement to get into Watford: magic and a way to control it. Matteusz used a woven leather bracelet to cast his own spells. It was old and passed down though his family for generations. His grandmother had given it to him before he had even started school. (In Poland he'd gone to a Normal school, which made Watford seem even more magical.)  "What happened to you?" Tanya demanded. For an outsider, the youngest of the group taking charge like that would be surprising. But Matteusz had two years of Tanya experience already. She and April were both forces to be reckoned with, some of the most powerful mages of their class. The most powerful in their group too. The most powerful Mage of the century used to be Simon Snow - the Chosen One (even Matteusz had heard of him from a different country) - before he lost his power completely. It was the worst thing that could happen to a Mage and the Chapel was still off-limits. Rumours that some kind of dark magic had gone down and now it was cursed. Matteusz wasn't sure if that part was true but it certainly seemed like something evil had happened. The results of that December night had changed the magickal community forever. It had been nearly impossible to convince his parents to even let him into Watford at all. 

“I spent the whole summer with my parents telling me I was their greatest disappointment.” Matteusz winced at his words. 

"You're not a disappointment. Not to me," Charlie said quietly. It had been their first communication since the Kiss; Matteusz had missed his voice. He had sat in silence, which wasn't unusual. Charlie was shy most of the time, it was why his spell casting wasn't so great. They had ended up sitting next to each other but Matteusz didn’t have the courage to look directly at him until now. 

Charlie was the same as usual, same bright eyes, nervous grin, although his hair was a little overgrown and messy. He resisted the urge to fix it for him. "Thank you." 

"Yo girl, keep it together," Tanya cast, using her ornate staff, fixing a tea stain on her shirt no one else had noticed. It was a waste of magick but she was powerful enough to use her magick on little things. 

"Too good for Shakespeare now?" Matteusz asked. 'Out, out damn spot' was the most commonly used cleaning spell. Tanya mostly cast it on Ram, who always ended up covered in mud (football) or blood (he liked the Wavering Woods). "Just trying new things," Tanya answered. "And Matteusz? I agree with Charlie. Completely. Next Summer you can stay with us. I mean not me, you know what my mum is like. But we’d be happy to help out somehow.” 

"Me too," April seconded. She wore the anxious friend smile. (She had the perfect face for it; big, blue eyes that were always full of worry.) "Do you-" Tanya started. Matteusz shook his head. "I'd rather not." "Got it." Tanya changed the topic. That was something he couldn't help liking about Tanya. She may be blunt and witty but she knew when to change the atmosphere. "Any ideas for seventh year spells?" He'd forgotten about that. For their last year projects they were supposed to invent their own spell. Matteusz wasn't looking forward to it. His English meant his magic wasn't easy. He could invent a spell that worked in Polish perhaps but nothing jumped out to him as a good starting point. "I was thinking about something related to music. I listened to a great folk song last week. It goes like-" April started singin g "-'Cos I'm here and I'm outside your window, rain is soaking to the skin-" 

April was more than just a fantastic Mage, she was also a great musician. (She played five instruments varying from the cello to the ukulele. Ram swore she could cast spells with her violin bow but they weren't sure if it was actually true. Ram could get a little over enthusiastic when discussing his girlfriend.) Matteusz caught Charlie's eye. The song reminded him too much of the painful months of summer where he was torn about thinking about Charlie and trying to convince himself to not think about Charlie. He couldn't decide which part had been worst. "Hey," Charlie whispered. Just one word. It was more than enough. He shuffled closer to Matteusz and took his hand under the table. It felt a little strange at first, for a second, until it felt like the most natural thing in the world. 

    Charlie had held Matteusz' hand throughout lunch. April and Tanya had been too distracted by Ram's arrival to notice (he was a force of chaos). Or maybe they had noticed and Matteusz had been the distracted one; Charlie had been tracing patterns on the back of his hand and it was putting him into some kind of bliss related trance. They were due a big talk (and more kissing if that talk went well). It was almost ironic how Matteusz could cast spells in two languages but struggled to know where to start. ('I love you' was too big and they'd already used up their 'heys'.) "I should unpack," Tanya said. "Clove isn't here yet so we won't fight over bookshelf space." "Nerds," Ram said, although fondly. He said it so much, it was surprising that it wasn't a spell already. That's how phrases became spells, with the right emphasise and continued usage. (It was hard to pick up if you didn’t get the language or culture of a place; Matteusz had started off at a disadvantage.) "You should unpack too April," Tanya suggested. There was a glint in her eye that gave her intent away. "Ram, you can help me carry my stuff." "How much stuff do you have?" "You'll see." Tanya winked at him, which was mostly awkward. "We'll regroup later." She spoke like they were still at war (they weren't but they had all grown up with the Humdrum sucking up magic from the atmosphere, they had grown being ready to protect each other because the Chosen One wasn’t always reliable). "Sure," Matteusz replied. They waited for their friends to leave in silence. "They're rooting for us," Charlie said, breaking the silence. The dining hall was mostly empty; the term didn't start for another week. "What about you?" "I've always been rooting for us." Charlie smiled like it was painful. "Your parents - that was my fault." "No. That was their fault. Their prejudice is their problem. And they won't scare me off." "Nothing could scare me off now," Charlie said softly. "Do you want to walk outside? The flowers are starting to bloom." "Lead the way." Charlie held out a hand. Matteusz took it gladly and held on tightly. He wasn't lying that no one could scare him off from Charlie. That was something he didn't need any magick for. (But if there was a spell to tie their hearts together, he’d use it.)

   The welcome-back picnic was Matteusz' favourite Watford tradition. He liked the fireworks although they weren't till the end of the night, when it got dark. Tanya dragged her roommate over, despite her protesting. Clove was shy and carrying a book bigger than her head. She used a lilac wand, although Matteusz had never seen her use it, which was tucked into her vibrant red bun. Clove only sat with them when Tanya dragged her over and usually spent most of the time blushing. She had a crush on Ram last year but now Tanya seemed to be the source of her flustered cheeks. It seemed mutual; Tanya kept looking over at her and smiling giddily.   "They grow up so fast," Ram muttered to them, as the girls slipped away in search of a picnic blanket. "And they were roommates," April added, laughing. She had a flower tucked behind her hair, as part of her own tradition. She had picked it on her first day and kept it fresh using 'April showers' since. Ram kept retucking and kissing her. April swatted him away but she had a traitorous smile. All his friends were loved up already. And with the Humdrum gone now (but how?) they actually seemed to be able to enjoy their relationships. Matteusz glanced over to Charlie out of habit, who was satisfying his sweet tooth by skipping sandwiches and going straight for the cakes. (April sometimes cast a 'sweet enough' on him so there would be enough sugar left for the rest of them.) April and Ram weren't the only ones who were loved up. (They’d be a disgustingly cute couple, he had decided, they deserved to be.) "I hope there's a spell for tooth decay." Charlie smiled, wiping a smudge of chocolate from his mouth. "I'll think of one. Maybe I'll ask my parents to put it to the Coven. They're always complaining that the meetings are too boring now all the wars are over." "I think they're the only ones." Charlie was still smiling which was a good sign; usually just mentioning his parents ruined his mood. "I'm just happy to be here. War’s over, the Humdrum is gone and picnics." "Are you drunk?" April asked. Matteusz had forgotten she was there; it happened sometimes when he got too wrapped up with Charlie. "That was only one time. And I haven’t touched any magickal liquor since. I’m just glad to be here after such a long summer." "Me too," Matteusz agreed. Charlie reached for his hand, which he had been doing a lot. Because they could now. "We're together now." There was something about the way he said it that made Matteusz feel soft on the inside. April and Ram were probably looking at them suspiciously but he didn't care. "Are you though?" Ram asked. "Together?" "Subtle Ram." April rolled her eyes. "It's their business." "Whatever." Charlie was blushing. "Give us time." (Matteusz would stop time if that would take.) "Meaning?" "Ram." April elbowed him and laughed. "Ignore him guys. Take your time." "Yeah. Take you time," Ram repeated. “But not like too much time because Tan and I-“ "Shut up." "Sure sweetie." April turned an interesting shade of pink and went back to her tea. "Idiot." Charlie laughed and leant into Matteusz. "I feel really happy." Matteusz squeezes his hand in the dark. "Me too."

[mysmedrabbles]

RFA Reacting to a Muslim MC

requested: twice by the same anon :P

a/n: note that I am not a muslim nor am i a hijabi, so if i get a detail wrong, im super sorry and please pLEAse let me know so it can be fixed!! :D this was really interesting to write, enjoy!! 

would you like to support this Muslim MC? want more specific WoC MC’s? buy me a coffee to support my dangerous coffee addiction so i can do em for ya!

warnings: n/a

-hyped mod alex

Jumin

-his strong faith in Christianity was admirable, his ideals set in stone as he abided by them; but of course there was the smallest bit of apprehension in getting to know him, how would he react to someone with ideals different than his?

-he was never one to announce his faith publicly, he still isn’t, however he likes taking with you about your respective religions, sitting on the balcony of his penthouse taking in the cool night air,,, wine for him and Aryana’s Halal Cola shipped all the way from Montreal for you

-orders you the finest hijabs for you to wear, most of them custom made exactly the way you love them, elegant and refined. he also learns the level of modesty you tend to wear your clothes, buying you occasional stunning gala outfit that he knows you’ll both love and feel comfortable with

-you own the most stunning abayas

-absolutely takes you with him on his trips to the middle east. he’s an avid believer in learning about your own roots, and especially if you have family there, he’ll more than certainly take you, going together to see all the sights, take private tours of museums and enjoy life

-makes Chef learn specific halal recipes, and is more than willing to import any food you want from other countries that you cant get in Korea

-learns Arabic in about a year flat,, of course his Korean accent hits heavily, but its so sweet hearing him carefully pronounce sentences to your parents and or relatives

-on eid al-adha he’s aware of the old tradition to sacrifice animals and share with the poor, needy and family; so as a compromise he decides to donate 300 lbs of meat to various homeless shelters and soup kitchens. both you and him going down to help with transport, hand every box to the people, a sort of community service combined with observing a time old tradition.

-comes down with you to the night prayer at the mosque during ramadan, and even though he stays near the entrance and the garden out front, hearing the prayers coming from the inside and seeing all the people that you know and love around you, smiling and having a good time, it makes him happy

Jaehee

-she grew up catholic, lives catholic; but this isn’t to say she’s close-minded to other religions,, she always loves learning more, especially if its about you, who she loves with all her heart

-when youre cuddling, she likes fiddling with the edge of your hijab, just feeling the material and knowing you’re there makes any day of hers better, no matter how hard it may have been

-you being muslim doesn’t have much of an impact, she’s respectful to your beliefs, and even puts in halal foods in the cafe

-this is, of course, after months of her experimenting with different recipes, often finding her in the kitchen at midnight, flour on her face and apron dirtied, sleeves rolled up in a frenzy as she mutters under her breath 

-shes so proud to finally present the finished deserts and foods to you!!

-one time you used one of her woven silk scarves as a makeshift hijab when all of yours were in the wash and she almost cries seeing how pretty you are in her stuff (the scarf is yours now)

-always interested in your religion, and she likes learning the differences between the traditions she was raised with and the ones you were

-during Ramadan, the two of you keep the shop open later for anyone wanting to eat after the sun has set, figuring that no one had to break their fast alone if they didn’t want to

-she gets up very early to prepare Suhoor for you in the morning, a simple oatmeal with dates, blueberries, grapes, almonds and honey

-likes to read her own books aside you while you read the Quran and do your morning prayer, its often the most peaceful part of your day, just having a clean and quiet space as you both enjoy each others company while also doing your own morning routines

Yoosung

-sweet boy, he knows very little of,, well any religion to be honest, and outside of 10th grade history, his knowledge on Islam as a whole is quite limited

-always asking questions about your traditions

-he reads the Quran at some point, wanting to understand you better,, and even though it takes him a long time (mostly due to having to re-read the passages over and over again to understand what was going on), but he’s devoted to learning about your culture

-he drives/walks you to the mosque, but doesn’t leave,, he’s not sure if he can go in, so instead he opts to walk around the area, enjoying the park and waiting for you to come back out so you can walk/drive back together

-he learns so many recipes specifically for you everything from mawmenye, harira, and moroccan krsa to berber bread

-he loves spending time with your family, he loves the sense of community and the celebrations that take place in your household, specifically during religious holidays

-he legitimately cries when you eventually decide to go to Mecca, leaving for hajj, because he knows he cant be with you for around a week and a half,, he can’t help it, he’s so sad he won't be able to see you for more than a week

-he’s so used to stopping all gaming and quieting down devices during salah, that even when you’re not around he still stops for five minutes at the designated times, mostly out of habit, but it also serves as a break from working, studying or gaming

-Lisa,, lisa loves your prayer mat, always trying to knock it down from its rolled up position next to the couch and sleep on it, so instead yoosung buys her a smaller prayer rug to lay on and its the cutest thing you've ever seen

Seven

-although he’s always been the one to mention his own faith in Catholicism, he’s also the one to be most curious about other faiths.

-he likes hearing you talk about the way you grew up, specifically hearing you talk about Islam and asking questions about traditions and practices you have to do

- “wait y/n!!,,, are honey buddha chips halal???”

-if theyre not, he opts to buy pringles in bulk instead. hes going to binge eat chips and damnit he wants you to join him!!! 

-when it comes time for you to perform Salah, he makes sure that you have total peace, even stopping his typing for the duration, letting you connect fully with Allah and your spirit

-since theres little to no sunlight that appears in the bunker, he makes a simple little app that alerts you when the times of prayer come, pre-dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and night, using the bells that are primarily heard in mosques as the ringtone for the app

-if anyone dares to mess with you or insult you in any way, Defender of Justice 707 will send a nasty virus their way, because theres no way anyone is getting away with hurting his angel

-its canon that he knows Arabic, and often times, when you can’t go to sleep he’ll sing to you in the language, and although his singing isn't the best, focusing on the strength and passion in his words, the almost comforting way he sings, it sends you calmly to sleep

Zen

-incredibly respectful of your religion and the fact that you’re Muslim

-he sets himself to learn everything he can about your faith and things he might have to change or alter in his own life to be respectful of the way you live yours

-he cuts down on alcohol. a lot.

-this isn’t to say he stops drinking altogether but he certainly cuts down, only having a beer or two in the fridge for emergencies

-bursts in one day, phone in hand as he wheezes, leaning on the couch for support, “y/n ArE wE hALaL dATiNg Or?”

-if you believe that sex should be saved to be only after marriage, he respects that, if not,, well he respects that too

-WILL spend extra money on an abaya from serenity scarves as a gift, just for you being you

-his only goal is to make you as comfortable as you can be, and he Will Not Stand for islamophobic comments directed towards you, but in most cases he won't even let them reach you, cutting off interviewers before they can say anything with a stream of gushing about how perfect you are, and smoothly taking you to the other side of the room if he thinks someone is looking at you, shooting them a mean glare before looking back at you and smiling, whispering something to make you laugh as you guys walk away hand in hand

-respect is this mans middle name, he’ll meet your family the second you start officially dating, making sure to make a good first impression, the second, and third, and fourth impressions

-likes going shopping with you, and is constantly in awe of how stunning you can make anything look, going to the little middle eastern kiosk in the mall to buy food

-he’s such a shameless fan of those cute matching couples outfits, and his heart bursts everytime your hijab matches the colour or pattern of his shirt or jacket