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reasonsforhope · 1 year

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LGBTQ+ organizations and allies are celebrating Michigan for becoming the first state in three years to pass comprehensive anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The legislation, which now heads to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to be signed into law, finally passed after decades of court battles and hold-ups from Republican legislators.

The bill passed in a 64-45 vote in the Democrat-led House on Wednesday. It amends the state’s 1976 Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include LGBTQ+ people among its protected groups. The law forbids discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodation within businesses, government buildings, and educational facilities on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, marital status — and now, LGBTQ+ identity.

Democrats had tried introducing various LGBTQ+ non-discrimination measures over the last 40 years, according to the bill’s gay sponsor Sen. Jeremy Moss (D). However, the attempts were repeatedly voted down by Republican-led legislatures. Last January, Democrats took control of the full legislature for the first time in nearly 40 years, finally giving them the chance to pass the protections.

In July 2022, Michigan’s Supreme Court issued a landmark 5–2 ruling that ELCRA already forbade discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as forms of discrimination based on sex and gender. This followed a 2020 Michigan Court of Claims ruling that said ELCRA didn’t ban anti-gay discrimination as well as a 2018 vote by Michigan’s Civil Rights Commission interpreting ELCRA as protecting LGBTQ+ people from religious-based discrimination...

When the House voted to pass the historic bill on Wednesday, a crowd in the House gallery broke into applause, Bridge Michigan reported. Republican House members had tried adding amendments that would’ve carved out exceptions for religious people to continue discriminating against LGBTQ+ people. None of these amendments passed into the final bill.

Gov. [Whitmer] has signaled that she will soon sign the bill into law. In a Wednesday tweet, she noted the observation of International Women’s Day and wrote, “I’m celebrating trans women who have continuously led the way, despite constant threats to their lives and liberty. I’m proud that we’re finally in a position to expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect LGBTQ+ Michiganders. Let’s get it done!”

-via LGBTQ Nation, 3/9/23

Note: If it's not clear from the language, this is basically a done deal--the bill signing IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO HAPPEN.

As scary as things are right now, there are so many of us fighting to protect ourselves, our communities, and the queer and trans people around us.

This comes only a day after Minnesota's governor signed a landmark executive order that guarantees the right to gender-affirming care and prevents the state from complying with any other states' attempts to interfere. via them.us, 3/9/23

There is hope, and there are so many people fighting for us.

#transgender #trans #trans rights #trans healthcare #top surgery #gender affirming care #trans rights are human rights #michigan #united states #us politics #gretchen whitmer #democrats #voting matters #lgbtq #lgbtq rights #transphobia cw #good news #hope

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konigbabe · 8 months

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the fruits (of my labor)

DAY 4 ⇢ Power Dynamic Pairing: deity!Satoru Gojo x fem!acolyte!reader Word count: 2.5k Tags/warnings: no y/n; smut; deity/acolyte dynamic; deepthroat; throatfucking; riding Gojo’s knee; p-in-v; orgasm denial; creampie; dacryphilia; japanese terminology and mythology; religious imaginery; allusions to manipulation and toxicity; inaccurate historical descriptions Summary: He's a deity, yet he's faithless. The only belief he invests in is between your thighs. Satoru Gojo enjoys the fruits of your labor that you've offering him of late. [Part of NSFW Gojo Week 2023.]

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You look upon him, his tranquil eyes already on you as he lies on his back; the corner of his lip turned upwards. Legs spread for your naked body to nestle between, your own bloody and bruised knees digging into the soft, plush yaedatami; offering a momentary relief from the pain. Lips bruised and swollen from the stretch, trying to accommodate his girth. Almost cracking at the corners.

If you were told to describe him, only one word springs to mind – Kami.

Divine.

His gestures – possessing an elegance that rivals the dance of willow branches in a gentle breeze. His voice; a melodious biwa ballad. The way blue hues of his eyes resemble the heavens melting into the boundless sea and the moon's reflection on tranquil waters, a sight that both soothes and enchants –

Satoru Gojo was considered an enigmatic legend in your eyes; among the people from your village. A young boy of mysterious lineage, his parentage shrouded in uncertainty. Some deemed him a yōkai, an unsettling otherworldly presence, while others gravitated towards yūrei, a spectral spirit.

He stands tall and slender, a figure exuding undeniable firmness in every line of his body. Hair the shade of soft grey; it reminds you of the moonlight filtering through the forest's canopy near your mother's okiya house, a teahouse adjacent to the gate of your village. Soft and fluffy; as the memory itself. His locks beckoned, inviting you to run your fingers through them, much like those stolen moments when he allowed you to do so – aware of limb-loosing consequences if any other maiden caught wind of your affiliation with Gojo.

Eyes mostly hidden underneath a woven silken cloth. Only allowed to see the day's sun when all others have been blinded; only a selected few made aware of Gojo's countenance.

("It's in the interest of my own well-being," he mumbles against the tender curve of your neck. Teeth grazing the marks there.

His cloth mask's fastened over the bridge of your nose, denying you eyesight. Hands sliding beneath the scarlet hakama, altered into a flowing skirt, enabling him to grasp your bare thighs with a grip so tight it threatens to leave lingering imprints. He's wrenching his pelvis up, engorged cock sliding against the sensitive walls of your drenched core as he moves you up and down his lap.

Robe shamelessly untied and disheveled but still hanging from his shoulders; with your arms clinging to the garment for dear life, a lifeline that anchors you as he delves so deeply that it elicits a desperate mewl from your lips, pushing aside any lingering questions.

"I cannot allow commoners to pose threats to my safety. After all, I am but a Kami." His hand raises one of yours, placing your palm flat against his. In that instant, you feel it—the non-existent space between your palms expanding, pushing your hand away from his. An invisible barrier materializing and separating your limb from his. It makes your fingers tingle.

"Who would–umph–desire to hurt you, my honored one."

A forceful push surges from behind you — or at least it feels that way — propelling your body towards Gojo's body. Lips colliding with his, all tenderness vanishing from his actions. His strong arm encircles your waist, lifting you up and creating the sensation of flying through the air. In one fluid motion, he turns you both around, deepening the kiss when his tongue plunges between your gasping lips.

"No one would dare, angel.")

– His taste. Briny yet the pearlescent droplets of his prespend sweet. With your cheeks hollowed, nails digging into the meat of his thighs, you savor the saline tang of him on your tongue. Tears teetering on the edge of your waterline, threatening to spill down your cheeks; eyelashes fluttering as he thrusts his hips upwards. Hand on the crown of your head pushing down simultaneously.

The swollen tip of his leaking cock plunges into your throat, scratching the sensitive back of it, and causing an involuntary gag reflex, throat instinctively closing.

"Just like that," Gojo groans in response to the sensation of your tight throat suffocating his cock, his arm positioned behind his head while the other moves to cup your cheek. His thumb tenderly wipes away a tear tracing a path down your face.

Leaving only his tip inside, you suck; draw him in, the tip of your tongue swirling over his slit as you let all the saliva gathered in your mouth coat his head, letting it dribble from the corners of your mouth onto his cock. Using your hand to spread the slick, covering his entire length in the mixture with your tongue concentrating on the spongy spot under his tip, slowly moving down until your lips meet your fingers wrapped around his hilt.

With bated breath, you ease your throat open wider, feeling the mushy head breach the gateway to your trachea; the friction growing more intense as he pushes past your tonsil area. Swallowing carefully, you take him in until his pelvis presses flush against your nose. You add a low hum to the mix, your fingernails lightly grazing the taut muscles of his abdomen, feeling it tighten as he twitches inside you. Something swells in your chest, expands and tightens over the feeling. Pride? More like a fervent devotion that borders on reverence.

"You little akuma–" he lets out a breath, fingers tracing the bulging curve of your throat before you pop him out with a wet sound. You repeat after – take him fully down your throat, keep him there and humming; vibrations shooting up his every nerve ending.

And the sounds he makes – the groan he lets out is drawn-out and echoing. You kiss his cock one more time before nipping at his sensitive area just below his abdomen, muscles hardened and shaped into a v. A place stained by the nips of your teeth, nicks of your nails; a teasing breeze caressing the shoreline.

Face moving upwards, your lips ache to meld with his. Yet as his breath mingles with yours, his fingers snake around your throat, tightening their grip.

Gojo holds your face intimately close to his that you can discern the white sparkles seemingly dancing within his eyes.

So close that you can distinguish myriad shades of blue within his iris, reminiscent of the Pleiades, or the very hue of the sky on a day when wisteria blooms swell.

"What are you doing," his head tilts to the side, lips tracing the corner of your lip until moving to your jaw. Soft gentle nibbles in contrast with the tight grip on your throat as you remain on all fours above his body that's still adorned in his night robe but completely untied.

A light breath escapes your yearning lips, eyes searching his face for any imperfections, any blemish in his otherwise divine visage – but finding none. Heart pounding in rhythm with the intensity of the moment, you believe that he's capable of hearing the beats. Thump, thump.

"Akami," you mumble, eyes falling to his lips when the tip of his tongue peaks out to slide over them, "kiss."

You remain motionless, almost paralyzed by the heated tension in the air, afraid to make a move or even swallow. Your cunt drenched, folds glistening with need to be filled. It pulsates, thumping steadily as if your heart dropped between your legs.

Gojo's eyes, once filled with desire, now appear almost bored, as if he's testing your resolve.

"Do you believe you are deserving of a kiss from Akami?"

Your head sways from side to side instinctively before you even fully process his question. Thighs failing to press together to relieve some of the tension as his wide frame blocks your attempts.

"I would not pose such queries without belief in their pertinence, correct?"

You nod. His face contours, creases between his brows. Bending one leg, he brings his knee to your cunt. Pressing onto the pulsating nerve on top, making you mewl and moan from finally getting some release. Your hips shamelessly grind onto his offering knee, painting it in your juices.

"Speak," he corrects you, putting his knee higher — forcing your calves to strain in order to remain on the soft cushion.

"You are—mmph—," Gojo's eyes flick down to see the way your pussy parts for his knee, circling it and disturbing your chain of thoughts, "—you are correct, Go—gojo."

"Good," his thumb presses against your lower lip, forcing your mouth to part more before he pushes the digit flat against your tongue, "then undertake a deserving act."

Satoru Gojo refuses to allow your lips contact with his. Even after what feels like hours – when he's already painted your body in his pearlescent spent, now slickening your gummy walls and sticking to his cock like honey – he's continuing to pound into you with relentless strength.

And yet he still doesn't let you reach the sweet high. Unable to tumble into the abyss of ecstasy. Your body his canvas, on which he paints strokes of desire – a merciless dance on the edge of rapture; where you can feel the waves building and receding like a capricious ocean tide.

("Patience, my angel. You're too pure to be stained. My forsaken tenshi.")

Robe finally discarded, he has you positioned to bend over the side of the yaedatami; high enough for your back to arch forcibly. The stretch across your abdomen feels like a taut bowstring. Ass up, held aloft and elbows pressed against the floor. Your hands grope desperately for purchase – yet finding nothing in this empty sleeping chamber – as Gojo looms over you, one arm bracing his weight beside your head, the other cradling your cheek as he spreads you wide for his cock to plunge insanely deep into your leaking cunt.

His thrusts are relentless, each one driving his cock impossibly deep. So deep it makes you feel as if the tip of his cock grazes your cervix, a blunt pressure inside building with each pivot of his hips. It builds steadily inside you, like a dam about to burst. And the loudness of your moans only assures the man in your body's response to him – his body, his heat. His cock. All of him.

"Just like that–," Gojo's voice's raspy, throat strained from the sounds of pleasure he's given you, "stay down—ugh–"

His words cause your back to arch more; prideful in his praise. The pleasure profound, toe-curling and spiraling through your body.

"Gojoo–," you try to meet the aggressive roll of his hips, even if the position doesn't let you move too much, "please–'m so close–please…"

You're begging, whining for him to never stop. To – for once – listen to his acolyte's pleas for release. And just as he senses your cunt quivering, throbbing with the impending orgasm, he draws a sharp thrust. Body heavy against your bottom, bottoming out before pulling out.

His response is a single word, "No" escaping his lips. Sitting back on his legs, his eyes lock onto the sight of your cunt – spread open, his own cum trickling from the fluttering, empty hole, glistening as it strains your inner thighs; pussy puffy and swollen from overstimulation. Chest puffing out, he basks in the tableau before him.

"I shall have a painter immortalize such image," he muses, leaning closer. Fingers tracing the curve of your calves, gliding over the skin of your thighs, bathing in the slickness of your inner thighs. He swipes the blend of his cum and juices from your cunt, collects them on his fingers.

In a commanding gesture, he raises you up, positioning you to sit atop your legs, mirroring his own stance. His wet fingers dance along your parted lips as you grow more desperate.

"Please–," you beg more, licking the saline sweetness off your lips, throat parched, "please–."

Gojo doesn't respond – not immediately. Instead, he turns you to face him with your back. Pulling your body onto his sitting lap and thrusting his cock into your abused cunt without any resistance. Your body strains as your back arches, head falling back to rest against his neck as his hands grasp both of your biceps, securing you to his chest as he thrusts upwards.

"You reach your release only when I deem it," his lips trace your neck, biting the sensitive flesh as he moves you up and down his lap. You can feel his cock scratching that insatiable itch deep inside you, each punishing thrust pushing you closer to the edge. The emptiness that follows only stokes the fervor building within you, a desire that only HE can satiate.

And does he take his time…

Legs pushed against your chest, his body weighs down on you – folded almost in half. Tears of exhaustion and bliss course down your cheeks, his name on your lips. Moaning, gasping, arching your back as you lose yourself to the euphoria that builds inside. His cock pushes against your clenched walls, swelling and so close to releasing and coating your walls with his sore.

But Gojo holds tight to his resolution; muscles taut under your trembling body; your fragile body. You're his to do with as he pleases, after all.

"Ahh–close, Gojo–please," you plead, feeling his cock plunge into your core, and the stretch of your cunt swallowing him to the root, "I want to–ugh–I can't–"

He cuts you off with a rather painful thrust, the head of his cock bruising your cervix, it seems. Making you gasp at the suddenness and pain. It's afterward that he slows down, rapid thrusts becoming languid rolls of his hips. He moans, gruff and low in his throat as he pushes himself deeper inside of you with each movement.

"You cannot what?" His eyes gleam even as he gives you a momentary reprieve. The thrumming pleasure from being so completely filled subsides, but not entirely leaving altogether – just enough to remind you that Gojo's presence is still there.

"I can't–," you whimper in his ear as he moves onto his elbows, straining your hamstrings until you feel as if he's gonna tear your legs apart, "I can't…"

"You cannot what?" Gojo demands, his cock stilling inside you, only to resume as he leans you forward, "tell me, my faithful one."

"No more–please," your lips search for his; to which his head fives to your clavicles, nibbling the tender and sensitive skin there, "I need the release, please," you beg with a strained voice.

His eyes flutter shut, teeth catching hold on your shoulder, harder than they should, "beg one more time. Let me hear your prayers."

He's waiting for a particular syllable and sounds; the first syllable of his name. For it to flow out of your lips.

"Please–," your voice becomes but a mere exhale, body spent; falling to his mercy. Shaking as you beg for this man to take whatever he wants. The only reason you're even able to speak is to plead for release, having nothing else to offer but yourself freely to him. A twisted, filth-covered shinsen.

In the end, Gojo eventually does take your offering, grants you your release.

Being that way for several moons.

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thyandrawrites · 2 years

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I'm gonna voice a bit of an unpopular opinion here but I wish Horikoshi would've put more of a focus on anti-mutant discrimination through the pov of non-villains. (using the word mutant here bc iirc 'heteromorph' is the less sensitive one as far as Viz's translation goes)

I believe someone before me (possibly @/transhawks) has already said this much, but... Hawks could've brought so much nuance to the table. He's a mutant, but he has more privilege than most because he retains a mostly human-like appearance; unlike fanon, his feet and his hands are human looking, and the only "birdier" trait he displays is a heightened sight. All in all, his wings are the only part of his appearance that make him visibly a mutant, and he's exempt from the anti-heteromorphic sentiment because his wings are the very things that make him a hero. His entire brand revolves around them: he uses them to fight, to save, to gather intel. Without them, he's simply not a hero, because they're a fundamental part of him, of how he does his duty. The Commission made them his trademark, exploiting his trauma ("what are those wings for?") as a way to leash him. They trained him to exploit the potential in his quirk to the max, and then made it a focus for the public to latch onto and idolize. He's not just Hawks, he's the Wing Hero: Hawks. When he models, he puts them on display. When he's out in the streets, he lets fans get into his personal space and touch them, feel them up. And his admirers do. In their eyes, those wings become akin to Endeavor's flames or Kamui's branches. They're no longer seen as a mutation that makes him "subhuman", but as the very thing that makes him a hero.

But this is all a speculation on my part because Hawks' original design was different from its finalized version. Before the movie came out and Horikoshi had to scrap it, Hawks' original appearance had a bird head, feathered torso and arms, and bird-like claws for hands. And that makes me wonder: was he always supposed to be a beloved public figure? Was his background with the Commission all it took for him to breeze past the social stigma and become so popular? Or did Horikoshi sacrifice some of its initial plans for Hawks' character when he had to last-minute change his design?

Even without considering the redesign angle, I always thought Horikoshi missed the mark for giving us a bit more worldbuilding nuance when Hawks recruited Tokoyami as an intern.

Like. We know that individuals still get discriminated on because of their appearance and quirks to this day. As this chapter points out, it might be an issue that appears to be smoothed over by some more progressive choices (like Nedzu becoming UA's principal), but Nedzu's backstory itself tells us he was the victim of experimentations by humans. Shouji wears a mask for other people's comfort and Spinner was the victim of social ostracization and became an hikikomori.

The discrimination is still there, but it just evolved into something more rooted and less outright than bullying and religious or social oppression. At least in the city, mutants are now integrated well enough in society, but their needs are still not accommodated or even accounted for. This is why for example Shouji has to rip the sleeves off his uniform instead of getting one custom-made, or why there was that background character TV host who cut one of his horns not to block the viewer's sight of the screen behind him (and was praised as a dedicated professional for it). In other words, mutants are expected to conform to the standards for non-mutants, instead of society actually making any effort to be inclusive and accessible.

And all of this is fine and well as background worldbuilding information. But given how it's now becoming a plot point with its own subplot, I can't help but think we could've used some more set up for it.

One of the stated reasons why Hawks extends that internship offer to Tokoyami, despite not usually taking interns, is because "they're both birds". And of course part of this is just Hawks being Hawks. He's quirky and he makes a habit of throwing off people with his laidback and goofy act. But my point is, what if there was more to it? What if he saw a fellow mutant, a fellow flying-adjacent quirk he could help hone, and thought, "people like us already have it hard as it is. He's a mutant and one with a quirk that can potentially be seen as villainous. The League nearly captured him too, and the media ripped into that other kid to blame him for his own kidnapping. But by taking Tokoyami under my wing, I'm vouching for him. If he associates with me, an already established media sweetheart, it's less likely that anti-mutant sentiment will target him."

I mean, obviously Hawks still would've offered an internship to a class-A kid because he needed insight on the League. But Tokoyami isn't the only kid who can fly. Heck, Bakugou has been doing that with his explosions since day 1, and he was in the League's lair for a few days. Obviously, if intel and quirk compatibility were all Hawks was after, Tokoyami wasn't the sole option. Hawks wasn't looking just for wasted potential, either. Uraraka can float, she's similarly driven by challenges, and has never maxed out on her potential either. It's obvious to me that Hawks feels some kind of kinship for Tokoyami that he doesn't for the other kids. And I'm just saying, it would've been interesting if that was because of their roles as heroes and mutants in a society that is hostile to one but not the other.

Don't get me wrong. On his own, Spinner does bring up a lot of interesting things to the table. But he's meant to be an outsider, someone rebelling against the current state of things. So one thing he cannot portray is the pov of someone who is a cog in that machine. Hawks could've done that, and he could've shown us the double standard at play in all its glory.

Hawks is a mutant, but he "passes" as human—or human enough to be integrated fully. So he has privilege. But that privilege is artificial, since he started off at the bottom of the food chain and only rose into wealth and power thanks to government funding and sponsoring. Yet, at the same time, his integration is still conditional; it hinges on his performance, on adapting to society and its needs over his own, on being a hero through and through with no time to spare. On making his mutation a show that can sell, and that can be a tool for the people who invested time and resources into it. The respect he's given now is not inherent, but it ties directly into what he gives back to the society that "allowed" him to raise to number two. And he knows it. He very well knows it, and he protects his forged hero persona because he's aware it's the only thing standing between his current life and a return to homelessness, poverty and abuse.

Idk. I just think expanding on this would've added a lot to the story. It would've made it an issue to fix, rather than something that only affects "villains," because the heroes learn to deal with it and that makes them "plus ultra" as opposed to oppressed in a different way

#Bnha spoilers #Bnha meta #Meta:bnha society #My post #Been a while since I last did one of my rants on hero society but I guess this chapter gave me some food for thought #Hawks #Spinner #Tokoyami fumikage #Shouji mezou

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glitterbuss999 · 1 year

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♥︎⋆｡ﾟ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆MUTUAL AID REQUEST˚♥︎⋆｡ﾟ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆

i'm a homeless afro indigenous person in need of help getting into an apt

i am a houseless young non binary person in the state of texas where there's not only anti abortion laws but anti trans law as well. while i work i am paid poorly and am currently looking for a better place of work. i stay in a hotel when i can afford it. i cannot go back to my hometown because i have an obsessive father who has come all the way to a different state before to knock on my door and harass me. my mother's house isn't an option either because she is bipolar and becomes violent when she is unmedicated.

as a visibly queer afro indigenous person who still wears their mask every time i'm in public i get targeted and discriminated against in work and social settings. this was surprising to me too. texas is religiously anti mask. no one down here even thinks to accommodate for immunocompromised people. there's a lot of places that have rejected my applications in a few hours because of my ethnic sounding name. this state is a hell hole.

i am actually hoping to relocate after a short lease if i can raise enough funds. i will need funds for temp housing (private room or motel) and deposit and move in fees.

i am hoping to raise about $3500 total towards this. even meeting half of the goal would help me out with move in. please share this far and wide i dont want to end up on the streets again.

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#black mutual aid #mutual aid request #mutual aid #mutual funds #crowdfunding #pay it forward #time sensitive #urgent #black lgbt #nonbinary #donations #donate #donate if you can #financial assistance

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evanwritesgames · 6 months

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Species of Starjourn: Reneans

Reneans are a cephalopod species that evolved on a large, swampy, tectonically active moon with no oceans. Instead, their homeworld features massive expanses of low, brackish wetlands between large, dry continents. Life evolved to fill niches within the abundant wetlands and is far more scarce in the dry, dusty regions which are prone to devastating sandstorms.

Reneans have hardly changed physiologically over their evolution, retaining certain abilities such as extreme flexibility in spite of their tendency to hold their bodies in a rigid shape. Reneans are essentially one big muscle and as such are disproportionately strong for their size.Their skin is also capable of mimicking almost any texture or color and they enjoy a total degree of mental control over their bodies. They have four fleshy tentacles but can fill air pockets located throughout their bodies in order to adjust to different shapes, including the humanoid shape they are most commonly seen in.

Another trait they have retained over millennia is a form of spiritualism that periodically gestated into esoteric cults, religious movements, and attempts at theocratic governance. Reneans believe that a race of Outsider Gods exists beyond conventional space and consider space and the universe to be something like a sacred vessel but subject to the needs of a higher reality that they acknowledge cannot be known or understood by creatures bound to the universe as they, and other sapient species, know it. Reneans are known for being curious and tolerant of other beliefs but are also famous for a tendency to circle everything they learn back to their own gods and mythos.

The Reneans are extremely social and do not have separate communities. Their folklore indicates that their civilization has always been one with their shared beliefs allowing them an unprecedented degree of cooperation and social harmony. To this day, Reneans prize communications technologies beyond all others and are the leaders in this field.

Reneans face a challenge in acclimating to TENOR and other human-led organizations due to how they are structured and organized to include long departures from “home”. Reneans have special dispensation to furlough home for regular visits. At one time, Reneans who joined groups like TENOR were considered unusual as most Reneans prefer not to deal with things as individuals though they are cognitively individual and have a personal, subjective perspective. They simply feel better facing almost any situation with a few more Reneans close by, but they will settle for non-Reneans in a pinch.

A fun fact about Reneans is that they are the premiere social organizers and party planners among the ALTO species. This is because they are far more adept at considering the needs of large numbers of sensitive, emotional beings than most other species which evolved to cooperate in smaller numbers and/or separate, often competitive communities.

Perhaps more than other members, being part of ALTO has changed Renean culture. It has become more individualistic and diasporic with younger Reneans often clamoring for a faster rate of adoption of outside customs and technology as well as greater enthusiasm for pursuing lives beyond their homeworld. Most Reneans consider these changes necessary adaptations to life in a much bigger pond. They are encouraged to look at it as an opportunity to grow their huge “family” and many are enthusiastic about including visitors and colonists in Renean communities. Reneans have little trouble forming close bonds with non-Reneans, at least from their perspective, and do not exclude other species. Some non-Reneans are more guarded and will meet Renean suggestions that they are “best buds” with skepticism.

Unfortunately, most non-Reneans find it difficult to adapt to the realities of the lives enjoyed by Reneans at home. One sticking point, for example, is privacy. Reneans are only selectively private. Their tendency to accommodate the emotional needs of others can lead some non-Reneans to feel attended to but always separate in spite of the Reneans’ best efforts to include them. For some, not being able to live like them more directly (as part of their collective community in all respects) is an insurmountable obstacle. Konigiri immigrants have had more success than any at adapting to settlement on the Renean homeworld, as they are able to live both in the wetlands and the drylands, and the two species have become close through ALTO membership.

The Reneans are considered the most hospitable people in all of ALTO, perhaps in the entire galaxy, and a great many work in tourism and recreation across ALTO space. Tourism is their largest industry as they prefer their colonies to be similar to home and have a concept similar to coziness or Swedish “hugen” that is an organizing principle for community planning -- this means their cities are paradises of diversion, social opportunity, entertainment, hospitality, and relaxation compared to equivalent cities elsewhere. This is especially true of colonies and destinations specifically set up to accommodate non-Reneans. The average experience of a non-Renean tourist is that every special need they happen to have is already predicted and accounted for with both kindness and precision. Many non-Reneans in ALTO retire to Renean worlds.

#pixel art #aseprite #rpg maker mz #indiegamdev #character design #starjourn #space opera #aliens #lore

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ouatsqincorrect · 4 months

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What does the family think of the differences between EF and the land without magic? About the religion and culture? About capitalism? About electricity and clean water and the accommodations and all the modern commodities? About the laws, rights, freedom? All the thing you can find in one place but not the other? About the nostalgia of their childhood realm? About what they think was better in the EF and was lost in our world?

Which world is favored by each member of the family? What would they want changed in it? If they end up there, what do they want to keep with them from the other world or to find a way to make it exist in their chosen world?

(Also, remember I haven't watched all the show yet)

Do you think that people from Storybrook having ended back in the EF used their knowledge of the other world to make progress in their realm? Like scientific et technical improvements and inventions. Did they advocated for changing the old laws to more progressive rights. Do you think the people could make a revolution to start a Republic? (à la française)

What kind of idea could people having lived in such different places could have had from this experience?

(Sorry that was a very long and poorly worded question. List of questions. Anyway. Sorry for this.)

woah. ok, im gonna try my best to answer this but no promises that’ll it actually be coherent lol

let’s just go down the list. (oh and if you haven’t watched the entire show yet, there’s a spoiler for s3 in the first point)

1. i think by season four, we see that everyone is pretty much totally ok with living in storybrooke instead of the enchanted forest, and honestly, i think it was that missing year when they had to go back that ultimately proved how much they really like our world. there’s plumbing, electricity, a life expectancy that’s longer than 40 years—honestly, i don’t think casting the curse in maine, in our world, was the worst place regina could’ve sent them, and i think they’re all pretty much aware of this fact by the end of s3.

2. i’m gonna preface this by saying i am extremely non-religious (thank you four years of religious trauma) so my answer might reflect that, but i don’t think anyone of them really care too much about religion. i think some of them (regina, belle, rumple) have probably studied it a bit, but that’s just for the knowledge and understanding. they believe in zeus and hades and all that—our world’s religions don’t really mean much to them, at least personally. as far as culture goes, i think most of them really like learning about the culture of this world (again, especially regina and belle, maybe rumple too—oh, and zelena). they want to know more about the place they live. it’s not like they’re going back to the enchanted forest, so they might as well learn about this world some more.

3. i don’t think capitalism really matters to them all that much because storybrooke doesn’t seem to really…fall under it in the same way? at least, not for this family. regina’s been saving money as mayor for the last 30 or so years, the curse made rumple rich. we don’t see any of them really have any issues with money. so, as far as this family goes, i don’t think they think about capitalism as much as we do. (everyone else in storybrooke might be a different story, but idk)

4. i think i answered the other ones already so i’m skipping to the nostalgia of their childhood realm. this really depends on who you’re talking about. regina had such a rough go of it in the enchanted forest, there probably isn’t much nostalgia for her. she’d probably like to not think about it much at all. david, on the other hand, had a lot of happy memories, so it probably means more to him to reminisce.

5. the only thing i can think of that might’ve been better in the enchanted forest was the hope. our world can be so much crueler, even with better living conditions. there was some idealized type of happiness in the enchanted forest that they don’t get here (i’m not saying there wasn’t heartbreak—there definitely was, it’s just the way some of them dealt with it—the way the realm as a whole dealt with it—was a little different), and that might be what they miss about it, but honestly, i think they all realize that those feelings the enchanted forest brought were sort of false and misleading. remember in s1 when grumpy said he needs his pain because it makes him who he is? i think, for some, that’s what our world does. it allows them to deal with their pain without feeling like it’s wrong, or like they should just be hopeful all the time. it’s more realistic. so, actually, the hope in the enchanted forest wasn’t better at all, but maybe it’s the thing some of them miss from time to time.

6. everyone in this family is happy and content with living in our world. living in storybrooke can occasionally be a different story, but they all like living in this realm better than the enchanted forest. this is home to them. i think, as time goes on, bits and pieces of life in the enchanted forest makes its way into storybrooke. little things, like sometimes granny will make a soup that was popular back in the enchanted forest, or the way you’ll look up into the sky and sometimes see a dragon. but overall, they like living here. the enchanted forest was home to them once, but now it’s more of a reminder as to why they continue to fight for their home in storybrooke, and why they actually really do love this town and this realm, even if they have to spend their entire lives protecting it.

7. i’ve never really thought much about what the people who have gone back gone back to the enchanted forest are doing there, but yeah, i would think they’d advocate for better rights and better conditions. i think the queen, for one, would definitely try to advance women’s rights after learning how truly messed up the way women in the enchanted forest are treated is at times.

#headcanons

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beardedmrbean · 2 months

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Today, The Lawfare Project — together with co-counsel Eiseman Levine Lehrhaupt and Kakoyiannis, P.C. — filed a lawsuit against Columbia University on behalf of Mackenzie Forrest, a Jewish student who was forced out of an academic program after she requested religious and safety accommodations.

Mackenzie began attending Columbia's School of Social Work (CSSW) in August 2022 and was subsequently admitted into the specialized Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Program (DBT). Mackenzie’s initial antisemitic encounter with faculty occurred when her request for accommodation for her Sabbath observance was met with resistance, and only begrudgingly provided after significant pressure was placed on her to forgo it. Then, in the wake of Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, the campus devolved into a cauldron of antisemitism. Mackenzie, feeling physically unsafe, reported the hostile environment to faculty and requested permission to take classes via Zoom. Although that accommodation is routinely granted to other students, it was not extended to her. Soon after Mackenzie’s request, faculty members began a campaign to force her out of the program. After fabricating pretexts to justify failing her, they were ultimately successful.

“The vitriolic and antisemitic environment at Columbia to which Jewish students like Mackenzie have been subjected is utterly indefensible,” said Ziporah Reich, Director of Litigation at LP. “Mackenzie’s right to an education in an environment where she feels physically safe is a fundamental, non-negotiable right protected by law. The university's refusal to provide Mackenzie with a basic accommodation to ensure her safety is not only shameful, but a dereliction of the university's moral and legal responsibilities. Such negligence demands accountability.”

The Lawfare Project is seeking injunctive relief and money damages based on federal, state, and common law claims arising out of the pervasively hostile environment Mackenzie has been subjected to, as well as Columbia’s retaliation against her because of her status as a Jew.

“Columbia University failed Mackenzie and decided to launch a retaliatory campaign instead of protecting her from Jew-hatred,” said Brooke Goldstein, founder and Executive Director of LP. “If the university had provided her with the appropriate accommodations that she is legally entitled to, we would not be in this situation. Columbia, like any other college or university, must protect the civil rights of their students and provide them with safe learning environments free of discrimination.”

“It is simply not acceptable that some American colleges and universities tolerate and foster antisemitism,” said Eric Levine, Head of the Litigation Department of Eiseman Levine Lehrhaupt and Kakoyiannis, P.C. “If this lawsuit is about nothing else, it is about bringing those days to an end.”

#nunyas news

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acertainmoshke · 1 year

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Meet the Author (revised)

My name is Moshke Palmoni. I also plan to publish children’s books under Lior Eisen, but I mainly go by Moshke. I use they/them pronouns and when I’m not writing I love to read, knit, snuggle my weirdo cat, or work on home projects to fix my 100-year-old house that the previous owners made some interesting choices for. I also have a day job that I am very passionate about but will not talk about here because I don’t want to mix my writing with my professional life. None of my projects are published yet but I’m getting there.

Active WIPs

(let me know if you want to be added to any taglists!)

General tag list: @ blind-the-winds

To Die Among the Stars

In the future, 20 people are sent into space on a second test of an FTL drive, aiming for a habitable planet. The first test was a disaster, so this time they’re more careful—the volunteers are only needed for data on how humans fare at faster than light speeds, so they are selected from prisons and “mental wellness centers” and areas where people would agree to a suicide mission for the promise of feeding their families. No one expects them to live, just to provide enough data to improve the next test. Told from 4 POVs: Pixel, a semiverbal black market modder; Ri, who has so many illicit mods embedded in his body he can no longer experience the world the way most people do; Zippy, a young disabled woman desperate to support her family; and Peppermint, a genetic experiment combining human and cat DNA raised in a lab with only a sentient android for company. Despite all expectations, the group bands together for survival.

Taglist: @ hd-literature

A Tangled Knot of Gold

Technically the 3rd Legends of Halara book, but the first one was not cooperating so here we are. Tlapil is the cousin of the heir to the throne, Soter, who is also the only person who treats her like a person because she is semi-verbal with unusual body language and interests. Her main useful skill seems to be mapmaking, but when the kingdom needs unusual solutions she’s ready to help—along with her only other friend, who happens to be a slime. Having proven herself, she holds a respectable position as advisor to her cousin, but when tragedy threatens to tear apart the entire kingdom it might be up to her to find a way to hold it together.

Halaran cultural genders explained here, and non-human genders here. Explanation of the religious system here.

Fae and Brownie

10-year-old Fae Grant is autistic and ataxic and struggles in school, socially and with meeting expectations. Right after she meets the new boy, Brownie, a meltdown leads to a week’s suspension just as her aunt moves in with her family. Fae’s adventures over that week lead her to a new best friend, realizations about accommodating her communication difficulties, and new acceptance of being who she is.

Backburnered WIPs under the cut

Cold Iron

Shakatra Zoawin has been alive for 107 years, but they are only 33 old. They are one of the few Fae changelings able to survive to adulthood in our world—they age slowly, their magic is more powerful than any human sorcerer, and they have a particular knack for glamour. All they’ve ever wanted was to be left alone on the fringes of society with their brother Kris, also a changeling. But now, on top of raising their teenage stepson and the age-frozen human child they replaced, they might be the only one with both the Fae-aligned skills to protect humanity and the remotest inclination to do that.

Time to Kill (working title)

Esther Dahan is part of one of the first teams ever sanctioned to use time travel technology. Against all historical odds, they aren’t cops or soldiers—they’re anthropologists. Her team specializes in Jewish history specifically, and as tough as it is to leave her young daughter behind for long stretches the team is like her family as they get to truly experience what life was once like, always careful not to change anything (the butterfly effect having been disproven, they must still not share too much information or come in contact with major figures). And yet, something is off. In more and more time periods, they find suspicious activity. But they can never quite get enough proof to convince anyone why this matters—why they should believe that these scientists found the first known rogue travelers. It’s not until trying to solve the mystery on their own leads to Esther’s life being torn apart that they’re taken seriously, and even then her team might be the only ones capable of finding out the truth and stopping something even worse.

Falling Petals (working title)

A story of 3 generations of autistic people before any of them would have been diagnosed, loosely based on the life experiences of my family during different times. Also about relationships and imperfect love. Ira Katz was born in 1913, the only child of slightly older Russian Jewish immigrant parents. He grew up in California and lived a fairly normal life, except that he wasn’t normal. He was very charming, but didn’t understand why mean jokes or blunt truths weren’t appreciated. He assumed everyone was as interested in his niche interests as he was and despite loving the beauty in the world and the people around him felt unable to connect with any of them. He would grow up to marry a girl he knew from synagogue named Joy and have 4 children, whom he loved from a distance and teased with a brilliant and oblivious cruelty. He inherited his father’s drug store, which he enjoyed because his scripted charm worked best on strangers.

Ira’s second child, Daniel, born in 1939, was also odd. He was very sensitive for a boy and called annoying for his awkward attempts at friendship. Eventually he channeled his sensory pain and constant overwhelm from tears to anger. He practiced on his own until he spoke like a professional adult, scripting replies that sounded like a real conversation. Adults loved him while other young people shunned him and his brother and father mocked him. He went to college and became an architect because it was more manly than being a librarian like he’d wanted, and while in school he met a high school teacher named Frances, who he married and had twins with. Daniel was determined not to mock his children and to spend time with them, which he did—but he also hid his pain and emotions until they exploded out in uncontrollable anger and struggled to deal with any noise or rule breaking. His drive to be successful managed to drown out everything else and sucked up all his energy.

One of Daniel’s two daughters, Shoshana, born in 1961, was also odd but in an opposite sort of way. Where Daniel had always seemed mature and professional even when unnecessary, Shoshana seemed childlike far longer than her sister. She continued to play with her dolls and make patterns with her marbles after other girls started whispering about boys. She froze up when she didn’t know the right social response and just wouldn’t respond. She broke down in tears when overwhelmed and was terrified of crowds. She felt like an utter failure despite being an avid reader with a good memory. She didn’t go to college or get married. She tried and failed to live on her own in her 20s. She felt unloveable. And then her sister had a child, Naomi, a child Shoshana saw her own life in, and suddenly she wanted to show her little niece how one could be happy and also different and what it actually meant to succeed. Which required her to figure that out herself first and notice her own strengths.

Eachw part is told from their own perspective and with compassion for their experiences. Everyone does the best they can and the goal is to show unhealthy coping mechanisms without denouncing anyone as a villain.

#Moshke writes #Writeblr #writeblr intro

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polteaguise · 7 months

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Independent muse for Pokémon universe. Mostly non-selective. Barista at Battle Café hosted in Hoenn. Crossovers welcome! Multiship. | Written by Aspen ( 21 ) | May contain triggering content and frequently references & depicts food. Proceed with caution. New to Tumblr. Want a drink? Chai or coffee? Latte art? Send me an ask!

EXTRA INFORMATION BELOW

MUSE

Nova | 20 | They/Them (he/it) | 5'10" ( 178cm ) Nova is a barista at a nearby battle cafe. Despite this, they've profusely refused any requests for battle and will only accept challenges if their boss is within earshot. They've earned a bit of a reputation for themself, not just as the jumpy, but friendly, pacifist at the cafe, but also as a skilled latte artist. They have a passion for food (especially pastries) and drinks (especially teas and coffee). Nova also works on the side with Ethan at his medium company despite having absolutely no experience with exorcisms. If asked, well... They're just really fond of Ghost and Psychic-type Pokémon? That's basically the same thing, right? Plus, they like Ethan! He's nice. (And some spare change doesn't hurt.) Other than that, there's no public information on Nova. They go by their first name exclusively and keep a small circle of friends. They never talk about their personal life and seem as though they keep everyone at a distance. A little digging would show no records of family, nor any prior living quarters before their apartment in Hoenn in which they just showed up one day. No prior jobs, no friends, nothing. They're a living ghost. Here's some fun facts! Their favorite Pokémon is Alcremie and their specialty is Psychic-type Pokémon. Despite this, they're pretty fond of Ghost-types.

WRITER / CONTACT

As before, hey! My name's Aspen. I use any pronouns. I'm 21 and well into college. As such, my activity will be sporadic. I'm also anemic and tend to be exhausted after classes. I fully intend to prioritize real life and health over any writing. That said, if I don't get to a reply or an ask within a reasonable amount of time ( three days or more ) and there's no stated reason why on my blog, feel free to reach out to me! If you can't reach me here, try my other blog @blastburns or my Discord, aspieri. Feel free to reach out for any reason at all! Even just to chat. I will mostly be on mobile so please give me time to cut posts. | EAST COAST ( EST ) | Please expect a low activity level for the first few days of the blog's creation. I'm extremely nervous around new people and take a long time to warm up.

CONTENT WARNINGS

As stated above, this muse is a foodie and as such will frequently talk about and share images of food. Please keep that into account before following or interacting. May include mature or triggering topics such as religious trauma, violence, memory loss and death / mourning of family. I will try to tag these to the best of my ability. If you have any triggers you'd like for me to tag, or topics to avoid in interactions please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you.

RULES

Bigots and weirdos begone. This includes any and all "phobes" (xenophobe, homophobe, transphobe, racist, sexist) as well as zoophiles/poképhiles, pedophiles/lolicons/MAPs, pro-shippers and TERFs. IRL blogs politely please do not interact. Do not randomly grope my muse or initiate an NSFW interaction. I am absolutely not writing anything NSFW outside of DMs and not with someone I don't know. Do not purposely misgender my muse for any reason, even if it's just supposed to be in character. Please do not send me images of fungi or mushrooms. I have zero interest in your personal drama or beef. Please don't try to drag me into it. I'm just here to write and meet people.

CREDITS

ICON / PINNED POST

My custom website is still under construction so it will look extremely super duper ugly in the meantime! Thanks for your patience.

#pinned

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insurrection-if · 1 year

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in the end chapter or the epilogue, will we get to have a scene where, depending on our choices, get to marry the chosen ro? or is it in the later series? sorry if this question is stupid (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠)

(* -ω- )ヾ(・ω・*) There is no such thing as a stupid question here, sweet Anon!

And, yes, if the MC so chooses, they can marry their chosen RO in the epilogue (even if they didn't choose to become engaged during the main narrative). The details about the ceremonial rituals will likely be left vague to accommodate headcanons of (non-)religious or cultural affiliations. Instead, the scene (excluding some expositional lead-up to the wedding itself like RO's and MC's anticipation, preparation, etc.) will be more centered around the reception part of this milestone as the happy couple is celebrated by those who love them (or were obligated enough to accept the invitation, in the case of some of their relatives).

I'll try to add some customizable elements where I can (as well as the epilogue will be comprised of sort of "mini-chapters" regarding the aftermath of everything). Things like the MC's attire (color, style, hand-me-down vs. high-end, etc.), the size of the event (small and intimate or crowded and grand), the location (in MC's birthplace, the RO's, a setting in the main narrative, "insert location name here"), which former associates integral to the main narrative are invited, etc. That's the plan, at least!

As for those not inclined to marriage, there will be an alternate scene of just the MC and RO reaffirming their devotion to each other in their casual, daily lives. Though, whereas Jae and Elouan will drag their feet with great reluctance towards marriage, so too will Imka and Fyodor internally long for that promise of marriage with MC’s averse to the idea. Sigmund would be more visibly uncomfortable with a lack of a marriage if he had children with the MC.

Mm, the situation is more complicated for the minor ROs though. If an MC avoided a main romance to try and be with one of the minor ROs, that'll leave a wedding / marriage more . . . complicated. Lempo will not marry under any circumstances, Bones won't marry the MC in the presence of any former HAWKS, Dearil . . . yeah, no, that’s no good, haha! (；´∀｀) I mean, there could be a little something there but it’ll quite dour! And Retriever and Curadora will also, uh, be a toss-up depending on where they’re at by the story’s end. Again, all of their romances are not as fleshed out if you choose to try and pursue solely them, so their epilogues will be a lot more constrained!

Thank you for the ask! （＾ｖ＾）

#ro

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moneeb0930 · 1 year

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The Land of Punt(Ta netjer, the “land of the gods”)

After the end of the New Kingdom period, Punt became “an unreal and fabulous land of myths and legends.”

At times, the ancient Egyptians called Punt Ta netjer, meaning “God’s Land”.This referred to the fact that it was among the regions of the Sun God, that is, the regions located in the direction of the sunrise, to the East of Egypt. These eastern regions’ resources included products used in temples, notably incense. Older literature (and current non-mainstream literature) maintained that the label “God’s Land”, when interpreted as “Holy Land” or “Land of the gods/ancestors”, meant that the ancient Egyptians viewed the Land of Punt as their ancestral homeland. W. M. Flinders Petrie believed that the Dynastic Race came from or through Punt and E. A. Wallis Budge stated that “Egyptian tradition of the Dynastic Period held that the aboriginal home of the Egyptians was Punt…”.The term was not only applied to Punt, located southeast of Egypt, but also to regions of Asia east and northeast of Egypt, such as Lebanon, which was the source of wood for temples.

Location

The oldest known expedition to Punt was organized by Pharaoh Sahure of the 5th dynasty (2458-2446 BC). Also around 1950 BC, in the time of King Mentuhotep III, 11th dynasty (2004-1992 BC), an officer named Hennu and three thousand men from the south transported material for building ships through Wadi Hammamat, and to Punt acquiring a number of exotic products including incense, perfume and gum was brought to Egypt. A very famous expedition was for Queen Hatshepsut in the 18th dynasty (1473-1458 BC). It was formed of five ships, each measuring 70 feet long, and with several sails. These accommodated 210 men, including sailors and 30 rowers, and was led by the Nubian general “Nehsi”. They departed at Quseir on the Red Sea for what was primarily a trading mission, seeking frankincense and myrrh, and fragrant unguents used for cosmetics and in religious ceremonies. However, they also brought back exotic animals and plants, ivory, silver and gold. A report of this voyage is left behind as temple reliefs in Deir el-Bahri, Egypt (see reliefs below). The reliefs shows the departure of the expedition, its arrival at the mysterious land, the landing of the ships with the gifts by the Puntine leader to Hatshepsut, and the preparations for the return voyage. The temple reliefs also showed the features of the Puntine people, who were black Africans, as well as another race much resembling Egyptians. Donkeys were depicted as the method of transporting goods, and white dogs guarding the people’s houses. Birds, monkeys, leopards and hippopotamus are also seen, as well as giraffes which are typical African animals, to live in Punt. The Nubian Nehsi is then shown in front of his tent with a banquet offered to his guests, and observing the gifts presented.

And then there is the story of The Shipwrecked Sailor, 2200 BC which references Punt.

Petrie, W.M. Flinders. The Making of Egypt, London. New York, Sheldon Press; Macmillan, 1939:

Page 77

“Some of the most obvious public works of the 1st dynasty were the carrying on of earlier undertakings. The great historical maces, and the irrigation works, had been developed under the Scorpion king of the Aunu, and both may have originated much earlier. Many vases and bowls bear his name.”

“Origins in Elam and Punt. The distinctive character of the 1st dynasty, which separates it from all that went before, is the conquest and union of the whole land of Egypt. It became thus subject to the falcon-bearing tribe of Horus, which was the natural enemy of the Aunu, the Set-bearing tribe. This falcon tribe had certainly originated in Elam, as indicated by the hero and lions on the "Araq knife handle”. They went down the Persian Gulf and settled in the “horn of Africa.” There they named the “Land of Punt,” sacred to later Egyptians as the source of the race. The Pun people founded the island fortress of Ha-fun, which commands the whole of that coast, and hence came the Punic or Phoenic peoples of classical history. Those who went up the Red Sea formed the dynastic invaders of Egypt, entering by the Qocier-Koptos road. Others went on to Syria and founded Tyre, Sidon and Aradus, named after their home islands in the Persian Gulf (Strabo, XVI, iii, 4). This migration formed the basis of the great spread of Puni, by the colonies of Carthage around the Mediterranean, and into the Atlantic on both north and south.“–W.M. Flinders Petrie

The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Ian Shaw, p. 317, 2003:

"There is still some debate regarding the precise location of Punt, which was once identified with the region of modern Somalia. A strong argument has now been made for its location in either southern Sudan or the Eritrean region of Ethiopia, where the indigenous plants and animals equate most closely with those depicted in the Egyptian reliefs and paintings.

It used to be assumed (primarily on the basis of the scenes at Deir el-Bahri depicting Hatshepsut’s expedition to Punt in the mid-18th Dynasty) that the trading parties travelled by sea from the ports of Quseir or Mersa Gawasis, but it now seems likely that at least some of the Egyptian traders sailed south along the Nile and then took an overland route to Punt, perhaps making contact with the Puntites in the vicinity of Kurgus, at the fifth cataract.

The Deir el-Bahri scenes include depictions of the unusual Puntite settlements, comprising conical reed-built huts set on poles above the ground, and entered via ladders. Among the surrounding vegetation are palms and myrrh trees, some of the latter already in the process of being hacked apart in order to extract the myrrh. The scenes also show myrrh trees being loaded onto the ships so that the Egyptians could produce their own aromatics from them (and it has been argued that this in itself may be an argument for the combined Nile-overland route from Punt to Egypt, given the fact that such plants might well have died during the more difficult voyage northwards along the Red Sea coast). These myrrh trees might even have been replanted in the temple at Deir el-Bahri itself, judging from the surviving traces of tree pits there.”

And then there is the story of The Shipwrecked Sailor, 2200 BC which references Punt.

[right] chief of Punt “Parakhu”; [left] his wife queen “Aty”

Original copy at the Museum at Cairo (No. 34419)

There is still some debate regarding the precise location of the mythical land of Punt:

Breasted, James Henry, Ph.D., Ancient Records of Egypt, Historical Documents, Vol. II, 1906:

Pages 102-104

“These are undoubtedly the most interesting series of relief’s in Egypt, and form almost our only early source of information for the land of Punt. They are as beautiful in execution as they are important in content. They record an important expedition of the queen thither, which was successfully concluded just before her ninth year.”

“The only earlier evidences of intercourse with Punt are as follows: In the Fourth Dynasty a Puntite negro appears as the slave of one of the sons of King Khufu, in the Fifth, King Sahure sent an expedition thither, and King Isesi sent another, which brought back a dancing dwarf; in the Sixth, an officer of Pepi II, named Enenkhet, was killed by the Sand-dwellers on the coast, while building a ship for the Punt voyage, and another expedition thither under the the same king was led by assistant treasurer, Thethy; in the Eleventh Dynasty, Henu, chief treasurer of King Senekhkere-Mentuhoptep III, dispatched an expedition to Punt, which he accompanied only to the coast of the Red Sea; in the Twelfth Dynasty, an officer of Amenemhet II, named Khentkhetwer, records his safe return from Punt; and finally there was also an expedition under Sesostris II.”

“The question of the location of Punt is too large for discussion here, but is was certainly in Africa, and probably was the Somali coast.”

“Historically, it is important to note that Thutmose III appears only once in the Punt reliefs, and that in a subordinate position, so that, as far as this source is concerned, the queen is the author of the expedition, which she undertakes in accordance with an oracle of Amon”.

Page 117

Punt under the Queen

“But I will cause thy army to tread them, I have led them on water and on land, to explore the waters of inaccessible channels, and I have reached the Myrrh-terraces. It is a glorious region of God’s-Land; it is indeed my place of delight. I have made it for myself, in order to divert my heart, together with Mut, Hathor, Wereret (Isis), mistress of Punt, the mistress, ‘Great in Sorcery’, mistress of all gods. They took myrrh as they wished, they loaded the vessels to their hearts’ content, with fresh myrrh trees, every good gift of this country, Puntites whom the people know not, Southerns of God’s-Land. I conciliated them by love that they might give to thee praise, because thou art a god, because of thy fame in the countries. I know them, I am their wise lord, I am the begetter, Amon-Re; my daughter, who binds the lords, is the king [Makere] (Hatshepsut). I have begotten her for myself. I am thy father, who sets thy fear among the Nine Bows, while they come in peace to all gods. They have brought all the marvels, every beautiful thing of God’s-Land, for which thy majesty sent them: heaps of gum of myrrh, and enduring trees bearing fresh myrrh, united in the festival-hall, to be seen of the lord of the gods. May thy majesty cause them to grow. My temple, in order to delight my heart among them. My name is before the gods, thy name is before all the living, forever. Heaven and earth are flooded with incense; odors are in the Great House. Mayest thou offer them to me, pure and cleansed, in order to express the ointment for the divine limbs, to offer myrrh, to make ointment, to make festive my statue with necklaces, while I am making libations for thee. My heart is glad because of seeing thee.”–James Henry Breasted

The loading of the ships.

Plate from The Road to Punt, F.D.P. Wicker, The Journal of African History, Vol. 12, No. 1 (1971), 162.

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feotakahari · 5 months

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Scrapyard Station: Mental Illness and Neurodivergence

Depending on the colony they live in, Tinkers may experience social pressure to get brain-mods that eliminate things like hallucinations and mood swings. However, it’s usually not a crippling stigma for non-soldiers to refuse to use brain mods. And some conditions are generally accepted, particularly autism.

The Pure are all over the place in terms of attitudes. Some accept neurodivergence, some fear it, some medicate it, some oppose the use of psychiatric medicine . . . The only common link is the rejection of brain mods. A noticeable minority of Nomads experience paranoia and hallucinations. The most common is a sensation of being watched by an unblinking eye. It’s common and accepted to use calming mental exercises, and mild downers are readily available (think caffeine but in reverse.) Stronger psychiatric drugs are available, but only used when necessary. Don’t ask them about the Prowlers, which they pretend don’t exist.

Prowlers are defined by their brain damage, and it gives them a variety of deficits in their ability to trust, value, or interpret the emotions of others, even other Prowlers. This is somewhat of a hindrance to the overall Prowler agenda, as they can’t cooperate well enough to pull off large-scale plans.

Builders see a place for everything, and for people who see the world differently, that place is often religious. Even Builders who choose secular work gain a certain degree of respect for “visions,” and a bit of leeway even if the things they see and think go against the social order. It’s certainly possible to be too strange to accept, though, with the kind and level of unallowed strangeness varying from one colony to another.

As a species evolved to consume and safely integrate wildly differing minds, Scholars are immune to most forms of psychosis. They can start out with deficits in reading and understanding others’ emotions, but regular interaction with other hive minds helps them understand even non-Scholars. However, Scholars can and often do think in divergent ways about the things they perceive.

Riders fear and condemn mental illness for much the same reason some people on Earth fear demonic possession. Some younger Riders push back against this, but progress has been slow.

Scrappers are almost impossible to brain damage unless you starve them for months at a time, and they have a lot of redundancies that usually prevent psychosis. Neurodivergence is possible, but not often thought about in terms of either discrimination or accommodation.

Stewards look down on anyone who can’t fulfill their assigned duties and safeguard the Goddess’s legacy. They may have jobs that can accommodate your issues, but if those jobs are already occupied, you’re viewed as a parasite. The Entitled welcome everyone, though, because they’re too few to be picky about membership.

Winnowers strongly disrespect any form of mental illness, and it’s a major dishonor on a parent to let a mentally ill child survive to adulthood. Winnowers aren’t exactly evil, but they’re still vicious bastards.

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raposarealm · 2 years

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Rapo Rambles About Juri and Herself

Maaaan, reading through Juri’s MSS, I’m seeing what I very well could’ve been.

I took on working on the JSON for Ai’s translation of Juri’s MSS, and while editing the file format to merge with the Japanese JSON, I’ve gotten to read through the translation (which is quite well done, thank you Ai!)

For some context, Juri attends Ryuugasaki Academy, which is a relatively well-to-do all-girl’s school. She worked hard to get into its attendance, so her father (who’s both single and a teen father, so he has literally Juri and that’s it,) wouldn’t have to worry about her getting a poor education, or, more importantly, her getting kicked out. Except, she continued to get into tussles, and was on the verge of expulsion, presumably not for the first time, when she was approached by Kyubey, and made her wish: for a “perseverant heart”. That’s what granted her personal magic as such; she can endure much more than before, but the more she endures negative emotion, the more violently she’ll ‘explode’ when she reaches her inevitable limit. As of her MSS, the only outlet she’s found has been to physically fight other people (mostly Yuna).

I remember when I was in elementary school, and was in private schools similar to Juri’s. I also had a serious anger issues, coupled with a number of neurodivergencies that made it all worse. From what I can see, I don’t know whether Juri was bullied or hazed when she was younger, but given the combination of her extremely short temper, rough behavior inherited from her father, and of course, said father’s young age and single status, I’d wager she definitely was. I wasn’t in Juri’s exact situation, but it was comparable in some ways -- for one, I had a mother in bad health, who was bedridden for part of my elementary years, and for two, I attended so-called ‘Christian’ private schools that were, for the singular exeption of one actually good Catholic school (yes, I’m serious!), were basically Evangelical nightmares.

My father, as I’ve noted on here before, is a Doctor of molecular genetics, and from the combined influence of him and my mother’s profession of emergency nursing/paramedicine, I developed a strong interest in scientific fields very early on. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d routinely answer ‘a chemist!’, with heavy enthusiasm -- I wanted to work in drug research specifically, because another hit to my mother’s health was her extreme allergy to NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which are the primary treatment for most chronic pain. Needless to say, the minute any of my teachers found out of my father’s profession, and how his love of the sciences had rubbed off on me, they’d give me all hell. ‘Of course she’s bad, her father’s a biologist! Which means he believes in evolution,’ they’d unilaterally think. (Look, my ‘science’ textbook in fourth grade claimed the Moon was only a few thousand years old, which was the moment I realized how dumb the curriculum was.) So I was allowed to become the bullying target, with the teachers refusing to reprimand any student who harassed me, and instead turning the blame on me when I’d boil over from repeated abuse. Hell, I sat out in the hall as ‘punishment’ nearly every day in fifth grade, arguable the worst year of my life.

The difference though, from Juri’s background, is that I had two parents, one of whom was a full-time mother, for the very reason of my severe neurodivergence. When I got to middle school, which hilariously was a public school run fifty times better than even the best private school I’d attended, these sources of abuse were removed, since the teachers a) didn’t give a shit about what my parents did for work, b) were required to keep their religious views out of the question, because while Virginia might be a Bible Belt state, this was Northern Virginia, where that sort of bull doesn’t fly, and c) were informed of my special needs before the year started, and were required to follow any accommodations on my IEP (thanks, ADA!). Juri doesn’t get these luxuries, I know, and I can only imagine that I’d have turned into her by high school if I hadn’t gotten the support I did. Juri’s old man is as supportive as he can be, but he was stated to be only 19 when Juri was born (so 35 now,) so he’s got his own set of issues to deal with, and likely didn’t get the time to mature properly himself, ‘cause he had to raise a kid at the same time. (Meanwhile, my folks were nearly forty each when I was born.) She’s been stuck with no support but her father her whole life, and she’s had to support him right back. It’s kinda surprising that they don’t fight all that much, actually.

To go into some Arc 2 spoilers, Chapter 10 gives us another perspective, too, showing us what Juri would’ve been like as a parent... but also what she’d have been like if she’d been given a fairer shot. In the Kimochi bit in episode 4, we see Juri as a teen parent to Ao, yes, but she’s not alone like her father was -- she has Yuna, who’s been the closest to support Juri’s had this whole time. She’s also got Hikaru, to an extent, and while Hikaru won’t hold down a job to save her life (ironically,) she’s still good-natured and kind, and, more importantly, cares about Juri and Yuna’s wellbeing. Juri’s given a chance to ‘trial-run’ being an adult, since she knows this whole bit will end eventually (though, from their perspective, in 14 years!) She’s given a chance to work for something, to have a support structure she didn’t before. All that ends up giving her ways to manage her anger beyond just beating people up -- yeah, she still has to fight the kimochi every time Ao gets fearful, but she’s got Yuna in tow to help, as well as Hikaru.

I’m in my 20s now, and I’ve only just started attending college. I’ve got a certification for pharmacy technicians, but no license, and I go back to school for my third-ever semester this winter. I’ve been convinced for years that by the time I’d get to college, my dreams of having a four-year degree in a science field or in translation would be violently shattered by my own inability to simply ‘do things I don’t like!’. Well, while I likely won’t be able to handle a full degree for quite a while, the idea that it’s my own damn fault I can’t do so has also been shot down. I’ve been struggling with a deep depression and a sometimes straight-up paralyzing anxiety for years now, to the point that my whole high school career was extended an extra year past when I should’ve graduated as a result. But, after almost a whole decade of being psychologically stuck, I’ve gotten some treatment for it. The chronic pain I’ve been fighting is starting to be managed, after we finally found a pain management doctor who’d actually take me seriously. I’ve found a therapist who’s actually able to cut through some of my own self-deprecation to get the point across that my behavior is normal for ADD folks. I’m inches away from getting a license finally, after being forbidden from getting one at sixteen, and I’ve been cleared to ride my bike into town along a certain route, so I’ve got ways to get outta the damn house. I know those aren’t the same ‘clean break’ Juri got in Chapter 10, but given that the Kimochi mindscape wasn’t reality anyways, she’s still gonna have work ahead of her to make that future a reality for herself, too. But, knowing that there’s a chance that things can turn out alright, and that you’ll be happier in the future, takes a lotta weight off the shoulders, y’know?

It’s late, and I’m tired from my medication increasing in dose today, so I dunno if I’ve made much sense, but basically I love Juri more now because I can see myself in her, and therefore I can see some hope for myself in there, too.

#ok wow this was a long ramble #not so much a 'character analysis' as 'rapo's out of it'#first-hand view of a character becoming a favourite #magia record #ooba juri #rapo rambles

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navree · 1 year

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https://at.tumblr.com/navree/does-aegon-ii-wants-to-be-king-in-the-book/vuh0fivit443

I really love your insight on Book!Aegon and he is really the most interesting and compelling green to me in the book. It's kinda sad how they turned him in the show, they wanted to humanization him at first but then they decided to ruin it all by what they did in ep8&9 . I really wanted his line "what kind of a brother...." to be in the show. Also what do you think about Criston in the book? I get the impression that he is very ambitious and had really close relationship with Egg otherwise he won't be able to convince him to take the iron throne

Thank you so much for the compliment!

I actually like a fair bit of what they've done with Aegon in the show, like his ten million different issues, I just wish they kept the Mushroom to a minimum so we'd get less weird and unnecessary shit. But I would have also liked to see some more of the book characterization (well, "characterization" we don't know whether any of this is factual or not) and I would have liked to see some more of how he was convinced to accept the crown when he was already willing to let it go to Rhaenyra, especially when in the show he's got some level of genre awareness and is terrified of what the Iron Throne is going to do to him, as well as that eventual conversation about how he needs to do it for his family. Given that we've seen Aegon being really to put it all on the line for his family in the show, the way he was willing to take the heat on Driftmark for Aemond and Alicent's sakes, it would have been some good character moment too.

Criston's a bit of a hard read in the book, since the book is mainly focused on the Targaryen histories and as such, non-Targaryens, even heavily featured ones like Criston Cole or Alys Rivers or Torrhen Stark or any of the Conquest-era Martells don't get a lot of characterization. Which I think is understandable, if I'm a fifteenth century historian writing about, like, the York Plantagenets, I'm not going to devote significant time to also telling you about the personality of Eleanor Butler or even the Duke of Buckingham, not in any significant ways. Criston's story in the book is also incredibly different than in the show; for instance, he's already been the Lord Commander for nearly ten years when Viserys dies, whereas Harrold Westerling was still alive and kicking in the show and only retired out of disgust, rather than just dying of old age. There's also the fact that a lot of time stuff was flipped around to accommodate changed ages and whatnot, along with just Criston having been given a lot more character to work with; things like his Dornish hereitage, his commoner's backstory, his religious leanings, those are all show originals, none of that is mentioned in the book.

Criston doesn't seem to have been personally ambitious, not in any way that would have been remarked upon, but determined to advance the cause of the Greens and ambitious for them. Like in the show, Criston has a falling out with Rhaenyra (the circumstances in the book are murky) and then later becomes Alicent's sworn shield after the death of Joffrey Lonmouth, though in the book he's probably more profoundly grateful to her and tied to her because the death was actually an accident, and Alicent was the only one who seemed to point out that this is the risk people take when they enter tourneys and that Criston shouldn't be punished just for having won and just because Joffrey decided to ignore that risk. He's a much more personally loyal man to Alicent than his show counterpart, which is saying something because show!Criston is like.......extremely loyal to Alicent, I watched episode 9. He also seems to have filled a mentor type of role to her kids, though less overtly fatherly than in the show, given that Viserys was something of a present father in the book (leagues more than he was in the show) and just the fact that he just became attached to Alicent later in their lives than he did. But he was still close to them, the book makes a note of the special attention he paid to Aemond and how he helped him become a swordsman after he lost his eye, even before he was Lord Commander, and as you said, he was able to both figure out where Aegon was after Viserys died and lighted on the right way to convince him to take the crown. It does speak to at least knowing what kind of person Aegon was and what he valued enough to go against his initial ideals. Aegon also names Criston his hand, and Criston is trusted enough to be a major battle leader and also spend significant time with Aemond during his regency.

Criston in the book comes off as less of an intrinsically nice person and less good intentioned and proto-Jaime than he does in the show (I've discussed what I think of show Criston as a show character here); he seems snider and more motivated by spite and just wanting to win against people he dislikes than anything else, but there's still a nobility in him and a goodness in how he treats his fellow man (not just his apparent affection for Alicent's children even in the book, but also surrounding the circumstances of his death and how it happened, which I talked about here). Ultimately, I agree with Jaime that Criston Cole embodied the best and the worst of the Kingsguard: steadfast and loyal and uncompromising in the face of duty, unquestioning in the orders given and unflinching and determined in his role as protector and guardian and fighter; but also capable of subsuming his entire identity to those he serves even at the potential destruction of the realm, vicious not just on the battlefield but off of it (given the personal dimension to his issues with Rhaenyra influencing his role in crowning Aegon), and how ultimately his duty as Alicent's shield and supporting her put him on the path to being the Kingmaker and using positions intrinsic to the Kinsguard, like the Lord Commander being on the Small Council, to influence events and politics when he shouldn't have done so. Very different from his show character, but I don't think less interesting or less worthy of interest and further analysis.

#personal #answered #anonymous #criston cole #yeah it's hard to parse out character in the book because of the way it's written #it's a history textbook so they don't really talk about thoughts and feelings if you're not a targaryen ruler #i think the best way to describe criston is that he's somewhat nastier than his show counterpart #but also in his own way more like ned than his show counterpart #(as i mentioned show criston is giving major dornish jaime vibes and i stand by that)

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