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princesssarisa · 9 months

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If the Asian and Egyptian versions of the Cinderella story really are the oldest versions, then it's very interesting to see how the story of Cinderella has done an about-face between those early versions and the most recent adaptations.

In the Egyptian tale of Rhodopis, the Chinese tale of Ye Xian, and the Vietnamese tale of Tam and Cam (among others, I'm sure), the heroine and the king she ultimately marries don't meet before she loses her shoe. He just finds the shoe, or some other person or animal finds it and brings it to him. He determines from how small and delicate it is that it must belong to a very beautiful woman, so he resolves to find her and marry her, and he does.

These early proto-Cinderellas and their kings don't have time to fall in love before they get married, unless we assume that love at first sight takes place. The point isn't that she finds true love: the point is that she escapes from her unhappy circumstances, marries a king, and becomes a queen. It makes sense that it should be that way, since in those cultures (and most others) in ancient times, marriage was probably very rarely for love. The heroine's escape and social advancement are the central wish-fulfillment.

But as the tale travels to Europe and becomes the familiar Cinderella, it changes. The heroine and her prince (as he tends to be in European versions instead of a king) now meet at the ball or festival she attends in her magic finery. They fall in love there. The search for the girl who fits the slipper isn't just for a girl presumed to be beautiful based on the smallness and daintiness of her shoe, but a search for the girl the prince already loves yet has no other way to find.

The central wish-fulfillment changes from just "the heroine escapes from abuse and marries into royalty" to "the heroine finds true love, escapes from abuse, and marries into royalty."

Stage and screen adaptations from the 19th century onward often take this change a step further, probably both to increase the romanticism and to prevent anyone from accusing Cinderella of being a gold-digger. They have Cinderella fall in love with the prince without knowing he's a prince, and only learn his identity later. The fact that he is royalty comes across as just an added bonus for this Cinderella, who was perfectly content thinking she had found a poor but loving man.

And now, in the 2020s, a new trend has emerged in adaptations. In no less than three recent Cinderellas – Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2021 musical, the 2021 Amazon/Sony Pictures movie musical, and the 2020 storybook Sootypaws that retells the story with mice – the heroine and her prince fall in love, but they don't get married and she doesn't become royalty. On the contrary, falling in love with Cinderella makes the prince realize he doesn't want to be king after all, so he abdicates his throne, letting his convenient brother or sister reign instead, and the two lovers set out to travel the world together.

The theme of the heroine escaping from abuse is consistent. But when it comes to what else she gains, we've shifted from "the heroine marries into royalty" to "the heroine finds true love and marries into royalty," to just "the heroine finds true love," and with added emphasis on gaining freedom.

This change probably says a lot about the difference between today's Western culture and the cultures of ancient Egypt or China.

#cinderella #fairy tale #retellings #adaptations #cultural differences

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kikithegr8 · 1 month

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Rant for my cyber gangsters…

So I had an anonymous person try to tell me I’m racist against Asians and then say something about me not liking Lucas because I’m racist or whatever. I deleted the post because honestly I felt like entertaining it was beneath me but now that I have some time I wish I hadn’t because this seems like an opportunity for a teaching moment…

So first of all these characters aren’t real. If someone doesn’t like a character it’s real weird when people get offended. Imagine if in real life we all had the same type. A lot of y’all would be single because you’re bitter and can’t compete so lucky for you that’s not the case.

If I’m completely honest I’m less likely to choose white characters simply because I’m less likely to relate to white characters culturally. LITG S3 Bill is probably the antithesis of what I’d be interested in, guys like Gary, and Eddie are physically attractive, but I’ve never had a white guy as my end game. That being said if there are white people who are not interested in people of color that’s fine by me but keep it real. Don’t try to insult all characters of color just acknowledge your preference.

As it relates to Lucas I initially thought he was gorgeous and humble and rich and bougie in a good way. I like to get dressed up and go to nice restaurants IRL so I thought we’d be perfect together. He was a sophisticated doctor with a little edge to him. Plus he has a bike and is outdoorsy ish but I think would be down for glamping. I’ve been around people where my personality is too much, and I’ve been around people where I feel like I’m not enough as a person and that is okay, those are not my people. Lucas triggered something that made me feel like I wasn’t enough. Idk if it was when I tried to kiss him after we ate and he rejected me, or that I wanted children and he didn’t, or if it was that I felt pressure to take him back when he returned but something didn’t sit right with me. He was my end game but I took the money. The issues I had with Lucas I don’t associate with him being Asian.

The only complaint I have against Jin is that I told him I messed around in casa, he saw me mess around in casa several times and he just accepted it. If he had a little more self respect about him I’d still be on the fence but that made me lose interest. Of course if I didn’t fool around in the first place we wouldn’t be here so my violation is 10x worse than his. There are people complaining he led Sienna on. He’s 22. He was being nice. Maybe even keeping his options open. I don’t care. As a woman, always check to see if your man keeps that same energy when different people are around. If he switches up, that’s not your man. Sienna is dumb.

I can’t look at someone and tell whether they are Brazilian, Spanish, or Puerto Rican. I can’t look at someone and tell whether they are from Niger, or Morocco, or Zimbabwe. I can’t look at someone and tell whether they are Chinese, Vietnamese, or Japanese. Someone tried to tell me I’m racist against East Asians (probably the same person). Sweetie you are vastly overestimating my geographical capabilities.

Anyway let’s breakdown the definition of racism, shall we?

I don’t bother to check the ancestry for Black or white people, I don’t think Black or white people care honestly. I’m quite sure I’ve used someone with Irish ancestry to represent someone who actually had Scottish ancestry or someone with Nigerian ancestry to represent someone with Ghanaian ancestry. I know I’ve used someone with Mexican ancestry to represent someone with Brazilian ancestry and someone with Filipino ancestry to represent someone with Japanese ancestry. So if I’m treating everyone the same irrespective of race does that meet the definition of racism? I don’t discriminate.

For the anonymous people out in social media who make ridiculous accusations about people’s character, I’m not sure what your goal is. If you are out here trying to hurt feelings, let it be known 1. I’m not out here seeking validation from people who aren’t valid. In other words people who are anonymous bullies. I’m grown grown. Idk what in the after school special is going on but I don’t do bullies. 2. I’m real big on self awareness. There is not much anyone can say to massage or bruise my ego. 3. I have to actually respect you for your opinion to mean anything. Someone actually respectfully reached out and I decided that was enough for me to pull back from doing face claims (the boy I pulled for Jin is fine too, but whatever, noted. I’m just trying to bring joy by sharing pics of cute boys but if it’s causing discomfort then I’m gonna chill on that). 4. The way you interact with people is so much more of a reflection of who you are than who they are. So why you are out here anonymously making crazy accusations what does that say about you? Perhaps your time would be better spent unpacking that.

Keep trying me if you want to, please know I am not moved nor bothered.

Otherwise if someone wants to engage in a conversation or has respectful constructive criticism please respond. I genuinely am interested in your perspective and want to see what you have to say. I know I’m not perfect. I have plenty of room to grow. I love interacting with people from different ethnic, racial, or national backgrounds because I can learn from different perspectives.✌🏽🫶🏽

#litg #love island game #love island the game #litg mc #litg s8 #litg tempting fate #litg season 8 #racisim #talk to me nice

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beardedmrbean · 9 months

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Six women have been rescued from the back of a lorry in France, after the BBC helped track them down and alert the police.

The four Vietnamese and two Iraqis, thought to be migrants, were trapped inside, panicking and struggling to breathe. One of them spoke to the BBC from inside the lorry.

The BBC then helped to contact the police, who stopped the lorry.

French police have arrested the lorry driver.

They have also opened an investigation into a suspected human trafficking operation.

Here's the story of what happened.

At around midday on Wednesday, my phone screen lit up. It was a message that read: "There are some people who crossed the border from France to England in a refrigerated van."

Before I could finish reading the message, a call came in.

"Are you in Europe? Please help, it's urgent," a panicked voice rang out.

I felt cold all over. The tragic story of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead after suffocating in a lorry trailer back in 2019 in Essex was still fresh in my mind.

I didn't know who the caller was, but believed he knew me from when I covered the Essex lorry deaths, as a lot of Vietnamese people approached me that time.

I asked the caller a few questions, but quickly became frustrated at not being able to get the information I needed.

This is what I learnt - there was a group of about six people hiding in the lorry, its licence plate number was unknown, as was its location and the direction it was heading in.

All I knew at this point, from what the caller had told me, was that the vehicle was in France, but seemed to have turned around and was no longer going towards its original destination - the border to England.

I was told the six women were in the trunk of the lorry and that the air conditioning started to turn on. Those inside were very cold and were panicking.

But they were still able to contact the outside world, and the caller put one of them in touch with me.

"It's so cold, it [the cooler] keeps blowing," a young woman texted me from the lorry, which was carrying bananas. She said the lorry was sealed with an iron bar.

She also sent me two short videos showing the scene inside.

One video showed a dark compartment, and stacked up to the roof were cardboard boxes containing fruit, leaving only a few dozen centimetres of space for them to sit on the floor. There was a cough, and a young female voice said in fluent English: "I can't breathe."

The woman told me they got in the lorry at around 00:30 the night before. They had since spent more than 10 hours in there and started to feel uneasy when their location data on their phone showed that the lorry had changed direction.

Without much time to think, I contacted colleagues from BBC News and reporters living in France. At the same time, a reporter for the French newspaper Le Monde in London was also informed and he immediately alerted his colleague at the Paris editorial office that specialised in immigration.

Tracking the lorry

The woman was able to share her live GPS location with me, from which I saw the lorry was on the E15 highway, near Dracé, north of Lyon.

Then, I asked a colleague in France to help contact the closest police station to the lorry, and they were able to get in touch with them and send over the details we had.

The woman was unable to make calls from inside the lorry. It's not clear to me why not, but it may have been down to the type of Sim card she was using.

We gathered all the information we needed, and continuously sent vehicle location updates to Pham Cao Phong, a freelance journalist in Paris, as well as the BBC News team in Europe and French police.

All of a sudden, location sharing was interrupted - I had lost the lorry.

But, the young woman was still able to text me. She told me the air conditioner was turned off - and it was getting hard to breathe.

"We're so suffocated," she wrote.

Stuck in the narrow space I saw in the short video clip, I feared they wouldn't have much time to hold out.

I tried to reassure them, telling them to keep calm, to try not to talk to save air, and that the police would come very quickly.

I nervously looked at the computer screen and then my phone, waiting for news.

Police intercept

After talking for a while, I found out that before getting into the lorry, three of the woman's companions decided not to come with her. I'm not sure why they made that decision, but they did take a photo of the lorry's licence plate number.

The photo showed it had Irish licence plates, and on my phone I was able to see its location again.

French police in the Rhone region told us they had determined the vehicle's location and had intercepted it.

I texted her, but I don't think she read my messages - the police must have arrived and confiscated her phone.

The four Vietnamese people say they got in the lorry with the promise of being taken safely to England.

As for me, I felt relief knowing that they were now safe in France. They are safe, I told myself, that's the most important thing.

At about 17:00 local time (16:00 BST), French prosecutor Laetitia Francart in Villefranche-sur-Saône reported that the vehicle turned out to be from Lithuania and that the driver was under investigation.

Ms Francart added that four young women were Vietnamese, one of them a minor, and the other two women were from Iraq.

Why, after the tragedy of 39 deaths in Essex in 2019, are there still young women from Vietnam getting into the back of a lorry to cross the border? I can't find any definitive answer.

#nunyas news

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spotsupstuff · 11 months

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Saw a couple food posts on here and obviously had to brainstorm headcanons for our local iterators. That is if they were humans/ancients/could actually consume food. I'm kinda just putting this in your askbox since I like yelling at you about the canon goofs. We'll start off with our best boy.

FP- He's got an iron stomach and mostly just uses it to drink a concerning amount of caffeine. I really can't decide if he's a coffee person or an energy drink person. I can see him chugging red bulls though. He likes spicy stuff and has a surprisingly high tolerance. Also likes anything sour and will stare a person in the eye while eating an entire lemon out of spite. Favorite drink is actually pink lemonade, but it's a secret (no it's not).

If we want to imagine an FP who takes care of himself, he'd probably like Malaysian or Vietnamese stuff.

NSH- Living trash compactor and would eat literal dirt if he thought it tasted good. If he does have preferences though, I'm leaning towards Kazakh cuisine. Foods like beshbarmak or pilaf.

Suns- They've got a weak stomach and would probably die to a pack of crackers. Lives off old rice in the rice cooker. I don't really have much for Suns since I really only think about fighting them in a mall parking lot with a rubber chicken and a lot of glitter.

Moon- I cannot decide if Moon likes traditional Japanese sweets or Danish ones so I declare both! I also like to imagine human Moon as Cajun/Creole as and you can pry this out of my cold dead hands. She would be able to cook wonderful dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, etc.

She carries snacks because God knows Pebbles doesn't eat enough. Also has to keep NSH out of them.

UI- Our girl inherits the Peepaw genes. Specifically for spicy food. Woman will chomp on literal ghost peppers. She had a spice contest with Pebbles and he lost miserably. Obviously, she'll never let him live it down either.

If this is all too much, just delete the ask. It won't bother me any.

feckin dang it with you food-knowledgable people, c'mon, all i know is veggies with sausages, half of these things i have no idea what are

But considering those Suns, NSH (first half) and UI takes i can understand without an issue and are probably the most correct things i'll see today i am inclined to fully believe everythin. Peepaw genes..................

i feel like Pebs would try to be coffee-only person just because coffee has Class unlike energy drinks but he's Such a workaholic that he'd steal Innocence's energy drinks straight from her room while she's still in there while staring her down. sibling culture for the win, she yells at him and chases him down to his room but he manages to lock it before she can do anything about it

Suns would also like fish,,,, heartcanon actually, they'd Adore a well cooked fish. however offer them sushi and they will be found dead in a dumpster two streets over

#Spot says stuff #rw #JGKSDLCMKLSDMG love how you excluded wind in this they have so... Little characterization oh this poor thing

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apocalypticavolition · 4 months

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Film Thoughts

So in an effort to become more cultured and whatnot I figured I might as well get the streaming service for film nerds. Way too many essential films I haven't seen, so why not knock a bunch out? Here's what I watched in the last week.

The Graduate

It's rare for a romantic comedy (well, dramedy, but still, it's hilarious) to be aware that its male protagonist is a horrible person whose only virtue, if you can call it that, is an unrelenting persistence in getting what he wants. It's even rarer for those with incompatible romantic leads to be aware of exactly how miserable they're going to make each other once the honeymoon phase wears off. The Graduate is famous for its ending that makes it very clear exactly how badly its protagonists have torpedoed their lives. But I'd really like to highlight that delightfully horrible moment in the middle, when Dustin Hoffman's character drags Katharine Ross to the front row of a strip club and - for basically the only time in the film until the ending - feels something resembling the human emotion of regret as she is humiliated by the dancer and brought to tears. Anne Bancroft is a fantastic Mrs. Robinson, a woman whose initial affair with Hoffman and perpetually caustic attitude don't quite manage to hide how desperately depressed she really is. A+, should have seen it a lot sooner.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

I've seen Time Bandits, so I'm honestly not sure why I expected anything different. Terry Gilliam adapts a German novel about a tall-tale-telling nobleman (played by John Neville) who fought in the Russo-Turkish War of the 1730s. It's... well, with just a little effort you could easily make it a sequel to Time Bandits. The big differences are that the Baron's obligatory child companion is a girl this time (Sarah Polley) and that he only has one dwarf (Jack Purvis) in the party instead of six, with his other companions being a variety of dudes with extraordinary abilities. Like the Bandits, the Baron jumps from fantastic location to location, visiting a city under siege, Greek myths, and a distant ocean. Finding Robin Williams as the King of Space on the moon is a new touch at least. But sadly, where Bandits's strange ending is almost entirely based on how its plot unfolded bar Sean Connery's unexplained presence in the present, Baron doubles down on the inexplicable at the last minute and deliberately muddles its own finale. I'm not sure Gilliam really ever knew how to end stories. Everything else was quite fun though.

The Delta

An obscure indie film about a young man (Shayne Gray) in Tennessee who embraces his queer leanings and goes boating with a black Vietnamese immigrant (Thang Chan). It's the kind of indie film I often find myself bouncing off of, avoiding a clear dramatic arc in favor of atmosphere and subtle characterization, but on the whole I was drawn in. Chan was a particular delight, demonstrating the difficulties his character had as a queer immigrant of unusual heritage navigating the south in the 90s. It's obvious their relationship is going to fall apart, but I rooted for it anyway. I also enjoyed an earlier scene in the film in which Gray hooks up with a middle-aged man with fetishes that end the encounter prematurely, despite the man's begging as Gray prepares to leave. Sadly, this is another film with ending problems, escalating to a violent conflict that feels more like it was about shocking the audience that anything else. It's still worth watching for Chan's performance.

Inside Llewyn Davis

I really enjoy the Coen Brothers. Oscar Isaac plays the titular character, the Coens' take on real folk singer Dave van Ronk, a talented musician whose impulsiveness and pride consistently prevent him from ever finding real success. Davis remains a more sympathetic character than the company he keeps in part because of the grief of his former musical (and romantic?) partner's death and in part because he does consistently try to do right by his friends even as he makes poor decision after poor decision. Other strong performances in the film include Carey Mulligan, who is almost completely unlikable but dominates every scene she's in, and of course John Goodman who could play a decayed corpse and still be nominated for several awards. In this case he plays a complete asshole of a jazz musician with a heroin problem. It's a fun look at a fictitious variant of the New York folk music scene, but honestly "Coen Brothers" should have already told you whether or not you'd like it.

The Lady Vanishes

Since the Criterion Channel cycles their roster monthly and Hitchcock is being kicked off the streams at the end of this month, I figured I'd give him a bit of attention. The Lady Vanishes offers up a simple enough story: bride-to-be Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) crosses paths with Miss Froy (May Whitty) on a train, but Miss Froy vanishes and Iris has to team up with Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) when no one will admit to having seen the woman, some for merely selfish reasons and others for far more sinister ones. It's a bit too "civilized Brits keeping their chins up amid wicked foreigners" for my liking, but the mystery is a good one and the suspense keeps up even as the characters unravel it. Apparently side characters Charters and Caldicott (who were kinda gay for each other, just saying) were so popular that the BBC just kept using them, which I... do not understand at all. A fun movie, but not Hitchcock's best.

Rear Window

Okay I've already seen this one, but it's been years so it was time to watch it again dammit. I don't know if Rear Window is Hitchcock's best, but it's my favorite. A film that's as much about film as it is about spying on your neighbors, Rear Window is a technical marvel. James Stewart and *checks notes* future princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly-

*checks notes again*

Nope, that's what it says. Hell of a career move.

-star in this thriller about a man who tragically broke his leg about five years before TV became popular and so had to turn to voyeurism to pass the time instead. When he's not spying on the hot dancer or the lonely over-30 woman who is about ready to kill herself from the loneliness, he solves crime! Seriously, just watch it, unless you don't like movies where the dog doesn't live. (Spoiler alert: the dog does not live and its owners are fucking distraught.)

The Cat from Outer Space

Imagine crossing E.T. with Hocus Pocus and adding some of the cast of M*A*S*H, then carefully distilling all of that quality entertainment, tossing it in the trash, and turning the dregs into film. I cannot even begin to fathom why the Criterion Channel has this movie. Its individual scenes are blandly predictable while its overall plot veers wildly from concept to concept (the military reacts to an extraterrestrial probe! the heroes need to gamble on sports and then at a pool hall to get gold! there's an air rescue scene!) in a mishmash of ideas that are each almost but not quite interesting. Since it does predate the kids films it so strongly resembles I won't ding it for having a scene where our alien cat levitates a bike for our hero to ride to safety, but I was so uninterested in this movie that I still kind of want to. Show this to your young kids, ideally when you don't have to be in the same room, but otherwise skip.

Rope

So this was a Hitchcock that I thought I hadn't seen but realized very shortly that I definitely had back in high school. Struggling against the limitations of the era, it's a Hays Code movie starring John Dall and Farley Granger as a murderous gay couple and it's shot to look like a single take despite the fact that they literally couldn't fit more than ten minutes of film into the cameras back then. The title refers both to the literal murder weapon and to the metaphorical noose tightening around the main characters' necks as they try to flaunt their criminal genius by throwing a dinner party with all of their victim's family and friends while he's stuffed into the table they're eating off of. Dall, the sociopathic dom of the relationship, is all too pleased with himself and confident they have everyone (including James Stewart) fooled, while Granger, the obedient sub, slowly cracks under the guilt. You should definitely watch this, especially if you somehow didn't notice how gay it was.

#criterion channel #the graduate #the adventures of baron munchausen #the delta #inside llewyn davis #the lady vanishes #rear window #the cat from outer space #rope

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metamatar · 1 year

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February Reading Round Up! In reverse chronological order of finishing

Reinventing Revolution: New Social Movements and the Socialist Tradition in India by Gail Omvedt

Been meaning to read for a long long time, was serendiptiously a reading groups' choice and on my tumblr dash. Very good, detailed tour of movements that have complicated "class first" - caste, gender, peasant, tribal and their evolution theoretically and historically. Enjoyed how obviously socialist and critical Omvedt is of regressive trends and fair to the demands of popular organising that trouble us. I made so many notes, and intend to revist her perspective later when I've studied more. Where I was familiar with secondary literature like, caste I think she did an excellent job illustrating the limitations and need for Ambedakrite movements.

The Final Question by Chattopadhyay, Sarat Chandra

Bengali literature written in dialogue with the anti colonial movement's understanding of the new role of the Indian woman, this book is angry in the best way. Something very Dostoyevsky like in the arguments between the characters, but, instead of a religious worldview you have a deeply modern, materialist worldview being sharply advocated for against revanchist cultural trends in the novel's heroine Kamal. It holds up really well for a book in 1936, and its tenderness in handling every character's hopes and despair is deeply touching.

The Play Of Dolls Stories by Narain, Kunwar

Tumblr Mutual Book Club pick! Short Story collection by Hindi experimental poet and writer. Very evocative stories that have the best onion like layers of thematic interests. Oft satirical but never bleak, with the exception of the last story which felt like an odd addition to the set.

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Machado, Carmen Maria

Short Story collection as well, feminist and queer themes. I'd already read the Husband Stitch and was interested in what else the author could do, unfortunately not a lot more thematically. The stories are tightly written and gripping, only that they don't reveal much to me.

Dumb Luck by Vũ, Trọng Phụng

Tumblr Mutual Book Club pick as well. Relentlessly, satirically bleak, also colonial writing. This one is set in Vietnam when it was in French Indochina. Tetra said that every character is an antagonist and FR. Vicious, and a little too bleak for my taste, this is a more traditionalist critique of Vietnamese elite aping the French. The gender politics are absolutely bonkers, the translation I read does a pretty decent job of transferring the text's humor to modern idiom.

Vita & Virginia: A Double Life by Gristwood, Sarah

Biography of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackwille-West, picked up on a whim because of my interest in Woolf's 'madness' and her romantic letters. Really enjoyed reading the complicated polyamorous love lives these literati had. Virginia's struggles with her illness are quite movingly portrayed. Illustrated with pictures of the beautiful homes and gardens the subjects spent their time in so fun for me! Enjoyed how conversant the author was with their literary output and its critical reception and impact. Made me want to finish reading my Woolf books.

The Stranger by Camus, Albert

I thought I'd like this more. The distanced narrator is very poorly executed, so the protagonist's redemption? revelations? towards the end of the novel kind of fell flat. Style over substance problem I think.

The Horizon (Sumer, #2) by Gautam Bhatia

Conclusion to The Wall, also one of those I wish I'd liked a lot more than I did. Very fast paced in its third act, well plotted but weakened by its repeated revelation of this character is ACTUALLY on this SIDE. Like, its done with every family member of the protagonist. Worldbuilding remains memorable if a bit predictable. Would make a better movie.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Personally I love an old man vs a fish, even if it does not have the gay content Moby Dick promised. Excellent use of the novel for investigating the interiority of a man. It's been a short story kind of month I suppose.

Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence, D.H.

I have already complained about how fascist this book is. Why does modern commentary elide on its very violent racism and sexism and homophobia? I don't think its erotic worldview offers much to not fascist post sex liberation readers lol.

The Idiot by Batuman, Elif

Sorry. Girl at Harvard was not compelling as expected, but I did get a lot from the third act where the protagonist confronts her love interest for real - honest writing that doesn't shy away from difficult conversations.

The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov, Mikhail

Stalin era Soviet satire (its a month for it!) Very conversant with Faust, which I had not read so that I think diminished my understanding of the book. Absurd, very Christian and very funny about the comedic aspects of Soviet life. Loved the ending, almost Tolkein like in its hope for pretty broken characters.

The World in a Grain of Sand: Postcolonial Literature and Radical Universalism by Majumdar, Nivedita

Postcolonial Lit: The Takedown. Incisive, excellent, gave me a lot of books I want to try that the author points to as bucking the trend of compliance to particularist, oft parochial and usually defeatist understandings that dominate the genre.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

also Bookclub pick. Devastating. Very effective use of the limited POV to illustrate the way shame damns love. Every few pages wrecked me. Tight and sparing with characterisation + description, but delirious with how emotionally close you ride with the protagonist. Best book I have read in a while.

#after seeing a do these for months i have given in finally!#thanks a <3 #what i'm reading

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 10 months

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In a scene filmed at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Ala., Michael W. Twitty, author of “The Cooking Gene,” reads aloud from placards describing the “crimes” for which Black men were lynched. “I want you to think about what the last meals of these men and women were,” he says. “What does it mean to be a Black woman who cooks on a plantation, who bears your slaveholder’s children? What is the kitchen at that point? The kitchen becomes a space of trauma and turmoil, not just a space where you make good food. These are the narratives that get woven out of the glorification of the South as a moonlight-and-magnolias place.”

Other storytellers in this documentary may seem, on the surface, to have almost nothing to do with the Southern past. Their art responds nevertheless to those historical forces, if only because they grew up in a place that was shaped by them. The screenwriter Qui Nguyen, who grew up in Arkansas as the son of Vietnamese refugees, believes that many people have a “stereotyped idea of what a Southerner looks like, or feels like, or sounds like.” A lot of them, he says, “probably wouldn’t guess this face being a part of it, and yet I’m completely a part of the Southern fabric.”

No writer has a lock on what it means to be Southern, but collectively these voices — straight and queer, old and young, Black and white and brown; writing in fiction and nonfiction, in poetry and song — are telling us an important story about what the South is and what it has been, whether we understand it or not. As the singer-songwriter Adia Victoria says, “Being a Southerner is a strange thing. You ponder about it. You gnaw on it. But you never can quite get to the heart of the South.”

Even more than the region’s oral tradition, that truth explains why this place has raised up far more than its share of storytellers. And why the stories will always, always keep coming.

Margaret Renkl, a contributing Opinion writer, is the author of the books “Graceland, at Last” and “Late Migrations.” Her next book, “The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year,” will be published in October.

#NYTimes #The Haunted South #Southern Literature #stories #story-tellers #Margaret Renkl

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nguyetvan · 4 months

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So I was thinking about what helped Louise got through the day in her childhood, and what is still helping her now. Both answers are the same: the people surrounding her, doesn't matter if they are close to her or not.

First day of Lunar New Year and I choose this sad thing as a character study topic. Woah me. Let's hope I haven't jinxed this year lmao.

Let's talk about when she was still under her parents' direct influence. They never did acknowledge her for who she was, as they morphed her into this version of the idealized child they had in their heads (resulting in her current diminished sense of self). She had no outlets to express who she was, and no time to discover one because her daily schedule was filled with classes of different things from early morning to midnight. It was a mental prison.

The only reason she got through it was because of others' moments of joy. Not hers, never hers, but others' - because those moments were proofs that her existence could perhaps bring something good to others' lives (finally something different from disappointment & resentment). These moments of joy were simple: it could be the smiles she was given after doing a simple kind act like holding the door for a stranger, buying a small meal for a homeless elder she came across (using the money she had been given by her parents to buy breakfast & lunch herself that day). Or it could just be the stray cats coming up to her to ask for food, letting her pet them. She held on tightly to those moments to convince herself that it was worth it to continue onward & she did indeed make it, although by living solely for others.

Now- well, it's hard to unlearn the one thing she was taught for the first 18 years of her life, but she's improving bits by bits. She still lives for others, but not for solely one or two person like she once did for her parents (she's learnt her lesson, and she's not going to repeat that) - instead, now she lives for everyone. This forms her attitude toward her work & it is the reason why she uses her spare time to get involved in her community: she knows that as a public servant, her actions have a lot of impacts, and she tries her best to make those a good one. She doesn't really care about herself and where she will end up (again, very little sense of self & 0 ambition), hence her fearless attitude towards her own co-workers & bosses. They can help themselves, so yeah. What she does care about is the people who have no voice in the matter, and yet get affected by her actions otherwise. She was from a poor neighborhood herself (although not one in the States) & her family's poverty was a direct result of the government questionable policies (the Land Reform Act of the former Vietnamese government) so she somewhat gets the struggles and frustrations.

About her volunteer activities, besides helping her getting another perspective of what's going on around her (a constant reminder of the fact that people aren't just words and statistics, that struggles don't just exist on newspapers and reports), it helps her get through the days - the same way how those small moments of others' joy did for her when she was young.

Goodness, this woman will be the death of me.

#• musing •#𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 › * . ☾

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cassieuncaged · 1 year

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Happy Ending - A One Shot

Maggie x Elias

A Sequel to Grave Bound

Summary: A quiet evening spent together.

TW: marijuana use, language, etc.

WC: 1.2 K

A/N: I thought of a fluffy lil follow up one shot of these two later in life. Might make a collection of fluffy domestic oneshots at some point but here's what I've got for now.

Taglist: @roofgeese, @detectivelokis, @areyenotfondofmelobster, @poisonedtruth, @confidentandgood, @emotionalcadaver, @chadillacboseman@enightshade89, @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky, @illiana-mystery, @unpetitoiseau, @spacestephh

2000

Elias could feel heat creeping into his muscles, limp becoming more prominent as he walked to the park. It wasn’t far from the house though an aging body made it feel like miles. Maggie had likely beat him there, feeding a few pigeons under the latticed shade of a few oak trees. Retirement was treating her well, giving his lovely wife more time to garden and enjoy the bounty of nature.

“Watch out, buddy.” He chided the scruffy dog that wrapped the leash around his ankles yet again. Sarge was still young and clumsy though dutiful and loyal. He led the man down the sidewalk and to a hidden gravel path. “You’re going too fast for this old man.”

The mutt continued to pant happily, straining against a restrictive collar as they traversed a path of brush and foliage. Trees became thicker as the path took a turn into a wide clearing. Sun glimmered against shiny blades of grass, making blue eyes crinkle in the brightness.

Maggie sat on a weathered bench, feeding a gaggle of robins that hopped around at sneakered feet. The veteran felt the air leave his lungs the same as the other million times he saw her. She was gorgeous in her sixty years, red hair streaked with wisps of grey and face etched with a few more wrinkles. Sarge’s sharp whine garnered her attention, a smile gleaming in their direction. Elias unhooked the dog from the leash as he charged for the woman.

Birds scattered wildly as the dog settled at her feet, enjoying a scratch behind the ear as she cooed happily at the pup. The man limped closer before finally settling onto the bench. One arm draped around slumped shoulders before he was leaning in to press a kiss atop fading curls.

“Hi.” He greeted in a gravelly reediness that still sent shivers up her spine. Maggie grinned, settling against him.

“Hi. How was your day at the garage?” she took his other hand in hers, rubbing circles against one knuckle.

“King and I are getting old. So is Chris for that fact.” He sighed, watching a young couple walk by hand in hand.

“That’s why you hired those young guys. And Jamie.” She retorted happily, squeezing long fingers against her own. “King’s sure he’ll be a shoe in.”

“He is. It’s just a lot of work.” He pulled her closer beneath one arm, inhaling sweet strawberry shampoo that never seemed to change. “I’m ready to throw in the towel and travel with you. Like we used to.”

“Think I’m a little old to go hiking and camping. These bones are getting brittle.” She kicked her legs playfully before Sarge began to gnaw at a shoelace. “Maybe we can go visit the beaches in Greece or we could have pizza in Rome.”

“That sounds nice. Too tell you the truth, I’d rather eat my way through Europe instead of hike across Yellowstone again. I’m getting too old.”

She tilted her head back, a mass of freckles still dotting her cheeks and chin. Bright cobalt eyes searched his face, digging beneath the many lines and age spots to find the man she’d known for more than three decades. Those familiar blue eyes sparkled, tawny hair greying but still wild. That young soldier still hid beneath an aging shell, still the same soft-hearted hippie that captured her heart on Vietnamese soil. Leaning upwards captured his wide lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

“I like you…” she murmured sweetly, reaching up to stroke a sharp cheek.

“Mmmm, I think I like you too.” Leaning back against the slatted wood, he enjoyed the warm breeze as heavy eyes drifted shut. “You hear from Rachel?”

“This morning!” she announced excitedly. “She called me before her classes started. Wanted to know if she could visit this weekend.”

“What did you tell her?” he pried, already knowing the answer.

“Of course! The house is so quiet without her. Especially since she was here all summer. I miss her.”

“I know,” he sighed deeply, wishing their only child didn’t have to grow up. But it was as natural to feel that way as it was for Rachel to live her life. “It’ll be good to see her.”

They remained there in a comfortable silence until the sky turned a somber pink, the sun setting slowly beyond the trees. Sarge whined tiredly as the couple decided to trek home. Hand in hand, little was said as they hobbled along. Legs ached by the time they made it back to the house, stars speckling a canvas of periwinkle as they ambled inside.

“I scored this from Jamie today,” Elias bragged, pulling a baggie of weed from his pocket. “Want to split it?”

“You’re bumming marijuana off your godson now?” she giggled, taking the bag from her husband.

“He dates our daughter, he shares his weed. Not asking a whole lot, babe.” He shrugged, yanking the bag back before flipping on the living room light. Sarge proudly picked a bone off the floor before snuggling up in a blanket in the corner.

“I’m just teasing. How’s meatloaf sound for dinner?”

“Don’t you think it’s a little late?”

“Then we eat a little late. We’ve got nothing but time.”

“Wait,” Elias grabbed a small hand, pulling her back into his orbit before kissing her deeply. For a moment, nothing changed, and everything felt right in the world.

……

Sucking on a joint, he let the night air envelope him as he stood in the back yard. Stars glittered in the sky. Blue eyes stared at the wooden markers memorializing the long gone Major and Maddy. It had been nearly fifteen years since they’d died, leaving a hole in both of their hearts. After a moment of mourning internally, he padded back to the house.

“Pay your respects?” Maggie waited for him on the concrete steps, loose ringlets bobbing in the evening breeze. She hugged herself, attempting to stay warm in the early autumn.

“Suppose I did,” he groaned before taking a seat on the stoop beside her. “Miss those little scoundrels.”

“Me too. Maddy kept me from being lonesome a long time.” She moved to sit in his lap, wrapping her arms around a long neck. Slender fingers stroked thick tresses as she savored their moments together especially when there was once the fear they’d never see each other again.

“Felt the same way about Major. That pup was the first good thing to happen to me when I moved to the city.”

“And what was the second?” She batted her lashes playfully, eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

“Are you prying?” he chuckled, taking her in his arms and dipping the woman with a squeal.

“Maybe a little.” She giggled as he held her.

“It was you. Damn, if you’re not the best thing to happen to me.”

The moment grew tense as they picked up where they had left off earlier, reigniting a passionate kiss. They lapped at each other hungrily before they broke away to steady their breathing. After a moment, he pulled her back into his lap, resting a heavy head against her chest.

“You’re perfect.” He hummed, delighting in a soft heartbeat.

“I don’t know about that.” She sighed, never quite seeing the perfection in herself.

“I do.” He grinned upwards with that signature gapped before cooing, “you’re my happy ending.”

#otp fanfiction #fanfiction #oneshot #maglias #maggie x elias #otp: dog tags and flower crowns #platoon 1986

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4ft10tvlandfangirl · 6 months

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Did you know?

The U.S. bombing of Laos (1964-1973) was part of a covert attempt by the CIA to wrest power from the communist Pathet Lao, a group allied with North Vietnam and the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War.

The officially neutral country became a battleground in the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union, with American bombers dropping over two million tons of cluster bombs over Laos—more than all the bombs dropped during WWII combined. Today, Laos is the most heavily bombed nation in history.

I honestly didn't know about the 'Secret War' in Laos before now. While I've done deep dives into many historical wars, I admit western media has affected my perception of the modern ones (anything post WWII) so I haven't always looked into them beyond surface level. Some events are just not talked about or taught at all. Once again the more I try to learn about Palestine is the more I come across other things that lead me on different tangents.

The fact that an estimated 80 million unexploded bombs (unexploded ordnance or UXO) are littered throughout Laos today is insane & difficult to imagine.

Over 30 percent of the bombs dropped did not explode upon impact. The most common and deadly UXO in Laos are anti-personnel cluster bomb munitions which are about the size of a tennis ball but extremely dangerous. Forty percent of UXO victims are children who pick up the bombs, usually thinking they are toys. The vast majority (almost 80 percent) of Lao people are subsistence farmers. This means making the decision to risk your life farming is a daily reality for many in Laos.

Cambodia was also bombed during the Vietnam War under Operation Menu (who comes up with these?) and there are elements of the operation that I think sound similar to Israel's current attack on Gaza.

It became clear that bombing alone would not save Cambodia. Nixon asked the Joint Chiefs of Staff for a course of action. He got a range of options, including a naval quarantine of the Cambodian coast, more U.S. and South Vietnamese airstrikes, and a ground invasion along the lines of Abrams’ suggestion. The president chose a combined American-South Vietnamese ground attack in Cambodia to relieve the pressure on Nol’s troops, eradicate communist sanctuaries and destroy the headquarters of COSVN, the Central Office for South Vietnam, which coordinated communist political and military activities in lower South Vietnam and Cambodia. COSVN was thought to be somewhere in eastern Cambodia.

Nixon was obsessed with finding the COSVN headquarters. They never found it.

He recognised bombing all over wasn't going to succeed in getting rid of the communist entities. Didn't stop the bombing and A LOT of civilians were killed.

There were large protests in the US in opposition to the war with violent spill overs on university campuses and clashes with police.

A lot of war crimes were later revealed to have taken place during the war like the My Lai Massacre which was reported but dismissed multiple times. There were even claims it was all just propaganda by the other side (in this case the so called Viet Cong).

Does this script not sound familiar?

One can debate whether those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it or if history simply repeats itself anyway but to me it seems some amount of intention must also be involved. The US appears to intentionally do things the same way (No one is really holding them accountable so why not?). The lessons they claim to have learned since the Vietnam War didn't seem to change their approach when they invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. Searching for shit they never found, indiscriminate bombing, carrying out massacres and other war crimes (Abu Ghraib for example). Talk about same script different day.

Israel is an extension of the US (if it quacks...), so really current events are par for the course. And what it's going to take to actually change all of this, when we talk about meaningful change and revolution, it's not going to be easy. The 'powers that be' (US, UK, France, all of them) have been doing this for centuries so it's going to take a lot to dismantle these systems/imperialist states and change society for the better. Continuing to educate ourselves, speaking with one voice, solidarity across the global community, sacrifice (your following, some friendships/relationships, even your job), actively pushing back against the algorithms & our governments who continue to try to silence us and more. I wonder how many of us are actually prepared to keep all that up long term?

Also, any Laotians, Cambodians and Vietnamese who might care to shed more light on this history from your perspective?

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putschki1969 · 2 years

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2022/11/18 Blog post by Wakana 今年もみんなで冬サメまつり！！〜天使と逢える季節です〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Let’s Do Another Winter Shark Festival This Year！！〜It’s the Season to Meet Angels〜

Last month, I wrote about my days enjoying concerts, this time I went to see some more concerts and a stage play! (*'▽'*) This is the play I went to! [Trap For a Lonely Man] I received an invitation from the director Minoru Nosaka, who I know from work😊

“A mysterious woman turns up claiming to be the protagonist’s wife”

This is basically the gist of the play, I’d rather not say more about it but I was really drawn into the world right from the beginning. I had no idea what was real, who was telling the truth and who was lying, I was questioning everything from the beginning to the end. (´･_･`) The actors' conversations, actions and expressions were all immaculate, the production design felt extremely somber and serious throughout the play. Even after it ended, I couldn’t stop thinking about it😂 I felt like I was shown a full-fledged mystery. Truly a gripping story for everyone who loves good mysteries! ! Even so, I couldn’t stop wondering how anyone was able to memorise all those lines ... So many fancy and elaborate dialogues. The live feeling of a stage play performance is quite addictive😳

Bonus pictures! I had some Vietnamese food before the play! Fresh spring rolls, banh mi, and pho! It was so delicious!

And at the end of the month, I went to see this concert Yo Hitoto's 20th Anniversary Live🥰 The first thing that struck me when I got to see Yo Hitoto's worldview unfold on stage was that all her singing, acting, and writing seemed very natural and organic. I felt like she was trying to tell us that this day was nothing extraordinary, instead, every day was a series of special events. Every word spoken, every fascinating movement, every little detail, it’s all natural and real. However, the production was so full of splendor that it was as if we were looking straight into Yo Hitoto's mind. One could really feel the span of her career during this concert, it was truly lovely to be able to listen to various memories along with many songs from the past 20 years.

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

I enjoyed a wonderful autumn month of art! Time to experience things you love is really important (*^^*)

Well, I also have my own concert coming up next month but before that...I’d like to hold another Winter Shark Festival! ! 🦈🦈🦈･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ It will be titled "Wakana Winter Shark Festival Vol.2 ~Birthday Eve Cross Talk Event~" ! \\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// Once again, I will welcome Yuuka Nanri as a guest! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) It's like she is an angel that I can only meet during this season...😍💕And this year we are also accepting submissions from everyone〜(*´-`) If you want to ask me and Yuuka-san anything, please send your questions! Look below for details♪

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓ An exclusive live stream event for members of Wakana’s official fan club 「Botanical Land」will be held on December 9 in celebration of her birthday! It is Vol.#2 of last year’s “Wakana Winter Shark Festival ～ Special Cross Talk Event ～ ”. ‖Event details Botanical Land members-ONLY streaming event Title: “Wakana Winter Shark Festival Vol.#2 ~ Birthday Eve Cross Talk Event ~” Date: December 9, 2022 (Friday) Time: 19:00~ (JST) Cast: Wakana, Yuuka Nanri (guest) ‖Ticket details Ticket sales: Bitfan tickets Livestream: Bitfan Live Sales period: November 18 18:00 to December 14 23:59 Archive period: ~December 18 ● Event viewing ticket ¥ 2,000 (tax included) ※ This ticket is for FC members ONLY. Fan club members can also submit questions until November 30!!

This Shark Festival will be held the day before my birthday! It's a weekday night but let's still have a lot of fun together!🤗

Last but not least, a nice anecdote in relation to birthdays... The day before yesterday, my grandfather turned 100 years old! ! \\\\٩( 'ω' )و //// That's amazing, isn’t??!! 😳😳My grandfather is very good at singing Yōkyoku, his voice is truly beautiful😂When I met him two years ago, I was surprised that his voice still sounds great🤣🤣I am happy to see my grandpa always in such good health, it's wonderful to be able to age so energetically! I will do my best too!! ! \(^o^)/

See you soon☆

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

#kalafina #wakana #wakana blog #botanical land #fan club exclusive content

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captainshadowgirllostfan · 2 years

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I hate that Lor Zod and General Zod are black in Young Justice. Even though there are a decent amount of black heroes in Young Justice, the amount major notable villains that are POC compared to white villains is outstanding. You have Lady Shiva, who is of Asian descent, the Al Ghuls, who is also Asian and Arabian, there's Black Manta, who is African American, and Vandal Savage, while ethnicity is largely unknown and is said to have been a caveman, ALSO seems to be a POC along with his two daughters, Olympia, who is killed by her own father is black, and Cassandra (there are a LOT of Cassandras in this show) who is brown colored it seems.

And while we do have Rocket, Bumblebee, The Guardian, Static Shock, and Black Lightning as major African American heroes that are focused on, it's just not enough compared to the white heroes that are focused on.

And I guess Artemis is technically half-Vietnamese and yet we see her mostly in a white household, while every time she is with her Vietnamese mother, there's always a sense of shame focused on the first Tigress. I mean in order to feel like I am dealing with a Vietnamese character, I wish they'd do more than just give us her eyes which are almond. Provide some Vietnamese culture instead of giving us a family that is so wracked in shame over its own heritage all because they couldn't live up to the status quo and make ends meet honorably like the white heroes were able to.

I do like Zatana's history...I think she's Italian, not that I would call being Italian being POC. But there was a story about immigrants intertwined there that was nice... Her arc was refreshing in how her students were ethnically diverse and fit into their different conflicts. And yet those diverse characters were just back up to the main star of the arc, Zatana...but I can't complain too much. Only if next season we don't get much of Khalid just like how Virgil was sidestepped as well and Halo too.

Going back to the Zods...I wouldn't have a problem with the Zods being POCs if we saw the House of El being similarly represented, that way it's equal...otherwise, it just seems racist, like they're portraying POCs as the bad guys and I already get that impression with how they continuously demonize Asian representation

They turned Lady Shiva into a far worse parent than she was in cannon when her only sin in the comics was abandoning her daughter and even then it was a sympathetic reason since she was literally coerced into bringing Cassandra into this world so David Cain could use his daughter as a weapon.

Instead of going with that storyline of a white man abusing his Asian daughter which they admittedly already got going on, they have the Asian woman who was raped become the abuser of her own child and become even worse than her husband in the comics by having Cassandra's vocal cords cut out!

And as someone said, she makes Sportsmaster who was an abusive parent to both his daughters look good.

Which is like why? If that was her previous incarnation then okay, that's on the comics and Young Justice was just unintentionally adopting racist elements from the comics because it was already there in the comics and Young Justice is just bringing that on the screen. It doesn't look well on them but it doesn't make them look too bad

But instead, they make the Asian woman, who yes while a villain is a complicated villain, into a far worse than she really is. Shiva was fucking raped for god's sake!

This was literally on Cassandra Cain's wiki. In exchange for her life, she had to agree to give birth to his child and let him raise it. The bastard also killed her sister!

But instead of giving this sad history of Cassandra's that makes you kind of sympathetic to Shiva, Young Justice decides to just make Shiva into Cain, into wanting to turn her own daughter into a weapon.

What infuriates me about this is how Young Justice seems to spin a twisted narrative that spits on Asian ideals such as being filial and loyal towards family, and a part of me wonders if it's to promote the idea of independence that is promoted in Western culture. The idea of children rebelling and becoming their own person, leaving their parents to be their own man. I don't have a problem with that idea. As an American, I kinda prescribe to it.

But as someone who also is of South Asian descent, I dislike when they have a villain like Lore Zod sneer at Orion, who is the son of Darkseid and chooses to be on the side of New Genesis Gods, asking "Where is his loyalty?" in that why does he stand against his own parent?

What exactly are they trying to say?

Maybe I'm making too much out of this...

I guess I just have a lot of feelings about Young Justice. I enjoy the show and it has great storytelling...but there's a part of me that finds it so...off-putting.

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jasontoddssuper · 2 years

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I'm kinda interested in getting into batfam (you're fault) but it's intimidating. There's so many comics, some like 70 years old or more probably, and I can't affored to buy comics. Do you have suggestions?

You can read comics for free on 'readcomicsonline'!!And i HIGHLY recommended Young Justice 1998(which is about Tim's superhero team)and Batgirl 2000(which is about Cass' time as Batgirl),as well as We Are Robin and Batman and The Signal(both of which star Duke),Tim's Robin runs(his 1991 mini series,his full run in 1993 and his 2009 Red Robin series),Son of Batman(which is a mini series about Damian)and Batgirl 2009(Stephanie's time as Batgirl)!!Also for something more lighthearted,there's the webtoon 'Wayne Family Adventures'!And this is a movie but 'Batman:Under The Red Hood' is very good and is a great introduction into Jason!!Speaking of Jason,i'm gonna try to find a reading list that has his pre-reboot Robin days for you because Robin!Jason was an absolute gem and DC does him so dirty nowadays😭

And this is straying from the topic a bit but titles you should definitely avoid are Red Hood and The Outlaws 2011 and Tom Taylor's Nightwing!Og Rhato did NOT do Jason justice and it screwed over a lot of other characters too,like how Kory was de-aged to be his love interest(mind you,she was an ADULT WHO WAS DATING HIS BROTHER when he was ROBIN,a KID,pre-reboot and they interacted a good amount of times too)and also stripped her of her personality to make her just walking fanservice and how Roy was also de-aged to be Jason's best friend(he was originally Dick's)and was turned into basically a frat boy,his daughter who is biracial(since her mother is a vietnamese woman)was erased from existence AND they were hella disrespectful to him being a drug addict originally.The second Rhato with Artemis and Bizzaro isn't my favorite thing but it's much better.And Tom Taylor is INCREDIBLY ableist in general and racist towards Kory and Dick and puts both of those in the story(by putting ableist writing in it such as erasing that Babs is a wheelchair user and proping her up to put Kory down as Dick's girlfriend-Which in case you don't know is racist because Babs is white and Kory has always been heavily black-coded,hence why her live action actress is Anna Diop,and pretending Dick is white when he's romani).There's also Teen Titans 2003,which has Tim as an mc and is just...legit one of the worst things i've read.Don't touch any of these with a ten foot pole💀

#leo-thecactus #askxaquestion #you can tell me about your reactions to these like you do hades btw i'd love to hear them!!!💖💖💖

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foxymoxynoona · 1 year

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Where are your upcoming OCs from? I always enjoy how you intertwine their cultures into stories and make it believable. I'd say you should write a Northern English PC (👀👀), but honestly, it's just nice to see well fleshed out OCs that don't feel like caricatures. It feels like there's a lot of thought and care that goes into them!

I have SO MUCH fun researching and I do my best even though it's also sometimes constant stress because I don't want to get it wrong. One thing that would be nice if I had money/resources/full time dedicated to writing would be to thoroughly dig in on the characters I'd love to bring to life.

Hanbyul in After the Applause is Korean, making this my first "full Korean cast" story! I won't specify which stories but others in the works right now have a Vietnamese woman, a Black woman, an Indian American woman, an Arab woman, and a Latina in a starring role. That's a pretty wide spread though, it'll take time to get to all these, and who knows who will crop up in the meantime. For example, that Hobi TMWC offshoot might jump ahead of a Namjoon story might jump ahead of-- etc etc.

I actually was thinking recently about needing an English character! Northern England adds a fun element too, I guess I'd need to go visit the area and get a good feel for it since I've only spent time in London.

Damn, I miss traveling so much, it's so valuable as a writer. The ability to immerse myself in location and dialect and find all those little minor-to-major regionalism or cultural things that stitch together the character backdrop is really great. I worry I'll start hitting limits or making boring, repetitive characters, but I hope to keep pushing forward!

#asks #mywriting

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unladielike · 2 years

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Do you have any headcanons of what some of Vivian's favorite anime and manga are? Or even 2D men as she is a woman of culture? And as an anime/manga fan, what has been her most embarrassing moment as a fan? Did she ever post something too ridiculous on an online forum that she regretted later? Or did fan meetups ever become awkward for her (if she's been to any)?

And unrelated: what's her favorite (or some of her favorite) foods, and what's the quickest way to earn her trust and friendship?

UNPROMPTED ASKS. » always accepting!

To be honest, I personally think she’s fond of Gintama (it just manages to tickle her funny bone, okay?), One Punch Man, and the Shadow Knife anime (which was mentioned to be a series where the justice hero, Shadow Knife, originated from in The Caligula Effect). As for 2D men, she’s honestly very drawn to those who radiate major ‘top’ vibes, but one that fits her aesthetic the most, to the point where I can see her having a roleplay blog for him, is Shadow Knife, because not only does he happen to be a hero, he has white hair and is super ‘manly’.

And when it comes to embarrassing moments, I can see her just accidentally posting a meme she made in the wrong subreddit before panicking for a whole ten seconds and deleting it. She’d also probably say, “Hey, excuse me, are you ‘warrioroflove69?′ at one point when trying to find the organizer of a fan meet up, only to underestimate how loud she really was by saying so (because what is inside voice, let’s be real?), causing heads to turn and the person she asked to awkwardly tell her no... before the real warrioroflove69 then tapped her on the shoulder and whispered how from now on, he’d prefer to just be referred to as ‘Michael’.

Vivian, however, pretty much embraces ‘cringe culture’ whenever she’s online, so she has no qualms, Naruto-running with a friend in a TikTok video... meaning once something is posted and she never had it deleted, she is not embarrassed.

Food-wise... she isn’t all that picky. Like, Vivian would even eat a shoe made out of chocolate and doesn’t exactly have a specific favourite, since a lot of stuff just tastes very good to her, but lately, she’s been craving butter chicken (because she likes that creamy, rich texture), Vietnamese Phở, sushi, and a Poke bowl with salmon in it.

And the quickest way to earn her trust as well as friendship is to share your food with her, laugh at her jokes... or be to nice to her in general, really. To be honest, Vivian is that one extroverted, austistic pal who honestly likes talking to people, but whether they would like talking to her is a whole different matter entirely.

@more-than-a-princess

#morethanaprincess #║▌ ⧼ ⸢ ʚɞ ⸣︳h̲e̲a̲d̲c̲a̲n̲o̲n̲s̲. ⧽ ― LET’S PRETEND I AM A FICTIONAL CHARACTER.#⸾ ❖︎ ⸾ ( ABOUT ) ⤹ •• 𝕧𝕚𝕧𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕚𝕤𝕞𝕤.#⸾ ❖︎ ⸾ ( PUBLISHED ) ⤹ •• 𝕒𝕤𝕜𝕤.#[ thank you for sending this in!! i love talking about how eccentric this girl is tbh ]

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casspurrjoybell-26 · 1 month

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Too Old For This - Chapter 1 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

There are a lot of regrets in life Leroy Adkins had but at this exact moment in time with him walking down the street to take the bus, the only one that really stood out was his decision to do communications as a major.

Not only was his current job only enough to live but not save for the future... it also had no signs of upward mobility since it was a small marketing start-up with a limited budget and a client list that showed no signs of growing.

Something Leroy also regretted was not paying too much attention at university or studying for exams and now he was stuck with a below B average that was frankly not enough to get into a post-graduate program.

So, sadly, he was stuck working a low-paying job and living paycheck to paycheck while paying off an ever-growing student loan debt.

It was funny how those worked.

He could have sworn it was only twenty thousand when he had graduated but now, after just two years of monthly payments, it was somehow sitting at thirty thousand.

Leroy sighed, shaking his head as he continued on his way to the bus stop.

It was a deserted place, seeing as it sat just at the edge of a suburban street.

He still lived with his mother and sister and paying a bit of rent allowed most of his money to go into other things... like his video game addiction, Vietnamese food and books.

"Oh shit," he said, squinting and then sighing when he saw the bus, he was supposed to be on drove past the stop at the end of the street without a second thought.

It didn't even pause for a second... for goodness' sake, Leroy was just two minutes away.

The young man blinked back his frustration, sucking in his lips as he tried to decide between taking an Uber or just calling home sick.

To be honest, he could also just tell his supervisor what had happened.

She was an understanding and nice older woman nearing her sixties.

The young man sighed, pinching the middle of his thick dark brows before turning around and making the slow walk of shame home.

Wisps of his brown hair, about two shades lighter than his brows, occasionally found their way dangling in front of his eyes.

He would push them away and each time taking that as a reminder that he needed to go into the city for a haircut.

It wasn't that Leroy couldn't drive... he could.

He passed his driving test sometime in the middle of his university days and remembered taking his mother's car to the gym, clear as day.

It had been his first time truly driving alone and he had backed it up into another car when trying to parallel his park.

That had been his first and last day taking out the car and also, his last day at the gym but he didn't like to think about it much.

Leroy found his current state in life embarrassing but he wasn't too embarrassed by it to do anything about it.

Or, it was more than his long stings depression and self-sabotage didn't have a lot of those brief moments of mania and self-confidence where he would be super studious and focus on one of the many skills he'd picked up over the years.

Growing up, he'd had better confidence but hitting high school and realizing it took more than just being smart to pass classes, began to humble him.

Slowly but surely, he accepted that he was average and maybe a little less than average, not just academically but looks-wise too.

He had watched as his classmates grew taller, leaving him behind at a mere 5'6.

He had also watched them bulk up become more athletic and grow facial hair.

He had held out hope, feeling that he maybe was a late bloomer but now twenty-five and still the very lean, short man who couldn't grow much of a beard was something he was starting to accept.

He would say dating was hard but he barely even tried.

He had two friends... one he had met online and met up with once every other week because they had to take a one-hour train to meet up with him and the other who was more of an acquaintance from childhood that he called his best friend.

Even though really at this age where they barely spoke or met up was starting to feel more like something they declared more out of habit than reality.

Leroy hadn't made a lot of friends in university but he'd added people from classes to his social media here and there and it was an indescribable feeling of shame to scroll through pictures of people celebrating graduating with honors or getting accepted into high-paying reputable jobs.

The young man made his way down the street, paying attention to the rows of old suburban houses that seemed to have been erected sometime in the sixties.

Many of them had neatly trimmed yards with fancy lawn ornaments, while some of them hosted gardens.

There was one, however, that was coaxed in the middle of two larger buildings... a small bungalow that hosted a basement with small windows just sitting under the deck.

The lawn had long grass and wild sunflowers over three feet tall.

The short fence was also covered with wrapping weeds.

The house looked unoccupied with the dirty white brick walls and ominous feeling but sometimes when Leroy would pass by, he would see the outline of someone from the sunroom door-length windows.

There was also a wheelchair ramp that looked well-used.

Leroy did know that sometimes he saw a cat or two walking through the grass or perched on the fence.

It was almost never the same cat and Leroy couldn't decide if they belonged to the house owner or were just strays that were just attracted to the property.

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