#but it’s an interesting cultural conundrum that people are /obsessed/ with coming home when they never went anywhere

[amethysttribble]

There’s a certain kind of common post on this website that goes *yes, [story premise that is common and popular and might reasonably support a full plot] but what about [consequences of story premise that really only has vibes]*

And usually the OP is kind enough to expand on this thought, about what the consequences might be (but not always), but I come away from those posts thinking, “okay, and what else?”

And in my experience there isn’t an answer, the described ‘consequences ’ premise doesn’t get much farther than that text post. There’s no more meat on those bones. When I try to think of how one might make a full movie or novel out of that concept… it can be done, but it would take a great deal of skill to keep it engaging and not start to lag, because if you’re plot is entirely *long form dealing with aftermath of the far more kinetic thing* you’ve gotta be damn good to not bore people and make them want to see that way more interesting concept instead

Probably why this is such a common fandom thing, and less so in original work. Easy for 800 word one shot about pre existing plot and characters to grapple with feelings only, a lot harder with an original story and original characters to revolve only around ‘far more interesting story happening in the next room over’ (again, can be done, there’s a boom for this very thing is isekai rn, but to be done successfully? Harder.)

Which is why when you do see original media focusing on ‘the emotions and consequences of it all’ the premise is always DEEPLY mundane. Death. Abuse. Depression. War fits in here somewhere, but only partway. Original media would much rather talk about the fantastical time loop though- how can you make a story about the consequences of a time loop when you don’t know what the loop looked like?

And if you’re going to make a sequel… you better put that motherfucker back in a time loop

But anyway something something fandom something something the One-Shots something something the modern desire to experience catharsis over experiencing new things

#and to be very clear #the emotional consequences short story has a fine fine literary tradition #but it’s an interesting cultural conundrum that people are /obsessed/ with coming home when they never went anywhere #there’s no easy to point to phenomenon like wwi when looking at all those ptsd short stories from the modernist era #and yeah the pandemic was traumatic but this phenomenon predates its #like mslt lazy analyzers of modernity I will blame the internet #lots of folks having insane and removed-from-home (your irl life) that feel like they must have been a full adventure #there and back again in 30 min but you’ve just had the most insane fight on the internet but no one at home sees or cares #simulates having real experience in new lands doesn’t have quite the same fiber count ya know #also I’d be remiss not to say something about short form media being so prevelant now #but I think I’m starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist now and also mega old #tribble post #this is what sitting for an hour at the airport at dawn does to a motherfucker

[reversalsun]

Explaining Rainbow Drinkers

I’m a decade wiser and return to the Homestuck fandom with a degree in biology and a desire to use it for evil. Lets talk about Vampire Troll Girls.

We get very little from the actual canon of Homestuck about Rainbow Drinkers, just Kanaya, Porrim, and a few hints of lore scattered about. Still, they’re one of the most interesting parts of troll culture - rare and strange, feared but also obsessed over in fiction and mythology. They may be analogous with vampires in the pop culture fascination surrounding them, but I don’t believe that they’re all that similar in function. So let's speculate on how Rainbow Drinkers could function on a biological level and how they fit into greater troll society. 

Rainbow drinkers don’t seem to be literal undead, but rather a functional state that some Jadebloods have the potential to enter into. Yes, Kanaya only becomes a rainbow drinker after “dying”, but death isn’t strictly what made her a rainbow drinker. In fact, I’d argue that Kanaya never actually died - rather she reached a near death state. This state, I believe, did kickstart her transformation. 

The most important thing to zero in on here is rainbow drinker being an inborn trait. Contrast this with how vampirism in human mythos is treated like a pathogen - no one is born a vampire, you become one via infection. RD is hardwired into Jadeblood biology, but it isn’t expressed in their default state. This raises a question: what causes a Jadeblood to undergo transformation into a rainbow drinker? Answering this is a little difficult, as we have a pitiful data pool of one to draw from. Nevertheless, we can examine Kanaya (as well as some dubiously canon content) to extrapolate a bit more about sparkly troll vampirism. Kanaya undergoes transformation into a RD when she is blasted through the stomach and seemingly killed by Eridan’s science powers. Off screen she regains consciousness, begins glowing, gulps down some friend blood, then returns with a vengeance. How do we explain this without leaning on the supernatural? Let's start by drawing on real world bloodsuckers. 

Little may be known about Alternia, but planet Earth is abound with creatures that subsist on blood. Mainly the trait is seen in bugs and parasites - this lends itself to our cause, as trolls seem to be more insectoid than mammalian in nature. Hematophagy (blood drinking) is a trait that has convergently evolved in creatures across the planet - that is to say, hematophagic creatures aren’t genetically related. The trait crops up on its own because it's widely useful, not because of a shared ancestral nematode. Vital fluids, after all, are incredibly prevalent and are in sure supply wherever animals live. It’s not farfetched to say that hematophagy would appear on other planets - especially planets like Alternia that are host to carbon based lifeforms similar to Earth’s. 

We can safely assume that blood drinking would work in the same way on Alternia as it does on Earth. That means rainbow drinkers face the same difficulties that Earth’s vampires do. Blood is not only difficult to obtain, but it’s also difficult to digest. So how do rainbow drinkers solve these conundrums? 

First, the method. Most terrestrial bloodsuckers are nocturnal - and not just for the spooky aesthetic. Fluttering, crawling, and slithering in on a sleeping host lessens your chance of being swatted on impact. Almost all hematophagic creatures are stealth feeders, and Rainbow Drinkers are no different. Trolls are a nocturnal species, but Kanaya is stated to be diurnal upon introduction. It would make sense for her and other potential Rainbow Drinkers to have a natural proclivity for daywalking, as it's much easier to feed from a sleeping troll than a waking one. Kanaya is also able to withstand the fierce, burning Alternian sun - a force which is enough to blind Terezi, and leave any troll who walks out in it for too long with a scathing sunburn. Even Jadebloods that are not currently or will never be rainbow drinkers are likely to exhibit non standard troll sleeping patterns, as they live primarily in the brooding caverns - dark, underground caves where the sun cycle wouldn’t really matter to them. When they do leave their caves to hunt, the glowing, white skin of a Rainbow Drinker would likely be a large boon against the Alternian sun’s devastating rays. In Friendsim we’re told that Lusii’s bright white coats help to protect them from the sun. It’s likely the same for rainbow drinkers; the color white reflects all wavelengths of light far better than any other, thus their radiance and pale complexion provides them an extra level of defense when they’re out hunting. Friendsim also vaguely mentions Rainbow Drinker extract in Tagora’s route, where it’s used as a luxury skincare/beauty product that makes a troll’s skin look literally radiant. Very little is said about the product itself, so it may be a hormone or a secretion derived from Rainbow Drinkers. In the case of the latter… Kanaya and other Rainbow Drinkers might just be really greasy? 

Now, in canon Kanaya theorizes that Rainbow Drinkers glow because of their home in the near pitch black caverns. It’s true that even with trolls' natural night vision, more light sources would be a boon. Animals that thrive in the dark like cats and wolves can’t magically see without a light source, rather their eyes are specially adapted to reflect even scant amounts of light. Animals that live in true darkness, like those found in the depths of caves, are more commonly blind. If no light is present, even night vision fails. With the mother grub’s natural habitat being subterranean, her special attendants possessing an internal light source would make sense. 

We have to change gears now and reckon with the How of troll blood drinking and Kanaya surviving. First: how can a troll survive on blood? We know that all trolls - even Kanaya, subsist on diets of foods akin to what you and I eat. Is it even possible to suddenly switch to a blood diet? The answer is yes. Blood drinking comes in two forms: obligatory and facultative. Obligatory, as the name implies, refers to creatures like fleas and ticks who only consume blood, whereas facultative refers to creatures that have a mixed diet of blood and other foods. Mosquitos for example only drink blood when they need to produce eggs. Rainbow Drinkers are likely similar - mainly eating standard troll goodies, but being able to rely on blood if the going gets tough. Natural resources may be scant in the brooding caverns, and the ability to survive on blood would be incredibly advantageous for those living there. Blood would of course be in no short supply given the population and purpose of the caverns. The implication I’m getting at is well… not every grub survives the caverns trials, or even the caverns in general. Between imperial drones, hoards of lusii, and difficult terrain, the brooding caverns can be dangerous. It would make sense for the troll denizens living there to be exceptionally tough and capable of “recycling” the grubs that don’t make it. Horrible. I’m sorry. But that’s nature. 

The transformation into Rainbow Drinker could very well be triggered by shock or extreme physical duress. After undergoing the transformation and taking a nice sloppy drink from her friends, Kanaya begins to exhibit increased physical abilities. Natural durability and rainbow drinker abilities serve Jades well in their special role as mother grub attendants, and I think that’s in part how Kanaya was able to survive Eridan’s attack. That, and the noticeable difference in how she and Feferi were hit. Fef was hit in the chest while Kan was hit in the stomach. Assuming troll biology is comparable to our own, cleaving out the lungs and heart is a lot worse than cleaving out the stomach. Now don’t get me wrong, both are awful, But if one of the two was going to survive, it would be Kanaya - not only is she a durable Jade (see above), but as a facultative blood drinker, it could be possible for her to have a separate stomachs for blood and food. The digestion process of the two is completely different, so throwing all of it into one pouch might not be a good idea. Outside of durability and luck with the placement of the blast, this could be why Kanaya was able to get back on her feet. And she’s a Sylph, a natural healer class. But this isn’t a classpect analysis, so I’ll leave that discussion for people wiser than I. 

Jadebloods are stated to be the second rarest blood type out there, and those that are able to turn Rainbow Drinker exemplify how badass the whole caste is. It’s likely that they don’t possess these skills because they’re the chosen attendants of the mother grubs, but rather these traits are why the mother grubs chose Jades as their keepers in the first place. As much as I wish we’d gotten more info about Rainbow Drinkers from canon, it was fun to explore how they could potentially work, and it really cemented Jades as my favorite caste. Anyway, please excuse me while I go draw myself a Rainbow Drinker trollsona. 

#kanaya #kanaya maryam #porrim maryam #homestuck #hiveswap #analysis #here i am posting like this is still 2013 tumblr #oh well I'll find somewhere else to host this essay later #friendsim #rainbow drinker #biology #science #theoretical biology

[conundrum-rp-blog]

Under the cut you can check out all the players that have been accepted for their roles. Congratulations!  Please take a look at the instructions at the bottom of the page. For those who haven’t been accepted this time around, don’t be discouraged! Send me a message if you want more feedback on your application and I would love for you to re-apply in the future! Congratulations again to all of you and Welcome to CONUNDRUM!

✦ Christine, you’ve been accepted to play the role of James Potter. “He thinks, for a moment, of the house, in Godric’s Hollow, empty and abandoned, more a crime scene than a house these days; it’s still the first thing that comes to mind when he thinks of the word home. He thinks about the pictures all over the walls: pictures of both of them at Hogwarts, with their friends, pictures from parties and Order meetings, pictures of their parents – his moving ones framed and hung alongside her perfectly, strangely still ones. Pictures of them, their wedding, their honeymoon. Pictures of Harry. He thinks of the decor, the hand towels and throw pillows and the little key dish on the table in the hall, all things they picked out together– thinks of the sound of her laugh as she picked up a stupid toy grindylow at the shop and insisted they put it on the mantle. He wonders if that stupid toy made it out of the wreckage, if he could go back there and pick it up and take it with him, or if it was broken in the explosion.” There were a lot of parts I loved about your application, but I chose this particular part of the interview because it’s such a spot on way of represent the trauma James has been through and how he’s dealing with it. I’m so eager to read how his story plays out, and hopefully write it with you! Great job! Your Face Claim change to Dev Patel has been approved.

✦ H, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Bellatrix Lestrange. “Her obsession with the Dark Lord is purely rooted on his ideas, and his voice. She is in no way romantically or physically attracted to him, even if at some point she wishes that she was. what she is ‘in love with’ is everything he says about his cause, how he views the world changing once he has won, and the dark, deranged, passion he has to have it come about. She will continue to stand behind him even after he fails, for this purpose alone. This is why she is so adamant to get him back, without him she thinks that they will continue to fail.” Definitely my favourite headcanon of the application. Bellatrix’s obsession with Lord Voldemort is something somewhat crucial to her character, and it’s both really original and bold that you were willing to give that a psychological explanation. I can’t wait to see her in action! 

✦ Jane, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Emma Vanity. “Given the opportunity, Emma will always maintain her cold and collected exterior. However if something or someone really gets to her, she won’t shy away from a physical altercation. This is something she’s not proud of; given her propensity to try and fit in and emulate what she believes it’s the proper behaviour of a pureblood lady. As a child she was encouraged to take ballet like many of the wealthy daughters of the families her parents frequented. She was expelled from her dancing class at the age of thirteen because she threatened her dance teacher with her wand after the man called her “spineless little girl without an ounce of grace.” That was the moment she started getting interested in Quidditch, and her parents allowed the new hobby if only to tame her snappy temper.” Such an original interpretation and an amazing twist to the skeleton! I really enjoy the idea of Emma trying to hard to be something she’s clearly not. I can’t wait to see how the war impacts her world! Your Face Claim change to Adele Exarchopoulos has been approved.

✦ Marie, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Lauren Wakefield. “She can be often found outdoors. Back at school, she would have slept next to the lake if she had been allowed to. She loves being in contact with nature and treats every living being with adoration and respect. In fact her favourite subject used to be care of magical creatures. She meditates on daily basis and she’s also a vegetarian. She loves plants, flowers and before graduating she was known for fighting for a great variety - and sometimes a little strange - causes; such as house-elves, goblins and even the Giant Squid’s rights. It is said that Filch still has many of the protest banners she used to paint in bright colours, obviously stored and confiscated.” This headcanon might seem a little silly, but I personally think it’s amazing how you gave Lauren such a defined personality and took into account the context and the hippie culture of the 60s and 70s while writing her story. Simply wonderful! Your Face Claim change to Kristin Kreuk has been approved.

✦ Lux, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Remus Lupin. “This was the burden with which Remus Lupin was saddled. His first memories became those of tearful full moons, of clutching at his mother’s skirt and sobbing, begging her to fix him, falling to his knees in front of the Crucifix on the parlor wall and demanding that she tell him why God had let him become a monster. His mother could only kiss his forehead, watching as the tears fell to the threadbare carpet, and tell her son that everything happens for a reason, that our pain makes us weak so that we can depend on the Lord who makes us strong. Over time, the words lost their meaning, and everything else in his life along with it. Every breath was like walking through cement, struggling to keep his head above water for a life not worth living. His father had built a life, a reputation, upon helping the people of the world, and Remus could hardly even help himself.” This quote absolutely killed me! I absolutely love how much detailed you’ve put into Remus’ history and his inner thoughts. I’m super eager to see him in this universe!

✦ Ella, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Cassius Mulciber. “What drives him is the moment he stands on the precipice, wand in hand, dozens cowering before him, dozens more in his thrall, and knows he is truly great. There’s a reason the imperius curse is his signature. Mortals  could never understand the power that flows through his veins, that sparks from his fingers, drips from his tongue. Dance for me, Bow to me, Jump off a bridge for me. Cassius is divine. The Death Eaters offer him a way to the top, one which recognises his superiority and which is unbound by the rules and laws the mudbloods cling so tightly to.” Amazing description of a true villain! I have a particular soft spot for darker characters (says the person who plays Alecto and Rodolphus) and I can’t wait to see how this new stage of the war affects Cassius. Your Face Claim change to Jeremy Dufour has been approved.

✦ Riley, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Mafalda Hopkirk. “Mafalda would never describe herself as anything other than a supporter of Mafalda.  To do anything else would be a dangerous, destructive decision.  An unfortunate side-effect of taking a side was that the side you did not choose began to count you among their enemies – nothing about the war that encompassed most of her adolescence  was worth creating enemies over. Taking a side meant taking a risk, and as a half-blood in an industry dominated by the Pureblood elite, there were only certain types of risks she was willing to take.It just so happened that in as far as her career went, the Death Eaters were more often the ones who were in a position to propel her forward.  For that reason, most of the world would see her as a Death Eater supporter.” Mafalda is clearly a character who’s a victim of her circumstances, and I believe you did a splendid job describing just that. That’s pretty much why I chose this part of your application. A spot on description! Amazing job!

✦ Grace, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Edgar Bones. “He realizes his anger is a problem when he finds himself standing in his parents’ living room, having just yelled at them for…something. It’s not important what they were discussing, it was ages ago; what is important is the fact that they’re staring up at him like they don’t even recognize him. His face is beet red and he can barely catch his breath, but that doesn’t matter in this moment. All he feels is shame overcoming every centimeter of his body. There’s no way to talk his way out of this one, no way to laugh it off in that way he’s grown adept at. The moment becomes one of his biggest regrets, though he has more than just a few. But, like there is with many things, there’s a bright side: from it he learns, he grows, he changes.” I really liked this part of the application because it’ such a nice way of show how the war and the loss affected Edgar, and how it’s his nature to survive and persevere. I can’t wait to see how his story plays out!

✦ Mallory, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Amos Diggory. “Amos closed his eyes against the rushing, grey nothingness. He thought of his grandmother, in the stands, watching him run towards the dirt. He couldn’t help feeling the knot he knew would be rising in his throat, a scream he wouldn’t be able to voice, rise in his own throat. Amos called again, this time aloud: “Accio broom!” The team liked his tenacity, that’s what they said. They lost the match – nothing to one fifty – but the Cannons took him on anyway. From the Cannons, he joined the Arrows, and then Puddlemore United. Two years on, the national team found him in the local pub and convinced him to come out for open try outs. The rest, he guesses, is literally history, if only to the readers of Seeker Weekly.” Yes, yes, I’m choosing a quote about Quidditch; but I think this was such a nice way of summarising Amos’ personality and how he always seems so effortlessly lucky. With the war starting again and the situation with his wife, I can’t wait to see what happens! Your Face Claim change to Kit Harington has been approved.

✦ Cal, you’ve been accepted to play the role of Sirius Black. “He spent his whole life preparing for a war, ready and willing to be a martyr and the downfall of his family name. But with Voldemort gone, the enemy has become, scattered, less clear, and well aware he’s coming for them. He feels as though there’s nothing he can do, nothing that won’t earn him a few years in Azkaban. But that doesn’t ease the anger that eats at him like rot, chipping a little part of him away until the only thing left is the anger. He’s trying to find a purpose for it, an outlet, but all he wants is revenge.” I love this headcanon because it explains perfectly Sirius’ struggle between his willingness to do good and protect his friends, and his inner demons and bitter feelings towards the purists and the Death Eaters. I can’t wait to see how this develops! Amazing job!

Again; congratulations to all of you and thank you for showing an interest in this group! Now that you’re here, this is what you need to do next:

Follow EVERYONE

Track all of the tags (found HERE)

Make your character account send it in within 24 hours

Open up your askbox

If for any reason you need more time to get your account in, don’t hesitate to message me so I can keep your role open! If I don’t get a message from you then I will assume you’re no longer interested in keeping your spot. Once you send your account, you’ll be provided with the necessary links and we can get started! And of course; HAVE FUN!

#accepted

[hsews]

By Brietta Hague

Posted June 17, 2018 05:11:14

Photo: Zohra brandishes the Mata doll, determined to win. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

Zohra Sidki competes in a dangerous game where women were once the prize.

A hundred horsemen are preparing for battle. Six tribes from Northern Morocco have gathered in the village of Zniyed for a game that dates back 800 years.

Mata is a display of manhood as much as it is a game. Tribesmen, riding bareback, fight for possession of a female idol, using force if they have to. In past years, some have even used knives.

Traditionally, the rider who crosses the finish line with the idol won the hand of the most beautiful woman in his tribe.

But today the men no longer take a woman as a prize, they compete against one.

Photo: Zohra Sidki says she is “obsessed to the point of sickness” with Mata. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

Zohra Sidki is the only woman to have taken the field for Mata.

“I’m obsessed to the point of sickness with this game,” she says.

Zohra doesn’t know her age but thinks she’s in her late 40s.

As a child, she would take food and water to her father on horseback as he worked the fields. She quickly learnt how to control a horse and became enamoured with the freedom of being on horseback.

“When I was 11, I used to play with the boys and I would ride on the beach,” Zohra says.

“When people saw me, they contacted the police. They told them, ‘There is a young girl and you wouldn’t imagine it, she is riding a horse.’

“People would come from everywhere to watch me.”

Photo: Zohra Sidki. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

As one of the few animals mentioned in the Koran, the horse holds a powerful position in the Islamic faith.

As champion rider Ahmad Fergani explains, “To be on horseback is to be protected by God.”

But horses aren’t for everyone.

One day the police came to young Zohra’s house. The authorities were nervous about seeing a girl on horseback.

“The mayor said he wouldn’t let me ride. I told him to give me my horse, and that was it.”

Despite protests, Zohra rode in a local competition and won, cementing her reputation as a talented horsewoman.

When she heard Mata was being held again, she quickly signed up.

A display of manhood

It’s a dangerous contest. This year is no different.

“We wear white because it’s the colour of a funeral shroud. We are ready to be buried if we die during the race,” says Ahmad Fergani.

Some men are aghast that a woman is competing. One rider hints that Zohra is mentally unstable.

Another says it’s shameful:

“It’s dangerous and not appropriate for her to have a horse between her legs. I would not allow my daughter ride in Mata.”

Zohra isn’t intimidated by the criticism. She says most of the men are happy to have her.

“They respect me and I respect them,” she says.

“The problems arise because they all want me to play on their team. It’s special to have a woman.”

A saint’s game

Before the race, riders head to pay their respects at the mountain-top tomb of Moulay Abdeslam, the saint who first started Mata.

The Sufi saint is said to have brought the game home from central Asia in the 13th century.

During his travels, he witnessed “buzkashi” — an Afghan sport still popular today where riders vie to put a goat or calf corpse into a goal.

Buzkashi itself was brought across the central steppe to Persia by Mongol hordes.

The sport took hold in north Africa and mixed with local beliefs, becoming something uniquely Moroccan.

When the saint’s direct descendants, the Baraka family, revived the game, they faced a common cultural conundrum: how to honour a historic tradition steeped in patriarchal attitudes that many now find unacceptable.

Women at its heart

A brutal horseback game may seem an unlikely vehicle for social progress, but the Baraka family were determined for it to be just that.

Patriarch Abdelhadi Baraka put his daughter Nabila in charge.

Photo: Nabila and Abdelhadi Baraka. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

“It’s important for a woman to lead this event,” Nabila says.

“Women hold an extremely important place in Mata. They prepare everything for the events — not just the doll itself.”

The winning rider no longer gets to choose a bride as trophy, but women are still objectified — literally — in the contest to seize the “bride” idol.

The doll is the embodiment of fertility, which Mata celebrates at the coming of spring — seasons are still key for these agrarian tribespeople.

Before the race, older tribeswomen hold ceremonies to create the Mata idol by binding together straw and cloth.

They decorate her with gold fabric and pearls and ask for blessings from the Prophet Mohammed.

Culture is catching up

Morocco liberalised its strict family law code in 2004, and it is now considered one of the most progressive for women in the Arab world.

Yet culture is slower to adapt, particularly in conservative and religious rural areas. As a result, few women have had the chance to learn to ride.

Photo: Rider Abdel Afellad holds the Mata doll at sunset. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

“People tell me to start an association where we could train the girls of the city and we would train boys, too,” Zohra says.

“They told me this, but I don’t have the means to start it. I don’t have a sponsor.

“I have a female friend who wants to ride next year. Let’s see what happens.”

But this year, Zohra is on her own and despite the physical danger she’s in, she’s prepared to give it her all.

Photo: Zohra brandishes the Mata doll, determined to win. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

The race begins

As the riders take their mark, Nabila Baraka hands the idol to Zohra.

She brandishes it high in the air as tribeswomen sing to her below. Her defiant display marks the start of the contest.

Within seconds, a rider snatches the idol from her and gallops away. She steadies herself, then charges off after the frontrunner.

The valley soon fills with screams of emotion and adrenaline as teams chase each other for the prize.

The team with the Mata doll charges up into the hills surrounding the pitch, desperate to gain some distance from their rivals.

The other teams are close behind, riders scream directions at each other. Horses foam at the mouth.

The riders struggle to stay upright in the melee. Falling or being knocked off means being trampled.

Zohra is lost in the chaos as riders lunge at the idol, attempting to wrest it away as the holding team defends it.

For half an hour, the Mata idol is passed between riders of the leading team until one rider breaks away.

At a mad pace, the rider and his horse leave the other teams behind, looping back to the starting point to take victory.

Spectators throng around his horse as he holds the idol high in triumph.

Photo: The victorious team grasp their trophy and the Mata doll. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

This time, the winner is a young man called Ahmed Mchich; the cousin of former champion Ahmad Fergani.

Zohra is exhausted but happy.

She’ll be back next year, determined to win.

“I’m more advanced than the men, with my bravery. I’ve been brave since I was young. God gave me this strength.”

Photo: Whatever the outcome, Zohra loves Mata and will be back next year. (ABC News: Angels Melange)

Credits:

Reporter: Brietta Hague

Photographs: Angels Melange

Video: Angels Melange and Brietta Hague, edited by Jack Fisher

Fixer: Hanaa El Asri

Editors: Annika Blau and Leigh Tonkin

Topics:

sport,

community-and-society,

women,

religion-and-beliefs,

human-interest,

australia

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