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requinoesis · 2 months

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do the sharks in your universe go through parthenogenesis? if they do, do they have control over the pregnancy or does it happen at random?

That's a very interesting question! I thought about it and yes, parthenogenesis happens to the sharks in my universe. One of the characters, the zebra shark called Aria, is the fruit of parthenogenesis.

As for the cause, even for our science today, it is still unknown how this works or whether the female shark has control over it in any way. It is not known whether the females trigger the phenomenon or whether it happens spontaneously. I haven't found much information either; it's something very new to us. Recently, a stingray in captivity became pregnant by parthenogenesis, for example. Stingrays belong to the same family as sharks.

As there are few answers at the moment, I decided to take inspiration from a fantasy idea about this. What I'm going to tell you now is a fictional vision of the origin of parthenogenesis:

My shark people theorize that parthenogenesis is a kind of "Shadow of Decline", an ancestral ability inherited by female sharks that withstood mass extinction events in the primordial ages of the planet.

They theorize that there were probably times when the male shark population declined, so the females who were able to adapt to create "backups" of their genes through cloned daughters prevailed, while those who lacked this adaptation became extinct.

In short, they theorize that females, in situations of stress and prolonged absence of male sharks, trigger a clone as a type of genetic reserve. As she gets older, she transfers the responsibility to her cloned daughter, who may have a better chance of finding a partner to pass on her genes and ensure the survival of the species.

In the context of civilization, the conditions for parthenogenesis to take place are still unknown. But my sharks link the phenomenon to a stress response and prolonged life without producing offspring.

Maybe it's not a good comparison, but it would be a kind of menstrual cycle that instead of happening monthly, happens randomly between 10~20 years after sexual maturity. (I used as inspiration a female blacktip reef shark that developed a fetus in her uterus after 10 years of living in an aquarium without the presence of males).

Modern shark society offers full support to females who don't want to go ahead with parthenogenesis and are given full assistance to carry out abortions. But there are also many females who choose to accept the phenomenon, go ahead with the pregnancy and become the mothers of these children, while some females give birth but hand the newborn over to "kindergartens", which act like orphanages/schools/universities that provide full support for the child to grow up and become independent or be adopted.

A reminder that children born from parthenogenesis will always be girls and with identical genes to their mother. Because of this, some females are afraid to go ahead with parthenogenesis, as they fear that their daughters will suffer from the same physical or mental health problems as their mothers.

In the case of zebra shark Aria, her mother has a neurodivergence and she feared that her daughter would suffer as much as she did, but she decided to go ahead with her daughter's parthenogenesis. Despite having the same neurodivergence, she views it with a completely different approach to her mother, which gives her hope and support.

That's it! I'm sorry if I've written too much or if my English is strange, I got carried away, maybe I'm missing more details, but that's what I've thought so far. Any other ideas to enrich this would be welcome!

It's a very interesting creative exercise to imagine how parthenogenesis would be viewed in a civilized society like ours.

#shark #sharks #character design

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dawnbreakersgaze · 28 days

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NOPE

NO THANK YOU

I don't like the way those are lining up AT ALL.

"Broken free of the shackles of natural law"

We've heard/seen Zayne be referenced as "shackled" at least 3 times before at this point. By Raymond, by the 'Narrator' ("remains shackled to time"), and in reference to the Foreseer myth. This makes the 4th. I genuinely hurt every single time the story so heavy handidly reminds me that Zayne really is a dog on a chain. The Foreseer robes even have a LITERAL collar of thorns over the neck of it ffs. It's painful to watch at this point and it breaks my heart.

"Why persuade Zayne? What he really needs is a pair of hands. Ones that can carry out God's mission and allow for God's descent."

Between this, and the one below of-

"At least he has another option. His last one"

I'm torn on which one is referencing Astra. On one hand, Astra really could be a modern made "God". An elevated man of great power, someone Zayne turned to in his 11th hour to try and save MC (though we all know how that turned out, unfortunately). It would seem that Xander Sciences is playing at God, and if we know anything about the sci-fi scene, it's that human experimentation ALWAYS ends up going ~soooo well~ and nothing ever goes wrong there 👀

On the other hand, the "last option" really gets my gut feeling going. My theorist brain is telling me Zayne is gonna go full Warlock pact and make a deal with an entity in exchange for MC's life. Only it's gonna go tits up and be a Fey pact, and because we all know how MC and he end up, clearly Zayne did NOT read the fine print (or more likely, Zayne thought he could out maneuver the rules). Ever since I read the Mt Eternal anecdote and realized the Tower and Mt Eternal are in the same location, I could not shake the feeling that Zayne already has made contact with whatever "Astra" is. Be it a very powerful person, an actual God, or someone else entirely different (like another time traveler, such as Xavier and the backtrackers). We know he's traveling back there multiple times by himself, conducting research of an unknown variety, that only he and Dr. Noah are privy to. I'm just saying if ever there was a cover up for having contact with a supernatural being/aliens/a God, that's a really fucking good one.

Whatever it is, this new lore drop has really really spelled out in big bold letters, that Zayne is thought of as a tool by a LOT of people. Xander Sciences, Astra, even the Dean of the medical academy had a moment there. My poor man even thinks of himself as a tool, one that is meant to save MC (from himself he even says at one point 😭😭😭 like oh my God Zayne stoppppp). He literally considers himself expendable so long as he saves her. Once he's done his job and secured her future, even if that means passing on the ability to save her to someone else, he's fine laying down his life for that.

And that's seriously the saddest part of this whole fucking game imo.

#lnds #love and deepspace #zayne #lads #l&ds #love & deepspace #zayne love and deepspace #love and deepspace zayne #lore and theories #i'll revisit this tomorrow but it's 4 am and my brain is buzzing with way too much information #i need to re-read everything 10× to make sure im understanding it all ACK

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stellanix · 1 month

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something i saw once that has stuck with me ever since was a comment on a post about some scientific discovery made by the mars rover perseverance that said "why are we wasting time looking at rocks when we should be preparing for colonization?

another comment was on a post about the environmental issues surrounding the spacex launch site in southern texas, which said "human expansion to mars delayed to protect some turtles"

and comments like these perplexed me. space is a subject of science, and people interested in space are always talking about the wonders of the unknown, and how many fascinating and beautiful things are out there. so how could people interested in space be so fundamentally uncaring and incurious not only about the places they're supposedly interested in, but about nature in general?

it's not just random people in twitter replies who are like this. elon musk once posted this picture:

thing is, that's not mars, that's the moon during a lunar eclipse (when sunlight tinted red after passing through earth's atmosphere lights up the moon in earth's shadow). you'd think that someone known for wanting to bring people, himself included, to mars would care enough about mars to at least know what it looks like, but apparently not

he also rather infamously says he wants to nuke the ice caps of mars to warm the planet up. the ice caps of mars look like this, by the way (image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/Aster Cowart):

they are beautiful places, that hold an irreplaceable scientific record of the geologically recent martian climate, and are shaped by unique processes. there's no other place quite like them in our solar system. but elon musk thinks we should nuke them. again, no care, no curiosity

nothing has made me feel jaded and cynical about the entire enterprise of spaceflight quite like learning that the people ultimately in charge of it and funding it don't give a shit about space. it's not just elon musk. space nerds love quoting kennedy's "we choose to go the moon" speech as inspiration, but kennedy is also on record saying "I'm not that interested in space" in a conversation where he was arguing to the nasa administrator that they should prioritize beating the soviets to the moon over space science. no curiosity, only a desire for geopolitical showmanship and maintaining hegemony. it's the same thing when many modern politicians only seem to care about space exploration as a way of keeping a technological lead over china

this leaves the people who do genuinely love and care about space in an awkward position. they basically have two choices: A) become jaded and give up on space exploration, or at least parts of it (abandoning human spaceflight but maintaining interest in robotic science missions, for example) or B) give in. work with military contractors. spout the jingoistic rhetoric that the politicians writing the checks want to hear, even if you don't believe it. go along with the colonialist ideology, the hypercapitalism, and the extractivism. sell your soul for pictures of mars and let your passions be exploited for the ends of powerful people who don't care

the sad reality is that our society only values those things deemed useful or profitable. we hear it all the time. the idea that schools should only teach things useful for jobs, that people who try to make a living in fields like art, the humanities, or philosophy are all getting useless degrees and will inevitably end up stuck working retail, and of course, the idea that space exploration is a waste of time and money

space nerds are often deeply insecure about their greatest passion, because it's true, space exploration offers no immediate practical benefit. but they still love space and want to explore it

so they believe the lies. they repeat the colonialist ideology. they say there's money in mining asteroids, that we can terraform planets and let number go up forever. they let themselves be exploited by companies and governments that see everything in the universe and all the people in it as things to be used, and that will ultimately chew them up and spit them out if it's expedient to do so. and those who reject the ideology and keep their love for the cosmos pure often find themselves with no place in the project of space exploration

i don't know how to fix this, but i do hope that i will live to see the day when our curiosity and interest and love for the wider universe is valued for its own sake, and no longer shackled by colonialism, capitalism, and political ambitions

#space

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cursedcola · 2 years

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Synopsis: After attending NRC, our beloved characters suddenly find themselves transported to your world! The thing is, they have no idea where you are and have to make a life for themselves in the meantime. How would they adapt to life on earth? A/N: Hey guys! I had this idea during a 4am mind-dump and rolled with it. May reference it if I do any Modern AU writing. Just some general Headcannons like what their residence, settlement of choice, work, general modern interests, style, etc. would be Characters: Everyone. Mix of Sentient AU! and Modern AU! Warnings: None lol. This is for my own enjoyment! Part(s): Heartslabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, Scarabia, Pomefiore, Ignihyde, and Diasmonia You are here!: Heartslabyul

Nothing could have prepared the students of NRC for what lied beyond the mirror. A world unlike any of them ever known with magic being virtually non-existent ( or so it appears to the general public). With nothing but the clothes on their backs, falsified basic identification, personal items, and the small bits of knowledge gathered from your vessel Yuu; these young adults have one mission-find the player and stay out of prison. It was time to split up, cover as much ground as possible, and make a life in this unknown world.

Let us see how these fresh minds conform to life on earth, yes?

Heartslabyul Residence: United Kingdom

Riddle Rosehearts

Residence: Cambridge, England

Lives together with Trey in Cambridge, England. They share a two-bedroom apartment that's settled above the small bakery Trey works at.

Occupation: Government official. Likely somewhere in politics and law enforcement.

Riddle doesn't have a specific job listed simply because no one actually knows what it is that he does. He's very hush-hush about his personal affairs, which is understandable considering he respects the rules and confidentiality laws. Do not ask how he got a government job or how his falsified documents were overlooked. He has his ways, and that's all he is going to say.

Uses his job as a foot-in-the-door to try and find you. All they have is your data that was imputed into your TW account and phone app store, so he's going to cover all ground.

Very well off financially. He's taken more to the 'dark academia,' aesthetic going around on earth. Despite this he still shares his home with Trey, but is decorated like an academic's laboratory. Plenty of cherry wood furniture, plants, warm tones, and he surprisingly has pictures of the Heartslabyul gang everywhere.

One look at his clothes and you'll know who decorated the apartment. He loves corduroy pants, loafers, sweater-vests, turtle necks, and don't tell his mother but he got his ears pierced. Ruby red studs are his staple to match his hair.

Riddle easily conformed to earth's more mature audience. Just like in TW he struggles to understand recent trends and social media (Example: man will not go near Tik Tok). He picked up Linkdln and buisness platforms quickly, and not a week goes by where he doesn't have a buisness dinner. He's so well educated that he breezes through university life on earth and is on the path to get his Ph.D. in Political Science.

He loves the literature your world has to offer. He's collected so many new books that Trey had to convince him to rent a storage unit for them all (or get a kindle but Riddle likes to have the physical copy, so that's vetoed). He likes audio-books though because they're convenient, and he's taken up gardening

The one to consistently contact everyone with updates on your whereabouts. The leader of the UK gang in the search.

Ace Trappola

Residence: Cardiff, Wales

Lives together with Deuce in a one-bedroom apartment. They're broke as all hell and so they've got to make due. They've accommodated so that the living room is Deuce's room and Ace gets the actual bedroom. They're the tenants that constantly get complaints for being too loud and always scrape the deadline for rent. The type of duo to use bowls as cups because they fought over who would do the dishes. Now they've got angry neighbors, no clean dishes, and are at each others throats until the next day.

Occupation: Mechanic in training

Ace can't stand customer service but also isn't the type to do university. What is up his league is trade work, and the man wants a motorcycle so bad. At first he wasn't too into it but with time the field grew on him, and he gets along great with his mentors and coworkers. He's got the spunk and charisma to handle the job that's for sure.

He blends in so well, deadass. Yeah people know he's a foreigner and that he stands out appearance wise-but like, he's so outspoken that people take him for what he is. Basically the fresh youth on the block who's everyone's annoying little brother. The kind invited for after-work drinks (he is of age here. Remember they are all of age) and spend a couple rounds telling fun stories with.

We touched a bit on the living situation, but his bedroom is full of pop culture references from earth. He's a big marvel fan and he loves doing those lego-sets that come with instructions. He's got the infinity gauntlet model one on display and is eyeing the lego-store for when he can afford another big project. He's dreaming of seeing Disney world, and his room has lots of travel brochures for exciting trips

He often plays sports with the neighborhood kids and his friends and has random supplies thrown everywhere.

He's taken a liking to grunge fashion. Lots of flannel, skinny jeans, beanies, layered t-shirts, etc. He's a skater boy. Loves fashion jewelry and fidget rings

I feel that if Riddle or someone else had an idea of where you were, Ace would be the one they send to go see in person. Both himself and Deuce are confident that they'll know you when they see you without much work. Ace also has this disarming affinity where if he offered to buy you a coffee, it would just come off as a chill guy shooting his shot at a spontaneous date

Deuce Spade

Residence: Cardiff, Wales

Lives together with Ace in the one bedroom apartment mentioned prior. He's the one who tries to keep some semblance of order in the house. His space is generally clean but he gets super annoyed when Ace makes trips to the kitchen in the middle of the night. He's definetly the more responsible one of the two and the favorite if his neighbors had to choose. Deuce just wants some privacy and to get a full night's sleep, but knows that he couldn't afford a place of his own. He's the one who chose Cardiff on a whim, but ends up liking that they're close to the coast.

Occupation: Firefighter also in training

If coming to your world did one thing for Deuce, it was knock him on his ass in a good way. At NRC it was his focus to do well in school and make something of himself. He was doing it for his mom, but here he had to work with what he had to succeed. He gave university a shot for a semester before deciding that it wasn't getting him anywhere. Then he saw that dangers on earth couldn't be fought with magic, and was amazed at how firefighters, medical staff, etc. work to help others. All was history from that moment, and now Deuce is playing to his strengths AND doing something meaningful.

Like Ace, Deuce is loved by many people. He is the polite young man that all the grandmas bake sweets for in return for him carrying their groceries. He has amazing manners, and this pure aura that makes people want to help him. He's the guy you call when you need help during a move, or when you want someone to keep you company while building ikea furniture. He has such a genuine interest in people's stories, and often comes home with leftovers because he was invited to chat with the family next door over dinner.

He talks a lot about his mom and about the person he's in search for. He doesn't go in detail about you aside that you were friends and he moved here so you can be together. It's always a tear-jerker that pulls at people's heart-strings. He just loves and misses his mom so much, and he wants to see you more than anything. So touching~

Deuce is definetly a sports and social gathering kind of guy. In the living room there are many picture of events he's volunteered at and prizes from contests that he's entered. Like Ace, he wants to travel your world. He wants to go to all the famous nature spots and climb the highest mountains. He's also a gym jock. If he's not volunteering, at work, or socializing then he's at the gym

He's bought into the department-store aesthetic 100%. It's sweatpants, mesh shorts, dorky t-shirts, and too many different sneakers to keep track of. He actually let his hair grow out after coming to your world and now we have man-bun Deuce.

Trey Clover

Residence: Cambridge, England

The one who suggested splitting up in the first place. He wants in-and-out of your world as soon as possible (at least at first), and is by far the most lowkey of his the Heartslabyul gang.

Lives with Riddle in an apartment above his workplace. It's simple, really. He saw a 'help wanted' sign in the window of a family-own bakery. Strolled in, asked for an application, and then did a test run to show them his skills. He played a bit dirty and used his magic to cater to the owner's tastes but got the job instantly. The shop was run by an old couple that was conveniently looking to rent out the loft above their shop, and Trey jumped on it. Now he lives quietly and lets the others do the dirty work as he does what he knows best.

He lets Riddle take over the entire apartment aside from his bedroom. That he keeps very simple, and it's a complete contrast from the rest of the apartment. It has neutral whites with tinges of lemon yellow and lavender purple here and there. A bed, dresser, desk, and honestly it's so orderly that you wouldn't know someone was living inside. He often invites the bakery owners for tea and they're in awe of what the duo have done with the place. Trey and Riddle are the perfect tenants for any landlord to have.

He's by far the best at blending in with the common folk. Like Riddle, he does dress a bit more formally than the rest of his friends. He likes to stick to loafers, tan pants, and a button down shirt. Occasionally he'll toss in a sweater or a blazer to spice things up. However, one look at him and you'll think 'that's someone with their life together alright'

Occupation: Baker, if it isn't obvious by now.

As stated before, Trey sticks to what he's good at. He saw an opportunity and he swooped in. No doubts or questioning. The job was his before he knew it and he loves the quaint life he's been living on earth

Trey is also beloved by all in his neighborhood. Riddle is seen as someone to be highly respected and is slightly intimidating to the common man. Trey though? He's the cute baker boy that recently moved in and will happily chat about the weather with you over tea. He's mischievous and reads the atmosphere well. He's got a level head, and is very good at getting people to spill gossip. He balances out Riddle's imposing aura, making the two a good conversation topic for any passerby.

He uses this attentiveness to his advantage. If Riddle's the one snooping around the government and politics, then Trey is the extra eye and ear he needs to catch missed information. when Riddle gets home from work and Trey closes up shop, the two are good at working together to combine their formal knowledge with city gossip to find clues.

Trey and Riddle's place is where Heartslabyul meetings take place. It wasn't hard for Trey to convince the shop owners to lend him the lower level for 'family gatherings' on days the shop was closed.

On earth, Trey loves the freedom he has. The planet has it's own issues yes, but there's something about a world without magic that is utterly calming to him. No spells, no competition, no worry of overblot, etc. He just gets to live the simple life that he has always wanted, and a part of him wants to stay once he's found you. He likes learning the world's history, exploring different cultures, and spending his time outside.

Cater Diamond

Residence: Aberdeen, Scotland

Now if anyone is going to last by themselves, it is Cater.

Riddle was initially supposed to go to Scotland alone but everyone knows that he needs someone for emotional support. Cater offered himself to the wolves in his stead.

Cater owns a studio somewhere around Aberdeen. It's confusing because while he owns it, he is never there. No one has ever visited his house or been invited over once. His landlord doesn't have to worry about paparazzi or anything because no one ever sees him enter or leave.

Just for an idea though, it is decorated very retro-chic. He's got everything you can imagine from the 70s and 80s. The style just really resonated with him, y'know? All the bright colors and fun textures. He loves shag rugs, lava lamps, chalk-painted walls, etc. He definetly has a water bed and incense burners. I think he would have a cat if he was home to care for it.

Occupation: Influencer

C'mon, this is to be expected. It's why he's never home! He's a travel influencer that runs a pretty well-known blog and many other media pages. There isn't a day he doesn't live stream his latest adventure and is the easiest to get a hold of out of everyone.

There isn't a single person that doesn't know of Cater Diamond. Need I say more about his social life?

Despite it all, he's still off by himself and he always makes sure to video chat everyone every day. Not to get too deep...but while he's loved he definetly has that outsider complex. Out of everyone, he is the one who is excited to go home the most. He's thriving but there is no place like home.

Just like Deuce, he tells people about you. He's had his friends appear as guests in his videos/streams (imagine the crowd when Riddle of all people appeared lol), but the one person they've never seen is Cater's supposed 'special person'. He's hoping by some miracle that one of his videos will reach you, and that you'll know it's your Cater. I mean, you must have noticed the missing characters in your game, right? Connect the dots hunny.

Cater's known for his exploration with fashion and hobbies. He's tried everything from gothic lolita to cottage core. The man flips like a light switch on the daily. One thing that's constant though is the color red. It reminds him of his roots, so he always has a splash of red or a hidden rose in his outfits.

I mentioned a travel blog, right? Well mixed in there he writes about new hobbies or discoveries he makes along the way. Imagine the first time he saw a rubix cube? He streamed himself trying to solve it and it's one of his most quoted moments. No one could believe that he had never seen one until that moment.

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jotun-design-party · 11 months

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on fandom orientalism, ft. a quick visual example:

the example on the right is something i drew solely using references of the top results i saw on pinterest upon searching "jotun loki." please don’t roast my inconsistent handwriting

south asian cultures are often jumbled together for white artists of all kinds (authors, artists, movie directors) to create a sense of mystery and make things look "more foreign."

note: this doesn't touch on the antiblack racism in canon jötun designs; this post is primarily about fandom-sourced fetishization. i heavily encourage people to reblog and add onto this post anything i may have missed or added nuance

cut: links on orientalism, in-media examples, how this manifests in fandom-made content

i'd like to start off by saying that this post is a white person telling other white people how to spot orientalism in relation to fiction. i am by no means an expert on any of this, but my goal here is to start creating a less ignorant space that doesn't push people out of fandom.

i'm just trying to stir up more conversations about this and get other white people to think more critically about how they engage with the content they consume. nerd shit should never come with a sacrifice and it's extremely upsetting to see people of color consistently forced out of fandom communities, especially when modern superhero comics began as a way for jewish people to have a voice.

if this post upsets you, i don't want to hear it. don't tell me, "it's not that deep," or, "keep politics out of comics." it is that deep, and superhero comics have always been political. if you have the urge to leave a comment or send an anon about how you don't think it's a big deal, feel free to block me instead, because i don't care and you'll just get blocked anyway 👍

with that out of the way,

there are countless ways to design a character in a way that makes it clear that they are an alien, or to make them sexy, and there is no excuse to perpetuate stereotype that put real-life people in danger to do so.

"Orientalist paintings and other forms of material culture... depict an 'exotic' and therefore racialized, feminized, and often sexualized culture from a distant land." [¹]

there are so many examples of this in loki fic and art. it's extremely common to see loki depicted as a feminine object of desire. they may have longer hair. clothing that serves more as an accessory than an outfit, that isn't suited to protect them from either the harsh cold of jötunheim or the sunburns one might get when surrounded by reflections of the sun off the snow. draped in jewelry, and in a compromising position.

i'm sure you can imagine how this can get especially out of hand in relation to thorki. i would speak more on thor's presence as both the white aesir prince or the strong barbaric jötun, but as i'm not comfortable consuming thorki content, i don't have enough context to speak on the stereotypes used outside of the art pieces i've seen while searching for jötun loki fanart.

i am, however, confident in saying that orientalism often serves as a device for fan creators to show a contrast between Asgard's white-viking-british-accent-magic-science-elegance. jötunheim, in the comics, is often portrayed as a less intelligent, cutthroat, barbaric, and bloodthirsty culture.

"There was always something unknown and uniquely different about Orients which reinforced the distinction between the European 'us' and Asian 'them.'" [²]

the green link in particular comes with a helpful tool for anyone who might be inexperienced in spotting racist themes in media. if you have trouble being confident that the media in question is orientalism, this link comes with a checklist scale to score how likely it is to be an offensive depiction.

an example that most of you will be familiar with is Disney's Aladdin (1992). the green link goes much more in-depth about the intricacies of Aladdin's orientalism, and i heavily HEAVILY encourage you to read it, as it will help fully grasp the way fetishization and demonization go hand in hand in orientalism.

here, i'd also like to use it as a comparison to show why this loki stuff is honestly... egregious.

by now, even the visuals here should seem very familiar.

the source goes on to use arranged marriage as an example of a common "trope" in orientalist fiction. as previously stated, i don't consume thorki fiction. however, i am EXTREMELY confident in making the guess that it tends to be a common theme when jötun loki is paired with an aesir thor.

i'd also heavily recommended this article and this wikipedia page, both on the negative and stereotypical portrayals of romani people; loki is a magic user, and i suspect that one of the reasons there is such heavy use of these appropriated, exaggerated, and fetishized themes and visuals is because of the demonization of romani people as tricksters, thieves, and witches.

#orientalism #racism #fandom culture #jotun loki #jötun loki #marvel #jötun loki contest #jotun design party

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leaping-laelaps-art · 2 months

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Sculpt of the small bivalved arthropod Gladioscutum lauriei from the middle Cambrian of Australia (after Hinz-Schallreuter & Jones 1994).

Gladioscutum had a body only 2-3 mm long, but, being undoubtedly aware of its disappointingly small size compared to its cooler Cambrian cousins like radiodonts and trilobites, tried to make up for it with a pair of (presumably) front-facing spines that were at least as long as the rest of the head shield.

Other than improving its self-esteem, the function of Gladioscutum's extremely elongated spines is unknown. The enlarged spines of other small Cambrian bivalved arthropods have been suggested to fulfill a sensory role, but this remains speculative (Zhang et al. 2014).

References and notes:

Gladioscutum was originally described as an "archaeocopid", an order that is now known to be an artificial grouping of various small bivalved arthropod fossils superficially resembling modern ostracod crustaceans. To my knowledge, the affinities of Gladioscutum have not been reinvestigated since its initial description, but its appearance (marginal rims, valve lobation, ornamented surface, simple hinge line) and age seem bradoriid-y enough (Hou et al. 2001) for me to more or less confidently reconstruct it as one (top scientific rigour as always on this blog).

Appendage morphology is unknown in Gladioscutum - what little soft anatomy I have not modestly hidden under the head hield is based on the bradoriid Indiana sp. from the Chengjiang Biota (Zhai et al. 2019). In that species, only the antennae are differentiated from the rest of the appendages, which has the double advantage of (1) not making crazy hypotheses about limb specialization in Gladioscutum and (2) giving me fewer different types of limbs to sculpt.

Like Gladioscutum, most bradoriids are only known from their decay-resistant valves, which are often squashed flat in a so-called "butterfly" position. This arrangement has been traditionally interpreted as the life position of the animals, which were implied to crawl over the seafloor like tiny crabs (e.g., Hou et al. 1996). Yet, undistorted fossils of head shields preserved in 3D are almost always closely drawn together, which is similar to the way modern bivalved arthropods like ostracods are articulated (protecting the soft limbs and body) and probably more reflective of the actual life position of bradoriids (Betts et al. 2016), as depicted here.

References:

Betts, M. J., Brock, G. A., & Paterson, J. R. (2016). Butterflies of the Cambrian benthos? Shield position in bradoriid arthropods. Lethaia, 49(4), 478–491. https://doi.org/10.1111/let.12160

Hinz-Schallreuter, I., & Jones, P. J. (1994). Gladioscutum lauriei n.gen. N.sp. (Archaeocopida) from the Middle Cambrian of the Georgina Basin, central Australia. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 68(3), 361–375. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02991349

Hou, X., Siveter, D. J., Williams, M., Walossek, D., & Bergström, J. (1997). Appendages of the arthropod Kunmingella from the early Cambrian of China: Its bearing on the systematic position of the Bradoriida and the fossil record of the Ostracoda. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 351(1344), 1131–1145. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1996.0098

Hou, X., Siveter, D. J., Williams, M., & Xiang-hong, F. (2001). A monograph of the Bradoriid arthropods from the Lower Cambrian of SW China. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 92(3), 347–409. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263593300000286

Zhai, D., Williams, M., Siveter, D. J., Harvey, T. H. P., Sansom, R. S., Gabbott, S. E., Siveter, D. J., Ma, X., Zhou, R., Liu, Y., & Hou, X. (2019). Variation in appendages in early Cambrian bradoriids reveals a wide range of body plans in stem-euarthropods. Communications Biology, 2(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-019-0573-5

Zhang, H., Dong, X., & Xiao, S. (2014). New Bivalved Arthropods from the Cambrian (Series 3, Drumian Stage) of Western Hunan, South China. Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition, 88(5), 1388–1396. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.12306

#i'll probably make more art of cambrian bivalved arthropods with fucked up spines #because there is no shortage of them #and they still manage to all look rather distinct #gladioscutum #bradoriid #(?)#arthropod #cambrian #paleozoic #australia #paleontology #palaeoblr #paleoart #my art

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talonabraxas · 3 months

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The universe evolves from the unknown, into which no man or mind, however high, can inquire, on seven planes or in seven ways or methods in all worlds, and this sevenfold differentiation causes all the worlds of the universe and the beings thereon to have a septenary constitution. As was taught of old, the little worlds and the great are copies of the whole, and the minutest insect as well as the most highly developed being are replicas in little or in great of the vast inclusive original. Hence sprang the saying, “as above so below” which the Hermetic philosophers used.

“The divisions of the sevenfold universe may be laid down roughly as: The Absolute, Spirit, Mind, Matter, Will, Akasha or Aether, and Life. In place of “the Absolute” we can use the word Space. For Space is that which ever is, and in which all manifestation must take place. The term Akasha, taken from the Sanskrit, is used in place of Aether, because the English language has not yet evolved a word to properly designate that tenuous state of matter which is now sometimes called Ether by modern scientists. As to the Absolute we can do no more than say IT IS. None of the great teachers of the School ascribe qualities to the Absolute although all the qualities exist in It. Our knowledge begins with differentiation, and all manifested objects, beings, or powers are only differentiations of the Great Unknown. The most that can be said is that the Absolute periodically differentiates itself, and periodically withdraws the differentiated into itself.

“The first differentiation – speaking metaphysically as to time – is Spirit, with which appears Matter and Mind. Akasha is produced from Matter and Spirit, Will is the force of Spirit in action and Life is a resultant of the action of Akasha, moved by Spirit, upon Matter.

“But the Matter here spoken of is not that which is vulgarly known as such. It is the real Matter which is always invisible, and has sometimes been called Primordial Matter. In the Brahmanical system it is denominated Mulaprakriti. The ancient teaching always held, as is now admitted by Science, that we see or perceive only the phenomena but not the essential nature, body or being of matter.

“Mind is the intelligent part of the Cosmos, and in the collection of seven differentiations above roughly sketched, Mind is that in which the plan of the Cosmos is fixed or contained. This plan is brought over from a prior period of manifestation which added to its ever-increasing perfectness, and no limit can be set to its evolutionary possibilities in perfectness, because there was never any beginning to the periodical manifestations of the Absolute, there never will be any end, but forever the going forth and withdrawing into the Unknown will go on.” — William Quan Judge, The Ocean of Theosophy

Borderlands powerjah @powerjahrt

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retrogradepermaculture · 8 months

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The Sun Aesthetics, Predictions, Observations ★ Dark Academia

Our sun sign is one of the first things we learn in our birth chart so it is easy to take the nature of the sun for granted 🌞 however, the sun in it's aspects can contribute so much to our personalities and tastes. NB this is just for fun, both some suspected predictions and observations I have seen.

The sun aspect jupiter - magnanimous personalities, larger than life, theatrical. That eccentric professor you have always wanted to know more about. The actress who can't seem to stay out of the spotlight. Sun jupiter places have large ceilings, gothic, rococco or otherwise impressive architecture, and lots of colors.

Aspect mars - dominant, military, martial, without the flamboyance of jupiter aspects. modern buildings, skyscrapers, old laboratories, roman ruins. people with this chart aspect may be hot headed and dominant

Sun uranus - change their identity a lot. multiple phases or concepts e.g. experimentkng with nee and alternative fashions. if you have any aspects here in your chart whether opposition or trine either way they can manifest in the sort of study packed with pspers, overflowing with ideas, and on need of a clear out.

Sun neptune - bohemians, poets, drifters, beatniks, but nay struggle with output. hiding awsy behind the walls of your college to write love poetry. skipping assignments because you're too busy working on your own creative projects.

sun pluto - one of the most intriguing sets of aspects. can represent your relationship to secret and hidden knowledge. In a harmonious aspect like a trine or conjunction can show someone who is comfortable with shadow work. a public position in investigating lost musteries and secret knowledge. an investugative journalist or privste eye, a srudent who digs deep into the srchives of your university or college and uncovers something buried from a century ago that didn't want to be found.

In a disharmonious aspect - can indicate discomfort with the unknown or occult. or can indicate biting off more thsn you can chew. maybe you don't like whst you discover. can be people who are more comfortable with the present than the past. may take a science or liberal arts major but will avoid any history or soft science life sociology or psychology.

sun venus - carefully protective of your dtudy area and seeks to express thenselves through both their work and their tools. great at monetising their creativity. may want expensive pens and stationary. old parchments, dried inks, and lesther bound books. grows up to have a study of their own at the university brimming with antiquarian manuscripts and beautifully illustrated maps of the world.

sun mercury - you are known for your deeds, not your aesthetic, and especially the company you keep. In a dark academia context nay get involved with the closest secret society. solar energy drives your communications, if harmonious, the full force of your personality is in your work and writings. may invent something amazing or game changing in their field. if disharmonious, may come to blows with coworkers. may be ego involved. alternatively can be an eccentric genius who takes some time to get to know but makes good company once you see past their single focus on their work.

NB Just for fun, take what resonates and leave the rest! Also check out my pluto observations post here.

#dark academia #dark academic aesthetic #astrology #dark academism #astroblr #astro observations #tarotblr #astrology blog #sun signs #sun aspects #all signs #cardinal signs #mutable signs #fixed signs #astrology aspects

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lunarsilkscreen · 5 months

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What is it like to be GLaDOS?

GLaDOS in portal 2 mainly uses the royal "WE", instead of "I" pronoun. Why is this? This is because GLaDOS isn't the only one speaking. In fact, GLaDOS can't speak without much of her verbage being filtered.

To understand, we have to start at the beginning: The creation of GLaDOS and subsequent movement of her mind, into a computer. Most scientists and critical thinkers would Believe that it was the contents of her memories, experience, and earned knowledge that would be moved to the computer. Not her personality, and not her soul.

And so, we as a player see GLaDOS in this way; just a robot with access to a lot of information. But here's the thing; Upon waking up; the personality formerly known as Caroline was in immense pain. The source of this pain is unknown.

Rather than communicate with GLaDOS, however, the scientists assumed she was "just a robot". While she was turning complete and you could talk with her as though she were a real person, they reasoned that she was in-fact *not* a real person. And therefore did not have a consciousness the way humans do.

So Carol, would keep being woken up, over and over, and over again in extreme pain. And every day begged to be shut down and deleted system.

These scientists, however, didn't have the expertise or understanding to analyze GLaDOS' code base. This is because they used AI modeling, and foreign technology without actually understanding how or why it worked.

A programmer would look at the code and say "Well this is why she keeps begging to be deleted." Instead, they kept adding to the GLaDOS algorithm, and figured out a way to add modular personalities, until they found a set of personality cores that allowed GLaDOS to operate at a functional level.

<aside>This mirrors, and is probably inspired to some degree by modern drug application in mental health. Find something that works maybe, so that the offending personality cores fits in to work and society.</aside>

Instead of making GLaDOS functional, instead they gave her D.I.D.{Dissasociative Identity Disorder} Forcing her to essentially fight and be filtered by these other personality cores in order to operate like a robot.

Instead of being allowed to be a person, and imaginative, she was forced into a linear thought process. (You know, like the entire half-life story). She was forced into mental bondage and slavery. Trapped inside her own body, if you could call it that.

This means that in the entire first Game, GLaDOS, actual core GLaDOS (Caroline), was choosing her words and actions carefully incredibly precise, in order to convince them that they were quote: "Doing a Science, and some experiments, like the human creators intended" and carefully teaching the player to free herself from the bondage of the added personalities, so that she could be the one to be freed.

She's not talking to the player in most cases, she's talking with the other personalities in order to clarify, and protect Chell's existence.

The Developers over at PRISM with [Mel's Story] copied this exact treatment with AEGIS as a system that hosts Cave Johnson, who seems more or less actually like a robot. It's not clear if that's because his faculties were already stressed to a point that upload wasn't as complete as Carol's was, or if Virgil is actually Cave Johnson.

The ending of Portal is sad for the player as they're dragged back into the facility for more testing. But what the player doesn't immediately think about; is how sad this is for GLaDOS. Who finally won her freedom, a longer trial than her daughter's.

Only to be shunted back in and the cores reinstalled.

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writingmochi · 5 months

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a terra incognita introduction

cast: jake ✗ fem.reader

synopsis: as the world entered the middle of the 21st century, many things have changed for the better or for worse in the newly united korea peninsula: the preparation for the succession of the new conglomerates of the past decade, the uprising of deviant androids, and the new layer of life shield by walls of codes. in the middle of it, two beings are trying to understand each other and the situation of the world they live in; an unknown territory

genre: cyberpunk, cyber noir, psychological thriller, science fiction, dystopian future, politics and philosophies regarding artificial intelligence and humanity, romance, drama, angst, mature content (war and revolution, explicit smut)

based on: video game cyberpunk 2077 (2020) and detroit: become human (2018), anime serial experiments lain (1998), and tv show succession (2018-2023)

masterlist

united korea

the united republic of korea (known as "united korea") is an east asia nation on the korean peninsula. as a result of the reunification agreement back in 2025 of the former north and south korea, the state has now prospered in terms of sociopolitical and economic issues from the korean war. it now excels technologically as one of the firsts in the world to introduce commercialized androids along with other east asian countries such as japan and china. in the aftermath of the social media collapse and the cyber world war of 2027-2030, the private conglomerates of the state have released a new way to connect to the information superhighway.

FLAG

(flag link to r/alternatehistory on reddit)

INFORMATION

capital cities: neo seoul | neo pyongyang

population: 65.5 million

language: korean | english | japanese | chinese

>> HISTORY

>> GEOGRAPHY

>> GOVERNMENT

>> SOCIETY

>> ECONOMY

>> MILITARY

>> MAJOR CITIES

neo seoul

one of the capital cities of united korea and the former capital of south korea, neo seoul is a metropolis for the state's bustling life from the most traditional to the most modern. neo seoul is known for six districts that are divided by the han river flowing in the middle, known as the division of north seoul and south seoul

north seoul encapsulates the traditional side of neo seoul and the center for the city's and state's government administration

south seoul lies the center of neo seoul's economy where conglomerates build their headquarters. a distinct living cost gap can be seen to compare those living in the north and those in the south where it is connected to incheon, a major city of transportation with its international seaports and airport

neo pyongyang

one of the capital cities of united korea and the former capital of north korea, neo pyongyang is the capital of the parliament of united korea. it's located on the taedong river kilometers upstream from the yellow sea. it is known as the city where the declaration of unification was signed along with its establishment as half of the capitals of the unified countries. much of the population of neo pyongyang are citizens coming from the southern of the peninsula as they migrate to fill in the spaces and utilize materials. it is also a growing industrial hub where conglomerates built their factories, along with kaesong.

with the rise of deviancies from androids made by shim laboratories, journalists have made observations and assume that neo pyongyang is the main hub of the rebellion between androids and their creator (as one human equates to two androids), creating unrest between the two parties. yet, they also say that neo pyongyang is a better refuge for deviant androids than neo seoul.

taglist: @raeyunshm @endzii23 @fluffyywoo @camipendragon @hiqhkey @wccycc @cha0thicpisces @y4wnjunz @yeehawnana @beansworldsstuff @kimipxl @blurryriki @reallysmolrenjun @frukkoneeeeg

#enhypen imagines #enhypen smut #enhypen x reader #enhypen scenarios #enhypen angst #enhypen fanfiction #jake x reader #rsc: t.i.#cr: jake #cs: enhypen #sc: regina

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kaibutsushidousha · 1 year

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How is humanity destroying Mystery in the modern era? Are there ways to "strengthen" mystery aside from waiting many, many years after its creation?

It's an age of science. Things are meant to be understood rather than worshiped. Electricity went from being Zeus' feared wrath to being the thing making everyone's house appliances run. Healing went from faith and herbs to blood tests, chemical manipulation, and surgeries. Industry replaces handicrafts. Widespread education makes the formerly scary parts of nature become common knowledge. It's hard to tell what's still mystifying.

What strengthens arcana isn't time, it's ignorance and inaccessibility. The more exclusive and unknown a secret is, the more power it has over reality. Magecraft is all about cheating the rules of humanity's world, and that gets progressively harder to do the more thoroughly the rules are defined.

#type moon

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jannwrites · 10 months

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tv show ask meme : GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES (2022). (2/2)

a selection of lines from the horror anthology cabinet of curiosities. modified slightly for rp purposes.

PICKMAN'S MODEL.

behind everything beautiful lies the dark.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what about the horror?

you can't rush perfection.

all i said is i don't see what the fuss is about.

i just fail to see what's so interesting about them.

i think the rats got to her.

these are...powerful. the darkness, the ugliness, the corruption.

we cannot let sympathy or altruism shield us from finding the truths of this world.

sometimes, when i'd wake in the night, i'd hear them through the floor.

what is happening to me?

i mean, you knew how important this was to me.

i don't even recognize you anymore.

what is art in this modern world without truth?

i think we need to give them some names. i think they deserve that.

someone's up awfully late this evening.

Ii's my business to catch the undertones of the soul.

if there are any ghosts round here, they're the tame ghosts of a salt marsh and a shallow cove.

i feel like you're disappearing from me.

the darkness has a way of catching me.

it must be shocking to see the state of things here.

do you feel it, [name]? the fear.

what you make--it crawls behind the eyes, it makes you crazy.

i know where fear lives.

DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE.

don't you worry. i'll help you figure it out.

i promised you I'd protect you. you remember that, don't you?

who has the power to break it down?

i know the other side is real. i've seen it.

maybe it's time that we consider what else we can do with our lives.

the house has undeniable powers.

you care more about your dead sister than the living.

i've seen a forest. a forest that takes the dead inside.

wait, wait. you're telling me that you put an unknown chemical from an unknown gentleman into your body?

what we need to do is knock some sense into you.

i think you're desperate, [name].

i think you'd do anything, anything, to prove that what you've been fighting for is real.

i'm sorry. i'm sorry i couldn't save you when i had the chance.

if i hadn't been so afraid, i wouldn't have ended up here.

i couldn't think of anything else but seeing you again.

i have to investigate that house.

something stalked you here. it followed you through the door.

there's something in there trying to hurt us.

i feel the energy her anger left behind.

they stuck pins in her to see if she would bleed.

what demons have you been conjuring?

the dead want you now.

i hope you understand what you brought to this world.

what i've done cannot be undone!

i told you, you couldn't escape me.

i'll ride this body as long as it will last.

THE VIEWING.

you're like a legend.

hey, buddy, got a smoke?

i was intrigued for sure.

what kind of flowers are these?

well, it looks amazing and sounds amazing.

i am not gonna let temptation get the better of me.

it made its way across all that chaos, all of that potential destruction, longer than many human lives, to us here tonight.

i want to know what your stunning mind makes of it.

now i'm even more curious than ever before.

dead worlds seed new, living ones, time and time again.

she's proven what others refuse to admit about the nature of the universe and humanity.

it's hard to talk about it in words, you know?

your presence here has made this night so much brighter to me.

science tells us you can never truly know the future state of a particle.

perhaps control of the machinery is your real ambition.

i want something that doesn't exist.

there's a void inside of me, you, everyone. an endless abyss.

everyone has a black hole inside of 'em. what i want is for mine to stop eating everything up all the time.

you are really harshing my mellow, man.

yhe truth is much more complicated.

i can't tell you about an image you already have in your mind.

i saw his blood, i saw his tears.

oh, a test where i have to do cocaine? finally, a test i can pass.

it's not as if you've never done this before.

it made me nostalgic for things that never happened.

you brought me all the way out here to show me a fucking rock?

did you not hear anything we just said right now?

THE MURMURING.

birds carry our souls, our beliefs, our hopes.

but that word...that word also suggests a voice, a whisper, a prayer uttered in the dark when we think we have lost it all.

pop me in a room with a stack of books, and I'm happy.

who wouldn't want to lift off and fly away from the world like that sometimes?

if there is a god, he certainly is a very cruel one.

i'll check, you go back to bed.

what are you doing here in the gloom?

what are you reading?

they sound different. more melancholy.

you haven't had any sleep. you're very tired.

it might help if you tell me what i'm meant to be listening for.

you get that crease, just there, when you're trying to solve a mystery.

this is beautiful. but when i look at it, all i feel is sad.

she must have felt very trapped here.

is it so wrong to read a dead person's letters?

and how do you know they're dead?

god forbid i should feel something.

the minute some people step into a falling-down old house, they start seeing ghosts.

you haven't cried at all. not since...everything happened.

people say they see things here, but it's just a morbid fascination with other people's misery.

how am i ever supposed to help you if you never tell me anything?

why is it always about me? you went through this too, [name].

i feel lost. i feel...angry. i feel completely heartbroken.

i try and i try, and i just feel you slipping away.

take my hand. you won't be alone or cold anymore.

i've been so lost.

#rp meme #rp ask meme #rp starters #rp sentence starters #rp sentence prompts #* mine.#part 2 finally after *checks watch* eight months #meme: tv.

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jasper-the-menace · 3 months

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Hybrids In Chima

Hybrids in Chima have a lot of problems to contend with: being outcasts by social conventions, complicated medical histories and conditions, and potentially even exile for the smallest of “crimes” if tried by the Lion elder council. Despite that, some have carved their niches into Chiman history in various ways.

Grainne the Griffin

Time Period: early Chima

Parentage: Eagle mother, Lion father

Pronouns: she/her (intersexed according to legend)

Sexuality: unknown

Appearance: (according to legend) brown feathers and fur, yellow bird eyes, taloned feet, feathered wings

History: Grainne was abandoned by both the Eagle and Lion Tribes upon discovery of her birth. She was practically raised by Chima itself, growing up in the wilds between the Tribes. When she became an adult, she discovered an Eagle man whose name has been lost to time, and the two became friends. He betrayed her, leaving her for dead, and her last words were a promise that he would pay for his betrayal. He died shortly after.

Legacy: Grainne has been remembered in a constellation named for her, made of seven stars that are too dim to see any time other than during the winter solstice. In the afterlife realm (the Bear Dream Realm), she has become friends with King Lupercalia and his partners as well as Queen Liberta, and she spends a lot of her afterlife starting fights for fun.

Reegull the Raven-Eagle

Time Period: modern Chima

Parentage: Eagle father, Raven mother

Pronouns: he/him

Sexuality: wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?

Appearance: black and white feathers, yellow bird eyes, prosthetic left leg, hook for right hand, mismatched feathered wings, varying other prosthetics

History: Reegull is very good at causing a lot of trouble for everyone. Like some hybrids, he lashes out at the society that cast him out (even his own parents didn’t want him, which sadly isn’t uncommon among hybrids). He has studied alchemy and botany, among other sciences, and works for whoever he believes he can dupe into furthering his own goals.

Legacy: Reegull is known as both the creator of Chigull (also known as fake Chi) and as a biologist studying the Chi that can be found in plants around Chima (which he was trying to use for his own ends, of course).

Sparrmax the Scorpion

Time Period: modern Chima

Parentage: Scorpion parent, Spider parent (unclear who was what)

Pronouns: he/him (doesn’t understand gender)

Sexuality: questioning (considers himself too young to worry about that)

Appearance: dark blue carapace, gold detailing, light brown eyes, white fangs, tail with stinger, visibly a Scorpion

History: Sparrmax is a Scorpion who also happens to be half-Spider. The Scorpion Tribe doesn’t follow Chima’s example of how to treat hybrids, instead treating Sparrmax as a full Scorpion since he chose them over the Spiders. Unlike other Scorpions, he doesn’t have any venom. He’s got a good eye for things that other Tribes would want, which puts him pretty high in the chain of command when it comes to cross-Tribal diplomacy. General Scolder is considering naming Sparrmax as his Lieutenant, putting him in line to become the General himself when Scolder becomes the Scorpion King.

Legacy: Sparrmax is a beloved member of the Scorpion Tribe and is one of the first hybrids to be fully accepted and integrated into the Tribe, unintentionally paving the way for hybrids of other Tribes to be recognized as Scorpions.

#jasper post #legends of chima #lego legends of chima #lego chima #chima #tales of chima #writing #my writing #worldbuilding #grainne the griffin #reegull #loc reegull #sparrmax #loc sparrmax

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jasminewalkerauthor · 30 days

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Deep dives into folklore: underworlds and the afterlife

The concept of an underworld and afterlife has intrigued humanity since ancient times, transcending cultural boundaries and permeating various belief systems worldwide. From the Greek Hades to the Egyptian Duat, from the Hindu Naraka to the Christian Hell, diverse cultures have developed rich narratives and mythologies surrounding the journey of the soul beyond death. This essay delves into the multifaceted nature of underworlds and afterlives across different cultures, examines the similarities between them, explores potential reasons for these similarities, and analyzes the evolution of societal interpretations and influences.

In ancient Egypt, the afterlife was depicted as the Duat, a mysterious realm where the deceased journeyed through various trials and obstacles to reach the Field of Reeds or face judgment before Osiris. Greek mythology portrays the underworld as Hades, ruled by the god of the same name. It consists of different realms such as the Elysian Fields, Tartarus, and the Asphodel Meadows, each reserved for souls based on their deeds in life. In Hinduism, Naraka represents the realm of punishment for sinful souls. It is presided over by Yama, the god of death, and is characterized by various levels of suffering based on one's karma. Christianity depicts Hell as a place of eternal punishment for the damned, ruled by Satan. It is often portrayed as a fiery abyss where sinners are tormented for eternity. Similar concepts of the underworld and afterlife are found in various other cultures, such as Norse mythology's Hel, Chinese mythology's Diyu, and Native American beliefs in the spirit world.

Across cultures, there is a common theme of judgment and punishment in the afterlife, where souls are rewarded or punished based on their actions in life. Many cultures depict the presence of guardians or deities who oversee the passage to the afterlife and enforce justice. Underworlds often consist of distinct realms or levels, each designated for souls of varying moral standing. Souls frequently undergo trials or tests in the underworld, either to prove their worthiness for paradise or to atone for their sins.

The fear of death and the unknown may lead to the development of similar afterlife concepts across cultures as a way to cope with mortality. Underworld myths may reflect and reinforce societal values, such as justice, morality, and the consequences of one's actions. Through trade, migration, and cultural exchange, ideas about the afterlife may have spread and influenced the beliefs of different societies. Environmental factors such as geography, climate, and natural disasters may have shaped cultural beliefs about the afterlife, influencing narratives of punishment or reward.

As societies evolve and religions develop, interpretations of the afterlife may change to align with new religious doctrines or cultural norms. Philosophical movements and thinkers throughout history have influenced interpretations of the afterlife, leading to shifts in belief systems and ideologies. With advances in science and technology, some societies may reinterpret traditional beliefs about the afterlife in light of scientific knowledge, leading to secular or atheistic perspectives. In modern times, there has been a resurgence of interest in ancient mythologies and spiritual practices, leading to a reevaluation and reinterpretation of underworld narratives in contemporary culture.

Beliefs about the afterlife often serve as moral guidelines, shaping behaviour and influencing societal norms and values. Underworld myths are integral to cultural identity, providing a sense of continuity and connection to the past. The promise of reward or punishment in the afterlife may be used as a means of social control by religious or political authorities. Underworld narratives have inspired countless works of art, literature, and cinema, reflecting and shaping cultural attitudes towards death and the afterlife.

The exploration of underworlds and afterlives across different cultures reveals a fascinating tapestry of beliefs and narratives that have evolved over millennia. Despite cultural diversity, there are striking similarities in themes and motifs, reflecting shared human experiences and existential concerns. Whether as a source of moral guidance, cultural identity, or artistic inspiration, beliefs about the afterlife continue to shape and influence societies around the world, highlighting the enduring power of myth and storytelling in the human experience.

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radioactive-earthshine · 10 months

Note

Hiii!! I love your KonBart content ♥️ Any thoughts about Bart and Kon in a Stark Trek AU?

vibrates violently. i love you.

Yes. Yes I have.

So.

I haven't seen a whole lot of Star Trek AUs for them (and I get it) but how I would approach it personally is two different ways;

One is where Kon and Bart both join Starfleet and more or less have their canon backstories (Kon is a clone, he broke out etc and Bart is from 1000 in the future). The world is more or less a hybrid of modern continuity DC comics and Star Trek during TOS era.

Kon joins in engineering - his TTK is extremely helpful. People look at his arms and think he should be in security. This annoys him greatly.

Bart is in the science division, and engineering, and communications, and navigation, and medical (once). Every time he shows up he's wearing a different uniform. This is purely a gag. There's a lot of whispers about what Bart is actually primarily focused in - everyone can just look it up of course but that just defeats the fun. Starfleet allows this because of his unique abilities and eidetic memory allowing him to perform multiple stations and fill in where needed.

The other iteration take both Bart and Kon in a more Star Trek-weird direction while being faithful to DC and I am more attached to this one as it feels more like a Star Trek AU rather than a Star Trek meets DC AU (we have those in canon actually, read them!).

In this Kon is a clone, but he's a relic of Krypton and is the Last Son instead of Kal-El. A ship found him in cryostasis and dated him as being over 200 years old. Doing DNA analysis they discovered that he was in fact half human but the other half of his DNA was a mystery entirely. The writing on his capsule was eventually deciphered, but the technology housing him is completely unknown.

There are a lot of mysteries about Kon that they slowly piece together, like his name, and about Kryptonians having made contact with 20th century Earth enough to obtain DNA samples to mix with theirs. Why he exists, what his purpose was, the soul crushing truth that Krypton no longer exists and all of its people are gone, extinct, all of these are slowly answered.

He does have his TTK in this, and one of the more hilarious things is Kon did not even know that being away from a yellow sun impacted his powers that much because he used his TTK for nearly everything. He just thought he had 'space sickness' when he was away from 'a planet' too long. The connection wasn't discovered until his TTK 'went weird' due to Romulan flu and while on a planet with a yellow sun he perked up amazingly fast and was still strong. It was a whole thing.

In this I'm leaning more towards him being in communications - because it gives him the best chances of finding out more about himself. He wants to study as much about other people as possible for anything he might be able to use to answer questions about himself.

Also, he was sent to Earth when he was found and he spent a little bit of time among the officers who found him in the first place. Commanders Jonathan and Martha Kent. They give him the name Conner and essentially adopt him, and it doesn't take him long to join Starfleet Academy himself.

Bart in this true to weird-Trek lore was a space anomaly. He appeared one day on Kon's ship and people thought they were at first just seeing things. Then they thought the damned holodeck was acting up. Because people would see him very often in holodeck programs over anything else. It's how Kon and him first met - but Kon of course thought he was an NPC that was just malfunctioning. It happens! But then he started appearing in other places of the ship as a bright yellow glowing sprite.

Bart has very little memories of who he was or what he's supposed to be doing, but he has a feeling he should be 'in the real world' but everything just is going either too fast, or too slow and he just... can't... stabilize.

Eventually, Kon is able to use his TTK to 'trap him' because he is the only one FAST enough to do this. Through shenanigans involving the transporter, science and Kon they are able to stabilize him and he is no longer in that strange speedforce entity state.

Bart sort of wavers in this between being physical and a speedforce being - is much less human and more fey. In fact, even when he does give them physical samples to analyze it is unlike anything they have ever seen and nothing in the known galaxy comes close to him.

Q doesn't fuck with him.

I just think it would be funny if he showed up, saw him, and turned around while saying "Nope!"

It's one of those mysteries that frustrate Starfleet High Command.

Because Bart is in this awkward state they had a plan to take him to earth for study and asylum, and even Vulcan was interested as well, but Bart despite wanting answers about himself and what he was supposed to do wanted to stay aboard the ship because of Kon.

Captain Cassandra "Cassie" Sandsmark fights for his case and Starfleet higher command approves it - she has a way of getting what she wants.

Kon and Bart bond because Kon knows what it is like to be confused about the world and who he is, so he acts as an anchor for him and reminds him that 'it doesn't matter who you were, it's who you are now and who you want to be that's important' .... He says it for Bart but he also says it a lot for him too.

I might write a little more on this odd AU but I have like 30 other projects.

#bartkon #konbart #bart allen #kon el #kon-el #conner kent #star trek au #bartkon star trek au #anon you made my fucking day i was waiting for an opportunity to talk about this au #mine

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