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sawwyouuinadream · 3 years

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FIFTH HARMONY EXPOSED

Isn’t this the type of headline that intrigues people? Well, here I will expose some myths that the so-called Exposing accounts go on exposing. Just declaring something here in the beginning: I love all my Fifth Harmony girls, OT5 that is, and read it at your discretion. The thoughts stated below are opinions of mine, gathered over months and years, and I firmly stand by them.

Cutting to the chase, here we go:

1) Fifth Harmony the Band Image:

This group was manufactured by Simon Cowell on the X-Factor, back in 2012, and it broke up in 2018. On the show, Lauren Jauregui, the green-eyed white Latina was given the majority of solos and they performed songs in Spanish and garnered Hispanic fans banking on the fact that there were three Latinas in the group.

After they signed to Syco/Epic when the show ended, we saw Camila Cabello, the more convincing Latina, who was born in Cuba, get more and more solos. Normani Kordei was promoted as the “dancer” of the group, Ally Brooke as the “unproblematic one”, Lauren as the “broody edgy girl” and Dinah Jane as the “relatable Polynesian”.

Not surprisingly, Camila was the first one to do a solo venture with Shawn Mendes, the song I Know What You Did Last Summer, which, according to me, was a song to test the waters for both Shawn and Camila.

As more time passes, Camila was portrayed like the lead, not by HERSELF, but the trademark that Fifth Harmony was. She stopped talking in interviews, started doing more and more solo stuff, and even signed to a different manager. Voila, we were getting the rift in-band vibes galore.

Now here’s my verdict:

Fifth Harmony was made by Simon to not get the next One Direction, but to get the next Taylor Swift. Little Mix was already there in the U.K, and people know Girl groups don’t do as well as Boy Bands, mostly because of the inherent Misogyny in the society.

They wanted the next relatable girl next door who could influence teenage girls. Camila being Latina, could now have an even larger fanbase, in Latin America as well as South Asia, because South Asian music is quite similar in a groove to Latin Music.

Why Not Lauren or Ally then? Well, they were simply not interesting or Latin enough.

Why Not Normani? Do I have to tell? Those bitches are racist as fuck.

Why Not Dinah? Same thing. Less Appeal to a large fanbase.

That’s why Camila was the goofy dorky most relatable person on 5H. That’s why she readily had a high budget tour all set up for her the moment she left the group. That’s why they promoted her. 5H was never the long-lasting plan. Camila was. 5H was just an excuse to get her a strong fanbase and give Epic 4 more mediocre artists. I am really happy that Normani proved her worthiness and released smash hits as well. And mind you, this was done without Camila herself wishing for it. It was just the label’s decision.

2) Camila- the beauty or the bitch?

Camila Cabello is a very intriguing person to me. At the first glance, you haven’t seen a more dorky, goofy, and relatable celebrity like her, eating bananas and tripping on air. But then she starts talking about profound and deep experiences, and you go on her Tumblr and find quotes from books and aesthetic pictures. But then you see her leaked text messages and old Tumblr and all those images crumble before your eyes.

Think about this. Among the 5H girls, Dinah, Lauren, Ally, and Normani have friends outside the industry whom they talk to and hang out with. They have family they post about. Camila? She seems to have no friends apart from Sandra and Marielle Guzman, and those are the people we got the leaked texts with. What about her school teachers and school friends? Nothing. All she hangs out with is Shawn Mendes and Taylor Swift and her mom who follows her like a hawk. She doesn’t seem to have a social life at all except for events she goes for business.

In my opinion, Camila has a pretty big secret that is guarded closely by everybody but her.

Is she racist? Yes. She was. She didn’t have any sensitivity to Black people or their struggles whatsoever. But you have to understand she is Hispanic, and not born in the U.S. And she has sort of always been a big mouth. I am from a country that doesn’t have a single black person in the near 30000 miles. We grow up using racial slurs as if it's nothing. I had to unlearn my indoctrinations and consciously undo the wrongs in my head and implement them in my actions. Bit it doesn’t undo things I said as a child. I bullied one friend of mine in middle school simply because her skin tone was darker than mine. But I was not canceled. Because I am not a celebrity. Have I learned? Yes definitely. I will never dare to act like that again because now I understand the pain of being ostracized and I recognize the struggles of black people. But that happened over time.

I feel like Camila is a changed person now, and tries very hard to educate herself. She is not perfect, but she doesn’t deserve so much hate. She deserves a second chance. If she was indeed like that, Normani wouldn’t post a photo with her in IT on the eighth anniversary of 5H.

As far as her being a jealous bitch goes. The rest of 5H always had good things to talk about her after 5H dissolved in 2018. Lauren, the activist, even praised her. Dinah still seems pretty close to her.

Did she do solo stuff without 5H knowing?

No. If she did, and the whole not attending meetings thing happened, Dinah wouldn’t go to her Bad Things concert one day before she left the band. Lauren wouldn’t laugh with her in the VMAs like that if they weren’t friends and just work colleagues. The whole 5H vs Camila feud was planned by management because apparently shade helps sales. For both parties. Another manipulative misogynistic example of society.

3) Are/ Were Camila and Lauren romantically together?

All the roads lead to Rome honey. Camren has too many coincidences to NOT be real. From song lyrics to shady potato photos to weird comments and body language in interviews, I am pretty sure the Camren blogs will keep you covered.

Why does Lauren hate it so much? Why are we being invasive?

Lauren is supposed to nix it every time because she is contractually bound to do so. She needs to be the one to keep Camila’s straight image intact, although we have more than tons of evidence that Camila is anything but straight.

To everyone who says we shouldn’t force sexuality on people. Heterosexuality is not the default. Don’t force straightness on her. She never said she was straight. We’re just speculating she is with Lauren, and that’s it. Lauren just happens to be a girl. That’s IT.

Why did the nosy shippers out Lauren?

Nobody did. They just speculated on her sexuality based on assumptions. But no fan posted photos of her and Lucy from her aunt’s Facebook, because it was password protected. It was most probably intentional. Note that she shot a coming-out photoshoot with her “ex-girlfriend” Lucy Vives even before the Wedding where she was supposedly outed. Why shoot a photoshoot TO COME OUT and then hide behind the closet? Her coming out was planned as early as 2015, and so was the bearding of Camila simultaneously.

To me, Lauren and Camila are contracts bound to lie, at this moment. But they have a very grown-up and well-communicated relationship that is very sacred and private, and only the two of them know everything about it. Lauren and Camila are still related to the same contract, and this intuition of mine was confirmed yesterday. She was shooting something for Roger gold’s label. I hope the best for both of them, and I would love it if they were together. But them going public would be huge and in my opinion, detrimental to them.

4) Who’s Shawn Mendes?

A really career-oriented artist. Shawmila is for him and his promotion only. Not his fault though. He is just a conceited boy with good guitar skills who wants to be extremely famous. I will not talk about his sexuality, because unlike Camila, I can’t trace him to anyone in particular. But I can say this, Camila’s solo career had plans for Shawmila since the very start. I also believe it will end like Jelena and be back and forth for some time for minor promotions.

Final Verdict:

Nobody is perfect. Don’t make this about Shawmila Vs Camren. Every artist has their struggles. But please break out of the shell of heteronormativity, misogyny, and racism. Love human beings. The 5H girls and Shawn Mendes are teenagers, now adults, who have been oppressed and manipulated by a capitalistic racist homophobic industry, for money and money only. And only the fans have the power to see the truth and choose the right stuff.

#fifth harmony #camila cabello #camila and lauren #camren #ot5 #shawmila #syco #lauren jauregui

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ehliena · 4 years

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FilAms referring to the Philippines as the acronym PI while they are calling homelanders for the use of Filipinx and Pinxy is peak irony. That is without adding these two facts: the letter F is a loaned letter in Tagalog from the oppressors (and its corresponding phoneme too) and that the demonym is an appellation to Felipe II of Spain. And for someone like me who reads and writes in Baybayin since age 15, to write a Baybayin X seems like a dark humor scene in a Taika Waititi comedy. (Yes, I do Baybayin shiz for fun, but not as serious as Kristian Kabuay and NordenX.)

I first encountered PI among FilAms during Christmas vacation 2002 in LA; and Pilipinx when I joined the theatrical production of a FilAm musical at CalState East Bay in 2016. I understand that it is their culture and I respect it, and I assimilate. I easily assimilate with what I call my Nickelodeon voice, which I have acquired from when jailbroken cable services became a thing in Mega Manila and through my theatre background. But when in Rome, we live the Roman way, so as the Santa Mesa-born foreigner, I have to hide that dark laughter every single time someone uses PI.

But of course, 2020 had to make us see PI-using FilAms pressuring homelander to use Filipinx, citing political correctness and gender neutrality (while white American Pemberton, the killer of Filipino transwoman Jennifer Laude, was given an absolute pardon by Duterte).

So, let us start my TEDtalk.

P.I. is a colloquial acronym for Putanginamo (the equivalent of Fuck You) used by conservative Filipinos who probably are only retelling a story.

Tsismosa 1: “Minura ni Aling Biring si Ka Boying.” (Aling Biring cursed Ka Boying)

Tsismosa 2: “Oh? Ano ika?” (Really? What did she say?)

Tsismosa 1: “Malutong at umaatikabong PI.” (A hard and surging PI.)

Then I imagine PI as the curse when FilAms say some sentences:

“Are you flying back to Putangina?”

“I miss Putangina. We went to Boracay.”

“Duterte is President of Putangina.”

But it’s fine with me. I understand they mean well and I know that Americans, as first world as they are, have poor grasp of history. It’s a little sad though that FilAms have not always been reminded of this special footnote in the history of the United States:

P.I. stands for Philippine Islands. That’s the colonial name of the Philippines as a commonwealth republic under the United States, which the republic stopped using when the 1935 Constitution was enacted in 1946. Yes, in case people are forgetting, the Philippines has long been a state with full sovereignty recognized by the United Nations (of which we are a founding member of and wherein Carlos Romulo served as President) and recognized by Shaider Pulis Pangkalawakan.

Also, RP is used to refer to the Republic of the Philippines before the use of the standard two-letter country code PH.

I’m not saying FilAms should stop using PI to refer to the Philippines but I’m saying that the roots of that practice is from American oppression that homelanders have already cancelledttt.

Our oldest bank in the Philippines is BPI. It stands for Bank of the Philippine Islands, originally named El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II because it was founded during Queen Isabella II’s reign. It was a public bank by then; perhaps comparable to the Federal Reserve. Upon its privatization during the American occupation, the bank started using BPI for the sake of branding because it was the Americans who christened us with P.I. (I have a theory that Manila was a character in Money Heist because the Royal Mint of Spain used to have a branch in the Philippines and operated very closely with BPI. And my other supernatural theory is that our translation of peso which is ‘piso’ affects our economy. ‘Piso’ means ‘floor’ or ‘flat’ in Spanish.)

Now, going back. To me, P.I. is more appropriate an acronym for the ethnic group of Pacific Islanders. I don't think I need to explain further why. These would be the natives of Hawai’i, Guam, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and other islands in the Oceania continent, and maybe even New Zealand. If a curious FilAm raises a question of whether Filipinos are Pacific Islanders or Asians or Hispanics, the answer is long but easy to understand.

The Filipinos live in a group of islands within the Pacific Plate. The Philippines is an Asian country, following conventions of geopolitical continental borders from the other. We are Hispanics by virtue of being under Spain for three fucking centuries. And Teresita Marquez is Reina Hispanoamericana because why not? (We could’ve been a part of America still if not for the efforts of Quezon.) So, the quick answer is that the Filipino is all of it.

Yes, the Filipinos have an affinity with the Pacific through nature and geography. Think of the earthquakes, volcanoes, flora and fauna, and the coconuts. And they even look like us. The earlier inhabitants of the archipelago were Pacific Islanders who were introduced to Hinduism and Buddhism as being closer to the cradles of civilization India and China. Then, the Islamic faith has grown along with the rise of the kingdoms and polities in Southeast Asia. The Spaniards arrived in the archipelago, to an already civilized Islamic polity - too civilized that they understood how diplomacy is necessary in war. We knew that it resulted to the defeat and death of Magellan who was fighting for Rajah ‘Don Carlos’ Humabon. Then came the 333 years of being under Spain AND (sic) the Catholic Church which made us more Hispanic. Our Austronesian/Malayo-Polynesian languages (Tagalog, Bisaya, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Bikol, Waray, Cuyonon, etc.) have kept our Asian identity intact - unlike Latin American countries where the official language of each is one of the Romance languages; thus "Latin".

(It is only towards the end of that 333-year Spanish rule that the 'Filipino' emerged to be something the oppressed could claim, and for that we thank the poet in Jose Rizal. I see a parallel in how Christians claimed the cross, the former symbol of criminals in Jewish tradition, to become the symbol of God’s love and salvation through Jesus. Wow. That’s so UST of me. Lol.)

You add into the mix that our diaspora is so large and identifiable, the data gatherers decided to mark the tables with “Filipino” - too Asian to be Hispanic and Pacific, too Pacific to be Hispanic and Asian, and too Hispanic to be Asian and Pacific.

What many FilAms do not realize everyday is that unlike the words Blacks, Latinx, Asians, or Pacific Islanders, or Hispanics, the word Filipino is not just a word denoting an ethnic group. At its highest technical form, the word Filipino is a word for the citizenship of a sovereign nation, enshrined in the constitution of a free people whose history hinges on the first constitutional republic in Asia.

By state, we mean a sovereign nation and not a federal state. (Well, even with Chinese intervention, at the very least we try.)

By state, we mean we are a people with a national territory, a government, and a legal system inspired by the traditions of our ancestors and oppressors. It may be ugly, but it is ours, and we have the power to change it.

This one may be as confusing as Greek-Grecian-Greco-Hellenic-Hellene, but let’s examine the word 'Filipino' further when placed side by side with related words.

*Pilipinas is the country; official name: Republika ng Pilipinas. It is translated into English as “Philippines”; official name: Republic of the Philippines. Spanish translates it into “Filipinas”, the Germans “Philippinen”, the French “Les Philippines”, the Italians “Filippine”.

*Pilipino refers to the people. It is translated into English as Filipino. The plural forms are ‘mga Pilipino’ and ‘Filipinos’.

*Philippine is an English adjective relating to the Philippines, commonly used for official functions. It may be used as an alternative to the other western adjective ‘Filipino’ but the interchangeability is very, very nuanced. Filipino people not Philippine people. Filipino government and Philippine government. Philippine Embassy, Filipino embassy, not Filipino Embassy. Tricky, eh?

*Filipino also refers to the official language of the state (which is basically Tagalog).

*Filipiniana refers to Philippine-related books and non-book materials (cultural items, games, fashion, etc.) which could be produced by Filipinos or non-Filipinos, inside or outside the Philippines.

*Pinoy is a colloquial gender-neutral demonym; comparable to how New Zealanders use the word Kiwi.

The demonym Filipino has evolved from that of referring only to Spaniards in the Philippines into becoming the term for the native people who choose to embrace the identity of a national.

It started from when Jose Rizal wrote his poem “A la juventud filipina” and he emerged as an inspiration to the Philippine Revolution through Andres Bonifacio’s leadership. (But take note of ‘filipina’ because ‘juventud’ is a feminine word in Spanish.)

Today, no less than the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which was neither written by Hamilton nor a group of straight white men but by people of different faiths, genders, disabilities, and skin colors, in its first five words in both Filipino and English versions read: "Kami, ang nakapangyayaring sambayanang Pilipino", translated as "We, the sovereign Filipino people” validates the legitimacy of the word as gender-neutral, alive, aware and awake with our history of struggles.

Article 14 Section 7 of the current Constitution says Filipino is the national language. And while I agree that it is not really a real language but an alias for Tagalog, it is a conscientious codification of a social norm during the time of Manuel Quezon as he is aiming for the world to recognize the unified Filipinos as a sovereign people. People. Not men. Not heterosexual men. People.

It is a non-issue for the homeland Filipino that the word Filipino refers to the people and the language. But FilAms are concerned of political correctness due to an understandable cultural insecurity also felt by other non-whites in the US. And there is added confusion when FilAms pattern the word Filipino after the patriarchal Spanish language, without learning that the core of the grammars of Philippine languages are gender-neutral. The Tagalog pronoun "siya" has no gender. "Aba Ginoong Maria" is proof that the Tagalog word 'ginoo' originally has no gender. Our language is so high-context that we have a fundamental preposition: “sa”.

It is difficult to be a person of color in the United States especially in these times of the white supremacy’s galling resurgence. Well, it’s not like they have been gone, but this time, with Trump, especially, it’s like the movement took steroids and was given an advertising budget. But for FilAms to force Filipinx into the Philippines, among homeland Filipinos, is a rather uneducated move, insensitive of the legacies of our national heroes and magnificent leaders.

The FilAm culture and the Filipino homeland culture are super different, nuanced. It’s a different dynamic for a Latinx who speak Spanish or Portuguese or whatever their native language is - it reminds entitled white English-speaking America of their place in the continent. It should remind a racist white man whose roots hail from Denmark that his house in Los Angeles stands on what used to be the Mexican Empire.

Let’s use a specific cultural experience by a Black person for example: the black person not only has Smith or Johnson for their last name, but there is no single easy way for them to retrieve their family tree denoting which African country they were from, unless the Slave Trade has data as meticulous as the SALN forms. Let’s use a specific cultural experience by a Mexican-American with Native American heritage: the person is discriminated by a white US Border Patrol officer in the border of Texas. Texas used to be part of Mexico. Filipinos have a traceable lineage and a homeland.

Filipinos and FilAms may be enjoying the same food recipes, dancing the same cultural dance for purposes of presentations every once in a while, but the living conditions, the geography, the languages, social experiences, the human conditions are different, making the psychology, the politics, the social implications more disparate than Latinxs like Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

I don’t know if it is too much advertising from state instruments or from whatever but FilAms don’t realize how insensitive they have become in trying to shove a cultural tone down the throats of the citizens of the republic or of those who have closer affinity to it. And some Filipino homelanders who are very used to accommodating new global social trends without much sifting fall into the trap of misplaced passions.

To each his own, I guess. But FilAms should read Jose Rizal’s two novels, Carlos Romulo’s “I am a Filipino”, materials by Miriam Defensor Santiago (not just the humor books), speeches of Claro Recto, books by historians Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Renato Constantino, Nick Joaquin, Regalado Trota Jose, Fidel Villaroel, Zeus Salazar, Xiao Chua, and Ambeth Ocampo, and really immerse themselves in the struggle of the Filipino for an unidentifiable identity which the FilAms confuse for the FilAm culture. That’s a little weird because unlike Blacks and the Latinx movement, the Philippines is a real sovereign state which FilAms could hinge their history from.

I have to be honest. The homelanders don’t really care much about FilAm civil rights heroes Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, or even Alice Peña Bulos, because it was a different fight. But the media can play a role sharing it, shaping consensus and inadvertently setting standards. (But it’s slightly different for Peña Bulos, as people are realizing she was already a somebody in the Philippines before becoming a who’s who in the US, which is somehow similar to the case of Lea Salonga who was not only from the illustrious Salonga clan, but was also already a child star.) How much do Filipino millennials know about Marcoses, Aquinos? Maybe too serious? Lol. Then, let’s try using my favorite examples as a couch potato of newer cultural materials accessible to FilAms - cultural materials on television and internet.

FilAms who only watched TFC wondered who Regine Velasquez was when ABSCBN welcomed her like a beauty queen. Those with the GMA Pinoy TV have a little idea. But they did not initially get why the most successful Filipino artist in the US, Lea Salonga, does not get that level of adulation at home that Velasquez enjoys. Was it just Regine’s voice? No. Well, kinda, maybe, because there is no question that she is a damn good singer with God knows how many octaves, but it is the culture she represents as a probinsyana who made it that far and chose to go back home and stay - and that’s already a cultural nuance Filipinos understand and resonate with, without having to verbalize because the Philippines is a high-context culture in general, versus the US which is low-context culture in general. I mean, how many Filipinos know the difference of West End and Broadway, and a Tony and an Olivier? What does a Famas or a Palanca mean to a FilAm, to a Filipino scholar, and to an ordinary Filipino? Parallel those ideas with "Bulacan", "Asia", "Birit", "Songbird".

You think Coach Apl.de.Ap is that big in the Philippines? He was there for the global branding of the franchise because he is an American figure but really, Francis Magalona (+) and Gloc9 hold more influence. And speaking of influence, do FilAms know Macoy Dubs, Lloyd Cadena (+) and the cultures they represent? Do FilAms know Aling Marie and how a sari-sari store operates within a community? Do FilAms see the symbolic functions of a makeshift basketball (half)courts where fights happen regularly? How much premium do FilAms put on queer icons Boy Abunda, Vice Ganda? Do FilAms realize that Kris Aquino's role in Crazy Rich Asians was not just to have a Filipino in the cast (given that Nico Santos is already there) but was also Kris Aquino's version of a PR stunt to showcase that Filipinos are of equal footing with Asian counterparts if only in the game of 'pabonggahan'? Will the FilAms get it if someone says ‘kamukha ni Arn-arn’? Do FilAms see the humor in a Jaclyn Jose impersonation? Do FilAms even give premiums to the gems Ricky Lee, Peque Gallaga, Joel Lamangan, Joyce Bernal, Cathy Garcia Molina, and Jose Javier Reyes wrote and directed? (And these are not even National Artists.) How about AlDub or the experience of cringing to edgy and sometimes downright disgusting remarks of Joey De Leon while also admiring his creative genius? Do FilAms understand the process of how Vic Sotto became ‘Bossing’ and how Michael V could transform into Armi Millare? Do FilAms get that Sexbomb doesn’t remind people of Tom Jones but of Rochelle? Do FilAms get that dark humor when Jay Sonza’s name is placed beside Mel Tiangco’s? What do FilAms associate with the names ‘Tulfo’, ‘Isko’, ‘Erap’, ‘Charo’, ‘Matet’, ‘Janice’, ‘Miriam’, ‘Aga’, ‘Imelda’ and ‘Papin’? Do FilAms get that majority of Filipinos cannot jive into Rex Navarette’s and Jo Koy’s humor but find the comic antics of JoWaPao, Eugene Domingo, Mr Fu, Ryan Rems, and Donna Cariaga very easy to click with? Do FilAms know Jimmy Alapag, Jayjay Helterbrand, Josh Urbiztondo? Oh wait, these guys are FilAms. Lol. Both cultures find bridge in NBA, but have these FilAms been to a UAAP, NCAA, or a PBA basketball game where the longstanding rival groups face each other? Do FilAms know the legacy of Ely Buendia and the Eraserheads? Do FilAms know about Brenan Espartinez wearing this green costume on Sineskwela? Do FilAms know how Kiko Matsing, Ate Sienna, Kuya Bodjie helped shape a generation of a neoliberal workforce?

That list goes on and on, when it comes to this type of Filipiniana materials on pop culture, and I am sure as Shirley Puruntong that while the homeland Filipino culture is not as widespread, it has depth in its humble and high-context character.

Now, look at the practical traffic experiences of the homelanders. People riding the jeepneys, the tricycles, the MRT/LRT, the buses, and the kolorum - the daily Via Crucis of Mega Manila only Filipinos understand the gravity of, even without yet considering the germs passed as the payments pass through five million other passengers before reaching the front. Add the probinsyas, people from periphery islands who cross the sea to get good internet connections or do a checkup in the closest first-class town or component city. Do FilAms realize that the largest indoor arena in the world is built and owned by Iglesia ni Cristo, a homegrown Christian church with a headquarters that could equal the Disney castle?

Do FilAms know the experience as a tourist's experience or as an experience a homelander want to get away from or at least improved?

Do FilAms understand how much an SM, a Puregold, or a Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking branch superbly change a town and its psychology and how it affects the Pamilihang Bayan? Do FilAms realize that while they find amusement over the use of tabo, the homelanders are not amused with something so routinary? Do FilAms realize how Filipinos shriek at the thought that regular US households do not wash their butts with soap and water after defecating?

Do FilAms understand the whole concept of "ayuda" or SAP Form in the context of pandemic and politics? The US has food banks, EDDs, and stubs - but the ayuda is nowhere near the first world entitlements Filipinos in the homeland could consider luxury. But, that in itself is part of the cultural nuance.

Do FilAms know that Oxford recognizes Philippine English as a diction of the English language? While we’ve slowly grown out of the fondness for pridyider and kolgeyt, do FilAms know how xerox is still used in the local parlance? Do FilAms know how excruciating it is to read Panitikan school books Ibong Adarna, Florante at Laura under the curriculum, and how light it is to read Bob Ong? Do FilAms realize that Jessica Zafra, with all her genius, is not the ordinary homelander’s cup-of-tea?

Do FilAms know that Filipinos do not sound as bad in English as stereotypes made them believe? Do FilAms really think that Philippines will be a call center capital if our accents sound like the idiolects of Rodrigo Duterte’s or Ninoy Aquino’s Philippine English accent? Do FilAms realize how Ninoy and Cory speak English with different accents? Lea Salonga's accent is a thespian's accent so she could do a long range like that of Meryl Streep if she wants to so she wouldn't be a good example. Pacquiao's accent shows the idiolect unique to his region in southern Philippines. But for purposes of showing an ethnolinguistic detail, I am using President Cory Aquino’s accent when she delivered her historic speech in the US Congress as a more current model of the Philippine English accent.

Do FilAms bother themselves with the monsoons, the humidity, and the viscosity of sweat the same way they get bothered with snowstorms, and heat waves measured in Fahrenheit?

Do FilAms know that not only heterosexual men are accepted in the Katipunan? Do FilAms even know what the Katipunan is? Do FilAms realize that the Philippines had two female presidents and a transwoman lawmaker? Do FilAms take “mamatay nang dahil sa’yo” the same way Filipinos do? Do FilAms know the ground and the grassroots? Do FilAms know the Filipino culture of the homeland?

These are cultural nuances FilAms will never understand without exposure of Philippine society reflected from barrio to lalawigan, from Tondo to Forbes Park. It goes the same way with Filipinos not understanding the cultural weight of Robert Lopez and the EGOT, or Seafood City, or Lucky Chances Casino, or what Jollibee symbolizes in New York, unless they are exposed.

The thing though is that while it is harder for FilAms to immerse to the homeland culture, it is easier for homeland culture to immerse into the FilAm’s because America’s excess extends to the propagation of its own subcultures, of which the FilAm’s is one.

We’re the same yet we’re different. But it should not be an issue if we are serious with embracing diversity. There should not be an issue with difference when we could find a common ground in a sense of history and shared destiny. But it is the burden of the Filipinos with and in power to understand the situation of those who have not.

Nuances. Nuances. Nuances.

And while I believe that changing a vowel into X to promote gender-neutrality has a noble intention, there is no need to fix things that are not broken. Do not be like politicians whose acts of service is to destroy streets and roads and then call for its renovation instead of fixing broken bridges or creating roads where there are none.

The word ‘Filipino’ is not broken. Since Rizal’s use of the term to refer to his Malayan folks, the formal process of repair started. And it is not merely codified, but validated by our prevailing Constitution, which I don’t think a FilAm would care to read, and I cannot blame them. What's in it for a regular FilAm? They wouldn’t read the US Constitution and the Federalist Papers; what more the 1987 Saligang Batas?

The bottomline of my thoughts on this particular X issue is that FilAms cannot impose a standard for Filipinos without going through a deeper, well-thought-out, more arduous process, most especially when the card of gender neutrality and political correctness are raised with no prior and deeper understanding of what it is to be a commoner in the homeland, of what it is to be an ordinary citizen in a barangay, from Bayan ng Itbayat, Lalawigan ng Batanes to Bayan ng Sitangkai, Lalawigan ng Sulu. It is very dangerous because FilAms yield more influence and power through their better access to resources, and yet these do not equate to cultural awareness.

Before Rizal’s political philosophy of Filipino, the ‘Filipino’ refers to a full-blooded Spaniard born in the Philippines, and since Spain follows jus sanguinis principle of citizenship, back then, ‘Filipino’ is as Spaniard as a ‘Madrileño’ (people in Madrid). The case in point is Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero - the Filipino Prime Minister of Spain.

But the word ‘Filipino’ was claimed by Rizal and the ilustrados to refer to whom the Spaniards call ‘indio’. The term was then applied retroactively to those who helped in the struggle. It was only later that Lapu-Lapu, Francisco Dagohoy, Gabriela and Diego Silang, Sultan Kudarat, Lorenzo Ruiz, and GOMBURZA were called Filipinos.

The word 'Filipino' was long fixed by the tears and sweat of martyrs through years of bloody history in the hands of traitors within and oppressors not just of the white race. The word Filipino is now used by men, women, and those who do not choose to be referred to as such who still bears a passport or any state document from the Republic of the Philippines. Whether a homelader is a Kapuso, Kapamilya, Kapatid, DDS, Dilawan, Noranian, Vilmanian, Sharonian, Team Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra, Catholic, Muslim, Aglipayan, Iglesia, Victory, Mormon, IP, OP, SJ, RVM, SVD, OSB, OSA, LGBTQQIP2SAA, etc., the word 'Filipino' is a constant variable in the formula of national consciousness.

Merriam-Webster defines Filipina as a Filipino girl or woman. Still a Filipino. Remember, dictionaries do not dictate rules. Dictionaries provide us with the meaning. To me, the word Filipina solidified as a subtle emphasis to the Philippines as a matriarchal country faking a macho look. But that’s not saying the word Filipino in the language is macho with six-pack.

The word Filipino is not resting its official status on the letter O but in its quiddity as a word and as an idea of a sovereign nation. The words Pilipino, Filipino, and Pinoy are not broken. What is broken is the notion that a Filipino subculture dictates the standard for political correctness without reaching the depth of our own history.

If the Filipinx-Pinxy-Pilipinx movement truly suits the Filipino-American struggle, my heart goes out for it. But my republic, the Philippines, home of the Filipino people, cradle of noble heroes, has no need for it (not just yet, maybe) - not because we don't want change, but because it will turn an already resolved theme utterly problematic. The Filipinos have no need for it, not because we cannot afford to consider political correctness when people are hungry, abused, and robbed off taxes. We could afford to legalize a formal way of Filipino greeting for purposes of national identity. But as far as the Filipinx, it should not be the homeland’s priority.

We may be poor, but we have culture.

From Julius Payàwal Fernandez's post

#Filipino #culture #Philippines #filipinx #pinxy #pinoy #filipina #pinay

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kinsey3furry300 · 3 years

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Three awesome post-GoT series I would commission if I owned any of the Big three Streaming platforms.

Yo! Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, you have a problem: there are nerds like me who want to give you even more of our time and money, but you’re not making the stuff you should be. Following the hugely disappointing end of “Game of Thrones” there are a huge number of sci-f and fantasy nerds who are currently not getting our fix of epic adventure, and rather than commission a whole bunch of cool series that are just begging to be made to cash in on this, you’re all just sort of doing your own things. And that’s Cool, I’m loving the Netflix Witcher series and Disney’s Loki, and looking forward to the Amazon Middle Earth series with a mix of hope and trepidation (please be good), there are, however, a whole mass of cool book series that are just begging for release in an episodic fashion, and what’s more, I can think of which series plays to which streaming platforms strengths. And unlike Game of Thrones, there are series where running out of source material to adapt shouldn’t be a problem.

So, three sci-fi or fantasy series that play to the strengths of the big three Streaming services, as suggested by me, a big ol’ nerd. One: Amazon Prime. Strengths: successfully adapting darker comic-book or Urban fantasy works Like Preacher, the Boys, Good Omens and American Gods and making a profit. Weakness: has never successfully pulled of a big Grimdark fantasy series, despite having all the talent to do so because they’re working on the Middle earth series, which doesn’t seem a good fit for their brand image as the place you come for for comically dark works, and all their adaptations are too much of a slow burn, which necessitates padding the source material (look at how little happens in any episode of Preacher or the Boy vs the insanely fast pace of the comics). Solution: Malazan, book of the fallen. A deep, insanely dark, insanely Epic story that would actually lend itself to a slow burn and the grim-dark over the top violence of other Amazon shows, and fill the “Tit’s and monsters” gap left by GoT in many of our hearts. And unlike Tolkien, I have faith that the studio that cast Sweary Karl Urban as Billy Butcher could actually pull this off with the correct tone and feel. This would have the Witcher fans from Netflix defecting in droves, and could also pull in some new viewers who might enjoy the anthropology and political intrigue of this complex, multifaceted world.

Two: Disney+. Strengths: near infinite money and ambition, the production team behind The Mandalorian and the MCU, great Hollywood clout to draw in big name stars, but willing to cast talented unknowns, the best mix of live action and CG in the business. Weaknesses: It’s Disney, so they can never go full grim-dark: they can imply or infer dark acts, but need to keep what’s shown on screen PG13 to fit their brand, which rules out a lot of modern fantasy. And they have no true fantasy serries in their stable.

Solution: Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, and other Cosmere works. A rare example of an excellent current fantasy and sci-fi writer who isn’t grimdark as heck, and manages to convey dark and adult themes by implication and hints rather than outright showing them, this is pretty much the only big fantasy series out there that is aimed at and enjoyed by adults but remains consistently PG13. It’s also so epic and super-hero-ish in this various magic systems, that I can’t see anyone other than the team behind the MCU pulling off a live-action version of this that doesn’t suck. In addition to this, the logical starting point for this, Mistborn, is by far the safest and most marketable, coming the closest of any of his works to a standard young-adult plot with Vin as an easily sell-able character to studio brass, being to all intents and purposes Katniss Everdeen with super-powers, which could get a big studio invested and convinced this is a good idea before we get to all the “lets kill and replace god” stuff. If Mistborn was successful, other Cosmere works could follow, and I could see something like the Stormlight Archives working really well with the MCU effects team behind it, so long as they don’t white-wash it: No one on Roshar is white other than in Shinovar, and half of the cultures are based on either Polynesian or far eastern traditions, so cast Hawaiian, Māori, native American and east-Asian actors, and it could be both a great series, and also the most diverse Disney has ever done. You want a new, easily marketable but epic scale franchise, Disney? It’s right here.

Also for the love of god, do Wax and Wayne. I just need this, okay?

Three: Netflix. Strengths: good at tapping into the prevailing nostalgia of Millennials and producing works that speak to them on a relatively small budget (see Stanger Things) and good at grabbing the rights to adapt good but slightly obscure works cheaply. Good working relationship with a ton of Japanese Anime rightsholders. Weaknesses: By far the smallest budget of any of the big three. Tends to produce awful live-action adaptations of beloved works (to the point that the Witcher was a pleasant surprise), but has good relationships with lots of animation studios.

Solution: Animorphs, but do what they always should have done and animate it. It boggles my mind that anyone would every try to pull this off in live action, as the transformations, which are the heart of the series, would be so hard to pull off well (look at the 90’s series). And yet, I’m aware they’re making a film, but dear god, why, when K A Applegate said form the get go that this series of books were written specifically as if they were a 90’s Saturday morning cartoon. This was always meant to be adapted as a series, not a long form film. So, don’t try to modernise it, or relate to “The kids” don’t whitewash the cast, don’t edit out the gore and body-horror, but lean into the 90’s and early 2000’s angst of it, and go balls to the walls insane with the concept. What music do you have playing for this scene? Is it Every day is exactly the same by Nine Inch Nails, and if not, why not? Do the transformation sequence genuinely scare you? No? Then you’re doing it wrong. Is that a happy ending? Get that the hell out of there. Go for the original time period and concept, and go hard, and if you do it now, you’ll just hit that sweet spot as the rolling 30 year nostalgia cycle moves out of the 80’s and into the 90’s. And as an apology to all the bad live-action Anime you produced, Netflix, get a Japanese studio to animate this: the Animorphs books were popular in Japan, with wonderful hand drawn illustrations throughout. Get Studio Orange on this: Beastars proved they can do flowing, fast-moving combat well, and make animal and other non-human characters look good, and what’s more they’d probably be up for it: Animorphs is basically a western Shōnen, so the market for an Anime of it would exist in Japan.

So there we go, the three series I would commission if I ruled the world of streaming sites. As ever, tell me why I’m wrong below, and have a great day!

#animorphs #brandon sanderson #mistborn #malazan #netflix #studio orange #disney plus #disney #MCU #cosmere #k a applegate #steven erikson #sci fi #fantisy #streaming sites #amazon plus

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shannendoherty-fans · 3 years

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Shannen in Love

People, 11th October 1993

By Tom Gliatto

Nobody Does It Quicker: Apparently on the Spur of An Unguarded Moment, Volatile 90210 Star Shannen Doherty, 22, Weds Ashley Hamilton, 19

No question that Shannen Doherty, 22, volatile, voluble Hollywood wild child, has had a headline year or so. There was her engagement to Chicago real-estate manager Chris Foufas, later canceled. A much-publicized bar fight with a wannabe actress, Bonita Money. A threatened eviction by her landlord, who claimed she had skipped on $11,000 in rent. And most memorably, a plea for court-ordered protection by her subsequent ex-fiancé, Dean Factor, who charged she had pulled a gun on him and "threatened to hire a few guys to beat me and to sodomize me" on his front lawn. What, possibly, could Doherty do for an encore?

How about a spur-of-the-moment, no-parents-invited, B.Y.O.B. wedding to a guy she had known for two weeks? On Sept. 24, Beverly Hills, 90210's unpredictable star married her brand-new boyfriend, Ashley Hamilton, 19, the son of actor George Hamilton and his first wife, Alana Stewart, in the backyard of her rented Santa Monica Mountain home. Details are sketchy, but so, apparently, was the ceremony. Close friends and family, most of whom were not asked to share the moment, seemed stunned. Shannen's mother, Rosa Doherty, a beauty-salon manager who lives in Los Angeles, said simply that she and her husband, Tom, a mortgage consultant, were happy as long as Shannen was happy. "Shannen wanted to keep it private and personal," she said. "That's all I want to say."

Others were perhaps more candid. "I have no idea why he would do this," said one of Hamilton's friends. "It's beyond my wildest thoughts. I don't know where this came from."

At first, there was even speculation concerning whether the marriage was legal. "It happened too fast," says Doherty's ex-fiancé Foufas. "I wondered if anyone verified it, if there is a confirmed marriage license." (In fact, says Doherty's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, there is.) Doherty herself sidestepped the issue, flying with Hamilton to New York City on Sunday night to host the Oct. 2 edition of Saturday Night Live. At LAX, in front of a posse of reporters, Hamilton conspicuously played with a gold band on his wedding finger. But Doherty's only comment to the press was a snappish "It's none of your business."

Whatever it was, it started with flowers. On Friday morning, Sept. 24, Shannen called her favorite florist in Los Angeles's Brentwood section. She placed a last-minute request for that evening: six separate arrangements of sunflowers and while flowers mixed. The occasion, the florist says he was told, was that "she was having some guests up."

That same day. she reported to work on the set of 90210. During a break, Doherty approached an art department staffer and asked him to come by that night and help decorate her backyard—for her wedding. "Boy, that was fast," gasped the crew member, who, like others on the set, was aware that Doherty had only begun dating Hamilton within the past month.

"Yeah," Doherty answered, "I just found out this morning."

[On September 26th, Doherty and Hamilton waited together — when not dodging press together — at the L.A. airport for their flight to New York City.]

By sundown, word had somehow zipped through town, and a dozen reporters had staked out Doherty's house on Mulholland Drive. By 9 p.m. a handful of guests arrived and drifted in through the front gates. It was a twentysomething L.A. crowd, from casual to grungy, toting six-packs and snack material. A white wedding cake was carried in atop a cardboard box. None of her 90210 regular castmates appeared—not even Doherty's closest friend, Tori Spelling.

As the assembled few watched, Hamilton and Doherty—who was barefoot and wearing a silk bathrobe—made their way through the backyard along a pathway of burning tiki torches, past bushes draped with twinkling lights and a swimming pool whose rippled surface was speckled with floating candles and sunflowers. "It was kind of a midnight Polynesian thing," says one source. The procession concluded, vows were exchanged, and then, according to Doherty publicist Rosenfield, the couple signed their marriage license in the presence of a notary public.

Yet even with the nuptials concluded, questions remained. Why the rush? Why B.Y.O.B.? Why was that cake so conspicuously exposed to the news cameras? (According to the decorator from 90210, Doherty had no food or drink, except for filtered tap water, on hand for her guests.) Why didn't the couple invite family members or many of their friends? Hamilton père, whose marriage to first wife Alana ended amicably in 1976, just laughed when he talked to longtime Daily Variety Hollywood columnist Army Archerd the following Monday. "I never told my parents when I was married," he said of his wedding to Alana. But Alana, in Texas for a high school reunion, was said to be furious at the turn of events involving her son.

What was known was that the 6'3", 190-lb. Hamilton, a fixture on young Hollywood's party scene, had moved in with Doherty right after meeting her. Until very recently, Shannen had been seeing actor Judd Nelson, 33; interestingly enough, it was through Nelson that she met his friend Hamilton. "I hear that friendship ended," says a Hamilton pal. A friend of Doherty's speculated that, furious over her breakup with Nelson three weeks ago. Shannen impetuously threw herself at Hamilton. Indeed, one 90210 staffer claims that, a week before the wedding, Doherty drove to Las Vegas to see Nelson, who was supposedly there with a former girlfriend.

Others saw the marriage as just another typically bizarre Doherty episode. "This is in the vein of Shannen's wacky life," says one 90210 source. "She's so impulsive." Ex-fiancé Foufas, who talked to Doherty the night before the wedding but was given no hint of it, suggested that the marriage might well be a play for attention on Doherty's part: "You know, she might have thought, 'How can I slump the press now?' " Or, he muses, she might just be looking for a little excitement. "Look at it this way," he says. "Five days a week you get up early and go to the studio until 9 at night. You have no life except what producers make of it. It's possible that they are just two people who are bored. I know that Shannen is bored."

In short, this relationship, all of two weeks old, has the earmarks of the peculiar tango—one two three, one two three, tabloid headline aaaaaand DIP!—the public has come to expect of Doherty and her significant others. But Ashley, who recently completed a stint at a Los Angeles drug rehab clinic, is no stranger to trouble himself. A dyslexic who was enrolled in a special-educational program, Hamilton has said he always hated school. "I spent a lot of time in the principal's office," he said. He graduated from high school in 1991, determined to make a career in showbiz as an actor or a director. In December he will appear in Beethoven's 2nd (the sequel to the hit coined) about a Saint Bernard. A self-described rebel who loves motorcycles, he was involved last year in a near-fatal accident that left him bedridden for two months with 300 stitches in his head.

With his height and dark good looks, he has always appeared more mature than he is. "He does seem older," his mother, Alana, told PEOPLE this year, when he was included in the ranks of 1993's 50 Most Beautiful People. Growing up, she said, "he always hung around older kids." (Plus, he got to grow up in the same household as British rock and roll star Rod Stewart, who was married to Alana from 1979 to 1984.) The same kind of age gap is true of his love life. Before Doherty, he dated actress Claire Stansfield, 28, for more than a year. Summing up their age difference, Stansfield once said. "I had to make him realize Eric Clapton did something before MTV Unplugged."

Today, Stansfield, who spoke to Hamilton by phone soon after the wedding, says she is genuinely happy for the couple. "I think they're perfect for each other,' " she says. "It was funny saying to Ashley, 'Where's your wife?' He said she was in the other room."

Another person who has long been close to the Hamilton family is far less sanguine. "How could he do that and not tell his parents?" she asks. "If he would do that, he no longer is the Ashley I know." In any event, she says with a sigh, "maybe Shannen will make a man of him. Because he's still a boy."

As for Doherty, her friends hope for her were perhaps summed up by Foufas, who nearly married her himself just over a year ago. "All I care about is Shannen being happy," he says. "I don't think she's been a happy person."

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cobythinks · 5 years

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L.A.W. AU

Hey’all I’ve started posting another AU on Ao3 and Wattpad - but Tumblr’s format for more than one chapter fics really stresses me out, so I’m not putting it here. I will give you the link, and I’ll post my character designs below the cut!!

Also is going to be a series, the first book is called Love and War

Here’s Wattpad

Here’s Ao3

Love and War Summary:

Roman has bad luck when it comes to love. With his first serious boyfriend rejecting his full identity, and the second one rejecting him as a whole, he has the bad habit of sticking around until it's much too late to split up naturally and safely. He thinks the third time is the charm when he meets three boyfriends and falls in love almost immediately. But his bad luck comes to light once again when one of them becomes another person when they’re alone. Will he manage to find a way out, or will he just get pulled deeper into a toxic relationship he never wanted? WARNINGS: unsympathetic Patton, toxic/abusive morince, general whumpy angstiness

Character designs are down there \/ \/ \/ \/

Roman Tower

Protagonist (main character-ish it's only in his POV but still 3rd person idk okay). Is a writer and actor, but mainly becomes a young adult author as he graduates college (y'all will see). Works at a bookstore for most of this book, is an obnoxious sweetheart. He always says 'it could be worse' and this gets him into some... not great situations (you all read the summary before entering you know what I mean.) Suffers from PTSD (from previous relationships, and his brother committing suicide when they were teenagers), PTSD nightmares (different from other nightmares I done research) and struggles with self-harm.

He's five feet short, he's got the curly red hair, pale skin, freckles, green eyes, skinny look going for him and always wears either a baseball tee or a jacket because his upper arms are very scarred from self-harm,

Cisgender, sex-repulsed/sex-negative asexual, gayromantic, hopeless romantic tbh, and polyamorous

Remy Smith

is Roman's best friend from the very start of the book (maybe queerplatonic but they don't really label it). Is a therapist, obsessed with coffee and kindof a bitch when he isn't with his clients (he's not gonna be mean guys chill). Gets kinda pissed at Roman for letting life get to him like it does, but is really just super protective of his boy and would literally kill anyone who hurts Roman. (oof)

five feet and a few inches - idk he's taller than Roman - only buys clothes from thrift stores because he CAN and because money is a thing. Leather jackets, sunglasses, mismatched converse, etc. brown hair and brown eyes (dyes hair magenta in the second book but that's not finished yet). always has a latte and only takes his sunglasses off when things get serious or he's super upset.

Cisgender, aromantic, pansexual and a bit of a ho but like in a good way we luv him.

Logan Walker

First of the three that Roman meets - a complete sweetheart. a gentle giant. an old soul. however you say it, that's him. Loves learning ANYTHING!! is a computer programmer for his own website-building kinda company thing (idk how those work but he is the owner of it so it's FINE) that he started with Virgil! Is also a low-key badass - will NOT take any SHIT from ANYONE as he's dealt with enough shiz trying to be successful in this racist-ass world. was adopted as a baby, his moms are amazing.

Is black (mixed), six foot six, NOT a basketball player, gorgeous brown eyes, basically looks like Thomas's friend Leo with black hair that used to be in dreadlocks, but he cut it short after no one would take him seriously in a professional setting. Wears mostly polos, and sometimes a unicorn onesie for movie nights.

Cisgender, bisexual but leans more toward guys, polyamorous.

Virgil Tajelle

Is an emo mess but in the best way. Black is a personality trait. Graphic designer for his and Logans' company, and the one thing that isn't his emo aesthetic is his bright green phone case because he kept losing it in his drawers of darkness. Also a writer, but never publishes anything as he's too much of an anxious mess to do that. It actually the best hugger of any character in the book, and is secretly very muscular under his sweatshirts and shiz.

six feet tall, of Polynesian descent but has very pretty gray eyes, dyes his hair purple because he can, always wears black and SOMETIMES a maroon beanie but its mostly black.

Transgender, demi-sexual, gay, polyamorous.

Patton Steele

Get ready to hate Patton from this universe. The guys a dick. Not gonna lie. he's the worst in this fic. if you don't like unsympathetic Patton, this ain't for you. Check out some of my other stories tho cuz I love Patt tbh. Acts like a complete ball of sunshine around almost everyone - until he wants something*coughsexcough* and is refused. Thinks very highly of himself, and believes he is always right. Teaches middle school history.

Five foot six-ish. Blond. white, blue eyes. a bit chubby and soft looking which does not make it seem like he's any less of a puffball angel even though he is NOT

Cisgender, gay, polyamorous.

#sanders sides #fanfiction #sanders sides fanfiction #Human AU #tw #Roman #Logan #Patton #Virgil #Remy #LAMP #Analogince #loganxpattonxvirgil #toxic morince #Unsympathetic Patton #angst #Whump #my writing #my art

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twitchesandstitches · 5 years

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HS Humans in Crossthicc - Descriptions!

The humans themselves, along with my headcanons for how they look here. In general, the post-scratch humans are the older generation, from 5 to 10 years older than the pre-scratch humans:

Jane Egbert: She was originally called Jane Crocker, but she has no wish to be associated with Crockercorp, nor her position as the Condesces’ legal heir. Polynesian, a definite BBW and a very strongfat build, she stands more than ten feet tall and is a walking tank and her powers function as this, making her a living wall that ignores all damage and heals what does get through. Crockertier cybernetics are imbedded through her, glowing blue and making her a very obvious cyborg. Likes to use a combat gourmand fork that can turn into a spoon, and she fancies herself a gourmand when it comes to foes. She tends to use her healing powers to restore people to health as a combat medic.

She started the army of chefs that keeps the fleet fed, and wrote up the principles of agriculture and livestock they follow to this day. She’s since become one of the heads of a corporation-analogue called the Carnival Bazaar; the fleet’s source of wealth, where they sell their goods as they travel from world to world. She’s less a CEO and more of an HR department head who keeps people stabilized and counseled, but in practice she runs the whole thing. She’s very close with Steven Universe, the two of them dating from time to time, and they’ve had many children together.

She is clearly mutated with troll mods; her blood is tinted faintly fuchsia, and she has a few mutations indicating her troll-themed genetic mix. She and Feferi are quite close, and the latter is responsible for stabilizing some of Jane’s complications.

John Egbert: A cheerful and helpful guy, and very tiny, standing below five feet tall. Polynesian, chubby, and incredibly solid for it with muscle. He drifts from ship to ship, going wherever he pleases, and proves to be popular wherever he goes and does his best to keep everyone happy. He’s extremely fast and mobile, and surprisingly destructive in a straight fight, using massive hammers bigger than he is.

Dated Vriska at some point and they’re still very close. No one is sure how the size difference was coped with but he doesn’t seem to mind being totally dominated by extremely large women.

Dirk Strider: Mechanics expert, roboticist, and key engineer in both shipcraft and mech maintenance, though he declines to actually pilot them. Aboriginal, a bit shorter than average (5’6), and has that bishounen ‘thin but pretty and fit’ look. His powers allow him to effect magic directly, and the soul directly; damaging their essence, or turning heroic spirit into raw damage. It gives him a great insight into creating AI, which led to the creation of his… son? Brother? Something? Anyway, that’s where Li’l Hal came from.

Prefers not to put himself out there and likes being a support guy. “I don’t want to be the guy to kill the bad guy. I want to make the weapon that kills the bad guy.”

Dave Strider: Studies monsters of all kinds, and is a forensic expert and coroner. He also does part time in one of the many bands the fleet does in their flirtation with being cosmic pop stars. He doesn’t like fighting, but he exhibits absolutely absurd speed related to his growing powers of time travel. Aboriginal, smaller than Dirk (5’4), and on the plump side. MILFs of all kinds gravitate straight towards him in a ‘oh, you POOR Dear…!” way. He is the father of many children now, having a huge weakness for gentle, protective mom-types.

Roxy Lalonde: one of the fleet’s head scientists, heavily influential in their alchemizer program, and loves messing with bio mods for fun. Her playful demeanor hides how frighteningly smart she is, and she loves messing with people on account of it. (NOT an alcoholic of any sort here, either.) When she is involved in fighting, she uses high-powered rifles and does sniper duty. Indian, a classic hyper curvy hourglass and about seven and a half feet tall. She can manifest objects out of raw magic, but this takes a lot of work and requires her to understand them in and out. Has a lot of cat-themed mods that sometimes give her pink fur, a tail, cat ears, and functional claws.

A true mom friend to everyone around her, Roxy is a sweet and good-natured person who loves helping people and being a Science Hero FOR GREAT JUSTICE; she’s very passionate about what the fleet does, and actively encourages everyone to be more proactively heroic. She fears that she has a tendency towards addiction, and is compelled to mass produce children whenever she has the chance, with the possibility that she has an integrated alchemizer to ‘produce’ items herself through her powers.

Rose Lalonde: Expert in magical power and theory, specializing in arcane magic, but she also has channeled power from mysterious eldritch entities that are nonetheless apparently benign. They have left their mark on her; while she looks human if she concentrates, in her true form she is a monstrous eldritch monster girl, with tentacles for legs, glowing multiple rows of white eyes, and immense spookiness. Probably at least Roxy’s height, but can be a lot bigger as she powers up. Hard to say how her powers will interface in the AU, but she is certainly an EXTREMELY powerful magic user, on par with a D&D Warlock, and takes a methodical, experimental approach to her powers. Indian, pear-shaped, with very large hips, massive butt, thick tentacles, and large breasts. She tends to favor more inhuman mods, for more multiple… well, everything if she wants it. Her weapons of choice are a pair of deadly wands that channel her magic, and can stab really well too.

Rose is deeply spooky to a lot of people, and she enjoys unsettling others. She gets annoyed that John, Dave and the others don’t fall for it so much anymore. She has a close romance with Kanaya, whom she has had many children with, and they enjoy a mutual spooky aesthetic of eldritch/vampire goodness. She is deeply fascinated by the mystery of what happened in the ancient cataclysm, and has resolved to solve it.

Jake Harley: An explorer and famous fleet scout, often flying off on his own to report on new worlds and see if there is first contact to be made. Able to channel optimism and happiness into raw destructive power over a period of time, he’s situationally very powerful, but tends to be a glass cannon, easily taken out once he Does The Thing. He’s First Nations, and a massive super-cute beefcake of a man; he flexes and people thank him. Likes to use a pair of customized pistol-lasers that channel his powers. About seven feet tall. He may have some genuine angelic essence in him, which can be very spooky.

Jade Harley: A monstrously big and obscenely powerful amazon, so heavily modded that she looks like a werewolf girl even when not monsterized. Her heart has been replaced with an infinite energy generator, she calls it the green sun,, and it is powered by her own resolve, and she uses it to channel a wide variety of technologies secretly fueled by her own powers. She can alter space in many ways; shrinking herself and others, growing herself and others, opening portals, or unleashing incredibly destructive blasts of green energy. She is obscenely powerful, and one of the fleet’s heaviest hitters, bar none. She can even channel it into herself, giving her immense strength or size. She is First Nations, standing… however big she wants, but often over twelve feet high. Muscular and amazonian, she has absolutely enormous curves but focuses on gigantic breasts. Her canine mods are advanced enough that she has furry skin, canine features, and can generally pass as a low-level beastwoman. One of her favorite alternate forms is a dogtaur form. Jade turns Grimbark whenever she uses enough power, but this is more of a super mode, not a bad thing, and she just becomes a lot more aggressive and domineering.

Working heavily in the science departments, Jade is a major leader in the fleet, and a powerful witch as well. She takes a more carefree approach to her magic, doing whatever seems like an intriguing idea for her spells; an artist, to Rose’s technician. She is one of the most prominent human characters here, and her raw power is simply awe inspiring. She’s very sweet, if prone to sassiness and a short temper. She’s rather dominant with boys, too.

Joey Harley: She has no conflict with Jake here, so did not take another name out of spite. A talented dancer and xenopsychologist, she prefers to do ‘real work’ and research, but enjoys dancing and regularly demonstrates her skills at the fleet’s clubs. She is First Nation, with a bulk similar to Jade’s but slimmer, with smaller breasts; instead most of her curve mass is in her cybernetically enhanced legs, which are absurdly powerful. Her kicks are very strong, she can leap great distances, and she augments them further with special weaponized shoes with built-in cannons. Nine feet tall.

Jude Harley: A self-proclaimed strategist and existential threat theorist, he is deeply worried about the threats that the Ringers have supposedly seen, and organizes a group of people who are trying to figure it out as well. He otherwise works in the Zoo, the facility where the pet monsters, summon creatures, and powerlink beasts are cared for, and he happily tends towards the avian ones. He’s made a lot of friends with Flying-type Pokemon and avian Digimon as well. Built on broadly the same lines as Jake but shorter (a little under seven foot) and very softly built.

Li’l Hal: Dirk’s robotic offspring, and while an AI, he can upload himself into robotic bodies as he pleases. He and Dirk have a very complicated relationship, and with being often subject to harassment, oppression and worse by humans, he has a very negative attitude towards organics in general from sheer spite. He’s warmed up a bit since joining the fleet… to just being instantly suspicious of anyone outside the fleet. He’s in sincere love with Jane and Roxy, but doesn’t seem to realize it. He’s quite close with the other robots of the fleet, idolizing the Dinobots as liberators of robotkind, and wishes to one day upload into a Cybertronian frame.

Unexpectedly, he has his own share of unusual abilities unrelated to whatever body he is using. This appears to be related to soul-themed abilities; he can weaponize the essence of genuinely living beings, or tear organics apart at the very soul. While Dirk can destroy in ways he can’t Hal’s actual combat powers are superior to Dirk’s.

Squarewave and Sawtooth: Hal’s robot brothers, and performers in the fleet’s various bands, pop groups, metalheads, and other musical interests. Both of them are loyal to Dirk and are generally considered legally Striders, and think Hal needs to calm down on the ‘meatbags are out to GET US’ front. Squarewave uses destructive sonic attacks… by yelling really, really loud, and comes off as an earnest kid brother. Sawtooth, on the other hand, is just plain cool, everyone wishes they were as cool as that. It must be a Strider thing. He employs integrated weaponry and sonic weapons, often narrating his actions in musical form and working it into his performance.

The Consorts: A wide variety of strange creatures Roxy and Jade created, producing happy little creatures modeled after the canon consorts, and they seem happy to act as servants to the fleet as a whole, bustling in and tidying up or serving people, washing people in the communal baths, and so forth. The fleet tried to get them to be more independent and less servile, but they refused to listen, so they’re just left to their own cheerful devices.

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warmbeebosoftbeebo · 5 years

Text

so i just got an ask that pleasantly/pleasurably knocked me on my ass haha [n got me right in the pussy with the feelings], now i’m back to thinking smutty thoughts... n semen doesn’t taste good but that ask of b eating lotsa fruit, n ending up tasting good... flkfdjgvlfkd;m

oh god. b. living in hawaii with his mama n sisters, seeing, feeling the culture clash between polynesian polytheistic pleasure-loving, body-loving sensuality vs mormon missionaries’ shame, sex is only piv n for men’s pleasure, women n sex are sinful... thinking it’s not sinful, shameful, dirty is it? but lots of different ways for people to make each other feel good, show affection, help each other come. n coming lots in the case of women...

eating lotsa fruit, swimming, playing soccer, doing gymnastics. fishing, helping grow n gather food. weaving, which is done by women more but guys can too, which also works fine bc girls like him even more than boys do, esp the white missionaries who don’t approve of boys doing women’s work. tanning, getting nicely brown, his hair a mix of brown sun streaks with black. wearing flower wreaths n skirts. putting on plays n music shows with his family for the community. the missionaries don’t approve of boys in skirts or anyone dancing as they do with each other and for each other, a bawdy invitation. meeting you n dklsfjdflkgfdlk;gmvfd;

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bitofthisandthat · 5 years

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HEADCANON || ERIS [Other Pantheons.]

Originally housed on the main sidebar links for reference purposes, these headcanons/ideas were built between 2013-2015, some are based from rp interactions with other roleplayers, others are my originals. ALWAYS up for new development, these relationships are not set in stone.

NORSE

Odin, Frigg—The Royal couple that has many meetings and summits with her own Mother and Father. Eris is brought along regularly, mostly at her dismay and annoyance. At first, Eris suspected this was Zeus’s way of controlling his wayward daughter by bringing her along so that she couldn’t cause trouble back South with both Royals up North. But she later discovered it had political overtones. Odin and Zeus get along quite well on a variety of levels, as do Hera and Frigg; but Eris hates that she is the little pet they parade with them every time. For centuries, Eris avoided any bonding with the King/Queen of Aesgard, seeing Odin as the same stubborn, hard excluding parent as her Father. She looked at him with hard prejudice that he’d be unfaithful to his good Queen and harm his children as Zeus had. But their political friendship excludes private matters, and whether or not Firgg and Odin know of ALL of her family’s dirty laundry or not, she at long last respects them enough to look past it, and ignore it. She still does not trust Odin, as all authority figures/fathers, and she does not like what she sees in his clan as far as favoritism goes—but she can relate to it. However, she does look at Frigg from afar, in complete and total jealousy of this pantheon’s children. She is constantly comparing Hera to her in her mind, and is livid her Mother is not as accepting, patient, and as fair as she. Eris secretly holds her in high regard, but keeps her at arms distance, careful to not get attached to Frigg. For in her mind, if she started to admit she wishes to have her as a substitute mother, she will be utterly shattered by the disappointment that she will never have it. She does it to protect herself, and is courteous to Frigg, but also distant as if she is another face in court. Baldr—The Golden God went right under the Goddess’s radar for many centuries, as just a quiet, serious boy that everyone adored. She immediately looked away, and pegged him as yet another twin like her (and so many Godly twins). She only began to notice him as a possible threat to her Chaos, as he was her exact, polar, perfect opposite. She ignored much of him in protection of her own self as she named him to be a future enemy. He seemed to be just a stubborn, arrogant child to her most times, and was hugely put off by his invincibility. She had no knowledge of his personality, and saw him as just as he presented himself to everyone. But she still didn’t trust him, because she could detect him hiding something deep down about himself. She knew of his psychic abilities and pension for hunting, but that was all else that she knew. He never seemed to be alone, always surrounded by troves of fawners. Which is why it was a total shock to come upon him alone one day, finding her sacred Drum. They struck a binding vow that day in exchange for her Drum, and struggled for a time to feel anything but frustration and anger towards the other.

Sygn—Sygn is Eris’s good friend and alway available to share a venting session and a few cocktails when they are going through stressed times. The Goddess of Constancy and Faithfulness is a welcomed friend for Eris, she, like Baldr is incapable of disloyalty, so the Discord Goddess finds her company both soothing and valuable. They share a lot of views on romance and Pantheon politics, and both are willing to go out on a limb for the other. They respect each other’s powers and feel estranged from their former mates/other Gods and rely on each other as a stable friend.

Loki—[ Generally; all Loki’s tend to interact with Eris based on this, but are different apart from each other; as it stands I have NO main Loki. ] Loki and Eris are either in constant heated debate or in morbid fascination of each other.There is no middle ground. They are equals on stubbornness and vanity, but at the same mention, they understand the other’s outcasted existence and rebellion. Even as Eris allows him a foot into her space, she still does not trust him fully. She will acknowledge his powers and prowess, but she holds no foolish hope that he respects her in turn. She looks at him and sees the potential for either enemy or lover, but never anything in between. She finds his need to dominate her an unforgivable offense. This is the dance between two cobras, each hooding the other, and every time it is a coin toss which one will strike first.

NATIVE INDIGENOUS & POLYNESIAN

Pele—The Goddess of Fire, Volcanoes and Queen protector of Ha’waii is both Eris’s rival and close friend. The two share the same emotional, fiery, stubborn demeanors and therefore clash. Eris cannot understand how Pele can feel remorse for what she does and is, as Eris celebrates her chaotic nature. Their similarities end as Pele is a protector, and Eris is a destroyer. They have the same allure and passion, so once and awhile the anger at the other is clouded by quick attraction and fierce seduction—but then it soon retreats into argumentative rivalry again.

Coyote–Fellow Trickster and Chaos God, Eris of course, never fully trusts a deity that has the same job as she. Pranks ensue whenever he is near, and although she is attracted to him, she keeps him at arm’s length when it comes to personal matters. If ever they engage in business together, she keeps part of her plans to herself; because out of all other trickster Gods, Coyote’s the least she feels safest with. She would trust Loki and Anansi before Coyote. Just as she’s engaged in affairs and casual lusts with other troublesome/dangerous deities, she has learned to never let herself fall for them, (as she knows her own kin too well) and at best, stays far from him unless they have same goals in an endeavor.

White Buffalo Mother–The peace-keeper and wise all-mother shows herself as an elderly woman to Eris, not a young maiden or mother. It is a face of authority and everlasting truth, and one that shrinks the Chaos Goddess into the mindset of scolded child. She keeps far from her once she is detected, but at the same time wishes to confide in her. The mixed emotions of unease and need to be comforted is a confusing friction to the Discord of her soul. It’s easier to avoid her altogether. But she is a powerful authority that will silence Eris and send her away upon appearing.

SHINTO & TAOIST & BUDDAHIST

Susanowa— God of Storms, oceans, mayhem and snakes, considered a “Dark” God among his pantheon. He was a war general of the Gods, that caused grief for his Sister, The Goddess of Light and Purity. He is often put in his place for his actions. He was the past love of Eris that duped her into falling for him deeply, that ended with dire consequences when a Kitsune (fox spirit) warned her it was just a joke, a wager he won with an unnamed Egyptian God. (probably Set) The bet was to see who could get the vain, reckless Goddess to kneel in love and admit weakness. The humiliation has made her vow to ruin him at any chance she gets. Quan Yin— [past] The Goddess of Compassion, Divine Healing and Grace first came to Eris’s aid in long ancient past— as the Greek deity of Discord, Chaos, and Strife was on the run from Yama’s forces for a task that went sour. (Planned of course, but she had to leave his territory to escape prosecution) The Kind Goddess disguised herself as a wretched looking, blind old woman and spirited her safely away, for no other reason that she saw Eris’s path and pain, and sympathized with her. She confused the Goddess, and at the time The Goddess’s opposing force energy caused enough interference in the space between them that Eris did not detect this old woman was in guise. Eris was as well, but as she escaped, years later, she had various encounters with the Goddess, offering her hope, but Eris rejected all of it. She suspects everyone, and can not understand Quan Yin’s drive to aide her. But the Love Goddess will continue to offer her care.

EGYPTIAN

Set—Not her favorite of the Pantheon, currently. She was allied to him in the past, but since the events with Susanowa, she is cold to him. Although she has minimal details, she is not shy from hating him as well. Set perhaps did not have 100% involvement as she likes to think, (her own sanity’s sake) but he does not correct her either. Ammit—The heart-eater of wicked souls is as sadistic, selfish, and cruel as Eris, the two are still getting to know one another better, sniffing the other dangerous Goddess out, but there is definite intrigue between them, both cautious but charmed by the other Goddess, aroused and angered at the same time.

Sekhmet & the war Gods– Obviously the Gods Eris, Enyo, Ares, and his sons (and their other war God brethren) go to as the nearest pantheon to converge. Eris has always had a suspicious feel toward the Lion Goddess, stemmed from the jealousy she feels when she sees her interact with her twin brother. Apart, she gets along famously, but the minute Ares steps into Sekhmet’s company it is one of the few times she sees him focus away from her, and on the other war deity. Naturally…Eris causes trouble and goes to her sons to “play” to even the score. And…fighting ensues, as expected. Osiris– Eris developed a lustful fascination with the king long ago, perhaps her own projection from Zeus onto him. But Osiris’s fair nature popped her fantasy of ‘ruining him’ as a means to envision what she would do to Zeus. Twisted, yes, but he allowed her advances and childish tantrums, as well as encouraged her seductions, but remained at arm’s length, never fully submitting or falling for her traps. He has, however tried to act kind and give her soft council, being gentle with her as a good parent would, and this only sends Eris into a fit, screaming and flaying against him, running off for ruining her twisted plan. Still, he sees her as unfortunate and knows why she does what she does, and feels sorry for her.

HINDU

Kali—Another divine Mother of destruction and Chaos, when Kali is in her most crazed form, she is her greatest ally. When she returns to Pavarti or Durga, she is unwilling to give Eris any assistance. She will offer compassion to her, but nothing else. The Mother trinity has one thing in common; all parts of Kali mourn Eris’s motherhood with her, and work with her to find some manner around it. Hanuman—The Monkey God is at her side in constant game and guidance, trying to win her heart over to the understanding Struggle can also be won in the end by Compassion. But, Eris refuses his advice. She acknowledges that they are two separate Gods of Struggle, and her particular being is meant to be the essence of Strife, and not the aftermath of wisdom that comes from it. She acknowledges it, but He does his best to win her in humor and game. She tolerates his company, and understands respects the outcome of HIS deity-ship, but feels he is so proselytizing that he in turn disrespects what SHE is. He is constantly misunderstanding her. They are ironically, at constant struggle with one another. But that doesn’t stop them from mountain top card games and other intelligent leisurely gaming.

LOA & VOODOO

There is a rivaled long standing game, friendly and dark—and only Eris is willing to play the high stakes that the Loa demand. They are caught between admiring each other’s powers and influence, and competing for souls and who has the prime influence over the old ways. Eris is drawn to this Pantheon, since there is no hypocrisy among them. Dark or Light, they are what they are—kill, be killed, sacrifice, or honor it…and everyone knows it. They are a breath of ‘fresh air’ to Eris, reminding her of her own cults back in the ‘Golden Era’ when the ancients where not afraid to do certain things to bargain with their Gods. The Divinity of the women Goddesses in this Pantheon speaks to her, and the horror of the male Gods excites her. There are constant games between them all, bloody, chaotic, spiritual. and there are no lies. Pure, darkness and light and nothing in between. Other Pantheons may shirk at this Pantheon, but Eris welcomes it, and other misunderstood surreal Pantheons in its like.

AFRIKANS

Anansi–Fellow clever assassin and wise trickster, Eris has many past encounters with the spider-God, and works with him over and over. He is another friend she engages in global trouble making with, and out of all the trickster/chaos Gods, he is one of the only ones that she trusts enough to call a true friend. They find humor in one another, ribbing the other constantly and taking turns pranking the other. However, they never cross the line into true harm, a silent promise they both made eons ago. If one ever crosses the line, they both understand the alliance is over. Oshun–Goddess of love, sexuality, water, and healing, someone Eris has crossed on more than one occasion for her own means. The Goddess sees through all of Eris’s lies and Discord, and will argue her into a draw. Eris knows she is her opposition (from this Pantheon the same as other love Goddesses/Gods) But Oshun is one of the few of her opposing energies she will seek out and argue for advice. She knows she will be clean and concise, there will be no sugar coating or subterfuge, Oshun will tell her exactly what she wants/needs to know. And although Eris’s nature is to distrust/despise Love deities, Oshun is one love deity where Eris’s anger is only a disguise to get close enough to unload her woes and seek consolation. Oshun knows this, but plays the game for the Greek’s sake. (understanding the pride of all Goddesses)

AZTEC, INCA, MAYAN

Obviously the more bloodthirsty “honest” War God/desses here are perfect for Eris to do business with. Blood and war are daily acceptance to half the pantheon, and it is here where Eris and other Greco-Roman war Gods enjoy coming to visit. They have feasts, games, and exchanges together, Eris often coming to trade talisman, scrolls, and other mystical objects with their pantheon on a regular basis. It is said whenever a continent is getting an influx of blood war and chaos, all the War deities from all the pantheons are convening, and Eris coming to their realm is usually the first place she goes to rally, knowing they will almost ALWAYS join her and her brother. Although they all tear up the landscape for business, when they visit they are refined, spoiled, and lazy together, speaking at length about interests and past stories, etc.

#⚔️ERIS GODDESS OF DISCORD ⚔️#HEADCANON || ERIS #{Some of these HCs are expired; but I am keeping for historical blog purposes.}#{Under a cut for LENGTH!}

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scriptflorist · 6 years

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Hi! Hope I submitted this correctly. Thanks for this and I appreciate your help!

Name: Harana “Ynaguinid” Amosin, Jericho “Barangao” Amosin (as a boy)

Nickname: Hara, Jeri (when she’s a guy)

Alternate identity: She have various identities, though the ones that she uses the most often is “Hikari Sensogami” or “Hikaru Sensogami” (when they go undercover in Japan) and “Haliya Ramos” or “Agwe Ramos” elsewhere.

Birthday: June 21st

Zodiac: Cancer

Birthplace: The Philippines (known as Kapatiran in her dimension)

Dwelling place: A small mansion hidden within an enchanted forest, miles away from the city.

How do they live: Due to being renowned, honorable warriors for centuries, Harana’s family is wealthy, though not super wealthy (think middle-upper class). Hangs out with friends at school and hops between two families (their blood-related family and their guardians/godparents, who look after her training while they’re on their missions).

Appearance: Medium-dark olive skin, short-medium length black hair (sometimes wears their hair in a waterfall braid when they’re a girl, and when in battle, has her hair tied in a ponytail; and as a boy, will sometimes tie his hair in a half-up); dark brown eyes, wears a few magic bracelets that are enchanted and can transform into weapons at her will, and a necklace with her deceased parents’ wedding rings and a key in between them. Also has another necklace that holds her mp3 player. Sometimes wears headphones around her neck. Has a magical tribal tattoo as well that signifies her Filipino-Polynesian heritage.

What’s in their bag/pockets: Swiss Army knife, some small daggers, a small first aid kit, a small flashlight, a magic tablet and charger, a journal, a pencil and pen, an eraser, her cell phone, some extra earphones, rope, a small book of contacts, a makeup kit (just in case), a wallet, a book on Caelistian religion (which she is required to carry around with her anyways), and her lunchbox.

Species: Caelistian. Caelistians are from an alternate universe in which history went wild and took a completely different turn (aliens invaded during the American Revolutionary War). They descend from humans and are incredibly technologically and spiritually advanced, using a mix of technology and magic. They worship the universe itself as a deity, and they protect and watch over the dimensions and keep it in balance.

Features of the species: Due to the alien invaders often experimenting on humans and creating new species, many centuries later, there is a wide variety of Caelistians in all shapes and sizes (even the ones that worship the Void look inherently different because of differing ancestry). However, they mostly look human or take on human form.

Name of parents: Rafael and Mayumi Amosin

Name of siblings: Kidlat Amosin, Tala Amosin, Luntian Amosin (half-brother), Maria Dizon (half-sister), Orion and Sirius Callahan (adopted)

Others next of kin: Her guardians, who see her as their adopted child, and many of her godparents and godsiblings

Not-in-blood-but-in-bond-family: Orion and Sirius, whom they see as brothers, their fellow brigade members (too many to list here)

Family history: Harana has a large, but loving (though a bit quarrelsome) family; she has her grandfather, Losi, and her grandmother, Somilge. On her mother’s side, she has five aunts and three uncles, and on her father’s side, she has two aunts and six uncles. They have around eighteen cousins. Half of them are deceased, however, as a result of the war.

Favourite colour: Blue, indigo, silver

Favourite animal: Dragons, mermaids, birds, sharks, penguins

Favourite book: The entire Harry Potter series, the entire Lord of the Rings series, Jules Verne books (especially Journey to the Center of the Earth), A Wrinkle in Time, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Discworld, and a lot more

Favourite film/show/series: Zathura, Underworld, Doctor Who, and a lot more (too many to list)

Favourite genre: Action, fantasy, sci-fi, romance

Favourite food: Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls), pepperoni pizza, flan cake, cheesecake (any kind), chocolate chip cookies

Favourite place to be: The forest where she lives; she can sing as loud as she wants to while taking walks. She also enjoys being outside on the large balcony of the mansion, where she goes to watch the stars at night and relax while listening to some oldies or playing songs on her guitar.

Personality: Harana is a cool, level-headed individual. She has a sarcastic sense of humor and has a funny but kind demeanor. While she may seem calm, as a result of having been kidnapped and dealing with horrible foster parents before the war, her horrific childhood of being forced to enter a war as a child soldier a week after her birthday, and the death of many of her loved ones by the time the war ended, she has terrible anxiety and panic attacks (though they don’t occur as often as they used to). After many centuries of recovering, Harana has come out of her shell and has improved a lot since then, however, the scars still remain. She has a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ sort of thinking when it comes to hiding her pain and insecurities (since she’s afraid that if she voices them, she’ll become a burden) and she’s become a master at it, to the point where only her closest friends and family can tell her true emotions at times. Harana was thrown into the army at a young age due to her incredible observation and logic skills (something which she got from her father and her grandfather, respectively), as well as her ability to lead and strategize. She is very experienced in the world and how the universe works due to having apprenticed under a great dimensional traveler who taught Harana the skills she has now, though unfortunately, he and his family died at the end of the war. While she does care deeply for others and is overall a good person, she can be very guile and sometimes manipulates and tricks people into doing things (though they aren’t terrible, necessarily). Harana overall acts obedient and follows the rules, but when the rules are too cruel and unjust or when the rules no longer fit the situation, she either bends the rules, finds a loophole, or throws them out the window.

Misc: Harana’s sixteen years old (in human years); she’s pansexual and genderfluid. She uses male and female pronouns, switching between them depending on what gender she feels like being for the day, though most of the time, she prefers to be a girl. Harana enjoys singing, dancing, and various other creative outlets as a way for her to calm herself and her emotions. Her main guardians are her father’s close friends, who are all happily married to each other and live in a rich neighborhood closer to the city. She used to be mute, though eventually, halfway through the war, she gets her voice back. She’s adept at various kinds of weapons and magic.

____

Hey there,

don't worry you did everything right!

Birthplace: The Philippines

The national flower of the Philippines is the Arabian jasmine, it doesn't have any meaning though.

Dwelling place: A small mansion hidden within an enchanted forest, miles away from the city

angelica – magic, inspiration

circaea – spell

enchanter's nightshade – spell, sorcery, witchcraft, fascination

fern – magic, sincerity, fascination, confidence, shelter

holly herb – enchantment

magnolia – love of nature, dignity, perseverance, nobility

persimon – bury me amid nature's beauties

rose (lavender) – enchantment

rose (purple) – enchantment

sycamore – woodland beauty, curiosity, reserve

vervain – enchantment, superstition

violet (blue) – enchantment, faithfulness, watchfulness, love

witch hazel – a spell

based on how they live

acacia – friendship, platonic love, secret love

acacia (rose) – friendship, elegance

apple blossom – fame speaks you/him great and good, preference, better things to come, good fortune

ash tree – grandeur

austurtium – splendour

bay tree – glory

bellflower (chimney) – aspiring

chrysanthemum – wealth, abundance, cheerfulness, loveliness, truth, you're a wonderful friend

copihue – there is no unalloyed good

corn (cockle) – gentility

daphne – glory, immortality

freesia – lasting friendship, innocence, trust

geranium – true friend, stupidity, folly, envy, gentility

geranium (oak-leaved) – (true) friendship, lady deign to smile

gillyflower – bonds of affection, lasting beauty, enduring beauty

imbricata – uprightness, sentiments of honour

indian cress – resignation, warlike trophy

laurel – glory, treachery, virtue is beauty, success

laurel (mountain) – ambition

lily (tiger) – wealth, pride, prosperity

palm – victory

poppy (yellow) – wealth, success

based on species

cedar – spiritual strength, strength, I live for thee, think of me

cereus (creeping) – modest genius

cherry blossom – spiritual beauty, insincerity, impermanence

clematis – artifice, mental beauty, poverty, filial love,

eucalyptus – protection

flax (dried) – utility

geranium (pencilled) – ingenuity

heather (white) – protection, good luck, wishes will come true

hemp – fate

honeysuckle (coral) – the colour of my fate

juniper – protection, asylum, succour

julienne (white) – despair not, god is everywhere

leadwort – holy wishes

magnolia (laurel-leaved) – high souled, dignity

penstemon azureus – high-bred

pine (pitch) – time, philosophy

reed (flowering) – confidence in heaven

schinus – religious enthusiasm

favourite colour: blue

agapanthus – no meaning

cornflower – delicacy, refinement

forget-me-not – forget me not, true love, memories

gentian – virgin pride, intrinsic worth

gentian (closed) – sweet be thy dreams

gentian (fringed) – intrinsic worth, I look to heaven, autumn

geranium (silver-leaf) – recall

hydrangea – (a) boaster, heartlessness, you are cold, dispassion, frigidity, thank you for understanding

larkspur (delphinium) – big-hearted, fun

larkspur – lightness, ardent attachment, inconstancy, levity, flights of fancy, swiftness, an open heart

nigella – perplexity, you puzzle me

morning glory – affectation, coquetry

silver weed – simplicity

based on personality

abantia – fickleness

achillea millefolia – war

aconite (christmas) – wit

adonis (flos) – sad memories, painful recollections, sorrowful remembrance

agnus castus – coldness, indifference

allspice – compassion

almond (laurel) – perfidy

anemone – forsaken

apocynum – deceit

balsam (red) – touch me not, impatient resolve

basil – hate, hatred

berberry – sourness/sharpness of temper, petulance, sharpness, sourness

bird cherry – perfidy, hope

borage – bluntness, rudeness

box – stoicism, constancy

broom (prickly) – misanthropy

buckbean – quiet, repose, calmness, calm repose

bur – rudeness, you weary me

butterfly weed – let me go

camellia (red) – unpretending excellence, you're a flame in my heart

canary grass – perseverance

cardamine – paternal error

chamomile – energy in adversity

chestnut – justice, do me justice

cistus (gum) – I shall die tomorrow

clotbur – rudeness, pertinacity

columbine (purple) – resolved to win

columbine (red) – anxious and trembling

convolvulus (blue, minor) – repose, night

convolvulus (major) – extinguished hopes

cress – stability, power

cypress – despair, mourning, death

darnel – vice

date plum – resistance

euphorbia – persistence

evergreen thorn – solace in adversity

everlasting – never-ceasing remembrance, always remembered, never ceasing memory

fig marigold – coldness of heart, idleness

frog ophrys – disgust

goosefoot (grass-leaved) – I declare war against you

greek valerian – rupture

hand flower tree – warning

harebell – submission, grief

hazel – peace, reconciliation

helenium – tears

kennedia – intellectual beauty, mental beauty

lantana – rigour, sharpness

larch – audacity, boldness

laurel (mountain) – ambition

lint – I feel my obligations

liverwort – confidence

machineel – betrayal, falsehood, duplicity

marigold – grief, contempt, trouble, inquietude, chagrin, pain, cruelty, pretty love, sacred affection, caress, sorrow

marigold (garden) – uneasiness

meadow lychnis – wit

meadow sweet – uselessness

mignonette – moral an intellectual beauty, your qualities surpass your charms, “without pretension to beauty possesses qualities which command profound respect and affection”

milfoil – war

milk vetch – your presence softens my pain

mushroom – suspicion, I can't entirely trust you

nasturtium – a warlike trophy, patriotism, resignation, conquest, victory in battle

nettle – slander, cruelty, you are spiteful

ophrys (spider) – dexterity, skill

parsley – useful knowledge, festivity, feast

persicaria – restoration

petunia – your presence softens me, thou art less proud than they deem thee

pheasant's eye – painful/sorrowful remembrance, remembrance, sorrowful memories

pride of china – dissension

raspberry – remorse

rhododendron – danger, beware, I am dangerous

serpentine cactus – horror

snakesfoot – horror

straw (single, broken) – rupture of a contract, dissension, broken agreement

sultan (yellow) – contempt

sumach (venice) – splendour, intellectual excellence

tansy – resistance, I declare war against you

thistle – misanthropy, surliness, harshness, austerity, sternness, never forget,

thistle (scotch) – retaliation

tiger flower – cruelty, for once may pride befriend me

walnut – intellect, stratagem

weeping willow – mourning, forsaken, sadness, melancholy

wood anemone – sickness, forlornness

xanthium – rudeness, pertinacity

yarrow – war, to cure, a cure for the heartache, cure for a broken heart, cure for heartache

zinnia – absence, thoughts of absent friends, I mourn your absence

misc

acanthus – the (fine) arts, artifice

geranium (ivy) – your hand for the next dance, your hand for the next quadrille?, bridal favour

viscaria – will you dance with me?

- Mod Jana

Disclaimer

This blog is intended as writing advice only. This blog and its mods are not responsible for accidents, injuries or other consequences of using this advice for real world situations or in any way that said advice was not intended.

#flower language #victorian flower language #harana #jericho #flowers for characters #ask answered #mod jana #submission

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weirdgirl-14 · 6 years

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I didn’t realize until now, but growing up I was attached to characters that I thought looked like me. When I really little, I always loved barbies with black hair and dark eyes because I thought they looked like me. There wasn’t a lot of them to begin with when I was a kid, but my favorite barbies were black barbies with curly hair because, as a kid, I was like, “Look! She has curly hair like me!” And my God Mother (who is African American) would be like, “Yup! She looks like you and me!” (I legit thought that I was a third African-American as a kid because my God Mother kept telling me I was because of an inside family joke-- that’s another story though). Then they started straightening their hair and became even harder and harder to find barbies with dark hair and eyes and naturally looking curly hair like mine, and I just remember just being disappointed and sad.

When I’d watch T.V shows, I always tended to like the female characters who were had dark hair like me-- and if they had dark eyes, the better. (And then if they had dark complected skin, I’d think of my God Mother, or of my Grandma on my dad’s side, which I was like, “Cool!”). And, as a kid, if they had dark hair, I automatically thought they were ethnically mixed-- like me. Even more so-- I automatically assumed they were half Mexican like me sometimes. (Boy, you couldn’t believe how excited I was when I rewatched Dragon Tales, and realized that they were, in fact, at least Half to Full Mexican). Later, even if they were not of Mexican Ethnicity-- whether they were Asian, Indigenous, Polynesian, African-Americnan, Middle Eastern, or maybe they were White-- as long as they had dark complexions, I always thought, “They look like me!”

I didn’t realize these things until I was older, and I went to look back at all my favorite childhood shows, and I noticed a trend. I didn’t really notice how much the idea of representation affected the toys I picked, characters I liked, and so on. (The only exceptions was Red hair, Anne of Green Gables was my favorite book). But yeah....It’s just an interesting thing to look back on.

I’d thought I’d share.

#Ethnically Mixed #Growing up #Just remembering #representation

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thedreadvampy · 6 years

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The idea of this experiment isn’t to boycott films which don’t meet the criteria, or to imply that only films which do are good or valid, but only to create a list of films which exist outside the usual hegemonic narrative.

Foreign films are allowable but only if they represent similarly marginalised voices in their own countries - for example a Japanese film would not be admissible purely on the basis of being directed by and starring Japanese people, but could be admissible if it was made by and about women, queer people, disabled characters, or starring/about people of colour oppressed in Japan (eg the Ainu, Black people in Japan etc).

Films by/about only straight cis white women or white cis gay men don’t count, although I’ve listed some as honorable mentions, because while they're still underrepresented in film production they're certainly not as unheard as other more marginalised voices.

Reblog with your suggestions and tag them #FilmsForUs!

My initial suggestions:

Comedy

Nina’s Heavenly Delights: Lesbian romcom about a Scots-Indian woman trying to win a curry competition in memory of her recently-passed father (1: almost all Scots-Asian cast with the exception of the love interest, 2&3: dir. Pratibha Parmar, a Desi lesbian, 4: check, 5: side plots about her brother and mother’s relationships, 6: check)

Hunt For The Wilderpeople: A Maori kid from the inner city is adopted out to the country, but when he and his adoptive father disappear into the bush it sparks a nationwide manhunt (1: Maori protagonist and some core cast, 2&3: dir. Taika Waititi, written by Taika Waititi and Te Arapa Kahi, 4: check, 5: very little romantic content, 6: check (although some jokes referencing CSA))

But I’m A Cheerleader: A naive teenager is sent to a conversion camp when her parents suspect she may be a lesbian, opening her eyes to a whole new world. (1: Almost exclusively queer characters, 2&3: dir. and written by Jamie Babbit, a lesbian, 4: check, 5: no heterosexual romance, 6: check)

Saving Face: A young closeted Chinese-American surgeon has her life thrown into disarray when her widowed mother becomes pregnant outside wedlock and is thrown out by her parents. (1: I think the whole cast are Asian or Black?, 2&3: dir. and written by Alice Wu, a Chinese-American lesbian, 4: check, 5: mother’s subplot involves, but doesn’t centre around, her relationships, 6: check)

Dear White People: The lives of five very different Black students at an Ivy League college intersect when a campus society organises a blackface party (1: Core cast is two Black women and three Black men, one of whom is gay, 2&3: dir. and written by Justin Simien, a gay black man, 4: check, 5: one of the four storylines is somewhat focused on Sam’s relationships with men but it’s not the primary focus but only an element of her story, 6: check)

Action

Black Panther: The new king of a highly-advanced and secretive African nation is challenged and overthrown by a vengeful rival, who forces him to confront his country’s responsibility to the world (1: Core cast is all Black bar two, 2&3: dir. Ryan Coogler and written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole (two Black men), 4: check, 5: There is a romance plot between Nakia and T’Challa but it isn’t foregrounded, 6: check)

Pacific Rim:

Wonder Woman

Thor: Ragnarok

Drama

Angels in America: Six-hour epic exploring death, religion and sexuality in the AIDS epidemic (1: Main cast mostly gay men and straight women, one Black protagonist and several Jewish ones, several HIV+, 2&3: written by Tony Kushner, a gay Jewish man, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

Hidden Figures: The true story of three Black female mathematicians integral to the success of the US Space Program (1: core cast three Black women, 2&3: based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, a Black woman, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

Moonlight: A gay Black boy grows up in a rough neighbourhood, struggling with his isolation and fear. (1: Core cast all Black, gay protag and bisexual love interest, 2&3: all Black creators, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

The Shape of Water: A mute Latina woman working in a Cold War research institute falls in love with an ancient river god held for experimentation, and helped by a Russian spy conspires to save him. (1: Core cast are a disabled latina woman, a gay man, a black woman, a Russian spy and an amphibian monster, 2: dir. and written by Guillermo del Toro (Mexican) and co-written by a woman, 3: Uses the allegory of monsterhood to sensitively explore how each of these people is othered and oppressed, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

Boy: In 1984, young Maori boy living in profound poverty is finally able to reconnect with his absentee criminal father, only to find the reality of his dad is very different to what he’s dreamed about. (1: Cast is almost entirely Maori, 2&3: dir., written by, and starring Taika Waititi (as the protag’s shitty dad), 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

Angry Indian Goddesses: As old friends arrive in Goa to celebrate a friend’s wedding to her mystery partner, they hang out, laugh, drink, dance and unpick the many ways Indian culture ignores and oppresses women. WARNING: This one has very explicit description of rape and abuse. It also has a VERY sudden tonal shift in the final act which...the first 3/4 of the film seems like it’s going towards something fun and uplifting. It’s not. Don’t watch this one when you’re looking for something to cheer you up. (1: Cast includes two queer characters and one mixed-race character, as well as multiple survivors, 2: co-written by Arsala Qureshi, an Indian woman, 3: Handles issues of caste, gender and sexuality thoughtfully and sensitively (although I’m not Indian so feel free to correct me on that), 4: check, 5: check, 6: Rape is a big theme, but it’s there to discuss its devastating impact and to explore how different women react to different manifestations)

Kids

Moana: The daughter of a Polynesian chief, chosen by the sea, sets out on a quest to repair the damage done by the demigod Maui (1: Polynesian cast played by Polynesian VAs, 2&3: Co-written by Hawai’ian brothers Jordan and Aaron Kandell, and initial draft by Taika Waititi, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check)

Honorable mentions (films which I think are in the spirit of #FilmsForUs but may not meet all the requirements as written)

Pride: Comedy The true story of the formation of Gays And Lesbians Support The Miners, an unlikely solidarity organisation in the 80s between the London queer scene and the striking miners’ unions in North Wales (1: All white cast of primarily queer characters, 2&3: written by Stephen Beresford, a gay man, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check - honorable mention because it’s primarily about cis white men - there are lesbian characters but they are not the focus)

Bend It Like Beckham: Comedy The daughter of an orthodox Sikh family pursues her love of football against her family’s wishes (1: Largely British Asian cast, 2&3: dir. Gurinder Chadha, written by Gurinder Chadha and Guljit Bindra, both British-Indian women, 4: check, 5: unfortunately there is a major romantic subplot and I hate it and this film should have been about the protagonist getting off with Kiera Knightley, 6: check - honorable mention because the protagonist’s straight relationship somewhat dominates the narrative)

Attack The Block: Action/Comedy A gang of teenagers defend their South London council estate from aliens, which the film uses to explore police brutality against Black kids. (1: Most of the cast are Black, 2&3: All white creative staff, although I believe they’re largely from a similar socioeconomic background, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check - honorable mention because despite having a sensitively-written, diverse cast it was written, directed and produced exclusively by white men)

Mad Max: Fury Road: Action

Battle Of The Sexes: Drama The true story of Billy Jean King, world tennis championship, and her fight for equal pay and respect for female athletes, as well as her struggle as a closeted lesbian (1: Gay female protagonist, 2&3: dir. by a straight man and straight woman, written by a straight man, all white, 4: check, 5: check, 6: check - honorable mention because of a straight white creative team)

Lilo and Stitch: Kids A fugitive alien lands in the middle of two Hawai’ian sisters struggling to keep their family together after the loss of their parents, tackling poverty, colonialism and the threat of CPS (1: Native Hawai’ian cast played by Hawai’ian VAs, 2: All white production staff, 3: Handles Hawai’ian issues thoughtfully and carefully, 4: check, 5: Nani has a romance subplot with David but it isn’t foregrounded, 6: check - honorable mention because no Hawai’ian creators were involved)

#films #movies #diversity #filmsforus #films for us #diverse film

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atlantisking · 7 years

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The house of Thomas Curry, later passed onto Arthur Curry, is the result of years of work including renovating and extending on the house standing right next to the lighthouse. It is still to this day being maintained by Arthur himself, having been learnt a few tricks from his father. He himself wouldn't be able to build new parts to the house but he is good at maintaining what is already there, with a lot of wood surfaces constant care and the occasional replacement is required and Arthur finds it important to always keep the house safe for those who live in it or visit.

When it comes to style, it is a mix, that naturally occurred over the years, of classic nautical and Polynesian elements. The walls are white/cream, everything is bright with a lot of windows, giving the house and all its room a very fresh and clean look, not to mention its owners who always keep it tidy and clean, Arthur himself treating the house itself as his heritage that he should take perfect care of at all times. Even when he is away, there is always someone there to look after things and of course feed Salty.

Some members of the Curry family are big on collecting, one of those people is Arthur obviously, he is passionate about gathering seashells, he uses his collection either to put out on display or to make jewellery out of the pieces he has duplicates of. Arthur and Mera also displays bits and pieces that were gifted to them by some people they have saved, no matter how silly it might be, it can be a simple thank you note, a wooden carving or a lego figurine, it will have a place on one of the shelves. Over the years Mera herself got very much into the idea of making their home as warm and inviting as possible, she would pick up things during their travels she thinks would suit their home to later find a home for it. One of the best showcases for these habits can be seen in their living room.

Next to the living room, the kitchen can be considered the second heart of the house, often this is where the members of the aqua family gather on those rare occasions when they can free themselves from other obligations. Arthur loves cooking, taught by his father for a while he lived a bachelor life and needed to take care of himself, even now with Mera’s presence he is more than happy to be the one standing in the kitchen, preparing the surface meals his family learned to love. When Arthur can make someone smile with his cooking can definitely be considered a success to him as he takes pride in everything he does. His kitchen can be considered his kingdom where he would find everything even if he was blindfolded.

Remnants of sea life are without a doubt present wherever you go in the house, even if Arthur and Mera both like their surface life, having reminders of the ocean still brings a smile to their faces, not to mention collections can get out of hand and storage space becomes hard to find. The bathroom is just as bright as everywhere else, mostly just used for its necessities, it still holds aesthetic value, which makes a complete tour of the house all the more worthwhile. Young Garth used to play in that very bathroom, talking to the stars and shells while Arthur would explain to him the importance of a bath while being on the surface... apart from the obvious joys of being close to water.

One member of the aqua family who has spent the longest times in the company of Mera and Arthur is Garth, he unexpectedly crossed paths with the pair when he was barely nine years old, the boy grew up around them as a friend but also very much as their child. Garth to this day still has a room in the Curry household where he is always welcome to stay. Arthur always welcomes him back with open arms to catch up with him on how life is treating him. I have consulted @aquarad on the look of the room as an obvious expert on Garth, the room contains bright colours for Garth to easily see, and many shelves for the other big collector in the family, obviously still keeping with the seaside theme of the rest of the house.

The room that is obviously the couple’s retreat is their bedroom, they spend a lot of time here, relaxing or... otherwise. The white walls are made more homely by further decorations, being on the top floor of their home it also provides a breathtaking view of the ocean. Their bedroom is off limits to enter, providing uninterrupted relaxation, however, Salty by now has learned how to use the door handle while the concept of ‘keep out’ hasn’t quite sunk in, but the couple doesn’t have the heart to keep the canine out when they spend enough time away from the house as it is, leaving Salty often in the care of someone else.

#[ headcanon tag. ]#long post #[ for now these are my thoughts... ]#[ i might extend on it at some point ]

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psychonedashone · 4 years

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Filipino Celebrations Through the Decades (Rivera, Montalbo, Ona, Luya, Nazareno, Maray, Buenconsejo, Barrion, Leonzon)

Our way of life is a major impression of our extraordinary and complex history. It is affected by the majority of the individuals we have communicated with. A mix of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic culture with the impact from Chinese, Indians Arabs, and other Asian societies truly add to the traditions and conventions of the Filipinos. Filipino culture is one of a kind contrasted with other Asian nations, and convictions apply each average day for the Filipinos and uncover how rich and favoured the way of life the individuals have

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Christening

In year 2012 the filipino tradition of baptism is they involves a priest baptizing a baby in private or simultaneously with other children. In a mass christening, the priest goes from one child to another, blessing them with holy water and performing the baptismal rite, as the parents and godparents respond in behalf of the children. The short church mass is held which serves as an orientation for the family, godparents, and parents. Baptism Ceremonies are important for Filipino Catholics because it is a step for welcoming the infants to being a Catholic. Sponsors (god parents) are charges Php 50. When the family of the baptized picks up the baptismal certificate a few days later they are charged an additional Php 50. Many families have a party or reception at home or fancy restaurants. It is always a big occasion for Pinoys. Also, they believe that they should get their babies baptized within three months of their birth.

In year 2017 they believe that the role of the godparents is to ensure religious educations for the children as well as caring for them in case they become orphaned. Godparents are expected to bring gifts or tokens for the godchildren during the christening celebrations. If you are chosen to be a godparent for a Filipino child, there are many gifts related to Filipino culture that you can give. They also have clothing rules for babies and for adult being baptized. For babies, both boys and girls often wear long white christening gowns when being baptized. The choice is made by the parents. For immersion baptisms, the baby wears normal clothes to the ceremony and white garments afterward to signify purity and the washing away of original sin. During a pouring baptism, the baby wears the same clothes throughout. While it is traditional for both males and females to wear white christening gowns, it is not required. A simple white nightgown or onesie is fine, and even colored outfits are now acceptable. Bring a towel to wrap the baby and a change of clothes for an immersion baptism. For adult, A collared shirt (for men) and a blouse that covers the shoulders (for women) are good choices. Some churches provide baptismal robes for adults who are being baptized, while other churches will want you to wear your own clothing. Check with your priest or church staff in advance. You should also find out if you will be baptized by immersion or pouring. If your church is providing a baptismal robe, you'll need to wear something comfortable underneath, such as shorts and a T-shirt. You could wear long pants, but you may be uncomfortable when wet. Bring a change of clothes for after the ceremony. If you will be wearing your own clothes, modesty is key -- don't wear anything tight, revealing or sexy. You'll be fine in what you normally wear to Mass on Sunday, but feel free to dress up. You may want to look your best for this special occasion.

In year 2019 they are so many requirements to do unlike the past few years. You have to go to church and inquire, attend the seminar, pass the Baptismal form and Birth Certificate a day after the seminar, and go to Church 30 minutes earlier than the official time. Also, in the year 2019 you really have to budget everything like for foods, decorations, christening clothes, cake, souvenir, baptism fee etc., And they really preparing for the baptism of the new member of their family.

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Birthdays

2000

Ccelebrating birthday during year 2000 is simple yet fun. There are many visitors invited with relatives and the extended family just to attend the celebration, even those relatives comes from other cities and countries comes homes just to celebrate. There are mostly Gifts than money, there a lots and lots of toys than money because who hates toys? Everyone loves toys. Birthdays are way more fun before (in my opinion), there are less expenses just buy a cake, toys for the games and balloons would be enough. In every birthday this game will never be lost the piñata party but instead of a horse, it will be a pot containing candies and coins, it is the most awaited event of the time and the after party is the karaoke which every Filipinos like the most.

2010

During this time, there is so much no difference other than its venue and style. Events commonly held at any restaurant, hotel or clubhouse in their city, sometimes the celebrant decides to eat than to celebrate. During events in other places except their home, the activities never change, there is still piñata party, karaoke, games with a treat and more just like the activities way back 2000.

2019

In this time, birthday parties make a twist, like 7th birthday, 18th and 21st birthday. A lot of people make save a date video, pre video and during party videos, it is for the memories and souvenir for the birthday celebrant and it is more expensive, grander and more formal party. During this time, most of the parties or at least 20% of the birthday parties don’t have a lot of Filipino games anymore unlike the year 2000 and 2010. Birthday parties celebrated with gifts and events like candles, treasures, roses, photo booth with the guests look forward to, souvenirs and more. But it is exciting, Grand celebration and formal.

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Holy Week

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, then Easter Sunday. It is traditionally a solemn occasion in the Philippines, a time for serious atonement.

Holy Week is when many people perform holy rites in fulfilment of a vow they made when they asked God a favor, such as a cure for an illness. Priests and religious statues are dressed in purple to symbolize gloom. Devout Catholics go to church everyday; some fast. Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Following the Spanish tradition, Filipino Catholics bring palaspas (palm fronds) to church to be blessed by the priests; then they bring the fronds back home with them.

For most of the week, especially after Tuesday, the towns are eerily quiet with TV and radio stations going off the air and no loud noises or revelry whatsoever. Catholics stop eating meat, turning to fish, and the more devout ones go on a completely liquid diet. Many businesses are closed, so make sure you have supplies, especially food, stocked up.The traditional pabasa (the “reading” or chanting of verses about the suffering of Christ) starts on Sunday and ends on Maundy Thursday, which is the day when the washing of the feet is celebrated.

Good Friday (Mahal na Araw) commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ. On this day, you will see religious figures being carried through the towns on top of carrozas (carriages). The religious images and statues are veiled in black in mourning of the death of Jesus.There’s a superstition that warns against getting hurt on Good Friday… Any wounds you get on this day will never ever heal.

The most striking feature of Holy Week celebrations in the Philippines is the sight of Filipinos publicly whipping themselves. These are reenactments of the torture and death of Jesus. Some Filipinos not only whip their backs into a bloody mess — they also have their feet and hands nailed to a wooden cross. Tourists come from all over the world for the sight! In Manila, Tondo is the place to see these flagellants. Outside the capital, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija are famous for their flagellants who cover their faces with white cotton hoods. Crowns of thorns are placed on their heads to cause blood to drip.

Moriones Festival: Carrying the Cross Moriones Festival: Carrying the Cross

Among Filipino superstitions on Good Friday is the prohibition against children playing. This is because they might injure themselves and not have their wounds heal. You will always be reminded that during this time Jesus is dead, and so everything is awry and bad things are apt to happen.

Black Saturday is when Christ is entombed. Filipinos spend the day preparing for the night vigil leading up to Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. At four o’clock in the morning, Filipinos do a salubong ceremony commemorating how the Virgin Mary met her son Jesus who has come back to life. Her image will be brought to the image of the Christ at the local church. Flower petals will be rained down on them. Everyone is happy that Jesus is alive again and that the world is back right. On Easter day, grocery stores re-open and you can buy food.

In contemporary times, these Philippine traditions are slowly disappearing. Young Filipinos now use the Holy Week to vacation at the beach.

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All Saints Day

All Saints’ Day in the Philippines is usually celebrated on the first and second day of November. In the Philippines, this holiday is often referred to as Undas. The day is filled with music and food. There is also a prayer and religious tradition. At the end of the day, people will often camp overnight in the cemetery to pay their respects to their dead relatives. Visitors remark that Filipinos are remarkably at home among their dead ancestors. But now all saint day is just like a fashion day because of the teenagers are wear a different fashion clothes and something it look like a reunion, but the tradition in all saint day is still on they give flowers, candles, and most specially the prayer for their death

relatives.

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Christmas

Having most resident in the country are Christian (either Catholic, Born Again, etc.), Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the Philippines as Filipinos celebrate the day Jesus Christ was born. Also, most of the families have always gathered to give presents and enjoy the day with each other. Either they will go out and make some memories in different places or they will stay at home talking and catching up with their lives. Although, some people think that Christmas lately was not enjoyable as it was 19 years ago and lost the Christmas Spirit that we had decades ago.

Back in 2000s, most Filipino felt the presence of Christmas even though it was still September, as they thought that because it was the start of BER months, most of the families already bought Christmas Parol and designing their houses with Christmas lights and Christmas tree. You can also hear many kids that nangangaroling with different houses and expected to give even a little amount although most residence just tell them “patawad” instead. The weather was also cold that time. That was the time everyone felt that Christmas was near due to the coldness. However, now in 2019, it doesn’t feel like it. Although radio station started to broadcast Christmas songs in their station, it doesn’t have the impact as what it used to. Going around, most of the houses only started decorating when it was already December, some didn’t even bother. Also, kids who was nangangaroling was lessen that you might hear it only once a day unlike before when you are too annoyed peeking outside just to shout “patawad”. It’s not also as cold as 19 years ago. Due to climate change, even in BER months, the weather was still hot and it affected the views of the Filipino that if Christmas is near, then it’s also the time when the weather will be cold. These are the few that have changed between 2000 up to 2019.

However, some traditions were still practices until now without changes, the “Misa De Gallo” o “Simbang Gabi” and the Noche Buena. As most of Filipinos are Catholics, Simbang Gabi was still one of the traditions that was never been broken by the Catholics. They attend 9 mass whether it was at night or before the sunrise. It still goes on as some people believed that if a person completed the 9 mass, their wish will come true. Whether it is true or not, people still go to masses as one of the traditions in Christmas. Another is the Noche Buena. Christmas Eve was one of the most important in the country as most of Filipinos are having countdown to greet the Christmas day with everyone. It also the time when families, some relative, and friends having Noche Buena. This was the time where most of the families have several dishes like lechon, fruit salad, puto, hamonado, and many more. Some families have a tradition of exchanging gifts and having family games that everyone was involved. These two are the traditions that no one can break in a Filipinos mind-set during Christmas.

Every year, there are changes that keeps happening around us and of them is how we celebrate holidays. Although some instances affect the way we normally celebrated the Christmas, it was still one of the holidays that most of the families reunited with one another especially being with our family and having fun with them, whether staying inside in their house or going outside to make new memories with them. And that was the real spirit of the Christmas.

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New Year

Filipinos' love for holidays and celebrations is superb - it is full of enjoyable, unique, and fun activities, alongside with some quirky traditions. In New Year's Eve, Filipinos cleans everything, scatters coins around the house to bring more luck and money, turning all the lights for the upcoming year to be bright, opening all doors, windows and such to draw in good fortune, wearing polka dots which signifies prosperity, making loud noises which is believe to scare away evil spirits, and jumping as high as you can to increase your height. But, of course no feast will be ever complete without a sumptuous meal and for the fact that food is what Filipino people love the most.

Media Noche is an old Filipino custom that is most likely inherited from the Spaniards. Whereas, family and friends gather together for midnight feast that signifies their hope for prosperity and an abundant year ahead. Food-related superstitions are also present such as preparing 12 round fruits and fruits with thorns avoided for it represents problems, noodles for a long life, eating sticky desserts for the family to stick together for the years to come, having the water and rice container full to make the whole year prosperous, and lastly not eating chicken am fish dishes because it is associated with food scarcity.

Lastly, customs does not end there -- in the New Year itself don't spend to lead to all a better financial management throughout the year and also not cleaning to keep the good fortune that came during the New Year's Eve. With this, Filipinos are truly fond of celebrations, traditions, and superstitions.

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Fiesta

How did it get started?

During 1`500 the Spanish missionaries entered in he Philippines, they introduced Fiesta because they found out that it is the most convenient way to teach Filipinos the Roman Catholic Faith. Philippine Festivals are celebrations to express gratitude for a good harvest in honor of the town’s patron saint. For many Filipinos, fiestas are important because of the miraculous power of the saints.It is believed that the saints are responsible for all the good fortune and favor one receives. The majority of fiestas in the Philippines also have their own peryas. here are more than 42,000 known major and minor festivals in the Philippines, the majority of which are in the barangay (village) level. Due to the thousands of town, city, provincial, national, and village fiestas in the country, the Philippines has traditionally been known as the Capital of the World's Festivities.

NEW FIESTA IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. MAHAGUYOG Festival (Mais, Halaman, Gulay at Niyog)

March (1st week), Santo Tomas, Batangas

week-long celebration of seven-day feast in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas , 2012 when it is started

2. The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon

Fiesta is an annual four-day event held between January and February in Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles, Pampanga. It is the biggest and longest-running aviation sports event in the Philippines. Every 2nd week of February from 1994 to Present

3. AURORA DAY AND SUMAN FESTIVAL February 14- February 19 | Baler, Aurora Baler, Aurora The biggest and grandest of all feasts in Aurora is a parade of floats uniquely designed. Main streets and homes are decked with suman, a native delicacy. A weeklong celebration marked by trade exhibits, fairs and competitions capped by the Search for Ms. Aurora. Suman(súmahn) is the filipino steamed rice cake. it comes in as many different forms as there are provinces, but the basic recipe is waxy (sweet) rice wrapped in leaves, then cooked. Suman is the ritual gift of HAGISAN. It is cooked with great enthusiasm by Tayabenses because Hagisan is an opportunity to share their prosperity. Bundles of suman are gaily tied in the pabitin, which is made out of a special kind of bamboo called bagakay.

4. Mango Festival

Years Active 1999-present

The Dinamulag Festival also known as the Zambales Mango Festival is an annual festival held in the province of Zambales in the Philippines to celebrate or encourage bountiful harvest of the province's mangoes. The festival was first held in 1999.

5. Aliwan Fiesta

Aliwan Fiesta is an annual event that gathers different cultural festivals of the Philippines in Star City Complex in Pasay City wherein contingents compete in dance parade and float competitions. Aliwan Fiesta, which began in 2003, aims to showcase the different Filipino cultures and heritage not only to the people in Metro Manila but also to the rest of the world. The contingents, meanwhile, aim to promote their respective regions both economically and tourism-wise. It was originally organized as a visual extravaganza for the Christmas season, but it has since been held during the summer months of either April or May. Aliwan is a Tagalog word for "entertainment" or "amusement." Aliwan Fiesta festivities are covered live on DZRH News Television annually.

Here are the most famous fiestas in the Philippines:

1. Ati Atihun: Celebrating infant Jesus

The town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Panay Island rejoices in the exultations of this festival as people celebrate by performing tribal dance and music in the parade along the streets.

The festival begins with the opening mass for Santo Niño in the Church on the third Sunday of January, and the revelry lasts for the next week. The Ati-Atihan also bears a deep religious significance. The pahilot, a faith-healing tradition, is held during the festival where a Catholic priest rubs the devotee's body with the image of the Santo Niño, with the belief that it heals both the body and soul. No one is certain how Ati-Atihan started. One legend, however, says it dates back to the year 1212, when 10 datus, or patriarchal chiefs, and the companions fled from a tyrannical sultan in Sabah, Borneo, and landed on the island of Panay. Their leader, Datu Puti, traded with the chief of Panay, an Ati named Marikudo.

“Hala Bira ”

is an aklanon language meaning "pour/dispense all means". This term is also used during ati-atihan festival that most spectators are shouting on the street during the celebration. "Hala Bira" is an indispensable word during ati-atihan.

2. Sinulog Festival

Attracting millions of people every year, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu may just well be one of the biggest festivals in the country, and is surprisingly becoming even more popular each year, especially among the young people. It celebrates the image of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) that was originally brought by Ferdinand Magellan from Spain in the 16th century; hence, the words “Pit Señor” that you will constantly hear throughout the celebration, which is a plea to Holy Child.

Millions of people participated in Cebu City last Sunday to celebrate the Sinulog Festival, one of the most famous festivals in the Philippines. It was attended, not only by Filipinos, but people coming from different parts of the globe also went to witness the celebration. The magnificence of the festival made Filipinos, as well as our fellow Asians, refer to it as the “Mother of all Festivals”. From the colorful and well-made costumes of the dancers, to the beautiful dances and to the music brought by the drums, trumpets, and the native gongs, the Sinulog Festival never ceases to amaze its audience.

For 32 years, the Sinulog Festival is a traditional celebration in Cebu City held every third Sunday of January to honor the Santo Niño (Child Jesus). Basically, the festival is done by a dance ritual, in which it tells the story of the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity. The word “Sinulog” means “graceful dance”, wherein it all started in 1980 with a simple dance that represents the “sulog” (or current) of a river in Cebu.

3. Masskara Festival

Filipinos are known to be resilient people who are able find ways to smile and jest even amidst crises and adversity. This can be seen in the history of the Masskara Festival of Bacolod, which was an answer to the city’s dwindling revenue from the sugar industry. The festival is marked by dancers donning elaborate colorful masks parading all over town, backed up by Latin-inspired drumbeats. The celebration is highlighted by a beauty pageant, concerts, and sports events among its numerous activities.

4. Dinagyang Festival,

Another celebration in honor of Santo Niño, this award-winning fête in Iloilo is marked by a street party celebrated with bountiful food and drinks, concerts, and a street dance competition where different districts and local schools participate. It also celebrates the traditions of Aklan Island’s indigenous Aeta people.

5. Panagbenga Festival,

Also called the “Season of Blooming,” Panagbenga is a grand event in Baguio where giant floats adorned with flowers parade along the whole stretch of Session Road. A tribute to the city’s flower industry, it was first held after the 1990 Luzon earthquake to uplift the spirits of those who were affected by the tragedy.

6. Moriones Festival

The Moriones Festival is as unique as the island where it is annually celebrated. During the celebration, men and women who play the role of the “Moriones” are dressed in biblical Roman warrior costumes and intricately carved masks. They then reenact the seven-day search for St. Longinus, a Roman centurion who converted into Christianity. During the reenactment, they scare kids or conjure up surprises and tricks to draw attention. But the most exciting thing about the festival is that the audience gets to participate in the search for the person who plays St. Longinus who sometimes hides in townspeople’s homes.

7. Pahiyas Festival

Probably one of the most colorful celebrations around, Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon, is dedicated to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. Since it is a harvest festival, houses are gilded with colorful kiping (wafer made of rice) and fresh produce that you can pick for free. These décors are then judged by town officials and are given awards before the celebration culminates.

8. Parada ng Lechon (June 24 – Balayan, Batangas)

A grand parade of succulent roasted pigs. A different sight and flavor are introduced with a festival in Balayan, Batangas, popularly known as the "Parada Ng Lechon.” These succulent roasted pork form the highlight of the occasion, decked out in their platforms with all kinds of decor. Since the festival coincides with the feast of St. John the Baptist, be prepared to get wet as people observe the feast by repeating the ritual of baptism – pouring water.

9. Pintados Festival – Tacloban

If you're into tattoos and body arts then you might flip over the yearly celebration of Pintados festival in Tacloban when locals dance around the streets with inked bodies to symbolize the brave warriors of the past. Portraying the natives’ practice of idolatry along with their penchant for music and dance, this June 29th festival provides a glimpse of how the native people lived prior to the Spaniard's arrival.

10. Obando Fertility Rites – Obando, Bulacan

We'll wrap this list with a special kind of festival – the Obando Fertility Rites – held for 3 days from May 17 to 19. On these days in Obando, Bulacan, devotees do the fertility street dance to beseech the three saints, San Pascua, Nuestra Señora de Salambáo, and Santa Clara for good fortune, a spouse, or most especially, a child.

A lot of things change but also a lot of things will be the same. Filipinos will always be traditional and will always stick the things they do in terms of the celebrations here in the Philippines. That way they feel closer to their love ones each year.

#morefuninthephilippines

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5hfanfiction · 7 years

Text

Progression - Chapter 1

(Dinah’s older than Camila in this, but really, everyone’s ages are kind of screwed up.)

“Why are you making such a big deal about this? If we were in a dorm, we’d be rooming with random people. You know me, and you know Mani.” Dinah deadpans, nudging the front door all the way open with her foot.

Camila sighs deeply, setting an incorrectly marked box on the kitchen counter. “But we don’t know Lauren.”

“We’ll get to know her. Besides, if Mani says she’s good people, then I trust her, and so should you.” She sets the scissors next to the box and starts back through the door, calling out, “Now shut up for 5 minutes and help me.”

Camila frowns at Dinah’s blind faith in a girl she doesn’t know. Sure, Normani trusts her, and while she is a great judge of character, but she hasn’t seen her properly in over three years, and a lot can change in that time. Aside from that, Normani’s character doesn’t determine Lauren’s, since everyone knows, good people can have the worst friends. Yes, Dinah has a point that this is probably better than a random room assignment, but the fact that they signed a lease, a legally binding contract, and now all their money is tied up in this apartment for the next two years, is stressing her out. Damn Dinah and her overly convincing puppy-dog eyes.

The younger girl follows her friend outside to where the moving truck is parked, containing all four roommates combined belongings. “Get that side.” Dinah juts her chin out toward the opposite end of the couch she’s holding.

Camila obeys her friend’s orders and they lift it easily, even though Dinah would be fine on her own, but that would look suspect. The taller girl starts the trek upstairs, smiling in thanks at the young adult male holding the door for them.

“You two good?” He questions in a thick accent she can’t quite place.

“Yeah, we’re good. Thanks.” Camila interjects curtly, noticing the flirtatious look taking over her friend’s features. If she allows Dinah a word in, they could easily be standing there for an exceedingly long period of time for someone carrying an item of furniture that weighs four times what they do.

The boy just nods and exits once they’ve completely gone through the doorway. Dinah glares at Camila for sending away a potential mate, but says nothing. The Latina sighs thankfully, knowing she takes flirting very seriously, and was glad to have stomped it out before it could get started.

Over the years, Camila has seen a great deal of amorous exchanges involving her friend, and she completely understands why. Dinah is easily one of the most attractive people Camila knows. Granted, she doesn’t know very many people, but she counts people on the television, and shop customers as well. Physically, the older girl is pretty perfect; she’s tall, tan, and muscular, with insanely soft and thick hair that was usually some shade between brown and blond without really being either, and was “built like an acoustic guitar”, as Ariana had once put it. The statement had earned her a slap to the back of the head from one of Dinah’s large hands, her abnormally long fingers leaving red marks on the back of the petite girl’s neck for a solid 24 hours, an action the assailant soon regretted when the remark was explained.

The two make it up the stairs silently, efficiently, and slide the plush piece through the doorway. While Camila is content with leaving it in the previously designated area, Dinah suddenly finds a fault with it’s positioning, and keeps moving it in minute, nearly indistinguishable jerks in all directions.

“Dinah, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to center it. Don’t you think it looks weird?”

“No, because there’s only one place to put it,” Camila gestures around the now fully furnished living room, “and it looks fine.”

The older girl sucks her teeth and frowns at her friend. “If I wanted to live somewhere ‘fine’, I’d have stayed at home. I want my apartment to be poppin’.”

“Dinah, we’re college students now. Like, 95% of our income goes to bills and food. We can’t afford to pop; we can’t even afford to sizzle.”

“So we’ll save up, and pool our money. Then we can buy furniture that doesn’t make me want to claw my eyes out from looking at it for longer than 5 seconds.”

“Well, you can spend all your disposable income on popping, and sizzling, and frying, or whatever, but don’t come to me when you’re hungry or need gas money.” Camila kicks off her shoes and places them on the mat beside the front door.

Dinah laughs lightly and follows suit. “You say that like you really think you wouldn’t give me anything I asked for.”

“I want us to do this right, Dinah. You’re 18 now, I’ll be 18 soon enough…Ally’s trusting us not to live at home this year, and I really don’t want to give her any reason to think we’re irresponsible.” She pauses for a moment. “More irresponsible. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

The taller of the two smiles gently and pulls her friend into a strong, but not crushing, hug. “Jesus, Chancho. I’m the legal adult here, remember?” While her tone is teasing, her hold is firm, because she knows everything about this situation is new and had been worrying Camila since the idea had first been proposed almost six months ago. “Everything will be fine. Ally already trusts you, even more than Zayn, and he co-owns her businesses. If anyone should be putting in extra effort, it’s me-which I will, promise-so don’t worry.”

They stand in motionless silence for a few minutes. “We’ve been in this apartment for 5 minutes, and it’s already made you all sappy and gross.” Camila mumbles tiredly into the Polynesian’s chest. Indisputably, Dinah give the best hugs in the entire universe; it has something to do with the perfectly balanced combination of her warmth, softness and comforting scent. Unfortunately, that precise mix is currently working to put her to sleep.

“You always gotta ruin the moment.” Dinah rolls her eyes and shoves Camila back, into the the blue and white striped fabric recliner Ally had given them. “I’m gonna start with the kitchen. Can you unpack the bathroom stuff?”

“Uh-huh.” Camila nods, but makes no effort to stand up. Her body suddenly feels too heavy to support itself, so she just tucks her legs underneath her body and lays her head on one of the arms. She nods off quickly to the sounds of Dinah moving around, occasionally making noises of agreement to whatever was being said until she was too far gone to reply.

“Did you pack the wire rack with the kitchen stuff?” Dinah calls out, waiting a bit for a response before moving towards the more open area of the apartment. “Walz?”

She smiles at the sight of her small friend curled up in the chair, sleeping peacefully. Although she could use the help, she goes back to unpacking without even attempting to wake her up. Aside from Camila’s deep breathing, and the more distant sounds of other inhabitants being alive, it’s pretty quiet; Dinah Jane Hansen cannot stand quiet. Long stretches of silence are uncomfortable to her, and it makes her feel too close to death, unless she’s trying to sleep, then anyone making any type of noise is at risk of literally being close to death. This was one of the many reasons Ally had moved them to separate rooms, multiple times. Camila enjoyed the environment Dinah despised, thrived in it, in fact. Her own love of loud music, television and people had always clashed with her friend’s dislike, a concern that was sat at the back of her mind when she’d realized, for the first time in over two years, they’d be sharing together again. As well as they get along, she doesn’t know if she can survive another second rooming with “Can you turn it down?”, and “D, I have a headache, please?”. It’s not her fault that Camila has sensitive ears.

Since she’s not a total asshole, and doesn’t want to risk waking Camila up, she works without music. This could also be explained by the fact it would be practically impossible to find the box with her headphones inside at this point in time. Naturally, her mind begins to wander, and she remembers Camila’s earlier concerns. For as far back as her memory goes, she’s lived with Ally, and, while she was more than ready to spread her metaphorical wings with little concern for how things would play out, the older woman had been hesitant to let her go. Eventually, they’d reached an agreement where Dinah could go if she could convince Camila to fill the final roommate position Normani and Lauren were looking for. This was difficult simply because Camila didn’t want to move out, and was, although she’d been accepted to the same college as Dinah, planning on going to a different university based solely on the location of the campus. In the end, it took a solid month of groveling and guilt-tripping before she agreed, and thus, papers were signed and money was put down, much to Ally’s displeasure. It was understandable for her to be so upset, as she’d literally raised Dinah, and made her dismay known by dramatically sulking around the house for nearly a month after they’d graduated. A small part of her wondered what her birth parents would say, how they would feel to see her graduating. Ally had refused to tell Dinah what had become of her biological family, aside from something about an “unfortunate accident”, claiming she would learn the full story when she was older. Of course she had a difficult time believing 32 people had all succumb to the same fate, but she was happy with the people she did consider family, and still held onto the belief that Ally would tell her one day.

Frowning, she took a deep breath to clear her head of the negative thoughts and stepped back from what she was doing. She looked around in mild surprise, unsure of when she’d packed away four full boxes worth of stuff, and checked the time.

7:08. It’s been a little over an hour since she started, and about another one to go before Normani and Lauren were scheduled to arrive. Peering over the back of the chair to make sure Camila’s not stirring, Dinah scrolls through her phone and starts playing a random playlist in her “Bops” folder, but still on a low volume, just in case.

Music really is a great way to pass the time, because just as she’s deciding if the top shelf should house mugs or plates, there’s a key turning in the lock.

“Hey, DJ.” Normani grins widely from the doorway, almost instantly being lifted into Dinah’s arms.

“Manz! I Haven’t seen you in-” Dinah quickly lowers her volume and friend, remembering the sleeping girl a few feet away, “forever.”

“What’s wrong?” Normani asks confusedly at the sudden behavioral change. Dinah tilts her head in Camila’s direction as they separate. “And here I thought she’d be the one doing all the work while you were off somewhere drooling.”

“It’s not my fault Walz usually does everything. I’m not lazy, she’s an overachiever.” Dinah doesn’t even attempt to claim that she doesn’t drool, as Normani, Camila, and Ariana had all been too enthusiastic to show her the embarrassing proof in the past.

“How long did you try to wake her up for?”

“I didn’t. She’s taking a nap outside of the full moon or being sick for the first time in like six years; it’s better to just let her sleep.”

Normani nods, knowing Dinah speaks the truth. She’s never met anyone who hates being asleep more than the 17 year old in the recliner. Changing the subject, she raises a large brown paper bag Dinah had previously missed. “Anyways, I brought you guys something.”

“Food?” Dinah questions, although the answer is obvious, and snatches the bag from her hand. “You’re a lifesaver. I thought I was actually going to have to…you know.”

“You mean cook?” Dinah hates cooking as much as Camila hates sleeping, and Normani has trouble understanding either sentiment.

“Yeah, that.” Dinah takes a generous bite out of a random burger and turns towards the partially open door. “Where’s Lauren? I thought she was coming with you?”

“She was, but her parents wanted to have a family dinner tonight, so she transferred to an early morning flight.” Normani pulls the front door shut and locks it. She’s not risking someone just walking in and slaughtering them in their sleep. It won’t matter if Dinah and Camila are there if they get to her first.

“Don’t her parents live in Miami? That’s less than a three hour drive.” As she speaks, a chunky, liquefied mix of meat and bun spills down her chin, dyed yellow from the high ratio of mustard to pretty much everything else between the pieces of bread.

Normani hands Dinah a napkin, not particularly disgusted by the display, as she’d gotten used to her and Camila’s disastrous eating habits long ago. “It was at her uncle’s in Tennessee,” she stretches out on the couch and gestures to the three of them, “so it’ll just be us this evening.”

“If Mila even bothers to wake up.” Dinah replies before realizing something. “Hold up, who said you could sit down?”

“What?”

“Girl, get yo ass up and do something.”

“But Mila-”

“She’s allowed to sleep because she actually did some work before. Did you really believe you could bring us some food and we’d let you get away not doing anything?” The innocent look on Normani’s face says everything, and Dinah laughs loudly. “Hoe, you thought. Now go unpack the boxes for the bathroom.”

Normani sighs theatrically, but starts down the hall anyway, not wanting to feel Dinah’s wrath over something so insignificant, and also because she knows damn well it won’t get done otherwise.

They continue to talk back and forth for a while, calling out to each other across the apartment after they’d determined Camila probably wouldn’t be waking up anytime soon.

“D, what the hell are these?” Normani rounds the corner holding an cartoon rocket ship bath mat and Space Invaders shower curtain.

“Ally got those as part of our going away present, even though we’ve only gone like an hour and a half away.”

“Did you make sure to tell her you guys were starting college and not kindergarten? It looks like she’s a bit confused.” Secretly, Normani finds the gifts cute, because she’s gotten to know Ally thoroughly over the last four years, and it’s just like her to do something all sentimental like this.

“Walz didn’t want to hurt her feelings by not bringing them, and I don’t want to risk her just showing up and not seeing them in place, you know?” The soft tone in the younger girl’s voice contrasts starkly with the pained grimace on her face. It’s like she’s physically hurting from just being in the presence of the brightly colored accessories.

“That’s really sweet of you, to sacrifice your sanity out of love and fear.”

“Fear? What are you talking about? I’m not afraid of Ally.”

“That’s such a fucking lie and you know it.” Normani smiles knowingly at Dinah’s overly defensive stance: arms crossed, brow furrowed in a mix of confusion and annoyance, and legs shoulder width apart. “She’s your mom, you pretty much have to be scared of her.”

“Yeah, but I’m not. The only time I’ve only even mildly feared her was those couple of times when she got really mad at me, because believe you me, when the 'a’ in Ally stands for angry, you don’t want to be anywhere near her.”

“It’s hard to imagine Ally like that.” Normani sets the mat and curtain on one of the few boxes not yet pushed into it’s proper room yet; not that they even know what it is, since Lauren and Normani decided drunk and tipsy packing, respectively, would be a good idea.

“It’s good you only have to go based off imagination and not experience. Trust me, she’s like a little volcano.”

“What am I when I’m angry?”

“You’re like…a slowly melting block of ice.”

“I don’t-what?”

“You’re all cold towards whoever you’re mad at, and you don’t show it at first, but then you start getting all snippy and stay salty for as long as you’re pissed off. You aren’t an explosive person.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s true. And you’re not either, most of the time. Unless you feel really threatened, or somebody does something seriously messed up, you’re pretty calm.”

“Well, yeah. I don’t want people to know I’m angry with them, all the time, and get all suspicious. Why do you think I’m so good at pranks?”

“Because you lowkey want to be a bully, but you know Ally would have your ass, so you found a slightly less abrasive outlet.”

“Okay, I’m gonna need you to stop talking to Walz. Her and all her deep thinking is fucking you up.”

“Are you saying I’m not a deep thinker?”

“No, but you’re not like her, and believe me when I say that’s a good thing.”

There’s a slight pause before anyone speaks again. “What about Mila?”

“What about Mila?” Dinah reiterates, not understanding Normani’s question.

“If Ally’s a volcano-”

“Little volcano.” She can hear the smirk in her voice, even though she isn’t looking at her.

“-and I’m a block of ice, what’s Camila like when she’s mad?”

“Walz doesn’t get mad.”

“Dinah, you’ve known her since she was six.”

“I know that, but I’ve never seen her anything more than moderately annoyed, usually by me or Zayn.”

“I know Mila doesn’t have a bad temper, I mean she spends most of her time with you, we’d know at this point, but nothing?” The eldest resident sits on the arm of the recliner and looks down at it’s occupant, tone dripping with incredulity.

Dinah takes a moment to think before replying. “There was this one time I remember when she was really genuinely upset. We were like eight and three of my friends-you remember those annoying ass girls I told you I used to hang out with right before middle school?-came over to stay for April vacation. Walz had already been there for a couple of weeks, and I was sick before, so of course she got it, but Ally already agreed to watch those terrible children, so she put in place her standard quarantine procedures.” Dinah doesn’t elaborate, knowing Normani is fully aware of Ally’s behaviour when anyone in her household is ill. “It was like halfway through their stay and Ally was in the kitchen, when Walz comes downstairs for the first time in days, looking for her. We were in the living room, so we saw her first, and Sierra, of course, decided to cause a problem.”

“Sierra was the one with the parents that owned those condos, right?”

“That was Genevive. Sierra’s parents bought that amusement park that closed down like two years later.”

“How did you know these people?”

“Public school. Go figure.” Dinah purposely avoids answering Normani’s actual question in favor of finishing the memory. “Anyways, they were just talking all kinds of mess, and I just kinda stood there, because, you know, I was a stupid elementary schooler and these were my cool friends. Then Sierra went too far and threw Q outside into the downpour, Mila went after him, and they locked her out. Genevive and Evie went in the kitchen to make sure she didn’t try to come in through the front door, and I…” Dinah trails off for a moment, noticeably uncomfortable. “I pulled the blinds in the back so Ally wouldn’t see her, then we helped with lunch. By the time Ally found her, she’d already been outside for like three hours.”

Normani’s brow furrows, having heard other stories of how Dinah was kind of an asshole at that age, but that doesn’t make it any less upsetting. “Please tell me Mila came for you.”

“No, but Ally did after I told her what happened."

"You actually told Ally?” Normani asks skeptically. The Dinah she knows would do almost anything to stay out of trouble, or at least modify the truth enough to spare herself too severe of a punishment. Admitting to laughing with your 'friends’ being mean to your friend, then locking said friend outside in the rain with no plans of telling anyone isn’t exactly how one would prevent that.

“Believe it or not, eight year old Dinah Jane still felt guilt on occasion. I couldn’t not tell her, especially when we found out Walz had pneumonia. Ally blamed that on the rain, and even though the doctor said that’s not what caused it, I wasn’t going to try to use that to defend myself. Not the point, so Q was all muddy and gross, and Ally told Mila she was going to wash him, you know, the common sense thing to do, and she lost it. She started crying her eyes out and begging Ally not to, like she almost threw up from crying so hard. It was terrible. My friends were staring in surprise and disgust, and I was so embarrassed. Yes, I know, I was a terrible friend, stop looking at me like that. And Ally was completely freaking out because she’d never seen her like that, and she couldn’t figure out how to calm her down. So she just carried her upstairs.”

“Wow.” It’s a well known fact that Camila is a very emotional person, but Normani has never seen her cry, at least not the way Dinah was describing it. Sure, she’d seen her shed a couple tears at the sad scenes in movies, or from laughing way too hard, but nothing so emotional. “I don’t get it. Why was she crying?”

“I don’t know. We never asked her. I don’t even think she remembers it happening, so Ally decided to just blame it on her fever. You know how Ally likes to be prepared for everything, so that kind of fucked her up for a while. Really though, it was so…unexpected, and out of character. I mean, when I was teaching her how to ride a bike, she fell down the side of a rocky hill, into a stream, and didn’t make a sound. This was something else.”

“You guys had a real weird childhood.” Even though she already knows this.

“You tell me that anytime I tell you anything. And not really, yours was just super boring.”

Normani snorts. “No, my childhood was normal. Ally literally owns a magic shop. Where is the normality?”

“It’s normal to us.” Dinah says with an air of finality, not wanting to dwell on negative memories. “Now, go finish setting up the bathroom.”

“Dinah! Really? You’re gonna make me do more work? It’s nighttime.”

“Yes, now get up.”

“I’m tired."

"Mani.”

“No.” The darker girl whines, stretching out the word.

“I wasn’t giving you an option.” Dinah throws a pillow at Normani, her previously unmoving target effectively dodging the projectile, causing it to hit the sleeping girl in the face.

Camila groans quietly and shifts in her sleep, forcing her eyes open as she knocks the pillow onto the floor. “I…was asleep?”

“You were.” Dinah glares at Normani, more playful than serious.

“Mani?” Camila mumbles around a yawn, recognizing the familiar perfume coming off the figure above her. “I thought you weren’t getting here until tonight.”

The older girl grins down at her friend, and gestures towards the hall windows where the blinds are still open. “It is night, Mila.”

“It’s-wha?” She rubs her eyes, confused as to how it was pitch black out when the sun had been shining brightly just minutes before.

“It’s almost 9:30. You’ve been out for nearly 3 hours.” Dinah’s voice replies from behind her.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Camila speaks to Dinah, but extends her arms towards Normani, signaling she wants a hug.

“You were barely sitting down for 5 minutes before you fell asleep. If I woke you up, you’d just be cranky and do a shit job at unpacking.”

Normani slid down into Camila’s lap, wrapping the Cuban up in her arms. “Plus, you probably wouldn’t have woken up anyway. Dinah’s been playing music this entire time, stuff was being moved around, and we were literally talking right over you for the past 20 minutes.

"And, I made smoothies.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Dinah opens the fridge and pulls out three glass bottles, each containing a different colored puree. Honestly, she hadn’t even remembered she’d made them until now. “Try me again.”

“Shit.” Camila knows she can be a heavy sleeper, but their blender is basically a small glass lawnmower for food items. “Is one of those mine?”

“Of course that’s what you focus on.” Camila adjusts Normani in her lap, so she has a free hand to hold the bottle Dinah passes her.

“Thank you.” She takes a sip of the thick liquid, savoring the, overwhelmingly to every other living being, banana flavor and peanut butter aftertaste. “Have I ever told you that I love you more than most things?”

“Only every time I give you food.”

“Those are very good times.”

“Speaking of food,” Normani interjects, remembering something important. “Lauren wants to have lunch with you guys tomorrow, since she can’t make it here tonight.”

“Sure, I’m free between 12 and 2. I have to get to the bakery for 3:30.”

“I’ll be back by 12:30, since I’m opening tomorrow.”

“Lauren and I are both available then, so lets say, 12:45 at that Italian restaurant across from the town center.”

“The one with the yellow tomatoes in the salad and butter that kind of tastes like gravy?”

“That’s the one.”

“Now I’m hungry.” Normani hears Camila speak the complaint into her shoulder.

“You were hungry the moment you woke up.” Dinah hands her the not completely cold take out bag from the fridge. “Here. Normani brought burgers, so I saved you one and a half. There’s also most of a large fries-don’t you dare look at me like that. You’re lucky I didn’t eat all your fries.”

“You’re a literal angel.” Normani has no time to respond before Camila grabs her face and kisses her wetly on the cheek, then starts in on the stuffed half turkey burger.

“Anyway,” Normani starts, wiping the saliva off her face in disgust, “she’s really excited to meet you guys. I’m just kind of worried, you know?”

“Why?” The word vibrates her arm, which lays limp across Camila’s chest.

“It’s just, I’ve built you guys up so much, she’ll probably be disappointed when the real thing is right in front of her.”

There’s a loud clapping sound as Dinah’s hand connects with Normani’s back, nearly knocking her over. “Girl, you scared me for a second! I thought you were being serious.”

“You could be an actress. That was really convincing.”

“I can��t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.”

“I’m being serious. Plus, you’ve got the face for it: acting, modeling, all that picture stuff.” Camila’s voice is muffled as she holds the rest of her burger between her teeth, digging through the empty paper wrappers Dinah left in the bag in search of the spilled fries.

“Yeah, and besides, you’re a great actress, and dancer, and once people get a look at that face, they’ll be dying to plaster it up all over magazine covers, and billboards, and giant posters that’ll hang in horny teenager’s bedrooms.” Dinah admits honestly as she flops down on the couch.

“And park benches!” Camila adds excitedly, probably only really thinking of the park portion of the suggestion.

“Thanks, but I really don’t think I want anyone sitting on my face.”

“Yet another thing you and Walz don’t have in common.” As Dinah Jane is the biggest fan of her own jokes, she fails miserably at holding back the laugh that Normani lets out in full.

Camila waits for the giggles to subside before attempting to respond. “You say that like it’s not one of the greatest experiences ever, for all parties involved.”

“I am the sitter, not the on being sat upon, thank you very much. A face like this must be admired at all times, and that’s kind of hard to do when someone’s ass is all up in it.”

“DJ, the only thing to ever admire your face, aside from you, is your phone camera.”

“On a good day.” Camila holds up a couple of fries, silently offering them to Normani who declines, but reaches her hand into the bag in search on a moderately clean napkin to wipe the ketchup off the Cuban’s face.

“You’re both so damn rude, I swear. I can’t believe I agreed to live with you two. And I was so nice to you, Mani.”

“Right, because everyone wants to hear that they’re attractive enough to be masturbated to, or to be on a mossy, shit covered bench so people can sit on their face in the least sexual way.”

“Well, when you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so good.”

“Whatever. Can we watch a movie now, or something? Talking to you for longer than 10 minutes at a time is tiring.”

“I’m down, as long as it isn’t a horror movie, or a psychological thriller.” Camila tosses the balled up paper bag into the garbage by the couch, and grins at the offended look on Dinah’s face.

“Chancho, come cuddle.”

“What? You don’t want me?” Normani asks innocently, pouting playfully at the huffing Polynesian.

“No, you can stay right over there.” Dinah scoffs, then her voice returns to it’s previous demanding whine. “Walz, here. Now.”

“Sorry, Cheech. No Mani, no me.”

The two youngest stare at each other, both waiting for the other’s resolve to crack. Eventually, it’s Dinah who relents. “Fine, both of you get your traitorous asses over here.”

“We love you, Dinah Jane.” Normani announces in a sing-song voice, after her and Camila squish the still mainly unwilling addressee into a hug.

“Now you do. I’m picking the movie, and no arguments.” She yanks the remote out of Normani’s hand and snickers at the simultaneous groan from the bodies on either side of her.

They were midway through the first season of some weird British show Dinah had found when Normani attempted to make conversation again. Turning her head towards them to speak, she discovered they were both already asleep. This wasn’t surprising at all, but gave her the time to review their future living arrangements.

Lauren was a great person, even though highschool had been a kind of rocky time for her, and, well, she was a lot like Dinah in certain respects. She enjoyed having a good time, and whatever the definition of that may be at the time, partying till all hours of the night or playing charades in her pajamas, and didn’t let anything get in the way of that. Although their recent conversations had gone significantly better than the ones they’d had over the previous few years, she knew a couple of her highschool friends would also be attending, one of the reasons why she was so glad Lauren had reached out to her to share an apartment, since she wanted to keep her away from those people. Lauren’s parents, Mike and Clara, knew of her past troubles, and were more than ecstatic to hear she was talking with Normani again, who was easily their favorite of their daughter’s friends. It was more difficult to convince them about Dinah and Camila, particularly the latter, as they had been stalking Dinah’s social media since Normani had given them her name, and saw she appeared to be just a normal teenager. Everything she said about Camila, on the other hand, seemed to fuel their apprehension towards their eldest living with her. She didn’t know the answers to the questions they were asking, which made them suspicious, so much so, that Mike had offered to pay for the final forth of the rent if she could get Camila to find a way out of the lease. Now, unbeknownst to her roommates, her parents had taken it upon themselves to invite them all over for Christmas day dinner, after she’d mentioned that none of them had any big plans for the holiday season. She knew how protective Lauren’s parents had become, without being controlling, for the most part, and was slightly concerned with extending the invitation. It would look bad if they didn’t show up, like they were really hiding something, but there would be a lot of questions, probably bordering on the invasive side, and Camila didn’t enjoy talking about her personal life, very much unlike Dinah. She’d tried to say that they were unavailable on the day, but Clara pressed that they could both bring their families, which posed another problem. It was time to talk to Ally before she stuck her foot further in her mouth.

This is a thing now?

It’s also on Wattpad: RetreatingBackwards

#UPDATE #series #AU #slash #angst drama #scifi supernatural fantasy #submission #Progression

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