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postmodernbeing · 3 years

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Shingeki no Kyojin headcanons: 104th training corps (College AU)

Hello, Postmodernbeing here. This time I wanted to write about things that I actually know, since I’m a college student and I’m studing History and Social Sciences I found myself wondering about what would the 104th training corps focus their studies on if all of them had chosen humanities as their career. I hope you find this funny and at least a bit accurate.

IMPORTANT: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin, only these HCs are my own. // Might contain a few spoilers from the manga. // English is not my first language and I study uni at Latin America, so scientifical terms/words/concepts may vary. Anyhow, I thank you for reading and for your patience.

Eren Jaeger

He’s passionate about Military History, not to be confused with history of army. Eren’s rather focused in strategies, weapons and semiotics involved in military speech.

First started with books about great wars in modern era. The use of certain weapons took him by surprise due the technological development.

Then he took classes about discourse analysis, semiotics and such, and felt inspired by the discourse reflected in emblems, uniforms, flags, etc.

Eren doesn’t really have a preference between occidental or oriental, North or South, Modern or Ancient settings. He would simply devour all the books that deal with military strategy and warlike conflicts. Although he has more experience and information about great wars in modern era.

He’s fascinated with the inexhaustible human desire of freedom and the extent that it can reach. This fascination might not be very healthy, he concludes.

Also, finds a cruel beauty in violence when showed in freedom and ideals are protected over one’s own life. But he won’t tell his classmates or professors. He knows is a controversial opinion for he’s still aware the implications of massive conflicts and the abuse of power.

One thing led to another, Eren is now taking classes and reading about philosophy in war and anthropological perspectives about violence through time.

He’s so into social movements besides his main interest in college: “No one’s really free until all humanity is”, that’s his life motto pretty much.

Due his readings and researches he decided it was important to develop a political stance about the world’s problems. Eren strongly believes all lives worth the same, but systems and nations had imposed over others and vulnerated other human's lives.

Yes, Eren is anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist.

Mikasa Ackerman

Asian Studies Major / History Minor.

She thinks by studying these degrees, she pays honor to her heritage. Specially to her mother. Her family is the proudest for Mikasa is also the best student in her whole generation.

Mikasa received a scholarship thanks to Azumabito family, who are co-founders of an academic institution dedicated to Asian historical and cultural research. She might as well start working when she graduates.

Although she’s passionate about Japan’s history, she has written a few articles and essays about Asian Studies themselves and the importance of preserving but also divulging by means of art and sciences.

In her essays and research work, she likes to employ tools from many disciplines since she strongly believes all humanities and social sciences serve the very same purpose at scrutinize the social reality all the same. Might as well use demographics, ethnology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, archeology, and so on. For it proves to bring light into questions that history by itself could answer unsatisfactorily (in Mikasa’s opinion).

Even her professors wonder how she manages to organize that much information and pull it off successfully. She might as well be more brilliant than a few PhD’s students.

Armin Arlert

Prehistoric studies / Archeology

He’s so into the studies about the prehistoric humans and routes of migration.

Passionate about the ocean and natural wonders since kid, Armin believed his career would be environmentalist or geoscience related.

That was the agreement he had with his grandad since middleschool, until he read Paul Rivet’s “The Origins of the American Man” book and captured him thoroughly. The way the book explained logically the diverse theories about global migration and enlisted the challenges of modern archeology -for there are numerous mysteries- simply devoured his conscience.

He knew from the books he’d read that most evidence of the first settlements are deep under dirt or far away in the ocean whose level has risen over the centuries leaving primitive camps – and answers – unreachable.

That’s the reason he is so eager to study and give his best to contribute both archeology and history disciplines. Also, he’ll forever love the ocean and nature, just leave him do all the fieldwork, please.

Jean Kirstein

History of industry / Industrial heritage / Historical materialism

Jean first started interested in capitalist industries and production development in first world countries. Kind of rejected other visions and explanations since he’d read about positivism studies.

His interest in such matters started when he was a just boy. He often found himself wondering how things were made and that question captured him ever since. As he grew up, he realized that machines and industrial processes were highly involved in the most mundane objects creation.

Nonetheless, he learnt that not always the best machinery was used, nor the best work conditions were available for mass production. From that moment he’d started to read about the First Industrial Revolution and his mind just took off with questions. Invariably, he learned about labour struggle and the transforming power due workforce.

Between his readings and university classes, he’d knew more about labour movements, unions. And in the theoretical aspect, he'd learned about historical materialism analysis.

One could say that Jean possesses a humanistic vision of the implications in mass production under capitalist system along history and nowadays.

Marco Bodt

Royalty's history / Medieval Studies

I wanted to keep his canonical fascination to royalty and the best way to do that was including Medieval Studies.

Marco would study since the fall of Roman Empire until the latest gossip of royal families all across Europe.

Might get a bit of Eurocentric with his essays but in real life discussions he’s always open to debates about decolonization. He has even read Frantz Fanon books and possesses a critical thinking about colonial countries and their relations with the so named third world.

Nevertheless, Marco finds a strange beauty in the lives of monarchs and he’s interested in study from their education, hobbies, strategies, relationships, everything.

I’d say that his favorite historical period is probably the establishment of the descendants of the barbarian peoples in the new kingdoms such as the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Franks, Vandals, Huns, Saxons, Angles and Jutes (holy shit, they're a lot).

Because this would transcend as the beginning of his favorite matter of analysis.

Sasha Braus

History of gastronomy, development of cooking, antropology and archeological studies.

Sasha’s interested in the history that shows human development of food and cooking. She finds wonders when she inquires into cultural aspects from the first farming till modern artistic expressions that would involve food.

Such as gastronomy. But her attention got caught in literature’s food representation too, with its symbols and allegories, also in paintings that belong in still life movement, but also Sasha finds interest when food is used as rhetorical devices (for example: the apple in Adam and Eve’s myth).

She’s curious about primitive systems of irrigation, cultivation, food distribution, adaptation of wild species; as well as the domestication of animals, the diversification of the diet and its link with sedentary life, as well as the subsequent division of labor once the need for food was assured in humanity’ first cities.

Sasha’s convinced that alimentation is the pilar of civilization as we know it. For it involves cultural, artistic, economic, emotion and social aspects. Food is a microcosm of analysis of humanity.

Sasha hasn’t a favorite historical period or setting. But she definitely has a special fascination for first civilizations and their link with alimentation. Also, she likes to study the development gastronomy in occident world around different regions, social classes, and time.

Although, let’s be honest, Sasha would devour (lol, couldn’t help it) ANY book about agriculture, cattle raising, cooking or gastronomy.

Connie Springer

Micro-history / History of everyday life.

Connie loves his hometown, has a deep respect to his family and traditions. That’s why he finds himself wondering about the most ordinary events that developed in his dear Ragako.

The book “The Cheese and the Worms” by Carlo Ginzburg changed the way he used to understand history and capture him into meaningful discussions about what he learned was called micro-history.

His favorite quote from that book is: “As with language, culture offers to the individual a horizon of latent possibilities—a flexible and invisible cage in which he can exercise his own conditional liberty.”

Once deep into studying the Italian historians and their works, he decided to give it a try, and ever since he’s mesmerized with the mundane vestiges craftsmen that worked in his village left behind.

Connie’s parents are so proud of him and his achivements, but mostly because he became a passionate academic over human and simple matters, (so down to earth our big baby).

His attitude towards his essays and research works truly shows his great heart and humility. Connie is aware that academic works have no use if they are not meant to teach us about ourselves too and current times.

Empathy and hard work, that’s how one could describe the elements that integrate his recently started academic career.

Historia Reiss

Political History / Statistician

Her father’s family pressured Historia since she was a little girl into studying History just like his dad. For he’s a very famous historian that had made important researches and books about the greatest statesmen of Paradis.

She thought in numerous ways that she could sabotage her career or study any other career without her family’s consent and end with her linage of historians. But she ended up enrolling in tuition and so far, she is trying her best in her studies. Historia swears this is the right path for her.

But don’t let the appearances fool you, even thought she studies her father’s career and the very same branch of history’s discipline, she has her own critical sense and she’s so talented on her own, very meticulous with her research papers.

Definitely wants a PhD about women, power and politics. We stand a Gender Studies Queen.

Her complementary disciplines are Political Sciences. Historia also has a talent for philosophy and owns a diary with all her thoughts about them. She hopes one day she would write a book or a manifesto about an innovative methodology for research and teaching History of Politic Thinking.

Ymir

Religion’s History / Theology

Just like Historia, Ymir was pressured into studying History. And if she’s totally honest, she still has some doubts about it. Even if she couldn’t imagine herself studying anything else.

Anyways, Ymir thought that she could build her career around topics that she enjoys. So, she finally chose theology for unusual reasons.

Her classmates had grown up in religious families or had experience studying the doctrines they practiced. But she, being an agnostic, found satisfaction in unraveling belief systems in different cultures and time periods.

Albeit she studies in Paradis’ University, she currently has the opportunity of taking an academic exchange at Marley’s University. This only made Ymir more conflicted about her future, for she wants to stay (near Historia) but she’s aware that Marley would offer her more academic opportunities for her specialization.

Nowadays she’s working in some collaborative research paper with some people from Mythological Studies from the Literature department. She’s nailing it, writing some historical studies about titans in Greek mythology and its impact in shaping neoclassical poetry. Her brains ugh, love her.

Reiner Braun

Official History / Biographies of heroes and great wars.

His mother convinced him with numerous books about great national heroes, but mostly because she knew that would mean sure job to her son. All political administration in every level requires of an official chronicler.

When he started his college courses, Reiner felt motivated and he was actually convinced that he had the vocation. But the more he read the less sure he felt that the academic world was for him. He wondered if he made the right choice. If he did it for him or for his mother.

Stories and myths about heroes have always cheered him up. That gave him purpose and consoled him when feeling down. Or at least it was like that when younger. Reiner truly didn’t feel like himself when regretting his choices, but he couldn’t help it for he was changing in more than a way.

That’s why he decided to experiment with other disciplines and with time he would find joy in historical novels. He would analyze them just as good as a litterateur and research about historical context in the written story AND study the artwork’s context itself.

His favorites theorical books are: “Historical Text as Literary Artifact” by Hayden White and Michel de Certeau’ “The Writing of History”.·

Heroes stories would always accompany him, just differently now.

Bertolt Hoover

History of mentalities / Les Annales

Intimate relationships, basic habits and attitudes. / Culture

Bertie has always been a much reticent and shy guy. As he grew up, he consolidated his sullen personality, but maintained a friendly attitude towards anyone who needed him. That’s why he thought that the priority in his studies was to be at the service of his classmates.

So, although he was passionate about research and was a fan of the French Les Annales current, he considered his mission to be in the Archive. As a cataloger, organizer and curator of ancient documents.

But the ways of History are always mysterious, and Doctor Magath showed him that other way of being was possible. Before Bertolt picked his specialty, he met Theo Magath, a professor who recently had finished writing a book: “The Idea of Death in Liberio’s Ghetto in Marley During its War Against Eldia (Paradis)” (long-ass titles are historians specialty btw). After Magath ended his book’ presentation, Bertolt reached him. They talked for hours and finally, he felt inspired into pursuing his true passion. Magath gifted him “The Historian’s Craft” by Marc Bloch as a way to reminding him his way.

By the time Bertolt took History of Mentalities as optional class, he already had some basic notions about Les Annales, Lucien Febvre, Marc Bloch, Fernand Braudel, Jacques Le Goff and such.

Being the gentle giant he is, Bertolt finds joy in reading about different lifestyles in diverse cultures. He constantly wonders about the origin of social constructs and the way they shape thinking as much as identity.

This boy is a wonder, he might not be the best in oral presentations or extracurricular activities but sure as hell he’ll graduate with honors.

Annie Leonhart

Oral history, about institutions. Particularly, police and justice system in early XXs.

Albeit she got into the same University than Bertolt and Reiner, even shared classes and hopes, Annie regularly felt disconnected from her studies. With time she realized it wasn't due her career itself but rather because of the currents that her professors had suggested her taking. Until now.

Talking with Hitch and Marlow about their doubts concerning subjects and departments it came up the topics of history and present time but also oral history. She’d never heard something like that before. So, that very same week, Annie started searching for information about that.

She ended up with more questions: is it all of this just academic journalism? Or maybe sociology? When we can talk about regular history and when it starts being present time? If she introduces interviews due oral history, then that makes it an interdisciplinary work? Which are the best systems for analyzing data? Definitely, she’ll need help from anthropology and sociology departments if she wants to keep going.

Contrary to her initial prognostic, philosophy and history of historic writing became her new allies, and the text “Le temps présent et l'historiographie contemporaine” (Present Time and Contemporary Historiography) by Bédarida among others, provided Annie another perspective.

Regarding her favorite topics, she wouldn’t say that she selected them freely. They were just practical preferences. For institutions own extensive archives and numerous functionaries. One way or another, she ended up tangled in judicial system and police issues.

With new tools and object for studying, one could find Annie having a blast as detective too. Even if her academic essays focus on institutions’ history and configuration, she’s also working in corruption and more. She doesn’t do it because she believes it’s the right thing, but besides, the thrill of the tea is spicy. Although she won’t admit it.

#shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #aot headcanons #snk headcanons #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #armin arlert #jean kirstein #marco bodt #sasha braus #connie springer #historia reiss #ymir #reiner braun #bertolt hoover #annie leonhart #modern au #college au

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vickyvicarious · 3 years

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Ace Attorney Daemons - Prosecutors

Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!

Miles Edgeworth - Great Pyrenees. I originally started looking at big white dogs because I wanted to see if something similar to Pess would be suitable, and I think I found one. This breed is big and fluffy, which frankly I think would be needed for Miles growing up with the von Karmas. But honestly, his daemon is intelligent and powerful. Generally calm, but capable of leaping into swift action. However, it is at the same time at heart a protector (of livestock, traditionally) more than a predator. I think his daemon settling in this form when he is a teen would be a great way to illustrate his true nature, underneath all the Demon Prosecutor stuff (I expect he and she would be at odds for a while). Additional details I like are that these guys do tend to be more reserved with strangers and can be somewhat stubborn, and also they do shed a fair bit. I just enjoy the image of Miles having to constantly brush his gigantic floofball of a daemon and lintroller all her fur off his suits. A final thing, which I didn’t really intentionally plan, is that all prosecutors have bird daemons except Godot, who used to be a defense attorney, and Miles. So he stands out a little bit there, which I think works well too - he would be all the more determined to prove himself as Bratworth once his daemon settled in a form atypical for the profession.

Franziska von Karma - Harpy eagle. I put Manfred in the villains list since there’s no space for more prosecutors here, but it just seemed fitting to me that von Karmas typically settle as eagles. They are sharp-eyed predators, generally solitary, and look incredibly fierce, just in general. As for the harpy eagle in particular - they are huge, first of all; their claws are the same length as brown bears’. They are among the largest eagles in the world, and sometimes considered the most powerful. This seems only right for Franziska. They mostly eat monkeys, but can go after pretty much anything as they are at the top of their food chain. They can fly nearly straight up and turn their head upside down, and wait nearly a full day to snatch their prey. Franziska too is maneuverable and ridiculously determined. The head-feathers you can see slightly lifted in the photo are pretty cool, too; they rise up into a distinctive crest when the eagle feels threatened, and it actually looks a bit derpy. Which reminds me somehow of Franziska’s scornful “fool” name-calling and how it can often get to the level of absurdity. They are monogamous and fiercely protective parents, which I think can be a nice match to how Franziska really isn’t so heartless after all. And another detail that fits really nicely with her initial rivalry for Miles is that harpy eagles usually lay two eggs, but typically only the first-hatched survives. The other is ignored or even killed by its older sibling.

Klavier Gavin - Superb lyrebird. Female lyrebirds don’t look nearly as impressive as the males, and they don’t do the dramatic dances either. But they are still incredible vocalists, able to imitate sounds from at least 19 other species. And their songs tend to be mostly used during foraging and defending their nest, as opposed to attracting a mate. Obviously Klavier needs a songbird for his daemon, but I think the female lyrebird specifically is great because of those details. Her less exciting (though still pretty) plumage might not match his outer image, but he is one of the best prosecutors of the series, dedicated to the truth from the very beginning. He’s a lot more serious than he might come across, and his daemon reflects that. The typical songs match up with that too; he loves music and his daemon does too, but it’s not what either of them care about most, and the subject of typical female lyrebird songs show that well. Similarly, though a bird like most prosecutors, his daemon is not a bird of prey. He’s never really been in it for ‘the hunt’, after all. One last reason I like the lyrebird for him is that, contrary to most daemons being quite around people they don’t know well, I suspect his daemon would be fairly vocal and probably sing with him in his band.

Simon Blackquill - Japanese mountain hawk-eagle. Before you ask, yes. Yes I did choose his daemon from birds who look most like Taka. I mean, of course. The wiki listed three, and I looked them all up and thought the mountain hawk-eagle appeared closest. As a bonus, it has a Japanese subspecies, which is fitting for samurai man here. They tend to be quiet most of the time, though they have a distinctive cry. This seems fitting for Simon, as he is generally not super talkative. They hunt their prey from a perch, going after small mammals on the ground or other birds, so the perching on his shoulder all the time doesn’t have to change either. Another fitting detail is that females are extremely defensive of their nests and young, apparently willing to fight to death to protect them instead of getting scared away. They also watch and feed their young for a while after they could be self-sufficient. This fits so well with Simon’s willingness to be put to death to protect Athena, obviously.

Godot/Diego Armando - Asian palm civet. I took a slightly different approach for his daemon, and just googled animals that eat coffee. But I’ll get to that in a minute. First, they are nocturnal, solitary, and can just be hard to locate. This fits well with Godot’s whole ambiguous/mysterious thing he’s got going. They’re good climbers and quite nimble/speedy but still vulnerable to predators. Fitting, I think, since he was caught both as Diego and Godot. He tends to be clever to a point but then make a fatal mistake. They also are pretty adaptable, getting used to urban life quickly, which can relate to him adjusting easily to becoming a prosecutor. However, I would be lying if I said the main reason I like this daemon for him wasn’t because they eat coffee. More than just that, the coffee cherries (of which they are said to select only the best) get fermented in their guts, and when they’ve been pooped out, are used to make a very expensive coffee called “kopi luwak.” Now, granted, when I looked this up it seems that the result doesn’t taste especially good and is pretty much just famous as a novelty thing, but I think Godot’s daemon would enjoy coffee just as much as him, and I find the fact that he could, um, prepare his own if he wanted, hilarious.

Detectives, Feys, Misc. Lawyers, Villains, Witnesses, Wright Anything Agency

#ace attorney #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #klavier gavin #simon blackquill #godot #daemons #aa daemons

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helly-watermelonsmellinfellon · 4 years

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A book I want to write but am still Outlining. I’m envisioning this scene in a film as such...

[SCENE] Backyard

There is a work bench set up.

A tall, muscular black man is teaching a young, black girl how to use a coping saw.

They look nothing alike. He is very dark, she is very light-skinned, but because of stereotypes, the audience will assume she is his daughter.

A black woman, as equally dark as the man, appears at the back door of a fancy house.

BW, with a French Accent: [Tom]! [MC]! Come in for supper! *additional quips about working too hard*

TOM quips back with the same French Accent: Nothing wrong with hard work, Solange! *ruffles MC’s hair fondly* *both laugh as they go inside*

They appear to be her parents based common racial stereotypes.

[SCENE] Dinner Table

The square table is set for 4 spaces. One at each side.

A Japanese woman is seated at one side, smiling. SOLANGE takes the seat across from her. TOM and MC sit across from each other.

They have a nice meal. Laughing. Joking. It’s s time lapse.

[FAST FORWARD SOME DAY LATER AFTER SCHOOL DRAMA] Lounge

MC is seated in the lounge with SOLANGE.

MC: Maman, how did you an Uncle Tom manage to stay friends even after you divorced each other?

SOLANGE, who is now revealed to actually be her mother: Because we were friends first.

MC looks confused.

SOLANGE is looking into the distance as the scenes she describes are playing out for the viewers, overlapping the primary scene at 45% opacity.

SOLANGE: Our families were friends back in 1700s France. We knew each other for years before they randomly told us we’d be getting married. It was arranged, but since we knew each other our whole lives and our families didn’t allow us to connect with many neighbors, it wasn’t a problem in our case.

She appears nostalgic. MC is silent but watchful.

SOLANGE: And then the attack happened in the middle of our marriage ceremony. TOM managed to fend off several vampires before being overtaken. I too was overtaken. We were the only people at the ceremony who lived. Of course I say ‘lived’ as in we changed instead of dying, but the evidence of the bites were there and we couldn’t stay, so we fled. And we spent a century just migrating from place to place and learning new things.

She is smiling now.

SOLANGE: And then we met HANA. She was quick-witted and adventurous and also not human. She was the first immortal being we’d come across beside each other, and she stayed. She taught us many things. Eventually she joined us permanently and our relationship became polygamous. After another century, TOM and I had to admit that we no longer wished to be married. That falling out of romantic love is possible and natural. I had fallen hard for HANA and she for me, and TOM was happy for us. But that didn’t mean we stopped being family.

MC is teary eyed now.

SOLANGE pats her knee.

SOLANGE: HANA and I came across you randomly. We’d been together for quite some time when she proposed having a child. But neither of us are capable of pregnancy, since I’m technically dead and her species isn’t born nor capable of giving birth. So we looked for a child who was less likely to be chosen over others, and found you! Being half-Black and half-Asian was definitely ironic, but we were more drawn to the fact that you’re Fae.

SOLANGE: Humans avoided you as a child because Changelings have an Otherworldly aura about them that naturally make humans nervous. But we weren’t human and did not suffer from those effects, and it was obvious that you were perfect for us!

HANA appears in the doorway, smiling.

HANA: Exactly!

MC: Kaa-chan!

{Basically a non-human, 1/2 Black and 1/2 Asian child who is fluent in English, French, and Japanese. She was adopted by her immortal, non-human moms. Her uncle is their former lover and long-time friend. I had a lot of time to plot this out and all the stereotypes I want to thoroughly destroy in the process.}

#writing #watermelonsmellinfellon

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pinkcake · 4 years

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Hi! Just wanted to thank you for creating and sharing screenshots of you aesthetically perfect Stardew farms and telling about their inhabitants. These are hard times for so many people, these pictures really bring joy into everyday life. If it's not too much to ask, could you please share more about Annie and her farm? And also Marina, it was so nice and heartwarming to see a non-demonized Eastern-European character. I love you, have a great week!

(quick note — i actually saw this ask quite awhile ago!! i loved it so much and was so happy, i wanted to give a long answer, but unfortunately i got busy with some school work so i left it go for a little while! i’m sorry anon that it took me so long, but i hope you understand and i hope you still enjoy hearing about my farmers ~)

this actually makes my day anon omg 😭 i am so glad my little stardew blog could be so uplifting... this game got me through some tough moments too so i’m really really happy i can be part of sharing it with more people and making them smile! 💞

it’s definitely not too much to ask haha, i love talking about my farmers! each of them are so special to me, they are born out of many different parts of my life that are meaningful to me ~! this will be under the cut, i got a bit carried away... 😄🌱🍓🌷🌱

so annie is actually a fairy by birth! she used to be very tiny, have wings, and she lived in a fairy hollow community very deep in the secret woods. she had always felt drawn to the human world, and after doing some work as a “crop fairy” her desire to become human was cemented. on her 18th birthday, she chose to forfeit her wings and most of her magic in order to become human, worked among the city lights for awhile at joja (which she strongly disliked, as she would put it), and eventually took over lavender farm west of pelican town from another aging fairy-turned-man. as a fairy, she had significant magical abilities that made growing plants and flowers a breeze… because of that, she’d always taken the process for granted, but upon more time spent observing the human world, she became more interested in their processes of agriculture and floriculture. she still has some powers left over that make crops grow a little bit faster and a little bit higher quality, but most of it is just hard work on her hands and knees in the beaming sun! her goal is to create a floral sanctuary… she specializes in flowers, teas, and honey + wax! her farm is overgrown and the stardew valley times newspaper may be a bit judgmental of how she keeps her land, but anyone who ducks into the lush sanctuary of lavender farm is immediately soothed and fascinated by its natural beauty. even annie’s farmhouse is bursting with potted plants and insect terrariums!

i created annie because the small, seamlessly-integrated sparks of magic is such a cool part of stardew valley to me. i loved that a game that was based in realism could still have elements like fairies, wizards, witches, mermaids, and monsters..! i wanted to get deeper into that part of the game ~

(bonus: i did not initially have a plan for who annie would marry and i considered even just having her single, but after some cutscenes with elliott, the concept of him being a merman-turned-human hit me! merman elliott just makes sense to be… he lives on the beach, he is a romantic, he’s got that long luscious red hair, he is deeply worried about ocean pollution, he’s a little awkward... once it was in my head i couldn’t get it out! i didn’t even realize it was an infamous theory haha. i just thought, how wonderful would it be for these two individuals who shared a similar journey — leaving behind their homes, changing species, moving to stardew valley and trying to fit in — to form a bond, fall in love, and create a life together in a world that is new to both of them? <3 annie/elliott is easily one of my favorite farmer/bachelor(ette) relationships i have! i could truly talk about them all day~ )

marina was born out of three things — 1.) my desire to play stardew valley expanded, 2.) my interest in sdve’s bachelor victor and how he has a name that is very popular in russia, 3.) my interest and appreciation for eastern european culture…

personally, my family is south-central european and i have grown up in the USA. aside from being trained as a ballet dancer all throughout my teenage years and hearing about vaganova, bolshoi, mariinsky theatres + having two russian kids as classmates and friend in primary school (one was named victor, haha!), i didn’t know much about russia or eastern european culture growing up. we didn’t have many opportunities to learn. anything i learned was more about the government’s problems, not the culture, which i find extremely sad… a government’s actions should not define or generalize a whole country or region of millions of citizens, especially when said citizens don’t have a lot of power. citizens, for the most part, are just people who are living.

in the city i currently live in, there is a “little russia” and “russian hill”, both of which i have visited many many times with my boyfriend who lives near there and who is eastern asian. everyone who lives there and 95% of the people shopping + eating there are eastern european immigrants. every shop there is authentic — most of them have everything written in cyrillic alphabet (usually russian, sometimes ukrainian) or occasional central european languages (polish most common) or balkan languages (croatian is common — my favorite market item is elderflower fanta soda, which is a croatian drink!). one of my favorite stores has music CDs and movies, signs, snacks, children’s books, and even birthday cards all in russian! there are grocery stores that only sell things that would be sold in an eastern european market, none of the labels in english (which can be difficult if you are looking to buy something for the first time without understanding the language), but it is such a neat thing to have. i remember always thinking, i’m so glad that this is here for the people who are moving away to a brand new country, so that they can always have a taste of home. i began realizing when visiting there just how massive eastern europe really is, how many countries and languages are a part of it, and how much culture and rich history there is to be found there. i played SDVE briefly with a different farmer and when i met victor, he immediately stood out to me as someone i might meet in that neighborhood. i head-canoned him as mixed-race: part eastern european and part eastern asian. he reminds me a lot of my boyfriend… a bit unsure and nervous about kickstarting his future but incredibly gifted and intelligent, and olivia reminds me of my boyfriend’s parents, who came from strict communism and poverty in china and now live in the USA taking full advantage of capitalism/consumerism (lol!), but are just a bit oblivious to their son’s mental health as it isn’t something they are familiar with. i saw a lot of parallels to things i’d seen in my life in victor, and i really wanted to create a farmer that could fit into this narrative with him. all these things combined… marina was born! i wanted to be sensitive when envisioning her, and settled on the stories of real people from eastern europe that i’ve met — she was quite poor, overworked, and didn’t have some of the freedoms she desired, and decided to move to stardew valley for a better chance at success. i wanted to portray that living in eastern europe’s economy can be very difficult, but the culture is still beautiful and should never be let go of just because of immigration… immigration doesn’t mean changing your roots or being ashamed. marina is just a sweet girl who was struggling to get by and needed a change of scenery and new opportunities… but she’s not letting go of her past or her culture, because there is no need to!

feel free to ask about any of my farmers... i will try to be more succinct next time 🤪 definitely, definitely got carried away haha!

#📖#farmer annie #farmer marina

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mothermaidenclone-blog · 5 years

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Ad Astra or This Movie Was the Brad Pitts

Ad Astra was the worst movie I have paid to see since 2015’s Kill Your Friends, which is my least favourite cinema experience of all time. It was a dry and dreary story about emotionally stunted white men in a bleak and boring capitalist version of space, with jarring and superfluous Christian undertones. The plot and everyone’s motives were so non-existent that Brad Pitt had to narrate the whole thing in a monotone so flat and dead I literally screamed all the way from the cinema to the bus stop when it was over, partly out of a frustration so deep it was non-verbal, but also just to finally hear some pitch variation.

*Ad Astra spoilers follow*

There technically were women in this movie. Lots of women, particularly women of colour, occupied high ranking positions and were addressed by their titles, a touch I think is important and that usually tips the scales in favour of a good review for me. We were graced with Adjutant General Vogel (LisaGay Hamilton), Captain Lu (Freda Foh Shen), Sergeant Romano (Kimmy Shields), Tanya Pincus (Natasha Lyonne) and Lorraine Deavers (Kimberly Elise), as well as several unnamed female personnel (Kayla Adams, Elisa Perry, Sasha Compère and Mallory Low). I would like to particularly highlight Natasha Lyonne’s performance as apparently she was the only actor employed to play a human being and not a replicant. She was on screen for maybe twenty seconds, as is sadly the case with most of these women, but was a glorious breath of fresh air as the only character to simultaneously emote expressively and speak with inflection and enthusiasm. The only one! In a two hour movie!

All of these women appear to be respected and capable members of various illustrious teams, but are always outnumbered by men. There are two male generals alongside Vogel and Deavers is initially outnumbered 4:1 on her space craft by men. Tragically, whenever a team is being picked off, it is always the people of colour who die first. Not only is this obviously racist, it is just a disgusting cliché that we just don’t need to see anymore in movies. Deavers dies first when Roy (Brad Pitt) forcibly invades their vehicle, followed by Franklin Yoshida (Bobby Nish), an Asian man, and Donald Stanford (Loren Dean), a white guy, is the last to go. Roy cradles him in his arms and attempts to save his life. I hope it’s not just me that sees something wrong with the order of events there.

A similar scenario takes place in the lunar chase, which absurdly seems to occur in the same crapy looking buggies as the original moon landing, a confusing visual choice considering we’ve just seen a vast and impressive modern concrete moon base. The film takes the time to introduce us to Willie Levant (Sean Blakemore), a black officer who will be escorting Ray across the moon. As soon as we see he has a photo of his wife and child taped to his tablet screen I knew he was going to die - in the year 2019 I should not be able to predict that a black character is going to die because we saw a family photo. Can we just not anymore? Again, aside from the racism, that’s just shitty writing. I like to think that as a species, if we can conceptualise something as vast and seemingly impossible as solar travel, we can also move beyond basic and derogatory cinematic tropes.

I was most excited by the appearance of Helen Lantos (Ruth Negga), a woman of colour who occupies a position of power on Mars and introduces herself assertively using her full name. Also, her whole look was excellent. However, this brief release of serotonin was very short lived as she literally walks Roy down a corridor then is immediately cut off and superseded by a white guy with a man bun. Lantos does return later, but alas, as an exposition machine to give Roy some plot news about his dad. Even as she explains that her parents were murdered by his, Lantos falls victim to the dire, emotionless monotone that I can only assume was forced on the entire cast of this film. Then, she is an actual chauffeur and drives Ray to a manhole so he can continue his dad quest. A character brimming with original potential is presented as nothing more than a device.

The final woman to mention is the first one we see, Roy’s ex-wife Eve (Liv Tyler). We see the blurry, out of focus back of her head in the background of a shot before we see her face, and this is incredibly telling, because that’s all Eve is, the simulacrum of a woman. She could be anybody - so why she is Liv Tyler defies belief, I can only assume they held her loved ones hostage - her story is untold and entirely irrelevant. Again, she is only a device, although this time not for Roy’s forward momentum, but this time seemingly to emphasise that Roy is a total sociopath with no emotions whatsoever. We don’t learn Eve’s name for another twenty minutes, and it is an hour and twenty minutes before we hear her speak. Even then, it’s not a live conversation, because god forbid this film have too many of those, but a voice recording explaining that their relationship is over. I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty sure that’s what it was, but everything she said was so generic I have no memory of it whatsoever. She is presented as a ghost, a blurry image on a screen, a memory fixed in time, not a real person with agency and personality. At the end of the movie we finally see her in real time, and that is when she has made the unfathomable decision to meet Roy for coffee. Even her face in that moment gives no emotion away, perhaps because Tyler had no idea how to act this entirely nonsensical decision. To our knowledge, she would not have seen any change in Roy, only received news that he survived a dangerous space mission, which is apparently enough of a reason to get back with this emotionless egg of a man?

I almost didn’t want to devote words to them, but I think it’s important to address just how dire Roy and his dad H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) are. This is their film, they are the reason that all of these women’s stories are passed over. It is made clear over and over again that both Roy and Clifford believe they are the only people capable of completing their various missions. Roy hijacks a ship and inadvertently kills everyone on board because he thinks that it’s his destiny or whatever to get his dad back, never mind that they were all highly trained space personnel who were arguably better suited to the mission precisely because it wasn’t their dad. Clifford straight up murders his whole crew because they are too “small minded” to fly off further and further into space forever on a mission that has yet yielded absolutely no evidence of their goals. A variety of talented human beings are destroyed because of the entitlement of white men, their delusional and unshakable conviction that they are at the centre of the universe and that no one else could possibly accomplish the lofty goals that kismet apparently calls them to.

The way they speak about themselves and to each other is absolutely psychotic. Roy’s solo musings include, “The flight recorder will tell the story, but history will have to decide,” and “In the end, the son suffers the sins of the father.” Clifford imparts his son with the delightful greeting of, “There was never anything there for me, I never cared for you or your mother or your small ideas.” In addition, they both physically flinch from human contact at various points in the move. Now, I totally understand that we live in a neurodiverse world and that many people experience emotions and social interactions in any number of ways, and that is a beautiful thing that makes our world so interesting to live in. However, that these men both abjectly state that they have no empathy is presented within the context of their megalomaniacal ideals that they must accomplish their god-given quests irregardless of how many people they have to kill along the way. It is a facet of their strangely two-dimensional, arrogant and narcissistic personalities, not one part of many complex features that make a complete and relatable human being.

Roy has to literally say out loud that he is a human being at the end of the movie; “I will rely on those closest to me…I will live and love,” which makes him sound more like a learning AI trying to pass a Turing test than anything else. The music swells as Clifford throws himself towards the surface of Neptune in an orchestral deluge that is unsubtly significant in this very quiet film, as though I’m supposed to start crying and think anything other than, “well thank fuck, it’s about time this murderer dies in the cold vacuum of space, I hope Roy stays spinning and screaming here forever too.” We are supposed to feel sympathy for them as the heroes of this movie, despite the fact that they show no care for anyone else throughout the whole thing and act entirely in their own self interests.

Overall, the women in this film are given about five seconds of potential as they introduce themselves variously as decorated soldiers and otherwise capable personnel, before being shoved to the side, or murdered, for Roy. This is obviously objectionable, but is made so much worse by the fact that Roy is an emotionless, entitled, empathy-less white man who doesn’t care if other people have to die for him to get what he wants. That is what these women are being passed up in favour of. I felt like I was watching a two hour long Voight-Kampff test. Space movies like this should be about what we can achieve if we work together as a species, not about how white men will still be the kings of dreary capitalism, even on the moon. We can do better than this.

And now for some asides:

What the actual fuck was the font at the beginning? I guess a red serif all caps should have alerted me to the fact that I was about to watch a horror movie.

As a lover of space horror, I was absolutely gutted that it was a bad CG angry baboon and not a cool gross alien. Also, what was that scene? “Hmm, we need to get rid of this loser because Brad Pitt is the best at space ships and he needs to be the captain. Uhh…what about…space monkeys? Yeah! Space monkeys on a deserted Norwegian ship. That makes sense.”

Can I just have a film bout those moon pirates fighting space capitalism please? I was more invested in them that anyone else in this garbage movie.

Credit for the Bradd Pitts joke goes to the talented and lovely Ed Cheverton

#ad astra #Film Review #movie review #feminism #sci-fi #scifi #science fiction #brad pitt #liv tyler #tommy lee jones #ruth negga #freda foh shen #lisagay hamilton #natasha lyonne

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purple-urself · 6 years

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Wild At Heart - A Kiribaku Zoo AU

So this is a tiny bit late, but I’m so proud to post my fic for the @takemyhandzine! This was such a great experience for me, thank you to everyone who took part in creating such an amazing project!

Title: Wild At Heart Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None Summary: "Technically, Eijirou isn’t actually supposed to be back here. It’s mainly reserved for keepers, vets, and sometimes security. But since him and Bakugou have been growing closer, Bakugou had for some reason decided Eijirou was trustworthy enough to accompany him. A terrible decision really, but one Eijirou appreciates nonetheless."

Or,

The one were Bakugou shows his caring side and Kiri swoons lol

READ IT ON A03

“And that concludes our Elephant talk for today!” Eijirou announces to the crowds of people gathered around the huge enclosure. “Thank you so much for listening! I’ll be hanging around for the next half an hour, if anyone has any further questions about the Hi Way herd, please don’t hesitate to ask. My next talk will be in the jaguar house at 3:30pm, so if that’s something you’re interested in I’ll see you there!”

Eijirou finishes his speech with a wave, stepping down from the podium and immediately turning off his head mic.

The crowd begins to chatter amongst themselves, and Eijirou takes the time to gaze across the desert terrain towards the creatures that lived within.

The Hi Way family were a herd of 7 Asian elephants, the youngest being only three weeks old. Little Anjan was trotting around in the sunshine, never straying far from his mother. Having a new baby at the zoo always boosted visitor numbers, and Eijirou couldn’t help but smile as he sees a man lift a little girl onto his shoulders for a better view of the calf.

“Excuse me.” The voice comes from his left, and Eijirou turns to find a boy, around the age of 12, with what seems to be his parents close behind.

“Hey!” Eijirou says enthusiastically, “Did you have a question for me?”

The boy glances back to his parents, who nod at him encouragingly. Eijirou smiles at him, and waits patiently.

“Well, um. I was just wondering, how much food they actually eat? ‘Cos they’re huge y’know?”

The boy holds his arms wide, as if imitating the size of an elephant, and Eijirou chuckles.

“It’s a really good question, and to be honest i’m not sure of the exact answer.” Eijirou tells the kid thoughtfully. “But what I do know is that they spend most of their time eating. Because they’re so big, they have to eat a lot of food so they get enough energy.”

The boy nods, as if agreeing with him.

“That makes sense I guess.”

“Was there anything else you wanted to ask?” Eijirou glances towards the parents questioningly.

“No, that was it.” The boy replies, going to grab his father’s arm to pull him towards the next animal.

“What do you say to him, Kouta?” The woman asks before the boy could run off.

“Thanks!” He shouts hastily before running off, parents trailing behind.

Eijirou smiles as he watches them go, before his attention is caught by another visitor, eager to learn more about the Hi Way herd.

Eijirou gets to the jaguar house a few minutes early, just in time to meet his favorite keeper at the back gate.

Bakugou doesn’t seem to notice him approach, instead focusing on the two big plastic containers he’s trying to balance in his arms.

“Dude!” Eijirou calls out, trying to get Bakugou’s attention. He succeeds, causing Bakugou to startle and fumble with the containers. Eijirou dashes forwards, catching them before they can fall.

“Dumbass, why would you shout me like that?” Bakugou growls at him, snatching his containers back from Eijirou.

“I was gonna offer to help! My huge manly muscles would finally be put to good use.” Eijirou flexes dramatically, and Bakugou rolls his eyes, cheeks turning slightly pink.

“I don’t need your muscles, just open the gate.”

Eijirou does, following Bakugou to the staff entrance of the building.

Technically, Eijirou isn’t actually supposed to be back here. It’s mainly reserved for keepers, vets, and sometimes security. But since him and Bakugou have been growing closer, Bakugou had for some reason decided Eijirou was trustworthy enough to accompany him. A terrible decision really, but one Eijirou appreciated nonetheless.

Bakugou puts both containers down on the stainless steel work surface, snapping on some latex gloves before going to open the lids.

“Please don’t tell me there’s something dead in those boxes.” Eijirou says in trepidation. Bakugou ignores him, reaching inside on if the containers and bringing out a whole dead chicken, feathers and all.

Eijirou wrinkles up his nose, looking away from the gorey sight.

“You’re the one who chooses to come in here, hair-for-brains.” Bakugou tells him. “I’m just doing my job.”

“I guess I’ll go and hang with Midoriya in the Education Center for ten minutes then.” Eijirou says innocently, turning on his heel to head for the door.

“I’ll be done in a minute, for fucks sake!”

Eijirou hides his grin.

With Bakugou still fiddling around with the dead chicken, Eijirou wonders into the next room, where there are two monitors showing grainy footage of the inside of the enclosure.

A closer look reveals Napo, their 11 year old golden-coated Jaguar, asleep on his favorite rock. Every once in a while his tail flicks outwards, but other than that he’s completely still.

Eijirou moves forward to flick through the 12 different camera feeds stationed around various sections of the enclosure. He finds Goshi after a good few minutes of searching. She’s always harder to spot owing to her pitch black fur, but eventually he sees her tucked away underneath a rock, overhanging a small stream that runs through the outdoor section of the enclosure.

She’s always been the shy one of the two, but it’s become more prominent since falling pregnant.

Or so Eijirou was told, he’d only started working for the zoo three months ago, which was around the time Bakugou and the vets guess that she might have gotten pregnant. She was due any day now, which seemed to be making Bakugou nearly as illusive as Goshi herself.

The keeper had been spending most of his time with the jaguars over the past week, Eijirou had noted. He also had the zoo vets on call, ready to help out with the birth at a moments notice.

His phone started to beep at him, signalling the alarm he’d set two minutes before his show was to start. He goes back into the main room, Bakugou wiping down the counters with the prepared food inside each of the tubs again.

“I’ve gotta go.” Eijirou tells him, gesturing towards the door. “But I’ll see you after?”

“Yeah,” Bakugou mumbles before looking up. “I’ll be feeding them separately again, Goshi inside and Napo outside.”

Eijirou nods at the info, knowing he’ll need it for his talk later.

“Awesome, see you later.”

Eijirou waves a quick goodbye before heading to the front of the enclosure.

There’s a barrier surrounding the enclosure looking across a small revine, on the other side of which is a forested area, complete with a running stream. There are a few small trees dotted around, and a huge wooden tree trunk, which was basically a glorified scratching post.

There’s already a small crowd gathered around the enclosure, but it doesn’t seem like any of them has spotted Goshi in the shadows.

As if hearing his thoughts, Goshi emerges from her hiding spot beneath the rocks, which causes quite a stir amongst the onlookers. There’s a flurry of camera snaps before she disappears inside. He can hear some of the visitors complain about how quickly she disappears, which makes Eijirou roll his eyes. Some people that visit the zoo don’t really understand that the animals actually have a choice whether they want to be seen or not. This isn’t some circus that forces them to perform. It’s a place to keep endangered animals safe, and to help increase populations of at-risk species.

Eijirou quickly steps up to the small podium to the side of the viewing area, putting on his head mic, and flicking it on.

“Not to worry folks, that’s not the last jaguar you’re going to see today!” He starts, trying to appease the grumbling crowd. “My Name is Kirishima Eijirou and I’m going to be telling you some fascinating facts about our jaguars today!”

Eijirou goes through his basic introduction for the jaguars, spouting off facts about their habitat and biology, keeping a close eye on the enclosure for any sign of movement.

He spots Bakugou not long after, striding into the enclosure, bringing with him the dead chicken from earlier carried on top of a long pole.

“And as you can see here, not a jaguar but just as scary, our keeper Bakugou Katsuki will be feeding Napo some lovely raw chicken.” He gets a few chuckles from the audience. “Keeper Bakugou will be putting the chicken right at the top of our 20ft scratch post.”

Bakugou does as Eijirou describes, using the pole to hook the chicken right at the top of the trunk.

“You might think this is a little cruel of the keepers, putting the food so out of reach from our Jaguar, but as you’ll see in a moment, getting the food down from that height will be no problem for him.”

Bakugou retreats from the enclosure, and Eijirou begins to tell the crowd about their two Jaguars.

“Napo, the Jaguar being fed here today, is our male jaguar. He’s 11 years old, and has the classic gold fur colouring with black rosettes. Goshi is our female jaguar, slightly younger than Napo at 10 years old. Some of you may have caught a glimpse of her just before my talk began. She has a black coat, though if you were to look really close, you’d still be able to see the black rosettes along her fur. Goshi is also expecting some cubs, so she’s going to be fed separately to make sure she gets enough to eat.”

Eijirou can see some of the crowd's attention being shifted from him back towards the enclosure, and sure enough, he looks over to find Napo slinking into view. He allows the crowd to chat amongst themselves for a moment .

“So here’s Napo, and as you can see, he’s opening his mouth and scrunching his nose slightly, which is, believe it or not, how he scents the air. He’s sniffing around, and he can already tell there’s food somewhere inside the enclosure.”

Napo slowly creeps towards the tree trunk, keeping an eye on the chicken at the top.

“He won’t run up and grab the food right away, like a house cat, he’ll look around for any danger or competition, and get ready to pounce when he feels like the time is right.”

As if on cue, Napo bounds towards the trunk at top speed, using his claws to drag himself up the bark. The crowd gasp at the display, camera shutters going off wildly.

The jaguar grips the chicken by the teeth, pulling it free, then leaping gracefully back to the ground. The crowd applaud, which Eijirou never understands because it only causes the animals to spook, but Napo seems to ignore them.

He settles down with his meal, ripping off chucks of meat clutched between his paws.

Eijirou finishes off the talk with some key facts about jaguar conservation, and how the audience could help with saving the planet, one recycled plastic bottle at a time.

After answering questions on the jaguars, Eijirou makes his way to the back rooms again, finding Bakugou hovering over the security footage, watching Goshi tear apart her own chicken.

“How’s she doing?” Eijirou asks when Bakugou doesn’t acknowledge his presence.

“She’s eating fine.” He says, not looking away, “Which is good. She seems comfortable, so I don’t think it’ll be today.”

“How will you be able to tell?” Eijirou enquires curiously.

“She’ll become restless, start pacing. She might even get aggressive with Napo, though they’ve been together for so long I don’t think that’ll happen.”

Eijirou nods to himself, not commenting, content on watching the jaguar consume her ‘prey’.

Bakugou lets Napo back inside once she’s done, and they both seem to settle down together, laying on a heated rock right next to the visitor viewing area. This gets quite a reaction from the crowd gathered in front of the glass, Kirishima can see camera flashes going off through the security feed.

“Are you staying?” Bakugou asks him, making his way to the small staffroom out back.

“I have a few minutes.” Eijirou replies, checking his phone. He trails after Bakugou, taking a seat at the tiny table in the corner of the room, whilst Bakugou makes them both coffee. Eijirou takes the mug gratefully, blowing on it before taking a sip.

Bakugou settles in the seat opposite, grabbing about 10 packets of sugar and dumping them all in his mug. Eijirou watches him wearily.

“That can’t be good for you.”

“Does it look like I give a shit?” Bakugou mumbles, stirring in the monstrous amounts of sugar.

“It kinda does.” Eijirou laughs. Bakugou frowns at him, so he continues, “No one looks as good as you do without caring about their health.”

Bakugou’s eyes widen slightly, and Eijirou can feel himself beginning to blush.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eijirou scrambles for an explanation. “J-Just that you’re super buff!” He flexes a bicep as an example. “There’s no way those muscles of yours are natural.”

Bakugou rolls his eyes, but Eijirou can tell he’s trying not to grin.

“I go to the gym, yeah.” He admits, “So that means I can have 10 sugars in my coffee and you’re not allowed to judge me for it.”

“I’m still judging you.” Eijirou tells him, trying not to let out a smile.

Bakugou snorts derisively. He opens his mouth to retort, but is interrupted by Eijirou’s phone.

“Ah, shit.” Eijirou plucks his phone out of his pocket, swiping the alarm off. “Five minutes until the penguin talk, I gotta run!”

Bakugou nods in understanding, and Eijirou swigs the rest of his coffee as he gets to his feet.

“I’ll see you at lunch tomorrow?” Bakugou asks him, frowning at his half-empty mug.

“Yep, usual time and place!” Eijirou confirms. He puts his empty mug in the sink, then rushes out of the room with a backwards wave, “See ya tomorrow!”

The next day starts as normal, a team briefing in the morning, followed by assignments. Eijirou has a Meerkat talk first thing, which is always great because the kids really get a kick out of them. Next is the Komodo dragon, then the Chimpanzees. By the time he answers all the questions the audience has for him, Eijirou realises he’s running late for his lunch with Bakugou.

He makes it to the staff cafeteria 5 minutes late, glancing around, trying to spot the familiar spiky blond hair and annoyed scowl. He doesn’t see Bakugou anywhere, and after a few more minutes of searching, he realises Bakugou isn’t even there.

Maybe he’s running late, like Eijirou had been? It’s uncommon, but not unheard of. He knows Bakugou gets caught up in work, and tends not to notice irrelevant things like ‘time’.

He decides the grab a sandwich, taking a seat close to the window so he’d be able to see Bakugou approach.

He starts eating by himself, scrolling through his phone as he does so. He’s finished his sandwich when he glances at the time again. Bakugou is now 20 minutes late.

Eijirou bites his lip, wondering if he’d done anything to offend Bakugou, or if he was just late. Or maybe he’d arrived on time, and couldn’t be bothered to wait for Eijirou to show up. The thought makes him frown, hoping that wasn’t actually the case.

He opens the messenger app on his phone, shooting off a text to Bakugou asking if he was held up. Eijirou hopes there’s nothing seriously wrong.

As soon as Eijirou turns up to the Jaguar talk, he realises why Bakugou had stood him up.

There’s a sign just outside the Jaguar house, directing visitors away, due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’.

Goshi must have had her cubs.

Eijirou grins at the thought, full of excitement over the new arrivals. He contemplates going through the back door, wanting to see for himself, be he knows that it’s a bad idea. There’s probably other keepers and vets hanging around, and he doesn’t want to get in the way. He decides he’ll wait to hear from Bakugou before attempting to visit.

Eijirou plucks his radio from his belt, informing his supervisor of the situation. Aizawa tells him to go help out in the education centre for an hour before resuming his planned talks.

When Eijirou comes into work the next day, he isn’t sure what to expect.

He’d gotten home just after sunset the day before, calling his moms as he made dinner for himself. They were the same as usual, asking about the animals and his friends in and out of work. He’d moved cities specifically for this job, so he really missed being able to see both of his moms everyday.

He answered their questions, staying on the line even as he was eating his dinner. After hanging up, he had a quick shower before heading to bed.

It was when he was checking his phone right before falling asleep that he finally heard back from Bakugou.

“Sorry for not replying sooner. Goshi had the cubs.”

Attached to the message was a picture of Goshi, curled into a ball, fast asleep. He was able to make out tiny ears and paws poking out of Goshi’s larger frame. Eijirou felt his heart melt at the image, wanting to meet the cubs desperately.

“Congratulations!!” he types out, “You’re going to be an amazing Father ;)”

It only took a few moments for Bakugou to reply.

“I was going to let you meet them tomorrow, but now I’m not sure you deserve it.”

Eijirou gripped his phone tighter and grinned at the snarky response.

“Haa, that’s mean Bakugou! I’m gonna be a great mom to those cubs, just you wait.”

“First of all, you’re not actually allowed to take care of them, that’s my job.”

Eijirou snorted, but didn’t reply, waiting for Bakugou to finish typing.

“Second, they already have a mom, idiot.”

Eijirou maked a face, typing out his response.

“I have two moms, and I turned out just great :P”

“Damn fine, you can meet them tomorrow.”

Eijirou smiles at the thought of being able to meet the Jaguar cubs today. He heads to the staff briefing, arranging with his supervisor to change his break time so it coincides with when the Jaguar talk was meant to happen. Aizawa stares at him when he makes the request, but ends up shrugging his shoulders and telling him to “do what you want, as long as you work the proper hours,” which is fine with Eijirou.

He gets through his animal talks, replacing his usual lunch break with a session about their herd of black rhinos. He is gets more and more antsy as the day goes on, quietly admitting to himself that maybe it wasn’t just the cubs he was excited to see.

As soon as Eijirou’s lunch break arrives, he practically sprints to the cafeteria, grabbing himself and Bakugou a sandwich. He has no idea when the last time Bakugou ate was, but knowing him, he’d likely sacrifice his break time in order to look after the cubs.

Eijirou gets to the Jag house, opening the back gate and knocking impatiently at the door. He waits for a couple of minutes, about to call Bakugou, but the door eventually swings open to reveal the man himself.

Bakugou looks as if he hadn’t slept in days, with dark circles under his eyes and hair more of a mess than usual. He’s smiling though, which is a rare sight, and Eijirou can’t help but smile back.

“Mama’s here to see his children.” He tells Bakugou, who rolls his eyes, beckoning him inside.

The kitchen area is a bit of a mess, with feeding equipment littered across the work space. Bakugou ignores the mess, leading him towards the security feed.

Eijirou gasps at the image; two tiny balls of yellow fluff in amongst a mountain of hey. They’re not moving, apart from a slight flick of the ears every minute or so.

“Have they got names yet?” He asks in a hushed voice, though he’s pretty sure the sleeping cubs can’t actually hear him.

“Not yet,” Bakugou tells him lowly, “Haven’t had much time to think about it.”

Eijirou nods, making a mental note to annoy Bakugou with texts of different names until he actually decides on two.

“Why aren’t they with their Goshi?” He asks curiously.

“They just got done with the vets. Weighed them and stuff.” Bakugou rubs the stubble just begging to grow at his jaw, “They seem healthy enough, but Goshi is refusing to let them feed.” Eijirou frowns but Bakugou continues before he can ask, “It’s pretty common with animals bred in captivity. We’re trying to get her to let them feed, but in the meantime they’ll be bottle fed.”

Eijirou nods in understanding, watching the two new arrivals for a couple more moments.

“Speaking of feeding, when was the last time you ate?”

Bakugou frowns, and Eijirou can tell he’s trying to remember if he forgot to eat lunch.

“I guess this morning?”

Eijirou shakes his head, glad he had the forethought to buy some food for Bakugou as well as himself.

“You’re lucky to have such a great friend like me taking care of you.” He tells Bakugou jokingly, leading him out of the security office and towards the staffroom. This time it’s Eijirou making them both a coffee, whilst Bakugou rips open the sandwich and begins to eat. Eijirou dumps ten sugar packs in Bakugou’s coffee, placing it down in front of him.

“Black coffee, with enough sugar to make even you turn sweet.” Eijirou winks and Bakugou flips him off, mouth too full to verbally cuss him out.

Eijirou laughs at his response, sitting down to dig in to his own food. Bakugou tells him about the day before, coming into work to find Goshi in labour but not yet given birth. He had called the vet just incase of any complications, but leaving Goshi alone was the best thing to do.

“Got home late, and I couldn’t really sleep anyway.” Bakugou ruffles the hair at the back of his neck awkwardly. “Ended up getting here at six this morning, just to check on them.”

Eijirou’s eyes flicker down to the empty mug in front of Bakugou. “You want a refill?” he asks, gesturing to it with a grin.

“I’ve had… more than I care to admit already.” Bakugou grimaces and Eijirou bites his lip hesitantly.

“You need to look after yourself better dude.” He says seriously. Bakugou waves him off, and Eijirou drops the subject. He knows that this is a stressful time for Bakugou, and as much as he jokes about it, Bakugou does kind of exude the aura of a new father, complete with wrinkled clothes and too much coffee.

They clear up their lunch, heading back to the main room, Bakugou fiddling around with the milk bottles before handing one over to Eijirou. He stares at it for a second, taking it slowly from Bakugou’s grip.

“Are you serious?” He asks astonished.

“If you ever tell anyone I let you feed them, I’ll kill you.”

“I promise! It’ll be our secret.” Eijirou pretends to zip his mouth shut and throw away the key.

“Oh good, finally some peace and quiet around here.”

Eijirou mock gasps, slapping Bakugou lightly in retaliation.

They both wash their hands and snap on a pair of rubber gloves, before Bakugou leads him towards the other room, and Eijirou feels a slight wave of nervousness. He’s never actually been inside the enclosure before. Or any enclose for that matter.

“Are you sure the Napo and Goshi are locked outside?” He asks as Bakugou opens to first door, closing it straight after them.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Bakugou opens the second door, allowing Eijirou to slip inside and locking it behind them.

From here, Eijirou can see the tiny balls of fluff beginning to stir. He steps closer, watching them roll around, tiny paws flailing in the air.

“Oh my God.” He says softly, not being able to express in words how adorable they were.

“Yeah.” He glances at Bakugou, who is looking at the cubs with an expression Eijirou had never seen before. He felt his heart rate speed up at the soft expression on Bakugou’s face. “Come on, they’re probably hungry.”

Bakugou sweeps them both into his arms, and one of them lets out a tiny squeak. Eijirou has to cover his mouth to keep from gasping out loud at how cute that was.

Bakugou settles down in amongst the leaves and foliage of the enclosure, gesturing for Eijirou to join him.

“It’s not that much different from holding a house cat.” Bakugou tells him, placing the tiny cub in his lab, “For now, anyway.”

Eijirou nods, putting down the milk bottle he was still carrying to pick the little guy up. He couldn’t really feel the fur underneath the rubber gloves, but he could tell it was soft and fluffy. The cub waves his paws in the air, mewling softly.

“I’m gonna call you Katsuki.” He decides and Bakugou huffs beside him.

“That’s not going to be his name.” He says, but Eijirou just shrugs.

They start feeding the cubs, who drink the milk out of the bottle with ease. Bakugou tells him it’s important for them to drink it all to stay as healthy as possible, so Eijirou makes sure his cub has every last drop.

“They’re so precious.” Eijirou says as he pets the cub, who is trying to grab at his gloves. He glances over at Bakugou, who is trying to coax his own fluff-ball out from under his legs. He manages to get ahold of her, laying her gently on his forearm so he can pet her against his chest.

Eijirou can feel his heart stop at the sight. Bakugou being so gently and caring apparently makes him go a little crazy.

“You should- I mean we should.” Eijirou tries to get out his words whilst he has the courage. “We should like. Do something after work.”

Bakugou looks up from the cub, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Do something.”

Eijirou feels his cheeks flood we heat, and quickly amends himself.

“Like a movie or food or something.”

“A date?” Bakugou is staring at him now, and Eijirou can feel his confident evaporating by the second.

“Yeah. You know, if you want. Or something.”

Bakugou looks back at the cub in his arms, and Eijirou can feel the rejection coming, except he notices the slight flush on Bakugou’s cheeks, and the small smile tugging at his lips.

#take my hand zine #kiribaku #bakushima #kirishima eijirou #bakugou katsuki #bnha #my fic #zine pieces

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huhmeed · 6 years

Text

Hello.

I am laying in my bed, surrounded by pillows. The air conditioning is on and I am wearing a sweater. Recently, I’ve wanted to start something and make it special to me. I decided what’s better than a blog where I just rant and talk about anything that I want to talk about, without the fear of being judged? I mean, obviously people are going to judge me and that’s why I’ve turned my ask page off... So people can’t voice what they want to say about me. Maybe I’ll turn it on sooner or later if this turns into something, but as of now... it will stay off. Also, quite frankly, I could give a bigger fuck.

I’m just gonna go off on a whim here. Talk about anything that comes to my mind.

There is so much that goes on in the world, and there is so much that we, as humans, are in control of, whether we know it or not. People always say things like “look on the bright side,” or “look at the positive things in life instead of the negative.” Well, I’m not trying to be a negative nelly but when the world and so many people’s lives are filled with horrible things, there is nothing we should be doing BUT addressing the problem(s) at hand, and focusing on the negative. Getting rid of the negative (or at least trying to do something about/talking about it) is the first step in creating a better world. I know that sounds cliché as hell but if you think about it, everything that we think is ruining our lives is deemed to be “fixable.”

I could list a few things about the world for you off the top of my head that are fucked up that we, the human population, can very easily fix or make worse:

racism

war and terrorism

poverty

homophobia

animal abuse

climate change

unemployment

sexism

These are all problems that are in the hands of us. I don’t give a fuck how stupid that sounds.

Sexism? To all the “men” (or as I like to call guys who are like this... “little bitch boys”), stop being misogynistic fucks and start treating women the same way you would treat your “best bro.” Forget about the whole “what if she was your mom/sister/daughter” bullshit. A woman is a person. A human being with emotions and feeling. The same as a male.

I absolutely despise how society and generations upon generations before us made women to be the “lesser” gender. It is absolutely fucked up.

I know this is something you’ve probably heard before, but women do so much more than men ever could. Apart from going through their monthly cycle and giving birth, if all the women on earth came together, they would completely destroy the male species and wipe out any evidence that men were ever a thing. The male population of the world would be a speck of dust and nothing more if that ever happened.

We already know that women can do everything that a man can do, plus more. So, why are some women, not even in certain countries but still, to this day, the United States being seen as inferior to the male species? I don’t understand.

Just because you have a penis does not mean that you’re shit. It does not mean that you can do anything you want to and get away with it, and it certainly does not mean that you have to be an entitled piece of shit that thinks that females are your “bitches.”

Wow. I’m pissed off now. Which I guess is a good thing considering I want my posts to have a bit of depth and emotion. So let’s continue.

Racism and homophobia... I know they’re not the same thing but they definitely fall under the same category when it comes to centuries upon centuries of discrimination.

Side note: I am a religious person, so anything that I’m saying right now isn’t necessarily biased.

My thing is, in regards to homophobia, most people are against it because of something written in religious scripts, thousands and thousands of years ago. How about we look at everything in the Bible, Quran, and Torah that people fail to follow but yet are still somehow so stuck on one. simple. thing.

Bible

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke [reason with] thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:17-18)

"Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." (Luke 16:18)

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)

"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalm 137:9)

"But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days." (Leviticus 12:5)

"Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother." (Mark 12:19)

“If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters."(Leviticus 26:27-30)

"For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken. No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the Lord made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God." (Leviticus 21:18-21)

"For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:35-27)

Quran

Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (Quran 2:191)

Those who brag about doing good will go to hell. (Quran 3:188)

It is a sin to pluck your eyebrows.

It is against Islamic doctrine to have pictures in your home.

Women are not allowed to wear hair extensions or a wig. 8. Wearing the color yellow is forbidden.

A Muslim must avoid yawning. Mohammad said, "Yawning is from Satan."

Dogs should be killed. All dogs.

Mohammad recommended women breastfeed young men. Then the men are considered family and would be allowed to talk to the woman unveiled. However, once she breastfed him, he would not be allowed to marry her.

It is a sin to lie on your back and cross your feet.

Torah

God then commands that all women must have dangerous childbirths because Eve ate the fruit. In no way shape or form is it just that I must pay for the sins of my ancestors. (Genesis 3:16)

Sucking on bloody infant penis.

Not touching your husband/wife for half of your life.

Swinging a live chicken around their heads.

Showing your wife’s dirty underwear to a rabbi.

Your pants can be any color you want. As long as it’s black.

TV and Internet are assur [prohibited].

If you cut a child’s hair before the age of 3, he will be stupid.

So, all in all, unless you’re going to follow every rule in whatever book you follow, stop thinking that it’s okay to judge someone based on something that they can’t even follow. Muslims; before you judge someone for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, make sure you stop yawning. Jews; before you before you judge someone for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, make sure you you’ve swung a live chicken around it’s head. And Christians; before you judge someone for being a part of the LGBTQ+ community, make sure that you know you’re going to hell for doing so because well... you’re supposed to love everyone.

How about we think about what things were like back when these Holy books were written, too? With holy figures around, who would have wanted to be an outed gay or lesbian? That’s like coming out to your strict conservative parents... Someone probably would have cut off your head or shunned you from the village.

All of that is besides the point...

Why are people so concerned about who someone has sex with or who someone loves? It’s none of our concern. Like... at all. It is completely wrong and there’s just this morality that some people are missing. If something doesn’t concern you and you’re not affected by it, in the slightest way, then shut the fuck up and stop worrying about what others do. And that goes for the strict conservative families of the LGBTQ+ community that think they’re hot shit.

Your child getting married to the same sex is none of your business. You’re not affected by it. If you don’t wanna pay for the wedding, or you don’t wanna be a part of their lives, trust me when I say I think your child will be more than comfortable with that idea in a couple years. They won’t have to deal with your unwanted, unappreciated comments and thoughts anymore.

Moving on...

To those that think it’s in any way okay to think that someone is inferior to them due to the complexion of their skin... here’s what I have to say to you: Fuck you.

You are the definition of what is wrong with the world. Stop thinking that you’re better than everyone else just because you blend in with the snow.

To be honest, I have met so many more beautiful African Americans, Middle Easterns, Asian, and Hispanic people than I have met white people.

White people think that they truly run this world.

Let me tell you something. I’m gonna reiterate what I said earlier about women... if all the colored people in the world came together, white people will be left as a speck of dust on the face of the planet earth. They would be absolutely nothing.

There is nothing wrong with you just because your complexion is a little darker than the average person (which, by the way, is white). There is not one thing that you can’t do just because you’re not white and there is not one single race that is better than or superior to all other races. So get that idea out of your head.

I think this whole blogging thing is good for me. I don’t really care if no one reads it, I’m just gonna keep doing it. In the next couple of days, expect a post on how police are pieces of shit.

Thanks for reading!

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frontiervolunteering · 6 years

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Fairytales About Animals From Five Continents

The role of fairytales is much greater than being children’s bedtime stories. Traditional tales and legends are important cultural artifacts that can reveal interesting information about ways of thinking and living in various societies. They do not serve only to entertain people but also as bearers of ethical values and moral compasses. Needless to say that stories, which we’ve listened to from childhood, immensely influence the way we perceive the world around us which reflects, for example, in our relationship to the non-human realm. For that reason, a look into other cultures can help us extend and question our perceptions of reality.

Galah and Oolah (Australasia)

Australasian fairytales have their roots in aboriginal culture. They are often involved in spiritual practices. The continent is home to many emblematic animals such as koalas, dingoes, snakes and kangaroos. These species are often cast as main characters in Australian legends and symbolize relations between the human and non-human world. For example, the story about Bahloo the Moon explains why people can never kill all the snakes in Australia despite their efforts.

Another tale about Galah and Oolah explains why some Australian lizards are coloured red. One day when Oolah the lizard was bored, he started playing with his boomerangs. To show off in front of Galah, he threw the boomerang with all his might but when it came back, it hit the bird in the head. “So to this day, underneath the Galah's crest you can always find the bald patch which the bubberah of Oolah first made. And in the country of the Galahs are lizards coloured reddish brown, and covered with spikes like bindeah prickles.”

Flickr | Robyn Jay

The Origin of the Robin (North America)

In North America, fairytales are based on the culture of Native Americans and lead their readers to the time when human and non-human worlds were interconnected. A beautiful story about the origin of the robin includes a moral for parents that are too strict on their children. The main character of this story is a father who wanted his son to surpass all the others and complete the longest fast. He didn’t listen to his son’s requests and forced him to continue beyond his strength. When the father decided to finish his son’s fast, it was too late. He destroyed his son’s life as a man, however, he helped him to become a robin. The son left his parent in his new body with these words of happiness: “although I could not gratify your wishes as a warrior, it will be my daily aim to make you amends for it as a harbinger of peace and joy. I will cheer you by my songs.”

Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Asia)

In Asian countries such as Korea, China and Japan, the mandarin duck is a symbol of lifelong relationships, fidelity and peace. The narrative of the long-lasting commitment of mandarin ducks appears in a story about a feudal lord, who captures one such duck for its beautiful colours. He can’t see the suffering he causes the bird and its mate. However, his maid and her lover realize what harm the lord does to the animals and release the mandarin duck from captivity despite having to face his anger.

Flickr | Jannes Pockele

How The Ostrich Got His Long Neck (Africa)

African stories often explain an appearance of animals that occupy the continent or capture a relationship between hunters and lions. Even though animals are the main characters, they often possess human personality traits and serve as analogies to human relationships. For example, the danger that women can pose to men. In the story “The hunter and the lion”, the lions realize that the only way to beat the best hunter in a nearby village is to seduce him. One of the lions transforms into a woman and steals the hunter’s heart. The poor boy decides to meet his love’s parents but when he steps into the woods, the girl changes back into her lion form and kills him. Another legend warns about the consequences of jealousy as it tells a story of a male ostrich that agreed to guard their eggs so his wife could take a rest from her duty. However, he was as jealous as he was solicitous. The whole night he spent listening to his wife’s laugh and stretching his neck to see who she was talking to. At the break of day, he found his head much further from his legs than ever before.

Little Red Hat (Europe)

Various European countries have their version of Little Red Hat, the girl who was eaten by an evil wolf. The wolf is an important symbol in European culture. While it can be an emblematic animal for wilderness and conservation efforts, it is also frequently presented as a criminal - a terrifying and malicious beast. Roots of this wolf image are linked up to the bloom of agriculture. As farming lands expanded, wolves lost a significant part of their natural habitat and started to prey on livestock. During this era, the narrative of the bloodthirsty beast threatening innocent lambs was created to justify the culling of wolves that resulted in the threat of their extinction in European wilderness.

By Eliška Olšáková - Online Journalism Intern

Frontier runs conservation, development, teaching and adventure travel projects in over 50 countries worldwide - so join us and explore the world!

#fairytales #legends #stories #culture #travel #intothewild #blog #blogger #gapyear

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booksbroadwaybbc · 6 years

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A Letter to Young Adults and People-Pleasers via /r/selfimprovement

A Letter to Young Adults and People-Pleasers

“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” - Carl Gustav Jung

❀

It was a quiet, unsuspecting Friday night. I was scrolling through blog poetry blog posts munching on a chicken sandwich from a fast food place.

As whenever I am immersed in good writing, I was in a pensive mood. But when I encountered a piece of prose written by E.E. Cummings, my sandwich was soon dotted with tears.

As a highly sensitive person, my emotions never reside too far from the surface of my demeanor. It only took a few sentences of candid prose to open the gateway to tears and reminiscence, but these words also happened to address one of the biggest inner challenges that colored my life as a young person:

“A poet is somebody who feels, and who expresses his feelings through words.

This may sound easy. It isn’t.

A lot of people think or believe or know they feel — but that’s thinking or believing or knowing; not feeling. And poetry is feeling — not knowing or believing or thinking.

Almost anybody can learn to think or believe or know, but not a single human being can be taught to feel. Why? Because whenever you think or you believe or you know, you’re a lot of other people: but the moment you feel, you’re nobody-but-yourself.

To be nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

I was transported back to a college classroom with new-smelling black plastic swivel chairs, and a tall portly man with kind eyes sitting in front of me. Every lecture with Professor M was a revelation on consciousness, jazz, and the socioeconomic implications of artificial intelligence, but that wasn’t the only reason why I loved him as a professor.

He puts down my first assignment and looks at me. “Why, you’re an artist.”

To my surprise, I choked up. I didn’t know why I was fighting back tears. Perhaps it was because I remembered sitting in the backseat of the car as my mother told me that she decided to end my art lessons so that I could focus harder on my studies. Perhaps it was because my Asian immigrant family taught me to believe that adopting a profession other than that of a lawyer, doctor, or engineer was a disgrace to the family and all their sacrifices. Maybe it was because I had been trying so hard.

However, I think it was because a near-stranger could see so clearly what I had always been.

I am someone who feels, but I had tried everything to be anything else.

It has been five years since that encounter, and it is with great happiness that I announce not changes in my life, but rather growth. Change is an immutable current, the pulse of time. Growth, however, only occurs when one takes life by its horns. Growth is intention fleshed out by action.

Change happens with or without your say. Growth is having the courage to accept this with grace and move forward.

Here is a letter I wrote for those who feel and for those who forgot how to. I hope you are able to accept yourself with grace:

I want to address young adults ages fourteen to twenty-nine, as well as all young adults older, because you are at a time when the world is opening up for your exploration. You can choose to learn about anything, to become, to try, to fail, and to develop resilience rooted in self-worth--something neither your parents nor your money could ever buy.

However, unlike your parents, you have the infinite utility of the internet to guide you. Time, on the contrary, is limited, but you have more now than you will ever have. And don’t worry about rushing art, both your life and your creations. The best things in this world are done with mindful effort--not in rushed breathlessness but rather daily action.

You are also at a time when everyone is trying to claim a stake in who you are, if they haven’t already stuck their flags in a few plots. I want to warn you of the danger that is letting too many people stake a claim.

Sometimes a temporary hold is beneficial: you’re obtaining wisdom from a beloved mentor, are inspired by a particular art piece or artist, or you’re modeling your business or path after another’s success. You embrace these holds of your own volition, and they slip away as you grow so that you can move onto things that better suit the newer you. They never try to change you; they only stay until they are no longer of use.

Perhaps a handful remain for your entire life because they are that wonderful.

Remember--the best things never detract from who you are, but merely guide you to realizing your wholeness.

You know they’re the best ones when they grow more beautiful with age. For most people wisdom, compassion, and their calling are such claims.

However, not all claims are beneficial or benign. Others, disguised as Love, will attempt to stake their claims in you when prompted by their ego, a faithful servant of Fear and Lack.

Instead of trusting you, which is an unexpectedly difficult thing to do (especially for adults), they control you in an attempt to feel whole. It is not a fault, inability, or incompleteness on your part.

When someone does not recognize their own wholeness, they will try to fill the perceived emptiness with pieces from other people or other things. And that only leads to destruction.

The world is filled with people who have forgotten their wholeness, who have allowed too many people to stick poles in them. Then, one sullen day, they realize that they are only left with a small piece of themselves, while the flags of others are waving in the wind as far as their eye can see.

If you find that you are one of those people, it is not too late. You have time and strength, but what’s most important is the desire to reclaim who you are.

Fortunately, the moment you refuse to let others take claim on your soul, the flags stop being planted. After that, it is merely a process of unearthing them, and refilling the holes with fresh soil. After some time, the land heals, and you can begin planting whatever species of flower or tree your heart desires.

Poets, artists, philosophers, feelers and creators--they are the ones who notice the flags. They know how to build high fences to prevent stake-claimers from trampling on their saplings, but also know the importance of opening their garden to others. When people come to admire the rows of sunset-hydrangeas dotted with dew, the protective oaks, the carefully-trimmed rose bushes, they are reminded of how colorful and precious their own wholeness is.

Seeing your garden may prompt others to weed, the daily ritual of plucking out the life-sappers of modern living. Much like illusory happiness, weeds, through methods mysterious but nonetheless potent, unfailingly snake their way into your plot and pop up beside your plants. Some donn well-made disguises like flowers to try and fool you, and in their infancy you often cannot discern weed babies from your spinach sproutlings. However, turn your back on them for a day, and they will outgrow everything.

Some people think that by locking up their garden they are protecting themselves from nasty stake-claimers, but what they are really doing is refusing their garden the nectar that butterflies and bees faithfully deliver. Many people think that putting a lock on the gate is a sign of strength, but that is often times the greatest sign of a garden in neglect.

It is true that we are the only ones who live in our gardens. Friends, family, and lovers visit to brunch and chat, but return to their respective homes by golden hour.

However, my friend, this does not mean you are left alone--every blossom and perennial were planted by you for you. Breeze and blithe birdsong greets you unfailingly at dawn, and even storms are merely turbulent replenishment for your soil and your roots. Hydrangeas and roses are no different than thunder and rain--although distinctly colored, they are yours.

Submitted September 20, 2018 at 10:41AM by neotenousmenace via reddit https://ift.tt/2ppJ0q6

#IFTTT #reddit

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academyxrpg · 6 years

Photo

GENERAL STATS:

CHARACTER NAME: Desmond Nathaniel Coulson

FC: Matthew Daddario

STATUS AT ACADEMY X: Head of Campus Security / Recruiter

NICKNAME: Des, Desi

OTHER ALIAS: None

BIRTHDAY: September 20, 2004

AGE: 25

SPECIES: Human

ABILITIES: Basic Human Abilities, Skilled Martial Artist, Skilled Marksman, Skilled Archer, Skilled in Melee Weapons

NOTABLE FEATURE(S): Thick Southern drawl

BIO:

Desmond Coulson, also known as Des, was born on September 20, 2004 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Paul and Isabella Coulson and was an only child. Both his mother and father were SHIELD agents and were often sent out of town on business, during which times he would go to New York to spend time with his uncle Phil. Due to the fact that he had to take time off during his parents’ deployments, he was unable to attend traditional schooling and homeschooled, taking classes online with teachers appointed by SHIELD due to his parents being well respected within the organization. When he wasn’t schooling, he spent a lot of his time outdoors learning how to shoot guns, archery and martial arts to keep himself grounded. He aspired to one day follow in his parents and uncle’s footsteps and become a SHIELD agent.

Des had a close and loving relationship with his parents. So much so that when he told them at age 13 that he thought he was gay, they fully supported him as he explored his sexuality. He came out of the closet at 14 but was met with prejudice within his neighborhood in Shreveport which was made up of predominantly older religious people who were taught, and in turn taught their children, that being gay was an abomination and to be gay you had a disease that needed to be cleansed. They tried to push for him to be sent to “straight” camps to which his parents, ever the outspoken couple, told them exactly where they could shove those conversion camps. Needless to say, Des didn’t have many friends growing up which made for a lonely life considering he didn’t have any siblings or cousins that he could hang out with. This only motivated him to focus on his studies so that he could get out of Louisiana and join his uncle in New York.

Two weeks before Des’s 16th birthday, tragedy struck. His parents took a mission down in Brazil apprehending former Hydra operatives spotted in the Amazon. After taking the men into custody they flew home only for their jet to get shot down by unknown Hydra operatives, wanting to ensure that the captured operatives didn’t get a chance to expose the whereabouts of the remaining members of Hydra. Their plane crash landed somewhere near Florida, killing everyone onboard, and it took a while before officials could sift through the wreckage to identify the bodies. Des was in New York with his uncle when they got the call that forever changed his life. Des was orphaned at the age of 15 and forced to start over with his uncle Phil as his legal guardian in New York. Des mourned took the loss of his parents hard, resorting to cutting to help deal with the pain of their loss. When he cut a little too deep once and nearly lost his life from blood loss, his uncle stepped in and took on a more active role of helping him get back to himself so the he could move on with his life. Phil told him that his parents would have wanted him to be happy and live, not wallow and cut. Des started taking martial arts and meditating to help cope with his negative emotions and eventually, with his uncle’s help, pulled himself out of his lowest point.

At the age of 18, Des became one of the youngest students to graduate from the SHIELD Academy with top marks in all of his classes. Due to his skills and dedication to the organization, Des quickly rose in the ranks of SHIELD. After the death of Nick Fury, his uncle took over as Director of SHIELD and he was assigned Phil’s old job of liaison and recruiter for the organization in its attempts to rebuild after the fall of SHIELD under Director Fury’s leadership following his death. Needing a new place to train future agents of SHIELD, Des helped his uncle find a new Academy for aspiring agents. It was upon hearing of the new Academy and safe haven for mutants, future heroes, and Asgardian refugees started by Tony and Pepper Stark, that Des convinced his uncle to strike up a deal with his friends to also include SHIELD training as part of the academy for those aged out of the general education classes. Thus the new SHIELD Academy was born inside of Academy X.

Des met Adam Fandralson when he first arrived to Earth, being sent by his uncle with a team to investigate a disturbance in the countryside near Syracuse, New York upon the Asgardian’s arrival in their realm. He and Adam immediately hit it off and due to his status as a Warrior and prior training in Asgard, he was welcomed into the SHIELD organization and became Des’s partner. When Adam took a job at Academy X as a hand to hand instructor under James “Bucky” Barnes, Des was assigned the job of working at the Academy alongside his partner as a recruiter for SHIELD and the Academy as a whole. Des was also hired as Head of Security at the Academy and is in charge of maintaining security at the Academy with the help of his appointed security staff.

PERSONALITY:

Desmond can be described as a very friendly person, often getting along with nearly anyone and everyone he meets. He can be very charming and flirtatious at times, often confusing the females he unintentionally flirts with due to the fact that he has been openly gay since he was 14 years old. He is very dedicated when it comes to his job and maintaining the safety of all of the students within the campus of Academy X. He is loyal to a fault, often risking his life for those he cares about most. He can be a little moody at times, often a bit sarcastic with a dry sense of humor. On the flip side, Des likes to have fun and will often go out with friends when he isn’t working or trolling bars after work. Though he has never had a serious boyfriend, Des considers himself a hopeless romantic and looks forward to the day he can find that special someone. After moving out of his depression as a teenager, Des developed a live life to the fullest philosophy, living every day as if it were his last. He tends to get a little awkward around men he finds attractive because of nerves but once he warms up to a person he likes to talk and joke around with people.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Adam Fandralson - Best Friend / Partner - Des met Adam when he first teleported into Midgard/Earth and they became fast friends to the point of being nearly inseparable. He would do anything for the Asgardian and vice versa. They both consider themselves like brothers and would do anything for one another to make sure that they are both happy and safe.

Jian Hogunson - Close Friend / Romantic Interest - Des met Jian when he moved to New York following the death of his mother when he showed up at the SHIELD headquarters attempting to find a way to get to Asgard to find his father, Hogun since SHIELD knew how to get into contact with Thor. Upon hearing that his father at been killed in Asgard prior to Thor moving what was left of his people to Midgard, Des helped him cope with the deaths of both of his parents as he had been through it himself. Des found him attractive from the very beginning but considering the circumstances surrounding the beginning of their friendship, he chose to not say anything about his attraction to the half Asgardian. He really likes Jian and wants to ask him out to see where things lead upon hearing that the Asian man was bisexual, he just hasn’t gotten up the nerve to ask him out. Maybe now that Jian joined the Academy on the SHIELD track, he will finally make his move.

Torunn Thorsdottir - Close Friend - When Torunn crossed over into their reality from an alternate reality upon the destruction of the world she once lived in, Des was with Adam and one of the first people she met. Though he knows that his best friend is attracted to the blonde, he doesn’t say anything to her hoping that one day they will end up together since he thinks they would be good for each other. He and Torunn, however, have a very close and almost sibling like relationship. Like with Adam and Jian, he would do anything for her.

Cassie Lang - Friend - Des met Cassie when he moved in with his uncle and they hit it off. She would often come to him for advice about what it was like being gay as he was the first gay person she had met around her age and she didn’t feel comfortable talking about stuff like sexuality with the adults they lived around. She knows he has a thing for her best friend, Jian, and she constantly tries to get him to tell him how he feels.

#all #allmale #allstaff #takenmale #takenstaff #taken #desmondcoulson #gay #takengay

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youreghanamissme · 6 years

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Mole, March, and Moving Out

3/1/2018

It's March, and in about three weeks' time, I am out of here. It's still surreal. In this past week I have been up close and personal with elephants, bought my ticket back to California (April 18—hit me up!), and started to zone out when thinking about the void of what awaits me back in America: unemployment, no health insurance, political turmoil, tax hikes, an unavoidable consequence of crippling debt in every “adulting” maneuver, moving back in with my elderly parents, no prospects...

But at least I'll have access to Netflix, better beer, and hot cheetos to numb myself.

Of course, this is all the business of Future-Diana. Present-Diana has to figure out how to move out (read: get rid of all my empty wine and vodka bottles and holey undergarments at site), close my accounts, say goodbye, and not waste precious bodily fluids on tears when they can be excreted as sweat to contend with this persistent sweltering heat. Might I add: hot season means existing with multiple heat rashes all over one's body, two of which is unfortunately (and perhaps cosmically) located right where one's inner thighs rub and chafe; it is a stretch of time where the sanguine promise of mangoes is met with concessions to an unrelenting desire to lay butt-naked under the fan for all hours of each day. But I digress.

Let's talk about elephants. These majestic, larger-than-my-life creatures were truly a sight to behold. I still can't get over it. It almost feels like a dream. Mole National Park was a slice of some other country and that 1% life; it defied all the normal tropes of hot season, not that being in a high-end resort didn't help with the illusion. It didn't feel sizzling at all; if anything, it rained on our way there! And the area was a homeland of plentiful greenery and forestry. We saw a plethora of different antelope species, birds on birds on birds, a warthog, baboons frolicking away from our direction, and of course, elephants.

Mole National Park is probably the only worthwhile thing that the Northern region has to offer. Upper East has its holy crocodiles and woven baskets/hats. Upper West has its holy hippos. Everywhere else has beaches on beaches on beaches, UNESCO slave castles, monkey sanctuaries, waterfalls, that city aEsThEtIqUe, and (cheaper) fruit diversity. But hey—at least we got Mole National Park! Most volunteers save up for this experience because it is not cheap. Getting into the park, accommodations, safari, tour guides, etc. And it doesn't help that if you want to visit the oldest mosque in Ghana (and one of the oldest in West Africa)—Larabanga—you might get shafted by hustling locals (I don't blame 'em for trying to make a buck, but they have been known to be aggressive with foreigners... for good reason. Not their fault the mosque is a historical landmark). It’s been standing since 1421!! That's incredible. We didn't go to Larabanga since we've seen plenty of mosques, and I had no plans to go and pray inside. It wasn't worth it to us, but I can appreciate its magnitude. We had our eyes on The Prize: ~safari vaca~

I didn't take a lot of photos on the safari since my phone camera is two steps away from tragic. Of the few snaps I did manage, you can perhaps squint and see the silhouette of an antelope or two with the aid of my commentary. We woke up early and climbed into the safari jeep along with a handful of other guests. The majority of them were Britons. Honestly, I spent most of the weekend eavesdropping on people's mundane conversations just so I could listen to them speak in their lovely accents—English, Canadian, Belgian. Yes, please! I would be more than happy to listen to someone read the Bible, as long as they do it in a Scottish accent. This little Belgian nugget asked her mum how elephants celebrated their birthdays, and I near died with glee. The one thing I couldn't get enough of, no doubt, were the elephants.

There is an antelope in here. Seriously. Can you spot it?

Loxodonta africana (African Elephant) Did you know...

There are only two distinct species of elephant left in the world: The African elephant and the Asian elephant

The word “elephant” comes from the Greek word “elephas” which means “ivory”

Elephant behavior is associated with a unique animal intelligence that displays grief, altruism, compassion, self-awareness, play, art and music!

Elephants have two gaits – a walk and a faster gait that is similar to running. They cannot jump, trot or gallop, however they can swim and use their trunk as a snorkel.

The elephant’s gestation period is 22 months – longer than any other land animal in the world

All facts (and more info!) from Africa Geographic

Over an hour spent searching for elephants, and not one revealed itself to us. But it was still lovely to drink Ethiopian coffee and munch on some shortbread cookies during break. We stopped at a river and climbed onto some sort of roofed wooden post overlooking a crocodile hole that could be seen indifferently camouflaged at the bank. After snack the driver Abu gave us all a little piece of bitter bark from a special tree whose name I've long forgotten. The chemicals released from the bark relieved indigestion and malaria symptoms; it could even be brewed into tea! But its novelty wore off the second the acrid zing hit my taste buds. As we headed back to the resort a little crestfallen and elephant-starved, there he was! Right at the entrance! Ahhh, I was elated. Even more so than when the lunch buffet the day before had bottomless olives and feta.

Everyone took an excessive amount of photos while trying to give him his space. He was glorious. The resort also had two man-made watering holes that attracted many of the park's dehydrated inhabitants. That's how many of us gazed on bathing elephants—some of them whole families, with mama and her babies—like voyeurs.

The whole experience was incredible. The accommodations, the views, the food—truly a delight and wayyy beyond what I'm used to in my village but also in my typical lower middle-class life. It was a nice sprinkling of parm on top of this lasagna of a Peace Corps service in Ghana.

Alas, I still have a few good weeks left of service, and I still have a project or two to wrap up. My beekeeping project is finally ready to enter phase 2: honey harvesting. I'm hoping to prep all the materials by this weekend. It's been nearly a year, but we had to restart completely when a parasite infestation decimated our colonies. In the mean time, the local instructor has gouged the prices on me from our original quotes a year ago, much to my disappointment. But at the end of the day, Cedis are Cedis are Cedis, and as long as it helps the beekeepers, I'm content.

My counterpart has been elusive lately, which makes the last month particularly difficult as I attempt to wrap things up with a nice lil' bow. But it's for good reason. He's gotten another job as an evening review teacher with the local nuggets, so that's more income for him! But on top of teaching at the private primary school in the morns, teaching in the PM, and farming the rest of the time, that means there's no time for Peace Corps projects. It sucks, but I'm not going to fight it. The silver lining: I can appreciate all the times he was available and attentive at the start of my service much more, something I took for granted as some PCV's had to deal with an absentee CP from the get-go. He's also been my rock; all my other attempted CP relationships collapsed as people moved away or lost interest. So cheers to you Jacob!

One of the defining traits of PC service is the ephemeral qualities of some relationships and the everlasting bond of others. It's illuminating how, at the end of the day, we're all we've got, but there are people in the gallery looking out for us too.

#peacecorps #howiseepc #elephants #safari #molenationalpark #mole #cos #ghana #pcghana

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eddiecorn88 · 7 years

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Ethnic Understanding (Panel Paper)

Prior to reading Asian American Dreams by Helen Zia I had never given much consideration on how other ethnic groups dealt with racism. I knew that they would face it but I figured only A few people would put them through that and shame them along with other minorities. It was not until I realized after reading this book that there is a whole other side to the history of Asian Americans, along with other groups, that is not even covered in our history books such as riots on Asian American markets and protesters trying to get rid of these innocent people, as well as multiple murders during the early/mid 1900’s. After reading the issues Helen Zia had to deal with and go through I also realized that any one group can endure similar problems and probably even relate to her. I believe it is important to learn and understand some history and background of other cultures, ethnicities, races, and personal identity so that we can relate it to our own personal experiences and realize we are not so different after all. Once we understand our common obstacles we can come together as one people and support each other for who we are as individuals.

By relating other cultures to our own maybe we as humans can learn to accept others for who they are regardless of skin color or beliefs. We are all the same species living on the same earth just trying to get by, why not live in harmony? Although sadly there are people who dehumanize other groups of people for multiple reasons that are very cruel. Dehumanizing others usually occurs because of years of discrimination and past disputes between ethnicities. Most people think of African Americans as the only major victim of racism in the early years of America and sadly I was one of those people. In schools we wouldn’t learn a lot on how other racial groups went through racism they would just sugar coat it for us and lightly mention it. I know now Asian Americans, Latino Americans, Middle Eastern Americans, and all other minority groups were faced with equally difficult racism.Throughout the book Helen Zia discusses her story living as an Asian American and the hardships she and her people had to endure such as hate and living as low income immigrants. Immigrants are often the targets of racism and injustice because they are stereotyped as foreigners who come to America to take the jobs of Americans and pose an economic threat. They can also be targets of racism by ignorant people who think they are here to bring harm to our country.

The chapter I am mainly focusing on is chapter 7, ‘Lost and Found in L.A.’ In the beginning of the chapter she starts off with a brief explanation of how her parents would discipline her and how they had a “rule of silence” during dinner meaning her and her brother were not allowed to speak they were only allowed to listen to what their parents had to say and during these silent dinners their parents would lecture them. She then talks about how her father’s mother was even more strict on him, she would beat him for misbehaving. To this day some parents still hit their children but out of discipline, my parents even used to hit when I was a young boy so I feel I could relate to how her father must have felt at times maybe angered but in the end we know it was because of our own faults and we learned from it. Sometimes our parents rules might bother us but for the most part they are the ones who know best. Helen Zia says, “I’d sit unconvinced, trying hard not to roll my eyes, repressing the urge to make some disrespectful comment. But it was impossible not to absorb the lessons in filial obligation: much was expected of us. My parents didn’t have to tell us that they sacrificed for our sake; everyday we could see how hard they worked in our family business to make ends meet.” This excerpt is one that most people should be able to relate to, because of course sometimes we tend to disregard certain comments our parents tell us but we know deep down the lessons they teach us as are the ones that shape us to be who we are today and we carry those lessons with us our whole lives. The fact that her parents make great sacrifices is another similarity between Helen Zia and most people including myself. Just like her parents our parents make sacrifices for us since they are our greatest supporters and we don’t give them enough credit and thanks for what they do for us. Past generations and present generations have similar methods of how they handle obstacles in their lives, this could probably help in the understanding of each other's culture. Immigrant parents might fear that they could possibly get deported to their home country since they are not United States citizens. American born people automatically become U.S citizens. Helen writes about is the Sa-i-gu. The Sa-i-gu was on April 29, 1992 which was an ending to a three day uprising riot in Los Angeles. Fifty-four people died and 4,500 markets were burnt down, with more than half of them being owned by Koreans. These riots cost the city more than one billion dollars in damages and were suffered mainly by Korean American “mom and pop store keepers”. These riots had me think about the riots going on in today’s society such as the riots in the streets of DC during and after Trump’s inauguration. People went ballistic causing mayhem in the streets and smashing the windows of Trump owned buildings. Seems as if when something happens that people don’t like they turn to violence as the answer to solve their problems when in reality this may cause more problems, although I guess it does make a statement, to a certain extent.

A more intriguing subject that also caught my attention was the Black-Korean Alliance that was founded in 1986. This organization was created to encourage multicultural understanding as well as bridge the differences between these two groups of people, since that year there were four Korean store owners who were shot to death by African Americans in separate incidents. This alliance that had different races support each other was a great way to abolish racial differences but sadly was disbanded in 1992. This organization reminded me of the protestors in today’s generation, who are trying to fight against the Muslim ban. Basically there are people of all races coming together protesting against Trump to protect the Muslim people from being taken from their homes and put in detention camps. This movement is very powerful and inspirational because it shows that humans are capable of fighting for others who may be different from themselves. It’s also even more inspirational because even back then Koreans and African Americans were able to come together to support each other during an era where races were very divided. However some people never change which is why there is still racial disputes, it may be hard to stop, but I believe it is not impossible.

The next major topic that sort of gave me a deja vu feel is the story of Soon Ja Du and Latasha Harlins. Soon Ja Du was the owner of a liquor store and one morning she was on the cash register when fifteen year old Latasha Harlins came in to purchase a bottle of orange juice. Latasha Harlins came to the register ready to pay and with the juice already in her backpack. Soon Ja Du noticed her backpack, grabbed it and accused Latasha of stealing then a fight broke out between the two and Latasha knocked Soon Ja Du down twice and made a run for the door. As she was running out the door Soon Ja Du grabbed her gun from under the counter and shot Latasha Harlins in the back of the head. This incident rose already high racial tensions even higher, people were outraged after hearing about this. The reason I say this gave me deja vu is because after reading it I instantly thought about the Trayvon martin and George Zimmerman case. This all started one late night when Trayvon Martin, a seventeen year old boy, was walking home from a 7-11 store and as he was walking in the neighborhood George Zimmerman, a member of the neighborhood watch, spotted Martin and assumed him to be a suspicious character because of his attire which was pants with a black hoodie on. Zimmerman called authorities and told them about this “suspicious” man he saw then authorities told him not to continue pursuing him and that they would take care of it. Sadly Zimmerman didn’t listen and kept following him. Eventually Martin was confronted by Zimmerman and a fight broke out. Zimmerman thought the boy had a concealed weapon and retaliated with his gun. Zimmerman had shot and Killed Trayvon Martin and after discovered that the only thing the young man was concealing was a can of iced tea and a packet of skittles. This sort of racial profilings and assumptions of false dangerous people seems to stem from racist stereotypes, such as “all blacks are criminals”. If only people wouldn’t jump to conclusions about other races and were just open to different ethnicities maybe these incidents could’ve been prevented.

This is why I believe it is important to learn and understand other cultures and ethnicities so that people can realize that they are just like them, normal people just trying to live their lives in hopes of peace. If we don’t come together soon then we will continue to have to deal with injustice acts and racial profiling. Divided as races we fall, but together as people of all sorts of colors, beliefs, and culture we stand.

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