blastberrydragon

[blastberrydragon]

Claim your Méxican heritage but don't claim to be Méxican.

For those of us who grew up in México, who carry our citizenship like a badge of honor and an open wound, it's insulting to see Americans who have never participated in our country claim to be Méxican. Like it's a race or an ethnicity, and not a nationality. (Claim your indigenous heritage, your meztizaje, the culture and traditions, those are yours.)

You might think I'm being pedantic but there's a difference between a shared past and a shared present. We might share the legacy of colonialism, a blending of cultures, and all the wounds and joys of our shared past. But you don't share our current struggles and joys.

You don't carry the weight of La Matanza de Tlatelolco, where our own government turned it's arms against us, so that Americans attending the 1968 Olympics would not be bothered by protests seeking fair and democratic election. Only 50 dead according to the government, 500+ if you believe the journalists who where there.

You don't have a living memory of your government disappearing citizens by the hundreds. Of being a third world country that has slowly clawed it's way to modernity.

Your young adults don't remember standing in line with their parents for the first democratic election in modern times. I remember growing up under a dictatorship. Every Méxican who has memories from before the year 2000 does.

You didn't share the years of violence and fear as the drug war was waged across the country. It's left at least 250,000 of us dead in 14 years.

You don't worry about a treaty changing, or visas, or your country becoming a banana republic again. No country freezing marches to end violence against women.

You didn't see the joy of an actual middle class starting to emerge. Of the country slowly but surely moving towards universal healthcare. Of celebrating the Ninos Heroes every year, the 6 cadets that died so that Americans would not capture our flag. The universal experience of getting your textbooks from the SEP every school year, exactly the same in every classrooms across the country.

Some of you might claim some of these experiences but many of you don't.

So please join us in celebrating our shared history but don't try to claim a present you haven't participated in.

To be Méxican is to be a living breathing part of this country. Celebrate our shared past, but don't claim our present, and our future? Well, you can always choose to share that too, México is ever ready to great you with open arms.

You are our siblings but not our paisanos.

[blastberrydragon]

I don't think I was born with a gender,

Society indoctrinated into womanhood

And I have adopted that as my gender

Like I think I was born agendar and adopted womanhood because of the struggles of having to live as a woman.

I don't particularly mind being a woman, I just feel very disconnected from gender as a whole

[blastberrydragon]

When people with ADHD tell you mindfulness is making things worse, believe them.

I've had to many well-intentioned, under-educated people tell me I just need to be present in my body and not do. That mindfulness is universally useful and has no adverse effects. That it's better than therapy.

Do you what hell it is to be present in a body that by it's very nature is under-stimulated and purposely removing any stimulation?

Many mindfulness studies don't include control groups that measure against traditional treatment methods. They just measure improvement against doing nothing. Only 25% of the studies even looked for negative effects and those that looked found adverse effects on some participants.

If mindfulness works for you, great. Just don't shove it down others throats.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wheres-the-proof-that-mindfulness-meditation-works1/

[blastberrydragon]

Map of the campus

[blastberrydragon]

MagiTech Institute of Art -Chapter 1

Tyler walked up the concrete steps and pushed open the double doors to the plain-looking admission's building for MagiTech Institute of Art. A rush of cold air and the smell of commercial cleaners filled his lungs as he braced himself to approach the stern-looking Asian lady seated at the front desk.

"Oh! You must be Tyler Risky! You look just like your father! Is your mom here with you?" She said warmly as she walked around her desk to greet him.

Tyler stopped mid-step, 'You knew my father?"

"Oh yes, he went to school here at the same time I did. He was a sophomore when I was a junior"

She leads Tyler to a small sitting area in the corner, keeping up the small talk, "Would you like something to drink? Where's your mother?"

"Some water would be nice; she's dropping off my little sister at a friend's house," Tyler responded while accepting the glass of water, "I'm sorry, but I never got your name?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm Ai; I run admissions for the university," she responded as she ambled over to the reception desk.

"Let's get you started on some paperwork while we wait for your mother," She called as she rifled through one desk drawer before moving on to the next one.

"This might take a while, our receptionist just stepped out for lunch. Jame's is the one who knows where everything is"

"New student files are in the top drawer in order of expected arrival for the day. An electronic copy is made, and papers get filed alphabetically with the rest of student records after the paperwork is filled out." A large dark man called as he strolled back out.

"Hello, I'm James! I would love to stay and chat, but I just cam back for my wallet", the man introduced himself.

"I can handle filing the paperwork after lunch if you leave it on top of my desk!" he called over his shoulder as he walked back out.

"Here we go!" Ai handed Tyler the paperwork, "Fill this out, and I can take you and your mother through orientation after you finish. Sometimes I wish that we could admit students all at the same time. Still, the rolling start dates allow us to welcome more unconventional students."

Tyler filled out paperwork for about 15 minutes before his mom walked into the office.

"Ai! It's been so long since I've seen you! I'm here to go through orientation with my son Tyler Riksy."

"Suzzy! I haven't seen you in forever, your son is right behind you. Such a nice young man, you did a good job raising him."

"If your paperwork is done, Tyler, you and your mother can follow me into my office."

"The paperwork is done, ma'am. Hi, mama," Tyler said, walking over to hug his mother.

"Let's get this started, shall we? The orientation room is right this way." Ai lead way through a door in the back of the reception area.

Tyler walked into a grey conference room, except for the floor-to-ceiling windows on the far side overlooking the rows of servers that seemed to stretch so impossibly far.

"Welcome to the MagiTech Institute of Art, but more importantly, welcome to your birthright," Ai proclaimed as she guided Tyler to a seat facing the windows.  A sense of vertigo overwhelmed Tyler as he tried to focus on the servers.

"What?" Forces itself out of Tyler's mouth. He's sure he's misheard, birthright? Who uses the word birthright anymore? Did Ai mean he's a legacy because of Dad?

Tyler looks over to his mother, trying to figure out what going on. His mother beams at him with barely contained excitement.

"Oh, I had hoped you would take after your father. Keeping it a secret after you got admitted was so difficult," Suzzy rambled. "I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?"

"Just a little, but most parents do. Tyler, your mother, is excited because by finding and completing the application to the school, you proved to have the innate ability to perform magic." Ai explained. Tyler stared incredulously at Ai and his mama, wondering what type of cult he'd gotten himself into and how to get out without causing a scene.

"And this is the part where you think we are delusional, and we have to prove it to you so you'll listen to the explanation," Ai says teasingly with a smirk on her face.

"So what do you think this is? Cult, drugs, hallucination, dream, multilevel marketing scam?" Tyler's mama asked him.

"Um, a cult?" Tyler responded. Questions raced through his head. Did cults acknowledge their cult status during orientation? What was happening to his mama? What do the servers have to do with magic?

"I can assure you that the school endorses no particular religion, but how about we start with a video explanation and a demonstration? I can answer any questions you'll have afterward," Ai said. She walked over to the screen at the end of the conference room and pressing play on the laptop connected to it.

"Welcome to the MagiTech Institute of Art and the world of magic" came blaring out of the speakers as scenes of students in classrooms played on the screen.

"Before we begin with the history of the school, let us go further back and discuss the history of magic. Magic was discovered by many cultures across the world at different times. We'll generalize the method in which magic was found by most peoples, although exceptions do exist.

Usually, the first people discover the use of magic within a culture could only do minor things with the ability. Light a fire a little faster, prevent food spoilage for an extra day or move a little quieter during a hunt.

Eventually, most cultures discovered that physical objects can enhance a person's magical ability. These objects were usually a form of artwork, sculpture, painting, and pottery were frequently used. Now they can walk through a crowd unnoticed, increase harvest yields by 10%, or better the odds of someone surviving an illness.

So it remained for hundreds of years until science came along and with it better, more reliable methods of ensuring a more abundant harvest or preventing disease. Magic use started to die out kept alive only by individuals looking to preserve their cultural heritage.

In 1972 a research study into the cross-cultural similarities in magic use was conducted. The paper never made it past peer-review, but the individuals who participated in the study, 200 of them, organized a convention of sorts. During the conference, it was discovered that many magic systems use physical objects to enhance their practice. After a bit of tinkering by a few programmers present, it was found that computers could strengthen the connection between objects and magic. An informal group was formed, and work began to design a supercomputer to enhance magic use.

This eventually gave rise to the MagiTechs, a group of people who have created, updated, and maintained the mainframe for the last 48 years. The mainframe is a supercomputer that came from those early efforts. Any magic-user can access  the mainframe to enhance their magical practice."

Ai hits pause on the video "Do you have any questions before we get to the school's history?"

"Am I just supposed to believe in magic just because you said so?" Tyler says as he fidgets with keys. He glanced at the doors, wondering if he could convince his mother to leave with him.

"Not yet, we haven't really provided any proof. We do expect that our students be intelligent enough to ask for proof and examine it themselves," AI responded.

"We can do the demonstration now or after we cover the school's history, which would you prefer?"

"The demonstration now, please," Tyler responds, hoping to get this over quickly.

Anxious thought swirled around his head. I wish I had been more suspicious of the application. Rolling admission & start dates so I could finish working with Mrs. May on adding an art section to the bookstore? Need-based scholarships? Only 45 minutes away from mama and my little sister Jane? It was too good to be true.

"Ok, I'm going to give you a piece of clay and a laptop. The laptop is connected to the mainframe and will enhance your magic as you work it through the clay. Think of the one thing that would convince you that magic is real as you work the clay. Keep in mind that magic isn't limitless and try to keep it to something that can happen inside this room," Ai instructed.

Tyler turned on the laptop and started messing with the clay. His mind wandered to the many instances of magic users flying in popular culture. Superheroes flying through the sky loomed in his mind's eye as he worked the pattern of an updraft into the clay. Witches on a broomstick as he stretched the earth upwards. Levitating genies as a broad platform formed at the top of the sculpture.

"Tyler, honey, look down," his mother asked him.

Tyler opened his eyes and looked around the room. Everything, including Ai and his mother where floating 2-3 inches above the surface under them. Tyler looked down and found that he was hovering over the seat of his chair, and the chair itself was floating a few inches above the floor.

"I thought magic was supposed to be grander," Tyler mumbled.

"That's a common misconception, a tall tale if you will. Magic has always been limited to small things, and you are untrained. With training, you might be able to levitate everything in this room up to a foot or a single object 7-8 feet." Ai explained.

"Ok, so why all the secrecy? Why not just tell people? Why did Dad hide it?" Tyler asked.

"Well, most parents hide it from their children since there's no guarantee that children will inherit the ability. There were several cases of non-wielding children growing resentful and jealous of parents or siblings that did have the ability. Coupled with children's' habit of telling everyone everything, it's become customary to let children find their ability by themselves. There's no official rule that requires discretion, you can tell anyone you want. Most of us don't tell anyone except our partners because outside society is a bit judgemental about magic," Ai explained.

"I almost stopped speaking to your father when he told me, I thought he had either joined a cult or was planning on becoming a stage magician.  I didn't know which would've been worse. I came around eventually," Tyler's mom said, grinning.

"Ok, I'm not fully convinced, but I'm willing to listen" Tyler replied

"Good, that's all we ask for, I'm going to keep going with the video, and we can cover any other questions after" So said as she pressed play.

"While the use of objects to channel magic is mostly something that could be passed down from generation to generation or from master to apprentice, the involvement of technology marked a need for a specialized school. The MagiTech Institute of Art was founded in 1974 with 3 areas of focus, technology, art, or magic history. More areas of focus have been added as the school has grown. However, students still spend the first 2 years at the school, focusing on these 3 areas.

The main campus began to be built shortly after the formation of the school. It was designed to be accessible to as many magic wielders as possible.

The school has been designed to be accessed through 73 different properties scattered around the world to better serve students. All of these properties will lead students, guests, or staff onto the main campus. All others see only the admissions building disguised as an unremarkable office building. 3 more entrances to the school are planned to come online by 2023.

The main campus of the school exists partially between all these locations and the mainframe.

We hope you will join us as a student and start your journey to becoming a MagiTech." The screen went black as the video ended.

"Ok, what does staying here, entail? Do I get to go home to see my family? What are the rules about visitors?" Tyler asked.

"We ask that all first-year students live in the dormitories, but there's no curfew. You are free to leave campus just like you would be at another University. Visitors need to be approved to come on campus. Staying here entails that you attend classes, obtain passing grades, and follow the rules set out in the student handbook," Ai said.

"Ok, if I agree to this, can I drop out if it's not a good fit?"

"While we hope students don't drop out, it does occasionally happen. We have a more generic description of classes for those who wish to transfer to a more traditional university."

"Ok. I'll stay. What happens next?" Tyler asks.

" We'll get you an access card, and assign you to another student who will show you around for the first few days. Your mom can drop off your stuff at the lobby of your dorm room on her way out," Ai said.

Ai led Tyler into a new glass-clad building. Once inside, they traveled through a few well-lit hallways cluttered with art before coming to a stop in front of an art studio with several students inside.

"Hello, everyone! Where's Alby? He's going to be Tyler's orientation person," Ai calls out.

"Alby's in the bathroom, he should be right back. Hi Tyler! Long time no see!" A guy in the back corner called Diego answers. Diego was small-framed with bright pink hair blending into purple roots. Warm brown skin crinkled around his eyes as he smiled at Tyler.

"Do you two know each other?" Ai asks.

*We went to high school together," they both respond.

"Tyler, would you mind if Diego introduces you to Alby? I'm running a bit late."

"Not at all, it would be nice to talk to him for a bit."

"Wonderful! Drop by my office if you need anything or want to chat" AI called over her shoulder.

"So, what's this place like Diego?"

"It's amazing! The classes are fantastic, the people super friendly, and you won't need to worry about people being assholes because they think you're gay," Diego answered.

"I'm not gay," Tyler responded, a well-worn joke between them. "I'm.."

"One of those no homo dude bros, I'm assuming." Interrupted a handsome person with beautifully painted eyes and a delicate mouth. Bleached white hair fell into their eyes, and a tank top reveling buff arms completed the look.

"I'm Alby, I go by they/them and I don't tolerate bullies."

"Umm, hi? I'm Tyler, I think you are the person assigned to show me around?"

"Yep. Get your stuff. I'll take you to your dorm room and pick you up for dinner after you unpack." Alby called over their shoulder as they stalked out of the room.

Tyler chased after them, catching up as they stepped out of the building into a tree-shaded courtyard dotted with chairs and tables. The wide-open grassy space was surrounded but other buildings. Tyler spotted students studying at the tables and hanging out with friends.

"Here's a map of the school and do try to keep up," Alby snarled, pushing a crumpled piece of paper into Tyler's hands.

Tyler trailed after them, bewildered as to what he had done to get off on such a wrong note. Maybe it was the polo shirt? Did it make him look like frat bro? He was just trying to look put together for orientation. Tyler resolved to ask Alby what his issue was when he managed to catch up to him and raced after him into a large brick building.

Alby stopped abruptly in front of a door in a corridor plain wood doors that left Tyler with an impression of the vague uneasiness of gazing upon the mainframe. " This is your dorm. I'll be back in an hour." Alby spat out as they turned on their heel and started to march away.

"Wait, Alb,y! What did I do to make you this angry this fast?" Tyler shouted at Alby's back.

"Clearly, you're one of those straight people that feel so fucking threatened by any queer person they have to let everyone know that their straight and not one of those people" Alby ground out.

"I'm pansexual?" Tyler responded, disconcerted.

"I don't care... Wait, what? But you told Diego you weren't gay?" Alby faltered.

"Oh, that's a joke we had in our high school LGBT club about people erasing the identity of anyone who isn't strictly gay. I mean, the name itself was pretty exclusionary, you know? Gay Coalition? But the school would barely let us have that," Tyler rambled.

"Oh, I fucked up," Alby muttered as they leaned heavily against the wall, "I fucked up bad. I thought you were homophobic, one of those guys that need to protest even the hint that they're not masculine enough. So you know Diego?"

"Yeah, we went to high school together, he graduated a year before I did."

"Well, if Diego thinks your cool, I guess I should give you a chance. Sorry for being an asshole." Alby mumbled to the ground.

"Don't worry about it. So this is my dorm?" Tyler asked hesitantly.

"Sure is, walk-in, and you should meet your new roommate. I'm going to turn in a paper, and  I'll be back in a bit to take you to dinner." Alby replied, grinning.

"Um, Alby? How do I get in?" Tyler asked.

"It recognizes your student ID; press it on the door, it should let you in."

"Ok awesome! I'll see you in a bit for dinner!" Tyler called scrambled to get his ID out of his backpack.

[blastberrydragon]

MagiTech Institute of Art Summary

Tyler is an average young adult ready to start college when he discovers a whole world of magic hidden in plain sight when he enrolls at the MagiTech Institute of Art. Misadventures and misconceptions abound. Follow Tyler as he finds the intersection of Art, Magic, and Technology.