#the underground city of magic || story event 1

[awoosmusehorde]

(♫)

“My lady, it seems your theory was correct. There are, in fact, newly-summoned Servants in the city. Four, and one unusual case, to be precise... But the stranger thing is, they all seem to be contracted to a single Master.”

Rider of Atlantis spoke candidly, kneeling before the Caster seated upon her throne. Though her expression was unreadable, her tone was that of amusement, more than concern or surprise. The red-haired young woman stood by the door, arms folded behind her back, however, briefly let the ghost of interest flash across her features - if the Caster sat at the opposite end of the opulent room noticed, she didn’t comment on it, only replying to the information her Rider had relayed to her.

“Oh...? How intriguing. I’ve not known multiple Servants to contract under a single Master at once... Even these human fools, having experimented on themselves for centuries, wouldn’t be able to handle that sheer level of drain on their prana... So the Servants themselves must be lesser for it, to avoid killing their Master from the strain on their magical circuits. Am I correct, Rider?”

The silver-haired woman nodded, still having not risen from her position.

“Yes. The unusual case has a Spirit Origin, but it’s faint; she seems to use special equipment to draw out her power. It’s possible that it’s damaged, somehow... But the other four do indeed seem to be weaker than they would be under a singular Master. They recently entered our territory and began to slay your familiars, but it takes the entire team of them to handle a small pack.”

Hearing that, the young woman by the door’s expression changed once more, but rather than a passing look, this time, her facial features stuck, silently expressing her desire to speak candidly, yet knowing it wasn’t her place to ask. This time, Caster of Atlantis seemed to take notice.

“Yes, Saber? If you have something you’d like to share, you may speak.”

The newly-christened Saber of Atlantis bowed her gratitude, only taking a few steps forward so she would have to avoid raising her voice as she spoke.

“If I might say as much, my lady, I would wager that they intend to draw out Berserker so that they can ally with the few remaining Servants still in the city. While doubtful they intend to slay her outright, weaker than a typical group of Servants as they are, it’s likely they intend to either lure her into a disadvantageous situation and weaken her before striking, or intend to force her into a gambit and learn more about her - potentially even her True Name.”

The raven-haired Caster smirked, curling a finger and resting its side against her chin.

“Oh? I take it this is your experience as a tactician talking, hm? If I recall, you were quite famed for that...”

The Saber merely nodded in response, saying nothing else unless told to do otherwise, for now. Rider, meanwhile, cast a glance over to the red-haired Servant before finally standing and looking up to her mistress.

“I’m sure they’ll move on when it’s clear we won’t give in to their efforts, my lady. Your familiars are easily-replaceable, after all; the loss of a few packs won’t be much harm.”

A few moments of silence passed before Caster finally spoke, her smirk still refusing to fade from her lips.

“No. Indulge them, and send Berserker out to greet them as they desire. She’s served her purpose, and quite frankly, I’m beginning to believe she’s starting to chafe against her chains; after all, that girl’s hatred of me is second to none other, so it’s only natural even I’d have trouble reigning her in for too long...”

For a brief moment, both Rider and Saber seemed surprised, before realization suddenly seemed to dawn over Rider’s otherwise-stoic face.

“I see... So preparations for the ritual are almost complete, then?”

Caster’s smirk formed into a rather evil, sadistic grin moments before she spoke, her heterochromatic eyes narrowing, as well.

“Indeed. By this time tomorrow, everything will be in place, and I’ll have no more need for loose ends like Berserker...~”

====================================

(♫)

“Okay, Regina said these were Phantasmal Beasts, right?! These don’t look like any Phantasmal Beasts that I’ve ever seen!”

Einstein called out in clear frustration, and who could blame him?! These “Phantasmal Beasts” were like nothing you were familiar with; it’d be more accurate to call them “monstrosities”, warped abominations of nature, science, or magecraft made to only vaguely resemble animals. They reminded you of the Lahmus from Babylonia with how alien they were, only significantly less uniform - not one of these creatures even vaguely resembled one another! 

They even differed in how their bodies acted after death - most of them vanished into magical energy, while some collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap like a typical creature. The most viable explanation seemed to be that the “living” ones were blueprints for the ones that dissipated... Not that it made it any easier to take them down.

“That’s putting it mildly, dear Caster... They’re certainly much harder to put down than your average Phantasmal.”

Even Maria was beginning to complain in her own way, and she wasn’t wrong. These things were surprisingly tough for how weird and difficult it should be just for them to stay alive with how nonsensical their bodies were, let alone fight. Still, you were slowly chipping away at them, one group at a time. And yet, there was no sign of this supposed Berserker...

“Master! We’ve got an incoming Spirit Origin headed our way from 8-o’-clock at high speed! It has to be Berserker of Atlantis!”

Well, ask, and ye shall receive. Thanking Mash for the heads-up, you turned your attention to the indicated direction, and moments later, who should land in the street before you with a loud crash but...

A young woman who looked more like a fairy tale being than any “Berserker” - fair skin, a slender, dainty figure, and blue hair that almost seemed to sway and float on its own, as if she were perpetually underwater.

“Oh! It’s just like Master said! A bunch of Servants and a Master, and they’re all super duper weak! Hmm, there’s supposed to be five of ya, aren’t there...? Oh well! It won’t be any fun to play with you guys, but if I don’t kill you first, I can’t go kill Master!”

Though the girl’s appearance caught you off-guard, there was no doubting the presence she was exuding; this was a Servant, all right, which meant that it was time to execute Plan A. With a command on your part, Mash, Maria, and Shangxiang all took up combat positions, while Einstein hung back to provide support as usual, and Annie in position elsewhere, as planned.

(♫)

As soon as your team made it apparent you intended to fight, Berserker of Atlantis rushed forward with an arm outstretched. Her path was quickly intercepted by Mash’s shield, the sheer strength of Berserker’s strike prompting the Shielder to skid back several feet, causing even Mash to struggle to hold her ground - it was clear that, despite her frame, the girl had plenty of strength. Either she was deceptively powerful, or she really was a Berserker, and with exceptionally-high ranking Madness Enhancement, to boot - if not both.

While Mash had Berserker occupied, Maria took aim with her bow and launched a small barrage of arrows at the girl. Expecting her to either disengage and let the arrows bounce harmlessly off Mash’s shield or be struck, nobody expected her hair to suddenly raise up in a motion to swat away the arrows, and even less for the arrows to embed themselves in her hair, causing nothing less than blood to splatter from them as Berserker cried out in pain. It was then that, upon closer inspection, that you realized that her “hair” wasn’t hair... They were tentacles.

Regardless, the shots were enough to give Mash enough of an opening to begin pushing Berserker back, and combined with Shangxiang, were dominating the Berserker in melee, while Maria controlled her movements with carefully-timed arrows, and Einstein provided support via his Galvanism and providing tactical insight. However, something seemed off to you as you commanded your Servants and provided assistance via your shadow summons. Within the blur of combat, you noticed something odd now and then with the Berserker, and while she was technically on the losing side, your gut told you that things were about to go south.

(♫)

And that’s when you finally caught notice of it. The Berserker was changing. And not just now, but you realized she’d been slowly changing the moment the battle started. Her hair hadn’t always been tentacles - they were the first transformation. And now you could see, her clothes were looking more aged, her mouth was filled with fangs, and her skin seemed to be growing scales... That bad feeling of yours skyrocketed in urgency, enough to cause you to command everyone to get away from Berserker.

Just in time, too, as the moment everyone disengaged to a more moderate distance, Berserker of Atlantis slumped forward as her body began to lurch. Now that she was stood still, you realized she’d grown at least two whole feet taller since she first arrived, but now she was growing even larger. Not only that, but her entire body was shifting, changing, as her lower body sprouted the heads of wolves, tentacles burst forth from various places on her frame, and her eyes became solid red orbs within her sockets. Just looking at the mish-mash of beast parts made you sick, but also filled you with a primitive terror - this wasn’t a Servant any more, your mind thought. It was the embodiment of a natural disaster.

(♫)

“Everyone, retreat! I think we’ve done all we can!”

Einstein called out, and nobody was about to disagree. Mash was swift to scoop you up into her arms as the entire team began to book it as fast as they could - whatever Berserker of Atlantis had turned into, it wasn’t something you could deal with any more, not as you currently were. However, despite how fast your retreat was, you soon realized that Berserker was not only keeping pace with you on her medley of tentacles, but was actually beginning to catch up!

However, you’d planned for this sort of thing, and with a whistle on your part, a gunshot rang out from a fair distance away, striking Berserker of Atlantis right in the head. Annie, set up on an abandoned tower approximately two kilometers away, ready to snipe and confound Berserker. Unfortunately, the shot did little but cause Berserker to pause in her tracks for a few moments as she looked for the source before resuming her chase of your group.

A few more shots rang out, striking Berserker of Atlantis in the head several more times, but they did little besides cause her to veer off to the side in the middle of her pursuit, something she had little trouble in correcting. The monster chasing you down was swiftly gaining, and soon, Mash was within reach of one of its tentacles.

SLAM!!!

The strike from the bestial Servant sent you and Mash both flying, but while Mash quickly righted herself, you didn’t find yourself so lucky. Sprawled out on the ground, your head ringing, your vision cleared just in time to see the monstrous creature bearing down on you, one of its gigantic wolf heads opening its maw...

...And then a blur and a rush of wind. You felt a pair of arms holding you from below, looking up to see a helmeted woman carrying you in her arms... and from where you could see, you were now about 30 feet from where you had been laying just moments before.

(♫)

“Come with me! Keep a lock on your Master’s magical energy signature, we’ll be safe in just a moment!”

The helmeted woman spoke with confidence before running off towards the outer rim of the city with you in tow; while you were grateful for the rescue, part of you was curious as to who this was, and why she had saved you...

[thesmallestmango]

Hi. I'm curious about your ocs.

What are their names? Their stories/backstories? Is there anything else about them that you'd like to share? Could be something completely random, I'm just curious about them, in general

Okay okay okay I love you whoever sent this

(In this world you can be born with magic or be a hybrid)

So first up we have Vyra and she was born with magic. So she studied at a prestigious academy then went out and took on an apprenticeship with this Sorcerer at her place. She needed the money and a place to leave. But slowly she started asking for more and more dangerous stuff (ingredients for bad powerful spells that idk just not great)

So one day the sorcerer tell her to go into the city nearby and 1. find out what people were saying since they’ve been pretty cut off from others and the academy is controlled by a corrupt monarchy. And 2. Get the very hard to get ingredients for her next “project”

So she tells Vyra to go to X person and they will sent them on the journey. But when they do turns out it’s with a a bunch of people who think they are going on a different journey. So as they do she has to inconspicuously gather the materials. As they Heading over on this she realizes like ‘oh shit she is bad bad’ and had been adding to the harm that has happened to the city.

So when they are done like Vyra goes back to the sorcerer and is like here is all your shit I’m done with you. So she garbs everything she can from her work and sprint outta there. But not before the sorcerer grabs ahold of her arm and kinda imprints a magical sigil on her arm. And has controlled animals chase her out. (That is not the last of her she will see…)

So the people that she went on the journey with are actually like all my other ocs but that’s all we get for right now ;)

I’ll tell you a bit about the others tho. VVVVV

So there is Allis, he is a hybrid with some creature with wings and so are most people where he was from, but he was captured for the valuable feathers and now his wing is still healing so he can’t fly without hurting.

He was saved by Ren (hehe I know) who, she is the kinda the leader of the underground group that’s working against the king and the others who think all magicals and hybrids are just evil and should t exist. (She has no magic)

Then there is Mozi, who has a mechanical arm and two mechanical fingers. Um she is kinda backsmith and builds all the weapons and stuff. She’s very handy with a mace.

Mozi works with Tieran who is a “fire” hybrid. They help out in the shop and fuel the fires. They are a very handy lock pick n stuff. They do when going out have to wear a hood n etc cause being a fire hybrid is very noticeable.

And last but not least we have Austrii who is also studying magic. He is where the group gets most there information on people and events. He can get into most places but his real alliance is with Ren.

Heheheh tahnkssss

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Lilia Vanrouge Bloom Birthday Personal Story: Part 2

"Happy Birthday"

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[Diasomnia Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Jamil: The next question is…

Jamil: "What is your best class?"

Lilia: Another question about class, hm. What a stiff interview.

Lilia: Well, fine. My best class, hm… I'm pretty confident that I'm more knowledgeable in History of Magic than anyone else in this school.

Jamil: I've heard there are some who cannot remember names and dates, or who end up falling asleep during class.

Jamil: Since I have you here… Could I ask for advice on getting better grades in History of Magic classes?

Lilia: I'm not surprised that many get bored from the tedious approach of just memorizing the facts that are in the textbook.

Lilia: You want to see just how the history was spun… And learn while unraveling it. That is the best way to enjoy History of Magic.

Jamil: Learn while unraveling it… Hm.

Lilia: Oh, that look on your face… Still doesn't make sense?

Lilia: Hm, let me see… Let me tell you an interesting story, then.

Lilia: A long time ago, there once was a cowardly king. He was a man who would constantly assume the worst would happen…

Lilia: So that he would be able to flee in a state of emergency, he had his subordinates dig underground tunnels.

Jamil: That is a very common scenario when it comes to those in power.

Lilia: The name of that king is still remembered to this day, as the hero who saved his country. Why do you think that is?

Jamil: Maybe… Was it because he had a change of heart?

Lilia: Kufufu. The right answer is because his country was struck by a torrential downpour.

Jamil: A torrential downpour? Ah, are you saying…

Lilia: Yep. The rainwater drained into the underground tunnels. Thanks to those, the city was saved from irreparable harm.

Lilia: You've heard stories of great kings who established drainage systems in preparation for possible flooding, yes?

Lilia: I remember once reading in a book that this king was considered the pioneer of infrastructure development.

Jamil: If your story is true, then it would mean the textbook was wrong…

Jamil: That story is quite an old one, as well. So it may not be necessarily true that the real incidents were recorded properly.

Lilia: Regardless of his true motives, there is no doubt that those underground tunnels saved that country, and that that records of that incident was well-documented.

Lilia: Events that happen in the past and a person's reactions to that incident will both be interpreted by someone else, and that interpretation will be passed on to the next generation.

Lilia: History is fascinating precisely because one can unravel the thoughts that went through the people who lived it.

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[sudaca-swag]

Top 10 reads 2022:

The starless sea by Erin Morgenstern- absolutely no plot just vibes, a story about stories. Our MC discovers an ancient underground library, some people want to destroy it, but its mostly plotless, it reminds me a bit of the raven boys series tbh. LGBTQ+

Babel by RF Kuang- i would sell my left tit to read it for the first time again, kuang is now one of my top writers. We follow a group of POC oxford language students during victorian times that have the power to sort of do magic through translated words but the catch is they have to do it in service of the british empire, this is a story about rebelling against imperialism, racism, inequality, etc i just love it. LGBTQ+ but subtext (romance isnt a central theme)

Jade city trilogy by Fonda Lee- absolutely urban fantasy masterpiece if you like martial arts (Lee is a black belt), politics, strong family bonds, amazing characters etc. We follow the Kaul family who is the leader of the No Peak Clan and is at war with the Mountain Clan. One of my favorite aspects of this series is that its set in about 30 years so you see the effects that actions and political decision have on the long run. LGBTQ+

Out by Natsuo Kirino- the BEST murder book, we follow a group of four middle aged women working night shifts in a factory, one of the women murders her husband in a rage and the others help her to get rid of the body, suddenly they find themselves trying to both escape the police and some yakuza men who want their help getting rid of other bodies. Ultimately its a book about mysoginy imo, the struggles of poverty and modern life, etc. Search tws because it has some very graphic rape and pedophilia scenes.

Our share of night/nuestra parte de noche by Mariana Enríquez- if you can read in spanish DO IT!! Amazing magical realism-horror tales, i LOVE the south american subtropical settings, the history, the culture, legends and folklore of northern Argentina is shown, its about a father trying to save his son from the rich ppl cult that took away everything from him, its about dark magic and necromancy, and so much more. TWs of course, especially bc it touches upon the dictatorship. LGBTQ+ themes.

Mistborn Era 2 by Brandon Sanderson- i just love the cosmere, but era 2 is so fucking funny, its just a wild west comedy. Predictable ending for me, but that last chapter sill crushed my soul. If you want to dive into the cosmere and dont know where to start, pick up mistborn era 1, but leave era 2 for after youve read the stormlight archive bc the last book will be impossible to understand

The stormlight archive by Brandon Sanderson- simply masterworks of fantasy, a little slow at the beginnning but so worth it, amazing characters and magic systems. You will need to dedicate like one or two months for that first read of one of the tomes, and leave them for after youve read the rest of the cosmere or you wont enjoy them as much. The roshar system is such a diverse and expansive world.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune- i lost all my money bc i bought the entire series. If you need a cozy romance series about werewolves and found families, this is for you. Everyone is gay in this series thats it. LGBTQ+

The Poppy war trilogy by RF Kuang- the 1st book was already in my last years top 10 but HOLY SHIT THIS SERIES!!?? Fucking amazing, its a retelling/reimagination of chinese historical events (although with other countries names) but with chamans and ancient gods who take over warriors, basically its about our MC Rin descent into darkness and madness, its about colonialism, empires, etc. Its explicit and violent so search tws. The characters are amazing, i think rf kuangs strenght is definitely her characters they make you feel everything.

The inheritance trilogy by NK Jemisin- i only read the first book but its amazing, if you like dark fantasy with all powerful gods, read it. Im so excited to see how it ends.

[btranmuses]

WIP: Impossible Wreck

Mage against the Machine

Rosa City, modern southeast Australia. The Arcour Maritime-Antarctic Institute discovered in the depths of the southern seas an inexplicable shipwreck. While researchers attempt to solve the mysteries of the Impossible Wreck, strange events unsettle denizens of the city’s supernatural underground.

Nic Li, technomancer and fugitive, knows from bitter experience that to survive in that underground is to stay low, in line, and in protection. Fresh in Rosa, Nic struggles for membership in the mages' East Bloc for exactly that. But when a mysteriously injured local spirit was brought to his door, Nic's reluctant help ended in a disaster that threatens his entry to the Bloc and puts him once again in hunters' path. Desperate, Nic needs help from Phillip Cluett, a sentient droid-monster with a human form and a questionable past: a former servant of an enemy to the supernatural world itself.

Hunters on his feet with companions he struggles to trust as strangeness becomes danger in Rosa, Nic has to work with Phillip right under enemy noses, scrambling together makeshift technology and brittle alliances, all barely held together with magic and lit by despair, to discover how the Impossible Wreck is the last of a plot as old as the nation itself that if unstopped, will usher in the end of all they hold dear.

omfg its nanowrimo cvkjhrbehgbknvcjn

So, to hold myself accountable, I'm sharing the WIP I've been working on. I don't think I will be able to finish the whole draft. Instead, I'm setting simpler goals that I (crosses fingers) will be able to achieve by the end of NaNo.

Main goal: I want to finish Act 1, or 25% of the draft, by the end of NaNo. For the 100k word count goal that will be 25k words, and for the 120k stretch goal, that will be 30k.

Stretch goal: Should for some reason the above goal goes exceptionally well, hey, then I want to be half-way through Act 2.1 (the Midpoint). That means 50% of the next 25% of the story, or ~40% of the draft. So for the 100k goal the stretch goal will be 37k words, and 120k goal, 45k words.

Here it is! Impossible Wreck now no longer something just between me in ungodly hours and God. Here's to a fruitful NaNo!!!

have we met? if not, hi!

My name is B, 28M, Vietnamese, cis male, and hopelessly gay. Currently living in Sydney, Australia. I'm on Tumblr in hope of meeting other writers—I need writer friends! I like SFF, gay romance, gay SFF, and Lovecraftian stuff. Outside of books, I also love TTRPGs, and general geekery. Leftist and vegan :')

Do we have things in common? Say hi! (Please.)

[saclarclay]

Don’t mind me still rambling about masquerade event

I wonder tho, since it’s an event, would they repeat it again next year? I feel like the story felt kinda heavy cus rollo was trying to get rid of everyone’s magic

For us non magic user, it may have not meant too much but for those who are born with magic and even made by magic, it’s literally their life. Like, it’s a big deal yknow.

It’s like when Azul almost took everyone’s power, absorbing it for himself n people could barely use their magic to full power

All of this feels so rushed tho because everything literally happened on day 1 and they still have 2 days left in City of flower meaning rollo must have really been thinking about it, getting the ancient seed that has such destructive and cultivating it in the underground waterway on his own, where the hell did he even got that

His plan was perfect, almost. He managed to get rid of a huge chunk of Maleus’ magic power and he managed to cover everything with the flower in just a few seconds. The thing that he forgot is that…

NRC is filled with petty student sho will beat up his ass once they see him again

N we’re not even talking about some low level magician, almost all the overblot boys are here n he mess directly with the Maleus, THE Maleus Draconia

He looks down on them so much I honestly found it kinda funny

N it keeps me wondering what would their justice system do, because even for big festival they don’t use authority figures like security guards to watch the festival n only relied on the locals

Knowing yana sensei idk what kind of other twist would she add to this

It would be funny to see rollo gets kicked out of nbc and everyone got their ‘happy ending’ but a few days later crowley announced a new transfer student n it’s gonna be rollo 💀💀💀 (which I’d accept with open arms cus I still luv him)

why?

Because crowley is ‘nice’, isn’t he the—kindest, fairest, school principal of all time ,it would be such a waste to let go of such a great magician🥺//slap

Or we could go with the tragic route where rollo’s power got absorbed by the flowers he grow himself, the same way frollo got swallowed by fire that he himself has created

Rollo is still a human, so the only thing he will loose is magic power and with that he would realize how ‘useless’ it is to have no magic power, Maleus already saw him as a threat so I doubt he would give him a piece of his power like what he did to Vil

I don’t think yana sensei would kill any of them, for now at least, but then again it’s yana sensei we’re talking about so the option is still up there

Yana sensei is amazing to me tbh, she is brave enough to bring sensitive context when everyone especially those from the west would be too afraid to even explore a story of fantasy n even touch the border of morality

I mean no offense to fluff fantasy but— yea, for me, it’s too boring when it’s for ‘original’ content, everyone got their own cup of tea and there’s already a good chunk of fluff uwu soft series out there cus everyone prefers things to be pure and purge everything they see as impure—just lke frollo XDDD //slap

Tbh i’m also glad they kept rollo’s flaws, he’s villain to us but he’s a savior to himself, i like that in a villain character

Rollo ‘meant well’, but only in his own term

[pagebypagereviews]

# 30 Essential Reads of the Last Decade The last decade has been a golden era for literature, with a diverse range of voices and stories coming to the forefront. From groundbreaking novels that challenge societal norms to memoirs that offer deeply personal insights into the human condition, the literary world has been enriched with works that will be remembered for years to come. This article delves into 30 essential reads from the last decade, offering a glimpse into the books that have shaped contemporary thought and culture. ## Fiction That Moved Us ### 1. "The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt (2013) A sweeping tale that combines grief, redemption, and the enduring power of art, "The Goldfinch" has captivated readers worldwide. Tartt's beautifully crafted novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014, cementing its place as a modern classic. ### 2. "Normal People" by Sally Rooney (2018) Rooney's exploration of love, friendship, and the complexities of human connection resonated with a generation. "Normal People" is a nuanced look at the relationship between two individuals from different backgrounds, navigating the challenges of young adulthood. ### 3. "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead (2016) This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel reimagines the historical Underground Railroad as an actual railway system. Whitehead's harrowing and imaginative work sheds light on the brutal realities of slavery while offering a story of hope and resilience. ### 4. "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (2015) Yanagihara's novel is an epic tale of friendship, suffering, and the human spirit. "A Little Life" follows four college classmates as they navigate the complexities of life in New York City, delving into themes of trauma and recovery. ### 5. "Circe" by Madeline Miller (2018) Miller's retelling of the life of Circe, the enchantress from Homer's "Odyssey," is a powerful narrative of female empowerment and transformation. "Circe" offers a fresh perspective on a classic story, making ancient myths accessible to a modern audience. ## Non-Fiction That Enlightened Us ### 6. "Educated" by Tara Westover (2018) Westover's memoir is a testament to the transformative power of education. Growing up in a survivalist family in Idaho, her journey from isolation to earning a PhD from Cambridge University is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. ### 7. "Becoming" by Michelle Obama (2018) The former First Lady's memoir offers an intimate look at her life, from her childhood in Chicago to her years in the White House. "Becoming" is a deeply personal and inspiring account of a woman who has continually defied expectations. ### 8. "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari (2011) Harari's sweeping narrative of human history examines how Homo sapiens came to dominate the Earth. "Sapiens" combines history, science, and philosophy, challenging readers to reconsider the narrative of human progress. ### 9. "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson (2014) Stevenson's memoir is a powerful call to reform the criminal justice system. Through the story of one man's wrongful conviction, "Just Mercy" highlights the broader issues of racism and inequality that plague the American legal system. ### 10. "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert (2014) Kolbert's investigation into the ongoing mass extinction event caused by human activity is both alarming and compelling. "The Sixth Extinction" is a crucial read for understanding the environmental challenges facing our planet. ## Genre-Bending Works That Captivated Us ### 11. "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern (2011) This fantasy novel set in a magical circus has enchanted readers with its richly imagined world and star-crossed love story. Morgenstern's debut is a feast for the senses, blending magic with a deep emotional core. ### 12. "Station Eleven" by Emily St. John Mandel (2014) A post-apocalyptic novel that explores art, memory, and survival, "Station Eleven"

tells the story of a traveling Shakespearean theatre company in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Mandel's work is a poignant meditation on the enduring power of culture. ### 13. "The Martian" by Andy Weir (2014) Weir's science fiction novel about an astronaut stranded on Mars is both a thrilling survival story and a celebration of human ingenuity. "The Martian" combines realistic science with a compelling narrative, making it a hit among readers and critics alike. ### 14. "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard (2015) This YA fantasy novel, set in a world divided by blood—red or silver—explores themes of power, revolution, and betrayal. Aveyard's "Red Queen" series has captivated readers with its intricate world-building and dynamic characters. ### 15. "The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisin (2020) Jemisin's novel, the first in a new series, imagines New York City as a living, breathing entity. "The City We Became" is a vibrant and imaginative exploration of identity, culture, and the soul of a city. ## Conclusion The last decade has produced a wealth of literature that speaks to the human experience in all its complexity. From novels that explore the depths of human emotion to non-fiction that challenges our understanding of the world, these 30 books are essential reads for anyone looking to engage with contemporary literature. They not only entertain but also enlighten, offering insights into the issues that define our time. As we move forward, these works will undoubtedly continue to inspire and provoke thought, reminding us of the power of literature to connect us all.

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (4)

I am sorry for not posting in a while. School is a total bitch. Here is part 4 of a fic that is not a fic.

[Masterlist]

(Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)

-------

Tall Marinette.(I admit I might be projecting a little here.)

One day, she took out something from someplace high and the whole family realized that ‘holy shit when did you get so tall?’

Bonus if Jason comes back from a long mission and had a wtf moment because she was wearing 6-inch-heels and met his eyes with them on.

“Pixie?!”

------

You know how Bruce has the identity of Matches Malone to infiltrate the Gotham Underground.

While Jason does the drug deals more street crime stuff, Maria uses an excuse of being the representative for Red Hood excuse to mingle with the rich people who does crime on the side (Penguin), she uses it to go to black market auctions and buy some of the lost miraculouses which got into the hands of black market dealers.

Jason knows about it and acts as her ‘bodyguard’ anytime he can or sends one of his henchmen to be one with a death threat if she gets a single scratch on her.

Bruce is unaware of this. Or is he?

------

Mari helps with running WE since she is a little less busy with the vigilante side of things.

It started with Tim panicking about deadlines and Mari offering to help, to Bruce and Tim bullying the board to have her as co-CEO.

She has to be that and head of Afterlife. So she is very busy. Doesn’t know about what comes next….

------

Somehow the class comes to Gotham for a trip. It has been 3 years since her death.

Mari has changed her appearance since the day she left Paris. She has highlights in her hair after a ‘sibling bonding day’ with Jason. Her hair is kept short for convenience and not in pigtails. Along with her tall height and more confident aura, she is almost unrecognizable.

She rides a motorcycle too.

The class waits in the lobby for the tour and in walks this badass woman with aviator sunglasses, leather jacket and designer clothes which was all MT brand, making a lot of people swoon.

She takes off her glasses and walks past the class. Checking stuff on her phone and sipping coffee in her other hand.

She seems familiar but they couldn’t figure out why. (All except Chloe, Alix and Felix who are snickering in the background.)

Lila sees her and comments on how she must be a criminal with the way she dresses. (Lila internally freaks out because were her eyes messing with her? Because she looked a little like Marinette. Also jealous of the new arrival for stealing all the attention.) Alya takes the bait and calls security to ‘arrest’ her.

They just laugh. The class doesn’t understand, speaking in confused French.

-------------

“I am Maria Todd-Wayne, also known as designer MT. CEO of Afterlife and co-CEO of the very company you are in. I am allowed in here. Don’t judge a book by its cover.” she said in perfect French.

“But Lila told us you can’t speak French.”

“Who?”

“Lila Rossi, your friend. She told us that you and MT were dating.”

“Me dating myself. Okay I love myself because self-love is a thing but that is a whole other level. MT are my initials. Anyone who has a brain could have figured that out or at the very least do a Google search. I am not sure where your friend got that notion.”

“Hey, Bean, come on. We have a long day ahead of us.” Tim reminded her.

“Goodbye but cease the rumours or you would be escorted off the premises.”

As they rode up the elevator, “Tim, why are they here?”

“They are the lucky winners of the Wayne Enterprise Young Prodigies Contest. Why, Maria?”

“Lucky, huh.” She muttered under her breath. She might as well tell him. They are the Bats and they will find out anyway. “They are from my old class, the one you know…”

“Oh. Want me to send them back? I can do that if they are making you uncomfortable.”

“Nah. Too much to deal with. And it is unfair to send them back over a petty grudge. Besides, I could have some fun.”

“Anything that Bruce and I should be worried about?”

“I swear no killing. Just because Jason came back from the dead, hell-bent on killing. Doesn’t mean I am too.”

“Cool, just don’t do any property damage or traumatize our employees.”

“I might need you to erase some footage later and tell Bruce about this.”

“Some brownies, my favourite coffee cake, the ‘special’ brew and you have yourself a deal.”

-----

So basically she just showed up around where the class was ‘by coincidence’.

Talk to a few people and take them out of earshot of the rest of the class.

End the conversation by saying a few things only they and her would know. Insides jokes and secrets. (I pick her old childhood friends like, Nino, Kim and maybe Sabrina)

Uses Trixx to turn into a walking dead version of her 15-year old self and disappears as they freak out about how she knew that secret/story.

Freaks them out further by appearing again in front of the whole class and pretending not to know their previous conversation.

Mari manages to get Lila alone.

I should also say that Lila thought that her curse was making her see MT as Marinette.

It terrifies Lila when she finds out that MT is actually Marinette, not dead but alive after all this time and apparently living the high life she wanted. This fact made the Italian swell up with jealousy.

“I hope you are not lying about me again, Lila Rossi. Like you always do.”

“What do you want with me? I swear I didn’t say anything else about you.”

“Aw, Lila. Don’t recognize me?”

Maria flickers and Ladybug is in her place and later, the Marinette that appeared in her bedroom and back to normal.

“You! How? Why are you here? Why can’t you leave me alone?”

“Why not? I mean you did take away nearly all my friends, my parents and made my life a living hell. If you think about it, I am just repaying you the same favor. How are the others? Treating you well?”

“What did you do to me, you bitch?”

“I just put a curse on you. The ghosts of your past will haunt you until you stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop Lying, Liar. They all feed and grow in power from your lies. I wonder what would happen in a few years if you kept this up.”

“You think you can get away with this. This is war and I have already beaten you once.”

“Oh Rossi. This isn’t a war. It’s a death sentence.” With that she disappears.

Lila tries to tell her class that MT is actually Marinette. She is met with crazy looks. Some of them look like they want to believe her but don't because they don’t want to look crazy too.

Oh. Adrien wasn’t on the trip because his mother didn’t want him to go to the crime capital of America although the crime rate has gone down a little due to Hellbat curing some of the city’s bad energy..

Right after Lila told the class about MT, Scarecrow came to steal some Wayne tech and the class got caught in the crossfire. So later, it was brushed off as Lila seeing things due to the fear toxins.

-----

Joker made the mistake of kidnapping her. Once was enough to never try that again.

(It involved the use of nearly all of the Miraculouses, old and new. He was thoroughly humiliated at the end of it and his picture by the time Hellbat was done with him was on the Batfam’s Christmas Card. Like I said she doesn’t kill but making them beg for death was okay.)

It coincided with Jason’s Birthday and the video of the incident was ‘the best birthday present ever.’ The uncensored version was watched at the next undead siblings bonding day. Damian included.

After hearing a few rumours about what happened, most criminals were glad for Hellbat’s rare appearances. (which happens once a month and during really busy time of the year)

There was a time where Penguin was carrying out one of their plans and when Hellbat showed up, all of their thugs surrendered instantly. (No Batman did not pout at the fact that this French girl was more imitating than him.)

Scarecrow used his newest batch of fear toxin on her during the first year after she died.

He was astounded to see her still standing and she later proceeded to beat the crap out of him while being under the toxin’s influences.

He has tried to stay out of her way since then.

She saw Scarecrow as Hawkmoth and said a lot of things in French which scared everyone because she said it with so much hate, anger and in a very menacing tone that everyone is like ‘I am not touching this.’

It took Red Hood and Nightwing to restrain her from further beating Scarecrow up.

He was one of the people who sympathised with the Joker after the Incident.

The next was Riddler being so arrogant in his plans and managed to get Hellbat and Spoiler into a death trap.

“You know I have a few regrets in life. And my final one is that I got captured and am now going to get killed by a walking fashion disaster.”

“Hey! I made this myself. I will have, you know.”

“You have a brilliant mind but no sense of fashion at all. When I get out of here, I am going to burn that thing with you in it, for your crimes against fashion.”

“What is wrong with it?”

Cue a lot of roasting of Riddler’s costume and Spoiler adding more fuel to the fire.

They manage to escape while Riddler is crying on the floor, having an existential crisis.

The thing was no one knows why Riddler was silent the entire week after encountering Hellbat and crying when anyone mentions it.

They now think Hellbat is the scariest one in the Batfamily, second to Batman and tied with Black Bat/Orphan.

The few who find out what really happened in the warehouse that night. Blackmail material on the Riddler.

Three ( four if you count Penguin) of Gotham’s biggest villains of the Rogues Gallery scared of Bats’ newest addition. Hellbat was not someone they wanted to mess with.

---------

Magic crisis stuff. Like a world ending event thing. Dr. Fate says they need the Miraculous jewels but the last mention of them had been in Paris a few years ago and had vanished since then.

Costantine looked at Batman. “You know who you have to call.”

Batman calls Hellbat. Who hasn’t been introduced yet to the JL.

“Ah. Bats. Not that I question your authority or anything but how can your newest ‘ward’ help us?”

She takes off her helmet and reveals her face and more importantly, her earrings.

Tikki comes out of her hiding place.

“I am the current Guardian of the Miracle Box and wielder of the Ladybug miraculous during Hawkmoth’s reign in Paris a few years ago. Any other Questions?”

“Oh great Guardian. Tikki. It is an honour to meet you.”-Wonder Woman, who else.

“You too, Princess Diana. Pass on my regards to your mother.”-Tikki

A huge face-off and the big evil is defeated.

WW asks abt HM and gives a horrified face at the end of her story. Nearly everyone who eavesdropped on the conversation was.

"Forgive me, Guardian for not aiding you in your hour of need.”

“It’s okay. I understand that there are other crises, world-ending ones that JL have to take care of. I am better now. Mostly.”

“I doubt it with those revenge schemes I found lying around. But she is getting there with her therapist.”-Batman

“I hate you, Dad.”

“Did you just call him Dad?”

“No….”

“Do you see me as a father figure?”

“I see you as a nuisance with how nosy you are with my personal business. So you are more of a bother figure.”

“I see you as part of the family too, Daughter.” (Got that reference anyone?)

“Jason was the one who adopted me.”

“Legally you are adopted by me.”

Maria with Pikachu surprised face because nobody told her that. “My life is a lie.”

-------

(Part 5)

[bakugouisabitch]

Ziggy, why are you so sure about TKB being right all the time and that his people were demonized by the “classist royalty”? I haven’t read the manga, but as I’ve seen, we seem to have no clue about Bakura being right and the Kul Elna people being demonized due to being low class. Who knows, maybe they were truly evil and deserved it? Can you please explain? 😕

Hello!

Sorry for replying this late. I’m gonna add some manga panels (read right to left) to explain better.

tw: slaughtering ? 

The answer is simple: because no one is just evil.

Let’s start by saying first and foremost: massacring an entire village, whether it’s mainly composed of criminals or not, is always wrong and unjustifiable. Period.

This is also the reason why Atem is so shocked when he finds out about it and why Akhenaden (and also his Pharaoh brother Akhenamkhanen) kept it a secret in the first place. Cause it’s bad. Period.

Now let’s go back to the narrative:

Forget everything you ever saw in the anime (both sub and dub) because Memory World/Season 5 just doesn’t make sense there - and most events were changed/removed from how they were in the manga to make the “good guys” appear better (to name a few examples: the soldiers sent by Akhenaden being somehow brainwashed to do the massacre, Diabound being sealed in some random hidden tablet underground and not coming directly from TKB’s soul, the golden duel disks you have to wear to summon the KAs instead of just using the Items, Thief King being the whole time possessed by Yami Bakura that in the anime is literally just Zorc so he doesn’t care abt his revenge, Atem saying a bunch of few more sympathetic lines he never said in canon, all if not most lines from TKB being completely removed, etc.) All these things don’t make sense if you follow the manga narrative and in fact, they don’t happen.

Akhenden does the massacre because in order to create the Millennium Items 99 human sacrifices were required. He could have chosen anyone. Volunteers, some form of “martyrs” ready to die to protect their Pharaoh, the fuck do I know... but what he did was a clear massacre aimed at a poor village “of thieves” that the palace people always despised because of their history: 

Kul Elna.

Transcript:

Akhenaden: “Hear Me! We ride for the village of Kul Elna in the Valley of The Kings!”

Soldier 1: “Kul Elna Village...?! The place called the ‘‘Village of Thieves’’?”

Solder 2: “There’s nothing there but grave robbers! They were descended from the Royal tomb builders, but they went bad. Why are we going there...?”

The village of Kul Elna seems to be based on the real-life ancient city “Deir el-Medina” since it was a city of “grave robbers descended from Royal tomb builders”, just like Kul Elna.

It’s even mentioned in the wiki:

Here is an interesting article about grave robbers in Deir el-Medina, and it’s said that the city was literally called, like, “a city of robbers” for how organised and common it was for them to rob the royal graves in the Valley of the Kings. It was a city that has been originally created by the Royals to house the artisans and tomb builders that laboured for the Royals near the Valley of the Kings. It also makes sense (and it’s also written in the article) how these thieves knew best how to rob the tombs because they build them themselves.

Extracts from the article:

“Tomb Robbers were usually the very workers who constructed them were able to plan their thefts so as to bypass the main security features to gain access to the tomb itself.”

“...inflation and delay of rations made it extremely harder for the villagers to live, leaving them to rob the tombs they once built to keep themselves and their family alive.”

Akhenaden targeted that village on purpose. He specifically targeted Kul Elna BECAUSE THEY WERE GRAVE ROBBERS and it was convenient to kill them. They were “just grave robbers” and were thereby not loyal to the Pharaoh. If you think about the fact that robbing a Royal tomb used to be one of the biggest capital crimes back then, it also explains it. So Akhenaden’s thoughts on the matter were practically “killing two birds with one stone”.

In the anime the guards/soldiers were in someway “hypnotised” to follow Akhenaden’s order which is bullshit and how the hell can he perform such magic all of a sudden duh? . In the manga they enjoyed doing the massacre completely lucid:

Transcript:

Soldier: “Heh heh... you thieves... As punishment for robbing graves... you bastards will become a part of the treasure!”

99 people were sacrificed and used in the ritual (as seen above in the panel: they’ve been melted with gold), but many more were killed and left to die.

As you can see, bodies were left to rot among the ruins, even if they weren’t used for the sacrifice. Akhenaden made sure to exterminate any living proof of the village - also to keep it a secret and let it be forgotten in history.

But one kid survived:

Bakura.

Whether it’s cause he hid well, or maybe his mother made sure that he was well protected, or maybe he happened to have been in the right place at the right time - we don’t know. But destiny wanted him to be alive. To live and tell the tale and to finally take his well-deserved revenge.

Everyone else but him died. Other kids, just like him, died too. How in the world were they all “just evil”???How could an innocent kid like him even be evil, to begin with??? And Bakura is the only character through the whole story that speaks out about it:

Transcript: “Out of lust for power, your Royal Family used Shadow Alchemy to create the seven Millennium Items! There was only a small price... the lives of every man, woman and child in this village!”

Transcript: “That’s what I want! To get revenge for the dark past you tried to hide... the birth of the Millennium Items!!”

Transcript: “‘‘Freedom? Peace?’’ Don’t make me laugh... The Millennium Items are made of good and evil... they’re like a double-edged sword.”

Of course, he believes in the good of the items as well, considering they are literally made out of his innocent people.

Through his whole journey, he grew stronger and he informed himself. He knew what he was talking about. And they removed EVERYTHING he says in the manga from the anime because....... honestly I don’t know why ?? but I believe it’s cause he just slapped too hard with his statements and would have made everyone understand that the villain of the story turns out to be the actual victim of the situation.

But ig that’s too deep for Konami standards  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Transcript: “The rich and powerful love to talk about “justice!” The right to punish those you fear... to kill those you hate... and call it execution, not murder! Is that really justice? Or is it evil? What you really fear is your enemy’s idea of justice!”

I say Bakura was right because there is nothing that can excuse such an atrocious act. There’s no justice in seeing the slaughter of everything you ever knew and all the people you ever loved for the sake of creating weapons used against people like that and just sit back and do nothing about it. 

Bakura was alive for a reason. He stayed alive for a very long time. Even after his death as Thief King Bakura, his soul clung to stay alive as Yami Bakura, at the cost of fusing with a demon, for over 3000 years. And he made sure to give them hell. :))

[fortheloveofexy]

tell us about your ocs pls!!!

oh emmy I am so glad you asked!!

Okay, so right now I have two main OC's that I am writing about in my personal stories - Aiden and Quinn! Right now I'm going to mainly talk about Aiden bc

1) he is my precious little meow meow murder boy and

2) I could go on for days about both of them and frankly there isn't enough room in one post to cover both of them.

Anyway, Aiden - poor, sweet, tortured, amoral Aiden. Aiden is a shifter; a sentient, magical creature that can change it’s shape, gender and even it’s species at will. Shifters are naturally shy, reclusive beings who usually keep to themselves and avoid human attention, preferring to either to camouflage themselves as humans or disguise themselves as animals out in the wilderness. However, in their natural forms, they can take on the features of various animals and beings, depending on their preference. Some showcase tails and ears, some wings and horns. Others sport fins and gills and adapt to underwater homes instead. In truth, most human legends of vampires, mermaids and werewolves originate from the reality of shifters. They are stronger and faster than humans and are endowed with vast amounts of magical energy, and the sole reason that they have not dominated the human race is that they are quite territorial towards one another and are generally solitary by nature. They can live for centuries if left alone, though they are not immortal and do not often reproduce. Some of them, however, do enjoy the company of others, and will take the shape of a human so they may live amongst people undetected, and occasionally even take a human as a mate. Shifters, while typically reclusive and flighty, are deeply, deeply attached to their mates. When they’ve chosen a mate for life, they are able to share their magical power with them, granting their mate the same longevity of life. Children born of such unions are exceedingly rare, but they are always shifters as well. Because of this, they are usually raised in solitude until they are old enough to properly control their shifting.  Most humans know very little about shifters, and believe they are little more than monsters. Church doctrine holds that they are evil demons controlled by witches. After all, this is exactly what happened centuries ago when one such shifter attacked the city and slaughtered half of it’s citizens (an event known as the Calamity of Cahir). The shifter was only stopped when a coven of witches sealed it away in a well, for even they could not kill it. To this day, nobody really knows why the shifter attacked, but the witches were blamed for it and thus began the practice of marking witches to seal and control their magic. Due to centuries of being hunted, shifters are exceedingly rare. So when Quinn, a witch in need of great power, decides that the solution is to find and form a magical pact with a shifter, the first place she looks is the well where the ancient shifter was sealed long ago... where she finds Aiden! spoilers ahead, for anyone who cares That’s right - Aiden was the shifter who slaughtered half a city. Unlike the legends say, though, it hadn’t been done senselessly. His mate was a witch who’d been burned at the stake by the church. At her death, Aiden had gone mad with grief and sworn vengeance. In his rage, his quest revenge turned to indiscriminate slaughter, and he’d been sealed away in a well for centuries underground in the dark, trapped in a well and seething with fury and sorrow. It isn’t until Quinn finds him locked in his enchanted prison and offers him a deal that he finally gets a second chance at freedom.

[itsmoonpeaches]

Raya and the Last Dragon: The Importance of Water in Southeast Asia

Disclaimer: The following is from the perspective of a Filipino SEA. Please feel free to add or edit from other perspectives. There are *spoilers* below.

Though Raya and the Last Dragon has its flaws, what it did well, it did really well. Out of every cultural reference that I spotted in this film, the one that stood out the most was the portrayal of water. 

In the end credits song, Lead the Way, originally sung in English by Jhené Aiko, there is one lyric that stands out as a nod to this culture of water:

There's an energy in the water There is magic deep in our heart There's a legacy that we honor When we bring the light to the dark Whatever brings us together Can nevеr tear us apart We becomе stronger than ever

There are beautiful views of bodies of water in the movie, and scenes that deliberately look over them. But, it’s much more than that.

The geography of SEA is already so rooted with water. The lands that make up the region are either located on a peninsula and cut through with rivers, or made up of hundreds of islands in the middle of the ocean. 

So, let’s talk about water in SEA and in this movie. Below is an in-depth analysis of the cultural significance of water whether it is rain, rivers, oceans, or mythological aspects alluded to in the film.

Nagas and other myths

Let’s start with mythology because this is the basis of much of Raya and the Last Dragon. I want to first point out that this is not an opinion post, so I will not be touching much on my opinions on how the dragons looked like. (TLDR: Disney could’ve done better.) 

So many myths in SEA are connected to water besides the dragons, but let’s focus on those.

I did mention briefly about naga and water dragons in my long analysis post on the final international trailer. However, I will go in a little deeper here.

Naga The dragons in this movie are based on the SEA version of a dragon. More specifically a sea serpent or a water serpent. They don’t breathe fire. In fact, they have nothing to do with fire. Their powers all influence water (and sometimes create earthquakes). Their powers include typical influence over water, creating rain, causing winds, and shape-shifting.  They are incredibly powerful and revered. Sometimes they are even seen as deities like the Bakunawa in the Philippines. In RATLD, these nagas have a long horn at the front most prominent in Thai and Laotian versions of nagas. They are scaly and might have a kind of crown on their head, or gold jewelry around them. In most portions of SEA, nagas don’t have legs. It looks like the dragons here were partially inspired by an East Asian dragon or maybe the Vietnamese dragon. Other depictions can have them with multiple heads. Nagas also appear in South Asian culture. Here’s a quote from my initial long analysis post to add to this:

Naga are so important within SEA cultures that we have multiple places (and a river) named after them all over SEA and particularly a few times in the Philippines. 

What I can tell you is mostly the Philippine version, but a naga is a serpentine creature that lives deep in the ocean, and are often associated with water. Sometimes they are depicted as having the upper half of a woman. 

...

In the southern islands of the Philippines, depictions of naga are seen carved throughout buildings, particularly on roofs. A typical dance movement where you keep your hands curved and your fingers bent toward yourself is called “naga hands” and is supposed to be reminiscent of a naga’s graceful claws.

Bakunawa Just to highlight why nagas are so revered, I’m going further into the myth of Bakunawa. Specifically, the Bakunawa story comes from around the Visayas and Bicol regions of the Philippines which is south of the main island of Luzon. Bakunawa is said to be a giant sea dragon with a mouth as large as a lake. It lives deep in the ocean and has influence over the sea and earthquakes, in the depths of the underworld. There are a few versions of the story including that the Bakunawa is a naga that was enthralled by the beauty of the 7 moons and ate them until there was only 1 left.  In some versions the god Bathala stopped Bakunawa from devouring the last moon. In other versions, the people down below made loud noises with pots and pans to scare Bakunawa from eating it. There are also another version in which the Bakunawa was once a beautiful goddess. It is also known as a man-eater in other tales. There are similar versions of a giant serpent or dragon-like bird causing eclipses (whether lunar or solar) in other parts of the Philippines.

Rain

I can’t tell you how important rain is in SEA. It’s not that it never rains, but that it rains a lot. Much of SEA is rainforests, which is an attribute that contributes so the rich biodiversity. 

In RATLD, rain is depicted as a positive event...because it is. Raya and her friends are shown happy and laughing when Sisu makes rain. Sure, rain can be bad. Too much of it comes with typhoons and floods, but rain means a lot more than the bad things.

But enough rain means that the rivers aren’t dried out. Take the desert region of Kumandra for example. Raya goes there to the end of a dried up river. At the end when the dragons all come back, rain falls and the river is alive again. The people in that region can prosper again.

Rain symbolizes new life Now, this story I’m about to tell you is completely from oral tradition and was passed down to me by a culture bearer from from the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.  This person said that when they were young, they did not have to worry about buying food because it was always available around them. If it rained, that was a good thing because it meant that the next day when the grass was damp, there would be mushrooms sprouting that they could pick. (There is an umbrella dance coming from this region that depicts mushrooms popping up after a storm.) If it was windy from the rain, it meant that there were fruit that would shake out of the trees.   Rain also means food will grow. Staples like rice need a lot of water. Rice paddies need to be to be constantly flooded so that they can grow, and water means food whether it is in the form of rain, rivers, or the ocean. It means fresh drinking water and abundance.

Nagas and rain Remember how above I said that nagas can influence rainfall? Well, Sisu does just that in this movie. She says that one of her siblings originally had this power, and Sisu gained it because she came into contact with a piece of the dragon gem.  This adds to the positivity of rain because nagas are already so revered because of the magic they can do in the movie (and in mythology), that the people that witness it are in absolute awe. 

Rivers

Besides the ocean, rivers are the heart of SEA. From the Mekong River that runs through 5 SEA countries including Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, to the UNESCO site of the underground river in Palawan, Philippines...rivers are just part of the lay of the land. 

They are shown to be all of those things in RATLD. There are streams and tributaries that flow into mountains and underground where the dragon gem was originally hidden in Heart. Additionally, there is the incredibly long river that separates the land in the shape of a dragon that flows through all the regions of Kumandra, reminiscent of the Mekong.  Rivers are so important that there is even a region in the Philippines called Pampanga that is named after the Tagalog translation of the word “river” seen in the first part of the region’s name, “pampang.” They are the people of the river. 

There are whole fishing villages throughout SEA that are built on a river. In fact, there’s one in RATLD. 

Rivers are a source of many things, including food and drinking water. When there is a flood during wet season, the land will be full of silt, making the land prime for planting.

I don’t have to tell you how important a water dragon is at this point, but the fact that the movie chose to have that be the shape of the river is significant because nagas live in rivers too. 

Transportation This should be a no-brainer, but in case you forgot, rivers mean boats. Boats mean people will want to get around and trade. And, boat culture is so important in SEA.  There are all kinds of boats in the region from the huge deep-water kind, to the fishing boats, to thin canoe-like ones, to coracles. You can see them especially showcased in the river town in Tail in Kumandra. 

Oceans

Honestly, there wasn’t much about the sea in RATLD, but it’s important to note because nagas in and of themselves have origins in the ocean as well. 

The sea is another very important core of SEA culture. Its waters are more unforgiving than rivers, and more unpredictable. Magical, mythological sea creatures tend to be more violent here, and will only be kind to those who are kind first.

In island nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, the people rely on the ocean for so many things. Especially if they live right on the water, some can be fantastic swimmers and can dive and fish for their own food. The ocean is respected, and it is feared.

Though there is no explicit ocean in RATLD, there are elements from port cities and towns that exist including the deep-water boats. In the movie and in SEA, seafood is important.

There’s a scene where Raya and Sisu meet Boun and he offers them shrimp congee. Shrimp is a popular food in SEA, and can be seen in many dishes besides congee or any rice-based dishes. 

In the river town, we also see elements of passing fish baskets through the water after a day of fishing, and eating and buying fresh foods to cook later in a water-side market.

Irrigation

It’s pretty obvious that water is needed for irrigation, but just think about how earlier I pointed out how deeply water is utilized. Much of the food in SEA needs water to survive, a lot more than in landlocked countries. 

Rice terraces Remember rice? It needs a heck ton of irrigation in order to survive. This means a lot of rain and a lot of soil cultivating. If you take a look at the rice terraces that surround Fang, and even the picture of more overgrown terraces next to the river in the transportation section of this analysis, you can see that rice paddies are supposed to be flooded. Rice terraces are all over Asia, but there are so many of them in SEA that are ancient and still work including the Tagalalang rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia and the Banaue rice terraces in Banaue, Philippines. Honestly I could talk about the importance of rice and water for ages. Sure, rice is a staple in all of Asia, not just in SEA, but in East Asia as well. However, I would argue that it is even more of a staple in SEA.  Sure, there are noodle dishes, and bread, but rice is so ridiculously important that in the Philippines, it’s not considered a real meal if there is no rice. There is even a word for food eaten with rice, “ulam.” In fact, in the entire movie, I don’t think I can recall one eating scene in which the characters are not also eating rice with their food. Unless of course, it’s just a snack like fruit. (Maybe there was a stew only scene?) There is a scene towards the beginning of the movie when Raya asks Namaari, “Stew or rice?” when asking which she would prefer. Namaari never answers the question, but she says that it is her first time eating rice in a while. Though it’s never explicitly said, it could be implied that it is because they did not have as much rainwater for irrigation at the time. 

Protection

I’ve talked about rivers and the ocean, but I haven’t talked about water as a barrier. Though water as a barrier isn’t an infallible one, it is still important to note.

Protecting from intruders SEA is separated by water. It is also a region that had wars within their own countries in pre-colonial times, and of course, when they were colonized. (Though shout out to Thailand for being lucky in that regard. It remains the only country in SEA not colonized by Europeans.)  There were wars between chiefs in the Philippines, and often they had to traverse the ocean or cross bodies of waters to get to the lands they needed to fight on. It ended up becoming a process with a lot of planning. Though SEAs are people of the water, they obviously can’t breathe under it.  Nagas here are also important because in RATLD they are seen as powerful, respected protectors. And of course, they are borne of the water.

If you take a look at the picture above, it shows that part of the movie when the water starts disappearing because Sisu disappears. As the last water dragon, her connection to the water was keeping the land alive. With Sisu gone, so was the water, and therefore the protection for the people. The Druun spirit came in with no more hindrances because there was no water to stop them. 

The power of the water and the magical energy of the water dragon really showcased itself here.

Interconnectedness

SEA used to be an interconnected region that traded with each other. Of course, not that SEA countries don’t trade now, but it isn’t at the same level as before. The borders now were created after centuries of colonialization. 

Water is what connected all the countries of SEA. 

Just take a look at the map of SEA above (in red). There is no other region of the world that’s quite like this, except maybe Oceania and around the Mediterranean. It’s relatively easy for these countries and people to trade and share cultures and traditions with one another. Manila, Philippines and the Tondo region was once one of the most frequented ports in SEA. Trade was done with China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. The same kind of trade occurred in other SEA countries as well.

Because of the history of trade over water that is rich in its pre-colonial past, SEA shares many similar cultural aspects and even similar words in languages. Though of course, though there are similarities, there are a lot of differences as well. SEA is not a monolith.

If you want to think of it this way...that Korea, China, and Japan share so many things with each other including having a history of being able to share Chinese characters (the different names including hanzi, kanji, hanja), but that each country and culture is very different...that is what SEA is too. 

This aspect of interconnectedness, yet with differences is emulated in RATLD. In the lore for Kumandra, the movie notes that all the regions were once one, but were separated after something broke them (that something being the malice of the Druun spirit). Yet, if they worked together they could become Kumandra once again. 

It is shown in RATLD that the best way to make the spicy stew that is pops up multiple times, is to add all the spices and ingredients from all the regions of the land that was once Kumandra. This showcases that just like SEA, Kumandra was once a land of incredible interconnected communication and trade.

Kumandra wasn’t colonized, but it was separated by 500 years of land. The people didn’t use the water the same way. SEA was colonized (and actually, 500 years to the date on March 15, 1521 to March 15, 2021—the Philippines was “discovered” by the Spaniards so I wonder if that was a conscious choice on Disney’s part), and broken apart. I’m sure that without European colonialization, SEA could’ve been one huge interconnected country. Or bigger countries with different dialects. 

Spirituality 

Lastly, let’s talk about the spirituality of water. In RATLD, there are no other spirits besides the Druun which is made of discord and malice created from human malcontent. Yet, the Druun cannot go near water. I don’t know the exact reason for why it can’t or if it was inspired by a piece of mythology from an SEA country, but that is significant. (If you do know the reasoning behind this, please feel free to add onto this.)

SEA is full to the brim with myths and legends of nature spirits. From spirits that live in trees, to spirits that live in the water. And yes, they are spirits. They can be spirits of ancestors too.  The way Chief Benja pours a bowl of water on Raya’s head as beads of it float into the air...it is a great touch to highlight the energy that water just inherently has in any SEA tradition.

Though it’s probably a little reaching to point this out, the fact that Sisu was said to be washed to the end of a river is so interesting when Raya is looking for her. This is because in some SEA myths the river takes your spirit to the underworld. Raya finds Sisu at the end of a river and she is made of stone, her spirit stolen until her power is unleashed again with the dragon gem. 

Floating flowers Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the movie and as it relates to water is the fact that the animators made a conscious choice to show so much imagery of characters making flowers float upon water. And of course, to use floating flowers as decoration. Characters like Raya, Boun, and Sisu float flowers that look like orchids or jasmine flowers to remember their lost loved ones. The choice of flowers is significant too. These are flowers that are native to SEA. There are flowers everywhere and that is so pretty and so accurate. To have them used as decoration floating in pools is also so nice too, because it is something that is done in households and not just in a palace. You can float a gardenia flower in a bowl of water to make the scent spread in a room, and it makes the flower last longer.

End 

I’m sure there is a lot more I missed or things I got wrong. If you see anything you want to add or fix, please feel free to write it in any future reblogs!

[awoosmusehorde]

What Berserker of Ys had said to you not half an hour ago still bothered you. She'd spoken as if she knew you - knew everything you'd been through, even concerning the Incineration of Humanity... But what had she said about three more wars...? It sounded ridiculous. She couldn't have been referring to the Lostbelts; there were four left, yet, not three. Was that to mean there'd be three more Singularities like this one? Or three more major threats beyond the Lostbelts? It sounded almost like a prophecy - vague, and difficult to interpret, but something in the back of your head told you to disregard it - to ignore how crazy it seemed. And yet, the instinct you'd honed over the past years refused to do so. There had to be something more to it.

"Master? Are you listening?"

(♫)

You’re shaken out of your stupor by the sound of Maria’s voice. Right, you were supposed to be coming up with a plan of action before you’d spaced out and fixated on the Berserker’s cryptic words. Realizing you had nothing to gain from pondering on such an unsolvable warning right now, you shook the thoughts from your mind and apologized for getting distracted, which Mash was quick to accept.

“It’s all right, Master, we’ve been given a lot to consider in such a short amount of time, so let me reiterate.”

At the current moment, the main concern was finding a way to establish contact with Novum Chaldea. This would mean one of two things; either find a space where the mana wasn’t so prevalent and make it easier for the signal to reach, or figure out some way to make the signal strong enough to make it through the interference of the mana. From there, they could use Chaldea’s assistance to hopefully get a better read of the situation and determine an objective...

“Oh good, looks like everyone’s all settled in!”

The telltale cheerful voice of the other Master you’d met, Regina, rang out as she approached your group’s gathering in the midst of the tents you’d set up. Though the blonde’s appearance and manner of dress hinted at a noble’s upbringing, her demeanor was incredibly welcoming and friendly, with body language that made you easily feel comfortable. It seemed she was quite the friendly sort, able to get along with just about anyone, despite what was likely a wealthy upbringing - something that you had figured was a rarity among reputed magus houses. Or perhaps things were different here in Scholomance; magecraft was just a regular part of life, here, after all.

“Yes, thank you for allowing us to set up camp here. It’s very much appreciated!” Mash was quick to offer her thanks to Regina, who simply laughed and waved it off.

“If anything, we should be thanking you. You guys alone have more than tripled our fighting force, don’t forget. Olga and I can support our Servants, but in a direct fight, we have to leave it to Saber, Berserker, and Diane.”

That last mention caught your attention; did that mean that Diane was able to fight on par with even Servants?

“Well, perhaps not with particularly powerful Servants, but most enforcers of the House of Valhalla specifically learn to enhance their bodies for combat with magecraft. After all, they’re Scholomance’s police force, remember? Plus, their most elite members guard Yggdrasil itself. It’s Caster of Atlantis getting through them that shocked the Six Houses... A single Servant should’ve had no right getting through all of them, no matter how powerful.”

Einstein hummed to himself, casting a glance over to the massive tree that, even from this incredible distance, was still clearly visible to your entire group.

“Is there anything you guys can tell us about this Caster of Atlantis? Asking for her true name is probably a bit much, but even just what she looks like would be great. After all, it wouldn’t do to blindly stumble into a fight with her while traipsing around town.”

Regina’s expression grew more troubled as Einstein probed for more information, before the blonde shook her head and gave a small sigh. It was pretty clear that if she had anything, she’d be glad to tell you, but obviously, their lack of knowledge of the situation frustrated her just as much.

“Sadly, we’ve already told you everything we know. Communications have been sparse to non-existent, so the only information we can give you is things we’ve seen ourselves or what refugees we bring in have told us. But I don’t think you have to worry about coming into direct conflict with her unless you assault her base of operations at Yggdrasil; she mostly uses Phantasmal Beasts to patrol her ‘territory’. On occasion, she sends out a Servant to eliminate or capture other Servants and Masters. Often entire groups of them.”

Wait... A single Servant? So not only was Caster of Atlantis powerful enough to single-handedly capture Yggdrasil, but there’s a Servant in her employ capable of blindly going out and taking on multiple Servants at once? In response, Regina nodded grimly, her disposition having long faded, making it clear just how dire the resistance’s situation truly was, despite her earlier, chipper attitude.

“Judging from descriptions of how she fought, we think she’s a Berserker, which only makes the fact that she tries to capture her opponents intact all the more distressing. Can you imagine a monster like that, with the ability to reason and strategize?”

Many of the Berserkers you knew were certainly more intelligent than they seemed, but there was always that pervading madness below the surface that did indeed make them a bit harder to control, or work with in a more strategic sense... Lost in thought, your attention was snapped back to reality when Maria elected to speak up.

“For now, let’s simply focus on what needs to be done. Speaking of communications, we have allies that we need to contact as soon as possible, but I’m afraid our method of contacting them is... primitive, to put it kindly. I don’t suppose you can acquire a communicator that can cut through the ambient mana?”

Regina seemed a bit surprised to hear that, but luckily, seemed to take it at face value; her Servant’s earlier comment about being able to trust you seemed to make it easier for her to simply accept whatever it is you said without any questions asked, thankfully.

“Sadly, we don’t have any on hand, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to acquire one. There’s a pretty reliable supplier of items we can get into contact with, but that’ll take some time... In the meantime, there is something you can do for us to really get things moving.”

You don’t hesitate to nod in response; after all, the reason you’re here in their camp is because you agreed to help in the first place. Anything you can do to assist while they get you what you need, you’ll do. Comforted by your reaffirmation of your desire to help, Regina turned to call over to Diane, who made her way over to your group, still looking as distrustful as ever, before the blonde asked her to tell you about the thing she needed doing.

(♫)

“So, if we’re to start building up a proper fighting force to reclaim Yggdrasil, we need as many Servants and Masters on our side as possible. As many as you have, it’s no secret that, in terms of strength, your Servants suffer a bit in return - quantity over quality, you might say - so even if you have numbers, we’re still hardly what I would call a ‘fighting force’.”

You can’t help but wince a bit in response to her brutally-honest dissection of you and your Servants, in stark opposition to Olga’s prior glowing praise. You can practically feel Shangxiang from her position to the side bristle at the remarks, an inch away from challenging the enforcer, but she manages to hold herself back. Seeing your lack of response, Diane continued.

“To this end, we need to stop Caster’s primary means of taking these Servants out of the running - her own little lapdog, who we’ve taken to calling ‘Berserker of Atlantis’.”

Regina interrupted briefly to mention offhandedly that she’d already explained the situation with Berserker, to which Diane nodded, perhaps a little thankful that she didn’t have to do so, herself.

“So, you’ve probably figured by now that we simply can’t throw you at her head-on and expect to win. No, you’ll have to lure her out, try to find out as much about her as you can - the way she fights, exactly how strong she is, and preferably her True Name and any weaknesses she might have - and then book it before things get too dicey. Any information you glean is useless if you’re dead.”

You nod in response; that sounds clear enough to you. After all, you’ve dealt with similarly-dangerous odds, before. You had faith in your ability to get out of dodge when things got dicey, if nothing else. Expressing that in a half-joking manner actually managed to get a brief smirk out of Diane, before her expression returned to its original, stern look.

“So, of course, you’ll need to actually get Atlantis to send her out after you, but that’s the easy part - you’ll need to make your way out to the No Man’s Land where their Phantasmal Beasts do their patrols and just start killing them until Berserker comes out to play. From there, I’ll trust that you know what you’re doing and can get us what we need to start formulating a real plan. Sound good?”

With another nod, you stood from your seat at the little circle you and your Servants had formed. Once you learned where you were going, it was just a matter of coming up with a plan for your impending confrontation and your escape on the way there...

[writemarcus]

HITTING NEW HEIGHTS

BY MARCUS SCOTT

ORIGINAL RENT STAR DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA TAKES YOU INSIDE THE IN THE HEIGHTS FILM

Qué quiere decir sueñito?” The disembodied voice of a girlchild ponders. “It means ‘little dream,’” responds an unseen authoritative figure, his feathery tenor with a soft rasp and tender lilt implying there’s more to the story.

Teal waves crash against the white sand coastal lines of the Dominican Republic and a quartet of children plead with the voice to illuminate and tell a story. Usnavi de la Vega (played by Anthony Ramos), sporting his signature newsboy flat cap and full goatee, begins to narrate and weave a tall-tale from the comforts of his beachside food cart: “This is the story of a block that was disappearing. Once upon a time in a faraway land called Nueva York, en barrio called Washington Heights. Say it, so it doesn’t disappear,” he decrees.

And we’re off, this distant magic kingdom ensnared within the winding urban sprawl of farthest-uptown Manhattan, the music of the neighborhood chiming with infinite possibilities: a door-latch fastening on tempo, a ring of keys sprinkling a sweet embellishment, the splish-splash of a garden hose licking the city streets like a drumstick to a snare fill, a manhole cover rotating like vinyl on a get-down turntable, the hiss of paint cans spraying graffiti like venoms from cobras and roll-up steel doors rumbling, not unlike the ultra-fast subway cars zigzagging underground. So begins the opening moments of In the Heights, the Warner Bros. stage-to-screen adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical by composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) and librettist Quiara Alegría Hudes (Water by the Spoonful) that is set to premiere in movie theatres and on HBO Max on June 11, 2021.

This stunning patchwork of visuals and reverberations combine to create a defiant and instantly memorable collage of inner-city living not seen since Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic The Warriors or West Side Story, the iconic romantic musical tragedy directed on film by Robert Wise and original Broadway director Jerome Robbins. With Jon M. Chu at the helm, the musical feature has all the trademarks of the director’s opulent signature style: Striking spectacles full of stark colors, va-va-voom visuals, ooh-la-la hyperkinetic showstopping sequences and out-of-this-world destination locations.

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A Kind of Priestess

Joining the fray of proscenium stage vets in the film is Broadway star Daphne Rubin-Vega, who originated the role of Mimi in the Off-Broadway and Broadway original productions of Rent. She returns to major motion pictures after a decade since her last outing in Nancy Savoca’s Union Square, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011. When we caught up with Rubin-Vega, she was hard at work, in-between rehearsals with her In the Heights co-star Jimmy Smits on Two Sisters and a Piano, the 1999 play by Miami-based playwright Nilo Cruz, a frequent collaborator. Rubin-Vega netted a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as the enraptured Conchita in Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics; that same year Cruz was awarded the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, making him the first Latino playwright to receive the honor. Despite significant global, social and economic disruption, especially within the arts community, Rubin-Vega has been working throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People around me have [contracted] COVID… My father-in-law just had it. I’m very fortunate,” Rubin-Vega said. “This collective experience, it’s funny because it’s a year now and things seem better. Last year it was, like, ‘Damn, how inconvenient!’ The one comfort was that, you know, it’s happening to every one of us. That clarity that this is a collective experience is much more humbling and tolerable to me.”

The last time Rubin-Vega graced Washington Heights on screen or stage, she acted in the interest of survival and hunger as a probationer released after a 13-year stint in prison and given a new lease on life as an unlicensed amateur masseuse in the basement of an empanada shop in Empanada Loca, The Spalding Gray-style Grand Guignol horror play by Aaron Mark at the LAByrinth Theater Company in 2015. In In the Heights she plays Daniela, an outrageously vivacious belting beautician with a flair for the dramatics, forced to battle a price-gouging real estate bubble in the wake of gentrification.

“She’s like the deputy or the priestess,” Rubin-Vega said. “Owning a salon means that you have a lot of information; you’re in a hub of community, of information, of sharing… it’s also where you go for physical grooming. It’s a place where women were empowered to create their own work and it is a place of closeness, spiritual advice, not-so-spiritual advice. Physical attention.”

She said, “Daniela also being an elder; I think she’s not so much a person that imposes order on other people. She’s there to bring out the best—she leads with love. She tells it like it is. I don’t think she sugar-coats things. What you see is what you get with Daniela. It’s refreshing; she has a candor and sure-footedness that I admire.”

With the film adaptation, Chu and Hudes promised to expand the universe of the Upper Manhattan-based musical, crafting new dimensions and nuances to two characters in particular: Daniela and hairdresser Carla, originally portrayed as business associates and gossip buddies in the stage musical. On the big screen they are reimagined as romantic life partners. Stephanie Beatriz, known to audiences for her hilarious turn as the mysterious and aloof Detective Rosa Diaz in the police procedural sitcom romp “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” co-stars as the fast-talking firecracker, Carla.

It’s been a year waiting, you know. It’s like the lid’s been on it and so we’re just so ready to explode.

Where Is Home?

“Well, Quiara and Jon really expanded on what Lin and Quiara originally created and now they’re partners—and not just work partners, right? But they’re life partners,” Beatriz said at a March press event celebrating the release of the film’s two promo trailers. “What was so gratifying to me as a person who is queer is to see this relationship in the film be part of the fabric of the community, and to be normal, and be happy and functioning, and part of the quilt they’ve all created.”

She continued, “So much of this film is about where home is and who home is to you. And for Carla, Daniela is home. Wherever Daniela is, that’s where Carla feels at home. I thought that they did such a beautiful job of guiding us to this, really, you know, it’s just a happy functioning relationship that happens to be gay and in the movie. And I love that they did that, because it is such a part of our world.”

Rubin-Vega said she had no interest in playing any trope of what one might think a lesbian Latina might look or act like, noting that the queer experience isn’t monolithic, while expressing that the role offered her a newfound freedom, especially with regard to being present in the role and in her everyday life.

“Spoiler alert! I felt like not wearing a bra was going to free me. Did I get it right? Am I saying that gay women don’t wear bras? No, it was just a way for me to be in my body and feel my breasts. To feel my femaleness and celebrate it in a more unapologetic way,” she said, laughing. “To be honest, I was really looking forward to playing a lesbian Latina. It’s something that I hadn’t really explored before. Latinos [can be] very homophobic as a culture, and I wanted to play someone who didn’t care about homophobia; I was gonna live my best life. That’s a bigger thing. It’s also like, maybe I’m bisexual. Who knows? Who cares? If you see that in the film, that’s cool too, you know?”

Stand-out performances abound, especially with regard to the supporting cast; newcomers Melissa Barrera (in a role originated by Tony Award winner Karen Olivo) and Gregory Diaz IV (replacing three-time Tony Award nominee Robin de Jesús) are noteworthy as the aspiring fashion designer Vanessa and budding activist Sonny. Olga Merediz, who earned a Tony Award nomination for originating her role as Abuela Claudia, returns to the silver screen in a captivating performance that will be a contender come award season. However, Rubin-Vega may just be the one to watch. Her performance is incandescent and full of moxie, designed to raise endorphin levels. She leads an ensemble in the rousing “Carnaval del Barrio,” a highlight in the film.

Musical Bootcamp

“We shot in June [2019]. In April, we started musical bootcamp. In May, we started to do the choreography. My big joke was that I would have to get a knee replacement in December; that was in direct relation to all that choreography. I mean, there were hundreds of A-1 dancers in the posse,” Rubin-Vega said. “The family consisted of hundreds of superlative dancers led by Chris[topher] Scott, with an amazing team of dancers like Ebony Williams, Emilio Dosal, Dana Wilson, Eddie Torres Jr. and Princess Serrano. We rehearsed a fair bit. Monday through Friday for maybe five weeks. The first day of rehearsal I met Melissa [Barrera] and Corey [Hawkins], I pretty much hadn’t known everyone yet. I hadn’t met Leslie [Grace] yet. Chris Scott, the choreographer, just went straight into ‘let’s see what you can do.’ It was the first [dance] routine of ‘In The Heights,’ the opening number. He was like, ‘OK, let’s go. Five, six, seven, eight!’”

Rubin-Vega said that she tried to bring her best game, though it had “been a minute” since she had to execute such intricate choreography, noting that they shot the opening number within a day while praising Chu’s work ethic and leadership.

“There was a balance between focus and fun and that’s rare. Everyone was there because they wanted to be there,” she said. “I think back to the day we shot ‘96,000.’ That day it wouldn’t stop raining; [it was] grey and then the sky would clear and we’d get into places and then it would be grey again and so we’d have to wait and just have to endure. But even the bad parts were kind of good, too. Even the hottest days. There were gunshots, there was a fire while we were shooting and we had to shut down, there was traffic and noise and yet every time I looked around me or went into video village and saw the faces in there, I mean…it felt like the only place to be. You want to feel like that in every place you are: The recognition. I could recognize people who look like me. For now on, you cannot say I’ve never seen a Panamanian on film before or a Columbian or a Mexican, you know?”

Another Notion of Beauty

Rubin-Vega’s professional relationship with the playwright Hudes extends to 2015, when she was tapped to [participate in the] workshop [production of]  Daphne’s Dive. Under the direction of Thomas Kail (Hamilton) and starring alongside Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Orange Is the New Black”), the play premiered Off-Broadway at the Pershing Square Signature Center the following year. Rubin-Vega also starred in Miss You Like Hell, the cross-country road musical by Hudes and Erin McKeown, which premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 2016 before it transferred to The Public Theater in 2018. With her participation in the production of In the Heights, she is among the few to have collaborated with all of the living Latinx playwrights to have won the Pulitzer Prize; Hudes won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Water by the Spoonful, while Miranda took home the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Hamilton. Speaking on her multiple collaborations over the years, Rubin-Vega also acknowledged having known Miranda years before they would join voices.

“Lin to me is like a little bro or legacy; he’s a direct descent to me from [Rent author] Jonathan Larson, which is a bigger sort of all-encompassing arch,” she said, though she stressed that she auditioned like everyone else, landing the role after two or three callbacks. “Quiara and I have a wonderful working and personal relationship, I think. Which isn’t to say I had dibs by any means because…it’s a business that wants the best for itself, I suppose. […] So, when I walked in, I was determined to really give it my best.”

Life During and After Rent

Rubin-Vega has built an impressive resume over the course of her career, singing along with the likes of rock stars like David Bowie and starring in a multitude of divergent roles on Broadway and off. From a harrowing Fantine in Les Misérables and a co-dependent Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire to a sinister Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, her evolution into the atypical character actor and leading lady can be traced back 25 years to January 25, 1996, when Larson’s groundbreaking musical Rent, a retelling of Giacomo Puccini’s 19th-century opera La Bohème, premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop. On the morning of the first preview, Larson suffered an aortic dissection, likely from undiagnosed Marfan’s syndrome and died at the age of 35, just ten days shy of what would have been his 36th birthday.

On April 29, 1996, due to overwhelming popularity, Rent transferred to Nederlander Theatre on Broadway, tackling contemporary topics the Great White Way had rarely seen, such as poverty and class warfare during the AIDS epidemic in New York City’s gritty East Village at the turn of the millennium. Rubin-Vega would go on to be nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for her role as sex kitten Mimi Márquez, an HIV-positive heroin addict and erotic dancer.

  The show became a cultural phenomenon, receiving several awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Rubin-Vega and members of the original Broadway cast were suddenly overnight sensations, recording “Seasons of Love” alongside music icon Stevie Wonder, receiving a photo shoot with Vanity Fair and landing the May 13, 1996 cover of Newsweek. Throughout its 12-year Broadway run, many of the show’s original cast members and subsequent replacements would go on to be stars, including Renée Elise Goldsberry, who followed in Rubin-Vega’s footsteps to play the popular character before originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

When the screen adaptation of Rent hit cinemas in 2005 under the direction of Chris Columbus, Rubin-Vega’s conspicuous absence came as a blow to longtime fans. The confluence of pregnancy with the casting and filming process of Rent hindered her from participating at the time. The role was subsequently given to movie star Rosario Dawson.

“First of all, if you’re meant to be in a film, you’re meant to be in it,” Rubin-Vega said. “That’s just the way it goes. It took a quarter of a century but this [In the Heights] is a film that I wanted to make, that I felt the elements sat right. I always felt that Rent was a little bit darker than all that. Rent to me is Rated R. In The Heights is not. It’s also a testament. Unless it’s sucking your soul and killing you softly or hardly, just stick with it. This is a business and I keep forgetting it’s a business because actors just want to show art. So, it’s really wonderful when you get a chance to say what you mean and mean what you say with your work. It’s a really wonderful gift.”

Rarely-Explored Themes

Like Larson’s award-winning show and the film adapted from it, In The Heights is jam-packed with hard-hitting subject matter, addressing themes of urban blight, immigration, gentrification, cultural identity, assimilation and U.S. political history. When Rubin-Vega’s character Daniela and her partner were priced out of the rent for her salon, most of her clientele moved to the Grand Concourse Historic District in the Bronx. Her salon, a bastion of the community, is met with a polar response when she announces she’s joining the mass exodus with the other victims of gentrification who were pushed out by rising rents. The news is met with negative response from long-time patrons who refuse to take the short commute to the new location. Daniela counters, “Our people survived slave ships, we survived Taino [indigenous Caribbean people] genocide, we survived conquistadores and dictators…you’re telling me we can’t survive the D train to Grand Concourse?”

The question is humorous, but also insinuates a more nuanced understanding of the AfroLatinidad experience in the Western world. The film also looks at the American Dream with a naturalistic approach. Leslie Grace, who plays Nina Rosario, a first-generation college student returning from her freshman year at Stanford University and grappling with finances and the expectations of her community, noted that while her character “finds [herself] at some point at a fork in the road,” she may not have the luxury to be indecisive because of the pressures put on by family, community and country.  

“The struggle of the first-generation Americans in the Latino community is not talked about a lot because it’s almost like a privilege,” Grace asserted. “You feel like it’s a privilege to talk about it. But there is a lot of identity crisis that comes with it and I think we explore that.” Speaking on the character, she elaborated: “Home for her is where her heart is, but also where her purpose is. So, she finds her purpose in doing something outside of herself, greater than herself and going back to Stanford for the people she loves in her community. I really relate to where she’s at, trying to find herself. And I think a lot of other people will, too.”

Worth Singing About

For Miranda, a first-generation Puerto Rican New Yorker that grew up in Inwood at the northernmost tip of Manhattan before attending Wesleyan University where he would develop the musical, this speaks to a larger issue of what defines a home.

“What does ‘home’ even mean? Every character is sort of answering it in a different way,” he said. “For some people, home is somewhere else. For some people, home is like ‘the block’ they’re on. So, that’s worth singing about. It’s worth celebrating in a movie of this size.”

Given the current zeitgeist, it’s no wonder why Chu, Hudes and Miranda decided to pivot with adapting the stage musical for the big screen, leaning in to tackle the plights and predicaments of DREAMers [children of undocumented immigrants seeking citizenship] stateside. In one scene, glimpses of posters at a protest rally read “Immigrant Rights are Human Rights” and “Refugees Are People Too.” Growing up in a multicultural household as a Latina with a Black Latina mother, a white father and a Jewish American stepfather, Rubin-Vega said she was used to being in spaces that were truly multiracial. Nevertheless, there were times when she often felt alien, especially as a du jour rock musical ingenue who looked as she did in the mid-1990s through the 2000s.

“Undocumented people come in different shapes and colors,” she noted. “To be born in a land that doesn’t recognize you, it’s a thing that holds so much horror… so much disgrace happens on the planet because human beings aren’t recognized as such sometimes.”

The film “definitely sheds light on that, but it also talks about having your dream taken away and its human violation—it’s a physical, spiritual, social, cultural violation,” Rubin-Vega said. “There’s a difference between pursuing dreams and being aware of reality. They’re not mutually exclusive. What this film does, it presents a story that is fairly grounded in reality. It’s a musical, it’s over the top… but it reflects a bigger reality, which is like an emotional reality…that people that are challenged on the daily, have incredible resolve, incredible resoluteness and lifeforce.”

She said: “Growing up, looking like me, I got to ingest the same information as everyone else except when it came time to implement my contributions, they weren’t as welcomed or as seen. The dream is to be seen and to be recognized. Maybe I could be an astronaut or an ingenue on Broadway? You can’t achieve stuff that you haven’t imagined. When it talks about DREAMers, it talks about that and it talks about how to not be passive in a culture that would have you think you are passive but to be that change and to dare to be that change.”

Dreams Come True

Dreams are coming true. Alongside the nationwide release of the much-anticipated film, Random House announced it will publish In the Heights: Finding Home, which will give a behind-the-scenes look at the beginnings of Miranda’s 2008 breakout Broadway debut and journey to the soon-to-be-released film adaptation. The table book will chronicle the show’s 20-year voyage from page to stage—from Miranda’s first drawings at the age of 19 to lyric annotations by Miranda and essays written by Hudes to never-before-seen photos from productions around the world and the 2021 movie set. It will be released to the public on June 22, eleven days after the release of the film; an audiobook will be simultaneously released by Penguin Random House Audio.

Hinting at the year-long delay due to the pandemic, Rubin-Vega said, “It’s been a year waiting, you know. It’s like the lid’s been on it and so we’re just so ready to explode.”

Bigger Dreams

“Jon [Chu], I think, dreams bigger than any of us dare to dream in terms of the size and scope of this,” Miranda said. “We spent our summer [in 2018] on 175th Street. You know, he was committed to the authenticity of being in that neighborhood we [all] grew up in, that we love, but then also when it comes to production numbers, dreaming so big. I mean, this is a big movie musical!”

Miranda continued, “We’re so used to asking for less, just to ask to occupy space, you know? As Latinos, we’re, like, ‘Please just let us make our little movie.’ And Jon, every step of the way, said, like, ‘No, these guys have big dreams. We’re allowed to go that big!’ So, I’m just thrilled with what he did ’cause I think it’s bigger than any of us ever dreamed.”

Speaking at the online press conference, Miranda said, “I’m talking to you from Washington Heights right now! I love it here. The whole [movie] is a love letter to this neighborhood. I think it’s such an incredible neighborhood. It’s the first chapter in so many stories. It’s a Latinx neighborhood [today]. It was a Dominican neighborhood when I was growing up there in the ’80s. But before that it was an Irish neighborhood and Italian. It’s always the first chapter in so many American stories.”

[opbackgrounds]

so I was doing some research after watching movie 6...

...and apparently it was originally written as a comedy

Yeah, I was surprised, too

Baron Omatsuri is not my favorite One Piece movie—Film Z has too many of my favorite tropes to be usurped from that position—but I do think it is the most daring. Of all the supplemental material I’ve seen and read, it feels the least...One Piece-ish. 

Yes, that includes the noodle commercials. 

If you haven’t seen the movie and can stomach a little spookiness, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Unlike movies like Strong World or Z that have the look and feel of a manga arc, Movie 6 transplants the Straw Hat Pirates into a world that doesn’t feel like a One Piece story, taking risks and exploring themes that would never fit in the manga proper. 

In addition to the obvious changes in art and animation style, there are supernatural elements that don’t make sense within the One Piece world. None of the Straw Hats win a fight—Luffy included, although he is heavily implied to have killed the big bad at the end. The moral of the movie, if it can be said to have a moral, is if you lose the people closest to you, the answer is to forget about them and make new friends. The story ends with many questions left unanswered and the main drama between the crew unresolved.

And, if you allow me to get philosophical for a moment, I wish there were more movies like it. As I wrote in my review of Novel A, I don’t go to supplemental material or side stories looking for a repeat of what’s in the manga. Oda has written 1000 chapters of One Piece—why not spice things up a little and try something different for a change?

I know the answer isn’t that simple, and by their very nature not all risks will pan out. There will be people who don’t like this movie because it’s different, both in look and tone. But there’s something to be said about a creator putting their heart and soul into a work and having it show in the final product. 

Which brings us back to the original premise. How does a movie go from a light-hearted comedy based on a variety show theme to...this

Baron Omatsuri was directed by Mamoru Hosoda and came out in 2005. To put that into perspective, the movie was in production when the Luffy vs Usopp fight was first seen in the manga. Manga!Luffy had not yet faced the challenge of an inter-crew disputes when the story was being written and boarded, nor did the creative team have the events of Sabaody and Marineford to see how Luffy would react to the loss of his loved ones. They were working without a full understanding of Luffy’s character, and to a lessor extent the character of the Straw Hat Pirates, and it seems like Oda was much less involved In production than has been in movies since Strong World and beyond. 

Likewise, Hosoda had just left a tumultuous situation at Studio Ghibli while working on Howl’s Moving Castle, and if this interview is anything to go by (https://instrangeaeonsblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/mamoru-hosoda-on-omatsuri-danshaku-animestyle-interview-part-1/) was going through a lot of personal shit when he was brought on as director. The script he was given was originally written like a variety show—something that was carried over into the various trials seen in the final movie—and meant to be a lighthearted affair after the relatively serious Movie 5 (which I have not seen am thus unable to compare tone). 

With that backstory in mind, it’s easy to see how the bickering and backbiting between the Straw Hats early in the movie is a metaphor for Hosoda’s time at Ghibli, which is something he admits to in the interview. Movie 6 feels different than any other One Piece movie because it’s the project of a man who has had to endure the loss of those who he was close with, at least in a professional capacity. 

There are moments in Movie 6 where Luffy doesn’t feel like Luffy. More than once a member of the Straw Hats ask him to intervene during arguments, moments Luffy either ignores or doesn’t notice. It’s a version of Water 7 where instead of fighting Usopp, Luffy ignores the underlying differences within his crew, and as a result loses everybody. 

The structure of the three trials follows a clear path of deterioration within the crew, the initial goldfish scooping game showing the Straw Hats at their best and inciting the jealousy of the Baron, the ring toss sowing discord among the crew even as they snatch a narrow victory, only for them to be utterly crushed in the third and final challenge as they’re unable help one another survive. 

It is somewhat implied that the Breaking of the Fellowship(TM) is magical in nature—that like the One Ring, the Lily Carnation was able to influence the Straw Hat’s thoughts and actions, but this is never stated outright and I prefer the more mundane interpretation: That without strong leadership the Straw Hats fell victim to the manipulative machinations of the Baron, and simply self-destructed as a result.  In the end, it’s up to the interpretation of the viewer. 

And speaking of things up to interpretation, I love how the Lily Carnation isn’t explained in the slightest. The plant that initially absorbs the Straw Hats looks more like the stem of a devil fruit than a flower, it for some reason rings like a gong when hit, and somehow is able to turn pieces of itself into facsimile of the Baron’s old crew who can somehow move around despite being plans. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and the element of the unknown works so well in the horror-lite setting. 

My personal theory is the island somehow managed to eat a devil fruit which manifests itself as the Lily Carnation (which due to the L/R conflation in Japanese, is pronounced ‘reincarnation’, which I think is a nice touch of foreshadowing that may or may not have been intentional).

(Also, I can’t decide if little chewing animation it makes when it’s eating people or the weird bullseyes it makes when shit gets real are the most terrifying thing in the movie.)

Hmmm, tasty.

Anyway, this is getting long, so here are some final thoughts:

1) This movie has some low key fantastic outfits. The Straw Hats all look very cool without being over designed like a lot of recent movies. Big hat Robin is of course a fave, and makes me really want to see her in a Carmen Sandiego getup.

2) Screenshots do not do the animation of the movie justice. It’s very fluid and has a lot of excellent expressions/poses, although I admit the 3D is jarring at times. Do not let the art put you off if you haven’t seen it 

3) Also, I don’t think there’s any shading? Like at all? The movie does a lot of cool stuff with color instead. For example, the scene where Luffy initially loses to the Baron his skin goes all grey, and I thought it was because he was fighting at night, but it stays grey even in the better lighting of the underground tunnels and stays that way until he finds out the Straw Hats are still alive, where it returns to his normal color

4) There’s an extended Benny Hill-type gag when Luffy first chases after the little mustache pirate that’s perfectly timed to the music, and ends when Luffy just uses his power to grab him. The comedic timing is amazing and it’s probably my favorite funny moment in the movie, of which there are several despite the overall darker tone

5) The extended jungle shot from Nami’s POV? Very cool

6) I love how from the earliest scenes nothing is as it seems. The opening text is Robin reading the map, but the storm that’s seen on screen is the one that sank the Baron’s crew. Likewise the whole fancy city is shown to be fake panels early on, the goldfish catching game is a trap, etc., etc. It does a good job clueing the viewer in early that’s something’s very wrong on the island, even if they don’t realize it at first

7) I don’t think this type of movie would work in modern One Piece without somehow nerfing Luffy. Horror works best when the protagonist is weak and vulnerable, and that fits best with a pre-Gear 2/3 Luffy (same with the rest of the crew, tbh. I was waiting for Nami to use her lightning stick during the games, forgetting it hadn’t been boosted yet). 

8) I like how there are four captains on the island representing different levels of loss—the Baron has lost his crew and wants to destroy all others because of it, mustache pirate lost his crew and is willing to put it behind him to make new friends, Luffy has freshly lost his crew and hasn’t decided what path he will go, and coward dad hasn’t lost his crew yet but is at risk if he doesn’t change his cowardly ways

9) I think the reason why Chopper was the first Straw Hat to disappear is he’s the most likely to play the part of peacemaker. He’s also the only crew member needing rescuing at the end of the goldfish scoop game, when Luffy foolishly puts his life at risk trying to save him from drowning, just like he recklessly charges the Baron at the end of the movie. Except that time there was no Sanji to save him, leaving Luffy to get his ass thoroughly kicked

10) This is a very good Halloween movie, and I’m glad I watched it in October

[samwisethewitch]

What does it mean to be pagan? (Paganism 101 Ch. 1)

That’s right, y’all! With Baby Witch Bootcamp officially wrapped, it’s time to jump into our next long term series! I put out a poll on Patreon, and my patrons voted for Paganism 101 as our next series. While not all witches are pagan and not all pagans are witches, there is a lot of overlap between the two groups. Both witchcraft and paganism offer practitioners a sense of freedom, a deeper connection to the world around them, and a greater awareness of their personal power.

I identify both as a witch and as a pagan, and I get a lot of questions about paganism. In this series, we’ll go through the basics: what it means to be pagan, the difference between a neopagan and a reconstructionist, and the role of magic in different pagan traditions. We’ll also talk about some of the most popular modern pagan traditions and how to find the right tradition for you.

Let’s start off by answering the question, “What does pagan actually mean?”

Defining “Pagan”

It’s important to remember that “pagan” is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of different faiths. Someone who practices Wicca, for example, will have very different beliefs from someone who practices Hellenismos. These different faiths are linked by a shared history, rather than by shared beliefs or practices.

The word “pagan” comes from the Latin “paganus,” which literally means “area outside of a city” or, to phrase it slightly differently, “countryside.” This adjective was used to describe people and things that were rustic or rural and, over time, came to also have the connotation of being uneducated. Originally, the word had no religious association, and was even used to refer to non-combatants by the Roman military.

From this definition, we can gain some insight into what makes a religion or practice pagan. Pagans feel a kinship with the wild or rural places of the world, and are comfortable waking “off the beaten path.”

But how did “paganus” come to refer to a type of religion, anyway?

To understand the religious meaning of “paganus,” it’s necessary to understand a little bit about the religion of Ancient Rome. Rome (the city) was built inside a pomerium, a sacred boundary that formed a spiritual border around the city and its people. Paganus folks were those who lived outside the pomerium and, as such, may not have been strict adherents of the state religion — they certainly wouldn’t have been able to travel into the city for every major festival. They may have gotten a bit more creative with their worship of the gods. However, as previously stated, the word paganus did not have an explicitly religious meaning in ancient times.

The use of paganus as a religious label began after the legalization of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 313 C.E. Christianity would not be adopted as the official state religion until 380 C.E., but Constantine’s conversion and decriminalization of Christian worship paved the way for Rome’s transformation into a Christian state. It was around this time, as Christianity was quickly growing in urban areas, that early Roman Christians began using the word “paganus” to refer to those who still practiced polytheism. Rather than referring to those outside the city’s boundary or to untrained civilians, the label now referred to those outside the Church, those who were not “soldiers of Christ.”

As Christianity spread in popularity throughout the Mediterranean, Europe, and Northern Africa, the pagan label was applied to all non-Christians in those areas. The word “pagan” became a derogatory label, implying an inferior and backwards religion.

So, really, the thing that makes a religion pagan is a historical conflict with Christianity. Pagan religions are those that were suppressed or completely destroyed after Christianity became the dominant faith in the region.

This is why Norse Paganism and Kemetic (Egyptian) polytheism, which are very different, are both considered “pagan” while Shinto, a Japanese religion that shares a lot of common features with many pagan faiths, is not. Because Christianity never achieved total dominance in Japan, Shinto was never pushed aside to make room for Jesus.

In the 20th century, people who felt drawn to these old religions started to reclaim the pagan label. Like many other reclaimed slurs, “pagan” became a positive label for a community united by their shared history.

What do all pagans have in common?

This is a tough question to answer because, as stated above, paganism is a historical definition, not one shaped by belief or practice. However, there are some things most pagans have in common. Here are a few of them, although these concepts may take different forms in different traditions.

Paganism…

… is (usually) polytheistic. Most pagans do not subscribe to monotheism, the belief in a single, all-powerful divine being. Some pagans are polytheists, meaning they believe in multiple divine beings with varying levels of power. Hellenic pagans, Norse pagans, and Celtic pagans are typically polytheists. Still others are monists, meaning they believe in a single divine source that manifests itself as multiple gods. Wiccans and other neopagans are typically monists. Many pagans fall somewhere in-between strict polytheism and strict monism. We’ll talk more about polytheism in a future post, but for now just know that the idea of a single, supreme creator is not compatible with most forms of paganism.

… is based in reciprocity. This is a concept that may seem odd to those who grew up around Abrahamic religions: the idea of engaging the gods in a mutually beneficial partnership, rather than one-sided worship. When we connect with the gods, we receive spiritual, emotional, and physical blessings. The gods also benefit, as they are strengthened by our prayers and offerings. (I like to think they also enjoy the company. It has to be lonely, having your body of worshipers supplanted by an anarchist carpenter from Palestine.) The concept of reciprocity is why most pagans make physical offerings to their gods.

Reciprocity also extends to our relationships with other people. Most pagan religions have a code of ethics that includes values like hospitality, kindness, and/or fairness with others. Depending on the pagan, reciprocity may even extend to the dead! Many (but not all) pagans practice ancestor worship, the act of honoring and venerating the beloved dead.

Reciprocity may even extend to the world at large. Some (but not all) pagans are animists, which means they believe that every animal, plant, and stone contains its own spirit. Animist pagans strive to live in harmony with the spirits of the world around them, and may make offerings to these spirits as a sign of friendship.

… embraces the Divine Feminine. Paganism acknowledges and venerates both masculine and feminine expressions of divinity. Polytheist pagans worship both gods and goddesses, while monist pagans see the divine Source as encompassing all genders. In either case, the end result is the same: pagans acknowledge that, sometimes, God is a woman. (Cue the Ariana Grande song.)

Paganism also acknowledges gender expressions outside the masculine/feminine binary. Many pagan deities, like Loki (in Norse paganism), Atum (in Kemetic paganism), and Aphroditus (a masculine aspect of the Greek Aphordite) exist somewhere in the grey area between man and woman.

… is compatible with a mystic mindset. Remember how I said there’s a lot of overlap between witchcraft and paganism? Part of the reason for that is because paganism is highly compatible with magic and other mystical practices. Most pagans believe that humans have, or can attain, some level of divine power. It makes sense that this power would manifest as magic, or as other spiritual abilities. Many of the ancient cultures modern paganism draws inspiration from practiced magic in some form, so it follows that modern pagans would as well.

… draws inspiration from the ancient stories. As we discussed, “pagan” originally referred to the religious groups that were pushed out by Christian hegemony. As a result, every modern pagan is a little bit of a historian. Because paganism was pushed underground, it takes a little digging to find myths, rituals, and prayers that can be used or adapted for modern practice.

Many pagans worship historic deities that you’ve probably read about at some point. Visit any pagan pride event, and you’ll probably find worshipers of Zeus, Venus, Thor, and Isis, just to name a few. Studying and interpreting ancient mythology and archaeological evidence is a big part of modern paganism.

… is a religion with homework. If you’ve read this far, you may be beginning to realize that being pagan is a lot of work. It’s fun, spiritually fulfilling, and very rewarding work, but work all the same. Because very few modern pagans have access to temples, priests and priestesses, or an in-person community that shares their beliefs, they end up having to teach themselves, do their own research, and guide their own practice.

This is incredibly empowering, as it means you are your own religious authority. It does, however, mean that you will occasionally have to open a book or slog through a dense academic article about the most recent archaeological find related to your favorite deity. Thankfully, there’s a growing number of accessible, beginner-friendly books, blogs, podcasts, and YouTube channels to help you in your research.

… embodies a deep respect for the natural world. While not all pagans are animists, most pagans do feel some sort of reverence for the forces of nature. Many pagan deities are associated with natural forces or use the natural world to communicate with their followers. Because of this, not only do pagans respect and love nature, but they’re constantly watching it for signs and messages. (Are you really friends with a pagan if they haven’t called you crying because they found a crow feather on the ground or saw a woodpecker in their backyard?)

Some pagan groups, especially neopagan religions like Wicca, have been classified as Earth-centered religions. Personally, I dislike this term. While it is true that many pagans feel a deep spiritual connection to the Earth and may even venerate local nature spirits, to say that these religions are “Earth-centered” feels like an oversimplification. Wiccans, for example, don’t actually worship nature — they worship the God and Goddess, who they see reflected in the natural world.

… is driven by individual spiritual practice. As mentioned above, very few pagans have access to an in-person community. Because of this, modern paganism largely consists of individual practices. Even pagans who do belong to a community still typically worship on their own sometimes. These personal practices may involve prayer, offerings to the gods, meditation, divination, astral travel, performing religious rituals, or countless other practices. Many pagans have personal altars in their homes, where they worship alone or with their family.

… is a celebration of daily life. One thing I love about paganism is how it makes every aspect of my life feel sacred. Many religions emphasize the spiritual aspects of life while deemphasizing, or even demonizing, the physical or mundane aspects. This can lead to practitioners feeling like they are spiritual beings trapped in a physical body, or like their physical needs and desires are something to escape.

Paganism allows practitioners to fully enjoy being physical and spiritual beings. Pagans reach for the heights of spiritual awareness, while also enjoying earthly delights — recognizing that neither is inherently more worthy than the other and that both are needed for a balanced life.

… is only one of many paths to Truth. Most pagan groups do not claim to be the only valid religious path, and in fact several openly acknowledge the validity of other religions. This is why you rarely see pagans trying to convert other people to paganism — it’s openly acknowledged that paganism isn’t for everyone, and that those who are truly meant to practice the old ways will find them.

~~~

Hopefully, this post has given us a good working definition of “paganism.” From here, we’ll explore some of these individual concepts in more depth and discuss specific religions within the pagan umbrella. Until then, blessed be.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham

A Witches’ Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality by Lora O’Brien

[dystopiandilfs]

So people have been finding my posts that are critical of both Karl and Tales. Mostly me saying how the worst part of Tales is the storyline (or lack of it) which is the only part Karl's involved in which then turned into people saying getting mad at my opinion with the same comeback of "you probably couldn't write a storyline half as good" so here's my Tales idea.

For context my two favourite storylines are Egg and Dreamons so obviously it's heavily based on that it's going to include me own headcanons and theories on a bunch of things (mainly Dream)

The whole idea is that "season 2" of Tales has one coherent storyline including two main plots (Dreamon and Egg) instead of just a bunch of shorter stories. So the main thing is that each episode is Karl opening up a new book from the library that he starts in and each episode is based on what the book he opens is about. So for example the first book/episode is showing an future event (not shown if it's DreamSMP timeline or alternate) but it's where the Egg has hatched and the after effects of it. The second episode is a past event showing the creation origins of the Egg. How it was created and what happened. Etc and after a bunch of episodes the final book is the origins of the library Karl started in.

Season 2 isn't a direct link to season 1 but the final episode will include references and characters to the episodes and other episodes might make references to Mizu and The Village that went mad.

THE FIRST EPISODE

It's an alternate reality where the Egg hatched and out of it came a group of Dreamons and the world and time that Karl lands in is what happened after the Dreamons took over. For reference Dreamons are ghost like creatures but can't cause any harm and are useless until they possess someone. So as floating spirits they can only watch bit in a person that's when they can do damage. They also can't enter the nether as entering the portal is like an automatic body expulsion/exorcism. Basically the idea was that Karl didn't know it was an alternate universe but just thought he jumped into the future of after the egg hatched because all he saw was the bodies of the entire DreamSMP and the vines all over everything and everyone. The only people to have survived was Niki and Jack who were hidden in her underground city underneath Kinoko, Dream, Sam and Techno as they were inside the prison and Phil and Foolish were the only bodies not found meaning that they could be alive. Niki and Jack survived because when the egg hatched Jack ran to Niki and they both fled to the nether to hopeful safety. They have the added quality of both being sent to hell (Jack from losing his canon lives and Niki because of DreamXD) which is why they can survive in the nether for so long. When they returned to the overworld they managed to hide and stay hidden from the Egg as it detects living organisms and since they'd both been to hell they're considered dead by Dreamon standards. Once a body has been to hell it becomes useless and can't be possessed making them useless and undetectable. Dream, Techno and Sam were all hidden in the prison which has two entrances, through the nether portal which Dreamons can't enter or by breaking in which would take a while because of the mining fatigue and multiple obsidian layers and the lava incasing the prison cell.

THE SECOND EPISODE

Have Foolish, Herobrine(Eret) and DreamXD be there. Since it's a thing they could also have alternate versions of Sapnap and Quackity as like warriors that helped to retrieve rare items. It's a secret underground bunker that contains a laboratory in which a black egg with blue and purple veins is kept and being examined. DreamXD just got it from killing the mysterious Purple Dragon (Ender Milf) What happens is that they also recently found and stored an egg found by Eret and one of Ponk's ancestors in the Nether and within that egg is a long extinct magical creature making the egg one of a kind. The Nether egg recently started to crack slightly so was moved into a incubation chamber along with the Ender Dragon egg as that had also began to crack open. Because they're both in close proximity and completely closed in together from anything else the nether egg absorbs the energy of the Dragon's egg which is how the creation of the Eggpire Egg started. That original egg hatched and within it was a small greenish dragon like creature that DreamXD named Dreamon (Dream(XD, Drag)on). The Dragon grew and grew until it got out of control and had to be killed only for them to realise that it was killed in the portal room and it's spirit escaped into the nether and the dead body of a dragon lay on the floor.

(I haven't written any others yet other than the first two episodes and the final one so just ignore that)

THE FINAL EPISODE

Karl goes to open the final book and is once again sent back into a past event and it's him watching DreamXD and a bunch of past characters ghosts making plans on how to hide all the information regarding the Egg and Dreamons so it can't be found and destroyed by the EggPire or Dreamons. A bunch of other informative shit happens and a lot of cool past references are made then finally It shows the location of the library (Karl appeared in it and never could exit so he didn't know where it was hidden) It's revealed that it's hidden in a place that looks identical to Dream's secret Bunker where he kept the discs apart from that obviously Dream's bunker is there instead of the library which is how and where the greater story begins. The end of the episode is Karl going to Dream's secret Bunker and him starting to remove the walls and discovering a bunch of portals (same as from the second episode. Also it's in the exact same place, the same bunker and everything so the Library and hidden bunker from episode 2 are both in the same place as Dream's bunker on the SMP) that are all labelled including but not limited to an activated End Portal, A white portal and a black portal which are labelled as The Inbetween and The Other Side and portals to each past Tales episode including Mizu, The western one etc. As he continues to look around Karl finds a piece of paper that was clearly thrown into the corner, he opens it to find a note that someone had written to Dream that's dated to before the L'Manberg war and Eret's betrayal. The note is basically someone warning Dream that he needs to stop exploring and going into random portals because they're not safe and he doesn't know what effect it has on him. Karl then finds a desk with a half written note from Dream that basically says that he no longer feels in control of himself and that he should have listened to what the person who wrote the other note had said and how he fears that he accidentally did something bad and at the bottom of the note is a warning about not opening up the loud portal in the back. Karl starts to look for the portal in the back and it's just labelled ????? Behind the portal he notices a book, it's identical to the ones in the library that every other Tales episode was from. He opens the book expecting to be transported to another time only for it to be a normal none magical book so Karl starts to read it and discovers that the ???? Portal being opened and entered is what kick started the appearance of multiple versions of Dream, the awakening of DreamXD, the start of people having dream related issues like Niki's night terrors, George's long sleeps accompanied by insane dreams, Fundys future dreams etc. As Karl flicks to the next page a bright light emits from the book and the final episode ends.