Pinned
Commission I did for @rosabell14 !!!
Best way to describe it in Rosa's words
"Concept art for an AU wherein Bianca lives, and becomes a huge pain to a certain Son of Jupiter"
I definitely need to draw Bianca more 😭😭💖💖 she deserves the world WAHHHHH
Ahhhhhhhhhhh I just love love love this. And you! Sorry for being such a nitpicker during the process but this is perfect. 🥰🥰🥰
Another thanks to bobinthecomments for doing this for me. Please check their fics on AO3
I think the moment where poseidon says that percy is his favorite son in botl (so as to clarify that antaeus was lying when he claimed that that title belonged to him) is intended to be heartwarming but idk I think it sucks 😭 all I ever think about when I reread that scene is Did he have to say that while tyson was literally in the other room
3 pages prior
tyson has superhuman hearing abilities by the way
yk I think the actual main reason why this kinda sucks as a bookend to botl is that this is the same book where annabeth and percy had called out hera for playing favorites with her family. and obviously hera treated hephaestus and nico worse than poseidon treated tyson but I think this is nonetheless one of several instances where the series' hesitance to contend with poseidon's moral grayness in particular ends up weakening the books and their intended meanings
my least favorite kind of pjo Take is the kind where people invent explanations out of thin air to legitimize or deny the existence of writing problems
most recent example that I dealt with firsthand was when I was describing ooc elements of rick's annabeth writing in hoo and someone replied basically saying "well maybe she went through some offscreen character development and that's why she's like this now". what on earth are you even saying to me
another example: I described on one post certain problems I have with the way poseidon and the percy&poseidon relationship is written and someone basically said "this is actually something that makes poseidon subtly more complex because you think he's a good guy but actually he still does messed up stuff". Or maybe the more useful and likely explanation is just that the text doesn't see poseidon's behavior as flawed in the first place and therefore isn't going to frame it as such
it's like they're defending the story by saying that it doesn't need to be written
my least favorite kind of pjo Take is the kind where people invent explanations out of thin air to legitimize or deny the existence of writing problems
most recent example that I dealt with firsthand was when I was describing ooc elements of rick's annabeth writing in hoo and someone replied basically saying "well maybe she went through some offscreen character development and that's why she's like this now". what on earth are you even saying to me
another example: I described on one post certain problems I have with the way poseidon and the percy&poseidon relationship is written and someone basically said "this is actually something that makes poseidon subtly more complex because you think he's a good guy but actually he still does messed up stuff". Or maybe the more useful and likely explanation is just that the text doesn't see poseidon's behavior as flawed in the first place and therefore isn't going to frame it as such
it's like they're defending the story by saying that it doesn't need to be written
The prophecies in HOO are so incredibly weak. If you look back through PJO, you will find a prophecy that is fully fleshed out, every line makes sense and is explained to you at the end of the book, and an abundance of ‘twist’ lines where the interpretation that is set up is subverted.
The prophecies in HOO are completely straightforward with no twists at all. The only possible exception is ‘foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.’ (and it’s not even really a twist, they were just different foes than the ones the main characters thought it would be about. But the plain meaning of the line is just exactly what it says).
Now, see, this COULD work in a subversive way, like if the audience is waiting for a twist that never comes. But it’s not written that way. In SON this is literally the point, and maybe Rick was tired of making up prophecies or just poking fun at himself—and in this one instance, it’s funny. (even though it still drives me crazy that we never hear the ‘real’ prophecy about the son of Neptune drowning). But all the prophecies in HOO are like that.
MOA is the worst offender. Annabeth has to go on a quest alone and win a gold and pale statue with a lot of pain. Nico is trapped by some literal twins and his breath is literally snuffed. Rome is literally going to be destroyed and the Mark of Athena is an actual burning mark in the actual city of Rome. Nico literally knows how to stop ‘endless death.’ The most metaphorical part of this prophecy is Nico being called an angel (bizarre, because it’s just a translation of his name, it may as well just call him ‘diAngelo’). So because everything is remarkably straightforward, it is EXTRA offensive to me when we NEVER find out how the Athena Parthenos is supposedly “giant’s bane.”
#also the fact that the an oath to keep with a final breath line of the overall prophecy#doesnt really end up working#yes i know it's supposed to be leo going back to calyspo#but its not his final breath#it doesnt work if he comes back#and if he did die he didnt keep the oath#maybe im stupid but fully does not make sense to me
no like actually you're 100% right it doesn't make sense. aside from the fact that leo's oath to calypso means absolutely NOTHING narratively (calypso is completely removed from the entire rest of the plot. this has absolutely nothing to do with defeating gaea) the line itself is silly because there's nothing to connect the first part of the line with the second - leo doesn't need to DIE to get back to calypso, so he's not keeping his oath 'with final breath' he's just 1. dying and 2. keeping the oath. a sequence of unrelated events, not a cause and effect situation.
and i didn't even think about that lol but 'final breath' literally does make the whole thing moot. 'dying breath' might have worked and you could have gotten around it that way. but his breath wasn't final.
And if I may add other than intrigue(the full final prophecy was only revealed in TLO) and twists and turns with most prophecies. The ones in Pjo had effects on the characters. Like Percy had to struggle with the fact that he may not be able to save his mother or that one of his quest mates is a possible traitor. Zoe knew she could be killed by her father. Annabeth had to struggle with "lose a love worse than death" all of the intrigue with Nico, Daedalus and Minos aside.
The final prophecy involves agency and fate and decisions for everyone involved. And you have the villains plans constantly changing from wanting to get the weapons to recruiting to killing Percy to healing kronos and reviving Thalia with the fleece so she could use Bessie to plan B with Kronos over taking luke. Sane thing with the heroes. Like we couldn't expect things. Maybe Thalia is the prophecy kid? Oh no Thalia went through a character arc and now she knows she shouldn't be. Okay so that leaves Perc-' wait Nico is a Hades kid? Maybe it's him! Oh no Percy has CHOSEN to have it be about him instead.
It's also part of the alternative Romantic options with Percy with say Calypso and Percy rejecting immortality and ignorant bliss. And it's interwoven with character backstory like Hades and the murder of Maria which causes him to kill Thalia and curse the oracle which curses May castellan which causes Luke's hatred towards the gods it's this "trying to avoid fate but causing it instead" bullshit.
The prophecies in Hoo just don't have that. We have the big one revealed at the beginning which as you said is straightforward but also am I supposed to believe this is some ancient prophecy that has been here for years? The narrative hasn't even convinced me that the Romans/New Rome/Jason Grace can retroactively be placed in the pjo timeline without giving me an aneurysm lmao.
And the fact that they're all hand picked by Hera with us later getting their backstories to reveal how Hera knew to pick them to justify their presence instead of them really choosing to be here outside of "we need to save the world". The Amnesia plot exists to give mystery to Jason so he could be the fish out of water Character mirroring Percy but it's only Rick shooting himself on the foot with his characterization and introduction. With Percy it's like a carrot Hera is dangling above his head and the "if you don't everyone will die" like these choices aren't really choices. Annabeth's motivations go from finding Percy to the Athena panthenos so it can justify Annabeth' presence here and why her and Percy stay instead of packing It after the switcheroo is over(which honestly makes the whole "Percy needs to learn to take a step back" even more clown shit because HE DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BE HERE 😂 He had to be dragged kicking and screaming both In universe and in a meta way). On a different note same thing with Piper if you look at it from a structural and plot sense. She's only here because her dad is kidnapped. It's kinda why it makes no in universe sense for Hera to make Piper believe she's Jason's girlfriend because yeah now that her dad is rescued what other reason does she have but that she cares about Jason(and Leo I guess but their friendship is lacking)
On the Athena parthenon I already laid out how it's used to justify percabrth staying in this plot but it's also a symptom of Rick not really planning out the whole new Rome plot. The entire place(and therefore Jason as a character but that's another can of worms) feels artificially added with terrible world building. And it doesn't really have the depth of characters the first series had because we don't have time for that. The statue is important because: Camp Jupiter VS camp half-blood war ➡️ gods are chaotic ➡️ they can't help until the war between their kids are over.
So for one we're using this CJ VS CHB thing to justify the gods not being present or much helpful(AND it doubles as a justification for Percy and Annabeth both being in the plot and getting taken out via falling to tartarus) unfortunately because CJ is not really built up this war plotline is... Meh
For one we can't create an organic conflict(because we refuse to actually make The camps philosophically different beyond "CHB but more strict and ten times more abusive lalala child military is cool and we won't explore how fucked up that it) so Leo gets possessed Into attacking new Rome. This is lame and unfortunately rick's main way of creating conflicts think Jason vs Leo or Percy vs Jason. It 1-fucks over characters on an individual level like especially say Jason and Percy who are meant to represent their camps and be mirrors and it also messes up Piper's character(bayetea has great post on how Piper's character being mind control undermines her role as a mediator) who has to mind control them to get them to stop fighting instead of using her y'know people skills? Show how love as a concept unites people. & 2- deprives us from seeing the differences in ideology or philosophy that would cause the two camps to fight or how say roman characters and Greek characters would fight and therefore them coming to work together can't represent the possibility of their camps coming together.
Another thing is that the Romans are written so one dimensionally and it kinda affects Octavian as an antagonist. Like he can get the Romans to attack the seven and drive them out and Jason who lived there for 12 years can't get them to listen for a second(if I start talking about Jason's character and how his flimsy relationship with new Rome fucked him over we'll be here for hours). Most of them attack and how Octavian can convince all of them to launch a counter attack on CHB. And so the statue is needed as like a symbolic gesture it was stolen by the Romans so a roman needs to give it back except it doesn't make any sense. Because the statue is about a wrong committed against the Greeks by Romans so Reyna is here to fix it but that doesn't mean anything? The conflict here exists because the Romans believe that they were attacked first so this gift is meaningless because Reyna is practically a fugitive at this moment and Octavian supposedly holds control. She's not giving this statue to them representing all of new Rome because they're attacking regardless. This plot only works because Reyna(who just couldn't stop Octavian's plans before this) and Nico happen to be seen by the guys Octavian sent to capture Reyna: Dakota(fifth cohort so good guys) Leila(non character but not from the evil 1 & 2 cohorts so neutral) and Michael Kahale the one guy who was conflicted over Octavian's orders. How convenient that they meet with characters who Reyna can convince(why would Octavian even entrust someone from the fifth cohort who's apparently friends with Jason, friendly with Percy, and co and not really a fan of him to deal with Reyna). At the end Reyna convincing the Romans to stand together feels meaningless because Gaea immediately rises up after and I can't be convinced that they couldn't have agreed to work together when the literal mother earth is rising.
Once you realize this entire Roman vs Greek conflict has nothing to do with the seven and relegated to the side characters it all becomes clear. Because Rick did not know how to finish this plot. It was there as an inciting incident for the gods to be useless and then naughta. This plotline is only as strong as its villains and Gaea is really one dimensional but Octavian, Octavian is what truly kills it. Rick cannot decide what he wants this guy to be. Son of Neptune introduces him as this political manipulator(with no strong relationship to Reyna and Jason really so his motivations and role as their rival is ass) who can persuade a crowed. But already you can see the cracks because for one you can never tell why he's doing any of the things he's doing in universe. Him threatening Hazel makes him hateable but why? Hazel is new. She had one impressive fest that caused her to become a legionare sooner but her and Frank are still the new loser kids from the loser cohort. Why threaten her specifically to get the fifth cohorts vote, instead of Dakota or Gwen? He kills Gwen because??? It never even gets a resolution Frank thinks that it's him and it never gets mentioned again. I can only assume he's hoping without Gwen Hazel might be the person the fifth defer to? And he tries to keep her from going to the quest but like what's his plan? He has no guarantee he can actually convince Hazel and he doesn't know if she'll live or die why put his plans on her? then in MoA and oneward his character goes to the toilet where he's just cartoonish biggot wanting to kill all Greeks. No subtlety whatsoever and Rick can't even keep him intimidating Because characters are allowed to make fun of of him and ignore him all the time(even though supposedly his powerful family made him untouchable) until the time comes where he can convince the roman hive mind to attack the seven. Is he charismatic and can manipulate a crowd? It seems so with the way he can just convince the Romans to start war but also he can't stop being a screaming d tier Disney villain who nobody likes and has no real allies no real friends all there because of his influence. Reyna can't do anything to stop him and has like maybe 5 people who are against Octavian but then when the time comes to do so.
What is the point of him? Prejudice bad? The book can't even explore the root of the Roman and Greek animosity(you'd think it would be troy but in that case the Greeks should be the one returning the apology statue and there's even a myth about Odysseus and Diomedes stealing Pallas Athena from the Trojans so I don't know why it wasn't used) it doesn't really explain what about them is so different that they can't help but fight everytime they meet. In pjo the campers had different opinions on shit we had a whole plotline over the Ares cabin and Apollo cabin, inner camp conflicts(which if you think about it always existed and the camp culture encourages if anything) causing major problems and the Minor gods and their kids and Hades not being respected was a plot point. Here? The Romans are the ones attacking and they don't have enough depth to them to make this compelling. We see like spirits being prejudiced but why? When the major face of this message is Octavian and he's so cartoonish this theme doesn't stick specially if the seven are all besties from the get go and need to be mind controlled into fighting. Does Octavia represent corruption in New Rome? You can say that since he has power because of his family and Bryce Lawrence dodges the death penalty(holy shit they have the death penalty for teenagers) because of his family but we never see these powerful families or adults. The story isn't interested in changing new Rome and exploring its flaws like it was with camp half-blood(the biggest thing we get is this weird homeless people metaphor with the fauns where Jason thinks maybe we should let them do shit but that goes nowhere after that because his character gets diverted into "build temples for all the gods so they get respected" as if we haven't done this before)
I'm sorry this went from "prophecy" to me ranting about new Rome but you can't really analyze HoO as a whole without analyzing why it's conflicts and antagonists suck. Taking away the in universe magical veneer off the whole thing, prophecies are just foreshadowing and setting up a mystery. But to do that you need to know where your plot is going and therefore what expectations you want to set up and subvert. But when your plot is ass and you write yourself into a corner there's just no way for Any of these prophecies to have an interesting answer.
When you take a good faith reading of BOO (difficult, I know), it does technically resolve the issue of Frank needing to stop Percy from failing due to his fatal flaw. Frank (and Hazel) can accept Leo's choice to sacrifice himself, and Percy wouldn't have been able to, which would have ruined everything. Leo tells Frank he's going to do this, he keeps it a secret from everyone else, Percy protests Jason/Leo/Piper going to fight Gaea alone even without knowing about Leo's plan, so yes it does seem that (again, if you take BOO at face value) that Percy would have objected harder, the consequences would have been disastrous and prevented Gaea's defeat because Leo needs to do this. Technically it checks the boxes, and so I can at least see why Rick was so offended by people saying this is a plothole that he felt the need to write this.
So no, it's not really unresolved - it's just that it's bad. For one, Percy just doesn't care about Leo like that. They don't have the relationship to substantiate him being unable to accept Leo's sacrifice, and it's not sufficient to say 'Percy doesn't need to care about Leo because he wouldn't be able to accept ANYONE sacrificing themselves for him' because that is simply not true. Percy does accept numerous sacrifices of loved ones that he has known better and longer than Leo. For two, Percy not knowing that the plan is a sacrifice means that he doesn't really care that much about going with Piper/Jason/Leo, and he is immediately distracted and runs off to fight with Annabeth, because, again, why wouldn't he? So Frank really doesn't have to do anything to change Percy's mind - yes, Frank dissuades Percy, but he doesn't NEED to dissuade Percy. Percy's not fighting them on it. For three, Leo is not even sure he's going to die and he has a dues ex machina to bring him back, so it really takes the stakes out of the entire 'sacrifice' to begin with, even from Hazel and Frank's perspectives. For four, Leo tells Frank he needs to make this call, but there's no reason Frank needs to make the call - Leo didn't need to tell Frank, just Hazel. And for five, everyone else is kept in the dark because everyone else couldn't accept it, meaning Percy is not even unique.
And the lack of buildup to it makes me cynical that this was always the plan and not just a "whoopsie i gotta throw this in there because i foreshadowed it so have the laziest possible resolution" (and yes I am convinced that this is the case). But it's really frustrating because Percy and Leo actually have a TON in common and while he couldn't go back and undo the other books, there WERE things he could have done in BOO to make Percy at least have more connection with Leo - like the fact that Percy witnessed Beckendorf, Leo's brother who also had a connection with Festus, sacrifice himself in an explosion last summer and can't let it happen again, or the fact that Leo feels responsible for his mother's death and Percy has firsthand experience with this feeling, their mutual upbringing as 'troubled kids,' them being the two demigods who are MOST often characterized by ADHD (and it's not even close, the only other confirmed ADHD main character is Annabeth and it's mentioned literally one time, Piper and Frank are even confirmed NOT ADHD), both Leo and Percy growing up in abusive homes and getting blamed for everything that goes wrong despite it not being their fault.
I know so much ink has been spilled over this but it's truly just so disappointing!
Percy's fatal flaw has a loophole. He respects people's autonomy too much to override their decisions, and I think this is potentially the only thing that keeps it from bringing about the disaster that Athena predicts in TTC. Percy:
And these are the people he loves the most in the entire world!
So very fitting that Percy's story culminates with handing his antagonist the metaphorical and literal instrument to reclaim agency over his own destiny
Alannys Harlaw and baby Theon
"Is ann aig an taigh a tha do mhàthair"
i got these knockoff boots online and instead of the brand name on the tag they have the name of an apparently nonexistent martin scorsese movie??? what the fuck
THE ORIGINAL? ON MY DASH
this post led to a series of events that had martin scorsese himself reacting to his alleged movie goncharov and it has less than 400k notes almost 3 years later?
[PT: Sex & Gender Terms.]
(Check out gendered attraction terms here [link], relationship orientations here [link], and attraction types, aspec identities, & other orientations here [link.])
[PT: Sex Terms]
Varsex/Sexqueer: A person with a sex identity or sex traits that are not typical of perisex cissex standards. This includes intersex, dysex, ersex, and transsex.
Perisex (sometimes also called Endosex or Dyadic): A person/creature with the most commonly viewed natal sex traits within their species. For humans, this includes SPETE and SPETA.
SPETE (Someone Perisex Expected To Estrogenize): A perisex person with XX chromosomes, who natally developed a vulva, two average-sized (or large) ovaries, a single average-sized (or large) uterus, two fallopian tubes, and (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to estrogenize (at a typical range) during puberty.
Their vulva will have two labia minora with a clitoral hood, two labia majora, a single pea-sized clitoris, a single moderate (or deep) vaginal entry, and a urethra between the vaginal entry and the clitoris. It may or may not have a hymen that surrounds the vagina, covering it minimally.
SPETA (Someone Perisex Expected To Androgenize): A perisex person with XY chromosomes, who natally developed a moderate (or large) penis, two moderately-sized (or large) testicles within the scrotum, an average-sized prostate, two vas deferens, two average-sized seminal vesicles, and (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to androgenize (at a typical range) during puberty.
Their penis will have a phallus, a scrotum beneath the phallus, foreskin protecting the head of the phallus, and a urethra on the tip of the penis. It is straight or slightly curved when erect.
Cosexual: A species whose perisex standard is being capable of both fertilization and egg production at the same time. (Ie; Snails, slugs, certain fish, etc.)
Dualsex: A species whose perisex standard is having mixed sex traits, typically both a penis and a vagina, though other combinations may apply as well. This usually refers to fictional species.
Intersex: A person/creature with natal sex traits (as in, sex traits that are not from physical damage, surgery, or HRT) that do not fall within their perisex norm. Usually this refers to natal primary sex traits (sex chromosomes, sex hormones, genitalia, and/or reproductive organs), but some people consider natal secondary sex traits (breasts, nipples, etc) to be intersex as well.
(Note: "Inter" does not just mean in-between. Inter can also mean "among" or "to destroy". Therefore, intersex =/= a sex in-between SPETE/SPETA. In humans, intersex can describe a mix of sex traits, but it can also describe small/absent/undeveloped genitals/reproductive organs, genitals/reproductive organs that are split/duplicated, a penis with an atypical appearance, a vulva with an atypical appearance, high sex hormones, low sex hormones, unresponsiveness to sex hormones, "mismatched" sex hormones, "mismatched" sex chromosomes, SRY-negative XY chromosomes, SRY-positive XX chromosomes, more than two sex chromosomes, and/or less than two sex chromosomes.)
SETE (Someone Expected To Estrogenize): A person (perisex or intersex) who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to estrogenize during puberty. This could be expectation of micro-estrogenization, average estrogenization, or hyperestrogenization. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicted hyperandrogenism or hypoestrogenism.
SETA (Someone Expected To Androgenize): A person (perisex or intersex) who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to androgenize during puberty. This could be micro-androgization, average androgenization, or hyperandrogenization. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicted hyperestrogenism or hypoandrogenism.
SETAE (Someone Expected To Androestrogenize): A person who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors) is expected to have a mix of androgenization and estrogenization during puberty. Sometimes, this expectation may be inaccurate, if the person has unpredicated hypogonadism.
SWPE (Someone Without Puberty Expectations): A person who (without the influence of HRT, physical damage, or tumors), is not expected to experience any puberty. This is usually due to having bilateral gonadal agenesis, or gonads that are fully streaked and/or too small to produce sex hormones, or similar variations.
Dysex: A person with atypical primary sex traits caused by non-natal events (ie; labial hypertrophy from pregnancy, gynecomastia from red fatness, a person with hyperestrogenism from tumors, etc), minor atypicalities in primary sex traits (ie; a minorly bicornuate uterus), or atypical secondary sex traits (ie; extra nipples, no breasts, etc) who does not feel as though the label of "intersex" fits them. This is considered the grey area between intersex and perisex.
Ersex: A person who is unsure of whether they are intersex or perisex, due to physical events that could have changed their sex traits. (Ie; A person who had an accident that could have potentially injured their ovaries, and they have no way to tell if their low levels of estrogen are a result of their accident, or if they have an intersex variation that causes hypoestrogenism.)
(Note: Perisex, intersex, dysex, and ersex are not labels a person can "transition" into, as they describe natal sex, not internal sex identities. So a perisex person cannot "transition to intersex", an intersex person can't have their intersexuality "removed" from them through procedures, etc.)
Cissex: A person who identifies with their natal sex traits.
Transsex: A person who desires sex traits that differs from the ones they natally developed. A person can be transsex while not being transgender.
Transgenital: A transsex identity for people who desire genitals that differ from the ones they natally developed.
Transreproductive (Transrepro): A transsex identity for people who desire reproductive organs that differ from the ones they natally developed. Transgonadal refers specifically to someone who desires different gonads than what they natally developed.
Transhormonal: A transsex identity for people who desire a hormone profile that differs from the one they natally developed.
Altersex: A transsex identity for people who desire sex traits that are mixed, null, or not natally seen within humans. (This identity is sometimes also used by sysmates within systems whose innerworld bodies have those sex traits.) Duomorphic, multisex, nullsex, and xenosex fall under this.
Duomorphic: A person who desires a mixture of sex traits that they did not natally have (ie; a person born with a vulva who desires a penis & vagina together.) You may also hear people using terms like "salmacian" or "aphrodisian" in reference to this identity, however the intersex community finds these terms problematic due to their connection with the origin of the intersexist h-slur. (Read more on that here [link.])
Multisex: A person who identifies as multiple sexes at the same time.
Sexnull: A person who feels that their sex is best described as lacking or absent, or who desires for their sex traits to be null.
Xenosex: A person who feels that their sex is best described through concepts, objects, or nonhumans.
---
[PT: Gender Terms]
Genderqueer: A person whose gender or gender presentation is queer in some sense.
Transgender: A person who identifies differently from the gender socially imposed upon them and/or whose sense of gender differs from the cultural norms around them.
Cisgender: A person who identifies with the gender socially imposed upon them and/or whose sense of gender is aligned with the cultural norms around them.
Ultergender: An intersex person who identifies against the gender assigned to them at birth, while not necessarily feeling as though "transgender" applies to them (possibly due to being reassigned a gender later in life, or due to experiencing coercive intersex medical interventions, such as genital mutilation, reproductive mutilation, hormone abuse, etc.)
Ipsogender: An intersex person who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth, while not necessarily feeling as though "cisgender" applies to them (possibly due to being reassigned a gender later in life, or due to experiencing coercive medical interventions.)
Intergender: A person who feels like their intersexuality impacts the way they view their gender.
Non-binary: A person who isn't a monogender binary man or monogender binary woman. This can be an umbrella term for all genders (or lack thereof) that stray from a monogendered binary, or it could be used as a lone identity. A non-binary person is an enban/enby (used like man/woman) and a group of non-binary people are enben/enbies.
So last night I reblogged a query sent to askpagans about Japanese deities. My answer was short and to the point: no. No, it is not inherently appropriative to honor Japanese deities. There are Shinto shrines outside Japan, and there are non-Japanese clergy (e.g. Rev. Koichi Barrish). They work with the support and blessing of people in Japan. myoubu, who maintains a shrine to Inari, is another such person.
All of this being said, I believe those of us who revere Japanese deities ought to hold ourselves to a high standard. This may come off as a rant, but it isn’t. Think of it as a set of strongly worded ideas to which I hold myself, and which I offer as suggestions to you folks out there in reader-land. Some of you might see these as common sense, or going without saying– but I think these things need to be said.
So, what is this high standard?
Rerunning this again, because it remains relevant. The points I make, summarized, are:
I am a queer, non-Japanese woman of color who formerly lived in Japan, speaks Japanese, and is currently close to completing her second advanced degree (a Ph.D.) in Japanese history. I am by no means perfect, but as a non-Japanese Shintoist far away from the nearest shrine, I am trying to do my best with what I have. And while I believe that popular culture has its place, I also remain dedicated to helping educate people in Shinto and Japanese history, by translation and by original research often available nowhere else, in the interest of fighting misinformation and exoticization, as well as helping inculcate a greater awareness of the real place and real people and real shrines and real practices.
If my efforts have helped even a few people gain a better, more realistic, more well-grounded understanding of Japan and of Shinto, then I consider that objective achieved– and I will continue as long as I am able.
I think its that time of the year to reblog this again, as a reminder
I have very diverse open characters, but at least 75% of my taken characters are cishet white people. What do I do to change that?
First, it’s freaking awesome that you’re being diverse with your face claim and character choices. The fact that people may not be choosing to play them is a problem in the community and society, not just your roleplay, and there are several debatable reasons for it. Some may feel they don’t relate to certain characters if they aren’t the same race/gender/sexuality, some may be afraid they’ll screw it up or offend someone when attempting to write such characters. Even if it isn’t necessarily your fault that these characters remain open, I think I can offer a few general “do”s and “don’t”s for you to do as an admin to possibly help better your problem. Keep in mind I’m no expert on diversity, and consulting other resources would be wise.
About those other resources I mentioned:
Great post for rpers out there, and definitely worth a read for other writers out there! Thank you, rphelper!
There was a rush of ‘but how to do trans people’ a bit back, and I’ve been putting off this big long post anyway, so it’s time to sit down and write it.
Here’s the thing, there is never going to be a catch-all guide to how to write a trans person, because everyone has different experiences, different struggles, and different challenges. This post, at best, is a short rundown of some of the things you should consider and questions we should get. It by no means covers everything. The goal is to get you on the right path.
Here it goes!
Although WWC shares resources when we can and bring some to the table ourselves, we don’t exist to find outside sources for one’s writing; this is ultimately the writer’s job.
Even so, we’re more than happy to offer guidance on the What, Where and How of doing research for your inclusive writing.
The first thing we’d recommend is our latest resource, our comprehensive Beginner’s Guide to Academic Research. This source will empower you to seek out your own primary and secondary sources, without relying on blog articles and tumblr posts.
But we have plenty of other resources:
African | African Diaspora | Black
Asian (Multigroups)
South Asian
Indigenous
Korean
Latinx
Hinduism
Indigenous Religions
Jainism
Judaism
Vodou and Voodoo
Black
Indigenous
Japanese
Korean
Latinx
South Asian
Asian (Southeast)
Chinese
Islam
African Diaspora / Black
Asian (Multigroups)
Asian (South)
Chinese
Indigenous
Islam
Judaism
Arab
Black
Chinese
Indigenous
Korean
Latinx
South Asian | Indian
Southeast Asian
–WWC
Note this is not a complete list but a compiled list of highlights. Search via the appropriate keywords for more posts.
it’s called AAVE, you FUCKTRUCK
I hate how people here think that “proper general English” is the only way to speak English and all the others are considered “idiocy” like if language has anything to do with intelligence. I’m not even from the U.S. and I know this better than most of you.
Below is a list of all English dialects in North America:
American English - Standard American English is the general form
Canada
Bermuda
Native/American indigenous peoples
Native American/indigenous peoples of the Americas English dialects:
How I feel watching the PJO tv show:
