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main index Narrative
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The electronic train is now departing for Kadoria, Vintesse, Quirinelle, and other parts of Aristasia...Lipstick. Champagne. Essentialism. Video games. Cigarette holders. Pencil skirts. Victorian petticoats. Welcome to Aristasia.Beginning roughly in the late 1960s at Oxford, Aristasia began (as far as anyone around today can tell) with a group of young women disillusioned by the cultural changes of that decade. They saw the cultural upheaval of the 1960s as the end of civilization, and responded by seceding from mainstream society to form a culture, and, ultimately, a country of their own.The Empire of Aristasia exists on another world (usually called Herthe) where there are no men. Everyone is feminine. Nevertheless, there are two sexes: blondes and brunettes. Brunettes are the stronger, more dominant sex, and hold most of the positions in the military, while blondes are frailer but are regarded with reverence due to their higher morality and spirituality. One Aristasian publication describes brunettes as "twice as feminine" as contemporary earth women, and blondes as "ultra-feminine." Needless to say, blondes and brunettes in Aristasia can reproduce with each other, though the exact method remains undescribed. Most Aristasians are quick to note that, while hair color is a secondary sexual characteristic in Aristasia itself, on "Telluria" (earth), hair color has no bearing, and one's Aristasian sex is determined by personality traits.Aristasia is divided into several provinces, each corresponding loosely to a period of earth history prior to the cultural "Eclipse" of the 1960s. Vintesse resembles the 1920s, with Aristasian maids dressed as flappers and dancing the Charleston. Quirinelle, conversely, is tied to the 1950s. Kadoria resembles the 1940s (without the war, of course!) and Trent corresponds to the 1930s (but without the worldwide financial crisis). Other provinces correspond to the Victorian era and ancient history. There is even a small island called Infraquirinelle, which resembles the "acceptable aspects" of the early 1960s.Where does all this come from? A book series? A graphic novel? No - while a few books have been written taking place in Aristasia, the largest part of the Aristasian community is centered around living the life. Aristasians seek to live as though Aristasia existed here and now. They form communities - both virtual and physical - where women take on the roles of either blondes or brunettes from the Aristasian provinces, dress in vintage garments, and act out schools, coffee shops, and movie theaters.While Aristasian society is wholly female, most Aristasians resist being called lesbians. After all, they are perfectly heterosexual most of the time: Aristasian blondes prefer brunettes, and vice versa. Another aspect of Aristasia often seen in the old media is discipline. Apparently, the Empire of Aristasia employs corporal punishment to keep maids from straying, ranging from light spankings to canings. Of course, this is purely for disciplinary purposes, and has absolutely no sexual aspect - how could you even think such a thing!
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