#'this did not represent us as canadians'

[sanjosesharks]

[intheupside]

Crosby to be Canada's 'security blanket' as captain at 4 Nations Face-Off

Indeed, is anyone more deserving of the title of Captain Canada?

“He’s up there,” Tocchet said. “And look, I don’t want to embarrass Sid. But from sitting in the locker room across from Wayne Gretzky, the way Wayne’s demeanor is, the way he acted around his teammates, the way he acted in front of the public, Sid’s got that.

“And then you’ve got the Mark Messier type, not afraid to say things to your teammates if needed at the right time. And I’ve seen Sid do that too, using his voice to let them know something is unacceptable. He’s willing to do that. That to me is a great leader. In all facets. One hundred percent.

“The bottom line: When he puts that jersey on, you can sense the calmness come over the entire country of Canada. It’s almost like he’s our security blanket.”

“From the time I first met him, it’s just the way he always looks to raise the bar,” Bergeron said. “We’ve been teammates and linemates in a lot of these tournaments, and he’s never satisfied. He’s always looking to the next thing. He’s able to enjoy the success but at the same time wanting more. It’s his drive, his determination, there’s a lot of reasons why he’s been so clutch and so important in, what you could say, [is] history.

“He commands respect. I think the country is proud of who he is as a person and how he represents us on the international stage. There’s no missteps. It’s been going on since he’s been 14 years old when they started aiming cameras on him. He’s never had a misstep.”

Bergeron is considered one of the top leaders of his era and won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2021, an honor Crosby received in 2010.

“I accomplished a lot in my career,” Bergeron said. “But I have to say, I’m so proud that in my time playing, that Sidney was the face of our league and for Canadian hockey. Well deserved.”

Crosby already had his eyes on the 4 Nations prize five months ago, long before he would officially be given the “C” for Team Canada.

Back in early September, Crosby helped organize an unofficial training camp of sorts under the watchful eye of Andy O’Brien, his longtime trainer, in Vail, Colorado. Among those invited to the event were some of Canada’s top players, including Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, who like Crosby is from Cole Harbour; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid; and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Crosby insists it wasn’t an official Canada team-bonding exercise, pointing out that there were players from other countries there as well. At the same time, he admits it was productive for some of the Canadians on hand to get the opportunity to develop chemistry and play together, something that could come in handy at the 4 Nations and the 2026 Olympics.

Marner, for one, was appreciative of the invite extended him by Crosby and O’Brien.

“It was great,” he said. “Getting to know Sid and some of those guys both on and off the ice, well, I was grateful that they asked me to join them.

“You get to know them on and off the ice a bit. Such great guys. And so much talent out there with guys like Sid, MacKinnon and McDavid.”

And, according to Team Canada and Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, it was just another example of Crosby’s leadership ability to bring players together for a common goal.

“It’s what he does,” Cooper said. “It’s who he is.

“Look at what he did [last] month when we were in Pittsburgh.”

Cooper was referring to a postgame scene after his team had defeated Crosby and the Penguins 5-2 on Jan. 12, a game in which Tampa Bay scored three goals in the final 3:03 to break a 2-2 tie. The uber-competitive Crosby was upset that victory had eluded the Penguins, but still took time to see Cooper afterward to chat about the 4 Nations.

At one point, Crosby asked Cooper to bring out Lightning forwards Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, his future 4 Nations teammates, to talk about the upcoming tournament.

“He here is, angry that his team had just lost a game, and he put that aside to talk Team Canada with them,” Cooper said. “They sat there for 20 minutes. They were like kids in a candy store.

“That right there is what true leadership is.”

And, according to Tocchet, what Crosby is all about.

“It’s unbelievable,” Tocchet said. “He’s a guy that carries the torch, and is willing to pass the torch on when he’s done.

“That’s what he’s doing with Cirelli, Hagel, those guys. He basically comes in and says, ‘Hey, you guys are my teammates in a month, I just want to get to know you real quick and let you know what’s at stake.’ He’s done it with other players. I just think it goes so far with his teammates. They legitimately badly want to play with him, to be his teammate.”

[seat-safety-switch]

Now that the Olympics are over, I can tell you all about my part as an understudy on the Canadian table tennis team. No, not "ping-pong." That's a derogatory name issued to us by the tableless tennis players, the sweating bigots. Sure, I didn't get a chance to actually go toe-to-toe against the best in the world, but I got to hang out with the people who did.

In Canada, virtually all of our good table tennis players are imported. And it's easy to see why. Let's say you're the number 300th-best table tennis player in Japan. There's a lot of competition, and, even if you're crispy-good, you may never get to break out of your shitty Chiba beer pong league before you've aged out.

In Canada, where we have many fewer people, you might be like the ninth best. That's a lot of improvement for the cost of just one plane ticket. Sure, you could accuse these nice folks of being carpetbaggers looking for an easy route to the Olympics, but let me tell you: Canada absolutely does not pay shit for table tennis. That's why I'm there. A lot of the world's second-best talent takes a look at Canada and goes hmm. Maybe Australia. Third-best pretty much gets roped in here if their significant other gets a job as a realtor in Vancouver. And then there's me, who is there to eat the free snacks at the Olympic table-tennis commencement ceremonies (put on by realtors in Vancouver.)

Which is not to say I'm decent. Sure, I can beat a toddler pretty well at The Good Game (that's what we call it.) Most six-year-olds, however, have the hand-eye coordination and a good enough long game to put my ass in the ground. Even the drunkest university student can hang a beating on me, after I get tired of running back and forth and just lie down in a corner, moaning about how much my feet hurt. Do any of those folks sign up for the Olympic try-outs? No. They have to have jobs, because they want to keep their houses. They can't just be flittering off to Monaco for the World Invitational Small-Plastic-Ball-Striking-Championships (sorry, the translation is not great.)

Sure, it's not an easy life. I do have to trick sponsors (realtors from Vancouver) into paying for all my flights, fancy uniforms, and room and board. Staying in the Olympic Village is difficult whenever the host country decides to try some wacky shit like making a bed entirely out of compressed, dehydrated cactus. And I'll probably never actually get to be on camera, because my coach tells me that even holding a flag might be beyond my skill-set.

Am I happy to represent my country? No, but it's this or become a realtor in Vancouver.

[flemingology]

sparks and spokes (p2) ─ jessie fleming x reader

in which: you saved jessie when she got a flat tire. she owes you one.

warnings: none

wc: 2.3K

a/n: loved writing this. Not my best work, but I hope you enjoy!

Y/I/N started following you.

Y/I/N: So, a footballer huh? Nice one, Fleming ;)

Jessie shot up from the couch upon reading the notifications that were displayed on her phone screen. She blinked a couple times and turned her screen on and off, wanting to make sure that she wasn't just imagining things and it was really you who had just slid into her DM's.

She felt a little confused about how you could've found her, but she probably wasn't that hard to track down. The badge on the matching tracksuit she wore earlier today was more of a clue than anything else.

Jessie turned off her phone and put it down next to her, not sure what to reply to your texts. She'd found you endearing, yes. And she certainly owed you one after you saved her out of a tricky situation. If anything, it made her nervous.

A couple minutes later she picked her phone back up with a deep sigh, before opening the conversation between the two of you on Instagram. Before replying, she decided she might as well check out your feed. You now knew that she was a footballer and had probably scrolled through your profile, but Jessie still knew nothing about you – bar the fact you had a spare bike tire laying around in your garage.

She scrolled through your pictures for a couple moments, picking up glimpses here and there of you, you and a dog, you running, you seemingly with family. Jessie caught herself smiling at a picture of you on the beach for a little too long, before she pulled herself out of her thoughts and swiped her way back to your conversation.

_jessflem: Some nice espionage work there, y/n

_jessflem: A footballer indeed :)

Jessie made herself seem way more composed through her messages than she actually was feeling. A shaky exhale left her lips when she closed her phone again. She twiddled her fingers while she waited for your response, but she'd never admit that she was eager for you to reply. The interaction earlier that day had been nice, and Jessie had genuinely felt comfortable around you even though it was only fleeting and it was in no way anywhere near a romantic meeting. A stranger helping her out with a flat tire, nothing more and nothing less.

Jessie hadn't dated for a while. She hadn't in London, she hadn't in Portland. She wasn't one for a fling or a one-night stand, but she was also aware of how painfully busy her schedule could get. It was annoying for her, let alone for a potential partner. To spare anyone from the dread of having to work around a schedule from a professional footballer representing both club and country, she decided it would be best to put that next to her until it was a little less busy – until she was out of her prime years or had hung up her boots.

She did date in university, though. There was less travel and it was easier to connect with people, as it always was in a school. She had two relationships, in which she flourished, and both ended amicably. Ever since then, though, she can't remember how long it had been since she had anything that looked like a romantic connection with a girl. As much as she said that she didn't mind it, it would be foolish to say that she didn't care. Of course she would like to have a relationship, to have a girl to look after, to love and to adore – but she was realistic.

A soft buzz coming from her phone is what pulled her out of her thoughts, hands quickly scrambling for the device that had seemingly slipped away a little further down the couch when she put it down earlier.

Y/I/N: Let’s be honest, you didn’t make it too hard for me to find you, lol. Congrats on the win and the goal today, I think that only accentuates that you owe me one ;)

The Canadian caught herself smiling at your text, quickly typing up a response as she wanted to make use of the flurry of confidence that suddenly overcame her.

_jessflem: Thank you :) I do owe you one, big time. How about coffee tomorrow afternoon? There’s this new spot that opened a week ago and I’ve only heard good things about it.

Jessie quickly pressed send on the message before she could change her mind, but some doubts crept into her thoughts nonetheless. Before she could halt herself, she had sent you a second message. And a third.

_jessflem: Only if you’re free, though. You shouldn’t go out of your way for me, for this.

_jessflem: I didn’t even ask if you like coffee, actually. :’)

The flurry of confidence had left Jessie’s body as soon as it overcome her, feeling embarrassed at the way she just triple-texted you. You didn’t seem to mind though, another notification lighting up Jessie’s phone not long after she had sent her last message.

Y/I/N: You’re good, Jessie, I love coffee. I’d love to check it out. How does tomorrow 3pm sound?

Jessie let out a breath of relief that she didn’t know she was holding in in the first place. A small smile crept on her face thinking about the prospect of seeing you tomorrow.

_jessflem: Perfect. I’ll see you there :)

To say she was nervous, would be understating it. Jessie's hands felt clammy as she was waiting for you inside, swirling the liquid around in the drink she had already ordered – not wanting to take up a table and not order anything yet.

When the clock hit 3pm, you hadn't arrived yet. Jessie's leg was bouncing up and down, a testament to how nervous she felt meeting you. Obviously, this wouldn't be the first time you two met up, but this time it wasn't accidental. This was planned. Should she call it a date? Did she want to do that?

It was only a couple minutes past 3 when you walked in, but a flood of relief overcame Jessie when she noticed you. She gave you a quick wave from the booth where she sat.

Jessie got up when you approached her, but stalled when she realized she didn't know what to do. A hug? A kiss on the cheek? Was any of that even appropriate? The midfielder quickly got pulled out of her thoughts when she felt the soft press of a pair of lips against her cheek, not being able to hide the blush that was creeping onto her face. "Hey, Jess," she gave you a shy smile, quickly sitting back down as you settled into your seat too.

"Hey, you. How are you feeling?", she opened the conversation with an easy question. "I'm good, sorry for being late though. I got held up at work," you said, worried that Jessie would think you weren't gonna show up. She glanced down at her watch – a subtle action you fund irresistibly attractive – trying to seem surprised. "Oh I didn't even notice, honestly. You're good, you're here now," she said, accompanied with a warm smile.

Truth be told, she did notice it. Every second that went by after 3pm where you hadn't entered the coffee shop yet, had Jessie teetering more and more on edge.

After some initial hesitation, conversation flowed easily between the two of you. You refrained from asking her too much about football, catching on quickly that she liked the fact you didn't know who she was. You discussed everything else, though. What you do for work, where you both came from, how you found yourselves in Portland. Before long, the café was running empty and the two of you were the only ones still taking up a spot. Some servers had began cleaning and were putting chairs on tables, so you and Jessie decided it should be best to get going too.

Jessie got her credit card out and paid the bill, countering any protest that you sent her way. "I owed you one, remember?"

You exited the café, both seemingly wanting your time together to linger – neither of you was making any moves to part ways. "Hey, do you want to come up to mine and maybe watch a film?", Jessie checked the time on her phone before continuing, "it's not too late yet."

She could see the contemplation on your face and spoke up again, before she could stop herself. "Only if you're free, of course. And if you don't have to wake up too early in the morning. I wouldn't want you to be tired at work, if you even have to-," you interrupted Jessie by placing a hand on her arm. "I'd love to, Jess," you shot her a bright smile which she reciprocated quickly, before turning into herself slightly when she couldn't hide the crimson red shade that was displayed on her cheeks.

The two of you walked the short distance back from the coffee shop to Jessie's apartment, talking about everything and nothing while at it. The roads were busy, the evening rush in full effect whilst you expertly navigated the traffic, trying to get inside as soon as possible – the grey clouds that were hanging over Portland weren't particularly promising.

Jessie gave you a small tour of her place, deliberately not saying too much about the room where she kept all her medals and other achievements in, but you wanted to know. "So you're big time, huh? I'm sorry for my lack of knowledge on football", you chuckled once the two of you sat down on the couch in her living room.

Jessie gave you a tight-lipped smile. "I guess, you could say so, yeah", she said, playing with the rings on her hands. "It's cool, really. It's not an environment I'm familiar with at all but you seem to love it."

"I do. I really do, it gives me purpose. I love playing here in Portland and for my country, it makes me and all the people I love proud," you decided not to mention the fact she played for her country, not wanting to pry any further when you could tell talking about this wasn't her strong suit. "I bet. It's impressive, but I think it isn't all good either, like it seems from the outside."

Jessie and you talked about her career for the first time that day, the Canadian finally opening up a bit, about the hardships that came with being a full-time, professional footballer. Prospect of a film long forgotten, you and Jessie talked late into the night. The both of you were stifling yawns but a quick look at the time on your phone told you you really should be going. You had to be at work at 9 the next morning, and if you were quick you should be able to get about 6 hours of sleep at home.

"Jess, as lovely as this has been, I'm afraid I'll have to get going," you started, a hint of disappointment in your voice that you couldn't hide. She nodded. "Yeah, totally. It's late," she said, locking eyes with you. A silence fell over the two of you, nearing to be awkward, before Jessie chuckled and got up. "I'll walk you out," she said.

"Actually, I'll drive you. I know it's only a short while but it's late and it's dark, I'll feel better if I drop you off," you wanted to argue, but Jessie held a determined look in her gaze, so you didn't even try. You shrugged, "yeah that would be nice, Jess, thank you."

She navigated the now empty streets based off your instructions, quickly pulling up into your driveway and killing the engine. "I had lots of fun today, thank you," Jessie started, as you unbuckled your seatbelt and turned your body towards her. "Me too, thanks for the coffee. And for inviting me over. Next one is on me."

"Next one, huh," Jessie teased, a slight hint of a smirk creeping up her lips. "Yeah, I'd love to see you again, if that's okay," you said, a hint if insecurity creeping into your voice. The Canadian nodded eagerly, looking at you with a twinkle in her eye. Another silence fell upon you, but it wasn't awkward this time. A strong tension hung in the air, which wasn't there before. You looked into Jessie's eyes and couldn't help but start to lean forward, slowly inching closer towards her over the center console.

Jessie reciprocated, moving towards you and closing the rest of the distance between your bodies. Your lips moulded together into a soft kiss, and Jessie let out a strong exhale through her nose when she felt your hand grabbing hers, not breaking the kiss. After a couple moments, you pulled away for air, slowly retreating your face away from her and looking her in the eyes, a shy grin forming across your lips.

"I would love to see you again," Jessie confirmed, accentuating her statement with another sweet kiss against your lips. It lingered for a while, until you reluctantly pulled away. "I've really got to get going now. Thank you, Jess. I'll text you," you said, taking her hand in yours and pulling it up to your lips, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it. "Thank you for the ride, too. You're too good to me."

"It's not a bother, really. I'm glad you got home safe. Goodnight, y/n," she said. You opened the door and stepped out of her car, before turning around and blowing her another kiss. "Night, Jess."

[dostoyevsky-official]

As President Trump looks north and repeatedly presses his case to absorb Canada as the “51st state,” politically minded Democrats who are otherwise outraged by almost everything else about his agenda find themselves contemplating a potential electoral boon should it ever happen. Few in Washington take the prospect all that seriously, of course. Canada has made clear that it has no interest in joining the United States, and Mr. Trump seems unlikely to send in the 82nd Airborne Division to force the matter. But if the idea appeals to Mr. Trump’s grandiose sense of himself as an empire-building historic figure, it could also undercut his own party’s prospects. [...] “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I strongly agree with Donald Trump,” said former Representative Steve Israel of New York, who headed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Canada is largely left of center, and making it the 51st state means more Democrats in Congress and Electoral College votes, not to mention providing universal health care and combating climate change.” [...] Mr. Trump’s talk of annexing Canada appears to be a way of trolling his northern neighbors as part of his pressure for trade and other concessions. It has succeeded in getting under their skin. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada told a group of business leaders in comments that leaked out that he did not consider it a joke but in fact “a real thing.” [...] None of the provinces actually want to join the United States, though. [...] So based on that, at least, Mr. Trump should not get his hopes up — and neither should Democrats. But it does not mean that they cannot dream. “Canada is blue,” Mr. Israel said. “We’ll take all the help President Trump wants to give us.”

The New York Times, the national paper of record—the same paper that lied about WMDs in Iraq—is now running a VoxExplainer-style article smugly contemplating the electoral outcome of annexing a country by force. There is not a single mention here that annexation is illegal, that a premeditated war of conquest is a war crime. Instead, Peter Baker is laughing and entertaining the idea. Canadians aren't going to be displeased, they aren't going to be voting blue in protest: they're going to be killing every American they can get their hands on, just like the Palestinians do to Israelis, just like the Ukrainians to Russians. "Here's how Sudeten voters will dilute the Nazi vote share." This is a horror, unthinkable, this isn't a game.

[coochiequeens]

On the 35th anniversary of The École Polytechnique massacre never forget the 14 women who were killed for being women in science

The École Polytechnique massacre (French: tuerie de l'École polytechnique), also known as the Montreal massacre, was an antifeminist mass shooting that occurred on December 6, 1989 at the École Polytechnique de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec. Fourteen women were murdered; another ten women and four men were injured.

Perpetrator Marc Lépine, armed with a legally obtained Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle and hunting knife, entered a mechanical engineering class at the École Polytechnique. He ordered the women to one side of the classroom, and instructed the men to leave. After claiming that he was "fighting feminism", he shot all nine women in the room, killing six. The shooter then moved through corridors, the cafeteria, and another classroom, specifically targeting women, for just under 20 minutes. He killed eight more women before ending his own life. In total, 14 women were killed, and 14 others were injured.

The massacre is now widely regarded as an anti-feminist attack and representative of wider societal violence against women; the anniversary of the massacre is commemorated as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. After the attack, Canadians debated various interpretations of the events, their significance, and the shooter's motives. Other interpretations emphasized the shooter's abuse as a child or suggested that the massacre was the isolated act of a madman, unrelated to larger social issues

The incident led to more stringent gun control laws in Canada, and increased action to end violence against women. It also resulted in changes in emergency services protocols to shootings, including immediate, active intervention by police. These changes were later credited with minimizing casualties during incidents in Montreal and elsewhere. The massacre remained the deadliest mass shooting in Canada until the 2020 Nova Scotia attacks over 30 years later.[4]

Contents

Timeline

Sometime after 4 p.m. on December 6, 1989, Marc Lépine arrived at the building housing the École Polytechnique, an engineering school affiliated with the Université de Montréal, armed with a Ruger Mini-14 rifle and a hunting knife.[5] He had purchased the gun less than a month earlier on November 21 in a Checkmate Sports store in Montreal. He had told the clerk that he was going to use it to hunt small game.[6] He had been in and around the École Polytechnique building at least seven times in the weeks leading up to December 6.[5]

The perpetrator first sat in the office of the registrar on the second floor for a while, where he was seen rummaging through a plastic bag. He did not speak to anyone, even when a staff member asked if she could help him.[2] He then left the office and was seen in other parts of the building before entering a second-floor mechanical engineering class of about sixty students at about 5:10 p.m.[7] After approaching the student giving a presentation, he asked everyone to stop everything and ordered the women and men to opposite sides of the classroom. No one moved at first, believing it to be a joke until he fired a shot into the ceiling.[8][9]

Lépine then separated the nine women from the approximately fifty men and ordered the men to leave.[10][9] He asked the women whether they knew why they were there; instead of replying, a student asked who he was. He answered that he was fighting feminism.[9][11] One of the students, Nathalie Provost, protested that they were women studying engineering, not feminists fighting against men or marching to prove that they were better. He responded by opening fire on the students from left to right, killing six—Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, and Annie St-Arneault—and wounding three others, including Provost.[9][11] Before leaving the room, he wrote the word "shit" twice on a student project.[10]

The gunman continued into the second-floor corridor and wounded three students before entering another room where he twice attempted to shoot a female student. When his weapon failed to fire, he entered the emergency staircase where he was seen reloading his gun. He returned to the room he had just left, but the students had locked the door; he failed to unlock it with three shots fired into the door. Moving along the corridor, he shot at others, wounding one, before moving towards the financial services office, where he shot and killed Maryse Laganière through the window of the door she had just locked.[12][11]

The perpetrator next went down to the first-floor cafeteria, in which about 100 people were gathered. He shot nursing student Barbara Maria Klucznick near the kitchens and wounded another student, and the crowd scattered. Entering an unlocked storage area at the end of the cafeteria, the gunman shot and killed Anne-Marie Edward and Geneviève Bergeron, who were hiding there. He told a male and female student to come out from under a table; they complied and were not shot.[13]: 30 [11]

The shooter then walked up an escalator to the third floor where he shot and wounded one female and two male students in the corridor. He entered another classroom and told the men to "get out", shooting and wounding Maryse Leclair, who was standing on the low platform at the front of the classroom, giving a presentation.[13]: 26–27  He fired on students in the front row and then killed Maud Haviernick and Michèle Richard who were trying to escape the room, while other students dived under their desks.[11][13]: 30–31  The killer moved towards some of the female students, wounding three of them and killing Annie Turcotte. He changed the magazine in his weapon and moved to the front of the class, shooting in all directions. At this point, the wounded Leclair asked for help; the gunman unsheathed his hunting knife and stabbed her three times, killing her. He took off his cap, wrapped his coat around his rifle, exclaimed, "Oh shit", and then killed himself with a shot to the head, 20 minutes after having begun his attack.[14][13]: 31–32  About 60 unfired cartridges remained in the boxes he carried with him.[14][13]: 26–27 

After briefing reporters outside, Montreal Police director of public relations Pierre Leclair entered the building and found his daughter Maryse's stabbed body.[15][16]

The Quebec and Montreal governments declared three days of mourning.[15] A joint funeral for nine of the women was held at Notre-Dame Basilica on December 11, 1989, and was attended by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Quebec premier Robert Bourassa, and Montreal mayor Jean Doré, along with thousands of other mourners.

The Victims

Geneviève Bergeron (born 1968), civil engineering student

Hélène Colgan (born 1966), mechanical engineering student

Nathalie Croteau (born 1966), mechanical engineering student

Barbara Daigneault (born 1967), mechanical engineering student

Anne-Marie Edward (born 1968), chemical engineering student

Maud Haviernick (born 1960), materials engineering student

Maryse Laganière (born 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department

Maryse Leclair (born 1966), materials engineering student

Anne-Marie Lemay (born 1967), mechanical engineering student

Sonia Pelletier (born 1961), mechanical engineering student

Michèle Richard (born 1968), materials engineering student

Annie St-Arneault (born 1966), mechanical engineering student

Annie Turcotte (born 1969), materials engineering student

Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (born 1958), nursing student

[talonabraxas]

Kernunnos "Cosmic Horned God" Talon Abraxas Kernunnos: or of the perennial renewal of the cosmos

Primordial epiphany of the giver of life and death, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world, the Celtic Cernunno was not only god of hunting and wild nature, but a real "cosmic god" ruler of the cycle of death-and - rebirth, as evidenced by the symbols attributed to it by traditional iconography: the stage with cervine horns, the torques and the horned snake. Cernunnus, which the Romans called simply "the Horned", is an ancient divinity, venerated since the dawn of time: we find attestations of his cult since the Mesolithic and Neolithic. For prehistoric hunters, the Horned God constituted the primordial epiphany of the divinity giver of life and death, as well as the embodiment of the dangerous and relentless powers that spread their dominion over the world of wild nature; it was therefore in part, as is easily understood, a "double" of Bread Hellenic and del faunus Latin, or an equivalent of the Wendigo, terrifying cannibal god-demon of the Algonquins of the Canadian sub-arctic, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world and meteorological and represented as a colossal skeleton of man-deer.

Like the Pan of the Orphics - who saw in him the universe considered as an interconnected whole, in spirit, soul and body - the main divinity of these ancient populations is considered to be a "Cosmic god of life and death", whose breath hovers and penetrates everything. In this, Cernunno can also be compared to Dionysus, which similarly embodies at the same time the black death drives and those scarlet of sex and blood, both symbolically connected to the same vital archetype of Zoe, the "indestructible life". Heraclitean wisdom is framed in the revelation of the false dichotomy that ultimately exists within the "cosmic drama" and along the "seasonal dance" of the ages of the world, between Life and Death: the same god are Hades and Dionysus.

As in the case of Dionysus, the dominion of Cernunno was not limited to the natural world: although revered by the tribes of hunters, the Horned God he did not simply have lordship over the game and the woods over which his spirit was constantly watching, but also and above all over the Other World, the world of the dead and spirits, which the shaman could access in a trance after having ingested herbs or psychotropic decoctions or having used one of the many "techniques of ecstasy", to use the phrase coined by Mircea Eliade. In other words, since protohistoric times Cernunno was also considered the "Great Magician", as well as the primal source of supernatural or "magical" psychic faculties.

The god - adorned similarly to the green man of leafy antlers, symbolizing the cyclical nature of time and the perpetual rebirth of the cosmos and nature - gathered the souls of the dead to escort them to the afterlife, sometimes accompanied by his paredra (in Ireland, the goddess of the hunt Flidass, who, similarly to his Mediterranean counterpart Diana / Artemis, drove a chariot pulled by deer).

[issatalk]

thank you,

nika mühl and aaliyah edwards for all these years of pure talent, love, toughness, attitude, determination. thank you for being with us. thank you for staying through all the injuries and getting us through them. you guys will always be huskies for life and will always be remembered as absolute goats.

thank you nika, for stepping up when your team needed you. thank you for representing your country as well as following your dreams. you are an example to little kids from other countries who wish to follow their dreams and you show them how hard work takes you anywhere, no matter the sacrifice. we love you to the moon and back, big thanks to our 10.

thank you aaliyah, for being such a tough competitor. through good and bad, you were always with us and tried your best. we are extremely of you career and we can’t wait for you to do amazing in the league. we love you oh so dear, thank you canadian queen, for always showing personality and teaching little kids they can always get to where they want. thank you for rocking your braids. we love you kind heart till the end. big lili, thanks.

apart from this guys, i’m crying so hard i can’t believe this was their last game, i am extremely proud of what this team did this year. i love you huskies.

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

What's to note about Sweden in Eurovision is that, for a lot of people when they're picking out songs to send, they don't care what Europe actually wants - they think about the song that has the highest chance to WIN.

And thus, we've reached a dilemma.

The most TRENDING melfest song right now, is this one

It has everything Eurovision WANTS us to send.

It's in swedish! We haven't send anything in Swedish for over 2,5 decades! And when we HAVE, the artists have chosen to sing in english once they reach eurovision even if they sang it in swedish in melfest

It's catchy! Easy to dance to!

Good time!

It's the top 1 trending song in Sweden AND in Finland

It shows a culture not too often represented: Finno-swedes! Sometimes people IN SWEDEN are not aware there is indeed swedish speaking finns, just like there is for example french speaking canadians. And they have their own dialects, phrases and culture.

YKSI KAKSI KOLME SAUNA

However?

It will not win Eurovision (probably)

Some snobby elitist melfest fans (SORRY TO YOU GUYS BUT YOU ARE) thinks if we send something like this we will "embarrass ourselves". And we can't do that! We need to "show the world that Sweden is the biggest music export by getting good scores all the time!" (to which I say yes?? but we can also show some DIVERSITY in our songs???)

And there is the song that people think would most likely WIN the whole esc if we send it:

It's Måns Zelmerlöw, so we know he's good at what he's doing!

The performance is nicely done!

However:

Is the song that good??? Do you remember the song, like, at all? No, you get fooled by the STAGE PERFORMANCE. And sure, it does elevate the song, but not so much that I personally would want to vote for it.

Does my fellow Swedes honestly to god not know that esc people are tired of Måns Zelmerlöw? He kept showing up year after year in esc somehow, either as a middle act or as a sketch or something. He was always there.

If he wins melfest I'm honestly gonna be scared every time time he gets a good score in esc. I don't wanna live through that again. People say "don't care about the haters just enjoy your country winning" and I'm sorry but I CAN'T enjoy it if I know everyone else is mad - I also can't enjoy it when I know I didn't even vote for them to represent us. THAT to me is more embarrassing than sending a more "fun" entry that might not get as high of a jury score.

Personal opinion: I already think there's better songs in esc I think should win

Personal opinion: I do not agree that Måns' entry is better than anyone else this year. There are better songs in MELFEST already that I will vote for in the finale. Not only KAJ, but several others too.

Personal opinion: I'm not a fan of Måns' song and I don't get fooled by the "cool effects". It worked with Heroes, because he did something new with that little animated blob. It doesn't really work here for me. At all.

I do not want to experience 2023 again. Now 2 years later I feel like... fine. Loreen is Loreen. She's an icon nonetheless. MÅNS... is not her. He's more like Charlotte Perelli, Alexander Rybak or Carola: Appreciated as artists, but it definitely did not go as well for them when they came back to esc after already winning once. And I HOPE this is the fate Måns also would face.

Personal opinion: I think Sweden should chill with winning :) That was NOT a popular opinion when I said so on instagram, another Swede told me that I needed to understand that this was a COMPETITION and that we need to strive for the BEST all the time.

My thoughts on this is NOT so much that I've "fallen for the haters who hate Sweden and its success". It's the fact that during the last ten years, I've only liked TWO melfest winners. The rest I did not want to win, and thus I AGREE with Europe when they think we send generic pop songs, and I don't like them being rewarded because I didn't like them in the first place. And I want my country to send something different and FUN for ONCE, but we DON'T. The closest we got was Cornelia Jakobs in 2022. She was a LITTLE different, and I genuinely liked that. And I mean... Loreen IS Loreen, even though I did feel already in melfest that it was a little unfair because I did like some other songs more.

And so now, we have two teams here in Sweden: Those who think Måns absolutely is the only choice, nothing else will do, and we will win esc with him again. Best produced song, nothing else can top it. These people can sometimes come off as snobby and even sometimes a bit elitist in some extreme cases, even though a lot of them only are normal people who had been driven into this mindset.

And the other team is more like me: We should send something like KAJ! Or another little "different" that's already in our finale! Because we AGREE that we for once should see what EUROVISION wants rather than what the JURIES wants. No one likes the juries anyway. They didn't let Yohio win melfest in 2013 guys. Come on. It was their fault we didn't send a visual kei guy to eurovision and instead sent boring Robin Stjernberg.

Even NEWS SITES and podcasts has started discussing this. How the Swede is so predictable and rather wants to send the "safe card" than trying something new.

It's 2 weeks left until we have a finale. And I personally would not send Måns. But the songs I often want to win never win. And I think we keep sending generic pop songs because IT WORKS. It's not so fun for for the esc fans, but it works competition wise. And Swedes have sadly taken this competition too seriously, and forgotten to have fun. And maybe I am a part of that, since I seem to care so much about this I'm being so negative.

But, I will say: In 2023, the whole country was pretty much in agreement that Loreen will win melfest, the end. This year... I feel like we're more divided about this. And I think a bigger part of us will be disappointed to see Måns win melfest, both due to how we know Europe will react, but also because we genuinely don't think this song is that good. And it's a SONG contest at the end of the day, even though some argue "Well! But it's nicely produced!!!! Isn't the staging cool???" Yeah. But the song is the one you're gonna listen to, and... the song I think most people would rather LISTEN to is Bara Bada Bastu. But many people also think "they won't win anyway", and that can sadly also stop some people from even voting. "Why vote, when they won't win anyway? I don't want Måns to win but he's probably gonna win anyway, whatever :/" Not if we try to vote for others!!!

I myself in the finale will vote for Klara Hammarström, Greczula, KAJ, and if Scarlet comes to the finale this time, which I think they will, I will vote for them too. I think I'm even gonna give some few votes to Maja Ivarsson and Annika Wikihalder. There's PLENTY of other people in the finale I'd be perfectly fine and not too disappointed with if they won - especially if they NEVER HAVE WON BEFORE.

I won't vote for Måns. Both because, he's probably gonna get votes anyway, he doesn't need mine :/ And also because I just... don't like the song. Everyone can have a good scene performance with cool effects, smoke, blah blah... but that can't ONLY be it. I've seen that so many times and I'm not fooled by it.

If Måns wins melfest, it's up to Europe what to do. We can't vote for our own country in esc. So it's just up to you then to vote, or NOT vote. Remember the semifinals are all televote. You can choose to feed our ego again so that we keep sending the same thing again because it works, or you can decide not to.

[corneliaavenue-ao3]

End Game: I Wanna Be Your A-Team (chapter 3)

Ginny Weasley is playing for England's Quidditch Team in the World Cup.

This is her fanbase's reaction to it.

Read from the beginning on Ao3 here

Read this chapter on Ao3 here

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

The 132nd World Cup will start later today! England and the United States of America will meet up for the first time ever in the finals!

@quidditch4lyfe posted

For the first time ever, I will be rooting for the refs in a quidditch match

@thunderbirdgirll posted

CAW CAW BITCHES!!! LET'S GO USA!!!!

@horny-serpent posted

I'm about to break the statue of security and tell the No-Maj's that today is basically a second independence day. I want to dump some tea in a harbor

@beatemup posted

i can't believe i live in a time where i have to watch the fucking USA play England in the biggest game ever. The world of quidditch deserves better than this

@nycwitchy posted

🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

@quid-bitch posted

Happy Block An American Day to everyone who celebrates!

@harpies-hore reblogged @quid-bitch

my favorite day of the year!

@ginwiz posted

no matter what happens today, this is the best day of my life

@ginginweas reblogged @ginwiz

love that for you, i might avada kadavra myself if we lose

@harpies-hore posted

I can't believe they are playing this game in fucking Canada. The stadium is going to be filled with USA fans

@thunderbirdgirll reblogged @harpies-hore

HELL YEAH IT WILL BE

@harpies-hore reblogged @thunderbirdgirll

fuck you, i post the memes here

@drarry-is-real posted

only the united fucking states of america would get me to actually root for Ginny Weasley

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @drarry-is-real

if you didn't have maggots for a brain, you would always root for Ginny Weasley

@drarry-is-real reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

you have maggots for a brain

@queezy-4-weasley posted

is anyone actually going to the match?

@ginwiz replied: merlin i wish

@ginginweas replied: my cousin is, but apparently didn't want to invite me????

@gin-will-win replied: I thought we were going to lose last round, so I spent all my money on that game

@im-a-keeper posted

I am so curious what England will bring as their mascot

@quid-bitchh reblogged @im-a-keeper

Harry James Potter

@bitch-witchh posted

so if i floo to the ministry of magic right this second, i could buy a last minute international floo ticket to canada, and then apparate to the fields outside the stadium, run to the stadium, and then apparate to the top of the stadium where i can then watch ginny weasley play in the world cup for approximately 1 minute before i get arrested by canadian aurors

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @bitch-witchh

worth it

@corneliastreet28 posted

i can't believe this is my first quidditch game and it is the world cup!!!

@ginwiz reblogged @corneliastreet28

omg have so much fun!!!!

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

The United States of America has taken the field with their mascot, the Griffin, proudly flying behind them!

@nycwitchy posted

🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅CAW CAW!!! LET'S GO MY WEIRD LITTLE EAGLE/LION MASCOT🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

@ginginweas posted

Oh you know the Gryffindors are going to be pissed about America's mascot

@bitch-witchh posted

I can't see him, but I know my man, Ron Weasley, is booing so hard right now

@quid-bitch reblogged @bitch-witchh

i love a man who is a hater to his core

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

England has taken the field, surprisingly, with no mascot

@ginwiz reblogged @quidditch-world-cup-updates

wait why???

@queezy-4-weasley posted

Did they try to get Harry to be their mascot, and he didn't agree??

@ginginweas posted

why would we not have a mascot?????????

@nena-96 posted

no mascot?? nothing?? we couldn't even have gotten a house elf to represent us???

@im-a-keeper posted

I hate to be the one to let everyone know, but England did bring a mascot... it's just that only some people can see it

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

We stand corrected, England did bring a mascot. It has been reported that several Thestrals are flying alongside the British players.

@thunderbirdgirll posted

well that's fucking depressing. way to bring down the vibes britain

@puddlemore-111 posted

That is so tacky to do

@ginwiz posted

Honestly, what a tribute. We know Ginny and several of the other members of the team can see them, and it is such a great way to remember the war that we fought just a few years ago and how it still impacts people today.

@harpies-hore reblogged @ginwiz

yeah and it's a threat. We brought a fucking death omen as our mascot

@gin-will-win posted

THERE SHE IS!!!

@ginwiz posted

GINNY!!!

@harpies-hore

THAT'S MY GIRL!!!

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

GINNY IS THERE!! NOW SHOW HARRY!!

@ginginweas

OH MY!!! I LOVE THESE QUIDDITCH KITS

@quid-bitch reblogged @ginginweas

her ass looks so good in it

@ginginweas reblogged @quid-bitch

it does, it truly does

@harpies-hore reblogged @ginginweas

harry is going to kick both of your asses

@queezy-4-weasley posted

THERE'S HARRY!!

@ginginweas posted

Harry wearing a Weasley jersey, makes me sob every time I see it

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @ginginweas

wait until Ginny wears a Potter jersey

@drarry-is-real reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

that is NEVER going to happen

@gin-will-win posted

okay yeah Harry is wearing a Ginny Weasley jersey, BUT LOOK AT HER PARENTS!! THEY ARE WEARING MATCHING JUMPERS WITH HER FACE ON THEM!!

@bitch-witchh posted

Molly Weasley, what do I need to do for a Ginny Weasley jumper???

@ginwiz reblogged @bitch-witchh

you probably need to become a weasley

@bitch-witchh reblogged @ginwiz

any of the weasley brothers single?

@harpies-hore reblogged @bitch-witchh

percy

@bitch-witchh reblogged @harpies-hore

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

With the release of the snitch, the 132nd Quidditch World Cup has begun!

@brightlybound posted

can someone explain the rules of quidditch to me real quick

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @brightlybound

big ball needs to go through hoops for 10 points

medium sized ball hits people and hurts

little golden ball ends the game for 150 points

@brightlybound reblogged @queezy-4-weasley

Thanks! I'm going to forget about half of this

@im-a-keeper posted

England came READY today

@gin-will-win posted

Weasley to Killick to Alton back to Killick to Weasley to Alton to...

@quid-bitch posted

AMERICA IS SO FUCKED

@ginginweas posted

SHE SCORED!!!

@bitch-witchh posted

I KNOW THAT IS MY GIRL!!!!

@thunderbirdgirll posted

wait, i was told weasley got her spot on the team because her boyfriend saved the world, not because she was actually good at this sport

@harpies-hore reblogged @thunderbirdgirll

America's live reaction to realizing how good Ginny Weasley is

@thunderbirdgirll reblogged @harpies-hore

plz delete

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

HARRY ALMOST FELL OVER THE RAILING IN EXCITEMENT!!!

@drarry-is-real reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

now you are just writing fanfiction

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

lol, because @drarry-is-real is my older sister

@drarry-is-real reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

give me my green jumper back

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @drarry-is-real

no

@ginwiz posted

SHE SCORED AGAIN

@gin-will-win posted

is America okay? are they even trying???

@thunderbirdgirll posted

America rn

@harpies-hore reblogged @thunderbirdgirll

in another life, we would have been friends

@ginginweas posted

Do we think Shah catches the snitch today?

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @ginginweas

by the way the chasers are playing, he might not need to

@im-a-keeper posted

I refuse to get comfortable, the USA is known for their comebacks

@ginwiz reblogged @im-a-keeper

don't say that

@quid-bitchh posted

we can't lose, america can't score

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

Sullivan scores the United States first points after an incredible Dionysus Dive! England is still up 40-10.

@horny-serpant posted

THANK FUCK WE GOT POINTS

@thunderbirdgirll reblogged @horny-serpant

ALL HOPE IS NOT LOST

@gin-will-win posted

ah fuck

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

NOOO they weren't supposed to score!!!!!

@queezy-4-weasley posted

is it too late to get a new keeper?

@ginginweas reblogged @queezy-4-weasley

Ron can sub in, I heard he was keeper at Hogwarts

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @ginginweas

i don't trust the quidditch skills of a man who cheers for the Chudley Cannons

@ginwiz posted

CAN THEY STOP SCORING PLEASE!?!?

@quid-bitch posted

GINNY!! OPHELIA!! RICHARD!!! HARRY!!! SOMEONE!!! DO SOMETHING!!!

@thunderbirdgirll posted

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!!!!!

@nycwitchy posted

OOOOHH SAY CAN YOU SEEE!!!! BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT

@ginginweas posted

okay I was fine with them scoring once, a little troubled with them scoring twice, hurt about the third, BUT WE LET THEM TIE US IN THE SPAN OF 5 MINUTES????

@bitch-witchh posted

I'm blaming @im-a-keeper for USA comeback

@im-a-keeper reblogged @bitch-witchh

I'm sorry

@thunderbirdgirll posted

@gin-will-win posted

things are getting.... snippy out there

@harpies-hore posted

oh Ginny is MAD

@queezy-4-weasley posted

yes Gin, steal that quaffle right out of the greedy American's hand

@nycwitchy reblogged @queezy-4-weasley

not the British citizen calling America greedy, girl, yall have some artifacts to return from the British Museum

@quid-bitch posted

THAT BITCH CLARK PULLED ON GINNY'S BROOM TAIL!!

@im-a-keeper posted

... did the refs not stop that?

@ginginweas posted

I DON'T EVEN NEED A POLL TO KNOW THAT THESE REFS ARE WORSE THAN VOLDEMORT

@ginwiz posted

OH SHIT

@quid-bitch posted

THAT WAS SO HOT OF HER

@bitch-witchh posted

GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

damn...

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

A fight has broken out between England and The United States of America after Ginny Weasley punched Cecelia Clark in the face

@harpies-hore posted

@quid-bitchh posted

Ginny, you can punch me at any time

@quidditch4lyfe posted

I can't believe I thought I was going to hate this game.

@thenicestthingiveseen posted

@puddlemore-111 posted

Further proof that this generation is ruining Quidditch

@ginginweas reblogged @puddlemore-111

people have died playing quidditch before and you're offended by a punch???

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

I'm crying, Harry is cheering so loudly for Ginny right now

@bitch-witchh posted

no, but Harry is out of his seat thrilled that she threw that first punch

@gin-will-win posted

shut the fuck up, her PARENTS are celebrating her punching Clark

@ginwiz posted

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @ginwiz

Harry would kill himself before hitting Ginny

@bitch-witchh reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

and Ginny would kill Harry before backing out of a competition

@thunderbirdgirll posted

Cecelia, girl, how you going to start that fight with an illegal move and then get your ass beat like that??? You're embarrassing me

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

The refs have both teams separated and the fight has ended. Cecilia Clark will be rewarded 2 free penalty shots. Ginny Weasley has received an official warning penalty.

@quidditch-world-cup-updates reblogged @quidditch-world-cup-updates

this was a terrible call btw

@ginginweas posted

NOT @quidditch-world-cup-updates recognizing how BAD these refs are!!

@queezy-4-weasley posted

at least Clark only made one of her two penalty shots

@harpies-hore reblogged @queezy-4-weasley

Clark does not equal free points

@horny-serpant posted

we were going to need those extra 10 points

@ginginweas posted

okay folks, back to our regularly scheduled England dominance

@gin-will-win posted

Alton scored thank fuck

@thunderbirdgirll posted

Sullivan scored thank fuck

@queezy-4-weasley posted

GINNY WITH THE QUAFFLE!

@bitch-witchh posted

so much is happening at once

@im-a-keeper posted

it is back and forth, back and forth for both teams.

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

Clark scores tying the game back up at 90-90.

@quidditch4lyfe posted

Ginny should start another fight

@harpies-hore reblogged @quidditch4lyfe

I agree

@quid-bitch posted

I fear we will be relying on Shah once again to catch the snitch

@ginwiz reblogged @quid-bitch

THAT'S OKAY!!! HE CAN DO IT!!!

@thunderbirdgirll reblogged @ginwiz

@gin-will-win posted

More points!

@nycwitchyy posted

AMERICA SCORES AGAIN!!!!

@harpies-hore posted

whenever I think we can take the lead, there America is, right behind us, scoring again

@thunderbirdgirll reblogged @harpies-hore

CAN'T GET RID OF US!!!

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

okay can we go back to winning please? i need a happy harry and ginny post-game celebration

@puddlemore-111 posted

2 hours into the game and still no snitch sighting. Shah was the worst pick as a seeker for England

@im-a-keeper reblogged @puddlemore-111

Shah literally caught the snitch the last two matches, one of them against Victor Krum? What are you even talking about?

@ginginweas reblogged @im-a-keeper

you got to block him like the rest of us did

@im-a-keeper reblogged @ginginweas

@four2andnew posted

so when does the game actually end? I was told that Harry Potter might propose to Ginny Weasley at the end of the game

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @four2andnew

whenever the snitch is caught

@four2andnew reblogged @queezy-4-weasley

and when will that happen?

@queezy-4-weasley reblogged @four2andnew

who's to say

@gin-will-win posted

Ginny scores again!! What is that? 8 goals for her now?

@bitch-witchh reblogged @gin-will-win

nine!

@quidditch-world-cup-updates posted

At the 2 hour and 34 minute mark, we have our first snitch sighting!

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

CATCH THE FUCKING SNITCH AND END THE GAME SHAH!

@ginwiz posted

aaaaand they lost the snitch

@quid-bitch posted

while you were watching shah miss the snitch, i was watching our girl score again

@ginginweas posted

this is such a high scoring game so far... 210-180

@bitch-witchh reblogged @ginginweas

both team's keepers kinda suck

@ginginweas reblogged @bitch-witchh

we should have had Wood over Frisby

@quid-bitch reblogged @ginginweas

I love Wood

@bitch-witchh reblogged @quid-bitch

we know

@gin-will-win posted

MORE POINTS FOR GINNY!!!

@harpies-hore posted

if we manage to win this, Ginny deserved MVP again

@bitch-witchh

SNITCH SIGHTING SNITCH SIGHTING!!!!

@ginwiz posted

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

@queezy-4-weasley posted

SHAH YOU CAN KICK THE AMERICAN'S ASS

@thunderbirdgirll posted

COME ON DIAZ!!!! CATCH THE SNITCH!!!

@nycwitchy posted

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@harpies-hore posted

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!1

@im-a-keeper posted

SHAH DID IT!!!!

@quid-bitch posted

I NEVER THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME!!!!!!!!

@bitch-witchh posted

BREW YOUR TEA WITH AMERICAN TEARS TONIGHT BECAUSE ENGLAND JUST WON!!!!

@quidditch-world-cup-updates

Steffan Shah snagged the snitch! England has won the 132nd Quidditch World Cup!

@drarry-is-real posted

I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM ACTUALLY HAPPY GINNY WEASLEY WON!

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

SHE FLEW STRIAGHT OVER TO HARRY!!!!!!!1

@drarry-is-real posted

I no longer am happy Ginny Weasley won

@queezy-4-weasley posted

GINNY AND HARRY!!!!

@ginginweas posted

i love their love

@quid-bitch posted

HARRY AND GINNY SITTING IN A TREE!! K-I-S-S-I-N-G

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

THEY JUST MAKE ME FEEL SO MANY THINGS I LOVE HINNY YOURE HONOR

@harpies-hore posted

EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO IF I DIDN'T WIN!!! GUESS WE'LL NEVER KNOW

@gin-will-win posted

WHERE'S THE TROPHY??? SHE JUST COMES RUNNING OVER TO ME!!!!

@thunderbirdgirll posted

okay im sad, but they are very cute together

@nycwitchy reblogged @thunderbirdgirll

i know. like the hot, young quidditch star is dating the savior of the world. swoon worthing. i need a romance book based off of them, stat

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @nycwitchy

i don't have a book, but I can give some fanfic recommendations

@ginwiz posted

wait... did anyone else see that sparkle?

@ginginweas reblogged @ginwiz

i thought my eyes deceived me there for a second but....

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

DID SHE JUST SLIP ON AN ENGAGEMENT RING??

@queezy-4-weasley posted

THAT'S A RING

@harpies-hore posted

@bitch-witchh posted

ENGAGED HINNY??? DID HE JUST PROPOSE???

@gin-will-win posted

I don't think it was a proposal??? i think she couldn't wear the ring during the game and she just slipped it on herself after the game!???

@ginginweas reblogged @gin-will-win

I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT!!! THEY WERE ALREADY ENGAGED!

@ginwiz posted

THEY JUST CASUALLY ANNOUNCING THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED???

@im-a-keeper posted

This was the best season of quidditch I have ever experienced. Love stories, fist fights, and a quidditch world cup. I may actually be crying.

@hinny-luv-4-eva posted

I DON'T THINK I WILL EVER GET OVER TODAY

@drarry-is-real reblogged @hinny-luv-4-eva

you are so annoying

@hinny-luv-4-eva reblogged @drarry-is-real

LOVE YOU TOO SIS!!!

@ginnyweasley posted

WE WON!!!

I had a wonderful experience playing for England alongside my excellent teammates. So thankful to have such a loving, supportive fiancé to celebrate with!!

@gin-will-win posted

FIANCE!!!!!!

[sergeifyodorov]

reminder that team usa could've easily made this about honoring the gaudreaus (and afaik they did for a while!). but no. they had to make it about [redacted] and his bullshit and turn this tournament into another sideshow instead. so yeah. as an american, i'm glad team usa lost LMFAO. fuck them. (and honestly? i'm personally side-eying *ANYONE* who was cheering for team usa yesterday too). -confused blogger anon.

To be honest it wasn't entirely in their control innit

They decided to make a show of themselves against Canada specifically and the chuds in government who want to annex us took it as a metaphor and a sign. If they leaned into the political rhetoric or not it would've been taken that way anyway. To reject playing for the fascists would be to reject playing for the national team.

The thing is national teams don't represent players so much as they represent ideas (to a lesser extent major league teams do too, especially when they're placed within epicentres of smaller cultural groups ie Montreal) of the group denoted by that jersey. The idea and the team is the same. You can't reject the idea (eg the annexation of a former ally) without rejecting the team (taking off your team usa jersey and going somewhere else). Johnny Gaudreau was a close friend of most of the team and I'm sure on a personal level they played largely or entirely for him, but at the same time the idea of the us national team defeating (taking over) the Canadians made that original goal obsolete.

[satoruhour]

hi t!!! i hope you're well. saw that your requests are open and i'm actually nervous bec this is my first time ever sending a request (⁠๑⁠•⁠﹏⁠•⁠)

may i request gojo being jealous or pouty over reader simping over a celebrity (nct maybe or mark lee especially) (i read that you used to write for nct hehehe) (i'm on nct rabbit hole for the past few days) or or or bassist!suguru teaching reader how to play the guitar maybe?

(am i doing this right? (⁠*⁠・⁠～⁠・⁠*⁠) )

anyway, have a good rest of your day/night!!!

a/n: omg my love im sorry this took so long! i hope you enjoy, i wrote both but ill post it separately :)

five hours. that’s how long your boyfriend’s been sulking and ignoring you and throwing mini tantrums every now and then. all because you liked to tune into youtube a little too much to look at a bunch of boys (“26, mind you! why do they need so many members anyway?” gojo would say) dance and sing at the same time.

“NCT U this, NCT Dream that, what about NCT Tokyo?” gojo paces the room the very first time you explain the whole concept to him — a group of unlimited members while some are sorted into specific sub-groups that represent specific concepts. gojo gets part of it, but doesn’t understand why they needed to be so attractive.

“they do have an NCT Tokyo, actually! newly formed!” you grin, knowing this information would only set him off, and since then, every comeback, every variety show, every photoshoot behind-the-scenes video that you blast on the living room television is enough to get your boyfriend in the most terrible mood.

but one thing that really sets the sorcerer off is your obsession with the canadian singer slash rapper, mark lee. you admired the work he put in — training since he was young and miles away from his family. he debuted at only sixteen and made a name for himself ever since then, always putting in his 200% for everything that he does. mark’s face shows up way more often than the group videos, gojo notices; a lot of the specific fancams that focus on his performance, or those fan-made compilation videos.

it’s not like you’ve been playing videos non-stop, either. you offered gojo to wave his white flag whenever you went to do chores, made lunch, did some reports, but none came.

so you might as well enjoy a few more videos until you break the ice. you reach hour four when you feel a little bad about the glares he’s giving the tv, seated on the far other end of the sofa while you enjoy the fancam videos of fact check.

curiously, out of the corner of your eye, there’s just a bit of change in your boyfriend’s expression, a scowl still deep on his face but his eyebrows are not as furrowed, eyes not as narrowed and squinted as he liked it to be. having dated since high school, you already know what’s going in that head of his — you know he finds mark at least a little attractive, but his pride wouldn’t let him tell you that.

“see anything you like?” you hear the audible gasp of gojo when you call out to him, letting the video go on not because you watched it a couple times already (while not entirely wrong) but you think gojo still outshines any k-pop idol on the big screen.

“no . .” he mumbles, sinking into himself more and more to prevent you from looking at his expression; but the foot-tapping, the secretive eyes, the head bobs all give him away. you know you’ve got him figured out when you scoot over and he doesn’t move, letting you untangle his fortress of shame shown in his body language.

“you can tell me he’s pretty, you know that right?” you giggle, lifting his arm to slot yourself under it. you fit just right upon his bent knees, looking up at the familiar frown on his face. gently, you peel away the blindfold on his face, greeted with the stark blue eyes that you find yourself falling deeper into each day.

“no comment.”

you laugh at his stubbornness, a hand caressing his cheek as you try to contain your smile. even now, he’s not doing a very good job of catching glances at the television and sulking.

“okay, then, i guess i’ll just continue to watch my videos, then, since tomorrow is an off-day.”

“no! i-i mean . . uh,” gojo is torn between admiring your favourite idol and staying jealous, but he can’t formulate words when you stare at him like that; a crinkle in your eyes and just a sliver of your teeth while your eyes sparkle under the apartment lighting.

“ugghhhh . . i don’t know,” gojo buries his face in his hands, “why do you like him so much anyway? do you like him more than me?”

you hum, striking a faux pose of pondering and your boyfriend only whines again at that, accidentally putting down his knees and your support from behind you is made void immediately. if it wasn’t for your arms that hung around his shoulder, you would’ve landed on his lap pretty harshly.

gojo only huffs after also doing his part: an arm replacing his thighs to keep you from falling. there you hang awkwardly, still faced with gojo’s adorable pout, “mark lee definitely couldn’t have done that. i’ll tell you that much.”

you roll your eyes with a big grin, “oh, you big jealous oaf, c’mere.”

without warning you latch yourself onto him, slightly tackling him into a violent embrace with your lips on his and gojo sighs indefinitely like he’s been waiting all day for it. he just lets you have your way with him, letting you kiss him like you’ve never done before. he hums into your mouth, submitting to you as you climb into his lap.

“so i’m assuming you like me more than him?”

your boyfriend teases as you pull away, hands caressing your sides and sending chills right down to your centre.

“do you really have to ask?” you giggle, fully taking off his blindfold, now, brushing your fingers through his hair. through the corner of your eye, you see him play with the left and right buttons possibly to find a spicy playlist you two could get down to (his words, not yours), but before it can even start:

the playlist’s interrupted by an advert for nature republic with mark’s voice that plays through the speakers, panning out to eight other boys on a beach and smiling as if they’re aware of the torment they harboured.

your sorcerer boyfriend merely throws his hands up in frustration (“oh, come on!”), melting into the couch with a permanent scowl while the living room only fills up with your loud laughter.

[artistdove]

Hermitcraft Grian designs for each season.

Now a mini rant. Main bird wings are based on his overall theme for the season, aka his main base. However, the wings can change bird species to fit the skin or arc that happens in the season. Since they do represent the elytra, the wings can be absent. Gotta have break from drawing individual feathers eventually. S9 is special as it's the only time G got more bird like outside of wings. Bird choice reasons somewhat explained below

Season 6 is a Gannet due to it being a sea bird and a good fit for one who never used elytra before until Hermitcraft. Those birds need a wind stream to fully lift off. Season 7 is obviously a Parrot, which is a staple in the fandom. Aside from Pesky Bird arc and bits, I think it further fits as a way of showing how out going G got and sounded by the next season. I mean he was quite the hermit in S6 but S7 sounded like he was more settled idk. Spore Mother wings are a Canadian Jay cuz apparently those birds eat mushrooms, unless Google is wrong lol. Season 8 had to be a Snowy Owl cuz man went full Harry Potter. Season 9 was a bit tricky as a mountain dwelling bird fits, but I felt a more mystical seeming bird fit more. S9 did much more fantasy. I eventually learned about the Fairy Wren and Rock Wren that I ended up mixing together. I like to think the Skulk slowly darken his wings and added color. Further more with the bird form, I did add thin tail feathers with a Skulk senser as the tips. This avian form felt more at home for the Empires SMP as I prefer to keep the Hermits close to their irl look or normal skin look. So unless the Hermit already has animal like features in their base skin, most are not gonna be full anthro or partial anthro (may change this headcanon in the future tho lol)

[cazzyf1]

Quotes about the 1982 Drivers Strike that I found funny/interesting (from a pdf of a book I accidentally downloaded)

So, if you haven't seen from my Twitter stream this morning when trying to research something about Niki Lauda for a friend, I came across a pdf link. Thinking it would just be a small article potentially with the answer I was looking for, I downloaded it. I did not notice the fact that it was 154 pages... to my surprise; it turned out to be a whole book about the 1982 season, specifically focusing on Keke Rosberg.

I've read through the chapter about the driver's strike and taken down some quotes that I found interesting. There isn't a lot of detail into what they all got up to that isn't already known, but there is a lot of useful information. Hope you enjoy :)

'You might imagine all this was just like every season, but 1982 was already very different. The Rat, you see, had smelt a rat.'

'Herr Andres Nikolaus Lauda of Vienna had furtive eyes which didn't miss much and a suspicious mind. On 24th December 1981, he sniffed the form from Paris the postman had just delivered and didn't like it at all.'

'The form was the product of events in 1981 when Prost, making his debut in Grand Prix racing with Mclaren, became convinced the car was not safe and refused to drive for the team again regardless of the fact he had a contract to do so. Prost told Teddy Mayer that, if necessary, he would simply walk away from motor sport altogether. Renault approached Prost, he joined them, and Mayer (by training a lawyer) discovered how problematic the law was if you tried to prevent someone from gaining their livelihood. The super licence form represented an attempt to prevent such situation recurring.'

'Lauda claims Pironi made phone calls and was able to prevent 'most of the other drivers' from signing, but in fact 24 did, leaving six refuseniks: Pironi himself, Lauda of course, Villeneuve - who had seen something similar in Canadian ice hockey and didn't like it - Arnoux, Giacomelli, and de Cesaris'

'I was just listening because Didier Pironi did all the talking,' Lauda would say. 'Didier completely unemotional. The important thing was to keep on talking.'

'At 7:00 on the Thursday morning a bus, arranged by GPDA secretary Trevor Rowe, drew up not far from the paddock entrance with Pironi and Lauda in it. Most of the drivers stayed at the nearby Kyalami Ranch Hotel and they'd be arriving early for a GPDA meeting before the hour-long practice session at 10:20. As each arrived they were invited to park their cars and get onto the bus. Mass didn't show up (He's always late' someone said) and Ickx refused. In fact, Mass had been staying with friends of his South African-born wife and so had been out of touch. He knew nothing about the bus but it wouldn't have made any difference.'

'The drivers were, as Lauda recounts is, going for a drive. With Lauda hanging out of the back waving, the bus set off, but as it left the bottom gate of the circuit John McDonald of the March team tried to block it. Laffite and some other drivers got out and pushed McDonald's car clear. Then the bus proceeded to the scenic route to Johannesburg some 15 miles away pursued by 'a whole convoy' of TV cameras, journalists and photographers. The bus went to the Sunnyside Park Hotel in the suburbs. It offered full amenities including a swimming pool.'

'At 10:19 the track opened for practice. The race organisers threatened to impound the cars if the race didn't happen and Ecclestone threatened the drivers that they would be sued for recompense if the cars were impounded. Throughout, Ecclestone adopted a hard line and at one point, in a remarkable interview questioned the value of drivers, "Nobody came up to me at Kyalami and asked where Jones or Andretti were. Already they're not missed. Why should any of the rest of them be missed? If it had suited Carlos not to come back, he wouldn't have given a stuff about F1 now, or whether the crowds came now or didn't. He couldn't give a dam if it suited him not to turn up. In the same way it suited Niki to walk out in the middle of a race. I think he said at the time 'I'm leaving because of policies, I just want to be a racing driver.' If you analyse it, the drivers just don't make any sense."'

'Pironi arrived from the circuit and explained that if they didn't return and drive immediately, they faced life bans. There seems to have been a distinctive mood at the hotel with very real concerns about what they were doing 'camouflaged by high jinks and laughter.' Lauda knew that the older drivers understood what the consequences might be. Ecclestone had already fired Piquet and Patrese. Lauda realised how difficult it was for the young drivers, facing the reaction of their sponsors. Lauda concluded that maintaining solidarity was crucial. Each driver had a great deal to lose.'

'At the Kyalami Ranch, during dinner, drivers' wives and girlfriends threw bread rolls and plates at Balestre.'

'The drivers in Hannesburg inhabited the conference room. "We ended up barricaded in it" Warwick says, "You know what was fantastic? I got to know my colleagues for the first time because, being a non-qualifier at the back of the grid, you don't get a chance to speak to the guys at the front. That was good. The other things that were massive when we were in that compound - we were there for 24 hours - was Bruno Giacomelli standing with a chart and dissecting an AK47 machine gun. He drew these magnificent drawings of how to take the gun to bits and so on. It was very, very funny because in the normal Bruno Giacomelli way he was very, very funny anyway. I think it was a big shock for everybody in authority because they thought they could control the drivers but, to be quite honest, I don't know that half of them in the room knew what we were striking for." Lauda kept their spirits up by telling jokes and, a piano brought, Villeneuve played light music and de Angelis classical pieces. "What really blew me away," Warwick says, "was that we had a piano in the room and Elio de Angelis started playing it. Apparently, he could have been a concert pianist and it astonished me - the other talents that some of these guys had. Then Gilles played Scott Joplin.'

'Many remember the performance by de Angelis. "Believe it or not," Derek Daly says, "the most vivid memory I have of being stuck in the hotel was Elio de Angelis playing the piano like a concert pianist. Remarkable. Definitely, definitely that was a gift, a talent of his.' Jarier points out that "it was a big room and Elio de Angelis played classical music and Gilles played. Very sympa. In that era virtually all the drivers stayed in the same hotels - Kyalami Ranch in South America, the Glen Motorhome in Watkins Glen and so on. A formula one team was 15, 20 people. There were far few journalists, far fewer television people and everybody knew each other." In other words, many of the drivers in the big room were not strangers to each other, however much those at the back of the grid had to be. Alex Hawkridge arrived to try and reach Fabi and Warwick. Fabi was easy to reach because, as it seems, he was already staying in the hotel and had his own room. "Teo we didn't threaten as such, we told him he was contracted to drive. He came out and I was able to speak to him. We reminded him he had signed a contract to drive, and the idea of solidarity wouldn't help him if he was without a drive and think where his best interest lay. Elio was playing the piano - astonishing - and I could hear him. He was a proper concert pianist.'

'The room was barricaded. An associate of mine pushed the door open and shouted their names, "Come and talk to us and we'll resolve this" Of course, as happens when you do that, someone pushed the other way and there was a bit of a pushing and shoving session - by a friend of mine called Douglas Norden, who is known to be a little aggressive when challenged. He was nothing to do with the team, just a friend along trying to help and it turned into a bit of a scuffle, the the door shut." Niki and the others saw it as a further restriction on the drivers' power and they wanted to stop it, and that is always the difficulty with change, isn't it? We were to have another example at Imola when the FOCA went on strike against the FIA. Through the history of human struggle there have been instances involving union. Lauda made sure the piano blocked the door so there would be no further scuffles, giving the police reason to enter. Mo Nunn at the Ensign tried to get Guerrero to come out by taking his girlfriend. When they saw each other they dissolved into tears and Lauda allowed him out to see her providing he - Lauda - came too. Jean Sage of Renault tried to get Prost and Arnoux but was beaten off.'

'The drivers ordered a room big enough to put 30 mattresses onto the carpet - that provoked prolonged ribaldry. At 11:00 pm they moved from the conference room to this dormitory and settled down for the night, having worked out an elaborate way of getting to the toilet across the hallway. It was conducted on the honour system with a key on a plate in the middle of the room. Lauda would remember, "I was sharing a bed with Patrese, someone next to Rosberg was snoring until Villeneuve put a blanket over him in the middle of the night, but all the time we stood together." Warwick would remember, "The drivers spent time with me and we spent a lot of time together - I was sleeping with them, exactly, yes! I haven't slept on the same mattress as Carlos Reutemann ever since, mind you..." To which Derek Daly says, "The funny thing is think I was on the other side because I have a picture of me beside Reutemann. I don't know if he snored. I do think he was still dressed in his driver's suit." Pironi said at the time, "We will see it through, FISA had too much to lose to let the Grand Prix be called off. I'm confident they will relent." "We'd had a lot of pressure because you had people like Jackie Oliver and Alex Hawkridge coming to the hotel," Warwick says, "We were threatened with our jobs if you don't get back there and that, of course, if why Fabi crawled out of the toilet window. He was the only one who broke ranks. He did the dirty on me. Everybody said they understood if I had to go back, I was explaining to people like Lauda, 'It's okay for you guys, you're going to have a job , you're some of the best drivers around but I'm the new kid on the block, my team mate's just jumped ship and I am very vulnerable' and every one of them said, 'We guarantee you will not be fired' In other words, if one is fired everyone goes. That gave me a little bit more confidence to stay there."'

'"It wasn't the strike which made me say, I don't want Formula One," Tambay says, "I enjoyed the strike! It was the best time I ever had with all my friends, although it was a very costly reunion with them. WHat I didn't like was Teo Fabi sneaking out behind our backs to try and get back into the car, and what I didn't like was that I knew we had been screwed - they (Balestre & co) had said "Come back out to the circuit and everything's going to be all right" and I knew we were all screwed"'

'And there, grinning broadly (he usually did), stood the strong, square figure of Brian Henton - available for selection as of this second, Jackie Oliver gave Henton the Tambay drive, but that morning, Henton became embroiled in a tug-of-war between the arrows management and Herr Lauda. Arrows 'were bollocking me saying "Get in the car" and all the rest of it' Henton remembers, 'And I am just about to go out for practice and they needed my signature on their petition. I'd got the team shouting in one ear "Get in that car and get out there" and, just as I am sitting Niki Lauda - who been massaging me all the time and I'd been saying "No, no, no" - rushes up with this petition, he 'hit' me at the right time, "Just sign this, sign it, sign it" I thought I only want to get out onto the track.'

'Lauda records how, throughout the weekend, there had been rumours that once the drivers reached the airport to fly home they would be arrested, although on what grounds it is difficult to say, what happened was quite different. During the race the stewards issued a statement given to each team, saying the drivers Super Licences were being suspended. Three drivers, Fabi, Mass and Henton - were spared: Fabi because he'd gone to the track prepared to drive, Mass because he had driven, and Henton because he got the Arrows drive after Tambay withdrew following the strike. Francis Tucker, steward of the South African Grand Prix, said, "For the purpose of running a race, a temporary truce, was called in the disagreement between the drivers and the officials. The truce lasted until the end of the race. At the end of the race, the truce agreement position was terminated. This means that the position which existed prior to the agreement is effectively reinstated.' The drivers were suspended immediately and each paid 300 Rand to appeal the decision. Fisa said they supported the suspensions and Executive Committee would meet in Paris on the following Thursday, January 27.'

-

And that is all that I took down about the Driver's Strike of 1982. I hope that it was an enjoyable read for everyone!

I feel a bit bad that I accidentally got a free copy of this book, given that the author I've read other books from and it one that I like a lot, and that when looking the book up, it is rather expensive. But these things accidentally happen, and anyone could accidentally look up this exact search on google: Niki Lauda "snored" - and then see the first link that is a pdf of 154 pages titled 1982, which then they could click and get the full copy of the book. These accidents happen. And it is always good to have a virus scanner to check any file you download just in case, my phone seems safe but it's better safe than sorry.

Enjoy :)

[far-side-skies]

What country do you think each terra represents?

I started this at work the day I got this ask, and then the tumblr app said "fuck you" and deleted the draft. Thanks tumblr.

Anyway this was a fairly easy question to answer, I've had headcanons for this for a while :3

Terra Rex: Pretty obviously based on England, specifically the rich fancy parts like Edwardian-era London. There doesn't appear to be any royal family ruling the Terra, but since 'Rex' means 'king', I wouldn't be surprised if there was a king or queen hiding in the lore we never got to see. 'The Terra of Kings' should have a monarchy, right? Or maybe these fictional Brits did what us irl lot never could and tossed the royal family into the Wastelands.

Terra Atmos: I was never sure about this one, there were no context clues that implied it was based on any particular culture, old or new. Since I recall it was described as "the centre of the known atmos" by Piper in Home Movie Night, I headcanon it to have started off as a major international trade hub. As a result its people have a very random mix of cultural backgrounds. Many of them come from the families of traders or travelling workers.

Terra Mesa: Another one I'm not 100% certain of in terms of canon, but ever since @todayis-snowy drew Starling in a cowboy outfit I have been a firm believer in Mesa having a Wild West feel based on America in the 1800s. Proper Red Dead Redemption style terrain.

Terra Glockencheime: I think this has a German steampunk basis to it? Sadly the most we see of any irl influence seems to be the accents of the keepers of the time pulse, which struck me as German, so Terra Germany it is I guess.

Terra Gale: So far every Canadian in the Storm Hawks discord is adamant that Gale is based on the Quebec region of Canada, and I'm inclined to believe them. The frenchmen are actually french-canadian!

Terra Saharr: Deserts and their sky knights have australian accents. This is Terra Australia. I wish we'd seen more of it.

Terra Blizaris: Another, slightly more obvious Canada-based Terra, though I can't remember off the top of my head which region the Canadians in the server said it reminded them of. I think it was northwest Canada? Eh?

Terra Bogaton: Another one I'm not sure of. It's lizard culture. Probably based on some tribal cannibal stereotype if I'm being honest with myself, it was typical of the 2000s and it's not the only terra whose people are walking stereotypes.

Terra Vapos: Based on the architecture, Ancient Greece. Based on the fact that it's an ancient terra lost to myth? Vapos is probably the Atmos equivalent of Atlantis. Not a real country, but still based in irl mythos.

Terra Deep: I am doing a big leap in logic for this one, but this might be a reference to the Bermuda Triangle? With the ships going missing? I don't think that's what the writers were actually going for though.

Terra Amazonia: This Terra reminds me of the Amazon rainforest, particularly the regions in Peru.

Terra Nostrus: The same as Amazonia.

Terra Zartacla: Not a country, but the name is literally Alcatraz spelt backwards. A pretty obvious parallel.

Terra Xoam/The Forbidden City: This Terra has a lot of ancient mezoamerican influences in my opinion. Not much else to say since we never got to see any actual culture besides the buildings and traps.

Terra Neon: Vegas, baby!

Terra Wallop: Junko is seen wearing a kilt as part of traditional Wallop garb, so I'd say Wallop has a lot of Scottish influences.

Terra Cyclonia: With no real culture to speak of besides "capital of an Empire", I couldn't tell you which country this one might have canonically been based on. Me personally, I use a number of Greek influences for the history, clothing and mythology of the Terra, and base everything else off of in-universe lore I've come up with for it. With a bit of Russian for the language and alphabet, because ever since I discovered the delight that is Russian cursive, I have forever headcanon'd that Dark Ace's handwriting is just like that, and nobody but other Cyclonians can read it.

And that's all the Terras I can list off in my head. I know not all of them are based on actual countries, but some of them were so specific that I had to scale down from full countries.

[talonabraxas]

Kernunnos “Cosmic Horned God” Talon Abraxas

Kernunnos: or of the perennial renewal of the cosmos

Primordial epiphany of the giver of life and death, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world, the Celtic Cernunno was not only god of hunting and wild nature, but a real “cosmic god” ruler of the cycle of death-and - rebirth, as evidenced by the symbols attributed to it by traditional iconography: the stage with cervine horns, the torques and the horned snake.

Cernunnus, which the Romans called simply “the Horned”, is an ancient divinity, venerated since the dawn of time: we find attestations of his cult since the Mesolithic and Neolithic. For prehistoric hunters, the Horned God constituted the primordial epiphany of the divinity giver of life and death, as well as the embodiment of the dangerous and relentless powers that spread their dominion over the world of wild nature; it was therefore in part, as is easily understood, a “double” of Bread Hellenic and del faunus Latin, or an equivalent of the Wendigo, terrifying cannibal god-demon of the Algonquins of the Canadian sub-arctic, archetypically connected to the dark forces of the natural world and meteorological and represented as a colossal skeleton of man-deer.

Like the Pan of the Orphics - who saw in him the universe considered as an interconnected whole, in spirit, soul and body - the main divinity of these ancient populations is considered to be a “Cosmic god of life and death”, whose breath hovers and penetrates everything. In this, Cernunno can also be compared to Dionysus, which similarly embodies at the same time the black death drives and those scarlet of sex and blood, both symbolically connected to the same vital archetype of Zoe, the “indestructible life”. Heraclitean wisdom is framed in the revelation of the false dichotomy that ultimately exists within the “cosmic drama” and along the “seasonal dance” of the ages of the world, between Life and Death: the same god are Hades and Dionysus.

As in the case of Dionysus, the dominion of Cernunno was not limited to the natural world: although revered by the tribes of hunters, the Horned God he did not simply have lordship over the game and the woods over which his spirit was constantly watching, but also and above all over the Other World, the world of the dead and spirits, which the shaman could access in a trance after having ingested herbs or psychotropic decoctions or having used one of the many “techniques of ecstasy”, to use the phrase coined by Mircea Eliade. In other words, since protohistoric times Cernunno was also considered the “Great Magician”, as well as the primal source of supernatural or “magical” psychic faculties.

The god - adorned similarly to the green man of leafy antlers, symbolizing the cyclical nature of time and the perpetual rebirth of the cosmos and nature - gathered the souls of the dead to escort them to the afterlife, sometimes accompanied by his paredra (in Ireland, the goddess of the hunt Flidass, who, similarly to his Mediterranean counterpart Diana / Artemis, drove a chariot pulled by deer).