#Gaelic lord

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1595 – Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, defeats the English forces of his brother-in-law, Sir Henry Bagenal, at the Battle of Clontibret, Co Monaghan; he is proclaimed a traitor at Newry in June.

Hugh O’Neill (Aodh Mór Ó Néill), was a Gaelic lord, Earl of Tyrone (known as the Great Earl) and was later created The Ó Néill. O’Neill’s career was played out against the background of the Tudor conquest of Ireland, and he is best known for leading the resistance during the Nine Years’ War, the strongest threat to English authority in Ireland since the revolt of Silken Thomas. In May 1595 he…

[dimity-lawn]

I went to the zoo today and (among other things) saw flamingos (alas, his Lordship must have been in a secret tunnel, for they were all brightly colored), The Great God Om, and Dr. Horace Worblehat The Librarian.

I got a number of weird looks for cooing over various venomous reptiles and going “Aren’t you a sweetie? You’re so handsome!” in a babyish voice, but on the other hand I started singing a Gaelic song about the sea and two seals turned to look at me at the same time, which (to quote a certain angel who sauntered vaguely downwards) “was a thing”. Also: I saw an echidna (woo monotremes!), three sand cats (baby! Even if it’s an adult it’s a baby), and got to pet some rays and a ball python. All in all, I’d say it was a good day (except the heat and crowds).

[radicalposture]

i downloaded babel to have a nose and do you ever pick up a book and within five minutes you can tell the author is an american who was obsessed with harry potter and is using their literary career as a way to work through the fact that they still love it but they’re not allowed to publicly admit that anymore

[gaelicfoxfire]

Welcome to Hell, Hater....

[writerthreads]

Fantasy names ideas (with meanings!)

By Writerthreads on Instagram

I always have trouble coming up with names for side characters, so hopefully this can help you as much as it helped me! The names in brackets are additional ones that are similar.

Male Fantasy Names

Aldric – (Germanic) old ruler / wise ruler

Caelum – (Latin) sky / heaven

Druvan(/Dhruv) – (Sanskrit) steady / immovable

Fenris – (Norse) named after the mythical wolf Fenrir

Kaelen(/Kaelan) – (Celtic) warrior / mighty

Leofric – (Old English) beloved ruler

Maelor – (Welsh) prince / lord

Rurik – (Slavic) famous ruler

Torin – (Gaelic) chief / thunder

Zarion – (Hebrew) full of sadness

Baldric(/Balrik) – (Old Norse) mighty warrior

Garron – (Irish) strength / protection

Ithran – (Arabic) crowned / majestic

Jorah – (Hebrew) autumn rain / early rain

Oberon – (Germanic / French) noble bear, associated with royalty

Female Fantasy Names

Ariella – (Hebrew) lioness of God

Brienne – (Celtic) noble / strong

Elysande – (French) noble / gracious

Isolde – (Germanic / Celtic) ice ruler / beauty

Lyra – (Latin) derived from the constellation Lyra, lyre

Mirabel – (Latin) wonder

Seraphine – (Hebrew) burning one / angelic being

Taliyah – (Arabic) blooming / rising

Yvaine – (Old French) evening star

Althea – (Greek) healer / wholesome

Calantha – (Greek) beautiful flower

Elira – (Albanian) free spirit / liberated

Selene – (Greek) moon goddess / light of the moon

Eleanor – (Greek / French) shining light

Gender-Neutral Fantasy Names

Aeris – (Latin) air / ethereal

Elynor(/Aenor) – (Greek) light / shining

Lior – (Hebrew) my light

Orin – (Celtic) pale / fair

Rune – (Old Norse) secret / mystery

Selwyn – (Old English) good friend / companion

Vesper – (Latin) evening / evening star

Aenor – (Germanic) strength / honor

Ilan – (Hebrew) tree / oak

Soren – (Scandinavian) stern / severe

Next up, country name ideas?

[orangerosebush]

Recently, I did a re-read of the AF series, and I am working through some thoughts I have on the Fowls and what allowed them to maintain power -- especially in the sense of being landed -- in Ireland after arriving during the Norman conquest in the 12th century.

Colfer establishes that Hugo de Folé and Virgil Butler arrived in Ireland during the first Norman crusades in the 12th century (1169).

“The first record of this unusual arrangement [between the Fowls and Butlers] was when Virgil Butler had been contracted as servant, bodyguard, and cook to Lord Hugo de Folé for one of the first great Norman crusades.” From: Artemis Fowl. By Eoin Colfer.

At once, these origins of the Fowls would make them ambiguously part of the Old English, a term from the modern period (post-1600) used to describe the descendants of the first Anglo-Norman conquerors who largely inhabited the Pale (Dublin and surrounding areas) and surrounding towns. Hugo de Folé and Virgil Butler would have likely been Catholic.

However, the origins of Fowl Manor complicate this.

The original Fowl castle had been built by Aodhán Fowl in the fifteenth century overlooking low-lying country on all sides. A tactic borrowed from the Normans. From: The Arctic Incident. By Eoin Colfer

In the 15th (c. 1401-1500) century, Aodhán Fowl acquired land for Fowl Manor in the Pale (Dublin and its surrounding areas); the estate has remained in the Fowls' possession ever since, which is important to note.

The Fowls' historical proximity to the Pale likely was what allowed them to maintain power over the centuries.

Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the Lordship of Ireland (1177-1542) placed swaths of Ireland under the control of Anglo-Norman lords loyal to the King of England.

However, by the 14th century (1300s), English rule of Ireland beyond the Pale (Dublin and its surrounding areas) was weakening. Beyond the Pale, (Catholic) Hiberno-Norman lords' fiefdoms had a degree of independence from the English, often adopting elements of Gaelic language and culture.

This changes around the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation and the Tudor conquest of Ireland. In 1536, Henry VIII of England decided to reconquer Ireland and bring it under crown control. Charles II, Henry VII's son, made the re-established Church of England even more explicitly Protestant.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries (c.1550s-1620s), Irish land was transferred to a new wave of (Protestant) settlers from Great Britain and Scotland to strengthen the Crown's weakening control over Ireland and Anglicize (and thus "civilize") the island; the land transfer was facilitated through the creation of plantations, such as the plantation of Ulster.

The Old English, which would have included descendants of de Folé and Virgil Butler, were supplanted by the New English, the Protestant landowners introduced by the Tudors in a number of ventures at plantations.

It is important to note the historical nuance that:

There was no equivalent in Ireland to the English Test Act of 1672, and there were plenty of precedents for exemptions to the Act of Supremacy. The legal position of Irish Catholics was, in many practical respects, better than that of English Catholics; many fines and penalties fell into abeyance under Charles [II], and the Catholic hierarchy co-operated openly with the Dublin administration. From James's [James VI and I] accession, the Church's position was obviously improved; priests emerged into the public eye and were allowed salaries, though they were not as yet endowed. Protestant superiority remained, in many areas, axiomatic; Catholics continued to occupy a curiously edgy position of formal inferiority combined with tacit toleration. But the ambiguities of their situation reflected the logic of local conditions just as much as the shifts in central policy. [...] But the 'Test clause in the 1704 [Popery] Act, obliging holders of public office to take sacraments according to the usage of the Church of Ireland, gradually excluded Presbyterians from town corporations even in Ulster. Despite the regium donum and the Toleration Act, their equivocal relationship with the civil power remained, and would provide a key theme in the radicalization of the Irish political world after 1780, when the threat of Catholic disaffection apparently receded. [From: Modern Ireland, 1600–1972. By R.F. Foster]

Still, the Popery Act would have had consequences for the historical Fowls and Butlers as Old English families. Beyond the Test clause in the Popery Act, it also limited Catholics' ability to buy/lease land, as well as limited inheritance from a Catholic to be by gavelkind i.e., divided equally, and thus shrinking with each generation, the estate between all sons, rather than according to Primogeniture.

It begs the question of how Fowl Manor remained in the hands of the family, rather than becoming the estate of a member of the New English.

As anti-Catholic sentiment was largely grounded in the political context of loyalty to the Crown (as opposed to the Pope), certain members of the Old English gentry could have (and did!) find ways to join the wave of the Protestant Ascendancy.

"The Anglo-Ireland of the day in fact encompassed sizable middle and lower classes -- a heterogeneity that Foster finds "exemplified by that quintessential Ascendancy institution, Trinity College: defined by Anglicanism but containing sons of peers, of shoemakers, of distillers, of butchers, of surgeons, and of builders" (Foster 1989, 173). And not all the "Anglo-Irish" were, strictly speaking, "Anglo." Early in Bowen's Court, Bowen's historical account of her family's Cork home, we learn that "Bowen" derives from the Welsh "ab Owen" or "ap Owen" (Bowen 1942a, 33). Other Anglo-Irish men and women traced their ancestry to the Old English and to Catholics who converted to Protestantism in order to reap the accompanying social, political and material rewards. Violet Martin (better known as Martin Ross) descended from the Old English Martins of Ross, who had owned land in Galway and had converted to Protestantism in the eighteenth century (McMahon 1968, 123). As Thomas Flanagan concludes, "there were many ways of being Anglo-Irish" (Flanagan 1966, 59). So what, then, defined Anglo-Irishness? In [R.F. ] Foster's view, it was Anglicanism. Anglicanism "defined a social elite, professional as well as landed, whose descent could be Norman, Old English, Cromwellian or even (in a very few cases) ancient Gaelic. Anglicanism conferred exclusivity, in Ireland as in contemporary England; and exclusivity defined the [Protestant] Ascendancy, not ethnic origin" From: An Anarchy in the Mind And in the Heart: Narrating Anglo-Ireland. By Ellen M. Wolff

And what do we find out in the first book of Artemis Fowl?

"Beside [Angeline] was a facsimile of [Artemis'] father, constructed from the morning suit he'd worn on that glorious day in Christchurch Cathedral fourteen years ago." From: Artemis Fowl. By Eoin Colfer

Christchurch Cathedral (in Dublin) is Anglican in denomination!

I just think it is so cool that across a few sentences from Artemis Fowl and The Arctic Incident, it is possible to situate the Fowl family within a semi-realistic history of Ireland.

[spurbleu]

cw. pregnancy pains. angst if you squint.

johnny is unsure how to help you these days.

bull in a china shop, where precious saucers and cups lay broken at his boots. callouses scrub off hand painted cherry branches. blossoms wilt.

he’s become an awkward observer of sorts. rendered silent when hot compounds of mercury foam behind your teeth. yellower, than they had been a couple months ago. he thinks its endearing- a smaller indication that you’re changing. he thinks it’s beautiful.

you cried when he mentioned it. not his brightest moment.

but he’s smart enough to know the anger isn’t meant for him, although he wouldn’t blame you. no, its a rankling hot in your belly- gnawing where ever its young teeth fit- and it fits a perfect grip on the shore of his neck, where the uneven growth of his buzz curls.

after all, he did put the thing in you.

little bugger. inherited his temper, a rearing buck with alters that prod at the sensitive parts of you. bullies a home into your womb, throwing fits against the softer skin of your stomach. shapes secret flesh and makes a home- one that had originally reserved for Johnny alone.

he’d be more mad, if he wasn’t the teacher.

today, he’s sat on the dining table. winter’s nail drags under the threshold, floe mannerless and bitter. your back is turned to him, hands busy with dinner. your belly is hidden, and for several breaths he is taken back seven years.

you made the mistake of being nice. one he thanks God for every day. he prays, clutches on to the crucifix his Ma gave him, that the Lord forgives your one sin.

two, if he counts the thing that gives you a second heart.

remembers how just seven months ago, he hissed and rutted over you- thick gaelic pooling at the gums of his bottom teeth- baby rattle. as if the countless times before this was just a way to stretch you wide for a second mouth. his mother calls that fate, but he terrified it might’ve been a curse.

an act of violence on the person who taught him how to leave it at the door.

because, how could it not be? you’re carrying half- possibly more so- of him now. your body is no longer just yours. its his and theirs and nothing stops the irreversible guilt that festers when he lays next to you.

it was absent when he promised you then- how you’d look so perfectly round with his children. how he couldn’t wait. how he wanted this- and you must’ve too.

words bit him in the fucking arse, didn’t they?

he’s unsure what propels him forward, the sound of your subconscious humming or this new guilt. but suddenly he’s behind you, pressing his lips to your jaw. you flinch, but don’t push him away.

he has seconds to think of an excuse that explains his interruption, a way to apologize for an ignorance he was born with- and in the breath of his nerves he recalls a tip Price gave him.

something about “lifting the weight” from the belly.

his hands find the warmest part of your stomach, just below the pouch, and lifts.

an unforgiving focus renders your body shudder, a lean into his chest, an sigh that curves below his jaw much like your fingers before you kiss him. he colors every shade of relief, of love in your posture, because he can’t stand the idea of missing it. wants to brand this into his head forever, so when he inevitably leaves for another month, he’ll still be able to picture you, waiting.

it takes him a second to realize your glowing.

light peaking behind the thin layer of skin, lamp on his canvas. warmth pulses in the thicket of your veins, and it’s almost too much. hot like a stove that burns, and despite every instinct to pull away, he’s tugged closer.

never told you that during the vows, but he’s shit with his words anyway. this is better, and he thinks you know it.

relishing that once you taught him gentle, it’s all he ever tries to be for you.

for the both of you.

[scotianostra]

On November 15th 1746 a young piper called James Reid from Angus was executed at York in Kaycee-joe England

Reid's crime was playing the pipes as an "Instrument of war". Now there are versions of this story that say Reid was hung, drawn and quartered but on researching this I could find no proof this was the execution method.

Reid served as a piper in the 1st Battalion, Lord Ogilvy's Forfarshire Regiment, raised in October 1745 in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie's uprising. He was among several men from this regiment left as part of the garrison of the English border city of Carlisle when the Jacobite rebels abandoned their invasion of England.

Reid was captured when the city surrendered to government forces in December 1745. At his treason trial, it was put forward in his defence that as a musician, he did not carry arms and had not struck a blow against King George. The court, however, ruled that "a Highland regiment never marched without a piper, and therefore his bagpipe, in the eyes of the law, is an instrument of war"—a legal distinction unique to the pipes.

Reid was not the only piper captured but seems to be the only one on record as being executed as records show one was pardoned, perhaps due to the fact he was "a blind Highland Pyper" another was transported and a third "discharged"

Another myth connected with this story is that the pipes were included in the disarming Act of Proscription which came into force on August 1746, the act did indeed ban the wearing of the kilt but no mention was made of our national instrument.

The pipes in the picture will be very similar to those played by the unfortunate Reid and were said to have been found on Culloden Moor. They are inscribed in both Gaelic and English with “These pipes belonged to John McGregor, piper to the Duke of Atholl, played in the Battles of Prince Charles Stuart’s army 1745-46.”

They are displayed in the Jacobite Room within Blair Castle.

[mprgz]

(Pictland (Northeast Great Britain) , Aberdeenshire) Located to the East of the Scottish Highlands, Pictland preserves the pre-Celtic Pictish language. Pictish is its own branch of Indo-European. Pictland is legally part of Scotland, not unlike Wales or Cornwall's relationship to England, having been conquered in the 15th century. However, unlike the conquest of Wales, it was a union of the crown, with the Pictish lords having autonomy equal or greater to the Highland lords. The Picts largely sided with the Hanoverians during the Jacobite uprisings due to their rivalries with the Gaelic-speaking clans in the Highlands. This allowed their culture to avoid the reprisals suffered in the Highlands. Despite being an Indo-European people, the Picts retain some male child carrying practices. For example, their noble titles descend by the birthing line, but to men, by a system known as tanistry. So, if only the wife gives birth, the title will pass to the eldest son of the eldest sister of the holder of the title. However, outside of the nobility and gentry, the wife historically carried the baby, although male child carrying is now more common among all segments of society. This may be counter-intuitive according the traditional narrative that Neolithic populations practiced male child carrying, while the Indo-Europeans, disproportionally represented among the nobility, practiced female child carrying. The practice may have been retained to ensure known paternity of the aristocracy. However, the lack of historical records makes such questions a matter of speculation. (Grok wasn't cooperative today. This is more lore dumping than image dumping, to have a "non-exotic" male child carrying fantasy culture.)

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

Faerghus is actually an amalgamation of various European nations. You can see this in the naming conventions of all the characters and the Kingdom itself. Here's just a few:

Faerghus is a variation of the name Fergus, a traditionally Gaelic name which means "the strongest one" or "the most masculine".

Glenn Govan Fraldarius; Glenn is a Scottish name and Govan is a Scottish town

Felix Hugo Fraldarius: Felix is a latin name meaning "lucky", and Hugo being a popular name in many European countries meaning "of the mind/of the body/of the soul" depending on where you go (fun fact, a variation/cousin of this name is Hubert).

Rodrigue Achille Fraldarius: Rodrigue is a variation of the names Rodrick and Rodrigo, meaning "famous ruler". Achille is a variation of Achilles. For the life of me though I can't find any evidence of what Fraldarius is mean to be.

Ingrid Brandl Galatea: Ingrid is a name of Scandinavian, German, and Dutch origin meaning "beloved/beautiful", Brandl being a German surname, and Galatea being the name of a nymph in Greek myth

Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd: Dimitri is a name in multiple countries in Europe, and means "dedicated to Demeter". Alexandre is a variant of the Greek Alexander, meaning "defender of the people". Blaiddyd is the name of a Welsh king.

Sylvain Jose Gautier: Sylvain is a French name meaning "wood", Gautier is a French name that's basically a variant on "Walter". Jose is pronounced José, and is a variant of Joseph.

Ashe Ubert/Duran: Ashe is an Irish name, Ubert is a variation of Hubert (See Hugo), and Durand is a French name meaning "enduring".

Annette Fantine Dominic: Annette is a variation of the name Anna/Anne, Fantine is from Les Mis, and Dominic is Latin meaning "of the Lord"

Yuri Leclerc/Ulysse Leclair: Yuri is a Slavic name which has some interesting connections of you follow its history, and it means "earth worker/one who works with the earth". Leclerc/Leclair is a French surname. In the Japanese version, he's called Ulysse, which is a French variation of Ulysses, AKA: Odysseus, King of Ithaca. His real name "Reg", is most likely Regulus, which is Latin for "Little King".

And this also extends to Dedue, since his surname Molinaro means "miller" in Italian, and his given name being a diminutive form of the name Eduardo.

There's many more examples across all of Fódlan (which itself is named after an Irish Goddess), but for specifically Faerghus, we're looking Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Greek, Latin, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and German.

This revelation also shows that at least half our cast should be wearing some form of Kilt.

so it's like literally every mainstream fantasy setting ever...

[mercy-love-joy]

Lord of Destruction and Flames

Burning Spice Cookie based on "Apophis" and "Messier"

Inspired by @cuppajj and their idea of GC as Ra while Burning Spice is Apophis. I decided to make it with Messier from Elden Ring because Messier has those snakes, Apophis is a giant snake, bada-bing-bada-boom

I am proud of this and I would to add some notes on the design choices here:

Three snakes to represent the three angles of a triangle

A snake skull to add to the snake motif

The only thing you can see in the helmet is the burning desire to bring destruction to the world

Do you think Burning Spice Cookie would talk with a Welsh accent like they do in-game or do you think he would have that booming voice a god would have when addressing an enemy? (I headcanon that he has a Welsh accent and speaks Gaelic because Silent Salt spoke Garlic)

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1920 – Tomás Mac Curtain is elected Sinn Féin Mayor of Cork city.

After Sinn Féin’s sweeping victory in the November 1918 general election and the setting up of the First Dáil in 1919 it was clear that the British government and the Republicans were on a collision course. The War of Independence began with the Soloheadbeg ambush on the same day that the First Dáil met. Tomás MacCurtain took an active role in the War of Independence. Originally from…

[we-do-bones-bracket]

Round 5 Match 2

Propaganda:

Harrowhark Nonagesimus (spoilers)

She is THE bone lady. The supreme bone lord. Her entire shtick is bones, as corroborated by multiple other characters throughout the books. She can literally do things with bones that no other necromancer is capable of, and that's before she [spoiler-fueled power upgrade].

Our girl decorates with bones. She gets turned on by growing someone a new bone arm. She's the greatest bone magician there ever was. She's so good with bones it makes god nervous.

she's a necromancer, specifically a bone adept and my god does she love bones. she can make skeleton armies out of powder and puppet dead people so that they look alive. she grew one of her frenemies a new arm just right there on the spot because why not. she's also super edgy and wears black all the time and i love her

Made soup out of her own marrow to make skeletons explode out of someone's stomach. Noone is doing it like her

She does bones, motherfucker.

WE DO BONES, MOTHERFUCKER

Skulduggery Pleasant (spoilers)

he's so we do bones he brought himself back from the dead. AND THEN changed his name to skulduggery to match with his skeleton lifestyle better. he's irish. he used to be great at motivational speeches but now he sucks so bad at them. his skull isn't actually his skull it's someone else's. he wears bespoke suits. he drives a variety of classic cars. he is an incredibly powerful wizard, but also just has a gun that he uses. he can speak Irish Gaelic. his ribcage HAS been used as a xylophone. he's 444 years old.

He's a skeleton in a formal suit and hat. He's a detective. He both carries a revolver and throws fireballs at people. For a long time the accepted reason he was a skeleton was "he's just to ornery to die". He wore someone else's skull for a while, complained that it was noticeably uglier, and was correct. He's sassy enough to trade insults with a teenage girl on a regular basis. How can he not win.

He's literally a living skeleton that does magic, is a detective, and drives around in a cool car. Vote for him

Walking skeleton noir detective, no one is doing bones like this guy.

[fandomficsnstuff]

Old Lady - 2

(Warnings: Slight exhibitionist kink, semi-public smut?... Nah let’s just label that as definitely public lol. Public smut, exhibitionist kinks, some oral, hair pulling, this is basically just dirty as fuck lol. And then some fluff at the end)

Scottish Gaelic:

Leannan - sweetheart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Bobby, staring at the bar counter in his usual outfit, sitting at the bar with Clay. You smiled softly at Chibs who walked in with the bag you had packed when you got home yesterday. “Hey, what’s the frown for?” you asked in an attempt to cheer them up, Bobby turning to look at you, his mood seemingly improved already “holy shit, they let you out already?” he asked as he walked over and was about to hug you when he thought better of it, instead gently patting your shoulder as you gave him a thankful nod and a smile. “Uh, sorta-”

“Against medical advice” Chibs spoke up, still a little grumpy about your choice. Both Bobby and Clay frowned as Chibs left to put your bag in his dorm room. “Shit, (Y/N)-”

“You know I hate them, Clay-”

“I thought you got over your fear of hospitals and doctors?” Clay asked with a frown as he walked over, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and giving you a gentle side hug. “Well I’d rather get shot again than stay there any longer than I have to” you murmured, Chibs tutting lightly at you as he walked closer “don’t ya joke ‘bout that, love, my heart can’t take another scare like tha’” he murmured as he kissed the top of your head gently, a smile forming on your lips as you sighed and let him guide you to his dorm room “I know, I’m sorry I just-”

“It’s alright, love, I understand… I’m stayin’ ‘ere with you until yer alright to go back home…”

“I don’t need a babysitter-”

“Yes, yer do. You ain’t fully healed yet, love, I want someone to be there in case yer need help, I’ve talked with Tara-”

“Oh god…”

“And yer need at least 10 days before yer out of the woods-”

“10 days?!”

“Leannan, please” Chibs murmured and you sighed heavily, nodding ever so slightly, making Chibs nod. “Alright, first order of business, tunin’ up the bike-”

“Yes!” you blurted out, Chibs knew just how much you liked to watch him fixing and tuning up his bike, dear god if it was particularly hot he’d take off his kutte and good Lord above, his arms in those t-shirts while he’s working and sweaty and has a little smudge of oil on his face that-

“Love, yer daydreamin’ again” Chibs stated with amusement and you scoffed lightly “you’d have trouble not daydreaming too if you could look at that arse of yours” you stated in your best Scottish accent, Chibs smirking at you before simply wrapping an arm around you and guiding you outside.

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

You were grinning from ear to ear as Chibs ran his hands all over you, worshiping you while also desperately trying to reach everywhere he could at the same time. You enjoyed parties such as this, where you didn’t get stared at or judged as Chibs shamelessly groped you as you sat in his lap, mumbling praises in both english and scottish gaelic as he kissed down your chest, your lacy red bra, which he had given you, and your very loose shirt that had been pulled down being the only things separating him from your perked nipples and the soft flesh of your breasts, that and he didn’t want anyone else to see your breasts, no matter how badly he wanted to rip that bra off and do what he wanted the most right now, besides fucking you silly. You couldn’t help but moan quietly as he grabbed the flesh of your ass, dragging you over his obviously hard cock, pulling you closer to him as he sucked your neck and started to move your hips against his crotch, the friction giving you chills after two weeks of nothing, since you were still ‘healing’, as he’d put it. You opened your eyes to see that Tig was watching you with hooded eyes, despite the woman on top of him, a twisted spark of excitement running through you as you kept looking at Tig while moving your own hips against Chibs, hearing him groan into your collarbone, his hands gripping your flesh in an almost bruising grip but you loved it, the sense of excitement making you smirk a little as you seemed to have Tigs’ undivided attention.

As Chibs kissed up your neck and sucked right under your ear you let out a tiny whimper, your hands clinging to Chib’s shoulders, clutching his kutte desperately as your barely clothed pussy grinded against his clothed cock, another moan spilling from your lips as you felt yourself already dripping wet, your eyes closing for a brief moment as you leaned back to look at Chibs, your hands in his hair, almost prying him off of you to lean down and kiss him, lips clashing together as you began to ground your hips and clothed pussy harder against him, his hands moving to grip your ass and he stood up, kissing your neck as he carried you off to a room in the back, your eyes on Tigs as you smiled at him and gave him a small wink, not seeing the way Tig groaned and actually rolled his head back, cuming in his pants, which the girl on top of him thought was due to her, grinning at him as he didn’t correct her, looking back at the room you had disappeared into with Chibs, catching a glimpse of you as Chibs closed the blinds, not thinking of the other window and blinds facing another room, which were currently empty.

As Chibs turned back to face you, he saw that you had already discarded your shorts, left only in your lacy underwear and your heels, which were nowhere near as tall as the girls out there wore, but Chibs liked it, he liked that you weren’t outrageously flaunting yourself while also showing the world exactly how gorgeous you are. “Fuckin’ shite” he muttered as he pulled you closer and onto the empty table, your legs wrapping around his hips and he leaned down, kissing down your chest and stomach, his lips lingered over the still healing gunshot wound, kissing it so softly that you barely felt it before he moved on, his lips trailing over your hips as he kneeled down, your eyes closing as you briefly rolled your head back when you felt him suck and bite gently on the inside of your thighs. You leaned up on your elbow, watching him with flushed cheeks as he gazed up at you, a tiny whimper falling from your lips as he kept his eyes on yours while licking a long stripe up your clothed pussy, his next move was pulling your lacy underwear off, throwing it to the side before practically diving head first in between your legs, your hand landing in his hair, tugging and scraping your nails across his scalp as you moaned loudly, knowing that with the moaning, music and chatter outside, no one would hear you, so you could practically be as loud as you wanted. Chibs’ hands held your thighs, moving them over his shoulder, leaving him with his hands free which began to run up and down your sides as he ate you out. “Fuck” you murmured as he sucked on your clit, staring up at you with hodded eyes before closing them out of sheer pleasure, tasting you and tongue fucking you just how he knew you liked, alternting between sucking on your clit and pushing his tongue inside of you.

“Fuck, just like that… fuck…” you moaned loudly, your head rolling back briefly until Chibs gently, very gently, bit your clit, a yelp leaving you as you looked back at him, laughing at his teasing and playfulness before moaning as he sucked on your clit and pushed a finger into you, your mouth open in a silent moan as you watched him as he ate you out, the feeling of his finger thrusting into you make a spark of pleasure shoot through you with every thurst. You happened to look towards one of the windows, finding Tig, staring as he tried to hide but it was obvious he was there. You should’ve looked away, either ignored him or told Chibs or asked Chibs to go somewhere else, but instead, you smirked at him, your hand threading through Chib’s hair as you grinned at Tig, moving to smile down at Chibs, chuckling with him before moaning loudly again, your eyes closed as you laid back down on the table, arching your back and turning your head, opening your eyes to look at Tig as you felt yourself nearing the edge. “Fuck, Chibby” you moaned as you felt your legs shake, Chibs continuing to eat you out with a new vigor, adding another finger as he curled them inside you, making you moan even louder as you clutched his hair, pulling his face further into you as your entire body was shaking, your eyes moving to Tig as you came, a loud moan tearing through you, your entire body tensing and twitching as Chibs continued to eat you out until you gently tugged on his hair to pull him off of you. You pulled him up and pressed your lips against his, moaning at the taste of yourself on his tongue and lips and you eagerly lapped it all up, smirking up at Chibs when the two of you finally parted for air.

You began to rip Chib’s clothes off, his kutte, shirt, your hands flying to his belt to unbuckle it as quickly as possible, all while kissing him, his hands helping you along until finally the belt unbuckled and you wrapped your arms and legs around him as he pushed his pants down, one of his hands moving behind your back to unclasp your bra but you caught his hand, smirking up at him seductively as you made a small ‘tsk tsk’ at him, Chibs’ hand moving up and around your throat, not squeezing but just resting there, a small reminder and a silent plea and after thinking it over, for barely a second, you reached behind yourself and unclasped it, knowing Tig was still there, half-hidden, watching. Chibs kept his hand on your throat, kissing you as he lined himself up with your hole and slowly pushed into you, a loud moan leaving you as you had to part form his lips, eyes shut as you rolled your head back as he continued to slide in until he was all the way inside, as far as he could reach. “Shite woman… Jesus fuckin’ Christ” he cussed quietly, having missed the feeling of you wrapping around him, one of his hands pulled one of your legs up over his shoulder, his lips pressing desperately against your leg as he gripped it with one hand, kissing it as he waited for you to adjust as you laid back down on the desk.

You gently rolled your hips, telling him you were ready and he kissed your leg softly, gently, even tenderly as he began to move his hips, quickly setting a hard and rough pace as his hands gripped your hips, keeping you in place as you moaned lightly, fondling your own breasts as you began to moan louder and louder, your gaze finding Tig, his hand moving under the window frame, indicating he was jerking off to the sight of you getting fucked, the sight making you smirk at him, giving him a small wink before moaning loudly as Chibs pulled out of you, flipping you over on the table, putting one of your legs up on the wood before grabbing your hips with his hands, leaning down, his lips touching your ear. “Let’s give our friend a little show, shall we?” he asked quietly, your eyes moving to Tig, a mischievous smirk on your lips as you gave a single nod. You moaned loudly as Chibs thrust back into you, hands gripping your hips, your back against his chest, lips near your ear as he fucked you until you saw stars, mouth open as you moaned and whimpered, arching your back into him, pushing your ass against his hips. One of his hands left your hips and wrapped around your throat, squeezing lightly, enough to make you dizzy and a blissful smile formed on your lips, eyes closed as you grinned and panted and moaned. “Eyes open love, c’mon” Chibs purred in your ear and as hard as it was, you opened your eyes, staring at Tig as Chibs fucked you senseless, squeezing your throat as he kissed and nipped along your shoulder, neck and ear, taking your earlobe between his teeth and gently pulled, a whimper leaving you as that coil began to tighten in your stomach, your walls clenching around him and he began to fuck you harder, hitting that spot each and every time, making you move closer and closer and closer to that sweet edge. “You like this, love, don’tcha? Hm? Bein’ watched as yer fucked by yer Old Man, eh?” he whispered in your ear, hearing a whimper leave your lips in response, Chibs tightening his grip around your throat “eh, love? Asked ya a question” he growled, another strangled moan leaving you as you nodded “yes, yes I like it” you breathed out, eyes closing briefly before moving back to Tig, grinning ever so slightly before frowning and moaning as Chibs gave a particularly hard thrust. “Fuckin’ knew it, can feel ya squeezin’ me, love. You fuckin’ love this, don’tcha? Him watchin’, knowing you’ll never be his” Chibs continued, the coil tightening even more at his words, your eyes shutting tightly as you felt the wave starting to build. “Yer gonna cum, love? Right ‘ere? While he’s watchin’ you?” Chibs asked, already knowing the answer, even as he let go of your throat and you nodded, moaning as you leaned down on the table, both of his hands back on your hips as he drove you over the edge, a sound mixed between a scream and a moan left your lips and your leg nearly buckled, if it weren’t for his iron grip holding you up, grunting as he watched your ass bounced with every one of his thrusts, a groan leaving his lips as he spilled inside of you “fuck!” he growled, panting heavily, the both of you having sweat dripping down your bodies as Chibs leaned down, placing tender kisses along your spine, making you smile ever so slightly, opening your tired eyes to find Tig leaning against a wall, panting heavily, eyes closed and his hand no longer moving.

“Fuckin’ shite love… god I’ve missed this cunt” he murmured against your back, reaching down and circling your clit, making you jump and yelp, Chibs chuckling against your spine as he removed his hand, peppering kisses alone your spine as you chuckled with him. “So, what do we do about peeping tom?” you asked in a tired voice as you were trying to catch your breath, Chibs scoffing quietly as he pulled out of you, hearing you whine at the loss of being filled, Chibs kissing you sweetly the second you were turned back around to face him. “Don’t fuckin’ care ‘bout him right now, but I don’t want to make a habit of ‘im watchin’ us” he murmured, a small nod leaving you as you panted “deal… didn’t even know I-... liked it” you admitted with heat filling your cheeks, Chibs smirking against your lips “the way you kiss me durin’ shite like this was a bit of a giveaway, love” he whispered, your cheeks filling with even more heat as you scoffed and rolled your eyes “maybe I just like you a lot?” you offered jokingly, Chibs smirking at you with amusement “aye, think I got the hint” he joked back, kissing you softly before giving you back your clothes and underwear, getting dressed himself.

You were trying to tame your hair, straightening your clothes as Chibs threw an arm around you, leaning down and kissing you openly, you could still taste some of yourself on his lips, the taste making you moan quietly and Chibs groaned at the sound. “Don’t get me riled up a second time, love, I’m an old man” he muttered, a giggle leaving you as you gently shook your head and smiled up at him. “The only kind of ‘old man’ you are is my Old Man…” you whispered, kissing him seductively before smirking up at him “want to get ready for round two by grinding and making out on the couch or do you wanna head home?” you asked, a genuine question despite your joking tone, you knew you both would go back to what basically everyone else was doing, which would probably end up in another little display that Tig would without a doubt watch again. “Nah, think it’s time we headed home, eh?” he asked, his lips brushing against your ear and you smirked, giving a brief nod before allowing him to lead you outside, his arm around your shoulders and as you walked you spotted Tig come out one of the bathrooms, adjusting his pants, your eyes finding his and you gave him a quick wink and a smirk before leaving.

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You were sitting on Chib’s bike, both legs on one side as his hand was on your hip, talking with the boys until a loud boom was sounded, you flinched briefly, thinking a car had backfired or something before looking over your shoulder, seeing Bobby drive out on a bike you thought he’d put out of it’s misery, a look of shock on your face as you laughed briefly. “Jesus Christ Bobby, that thing still alive?” you asked teasingly as he pulled up, Half-Sack chuckling “hey, it’s an Old Fat Boy on an Old Fat Boy” he teased, a giggle leaving you as you leaned into Chibs who smirked at you. “I thought you put that beast to sleep?” Jax asked amused as he lit his cigarette, your lips twitching upwards in a grin as you looked the ride over with amusement, no way that would hold all the way to Eurika. Bobby gestured to the bike when he heard Jax’s comment “this fat boy ain’t even reached his prime” he stated, a giggle leaving you, smirking at Bobby who looked at you “you or the bike?” you asked teasingly, Chibs chuckling and squeezing your hip tightly, pulling you closer against him in a silent praise for your sharp tongue. “Barely looks like it can reach the end of the lot” Opie stated casually and you gestured to him in agreement, looking back at Bobby who put his hands on his hips in a very ‘now listen here you little shits’ kind of way. “Best bike for a long ride, and I’d put it up against any of you pretty Dynas” he stated as he gestured at all of you, a smirk on your lips as you chuckled “I think I’d be able to outrun that, and I’m technically still healing” you teased, Bobby rolling his eyes “weren’t in so much trouble at the wrap party” he shot back and you smirked and shrugged, looking down at your Old Man with pride, your hand running through his hair, nails scraping along his scalp soothingly “what can I say? I love pain when he’s causing it” you teased, leaning up and kissing him softly, parting only for him to reach down and kiss you more passionately, Tig staring with a half open mouth, which you noticed as you parted from Chibs. “Tiggy?”

“Yeah, doll?” his mouth was still somewhat open, a smirk tugging on your lips as you reached over to him, like you were going to cup his cheek and he already leaned into it, until you closed his mouth for him, retreating back into Chib’s arms “don’t want flies to set up camp in there” you teased, Tig looking down with a light blush and you had to hold back laughter. You made Tig, the unashamed horny guy, who got turned on at the drop of a hat, blush. This day already had a good start.

[askuhtredragnarson]

Returning to the stables with a quickness in his step, Finan nods to Rypere and the few other men joining the party as he passes. Petting Pearla’s back for a moment, he speaks to the horse lowly in Gaelic, before giving her a kiss on the nose, ready to mount up on Uhtred’s command.

“Ready, Lord,” he shouts to Uhtred.

@thedarkprinceofulaid

Uhtred swings up on his horse, as he glances over at Finan. He gives the Irishman a nod. He was hoping this would be a quick scouting mission, but it’s shaping up to be more. He looks at Finan with concern in his eyes, knowing his hesitation on being gone for too long. Maybe they can find these raiders and put a stop to them before they cause anymore trouble. Before they set their sights on Rumcofa.

Grabbing up his reins, Uhtred looks over their small group. “Let’s head out!”

@thedarkprinceofulaid

[alpaca-clouds]

The Otherworld, Fea/Fey and what little we know about Celtic mythology

Okay. I was now asked more than once about this. Which is fair. What is the Otherworld? I have noted this word more than once in regard to Maria and her magic - and if you have read any of my writing on Castlevania you might have stumbled across the word as well, as I reference it fairly often there as well.

If you are one of those five people who came originally from Twitter to follow me here, you might also know that a friend and I work on a comic called Otherworldly. So, let me talk about the Otherworld.

The Celtic Otherworld

The general concept and name of the Otherworld comes from the celtic mythology. Once more we know most about it from the Gaelic mythology, because most of the oral tradition that has survived is from the Scots and the Irish. And you might even have heard at some point of Tír na nÓg, which was one of the names for the Gaelic variation of this myth. If you were at any point a fan of Lord of the Rings you might also be aware of the concept, despite Tolkien using another name for it.

Generally speaking the Otherworld is a world of eternal youth and beauty, in which the fae/fey, as well as the gods of this religion tend to live. But in some cases humans wander into the Otherworld as well. Maybe because they get invited into it by a fae of some variation of sidhe, or just because they get lost. In those cases we might have stories in which children get lost in the forest and years later stumble out of the forest not having aged a single day.

Something that is maybe specific interesting for Maria: The Gaulic mythology (so the one of the French celts) actually said, there were two Otherworlds: The White World and the Black World. The White World was a sort of heaven, the Black World a sort of hell - even though that is obviously just once more interpreting it through a Christian lense.

Generally speaking this was less of an afterlife. While the souls of the deceased would generally pass through the otherworld, most of them would then go on (possibly for reincarnation). Though we have some stories of heroes that remain in the Otherworld and become sorts of gods.

The Otherworld as a General Concept

This is the moment where I will once again talk about Indo-European mythology. As you might have heard: Pretty much all cultures that existed in Europe and around the Mediterranean and some part of Asia go back to one culture that originally lived in the area that is today's Ukraine, which in anthropology is called the Proto-Indo-European culture. And we are fairly certain, that the Otherworld at the very least goes back to the mythology that this culture has had - if not even further back, as similar concepts are even found outside of these connected cultures.

Basically, these cultures generally have a realm or parallel world in which the gods reside and at times all sorts of other paranormal creatures.

This is why some authors, like me, use this parallel in their writing. Of course we are well aware that anthropoligically speaking these parallels are there, because the cultures have the same root and have influenced each other. But of course, as a fantasy writer it is hard to not look at it and go: "Well, what if all these cultures have this concept because it is real?!"

Fae/Fey

Lastly we should talk about the Fae/Fey. Again, the wording goes back to the Celts. Fae/Fey is generally a word that is often used today as "fairy", though technically the fae in the mythology are usually not little humanoids with wings. Mainly they seem to have been a sort of spirit-like being, some of which showed as humans with otherworldly beauty and eternal youth. This is mainly where the elves in fantasy come from. Some could also appear as both animals or monsters of sorts.

The general thought is, that they probably anthropologically speaking fae probably go back to a spiritual religion, in which nature spirits were revered in different ways - and then got personified partly as fae or gods.

And if we are talking fantasy writers once more: Given those parallels with the Otherworld, especially Urban Fantasy does this little trick quite often, where pretty much all spiritual beings from all sorts of religions just get qualified as "fae", no matter from what culture they come. So Yokai from Shinto might also qualify as fae in this way of looking at it.

And that in the end brings us back to Maria, whose familiars obviously were originally based in East Asian mythology, while the way she summons them clearly is more linked to the celtic culture.

It will be really interesting to see (if the Netflix algorithm decided that it would be worth it for Netflix to let Powerhouse make another season) how this is going to tie back to Maria's backstory eventually.