#HOW DO YOU MODERNIZE ASPASIA

[jeannereames]

My professor today told me that often affections in Ancient Greece weren’t shown in public, while on social media (i know it’s not the best source if not certified.) but they say in Ancient Greece men used to throw and apple to the lady they wanted to marry. Which seems strange??? As i know that weddings had quite more procedures then modern ones, and lasted at least three days of celebration.

Love your work! 💕💕 I read “Dancing with the lion, rising.”and i was fascinated to know more about the past from where I’m from, going back to what i was saying when you wrote about Phillip’s marriage to Kleopatra Eurydice I noticed he cut the bread just like Alexander in Oliver Stone film when he married Roxana. So was it a more common practice word wide that time? Or simply a Greek-Macedonian custom?

Women & Public Displays of Affection in Greece

First, let me respond to the second part with thank you! I’m delighted you enjoyed the book. You mention Rise, but I assume you found the first half Becoming, as well? As for the sword-cutting of bread, yes, Curtius tells us that was a specifically Macedonian custom. He had some source (possibly Marsyas) that must have related some Macedonian customs, as such mentions dot his work.

Now, the first first part of the question... your professor isn’t wrong, at least between the sexes. But the ancient Greeks were an expressive bunch—then and now. They were perfectly comfortable hugging, embracing, and even kissing (especially on cheeks) good friends of the same gender. That said, touching between men and (citizen) women wasn’t acceptable in public, so I assume that’s what your professor was referring to. Such constraints has more to do with the relative status of free citizen women than emotional reticence.

Greek society tended to divide women sharply into the “good girls” (wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, etc.) and “bad girls” (prostitutes of all types). Mistresses (pallakai) were a sort of third class but bunched more with prostitutes. How each were treated depended on where you were (what physical space) and their status.

Most men weren’t galivanting around the streets with a prostitute on their arm. These were girls one visited for a quickie, or as entertainment at symposia. It’s highly unlikely a man would be seen with lower level prostitutes in public. (A symposion isn’t public space.)

Hetairai (high-class call girls) and pallakai were different, in that they might, indeed, be seen in public. But if so, they tended to dress (and behave) like upper-class women, which means they were covered head to foot and didn’t interact with strange men. Part of the “fiction” of their unique status was the appearance of respectability. That said, they had a bit more freedom. The pundits in Athens noted that Perikles was so taken with Aspasia, his mistress, that he moved in with her and would kiss her every morning when he left the house for the agora to conduct city business. We might see that as sweet, but the Athenians considered it scandalous!

When it came to “citizen women”—e.g., the wives/daughters/mothers/sisters of citizen men—they weren’t to interact with strange (adult) men outside their homes. When they did go out, they were expected to cover themselves pretty thoroughly, as above. Their given names weren’t even to be spoke in public. They were so-and-so’s daughter/wife/mother/sister. To call a woman by her given name publicly could get you busted in the nose! It implied you knew her a bit too well.

Yet keep in mind, all this is 1) an ideal, and an ideal heavily shaped by Athenian evidence, and also 2) largely for wealthier and elite women. We hear of plenty fishwives, laundresses, herbalists, midwives, etc., who worked outside the home, interacting with “strange men” (their customers) on a regular basis. Nor could they dress that restrictively and get anything done. And rural populations had different value systems and expectations than urbanites, due to the demands of farming. At harvest time, it was all hands on deck, men and women.

So yes, especially among the farmer and lower classes, women and “strange men” (meaning non-relatives) did interact, but social restrictions remained. Nor was courting a thing. A man interested in marrying a girl approached the father. The girl’s opinion wasn’t sought, at least not officially. Even mama’s opinion wasn’t sought. But among most families, and again, especially farmers and lower classes, you can be sure at least mama had a say, as families strongly depended on each other, and the father in these families simply can’t afford to ignore and alienate his wife. That said, the girl’s opinion didn’t necessarily matter, and the prospective groom had to convince her parents, not her.

Once they were betrothed and the contract is signed, her future husband could interact with her. There wasn’t usually a long wait between betrothal and marriage anyway, and it seems that the bride occasionally had a bun in the oven even before the nuptials, although it wasn’t strictly kosher. The child would still be recognized legitimate. All that implies brides weren’t necessarily supervised when meeting with their grooms, although no doubt for the upper classes, they were.

Going back to ideals, “good girls” aren’t really to be seen outside the home, and certainly not in the company of non-related men. Even her groom is now “related” to her. But it would be considered uncouth to hold hands or kiss her before strangers.

I’ve never heard of this apple-throwing thing. And her opinion didn’t matter anyway. Her father’s did. Maybe the person who said it was confused, and it referenced some anecdote about men and hetairai or flute girls at symposia. That sounds much more likely.

[yourtastefulcannibal]

"Hello, Dr Lecter!" *sits next to him on the bench in front of several paintings*

"Thank you for your thoughts on my photo. It's not John Constable who I had in mind, but it was through my first options as well."

"Regarding your lifestyle as a polite individual..." *she sighs softly* "it's understandable and interesting. Being raised as such can influence an individual's behaviour towards the one you adopted it. I can risk to affirm you have nothing to lose by being like this. Yet, I risk again to affirm some might have mocked you for being always so stoic. But I think we both can agree politeness has done no harm to no one.

No worries, you have answered my question just as I expected you to do. I'm satisfied by the explanations I have received."

"I will refer now to your tardiness in replying. Can you agree with me it's considered being rude, Dr Lecter?"

She looks at the man next to her. "I doubt you would allow such behaviour should the situations (not necessarily with me) be reversed. While I understand time is precious and you are indeed a busy man, I'm hoping you have the same notion and you respect the time of your partners of conversation."

"As for my pseudonym you chose for me... yes, I am very pleased. Its meaning and history are very fitting with my self. Yet, the name is rather rare where I'm from because it's considered being an almost archaic name, used for girls at the countryside. But worry not. I will take no offence whatsoever. Some names, despite them being outdated, still remain beautiful and with a beautiful history."

"You mentioned I am a mystery to you. I would be overjoyed to explain why is that? I often considered myself an open book anyone can read."

Aspasia

Aspasia,

It seems you feel slighted by a perceived lack of attention to you on my side of things. That is a stance you are, of course, wholly validated in holding, and with your explicit expectations in mind I will endure not to further upset you in the future, however to make a promise that I will never fall short again would be to assure you of something I am not certain I will be able to uphold. My intention was hardly to be rude, however if this is how you have taken my lack of prompt response, it is hardly within my power to change your mind, nor would I hope to do such a thing.

As for John Constable not being the artist you were seeking, I would be curious if you ever did happen upon the correct artist in question. I did a good deal of research (a part of the reason why that question in particular took such a great deal of time to answer, as I even neglected others during this period of time) and decided upon the romantic style being most apt, but there are so many painters who create art in this style, classical and modern artists alike.

One reason I chose the name ‘Aspasia’ at all was due to its uncommon nature as a name in the modern age. I imagined that something too commonplace would not be befitting for you — while I also feared that too common a name might be underwhelming, where I promised I would offer a unique name. This is coming from a man named ‘Hannibal’ — at times, an uncommon name may be unfortunate and incide ridicule, but also such uncommon names set one aside from the crowd from the outset. It can be seen as a boon or a hinderence, depending on one’s view in the moment.

You are a mystery due to the fact that you seem to know me, my character and life, quite well, while I do not know the same of you. You seem to be intelligent, a lover of art and literature, and one who insists upon fairness and values reciprocity, but beyond this? I know very little of the woman from Romania to whom I speak. Do not feel obligated to share yourself with me, as I know firsthand that the ordeal of being known, as I have heard it called, is a terrifying one. I hardly feel owed, I assure you.

Kind regards,

Hannibal Lecter

[coffeeskater]

Halloween Party

Thanks to @kasspasia for this prompt, this is one of the ones she shared with me, and of course thanks to the anon that sent it in. I’m pretty sure this isnt what you had in mind but I hope you enjoy! high school au, Fair warning, Aspasia does get touched against her will, it’s very mild and it’s only a few sentences but this is your heads up. Other than that enjoy.

~

“I’m really not interested.” Aspasia muttered, focused on the math problem she’d been trying to solve for the past ten minutes.

“It’ll be good for you, ever since we broke up you’ve barely left the house.” Perikles said, spreading his hands imploringly. “I’m worried about you. You mothers worried about you.”

Aspasia sighed and finally turned to her friend. “Perry, I’m not interested in a Halloween party, what would I even do there?”

“Drink booze, play party games, unwind, meet a pretty girl.” He listed of, ticking each thing off on his fingers. “Oh, and eat free snacks, how can a person say no to free snacks?” Aspasia rolled her eyes but smiled. Perry had always cared about her, it’s why they lasted as long as they did. They’d been a well-known couple throughout the school, and it had shocked almost everyone when they’d heard that they’d broken up, but most were even more confused that they had stayed friends. Outwardly, they told people that it was mutual and they wanted different things. Privately however, Aspasia couldn’t stand lying anymore, she’d told him she was gay and instead of the yelling and confusion she’d expected, he’d just let out a relieved laugh and hugged her, grinning and saying “me too.”

“Fine, I’ll come, but I won’t make any promises.”

Perry grinned and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Good! Remember it’s a costume party so you’ve got to wear a costume.”

Aspasia rolled her eyes. “Of course.”

~

The party was the next Friday, which left Aspasia plenty of time to get a costume together. Never one to do anything half assed, she decided she would go all out.

The night of the party arrived and Perikles came to pick her up, ringing the door bell and laughing when she opened the door. “I should have known you’d put as much effort into this as you do into model UN.” Aspasia graced him with a small smile and let him open the car door for her. “So why did you pick Cleopatra?” He asked, pulling out of the driveway.

“Why not?” she replied, smoothing out her dress.

He shrugged. “I just figured you’d have a reason.”

“No real reason, aside from she was powerful, regal and if I’m going to be at a party and not hide in the corner, I should dress properly.” Perry nods his approval. The drive over is silent, the radio playing softly in the background. It’s not long before Perry parks, the street already lined with cars. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Perry laughed and got out, waiting until Aspasia had as well, before locking the car and coming around and throwing his arm around her shoulders and guiding her to the right house. “You know, you could at least pretend you’re not going to spend this night miserable.”

Aspasia blew out a breath and rolled her shoulders. “You’re right, I’ll actually try to enjoy myself, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Perry smiled and opened the door, loud music and laughter immediately spilling out. “That’s the spirit! Now get in there! Get a drink and loosen up a little.”

~

More than an hour later and Aspasia found herself, nursing the same drink she’d gotten when she first walked in. The Guy who’d made it for here had gone overboard on the vodka and as a result the drink was largely vodka with a splash of fruit punch. She hadn’t been particularly social, most of the people she knew were already far too drunk to hold up a serious conversation and as a result Aspasia found herself leaning against the kitchen counter and watching a group play beer pong. One team consisted of three people, all wearing onesies. One guy was wearing a dinosaur onesie, the hood and ‘jaw’ sitting precariously on the top of his head and constantly falling in his eyes. The second was a small woman in a unicorn onesie and as far as Aspasia could tell, she was the only one getting any actual points for her team. The third woman Aspasia recognized but didn’t know personally. All she knew was her name was Kassandra and she played on the football team. She was wearing a lion onesie that was several sizes too small, the sleeves barely reached her elbows, the legs didn’t quite make it to her knees and the fabric was stretched tight across her broad shoulders, making it look like the whole thing might simply rip off at any moment.

The other team were all boys, all four dressed in Hogwarts school uniforms and smiling and gloating as they continually scored against team onesie. It was interesting to watch such a varied mix of people come together for a Halloween party. Then again, most high school kids wouldn’t say no to booze and an open invite party. The dinosaur scored against the Hogwarts kids and Aspasia took their moment of celebration to quickly drain what was in her cup, grimacing at the burn and disgusting taste of the vodka. With her cup empty, she was free to get some punch to chase the taste away. She left the beer pong table and pushed her way through the crowd to the living room where the snack and drink table was set up. The punch was most likely also alcoholic but there was very little chance it would be as strong as what she’d previously been drinking. Pouring some into her cup she worked her way to a small space against the wall where she could leave the press of people and breathe a bit easier.

Her peace only lasted a few minutes before a boy, much taller than she was invaded her space, leaning close, both hands on either side of her, caging her in. Unperturbed she glanced up to meet his gaze. He reeked of booze and when he opened his mouth to speak his slur became very obvious.

“If it isssssssn’t Aspassssssia.” He slurred, grinning in a manner he likely thought was charming. She gave him a placating smile but chose not to reply. “Hear you br-bro-b-broke up with p-p-p-Perry.” He stuttered, burping and causing Aspasia to recoil as much as she could.

“Yes, but im not looking for a new relationship right now.” She replied, eager to escape, trying to slip under his arm, only to have him pin her to the wall, one large hand planted firmly on her chest, squeezing her breast and smirking.

“I’m noooot looking for seeeerious either.” He replied, leaning in closer to whisper, his hand still on her chest and groping her. By now Aspasia had more than had enough, planting her palm flat on his chest she shoved him away… or tried to. He just let the momentum shove him to one side but he came back, pressing his whole body up against hers and leaning in to leave sloppy and wet open mouthed kisses on her neck.

“Get off!” Aspasia shouted, her voice getting lost in the noise, trying without much success to get him off. Suddenly he was yanked backwards, a startled yelp leaving him as he staggered back a few steps while someone placed themselves between her and the boy. After quickly rubbing the slobber off her neck Aspasia realized it was Kassandra, her lion onesie a very welcome sight.

“She told you to leave her alone.” She said, sounding angry, her accent all the more obvious with how low her voice was.

“Stay ooooout of iiiit!” He slurred, trying to push past her only to be shoved back once more. Kassandra tipped her head and Aspasia could only imagine the expression she was making. “fffffffuck you!” Her shouted, throwing a punch that Kassandra easily dodged before cocking her fist back and slamming it into his face, knocking him flat on his ass and clutching his face. He tried to curl up but Kassandra placed a foot on his chest, pinning him in place.

“Next time a woman says no, leave the first time, or I’ll have to keep punching you in your face.”  Kassandra said. “Now be a good boy and run on home.” She stepped back and the boy clambered back to his feet, sparing the both of them a glance before staggering away in the direction of the front door. As soon as he was out of sight Kassandra turned, her expression softening. “Aspasia yes?” She asked, coming closer to be heard over the still pumping music, yet leaving a respectful distance between them.

“Yes, It’s Kassandra isn’t it?” The taller woman nodded, unzipping her onesie and pulling her arms from the sleeves before trying them around her waist. She pulled her keys from a pocket somewhere Aspasia couldn’t see.

“You look like you’d rather be at home right now, Can I offer you a ride?” Aspasia spared a glance, trying to see if she could find Perry, but he was nowhere in sight. When she didn’t find him she looked back at Kassandra, noticing suddenly now that they were closer she had whiskers painted on her cheeks.

“Yes, please.” She replied, taking Kassandra’s hand when she offered it, letting Kassandra lead them out of the press of people, using her body to shove people aside so Aspasia could pass easily. Once outside Kassandra dropped her hand and Aspasia immediately missed the warmth, the cold October air quickly seeping in. Kassandra seemed unbothered by the cold night and walked slowly towards her car, spinning her keys around her index finger.

When they reached her car, parked a block away Aspasia was absolutely shivering, arms crossed cross her chest to try and capture some semblance of heat. Kassandra caught her teeth chattering and muttered something to herself in a language Aspasia didn’t immediately recognize. She popped the trunk and pulled her letterman jacket out, closing the trunk and hurrying over to over it to Aspasia. “Here, I know it’s not much but it’s better than nothing.”

“Thank you.” Aspasia said, around her teeth chattering, hurriedly pulling it on and doing up the snaps. She was immediately warmer, snuggling into the jacket and rubbing her hands up and down her arms. She was so pre-occupied with warming up she failed to catch the soft smile Kassandra had on as she went around to the driver’s side and unlocked the car, dropping in and waiting until Aspasia was settled in and buckled up before carefully pulling away from the curb.

“Where to?” Kassandra asked, navigating out of the neighbourhood and onto the main road. Aspasia gave her the address and Kassandra nodded, flicking the radio on at a red light, soft classical music playing through the speakers.

“Mozart?” Aspasia couldn’t stop herself from blurting out.  Kassandra spared her a glance and smirked.

“Is that a surprise?” She asked, settling back into her seat.

“Yes, you just don’t seem the type.”

“I don’t seem the type? You don’t even really know me but you know what my music tastes are?” Aspasia flushed slightly, looking out her window.

“I suppose that is an unfair judgement.” she relented, making Kassandra laugh but she didn’t say anything else.

Before she knew it they were pulling onto her street and Aspasia pointed out the right house. Kassandra parked and was getting out before Aspasia could tell her it was unnecessary. They walked up to the front door together and reluctantly Aspasia started unbuttoning the jacket Kassandra had given her. She was startled when Kassandra stopped her by covering her hand. “Don’t worry about it, you can give it back to me on Monday.”

This time Aspasia couldn’t stop the obvious blush that colored her cheeks. “If you’re certain…”

“It’s no problem. It just means I’ll have to see you again on Monday.” She winked then and bent down slightly, leaving a light kiss on the top of her head before turning and leaving, heading back down the walk, waving behind her. “See you Monday!” she called without turning around.

Still blushing Aspasia unlocked the door and let herself in. Her night had definitely taken a very unexpected turn. “Meet a pretty girl…” Perry’s voice echoed in her head then, causing Aspasia to smile and shake her head and head upstairs. Meet a pretty girl indeed.

[coochiequeens]

When we conjure up ancient philosophers the image that springs to mind might be a bald Socrates discoursing with beautiful young men in the sun, or a scholarly Aristotle lecturing among cool columns.

But what about Aspasia, the foreign mistress of the foremost politician in Athens who gave both political and erotic advice? Or Sosipatra, mystic, mother and Neoplatonist who was a more popular teacher than her husband, Eustathius?

Women also shaped the development of philosophy. Although their writings, by and large do not survive, their verbal teaching made a significant impact on their contemporaries, and their voices echo through the ages.

More than two millennia later, intelligent, verbal women still struggle to have their own voices heard. So here are six ancient female philosophers you should know about.

Read more: How women historians smashed the glass ceiling

1. Aspasia of Miletus

Aspasia of Miletus (most active around 400 BCE) was the most famous woman in Classical Athens — or should we say infamous? Although a foreigner, she became the mistress of Pericles, the leader of Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War.

She was not only remembered for her captivating beauty, but also for her captivating mind. Socrates himself called Aspasia his teacher and relates he learned from her how to construct persuasive speeches. After all, he tells us, she wrote them for Pericles.

She plays a verbal role in at least three philosophical dialogues written by students of Socrates: Plato’s Menexenus and the fragmentary Aspasia dialogues by Aeschines and Antisthenes.

2. Clea

Clea (most active around 100 CE) was a priestess at Delphi — a highly esteemed political and intellectual role in the ancient world. The religious practitioners at the shrine received frequent requests from world leaders for divine advice about political matters. Clea was part of this political-religious system, but she believed in the primary importance of philosophy.

She found many opportunities for in-depth philosophical conversations with Plutarch, the most famous intellectual of his time. Plutarch tells us in the prefaces to On the Bravery of Women and On Isis and Osiris how these invigorating conversations on death, virtue and religious history inspired his own work.

Read more: Hidden women of history: the priestess Pythia at the Delphic Oracle, who spoke truth to power

3. Thecla

When she first appears on the scene in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, Thecla (most active around 1st century CE) is leading a normal middle class life, sequestered at home and about to make an advantageous marriage. But leaning out of her balcony, she hears the dynamic preaching of Paul and decides on a radically different path.

She follows Paul around, resists a variety of amorous advances and survives being thrown to carnivorous seals in the arena. Finally, she is confirmed as a teacher in her own right and begins an illustrious career. Although it’s been speculated Thecla never really existed, her legend inspired many women to pursue a life of philosophy.

Some 250 years later, Methodius of Olympus wrote a philosophical dialogue full of women, with Thecla as the star participant, and Macrina (see below) was given a family nickname of Thecla, inspired by her philosophical and religious mission.

4. Sosipatra

Sosipatra (most active around 4th century CE) lived the dream: she had a successful teaching career along with a content family life. After an education in mysticism by foreigners, Sosipatra became a respected teacher in the Neoplatonic tradition, interpreting difficult texts and mediating divine knowledge.

She was surrounded by male experts, one of whom was her husband Eustathius. But according to Eunapius’ biography in his Lives of the Philosophers, her fame was greater than any of theirs, and students far preferred her inspiring teaching.

5. Macrina the Younger

Macrina (circa 330-379 CE) was the oldest of ten in an expansive, influential well-educated Christian family in Cappadocia.

She kept the family together through her sharp mind, devout soul and strong will, ultimately transforming her ancestral estate into a successful community of male and female ascetics.

Her brother, Gregory of Nyssa, commemorated her wisdom both in a biography Life of Macrina and also in a philosophical dialogue On the Soul and Resurrection.

The latter depicted a conversation about death between the siblings as Macrina lay dying, in which she displays wide knowledge in philosophy, scripture and the physical sciences.

6. Hypatia of Alexandria Most famous for her dramatic death at the hands of a Christian mob, Hypatia (circa 355–415 CE) was a Neoplatonic teacher admired for her mathematical and astronomical works.

One of her successful students, the Christian bishop Synesius, wrote glowing letters to her, exchanging information not only about philosophy but also about obscure mathematical instruments.

She edited her father Theon’s astronomical commentary, which he acknowledged at publication.

Recalling the wisdom of ancient women both expands our view of history and reminds us of the gendered elements of modern complex thought.

This is particularly true in the field of philosophy, which consistently rates as one of the most gender-imbalanced in the humanities in modern universities.

The ancient world found space to include women’s voices in philosophy, and so must we.

Further reading: for Aspasia: Plato’s Menexenus and Plutarch’s Life of Pericles; for Clea: Plutarch’s On the Bravery of Women and On Isis and Osiris; for Thecla: the anonymously written The Acts of Paul and Theclaand Methodius’ Symposium; for Sosipatra: Eunapius’ Lives of the Philosophers; for Hypatia: the letters of Synesius of Cyrene and Socrates Scholasticus’ Church History.

[classicnovaproductions]

AC Odyssey's Modern Day AU Headcanons- Kassandra Edition

With everything happening lately I thought it would be fun to create a list of headcanons I've come up with!

So for the sake of keeping everything easier to follow, everyone lives in Athens and the general AC lore and history is not entirely intact.

Warning: Very Long Post!

Kassandra

Born in Modern-day Sparta, she spent most of her youth growing up resenting the city's still highly conservative mindset

Is a full-on Lesbian

Favorite Literary Master is Sapphos of Lesbos

Spent her early to late 20s in the Greek Military, eventually working as a mercenary before being honorably discharged

Highly athletic, with a naturally above average strong physice

Head Curator for the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, and is heavily regarded in her field across Greece

Is also renowned for her unusually vast knowledge of Ancient Greece (some say it's as though she's lived through it...but that's impossible)

Can trace her ancestry to King Leonidas himself

Unless working out (which is quite often) Kass ALWAYS makes sure her attire is perfectly tailored and pressed-almost always in a suit of some sort

Favorite designer is Giorgio Armani

Favorite music include groups like Florence and the Machine and Within Temptation, along with Classical

Doesn't always admit it, but also loves Janelle Monae

Is an absolute Film Fan

There always seems to be an eagle somewhere close by her...but that's just coincidence

Many find her just as beautiful as she is intimidating, which makes a lot of people nervous around her

Doesn't talk about her childhood, but she sometimes suffers from night terrors and boughts of loneliness

Adores children and loves to give young ones a tour around the museum

Is a big advocate for historical preservation and conservation

No one knows where her wealth comes from, but Kass lives fairly comfortably yet refuses to ever put it on display (aside from her suits)

Known for having voracious sexual exploits, Kassandra is pretty much the definition of BDE in the WLW community

Despite this, however, Kass considers all her female relations to be meaningful ones

Is still friends with a lot of former GFs and they all gets drinks together as a group often

Will usually get sea sick when sailing with Barnabas

Barnabas

Spent most his life on the sea as a sailor

Kassandra considers him one of her best friends

Although semi retired now, he still partakes on new "voyages" that comes his way

Fascinated by Ancient Greek naval history, Barnabas has dedicated his off time to restoring one of the most well-known ships of the Aegeon Sea-The Adrestia

Also owns what is probably Athen's best Seafood Shack-despite not being next to the sea (Kass loves hanging out here on a lazy day)

Herodotus

Head Historian for the National Archaeological Museum

Is Kassandra's mentor, and sort of Father Figure

Is fascinated by Kassandra's family history

An introvert at heart, which Kass fully appreciates because the 2 of them can work together in complete silence for long periods of time and still enjoy each other's company

Has a surprisingly large arsenal of Dad jokes

Myrrine

Divorced from her husband Nikolaos long ago after realizing how awful he was to her children

Never remarried (and has no desire to) but does have a female partner

Works as a Politician in Sparta but visits Athens often to see her children

Has strong relationships with both Kassandra and Alexios

Always tries and sets her kids up with suitors

An absolute MILF! (And knows it)

Most always calm and collected but if you insult her children she WILL punch you in the nose!

Alexios

Looks up to Kassandra like crazy (and isn't afraid to admit it)

Fell in with some bad people in his younger years and regrets it greatly

With the help and love from his mom and sister was able to create a better life for himself

Is making up for his past mistakes and is loving his life now

Is one of Athens most demanded Physical Trainers

An utter sweatheart and full-on Feminist Ally (seriously, he's all for Equality)

Odessa

Kassandra's 2nd serious girlfriend (although they've had their fair share of one night stands since breaking up)

Works as a Literary Professor at the Mediterranean College of Athens-specifically in Ancient Greek Literature

Often has Kassandra visit as a Guest Speaker for her lectures

ALL the young WLW completely SWOON over Kassandra whenever she visits

May be tough on her students but will fight anyone who gives them a hard time

Has to mention she is a descendant of Odysseus at least once every lecture

Roxana

Was in the military with Kassandra where her and Kass dated for most their time as comrades, but grew apart after Kass left

Works as a Combat Trainer for the Military in Athens

She may be tiny, but she is the only one that can come close to fighting Kassandra and win

ADORES Janelle Monae

Although no longer together, her and Kass have a mutual respect and platonic love for each other

Was introduced to Kyra by Kassandra a couple of years ago-and they've been together since

Kyra

Like Kassandra, also suffered during her childhood (and does not talk about it)

Did a stint in the Peace Core as a young adult

Now is an Activist for Civil Rights causes and displaced Refugees - which Kass helps with when she can

Was with Kassandra for a few years and even planned on proposing

But due to her activism and the demands of Kass's job, they eventually split

Remain good friends and sometimes travel to Mykonos together to poke fun at American Tourists

Was introduced by Kass to Roxana a couple years ago and the 2 have been inseparable since

Daphne

A zoologist who met Kassandra while aiding in an exhibit about Greek animals and their cultural influence

While working together her and Kass had a series of one night stints

Although very enamoured with each other, they couldn't be together because Daphne had to leave for a biological expedition to the Arctic soon after her business with the museum finished

Her and Kass remain as penpals and stays in contact with each other whenever possible

Aspasia

A prominent politician in Athens, and is probably considered one of the most powerful women in Greece

Often visits the museum where her and Kassandra have long varied conversations

Even though they both are aware of the sexual tension between them neither ever act on it as they both have titles they must consider

Despite seeming cold and calculating all the time, all she wants is what's best for Greece

Nut Tacos (yea I'm adding him too)

Recently moved to Athens with his sister Neema from Iran

Started working at the museum to aide in their Persian War exhibit

Aid as in Assistant to Kassandra while she does all the work herself and tries everything to avoid him

Has a massive crush on our favorite Misthios

Tried to make several passes at Kass but was verbally Yeeted by her

Has no idea that his sister Neema is also eying Kassandra

Neema

Originally of Persian descent, her and her brother Natakas moved to Athens from Iran

Ancient Persian Historian sent to collaborate w/Kass

Neema and Kassandra hit it off almost immediately, and began dating soon after. It did not take long for them to completely fall in love with each other

All their friends are super supportive of their relationship, and the old Girlfriends even help Kassandra propose-only to find Neema planned on doing the same thing!

Kassandra and Neema end up marrying on Naxos surrounded by friends and family (with Barnabas officiating) and the two women enjoy a life of love and fulfilment together 💜

[larissel]

Memory Lane

Fandom: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Ship: Kassandra/Daphnae

Words: 3549

Summary: Before her fateful meeting with Layla, Kassandra took a trip down to a museum.

A/N: This was long overdue to be posted because after working on this for about a month, I forgot to do the thing so this is at least three weeks late. But I still like how this turned out so I’m posting this now before that feeling goes away and I work on it again for the third time, I hope you all enjoy reading this.

[AO3]

It’s only been a week since she arrived with a very few of her belongings, but this was the first she had ever stepped out from her hotel – her room– and it was quite a stormy day in Ancient Thera or, what is now known by many, modern day Santorini. No longer were there any dirt roads where the air was easier to breathe in without the smog; simpler time where people walked about or rode on their horses. So much has truly changed over the two millennia—so did she, too, have changed.

Throughout hundred and thousands of years, she had traveled far and wide when there’s nothing left for her in Greece; the time when the names of the old gods and stories she grew up with were being forgotten. She been to many places, witnessing what this world has to offer her and there’s no parts of this world where she hadn’t been to before, untouched by her steps. But there are still places Kassandra never expected to find herself at: a museum.

There’s a first time for everything, like in this case.

After shaking her head and declining to take the change of money she now doesn’t have any need for, Kassandra flashed the clerk a charming smile as she leaned forward and swiped the ticket off from the woman’s hand whose face started to turn red. The young woman started to turn her eyes down to her hand where their fingers brushed against one another then looked back up, stiffed on her own feet. She did her best to maintain composure when this finely dressed woman whose face seems to have been molded by the gods and a body chiseled by the heavens offered her to have a pleasant day, thanking her too late when the well-dressed woman was already gone.

It was wrong of her to teased like that, but Kassandra’s was still swelling up with pride as the very corner of her lips began to twitched upwards in a slight smirk. She dripped with confidence. ‘I still got it.’ She thought to herself while finally striding into the warm building after her ticket has been scanned. Her gaze was immediately transfixed on the marble statue of Zeus who stood tall and in the middle of the lobby, towering all those who were walking about with his eyes piercing at them all. There was an eagle perched on his shoulder with its wings spread out, one where she couldn’t help it but to feel a small ache in her heart when the bird reminded her of Ikaros who has passed a long time ago. And while the statue was a marveling sight, it doesn’t compare to the one that once stood on Kefalonia.

Slipping her hands into her pockets, Kassandra looked around for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders, walking into the first exhibit that caught her interest. “Ancient pottery.” She said to no one.

It was fairly empty, quiet even—well, except for the handful of school children running amok while their exasperated teacher tried to calm all of the kids down. She might’ve been tempted to help if it weren’t for one of the students getting sick, vomiting all over the floor; it’s best if she does not get herself involve, one of the reasons why she doesn’t have kids of her own.

She went back wandering around on her own, however it wasn’t long until she ended up following a group of tourists who all doesn’t seem to mind the terrible weather that was currently happening outside. She stood at the far back, not wanting to draw attention on herself as they were all shown artifacts that have been dug up. Unfortunately, many of them were just…good replicas. If only she could pity them rather than finding humor in this, many of these said relics have been long lost or destroyed by the Romans while others have been sold in the black markets.

Luckily, she managed to keep several with her, hidden away in a storage unit. She left the location for Layla back at her apartment in Sparta, the closest thing she can call home.

Kassandra took a few moments longer to admire the false relics being displayed before striding to the others, in time to hear the tour guide telling tales of influential figures; the likes of Perikles and Socrates, how their legacies can even still be felt in today’s society. She bowed her head down so others won’t notice the fond smile that came crossing her features, remembering those two all too clearly despite the fact that it has been thousands of years. She still remembered those she’d met, their faces still fresh in her mind. However, it didn’t take long for her smile to turn into an annoyed scowl when the tour guide shifted the story to Aspasia. ‘Fucking maláka…’ It was unfortunate that history won’t know the truth about that traitorous snake.

Just before that familiar and old rage could take hold, Kassandra felt warmth suddenly surging up in her arm, feeling chills going down her spine. Looking down, she sees the Staff of Trismegistus, disguised as a watch, taking on a dim glow only she noticed. She knew what this means: her long awaited and fateful meeting with Layla, at last. As she was about to make her leave, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and stood rooted on her spot when the tour guide told another story, a story she was familiar with…

The legendary and mighty Eagle Bearer.

“Eagle Bearer?” one of the tourists said, sharing the same perplexed looks the other tourists were exhibiting. It was obvious that none of these people have ever heard of the name that was once so infamous, striking a mixture of admiration and fear. They’re all unaware of the owner of that name is currently with them, listening closely. “Who is that?” The tourist asked.

“A misthios, or a mercenary,” the tour guide answered, “who traveled throughout the Greek World during the Peloponnesian War – playing on both sides, I should add – taking on the tasks that not even the bravest of men would dare to take.”

“Why were they called the Eagle Bearer?”

“They say an eagle, sent by Zeus himself, accompanied the misthios during their journey.”

Kassandra refrained herself from having to fact-check the tour guide. Ikaros has always been with her.

Questions from the others came at an instant, pouring out from each and every one of them. Their hands were raised up with an eagerness of a child, clear interest written all over their faces. Sadly for them, many of the questions that have been asked went unanswered for the tales of the Eagle Bearer have been lost and many experts aren’t sure if they ever exist; another myth.

“But there's still one story that has been apparently proven to be,” the tour guide said, pausing for a moment to make sure she had gotten all of their attention, then continuing soon afterwards, “the tale of the Eagle Bearer…and their lover, Leader of the Daughters of Artemis; a devoted and proud follower of the Goddess of the Hunt.”

Kassandra’s world came to a sudden halt, eyes widening. ‘Daphnae…’ She felt the air in her lungs leaving, leaving her breathless as her chest started to tightened. She thought both of their history and names have been washed away and forgotten, but then again, the relationship wasn’t a secret and it didn’t stop the Daughters from whispering. Perhaps it’s an excellent time for her to go now, however she stood rooted on her spot and unable to willing move, rather she listened closely.

Throughout time, many stories and tales have all been greatly exaggerated as time went by like in this case. She did not remember an epic battle occurring between herself and Daphnae when they stumbled upon each other, a battle that supposedly lasted for days. ‘Do people really thought that actually happened?’ Then again, this was something others from a long time ago would have said as well. People truly haven’t changed much.

But there was one thing that was true…

She remembered how it felt when her eyes laid upon on the beauty, a wave of desire drowning her and pulling her deep into those gazing dark eyes of the huntress’s—alluring. It didn’t take long for their shared attraction to turn into something more, something deeper and more meaningful.

“After their worth has been recognized, a series of trials was given to the Eagle Bearer: slaying all eight legendary beasts.”

Maláka. Another memory, one that was more on the unpleasant side; fighting against those beasts was difficult and that boar…the fucking boar that farted constantly…shuddering at the thought, oh how its smell still lingers in her mind. But by the gods, it was still worth it at the end, those bloody cuts and bruises she sustained was all worth it just so she can see Daphnae again.

“Beast Slayer, it’s so good to see you again.”

“It was said that the Eagle Bearer would spend the night with their lover upon each of their return, presenting the huntress with the beasts’ pelts.”

Lips finally meeting one another, armor and pieces of fabric were hastily casted aside as though it had been eternity since they last saw each other. The desperation in both of their tones was clear, hands roaming all over each other, touches that were familiar to them both. And as they were both on the ground with Kassandra on top, giving her a wolfish grin before she started kissing her way down, finally.

This was something she often dreamed of and fantasizes about: the sweet, sweet taste of heaven.

Kassandra could still remember every passionate night they spent together under the bright moon and shining stars, every ecstasy-filled moment they shared by the fire, how could she ever forget? Especially with those lustful looks Daphnae would always give her, but perhaps the only thing she didn’t miss much was the huntress’s strong grip—very strong grip.

Her hair felt like it was going to be ripped out from her scalp within any given moment, but it’s still worth it at the end just to hear Daphnae’s cries of pleasure, visibly grimacing when Kassandra felt another hard tug. But she didn’t let the pain stop her from relentlessly moving her tongue between Daphnae’s wet folds.

A deep rumbled left her chest as she held Daphnae’s hips down, preventing the other woman from squirming around so much, pushing her face forward as her tongue drove in deep. It delighted her to hear the huntress moaning loudly into the night. And it fueled her.

Her eyes were shut as memories kept flowing back into mind, remembering those nights when her name left Daphnae’s lips—crying her name out like a prayer.

“Kassandra!” Hearing that final cry – tasting her fully – Daphnae did know how to make her feel as someone who’s more than the Eagle Bearer, more than another weapon for the cult. The feeling of belonging she never truly felt, not even when she was just a little girl back at Sparta.

Time with Daphnae was nothing but short-lived, finding herself feeling regretful for being away far too often and how peace is nothing but a privilege, how it never lasted long enough for them both to watch the sun rising together. Always leaving before Helios could ride his Sun Chariot to bring about a new day.

“I have to go now.”

“I know.”

“So…what happened next? What happened when they completed their task?”

There it was – her eyes slowly opened as she took in a deep breath, pulled out from her memories and back into reality – that dreaded question. She would do anything to forget that.

“When the final beast has been slain, the Eagle Bearer was sent to Chios – home of the Daughters of Artemis – for their test was not yet over; a final task,” the tour guide said, placing a hand on her chest for a more dramatic effect, “but it was a task they couldn’t go through.” She said, letting out a heavy and tragic sigh.

“The task of killing the one you hold closely and dearly to your heart.”

The tourist who asked the last question scoffed loudly which caught the attention from the others, rolling his eyes when they all looking at him now. “Weren’t they like…an assassin?” He said, arms crossing together and was completely confused by this. After all, weren’t all warriors supposed to be badasses? And this figure in the tale sounded like they can have anyone else they wanted.

“It’s not as easy as you would think,” the tour guide said, rolling her eyes. This wasn’t exactly the first time she had to deal with men who were like this.

“Wasn’t killing part of their job?”

“Could you do the same then? Killing someone you loved?”

That got the tourist stopped talking, moving his head to the side as his cheeks turned into a lovely shade of red from embarrassment when all eyes were on him all the while he wasn’t aware that the Eagle Bearer herself was gazing at him piercingly. “No…” He said, sighing heavily; he could never even bring himself to yell at his own beloved dog back at home.

“And with the Eagle Bearer’s inability to go through the final task,” the tour guide said, finally able to continue the story, “a rift was formed between the two.”

“But did they ever make up?” someone else asked, raising a hand up.

“I don’t know, no one knows unfortunately, the story just ended there,” the tour guide said, “but I like to think they did.”

A sad smile appeared on Kassandra’s face, wishing that were the case. In reality, their paths never crossed again. A constant reminder plagued her after that doomed meeting she had with Daphnae, coming upon a group of the Daughters of Artemis or gazing upon the statues of Artemis, gazing at the goddess with contempt. It wasn’t only until she finally got to see the huntress again when time and the years has caught up to her, death claiming her soul peacefully; watching her body burn at the very next day from a safe distant.

“Okay!” the tour guide exclaimed, her mood brightening up again while clapping her hands loudly together to get the others’ attention. “We’re now moving on to ancient potteries, follow me!”

The tourists all oohed and excitedly followed their guide with the story of the Eagle Bearer quickly forgotten.

Kassandra, on the other hand, found no offense at the sudden change of topic. She turned simply and left the museum without having anybody else noticing her presence was among them. As she stepped out, it was still raining heavily and she could hear the distant thunder booming in the sky, not bothering to bring an umbrella in the first place. She smiled sadly as her thoughts drifted back to the woman who broke her heart. It has already been so many years and there hasn’t been a day where the pain went away...still, it gets easier with each passing day. After all, her time is up.

‘Wait for me.’

xxx

So this is what it feels like to die.

After the Staff of Trismegistus was passed off to its new owner, the effect was immediate to take a hold of Kassandra when she lost her balance and started to stagger. Her body ached, could barely move around as her vision blur and didn’t notice Layla caught her before she fell onto the ground, cradling her closely. Memories flooded her mind like waves, wondering if this is what many others had said when they say every second in your life starts flashing before your eyes. However, unlike most people, she wasn’t afraid to finally greet death.

She lived a very long life.

But it was still a good one…a good life she had.

She remembered the very first time she left Greece after she helped the Greeks to fight against the Romans, but even with her prowess wasn’t enough to stop them. Everything was left behind when she escaped with the others—her home, her legacy, and all the memories she held dearly, all gone in the fire and leaving only ashes in its wake. Afterwards, Kassandra lived in the shadows, staying hidden and not to involve herself in fights that others can handle on their own.

She had seen the rise and fall of many empires before another would rise up to take its place, then the vicious cycle repeats itself. She had seen societies joining together as one, fighting against an unjust. At the end, when the dust has settled and freedom was returned to the people, greed never failed to cloud one’s judgment. The world hasn’t change much, leaders of this so-called free world were no different than the kings and queens, emperors and empresses. This world is still standing divided and unity is nothing more than a laughable dream. And even after all these years, the long life she lived, her only regret was that she didn’t do much to help make that change.

As her breathing continued to labor and her vision grew hazier, Kassandra’s thoughts were on her family, the family she brought back together and friends she made…then having to watch them all grow old and die. Once more, she was all alone in this world.

Her mother was the first to go, just a few years after the family has finally became whole again. An illness had overtaken her, something that shocked them all. A shock turned anger on Kassandra’s end, cursing loudly to the night and the terrible fate her mother must endure…and how truly cruel the fates are. She felt nothing but helplessness, a cure that’s never discovered until decades ago. Her mother deserved a better ending to her story, but Myrianne already made peace with herself a long time ago, knowing that everyday life is fleeting. And just with that being said, Kassandra had accepted the fate that was bestowed upon her mother.

A year later, Myrianne died in her sleep. Surrounded only by her family and people she’d met over the years of her journey came by to pay her one last respect. Kassandra never realized how loved her mother was until everyone who knew her crowded in the same room.

Alexios, her younger brother, followed mother a year after her death. Kassandra doesn’t know the cause of it, but she suspected the Cult of Kosmos had something to do with it. After all, they were the ones who poisoned his mind since his infancy, they have abused his body, treating him like a rabid animal, and only using him as a weapon; never human. She knew how he suffered over time and how he struggled to undo what the damn cult had done to him. He tried and fought as hard as he can, but it seems it wasn’t enough at the end. And his body gave out where he was found days later by Spartan soldiers who were patrolling around Mount. Taygetus.

He was buried next to their mother the very next day and Kassandra hoped that he found peace in death.

Nikolas was the next to pass, a death that certainly shocked those who knew him—a death no one would have expected from a renowned general like him. Struck by common, measly thief, stealing whatever little drachma the Wolf was carrying all for a cheap wine. It wasn’t long for the thief to be found, apprehended by Kassandra who returned the favor. Nikolas may have committed atrocious actions, things that she would never forgive him for. Over time, her anger lessened. She’d lost too much, she didn’t need to lose him…someone who was also once so important in her life.

He’s given an honorable burial, wrapped in a beautiful red cloth with his helmet and prized sword, and Kassandra was proud to call him her father.

Finally, there was Stentor…who was the last to die, unfortunately.

She and Stentor…they never got along, even when they’re both stuck with each other once they’re left together. But things between them mellowed after he found someone who tolerates his terrible attitude, Kassandra truly loved his wife though; a complete opposite to Stentor, getting along with her and his children. He died at a very old age, surrounded by his family from what she heard from far away.

She started to think about all of the others she had the privilege to met over the years, people she was proud to call her friends: Barnabas, Herodotus, Phoibe, Ikaros, and many more, but Daphnae was her last thought. To have the huntress in her mind one last time was comforting.

She’s ready to join them.

“Gaía…máter pantós…chaíre…” With those words recited under her breath, Kassandra smiled. At last, she can finally rest with all of her worries left behind, trusting Layla and her team to finish the work she couldn’t complete. And as her eyes fluttered shut for the final time and breathing out her last breath, she heard these final words whisperingly lovingly into her ear as a greeting.

“Beast Slayer, it’s so good to see you again.”

[roman-writing]

WIP tagging game

I got tagged by @mkandas who wanted to know what I’m working on and the answer is: A Lot. So much that I’m putting a snippet from a handful of my WIPs below the cut.

1) a scene from an original work called “Miss Grace’s Guide to Household Governance:

He stared at the far wall, his expression as blank as his tone. “I've been cursed by the devil himself.”

“I assure you, the devil had nothing to do with it,” Miss Grace said. She reached out and patted his sleeve as if trying to calm him. “Lycanthropy is an any man’s affliction.”

Albert stared at her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means any man can turn beast and lose himself to savagery. Believe me when I say this, Albert: the devil is unconcerned with the condition of just any man.”

After a moment’s shocked silence, Albert said slowly, “Miss Grace, you are an exemplary aide -”

Miss Grace nodded in acceptance of her due. “Yes, thank you.”

“- but you are absolute shite at consolation.”

She seemed to mull this over, before announcing, “I shall take this under advisement, and adjust my behaviour accordingly.”

2) a scene from chapter 3 of “and sink to human shape”

Fareeha pushed her aviators back up the bridge of her nose, and kept on walking. “You couldn’t wait to light up until we got outside?” she asked, though her words lacked any real bite.

Angela shrugged. The tip of the cigarette burned bright as a distant star in the night-swept sky. She exhaled a plume of smoke. “I’m the primordial manifestation of mercy, not temperance.”

“Which mercy is that?” Fareeha asked.

She had not meant for her query to sound so serious, but Angela’s answering silence was inscrutable. For a few steps, Angela said nothing. Ash flaked at her fingertips. Finally, she answered, “The compassionate kind.”

She did not specify if it was the compassion borne from a desire to relieve suffering, or the compassion wielded in an executioner’s hands. Perhaps she could not tell the difference. ‘Mercy’ a cry on the lips of the desperate and dying, of the fearful masses trembling beneath their impending fate, as though Angela were a vision that appeared to those war-wounded soldiers choking upon smoke-strewn battlefields, a being of bounded light come to spirit them from this mortal coil.

3) a scene from chapter 2 of “the trick of singularity”

“What?” Miranda narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing!” Andy said. “I just - You’re -”

Miranda raised her eyebrows, as if daring Andy to set her thoughts to stone with speech.

“You -” Andy searched Miranda’s face in a blind panic. They stood close enough that she could see the fine layer of make-up applied to her skin, the smoky eye-shadow and perfect eye-liner. And beneath it all a scar. Barely discernible. From a distance it would all but vanish, but now that Andy could see it, she couldn’t not see it. A narrow cut deep in her skin, slicing from upper lip to cheek in a crooked line. Pointing dumbly, Andy said, “You have a scar.”

Miranda’s jaw tightened, and though she toyed absently with the measuring tape in her hands, her eyes never left Andy’s, never erred; they remained ice-cold. When she spoke it was in that soft whisper of hers that meant Andy was treading dangerous waters. “Your powers of observation are unimpeachable.”

4) the opening scene from “The Modern Iphigenia” a sequel to “In Search of Dead Time”

Caroline’s mother wants her to be an opera singer. From the ages of six to fourteen, Caroline is made to attend private classes four times a week. Caroline only goes without a fuss because she manages to bargain for extra time at the local library in exchange for not screaming on the ride across the city. Instead, she ignores the passing scenery through the car window in favour of pulling one of the books from her bag -- Linear Algebra, 3rd edition -- and thumbing open the page she’d last been reading.

“Caroline.”

She doesn't respond

Her mother reaches over and shuts the book. “Come on. We’re here.”

5) a scene from chapter 2 of “a wound that shall not close”

“How am I supposed to believe that? How am I supposed to believe anything you say?” Kassandra said, her eyes narrowing. “All roads lead back to you. They always do.”

Something very much like indignation flashed across Aspasia’s face, and she sat up straight in her seat, chin lifted and brows lowered. “You think I wanted Alcibiades dead? He is Perikles’ nephew. He lived with us. I practically raised him.”

“I take back what I said earlier about you never changing,” Kassandra drawled. “Motherly sentiment is very new for you.”

At that, Aspasia’s face darkened. Her lips pursed.

Kassandra bared her teeth in grim satisfaction. “Have I struck a nerve?”

“You speak of things about which you know very little,” Aspasia replied coolly, and though her tone was calm and even, her eyes glittered dangerously. It sent a thrill of satisfaction racing down Kassandra’s spine.

6) a scene from a yet unnamed prequel to “Among the Hollow”

Iustina steepled her fingers and fixed Aelia with a hard look. "Have you ever seen a god before?"

Aelia shook her head.

Tapping her fingertips together in what would have been a nervous tick for anyone else, but which Iustina made appear merely thoughtful, she said, "I have. When I was a girl. There was nothing glamorous or holy about it. I shit myself. Most people do, you know." Though Iustina continued looking at Aelia, she seemed to peer right through her, as if off into the distance. "My father had just completed construction of the Temple of Wisdom in Faros as part of his contract -- he was one of the rare fools who sought out a contract with the gods and actually achieved one. Though perhaps 'achieve' isn't the proper word for it. Unless it is an achievement to shackle yourself to a higher power in order to obtain your own petty ends. Some might think so. Some might even dream of it. Meanwhile the memory alone of my encounter is enough to revisit me in my nightmares even today. They're not -"

Iustina paused, clearing her throat to collect herself before she continued. "They're not what you think. They are not beautiful or just or grand. Divinity manifests itself in horror. To describe them is to transcend language. Standing in the presence of a god overwhelms you the way the sky overwhelms the very earth: naturally and uniformly all-encompassing. They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be tricked, or ransomed, or threatened. We are less to them than the most insignificant insect that crawls among the ribs of desert carrion. The empires of men mean nothing to them."

"They can appear to us in human form, but it is as if they are wearing a loose animal skin over their shoulders, as if they have only a vague idea of what humanity should look like. It had a face -- I'm sure it had a face -- but I cannot for the life of me remember it. I used to wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night to find that I had drawn it in blood across the floor of my room. A face with eyes like smears of torchlight. It spoke in starlight, in colour, and cold distant silence." With a chest-deep shudder, Iustina grimaced. "In exchange for a temple and the bodies of those fallen in battle, it gave my father the power to defeat his enemies, ending a civil war that had waged for decades since the fall of Proban. At the end of every fight, my father’s forces were ordered to quench all their torches and lamps, and all through the night they heard strange, gristly noises from the battlefield. The next morning, all the bodies were gone. I stopped practicing necromancy despite my father's insistence. No gain, however great, could match the demands of such a contract."

Leaning forward, Iustina grabbed her cup of tea and sipped. "The gods have mysteriously vanished these last few years, and good fucking riddance, I say. Could you ask for another pot of tea? This one's gone cold and it tastes like cat piss."

Aelia blinked at the abrupt shift in topic. "Of - Of course, Your Majesty."

[trulycertain]

Spoilers for Odyssey. Seriously, huge ones. The entire ending.

Finished Odyssey last night. I might be the one person who actually kinda likes the artefact ending. I found it... oddly touching. I don't know. Maybe it's that I kind of want to give Kassandra a hug most of the time. Maybe it’s that it kind of fits with the myth theme and the what-makes-a-god-and-what-is-the-price themes.

Speaking of artefacts: I’m still fascinated by the implications of the monster fights. I didn’t realise until Medusa what the sad, shrivelled corpses in place of monster bodies meant. Or rather, I suspected, but took a while to get confirmation.

There’s some beautiful horror there, and it’s never explored. People who were often trying to do the right thing or get by... they picked up the thing they didn’t understand and were turned into monsters. By the power of its history or their own belief, because they parsed the Esu stuff as myth and contextualised it that way. Either the Esu’s... souls? passed on to them, or more likely, the Esu turned them into these things to guard the artefacts, as part of the whole “humans are expendable” deal. These monsters were normal people once. That’s just... tragic. (Aptly. *waves at sophocles*) 

I mean, I’m totally unfussed about the tacked-on sci-fi subplot and the modern stuff, or all the attempts at pseudoprofundity, but... that’s really, genuinely a beautiful avenue to explore. And it gets brushed aside in favour of “more cool Esu stuff!”

Well, not quite. I love how corrupting Esu artefacts and “divine knowledge” can be. I think that’s why I liked the ending. No-one in Greek mythology ever ascends Mount Olympus without cost. Divinity is a burden. 

And I love that it turned Pythagoras into (even more of) a bastard (seriously, can Kassandra not have one good dad), but that the purity of Kass’s heart (despite the whole murderous-merc-assassin thing) and her strength of character meant that she was still herself. She was so stubbornly normal and human that she got to keep her soul. She asks for these crazy-powerful mind-control artefacts to be destroyed because it’s the right thing to do. (That felt fitting coming on the heels of the Cultist mission, where I refused to let her be swayed by Aspasia, because the things the Cult had done were bloody awful and who were they to control the future? How could they guarantee anything?)

I mean, that’s mixing many mythological traditions. (Greek myths never especially value purity of heart or purpose in the same way. Well, maybe purpose. But in terms of chivalry and morality and all, you want Arthurian stuff.) But the feel was right, especially the ending’s cyclical nature.

So yeah. I found it pretty satisfying. And I imagine I’ll replay at some point, because I was already thinking, “Jeez, I’m going to miss you,” even as I was playing.

Second AC I’ve ever finished. Favourite one so far. 

[bpdanakins]

noah fence, but instead of the ‘good’ ending having that awkward ass family dinner with a “father” who threw both his kids (one who was a fucking baby) off a fucking mountain and a mother who insisted Sparta was the fucking be all end all while ignoring the fact it was Sparta’s stupid laws and traditions that resulted in her kids “dying”.... it should have been Alexios and Kassandra bonding over stabbing Aspasia in the fucking stomach (seriously, the game didn’t acknowledge that he was home and he should have totally been there during the “reveal”) and then sailing off to have adventures while supporting each other through their fucking repeated traumas.

i wouldn’t have minded seeing what Stentor might have been like after knowing Nikolaos was alive, but mostly he was pretty pratty fdslkk so eh

I think Nikalaos was clearly a p good father to Stentor and so he could stay with Stentor but like....... aside from his mostly inadequate apologies, he shouldn’t have just automatically been allowed to sit at that table. And I think Myrrine clearly went through a lot bc of the Cult and I don’t blame her for that, but it bugs me that she scolds Kassandra (or Alexios if you chose to play him instead) for reminding the one king that two kids were tossed off that mountain lmao like despite the fact she clearly cared about her family enough to attempt to save the baby... she still kinda puts “being a good Spartan” above her kids’ feelings and experiences

And what, Alexios (or, again, Kassandra, depending) just sits at the table and all is happy and merry as if he wasn’t tortured since, again, a baby? a direct result of nikolaos’ fucking actions? idk I do think it was meant to be a sweet lil thing but I kinda just wish he was given a bit more relevancy (since apparently in the DLC there’s some character who has a similar experience to him and he just........ isn’t a part of trying to even talk to her....) and also he should have been there!!! to kill aspasia!!!!! aaaaaaa

I won’t even get into the fact that Ubisoft spent several AC games building up one big enemy only to kill her off in a comic...... and the “modern” scenes (of which there are like four total) have no purpose whatsoever. there’s no big bad. there’s no plot there. no one knows what’s going on. they were boring and overall pretty sucky. Didn’t make any real sense in regards to a story or plot. bc there wasn’t one...

anyways all i’m saying is i would have preferred more family feels but focusing on the siblings than some of what we got (bc they’re the ones i care most about) and in general i feel for AC fans who played a lot of the early games only to realize ubisoft tossed a big plot into a comic book and then moved on. 

the only characters i care about are the siblings, phoibe, roxana and brasidas and i would have preferred fucking nikolaos dying on that battlefield (maybe in a way to protect kassandra or, stupidly, trying to negotiate w alexios) or doing SOMETHING as an actual redemption arc and Kassandra deserved to tell her mom that she isn’t right about Sparta being this fucking paradise land or whatever like Kassandra deserved to tell her mom off for defending the place so much

(ps: how the hell did ikaros manage to fly to a place under water? does anyone know? fdljkk 

ps 2: roxana deserved more scenes and so did the grand majority of the “romances” ps 3: barnabas and herodotus deserved to be the siblings’ parental figures like let them adopt the kids and myrinne, nikalaos and stentor could have the awk family dinner in that lil home instead and that’s just the truth)

[ffnthewar]

The War Episode 03

[Black screen with plain white text.]

"The War"

[We cut to Twitter.]

**November 1st**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter FFN officially announced Global Summit Wrestling (GSW) at a press conference today. Lots of former KOW stars listed in the roll out: Blue Samson, Argo Daralieaux, Kevin Houston, Stu Norris, Freddy Hernandez, Gomez Gutirrez, Andre Nobukov & Suplex Jones.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Charles Morgan & Roy Harper, the KOW announce team, were announced as the announce team for GSW as well. All in all a very predicitable & boring roll out.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Meanwhile at the big Comic Con, Michael Shinwari officially announced Best Super Wrestling (BSW)! Jason Layzer & the Superkick Kids were with him and they promised that they were going to be revolutionizing the sport of pro wrestling.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter SUPER exciting announcement on BSW in comparison to GSW's stale roll out. Jason Layzer is the BEST wrestler in the world and the Superkick Kids are the BEST tag team in the world so already BSW is off to a much better start!

@JoeyIQ On what planet are Jason Layzer and the untalented hacks the Superkick Kids the BEST at anything?  I guess they can be considered the BEST at pretending to be relevant and worth mentioning.  I don't know how they have conned Michael Shinwari out of his money, but mark my words he is going to regret investing in those clowns.

@JoeyIQ I may not agree with everything GSW does, but at least they haven't stooped to the level of signing the Superkick Kids.  Imagine stooping to that level?   Might as well take the blue pill from the Matrix!

@JoeyIQ The only thing Michael Shinwari is going to revolutionize is our sleep schedule.

**November 4th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW today announced the signings of "Giant Queen" Janet Royal, Debbie Wills, Cindy Louis, Maria Torres, Honey Inc. (Judy Gonzalez, Nancy Harrington & Angelica Gomez) & Euro sensation Aspasia as the base of their women's division.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter While predominantly made up of FFN Pro's women's division, it is a great start for a women's division and the most serious attempt at a proper women's division in North America since Girl Fight was around. GSW should get props for this.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW also announced some MAJOR signings today! "ROYAL" Kyle Williams & his older brother, former KOW star Fargo Williams, have signed with BSW! Kyle's wife, Wendy Louis-Williams (the younger sister of GSW's Cindy Williams) also signed.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Kyle & Wendy are a great duo and they are TOP acquisitions for any promotion to get. GSW being deprived of KOW star Fargo Williams for their start up has to be looked at as a good sign of talent wanting to be part of something NEW & EXCITING over boring same old in GSW.

@JoeyIQ I was a fan of Fargo Williams and I always thought Kyle had a bright future.   I don't have a clue why he would want to risk his health and future inside the ring with the likes of  Jason Layzer and the Superkick Kids.  

@JoeyIQ Let's call a spade a spade - BSW is investing in garbage wrestlers who couldn't make it on the big stage.   The only thing exciting about that is at least they all will be in the same place where it will be a weekly train wreck.  

**November 5th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Today GSW announced their 1st tag signings: West River Outlaws, Modern Day Barbarians, Southern Grille, D2, Rough Co. & Ancient Beatdown. (YAWN) All KOW stars, No surprises here.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter In a cool Youtube video BSW announced some MASSIVE tag signings themselves today: Regulators! Violators! Los Perros Diminutos! The Anarchists! Can't wait to see these teams vs the Superkick Kids in the best tag matches possible on the planet!

@JoeyIQ GSW signing actual wrestling talent while BSW continues to roll out teams like the Supershit Kids.   Now they have added the likes of The Anarchists?   Good grief who is advising  Shinwari?  My money is on Jason Layzer.

**November 6th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BREAKING NEWS! My sources are saying that both GSW and BSW have made contract offers to Pablo O'Connor & his group (Stephanie Delacroix, KdV, Senor Cloak Dos, Class of 2010 girls).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter My sources aren't sure which way O'Connor & co. will go. Cherry Cola, his main sponsor, has a long history with FFN but they could be looking to try something new and exciting like BSW.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Other news today, GSW announced the signings of The Painted Freaks! Justice & the Berserkers! Most agree this is a depressing signing because they will have a hard time finding their place in a KOW heavy roster in GSW.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Happier news though, BSW announced the signings of "Unbelievable" Vic Parker & Larry Gates! Parker is a top young talent and this is a MAJOR get for BSW! It shows that the brightest & best of the new generation want to do something NEW w/BSW instead of the same old same old w/GSW.

@JoeyIQ It's obvious that Pablo O'Connor wouldn't associate with the likes of the Supershit Kids and Jayson Layzer.   He has years of successful business decisions and to associate his name with those clowns seems unlike him.  

@JoeyIQ HUGE signing for GSW.  The Painted Freaks are names you can build your shows around.

@JoeyIQ It's a sad day when a legendary family, like Parker and Young's have anything to do with BSW.  Thankfully Bob Young isn't around to see his blood tied to that abortion of a wrestling league.  Shame on Vic for tarnishing his families legacy.  

**November 7th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BREAKING NEWS: BSW announced via a very cool & funny Youtube video that Soldiers of the Sun, (Ricky Courage, Titan Juarez & STRIKER Kato) former UPW Tag Team champions, have signed with them! Massive signing, Courage is one of the very hottest young talents on the planet!

@JoeyIQ What was Ricky Courage thinking?   I hate to see promising careers vanish and that is what is going to happen when his name is now attached to the abortion of BSW.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW also announced the signing of FFN Pro & KOW tag team Road Apocalypse & hardcore death match wrestling legend Gory Thunders! Truly exciting & different signings for a hot new promotion to make!

@JoeyIQ The less I say about Gory Thunders probably the better.   BSW should stand for Bull Shit Wrestling because that's what it's going to be!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW also made announcements of signings. Gino Boticelli, Kid Hammer, Lance Jenning, Mark Pittman, Greg Money, Sumo Ken, Fury Norris & Black Abyss, all former KOW and/or FFN Pro stars.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter The difference between BSW & GSW is night and day. One promotion is out to innovate and change the sport forever while the other is living off the fumes of the past tried & true, thinking it will always work in an ever changing world.

@JoeyIQ Somebody tell this idiot that those so-called fumes of the past is what we call pro wrestling.   There is no secret sauce to figure out.  It's a simple story of good versus evil!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Weirdest story of the day though is that Willy Gordon, singer from 90's alternative band The Broken Gourds, has announced his acquisition of the old dead Pro Wrestling Association (PWA).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Gordon is a well known wrestling fan but big difference between being a fan and being able to run a promotion, much less one with all the baggage of an old defunct brand. Maybe he just wants to put out DVDs or something.

@JoeyIQ The Pro Wrestling Association's legacy and others like it is what this great world was built on.  I don't know much about Willy Gordon, but if he stays true to what made PWA great then at least we will have something to cleanse the waters after BSW poisons it!

**November 8th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW in a bold move today announced their first signings for their women's division. Abby Hollister, Gemma Scott, Camille Delie, Mandy Jenkins, Kelly Myers.. All former Girl Fight talent.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter But the BIGGEST news was BSW's announcement of signing Angel Days. This is the 1st transgendered woman to be signed by a major wrestling promotion that I can think of. Furthermore they made no mention of her being trans, which is HUGE.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter The Angel Days announcement and how it was handled shows the commitment BSW has towards staying current with the modern world as it progresses away from the backwards past.

@JoeyIQ It's not shocking that BSW is going to hitch their wagon to Angel Days.   The place is a train wreck and what Dale Hutchins calls innovation, I call it disaster TV.    

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW also announced signings. Los Hermanos de Valentine & Los Rudos de Valentine from Mexico's TLL. Also the Good Ole Boys (Adrian Gunn & Clay Winchester) and The Hype (Supafly & G-Pac).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Shockingly, Willy Gordon's PWA announced their 1st signings! "The Fantasy" Brett Young, So Cool w/ Julie Davis, "Royalty" Ricky Sanders & "Chico Malo" Diego Rodriguez.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter PWA's signings make the GSW signings look like BSW. They seem to be pandering to an ancient fan base that are on their way out via age & death or lost all interest in pro wrestling. I don't see this turning out well.

@JoeyIQ PWA seems to understand professional wrestling while Michael Shinwari has hitched his wagon to disaster tv.   Would you rather watch legends like Brett Young and Ricky Sanders or sloppy spot idiots like the supershit kids?

**November 11th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Major announcements today by BSW! They've signed Max Stone, Gator-X, "No Tomorrow" Jason Summer, "Lightning" Scottie Sparks, Dan the Creep, "The Human Hand Grenade" Luis Sanchez, "the Future" Ryan Webb & "Ping Pong" Hung Su Chong w/ Ying Shu.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW continues to show how forward thinking they are. All young talent. All hot in the indie scene. Hung Su Chong shows them reaching out to different international markets. This promotion has all the right ideas!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Meanwhile GSW announced signing Johnny Wrestling w/ Amanda, Seth Winters, Declan Pierce, "Jammin'" Jimmy Gibson w/ Princess, Kenyon "Cash" King w/ his Entourage, "The Duke" William Phillips and Monarchy (Angus Ward & Duncan Taylor).

@JoeyIQ Look no further then the investment each organization is making.   BSW has guys that couldn't apply a wristlock correctly, while GSW is bringing in proven talent.   The fact that Dale Hutchins continues to wave his little pom-poms for Michael Shinwari everytime he speaks shows the lack of credibilty BSW has.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW seeked out acts that fit traditional roles or stereotypes while BSW breaks down barriers as they ride alongside the sweeping progress going on in the world today.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Even more oblivious & irrelevant, Willy Gordon's PWA announced more signings today as well. Big Dog Brunson, "Showtime" Steve Kemp and his brothers Kemp Blood ("Lucky" Luke & "Dynamite" Davey Kemp), Jamison James & The Savages (Kogo & Maka).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter While the Kemps are hot young talent they also can ape an old style for a long gone era. The Savages, former KOW Tag Team Champions, would be a big signing visibility wise if they hadn't ceased to be relevant a few years ago.

@JoeyIQ I can attest that the Kemp boys are good kids.   I spent many a day talking wrestling with the patriarch Nick Kemp.   He was as nasty as they came in the ring, but his boys were taught to respect this business and go about their business the right way.   The fact that Willy Gordon understands that gives me hope.

**November 12th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter UPDATE on the Pablo O'Connor negotiations. Both GSW and BSW are throwing BIG numbers at him & his group with all kinds of benefits and lining up of more sponsors. Sources don't have much to report, they're keeping their lips closed on what they plan to do.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Biggest twist in the O'Connor signing war is Willy Gordon's PWA have thrown their hats into the melee as well, trying to lure them with the old PWA World Heavyweight Championship since Pablo & his wife have a thing for old championships.

@JoeyIQ Many of you have been asking me what I think Pablo should do.   I am not sure how committed Pablo is to the wrestling world anymore so I can't answer that.   However, I can tell you that nobody with a brain would sign with BSW.   So I can assume that means if he wants the money he will sign with GSW.  If he wants to finish off his legacy PWA has a historic championship title belt just waiting for someone to wear.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW made some MAJOR announcements today though! Hardcore deathmatch legend Dudley, Anything Goes Wrestling icon Hardcore Hal, former KOW Champ Crazy Suicide and Grandpa Anarchy, a comedy hardcore wrestler, all have signed!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter But it gets better, BSW also have signed deathmatch legend Solomon "Hurricane" Maxwell, another AGW icon Mardi Gras Max, hardcore wrestler Bear Suit McMulligan and former KOW Champ Sanchez Jr w/ his father/manager Marvelous Sanchez!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter These are HUGE signings for BSW! Not only does it deprive GSW of former top stars from KOW it shows they aren't afraid to explore the deathmatch & hardcore side of wrestling. They have no boundaries and are open to change with the times.

@JoeyIQ So basically more shit to wrestle in Bull Shit Wrestling.  

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW tried to appear relevant by announcing signings to their women's division. Candy Cane, a popular indie act, Paulette Reynolds, a veteran from Girl Fight, and 3/5 of HORROR (Darling Nightmare, Melissa Geist & Black Widow).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter On paper GSW seems to have an unbeatable ladies division but a few key signings could change that if my sources are correct about deals being worked on by BSW.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Speaking of having no idea on keeping up w/ the times, Willy Gordon's PWA announced more signings. "Heartbreaker" Brandon Young, "War Eagle" Marco Clah, Tarantula 4 & GQ Eddie Cruz w/ Jasmine Vanguard are all on board.

@JoeyIQ So PWA has invested in the blue bloods of wrestling.  The Youngs and the Kemps.   I can't help, but be impressed!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter PWA also made some tag signings today: Weapons of Mass Destruction (Nuke & Atomic), Lightning Express (Bobby Moon & Ace Saunders), Lords of Pain (Agony & Torment) w/ Mr. Kinjo & The Kings (Simon & "Bonecrusher" Toby King).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter I don't even know why PWA are announcing all these signings. They don't have a TV deal and seem to be lining up the most ancient and backwards in presentation promotion one could come up with. Lightning Express? They need to retire.

@JoeyIQ Give me the Lightning Express over the Supershit Kids any day and twice on Sunday!   The Lightning Express may be a little long on the tooth, but every time they step in a ring it's a good solid wrestling match.   It's not the same 5 or 6 spots every time that bell rings.  

**November 13th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW via a hilarious Youtube video with some of the best comedy skits I've ever seen, announced a TON of signings today! Scotty Daytona, El Jaguar Loco, El Guerrero Supremo, "Eagle Scout" Billy White, TLL's Joselito Guapo & All Monster Attack (Sasquatch Zero, Lizard Man Wild & Terror Bird Magma), "Pequeno" Pete Cervantez, FFN Pro & Viva Lucha star The Kid, The Masked Gentleman, John Maverick Jr...

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Skull Violence, Solomon Duke, Tiger Soul, TLL's Omar Oscavedo Martinez w/ Margarita Ramos, FFN Pro's Clyde Cooper, Jerome Dragon, KOW stars Elvis Lee & Zippy the Clown!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Just in terms of international talent involved, former FFN Pro & KOW stars being denied use by GSW & FFN, and hot lesser known young acts waiting for a chance to break out this is a game changing announcement and BSW HAS to be seen as the top promotion in North America.

@JoeyIQ What Dale Hutchins and I find funny apparently are two very different things.   Then again what we find good pro wrestling also seems to be very different.   Of course I am right.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW's signings today pale in comparison. European star Antonio Morientes, el Perro de Oro, Duke Chamberline, Loch Ness Myers, the Whiskey Saints (Grant O'Hara & Robert Murphy) & Jock Squad (Hot Rod Grogan & Easy E Evan Wilson).

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter It is a shame Whiskey Saints & Jock Squad were talked into signing with GSW, they will struggle to stand out amid all that old FFN Pro, KOW talent.

@JoeyIQ People, just look at the caliber of wrestlers signing with GSW compared to BSW.   Antonio Morientes or Jason Layzer?   No brainer ...

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Willy Gordon's PWA announced signings too, pointlessly. "Georgia Rebel" Ronnie Roberts, Gilbert "Soaring Eagle" Miller, Barry Black & Rocky Morton w/ Mr. Big. Promising young talent but seemingly geared towards appealing to ancient times.

**November 14th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BREAKING NEWS: Another bidding war is taking place between BSW & GSW but this time over the hottest talent in Europe, the massive Panzer! Both sides are tossing lots of money his way but my sources say he isn't ready to leave Europe permanently just yet.

@JoeyIQ Panzer may be the hottest free agent in wrestling today.   I can only hope he stays clear from Bull Shit Wrestling.   Nobody wants that taint on their career.  

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter My sources were telling me that BSW would change the women's scene completely and they were right. The signings that Michael Shinwari, with Jason Layzer, Kyle Williams and Kyle's wife Wendy Louis-Williams, made today in a video definitely did that.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW announced the signings of popular indie star MANDY!, "Podiatrist" Dr. Leslie Moore, former Girl Fight stars Lucy Daglish from the Class of 2011 and super popular Zombie Girl!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter The real paradigm shift was the international signings! The entire CHAOS AD stable from Japan including former JPWF Women's Champ, Megumi Kosaka, T-Honda, Michiku Kaneda & Ashitaka Masuma! Then STIFFNESS (Keiko Sakurada & Sister Kicker) were also announced! Plus BLACK Sakura & MOSURA Red from HORROR!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter The Japanese ladies are all well known from Girl Fight & the FIERCE promotion in Japan. All of them will be on a Part-Time basis since they all will continue working in Japan for the FIERCE promotion. But the prestige & quality of matches they are bringing to women's wrestling in North America will be mind blowing!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW announced signings of their own as well. "Elite" Mark Kemp, "Codered" Ryan Sharpe, Teddy Talon, Andre Butler, Mat Pack (Jordan Champagne, "Dynasty" Kevin Sharpe & "Suplex Ninja" Trae Larkin) & "Legionarius" Antonio de Luca!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter These are the best signings GSW have announced to date. Hot young talent that can go in the ring. I fear for how they will be handled in a backwards thinking promotion like GSW but former UPW North American Champ ADL will be a breakout star I predict.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Willy Gordon's PWA continues its pointless existence by announcing the signings of former KOW stars Jerome Taylor, Cool Leonard & Smashmouth Lawrence. All 3 have always done old school gimmicks so they should fit in with this nostalgia cosplay promotion.

@JoeyIQ At this point I think it's clear that Dale Hutchins is nothing more then a shill for BSW.   To call PWA and it's legacy pointless shows the lack of respect you have for pro wrestling and the great wrestlers that came before the train wreck of BSW even was thought of.  

**November 15th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW announced some HUGE tag team signings today, cementing that they have the BEST tag team division in the world to work against the BEST tag team in the world, the Superkick Kids!

@JoeyIQ To call the Supershit Kids the best at anything is a slap at every tag teams face.   REALITY CHECK!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Air Swag (Jett Jacobs & Maverick), Armageddon (JT Hate & Cesar Ortiz) w/ Reverend Julian Cane, We The People (Dishonest Abe & Tricky Dick), Sutton Boys ("Mad Dog" Jack & "Lawless" Mark Sutton), Scotland's Finest (Logan Stewart & Finn Ross)..

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Former KOW tag teams Undead Cowboys (Hannibal Zombie & Western Twisted), The Lion Brothers (Phil & Rob Lion), Best Buds (Peace Warrior & Stuttering Underwear Guy) & City Destroyers (Kaiju  Hasegawa & Monster Hughes)!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter What a mix of talented young teams with good veteran teams that can still go! BSW is just KILLING it with their signings and I can't wait for TV to start, they're the no.1 promotion in the world right now!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW announced the signings of Oscar Crane, Titan, "The Irish Wolfhound" Davey O'Shea, "Personification of Perfection" Tyler Rose, Makato Seo & "Russian Tank" Alexi Marke w/ Comrade Breseneiv.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter A lot of good talent there but they are playing catch up to BSW who are signing the hands down hottest talents to go w/ Lazyer & Superkick Kids who are the BEST in the world.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Willy Gordon's PWA announced signings of Spade Gentry, "Pretty" Paul Stevens, "Outlaw" Clay Logan and then some shocking tag team announcements!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Former multi-time KOW tag champs Cowboys From Hell (JJ "Bull" Daniels & "Outlaw" Tyler Monroe), That Awesome Team (Corey F. & Tommy Elmore), Patriotic KO (USA Jay & Leroy Gillis), indie sensations Heartbreak Express (Christian Hawkins & Shane Lawson) w/ Desmond Armstrong, The Italianos (Mario de Rossi & Marco Cassano) & Omu d'onuri (Vito Carmazza & Giovanni Vercetti)!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter These were big gets for this pointless retro cosplay project. Cowboys From Hell still have a few good years left in them though they have to be nearing the twilight but its pro wrestling, who knows?

@JoeyIQ The bidding wars for superstars all over continues.  It's a shame to see the Sutton's go to BSW.  A great tag team that could have done more in say PWA.    

**November 18th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter I never thought I'd be leading with a news story about Willy Gordon's PWA but WOW. WOW! SHOCKING NEWS as PWA announced they have signed PANZER! Mindblowing!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter My sources say that apparently PWA made a deal since they plan on filming 8 episodes between 2 days every 2 months it would only require Panzer to leave Europe once every 2 months.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Panzer's desire to stay near Europe for the time being but also wanting to grow his brand seemed to connect with this set up. And now the hottest act in Europe will be in the most pointless promotion in the USA w/out any TV lined up.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter I don't know what Panzer is thinking. He has been led astray by the wrong people here. He could be having 5-7 star matches in BSW but instead has chosen this wasteland of PWA. I hope it is not a long term contract for his own good.

@JoeyIQ Or perhaps most normal people don't get their jollies by watching train wreck wrestling?  Great decision by Panzer.  He gets to wrestle in a place that has history and respect for this great industry.  Wrestling in the PWA will do more for his career then completing career suicide wrestling Jason Layzer.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter PWA also announced the signings of the tag teams Justice (Pancho & Clay Hancock) & Seminole Warriors (Yaha & Asen) to bolster their tag signings.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW had BIG signings to announce themselves today! Former FFN Pro stars Mr. Mustache, Jade Dragon, Ryo Hasegawa, Ken Lee & Evil Mouse are all in w/ BSW! UK's Hamlet Niles, "English Architect" Sunny Ward also announced!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter KOW's MC Sasuke announced he was in BSW via a funny Youtube video today as well. "Alpha" Christian Frost, Adonis Steel, "The Harlem Hitman" Freddie Payton & Papa Crunch, top young talent, were announced via another entertaining Youtube video today!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW has such a LOADED roster of talent that can deliver amazing matches, I'm salivating at the idea of how good their TV is going to be!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW announced signings as well: Jimmy Classic, Bruno "Le Ggypsy" Crochet, Tyron Hightower, Hector Santos, Brian Tanner, "Marvelous" Malcom Gray, Joey Star & The Gatekeeper w/ Domos Haidou.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter They also announced signing the tag teams Ebony Empire (Jackson Cross & Marcus Heat), SPQR (Romulus & Remus) & The Heathens (Erick "The Great" & Grim). Decent signings all around but if they'd gone BSW they'd be w/ the BEST in the world, instead of stale boring FFN.

**November 19th**

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BREAKING NEWS: It is being reported that there is going to be an unprecedented meeting of BSW, GSW & PWA top brass at the FFN Headquarters next week with Cherry Cola Inc., Pablo O'Connor & Stephanie Delacroix to bring negotiations to a conclusion!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter I've never heard of anything like this happening before. I have NO clue what is going to happen since the O'Connor group is not giving out any clues about what direction they plan on going.

@JoeyIQ Knowing Pablo, I can only imagine that BSW is in the building to help drive up his price.  There is no way he would sign with a dead end company like Bull Shit Wrestling.  At this point I think GSW has to be in the lead, but don't count out PWA.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW, through a SUPER video on Youtube, announced the signing of the Cyborg Kingdom from Mexico's TLL. Cyborg King, Cyborg Queen & Cy-Force the tag team will all be participating in BSW!  

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW also announced in a hilarious Youtube video the signings of "Hot Stuff" Stevie Porter, The Masked Hobo, Dr. Six VI 6, "White Knight" Dennis Crusader, "Loose Cannon" Damned Goober, "Porno King" Lover Days & "A/C Repariman" Kenny Hawkins!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Cyborg Kingdom are AMAZING and Cyborg King vs Jason Layzer is a DREAM match up that has never happened! A lot of hardcore & comedy talent announced but I think that shows they intend on a wide range of content to appeal to a wider base.

@JoeyIQ Groan ... Like most people, I enjoyed Cyborg King in ASLL.  It's a shame he has signed with BSW.  A DREAM for me would for Cyborg King to stay as far away from Jason Layzer as possible.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter BSW is so forward & progressive thinking, I can't wait for TV to start! And apparently they have surprises they won't announce ahead of time so.. I can't wait to see who is brought on board!

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter GSW announced the signings of Bully Kong & former Girl Fight & Class of 2011 Portugese star Cristiana. Very low key announcements but they also promised many surprises when they start TV. We will see how that goes, probably boring & predictable.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Willy Gordon's PWA announced a women's division of their own! Brittany Young of the Young clan, Class of 2011's Catherine MacDonald & Amanda Irvine, all 3 former Girl Fight stars.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter "Latina Caliente" Luiza Fuega, also from Girl Fight, and indie stars Mistress Abigail Screamer & Sinn Dee Ray were also announced.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Not the most exciting women's division but what does one really expect from this group? PWA also announced they'll be airing their shows on Youtube & that Mark Roberts and a surprise would be the announce team.

@DaleHutchinsGrapsReporter Everything now waits on what happens at the big meeting at FFN Headquarters next week with the Pablo O'Connor group.

[Cuts to black.]

[brianreyes549-blog]

Michael Spyres: A tenor who resonates

The American tenor Michael Spyres has taken an impressive and unusual highway through the operatic world. Hailing from a musical family in Laura Ingalls Wilder's little town on the prairie, he is 38 yet has already tackled 64 different roles, from baroque to bel canto to Berlioz. He is convinced he has sung the latter's Faust more than anyone else alive. And it's not exactly that he doesn't like Puccini, but...

I met the mercurial Renaissance-man tenor backstage at the Royal Opera House, where he is currently appearing in Mozart's Mitridate...

Michael Spyres as Mitridate at the Royal Opera House. Photo ROH/Bill Cooper

JD: Michael, lovely to meet you. How are you enjoying Mitridate?

MS: The role itself is absolutely incredible. People don't realise, simply because it's not done enough in repertory, but it's so difficult. As a character it's comparable to Otello, or to any of the truly great characters in the repertoire. The real Mithridate was one of the most mythic people who ever lived. He was 72 when he died and he thwarted the Roman army for 39 years which is 39 years more than most people ever did! He was a famous polyglot and spoke 22 languages: he owned the Black Sea and everything around it, there were 22 different regions and he made it a point to learn all the languages.

There's also a word in French and high English mithridisation and mithridatism which means to take small amounts of poison in order to be immune to it. He believed that if you take small amounts of poison every day then as you get older you do become immune. One of the main dangers for kings was patricide or death by poisoning nearly everyone died of poison! so he grew up in a strict regimen of taking poison every day so he would be immune. But when the Romans were finally defeating him, he tried to poison himself and couldn't die from that, so he either stabbed himself or had a friend do it so that the Romans couldn't. He was this epic, amazing person and even if some of his story is exaggerated nowadays, it doesn't matter; he was a real king and was able to hold off and defeat the Roman army.

(Here, a different interpretation: Save Pontus, Change Europe)

JD: Mozart's portrayal of him is extraordinarily sophisticated.

MS: From the beginning you get to see the heart and the beauty of him, but in the recitatives you can also see this cunning, brilliant man who would pit people against each other. In his first aria, he says: Thank God I'm back home I thought I'd never see this place again. It's OK to lose but I still hold my head high And you find out just afterwards, in the recitative, that this is totally a ruse, because he's sent false information to his sons to test if they're loyal or not. In the recit you hear him say he faked his own death just to see if they were loyal. Wooah!

About half way through you start to see his inner turmoil and the anger that he feels because he knows that he's ageing. He died when he was 72 and usually kings died when they were about 30, killed by their brothers or their sons. But the way Mozart and Metastasio wrote the character, based on the Racine play, it shows that he's an old man used to conquering everything, but the worst thing for him is not losing the battle but losing his heart, losing his love. You see this throughout the opera. He's scared, just like all of us, that nobody's going to love him again

There's a wonderful scene between him and the queen in which she says, Yes, I'll go to the alter as your slave and do whatever you want. He gets so incensed: So I have to drag you to the altar you don't want to marry me, you're just going to do it out of spite? And you see this crazy rage and jealousy in him. But then at the end he gives his sons freedom and says that at the end of his life he wants to be again the great lion that he is. Please marry her, and I'm sorry I'm a terrible person, but I'm showing you how to live. This is how a real person should live - no regrets At the end he says I can die happy now because I've done what I need to and he just dies. I can't think of a more complex character. You're a god among men, a god personified. Hoffmann or Otello would be comparable, but there's only a handful of characters who run the gamut of what a Shakespearean character is and this is definitely one of them.

JD: Mozart was only 14 when he wrote it what an astounding thought

MS: Mozart had three major influences: Mysliveek, JC Bach and another one who I only found out about because I did a very obscure baroque opera in Lisbon called Antigono, by Antonio Mazzoni. I did the modern revival a few years ago and we made a recording in Lisbon. The only time people had ever heard it was three performances in 1755 it's an incredible piece, but it was lost because of the terrible fire in 1755 in Lisbon. When Mozart, aged 12, was travelling through Italy with his father, Mazzoni taught the boy counterpoint in Bologna. Antigono was almost the same kind of story as Mitridate it's a formulaic thing but a large character. But the fact that Mozart was able to write such touching and beautiful music was just beyond compare. To anyone who thinks it fails in comparison to his later works I'd say: no, it's something completely different. You can't compare it and you shouldn't, because it's raw, amazing emotion. Some of his duets, Aspasia's arias and the vocal writing with the recitatives there's nothing like it.

At the last full rehearsal before we went on the stage, Graham Vick, who's one of the greatest directors I've had the pleasure of working with, got us all round and said: I want you to realise that 26 years ago I premiered this here, and now I see this in a completely different light and I see the absolute genius of Mozart this little boy who was shuffled around and hauled out by his father all over Europe. You can see the animosity in the letters, you can see his wish to be just a normal boy all the angst and the problems between father and son is written into the music. He was a mature being already at that age, because he was forced to be and he had the genius to do it.

JD: Your particular type of tenor is something unusual and special. What was your path towards finding your true voice?

MS: Everyone finds their own path, but I had a different path than anybody! I started as a baritone. And I wanted to be Mel Blanc, who was the voice-over person for all the Loony Tunes cartoons. When I was young I'd imitate everything, all the time and growing up I sang with my family every kind of music there was church music, bluegrass, folk. Then when I was in college I made money by doing commercials and I was a radio DJ and I would do commercials in different characters and then I started getting into the idea that Oh, you can make a living being an opera singer, that's weird Obviously I couldn't do what they were doing, so I thought I'll just take the recordings and start imitating the best.

The big thing happened when I was 20 years old and it was with this production of Mitridate. In my two years of vocal study, 18-21, we had a VHS of this production and I heard Bruce Ford for the first time. I didn't know you could sound like this as a tenor. I'd never heard a sound like it it's like a baritone, but it's obviously a tenor role, and that's what I want to do. Low notes were the easiest things in the world high notes, ugh, they were so hard! But this was totally different from anything I heard in Verdi and Puccini.

In the US, everyone said you can't make a career out of this, you just cannot and that's still true if you're in the sticks. So I decided that if I really wanted to learn to sing I needed to go to Europe and try to figure out this weird baritenor kind of repertoire. It took another six years of auditioning to think OK, I can do this weird trick of different mixed techniques, so I started doing a lot of Rossini roles.

Michael Spyres. Photo: Dax Bedell

JD: It sounds like it wasn't an easy beginning?

MS: I was in Vienna for two years at the conservatory, and it's a very Mozart-heavy town, so it was an invaluable experience. That was the first time I got to sing these arias in public and I crashed and burned. It was so hard! I was 26 and it just didn't work. I went back to the drawing board and started doing lots of Rossini again. This is my third time doing Mitridate in the last year and only now is it starting to feel good and right.

This is one of the most difficult fachs of tenor, because you have to do a real mix of baritonal and tenor sounds, but you have to keep it up in the extreme highs, the same kind of colour as a baritone but not using the full voice. It's a voix mixte and it's really tricky to navigate and very technical, but you don't want people to know you're doing it! So that's how I got into it: years and years of practice and failure and finally things started to click. And now, depending on repertoire, I change my technique. You have to, because it was written for different people with different techniques.

JD: Next up, you're singing Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust at the Proms?

MS: There's a huge misconception about Berlioz! He was a big admirer of the tenor Adolphe Nourrit, he admired Rossini and you can hear it constantly in his music. Everyone thinks of Berlioz as these unimaginable, gigantic pieces that are ultimately verismo and it's absolutely false. In order to sing Berlioz, you have to be able to sing full voice, high, and get over the orchestra, but the majority of his writing is for a lyrical voice. He had Nourrit, who was known for doing a lot of voix mixte and had various kinds of colour-changing sounds, not full-voice high Cs. He had him in mind for Benvenuto Cellini. But Nourrit was having vocal problems and tragically then killed himself that year and Berlioz then wrote it for Gilbert Duprez instead. But a work like Llio is so lyrical and beautiful, I can't imagine some Puccini singer trying to sing it: it's all lightness and is based completely on the text.

There's a great quote from Berlioz. He used to say: Above all, resonate. He meant that both literally and figuratively. I sang the Grand Messe des Morts in this massive cathedral that it was intended for [Les Invalides], and in there Berlioz had realised that he needed more people, it was too big a place, so the choir's about 180-200 people and the orchestra's 120. I had friends at the performance and they said when I opened up and started singing they could feel the sound resonating.

Berlioz was this great artist and dreamer but although he had a giant ego, it was all about the art for him and he connected everything to the text. He believed in art permeating society and being an infectious thing, but it always has to be for a reason, it's not just superfluous. He was unlike anybody else and I love him!

JD: This isn't entirely your Proms debut?

MS: I did the Beethoven Missa Solemnis with John Eliot Gardiner two years ago. I've never done solo stuff there before, though, so I'm excited. I love the Proms because it's an awakening of classical music for 'everyperson'. I'm not saying that opera isn't an elitist thing because it is, as it takes so much money to be able to put on an opera. But the coolest thing about the Proms is that for many people this is their only possibility that they might see something that'll change their lives. So that's why I love the Proms. And I'll give 'em a good show, because now I've done Faust more than, as far as I know, any other living person. I could conduct it with my eyes closed but all I have to do is sing, so it's great! I love the piece so much, mainly because I did the production with Terry Gilliam in the original French in Belgium and that changed my life, being able to be part of that production.

JD: What's it like to work with Gilliam?

MS: He's a madman and he's wonderful! He seriously reminds me of my uncle. We've kept in really good touch. We're very much of the same kind of mind we'd start talking and still be there four hours later. We have similar ideas and that's also why he's taken a liking, like me too, to Berlioz. There are so many accounts of Berlioz being a true artist 'I don't care what you think of me, I'm going to do this because the art demands it' and I've done that many times in my life. Of course I've failed but I've succeeded too!

As Faust in Gilliam's production

JD: The production was brilliant, but quite controversial, involving a concentration camp

MS: To me it's one of the most poignant productions I've ever been a part of. I have many friends and colleagues who say 'Oh, opera's going in such a bad direction, all these director things that kill the production' but you have a choice to take that or not, and we have to do the projects we believe in. I've been fortunate that out of my 64 operas I've done, there have only been two or three that I haven't been really thrilled about.

JD: You don't mind 'Regietheater', then?

MS: It depends on the director and the ideas. I'm a director myself, I have my own opera company in the States that I run with my family. We're basically the Von Trapps we put on the shows, my brother helps run the company and my sister's a Broadway singer. I take it very seriously, I can see when a director is just doing something for their own ego and I choose not to be around those kinds of people.

It's a difficult thing, being a director. Today they're in a weird position where these are major decisions, it takes huge amounts of money to put on a project and everybody's under pressure to do a brand-new, original idea. Many people have an idea, but it doesn't necessarily work with the music. Many directors are not musicians to start out with they're dramatists, which is a great concept on paper, but if you have to listen to a piece for four hours and you don't take into account the audience you're gonna die! So I'm fine with any project as long as it's well thought out and it makes sense with the music. Because the whole reason you're there is because of the music.

It's gone crazy in certain places. I won't name names, but there was one instance where L'Italiana in Algeri was being produced and the director wanted to have his name bigger on the poster than the composer's name or the opera's title. Fortunately the festival director said no. That's how crazy people get!

JD: Do you see yourself moving more into directing in the future?

MS: Yes, absolutely. I'm so inspired, the more I read about the origins of opera. From Jacopo Peri, who wrote the first opera, until the late 19th century, all singers were actors and directors. Nowadays things are so specialised that people say I'm just a singer and some don't even act! It's completely the opposite of what it should be. All of us need to be acting, dancing, singing, learning as much as we can. That is why opera created this wave of art because it was the first artform where everyone came together, with the idea that we're all part of it, we all need to be able to do a little bit of everything.

Michael Spyres

That was the great thing, growing up in my family. We built our own amphitheatre. We built the stage first and everyone sat on hay bales. I'm from a famous little town called Mansfield, Missouri it was the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House of the Prairie books. Because of the books, we have many visitors come through there. My mother wrote a musical about Laura Ingalls Wilder when we were growing up and it's now in its 28th year. At its biggest we had about 120 people involved, which was 10 per cent of the town! So I've grown up around this and I've been so vindicated reading about the origins of opera, what got me into opera and how it split from its origins.

JD: The idea that you can do just do one thing and the world owes you a living, that's going nowhere fast

MS: Of course! And people are tired of that. One of my favourite futurist speakers is Michio Kaku, a fantastic theoretical physicist. A big subject now is what's going to happen when people become obsolete in jobs. In the next 30-50 years half the people are going to be cut out because of robots, so what's going to happen? What are the jobs that will be left? You've got to be an artist, a musician, someone who comes up with new ideas. For a long time everyone wanted to have a good stable job, but now people are being replaced by robots. But a robot will never be able to be an artist or a musician that's what's so exciting.

JD: I hope you're right!

MS: They can try! But we are such complex creatures in music. You can hear a piece that's done by a robot and it doesn't feel right, it's just algorithms. That's why I'm so excited about the future of music and art. I feel I came at the right time because by the time I'm in my later years more and more people will be coming to art, because that's where the ideas come from. The same thing applies to the computer programmers they have the technicality and the vision for what needs to be done. Opera is basically the computer of the art world.

JD: You sing, you act, you direct: are you also tempted to write an opera?

A few years ago my brother wrote a libretto, my mum helped we took the music from The Magic Flute and created a story based on Alice in Wonderland to take to all the kids in the area who'd never seen opera before, in 32 schools that were among the poorest in the community. Yes, someday I want to write an opera that's what I'm leaning towards.

JD: What about future roles to sing? Any big dreams?

MS: I've basically done every role I wanted to do, except Verdi's Otello. I'll do that someday but like Kaufmann, I'm smart and I'll wait. I'll wait until I'm 50 for that, so I've got over a decade but the other dream roles are Monteverdi's Orfeo and a lot of Rameau and Gluck, great epic works on Greek stories. But modern opera for the most part is not as appealing to me as a singer.

I like Puccini. I love Puccini. But it's like he put down pure gold on paper and if you want to do him justice you've got to do what he wrote and if you live within the characters that he wrote there's not a lot of freedom. I've taken a lot of flack for saying that people say, 'Oh you just don't like Puccini because you can't sing it' but actually I can sing it, I just don't like it, because I believe in doing what the composer wanted you to do and for my character there's very little in Puccini that I find interesting as an actor and singer. I love it when other people do it, but for me personally I get angry because I want to do my own thing, but I shouldn't he wrote it so perfectly and beautifully that it's just right! So that's why most of the verismo period doesn't appeal to me there's not enough freedom for me,

As far as dream roles go, I've done most of them and I know it's crazy to say that. But I've done 64 already and I'm 38: operas from modern to the earliest stuff, and a range from the lowest operas written for a tenor voice to the highest, so I've lived out all my major fantasies as far as roles are concerned. Now I'm just looking for true content and characterisation. I find many of the more obscure things much more rewarding. I'd love to do Die tote Stadt that's a dream. I love Die tote Stadt Korngold was one of the greatest. The same with Massenet: he came on the heels of verismo and was able to marry the two, and Korngold did the same thing. Korngold is so overlooked, just because he went into film. But have you listened to his film scores? They're better than anything! Come on, you can't write better than that.

JD: You just made this Korngold biographer very happy! Thank you, Michael, and toitoitoi for the final Mitridate.

And as Loony Tunes would say that's all, folks!

The final performance of Mitridate is on Friday 7 July at the Royal Opera House booking here. Michael Spyres sings Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust at the Proms on 8 August booking here.

If you enjoyed this article, please click here to support JDCMB's year of development

[rowanstree-blog]

Day #179

          Today I started with a Math class on factoring the difference of two squares as a product of two binomials. In this video, I went over that the equation for the difference of squares is equal to a^2-b^2 and when factored as a product of two binomials is equal to (a+b)(a-b) or (a-b)(a+b) as long as their are tow different signs, it doesn't matter what order it is in. I also learned that there are two very important things to consider when factoring the difference of two squares, you have to see if their is a common factor that can be factored out of the problem in order to make the coefficient and the constant term less than its original form. Also, you must read “factor” as “factor completely.” When factoring the form a^2-b^2, first, check for GCF, if there is none, than square both variables and then write the square root of the first term in the beginning of the two parenthesis and the square root of the second term in the end of the two parenthesis and included both a positive and a negative sign in between the terms within the parenthesis. I also learned another very important rule that you can never factor a sum of squares when factoring the difference of them. After that, I did a few practice questions and then took a practice test on that followed by a video on factoring the difference of squares with two variables. After that, I took a quiz on factoring the difference of squares with the leading coefficient not equal to one so you would therefore have to factor out the greatest common factor of the two terms. I then took another practice test in finding the difference of squares followed by a video on factoring perfect squares with a negative common factor so that you then factor the negative sign out o the parenthesis when you write it as a product of two binomials. After that, I took a Chemistry class on buffer capacity. As a review, buffer capacity is how much acid or base you can dd before there is a change in the pH of a system. The pH, pKa and the ratio of the concentration of the conjugate base over the weak acid can help us determine the behavior of our buffer and who strong or weak it is. I then compared two buffers after calculating the initial pH of one system. In both buffers, I added a base so that it would subtract from the conjugate acid and decrease that concentration and add to the concentration of the base. After doing this, I found that the pH was changed but only by 0.06 and that the second buffer system changed by .9 so therefore I determined that the first buffer system has a higher buffer capacity and that as you add more either acids or bases, the pH increases but not as exponentially as the second buffer system hence, it has a lower buffer capacity. When determining what buffer to use in a solution, it is important to note that the concentrations of the weak acid and the conjugate base must be between 0.10 molar and 1.0 molar because you don’t want it to exceed its buffer capacity. I then took a space science class on Einstein’s modern theory of relativity which is basically stating that our observations of velocity on earth is related to the earth’s constant state of motion and that nothing is absolutely in motion or absolutely stopped. After that, I took an environmental science class on locally support of organic agriculture growing as consumers are becoming more aware of the burning of fossil fuels and petroleum for food production and transport that can have tremendous effects on our environment. The CSA program provides funds from consumers to the farmers in order for the consumers to get healthier food and make a smaller ecological footprint and gives profit to the farmers. After that, I did a quick exercise followed by a half-hour lunch. After that, I took a women’s history class on Aspasia who was known for knowledge and outspokenness and was against confining laws placed on women and supported better education for women. Next, I took an economics class on a video on what microeconomics is which is the study of economics as a whole and has to do with big economic decisions that can affect the economy. After that, I took a grammar class on plural possession with is when you would just use an apostrophe to denote possession. Then, to finish off the day, I read some of “The Beauty Myth” on false claims made by beauty firms that take the money out of the wallets of hard working women for a substance that will supposedly make them beautiful.