#I may be a spoiled european

[eternally-racing]

superbowl sunday | logan sargeant

pairing: logan x reader

genre: fluff

wk: 1k (short n sweet xoxo)

summary: you want to do something special for your homesick boyfriend when he misses one of america's favorite unofficial holidays.

----

With the new season just around the corner, the Williams team was in full force putting together their finishing touches on pre-season testing and meetings. Unfortunately for you, that meant that Logan was putting in long hours at the factory, with the most you’re seeing of him sometimes being just his imprint on the bedsheets in the morning since he leaves so early in the morning and comes back even long after you go to sleep. 

Moving to Oxfordshire was a big step for the both of you. For Logan it was a no-brainer, even choosing to buy a place instead of renting helped show his commitment to the team, and how could you have possibly said no to him when he asked for you to join him? After all, in his words you are is home, no matter where he is in the world. While Logan may be used to living the European life, moving away from your all-American home was definitely a big culture shock. There were of course fun new experiences - first time getting lost in a new city, trying new cafes that you knew you would subsequently come to every week, and seeing the beautiful sights. At the same time there were the moments that absolutely tore you up to be away from home - Logan cried as he held you on Thanksgiving when all you really wanted was to be able to eat your mom’s Turkey stuffing, but then he subsequently called your mom and got her to send you a frozen portion in the mail. It only arrived 2 weeks later and there was a definite chance that the stomachache you got afterwards may have been due to it being slightly spoiled by the time it made it to your dinner table, but the action itself definitely warmed your heart. Even though you were definitely the baby when it came to missing home, you knew that there were a couple of days that got to him and today was definitely one of them. 

Logan’s back ached as he finally got out of what felt like a 10 hour long meeting about company branding that he couldn’t care less about. The one thing he’s grateful for is the plethora of window panes at the factory - if he’s going to be stuck inside all day it’s at least nice to see the sun rise and set each day over the horizon. There are some days where Formula 1 doesn’t feel as worth it, where he wishes that he was in his backyard in Florida playing soccer with his brother, his dad on grill while his mom nags them about not wearing enough sunscreen, but on days like that he at least gets to see you, usually. If only he had time to see you right now. If he rushed back to your apartment right now he would probably at least catch you getting ready for bed, but it feels selfish to keep you up sometimes. He knows just how much you sacrificed to be here with him, including working a remote job in a timezone that meant that you were up at the worst of hours for team meetings.

He expects to walk into a dark apartment, just like he has for the last 3 weeks - but instead he’s met with a completely different sight. 

It’s you, which is a sight enough to bring a smile to his face. But it’s not just you, but you’re surrounded by a a scene that he can only describe in two words. While he’s rendered speechless, you’re happy to steal the words from his mouth. 

“Happy Superbowl Sunday, babe.” 

Your apartment has all the staples from back home; chicken wings, seven layer dip, beer. If Logan’s  nutritionist took a look at your dining table right now he would probably have a heart attack, but Logan could care less about that right now. 

“I really lucked out that both teams have the color red so I only had to buy one color of balloons to cover my bases.” you giggle as Logan picks you up and spins you around. There’s tears starting to pool at the corner of his eyes and you understand the emotion you see in them all too well.

"I -, wow - , how did you - , I can't believe -" the words keep stumbling out of Logan's mouth as he's just in complete awe of what you pulled off for him.

You both take a second to cherish the moment, that the two of you get to do this together after so many weeks of not seeing each other. But soon after that you both settle onto the couch with more snacks than you could possibly ever consume surrounding the two of you on all sides. 

You’re actually only watching a recording of the game with how the time differences worked out, and it’s actually Monday night, late enough to be almost Tuesday in England by the time you turn on the television - but Logan is far too sleep deprived and overworked to notice. There’s definitely a non-zero chance he falls asleep by the time the 3rd quarter even starts, but you’re happy to at least fall asleep together as you cuddle into his side.

“Also we are cheering for…” Your voice trails off as a question since you actually have no idea who Logan likes out of these two teams.

“The 49ers babe, you would love them too if you knew the backstory” 

His comment makes you curious and while you’re scared of the can of worms you may be opening of being mansplained the history of the entire NFL, you ask him to explain and luckily he keeps it short and sweet.

“You always love cheering for an underdog, Y/N,” Logan says with a smile.

--

author's note: my new roman empire is the fact that logan was cheering for brock purdy in the super bowl 🥲 hope you all enjoyed this lil bit of logan fluff, until next time! - Em 🩷

[suzukiblu]

this is a question that is not meant to come off as judgemental, and if it does i apologise and you don’t have to answer

for you, or anyone out there in the world if they see this,

What is the appeal of (the?) Omegaverse?

Ive never quite gotten it? And it might be the big bold orange, blue and white letters spelling out aroace, or being european, younger than most people who are knowledgeable about that particular genre of content (still 18+) and while I did get on the internet at 11, I didn’t start reading fanfic until 14-15

this is a long and rambly ask so I just want to clarify, this is a genuine question I would like an answer to, no matter how short and sweet, or long and convoluted it may be

It's all good, I don't mind getting questions! And, like, I've written a LOT of omegaverse, so it's a thoroughly relevant question to this blog, haha.

. . . and this definitely wound up long and convoluted. So like, yeah, we are SO gonna need a read-more here, friend. 😅

Obviously everyone's gonna have their own reasons for liking the genre, but as another (much older, I'm assuming) aroace, for me the appeal is the opportunity to use the tag "Fantasy Gender Roles". Like, there's other stuff there, def, but "Fantasy Gender Roles" is my favorite part. Omegaverse is a game where the rules are made-up and the points don't matter, and you can interpret and re-interpret the involved sexes and genders however the heck you wanna, and in fact are ENCOURAGED to. I also really like certain tropes that are common to the genre, like pack dynamics and breeding kink and having babies and feral behavior and courting/courting rituals, I just really enjoy playing with and reading about all of those.

Also, the worldbuilding. I get to do ✨GENDER-BASED WORLDBUILDING✨.

And obvi, like, some people are just into omegaverse for the kink/porn factor, which is totally fair, but personally I am here for ✨GENDER-BASED WORLDBUILDING✨. And then also the kink/porn. Generally speaking a recurring comment I've gotten from a lot of readers is "I literally hate omegaverse but I love yours", so a lot of my stuff is allegedly a decent jumping-on point for the genre if you're looking for that. Like, I'm not the only person who writes omegaverse the way I do, obviously, just I'm a pretty accessible one who's written a LOT of it.

( and in the event you DO want any jumping-on omegaverse recs from my stuff, I'mma just pop a few of them from various fandoms here. no DC-related ones 'cuz I don't have any of those currently on AO3, only scattered in my WIP tags, but hopefully something helpful will be in here. )

original fic

to the victor go the spoils - human omega OMC/dragon [ GENDER NOT FOUND ] OMC; 16.7k; explicit Fantasy AU. This one includes porn but honestly the heart of it is just one of those fairy tales where the protagonist is somehow both incredibly genre-savvy in their story and yet still a total fucking idiot about other people's feelings, and especially considering it's original fic, it is honestly one of the most popular things I've ever posted, hah.

The dragon arrived early in the morning, and by noon the entire village was in a panic in the town hall. No one in the village knew anything about dragons, aside from what they’d heard in fairy tales and stories, and the plans for dealing with it were about that level of sophisticated.

“We’re not sacrificing a virgin to the dragon,” Viktor said in exasperation.

“Well what would YOU do?!” the mayor demanded.

“I’m going to go talk to it,” Viktor said reasonably, and got up from his seat and went to do just that.

.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

does the pain feel better when I'm around? - beta!Sokka/omega!Zuko, beta!Sokka/beta!Suki, past alpha!Mai/omega!Zuko, polyamory; 3k; teen Societal dynamics-focused fic. Zuko goes into heat at the Western Air Temple immediately after the Boiling Rock happens and goes off to den down alone and stay out of everyone's way without realizing that the local betas are gonna lose their ever-lovin' MINDS about that.

“Cool,” he says. “You realize we’ve been looking for you for, like, two HOURS, right?”

“Why?” Zuko asks, sounding confused, which is kind of sad.

“Because the world is full of people who wanna kill you and you didn’t bother telling anyone where you were going?” Sokka says. “Obviously?”

“Oh.” Zuko falls silent. Sokka glances moonwards in supplication. Yue save him from dumb, dumb firebenders.

every act of communication is a miracle of translation - alpha!Mai/omega!Zuko; 5.7k; teen Post-series fic where Mai and Zuko are about to spend their first cycle together and they're both really awkward about working out how it should go. Not actually a sequel to "does the pain feel better when I'm around?", but you could definitely draw a relationship between 'em.

They leave the office, Mai pretending that all her senses aren’t full of Zuko’s warm, spicy scent, and he keeps looking worried. She wonders if it’s THIS he’s worried about, now that she’s thinking about it. They agreed they’d share their next cycles together, but again, they haven’t really talked about it.

They can talk about it now, Mai thinks.

Unfortunately, that means now they actually have to talk about it.

.

Overwatch

even if I do I don't, even if I could I won't - omega!Genji/beta!the-character-who-was-at-the-time-I-wrote-this-fic-known-as-McCree; 5.1k; explicit Blackwatch-era fic where Genji did not fill out his heat partner designation forms and "Fuck or Suffer Unspecified Health Consequences" is gonna make that a problem. Worldbuilding, assisted negotiation, a touch of workplace-influenced pack dynamics, and porn.

“Yeah, you’re hilarious, kid,” Gabe says. “Get back to work. And Shimada, call your heat partner and we’ll see you next week.”

Shimada’s shoulders tense. Gabe . . . pauses.

“Shimada,” he says slowly. “PLEASE tell me you have a heat partner on base.”

“I have a heat partner on base,” Shimada lies. Gabe and Jesse both stare at him, then Gabe calls up his file, takes one look at it, and starts cursing.

don't, don't, don't let's start (I've got a weak heart) - alpha!Genji/omega!the-character-who-was-at-the-time-I-wrote-this-fic-known-as-McCree; 17.3k; explicit Blackwatch-era fic about Genji and the character formerly known as McCree dealing with their complicated feelings about each other and also the cybernetics and trauma and physical disabilities that are fucking up their sex life, including ED.

“You busy?” he asks. Genji stares at him in bemusement, which is fair. Genji’s only ever busy when they’re on a mission or he’s in the middle of an upgrade. “Dumb question. My heat’s coming on, wanna do me a favor?”

“What favor?” Genji asks, still looking mystified. Jesse tries not to laugh at him.

“The obvious one,” he says meaningfully, tipping his hat back and raising his eyebrows at him. Genji looks no less mystified for a moment, then startles. “THERE we go."

.

Marvel Cinematic Universe

come hang (let's go out with a bang) - omega!Darcy Lewis/omega!Johnny Storm; 5k; teen Darcy almost dies again, tries to figure out which omega buys the courting gifts in an omega/omega relationship, and has her first date with a super-hot superhero.

“Was there traffic?” Jane asks.

“I have a date with Johnny Storm,” Darcy says.

“What?” Jane says.

“Oh, and I almost died again,” Darcy says, pulling out Jane’s papers for her. “But that’s kind of secondary.”

“WHAT?!”

pack up, don't stray (oh say say say) - alpha!Natasha + polyamory; 3.4k; teen Natasha collects a harem pack and Captain America is fucking difficult about it.

Natasha is an alpha on a mission, and that mission is simple and clear.

I said you're holding back, she said shut up and dance with me - alpha!Peggy/omega!Steve/omega!Bucky; 10.3k; mature Alternate timeline where Steve and Bucky don't "die" and they all run away from the States to get married and start a family. Illegal adoption and biokids and lowkey pack dynamics involving figuring out how to fold pups into their lives, oh my!! And also, they all get to dance.

“One alpha mating two omegas? Really, Steve?” Peggy asks, mouth quirking wryly. “What WOULD the newsreels say?”

“We’ll go to France,” Steve says. “No one will care in France.”

“I do love France,” she muses.

oh don't you dare hold back, just keep your eyes on me - alpha!Darcy/omega!Bucky, polyamory; 187.4k; explicit MY MAGNUM OPUS, MY WHITE WHALE, THE LITERAL REASON OMEGAVERSE TOOK OVER HALF MY BLOG FOR HALF MY STINT IN MCU FANDOM. I wanted a goddamn female alpha and I wanted that female alpha to be Darcy Lewis, and Bucky was my fave blorbo at the time so the inevitable happened. The inevitable happened for three and a half years and 187,430 words, to be more precise.

Darcy is thirty feet out of Stark-cum-Avengers Tower when she starts craving cinnamon rolls--the sticky-sweet iced-up old-fashioned kind, yummy and messy and dripping gooshy icing all over your mouth and hands and down your yuuuup, yup, that is a super, super fertile omega that she is smelling, holy SHIT is it ever.

“Jesus Christ,” she groans in frustration, then follows her alpha instincts (and, more easily and importantly, her NOSE) to go track them down. They’re in the middle of New York City; middle of the day or not, not checking on somebody who smells like THAT is, like, the ultimate dick move.

.

OKAY SELF THAT'S ENOUGH LINKS, WE MOVE ON NOW, haha.

I will also say, if you're interested in, like, gender-exploratory AU concepts, apiary genders might be more your thing and more easily accessible for you? It's a MUCH newer thing than omegaverse and really only has a few fics around, some of which are linked in the "inspired by" of that AO3 primer linked above, but the concept is a bit more strongly "hive"-based than a lot of omegaverse is "pack"-based, and also there's no physical differences from baseline. I've got a WIP or two going about apiary myself, actually, but I haven't gotten too far into them yet, alas. The only one I've posted anything from is this one Superbat one.

[syyskirjat]

Sueños de piedra (ch1)

Okay, I promised (to myself) to check out whatever media won the ultimate obscure blorbo tournament ( @who-do-i-know-this-man (I wasn't sure whether to tag you or not but in the end I figured I might as well, hope you don't mind I guess))

Turns out that it's a guy from a 2015 Spanish YA fantasy book

And turns out there's a free sample available! Which is lucky for me because I'm currently very broke

Sueños de piedra by Iria G. Parente and Selene M. Pascual

I don't speak Spanish so I'm gonna rely on the translator quite a lot lmao (well I understand some Spanish actually, but definitely not enough to read a whole book)

The title translates to something like "Dreams of Stone" I think?

Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, a prince rewarded a wizard for helping rescue a young girl in trouble. Charming. Too bad none of this is true. In reality, the prince dreams of glory and revenge; the magician, with her spells not always being a disaster and the young woman in trouble, with fleeing from a past that torments her... and from the memory of the man she has killed. Once upon a time...

(Yes this is just Google Translate, sorry)

Okay so, prince, magician and a damsel in distress? Prince wants revenge for something, who knows what, magician is having trouble doing the magic, and the damsel is in fact a killer? Ok ok

The dedication goes as follows:

To all those who embark on a direct journey towards their dreams every day. May you always reach your destination.

Okay so Marabilia is a place? That's apparently also the name of this book series. Is this like the kingdom then? So it consists of three islands, two small ones and one big? Or is it supposed to be a continent? It definitely seems too small to be a continent

I know the blorbo is called Arthmael de Silfos so I'm guessing he's from the Silfos area in the north of the big island then. I can see what's probably a city called Duan and a forest called "Merlon Forest". We also have different towers around the big island, one of which seems to be called the Tower of Black Magic. (I didn't even need to use the translator for those yay xD)

Okay the first chapter is called Arthmael so I guess we're meeting our blorbo already, which is nice

— Let me make it clear: are you going to give my crown to a bastard?

Okay..... the very first line and I already think Arthmael might be a bit of a spoiled brat (I assume he's in fact the prince)

Apparently Arthmael just found out that he has an illegitimate older brother but I guess this brother's mother is noble anyway so it's legit? I dunno yet. Arthmael thinks this guy is blackmailing his father somehow and is already considering poison as a solution

And anyway, what kind of a name is Jacques for a king?

lmao, so much shade to all the kings called Jacques

Okay so Jacques's family is very powerful and loved by the people of Silfos and the king fears a civil war if he disrespects his claim to the throne. Alright. Kinda weird since based on Arthmael's thoughts, this society has a similar attitude to bastards as in European history, but okay then. I wonder if Jacques is even actually the king's son or is this some kind of a ruse?

Arthmael is very cheeky and even references his dad's love life directly to his face, his dad is not very happy

The king tells him to just be a good boy and hopefully they'll find him some crown princess to marry so he'll get a kingdom that way

I guess these different areas on the map are kingdoms then, that makes sense. They look like very small kingdoms but this is a small place in general.

Arthmael doesn't seem to mind this idea except that there's only one possible princess like that in Marabilia and that's Ivy de Dione. Not sure what's wrong with her.

Well, who knows? Maybe, if I wait a few moons, some other bastard, in Verves or Idyll, will come out from under a rock and come offer me her hand.

Somebody's very snarky, that's cute

Arthmael is very haughty about how the people have always known him as the crown prince and accepted him as such, Jacques laughs and asks what has he even done for the people. He's like well he hasn't really done much yet because he was planning to do things once he became king, but he's been supporting the local business (taverns) and employing servants (lmao). Also apparently there are some girls he's seeing...

Apparently Jacques's family are big traders and business people (despite being noblemen) and create lots of jobs, and also big on charity, so everybody loves them

Arthmael is jealous of how proud his dad looks when Jacques says this, and how he's never looked at him like that

Well, I guess you're kind of a little shit so it makes sense, Arthmael

— If the smartest thing is to become the idol of a few starving people in order to be king, I can do it too.

Oh my god, this little brat

He declares that he's going to be a hero, to overshadow the charity of Jacques' family, because heroes are remembered by history while philanthropist aren't

So he plans to become a storybook Prince Charming, saving damsels in distress etc.

Jacques finds this understandably hilarious, the king is not amused

Once Jacques leaves, the king again offers to arrange a marriage to Arthmael, specifically with the princess of Dione

I'm almost tempted. I have never been to Dione, but they say that their ships are the lightest and fastest, and that sailors come to their shores from the other side of the sea, speaking strange languages that only they understand. Who come from lands where women wear short dresses, if they wear anything at all. Places where war is so normal that, as soon as a child is strong enough to pick up a sword, they push him to the front lines.

Alright then, I see what he fixates on

Was there anything wrong with the princess then or?

Barbarians. I remove the thought from my mind.

Oh okay. What a charming young man /s

Dione is like right next to Silfos according to the map btw, is this like one of those neighbourly feuds?

Okay he says it's because he doesn't want a foreign kingdom, he wants to keep his home, which is fair I guess

The king is like what do you want me to do, kill Jacques and his pregnant wife? And Arthmael is just like yeah great idea, because he's a dumbass. The king is like wtf

Apparently Jacques' family is from that Duan city that I noted earlier, and his mother died a few days ago and apparently "her loss is greatly felt"

The king regrets spoiling Arthmael too much, and talks about how Arthmael doesn't understand anything about suffering or anything and only cares about girls

Arthmael is already considering faking his death to make them all feel sorry, because of course he is, he's exactly that kind of guy

He says he doesn't want to go try to charm the princess, he'd rather just go off on his own (also there's a whole bit about how only a man can rule Dione or something and the king of Dione won't accept his daughter to become a ruler)

His dad tells him no, just stay here and be a good boy, don't make everybody gossip about drama in the royal family

Arthmael is like hey you managed to hide your bastard son for years, you can hide my disappearance

They fight a bit more but then Arthmael just storms out, grabs a few things from his room and leaves

a change of clothes, a bag of coins, my sword, and my favourite cloak. I do not need anything else.

Okay then, good luck I guess

To be a hero you only need a brave heart. Or so they say.

I feel like you also need to not be a selfish prick but maybe that's optional

Okay end of first chapter!

Our blorbo seems like a real brat!

But I guess the point is probably that he needs to learn some lessons along the way, or something like that, idk. I'm sure there's a reason for why whoever entered him into the tournament likes him so much

I'm guessing the damsel in distress is not the princess? Probably? She wasn't called a princess anyway. TBH she's the character I'm currently the most curious about. The next chapter is from the point of view of someone called Lynne and I hope that's her. Could be the magician too though I guess? No wait, I think the magician is a guy. Altho idk maybe Lynne could be a guy's name, I don't fucking know.

I'm guessing that Arthmael will try to rescue the damsel so he can be a hero, because that's what heroes are supposed to do, but then it'll go wrong somehow? And then the magician will get involved somehow, I have no clue.

That's all my predictions I suppose. Altho I'm guessing that Jacques might turn out to be a villain somehow, I didn't get the vibe that he was particularly great either, just not as much of a brat as Arthmael, and it would then be something for Arthmael to do when he gets back home. Then again maybe the book will surprise me, who knows. To be honest, it would feel a bit like a cop out if it turns out that the guy he hates actually is evil, but it could be handled well, and it's not like I like Jacques either so far. He seems extremely sus too

No guesses as to what the title refers to yet, it could be anything

Idk, like I said, the damsel's storyline is the one that interests me the most rn, it might actually get me to read further (good job, blurb, you got me)

I still have a surprisingly good amount of the free sample left, there's actually nine chapters here, so idk, maybe I'll keep going? We'll see

I'm pretty happy with how much I was able to follow the text even on my own, altho I definitely had to rely on the translator. I would not have had the patience to try to translate all of this myself. But I definitely understood multiple full sentences! Yaaay xD

Apologies to fans of this book series, I hope I didn't seem too rude

[sirrabbithat]

Bird Au head cannons part two! And I'm definitely turning this into a fic-

Graves is a bald eagle baby!!! America yeah!!! 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 But seriously his natural confidence just suits a bird of prey perfectly. Bald eagle also tend to be cowardly scavengers who steal other birds food. Just seems like something he'd do-

Köing is a King bird of paradise. Mostly because Köing translates to king but also they have a natural red hood. And yeah while there are tons of birds with natural hoods over their heads these little guys are hard to find. Similar to a sniper "There is little information available about this species' behavior. They are inconspicuous and may be hard to locate" - Wikipedia. Köing also has very little information available about him on his wiki page. And similar to how König is extremely tall and should be impossible to hide the king bird of paradise is extremely colorful and also should be impossible to hide. But both are able to hide perfectly! So much so that the king bird of paradise continues to elude science.

Nikolia is a European shag! These birds while not usually native to Russia (let's be honest none of these birds aside from graves is native to the characters home countries) does nest on Russians Europ facing cost during breeding season! They are extremely good at flying and spend most of their time in the air and the Shag is one of the deepest diving seabirds out there! And the name is funny.. I love a good silly bird name!

In this Au his wings are destroyed beyond any hopes of flight so in order to get back into the air he learned how to fly helicopters.

Horangi is a Brehms tiger parrot. Obviously his name translating to tiger has Alot to do with this choice but as usual there's more reasons!! These birds are extremely good at camouflage with their almost camo colored feathers hiding them from potential predators. Horangi also hides. But not from predators, he hides his face from everyone using his mask. The Brehms tiger parrot is also known for the stripes along their back. And not to spoil too much but Horangi also has "tiger stripes" along his back.

[hard--headed--woman]

Sorry for the very late post! I had to change my plans, because I wanted to talk about someone else but changed my mind for some reasons ; so I had to find another story and rewrite everything.

This time, the post isn’t going to be about one woman, but two. Last year, I had already made a post about these two women, but I couldn't just not talk about them this month given how amazing their story is.

Here is the story of :

Elisa and Marcela !

Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga got married on June 8, 1901, in A Coruña, at Galicia, in Spain. Their marriage was the first homosexual marriage in Spain since the Roman imperial era and happened more than 100 years before the country legalized homosexual marriages !

To achieve this, Elisa disguised herself as a man, and adopted a male identity, Mario Sánchez, which is the name on their marriage certificate. Their lie was later discovered, but their marriage was never annulled, and they remained married for the rest of their lives.

There is a Netflix movie about them if you want to see it. Though it has it flaws, I personally enjoyed it a lot, and from what I know, it is not too bad historically speaking. There's just one thing that happens in the movie that we are far from sure happened in real life. (I personally do not believe it did) Here's the trailer if you are interested! It's a very good movie in my opinion!

(But if you plan to watch it, maybe you shouldn't read the rest of the post as it's gonna spoil you everything lol)

The two young women met at the teacher training college in La Coruña. Marcela, 18, is a student there, while Elisa, 23, works there after completing the same course. They become friends, then lovers. Marcela's parents, fearing a scandal, send their daughter to study in Madrid, but this is not enough to put an end to their romance. Marcela is appointed teacher in Vimianzo, in the village of Calo, while Elisa, not far from there, works as a temporary replacement in Couso. They decided to live together in Calo until 1889, when Marcela left to teach in Dumbría, while Elisa remained in Calo. They kept in touch, writing to each other, until Elisa joined Marcela.

They live their love for years, hiding their relationship, until they get fed up and decide to hatch a plan to get married.

In 1901, Elisa adopted a masculine appearance. She created a past for herself based on a cousin who died in a shipwreck, and claimed to have spent her childhood in London with an atheist father. She was baptized as Mario on May 26, 1901, and made her First Communion under the same identity.

The couple married on June 8, 1901. A brief wedding ceremony was performed before witnesses, and the couple spent their wedding night in the Corcubión inn on Calle de San Andrés - Elisa and Marcela were officially the first Spanish homosexual couple to marry. Their plan was a success.

Unfortunately, the villagers began to have doubts and realized that this marriage was what they called "a marriage without a man".

The Galician and Madrid press reported the affair, and the two women lost their jobs, were excommunicated and placed under arrest.

Here's a picture of them after their arrest :

Despite this, and attempts by the Guardia Civil to prosecute them, their marriage was never annulled, and the two lovers managed to run away. Their story became famous in Spain and many other European countries.

(Un matrimonio sin hombre = a marriage without a man)

After that, we don't know what happened to them. The last thing we know fore sure about them is that they embarked on a ship bound for South America - perhaps Argentina, like so many other Spaniards of the time, where they spent their honeymoon and settled.

A book published in 2008 tries to tell their story after they left Spain for Argentina, but this books seems suspicious to a lot of people, including me, and I don't trust it so I am not going to talk about it but finding informations about it is easy if you are interested !

Anyway, this story is just incredible!!! It is so so important in lesbian history (though we do not really know if they were lesbian or bisexual. Elisa was probably a lesbian, but the book, based on some rumours, claimed that Marcela slept with a man in order to have a child, so she might have been bi if it is true) and so, so interesting. I can't believe it's not like 100× more famous. The fact that two women got married in 1901!!! Whith one of them dressed as a guy! I love it.

[docholligay]

On Doc Watching When Evil Lurks

So! @madegeeky is having me liveblog this, after having seen it.

I cannot IMAGINE that many of you have seen this Argentinean horror movie, but even if you have, great news! I have seen it and you can't spoil me for it, not really.

That being said I've only seen it the once.

I can't decide if I liked it or not, which isn't all that unusual for me in a horror movie that isn't about ghosts (Even the stupidest movie about ghosts I will almost certainly enjoy even if I go, "Oh! That was terrible!" ghost stories have to be REALLY REALLY bad for me to dislike them) and actually considering that I might enjoy a zombie movie is fairly high praise, as I mostly don't care for zombie flicks. I think it would be fair to categorize this as a zombie flick, though there's a quasi-religious element that makes it sort of a posession-flavored zombie flick. Overall though I'd say it holds more of the hallmarks of zombie flicks than possession flicks (and yes, I am referring to non-US movies as well. Let's all please remember I watch a reasonable amount of non-US horror, and specifically Spanish and Latin American horror)

ANYWAY, while I would be willing to stretch myself out on a limb and say I know more about Argentina than the average American (or frankly, European) that is more a criticism of how little people know about essentially all of South America than a credit to me at all. I almost certainly may get something wrong or miss a historical or cultural reference.

OKAY

I was going to put this under the doc watches movies tag but given that it's actually a full liveblog we'll go with #Doc Watches When Evil Lurks.

[darkmaga-returns]

COMMENT: Hi Martin,

In an effort to put the brakes on the Ukraine escalation, perhaps Trump will announce that if the escalation doesn’t immediately stop, then Zelensky and others, such as those in the illegitimate Biden regime, will be tried for war crimes.

Regards,

FA in Arkansas

Video Player

REPLY: They should be charged with war crimes. It is the act of war itself that benefits NOBODY. The best a soldier can hold is to come home alive and intact. They get NOTHING from war. I lost most of my high school friends to Vietnam. McNamara admitted he died and that they were wrong back then as well. What did they die for? Strip clubs in Vietnam today?

What these people are doing is outrageous. Boris Johnson killed the peace deal, and now over 1 million Ukrainians have died for that. He and the rest are trying to beat Hitler’s death record for the Guinness Book of Records. Zelensky is also firing British STorm Shaddow missiles into Russia. These people are desperate for World War III by December.

Trump & RFK had better come out and make it known, or we will see a major war into 2026. (1) inform Zelensky all money will be cut off, including for all his government employees and their pensions, (2) he will put a ban on any investment in Ukraine, and BlackRock will not be able to give him hundreds of billions to line his pockets for rebuilding, (2) pull all funding from NATO, (3) impose trade restrictions on any European nation that supports war against Russia and funds NATO.

Otherwise, Europeans should not bother to buy a grave plot. Your leaders will all flee to Miami with Zelensky, and there may not be anyone left to bury your ass. This is nuclear war, not selective bombing, as in World War II. Hitler wants Europe, not destroy it. He stole art from everywhere, and he didn’t bomb Paris because he thought it was a pretty city. He left the monument standing like the Colosseum. With nukes – it’s all gone.

NATO is telling your weak leaders that Russia will never fire a nuke so they can use Ukraine to destroy Russia and then walk in and rob everything as the spoils of war. These Neocons have NEVER been one single person since World War II. As McNamara said – “We were wrong!” NATO does not give a second thought to what would happen if they were wrong. They are risking the lives of humanity for their personal hatred. NATO should be put on trial for war crimes.

[diamondwerewolf]

[tossing and turning] [ also i am high sorry in advance for insanity]

it ackchually depresses me a little...how scant the information on AZ is. i feel like i said this already, but i want to know more about him so i know 'the rules for play'.

i can only make some assumptions based on his backstory. but there's nothing concrete that he's stated himself or to be read, noticed, or found, that would give any hint to his 'canonical' personality.

I am SO SPOILED by captain olimar pikmin. He has a diary that is so VERY informative to the kind of man he is. [crying emoji].

I COULD, just start makin shit up -- as i always do -- , but i'm stuck in waiting mode because there's a chance he can be in the next game with more information I can use. I don't want to have to go back and change my changes. If that makes sense. [Not to be dramatic but I am...in agony]

I mean I have questions as basic as 'whats his favorite color'. I don't have the means to give an answer. Arven Pokemon for example, his favorite color MUST be yellow. And Larry Pokemon, his favorite color is probably black. I can offer those answers easily because we interact with them enough to be given these kinds of hints.

There's so much mythology surrounding AZ, but REALLY I want very simple stuff.

I'm also trying to get a grasp on what kind of king he mighta been. The layers of inspiration and culture used to make the game, also make it hard for me to put his past and current self in a concrete headspace. Kalos is inspired by France, but it's developed by japanese artists, so I'm hung up on what -connotation- of king he was. My first impression, probably because of parfum palace, was that he was a more recent european-like monarchy king. But as I played through the game and other official items, receiving dates and flashbacks, he might have been more like a...Babylonian [?????] type of king. And then there's the actual Japanese connotation of 'godhood' that MAY come with being a king and I don't know if this applies to him or changes how he should be approached in past or present

I don't think I can authentically portray him in that kind of way. It's beyond my knowledge. I'm an American, so all kings are bastards. I suppose I see him as just a man after everything LMAO. Very supernaturally affected, and having endured many Situations TM but still a man.

HMMM, could it also be because he's someone that I desire? He's a man character that I like, so I want to get to know him on a more intimate than broad story level. I suppose if you don't like him in that way, his purpose in the story may be enough.

for...the purposes of romance, I'm probably going to think of him as an average person under all of the layers.

so who is that person, that the beautiful oc i made for him is supposed to see? ALL OF THIS RANTING FOR WHAT?

this:

I don't know, if 3,000 year old vagabond AZ would enjoy or accept, the new love of his life, presenting her fat, sopping wet puss, and calling him

'your highness'

[willow-nox]

The Other Daughter of Lady Dimitrescu

Chapter 1: Infant?

Summary: A human infant was found in the year 1998. What will ever come of the child when Mother Miranda finds her alone in a basket in the village when she pays a visit? What happens when she decides to show the four houses of her discovery? What will happen when the four houses meet the infant? What if Mother Miranda were to offer them custody of the infant? ***I don’t own any of Resident Evil Village*** ***I don’t own any of the pictures unless I say*** **All I own is my character and maybe a few other things I may add**

AO3 Link

An Eastern European village. It was a cold day. Every villager prayed to Mother Miranda for them to be safe. Yes, she heard them perfectly well, she didn’t care for them in the least. Again, at the meeting of the four lords, they still acted like children. Spoiled. Mishaps. Failed experiments. All unfit to be my daughter’s host. That’s all Miranda could think of them as. 

“If you don’t mind my children, I must take my leave… important business I must take care of… Don’t do anything you may regret when I get back…”

“But Mother Miranda! Heisenberg brought this upon himself! He dared to bring his forsaken creatures near MY castle. Something must be done!” Said, Lady Dimitrescu seemingly trying to persuade her opinion. Unfortunately, she didn’t care either way. She waved her hand in dismissal.

“Do what you must but all I order is that there is no bloodshed between the four of you. I’m off.” With that, she left.

“Why must I be placed in the same crowd as you three?”

“Hey! Not like I wanted to be grouped with you either, but you know we have no say in the matter. So, you better stop with the shit or there will be problems…”

“Oh! How hilarious you truly are, child.”

“You want to say that again?!”

“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“Shut the fuck up you stupid doll!”

“Ha! Seems that you can’t handle a simple ruse out of a doll… How childish.”

The arguments continued. Non-stop. They finally decided to stop arguing, though that was only because Heisenberg let up in the end appealing to Dimitrescu’s demands knowing there was no point in fighting her but not without slurs being thrown at both parties and the spectators. They all went back to their seats and waited for Mother Miranda to return and dismiss them.

During the dispute between the houses, Mother Miranda disguised herself as a traveler passing by trying to find another candidate as a host for her daughter. On she went, passing by villagers and the shrine they go to worship her. Seems to be currently in service she was just about to leave when she heard a cry of what she thought to be an infant.

She began the search for where the noise was emitting. It appeared that no one cared for the noise. As she walked the noise continued to grow louder.

Finally moving into a clearing, there lay a basket in front of the Maiden of War. Miranda grew curious as to why there was a basket in the middle of the village, why hadn’t anyone dared come forward to claim the child? As she moved closer a voice of a villager cried out, “Don’t touch it! We have no clue where that thing came from.” Before she could ask, another villager spoke, she stopped momentarily, then continued toward the basket. 

“Can it! Someone not from around these parts left the poor thing thinking that someone here would be kind enough to take it. The guardian seemed upset about the decision but left anyway.” She finally stopped in front of the basket, looking down she could see small outlines of hands and could hear wailing emitted from under a pink blanket that was covering the infant. After a moment of contemplation Miranda spoke. 

“If I may ask… Why hasn’t anyone taken the child?”

“We would need Mother Miranda to make that decision… This child could be a bad omen for all we know.” As they continued the conversation Miranda gently removed the blanket to find a small baby girl with a note.

Name: Your decision

Born: December 10th, 1998

“If you are reading this then I thank you. Please take care of my child, I apologize for leaving her behind. She deserves much better. I hope she is given much joy with you.” 

After reading the note she looked back at the infant. “So… You were recently born… A couple of weeks… Very interesting…” The baby continued to cry until Miranda placed her hand on top of their head. The infant began to calm down only left with a tear-streaked face. 

“Very well then…” Miranda covered the infant with the blanket once more and lifted the basket into her hold. She began to leave, that is until the villagers began to speak with her. 

“H-hey! Wait! We don’t know what that child could do! I don’t suggest you take it!”

“You seem very adamant. Were you by chance the one who brought the thought into the rest of the villagers' pathetic minds that this baby could lead to the demise of this village? If anything, you are to blame, not a baby that hasn’t committed any sin as of yet.” That shut them up quickly. Miranda continued to walk on until she was out of sight from the villagers. She shifted to her normal appearance and looked down at the child once more to find it staring back with puffy innocent eyes, it closed its eyes and fell asleep not a moment later. 

“We must tell the four houses of you, shouldn’t we?” Only a mumble in response. With that, they disappeared.

Miranda reappeared at the meeting and looked at all four of them.

“You all seemed to have figured out your problems.”

“Mother-”

“SILENCE!” As demanded, they all kept quiet. A wail erupted from the basket being held by Miranda. She looked frustrated; she had just gotten the child to be comfortable with her. It was silent except for the wails of the child. Shock and confusion rolled off of the four lords in waves. Lady Dimitrescu was the first to speak.

“Mother Miranda is that?…”

“Yes, it is. Unfortunately, she does seem afraid now. Care to try and calm her down?” Silently, Dimitrescu put her cigarette holder down and walked to the basket and unveiled the infant. The babe was a sight for sore eyes in Dimitrescu’s opinion. The liveliest pair of blue eyes she’d ever seen. The moment she touched the child an electrifying feeling shot down her arms and went through the rest of her body. She couldn’t move for a moment, when she refocused, she found the child examining her as well, after a moment the baby began to cry once more. She lifted the babe into her hold and began calming her.

“Oh, hush now. There is no reason to cry. A young lady should never cry but stay strong and collected.” The baby slowly stopped crying and yawned in exhaustion. 

“I wanna see! I wanna see!” The child seemed to be frightened of the loud demands and began sniffling once more threatening to spill more tears.

“Beneviento, I do suggest that you stay quiet. If this baby cries again I will hold you responsible and make you pay.” She began lightly dandling the child to calm her down, it: being very effective that the child calmed down once more in Alcina’s embrace. 

“Oh Ha Ha. Are you already getting attached to the thing?”

“Quiet, child! It is a matter for me to know and for you to keep quiet and move along with your day.” She turned away from him to keep the babe out of his view.

“Huh. Well then, Mother Miranda I was wondering if I could see the child as well…” A growl could be heard from the countess in annoyance and slight anger still holding the babe. “Don’t give me that shit! I asked Mother Miranda and whatever she says goes!” Before he could argue more Miranda held up her hand to silence him. She then looked at Dimitrescu.

“Alcina…”

“Yes, Mother Miranda?”

“Let the child decide…” Alcina looked reluctant but relented knowing that there was no choice in the matter. She slowly turned to face him, staring down at the child in her arms as the child stared back, she started to move the girl towards him. That was until the baby figured out what she was doing and began to wail once more and reached her arms out for Alcina.

“Why you little-” Heisenberg immediately became infuriated and annoyed, holding out his hammer, giving Alcina the thought he was going to attack. In response she brought the babe with a secure hold to her sternum and drew her claws out, seething at Heisenberg. The baby of course was still crying. Alcina’s attention was brought back to the child in an instant, retracting her claws in the process.

“Hush now. I won’t let you go. No need to cry. Hush.” 

“Looks like you have grown attached-”

“Quiet, Heisenberg. As I said before, move along.” He growled at this and began to draw closer to them, scaring the child even further. 

“ENOUGH!” They all stopped in their actions. The child even became quiet in fear but was immediately comforted by Alcina’s gloved hand gently brushing the back of her head protectively.

“Mother Miranda. If you don’t mind me asking, what is her name?”

“She doesn’t have one. I found the child in front of the Maiden of War statue.” Alcina was about to speak once more but Heisenberg cut in.

“How about we ask what the child wants to be named? I’m sure it will answer.” He stated, dripping with sarcasm.

“The child can understand you; you do understand that don’t you?”

“Tch. Yeah. Right, all it does is cry.” A grunt was heard, and they all turned their heads to the child who was seemingly glaring at Heisenberg. He smirked, “Aw. Now you're growing a set of balls on ya? Ha! Don’t waste my breath.” The baby in response grumbled lightly, that was until a hand began rubbing her back. 

“Yes, I know he is very annoying, but you must ignore that. Just retain your air of joy and ignore the fowl man, Camilla…” The sour expression faded to one of confusion on the baby’s face, that was until she figured out who Alcina was talking to and the expression on her face turned to one of joy.

“Camilla: ‘A legendary warrior maiden’ huh?”

“Karl, I say it sounds fitting, especially from where I found the child. As you suggested, let the child decide.” Mother Miranda said finally deciding to cut in. 

“Enough talk! I wanna hold it! I wanna hold it!” Said the doll holding her arms for the baby. The baby gripped the neckline of Alcina’s dress, and she laughed lightly at the child’s actions. 

“There, there little Camilla. No need to go to such lengths.” The said baby looked back at the countess’ face and placed a small hand on her cheek. Alcina smiled from the action and moved her hand to cup the side of Camilla’s face. She then frowned slightly knowing that Mother Miranda would want the child back.

“Mother! Do you think I could use the child as an experiment for you?” Said Moreau. Alcina’s head snapped to him in an instant, she sneered at him in anger forever suggesting that. She then felt a little hand rub her cheek softly to calm her down. She moved her attention back to Camilla and smiled softly at her efforts. 

Miranda contemplated it though. Maybe I will be able to bring back Eva… She then turned to Alcina holding the baby. Seems the babe has already grown attached to her as if she were her mother… “Alcina… Hand me the child…” With much reluctance, Alcina did as asked, unfortunately though Camilla began to cry. Even as Miranda was trying to calm her down but to no avail, Camilla began struggling more trying to reach out to Alcina.

“Camilla, behave. Mother Miranda was the one who found you at least appreciate the generosity she has given you.” The baby immediately stopped struggling but still fussed. That was all Miranda needed to know.

“Alcina you may have the child back.” She said, holding the child out for Alcina to take. “No experiments will come to the child unless Alcina permits it…” Alcina bowed her head slightly in gratitude, her attention moved to the child now in her arms once more. “That being said… you will be in charge of the child.” 

“Understood,” Alcina said without hesitation.

“With that, you are all dismissed.” Miranda then vanished once more. The other Lords looked pissed, to say the least. 

“Why the hell wasn’t it a majority vote? Give me the damn child. I’ll be sure to take care of it.”

“No! No! No! No! I wanna take care of it! Show it all the fun things you could do with dolls!”

“I want to experiment on the child to help, mother.”

“ENOUGH! The child is in my care and as she is in my care you are not to come one step near her if your motives are atrocious. I will treat her as I do my other daughters now that being said I will not be against cutting you all down where you stand. Understood?” Without hearing if they agreed or not, she left the meeting to her castle. Oh, what adventures little Camilla would bring to Alcina and her daughters at Castle Dimitrescu.

[verystrxxwberry]

heyyy alex. i was thinking, how would Moonlight Lovers sound if it was a game with voice overs? i can't stop thinking what voices the guys could have in english and, by the way, in japanese, because even though Twisted Wonderland isn't an otome, that game and its voice lines already spoiled me and now i look for japanese seiyus for everyo un-voices character.

which voices do you think they would pay the guys? in whatever language you want, and it doesn't matter if you say a character, voice actor, normal actor or any other public figure. take careeeee!💗💗💗 (srry if bad english)

RRRRRRRRRR I ALSO LOVE THINKING OF VOICE ACTORS SM (I played Ikemen vampire and fell in love with Kenjiro Tsuda so fucking badly every time I hear him in any anime I become FERAL), and I had some hcs about VAs and ML/Eldarya in my notes so I'm sharing my thoughts with you...

I honestly didn't think of a japanese dub since we're talking about an european game, so it'd be a little weird for me to think about the VAs in japanese. But here goes my hc:

AARON: Darren Korb

I had to add somewhere my lovely Zagreus (Hades game). I absolutely am in love with his voice and I actually think that the monotony and deep pitch of voice would fit Aaron perfectly. It brings youth when you hear it, but what can we say… Aaron died when he was young so his voice is naturally as such.

BELIATH: Liam O’brien.

Since I’ve seen the whole campaign of DND from Critical Role (yep, Vox Machina mentioned here) I always admired Liam's voice a lot. There was something about it that had me barking deep inside. I am a person who feels attracted to voices, and his voice made me feel something. After rewatching Vox Machina I could say that I believe Beliath’s voice would be pretty much like Vax’ildan. It is deep and sexy, a little raspy and dbghjsjkghsdjkagnjdfsbgaj<3

RAPHAEL: Griffin Puatu

I deeply hope that I am not mistaken and this is the current voice actor for Sunday (HSR), but his voice brings me so much peace that I couldn’t help but assign it to Raphael. It is simply so calm, low and soft, it’s relaxing and comforting.

VLADIMIR: Paul Amos.

I know Jacob Frye’s character isn’t much like Vladimir, but it was hard for me to think of any other character that had a slight ‘british’ accent, but this is it. I believe Vlad’s voice wouldn’t sound as energetic and it would be more monotonous, but I can’t think of anyone else.

ETHAN: Reuben Langdon.

Devil may cry has deeply affected my daily life. I see Ethan’s voice similar to Dante’s (DMC4 btw, in DMC5 he sounds more mature and I know Ethan has a young tone yet). He quite sounds like a teen, and has a tone to mock people that is capable of pissing off anyone he wants.

IVAN: Johnny Yong Bosch.

Just talked about Dante and now talking about Nero. When I played dmc5 there was something about Nero that reminded me of Ivan, so obviously I need to think of Ivan’s voice as Nero’s. I believe he would have voice cracks whenever he gets alarmed or raises his voice a little, but he normally has a teen, youthful tone.

NEIL: Graham McTavish

My mind goes blank when it comes to this man, and it was a hard decision but the only one I see is Graham McTavish, Dracula’s voice in Castlevania (the animated series). He has a deep voice, shows authority and it’s pretty elegant. It made me shiver when I heard his voice, yet it’s grrr. I don’t know if it will fit Neil that much but it is my hc… he’s an old vampire just as Dracula might be :^

[drstonetrivia]

Ace of Spades

Cards come up a lot in Dr. Stone, such as joker cards, trump cards, or even the whole deck, but the concept of aces, specifically from the spade suit, come up a lot more.

We'll start by considering aces as a whole...

...Or aces in the hole, as Ginro and Suika have been referred to in the past. chapters 107 and 108 have matching ace-related titles thanks to them hiding away on the Perseus. Together, the pair make the double aces that save the day!

For those not familiar with the term, an ace in the hole means "a hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed", which suits the way the Kingdom of Science operates. They wait until the last moment to reveal their plan, to dramatic effect.

If it's not spoiled beforehand, that is.

On the topic of double aces, the poker game that occurs in chapter 144 results in 5 aces being shown at the end.

The doubled card? The ace of spades.

(If you were wondering who had the imposter card, it looks like Senku had it. The size of the middle spade is smaller than the other cards, comparatively.)

So who was the ace? Senku, for winning the game? Ryusui, for getting what he wanted with the casino? Both of them had the ace of spades card, which is generally considered the highest card in the whole deck, but everyone involved in that game is an ace in their own right.

The only one who didn't get what they wanted in that particular instance was Gen, who was frustrated by his loss.

So let's look at one of Gen's ace-related wins: the gambit against Moz on Treasure Island.

Gen's opening move was to distract Moz momentarily using the still-unstabilised drone. The drone here is an ace for two reasons: first, to draw Moz's eye away from Gen so he can sneak closer, and second to make the Kingdom of Science seem more powerful than they actually are.

Gen uses his weak card against Moz, who is the strongest card in the Treasure Island deck.

Gen may have bluffed his way forward, but ultimately Moz never stood a chance against Gen, the man whose entire skill set revolves around manipulating cards...

Being the highest and most valuable card in the deck, the ace of spades isn't immune to superstition. One of the main superstitions marks it as an omen of bad luck.

This seems to follow in Dr Stone too with those associated with the card: Moz's loss against Hyoga, Ryusui's 5 petrifications, Senku's constant bad luck, the fate of the drone, ace pilot Charlotte crashing, Tsukasa's deaths*...

(*I'll get to that last one in a moment)

The other superstition around the card is how the ace of spades became known as the "death card". Military units used to use it as their symbol as it was the highest in the deck, and during the Vietnam war scattering the cards was used as a fear tactic.

The origin of the suit is also military in nature: the design is based on the pike or halberd, two European polearms.

The name itself likely came from the word for sword, similar to Spanish's "espada".

So now we have the final question:

Who in Dr Stone encapsulates the ace of spades card best? Who is simultaneously the strongest, unlucky, surrounded by death and also has roots relating to warfare?

If you guessed Tsukasa, you're right!

He was introduced as the Strongest High School Primate by Taiju, has a sad backstory and is constantly being separated from Mirai, has died twice now and uses an enormous sword wider than a shovel (that sword is the real spade here).

In case you still have doubts, even Stanley agrees! In chapter 189, Stanley's mind conjures up the ace of spades for Tsukasa, along with the ace of hearts for Kohaku and the ace of clubs for Hyoga.

Interestingly, cards with enemy faces printed on them were issued during the Iraq war (most-wanted Iraqi playing cards, if you're curious), so I wonder if this is why Stanley was thinking of them in terms of playing cards...

Also going back to the Vietnam war connection, both the battle in c.188 and the Vietnam war used guerrilla warfare tactics: launching attacks from hiding and using the terrain to your advantage.

In conclusion, the ace of spades repeatedly comes up in Dr Stone, but the only person it truly suits (haha) is none other than Tsukasa Shishio.

[coleskingdom]

A Grand Adventure

Adam Page x F reader

Same era as Debut

The encouragement from @madhatterbri and @midwestmade29 wrote part 2

As the night came to an end, the smile on my face as I entered the carriage with my mother and father nearly gave away my secret. My mother said that Mr. Cole had been quite taken with me as well as the eldest Jackson brother. She suggested meeting with both families at a lunch. I looked out the carriage window nodding my head absently and noncommittally. Upon returning home, my grandmother was waiting in my bedroom with a tea tray. “So….tell me, did the handsome Mr.Page ask you to dance. ?” She asked impatiently. “Yes, and he dances divinely.” I said wistfully. “ is there any substance to the man or is he just a pretty face? “ she asked solemnly “ I enjoyed his company immensely he was interested in . I don’t think mother saw us together but I fear father may have.” I said sipping the tea that she poured . “ I’ll handle your father and remind him that you’re a smart young woman who deserves to be happy. Marriage is hard, you need to have a connection or you’ll be miserable. Did Mr. Page say he would call upon you?” She asked softly “ Yes, but Adam didn’t say when.” I replied “ Get some sleep dear, I’ll handle your father who will handle your mother.” As she squeezed my hand before exiting the room.

My father and grandmother met with Adam when he came to call the following day. I was grateful my mother was at the sewing club when he arrived. My grandmother was charmed by him and was won over quickly by him. I’m sure the bottle of French perfume and fresh flowers he brought helped. My father heard Adam’s explanation as to his disownment. Having known the elder Page he wasn’t surprised that they had butt heads and admired Adams ability to build a life of his own. “ My daughter is quite the handful, she’s been spoiled by me and her grandmother. I treated her both as my daughter and as my only child my son as well. She can shoot, ride horses both European and Side Saddle I’ve been quite liberal in letting her explore her interests, she reads the same books I read at West Point, she reads the newspapers and has her own views and opinions” my father said proudly looking at me. “ If you’re looking for a docile woman as your betrothed I’d ask you to reconsider. “ he said stoically. “ Sir, ma’am , it is my intention in life to find my like. I mean to find someone to not just share my life with, but to enjoy life with.” Adam said matter of factly as possible. He did not waiver under my father’s intense gaze. “Well then, it will be daughter’s decision as to if and whom she is to marry. Son, you have my permission to court her, should she be open to it.” My father and grandmother each left the room. My grandmother winking as she exited. “ Your grandmother is quite the woman, I see where your fire comes from.” Adam said laughing. His warm rich laugh filled the room. “Your father is quite proud of you as well. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a woman whose father brought up her shooting and horsewoman ship so casually. I don’t know if that was meant to be comforting or a warning.” This time I laughed “ knowing father it was probably a bit of both.” I said putting my hand to my mouth. “ I could listen to that sound forever.” He said “ What?” I asked “ Your laugh, now that I’ve heard it, I want to hear more of it.” he said.

I heard the front door open and my mother’s voice when she entered the parlor. “Why is he here?” As she pointed accusingly at Adam. “ I forbade you from evening speaking to him, and now he’s here in our home. Does your father know?” Her voice angrier by the moment . “ I best leave” Adam said softly “ Ma’am I never meant to upset you. For that I am truly sorry.” his voice calm . I had enough of my mother “ Mother, calm down, Father gave Adam permission to court me, after speaking with him and grandmother. In fact he told me that it’s my choice who I marry, if I should so choose to. “ My voice firm and unwavering.

“What’s all this commotion?” My father stepping into the foyer “ Dear what is wrong?” he asked my mother unsure as to why she was so angry. “ Your daughter, and that scoundrel, she said you gave her permission to be courted by him.” Her fury still rising.

“ I did, he met with mother and I. I think that they’d be a good match after the conversation and mother agrees. I understand that you had hopes of a Jackson or a Cole family engagement. However, that’s a social marriage. I’m thinking of our daughter’s happiness, neither Cole nor the eldest Jackson would know what to do with our daughter.” He said calmly.

“ I won’t have it.” She said spitefully. “If this is her choice she will be cut off. She will be disowned and disinherited.” her voice pure malice.

My grandmother had now heard enough I hadn’t realized she was behind me. “ Now listen here, I’m the matriarch of this family, it’s his side of the family that brought wealth into this household. Your bitter ugliness is showing, I’ve seen it for years. You wanted a different life, you wanted a different husband, my son has been good and faithful to you. You shouldn’t saddle your daughter with your coldness and resentment. Upon her wedding day I have a trust set up for that I am in sole control of till then It is not a dowry but simply money that she can choose how her life shall be. Your threats are hollow, she will always be part of this family.Do you have any further comment or can these two resume their day. I believe they were headed for a carriage ride and a picnic.” She said handing me a basket she had put together. My mother stormed up stairs and knowing the battle was over slammed her door.

“Son, I’m sorry you had to witness my wife’s theatrics.” My father said opening the front door, “ My mother packed you both a picnic, please try to enjoy the rest of the day.” Encouraging both of us out the door. “ Yes sir, I’ll have her back at a respectable time. “ Adam said My father kissed my cheek “ I’m trusting you with my world “ looking Adam in the eye and Adam nodded knowingly.

Adam helped me into the carriage. “ I understand if that was too much .” I said softly not blaming him one bit if he turned and ran from this situation. “Darlin, if you think that’s the first family argument I’ve seen, then you’d be wrong. Have I mentioned how much I like your grandmother.” He laughed as he drove us down the road. We chatted about books and poetry, the desire to travel to Europe and Egypt. He told me of how French New Orleans was, how California might as well be a world away. He pulled off by the river, where the shade of the live oak trees and the breeze off the river seemed the perfect place to picnic. Grandmother had packed fried chicken, potatoes and fruit pies as well as lemonade. We ate and chatted. Adam said it was the best meal he’d had in ages. I told him I knew my grandmother’s recipes and that I had been under her hand the entire time. “If you could have anything in this world , what would you ask for?” I asked him, leaning back on the tree. “A kiss from you” the grin on his face undeniable. “Seriously, out of everything in this world” as I turned my face he kissed me gently. His forehead rested on mine. I blushed as he was my first kiss. “Darlin, if you could have anything in this world what would you ask for?” He asked “A kiss from you” I said softly, he kissed me again. “ I want to do that for my the rest of my life” he said, “ You do?” I asked shyly. “ I want to make laugh, smile and hear every thought that passes through your head.” the tenderness in his voice breathtaking. “What are you saying?” I asked searching his eyes, “ I knew from the moment that my hand touched yours,that we were meant to be. It was as if I had known you forever. I’d like to ask you father for your hand in marriage unless you’re opposed.” his voice a soothing caress. “ Adam, you’re sure, because my father will give you his blessing, and I don’t need a long courtship. I want you to be sure, because I know that you’d make me happy. Being with you is as natural as breathing. I’d do everything to make you happy. “ I said my voice conveying the hope and happiness I felt in his presence. “ I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He said kissing me again. “ Let me get you home, so I can speak to your father.” he said as we picked up our picnic.

Adam asked my father for my hand in marriage. My father and grandmother were pleased with my choice of husband. My grandmother sat me down the morning of my wedding to bestow her final words of wisdom.

“ Love him, love him fiercely, love him recklessly, love him as you love yourself. Don’t be afraid, my sweet granddaughter, life is going to be a grand adventure. I’m so proud of you for choosing love. Tomorrow before you depart, the bank will have a letter of credit for you, and give you access to your trust. Darling girl, I fear what is ahead, the rumblings are loud and getting louder everyday. I have arranged with Adam’s blessing for you both to do the grand tour. Stay away as long as you can, write to me often, do not let some fool sense of loyalty put either of you in a peril. If this is the last time I see you, I will know you are happy, in love and safe. I want you to know you’ve been my greatest gift, and that I will always be here no matter what. I love you.” Her voice weakened as emotion took over.

My mother refused to attend my wedding claiming that she was ill. My father and grandmother handed me to Adam at the altar. My father and Adam, had a deep understanding of each other and my father traditionally stoic not only shook his hand but hugged him. My father hugged me and told me, he loved me and that he was proud of me. Adam and I said our vows as he kissed me politely he smiled. “ This is just the beginning “ he said as we turned and walked back up the aisle.

[strixcattus]

The Gerzlaem

Discovered a set of brushes I'd been overlooking and kind of went ham with them. I'm not sure about how the one in back turned out, but I'm probably pushing my time as I am.

This entry has pretty much everything besides proper physical detail. We get a habitat description, a description of how they act when hunted, a Jesus allegory, a massive paragraph detailing how compassionate they are that has to also be an allegory for something... but only one sentence that actually says anything about what this thing looks like. I decided they should look something like a borzoi. Not sure why.

The Gerzlaem

Gerzlaems are a group of related species found primarily in hilly and mountainous regions throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Gerzlaem species from different continents are drastically different in appearance, though they all tend to have long legs and snouts.

European Gerzlaem are typically pale in color, with most being grey or white, though black or sandy-colored Gerzlaem are not unheard of. Most of them are found in northern Europe. They have long fur and excel at leaping long distances and great heights.

Asian Gerzlaem are the tallest of all, and their fur falls in shades of gold, red, and brown. The fur on their bodies is very short, but they have darker manes running down their backs, of whose length varies. Those with bolder and longer manes seem to have greater luck finding mates. These Gerzlaem are quick runners, even when they must traverse uneven ground or make pinpoint turns, and they are found primarily in India and the Middle East.

American Gerzlaem, in contrast, are smaller, and in them the long legs of their species are least apparent. Their fur is mottled in shades of brown and black, and it is usually curly or wavy. These Gerzlaem tend to be skittish, and they are particularly excellent climbers.

All Gerzlaem species usually live in small groups, which usually consist of a single mated pair, their offspring, and a small number of family members—elders who are too old to lead their own pack, or siblings who are yet to find a mate. On occasion, lone Gerzlaem may be spotted, which tend to be individuals searching for a mate with which to start a new pack.

Gerzlaem are carnivorous, and hunt with their pack. They seem to be able to comfortably last several days on the spoils of a single hunt, and to prefer waiting for easy prey to searching it out themselves. If attacked, they may vomit as a defense mechanism.

Female Gerzlaem give birth to litters of up to five kits. These kits are born hairless and are almost entirely unable to move or eat for the first few days of their lives, but after they gain this capability they grow rapidly both in physical size and in strength.

[riotstarruika]

Top 5 reads from 2023(ish)

Tagged by @earthly-apples ♥ Some of these may be from 2022 because I don't remember and time is fake anyway :P

Les Mis Unsurprisingly this book continues to consume my thoughts. I'm very behind on Les Mis Letters, but it was great to read through a good chunk of it again with the knowledge and necessary context to understand some of the things that went over my head the first time. Truly, a work that rewards hyperfixation XD (Honourable mention to the Arai manga as well, which was published in English this year)

Orsinia How could I refuse an Ursula K. LeGuin novel about student revolutionaries in a fictional central European country in the 1820s? It has good synergy with les mis as it references some of the same political themes and events, though the tone is more 'grounded' and small scale compared to Hugo's very grand symbolic one. Its characters are more accidental revolutionaries who have sort of stumbled into being figureheads of their movement rather than deliberately setting out to be so, but it's super interesting to see the main character try to balance his family life and wants with what he wants to achieve, and the danger it involves. It's also pretty sad in places, but with a less depressing ending les mis (low bar, I know). Ursula K LeGuin's prose is a delight, as ever.

Piranesi I've been really enjoying books that do interesting things with prose lately and this was one of them. It's difficult to say much about this one without spoiling it, but even though I guessed most of the plot very early on, the way the story was told made it feel fresh and interesting, and the vibes of the main setting are immaculate. I've also been liking alternative art histories and art / literary 'memoirs', one of which is Deaths of the Poets. It's part history and part travelogue, documenting the journey of two modern day poets visiting places that famous historical poets died, with a view to exploring the mythos and mystique around the idea of poets as tragic, romantic 'tormented artist' types. I liked that it explored not just the biographical 'facts' of the poets lives, but how they were received by the public at the time, and how the cultural expectations of what it means to be a poet shapes how their artistic work is perceived. Outrageous! The Story of Section 28 and Britain's Battle for LGBT Education A history of the UK's own 'don't say gay' law in the late 1980s/ early 90s and how it was eventually overturned that somehow manages to be more hopeful than depressing. I'm not old enough to remember any of the events the author discusses, yet I can still feel the law's impact on how the people around me discussed (or didn't discuss) LGBTQ+ people when I was a kid. A lot of the same rhetoric that was used against gay and lesbian people in the 80s has been repurposed to attack trans people now, and a few of the names in it may be familiar (derogatory), but it also highlights the actions of the people who fought against it and eventually won out. Zero-pressure tagging @fremedon, @upatreewithoutaharness and @thevagueambition because I feel like you'll have interesting recs 😊

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

Hey so for my mutuals that may live in the USA if you need to swap because of this whole Kellogg's let them eat flakes situation go to a local Aldi's if possible Aldi's has a bunch of off brands that taste just the same as Kellogg's but they are a lot healthier for you since they don't add high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes into it

Happy boycotting

Also let's target Hershey's next because if you don't know they are the reason why we can't get good fucking chocolate in the United States because they threw a temper tantrum back in the 1800s and got every single other chocolate brand banned because they were about to go bankrupt because their chocolate is that shitty in comparison to European made I think that they should go down if they can't stand the competition they shouldn't get a free pass of Monopoly just to save their asses from bankruptcy smh

Seriously once you taste Moser Roth the one European brand chocolate that you can get at Aldis its their Store Brand you'll never go back and especially once you figure out how to melt it down, temper it and make your own.

I cannot stand Hershey's anymore and if you need another good reason Hershey's adds a flavoring to it that tastes like spoiled milk because they used to let the milk spoil before putting it in their milk chocolate this is why Europeans cannot stand our chocolate.

Yummy am I right?

[final-fantasy-as-literature]

Maycomb Blume and "Reading" Loveless in Rebirth

Heya, folks. SPOILERS ahead for Rebirth. Loveless is the only thing that should be spoiled, but I do mention foreshadowing for another event without stating the event.

Content Warning: Death is mentioned, and there is an image of a skull being held by David Tenant. This should be the only time I have to provide a David Tennant warning on this blog /s.

I've let this blog go dormant since I started it and emptied it out, but I wanted to use it. Originally, I started this blog to chronicle my readings of FF7, FF8, and FF9 as adaptations of Xiyouji, but that didn't feel like an easy thing to start with.

I did have the first section of a close reading of Loveless as it appears in English posted here, but I wanted to restart with pointing out how "reading" video games more deeply can be rewarding and is something you probably already have the tools to do if you went to primary school in the past 30 or so years. I will throw the close reading back on here when I've edited it, but I want to be doing something with this blog that isn't quite so deeply analytical to start. I also like adding images to break up text, and this is one of the few places I can do that with alt text for accessibility. Tumblr doesn't like outside links, though, so win some, lose some.

I wanna focus on Loveless from Rebirth with one critical lens among many that you can use to find your own meaning from it. You can even use weaker lenses, like the monomyth and its mother goddess guiding a hero or a Wagnerian reading, if you want. Loveless is a story about heroes on the stage set to music, even if it doesn't neatly line up with either lens. One could display how it resists interpretation by those lenses, for example. In any case,

You Probably Already Know About Literature

Loveless is a play. Even being in a game, it is a play that bears features common to European and American plays and operas from the 16th Century to the modern day. While some parts may be foreign to what you were taught in school, like the operatic portion at the beginning and the lead-solo at the end, the three-to-five act structure with exposition, rising action, climax, and falling action is something quite common to primary education in a lot of countries.

If you were taught this in primary school, you were probably also taught it through a few key authors, artists, directors, and playwrights. If you're from the US, those names likely included some people like James Baldwin, Harper Lee, Kurt Vonnegut, and maybe a few authors from South America like Julio Cortázar or Laura Esquivel. Without doubt, though, I bet you had to read Shakespeare.

That isn't without good reason. Regardless of what you think about him or his works, Shakespeare's words have been enjoyed and remade countless times around the world in many languages. His dominance of theater of a European style is to the point that some of his lines in isolation, ripped of their context, are enough to call to mind the drama on stage to much of the world.

If I say "To be or not to be..." most native English speakers are already finishing the line or jumping ahead to picture a skull in hand, dramatically lamenting a fellow of infinite jest who now has none who would mock his grin. I've seen the same happen with "Ser o no ser..." and "Sein oder Nichtsein..." in non-literary conversations.

David Tennant not mocking Yorick's grin as Hamlet. Image retrieved from Yorick on Wikipedia, originally from BBC article Bequeathed skull stars in Hamlet.

But, that aside, a piece of Loveless begins before the play, somewhat like the earlier events of Hamlet reflecting in his own play within a play.

You Probably Already Know How to Find Out More About Literature.

If you went to school in the age of the internet, you probably had to do research online to back up your writing in an essay on some piece of media you might not have cared about. Maybe you just found a website, reputable or not, that made an argument you could pull a quote from and stick in your writing. Hopefully, though, there was at least a time or two where you genuinely connected with a piece of assigned media and wanted to see what you could find from scholars about the plot, symbols, style, etc. to inform and elaborate on your own thoughts. I want to do that second one with Aerith's pseudonym for the solo at the end of Loveless, Maycomb Blume.

If you put "Maycomb Blume" into a search engine, I'm using Google through a VPN on a clean device, you're probably going to see a wall of FF7-related pages discussing the name. Unfortunately, those aren't the best sources for doing more than stimulating reflection on your own ideas. Most of them seem to come to a homophonic conclusion that it sounds like "make em bloom" that first appeared on a fan Twitter account. However, you might see an article or two about a book by Harper Lee set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama - To Kill a Mockingbird.

If you look into them, you'll see that they tend to be reflecting on the resistance, or lack thereof, to oppression present in the novel by its protagonists. At first, that may seem tenuous, but let's follow the string and look into the Maycomb part of Maycomb Blume. A large piece of Final Fantasy VII is resistance or lack of resistance to oppression bringing characters together or pushing them apart, after all.

If you look up 'Maycomb' by itself, you will quickly find that it almost exclusively refers to the fictional town of Maycomb invented by Harper Lee. Google Ngram Viewer confirms this, showing virtually zero mentions of 'Maycomb' until the release of To Kill a Mockingbird. As a deliberate choice of translation, they sure did pick a unique word, no? But what about the "Blume" part? That isn't exactly an uncommon word, and it has myriad variations.

The results of a Google Ngram Viewer search for Maycomb, showing the sudden increase in the appearance of the word Maycomb in text after Lee's publication. Image screenshot from Google Ngram Viewer on October 19, 2024.

If you keep digging and do more looking, you might find that one of the most famous, influential, and controversial literary critics, Shakespeare scholars, and Harry Potter-haters in the world, Harold Bloom, was the editor for an anthology of critical essays on To Kill a Mockingbird. If you know anything about him, you might be aware of his idea that all works of literature are essentially "remakes" that carry influence from the ideas and stories they are latecomers to. This idea is what he called the anxiety of influence.

Harold Bloom, the man who hated Harry Potter before it was cool. Image retrieved from Wikipedia, by Bernard Gotfryd and originally obtained from the page Bernard Gotfryd on the Library of Congress website.

So what did Bloom have to say about Lee's most famous work in this text? Not much, as he was the editor of the volume, but he did say that the protagonists weren't what one would call heroes, but reflections of a sensibility that saw itself without the need to change in the face of racism:

The crises of [Scout’s] book confirm her in her intrinsic strength and goodness, without wounding her sensibility or modifying her view of reality.

So, where our initial look might lead us to a simple homophonic "it sounds like 'make em bloom,'" our deeper look leaves us with a lens from a scholar most focused on works of poetry on the stage, the anxiety of influence, and a theme with which to use that lens with, growth of a protagonist in the face of oppression. These tools seem appropriate for a work that is explicitly part of a "remake" of an earlier work that deals heavily with oppression, how people do or do not resist it, and what that leads them to do - so how well do they apply to Loveless?

You Probably Know How to Apply This to Loveless

Again, if you went to primary school in an English-speaking country in the past 30 years, you were probably taught the basics of how to apply critical lenses to any media you consume. If you had to read A Modest Proposal and discuss how well Jonathan Swift satirizes the plight of the poor in Ireland and upper-class reactions to it, you were being exposed to rudimentary Class or Marxist Criticism. In the US, you might have also been exposed to it while reading The Great Gatsby or The Grapes of Wrath. If you had to analyze the symbols in an Edgar Allan Poe work and explain the ideas, sensations, emotions, and images they called up for you and how well they served the work as they were written, you were being exposed to rudimentary New Criticism. In the US, you might have also been exposed to it while reading Song of Myself or listening to I Have a Dream.

Edward Manet's interpretation of the visit of the raven, both chaotic and clear. Image retrieved from The Raven on Wikipedia, originally on the Library of Congress website linked by a dead link.

The anxiety of influence, or Bloomian criticism, is just like those lenses in that it is a tool for you to apply as an individual reader. Primary schools don't often use even rudimentary Bloomian criticism, though, because it requires a knowledge of a canon, or a body of important works at its simplest, but introducing you to a canon is part of what studying literature in primary school does. Once you have at least a familiarity with a canon, you can start to identify how works influenced by that canon build upon it to deliver their own stories in a way that might or might not change how you read those original works.

Remember how I brought up the "to be or not to be..." soliloquy near the start of this? Are you minimally familiar with Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear?

If yes, you can apply rudimentary Bloomian criticism to Loveless.

Actually Doing It

The operatic bit of Loveless and the title itself mirror the central tragedy of King Lear: three would-be heroes vie to prove their love for King Lear and all but one are proven loveless. Even more in-line, they are a blonde would-be hero who is imprisoned (Cordelia), a would-be hero with black hair who is slain (Regan), and a would-be hero with red hair whose life is cut short (Goneril).

The Three daughters of King Lear by Gustav Pope. From left to right are Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia. Image retrieved from King Lear on Wikipedia.

The three would-be heroes of Loveless raising their swords. Of the three, only Alphreid on the left is given explicit name, but parallels between the three and other characters within and without the Compilation may be drawn.

While there is a "mother goddess" in the mix, understanding it here without a background understanding of possible precursors (like Campbell's mother goddess or the Guanyin of Chinese/Japanese Buddhism from which he derived it, in part) would only serve to make this longer in explanation. As it goes, she is one of the primary features of the play which connect Loveless to Final Fantasy VII as a whole, but understanding the reason for her inclusion is impossible without looking at FF7 as a whole. As it stands, Loveless can be understood as a work in its own right in a similar way to how Hamlet's play can be understood as a character in the play rehearsing his own mode. That is; Loveless is informative even without understanding Remake and Rebirth in whole.

Already, though, we see that we've reached the point of tragedy of King Lear: it is not long after the imprisonment of Cordelia that she is hanged and her father dies of grief and madness. The Fool, though, appears to deliver the reveal of Bloomian clinamen, the swerving away an author (or authors) makes from the precursors when they create their own misprison (work of art/poetry/literature/etc).

Where King Lear ends shortly after Cordelia's imprisonment, Loveless only truly begins there, and the Fool, a character used to communicate the true nature of things, appears. It is fitting, then, that the character who communicates the true nature of things appears again here as the only character without change or loss in title, being the Fool in both King Lear and Loveless. He introduces us to Alphreid, who himself calls back to the madness of loveless Shakespearean tragedies with his "To proceed... or not to proceed!" line after the tutorial.

Cloud as Alphreid putting on his theater shoes and reminding the reader of the question.

Where Hamlet and Cordelia are condemned to tragedy because of their rejection of love or the rejection of their love, though, Alphreid is freed and empowered by his newfound acceptance of the Goddess' love through the hand of Rosa. This reveals the tessera of the work, the fragment that can be used with other fragments of the work to show where the author (or authors) suggest that the precursors did not go far enough. Hamlet and King Lear, then, are filled with nothing but villains and victims who refuse to embrace the power of love of all things. This makes sense, as those were tragedies.

This blends with the daemonization the work employs, a Counter-Sublime in reaction to the Sublime of the precursors. This is the evidencing of the tessera from before in the way even nature, thundering with Alphreid's rally, reveals in Loveless the counter to the Shakespearean idea that lovelessness flattens all. Where Cordelia and Ophelia die to lack of true love from even one person, Alphreid becomes empowered by love for all things. This reflects even in the reader's/player's ability to progress no matter who they declare their love for among Varvados, Garm, and Rosa, as love conquers all and lack of love flattens. Garm and Varvados, who refuse love, can be expected to fail as long as the player continues.

In hand with the application of the daemonization employed is the kenosis, the breaking device used by an author (or authors) to empty their own work and that of the precursors of their nature as literature. Here, the authors remind the reader that they are playing a game by forcing them to interact to continue Alphreid's story, breaking the illusion of the game's reality while highlighting that Hamlet and King Lear can be put on the shelf as well if you don't wish to continue. Yet, the reader does.

And, when they do, they find revealed in it the reality of the second-to-last revisionary ratio of the anxiety of influence, askesis, the movement stressing the individuality of the author (or authors). They find it most clearly in the Fool of Loveless, pleading with the audience in soliloquy where he calls upon central, humanizing lines of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, and Troilus and Cresside to humanize the creators of his misprison and the misprisons embodied in its precursors,

Cait Sith as the Fool doing his best to evoke pathos for the reader through allusion to the end of things.

Friends, lend me your ears. (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar) Our inspiring hero's and indomitable princess's tale draws to a close. Only one act remains. Parting is indeed such sweet sorrow. (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet) But as they say, all good things must come to an end. (Chaucer/Shakespeare, Trolius and Criseyde/Troilus and Cressida) Though it is our wish that this tale remain with you long after we are gone.

Emphasis and parenthetical additions mine.

Almost in those words, the Fool draws the reader of both King Lear and Loveless to consider the work as its own unique and novel expression; though, the Fool of King Lear simply tasks the reader with recognizing the application of Lear's lessons. The Fool of Loveless, however, calls on the reader to keep the work as a novel piece with them even as they finish the work.

Even more, it seems to remind the reader that an end in death is soon to come, for Mark Antony was lamenting the death of Caesar in his "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..." speech, Juliet was foreshadowing in a good night that her cherishing might kill Romeo when she described parting as sorrow and grief, and Chaucer was describing the parting of Criseyde despite the pleas of Troilus when he said, "every thing hath ende" (which Shakespeare later modified). For all of these works, the Fool seems to be showing the ways in which this story will show an end isn't quite so simple - that a death isn't so simple as ending everything for those who survive.

The last of the revisionary ratios of the anxiety of influence, the opening of the work near the end of the author's (or authors') life that reveals the precursors' influence which is apohprades, is evident across the work in the blatant allusions we just discussed and in the name of the trilogy of works that contains it: Remake.

Cloud putting on his standoffish act as Alfred. The translation has served to better the depth, as even Alphreid is the portmanteau of Siegfried and Alberich from The Ring Cycle, highlighting Cloud's dualism.

As the creators of the 1997 release age and face death's tyranny, the anxiety of influence begets renewed misprison that causes the authors to reveal the precursors to their work with their reactions to them. Isolated to just Loveless, a reader can see a return of Shakespeare into a work that originally copied the format he used without clearly showing his presence to reveal a new reading of his most prominent tragedies. This reading, even, mirrors that of Bloom's reading of To Kill a Mockingbird: the tragedies of Shakespeare were preventable or survivable for more of the characters with the same force that could have prevented the crisis of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Why Does This Matter?

Because the curtains don't have to be blue if they mean something to you or the person that made them, and finding meaning in even just a small part of a work can reveal meaning to you in the whole and in other things you enjoy. If we can see Loveless as a take on growth through love of all things and people in the face of oppression influenced by a myriad precursors through baby's first Bloomian lens, we can do that with the Remake trilogy as a whole, even before it is completed. That, even, is just one critical lens that can be used. Jacob Geller has a critique of Midgar as presented in Remake through the lens of architecture and an Akira Kurosawa film that leans towards Class/Marxist Criticism, for example.

I know this was long, but I am rather determined to help people understand that the literacy skills and canons their teachers tried to impart on them are useful outside of reading those same canonical works. Final Fantasy VII suffers from surface-level readings (as opposed to something like Silent Hill or Outer Wilds), but we don't have to read any work like that, especially if we can evidence more deep readings with the text.

So, thanks if you read this far; though, you probably didn't need me to tell you about this stuff if you did.

If you're interested in the Xiyouji thing, it isn't my bigger project, but I'm gonna be semi-regularly posting readings of characters, locations, fiends, concepts, and events as seen in Remake and Rebirth through the lens of adapting Xiyouji. I'll probably be posting Barret Wallace as Sandy first, but it is a tossup between Red XIII as Red Boy, the Trio as the Three from Gensomaden Saiyuki, or The Crow's Nest's Colin as the Crow's Nest Zen Master after that. I wanted to start with this to demonstrate the idea in a smaller part and remind people why they were taught media literacy in school, though. The The Norse Myths That Inspired Final Fantasy VII guy, M.J. Gallagher, seems to be trying to do that in a way, too, but he went a different direction from Dragon Quest and the king of Xiyouji adaptations that come from Japan who helped make it - Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball.

The first appearance of Goku by Akira Toriyama also beginning his journey as an adapted Monkey on a cloud towards becoming the Buddha Victorious in Strife. Image retrieved from Goku on Wikipedia.