#I should mention that the last one comes from incorrect quotes generator | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dawntheduckrb · 1 year ago

Text

Today is the day the new sermon series starts, and we're already off to a debatable start. Before I get into the summary, our pastor gave us a bit more clarification as to what we're getting into. He said that the series will address 11 questions over the next little while, so if I'm looking at my calendar correctly, then this is gonna take us all the way to the end of November. It'll be long, but I'll be 21 by time we're done with this so at least one cool thing is happening :D

That's the only announcement for this week, so without further ado…

Week 2: "Is the World Better off Without Religion?"

(again, massive cw: religion, misogyny. Also, long post)

We're back with our normal pastor this week (who is a note-taker's nightmare), opening with a quote from Dr. Bertand Russel, introduced as an atheist;

"It is possible that mankind is on the threshold of a golden age; but, if so, it will be necessary first to slay the dragon that guards the door, and this dragon is religion."

In this, the word of God is implied to be an archaic doctrine. Our pastor disagrees with this though, and discusses throughout this sermon why he believes the bible is much more than just old words on paper.

"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." (1 Peter 3:15)

Recalling back to last week, we need to keep optimism that God will do what he says he will do. Part of this is shown through keeping up hope that God will work within and around us, and it's not hard to see that many people in today's culture can be characterized by a general lack of hope. As Christians, we know we should look for hope in Jesus, but this can be hard sometimes when we are faced with claims such as "Christianity causes violence." He specifically mentions the Crusades, one of the more commonly referenced instances of ~relatively~ recent wars caused in the name of god. He says that the crusades weren't just random violence caused by Christians, but instead were a reclaiming of the holy land lost to Muslim control (which is correct). He then goes on to say that there was more violence even after they reclaimed the holy land, and anything from that point on was bad violence. This is dismissed by saying that the wars and deaths caused by these people were done by people who weren't real Christians, and that god would not approve of it.

This point is furthered by saying "Claiming that Christianity is the cause of wars and violence is equatable to saying that surgeons are a cause of death." Surgeons who kill their patients are outliers in the same way that violence caused by Christians are. Instead, the real cause of violence is within ourselves;

"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it." (James 4:1-2)

Not everything done in the name of Jesus is from Jesus. When people reject Christianity for things of this nature, they are rejecting an incorrect understanding of Christianity.

"'Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves." (Matthew 7:15)

(……I'll just leave this here.)

He continues by saying that Christians are instead advised to not retaliate violently when faced with bad things, quoting Luke 23:34 (the famous "father forgive them, for they know not what they do" verse). I'd put the elaboration here but this is pretty straightforward, and there's still a lot left so I'd like to go ahead and move on.

The second half of the sermon was a little bit more structured. It focuses on five distinct voices from different groups of people in particular that have something to gain from religion. Specifically, "People who would not be better off without religion."

Group #1: The poor

"And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!' Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me." (Matthew 25:40-45)

The Bible says that caring for the least of us is a natural part of showing God's love. Ignore them in their hour of need, and you will be ignoring god. Caring for the poor isn't a condition for salvation, it is a byproduct of god's work within you. I'm surprised I was able to find the exact article referenced, but this was referenced to show that 145 billion was given to charity by churches in 2021. There was another account of one child in an impoverished country who was sponsored by a member of our church specifically, and has since been able to go to school and come to work for our church as a translator, as she can speak two languages now. All of this to say, poorer people would be some of the last to say that the world is better off without religion.

Group #2: The Unborn

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb." (Psalms 139:13)

This verse is used to say life begins at conception (shocker, I know). That's it. That's the whole point.

He tells the story of a man from our church who stopped a woman at a planned parenthood going in for an abortion (which must have happened a long time ago because we're in one of the most restrictive states for abortions). He asked to pray with her, and she said it was okay. He then asked to do an ultrasound with her, and after doing that, she changed her mind about the abortion. The baby was born recently, and a picture of her was shown on the screen. The pastor said, "What do you think this baby will have to have to say about whether or not we are better off without religion once she turns 16?"

Group #3: Orphans

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27)

Again, pretty directly quoted in the bible. He said that 65% of adoptions in the U.S. were done by Christians, but I can't seem to find that article. I haven't looked very hard, but after typing, "What percent of adoptions are done by Christians" into Google, the top result says that 5% of U.S. Christians adopt. That's not really the same thing, but that's still a lower number than I expected considering the supposed 65% of adoptees being taken in by Christians.

He gave a story about a child who was adopted into a Christian family, I can't remember if it was his family or somebody else's. Same kind of trend as the last two; "his life was changed for the better."

Group #4: Those in distress

No verse for this one surprisingly. He just talked about how in nearly every major disaster, Christians were always there with things like relief funds and charities.

He told a story about a friend he had who was a Marine during Hurricane Katrina a while back, and how the damage that storm brought was astronomical. It would've taken our troops a long time to clear the clutter and find people stuck inside collapsed buildings and things of that nature. Within 12 hours of the storm clearing, however, Christians came in with water bottles and tools to help clear the rubble. They were one of the only groups allowed into the mess.

Group #5: Those at the point of death

"But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life." (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

The sin of Adam has brought death, just as Jesus has conquered it. Without Jesus, we would not be able to reach salvation after life. There was no testimony here, because the only people that could attest to it are you know, dead, but if they could, then they'd probably say they're better off with religion.

To close, our pastor said; "Life may be better off without religion, but not without Jesus."

I'll be honest - I don't know what he meant by this lol. If he elaborated, I missed it while I was writing that sentence down.

He then re-stated the very first quote at the beginning of the sermon, adding; "the dragon has already been slain." Meaning, Jesus has died for us on the cross and has defeated sin. The only thing left is to accept him into your heart and to follow his word. He mentioned at the beginning that people these days are devoid of hope. Now he asks, "Do you find yourself in need of hope? Because Jesus gives hope. If you are trapped in sin, Jesus liberates you from all of that."

"Maximum freedom comes with surrender to authority."

There were a few more closing statements. but that was the gist of it.

As for my thoughts on this;

This was riddled with all kinds of logical leaps and heartstring pulls typical of Sunday sermons. The worst one was at the very beginning, claiming that sin done in the name of god is not always from god. It's nice on paper, but in application, this has been used to justify all kinds of past behavior. In the U.S., the bible was used to justify slavery. Until it wasn't. Then it was used to justify misogyny. Until it wasn't. All of these behaviors were typical and not considered atrocious at the time, but when times changed, apparently the bible did too? Except it didn't, it's the exact same. The only difference is that now people can no longer get away with interpreting the bible the way it used to be interpreted; therefore, the people during those times weren't real Christians. Real Christians today know much better. Awfully convenient isn't it?

This logic is then applied to people who leave the church. They were never real Christians, because if they were, they would see the wonder of god and never leave. So clearly they were wrong.

I guarantee that most atheists who left the religion believed that they were real Christians before they left. It's a bit of a slap in the face, if I'm being honest. To say that all the self-hatred caused by the church was pointless, because "you weren't doing it right." (apologies for the mini rant, that's a sore subject with me)

Aside from that, most of the evidence here was completely anecdotal. Heartwarming stories that lead you to agree with the pastor, because doing so would be denying someone else's happiness. Truthfully, there is nothing wrong with finding happiness in religion. If it makes life better for you, then that is a good thing, and nobody should deny you that. The problem lies when you discount the pain it has, and continues to, cause for others. For example, the church celebrated the overturning of Roe V Wade. Six days later, this happened. To say this child benefitted from this law is ridiculous. This is among many people who have died because of the law, in the most extreme end. The church is home to some of the biggest medicine deniers in the world who are more willing to pray sickness away than to actually do something about it. Not to mention the amount of sexual misconduct among church leaders (this is just in my denomination alone).

Heartwarming stories are awesome. But that in and of itself is not enough evidence to deny the hurt caused by the church to all kinds of people.

There's more but this is already long enough, and I want to eat a cookie now before I go to work, so I'll leave it off here. Just like last time, thanks for reading my rambles if you've made it all the way down here :)

Sabbath Day Waterfowl

#cw religion #cw misogyny #not rb #long post

13 notes · View notes

peterparkersned-org · 4 years ago

Text

[𝒀/𝑵] 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑩𝑼𝑹 𝑺𝑶𝑶𝑻. (𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔) ♡♥♡♥

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ✎

♡ ─ ♡

a/n: I just want to say a couple of things before you start reading, you don't necessarily have to read this but I would advise you should because this has been bothering me ever since I started getting likes and follows, which thank you so much for! I didn't expect people to like these so much to follow me and reblog them.

I love each and every one of you, thank you so, so much! alright now on the next thing, all of the incorrect quotes I use aren't mine, I know you guys aren't daft and have probably heard some of the quotes before but I get sure confused when people are like "I love your work!" (btw those comments make my day 1000% better, thank you!)

but I don't really do anything, I try to make the post look aesthetic and all that jazz. I get all my quotes from websites that generate them with the names you put down. egu43jiy5h6tgrwiegtbvs idk why but I just thought I would say this- I prolly look d u m b. anyways! hope you enjoy this post! WILBUR MY BELOVED!!!🧎‍♀️

!TW!: cursing, mentions of a gun, light flirting, and fluff?

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳

♡ ─ ♡

𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘰𝘵 & 𝘠/𝘕

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: Can I have a private talk with you?

Wilbur: Okay, as long as it’s not about tampons because I just don’t understand them.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur, texting [Y/N]: *sends a voice message*

[Y/N], texting back: I’m a little busy, is it urgent?

Wilbur: No, don’t worry, just listen later.

*later*

[Y/N]: *presses play*

Wilbur's voice message: THERE’S A FIRE-

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: I've connected the two dots.

Wilbur: You didn't connect sh*t.

[Y/N]: I've connected them.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur with a gun to [Y/N]'s head: What happens if I pull this trigger? Heaven?

[Y/N]: Bold of you to assume I'll go to Heaven.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: You played me!

Wilbur: Like the cheap kazoo you are!

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: Can you pass the salt?

[Y/N]: Can you pass away?

Wilbur: Too much salt.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: And then they ran into my knife. They ran into my knife ten times.

Wilbur: You mean you stabbed them?

[Y/N]: They ran into my knife.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: D*mn, [Y/N], are you secretly cool?

[Y/N]: Well, poker is just math, so I guess it depends on if you consider the mathematician, Carl Friedrich Gauss, cool.

Wilbur: I do not.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: I don't need to go to bed. I'm not tired, I'll be fine.

[Y/N]: But, darling, I'll be so lonely without you. Come curl up in my arms so I can feel whole again.

Wilbur: O-oh. Well. Are you trying to seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns??

[Y/N]: Is it working?

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: [Y/N] just said "I have an appetite for destruction" and then they reached down and untied my shoe.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: Swear words are illegal now. If you say one you'll be fined.

Wilbur: Heck.

[Y/N]: You're on thin f*cking ice.

[Y/N]: Oh no-

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: Honestly, I am so evil. So full of darkness. I feed of the souls of the living I strike fear into-

[Y/N]: You sleep with a teddybear.

Wilbur: He’s my sECOND IN COMMAND IN MY ARMY OF DARKNESS!!

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: Some of us are still ‘it’ from a childhood game of tag.

Wilbur: way to just f*ck me up on a Tuesday.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: I think I just figured something out. I got to go.

Wilbur: Aren't you forgetting something?

[Y/N]: Uuh...*hesitantly kisses Wilbur's forehead before running out.*

Wilbur: No, pay your bill! D*mn, who raised you?

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: I desire moisture.

Wilbur: Please just say "I want water" like a normal person.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: Let’s watch Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

[Y/N]: Okay.

Wilbur: And make out during the scary parts.

[Y/N]: Th-

[Y/N]: The scary parts.

[Y/N]: Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: When was the last time you cried?

Wilbur: Uh 15 minutes ago, why??

[Y/N]: really? That recent?

Wilbur: Yeah *voice crack* is that an issue? *starts crying again*

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: There's something I have to ask about you-know-who.

[Y/N]: Voldemort?

Wilbur: No.

[Y/N]: Is it Voldemort?

Wilbur: It's not Voldemort.

[Y/N]: You haven’t mentioned wizards once in this conversation, so I’m gonna have to assume it’s Voldemort.

♡ ─ ♡

[Y/N]: Please could you go to the shop and get a carton of milk, if they have avocados get six.

Wilbur, coming back from the store with six cartons of milk: They had avocados!

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: That was so hot, [Y/N].

[Y/N]: I literally called the person who just flirted with you a degenterate dog and told them I hope they get dragged through the streets.

Wilbur: I'm so in love with you.

♡ ─ ♡

Wilbur: You want some leftovers?

[Y/N]: What are those?

Wilbur: You've never had leftovers before?

[Y/N]: No, ‘cause I’m not a quitter

♡ ─ ♡

#mcyt #wilbur soot #wilbur soot x reader #dream smp #wilbur soot incorret quotes #dream smp incorrect quotes

275 notes · View notes

clear-as-starlight · 3 years ago

Text

Nathan Hale’s Death vs the Primary Sources

(aka did William Hull actually know anything?)

“The first the Americans heard of Hale’s death was on the evening of the twenty-second [September 1776], when Captain John Montresor…an aide de camp to General Howe, approached an outpost…under flag of truce. His main business…did not concern Hale, but was to transport to Washington a letter from Howe offering an exchange of high-ranking prisoners. Joseph Reed, accompanied by General Israel Putnam and Captain Alexander Hamilton, rode to meet him. After passing over the letter, he casually added that one Nathan Hale, a Captain, had been executed that morning.”

This passage comes from “Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring” by Alexander Rose and it, along with the wonderful @queerrevolution1776 inspired me to go on a (brief) primary source deep dive of Hale’s death. A challenge, given the lack of primary sources surrounding Hale’s spy work, and the tall tales that grew up around it.

I started here: Why was Hamilton there? He was not an aide-de-camp at this point, why would he be present? And that question, my friends, led to a whole host of others!

(Info under the cut because there is a lot, and it’s fascinating :))

The (Un)reliability of Recollection

The idea of Hamilton having been present to hear of Hale’s fate, so far as I can see, is first related in “Revolutionary Services and Civil Life of General William Hull”, a biography based on Hull’s unpublished memoirs, and written by his daughter, Maria Hull Campbell:

“In a few days, an Officer came to our camp, under a flag of truce, and informed Hamilton, then a Captain of the Artillery, but afterwards an aide to General Washington, that Captain Hale had been arrested within the British lines, condemned as a Spy, and executed that morning. I learned the melancholy particulars from this officer, who was present at his execution, and seemed touched by the circumstances attending it.”

William Hull was a friend of Hale’s from Yale, and they were both in the 19th Regiment, before Hale transferred to Knowlton’s Rangers. A lot of what we know of Hale’s death seems to come from Hull’s memoirs, right down to his (possibly incorrect and/or exaggerated) final words: “I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Hull was a close friend of Hale’s, so it does make some sense that he’d know something of it. However, the above biography was written in 1848, and related conversations that had taken place a long time earlier. Campbell herself admits she includes conversations not even present in her father’s memoirs.

Though her book is not the only 18th/19th century one about Hale’s death, it quickly became clear that all of them were based on conversations with Hull. The first time the name ‘Nathan Hale’ even entered the public conscious properly after the war was in 1799, in Hannah Adams’ “A Summary History of New England and General Sketch of the American War” where she writes: “The compiler of this History of New England is indebted to Gen. Hull of Newton for this interesting account of Captain Hale.”

Hale isn’t mentioned again until 1824, in a book by Jedediah Morse, who says he got his info from Adams, who in turn got it from Hull. It seems likely, then, that the idea of Hamilton being there (and indeed, that most of what we know) came from Hull’s supposed recollection, 20+ years after the event took place.

Now, this is not to say that Hull was lying. Return records show that he and his Regiment were certainly present at “Camp near to Harlem Heights” with Washington’s forces at the time that Washington would have been given the information about Hale, and we know Hamilton and his Artillery were present also, as it is at Harlem Heights that he apparently first came to Washington’s notice (according to John C. Hamilton). It did seem a bit strange though, to both me and @queerrevolution1776 , for Hull or Hamilton to have met with an official flag of truce, when they were both only Captains, and not on Washington’s staff (he’d only just become aware of Hamilton’s existence, after all).

Washington makes no mention of either of them in his correspondence, instead writing to Jonathan Trumbull Sr. that it was Colonel Joseph Reed whom Howe’s aide, John Montresor, met with. It makes sense that Reed would have met with Montresor, given his position on Washington’s staff. Reed is mentioned in Rose’s book, but not Hull’s account, and I thought that was a discrepancy worth a look. Hull, writing after the fact, mentions only Hamilton, who by then was a well-known, and scandalous, public figure. Reed, on the other hand, was nowhere near as popular, and perhaps did not serve as such an interesting figure in a story about Hull’s friend, one of America’s earliest spies.

Sure, Hamilton could have been nearby, or overheard the discussion, and in turn told Hull what he had heard—which could explain why Hale’s last moments have been exaggerated, or perhaps accidentally falsified, given that a British officer who was present apparently heard: “It the duty of every good officer, to obey any orders given him by his commander in chief” and not what is so often recounted. Even a newspaper (The Essex Journal) publishing an account five months later, quoted Hale as having said: “If I had ten thousand lives I would lay them all down, if called to it, in defence of my injured, bleeding country”—No one seems quite able to agree exactly what he said! Hull may well have also told his children he was there to make the story seem more personal, and exciting.

(And I’m really starting to doubt that Hamilton was at the meeting at all. It’s never mentioned in any of his writing, or in the John C Hamilton biography)

There’s no “official” reports of Hale’s death either (excepting the noting of his death on the 22nd September casualty list) which is why so much has relied heavily on what Hull claimed to have been told. When Washington wrote Trumbull about the flag of truce meeting the next day, he was mostly concerned with the fire that had engulfed New York the day before, and the claims that Continental soldiers and spies had set it. The only possible reference we have from him that concerned the meeting between Reed and Montresor, with perhaps an oblique reference to Hale, is as follows:

“On Friday night about eleven or twelve o’Clock a fire broke out in the City of New York, which burning rapidly till after Sunrise next morning, destroyed a great number of Houses—By what means it happened we do not know; but the Gentleman who brought the letter out last night from General Howe, and who was one of his Aid De Camps informed Colo. Reed that several of our Countrymen had been punished with various deaths on account of it. Some by hanging, others by burning & c. alledging that they were apprehended when committing the fact.”

Howe himself never mentioned Hale explicitly in official correspondence between him and Washington, and Washington never did either. In fact, neither of them mentioned the spies or the fire to one another at all, concerned with prisoner exchanges, and the accusation of ill-treatment of British prisoners (Howe to Washington 21st September 1776 and Washington to Howe 23rd September 1776). Hale, and his fate, was unfortunately left to Montresor’s verbal account, and Hull’s dubious reporting.

Tench Tilghman on Hale’s Death

In terms of other primary correspondence that might reference Hale’s death, even remotely, we have accounts from Washington’s aide-de-camp, Tench Tilghman.

Firstly, Tilghman wrote his father, James Tilghman, on the 25th September 1776, of the events and executions surrounding the fire. He was sent to deliver Washington’s reply to Howe’s camp under another flag of truce the day after Montresor’s, and spoke with some men in Howe’s camp then:

“Reports concerning the setting fire to New York: If it was done designedly, it was without the knowledge or Approbation of any commanding officer in this Army…every man belonging to the Army who remained in or were found near the City were made close prisoners. Many Acts of barbarous cruelty were committed upon poor creatures who were perhaps flying from the flames, the Soldiers and Sailors looked upon all who were not in the military line as guilty, and burnt and cut to pieces many. But this I am sure was not by Order. Some were executed next day upon good Grounds… I went down to the Enemy's lines yesterday with a Flag to settle the Exchange of prisoners…I met a very civil Gentleman with whom I had an Hours conversation…”

In Rose’s book, he mentions Hull & Colonel Samuel B. Webb going with Tilghman to the camp to further question Montresor about Hale. Webb, another aide-de-camp to Washington, may well have gone. But it seems a bit strange for Hull to have done so. And Hull’s account did not mention Webb, or Tilghman, which is also a bit odd. Rose made no note of his source for this, but I’d like to find it! Perhaps it’s mentioned in Webb’s journals, something I’d have to travel to Yale to see :(

Tilghman did, eventually, mention Hale explicitly, though not by name, when he wrote to Egbert Benson on 3rd October 1776:

“I am sorry that your Convention do not think themselves legally authorized to make examples of those villains they have apprehended…The General is determined if he can bring some of them in his hand’s under the denomination of spies, to execute them. General Howe hanged a Captain of ours belonging to Knowlton' s Rangers, who went into New-York to make discoveries. I don’t see why we should not make retaliation.”

So he definitely knew of Hale’s death by then, and it seemed to anger him greatly.

Miscellaneous Reports of Hale’s Death

There were also reports made by various others, that mention explicitly, or might imply, Hale’s death:

“Friday last we discovered a vast cloud of smoke arising from the north part of the city, which continued '‘ill Saturday evening…those that were found on or near the spot were pitched into the conflagration, some hanged by their heals, others by their necks with their throats cut. Inhuman barbarity! One Hale in New York, on suspicion of being a spy, was taken up and dragged without ceremony to the execution post and hung up.” (A Letter from September 28th 1776)

“We hanged up a rebel spy the other day, and some soldiers got, out of a rebel Gentleman’s garden, a painted soldier on a board, and hung it along with the Rebel; and wrote upon it, General Washington, and I saw it yesterday beyond headquarters by the roadside.” (Kentish Gazette, November 1776)

“A spy from the enemy (by his own full confession) apprehended last night, was this day executed at 11 o’clock in front of Artillery Park.” (General Howe’s diary)

“The Enemy charged some stragglers of our people that happened to be in New York with having set the City on Fire designedly and took that occasion as we were told to exercise some inhuman Crueltys on those poor Wretches that were in their power.” (Committee of Secret Correspondence to Silas Deane 1st October 1776)

What does all this mean?

Hamilton probably wasn’t there (but I can’t make a call on that for sure!)

basically, it’s clear that the primary sources on Hale’s death are few, and somewhat contradictory in places. I found it super interesting, and thought y’all might too! Please keep in mind I’m not calling William Hull a liar (and I definitely haven’t done anywhere near enough research to say anything conclusively!)

But I definitely think it’s always worth examining what we think we know from primary sources. And it’s very fun!

#this took me literal days to collate so I hope y’all find it as interesting as I did #should’ve been doing uni work but no regrets #we all know history research makes me ridiculously happy #nathan hale #William Hull #alexander hamilton #tench tilghman #spy work #September 1776 #american revolution #amrev #tw: death #izz gets historical #izz rambles

61 notes · View notes

diirthara-ma · 4 years ago

Text

“On Skyhold” Codex Entry Translation

The codex entry “On Skyhold” contains elven writing which references the elven name of Skyhold (“Tarasyl’an telas”), found written underneath a pillar in some of the older parts of the fortress. The Skyhold archivist notes that the writing is “old but still [written] long after the place had been built over.” Only part of the writing survives:

Var'landivalis him sa'bellanaris san elgar

Melanada him sa'miras fena'taldin (word missing)

Nadasalin telrevas ne suli telsethenera

Tarasyl'an te'las vehn'ir abelath'vir (word missing)

The translation provided was put together by the archivist, with the assistance of Solas. The archivist notes that, even with Solas’s help, they still “managed only a partial translation.” Here is the translation given in the codex entry, along with the archivist’s notes:

Our belief transformed into everything. (assertation/problem? uncertain)

All time is transformed into the final/first death (uncertain),

Inevitable/threatened victory and horrible/promised freedom in the untorn veils, (uncertain)

Where the sky is held up/back, where the people give/gain love that is an apology/promise from/to....(missing subject, uncertain)

While I think the archivist’s translation here isn’t actually *incorrect*, I thought it could be interesting to break this down word-for-word and see if anything new can be gleaned from it. As the archivist even notes in this codex entry, “Elven is often a game of intents, not direct mapping of phonetic meaning. That means it's a mess.” Additionally, the fact that Solas helped them translate makes me think there are potentially parts that he purposely simplified or concealed the meaning of when translating.

My word-for-word translation and musings are below the cut:

Var'landivalis him sa'bellanaris san elgar

“Our belief transformed into everything. (assertation/problem? uncertain)”

Var’landivalis = “our belief”; an elision of var + glandivalis

var = “our”; Var Bellanaris is translated by Keeper Gisharel as “our eternity” (from the quote here); Emma solas him var din'an is translated as “Arrogance became our end”, literally “____(?) pride became our death-place” (from the codex entry Tracing from the Temple Doors)

glandivalis = “belief”; in the poem “Where Willows Wail” we see the line Ir tela’ena glandival, vir amin tel’hanin translated as “When we could no longer believe, we lost glory to war”

him = “to become/to make (into)”, “to transform”; as I discussed here

sa’bellanaris = “____-eternity/forever”; possibly a contraction of sa and bellanaris, “one eternity”?

sa = “one”; it’s entirely possible that this is actually a shortening of a larger word, but sa is so short it’s hard to even guess at what the full word would be

bellanaris = “eternity”, “forever”, “many years”; the elven dictionary in World of Thedas Volume 1 translates it as “eternity”; Var Bellanaris is translated by Keeper Gisharel as “our eternity” (here); the Dalish translator in “Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 3” translates it as “forever”; Asha’bellanar, the name the Dalish give Flemeth, is translated by a Dalish elf in The Stolen Throne as “The Woman of Many Years”, asha = woman and therefore bellanar means “many-years”

san = ????? San doesn’t seem to play a direct role in the arcanist’s translation, and while we’ve seen the word like a half-dozen times it’s not clear from any of those contexts what the word actually means? I’m going to try to puzzle it out in another one of these elven language posts at some point in the future.

elgar = “spirit’; it’s strange to me that this word doesn’t seem to factor into the archivist’s translation at all, this seems like a definite sign that his translation is incomplete

Thoughts:

I’m not sure why elgar doesn’t factor into the archivist’s translation at all? Or why they translate sa’bellanaris as “everything”, unless they’re interpreting “one-eternity/forever” as meaning “many”? Like an infinite number of things? Maybe they’re translating the whole phrase sa'bellanaris san elgar as “everything”?

Some possible translations include “Our beliefs transformed our eternal spirits” or “Our faith/belief [in Fen’Harel] transformed our immortality and spirits”---referencing the elves losing immortality bc of the actions of Fen’Harel and his people?

Or perhaps “Our beliefs transformed our spirits into eternal/immortal ones.”---referencing the beginnings of the elves? That they were once spirits, and then became immortal, physical beings?

Melanada him sa'miras fena'taldin (word missing)

“All time is transformed into the final/first death (uncertain)”

melanada = Something to do with time; melana is translated as “time” in the codex entry In Uthenera; da as a prefix normally means “little”, that doesn’t seem to be the case with it here, as a suffix?; Melana + nadas? “Inevitable time?”; melana is also translated as “now” in the codex entry Tracing from Temple Doors, perhaps melana + nadas = “it is now inevitable?”

him = “to become/to make (into)”, “to transform”

sa'miras = I’m not sure if this pairs with the next word and *together* the archivist takes them to mean “final/first death”, or if this is separate and just means “into” or for some reason doesn’t factor into their translation?; clearly another contraction, sa + miras ?; it’s possible that if the sa here means “one” that this word means “first”

sa = as previously mentioned, sa means “one” but we don’t know if this is actually an elision and, if it is, how how much of the first word was lost

miras = possibly related to mir, “my”?; to my knowledge we don’t have any other words that would be related to this

fena'taldin = This is clearly part of what the archivist is translating as “the first/final death”, given the word din

fena = ??? the only related word we have is fen, which obviously means “wolf”, but I’m not sure that’s relevant? I guess it’s possible that fena’taldin is referencing death caused by the Dread Wolf, but that doesn’t seem likely to me; it also seems unlikely to me that either sa’miras or fena’tal translates *literally* as “final”, given that both halam and din are already used to mean “final/end”

taldin = something to do with death (tal + din); the only word related to tal that I know of is Keeper Marethari’s surname, Talas, which we don’t know the translation of

(word missing) = Given that there are so many unidentifiable words in this section, it’s hard to make even a wild guess at what could be missing here. Potentially something about the Veil? Or uthenera?

Thoughts:

This section has so many unidentifiable parts it’s difficult to make even a guess at a translation beyond what is said by the Skyhold archivist. The only parts we can reliably translate basically give us “Time(?) become/transform _____(?) _____(?)-death.”

From the archivist’s translation, I’m assuming this is about the elves losing their immortality, hence “final/first death,” referencing that people started dying of old age for the first time?

Nadasalin telrevas ne suli telsethenera

“Inevitable/threatened victory and horrible/promised freedom in the untorn veils, (uncertain)”

nadasalin = If this elision breaks down the way the archivist seems to think it does, it should be nadas + enasalin; it’s interesting that the archivist also suggests “threatened victory” as a translation, perhaps from the general tone of the sentence they get the impression that the fact that victory is inevitable is bad?

nadas = “inevitable/inevitably”, “something that must be”; from the elven dictionary in WoT v1

salin = from enasalin, “victory”; the codex entry “Enasalin” translates Enasalin'abelas as "sorrowful victory", literally “victory-sorrow”

telrevas = Translated by the archivist as “horrible freedom” or “promised freedom”, it seems to be a contraction of tel + revas, so literally “not-freedom”. Therefore I think the definition the archivist is trying to get at is a sort of “false freedom,” a promised freedom that turned out to be horrible. Another possible translation might be “un-freedom,” as in the opposite of freedom, so potentially “slavery”?

tel = “not”; Wisdom says Tel’abelas to Solas during the quest “All-New, Faded for Her” and it’s translated as “I’m not sorry”; Tel garas Solasan is translated as “Come not to a prideful place” (“not” + “come” + “pride-place”) in the codex entry “Tracing from the Temple Doors”

revas = “freedom”; from the elven dictionary in WoT v1; in The Last Flight, when Isseya sees that her griffon is named Revas, she thinks to herself that “it was an Elvish word: ‘freedom’”

ne = there isn’t much precedent for the word ne, one of the only places we’ve heard it is when Solas tells Abelas Malas amelin ne halam, which Solas translates as “I hope you find a new name,” but the phrase definitely doesn’t *literally* translate to that; perhaps this is what the archivist is translating as “in”?; potentially related to nae, which means “no”?

suli = we’ve not seen this word anywhere else; we’ve got a lot of elven words that start with “sul-” (sulahn, suledin, sulevin) but it’s difficult to know which, if any, of these words suli would be related to; perhaps this is what the archivist is translating as “untorn”?

telsethenera = tel + sethenera, something like “not-Fade” or “the absence of the Fade”? I think this word is the part the archivist is translating as “veils”

tel = “not”

sethenera = another name for the Fade?; setheneran is translated as “land of waking dreams” by Tamlen in the Dalish Origin, he says Hahren Paivel uses it to refer to places where the Veil is thin/weak; in “Where Willows Wail” from WoT v2 sethen’a is translated as “the land of dreams” (it’s noted that a “form of lyrical shorthand” is used in this song, which might explain the shortening of sethenera to sethen’a); theneras is translated as “dreams” in the codex entry Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 3

Thoughts:

A possible translation is “The inevitable victory of the (untorn? untearable?) Veil brought nothing but a false freedom.” or “The Veil was a false freedom and a pyrrhic victory.”---the victory of Fen’Harel and his people after the Veil went up ended up not bringing the elvhen people the freedom Solas had promised, but instead cut the elves off from the Fade. This had catastrophic effects on elven society: it destroyed buildings, caused people to start aging and dying, cut many elves off from magic, etc.

Tarasyl'an te'las vehn'ir abelath'vir (word missing)

“Where the sky is held up/back, where the people give/gain love that is an apology/promise from/to....(missing subject, uncertain)”

tarasyl'an = “Sky-keep/hold-place”; this is what Morrigan says the ancient elven name of Skyhold was, and she translates it as “the place where the sky is kept”

tara = “sky”?

syl = I’m curious if this is the part that means “kept/held”; this would match up with Sylaise potentially being literally translated as “hearthkeeper”; however it would also potentially conflict with Dirthamen literally translating as “keeper of secrets”

an = a suffix that denotes that the noun is a place; Solasan is translated as “prideful place” in the codex entry “Tracing from Temple Doors” https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Codex_entry:_Tracing_from_Temple_Doors)

te'las = In the last addition to the “On Skyhold” codex entry, Solas says that the name of Skyhold is not just tarasyl'an---“some simplistic allusion to holding up the sky”---but that the full elven name is tarasyl’an telas, meaning “the place where the sky was held back”; therefore I think te’las translates to something like “not shared” or “not given,” making Skyhold’s full literal name something like “Sky-keep/hold-place not-given”

te = from tel, “not”

las = “give/grant”; in the codex entry Tracing from Temple Doors, Melana en athim las enaste is translated as “Now let humility grant favor”; in the codex entry Torn Notebook in the Deep Roads, Section 3, the phrase Mythal las ma theneras is translated as “Mythal gives you dreams”

vehn'ir = given that the archivist translates this as something to do with “people”, I think this might be a misspelling? I think it’s probably meant to be vhen’ir

vehn = probably meant to be vhen, “people”; as seen in words like vhenadahl, “the tree of the people” (from the codex Vhenadahl: The Tree of the People) and elvhen, “the people”, as seen in the elven history section of WoT v1

ir = ???? as I mentioned here, it’s difficult to tell if ir is meant to be a pronoun (either “I” or “we”) or a verb, potentially “to be” or ”to have”; I feel like in this context, especially with the archivist translating this part of the sentence as “the people give/gain”, it would make sense if ir is being used as a verb, potentially “to have”?

abelath'vir = “way of sorrowful love”, “path of loving apology”, “love through sorrow/an apology”; as this is made up of three words (abe + lath + vir) it can combine in many ways

abe = from abelas, “sorrow”, “to be sorry”; from the elven dictionary in WoT v1

lath = “love”, “love of being”, “to be in love”; from the elven dictionary in WoT v1

vir = “way/path of”; Vir Tanadhal translates as “Way of the Three Trees” (from the codex entry Vir Tanadhal: The Way of the Three Trees)

(word missing) = I feel like Fen’Harel would make sense here; Evanuris could also possibly fit

Thoughts:

It’s interesting that the archivist is certain that the *subject* is missing from this sentence. I wonder how they came to that conclusion? Elven doesn’t seem to properly follow any specific word order, nor do noun declensions seem to be demarcated in any noticeable way, so how would they be able to tell? There are several other nouns here that could all be the subject of the sentence. I wonder why they specify what type of word is missing here and not in the other phrase that’s missing a word?

One possible translation for this would be something like “Where the sky was held back, people give love as an apology to Fen’Harel”---Perhaps saying that, after the Veil was created, elves continued to travel to the site to essentially try to convince Fen’Harel to take the Veil back down? Like, they would give him “love”--offerings, worship him, etc.--hoping it would make him change his mind and put things back to the way they used to be? Solas was presumably asleep at this point, and potentially wasn’t even aware yet of the ramifications of the Veil, but assuming that many elves still didn’t understand he wasn’t actually a god maybe they thought he was purposely ignoring them?

Another translation that would have a similar meaning is “Where the sky was held back, the people give love as an apology to the Evanuris.” That maybe people tried to reach out to the locked-away gods from the place where the Fade was held back, hoping that somehow they could reach them?

Another possibility, basically coming at the sentence from an opposite perspective, would be “Fen’Harel held the sky back, as a loving promise to the people.” Perhaps whoever is writing this sees what Solas did as a good thing, despite the ramifications? Or they’re trying to explain Solas’s motivations?

I’d love to see what other translations people come up with!

#elven language #skyhold #dragon age #dai #dragon age meta #solas #my meta #language meta #elvhen culture #the veil #holy shit this ended up so long #im so sorry #but honestly i just have a lot of fun translating elven????#i hope someone finds this useful!!

120 notes · View notes

dangerouscommiesubversive · 3 years ago

Text

but it is sunlight

Fandom: Kamen Rider Agito, Kamen Rider Kabuto, Kamen Rider Gaim, Kamen Rider Ghost Characters: Tsugami Shouichi, Hikawa Makoto, Tendou Souji, Kagami Arata, Kazuraba Kouta, Kureshima Takatora, Tenkuuji Takeru, Fukami Makoto, Alain Song: "Sunlight," Hozier (playlist here) Warning: Mildly NSFW--not especially explicit, but people do have sex in this story

a buried and a burning flame – i

A shared day off is rare, but it does happen sometimes, and today the weather is so warm and perfect that Makoto is content to sit on the step drinking a lemonade and watching Shouichi garden.

Their garden space here isn’t as big as the one Shouichi got used to at Professor Misugi’s house, but it’s been expanded upwards with poles and frames and other contraptions that Makoto isn’t quite clear on. Really, they’re lucky to have a plot at all—the restaurant has its own rooftop space, so it’s not like Shouichi’s hurting for plant contact, but he needs it for himself as well. Makoto’s not sure he’ll ever understand the way Shouichi craves the presence of growing things. But then, he’s just happy to see Shouichi enjoying himself.

He glances around the garden briefly as Shouichi’s murmuring over a cucumber plant and frowns. “Aren’t sunflowers always supposed to face the sun?”

“Generally, sure.” Shouichi smiles but doesn’t look up from his work. “Why?”

“Well, if they don’t then doesn’t that mean they might be sick? The sun’s south of us right now, but your flowers are facing west.”

“Our.”

“Mm?”

“It’s your garden too.”

“Well, sure, but I mean it’s really—”

“Anyway, don’t worry, if they were sick I’d know. They’re probably just a little slow today.”

Makoto’s dubious, but he nods, and Shouichi beams at him for a moment and then goes back to fussing with the cucumbers. Once he finishes with them, he does something with a tomato plant nearby, and then hurries over to a small patch of green onions on the other side of the garden.

The faces of the sunflowers move to follow him as he walks. Makoto almost misses it, catches their motion out of the corner of his eye as he, too, is turning, and then freezes as they continue to shift. “Do—did you just see that?”

Shouichi frowns. “See what?”

“Ah…no, never mind.” Makoto settles forward, elbows on his knees, watching in soft fascination as Shouichi continues to work. “It’s not that important, I probably imagined it.”

---

the icarus to your certainty – i

Tendou doesn’t make demands most of the time, but he doesn’t make suggestions either. He makes statements and then continues on in the calm assumption that they’re true.

When he gets back from his trip abroad, for example, the first conversation Arata has with him ends with, “We’ll see you for dinner at six.” It’s not an invitation, or a request, or a question. It’s just a statement of fact, its truth etched into the fabric of the universe, and so Arata gets to the house at six precisely.

There are other statements that follow, of course. Like, “I’ll see you at the same time tomorrow,” and, “Other people address me by surname, not you,” and, “It’s late, you’ll stay the night.” The thing is, Arata wants to bristle at this casual certainty, but he can’t manage it, because so far Tendou—Souji—hasn’t said anything incorrect. When he makes these statements, Arata wants them to be true, and so they becometrue by default. He shows up at the same time the next day. He says, “Souji,” instead of, “Tendou,” and is shaken by the faint, surprised smile he gets in response. He stays the night.

Tonight Souji’s making some kind of crab risotto thing, and Arata is helping, which is to say making a salad. This is already strange, since it used to be that he was barely even allowed in the kitchen. Hiyori, visiting for the evening, is sitting on the couch with Juka while Juka talks about one of her classes at Jounan University. It’s very domestic.

He finishes slicing cucumbers and is reaching for the lettuce when Souji turns to him holding a small spoon and says, “Taste this.”

On automatic, and because his hands are busy, Arata just leans forward and eats the spoonful of risotto, letting it spread out creamily over his tongue. “Mm.”

Souji is looking at him expectantly. “What do you think?”

“I think—wait, you’re actually asking me for my opinion?”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“You just…don’t usually ask for opinions.”

“Not from other people, no, but other people aren’t you.”

Arata laughs in warm surprise. “Really? What makes me so different?”

He’s not really expecting an answer, but Souji looks at him for a long moment and then says, “If all of humanity were alchemically distilled into one specimen exhibiting only its finest qualities, that specimen would be you.”

Arata stares at him. “I. You. Are…is this a quotation, are you quoting something?”

Another one of the faint, surprised smiles he’s gotten to like seeing. “No. But perhaps someday, someone else will quote me, and rest assured, the recipient of the quotation will not deserve it nearly as much as you.” And, before Arata can really process that, “I would appreciate your opinion on the risotto now.”

“I…it’s really delicious, but. Maybe it could use a pinch more salt?”

Souji nods firmly. “I’d suspected as much. Thank you.”

He returns to his cooking, reaching for one of the little pots of salt next to the stove, and leaves Arata to cut up lettuce and try to figure out what just happened.

---

i had been lost to you – i

Kouta’s visits are infrequent, inconsistent, and never announced. The most warning Takatora ever gets is a sudden, powerful waft of flowers and fruit, moments before a zipper opens in the air in front of him. He’s gotten used to it, as much as one can get used to something like that.

(Kouta always comes to him. His house has more privacy than most other spots Kouta knows in Zawame, and anyway, according to him, “You’re always easy for me to find.”

Sometimes those visits are for “work,” as Kouta calls it, and he stays only for a brief moment before rushing off to whatever world-ending crisis has caught his attention. More often, though, the reason is nothing more than, “Things are aligned correctly right now, and I missed Zawame.”

He’s sitting in the park now, on a bench under a camellia tree. A casual observer wouldn’t look at him and see a god, just a smiling young man in a plaid shirt and dark jeans, shoes kicked off so that he can curl his bare toes in the grass. Maybe he’s waiting to meet a girlfriend, or a boyfriend; maybe he’s just enjoying the good weather. As Takatora watches, though, a squirrel runs down the trunk of the camellia tree and leaps onto Kouta’s shoulder, and he turns and beams at it, apparently listening intently to its chattering. A jay is perched on his knee. Two stray cats are sprawled on the grass flanking him like indolent sentries, and a dog with a collar, probably lost, is curled up against his hip on the bench.

He lifts a hand, cupped, and Takatora knows without being able to see it that his palm is filling with seeds, manifesting as if from his skin. He’s done it before. The squirrel runs downs his arm and begins to stuff itself, the jay hopping from his knee to his fingertips to do the same. With his other hand he reaches up absently to catch a gleaming red apple that drops down from the camellia tree and begins to eat. Only the plants nearby lean away from him, which seems strange until Takatora realizes that they’re not really leaning, they’re growing, extending outward from his presence like an aura, the grass increasingly tall around his ankles.

How strange to see him at peace. And what an astonishing thing, that he should turn his face even for a moment from the new world he guides and his cosmically-designated beloved to walk once more in the city that treated him so poorly.

(She doesn’t visit. She can’t set foot outside of her hallowed forest now. But Takatora did get to speak to her, once, and he knelt and begged her forgiveness for all that he allowed to happen and received in return a kiss so gentle and yet searing in its benediction that even now he can feel it on his skin, and sometimes has to look in the mirror to see if she left a mark on his forehead.)

“Hey!” Kouta is waving to him with the hand holding the apple core. “Takatora! Are you done with your meeting thing? Come on over, I want to hear everything that’s happened since the last time I was here.”

Takatora blinks and nods, shocked out of his reverie, and heads over to the camellia tree. The stray cats scatter as he approaches, but none of the other animals move, so after barely a moment’s hesitation he sits down in the grass at Kouta’s feet, unmindful of his suit, and says, “Well, reconstruction work is nearly finished, we’ve only got two or three more buildings left to repair. Did I tell you about the dance classes at the new community center?”

“The ones that Zack and Peko are running? I think you mentioned them a little last time, did those finally start?”

Camellias bloom out of season over their heads. “Yes, only a few weeks ago. There may be a few other Beat Riders assisting as well, possibly by running additional courses, apparently enrollment was well past what anyone had anticipated.” Takatora leans against Kouta’s shin as the grass slowly creeps up past his knees, comforted by his radiant warmth. “And Mitsuzane’s continuing to enjoy university, he’s going to be working for one of his professors next semester as a teaching assistant…”

---

love and its decisive pain – i

Being around Takeru is a strange experience now, because by simply existing he exerts a spiritual pressure unlike anything else Alain’s ever encountered. The pressure isn’t negative, but it is constant, the weight of a higher reality radiating from his skin. Or, not a higherreality—Alain isn’t sure what it is, but Takeru’s certainly of the human world.

Alain isn’t sure if people who aren’t from the Ganma World even notice it. Certainly he’s seen Javert twitch minutely when handing Takeru something, he’s seen how Igor goes tense around him, even Alia’s been known to flinch away from the intensity of his proximity. Are they unusually sensitive, or are the people of the human world just numb to it?

Perhaps it’s nothing new, and he’s just always been like that and that’s why people don’t notice. Makoto would know—he’s of the Ganma World now, even if he came to it late. “Has Takeru always had such…presence?”

Makoto glances at him, and then over at Takeru, who’s crouching to offer a rice ball to a child sniffling on the temple steps. The child takes it, hand brushing Takeru’s, and relaxes in the same way that Igor might tense at the same contact, perceptibly basking in that unseen but powerfully felt aura.

“No,” Makoto says. “No, this is new. He wasn’t like this before. Or at least he wasn’t like this when we were young.”

Somehow this answer isn’t reassuring at all. “I see. That’s…it’s a lot.”

“It is, isn’t it.”

That’s the point at which Takeru hears them and looks up, face transformed by delight at the sight of them. “Makoto! Alain! When did you get here?” Behind him, Narita comes forward to walk the sniffling child over to a quieter corner, asking her as they go whether she knows either of her parents’ phone numbers. Takeru waves goodbye to her, beaming, and then hurries across the room to crash into Makoto’s arms, and Alain can see Makoto being overtaken by that benevolent pressure. “You didn’t tell me you were coming! Nothing’s going on, right? Everything’s ok? Who’s taking care of things in the Ganma World?”

“Everything’s fine,” Makoto says into Takeru’s hair. “Alia’s got everything under control.”

“This is a social call,” Alain adds, and is favored with an embrace of his own, knees almost buckling under the warmth of Takeru’s presence. “We just missed you.”

“I missed you both too. I hope you’ll be here for a couple of days, at least?” The weight of his joyful expectation is so much that Alain can only nod. “Wonderful! Here, come on, you’re both probably hungry, let’s go get takoyaki.”

He’s human, Alain realizes as Takeru’s fingers wrap around his and he feels that shiver run through him again. That’s all it is, and also everything that it is. More than anyone else in this realm, he is human.

What an extraordinary thing.

“I’d like that,” Alain says out loud, and Takeru is already grabbing Makoto’s hand as well. “It’s been a while since we shared a meal.”

“It has, hasn’t it? Let’s go, you two can tell me all the news while we’re eating.”

---

a buried and a burning flame – ii

For the most part Shouichi doesn’t initiate. It’s not that he’s not enthusiastic about sex, he’s just an awful tease. Little gestures, bumps and brushes, obvious double entendre that he then winkingly denies; he’d rather drive Makoto to distraction and pretend innocence until Makoto finally loses patience and backs him up against the nearest wall. He even admitted to it once, in an unguarded moment of drowsiness. “I like when you do that, it’s fun. And it’s not like I can just ask you to.”

“You could, though,” Makoto had said, but Shouichi had already drifted off.

They’ve been together all day, but Makoto can barely remember any of it clearly except Shouichi. Everything else fades into the background when faced with the vividness of his smile.

Makoto’s shirt is somewhere back in the living room, he thinks maybe on the couch. They’ve been trying to get Shouichi’s shirt off, but that’s been a tougher prospect, because it’s a pullover. Finally, though, it comes off over his head and lands on the floor, and Makoto presses him to the wall again. And now, even more vivid than his smile is the feeling of his skin, burn-hot against Makoto’s lips and hands and chest, his fingers like a brand curling around the back of Makoto’s neck as Makoto kisses his throat.

They barely make it to the bedroom.

The heat of him is extraordinary, feverish, it would be frightening if Makoto wasn’t used to it. He is, though, they’ve been together for years now, so instead his own thoughts can melt away in the face of Shouichi and his pleasure, the taste of him, the sound of his breathless cries, Shouichi arching up against him. Sure, he gets off somewhere in there too, but the important thing is Shouichi, climaxing underneath him with a gasp of, “Makoto,” and a kiss that Makoto would be willing to end the world for.

Afterwards, they lie wrapped around each other in a state of abstracted bliss until Shouichi mumbles something about being thirsty, at which point Makoto extricates himself despite the attendant sleepy protests and heads to the kitchen with a blanket around his waist to get drinks. Passing the bathroom on the way back, he pauses, frowning, at the sliver of his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

It hadn’t been sunny enough today to get a real sunburn, but there’s a sunburn on the back of his neck nevertheless, bright red although not painful. He sets down one of the glasses, reaches up and covers it almost perfectly.

When he realizes what it is—although Shouichi’s palm is slightly broader than his, Shouichi’s fingers slightly shorter—he blushes and picks up the glass again, heading for the bedroom, hoping that his hair is long enough that no one at work asks about the handprint burned into his skin.

---

the icarus to your certainty – ii

It’s not always so precipitous.

Normally they have to be quiet, because normally there’s at least one other person in the house. And in any case, Souji dislikes rush—he’ll approach anything and everything with a plan in mind, sex included.

Tonight, though, after dinner finished, Juka distributed a round of cheek kisses and then gathered up her bag and headed out, to meet up with a university friend she’s doing a project with. Hiyori left shortly after that. (She rarely stays the night anyway, she doesn’t like to leave her parakeet alone.) They’re alone in the house unless the Zecters are around somewhere, and they mostly keep to themselves, they’re hardly company in the same way.

But.

Precipitous.

They do dishes together, in comfortable silence, and once that’s done and his washing gloves are off Souji turns to make one of those true statements. Except that Arata decides he doesn’t feel like hearing one right now, so before Souji’s even gotten through one word Arata takes a step forward and kisses him, bracketing him against the edge of the counter with both arms. Souji makes one of those little surprised noises and drapes his arms over Arata’s shoulders and pulls him closer, and a couple of minutes later Arata’s hands shift down to lift and Souji’s legs wrap around his waist, and.

It’s good that they have the house to themselves.

They can’t stay at the kitchen counter, because it’s a bad height and also that’s not sanitary, and the dinner table won’t support their weight, which is a lesson they learned the hard way. The couch is an option, though, and it’s not easy to get over there with another person wrapped around him, but it is doable. He sits, or more lands, with a thump, Souji in his lap, Souji’s hands on the sides of his face tilting his chin up, and for some while lets himself be overwhelmed by having all of Souji’s considerable attention focused on him.

A pause for breath, for the removal of at least some clothing (and if Souji fumbles Arata’s shirt buttons, Arata’s going to save the memory for himself and certainly never mention it), for—“Are you all right?”

For Souji looking down at him, dizzy-eyed, and saying, slowly, “Your depths are such that I think I could drown in you.”

Arata reaches up, takes hold of his wrists, thumbs rubbing gently across the pulse points. “I mean, I can’t get poetic about it like you can,” more quietly than warranted given that they’re alone, “but you’re so much that sometimes I feel I could burn up, so that seems like a fair trade.”

He’s expecting that surprised look, but it doesn’t come, because what he gets instead is a kiss that would definitely have him on his ass in seconds if he wasn’t already sitting down. “More than fair.”

---

i had been lost to you – ii

Even before his apotheosis Kouta was a man built for pleasure. It must have been a glorious accident of his birth, Takatora thinks, that on his mouth smiles are so natural, that his body responds to any rhythm with grace, that he laughs so easily. Takatora has lived his entire life on the far other end of that spectrum—at best, he might call himself austere—but he can’t bring himself to be jealous of such an infectious and in-born joy. He can only hope to increase it, in whatever way he can.

So he kneels.

It isn’t worship, because Kouta will not accept his worship. Or anyone else’s, for that matter, he may be a god but he refuses to be treated like one. But love, as a great man once said, is a sacrament best taken kneeling, and while there are many points Kouta will argue, Takatora’s esteem and affection for him are not one of them.

Really, though, Kouta isn’t saying anything especially coherent right now.

His unnecessary but habitual breathing is coming short, and his hair flickers from deep brown to unearthly gold as his concentration disintegrates. If his eyes weren’t squeezed shut, they, too, would be flickering. His fingers, curled on the edge of the bed, have flowers blooming between them. And Takatora, the indirect cause of this riotous growth and rendered speechless for more immediately physical reasons, continues until his lips are numb and Kouta is pulling him up and flattening him to the bed with a kiss.

“You don’t have to stop me, you know I wouldn’t mind if you—”

“No,” and a kiss, “no, we don’t know if it could—” and another kiss, “so no, even though you know I, you know—Takatora, I—” and the dissolution of coherence once again, now for both of them, as Takatora dizzily allows himself to be subsumed by Kouta’s passion and enthusiasm.

The first few times he was able to visit, afterglow involved actual glowing on Kouta’s part, which was the cause of some mutual hysteria—Takatora doesn’t want to call it giggling, but that’s really the accurate term. The glow’s under control now, and Kouta lies against him, asleep, and does not look more divine than any other beautiful man in repose.

There are still flowers blooming on the edge of the bed, red and orange against the plain bedspread. They’ll be scolded away later, but for the moment they are bright and strong and vivid. Takatora, drowsy himself, drifts off gazing at them, Kouta’s arms tight around his waist.

---

love and its decisive pain – ii

They are devoted partners, and thus Takeru’s anger is their anger, Takeru’s sorrow is their sorrow, Takeru’s joy is their joy, and, most crucially in this moment, with the dawn not arrived and the day yet to start and make them all busy, Takeru’s pleasure is their pleasure. And because he is who he is, because he feels everything with such strength and fervency that it radiates from him like sunlight, it is such pleasure. On his back, hands above his head, eyes bound, he has given himself over to their loving mercy and yet the weight of his existence is still enough to envelope them both.

Alain leans down to kiss the smiling mouth below the blindfold and say, softly, “Is there something you want?”

“Isn’t the point of this that you two are making the decisions?” Takeru sounds like he might laugh.

Alain glances over Takeru’s chest at Makoto, who is already looking over at him, and who raises an eyebrow before saying, “Is that a serious question or are you just being difficult?”

It’s definitely suppressed laughter. “A little of both, really. I want you to do what you want. I trust you.”

So they do what they want, which, gloriously weighed down by Takeru’s unconditional trust, is what he wants too. And what they want is to kiss, to touch, to take their pleasure in ways that render him arch-backed and breathless and crying out as they take their turns on him. They take their pleasure until he’s coming in an unexpected avalanche of laughter which, like all avalanches, overtakes them as well.

Dawn is breaking, light spilling in through the open window for Takeru to flinch against as they uncover his eyes. He buries his face against Makoto’s chest as soon as his arms are free and he can move, mumbling, “It’s too bright, I’m going back to sleep, you both have to keep me company since you’re the ones who wore me out.”

“Right,” Makoto says drily, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as Alain is draping himself over Takeru’s back, “humans need sleep, I forget that sometimes.”

He can feel Takeru’s smile like a separate presence in the room, even though he can’t see it. “Oh, like you’re so inhuman.”

Alain presses his face to the back of Takeru’s neck and finds that, at least for the moment, the pressure of his reality is not so much a weight as it is an embrace, enfolding the three of them as they lie together drowsing. “It’s not that we are less, perhaps.” A yawn against Takeru’s warm skin, occasioning a ticklish wriggle. “It’s just that you’re so much.”

#tsugami shouichi #hikawa makoto #tendou souji #kagami arata #kazuraba kouta #kureshima takatora #tenkuuji takeru #fukami makoto #ganma alain #fanfiction #30 day shuffle challenge #god this took so long

18 notes · View notes

avasghost · 4 years ago

Text

When We Drown Update #2

[image description: a pale blue photo of a rocky cliff, and a boy at the edge in the distance, standing on a pile of rocks and looking down. in white serif font in the centre, reads “when we drown: update two” / end id]

wip intro here. first writing update here.

DISCLAIMER: this is my original work, please do not plagiarize in any way.

hi everyone! it’s been a while since i did a writing update (time is fast) and i’ve written quite a lot! up until about a week ago i was in a really, really bad writing slump (which lasted like,,, four months) and so that’s why there hasn’t been a crane anatomy update for a ages because (: i haven’t been writing it (:

i don’t know if i mentioned this in the first update, but this book is now non-linear which has been an ~adventure! the non-linear plotline is kind of freeing because i can just pick a scene i want to write from any time in april’s life and just ... write it? i don’t have to follow the years chronologically. i try to create some kind of causal thread between the scenes but i don’t know how well that’s working out lmao. since WWD follows an entire life story with the protagonist looking back on it and remembering her life, i try to make her memory of one event trigger the memory of the next event, and usually they’re linked by either emotion or information.

current word count: 13,228

so when we drown is officially longer than crane anatomy now, despite being the side project! fun.

anyway lets get into the chapters because i have nothing else to say. tw for death, and other trigger warnings are before the individual chapters!

excerpts under the cut.

chapter 5: faces

[image description: a birds eye view of a forest of snowy pine trees. above the trees in black serif font reads “chapter 5: faces” / end id]

this is a very short chapter (a page and a half) which is a flash forward to when april and elena live together in a cabin in the woods sometime in their late forties. elena is asleep in an armchair and april stokes the fireplace, and then goes outside and sees elias’s ghost and then it dissapears (tbh,,, i think a lot of the chapters will be like this oops) this is the second ghost sighting in the book, but at the point when april is 48 it’s almost a regular occurrence! i might end up moving it to later in the book eventually, since i might want the ghost sightings to be in linear order if nothing else is, to keep the main thread of the book in order.

I closed the door of the woodstove, and glanced over my shoulder to see if Elena had been woken by the clanging of metal. She stirred slightly, a familiar face in her nightmare, an unfamiliar face in a familiar dream. Two fingers clenched against the armrest, then became limp again. Half of me wanted her to wake up, to see me, to speak to me, to see the fire bouncing in the grate and be happy for warmth. But again, she needed rest. She needed to be alone for a while, even if that was just in her head. She’d seen her fair share of fire.

also its snowing in november and its british columbia and i know this is unrealistic but! aesthetics are more important than logic we all know that.

[image description: blurry pine trees and a light snow falling in front of them, with a ridge of snow along the bottom. white serif text in the centre reads “The snow-tipped pines that cupped the cabin sagged under the weight of unexpected snowfall. Their fallen needles jotted the snow. The sky was white, spotless, like an expanse of faraway ocean or the inside of a crystal ball.” / end id]

The snow-tipped pines that cupped the cabin sagged under the weight of unexpected snowfall. Their fallen needles jotted the snow. The sky was white, spotless, like an expanse of faraway ocean or the inside of a crystal ball. No birds flitted between the branches, no foxes slunk between the pines. All was still. All was white. I was alone.

and the ghost is seen then disappears as usual and april goes inside again.

You were gone by the time I reached the door again, by the time I stepped inside and Elena stirred in her armchair, by the time I had stepped out of my shoes and gone to stoke the fire again, which was already starting to dwindle.

i like having elias referred to as “you” because its like april is telling the story to him, but he’s not there, so she’s talking to herself, which is very in character for her to do.

chapter 6: the party

[image description: a slope of pine trees with a grassy field at the bottom. mist shrouds the trees in the distance. a dirt path leads through the grass towards a cabin. in the top right corner, reads “chapter 6: the party” / end id]

chapter 6 follows the day before elena’s fifteenth birthday, and then her party the next day. this is a traumatic time for april because she decides she should mention her first elias sighting at the party. obviously people think she’s crazy and so you can guess how that turns out (aka april goes home and cries because she’s a soft bean)

elena has a cool tree in her backyard apparently!! this seems to be a running theme.

Dribbles of leftover sunlight sifted through the branches of the elm tree that ribbed the sky, its roots furrowing the lawn like varicose veins.

i will admit i didn’t finish this chapter and haven’t written most of the party scene yet so i will probably update on the rest of it in my next update (if i’ve written it by then which i probably won’t have but! we’ll see.)

chapter 7: sacred ground

[image description: the ocean stretching into the distance, with small waves. a blurry girl with long brown hair stands in front of it, facing the water. in the middle in white serif font reads “chapter 7: sacred ground” / end id]

the aftermath of the first elias sighting, when april goes and tries to talk to elena about it. i actually don’t know if this or the party comes first and the non-linearness might be catching up to me oops but we’ll just pretend everything makes sense okay <3

first she tries to decide who to talk to about it and her options are quite limited. she picks elena because she’ll probably take her seriously, and then goes to her house in a state of shock.

I considered my options. Elena: the calm one, either pretending to be wise or really wise. Magnolia: probably less stupid than she made herself out to be. My mother: still crying over a tragedy of five years ago and a tragedy of fifteen years ago and the tragedy of a lifetime wasted in crowded cult meetings and stark bedrooms, tears always falling, thoughts either always whirlwinding or too dead to pay attention to. I found myself winding up the jittery pathway to Elena’s house, or maybe it was me that was jittery. Maybe it was me, who made the world blurry like this. Maybe it was me who was seeing things, not those things drifting into my line of vision and then falling out of sight. The pearly birches jagged the edges of the valley, their leaves chartreuse in the wind-rustled sunlight.

and then elena rejects her plight and april returns to where she saw elias. turns out elena isn’t as accepting of april’s hallucinations as she was supposed to be! here’s a bit of dialogue i generated from that incorrect quote generator that seems fitting for this moment!

April: Bad things keep happening to me, like I have bad luck or something.

Elena: April, you don't have bad luck. The reason bad things happen to you is because you're a dumbass.

this IS april and this IS elena how does this generator know what my book is about!! anyway back to excerpts:

I ran back to where I had seen you, all slow wonderment vanished, and found the place where my old footsteps in the sand looped around. I knew you wouldn’t be there, I wasn’t surprised that you didn’t appear again, your face bobbing in a rice paper mist. I wasn’t surprised that Elena didn’t chase me out, eyes drained of tears, to apologize. And I wasn’t surprised that from that point forward, I thought of that place as sacred.

chapter 8: always falling

[image description: a blurred black-and-white close-up image of water falling. white serif font in the center reads “always falling: chapter 8″ / end id]

tw: death, drowning, blood, fantasizing about drowning

eight-year-old april and magnolia visit a waterfall with magnolia’s parents. feat. april’s dog, august!

The waterfall coiled down the cliff face, cracking the surface of the river like a thousand strands of thunder. I could hardly hear Magnolia’s parents shouting something up ahead, their voices lost in the blare of water.

shortly after:

When I heard suspension bridge, I pictured one from old fairytales I read: wooden, burlap ropes for railings. A thirty percent chance of falling in. I was reassured by the stability, but August shivered at the way it jilted underfoot. He had never walked on ground that shifted under his feet, maybe it was an earthquake, maybe the ground was breaking in.

and here’s sweet eight-year-old April fantasizing about what it would be like to drown. If you think that’s foreshadowing no it isn’t 👁👁

[image description: a slightly grainy photo, half water and half sky, both tinted turquoise. a hand lifts out of the water toward the sky. above the hand in white serif font, reads “What it would feel like to drown, water snagging in my lungs, sharp stones shattering my ribcage until the entire river turned to blood. Being sucked by the current until someone finally found my body, far from where I lost it.” / end id]

I stared over the edge, tried to pierce the thick buzz of mist that separated me from what would be the teeth of my fall. I imagined the bridge giving way, like it always did in the stories I read. One end breaking, the ropes snapping, the entire bridge swinging into the bottomless river. What it would feel like to drown, water snagging in my lungs, sharp stones shattering my ribcage until the entire river turned to blood. Being sucked by the current until someone finally found my body, far from where I lost it. Maybe it would be an old fisherman, hauling a girl in with the day’s catch, or his frail wife, who would faint on the spot at the sight of a dead child, bloodied and mangled and already tearing apart.

they cross the suspension bridge, and august unfortunately falls in! this is just a bit of april’s childhood trauma and i wish i didn’t have to cause her this pain but i do i’m sorry 😭

chapter 9: dead letters

[image description: a close up sheet of paper with a few lines of cursive writing across it. a fountain pen lies across the page. in the bottom right hand corner, a black serif font reads “chapter 9: dead letters” / end id]

a very young april and elias get caught in a hailstorm then go inside and find letters from their father, who they never met because he still lives in the cult their mother escaped from the day april was born. their mother tries to hide the letters from them but! these children do not relent.

We tracked through the colourful forest in autumn, our rubber boots tore trails through the scattered maple leaves. Pronged pinecones crackled under my heels as I chased you, threading between the trees.

I was eight, you were faster but I managed to keep up all the same. A haze of rain sizzled on my skin, but rain didn’t phase me back then. I didn’t mind the water droplets that pearled down my neck into the hem of my bright yellow rain jacket.

they escape from the hailstorm and find their mother in the kitchen making tea (rare!)

When we tripped over the doorframe and found ourselves panting in the kitchen, the kettle wheezed and mother emerged from her bedroom to take it off. The scent of green tea wafted through the air as she poured it, steaming, into a ceramic teacup with a crack veining down the side.

april tries to take one of the letters but her mother stops her. later during the night, she and elias get out of bed and read the letters and it turns out their father left the cult as well, and wants to meet up with them. april wants to meet him, but elias is bitter about it and doesn’t really even consider him their father because he was never there for them.

chapter 10: frostbite

[image description: two pale hands reach towards the sky, in front of a blurry indigo background. in the top left corner, white serif font reads “chapter 10: frostbite” / end id]

tw: freezing to death

there are those weird times when their mom tells stories about her life. these incidents never end well but happen occasionally! she tells april about a time when her and a few other cult members were in the mountains and one of them froze to death. at this point april is around fifteen (which is where the main plot of the book is at right now)

She cut off there, blanched, stared out the window at the sun-speckled backyard, but I could fill in the rest of the details myself: skin a cold stone blue, frostbite jittering through the lungs and spine like a poison, eating everything slowly. Lying in the snow, letting the cold overcome them. Dead before morning. I wanted to ask if they buried the body, dug a grave of snow that would be melted by spring, or just left the corpse lying in the snow for someone else to find, or be eaten by a wolf pack, or to deteriorate, and haunt those lonely slopes forever.

afterwards, april goes outside (yes its snowing again 😭 as someone who dislikes snow i sure write about it a lot)

On those days, my desperation to leave the house rose to a high and I would slide into a pair of ragged sneakers and a cable-knit sweater and push out into the cold. Once vibrant green leaves now greyed with frost, a snowfall months early but not unwelcome. Striking before the trees had the chance to shed their leaves. Frost brittled the branches of the oaks so I could snap them without an effort, not that I wanted to snap them. The concrete of the road was spined with ice that made it look like the ground was caving in, icicles barbed the eaves of our house like jagged teeth. Sometimes I thumbed snow into my mouth like a child, hoping no one was watching a seventeen-year-old eat snow, and let it blot my tongue and dribble down my throat. The cold shock to my system helped clear my mind of whatever mother had been talking about, helped me cope with the pain I shouldn’t have been feeling in the first place.

aaannd that’s everything i’ve written so far! this has been the worst writing slump of my life and i’m not too happy with most of the stuff i’ve written lately, but hopefully that clears up so i can update y’all again soon!

- ava

wips taglist (ask to be added or removed!) @shaelinwrites @august-iswriting @wildswrites @nodeadnarrators @annlillyjose @shaonharryandpannisim @letsgetsquiggly @strangerays @mel-writes-with-her-dragons @dallonswords @teaandtypewriters @chewingthescenery @kahaaniyaa @coffeeandcalligraphy @47crayons @writing-is-a-martial-art

#when we drown #writing update #when we drown update #writers on tumblr #my writing #writeblr #am writing #original writing

47 notes · View notes

lumiereandcogsworth · 3 years ago

Text

Fanfic Writer 20 Questions!

tagged by @misscrazyfangirl321 thank u :))

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

48 in total! 46 for batb lol

2. what’s your total ao3 word count?

115,935 !!!

3. how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

okay i mean, technically i have three on ao3. i wrote ONE fic for law & order svu and it’s an entirely irrelevant fic now because what i wrote about HAPPENED. but people still read it every now and then so i just leave it up. and i also wrote an epilogue fic for the netflix film juanita. i’m not in that fandom cuz that fandom doesn’t really exist but i watched the movie for a film class and i literally turned that fic in as my project for it (yes i got 100% yes go read the fic). so pretty much all i write for is beauty and the beast 2017, my beloved :)

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

1. his perfect reality

2. after the kiss

3. sunrise, anew

4. sleepless nights

5. do me the honor

all batb 2017, and i think those are also my most read fics just in different order, so this checks out!

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i do! i always try and say thanks and show my appreciation for my readers cuz yeah i’m writing for me but gosh we love the feedback, lads

6. what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

fading memories is your dream, for SURE. 99% of my fics end in a very happy and fluffy way. the only ones that end angsty are my young adam fics, and that one is the Big Boy Prequal Fic that ends in a perfectly tragic way that should lead you right to the beginning of batb 2017. it’s all angst, man.

7. do you write crossovers?

no but i’m not against them! i think they can be fun :) emily and i have an ongoing crossover universe but we’ve never written any fics it just exists through our insane texts and incorrect quotes sjdksj

8. have you ever received hate on a fic?

thankfully, no! the batb readers are all very kind and sweet!! (or at least the ones who read my fics lol)

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

nope nope the furthest i’ll go is making out and even then i’m not graphic or detailed at all

10. have you ever had a fic stolen?

no not that i’m aware of 👀 is someone out there stealing my domestic fluff???

11. have you ever had a fic translated?

again not that i’m aware of but i would be so honored

12. have you ever co-written a fic before?

well no not besides me and @ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie’s crossover universe but it’s not exactly in fic form. and i collab’d with @drawnby27emilys but i did the writing and she did the illustrating, we stuck to our strong suits, lol.

13. what’s your all-time favorite ship?

adam and belle from beauty and the beast 2017 are quite nearly the only ship i have paid any attention to in the last 4 years!!

14. whats a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

hmmm. maybe i’m just optimistic but i feel like i’ll get to everything eventually. there’s one really long fic that i’ve written so many bits and pieces of but never just sat down and written it. mostly for technical plot reasons that i just don’t spend enough time trying to work out. OH! there’s that fic idea i got from that dream i had where it was modern au and adam had a little sister. SHOOT bro i do wanna write that. i wrote so much dialogue for it that next day but the wip itself is hardly anything :(

15. what are your writing strengths?

setting the scene and just painting the picture really nicely so you can see everything clearly. little details that make you feel like you’re watching it. i don’t know, character blocking? i think about what they’re doing a lot, with their hands or where they’re looking or whatever. also i think i’m pretty good at dialogue but that’s just cuz adam and belle are in my head all day long so i know their voices very well

16. what are your writing weaknesses?

conflict for sure. i’m too much of a fluffy writer!! i don’t like writing arguments or them getting mad at each other unless it’s stupid domestic stuff then it’s funny. i’m really good at writing the reconciling/making up lol but i seriously need to work on creating conflict. i just get too attached and i don’t like to see them fight even though i know everyone does and it’s a part of building the relationship >:( and even if it’s not adam and belle i just need to be better at writing it in general, for my oc’s and such. do it for the kids, lyd!

17. what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in another language?

it’s very cool in the correct context!! i can’t do it really but hell yeah!! obviously with batb being in france i sometimes use french terms of endearment, mostly for lumiere lmao, but that’s about all i’m capable of! in my recent kiddos fic i tried out some familial titles like pépère for grandpa maurice and tata & oncle for auntie plumette and uncle lumiere <3 that was fun!

18. what was the first fandom you ever wrote for?

bbc sherlock babeyyyy. i used to hand-write sherlock childhood fic in a journal??? i didn’t even know what fic was i just liked giving him a backstory haha. i did the same for loki but in my phone notes app. i’m nothing in not a sucker for the sad and innocent childhood backstories of very sad men apparently!

19. what’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

oh man this is so hard. i’m proud of a lot of my work! majesty of a different breed comes to mind honestly. it’s one of my longer ones and i just truly love how it turned out. i think my descriptors are so good and i capture adam and belle’s dynamic as a newly married couple really well, i think. and i give them a dog! how can you not have a good time reading that fic!

honorable mentions to easy to remember, harder to move on — my maurice memories fic that i also really love. AND fading memories is your dream! my longest work and gosh, i really do love the tragic backstories bro!!! big proud of both of those too :)

(and this one cuz it’s too soft and i’ll never not love seeing my otp be the sweetest parents ever)

20. who do you tag?

if you’re a writer and you wanna do this you can totally say i tagged you!! but i’ll tag some writers off the top of my head! @leighswhannell @ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie @lumiereswig @myfellowcandlesticks @thesadchicken @sweetfayetanner @tinydooms @trulyhopelessromantic @ceasarslegion

#this was so fun i love talking about my writing #proud of all my lil babies #lydia writes!#tagged

12 notes · View notes

archesa · 3 years ago

Note

Love 12 & Domestic 9 for Anwen/Trahearne?

Thanks for the ask! I can't have enough of Anwen/Trahearne fluff!! 🥰🥰🥰

Love - 12 : What kind of nicknames do they call each other?

Anwen has fully embraced the sylvari term of endearment "dearheart", which she finds fittingly sweet and poetic for Trahearne. She might also let a few "honey" slip (mainly to make that incorrect quote canon ^^ but also as a loving allusion to his eyes, and a little confidence boost regarding *very minor spoilers* the change of colour of his glow post-Mordremoth).

As for Trahearne, "dearheart" applies, out of cultural habit, if that makes sense, but he also uses the variation "dear one", and "my friend" is quite naturally replaced with "my love".

They also occasionally resort to their old titles, Commander and Marshal, if they happen to be in anyone's presence other than that of close friends. They're not secretive about their relationship, persay, but come what may, it might be of use to remind some of their status and what they've already accomplished and would be able to do, should shadow rise again. (not spoiler alert at all, it will! their retirement from public affairs doesn't last as long as they'd wish!)

Domestic - 9 : Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

Trick question ^^ The answer is both!

Depending on what they have to do in the morning, and the urgency of aforementioned tasks, it really could be either, luring the other to bed for cuddles/a few extra hours of sleep ^^

Bonus point for Trahearne who as a huge advantage when it comes to dragging Anwen back to bed. Nope, not even mentioning the fact that he’s now twice as tall as her, which is an advantage. Not mentioning that either, you naughties! 😏

Nah I mean that :

(All due credit to @novakricff for this beauty! I don’t know how to insert images from another blog to an answer to an ask T_T)

How could you refuse anything to this man?

Well Anwen can’t for sure! (and that’s not a reason she can exactly give to her sparring partner for her more than frequent tardiness to training sessions! )

As for staying in bed in general, but not necessarily sleeping (still not that 😏😉 ), it’s Trahearne! No doubt!

In the weeks and months following the campaign of Maguuma and his rescue from the Heart of Thorns, he comes to appreciate the luxury of a quiet, lazy day.

Even with appropriate care and healing it takes some time for his legs to recover from his forced fusion to Mordremoth and prolonged stay in that pod, so a lot of these days are spent reading, writing or studying in bed, far away from the agitation of the outside world lest there were yet another end of the world crisis.

Leaning on Trahearne's shoulder, reading poetry, marking thesis for scholars who'd hope to make Orr their chosen subject of study or raging together against a blattant translation mistake in the analysis of some ancient artifact, while buried in the safety of a sturdy pillow fort seems to have a wonderful effect of Anwen's "can't sit still or I'll explode" dicease ^^

#trammander #trahearne x anwen evergreen #post heart of thorns #heart of thorns arc #archesa anwers #pure unadulterated fluff

5 notes · View notes

thegirlwhohasnochill · 4 years ago

Text

The Disease of Addiction

Euphoria Special Episode Part 1: Rue (Recap & Review)

Before I begin my official review of this episode, I would like to preface my thoughts with a bit of a primer about spoilers and trigger warnings. The show covers a range of topics from addiction to mental health. Still, I specifically want to warn anyone reading that I explicitly talk about and mention the topic of suicide in my review. If this is triggering for you in any way, please, don’t read ahead and take care of yourself! Okay, that’s it; I hope you enjoy my thoughts, and please let me know if you have any feedback or comments for my review and things I can change or fix in the future.

Where to begin with such a loaded episode...we knew the format and style of the episode would be simplistic based on the current realities of filming amidst a pandemic and what we saw to be a scene from Season 2 that the creator Sam Levinson expanded upon. Zendaya herself let us know that the episode's storytelling method would be vastly different from what we’ve already seen on the show. The format and simplicity of the episode, in contrast to the loaded dialogue and content of the scenes, are perfect. The camera takes you right into the middle of these conversations with Rue and Ali. But before we can even dive into what they talk about, we have to address the elephant in the room that is Rules. The episode begins with what is probably one of the most gut-wrenching sequences I have seen on the show. Because we know the reality and truth of their current predicament, Rue’s peppered kisses across Jules’ body and her tight squeezes and hugs from behind Jules evoke a strong sense of loss and pain for the viewer. The sheer intensity of the physicality of Rue’s affection for Jules is so overpowering and overwhelmingly present, we can almost feel the imbalance in their relationship through the screen. There is something to be said for the harsh reality of Rue’s dependence on Jules being reflected even in such a non-objective dream-like sequence. And yet, even in Rue’s wildest dreams and happiest stupor, she does not imagine the sobriety of her future. To me, that is indeed the crux of her character and the essence of this episode. Ali himself says, “The point is your sobriety.” And while it may feel like a focal point of discussion, the conversation flows in a way that seems to bounce back and forth between the two like a simple tennis match. It is easy to follow between Ali’s most potent clearest convictions about how the world works and Rue’s drug-addled hazy perception. The inherent contrast between their mental states and the different points of life in which they are both standing hit the viewer at alternate moments.

But we know Rue is not sober even as she lies to Ali and stumbles out of the bathroom, the shaky camerawork conveying her recent use. She is wearing the same shirt from the dream but has her signature hoodie on, her messy curly locks running down her back and glassy eyes staring straight ahead. The scene moves from her imagination of life with Jules to her lies about use. Her eventual admittance to being a high-functioning user happens as quickly as the conversation moves from sobriety to faith.

So I might be biased and hence don’t think I am incorrect in admitting that Zendaya has never given us a bad performance in her life. Even as she lies to Ali’s face and he is quick to call out her apparent contradictions, the faint slurring of her voice and her glazed eyes tell all. As striking as the conversation is, it feels even stranger for me to admit I felt comforted by Rue’s confession to thoughts of ending her life. And even as she admits to the darkest moments in her mind, Ali’s face and reaction are an even better neutralizer for what would generally be such an alarming thing to say to someone you barely know. As they continue to discuss her eventual relapse and all the reasons behind it (including racing thoughts encompassing “all the things I remember and all the things I wish I didn’t”), the viewer can envision the sequence of events that was shown to us in the finale - her fights with her mother and sister, her first time using when her father was fast asleep, her father’s death, her sister finding her after her overdose.

As much as I would like to quote the entire episode, I have to say Ali’s monologue about the idea that none of us are born evil and that society views mental illness and addiction as a personal moral failure rather than an overarching system many of us are incapable of overcoming, to be one of, if not the most decisive moments of the entire show. The line about coming out of the womb with “a few wires crossed” but still a beautiful baby girl eventually messing her way up through life struck a chord in me. I didn’t ask to be born this way. I don’t feel in control of my mind or the way it ever seems to work. And I’m always going to be a bad person. The disease of addiction and mental illness lets you - no, it makes you - view everything you have ever done in your life as not a consequence of the way your mind works, but as an active choice, you have consistently made, as you screwed up everything you’ve ever loved, and let down everyone you have ever cared about. The disease is not you as a person or even the way you think, and yet it is powerful enough to feel that way. Almost like the rapid cycling between mania and depression, the disease flips between, making you feel like the most powerful, invincible person alive and the absolute scum of the earth. There is nothing in between.

Ali’s backstory and his monologues about his change in faith from Christianity (when he was previously known as Martin) to Islam and the world's revolutions were fascinating. Side note: I did think the line about women converting to Islam was unnecessary, but I digress.

Rue’s understanding of the Narcotics Anonymous program's steps was the perfect way to bring in the conversation of faith. As she mentions her difficulty in coming to terms with the idea that there is greater power in charge of her behaviour and the way she surrenders herself to drugs, Ali chimes in with, “You don’t believe there is a power on Earth greater than Rue.” She disagrees and continues quoting and citing different sources she believes to be omniscient and great. And I absolutely agree with her. To me, there is no greater power than the source of art, the music that keeps me going, that feels like it’s the only thing keeping me from stopping the blood pumping through my veins. I understand Rue. But I also understand Ali. And yet, when Rue goes on to talk about the inexplicable workings of the world, my heart stops. There is no reason. There is no reason for the absolute pain and loss and suffering I’ve experienced, for the trauma I’ve witnessed and endured. For the absolutely horrifying things, the people closest to me have lived through. It is merely chaos. There is no reason I wake up every single day, regretting the fact that I did indeed wake up and that I am alive and breathing. So I Understand Rue. But Ali’s monologue about the moral arc of the universe and the unfathomable ways in which life and history line themselves up, to open our very eyes to the realizations we come to daily, is overwhelming. And yet, while he is waxing poetic about the intricacies of the world, we can see Rue’s exhausted eyes glaze over further, still unimpressed. “Maybe I’ll start a revolution like Malcolm X or something”, she quips back. But Ali is quick to counter; revolutions are no longer revolutionary.

Life as we know it is hypocrisy and foolish symbolism, only emphasizing his point about the universe's ridiculousness. Does any of it have meaning? Or is the meaningless void just another puzzle piece in a picture we will never get to see? There is also something to be said about Rue’s facial expressions as Ali continues his train of thought about her “generation”. As we often do when we hear our elders dismissively brush off our many concerns, she almost rolls her eyes. But he is listening, and he knows. “You think you’re out here fighting a revolution, and Bank of America is on your side? Give me a fucking break.” He’s not wrong. His speech reminds me of the masses of teens on TikTok creating video content specifically catered to an audience with an aesthetic that glamorizes the image of a revolutionary teen hero. But instead of a blazing bow and arrow, it is the common cell phone and a punchy soundtrack filtered through digitized audio. What would typically come across as preachy in any show catered to teens is, in fact, poignant. It also reminds me of how self-aware Euphoria is, knowing it’s guilty of falling into the same trap it accuses the viewer of doing.

You have to commit to bettering yourself, Ali essentially tells Rue. And to me, that is the most inherently human struggle we will ever face in our lifetimes. As long as we exist, we have to face the idea that each day is, in fact, not going to be easier than the last. And when he tells her that he believes in her and that the hope of her success (that may one day come) should be greater than the failure of her current demise holding her back, I want to cry. I keep thinking about that edit of Rue to this is me trying by Taylor Swift.

The music of the song that Jules has texted to Rue swells, and it is easy to get caught up in the angst of the moment. It accompanies the words, “I miss you.” And if it wasn’t for Ali’s conversation with his daughter as background noise, one would simply soak in the gut-wrenching pain of their separation. The juxtaposition of Ali trying his absolute best to cling to his family as Rue continues to isolate herself from her loved ones and push herself further into the abyss makes my heart physically hurt.

Ms. Marsha’s spell-binding words of wisdom about sobriety and relationships compared to Rue’s tired exhaustion imminently displayed on her face make the viewer a little wary of what comes next. Her misunderstanding of a juvenile relationship with Jules is made clear when Ali confronts her about the fact that the two of them never had a real conversation about their feelings for one another. Rue’s distrust in the idea that things will eventually work themselves out stems from the fact that she feels disappointed by how her loved ones have left her so far. She eventually spirals into this negatively destructive way of thinking. She cognitively recognizes and justifies getting left behind because she thinks and believes she deserves terrible things in life. She lists examples of past deeds to further cement her argument. But Ali counters back with the simple statement that “Drugs change who you are as a person.” Regardless of her actions, he believes she is still a genuinely good individual while she argues that she is absolutely not. My favourite part of this whole conversation and the entire episode is the manner in which Ali questions Rue’s negative cognitive patterns. Her brain and mind essentially excuse bad behaviour by convincing her that she will never be a good person. Hence she can never forgive herself, and thus, she will continue to remain in this cyclical pattern. Our actions may be inexcusable, but they do not line up with our intentions. The inevitable human struggle is not whether we are fundamentally good or bad, evil, flawed or perfect, but if we are (and again, not to quote my other favourite show, The Good Place) trying to be a better person than we previously were. If we recognize that our actions are wrong and we are capable of experiencing remorse and regret for said actions, who's to say we are entirely incapable of change. This reductive polarizing, and dismissive way of thinking is characteristic of the brains of most people living with a mental illness. Our outside influences, such as drugs, can all be contributing external factors to how we conduct ourselves through life. Ali’s short bit about redemption and human beings deeming actions unforgivable forever can easily be paralleled to direct conversations we have online about “cancel culture”. The phenomenon of dismissing and reducing someone to their mistakes instead of allowing them to grow from them is a nice sentiment. Still, if we do not truly take accountability into action and witness no real changes or remorse, we can quickly get stuck in that cycle. Even if our beliefs do not line up with our actions, drugs can eventually change that. The belief system we hold so dearly, the convictions we strongly feel, can all be washed away by the simple use of drugs, Ali explains as he tells Rue about his family background. His experiences with abuse and his eventual hypocrisy as he plays the role he always feared in his family leave the viewer speechless. As we watch him tell his tale of regret, there is no woe or sorrow in admitting he is or isn’t a fundamentally good or bad person, just the thought of his attempt to change his ways that impacts the viewer.

As the viewer waits with bated breath to see what comes out of Rue’s mouth next, it is not a surprise (to me personally). Rue has no intention of staying sober because she has no intention of staying alive much longer. Ali asks her why she feels that way. She responds with her sentiments about the cruelty of the world. Ali understands. We truly are living in dark times, witnessing truly horrific events, and the fact that we even have the capacity to care any longer is indicative of our will to stay alive. It doesn’t make much sense when you think about it, but when you are so sad, so grief-stricken by the news, by the world’s turn of events, by the mere thought of witnessing more tragedy that you cannot bear to be alive any longer, it means that you are deeply invested. Invested in the way things will turn out even if you do not personally believe you want to participate or even be privy to being complicit in a system that does nothing but churn out pain, anger, and hatred. When I was at the lowest point in my life and attempted to end my own life, I was overwhelmed by the goings-on of the world. As emotionally drained as Rue is, a part of her still cares. She wants her sister and mother to know that she really tried. Just as I wanted and still want my parents and friends to be okay without me when I do eventually leave this earth. Of course, I care about what happens to them. The idea that suicide or suicidal ideation is inherently selfish is so contradictory to the reality of how suicidal individuals genuinely feel. It is the opposite. We care more than most, and we care to the point that it hurts to extend another moment of kindness to ourselves amid all the chaos and madness of the world. But still, we try. We do our best. Ali believes in Rue. He has faith in her.

The entire episode ends on a melancholy note as Rue and Ali depart the diner with Rue wistfully staring out the window as he drives her home. Ali loves his conversations with Rue and vice-versa. The fact that two people can be sitting at a diner alone on Christmas Eve talking about the beauty and cruelty of the world and everything ranging from politics to addiction to suicide to love to family and anything in between goes to show us that humans will always find a way. The fact that two people struggling and suffering from addiction can find their own way about and amidst the chaos of the world and still have these meaningful conversations about life and existence tells us that ultimately, Trouble Don’t Last Always.

#euphoria #zendaya #sam levinson #colman domingo #rue bennett #jules vaughn #rules #hbo #recap #review #nanwrites #rue #jules #zendaya coleman

28 notes · View notes

piggy-i-broke-the-conch · 4 years ago

Text

Guide to LotF Ships:

Hello! So, it's been a while since I last made a proper post on here and I've been thinking of making something like this for a little while now so here goes! Basically this is a guide to the 'main' ships in the fandom (aka the ones I've seen the most in fanfiction and fanart). Each ship will be divided into two sections-canon interaction and fandom interpretation. I figured this might be helpful to anyone new to the fandom or just interested in why people ship certain things!

(apologies in advance for any incorrect quotes, chapter numbers or other errors- I decided it would be a great idea to write this at 3am while citing everything from memory except one quote)

1.) Jalph (Jack x Ralph)

Easily the most popular ship in the fandom, it's not surprising to see why this is a ship given that it involves the two most prominent characters in the novel. However, there is also a sizeable amount of fans who dislike the pairing- potential reasons for this will be covered below.

Canon Interactions:

Where to start with this one? Jack and Ralph's relationship is arguably one of the most significant ones in the novel, providing a source for much of the conflict within the story. At the beginning, their relationship is amicable and they consider each other to be friends- 'They were lifted up, were friends'. However, as the novel progresses their differing opinions lead to them becoming more and more at odds with one another until eventually their relationship falls into complete disrepair. In the middle of the novel their relationship goes through a period of love/hate- 'They stared at each other, baffled, in love and hate' (if you've been in the fandom for a while or are a jalph shipper you've probably seen this quote pop up a fair bit). At the end of the novel, however, it is clear that at the very least Jack seems to completely hate Ralph (throwing a spear at his chest 'with full intention', heavily implying he genuinely intended to kill him). Ralph also asks him 'Why do you hate me?' at one point, which Jack neither accepts nor denies. Ralph seems to have some regrets about the downfall of their relationship, with the memory of he, Jack and Simon climbing the mountain in Chapter 1 being the thing that ultimately causes him to break down and cry in the final chapter.

Scenes which are popular with shippers include the argument between Jack and Ralph in which the 'love and hate' quote appears, with several having pointed out that it sounds a bit like the sort of argument a married couple would have ('I work here all day with nothing but Simon and you come back and don't even notice the huts!'). Some people also consider Jack following Ralph to Castle Rock in Chapter 7 because he 'Couldn't let [Ralph] do it on [his] own' as a sign that Jack cares about Ralph's wellbeing although I personally disagree with this. The early interactions between Jack and Ralph in which they have a more positive relationship are also fairly popular. There are literally so many more examples I could bring up here, I could and probably should make a whole separate post about it.

Fandom Interpretations:

Jalph is portrayed in a number of different ways within the fandom. Generally it is considered to be a love/hate or enemies to lovers pairing, with the relationship between the two varying from a friendly rivalry to complete enemies depending on the fic (the hate aspect of their relationship is more often toned down in modern AUs/school AUs, understandably so as it would be a bit weird if Jack was trying to murder Ralph in the middle of a normal school setting- not that I wouldn't read that fic if someone wrote it).

While some fics portray jalph as a perfectly healthy romantic relationship, others explore the unhealthy aspects of this relationship (especially fics which are closely linked to canon/follow on from canon events) and can even portray Jalph as outright abusive, although this portrayal isn't very common. Some fics involve Jack having a redemption arc, allowing him and Ralph to have a healthier relationship, while in others their relationship remains unhealthy and reliant on their 'indefinable connection' which Golding suggests binds them together.

Generally anti-jalph fans believe that Jalph glorifies and in some cases fetishises abusive relationships, and that Jalph would not last in the real world as a result of it being extremely unhealthy.

2.) Rogermon (Roger x Simon)

While this relationship has little basis in canon, it is incredibly popular within the fandom to the point that it is most likely the second most popular ship after Jalph. The ship seems to stem more from the fandom's interpretation of it more than canon, similar to Rogice.

Canon Interactions:

As mentioned above, Roger and Simon interact very little in canon. This may be due to them both being fairly introverted characters who typically only interact with a limited number of other characters (with Roger primarily interacting with Jack and Simon primarily interacting with Ralph and Piggy). However, they were canonically both a part of the choir prior to arriving on the island and so likely knew each other before the events of the novel. There is one scene in canon which may be relevant to mention here (although this is admittedly a bit of a stretch), and that is in Chapter 7 when Roger is the one to interrupt Ralph and Simon's conversation by the rocks (the 'I just think you'll get back alright' conversation. you know the one). I'll leave you to interpret that as you will.

Fandom Interpretations:

Part of the reason for this ship's immense popularity is its potential. Shippers generally seem to like how Roger and Simon are portrayed as foils to one another in canon- Simon is the representation of goodness and purity while Roger is the representation of evil and sadism. I've heard the phrase 'opposites attract' thrown around in reference to Rogermon before to put it bluntly, people seem to like to contrasting edgy and soft boi aesthetics. In fanworks, Simon is often portrayed as sweet and accepting while Roger is very protective and seems to have a soft spot for Simon which contrasts his cold attitude towards other characters. They often appear in Jalph fics as a 'b-pairing'.

I don't think there's exactly an anti-rogermon part of the fandom in the same way that there are anti-jalph fans, but some people don't ship it for a number of reasons. The main reason is that there are other popular ships involving both Roger and Simon, Rogice and Ralmon probably being the most popular of these. There aren't really all-out shipping wars in this fandom from what I've witnessed (we're a very chill bunch), but I have seen some friendly discourse about Rogermon and Rogice in particular. In addition, it doesn't have much basis in canon and those who aren't a fan of Roger's personality (being a canonically violent and sadistic individual with sociopathic tendencies) may view this and other pairings involving Roger as inherently unhealthy. However, it depends on how you interpret the character and the ship- some may argue that Simon balances out Roger's more 'evil' personality traits and helps to ground him somewhat.

3.) Ralmon (Ralph X Simon)

This pairing isn't as popular as the above two involving the same characters, but still has a strong fan following of its own. Like with Jalph, there is a lot of interaction between Ralph and Simon in canon which provides some basis for Ralmon as a ship.

Canon Interactions:

Ralph and Simon have been friends from the first chapter of the novel and maintained a largely positive relationship throughout. The majority of interactions between them have bee1n interpreted by the fandom as Simon having a crush on Ralph, such as when Simon stroked his arm 'with shy liking' in the first chapter. The scene in Chapter 7 in which Simom crashed into a tree because he was staring at Ralph is also a popular one, as is the slightly later scene in which Simon encourages Ralph by telling him 'you'll get back alright' followed by the two smiling at one another. An interesting point to bring up regarding the latter example is that Ralph recalls this later on in the final chapter. There are also a few examples of Ralph liking Simon at least platonically, such as when he is the one who reacts the most strongly to Simon's death (although this may be more to do with his role in it rather than Simon being the one who died). Ralph and Simon are also the only ones who continue to work on the shelters together after all the others left, something brought up during Ralph's argument with Jack in Chapter 3 ('Simon. He helps')

Fandom Interpretations:

Ralmon is often interpreted in fanworks as being a soft and fluffy pairing, contrasting many of the other pairings on this list. Their relationship is usually portrayed as healthy and wholesome, with Simon often having the stronger feelings at first. Think slowburn friends-to-lovers type fics. The angstier fics tend to deal with Simon's death and Ralph's role in causing it, though Simon is alive in the majority of fics (as a result of an AU or the fic taking place prior to his death).

Again, there isn't really a shipping war between Jalph and Ralmon, but if our fandom was bigger and more aggressive there probably would be.

4.) Rogice (Roger X Maurice)

This pairing bears some similarities to Rogermon in that it doesn't have much basis in canon and seems to be liked largely due to the characters' contrasting personalities.

Canon Interpretations:

Again like Rogermon, Roger and Maurice were in the choir together prior to arriving on the island and so know each other from before the events of the novel. Their relationship in canon seems to be somewhat positive, with the two shown spending time together (aka bullying kids together) voluntarily in Chapter 4. They also both go with Jack to steal Piggy's glasses in Chapter 10, indicating they are at the very least willing to and capable of working together to achieve a common goal.

Fandom Interpretations:

This pairing, as mentioned above, has a focus on Roger and Maurice's contrasting personalities, with Maurice being cheerful and good-humoured while Roger is more cold and aloof. Their dynamic is often used for comedic purposes, with Roger using sarcasm in response to Maurice's memeing. They seem to balance one another out, with Roger being the straight man minus the straight part obviously to Maurice's wise guy.

In fanworks, the pairing isn't portrayed very often within the canon universe from what I've seen, generally appearing within modern AUs and as another b-pairing to Jalph fics. It is usually fairly fluffy, but in fics where Roger is portrayed as more emo or with a tragic backstory, it can be more angsty with a hurt/comfort edge to their dynamic.

I've mentioned this pairing being at odds with Rogermon before, but the closest I've seen to a shipping war was one that took place between the characters themselves in a fanfiction.

5.) Jager (Jack X Roger)

An interesting pairing because while it does have a decent amount of canon basis, it isn't nearly as popular as some of the ships which don't. This may be because there are a fair few fans who dislike one or both of these characters, or because the pairing isn't usually as fluffy as some of the other popular pairings. Even so, it's popular enough to be considered one of the 'main' pairings in my opinion.

Canon Interactions:

Firstly, the obligatory 'they were in the choir before the island so they already know each other'. Jack and Roger's canon relationship is difficult to interpret. It seems that they get along at least somewhat since they often spend time together, with Jack deliberately seeking out Roger to show him his face paint in Chapter 4. I'd also like to point out that the only time Roger smiles in canon is when he's making fun of Jack in this scene ('You don't look half a mess'). Roger also voluntarily accompanies Jack and Ralph up the mountain to look for the Beast, and by the end of the novel he appears to be Jack's second-in-command of sorts. I'm going to drift into speculation for a moment here- personally I interpret this relationship as Jack seeing Roger as one of the only people (if not the only person) who truly understands him- in one scene Jack 'looked round for understanding but found only respect', which could suggest that this is something he values. However, Roger's values seem to differ from Jack's and I think Jack starts to realise this towards the end of the novel- he appears to be afraid of Roger after discovering he was directly responsible for Piggy's death ('the hangman's horror clung to him'). I also don't believe Roger sees Jack in the same way- Roger seems to only be tolerating Jack's position as Chief towards the end of the novel, internally questioning his authority in Chapter 10 and almost pushing his shoulder when walking past him in Chapter 11. It is implied that he dislikes Jack (or at least has bad intentions towards him) in Chapter 4 as well- 'a darker shadow crept across the swarthiness of his face' upon seeing Jack, which could be foreboding.

Fandom Interpretations:

As mentioned earlier, Jager is not always portrayed as fluffily as other pairings. It seems to often be portrayed as quite unhealthy, or sometimes it involves Jack and Roger, for lack of better words, being gay and doing crimes. Their relationship seems to bring out the worst in one another in these sorts of fics. However, a popular headcanon amongst Jager shippers seems to be Roger having a one-sided crush on Jack. Sometimes they have a friends-with-benefits style relationship in works featuring this headcanon, but I've also seen ones where they are regular friends. This tends to appear in Jalph fics in which Roger is not already paired up with Simon or Maurice. Another interesting take on the Jalph side of this pairing is Jalger, or the polyamorous ship between Jack, Ralph and Roger. I've weirdly seen multiple fics in which Jack and Ralph become aware of Roger's crush on Jack and they end up in a three-way relationship. That's technically a whole different ship though so I won't talk about it in depth here. Fluffier Jager fics are often friends-to-lovers, with the two being very close friends in the beginning if not best friends.

Well, that's all I've got for now! Thank you very much for reading and I hope you found this guide interesting. Apologies for it being an absolute mess by the way, it's 4am and I have no idea why I decided to write the whole thing now (we love insomnia). If you have any requests for ships I haven't covered here, feel free to shoot me an ask and I'll do my best to cover them! I might end up making a second part at some point anyway since there are still ships I want to talk about (e.g.- ralphiggy because it's super underrated)

Okay, bye for now ;;;

127 notes · View notes

aion-rsa · 3 years ago

Text

Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode 1 Easter Eggs & References

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Star Trek: Lower Decks article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 1: “Strange Energies.”

The mission of the USS Cerritos is to do the jobs other Starfleet ships can’t; following up with all sorts of minutiae and boring outer space logistics, long after the Enterprise or the Defiant has warped out. But whether it’s Lower Decks or Picard or Discovery or Strange New Worlds, the mission of hardcore Trek fans is the same: Pause the screen and see what deep-cut Easter eggs got slipped in this time!

In Season 1, Star Trek: Lower Decks earned the reputation for the most meta-textual Star Trek ever. There are layers and layers of Trekdom within every frame of this series, making it hard to look at one episode and catalog all the references. But if you thought Season 1 went deep into the wells of Trekkie references and Easter eggs, Season 2 is here to make Season 1 look tame. The Season 2 premiere of Lower Decks — “Strange Energies” — is one giant Easter egg with a bunch of reproducing tribble-ish Easter eggs inside of it. Unless you’ve got ESP powers on the level of Dr. Elizabeth Dehner, there’s no way you caught all of these.

Cardassian ships

The episode has a cold-open on some kind of prison inside of an asteroid field. This is surrounded by two kinds of Cardassian ships, the Galor-class and the smaller Hideki-class scout ships.

“The Keep Showing Me Lights”

Hologram Boimler says the Cardassians “keep showing me lights.” This line, and the existence of the secret Cardassian facility references the famous Next Generation two-parter, “Chain of Command,” in which Picard was kidnapped and tortured by the Cardassians. If you somehow haven’t seen that episode, the whole idea is that the Cardassians try to gaslight Picard into thinking there are five lights in front of him when there are only four. Lower Decks referenced “Chain of Command” in Season 1, too! In Season 1, Episode 7, “Much Ado About Boimler,” Mariner joked about the Cerritos getting a “Babysitter Jellico-type,” for a subsitute captain, which referenced the temporary captain the Enterprise got in “Chain of Command.” Freeman, Shaxs and Ransom whore the all-black special ops outfits in that episode, too, and Tendi did the same in “Veritas.”

Too Many Ships to Count

As Mariner escapes from the Cardassian facility, there are soooo many ships being stored in this particular hanger. It’s all the ships. Here’s just a few we caught

A Federation runabout

Jem’Hadar fighters

A Nemesis-era Romulan warbird

An old school Romulan Bird-of-Prey from TOS

Federation fighter craft (like the ones seen in TNG’s “Preemptive Strike.”)

And many, many more.

Miranda-class USS MacDuff

Mariner steals a Miranda-class Federation starship with the registry NCC-1877, and the name “USS MacDuff.” There’s a lot going on here.

The Miranda-class was first seen in The Wrath of Khan, in the form of the USS Reliant. That film also featured someone stealing a ship like this with ease.

The bridge for this ship is basically identical to the Reliant.

Lower Decks showrunner Mike McMahan said in 2020 that he was inspired by the Reliant for the design of the Cerritos.

The name “MacDuff” might reference the TNG character, Kieran MacDuff, from the episode “Conundrum.” In that one, the crew has temporary amnesia and MacDuff manipulates them into fighting a war they’re not supposed to be involved in.

Jennifer

Jennifer is back! Mariner is interrupted during her holographic work-out by Jennifer, an Andorian crewmember from last season. In the Season 1 finale, “No Small Parts,” Mariner runs through the halls and pushes this character out of the way, saying, “Move Jennifer.” As far as we know, Jennifer is the only Andorian named Jennifer, but you really have to wonder, was this an Andorian name, or a human name?

“I know we’re not supposed to have interpersonal conflict”

Mariner’s dislike of Jennifer is punctuated by her talking to herself saying, “I know we’re not supposed to have interpersonal conflict…but I really hate that Andorian.” This references a long-standing rule from the TNG–era of Trek TV; that Starfleet officers weren’t supposed to have petty differences with each other. This rule was apparently implemented by Gene Roddenberry and drove several writers, including Ron Moore and Jeri Taylor, nuts.

Slightly new opening-credits

In Season 1, we saw the Cerritos running away from a battle involving a bunch of Borg cubes and Romulan Warbirds. Now, that same battle includes a Pakled ship from the Season 1 finale, a few Klingon Birds-of-Prey, and seemingly, fewer Borg.

Fred Tatasciore’s name in the credits?

Although Shaxs died in the Season 1 finale, Fred Tatasciore’s name appears in the opening credits…hmmm…will this ever be explained?

Rutherford’s date with Ensign Barnes

“Strange Energies” directly parallels the 2020 Season 1 debut, “Second Contact,” in several ways. The crew is involved with a second contact mission that goes horribly wrong and Rutherford starts dating Barnes for the “first” time. In the Season 1 finale, Rutherford lost his memory, which is why his relationship with Barnes seems new to him. This is why Mariner says “that sounds familiar.”

Hating pears…a Doctor Who reference?

Tendi is concerned that Rutherford used to hate pears, but now he doesn’t. This is possibly incorrect, but this could be a Doctor Who reference. In the Doctor Who episodes “Human Nature,” “Twice Upon a Time,” and “Hell Bent,” the Doctor (both David Tennant and Peter Capaldi) mention hating pears. In fact, in “Human Nature,” when the Doctor’s memory is erased, he asks Martha Jones to “never let me eat a pear.”

Sonic power washing

“Sonic showers” have long been a thing in the Star Trek universe, making their debut in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. But, we’ve never seen sonic power-washers before!

“Ever heard of Gary Mitchell”

Ransom’s possession is very much a tribute to Gary Mitchell’s god-like powers in the second TOS pilot episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” Dr. T’ana’s insistence that Kirk beat Gary Mitchell with a “boulder” is accurate. For whatever reason, the very first canonical Kirk-adventure ever, established that rock beats god-like powers any day of the week. It should also be noted that Mariner referenced Gary Mitchell in the first episode of Season 1, too.

Possible Harlan Ellison reference?

While Ransom is starting to work out, you can briefly hear him say, “The trick isn’t becoming a God. The trick is staying a God.” This could be a reference to the axiom attributed to Harlan Ellison: “The trick isn’t becoming a writer. The trick is staying a writer.” Ellison wrote “The City on the Edge of Forever,” for TOS. In Star Trek: Picard Season 1, Soji traveled on a ship called the Ellison, which Michael Chabon revealed was an Easter egg meant to reference Harlan Ellison. So, you never know?

“The Trick isn’t becoming a god, the Trick is staying a god”

Harlan Ellison reference?

Ransom on the Mount

Mariner says that Jack is “going all Ransom on the Mount.” This almost certainly references a hilarious fan video called “Shatner on the Mount,” in which a group called Fall On Your Sword remixed a behind-the-scenes interview with William Shatner (promoting Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) into a hilarious kind of talking-rap song. It has to be seen to be believed.

Giant God Head

A giant God head coming out to grab a starship might seem silly, but there are several precedents for this kind of thing in Trek canon. In the TOS episode “Who Mourns For Adonais?” a giant green hand grabs the Enterprise, which is later revealed to be the hand of the god Apollo. In the TNG episode “The Nth Degree,” the giant head of a Cytherian finds its way onto the Enterprise-D bridge. And, of course, in The Final Frontier, the crew meets “the God of Sha Ka Ree” which also, is a giant floating head.

My older sister got a symbiont

Barnes and Rutherford joke around that her Trill sister has a symbiont, but she doesn’t. This references the idea that not all Trill are joined, which was established in both TNG and Deep Space Nine.

Cetacean ops

Barnes mentions going swimming in “Cetacean ops,” a part of the USS Cerritos that we’ve never seen, but we have to assume has something to do with sea creatures. This is the second time Lower Decks has referenced Cetacean ops, which itself derives from an overheard line in TNG’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” Again, with yet another parallel to its Season 1 debut, “Cetacean ops” was last referenced by Lower Decks in Season 1, Episode 1, “Second Contact.”

“LDS thing”

Rutherford incorrectly refers to SMD as “LDS.” This references a few things. First, for most fans, the official abbreviation of Lower Decks is LDS. But, that abbreviation also references a joke from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in which Kirk incorrectly refers to the drug “LSD” as “LDS,” saying that Spock “did a little bit too much LDS back in the ‘60s.”

Nightengale Woman

At the end of the episode, Stevens tells Ransom he’s going to read him “Nightengale Woman.” This too is a reference to “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which Gary Mitchell quotes from the poem “Nitengale Woman,” from memory. In Trek canon, the poem was written in 1996 on “the Canopus Planet.” In real life, the poem was written by Gene Roddenberry, who originally wrote part of the poem to describe flying a plane.

Riker’s jam session

As the final moments of the episode cut back to the USS Titan, Captain Riker says “This jam session has too many licks and not enough counts.” In jazz, a “lick” refers to a pattern or musical phrase which is predetermined, but open to interpretation. Usually, a lick could result in a long jazz solo. A “count” on the other hand, is more about the beat and form of a piece of music. Riker’s obsession with jazz began in the TNG episode “11001001.” In the season finale of Lower Decks Season 1, Riker’s catchphrase for sending the Titan into warp was a jazz count.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Lower Decks Season 2 airs new episodes on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

The post Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 Episode 1 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3xEGQn9

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

3 notes · View notes

workplacesafetyconsultant · 4 years ago

Text

Choosing a Health and Safety Expert

Numerous small companies reach a point in their growth when the need for health and wellness advice ends up being vital. The factors differ - it might be the company reaches certain crucial points that activate legislative requirements, the owner/manager simply no longer has the moment as a result of the basic development of business or merely due to the fact that as the firm grows health and safety concerns come to be extra complicated. Another element that I have actually observed in recent times is large firms requiring extra detailed safety administration systems from even the tiniest provider as part of an attempt to minimise their very own obligations as part of their specialist vetting program.

health and safety consultant

Within the UK - firms with 5 staff members require to begin videotaping threat analyses as well as need health and safety plans but also without regulations most firms reach a factor where they approve a need for professional safety and security recommendations. Since factor may simply be when they reach a point of needing safety and security files or it might come a couple of years later as the firm expands and security needs become more complicated than the management are immediately comfy with.

As we travel around the globe we find various regulations, various levels of expertise as well as differing qualifications are linked to health and wellness. For small firms trying to locate their initial health and wellness consultant it can be an expensive mistake if the incorrect Working as a consultant is employed. So just how do you get the decision right very first time?

Competence and Certifications - Whilst exams and also certificates aren't the only factor they often tend to be an excellent beginning point. In the last few years "safety and security consultants" have expanded like mould - regrettably lots of are seriously doing not have in any type of official certification and also others have the paper but little real life experience. The term health and wellness consultant is not "protected" in any one of the industrial countries thus too many individuals with a brand-new business card and web site look like experts - yet all frequently they have little using qualifications and/or experience. Every nation has its own credentials but do examine as well as find out what those qualifications are. In the UK - IOSH is the biggest expert body as well as there is a national register of security professionals run in partnership with the federal government as well as HSE; www.oshcr.org. This needs the professionals to be fully certified (the register has an equivalency scheme between the main safety institutes so regardless of where they came to be qualified you can rest assured they are qualified).

Experience: Alongside credentials it's an additional should have. Fresh dealt with 20 somethings fresh out of college with a level in safety may have a brilliant future however with little experience their value as an expert can be restricted. Commonly great consultants learnt their trade someplace in a full-time role - how to discover the right compromise, just how to make safety and security work in the real life - and also got assistance from even more seasoned associates whilst they made their very own blunders.

Field Understanding - It's constantly handy when the professional can mention your market from the get go - yet similarly an excellent specialist has actually seen a wide variety of offices over the years as well as can quickly use the basic concepts to any type of business. More important than instant experience of your market is whether they realize the fundamental principles of your business swiftly. To me whilst you constantly learn points in new organization and also fields a lot of understanding is transferable - machine securing prevails regardless of whats being processed.

Anxiety - the minute a consultant uses fear to offer walk away. Any individual who discusses jail, penalties as the only validation for using them is struggling. Yes we all know the regulation becomes part of the reason you're seeking a safety expert yet any body can price estimate law - an excellent security consultant will lead you via a broader set of factors that consist of legislation yet not in isolation - people not obtaining hurt being the principle aspect to begin with.

Expense: Don't be misinformed by reduced day prices, cheap initial security audits - it's not what you pay per hr that matters it's what you get for your cash that issues. The old sales strategy of getting your first step with an offer and afterwards upselling is equally as common in safety as in other places.

Two Means Discussions - an excellent expert will certainly speak with you before beginning and even quoting. I such as to recognize what a client thinks they need, just how they watch where they're at as well as just how much spending plan there is as common starting factors. Every customer is various - every client has unique challenges and also options. Whilst budget plans need to be versatile; a good specialist will certainly look to locate a method to maximise your spend in regards to results as well as remedies for your company.

Like - it's an odd word for business - yet "do I like or a minimum of regard the specialist?" is key. If you recognize what they say - they comprehend you and also attempt to make any type of suggestions match your company after that it's an excellent beginning. You need to work with them so ensure thats possible before making your choice.

First Records - this is where you really can inform if you've made the appropriate choice - it may not be suitable yet if you're miserable currently then points will only worsen as time passes. Points to be wary of - if papers look like they've been reduced as well as paste they most likely have (safety and security records and safety policies are the most awful offenders); if you don't truly recognize the work due to the fact that its written in legalese (or just limitless cautions of prison as well as penalties) after that it's time to re take into consideration since the opportunities are that it will certainly wind up destined to be unread; just as if there's no effort to comprehend company stress and also needs then again it might be time to obtain a second opinion. A fast test I always use is to just do a word search in Word or whatever software you utilize. Think of regular words that are crucial to your business and also see if they exist (as an example benefiting a car fixing workshop - inspect words like car repair, ramp, oil - stupid I know yet when none appear bar the most basic sense than its a generic plan).

If you discover the best safety consultant they'll work with you to make your work environment much safer as well as it should seem like everyone's got the same objectives - get the ideal specialist as well as it can be a relationship that expands with your service. Absolutely nothing lasts forever and also everything has its very own life expectancy - however long relations indicate they bear in mind the past, remember where you originated from and best of all develop connections with you and also your personnel - as well as connections are vital to a lot of things at the end of the day.

However in summary guarantee they are skilled, will supply as well as you feel you can develop a "partnership" with - or at the very least they can resolve you instant needs.

#workplace health and safety consultant #health and safety consultant #ohs consultants perth #safety consultant #safety consultant perth #workplace safety #safe work method statements #SWMS #Risk Assessments #Incident Investigation

1 note · View note

teensith · 5 years ago

Text

big brain kagrenac theory

I’ve always been dissatisfied by the generally accepted story that the dwemer just “poofed” because Kagrenac did something with the tools and messed up, and that’s that, and Yagrum Bagarn is the only one left. There are a lot of in-game/in-lore inconsistencies about it, and I can see why it’s easier to think they all just blinked out of existence, but I don’t think it quite adds up.

The gist of it: Kagrenac was leading a cult, and led a mass suicide in the name of “transcending” the mortal coil, and the dwemer who didn’t poof went into hiding, interbred with other elves, and/or some other possibilities besides Yagrum “was in Oblivion at the time, then got corprus” Bagarn.

First, I want to define what a cult is.

These definitions as follows are taken from Wikipedia, and most of my direct quotes/sourcing will be from Wikipedia or UESP unless otherwise stated.

In modern English, a cult is a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs, or by its common interest in a particular personality, object or goal.

And further, I’d argue this is a destructive, possibly doomsday cult:

"Destructive cult" generally refers to groups whose members have, through deliberate action, physically injured or killed other members of their own group or other people. The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance specifically limits the use of the term to religious groups that "have caused or are liable to cause loss of life among their membership or the general public".

"Doomsday cult" is an expression which is used to describe groups that believe in Apocalypticism and Millenarianism, and it can also be used to refer both to groups that predict disaster, and groups that attempt to bring it about.

So let’s get started.

To contextualize Kagrenac into wider Dwemer culture, and our understanding of the lore, let’s look at his position in Dwemer hierarchy (at least in Morrowind). He’s referred to as Magecrafter, the High Engineer, High Craftlord (which might be his actual title), and, oddly, High Priest. The Dwemer are not considered to be a religious or spiritually inclined culture, with UESP even describing them as “agnostic” and idolizing science after a fashion. This is really important for the next few parts of this, so bear with me.

Kagrenac is our primary source in TES for a lot of points we take as a given, such as the Heart of Lorkhan:

"Beneath Red Mountain, Dwemer miners discovered a great magical stone. By diverse methods, Lord Kagrenac, High Priest and Magecrafter of the ancient Dwemer, determined that this magical stone was the heart of the god Lorkhan

This is from an in-game book called Kagrenac’s Tools written by Gilvas Barelo, who authored some other writings that were compiled later by the dissident priests - in brief, heretical members of the church of the Tribunal who believed the Nerevarine prophecy was worth study.

I’m not saying it’s not the god Lorkhan’s actual heart right now, but we really only have Kagrenac’s word to go on. At worst, it’s an immensely powerful magical object with enough energy stored up that it can give people godlike abilities and a degree of immortality.

At the very least, it appears that Kagrenac genuinely believed this to be Lorkhan’s heart, and set about creating a plan to place it into the heart of a new god, the Numidium, “for the exclusive benefit of the Dwemer.” More on the “is it the real deal” will come at a later point in my post. And a little more on the Numidium as well.

One thing the book “Kagrenac’s Tools” notes is that being in proximity to the Heart causes some sort of Madness, allegedly, and that’s because siphoning power off a god is bad. Thus the tools are “cursed.”

Another account of the discovery, from The Plan To Defeat Dagoth Ur by Vivec:

The Dwemer discovered the heart while building underground colonies. High Craftlord Kagrenac created enchanted tools intended to tap the power of the heart. The War of the First Council was fought to prevent this sacrilege. Kagrenac's use of these tools and the disappearance of the Dwemer race marked the end of the war.

And last, I think the Heart is mentioned here, in “Nerevar at Red Mountain”

Resdayn, present day Morrowind, was contested ground between two very different types of mer: the Chimer, who worshipped Daedra, and the Dwemer, who worshipped a profane and secret power.

So it’s considered profane or “cursed” by those outside the Dwemer and then later the members of the Tribunal.

It appears that Kagrenac wanted to reconquer Resdayn and make the Dwemer immortal, per Yagrum Bagarn’s in-game dialogue, using this Heart to power Numidium. Yagrum Bagarn was not in agreement with Kagrenac’s ideals and considered his theories “dangerous”, which explains why he was on another plane when The Poof happened.

So now that we’ve established some backstory, let’s move on to why I think Kagrenac specifically had some sort of cult going, based on what little information we have.

He informed me, however, that in Kherakah the precepts of Kagrenac were taught.

This is from the book “Nchunak’s Fire and Faith.” It’s a firsthand account of Nchunak’s journey and his attempt to understand Kagrenac’s teachings.

Kherakah appears to be some sort of special compound built by Kagrenac and his followers. Kagrenac has a very high status in Dwemer society and culture, at least where the Dwemer in Resdayn are concerned. It’s unclear how many people are under Kagrenac’s thrall by the time of the Big Poof. This is what they do in Kherakah, per the same book.

the Dwemer of Kherakah, the most learned people in the world, [study] Kagrenac's words and [give] consideration to their place in the life to come

“The life to come” appears to be a reference to what happens after Numidium is activated - the retaking of Resdayn from the Chimer, perhaps. The book makes no mention of conquering, however.

neither planar division nor the numeration of amnesia nor any other thing of utility was more valued than the understanding of the self and its relationship to the Heart..

So what radicalized Kagrenac to the point of developing his own religious framework around the Heart? Was it only discovering the Heart? This so-called “madness” that being in the Heart’s presence is alleged to produce? Was his goal to reconquer Resdayn for the dwemer with the Numidium, per Yagrum Bagarn, or was it to use the tools on the Heart to bring on some sort of “life to come?”

I think it’s a combination of several factors.

Kagrenac’s true aim I believe is using the Heart’s power to “transcend mortality” for the dwemer race. The first reason I think he’s uninterested in actually reconquering Resdayn is that Dumac had no idea that he was planning something with the Heart. From “Nerevar at Red Mountain:”

Kagrenac and the high priests of the Dwemer had kept their New God secret from their King[...]Dumac said the Dwemer were innocent of any wrongdoing

Dumac also does not seem to be interested in conquering Resdayn, given his shock at being accused of lying about the Heart. So I think Azura wants the Dwemer gone from Morrowind, for whatever reason.

Remember when I mentioned earlier that I’m not entirely sure we’re dealing with the real heart of Lorkhan? Here’s why:

Azura, who confirmed that [...] the New God of the Dwemer should be destroyed for the safety of not only Resdayn, but for the whole world

If it was truly a piece of Lorkhan, and not some sort of idol...I think Azura would say so, as much as she’s petty and spiteful. It also wouldn’t be referred to as “New God” or “a profane power.” There is also this - Lorkhan’s heart is essential to holding Nirn together on some level, and this is a common thread across all creation of nirn myths. Why would she want to destroy the world and, if nothing else, destroy all her followers? I guess there could be something really convoluted in there about Lorkhan and being tricked, but it doesn’t scan for me.

Also, here’s a line from the Monomyth that suggests it can’t be destroyed

But when Trinimac and Auriel tried to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan it laughed at them. It said, "This Heart is the heart of the world, for one was made to satisfy the other."

There is, again, this idea that being around the Heart causes some sort of Madness, back to Nerevar at red Mountain.

So, looking at images of the Heart as depicted in Morrowind, it seems to have been affixed with Dwemer technology. Perhaps to prepare it for insertion into Numidium? It’s unclear if Kagrenac actually planned to follow through with building the Numidium, or if it was a ruse, given that firsthand accounts don’t mention it at all. Or perhaps Kagrenac’s plans changed and didn’t give a memo? Who knows.

Dagoth Ur was actually against using the tools and advocated destroying them and the Heart, at first. Taken from his entry on UESP.

At first, Dagoth himself urged for their immediate destruction, either of the Tools or the Heart itself, which led Nerevar to believe he could be trusted to guard them while Nerevar consulted his councilors

This is in line with what Azura said. Why would he suddenly change his mind?

Dagoth refused to give them up, maintaining that he had been entrusted with guarding them. Unbeknownst to them at the time, Dagoth had experimented with the Tools on the Heart during Nerevar's absence and somehow managed to steal some of its divine essence and power.

Proximity to the Heart, is why. I don’t think the dissidents in the Tribunal church were entirely incorrect in their assessment regarding the madness, just that the madness stems from the stone itself and not the tools Kagrenac fashioned.

Also of note:

Dagoth Ur, who used a ritual of his own devising to bind himself to the Heart of Lorkhan, had apparently adopted the views and motivations of Kagrenac.

Recap:

I’m inclined to believe that this isn’t Lorkhan’s actual heart. It’s definitely an object of great power that has some sort of aura of influence, and everybody outside of Kagrenac’s followers and the Tribunal consider it an evil object. But the indestructible heart of a dead god that’s holding the fabric of the world together, probably not.

I’m also inclined to believe that Kagrenac’s real plans for the heart were not to be the core of Numidium so Resdayn could be conquered again for the Dwemer, but to use his tools on them such to “transcend mortality.” Or something.

So, the cult-y part.

I mentioned in my general exposition earlier that Kagrenac had constructed a compound for himself and his followers, where he is a High Priest, and where the most important thing was reflecting on “the self and its relationship to the Heart,” followed by meditating on one’s place in “the next world.” He also appears to be envisioning himself as the harbinger of this next world, leading people to a “salvation,” while also outwardly promising to give the Dwemer Resdayn on a silver platter vis-a-vis Numidium. Potent rhetoric for a people frustrated with having to cooperate with the enemy.

As mentioned in my definition of doomsday cults, they tend to center around the “end of the world” in some form, either in the predicting or the bringing of. There is also a tendency for believers to see it as a period of transition into a new world or state of being, where only the “wicked” would suffer. Sounds not unlike Kagrenac’s designs.

So he wants to “transcend” the Dwemer using his tools on the Heart to do so. It seems that part of this transcendance requires one to leave mortality behind - maybe the physical body, as real-world religions tend to claim? It’s unclear what portion of the Dwemer populus follows him, but Yagrum Bagarn is a huge detractor of Kagrenac and his beliefs, so it follows there are other detractors and plenty of groups that don’t follow Kagrenac, confirmed by in-game dialogue with both Yagrum Bagarn and Baladas Demnevanni. Demnevanni also is of the opinion that the Dwemer were using magic and practicing tonal architecture in ways that go against the laws of nature, so of course they would eventually Poof, but that’s a tangent I don’t care to go into for this post.

Accounts vary on how the Poof happened, but the two major thoughts are Kagrenac performed some sort of “calling” that maybe brought a mass together, or that he struck the heart with his tools and everyone disappeared simultaneously at the climax of the battle at Red Mountain. A third idea is that the Tribunal dusted Kagrenac and the Dwemer.

This idea of a “calling” is much more interesting and honestly sounds a lot more like it could have actually happened, in my opinion. From Chimarvidium’s publisher’s note:

[...]the mention of "the Calling." In this legend and in others, there is a suggestion that the Dwemer race as a whole had some sort of silent and magickal communication.

So let’s work off this basic assumption: Kagrenac used the calling (some sort of silent communication power, perhaps racial) to gather his followers together in one place - perhaps the site of the Heart? After everyone had gathered, he told them they were going on a “sublime journey,” and then something related to the Heart and the tools happened, and then Poof.

With this, I’d also like to propose that this is a sort of “destructive” cult, after a fashion. Maybe Kagrenac genuinely believed he was saving people, maybe not. I’ve also seen mention on some other posts on TESlore that he bound the souls of the Dwemer to the Heart with his tools, though I don’t think I found an in-lore source for that. But in practice, it’s effectively a mass suicide brought on by some sort of fanatical belief in the power of this Heart. And if my theory that the Heart is an eldritch object is true, the Heart led Kagrenac (and later Dagoth) down a path of complete devotion to it, eventually leading to Kagrenac and the Dwemer’s demise.

After the Poof, I could see where if a sizable enough group of Dwemer vanished before the Tribunal’s eyes (maybe, this is a reach, but someone witnessed it), it would be assumed that ALL Dwemer vanished in the same fashion. But we don’t know that. After all, Yagrum Bagarn (though he was off exploring other planes at the time) is still around, even if he believes that he’s the last of his kind. And we have ghosts in the ruins of Morrowind.

Dwemer appear to be a bit greenish/grayish but don’t look so alien that they wouldn’t be able to shave their beards and hide among the High Elves. Plus, if this disappearance really did happen around the climax of the Battle, Nerevar’s death, and Azura’s curse, maybe they blended in relatively well with the newly minted Dunmer. And since the Dwemer are viciously hated by the Chimer/Dunmer, it makes sense that they would try to blend in or go into hiding, and eventually interbreed with other mer. Kind of reminds me of Roanoke colony “disappearing” and then reported sightings of “Indians with blue eyes.”

My last thought is kind of a Big Reach but what if some of the remaining Dwemer formed the Psijic order, or joined it early? This is based partly off the publisher’s note in Chimarvidium, but it does mention there’s no known spell for this “calling” or “silent communication.” And the Psijics are known to have time and space-warping magic, and talk up a lot about maintaining the balance of the world...or something.

Anyway, let me know what you think! I wrote this all in one sitting so it might not be my best essay.

#tes #The Elder Scrolls #morrowind #dwemer #theory

22 notes · View notes