#I . JUST AN OLD-SPIRITED OLD SPIRIT. / VIS 02.

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 26th May

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Freaking Nerds! Audio RPG Just 6 friends/nerds sitting around playing D&D. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240507-02 RSS: https://media.rss.com/freakingnerds/feed.xml

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Rinity Media Presents: Phoenix Audio Drama Phoenix is a gripping tale filled with action, heartache and the indomitable spirit of love. Experience the highs and lows, twists and turns of this cinematic adventure, from the sheer emotion of a woman fighting tooth and nail for those she cherishes to the harrowing anguish of a man grappling with the loss of his wife and son. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240507-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/rinitymedia/feed.xml

DOCTOR WHO: NEW EARTH - AN AUDIO ADVENTURE Audio Book A message on psychic paper. A thought projected across time and space. Someone wants to see the Doctor, but who? The answer will take him and Rose far into the future, to New Earth - where a hospital staffed by cat-nuns has been hiding a dirty secret, and a familiar face, the stretched-skin Lady Cassandra, is out for revenge... A novelized Target-style re-telling of the debut story of Doctor Who's second series, originally broadcast on 15 April 2006 and now in audio form! Featuring the Tenth Doctor as played by David Tennant with his companion Rose Tyler. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240505-04 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f5cb92c4/podcast/rss

What Emma Left Behind Audio Book Daytime TV producer, Vi Sandoval, plans to spend her vacation cleaning out the villa she inherited from her grandmother in the desert community of Shadow Palms. But Vi's plans to quickly get the villa ready to sell are waylaid when she finds herself entangled in an active murder investigation. Suspicions build and accusations fly in the quiet retirement community, as Vi uncovers some surprising secrets about those she trusts the most. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240427-02 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f488d354/podcast/rss

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Rumgins and Dragons Audio RPG A group of friends going on an epic adventure or two to explore the world and expansive multiverse of our D&D campaigns. In a world littered with our old characters and three new heroes who make terrible jokes along the way! Welcome to the land of Revellon! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240508-02 RSS: https://media.rss.com/runginsanddragins/feed.xml

Afternoon Adventurer Audio RPG Willkommen bei Afternoon Adventurer, einem Rollenspiel Podcast. Rene und Florian begrüßen regelmäßig Gästinnen und Gäste um mit Ihnen gemeinsam für einen Nachmittag in ein selbst erdachtes Abenteuer einzutauchen. Wechselnde Spielleiter*innen und Settings sorgen dafür, das es nie langweilig wird. Eine Vorgabe gibt es noch! Das Abenteuer wird an einem Nachmittag fertig gespielt. Anschließend könnt Ihr es hier in 3-5 Episoden hören. Habt viel Spaß! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240514-01 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f60b925c/podcast/rss

Millie Salmon and the Infinite Shop Audio Book Millie Salmon and the Infinite Shop is an adventure story podcast following the adventures of teen Millie as she discovers her family’s used book store has some very interesting technology. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240515-01 RSS: https://milliesalmon.com/chapters?format=rss

I is for Investigate Audio Drama Join Eoghan Blakewell and the "I is for Investigate" team as they investigate the mysterious death of horror author Philip Truelove. A must-listen for fans of Lovecraftian fiction and the BBC's "The Lovecraft Investigations." https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240101-17 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/501263/rss

The Lady Afterwards: A RPG Actual Play Audio RPG Within the Secret Histories and the Glory of the Sun, there are events that the Hours of The Mansus cannot abide easily. These alien gods thus warp and weave events to bring a quintet of disparate souls from safety in London to the mystical Alexandria, called upon by a mutual acquaintance. Nothing is as it seems in the city of ancient power, hoowever, and soon enough the socalites find themselves trapped in a struggle of the esoteric. Will they survive, or will their minds and bodies break under the strain of forces beyond normal understanding? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240508-03 RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/63843

A Boggle at BeWILDerwood Audio Book Embark on a WILD adventure with Swampy and his friends. From the marshy Boggle Village and the beautiful Twiggle Village, all the way to the Scary Lake, explore the magical world of BeWILDerwood! Written and read by author and creator Tom Blofeld. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240501-08 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/526573/rss

That One Questing Podcast Audio RPG That One Questing Podcast is an actual-play TTRPG show with a stunning host and their fabulous questing companions embark on perilous journeys through story itself. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240509-02 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/thatonequestingpod/feed.xml

Dr Goodvibes Audio Drama Every week, Hal Kitchener serves up sizzling advice on love and lust as the charismatic host of 'The Late Shift with Dr. Goodvibes'. But when a mysterious caller exposes the doctor's darkest secrets live on air, Hal is entangled in an ever-expanding web of intrigue and deceit. Is it mere déjà vu, a sinister echo from his past, or the reckoning he's long feared? 'Dr Goodvibes' is an Australian-made dark mystery fiction podcast, available on all your favourite podcast platforms. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240516-01 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/drgoodvibes/

Sorry About The Murder Audio Book In the nice little Canadian town of Beavermount, Ontario, the frozen body of Scott 'Scotty' McDonald is found inside the town's Zamboni. Gaétan "Frenchie" Arsenault, the town's Zamboni driver, is the town's only Francophone. And so is instantly arrested for murder. Can Frenchie solve the murder and clear his good Québecois name? More importantly, can he solve it in time to prepare the ice for tonight's big hockey game?? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240517-01 RSS: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/sorryaboutthemurder

The Worst Outcome: A DND 5e Actual Play Audio RPG Welcome to the world of Thiralon! Four intrepid adventurers see if they survive this occasionally bleak, sometimes silly Dungeons and Dragons homebrew adventure. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240514-03 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-worst-outcome-dnd/

God's create monsters Audio Drama After angering Zeus for crimes against humanity, Zeus punishes all the demiGods responsible for this by banishing them to earth. On earth they will live as immortals, but without there powers. And even though they are immortal there is only one thing that kill them. The very monsters they have created. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240514-04 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/gods-create-monsters

Connective Tissue Audio Drama Welcome to Connective Tissue, your gateway to a universe of horror and science fiction. Dive into a world where fear meets the unknown, and each tale unveils a fragment of a larger, interconnected universe. This collection of one-off and short stories will immerse you in eerie encounters, cosmic mysteries, and chilling adventures, all woven into the rich tapestry of our multi-show world. Join us as we explore the threads that bind our realities together, one story at a time. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240514-05 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/connective-tissue

Living with AL Audio Drama This is an Audio Play by Victoria Ireland. Living with AL follows the life of Cybil who is suffering with Alzheimer’s. The purpose of this play is to give people an intimate insight in to the devastating effect of Alzheimer’s and how it affects the family and those around them. We hope this helps people to become more aware of the condition and share empathy and understanding. We hope people can relate to different parts of this naturalistic play and enjoy the lighter parts that add a bit of humour to reflect a true to life experience. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240516-02 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/living-with-al/

Dorion Kaine. Audio Drama In the city of Nova Arcadia, Dorion Kaine an independent detective investigates cold cases and other crimes. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240517-03 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/dorion-kaine

Sammy's Sensational Showbar Audio Drama After a surprising job offer, the place he left so many years ago calls him back once more. Christopher is called to return to his family Showbar which was abandoned many years ago soon after his father went missing. No one will talk about the place. It's like it was one big dream or never even existed in the first place. But this dream soon turns into a nightmare when he and some others he meets along the way encounter the dangers, set up by the new owner of the place. What will they do against this new threat and will surviving be an option? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240506-07 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f5dcd9d0/podcast/rss

The 7th Amendment Novel Audio Book A group of people are left on earth after doomsday, and that raises some questions in Heaven and Hell. The story takes place between three different worlds and every place's challenges. Who is the villain and who is the reason for the chaos? Is God guilty of being the leader? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240515-02 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2364968.rss

Asteria Blackwell Presents: Stories from the Lost Library of Elysium Audio Drama Asteria Blackwell Presents:The Lost Library of Elysium is a podcast series broadcasting the local public radio station for a mythical place, Elysium, that happens to exist halfway in the living world and halfway in the Underworld. Host Asteria Blackwell guides listeners through the archives of the Library, which has just been found after being missing for eons. As we journey, we will discover the library holds not only stories written on paper, but those stories that were never written down, and even the stories not told by human hands. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240517-04 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2325741.rss

Smirkwood Audio Drama An audio adventure for monster lovers of all ages. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240517-05 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2366020.rss

On The Tinsel Front Audio Drama 1942. Washed out of flight school and Inexplicably assigned to the Army Air Forces "First Motion Picture Unit," Private Oliver Whelan tumbles down the rabbit hole of World War II Hollywood. A hilarious, fascinating and touching audio comedy based in fact. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240329-04 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/506263/rss

Sharp Obsidian, A Novel by Joseph Suste Audio Book Sharp Obsidian is a serious, character-driven literary fiction. The story gives adult readers a peek into the messy mind of a troubled teenage girl, Julia. Teenage readers will experience the soul-tearing angst of a desperate father, Steven. The story is told from the divergent viewpoints of Julia and Steven. He loses control of his fourteen-year-old daughter when she is taken over by dissolute drop outs. He panics and resorts to putting Julia into a wilderness recovery camp for troubled teenagers. Julia relates her adventures in the wilderness school and returns home chastened, but with her strong will vibrant spirit intact. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240521-01 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/SharpObsidian/feed.xml

The Count of Monte Cristo Audio Drama After a fateful meeting abroad, the enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo arrives in Paris to establish a new life. Though he soon becomes a cornerstone of high society, mysterious and tragic happenings quickly follow - threatening the Parisian upper class in unimaginable ways. As star-crossed lovers, scheming sycophants, and ambitious criminals strive for what they think they deserve, questions arise about Paris’ new, fabulously wealthy resident. Not just about why the Count of Monte Cristo has come to Paris, but about the secrets that lurk behind his inscrutable facade. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240521-02 RSS: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/thecountofmontecristo

The Adventures of Emi and Keiko (Kids and Teens Book) Audio Book This is a kid and teenager adventure series based in Tokyo, Japan. Two girls get into exciting and inventive situations of their own making. Both currently the pampered and adored only child, they find out they soon will have siblings. Terrified - Kowai! They fear the loss of their mother's affection, doing lots of chores, and changing disgusting dirty diapers! They hatch a series of pranks around the neighborhood much to their parents' horror. Filled with Twists, Jokes, and Surprises. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240516-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f65483cc/podcast/rss

The Aftermath Audio Drama Welcome to ”The Aftermath”. In this gripping podcast, we delve into a chilling alternate reality where the streets of Glasgow are no longer familiar. When the long-forgotten Fae, imprisoned beneath the city for centuries, rise up to reclaim what was once theirs, chaos ensues. Hosted in the style of a true crime conspiracy, each episode unravels the mysteries surrounding the apocalyptic events that led to the Fae’s resurgence. Through riveting storytelling and immersive soundscapes, we explore the dark secrets buried within the city’s history and the shocking truths hidden beneath its streets. Join us as we uncover the untold tales of survival, betrayal, and redemption in a world where humanity’s struggle for dominance collides with the ancient power of the Fae. ”The Aftermath” will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning everything you thought you knew about Glasgow and the forces that lurk beneath its surface. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240515-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/theaftermath/feed.xml

How Copy Audio Drama London, 2029. Detective Inspector Neil Nowak is investigating the case of three missing people. He discovers that each person in question had an identical, strange digital recorder, locked in a black box and hidden in their homes, each with over an hour of recording.  The recordings give an insight into the lives of three people struck by tragedy, and how they struggle to deal with it. What they don't provide, however, is the answer to the question: what has happened to them? The only clue the detective has is the inscription on the black boxes - How Copy. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240501-09 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f50fd69c/podcast/rss

Freddy's Tavern - The Willowbrook Chronicles Audio RPG Welcome to Freddy's Tavern, a D&D 5e live play podcast. New episodes are released every week, so sign up so you don't miss any new content! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240414-08 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/freddys-tavern-willowbrook

Chill: The Office - A Chill RPG Actual Play Audio RPG Ghosts and ghouls beware, you'll be in a for a scare as 4 office workers set out to discover who in their office is normal, who is supernatural, and uncover bizarre and hidden lore within their not-so-typical 9 to 5. But what do these employees do when they dig themselves into a situation that seems to be too much to handle? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240507-04 RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/6380d

[sir-huffman]

Volume 03: the Founders of Delphi

TL;DR: In the end, it is up to you to decide what is true or not. And if you really don’t want to believe the God of Truth and Prophecy with all his power and knowledge beyond this world is nothing more than an unimportant lowly knight, then who is he to judge? That is not his place, he is just another god in many places representing the truth and foretelling the future for those who wish to hear it.

NOTE: A self indulgent messy headcanon that started because Huffman’s name appears in Vera’s Melancholy.

Volume 01: Vera’s Melancholy - a unanswered love letter

Volume 02: Delphi - the ancient capitol of Khanrie’ah

Volume 03: the Founders of Delphi - Huffman and the Witch of the East

Volume 04: Author’s Notes

the Founders of Delphi

"...Afterward, the great king's first messenger, the brave knight HUFFMAN strode west across two continents, crossing great oceans and rivers. As for the IMPERIAL SAGE, the witch from the east, she passed by her hometown on her road eastward, and then came by the land of the Nether. Thus, they finally met here." - Vera from Vera’s Melancholy, Volume VI

Long ago in ancient times, when humanity was but benighted creatures that roamed the land, the envoys of the gods walked along side them. The heavens would watch from above, sending their messengers one by one to answer the questions of the people. But as time and time went on, humanity found out the answers of the truth of the world.

The first chief priest was but a knight who donned a crown of Irminsul branches looked for the land where they could seek the truth. The imperial sage headed east and they finally crossed paths near the land of the Nether. Together, they built a small village, comprised of just themselves before it grew and fell into antediluvian ruins and long-buried altars of sacrifice upon learning such truths.

They praised the god of truth and prophecy, granting them knowledge the heavens forbade.

the Brave Knight | Huffman (the God of Truth and Prophecy)

“They say that, the line of chief priests have always seen this same sight as their days draw to an end: A mountain of crowns in a secret place, beneath a withered tree - each one hiding a lifetime of secrets kept. Each retiring chief priest offers up their crown of flawless white branches to this world. Every mighty and ancient city, and every austere place of sacrifice must one day return to profundity in the earth.” - Prayers of Springtime

From an ancient kingdom, Huffman was a lowly shepherd before he became a valued knight. As time passed and humanity was beginning to question Celestia, he was given the honor of becoming the first chief priest in search for answers.

Huffman made his way into the deepest places of the world. He fought many monsters, slayed many creatures in order to search for the truth. And eventually, when he reached the center and saw the bough of the white tree...he built the city of Delphi.

He built the sacrificial alters and dedicated himself to the god of prophecy, the one who had graced them with the knowledge and truth of this world. With this knowledge, he decided that such secrets must not make its way to humanity. And as such, upon his death he gave back his laurel of Irminsul and his spirit became one with the god of truth and prophecy.

For he was the first worship him in this world, the God of Truth and Prophecy took his likeness. Not that he mattered as the god resided deep in the depths of the earth. But as he loved his people, he loved the brave knight’s more. He spends his time across the universe, across the planes of space and time, as nothing but a lowly human. A mere mortal who is not important in the world. Pretending that he was a brave knight so that he may show his friend the joys of a better future and maybe...one day...it’ll get brighter.

"I am but an echo of time," Ike said as he began his preparations. "As I've said, the past cannot change the future, for the predetermined rules of equilibrium are slightly more powerful than me. But the future, with its infinite possibilities, could save the world." - Ike from Vera’s Melancholy, Volume X

the Imperial Sage | the Witch of the East (the Oracle of Delphi)

“The confluence between the past and future. The original calamity had been overturned, yet the island in the sky set the earth to burn. Chalk pursues gold, in this time inopportune, the eclipse is swallowed by the crimson moon. The future must atone for bygone mistakes, as the bond familiar falters and breaks— of the same blood, elders and the youth... Such is the cycle of the world, in truth. Dain, what is that strand of blonde hair to you? Someone you must kill? Or the object of your penitence?” - the Self-Proclaimed Prophet to Dainsleif

She was known as the witch of the east, the imperial sage in the ancient kingdom. As the co-founder and mother of the city of Delphi, she became the speaker of the truth. The oracle who spoke the words of the God of Truth and Prophecy to the children and people of their village. And over time, only her spirit will remain, taking the form of a young maiden or an old woman. She is timeless, the oracle who spoke of what was to come.

And now, the Oracle of Delphi looks at the stars and celestial bodies, knowing that they have already crumbled away just as they have done in the past. The eclipse had been swallowed, shaking the roots that held up the roofs of what is now known as Khaenri’ah and the branches that pray to the skies of Celestia. It was be the beginning of the end, Ragnarök, once again. And she will watch as humanity struggles to save itself once again - trying to save it from the fate of the gods.

But humanity was already far too late...the long icy winter had already thawed. And the raging war of the axe, the sword, the wind, and the wolf age have already passed. The sun, moon, and stars have been devoured. And the heavens has once again begun to crumble.

So, humanity, will you defy the gods once again and try to overthrow their rule? Or will you perish once more and have the cycle of rebirth continue again...and again...and again?

All prosperity must someday end. But this does not mean that nothing is eternal.

At the end of a cycle, the earth shall be renewed. Thus eternity is cyclical. The search for truth is a product of prosperity, and not the seed that plants it.

They say that, once upon a time, the people of the land could hear revelations from Celestia directly. The envoys of the gods walked among benighted humanity then. In those days, life was weak, and the earth was blanketed in unending ice. - Prayers of Springtime

[parallaxedcaptain]

F I V E   T H I N G S .

fill in the categories with 5 things that your character can be identified by. repost, do not reblog !

i. emotions/feelings

01 | Resilience: pushing against the challenges, against the odds. 02 | Compassion: you understand, you’ve been there before. 03 | Personable: known to be approachable, a golden glow. 04 | Quick-witted: with a renegade streak, some call it impulsivity; you call it cleverness. 05 | Loneliness: the kind you internalize, but it’s like drowning.

ii. greetings

01 | A soft, searching that says everything yet nothing. 02 | A curt nod. 03 | A clasp to the shoulder, a grip to the curve of your upper arm. 04 | A wry grin. 05 | A quick comeback: clever is as clever does. 

iii. colors

01 | Ruby red, the color of command 02 | Gunmetal blue. 03 | Grey for stormy skies and cloudy weather 04 | The dark black stretch of space’s infinitude. 05 | Copper: you swear you can taste blood.

iv. scents

01 | Freshly brewed coffee. 02 | The salt of the ocean waves, the sea’s breeze. 03 | Red roses, plucked and trimmed, a reminder of the beloved gardener, Boothby. 04 | Clean laundry, the sheets left to dry on the clothesline - a memory of home. 05 | Whiskey’s bite: the musk and the burn palpable.

v. clothing

01 | Four silver pips, gleaming bright, fixed to the collar of her shirt. 02 | The grey undershirt that hugs her biceps, stripped of the uniform off-duty. 03 | Starfleet’s command uniform: red for her station, form-fitting. 04 | Black heels to give her an ample, little boost. 05 | Although you were not quite yourself, the vision of that white tuxedo remains.

vi. objects

01 | Her silver coffee cup to warm her hands and spirits. 02 | Comm badge, pinned to her chest, a reminder of the weight of her station. 03 | A collection of Leonardo da Vinci's sketches, a dear treasure. 04 | A globe in her ready room, glossy and brass; it’s a grounding sight. 05 | A small pocketwatch, given by Chakotay, during the insidious Year of Hell.

vii. vices/bad habits

01 | Long hours, longer days, the making of a workaholic. 02 | Caffeine fiend: will drink coffee at all hours. 03 | Impulsivity: some consider your trigger finger just a bit too quick. 04 | Contradictory: you say one thing and do another. 05 | Recklessness: it costs you far more than you care to admit.

viii. body language

01 | Hand on the curve of her waist. 02 | Thumb and finger pinching her jawline. 03 | Two fingers held up, mid-air, when she’s deeply contemplative or about to make a point. 04 | Knuckles propped beneath her proud chin, ever the thinker. 05 | A clenched jaw, though she stands tall, proud.

ix. aesthetics

01 | Coffee stains upon an old book split open, the words still legible, the story still told. 02 | The hungry waves that churn and turn. 03 | Stars splattering the sky: it’s where you belong, it’s your home away from home. 04 | A marble statue with an outstretched hand; she calls to you, like the story of Pygmalion. 05 | Wine-colored lips, split into a grin.

x. songs

01 | Whisky Lullabies - Janet Devlin 02 |  Velveteen - Kidneythieves 03 | The Scientist - Corinne Bailey Rae 04 | Cup of Coffee - Garbage 05 | Crucify - Tori Amos

Tagged by: Yeeted from @afraidofchange >:)

Tagging: Feel free to steal!

[specialchan]

The original manuscript by Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin is full of Muslim prayers, which are not mentioned in publicly available translations via /r/islam

The original manuscript by Russian traveler Afanasy Nikitin is full of Muslim prayers, which are not mentioned in publicly available translations

"A Journey Beyond the Three Seas". Nikitin's work was the first Russian work to accurately describe a trade and non-religious journey. The famous Russian historian N.M. Karamzin opened "The Voyage Beyond Three Seas" in the Trinity List and published excerpts from it in the notes to Volume VI of "History of the Russian State".

​

Nikitin's recordings are very curious. Apart from the fact that the author introduces us to the culture and history of the peoples he has visited, he has left us an interesting monument of Russian speech. What is surprising about it is that Afanasiy, when he talks about his travels, sometimes goes from Russian to some kind of gibberish that is impossible to understand. But you can translate it knowing the Turkic languages.

Unusual in the notes of the Russian traveller is the frequent reference to Allah, whom he calls Ollo. Moreover, he repeatedly uses the traditional Muslim "Allah Akbar", which clearly shows which god he addresses. Here is a typical prayer tirade for the whole text, in which, as elsewhere, Russian speech alternates with non-Russian:

"Ollo hudo, Ollo ak, Ollo ty, Ollo akber, Ollo ragym, Ollo kerim, Ollo ragym elelo, Ollo karim ello, tangresen, hudosensen. Boz edin, ty tsar slavy, tvorets nebu i zemli."

We see the translation:

"O Lord God, true God, you are God, great God. God is merciful. God is merciful, you are the most merciful and merciful God. Lord God. God is one, then the king of glory, creator of heaven and earth."

The translator obviously failed to cope with the Nikitin "Ollo", and Allah turned into a politically correct God, and the original text thus lost one of its meanings. Reading "A Journey Beyond the Three Seas" in such a translation, it is no longer possible to see the originality and uniqueness of old Russian culture, and how wrong our ideas about ancient Orthodoxy are.

Almost at the very end of the story, Afanasiy uses his traditional exclamations, among them the Muslim "Allah Akbar" and Christian "Amen", that is, according to our ideas, mixes the incompatible:

"Milostieyu Bozhiey preidoh zhe tri morya. Diger Hudo dono, Ollo pervodiger dano. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragim. Ollo akber, akshi Hudo, ilello aksh Hodo. Isa ruhoalo, aaliksolom. Ollo akber. A ilyagailya ilello."

The last phrase in this passage is the classic "There is no God but Allah", but in translation we see something quite different: "There is no God but God". In essence, it is the same, but the Islamic character of the author's faith becomes invisible.

​

The last page of the manuscript

He concludes his notes with a prayer, which strengthens his thoughts that the Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin has changed his previous beliefs. Amazingly, in the last few hours Nikitin mentions phrases that a righteous Muslim would repeat before his death. The final prayer in "A Journey Beyond the Three Seas" by Afanasy Nikitin consists of three parts: 1) general glorification of God, 2) distorted by the writing of the glorification of Allah according to the 22-23 ayats of the 59th surah of the Koran, and 3) an error-free and fairly accurate list of epithets of Allah from the 4th to the 31st "name". Here it is (brought in line with Trinity Exodus):

«Ollo pervodigyr! Milostie zhe Bozheyu proeidoh zhe tri morya. Digir Hudo dono, Ollo pervodigir dono. Amen! Smilna rahmam ragym. Ollo akber, akshi Hudo, illello akshi hodo. Isa - ruhollo, aliksolom. Ollo akber. La ilyagilya ill Ollo. Ollo pervodiger. Ahamdu lillo, shukur hudo afatad. Bisminagi rahmam rragym. Huvo mugu llyzi, lya ilyaga il-llya guya alimul gyabi va shagadati. Hua rahmanu ragymu, huvo mogu lyazi. Lya ilyaga il-lya gua. Almeliku, alkudosu, asalomu, almuminu, almugaminu, alyazazu, alchebaru, almutaanibiru, alhaliku, albariuyu, almusaviry, alkafaru, alkaharu, alvahadu, alrazaku, alfaiagu, alalimu, alkabiru, albasutu, alhafizu, alerrafiu, almavifu, almuzilu, alsimiyu, alvasiryu, alakamu, aladyulyu, alyatufu!»

[In the name of Allah the Merciful, Merciful! Allah is great, Good God. Jesus is the spirit of Allah, peace be upon him. Allah is great. There is no God but Allah. The Lord is a thinker. Praise be to Allah, thanks be to God Almighty. In the name of Allah, the merciful, merciful. He is God, except for whom there is no God, who knows everything hidden and obvious. He is merciful, merciful. He has no one like Him. There is no God but Him. He is the Ruler, the Holy One, the World, the Guardian, the Evaluator of Good and Evil, the Almighty, the Healer, the Exalted, the Creator, the Creator, the Imaginator, the Permitter from Sins, the Carator, Resolution of all difficulties, Nourishing, Victorious, Omniscient, Punishing, Correcting, Preserving, Exalting, Forgiving, Neglecting, Hearing, Omniscient, Omniscient, Right, Just, Good].

http://kodeks.uni-bamberg.de/Russia/Texts/AfanasijNikitin-TroickijSpisok1.htm

Submitted September 30, 2020 at 02:31PM by zlaxy via reddit https://ift.tt/3n9xDiS

[barinacraft]

Ojen Cocktail - Mardi Gras Favorite Prevents Bad Luck

Picasso Puts The 'O' In Ojen

Aguardiente de Ojén or just Ojen (pronounced “oh-hen”) is an anise based liqueur similar to absinthe, but minus the wormwood. A fact that's reflected in the name which is actually shortened from the Spanish word ajenjo (ah-hen'ho) meaning artemisia absinthium, or grand wormwood, in the melodic language of Spain. Aguardiente, in Spanish, or Aguardente, in Portuguese is a combination of the Iberian languages' word for "water" (agua in Spanish + aiqua, água and auga in Catalan, Portuguese and Galician respectively) plus "burning / fiery" (ardiente in Spanish, ardent in Catalan and ardente in both Portuguese & Galician). Like absinthe, Ojén creates a louche when mixed with water or frapped which turns the mixture milky looking. Other anise flavored liqueurs / liquors include Arak, Greenopal, Herbsaint, Ouzo, Pastis, Pernod, Sambuca, Raki and more.

Pablo Picasso, the most famous native of Málaga, Spain, was definitely a fan as he himself dually noted [sic] in two of his paintings. Ojen's original coffin shaped bottle was captured on the artist's canvas inside an oval in his 1912 Spanish Still Life shown above.

He followed that cubist style masterpiece up a few years later with a Bottle of Anis del Mono resting on a wooden bartop alongside a wineglass and playing cards. See below.

History Of Ojen Liqueur

First Produced

1830 or so - the Pedro Morales family distillery began producing Ojen in its namesake city east of the sherry triangle in Andalusia the southernmost region of Peninsular Spain.*

1870 - Anis del Mono anisette starts production in a factory in Badalona, Spain. This sweet aniseed liqueur in particular is often mentioned as an Ojen substitute, though its not quite the same.†

1874 - Pedro Morales sets up a second location in Malaga, Spain to increase capacity.‡

1883 - Paul Gelpi and his brother Oscar own a liquor distribution company located at 43 Decatur Street in New Orleans and advertise 50 cases of OJEN of Majorca for sale which they claim is superior to ABSINTHE as an appetizer and tonic.1

Original Ojen Cocktail Created

1886 - Paul Gelpi was inaugurated as a member of the elite gentleman's club The Boston in February and it was there that the Ojen Cocktail was first mixed by adding a couple of dashes of Peychaud's bitters and soda water over cracked ice. Gelpi's role in the recipe is unclear as L. E. Jung suggests he or his company had invented the Ojen Cocktail.2,3

1910s - other Spanish brands of Ojen like Joaquin Bueno of Malaga and Manuel Fernández of Puerto de Santa Maria / Jerez (formerly called Xerés) along with New Orleans, Louisiana based manufacturer L.E. Jung & Wulff Company were gaining prominence.

1920 - the Morales distillery had to close due to a phylloxera plague that killed the vineyards around Malaga and apparently the last male heir took the secret family recipe to their grave.

1946 - Brennan's on Royal Street, a Creole restaurant in the French Quarter which started as the Vieux Carré located on Bourbon Street, opens and later features the Ojen Frappé on their brunch menu along with originals like Bananas Foster and Eggs Hussarde.

1961 - Juan Espada Fernández, who claims to be in possession of the original Ojen recipe via his father who is said to have been an employee of the Pedro Morales distillery, launches production of Aguardiente de Ojén after buying the still in 1958.

1974 - internal company conflicts cause the Juan Espada distillery in Ojén, Spain to permanently cease operation.

1990 - in the late 1980s, with sagging sales, the Fernandez family in Jerez de la Frontera was the last remaining ojen producer and decided to stop production but made one last batch of 500 cases totaling 6000 bottles for export to Martin Wine Cellar in New Orleans, Louisiana.4

Hoard Your Bottle Of Ojén - You Can't Buy Anymore

2009 - the last bottle of the Manuel Fernandez White Label Ojen was officially sold by Martin Wine Cellar.5

Fat Chance you'll be drinking Ojen on Fat Tuesday much longer.

Salvation

2013 - following an analysis of a specimen of the original brandy which showed 16 distinct herbs from the Sierra de las Nieves were used, Dominique Mertens Impex S.L. produces the first 3,000 bottles of an aniseed flavored spirit made from prickly pears on Ojén soil using traditional methods called ‘Aguardiente de Ojén La Giralda.’ 6

2015 - after sending samples of classic Ojen to the lab to reverse engineer and spending over two years of R&D time and talent developing its own distillate recipe labeled as Legendre Ojen after J. Marion Legendre, the inventor of Herbsaint, Sazerac Company was able put some of their new bottles of Ojén on the shelf between Christmas and New Year’s Eve well ahead of its goal for the February 9, 2016 Mardi Gras.7

Looks like the phrase “Una copita de Ojén” (a little glass of Ojén) followed by seven musical taps on the bar that was a ritual toast heard all over Spain for more than a hundred years can be resurrected once again now that this drink that starts with 'O' is back on the table.

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Behind The Bar - How To Make Ojen's Namesake Drink Recipes At Home

Ojen Cocktail (American / New Orleans Style):

2 oz Ojen

2 - 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

Add the Ojen to a mixing glass filled with fine ice and dash on the bitters. Stir thoroughly with a bar spoon and strain into a long stem glass.8-14

The bitters give this Ojen a delicate rose-colored tinge. Therefore it masquerades under the name of “Pink Shimmy,” or pinque chemise, if you prefer the language of the fifty million who can’t be wrong.15

~ Stanley Clisby Arthur

Perfect for parading around during Mardi Gras carnival celebrations!

Note: many also add seltzer water to the formula above similar to the next recipe below.16-21 Sort of makes them the same then. Right down to the bitter end.

Ojen or Spanish Absinthe Cocktail:

1 jigger Ojen

2 - 3 drops Angostura bitters

seltzer water

Combine Ojen with ice in a large glass. Keep pouring seltzer into glass while stirring constantly with a spoon until the outside of the glass is frosted, frozen and frapped. Then add a few dashes of Angostura bitters and strain into a cocktail glass.22-26

Like above, many recipes eliminate the soda water, but the Angostura & Ojen only formula seems to originate and/or be preferred in Cuba.27-30

Ojen Special

1 ½ oz Ojen

2 - 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

1 tsp sugar

2 - 3 oz seltzer

Stir all the ingredients together in a mixing glass filled with ice, strain and serve.31,32

Adding sugar to the recipe didn't start appearing in bartending books until the early to mid 1940s, but this may have been what the proprietor at the Lilac Time bar served to Mistah Gordon in To Have and Have Not.33 Or, at least, that's what another writer's interpretation of 1937 Ernest Hemingway was.34 Here's the passage:

"'Allo, 'allo, Mist' Gordon. What you have?" "I don't know," said Richard Gordon. "You don't look good. Whatsa matter? You don't feel good?" "No." "I fix you something just fine. Fix you up hokay. You ever try a Spanish absinthe, ojen?" "Go ahead," said Gordon. "You drink him you feel good. Want to fight anybody in a house," said the proprietor. "Make Mistah Gordon a ojen special." Standing at the bar, Richard Gordon drank three ojen specials but he felt no better; the opaque, sweetish, cold, licorice-tasting drink did not make him feel any different "Give me something else," he said to the bartender. "Whatsa matter? You no like a ojen special?" the proprietor asked. "You no feel good?" "No." "You got be careful what you drink after him."

Words to live by!

More Anisette Cocktails

Albion - dry gin, French vermouth, Cointreau, lemon juice and Ojen bitters.

Anis Del Mono Cocktail No. I - dry gin, Anis del Mono, bar syrup and thick cream with grated nutmeg.

Anis Del Mono Cocktail No. II - Anis del Mono, Cognac, Fernet Branca, Angostura bitters and lime or lemon juice.

Battle of New Orleans - bourbon, orange bitters, anisette, Peychaud's bitters, simple syrup and absinthe.

Beaux Arts Cocktail - gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange juice, pineapple juice and anisette.

Black Gold Shot #2 - Goldschlager and Opal Nera or Romana Black sambuca.

Borden Chase - a Rob Roy with anise liqueur Pernod and orange bitters or you can use another pastis, like Ricard, Herbsaint, Absente, or Pastis Henri Baudoin.

Broken Spur Cocktail / Broker's Flip - white port, dry gin, sweet vermouth, egg yolk and anisette.

Café de Paris Cocktail / Hankow Special - egg white, anisette, fresh cream and dry gin.

Cattlin Cocktail - 1/4 each dry gin, Picard vermouth, Cora vermouth and ojen with one egg white.

Colony Club - gin, anisette and orange bitters.

Dream Cocktail - Cognac or brandy, orange liqueur and anisette.

Dubonnet Special - Dubonnet, dry gin, absinthe and anisette.

Dulcet - vodka, apricot flavored brandy, anisette, cream, lemon juice.

Green Opal Cocktail - Greenopal, dry gin and Ojen with both orange and Peychaud bitters.

Herbsaint Frappé - Herbsaint, simple syrup and carbonated water frapped in cracked ice.

Jellyfish Cocktail - blue curacao, Irish cream and white sambuca anise liqueurs with grenadine.

Jitters Cocktail - equal parts Ojen, gin and French vermouth. Note: this recipe first appeared on the back of Fernandez White Label Ojen bottles and was then published on page 39 of Famous New Orleans Drinks and How To Mix ’Em in 1937.

Marguerite Cocktail #3 - gin, French vermouth, orange bitters and anisette.

Narragansett - rye whiskey, Italian vermouth and anisette.

Pick-Up - 1/3 jigger each of Ojen, dubonnet and rum with one egg white and a dash of grenadine will pick up your spirits.

Slippery Nipple - Sambuca (Italian anise-flavoured liqueur) and Irish cream liqueur.

Snowball - creme de violette, anisette, white creme de menthe, sweet cream and dry gin.

Suisse Cocktail - pastis, anisette and egg white.

Turf Cocktail - gin, dry vermouth, anisette and bitters.

Yellow Daisy - dry gin, French vermouth, Grand Marnier and anisette.

Yellow Parrot - apricot brandy, yellow chartreuse and anisette.

Zazarac - rum, anisette, gomme syrup, whisky and angostura bitters.

Zenith Cocktail #2 - anisette, Angostura bitters, dry gin and whiskey.

References

* - Aguardiente de Ojén. (2021, January 27).

† - New Orleans Nostalgia, "Banana Republics and Ojen Cocktails Update.", Ned Hémard, 2011.

‡ - "Ojén, the rebirth of an anise." WHISKYMag.fr 20 September, 2018.

1 - "50 Cases OJEN of Majorca for sale." The Times-Picayune from New Orleans, Louisiana. 27 May, 1883.

2 - Landry, Stuart O. History of the Boston Club (New Orleans: Pelican Publishing Company, 1938), 229. Print.

3 - The Mixologist - How To Mix The Mixings (New Orleans: L.E. Jung & Wulff Co. Inc., 1933). Print. via Picken, Conor and Dischinger, Matthew Southern Comforts: Drinking and the U.S. South (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2020). Print.

4 - La Fille. "Classic New Orleans: A Brief History of Ojen." La Fille De La Ville 1 April, 2009.

5 - Price, Todd A. "Last bottle of locally popular Ojen liqueur sold." The Times-Picayune from New Orleans, Louisiana 16 July, 2009.

6 - Pérez, Mónica. "Belgian business revives the production of a traditional spirit from Ojén." SURinEnlish.com 14 February, 2014.

7 - Forbes, Seánan. "Ojen Makes Its Long-Awaited Comeback." Tales of the Cocktail 09 February, 2016.

8 - J. A. Grohusko, Jack's Manual on The Vintage and Production, Care, and Handling of Wines, Liquors, etc. A Handbook of Information for Home, Club or Hotel, 3rd Edition (New York: McClunn & Co., 1910), 69. Print.

9 - Jacques Straub, Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks (Chicago: The Hotel Monthly, John Willy, 1914), 33. Print.

10 - Hugo R. Ensslin, Recipes For Mixed Drinks (New York: Fox Printing House, 1917), 62. Print.

11 - El Arte De Hacer Un Cocktail Y Algo Más (Havana: Imprenta Fernandez Solana Y Ca. - Obsequio De La Cia Cervecera Internacional S. A., 1927), 173. Print.

12 - Herbert Jenkins LTD, A Life-time Collection of 688 Recipes for Drinks (London: Purnell and Sons, 1934), 37. Print.

13 - John Held Jr., Peychaud's New Orleans Cocktails (New Orleans: A. M. & J. Solari, LTD., 1935), 27. Print.

14 - Patrick Gavin Duffy, The Official Mixer's Manual. The Standard Guide for Professional and Amateur Bartenders Throughout the World (New York: Blue Ribbon Books, 1940), 201. Print.

15 - John Held Jr., Peychaud's New Orleans Cocktails (New Orleans: A. M. & J. Solari, LTD., 1935), 32. Print. Pink Shimmy is a copyrighted and trademarked name for The Ojen Cocktail (American / New Orleans Style) owned by Solari's New Orleans. It was sold pre-mixed and bottled using either Fernandez White Label Spanish Ojen or Solari's Ojen and Peychaud's bitters.

16 - Geo. R. Washburne and Stanley Bronner, Beverages De Luxe (Louisville: The Wine and Spirit Bulletin, 1914), 93. Print.

17 - J. A. Grohusko, Jack's Manual on The Vintage and Production, Care, and Handling of Wines, Liquors, etc. A Handbook of Information for Home, Club or Hotel (New York: McClunn & Co., 1916), 61. Print.

18 - Jere Sullivan, The Drinks of Yesteryear - A Mixology (New Haven: J. Sullivan, 1930), 24. Print.

19 - Albert Stevens Crockett, Old Waldorf Bar Days (New York: Aventine Press, 1931), 152. Print.

20 - Stanley Clisby Arthur, Famous New Orleans Drinks and How To Mix ’Em (New Orleans: Harmanson Publisher, 1937), 40. Print.

21 - Owen, D. (Writer), Lealos, C. (Director). (2015, February 9). Dead in New Orleans (Season 1, Episode 15) M. Bukhonina, E. Comerford-Rubin (Executive Producers) Booze Traveler. Travel Channel. Jack Maxwell hunts for the "almost extinct" liqueur Ojén which is the official booze of Mardi Gras and is seen as bad luck not to drink it. Fortunately he scores at Brennan's Restaurant where he is served from a secret stash of Fernandez White Label Ojen that is kept under lock and key. His first reaction is that it tastes like liquid Good & Plenty, the sweet black licorice barrels coated in bright pink and white hard candy shells.

22 - Jacques Straub, Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks (Chicago: R. Francis Welsh, 1913), 35. Print.

23 - Thomas Bullock, The Ideal Bartender (St. Louis: Buxton & Skinner, 1917), 44. Print.

24 - El Arte De Hacer Un Cocktail Y Algo Más (Havana: Imprenta Fernandez Solana Y Ca. - Obsequio De La Cia Cervecera Internacional S. A., 1927), 51. Print.

25 - Gerardo Corrales, Club de Cantineros de la Rupublica de Cuba - Manual Oficial (Havana: José Cuervo, 1930), 54. Print.

26 - Pedro Chicote, La Ley Mojada (Madrid: Sucesores de Rivadeneyra, S. A., 1930), 203. Print.

27 - Segundo Menénez & Manuel Rodriguez, Bar La Florida Cocktails (Havana: Obispo y Monserrate, 1930), 64. Print.

28 - Bartender's of the Hotel Lincoln, Hotel "Lincoln" Cock-tail Book (Havana: Excelsior, 1937), 52. Print.

29 - Salvador Trullos Mateu Recetario Internacional de Cocktails (Havana: O'Reilly, 1937), 112. Print.

30 - Constantino "Constante" Ribalaigua, Floridita Cock-tails (Havana: El Floridita, 1939), 52. Print.

31 - Oscar Haimo of the Hotel Pierre, Cocktail Digest (Brooklyn, New York: Comet Press, 1943), 55. Print.

32 - Lucius Morris Beebe, The Stork Club Bar Book (New York: Rinehart, 1946), 89. Print.

33 - Ernest Hemingway, To Have and Have Not (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937), 191. Print.

34 - Philip Greene, To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion (New York: TarcherPerigee , 2012), 180. Print.

[themattress]

This quote rings true.  Things should not stay the same and stagnate, stories and media should take risks and do new things.  BUT there’s also a fine balance here, and an opposite extreme - sometimes things change for the worse and those changes should be walked back when that becomes apparent.  However, many immediately decry such sentiments as people having “nostalgia goggles” or being stuck in the past when they should just blindly accept the present and future even when it’s not very good.  This is foolish, and I agree with the quote above: if something new and different is detrimental to the work, then the course should be reversed back to what worked before.  In fact, this has even happened in many past cases. 

Disney - Following the Disney Renaissance ending in 1999, Disney took a sudden shift toward the cynical and “hip”, particularly following the success of Dreamworks’ Shrek. Fantasia 2000, Dinosaur, The Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range, and Chicken Little were all affected to varying degrees.  The most successful film in this period was Lilo & Stitch...oddly enough, the only one to be completely emotionally sincere. Thanks to John Lasseter stepping in following Michael Eisner’s ousting, Disney gradually returned to its old, traditional emotional sincerity, sparking a new renaissance.

Star Wars - The notorious prequels drove Star Wars into a rut, and while the animated The Clone Wars series ultimately improved, it didn’t absolve the Old Republic fatigue many fans were feeling for well over a decade.  After Disney’s purchase of the franchise, it returned to the Original Trilogy era with its Rebels animated series, Rogue One movie, and various books and comics, plus moving forward into a whole new era with a new film trilogy, although even that - for better or for worse - is heavily linked to the Original Trilogy and its aesthetics. 

Star Trek - After a good start with the 2009 reboot film, Star Trek took a bad turn with the sequel, Stark Trek Into Darkness, which bore slim resemblance to anything Star Trek...except for, needlessly and insultingly, The Wrath of Khan. With Star Trek Beyond, however, the ship was righted, the previous film completely forgotten about, and things felt like they should again, with the crew exploring new worlds and going where none has ever gone before.

Pokemon - This one is weird, since its a double-twist example. With Gen V, the games took a different route with new innovations based more toward casual gamers, and became more story-focused than before. This drew a considerable backlash from the more hardcore gamer community, and so they returned to the older style but with new, hardcore gamer-oriented gimmicks in Gen VI.  But then, Gen VII happened and the franchise moved back toward the Gen V-style of casual gamer-oriented stuff and a heavier focus on story, so it seems Gen VI didn’t pan out like the developers had hoped, and the Gen V route was really the way to go.

This also happened with the anime.  After a decade of stagnating formulaic writing, the staff used the Gen V series to return to the original style of the original Kanto series, before Pokemon became a huge phenomenon and the writers’ creativity became limited as a result. Again, this drew an outcry from the vocal minority of hardcore fans who like the other style for some unfathomable reason, and so they switched back to that style in the Gen VI series. But then, with the Gen VII series, they’ve once again gone closer to the original Kanto series style, complete with a movie based on the first episode of the Kanto series and Ash’s original traveling companions Misty and Brock returning for a while. Not surprising - fans may have loved the Gen VI series, but it was a ratings bomb in Japan among the target audience.

Digimon - I’m naming this because it’s an example of this process FAILING.  After the series had a string of lackluster outings - Frontier, Savers, and (especially due to its third season) Xros Wars - Digimon returned to its roots, going back to the Adventure-verse with Digimon Adventure TRI.  This was a good idea, but its execution has failed for three reasons - it’s being done as a series of OVA movies rather than as a TV show like it should have been, it writes out all Digimon Adventure 02 elements it doesn’t like including the new main characters from that series, and it has increasingly become fixated on the new Creator’s Pet duo of Meiko and Meicoomon at the detriment of the original main characters it was supposedly going to be all about.  It’s a trainwreck, and I’m ready for it to end at this point.

Ben 10 - This one’s obvious.  Man of Action’s original series featuring the 10-year old version of Ben was a huge success, but then Cartoon Network took them off the franchise and forced a time skip, and none of the teen Ben sequels got anywhere close to the original’s worldwide acclaim.  And so, they finally wised up and let Man of Action return with a rebooted series following 10-year old Ben again, which improved after a shaky start and now toy commercials that feel like they would have fit in 2006 are airing on TV once more. It’s a good feeling.

Spongebob Squarepants - Stephen Hillenburg and Derek Drymon left after the movie that followed the third season, and the show devolved into a banal, mean-spirited mess afterward. Thankfully, Hillenburg has returned to the show recently and is doing an admirable job setting things right, with the recent episodes and especially the Sponge Out Of Water movie being entertaining on the level of the show in its glory days. The question is: how long will it last?

Sonic the Hedgehog - Two words: Sonic. Mania.  After years and years of fail after fail from 3D Sonic, Sega paired with Christian Whitehead to finally, truly resurrect 2D Sonic, in a game that feels like it comes fresh off of Sonic 3 & Knuckles in the mid-90s, and it is awesome.  It’s clear that Sonic does not work nearly as well as a talking 3D character with a vast supporting cast and increasingly complicated stories as he does as a silent 2D protagonist with a select few friends and enemies, starring in games that are light on plot. I’m sorry, it’s just true.

DC Comics - DC was struggling for some time as it was, but the New 52 was a particularly disastrous move on their part. You could count the stand-out good comics from that initiative on one hand - two if you’re being really generous. Now that the New 52 has been set back, things are starting to get better.  Even their movie output now has a new hopeful future thanks to the success of Wonder Woman.  They’d better keep to this path, it’s working.

Spider-Man - Even the property that sparked this quote has seen this happen, just this year, in fact. First off, after Sam Raimi’s original film trilogy concluded, Sony rebooted the film franchise solely so that they could keep the rights, and made their Amazing Spider-Man films more edgy in tone and more in line with whatever their marketing department decided was hip and in at the time. They bombed, and Sony made a deal with Marvel, leading to Spider-Man: Homecoming which feels more in line with the spirit of Spider-Man, albeit updated for modern times.  And then, Disney ended its mostly horrendous Ultimate Spider-Man show, replacing it with a new show that, again, feels more in line with the spirit of Spider-Man, closer to the ‘90s show and The Spectacular Spider-Man, and it is perfectly entertaining. 

So yeah, sometimes new and different isn’t always good.

Sometimes, older is best.

[spookhe]

tag dump.

[20smthngrp-blog]

                                  ( ONG SEONGWOO, 22 )

Name: Ong Seongwoo Date of Birth: 1995/02/08 Occupation: College student

SPARKNOTES:

ong seongwoo’s life start off pretty normal: born to a former-idol-turned-actor and a housewife, he lived a pretty standard rich-kid life. that was until his bastard sister came to live with him.

though seongwoo was pretty much welcoming. he always wanted a sister, someone to play with at that stupidly big house, and as closed and shut off that chaeyeon used to be, she was just fine at the job.

from a very early age his parents shoved him into variety show programs and dramas. so for many years of seongwoo’s childhood he was a child actor and variety star. though, that endeavor wasn’t successful at all.

most critics about seongwoo weren’t positive - they were always about how he had no charisma, how he was too quiet, how he was stiff in his acting. how he only got the roles and the spots he got because of his father’s influence. which wasn’t a lie.

he stopped acting and doing dramas at the age of 13, after he was diagnosed with panic disorder and anxiety. his mother stood his ground and his father accepted seongwoo’s very early retirement from the entertainment industry.

there were two things that kept seongwoo afloat during this period, though: his sister, chaeyeon. and his true passion, football.

while acting was never his cup of tea and rather something he did for the sake of his parents, football was the one thing he was truly good act and shined on his own accord. when he stopped acting and was able to live the life of a normal teenager seongwoo dedicated himself even more to the football club activities, going as far as joining the football club once he was accepted into college too.

needless to say that if things were on seongwoo way he would’ve tried being a professional player. needless to say also that you can’t always get what you want.

now he majors in civil and environmental engineering. it’s an okay course that he does okay in but there’s always that lingering feeling that he could be doing something else if he wasn’t so much of a coward.

moved in with chaeyeon in the last year because he was tired of his mother’s nagging, is trying to be a more independent and responsible young adult and leave his parents’ wings for a bit. 

FREEFORM:

i. it’s raining all over seoul when he’s born. a thunderstorm, raging on and on, but for now they’re scared he’ll even make it, all eyes on him and on his mother, prayers going around the room. but he makes it, and so does his mother. they’re fighters, after all, born to live, born to shine. seongwoo doesn’t cry when he leaves his mother’s womb, eyes wide open, looking around as if inspecting the place, as if being born is just another of his duties. his father will tell him one day that when a baby is born not crying is because their spirit is happy to come to the world, because they have a special purpose to fulfill. seongwoo used to like that idea, he liked feeling special. now he thinks it’s utter crap. ii. he is lying on the ground, one arm lying on his side, the other hand grabbing a wooden sword tight against his chest. there’s laughter and then applauses, and quickly seongwoo is on his feet, eyeing the crowd with a huge smile. he smiles, proud and happy, finding his family easily. they are in the front row after all, just as usual, mom, dad and his little sister on his mother’s lap. his family is not that old tired cliché of the broken rich family - the sad little rich boy, always alone, always waiting for his parents to come. no. his father always makes a place in his busy schedule for him, his mother is always there for all his little school plays, every single event. he comes down the stage still wearing his prince costume, hugging his mother tightly.

“you were born to be a star,” his father says and seongwoo smiles, believes it. iii. “you’re doing well.”

“i’m not.”

“you are,” he looks up to his older sister who gives him one of those smiles that just make everything seem to be all right for a while. he looks away, back to her room. for a second there he wonders how much longer she’ll still stay here. then he decides it’s not worth thinking about it.

“but look,” he says as he almost shoves the phone on her face. he knows she won’t like it. she always tells him to not read the negative comments about his tv appearances but seongwoo honestly can’t help it. he thinks the person has to be a complete damn saint to not give in to the temptation of looking up comments of people talking about them, even if the comments are horrible. “they’re all shitting on me.”

chaeyeon frowns. “don’t look at this.”

“but look-”

“you’re doing great. they’re just being shitheads hating on a kid who’s giving his all,” she holds his face, looks right in his eyes. “now go to your room. and don’t read those! ever again.”

seongwoo rolls his eyes, walks away, but he feels a little bit lighter than before. iv. “ong seongwoo. that’s your cue.”

he looks to the director and then back to the actress in front of him. he knows his lines, he knows that he knows them. he rehearsed over and over like some idiot for days and weeks. he is prepared, he knows it. but yet he feels his hands shaking, his mind going blank. he looks up to the light and then back to the scene. he opens his mouth and nothing comes out. he coughs.

“sweetie, are you okay?” the actress asks and seongwoo wants to run. they’re mocking him, and he knows it. they’re making fun of him. he can hear them. they’re laughing, talking about how bad his acting is, how horrible he is at this. he takes a step back, feels like he’s choking. he can’t breathe.

he throws up right on the beautiful actress’ shoes. v. “it’s a panic disorder,” the doctor says like it’s nothing. he names it and suddenly seongwoo feels himself relaxing just a little bit. something with a name is much easier to fight than the complete unknown. his mother also seems to relax but his father still has his hands into fists right on top of his knees. they leave the office, buy the medication prescribed and go home.

“i don’t think this industry is good for him,” he hears his mother say in the elevator. his father tells her they’ll talk properly at home. once they’re inside seongwoo goes to his sister’s room, lies on her bed while she studies.

“do you think i’m crazy?” he asks and she throws a pillow at him. seongwoo smiles.

vi.

living life as a normal boy is better than seongwoo had expected. there were no comments about him anymore. and now he could focus on things that actually mattered for him, things that he was actually good at. things like football.

there’s very few things that seongwoo likes better than the feeling when he’s on the field, running, hearing the crowd cheer for him. there’s very few things that seongwoo likes better than that feeling he has every time they win, the hugs and laughs once they’re back in the locker room, that feeling that only being part of a team brings. seongwoo loves playing more than he loves anything else, loves being a part of it, making them win, being useful.

and it’s good, in a way. to look at his uniform shirt and see his name written on it and for once not be ashamed. but proud. he’s found pride again.

vii.

“mother,” he says one day and she looks at him with attention. “i want to play football for a living.”

she smiles kindly, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

“that won’t do, dear,” it’s all she says, and he knows what she means. he knows it very well.

viii.

when the college letter arrives seongwoo doesn’t know what to feel. his mother is thrilled, all smiles and kisses. his father is already talking about how proud he is, about how, sure, he thought he’d be an actor but if not an actor an engineer would do. his sister stares at him from afar, a gentle hand caressing his shoulder when they’re left alone, his parents out talking the dreams they are dreaming for him. once again.

“civil engineering?” she says, tilts her head. “is that really what you want?”

seongwoo only smiles, messes with her hair. she sighs, hugs him.

ix.

he pretends not to notice it at first.

he pretends that if his eyes are drawn to him so much it must be because he plays well. that if he watches him, follows him it’s because of his talent. he pretends that if he yearns to be by his side it’s because they’re good friends. that if seongwoo laughs differently when he’s with him, that if seongwoo feels different it’s all because they get along so well. friends. two boys being friends. that’s all there’s to it. that’s all.

but when they’re alone seongwoo feels it so strongly it’s impossible to pretend. they’re sitting side by side, two boys a little too close to comfort after football practice, sharing that sort of silence that feels like home. he looks to his side as watches as the sun bathes his face and his heart leaps, twists and turns and seongwoo knows. he knows.

he closes his eyes. this was not how he thought his first love would be.

x.

seongwoo always says he hates cowards. he likes to act brave, kind. he likes being the center of attention. he likes when the younger ones on the team look up for him, when the older ones tell him he’s reliable. he enjoys having the image of a good person. a kid person.

so when he sees what is happening, he wants to fight back. when seongwoo sees them laughing at him, mocking him he wants to say something. he wants to go to his side and hold his hand and tell them all to fuck off. but he’s paralyzed. he’s scared, something completely fucked up and broken inside of him won’t let him move.

because what if they start mocking him too? what if people start hating him again? what if he becomes the butt of a joke once again? what if they stop pointing fingers at him and point their fingers at seongwoo instead?

once again, seongwoo closes his eyes, takes a step back. says nothing when he’s asked. what a sad thing, he thinks. he’s so like his father.

xi. he likes him, he thinks, and it feels heavy. he approaches him but once he sees his back all alone, leaving the field he pauses. stops. aches. then. seongwoo walks away, runs. he runs and runs and runs.

xii.

he goes to live with his sister. he tells his mother it’s because he wants to be closer to her and also because he wants to try living the life in itaewon, but truth be told he just wants to be away from his mother’s nagging as soon as possible. and it’s time, really. 22 is more than time. he’s okay now. better. he can take the subway by himself without getting too scared. he can walk in open spaces.

and chaeyeon, she understands. she always understands.

things will be fine, he’s sure. tells himself until he believes it. fake it until you make it, as his father always said.