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imthepunchlord · 4 years ago

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I’ma be completely honest right now and say that I don’t think anyone (who follows you and knows/shares your feelings on the specials at least) would mind if you were straight up like “yeah sorry guys the New York and Shanghai specials are non-canon for Off to Italy because I really don’t like the way they handled diversity, worldbuilding, or relationships, and the future Rio and Africa ones are non-canon as well for the same reasons” from the get-go. Like those are such valid reasons to cut something out of a story, and it doesn’t seem too different from cutting out certain episodes or starting from a specific season like a lot of ML fanfics do, especially since the specials feel even more removed from the main canon to begin with because of how the writers decided to handle the ML continuity, AND this frees up a bunch of the kwami animal choices used, which would make things exponentially easier for you like you said in both animal choice and character design by having a visual base to already work off of for the ones you pick.

I also don’t think a majority would take issue with me cutting those out either. Because the things they bring in, lore wise, I don’t see anyone talking about.

No one is talking about the NA Order, and its existence brings in so many questions.

So I’m going to put this under cut cause I want to go off. I technically don’t have a right to as I didn’t watch either, but I listened to those who did to get an idea and somethings bother me.

But first, I think the only thing I saw being talked about was LS stuff in the NY special and HM getting pink Thanosed in Shanghai and that’s it. That’s the only stuff I’ve seen between the two specials. And that’s not good if those are the most iconic things to be brought up.

Anyway, onto my salt.

Was the NA Order around when Fu made Feast? Why didn’t he work his way to them to pass the Miracle Box to them? Or did he know they exist? Is the NA Order aware that something happened to the Chinese Order? Presuming that they communicate, did they not reach out with how quiet the Chinese Order was and look into it or try to gather lost miraculouses if they did?

And then there’s the wonder of the historical context. You can’t just casually reveal there’s an NA Order and Native American miraculouses that brings up a lot of questions as the Native people have experienced a lot of wrongs and sufferings in our history and still are facing issues. What does having confirmed Native miraculous mean for America’s bloody history with Native people?

And then there’s the Shanghai special, bringing in the Renlings and that’s another can of worms.

Not only are they another magical set from China, cause you know how magical China exclusively is since all magical stuff comes from them, but these are established coming in before miraculouses and were put away because they were “dangerous”. So, what are kwami views on the renlings and vice versa? And from what I’ve seen and heard, I don’t get how they’re dangerous? And then there’s the issue of their power set up, turning the user into an animal, and you got Fei, a Chinese girl, using it. This adds onto character of color being/becoming inhuman, and this is the 2nd special to do so (with Aeon, our official 2nd black girl to appear, being a robot). And this adds onto poc becoming an animal.

And there’s Mei Shi, who design wise, as a “kwami” I really I like, but, what is Mei Shi? Is Mei Shi a unique kwami? A renling? Or is Mei Shi a 2nd sort of cousin to kwamis to reveal later? I also hear Mei Shi is a guardian but didn’t really do anything as a guardian. I will say, I wish now there was an in between the kwami and renling designs, for sometimes the kwamis are weird and some of the renlings look off or are creepy, and so far, Mei Shi is like the best take for that ideal mixture of both.

While this is not lore wise related and more nitpicky, I am also bothered with Fei, not really the character herself but more the choices the creators made with her set up. Between her design and her backstory, she is essentially the older concept of Marinette that we didn’t get.

Visually she’s had tweaks, but you can see that they took big inspirations from Marinette’s old look. How Marinette was going to originally look before they decided to make her more white.

And then there’s Fei’s backstory: her father being mysteriously murdered. That was Marinette’s first backstory, back in the day of Mini Menace Ladybug, coming home to find her dad mysteriously murdered.

And adding to this, there are implications that Gabriel might’ve played a role in the murder of Fei’s father, and I’m incredibly salty about that. Fei has more tie in and connection to ML’s plot than Marinette.

And what frustrates me is that, by set up, they actually could’ve still given this to Marinette. You can cut out Tom and Sabine and very little changes in ML, and you can add more depth to Marinette, who is a bubbly and nice girl who wears her heart on her sleeve and will go over the moon for you if you need her to, but she has a dark thorn in her heart as her parents were mysteriously murdered and she doesn’t know why.

Keeping in that Gabriel (and potentially Emily) played a role in their death and took something from her parents that they had, this would give Marinette that emotional stake in the plot and direct tie in to Gabriel. You could even set up that her parents had the Butterfly, Peafowl, and/or the book, and at least one or two of those items technically belong to Marinette as they belonged to one of her parents. Peafowl would probably make the most sense as we don’t when they got it or how it even got broken. All we have is that Butterfly and book were found together a year prior to the events of ML. But that comes down to how long ago the murders should be.

And narratively, this set up would work.

Marinette’s parents are incredibly removed from her life and are hardly ever seen; it’s also to a point she doesn’t even go to them for advise or help for anything, only Tikki. And they themselves are hardly characters of their own. At the start of the show, which we know know has her being 13 yo, she’s incredibly independent which can back the impression of absent parents. This also really backs her knowing next to nothing about Sabine or the Cheng side of her family, not even knowing the name Sabine used to go by.

This set up also could’ve set Fu up as a closer mentor and really add to the grandfather-granddaughter theme they were going for, especially if he steps up to act as a guardian for her and secretly trained her to be ready for a miraculous, adding to how he has such faith and trust in this 13 yo to save the city.

So that is my biggest gripe with Fei, not so much her herself, but the factor that the creators took Marinette’s most interesting and original set up (and design) and gave it to a random character who we are probably never going to see again or even get mentioned again, and is largely here for diversity brownie points and give us half hearted lore that won’t be elaborated on; and Marinette could’ve had this back story and set up instead and actually have a tie in and stake to the plot.

it was very frustrating to hear.

So yeah, I am more inclined to cut out the NY and Shanghai special and not count any other specials that come as lore wise, they don’t do anything or what they add is just too much and doesn’t answer much. I think the biggest shame is that there were some big appeals to them. NY and Shanghai actually should’ve been more Adrien and Marinette having their own exclusive adventures, or at least just have them be Marinett’s own adventures.

I would’ve loved it if the NY Special was instead Marinette having her own adventure with Sparrow and Aeon and have her face a different villain who is not HM.

And that the Shanghai special was instead giving us a look at Marinette’s Cheng side of the family, and her going to see the ruins of the Chinese Order, facing something supernatural, and potentially this is where she finds the Chinese Zodiac miraculous and brings them back to Fu. If you want to work off the canon Shanghai a bit, perhaps instead of introducing “kwami cousins”, Mei Shi/Meeshi/idk is a lion kwami who distanced himself from his miraculous, went to the ruins, and made himself a Guardian Lion to watch over what remains. They work together and he approves of Marientte taking the Zodiac, and he travels back to somewhere in Africa hinting at the special that will have Lady Lion.

This also nicely sets up why Fu didn’t release any of the Zodiac to help LB, as what he had of the 5, Cat would’ve been the best partner to work with LB and it was worth risking the very two HM is after. Revealing that he has the Zodiac from the start didn’t work in their favor.

#ask Punchie #ml salt #ml spoilers

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quenbyleth · 5 years ago

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The Sleeping Professor: Fire Emblem/Sleeping Beauty AU

If you saw my picture, you know the story. I drew that thinking I wouldn’t write this. But, here we are I guess. Without further ado, here is, as described before, the Sleeping Beauty AU, (BL Route) which asks a couple questions:

What if Byleth doesn’t wake up?

What if she’s found right away and hidden away, waiting to be awakened? (Which could make this..... Fire Emblem: Awakening 😎)

==================

Ugh, what was that feeling? She felt like She was hit by a ton of bricks..... or maybe SHE was the one who hit a ton of bricks......? Who cares. Somehow, She felt sore. And sleepy. So very sleepy. Nothing new there. She was always sleepy, but....... somehow it was more so this time. Maybe She could sleep a bit longer, I’m sure they could both use.......

Oh, yes, how could She forget? How could She forget the poor, simple child, who needed Her constant guidance. How very sad. Ugh, where was the child? She could feel her, but the connection was weak and...... how, how, HOW can She be feeling pain? She possessed no body of her own, and had combined with the foolish girl. She should feel nothing.... That very feeling caused Her to become aware of Her surroundings. Very aware. Aware that darkness surrounded Her in this.... cavern, the only light source miles away above..... No, not a cavern. The bottom of a canyon, with what looked like a rockslide that took place. She shivered, for it reminded Her of a tomb, and She had already spent an uncomfortable amount of time in one already. But how did She......? Oh yes, that’s right, the young one ran, a lion prince screaming her name, as she ran towards a very Immaculate One and..... oh, how foolish. How very foolish. How many times had She lectured this young one about NOT putting them in danger? She was the goddess in the equation! The very fact she hadn’t killed herself yet was only by Her divine intervention, surely. Oh yes, when She found this foolish, no, COMPLETELY IGNORANT GIRL, she would get a most severe lashing-.

But wait, where was she? Surely she couldn’t be far....

Oh. Oh no.

There she was, debris lightly covering her small frame. Her limbs were laying on the bigger rocks, splayed about as if someone discarded an old doll. Green, minty hair was covered in dust, and had light splashes of red in it. Her face was undisturbed, as if she were sleeping peacefully, which Sothis would have believed if the blood trickling from her nose and the dirt covering her face didn’t exist. The Sword of the Creator laid in her hand, somehow undamaged by the fall.

The pain was immense, that much Sothis knew. She may have missed having a body, but ouch.... not like this. She never felt what Byleth felt before. She watched the scrapes, the wounds, and had only shared a headache with her. How could She feel this now..... was it because her connection was continuously weaker.....?

It dawned on her. Byleth was dying. She was dying, and Sothis was taking over.

No. Nonononono. She refused. She couldn’t. This child was meant to live. Not for Her. Not for anyone. But what could She do? It wasn’t that She could shout, the only one who could hear Her was not long for this world. She couldn’t get up and run, again, different situation, same problem. Ohhh, what to do....?

Well, if She combined with her once, surely She’d have to do it again. That would surely solve things. Sure, Byleth would sleep for.... awhile. But what’s 100 years or so? Surely her friends would end this war. It had just started, sure, but surely it would end..... at some point. Byleth’s Blue Lions were strong. How could they not be, the class nearly tripled its size.... huh, maybe she was accurate to call claim she was the favorite teacher. And if she’s was anyone’s favorite, it would surely be that charming prince. The looks exchanged between the two were proof of that. Oooh, She did love to tease Byleth of her little infatuation with Dimitri....

Sothis smiles sadly to Herself. When they combine again, Sothis will truly be gone. There’s no hiding away this time. She would cease to exist, to be a simple memory in the minds of all Fodlan....

But She was ready. They needed this coddled child more than Her. She had made peace with this long ago. She smirked.

“Heh, some might say that you’re more trouble than your worth.... and they’re absolutely right,” as she spoke, Byleth glowed with a soft, divine light, illuminating the area. Sothis felt Herself fade, feeling the most drowsy She’d ever felt, “but this war torn land will need your guidance one day. Lead them well.... but know this. You will sleep for a very, very long time. Your body needs to recover. And the only way.... for you to.... *yawn*.... wake...... is for the one who needs you most..... to come and awake y-you..... w-*yawn* with.............”

Sothis’ head fell limp as she combined with Byleth for the final time, her mind feeling numb, like she was falling to the deepest of sleep.......

===================

“Flayn, I know you’re desperate, but this is completely unsafe! We’ll come back when it’s safer.”

“Absolutely not, brother! I owe he Professor my life, it is my duty to make sure she is safe! You may leave, but I will not!”

Seteth grumbled lightly as he followed his.... sister into the depths of the canyon. Rhea has disappeared after the battle yesterday, along with Byleth, but Flayn’s sharp eyes saw Byleth fall here. Add the fact that Garreg Mach was crawling with Imperial forces, and you’ve got one dangerous rescue mission that Flayn was determined to complete.

“Flayn, it’s not too late to turn back. I too feel like I’m in the Professor’s debt, but this is madness! And, however grievous this may sound, the chance they survived is-“

Flayn turned quickly and eyed him with a very serious look, “Do not finish that thought. If it were any other being, I would agree,” she turned and continued on her quest, “but the professor is not ordinary. You know this as well Brother.”

“*sigh* yes, yes, of course. But at least promise me-“

He was cut off by a glow in a far-ish distance. He and Flayn didn’t even give it a second thought as they ran towards it, and why wouldn’t they? It’s not hard to guess who would give off such a holy light.

It took a bit longer than normal to reach their destination, with tons of rocks (and a couple corpses) littering the way, but it turned out that Flayn’s mission was a success when they reached the sleeping Professor. Flayn squealed with a mixture of joy and worry as she ran to Byleth’s side, wiping her bloody nose and checking her for serious wounds, but....

“B-brother, I know the professor had a.... unique heartbeat, but she is now lacking a pulse as well....”

Seteth shook his head and picked her up bridal style, “Fear not Flayn. I know this looks bad, but she isn’t dead. She’s in a very deep stasis. Even deeper than the one you were in. Besides,” he started backtracking, back through the same secret route they had used to get here, “she breathes. Slowly, but she is breathing. This is the work of the Goddess, no doubt.”

Seteth and Flayn brought Byleth back to a cabin, and waited out the Imperial forces. Flayn had healed any minor wounds Byleth had and patched up her clothing, to the point were it seemed she hadn’t just gone through a battle. All the while, Flayn watched for even the smallest sign that she would wake. A twitch of an eyelid. The slightest movement of a finger. Something.

But it wasn’t meant to be.

Seteth had kept her presence a secret. Not even the Knights of Seiros knew that the professor they searched for was right there. And Seteth knew it had to be this way. If Edelgard found out that the professor everyone looked to for guidance was in her current state, she’d attack once again. No, this was a secret that he and Flayn would have to keep tight lipped..... and hidden elsewhere. It would be hard to keep said secret if he traveled with THE secret. And it didn’t take him long to know where...

The Imperials had abandoned Garreg Mach after 2 weeks. The Knights of Seiros had disappeared, Claude went to the Alliance, and the Blue Lions scattered, with their leader being arrested by the Empire. Garreg Mach was now home to thieves and other scavengers. However, one of Garreg Mach’s best kept secrets was the entrance to the Holy Tomb. No one but he and Rhea knew how to open it. After all, Edelgard was only able to attack when it was opened. And who would think to look for a comatose girl in a tomb?

So, one night, when the thieves who resided there were passed out drunk, Seteth and Flayn made their way to the entrance with relative ease and made the slow descent to what was once Sothis’...

The tomb remained as it always was, a serene holy place. The difference being that by some strange magic, Sothis’ throne was replaced by a strange stone altar, which when Byleth was laid on it, fit her perfectly. Seteth was fine with leaving her as is, but Flayn wouldn’t have it. She adjusted her clothes to flow on the stone naturally, as well as her hair, so every strand looked perfect. And after placing her hands on her stomach, Flayn was satisfied by her work.

“See Brother? Now she looks like a picture-perfect goddess.”

“Lovely. Now, we must leave. She will be safe here, I promise.”

“I know......,” she turned once more to Byleth, not knowing the next time she could see her face, “sleep well Professor. One day, our class will reunite, and you will have come back to us. We..... we will be a family again. I look forward to that day.”

On that fateful night, Seteth sealed the Holy Tomb, which now housed a sleeping maiden, with powers to rival the Goddess. No one knew this secret, save for a pair of “siblings”.... as well as two other saints, who had long abandoned civilization. They felt their Mother’s power flow even more into this maiden, and knew that their Mother was permanently gone. They did not know where she lay, but that she was hidden, somewhere. Waiting to be awoken. And that day would come. The day would come where a random thief would come to steal their relic, and that he wouldn’t leave a physical treasure, but a knowledgeable one. That a real treasure lay in wait, one more beautiful than any gem, gold piece, or rare weapon.....

But not anytime soon.

======================

Dimitri was chained to the wall of his cell, injured and, somewhat...... eyeless on one side. He felt like a feral animal that was locked away, waiting to be put down. He grit his teeth, feeling hopeless and vengeful. Edelgard has gone too far. As if she hadn’t already! She.... she killed his father... her own mother! And now, she even took his beloved professor away. No, just beloved. She was gone, and now... his father and mother clawed at his skull, demanding her head. Why hadn’t he killed her already? Why had he grown to be such a failure? Glenn could’ve done it by now. He would’ve tore down the entire Empire, but he died. Died for a boar that couldn’t live up to these expectations.

These were the thoughts that tormented him each night, making sleep beyond his reach. And then...

Lambert and Patricia stood above him, hurling their usual insults his way when, but all of a sudden... silence. They suddenly backed away....

And there she was. Wind blowing through her mint hair. Her emerald eyes focused on him. Her boots hardly making a sound as she slowly walked toward him, her face as neutral as always. When she finally reached him, she knelt down to him, to the point that he almost smelled her favorite perfume.

“Dimitri....”

“Prof-.” She put her finger to his lips, hushing him.

“Oh Dimitri, I think we’re past the formalities. I know how you felt about me, surely you know I felt about you?”

She slowly removed her finger, and Dimitri slowly found his voice again.

“.....Byleth..... beloved....”

Satisfied, she cupped her hands around his face, slowly hovering above where his eye used to be.

“This.... is not your fault. You didn’t kill me.... Edelgard did. She took your eye, and she took me away from you. It’s not your fault... but what will you do about it?”

Dimitri’s face become very angry, looking his now lost love in the face.

“I...... I WILL remove her head from her shoulders. I will do it in your name. And I will kill anyone who gets in me way. This.... this I promise to you beloved.”

She smiled at his promise, the one she gave only him. He felt his heart beat at this smile and could’ve swore he felt a very slight kiss on his lips, waking up his feral side again.

“I’m very glad to hear this. Once her head is gone, we will be able to rest. And then I can wait for you in peace, and when you come back to me, we will be together for eternity,” as she said this, she hugged his head, so he could hear her heartbeat, lulling him to his first night of sleep in a long while, “but remember, this can only happen if she dies.”

==============

Oooh wow, I just did that. I actually wrote something. This happened.

It’s been years since I’ve written something. YEARS. I’m.... really happy to be back writing. It feels great!

So, this isn’t going to be 20 chapters long or anything. I’m going to skip over things. But I hope you find some enjoyment in this!

#byleth x dimitri #dimileth #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #byleth eisner #fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #dimitri x byleth #fe dimitri #fe byleth #sleeping beauty #sleeping beauty au #fe three houses #3h #blue lions #fe flayn #fe sothis #fe seteth

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radioactivereactions · 6 years ago

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hello!! it's a bit overdone, but I'm a hopeless romantic so I was wondering if you could do fo4 companions react to the first time saying "I love you," in their relationship; whether it was sole who said it first or them! thank you in advance, hun!! 💖💖❣️

Bold of Youto Assume I’m not a hopeless romantic.

Cait

Emotions aren’t Caits strong suit. She liked hugging, lovedkisses and would kill for a night alone with sole, but as far as verballyexpressing her compassion for sole the poor girl is like a deer in headlights.She wants to be able to say what she feels towards them, but her own pride andthe simple fact this entire thing is completely new to her always makes herclam up. What if she made a fool of herself and made Sole think less of her?She couldn’t have that, she couldn’t risk that. But it still irritated her tono end that her own anxiety stopped her from doing the one thing she wanted themost in this shithole of a world they call home. Never in her life have heremotions held her back from anything, and for once she couldn’t just beat upthe problem and have it solve itself. Which is why instead of the punching bag,she turned to the drink.

Ham gives Sole a nod as they enter the Third Rail, seeingtheir eyes roll back for a moment before they trudged down to the bar. Theyscanned the crowd before finally setting their gaze on Cait, her head restingon one of the tables. “Yknow I think before long they’re gonna name this tableafter you” Sole sighs out, tapping their head “C’mon, lets get you home”

It takes a while to get Cait to her feet, even longer to gether up the angled ground to exit the bar, from then on it still wasn’t exactlysmooth sailing; Sole being used as a support for all of Caits weight the entiretime while they stumble through Goodneighbour. At least Cait didn’t weigh thatmuch.

After a long and treacherous journey up the stairs of thehotel Rexford, Cait slumps over onto the bed with a slurred groan.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Sole murmurs, pushing a fewstrands of hair from her face

Cait murmurs something inaudible as a response.

“What was that?” Sole chuckles,

“Yknow I fucken love ya” She grumbles drunkenly

Soles heart picks up, a goofy smile spread on their facewhile they lean down and kiss her forehead “I guess now I do”

“Damn rightcha do”

Curie

Being a synth gifted little Curie with so many new andexciting opportunities, and filled her mind with so much information to learnand archive. Things like breathing and needing to eat and sleep in order tosurvive was entirely new to her, not to mention finally being able toexperience things like happiness!

She had only heard of love previously from her creator;Kenneth Collins, when she observed a very peculiar set of symptoms her archivehad not been able to diagnose as he spoke about his previous life and family.Curious as always, she questioned Collins on what was happening to his body,and upon his explanation on ‘love’ Curie was absolutely flabbergasted on howemotions could impact the human body like that, to the point she doubted thevalidity and thought Collins wasn’t telling the truth.

But now here she stands, next to the very person who rescuedher from her solitary in Vault 81, feeling the exact same symptoms Collinsdescribed many years ago.

Rapid heartbeat, clammy hands, dilated pupils, and generalanxiety. Was this love?

“Sole” She spoke tenderly, gaining the attention of them, assoon as their eyes met the symptoms only worsened.

“Everything alright Curie?”

“This relationship ‘as allowed me to finally solve a greatmystery with myself. I believe I am in love you”

Danse

Being exiled from the Brotherhood broke Danse in many ways.His entire life seemingly becoming absolutely pointless to him and his entiremotivation to simply exist being exhausted. But having Sole by his side madehim feel safe, secure, happy; after the confrontation with Maxson they’re all hehad and he wouldn’t rather have anyone else by his side.

It wasn’t long after he left that he and Sole had become athing, which only expanded his admiration for them. There wouldn’t be anyoneelse in the entire world who he would trust as much.

It was another day of patrol, Sole being on the lookout forsome sort of special gun that may or may not exist. Leave it to Sole to listento a random wastelander clearly on some mixture of chems.

“You realise the more times we spend looking for a possiblyexisting bit of metal is more time we could have been spending on somethingworthwhile” He mutters for the 7th time, not getting a response likethe time before. He goes to speak up once more before Sole suddenly dartsahead, turning a corner and going out of view.

Immediately Danse follows, listening out and trying to figureout which way, they had gone, but eventually the footsteps of his comrade justdisappeared.

“Sole” He calls out repeatedly, walking between the mazes ofdilapidated buildings of the commonwealth. Gaining no response each time. Astime passes so do his steps, his eyes scanning everything that moved and histeeth keeping a grip on his bottom lip. He continues calling out to Sole, thepanic gradually setting in at the sheer magnitude of possible things that mayhave happened, the bad things overwhelming the good.

“Sole!” He yells out, his breathing becoming scarce as deadsilence greets him, until after one cry out a call is returned.

“Danse! You alright?”

He turns around quick as a heartbeat to see Sole on the otherend of the road, his body acting on its own and running towards them, jumpingout of his power armour to wrap his arms around soles body, who is confused butnonetheless returns the hug though not as tight as Danse. “You good?”

“Yeah… Now I am” He replies hushed, rubbing their back “Don’twander off like that again okay? I can’t risk losing you… I love you too much”

Taken aback but overwhelming happy at the confession, Solereplies “You have my word”

“Outstanding”

Deacon

We all know Deacon. You can’t readthe man for shit. He could be ready to tear out someone’s liver with a rustyspoon and hardly anyone would know. In a lot of situations, this habit is a goodthing, it allows him to stay in character and gather as much Intel as he canfor Des, but when you’re meant to be romantically involved with him it can bemore than tiresome.

Sole tried not to rush him, knowingit was a hit or miss with Deacon after Barbra, and giving him as much time ashe could. But they couldn’t help but grow more and more conscious aboutwhether or not he truly cared for them.

They have already said they lovedhim, many times in fact. But what did Deacon reply with?? ‘Mhmm’ 'Of course youdo’ 'Well who wouldn’t?’ 'Yeah me too’

Many could see how that would makesomeone feel. And eventually, it just got too much for Sole.

'I’m just saying it won’t kill you toat least say you love me back’ Sole huffed

'You really want me to say it?’ Heasks.

'Yes. Yes I do’

Oh boy.

Safe to say Sole got what theywanted…

That same day, Deacon climbs on topof the centre table, a megaphone in hand.

'Deacon what are you doing?’Desdemona asks, already done with whatever antics he has in store, Sole lookingover to him from another table.

'Attention everyone!’ He exclaimsinto the speaker, everyone cringing at the feedback. 'I have a very importantannouncement to make'

'Think you could do it withoutalerting everyone within a 10-mile radius??’ One of the members grumble

'I stand here today because I suck,and I intend to change that fact by proclaiming my undying love for that sexylittle number over there’ he declares, pointing directly at Sole who buriestheir face into their hands.

'I love them so much it makes memushy inside, and there’s no one I’d rather almost be mauled by a bunch ofghouls with’ He declares proudly 'And if anyone fucks with them they better beprepared for a world of hurt, thank you that is all'

He jumps down, sauntering over toSole with a shit-eating grin spread across his face.

Sole lowers their hands and stares upat Deacon who has their arms outstretched for a hug which they obliged, almostbeing suffocated by the embrace he gives “I can’t believe you"

"You know you love me” Hereplies, Sole can practically hear the smirk on his face

“Who couldn’t”

Hancock

Leave it to Hancock to say it during sex.

What more do you expect from the man?

However, what Sole didn’t expect was his outright denial ofit. They tried their best to make him admit it but he just continued to defendhis case. It was amusing at first, seeing the normally calm and confident manbecome flustered and unable to take control of the situation.

But eventually, it just became degrading to Sole, theseemingly innocent argument becoming more and more heated as time continued.

“Look I know you said it, its nothing to be embarrassedabout, can’t you just admit it, John?” Sole interrogated while he stumbled aroundhis room looking for his clothes.

He replies in a stern gruffness “I don’t wanna talk about itsunshine, just drop it”

“But-“

“Look I just said drop it” He interrupts, walking out of theroom and slamming the door behind him, throwing the room into silence. Solestares at the door for a moment before laying back down on the bed, theirvision gradually becoming blurry and their breath turning into ragged wheezesas they try not to cry.

They don’t know how long they were there for, unbothered tomove from the bed and just rethinking over what had happened. They were so lostin thought they hadn’t even noticed Hancock stepping inside the room, it wasonly when he sat on the opposite side of the bed that they had noticed he wasthere.

“I’m sorry” He murmurs quietly “I dunno why I acted likethat… I guess I just didn’t want to admit I said something like that”

“So you didn’t want to say it?” Sole replies quietly

Hancock is quick to respond “That’s not what I meant,” he sayshurriedly “I mean I didn’t wanna say it during… y'know. I wanted to say it at amore meaningful time… Like during a nice dinner or some sort of sappy ass timealone when I’m not off my face or some shit”

Sole turns over “Are you off your face now?” They askquietly, getting a wicked smirk from Hancock as a response.

He leans down and presses his lips against theirs “I love you”He hums, “I love you so damn much”

MacCready

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. That was the only way MacCreadycould describe what he saw, watching his son running around and finally be ableto act like a child instead of being bedridden and unlikely to survive.

That with the addition of Sole running around with him,giving Duncan piggybacks and tickle attacks, the sweet sweet melody of hearinghis sons’ laughter after so long making his heart almost explode out of hischest.

“Anyone want drinks?” He calls out to them, Duncanenthusiastically replying with a shrill ‘Yes!’ and Sole giving a nod his way.With a smile he wanders back inside their home, looking out the window while grabbinga few bottles of Nuka-Cola. He jumps momentarily once he hears a loud thump but soon comes to his senses while the all too familiar sound of Duncans cryingfills his ears.

He hurries outside and looks to the source of the crying,seeing Sole with Duncan in their lap, holding his hand and rocking gently,giving him gentle consolidations. “Hey, it’s alright” they whisper “Want me tokiss it better?”

Duncan nods and holds out his hand, to which Sole covers insmall kisses, guiding them up his chubby little arm before planting one on hisforehead, earning a giggle from the small boy.

MacCready walks over and sits by them, handing Duncan a juicebox which he greedily slurps up, an arm wrapping around Sole and pulling themclose. “God I love you” he whispers, kissing their cheek.

Nick

“Ellie, would you just drop it?”

“Come on Nick you needa stop being so afraid about it”

“Now, now who said I’m afraid?”

“Nick,” Ellie says doubtfully, staring at the synthetic manwho sits at the desk of the agency.

He sighs, resting his head on his damaged hand, the otherdragging a cigarette to his mouth. “I just don’t wanna risk scaring the kid offis all” He sighs out, a cloud of smoke trailing out.

“Oh come on Nick, stop selling yourself short” Ellie whines,slumping over in a chair “You know you won’t do that”

“Lately it feels like I don’t know anything at all” Nickadmits, leaning back

Ellie lets out a gentle chuckle “They really do that to youhuh?”

“Seems that way…”

“The more you put it off the worse its gonna be to actuallydo”

“Well look at you being the teacher for once”

“Come on Nick…”

“Look” He begins, standing from his desk “I’m not afraid toadmit it, I love sole, and I wanna tell them but…”

Ellie edges him on “But?”

Nick sighs “… I’m scared. I so desperately want to tell thembut whenever I see em I just freeze up and I wonder if I really deserve to lovethem… Happy?”

“Well I mean I am, I’m not sure about her though” Ellie humsout, earning a confused look from Nick and nodding her head behind him.

Turning around; his entire body almost gives way as Solesteps out from behind a filing cabinet.

“Have fun you two” Ellie sings out whilst walking out of theagency door, leaving the two alone.

It’s silent for a moment. The awkward tension being so thickyou could cut it with a knife.

“I guess it can’t be helped now” Nick musters out

Sole chuckles lightly, moving to sit at his desk, gesturinghim to sit at the opposite chair, which he does. “Why don’t you start at thebeginning?”

Piper

Writing is and always will be Pipers method of letting off steam,to her it seems the only way she can truly express what she’s feeling is bywriting it all out. Angry about some close-minded resident who keeps giving herattitude? Write a detailed story of throwing them off a tall building. Upsetover Takahashi’s noodle stand to have to be closed after a malfunction? Reachinto your inner 13-year-old and write an angst-filled poem reminiscing aboutthe good days and just how doomed we all are… It was just second nature to herat this point.

The only problem with being a reporter in Piper’s eyes wasn’tthe public opinions clashing your own, or the death threats, to her the worstthing about it was with her being thevoice of the people, it was always her talking, and talking and talking. Shewas the person people went to advice too. She was the person who gave theadvice. So when shes lost on her own ambition and feelings, who was she to turnto for guidance??

In rare times like this when not even writing could helpher she’d go on long walks around the commonwealth, coming back at randomtimes no one could predict.

Sole has done odd jobs for Nat before whenever Piper left,most of it is to publish and print off whatever papers Piper had yet tofinish.

They logged on like many times before, scrolling throughwhatever articles and touching them upwherever necessary, and like every time before reading through the ‘PublickPerspectives’ submissions. It was basically the only thing that everyone inDiamond city collectively read and enjoyed, for the most part, an entire groupof residents dedicated on theorising who asked what.

A few were obvious, a few took time to consider before comingto a rational conclusion, until Sole reached the final submission.

“Dear Publick

“I’ve been dating this person for a while now and things havebeen amazing so far, they make me happy beyond belief and I really see myselfwith them in the future but… I just can’t open up to them. I can’t evencompliment them without becoming a nervous wreck, and you can forget aboutsaying those three big words… And I’m worried my hesitation will drive them offfaster than you can say ‘noodles’. Advice?

- Blues Clues”

Sole pondered for a moment before everything clicked inplace in perfect harmony. Taking place at the terminal, their fingers flewacross the keyboard, their heart racing at the same speed.

“Dear Blues

Take your chances before they walk away, regardless if theylike you back or not you deserve it to yourself to unleash your feelings. Ifind myself in a similar situation, the girl I’m with just won’t open herself upto me and I sometimes feel guilty about it. As much as id love to pin heragainst the wall and proclaim my absolute adoration to her, I guess writingthis will have to do”

Surely she’ll pick up a copy of the paper soon.

Preston

Preston is a bub.

A sweetheart.

A dumpling.

A little ray of sunshine.

And a goddamn gentleman.

Almost as soon as he and Sole started being a thing he wantedto say he loved them, and ever since he first said it you cannot stop the manfrom saying it every day. Whenever they wake up, just as they fall asleep, anddear god the amount of times hed say it during sex is adorably ridiculous. Thoughit wasn’t always like this, he was terrified of first saying it to Sole in fearthey would think he’s rushing the relationship, though he so desperately wantedto say it.

The first time he let it slip through was surely a time toremember, and not exactly the way he pictured it.

It was a night like any other, Preston doing his usual roundsaround Sanctuary, and Sole resting on the couch in the Home Plate. It doesn’ttake long before their eyes close, their mind still awake and aware but theirentire body sluggish and heavy. They hear the front door of the house open,closing gently a few moments later with a pair of feet stepping over to standin front of them. No doubt Preston.

A blanket is thrown over them, Sole flinching lightly whentheir hair is pushed from their face, Preston’s thumb gently rubbing againsttheir cheek. “I love you” he whispered.

There was no mistaking it.

After hearing that Sole eyes burst open, making Preston jumpback lightly before hurrying down the hallway to the bathroom, closing the doorbehind him with Sole hot on his trails.

It took a while to get him to come out of the bathroom, andsince then after a lot of encouragement from Sole, he never forgets to tellthem every day.

#fallout #fo4 #fallout react #companions react #fallout companions #companion reactions #x6-88 #nick valentine #piper wright #preston garvey #cait #curie #danse #paladin danse #dogmeat #maccready #hancock #john hancock #fo4 reactions

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loyalflutist · 5 years ago

Text

Fodlan Holy Grail War (Chapter 2)

Characters present: Byleth, Edelgard, Dimitri, Ingrid, Sylvain, Felix, Annette, Lysithea, Hubert, Ferdinand, Petra Pairings present: Edeleth (minor), Dimitri x Claude (minor), Felix x Annette

A/N: I've realized how long this chapter was starting to become (they're beginning to crack beyond 5.1k+ words and it's not even halfway done)... Though it was heavily due to squeezing as many scenes as possible into a chapter. In order to prevent this, I've reduced the number of words per chapter and, in turn, reduced the number of breaks that occur in them. :) That means faster uploads at least. (It'll also be easier on my end since Thesis is slaughtering me.)

Previous Chapter: Chapter 1 Next Chapter: [to be updated]

---

It was cold.

Byleth had sunken to her knees and into the wet dirt. Her chest rapidly rising and falling, out of breath, a cool mist exhaled like chilly flames into the moist atmosphere. When she glanced upward, she noticed the torrential rain pouring harder than ever, its splashes drenching her bruised skin. Thunders rumbled the dark clouds’ bellies with great warning. She wearily blinked.

It was cold.

Byleth’s knuckles whitened like sheets, its bloodied lacerations haphazardly painted on the shredded steel plate, and her lips cracked with a metallic aftertaste. She violently shuddered. Head lurched forward, she could barely contain the iron that poured from her swollen mouth, the thick consistency swirled in a mixture of water and black mud. The burning acid scratched at her throat as Byleth coughed.

It was cold.

Byleth did not bother to wipe the blood, the rain becoming a partial assistant to her. She weakly gritted her teeth and stared at the drenched battlefield. Her breathing slowed. Another cough, albeit hoarse, trickled out of her lips, grimacing from the horrific gash that tore apart her chest, its bones protruding with dangled flesh. The mercenary’s right hand slowly loosened its hold on the Sword of Creator’s handle. At that same instant, the lights in both her eyes and relic began to dull.

“Fa… ther…”

It was cold.

Byleth had collapsed. The Sword of Creator pierced the dreadful land by the side of its dead owner… along with the vast amount of dead bodies stretched for miles end. Not a single soul awakened from its eternal slumber as the rain continuously tried to cleanse the souls of the sinners.

-----

“?!”

Edelgard scrambled upright with fast breaths. She was sweating, clumps of white hair clinging to her forehead for dear life. The student’s vision blurred like a muddled canvas as she desperately fumbled a shaky hand up to her thumping chest; the darkness was not helping her cause. Edelgard dryly swallowed and curled her fingers into the blanket. Despite attempts to slow her breathing, she still feels her heart beating wildly like a horse.

‘ W-What was that…? ‘

The noble had encountered nightmares before. She was always plagued with them since she was a child. However, none of them was anything like this. It was a vivid dream of one she was not familiar with.

“Professor…”

Edelgard knew the teal-haired warrior all-too-well in the dream. That was her Servant—her professor— Byleth. Unfortunately, the dream hardly told much of what the noble desired. It began with the fatally wounded Byleth and it ended with the death of Byleth.

Though this was all seen and experienced as if she were the mercenary. A shudder ran down the girl’s spine and pressed upon her chest. Flames that roasted her innards, nausea that prickled from her busted stomach, the burning that scarred her throat, it was all so devastating. Edelgard could not help but examine her own body for signs of harm. (Thankfully, none of her bones were exposed out in the open during this somber night!) The young girl finally received her relief when Byleth’s vision sunk into the abyss, never to awaken again.

Edelgard chewed her lip.

“Professor…!”

She understood that, from Lady Rhea’s explanation, the Servants summoned to this world have died long ago. They were temporarily given another chance at life in servitude to the Church of Seiros as either a staff or as a teacher. However, there are side effects of the ritual. One of them includes Masters being chucked with fragmented memories from their Servants at random intervals; memories that the Masters must experience as if they were the Servants themselves.

In this case… is that truly how Byleth’s life had ended? If so…

She slowly released her grip on the blanket, her weary eyes downcast. Although it was nothing more than a fleeting dream, the lingering sorrow that filled her heart gripped tightly, its claws tearing at the sensitive organ. It was a different kind of sadness… Regret having overwhelmed the mercenary’s last moment. The noble swallowed.

“Why were you so sad?”

Edelgard affirmed her decision to speak with her Servant about the matter. There is much more she has yet to learn about the ex-mercenary. But now she must return to her slumber. A glance towards the second-floor window told her everything. The vermillion princess snuggled under the blanket. Unconsciously, the young 17-year-old would rub her scarred arms, a drowsy spell cast on her figure.

‘ Professor... I want to know more about you. ‘

-----

Eventually, the moon was replaced with its opposite. It was early. Perhaps it was a little too early as the slight fog for the morning lingered in the air, its presence notable on monastery’s ground despite the weak sunlight. Birds warmed up their vocals, their beaks in favor of a delicious meal than a song to color their surroundings with.

Some students were preparing for the new day. Bernadetta, Dorothea, Mercedes, Hubert, Dedue, Lorenz, and Dimitri were those ones. Some students headed out to the training arena. Ingrid, Felix, Annette, Dimitri, and Lysithea were those ones. Some students grabbed an early breakfast. Petra, Caspar, Claude, and Ferdinand were those ones. The majority were fast asleep in this ungodly time of the day. Those were the rest of the students laying idly on their mattress.

Edelgard, Master of Byleth, was naturally accompanied by the professor.

This was their first day together if Edelgard didn’t count yesterday’s summoning ritual. She, Dimitri, and Claude were excused back to their dormitory for the rest of yesterday, the newcomers provided with intensive details and guidelines of the Officers Academy by Rhea and Seteth. The three lords would not be able to see their Servants again until the next morning when they have awoken. Claude bumped into Manuela while getting breakfast, Dimitri bumped into Hanneman, to which the older male headed to the monastery’s library, and Edelgard bumped into Byleth the instant she took a step out of her quarter.

After another quick, though personal, tour and showcase of the lecture hall for the Black Eagles for Byleth, the white-haired immediately came to speak to the Saber about the dream.

“What was your regret?”

Her response?

“Nothing.”

“That’s… it?”

“Yes.”

An expression with fewer features than that of a brick acted as a huge contrast to the frustrated student.

Byleth had acknowledged her death, but she hadn’t said any more about her past. Edelgard’s tough charismatic attitude towards the older female had gotten her another piece of information about her past occupation as a mercenary, but that was it. Nothing more and nothing less. No matter how much she tried to pinch at her Servant, the Saber would not lower her guard. Instead, Byleth reached out to pat Edelgard on the head, their roles clearly reversed from Master to Servant and vice versa.

“It would be pointless to talk much about my past. I’ve already died, so there is nothing for me to gain in this life.”

“Don’t say that,” Edelgard gently knocked her hand away with a frown. “You may only be here for five years, but that’s still enough time to get something done.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Edelgard, but even if I were to tell you, it wouldn’t be granted anyway.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s impossible.”

Before Edelgard could open her mouth, the bell chimed from the distant. Its tolls rang for a solid minute, a signal of a new day for the students, and the first official day for the studious members of Garreg Mach Monastery.

Any students that were snuggled under the blanket would be forced to crawl up from their slumber. The youngsters would have another 30 minutes to indulge in a light meal for the morning before the start of the lecture… That is if they do not skimp out on book learning. The bell also signaled a new shift for the security guards and soldiers. Many of them waddled back to their dormitory for a snooze as their colleagues took over their positions.

It was beginning to bustle in this holy premise. Byleth used the event to turn her back towards the 17-year-old, but not without raising a textbook into the air.

“We have more important matters to attend to, Edelgard.”

“Wait,” she extended her gloved hand out. “I’m not done—”

“Lady Edelgard!”

At that same moment, Petra, Hubert, and Ferdinand arrived into the classroom, with the Brigid princess greeting the noble in a familiar accent. Byleth sped her pace to the front of the classroom and left the four alone. Edelgard bit back a sigh. The opportunity to speak privately with her Servant is now gone for the morning. Maybe she might try again later, but… she mentally shook her head.

‘ Am I too pushy? ‘

It would only be fair her Servant speak little about her past, and it would only be fair if she flat out refuses to speak about it. She may be her Master, but her Servant is a professor… and she is her student. Both of her shoulders slump and an elongated sigh bypassed her lips.

“My Lady, is something the matter?”

Hubert’s concerned tone recaptured her attention. Edelgard stiffened her posture and swiftly moved her hair behind with a flick of her wrist.

“It is nothing, Hubert. Let us prepare for class.”

Despite the regal and professional response, her body language said otherwise, the fingertips drumming on her waist and distressed features scribbled onto her face. As she walked towards her designated seat in the front, Hubert, Ferdinand, and Petra exchanged looks.

“What could she be worried about?” the Brigid princess motioned. “I have not seen Edelgard like that before.”

Ferdinand shook his head. “Neither have I.”

A faint hum came from the princess’s loyal companion. Hubert cupped his chin, lowered his head at a particular angle, and aimed his gaze at their professor, his eyes narrowed.

“It seems this is something worth looking into…”

“Normally, I would say that’s a terrible idea, but I’m also curious...”

Hubert’s chuckles resonated from his throat. The young male shook his head and retracted his hand. As he walked towards the second row behind the princess, he brushed by Ferdinand’s shoulder. A couple of steps were taken before he paused in place. Back still faced to the noble, his tonality dipped into that of a soft whisper, “I find it strange we can find a compromise on something.”

“Did you say something?”

“…”

He ignored Ferdinand’s question and promptly greeted the young lord with a bow of his head. Of course, that caused the other noble to fume in the background. Had it not been for Petra holding him back with her powerful grip, he would have marched up to Hubert and shaken the male. Violently. The furious Ferdinand bellowing "I am Ferdinand von Aegir! How dare you ignore me!" to the silent Hubert said plenty about their relationship. Byleth, who stood in the front, felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face at the peculiar commotion.

' Today will be an interesting day… ‘

When her gaze reverted to her Master, she began to take into account of Edelgard's subtle traits. The young girl brimming with charisma was always filled with a sense of isolation. Ironic as she is always accompanied by at least one of her classmates since the time of her summoning yesterday. Byleth faintly hummed to herself and cracked open her booklet, her eyes never leaving the royal female.

Edelgard would occasionally tuck a stray strand of white hair behind her ear. Is her white hair a natural color? Byleth remembers seeing Lysithea with similar colored hair, so it could simply be a coincidence. Yet throughout her time as a mercenary, the young adult could not recall a time when she met someone lacking any variety of shades.

Her sight strayed to the student's hands. Edelgard's fingertips were subtle upon the parchments, all five smoothing the scripture for today's lecture topic. What's striking are the white gloves. The professor mindlessly began to flip through the pages and tilted her head. She heeded very little attention to the girl's hands. After the summoning ritual from yesterday, Byleth could not recall her reason for keeping the gloves on. What she could relish in was imprinting a kiss onto the self-inflicted gash, a tender act that merely serves to instill bits of her recovery magic onto the minor wound. Healing spells were not her forte, but she could at least imbue bits to her Master. A dangerously hot red flush tickled Edelgard's cheeks afterward. The Saber found it perplexing that she would react in this manner, but she did not ponder upon it for long. After all, Lady Rhea and Seteth shooed the three Masters away to speak to the Servants privately.

Edelgard began to tug at her uniform's collar, the sweat beginning to form as she blew a short burst of air. Byleth was astonished to absorb the details of the house leader's attire. Was she always this stuffy? The uniform already looked as though it could overheat anyone during the hot, dreadful summer season. Harpstring Moon (May) held no punches and it was only going to get worse. However, her Master retained the uniform with additional layers on top of it. Barely any of her skin was exposed to the public. This almost paints her Servant as a scandalous dresser!

Byleth sucked in a sharp breath when Edelgard fanned herself. Since the young girl sat at the front row, this meant she was able to get a better view of Hresvelg. Thinking about it... Edelgard is a pretty student. Beautiful is the best terminology to describe the house leader, the perspiration highlighting the key vocabulary. Though the same could be said about Dimitri and Claude with how handsome they are. Were all house leaders physically attractive?

"Professor, is there something on my face?"

Edelgard's voice snapped her to reality. The mercenary soon felt it dawn upon her that she was caught ogling at her Master. How embarrassing! A Servant should not act this way towards their Master! Byleth quickly cleared her throat, shook her head, and glanced down to her lecture materials. It wasn't long until she peered up from her hardcover. It has only been a day, but after the relentless assault of interrogative questions from her Master... it would be a lie to say that Byleth isn't interested in the young girl.

' Edelgard... I want to know more about you. '

After all, they were going to be in this Master-Servant relationship for five long years.

-----

Meanwhile, in the training arena…

“Haaaah!”

“Eek!”

A loud smack resonated in the air. Though a clunky sound resonated from the impact, a gush of wind blew at the bystanders, a tremendous showcase of exerted force. The wooden sword twirled high in the air in response. It eventually clattered onto the stone pavement from behind Annette. Although the magus would normally scamper after the fallen weapon, the tip of her opponent’s blade was pointed at her throat, her breath hitched. Sweat poured forth from their pores, their vision tunneled to each other. They were frozen in place for a few seconds. Then, the young girl pouted.

“You beat me again, Felix.”

He pulled back the training sword, but not without a smile.

“Indeed, I did. However, you’ve improved so much.”

“How?”

“For starters…” Felix reached over to ruffle with her orange hair. “You were able to last for a minute against me.” Seeing that her expression did not change for the better, he added, “Might I remind you that even Sylvain and Ingrid had trouble keeping up with me?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“If… If you say so.”

Although it was odd to see someone who mainly relies on offensive magic to spend time training with sword techniques, it was all under the discretion of her boyfriend. Anything could happen out on the battlefield. Felix could not bear to acknowledge Annette’s lack of self-defense if she runs out of energy for her spells. Compared to him, who was able to adapt to most situations, the young girl can easily become a sitting duck. Traumatic nightmares and pessimistic wonderment led the male to propose this idea early on in their relationship. He had no doubts about her abilities, but… Felix simply understood too well that he could not always be there for his lover. Dimitri and Ashe recommended Annette to learn how to use the bow or take up basic training with a dagger. Felix thought otherwise.

“I know you can do it,” his words echoed in her head. “The sword is most effective in battle. It would be difficult to learn, but knowing you, you will excel. Besides, I would love to be your teacher… and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”

Annette felt a tinge of a pink blush creep to her cheeks as she felt his coarse palm trail down to her chin. Felix immediately closed their distance in a single step with an amused chuckle. Then, he tilted her head upward and leaned down to plant a tender kiss on her lips. They stared lovingly into each other well after they parted.

“I think you have the capability of fighting against Sylvain at least. You might even beat him too.”

“Did you just downplay my skills?” Sylvain’s voice boomed from the background. The royal playboy retracted his wooden lance after attempting to strike at Ingrid, a glancing a shot over his shoulder. As Ingrid eased her defensive posture, Sylvain approached the two Blue Lions members with a pleasant but forced smile. “I’ll have you know that I’m tough too. Ingrid can vouch for me.”

“Yeah, right,” the blonde knight rolled her eyes. “You couldn’t even break through my defense.”

“You know… I could be trying to wear you down.”

“!”

Sylvain smirked. “Oof… Did I hit a sore spot?”

“I didn’t expect that tactic from you…” Ingrid mumbled, a hand resting on top of her chest, her widened eyes prominent. “Color me surprised…”

“Of course you didn’t expect it. Fighting an opponent isn’t all about brute strength.”

“As expected of Sylvain,” Dimitri entered the picture. By his side, Lysithea arrived in a similar fashion. He gently smiled and motioned to one of his three childhood friends. “He is no ordinary warrior. If you go against him, I suggest you prepare yourself well.”

Sylvain whistled. One hand behind his head, the red-haired male rocked his feet, a silly grin plastered on his face. “Praise from Dimitri? This must be my lucky day.”

“Ugh, Annie could take him head-on, boar,” Felix grumbled. “I bet she could take him on in her sleep.”

This caused Dimitri to raise a brow. “Is Annette capable of doing so?”

“Yes, yes she is! I’ve trained her and saw how much she’s grown.”

“How long did she train under you?”

“Four months.”

“Hm… that would make sense…” Ingrid cupped her chin and pondered. “I remember Felix beginning her training before we came to the monastery.”

She recalled the time that they trained almost every single day. Two hours in the morning, one hour in the afternoon, and three hours in the evening. It was an intensive routine created by none other than Felix. Though she did not closely follow up with the two’s progress, she had overheard of their satisfactions… along with some other romantic things that are not meant to be heard within a mile radius. The female knight stiffened her shoulders when Dimitri suddenly coughed into his fist with concern scrawled over his facial features.

“I do not wish to be rude, but I believe four months may not be enough.”

“It is if you know how to train someone.”

“I’m sorry, Felix, but I cannot allow Annette to fight with Sylvain—”

“I’ll give you a silver lance if I’m proven wrong.”

“…”

Lysithea narrowed her eyes as she quietly observed the talkative friends. She may be young, but she knows all-too-well where this conversation is going. Dimitri has a childish innocence when it came to his love for weapons. A trip down the marketplace with Claude one day provided a spectacular scene of the blonde prince becoming a gleeful puffball at a new lance model. She could never get the image out of her head… and it won’t ever be flushed out of her brain thanks to the tan male.

“Gosh, don’t you think it’s cute of Dimi to act that way?” Lysithea remembered Claude’s remark. They were walking back to their lecture hall with arms full of fresh parchments and feathered pen. She recalled the rare, genuine smile that bloomed on the noble’s face after uttering his rather random comment. When asked about the unexpected compliment, he shrugged his shoulders, the corner of his lips still curved. “I dunno. Just speaking what’s on my mind, you know?”

And he certainly spoke his mind for the entirety of the day. The white-haired stifled a sigh and crossed her arms as the blonde lord succumbed to the bet.

‘ I could never understand one’s love for weapons… ‘

Dimitri shifted the weight on his feet and bit his lip.

“I… I don’t have anything to give to you though.”

“An apology towards Annette is more than enough.”

Felix was serious about this. Maybe a little too serious. Dimitri began to take a step back from the tempting exchange when Sylvain knocked his elbow onto the prince’s arm. Sylvain winked at the male lord and shot an approving nod towards his friend.

“I’ll take up this challenge. We know how much Dimitri loves those high-quality weapons.”

“Sylvain, I—”

“Don’t you worry, Dimitri. I got you. Besides, what could you possibly lose?”

“…my dignity.”

“Eh, fair enough.”

“Sylvain!”

Eventually, the main arena was cleared. Everyone else outside of the two participants stood on the sideline. Lysithea and Dimitri were to act as judges for their match. (Though it appears Lysithea tried to slip away from the imposed role only to no avail.) The rules were simple: the first person to knock their opponent’s weapon to the ground wins. They were able to use whatever tactics they had in mind so long as it doesn’t land someone into the health bay. The last thing these students needed was to miss out on their first lecture with Professor Hanneman and Professor Manuela. That isn’t to mention Rhea and Seteth either!

Both warriors appropriately distanced themselves. Knees bent, Annette and Sylvain were a bit fatigued from their earlier training with Felix and Ingrid respectively. Their chest rose and fell with a touch of haste as the wooden weapon was tightly gripped in their hands. One held a sword and one held a lance. Annette’s knuckled whitened and Sylvain’s eyes narrowed. Eventually, the air that surrounds the pair became heavy, the three nobles feeling their nerves rattle from the intensity.

“Let’s end this quick, yeah?” Sylvain crouch, the training lance aligned at a near-perfect 180 degree. “I wouldn’t want to be late for class today.”

“I wouldn’t want to be late either, Sylvain,” Annette taunted with a whip of her sword. Once she righted the mock weapon, she added, “But not without winning.”

“Well said. Let’s see what you’ve learned!”

The disgruntled Golden Deer student raised her hand in the air.

‘ Why did I get roped into this? ‘

She stifled another loud exhale and, after chopping the air, she proclaimed,

“Begin!”

Sylvain and Annette widened their eyes in synchronization. Almost as if they were copying each other’s move set to an extent, they both rushed at each other. Sylvain jerked his arm and thrust the blunt tip at Annette’s arm. As expected, the female parried it with a swift flick of her wrist, the wooden blade knocking aside the strike.

He didn’t bounce back for distance. Instead, the male raised his lance the instant Annette shoved her sword in his direction. Another loud clunk emitted upon contact. They soon parted only to come at each other’s throat again. They moved, back and forth, the blunt objects occasionally slapped aside by the challengers. Felix, Ingrid, Dimitri, and Lysithea watched the elegant dance that flurried between the two students, the perspiration noticeable on all those present.

Stalemate. This was unexpected coming from the shorter girl. Sylvain was baffled by the determination and fierce conviction that Annette came at him. He may have the experience that would effortlessly overpower her, but there is a stark difference between one that worked hard and one that is gifted. Oh, if Felix hadn’t taken her as his girlfriend, Sylvain might actually get down to his knee and propose they be a couple!

Sylvain twirled the lance in his grip and swung from above. Annette instantly deflected with a fluid motion of her arms. She shoved him away and horizontally swung at him. In turn, Sylvain did not miss the moment to slam his lance against her sword. They were forced into another deadlock as their grip trembled.

“You trained her well, Felix,” Ingrid muttered as the fighters broke apart. “Sylvain can’t break through her defense.”

Felix huffed. “I only did what was beneficial for her.”

The duo fell into silence as they continued to observe the spar. Felix narrowed his eyes when he noticed his girlfriend’s slowed movement. Fatigue was beginning to burn into her muscles and eat up her strength. Sylvain, on the other hand, hardly showed any sign of exhaustion despite his earlier session with Ingrid. The difference in stamina was just too great. Dimitri and Lysithea exchanged glances with each other. Though there was no verbiage, a single look was all it took to tell who the eventual winner was. Could Felix be bluffing in the end about Annette?

“Ah!?”

Sylvain had snapped the elongated stick onto her wrist without a moment of hesitation. Annette felt the handle slip out of her grasp in conjunction with an explosion of hot pain. She furrowed her brows as the sword completely lost contact with her hand, the blade flying diagonally upward. The other male slowly pulled back his training lance at the predictable conclusion.

“Guess it’s my win, right?”

“Not quite.”

“?”

His eyes widened when Annette’s body lurched sideways, her legs kicking to the left. It didn’t take a genius to figure out her next action plan. Sylvain cursed himself for going easy on his classmate and began pursuit. How could he have forgotten about her persistence? Out of everyone he has known, the only one he knew that worked the hardest from the bottom up was Annette. She would This time, he was going to knock it out of her hand for good, even if it meant becoming aggressive. It wasn’t about the bet anymore. It was about his dignity as a knight.

Felix felt his heart flutter and leap at the sight of the unfolding scene. A clasping sound resonated in the air from her direction. Annette grimaced from catching the twirling wooden sword and nearly fell backward. She quickly adjusted her balance with gravity and twirled around.

Could it have been due to luck? Whatever it was, Felix, Ingrid, Dimitri, and Lysithea nearly felt their eyes boggle out as Annette struck the lance with immense power, the strength amplified by the flow of momentum.

“Take this!”

Sylvain stared in shock at the little girl. For a student who loved to window shop for evening attires and bury her head in textbooks, she possessed deadly amount of energy in her small body. The playboy felt a smile burst from his lips as he was forcefully disarmed. Unlike his earlier action, Annette made sure he won’t be able to regain his weapon, the tip of her sword aimed at his throat. Felix's eyes slowly widened when he realized her move set… It nearly mimicked his own.

After Lysithea announced the winner, Ingrid and Dimitri each retrieved their friends’ weapons, and Felix provided dried towels to them. Lysithea excused herself from the premise in hopes of returning back to her classroom. That left the Blue Lion members all alone in the training arena.

“Whew… you did me in, Annette,” Sylvain grinned. “I… Wow, I might have to be even more careful around you.”

“Please, don’t be. I think I just got lucky.”

“I doubt so. I really think you got the knack for this.”

“I agree with Sylvain.” Dimitri approached the youngster once more by the noble. “You’re not only proficient in magic, but you can also hold your ground against Sylvain.”

Annette giggled and pat the soft, navy fabric against her moist skin. “I’m not used to having this much compliment from you all… but thank you.”

“With that, all said and done, I want to also apologize to you, Annette. I did not mean to underestimate you.”

“Oh, you don’t have to apologize to me.”

“No, I must,” he shook his head. “Even if you were to lose, I would have apologized anyway.”

Their banters came to closure as another bell began to ring once again, the marking of an eventual start with class. All five members felt their heart nearly leap out of their chest. The lecture is about to begin, and Dimitri still needs to meet up with his Archer Servant. One by one, they left the premise, the last being both Felix and Annette.

“I’ve never seen such improvisation during a match,” the sword-wielder murmured. “Where did you learn that?”

“Well…” The towel still draped over her neck, the young female reached to grab his hand. Naturally, their fingers intertwined together as Annette laughed, “I didn’t want a repeat of my spar with you, that’s all.”

#loyalflutist #fodlan holy grail war #chapter 2 #fan fiction #fanfic #fan fic #fanfiction #series #edeleth #f!byleth x edelgard #felix x annette #i'll probably just be posting up the pairings as tags...#just refer to the notes i put up per chapter

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loretranscripts · 5 years ago

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Lore Episode 129: Digging Deep (Transcript) - 11th November, 2019

tw: ghosts, human remains

Disclaimer: This transcript is entirely non-profit and fan-made. All credit for this content goes to Aaron Mahnke, creator of Lore podcast. It is by a fan, for fans, and meant to make the content of the podcast more accessible to all. Also, there may be mistakes, despite rigorous re-reading on my part. Feel free to point them out, but please be nice!

The construction was called to a stop the moment they found the bones. The work crew was preparing a building site along one of London’s many ancients streets when they uncovered what appeared to be a body – or, at least, the remains of one. It was clearly old, given that nothing but bones could be seen beneath the dirt, so a team of archaeologists was brought in to preserve and study the remains. In the end, they determined that the bones belonged to a teenage girl who had lived in London over 1600 years ago – a Roman girl. It’s not the last time something like that has happened in this city. During some development work near Spitalfields Market in the 1990s, a work crew uncovered what turned out to be an entire Roman cemetery. Among the finds was a perfectly preserved lead coffin, its lid covered in beautiful artwork that had been hammered right into the surface, still visible, all these centuries later.

And that’s the way history tends to work – time will bury it under new and current events. But if we dig deep enough, and brush away the soil, we can come face to face with it all over again. The past never truly goes away, after all. It’s there, waiting to be discovered, so that we can study it and relearn the stories it contains. Oftentimes, though, the things that leave the deepest marks tend to be the most tragic and painful, events that rattled people to their core and left a shadow on the history of a place that no amount of sunlight could ever chase away, and the older the city, the more common those shadows tend to be. Which is why I want to take you on a tour of one of the oldest, because while the past is always nearby in our modern world, few places allow it to dwell so close to the present as the city of London. Its past is both a treasury of historic significance and crypt full of the darkest tragedies we could ever imagine. Because in a city filled with so much light, there’s bound to be some shadows. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

London is ancient, there’s really no other way to say it. Most Americans live in a community that’s less than 200 years old. If you’re in New England or one of the other places with roots in pre-colonial America, perhaps those locations go back a bit further, but London’s history makes all of those seem brand new by comparison. Archaeological work in London can place humans in the area as far back as 4500BC, but if we’re looking for a major settlement where it stands today, that didn’t happen until 47AD, when the Romans arrived and set up a community there that they called “Londinium”. Although from what we can tell, it didn’t last long, all thanks to a woman named Boudicca. As far as historians know, Boudicca was the wife of King Prasutagus, who ruled over an eastern British tribe known as the Iceni. When the Romans arrived in their territory in 43AD, they came to an arrangement with Prasutagus, allowing him to maintain control of his kingdom. When he died 17 years later, though, the Romans refused to acknowledge his widow as the new ruler, and instead invaded them to take the land for themselves. But they misjudged Boudica, assuming she was a quiet woman, incapable of ruling anything. Instead, she rallied a massive army of close to 100,000 warriors and then led them on a campaign against the Romans all over Britain. In 61AD, her army rolled over Londinium like a Sherman tank, burning the entire settlement to the ground. In fact, her campaign against them was so fierce and unstoppable that the Romans nearly left Britain altogether. But those who survived managed to rebuild, and within a handful of decades it had grown large enough to become capital of the entire province.

Over the years, the city continued to expand and mature, and even though the Romans left towards the beginning of the fifth century, the community there refused to die. By the 7th century, London had earned a reputation as a major trade centre, which brought in a steady flow of wealth and goods, and also turned the city into a political powerhouse. Of course, power and wealth has a way of making a community a target for others, and London was no exception. In 1066, William the Conqueror sailed across the English Channel and earned his nickname by taking control of the entire kingdom and making it his own – and, of course, special attention was paid to London. Within two decades, the population of the city had reached nearly 15,000, and by the 1300s that had multiplied to over 80,000.

But something unexpected was heading their way that would ravage that growing community, something mysterious and dangerous and seemingly unstoppable – the Black Death. What started as a plague in western Asia quickly spread to Europe, bringing death and destruction to every community it touched. By the time the Black Death had burned itself out, some historians estimate that upwards of two hundred million people were dead. The people of London lost at least 10,000 lives, most of whom were buried outside the city walls. It wouldn’t be the last time the city would face tragedy. In 1664, a fresh outbreak of the plague killed another 100,000 people, and then two years later, in September of 1666, a fire broke out in the house of a baker on Pudding Lane. It eventually spread west, destroying much of the city as it went, and while there were only six verified casualties, historians now think the fire burned hot enough to completely cremate those who were caught in it, making the true death toll anyone’s guess.

So much of London’s history was tragic and outside human control, but there have also been moments along the way that could only be blamed on the people who lived there. Jack the Ripper and the murders that took place in 1888 in the Whitechapel district of the city are always front and centre in most people’s minds. But there has been a lot more bloodshed than just those five innocent women. In fact, a lot of the city’s murder and violence could be found higher up the ladder, in the very chambers and homes of the people who held the power and wealth. It seemed that rather than being immune to the shadows that lingered in the city, even the powerful could fall under their spell. Because if there’s one thing the nobility of England’s past seem to attract more than anything else, it was pain and suffering and death.

We don’t need to look far to find bloody nobles. It sometimes feels as though all we have to do is open a history book and flip it to a random page. Life at the top was often a cutthroat game, both figuratively and literally, and anyone who found themselves in the orbit of a king or queen certainly understood that risk. A great example of how blood-thirsty the English kings could be was Henry VIII. Henry is known for a lot of things, not all of which are so great in retrospect. He expanded the power of the crown during his lifetime and based a lot of that on his belief in the divine right of kings, something that threatened the freedom of his people. He was greedy and vindictive and had an ego that was only surpassed in size by the codpiece on his armour. But if there is one thing that most people remember today about Henry VIII, it’s his many wives. Henry had six of them, half of whom were named Catherine, which must have made it a lot easier for him, I’m sure. Five of those six wives came and went within a single 10-year period in his life, but not all of those breakups were friendly. After having his first marriage annulled in 1533 and sparking the English Reformation and the country’s separation from the Catholic church, Henry married the sister of a former lover, a women named Anne Boleyn. Three years later, he had her executed for treason and adultery, but also possibly for failing to deliver a male heir.

The day after Anne’s beheading, Henry proposed to one of her ladies in waiting, Jane Seymour. They had apparently fallen in love months before, but Jane had managed to hold off Henry’s advances in the name of honour. Once the queen was dead, though, she was much more agreeable. They were married 10 days later. From everything I can tell, Henry believed that Jane Seymour was “the one” – he viewed her as his perfect queen, and when she gave birth to his first male heir a year later, he probably sighed with relief. The complications from the birth put her life at risk, and over the two weeks that followed she slowly declined. In October of 1537, Jane Seymour passed away. That had taken place at Hampton Court Palace, Henry’s favourite London residence. It was a mixture of a pleasure palace, a theatre and a royal home, so when Henry brought his next two wives through those doors over the next few years, they were probably bittersweet moments. A lot of joy would be possible there, but it would also sit in the shadows of a painful past. His fifth wife, Catherine Howard, made a fool of the king by conducting at least one less-than-secret affair. After learning about what she had done, Henry had Catherine arrested and thrown in a prison cell there, at the house. She was only 18 at the time, and I can’t imagine the fear and desperation she must have felt, being a prisoner of the most powerful man in the kingdom.

According to the stories, though, Catherine managed to slip away from her guards one day, while being walked through the palace. She bolted away and ran down one of the long galleries that led to the king’s chapel, where she knew Henry could be found. Her goal was probably to beg for forgiveness, to ask for mercy and to plead for her life. But the guards caught up to her before that could happen, and her screams of terror were the only thing to reach him. Catherine Howard was beheaded a short while later, and Henry moved onto a new wife, also named Catherine. But just because those former wives were gone, doesn’t mean they were forgotten. In fact, if the stories are true, they might have stuck around to serve as a cruel reminder. It’s said that even today, visitors to that long gallery in the palace have heard echoes of a woman screaming, a desperate, panicked cry that chills them to the bones. Others have heard the quick rhythm of footsteps, as if someone were running down the hallway. And in 1999, according to one source, two different tourists fainted in the gallery at different times on the very same day.

Elsewhere in Hampton Court Palace, other shadows have stuck around as well. In a room at the top of the staircase known as Silver Stick Stairs, multiple visitors have claimed to have seen the figure of a pale women. She stands silently, hovering slightly above the floor, with a mournful expression and vacant eyes. For those who have witnessed it, the spectre has been both calming and terrifying. Whether or not the visions are real, though, it’s fascinating to look at the true history of that room, because while it has been used for countless purposes over the last few centuries, one specific resident stands out above all the others. It was in this room, you see, that Henry VIII’s only male heir was born to his true love, Jane Seymour, and it was there, just two weeks later, that she passed away.

The old home, located on Berkeley Square, is a townhouse, just one of many in a long row of similar facades, but as far back as the mid-19th century, it was different enough to stand out from all the others. But before I continue with the legends, let me be clear that not a lot is known about the house’s origins, and a lot of stories have yet to be completely verified. Still, we know enough to make this a journey worth taking – so let’s get started. The majority of the tales begin with the man who owned the house back in the 1860s. Thomas Myers wasn’t the first to live there, but he was certainly the most infamous. It’s said that he had once been engaged to be married, but his fiancée eventually changed her mind and ended their relationship. Broken and distraught, he retreated into his house and was rarely ever seen again. Neighbours claim that the house would be dead during the day, only to come alive at night. It was as if Thomas had traded in the sunlight for the shadows, living the rest of his life during those moments when most of the world was asleep, and it might very well be whispers of the house all lit up at night that first gave birth to the rumour that it was haunted – but it could also have been what happened next.

Sometime around 1872, the house sold to a new family, and they moved in to clean up the home and make it their own. The couple had two daughters, both in their late teens, and there were precious few years left for the parents to enjoy life as a family in this new setting before they became empty-nesters. In the weeks that followed, though, the future crept in. The oldest of the two daughters became engaged to a young officer named Captain Kentfield, and conversation became filled with talk of wedding plans and guests lists. And at some point in their engagement, Captain Kentfield planned a visit, so the family set about preparing the attic bedroom for his arrival. According to the story, what happened next is still shrouded in mystery. The family maid was sent up to put the final touches on the fiancé’s room, and while she was up there, the family heard her scream. At once, everyone in the house rushed upstairs to see what had happened, only to find her lying on the floor, an expression of complete horror painted across her face. More mysterious yet was that she couldn’t seem to put a complete sentence together and was unable to answer any of the questions the family asked her. All the maid was able to do was mutter a low, cryptic refrain. “Don’t let it touch me. Don’t let it touch me”.

The maid was immediately taken to the hospital to recover, where I imagine someone observed her, and did their best to treat her rattled nerves, but other than that, there was little they could do. Sleep, they assumed, would be the best medicine. The following morning, though, she was found dead in her room. The fiancé arrived the next day, and after hearing the stories of the maid’s unexpected death, he decided to check the room out for himself. Maybe he was playing the brave soldier in front of his future in-laws in an effort to impress them, or perhaps his fiancée needed some reassurance and he wanted to calm her nerves. Whatever the reason, he climbed the stairs to the attic bedroom and declared that he would keep watch throughout the night. In the darkest hours of the morning, though, a gunshot pulled everyone from sleep, their hearts racing at the sound of it. Everyone climbed out of bed, threw on their night coats, and then rushed up to see what had happened. What they found, according to the legend, was the young captain, dead on the floor of his room, a victim of his own pistol.

In 1907, author Charles Harper wrote about the house in a book, and it was there that he declared it to be “the very picture of misery”. After the events that were said to have taken place there, it’s easy to wonder if the misery was in the structure or the lives who lived there. Either way, the stories we’ve heard so far shed a bright light on one more tale that Harper added to the legend. According to him, the next family to own the house moved in fully aware of the tragedies of the past. The owner was an older gentleman, who was said to be practical and not prone to stories of the supernatural. Still, he understood the power of suggestion a creepy old house with a dark past might have over him, so he set some rules for everyone to follow. After settling in with his family, he told them all that he would ring his bell to tell them if he ever truly needed help. If it was a moment of fright, he would only ring it once, which they were all instructed to ignore, but if matters were more pressing and he truly needed help, he would ring it twice, a signal that they were to immediately come to his room.

Everyone went to bed at the end of the evening, and while the night began peacefully, the quiet was broken around midnight by the loud chime of the old man’s bell, not once, but twice, which sent everyone rushing to see what might be the matter. What they found, though, weren’t answers. The old man was writhing in his bed, his face twisted by panic and fear. Just like the housemaid all those years before, he too couldn’t answer the questions that the others around him asked. He could only mutter and shake with horror at something no one else could see. After doing their best to help him, they calmed him enough to let him sleep, and everyone wandered back to their own rooms. They left his bell on the table beside his bed, hoping that he would remember how to use it if he needed them, but the remainder of the night was one, long stretch of unbroken silence. In the morning, they discovered why. After visiting the old man’s bedroom to check on him, one of his family members gently pushed the door open and peered inside. The shape in the bed was unmoving, and so they approached to wake him and see how he felt. But like those in the house before him, he too had passed away. A random coincidence of natural causes, or a demonstration of the power of fear?

There’s a lot about London that seems to echo the atmosphere of the house at 50 Berkeley Square. It’s a city painted in shadows, but it’s unclear if that darkness was always there, or if we imported it over the centuries. What’s clear is that almost from the start, tragedy and suffering has been a resident of this ancient city. Right back to the invasion of Boudica, nearly 2000 years ago, and up to its most modern challenges, the city of London has had to suffer through quite a bit, and that has a way of leaving a mark. Over the centuries, though, the city has always found ways to move on. New layers are added all the time, building the present on top of the past and slowly burying one dark moment beneath another – which is probably why London is one of those places where new construction always seems to bump into ancient things. If you dig deep enough, you’re guaranteed to find something. And look – London is a massive city, and while I did my best to cover some of its larger and more powerful stories, there are hundreds more that I had to leave untouched. Honestly, if you want to visit a haunted location in the city, just visit a local pub, like the Ten Bells, or the Flask, or the Spaniard Inn. If the stories are true, you’ll find a lot more than a pint of ale waiting for you inside.

But if there’s one mark on the pages of London’s history that is bigger than most, it’s hard to deny the power of the plague. If you remember, when the wave of disease washed over the city in 1665, it took two years to run its course, and in the process, it claimed the lives of nearly 100,000 people, and that was a lot of tragedy to deal with – on the personal and the public level. The biggest problem seemed to be what to do with all those corpses. We’ve all seen films like Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and can all remember lines like “bring out your dead”, and from what we can tell, that’s pretty close to how it actually would have been, a steady, daily flow of bodies out of the city, away from the places where people lived in the hope that it would stop the spread of the disease. And most of the bodies were carried outside the city limits. One such burial location was started by the Earl of Craven, who purchased a parcel of land west of the city for disposal of plague victims, and every night, for months on end, carts filled with rotting corpses were wheeled out onto his land and then dumped into the pits there. Over time, the place became known as the “Pest House Field,” and later it was named Gelding Close, but to be honest, few people actually went there. They were too afraid of what might happen if they got too close to the body of a plague victim or, heaven forbid, accidentally touch one. So, the burial plot, like so many others around the city, became a sort of no man’s land.

After years of waiting, the owners of the land eventually made the decision to use the property for development. London was growing, and there would always be a need for a new neighbourhood to settle in, so it was sold in pieces and developed into homes for the wealthy and elite to move away from the centre of the city. Gelding Close eventually became known as Golden Square, and today it’s a prominent feature in the SoHo area of London. But even though the name has changed and the landscape around it has been transformed, the past is still there, lingering in the shadows of modern life. In fact, more than a few visitors to the park and buildings that surround it have bumped into the past in a very real way. A few have seen the figures of people dressed in old-fashioned clothing slipping through the square at night, while most have caught the sound of wailing, as if someone were enduring horrible pain and suffering. But it’s not the specific things people have heard over the years that are the most terrifying aspect to these stories. No, it’s where they all claim the voices have come from. The sounds, they say, seem to emanate from right beneath their feet.

A city as old and historic as London is guaranteed to have a library of mysterious shadows and otherworldly experiences and I hope today’s tour has been a satisfying dip into that enormous pond, but I’m not done just yet. There’s one more legend from the city that I absolutely love, and if you stick around through the sponsor break, I plan to tell you all about it.

[Sponsor break from the Great Courses Plus, Squarespace and Fracture]

When you think of London, it’s easy to think of money. As far back as the Roman period of the city, there has been an overt focus on the financial industry. In about 240AD, for example, the Romans constructed a mithraeum, a temple devoted to the god Mithras. Some of the most common members of the cult of Mithras were merchants, traders, customs officials and politicians, all professions that revolved around the flow of money. But it didn’t end with the Romans. As the centuries ticked by, the people of London found new and better ways to manage money and build the economy. In the year 1100, King Henry I instituted a new system of currency that even the most illiterate and uneducated citizens of his kingdom could understand: the tally stick. It was essentially a polished wooden rod that had nicks carved into it to denote its value, and it was then split down the middle. The king kept one half, while the other was put into circulation in places like the city markets, and that’s where the system really shined. If anyone tried to change the value of the public half by adding another nick, they just needed to be compared to the other half kept safe by the crown.

But at the end of the 17th century, one of the biggest changes to the financial world of London was born: The Bank of England. It was created in 1694 to solve a tricky financial problem the government of England faced. They needed to build a massive navy to defend themselves but lacked the funds to do it. So, an elaborate system of lending and currency came to the rescue. A century later, The Bank of England was simply a way of life for the people of London. It had all the prestige and power that you might expect from a government-backed bank and had established a reputation for itself that has carried into the 21st century.

But I don’t want to give you a tour of the bank’s full history, I just want to tell you about one of their employees, a man named Philip Whitehead. Whitehead worked in the cashier’s office of The Bank of England in 1811. Everyone around him viewed him as a pillar of the establishment, a hard-working, respectable man who was charming and delightful with staff and customers alike. Except that’s not all he was. Philip was also a criminal. It turns out he had been forging bank documents for months, cheating the bank out of a slow trickle of money, and at some point in 1911, his misdeeds were discovered, and he was quickly arrested and sent off to prison. A few months later, in early 1812, Philip Whitehead hanged for his crimes, and the bank moved on.

Several weeks after Philip’s hanging, though, a woman came into the bank asking for him. She said her name was Sarah, but when she asked to speak with Philip Whitehead, she was simply told that he was out of the office on a business errand. The woman left disappointed but promised to be back at another time. The next time that she returned, he not only told them that her name was Sarah, but that she was Philip’s sister. She told them of how she had lost touch with her brother many months earlier, and that she had been desperate to find a way to reach him, and at some point, her story must have plucked at the heartstrings of just the right bank employee, because one of the men took her aside and told her the truth. Her brother was dead. It wouldn’t be Sarah’s last visit to the bank, though. The next time she returned, she was dressed all in black, with a black veil that covered her face.

She stepped into the lobby of the bank and asked to see her brother. Taking pity on the poor woman, and official at the bank pulled her aside, apologised for keeping his imprisonment and execution a secret, and offered a small settlement. It was a pay-off, of course, designed to keep her from disturbing the other customers, but I’m sure he sold it to her more as a salve for her aching heart. Either way, she accepted the money and then left. But she returned a few days later. Over and over again, Sarah Whitehead visited the bank, each time dressed in that black gown and veil. At first, her voice was nothing more than a whisper, but with each new visit her question became louder and more aggressive – “Where is my brother?” she continued to ask. Each of those visits ended with another small payment from the bank, but they weren’t a charity house, and eventually decided that enough was enough.

Pulling her aside one day, they handed her a massive settlement and told her never to return, and to her credit, Sarah Whitehead listened. She never again set foot inside the bank, although it’s said that she also never wore anything else but that black gown and dark veil. We don’t know how long Sarah lived after that – sometimes grief has a way of speeding up a person’s decline, while other times it seems to give them a reason to go on. But decades later, Sarah passed away, having spent the remainder of her life in a constant state of mourning for her dead brother. Legend says that the churchyard she chose for her burial was the one right next door to the bank. Maybe she wanted to keep an eye on them from the other world, or perhaps it just happened to be where she attended church. I like to think that it was the former, and that those that still worked at the bank and knew her story were aware of where she was buried. It’s very poetic, whether or not it was actually true.

But her story doesn’t end there, of course. In the years following Sarah Whitehead’s death, employees inside the bank began to report seeing strange things. Oftentimes it was nothing more than a movement, just out of their field of vision, caught in the corner of their eye but never there when they turned their head. Other times, it was the fleeting vision of something black and shadowy. Many who have worked in the bank claim that certain areas give them a feeling of hopelessness and despair, and on rare occasions some claim that a mysterious shape has even materialised right before their eyes. All of them have described it in the same way, too, giving the old stories new life as the decades have passed by. They say the shape is that of a woman. Each time she appears, her pale skin is framed by a dress as black as coal, the veil that had once covered her face pulled back to revealed twisted lips, red cheeks and eyes that seem to glow like fire. But it’s the words she speaks that frighten people the most. After locking eyes with them and washing them in a wave of terror, the women in black repeats the same words she had grown so accustomed to in life. “Where,” she asks them, “is my brother?”

[Closing Statements]

#lore podcast #aaron mahnke #podcast transcripts #london #50 berkeley square #henry viii #uk #hauntings #transcripts #129

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affirmationshrines · 5 years ago

Photo

Photo 1:

The first Viewpoint magazine I read called ‘RISE UP’ actually speaks about this magazine as its ‘sister’ and recommends reading it as the topics link. As soon as I saw ‘Spirituality’ on the front cover I got excited and opened it to a random page, the page being something I’m really interested in and got even more excited to explore the book.

Page 3 of the book: IN GOOD SPIRITS

‘’Messages of self-awareness, respect for others and self-love are noticeably consistent’

‘Design’s roll in the new spirituality is enabling one supporting customers in their quest for a satisfying internal life. Key concepts include empowerment, enlightenment, vision, awe, wonder, calm and tranquility. Products, services and concepts that embed an extra layer of genuine meaning will find favour with adherents of the new spirituality. And beauty and joy also have their places - along with a deep appreciation of originality and creativity.’

‘Design in itself can be a spiritual practice. The process of making, and the absorption and engaged flow it involves, leads to a deep connection between maker and craft.’

Photo 2:

This image reminds me of my little spiritual space at home, using objects like candles and incense to aesthetically make a room peaceful and aid in wellbeing. Later in the magazine there is a page dedicated to the creator of this work, Yield Design, Florida. It’s all about ‘playing with our emotional connection to scent, the series draws on elemental notes in these majestic spaces and distills feelings of wander and awe.’ This links with my want to connect to people emotionally through work, I’m thinking about how scent can be a part of the project..

Photo 3:

This image is visually pleasing, i’ll be looking deeper into this exhibition. The exhibition is called Wisdom of the Earth teamLab: A forest where Gods Live - Earth music&ecology, Kyushu, Japan.

Page 13 from this book:

The term ‘Wellness Design’ sticks out to me, I’ll be researching further into this..

Photo 4:

Time over Time by Dawn Bendick. Bendick also has a section in the first Viewpoint magazine, ‘RISE UP’, where her piece expresses her feelings towards climate change. In this book she describes this piece as ‘a way of tapping into our peripheral senses and heightening awareness of changes in seasons, atmospheric light and weather’. She uses found objects, stones, crystals and glass to create her pieces. This reminds me of wanting to use my own stones and crystals in this project, but how?

Photo 5:

Ritual Empowerment. This page describes my own spiritual practice and how intention and ritual are one of the ‘most powerful manifestations of the 20th-century’. This page reminds me of WHY I’m so focussed on self discovery, self love, connection to the planet, Earth connection, human connection and so on.. I have been very disconnected in the past, I wasn’t aware or conscious of anything at all, navigating through life based upon what the media and my family told me.

I want people to make the transformation I made, to become better, happier humans. To be in tune with their passions and desires. If we evolve individually we will evolve together, it is a collective conscious effort.

Page 19 from book:

The caption - ‘ELEMENTAL HEALING - A global shift towards urban living is driving a feeling of psychoterratic disconnect.’ this section ‘explores a restored value in nature and the race to preserve it for future generations.’

What’s interested me about this section of the magazine is ‘The Tonic of Trees, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing’ by Julia Plevin. Plevin says that her ‘psychological malaise’, which means psychological discomfort, is an effect of her concrete-jungle urban surroundings. I feel exactly the same.. I notice that the more time I spend in nature the happier I am, my positive mindset is consistent with my nature explorations, especially in the forest.

I spend a lot of time in nature when i’m home in Cardiff, I live within walking distance from natural woodlands, a river and a bus ride away from a mountain. This article is making me think of bringing nature into the home..? How can we connect to nature living in the concrete jungle?

Page 33 from the book:

‘Philosophers and psychologists are now suggesting we should acknowledge spiritual intelligence’

Photo 6:

This is the page that I immediately got excited about, this photo basically describes me at home, just kidding.. or am I?

I’m drawn to the colours, immediately thinking about the Crown Chakra and what the colour purple means to me spiritually, how it’s the highest vibrational colour, the colour of ‘magick’.. the name of the installation is ‘You Are Magic’ by The Hoodwitch which is basically what I want people to understand when looking at all of my art work, even when listening to my music, because it’s true. We are impossible beings with infinite creative power, why are so many so sad, stuck, lost? Why is the planet so sad, stuck, lost, with such powerful creatures living on it?

Of course the crystals in the background caught my eye too, there are lit up Selenite towers on the floor which i make and sell as well as a Quartz crystal grid in the background.

Photo 7, Page 41:

‘Studio Swines Ware Practice Duplex in collaboration with A/D/O focusses on the relationship between nature and technology, with many of the pieces incorporating plasma to capture bursts of light similar to those observed in the sun, stars, and comets.’ There isn’t much written about the installation in the book so i’ve found it on Dezeen. This reminds me of using my nature, crystals and stones, and linking them with technology.. digitally designing?

On this page there is a section called ‘The Spirit of Connection’ which talks about how ‘21st-century spiritualism is all about connection: to ourselves, to others and the wider environment.’ which is basically what my work is all about. It says that ‘Viewpoint has frequently touched on the role of creatives and brands as enablers, and on the importance of supporting positive movements within the global community’ - this makes me really happy, to know that the artistic work of us spiritual young people is being recognised by such large, important art magazines! I honestly didn’t realise that my concepts and ideas have been explored creatively already. I feel like i’ve found my place in the design world by reading this magazine.

Page 73:

‘People are increasingly seeking to experience heightened states of mental wellbeing’ - I hope to cause these experiences with my work..

Viewpoint describes the spiritual youth of today as ‘putting their faith int eh power of the metaphysical, where science and mysticism combine to create therapeutic sensorial experiences using immersive colour, light and sound’. Exactly what i’d like to do!

Photo 8:

The images on this page remind me of Lepidolite Mica, an iridescent shiny light, flaky stone often used to make glitter. It’s bringing me towards using stones and crystals as materials, or using their beauty as inspiration for colour, texture, form, light..

Page 89:

‘Tom Sewell explores the relationship between humans and nature at a time when GPS, modern medicine and supermarket deliveries are accessible at the touch of a button. He investigates the interplay of the elements and the spiritual world through delicate drawings and totemic sculptures.

Sewell reflects on his ventures into nature, from the firths of Scotland to London’s Epping Forest, in order to create assemblages of organic matter, climbing rope and naturally died fabric. His ritualistic installations show respect for the natural world as well as hinting at a new mystical practice for the modern day that celebrates the rotting, uncanny beauty of the woods and the wilds.’

I’m intrigued by the concept behind Sewells work rather than the work itself which is why i’ve not shown images. He’s doing exactly what i’d like to do.

Page 104:

‘PRACTICE BEING IN YOUR NATURE’ “We are in a pint in the world where we’ve become very disconnected. Things are super-fast - we are very top heavy, we think so much. And we lead life from a strange sense that we are in control or can control everything, so we become detached from our energetic systems and our nervous systems” - this makes me think about how we no longer rely on our natural compass, our intuition or ‘gut instinct’.. aiding towards more disconnection.

Page 107 - 117:

A few pages about artists that, bellow are the ones that stand out.

I relate to Rachel Wingfield on very deep levels. ‘I feel very passionate about certain topics such as climate change and mass extinction’ - Rachel Wingfield

Shama Rahman speaks about flow, the work her and her crew does ‘addresses our ability to be in flow, harnessing the ability of our own consciousness’.

Ben Lindsay speaks about church and says that ‘apart from down the pub, it’s rare that you see such a mix of people’ and how the church accepts a mixture of people, it accepts everyone.’ This reminds me of the art space, the art gallery, exhibition, the creative project.. how art and design bring people together, not leaving anyone out. Everyone can relate to it, everyone can connect.

Photos 9, 10, 11:

I practice modern witchcraft and haven’t found a better explanation than what’s said by The Hoodwitch in this article. I’m now drawn to expressing/demonstrating my own personal spiritual practice as it’s a clear example of what i’m trying to portray through my work, I am proof that my methods and ideas work towards connecting to ourselves, connecting to the planet and consciously evolving positively.

#inspiration #spiritualconnection #research #book review #research analysis

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beardycarrot · 6 years ago

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This post is way too long so ignore it and just keep scrolling

Alright. Having played both Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, I can now say, based on my own experiences... that Sonic Forces is a smoldering garbage heap.

First off, let me get this out of the way: the character creation system is... okay. In the screenshot above, you can see My Original Character, Blonic Eiko the Cat. You have several different anthropomorphic animal species to choose from, each of which has their own species-specific ability. Birds can double-jump, cats hold on to a few rings even after taking heavy damage, that kind of thing. There’s a selection of three head types for each species, about a dozen eyes, and can set two skin/fur/scale/feather colors. Not bad.

For the game’s main selling point, though, it feels a little weak... especially in comparison to the last game I played, South Park: The Fractured But Whole. In addition to your character’s physical appearance, which meshes perfectly with the South Park style, you can set your character’s gender (male/female/non-binary/multi-gender), whether they’re cis or trans, both their race and ethnicity, their sexual preferences, religion, all sorts of stuff that are pointless in the context of the game but let you make your character whatever you want them to be. I’m not saying that all games should have this, but I did just play that game, so I can’t help but compare Sonic Forces to it since the character creator is meant to be one of the game’s big gimmick.

Anyway. In addition to your character’s body, you also get to dress them up with outfits you unlock as you play. I guess this is a cool concept, with you getting between three and twelve costume pieces every level depending on how well you do and whether anything you did in a level completed a special objective... but it’s annoying constantly being pelted with costumes you’ll never wear. I was a mixture of fortunate and unfortunate in the fact that clothes I like (a tactical outfit in black and olive green) were unlocked within the first couple levels, so I could wear an outfit I like throughout the game... but it also meant that I never had any reason to change out for new gear or experiment with costumes that would only be less appealing to me.

There’s also the jarring fact that with clothing on, your character looks completely out of place. Most of the other characters in the game wear nothing but white gloves and sneakers, and seeing you alongside them just makes them look naked. I’ve spent way too long talking about customization. Moving on...

...You can also customize your avatar’s weapon, which I guess is the power of the Wisp aliens from Sonic Colors stored in a gun? There are probably advantages to all of them, but you spend less than half of the game playing as your avatar, every enemy in the game dies in one hit, and the fire weapon I started with can clear a screen of enemies in literally two seconds... so I never really bothered with them. You also occasionally find Wisps locked in capsules, but the game never actually gives you a real tutorial for them. It’s possible that it was explained in a hint marker, but it’s possible to take a route through a level or jump at just the wrong moment that you miss the marker and can’t go back to see what it said. I eventually figured it out in level twenty-five, which is right at the end of the game... and that level also happens to be a great example of why I don’t like this game.

I know that as a still frame this is kinda incomprehensible, but what you’re looking at is a little vertical shaft kind of thing. There have been shafts like this elsewhere in the game, but they’ve always been things you either just dropped down through or rode an elevator in or had platforms to jump on. Here?

This game apparently has a wall-jumping mechanic, which only appears here, in the twenty-fifth of thirty levels. I’m completely fine with video games using mechanics sparingly or even basing levels around a gimmick that never appears again... but this is the only time in the game that this happens, and the mechanic isn’t even implemented very well. If you’re too close to the wall it will sometimes fail to activate, if you press the jump button again too soon you won’t cling to the wall, and sometimes your series of jumps will have you end up jumping over the wall to the left instead of going right... which is an issue considering that for the second half of the level, you have to do this while trying to outrun a giant instant death laser. Assuming you can even get to that point.

I can’t tell you how long I was stuck here. To the left is a checkpoint, and all you can do is collect what looks like an electric Wisp in a capsule, then... wait to the blue death laser to kill you and put you back at the check point. The dark red boxes are breakable, and you’re clearly meant to either get down through this shaft to continue... but there’s no obvious way to do this. I thought that you were supposed to use the electric Wisp somehow, but I guess you can only do that if you have the right Wisp weapon equipped, as the game only seems to care when I collect capsules with fire Wisps in them.

I was eventually forced to watch a video of someone playing this level, and they just kind of... broke through all the boxes at once. After further research, I discovered that if you press the Crouch button (which I’ve never pressed up to this point and forgot existed) while in the air, you’ll do a stomp move that the game never bothered to teach me.

Once you’re past that, the next section is incredibly difficult... I figured out how to use the encapsulated fire Wisps (it’s the “Wisp Special” button that I’d previously been unable to figure out the function of) to skip over the obstacles, but if you don’t time/aim it properly, you’re back down in the area where you have to deal with the wall jumps that occasionally send you careening backwards.

I know that I’m just complaining about one difficult end-game level, but the entire game is like this. It’s all either gameplay mechanics the game doesn’t explain properly that are prone to failing, or levels that are way too short and simplistic. I haven’t even touched on the jumping mechanics... Want to know how many times I died replaying that level to get those screenshots?

A couple of those are from the laser section, but it’s mostly falling into bottomless pits because you’re pretty strongly locked into your jump trajectory when playing as Your Own Character, and the platform placement in that level sucks. It’s not as big of a deal when playing as Sonic; I think Classic Sonic has free control in the air, and you only play as him in two or three levels, while Modern Sonic’s levels are so completely filled with enemies and jump pads that you can just spam the jump button to string homing attacks through anything that isn’t a speed section. Places where the gameplay becomes frustrating aren’t as common as in other games I’ve played recently (L.A. Noire comes to mind), but that’s because the majority of the levels are ridiculously simplistic and easy, and when you reach the end without anything really happening you’re just like...

Which brings me, finally, to the worst part of the game: the story. This is among the worst video game writing I have ever seen... and as someone who does a lot of art for indie, amateur, and fan games, I’ve seen a lot of scripts from “idea guys” who’ve never taken any kind of literature or creative writing classes.

The basic premise of the story sounds interesting, and seems like a huge departure from the normal Sonic formula: Dr. Eggman and his new associate Infinite use the powers of all the major antagonists from past games to kill Sonic and take over the world. The remaining characters of the Sonic universe form a resistance movement (the forces in Sonic Forces) to fight back, and half a year later Your Own Character joins up after their home city is destroyed.

Damn, man! That’s pretty dark! Unfortunately, it completely fails to deliver. Unsurprisingly, Sonic isn’t dead... but he HAS been held prisoner and tortured for the last six months. Despite that, he’s in high spirits and joking with his captors... yeah I dunno, just bad writing ...and manages to escape when the resistance attacks the base and temporarily disables the power grid. Why Sonic was in a Laser Prison and wearing Laser Handcuffs that require uninterrupted power to operate is just more bad writing, as is the fact that he was being held on a space station and you’re never shown how the resistance got up there.

More importantly, it’s never explained how the resistance discovered that Sonic was still alive. There are other captives in the same area, so THEY would know he’s alive, but there’s never any indication that one of them managed to escape. Speaking of which, they’re all still imprisoned after Sonic breaks free, and I think the space station ends up destroyed... so those guys are probably all dead. That reminds me of another point: most of the levels just end at a random arbitrary point. You ostensibly have a goal that you’re trying to reach, but the goal markers are always, like, in the middle of a hallway, which looks no different from anywhere else, and there’s no cutscene showing what happens what the characters do after reaching their goal... the level just kinda ends.

Most of the game’s dialogue and exposition is in the form of radio conversations that occur on the map screen, which I can’t help but admit makes sense: media too often forces characters to be in the same place for scenes to occur, when logically they would’ve just spoken on the phone. The issue I have with this is that it really does make up the bulk of the game’s dialogue, and none of the conversations are ever that interesting. Honestly, more than anything it reminds me of the kind of story you’d see in a free-to-play mobile game... except there isn’t really any kind of story being told, just information being relayed. There isn’t any kind of character development, since the game expects you to already know who everyone is and what their paper-thin personalities are.

After Eggman spends six months taking over Literally The Entire World, and the resistance apparently does very little to stop this, Your Own Character joins up and things start happening instantly. They rescue Sonic, then Classic Sonic appears out of nowhere to save Tails from Chaos, the creature from Sonic Adventure. I guess they included him (Classic Sonic, that is; after this cutscene, Chaos is never seen again) to trick people into thinking that this game would be similar to the much more popular Sonic Generations. I think the plot of that game involved time travel, accounting for the two Sonics, but here they’ve retconned him as “the Sonic from another universe”.

Speaking of time travel and alternate dimensions, Silver and Blaze are in this game... I’m no big Sonic fan (in fact, Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, both of which I played this week, were the first Sonic games I’ve ever beaten), but them being part of the resistance is kinda inexplicable. To my knowledge, Blaze is from an alternate dimension, but in Sonic ‘06 was somehow Silver’s partner or something in the post-apocalyptic future. In the end, I think Sonic saving the day included the elimination of the timeline in which Silver existed... so I’m not really sure what’s up with Silver and Blaze being in this game. Are they now retconned to just being normal people who live in the same place as everyone else?

I’m also really confused on how this game fits in with the rest of the series. Infinite’s power is to create autonomous physical virtual reality projections, and he uses it to create his own versions of the Chaos, Zavok, Metal Sonic, and Shadow... so in addition to being in continuity with Sonic Generations and Sonic Colors (the game the Wisps are from), you also have to include the Sonic Adventure games and Sonic Lost World. Again, I’m no expert on Sonic, but... I’m pretty sure at least a few of these games feature planets populated with humans, and not the hordes of bipedal animals that make up the only characters in this game. Is there just no official continuity at this point?

As an aside... every character you see in scenes like this are made with the character creator, but for some reason they’ve limited themselves to a very small number of models instead of just using a bunch of different random colors and other features. See that bluish-purple dog at the front? If you look closely, you can see five or six identical dogs in the background, all doing the same animation where they raise their guns up in the air.

I’ve gotten REALLY off-topic, which is basically a war crime with how long this post is already. Anyway, as I was saying before I derailed myself, once Your Own Character joins the resistance things happen super fast. Sonic is alive, Classic Sonic appears out of nowhere and punches the Chaos clone (which is subsequently never seen again, despite Infinite being able to create an infinite number of them), and Eggman for whatever reason reveals that his ultimate plan will be complete in just three days. I’m not really clear on what this plan is, but it involves a virtual reality projection of the sun... I don’t know, Majora’s Mask-ing the planet and killing everyone, maybe? Again, bad writing.

Sonic faces off against Infinite and, despite the player winning the boss fight, gets his $#!+ kicked in... and that’s when Infinite says, and this is an actual, verbatim quote, “You’re not even worth the effort to finish off”. I think I might actively hate the writers of this game. I feel like I should probably also mention that the boss fight takes place on the back of a giant snake that’s just kinda floating there, suspended in mid-air, above a forest that is also a casino?

It’s at this point that Infinite drops a prototype version of the Phantom Ruby, which is what gives him his powers. How did he fail to notice that he’d dropped something the size of a softball? How was he even carrying it? WHY was he carrying it, when the finished perfected ruby was already embedded in his chest and he’d been using it for over six months? If you expect these questions to have answers, well, that bold text in the last paragraph must’ve caught your eye and you’re just now at this point starting to read the post. Hello, welcome! The writing in this game is absolutely abysmal!

Your Own Character picks up the prototype ruby and holds onto it for the next three days... well, except for when they drop it while Infinite is looking right at them after a boss fight, and he doesn’t notice ...and at the end of the game, uses it to somehow get rid of the virtual reality sun. How do they know that the ruby is and how to use it? No idea. How do they get rid of the sun? Happens off-screen. Then, further confusing matters vis-a-vis whether the prototype ruby is invisible to bad guys, Eggman acts as if he saw it... despite it breaking and disappearing before he arrives. Weird.

Alright, backtracking a bit, I need to touch on the stupidest plot point in the game: the Phantom Zone. Well, I think it’s called Null Space or something, Eggman calls it “a little something the Phantom Ruby cooked up”, whatever that means... but it’s basically the Phantom Zone. A pocket dimension that supposedly contains literally nothing. Eggman opens up a portal into it, Your Own Character tries to save Sonic from it, and they’re both pulled in... man, that’s a scary concept, isn’t it? Being trapped in an empty void?

If a regular prison held Sonic for six months, and he only got out with help from the outside, then I can’t even imagine how long this will-- haha just kidding it’s twenty seconds this game was written by chimps.

youtube

Apparently “completely empty” means “filled with blocks you can run on”, and Sonic manages to get out... by double-boosting. There are a handful of levels where you play as both Sonic and Your Own Character at the same time (the “you’re next to me and I’m next to you” in the Hoobastank song you hear in that video), allowing you to use the Wisp weapons while also using Sonic’s super speed. You’ll also be prompted to “double boost” at set points, which consists of the characters jumping in the air, fist-bumping, and then... holding hands and somehow running even faster, I guess? I’m not at all clear on how this works, or how it broke them out of Null Space.

I’d be totally okay (bored, but okay) with the prototype ruby being responsible for them escaping, but that’s not how it’s presented: they’re meant to have escaped through the power of friendship and running really, really fast. I mean, I can come up with a reason it works, gimme a minute... uh... virtual reality... pocket dimension... gotta go fast.... gotta go faster faster faster faster faster... aha! Maybe it’s an empty, infinite void because it’s being created as you move through it, but the double boost allows them to move faster than it can be created, allowing them to break free? Yeah, that’s dumb but plausible in-universe. Too bad the writers made literally no attempt to explain it.

After that, it’s time for the big showdown with Infinite, the game’s hot new antagonist. Who is he, why does he hate Sonic, why is he working with Eggman? What kind of awesome boss battle will you have against him? Not explained, not explained, not explained, and it’s just a slight variation of the boss fight you have with Metal Sonic earlier in the game. You DO get an explanation of who he is if you play Episode Shadow, free DLC consisting of three levels that you played in the base game that serves as a kind of prequel. All of your juicy Infinite-related questions are answered: he’s a nameless mercenary who went all emo because Sonic beat him up. Oh. Well. That’s... lame.

This post is already over three thousand words, so I’ll wrap it up. After your boring rehashed boss battle with Infinite, he just kinda... runs away, never to be seen again, and you have to contend with Eggman and his giant robots. It’s not very interesting. Once the day is saved, you get this completely inane exchange between the characters, which in most games would be the worst bit of writing... here, it might be in the top five. Knuckles says that the fight is over, everyone can go home, there’s no longer a need for the resistance... but then Amy (or someone) says, “no, we’re just getting started!”, and Knuckles nods in agreement as if she didn’t just directly contradict him. As if two characters doing this isn’t bad enough, Tails then does the exact same thing all by himself, saying something like, “we won, the resistance is done, now we have to come together to save the world!” I think he also says something about just one person not being able to change the world, which I’m pretty sure runs contrary to a “one person CAN make a difference!” message the game had been going for earlier.

And... that’s about it. I have nothing more to say. This game is bad, anyone who defends it is lying to themselves, and it’s entirely possible that I’ve spent more time writing this unfocused rambling post than I did actually playing the game. I’m not a Sonic hater; the playground politics surrounding video games in the early nineties didn’t exist where I grew up, so to me Sonic has always just kinda been that series with the interesting music that I had no particular interest in playing. As I mentioned, I played through Sonic Mania at the same time as I was playing Forces, and loved it. It’s a bit on the hard side for someone who’s never played a Sonic game, but aside from a few annoying bits in Hydrocity and Oil Ocean, it’s a blast all the way through. That’s a great game... and Sonic Forces, in my opinion, is decidedly not.

Back in 2017 I made a post about the Metascore for Sonic Forces, and received backlash for it. I decided to wait until as many critics as possible had reviewed the game, and... never really felt like doing the update, so didn’t get around to it until now. So, how much of a difference does a year make in the review score?

Oh wow, it’s like I knew what I was talking about or something. Well, kinda. At the time I said that Sonic Forces didn’t seem like a bad game, based on what I’d seen of it. Having played the game for myself... I think my opinion is known.

#sonic forces #long post #very long post #extremely long post

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kaththepoet · 7 years ago

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Thoughts on sexuality.

I've been thinking a lot about love, lust and sexuality lately. When it comes to sexuality, my views would be considered by today's standards to be "radical." Simply this: I am saving my first kiss for my wedding day. It wasn't something pushed on me, suggested to me, or that I was pressured into. It was my own decision I made when I was 17. I wanted to share some of my story with you guys to show you a point of view that is very different than the common one. Disclaimer: I believe sexuality is a very private, personal topic and all that I am about to say are my personal beliefs and opinions. I don't believe in shaming others or that my views make me "better". It's just what works for me personally and what I have found a great deal of fulfillment and inner-peace in. When I was 17, I fell hard for a boy for the first time. I would sneak out to meet up with him late at night and stay up until early in the morning talking to him, then slip back into my house. In the beginning of our "thing" (ugh, our generation), it was very innocent. We would hold hands and walk down the street, talking for hours. It felt very sweet and romantic. I remember sitting out on a rock on a hill looking out at the lake and the lights of our small town below, my head on his shoulder, him stroking my hair. I remember us holding each other's hands and spinning around in circles down the street then laying down in the middle of the street at night, side by side, having the most random but fun conversations about life. But then at one point, I could tell he was getting frustrated with me and what I was "giving" him. He wanted more. I could feel it in every thing he did- how he increased his compliments to me, and held me in a hug longer and closer. He was pushing me, very subtly, using all the tactics that had worked with girls in the past. I didn't really feel anything- just a sense that it felt good to be desired. We were about to be seniors in high school and I had never kissed anyone, and he had a reputation of being a "player" who had "been with" many girls. In my head was this huge war. The voices of my friends, "Kissing is not a big deal, so why don't you just kiss him?" His voice when I told him I was considered saving my first kiss, "But there's a way you can kiss someone that is so innocent. I could just kiss you like that?" On one of those late nights when he was very close to me, the voices started screaming in my head, until it all became like a huge chant, "Kiss him. Kiss him. Kiss him." And another voice, "It's not even a big deal, so why not just do it?" I remember the moment exactly- the street sign, the light of the moon. He was whispering something in my ear and trying to "seduce" me and the chorus was chanting in my head to give him my first kiss. Suddenly, a firm, strong voice spoke out inside of me- a resolution, a promise: "No." It was so sure and concrete, so powerful and commanding. In that moment I knew it came from a higher self- the same self that woke up for swim practice at 6am every weekday that summer even though I was exhausted, because I knew going to practice would make me stronger. The same voice that gave me the courage to leave my toxic group of friends earlier that year and find friends who truly loved me. I didn't know exactly where the voice came from, just that it was a voice that I loved and trusted. While the other voices were pushy and impatient with me, this one was calm, confident and in control. I trusted her. He stepped away from me, frustrated and annoyed. "Let's go," he said flatly, and we stepped into his fancy car. When he dropped me off at my front door, I had this feeling of being disposed of, like some kind of object that was deemed "useless" and "defective." I felt an odd mixture of sadness and relief. I had an experience with God that cemented my decision shortly after that. I was in great conflict another night not long after that, about whether or not I should keep seeing him. I was wrestling with this growing sense that he didn't truly value me, and that I deserved better. God called me outside and I sat beneath a heavy blanket of stars. I looked up and tears of joy streamed down my face. I felt this perfect sense of peace, calm and being connected to the Creator. In that moment, I knew that my true fulfillment came from Love, not lust. The Author of every great love story was calling me to sit close to Him, to make a sacrifice in my dating life that would ultimately serve me in the end. Here I am now- I'm 25 years old. I have never kissed anyone and I still plan on saving it for my wedding day. It is one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. Never before has something brought me so much peace, fulfillment, self-respect and purpose. I am still dating and I have experienced a rich and full dating life, meeting and dating a lot of really great men and experiencing so many things I will treasure forever. My romantic experiences have felt like I was in a movie many times. My breath has been taken away by them. There is a certain beauty in looking into the eyes of a man and knowing that he is willing to make a sacrifice for you because he cares about you as more than just a body. I think the more you give away, the harder it becomes to discern someone's true intentions. "Do they love me for my heart, soul and mind? Or are they simply here for the pleasure my body provides?" And that leads me to my final message for you: You are more than just a body. You are a heart and a soul and beautiful story unfolding. You are precious and cherished and you deserve more than the cheap excuse for romance that the world is offering. It does not satisfy. The only thing that will truly satisfy you is LOVE, and the greatest killer of love is lust. Your body is not an object and your kisses are not meaningless tokens to bargain with. You don't "owe" someone your body because they bought you dinner or tossed out some pretty words at you. You deserve more. And I think you know that. If you've ever felt the emptiness of giving away what felt like too much, you know what I'm talking about. You deserve more. You're not damaged and you're not irreparably broken. You're still sacred, precious and whole. A million people could defile and degrade you, but you will still remain worthy and sacred. The human body is so incredible, and sexuality is a sacred, precious gift. Sexuality has become something so cheap and meaningless in our world- eyebrows raised and dirty comments made. But that doesn't change that it is SO MUCH MORE. Your body IS a big deal. And you will always be precious.

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febuwhump · 2 years ago

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FEBUWHUMP 2023 IS HERE!

the prompts this year were chosen through a suggestion poll and subsequent vote, where over 350 people voted for their favourites. the top 28 make up the core prompts, and a mixture of the next most popular and this blog’s personal favourites have become the alternatives!

i’m so excited to see what you all create with these prompts, and hope they’re inspiring enough to trigger a whole month’s worth of creativity for you! if you have any questions, make sure to check out the blog’s FAQ, or check out the previously asked questions on the blog before sending one of your own!

please note: this year, notifying the blog of completionist status will happen through a google form that will be released closer to the end of febuwhump.

full write-up of prompts and rules under the cut:

FEBUWHUMP 2023 PROMPTS:

DAY 1: touchstarved

DAY 2: flinching

DAY 3: muzzled

DAY 4: knife to the throat

DAY 5: "that's gonna scar"

DAY 6: secrets revealed

DAY 7: made to watch

DAY 8: panic

DAY 9: voice loss

DAY 10: difficulty breathing

DAY 11: fever

DAY 12: "can you hear me?"

DAY 13: forced to hurt a loved one

DAY 14: captivity

DAY 15: self-sacrifice

DAY 16: semi-conscious

DAY 17: silent tears

DAY 18: can't stay awake

DAY 19: "you deserve this"

DAY 20: knife wound

DAY 21: shackled

DAY 22: can't scream

DAY 23: "you'll have to go through me"

DAY 24: bloody clothes

DAY 25: assumed dead

DAY 26: forced to choose

DAY 27: survivor's guilt

DAY 28: "you're safe now"

SWITCH-OUT PROMPTS:

is there a specific day’s prompt you don’t want to fill? here are ten alternatives you can switch them out for!

ALT 1: rope burns

ALT 2: caged

ALT 3: soft words

ALT 4: experimentation

ALT 5: time loop

ALT 6: limp

ALT 7: immortality

ALT 8: found footage

ALT 9: natural disaster

ALT 10: inferno

RULES:

SOFT RULES:

prompts should be answered in the form of whump

creators can produce whatever kind of media they want

you don’t have to complete all the prompts! you can create however much you want to

you can use the prompts after the event ends

you can post on any platform you want, however this blog will only be sharing those posted on tumblr

if you want to be featured on the hall of fame then you have until the 3rd of March to inform this blog that you completed all the days

HARD RULES: (specifically for being featured on the blog)

when uploading febuwhump content to tumblr, please use the tags:

febuwhump (i’ll also be checking febuwhump2023)

the relevant day’s tag e.g. febuwhumpday1, febuwhumpday2…

nsfw (if relevant)

and any trigger warnings that may be important!

you can also tag the blog, @febuwhump

i cannot guarantee your work will be archived on the blog because I have no idea how many participants there will be. a random selection of works tagged in accordance to the rules above will be reblogged every day of february.

#febuwhump #febuwhump2023 #whump #prompts #writing prompts

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worryinglyinnocent · 7 years ago

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Fic: Devilish (2/10)

Summary: It all starts with a bra. Librarian Belle French is looking to start life afresh after leaving a toxic relationship. Photographer Aiden Gold is feeling old after learning he’s going to become a grandfather. Thanks to a lingerie catalogue named ‘Devilish’, a chain of events is set in motion that causes their lives to intertwine…

Rated: This chapter is M.

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[One] [AO3]

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Devilish

Chapter Two - Naughty and Nice

Belle had almost, but not quite, forgotten about signing up for the Devilish catalogue mailing list when she found the thick brown envelope waiting for her in the mailbox. She had in no way forgotten her experience in the shop; and in hindsight was perhaps a little bit worried that she could never show her face there again after breaking down and crying in the fitting room. Now that she had a better idea of her actual size and how to check if her bras fitted for herself, she had been able to buy a few more practical ones within her price range, and her back and breasts were thanking her for her decision every day.

It was only the little devil horns and tail symbol in the corner of the envelope that gave the impression that it was anything other than something dry and sedate inside, and that was what reminded Belle just what it was that she had signed up for. She raced back inside, ripping eagerly through the envelope and making to open the catalogue straight away, but then she stopped. It was a thick catalogue, clearly comprehensive, and it deserved to be perused with the proper respect it commanded. To that end, she put it on the side until she’d finished everything else she needed to do that morning and made herself a cup of tea before curling up on the sofa with the catalogue.

The first thing that she noticed was that the catalogue was in two parts and that the cover gave no indication of what was inside, other than the single word Naughty… in curlicued black letters on glossy red, and flipped over, Or Nice… in pastel blue on white. Belle decided to go for that half first. She was still thinking about what could possibly have been behind the partitioned off area inside the shop and she didn’t think she was quite ready to dive into that just yet. She opened the cover and read the message inside from Carella de Ville, Devilish’s creator.

Welcome to the Devilish summer catalogue. Here at Devilish we pride ourselves on creating real products for real women. None of our models or product testers are professionals, and the only touching up we use in our photographs is standard colour correction. We want to encourage every woman to be her best and natural self, and at Devilish, what you see is what you get. Enjoy the new collection! Ella x

Belle flicked through the pages with awe. She had never seen a catalogue like this. There were thin women, fat women, women of all different skin colours and ages and women with all different sized breasts, women with c-section scars, women with visible body hair, women with no hair. There were entire sections devoted to products for pregnant and nursing mothers, for those who’d had mastectomies and reconstruction surgery, for trans women. Belle didn’t think that she’d ever seen such a glorious celebration of womanhood in all its many forms, and every single product was uniquely beautiful, every single woman looked comfortable and happy in her own skin. She could quite see why the company was so successful.

Once she had looked through all the glossy pictures of the many different colours and styles in the ‘nice’ section of the catalogue, she flipped it over to the ‘naughty’ section. It took her a little while to pluck up the courage to open it, but at least here she was in the comfort of her own home and not standing outside a shop in the street looking like a lemon. Ariel had tried to persuade her to buy something online to take care of her own pleasure when Gaston had proved consistently unable to do more than simply poke her ineffectively, but ultimately Belle had always chickened out at the last minute. Since she wasn’t going to have anyone poking her for the foreseeable future, Belle thought that it was perhaps time to remedy that and get something to enable quality encounters with someone who knew where the clitoris was. Namely, herself.

She felt he face getting redder and redder as she flicked through the pages of sex toys and accessories. Most of them had a thorough reader review from one of the product testers mentioned in Ella’s note at the beginning of the catalogue, and it was interesting to read about exactly how these things worked and more importantly how they felt when used. She had no idea how she was ever going to find the courage to actually buy one of the products, but at least she knew she’d be making an informed decision when the time came.

Reaching the end, something caught Belle’s eye, a note in the middle page between the two halves of the catalogue where all the important terms and conditions and ordering details were.

As you know, we get real women to model and test all our products. If you’re interested in becoming one of our Little Devils – a model or tester – or both! – please email [email protected] and one of our team will get back to you with more information. We look forward to hearing from you!

The faintest kernel of an idea began to form in the back of Belle’s mind, but she shook it away with a smile. No, she wasn’t ready for that just yet, however empowering the experience might be. She was empowered enough just from reading the catalogue and seeing all the pictures therein.

She scanned down the information page again and her eyes alighted on the photography credits, all to the same studio.

Aiden Gold Photography

Whoever Aiden Gold was, Belle thought, he was certainly a very good photographer, and given the amount of images in the catalogue, he had certainly hit upon a very lucrative career.

There was a polite tap on the studio door and Gold was grateful for the interruption, lowering his camera and going over to poke his head around the frame. It was Jefferson, as usual. It wasn’t likely to be anyone else, Jefferson was the only other person with access to the building and given that he was in the middle of a shooting session he wasn’t likely to be expecting random members of the public.

“Ella’s outside,” Jefferson said helpfully.

Gold rolled his eyes. Scratch that previous thought. There was one member of the public whom he could expect at random times when he was in the middle of doing something else. When it came to most business matters, Ella was shrewd and punctual but with Gold she was anything but, dropping in on him whenever she felt like it. At least she didn’t expect him to drop everything that he was doing and talk to her there and then, although in this particular case he really wouldn’t have minded if she wanted to do just that. His current client was worrying him.

“Tell her I’ll be with her in about twenty minutes, I’m just finishing up the last few shots here.”

Jefferson nodded and raised an eyebrow at Gold’s evidently somewhat harried expression. “Is there a reason you look like you’d rather be on a one-way ticket to Guam?”

Gold sighed and closed the studio door again, going back to his client, who was reclining on the chaise longue wearing a sultry smile and nothing else. Normally, Gold did not mind boudoir sessions. He’d seen so many women in their underwear whilst doing the work for Ella that he was pretty much immune to it, and it hadn’t taken long to get used to the sight of them not in their underwear either. He tended to just view the human body as he would view a picture or another piece of art. Beautiful, but ultimately distant, not something that stirred any kind of passionate emotion as long as he was looking through the lens of the camera. He really had Ella to thank for his increased popularity as a private boudoir photographer. He’d never advertised as such, but once he’d garnered a small amount of word of mouth fame from the Devilish models, people had started seeking him out as a discreet and very respectful photographer who could delicately handle the most unorthodox of requests. Not a string to his bow that he had ever expected to add, but one that none the less paid the bills whenever there were no family portraits and no catalogues to shoot.

Unfortunately, there were always the clients who left him feeling somewhat uncomfortable being alone in the studio with them, and Miss Zelena West was one of those. The quicker he got her back into her clothes and out of the door the better, and if he could use Ella as an excuse then that would be the icing on the cake. The red-head was looking at him as if she wanted to eat him alive and he’d spent most of the shoot trying to get as far away from her as possible whilst still being able to photograph her with some degree of precision and professionalism. Gold was not usually one to question why his clients had chosen to have boudoir pictures taken. He assumed that it was either as a method of self-empowerment or to be a gift for a romantic partner, or a mixture of both. He really wasn’t sure where Zelena fitted on that scale. With every smouldering come hither glance she sent the camera, Gold felt like she was trying her best to perform some kind of siren call that would get him onto the couch with her. Thankfully she was failing, and he sidestepped neatly out of her way as she slipped past him towards the dressing room once he declared that the shoot was over. Perhaps he had rushed it a bit, but there would be more than enough pictures to choose from and he could always do a little post-production alteration to make up for any obvious slips. He was very grateful when he was able to usher Zelena out of the room and wave to Ella. She watched Zelena’s retreating back with a barely concealed grin and took a seat in Gold’s office.

“Not a fan?” she said lightly, and Gold shook his head with vigour. “Oh Aiden, what happened to carpe diem? I thought you were going to grab life by the balls and find yourself someone new. You definitely can’t deny that she’d be interested.”

“Forget carpe diem, that was more like carpe jugulum,” Gold muttered. “So, what did you want to see me about today, Ella?”

“New catalogue,” Ella said, taking out a few folders and spreading them out over Gold’s desk. “I’m hoping that we’re going to get a few new models in this time, some of the regulars aren’t coming back for various reasons.”

“Ella, the previous catalogue was only mailed out yesterday. I swear you start planning each catalogue earlier and earlier every year. Before you know it, we’ll be shooting the new catalogue before the current one has even had chance to be edited and put together. At least I know that even you can’t photograph new collections before you’ve even thought of them.”

“Well, you know, you’ve got to be prepared in this game.” Ella sat back. “But the new catalogue can wait for a little while. I want to know how, with the unfortunate red-head excepted, your romantic overtures are getting on.”

“Badly,” Gold said. Well, that was not entirely true. The romantic overtures were neither good nor bad because he hadn’t made any yet. Ella sighed theatrically.

“Am I going to have to set you up with an Internet dating profile to force you to meet women?” she asked. “I know that online dating has a bad rep but in my short-lived time there, I swear that not every person I met was a psychopath. Only about half of them. That’s pretty good odds, all things considered.”

Gold just raised an eyebrow. “No,” he said plainly. “Just let me do these things in my own time, Ella.”

“But you’re running out of time, that’s the problem! I know you, Aiden, and I know that you like to do things properly. I’m never going to be able to convince you to enjoy casual dating and things with no strings attached, but if you’re going to go for a proper relationship like you want, then you need to start somewhere.”

“I know that.” Gold sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He did want to find someone new, that wasn’t a problem, it was more the fact that it had been a long time since he’d started a relationship and he wasn’t exactly the best role model for them.

“Will you at least let me set you up on a few blind dates?” Ella wheedled. “I know at least three ex-girlfriends of mine who would be more than happy to have you with whom I am still on good terms. You remember Cara Mallory, yes?”

“Yes, I remember Mal. And no, I am not going to go out with her.”

“But you’d be wonderful together!”

“I really don’t think we would. She’s terrifying.”

“Nonsense, she’s a pussy cat. You just need to know how to handle her.”

Gold raised an eyebrow. “You know, Ella, I’m not even going to grace that with a response. Shall we get down to business? I have a clear schedule seven weeks from now if you want to pencil that in for the catalogue shoot; that gives you a chance to get some new models in.”

Ella sighed theatrically and took out her diary. “All right, all right, business as usual it is then. That week is fine, I’ll make sure everything’s ready. As it’s the autumn shoot I was thinking of a set dressed with some nice crunchy leaves and tree branches.”

“As long as we’re not outside,” Gold said. “I enjoy doing bikini shoots on the beach as much as the next person but that’s weather appropriate.”

“Oh God no,” Ella said, aghast. “We’re reputed for treating our models well, I don’t want any of them dying of frostbite after frolicking in the woods in their underwear, as artistic as it might look. We’re striving for realism here, not strange dryad fantasies. Not that your dryad fantasy themed photography doesn’t look beautiful, of course, but it’s not exactly the kind of look we were going for with Devilish.”

“You worry about set dressing, I’ll just turn up with the camera and lights and work my magic like I always do.”

Ella grinned and patted his hand. “I know I can count on you, darling. You’ve never let me down. I’m serious about you calling Mal though. I happen to know that she’s single right now.”

“No, Ella. If I’m going to go out with anyone, then it’s going to be someone of my own choosing.”

“Well, you need to choose someone then.” Ella got up to leave, handing Gold the stock photographs of the newest items in the collection that would be featured in her autumn catalogue so that he could decide best how to light them and how to pose the models that would be wearing them. “I’ll let you make all the moves, but I’m always willing to help a friend find love.”

For all Ella’s manner had been teasing throughout their conversation, her words and expression were in earnest, and Gold knew that she had his best interests at heart even if her way of achieving them differed vastly from his. He saw her out of the door, catching Jefferson’s eye as he did so.

“So, I take it that you’ll be turning down Miss West if she calls again?” he asked mildly. “I can’t help admiring her exuberance.”

“As long as she pays me I think I can withstand pretty much anything, but I might have to carry a stick to beat her off with if she comes back. Or one of those little water spritzers that they use to train unruly pets in heat. That should take the edge off her ardour a bit.”

Jefferson laughed. “She’s certainly determined, I’ll give her that much. I’ll handle her when she comes in to collect the photos, if you want.”

Since Jefferson was a jobbing actor who could turn his hand to anything and had as forceful and irreverent a personality as Ella had, Gold would have been very interested to see such a confrontation. He wasn’t sure what it was about him that attracted people like Ella and Jefferson, but he was always grateful for their friendship. Ella did have a point; for all he had said that he was going to get out there and try and make something of his romantic life, he wasn’t really doing all that much to help himself. Gold had never really been a big believer in fate, but there was still something in the back of his mind telling him that the right person was out there and if he waited long enough, then their paths would cross. Ella would laugh at the notion and tell him that relationships didn’t just fall out of the sky like that, that people had to make their own luck and their own happiness sometimes.

Still, Gold had faith that something good would come his way soon.

“You’ve got the new catalogue I see.” Ariel was practically bouncing up and down in excitement as she came into Belle’s apartment and spotted the catalogue sitting on the coffee table. “Have you gone through and earmarked all the pages that you like the look of? Let me guess, you haven’t been brave enough to look through the ‘naughty’ section yet.

“I have!” Belle said indignantly. “I might not have looked through it in much detail, but I have looked through it!”

“Well, today we’re going to attempt to find you something to keep you company in the bedroom slightly better than the previous prick, so buckle up, because I’m taking no prisoners.” Ariel plopped down onto the sofa and patted the space beside her, taking up the catalogue and opening it straight to the page of vibrators. Belle rolled her eyes but dutifully sat down and listened to Ariel’s sales pitches on the various items, somewhat mystified by some of the terms that she was using but nonetheless grateful for guidance in this terrifying world. Underwear was a different matter; that was something that she’d needed to do alone for her own piece of mind, taking the first step in a journey of self-discovery. That was what she thought of her current little mission as; learning who she really was after so long being defined by Gaston. But the world of sex toys was a little different and in there she needed an experienced tour guide to help her along.

Of course, there was one thing that Ariel probably ought to know that Belle had never told her, something that might prove to be important when it came to making all important decisions regarding electronically assisted pleasure. It was no secret between the two of them that Gaston had not been the world’s most satisfying lover, but whilst Ariel had accepted that her best friend’s ex had never got her off, what she had not been told was that Belle had never actually had an orgasm at all, be it solo or with a partner. Belle thought that perhaps this was vital information that she really ought to impart, but at the same time, something kept stopping her. Ariel was her best friend and they had shared almost every detail of their intimate lives over the past few years, but there was something about the fact that she’d never even managed to touch herself successfully, let alone have someone else do it, that left Belle feeling a little ashamed, inadequate. It wasn’t for want of trying, she thought bitterly. There was just some little thing in her mind that kept stopping her just when she was trying to get into the moment. Whilst she had been with Gaston, she was pretty sure that it was some weird sense of guilt that had kept her from masturbating, thinking that she shouldn’t need her own fingers when she had a man in her bed. But even since their split, her attempts at intimate exploration had just been a series of false starts.

“Belle?” Ariel was looking at her with her head on one side, her face concerned. “Are you all right? You look completely spaced out. Have you been listening to a word I’ve said for the past ten minutes?”

“Erm…”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Ariel shuffled closer on the sofa and nudged her friend’s shoulder with hers. “What’s up?”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do with myself. It’s all so new and I don’t even know where to begin. I just think that maybe this isn’t for me.”

“Pleasure is for everyone,” Ariel said blithely. “Come on, Belle. I know Gaston said some pretty awful things whilst he was around, but he’s not around anymore and you’ve already come out from his shadow so beautifully. This is something that you ought to embrace. But if you’re not ready then we’ll leave it. What kind of sets are you saving up for now?”

Ariel flicked back through the catalogue and it landed open at the folded down centre page where the modelling information was. Belle tried to grab the catalogue away from Ariel, but it was too late.

“Ariel, please, just forget it…”

“No, Belle, I think this is great. Are you really considering it?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. It’s a ridiculous idea, just a spur of the moment thing. I mean, can you imagine me posing in my underwear?”

“Yes.”

Belle had to double take at the calm statement. “What?”

“I think you’d be great as a Devilish model,” Ariel said.

“Ariel, really…”

“Really. You’re just as lovely as any of the other women in here, and I can’t think of anything that could give you more confidence in your own skin than standing up and saying ‘this is me, I am a woman and I have the right to wear great underwear and feel good about myself in it’.”

Belle nodded. “When you put it like that, it is sort of tempting.”

“I mean, you did mark the page,” Ariel said shrewdly. “So you were definitely thinking about it.” She scanned down the page and quirked an eyebrow. “Any reason why you’ve highlighted the photography studio?”

“I just wanted to check it out, see what I can find out about it.”

“Well, no time like the present.” Ariel whipped out her phone and opened the browser, typing in the address with practiced fingers and tapping the arm of the sofa impatiently as she waited for it to load. “Here we are. Aiden Gold Photography. Seems innocuous enough.”

Belle peered over her shoulder; the front page of the website was mainly artistic black and white landscape photography; the lighting giving everything an eerie, otherworldly feel. She began to flick through some of the galleries, alternating between magical landscapes and beautifully composed portraits with some scenes straight out of a fantasy movie muddled in. Belle wasn’t sure why she was so glad that all the people in the pictures were fully clothed; something in the back of her mind had expected to see nudity. It would have fitted, especially in the more ethereal shots, and she was pleased that the photographer had felt that there was nothing to be added from taking the models’ clothes off.

There was very little information about the man himself, just contact details and the address of his studio, which was comparatively local, much to Belle’s surprise.

“So, are you going to do it?” Ariel asked. “Now that you’ve looked the guy up and seen that he doesn’t appear to be a weirdo?”

“I don’t know.” Belle handed the phone back to her friend and sat back on the sofa, thumbing the edges of the catalogue. “It feels like a big leap, but at the same time I think that a big leap might be what I need to really kick start this new life.”

“I don’t think it would hurt,” Ariel said. “You don’t have to have a complete personality one-eighty overnight; in fact I would be worried if you did. You don’t have to change who you are at all, you did enough of that when you were still with Gaston. I think that this is more about finding out who you really are when it comes down to it, rather than letting yourself be defined by someone else’s expectations of you. It’s a new experience, another string to add to your bow. Another chapter of your story, if you will.”

Belle had to snort with laughter at the analogy; Ariel had long since come to the conclusion that the best way to get through to a librarian was to use copious amounts of book metaphors. Belle didn’t know if it was a point in her favour that most of the time, these metaphors worked.

“And if you don’t enjoy it, then you don’t have to do it again,” Ariel said. “But you never know. You might suddenly find your niche.”

“In underwear modelling? Unlikely, but I appreciate your faith in me.”

“I have complete faith in you. Just give me a call if you want any moral support. I don’t mind signing up as well if you want to have a friendly face there. It could be a fun girls’ day out, unless you think that this is something you want to do on your own.”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know if I’m going to do it, let alone whether I’ll want moral support or I’ll see it more as a rite of passage to go through alone. On the one hand, this is my own journey. On the other, it’s still kind of scary.”

“Well, I’ll let you think about it. For now, let’s turn our attention to the real reason we’re here.” She opened the catalogue again on the first page of sex toys. “Now, are you going to space out on me again or are you going to concentrate?”

Belle felt heat suffuse her face as she was reminded of her previous train of thought.

“No, no, I’m here. I won’t space out on you. We can get this stuff by mail order, right? Buying underwear in a shop is one thing but this is quite another.”

Ariel laughed. “Of course. Now, let’s see what’s best for a beginner…”

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle #Belle French #Mr Gold #Fic: Devilish

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ruthjsmithfl · 4 years ago

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Back in 2008, marketing expert David Michm began to notice the development of links with the emergence of local SEO and links. He mentioned,

“In the Local algorithm, links can still bring direct traffic from the people who click on them. But the difference is that these ‘links’ aren’t always links; sometimes they’re just an address and phone number associated with a particular business! In the Local algorithm, these references aren’t necessarily a ‘vote’ for a particular business, but they serve to validate that business exists at a particular location, and in that sense, they make a business more relevant for a particular search.”

He called the citation a new link, that is, citations have been part of the local search ecosystem for more than a decade.

Those business names and details that you mentioned can appear all around the web, including on business directories, review sites, industry-specific publications, local media outlets, social media pages, Google My Business, and even apps. Google and other search engines use citations to verify data and consumers use them to find local businesses.

Once a citation has been indexed, it acts much like a link and can help to promote your local search rankings.

Types of Citations

Citation has two main types structured and unstructured.

Unstructured citations don’t follow a structured listing format with data assigned to a specific field (like name, address) that is why they are known as unstructured citations. However, they can be distributed for information, for example, when your business is mentioned in an article in a local newspaper or blog.

In structured lists, data is given to a particular area, such as a business name or phone number. This may take the form of a directory list into which you enter data by form. Including a Yelp list, Facebook page, or yellow page are all examples of structured lists.

You will have the control of most of the citations. If you submit your site to a business directory, you control what information is provided and can usually go back and edit that information as required.

Other citations, such as those resulting from local media coverage, are beyond your control. Some citations are free, others require payment, and some may require a backlink to your site in order to activate it.

Break it Down

What Are The Different Types Of SEO?

At Syndiket, we believe four types of SEO exist – and we have an acronym to represent those 4 types of SEO. The acronym is T.R.A.P.

“T” stands for Technical, “R” stands for Relevancy, “A” stands for Authority, and “P” stands for popularity. Search engine optimization has many smaller divisions within the 4 types, but all of them can be placed into one of these 4 buckets.

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Technical SEO

Generally, technical SEO for local businesses carry the least importance for ranking. Technical SEO has a bare minimum that is required and this usually includes things like site speed, indexation issues, crawlability, and schema. Once the core technical parts are done, minimal upkeep is required.

Relevancy SEO

Relevancy is one of trivium elements of SEO. It has equal importance with popularity signals and authority signals. Relevancy signals are based on algorithmic learning principles. Bots crawl the internet every time a searcher has a search. Each search is given a relevancy score and the URLs that pop up for a query. The higher the relevancy score you attain, the greater your aggregated rating becomes in Google’s eyes. Digital marketing is a strange thing in 2020, and ranking a website requires the website to be relevant on many fronts.

Authority SEO

Google’s Co-creator, Larry Page, had a unique idea in 1998 which has led to the modern-day Google Empire. “Page Rank”, named after Larry Page himself, was the algorithm that established Google as a search engine giant. The algorithm ranked websites by authority.

Every page of a website has authority and the sum of all pages has another authority metric. The authority metric is largely determined by how many people link to them (backlinks). The aggregate score of all pages pointing to a domain creates the domain score, which is what Syndiket calls “Domain Rating”, per Ahrefs metrics. The more a site is referenced, the more authority it has. But, the real improvement to the algorithm came when Google began to classify authority weight.

If Tony Hawk endorsed Syndiket for skateboarding, it would carry a lot more authority than 5 random high school kids endorsing Syndiket. This differentiation in authority happened in 2012 with the Penguin update. Authority SEO is complicated but VERY important.

Popularity

Popularity signals are especially strong for GMB or local SEO, but popularity and engagement are used for all rankings. The goal of this signal is for Google to verify its own algorithm. You can check off all the boxes, but if your content is something real people hate, Google has ways to measure that. Syndiket has proprietary methods of controlling CTR (click-through rate) but we also infuse CRO methods into our work to make sure people actually like the content. Social shares and likes are also included in this bucket.

I’m Interested!

How to Get Started with Citation Building

If you just start your business and your business is new, you are required to speed on local citation building quickly. Local search experts agree that you should build 20-50+ new citations within the first 2 months of your business opening its doors.

Submitting Citations

You must be proficient in the art of generating new links to successfully use citation as part of your local SEO strategy.

Unexpectedly, this means you are going through the laborious process of collecting accurate business data (at least your NAP) for business directories. You can do this either manually, using your business data one at a time on each citation site, or automatically, using a tool or data aggregator.

Alternatively, you can use a service such as BrightLocal’s Citation Builder to create citations for you!

Using a Data Aggregator

Many businesses prefer to use a data aggregator to improve performance when building local links. The four main data aggregators are fact sheets: Foursquare (since Asiex retires in December 2019), Factual, Neustar Localez, and Infogroup. Our own Miles Anderson argues that data aggregators are essentially information aggregators.

He explains,

“Local Data Aggregators (LDAs) are companies that gather data about local businesses and then sell or distribute that data out to a network of local search engines, third-party directories, mapping services, GPS services and mobile apps. Submitting via Local Data Aggregators involves creating an account on each LDA and updating or submitting business data into the LDA’s database. The LDA then performs a verification of the business information before making this business info available to the third-party services that buy or take its data.”

If you decide to use a data aggregator when considering how to obtain new citations, it is worth keeping in mind that a data aggregator can take a lot of tedious legwork from the citation creation process.

Yelp is one such example of a data aggregator that you may already be familiar with when referring to Dan Libson of the Local SEO Guide, “Yelp is one of the primary citation sources. They syndicate their reviews in multiple places (Apple Maps etc) and among certain demographics are widely used for local discovery.”

Location3’s David Kelly has a different take, noting,

“As apps become more and more important, Foursquare and Factual have positioned themselves well in the aggregator space over the past year, providing robust data sets and APIs for mobile app developers. Apps can be hard to measure compared to typical sites, which has brought additional complication to analysis and strategy, but has offered unique opportunities as well. It will be interesting to see how this continues to evolve, and how the more legacy aggregators evolve to compete.”

Quality and Relevance

Now we’ve answered the question, “what is citation building?” it pays to go a little further and ask, “what is good citation building?”

With Link, there is a segment of quality control to keep in mind. You should aim to build links to sites that are either widely used (like Yelp or the Yellow Pages) or are very related to your industry or location.

It is proven by researchers that quality and relevance of citations are more vital than quantity, so it’s better to make good quality sites where possible. 64% of local SEO experts say niche and industry directories offer the best measure of authority for structured citations, with 18% saying national directories offer the most authority.

Industry associations, local business groups and local news sites are the best candidates for good quality unstructured citations.

Identifying Existing Citations

Before you start determining new business listings, you would need to determine what citations you already have. A tool like BrightLocal’s Citation Tracker is extremely helpful here. This not only makes it easier to search the Internet for all current links for your business. It also makes it much simpler to reveal incorrect information and irregularity in NAP and take suitable remedial action.

It is important to provide consistent and accurate information if you provide incomplete or inaccurate details can lead to a loss of trust not only in search engines that rely on data for ranking purposes, but also among consumers.

We interviewed a panel of consumers about local listings and local citations to find out if they’re as crucial from a sales perspective as they are from a search one. 93% of consumers said incorrect business directory information frustrates them, 80% will lose trust and 68% would stop using a local business wholly if they found misleading information in online directories.

Competitor Research and Identifying New Opportunities

If you’ve taken out any form of SEO before learning what citation building is, it’s probably that you’ll have done some competitor link research to determine what sites are linking to competitors and providing them a search engine edge. This same concept should be carried across to local citation buildings.

The process of finding new citations can actually be as simple as finding which sites your competitors are on that you aren’t. A tool like Citation Tracker is, again, helpful here, as it can automate the process of spying on competitors, compiling a citation report and then identifying targeted niche and local citation opportunities to explore.

Why should I build citations for my local business?

According to a BrightLocal Expert Local Citation Survey, 90% of local search experts find the exact links very important for ranking in local search engines.

Add this to their position as the fourth most influential factor in local ranking, and you can easily see local citation as a tactical strategy that you just need to deploy.

But, like content, links or social networks, quotes are not your only competitive advantage. They should be used as part of a comprehensive local SEO approach to make a difference, but like a site without a back link, if you don’t have many quality links, you would not be able to compete.

Beyond the local power of SEO, citation can also assist in searching. Due to the fact that sites such as Yelp and Yellow Pages are prominent in local search results, they provide another way to display the places that are most important when local customers are actively looking for business like yours.

How can BrightLocal Help Me build or Clean Up Citations?

For almost a decade, BrightLocal has been managing the creation and updating of local SEO links for local businesses, multi-location businesses and agencies. Our citation development team is fully dedicated to manually updating or clearing lists, which means high accuracy and unmatched speed in the industry.

Find out more about BrightLocal’s Citation Building Service

Not only can our citation service send manually and through data aggregators, but the citation tracker actually shows you the citations of your rivals, and you do not show the ability to compete in quotes and give you your citation profile.

Find out more about BrightLocal’s Citation Tracking tool

The combination of building and monitoring citations with BrightLocal means that you can be absolutely sure that your all-important citations profile is progressing, latest and error free.

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syndiket · 4 years ago

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Citation Building - The Ultimate Search Engine Optimization Solution

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What is citation building?

Your online citations can take many forms and can include any mixture:

Company name

Address

Phone number

Opening hours

Products or services

Images

Videos

Social media links

Back in 2008, marketing expert David Michm began to notice the development of links with the emergence of local SEO and links. He mentioned,

He called the citation a new link, that is, citations have been part of the local search ecosystem for more than a decade.

Once a citation has been indexed, it acts much like a link and can help to promote your local search rankings.

Types of Citations

Citation has two main types structured and unstructured.

Break it Down

What Are The Different Types Of SEO?

At Syndiket, we believe four types of SEO exist – and we have an acronym to represent those 4 types of SEO. The acronym is T.R.A.P.

I'm Interested!

Technical SEO

Relevancy SEO

Authority SEO

Popularity

I'm Interested!

How to Get Started with Citation Building

Submitting Citations

You must be proficient in the art of generating new links to successfully use citation as part of your local SEO strategy.

Alternatively, you can use a service such as BrightLocal’s Citation Builder to create citations for you!

Using a Data Aggregator

He explains,

Location3’s David Kelly has a different take, noting,

Quality and Relevance

Now we’ve answered the question, “what is citation building?” it pays to go a little further and ask, “what is good citation building?”

Industry associations, local business groups and local news sites are the best candidates for good quality unstructured citations.

Identifying Existing Citations

Competitor Research and Identifying New Opportunities

Why should I build citations for my local business?

According to a BrightLocal Expert Local Citation Survey, 90% of local search experts find the exact links very important for ranking in local search engines.

Add this to their position as the fourth most influential factor in local ranking, and you can easily see local citation as a tactical strategy that you just need to deploy.

How can BrightLocal Help Me build or Clean Up Citations?

Find out more about BrightLocal’s Citation Building Service

Find out more about BrightLocal’s Citation Tracking tool

The combination of building and monitoring citations with BrightLocal means that you can be absolutely sure that your all-important citations profile is progressing, latest and error free.

Want More Info?

Let's Chat!

Name

Company

Email Address

Campaign Scale

LocalStateNationalGlobal

Niche

Message

Submit

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper matti pibus leo.

Facebook-f Youtube Twitter Instagram

Services

SEO

PPC

Web Design

Branding

Consulting

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Case Studies

Learn

Tools

Careers

Locations

Nashville, TN

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New York, NY

San Francisco, CA

Denver, CO

Made with

in Nashville, TN

from Syndiket Marketing | SEO, Adwords, Web Design https://www.syndiket.com/services/local-seo/citation-building/

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airoasis · 5 years ago

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The nightmare videos of childrens' YouTube ? and what's wrong with the internet today | James Bridle

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-nightmare-videos-of-childrens-youtube-and-whats-wrong-with-the-internet-today-james-bridle-4/

The nightmare videos of childrens' YouTube ? and what's wrong with the internet today | James Bridle

I’m James. I’m a author and artist, and i make work about technology. I do things like draw life-dimension outlines of navy drones in city streets all over the world, so that individuals can start to feel and get their heads round these fairly really hard-to-see and difficult-to-believe-about technologies. I make matters like neural networks that predict the outcome of elections centered on climate reports, on the grounds that i am intrigued about what the precise prospects of those bizarre new applied sciences are.Last 12 months, I built my possess self-using auto. But for the reason that i don’t really trust technological know-how, I also designed a entice for it. (Laughter) and that i do these matters almost always when you consider that I to find them entirely fascinating, but also for the reason that I feel once we speak about science, we’re mostly speakme about ourselves and the best way that we have an understanding of the arena. So this is a narrative about science. This is a "shock egg" video. It can be sincerely a video of any individual opening up lots of chocolate eggs and displaying the toys inside to the viewer. That’s it. That’s all it does for seven long minutes. And i need you to realize two things about this. To start with, this video has 30 million views. (Laughter) And the other thing is, it comes from a channel that has 6.Three million subscribers, that has a complete of eight billion views, and it can be all just more movies like this — 30 million folks looking at a guy opening up these eggs.It sounds lovely bizarre, however if you happen to seek for "shock eggs" on YouTube, it should let you know there is 10 million of those movies, and that i consider that’s an undercount. I believe there is manner, far more of these. In the event you keep searching, they are endless. There’s thousands and hundreds of thousands of these movies in more and more baroque mixtures of manufacturers and substances, and there is increasingly of them being uploaded day by day. Like, it is a strange world. Right? But the thing is, it is no longer adults who are watching these movies. It is youngsters, babies. These videos are like crack for little kids. There is anything in regards to the repetition, the steady little dopamine hit of the expose, that entirely hooks them in. And little kids watch these videos over and over and over again, they usually do it for hours and hours and hours. And in case you try and take the display far from them, they are going to scream and scream and scream. In case you do not think me — and i’ve already obvious folks in the viewers nodding — when you don’t suppose me, find any person with young children and ask them, and they will be aware of in regards to the surprise egg movies. So this is where we start.It can be 2018, and anyone, or lots of individuals, are utilising the same mechanism that, like, facebook and Instagram are making use of to get you to keep checking that app, and they’re utilizing it on YouTube to hack the brains of very young children in return for advertising income. At the least, i am hoping that’s what they’re doing. I hope that is what they’re doing it for, because there’s less complicated ways of making ad earnings on YouTube. That you would be able to just make stuff up or steal stuff. So if you happen to seek for rather popular children’ cartoons like "Peppa Pig" or "Paw Patrol," you’ll be able to in finding there is hundreds of thousands and thousands of these online as good. Of direction, most of them don’t seem to be posted by the usual content creators. They arrive from loads and loads of extraordinary random debts, and it can be not possible to understand who’s posting them or what their reasons probably.Does that sound type of acquainted? For the reason that it can be exactly the identical mechanism that is taking place throughout most of our digital services, where it’s unattainable to know where this know-how is coming from. It’s in actual fact fake news for youngsters, and we’re training them from delivery to click on the very first link that comes along, regardless of what the supply is. That is does not appear like a very just right idea. Here is one more factor that is fairly huge on children’ YouTube. That is called the "Finger loved ones song." I simply heard anybody groan within the viewers. This is the "Finger loved ones tune." that is the very first one I might in finding.It can be from 2007, and it only has 200,000 views, which is, like, nothing on this recreation. However it has this insanely earwormy tune, which i’m not going to play to you, due to the fact it will sear itself into your mind within the equal way that it seared itself into mine, and i am now not going to try this to you. However like the surprise eggs, it is got inside of kids’ heads and addicted them to it. So inside a number of years, these finger loved ones movies begin showing far and wide, and also you get versions in distinctive languages with trendy youngsters’ cartoons utilising food or, frankly, utilizing some thing variety of animation factors you appear to have lying around. And once once more, there are thousands and hundreds of thousands and hundreds of thousands of those videos on hand on-line in all of those variety of insane combinations. And the extra time you start to spend with them, the crazier and crazier you to think that you just possibly. And that is where I form of launched into this, that feeling of deep strangeness and deep lack of information of how this thing used to be built that seems to be awarded around me.In view that it’s impossible to understand where these matters are coming from. Like, who is making them? A few of them appear to be made of groups of legit animators. A few of them are just randomly assembled via software. Some of them are quite wholesome-looking younger youngsters’ entertainers. And a few of them are from folks who particularly naturally shouldn’t be round kids in any respect. (Laughter) And once once more, this impossibility of finding out who’s making this stuff — like, it is a bot? Is this a character? Is that this a troll? What does it imply that we cannot tell the change between these things anymore? And once more, would not that uncertainty think form of familiar right now? So the principal approach humans get views on their videos — and consider, views mean money — is that they stuff the titles of these videos with these popular terms.So you are taking, like, "surprise eggs" and then you add "Paw Patrol," "Easter egg," or whatever these things are, all of these phrases from other popular movies into your title, until you become with this kind of meaningless mash of language that doesn’t make experience to humans in any respect. Considering the fact that of course it is simplest quite tiny children who are gazing your video, and what the hell do they recognize? Your actual audience for these things is application. It’s the algorithms. It is the application that YouTube makes use of to decide upon which videos are like different movies, to make them fashionable, to make them encouraged.And that’s why you emerge as with this form of fully meaningless mash, both of title and of content material. However the thing is, you must remember, there really are still individuals within this algorithmically optimized system, men and women who’re kind of more and more forced to behave out these increasingly bizarre combos of words, like a desperate improvisation artist responding to the combined screams of 1,000,000 children at once. There are actual individuals trapped within these methods, and that is the opposite deeply unusual factor about this algorithmically pushed culture, on account that despite the fact that you’re human, you have got to turn out to be behaving like a computing device simply to outlive. And also, on the opposite part of the reveal, there nonetheless are these sons and daughters gazing these items, stuck, their full awareness grabbed with the aid of these weird mechanisms.And most of these kids are too small to even use a website. They may be simply type of hammering on the screen with their little arms. And so there’s autoplay, where it simply keeps enjoying these videos over and over and over in a loop, without end for hours and hours at a time. And there is a lot weirdness within the process now that autoplay takes you to some pretty strange locations. That is how, within a dozen steps, that you could go from a lovely video of a counting educate to masturbating Mickey Mouse. Yeah. I’m sorry about that. This does worsen. This is what happens when all of these extraordinary keywords, all these different pieces of awareness, this determined new release of content material, all comes together into a single position. This is where all those deeply weird keyword phrases come house to roost. You cross-breed the finger household video with some reside-motion superhero stuff, you add in some weird, trollish in-jokes or whatever, and all of a sudden, you come to an awfully bizarre position certainly. The stuff that tends to upset mum and dad is the stuff that has variety of violent or sexual content material, correct? Kid’s cartoons getting assaulted, getting killed, bizarre pranks that sincerely clearly terrify kids.What you’ve gotten is program pulling in all of those unique influences to routinely generate youngsters’ worst nightmares. And this stuff particularly, rather does affect small children. Mothers and fathers report their kids being traumatized, fitting afraid of the darkish, becoming frightened of their favorite cool animated film characters. If you take one factor far from this, it can be that when you’ve got young children, preserve them the hell away from YouTube. (Applause) but the other thing, the object that particularly will get to me about this, is that i’m now not definite we even really understand how we received to this point.We now have taken all of this impact, all of those things, and munged them together in a way that nobody quite intended. And yet, this is also the way that we’re building the whole world. We’re taking all of this information, quite a lot of it unhealthy data, plenty of old data filled with prejudice, filled with all of our worst impulses of history, and we’re constructing that into colossal information units and then we’re automating it. And we’re munging it together into things like credit reports, into coverage premiums, into things like predictive policing techniques, into sentencing recommendations. This is the way in which we’re sincerely establishing the sector today out of this information. And that i have no idea what’s worse, that we developed a system that seems to be fully optimized for absolutely the worst features of human conduct, or that we appear to have achieved it by chance, without even realizing that we have been doing it, on the grounds that we didn’t particularly fully grasp the programs that we had been building, and we did not fairly realise find out how to do something otherwise with it.There’s a couple of matters I think that relatively appear to be riding this most entirely on YouTube, and the first of these is advertising, which is the monetization of attention without any actual other variables at work, any deal with the individuals who’re simply establishing this content material, the centralization of the power, the separation of these things. And that i suppose nevertheless you feel about the use of advertising to kind of aid stuff, the sight of grown guys in diapers rolling around in the sand in the hope that an algorithm that they don’t really realise will provide them cash for it means that this mainly isn’t the article that we must be basing our society and tradition upon, and the way where we will have to be funding it. And the opposite thing that is sort of the important driver of this is automation, which is the deployment of all of this science as quickly because it arrives, without any sort of oversight, after which as soon as it can be available in the market, type of throwing up our palms and going, "hello, it is now not us, it is the technology." Like, "We’re now not worried in it." that’s no longer fairly excellent sufficient, on the grounds that this stuff is not only algorithmically ruled, it’s also algorithmically policed.When YouTube first started to pay attention to this, the very first thing they said they’d do about it was that they’d set up better computing device studying algorithms to average the content material. Well, desktop studying, as any knowledgeable in it’s going to inform you, is basically what now we have started to name software that we don’t rather understand how it works. And that i believe we now have enough of that already. We is just not leaving these things up to AI to decide what’s appropriate or not, considering the fact that we know what happens. It should begin censoring other matters. It would begin censoring queer content material. It should censoring legit public speech. What’s allowed in these discourses, it is just not anything that is left as much as unaccountable techniques. It is a part of a discussion all and sundry must be having. But i’d depart a reminder that the substitute isn’t very high-quality, both. YouTube additionally introduced just lately that they’re going to release a version of their kids’ app that will be entirely moderated by using people.Fb — Zuckerberg stated a lot the identical factor at Congress, when pressed about how they have been going to average their stuff. He stated they’d have people doing it. And what that really approach is, as an alternative of having little toddlers being the first man or woman to peer these things, you are going to have underpaid, precarious contract staff with out proper mental wellbeing help being broken by means of it as well. (Laughter) and that i feel we can all do relatively much better than that. (Applause) The inspiration, I feel, that brings those two things collectively, fairly, for me, is company. It is like, how so much can we really recognize — with the aid of company, I mean: how we know how to behave in our possess satisfactory pursuits. Which — it is virtually impossible to do in these programs that we don’t rather thoroughly appreciate.Inequality of power continuously leads to violence. And we can see inside of these systems that inequality of understanding does the equal factor. If there is one thing that we are able to do to to strengthen these systems, it can be to make them more legible to the folks who use them, so that every one of us have a long-established working out of what’s clearly happening right here. The article, although, I feel most about these systems is that this isn’t, as i hope I’ve defined, quite about YouTube. It’s about the whole lot. These disorders of accountability and company, of opacity and complexity, of the violence and exploitation that inherently results from the concentration of power in a couple of palms — these are so much, so much larger disorders. And they’re problems no longer just of YouTube and no longer simply of technology in most cases, they usually’re now not even new. They’ve been with us for a while. However we finally constructed this approach, this global method, the internet, that is truely showing them to us on this exclusive method, making them undeniable. Technological know-how has this individual capability to both instantiate and proceed all of our most amazing, most commonly hidden wants and biases and encoding them into the sector, nevertheless it additionally writes them down in order that we are able to see them, so that we are not able to pretend they don’t exist anymore.We have to stop desirous about technological know-how as a solution to all of our issues, however think of it as a guide to what these problems virtually are, so that they can begin enthusiastic about them thoroughly and to address them. Thanks very much. (Applause) thank you. (Applause) Helen Walters: James, thank you for coming and giving us that talk. So it’s exciting: while you feel in regards to the movies the place the robotic overlords take over, it is all somewhat more glamorous than what you’re describing. However i’m wondering — in these movies, you’ve gotten the resistance mounting. Is there a resistance mounting in the direction of these things? Do you see any constructive signs, inexperienced shoots of resistance? James Bridle: I do not know about direct resistance, considering I think this stuff is tremendous long-time period. I suppose it is baked into culture in rather deep ways. A friend of mine, Eleanor Saitta, always says that any technological problems of sufficient scale and scope are political issues to begin with. So all of those matters we’re working to deal with within this aren’t going to be addressed just with the aid of building the technological know-how better, however surely with the aid of changing the society that is producing these technologies.So no, correct now, I feel we now have received a hell of a long solution to go. However as I mentioned, I suppose with the aid of unpacking them, with the aid of explaining them, by speakme about them super actually, we will truly start to at the least begin that system. HW: And so when you talk about legibility and digital literacy, I to find it tricky to imagine that we ought to place the burden of digital literacy on customers themselves. But whose accountability is education on this new world? JB: again, I feel this responsibility is variety of up to each person, that the whole thing we do, the whole lot we construct, the whole lot we make, needs to be made in a consensual dialogue with every body who’s warding off it; that we’re now not constructing programs meant to trick and surprise persons into doing the proper thing, but that they are absolutely concerned in each step in instructing them, given that every of those programs is academic.That is what i’m hopeful about, about even this fairly grim stuff, that if you can take it and look at it adequately, it can be genuinely in itself a section of schooling that allows for you to start seeing how problematic programs come together and work and perhaps be capable to use that skills elsewhere in the world. HW: James, it’s such an main discussion, and i know many humans listed below are really open and prepared to have it, so thanks for establishing off our morning. JB: Thanks very a lot. Cheers. (Applause) .

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loretranscripts · 6 years ago

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Lore Episode 12: Half-Hanged (Transcript) - 7th August 2015

tw: violence, death by fire, medical details, ableism, child abuse, torture, unsanitary procedures

Simeon Smith was one of the early settlers of New Hampshire in 1772. He built a farm there, on the border between Wentworth and Warren, that held the local office. By trade, he was a tailor, but like a lot of men of that decade, he fought with the continental army. It’s easy to look back at Simeon Smith as the typical pioneer from the late 1700s – he was patriotic, and a stereotypical New Englander, sure, but few people in town liked him. Why, you might ask? Because Simeon Smith, according to the local stories, was a sorcerer. It was said that Simeon would saddle and bridle a random neighbour, and then ride them all over the countryside, just to spite them. When women were having trouble churning butter, and it simply wouldn’t work, it was because, they said, Simeon Smith was in the churn. If children in town behaved badly, it was because he had bewitched them. He could become as small as a gnat and move through the keyholes of your locked doors; he could become larger than a giant and would stomp through the forest at night – or so they said. Stories like these were common in early America. They were a mixture of fact and fiction, of historical truths and hysterical superstition. In an effort to explain the unexplainable, sometimes neighbours and prominent figures were thrown under the proverbial bus. The era between the mid-15th and late 16th centuries was precarious for many people. This wasn’t the age of Harry Potter – witchcraft wasn’t something that was spoken of lightly, or with a sense of wonder and excitement. It caused fear. It ruined lives. It made good people do bad things – all in the name of superstition. I’m Aaron Mahnke, and this is Lore.

Superstition was common in the late 1600s. If something odd or unexplainable happened, the automatic response from most people was to blame the supernatural. But most scholars agree that these beliefs were merely excuses to help people deal with neighbours and family members that they didn’t care for. If you didn’t like somebody, it was common to accuse them of witchcraft. In the most famous historical example of this, the witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts, we can see a clear pattern in the events. Many of those accused of being witches were wealthy and held religious beliefs which were different from their accusers. Once a suspect was convicted, their estate would be confiscated by the court, and in a community that was known for property disputes, grazing rights and religious arguments, that became a recipe for disaster. What happened in Salem, happened elsewhere, all around New England, just on a smaller scale. Neighbours accused neighbours constantly, stories were told, lives were ruined. It was the way of things, I suppose – not ideal, but not uncommon either. In one story from Exeter, Rhode Island, a farmer was said to have been carting his lumber to market, when a cat ran across the road. For some unknown reason, the farmer immediately jumped to the conclusion that the cat was actually a neighbour of his, a woman who he insisted was a witch. She had transformed herself into a cat in order to meddle in his business. Now, this farmer was fast on his feet. Not only did he see the cat running, and then make the connection to his witchy neighbour, but he managed to pull out his gun. He was said to have fired a silver bullet at the cat, something well-known at the time to be effective against witches, and struck his target. At that very moment, according to the story, the suspected witch fell in her own home, breaking her hip. In the town of Salem, New Hampshire, a man decided that his cow looked strangely different from how he remembered, and he made the most logical conclusion he was capable of: his neighbour was a sorcerer, and the man had bewitched his cow. Folklore dictated the solution. He cut off the cow’s ears and tail and then burned them. Soon after, the farmer’s neighbour was found dead, victim of a house fire. In West Newbury, Vermont, a farmer had settled in for the evening beside his fireplace. Perhaps he was enjoying something alcoholic and refreshing, or maybe he was trying to read a book. While he was there, he witnessed what he called “spectral shapes” that danced and moved in the flames. This farmer immediately thought of one particular woman in town, a woman known to be a witch, and he took some tallow and beeswax, and sculpted a careful likeness of her. Then, taking a branch from a thorn bush, he pierced this little figurine before tossing it into the fire. At the same time, across town, the suspected witch apparently tripped on her own stairs and broke her neck. Back in the town of Wentworth, our friend Simeon Smith received his own fair share of retribution. It was said that a local boy named Caleb Merrill was struck deaf by the sorcerer. After that, he began acting strange, running up the sides of the house like a squirrel and writhing in agony. After some trial and error, Caleb’s parents put the perfect combination of ingredients into a “witch bottle”, a sort of homemade talisman designed to combat sorcery. They buried the bottle beneath their hearth, and soon after, the town was burying Simeon Smith. These stories of neighbourhood witches and ways in which the good citizens of the towns defeated them were common all across New England. They border on the cruel, and cast these people, often simply the poor or non-religious among them, in a horrible light. For many people, suspicion was a convenient excuse to hate your neighbour and wish them ill. In no other place was that attitude more pronounced, more dominant, and more extreme, than a town of Hadley, Massachusetts. In Salem, the townspeople worked within the legal system. In Hadley, however, the people took matters into their own hands, and the results were horrifying.

When Philip Smith was dying in 1684, the town went looking for answers. It was hard to blame them – Smith was a model citizen and leader in the community. He had been a deacon of the church, a member of the general court, county court justice, and a town selectman. He was respected, trusted, and maybe even well-loved. The sole suspect in the crime was an old woman named Mary Webster. She and her husband were poor, and lived in a tiny house in the middle of some of the pasture land outside of town. Sometimes, when things got tough, they even needed assistance from the town – colonial era welfare, so to speak. It was easy to blame Mary Webster. She and Smith had not been on the best of terms, although few people in town were on good terms with her. She was cranky, you see – accounts of the events report the almost sarcastic comment that her already-poor temper had not been helped by poverty. She was a sour and spiteful woman, and she had a tendency to shoot her mouth off, a lot. Her fierce temper and stinging tongue had earned her a reputation as the town witch. Apparently, she wasn’t much of a church-goer, and that did little to help her case. But the clincher was that she had just gotten back from Boston, one year before. Why? Well, she’d been on trial there for witchcraft. She’d been taken to Boston in chains, some time in late April of 1683. Mary, an old woman with a foul mouth, had been accused of having congress with the devil, of bearing his children and suckling them. These children looked like black cats, they said. She had strange markings on her body, they said. It was conclusive and obvious, they said. There were other stories of Mary Webster. It was said that when teams of cattle were driven towards her property, they would panic and bolt in the opposite direction. They claimed that when this happened, the men would approach the house and threatened to whip her, and only then would she let the animals pass. Once, a load of hay toppled over near her home. The driver of the wagon went to Mary’s house, literally went inside, and was about to give her a piece of his mind when the cart magically righted itself – or, so they say. Another story tells how she entered the home of some local parents, and when she set eyes on the infant in the cradle, the baby levitated out and touched the ceiling, not once, but three times. There is even a story about some people who were inside one evening, boiling water and getting ready for dinner. All of a sudden, a live chicken came down the chimney and landed in the pot, only to escape from the house moments later. The next day, it was discovered that Mary herself had been scalded that night, though she wasn’t telling people how it happened. And so, Mary was transported 100 miles to Boston, along with the sheaf of those eyewitness accounts that had been written by her accusers, and brought before a judge and jury. The jury listened. They read those papers, and they looked everything over, and did their best as impartial, rational individuals. They discussed it amongst themselves, and when they returned to the court, they had a verdict. Mary Webster was not guilty. Maybe this pissed off her neighbours. Maybe they thought they were finally done with her when she had been taken away. I can almost imagine their surprise when she rode back into town, smile on her face and a fire in her belly. She had beaten the odds. But when Philip Smith, her old adversary in Hadley, took sick just a few months after her return, that newly won freedom looked like it might be in jeopardy.

The winter after Mary’s return from Boston, Philip Smith began to look ill. The people of Hadley didn’t know what the cause was at first; what they did know was that Smith was in a bad way. He had frequent seizures and seemed delirious most of the time. The people caring for him - his family, friends and nurses – were all deeply concerned. Whatever it was that he was suffering from, it didn’t appear to be normal. In fact, it appeared to be the work of the devil. What else could possibly cause a man to suffer fits, and scream and babble for hours in an unknown language? When Smith could be understood, he cried out that someone was pricking his arm with nails, hundreds of them, over and over, painfully. His nurses looked for the nails, but they never found anything that could have been causing the pain. He claimed a woman was in the room with him. Some of the young men in town had a theory, though. They had been talking about it for a while, and they decided they needed to give it a test. You see, they thought that Mary Webster was behind the man’s illness. In their minds, there was only one way to find out. One of the men stayed with Smith while the other’s went to Mary’s home. Three or four times, they knocked on her door and bothered her, thinking that if she was indeed casting a spell over Smith, this would break her concentration. When they returned, the man who had been tasked with watching over Smith claimed that the sick man was at ease three or four times while they were gone. There were other things they noticed: the small pots of medicines that had been laid out for Smith were mysteriously empty, as if someone were stealing their contents; they frequently heard scratching beneath the man’s bed; some of the men claimed to have seen fire on the bed, that when they began to talk about it, it would vanish. The details of the events surrounding Philip Smith’s illness are rife with superstition and fear. These young men even claimed that something as large as a cat would stir under the covers near the sick man, but whenever they tried to capture it, it would slip away. Other’s said that the bed would shake enough to make their teeth rattle. All of this was just too much for them. Convinced that they knew who was causing Smith’s illness, the group of young men returned to the home of Mary Webster. This time, though, they had more than just disturbing her peace on their mind. They dragged Mary from her home and out into the snow and cold of the New England winter. They beat her, they spat on her, they cursed her in whispers and in shouts, and then they carried her to a nearby tree. One of the men slung a rope through the branches, while another fashioned a noose, and there, in a snow-covered field outside of her own home, Mary Webster was hanged. When she stopped moving, the men cut her down, they took her body and rolled it in the snow, burying her. And then, they left. They walked back into town, back to the home of Philip Smith, back to the others who knew what they had done, and they waited. They waited for Smith to get better, for the curse to lift and for their lives to return to normal. They waited for safety, for their superstitions and fears to fade away now that Mary was gone. But, oh, how wrong they were.

The world of the 17th century was tensive and harsh, especially for the people trying to carve out an existence in colonial New England. The Protestant Reformation of the century before had left most Europeans with the belief that bad things happen because of the devil. Everything that went wrong, and I mean everything, was caused by something supernatural. This was a time when misfortune, loss, and even a simple illness would be blamed on the work of witches and sorcerers. Because of this, everyone in town was on the look-out. If something went wrong, there was always someone to blame - it seems there was a devil in every community. History is full of people who took things too far. The events that took place in Hadley in the winter of 1685 are just one of the countless examples of what superstitious people are capable of when their fear gets the better of them. Sadly though, it didn’t work. When friends arrived the next day to look in on Philip Smith, he was dead. What they found, though, gave their suspicions new life. It was said that his body was still warm, despite the winter cold, that his face was black and blue, and fresh blood ran down his cheeks. His chest was swollen, and his back was covered in bruises and holes from something like an awl or nails. Now they had more questions than answers. Who beat the man overnight, who kept his body warm against the creeping chill of winter, and who put those holes in the flesh of his back while he lay dying in bed? I imagine the people who visited him that morning were disappointed. He was respected by most of the town - many people there most likely depended on him for something. They’d done so much to take care of him, even gone as far as to murder another person, and yet it hadn’t worked. Philip Smith was dead, and all they had left were questions. Something else would soon disappoint them, though. You see, although Philip Smith had died, Mary Webster hadn’t. Even though she had been beaten and hung from a tree, before being buried in the snow and left overnight, Mary had somehow survived. In fact, she went on to live 11 more years before passing away in her 70s. And it turns out that Mary was also an ancestor of the well-known novelist Margaret Atwood. In 1995, Atwood published a poem entitled “Half-Hanged Mary”. It was written in sections, each one covering an hour of her torture, beginning with the hanging and ending with her return from the dead. The poem, written from Mary’s point of view, ends with a line that makes a person wonder. “Before, I was not a witch, but now I am one”.

This episode of Lore was produced by me, Aaron Mahnke. Learn more about me and this show over at lorepodcast.com, and be sure to follow along on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, @lorepodcast. This episode of Lore was made possible by you, the most creative listeners I have ever met. [Insert sponsor break]. And finally, a reminder. These sponsors, they pay the bills so I can write and produce Lore fulltime, but the only way they’ll do that in the future is if you wonderful and amazing listeners actually check them out, so please, visit the sponsor websites and take advantage of their generous offers. Let them know you’re listening, and they’ll keep the lights on here in the studio. Links and information on how to do all of that are on each episode page over at lorepodcast.com/episodes. Thanks for listening.

Notes

Many of the stories in this episode came from the book Entertaining Satan by J. P. Demos, which has no public access.

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