#Latitude Talent

[latitude-talent]

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[whetstonefires]

See I don't necessarily disagree with what seems to be the primary reading that Yue Qingyuan's shifu fucked him over, caring nothing for his needs or preferences and only for whether he was useful. That makes sense, it ties into plenty of the generational and societal themes of the story. It fits.

But iirc we don't actually get enough information to know that's what happened.

And the thing is it would be so in-character and also thematically appropriate if Yue Qingyuan absolutely did not explain his goals or why he was working so hard, because it was private and shameful and he didn't expect any sympathy, and there was a high risk of losing everything if he blabbed.

And also if he engaged with the existing ruleset with which he was presented, i.e. 'can't go off on your own on personal business until you've mastered your sword,' in the most negative and controlling manner possible, as absolute commandments.

He's a different kind of guy but he comes from the same background as Shen Jiu! It fucked him up also!

He is very very very not a guy who trusts the system to make allowances for him--even once he has all the power he 'does what he wants' and 'makes selfish choices' as a conscious transgression; not something he has a right to do, just something he can get away with so he's gonna. (And ofc he spends almost all the latitude he grants himself on sqq.)

And even less is he a guy who opens up easily.

He isn't too proud to ask for help or pity, so much as he just doesn't expect to get any.

So in this interpretation, he understood that rule as a non-negotiable barrier in his path, the target to overcome, and focused all his considerable will and talent on overcoming it through the sphere of action he felt he had control over.

And fucked himself up bad.

Whereupon his teacher, possessing absolutely no context for this dumb shit their star pupil pulled, did the only thing they thought might work to save his life, paying in the process no attention to the raving of someone deep in a psychotic break.

Like, I feel like there should have been a better, kinder medical option, but I don't know for sure that there was, so I can't say with certainty this was the kind of cruelty that derives from not caring enough.

And it really would be kind of elegant and so typical of Yue Qingyuan's fundamental tragedy if the real mistake was 'not confiding in anybody' the whole time.

And he was just so deeply sunk into the understanding that explaining and asking were useless that, even looking back, it never really occurred to him that maybe his mistake wasn't 'fucking it up when trying too hard to solve everything on his own' but 'assuming there was no help to be had, and that he had to do it all on his own.'

Like. What if this really could all have been avoided if he'd just trusted and communicated with the adult in charge of him? But of course, of course his history of trauma (neglect, child abuse, exploitation, being the One Responsible for the younger kids whom he could not keep safe) meant he was absolutely not going to do that.

It was basically impossible. For the person he was, the person the world had made of him. And that's always been the core tragedy the whole novel circles back upon.

People can only ever be themselves, and so very often the elements of self that let them survive until now are that which dooms them, that means they need someone else to intervene if they're ever going to be saved. Because your personal doom is always the thing from which you can't save yourself.

[bladekindeyewear]

Hello, what do you think of optimisticDuelist's Role-playing theory? Basically, he suggested that instead of inverting, Rose was role-playing a misinterpretation of her mother's classpect. He also suggests Terezi was role-playing Redglare's Knight class while investigating Murderstuck, and that Vriska and Aranea were role-playing each other's classes. I recommend watching "HSE: Guardians and Ancestors" for more about his theory. :D

Since I'm trying to get back in the swing of things (might still take me a few weeks), I might as well remind y'all of my earlier position:

I haven't read or watched optimisticDuelist's theories yet, and I probably ought to before I make any serious judgments on the matter. Plus, I'm not caught up with HS^2's recent new updates, and I was under the impression that oD had some input into HS^2 as a whole-- I'm not sure if Andrew gave the writers and collaborators on that project the latitude to make some changes from the system that was intended by Andrew in the original comic's run, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had, so for all we know some of those theories may retroactively fit the original comic even if they weren't initially intended! Or introduced as just a NEW thing that can happen! That's one sort of thing that I was originally so devoted to the comic's "original intent" that I wouldn't have accepted easily, but I'm coming to accept as a possibility a bit easier now, with how much Andrew has pushed Death of the Author and how much the ending of the comic showed that many of the things I judged were "important" in-comic weren't important to him at all.

However, if we're looking as far back as Act 5 Act 2, I believe there's a serious fundamental difference in scope and scale between trolls like Vriska and Terezi poorly cosplaying the trappings and aesthetics of ancestors whose classpects we didn't know at the time -- ancestors who were in fact constantly teased with words like Thief (Mindfang), Seer (Redglare), and Witch (Condesce) to match their younger descendants' classes even though Andrew likely intended for them to have had different classes all along -- and the severe, extreme, and powerful event that seems to be full-on hero role inversion.

Reading some Homestuck liveblogs lately, I was reminded of the strong and intentional connections that all of Homestuck has with Carl Jung's psychological theories and the concept of the "Shadow" self. And I'm not just talking about a superficial resemblance between the Shadow and role inversion, or the "assimilation of the shadow" and the uniting of one's Real Self and Dream Self to ascend to God Tier. No-- I mean that Jung's theories, even if somewhat discredited, are referenced by the complex stew of mythologies that make up Sburb and define how the game is played, just like all the pop and serious references to works like Lord Of The Rings that made it into the game's objectives. If you skim that wikipedia page you'll very quickly see what I mean:

Nevertheless, Jung remained of the opinion that while "no one should deny the danger of the descent [...] every descent is followed by an ascent",[54] and assimilation of—rather than possession by—the shadow becomes a possibility.

"We begin to travel [up] through the healing spirals...straight up."[53]: 160–1

There's a good reason that Rose was given an interest in psychotherapy leading into the comic. It's tightly tied to the whole story's themes! Trying to show players the potential they have as individuals, the power inherent in their very personalities, and setting them a stage to confront themselves and grow into someone who would shape the future and accept their own self-worth, is the entire point of the game and the answer to the Ultimate Riddle. Every major character had to go through the arduous process of confronting their flaws and talents and trying to accept who they were. The game IS the psychotheraputic journey from start to finish, complete with the same monumental challenges, pitfalls, rejection and acceptance (of help and of oneself!) that all sorts of different people must confront in order to simultaneously fully appreciate and become themselves, and also become the people they truly want to be. Because despite what self-loathing and toxic gender norms and all sorts of naysayers would have us believe, those two things are closer to the same thing than most can easily imagine. The journey to discover, accept, unite with and leverage the power of being you.

And when you tie Jungian Psychology to MBTI personality types, you can practically flip the letters into an opposed Shadow too, in a less literal but startlingly similar way to the class-and-aspect-flip Inversion Theory that we proposed. (DAMMIT i still need to rewrite the Aradia post to be less pretentious, that's been on my to-do list for years but I've never been up to it...)

Again, I still need to read/watch optimisticDuelist's theories (I've had a hard time emotionally looking deep into anything Homestuck for a good while now, and even though you're referencing some pretty old theories i was NEVER very good at keeping up with others' theories besides what was specifically brought to my attention, it was a serious problem), but from what I recall in-comic every time I saw someone mimic or cosplay an ancestor they were mostly... just cosplaying! Nothing is stopping a Seer from picking up a sword and trying to do some knight stuff. TRYING. The only issue is that they won't be very good at it, because they're not actually learning about themselves and leveraging the strengths of their own personality and power set. I have no idea how to use a gun or weapons; if I were to pick one up and try to suddenly join a battle, I would have no idea what I'm doing and would be more likely to get myself or others hurt rather than do anyone any actual good. And even when someone like Terezi picked up a (cane-)sword in the comic, she still mostly used it as a Seer would, as the threat to punctuate or act on explicitly foreseen possibilities. When she ran Vriska through, she was acting on a VISION borne of the realities that hinged on others' decisions and fronts, that revealed themselves through her understanding the Mind aspect. It was no martial superpower, no mental trick-- all Terezi had was the superpower of understanding how badly Vriska's move to fight Jack would play out, with the necessary certainty she needed in order to confidently stab Vriska.

(Brief edit: as an aside, many classes of Heart player might be more positioned to take on and leverage the skills and uniqueness of others. Roleplaying others was one of NEPETA'S strengths.)

Rose's inversion was very, very, VERY different.

The word "witch" was EVERYWHERE around Rose, almost moreso than the Void symbolism. "Witch" was plastered all over Act 5 Act 2 in both the text and visual representations. Other players like Eridan CALLED her a witch REPEATEDLY. We saw a Witch of Time using dual needles and magic. Andrew couldn't have shouted the word any louder. It came with IMMENSE power, the sort of power level we've deduced (and Doc and Rose hinted) comes from someone's Hero Title because it's more powerful than any other mundane, magical, or psychic power source, fitting to the Ultimate Riddle-- when someone pulls out their Hero Powers against any non-hero power source besides sometimes the Green Sun, the one using Hero Powers always wins. It isn't even a contest.

When Rose went grimdark, she looked like a Witch. She didn't look like her mother. And she didn't act like her mother either! Especially when we got Roxy Lalonde in Act 6, it was clear that Rose's Grimdark actions and modus-operandi were absolutely nothing like those of her ecto-sister, even with all the commonalities they shared as people. Whatever inspiration Rose received from her mother's behavior and aesthetics, all it seems she took from it in her Grimdark descent was the Void, and little else.

If you were to try and convince me that what Rose did in Act 5 Act 2 was meant by the author to convey to us the actions of someone behaving as a Rogue of Void and not a Witch of Void, you wouldn't just need to show me evidence of Roguish activity. You'd need to show me ENOUGH evidence that Andrew meant to hide Rogue behavior beneath an intentional Witch whitewash (like that prior tease with the Troll Ancestors being coyly made to sound like they matched their descendants that I described earlier), and that all the Witch symbology and actions were actually a bullshit red herring!!! Few readers thought there was any serious impact of her Grimdark phase to her Class until we stumbled upon Inversion Theory as an extension of Aspect Duality, and a red herring is pretty pointless if it doesn't convince anyone.

Saying that NONE of those witch hints mattered? THAT'S A REALLY TALL ORDER. "Witch of Void" is just way, way too strongly evidenced in my eyes, and almost half of our derivative understanding of classes and aspects is based on Seer <--> Witch duality! It'll be weeks before I have my mental health together enough to watch optimisticDuelist's theories, but like, Seer <--> Witch is the most confident I still am in any theory besides the Ultimate Riddle and Aspect Duality. It'd take quite a lot to make me believe otherwise, so expecting optimisticDuelist's videos to change my mind on this matter would be... er. A little optimistic.

And because of how dependent so many of my theories were on what we learned about aspect duality FROM role inversion, if Seer <--> Witch didn't happen, then you might as well throw out almost everything I've ever said on classpects with the bathwater and start over. Rightly call me biased, but I do really hope I don't have to do that!

(edit 1pm cdt: added a bit more to the second-to-last paragraph before the cut to hammer home that "Shadow (Psychology)" wikipedia article, seriously so many of the characters' journeys in the comic follow it like a playbook. edit 1:15pm cdt: fixed wandering read-more)

[justafairytailofinnocence]

Hector Barbossa x Lora (oc)🧭🍏🌊

and

Hector Barbossa x fem navigator reader

Synopsis: A simple dance that unites a navigator and captain.

Warnings: none

A/n: Hello, I've made a one-shot on behalf of a gift to a couple of artists I've commissioned. Hope you enjoy it, and please check out the respected artists for they are extremely talented.

A/n: Down below, I've attached an x-reader version if you're interested in that instead :).

Let me know if you would like a part 2 🙌

Enjoy💖

@stephpotterart

@kitxel-draws

----

Twas a silent night aboard the Black Pearl; the gentle current rocked the sailing galleon. A young woman stood on the open deck at the taffrail, staring at the heavens above her. Her blue eyes were captivated by the brightest star of the east ‘Sirius’. She couldn’t pinpoint why or how it fascinated her; she was undoubtedly no astronomer like Carina, but something about it pulled her in. The charts displayed the constellations, but observing them with the naked eye was undoubtedly more captivating. The woman stood motionless, her senses attuned to the wind’s gentle caress as it brushed against her bare shoulders, causing her golden locks to sway and dance in the breeze. In her grip, she clutched a piece of parched paper tightly, its surface etched with cryptic writings that detailed the exact coordinates leading to an uncharted island renowned for its fabled treasure trove, discovered by the notorious Anne Bonny. Despite the potential danger, she had spent countless hours gathering similar documents and ship logs from explorers, sailors, and even pirates, all in pursuit of something greater. Nothing could deter her from this quest, and she was willing to risk everything to uncover the secrets of the unknown. As she set sail, her thoughts consumed by the prospect of adventure, she carefully unfurled the yellow parchment, revealing a hand-drawn map with a bright star marking the location of her destination. The woman's grip on the parchment tightened as the wind picked up, threatening to snatch the delicate document from her hands. She remained steadfast and determined to hold the valuable prize despite the wind. Her eyes scanned the paper, memorizing the precise navigational longitude and latitude leading her to her destination. She clung to the parchment with unwavering focus, unwilling to let it slip away from her grasp.

Standing proudly at the ship’s helm was the captain, resplendent in his vibrant blue frock coat and black bicorne, adorned with intricate gold embellishments. Leaning his weight on a sturdy wooden crutch, he expertly wielded a silver-coated spyglass, his keen gaze fixed on the endless expanse of stars that gave him crucial guidance to his intended destination. Two other men, rugged and weathered, stood nearby, sporting rough coats and thick beards, their tricorne hats perched jauntily on their heads. “Orders, sir? we’ve got Jack tied to the mast.” With a respectful gesture, Murtogg raised his hand to his forehead in a salute and inquired politely, “May I ask a question captain, whadda we do with the other two” In a gesture of solidarity, Mullroy followed suit replicating the same action. Following a period of stargazing through his trusty telescope, the captain turned his gaze to the steadfast sentinels standing at his side. “Leave Jack an’ tha ot’er lad, Carina be tha one we need; she holds tha map ta tha trident”, he gave out his command. “As for the girl, sir? Shall we tie her along with Sparrow” Murtogg asked. The captain turned his head, looking perplexed at the young woman; he couldn't reasonably determine what had seized her interest. But as soon as he caught sight of the parchment in her hand, he understood, she was utilizing the constellations. The woman's fascination with the star Sirius was undeniable, but her callow experience in sailing was an obstacle. Despite her ardent love for the sea, she knew encountering a strict and uncompromising captain could result in severe punishment. The thought of being subjected to the brutal cat-o-nine tails or even keelhauling made her shudder. Nonetheless, her unwavering passion for the stars and the sea drove her forward, and she remained determined to pursue her dreams, no matter the challenges ahead.

“Sir?” Murtogg said once more.

“Nay, she ain’t o’ any use ta us fer now, we’ll maroon er’ once we obtain what we came ere’ fer”, The captain’s coarse voice confirmed.

“A-aye then, captain” After saluting, Murtogg and Mullroy proceeded to guard Jack and Henry. The captain firmly grasped the helm's handles; curiously, he glanced back at the young woman holding the parchment. Perhaps he should’ve tied her up with the others; allowing one leverage isn’t something he usually does. What is she doing? What was she thinking? What in the blazes is she wanting? 

His eyes fixated on the girl. Treasure? The sea? Freedom? Going on account?

What does she want? He was deep in thought. Further and further, his mind strayed from his position. Her inquisitive mind is—"Oh belay this, tis be addle, why on ear’t should I be—" He posed questions about her curious mind. Once he returned to reality, the young woman’s parchment slipped through her fingers. On instinct, he hobbled down the ladder and tried to catch the parchment, only for it to be caught under his wooden peg leg. He bent over and picked it up; his rough, chapped, calloused hand kept the piece in his grip. He precisely examined the intricately drawn map, tracing his finger over each coordinate until his finger landed upon the dazzling drawn star. The celestial bodies on the map and in the vast expanse of the sky were in immaculate alignment, forming a mesmerizing spectacle. The star in the sky shone brightly, and its beauty entranced him. “Excuse me, sir; you have something of mine in your possession.” He stood there, lost in thought, he suddenly became aware of a soothing, dulcet-toned voice from behind him. The voice was elegant, as if it belonged to a refined and cultured lady.

As the captain turned around, his gaze fell upon a striking young lady with luscious golden tresses fashioned in a pouffe with a single coil gracefully cascading down her shoulder. Her complexion was as fair as porcelain, and her countenance radiated with youthful vitality. She was adorned in a light whitish gold sack-back gown, perfectly complementing her complexion. Tiny freckles were scattered lightly across her nose and cheeks, enhancing her angelic features. Her lips were full and luscious, painted in a rosy, pink hue.

“Tis my map, sir; it slipped from my fingers whilst I was trying to read the coordinates”, The young woman explained.

Hector held the map in his grasp, not precisely giving it back right away, intending to ask: "What is yer purpose fer possessing it? Are ya anticipatin’ discoverin’ a coffer o’ medallions, gold, jewels, or silver?".

Instead, he couldn’t open his yap; no words came out. He felt like an utter addle blaggard. “I anticipate sailing on the high seas; I’ve no desire for treasure nor the thrill of anticipating in such greed”, The young woman spoke.

“Then why possess a map if ye don’t intend ta track what’s marked” He seemed puzzled, with a questioning tone and expression. He held the map in one hand while leaning on his wooden crutch.

“Perhaps, rather silly of me to say, you’d expect some nautical naval admirer to want something with a map. Well, What I desire can’t be easily explained, so to answer it as easily as possible” She expressed her ambition and optimism in her speech. “I wish to know more about the sea rather than the final destination, tis rather hard for me to say; I suppose one could compare me to an explorer anticipating some exhibition”.

“An ye have naught the slightest worry, of o’, so to say—pirates, scoundrels, buccaneers” He grinned with a dry, entertaining demeanour.  

“Why should I? Tis not hard to reason with them; I would propose an agreement that satisfies both parties to a reasonable extent, ensuring a fair and amicable resolution.” She smiled in confidence.

“And what tif the other party decides ta disagree,” He asked.

“From my perspective, it seems like a fair agreement. They retain possession of the treasure while I explore an uncharted island that shall be in my name. In my opinion, it's an equitable arrangement.” The young woman seemed rather artless in knowing what pirates were like, no matter how many exchanges and fair deals she made. She would only end up marooned on some island whilst they steal her ship.

“If we start baring away 2 points on the port bow, we can head into the ongoing direction of where we need to be—well—where I aim to be. Evading any potential danger and obtaining the landmark of an unknown island” The young woman smiled affirmingly in her written directions.

“I’d watch yer ambition, missy; too much of it can getcha killed”, Hector warned her.

“Ambition or an opportunity, captain, an opportunity to find such a marvel, an opportunity to seek adventure and free one from the confines of society” The young woman grinned.

“Ye speak smartly within yer knowledge of cartography, but alas, ye lack the experience, to be out at sea, ye need to handle more than just yer “studies” He was surprised by the young lady's determination to dock at an unfamiliar island despite having no prior sailing experience.

“My knowledge of the sea is quite va—”

“Vast if ye’ve ever been in command of a ship, lassie”.

She stayed silent. Every word that came out of her mouth, he contradicted. It was like communing with a brick wall, deflecting all her ideas. She could’ve argued more and more, but that would’ve been a waste. She did have the knowledge! It shouldn’t have mattered what the old salt thought! She should just set out at sea on her father’s ship. Her father was a merchant who sailed across the vast port’s docking cargo for businessmen or nobles that wished for certain silks, foods, or goods.

“Although I am not the captain nor a sailor, I will keep clutching my goals under the watchful gaze of my father from the heavens.” She reasoned.

He laughed with wry amusement. “Aye then, who be yer father missy, was he a miserable cod that dreamed too”.

“No, he was a brilliant sailor, one that travelled to many continents”, she continued. “My father was William Rosaline—”

Hector's expression shifted from amusement to confusion, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he posed a question. “Wait! You! What’s yer first name!”.

“My first name is…Lora, sir,” she answered with a quizzical soft tone.

The captain stood upright on his wooden crutch, feeling somewhat baffled by the sudden reunion. If she recognizes him, everything will come crashing down. He didn’t speak; holding his tongue, he felt like an utter fool. He couldn’t recognize her, and for how long? For what reason couldn’t he interpret her face? Was it so complicated that his mind had to hide it deep within his distant recollections? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

“Captain?” Lora asked.

“Lor’rer” That! That was all he could muster up after not seeing this young thing for so long!

The captain quickly glanced over where Sparrow was tied at the mizzen mast. He only managed to open his mouth slightly before quickly hobbling away without uttering another addle word out of his yap. He ended up at the helm, and from behind him was the mizzen mast where Jack was tied.  “Running away, are you? Think you can outrun the world~” Jack smirked, a line that reflected what Hector had once said. “Something tells me ol Hector is flabbergasted by something; hmmm; shall I take a gander and say it’s a lass? I’m envisioning a past flame you’ve had, one involving a hideous wench” he smiled amusingly.

The captain angrily confronted Jack, brandishing his sword of triton dangerously close to Jack's gullet. “One more word an’ Yer one step away from hangin at hempen holter”.

“Hmmm, at least I’m a captain going down with his ship from which you stole, remember.” Jack continued. “And might I say, you’re still terrible at it; you don’t even grip the helm right; she prefers handsome rouges, not men with scraggly beards—”.

The captain approached Jack with a stern glare. “All right, all right, I’ll hold my tongue—only, that fine woman over there strikes me as something familiar; her face; those eyes, ohhhh~ how smitten you were back then”.

“You couldn’t even say her name, right? Something along the lines of luau, lunch, luff, leach, leaf, long—” Jack teased.

Hector was getting infuriated.

“No, wasn’t long John silver, was it; ah! That’s right, Lora” While his hands were still bound to the mast, Jack gestured with his finger. “Except you say her name weirdly and strangely”.

“I’m starting to envision this golden artless naïve creature that would go on and on about ravishing adventures and a ship of her fathers” Jack’s face coiled, trying to remember the young woman. “By god, she was so young, a smart lass she was, always talking about cartography and sailing—I’ll admit I zoned out at some of it”.

"I must confess, twas a terrible idea of mine to use her in a bet to win a keg of rum against Master Gibbs," Jack admitted.

Jack was met with a confused expression from Hector. Jack gestured with his hands. “Was in the past; she probably won’t remember a thing”.

“We’ll keep it that way cause she ain’t even recognised me yet”, Hector spoke with a coarse voice.

Hector pulled out a flask from his pocket and leaned against the mast next to Jack; he popped off the lid and drank the rum. He then handed Jack the flask offering some, which he gladly took with his mouth. After Jack had “handed” the rum back to Hector, he asked, “So, if she remembers, do you think she’ll want to run or scream when she sees you now?”.

“I mean, you haven’t even told Smyth who you are—” A rag was placed into Jack’s mouth by Hector’s white-faced capuchin. “Thank ye, Jack,” he thanked the capuchin. Sparrow furrowed his brows and rambled through the rag while Hector tended back to the helm. In some way, Jack had a point; how would she react to seeing him now—probably an old blaggard who aged like a swine in her eyes— He wasn’t precisely the same sailor she once knew. Perhaps twas a better idea to keep his identity a secret for now—or—until she recognises him. The capuchin sat on his master’s shoulders, examining his expression. For once, his mind was clouded in thought. He couldn’t stand idly by until the cows came home; he had to do something, anything, if it meant at least a gaze of recognition. The only thing was, he was hesitant for reasons that should’ve been considered fear. However, fear wasn’t precisely the case. Deeply inhaling, he started moving—hobbling—over toward where she was.

However, he stopped only a few inches from where she stood. This was bloody ridiculous! He thought. He’s been through death, faced monsters the size of gods, and fought battles that would’ve ended him, yet…why is it so hard to speak to a lass he could easily invoke fear through.

He took a step forward using his peg leg facing outward. And yet his gaze was met just as his peg leg landed on the wooden floorboard. The captain immediately composed an expression of authority and imperiality. Lora biddably faced him while clutching the parchment in her hand. Hector awaited the doe-eyed woman’s inane response. “Ay—”

“I should’ve thanked you earlier for guiding me”, her voice softened. “i-in the right course of direction”.

Lora placed the parchment in his rough, callous hands, gently curling his fingers with one hand on top of his. “Take it, tis more useful to a captain than a doting lady.”

Hector furrowed his eyebrows in a bewildered manner. “Is this what-che want, fer me ta haul in yer accordin’s”.

Lora's lips curved into a smile, conveying a sense of comfort and reassurance. “I want you to be the one who shall set sail and command this voyage to the rightful destination.”

The captain expressed a striking visage of emotion that showed a genuine side to him naught anyone had witnessed. A gentle smile had formed on his rough, chapped lips. “Yer treasure lo’rer’.”

As she gazed into his eyes, filled with earnestness, her blue eyes, like those of a doe, reflected his admiration. Her lips, slightly parted, were a silent testament to his flattery's impact on her. Hector lifted his thumb to her chin, feeling the plumpness of her skin. Oh, how he had yearned to touch her, feel her under his watchful gaze. His heart was filled with a deep longing to reach out and connect with her on a profound level. He yearned to bask in the warmth of her presence while keeping a vigilant watchful eye over her, protecting her from any harm. The desire to be with her. He delicately traced the curve of her upper lip with his thumb, following the line down to the plumpness of her lower lip, where he stopped with his nail. His hand trailed down along her shoulder and arm, only to reach her palm, lightly grasping it. He held her hand and gently pulled it into the air while his other arm wrapped around her back. Lora carefully followed his lead and mimicked his graceful movements as he began to move in a waltz step. When was the last time he had waltzed like this? It must’ve been a century ago. From a distant memory, he recalled a moment in a grand setting with a regal woman. Her striking raven tresses cascaded down her back, framing her beautiful face that was accentuated by her deep brown eyes. His image of her elegance remained vivid.

Lora accounted for how fluent his moves were as if he were gliding on ice. He was surprisingly good despite having a peg leg; one after the other, with a tap and stomp, the peg leg moved forward as the other leg soothingly assisted with turning. For Lora, it was relatively easy to follow; her heels moved back as the captain stepped forward in rhythm. If they had attended a masquerade or gala, they would’ve gripped the audience’s attention, with the pair being the most incongruous and grossing couple. Hector stopped abruptly with his peg leg and began to spin slowly, holding the parchment between their hands as they twirled around. The radiant celestial Sirius, situated above their heads, mirrored their existence with a resplendent and luminous reflection. As Lora moved closer to him, her lips parted slightly, revealing her rosy hue. She was just inches away from his chapped lips, creating a moment of anticipation and tension. Her gaze soon turned quizzical as she recalled, ' His face resembles someone familiar, someone I once knew”.

“Barboss—"

“CAPTAIN, THE SILENT MARY HAS BEEN SPOTTED OFF THE PORT BOW, SIR!” The lookout shouted from the crow's nest, holding a wooden brazen spyglass. Hector smartly came to a halt, dropping Lora’s hands, accidentally letting go of the parchment. He turned to the sailor who bellowed out the sighting. In a sudden rush, he hastened away, his gait impeded by a hobbling motion as he made his way towards the helm with a firm determination to take a brace of action. He started to bellow orders while the crew manned their stations. “MAN, YER STATIONS YE FILTHY ROACHES, ALL HANDS HOY, PREPARE TA TACK N’ START BARING AWAY 5 POINTS ABAFT STARBOARD BEAM, PREPARE THA CANONS”.  The captain started to turn the wheel vigorously, trying to change course and direction to lose sight of their pursuers who were oncoming from the port bow.

Lora witnessed the parchment being carried away by the wind and eventually landing in the water. The ink began to bleed and dissolve in the saltwater, causing the writing and drawings to become illegible scribbles. Her eyes could read a line pointing toward the star; suddenly, she turned, looking up at Sirius. A realization crossed her mind as she hatched a plan. Smartly heading up from the open deck to the quarter deck to where the helm was, over on the horizon, she could spot a Spanish three-masted royal naval galleon that was rickety and rotten. Her eyes widened at the impossible ship with deteriorated fore, aft and main sails. She lifted her skirtings and held them at her waist as she hurried, taking care not to trip over her heels. Her coiled locks bounced as she climbed the ladder when she made it before the helms deck. “Bare away from the starboard beam, captain, we can lose them faster, and the canon fire will have a guaranteed hit!” Lora raised her voice to the captain to allow him to hear.

Hector was skeptical. did she even have any plan to evade Salazar's ship, or was she improvising to head toward their death?

“Nay, belay that!” he shouted.

“I assure you, once we head in that direction, we can then tack and head broad on the port bow, eventually going on dead ahead heading into the direction of Sirius,” Lora told him of her plan.

However, Hector debated, his eyebrows furrowing together when she mentioned ‘Sirius’. He turned to the brightest star of the east, realizing what Lora was trying to talk about. “I hope yer not countin Fiddler's Green as part o’ tha plan, missy.” he complied and turned the wheel toward the direction she was speaking of.

Lora turned to face the bow and saw Black Pearl's bowsprit turn in motion. Lora's coiled lock and hair strands billowed in the wind as the Black Pearl changed direction. The Black Pearl was heading West-South along the current while The Silent Mary came from the North-East. The two ships were heading in an ongoing pursuit; The Silent Mary was gaining speed. Upon the Silent Mary’s Fore castle, the captain laughed with a mirthless wheeze. “Prepare to meet your damnation Jack Sparroh” Salazar’s grin oozed with black liquid.

The Black Pearl had picked up speed further, traversing across the sea. When The Silent Mary had just reached a certain distance behind the Black Pearl. Lora shouted, “Tack Now!”.

As the ship continued its course, the sailors smartly adjusted the various riggings to shift the gaff, foresail, jib, top, and main sails in response to the subtle shifts in the direction of the wind. Their skilled hands deftly worked the ropes and pulleys, ensuring the ship was travelling at peak performance, enabling them to navigate safely through the treacherous waters. As the Black Pearl turned, leading the Silent Mary off their track.

Hector was filled with a sense of incredulity as he witnessed the success of their plan. Against all odds, they had bought themselves a precious amount of time, allowing them to load their cannons with a newfound sense of urgency and efficiency. Although things looked swell, the Silent Mary hadn’t lost chase yet.

Lora knew she had to come up with a new plan soon. As she gazed at the horizon, she prayed for a glimpse of hope. A chance to avoid being swallowed by the ghosts of death.

------

X reader version

Twas a silent night aboard the Black Pearl; the gentle current rocked the sailing galleon. A young woman stood on the open deck at the taffrail, staring at the heavens above her. Her eyes were captivated by the brightest star of the east ‘Sirius’. She couldn’t pinpoint why or how it fascinated her; she was undoubtedly no astronomer like Carina, but something about it pulled her in. The charts displayed the constellations, but observing them with the naked eye was undoubtedly more captivating. The woman stood motionless, her senses attuned to the wind’s gentle caress as it brushed against her bare shoulders, causing her locks to sway and dance in the breeze. In her grip, she clutched a piece of parched paper tightly, its surface etched with cryptic writings that detailed the exact coordinates leading to an uncharted island renowned for its fabled treasure trove, discovered by the notorious Anne Bonny. Despite the potential danger, she had spent countless hours gathering similar documents and ship logs from explorers, sailors, and even pirates, all in pursuit of something greater. Nothing could deter her from this quest, and she was willing to risk everything to uncover the secrets of the unknown. As she set sail, her thoughts consumed by the prospect of adventure, she carefully unfurled the yellow parchment, revealing a hand-drawn map with a bright star marking the location of her destination. The woman's grip on the parchment tightened as the wind picked up, threatening to snatch the delicate document from her hands. She remained steadfast and determined to hold the valuable prize despite the wind. Her eyes scanned the paper, memorizing the precise navigational longitude and latitude leading her to her destination. She clung to the parchment with unwavering focus, unwilling to let it slip away from her grasp.

Standing proudly at the ship’s helm was the captain, resplendent in his vibrant blue frock coat and black bicorne, adorned with intricate gold embellishments. Leaning his weight on a sturdy wooden crutch, he expertly wielded a silver-coated spyglass, his keen gaze fixed on the endless expanse of stars that gave him crucial guidance to his intended destination. Two other men, rugged and weathered, stood nearby, sporting rough coats and thick beards, their tricorne hats perched jauntily on their heads. “Orders, sir? we’ve got Jack tied to the mast.” With a respectful gesture, Murtogg raised his hand to his forehead in a salute and inquired politely, “May I ask a question captain, whadda we do with the other two” In a gesture of solidarity, Mullroy followed suit replicating the same action. Following a period of stargazing through his trusty telescope, the captain turned his gaze to the steadfast sentinels standing at his side. “Leave Jack an’ tha ot’er lad, Carina be tha one we need; she holds tha map ta tha trident”, he gave out his command. “As for the girl, sir? Shall we tie her along with Sparrow” Murtogg asked. The captain turned his head, looking perplexed at the young woman; he couldn't reasonably determine what had seized her interest. But as soon as he caught sight of the parchment in her hand, he understood, she was utilizing the constellations. The woman's fascination with the star Sirius was undeniable, but her callow experience in sailing was an obstacle. Despite her ardent love for the sea, she knew encountering a strict and uncompromising captain could result in severe punishment. The thought of being subjected to the brutal cat-o-nine tails or even keelhauling made her shudder. Nonetheless, her unwavering passion for the stars and the sea drove her forward, and she remained determined to pursue her dreams, no matter the challenges ahead.

“Sir?” Murtogg said once more.

“Nay, she ain’t o’ any use ta us fer now, we’ll maroon er’ once we obtain what we came ere’ fer”, The captain’s coarse voice confirmed.

“A-aye then, captain” After saluting, Murtogg and Mullroy proceeded to guard Jack and Henry. The captain firmly grasped the helm's handles; curiously, he glanced back at the young woman holding the parchment. Perhaps he should’ve tied her up with the others; allowing one leverage isn’t something he usually does. What is she doing? What was she thinking? What in the blazes is she wanting? 

His eyes fixated on the girl. Treasure? The sea? Freedom? Going on account?

What does she want? He was deep in thought. Further and further, his mind strayed from his position. Her inquisitive mind is—"Oh belay this, tis be addle, why on ear’t should I be—" He posed questions about her curious mind. Once he returned to reality, the young woman’s parchment slipped through her fingers. On instinct, he hobbled down the ladder and tried to catch the parchment, only for it to be caught under his wooden peg leg. He bent over and picked it up; his rough, chapped, calloused hand kept the piece in his grip. He precisely examined the intricately drawn map, tracing his finger over each coordinate until his finger landed upon the dazzling drawn star. The celestial bodies on the map and in the vast expanse of the sky were in immaculate alignment, forming a mesmerizing spectacle. The star in the sky shone brightly, and its beauty entranced him. “Excuse me, sir; you have something of mine in your possession.” He stood there, lost in thought, he suddenly became aware of a soothing, dulcet-toned voice from behind him. The voice was elegant, as if it belonged to a refined and cultured lady.

As the captain turned around, his gaze fell upon a striking young lady with luscious tresses fashioned in a pouffe with a single coil gracefully cascading down her shoulder and her countenance radiated with youthful vitality. She was adorned in a light whitish gold sack-back gown, perfectly complementing her complexion. Her lips were full and luscious.

“Tis my map, sir; it slipped from my fingers whilst I was trying to read the coordinates”, The young woman explained.

Hector held the map in his grasp, not precisely giving it back right away, intending to ask: "What is yer purpose fer possessing it? Are ya anticipatin’ discoverin’ a coffer o’ medallions, gold, jewels, or silver?".

Instead, he couldn’t open his yap; no words came out. He felt like an utter addle blaggard. “I anticipate sailing on the high seas; I’ve no desire for treasure nor the thrill of anticipating in such greed”, The young woman spoke.

“Then why possess a map if ye don’t intend ta track what’s marked” He seemed puzzled, with a questioning tone and expression. He held the map in one hand while leaning on his wooden crutch.

“Perhaps, rather silly of me to say, you’d expect some nautical naval admirer to want something with a map. Well, What I desire can’t be easily explained, so to answer it as easily as possible” She expressed her ambition and optimism in her speech. “I wish to know more about the sea rather than the final destination, tis rather hard for me to say; I suppose one could compare me to an explorer anticipating some exhibition”.

“An ye have naught the slightest worry, of o’, so to say—pirates, scoundrels, buccaneers” He grinned with a dry, entertaining demeanour.  

“Why should I? Tis not hard to reason with them; I would propose an agreement that satisfies both parties to a reasonable extent, ensuring a fair and amicable resolution.” She smiled in confidence.

“And what tif the other party decides ta disagree,” He asked.

“From my perspective, it seems like a fair agreement. They retain possession of the treasure while I explore an uncharted island that shall be in my name. In my opinion, it's an equitable arrangement.” The young woman seemed rather artless in knowing what pirates were like, no matter how many exchanges and fair deals she made. She would only end up marooned on some island whilst they steal her ship.

“If we start baring away 2 points on the port bow, we can head into the ongoing direction of where we need to be—well—where I aim to be. Evading any potential danger and obtaining the landmark of an unknown island” The young woman smiled affirmingly in her written directions.

“I’d watch yer ambition, missy; too much of it can getcha killed”, Hector warned her.

“Ambition or an opportunity, captain, an opportunity to find such a marvel, an opportunity to seek adventure and free one from the confines of society” The young woman grinned.

“Ye speak smartly within yer knowledge of cartography, but alas, ye lack the experience, to be out at sea, ye need to handle more than just yer “studies” He was surprised by the young lady's determination to dock at an unfamiliar island despite having no prior sailing experience.

“My knowledge of the sea is quite va—”

“Vast if ye’ve ever been in command of a ship, lassie”.

She stayed silent. Every word that came out of her mouth, he contradicted. It was like communing with a brick wall, deflecting all her ideas. She could’ve argued more and more, but that would’ve been a waste. She did have the knowledge! It shouldn’t have mattered what the old salt thought! She should just set out at sea on her father’s ship. Her father was a merchant who sailed across the vast port’s docking cargo for businessmen or nobles that wished for certain silks, foods, or goods.

“Although I am not the captain nor a sailor, I will keep clutching my goals under the watchful gaze of my father from the heavens.” She reasoned.

He laughed with wry amusement. “Aye then, who be yer father missy, was he a miserable cod that dreamed too”.

“No, he was a brilliant sailor, one that travelled to many continents”, she continued. “My father was Y/F L/N—”

Hector's expression shifted from amusement to confusion, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he posed a question. “Wait! You! What’s yer first name!”.

“My first name is…Y/n, sir,” she answered with a quizzical soft tone.

The captain stood upright on his wooden crutch, feeling somewhat baffled by the sudden reunion. If she recognizes him, everything will come crashing down. He didn’t speak; holding his tongue, he felt like an utter fool. He couldn’t recognize her, and for how long? For what reason couldn’t he interpret her face? Was it so complicated that his mind had to hide it deep within his distant recollections? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!

“Captain?” y/n asked.

“Y/n’rer” That! That was all he could muster up after not seeing this young thing for so long!

The captain quickly glanced over where Sparrow was tied at the mizzen mast. He only managed to open his mouth slightly before quickly hobbling away without uttering another addle word out of his yap. He ended up at the helm, and from behind him was the mizzen mast where Jack was tied.  “Running away, are you? Think you can outrun the world~” Jack smirked, a line that reflected what Hector had once said. “Something tells me ol Hector is flabbergasted by something; hmmm; shall I take a gander and say it’s a lass? I’m envisioning a past flame you’ve had, one involving a hideous wench” he smiled amusingly.

The captain angrily confronted Jack, brandishing his sword of triton dangerously close to Jack's gullet. “One more word an’ Yer one step away from hangin at hempen holter”.

“Hmmm, at least I’m a captain going down with his ship from which you stole, remember.” Jack continued. “And might I say, you’re still terrible at it; you don’t even grip the helm right; she prefers handsome rouges, not men with scraggly beards—”.

The captain approached Jack with a stern glare. “All right, all right, I’ll hold my tongue—only, that fine woman over there strikes me as something familiar; her face; those eyes, ohhhh~ how smitten you were back then”.

“You couldn’t even say her name, right? Something along the lines of Luau, lunch, luff, leach, leaf, long—” Jack teased.

Hector was getting infuriated.

“No, wasn’t long John silver, was it; ah! That’s right, y/n” While his hands were still bound to the mast, Jack gestured with his finger. “Except you say her name weirdly and strangely”.

“I’m starting to envision this golden artless naïve creature that would go on and on about ravishing adventures and a ship of her fathers” Jack’s face coiled, trying to remember the young woman. “By god, she was so young, a smart lass she was, always talking about cartography and sailing—I’ll admit I zoned out at some of it”.

"I must confess, twas a terrible idea of mine to use her in a bet to win a keg of rum against Master Gibbs," Jack admitted.

Jack was met with a confused expression from Hector. Jack gestured with his hands. “Was in the past; she probably won’t remember a thing”.

“We’ll keep it that way cause she ain’t even recognised me yet”, Hector spoke with a coarse voice.

Hector pulled out a flask from his pocket and leaned against the mast next to Jack; he popped off the lid and drank the rum. He then handed Jack the flask offering some, which he gladly took with his mouth. After Jack had “handed” the rum back to Hector, he asked, “So, if she remembers, do you think she’ll want to run or scream when she sees you now?”.

“I mean, you haven’t even told Smyth who you are—” A rag was placed into Jack’s mouth by Hector’s white-faced capuchin. “Thank ye, Jack,” he thanked the capuchin. Sparrow furrowed his brows and rambled through the rag while Hector tended back to the helm. In some way, Jack had a point; how would she react to seeing him now—probably an old blaggard who aged like a swine in her eyes— He wasn’t precisely the same sailor she once knew. Perhaps twas a better idea to keep his identity a secret for now—or—until she recognises him. The capuchin sat on his master’s shoulders, examining his expression. For once, his mind was clouded in thought. He couldn’t stand idly by until the cows came home; he had to do something, anything, if it meant at least a gaze of recognition. The only thing was, he was hesitant for reasons that should’ve been considered fear. However, fear wasn’t precisely the case. Deeply inhaling, he started moving—hobbling—over toward where she was.

However, he stopped only a few inches from where she stood. This was bloody ridiculous! He thought. He’s been through death, faced monsters the size of gods, and fought battles that would’ve ended him, yet…why is it so hard to speak to a lass he could easily invoke fear through.

He took a step forward using his peg leg facing outward. And yet his gaze was met just as his peg leg landed on the wooden floorboard. The captain immediately composed an expression of authority and imperiality. Y/n biddably faced him while clutching the parchment in her hand. Hector awaited the doe-eyed woman’s inane response. “Aye—”

“I should’ve thanked you earlier for guiding me”, her voice softened. “i-in the right course of direction”.

Y/n placed the parchment in his rough, callous hands, gently curling his fingers with one hand on top of his. “Take it, tis more useful to a captain than a doting lady.”

Hector furrowed his eyebrows in a bewildered manner. “Is this what-che want, fer me ta haul in yer accordin’s”.

Y/n's lips curved into a smile, conveying a sense of comfort and reassurance. “I want you to be the one who shall set sail and command this voyage to the rightful destination.”

The captain expressed a striking visage of emotion that showed a genuine side to him naught anyone had witnessed. A gentle smile had formed on his rough, chapped lips. “Yer treasure lo’rer’.”

As she gazed into his eyes, filled with earnestness, her eyes reflected his admiration. Her lips, slightly parted, were a silent testament to his flattery's impact on her. Hector lifted his thumb to her chin, feeling the plumpness of her skin. Oh, how he had yearned to touch her, feel her under his watchful gaze. His heart was filled with a deep longing to reach out and connect with her on a profound level. He yearned to bask in the warmth of her presence while keeping a vigilant watchful eye over her, protecting her from any harm. The desire to be with her. He delicately traced the curve of her upper lip with his thumb, following the line down to the plumpness of her lower lip, where he stopped with his nail. His hand trailed down along her shoulder and arm, only to reach her palm, lightly grasping it. He held her hand and gently pulled it into the air while his other arm wrapped around her back. Y/n carefully followed his lead and mimicked his graceful movements as he began to move in a waltz step. When was the last time he had waltzed like this? It must’ve been a century ago. From a distant memory, he recalled a moment in a grand setting with a regal woman. Her striking raven tresses cascaded down her back, framing her beautiful face that was accentuated by her deep brown eyes. His image of her elegance remained vivid.

Y/n accounted for how fluent his moves were as if he were gliding on ice. He was surprisingly good despite having a peg leg; one after the other, with a tap and stomp, the peg leg moved forward as the other leg soothingly assisted with turning. For y/n, it was relatively easy to follow; her heels moved back as the captain stepped forward in rhythm. If they had attended a masquerade or gala, they would’ve gripped the audience’s attention, with the pair being the most incongruous and grossing couple. Hector stopped abruptly with his peg leg and began to spin slowly, holding the parchment between their hands as they twirled around. The radiant celestial Sirius, situated above their heads, mirrored their existence with a resplendent and luminous reflection. As Y/n moved closer to him, her lips parted slightly, revealing her hue. She was just inches away from his chapped lips, creating a moment of anticipation and tension. Her gaze soon turned quizzical as she recalled, ' His face resembles someone familiar, someone I once knew”.

“Barboss—"

“CAPTAIN, THE SILENT MARY HAS BEEN SPOTTED OFF THE PORT BOW, SIR!” The lookout shouted from the crow's nest, holding a wooden brazen spyglass. Hector smartly came to a halt, dropping Y/n’s hands, accidentally letting go of the parchment. He turned to the sailor who bellowed out the sighting. In a sudden rush, he hastened away, his gait impeded by a hobbling motion as he made his way towards the helm with a firm determination to take a brace of action. He started to bellow orders while the crew manned their stations. “MAN, YER STATIONS YE FILTHY ROACHES, ALL HANDS HOY, PREPARE TA TACK N’ START BARING AWAY 5 POINTS ABAFT STARBOARD BEAM, PREPARE THA CANONS”.  The captain started to turn the wheel vigorously, trying to change course and direction to lose sight of their pursuers who were oncoming from the port bow.

Y/n witnessed the parchment being carried away by the wind and eventually landing in the water. The ink began to bleed and dissolve in the saltwater, causing the writing and drawings to become illegible scribbles. Her eyes could read a line pointing toward the star; suddenly, she turned, looking up at Sirius. A realization crossed her mind as she hatched a plan. Smartly heading up from the open deck to the quarter deck to where the helm was, over on the horizon, she could spot a Spanish three-masted royal naval galleon that was rickety and rotten. Her eyes widened at the impossible ship with deteriorated fore, aft and main sails. She lifted her skirtings and held them at her waist as she hurried, taking care not to trip over her heels. Her coiled locks bounced as she climbed the ladder when she made it before the helms deck. “Bare away from the starboard beam, captain, we can lose them faster, and the canon fire will have a guaranteed hit!” Y/n raised her voice to the captain to allow him to hear.

Hector was skeptical. did she even have any plan to evade Salazar's ship, or was she improvising to head toward their death?

“Nay, belay that!” he shouted.

“I assure you, once we head in that direction, we can then tack and head broad on the port bow, eventually going on dead ahead heading into the direction of Sirius,” Y/n told him of her plan.

However, Hector debated, his eyebrows furrowing together when she mentioned ‘Sirius’. He turned to the brightest star of the east, realizing what y/n was trying to talk about. “I hope yer not countin Fiddler's Green as part o’ tha plan, missy.” he complied and turned the wheel toward the direction she was speaking of.

Y/n turned to face the bow and saw Black Pearl's bowsprit turn in motion. Y/n's coiled lock and hair strands billowed in the wind as the Black Pearl changed direction. The Black Pearl was heading West-South along the current while The Silent Mary came from the North-East. The two ships were heading in an ongoing pursuit; The Silent Mary was gaining speed. Upon the Silent Mary’s Fore castle, the captain laughed with a mirthless wheeze. “Prepare to meet your damnation Jack Sparroh” Salazar’s grin oozed with black liquid.

The Black Pearl had picked up speed further, traversing across the sea. When The Silent Mary had just reached a certain distance behind the Black Pearl. Y/n shouted, “Tack Now!”.

As the ship continued its course, the sailors smartly adjusted the various riggings to shift the gaff, foresail, jib, top, and main sails in response to the subtle shifts in the direction of the wind. Their skilled hands deftly worked the ropes and pulleys, ensuring the ship was travelling at peak performance, enabling them to navigate safely through the treacherous waters. As the Black Pearl turned, leading the Silent Mary off their track.

Hector was filled with a sense of incredulity as he witnessed the success of their plan. Against all odds, they had bought themselves a precious amount of time, allowing them to load their cannons with a newfound sense of urgency and efficiency. Although things looked swell, the Silent Mary hadn’t lost chase yet.

Y/n knew she had to come up with a new plan soon. As she gazed at the horizon, she prayed for a glimpse of hope.

A chance to avoid being swallowed by the ghosts of death.

Anyways that's all I have for now:

Ta Ta ✨

[unethicallypleistocene]

🥔 for me? And if you don't have OCs, rec me a fic of yours?

SO I have exactly one (semi-original) story in the works right now- and I'm not sure how long it'll take for me to get it uploaded. I don't think I've fully introduced it on my blog before, so here goes! "Crooked Latitudes" follows the voyage of the whaling vessel The Tantalus and its crew. It's got elements of Tolkien fantasy (because it's me) and was of course inspired by my ardent love for Moby Dick.

I'm assigning you James Coffin (who I don't have a visual reference for yet), the worldly, kindhearted first mate. He's always got a yarn to spin if one asks, and I have it on good authority that he's a talented scrimshander, too.

[rayspookyhistory]

ᡣ𐭩 Queen Elizabeth I: Triumph, Talent, and the Legacy of England's Golden Age ᡣ𐭩

for one of my favourite queens, also ill do all the word highlighting later i just wanna get this posted :3

Queen Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, presided over a period of unprecedented change and development in England. Her reign, from 1558 to 1603, is often considered a golden age—a time when the arts flourished, exploration expanded England’s horizons, and the nation emerged as a significant European power. Despite numerous obstacles, Elizabeth I established herself as one of England’s most successful and admired rulers. Her exceptional intelligence, political savvy, and charismatic leadership enabled her to overcome immense challenges, secure her kingdom, and leave a lasting legacy.

Early Life and Preparation for Power

Elizabeth’s early years were marked by instability and danger. Born on September 7, 1533, to King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, she was initially welcomed as the potential heir to the throne. However, her birth was a disappointment to Henry, who had desperately sought a male heir. When Elizabeth was just two and a half years old, her mother was executed on charges of treason, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate, stripping her of her status as a potential successor. These early adversities shaped her cautious and resilient nature, traits that would prove crucial in her later life.

Despite the political uncertainties surrounding her, Elizabeth received a first-rate education, which was rare for women of her time. Her tutors, including the eminent scholar Roger Ascham, trained her in languages, history, rhetoric, and philosophy. Elizabeth became fluent in Latin, Greek, French, and Italian, and she developed a profound understanding of both classical and contemporary works. This education not only prepared her intellectually for the complexities of rule but also imbued her with a love for the arts and learning that would later characterize her reign.

Elizabeth’s path to the throne was fraught with danger. After her father’s death, her half-brother, Edward VI, ascended to the throne, but his reign was short-lived. Upon Edward’s death in 1553, her older half-sister, Mary I, took the throne. A fervent Catholic, Mary viewed Elizabeth, a Protestant, as a threat. Elizabeth was imprisoned in the Tower of London on suspicion of being involved in a Protestant rebellion, a situation that could have led to her execution. However, through a combination of diplomacy, intelligence, and good fortune, Elizabeth survived. Her experiences during this period instilled in her a deep understanding of the precariousness of power and the importance of caution and discretion.

Ascending the Throne: The Religious Settlement

When Mary I died in 1558, Elizabeth became queen at the age of 25, inheriting a nation deeply divided by religious strife. England had been torn apart by the conflicting demands of Catholicism and Protestantism under previous monarchs, leading to persecution, rebellion, and instability. Elizabeth’s first major challenge as queen was to bring peace and stability to her fractured kingdom.

Elizabeth’s solution was the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, introduced in 1559. This series of laws established Protestantism as the official religion of England but allowed for a degree of religious tolerance. The Act of Supremacy reasserted the independence of the Church of England from Rome, with Elizabeth as its Supreme Governor. The Act of Uniformity mandated the use of a common prayer book but allowed for some latitude in practice, which helped to appease more moderate Catholics. This settlement was a masterful compromise that reduced religious tensions and avoided the extreme measures that had led to bloodshed in the past. Elizabeth’s ability to navigate this religious divide was a testament to her political skill and her deep understanding of the need for national unity.

Maintaining Power: The Virgin Queen and Domestic Policy

In a male-dominated society, Elizabeth’s rule was an extraordinary achievement. She faced constant pressure to marry and produce an heir, as it was widely believed that a woman could not govern effectively on her own. However, Elizabeth deftly managed to use her unmarried status to her advantage. By remaining single, she retained full control over her own destiny and kept potential suitors, both domestic and foreign, at bay. Her status as the “Virgin Queen” became central to her public image, symbolizing her devotion to England above all personal concerns.

Elizabeth’s domestic policies were marked by careful management and a focus on stability. She surrounded herself with loyal and capable advisors, such as Sir William Cecil, Lord Burghley, who helped her implement effective governance. Elizabeth’s reign saw improvements in England’s economy, the consolidation of royal authority, and the development of a more centralized state. Her government was characterized by a cautious approach to expenditure and a reluctance to engage in unnecessary wars, which helped to secure the nation’s finances and avoid the pitfalls that had plagued previous reigns.

Facing External Threats: The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

Elizabeth’s reign was also defined by her handling of external threats, particularly from Catholic powers like Spain. The most significant challenge came in 1588 when King Philip II of Spain launched the Spanish Armada, a massive fleet intended to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth. The defeat of the Armada is one of the most celebrated events of Elizabeth’s reign and a turning point in English history.

Despite being outnumbered and facing a formidable foe, the English navy, under commanders like Sir Francis Drake, used superior tactics and the advantage of home waters to defeat the Spanish fleet. The victory was aided by the weather, with storms—referred to as the “Protestant wind”—dispersing the Spanish ships. Elizabeth’s leadership during this crisis was crucial; her speech to the troops at Tilbury, in which she famously declared, “I have the heart and stomach of a king,” rallied her forces and inspired confidence in her leadership. The defeat of the Armada not only secured England’s independence but also established the nation as a rising naval power and laid the groundwork for its future dominance on the seas.

Cultural Flourishing: The Elizabethan Renaissance

Elizabeth’s reign is often synonymous with the flowering of English culture, known as the Elizabethan Renaissance. The queen herself was a great patron of the arts, and her court became a center of cultural and intellectual life. Elizabeth’s love for literature, music, and the visual arts fostered an environment where creativity could thrive.

This period saw the emergence of some of the greatest figures in English literature, including William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, and Ben Jonson. These writers produced works that explored complex themes of power, identity, and the human condition—many of which reflected the challenges and triumphs of Elizabeth’s own reign. Shakespeare’s plays, in particular, are often seen as a mirror of the Elizabethan world, with their deep explorations of political intrigue, ambition, and the nature of kingship.

Beyond literature, Elizabeth’s reign also witnessed advancements in music, architecture, and the visual arts. The Elizabethan style, characterized by elaborate decoration and classical motifs, became prominent in English architecture and design. The queen’s own image, carefully crafted through portraits and public appearances, reinforced her authority and the perception of her as a powerful and almost mythical figure. The cultural achievements of the Elizabethan era left a lasting impact on English identity and continued to influence the arts for centuries.

Cultural Achievements: Fashion, Architecture, and Social Customs

The Elizabethan Era was a time of cultural renaissance in England, driven by Elizabeth’s patronage and the growing prosperity of the nation. Under her reign, fashion, architecture, and social customs flourished, reflecting the confidence and creativity of the period.

Fashion and Social Norms

Elizabeth I’s influence on fashion was profound. Her personal style, characterized by elaborate gowns, ruffs, and intricate jewelry, became the standard for the English court and beyond. The queen’s attire was not just a matter of personal preference but a tool of statecraft, designed to project power, wealth, and authority. This fashion trend quickly spread among the nobility and the rising middle class, who adopted these styles as symbols of their own status and aspirations. The emphasis on fashion during Elizabeth’s reign also mirrored the era’s social stratification, where clothing was a key indicator of one’s place in the social hierarchy.

Social customs in Elizabethan England also evolved, particularly among the upper classes. The court became a center of sophisticated manners, where etiquette and ceremony were meticulously observed. These practices extended into the broader society, influencing the behavior of the gentry and merchants. The growth of a more refined social culture reflected the increasing importance of social status and decorum during Elizabeth’s reign, as well as the queen’s own efforts to cultivate a court that embodied the ideals of order, loyalty, and honor.

Architecture and the Arts

Architecture during the Elizabethan period saw the emergence of a distinctive style that blended Gothic and Renaissance influences. This era produced some of England’s most iconic buildings, such as Hardwick Hall and Longleat House, which symbolized the power and wealth of their owners. These grand estates were designed not only as residences but as statements of status and influence, with their symmetrical facades, large windows, and richly decorated interiors showcasing the fusion of traditional English and new European styles.

The arts also flourished under Elizabeth’s reign, particularly literature and theater. The queen’s support of the arts, combined with the relative peace and prosperity of the period, created a fertile environment for creative expression. The Elizabethan theater became a central cultural institution, with playwrights like William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Ben Jonson producing works that explored complex themes of power, identity, and human nature. These works have endured as some of the most significant contributions to English literature, reflecting the intellectual and cultural vibrancy of Elizabeth’s reign.

Shaping the Future: Elizabeth’s Influence on Monarchs and Society

Elizabeth I’s reign had a lasting impact on the English monarchy and society, setting precedents that would influence her successors and the development of the nation.

The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

One of Elizabeth’s most significant contributions was the Elizabethan Religious Settlement, which established a moderate form of Protestantism as the state religion while allowing for a degree of religious tolerance. This pragmatic approach helped to stabilize a nation that had been torn apart by religious conflict under previous monarchs. Elizabeth’s settlement laid the foundation for a distinctly English form of Protestantism, which would become central to the national identity. Her ability to balance religious factions and maintain peace in a deeply divided country influenced the policies of future monarchs, who would continue to navigate the complexities of religious governance.

Monarchical Authority and Image

Elizabeth’s reign also had a profound impact on the concept of monarchical authority in England. She skillfully crafted an image of herself as both a powerful ruler and a devoted guardian of her people. This blend of authority and benevolence became a model for future monarchs, particularly in the way they engaged with their subjects and justified their rule. Elizabeth’s use of symbolism, pageantry, and the arts to reinforce her authority demonstrated the importance of public perception in maintaining power, a lesson that would resonate with later rulers, especially during the Stuart era.

Economic Growth and Colonial Ambitions

Elizabeth’s reign also laid the groundwork for England’s later economic and colonial expansion. Her support for explorers like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh helped to establish England’s presence in the New World and other overseas territories, setting the stage for the British Empire’s rise in the following centuries. The queen’s economic policies, including the encouragement of trade and industry, contributed to the growth of a more modern capitalist economy. The establishment of the East India Company in 1600 marked a significant milestone in England’s commercial history, reflecting Elizabeth’s vision of expanding English influence beyond Europe.

The Significance of Elizabeth’s Foreign Policy

Elizabeth I’s foreign policy was characterized by a delicate balance between maintaining England’s independence and navigating the complex politics of Europe. Her relationships with other European powers, particularly Spain and France, were marked by a combination of diplomacy, caution, and, when necessary, military action.

Relations with Spain and the Defeat of the Spanish Armada

The most significant foreign threat to Elizabeth’s reign came from Spain, under King Philip II. The religious and political rivalry between Protestant England and Catholic Spain culminated in the Spanish Armada of 1588, when Philip attempted to invade England. Elizabeth’s leadership during this crisis was crucial. The defeat of the Armada was not only a military victory but also a powerful symbol of English resilience and Elizabeth’s ability to protect her realm. This event solidified her reputation as a strong and capable leader, capable of defending her kingdom against even the most formidable foes.

Diplomatic Relations with France

Elizabeth’s relationship with France was more complex and required careful diplomacy. As another Catholic power, France posed a potential threat, but Elizabeth recognized the value of using France as a counterbalance to Spain. Throughout her reign, she maintained diplomatic relations with France, skillfully navigating the shifting alliances and rivalries of European politics. Elizabeth’s cautious approach to foreign policy, marked by a reluctance to engage in costly wars, preserved England’s resources and allowed the nation to emerge stronger and more unified.

Legacy of Caution and Diplomacy

Elizabeth’s foreign policy legacy is one of caution and pragmatism. She avoided unnecessary military conflicts, relying instead on diplomacy, espionage, and strategic alliances to secure England’s position in Europe. Her approach influenced the foreign policies of her successors, particularly in the early Stuart period, where a similar preference for diplomacy over war can be seen. Elizabeth’s ability to maintain England’s independence while navigating the complex web of European politics set a standard for future monarchs and helped to establish England as a significant power on the international stage.

Historical Interpretations and Ongoing Debates

Historians have long been fascinated by Elizabeth I’s reign, and interpretations of her legacy have evolved over time. Early historical accounts often portrayed her as an ideal monarch, celebrated for her wisdom, virtue, and strong leadership. During the Victorian era, Elizabeth was revered as a national icon, embodying the ideals of female authority and English pride.

In more recent years, scholars have adopted a more nuanced view of Elizabeth’s reign, examining the complexities and contradictions of her rule. Some historians have highlighted the challenges she faced, such as the precariousness of her power, her use of political manipulation, and the difficulties in managing a deeply divided kingdom. Others have debated the extent to which her achievements were due to her personal qualities versus the circumstances of her time, considering factors such as her skilled advisors and the relative stability of the period.

Debates also continue about Elizabeth’s legacy, particularly regarding her failure to provide a clear succession plan, which led to uncertainty and conflict after her death. However, despite these discussions, Elizabeth I remains a towering figure in English history, admired for her resilience, intelligence, and the lasting impact of her reign.

The Final Years and Enduring Legacy

The later years of Elizabeth’s reign were marked by increasing challenges. The deaths of key advisors, ongoing threats from Spain, and economic difficulties strained the aging queen and her government. Additionally, the issue of succession loomed large, as Elizabeth had refused to marry or name an heir, leading to uncertainty and anxiety within the court. Nevertheless, Elizabeth remained a formidable ruler until her death on March 24, 1603, at the age of 69.

Elizabeth I’s legacy is one of resilience, intelligence, and successful leadership in the face of daunting challenges. She managed to maintain her authority in a male-dominated society, navigate complex international politics, and foster a cultural renaissance that defined an era. The Elizabethan Age is remembered as a time of national pride and achievement, and Elizabeth herself as a monarch who embodied the spirit of her people. Her reign laid the foundations for England’s future as a global power and left an indelible mark on the nation’s history.

In summary, Queen Elizabeth I was an extraordinary leader whose reign transformed England. Despite facing immense opposition—from religious conflict and foreign threats to the pressures of ruling as a woman in a patriarchal society—she emerged as one of the most successful and revered monarchs in history. Her legacy continues to inspire and influence, making her one of the most iconic figures in the annals of English history.

photo belongs to Historic Royal Palaces

[anghraine]

woodelf68 replied to this post:

I was a book fan first, but I honestly never form much of a visual image of characters when I read a book, so it didn't matter to me.

Cool, but that doesn't mean it can't matter to other people.

There's a very weird assumption in a lot of Tolkien fandom discourse that caring about actors actually looking like their characters is trivial and shallow, they cast for talent not appearance etc etc, so casting Anglo actors in non-Anglo roles is totally okay—unless, of course, casting for talent and not appearance results in heroic roles going to people other than pale, mostly light-haired, mostly Anglo white actors, at which point the fandom has screaming meltdowns.

And frankly, film fans always show up to make this about their personal preferences whenever anyone tries to discuss the problems with the films' casting. Yeah, it's a personal gripe in this particular case, but for those of us who do care about both this instance and the more problematic wider trend in the casting of the films, it's deeply frustrating that we still can't criticize it without fans of the movies rushing in after 20 years.

I thought it was great casting because they LOOK like they could be brothers,

They do, as do many other actors.

and I can't picture the characters any other way anymore.

Yeah, that's actually a major reason that some of us care a lot about this. For one, it can simply be irritating that we rarely see depictions of our favorite characters that look remotely like them, but more importantly, these sorts of choices shape the popular conception of what Middle-earth's heroes are allowed to look like.

And as a neighbouring realm to Rohan, I wouldn't expect them to look much different as far as ethnicity?

Uh ... if you're talking about what's visually effective on film, I think sharing a border on the opposite end of the country from where Boromir and Faramir live and where their families are from matters much less than differentiating the peoples in a clear way. The movies honestly seem largely disinterested in the ways in which Gondorians and Rohirrim are contrasting foils for each other even as they draw nearer in culture, and particularly clear foils in the ruling families—but that would require caring about Gondor to anything like the extent that they care about Rohan, which they evidently don't.

If you're talking about Tolkien's version, meanwhile, Gondor is a vastly more ancient nation than Rohan, and includes multiple ethnic groups that long predate the arrival of the Rohirrim from the North, and mostly look nothing like them. According to Tolkien, the Dúnedain of southern Gondor are very different from any of the Northern-inspired peoples of Middle-earth. He indignantly wrote that, while the Shire was indeed meant to represent England, Minas Tirith is 600 miles south (at around the latitude of Florence, Italy) while the great Gondorian port of Pelargir is at about the latitude of Troy (now in Turkey), and he insisted that his vision for Gondor was therefore not remotely Nordic.

Elsewhere, he repeatedly compared the Gondor of LOTR to the Byzantine Empire, and also said that the Dúnedain of Gondor were best envisioned as ancient Egyptians. Tolkien's depiction of the Gondorian peoples had lots of influences to be sure—but blond English people are not among them, and they are clearly meant to contrast visually with the Rohirrim in particular.

The movies' indifference to all this in terms of casting is one debate, but the matter of whether the casting for Gondor is accurate to Tolkien's descriptions in or out of LOTR is very straightforward. It's not.

[fantastic-rambles]

Is it just me but I doubt that Ainosuke is also a snowboarder but prefers to hide it. because he has shown proof that he can use langa's freeboard.

Hello! I'm always happy to chat, especially about Ainosuke! Thank you for stopping by! 😍

I tend to believe that Ainosuke has a strong grasp of skateboarding principles and is very athletic in general, as he was able to give Miya very detailed, spot-on advice for improving his own skating (and attempted to do the same for Langa). Whether this is a natural talent or something he cultivated through his years of skateboarding might be up for debate, but at the very least, he's a "professional-level" skater.

However, I personally don't think that he has learned how to snowboard: my headcanons for him (especially in his America years) do place him in the Northeastern US, so I do think that he would have had some exposure to winter sports that he couldn't get in Okinawa, but I also tend to believe he had someone watching him/reporting back to his family, and if he had touched a snowboard, they would have worsened his punishment (which he was aware of). So I personally think that he would probably have proficiency in skiing over snowboarding (as skiing is typically seen as "more elite"). However, I do think that he wanted to learn how to snowboard while he was there. 😢

With regard to Langa's board, I believe that his athleticism and his own love of novelty/desire to challenge himself (as well as others' perceptions) would absolutely allow him to use it. And while I don't write a lot about it, my headcanons also include that his own board has very loose trucks to allow him more latitude to invent and pull off "impossible" tricks, so while it's not completely free-moving like Langa's, it would be easier for him to adjust to Langa's board than, say, Kaoru trying to use Langa's (since Kaoru is a very "by the book"/technical skater).

[latitude-talent]

Thomas from Latitude

Check out male model Thomas from Latitude who met with BMG Management and EMG Models at the Latitude New York office.

[ukrfeminism]

5 minute read

Only 18% of headliners at the UK's top festivals this year are female, Sky News analysis has found.

Women are seen as too much of a "risk" for the top slots because of a perception festivalgoers prefer watching men, as well as the pool of female talent still being too small, music industry experts say.

Industry figures also called on Glastonbury to do more to bridge the gender divide.

Across 104 festivals this summer, only a fifth (20%) of headline acts are fronted by women, compared with almost four-fifths (78%) by men and 2% by non-binary people.

At the biggest festivals, with over 30,000 capacity, this is even lower for women at one in six (18%).

And if you count the total number of performers on stage during headline slots, only one in 10 (11%) are women.

According to our research, while women are still behind men across the board, they are more popular with fans on YouTube, Google and the radio, than they are with festival promoters when booking headliners.

Meanwhile, the likes of Glastonbury, Isle of Wight Festival and Latitude don't have a single female-fronted headliner on their main stages this year.

Bucking the trend, is the British Summer Time Festival in London's Hyde Park which just announced Lana Del Rey as its final headliner.

Glastonbury, which is releasing its final 2023 tickets on Sunday, faced a backlash in March after it revealed the Arctic Monkeys, Guns n Roses and Sir Elton John will headline its famous Pyramid Stage this year.

Folk rocker, Cat Stevens, is also booked for the Sunday afternoon "legends" slot despite rumours Blondie was due to take it.

Organiser Emily Eavis said the female headliner they had planned, widely rumoured to be Taylor Swift, had to pull out due to a tour clash.

Women 'too much of a risk'

Eve Horne is a producer, singer-songwriter and founder of Peak Music UK, which mentors female and non-binary artists and producers. She is also on UK Music's Diversity Taskforce and is a board member of Moving The Needle, which works to improve female inclusion in the industry.

She says there was hope that the devastating impact of COVID would make industry bosses prioritise inclusion and diversity.

"If anything it did a 360 and went backwards," she tells Sky News.

"Everyone started going for the money again and saying there's too much risk in putting women as headliners."

Eve claims promoters repeatedly tell her that festivalgoers of all genders prefer watching men perform more than women.

"It's about money at the end of the day and we still have old white men gatekeeping the industry," she adds.

John Rostron, chief executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, which represents 105 UK events, says the problem stems from there being a smaller pool of female artists for promoters to pick from.

"A headline slot might be the pinnacle of an artist's live career.

"There are plenty of barriers for any artist to get there, but for women there are maybe triple the number of barriers, so the talent pool at the top is smaller.

"We have to wait for them to come up and then be open to booking them."

The problem gets worse at larger festivals where big acts charge high fees and promoters have to meet those costs with ticket sales - and are also accountable to shareholders.

"You can't say that a male band sells more tickets because they're men," he adds. "But you can say that they sell more tickets than another band when that's been proven to be true."

YouTubers and radio DJs choosing more women

Sky News looked at YouTube views and radio play to see how popular female-fronted artists are on those platforms. "Female-fronted" refers to acts with a female lead performer.

They were far better represented on both platforms than they were at the top of festival billboards.

On YouTube, in the 12 months to the end of March, female-fronted artists made up 35% of total music views, while their male counterparts were 65%. Non-binary-fronted acts were at fewer than 1%.

Almost half (24) of the 50 most searched for artists on Google in the same period were also female.

Both data sets suggest fans do want to consume female-fronted artists.

On the radio, they have averaged roughly a third (32%) of plays between 2019 and now, with male acts at just under two-thirds (65%) and non-binary at 3%.

So far in 2023, the gender balance has been almost equal, with female and male artists both at 48%, with the remainder non-binary.

Six of the top 10 songs played on the radio so far this year are by female solo artists including Miley Cyrus's Flowers - the most popular song of 2023 so far.

Increases in non-binary representation are largely down to a small number of artists, such as Sam Smith and Olly Alexander.

At festivals there are signs of progress. Across all stages almost three in 10 (29%) acts are female-fronted - up by almost 2% on the five-year average.

But that progress isn't reflected in headline slots.

'Glastonbury can afford inclusion managers'

By contrast, the Mighty Hoopla, a 25,000-person festival in south London, has had no male-fronted headliners since 2018.

Olly Alexander headlined in 2018 and is returning this year.

It offers a "platform to LGBTQ+ performers" and ensures at least 50% of performers are female and non-binary across the whole line-up.

Cassie Leon, who heads-up inclusion for the festival, says with their audience, it's "relatively easy" to commit to a diverse line-up.

"Part of queer culture is trying to uplift women as much as possible," she adds.

Asked how other festivals should improve female representation, she says more staff should be hired specifically to promote inclusion.

"It's everybody's issue, from the agents to the festivals to the places finding the talent," she says.

Specifically on Glastonbury, she adds: "If you can afford Elton John, you can afford inclusion managers."

While Britain's biggest festival might be less profit-focused than others, raising funds for charities and reportedly paying artists a fraction of their usual fees, smaller festivals still seem to do better at booking female-fronted headliners.

Jungle and drum and bass artist Nia Archives is headlining two indie festivals this year - We Out Here in Dorset and Outlook in Croatia - as well as playing at Glastonbury.

"It's a hard one for me," she says "because I know I'm being given those opportunities but also recognise that not everybody has those opportunities."

Heavy metal and rock among worst offenders

Other than the Mighty Hoopla, no festival in our database has had more than a third female-fronted headline acts between 2018 and now.

Six have had none at all since then - Isle of Wight, Download, Kendal Calling, TRNSMT, Slam Dunk Festival and Bloodstock Open Air.

With half of the worst offenders coming under rock and heavy metal, John Rostron, of AIF, which represents Bloodstock Open Air, says things are "particularly difficult" across those genres as there is a "much smaller talent pool".

Bloodstock's festival director Adam Gregory shares his view.

"There is a shortage of female-fronted bands coming through the ranks," he says, adding that headline slots are booked according to the "strongest available offering".

John also points to the way some major festivals sign up artists exclusively - preventing them from playing other events.

"Someone playing third at Reading might be perfect to headline one of our smaller festivals, but they can't. Both organisers and artists have a responsibility to say no to exclusives."

'Ethical' promoters

There are groups trying to make a difference.

Not Bad For A Girl, a DJ collective based in Manchester and London, formed four years ago to "create a platform for female and non-binary DJs" - running their own events, performing at others, and on the radio.

They wear signature pink balaclavas in a bid to "eliminate conventional beauty standards" after members were denied opportunities on account of their gender.

Founder Martha Bolton says they actively support diverse talent, for example by "having two events and using one as a cash cow, so the other can promote an up-and-coming artist".

She adds that big organisations like Glastonbury have a responsibility to set the standard for the industry.

"It needs to be the bigger people taking that jump for the rest of us who can't afford the risk."

No accountability

There is no official regulator of the music industry in the UK, so no official means of accountability when it comes to gender diversity.

UK Music, which has its own diversity taskforce, acts as a trade union, and connects smaller associations that represent specific parts of the industry.

Keychange is an EU-funded diversity programme that asks its 600 signatories (41% of which are festivals) to commit to at least 50% female inclusion. By the end of 2021, 64% of signatories had met the target.

But neither body is legally binding.

In an interview with The Guardian in March, Emily Eavis said Lizzo, who will perform just before Guns N Roses on the Pyramid Stage, could "totally headline" but the rock band were already booked.

She reiterated that female inclusion is "top of our agenda", having committed to 50:50 representation in 2020 and secured more than half female and non-binary acts for 2023 so far.

In its diversity statement the festival says it is "working alongside experts in equality and anti-discrimination" on an internal review.

"We try our best and we obviously aim for 50:50. Some years, it's more, some years, it's less," Eavis told the BBC earlier this year, adding it's "looking like we've got two female headliners" for 2024.

But she added that despite being the biggest festival in the country, it is not just down to her to make change.

"We're trying our best so the pipeline needs to be developed. This starts way back with the record companies, radio. I can shout as loud as I like but we need to get everyone on board."

Sky News has contacted Glastonbury for further comment.

[the-visual-journey-blogg]

Legendary Animators: Mary Blair's and Dave Hand's experience working with Walt Disney

By Sofi Ojeda

Let's take a journey to the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, the golden age of the Disney Studio, a period of prosperity of the United States, where the Baby Boomers as kids, had a lot of free time, often spent watching Disney animations in movie theaters, and enjoying the premiere of Disneyland in 1955, which further solidified Disney's profound influence on the young audience of the time.

In today's blog,we will be delving into two of the people who were pioneers of the creation of this whole world and what it was like for them to work with Walt Disney persona. The animators of that time who worked with Disney were generally men; even their main group was called the famous "Nine Old Men of Walt's Animation." But at the same time, there were other unknown and extremely talented animators who contributed immensely to the aesthetics and narrative of Disney's films. To contrast this, I decided to analyze one of the most famous and successfull man director Dave Hand and one of the most famous Creative Artist and Designer Mary Blair.

''Story artist/animator Retta Scott with visual development artist Mary Blair. They are studying a baby alligator at the Griffith Park Zoo in 1940 or 1941,  I assume in preparation for Fantasia's dinosaur sequence.''

As the Disney team was growing in the 1950s, they posted different signs seeking male and female animators, the latter with the conditions: "Women do not do any creative work related to preparing the cartoons for the screen", as well as their age conditions, etc.

"If you were a man blessed with creativity and artistic talent, you held a place in the Animation Department and could even direct films, but if you were a woman with the same skills, the only department open to you at that time was Ink and Paint." - Mary Beth Culler.

In the research I conducted to decide which interviews to use for this blog, I read those from the book "Working with Disney(2011)" by Peri Don, in which Dave Hand was mentioned. Dave Hand (January 23, 1900 - Plainfield, New Jersey) attended the Art Institute of Chicago before returning to the East Coast and starting his career in animation at the J. R. Bray Studio.

Later, Hand worked for Max Fleischer on the "Out of the Inkwell" series. He came to California to consider live-action filmmaking but returned to animation, this time with the Walt Disney Studios. After the success of "Victory Through Air Power," he left the studio for an animation opportunity in England.

Dave Hand Portrait.

His career was consistent and very (secretly) appreciated by Disney, as he said in his interview. He played a significant role in the studio from 1930 and was the first director (after Walt) of short subject cartoons. He also directed "Snow White." In his interview, he mentioned that working with Disney did not seem difficult in general, or maybe that is what he had to mention. According to Ben Sharpsteen in "Working with Walt (2008)" by Don Peri, there were some conflicts with Disney regarding accepting Disney's criticisms in the previews. He felt that Disney was a man who always had to be right; he did not contradict him but discussed until the idea pleased both of them (especially him). The only thing he said he did not like was that he could not know if something would work unless it was shown in theaters, and then it was too late to correct it, but that had nothing to do with Disney itself but with a technical aspect of the industry. He said that Disney trusted him completely:

"I was allowed full latitude on all details of production; Walt monitored the results from the story to the preview."- David Hand

For Mary Blair, working with Disney was a process of ups and downs, during which there was a time when part of the studio complained that it was difficult for them to transfer her concept arts to animation when she had a marked watercolor style. She had to leave the studio because she preferred to stick to her ideas, but at the same time, Walt appreciated her art and called her back to go to South America for her research on culture and environment. There, she transformed her art into something more conceptual with color blocks and very saturated and vibrant palettes, like those of the cultures they were able to appreciate. She developed a distinct look for her concept art by using vivid colors from gouache and tempera.

From there, she was able to participate in the creative part beyond painting and inking the animations and creations of other animators. Many times, they arrived almost unchanged in the movies, as with Cinderella's castle or when the camera sees through the cups' ears to the Mad Hatter and the rabbit at Alice's unbirthday party in Wonderland. She also worked on "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros," along with the other trusted men of the company as a result of the trip, in which she was the only woman.

Mary Blairs concept art for Alice in Wonderland animated movie.

It is a shame that like her, many of the women had to stop working at the studio to work at home or to take care of their children. There were approximately 100 women. Blair once recalled:

"I had three jobs: raising children, keeping house, and doing my artwork." - Mary Balir

Her best friend Alice also said that Blair never realized how good she was; she always had insecurities. Mary Blair learned her craft at The Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles in the mid-1930s. She joined The Walt Disney Company in 1940, where she created concept paintings for projects related to "Fantasia" (1940), "Dumbo" (1941), and "The Lady and the Tramp" (1955). Blair left Disney in 1953 to concentrate on illustrating children's books and raising a family.

There were also other female workers of Disney of that time, very talented women, like Retta Scott, who made the concepts for "Bambi," and Disney liked it so much that he offered her to animate a sequence of the film, but that was later.

Mary Blair and Disney coworkers. Trip to South America.

Comparing the career of Dave Hand with Mary Blair's they were such talented artists, it was more challenging for Mary to maintain the consistency of her career due to the challenges women faced at the time, apart from working at Disney, and also their creations had to be more justified to be considered in the studio. Even after demonstrated their talent, she or neither of her female coworkers directed a movie at that time, as Dave Hand.

Despite that, for them both, it was a challenge to work with Disney, as he was a very stubborn person, and some might call him a dreamer. As Dave described, the work was 24 hours a day, and that also translates into overwork problems, and in general, Walt did not express his recognition directly to his workers.

Over time, many wonderful artists have passed through Disney's offices, bringing good experiences with characters and cartoons for people of all ages. Some of these artists are more recognized than others, but you can't deny the impact and significance they have had to this day. However, when you watch a movie, in most cases, you can't tell what gender the person who made it was, or where they come from. This seemingly magical and fair anonymity extends to the animators and people in the industry in general. Additionally, it's important to consider that other industries of the time had similar characteristics. The context in which the Disney company grew doesn't make it "meaner," although it's always valuable to review history to avoid repeating it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Johnson, M. (2017). Ink & paint: the women of Walt Disney's animation. 

Peri, D. (2008). Working with Walt: Interviews with Disney Artists. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. Pages 180-192.

Peri, D. (2011) Working with Disney : Interviews with Animators, Producers, and Artists, University Press of Mississippi.

ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/langara-ebooks/detail.action?docID=683913.

Biography Mary Blair - Illustration History:

https://www.illustrationhistory.org/artists/mary-blair#:~:text=She%20joined%20The%20Walt%20Disney,South%20American%20tour%20in%201941.

The Art of Disney Legend Mary Blair | Women's History Month | Disney+ - Official Youtube Channel

How Mary Blair Changed the Walt Disney Company | Disney Legends: Josh Taylor's Modern Mouse Youtube Channel

Walt Disney Animation's First Female Animators! A Disney Documentary: El Ritmo De Disneyland Youtube Channel

Blog: Look Closer: Women in the Disney Ink and Paint Department by Mary Beth Culler Museum Educator:

https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/look-closer-women-disney-ink-and-paint-department

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/201/monograph/chapter/213079/pdf

[kuraikyu]

@cursedfortune : "Ah, lovely creature, won't you humor me for a moment?" Her wrist rolled to leisurely point into his direction. A random pick from the crowd of people that passed by her little nameless stand. Yet it was easy to see by the items neatly organized atop it that this was a fortune teller of some manner. Much like it was easy for her to see she picked someone of value. Ashen lips curved into a vaguely amused smile, as if she was the one already humored - but by what was left unspoken. Rather, her hand motioned to invite him to sit upon the stool across from her, should he so wish. "Do you prefer a clear day or that of a stormy one?" Her fingers laced together atop the table's surface as eyes darker than the space between stars stared upon him. Almost mechanically her head gave the barest tilt, interested if he would answer. With what? One of the two options, or perhaps something else - would he feel he had the time to answer, or none at all and leave? Potential sang loudly with this one, consider her intrigued.

Even monsters were keen nowadays to walk with kindest smiles beneath those few eaves of metropolitan congregations. He hears a woman's voice calling to him. In the world unjustly inundated with a great quantity of monkeys his attention bid more than one's twopence worth. For him, it was simply one of those who run errands for folks long sworn to be enemies of his kind ... but if not for strange latitude of her voice hauling his attention his reaction would be minimal.

People are bound to see strange things at the edge of their vision, what deemed mysteries were but specters of the imagination. Natural was his curiosity like polished sheen of ivory, not every day someone dared to call out to him from myriad faults of men. Head turned so Geto could properly view the person who was speaking to him.

A fortune teller? It was clear at first glance. Ah, Tychean coinage - something where people would seek guideline lowdowns like ravening packs of hounds. Most were charlatans, but those who were not possessed extrasensory perception and engaged in fields of parapsychology; such people interested him. Why not diversify his route and make this solely a pastime recreation? And because he himself happened to be an enthusiastic collector of 'talents ' this served as one of the reasons to halt his peripatetic step and change direction to converse with her. The cultist was not content with his station neither he would remain in idleness, so he moved and surprisingly closer to her stand. Casted side gaze searched on the go where the usual name or pseudonym mostly resides but there was by no means any, despite that he was still curious to ask the mysterious woman about her services. Downturn providing a cayenne smidgen of privacy, when he stops close enough but not to sit down. '' Let's see, '' like flakes of ashen lamina his smile falls on her substantially, '' maybe we can play off each other's humour for a while if there is something interesting you can tell me about today's forecast. '' Perhaps her pick was fortunate, or perhaps not.

"Do you prefer a clear day or that of a stormy one?"

What will fractured heart of melancholic forever yearning for spun flux of summer answer? " A stormy one. "

[hotgirlmythology]

Mellara the siren, an OC

I habe decided to take a small break from incessantly bombarding people with my lore so that you can all enjoy some slightly less wide reaching and more personable content (also I got bored).

Mellara is a siren of the Equatorial anatomy, who originates from a nation about 20 ish degreees north of the equator, close in longtitude to the fiefdoms of galania though significantly lower in latitude. I have not decided the lore of it yet. I shall also completely ignore this fact as she was escaping from her old life when she implored a passing hunting group to let her run away with them, and I doubt she would allow it to be relevant to her new life.

Skills, hobbies, duties and talents:

Has very dextrous fingers, and so despite her agility in a hunt usually spends her time making crab traps and weaving nets. Ironically because of the amount of usage the inherited magic gets fixing their blisters, her hands are unusually unmarked compared to, for example, a proficient harpoon thrower.

Her fingers also come in handy when playing the flute, which she does extremely well, and the piercing song is excellent for communicating through a storm. In tandem with the only other instrumentalist in her hunting group (all the others prefer singing) they can put on some spectacular performances

Her main hobby is weaving shell jewellery - landbound people might not admit it, but being able to say that your mother-of-pearl shell necklace is not only gorgeous but also siren-made is a brilliant conversation starter. She prefers not to wear it herself, taking a lot more pleasure in seeing others wearing her creations around

She is, as a rule, the forward scout of the hunting group, checking potential migration sites for potential predators and more than able to get out if they do show up

As suggested, she is a talented musician, and though it is mostly other sirens who hear her play or sing, she does work the occasional magical charm over beachgoing landbound people when she plays at the coast

Looks:

Looks kinda twenties, though I challenge you to guess where in that range she falls

Auburn hair, cut in a pixie style (close as you can get with a sharpened seashell)

Was on the shorter side as a human but has a longer torso/tail melding region than most sirens, so her torso looks a bit longer than it used to

Body type a mildly hourglassy slim frame, olive skin tone

Slightly hooded eyes with an almond shape, eyes a lighter shade of brown

Her tail style is that of a conventional mermaid with a pair of extra fins halfway down - she is extra good at taking tight corners, and so is usually sent to test current strengths

Scales are a shade darker than turquoise, and she has a few going further up her stomach than the majority of sirens given the torso/tail melding region

B-cup on the larger side, binds them down with seaweed if she really needs aerodynamicity (a real word)

Enjoys using sea clay to give herself sort of tattoos, especially over her forearms where it is less likely to crack

Lips idk to be honest I've never paid that much attention to lips

Personality:

Common for sirens, she is fiercely independent and dislikes anything that may tie her to a location. However, due to events in the past she takes this to an extreme, often refusing favours if she cannot repay them in a few days

However, to those she travels with or who have proved to her that they truly do not need repayment for every favour they give to her, she is willing to open up more, and will travel miles to visit friends if she is in the area

Ok so contrary to what this description makes you think she's actually pretty sprightly to talk to and in her mannerisms, and is very easy to get along with in the moment

She is content to be left with her crab traps and nets for the majority of the time, but will chat your ears off if you let her

Really pretty resilient to adversity, safe in the knowledge that it will either get fixed or it won't, and if it won't she can either leave or she can't, and if she can't leave she's probably dead, which means she can't worry anyway.

Can't really ignore the fact that she does have a power crazy streak about her, like most sirens, especially the ones who feel emotions more intensely as she does. She contents herself with the aforementioned beach performances most of the time

However has been known to lead the occasional ship on a wild goose chase after non-existent schools of fish

She doesn't get angry easily. Thankfully, given that when she does she is very bad at taking 10 seconds to breathe deep and relax, and instead goes for 10 spears. It is usually justified, in her defence

Dreams:

She has heard about an enchanted artefact of a silver flute, tucked away on an island to the north. Landbound people in the area don't bother trying to get to the island because of the rocks, and she only knows about it from another migratory hunting group. There's a fair bet therefore that it's still there. There is also a fair chance it would work for her, given, well, it's a flute and she knows how to play them

She met an elf from an itinerant religious envoy in the Minashun region, and they got along extremely well, said elf expressing a desire to one day become a siren too. One day she would like to go back to the area and make good on the words they shared on the beach under the stars. And on that note:

Gender and sexuality for sirens:

I thought I'd put a note abt this as it's quite important for making characters.

Sirens don't have a concept of gender as we understand it. They are all built on the same pattern (that is, upper body of a female of their race, lower body of a fish tail, legs, etc depending on the particular subspecies), and the views of their old cultures have a habit of fading rapidly from their subconscious mind, even if they might need to be prodded a little to realise they don't really care anymore. Every siren is referred to as a siren only, without separate "roles" attributed by a gender. They treat, for example, humans of differing presentation much the same across the board. I use she for their pronouns because I haven't written a language for them

Sexuality to sirens is not a matter of words but of actions. If a siren takes a human female as lover (don't ask how it works mechanically), there is a vague understanding she likes human females, and the personality traits associated with this lover in particular. Similar attitudes are provided by her fellows to most any race and creed a siren goes for. It is, after all, none of their business unless her attractions start affecting the cohesion of the hunting group, though the love, or heartbreak, stories of sirens make for great migration tales (longform stories told during particularly distant siren migration)

[biblioflyer]

Raffi & JL before the fall, The Raffi Controversy, Picard s1e3 Rewatch.

Who was Raffi before she became the messy person we meet fourteen years after Mars? One flashback isn’t much, but it may be richer in detail than one might expect at first glance. Of course this is also a story that is still being written and those caveats definitely apply.

This is part of a series of essays reevaluating Star Trek Picard and interrogating the widely held fandom criticism that Picard made the Federation into a Dystopia.

It is worth recalling that season three is apparently exploring Raffi’s backstory to some degree or another and a more fuller picture of the character and her place within the narrative and the setting is coming into view.

The Raffi we see immediately after Mars seems extremely impressive. She correctly anticipated every objection Starfleet Command would raise to a renewed effort to evacuate Romulan space. She seems like a very effective aide de camp to Picard. As nicknames go, I wasn’t super fond of J.L., but the familiarity hints at a strong working relationship and that Picard allows Raffi a degree of latitude that perhaps other subordinates haven’t had.

Why might that be? My theory is that Picard’s secret hobby is adopting strays. That is to say, he’s the sort of classical command officer who is defined by his ability to spot talent in rough crewmen who are struggling to apply their gifts in Starfleet and for Starfleet to recognize those gifts. 

This archetypal character loves to rehabilitate troubled officers less through force of unrelenting discipline, but by recognizing that some people need to not just be told what the rules are and be punished for breaking but instead need to understand them and believe in the rules (and themselves.) See also Commander William Adama and Kara Thrace, or Honor Harrington and….everyone she encounters (don’t @ me about David Weber, I’m well aware he and his body of work are.....a bit complicated, I just think the character of Honor embodies this archetype well.)

This is precisely the situation that defines Seven and Shaw’s relationship in Season 3. Seven knows the rules but doesn’t value them, Shaw understands the rules but is so submissive to authority that it makes him incredibly reluctant to act outside his mandate or follow his conscience.

While the timeline of Raffi’s life is vague, when she is questioning Picard about the outcome of the meeting with Starfleet Command and anticipating his success, she presents as oriented, intelligent, and driven. Season three provides a bit more context as well for the circumstances in which she found herself in Starfleet, but I am on the fence as to whether including it here represents “cheating” and if it makes judging season one on its own merits unfair.

To allude to season three without spoiling it, it's implied that Raffi has always possessed an inner darkness inclined towards quickly becoming irritated with small minds who can’t see what she sees and Starfleet seems to have been an opportunity to either start over or put her skills towards a higher purpose.

Her breaking point, at least in this scene, seems to be Picard’s resignation and the collapse of the Romulan relief effort. She quickly becomes angry and turns on Picard, infuriated by the hubris of him believing he was indispensable. She lashes out, citing a future for him comfortably retiring to Chateau Picard and writing his memoirs and compares it to her own future, which she immediately assumes to be bleak.

One might be justified in assuming that Raffi has not had the best of luck with commanding officers, whereas Picard had the finesse to coax her talents out of her while tolerating or disarming her more difficult traits. Alternately, Raffi is a person adrift without a clear purpose to focus her energies upon.

As I've alluded to a few times, I've known and loved a few Raffis. Getting through the outer defenses is challenging. Riding the maelstrom even tougher. They are more deserving of patience and compassion than they know, but they'd be a whole lot easier to appreciate if they could know it.

[lauvra]

It's a lost opportunity at best to fail to question our reactions toward art, especially those works serving to stir and muddy the colours in us so that our asshole's pucker as if the artist had snuck up from behind, motivations ultimately unclear but visibly sinister. You're standing before a virgin cotton canvas stretched, framed and clumsily smudged with one rusted colour. Thought often fails to pair with our gut's disgust — maybe a single line runs through our mind to which we give immediate purchase and ponder the issue no further; more often we complain to all who'll listen about that shit they let fly under the category of contemporary art nowadays. What's our problem? We're distinctly offended by audacity, audacity as defined by impudence or arrogance for we value our attention and are loathe to lend it to pretenders. We consider the under-appreciated artists with more talent in their pinky-finger than whoever strung this shit together and want justice for them and recompense for priceless seconds spent. Audacity is also defined as willingness to take bold risks — but wait, you glare in defense of your scorn; "That's not me, I champion the underdog! I value the freedom, ambition, success of every man!" Watching somebody get away with their bold risk if it feels meritless is an affront to our goodwill but withholding that goodwill manoeuvres us against ourselves; bah, it's all the "artist's" fault! Bad art stirs nothing in its audience, but you're well riled up, why? Why are you right? Why do you feel? You react: what does that mean? Are you wrong? What aren't you seeing? You adjust your spectacles, lean toward the gallery statement below the vulgar glob and read: HUBRIS V. HUBRIS, Landmark 1937 "An uncontacted people were observed for 3 months in 1936, supplies planted nearby their location [Latitude: 38.2469° N, Longitude: 85.7664° W] sheathed in this cotton. The engagement with various objects was studied by anthropologists without incident until coordinates leaked via broadcast radio, prompting two retired missionaries to endeavor contact against authority with only one returning; William Hubris claims his partner John B. Meale was slain on a bed of cotton in offering to elders hours prior to his own aided escape. Recovered naked, eunuched with nought but this cloth to claim as his friend's remains, he shortly thereafter faced ex-communication from his parish under grounds of "morbid inclinations" Hubris was successfully divorced by his then-wife in the following year, citing William's failure in procreative duty. Her case was aided by the testimony of parishioners. Recovered at an estate auction in July of 2010, this piece was donated to this gallery paired with proof of its authenticity. This piece was deemed authentic by the American Anthropological Association and lauded as an historical monument to the empowerment of women in America, who, on the precedent of Hubris V. Hubris were finally granted the right to initiate divorce with men on equal grounding." Adjusting the crick in your neck you concede, "OK, fine, that's Brat."

[logiusxcju]

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