#Lesser Known Treasures

[bayoubodycount]

Title: Lesser Known Treasures

Rated: E

Word count: 9.6k

Relationships: Loustat

Characters: Lestat, Louis, a few vague OG characters

Warnings: None

Summary: When visiting their family friend, Maharet, in Cali, the guys are directed to experience some gems of the North. Once there, Louis and Lestat discover and revel in some of the Golden State's best kept secrets. 

For @valenfangs VamPride 2024 Word prompt day #25 Waterfall

For @suikamelon6 😎🤘

[e-bookemporium]

Denmark: Unveiling the Beauty of Its Hidden Gems

Welcome to Denmark, the land of smiles! This small yet enchanting country in Northern Europe is known for its picturesque landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history. While cities like Copenhagen and Aarhus often steal the spotlight, Denmark is brimming with lesser-known treasures waiting to be explored. This eBook will take you on a journey through Denmark's hidden gems, revealing the beauty and charm that lie off the beaten path

[travelernight]

Vietnam’s Best-Kept Secrets Top 10 Hidden Wonders Revealed

[suppose-i-was-worm]

For Lack of a Burger

**finally I have written! Sorry for the long absence, folks- my cat is a needy little thing and I love her. Enjoy!**

“As blood son of Batman, it is only natural that I train here to become heir to the Bat.”

Dick- well, Nightwing right now- looked down at Robin, who was staring out over Gotham with his brow furrowed.

“And what of the league? I can’t imagine them letting the heir to the Demon’s Head run loose.”

Robin stiffened a fraction more than he already was- something that Nightwing wouldn’t have noticed if he wasn’t trained by Batman himself.

“I know only one thing for sure concerning the heirship of the league.”

“What is that?”

“Grandfather will not taste relief in death.”

Nightwing wasn’t sure what that meant, but Damian seemed so assured of the fact. He would have to tell Bruce- maybe Ra’s had discovered a better method of immortality than the pits?

An alert pinged on their communicators, and the two of them checked it before heading off to save the citizens.

~~~

“I miss real food, Clocky.”

“You are currently unable to process it.”

“I know. Ectoplasm just isn’t the same though.”

Danny sprawled on Clockwork’s floor, lazily filling out paperwork from ages ago and yesterday.

“It has been a very long time since you left humanity behind.”

“I wish there was a safe way to go back and get some food.”

His mentor paused briefly, and Danny looked up. Was that a gleam in Clockwork’s eye?

“There is a way.”

Danny shot up into a seated position, crossing his legs.

“Tell me!”

“You will face many hardships.”

“Clockwork, serious as a funeral, I would kill for a burger right now.”

Clockwork smiled enigmatically.

“You may have to.”

He flicked his fingers and Danny found himself pushed back. He allowed it- at this point in his existence, he could overpower Clockwork, but he’d asked for this.

The world went dark around him.

~~~

In the year since he’d come to live with Father, Damian had not said a word about his brother. He’d been told, before being unceremoniously bundled away from the only home he’d ever known, that he was to be the heir of the Bat and Daniel was to be the Demon’s Head.

His mother had told him that Father would try and steal Daniel away from the League- that Damian would yet again be the lesser son. After a few months with Father, Damian had stopped believing that. There was no thing as a ‘lesser’ child for Father.

And yet.

Grandfather was a powerful man, and Grandfather treasured Daniel more than he had ever cared for Damian.

Daniel al Ghul, second son of the Bat of Gotham, was brilliant. He kept his emotions in check, fought with practiced ease in any situation, and spoke circles around even mother. It never took him as long as it took Damian to learn a new skill, and most of the time he spent studying, even when they were both allowed a break.

Damian loved him, even as the younger child overtook the position Damian had striven for his entire life.

What was not to love? Damian had loved him ever since his tiny hand had curled around his finger in infancy.

He had always been fond of small, cute things.

But if Daniel left the League, Grandfather would come after him, and it would be unsafe.

Damian held his tongue and loved his baby brother from a distance, even though he might never see him again.

~~~

John “Hellblazer” Constantine needed a drink. Or several.

Bats had appeared on the Watchtower with yet another new Robin, and this one was probably the most concerning out of all of them.

No, it wasn’t the sword.

It was the massive fucking protection order from a powerful death god that radiated off his small form.

“Bats.”

“Hm.”

“I need to talk to you and the kid.”

Bats nodded, a gesture John took to mean ‘go ahead’.

John sighed.

“Not here, Bats. Too many ears.”

“Hrn.”

The Bat swept away, followed closely by his brightly colored companion. John followed as well. He was pretty good at speaking Bat, after all these years working together.

They made their way into the bowels of the Watchtower, into a sitting room John hadn’t known existed.

“What do you need, Constantine?”

John paused for a moment, assessing. Robin was watching him suspiciously, hand on his sword, and Batman was standing half in front of the little bird protectively.

“Did you know this one was friends with a death god?”

“What?”

The Bat and Robin spoke the same word at the same time, in the exact same tone. Did they practice that? Anyways.

“Yup. Little redbreast screams hands off.”

“I am not acquainted with any gods.”

John shrugged.

“Doesn’t mean you knew they were a god. To get to the bottom of this- has anyone ever sworn to protect you in some way?”

Robin went still and pale behind his mask, before darting a glance up at Batman.

Batman, who was looking down at his sidekick.

“Robin? Report.”

The boy stuck his chin out.

“It was many years ago, Batman. He- they couldn’t have been a god.”

“You don’t know that, kid. Where did you meet him?”

“He wasn’t a god!”

Robin had become defensive, sword halfway out of it’s sheath, glaring at John- presumably for the sin of being alive.

“If the League of Assassins has contact with a deity of death, we need to know, Robin.”

Snarling, Robin started out of the room.

“I will not discuss him with either of you. He is safe where he is.”

“Robin- chum. Who is he?”

Robin stopped in the door, not looking back. His voice wobbled a little as he spoke.

“My younger brother.”

John needed a drink, and fast.

~~~

Danny stood over Damian’s bed, watching his older brother breathe shallowly. Grandfather had beat him badly, and Danny was still unsure why.

Talia wouldn’t look him in the eye, and Grandfather had gone to soak in the pits.

“Daniel?”

“Damian!”

Danny bent over his brother, placing a hand over his pulse to check it.

“Why?”

Why had Grandfather beaten him? Why had he stood and let it happen? Why didn’t he run?

“He… wanted me… t’kill you.”

Danny felt rage swell up in his tiny seven-year-old body. What right did Ra’s al Ghul think he had, to beat a child almost to death for such a reason?

What right did that man have, to touch someone Danny had come to care for?

Closing his eyes briefly, Danny allowed himself to meditate for the few moments it would take to let his rage die down enough to comfort his brother.

Once it had, he opened his eyes again and pressed his forehead to Damian’s.

“I swear I will protect you, ahki. Ra’s al Ghul will not taste relief in death.”

The next day Danny watched invisibly as Talia dipped Damian in the Lazarus pits to heal him before putting him on a plane to Gotham.

~~~

“You have made me proud, Daniel.”

Ra’s watched as Daniel bowed, having taken out a squadron of elite ninja for his tenth birthday.

The ninja were still breathing- Ra’s was sure Daniel had spared them so as to not weaken the ranks of the League he was set to inherit.

It pleased him that his young grandson was so wise, despite his youth. His older brother had no such wisdom- rash and impatient, still full of emotional weakness. Ra’s would no longer claim that boy as his grandson once Daniel passed his newest test.

With a wave of his hand, several ninja brought forth a young man. They had managed to kidnap Richard Grayson from under the nose of the Bat, and now Daniel would kill the other.

“Grandfather?”

“This is your Father’s oldest ward. He is a usurper to a place that rightfully should be yours. Kill him.”

Daniel walked towards the bound man, and the ninja holding the captive backed away respectfully.

“May I ask him a question, Grandfather?”

Ra’s nodded. There was no harm in it.

The boy drew his sword and stepped around the man, holding the blade to his neck.

“Tell me, Grayson. Is Damian well?”

The lilt in his voice spelled danger for Damian, and Ra’s could barely contain his grin at Daniel’s ferocity.

“He is protected,” the kneeling man forced out. “You won’t harm a hair on his head.”

Daniel smiled, not unlike a shark.

“I know.”

Before Ra’s could blink, Richard Grayson’s bonds had fallen to the floor as if he had turned into a ghost, and Daniel’s sword was stabbed into the dirt between the Demon Head’s feet.

“We are leaving, Ra’s, and you will not stop us.”

The venom in his calm grandson’s voice when Daniel said his name made Ra’s pause, but only for a moment.

At a gesture, ninja poured out into the courtyard, intent on recapturing Nightwing and taking down the heir to the Demon.

Seconds before the ninja collided with the two, Daniel grinned, his eyes locked straight on Ra’s, grabbed Grayson’s hand, and the two vanished.

~~~

Dick was… Confused didn’t quite cut it. His day had been a disaster, and then this tiny meta who looked like a carbon copy of Damian appeared.

“So… You a clone?”

“No.”

“Oh. Uh. What are we doing, by the way?”

The boy smiled serenely at him, and then continued his work.

“Jacking a plane.”

“You’re like, eight.”

The boy shrugged.

“If you like.”

“Where are we going?”

“Gotham.”

“Who are you?”

The boy turned and put his hands on his hips, and Dick was starkly reminded of Bruce by the posture and facial expression.

“Look, Grayson, I get it, you’re confused. But if you don’t shut up and let me finish this wiring, we’ll never get you back to Gotham before the League catches up.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

The boy turned back around and continued his wiring.

“Call me Danny. Too many fruitloops call me Daniel.”

Dick expected a long flight ahead of them.

~~~

Damian was strapping on the last of his gear to go rescue Richard from the League of Assassins when the man himself strolled into the batcave, looking tired but no worse for wear.

“Dick!”

Batman- no, he took his cowl off- Father threw himself across the room to assess the health of his son.

Damian started unstrapping his gear.

“How did you get free?”

“We apparently had a man on the inside?”

“Had?”

“He blew his cover to save me.”

“Nightwing, report. Where is this man now?”

“I was landing the plane. Nice digs, dad.”

The cave fell silent, but for the ringing of the batarangs Damian dropped as he spun to face the newcomer.

“Not sure what I think of the ‘cave’ vibe you have going on, though.”

“Daniel?”

Daniel met Damian’s eyes, and a look Damian had never seen on his little brother broke out on the boy’s face.

A true, genuine, joyful smile.

“Akhi!”

Damian pulled out his sword and held it towards the stranger in his brother’s body.

“Who are you?”

The boy laughed.

“I’m a little weird now, right? It’s okay, Damian, it’s me.”

“What was the last thing you said to me.”

Damian felt that was a good question. No one but Daniel would know.

“I said I would protect you, and that Ra’s al Ghul would not experience a pleasant afterlife.”

“That-“

“Isn’t quite it, I know. Still true, though. I brought the Lazarus pits with me. Ra’s can’t use them anymore.”

Damian heard Father and Drake choke at Daniel’s words. This was Daniel, despite his complete personality change. No one had been with them when Daniel had made his promise.

“Since when were you a god of death?”

Daniel laughed.

“It’s a long story, Ahki.”

Damian sheathed his sword and held out a hand.

“Come then, habibi, tell me.”

“Can I have a burger to go with the story? I’m starving."

[aliciavance4228]

The Odyssey: Funny Moments

Most of you liked my "The Iliad: Funny Moments" post, so I decided to make this one as well.

1. When Telemachus asks Odysseus what kind of help they have for taking down the suitors, Odysseus basically says, "We've got Zeus and Athena on our side. Are you sure that'll be enough?"

2. "Brother, who blinded you?" "Nobody! Nobody did!" "...Then we're going to go back to sleep."

Taken to the logical extreme in a comic book adaptation where Odysseus and his men gave him fake names:

"Brother, who blinded you?"

"Nobody! Idontknow! Idontcare! Or maybe... Idontremember!"

"So that's why they called him Polyfool."

3. After his crew opened the bag of winds thinking it had treasure and caused a huge storm, Odysseus briefly considers suicide as valid as an option to preserving through hardship.

4. The sheer, mind-boggling, testicle-shriveling amount of crap that Odysseus and his crew get put through when trying to get back to Ithaca can be viewed as hilarious in a cringe comedy kind of way. By the time Odysseus gets home and realizes that his wife has been badgered and harangued by suitors for a decade one could be forgiven for thinking that his wanton slaughter of them all was less about their violation of guest rights and more just blowing off some steam on a morally unambiguous target.

5. When briefly visiting the Underworld, Persephone allows Odysseus to talk with his mother and other dead people. Odysseus is absolutely terrified of her and dreads staying too long and incurring her wrath, running back to his ship fearful that she'll sic Medusa's head on him.

6. One of Odysseus's crew randomly dies by falling off a roof after a night of heavy drinking. Everyone else gets to be killed by horrible monsters and the wrath of the gods, but he instead gets to be a posthumous reminder about the dangers of alcoholism. Even better, after his death he berates Odysseus for not burying him properly when our hero goes to Hades!

7. On the way back to Ithaca, Telemachus asks a favor of Nestor's son Pisistratus, and proceeds to invoke two generations of friendship to get some help dodging Nestor's aggressive hospitality.

8. Penelope asks a disguised Odysseus to interpret a dream she had. It turns out that during the dream, one of its characters explicitly explained what it all represented, and Odysseus just repeats it back to her.

9. While disguised as a human, Athena goes to the trouble of giving a plausible explanation for her departure... then promptly blows her cover by turning into a bird and flying away in front of a boggling Nestor and Telemachus.

10. Penelope's tricks against the suitors, of which the two best known are:

At one point, she told the suitors she'd choose her next husband after she'd finish weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus's father Laërtes... And every night, she'd undo her work. She strung them along for three years and would have continued had an unfaithful maid not exposed her.

On page we see her daring them to replicate one of Odysseus's feats: she put twelve axes on the ground so that the rings in the handle would align and gave them Odysseus' unstrung bow and arrows, and told them that whoever could use that bow toshoot an arrow through all the rings would be her next husband.She also forgot to tell them it was a recurve bow that the suitors wouldn't even recognize when at rest, let alone string.

A lesser-known ploy is when she calls out the suitors for freeloading off her husband's estate instead of courting her with lavish gifts. They rush to present her with gifts, while the disguised Odysseus watches with delight.

11. Athena's response when Odysseus fails to recognize her in disguise and tells her a backstory he came up with on the spot is essentially "That's my liar! There he is!"

Credits: TV Tropes

[whencyclopedia]

As the cradle of European civilization and a meeting place of diverse cultures, Crete is a magical island that stands apart in the heart of the Mediterranean sea. Its prominent place in world history dates back to the mysterious and fascinating Bronze Age civilization of the Minoans, who were building lavish labyrinth-like palaces at a time when Athens was just a village. In the Odyssey, Homer describes Crete as a rich land, filled with countless people who speak several languages. The location of this mountainous island, at a crossroad of three continents, has been a natural outpost of consecutive invaders, including the Greeks, Romans, Venetians, and Ottomans, who have left their mark on Cretan culture. Remainders of Crete's extraordinary past are scattered all over the island. Today, travellers come to explore and discover not only its five-millennium-old history but also its extraordinary natural beauty and diversity. As I journeyed through the Cretan landscape, I visited its most important ancient sites, including the famous Minoan palaces, but also veered off the beaten track to explore the lesser-known archaeological remains. In this tour of western Crete, I invite you to delve into the long and rich history of this fascinating island. The Minoan civilization emerged on the island of Crete in the Early Bronze Age at the end of the third and beginning of the second millennium BCE. It flourished from c. 2000 BCE until c. 1500 BCE with the establishment of centres, called "palaces" by modern archaeologists, that concentrated political and economic powers, as well as artistic activities. Of particular significance was the religious role played by the palaces in the cult of the Mother Goddess. These impressive edifices were built at Knossos and Malia in the northern part of the island, at Phaistos in the south, and Zakros in the east, all sites with a rich agricultural hinterland and direct access to the most important sea routes of the time. The British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans discovered the first of these palaces in Knossos in 1900 CE and named the people who built them after the legendary King Minos. It was King Monos who, according to tradition, ordered the construction of a labyrinth in Knossos to hold the Minotaur, the mythical half-man, half-bull creature. The Minoan culture spread throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean world and its stunning art and architecture deeply influenced the Mycenaean Civilization (1600-1100 BCE) that would succeed it. After the downfall of the Mycenaeans, Crete was ruled by various ancient Greek city-states until the Romans conquered the island in 69 BCE and made Gortyn their capital. Under Roman rule, Crete re-emerged as a major cultural centre and became the joint province of Crete and Cyrenaica and a centre of early Christianity. When the Roman Empire split into two, Crete was made part of the Eastern Empire. It continued to prosper during the Byzantine era until it faced repeated Arab raids and, ultimately, full conquest in the 820s CE. Today the central and western parts of the island are blessed with archaeological treasures which include the famous sites of Knossos, Phaistos and Gortyn but also Aptera, Phalasarna and Eleutherna, all with significant architectural remains as compelling evidence of Crete's long and varied history.

[zvhiux34]

(the pics aren't mine obviously)

(Read the subtitles of the song to enjoy the plot)

Pairing: YN (An Empress of Austro-Hungarian Empire ) x König as a knight/Imperial Captain of the Guard

Plot: König is the Imperial Captain of the Guard, and he posseses everything a man could desire, but he lacks the most important: you.

w.c: 1.9k

Warning: Fluff and angst. Small sexual inuendo. Maybe some inaccurate history for the sake of plot lol. English it's not my first language.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

König is the captain general of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Born into a family belonging to the low nobility, he forged his own path as a notable warrior and in the name of the empire he conquered new lands, leading battles like the good strategist that he was.

Throughout the territory and even beyond the border, his bravery on the battlefield and his achievements were well known.

With his great military bearing and an appearance that inspired fear and security, diplomacy and rudeness at the same time, from the noblest of princes to the most dishonorable of the most swindlers wanted to have him as a friend, and were wary of having him as an enemy.

In his homeland the crown deservedly rewarded his great achievements.

He certainly had everything a man could wish for: noble titles, a growing fortune, the respect of all who looked at him and above all, many women who would wish to have him as a husband.

Some would even settle for being the woman who warmed his bed for just one night, even with the risk of lost their honour and being repudiated the next morning.

But with all his virtues, König caused surprise among his subjects for not having the reputation of requiring the presence of the most daring women of the court, as other men did, whether of equal or lesser position, whether married or single.

There, kneeling where he was, in front of the thrones of their royal highnesses, König, dressed in his armour, raised his head and saw for the first time in months the main reason why no woman could capture his attention enough in this life and the next.

That place in his heart had already been reserved for years, by you.

The Empress of the empire that he had been willing to give his last breath to so many times.

König looked at you as if you were a divine apparition.

But the other subjects were not surprised by the intensity of his gaze towards you, because today you were dressed in a perfectly fitted ivory organza dress and the most brilliant jewels no other ruler had ever worn, which was a pleasant reflection of the prosperity of the empire.

In part, thanks to the knight in front of you, who, like so many times before, had today placed at your feet the loot he obtained by conquering the new lands snatched from enemy hands: A prominently treasure trove filled with shiny precious stones and gold coins that were overflowing.

Everyone was amazed at such a find, the trove was so tempting that anyone would want to put their hand in to take out anything that came out of there, and they did not take their eyes off it.

They did not realize König never looked at the trove, because he was looking at something that was much more valuable to him than a thousand conquered kingdoms.

—Your imperial majesties —König finally spoke —I give you at your feet the treasure found from the last successful conquest in the name of this magnificent empire, I wish nothing more than for it to be pleasant for you.

He thought for a moment you had detailed him to make sure he was not injured, as so many other times.

But what caught his attention the most was how your characteristic smile appeared on your face, a smile with hints of tenderness and complacency.

König would be willing to return to the battlefield and fight until death finally reaches him, if that would guarantee that you would never lose your smile.

— As usual, we are very pleased with your work and your effort —You assured. It was well know to you König is a great knight and captain, he has been quite helpful to this empire during all his years of service.

At least this way, you can see him from time to time.

Your voice in his ears was like a sweet melody to his ears, like a lullaby in the middle of the storm... But said melody was finally interrupted by another voice, König turned his attention to it out of respect while masterfully hiding the look of reluctance that tried to dominate his face.

—For your last work for the imperial crown, I, the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, have decided to grant you for your faithful work and commitment to the kingdom... the Duchy of Prague, congratulations —Announced the man who was sitting next to you, the man who owned the only thing König longed for.

The rest of the subjects were impressed by such a concession, especially by the Emperor's gesture, which indicated anything but complacency.

Although he recognized the work of the captain in charge (and found it difficult to admit it out loud) it was known he was not entirely happy with it.

Through the halls of the palace, rumors were circulating that long ago, when you were still a princess...you had maintained a friendship with the current imperial captain, there was even talk of courtship and even wedding plans.

But all that fell apart thanks to the advisors, who found König unsuitable for such plans. However, the friendship prevailed over all these years.

And that's why, most of the duchies the captain general now possessed were thanks to your intervention, as a thank you for König's hard work.

Any of the subjects present would kill anyone to wear the fine leather shoes he was currently carrying.

Internally, König laughed quietly.

Firstly because of the slight discontent his Emperor let slip by granting him the title of one of the most important counties.

Second, because despite all this time, you still thought... by granting him lands and properties he could one day fill the void of not being able to be by your side, and be the man with the legitimate right to be called “Your husband” and to walk arm in arm with you, as you were doing right now, as you and the Emperor stood up to head for the exit on the fine red silk carpet, while your attendant staff followed faithfully behind.

Night fell on the Hofburg Imperial Palace, and König could still hear from the rococo-style room that had been arranged for him, the murmur of the melody of the instruments and the people dancing to their rhythm in the great ballroom.

Tonight, a party was being held in honor of the new conquest, but after the banquet where König never took his eyes off your face, he successfully excused himself by assuring that he would like to rest after the busy days he had lived.

The Emperor, delighted he did not have to fight before him for the attention of others, did not insist and allowed him to leave, instead you looked at him with a certain concealed concern, while you wondered if perhaps the wounds from the battle were responsible for his tiredness.

Already lying on his soft bed, in the company of the candlelight that contrasted with the cold light of the moon that peeked through the window, König could finally accept to himself that he would have liked nothing more than to be able to attend the celebration.

But only to be able to dance the traditional Austrian dances with you, and see you laugh and enjoying the dance while he took advantage of the glorious moment to be able to be close to you, inhale your soft rose scent and touch your silky skin even if it was through the fabric, without running the risk of receiving repression from others.

But that was a thing of the past when you were still a princess and he was "The simple son of a Baron" as he once heard someone refer to him, in these times before you married the current Empeoror.

Since then, protocol reserved that privilege only for him, as well as being able to talk about thousands of things for hours in the privacy of the rooms of this palace and walk until you got lost in the beauty of the gardens.

He remembers how, on one of those walks, he discovered one of the most wonderful beings he had ever met, listening to the way you see life through your eyes, the way you express yourself towards nature, towards other people and the beauty of things... and the way you blushed when he confessed he's feelings for you.

König longed for those beautiful moments with you that were left in a past he did not want to let go.

Now he could not do any of those things without it meaning a lack of respect for your honor... and for that Emperor.

If he could have had the honor of being your husband, he could thus send to hell the hundreds of rules of protocol that involve the treatment of you towards him, and they could do so many things under this sky...

He would fight to give you entire kingdoms with their wonders included simply for being who you are, without having to disguise the fact as a consideration of a knight towards his Empress.

Together you would go to see the parts of the world you two have only known through books and paintings. Now, he is the only one of you two who has known those places.

He would show you the thousands of diversions that exists out there, you would dance all night long until your feet give out, and above all...

You would no longer walk alone through the gardens with only your ladies as your company, nor would you spend even one lonely night in your cold bed... As you do now, and as you probably will tonight, while the Emperor is busy having fun with the ladies that König rejects all the time at court.

But all those wishes were just that, an impossibility for his heart.

And all because you became the first in the line of succession, and the position König had at that time was not important enough to be worthy of being the man who accompanies you, making their union impossible forever.

That's why he decided not to marry.

Why? He didn't want to agree to marriage if he couldn't do it with the only woman he ever loved and the only one he'd ever want to be able to do it with.

He conceived the marriage with some other woman for whom he barely felt any appreciation as something unnatural, despite the pressure from his family and everyone around him to silence the rumors of the court, of the alleged jealousy the Imperial Emperor felt towards a simple captain of the guard.

«What an irony» he thought, the most powerful person in this kingdom felt intimidated by him, the captain of the guard.

While the only thing he wants from the emperor is not his dynasty, his power or his treasure chests...

He simply wants his wife.

Not the empress of this damned empire.

He only wants you.

In his heart he will die being married to you, since this cruel and vain world did not allow it.

It was the last thing König thought of until his tiredness was stronger than him, imagining you dancing in your majestic ivory dress while you sketched the smile that you showed to your subjects, to hide the misfortune that reigned behind your gaze.

Sadly for him, he has also heard the rumors about you.

[matan4il]

Hello hello, sending hugs as always!

I was hoping you maybe be able to give me some inspiration for a small series of food photos I'm assembling for Channukah! I'm doing an 8 part series celebrating the different groups within Judaism to 1. Be loudly and proudly Jewish at this current time, and 2. raise awareness for non-ashki Jews. In the UK it's super hard to find many non ashki peeps which makes it hard to chat to people about other classic Channukah foods, but I was wondering if you knew of any particularly good ones (that aren't latke or sufganiyot)? Would hugely appreciate any suggestions you have!!

Hi darling, sending you the biggest hugs right back! <3

Oooh, Hanukkah foods! I'm not gonna lie, some of my fave Jewish foods come from this holiday. With your permission, I'll give a small introduction, just for anyone reading, who might be unfamiliar with Hanukkah, and curious... and also talk about some of the lesser known Hanukkah food traditions among European Jews, too.

So during Hanukkah, we celebrate a miracle that happened with the oil at the Temple in Jerusalem. After the Jews defeated the occupying Greek forces that had desecrated our Temple, we wanted to light again the eternal flame of the Menorah (the Temple candelabra) with olive oil, but after the destruction caused by the Greek forces, there was only enough left for one day, and it would take 8 days to get more oil. The miracle is that somehow, that small amount of oil lasted for the whole 8 days, meaning the light didn't go out again. To remember this miracle, we eat food fried in oil! Being Jewish is so good for your health. XD

In shops and bakeries around Israel, there are already sufganiot being sold. They are YUMMY, and while some people call them "the Jewish donuts," I can say that after having eaten American donuts, I def think sufganiot are way yummier (in part 'coz they're not as "heavy" because the dough it's made of is fluffier? More... airy? Not sure how to say it, but I hope you get the idea). Also, you don't get robbed, because someone made a hole in the middle of the sufgania, taking out nearly half of it. The traditional type has strawberry jam injected inside, and sugar powder on top, but in Israel there are some crazy fancy kinds, and every year they seem to become more extravagant.

Traditional sufganiot (you can see a bit of the jam on top, but half the fun is biting and getting to the "treasure" of lots of jam at the center of the sufgania):

Fancy sufganiot:

Then there's the latkes, or as they're called in Hebrew, levivot. They're like savoury pancakes made out of potatoes, and obviously they're fried in oil.

In many Jewish communities, there was a custom of giving kids special pocket money for Hanukkah. In Israel, this "money" is given in the form of chocolate "coins." I freaking loved this as a kid! It was fun unwrapping the "coins," eating the chocolate, and then (assuming I was careful when peeling them off), make a collection of the different "coins," or just play with the wrap.

Greek Jews used to make a bread from potatoes and yogurt:

Georgian Jews made levivot out of corn flour (sometimes filled with cheese), or out of potatoes AND nuts, giving it the shape of a big omelette. Here's the corn flour version:

Czech Jews had a custom saying goose is the best meat, so for Hanukkah, they often ate goose related dishes. For example, they would make levivot from potatoes, eggs, sugar, lemon and goose fat.

French and Swiss Jews would make levivot out of apples.

The Jews of Iraq, Algeria and Buchara (which is in Uzbekistan) used to put the Hanukkah pocket money for the kids inside honey cakes. In Algeria and Buchara they also sometimes made levivot with meat added inside.

The Jews of Romania and Austria used to light potato Hanukkah candles! This was likely because they were so poor. Still, a pretty cool thing, when you can light your candle, and eat it (or at least a part of it), too.

In northern Africa, Jews used to make a type of cookie called Debla (sometimes nicknamed "dough roses"), which originated in Libya. They're usually eaten with a sweet syrup. It's more of a Purim dish (the equivalent of Hamantaschen), but was sometimes prepared for Hanukkah as well. Traditional Debla:

And a slightly "fancier" Israeli version:

Okay, maybe my fave Hanukkah dish! It's called sfinge (the 'ge' is pronounced like in "sponge"), and it's basically the Moroccan sufgania, which later became popular among Tunisia and Libya Jews, too. It can be round with a hole in the middle, it can be in the shape of a ball, while Libyan Jews make it flat. It's eaten with either honey or sugar powder, but again, in Israel fancier versions developed... I'm not a great cook, so IDK to explain why, but it's even fluffier than the sufgania, and that's why it's my personal fave.

Traditional sfinge with honey:

With sugar powder:

Israelis always having to make everything fancier:

They even made a savoury version of flat sfinge...

I hope this helps! Have a wonderful day, darling! xoxox

[calabria-mediterranea]

The Best Beaches on the Coast of the Gods, Calabria, Italy

Tropea is the summer destination for many Italians, Europeans, and other International travelers. It’s so easy to see why so many people are drawn to this Calabrian seaside town. This charming town sits perched on dramatic cliffs looking down on a simple and picturesque church surrounded by the most incredible sparkling blue-green sea. The water is so clear that when it is still, it seems like things are flying just about the water instead of actually floating on it.

There are a lot of wonderful things to see and do in Tropea. But if you are looking to also spend a relaxing day at the beach, then instead of heading to the main beach in Tropea, why not considering heading a little further down the coast. There you’ll find some lesser-known, but also incredibly spectacular beaches!

This beautiful stretch of coastline near Tropea, named La Costa degli Dei (the Coast of the Gods) winds through the province of Vibo Valentia, revealing an unspoiled landscape full of unexpected tourist attractions, extending from Pizzo to Nicotera. These beaches are relatively unknown to the average tourist, so you’ll typically be sharing the day with locals.

Rich in history, culture and breathtaking natural beauty, the Costa degli Dei is a true paradise for sea lovers. This area boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in southern Italy. Each beach presents its own uniqueness and fascinating beauty, making every day at the beach an unforgettable experience.

Briatico beach

Among the most picturesque places on the��Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods) in Calabria is the small village of Briatico, overlooking the Gulf of Saint Euphemia and located at the foot of the Monte Poro promontory. It is the perfect year-round destination for tourists looking for a beautiful sea and a cosy, tranquil environment, while not missing out on discovering Italian historical sites.

Briatico beach alternates between stretches of white sand with cliffs and bays that are only accessible by boat. But what makes this stretch of coastline truly unique are the ruins of ancient towers, built to defend against the Saracens. Only two of the five original buildings have survived the passage of time: La Rocchetta and Torre Sant’Irene.

Marinella di Zambrone

Marinella di Zambrone is also known as Paradiso del Sub because its cove is a local favorite for snorkeling. It is an easy 15-minute drive north of Tropea. To get to this beach, you have to do a little bit of work. The walk down to the beach takes about 10 minutes. You must follow a rustic trail that winds its way down to the beach below. Once you arrive at your final destination, you are greeted with white sandy beaches and crystal waters. Because of its slightly “inconvenient” (but so worth it) access, this beach is less busy, and you certainly won’t find a lot of tourists here. It’s a great way to mingle with the locals while feeling like you are on your own private beach.

Spiaggia Michelino in Parghelia

Located just a couple of miles north of Tropea, are two beaches that are much-loved by the locals. These long sandy beaches have sparkling clear waters, little coves, and beautiful large rocks in and around the coast that you can explore. Like the beach of Zambrone, you can’t access this beach directly from the street. However, this beach is easier to get to because it has a staircase leading down to the beach. If you’d like to get a view of the coastline from a bit higher up, then take the path to the right before going down the steps. It will take you to a viewpoint where you can admire the coast and the beach below. Once you reach the bottom of the steps, you have the option to go to the left for Spiaggia Parghelia or to the right for Spiaggia Michelino. They are both beautiful, so you can’t go wrong with whichever one you choose.

Piedigrotta beach in Pizzo Calabro

One of the hidden treasures of this coast is the Piedigrotta Beach, named after the small church of the same name located in a cave a few meters from the sea. This unique church, sculpted entirely in the sea rock by local artists over time, is a sanctuary of peace and serenity. With its altar directly overlooking the sea, it is impossible not to be struck by its special beauty and spirituality.

Capo Vaticano in Ricadi

Just south of Tropea we discover Capo Vaticano, a spectacular granite cliff that offers breathtaking views of the Mediterranean and the Aeolian Islands. The unspoiled nature and beauty of Capo Vaticano's scenery is perfect for trekking and adventure lovers.

The famous Venetian writer Giuseppe Berto made Capo Vaticano his home, after travelling throughout Italy. "Capo Vaticano", he wrote, "is called Vatican as a Roman hill: once priests and fortune tellers searched for the future basing their predictions on birds' flights. 200 metres over the Cape there is a rock called Mantineo and in ancient Greek, it means: to communicate with God. The Cape was a holy place and now it is the same."

Baia di Riaci in Ricadi

This small beach has a large natural rock formation that you can swim in, around and through – it is truly magical. Here the beaches are sandy, and the gorgeous transparent water is shallow, which is great for families with children.

Sources: My Bella Vita and e-borghi

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[yandere-toons]

Yandere Anakin Skywalker (Platonic & Romantic Headcanons)

Warnings: Abuse of Power, Violence, Death, Mentions of Choking/Strangulation, Implied Stalking, Psychological Manipulation, Toxic Mindsets.

Based on Clone Wars Anakin.

Platonic:

Anakin has tasted loss one time too many to treat this bond as anything other than a closely guarded treasure, one that he will break a great many rules to prolong. But the restrictive Jedi Order takes every opportunity to remind him: "The Jedi Code comes before friendship." Be that as it may, Anakin considers them family and will now guard them with his life.

If his friend claims someone is harassing them or Anakin witnesses what he considers blatant disrespect, he offers to straighten out the problem in a way that seems like a joke but is deathly sincere. Once the offender suffers a mysterious injury or sudden change of heart, Anakin cannot resist making a cheeky remark that arouses the suspicion of all who hear.

Obi-Wan senses his burning resentment towards the person and confronts him about harbouring forbidden attachments, which Anakin only proves by denying with such fervour. Chancellor Palpatine enables this volatility, pushing Anakin to take whatever extreme measures he feels necessary to exact justice, no matter how much it alienates him from the other Jedi.

If properly motivated, he will defend his friend's honour with a barrage of lightsaber strikes, cruel for a Jedi, or blows with his cybernetic fist at the hapless fool who crossed the line that day. The attack ends when he feels he has made his point and not a second sooner, not one punch less, because Anakin is not afraid to beat some people to death if he is not stopped or given a powerful incentive to restrain himself.

For lesser offences and when the object of his wrath is out of reach, Anakin practices passive aggression. He secludes himself in storerooms to tinker with various machinery, lies about his troubles to anyone who asks but Padmé, and later demands that this offender be shunned and distrusted by his colleagues.

Anakin lends his Padawan Ahsoka Tano a disturbing insight into the brunt of his protective fury when his friend comes under fire, whether from battle droids or Republic officials. He does his best to limit their role in missions he deems dangerous, and his voice of determination to expose and punish the culprit rings out after a threat falls upon them.

He proclaims their innocence in the face of accusations and rages at those who doubt them. Obi-Wan cautions him to have better control over his temper, but Anakin is outspoken about how absurd he finds the charges and will not rest until he has dragged the serpent who wants to scapegoat his friend into the light.

Until the rightful culprit from whom he wrings a confession is dead or rotting in prison, a cloaked menace that assaults and interrogates their known enemies besets the galaxy's underworld. Criminals are Force-choked left and right, while Chancellor Palpatine feeds Anakin's darkest urges after he storms into the Senate Building in search of guidance and validation.

Anakin will not hesitate to take the leaps no one else will when it comes to the special people in his life, and if his friend is a fellow Force user, he will abuse his ability to monitor them in this way. Anakin sees this as ensuring their protection from a hostile world hell-bent on making good people suffer, no matter that his retribution against those who try their luck with his friend grows worse with each passing day.

His perception of them holds more value in his eyes than their true nature. Even if they show a spiteful streak or manipulative tendencies, Anakin has long since convinced himself of their admirable character and springs into action to help them whenever possible. Perhaps he trusts them to make the right decisions after fighting together in the war, but Anakin tends not to think twice about the morally questionable actions they take on or off the battlefield.

Palpatine notices and exploits Anakin's willingness to bend and break the rules for someone, pulling some strings to put Anakin's friend in perpetual danger. He uses his network of cronies to force Anakin to make uncomfortable choices, such as sacrificing the life of another for his friend, which strains his other relationships and reflects poorly on the Jedi.

Romantic:

Every time some piece of scum manages to wound his partner, Anakin relives the agony of his mother's death and drowns in the fear that he will once again fail to save those closest to him. This desperation drives him to steamroll over entire battalions and lay waste to anyone who tries to dispute his right to act, Jedi or Sith. For Anakin, losing another person he holds dear is far more frightening than any punishment the Jedi Order could mete out.

Suppose he is indicted on war crimes or threatened with expulsion from the Order for leaving a trail of severed heads and limbs on his unauthorised journey to rescue the partner he is not allowed to have. In this case, Anakin calls the Jedi Council blind for not seeing things from his perspective and understanding why he had to defy orders and cut down that Separatist sympathiser.

Chancellor Palpatine informs Anakin that the Council must not trust him if it disregards his argument so thoughtlessly. On the other hand, he commends Anakin's resolve to fight for his emotions rather than against them. Palpatine even encourages him to follow his anger to its natural conclusions when he spots his partner in trouble, which nurtures further conflict in Anakin as the Jedi Order insists he does the opposite.

Anakin believes he is partly responsible for his mother's death. He blames himself because, as his guilty conscience tells him, he left her behind to pursue his own goals and returned only with weakness and insufficient urgency to help her. As a result, Anakin struggles with the lingering paranoia that he will make the same mistake twice when he cannot readily locate and confirm his partner's safety.

On the battlefield, Obi-Wan is one of the few people who can successfully talk Anakin out of putting the entire mission on hold until he finds them. On starships, clone troopers obey without question when General Skywalker gives the order to leave the room while he tortures a prisoner of war for information on their whereabouts and health.

Between missions, Anakin reaffirms that he values this relationship above all else in the galaxy, even promising to abandon the Order if his involvement in it becomes too great a hindrance. He fights for his comrades more than he fights for some grand peace, and if the options are honouring the Jedi Code or keeping his partner out of danger, Anakin will maim and intimidate his way to victory.

In his younger, more impulsive hours, he gave little thought to who might see his brazen displays, rushing to embrace his partner after long separations. As the war progresses, he grows more adept at hiding his affections from the stoic eye of the Council, even though his frustration at this leads him to arrange secret meetings and become increasingly defensive towards anyone who suspects the truth.

Of all his confidants, Anakin trusts no one more than his partner, but Captain Rex is a close second. Respecting his orders to comb the area whenever they stray a little too far from Anakin's field of vision, Rex does his part to watch over one of his commander and friend's favourite people. He makes no judgements of his own, though he does mediate between Anakin and other Jedi who might tell Anakin to cut his losses.

The clones under his command are not inclined to rebel when Anakin orders them to round up the populace he believes is involved in his partner's disappearance. Some troopers may be a little shaken when he starts strangling civilians with the Force until someone gives a lead; however, their training has taught them to follow all orders, even if it means raiding buildings and dragging people to face an enraged Anakin.

Too sick of the Council's deception to subject Padmé to the same backstabbing treatment, Anakin one day broaches the idea of bringing a third person into the relationship. He pretends not to have anyone specific in mind so that he can dismiss it as simple curiosity, only to betray his eagerness when Padmé asks for details.

She wants to see him happy, so she agrees to Anakin spending more time with them. However, Anakin applies a double standard: he would never tolerate Padmé or his partner being interested in someone else, let alone inviting that person into the relationship. This takes time and attention away from his emotionally starved self and implies to his abandonment-fearing mind that he is not good enough.

[dailyadventureprompts]

The Daily Adventure Prompts Masterpost

After several years of running this blog, it’s become more and more evident that I need some central reference where people can access all my different DM advice posts, important tags, and ongoing series. Sharing my ideas with people and helping to improve the art and craft of being a dungeonmaster was always the point of DAP after all, and its of no help to anyone if the answers to important questions are buried under a hundred or more pages of my rambling.

To that end, I present this post as an ever expanding catalogue of my thoughts. Something that you can page through at your leisure in hopes some of my hardwon lessons will be of use to you.  

DM Advice: The go-to tag for all my rambling on how to improve your d&d game, with some highlights presented here,

My Process

Getting Organized

Basics of Campaign writing

Railroading & Rollercoasters

The “more than you can chew” universal d&d story structure

Ghosts on the Horizon: not getting bogged down with overplanning

Mapmaking 101

Writer’s Block

Better Random Encounters

Better Loredumps and Exposition

Writing Adventures to Make your party care about your world

Series of Interest

The DM Starterpack: Focused on first timers or those who want to re-learn d&d from the ground up this series of posts is intended to give you an idea how to come up with a campaign concept, write a first adventure, run a session zero, and slowly pivot into running a larger campaign.

Tableskills: While a lot of my work focuses on how you can write better stories, these posts talk about being a better storyteller focusing in on the performance art of DMing.

Mechanics: On the flipside, sometimes you need to put on your game designer hat and focus in on ways to make the underlying engine of the game run more smoothly to better facilitate fun and storytelling.

How to Run...: there are certain types of adventure that need more thought put into them then the average monsterhunt or dungeon delve, and so I wrote a series of articles to not only help you write/design them but to pull them off at your table.

Wilderness Exploration

Heists

Naval Combat

Infiltrating a fancy party

Mystery

Airship Adventures

Political Intrigue

Mythology style epic labours

The Loot Overhaul: A series of posts where I focus in on different aspects of d&d’s treasure and item

An overhaul to player wealth & The Economy

Better Loot & Treasure Hoard generation

A case for magic item shops & Item focused treasure hauls

Shopping trips & Group Inventory Management

Making Identifying & Attuning to Items interesting

Crafting Overhaul pt 1: Weapons & Armour

Crafting Overhaul pt 2: Magic & Consumables

Monsters Reimagined: My ongoing delve into d&d’s bad monster lore and how it can be improved. Sometimes it’s because a cool monster is just underwritten, sometimes its because how they’re used in the narrative just doesn’t make sense, sometimes its because there’s decades or even centuries old pro-genocide talking points that we need to unpack.

Footnotes on Foes: For those topics that don’t warrant a full “monsters reimagined” but I still want to give my take on. Fun stuff in there, especially with lesser known monsters that could use a revamp.  

Heavy Topics: Where I deepdrive on the nuance of particular topics, ranging from uncomfortable touchstones in history that are important to my writing to sensitive subjects that you’ll want to discuss with others around your table.

Bad Opinions: Sometimes a take so awful lands in my inbox that I need to hold it up infront of my audience and perform a vivisection. Its part media study, part bloodsport.

Dungeon Design: An attempt to do what the creators of the game have put off for decades (despite being half of the title) and actually provide a coherent framework for step by step dungeon design. After nearly twenty years of banging my head against a wall, it finally seems to have worked.

Planescape: Where I try to add cool new (or revamped) destinations to the tapestry of d&d’s multiverse.

Special mention to “Why I don’t use the Great Wheel Cosmology” as it underscores a lot of my overall problems with d&d’s cosmic lore and its weird moralistic claims.

Deities: A collection of new/overhauled gods focusing on making them represent ideals that people would actually believe in as an embodiment of ideals and narrative themes.

How to use the divine in your game: a story first view of how to use faith, religion, and gods in your campaigns aiming for things more subtle and thematic.

Outer Gods: For when you want to get lovecraftian

Religion is the tag I use to talk about the concept of both faith as a theme in writing, as well as how the organized religion serves as a worldbuilding tool

Adventures by Type: not a comprehensive list

Press Start: Opening adventures for those who want a solid start for future campaigns or adventures

Campaigns: For those who’d like a larger story framework to play with

Adventure Compendium: If you’d like a lot of ideas on the same theme

Dungeon: Need I say More?

Monsterhunt: Facing off against a powerful enemy that has some tricks

Villain: In both Quantity and Quality

Player Home: Every party needs a place to rest their head

Ally: They’re here to help, usually

Patron: Benefactors of the shady and non shady verity

Mystery: Put your Sleuthing Hat on

Thief: Time to steal something

Faction: Larger groups the party can join

Adventures by Environment

Lowland

Swamp

Field

Desert

Wasteland

Highland

Cave

Mountain

Forest

Seaside

Ruin

Settlement

Village

Town

City

[elysianymph]

my unpopular marauders opinions

(i'm scared 😟)

'nothing is ooc bc we know nothing about the characters!' might work with the girl characters and the lesser known ones but it does not fly when we are talking about the marauders and other characters like barty, regulus, etc. we have so much (biased) information on these characters and you can't erase all they were in the original text bc you want to make an oc in the marauders era.

sirius is literally one of the most interesting characters in the fandom and i hate how he's been dumbed down to regulus' brother or remus' boyfriend depending on who's pov we're reading. what happened to cool sirius and why has he become a loser who follows remus around like a lapdog??? what happened to casanova sirius who all the girls were into but he never paid them any attention??? what happened to the sirius who risked his life and ran away bc he refused to become like his parents??? and why has been reduced to a whimpering mess who cries bc remus is mean to him (ooc on remus' part too). you're lying to yourselves if you think sirius wouldn't start throwing hands the moment remus insulted him. i need to write an entire separate post for this bc it makes me viscerally angry when i see him portrayed like this. who decided that giving remus all of sirius' main character traits was a good idea??

similarly, remus has become so boring. he has literally become the toxic love interest in a werewolf story please STOP IT. i'm tired of remus constantly yelling and calling other people (specifically sirius) worthless or hitting their deepest insecurities but it's all justified bc it's the full moon and he's angry and emotional. it's overdone, it's toxic, it's boring and i don't want to see it. my remus will forever be a an old sweater-wearing, bookworm people pleaser who wanted nothing more than to have friends who loved him despite who he was and he treasured them so dearly when he found them. he carried extra pens and quills in his bag because he knew peter always forgot his, he always came to james' games to cheer him on despite not being interested in quidditch. idk what you people find appealing about remus thinking sirius is a nuisance or annoying when they're dating but it's not <3 he spent years staring at sirius' back during class and being satisfied to just be in his presence because he didn't think he deserved any of it. how could he wish for more when sirius was wrapping an arm around him and whispering the plan to their newest prank? you want me to think the shy boy who looked away anytime sirius made eye contact with him was a smooth talker who found sirius annoying?? at this point he's an oc with remus' face be fr

sirius >>> regulus any day. cry about it

speaking of regulus i hate how the fandom has characterized him. you've created sirius 2.0 with his storyline (while simultaneously slandering sirius' character) and then made him an emo version of remus' already awful characterization. he's not an uwu victim who begged his brother to come with him, he was a blood supremacist who was probably overjoyed that the stain on his family tree was gone. 'i hate you but i love you' describes the black brothers perfectly but that 'but' doesn't undo the hatred they feel for each other. sibling relationship are so complex, especially in a family like theirs, and their relationship would've been turbulent. by the time sirius had ran away i fully believe the hate they felt for each other was bigger than any love they had left. regulus who is a manipulative asshole, regulus who is actively trying to get rid of sirius so he can get to be the heir he thinks he deserves to be will always be more interesting than the way regulus is written in most jegulus fics.

also james would've literally bullied regulus. it's the truth

also, let james be an asshole! let james be a bully! he was a teenager for fucks sake let him be mean and cruel! give him an ego the size of the sun and nothing else to 'make it better'. he was an only child raised in a pureblood family, i would be more surprised if he didn't turn out to be a narcissistic teenager. he was talented and spoiled and wanted everyone to agree with him bc he had never been brought down to earth from his high horse. let him be messy. i don't understand why the fandom has such a problem with complex characters

this fandom hates on severus too much while babygirl-ifying characters who have done the same or worse than him. was he an asshole? yes. was he also a really interesting character that people choose to ignore or push aside bc he's not conventionally attractive? yes. you've idolized barty and evan and regulus, characters who are also canonically death eaters and have done unforgivable things, yet you continue to hate on severus because?? i don't like him either but commenting 'stan bambi' on every single severus edit is a bit too much effort for a character you claim to not give a shit about :/

remus would NOT be friends with barty, evan and regulus. he's a loser and those three would bully him to death

'i wish people would make more marauders era girls content-' 💥💥💥make it yourself. there is PLENTLY of girls content all you need to do is look in the tags (but oh wait you can't look in the tags bc no one in this fandom has apparently heard of fandom etiquette and they're all tagging every ship under the sun on a post about jegulus. trust me, if i wanted to see jegulus content i would go in their tag. now stop tagging it with dorlene and marylily)

idk if this one is that unpopular cause i've seen it around quite a bit recently but the lupins are literally one of the best families and they are so underrated. the relationships between hope and remus and lyall and remus and the effects that remus' lycanthropy has on them is always on my mind fr. you don't need to give every character mommy/daddy issues to make them interesting or complex ❤️

the prank is SO overdone. like every post prank fic is the same shit and i'm tired. sirius felt no remorse, remus called it an unfunny prank, get over it. it can be interesting to explore (especially sirius' thoughts during it and how remus deals with the consequences of one of his best friends betraying him) but so many times the prank has just been used to justify writing remus being so so incredibly shitty to sirius and poking at his every insecurity that at this point i don't even want to read about it anymore. remus had every right to be mad but once again you're ignoring the canon characterization just to make him seem like a badass when he would absolutely not confront sirius about it.

'[girl character] is just the female version of [male character]' literally makes me want to bite someone's head off. how is it that you have time to create whole new personalities for james, sirius, remus and every other male character under the sun but lily, mary, dorcas or marlene don't get that treatment?? slapping sirius' old characterization on marlene or remus' old characterization on lily doesn't make for compelling characters but none of you care enough to actually flesh these women out and make them something more. it's no wonder people complain about them being boring when the main fanon is just slapping on a guy's personality onto them but make it misogynistic. if you can give regulus an entire backstory and justify his every action then you can give the girls some interesting character traits in your works be fr.

rudy solos grant chapman 🫶🏻

[papersnatch]

Potemkin thoughts. Does he like to do things. What things. Tell me

GRABS YOU. I don't have many headcanons for Potemkin, but this ask got me thinking about his hobbies and occasional activites a little bit, so here ya go !

Wawa Woowoo Potemkin (Guilty Gear) Headcanons

(because I should probably give this a title for organization reasons)

(+ a quick doodle i made based off of one of these. don't ask where the screwdriver is going, not even i know)

Potemkin doesn't get a lot of free time of his own, because of the whole. Ya know. Being a government official thing? So he's usually preoccupied with some mundane task that Gabriel's assigned him to complete. But when he DOES finally get off duty?...

...actually, he doesn't even rest much in the first place. Potemkin is so used to working and working that once he gets some time to wind down, he just... can't! He never feels rested, just disappointed with himself, disappointed that he isn't working to his best potential, or whatever shitty excuse he manages to come up with. It annoys him.

Ahem. Anyways. Potemkin usually defaults to plotting himself down on a park bench and watching the world pass by. He finds it deeply calming.

(This way, he can also keep an eye out on the civilians of Zepp. He's always subconsciously working, even when he's off duty...)

You'll often see Potemkin wandering around the streets and town squares. He enjoys walking around and taking in the beauty of the environment around him, seeing as how he's always too busy to do so normally. It's the inner artist in him that can't help but notice the little details in everything.

Speaking of, inspiration tends to strike him out of the blue, so Potemkin usually keeps his own sketchbook on him - well, when he's not on duty. Whether it's figure sketching, environmental studies or still life, Potemkin greatly enjoys the arts. (But we knew that already, didn't we?)

(He owns a couple extra-sturdy pencils personally ordered by Gabriel, and he treasures them with his life. They all have the Zepp insignia on the very end of the pencil.)

A lesser known form of art he likes to dabble in is literature! Potemkin doesn't tend to write much of his own, but he sure as hell loves reading. He prefers the classics, the old shit like Shakespeare, Don Quixote, bla bla bla... well actually, moreso whatever would be the equivalent of 'classic' in the 22nd century. He probably has reading glasses, by the way.

Potemkin sometimes, very rarely, has to take some time off to repair his inhibitors. Usually someone does it for him, but there's a couple times that he's had to get hands-on and do it himself. Whether it's a scratch on the surface or a full on dent - it never gets damaged beyond that point - he always takes the utmost care in keeping them in tip-top condition. Although, Potemkin does freak out a lot over the removal of his inhibitors, so he tries his best to speed up the repair process. It's... very, very stressful for him, actually.

Potemkin occasionally attempts cooking for himself... or at least tries his damn best to, since his big ass hands always get in the way. He's often found himself breaking a frying pan handle or two by accident, much to his chagrin. Because of this, he often goes out to eat instead; whether that be gourmet level food prepared by a private chef or the cheap pre-made food from the corner shop. What a shame. Give my boy some homemade soup or something man :(

Oh, also, when he actually manages to make his own food, it's a 50/50 between tasting like shit and tasting fucking SCRUMPTIOUS. That's all.

Training with Gabriel. That's all I have to say, really. Gabriel is his mentor, the only one close to Potemkin that can match (and even surpass) his strength. Maybe they'd even spar from time to time? For funsies. Enrichment :]

Potemkin also has a very strict workout routine, obviously because of the whole genetic mutation thing. He doesn't feel the need to do it often though.

I don't have anything coherent for this one but I need you to imagine Potemkin hanging out with Bridget or Dizzy for me. Picnic with Potemkin and Dizzy and Testament. Okay? Okay. Glad you understand.

That's all I got for now... huh! This was fun! Maybe I should properly open writing asks...? anyways hi potemkin i like potemkin can you tell i like potemkin.potemkin guolty gear potemkin po

[the-jewel-catalogue]

“When Queen Camilla wears a brooch associated with Queen Elizabeth, or even Queen Alexandra or Queen Mary, it underscores the importance of her royal role. But choosing lesser-known heirlooms helpfully avoids direct visual comparison. Delightfully, it also hints at what many of us have long known: that the late Queen’s jewellery collection was incredibly vast, with lots of treasures still waiting to be discovered.”

~ The court jeweller | The Times

[consanguinitatum]

David Tennant: In The Archives

...we delve into some lesser-known repositories to find some DT treasures!

In a little bit of a different post than I normally do, today's post finds me talking about research rather than revealing it. Anyone who reads A Tennantcy To Act knows I love hunting down David Tennant's works in archives and repositories. There are always more questions, and in many cases, the archives are the only place to find answers.

In my post for today, I feature a few places I haven't been…and really bloody wish I could!

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A Tennantcy To Act is an in-depth compendium of David Tennant's growth from a sharp kid to the greatest live stage actor of his generation.

There's so much to read and learn and be amazed by, and it's a resource you'll find yourself going back to again and again. You'll find nothing else like it on the internet, expertly curated and compiled over many years of professional research. There's also a resource page if you want to know how to find and watch David's stuff. Subscribe for free (or click "Let me preview it first!) to get notifications whenever a new article is posted; you won't be disappointed!