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kqutie · 1 month ago

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GROUP EFFORT x BABY EMERGENCY

relations. : platonic avengers/single mother reader ; romantic pairing still undecided

sum. : you're a single mother and your one-year-old son seems to have developed a number of superpowers overnight. feeling desperate, you go to the only superheroes that exist, the avengers; surely they know how to help you. It's a Baby Emergency!

tags. : single mother reader ; baby is inspired by Jack-Jack from ‘the incredibles’ ; fluff ; slight crack fic ; comfort ; baby!oc ; husband!oc ; widowed reader ; baby has multiple powers ; domestic fluff

length : 3.4k

sett. : in a timeline where nobody dies and everyone gets along with each other because I SAID SO! ; doesn’t mention any major events so no spoilers

Ever since you had Vince, your main priority in life became being a good mother to him. You had hoped to raise him with his father, Vincent, but there was a fatal accident at the lab you both worked at that took his life too soon. You were almost another casualty too but you weren’t as close to the site as your husband. Now, however, you’re left to a life of single motherhood.

Grief was your closest companion in the months that followed your husband’s untimely death but you never strayed off course too long; you had to be strong for your baby.

Vince, lovingly nicknamed Vinny, became the centre of your world. Everything revolves around him and you wouldn’t have it any other way. There were hard times and happy times. Times when you cried without reason and times when you couldn’t stop smiling until your cheeks hurt. Being a single mother, made it lonely at times, but you know that Vincent is watching over you and little Vinny every day so you aren’t truly alone.

Watching Vinny grow into the little man he is today was a joy you would never regret. One day, you will surely look back on these times with a smile. Each day, you see more and more of his father in him. They had the same eyes, the same dimpled smile, the same light brown hair and forest-green eyes – he was the perfect carbon copy of your late husband and you couldn’t be happier. It made your heart swell knowing that you had a piece of Vincent left in this world to cherish with all the love in your heart. And. although it was your job as a mother to protect Vinny, sometimes, you feel as if he’s the one protecting you.

Two days ago, you celebrated your little man’s one-year birthday. He had grown up far too quickly and with the brains and cheek of no other one-year-old you have ever met. You were excited to see the type of personality he would develop and what things he would be interested in, would he be a science geek like you and his father or would he be more artistic? A painter? A musician? Maybe he would learn to love literature or be more of a businessman. Perhaps an athlete? You were thrilled at the possibilities, wanting the best for your son and feeling eager to support him in any way. Even though, you don’t think you’re the type of mother to go overboard on such things, you will do your best to be there for him.

But…

This was not one of the things you had foreseen or even thought of when Vinny turned a year old. The doctors said the gamma rays barely reached you, that you and your unborn child would be alright—!

“Vinny! Get down here now! Please baby!” you plead desperately, chasing after your one-year-old as he giggles above you. Vinny was in the air, suspended by some invisible string, floating about freely with the cheekiest grin on his face and both dimples on show! The desperation and fright in your voice are obvious as you follow him around your small apartment with a basket full of pillows, plushies and blankets, ready to catch him if he falls unexpectedly.

Due to the unexpected development following Vinny’s first birthday, you rushed to take the week off work and concentrate on figuring things out with your baby. So far, you’ve had no luck. In fact, the only thing you’ve been able to start is a growing list of all the powers he’s demonstrated over the past three days. Despite your astonishment, first and foremost, you are a mother. And a mother worries for her child excessively.

You don’t know what to do!

You’ve barely had any sleep, practically living off coffee. And Vinny’s hardly slept either. To your guilty dismay, you’ve been taming with sugary treats, just so you could hold him down and have a breather from all the building stress, maybe take a nap together!

The neighbours are definitely not happy with you for your running about and pleading helplessly while Vinny giggles like the little gremlin he at your visible dismay. Your apartment is a mess with certain things not being where they should be and others replacing items in places that aren’t appropriate – courtesy of Vinny’s curious and mischievous behaviour. The laundry needs doing. Vinny needs to have a diaper change. You haven’t eaten in how many hours now. When was the last time you slept and for how long? When was the last time Vinny slept and for how long?!

Everything just keeps mounting!

Single motherhood is hard enough as it is but now you have to deal with your baby having multiple powers! No other mother has had to deal with a power-gifted child before so there weren’t any YouTube tutorials or parenting forums online to help you with the tight bind you’ve found yourself in.

Another day (or was it two days now?) pass and you’re a wreck, barely tied together by the thread of your sanity. But Vinny is having the time of his life. Your little boy thoroughly enjoys the sensations of his newly discovered powers and the list you’ve kept of his the is ever-growing. He can teleport, duplicate himself, generate electricity, levitate things, has laser eyes, spontaneously combust and happily remain on fire without injury, change his physical form into various materials, reverse time on objects to repair them, display superhuman strength and shapeshift with his most favourite thing to do be floating in the air!

“Vinny please!” you’re pleading is met with a devious giggle. Thankfully, your one-year-old has stopped moving around so you can place the well-prepared basket of cushions, plushies and blankets directly below him before turning on a very reliable tactic.

“Look, Vinny! Look!” whipping out your iPad, you turn on a compilation video of the Avengers. “It’s our favourite heroes!” With a squeal of delight, Vinny slowly descends into your arms as he claps his hands. His gaze remains transfixed on his idols talking on screen and occasionally taking action to save the day. Smiling to his ears, Vinny babbles gibberish alongside the heroes as they speak like he’s talking to them and having a pleasant conversation over tea and biscuits. He loves them so much that his first birthday was Avengers-themed – his favourite avenger switched often so you included all the heroes in your decorations.

Placing Vinny on the sofa, he leans back and gets cosy as you hold the iPad up for him. These were one of your saved videos on Youtube specifically for Vinny. Wanting to avoid exposing him to the more explicit action the Avengers usually partake in to save the day, you had taken the liberty of scanning the videos beforehand for any overly violent content. The child-friendly videos, you kept. These were of Captain America saving a cat from a tree, Ironman showing up on the red carpet in his suit and striking comical poses, Spiderman swinging from buildings and doing flips mid-air, Thor and Loki getting coffee together, Pietro pausing mid-chase to wave at a fan before speeding away and many more child-friendly interactions the Avengers have had with or was captured by the public.

What do you do?...

Amid your exhaustion and silent deliberation, you begin to zone out until you’re just as transfixed on the clips playing out. It makes you smile through the exhaustion when you see Vinny squeal and clap joyfully at the sight of Bucky lifting part of a collapsed building so that a little girl could free her whining puppy from the heavy debris.

“Buck!” he cheers the former Winter Soldier on.

“Clever boy~” you coo sweetly and almost laugh at yourself when you realise his advanced intelligence should have been the telling sign of an incredibly gifted child. Why didn’t you pick up on it sooner?

Swallowing a sigh of defeat, you tuck Vinny further into your side as the Avengers tower comes into view on screen. You both watch as the Hellicarrier docks at the top and your beloved heroes step down from the aircraft before making their way inside. In response, Vinny mimics the sound of the Hellicarrier by blowing raspberries and getting his spit all over the screen. His antics make you giggle despite the mess and you try to clean up the screen as quickly as possible for a better viewing experience. Upset with your efforts, Vinny, whines and tries to push your hand away with a pout.

“Uhhh! Excuse me, mister. That is your spit on the screen and it needs to be cleaned off. I’ll be quick, I promise,” Apparently, you aren’t quick enough and Vinny begins to throw a tantrum, crying loud enough that the soundwaves he produces shake the walls of your apartment. You want to comfort him and apologise but his cries are so loud that you have to cover your ears.

It takes a while for your baby to calm down enough that your arm can be free to cradle him close and coo softly in apology. Your neighbours are definitely going to demand that you get kicked out of the building. Heaving a heavy sigh, you pick up the iPad to resume the video but the paused image of the Avengers tower gives you an idea.

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Travelling to Manhattan was easier than you initially expected but that didn’t mean you weren’t anxious the entire way there. You worried that Vinny would show his powers spontaneously and attract unwanted attention. To minimise the risk, you hired a taxi, that way, you could keep a better eye him the entire ride there. So that he was happy and comfortable, you dressed him in his favourite hooded dinosaur romper. And with his beloved Avengers compilation videos playing in the background, you, thankfully, didn’t have any major disturbances on the journey there. You actually managed to get in a quick power nap on the journey.

Upon arrival, you quickly pay for the taxi and hurry to the entrance of the Avengers Tower. You didn’t want to come off as a crazy person but the stress, lack of sleep and desperation for help weren’t doing you any favours — you looked nutty. Not even the make-up could hide your dark circles nor did your styled hair disguise the wildness in your eyes. It’s no wonder the front desk receptionist looks at you weirdly, with a concerning mix of worry and fear in her eyes.

“I promise I’m not some delusional, crazy fan!” you try to convince her as soon as you see her arm reaching for something on the table, probably an emergency button for security. “My 12-month-old just developed powers overnight and I need help!” you plead with tears in your eyes. No sleep, high stress and low energy, you can deal with— you just want your baby to grow up well and… you don’t think you can do it alone anymore…

“I’m sorry ma’am but I’m afraid that if you don’t have an appointment—”

“Please! This is a baby emergency! My son needs your help! Please!” you cry out and reach for her hand, trying to convey your desperation through the clench of your hands around hers. However, before the secretary could retaliate, you notice one singular, glaring thing. Glancing down at the car seat turned carrier beside your feet, you make the startling realisation that it was now empty.

Where. Is. Vinny?!

𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

Vinny knows where his mama has taken him and he’s so happy! He gurgles his happiness and claps as his favourite person in the whole world places him down at the home of his best-loved heroes. He can’t wait to meet them and grows a little impatient when you talk with the lady behind the counter for longer than he was willing to wait for. So Vinny decides to leave you alone and let you continue your nice conversation with the lady. He knows just where to go!

“...you guys see the baby too, right?...” Tony states the obvious. Everyone was just settling down as late afternoon transitions into evening and was gradually gathering in the living room when a baby materialises on top of their coffee table. He’s dressed in an adorable dinosaur romper and smiles brightly up at them, clapping his tiny hands and expressing his joy.

“Yup,” Steve stares at the clapping infant in disbelief, “that’s a baby…”

For a moment, nobody knows what to do and everything is at a standstill. How did a baby get here? Their minds were going on over drive trying to gauge if this was some sort of distraction or threat disguised in the most innocent form imaginable. They don’t want to fall for it but… its a baby!

“Hey there little guy,” Pietro kneels down with a hesitant smile. If there was danger soon to follow this first interaction, he can easily zip away with his super speed. This was a common formula for their missions so he steps up to do the confrontation first. Some members continue watching the interaction, whilst others engage in hush whispers, trying to figure out how the baby got there. In the background, Tony addresses FRIDAY with Pepper and asks for some kind of explanation.

Ecstatic with the interaction, the baby squeals and leans forward, putting his little palms on the coffee table to keep his balance and looks deeply into Pietro’s eyes. Feeling a swell of fondness for the small infant, Pietro whispers another ‘hello’ but is cut off when the mysterious baby’s light brown hair suddenly changes into a familiar silver colour, the same way his forest green eyes morph into a familiar blue.

Wanda gasps and kneels down beside her brother, “he looks like you as a baby,” she coos at the child with fondness in her eyes. Due to the unfortunate events in their lives, Wanda and Pietro had become exceptionally close as siblings, they were the type to take a bullet for each other and were a reliable duo on the field. They had to grow up fast but seeing a glimpse of their childhood in the baby’s morphing into Pietro was equal parts exciting and heart-melting.

“Fascinating,” Dr Banner muses, slowly approaching the coffee table. He originally kept his distance but his fascination at the display overrode his caution. In the background, Thor’s jaw drops and Loki smirks, stifling a chuckle from behind his fingers.

“That child is devious but very charming!” Thor announces in his characteristically loud and strong voice, grinning toothily at the child.

“Sounds like someone familiar,” Loki comments under his breath and tilts his chin up in pride.

“Yes yes, brother, but this child is much cuter than you,” Thor chuckles into his glass of water, only to begin choking when Loki gives him a timely punch in the gut.

“Very cute little man, isn’t he Buck?” Sam chimes in as he stands with the two super soldiers, remembering the time when his nephews were innocent little babies. Both super soldiers have their arms crossed but aren’t necessarily tense, it’s clear the child isn’t a threat but the display of innate powers were worth putting on some guard and vigilance.

“You mean dinosaur?” Bucky lightly comments as the three share a grin.

“Right! He’s the same age as you two fossils, then?” Sam has the gall to laugh but almost bites down on his tongue when Bucky hits him in the shoulder. “Ow! Watch it! My arm’s not made of vibranium like yours, Robo-cop.” Turning to the other supersoldier, Sam begs for an ally, “Did you see what he did Steve?”

The blonde captain simply shakes his head in amusement as Sam rubs his sore arm, “You had it coming Wilson,” Turning back to the mysterious baby, Steve hums in thought, “should we call Fury?”

Even though Vinny thoroughly enjoyed the attention from the Maximoff twins and Banner, he won’t be fully satisfied until he gets to meet all of his heroes up close. In the blink of an eye, he was in Natasha’s arms. The shocking display of teleportation makes everything click.

“So that’s how you got up here,” Natasha muses, gradually allowing herself to cradle the baby and smile warmly when he giggles in her arms. Cooing, Clint comes up behind her and starts making silly faces over her shoulder, making the child giggle even more. The happy sounds make everyone in the room smile, momentarily forgetting the oddness of the situation until Friday’s voice speaks through the speakers and brings up footage from the CCTV cameras in the main lobby.

“It appears as though the child was brought in by his mother just early on, asking for help,” The team watches as you helplessly converse with their staff as the rest run about looking for your missing baby.

“Oh no…” Pepper breaths and begins making her way to the door after exchanging a look with Tony.

“Bring up the earlier footage of when they first came in,” Tony requests. Everyone doesn’t take their eyes off the screen as they watch you hurriedly come in with a baby carrier and immediately begin talking to the front receptionist. Your frantic movements, wild eyes and unsettled nerves make you look like a lunatic but they were nothing but sympathetic. With their line of work and the stresses it comes with, they’re all too familiar with your current state.

“The staff refused to let her in but the baby appears to have teleported up here,” FRIDAY concludes, showing the exact moment Vinny vanishing from his carrier and you noticing his disappearance.

“Tell the staff to let the lady in, we have her child up here,” Steve commands, everyone already in silent agreement.

“Right away, Cap,” FRIDAY responds. And Tony informs them that Pepper had gone to help out with things too.

“Ma!” Vinny cheers at seeing his mother on the screen, thoroughly distracted from Clint’s silly faces and Natasha’s comforting warmth. “Mama! Mamamamamamamama!” He babbles and floats up to the screen, trying to be close to your CCTV image.

“Woah! Woah! Woah!” Tony shouts in alarm and everyone quickly follows. They all rush to stand beneath the baby as FRIDAY takes away the footage, confusing the baby. Where did his mama go?

“Mama?” Vinny waves his small hands in the air and whines, trying to ask for his mama back but gets nothing. Still up in the air, the Avengers are in complete panic below the baby and become even more hysterical when he begins to wail in distress. “MAMA!!! WAHHHHHHHHH!”

“No no! Please don’t cry!” Clint pleads, “Do you want some of my pizza?” the archer offers a slice of classic pepperoni but Nat hisses in disapproval.

“He’s a baby Clint, he can’t eat pizza!”

“Make it stop!” Loki snaps, covering his ears as he glares at his older brother.

“What am I supposed to do?!” Thor protests.

Wanda levitates into the air and reaches for him, “Hey hey, it’s okay, you’re okay baby. Your mama will be here soon,” just as Wanda gets close enough to pull the baby to her, he floats away with a cry.

“No! Mama!”

“Oh please come back!” Wanda begs, trying to go after him again but the baby was having none of it. The aerial chase has all spectators holding their breath and Wanda pleading helplessly for the baby to stop but he refuses to comply.

It seems to take forever until Pepper finally opens the door you come rushing, immediately putting a stop to your baby’s tantrum, “Vinny!”

“Mama!” the baby wails and flies into your open arms.

“Don’t ever do that again, mister!” you scold gently, happy to finally have your treasure back in your arms. The avengers look on with small smiles and Wanda finally floats back down to stand by her twin brother. Finally calming down, Vinny cuddles up to you with a yawn and you roll your eyes. “Of course… he causes all this trouble and now I have to do all the explaining by myself,”

Partial to your grumblings, Pepper laughs lightly and leads you to a free seat on one of the sofas, “why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“Would you like some water, ma’am?” Steve offers kindly and you smile.

“I’d really appreciate that, thank you Captain,”

“No worries and just Steve is fine,” as he leaves to get you a glass of water from the bar, everyone else gets settled for an explanation.

This was gonna be interesting…

navi. | series masterlist

a/n : this is going to be an imagines series, there isn't going to be a complicated plot underlining the series, it's just going to be a series of fluffy, domestic, cute imagines where the avengers help you raise your polymorph son inspired by jack-jack from the incredibles XD i have some imagines planned but i'll eventually open up requests for what you lovelies might want to see from this series

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the-solar-system52 · 4 months ago

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ok who the FUCK was going to tell me that my favorite musician ever made a demo based off my favorite movie ever AND I DIDNT KNOW ABOUT IT???

so there i was, scrolling on google through some 2010 content, and I see a song on Genius titled "ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE" and out of curiosity i click on it and get jumpscared by NEIL FUCKING CICIEREGA????? AS IN? LEMON DEMON NEIL CICIERGA? AS IN MY NO 1 SPOTIFY WRAPPED ARTIST SINCE 2021?? THAT NEIL CICEREGA???

and I hit play and ITS THE OPENING TO SPIRAL OF ANTS?????

SPIRAL OF ANTS WAS ORIGINALLY BASED OF 2010 THE YEAR WE MAKE CONTACT??? WHAT WHAT WHAT

(here is the youtube video the Genius site leads to: https://youtu.be/QuFv1jAo2CE?si=ceAdnsvOxEgcMBp1)

so ofc i relistened to Spiral of Ants and started digging for any hints towards its 2010 origins. i couldn't find much literal stuff since alien warnings about one of Jupiter's moons and a bunch of ants dying don't really have much in common. there is one lyric that uses the word 'odyssey' that could be referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey but idk.

but! in regards to the themes of Spiral of Ants instead of just the plot then there is plenty in common! SOA has an overarching theme of fusion and collective consciousness, since the story follows a hivemind of ants mindlessly following each other into a spiral and eventually becoming one ant and dying. i always took this song as a metaphor for mass hysteria and/or capitalism since fusion is viewed in a negative light. the ant's lack of individuality prevents them from recognizing the colony is just being led in circles since they are all only focusing on following the ant right in front of them via pheromones, and the fusion is what ultimately leads to their death.

2010 also has the theme of fusion! the scene the demo title quote appears in happens right after the scene where Hal and Dave fuse (technically. the exact time they literally fuse sort of depends on who you ask, but they definitely metaphorically fuse in this scene. cuz yk "Don't be. We'll be together.") the Europa message is basically Halman's first words. and although some out-of-context lyrics from SOA may fit Halman, 2010 overall has a more positive view on fusion. Halman doesn't count as a hivemind since he's only a fusion of two people, and because of that, he still retains all of his intelligence and memories from his past life unfused, if anything he's smarter. Instead, Halman acts as a metaphor for a functioning symbiotic, and possibly romantic, relationship between Hal and Dave. They fused because they actually wanted to be together, and not out of mindless instinct like the ants in SOA did. Fusion is the thing that saves them, instead of the thing that dooms them.

I think it's really interesting to think about how Spiral of Ants could've originally been based of Halman but then evolved into the song we know it today. And what would the song have been like if it stuck with the initial 2010 inspiration? Would it have been more hopeful and positive instead of the story of inevitable death we got in the finished project?

And am I a little pissed off that we could've gotten a Lemon Demon song based of my favorite fictional character ever but instead we got a song about ANTS? Maybe yeah. But this knowledge certainly gives me a new appreciation of the song overall.

Though I do wish this could've been an Ivanushka situation, a demo of Touch Tone Telephone that was released fully with completely different lyrics and story but the same melody. But the demo we have of Europa has no lyrics and is basically just opening of SOA with no major musical differences I can make out. If lyrics were ever written for this earlier Halman-inspired version of SOA, then it's been 10 years since the demo, I don't reckon our chances of getting the full song. But I can dream I suppose.

Also! Here's picture of Neil in Hal cosplay that I found on Pinterest. You're welcome.

Honestly knowing Neil was a space odyssey fan makes me think of what other songs could've had space odyssey influence? Ancient Aliens always gave Dawn of Man vibes to me, but even more vague stuff like Soft Fuzzy Man, Cabinet Man, No Eyed Girl or Aurora Borealis?? Who knows, the possibilities are endless!

Edit: Guys. I found a scrapped instrumental named 'Kubrick and the Beast'. As in. Stanley??? Kubrick??? Neil said this about the song:

"The albums tone ended up going in a different direction" what do you MEAN?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WENT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION?? WAS SPIRIT PHONE ORIGINALLY INSPIRED BY THE SPACE ODYSSEY SERIES??? OR MAYBE MORE JUST KUBRICK IN GENERAL?? EXPLAIN??

#2001 space odyssey #2001 a space odyssey #2001 aso #2001: a space odyssey #2001: aso #hal 9000 #space odyssey #halman #dave bowman #david bowman #2010 odyssey two #2010 the year we make contact #3001 the final odyssey #lemon demon #spirit phone #neil cicierega #spiral of ants

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novemberthewriter · 6 months ago

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WRITEBLR INTRO xx

hey, all! i’m n.k. :-)

i'm not new to tumblr (have had a few diff accounts since 2011/2012), but i'm new to interacting with writeblr proper.

ABOUT ME

late 20s

black & queer & disabled

lifelong writer/musician/creative (in both professional and hobbyist capacities)

finally finishing my degree in creative writing & english!

ARTISTIC/THEMATIC INTERESTS

literary fiction, horror, camp, kitsch, diversity, introspection, family/friend bonds (especially nontraditional ones), romance, art rock, nostalgia, technology, diy ethos

GOALS

connect with the tumblr writing community at large! for a while i was unable to get excited about my non-work, non-fanfic related writing projects. over the past year or so, my passion’s been renewed, and i just wanna chatter with like-minded folks about my longform WIPs, my short stories, etc – and geek over other people’s work here too <3

WIPS

Dagmar

there’s always something going down in dagmar, an insular coastal community straddling the delaware bay. pragmatic tech geek zeke omezie-fumudoh, 18, prefers to keep her head in her books and projects – deaths and disappearances were common in her parents’ home country, too, after all. when her best friend dodie dies, however, zeke has no choice but to start trying to connect the dots & face the potential supernatural forces at play.

[this is finna be dark fantasy/horror, romance, mystery, and queer as hell! i got a lot of worldbuilding to do, but a few months ago the twist popped into my head 1st and i’ve been working backwards. i'm sooo excited abt figuring out the narrative path(s) i gotta take]

Dave & The Family Davenport

20-year-old twin musicians dorian & daria davenport are a little s club 7, a little sly stone, & a whole lotta spitfire. as the very first act signed to holliday records, 30-something producer & label founder dave levine considers it his duty to take the family davenport under his wing. they become his pet project – and eventually something more to him.

[i’m taking this one in a literary/drama direction! thinking found family and music industry commentary vibes. idea came from revisiting big time rush and thinking ‘what would happen if you mix btr + the carpenters + prince + mtv’s making the band??’ (for the record, dave is 100% NOT meant to be a p. d*ddy analogue re: making the band, i'm mainly thinking of the aesthetics of the young artists of color featured on the show)]

Several fun essays about my personal fandom/shipping history (one is about all the diff sites i've used over 17+ years of reading/writing fanfic, another is an old-school livejournal-style ship manifesto that i plan to make into a video! etc etc)

SHORT FICTION

blank [literary/drama, 300 wds]

fortune teller [literary/drama, 300 wds]

hothouse [horror, 500 wds]

a certain standard of care [horror-comedy/surreal/gross-out, 1k wds]

good bones (or, an exercise in letting go) [literary/dramedy, 1.3k wds]

[writing tag: scorpio the scribe]

hmu if you think we'd get along <3 i need more ppl to follow!

[ETA: i prefer to follow/be mutuals w/ ppl 18+ only, ty!]

#writeblr #writeblr intro #writing community #i was gonna add a banner but i'm too lazy to edit one rn lol #writing #ocs #original fiction #writers on tumblr #wips

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ultra-violet-heart · 11 months ago

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Fanfare for Frieren (a fan translation)

This is the English fan translation of Fanfare for Frieren (奏送), the accompanying short novella for the opening theme of the Frieren anime, Yuusha by Yoasobi, written by Jirou Kiso with the supervision of manga writer Kanehito Yamada. The images here are from its print/digital version, which has been a bonus from the special edition of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Volume 12.

Disclaimer: This translation is made by me for fandom purposes only. This unofficial translation is not affiliated with the official Frieren franchise or with Yoasobi. All rights reserved for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End to its respective committees, committee members, staff and rights holders.

Please ask my permission and credit me+this post if you will be re-translating this to other languages. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST THIS OR ITS IMAGES TO OTHER SITES. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE ESPECIALLY ON YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK. Please take the fan translations here with a grain of salt.

I'm posting my Ko-Fi here as currently, I've been having financial trouble regarding my medicine, so if anyone can donate, I would be much grateful for the help, thank you very much.

Five years after the death of Himmel the Hero.

Central Lands, the Capelle [1] Region.

A small city, commonly referred to as “Music City”, was located not far off west of the Royal Capital.

Many renowned musicians, who had established the foundation of court music, went there to study, and they each created orchestras there which continue up to this day. Day and night, orchestral and operatic performances kept theatres crowded, and these performances were well-known in the Central Lands.

The hymns that could be heard from the church also evoked such amicable ties between culture and religion. The singing voices and the performance, both tranquil and powerful, were pleasing to the ears.

There’s unexpected magic in places like this, huh, Frieren thought while walking through the streets with light steps.

She couldn’t visit this place during her journey to defeat the Demon King, but she thought it would have been nice to have taken a detour on the beginning. The journey started from the Royal Capital to the east, she recalled with a little regret.

To that extent, the city was much of a beautiful and isolated place.

The cobblestone pavements reminded one of a flowing music score, while the radial houses reminded one of a well-organized orchestra. The entire city had this atmosphere of welcoming people, so that there was music there for people to listen to.

There might be a wealth of music-related magic in this place. She wasn’t particularly knowledgeable when it comes to music, but folk magic rooted in a distinctive culture was worth collecting for that reason alone.

Following the signboards that were shaped like sheet music and musical instruments, Frieren continued walking.

Just near were an opera house and a museum adjacent to it, and the sound of some rhythm coming from somewhere.

Various sounds overlapped the whole city, however, strangely enough, there was no cacophony at all.

Suddenly, among those sounds, one of the most awkward sounds caught her ear. The timbre sounded like it was carefully walking on ice.

Apparently, a small marching band was passing by in front of the church located in the city’s center. The boys and the girls were preparing for their practice that day, carrying brass instruments too big for their stature and with more percussion instruments than their hands could handle.

A boy wearing a red feathered military hat―or rather, was made to wear one―had this desperate expression as he continued blowing his horn, unconcerned about his reddening face.

Even though from a very young age, all this city’s people had been living together with music.

The sound the boy made while carefully holding the horn, which was said to be the most difficult instrument in the world for humans to play, was not the clearest at all.

However, sometime in the future, that sound will reverberate gallantly and kindly.

Frieren felt it was a timbre suitable for the city.

Frieren continued to walk, as if the small orchestra was pushing her back.

The rustling of leaves, the gurgling water of the fountain, the happy hubbub from the cafeteria. All the sounds of nature and the noise of daily lives here and there gave the impression they were all pleasantly tuned.

It might be said she could stay in here for years while exploring the city thoroughly.

In one corner of the city, there stood an old-looking music store. Its appearance, reflecting its long age, made it stand out.

For some reason, she entered the store. It was a place she wouldn’t normally stop by, but her feet were strangely drawn into it.

Beyond the store’s creaking door, however, a strikingly different but still atmosphere hung about.

Beautifully polished wind instruments. Stringed instruments without a speck of dust. They were placed on a cramped space, lined like capillary vessels. The store’s appearance made it feel like one could hear the breathing of the old craftsman running the store alone.

As she searched for a narrow foothold and was about to head deeper,

“You.” A voice said. Frieren felt it was a matured voice that carefully aged over many years.

An old man, whose white hair was tied up clumsily, peeked out from the back of the store. His sleeves were still rolled up, as if he was still tending to his instruments a short while ago. She caught a glimpse of the old man’s muscles, which were well-toned for his age.

“You… seemed to have lived a life unconnected to musical instruments.”

Adjusting the monocle on his eye, the old man fixed his gaze on Frieren.

“How can you tell?”

“Because you are a face I have not seen before. Those who love music and those who are loved by music will have visited this place sooner or later.”

The old man asserted his words with such sincere belief.

“Those who love music will immediately be obsessed with the instruments here. Those who are loved by music are people my eyes immediately recognize. So, yes, I can tell. Will you let me see your face?”

And then he beckoned her to come closer.

“My, my, I am surprised. It seems like you are the latter.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your ears, the corner of your eyes, your features. You appear to be an elf.”

“I am an elf, but…”

Frieren didn’t immediately catch the drift of the conversation.

“I have something I want people like you to have.”

After saying, “Wait for me,” the old man turned on his heel and took out a small wooden box from the back of the store and opened it. Inside was a palm-sized ocarina-like musical instrument.

The instrument’s intricate design was obvious even to the untrained eye.

“This is the Möglich. [2]”

“Möglich?”

“Its other name is ‘the Impossible’ [2]. It’s an instrument said to take a hundred years to master.”

“I once heard the horn is said to be the most difficult instrument in the world for humans to play.”

Frieren replied, recalling the boy from the marching band earlier. She remembered him struggling to play.

“That is a topic for ordinary humans. This instrument, however, was originally made by elves. You seem to be unaware of this.”

“That’s right. I didn’t know. Though it’s not strange if some elf did invent something like that.”

Frieren knew some of her own kind who spent so many years just killing time. [3]

“My great-grandfather inherited the Möglich, and he analyzed its structure. Apparently, it is impossible to produce a sound with this instrument unless they continue infusing in a small amount of mana while maintaining a perfect equilibrium. It would take more than ten years to produce a proper sound on this instrument. Fifty years is not even enough for an experienced mage to play one tune with it.”

“Really?” Frieren replied vaguely, not making it clear whether she was interested or not.

“I heard after one hundred years of diligently studying it, the sound one can play from this instrument is unparalleled.”

In fact, the old shopkeeper spent his life trying to master it. However, it was impossible for him to master the instrument as he did not possess any magical power. He could not even make it produce a sound.

“There is yet no one who has mastered it, much less know how to play it, so this instrument is still for sale, waiting for a buyer.”

The instrument had this eye-popping price tag. It was an amount that could already buy a house, and there was no way Frieren could afford it, not with the travelling-expenses-money she had on hand.

Of course, Frieren had no intention to buy it.

Certainly, it was rather interesting a fellow elf spent part of their long life in the form of developing this musical instrument. What kind of elf are they? Why did they give it to humans?

Most likely, she felt that this might be no more than a prank. It was an instrument that made sounds that could not be produced within the very short, fleeting lives of humans, after all.

“I am here because I want to hear the Möglich’s melodies one day. I have long sought for that timbre no words can describe. For so many years, this whole time. I eagerly awaited any who loved music or is loved by music to come here and finally fulfill my wish. It might be an impossible dream now, but I feel the guidance of the Goddess is at work that I am able to meet you, an elf.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“I have no need for your money.”

“I can’t pay, then.”

“I want an elf like you to have it.” The old shopkeeper said with a strong tone.

His eyes held no arrogance on them, as if he was pushing his impossible dream onto someone else, but instead were filled with unadulterated hope.

“………”

After some hesitation, Frieren replied.

“If there’s no other buyers, I’ll think about it. This should be bought by someone who should own it though.”

“I see… Come back. I am sure you will.”

“I’ll be back. I plan on staying here for a while.”

The old man, as if to remind himself, called out to Frieren as she was about to leave.

“What is your name?”

“Frieren.”

“What a fine name. A name loved by music.”

The dusk was casting its shadow over the city by the time she left the music store.

Frieren felt how the city’s tune changed between day and night.

Unlike the bustling daytime and the soundless midnight, the comforting evening was like a soft breeze caressing her cheeks.

Let’s have dinner, Frieren thought.

During the time she traveled with Himmel and their party, Himmel always decided where they would eat. He had this exceptional ability to find out any restaurant that had what Frieren and the others wanted without them telling him what they were in the mood to eat.

How did you know? She once asked him at the dinner table.

“You all have this way of showing what you’re thinking on your faces.”

Himmel smiled as he said this.

“Heiter’s face now has the color of a ditch.”

Eisen took a glance at the drunkard next to him.

“What?!”

Heiter looked back at Frieren, his face looking like an undead. He was so dead drunk he couldn’t tell the difference between Eisen and Frieren.

“You reek of booze.”

Frieren kicked him while Himmel laughed.

“Frieren, you see, I enjoy nothing more than having a meal with the four of us like this. I choose the food every one of us like as I want to make sure we all have a good time.”

She recalled wondering even then if it was the answer to her question.

She then looked at the restaurant now in front of her and thought it had the same appearance and atmosphere as the one from that time.

This restaurant, called Parlante [3], was such a calm place it was like it was not her first time entering it.

“What did Himmel like?”

Thinking back, Himmel always ordered his food last. It was often a different dish from theirs, or he would choose a dish that was easy to share between the four of them.

After that, he would portion out his food little by little, share that, and say, “Isn’t it more fun to have a variety of dishes at once?”

They had eaten around the table in as many places as she could remember. They partook of seafood when they were in coastal towns, they ate wild greens and hunted game in campgrounds, and they particularly were fond of each region’s local specialties.

“The food that can only be eaten in the place you’re in becomes a shared memory with the people you went in with. Even if you forget, you’ll remember again when you go there and eat the local food. That’s how I want to travel.”

Frieren remembered them talking about this one day, so she then called the waiter.

“Is there any dish you can only eat at this restaurant?”

Would Himmel be surprised to find out she had started thinking like that? Or would he laugh and say, “It’s written on your face,” as if he had already predicted this would happen?

The waiter flipped carefully through the menu pages.

“Our specialty is the l'oeuf omelette [4], made of ten chicken eggs. This dish has four servings, so shall I bring you a quarter of that?”

“No, I’ll order it as it is. If I can’t finish it all, I’ll have the rest on take-out.”

This dish, which was loved by well-known musicians, was bigger than expected and took up a large space on the table.

The evening for one person went on, her recalling that lively dinner table she once shared with others.

It has been a month since she stayed, but she had been so distracted by the magic tool shops and the cityscapes, she wasn’t able to fully explore the small city.

Every time she passed the music store, however, the old shopkeeper would enthusiastically call Frieren’s name.

It had become routine for both of them to exchange small greetings.

It wasn’t particularly a trouble to Frieren, but somehow, she felt like going somewhere a bit different for today.

Not far off the city center, there was a street lined with monuments of musicians. Some were well-known, but others were unknown to Frieren.

At the end of the line, however, she found a rather out-of-place statue.

It was a bust of Himmel holding a violin. It was probably commissioned by the time he was travelling alone in neighboring countries after the Demon King’s defeat.

“He was here, too…” Frieren muttered unconsciously.

His eyes were closed, but his facial expression on the chin rest conveyed such a strong will. This must be the work of a skilled craftsman. One could tell a lot of time was spent making the statue. The finish it had was unique even among the more than one hundred types of heroes’ statues.

“So, he could play such a musical instrument.”

She muttered those words to herself, not wanting anyone else to hear, but from behind her came an unexpected response.

“It’s just as Master Himmel said.”

When Frieren turned around, she saw the speaker was an old woman. There was quite a gap between the woman’s voice, which was quite youthful, and the woman’s elderly appearance. The woman continued with a well-projected voice.

“Might you be Lady Frieren?”

“……?”

For a few moments, Frieren couldn’t understand the words directed at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Master Himmel said that when he came here before.”

The old woman, using skillful vocal acrobatics, reenacted her and Himmel’s state during that time.

“One day in the future, a mage named Frieren will visit this city. I want to make a statue that will serve as a landmark for her.”

“A landmark? Won’t everyone just stop in front of Master Himmel instead?”

“I’m sure they will. But I’m also sure they’ll recognize her immediately as she gazes at me.”

“Is that how it is?”

“Yes, it is.”

The old woman cleared her throat once, ending her little performance. Frieren felt it was strange, given the woman was surprisingly good at imitating voices. She was then told the woman was a former star performer at a circus troupe. It was no wonder that the woman’s voice carried through strongly.

“My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Flöte [5]. I got too excited at meeting you, Lady Frieren. This is embarrassing…”

Her cheeks blushed, a complete change from moments earlier when she was still acting with different voice tones.

“I witnessed a good performance.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Flöte smiled like a blooming flower.

“It seems like the statue was worth making.”

“Master Himmel lamented the statue wasn’t enough to convey his charm to the public.”

“Himmel would probably say that.”

Frieren then wiped the rust off the bronze statue’s flowy hair with a rag she carried.

“If only there was a ‘spell that removes rust from bronze statues’, this clean-up would be easier.”

“Let me help you.”

“It’s all right. I can do it on my own. So, why did Himmel say that?”

As all the rust was wiped off and the statue’s smile returned, the old woman answered Frieren with a mysterious look on her face.

“I have a favor to ask of you, Lady Frieren.”

She said it so apologetically that Frieren got an anxious expression.

“…What’s the reward?”

“A grimoire with the ‘spell to record sounds in a book’.”

At that point, Frieren broke into a smile.

“All right, I’m in.”

“So, you want to dispel a spell that will not dispel until the caster dies?”

Frieren asked again, repeating the old woman’s words.

“That’s rather difficult. Nearly impossible, even.”

“’I’m sure Frieren will do it’, that’s what Master Himmel told me before.”

“That’s absurd.”

“I’m also embarrassed to say… I am the caster in question.”

“I’m not getting the situation. What do you mean?”

“I ought to speak in order, then.”

As the old woman said this, she began narrating her personal history.

Flöte was not born in the Capelle region, but in a family of mages, and her parents moved to the area as they hated the horrors of war, and there they established a magical circus troupe. She didn’t originally want to join the troupe, but due to the education she received, she was able to use various magic spells back then.

One of those spells was the ‘spell to erase one memory until death’. It would be a terrible spell if abused by others, but the spell was restricted so that it can only be cast on oneself.

There were many rumors about its effectiveness, which were never true. Some people said it reminded them of the moment of death where one’s whole life flashed before one’s eyes, while others said it meant like being buried in eternal darkness.

In any case, it was a mysterious kind of magic.

One day, when she was 15 years old, having mastered the spell at such a young age, she then cast it upon herself.

Since then, Flöte had lost that one memory, even until now.

“In short, I want to dispel that oblivion spell I casted upon myself.”

“What memory did you erase?”

“That’s the thing: I don’t know. I did erase it, after all.”

With downcast eyes, she connected her words.

“However, I began to wonder if I did lose something important on a whim, especially as I grew older and get closer to death. If, due to the heat of the moment, I buried that memory I shouldn’t have lost with the magic spell I learned, at least, I want to remember what it is before I die. I’m sorry, you might think of this as a selfish request.”

The old woman finally spoke in a voice appropriate for her age.

“When Master Himmel was in the city, I got an opportunity to tell him about it. He then told me about you, Lady Frieren. That Lady Frieren is sure to do something about it.”

Observing Frieren carefully, the old woman then appealed to her.

“Please, will you grant my request? I want to spend the little time I have left, which will pass in the blink of an eye, without any regrets.”

The old woman spoke eloquently, but Frieren didn’t reply, seemingly getting lost in her thoughts.

She walked through the city after, letting time pass, and when night came, she booked a room in a tavern.

Late at night, when the tavern earlier filled with cheerful music finally went quiet, the events of the day came to Frieren’s thoughts as she leafed through the pages of her grimoire.

“This journey must have been a blink of an eye for you,” Himmel said.

The comment came as perfectly natural as picking vegetables in the market.

“I’ve almost died so many times, but now that I’ve made it here, everything feels so nostalgic.”

After the Demon King’s defeat, Himmel continued on as he rode the shaky carriage back to the Royal Capital.

“Frieren. I know you don’t think of this as nostalgic yet, but the day will come when you remember this journey, us, and this moment. I don’t know when that will be. Maybe after I die. Even so, I’m sure you’ll be able to laugh and say, ‘That was a silly journey, wasn’t it?’”

“It’s too early for the serious talk! We haven’t truly defeated the Demon King until we return home!”

Heiter continued to tease them while smiling.

“Well, we still have requests to fulfill.”

On his return to the Royal Capital, Himmel received many requests. He took on small tasks to help people, fixing roads, even searching for lost things.

Their current request back then was from the village undertaker, who asked them to eliminate a monster that only reacted to human corpses.

When asked for more details, the undertaker said there was a dragon blocking the only bridge that connected the village and the town. Since the dragon damaging the area only occurred when corpses were carried away, it was concluded that the dragon had the tendency to target only corpses.

It didn’t respond to scarecrows, and pretending to be dead didn’t work on it either. Since it only paid attention to real human corpses, Frieren guessed it might have eyes that could detect whether a person is alive or dead.

“I’ll act as bait.”

Himmel spoke resolutely, as he always did.

“You just defeated the Demon King, and you want to die here?” Eisen said. “Stop being reckless!”

“Even Eisen, who doesn’t die even if he was eaten by monsters, is useless this time, huh.”

“Heiter, shut up.”

Frieren looked at the two badmouthing each other and then asked.

“Can’t we just borrow a corpse?”

“We can’t do that, Frieren.”

Himmel continued, as if to admonish her.

“A dead person is the image of a life lived fully. We can’t recklessly put that in danger. Besides, even if I’ll be acting as bait, I won’t truly die. Frieren, you can put me in a state of suspended animation, yes?”

“A state of suspended animation?”

She once casted the ‘spell to encase a living creature on ice’ on a ferocious enormous fish. Himmel must have that time in mind when he said this.

“Are you sure? If I make a slight mistake, you’ll truly die.”

“You can do it, right?”

“I don’t know.”

Frieren shrugged her shoulders and…

“Just do it this time. You’re capable of it, after all.”

“Go for it!”

Heiter and Eisen happily cheered.

“I don’t know what will happen.”

Himmel stood on top of the bridge as Frieren took out her staff.

“Frieren. Fire at me.”

A flash of mana concentrated on the staff’s tip then enveloped Himmel. The air around froze, and Himmel quietly collapsed.

Soon after, a very large shadow appeared on the bridge. A dragon came on sight. As it circled the sky above, it went straight at Himmel, as if it had set its sights on him. Its piercing eyes and the sharp claws it brought out now loomed nearer.

Facing that, a large swing of the warrior Eisen’s axe violently exploded.

A heavy, dull sound echoed throughout the area.

White smoke and cold air blended, then wafted away as if they were thawing. One could see that Eisen was the last one standing.

Frieren then promptly used the ‘spell to warm up the skin’ on Himmel’s cold body.

Regaining his breath, Himmel smiled at Frieren with a reddened face.

“See? I told you; you can do it.”

Frieren snapped her grimoire shut.

“The ‘spell to erase one memory until death’, huh.”

The next day, as the morning sun rose, the city became slowly filled with sound.

Frieren woke up on the hard floor far from her bed, and with bed hair she went to Flöte’s house.

It was to put a theory into practice. This was a drastic measure, but in Frieren’s opinion this measure would work.

“Lady Frieren, good morning. Did you find out anything?”

The old woman’s voice seemed refreshed.

“You’ll have to die.”

“Huh?”

“That’s why I’ll put you into the state of suspended animation.”

“……”

There was a moment of confusion from the old woman, then silence. However, after a while, she looked like she had made up her mind.

“Please. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

As soon as she heard those words, Frieren gently raised her staff.

“Lie on the bed. I’m starting.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes, indeed, but are you all right with this…?”

“I’ve done it once before. I can do it.”

“If Lady Frieren says so, then it will be all right. Please do so.”

The spell Frieren casted on the old woman enveloped the latter’s body, and for a moment her body stiffened.

Soon after, however, the old woman’s body regained movement, just like how coloring paint flowed when dissolved in water. She then wore this childlike expression, showing a trace of the young girl she once was.

“How are you?” Frieren asked shortly after. “You technically have died once, so your memory should be back.”

“Hahaha… I was worried like a child…”

The old woman seemed to have recovered her lost memory.

As an adolescent, she didn’t want to join the magical circus troupe. Instead, she yearned for a particular musical instrument.

“The Möglich, the instrument said to take a hundred years to master…”

She strongly yearned for it, but it was too expensive, and she could not spend a hundred years on it, so as a child, she thought she could just forget it existed.

So, she sealed that memory instead. She put the lid on that unattainable wish and began to live on reality.

“I’m glad I remembered… I’ll put my life on the line even if it takes years before I reached my dream, and I’ll start learning from now on.”

“I see. Then, you should have that instrument.”

As the Möglich was an instrument which used magical power to produce sound, without doubt, it would be a good match for Flöte, who was a mage.

“I’ll tell the music store shopkeeper. That there is this customer who has wanted it for a long time.”

“Oh, no. Are you truly sure?”

“I want someone who loves music more than me to have it, you see.”

“Thank you very much. Lady Frieren, I cannot thank you enough.”

“I get rewarded anyways, so…”

“Yes, you’re right.” The old woman took out a grimoire from her bookshelf. “This is the grimoire with the ‘spell to record sounds in a book’. I’m ashamed to say I have already recorded various sounds in this book…”

Flöte’s eyes went downcast as she said this, just like when she and Frieren first met.

“It sounds like a strange hobby, isn’t it? As it was routine for me to travel to various places as part of the magical circus troupe, I had a lot of once-in-a-lifetime chance encounters, and I wanted to preserve them in some form. The local people and the sounds from nature became my source of support. Among these are the recordings of my meetings with Master Himmel.”

“This isn’t a strange hobby. Himmel would have said the same.”

Frieren said she would return the grimoire when she finished reading it, then left the room.

On the same day, Frieren went to Restaurant Parlante, which was now a completely familiar place for her, and ordered an omelette. When she went to bed with a full stomach, she then opened the grimoire the old woman gave her.

Just as Flöte said, the grimoire had sounds from various ages, places, genders of people… some of them were sounds from nature, some being the noise of daily lives.

“You… you look familiar.”

Was this how the old music store shopkeeper sounded like when he was younger?

“I’ll have the ten-egg l'oeuf omelette, please!”

The voice of a very well-known musician continued.

“This time, I’m thinking of starting a marching band in this city.”

“One day in the future, a mage named Frieren will visit this city. I want to make a statue that will serve as a landmark for her.”

She heard Himmel’s voice as she turned a page. His voice was a bit different from the last time she met him, but it was still Himmel’s voice from her memories. It felt nostalgic, too.

And she realized that Flöte’s voice imitation before was a bit exaggerated.

“Please pose quickly! You’re just holding a violin…!”

This was probably the heartbroken cry of the craftsman who made that Himmel bust.

It seemed like Flöte, as a young girl, followed her interests and recorded these sounds from the various places she went, and the chance encounters she cherished. Frieren could just imagine how she looked like during then.

“………”

It might not be a bad idea to retrace that journey with everyone, she thought, looking at the east towards the Royal Capital.

In the end, Frieren decided to leave after staying in the city for around three months.

When she said goodbye to the music store shopkeeper, he excitedly said, “Flöte loves music and is loved by music.” He said the old woman mastered producing sounds on the Möglich at an extraordinarily fast pace, something that would have normally taken ten years.

After all, it was appropriate for those who should own it to have it.

As she was preparing herself to leave with these thoughts in mind, a marching band passed by in front of the tavern.

The boy playing the horn had grown taller in a short time, and his hat now fitted him better. His fingers holding the horn now had calluses on them, and his blowing on it sounded less labored than before.

The sound was brave and gentle, but eventually became grainy.

A celebratory fanfare sounding like a parade salute echoed on Frieren’s back as she left the city.

(END)

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Written as カペッレ in katakana. I decided to translate it as “Capelle”, as the word means “the private orchestra or band of a prince or church”, which is a reference to the marching band in this short novel.

[2] Written as メークリヒ in katakana. In German, “möglich” means “possible”.

[3] Written as パルランテ in katakana. “Parlante” means “a piece of music to be sung or played in the style of a recitative”.

[4] In French, "l'oeuf" means "egg". In short, this word is just a fancy term for "egg omelettes".

[5] Written as フレーテ in katakana. In German, “Flöte” means “flute” or “whistle”.

[6] Frieren was most likely thinking of Milliarde, an elf friend of hers who first appeared in Chapter 69.

#frieren: beyond journey's end #sousou no frieren #frieren #葬送のフリーレン #フリーレン #yoasobi #frieren anime #frieren at the funeral #himmel #heiter #eisen #kanehito yamada #jirou kiso #yuusha #勇者

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milehighmegs · 2 months ago

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On the Subject of Fandoms: A Love Letter

So, I'm old. Well, oldER. I haven't entered the twilight of my years by any stretch, but once I entered that midlife wistful state of nostalgia, I knew that I had very likely reached the point at which it would be more past than future. And ya know, that's ok. I made peace with my mortality long ago. I don't fear death, I fear not living before I die.

So what's that got to do with fandoms? you may be asking. Fair enough. Here's what it's got to do with fandoms:

Before it was even a term, before I could do multiplication or write my name in cursive (I told you I'm old), I was part of a fandom and didn't even know it. My parents watched 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' when it was still on primetime; we even recorded the final episode on VHS and had it for years. (I told you, I'M OLD.) It was so incredibly formative for me that it's become part of my identity, part of my moral & ethical code, part of my personality. Is that ridiculous? Dramatic? Maybe even a bit of hubris? Perhaps. But it's true, nonetheless.

I've since joined other fandoms, of movie franchises (namely the MCU), TV shows (like Good Omens), and musicians (I'm a die-hard metalhead) over the course of my life, each of them creating/inhabiting a different part of what makes me ME. Though I've always remained the same basic person at my core (a decent one at least if not a good one, I hope), being a part of these fandoms has shaped the foundations of how I live my life, and how I've LIVED my life.

Being on the proverbial back nine of my earthly existence, looking back at what's come before, at how far I've come and all the things I've fucked up or gotten right, questioned, accepted, regretted, cherished... so much of that is filled with moments like, 'what would Captain Picard do? How would the Avengers handle this? Which Slipknot song would be most comforting right now?' With the explosion of semi-social media sites (like tumblr here, and its gateway drug, Pinterest), I've been able to dive even deeper into the fandom. The fic, the art, the theories & analyses... it turns my appreciation for all these things I love to 11. But it wouldn't be possible without the most critical element: the fans.

Because people have such a love for, and identify so strongly with the stories & characters of their respective fandoms, they go deep into hidden meanings, major themes, & what they imagine these stories would be like if they were able to direct the action. More than anything, what I love about fanfic/fanart is that while yes, we're creating what we want for the characters, it's more a reflection of what we want for ourselves, both in the same situation as the characters and in life in general. For example, I see SO MUCH art/fic of Crowley & Aziraphale being open & free in showing their love for each other. I see so many stories of them making up and living happily ever after. The art ranges from sweet & adorable to... ah... adult-themed, but the vast majority of the latter is passionate, tender, & clearly loving; rarely is it straight-up raunchy. Smutty? Totally. Raunchy? Not so much. And why? Because we know these two are IN LURVE, not just in lust. And we want what they (clearly) have, even if they can't admit it to one another. We, the fans, can live vicariously through these characters and these worlds, and there we can find what we're looking for.

I've had a rollercoaster of a life, emotionally speaking, especially in matters of romantic love, and much of that hasn't been pleasant. I've done so much soul-searching, shadow work, self-care and all that whathaveyou, but none of it- NONE of it- has come anywhere near to being as insightful as the fan-based art & analyses of the relationship between Crowley & Zira. I have spent the vast majority of the last week thinking about it, writing about it, going over & over how it applies to my life & experiences, and I gotta say... none of it would be possible without the remarkable Good Omens fandom. So seriously, thank you. THANK YOU. You've helped to make me a better person. You've helped to make me look back on my life, smile, and turn around... to look forward to what comes next.

Keep up the incredible work, creators. You never know whose life you could be saving.

#good omens fandom #good omens fanart #good omens fanfiction #aziraphale x crowley #fandom things #ineffable #self love #self discovery #vicarious #creators on tumblr

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ignitedminds27 · 17 days ago

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Some case updates for the Directioners.

1. The police had secured the camera footage of the hotel lobby. It is confirmed that Liam went down to the hotel reception with his computer, got angry about something he read and fainted on the way to the elevator. Hotel employees want to take him to the room, but there Liam would have regained consciousness.

2. it was learned that the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, Marcelo Roma, took statements from the two prostitutes who were hired by the musician through a pornographic site. Although they declared that they did not have sex with the former One Direction member, they affirmed that he did not pay them for the time they kept him company.

Furious at the singer's attitude, the two sex workers went down to the hotel lobby where a heated argument ensued, which was witnessed by several hotel employees. According to witnesses, the women left the premises around 4:30 p.m., and almost an hour later, the musician died.

3. The article on Roger Nores and his link to the Henry's with his criminal records has been taken down within the two days of getting published. Instead Daily Mail is playing the devil's advocate. A day after the article linking Roger to Henry there's a cover story of his angelic acts towards Liam.

"Local reports say Nores has blamed hotel staff for allegedly selling him drugs."

4. Police raided the hotel after a week.

Basically, Liam's death was plotted. How convenient that the camera worked in the lobby not just near his room. The escorts acted what they were paid for. The shady guy Roger has been taking down articles and suspending accounts on Twitter that have been talking about him. Argentinian police question everyone but Roger and follow his narrative. The police raided the hotel after a week. What were they doing a week ago? Their careless work looks more like a cover-up than uncovering the mystery of his death.

#liam payne #we love you liam #always our payno #justice for liam #one direction #1d #directioners

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lunacoding · 1 year ago

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SQL Interactive Websites

Hi! I wanted to share some websites that have helped me with bettering my SQL skills and are interactive, as in you can learn as you practice SQL on the website through an educational or fun way!

SQL Bolt

This website is one of the best for beginners to SQL as it helps with explaining the different SQL statements as well as giving brief interactive exercises for each explanation/topic. Additionally, it offers help on more intermediate topics as well such as subqueries. However, this site doesn’t have many resources on more advanced SQL topics, so it may not be best if you’re more intermediate in SQL, but could be good for a basics refresher.

SQL Zoo

This website is another one which is good for beginners to SQL as similarly to SQL Bolt, it primarily explains different SQL statements and queries. There are brief interactive exercises as well as quizzes on various SQL topics. Additionally, there are assessments for more advanced users of SQL to test their knowledge which consist of 15 questions for different databases, including dressmaker, musicians, help desk, and so forth.

Select Star SQL

This website is an interactive SQL exercise where you learn as you go while interacting with a database of death row patients. The difficulty of queries slowly increases as you go through the exercise. I find this website helpful as it threw me into SQL and I prefer the learning while doing method, especially with real-world data. This could potentially be triggering if you don’t want to read the details of people being on death row.

SQL Murder Mystery

This website is an interactive SQL exercise where you try to figure out who committed a murder using SQL. This website is good for both beginners and more intermediate SQL learners. It offers a walkthrough for people who are completely new to SQL. Alternatively, the website gives schema details to those experienced with SQL and want to figure it out on their own.

SQL Police Department

This website is similar to SQL Murder Mystery where you try to figure out police cases through learning SQL. It has prompts where you then use SQL to try to figure out the information the police need. The site also has a guide on SQL and gives basic summaries on different queries. I found this site fun to use and it has a cool interface. However, one con of this site is you can only do a certain amount of SQL queries before it asks you to pay for the longer version of the site.

Practice SQL

This website has been my personal favorite as the interface is clean and easy to understand. The website gives you prompts to use SQL to select from two different databases, the first of which is based on doctors and patients in different provinces while the the second is based on products and their orders as well as employees who work at the company. For both of these databases, there’s a series of prompts/questions from easy to intermediate to advanced SQL. Additionally, there’s learning resources which helps explain different queries and functions of SQL as well, if you’re confused or need help!

I hope you guys find these websites helpful!!

#sql #sql resources #codeblr #programming #coding resources #luna posts

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legend-collection · 1 year ago

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Robert Johnson

According to legend, as a young man living on a plantation in rural Mississippi, Johnson had a tremendous desire to become a great blues musician. One of the legends often told says that Johnson was instructed to take his guitar to a crossroad near Dockery Plantation at midnight. (There are claims for other sites as the location of the crossroads.) There he was met by a large black man (the Devil) who took the guitar and tuned it. The Devil played a few songs and then returned the guitar to Johnson, giving him mastery of the instrument. This story of a deal with the Devil at the crossroads mirrors the legend of Faust. In exchange for his soul, Johnson was able to create the blues for which he became famous.

This legend was developed over time and has been chronicled by Gayle Dean Wardlow, Edward Komara and Elijah Wald, who sees the legend as largely dating from Johnson's rediscovery by white fans more than two decades after his death. Son House once told the story to Pete Welding as an explanation of Johnson's astonishingly rapid mastery of the guitar. Other interviewers failed to elicit any confirmation from House and there were fully two years between House's observation of Johnson as first a novice and then a master.

Further details were absorbed from the imaginative retellings by Greil Marcus and Robert Palmer. Most significantly, the detail was added that Johnson received his gift from a large black man at a crossroads. There is dispute as to how and when the crossroads detail was attached to the Robert Johnson story. All the published evidence, including a full chapter on the subject in the biography Crossroads, by Tom Graves, suggests an origin in the story of the blues musician Tommy Johnson. This story was collected from his musical associate Ishman Bracey and his elder brother Ledell in the 1960s. One version of Ledell Johnson's account was published in David Evans's 1971 biography of Tommy Johnson, and was repeated in print in 1982 alongside House's story in the widely read Searching for Robert Johnson, by Peter Guralnick.

In another version, Ledell placed the meeting not at a crossroads but in a graveyard. This resembles the story told to Steve LaVere that Ike Zimmerman of Hazlehurst, Mississippi, learned to play the guitar at midnight while sitting on tombstones. Zimmerman is believed to have influenced the playing of the young Johnson.

Recent research by the blues scholar Bruce Conforth, in Living Blues magazine, makes the story clearer. Johnson and Ike Zimmerman did practice in a graveyard at night, because it was quiet and no one would disturb them, but it was not the Hazlehurst cemetery as had been believed: Zimmerman was not from Hazlehurst but nearby Beauregard, and he did not practice in one graveyard, but in several in the area. Johnson spent about a year living with and learning from Zimmerman, who ultimately accompanied Johnson back to the Delta to look after him.

While Dockery, Hazlehurst and Beauregard have each been claimed as the locations of the mythical crossroads, there are also tourist attractions claiming to be "The Crossroads" in both Clarksdale and Memphis. Residents of Rosedale, Mississippi, claim Johnson sold his soul to the devil at the intersection of Highways 1 and 8 in their town, while the 1986 movie Crossroads was filmed in Beulah, Mississippi. The blues historian Steve Cheseborough wrote that it may be impossible to discover the exact location of the mythical crossroads, because "Robert Johnson was a rambling guy".

Some scholars have argued that the devil in these songs may refer not only to the Christian figure of Satan but also to the trickster god of African origin, Legba, himself associated with crossroads. Folklorist Harry M. Hyatt wrote that, during his research in the South from 1935 to 1939, when African-Americans born in the 19th or early 20th century said they or anyone else had "sold their soul to the devil at the crossroads", they had a different meaning in mind. Hyatt claimed there was evidence indicating African religious retentions surrounding Legba and the making of a "deal" (not selling the soul in the same sense as in the Faustian tradition cited by Graves) with the so-called devil at the crossroads.

The Blues and the Blues singer has really special powers over women, especially. It is said that the Blues singer could possess women and have any woman they wanted. And so when Robert Johnson came back, having left his community as an apparently mediocre musician, with a clear genius in his guitar style and lyrics, people said he must have sold his soul to the devil. And that fits in with this old African association with the crossroads where you find wisdom: you go down to the crossroads to learn, and in his case to learn in a Faustian pact, with the devil. You sell your soul to become the greatest musician in history.

This view that the devil in Johnson's songs is derived from an African deity was disputed by the blues scholar David Evans in an essay published in 1999, "Demythologizing the Blues":

There are ... several serious problems with this crossroads myth. The devil imagery found in the blues is thoroughly familiar from western folklore, and nowhere do blues singers ever mention Legba or any other African deity in their songs or other lore. The actual African music connected with cults of Legba and similar trickster deities sounds nothing like the blues, but rather features polyrhythmic percussion and choral call-and-response singing.

The musicologist Alan Lomax dismissed the myth, stating, "In fact, every blues fiddler, banjo picker, harp blower, piano strummer and guitar framer was, in the opinion of both himself and his peers, a child of the Devil, a consequence of the black view of the European dance embrace as sinful in the extreme".

Both Lomax's and Evans's accounts themselves have been disputed and dismissed by Black scholars and authors including Amiri Baraka and Cornel West. West defines Blues as a creation of a people "who are willing to look unflinchingly at catastrophic conditions", as children of God responding to those conditions. Baraka's words are more directly critical of white writers who study African-American Blues artform and culture from a Western viewpoint, stating that they "They have to do that to make themselves superior in some kind of way: that everything has come from Europe, which is not true". Baraka cites that rather than being formed out of any Western context, Blues derives from an African context of its own. The call-and-response singing Lomax argues is different from Blues has been widely cited as being a central aspect of Blues music.

#robert johnson #north america #Spotify

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