#New Kings - Ferdinand - 4

[jtl-fics]

HAPPY WIP WEDNESDAY AND ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT

May I request some New Kings for my son Seth 🙏 ?

WIP Wednesday - 11/22/23 (Closed) | New Kings AU

"Up late again for night practice?" Dan asks.

"We didn't have night practice last night." Neil waves it off and narrows his eyes at Kevin, "You said you were studying last night." he adds, "but you came back to the dorm all sweaty." he comments.

"You weren't even awake." Kevin dismisses pulling his hoodie up trying to hide his face in it.

"Kevin, do you think that I don't wake up when people come into the room? That Andrew and I have ever slept through that?" Neil asks eyebrow raised.

[embraceweird]

thinking about Neil Josten from your average exy fan's perspective is so wild

first Palmetto is so secretive about their new striker. everyone is throwing out crazy theories and there is a bunch of hype. but it's just some true freshman from middle of nowhere Arizona ??? what is Kevin Day thinking? maybe Day is having a mental breakdown after the incident last December

Neil plays his first game and he's fine. he's no king of exy but he held his own. probably will be an average striker

but then you see him on the Kathy Ferdinand show and he absolutely lays into Riko! THE Riko Moriyama, the #1 to Kevin's #2. opinions are probably divided some outraged some kid dare call out the king others are very amused by Neil's outburst. regardless you will be keeping your eye on Neil Josten

as the fall season goes on Neil gets good, really good. he may be the best freshman anyone has ever seen but he's also kept himself from mouthing off publicly so the Neil Josten rumor mill dies down a bit

BUT THEN SPRING COMES AND OMG IS THAT A 4 TAT ON HIS CHEEK???

Neil Josten has been marked perfect court!!! will he and Kevin transfer to Edgar Allan?? what was that fight with Riko about oh so long ago? also didn't his eyes used to be brown?

then Neil goes and mouths off AGAIN! calling out Riko AGAIN! the exy community is thrown into chaos

the spring season continues and apparently Neil Josten is in fact Nathaniel Wesninski?!!!!?! now the FBI is all over him, Neil's face and name are on every major news network because notorious crime boss, the butcher of Baltimore, is dead!

Neil's face looks like shit, he's out on injury again and his past is absolutely insane, even for Fox standards. but we have exy to play

foxes somehow made it to face the ravens in the finals. and Neil plays as a backliner!! Neil faces against Riko, the rivalry is tense!

the clock runs out, the foxes are up, Palmetto has usurped Edgar Allan! Neil is doubled over at Riko's feet and then Riko goes for the head! fortunately, Minyard steps in but Riko may never play again

this is the wildest season of exy probably ever and the little nobody from Arizona is in the middle of so much of it. regardless of how you feel about him every exy fan knows the name Neil Josten

[geekgirles]

I'm actually quite proud of Armand right now. Openly admitting to Amalia the reason their relationship was always strained was because he'd always been jealous of her and her relationship with their father is such a great character moment for him.

One thing season 4 is definitely delivering is some much needed depth and exploration of the Sadida Royal family. And I find myself fascinated (not only because Amalia is my favourite character and I have a soft spot for her people).

Personally, Armand is a character I have a lot of trouble having a clear stance on. I don't hate him, and it's true his motives become clear and even understandable once you give them some thought, it's just that Ankama does a wonderful job at making him both outwardly dislikable given his abrasive personality and some of his most questionable actions.

For example, season 3 Armand and season 4 Armand are almost like night and day. Maybe it is indeed that his new role as king has forced him to be more responsible and emotionally mature, but the vibes between L'assamblée and Falling Down are completely different.

In season 3 he just oozed contempt for his sister, and his actions towards her reeked of ulterior motives. The fact that Aurora has been described as manipulative (even her hairstyle is meant to hint at her true nature) and was purposely placed in between the two siblings as a visual nod to how she's keeping them apart doesn't help matters.

Which is another factor to take into account: Aurora's character and the role she plays in the siblings' deteriorating bond.

Even if so far she seems to genuinely love Armand, I really can't bring myself to trust Aurora. Not only because of all the behind-the-scenes facts I already mentioned, but because her actions are just sketchy and clearly veered to the betterment of the Osamodas rather than the Sadida.

First of all, her contempt for Amalia is genuine and she legitimately seems to be planning to send her away to keep her from interfering with her plans. After all, this is literally what she had to say about her sister-in-law:

"Ne vous en faîtes pas mon prince, nous finirons bien par redresser cette mauvaise herbe."

Translation: "Don't worry, my prince, we'll get this weed straightened out in the end."

(I haven't watched the English dub, so my apologies if the translation doesn't match the official version).

There's also the fact that, despite being the new Sadida Queen, her intentions in season 3 clearly laid in the benefit of her own kingdom, the Osamodas. Such is reflected in her choice of suitors for Amalia:

She intended for Amalia to marry Ashdur, her own cousin, thus, strengthening the Osamodas' hold over Sadida politics. In fact, it becomes quite clear Aurora's choice in suitors, only supported by Amalia implying back then her sister-in-law had already tried the same thing with her brothers, was much less about the future of the Sadida Kingdom and more about the Osamodas' sake.

After all, while arranged marriages between royal families isn't anything new, usually the sensible and even most strategic thing to do is for rulers to"spread" their children and marry them into different families around the world. That is exactly what Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabela of Castile did with their own children, they married them off to the royal families of England, Portugal, and Austria.

With that in mind, having both Sheran Sharm children marry Osamodas royalty just seems dumb, doesn't it? It all comes to show Aurora is more concerned over solidifying her power over the Sadida Kingdom than its actual well-being.

Which is why I'm still going to keep my guard up regarding her character until the season ends. After all, we still have 9 more episodes where everything can go up in flames.

But going back to Armand, even though he is in love with his wife, his treatment of Amalia in L'assamblée is leagues better than it was in season 3. Unlike most of his appearances and his interactions with his sister, where he kept treating her like a child who didn't know any better (what she just so happened to accuse him of when presented with Ashtur, as a matter of fact), here not only does he finally open up to his sister about his insecurities and his reasoning for his behaviour towards her, but he offers her support in the wake of their father's passing and even invites her to attend the assembly with him.

He is entrusting her with responsibilities befitting a queen, not a child.

Their relationship is finally healing.

As I said earlier, despite the undeniable depth behind his character, it's difficult to really side with Armand in plenty of occasions. Not only because of his difficult personality and flaws, but because it is so much easier to sympathise with Amalia.

And I'm not talking exclusively about the fact that, as one of the main characters, we've been by her side throughout everything, witnessing her true selfless, responsible, and brave self, but the fact that her position within her own family certainly tugs at our heartstrings.

Amalia is the youngest sibling, the princess. For all the sheltering and privileges that can get her, it also became her gilded cage. And for the most part, not even her family was a safe haven.

Queen Sheran Sharm died when Amalia was probably still a kid, whereas Armand was most likely already a teenager. As King Oakheart revealed back when he explained to Amalia it had been Armand who insisted they let her go, the queen's death shook their entire family, making the king and prince unintentionally turn their backs on Amalia during a time she needed as much affection as possible. And so, her royal duties became stifling, her royal upbringing unbearable. Thus is the reason for her wanderlust.

And then we have Armand's reason for not always being fair to her: jealousy. He resented her for being Oakheart's favourite, despite constantly going off to adventures while he remained in the kingdom by his side. Now, as I said, this was a great character moment for Armand, one that also belies his character development. However, it doesn't change the fact that, while easier to relate and sympathise with him, we still sympathise with Amalia more or have been doing so for far longer because we knew the effect this had had on her.

We all have been someone's scapegoat to their frustrations with a third person, we have all been treated unfairly by someone who, for whatever reason, couldn't solve their own issues with the person they had problems with in the first place and took it out on us. This is the crux of Armand and Amalia's strained relationship: for years, Armand took his frustrations and insecurities out on Amalia instead of having an honest conversation with their father.

That's why it's easier to sympathise with Amalia, because we know that, deep down, for all her flaws, she was never at fault for how their relationship turned out. Because we can understand her frustration and pain when, even with their dying father, Armand still chose to listen to his wife over her and try to marry her off instead of being there for each other when they both needed most. As Amalia called him out for before leaving with Yugo, he still chose politics over family. Everything involving Armand and Aurora is about politics.

But now that they are at least beginning to rebuild their relationship, I sincerely hope things get better for them. Unless their original intentions back in 2017 have changed, I seriously fear Ankama will still use Aurora to complicate things further between these two.

Please, Ankama, I'm literally begging you. They're all the family they each have left, don't let their relationship be ruined forever.

[ehrenfest]

Just a few of the Q&A's from the new fanbook that I thought were interesting. Spoiler up to P5V12, but none for the spinoff. Translated with MTL

1. How did Trauerqual and Sigiswald decided on the names of their new duchies, official colours, or crests? 

A. Actually Blumenfeld was originally going to use dark blue since they were going to ask Dunkelfelger for aid and were in the area of influence of the Darkness gate. But it was rejected because Alexandria applied for dark blue first. There wasn’t much time left to submit the base colour so Trauerqual suggested “Why not use a dilution of the black we’ve been using already?” so it became grey. Since it was just a dilution of black Trauerqual didn’t have to go through any trial and error to create it. Korinthsdaum said, “If the Zent is using white now, why can’t I use black?” Eglantine rejected it with a smile saying, “Considering the influence from the boarder gates, dark red or dark yellow would fine. Should I choose?” Since Sigiswald was absolutely against using a colour that would make it appear he was under Ehrenfest’s influence he chose the red. 

2. Do the women who come from Lanzenave to Aldalgisa arrive knowing what is done in that place (having children outside of marriage with royals and Aubs, and that any sons become feystones)?

A. They only know it’s to give birth to the next king of Lanzenave, and to secure as many feystones as possible.

3. How is a flower of Aldalgisa perceived in Lanzenave? Is it a prestigious position carrying on the family name? A pitiful human sacrifice? An object of scorn?

A. She’s a princess who has won the honour of carrying on the family name and giving birth to the next king.

4. It seems that when the princess arrives from Lanzenave, the previous flowers are turned into feystones. Are the princesses also to be turned into feystones, just like the flowers who are born there, once they’re past childbearing age?

A. Yes.

5. Are the practical skills for a boy’s bedchamber education in the Central Temple compulsory? Are there any students who refuse the practical part because they have a fiancée in a love marriage (or a sweetheart) or they have an aversion to flower offerings?

A. It’s required. Since this is education to successfully proceed with a marriage with a noblewoman I think it’s taken more seriously by those who have a fiancée or lover they want to take care of. It's quite scary for a woman to entrust herself to a self-centred man who doesn't want to learn how to treat women, such as how much mana flow is painful depending on the degree of colour matching, and how to alleviate discomfort caused by the difference in attributes.

6. Now that Rozemyne is Aub Alexandria, can she make Damuel and Philine into mednobles? Or does Damuel remain a laynoble due to marrying into Philine’s family?

A. Since their medals are registered as laynobles they can’t be treated as mednobles even if they move to another duchy. Family rank can’t be raised if they are the only ones who have mednoble-level mana. If the family can demonstrate mednoble levels of mana for three generations in a row then they can be elevated.

7. Ferdinand sometimes calls a hidden room a workshop, depending on the intended use, but aren't there a minority of nobles who would make their hidden rooms into workshops? Hidden room = where you want to keep secret what you’re doing, so you wouldn't use it for making recovery potions or magic tools that everyone knows about, would you?

A. That’s right. For archduke candidates, they use the castle’s brewing room because they usually have their scholars assisting them. In Ferdinand’s case, since he was making recovery potions and antidotes to Veronica’s poisons, he would brew in a hidden room out of fear of interference from those following her will. Few people use hidden rooms as workshops.

8. Is there fortune telling and such based on mana attributes or birth season, similar to blood types? [Japan has astrology-like personality types based on blood type]

A. Yes, if it’s common mana aptitude-type fortune telling similar to Type A being meticulous. It’s said that someone with a strong darkness aptitude is individualistic and secretive. A strong light aptitude is formal and overserious. A strong water aptitude is kind to their own people and harsh to their enemies. A strong fire aptitude is caring but pushy.  A strong wind aptitude is inclined to seclude themselves and focus only on their own interests. A strong earth aptitude is seriously patient and tends to live for others. A strong life aptitude is tenacious and treasures their own sphere.

9. If each parent has dedicated their name to a different person, would this affect the mana of their baby? For example, was this part of the reasons why Shikikoza had so little mana?

A. No, the change in mana due to name dedication only binds the surface so it does not affect a child’s mana.

10. Depending on the image, waschen can erase the effects of Trug. But if you imagine it erasing all the poison in someone’s body would it be possible to use it when rescuing Ferdinand in the replenishment hall without needing an antidote? It would ruin the story though.

A. It’s possible, but unlike with Trauerqual, who was muddled but conscious and who they could observe as he struggled to breathe and almost drowned, you would pour it on Ferdinand from outside the room as he was dying and barely conscious, right? Probably Ferdinand drowns before the waschen gets rid of the poison. It would ruin the story in the sense that it would become Rozemyne putting an end to Ferdinand.

11. Were blessings other than greetings or healing well known among the nobility even before Myne became a noble?  Given that neither Shikikosa nor Damuel seemed very surprised and described it as adding mana, I was wondering if there are other nobles who give blessings besides Rozemyne.

A. Sometimes a lower status knight would do something like give mana (offensive power) to a higher status knight. It’s not a blessing prayed to the gods, it’s more like handing over mana when it’s asked for, but it looks very similar.

12. In Fanbook 2 Overflow Q&A, it said, “If consciousness is lost in the middle of the use of magic and the magic is not completed, the released mana may explode.” If Rozemyne’s mana was depleted first before completing the large-scale magic, how large of an explosion would have occurred?

A. Hmm, if the use of Gramp’s hair to designate the range works well, it would be contained to Alexandria alone….. possibly? If the use of the rainbow-coloured feystone to expand the effect has an influence, I think around half of Yurgenschmidt would become collateral damage.

13. Is there a magic tool for forcibly squeezing out mana that is only used on criminals? I would like to know about it.

A. It looks similar to the magic tool for children. It sucks mana out through shackles and into a paired feystone container. The children’s magic tool only absorbs overflowing mana, but the tool for criminals has no limiter and everyday sucks out an amount to the point where they struggle and suffer.

14. Why does the Lord of Winter appear in two places, but the Lord of Summer in only one?

A. It’s in the gods’ nature to do so.

15. If Rozemyne had lost and was placed in the Sovereign Temple, was there any possibility that she would have been made to give birth to Gervasio’s and the Lanzenave Royal family’s children?

A. Most likely. Because for Gervasio, that's how women in Yurgenschmidt are treated.

16. Ferdinand has loved research since he was in the Royal Academy, was there an event that triggered his love for it?

A. Being able to detoxify Veronica’s poison with medicine he mixed himself is what got him into research.

17. Who taught Ferdinand how to make a hidden room?

A. It was Irmhilde. That’s the reason he knows the way for an adult and child to register mana together.

18. Did Ferdinand initially call Sylvester “brother” and use honourifics with him? Was there some episode that triggered him to start addressing him informally and without honourifics, even if only in private?

A. At first Sylvester told him to call him “brother”, but when he did Veronica viciously beat him so he stopped. When he called him “Lord Sylvester”, Sylvester selfishly replied “I don’t like it because it doesn’t sound familiar”. When his retainer began saying “Well, do I need to report to Lady Veronica that you're defying Lord Sylvester” Ferdinand was at a complete loss. Karstedt, well aware of how Veronica operated, arranged a place for the three of them to talk alone and showed him the example of how to break down language and manners. Karstedt scolded Sylvester in his capacity as an older cousin, mercilessly beating him on the head. As a result that’s what Ferdinand imitated, his attitude became one without a shred of respect.

19. What was the reason that Sylvester and Bonifatius both cradled their heads before the engagement ceremony?

A. For Sylvester, it was being clearly told “I didn’t want to be engaged to Wilfried”. At the time of Wilfried’s emotional outburst she put up with it without saying what she really felt, and just said “It would be nice if I had freedom of the library.” He realized how naive he had been to think that because she spoke bluntly about everything that there was no problem. Bonifatius was torn between wanting to say “You’re just not aware of it, that’s all!” and not wanting to make her aware of it.

[cosmichorrorsarestillnicerthanme]

Rules (Re-vamped for new added fandoms, rules, prefrences, Master List, and Current Works)

(Re-vamped for new added fandoms, rules, and prefrences)

“I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me. What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams.”-Howard Philips Lovecraft

Hello I'm Mr. Cosmic, I am a Romantic Asexual Man (Not sex repulsed, I actually find the concept of sex and how deeply it is ingrained in humanity fascinating) my birthday is September 26th, My favorite food is Spaghetti and Garlic Bread (I know I know, Asexuals and garlic bread), my favorite drink is home made Mountain Tea, I love writing romantic and fluffy things but I also may right angst if I'm in the right mood, My favorite bands are Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Iron Maiden, Nujabes (RIP), Megadeth, Rob Zombie, and Foo Fighters, I hope we can all get along!

I take recommendations for shows to watch and add to the list of fandoms and music to listen to while I write (I am partial to fast paced songs, but I also enjoy slower ones)

I am also associated with the @favonius-library and @ecrin-de-litterature

ASKS ARE: OPEN

One Hundred One Word Prompts

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ALL OF MY CURRENT WORKS

ALL OF MY CURRENT WORKS PT.2

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My Pet Peeves For Asks

One Of My Pet Peeves For Asks: Fighters, Not Body Builders

Rules

I only write romance for female characters but I'm perfectly fine with writing platonic male relationships (There are a few exceptions but most of the time this is the rule of thumb to go by)

I write for G/N, Male, and Female readers

Like any other Tumblr I reserve the right to reject asks

Be Respectful.

Do Not Hate On People In The Comments!

No Homophobia, Transphobia, etc. etc.

If You Have A Question About A Post Ask In The Comments Of The Post please.

No Politics!

I prefer to write for Ladies but I will do guys once in a blue moon if they're a part of the ask.

Due to a recent attempt to write trans readers and the anxiety attack which affected my willingness to write I have made the decision to (For the moment this may change though it is unlikely) not write Trans readers there is nothing wrong with Trans People I just feel like I can't portray them properly.

IF ONE MORE GODDAMN FUCKING PORN BOT OR BLANK BLOG FOLLOWS ME I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD I WILL GO ON A GODDAMN PURGE SO PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CUSTOMIZE YOUR TUMBLR OR I MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY BAN HAMMER YOU!!! Please, if you have a question or an ask, ask me the question in the INBOX not in my MESSAGES. My MESSAGES are for my mutuals to talk to me. Not to receive asks through, that is what the ASK BUTTON is for. If I continue to receive asks in my MESSAGES I WILL start blocking people.

FANDOMS

Fate Grand Order and TYPE-MOON in general

Genshin Impact

Honkai Star Rail

Zenless Zone Zero

Reverse 1999

Goddess Of Victory: Nikke

Arknights

Blue Archive

Girls Front Line

Limbus Company

Lobotomy Corporation

Library Of Ruina

Bloodborne

Elden Ring

Baldur’s Gate 3

Senran Kagura

Danganropa

Persona 3

Persona 4

Persona 5

Shin Megami Tensei

Dungeon Fighter Online

Dungeon Fighter Duel

River City Girls

Tekken

King Of Fighters

Guilty Gear

Granblue Fantasy

Blazblue

Skullgirls

Darkstalkers

Under Night In Birth

Street Fighter

Resident Evil

Final Fantasy

Fear & Hunger

Fear & Hunger: Termina

Hi-Fi Rush

Trails Of Cold Steel

Bleach

Chainsaw man

Jujutsu Kaisen

RWBY

Ikki Tousen

Highschool DxD

(To Be Added)

What I Will Do

Character x Reader

All of the dere's (Yandere, Kudere, Tsundere, Goudere, Masodere, Sadodere etc. etc.)

Poly

Character x Multiple (Separate from Poly, NSFW only Ex. Free Use)

Platonic Relationships

NSFW (If You Want a Specific Kink You Have To Ask)

(More To Be Added)

What I Won’t Do

Underage

Non-Con (I might do CNC)

Kinks like Scat and Vore

NTR

(More To Be Added)

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[litcest]

The House of Borgia: End of a Dynasty (Part 4)

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | References |

While the Conclave elected Pope Pius III, Cesare was occupied trying to find allies. His old friend, King Louis XII, came to his aid, issuing a statement to Romagna that their Duke was "alive and well and the friend of the King of France". Not only Cesare had the French's support, but he also counted on Ferrara's troops to protect his claim on Romagna, as Lucrezia had persuaded her husband and father-in-law to fight in her brother's defence.

Once Romagna was relatively stable and Cesare felt better, he returned to Rome, where he met with Pius III and had his position as Captain confirmed. Not only that, but due to Cesare's clever theft of the Papal Treasury, Pius III was left financially dependent on him. By all accounts, Cesare's life would continue on exactly as it had under Rodrigo's papacy.

Unfortunately for Cesare, Pius III died twenty six days after being elected Pope. The next Pope, Julius II, had been an old enemy of Rodrigo, and upon his election, was swift to force the Borgias to surrender their lands in Romagna, even ordering the new Captain of the Papal Forces to arrest Cesare when he refused to comply.

After Cesare's arrest, Julius decided to put him on trial and encouraged those wronged by him to file claims for financial compensation. Not only that, but Julius also charged Cesare with the murder of two cardinals, whose deaths were believed to have been arranged by Rodrigo. These trials never occurred, as in April 1503, Cesare was released in exchange for his remaining territories in Romagna. Once free, he departed for Naples, which was under Spanish rule and where the rest of the Borgias had taken refuge, with the exception og Lucrezia, who remained with her husband in Ferrara. Hardly had Cesare set foot in Naples when he was imprisoned again, as King Ferdinand of Spain wished to hand Cesare back to Julius II in exchange for an alliance against the French.

Cesare would remain imprisoned in Spain until 1506, when he managed to escape prison and seek refuge with his brother-in-law, Juan d'Albret, King of Navarre. Taking advantage of a civil war wrecking through Navarre, Cesare offered his services as a military leader to help King Juan reclaim the kingdom. This would prove to be Cesare's downfall, as on 12 March 1507, he was killed in battle by the revolting troops. 

Six weeks would pass until the news of his death reached Lucrazia, who was, by this point, the Duchess of Ferrara. It's said that upon learning of her brother's fate, she locked herself in her room and began to wail his name. In 1508, Lucrezia would finally give birth to a son by d'Este, named Ercole II, who would be followed by Ippolito in 1509, Leonora in 1515, Francesco in 1516 and Isabella Maria in 1519. This last birth proved itself to be terribly complicated and claimed the lives of both mother and daughter.

Rodrigo, due to being a pope, was given a tomb in the Basilica di San Pietro, near his uncle's resting place. In 1586, Rodrigo's bones were dug up and placed on a casket alongside Alfonso's, which, in 1610, was taken to Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, where the casket was set aside and forgotten about until 1864, when it was unexpectedly found. It would take until 1889 for the joined remains to be once again given a proper tomb, with a stone memorial being carved in honour of Alfonso and Rodrigo.

Cesare was buried in a tomb by Juan d'Albret in the church of Santa Maria of Viana, in front of the high altar. His tomb, however, was destroyed by the bishop of Calahorra some time later, with Cesare's body being dumped in a hole outside the church. In 1945, the remains were exhumed and an autopsy was performed. The remains then bounced from place to place until finally being reburied in the church in 2007. 

Lucrezia, meanwhile, was buried in Monastero del Corpus Domini, in Ferrara, alongside the other Dukes and Duchess of Ferrara. In time, Alfonso d'Este joined her, as did her children and grandchildren

Thus, the era of Borgia dominance came to a close. Although the family continued to hold titles in the subsequent years (most notably, Rodrigo's great-grandson, Francis Borgia, was canonized as a saint) they never reclaimed the formidable power they once commanded during Rodrigo's papacy. Yet, Rodrigo, Cesare, and Lucrezia did not fade into obscurity. Their legacy endured, capturing the public imagination for centuries to come. Indeed, as the chronicles of their lives spread through the courts of Europe, their reputation grew, blending reality and legend. Their lives continue to fascinate audiences, inspiring countless reinterpretations in literature, drama, and visual media even to this day.

[adelaide-of-versailles]

How badly did Louis xv treat his wife???

Tbh he was more just... Neglectful and ignored her throughout their marriage.

At first, it was very idyllic and they loved each other, but after giving birth the first time to Louise Elisabeth and Anne Henriette, Cardinal Fleury (who absolutely hated her) decided that until she gave birth to a boy, she wouldn't be allowed to leave Versailles. Louis XV did nothing, and it took 3 years for Maria to have a son. Also, what the hell is up with that? She had twin daughters and suddenly she *needs* to have a boy?? Have some patience, she's working on it!

She was very shy, I mean who wouldn't be when faced with the King of France. She wasn't really raised as a Princess- she was raised in a small house with very few servants with her parents, grandmother, and I'm not sure if her sister Anna was dead yet.

Louis XV cheated on her quite a lot, which I know is normal for monarchy but it is worth mentioning. After the birth of Princess Louise (her last child) she almost died, and she was advised to not have anymore children, and after that she refused access to her bedchamber for the King.

One book says,

At certain times, vigils, feasts and days consecrated to the memory of illustrious saints, she demanded- well, let us call it a "respite" from the King's attentions. But gradually new saints of minor importance were invoked, and Louis XV became impatient. He did not chafe at the great elect, but he drew the line at all these petty saintlings. At first he was content with such a device as breathing on a mirror and writing on the fleeting mist, "Your Majesty is a proud minx"; but one night, pleading that it was a saint's day, the Queen refused to admit him to her bedchamber. "Madame," he shouted at her, you shall pay for this," and immediately commanded Lebel to go and fetch a woman, no matter whom. Lebel sped away, and soon returned with an amiable and tantalizing maid of the Princesse de Rohan, who undertook these supplementary duties with the most charming alacrity.

Also after Princess Louise's birth, Cardinal Fleury decided that the budget of Versailles was just too small to handle the extra daughters they had laying around, so obviously something had to be done to them, and not yknow, the king using so much of the budget for frivolous stuff. Adelaide, aged 6, Victoire, 5, Sophie, 4, Felicite, 2, and Louise, under a year old were chosen to leave.

Maria, who had a particular attachment to Adelaide, guided her into running to her father after mass and begging him to let her stay. It worked, but none of her other children were allowed to stay. Despite this, she often sent them gifts, and once they were old enough to yknow, read and write, sent them letters.

One letter from Sophie, which I believe was after Sophie properly met her later on in life, says:

My Dear Mamma, we have been this morning to the Carmelites : they have prayed to God for you, that nothing may happen to you on the road. I am very im- patient to arrive at Versailles ; for I assure you that it concerns me very much not to see you, since I love you, my dear Mamma, with all my heart. Be convinced of this I beg of you.

She loved her children, and they adored her too. Henriette, Louis, Adelaide, and Louis's first wife, Raphaelle particularly defended her against the growing faction of Madame de Pompadour, although their distaste didn't do anything in the eyes of Louis XV. Louis Ferdinand, the Dauphin of France, particularly wasn't very close with his father, seemingly mostly due to Louis XV's treatment of Maria and personality differences.

Louis Ferdinand was a mostly kind-hearted soul who enjoyed gardening, and didn't like hunting or cheating on his wife, which were two things that Louis XV enjoyed very much.

Louis XV comments:

My son is of an indolent disposition, and his temper, like that of most people with Polish blood in their veins, is quick and variable; he has no taste; he cares nothing for hunting, women, or good living. Perhaps he thinks that if he were in my position he would be happy. At first he would change everything, appear to make a fresh start in every particular, and would soon be tired of the position of King as he is now of his own. He is made to live like a philosophe with men of intellect; he likes to do good, he is really virtuous and intelligent.

Unlike what Louis XV thought his son thinks, Louis Ferdinand truly had no desire to reign. Apparently, on a lot of writings to his children, he begins, "If I ever have the misfortune to reign–"

I know this is an abrupt end but I have to leave my house rn- if I have more to add I will reblog!

[applepickerproductions]

Legjobb koncertek 2023

Namármost. Idén ez lesz az egyetlen listám, ugyanis márciusban történt két dolog, ami meghatározta zeneileg az évemet, és nem álltam fel belőle. Egyrészt a Panda Bear & Sonic Boom koncert a Magyar Zene Házában eszméletlenül beütött, utána beszélgettem 10 percet Noah-val, ami szintén baromi jó volt. Imádom a lemezt, de élőben sokkal-sokkal jobb volt az egész, eszméletlenül örülök, hogy ilyen előadókra is ki lehet menni Budapesten koncertre (felkészül: Godspeed You! Black Emperor). Másrészt elkezdtem hallgatni Andrew Hickey: History of Rock Music in 500 Songs podcastjét, ami a Reset-hez hasonlóan az 50-es évektől indul. Ez a két esemény egy eszméletlen pre-Beatles vonatra ültetett fel. Már régóta keresem, hogy mi fog kivinni a klasszik-indie "szomorú fehér férfiak emo számokat énekelnek" világból, az elmúlt években a teljesség igénye nélkül többet próbálkoztam klasszikus zenével, black metallal, post-rockkal, hip-hoppal stb., de valahogy azt a major key életigenlő esztétikát, amit az 50-es évek pedofil, asszonyverő, stb. előadói hoznak, eddig egyiknél sem éreztem.

Tehát egyrészt egy csomó koncerten voltam úgy, hogy igazából azt szerettem volna, ha Michael Gira a The Wild One-t dolgozza fel inkább Johnny O'Keefe-től, minthogy 30 perces 3 slide gitáros értelmetlen zúzást toljon (de sajnos nem értett egyet). De összességében is egy csomó koncerten voltam, viszont új lemezeket egy-két kivétellel érdemben nem hallgattam. Tehát ez a lista a lista (az eleje felé már legerősebb számokkal).

50 - Sampa the Great @ Pohoda

49 - The Saxophones @ Porgy & Bess

48 - Carson Coma 2 @ Budapest Park

47 - Sainko Namtchylak @ Magyar Zene Háza

46 - Mordái @ Manyi

45 - Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul @ Pohoda

44 - Arooj Aftab @ Pohoda

43 - Barkóczi Noémi @ Akvárium

42 - The Cult @ Budapest Park

41 - Dé:Nash @ Budapest Park

40 - Galaxisok @ Műegyetem Rakpart

39 - Special Interest @ Turbina

38 - Simon Wells @ Béla

37 - Yard Act @ Pohoda

36 - Los Bitchos @ Gasometer

35 - Swans @ Akvárium (The Beggar)

34 - Okkervil River @ Porgy & Bess (John Allyn Smith Sails)

33 - Mordái @ Magyar Zene Háza (Át a kőtengeren)

32 - Sofi Tukker @ Pohoda

31 - Sleaford Mods @ Pohoda (Tweet Tweet Tweet)

30 - Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve, Művészetek Palotája (Alison)

29 - Roisin Murphy @ Gyárkert Veszprém

28 - Tom Holliston @ Béla

27 - Carson Coma 1 @ Budapest Park (Hobbihajótörött)

26 - The Raveonettes @ A38 (The Great Love Sound)

25 - Emilíana Torrini and the Colorist Orchestra @ Akvárium (Me and Armini)

24 - Dry Cleaning @ Pohoda (Don't Press Me)

23 - Jamie XX @ Pohoda (Gosh)

22 - Suzanne Vega @ Pohoda (Walk on the Wild Side)

21 - Kispál és a Borz @ Budapest Part (Zár az égbolt)

20 - Russian Circles @ Dürer Kert (Quartered)

19 - Shame @ Pohoda Festival (Angie)

18 - Strompopper @ Dopamin (Radio Whatever)

17 - Tamikrest @ Akvárium

16 - Hó Márton és a Jégkorszak @ Akvárium (Folyamatosan le vagyok maradva)

15 - Viagra Boys @ Pohoda Festival (Troglodyte)

14 - Mayberian Sanskülotts @ Magyar Zene Háza (Ocean's Cry)

13 - Franz Ferdinand @ Gyárkert Veszprém (Outsiders)

12 - Strompopper @ Központ (Kill Everyone)

11 - Wet Leg @ Pohoda Festival (Wet Dream)

10 - Iggy Pop @ Gyárkert Veszprém (T.V. Eye)

9 - Perfume Genius @ Pohoda Festival (On the Floor)

8 - Galaxisok @ Margó Feszt (Olasz film (töredék))

7 - Bérczesi Róbert @ Margó Feszt (Kérdőjel)

6 - Kraftwerk @ Gyárkert Veszprém (Autobahn)

5 - Kevin Morby @ Akvárium (Rock Bottom)

4 - Black Country, New Road @ Villa Manin (Turbines/Pigs)

3 - The Magnetic Fields @ Porgy & Bess (Andrew in Drag)

2 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard @ Gasometer (The Dripping Tap/Magma/Muddy Water/The River)

1 - Panda Bear & Sonic Boom @ Magyar Zene Háza (Everything's Been Leading to This)

[omegaradiowusb]

SEPTEMBER 9, 2023 (#358)

Husker Du: "Gravity" Replacements: "Unsatisfied" Scratch Acid: "Owner's Lament" Cult, The: "Rain" Love And Rockets: "Ball Of Confusion" Jesus And Mary Chain, The: "April Skies" Big Audio Dynamite: "Just Play Music" R.E.M.: "Stand" Smithereens, The: "Drown In My Own Tears" XTC: "King For A Day" Flaming Lips: "Shine On Sweet Jesus (Jesus Song No. 5)" New Fast Automatic Daffodils: "Fishes Eyes" Pulp: "Countdown" Frank Black: "Hang On To Your Ego" Suede: "Still Life" Elastica: "Waking Up" Guided By Voices: "Jane Of The Waking Universe" Death Cab for Cutie: "Information Travels Faster" Radiohead: "How To Disappear Completely" Interpol: "Take You On A Cruise" Sneaker Pimps: "The Chauffeur" IAMX: "Sailor" Fischerspooner: "The 15th" Cansei De Ser Sexy: "Bezzi" LCD Soundsystem: "Someone Great" Cut Copy: "Cold Youth" Small Black: "Bad Lover" Juan MacLean, The: "Tonight" Minks: "Ophelia" Yeasayer: "O.N.E." Neon Indian: "Should've Taken Acid With You" Hot Chip: "Flutes" Franz Ferdinand: "Stand On The Horizon" (Todd Terje RMX) Prince Rama: "Bahia" Caribou: "Silver" Classixx: "A Mountain With No Ending" Toro Y Moi: "A Girl Like You" Washed Out: "Olivia" Brian Jonestown Massacre: "Pish" Mark Lanegan: "Flatlands" Pixies: "All I Think About Now" Beach House: "Drunk In L.A." Nothing: "Eaten By Worms" Porcupine Tree: "Chimera's Wreck" Florence & The Machine: "What Kind Of Man" Shannon & The Clams: "King Of The Sea" King Gizzard: "Head On / Pill"

We welcome all of our listeners to Omega Radio, WUSB's most diverse show on its grid. Tonight, we start off our Autumn broadcasting season in a major way. It's a double-deluxe program as we take over for Everything Must Go with four hours of marquee artists, tried-and-true synthpop, chillwave, and newer all-around favorites. We also revisit some artists that we haven't played in quite a while and ones who are featured here for the first time.

A huge thank you to @tewz for proving us with lots of ideas for tonight's show. We'll have plenty of Autumn sounds to go around, including ending the year with our annual 'second-chance' broadcast. Thanks for listening.

September 23, 2023 (10PM New York City): deluxe Omega

October 7, 2023 (10PM New York City): deluxe Omega

October 21, 2023 (10PM New York City): deluxe Omega

November 4, 2023 (10PM New York City): final deluxe Autumn Omega + Year 11 broadcast.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

INSIDE OUT 2 slowly treks to possibly unseating Photoreal LION KING, now playing in Japan where the original made around $30-35m USD, while DESPICABLE ME 4 slowly climbs towards the big billion. If it does so, that makes it the first film in the franchise to do that since the third movie way back in 2017. MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU was close but no cigar two summers back.

Both movies continue to fill up the auditoriums at the cinema I work at...

However, a new movie on the block with a curious helping of *2D* animation in it... Is not... The Sony release HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, directed by Blue Sky alum Carlos Saldanha (ICE AGE 2, RIO 1 & 2, FERDINAND) in his live-action debut. I know some are having a lark at the weird Zachary Levi FX vehicle arriving a year after completion with no marketing, bombing hard, but I can't help but think... That just sucks.

And a big case of "what could've been?" Hollywood's been trying to adapt the Crockett Johnson-written book, first published in 1955, since the 1990s. Animated shorts and a TV series were made, but the movie just stalled and stalled, shuffling through different directors and iterations... And mediums. Sony Animation at one point, in conjunction with Amblin, was supposed to do a feature based on this... So now we got this movie, finished some time in early 2023 with an MPA rating and everything... Months before its initial release date (late July 2023), with no trailer in sight, it quietly packed its bags and left for this summer. I guess they were concerned that being wedged between BARBIE and MUTANT MAYHEM wasn't exactly the best idea...

So, it tried to arrive - unnoticed - nearly a month after DESPICABLE ME 4. Both DM4 and INSIDE OUT 2 charted higher at the weekend box office than CRAYON, which only took in $6m stateside. It's another "animation director goes live-action" endeavor that ended rather poorly. Andrew Stanton and JOHN CARTER OF MARS, Brenda Chapman and COME AWAY, even Brad Bird with TOMORROWLAND. Saldanha now has a picture called 100 DAYS lined up, an effort the Brazilian director is pursuing in his home country, so that's good for him.

It's also another largely live-action family/kids movie - not made by Disney - that didn't add up. They just become rarer and rarer by the year, it seems. I remember when those kinds of movies were everywhere. All your STUART LITTLEs and BABEs and LAST MIMZYs, off the top of my head. I think around the late aughts/early tens, they started to slowly go away, many of them just came up short most of the time. If they do exist, and aren't part of a movie franchise (like, say, WONKA and the SONIC movies), I feel they go to Netflix or whatever. There was IF this year, but that didn't make back its budget despite strong audience response/great WOM. So they still kinda exist?

Anyways, the summer belongs to emotions and gibbering tictacs on the family end of things... Though I saw quite a few parents taking their 4-7yos into DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE, and hey, some of today's kids probably see and hear worse elsewhere lol. I recall being allowed, weirdly, to watch SOUTH PARK circa 1999 when I was in 2nd grade but certain levels of violence were off-limits. I don't think my folks would've taken me to see an R-rated Deadpool/X-Men movie in 1999, haha.

So that probably ends the summer seasons, animation box office-wise. I know the autumnal equinox technically begins two days after TRANSFORMERS ONE opens, but I peg the beginning of it there. Bring on the robots!

[jtl-fics]

New Kings AU Masterpost

This is where you can find links to everything related to my New Kings AU.

I’ll do my best to update this masterpost with the snippets / headcanons / asks about the New Kings AU. Some of these may not be used for the final product.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Miracle Team was well known within the great history of Exy and amongst them was the coach that brought them together. When Coach David Wymack passes away that Miracle Team comes back to honor their coach but on the way to the funeral in the old bus they end up in an accident, resulting in the Miracle Team joins their coach in death.

Then they wake back up to the spring before that miraculous season with all their memories of the next few decades in tact.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1: HERE ( The Funeral, Waking Up, Explanation, Arizona )

Part 2: HERE ( Mania, Cause & Effect, Waiting Game )

Part 3: HERE ( Please (pt.1) )

Part 4: HERE ( Please (pt.2), Picking up Neil, The Return, Rest )

Part 5: HERE ( Withdrawal, 2nd Chance, Young Lord, Changes, Kevin's Hand, Old/New Hobby, History & A Day in History )

Part 6: HERE ( Ferdinand, Pressed & Ambition )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non-Snippet Information / Initial Thoughts: HERE

[fallowhearth]

Tagged by @apollo-cackling to do the 10 songs shuffle thing. Which I can actually do this time as I am listening to music again.

My music library is a bit of a threadbare mishmatch since I keep changing streaming services, unfortunately. Can't help that they are all bad! So there's other stuff I like but have forgotten about, or haven't gotten around to adding to my current service.

1. Dark Sarah - The Wolf and the Maiden. Symphonic metal, checks out.

2. Warpaint - Stars. One of the few from the indie rock era I still go back to. I saw them live in approx. 2011, I think?

3. Oceans of Slumber - The Hanging Tree. Fantastic band, and worth checking out. One of the few US metal bands I listen to.

4. Wild Beasts - All the Kings Men. Another from my early 2010s taste. I saw them live sometime around then.

5. Tool - Jambi. Yeah I'm a Tool-fan. Sorry. Seeing them live in (early) 2020 was the culmination of a teenage dream, though.

6. Loreena McKennitt - Beneath a Phrygian Sky. Some folk/new age, why not.

7. Rave the Reqviem - Synchronized Stigma. Industrial metal, great workout music. Amusingly blasphemous.

8. Unleash the Archers - Northern Passage. I'm seeing these guys live next week. Great band, from Canada, and yes they have done a cover of Northwest Passage for fun.

9. Franz Ferdinand - Brief Encounters. Don't actually recall this song, but I loved this band as a teenager. First gig I ever went to actually. My taste at the time was highly influenced by a cute redheaded friend that I had a crush on, we went to the gig together.

10. Delain - Control the Storm (live). Symphonic metal, checks out.

I'm not going to tag anyone as I think everyone has been tagged by this point and I don't want to spam. But please do it if you want to!

[mcalhenwrites]

While many of my pieces on AO3 are still locked up in a collection, I do have many that are public. :D Final Fantasy XV songs that died centuries ago ignoct reincarnation AU Summary: Noctis and Ignis recognized each other when they met as children. No matter how many lifetimes they pass through, they always find one another. Length: oneshot, 1345 words Noctis isn’t sure why, but he remembers pieces of lifetimes like the quick flip through a photograph album. The emotions—fear, grief, love, hatred—overwhelm him. He’s too young to know where these thoughts come from, why they’re there. Spell of the Stars ignoct Summary: When the thirteen stars of the Chosen King Constellation shine down upon Eos at their brightest, it gives two ghosts the power to be almost human again. Length: oneshot, 868 words They still spend their days and nights together in the Citadel, banging messages through the walls and curling up on the dusty covers of old beds. But they only had a short time in this season to touch one another. The annual ball had become a romantic game between the two. Would they find one another and dance for the rest of the evening, or be doomed to spend their night being passed from stranger to stranger? Wandering Souls ignoct dad AU Summary: Noctis is a single dad and widower who found his family's business too stressful and demanding, and now he lives on the road with his son. Similarly, Ignis is a motorcyclist who became tired of the daily grind of life in Insomnia and quit his job to travel. Being on the road means seeing a lot of different faces, but when they catch eyes at a diner in Hammerhead, both Ignis and Noctis realize that sometimes it’s nice to wake up to the same face every day. Length: 14 chapters (complete), 46,720 words

“Daddy, did you make a new friend?”

“Yeah, his name is Ignis.”

“Cool. You need friends.”

Leave it to a five-year-old to point out all his flaws and shortcomings.

Original Works Stargazers' Hill Summary: Thaddeus Whittaker began his new life in a coffin. After running away from an orphanage, Thaddeus stowed away in a coffin destined for the Glasser Mortuary. He is taken in by the family and becomes fast friends with their youngest son, Ambrose. What Thaddeus doesn't know is someone is looking for him, and the disappearance of his stepfather was no accident at sea. Length: 17/63 chapters (still posting, though the work is complete) For the first time in their lives, the people at the Glasser Mortuary did the opposite of their jobs: they pulled a body out of a casket. This one happened to be breathing, which was fortunate for all of them. Humphrey Glasser did not need his hard-earned reputation to be shaken by a police investigation. Rascal Note: this stands alone from Stargazers' Hill and can be read separately Summary: With a stressful job as the breadwinner of the household, Hazel unwinds at home by surrendering control to his trustworthy partner, Ferdinand. The youngest "Raston Rascal" is under pressure to follow in his father's footsteps. It includes everything from his job to his hobbies to his lifestyle choices. But when there's a new airship being built, one that the Rastons have invested in, Hazel finds a growing interest in the vessel for all the wrong reasons. Length: 60/60 chapters, 159930 words Hazel is in the perfect position of his erotic fantasies: a handsome man has him across his lap, one leg burrowed into the angle of Hazel’s bent form, toes lifted off the ground. Ferdinand’s sleeves are indeed rolled nearly to his elbows, and the slipper is going to leave a lasting impression that has Hazel relishing in the pain all night and into tomorrow. Ungrateful Little Princeling Note: best read after reading at least the first 4 chapters of Rascal Summary: The first time Hazel is ever called an Ungrateful Little Princeling. The insult follows him into adulthood, as do the unpleasant memories. Length: oneshot, 2455 words

Beside Hazel’s arm sits the remaining pieces of the model, retrieved from the yard. The car has been snapped off the platform, and the exterior is scraped and smashed. The window glass is shattered.

Reselling will be impossible. The model is now trash.

Ravish Him Note: can be read before Rascal Summary: Hazel Raston might have been a little drunk when he first spotted Ferdinand Aletto standing by the nearest exit of the dormitory common room. So drunk, in fact, that he snagged Sinclair’s sleeve and hissed much too loudly in his ear, “Who is he? I want to ravish him.” Specifically, Hazel wanted to rip the stranger’s buttons off his shirt with his teeth and lick his chest down to his navel until he had his cock in his mouth. Length: oneshot, 7974 words Ferdinand dressed in his finest, snappiest outfit. He also dressed two hours too soon, because his thoughts were on little else but the young man with the butterscotch hair and chrysanthemum orange eyes. Woeful Spring Colds Note: can be read before Rascal, but best if you know the dynamic between Hazel and Ferdinand Summary: Ferdinand can always count on Hazel to take care of him when he has a cold. In turn, Hazel can count on Ferdinand to paint his ass red whenever they're no longer sick. Length: oneshot, 2838 words As soon as he straightens up, he takes a few deep breaths with his eyes shut tight. There is no mistaking it: he has caught something. It is inevitable in a customer service job, and arranging flowers for people who buy them for loved ones at hospitals means all sorts of colds and flus are passed around the flower shop. Even someone as robust as Ferdinand ends up catching something once a year. Eda, Darling Note: best read after chapter 40 of Rascal Summary: After her lawyers contact Willie, Edith Anne goes home to face her future ex-husband. Length: oneshot, 2623 words

Many people—especially my son—think I’m brave by nature. It’s never that easy. If I have the option to delay unpleasant matters for a short time, I’ll stay somewhere safe and harden my exoskeleton like a freshly-molted animal. Confrontations are best when planned to do the least damage.

Oh yes, I can react in a snap if necessary. The wife of someone as impulsive and reckless as William Raston must be. Kingdom Hearts Pretty Cute Smile Demyx/Ienzo Summary: It was simple. All he had to say? “No.” But the moment Ienzo smiled, one corner of his upturned lips hidden behind his bangs, Demyx caved. The word “no” was lost temporarily. Length: oneshot, 908 words

He enjoyed Ienzo’s company, and he was going to have it one way or another. In fact, maybe he liked Ienzo a little better than Zexion, because Ienzo smiled.

And that smile was pretty cute.

Language of Flowers Strelitzia, Lauriam Summary: They didn’t mind getting their hands covered in soil and compost, leaving dustings of it across the stairs of Daybreak Town. Length: oneshot, 485 words Lauriam taught his sister about the different local bees and other pollinators when she was but a wee thing standing in his shadow. The trellises in their family garden bloomed and fruited every spring, the vines clenched around the soft wood as if little arms clinging upward to beat the other plants to the sun.

[semi-imaginary-place]

I Beat Verdant Wind New Game Maddening but Claude was Level 1 Until Part 2

I play a lot of maddening but I like collecting skill levels and what not so I've primarily been playing on one continuous file that's like 900+ hours long, so I finally decided to do maddening ng and collect the golden title screen but just doing ng seemed boring so additionally I decided to never use Claude during part 1 aka a Lord-less White Clouds run. I did have dlc because i hadn't seem the Abyss VW dialogue yet. I started this back in like 2022 and then put off finishing it because of the part 2 doldrums so it took me until june 2023 to finish this run.

So all the way until Hunting by Daybreak Claude was level 1, from the first chapter all the way until then Claude never faced an enemy or gained exp, and then during that map he gained like 20 levels and i forgot to screenshot it. The screenshot above is Claude at level 45 right before the final map, I threw all the stat items (minus mag) onto him before the final fight, and he got pretty close to some of his stat caps, 2 off max str and he could have gotten max hp but my last item was a +5 so instead of wasting 4hp hilda got that item instead.

I haven't done a more optimized run in quite a while (usually i'm running joke builds like brawl Marianne) so this was quite fun. Let me know if you want to know the builds or have any questions. I might edit this and ramble some more later.

edit1: NG Maddening wasn't that bad for me. I usually play on NG+ but that's just for collecting skill levels I never use the gameplay benefits of NG+ anyways so minus some grinding NG was the same difficulty that I usually play at. The biggest difference this round was resisting the urge to make another wacky terrible build and instead do things more optimally for once. Which is partly why I challenged myself to not use Claude in part 1. Early game was very hard as the game is designed for the player to rely on Byleth and the lord as power units. In early game most of the Golden Deer were just starting their builds and not very useful, and not only was I down a lord unit but I had 1 less deployment slot to work with. Part 2 was pretty easy as all the characters settled into their builds in advanced and master classes and I got a stronger Claude back so to keep things interesting I didn't actually use any of the stat boosting items until the final battle. I played with the idea of 1-turning the final boss but couldn't get the movement to work out, so I 4-turned the final map. I am S support grinding so maybe I can still shave time and turns off the final map. S support grinding was another reason I used this strategy in this run. So I did this all for 3 reason: maddening is boring otherwise, faster final map for S support grind, and lastly I did it for Claude.

edit2: Builds

Claude: bows tutoring focus, wyvern master. I mostly used Claude as a player phase unit but he had an enemy phase alt build that I used on the last map. I also picked up +1 movement for some more versatility. Also crit KING, I'd put a killer bow+ on him and have like 90 crit. Because of the White Clouds challenge Claude didn't start his build until part 2 where I picked up death blow. Was considering wyvern lord but wasn't worth it.

Byleth and Hilda: darting blow + death blow wyvern lords. Hilda also picked up alert stance+ and is one of 2 enemy phase dodgetanks. These were my 2 axe users this run, by the end they would sometimes 4x hit with a brave axe.

Seteth, Ferdinand, Sylvain: swiftstrikes wyvern lords (yes I had like 6 wyverns). Ferdinand was the other dodgetank besides Hilda and I gave him the Spear of Assal/Ochian shield to augment his personal. Seteth and Sylvain eventually picked up alert stance as well but I only used that on a couple maps. Ferdinand spent early game as an axe user because axes have higher might. Sylvain gets his relic easy so spent most of the game as a mixed lance/axe user. It's only once they got to rank A lances that I changed their builds to be lance focused. The builds of these 3 were pretty fluid depending on what I needed for the map like if there were a lot of sword enemies I'd use a swordbreaker lance build, if I needed enemy phase units they could all reasonably dodgetank, if there were a lot of lance enemies I'd use a lancebreaker axe build.

Leonie: bow crit machine. Leonie was very good. I swapped between sniper and bow knight depending on how much range/hit and run I wanted. I tend to use a lot of decentralized (no dancer or healer) hit and run guerilla tactics in my maddening runs. In some maps sniper was better like the final map.

Yuri went a similar route to Ignatz. He was my pick for this run's sword user and a dancer candidate. And like Ignatz I eventually gave up on swords because sniper is too good.

sooo yeah without my usual joke builds I ended up with a team of wyverns and snipers -_- maddening has such great balance huh /s. Above was my main team and then I'd usually have a few of the following characters to fill in the remaining deployment slots or replace someone if they needed exp.

Felix: brawling war master. What's more to say, high atk high speed high damage high survivability, crits like half the time. death blow + fistfaire + brawl crit

Ignatz picked up poisonstrike and spent a while in assassin. I considered keeping him assassin but sniper was just too good. He also made a good bow knight sapper/saboteur between poisonstrike, break arrow, or he'd just crit and kill them anyways.

Marianne: magic sword with high avoid, duelist blow, fiendish blow, sword avo. Marianne was the dancer and sword user of this run. She went down mage/bishop and her final class was mortal savant but she spend a lot of time in gremory for growths and trickster for duelist's blow. This is the most useful I've ever seen Marianne. I don't really use healers/mages, most mages can't double in maddening so don't have the raw damage, don't have the move to keep up with my guerilla tactics, and are too squishy. I didn't use Marrianne as dancer very often because I don't use dancers much, why field a dancer when I can have another wyvern, and I didn't want to tank her mag too much. I hadn't used Marianne in a long time and she wasn't MVP like Ferdinand or Hilda or Claude but she could hold her own on the front line and this is the most damage I've ever seen out of her. She was my only sword user by the end so Marianne got to have all the nice swords I'd collected all to herself.

Lorenz: frozen lance. I'd never done a frozen lance build so I decided to try it. Lorenz ended up good in the midgame but his early and late game were meh. He went up the mage line for mag+2 and fiendish blow. Early game suffered because he was a mage with a stick. Once he got into paladin and lancefaire Lorenz was doing very good, high enough damage to OHKO most enemies and canto made for a useful Lorenz. But staying in paladin made his mag growth inconsistent so his damage started to lag in late game, so he spend increasing time in dark knight which traded the power of lancefaire for the versatility of magic. With Thrysus Lorenz is probably the tankiest mage in the game.

Lysithea, Hapi, Constance: the mages. The standard mage build: monk, mage, bishop, gremory. Had them also take a detour to valkyrie for uncanny blow to fix their accuracy issues. mag+2 + fiendish blow + faire + range+1. Hapi didn't spend a lot of time attacking, she was probably the most healer-like unit of the game. Lysithea and Hapi also got dark knight for the faire.

Raphael and Balthus: brawl/axe war masters. I didn't use them quite as much since they get doubled on enemy phase sometimes. I had them using both weapon types for a lot of the game since sometimes a single strong axe hit was better for the situation. I mostly compensated for accuracy with batallions/rings instead of bothering to go archer.

Flayn, Anna, and Hanneman were there too. Flayn was healer when the other mages got over-leveled. I was building up Anna as a sniper but I always had too many units. Alois was built like Raph but kind of got dropped because I had more than enough better units.

edit3: don't know when I'll start another playthrough but I was considering a maddening AM no healing (no hp goes up ever) and no Byleth run, or maybe I'll get my final S supports on SS.

When Claude autoclasses into Wyvern Master he gets a massive stat boost so even if his numeric level is low his stats are on par with a much higher level character (this is also why he is more spd but less dex than a normal Claude since his unique classes have more speed growth while the archer line has more dex growth). My Byleth was on a wyvern so they could have soloed the map I had Byleth frontline, dodgetank, and soften enemies for Claude to finish. Because he's so low level Claude leveled up with every kill and got like half a level just for attacking so he gained levels fast on that map. Between Ashes and Dust and cleaning up after Byleth's leftovers I was quickly able to get Claude to like level 10 or something at which point he was one rounding enemies with Failnaught. I leveled bows flying and riding on him so with alert stance his survivability on that map was also very high. Lastly I invested in all the Golden Deer so they could all take care of themselves and didn't need to be saved.

All promotions are reclasses, Three Houses is very sandbox like you can put any character into just about any class. In maddening there's a sharp exp curve but the enemies are also higher leveled and I had dlc auxiliary battles which had higher level enemies. That said I took a break in the middle of this palythrough so I don't actually remember what level everyone was at the start of part 2. I might be remembering wrong and maybe Byleth was a wyvern rider.

[archduchessofnowhere]

“He won't get me”: some of the rejected suitors of Archduchess Elisabeth Marie

I am in a good mood so I decided to finish up this post that I had on my drafts since months ago, when I read the memoirs of Archduchess Erzsi's English governess. While I thought the memoirs itself were kinda dull I did find very interesting tidbits of information. Today I'll talk about two of her (alleged) suitors.

Erzsi, being the granddaughter of the Emperor and the only child of the late Crown Prince was considered a candidate for many princes, like her cousin Albert, future king of the Belgians. Other one was Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia, the second son of Emperor Wilhelm II.

After the review there was a grand gala dinner at the Hofburg, and I went with the Archduchess to watch the Royalties from the musicians' gallery over the banqueting hall. The table was gorgeous with gold plate, and I find I wrote my mother, in an account of the banquet : “Our dear Emperor has a splendid appetite. The German Emperor, who sees everything, noticed our Archduchess up in the gallery and asked who she was. Upon being told, he asked our Emperor that she might come down after dinner and be presented. She is certainly growing remarkably pretty.”

Evidently Emperor Wilhelm II. found her so, as later he sent his second son to visit the Austrian Court with the intention of making a matrimonial alliance between him and the Archduchess. But he counted without the Archduchess, for when she saw the youth, she exclaimed : “Marry that boy! Never!” and forthwith retired to bed, from whence she refused to emerge until His Imperial Highness had shaken the dust of the Austrian Court from his Royal shoes, and taken his departure.

The girl seemed to had a flavor for drama. The governess doesn't talk about this potential marriage again, but I was a still curious so I made a quick search to see if I could dig something more about the subject and I stumbled with this news article from 4 June 1890 published in The Toronto Daily Mail:

THE AUSTRIAN CROWN.

London Truth says:—The information given in a St. Petersburg paper about the possibility of the German Emperor's second son, Prince Eitel, being raised to the imperial throne of Austria is not wholly unfounded. But the condition would be marriage with the Archduchess Eizabeth. She is his senior, but the difference is not great enough to be disparity when both reach years of discretion (...) Both the Emperor and Empress of Austria hate to the degree of loathing the Archduchess Stephanie, who is as good (or bad) as excluded from their presence. “No more unnappy couple exist,” says to me a circus friend of the Empress, from whom she hides no grief. But their misery would be far deeper if he Archduchess Stephanie were to shine forth again as coming Empress through a marriage with the feeble-brained heir-presumptive to the throne. Such a marriage would probably secure the succession to a child of Stephanie. Were Elizabeth declared heiress, as Maria Theresa was, with the support of William II., with the understanding that she was to marry his son, and were, by this arrangement, the sons of the Archduke Charles Louis to be cut out, Francis Joseph and the Empress Elizabeth would die happy.

First of all, the age gap between Eitel and Erzsi was... two months. In his favor. So already we can tell this article doesn't have the best sources. However it also tells us that at least the rumor of this union existed even years before the governess started working at court.

While there was speculation about the succesion after Rudolf's death, and his daughter's name came forward, there never seemed to have been a serious effort of naming her heiress (there was however an attempt to remarry Stephanie to archduke Franz Ferdinand... actual crackshipping); Franz Josef, always the traditionalist, preferred to name as heir the nephew he barely standed that to bend the succesion laws in favor of the girl that was his favorite grandchild. So this engagement seems to be more wishful thinking for people that hoped for the unification of Germany and Austria rather than a serious plan; perhaps Wilhelm did thought his son had a chance with the archduchess, but I doubt that Franz Josef would've liked to give his empire to the Germans in a silver plate. In any case, Erzsi's reaction to the prince ended this project before it even begun.

The other potential bridegroom only gets marginally mentioned in a letter from the governess to a friend of hers. The Governess doesn't date this letter but given the context it is from early May of 1898:

The Archduchess wishes me to assure you she is not fianceed with the King of Spain. Her expression is: “He won't get me;” and I don't think he will.

He didn't got her.

Again a very quick search made me came across with several news articles published in January/February 1898 that announced the engagement of the fifteen-years-old Erzsi with the twelve-years-old King Alfonso XIII of Spain. And again, this really seem to be nothing but rumors. I know nothing about Alfonso but I doubt there was any serious attempt to get him a bride while he was still a literal child; by the time he had reached majority, Erzsi was already married.

And that is all I have for today on this subject; If anyone has any information (specially if it's from better sources that memoirs published almost two decades after the events happened and gossipy news articles) about this potential unions please tell me!

[yxxxxxx1]

Thread about Joanna of Castile: Part 6:  The Princes’ Journey : Juana of Castile and Philip of Burgundy Visit the French Court, 1501

In this part of my thread, I will provide further information about Joana's first stop in France.

Like I previously said in my last thread, In 1501, Philip of Burgundy and Juana of Castile became the heirs of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. This new status required them to appear in constitutional ceremonies in the principal cities of Spain and before the ‘Cortes’ to witness the swearing of oaths to them ùas heirs.

The route they would take was the subject of controversy. Juana’s parents, Ferdinand and Isabella, were insisting they take a sea voyage from Flanders to Spain. A new Spanish envoy, Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca, bishop of Córdoba, reported that:

Juana seemed eager to serve her parents and was widely thought to be “very sensible (cuerda) and very level-headed (asentada).

Philip’s advisors stipulated an overland route through France. The matter was settled in August 1501 when Philip agreed to marry his son Charles to Claude, the eldest daughter of King Louis XII of France and his queen, Anne of Brittany. Philip expressed an interest in meeting his prospective daughter-in-law, and when King Louis heard this, he invited Philip and Juana to visit the French royal court at Blois on their way to Spain.

The children were placed with Margaret of York and Anne of Burgundy in Mechelen, and Philip signed new household ordinances for the journey.

There are several vivid accounts of the journey. The princes left Brussels on 4 November 1501, travelling until Mons with Margaret of York and down through France to Blois. Philip delighted in detours, but Juana, more aloof and withdrawn, preferred the straighter route.

Queen Anne sent Madame de Vendôme along with fourteen women to wait on Juana while she travelled from one town to the next.  Juana made an official entry into Valenciennes on November 9 where she was given two silver pots and a bowl covered with flowers of gold by the inhabitants. 

Philip and Juana made their official entry into France on November 16 where they were met with immense receptions.  They arrived in Paris where a grand banquet was given for the couple that included engaging maidens, drink, spices, sweets, and dancing.  Juana left after one night to make her way to the castle of Blois.  Philip stayed in Paris four more days before joining her.

They arrived at Blois together on December 7, where they were housed in a newly built section of the palace which had been richly tapestried and furnished just for their visit.  Philip went to meet King Louis with his retinue, accompanied by Pierre de Beaujeu, the Duke of Bourbon.  He entered the king’s presence and bent down on his knee three times as he neared.  Louis rose and doffed his cap at each bow, advancing and embracing Philip.  The heir to the French throne, Francois d’Angouleme was seven years old, and he came forward to receive a kiss from Philip.  It was Francois’ first appearance at a grand court occasion.

Juana was particularly intent on maintaining her status as the heir to the Spanish throne without offending her hosts.  She was asked if she would kiss the King of France and would only agree after consulting her minister, the Bishop of Córdoba.  The Bishop agreed a kiss was acceptable.  Louis had insisted that Philip bow three times to him, but when Juana arrived, he rushed over to her, preventing her from curtseying twice.

The good-natured Louis then released her, courteously asking her to go to his wife, so the men could be alone together.  Juana began making her way to the door where the Duchess of Bourbon was waiting for her to arrange her dress and take her to the Queen, but there was a crush of people preventing her from reaching the door.  Then Philip came and pressed his way ahead of his wife, making the crowd even bigger and more raucous, causing further delay.

The rest of the journey will be posted in the next thread: Part 6.1.