#New Kings - Ferdinand - 4

[jtl-fics]

new kings

12/4/24 - WIP Wednesday (Closed) | New Kings AU

Kevin recovers before he shrugs, unbuttoning his dress shirt, “I’m ok, I talked about it with Coach a few days ago. I think it might help taper down some of the Raven fans.”

Seth nods, “Yeah, hard to blame you for wanting to come and play on the team that your dad is the coach of. Feels less like a betrayal and more like a homecoming.”

Kevin turns to Seth, surprised that he understood it apparently based on how he nodded. Seth caught onto that and flipped Kevin off.

“Fuck off, I’m not stupid. I understand how this press shit works just fine.” He turns to Neil, “What the fuck was that story you told to the crowd?”

12/11/24 WIP Wednesday: HERE

[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.

[royalty-nobility]

Barbara of Braganza

Artist: Jean Ranc (French, 1674–1735)

Date: c. 1729

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Barbara of Braganza

Lisbon (Portugal) , December 4, 1711 - Aranjuez (Madrid) , August 27, 1758

Biography

The eldest daughter of King John V of Portugal (1689-1750) and his wife, Archduchess Mariana of Austria (1683-1754), Barbara of Braganza was educated at the court of Lisbon. During her childhood she learned to speak six languages ​​(Latin, French, Italian, German and Spanish, in addition to her native Portuguese) and received lessons from the famous Neapolitan composer Domenico Scarlatti.

In 1728, in order to foster a new diplomatic and dynastic rapprochement between the Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, the double weddings of Bárbara de Braganza with the Prince of Asturias, Fernando de Borbón (1713-1759), and of the Spanish Infanta María Anna Victoria (1718-1781) with the heir to the Portuguese throne, the future José I (1714-1777) were arranged. The marriage of the Prince and Princess of Asturias was ratified in Badajoz on 19 January 1729. Prince Fernando and Bárbara de Braganza formed a united couple, although they had no children.

Becoming Queen of Spain after the accession to the throne of Ferdinand VI on 9 July 1746, Barbara of Braganza enjoyed considerable political influence during the reign of her husband, who shared with the Sovereign the handling of State affairs. In matters of government, the Queen was particularly interested in the smooth running of diplomatic relations between Spain and Portugal, her homeland.

Interested in promoting music, the arts and literature, Barbara of Braganza protected the careers of the composer Domenico Scarlatti and the singer Carlo Broschi, known as Farinelli; she contributed to the consolidation of Italian opera at the Spanish court and financed the construction of the Church and Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, the latter specialising in female education, another of the Queen's concerns.

Barbara of Braganza's health, who suffered from asthma, worsened in the last years of her life. The Sovereign died at the Palace of Aranjuez on 27 August 1758. After the death of his wife, Ferdinand VI retired to the Castle of Villaviciosa de Odón (Madrid), where he resided until his death a year later. The remains of Barbara of Braganza are buried in the Church of the Salesas Reales in Madrid.

Source: Royal Academy of History (https://www.rah.es)

[ahb-writes]

Book Review: 'Ascendance of a Bookworm' #19 (4.7)

Ascendance of a Bookworm #19 (4.7) by Miya Kazuki, You Shiina, Quof

adventure

fantasy

magic

library science

librarian

royal academy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is truly, genuinely, not Rozemyne's fault. The bickering among nobles. The feverish complaints from biblical fundamentalists. The argumentative inquiry concerning the ternisbefallen. The return of Ferdinand's academy rival. And a whole lot of nonsense at the awards ceremony at the close of the Interduchy Tournament. Rozemyne is innocent.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v19 further shifts the novel series in a rather fascinating direction by asking a dangerous, if surprisingly nuanced question: What are the qualifications to be the King of Yurgenschmidt? Rozemyne stumbles upon a bit of knowledge while researching the bible that strongly implies the tension between the throne, and the holy persons who support the throne, is not as firm as one would hope. After all, shouldn't a nation's every institution be in perfect alignment on who their sovereign is, why that person was selected, and the aims and goals of said rulership?

A pair of incidents, which occur during the spring semester of Rozemyne's second year, frame an increasingly complex conversation about the right to rule. Both incidents concern the nation's holy book, and both incidents regard the explicit and ongoing challenge of determining what is (or isn't) canonical. The previous volume of this novel series took a much-needed look at the mythology that constitutes Rozemyne's new world. The current volume goes a step further, daring its characters to think and act normal despite the fragrant egos threatening to disrupt or disarm the status quo.

In short, Rozemyne (and Ferdinand) must study the thin, pearlescent line between mythology as canon and mythology as apocrypha.

At length, the bible at the temple of Ehrenfest suddenly reveals a fantastical magic circle and never-before-seen script. The new imagery implies those with the ability to see it also possess the characteristics (or have met some unknown standard) to become Zent, or king. Whoops. What the heck did Rozemyne do for an old magical book to think she's worthy of being the sovereign? Secondly, a bout with the Royal Academy's inquiry into the ternisbefallen incident unearths a query about intertextual differences (translations) among holy books. Does Rozemyne's bible contain passages that other bibles don't? Double-whoops. A subsequent investigation is called.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v19 exposes the sad, blatant favoritism native to those who thoughtlessly mesh religious piety with nationalism. Ferdinand, who has made a career out of avoiding such fracases, offers a stern warning: "Rozemyne, there are many things in the world that one is better off not knowing. Do not stick your nose into these matters if you wish to live. Death can come swiftly from any direction," page 89).

Nevertheless, this is a fun volume. At the start, one is thankful for the merger of time-away and time-with Royal Academy duties. This holds true even though much of the book's drama comes from individual confrontations (e.g., panel inquiries and meetings, a name-swearing ceremony, random ditter challenges), rather than from more highly stylized adventures (e.g., a bunch of Darkness feybeasts are unleashed).

In one of the novel series' few moments of exquisite continuity, readers see more action regarding mana-sucking creatures and the havoc they wreak. Typically, the author introduces something new or curious, only to abandon it the following volume. Here, Ehrenfest's experience with the ternisbefallen comes in handy.

ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v19 continues to fill in the worldbuilding gaps that have intermittently widened and narrowed over the course of so many volumes. On the positive end, readers encounter more foreshadowing when it comes to Ferdinand's awareness of the Sovereignty's shortsightedness (Rozemyne: "I couldn't help but wonder how many secrets Ferdinand was likewise pretending to have forgotten," page 94).

On the other end of things, the current volume's translation and adaptation yields a little too frequently to vague or obsequious diction. The most obvious example rests in the novel's less than clear usage of Grutrissheit. Grutrissheit is the catch-all term for the nation's bible or holy book. However, the usage is exceedingly ambiguous, sometimes implying a physical tome (as in the book held by the statue of Mestionora, in Volume 18), and sometimes implying an intangible trait, as "the symbol of the Zent" (page 89), which the king supposedly cannot rule without. It's terribly confusing.

Inconsistent and complicated mythologies aside, and biblical fundamentalist terrorists notwithstanding, ASCENDANCE OF A BOOKWORM v19 proves that even though trouble may follow little Rozemyne wherever she goes, it's not always her fault. As the young woman says: "I just wanna go home. I wanna go home and read," page 141).

❯ ❯ Light-Novel Reviews

[murderandcoffee]

murderandcoffee's year in review

favorite albums released this year: Clancy by Twenty One Pilots and I Love You So F***ing Much by Glass Animals

places I traveled to this year: Michigan & Indiana (moved back from Florida)

podcasts I listened to/started (excluding re-listens of completed shows): The Magnus Protocol, The White Vault: Goshawk, Malevolent, Hello from the Hallowoods, Mabel, The Penumbra Podcast, Here Lies Withered Lilies, Red Valley, Derelict, Fathom, Tower 4, Spire, The Strange Case of Starship Iris, World Gone Wrong, Liars & Leeches, Witherburn After School News, Remnants, The Amelia Project, Deviser, The Very Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen, Limetown, Time:Bombs, The Silt Verses, L'Affaire Louis Gaufridy, The Phenomenon, The Imperfection, Where the Leaves Fall Purple, Sorry About the Murder

writing projects I worked on: The King's Daughter (fantasy trilogy), Pages Unturned (podcast), Auspicious (sci-fi duology), rewind. (podcast), other short fiction pieces

ttrpg characters I played: Niamh Morgaine (half-elf/aasimar paladin/sorcerer), Elias Ferdinand (human wizard), Renegade "Ren" Booker (tiefling rogue/bard), Lyle (human druid)

video games I obsessed over: Overwatch 2, Disco Elysium, Bioshock: Infinite, Prey, Horizon: Forbidden West

concerts I went to: The Mountain Goats, Nothing But Thieves, Will Wood

favorite TV shows I watched this year: Arcane (season 2), The Terror

personal milestones/achievements: started T (4/4/24), moved back to Indiana, met two long-time friends IRL for the first time, [REDACTED]

art I made this year:

aaaaaaand that's a wrap! onto 2025, dear friends.

[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.

[smashorpassgilf]

Roles under cut

Anime

Accel World - Additional Voices.

Attack on Titan - Mitabi Jarnach.

Baki the Grappler - Hanayama, Vladimir.

Bleach - Sōsuke Aizen, Ganju Shiba, Metastacia.

Blood Lad - Dek.

Blue Dragon - Gilliam, Legolas.

Blue Exorcist - Ryuji "Bon" Suguro.

Blue Gender - Sgt. Robert Bradley, Seno Miyagi.

Buso Renkin - Sekima Hiwatari, Kinjou.

Case Closed - Vodka.

D.Gray-man - Georg.

Darker than Black - Reiji Kikuchi.

Digimon Data Squad - Belphemon.

Digimon Fusion - Dorulumon, Ballistamon, Greymon, Piddomon.

Dragon Ball series - Son Gohan (Adult/Future/Gt. Saiyaman), Pikkon, Narrator, Announcer, Various.

Durarara!! - Horada, Taro Tanaka (screen name of Mikado Ryugamine), Setton (screen name of Celty Sturluson), and Kanra (screen name of Izaya Orihara).

Ergo Proxy - MCQ.

Eureka Seven - Ken-Goh (Ep. 29).

Fate/zero - Berserker.

Freedom Project - Gosche.

Fruits Basket - Makoto Takei.

Fullmetal Alchemist series - Vato Falman.

Ghost Slayers Ayashi- Hozaburo Ogasawara.

Gunslinger Girl - Mario Bossi.

Gurren Langann - Kamina.

Hell Girl - Yoshiyuki Kusuno.

Honey and Clover - Ippei Matsumoto.

Initial D: First Stage - Keiichi Tsuchiya.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders - Noriaki Kakyoin.

Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Tsukuba.

MAR - Peta.

Marvel Anime: Iron Man - Ho Yinsen.

Mega Man Star Force - Omega-Xis.

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn - Yonem Kirks, Watts Stepney.

Monster - Fritz Vardemann.

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit - Jiguro Musa.

Naruto series - Kiba Inuzuka, Mozuku, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ebizo, Akatsuchi, Okisuke, Kiji (Shippuden Ep. 224), Mozuku (Shippuden Ep. 231).

One Piece - Nefertari Cobra.

Ouran High School Host Club - Kazukiyo Soga.

Persona 4: The Animation - Mitsuo Kubo.

Pokémon Origins - Professor Oak.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica - Tomohisa Kaname.

Rumbling Hearts - Hiro.

Sailor Moon - Priest/Boxy (Ep. 26, Viz Dub)

Samurai 7 - Mosuke.

Shigurui: Death Frenzy - Naotsugu Andou.

Soul Eater - Masamune Nakatsukasa.

Space Dandy - Ferdinand (Ep. 21).

Strain: Strategic Armored Infantry - Mechanic.

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind - Ryu.

Sword Art Online - Kains (Eps. 5-6, 25), Godfrey (Ep. 10), Patrick (Ep. 16).

Tenkai Knights - Beag, Eurus.

Tiger & Bunny - Mr. Legend, Eric Lyle.

Higurashi: When They Cry - Jirō Tomitake.

YuYu Hakusho - Karasu.

Zatch Bell! - John Owen.

Films

Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher - Cain.

Bleach: Memories of Nobody - Bau.

Blue Exorcist: The Movie - Ryuji "Bon" Suguro.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods - Gohan, Ox-King, Narrator.

Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess - Cannon.

Lupin III: The Columbus Files - Burton.

Lupin III: Dead or Alive - General Headhunter.

Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure - Goering.

Lupin III: The Spirit of Twilight Gemini - Butrakari.

(IMDb)Magnum Farce - Blivit, the sniper - Gov. Arnold Schwartzenhertzen-Geldengrubber.

Manborg - #1 Man (voice).

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow -Mizore Fuyukuma.

Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel - Kahiko.

Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire - Kiba Inuzuka.

One Piece the Movie: The Desert Princess and the Pirates' Adventures in Alabasta - Nefertari Cobra.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie - Tomohisa Kaname.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance - Kazuya Mishima.

Wreck-It Ralph - Ryu.

Video Games

Street Fighter 4, Marvel Vs Capcom 3, Street Fighter X Tekken - Ryu.

League of Legends - Ezreal, Jarvan, Graves.

Resident Evil 6 - submarine computer, BSAA soldier, BSAA agent, Umbrella Juavo, refugee.

Guild Wars 2 - Hamar, Great Ginz, Ogron.

Xmen Arcade - all male voices for PS3/XBOX/mobile versions.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King - Algalon the Observer.

World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade - Blood Elf

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World - Richter Abend, Dirk the Dwarf.

Sonic: Colors (DS) - Big the Cat

Dynasty Warriors 6, 7, Strike Force, Next - Sima Yi.

Soul Calibur V - Cold Assassin (custom voice).

Devil May Cry 4 - Bael/Dagon.

Persona 4 (PS2) - Mitsuo.

Lollipop Chainsaw - Basketballer, Geek Zombie.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope - Arumat, Crow.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution - Dias Flac, Jophiel.

Fire Emblem Awakening - Frederick, Validar.

Dragonball Z - Narrator, Teen/Adult Gohan, Ox King, Pikkon, General White.

Naruto - Kiba, Inoichi, Akatsuchi, Manda, Ebizo, Shinga.

Bleach - Sosuke Aizen, Ganju Shiba, Kaein Shiba.

Rune Factory: Tides of Destiny - Gerard, Goblin Captain, Belzagor.

Saints Row the Third - Tough Guy White Male, White Bum.

Marvel Pinball “Vengeance and Virtue table - Odin, Juggernaut.

Marvel Pinball “Avengers Chronicles” table - Iron Man, Silver Surfer, Odin.

James Cameron’s Avatar - Rai’Uk.

Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2: Clan of Champions -Narrator, various.

Resident Evil 5 - Majini.

Resident Evil 6 - Submarine computer, BSAA soldier, Umbrella Juavo, Refugee, BSAA agent.

Mugen Souls - Soul.

Ar Tonelico Qoga - Hikari Gojo.

Gods Eater Burst - Lindow.

Desperate Housewives - Carlos Solis.

Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland - Guid.

Devil Survivor: Overclocked - Naoya.

Time Crisis: Razing Storm - O’Neal.

Zettai Hero Project PSP - Pirohiko.

Comic Jumper - Benny, security guards, villagers.

Wolfenstein - Hans Grosse, PA Voice (Xbox/PS3).

Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight - Xaviax.

Mad World - Big Bull Crocker, Scissors Man, Ninja.

Wild Arms 5 - Volsung.

Baroque - Archangel.

Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles - Narrator, Nose Demon.

Riviera: The Promised Land - Ledah.

Armored Core: The Answer: Otsdara/Thermidor

Tenchu - Kurogawa, Ninja.

Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2 - Cocoon inhabitants, various.

Steel Batallion: Heavy Armor - various.

Skylanders: Giants - various stadium attendees.

Soldier of Fortune: Payback - Thomas Mason.

Red Alert 3 - Imperial Nanocore, Allied Mobile Construction, Allief IFV.

Chocobo’s Dungeon - Marris the Fishmonger.

Guilty Gear 2 - Blade, Roller.

The Last Remnant - Zuido.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament - Karasu, M2.

Everquest II - Voidman, Stone Golem, Skeleton, Ogre, Werewolf.

Growlanser: Heritage of War - Zeikwalt.

Dawn of Mana - Masked Guru.

Infinite Undiscovery - Sigmond, Held.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh - thugs.

Golden Axe: Beastrider - beasts.

Bloodrayne 2 - demons.

Enchanted Arms - various.

Baten Kaitos: Origins - Juwar.

Summon Night: Twin Age - various.

Rondo of Swords - various.

.hack GU Part 2-3 - Krewhaha, Skumumu.

Magna Carta 2 - various.

Wordchums - zombie, cat, pig, alien.

Battle High 2 - Jiro.

[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)

[jtl-fics]

New Kings ! ! !

12/4/24 - WIP Wednesday (Closed) | New Kings AU

Neil spends the rest of their time in the dressing room insisting that Seth must have just missed all of the touching moments that Neil had described. When Kevin also got fed up and insisted that Neil was lying then Neil had started trying to convince Kevin that he was also misremembering and that all of those events had happened over the summer.

“Remember I got possession of the ball via a diving catch!” Neil says incorrectly recounting one of the tenser games from the Air Bud: Training Day movie.

“No, I’m the one that got possession of the ball via a diving catch!” Kevin says recounting the movie and therefore lending credence to Neil’s version of events to Seth by accident. If there was one thing that Neil could always count on, it was Kevin’s desire to be correct.

12/11/24 WIP Wednesday: HERE

[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!

[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!

[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.