#S-26 Gold Progress

[whencyclopedia]

George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer (l. 1839-1876) was an officer in the US Army, serving in the cavalry from 1861 to 1865 during the American Civil War and the wars against the Plains Indians 1866-1876. Although he became a widely recognized hero during the Civil War, he is best remembered for his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Custer established a reputation for recklessness, courage, and self-promotion early in the Civil War and, by 1863, after the Battle of Gettysburg, was a national hero. He blocked the retreat of General Robert E. Lee (l. 1807-1870) in April 1865 and was present at Appomattox Court House when Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant (l. 1822-1885). After the war, he oversaw Reconstruction in Texas before taking command of the newly formed 7th Cavalry in campaigns against the Native Americans of the West.

He led his troops against the Cheyenne people at the Washita Massacre/Battle of the Washita River in November 1868 and, ignoring the terms of the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868, marched his troops into the Black Hills in 1874 where he discovered gold. News of this discovery soon brought more settlers and miners into Sioux and Cheyenne territory, igniting the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877. At the Battle of the Little Bighorn (25-26 June 1876) Custer and his men were slaughtered by Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Sioux warriors under chief Sitting Bull (l. c. 1837-1890). Afterwards, thanks in large part to the efforts of his wife, Elizabeth Bacon "Libbie" Custer (l. 1842-1933), George Armstrong Custer came to be regarded as a great American hero.

His legacy and reputation held until shortly before the Second World War (1939-45) when scholars began challenging the traditional narrative. Today, Custer is a controversial figure, often condemned for his brutality and ruthlessness. Although Custer should certainly be held accountable for his actions, it must also be recognized that he was primarily advancing the genocidal policies of his government which saw the American Indian as an obstacle to progress, civilization, and Manifest Destiny.

Early Years & West Point

George Armstrong Custer was born on 5 December 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio, to Emanuel Henry Custer, a blacksmith, and his second wife, Marie Ward Kirkpatrick. He was named after a minister as his mother hoped this would encourage him to follow that path. He had three older half-siblings from his mother's first marriage and four full siblings, including Thomas and Boston, who would also join the military and die with him in battle.

He was sent to live with his older half-sister and her family in Monroe, Michigan, to attend school and met the girl who would one day become his wife, Elizabeth Clift Bacon. After graduating, he moved to Hopedale, Ohio, and enrolled at the Hopedale Normal College, pursuing a teaching degree. He began his teaching career in Cadiz, Ohio, in 1856 and boarded at the home of the Holland family, where he fell in love with the daughter, Mary Jane Holland. He hoped to marry her but found little opportunity for advancement in Ohio, so he decided to change careers and apply to West Point Military Academy. Scholar Nathaniel Philbrick comments:

He'd been a seventeen-year-old schoolteacher back in Ohio when he applied to his local congressman for an appointment to West Point. Since Custer was a Democrat and the congressman was a Republican, his chances seemed slim at best. However, Custer had fallen in love with a local girl, whose father, hoping to get Custer as far away from his daughter as possible, appears to have done everything he could to persuade the congressman to send the schoolteacher with a roving eye to West Point.

(47)

Custer entered West Point in July 1857 and, before the end of his first session, had earned 27 demerits. By graduation, he had been given more demerits than any of the other cadets in his class. After graduation in June 1861, he faced court martial for failing to break up a fight between cadets but was only reprimanded as the American Civil War was already underway. Many of Custer's classmates had left to fight for the Confederacy and the Union forces were in dire need of trained officers. Custer was commissioned a second lieutenant and sent to drill volunteers in Washington, D.C.

Continue reading...

[mintywolf]

A Long Road Home - Page 62 Author Notes

Page 62

Whew! So there’s the first chapter. Two (?) more to go!

I thought I’d share my early character notes from back when I was getting ready to write the script, mid-late 2022, compiled from observation, what extra facts we had at the time from 4SD, and my own headcanons. Not everything made it into the comic but it helped me codify my interpretation of them.

***

Imogen

Physical Traits: Recently 26 at the beginning of the story. Long, light purple hair in soft, wavy curls. Often wears it braided when she’s working on the farm or riding. Violet eyes. Fair skin with a dusting of freckles across her cheeks, shoulders, and arms. Tendency to sunburn. Sweet round face and a soft figure. Around 5’4”. Slight gap between her front teeth. Dimples. Always looks a little sleep-deprived. Glowing purple lightning-shaped scars starting on the inside of her wrists and extending over her hands and wrapping over the back of her wrists. Prefers light-colored, soft, flowy clothing. Light Taloned Highlands accent that becomes more pronounced when she’s angry or being deliberately charming.

Personality Traits: Shy, thoughtful, reserved. Uncomfortable in crowds because of the strain on her psychic energy and social situations are physically and emotionally exhausting for her. Can nevertheless exude Southern charm when the situation calls for it. Genuinely kind and caring towards people she trusts but it takes a while for them to earn that trust. Her passive access to everyone’s thoughts makes it hard for her to see the good in people, which can lead her to be cynical or even cruel. Hidden tendency for destructive, remorseless anger that belies her “innocent” appearance. Can hold a grudge. Enjoys the company of animals more than humans (with the single exception of Laudna). Secretly struggling with very deep doubts about her own worth, especially since she has become progressively more emotionally distanced from people since the beginning of her psychic powers 8 years ago. Before Laudna’s arrival the pain and loneliness caused by her powers (as well as her bleak outlook on the rest of the world from everyone else’s terrible thoughts) have pushed her to the brink of despair. Staunchly insists that she is Fine even when that is clearly untrue.

Quirks: The lightning markings grow a little bit up her arms whenever she exerts her powers in a significant way. Needs glasses but she’s never had her eyesight checked so she doesn’t have them. Tugs on her earlobes when she’s stressed. Prone to headaches and panic attacks when the presence of a lot of other people overwhelms her psychic abilities. Uses Mage Hand creatively and for convenience in a variety of situations. Summer birthday. Likes strawberries and lemonade. Afraid of heights, or more specifically, afraid of falling from a great height. Smells faintly of sun-warmed grass and ozone. Has a good singing voice but almost no one has heard it. Likes to be clean, hates the feeling of being sweaty/sticky/grimy. Enjoys having her scalp massaged or her back scratched, especially by Laudna’s long fingernails.

Terms of endearment used: honey, darlin’, sugar, sweetheart

Laudna

Physical Traits: Actually 51 but became ageless a few weeks shy of 20. Has been dead-ish for 31 of those years, so while she hasn’t aged much she has deteriorated over time. Corpse-pale and skeleton-thin, covered in old scars, significantly a faint rope scar on her neck under her chin. Long, bony fingers. Wears gold ear jewelry for elves to hide the fact that her ears were cropped into points. Around 5’9” but her thinness and general mien makes her appear taller than she is. Long, scraggly black hair with a white forelock. Kind of wavy with tighter curls towards the ends. Her features are doll-like and delicate but slightly too big for her face in a way that is charming but a little off-putting. (Protuberant eyes, long nose, wide smile.) Big, dark eyes with dilated pupils. (Apparently permanently, so she is sensitive to light but can see very well in the dark.) Very wide smile with uneven teeth. Cold and clammy to the touch. Thin, fragile skin. Her blood moves slowly and is very dark (although still red). Cries inky black tears. Knows Mending as a cantrip but evidently does not apply it often to her own clothes. Speaks with an elevated posh Whitestone accent, except when she’s being serious. Her “natural” voice is more subdued, with a huskiness to it from an old throat injury that comes out more when she’s upset. A little too loose-limbed. Moves in a peculiarly graceful/graceless, jerky fashion, like something being puppeted by unseen strings. Dislikes wearing shoes.

Personality Traits: She is simultaneously a world-weary middle-aged woman and a child who was frozen on the cusp of adulthood and will never age. Over the years her persistent optimism has become less the product of naiveté and more of determination; she has made the best of every awful situation she’s been put in because what else is she going to do. Like Imogen she has seen a lot of the worst of people, and before she meets her she is timid and twitchy from many years of loneliness and being a general object of distrust and mistreatment wherever she goes, but once she finds her, her vivacious, excitable, and affectionate personality starts to emerge. Very earnest -- not much disconnect between what she thinks and what she says, and not much filter, either. Eager to be useful. Has some trouble picking up on social cues or knowing how to behave appropriately in certain social situations. Tends to stand too close to people when trying to talk to them. Desperately wants to love and be loved. Very protective of Imogen but secretly afraid she’s undeserving of her affection. Worries about being a burden or a danger to her. When overwhelmed or uncomfortable she will sometimes speak through Pâté about herself rather than for herself. When very deeply upset she withdraws into herself and seems to become inanimate.

Quirks: Very rarely still -- she’s always in motion, fidgeting, picking things up to look at or fiddle with, reaching out to touch things in the environment, fluttering her hands when talking, lacing her fingers together, swaying or rocking when sitting or standing. (She is only completely still when she’s asleep, unconscious, or very deeply withdrawn, and then the difference between that and her usual animated self is unsettling.) Tends to stutter when agitated or excited. When thoughtful or anxious she fidgets with her hair, and can pull it out without meaning to when particularly upset. Puts her fingers in her mouth regardless of how clean they are. Has a habit of collecting things that look like trash to other people but she thinks might be useful, with a particular fondness for broken, discarded objects. Sometimes she mends them, sometimes she just loves them as they are. (Also has a hard time letting go of things past their usefulness, e.g. expired vegetables that Imogen is begging her to be allowed to compost but Laudna is insisting parts of them are still good.) Winter birthday. Likes apples and sweet baked goods, gingerbread in particular.  Her joints dislocate easily, in particular her right shoulder, but pop back into place just as easily. (She was dragged by the arm either from the dining room or to the tree.) Smells like wet earth and decaying leaves. Experiences occasional dizziness from low blood pressure and is vulnerable to motion sickness. Vehement dislike for the feeling of rough fabric against her skin. Can’t wear necklaces or any clothing with a tight collar.

Terms of endearment used: darling, dearest, my love

Matilda

Physical traits: When alive, she still had pale skin and black hair, although of a more human complexion and her hair was fuller with better-defined curls. (Still a little stringy though.) Still thin from hard times in Whitestone but of a more willowy sort than gaunt. Naturally kind of cold but still of a human body temperature. Dark brown eyes. Big smile. Still fidgety. Larger than average ears.

Personality: Still a weirdo! Eager to have friends but had trouble making and keeping them and so was often lonely, with a very imaginative inner life. Kind of vague and dreamy, in part from being frequently dosed with laudanum to suppress her weirdness and make her sit still. Never outgrew playing with dolls, and secretly always kind of believed they have feelings.

Quirks: Liked to collect things: rocks, bones, feathers, discarded trinkets. Made some of her own toys out of odds and ends. Had a pet frog that she carried around in her apron pocket. The kind of child who would disappear all day and return covered in dirt with holes in her clothes. Because of her inherent shadow powers she had a tendency to startle her parents by accidentally sneaking up on them, and was always a little hurt when they reacted in alarm to see her there.

When Laudna is scared or distressed, particularly after an upsetting experience, she will sometimes regress into who she used to be. She drops her posh accent, and her mannerisms become smaller and timid. She will seek reassurance in childlike things, playing with her dolls and wanting the comfort of someone else’s closeness. If she can’t get that comfort from Imogen, she will seek it from Delilah.

Relvin Temult

Physical traits: Broad-shouldered and sturdy, with a tendency to stoop. Dark blond, longish hair & a scruffy beard. Tanned from outdoor work. In his mid 40’s. (So Imogen was born when he and Liliana were in their early 20’s or even late teens. It is possible that Liliana’s powers manifested around the same age as Imogen’s did.)

Personality: Taciturn, somewhat dour. Dearly loves Imogen but can’t help feeling some resentment for the exile her powers forced on them and he’s a little afraid of her psychic ability. Rightfully suspicious that she could be eavesdropping on his thoughts, he has distanced himself from her. Still calls her “Genny” and “butterbean” as nicknames. Misses the closeness they used to have, and despite the distance between them he is desperate to hold on to her since she is all the family he has left.

He is literally Just A Guy. He wanted to live a normal small town life raising horses with his family but unfortunately his wife and then his daughter turned out to be cursed by the moon with devastating psychic powers.

Dolores Garrod

Physical traits: Early middle-aged, dark blonde hair, narrow green eyes, stocky build. Narrow scar on the left side of her face. She’s probably of an age that she could have served in the Apex War.

Personality: Former sheriff, resents losing her position of power and feels she could do a better job for the town than the current one. Not afraid to resort to violence to protect the town. Very protective of her young son. She does not place much faith in the gods, particularly since they don’t seem to be doing anything about either the witch walking around town or the plague she is believed to have brought down upon it, and puts her faith in the law instead.

***

Thank you for reading!! Whether you’ve come across my comic recently or whether you’ve been with it since the beginning, I’m so happy you’re here. <3

[bloodcursecycle-if]

Scholar of the Palmlands

Name: Dionys Topaze Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him Age: 26 MBTI: INFJ Height: 6'3 (190 cm) Body Details: Lean, somewhat lanky/willowy Skin Color: Warm-Toned Dark Brown Hair Details: Thick and braided, waist length, black, gold accessories Eye Color: Gold Homeland: The Palmlands Curse Name: Curse of the Mirage Curse Result: Cursebearer is lured into danger/death by a mirage of the person they love the most Curse Progress: 55% Curse Breaking Progress: About 75% Bio: Dionys is the Head Scholar of the Palmlands' Hall of Scholars. He's naturally intelligent, his main area of study being Blood Curses and how to break them. He's kind and open, always ready to lend a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on, but he is also a notorious people-pleaser. Official Image Reference(s): Pending...

Temporary Image Reference:

[saberghatz]

1-70

OH MY GODODOD CRACKING MY KNUCKLES

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? YES PRETTY GOOD!!

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? My friends :')

03: Do you regret anything? Like a billion things that I won't get into here >:)

04: Are you insecure? Only on Fridays

05: What is your relationship status? SINGLE YEAAA BOIEEIEEEE

06: How do you want to die? In my sleep would be the most ideal tbh I'm down for that

07: What did you last eat? Ritz crackers and peanut butter;;.....

08: Played any sports? IN MY LIFE? YEA!! RECENTLY? UHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh

I hate playing on teams so I usually just fuck about on my own or with friends, you'll never catch me joining like actual sports teams again

09: Do you bite your nails? Surprisingly no o-o

10: When was your last physical fight? Too long ago. I'm really itching. SOMEONE PLEASE SPAR WITH ME

11: Do you like someone? I WISH I DID. FUCK.

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? HEEELL NAW I'M LIKE A GRANDMA WHEN IT COMES TO GOING TO BED EARLY (against my will, i am simply a tired bitch)

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? Everyone except the people I don't hate

14: Do you miss someone? Deeply :D

15: Have any pets? I don't have any personally, but my mom has two kitties named Nikki and Tessie. When I go visit her, I get to see them too. She had them since before I moved away, so I still consider them kind of my cats :')

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? Lonely enough to do this, but also happy enough to do this

17: Ever made out in the bathroom? I thought this said 'have you ever made it out of the bathroom' and I'm like honestly no my ibs could never

On that note, no but call me

18: Are you scared of spiders? No :(

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? I'd go back to a time before I was born, definitely the 70s or 80s just to experience it for awhile.

But if I was limited to only going back in time during the years I was alive, no I would never go back. I feel like I've learned a lot over the years and I don't want to lose that progress

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? Probably the airport

21: What are your plans for this weekend? MY ROOMMATE BLAIR HAS A CHOW CHOW PUPPY AND WE'RE TAKING HER TO A DOGGIE SOCIAL ON SATURDAY. Also maybe going to an art show/mall on Sunday.

22: Do you want to have kids? How many? Zero, have you seen the state of the world??

23: Do you have piercings? How many? I have ear piercings, but I think they closed up :// I REGRET LETTING THEM CLOSE

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? Like in school? That's a lifetime ago oh god Science

25: Do you miss anyone from your past? Yes almost everybody I've ever known, whether it ended on good or bad terms. I am simply a sentimental soul with a horrible memory

26: What are you craving right now? Making out with a stranger that I know

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? @_@;;;.... yea

28: Have you ever been cheated on? No

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? PROBABLY, I'M SORRY IF SO

30: What’s irritating you right now? Social media is grating on my fucking nerves, so much so that I'm weening off insta and twitter and I've ended up back here. Right here.

31: Does somebody love you? If so lemme know

32: What is your favourite color? Pink, white, gold

33: Do you have trust issues? Fortunately not

34: Who/what was your last dream about? I think I dreamed I was Percy Jackson and I was befriending some monsters instead of killing them.

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? My roommate like literally yesterday :D

36: Do you give out second chances too easily? I'd give anyone a second chance, but I don't think I'd give a third chance.

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? I forgive because I don't hold grudges and then my memory is so rotten that I forget why I was mad in the first place

38: Is this year the best year of your life? ITS BARELY 2024 SO I CAN'T ANSWER YET

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? 16 I think. Shout out to Solangelo

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? No but this made me realize I never have, and now I want to

51: Favourite food? I can't think of anything, so like I do at restaurant menus I'll default to chicken strips :)

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? Yes 100%

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? shower, work on writing my fics, jerk off, draw, you decide what order

54: Is cheating ever okay? Never, unless your partner knows but then its not chEATING IS IT

55: Are you mean? Honestly maybe

56: How many people have you fist fought? Not enough (none. please. please spar with me I need to train)

57: Do you believe in true love? I believe some people believe in it and can find that for themselves. I hope I become one of them

58: Favourite weather? If I can't wear a bikini, I'm sad. But crisp Autumn mornings also hit like no other..

59: Do you like the snow? I love visiting the snow, I wouldn't want to live in the snow

60: Do you wanna get married? I haven't really thought about it lately. So currently, I guess not xD

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? Hell yea, but turn up the heat

62: What makes you happy? @hyenahijinks @yuuidflourite @comets-nix and drawing

63: Would you change your name? Some people call me Grace which I like a lot, it's my middle name tho

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? I'd totally do it, but I'd probably get that fist fight I've been begging for instead

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? Been there done that, we over it and stronger than ever >:)

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? @hyenahijinks ILY bitch

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? @hyenahijinks

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? LOL MY MOM TODAY ACTUALLY

69: Do you believe in soulmates? ARE TRUE LOVE AND SOULMATES NOT THE SAME THING

70: Is there anyone you would die for? My friends and parents 100% but I'm also not like super attached to breathing to begin with so the decision would be very easy

THATS A HELL OF A WAY TO END AN ASK MEME THANK YOU FOR ASKING THESE HUMPHREY

[demifiendrsa]

TEKKEN 8 - RELEASE DATE AND EXCLUSIVE CONTENT REVEAL TRAILER

TEKKEN 8 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on January 26, 2024.

The game will be available in the following editions:

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Base game

Avatar costume: Paul Phoenix Set

Two Avatar skins: Tetsujin, Mokujin

Deluxe Edition ($99.99)

Base game

Playable Character Year 1 Pass

Character costume: Gold Suit Pack

Avatar skin: Kinjin

Avatar costume: Paul Phoenix Set

Two Avatar skins: Tetsujin, Mokujin

Ultimate Edition ($109.99)

Base game

Playable Character Year 1 Pass

Avatar costume: Classic Tekken Tee Set

Three Avatar skins: Kazuya, Jun, Jin

Character costume: Gold Suit Pack

Avatar skin: Kinjin

Avatar costume: Paul Phoenix Set

Two Avatar skins: Tetsujin, Mokujin

Screenshots

Overview

Get ready for the next chapter in the legendary fighting game franchise, Tekken 8.

32 Fighters for a New Generation

Completely redesigned character visuals. Elaborate, highly-detailed models built from the ground and high-fidelity graphics break the limits of new-generation hardware by adding a new weight and atmosphere to Tekken‘s signature battles. Vivid environments and destructible stages combine to create an overwhelming sense of immersion, creating the ultimate play experience.

New Game, New Rivalry

Fist meets fate in Tekken 8. Holding a record for the longest-running video game storyline, the Tekken series begins a new chapter as TEKKEN 8 continues the tragic saga of the Mishima and Kazama bloodlines, and their world-shaking father-and-son grudge matches starting from 6 months after the closure of the last match. The story of Jin Kazama’s growth and determination marks a new chapter in the timeless saga.

Thrilling Over-the-Top Battles Embodying Aggressiveness and Destruction

The new battle system, Heat, dials up the aggressive nature of battles, while maintaining the play feel and tactics unique to the Tekken series. The intensity of battles is greatly enhanced by the destructable stages. Unleashing super move-like Rage Arts is sure to enthrall both players and spectators alike. All of these hard-hitting mechanics come together to make Tekken 8 the most exciting installment in the series to date!

Enjoy Your Tekken Life!

In the new single-player mode Arcade Quest, craft your own unique avatar and embark on your new Tekken life. Battle your way through a variety of rivals across multiple arcades as the story unfolds, all while mastering the basics and practical skills in Tekken 8. Unlock a variety of customization items for characters and avatars as you progress.

[gadgetsboy]

Sony Unveils New NW-A306 Walkman

Sony has introduced a new music player, the NW-A306 to the Walkman series family. The NW-A306 is designed for users looking for high-quality sound and style. Weighing just 113 grams, equipped with WiFi connectivity, a 3.6” touch screen and tactile physical music controls, it's designed to be used on the go whilst being immersed in a high-quality music experience. The premium aluminium milled frame on the NW-A306 provides superior rigidity for low impedance and precise, stable sound and solid bass. NW-A306 main features S-Master HX digital amp technology, independently developed for Walkman is compatible with the native DSD format. It reduces distortion and noise across a wide range of frequencies, for rich and full-bodied sound, further enhanced by new high-quality sound lead-free solder. Just like the latest Signature Walkman model, the NW-A306 applies a reflow solder containing gold, whose effect is significant in the overall improved sound localisation and wider sound space. To realise the music player’s evolutionary sound, a dual clock, film capacitor and fine sound register have been precisely placed within the Walkman. The NW-A306 uses Edge-AI (Artificial Intelligence), and DSEE Ultimate (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) which accurately upscales compressed digital music files to higher quality. The evolving algorithm now delivers even greater benefits for CD-quality (16-bit 44.1/48kHz) lossless codec audio. Restoring acoustic subtleties and dynamic range provides a richer, more complete listening experience. With further progress from its predecessor models, listeners can enjoy DSEE Ultimate for upscaling music, whether it is Wi-Fi streamed or downloaded. Plus DSEE Ultimate can also be enjoyed with wireless headphones. The NW-A306 features a longer battery life than previous models so listeners can immerse themselves in more of their music. The NW-A306 has a battery life of up to 36 hours of 44.1kHz Flac playback, up to 32 hours of 96kHz FLAC high-resolution audio playback or up to 26 hours with the streaming service app to meet user demand. Sustainability in mind Sony products are not only designed to be stylish but also with the environment in mind. No plastic is used in the packaging material for the NW-A306, reflecting Sony’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our products and practices. Pricing and availability NW-A306 will retail price for £350 / €400 and will be available to purchase across Europe from January 2023. Read the full article

[sisididis]

On a happier note, I’m pleased to say that re-reading the HP books wasn’t enough (I’m halfway through Order of the Phoenix now and progress is slow), because I’ve taken to reading other fans’ essays on mugglenet.com, and in the process, I rediscovered accioquote.com — and what a goldmine it is! Websites used to be so much fun...

I won’t be able to remember all of them, but I’ve read Irvin Khaytman’s “The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore”, Mirrormere’s “The Flaw in the Plan” (which was great, I dusted off my 9th grade book on syllogisms for it), Josie Kearns’ “A Very Bad Year for Albus Dumbledore (and it’s all Snape’s fault)”, Lady Lupin’s Spinner’s End #26: “Finite Incantatem” and Mudblood428’s “Harry Says a Few Words.” 

After Mirrormere’s essay, I struck gold again with Hpboy13’s “Dumbledore’s Deadly Plans”. There is so much I want to say about how that essay changed my opinion of Dumbledore’s relationship with Snape, but that post will have to wait.

[sbknews]

Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916: Ducati celebrates the supersport icon

Ducati celebrates the 30th anniversary of the 916 with a model in a limited, numbered series of 500 units. The Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 is Ducati's homage to a bike that represented a milestone in the company's history. A true icon of design and the world of racing, exhibited at the MoMA in New York, which even today, 30 years later, is still considered the emblem of beauty applied to two wheels. The unmistakable features and supersport character of the Ducati 916, the bike from which the design DNA of all Ducati sports bikes originates, can be found on the Panigale Anniversario. The genes of the 916 can be found in the mass concentrated on the front, in the sinuous view from the top and in elements such as the headlight, the "nose", the air intakes, the V of the fairing, the sculptural, diamond-shaped fuel tank, the short and agile tail and the single-sided swingarm. On the Panigale Anniversary, the tribute to the 916 is celebrated with a livery, created by Centro Stile Ducati, that pays homage to one of the most beautiful racing graphics in Ducati's sporting history, that of the bike that won the Superbike World Championship with Carl Fogarty in 1999.The iconic tricolour on the fairing, the white number plates and the number 1 have been taken up and revisited in a modern key, while the black portion of the upper half cowl recalls the air ducts of the 916. The lower tank, also black, is a strong reminder of the racing world. Finally, the tank cover features the laurel logo, in the same gold colour as on the 916. The logo on the fairing, which on the first 916 was in silver with gold outline, is here revisited and updated, almost with a 3D effect. The Panigale V4 SP2 30th  Anniversary 916 is produced in a numbered and limited series of 500 units. Like the race bike from which it takes its livery inspiration, it is offered in the single-seater configuration only and is enriched by the billet aluminium steering plate with laser engraving of the model name and progressive number. Finally, the Panigale Trentesimo Anniversario 916 comes with a certificate of authenticity and a dedicated bike cover. The technical equipment combines the SP2 specifications with a series of fine details that make this bike even more unique. In fact, the Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 has a racing fuel tank cap machined from billet aluminium*, air ducts for cooling the front brakes, exhaust heat shield, wings with double profile design and front mudguard in carbon fibre. Also made of carbon fibre are the five-spoke wheels, which reduce the weight of the wheels by 1.4 kg compared to the forged Marchesini of the V4 S and 3.4 compared to those of the Panigale V4. Inertial moment is reduced by around 26% at the front and 46% at the rear, making the bike more agile, less tiring and more precise under acceleration. The braking system is the best in its class: thanks to Brembo Stylema R calipers and cooling ducts, it offers high braking efficiency and consistent lever travel even during long track sessions. The Brembo MCS master cylinder with remote adjuster allows simple, intuitive adjustment of feel and distance from the handlebar without having to stop. The STM EVO dry clutch offers greater fluidity in all phases of riding with the throttle closed, such as corner entry, and allows the level of mechanical engine braking to be customised by changing the secondary spring. In track use, with the clutch cover open, enthusiasts can enjoy the classic sound that characterises Ducati racing bikes. The adjustable footpegs in billet aluminium allow the riding position to be adapted to any physique, and enable the use of the standard Ducati Quick Shift Up & Down, which can be configured either as a traditional gearbox or with a racing pattern. Finally, the Ducati Data Analyser+ data acquisition system allows the rider's performance to be monitored. The bike is delivered with a track-ready kit, which includes billet aluminium caps for removing the rear-view mirrors*, number plate holder removal kit*, open carbon clutch cover* and Ducati Data Analyser+ data acquisition system. The Panigale V4 30th Anniversary 916 was unveiled on the opening day of EICMA 2023, with an international event at the Ducati stand where, until Sunday 12, it will be possible to see the entire 2024 range from the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale live. During the event, Ducati officially announced the dates of World Ducati Week 2024. The appointment, for all fans, is set for the weekend of 26 - 28 July, as always at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli". Main standard equipment - “30° Anniversario” commemorative livery** - Headstock machined from billet with model name and progressive bike number (XXX/500)* - Visible brushed aluminium tank - Carbon fibre wheels - Dedicated seat with "30th" logo** - Carbon fibre wings - Carbon fibre front mudguard - Carbon fibre brake caliper scoops** - Carbon fibre exhaust heat shield** - STM-EVO SBK dry clutch - Final drive with 520 mm chain, specific sprocket and pinion - Carbon fibre 5-spoke split carbon fibre wheels - Brembo Stylema R® front brake callipers - Brembo MCS 19.21 (Multiple Click System) front brake master cylinder with remote adjuster - Front brake and clutch levers milled at the ends - Billet aluminium adjustable rider footpegs with carbon heel guards - Single-seat configuration - Ducati Data Analyser+ (DDA+) kit with GPS module (included) - Carbon fibre open clutch cover** (supplied) - Licence plate removal cover** (supplied) - Billet aluminium mirror hole cover** (supplied) - Billet aluminium fuel filler cap** (included) - Certificate of authenticity and dedicated motorbike cover ** Exclusive equipment Panigale V4 SP2 30° Anniversario 916 *This product is designed for vehicles used exclusively on closed circuits. Use on public roads is prohibited by law Read the full article

[pensivegladiola]

The List (and current progress):

1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald ✅

2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger ✅

3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee ✅

5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker

6. Ulysses, by James Joyce

7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison

8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding ✅

9. 1984, by George Orwell ✅

11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov ✅

12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck ✅

15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller ✅

16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley ✅

17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell ✅

18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway ✅

19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner ✅

20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway

23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston ✅

24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison ✅

25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell

27. Native Son, by Richard Wright

28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey

29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut ✅

30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway ✅

33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London ✅

36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin

38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren ✅

40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien

45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair

48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence

49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess ✅

50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin

53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie

57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron

64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence

66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut ✅

67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles ✅

73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs

74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh ✅

75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence

80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer

84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller

88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser

97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike

My employees were reading about recent book bannings and decided we needed to start a banned book club so we’re reading our way through the most frequently challenged classics. Since I’m a big reader, I’ve already read a lot more of the list than them so I decided to jump ahead on the list instead of rereading.

Anyway, tried to tackle Ulysses and two chapters in I gave up hahaha

Now I know why it consistently ranks as one of the world’s most difficult books.

I switched over to The Sun Also Rises and read that instead. Grapes of Wrath is next (which tbh I’m not a Steinbeck lover so we will see). They’re reading Catcher in the Rye meanwhile.

[krapalm]

S-26 Gold Progress จัดหนักอัดแคมเปญสุดยิ่งใหญ่ ส่งโปรโมชันลดสูงสุด 30% ใน ‘Shopee 11.11 ลด ใหญ่ มาก’

S-26 Gold Progress จัดหนักอัดแคมเปญสุดยิ่งใหญ่ ส่งโปรโมชันลดสูงสุด 30% ใน ‘Shopee 11.11 ลด ใหญ่ มาก’

หลังจากจุดพลุฉลองความสำเร็จก้าวขึ้นแท่นแบรนด์ยอดขายสูงสุด 3 อันดับแรกในกลุ่มผลิตภัณฑ์นมผงจาก ‘มหกรรม 10.10 Brands Festival แบรนด์ดัง ปังเต็มสิบ’ ที่ผ่านมา ล่าสุด S-26 Gold Progress แบรนด์นมผงอันดับ 1 ที่คุณแม่��ื่นชอบ เดินหน้าสานต่อความสำเร็จจับมือ ช้อปปี้ ผู้นำอีคอมเมิร์ซแพลตฟอร์มในภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้และไต้หวัน เพื่อมุ่งสร้างการเติบโตบนช่องทางออนไลน์อย่างต่อเนื่อง โดยในปีนี้ S-26 Gold…

[asoiaf-fancasts]

Rhaena Targaryen - Fancasts

Age: 12 - 50

14 [Fathers Royal progress]

18 [Betrothed]

20 [Birth of Twins]

24 - 25 [Marriage to Maegor]

25 - 27 [Queen in the West]

31 [Daughter’s disappears]

33 - 50 [Harrenhall]

Appearance: She has lively lilac eyes and silver-gold hair. She was considered at 14 to have grown into a beautiful woman.In the last years of her life her hair turned completely white.

Character: Galadriel [younger]

Actress: Amelie Child - Villiers

Show: Rings of Power [2022]

[She was 13 during this show so good for a year before her fathers progress. She is pretty and shy looking with blonde white- yellow hair. The only problem is her ears. She wears fantasy clothes.]

Character [s]: Aurora [younger] & Gwen

Actress: Eleanor Worthington Cox

Movie [s]: Maleficent [2014] and Gwen [2018]

[In Malficent she was 12/13 although she was playing an 8 year old. She was 17/18 so good for when her progress with Aegon does not go to plan. She is pretty and has pale white - yellow blonde in Maleficent and has dirty brown ish blonde in Gwen. She wears medieval ish fantasy clothes in Maleficent and 19th century in Gwen.]

Character [s]: Aurora & Catherine

Actress: Elle Fanning

Movie [s]: Maleficent [2014] & Maleficent: Mistress of Evil [2019]

Show: The Great [2020]

[She is 16 - 23 during these so good for before her betrothal to just when she is forced to marry Maegor. She is beautiful with white-yellow bonde hair. She wears medieval ish fantasy clothes in the movies and 18th century clothes in the show.]

Character: Buttercup

Actress: Robin Wright

Movie: The Princess Bride [1987]

[She was 20/21 during this movie so around the right age for her when the twins were born and Aegon died. She is beautiful with blonde hair. She wears medieval ish clothes.]

Character: Marie Antoinette

Actress: Kirsten Dunst

Movie: Marie Antoinette [2006]

[She was 23/24 during this movie so the right age for when she is forced to marry Maegor. She is beautiful with white - yellow blonde hair. She wears 18th century ish clothes.]

Character: Jane Seymour

Actress: Annabelle Wallis

Show: The Tudors [2007] [Season 2/3]

[She is 23 - 25/26 during this show so good for when she is forced to marry him. She is beautiful with blonde yellow-white hair. She wears Tudor ish clothes.]

Character: Emma Woodhouse

Actress: Anya Taylor-Joy

Movie: Emma [2020]

[She is 23/24 during this movie so around the right age for when she is forced to marry him but i think the scenes are more useful for later on. She is beautiful and has blonde hair. She wears regency clothes.]

Character [s]: Elizabeth of York & Marguerite de Carrouges

Actress: Jodie Comer

Movie: The Last Duel [2021]

Show: The White Princess [2017]

[She was 23/24 in The White Princess so good for when she is forced to marry him. She was 27/28 in The Last Duel so good for when she is Queen the West although some scenes are good for Maegor. She is beautiful with blonde/golden hair. She wears 15th century ish clothes in the show and 14th century clothes in the movie.]

Character: Elizabeth Woodville

Actress: Rebbeca Ferguson

Show: The White Queen [2013]

[She was 29/30 during this show so good for just before her daughter disappears. She is beautiful and blonde. She wears 15th century clothes.]

[barnes-brain]

My Writing

Hello everyone! I figured since I’ve got a little bit of a collection of stories I thought I’d list them all here! Updated 7/9/24

Top Gun Maverick: 

In Progress:

Beyond the Mountains

When Jake Seresin rode onto Kazansky’s Stables and Training, he wanted to do the same as every other alpha sent into the town. Keep his head down, find a job, build a semblance of a life until he’s told he can return to the mountains he was raised. He wasn’t expecting to find an old friend, a new mentor, or Bradley Kazansky.

Bradley Kazansky hates everything. He hates that he’s moving back to Glacier View. He hates his designation. He hates that he’s not even good enough for his dad. So why should he care if the new blond from the mysterious mountains isn’t interested? He doesn’t want a mate no matter who it is.

Two-Way(s) Forward

Jake Seresin was the LA King’s best two-way forward, leading not only his line, but his team with the coveted C on his chest. But when an injury sends him to Bob Floyd, PT extraordinaire, in hopes of getting back on the ice, he finds a little more than a path back to his career.

Caught Looking

After spending three seasons in the Japanese Major leagues, also known as the NPB, pitcher Bradley Bradshaw has finally made it back to The Show.

Signed to the Seattle Mariners, not only does he have to get reacquainted with the league, he also needs to get adjusted to their new catcher, Jake Seresin. The only problem? No one knows that they fucked through the minors together.

What if the accident never happened in Sliding into Home? What if Jake actually showed up to one of Javy’s games? This is how things would change.

Completed:

Sliding Into Home

Bradley is the star shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals. The announcers adore him, his teammates love him, and the fans, mostly female, relish that at 29 he’s still single. Right before the start of the season he meets Jake Seresin, the new in-game host and social media admin. Jake has a smile that lights up the sun, an ass that Bradley could stare at for hours, and abs that go for days. Most important? He does not seem to give a shit about the fact that Bradley’s one of the best shortstops in the game.

Jake Seresin did not expect to end up in fucking Missouri of all places, but after 4 years in the Navy to pay for a Public Relations and Communications degree? He’s gonna fucking use it. So Imagine his surprise when a moustached hunk runs into him in the tunnels of Busch Stadium. Literally. Jake won’t lie he’d climb the man in front of him like a tree, and might actually if he lets him. The only problem? He doesn’t even know what a shortstop does?

When Bradley finds out Jake doesn’t know the difference between a foul post and a goal post he makes it his mission to make Jake fall in love with the sport that changed his life. He never imagined he’d get Jake falling for him instead. He wasn’t going to complain.

(Part 1 of Sliding into Home Series)

Practice Makes Perfect

In 2027, Bradley Bradshaw’s season is going to be painted in Gold, Silver and Platinum too, but first, he’s gotta practice, a little guy comes to help.

(Part 2 of Sliding into Home Series)

60-Day Injured List

Bradley wakes up from surgery, Jake isn’t there.

(Part 3 of Sliding into Home Series)

The Draft

In 2010 Bradley Bradshaw thought his dream was over, or at least delayed. Maverick just had to show him how wrong he was.

Before Jake, before the 2022 season Bradley had to enter the world of Major League Baseball. And this is how.

(Part 4 of Sliding into Home Series)

Legacy

It’s 15 years after the end of Sliding Into Home and now bench coach Bradley Bradshaw is waiting for the newest Cardinals’ rookie.

(Part 5 of Sliding into Home Series)

A Career to Look Back On

It’s 2072, Bradley has been out of baseball for 10 years. There’s only one thing left to do.

(Part 6 of Sliding into Home Series)

In The Next Life 

In 1972, Jake Seresin, a 30 year old Blue Angel, meets 26 year old Bradley Bradshaw, only son of the Governor of California. Jake thinks he’s a stuck up rich kid. The fact he’s attractive despite that hippie moustache, and snarky personality plays absolutely no bearing on his decision to risk his career, his life, his heart on this man he just met. Absolutely none. After feelings bloom and time grows short, Bradley reveals his biggest secret.

Glioblastoma’s median survival time is 9 months from diagnosis to death. Some live longer, most live shorter, and Bradley’s known for three months. And as they fall Bradley gives Jake something he never thought he’d experience. True love.

People always say that those who die young never have enough time, but maybe it’s how you use it instead?

Handle With Care

Ever since he could remember, Bradley wanted to be a pilot. When he was seventeen his dad, and Ice, pulled his papers from the Naval Academy. When he was barely 22 they did it again and pulled his wings out from underneath him. Stamped with a Do Not Fly he’d been delegated to Catapult Officer. After a particularly long deployment, and a very short fight, Bradley gets his chance at becoming a Naval Aviator as he’s always dreamed of. Once he’s got his wings of gold he meets Jake “Hangman” Seresin, another young pilot. He’s cocky, headstrong, handsome, brash, witty, striking, and most of all oblivious to the fact that Bradley is not flight deck crew anymore, or the son of the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. So maybe Bradley has the hots for the obnoxious pilot who looks like a Greek god. And maybe he doesn’t want to scare him off. Sue him

Carry You 

Hangman never had a chance to save Maverick and Rooster from the enemy fighter, Maverick never had the chance to become an ace, and Rooster never had the chance to fly in the back seat of an F-14. For the past three months Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw had been missing in action along with his godfather Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

But when Jake “Hangman” Seresin is providing air cover during a mission he hears a phrase he’d only ever dreamed about. “We need medevac . We’ve found a POW Dog Tags read Bradshaw.”

This is not a story about death, but a story about life, and how to overcome the nightmare of living with trauma

Don’t You (Forget About Me) 

When Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw was 14 his mother passed away, leaving him an orphan in an ever changing world. With no other family, and Maverick halfway across the world, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky took over as primary guardian. Through hard work and extreme perseverance Bradley reached Top Gun at age 27, even with Maverick pulling his papers. Take that asshole.

But now that he’s at Top Gun he’s going to find if he has what it takes to be one of the best pilots in the world. That includes learning how to work with a team he doesn’t know, and doesn’t know if he can trust. Especially his obnoxious roommate who he can’t help but stare at. If only he could shut up.

The roommates AU that no one asked for? But are getting anyway.

Every Beat of My Heart

When Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw was 14 his mother passed away, leaving him an orphan in an ever changing world. With no other family, and Maverick halfway across the world, Tom “Iceman” Kazansky took over as primary guardian. Bradley didn’t mean to fall in love at 27 in the middle of Top Gun, but he wouldn’t change anything about it.

Now both of them have been recalled to Top Gun for a mission that sounds impossible. When Maverick shows up, Bradley’s fighting between doing everything he can to not get washed out, and the uncontrollable rage he has for his godfather, while Jake’s trying to keep his promise to Ice.

Part 2 in the Don’t You (Forget About Me) universe: AKA the sequel everyone wanted, and are getting.

Marvel

Puck-Off

In 2021, the Seattle Kraken select their expansion draft team, pulling forward Sam Wilson from the Colorado Avalanche. In Vancouver, the Canucks defenceman, Bucky Barnes watches on TV with his Captain, happy to stay a part of his team. One night a single choice sets both of their lives spiraling towards each other, too bad Bucky can’t figure out why Sam hates his guts, especially when he’s got those beautiful brown eyes.

Legends of the Game

When Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes meet in the minor leagues they were opponents, but after a trade that leaves them on the same team the pair grow to become one of the best battery mates in baseball.

Join Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes through their 16 season career, their lives, and their love story on and off the field.

The Wing Incident

Bucky and Sam have an interesting relationship, after a battle Sam takes Bucky to get wings and sets into motion something that will change his life.

[seelestia]

"why does it feel like we're writing letters to each other in the 80's" I WHEEZED SO HARD-

oh no wonder, i thought i heard a familiar voice sobbing praising kamisato ayato's elegance and handsome face a few cells away, that was you huh /j

LMAO i thought the puppy spirit was influenced from that voiceline that's gold slfklsdj and i'm sure he finds it very adorable of you whenever your sassy side comes out, especially when it comes to interacting with him. i'd imagine he would return the sass in a graceful and ✨elegant✨ way. it becomes a contest to see who'll blush and give in first :p

i love love love how cool the air was but gosh yes it was very very windy ahsjsjdaldj i've always lived in tropical countries with the average temp of about 26+ degrees celcius so i had my jacket on 95% of the time lmao and yes there were loads of food - i can imagine you drooling over them, cause i did too eheh

i don't know ;w; i am so torn shldsksjsl if we're looking at team comps i should probably get tortellini archons knows i have too many anemo characters already.... but i also want the mean lil skrunkly harbinger man....

RIGHT YES I FELT THAT TOO he was so helpful in the last event, so i am crossing my fingers they'll put his rerun soon!!! 🤞🏻

the dinner table will be a battlefield in itself cause i need to make sure he's treating you right ok do not stop me (ง •̀_•́)ง

gosh yeah the aiming part of bow characters is partly why i don't usually pull for them... using a controller that has drifting issues in that circumstances is a nightmare :D

YES omg i heard about that too... and i have given up on the onikabutos for now in favor of slime hunting cause i want to max xiao and zhongli's talents first lol why is one day only 24 hours i need more time pls them beetles are so hard to find hyv what do you have against beetles smh

hehe good good anything for my adopted son <3

the nobleman language made me feel like a dignified lady writing to a penpal across the seven seas lol

i think i'm okay now after a few nights' rest hehe i hope your day is going great so far <3 and my tea adventure is over for now bc i finished the box hskdksdj i will definitely be looking at other tea samples after i make some progress with my older teas >:3

waiting for ayato to bail me out even if he is the reason i'm here <//3 i shall come for you soon, rin jie, i'll save you with... the power of money. *pushes zhongli away softly* (/j)

THE COINCIDENCE 😭 like i already knew i embodied the energy of a puppy, but i didn't realize ayato had a voiceline about being a dog person??? does this mean ayalia was written in the stars. (/lh) and yes, i can imagine he'd call my sassy side cute and then tap on my nose HNGHSJJFJE

i see, my country is also like that! >:) four seasons? nope, only summer and monsoon here, love <//3 going to the highlands was the only way i could ever experience a chill like the one overseas, hehe~ but you're more of a jacket gal, aren't you, rin jie?? i'm more of a sweater gal, so we complete each other LOLLLL jackets 🤝 sweaters

TORTELLINI HELPFEIJDKE are you the secret gatekeeper of the infamous childe bullying community?? 🤨 because if so, let me join (/j) ngl, i just recently watched his collected miscellany and i can't believe i'm saying this but... why he kinda cute 🚶 i'm vv sure you already saw the simping tomfoolery in my priv help but rn, it's safe to say that i will be pulling for tartaglia! but if i even sniff an ayato rerun in v3.4 or nearer patches, then tartaglia will unfortunately realize that he'd be second to my beloved husband <//3 are you going to try your luck at tortellini's banner first?? hehe, perhaps, you can follow the mindset of: if tartaglia comes home, then he comes home. if not, aight, then the little angy anemo harbinger shall. >:)

the scarabs are actually one of the reasons i'm kinda glad that i lost the 50/50 on cyno's banner 😭 but i see that you're spending your resources on your hubby and our grumpy adeptus, good luck! <3 AND FR, LIKE WHY CAN'T THE DOMAIN I WANT TO FARM LAST A FEW DAYS OR SO. PLEASE DON'T GO YET. #easierlife (/j)

i'm glad you're feeling better <3 i haven't been on a plane yet, but i'm sure the jetlag is really smth 😭 and you already finished the box, i see! i remember my intuition telling me the mango-flavored one sounds super good, is it??? 👀 me and my strawberry tea are just chilling, hehe.

[sailormoonandme]

Minako Aino 30th Anniversary Episode Recommendations

Since ‘V’ is the Roman numeral for 5, why not celebrate the 30th anniversary of Codename: Sailor-V by revisiting a Minako spotlight episode from each of the five seasons of Sailor Moon?

My hopes with the following picks is to highlight some notable aspect of Minako’s character. 

Sailor Venus' Past: Minako's Tragic Love

Sailor Moon Episode 42/Sailor Moon Classic Episode 42

This episode is the best look the original anime gave us of Mina’s adventures as Sailor V and also highlights an ironically tragic element to her character. The Senshi of love sadly didn’t get the love she wanted.

Venus Minako's Nurse Mayhem 

Sailor Moon Episode 78/Sailor Moon R Episode 32 

As time went on Minako became more and more of a comedic character and this episode perfectly balances out that comedic element with Mina’s role as the Senshi of Love. The comedy comes from her clumsy nature but she’s only in those situations because she has so much love for her friends.

I Want to Quit Being a Sailor Guardian: Minako's Dilemma

Sailor Moon Episode 100/Sailor Moon S Episode 11

Although there is another, far more well known (and funnier), Mina spotlight episode from this season, it covers aspects of Mina’s characters that are also covered elsewhere and towards the end switches its focus away from Mina. This episode however is entirely built around Minako’s character. It explores the price of her heroism, particular regarding love, and makes excellent use of her talents at volleyball, a hobby established in the very first chapter of Codename: Sailor V

Storm of Love: Minako's Grand Two-Timing Plan

Sailor Moon Episode 141/Sailor Moon SuperS Episode 14

As the anime progressed a fun quirk was developed with Mina. This quirk could best be summed up as her ‘taking things too far’. When Mina set her heart on a task she rarely did it by halves. SuperS is often (perhaps unfairly) blasted as a season but I’ve found most fans agree this episode is both a highlight of it and in fact of the whole show. Like the Sailor Moon R episode, this outing builds comedy off the back of Mina’s reputation as the Senshi of love, except here the ‘love’ in question is not only romantic but also far from selfless. Comedy Gold ensues.

Go for Your Dream: Minako Becomes an Idol

Sailor Moon Episode 192/ Sailor Moon Sailor Stars Episode 26

The final Minako spotlight episode of the whole show. This episode explores Minako’s dream to be an idol, puts this into conflict with her duties as a Senshi and emphasises her relationship with Artemis, all whilst also building further to the final climactic episodes of the whole show. 

It’s neither the funniest Mina outing, nor one that emphasises her role as the Goddess of Love. However, in it’s own way it’s an all too appropriate. Not only was this the last Mina spotlight episode, but the last spotlight episode in general as the remaining episodes of the show were all very plot heavy. So our final ‘casual’ episode thematically closes the circle for Minako. 

She began as a normal girl who wanted to be an idol but then had Senshi duties thrust upon her by Artemis. And in being the first Senshi (and last to get a spotlight episode) she can sort of act as a surrogate for the others, who on some level also find their normal life ambitions blocked by their grander duties.

That’s all from me. Go ahead and celebrate Minako’s anniversary!

[popculty]

52 Films by Women: 2020 Edition

Another annual challenge complete!

Last year, I focused on diversifying my list. This year I kept that intention but focused on watching more non-American films and films from the 20th century. Specifically, I sought out Agnès Varda’s entire filmography, after her death in 2019. (I was not disappointed - What a filmmaking legend we lost.) 

I also kept a film log for the first time and have included some of my thoughts on several films from that log. I made a point of including reviews both positive and negative, because I think it’s important to acknowledge the variability and breadth of the canon, so as not to put every film directed by a woman on a pedestal. (Although movies directed by women must clear a much higher bar to be greenlit, meaning generally higher quality...But that’s an essay for another day :)

* = directed by a woman of color

bold = fave

1. The Rhythm Section (2020) dir. Reed Morano - Not as good as it could have been, given Morano’s proven skill behind the camera, but also not nearly as bad as the critics made it out to be. And unbelievably refreshing to see a female revenge story not driven by sexual assault or the loss of a husband/child.

2. Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962) dir. Agnès Varda - If you ever wanted to take a real-time tour of Paris circa 1960, this is the film for you.

3. Little Women (2019) dir. Greta Gerwig - Still my favorite Little Women adaptation. I will re-watch it every year and cry.

4. Varda by Agnès (2019) dir. Agnès Varda & Didier Rouget

5. Booksmart (2019) dir. Olivia Wilde - An instant classic high school comedy romp that subverts all the gross tropes of its 1980s predecessors.

6. Girls of the Sun (2018) dir. Eva Husson

7. Blue My Mind (2017) dir. Lisa Brühlmann

8. Portrait of a Lady On Fire (2019) dir. Céline Sciamma - Believe the hype. This film is a master thesis on the female gaze, and also just really effing gorgeous.

9. Belle Epine (2010) dir. Rebecca Zlotowski

10. Vamps (2012) dir. Amy Heckerling - With Krysten Ritter and Alicia Silverstone as modern-day vampires, I was so ready for this movie. But it feels like a bad stage play or a sit-com that’s missing a laugh-track. Bummer.

11. *Birds of Prey (2020) dir. Cathy Yan - Where has this movie been all our lives?? Skip the next onslaught of Snyder-verse grim-darkery and give me two more of these STAT! 

12. She’s Missing (2019) dir. Alexandra McGuinness

13. The Mustang (2019) dir. Laure de Clermont-Tonnere - Trigger warning for the “protagonist” repeatedly punching a horse in the chest. I noped right out of there.

14. Monster (2003) dir. Patty Jenkins – I first watched this movie when I was probably too young and haven’t revisited it since. The rape scene traumatized me as a kid, but as an adult I appreciate how that trauma is not the center of the movie, or even of Aileen’s life. Everyone still talks about how Charlize “went ugly” for this role, but the biggest transformation here isn’t aesthetic, it’s physical – the way Theron replicates Wuernos’ mannerisms, way of speaking, and physicality. That’s why she won the Oscar. I also love that Jenkins calls the film “Monster” (which everyone labels Aileen), but then actually uses it to tell the story of how she fell in love with a woman when she was at her lowest, and that saved her. That’s kind of beautiful, and I’m glad I re-watched it so that I could see the story in that light, instead of the general memory I had of it being a good, feel-bad movie. It’s so much more than that.

15. Water Lilies (2007) dir. Céline Sciamma – Sciamma’s screenwriting and directorial debut, the first in her trilogy on youth, is as painfully beautiful as its sequels (Tomboy and Girlhood). It’s also one of the rare films that explores the overlap of queerness and girl friendships.

16. The Trouble with Angels (1966) dir. Ida Lupino – Movies about shenanigan-based female friendships are such rare delights. Rosalind Russel is divine as Mother Superior, and Hayley Mills as “scathingly brilliant” as the pranks she plays on her. Ida Lupino’s skill as an editor only enhances her directing, providing some truly iconic visual gags to complement dialogue snappy enough for Gilmore Girls. 

17. Vagabond (1985) dir. Agnès Varda – Shot with a haunting realism, this film has no qualms about its heroine’s inevitable, unceremonious death, which it opens with, matter-of-factly, before retracing her final (literal) steps to the road-side ditch she ends up in. (I’m partly convinced said heroine was the inspiration for Sarah Manning in Orphan Black.)

18. One Sings, The Other Doesn’t (1977) dir. Agnès Varda – Probably my favorite classic Varda, this film feels incredibly personal. It’s essentially a love story about two best friends with very different lives. For an indie made in the ‘70s, the diversity, scope, and themes of the film are impressive. Even if the second half a drags a bit, the first half is absolute perfection, engaging the viewer immediately, and clipping along, sprinkling in some great original songs that were way progressive for their time (about abortion, female bodily autonomy, etc) and could still be considered “bangers” today.

19. Emma (2020) dir. Autumn de Wilde

20. Black Panthers (1969) dir. Agnès Varda

21. Into the Forest (2016) dir. Patricia Rozema - When the world was ending (i.e. the pandemic hit) this was the first movie I turned to - a quiet, meditative story of two sisters (Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood) surviving off the land after a sudden global blackout. Four years later, it’s still one of my favorite book-to-screen adaptations. I fondly remember speaking with director Patricia Rozema at the 2016 Chicago Critics Film Festival after a screening, her love for the source material and desire to “get it right” so apparent. I assured her then, and reaffirm now, that she really did.

22. City of Trees (2019) dir. Alexandra Swarens

23. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) dir. Eliza Hittmann - To call this a harrowing and deeply personal journey of a sixteen-year-old who must cross state lines to get an abortion would be accurate, but incomplete. It is a story so much bigger than that, about the myriad ways women’s bodies and boundaries are constantly violated.

24. Paradise Hills (2019) dir. Alice Waddington

25. *Eve’s Bayou (1996) dir. Kasi Lemmons – I’ve been meaning to watch Kasi Lemmons’ directorial debut for many years now, and I’m so glad I finally have, because it fully deserves its icon status, beyond being one of the first major films directed by a black woman. Baby Jurnee Smollett's talent was immediately recognizable, and she has reminded us of it in Birds of Prey and Lovecraft Country this year. If merit was genuinely a factor for Oscar contenders, she would have taken home gold at eleven years old. Beasts of the Southern Wild has been one of my all-time favorites, but now I realize that most of my appreciation for that movie actually goes to Lemmons for blazing the trail with her story of a young black girl from the bayou first. It’s also a surprisingly dark story about memory and abuse and familial relationships that cross lines - really gutsy and surprising themes, especially for the ‘90s.

26. Blow the Man Down (2019) dir. Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy - Come and get your sea shanty fix!

27. Touchy Feely (2013) dir. Lynn Shelton - R.I.P. :(

28. Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020) dir. Madeleine Parry - If you thought Gadsby couldn’t follow up 2018′s sensational Nanette with a comedy special just as sharp and hilarious, you would have been sorely mistaken.

29. Girlhood (2013) dir. Céline Sciamma

30. Breathe (2014) dir. Mélanie Laurent

31. *A Dry White Season (1989) dir. Euzhan Palcy

32. Laggies (2014) dir. Lynn Shelton

33. *The Old Guard (2020) dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood – Everything I’ve ever wanted in an action movie: Immortal gays, Charlize Theron wielding a labrys (battle axe), kinetic fight choreography I haven’t seen since the last Bond movie…Watched it twice, then devoured the comics it was adapted from, and I gotta say: in the hands of black women, it eclipses the source material. Cannot wait for the just-announced sequel.

34. Morvern Callar (2002) dir. Lynn Ramsay

35. Shirley (2020) dir. Josephine Decker

36. *Radioactive (2019) dir. Marjane Satrapi – The story is obviously well worth telling and the narrative structure – weaving in the future consequences of Curie’s discoveries – is clever, but a bit awkwardly executed and overly manipulative. There are glimpses of real brilliance throughout, but it feels as if the director’s vision was not fully realized, to my great disappointment. Nonetheless, I appreciated seeing Marie Curie's story being told by a female director and embodied by the always wonderful Rosamund Pike.

37. *The Half of It (2020) dir. Alice Wu - I feel like a real scrooge for saying this, but this movie did nothing for me. Nothing about it felt fresh, authentic or relatable. A real disappointment from the filmmaker behind the wlw classic Saving Face.

38. Mouthpiece (2018) dir. Patricia Rozema - I am absolutely floored. One of those films that makes you fall in love with the art form all over again. Patricia Rozema continues to prove herself one of the most creatively ambitious and insightful directors of our time, with this melancholic meditation on maternal grief and a woman’s duality.

39. Summerland (2020) dir. Jessica Swale - The rare period wlw love story that is not a) all-white or b) tragedy porn. Just lovely.

40. *The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) dir. Dee Rees – As rumored, a mess. Even by the end, I still couldn’t tell you who any of the characters are. Dee, we know you’re so much better than this! (see: Mudbound, Pariah)

41. *Cuties (2020) dir. Maïmouna Doucouré – I watched this film to 1) support a black woman director who has been getting death threats for her work and 2) see what all the fuss is about. While I do think there were possibly some directorial choices that could have saved quite a bit of the pearl-clutching, overall, I didn’t find it overly-exploitative or gross, as many (who obviously haven’t actually watched the film) have labeled it. It certainly does give me pause, though, and makes me wonder whether children can ever be put in front of a camera without it exploiting or causing harm to them in some way. It also makes one consider the blurry line between being a critique versus being an example. File this one under complicated, for sure.

42. A Call to Spy (2019) Lydia Dean Pilcher – An incredible true story of female spies during WWII that perfectly satisfied my itch for British period drama/spy thriller and taught me so much herstory I didn’t know.

43. Kajillionaire (2020) dir. Miranda July - I was lucky enough to attend the (virtual) premiere of this film, followed by an insightful cast/director Q&A, which only made me appreciate it more. July's offbeat dark comedy about a family of con artists is queerer and more heartfelt than it has any right to be, and a needed reprieve in a year of almost entirely white wlw stories. The family's shenanigans are the hook, but it's the budding relationship between Old Dolio (an almost unrecognizable Evan Rachel Wood) and aspiring grifter Melanie (the luminous Gina Rodriguez) that is the heart of the story.

44. Misbehaviour (2020) dir. Philippa Lowthorpe – Again, teaching me herstory I didn’t know, about how the Women’s Liberation Movement stormed the 1970 Miss World Pageant. Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s characters have a conversation in a bathroom at the end of the film that perfectly eviscerates well-meaning yet ignorant white feminism, without ever pitting women against each other - a feat I didn’t think was possible. I also didn’t think it was possible to critique the male gaze without showing it (*ahem Cuties, Bombshell, etc*), but this again, invents a way to do it. Bless women directors.

45. *All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020) dir. Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes – 2020’s 13th. Thank god for Stacey Abrams, that is all.

46. *The 40-Year-Old Version (2020) dir. Radha Blank – This scene right here? I felt that in my soul. This whole film is so good and funny and heartfelt and relatable to any artist trying to walk that tightrope of “making it” while not selling their soul to make it. My only initial semi-note was that it’s a little long, but after hearing Radha Blank talk about how she fought for the two-hour run-time as a way of reclaiming space for older black women, I take it back. She’s right: Let black women take up space. Let her movie be as long as she wants it to be. GOOD FOR HER.

47. Happiest Season (2020) dir. Clea Duvall - Hoooo boy. What was marketed as the first lesbian Christmas rom-com is actually a horror movie for anyone who’s ever had to come out. Throw in casual racism and a toxic relationship treated as otp, and it’s YIKES on so many levels. Aubrey Plaza, Dan Levy, and an autistic-coded Jane are the only (underused) highlights.

48. *Monkey Beach (2020) dir. Loretta Todd

49. *Little Chief (2020) dir. Erica Tremblay – A short film part of the 2020 Red Nation Film Festival, it’s a perfect eleven minutes that I wish had gone on longer, if only to bask in Lily Gladstone in a leading role.

50. First Cow (2019) dir. Kelly Reichardt – I know Kelly Reichardt’s style, so I’ll admit-- even as I was preparing for an excellent film, I was also reaching for my phone, planning on only half paying attention during all the inevitable 30-second shots of grass blowing in the wind. (And yes, there are plenty of those.) But twenty minutes in, my phone was set aside and forgotten, as I am getting sucked into this beautiful story about two frontiersman trying to live their best domestic life.There is only one word to describe this film and that is: PURE. I’ve never seen such a tender platonic relationship between men on screen before, and it’s not lost on me that it took a woman to show us that tenderness. Reichardt gives us two men brought together by fate, and kept together by a shared dream and the simple pleasure of not being alone in such a hard world; two men who spend their days cooking, trapping, baking, and dreaming of a better life; two men who don’t say much, but feel everything for each other. The world would be a much better place if men showed us this kind of vulnerability and friendship toward each other. Oh, and it’s also a brutal take-down of capitalism and the myth of the American Dream!

51. Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) dir. Patty Jenkins - My most-anticipated film for the past two years was...well, a mixed bag, to say the least. Too many thoughts on it for a blog post, so stay tuned for the upcoming podcast ep where we go all in ;)

52. *Selah and the Spades (2019) dir. Tayarisha Poe

I hope this gives you some ideas to kick off your new year with a resolution to support more female directors!

What were your favorite women-directed movies of last year? Let me know in the tags, comments, or asks!

[freddiesaysalright]

Part of Your World - Chapter 1

Ben!Prince Eric x Mermaid!Reader

Summary: Prince Ben is trying to escape an arranged marriage. A young mermaid wants to escape the sea. Their paths cross and they may just be what the other is looking for. 

Word Count: 4.5k

Tag List: @psychosupernatural​, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks​, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @the-moving-finger-writes​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @rose-writes-prose​, @queenlover05​, @26-7-49​, @drowsebaby​, @im-an-adult-ish​, @queen-paladin​, @rogerina-owns-me​, @mirkwoodshewolf​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: The second installment of my fairy tale/Disney AUs! I hope y’all enjoy Ben in the role of Prince Eric, with a twist on the story you know :)

Warning(s): None!

Moodboard

Chapter 1 here we go!!!

Ben ran. His heart pounded and his lungs ached as he sprinted through the market toward the harbor. This was his last chance. Princess Dana was the last eligible match for him and he didn’t like her. And he took his father’s threat - “So help me, if you don’t like this one, I will choose a woman for you!” - very seriously. So, his only choice was to escape.

He leapt over a cart of cabbages and skidded to a halt. 

“Watch it!” the cabbage merchant warned.

“Sorry,” Ben said.

He wasn’t accustomed to being spoken to so harshly, but he had disguised himself well. He was in his worst clothes, with no jewelry, and had mussed up his hair. He didn’t look anything like a prince. He glanced back the way he came, and breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t being followed.

He took a moment to scan the harbor and find out which ships were leaving. It didn’t matter where they were going, he was getting on it. He spotted a ship at the very end of the row which was being loaded by several men that appeared to be crew members. Ben looked back once more for good measure. With dread, he saw palace guards.

“Damn,” he hissed, and took off toward the ship, hoping they hadn’t caught sight of him.

He approached slowly. He couldn’t reveal himself to be a runaway or they might not take him. The first crewman he saw was actually not a crewman at all. It was a woman. She was strong and tall, but with a soft, delicate face, tanned from the sunny days at sea.

“Excuse me,” Ben began, and she faced. “Is there room on your ship for one more?”

She looked him up and down. 

“No,” she said flatly.

Ben winced and looked over his shoulder. The guards were getting closer.

“Please,” he continued. “It wouldn’t be permanent, I just need a ride out of here.”

“Ari, is this guy bothering you?” said another crewman as they approached. 

Ben quickly realized he was mistaken before. All the people loading this ship were women.

The woman he first spoke to - Ari - shrugged. “Not really. Just needs a ride. No need to fret, Kay.”

Kay was short and thin, with her hair cropped almost to her scalp. She put her wide brimmed hat on and glared suspiciously at Ben.

“We don’t take men on our ship,” she said sternly. “It’s bad luck.”

Ben raised an eyebrow. He had always heard the opposite. But then again, that was from ships with crews of men. Perhaps having a mixed ship at all was what brought bad luck. 

“As I told your friend here, it wouldn’t be permanent,” he said. “I really just need to get away from these shores.”

He looked back again at the steadily approaching guards. They were buying him time since they were stopping to ask so many people. Ari and Kay exchanged a look.

“Are you in trouble for something?” Ari asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Ben said hesitantly. “You’re the only ship that’s leaving this morning. Please.”

“Now that’s something we understand,” Ari said. “Come on, let’s go speak to the captain.”

“Ari!” Kay cried in protest. “He - he’s - he’s a he!”

“I know, but he’s in a pinch,” Ari said. “We may be pirates, but we’re not heartless.”

Ben stopped dead. “Hold on. Pirates?!”

“Duh,” Kay said, rolling her eyes. She pointed to the mast. “Black sails, genius.”

Ben followed the direction of her finger and saw that she was right. He had totally missed the black sails. It seemed foolish now since they stuck out against the bright blue sky. But this was his only chance.

“Hope you’re not scared,” Kay mocked.

He shot her a glare. “I’m not scared!”

“Prove it,” she returned.

He straightened his shoulders and followed Ari. Kay walked behind him, and he could feel her smirking. He braced himself for whoever this captain may be. He knew now that it would be a woman, but what would she be like? Probably unlike any woman he had ever met before.

As he boarded, everyone on deck turned eyes on him. He gulped. These women looked fierce. Mean, even. Especially with the myriad of weapons hanging off each person. He was intimidated. They began to whisper as he passed.

Ari led him over to the captain’s quarters. He took a deep breath to calm himself while she knocked three times on the hard, wooden door.

“Yes?” came a smoky voice from within.

“Captain Behati?” Ari said. “We need your approval for something.”

“Can it wait?” the captain returned. “I’m busy.”

“Unfortunately, there’s a time limit,” Ari replied.

Ben was startled at how quickly the door was snatched open. There stood a tall, beautiful woman, with deep, dark skin. Her hair was twisted into locks that trailed all the way down to the small of her back. Her eyes were a rich brown that reminded Ben of cocoa. Her demeanor was regal and commanding. When she spotted him, he took a step back.

“What is this?” she snapped. “A man on my ship?”

“He’s in trouble with the law,” Ari said. “Could we give him a lift?”

Behati looked intently at him. “A lift where?”

“Dunno,” Ben shrugged. “Just anywhere but here.”

“Give me a reason to help you,” she said.

“I’ve got gold,” he told her. “Lots of it.”

“Now you’re speaking my language, boy,” she laughed. It was a pleasant sound, and he relaxed. “How much do you have on you?”

He dug his coin pouch out of his knapsack and tossed it to her. “Take as much as you like.”

Her eyes roved over him skeptically. “You’re awfully confident - and careless - with your money.”

“Money doesn’t matter much to me,” he said.

In truth, Ben fully intended to find his way back to his home. He just needed his parents to understand - he couldn’t marry someone he didn’t love. Especially these princesses who were duller than sand and had no sense of adventure. They all droned on about being ready to settle down and have children, but that wasn’t what Ben wanted right now. He wanted a partner, who would travel the world with him, who wanted to see more beyond the society she already knew.

He looked back to the harbor and saw the approaching guards.

“Really need a decision here, Captain,” he said.

She glanced over and saw them as well. “The gold will do. Hide below deck.”

He hurried to obey, led by Ari. It was much darker down there, since the only light came from the sun peeking through the cracks between the boards. But it also meant he could listen. He heard the guards march up onto the ship and come to a short stop.

“We’re looking for someone,” said a guard. “A young man. He’s needed for duties at home.”

“There are no men allowed on my ship,” Behati spat back. “I suggest you disembark as well.”

“You haven’t seen anyone?” the guard pressed. 

“No, now remove yourself,” she ordered. “Before I change my mind about killing you.”

“Y-you wouldn’t dare,” the guard returned.

Ben heard the swish of a sword being drawn. He guessed it was Behati’s since he heard the heavy boots of the soldiers shuffle backward.

“You can’t even imagine the things I’d dare to do, soldier,” she said. “Get off my ship. We’re leaving.”

There was a moment’s hesitation and then they all paraded off. When the last of the steps started to die down, Ben went to poke his head out. Behati grabbed his face and forced him back down.

“Stay there until we’re out of sight, fool,” she hissed. “They may be watching.”

Ben frowned, but did as she said. 

He heard the crew women putting everything in order for the departure. It was still another half hour before they were moving, though. It was a slow, steady pace to get out of the harbor. Ben peeked out from the canon holes to see their progress. With a twinge of fear, they were away from the harbor, and he was outside of his father’s rule. On the other hand, it also meant he was outside of his father’s protection.

Ari retrieved him when he was permitted to emerge. The sun was bright and the breeze was cooling. The salty sea air whipped his hair and coat around.

“What’s your name, by the way?” Ari asked politely.

“Um, it’s Eric,” he lied. 

The last thing he needed to do was reveal his true name to a bunch of pirates. He’d become a ransom so fast his head would spin.

“Okay, Eric,” she said. “Why were palace guards looking for you?”

“Am I really to be subjected to interrogations from pirates?” he challenged. “It’s my business.”

She put her hands up innocently and raised her eyebrows. “Just making conversation.”

With that, she walked away, going to help Kay with some of her work. Ben went to the starboard side, toward the bow, and rested his elbows on the ledge, looking out. The open water, with nothing around for miles, looked like freedom to him.

“Hey, boy!” Behati called, and he turned to face her. She pushed some rope into his hands. “If you’re staying, you’re working. We’re not a cruise ship.”

He smiled. “Yeah, alright.”

She scoffed and shook her head. “Just get started.”

“Can I ask you something?” he wondered.

“You can, but I’m under no obligation to answer you,” she returned with a smirk. 

“Fair,” he conceded. “But, where exactly are we going?”

“Where we’re always going,” she said. “To find the sea witch.”

Ben blinked. “I’m sorry - the sea witch?!”

***

“Come on, Lorelai, don’t be such a guppy!” you teased.

She swam on behind you and frowned when she caught your eye.

“I’m not a guppy!” she insisted, tail flicking with indignation. “I just don’t see why you’re so obsessed with shipwrecks.”

“They’re the only exciting things that happen here!” you said. “What else do we do?”

“Plenty!” she insisted. “Most of it safely away from human nonsense!”

“You sound like my father,” you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“Well, King Triton is a smart man, Y/N, maybe you should listen to him.”

You ignored her and kept swimming. This shipwreck was fairly new, but it was close to the shore, which made it dangerous. At least for you. For the humans aboard, it usually meant they survived and returned to land safely. For you to approach it meant it was easier for humans to spot you.

As you and Lorelai got closer, you reverted to sign language. All merpeople followed this practice when approaching shallow waters. To avoid detection by humans, remaining silent was necessary. Especially around a shipwreck. Treasure hunters lingered, and a real live mermaid would be viewed as a greater treasure than all the gold in the world.

You swam through one of the portholes and into the ship. There was rarely anything of interest on the deck of an old ship. Mostly just split wood. The humans always kept their things below. You went first to a pile of things that shone. You had a few friends who had interacted with humans before, and you sometimes asked them to identify things for you. According to them, humans used these utensils to eat. 

Fascinating! You signed to Lorelai.

It was her turn to roll her eyes.

You moved on together after you stuffed one of the items in your bag.

The next thing you found was what appeared to be jewelry. It was a necklace, but it wasn’t made from anything you had ever seen before. All your jewelry was made from pearls, but this gem was shinier. It was completely reflective, like glass. But it wasn’t see-through. 

What do you suppose this is? You signed.

You looked up to see Lorelai’s expression. She wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes were turned upward, where a shadow was approaching. The wide shape with the pointed end was all you needed to know. A ship was coming. And that meant you had to get out of here fast.

Lorelai started out, heading back the way you had entered. She flinched back when something whizzed past her and lodged into the ocean floor beneath the ship. A thick rope was in front of her, taut. She shot you a terrified glance. Humans were here. 

You both swam hard back toward the porthole, racing for the safety of deeper water. Only, another harpoon came hurtling down. You watched with horror as it snagged Lorelai’s braid, pinning her down. You flew to her side and tried to tug the weapon free, to no avail. 

“Y/N!” she cried, panic making her forget the sign language protocol. “Go get something to cut me free!”

“Right!” you returned, and bolted back inside. 

You returned to the utensils and looked wildly around. There had to be something strong enough to cut rope down here. You grinned when you spotted a dagger - still sheathed - in the corner of the room. Snatching it up, you hurried back to Lorelai. 

You came back in time just to hear her scream as the harpoon was being drawn back up toward the surface. You swam determinedly to her, faster than the harpoon was moving. Whipping out the dagger, you brought it down hard against the rope.

That didn’t work. It bounced, forcing your arm back much to your surprise. You looked between the dagger and the rope, astonished.

“Y/N, hurry!” Lorelai urged.

“I’ll have to cut your hair!” you cried.

“I don’t care, just get me out of here, we’re almost to the surface!”

It was a struggle to keep swimming and grab her braid in one hand with the dagger in the other. You brought the sharp end to the side of her braid and began sawing at the strands. It was a bit sad - Lorelai had such beautiful turquoise hair - but you couldn’t think about that now. Hair could grow back. If a fisherman caught her, she would be gone forever. 

“Y/N!” she sobbed as you began rapidly approaching the surface.

If you broke through, it would mean trouble.

“I’m almost done!” you assured her.

You could feel the heat of the sun. You pushed hard with the knife through the final strands of the braid and the tension broke. She was free.

You couldn’t celebrate just yet. Taking her hand, you tugged her back down into the depths with you. As fast as you could go, you hurried away from the ship. Fisherman had all sorts of contraptions beyond harpoons, and you weren’t sure you’d be so lucky again. So, you weren’t waiting around. You and Lorelei swam and swam and swam until your abdomens ached with the effort. There was no sign of the fishermens’ ship.

You came to a stop, panting. Lorelai still had tears in her wide eyes. Without a word, you embraced each other and let out your relief. You held her as she cried. It was such a close call, you understood her fear. You were just as afraid, but you wanted to be strong for her.

“Do you see why they’re so dangerous, Y/N?” she sniffled. “Humans just want to hurt us.”

“Be fair, Lo,” you replied gently. “There are good ones. Like Captain Behati.”

“She’s just a legend!” Lorelai snapped. “I know it’s all interesting to you but look what almost happened! I could have been caught!”

“I’m sorry,” you said earnestly. “But I just think if we all understood each other, we could co-exist!”

She narrowed her eyes at you. 

“If that wasn’t a wake up call, Y/N, then I don’t even know what to do with you,” she said.

With that, she turned tail and stormed off. You watched her fins disappear around a reef with a sigh. 

In all honesty, you didn’t believe most humans to be these evil creatures on the hunt for merpeople. Fishermen were usually just looking for fish. Lorelai was just - quite literally - caught in the crossfire. In fairness to Lorelai, she wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for you insisting she come with you to explore. You headed home, prepared to apologize. 

On your way, you stopped by your cove. It was the place you kept all the human stuff you found. The only people who knew about it were you and Lorelai. As your best friend, she had vowed to keep your secret, even if she didn’t understand. 

This was the one place you felt free. Free to be yourself and explore your interests. Surrounded by all these human artifacts - books, utensils, figurines, and so much more - was where you were authentically you. 

Your favorite thing to do was tinker. Human objects did such wondrous things. You weren’t sure how everything worked, and plenty of things were damaged beyond repair, but every time you made a discovery, it sent such a thrill of joy through you that made you do flips. How could humans be so bad if they made things that created such joy?

You spent a few hours in your solace before returning to the palace. Lorelai needed time to cool off before she would be able to accept your apology. Plus, you were certain word had gotten out about what happened, and you had to mentally prepare yourself for the lecture you were going to get from your father.

You went willingly to the throne room first. You peered around the corner through the door and spotted your father already seated there. He was twirling his trident between his fingers, which you knew to be a sign of irritation. He must know. You decided to play dumb anyway.

“Hello, Father,” you greeted brightly as you swam up. “I’m looking for Lorelai. Have you see-”

“Y/N, what is wrong with you?!” he cried, exasperated. “Why must you always go looking for trouble?”

“I - what do you mean?” you returned innocently.

“You know very well what I mean, young lady!” he shouted. “You took Lorelai to that shipwreck and nearly got her captured by humans!”

You sighed. 

“In fairness, I didn’t know the fishermen would show up,” you said.

“That’s your argument?!” he returned. “Are you serious, Y/N?!”

“But I -”

“I don't want to hear any more out of you!” he cut across you. “You know the rules. Only those with permission to do so may make contact with humans. And only out of necessity! And last time I checked, you’re not on that list! You are forbidden from going to any more shipwrecks!”

You folded your arms across your chest defiantly.

“I didn’t make contact on purpose!” you argued. “Besides, we got away! Everything was fine! You can’t punish me for a close call!”

“Oh, yes I can!”

“No you can’t!” you insisted. “I’m a grown woman now, Father! I don’t have to take your orders if I don’t want to!”

“Well, then, if you will not respect my authority as your father, perhaps you will understand the law of the sea,” he warned. “No one is to approach shipwrecks as long as they live under my ocean! And no one has permission to contact humans under ANY circumstances! You may be my daughter, but you are also my subject, so the laws still apply to you!” 

Your mouth fell open.

“That’s not fair, I -”

“It is perfectly fair!” he interrupted again. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my merpeople safe! I will not have another incident like today!”

“But nothing -”

“Nothing happened this time!” he said. “It is unlikely we will be that fortunate again! Now, leave me! You have a friend you owe an apology to.”

You huffed and turned your back to him. You swam out and toward Lorelai’s house. Your father was right about that last part. The rest of it, you absolutely did not agree with. It felt like he was throwing his weight around as king to punish you. You knew that going to shipwrecks was risky, but it wasn’t inherently bad, nor did it always mean interaction with humans. In fact, today was the only time you had experienced that, and you’d been going through shipwrecks for years.

You knocked softly on Lorelai’s door. 

“Lo?” you said. “It’s me.”

The door swung open and she appeared there. 

“Hey,” she said.

“Look, I’m so sorry about earlier,” you said. “I should never have put you in danger like that, and I feel terrible about it. Are you okay?”

She nodded as a small smile claimed her lips. 

“Yeah,” she said. “Still a little shaken, but I’m alright. If you hadn’t been there, I would have been a goner.”

“You wouldn’t have been there if I hadn’t nagged you into coming along,” you returned. “The point is, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Apology accepted,” she said. “How’d your father handle it?”

“It was terrible!” you told her. 

You explained what he said and the new rules. She looked sympathetically at you.

“I know it’s hard, Y/N, but honestly it’s for the best,” she said. “Everyone will be much safer if we keep to ourselves.”

You decided it was better not to argue. You said goodbye and promised to stop by the next day to check on her. She really did seem okay. Frustrated and annoyed, you headed back to your collection cove. You needed to cool down after so much arguing. 

Relieved to be alone and in your happy place, you relaxed against the center stone that served as your chair. You looked around at your glittering collection. Yes, you had plenty of things here, but you wanted more. There was so much still to learn and explore. There was still room on the shelves for human things. There was still something missing.

You looked up toward the surface. A whole world existed up there. Something foreign and intriguing and adventurous. So much more out there than what you had in the familiar corners of the ocean. You had to see it somehow. 

The cove had a tunnel that led all the way up to the surface. You liked to watch the waves rise and fall and reflect the sunlight. Looking up there always made you so hopeful. Even though your father had made these silly rules, you still hoped that someday you would find your way to the human world and experience it for yourself. 

As you watched the water, another shadow appeared. A ship. Something was different about this one. It gave you a new feeling, something stronger than any other ship you had seen before - not that there were many. Curiosity, as well as defiance of your father, drove you to push yourself upward and start swimming toward the forbidden free air. Your tail pushed the water and you began to leave the sea behind. 

When you broke the surface, you sucked in a mouthful of air. You liked the air more than most merfolk. It was liberating to you to leave the water. 

You realized you were mistaken earlier about the reflection on the water. The sun had gone down and the moon was hanging low in the sky. A ship with black sails was gliding through the waves. You followed it. 

You saw the low lights from the ship shining on the inky water, and considered how mysterious the depths of it must be to the humans aboard. You swam closer, but stopped when you heard a shout from someone on deck. Holding your breath, you waited for something to happen. When you saw them dropping the anchor, you heaved a sigh of relief. They had not seen you. 

Taking your life into your hands, you went even closer. You could hear them speaking now. You took hold of one of the ropes hanging down the side and began to climb it. There was a ledge where you could sit and peek through an opening. You bit your lip to keep yourself from grunting as you heaved yourself up. 

It was the first time you had ever completely been out of water. It felt odd to be so dry, but you were excited. Your heart pounded, even faster than it had earlier during the attack with the harpoons. This was not something you were afraid of. It was thrilling. 

You carefully took a seat on the ledge and slid as close as you dared. Turning slowly, you peered in, observing the group of humans gathered on the deck. 

To your surprise, they were all women, except one. The man’s appearance struck you. He was beautiful to look at, with a strong jaw, a wide smile, and bright blonde hair. You watched him take a seat beside a tall woman, who had her arm around the thin one beside her. 

“So, why does Captain Behati want to hunt the sea witch?” asked the man. “I didn’t think people believed in things like that.”

“If you’re going to be at sea, you better understand that believing in those things is a part of life,” said the tall woman. “Captain Behati hunts the sea witch because she must.”

“Why?” the man pressed. “What’s so important about it?”

“To break the curse,” the small woman answered. “You see, the captain was taken from her home by slavers, who were taking her to some foreign land, to sell her to people she had never seen.” 

“She made a daring escape,” the tall woman continued. “Only, she was still in chains, and couldn’t swim. She was sinking slowly, slowly, until she saw...her.” 

“Who?” the man asked. 

“The sea witch,” the small woman said irritably. “Sycoria.”

“Sycoria told Behati she would give her the freedom she so desperately desired,” the tall one added. “But it came with a price. The captain could never set foot on land again. If she does, she will turn to dust, and her soul will belong to Sycoria.” 

The man blinked with surprise. You were also a bit shocked at the story. You knew of Sycoria and the games she played with people’s lives, how she prayed on desperation, but you had no idea the legendary Captain Behati was one of her victims. Captain Behati was something of a myth among merpeople. Some claimed to have seen her and interacted with her, but officially, she was just a rumor. To realize you were on her ship was unbelievable. And you almost cursed because you could never tell anyone you had done this. 

“That’s terrible,” the man said. 

You liked the sound of his voice. It was deep and smooth. It reminded you of sunsets.

“That’s why we hunt her,” the tall woman said. “Kill the witch, and the spell is broken.”

“But why even return to land?” the man wondered. “Won’t she just be taken again?”

The women all laughed. 

“Oh, you silly boy,” said the small one. “I’d like to see a man try to take Captain Behati prisoner now. She will kill him before he can even speak.”

Even though you still had not seen Captain Behati, you liked her. She clearly had the respect of her crew, and she was a force to be reckoned with. As powerful as the ocean herself. 

Suddenly, there was a loud BANG. A flash appeared from a ways down the water. Another ship was nearing. Were you about to be caught in a much more serious crossfire?