#Training-Mikkel

[thepankratikidd]

Anonymous noble in Han Jae's inbox,

I would guess that if you have to be noble to do the hunting it's almost certainly poaching or worse. There is plenty of good hunting to be done with the correct permits regardless of your noble status; I've been taken on more hunting trips since becoming ignoble than I ever attempted with hereditary titles.

Also, the Mourning Cloak is tacky. If you're dropping your money on SSC at least buy a mech people use for hunting, like the Atlas.

-Mikkel Arden, Viscount-Envoy of the House of Dust

What’if one solely uses their noble status to engage in large game hunts with an exceptionally discounted SSC Mourning Cloak? Is such a thing truly bad?

I literally just work here, ask the House of Dust. Sounds like poachin’, though, and I’m sure that ain’t gonna go over well with anyone.

-Han Jae-

[holyrunawaychild]

Drew’s Council

Manfred & Mikkel - Training him in Combat

Bergan - Teaching him the Politics of Lyssia

Amelie - Enlightening him on His Family and how to be King

Hector, Gretchen and Whitley - Trusted confidants and companions

Vega -

[sombredancer]

Dark (2017-2020, Netflix)

Just rewatched Dark and I`m in love and in pain, pain, PAIN...

Beware of being heavily spoiled ahead.

The first painful question: would you save your father from sufferings, if it would mean for you to be erased from existence for good? (From this question on started my love for this show).

The second question: is it really wrong, to love someone you shouldn`t love? Will it cause the end of the world?

The desperate abduction. Oh, it was so beautiful!

The third question: will you really be happy with the truth about a time loop that you helped to build with your own hands, when you are able to see the whole picture?

At the end I felt sorry even for him. The fourth question: how does it feel, to try so hard to change your doom and save your loved ones, only to find out that you are the source of their most unbearable pain?

"You are a too good man. Always was. This world didn't deserve you." It's a story about an infinite pain of each and every character: Katharina, Ulrich, Claudia and H.G. Tannhaus, who loved their relatives too much; Hannah, who loved herself too much; Jonas, Mikkel, Martha, Hanno, Charlotte, Elisabeth, Peter, Egon and Helge, who fell victims of the time-travel paradox. It's funny that an insane love for a child launched this glitch in a matrix, a twisted love for a child kept it running and another insane love for a child put it all to the end. A circle closed. Poetic.

The fifth question: would you fix the error in a matrix by self-sacrifice, if it would delete you and half of your nearest and dearest from existence but ends the never-ending circle of pain for others?

"We match perfectly. Never believe in anything else."

"The light glitched, there was a loud crack and then everything went dark. And somehow the world came to an end. There was dark and the light never came again. I had such a peculiar feeling like it was for the best. Like it was finally over. Like one was finally free from everything. Nothing to wish. Nothing to be obliged to do. An eternal dark. No yesterday. No now. No tomorrow. Nothing."

Finally, I should say that I'm very grateful to Germans for this series. I watched it in original in order to train my German AND because it was a very-very interesting show. Even when I watched it for the second time. One time is surely not enough for understanding of the plot, trust me.

[autumnleaffay]

The Lost Spirit

Chapter 1: A King, A Soilder, A Prince

People would describe Mikkel as many things. These include:

Loud, Nosy, immature and adventurous.

But sometimes he'd also get described as:

Thoughtful, Mature, Calculated and a leader.

His personality depended on the setting he was in. When he was free to do what he wanted, Mikkel had alsways been more childish. He loved going out and see the world, wanting to get to new horizons and be the adventures of his favourite books. He'd play in the sun, just as he would run around in the worst storms, while his nanny shouted at his madness.

Mikkel was generally a free spirit.

But as the only son and crown prince to the Dansen Kingdom he had no choice but to lay down his "childish acts", as his father would call them, on his sixth birthday.

As a son of a royal family he of course inherited the family gift.

All royal families held a special gift, that was unique to said family. The bloodlines were kept as pure as possible to not dilute the powers. It was said that the more powerful gifts will make the kingdoms more powerful.

Mikkel had to say that his family's gift was pretty powerful! They had the gift of Command. With one word his family could make everyone follow thier orders. He hadn't liked the gift during his early childhood. One word from his mother or a short command by his father and he was unable to resist.

"Quiet!", he could no longer talk about his day to his father.

"Sit down!", said to him by his mother during a boring church service.

"Stop!", when he wanted to throw something in frustration.

"Freeze!", when he wanted to run away.

But all that changed on his sixth birthday. The day he got the gift himself.

Mikkel's gift was stronger than his parent's. He could command full sentence rather than the one or two word commands his parents are limited to. Mikkel could easily say: "Bring me ice cream!" and the sweet dish was given to him within minutes.

Of course the power of commands can be dangerous in a child's hands. Therefore his parents made him train his gift ever since gaining it.

As well as lessons in fighting, leadership and ruling the kingdom.

This was how the young boy became more quiet, calculated.

"He is so mature for his age!"

Mikkel hated that sentence. He wasn't mature, he was just acting as his parents wanted him to act. When he was sitting in his boring lessons everyday, he was longing for the outside, for the freedom he had held.

During his eighth summer something happend, something no one had expected.

For his birthday Mikkel was given the day free of lessons and he had enjoyed it. Every single second! He got the castle workers children to play with him, knights and pirates. Kings (of course him) and his dukes.

But during one game disaster struck.

They have been playing mythical creatures. Mikkel wanted to be a dragon, he had proclaimed, a dragon with a mighty fire breath!

He had climbed a small wall, standing over the other children and the guards keeping watch. His parents in the garden looking at him with neutral unintrest.

"I am the dragon of this castle! Fear my fire!"

It was just a game, right? He was just playing. But just as he envisioned fire comming forth, actual fire erupted from his hands, shooting directly towards the other children.

Mikkel can't remeber what happend after that. He was still in shock, looking at his hands. The cries of the other children blurring in the background as a buzzing sound became louder in his ear. It was like a whisper, trying to say something to him. But Mikkel didn't understand.

He was still frozen, as he was grippedd by the shoulder and yanked to the castle.

He thought he could hear his mother and father fighting, but no words reached his ear.

Mikkel ended up being locked in his chamber for four days. Food and water appearing when ever he awoke.

During those 4 days the fire erupted out of his hands more often than Mikkel could count.

When his father opened his chamber door, he was met with a room of scorch marks, wood burned to ashes, linen draped with holes and his son sitting in the corner looking in horror at the distruction he had created.

"Son," his father started, but Mikkel did not look up at him. "This is a glorious day. You will bring greatness to this kingdom! Under you, all the northern lands will come into the Dansen's hands. You shall reign as the undeniable king of the northern lands, because none of the others will have a chance against you! Even the Svea Kingdom will cower before you!"

Mikkel raised his head, looking at his father with tears in his eyes.

He spoke no words as he nodded and stood up to follow his father into his new future.

But was that really what he wanted? Was he now destined to be feared, to control and command?

For the little boy it seemed like it.

After all, gifts like command and fire can only be meant for a villain. Will he be known as the evil king?

~~~~~

If you ask the servants of the Svea family to describe the crown prince, you would get opposite answers depending on the person you ask.

The elderly would call him sweet and caring.

The younger ones would call him scary, threatening and sinister.

But was that the true picture of Björn?

Björn has been a shy person his entire life. He avoided conflicts and rarely spoke.

He had loved the times in his early childhood, when his father, the kind king, would take him out in nature. Show him the land, the animals, the riches of nature. Björn remembers how wonderfully his father could do wood working, a block of wood turning into figurines.

But that changed quickly when Björn started to grow.

Björn had grown faster than children his age would normally have grown. His size often scaring the children around him.

His mother was very pleased with her son's rapid growth and started teaching him fighting early on.

Swords, spears, with and without shields, axes, clubs and so many more. Björn had lost the count for them. But the most persistent weapon has been the sword.

His father, the gentle king he was, did not oppose his wife. He would never dare to challange his wife's choice. He always followed, as she was the one to hold the Svea's family gift in her blood.

"Our family's gift might give you a shield, but you need to be able to fight! Fight for our land and our people!"

His mother's lessons were strict, But Björn followed the schedule created by the queen without complaining.

While this strict plan didn't leave place for a childhood, Björn wasn't angry about that. He could not scare the other children if he wouldn't play with them. Chastising himself every time he'd yearn for the normal lives of the others.

Bjrön didn't have the possibility for being normal. He was the crown prince of the Svea Kingdom. The largest of the northern kingdoms, it's borders going from the eastern border of the finnic lands to the Kievan Rus, to the western border with the Norður Kingdom and finally the southern border to the Dansen Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Svea was surrounded by enemies, so his mother has taught him during the long winter nights, while studying the maps and borders.

"You need to understand our situation in this world to understand why our gift has evolved into the way it is today. You shall not use your gift until you have learned how to protect yourself and your subjects properly without it."

Now would you still call Björn sinister and scary? After all he was raised into this role. He couldn't have any other choice, right?

But if you see the small moments when Björn was on his own, you wouldn't see the war king his mother wanted him to become, but the protector his heart wanted him to be.

You would see a 5 year old Björn sneaking out of the castle during a thunderstorm to give food and shelter for the animals, fearful of the lighting strikes.

You would see a 7 year old Björn using his shielding gift to step into a thorn bush, so he could safe the lamb stuck there.

You would see a 8 year old Björn saving a boy's life and forever changing his own.

Björn was acting with good intentions when the stable boy was about to be trampeld to death by the horses.

During that fateful day, the spring sun was warmer than usual. The horses of the royal stables where given a wash, so they'd look as noble as possible for the next state celebration. The hair was trimmed, the winter coats brushed of and new hooves given by the farrier.

"That young colt needs to learn. He still gets spooked by to many sounds. How should that horse ever ride into battle?", the queen was discussing with the stable head.

The horse in question was a young two year old black colt. He was said to be promising, due to his father being one of the best horses of the royal stable. But this horse has always been uneasy around everyone who was suposed to handle him.

Björn had taken a liking in that colt. The queen had opposed his request of getting that horse, to dangerous. To high of a risk of the crown prince getting hurt.

Björn had to swallow his comment, that he could just use his shield. The queen would surely not appreciate back talk.

Then it all happend to fast.

The farrier dropped a hammer onto the cobble stone street. The loud sound spooking the young colt. Ears pointed up, the muscles enganging, the entire horse screamed in panic. Then it bolted though the stables, scaring more and more horses in the progess. After all, horses are herd animals - if one got spooked enough, everyone would try to flee.

Ropes couldn't hold them in check anymore as one after another broke free to join the frantic run forward the exit.

Directly to where the newest young stable boy was standing.

The stable boy froze in shock. He didn't react to his elders' call for him to jump aside. The boy just stood there looking into the gallaping death before him.

But suddenly, he could see the first floor of the castle wall, not the horses.

The very ground he had stood on has been raised into the sky, with the horses parting around it. The same way the water would part for a rock.

Then all eyes turned to the prince, the one who had his fist raised up, controlling the very movement of the earth.

When the horses had ran past, he opend his hand to level the platfrom out again. The courtyard looking like nothing had happend.

But something had happened. Something that had been anticipated for years.

The first to speak a word was a young scribe, who excitedly shouted: "Your majesty, it's the earth! Your son-"

"Stop! Not a word further!" The queens face was an unshakeble one, cold and distant. "If anyone who had witnessed this day that talks about this will be found and executed. Have I been understood?"

Everyone bowed to her, agreeing with her every word. Of course no one dared to question the queen.

The next hours became a blur for Björn.

Getting dragged to the throne room, advisors left and right. Voices from all over the room, talking with and against eachother. A giant Map of the northern lands was layed out before the throne. Books and scriptures were gathered, and heated depates comparing them started.

The queen sat on her throne, unmoving, determination etched into her face. Like a statue of the old hellenic gods. A queen by rank, a warrior by heart.

Björn stood right to his mother, his father on her left, both silent. Björn had learned to be silent next to her. How could he ever even dare to question her, to go against her? This was his queen, his mother. He was suposed to love her, to see her as a protector, as the gold standard, right?

Björn stood quiet, as his future was decided for him.

He never knew anything different.

His future was decided, his path was laid.

He was to gain the contol over the northern lands.

"Your power will make the Svea triumph over the Dansen family. One day you shall be the one king on the northern throne! Your childhood ends today. From this day forward, you be trained as the one, true ruler and king. Steadfast, ruthless. You shall never show your emotions."

Björn nodded.

He was to be like a statue, cold and unmoving. He was to be like his mother and queen before him.

~~~~~~

If you would ask people about Prince Sigurd people would tell you that he was distant.

That boy never shows emotions. He is unapproachable.

He is silent, not mute, but he won't cry or shout, or throw a tantrum.

Sigurd was called an ideal child by many. A picture perfect prince.

If you'd catch Sigurd, however, during the nights, or when no one was watching, you'd see a mischievous boy. He loved to cause some chaos by creating minor annoyances, misplacing glasses, papers or ink bottles. He loved to spy on the servents, listening to the old wives talk in the kitchen of the castle.

What he liked most was sneaking out during the night.

He always had trouble sleeping, so he acted like he had fallen asleep. When the adults themselves go into their beds, those were the moments when Sigurd was most content.

He loved to walk though the castle halls, when they were empty, cold, dark and devoid of life.

Because then he could hear the Nisse doing their nightly work. He could see the stars oh so clearer in the darkest of nights.

Like a little ghost  Sigurd would wander the halls and the castle grounds. Dressed only in his night shirt. Barefooted.

The wonderful feeling of the stone and wooden flooring, to the grass and even the ice and snow outside.

The nights where the best for Sigurd.

But don't be afraid, the prince of the Norður family was never alone. The castle Nisse following him into every hall and room. Outside the Huldr, trolls and other creatures joining him.

They excitedly showed him the forest, the nature, the magic each of them hold.

They adored the little prince and Sigurd loved them back. Ever since he was born, one creature would always follow his path. When he got older, he started to speak with them.

The joy of them to finally have someone who sees them, who listens to them.

The creatures of the north have always been connected to Livets elv (river of life in NO). The holy river, as his family calls it. But this river did not belong to the humans. His family only visited the river once a year. The family gift may gave it new "light", but it was these creatures that gave the river life. The creatures that walked with Sigurd during the nights. That sang to him the most beautiful songs. That showed him magic like he had never seen. That tucked him into bed during the early hours of the day, when he finally did fall asleep, so no one would find out about the nightly adventures.

The trolls became his guardians, his friends, his family.

And they showed him how to use his gift properly. How he could use his gift and the memories to create visions, to create a guiding light. But also, how to lock memories away.

"My child, memories can do good and do harm. They hold happiness just as much as they can hold pain. Loss can be a terrible thing, but losing memories can be even worse. Don't abuse your power and never do harm to another, because you will only harm yourself."

Sigurd heeded the warning.

When his own father taught him how to use his gift in a harmful way, he merely acted like he'd follow. He acted excited about taking another person's memories by force. Or to alter them to torture someone.

"This is for your own good! You need to be able to fight against the Svea Kingdom and the Dansen kingdom. We don't have a physical strenghth, but the mind will always win in the end."

Sigurd nooded, the act of the perfect little prince still upholding.

"This is for the good of the Norður Kingdom."

He will continue to put up an act. Will be the perfect son.

Just like his father wants him to be.

~~~~~~

Sigurd sat at the edge of the wooden dock, his feet in the cold fjord.

The water following his command as he weaved patterns with his hands. Waves, shapes and even figures could be created with a flick of his hand. Sigurd loved this power.

He had been impartial to the chaos his family made of it. Especially his father.

The king had been furious. His perfect son would now need the other four elements to become king. His perfect son was now stained.

His mother on the other hand was calm as she talked with the other family members and her husband. It was clear to her that the prophecy had started, even if she didn't like it.

"Since the prophecy is about all the nothern lands, we should write to the Svea and Dansen families about it." His mother had spoken in a soft tone. His father was not amused. Sigurd still rolled his eyes at the outburst of anger from his father.

It took days of heated debates between the entire Norður family to decide the next course of action. And no, no one had asked Sigurd about his opinion. That still makes him mad.

But the choice that was made in the end was one he could agree on.

He looked at the two messengers on horseback as they disappeared into the forest. Away from his beloved fjord, riding inland to the Kingdoms of Svea and Dansen. Carrying an important letter with the royal insignia on it.

They were riding towards Sigurd's new future.

May it be good or bad.

~~~~~

To the majesty of the Svea / To the majesty of the Dansen,

Within the Norður lands we have discoverd the first child of the great prophecy.

We shall not reveal their name, occupation or power to you.

But we are inclined to arrange a meeting, if you have found other children of the prophecy.

We are sure that every single one of us will want to use the children for our own agenda and our own gain, strenghth and power. But be reminded that only together will our wars and conflicts end. And only together will the north gain an undisputed power.

We advise a ceasefire for the better. For our future.

With kind regrads,

King Ola and Queen Sigge of Norður

============

A big thank you goes to @darcymariaphoster for correcting my spelling errors and correcting grammar!

This is Chapter 1 of The lost spirit completed. Crossposting on Ao3 aswell!

Have a nice day everyone!

[brotherbandchronicles]

a couple of thoughts i've been having too many feelings about lately

now and then and mikkel and thorn (now and then i miss you? ahsdadhfsldashfjl)

knut 'he (stefan) broke your (tursgud's) heart! do i need to break his face?'

stig's 'i love you' and hal's gentle 'i know'

in contrast, the first 'i love you' directed at jesper sending him straight into panic

ansgar telling stefan that if he breaks jesper's heart, there will be consequences

erak listening to three people regarding his health - axel (wolfwind healer), svengal (sometimes) and edvin (he's got axel's clearance plus he's scary)

edvin, jesper, stef, ingvar, wulf and ulf showing up at rollond's doorstep, him opening the door and closing them immediately with a no (rollond, listen, there's quite a big chance hal will be chosen for the new oberjarl election, and we all know hallasholm will burn into the ground, if it happens)

wolves and herons friendship

stefan singing mikkel's songs

herons lying around their campfire, edvin starting picking his hands and jesper showing his leg into them not looking up from where he's opening his locks

karina leaving everything behind in araluen

hal and karina speaking araluen at home

edvin teaching ingvar how to read after hal makes him his spectacles

the reunions after the events of the ghostfaces (thorn showing up at karina's door without hal (he's walking stig home) and she being terrified for a moment her son didn't make it)

karina meeting gilan

girls gathering around stefan after herons' every return because he always got the tea (jesper leaning into his side, quietly listening)

edvin dropping a heavy book in front of the training instructors ('what's that?' 'healer manual so the poor kids have somewhere to start')

mikkel showing wee tiny hal to his crewmates for the first time

the wolfwind crew being proud of mikkel's kid every step of the way

inevitably, hal hanging thorn's shield on the wall next to mikkel's in the dead hall

[forgaeven1]

even the litany of curses couldn't ease this pain.

mikkel is a hearty young lad. with a sick father and young siblings to feed, he'd boarded his first sail in hopes of bring some semblance of fortune as a deck crew. whilst, he'd imparted with the sort of excited naivety a boy age fourteen years of living would, i could go about to see the world, as well. killing two birds with one stone, hans had told him quietly right back that first night they'd spoken, while mikkel coyly nodded. again, he's a hearty lad. hardworking, good. every instructions hans laid out, the very few he could as they worked among other sailors, he'd followed well. smart, too.

it's unfortunate, is what it is, that through the throbbing of the pain from where the welts where his brother had laid his whips and tore at hans' skin, the boy has to bear witness to this as well. hans could hear him cry somewhere in the background, hurrying someone else inside their room. foolish, foolish boy ! he thinks vehemently, though he has no strength—nor attention—to genuinely scold. his back feels as though his prince brother alek had burned the flesh along with the whipping; it is searing. hans grunts, cries, and screams a guttural scream into the floors of the inn—if only, for a moment, he could direct the excruciating pain elsewhere.

mikkel is crouching besides hans now , tears stream down his face as he informs hans that he had brought in a healer. ❛⠀LEAVE ! ❜ hans screams. all— and he thinks so jaggedly, haphazardly, as though his own train of thoughts could not bear the pain long enough to have the words strung together. all he needs is some balm, he thinks with a lot of effort, some clean clothes to clean the blood, and any drinks that could let him sleep. that is all. that is all. ❛⠀i need not to be attended to. i need— i need rest. please—leave me. ❜

in the end, he begs.

for @dionidai ♡

[lovelybunchof-roses]

[ @unlessitsafarm ]

TRANSIT :  for one muse to sit next to the other on a public transport for your RED spy!! maybe they're on their way to another area and unfortunately she's stuck with him

@unlessitsafarm

The team-wide transit to a new war location was always pretty rough for Mikkel. If anything it's because she never got to go with Monika and have a more... tame transit partner. This time was no exception it appeared.

She steps to the train, giving a brief nod of acknowledgment to the conductor. Once inside, she immediately unwraps the scarf around her head, sweat sliding down the side of her face as she breathes out heavily and loosens the buttons and tie of her uniform.

"Why is it that every time we change locations it's during one of the hottest days of the season," she mutters in frustration. She held a small suitcase in her hands, just some essentials she may need for the mission, including a book she may hopefully get to read, depending on who her transit companion was. She lifts her red sunglasses up to rest on top of her head before wrapping her hand around the handle. Okay... She can do this. Her transit partner will be sane-ish, and definitely let her just read and move on.

She opens the door and what do you know?

Mikkel's luck continued. This was going to be a long train ride, she could already feel it deep in her heart. However, she offers the man a kind smile and a nod.

"Ah, so you're my companion for the trip, hm? I don't believe we've spoken much," she muses as she walks in and slides the door closed. "If you forgot, I'm Mikkel Auttenberg. A pleasure to make your acquaintance more officially."

[jules-has-notes]

The Sing-Off, s.4 ep.2 — Party Anthems

Some competitors on The Sing-Off have described the filming process as their most grueling summer camp experience ever. The audience might imagine dozens of performers doing nothing but singing and dancing together all day as one long party, but that's the magic of the performing arts. It takes a lot of hard work to make having fun look so effortless.

.

Group opener

Most party anthems aren't very complex in terms of music or lyrics, and that's kind of the point. They're intended to be simple, fun, and repetitive so the listener doesn't have to think too hard about structure or meaning. They're meant to inspire dancing, not dissertations. But when your audience is presumably sitting and watching rather than grooving along, it's smart to graft a few different songs together to make things more interesting.

Details:

title: group party anthem medley

original songs / performers: "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas; [0:48] "Die Young" by Kesha; [1:48] "Don't Stop the Music" by Rihanna

written by: "Let's Get It Started" by William "will.i.am" Adams, Allan "apl.de.ap" Pineda, Jaime "Taboo" Gomez, Terence Yoshiaki, Michael Fratantuno, & George Pajon, Jr.; "Die Young" by Kesha Sebert, Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Benjamin Levin, Nathaniel Ruess, & Henry "Cirkut" Walter; "Don't Stop the Music" by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tawanna Dabney, & Michael Jackson

arranged by: The Sing-Off arrangers

air date: 11 December 2013

My favorite bits:

DeeDee's gorgeous solo riff to kick things off

Calle Sol getting to really show off their dance training

the wonderful juxtaposition of Street Corner Renaissance singing "Die Young"

Honey and VJ's duet front and center

and, of course, Honey getting the last word

Trivia:

Tony and Geoff were probably relieved not to be in the first section. They had already sung "Let's Get It Started" plenty of times in the Beetlejuice show at Universal Studios.

On the night this episode aired, VoicePlay were livetweeting from backstage at a gig. Those fellas have stamina.

The ending section of this medley was reworked and expanded to serve as the group closing number for the 2014 Sing-Off tour.

.

Theme reveal

Does Layne want chicken strips at the party for his daughters or himself?

.

Order of performances

Vocal Rush — "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" by C&C Music Factory

Home Free — "Life Is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane

VoicePlay — "Play That Funky Music" by Wild Cherry

Street Corner Renaissance — "Do You Love Me" by The Contours

Element — "Raise Your Glass" by P!nk

AcoUstiKats — "Hey Ya" by OutKast

Calle Sol — "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin

Ten — "Hot In Herre" by Nelly

The Filharmonic — "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan

.

VoicePlay performance

[Here is another version with the intro package and judges' comments.]

This is VoicePlay doing what they do best on stage — not just singing, but entertaining. From the shiny suits to the intentionally goofy dance moves to the acting, they put on a full performance. Add in the surprise of Honey spitting bars on the second verse, and it's the perfect recipe to impress the audience and the judges.

Details:

title: Play That Funky Music

original performers: Wild Cherry

written by: Rob Parissi

arranged by: VoicePlay

air date: 11 December 2013

My favorite bits:

setting the tone with their Night at the Roxbury vibes

Tony's indignance at Honey walking away and making him stumble

the rhythm section getting to sing a lead duet for the last line of the first chorus

that smooth breakdown section

the harmonies on the descending ♫ "Pla-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay" ♫

Layne's final drum fill and cymbal crash as they all fall down

the other groups in the stage-side boxes giving them wild applause

Trivia:

When they performed this song during the Nashville show on the 2014 Sing-Off tour, Geoff accidentally kicked Earl in the head as they dropped to the stage at the end. (Luckily, he was fine.)

.

Judges' choice

.

Ultimate sing-off

AcoUstiKats vs. Calle Sol — "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson

Eliminated: Calle Sol

[horsefigureoftheday]

can we hear more about your horse ghost experiences?

Sure thing!

White horses are a common type of ghost around here. They’re often headless, but not necessarily. They may breathe fire or leave a trail of fire, or they might not. In most records the white horses are just said to show up at a given place, with no speculations on their origins. When people do talk about their origins, the typical explanation is that they’re manifestations of dead people or terrible past events. Here are a few stories collected by Evald Tang Kristensen throughout the late 1800s:

My first encounter was when I was about 12, out in the woods with the pony riding school. It was a forest with a lot of memorials, including a memorial stone for a Danish poet, an arboretum to honor a teacher, and a historical hunting lodge that was burned down by a pyromaniac a few years prior. And yet the forest was only really used by our riding school, a few dog walkers, and a nearby primary school. Desolate enough for wildlife to thrive, yet frequented enough that the woods could never grow completely wild. Strange things seem to happen - or at least be observed by people - in those kinds of places.

As our train of ponies reached a hilltop and looked down, we all saw a white horse running between the trees, with neither tack nor rider. We all commented on it, but for some reason none of us even considered trying to track it down and make sure it was okay. It was like we all just instinctively knew the horse would be gone by the time we’d made our way back down the hill.

Second time I saw it was from a train window, back in March. While passing through the woods, I looked out and just saw a pure White Horse with its back to the tracks. No fences around. No tack. I saw it for all of 3 seconds but the rounded rump, long tail, and hocks were unmistakable. I know damn well how to tell a deer ass apart from a horse ass, and that was a pure white horse all alone in the middle of the dark woods. I've ridden that trainline countless times, and every time we pass that spot I look for horses. But I haven't seen any before or since.

Aside from human(oid) ghosts, white horse ghosts are by far the most common ghosts in Danish folklore. I don't personally believe they're typical ghosts (as in manifestations of death), I'm more inclined to believe they're vættir. But I call them ghosts for simplicity's sake, because that's what all the books call them.

I have a lot of pseudo-philosophical ideas about the supernatural and how it thrives at the border of imagination and reason. You need to open yourself up to the possibility of the supernatural, accept all logical and illogical explanations equally, and choose to make the illogical explanations a part of your umwelt, before you can experience these things. Empiricism and supernatural experiences can't coexist, and I value keeping my ancestral folklore alive more than I do the rational explanation that maybe a horse got loose in the woods.

I love how the Monster Talk podcast explains it in episode 253 (Yeti Stories You've Never Heard Before) - sorry it's compressed to hell but I didn't know how else to fit a 12 minute clip into a tumblr post:

Edit: I also love Mikkel Starup's explanation from his book "Elverkongen Freyr" (translation in alt)

[holyrunawaychild]

You’re welcome. It’s always great seeing a new face in this fandom.

Curtis Jobling (the author of the books and co-producer/head writer on the show) has an odd trick to ‘cheating’ skill progression. Where, a time skip happens, but by telling the reader the unimportant details that happened within that time, why the characters are better. Ie Drew being feral and as such being better at transforming. Or between books 1 and 2 he’s getting trained by Manfred and Mikkel, hence why he’s a better swordsman in book 2.

If you like analyses of the characters, both in terms of design and story, I’ve made several posts on my tumblr for just that.

Here's the link ‘character design’. Though they do contain story spoilers if you’re sensitive about that.

Wild Drewwwwww

The conflict of wanting to draw Wolf king and Wereworld fanart but I can’t mentally separate their character designs in my head due to watching Wolf King first, so I’m kinda just putting elements in a blender with a sprinkle of imagination and drawing whatever I want so-

*deep breath*

-So I guess this is just my interpretation of Drew in Wolf King but if he lived in the Dyrewood for a bit instead of what? walking through it for like a night? Also don’t mind the lack of scars in the first two drawings I momentarily forgot the fact that Vanmorten’s scratches would’ve left scars with the whole “werelords can mortally would other werelords” thing whoopsies.

[holyrunawaychild]

Wereworld What Ifs

What if Tilly wasn’t the one to Amelie entrusted with Drew?

Following up the poll I had posted, I wanted to break down how I think this what if would go in each of it's possible situations.

I should note, as much as there is a possibility for others beyond Tilly, Bergan, Manfred and Vega to have been entrusted with a baby Drew, the named characters that could be are few and questionable if possible given the time line.

This post will contain and discuss spoilers for future books/seasons

As much as I would be interested to explore Drew being raised by Huth in Redmire or by Griffyn (or even Shah) on the run, these have a few too many asterisks attached for me to explore in this post.

For this hypothetical, I'm only exploring three possibilities. If Bergan raised Drew. If Manfred raised Drew. And if Vega raised Drew.

First, I want to set ground rules of how I'll treat the possibilities for each potential timeline. I want to be as logical as possible while

Unless there's ample reasoning to assume otherwise, events that transpire in the canon timeline (book or series) will happen. Ie Lucas (if born) being betrothed to Gretchen, Whitley becoming a scout of the green cloaks, Hector training to be a magister, etc.

If there are competing pieces of canon across Wereworld and Wolf King, I'll defer to Wereworld as canon.

If details from Wereworld and Wolf King don't contradict each other, then they are treated as canon to both.

I’ll only cover the ‘certainties’ of the what if. Feel free to explore and expand on any of these as you like.

In any situation that Leopold is killed, defeated or otherwise removed from the throne, word will find its way to Bast.

Whomever Amelie entrusts Drew to swears an oath to raise and protect him. They can't abandon him or sell him out (*cough* *cough* Vega), they have to raise him as their own.

Leopold finds out about Drew and sends Vanmorten to kill him on the Hunter's Moon. This feels like an event that will happen regardless of with Dad Drew has, setting off his journey but it will play out differently each time.

I'll also try to theorize what could change about Drew's character if he didn't grow up with the Ferrans.

Timeline 1: Manfred raised Drew (Stagdad!Drew)

Stagdad!Drew is probably the variant of Drew that is the most incognito amongst his new family. As he could arguably pass as one of Manfred's children or as Mikkel's son.

Growing up alongside Reinhardt, Milo and Mia, Drew likely would be trained as a knight. Being a much more refined fighter than he is in the main timeline. His personality would likely be similarly effected, more honor and duty-bound. Acts like a werelord noble, not a farm boy of the Cold Coast. More willing and prepared to take up his destiny of being King.

As pointed out by @jgvfhl, Drew growing up in Stormdale would likely be one of the safer options for him. Far away from Highcliff and, if push comes to shove, he could be sent to Omir for safety from the Lions.

Stormdale also has its close proximity to Tor Raptor, the Screaming Peak. The resting place of Wergar's sword, Moonbrand, and the way to call the return of the Hawklords. The only wrinkle in that being that only Griffyn knows Moonbrand is there, as he put it there before Leopold took his wings. And his opinion of the other allies of Wergar would make him not inclined to share that secret.

But in the Stagdad timeline, likely during the tour the Lions did of Griffyn and his wings through the Barebones, while at Stormdale Manfred would earn his trust back in revealing he's taking care of Drew.

So, when Drew comes of age (on the night of the Hunter's Moon), Manfred takes him to Tor Raptor in preparation for retaking the throne from Leopold.

Paralleling what happens to canon Drew in SotH, Stagdad!Drew and Manfred are attacked by Vanmorten. Who likely brought a few crowlords with him.

Though Drew is able to make it to the tombs to retrieve Moonbrand, Manfred wouldn’t. Vankaskan sticking him with a silvered dagger. But not before the Duke of Stormdale took the rat bastard with him.

I like to think the last thing Drew sees of Manfred is the only father looking proud one final time. And for Manfred, maybe he sees a shadow of his former friend in Drew.

With Moonbrand in hand and the Hawklords returning to the Barebones, there’s not much else for Drew to collect allies and storm Highcliff keep.

[seacollectsrivers]

til that MASTERPIECE OF CINEMA Pathfinder lost best foreign language oscar to a danish film this is homophobia and transphobia frankly

[twofoursixohjuan]

@mostlyonthefloor they're not particularly coherent but I'll do my best

All three are reasonably small for Skandians, of course. Hal is the shortest, but he's also the strongest, having inherited Karina's short and stocky build over Mikkel's taller, leaner one.

Jesper isn't that strong but his main strength is that he's very quick with the sword and on his feet.

Because of this, Hal uses his big kite shield in combat, as he's strong enough that it doesn't hamper him, while Jesper uses a smaller round shield (lighter than Hal's, much lighter than the axemen's shields) and relies on speed for defence.

Edvin isn't as fast as Jesper or as strong as Hal, and fighting isn't his main skill anyway — he's more likely to be further back from combat. He focuses on defensive fighting on the general premise that the healer is better off alive and able to do their job rather than getting killed in glorious combat, no matter how many foes they manage to take down. Thorn is in full agreement and is specifically training him in defensive combat. I like to think that at some point Thorn finds him a larger shield similar to Hal's.

Jesper and Hal are on reasonably equal footing in combat. Hal's technique is better, but Jesper thinks faster under pressure and is more likely to pull off something unexpected. If it came down to it, Hal's stamina would probably give him the edge — endurance has always been Jesper's weak point.

Hal is better tactically, able to register the flow of a battle, while Jesper has trouble seeing beyond individual opponents. This does mean that Hal is more likely to be distracted, which can be dangerous, while Jesper's focus narrows to the immediate and makes him hard to surprise.

realising I've accidentally developed a very specific string of headcanons regarding the Heron Swordguys (Hal, Edvin and Jesper) regarding physicality and fighting styles that I use when I'm plotting or writing things like axes and swords — does anyone else have anything like that? curious to hear.

[borzoidaily]

A borzoi watching soap bubbles with trainer Mikkel Becker in Seattle.

[koipalm]

i know that mikkel is likely the strongest of the crew but like i need to know about everyone else.. i think that reynir and lalli are both stronger than they look what with working on a farm/having a job that makes you run all night. i think sigrun is definitely the most athletic but she might not have lalli's stamina to run for hours on end. i also think emil and sigrun are the most likely to know how to swim with sigrun's military training and emils wealthy upbringing

[hannahstanwald]

OMG YES

If I could choose any Dark character to get more screen time, hands down it would be Michael. He is, in my opinion, the most fascinating character in the whole show.

At first, we see him as nothing more than a ghost, a specter haunting Jonas. We know and love Mikkel, but Michael feels like a stranger to us. In the little we see of the man, as a tortured spirit in Jonas' nightmares and an unhappy, smiling man in the Kahnwald family photo, he comes off as distant and almost cold. We know that he is Mikkel grown up, but it's so damn hard for us to wrap our heads around the fact that this sweet, happy-go-lucky kid has turned into the man we see before us.

BUT THEN "An Endless Cycle" comes around and hits us like a damn train! Finally, we get to see Michael the way he really was. We get to see the love and happiness in his eyes every time he looks at his son. We get to see the mirth and humor on his face when he sneaks up on and playfully spooks Jonas. We get to see him smile shyly when his wife comes downstairs and kisses him on the cheek. We get to see the concern and paternal worry on in his face when he sees the future version of his son. And finally, when he looks up at the ceiling beam above his head, we get to see the resolve and determination he has to save his son, no matter the cost to himself.

In season one, we see Michael the way everyone else in Winden did: a loner, an outcast, a depressed recluse who never fit in. But in season two, we see him the way Jonas saw him: a person who loved his family with his whole heart.

Is Michael a man haunted and tortured by his past? Yes, but he is also so much more.

He's a ghost. He's an artist. He's a husband doing his best. He's a loving father who would do anything for his son. He is arguably the most interesting character in Dark and I wish we could have seen more of him 😭

Side note: Sebastian Rudolph is fucking brilliant in the few scenes he has. He portrays Michael, and Michael's love, joy, fear, sadness, and determination perfectly. Not to mention, for someone who has barely been in the show, he has great chemistry with Jonas, Hannah, and Mikkel. He's an amazing actor and we were blessed to have him as Michael.

It's crazy how Michael barely appears in the show. There is another version of Mikkel, but he never becomes Michael. Then he doesn't even exist in the original world. In the beginning he haunts the story from both sides. From the start of the first episode with Jonas having nightmares about his dead father to the end of the episode with Mikkel's disappearance.

Everything about Michael in Season 1 is this haunting presence for Jonas. His scenes in Season 1 are mostly just appearing covered in a black substance. We discover he's Mikkel, the little boy, but we don't know about the man he became and why he made the choices he did. Until we finally meet him again in season 2 and it all makes sense. He is really fantastic in "An Endless Cycle," which is the only episode where we really have him as Michael.

While Michael wasn't the character with the most screen time, it was a wonderful use of the same character in different times. Mikkel builds the story, we already know him when we get to Michael's part, and it feels like a perfect way to fulfill the character arc. It is just fitting and absolutely heartbreaking to see the character accept his fate because of how much he loves Jonas.