#V: Throughout History ( Closed Verse )

[aamaranthiine]

Seafoam Dreams A summary of Amalthea's AU verse for One Piece. tagged as: ☪v: seafoam dreams sub-verses: sands of silver and gold || the lion's gilded cage. note: sub-verses are established and separate storylines within the one piece canon for select mutuals of mine. all other threads within this au are still separate from each other unless otherwise discussed.

Amalthea originally hails from a sky island that once orbited the Red Line and the North Blue, where she was born and raised in a small community consisting of a melting pot of Lunarian individuals, avian minks and humans. It was peaceful and reasonably self sufficient, though her memories of her birthplace are long faded by the current canon.

At the age of fifteen, her island was ransacked and her family either killed or captured by the Government for use in experimentats on those of Lunarian blood. Amalthea escaped and ended up on what is in current times Rubeck Island of the North Blue. It was there she found and ate her devil fruit before being adopted into the kingdom that made the island their home.

For just around ten years, she was kept safe by the people and the royal family. Until circumstances arose that once again attracted the attention of the World Government, whose assault on the island forced her to flee into the Blue.

This becomes a pattern throughout her life; she had to learn to be elusive, keep secrets, how to hide and protect herself. How to weave the most believable lies. Even the seemingly most mundane people could not be trusted, for the fear they would be complicit in allowing the Navy to find her trail again.

At current canon, pre and post timeskip, Amalthea has been alive for over 350 years. That is a lot of history to cover but suffice to say, she is a master at surviving on her own and avoiding unwanted attention most of the time. She has taken her time to travel all four Blues and the Grand Line, exploring the far corners of the world in her search for safe havens, knowledge and useful connections. There have been portions of Time throughout the decades she has spent hidden entirely from people; to cope with the burdens of immortality, she shuts herself away to sleep or to exist outside of her humanity.

For the present day, she tends to go by the alias Thea and is known throughout underground and black market channels by the alias Luna. She is a freelance cartographer (mapmaker), navigator and log pose artificer. It is usually her and a few others work that supply poses for pirates and other non-Government affiliated individuals traveling the Grand Line and the New World. She has many contacts and connections throughout the world, and tends to maintain a neutral alignment when dealing with pirates.

The nature of her Lunarian heritage is kept very well hidden; as with no wings and no soul-flame visible, she easily passes as human. Her mythical zoan devil fruit is also kept secret, or passed off as a different type altogether through half-truths and selective use of her Ability. Her presence to those with keen Observation haki lends to the idea she is only a civilian, and never anything close to a threat.

All of course, a masterfully crafted ruse to protect herself.

[ourdawncomes]

MARGERY "PEGGY" MERCAR

triggers: slavery, fantasy racism, deadnaming/misgenders (accidental - read more)

Notes

Canon divergent Shadow Dragon Rook. Her backstory is not that of the in-game Shadow Dragon PC.

If Rook is a Solas mirror, Peggy mirrors his rebellion and talent for making things worse while trying to better them.

Veilguard spoilers throughout.

Basics

Name: Margery Nickname(s): Rook (strangers), Peggy/Peg (close friends) Faction: Shadow Dragons Age: 48 (by Veilguard) Birthday: Nubulis 20th 9:27 Dragon Race: Elf Gender / Pronouns: Cis Woman, She/Her Orientation: Probably straight but this is me we're talking about

Personality

Proud and quick to judge, Margery wasn't born a rebel, but was made one by circumstances. She doesn't often mince words, and when she does it is typically for her own ends. She keeps her heart guarded, and is slow to trust others with her past. Her nurturing streak comes out with younger members of the Veilguard, and once past her defenses a woman of dry wit begins to reveal herself.

Background

Hometown: Amaranthine / Denerim Current Residence: Minrathous / The Lighthouse Accent: Northern English (Geordie)

Husband: Ghilad (deceased) Son: Bruno

Religion: Andrastian (Questioning/Non-practising)

History

Born in the grey coastal city of Amaranthine, Margery moved to Denerim at the tender age of twenty to wed Ghilad, a man she had never met but had been arranged to marry. She will still tell people it was the bravest (and most frightening) thing she's ever done. A few years later, they have a child, a girl (or so they believed at the time).

Things are happy, but not happy forever. She avoids the riot, thinking her family will be safe if they keep their heads down, but then the purge comes- and then the plague. First her husband sickens, and then her child, and then her. When the Tevinter mages come, she uses the last of her strength to bring her family to them. For her trust, her husband is left to die, and she along with her five-year-old are sold to Tevinter.

For years she belonged to a man named Quintius, and was able to remain a mother to her child, until a bad turn of luck left Quintius in need of a little extra coin. Separated from everything and everyone she had ever loved, Margery hardens, and every sharp knife looks like it would fit neatly between Quintius's ribs.

She wouldn't have her vengeance. At least, not yet. At a banquet held by her master, she is freed by the Viper, and turns her freedom to the Shadow Dragon's cause. Her bold actions within the fledgling rebel faction quickly earned her the scorn of the Venatori and traditionalist magisters.

Luckily, a certain dwarf has a particular fondness for opinionated elves.

Verses

(verse descriptions a wip but here are the bare bones)

v; tag pending ( pre veilguard ) on request.

Peggy's time in the Denerim Alienage up to her liberation by the Shadow Dragons. Mostly open to Denerim Alienage elves (including Adaia, who she would know!).

v; tag pending ( veilguard ) default.

WEEWOO WEEWOO VEILGUARD SPOILERS if you didn't heed it earlier pls heed it now

Varric's hurt, the Dread Wolf's in her head, and the gods are loose. Her regrets are piling up around her, and she'll do anything she can not to drown.

Half-way through the game, after a cryptic passcode is given to her by Solas, she reunites with her child- her son, Bruno.

Main Choices: Saved Minrathous (believing her child is still in the city), lets Solas tear down the Veil (through less destructive means I still need to think about) and/or atone, Dorian for Archon, Harding leads the scouts, Neve got Blighted

Companion Choices: Emmrich turns away from lichdom, griffons with the Dalish, Bellara keeps the archive, tells Taash to do what will make them happy, Illario jailed/Spite and Lucanis will split, Neve is encouraged to become Batman, Harding embraces herself and not her anger.

[solo-returned]

V; Main - Kylo/Ben is in the custody of the Resistance and trying to decide whether to betray them or the First Order, while also mourning his father. He is extremely conflicted and volatile.

V; Spy - Kylo Ren has decided to remain loyal to Snoke and act as his man on the inside, working covertly to undermine the Resistance.

V; Redemption - Ben Solo has decided to honor his late father and return to the light, aiding Rey and the Resistance despite their mistrust. He has a tough road ahead of him, but he’s more than willing to put in the work. Redemption is worth it. He’s taking steps to try and keep Snoke out of his head, and seeking help from both his mother and Rey.

V; Modern - After joining the marines right out of high school and serving for nearly a decade, Ben returned to the States a changed man. Quieter. Angrier. Closed off. He’s slowly learning to open himself back up, working at his alma mater as a sophomore World History teacher, going to therapy, and taking out his aggression at the gym, but it’s far from easy. His relationship with his parents is strained at best. All of his friends from school either moved or passed on. He’s lonely and doesn’t want to think about it. Rather focus on work instead; those kids are relying on him, after all.

V; Wizard - HP verse! (I know, I know, JKR is a shitheel, but I grew up with these stories!) Essentially, Ben Solo is a halfblood wizard. His mother was Leia Skywalker, a pureblood witch (Gryffindor) and an employee of the Ministry of Magic, whose twin brother, Luke (Gryffindor), ran off to join the Royal Air Force not long after graduating from Hogwarts. While on a pub crawl with his mates from basic training, Luke met Han Solo, a dashing American (muggle) pilot who happened to be stationed at Upper Heyford, and they hit it off. Han and Leia met at Luke’s BT graduation ceremony, and one thing led to another…A year later, Han and Leia were married, and little Ben was born. His childhood was…complicated. By the time Ben was eleven, he was relieved to get his Hogwarts letter.

He was sorted into Gryffindor, though the Sorting Hat nearly sorted him into Slytherin because of the potential he already had as a dark wizard. Being a natural rebel, he denied such a grim prognosis; he wished to be a proud Gryffindor, like his mother, uncle, and grandfather before him. He was a better student than most people expected him to be. Diligent. Quiet. Until Professor Snape started picking on his classmates, mainly Harry, Neville, and Hermione. It didn’t take long for his protective streak to lead to outbursts, which would land him in detention every other week or so, but aside from that, he kept his head down. He had a family legacy to live up to, after all. Of course, going to school in the same year as the Boy Who Lived made that infinitely harder than it would have been otherwise. By fourth year, Ben was already tired of all the new threats to student safety, and the Tri-Wizard Tournament just aggravated him even more, especially with Harry being the miraculous fourth contestant. He dedicated the rest of his student career to becoming stronger and more highly skilled than the so-called Chosen One, taking every opportunity to show him up. The end of the tournament changed everything and nothing; Ben couldn’t stand the thought of losing another Cedric Diggory to some overdramatic ghost with the mother of all grudges. He kept training harder and harder between classes throughout his fifth year, jumping at the chance to join Dumbledore’s Army. By sixth year, he’d gotten the hang of wandless casting, and by the beginning of his seventh year, he could cast several spells without wand or incantation.

Unfortunately, the words of the Sorting Hat had stuck with him, despite his best efforts. He was skilled in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and had done extensive research into dark magic in his free time. Why not learn to use it? He was certainly strong enough and talented enough, right? And with Death Eaters taking over the school, and his nightmares reflecting the destruction happening all around him, and the bloody Golden Trio nowhere to be found…drastic times called for drastic measures. He opened himself to the darkness, learning from it without realizing that it was consuming him.

(More to come later!)

[poemshubs]

How Many Tablets Are in the Epic of Gilgamesh?

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest known pieces of literature in human history, originating from ancient Mesopotamia. This epic poem tells the story of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and his journey to find immortality. As a foundational text, the Epic of Gilgamesh is of great importance in the study of ancient literature, mythology, and the human quest for meaning.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the Epic of Gilgamesh is its preservation on clay tablets. These tablets, which have been discovered over the years in various archaeological sites, form the backbone of our understanding of this ancient narrative. The number and content of these tablets provide critical insights into the structure, themes, and history of the epic.

Overview of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Before delving into the specifics of the tablets, it’s important to understand the significance of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Written in Akkadian, the language of ancient Mesopotamia, the epic is a collection of stories that explore themes such as friendship, mortality, heroism, and the quest for eternal life.

The Story of Gilgamesh

The narrative follows Gilgamesh, a semi-divine king who is two-thirds god and one-third human. Initially depicted as a tyrant, Gilgamesh’s character undergoes significant development throughout the story, particularly after meeting Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to challenge him. Their friendship becomes central to the epic, leading to adventures such as the defeat of the monster Humbaba and the slaying of the Bull of Heaven.

The death of Enkidu profoundly affects Gilgamesh, driving him to seek immortality. His journey takes him to Utnapishtim, the survivor of a great flood, who tells Gilgamesh that immortality is reserved for the gods. The epic concludes with Gilgamesh accepting his mortality and returning to Uruk, where he takes solace in the legacy of his city.

Historical and Cultural Context

The Epic of Gilgamesh is not just a literary work; it is a reflection of the cultural and religious beliefs of ancient Mesopotamia. The epic provides insights into the values, fears, and aspirations of the people of that time. It also serves as a precursor to later epic traditions, influencing literature and mythology across civilizations.

The Tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is preserved on a series of clay tablets, which have been discovered in various forms over the years. These tablets, written in cuneiform script, contain the verses of the epic and are crucial to our understanding of this ancient text.

Number of Tablets

The standard version of the Epic of Gilgamesh, often referred to as the “Standard Babylonian Version,” is composed of twelve tablets. These tablets were discovered primarily in the ruins of the library of Ashurbanipal, the last great king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, at Nineveh. The twelve tablets are the most complete and widely studied version of the epic, though there are also older, fragmentary versions known as the “Old Babylonian” and “Sumerian” versions.

Breakdown of the Tablets

Tablet I: This tablet introduces Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, and describes his oppressive rule over his people. It also introduces the character of Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods to challenge Gilgamesh.

Tablet II: In this tablet, Enkidu is civilized by a woman named Shamhat, who introduces him to human culture. Enkidu then journeys to Uruk to confront Gilgamesh, but instead of fighting, they become close friends.

Tablet III: Gilgamesh and Enkidu decide to undertake an adventure to the Cedar Forest to confront the monster Humbaba, who guards it.

Tablet IV: The journey to the Cedar Forest is described in this tablet, highlighting the growing bond between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Tablet V: This tablet details the battle between Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and Humbaba. The monster is defeated, but not without invoking the curse of the gods.

Tablet VI: After their return to Uruk, Gilgamesh spurns the advances of the goddess Ishtar, leading to the sending of the Bull of Heaven to punish him. Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull, further angering the gods.

Tablet VII: The gods decide that Enkidu must die as punishment for the killing of the Bull of Heaven. Enkidu falls ill and has a series of prophetic dreams before dying.

Tablet VIII: This tablet is a lament for Enkidu, as Gilgamesh mourns the loss of his friend and begins to fear his own mortality.

Tablet IX: Gilgamesh sets out on a quest to find Utnapishtim, the only human granted immortality by the gods, in hopes of discovering the secret to eternal life.

Tablet X: Gilgamesh encounters various challenges and meets Siduri, a tavern keeper who advises him to enjoy life rather than seek immortality. However, Gilgamesh persists in his quest.

Tablet XI: The most famous tablet, it recounts the story of the flood as told by Utnapishtim, which closely parallels the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Utnapishtim ultimately reveals that immortality is reserved for the gods alone, and Gilgamesh returns to Uruk, accepting his fate.

Tablet XII: This tablet is somewhat of an appendix and is not part of the main narrative. It is a Sumerian poem that retells the story of Enkidu’s descent to the underworld.

Variants and Additional Tablets

In addition to the standard twelve tablets, fragments of earlier versions of the Epic of Gilgamesh have been found. These fragments often provide alternative versions of the story or additional details that are not present in the standard version.

The Old Babylonian Version

The Old Babylonian version, dating from around 1800 BCE, consists of a series of fragments that were discovered in various locations across Mesopotamia. These fragments are older than the standard version and provide valuable insights into the evolution of the epic.

One of the most significant fragments is the “Pennsylvania Tablet,” which contains an alternative version of the encounter between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. The Old Babylonian version is less complete than the standard version, but it is crucial for understanding the development of the narrative over time.

The Sumerian Poems

In addition to the Akkadian versions of the epic, there are also five separate Sumerian poems that feature Gilgamesh as the main character. These poems are not part of the Epic of Gilgamesh per se, but they share many of the same themes and characters. The Sumerian poems are shorter and often focus on individual episodes from Gilgamesh’s life, such as his battle with the demon Huwawa (Humbaba) or his interactions with the gods.

The Discovery and Translation of the Tablets

The discovery of the Epic of Gilgamesh tablets is a story of historical and archaeological significance. The first tablets were unearthed in the mid-19th century by the British archaeologist Austen Henry Layard during his excavations at the site of ancient Nineveh. These tablets were later deciphered and translated by George Smith, an Assyriologist working at the British Museum.

Smith’s translation of the flood narrative in Tablet XI caused a sensation, as it provided a parallel to the Biblical story of Noah’s Ark. This discovery fueled further interest in Mesopotamian literature and led to more extensive excavations and studies.

Over time, additional tablets and fragments have been discovered, allowing scholars to piece together more of the epic and understand its significance in the context of ancient literature. The translation and interpretation of these tablets have been ongoing efforts, with new insights and discoveries continuing to emerge.

Themes and Symbolism in the Tablets

The tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh are not just a medium for the narrative; they are also rich with themes and symbolism that reflect the concerns and beliefs of ancient Mesopotamian society.

Mortality and the Quest for Immortality

One of the central themes of the Epic of Gilgamesh is the inevitability of death and the human desire for immortality. This theme is explored through Gilgamesh’s reaction to Enkidu’s death and his subsequent quest to find eternal life. The epic ultimately conveys the message that immortality is unattainable for humans and that one must instead seek meaning in life through achievements and relationships.

Friendship and Loss

The friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu is a cornerstone of the epic. Their bond transforms Gilgamesh from a tyrant into a more compassionate and self-aware individual. The deep grief that Gilgamesh feels after Enkidu’s death highlights the theme of loss and the impact that close relationships have on personal growth.

The Role of the Gods

The Epic of Gilgamesh is deeply rooted in the religious beliefs of ancient Mesopotamia. The gods play a crucial role in the events of the narrative, from creating Enkidu to decreeing his death. The relationship between humans and gods is complex, with the gods often portrayed as capricious and distant. The epic explores the idea of divine intervention and the limitations of human agency in the face of fate.

The Legacy of the Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh has had a lasting impact on literature and culture, both in the ancient world and in modern times. Its themes of mortality, friendship, and the search for meaning resonate across cultures and continue to be relevant today.

Influence on Later Literature

The Epic of Gilgamesh is considered a precursor to later epic traditions, such as the Greek epics of Homer and the Roman  Aeneid by Virgil. Its influence can be seen in the structure of these later works, as well as in the themes they explore. The epic also shares similarities with other ancient texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the flood narrative.

Modern Interpretations and Adaptations

In modern times, the Epic of Gilgamesh has been the subject of numerous translations, interpretations, and adaptations. Scholars continue to study the epic for its literary, historical, and cultural significance, while artists and writers draw inspiration from its timeless themes. The epic has been adapted into various forms, including plays, novels, and even graphic novels, ensuring that its legacy endures.

Conclusion

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a remarkable work of literature that has stood the test of time. The twelve tablets of the standard version, along with the fragments of earlier versions, provide a window into the world of ancient Mesopotamia and the concerns of its people. The epic’s exploration of themes such as mortality, friendship, and the role of the gods continues to resonate with readers today.

Understanding the number and content of the tablets is crucial for appreciating the structure and significance of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Each tablet contributes to the development of the narrative and the exploration of its central themes. The epic’s preservation on clay tablets, along with its subsequent discovery and translation, is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the human quest for meaning.

[corruptedandforsaken]

She was a mortal walking into a world of the unknown, in search of answers.  She found some of those answers, but she also found a greater mystery.  One surrounding a man and his daughter.  Love was something which took her by surprise -- love for him, love for his daughter.  The love of a soulmate and the love of a mother -- two things she thought had been lost to her forever, but she clung to them.  He clung to her for the same reasons -- love and understanding, along with the knowledge they would do everything they could to protect his daughter from the dangers the world presented.

Cerise, Eogan and Avalon - I Want It All

( For @whiskeyflavored )

[kemetic-dreams]

Miguel I of Buría (Spanish: Miguel de Buría; c. 1510 – c. 1555), also known as King Miguel (Spanish: Rey Miguel), Miguel the African (Spanish: El Negro Miguel) and Miguel Guacamaya,was a former slave from San Juan, Puerto Rico who reigned as the King of Buría in the modern-day state of Lara, Venezuela. His incumbency began in 1552 and lasted until some point between 1553 and 1555

He obtained his political influence and the control of the region adjacent to the Buría River after leading the first African rebellion in the country's history. During this insurrection he took over the Minas de San Felipe de Buría in modern-day Simón Planas Municipality, gold mines established within the area with the consent of the Spanish Crown to pull out the ore that was discovered in the river, a task that heavily depended on slave work. Miguel, who had a reputation as a rebellious slave, resisted an attempt to use a whiplash to discipline him and led several slaves in an escape.The group established themselves in a settlement built in the adjacent jungle, from where incursions were routinely carried into the mines.During these, Miguel would encourage other slaves to join him and seek freedom. In 1552, and accompanied by about 50 slaves, Miguel led an insurrection against foreman Diego Hernández de Serpa. Killing a Spaniard and sacking and burning some houses, the group took some weapons before fleeing towards the vicinity of the San Pedro river

With his following rearranged to form an army, Miguel I established his royal lineage with his wife Guiomar as queen and their son as prince. His birth and upbringing in San Juan made him the first African king born in the Americas,also influencing him to use the European format for his kingdom. In his settlement, Miguel I also created his own church,naming one of the former slaves bishop. Officers were assigned to the royal household. Other functionaries named included ministers and councilors of state.The Spanish expected more attacks in the region and fortified Nueva Segovia.Miguel led his forces in a clash against those led by Diego de Losada, but was killed in the ensuing battle.The fall of the king led to the dissolution of the political entity that he created, and the remaining survivors were captured and reintroduced to slavery. Following his death, Miguel became a part of Venezuelan folklore and is even revered by the Cult of María Lionza

In 1517, Charles V authorized the transport of thousands of African slaves to the Caribbean, due to a necessity of workers in the (mining and agrarian) Spanish settlements of the region.In the process, a limitation that only allowed Christians in the voyages to the New World was eliminated, allowing slavers to bring blacks directly from Africa. Between 1530 and 1533, the progression of the colonization of Trinidad and Venezuela attracted local settlers to that area of South America (among them, Conquistador Antonio de Sedeño).In 1552, the settlement of Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto was founded by, among others Damian and Pedro del Barrio.The first had discovered abundant gold deposits at the Buría river, where mines under the service of the Spanish Crown were established under the name Real de Minas de San Felipe de Buria in honor of Philip the Apostle. In addition to local Jirajara natives, African slaves were brought to extract the metal, among them was Miguel. He was a Christianized African, a class known as ladino (a term that also applied to natives), and knew the Spanish language. Miguel was brought to Venezuela by Damián del Barrio.Eventually, he passed into the ownership of Pedro del Barrio, the latter's son.Miguel was assigned to work in the Real de Minas de San Felipe de Buría in the state of Yaracuy.Pedro de Aguado noted that the slave was "proud" (others called him arrogant) and "well versed in cunningness". It was reportedly known among the Spaniards that Miguel had intentions of rebelling, at one point reportedly killing another slave after revealing this secret.

Speculation about a noble ascendancy has been argued by some authors based on the organization of his kingdom, likely from the Portuguese slave trade in Angola or Mozambique.The arrival of royals as slaves was recorded in other instances at Puerto Rico including the case of a prince that was captured by an opposing group and sold to traders, eventually being sent back to Africa following his transport to Manatí in 1832, where sugar baron José Ramon Fernández noticed that other Africans treated the young man (who was in his 20s) as their liege and discovered his lineage.Melchor López called him a "biáfra", indicating that ethnically his parents may have been part of a group that first originated between Nigeria and the Muni River (which is adjacent to the Bight of Biafra), before being brought to the New World.This, however, is not certain since the military proofs were taken ten years later and López served as a witness of Diego Hernández de Serpa in a document that featured several contradictions including naming the mines after a different Catholic saint, Saint Peter (calling them "Minas de San Pedro")

War against the Spanish

War preparations followed the organization of the citizens, beginning with the manufacturing of spears and darts made from the metal of the mining equipment.These were added to the kingdom's arsenal, initially composed of swords that had been gathered during the siege at the mines and with bows/arrows brought by the natives that joined the cause. The Spanish soon received warnings of the war preparations, raising concerns among them and gathering support for a preemptive attack against Buría.The possibility of additional slaves from other settlements, could rebel in their own right an join the kingdom. The Spanish settlement at Tocuyo sent reinforcements to Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto.

Learning of this, Miguel decided to instead take the initiative. The king ordered an attack on Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto, reputedly pronouncing a war speech that emphasized liberty, arguing that despite "God [having] made [them] free, like the other people" the Spanish had made them slaves, criticizing the Iberians for applying different standards for slavery than several of the other European countries (this early in the history of the New World, countries like France, Germany or Italy mostly adopted war prisoners as slaves). The king reportedly used psychological warfare by having the natives painted using genipa americana (a plant locally known as jagua, which can be used to produce a dark substance widely used by natives throughout South America and the Caribbean), trying to project a larger number of black soldiers to intimidate the Spaniards by removing discernment. Weapons were assigned according to expertise, with the natives receiving bows and arrows and blacks receiving spears made from mining tools; assorted swords were also distributed.

The Burians arrived to the outskirts of the settlement during the night (Esteves places this attack taking place eighteen days after the uprising at the mines.), announcing their attack with the phrase ¡Viva el Rey Miguel! (lit. "Long live King Miguel!") and flanking the unsuspecting Spaniards. In the confusion, some of the Iberians identified the presence of the natives wearing black paint. The Buarians won the plaza, burned the church and several houses, killing priest Toribio Ruiz and six settlers.The Spanish responded with the Tocuyan reinforcements, pushing them back before finally retreating to the mountains.Esteves credits Diego García de Paredes and Juan de Morón, both warned by Serpa, for the European response.Miguel reorganized his troops, but decided to return to his kingdom expecting the Europeans to counterattack.

The Spanish panicked throughout the region, knowing that the Burians had not received many losses and that further attacks were only a matter of time.Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto requested further help from Tocuyo, whose town council also feared that it could be attacked, organized its forces under captain Diego Losada.The officer departed to the former town, where the group was reinforced and given the task of launching an attack against the Kingdom of Buría. The journey through the jungle was rough for the Europeans, who travelled it on foot. According to Castellanos, Diego De la Fuente went ahead by himself and captured one of Miguel's men and brought him to Losada's encampment.The prisoner was the forced to serve as guide. Using the element of surprise, the Spaniards captured a group of women that had been laundering in the adjacent river side. The kingdom's guards, however, were alerted and reportedly made a call to arms with the phrase ¡Arma¡ ¡Arma¡ ¡Que los barbudos vienen! (lit. "To arms! To arms! The bearded ones are coming!")

Final battle

With this warning, the inhabitants of the kingdom armed themselves and after Miguel emerged to lead them into battle, they rallied behind him. They intended to prevent entry into the settlement, but after clashing with the Spanish, they retreated inside, but the doors were improperly closed allowing the Europeans to breach the interior. Cabrera de Sosa and Pedro Rodríguez were placed at the gates, while the Spaniards entered. Inside, Miguel addressed his subjects with a war speech in which he encouraged to fight for freedom. Afterwards, the king himself led his men into the clash, an act that led to Castellanos calling him "a reflection of the lion". During the battle, Miguel declined the offers to surrender that were made by the Spanish in defiant manner. The same author claims that one of his spears pierced a buckler carried by Pedro Rodríguez "from side to side".Oviedo de Baños noted that the Burians followed his example and complicated the battle for the Iberians. However, in the heat of the battle Miguel was fatally injured, having stayed in the frontline instead of falling back.It is not clear who was responsible for the death of the king, Aguado writes that he was stabbed by "one of the Spaniards", which Esteves names as Diego Gargía de Paredes,but Castellanos claims that Diego de Escorcha fired a crossbow at him. Captain Diego Ortega gave the credit to Diego García de Paredes.

The king's men were immediately demoralized, with his death having a direct effect on the outcome of the battle when the Spanish noted and attacked with more eagerness.Castellanos claims that most of the former slaves continued fighting, until they "died like Romans".According to Pedro Simón, several fled and were pursued and either killed or jailed.The remaining were captured and brought to Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto by Diego de Losada. Herrera argued all black men were killed, leaving only women and natives behind. Aguado claims that the natives turned on the blacks after they lost.Guiomar and the prince, having stayed away from battle along the other women, were sold back into slavery.The Jirajara would continue to resist the Spanish on the Nirgua region for decades, eventually forcing the Spanish to abandon the mines and move the town of Nueva Segovia. News of the initial rebellion would not reach Santo Domingo until March 3, 1554

[raz-b-rose]

Hey so,, the Bible states that Eating burgers is a sin Women speaking in church is a sin Wearing blended fabric is a sin Eating SHRIMP is talked about more in the Bible as a sin than homisexuality is Women wearing pants is a sin Writing in your Bible or defacing it in any way is a sin Do some research on your own religion if you're going to preach it

Thank you for asking, I love this opportunity to help bring understanding to commands such as these. Thank you for your patience, lets get to it. 

I can understand the overwhelming presence that is Gods word. Its a big book full of a lot of things that take a lot of cross referencing on occasion. After all, it is just one continuous story of God who was and is and always will be. 

Warning, there's a lot.

Anyway there is a simple answer to all of those and it starts all the way back at Abraham. Some quick condensed history. God chose Abraham to establish the Hebrew/Jewish people. He faithfully followed Gods commands, and Isaac was born from his faithfulness and for Gods promise. A promise that Abraham’s offspring would cover the earth. 

Isaac then had Esau and Jacob. Jacob then had 12 sons, Joseph the youngest was used to bring the Israelite people to Egypt. Where the Egyptians turned them into slaves. 

Now enter Moses. God used this man to bring them out of Egypt and towards the promise land. This is where God starts to establish what would set his chosen people apart from the rest of the world. The old laws were there for their faithful obedience and for outsiders to know “thats an Israelite”. 

The entirety of the OT speaks of Gods character, plans for salvation, and absolute authority. The laws are a reflection of that as well. 

so now we have the group of laws God had Moses establish.

Now Jesus fulfilled the OT law. 

Matthew 5:17-20 (Jesus speaking)

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least vin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great vin the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Part of that fulfillment was the laws on food. Food was used to represent Holiness/ cleanliness. Everything about them had to be clean (their bodies, their homes, their sacrifices, etc.) Blemish free. 

The Pharisees had twisted the laws to become legalistic and strict. An example would be here

Mark 7:14-23 (Jesus speaking)

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”[e]17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”[f] (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Food isn't what makes us unclean anymore, but rather the condition of our heart. 

There is also a lot of debate over Acts 10:9-16

But I believe this passage has a double meaning. God is reminding Peter that he does not need to be legalistic to be “clean” anymore. Therefore the laws for food were fulfilled. This is reflected in his interpretation of the vision in verses 27-29. 

Remember there was clean food and unclean food. Same for people. You weren't to associate with “unclean people”. Jesus fulfilled this law by opening the path to God to everyone, not just Jews. God gave the great commission to go out into all the world to everyone to preach the good news. This meant that anyone now had direct access to God, and the Jews no longer had to go through the extra steps to seek forgiveness. Salvation is within everyone's grasp, no matter what. 

The command for blended fabric fits with these as well. 

Deuteronomy 22:9-11

“You shall not sow your vine yard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together. 

By reading this we see the pattern that God is commanding that things that are different should be kept separate. Again we need context of the time. 

Pagans in the area believed that by mixing things together they would achieve “magical” results. So God made this law to set them apart from them. He reaffirms this command, even going as far as to say not to let cattle bread with different cattle, in Leviticus 19:19. 

In todays context, what sets us apart from others is our internal change that is projected outward. We become lights for God, and show Him through our change. Of course none of us are perfect, and if we aren't careful it can quickly become fake and legalistic. 

We can wear blended fabric because Jesus fulfilled this law. 

Next keeping with our fabric theme, clothing. This verse comes from Deuteronomy as well, so I will just put the link for both here. 

Deuteronomy 22:5

 “A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord your God.”

Some pretty strong language right there, but it's important to acknowledge why. We are sinners. God set very clear laws on what was and wasn't allowed. Remember that was to set His people apart, and to test their faithfulness. 

Historically at the time men and women dressed very similarly. There were cultural ways used to discern between genders and that is what this verse is talking about here. Men did not wear pants when this law was written (at least not by the Jewish people) so why would it be a sin for women to wear pants today? It simply isn't. (Just because human men decided to use the bible to push their weird sexist agenda via mistranslation, does not mean this is what this verse intended.)

To apply it to a modern setting, it would be “why are you wearing what you are? How do you want people to perceive you? What is your heart behind wearing these clothes?”

So really this is another verse directly tied to transgendered identity sin, again a pagan tradition at the time. 

ALL SIN is repulsive to the Lord. (The Hebrew word used in this verse is found all throughout the OT, with various uses.) Yes God established the laws, but He also established the sacrificial system for His people as well. He loved them, loved us, and gave them a way to atone for their sins and find forgiveness from God. 

But the sacrifice of animals could only go so far. That is why Jesus came to be the final sacrifice. The Lamb of Salvation for us. He willingly gave His life for us, just as we can willingly continue to sin against Him, or willingly give our lives to Him. 

Jesus fulfilled the laws and abolished the need for the sacrificial system.  

OK this one has no verse in the bible that God commands us to not write in our bibles. None. Unless I’m just having trouble finding it, it's not a thing. 

The sin is changing the words, as some translations do so you have to be very careful about which ones you use. 

I got a book from the library years ago that was like a devotional for teen girls. In the book it had a verse from Psalms that sounded weird to me and when I compared the translation to my ESV, it had removed the part about God's faithfulness and love. Took it right out. That is a huge problem! 

I know that translating the Hebrew and Greek to English is very difficult, especially given how the Greek had multiple words for love alone, and many other words. However, the languages are not so vastly different that you make changes like that without a prideful agenda. Good translations that I use, ESV, NASB, AMP for study purposes. As well as NKJV if you like a classic. I’m constantly comparing translations, and looking at original texts to get a feeling for what words were used. 

I encourage you to note your bible. Mark what speaks to you, the blessings, the commands, the warnings. Every time God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are mentioned, where verses intersect. Note everything. 

For some of our brothers and sisters around the world they may only have a few pages to pass between each other, or are able to have His full word and treasure God's words dearly and keep everything they can close. They want to remember it all, and remember what they learn. And God wants that for us. 

No writing in your bible is not a sin. Changing the words or removing them is a sin. 

Ok now onto your “woman can’t speak in church” debate. 1 Corinthians 14. But because of everything I’m about to get into, this answer will be longer than the others. Feel free to stop here and come back. I know I’ve already written a lot.  

First we need to look at the history of the city of Corinth, as when Paul wrote his letters, each one was tailored to the church in question and addressed their strengths and weaknesses. 

The city of Corinth was a trade city set in a key location for sailors from all over the world. Its citizens were from all over the world, though mostly Roman, Greek, Jewish, and even a considerable amount of Italians. Because there was such a mix of cultures, there were a mix of religions. 

The largest of these being the worship of the false goddess aphrodite. Sexual actions were common with her “temple” and prostitution was a rampant issue with the city. We have two sins of sexual nature and idol worship already. Within the church itself there were reports of incest, infighting, and drunkenness during services being reported as well.

Acts 10:1-23 is Paul's first visit to Corinth where he helped found the church. A family close to Paul and in the Corinthian church wrote to Paul with their concerns for how the church was conducting themselves. The 1 Corinthians letter (book) was written in response. 

The church was a blend of Jews and Gentiles. So practices such as the aforementioned were common practice within the city and the Gentiles were at a loss for how to conduct themselves because these things were common during the worship of false gods. 

Becoming Christ-like is a beautifully long process. It's not over night, no matter how much we wish it was. These people were still human and loved Christ but still knew very little about Him, and God the Father. (even some of the Jews had a lot of misconceptions they had to change) 

So at the very beginning of his letter, Paul reminds them of their new identity. (1:1-9) and reaffirms their forgiveness through Gods grace and faithfulness to our salvation. Nothing we do after we accept His gift can revoke it. It is ours for all time for one time. 

Woman and men were traditionally seated separately in synagogues so it makes sense that practice was still used in some new churches, such as that of the Corinthians, as they did have Jewish members. 

He is calling out woman for calling to their husbands during sermons and being disruptive. Paul is asking that they save their question for after. He is also teaching woman new to these practices, gentiles, how to be respectfully in the church. 

Paul encouraged woman to pray and praise in the church, chapter 11. So it would be contradictory for Paul to then turn around and say “woman can’t speak in church” in chapter 14. 

To answer, yes woman can speak in church, but not teach to a body of men. Women can teach women, but women can’t teach men. God established a order of command. 

God

Jesus

Men

Woman

Children

Following this upward, everyone is under authority of the role’s above them. That is how God designed the family unit, and in turn the church. The church is the body of Christ, and each of us have a purpose within his body for it function. Woman have a time and place to teach, and lead, but not to men. 

I am only addressing the command pertaining to women at this time. I would love to do an in-depth look at all of 1 Corinthians, there is so much to it. Really, thank you for the opportunity to study these passages deeper, and teach them to you. I hope I did, I hope these make sense now. 

I do need to add. When comparing these commands to the command of homosexuality, its important to remember the context. Homosexuality is a sin because it goes against Gods very direct design for mankind, how the family unit functions in direct relation to the church. These other ones however were established for a period of time to set the people apart from outsiders, and do not go against His intended purpose for creation. That is a very big difference.

Feel free to ask anything else, I loved doing this. I will try to get something for all of 1 Corinthians out, but I have a full life at the moment, so it will probably take awhile.

Praying and God bless 

[scotianostra]

On December 8th 1542 Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian in 1542.

Mary’s father was at his beloved palace of Falkland, where he would in fact die aged thirty on 6 days later, having learned of the birth of his baby daughter. The true cause of the death of James V has never been satisfactorily explained, although all sources agree that the king underwent a physical and nervous collapse as a result of his humiliation and devastation at the Battle of Solway Moss. However as I posted two weeks ago the King missed the battle and was perhaps suffering from a fever beforehand, in my opinion it is being used as a poor excuse for his death. 

The room in which Mary was born is now little more than a romantic ruin without a roof, however its location in the north-west portion of Linlithgow Palace, still enjoys the view out over the loch as it did when Mary’s mother Queen Mary of Guise, gave birth to her here.

History would in fact come full circle, with Mary’s own granddaughter, Elizabeth of Bohemia, the so-called “Winter Queen”, residing also at Linlithgow in her time. The near-lying St. Michael’s Church is traditionally thought to have been the setting for Mary’s christening. Mary in fact only remained some months at Linlithgow, being taken onwards to the castle of Stirling by Mary of Guise. Historical doubt has arisen over the accuracy of December 8 as the actual birthday of Mary Queen of Scots and it has been suggested that the event in reality may have taken place on December 7th, but that December 8th was used so that the day could coincide with the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary herself however always referred to December 8 thas the day she regarded as being her birthday.

Indeed one historical works about Mary's life gave this short account.....

"The nation partook in Mary of Guise' misfortunes, when she lost both her sons, soon after the birth of the second. She had the consolation, however of bringing her husband, while he was dying of an afflicted spirit, a daughter, on the 7th of December 1542, in the palace of Linlithgow."

The birth of Mary Queen of Scots is commemorated annually by a short private ceremony at Westminster Abbey on her birthday, 8 thDecember, together with the laying of flowers in the Queen’s memory. The Marie Stuart Society raised funds to enable a statue of the Queen to be erected on the Peel at Linlithgow Palace, the place of her birth and I have heard some of them gather there now to remember Queen Mary.

I also think it sad that our Queen was buried in Westminster, the traditional burial setting for many of England’s monarchs and the setting for each royal coronation since her own death. Although Mary  had herself requested to be buried in France, this wish was not granted by Elizabeth I and she was initially interred with great solemnity at Peterborough Cathedral in late 1587, where her body remained at rest for twenty five years. It was the eventual wish of James VI/I, that her body be removed from Peterborough Cathedral to Westminster Abbey in 1612, ordering a spectacular marble canopy tomb to his mother’s memory by the sculptors Cornelius and William Cure, today to  be found opposite the tomb of Elizabeth I, in the Abbey’s south aisle of the Lady Chapel. The tomb is loaded with symbolism particular to Mary’s ancestry and life with a crowned Scottish lion,  bearing a magnificent Latin mourning inscription written by Henry, Earl of Northampton and containing two verses from the Gospel book of Peter. Close to her tomb is that of her mother-in-law, Margaret, Countess of Lennox.

However, the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots did not remain undisturbed following her reburial, nor was the peace of her final resting place unbroken. Mary would come to share her burial vault with many of her descendants, including her granddaughter Elizabeth of Bohemia, the unfortunate Arbella Stuart, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, the much lamented Henry Prince of Wales as well as ten infant children of James II and the eighteen babies of Queen Anne who died at birth. This search had been prompted by Dean Stanley in 1867, because the location of the coffin of Mary’s son James VI/I was at that time unknown. Logical thought led the searchers to assume that he may have been buried in the Stuart vault of his mother, although his lead coffin was eventually found in the vault of Henry VII, where he lay alongside the remains of his great-great-grandparents Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth of York.

So there you have it from her birth in 1542, to her death in 1587, I think I cover enough of her life throughout the year for you all to fill in the missing years, which as usual I will endeavour to do once more in the year 2020. The pic is her portrait by the French artist François Clouet. she is thought to have been 16-18 years old at the time.

[sciencespies]

How Apollo 8 Delivered Christmas Eve Peace and Understanding to the World

https://sciencespies.com/history/how-apollo-8-delivered-christmas-eve-peace-and-understanding-to-the-world/

How Apollo 8 Delivered Christmas Eve Peace and Understanding to the World

It was the final months of 1968 and throughout the year, the stability of American democracy had been called into question again and again. When Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis in April, civil unrest erupted throughout the United States. The “confidence of America’s allies and friends around the world” had been shaken, Leonard Marks, the United States Information Agency (USIA) director told President Lyndon B. Johnson. “We have suffered a blow from which it will take a long time to recover.”

Two months later, on the other side of the country, presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot shortly after he made his California Democratic primary victory speech. Then, in late August, violent clashes between protestors and police at the Democratic National Convention broke out in Chicago, casting more doubt on the U.S. political system. Parallels were quickly drawn between the Chicago riots and the Soviet Union’s suppression of the Prague Spring that same month. At the end of the year the USIA concluded that the Vietnam War, protests, assassinations and upheaval throughout the country led “many persons abroad to question whether the vaunted American system might be on the verge of decay and disintegration.”

Tear gas, body counts, protests and riots all appeared on television sets around the globe and in international newspapers. The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee observed that “the mental picture that many foreigners have of our nation is increasingly that of a violent, lawless, overbearing, even sick society.”

Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo

Since July 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first step on the Moon has represented the pinnacle of American space exploration and a grand scientific achievement. Yet, as Smithsonian curator Teasel Muir-Harmony argues in Operation Moonglow, its primary purpose wasn’t advancing science. Rather, it was part of a political strategy to build a global coalition. Starting with President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 decision to send astronauts to the Moon to promote American “freedom” over Soviet “tyranny,” Project Apollo was central to American foreign relations.

Buy

Read More About Apollo 8

Then, in late December, Apollo 8 offered an antidote: an image of a nation striving for grand goals, inclusive and focused on peace and unity. The crew’s broadcasts from the moon would capture the attention of a billion people worldwide. Inclusive language during the broadcasts, as well as the soon-to-be-iconic photo Earthrise, amplified the USIA and State Department messaging that the American space program was “for all mankind.” When the world felt divided—between democracy and Communism, among generations, races and genders—it would be Apollo 8 that would offer a moment of unity and a sense of connection.

From the start, Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman understood his flight and then later promotion of the space program abroad as part of his service to the country, not as a purely scientific pursuit: “If you think I would’ve devoted that much of my life simply to exploration or science, I wouldn’t have, I’m not built that way, that’s not my thing.” The cold war threatened the security of the U. S., and his role as an astronaut was part of confronting that threat, lessening Soviet influence on the geopolitical landscape.

Shortly before his launch, as Borman engrossed himself in training, his phone rang. It was Julian Scheer, NASA’s deputy administrator for public affairs.

“Look, Frank,” Borman recalled Scheer explaining. “We’ve determined that you’ll be circling the Moon on Christmas Eve and we’ve scheduled one of the television broadcasts from Apollo 8 around that time.” Scheer pointed out that more people would hear the crew’s voices than had heard any voice in history. NASA estimated that a billion people around the world would be following the flight. He then added the simple but imposing instruction: “So, we want you to say something appropriate.”

One in four people on Earth—roughly a billion people spread among 64 countries—listened to the broadcast on Christmas Eve from Apollo 8 (from left: James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; William A. Anders, lunar module pilot; and Frank Borman, commander).

(NASA S68-50265)

For help, Borman turned to his friend Simon Bourgin, the USIA science advisor. The two had become close during the Gemini 7 diplomatic tour of Asia. When Borman prepared for interviews, he would ask Bourgin for advice.

Bourgin suggested a simple and short broadcast. “With six television transmissions, you are overexposed . . . and with that much time you could be tempted to pad, ham it up, or try to entertain. Avoid all of these.” In other words, he explained, “Keep your audience hungry.”

For the Christmas Eve broadcast, start with a description of what you see, he suggested: “I have a feeling that any direct message that you might compose reflecting on Christmas Eve, conditions on Earth, and the way you feel about it at the moon, could get awfully sticky; it would be difficult not to sound pretentious or patronizing.” In its place, end with a quotation.

Bourgin had called his friend Joe Laitin, assistant to the director of the Bureau of the Budget, and his wife, Christine, for advice. Christine came up with the idea of reading Genesis. “Why don’t you begin at the beginning?” she asked.

The first ten verses of Genesis from the Old Testament would have “universal appeal and a sense of reverence that is called for,” agreed Bourgin. As he told Borman, “About the only thing I can think of to match the majesty of the occasion, and the evening, is to read the opening lines of Genesis.” When Borman shared the idea with crewmates James Lovell and William Anders, they also agreed. The passage, typed on fireproof paper, was inserted into the Apollo 8 flight plan.

On December 21, like much of the nation, the first thing on President Lynden B. Johnson’s agenda was to watch the early-morning launch of Apollo 8. At 7:51 a.m. EST, Borman, Lovell and Anders became the first humans to ride the huge Saturn V rocket into space, one of countless firsts that the astronauts would claim on the mission. Susan Borman, Frank’s wife, found it “awesome . . . like watching the Empire State Building taking off.” As the spacecraft glided out toward the stars, the astronauts departed the Earth and stopped experiencing sunrises and sunsets. Another first.

An entry pass to the viewing stand for the Apollo 8 launch at Kennedy Space Center, December 21, 1968, is held in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

(NASM)

Also in the museum’s collections is Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders’ spacesuit, engineered to provide a life-sustaining environment during unpressurized spacecraft operation.

(NASM)

Lunar module pilot William Anders wore this intra-vehicular glove during the launch of Apollo 8.

(NASM)

The Genesis scripture that the astronauts read on Christmas Eve 1968 can be found neatly typed in the pages of the Apollo 8 flight plan.

(NASM, courtesy of the Alder Planetarium and Astronomy Museum)

When Apollo 8 astronauts splashed down on December 27, 1968, they were airlifted safely aboard this rescue net to hovering Navy helicopters.

(NASM)

The image Earthrise, taken aboard Apollo 8, swiftly became a culture touchstone, appearing on this bumpersticker and elsewhere across the American landscape.

(NASM)

The mission would prove a boon for American ambassadors and other officials, who were invited by local media for interviews on the flight. “An excellent opportunity to get positive exposure through a variety of media in many countries,” the USIA advised. The agency would record the heaviest placement of its media material in memory, providing hundreds of photos, thousands of feet of TV film, and “reams of copy” to local newspaper, radio and television outlets around the world.

The Voice of America radio network provided live coverage of each stage of the mission, from launch to splashdown, in English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. American embassies in Eastern Europe assembled exhibits in their windows with pictorial explanations and a step-by-step schedule of the flight. As the crew completed stages of the mission, embassy staff would post announcements. The U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, reported that the window display “drew exceptionally large crowds, despite cold and snow.” In warmer climes, inhabitants of Martinique followed radio coverage of the flight so carefully that consulate personnel reported walking down the street and hearing status updates from shopkeepers and acquaintances.

Apollo 8 reached the moon three days later. The crew fired the service module engine, slowing the spacecraft down just enough to put it into orbit around another celestial body, another first. On the fourth orbit, Borman rotated the spacecraft, tilting its nose back toward Earth. Its small windows framed the Earth seemingly rising above the lunar horizon. The view caught the crew by surprise, even though mission planners had anticipated that the moment would come.

“Look at that picture over there!” Anders called out. “Here’s the Earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty!” With a Hasselblad camera in hand, Anders snapped a photo. Most of the photography scheduled for the flight focused on the moon. NASA needed detailed images of potential landing sites for future missions. As Anders watched the Earth rise above the lunar horizon, the black-and-white film magazine mounted to the camera’s boxy body would not do. Only color film could capture the contrast of the gray moon and the bright-blue Earth that Borman called “the most beautiful, heart-catching sight of my life.” Anders called out, “You got a color film, Jim? Hand me that roll of color quick, will you . . . hurry up!” After a swift swap of film magazines, Anders started snapping again.

“Look at that picture over there!” Anders called out. “Here’s the Earth coming up. Wow, is that pretty!” The image Earthrise became one of the most famous of the Space Age.

(NASA )

He caught the Earth above the gray-chalky lunar horizon, the sun illuminating parts of Africa and South America. Eddying clouds suggested an alive, dynamic planet. Earthrise, as the photograph would come to be known, amplified the beauty—and rarity—of humans’ home planet. Shortly after the crew splashed down a few days later, this photograph would grace the front page of newspapers around the world and become one of the most famous images of the Space Age.

Food packed for the crew that day was tied up in fireproof plastic green ribbons and labeled “Merry Christmas.” Inside Borman, Anders and Lovell found turkey with gravy and a fruit-cake coated with gelatin to prevent crumbs from floating into the spacecraft’s systems.

At 9:30 p.m., during the second-to-last lunar orbit of the flight, the crew began their last broadcast from the moon. Taking a cue from Bourgin, they turned the camera toward the moon and took turns describing their perspectives. Borman called the moon a “vast, lonely, forbidding-type existence, or expanse of nothing, that looks rather like clouds.” Lovell agreed, commenting that “the vast loneliness up here of the Moon is awe inspiring, and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth.” Anders added, “The sky up here is also rather forbidding, foreboding expanse of blackness, with no stars visible.”

“We are now approaching lunar sunrise,” Anders explained to the television and radio audiences around the world. “For all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 have a message that we would like to send to you.” Minutes before the spacecraft slipped behind the moon for the last time, the crew took turns reading from Genesis.

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth,” Anders read.

Borman ended the passage, adding “and from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you—all of you on the good Earth.”

Around the world, television sets glowed with the broadcast. One in four people on Earth—roughly a billion people spread among 64 countries—listened to the reading. Within 24 hours, recorded broadcasts of the address from the moon reached people in another 30 countries. Audiences in North and South America as well as Europe tuned in live thanks to the recently launched Intelsat 3 satellite. Comsat put the satellite into operation a week ahead of schedule so that international audiences could follow the flight.

Frank Borman had at first been skeptical about the addition of heavy television equipment on missions because weight and time were at a premium. But the broadcast, and world reaction, would change his mind. “Probably [the] most important part of space,” he later reflected, “in view of [the] impact on people of the world.”

Reactions to the telecast were unprecedented, and the USIA won a significant public diplomacy victory with the carefully chosen, inclusive wording of the Christmas Eve address. A BBC correspondent commented that the reading “struck on instantly as a stroke of genius.”

In Latin America alone, 1,353 stations carried the VOA broadcast, breaking records. Even Radio Havana picked up VOA coverage, an anomaly for the official Cuban-government–run station known for transmitting programming created by the North Vietnamese, North Koreans and Russians. The station cheered the mission as “a total success.” Borman received some 100,000 letters of appreciation for the Christmas Eve broadcast from around the world, with just 34 letters making complaint.

The Apollo 8 crew had traveled farther and faster than any humans in history. They saw what no other eyes had seen: the far side of the moon, and the Earth from a great distance, blue and white and shining. They became the first humans to ride the mighty Saturn V rocket, break the bonds of Earth’s physical pull, and enter the gravitational field of another celestial body. But the mission, and the program more generally, “did much more than just advance the country scientifically and technically,” Borman, argued. “It advanced it—in my opinion—diplomatically just as much. It cast the country in a favorable light, at a time when there were many things that cast it in an unfavorable light.”

On Christmas Day, the front page of the New York Times carried an essay by the poet Archibald MacLeish inspired by the mission: “To see the earth as it truly is, small blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold—brothers who know now they are truly brothers.”

Expert from Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo, by Teasel Muir-Harmony. Copyright©2020 by Teasel Muir-Harmony. Published by Basic Books. Reprinted by permission.

#History

[bookbutterflies]

Books read in August 2020

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi - Nonfiction book detailing the history of slavery and racism in the USA. Ibram X. Kendi wrote Stamped from the Beginning and Jason Reynolds adapted it into this book to be more accessible for younger readers. This book takes up back to the first recorded racist in history to present times. Reynolds draws such a clear line between the past and present and it’s scary to think how easy people justify violence against people and how often they used the same reasoning for their racism.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo - Contemporary verse novel taking place in Dominican Republic and New York. Yahaira and Camino have just lost their father in a plane crash,their father kept two separate families in two different countries and it’s not until his death his daughters find out about each other. I love the way Acevedo writes, it’s so easy to get lost in the pages of this book. One of the main characters is queer and the first time it is mentioned? 10/10,  A++, would definitely read again.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine - Adult  space opera inspired by the Aztec Empire. It follows the intrepid Mahit, the new ambassador from the Liesll station to the Teixcaalani Empire and is quickly mired in politics when the secret her Station keeps begins to threaten her life just like it did her predecessor. It’s also about the awe and fear an empire causes on a foreigner, the yearning to belong to a hungry and beautiful place and knowing no matter how hard you try you will never completely fit in. Mahit is a quick witted and smart protagonist, the action is non stop even in quiet moments and I think the sequel is coming out sometime this month.

Vengeful by V. E. Schwab - Sequel to Vicious. The book follows closely in the aftermath of Vicious, with alternating POVs and different timelines, the cusp of the action takes place five years after Vicious when a new EO, Marcella, shows up. Eli is in prison while Victor and the gang are travelling around the world looking for a cure when they get called back to Merit. New characters show up with their own agendas and keep the action going. I mean, what can Eli do when he’s trapped? Ha ha ha, i’m terrible at being funny. I liked it, but I have some questions. Content warning: graphic human experimentation

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins - YA set in the same timeline as Prince Charming where Scotland has its own monarchy in present time. But! This one features queer princess Flora and Millie, the Texan rock enthusiast (that’s why she moved to Scotland for school, the rocks). This book is chock-full of awkward teenage queer courtship and one big romantic gesture. It’s awesome. I wish the book was longer, I mean, the book is not even 300 pages long, so there was space for a more drawn out ending, it felt very abrupt, but still a good ending.

I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee - YA contemporary set in LA taking place during a Korean talent show where the winners will be able to train at a top Korean entertainment company. Skye is a fat Korean American dancer and singer, throughout her audition and participation on You’re My SHining Star, she deals with people thinking her size is detrimental to her performance. Is every single one of these assholes wrong? Of course they are. The love interest, Henry, is a handsome model wanting to prove he’s more than a pretty face. Perseverance and queer talent are the best words to describe this book. The book is getting an adaptation, I can’t remember if it’s going to be a show or movie, but I just need them to give me the exact dance/song covers, ok? I want to see them dancing to BTS’s Idol and NCT127’s Cherry Bomb and singing Lee Hi’s 1 2 3 4 and of course, they better not change the characters’ ethnicities. Content warning: fatphobia, homophobia

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire - Adult speculative fiction. Dodger and Roger are twins separated at birth by the alchemist who made them. Dodger is an excellent mathematician and Roger is superb with language. The twins are embodied with the Doctrine of Ethos and once they manifest they will be able to access the impossible city. The twins grow in two different households and through their separations and all too short reunions they begin to understand what was done to them and what they are. It's a beautiful tale of siblings’ love and catastrophe. Content warning: suicide attempt, child experimentation

Spinning by Tillie Walden - Graphic YA biographical novel about a former singles figure skater and synchronized skater. In black and white panels Walden renders the world of a queer child growing in the skating world, the sacrifices, the early morning training sessions and late nights doing homework. Bullies, near-death accidents, sexual predators are only a few of the obstacles in her skating journey.

On A Sunbeam by Tille Walden - Graphic YA novel set in space! The novel follows a group of queer and nonbinary people travelling on a spaceship fixing old buildings in space! It’s also about first love and second chances and lots of adventure and danger and did I mention everyone is queer? Because everyone is queer. Truly beautiful book with incredible artwork.

The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh & narrated by Ariana Delawari - Well, when I say I “read” this, I mean I listened to the audiobook. It’s the sequel to The Wrath and the Dawn, which is a retelling of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. The sequel has a completely different mood than the first book, the ever seductive sense of danger disappears and becomes more of a stranger danger kinda thing.(I’m so sorry for that phrasing), Shahrzad comes into her own power in this book and while that was not what ended the war, it was pretty cool to see her fly on the magic carpet.

[ibitchytimemachine]

VBO Mini Bang Round-Up

I know that I had mini reviews of the art for the @vegebulocracy Big Bang this past winter, but there are SO MANY stories and pieces of artwork for the mini that I just can’t (minus one). What I will say is that the talent and artwork that was presented in this event was just amazing, and I am not sure I could pick a favorite nearly as easily as I did for the Big Bang! One thing that did bother me with SEVERAL of the stories, it the fact that they are broken into multiple parts. Not so much that they are broken up, but the fact that they are broken up in a way that doesn’t have a satisfying close to one part of the story. If you are gonna write for an event like this I think it is SUPER important to bring your story to some sort of conclusion, even if you don’t finish the story, just so people feel satisfied at the end. That is really one of my biggest criticisms of several of the works here. So with that out of the way,  lets jump into the stories! There are probably spoilers below, so beware! (I’ll try to keep them light)

Dive

@rockykelboa

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 13,448

This is a fun little one shot written as though you are watching a movie. I really got a tarantino-esque feel reading this story. The dialogue had that irreverent dark humor feel to it. Nothing was sacred and everything a joke. I really love the way characters interact with each other. The smutty sex scene is steamy and goddamn Bulma is bad…. Also something about the thought of Raditz listening in on them does things to me. I love the twist, and she sets it up so nicely in the story. If you are not thinking about the end game, you probably won’t even see it coming, but little things Bulma does and says throughout the story really set up the twist ending nicely. I feel like the delivery is a bit forced and feels a little out of place. But overall the story is very well written and I am honestly not sure I can give any reasons for anyone to not read it.

Blinded

@scarletraven1001

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 14,765

What happens when blind dates go wrong, and then oh-so right? And then maybe wrong again? This story is funny, sweet, and over all a wild ride. I have said it probably a million times, but I will say it again, I love how she incorporates nods to canon into her fics. And there are so many “easter eggs” in this story. I like how it doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s a dry humor but completely not dark. And Damn does this fic feel like the slowest burn ever. The whole first four chapters happen in one night but never have I needed them to get to the point more than reading this story. She builds the tension in the date night really nicely. Then you get the raging of the end of chapter 4. I know when I read it all I wanted to do was slam my fists against the keyboard. Another A+ story definitely worth your time reading.

Life at the Edge of a Blade

@bearstarseraphffxi

Rating: General Audiences

Word Count: 20,459

Reading this was like reading the weirdest filler episode ever. The plot is odd but shockingly believable in the DragonBall Verse. I mean if they had episodes dedicated to baseball between universes, I am sure they would get Vegeta figure skating in direct competition with Yamcha. Bear’s characterizations were done quite well. I really can’t think of a character that the author didn’t peg. There were some funny moments too, I remember at least once laughing out loud. There is some fluff between V/B but no romance really. It is a very dry piece, and a lot of the writing feels very technical, but if you like really canon characterizations and if you are interested in reading a piece that could really be a several episode filler for the three year gap, you may enjoy this one.

Within

Blacksheep115

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 11,020

Gosh, what an interesting story! In general I am in love with the interesting ideas blacksheep has in her stories. This is a story that could very well fit in the canon, it occurs during the three year gap and it really doesn’t follow a story about them as a couple, although there are some QUITE STEAMY moments in it (but no sex).Speaking of...I love the idea of Vegeta using his sexual energy against Bulma. You read so many fics of Bulma going after Vegeta and really amping up the sex appeal to get him to do things, but the idea of him pouring water all over himself ‘cause he knows she is watching him and later pinning her and using her attraction for him against her… just A+ and so in character for him. I don’t wanna give away the twist ending cause GODDAMN it is so good and unexpected… and just wow.. You really gotta read it.

#badman

@1vulgarwoman

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 17,319

So I love everything I have ever read from 1vulgarwoman, she writes such fun pieces and I came into this one with images of Heavy Lifting and Fundamentals of Chemistry in mind. I loved the way the plot and the romantic subplot were equally interesting. The world was rich and vibrant, humor was on point. The handling of character relationships and interactions in this fic were done fantastically well. And then the smut scenes. I think anyone who has ever read any of her fics know that when it’s time for the smut, you need to prepare yo’ body cause its about to get real. She does not disappoint, with a STEAMY sexting/Facetime scene and then the last half of the last chapter is just splooshworthy. I will say that talking only about the smut really downplays the greatness of the rest of this fic though, and I would 1,000 percent recc this to anyone.

Z-Men

Super_Saiyanerd

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 8,290

I have some pretty big issues with this piece. As my faithful readers are probably aware, I really have a hard time with crossovers, because so often it is two things I love mashed together, and the spark that makes the things great is lost. That is one of the problems with this piece. It didn’t feel like either a Dragon Ball AU or an X-Men AU. But the biggest issue I have with this piece is scope and flow. This author is trying to tackle too much in the time and word limit provided. We are working on a love story between Vegeta and Bulma, but also the whole of the Dark Phoenix saga. It’s just too broad and because of that the flow is off. There are huge time jumps that don’t make sense, and while I get that we are seeing little vignettes of the story, it is confusing. I would have liked to nix the Phoenix storyline and go with OC X-Men, that are based off of the traits of the Dragon Ball characters. Bulma would make a great Beast for example. But then explore the characters relationships through a much simpler plot than anything Phoenix related.

War Thunder

@jonahwhalesw1

Rating: Explicit

Word Count:24,994

So this is a WWII all human AU. There are some really nice things going on set up for the plot, however it just never kicks in. We are 25,000 words into the story and most of the writing has been about sexual tension between Bulma and Vegeta. Now don’t get me wrong, I like a build up of sexual tension, it really makes the pay off of when they finally kiss or fuck or whatever they are gonna do so much better. I wish that maybe BSV had slowed down the romantic plot of this fic a bit and interspersed more of the other parts of the plot. Or maybe written some interactions that built up their attraction in a nonsexual way. It feels very Porn without Plot to me right now, and it is because the romantic plot is so in your face. I really want to know more about what the war is doing to the community. What kinds of changes in our history does having the Colds on planet and fighting with Nazis? Is there gonna be an extermination of Saiyans? I feel like with some of those war time plot bunnies thrown into the mix the story would feel more vibrant and alive, cause right now it is PWP, but also without porn at this point in the story. It was a fun read, it just left me wanting more.

Elusion

@piccoloisgreen

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 19,550

So, I fucking loved this story. It shared shocking similarities to some of the ideas and themes in my story, which I loved reading about. I love the Bulma in captivity trope apparently. I really dont want to give too much away, but I love the beginning of the fic, this idea that they are instantly attracted to each other and there is no real dancing around the subject and they are just diving right into it is nice. I am not sure if it is because of the word count restrictions, or time limit or what, but I felt like the jump from the escape to the first death was a shocking break. I would have liked to see more of what was happening during those lost years. I appreciate the surprise of the killer, and their abilities, and I feel like it wrapped up nicely, but the beginning of the last chapter felt so rushed and leaves me wanting more information about thought processes and feelings. Overall, a fantastic fic, and worth your time to read.

Healing

@starrcrossrose

Rating: Mature

Word Count:

So when I first read this fic I was amazed at how well Starcross emoted. So many of the paragraphs just felt like being right inside Vegeta’s head as he was descending in this spiral of self loathing. The formatting choices were a nice touch, to show how he is quarreling within himself. I like the idea also of Bulma NOT being so happy go lucky and needing this kind of comfort. She is for all intents and purposes in canon alone so much. Yamcha comes around sure, but her friends are really never around. So she is alone a lot and life gets sad when you are alone. I think she caught this feeling and nuance really well. I really enjoy this story, it follows the timeline of canon pretty well, so if you aren’t super into AUs this is a good choice for you. It is pretty angsty, and with a title like Healing, you probably think it will have a happy ending, but if you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.

A Mermaid’s Tale

DBZVB1991

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 15,740

This is a Book One situation here. And the entirety of this submission is just setting up the intrigue of the story. I had mentioned in the Big Bang that it makes me nervous when I see crossovers between two things I love because so often it is just a mish mash of the flavors of two worlds that don’t go together. I do think that DBZVB1991 worked hard on worldbuilding a believable crossover world between the two. It is way more Dragon Ball than Little Mermaid and I am OK with that honestly.  For most of the fic they follow The Little Mermaid storyline  pretty closely. There are one or two plot bunnies that are different than TLM, but mostly it follows the plot pretty closely. I like where I think it may be going, but really it is so hard to review this properly because the story just hasn’t even really started yet. This is a story that is worth a read, but feels unsatisfying mostly because of how unfinished it is at the moment.

Beatae Memoriae

@ambrosiaswhispers

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 15, 724

This is absolutely an amazing fic. The story follows Vegeta through losing his memory, and it just freaking brings the feels. Tashana really knows how to craft an emotionally charged story, and she brings bits of the canon back in a very organic way that doesn’t drag the piece down. There is a squidgeta cameo in the piece, so if you are into my wiggly boi, you are in luck! The pacing of this story is on point, she nails both sweet family man Vegeta AND feral angry Vegeta perfectly. I wanted more of the interactions of Gohan and Goten with Bra, but dammit I am so glad she didn’t give it to me, cause I feel like it would have damaged the pacing. This story was crafted so beautifully, and it is one that gives you this little insight into their lives and leaves you wanting more - but doesn’t drag on so you get tired of reading. Fantastically done, you really should go read it cause it is amazing.

Captive

@janxangel

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 24,979

SO one thing that I noticed while reading this fic is how BAD ASS the women are in the story. Like good grief, Chi Chi and Launch were just KILLER (Bulma too, but we are used to seeing her be cool)I like that this is a story with no romantic plotline. Like they are working together not because they wanna bone, but because it is the most strategic thing to do. And Janx writes strategy really well. I felt like the fight scenes drug on a little long, and I would have liked them to be shorter and interlaced with more emotion, instead of blow by blow. Plus I think with the word limitations they could have gotten more bang for their buck with some better wrap up. I wish that things had turned out a little differently, the events on Namek were so similar to canon, and I wonder what could have happened differently than canon with this AU. Overall a fun and easy read, if not a little dry - definitely something that I would recommend to someone who is not interested in a romantic plotline.

Revel (In Our Time)

@jadefyre

Rating: Explicit

Word Count:19,979

Ok so this has a full story arc and whoa buddy is it a doozy. Its intriguing, cause there is this wonderful mishmash of all these fantastic post-apocalyptic cyber-punky worlds and it just works really really well together. From the Big Brother aspect of 1984 to the Ghost in the Machine philosophy that spawned so much, it captures that feel of the grey maddening world. I loved and hated the first chapter, cause I thought the whole story would be written this way (which would make a really cool story BTW, just really hard to follow cause you have to really pay attention). I love the world, I love the plot and intrigue and how DARK it is, I love the mini romance, but I REALLY love the twist. I mean you kinda see it coming, but hope it doesn’t happen, but it is perfect cause it closes the story well, and then leaves you NEEDING the next part of the series. Really fantastic job, yall should read this one definitely.

Legends

LeonaHart

Rating:mature

Word Count: 6,172

When the outlines were dropped this was one that i was dying to read. I am super intrigued by this idea of the Saiyan creation myth. I am curious how the Vegeta destruction God and Bulma creation Goddess could come around later as some sort of destined lovers trope. I really liked the nods to cannon (omg buu being the God of Destructions bubblegum is awesome) i wish it was finished, so i have a hard time really commenting much more on it, but i definitely hope it gets finished cause it has such an interesting premise. I also have to say that while I like the story, the writing feels very proper and antiquated. Now it may very well be that this is a style choice because of the story, but I struggled with it a little. 

The Dark Prince

EmbarrassedButKinky (I tried to @superbandanna but Tumblr sucks)

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 18,241

The very first chapter of Dark Prince had me so nostalgic for Obsidian. The demon pact to save the company(world), the ability for Bulma to be taken care of “magically”. Then it splintered into this interesting mix of like… underworld mafia hitmen meets Death Note. I think that EBK is on point with all her references, something she does really well in her fics. I know a lot of people really liked this fic, but it just fell flat for me. Don’t get me wrong, it had some wonderful moments, and wonderfully smutty! It just felt so rushed. It was too insta-love for me, and I wished the development of the Ray betrayal scene, subsequent rescue and the aftermath all could have been developed and drawn out more. I liked this story, but coming from the writer of Stages of a Claim (my absolute favorite of hers, fight me) I just expected this to be a little more developed and polished.

Aspara, Queen of Sadala

@lisac1965-blog

Rating: Mature

Word Count:15,922

I liked this one. It is based off the book of Esther and I wish she would have adapted the story a little more to fit the characters better. Bulma seemed out of character a bit and I imagine her relying more on her own brains and technology to bring people through rough times than a God. I do think this book of the Bible works well as a VegeBul adaptation though, and except for a few things I really think lisa did a good job with it. The flow was mostly really good, I feel like she was battling word count, or maybe time limits cause some things felt so rushed. While I understand she is remaining faithful to the source, I wish some more creative liberties were taken. For example, I would either omit the Zarbon/Dodoria plot line and focus on Ray being the big baddie, he seems to just come out of nowhere as the bad guy and I wish there had been more foreshadowing of him being a douche than just “There are a lot of Saiyans who want to exterminate humans” The story however was very fun to read. Descriptors were vivid and made the world feel more real. The relationship felt forced, but honest - true, cause hell it was forced. The Epilogue of sorts was nice cause you got to see how their relationship developed and grew. Overall a quick, simple read that was fun!

Sanguinary

@ibitchytimemachine

Rating:Explicit

Word Count: 21,309

So this is my piece for the Mini Bang, and since I am biased, I will just tell you a little about the piece. It was inspired by RPG’s like Dungeons and Dragons (and you nerds out there may catch some of the DnD easter eggs I put in there) and epic fantasy. My main thought was, what if Bulma and Vegeta’s roles were completely reversed? So we tell the story of their lives with the idea that Bulma was in the PTO for years, while Vegeta has been living peacefully on his home planet. Not everything is OK on Vegeta-sei though, so trouble is brewing. As with a role reversal story, this is told through the eyes of the opposite person, AKA Vegeta. This is the first part in a trilogy that I have named Surgere et Cadere, and the next installment will be called Imperium. This first part follows us through the story of Vegeta and Bulma’s meeting, and the consequences of her being on Vegeta-sei. I really hope you enjoy my submission!

So I know that I had a top three for the Big Bang, but there are SO MANY fics for the Mini, I am gonna do a top five!! It was really hard to pick these, cause there are some really fantastic stories for this event!! In no particular order, the pieces that I think are the best 5 are:  Beatae Memoriae, by @ambrosiaswhispers, Elusion by @piccoloisgreen,  Revel (In Our Time) by @jadefyre, #badman by @1vulgarwoman and Sanguinary by ME ;P! 

[grimelords]

My March playlist is finished! This one is slightly more diverse than usual, swinging all the way from vibraphone jazz to Bhad Bhabie to black metal so I’ve taken the liberty of actually sequencing it properly for you. So if you’ve got 3 hours you can listen to this straight through and be taken for a hell of a ride. No matter what you like I’m sure you’ll find something in here that you love.

Tahiti - Milt Jackson: For an unknown reason I had a big jazz vibraphone phase this month and when you're talking jazz vibraphone you're talking the Wizard Of The Vibes himself, Milt Jackson. I feel insane even having an opinion on this but it's a shame that some of the best vibraphone performances were made at a time when the actual recording technology wasn't really there, they all have this very thin quality that I think misses a lot of the great character of the instrument.

Detour - Bill Le Sage: Like compare this from 1971 to Wizard Of The Vibes from 1952, the sounds is miles warmer and gives so much more of the full range and detail of the instrument. I also listened to this song five times in a row when I first heard it, the central refrain is just so fuckin good. Like I said, big vibes vibe and who knows why.

Blowin' The Blues Away - Buddy Rich And His Sextet: Superhuman playing aside, it's unbelievable how good these drums sound. The whole first minute just feels like a tour of each specific drum and I absolutely revel in it. I feel like flute and vibes is a relatively rare combo so it's extremely nice to hear Sam Most and Mike Manieri go ham in tandem.

Yama Yama - Yamasuki Singers: A friend sent me this song that he's had stuck in his head for ten years ever since it was in a beer ad from the days when beer ads were incredible strange for complicated legal reasons about not showing people enjoying the product or something https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORfkh0OojxY and this incredible song is apparently from a 1971 French concept album where a couple of guys wrote a bunch of psychedelic songs in Japanese for an unknown reason that later became a massive drum and bass breaks album, and one of the guys was Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk's dad! Music is crazy.

Alfonso Muskedunder - Todd Terje: I'm starting a petition to get Todd Terje to write the soundtrack for the next Mario Kart. I absolutely love this song and this whole album because it's so joyful and strange and it just sounds like nothing else I've ever heard. He seem to truly operate in a world entirely of his own.

Pala - Roland Tings: I love this song. It's like he wrote it with normal sounds and then went back and replaced every instrument with the party version. This song hands you a coconut and says welcome to the island where bad vibes are punishable by firing squad.

Keygen 13 - Haze Edit - Dubmood: There's a fucking album of keygen music on spotify and it's absolutely great and so good that someone's doing the work to recognize the value of the music this extremely weird scene produced and preserve it. If you don't know, back in the day when you pirated photoshop or whatever, you would download a license key generator which was a program made by extreme nerds who had cracked the license key algorithm to give you a fake one, and for unknown reasons they would make the keygen program play original chiptune music that someone in their nerd crew would compose. Who knows why but god bless them.

My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix) - Feist: The very concept of a Boys Noize remix of My Moon My Man is hilarious and it turns out it sounds absolutely amazing as well. Two great tastes that taste great together.

Low Blows - Meg Mac: I had a big Meg Mac phase this month too, listened to her album a lot and it's extremely solid. Great timing too cause her new one comes out in a month or so too. I really am excited to hear her next album because she's so good but I've always got this feeling that she hasn't reached her full potential yet, she's only going to get a million times better in an album or two.

Patience - Tame Impala: I love that the cover of this single is a pic of congas because it feels like that's the central thesis here. Kevin Parker bought some congas and is making disco Tame Impala now and I really couldn't be happier about it.

Unconditional (feat. Kitten) - Touch Sensitive: I love a 90s throwback done with love. There's nothing cynical or ironic about this it's just fun as hell!

Last Hurrah - Bebe Rexha: Get a fucking load of this Bebe Rexha song that interpolates Buy U A Drank by T-Pain for the chorus! It's a testament to how good that song is that she's using the verse melody as the chorus. T-Pain will quite literally never get the respect he deserves. Also this song goes for 2.5 minutes. There's something happening where pop songwriting is getting more and more compact, completely trimming the fat and ornamentation and it's very interesting.

Hi Bich - Bad Bhabie: Also I'm fully six months late on Hi Bich but I'm of the opinion that it's extremely fucking good. A perfect little reaction gif of a song and it only goes for 1m45!

Friends - Flume: I'm doubling down on my thesis about emo rap from last month but this song literally sounds like a Flume remix of a Hawthorne Heights song. The whole melody of it, the overlapping yelled/clean vocals. The lyrics obviously. I don't know it's just very odd how close it is. A sort of emo trojan horse to trick people into thinking The Used are cool again. 

How To Build A Relationship (feat. JPEGMAFIA) - Flume: I've been meaning to check out JPEGMAFIA (AKA Buttermilk Jesus AKA DJ Half-Court Violation AKA Lil' World Cup) for a while but this is the song that convinced me. There's just so much to digest in this. Every line is gold and delivered with massive conviction even when he realises it's total nonsense like 'dont call me unless I gave you my number'.

Bells & Circles (feat. Iggy Pop) - Underworld: Underworld alive 2019?? I love this song becuase Iggy Pop has been riding a fine line between punk provocateur and old man yells at cloud for a while now and this song is the perfect mix of both. You can't hijack airplanes and redirect them to cuba anymore and as a result it's over for liberal democracies. Just yelling about air travel for six minutes and it's good.

Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death Pt. 1) - UNKLE: This beat is some of my favourite DJ Shadow work I think. The menacing organ bass throughout, and especially the distorted drum freakout near the end. It's just great all the way through.

Homo Deus IV - Deantoni Parks: Another Deantoni Parks track like I was raving about last month. This whole album is great and flows together as a single piece of work amazingly. I love the purposefully limited sample palette of each track forcing an evolving groove throughout. He absolutely wrings every bit of variation he can get out of every single sound he uses and once you get into the groove of it it's absolutely mind blowing.

Boredom - The Drones: I love that The Drones can write a song about joining ISIS that's also a lot of fun. Spelling out radicalization in a way anyone can understand and sympathise with and then switching it in the second verse to spell out how we got into this situation anyway. 

Loinclothing - Hunters And Collectors: I love how much this song sounds like a voodoo celebration in christian hell.

The Fun Machine Took A Shit And Died - Queens Of The Stone Age: There's a good bit on the live dvd they put out after Lullabies To Paralyze where they play this song and they say it was supposed to be on the album but somebody stole the master recordings from the studio, which is an incredible and brazen crime. Then when they put it out on Era Vulgaris as a bonus track Josh Homme said in an interview "The tapes got lost. Actually, they were just at another studio, but we falsely accused everyone in the world of theft" which is extremely funny. This is really one of their best songs and I sort of really with it had been on Lullabies because it fits perfectly between The Blood Is Love and Someone's In The Wolf type of vibes, I love how it just kind of keeps shifting ideas and riffs throughout. An absolute jam overflowing with ideas.

10AM Automatic - The Black Keys: This song is an all time great in my opinion. It's so straightforward and so effective. I wonder if we'll get a blues rock revival ever or if Jack White still being alive and bad is souring everyone on that idea. This song also has one of my favourite guitar sounds in history I think - the outrageously huge sounding solo that comes out of nowhere and swallows up the rest of the mix like a swirling black hole near the end.

Gamma Knife - King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: I've never gotten much into King Gizzard and because of their one million albums already it's hard to know where to start but I've been listening to Nonagon Infinity a bit and it's great, it's just good old fashioned 70s prog jams front to back.

Gina Works At Hearts - DZ Deathrays: I absolutely love this song and I absolutely love the second guitar sound in the chorus of this song that sounds like it's made out of thin steel.

Black Brick - Deafheaven: When I saw Deafheaven the other month I was right up the front and it was a life changingly great experience AND they played this new song live for the first time before it went up everywhere like three hours later which was very exciting to be given a sclusie like that. After they finished a guy behind me whispered to his friend "Slayer..." which was very funny to me.

Gemini - Elder: I found this band because one of my Spotify Daily Mixes was all stoner metal for a while, which is a good genre to see all lined up because it'll have Weedeater, Bongripper AND Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats right there in a row for you. Anyway this album is extremely good, the very best kind of stoner metal where it's groovy and fun and has big meaty riffs and ripping big solos and it's extremely easy to listen to three times in a row.

The Paradise Gallows - Inter Arma: My big obsession the past little while has been Inter Arma ever since Stereogum posted The Atavist's Meridian from their new album. It is just so fucking good and I can't believe I've never heard of them before. You know when you find out about an amazing band and then you find out they've been around for nearly ten years and you can't believe everyone in your life has been selfishly hiding them from you?

The Atavist's Meridian - Inter Arma: I think a big part of my enjoyment of this band has also been that I discovered them at the same time as I'm listening to an audiobook of the complete Conan The Barbarian omnibus so I'm very much in the brain space for music that sounds like it would be nice to swing an axe to.

Untoward Evocation - Impetuous Ritual: I love how halfway through this kind of just turns into a big swirling mist of dark sounds. It feels so formless and dark that it could just shake apart and dissipate at any moment and you'd look down to realise your skin is gone.

Eagle On A Pole - Conor Oberst: from Genius: 'In an interview with MTV news, Oberst stated “We were on the bus one day and a friend of ours that travels with us and works for the band kind of came out from the back of the bus and said that first line: ‘Saw an eagle on a pole… I think it was an eagle.’ And then this guy Simon Joyner, who is a great songwriter from Omaha and one of my great friends, he was on tour with us and sitting there and he was like, ‘You know, that’s a great name for a song.’ We kind of had a contest where he wrote a song with that first line, and [then] I did, and a couple of our other friends. We kind of all played them for each other. Simon’s is better than mine, but it is a good line to start a song.” Another version–Mystic Valley Band drummer Jason Boesel’s interpretation–is on the next album, Outer South.' The idea that such a good song has such a braindead origin only makes me love it more.

Lake Marie - John Prine: When I saw John Prine the other month he played this song that I had never heard before and I had to look it up after and now I'm completely obsessed with it. It feels like falling asleep during a movie and missing a critical plot point so the rest doesn't make sense when you wake up but is thrilling nonetheless. Also he absolutely screamed "SHADOWS!!!" when he played it which was a fucking cool thing to see a 72 year old man do.

Little White Dove - Jenny Lewis: The drums on this whole album are absolutely huge for some reason and I love it. My favourite recent sound is in the first chorus where there's a funny little pitch correction noise as she sings 'dove'. It's very strange and very very good.

Locked Up - The Ocean Party: I only found out The Ocean Party existed as they announced their farewell show this month which is a real shame but I'm glad I got to hear of them at all because they're very good. A very good song about that feeling we all know and love: driving for a long long time.

Plain & Sane & Simple Melody - Ted Lucas: I found out about this song from Emma Ruth Rundle's Amoeba Records video and she makes a good point about this whole album sounding like something's gone wrong and it got accidentally pitched down slightly in the recording process. It's unclear if that's what happened or that's just how he sounds but it adds a very softly spooky undercurrent to a very nice song.​ 

listen here

[ourdawncomes]

BRUNO

triggers: slavery, fantasy racism, misgendering/deadnaming (accidental - read more)

Notes

Bruno is more or less exclusive to my Solas interpretation (written over on @theharellan) and heavily tied to it.

Veilguard spoilers will be littered throughout this post!

Basics

Name: Bruno Nickname(s): N/A Faction: Agent of Fen'Harel (Spy) Age: 25 (by Veilguard) Birthday: Nubulis 20th 9:27 Dragon Race: Elf Gender / Pronouns: Trans man, He/Him Orientation: Questioning Faceclaim: Joel Fry

Personality

A little bumbling, usually charmingly so, but with a hidden edge that doesn't make him shy away from Fen'Harel's cause. His somewhat hapless nature makes him a useful spy, at least when juxtaposed with the agents who can kill you by looking at you. A friendly, smiling sort. He was once than a little intimidated by everything around him, but he's not so afraid of failure as he used to be. There's something comforting about working towards the end of the world, getting things wrong doesn't seem so bad.

Background

Hometown: Denerim Current Residence: Vir'Revas Accent: London with a hint of Geordie Mother: Margery Father: Ghilad (deceased)

Religion: Andrastian Atheist

History

Bruno was born in Denerim, raised in its Alienage by his mother and father until he was five. It was an often harsh existence, but the support and community provided by those around him left him with fond memories of his childhood. He only rarely saw outside its walls, and the stories he heard of the world outside it were enough to make him wary. That world soon came for him and his own. First riots took the Alienage, then a purge, and then finally a plague. He and his father sickened, and in her attempts to care for him, so did his mother.

She was wary of Tevinter aid, but desperate. Faced with death and encouraged by those around her, she gave them both to Tevinter healers. It gave them their lives, but cost them their freedom. She and her son were sold as slaves before the Wardens ever step foot in the Alienage.

They were bought by a man named Quintius, a laetan living in Ventus, seeking to work his ways up the rungs of Tevinter society. For several years he worked menial chores, served breakfast and dinners and making purchases upon Quintius’ behalf. He had an eye and ear for magic, though he had no abilities himself, and was trusted to discern the best-made runes and potions.

After an investment went awry and Quintius found himself in need of extra coin, Bruno was sold to the highest bidder. Separated from his mother at the age of eighteen, he was moved to Minrathous to serve a magister, Severina. She had stolen a number of ancient Elvhen artefacts and was studying them at the time, and claims of his talent for sensing magic had drawn her eye. He spent his days in her workshop, testing artefacts and seeing if he could find ways to make them work, sitting in front of her dark mirror and telling her the shapes he saw. Wondering sometimes if she could tell the difference between the times he made it up and told the truth.

When word of Fen’Harel and his elven upstarts made its way to Tevinter, Severina reached out to the Inquisition— or else its remains— to offer her knowledge and resources to combat him. Word never reached them, at least not soon enough to make a difference. One night as Bruno sat before the mirror, an elf melted from its surface and stuck a knife between Severina’s ribs. More elves followed, freeing the entirety of the magister’s estate and offering a hand to any elves willing to join.

Bruno follows, and with the help of the Dread Wolf and his agents, eventually finds a new name.

Verses

v; weak as we are divided ( bruno | youth ) closed.

Bruno's youth in the Alienage, or otherwise serving Quintius and later Severina. He lives a normal life, as far as he's aware, often stressed by the pressure of performing to the standards set for him. As he grows, he begins to question, and when he sees the chance to strike against Tevinter, he takes it.

Mostly used for drabbles or fic.

v; strong as we are united ( bruno | agent )

The Agents of Fen'Harel liberate the eluvian Severina had taken for herself, and liberate him while they're at it. Bruno joins the cause, beginning training as a spy and later being sent out into the field to do for other Tevinter elves what they'd done for him. Set after Trespasser.

After Rook disrupts Solas's ritual to tear the Veil and imprison the gods, his agents' work continues. While his forces were always disparate, their motivations not so unified as those who fought with him against the evanuris, many remain. Bruno helps guide them, serving as something of a friendly face in contrast to his mentor, the Dread Wolf's left hand and spymaster, Miraen.

Once Rook has begun to earn Solas's respect, he entrusts them with a passcode. It opens the way to a new section of the Vir'Revas, leading to a camp that houses the Agents of Fen'Harel. Their forces have suffered losses with the release of the evanuris, but provide a network of information and have spies within the ranks of those loyal to the false gods. For a little help, Bruno will offer information.

v; pending veilguard tag (in progress)

Veilfall: The Veil is gone, the gods dead, and the agents of Fen'Harel are finished. Many of those who have fought with Solas since the beginning have turned to freedom, to peace, but the work isn't done. Bruno continues the fight into the new world, and its people.

Veilguard (Solas tricked/fought): The agents of Fen'Harel disappear from the battle of Minrathous not long after the defeat of the Dread Wolf. Cut off the head of a wolf and it still has the power to bite.

[solaciummeae]

{ Most Active: }

This list is exactly what it sounds like. These are the muses && verses I CURRENTLY have MUSE for. At any given time it could be shorter or longer. Right now I’m focused on very specific muses in very specific worlds. Please feel free to ask for more info about any world or person on this list. These are likely the only MUSES I’ll be writing right now.

                                                VERSES:

                                  Everything’s Magic

                                  Angels & Airwaves

                                      Of Gods & Wars

This verse jumps through time in that most of the main characters are immortal, be they deities themselves or other forms of fae. It will typically be written in the present day. It is as implied, based around the different pantheons throughout the world. Beyond the Greek and Roman, though many of those are cast. These are their stories outside of commonly known mythology. For the sake of cutting down on the less tasteful aspects of recognized mythology, there have been certain changes made– such as who parented who and the relationships shared. I tried to keep it as accurate to the history while putting my own spin on it as this is a fandomless original verse.

A warning that because deities are not of this earth, there will be POC portraying deities who are normally totally whitewashed. This is because being not of this earth, deities don’t have the same kind of ethnicities that we as humans have. This is my portrayal. If it bothers you, I apologize– I wanted to cast more diverse pantheons. For example: Trey is the god Eros of the Greek pantheon. His faceclaim is not Greek. It is commonly accepted even among RPHs that because a deity is not human they do not necessary look like the humans who worship them. Again, I’m over whitewashing.

                                  Beauty & the Beast

This verse jumps through time; not in a time traveling sense, but rather that the fae in this verse live endlessly unless killed. So as they have an extensive lifespan, it will typically take place in present day with flashbacks from several decades to even centuries beforehand. It typically takes place in the United States in 2018. However, these fae are from all over the world and therefore there a mentions of other countries around the globe. The concept was originally created by the insanely talented @deadbeatcentral​​. It’s based on lore from several places with her own take on things. It is completely original and not in any way fandom based. My writing of the verse is from my muses’ & my perspective as someone who has written & plotted extensively in the verse with her. The verse title has nothing to do with the faerie tale of the princess who comes to live with the cursed prince. It’s a play on the fact that V’s muses typically are cryptids, or “ugly, monstrous” fae with mine the being the ethereal beautiful kind. MORE VERSE INFORMATION TO COME.

                                 Heroes & Thieves

This verse is contemporary and takes place in the United States in 2018. It is a world that focuses on the elements of crime & justice. There are four categories that people fall under– some of which intersect. Criminal: which range everything from serial killers to thieves. Justice: which range from cops to lawyers. Vigilante: who span both justice and crime. && Civilian: every day folk who take no part in these factions. It is completely original and not based from any fandom. MORE VERSE INFORMATION TO COME.

                               The Tomorrow People

                     Post Series Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Note: I typically write this verse in the post series these days as my plots with the partners I write with in this verse advance. I will write during series as well but there are certain canon divergence things about it because I’ve expanded the world to a nationwide and eventually global scale. For more info about the verse, you can read through this tag: CLICK ME. The biographies have more information about the world in general in them.

                                       Supernatural

Note: This canon verse is heavily canon divergent. My typical setting takes place pretty much alternate universe to post season five with several differences. The auto salvage is still standing, Bobby isn’t in a wheel chair and he’s definitely alive and well. Sam was never soulless, he just came back from the cage completely broken. Dean is not in love with Castiel or bisexual for that matter. There are some differences in the lore that I choose to operate under that is not like the canon show. Demons are the dicks, angels are actually good. Certain creatures like werewolves are different in that they’re more like wolf shifters and less mindless blood thirsty killers. And basically season 6 on is just non-existent. I’m way more familiar with the original five seasons and I feel like it just became fanservice nonsense after season five ended.  

My muses are all part of a large network of hunters, witches, psychics, angel vessels, etc. They go on hunts all the time and there are even some that lead pretty traditional lives, keeping one leg in the hunting world and one leg in the “normal” world. Between Bobby’s and the bar V’s there’s kind of a hub in that area of the country that the network is known to frequent. There’s a very pack like mentality where everyone knows everyone and they all look out for each other.

Click on the verse titles for information about the first two original verses. I’m still working on a more detailed post for the second two original verses && Supernatural.

                                              MUSES:

                                        Trey Riado[C]                                       Matias Reyes[C]                         Xavier Smith[C][Bio In Progress]                            Laila Smith[C][Bio In Progress]                              Ileana Riado[C][2nd Gen]                                  Genevieve Quade[C]                                 Billie Blackwood[C]                                     Kelley Corvis[C]                                          Josiah Owens[C]                                      Lil Blackwood              Deandre Riado[2nd Gen][Bio In Progress]                        Jose Riado[2nd Gen][Bio In Progress]                    Tia Riado[C][2nd Gen][Bio In Progress]    

Click on the character’s name to be taken to their biography. If it says “Bio In Progress,” it is linked to their entire tag. They are listed in order of who I have the most muse for to the lesser muse for. Warning: If there is a [C] next to their name they are CLOSED to romantic shipping.

[niteshade925]

Narcissism (SPOILERS)(long post)

I found this curious connection a while ago, but couldn’t figure out what it means.  I have a feeling that I might be close.  I need help.

Parents:

Every time the word “narcissism” appear in the text, it has to do with parents:

Like the very first page of the book.  Look closely at the text in the picture that seemed to tell a violent alternate narrative for The Navidson Record:

“Let both parents experience that.......their narcissism find a new object to wither by......them in infanticide.  Drown them in blood.”

The parents here are Will Navidson and Karen Green.

The effect of this on their children, Chad and Daisy, is hinted at throughout The Navidson Record, and from the looks of it, the effect wasn’t good.  At least, until they moved away at the end.

Page 246:

“By his own admission, Tom is nothing like his brother.  He has neither the fierce ambition nor the compulsion for risk taking.  If both brothers paid the same price for their parents’ narcissism, Will relied on aggression to anchor the world while Tom passively accepted whatever the world would give or take away.”

Page 22:

“Because the enormous narcissism of their parents deprived Will and Tom of suitable role models, both brothers learned to identify with absence.”

The parents here are Will and Tom’s parents, Tony Navidson and the unnamed mother.

(Side note here:  I think page 22 is all about what their narcissism entailed)

(Side note again:  another thing that’s been associated with “absence” is the labyrinth within the House, which is the object of obsession for both Will Navidson and Johnny)

So that makes the 2nd out of 3 sets of parents in the book that are “narcissists”.  The only remaining parents that has not been directly labeled are the parents of Johnny, his father and Pelafina.  But of course, by this time it’s kind of redundant; Johnny’s parents sort of left him too (if the text were to be taken at face value:  his father died in an accident, his mother was admitted to an asylum after an episode), although they didn’t quite leave because they wanted to.  Maybe that was the difference:  intention mattered.

God, Echoes, Creation:

Then there’s the mythological root of the word narcissism, Narcissus.  Narcissus was referenced a few times too, in curious places:

Chapter V (aka the “Echoes” chapter) introduces the myth and adds analysis.

And right before the “dual universe” quote, on page 45:

“...Rose took a careful accounting of St. John, chapter 1, Verse 1--”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“‘Look to the sky, look to yourself and remember:  we are only god’s echoes and god is Narcissus.’“

Interestingly, the “dual universe” quote was the one Johnny described as familiar (footnote 57).

My thoughts :P

First off, I can be wildly incorrect about all of this.  Besides the fact of the quotes above, the other fact is I don’t know.  Everything below is just me guessing.

So there’s 2 things associated with narcissism:  parents, and god.  The former is abundantly clear in the book, we see the consequences of such narcissism throughout the entire book.  The latter seem to be associated more with..........the idea of creation?  Because God is seen in religion (and not just the God of Judeo-Christian tradition) as the creator of everything.  The Chapter V quote from St. John seemed to suggest that language was God and thus “the creator”.

Given the above, these were what I came up with:

All of this is part of the book’s comment on (the lack of) parental love:

Actions have consequences.  The parents, whether preoccupied by their own obsessions, or seeking remedies for their own trauma, are all ultimately obsessed with their own wants and needs, hence narcissism.  And since parents are also “creators” of their children, the quote that characterize god as Narcissus and his creations as his echoes can be seen as a comment on dysfunctional families.  Children of “absent” parents grow up with trauma, and when they grow up to be parents, they seek out forms of temporary relief, whatever it may be, to soothe their traumatized psyche.  This often manifest as reckless behavior or obsessions or fancies, and when it happens, their children are left to their own devices, at least emotionally.  This creates a vicious cycle that we can see in the Navidson family, and between Pelafina and Johnny.

This idea goes a little into the topic of love, but fails to explain the “dual universe” quote.

All of this is part of the book’s comment on the nature of creation, and what it means to be a creator:

This idea is heavily based on the St. John quote, which when taken as is in the book and without any other context, seems to suggest that language is the creator of all.  This immediately relates to writing, and how the writer of a work of fiction can be seen as a “god” of sorts.

A major running theme of the Whalestoe letters from Pelafina (Appendix II, section E), all of them addressing her son Johnny, her biological creation, is the power of language.  Specifically, the power of language to create and to provide an outlet for the creator.  

This can be especially important with regards to the authorship question.  If Zampano was the sole author (I think this is the least likely, due to way too little evidence), the book may be seen as his outlet; he seemed to have quite a complicated life filled with regret, judging by the bits and pieces from the women who apparently helped him in the drafting process.  

If Pelafina was the sole author, the book may be seen as her outlet for her regrets.  The “dual universe” quote can make sense here, since by writing the book, she would’ve created a little universe for her fictional son Johnny, and if I recall correctly, at some point in the Whalestoe Letters, Pelafina expressed hopes that her son wouldn’t turn out like her.

If Johnny was the sole author, he is definitely following his mother’s advice, writing this story as a way to remedy the various trauma he received as a child.  After all, we are introduced early on to his habit of crafting stories (ex:  the Birds of Paradise story), and as Johnny muses himself,

“We all create stories to protect ourselves.” (p.20)

Regardless of who is the author in-story, perhaps the book is trying to say that the act of creating is an outlet for the creator (writer, artist, composer, etc.), by preserving their experiences and emotions in a work of art.  Maybe not as a coping device (we see how relying on coping devices turned out for Lude and Holloway), but as a way of sequestering what may best be left behind.  The Navidson Record and A Brief History of Who I Love sequestered the trauma of Will Navidson, so that he could go on as a changed person.  If we take Johnny to be the sole author (and everything was fiction written by him), then maybe House of Leaves was his ticket to moving on with his life.

(This is definitely not the only thing the book might be saying about art and creation; for example, Karen’s short film about Navidson’s past also points to the way an artist’s creation also enables exploration of the artist’s inner self and facilitates personal growth)

Maybe both of these work, or maybe I’m wildly off-track, I don’t know.

[corruptedandforsaken]

( @sacrilegedsins )

Emmie was done with her shift for the night, but the sight of Loch outside stopped her.  “You looking for Daire?”  She looked up at the other, giving him a smile, despite her tired eyes.  There had been a few of the O’Connell clan around the last few days.  Daire had told her they were keeping an eye on his patient.  If she had learned anything over the years, it was to not ask too many question.  If anything, she felt safer with them all there.