#WHERe ARTUR??1??

[neine]

References in 1670 (Updated)

General info

Names

Jan Paweł - is a reference to a pope, Jan Paweł II. He's considered "the greatest polish person", up to a comical point. So he turned into a meme.

Jakub - A reference to a saying "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". In polish "Jak Kuba bogu tak bóg Kubie". Literally "As Kuba to god, god to Kuba".

Jędrula - A reference to a show about Foster family, to a character that liked to drink whiskey.

Andrzej - A stereotypical neighbour, where he has everything better than you.

Żmija - A reference to Ojciec Mateusz, a show about a priest solving crime, played by Artur Żmijewski (hence the name). Żmija is from Sandomierz, that's where Ojciec Mateusz was set. (From multiple people, @rabarbarzcukrem mainly.)

Historical background

Poland was going into a sort of a recession. It used to be one of the most powerful countries in Europe. As well as Lithuania, of course. Time of the Commonwealth. The plague didn't hit the Commonwealth as much because it wasn't densily populated. The biggest issue (one of many) were the tatars, who just kind of lived there. Usually were bribed into gaining some power in the country so they won't couse trouble. Lithuania was getting Polonised, but it wasn't going as good as you could imagine. It's the time after the swedish flood, where the whole country was basically looted. It was considered a very open country, many Jews lived here.

Liberum Veto - it's just that one person can say no and whatever they voted on, won't pass. Also huge reason why partations later happened.

Culture

Drowning of Marzanna is a ritual that happens every year, on the first day of spring, to say goodbye to winter. Marzanna is a slavic goddess associeted with death, winter and nature. Marzanna is sometimes set on fire and then thrown into a river. + Interesting tags from @ukulelegodparent (From multiple people)

Hunting by nobles was also kinda a cultural thing. It was often described in the books from that time.

References

"Ała kurwa rzeczywiście" - reference to this

"Quo Vadis" - meaning, "Where are you going?", is a reference to novel by Henry SIenkiewicz. More known overseas from a movie adaptation from 1951. (From multiple people)

"My wife, Zofia" is a reference to a movie "Miś". (From @gdzie-rosna-poziomki)

"Do dupy z takim spiskowcem. Mnie kury szczać prowadzić, a nie spiski" is a reference to Piłsudski's "Wam kury szczać prowadzić, a nie politykę robić. (From @gdzie-rosna-poziomki)

"Ta zniewaga... oczekuje, abym ją wymazał stosując przemoc." - "This insult... expects me to earase it with violance." Reference to "Zemsta", by Aleksander Fredro, "Ta zniewaga krwi wymaga." - "This insult requires blood spill". (From @rabarbarzcukrem)

Measuring tassels - likely a reference to "Pan Tadeusz". In modern speach, tassels means dicks. (Also from @rabarbarzcukrem)

Jan Paweł walking on Zofia and Rozalia in bed, the deer antlers look like they're growing from his head. It's a reference to a saying "przyprawić komuś rogi" (also in use in multiple other languages). Which means to cheat on someone. (Multiple people, mainly @rabarbarzcukrem)

Equality march - It's how Pride Prades are called in Poland. (From @rabarbarzcukrem)

Henry kicking a fern flower is a reference to Slavic mythology. It symbolizes ferility and love. (Also from @rabarbarzcukrem) @misticfog adds to it here. (And some other things)

Stasia the mouner saying "Wszystkie kary na mnie idą" ("All punishments come to me") is a reference to this: (from @00midnightrider00)

(Quote happens in 1:20)

Thank you for all the additions!

Lorem Ipsum - is a placeholder text often used in web page design.

"Koń jaki jest, każdy widzi" - What a horse is everyone sees, is a reference to the first polish dictionary.

[amberinn]

So since Acevi broke and cracked

o7 to the shippers

and Ace is now my wet little puddle soaked kitten

I need a copium Ace ship

PROBLEM!

Wait no... not problem moreso criteria

1. He's gay

This limits character ship pool to 6

1. Xander

2. Levi

3. Whit

4. Charles

5. David

6. Arturo

Problem?

Levi is a psychopath and doesn't mix well with Ace -1

Xander is malicious and doesn't mix well with Ace -1 (also broke his hand)

Whit and Charles are cutie patooties and do fit in with Ace well ^3^

I've just a bit of a pet peeve with shipping these 2 with anyone other than each other

That's not to say that I do not create content like that!

'm just not hardcore and lovey dovey about it... whoopz

It left me with David and Arturo tbh, and at this point I've been like thinking (damn the boypool is a fucker that's insane and tried killing 12 people and a bigot stalker (bigos mój artur))

but i think ive got it :3

Arturo is thinking about his dead sister in this one, timeline where they're like dating or so

Haha

Ace waking up to go do his job and giving Turo a mornin smooch

Idk the schedule of like, plastic surgeons but let's say it's free day for Arturo dw guys I played sims 4 i know you can have work on mon/wed/thu and none other day of the week

[sunnyhoneyshimmermagic]

here it is, everyone! the official (and not without mistakes but fuck it this is the best anyone will ever get) appearance tracker of EVERY BIG NATE CHARACTER (that matters at least a little bit, also I forgot Rusty sienna r.i.p)

THE TOP 10:

Nate: 11,106

2. Francis: 4,166

3. Teddy: 2,936

4. Marty: 1,541

5. Mrs. Godfrey: 890

6. Chad: 691

7. Ellen: 583

8. Mr. Rosa: 537

9. Gina: 506

10. Jenny: 427

Rounding out the top 20:

11. Dee Dee: 358

12. Artur: 343

13. Coach Calhoon: 339

14. Spitsy: 304

15. Principal Nichols: 255

16. School Picture Guy: 219

17. Sheila: 202

18. Coach John: 164

19. Gramps/Vern: 163

20. Mr. Glavin: 152

MORE THAN A 100 APPEARANCES:

21. Dr. Cesspool: 150

22. Gordie: 147

23. Ms. Clarke: 145

24. Czerwicki: 139

25. Kim: 119

26. Biff: 116

27. Gram/Marge: 107

STILL PRETTY MAJOR:

28. Chip: 99

29. Chester: 97

30. Mrs. Shipulski: 95

31. Peter: 92

32. Pickles: 91

33. Randy: 81

GETTING THERE:

34. Nate drawing of Mrs. Godfrey where she doesn’t appear: 74

35. Nurse Maureen Biology: 72

36. Angie: 71

37. Trudy: 67

38. Dan Cupid: 65

39. Uncle Ted: 64

40. Mr. Staples: 62

40. Daphne: 62

42. Nate drawing of Ellen where she doesn’t appear: 61

43. Mr. Eustis: 60

44. Bob Snuggles: 51

44. Kelly: 51 

46. Sherman: 50

47. Moe Mentum: 46

48. Marcus: 42

49. Miranda: 41

YEAH THESE ARE GETTING OBSCURE NOW:

50. Kenny Smithson: 39

50. Timmy Snuggles: 39

52. Nate drawing of Marty where he doesn’t appear: 38

53. Honey Snuggles: 35

54. Punkin Snuggles: 34

55. J.B.: 33

56. Nate drawing of Francis where he doesn’t appear: 27

57. Superdad: 24

58. Derek Nack: 20

59. Daisy: 19

59. Warren Fuzzy: 19

61. Mrs. Bigbee: 18

61. Nate drawing of Teddy where he doesn’t appear: 18

63. Slim Stubby: 15

63. Nate drawing of Jenny where she doesn’t appear: 15

65. Nate drawing of Kenny Smithson where he doesn’t appear: 14

65. Wayne: 14

65. Whitey: 14

68. The Brain (Chess Camp): 13

68. Lila: 13

68. Nate drawing of Mr. Rosa where he doesn’t appear: 13

71. Action Cat: 12

72. Audrey the Lifeguard: 11

72. Nate drawing of Mr. Galvin where he doesn’t appear: 11

72. Hickson: 11

72. Craig (incel): 11

76. Paige: 10

76. Nate drawing of Mr. Staples where he doesn’t appear: 10

76. Nigel (doppleganger): 10

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL:

79. Ronnie (Jenny’s Boyfriend): 9

80. Nate drawing of Gordie where he doesn’t appear: 8

80. Wink Summers: 8

80. Nate drawing of Nate where he doesn’t appear: 8

83. Kit: 7

83. Kaboodle: 7

83. Stan Cupid: 7

83. Emmit the Custodian: 7

87. Marla the Mailwoman: 6

88. Claire Voyant: 5

88. Fluffy Snuggles: 5

88. Nate drawing of Coach Calhoon where she doesn’t appear: 5

88. Nate Drawing of Ms. Clarke where he doesn’t appear: 5

92. Moe Mentum’s Agent: 4

92. Greg Proxmire: 4

92. Leo Tard: 4

92. She-Pulski: 4

92. Nate drawing of Principal Nichols where he doesn’t appear: 4

97. Jenny’s Dad: 3

97. Celine Paycheck: 3

97. Math Man: 3

97. Half-Pint: 3

97. Mrs. Holloway: 3

97. Stan Pokecheck: 3

97. Deke Boarding: 3

104. Nate drawing of Sheila where she doesn’t appear: 2

104. April Showers: 2

104. Mega Teen: 2

104. Ms. Brindle: 2

104. Nate drawing of La Chance where she doesn’t appear: 2

104. Nate drawing of Gina where she doesn’t appear: 2

104. Nate drawing of Pickles where she doesn’t appear: 2

104. Daphne’s mom: 2

112. Jenny’s Mom: 1

112. Nate drawing of ronnie where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Ms. Brindle where she doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Aldrige where she doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Wink Summers where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Mrs. Williger: 1

112. Nate drawing of Uncle Ted where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Spitsy where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Ultra Nate: 1

112. Algebro: 1

112. Nate drawing of Artur where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Chester where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Mr. Holloway: 1

112. Nate drawing of Randy where he doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Kim where she doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Dee Dee where she doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Daphne where she doesn’t appear: 1

112. Nate drawing of Chad where he doesn’t appear: 1

Questions and replies are more than welcome! This list will update every Sunday when an arc is "over"!

[hauntedppgpaints]

I was looking at the preds roster, and his name is Gustavs Grigals. He hasn’t played for them I think? It says he was in the ahl and echo for the 2023-24 season, but the preds signed him March 8th and he’s on the nhl roster for the 2023-24 season which is what I’m looking at, hopefully that doesn’t matter for any of the people I end up submitting😅

(Also he has -1 likes on his instagram posts??? How??? His two most recent posts have hundreds of likes and everything else says -1; something that I would glance over except that it caught my attention for being seemingly impossible😂)

But I saw he went to the university of Alaska Fairbanks, and I was like I must know more. I checked where he was from ‘cause I was like why Alaska? (I still don’t know) And he’s Latvian just like my most recent adopted goalie (arturs silvos), and Jeremy swayman is my favorite goalie (Alaskan just like me and a total sweetheart—and feral), so this seems like a sign to me. Sadly I never saw him play because covid + me never going anywhere except for work and rarely another family member’s house. So when I finally watched some games (2, both of which were uaf visiting my university), he had switched to umass 🥲 (but I didn’t really have our roster down let alone Fairbanks so I probably wouldn’t have recognized his name nor would I have met him if we were at the same university, but still this is the closest I’ve gotten to an nhl player so that’s cool) (also just remember my friend goes to umaine just like sway! Except we graduated high school when he graduated college, so… not that I think they would have met either if he was still going there when she started, and she doesn’t watch hockey, but I still think it’s cool)

OHHHHHHH ANON... IM HOLDING HIM GENTLY....

such a stern face!!!! i bet when he smiles his face lights up...

im squishing him ever so gently anon tysm for the introduction!!!!!!

[highladyluck]

Ok, AU five facts game: AU where all conflicts are solved with dance battles. Each society has its own style.

I am honored and alarmed that you chose me to fill this prompt. Let’s go on this journey together.

1. Cairhein traditionally does ballet. This really impressed the Aiel, who do a form of modern dance that evolved out of ballet and know a thing or two about stamina themselves. Then King Laman cut the joint arts funding that had bound their cultures together for hundreds of years. This is the cause of the Aiel War.

2. Andor is all about high-kicking you in the face. Just jumping up and down super high and kicking. Elayne scandalizes her court by dressing the Queen’s Guards like chorus dancers performing the cha-cha. Mat innovates on this model by also kicking really low, kicking really fast, and adding percussion.

3. Seanchan brings the marching band to Mardhol and nothing is ever the same again. Exotic brass instruments, such as tubas, kill thousands. Their flawless formations scatter only at the sight of Artur Hawkwing himself, bannered across the field at Falme, playing air guitar at them to accompany Mat on the French Horn of Valere.

4. The White Tower’s signature style evolved from DDR, with quick combinations of repeated movements that stack for combat bonuses. The test for the shawl was once conducted entirely on a DDR mat, but the passage of time has led to a more ritualized version that only bears a few symbolic vestiges of the original, such as visual path and level markers, memorized movement sequences, & specific posture requirements.

5. In Far Madding, only the men dance, and they are forbidden to use their arms while doing so. We would recognize their dance as the Worm.

[polish-lyric-translations]

Beksa (Crybaby)

by Artur Rojek

YouTube link

Crybaby!

I've had enough of memories

Where someone chases me

Where I'm out of breath

Crybaby!

I hear it all the time

And I cover and I cover myself

Wrapped inside, with shadow under my eyes (1)

Fear prys open the clutched fists

Crybaby!

They say that when you die

You float in the air, you float

Crybaby!

Now, now, now

I can't stand this speed anymore

Everything is fucked over

Crybaby!

Terrible mess in my head

Our lillies wilt, they wilt when you leave

This is how I am

I don't talk with anyone, I don't share with anybody

This is how I am

Keep the change, get out of me

This is how I am

I don't talk with anyone, I don't share with anybody

This is how I am

Keep the change, get out of me

Crybaby!

I've had enough of memories

I can barely manage my own house

You could have remember different me, different me

Now, now, now

I'm putting the glitter on my face

I'm forgetting my lines

Crybaby!

Whatever you have wanted, mom

You can't change this anymore

Everything has been done already

This is how I am

I don't talk with anyone, I don't share with anybody

This is how I am

Keep the change, get out of me

This is how I am

I don't talk with anyone, I don't share with anybody

This is how I am

Keep the change, get out of me

(1) This line can either mean "bags under eyes" or "eyeshadow" in reference to later "putting glitter on the face", probably both

Translator's note: I think that this is a song about grief, as most interpretations say (not sure about the author but iirc he does to). To me it's about being queer person, particular in gender sense, so I relate to it a lot.

Original text:

BEKSA

Mam dosyć wspomnień

Że ktoś mnie goni

Że brak mi tchu

BEKSA

Wciąż słyszę

I zasłaniam się zasłaniam się

Zawinięty w środek z cieniem wokół powiek

Strach rozpycha, zaciśnięte dłonie

BEKSA

Podobno gdy umierasz

Lecisz sobie lecisz

BEKSA!

Już już już

Nie wytrzymuję tempa

Wszystko kurwa, skręca

BEKSA

Straszna chała w głowie

Więdną nasze lilie więdną gdy odchodzisz

Tak mam

Nie rozmawiam z nikim z nikim się nie dzielę

Tak mam

Zachowaj resztę wynoś się ze mnie

Tak mam

Nie rozmawiam z nikim z nikim się nie dzielę

Tak mam

Zachowaj resztę wynoś się wynoś

BEKSA

Mam dosyć wspomnień

Z trudem ogarniam własny dom

Mógłbyś zapamiętać mnie innego mnie innego

Już już już

Na twarz nakładam brokat

Mylą mi się słowa

BEKSA

Czego chciałaś mamo

Tego już nie zmienisz

Wszystko się już stało

Tak mam

Nie rozmawiam z nikim z nikim się nie dzielę

Tak mam

Zachowaj resztę wynoś się ze mnie

Tak mam

Nie rozmawiam z nikim z nikim się nie dzielę

Tak mam

Zachowaj resztę wynoś się wynoś

[takaraphoenix]

Two passions of mine are lists and family trees/next generations. One of my bigger gripes with the Fandom Wiki is that they will put absolutely everything to be a character category... aside from “next generation”...

So, I’m making my own list of next generation characters from all over the multiverse. Which is ungrateful, to be quite frank, due to how hard they are to find if you haven’t met them personally in a comic yet.

Which brings us to this post. Consider it a WIP as well as an ask for help. If you are as interested in next gen characters as I am, look at the shiny list! If you have read comics including next gen characters not listed here, please tell me the source and name so I can add them!

(Listed in braces behind are home Earth and continuity; if nothing is listed, it’s a child from the main continuity. Also, the list is in alphabetical order by hero alias, so if you want to just check a particular hero, that’s where you’ll find them.)

Children of Aquaman / Arthur Curry / Orin

With Mera:

Arthur Curry Jr. (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Arthur Joseph ‘AJ’ Curry (New Earth main continuity; erased)

Andrina ‘Andy’ Curry (main continuity since Rebirth)

Arthur Curry Jr. (Earth-12; Batman Beyond; listed separately because this one does not die in infancy but lives to be an adult)

Marina/Mareena Curry (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Eldoris Curry (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Artur (Earth-16; Young Justice cartoon)

Children of Aqualad / Garth

With an unnamed mother:

Tula (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

With Dolphin:

Cerdian (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Children of Batman / Bruce Wayne

Adopted Children:

Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson

Jason Todd

Timothy ‘Tim’ Drake

Cassandra ‘Cass’ Cain

With an unnamed mother:

Bruce Wayne Junior (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

With Diana Prince:

Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Trevor (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations; stepdaughter, biological daughter of Steve Trevor)

With Talia al Ghul:

Damian Wayne

Ibn al Xu’ffasch (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Athanasia al Ghul (Earth-49; Injustice)

With Selina Kyle:

Helena Wayne (Earth-2/Earth-203/Unnamed Earth of Batman/Catwoman)

Aion (Alternate Future; Batman in Bethlehem)

With Kathy Kane:

Bruce Wayne Junior (Earth-154; Super-Sons)

Stepchildren, with Harley Quinn:

Bryce Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Jackie Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Due to Amanda Waller’s cloning of his DNA:

Terrence ‘Terry’ McGinnis (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Matthew ‘Matt’ McGinnis (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Children of Batwoman / Kate Kane

With Renee Montoya:

Jason Todd (adopted; Earth-24; Bombshells)

With Maggie Sawyer: Unnamed Daughter

(Earth-24; Bombshells)

Children of Black Lightning / Jefferson Pierce

With Lynn Stewart:

Anissa Pierce

Jennifer Pierce

Jacob Pierce (Earth-118; Dark Knights of Steel)

Children of Bumblebee / Karen Beecher

With Malcolm Duncan:

Rhea Malia Beecher Duncan (Earth-16; Young Justice cartoon)

Children of Cyborg / Victor Stone

With an unnamed mother:

George Marvin Stone (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of the Flash #1 / Jay Garrick

With Joan Williams:

Judy Garrick (retconned into the main continuity as of The New Golden Age)

Bartholomew ‘Barry’ Allen (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show; Jay Garrick and Henry Allen as well as Joan Williams and Nora Thompson are confirmed to be doppelgängers, technically making Barry the child of Jay/Joan)

Children of the Flash #2 / Barry Allen

With Iris West:

Dawn Allen

Donald Allen

Nora Allen (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show)

Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Allen II (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show)

With Jessica Cruz:

Jason Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Jenny Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Nora Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of the Flash #3 / Kid Flash / Wally West

With Angela Margolin:

Iris West (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Bartholomew ‘Barry’ West (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

With Linda Park:

Iris ‘Irey’ West II

Jai West

unnamed/unborn baby

Children of the Green Arrow #1 / Oliver Queen

Adopted:

Roy Harper Jr.

Mia Dearden

With Chloe Sullivan:

Jonathan Queen (Earth-167; Smallville TV show)

With Dinah Laurel Lance:

Connor Queen (Earth-49; Injustice)

Laurel Queen-Lance (Earth-11)

Olivia Queen (Earth-22; Kingdom Come/Earth-11)

With Felicity Smoak:

Mia Smoak-Queen (Arrowverse; Arrow TV show)

With Samantha Clayton:

William Clayton (Arrowverse; Arrow TV show)

With Shado:

Robert Queen Jr. (New Earth main continuity; erased)

With Sandra Hawke:

Connor Hawke

Children of the Green Arrow #2 / Connor Hawke

With presumably a version of Bonnie King:

Cissie King-Hawke (Earth16 - comics-verse, not cartoon verse, so the continuity of The Just)

Children of Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel

With an unnamed partner:

Unnamed Daughter (Earth-12; Batman Beyond; mother to Harley’s grandchildren, Deidra and Delia Dennis)

With Pamela Isley:

Unnamed Child (Earth-24; Bombshells)

With the Joker:

Lucy Quinzel (Earth-49; Injustice)

Bryce Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Jackie Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Children of Nightwing / Robin #1 / Dick Grayson

With Barbara Gordon:

John Thomas Grayson (Earth-2)

James ‘Jimmy’ Grayson (Earth-616; White Knight)

With Koriand’r:

Mar’i Grayson (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jacob ‘Jake’ Grayson (Alternate Future; The New Order)

With Unnamed Mother(s):

Elainna Grayson (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Thomas Grayson (Alternate Future; Generation Lost)

Children of Red Arrow / Arsenal / Speedy / Roy Harper

With Jade Nguyen:

Lian Harper

Children of Supergirl / Kara Zor-El

Adopted:

Lucy (Unnamed Earth; Last Daughters)

With Brainiac-5:

XTC (Earth-22; Kingdom Come; inofficial name of the character)

With Clark Kent (in-vitro):

Kara Junior (Unnamed Earth; Created Equal)

Children of Superman / Clark Kent / Kal-El

With Diana Prince:

Bruce Kent (Unnamed Earth; Distant Fires)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Three more unnamed children (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Lara Kent (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Unnamed son (Unnamed Earth; Act of God)

Zod-Ur (Earth 12; Batman Beyond; though he is the biological son of E12!Diana and E50!Clark and fostered by E12!Clark)

With Linda Danvers:

Ariella Kent (New Earth main continuity; erased)

With Lois Lane:

Jonathan Samuel Kent

Jonathan Kent (Arrowverse; Superman & Lois TV show)

Jordan Kent (Arrowverse; Superman & Lois TV show)

Christopher ‘Chris’ Kent (Earth-16 - again, The Just comics, not YJ; their son in YJ is a version of Jon)

Clark Kent Jr. (Earth-154; Super-Sons)

Jorel Kent (Earth-2020; Superman 2020)

Joel Perry Kent (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

Kara Kent (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

Jason White (Unnamed Earth; Superman Returns movie)

Adam Kent (Unnamed Earth; Created Equal)

Hunter Prince (adopted; Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of Wonder Woman / Diana of Themyscira

With Clark Kent:

Bruce Kent (Unnamed Earth; Distant Fires)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Three more unnamed children (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Lara Kent (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Unnamed son (Unnamed Earth; Act of God)

Zod-Ur (Earth 12; Batman Beyond; though he is the biological son of E12!Diana and E50!Clark)

With Steve Trevor:

Hippolyta ‘Lyta’ Trevor-Hall (New Earth main continuity; rewritten to no longer be either of their child/Earth-2)

Vicki Trevor (Earth-34; Wonder Woman: Amazonia)

Ettie Trevor (Earth-34; Wonder Woman: Amazonia)

Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Trevor (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations; also Bruce Wayne’s stepdaughter)

With Steppenwolf:

Donna of Amazon Island (Earth 2)

With the Darkness:

Hunter Prince (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of Wonder Girl / Troia / Donna Troy

With Terry Long:

Jennifer Long (stepdaughter; New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Robert Long (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Children of Zatanna Zatara

With John Constantine:

Zatara II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Raven (adopted; Earth-24; Bombshells)

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 19: Beneath the Dagger

Do you still remember the deal? Probably not, huh? It goes like this: this reread has spoilers for the whole dang series. Spoilers for book 1 (kind of expected), book 2 (not uncommon), book 8 (I already ran out of parentheticals), book 10 (just kidding nothing happens in this one), and even book 15 (the one that only super special fans get to read). If you don't want that, don't click Keep reading.

The icon for this chapter is the Horn of Valere as it is the object of Rand's quest and his prize. It's also what our favorite lady in white gets fixated on. They're all very straightforward.

Every day they had been there on the mountainside, watching the place where Hurin said the trail had been, in that other world—where Selene said the Darkfriends would surely appear in this world—he told himself it was time to leave. And Selene talked of the Horn of Valere, and touched his arm, and looked into his eyes, and before he knew it he had agreed to yet another day before they went on.

I suspect that Selene is using Compulsion here and that it's working as much because this is what fate needs to happen as it is what Rand wants to do anyway. He thinks this is all nonsense and a complete long shot but in his gut he knows it's the only way to keep Mat alive, so all Selene is really accomplishing is pushing his surface thoughts out of the way of his true nature. It's borderline therapeutic!

I was happy then, I think, even running for my life. Playing the flute for my supper.

That is not remotely how it was, Rand. You were stressed and exhausted and for every place you got to play for your supper there was another where you got scammed or threatened or worse. It's quite interesting how we romanticize our memories though. One of Rand's bigger problems is that eventually he gets to a point where there's nothing to work with for this delusion, so all the "despair debt" as it were catches up with him in a lump sum.

In the moonlight he could see the shape of Selene, bending over his saddlebags, her hands on the buckles. Her white dress gathered the faint light.

There's something intensely metaphorical about the fact that the woman who has betrayed both sides of the metaphysical conflict at play is herself betrayed by the things that she does claim loyalty to.

“It came to me,” she said, “that I’ve been wearing this dress too long. I could brush it, at least, if I had something else to wear while I did. One of your shirts, perhaps.”

Points to Lanfear though for always having a back-up plan to work her angles.

Her soft laugh sent a shiver down his back, as if she had run a finger along his spine.

Rand doesn't mention goosebumps specifically in this sequence but I bet she really is running weaves of Air around him. Makes her creepier.

“Think of the glory that will come to the one who finds the Horn of Valere. How proud I’ll be to stand beside him who holds the Horn. You have no idea the heights we will scale together, you and I. With the Horn of Valere in your hand, you can be a king. You can be another Artur Hawkwing. You. . . .”

Honestly if Hurin hadn't interrupted her here Rand probably would have rebuffed her pretty hard anyway. Glory is the least of this boy's interests and Lanfear literally can't bring it up without going into this long-winded rant which she almost certainly plans to cap off with "topple the Creator and the Dark One". It's not even all that likely that someone with the Horn could pull off Hawkwing anyway - the world is too divided and the Heroes won't be happy being used for petty political warfare.

No reason to be angry with her.

Here's some other Compulsion Selene pulls off successfully, though the stakes are super low. There's plenty of reason to be mad Rand, even with just the info you have! It's weird she's digging around in your stuff in the middle of the night instead of talking to you about it. It's weird that she's sexually harassing you instead of respecting your boundaries. It's weird that she's clearly lying to you about Portal Stones!

“You don’t know you cannot take it. How many followers does this man have? You don’t know that, either.”

I will give Lanfear credit for actually providing useful tactical advice. Even if her "Get the Horn now!" routine is based entirely in her delusional self-importance, she's not wrong to point out that they should be learning about the enemy camp while they have the chance and the element of surprise. Rand's really more of the big picture strategist in warfare than this kind of skirmish.

“I am capable of guarding myself, until you return to protect me. Take the alantin.”

Nothing suspicious about any of THIS at all. Literally any other Ogier in the world would have called out someone calling them an Old Tongue name only, I think. Loial just doesn't do it because he's so naive.

“Remember the glory,” she said softly. “Remember.”

I think it's pronounced "Memento mori", Lanfear. Someone really should have been whispering that to you.

He wished he could stop thinking, and before he realized it, the void had formed within him, making thoughts distant things, as if part of someone else. Saidin shone at him, beckoned to him.

Being caught between Lanfear and the tainted saidin makes rocks and hard places seem like vacation destinations. But being able to use the void at all means that Tam's training saved Rand from quite a lot of Lanfear's influence I think.

Loial’s huge hand settled over Rand’s mouth, and a good part of his face besides.

This is far funnier to me than it has any intention of being. Breaks up the tension of the scene, which is quite effective but difficult to quote because it builds up over time.

Tam had told him Trollocs were lazy, apt to give up any task but killing unless fear kept them to it.

Really just another demonstration of how the Shadow without the Light is entirely self-defeating.

The Horn of Valere and the dagger Mat needed, both almost within reach of his hand. Selene’s face drifted with the chest. They could follow Fain’s party in the morning, and wait until Ingtar joined them. If Ingtar did come, if he still followed the trail without his sniffer. No, there would never be a better chance. All within reach of his hand. Selene was waiting on the mountain.

Again, points to Selene (from the Light's perspective) because Rand would have utterly wasted this opportunity without her guidance. It really makes me wonder how she got to rise through the ranks to Forsaken at all considering how little she does for the Shadow's agenda. Literally less than the Trollocs and I just got done roasting them.

His hand touched something else, on the lid. The dagger, bare-bladed. In the dark, his eyes widened. Remembering what it had done to Mat, he jerked back, the void shifting with his agitation.

Lucky he didn't cut himself on it. Or perhaps unlucky; if he had cut his hand on it maybe Ishamael would have given him a matching wound there as well instead of any side wounds and it would have been much less miserable in the long run what with Semirhage's post-cleansing amputation of the poor boy.

Even in the night it was plain Loial’s eyes were as wide as they could go; they looked as big as saucers in the light of the moon.

It's these subtle touches that do a good job of emphasizing how uncommonly brave Rand is. Loial is absolutely a trooper for making it this far but even he's got limits.

“I know it is you, al’Thor! You’re hiding from me, but I know you are out there! Find him! Find him! Al’Thoooor!”

It's funny how in this book, which is mostly moving well away from the LotR inspiration that all 80s fantasy novels needed to have, Fain is acting more Gollum-like than ever before.

Rand moved without thought. He was one with the blade. Cat Dances on the Wall. The Trolloc screamed as it fell, screamed again as it died.

Frankly, CDotW sounds less like a standard sword form and more like what mentors joking call it when the new guys start panicking and waving their sword everywhere in a panic, but I guess it works.

The Courtier Taps His Fan. No scream, this time.

In contrast, this particular form sounds much more dignified and controlled. Jordan using these names to describe the action without describing it was a really great touch.

Lizard in the Thornbush. He rose smoothly from one knee as the second toppled, horns almost brushing his shoulder.

I like sword forms okay?

Fain was there, and Darkfriends, and more Trollocs. Too many to fight. Too many to face and live.

As awesome as the forms are, I do have to point out how unbelievable it sounds that Rand just single handedly killed eight Trollocs and is worried about fighting more. Like obviously he will eventually get exhausted but it really feels like he burned through a good chunk of the enemy forces. I'm not really sure how many there are at this point anyway and I'm not sure if that's the text being vague for tension or if I just forgot from earlier chapters because of the break.

“Sometimes I do not understand half of what you say,” Loial said. “If you must go mad, could it at least wait until we are back with the Lady Selene and Hurin?”

Again: Loial is painfully naive. Any other Ogier would have been well aware of exactly how alarming Rand's confession of going mad would be. I'm just gonna say it outright: the Elders were lowkey right not to approve of Loial wandering around in the world on his own. Look at the company he keeps.

As she stretched on tiptoe to put a hand inside, Rand reached over her shoulder and lifted out the Horn of Valere. He had seen it once before, but never touched it. Though beautifully made, it did not look a thing of great age, or power.

Normally I don't approve of tall people using their height to thwart shorties but for Lanfear I must of course make an exception.

And also, I'm sure again: how fucking old IS the Horn anyway? It can't possibly just be going through the whole of the Wheel over and over. Who made it? Why? When? What parts of interacting with the Heroes that the cast just assumes is the natural order of the worldl are in fact only possible because the Horn exists?

“You misunderstand me, Rand,” Selene said. “You cannot go back, now. You are committed. Those Friends of the Dark will not simply go away because you’ve taken the Horn from them. Far from it. Unless you know some way to kill them all, they will be hunting you now as you hunted them before.”

Ugh and now she's made another good point, even though again it's only in her self-interest. Lanfear you are supposed to be crazy. Stop challenging that by actually being helpful.

“Be careful,” Selene said. “Do not cut yourself.”

Once again, one has to wonder how the Forsaken are so familiar with something that was never contemporaneous with any of them except ol' Ballsac.

I am also now struck by the wondering if Lanfear's behavior makes her some third flavor of evil that might also be destructive against the Taint if it only existed in larger qualities than her. Probably not, but... she's closer to pulling it off than anyone else.

“The chest will surely shield us,” Selene said in a tight voice. “And now I mean to finish what is left of my night’s sleep.”

Since the chest is a stasis box, Lanfear is of course quite pissed that Rand has accidentally found a valid solution to their problem.

He gestured to the first Trolloc that had brought him word al’Thor was not to be found. It still snapped at ground muddied with its own blood, hooves scraping trenches as they jerked.

Poor Trolloc. Nobody deserves Fain.

“I am a dog no longer. A dog no longer!” He heard the others shifting uneasily around the fire, but he ignored them.

A fun contrast. Rand protests he will not be made a puppet and aptly demonstrates this by making his own choices whenever possible and wise. Fain protests that he's not a dog even as he plans to follow Rand's metaphorical scent, then he goes barking mad. The Shadow: Not even once.

That wraps up another chapter. Lanfear doesn't deserve any points so I'm taking them all away from her before the chapter break. She's back to 0, tied with virtually every other character! Next time: Fewer points awarded to Lanfear, hopefully. Also: saidin.

[welcome-to-oslov]

Later on in his 20s, after his first couple of years of being free, Tilrey acknowledges he's been lying to himself and everyone for years.

He was was still sweetly, naively, honest during his two years with Malsha -- though Artur had tried to plant the seed of dishonesty-as-survival after the vexonil episode.

I think it's clear that now, as his second year with The Island kicks off, he's definitely now lying to others (including Bror).

But more importantly: what are the key things you think he's now lying to himself about? And what he still can't help but be honest about, even if only in his own heart?

That’s such an interesting question! Yes, Tilrey’s now lying more and more, to others and himself. I think the No. 1 thing he lies to himself about is how much control he has. It’s too painful to believe in a world where all this just happened to him through no fault of his own. He needs to feel he has agency. Plus, Upstarts keep telling him that he’s lucky and that his position is a privilege. So he tells himself that being a kettle boy is inevitable, that on some level he wanted it, that there’s something about him that is inherently suited to this. All things he knew weren’t true even when he lived with Malsha!

He also lies to himself about his mother and his friends in Thurskein, trying to convince himself they’re better off never seeing him again. 😥

One thing he doesn’t lie to himself about is the future—but that’s because he doesn’t let himself think about it anymore. When he was with Malsha, he knew he could eventually become Malsha’s secretary, and he didn’t like that, but at least it was better than being a kettle boy. With Verán, he knows there’s no point in asking about the future plan for him. He won’t be consulted and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Deep down at some level he still knows who he is, but only when he’s doing something like reading or swimming. Bror still helps him reconnect with his true self, but that’s becoming harder and harder. 😢 When you’re rarely real with yourself, can you be real with anyone else? That’s the challenge.

[iviarellereads]

The Great Hunt, Chapter 47 - The Grave Is No Bar to My Call(1)

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Horn icon) In which you were there, and you were there...

PERSPECTIVE: When Rand and Hurin get to the place with the horses, Mat and Perrin are already mounted, and ask where Ingtar is. Rand says he's dying so they can get away. They'll all take the Horn to Verin, and then Perrin and Mat can help her take it wherever it needs to go. Rand digs his heels into his horse instead of answering, and rides hard, thinking of all the duties he carries, from securing the Horn, to taking Fain out, finding Egwene, helping Mat... Why can't it just be one at a time?

He reins so hard the horse almost rears, and Rand says the three of them will be enough to carry the Horn to Verin. He has to go. Mat says aloud that the only place he's going is mad, clearly. Rand says he has to rescue Egwene, she's got a damane collar. Mat argues that he doesn't want to leave her there, either. Perrin says nobody's going back, and points back to Falme, where it seems every Seanchan soldier and every available damane are lining up at the edge of town. It's only then that they see the Whitecloaks on the other side of the field.

Hurin says if any of them sees the Horn, they'll never see it again. Even if they aren't after the Horn, either side could kill them. Every eye looks to the Horn.

“It has to be there at the Last Battle,” Mat said, licking his lips. “Nothing says it can’t be used before then.” He pulled the Horn free of its lashings and looked at them anxiously. “Nothing says it can’t.” No one else said anything. Rand did not think he could speak; his own thoughts were too urgent to allow room for speech. Have to go back. Have to go back. The longer he looked at the Horn, the more urgent his thoughts became. Have to. Have to. Mat’s hand shook as he raised the Horn of Valere to his lips.(2) It was a clear note, golden as the Horn was golden. The trees around them seemed to resonate with it, and the ground under their feet, the sky overhead. That one long sound encompassed everything. Out of nowhere, a fog began to rise. First thin wisps hanging in the air, then thicker billows, and thicker, until it blanketed the land like clouds.

PERSPECTIVE: Geofram Bornhald, calling the legion to a trot, just before the ground ahead of him explodes. Then he calls for a full charge, his horse leaping forward. Thunder, screams, and whiteness follow. His only regret is that Byar won't be able to tell Dain how he died.

PERSPECTIVE: Rand, as the fog rises around them, coalescing into human shapes as the fog has lifted them into some strange liminal space. The figures, Rand recognizes from all the Ages, men and women, armoured and not.(3)

Rogosh Eagle-eye, a fatherly looking man with white hair and eyes so sharp as to make his name merely a hint. Gaidal Cain, a swarthy man with the hilts of his two swords sticking above his broad shoulders. Golden-haired Birgitte, with her gleaming silver bow and quiver bristling with silver arrows. More. He knew their faces, knew their names. But he heard a hundred names when he looked at each face, some so different he did not recognize them as names at all, though he knew they were. Michael instead of Mikel. Patrick instead of Paedrig. Oscar instead of Otarin.(4) He knew the man who rode at their head, too. Tall and hook-nosed, with dark, deep-set eyes, his great sword Justice at his side. Artur Hawkwing. Mat gaped at them as they reined in before him and the others. “Is this . . . ? Is this all of you?” They were little more than a hundred, Rand saw, and realized that somehow he had known that they would be. Hurin’s mouth hung open; his eyes bulged almost out of his head. “It takes more than bravery to bind a man to the Horn.”(5) Artur Hawkwing’s voice was deep and carrying, a voice used to giving commands. “Or a woman,” Birgitte said sharply. “Or a woman,” Hawkwing agreed. “Only a few are bound to the Wheel, spun out again and again to work the will of the Wheel in the Pattern of the Ages. You could tell him, Lews Therin, could you but remember when you wore flesh.” He was looking at Rand.(6)

Rand shakes his head, but doesn't bother to deny it. He tells them of the Seanchan, who must be driven back into the sea, and he needs help freeing Egwene, as well. Birgitte laughs and says he always chooses women who cause him trouble.(7) Rand says there isn't much time, but Birgitte says they have all of time.

The Heroes ready their weapons, and Hawkwing says he's fought with and against Lews Therin throughout time, as the Wheel wills. He'll help him, this time, but something is holding him back. Does Rand have the banner?

Rand takes it out of his saddlebag, and the heroes murmur.

“The Pattern weaves itself around our necks like halters,” Artur Hawkwing said. “You are here. The banner is here. The weave of this moment is set. We have come to the Horn, but we must follow the banner. And the Dragon.” Hurin made a faint sound as if his throat had seized. “Burn me,” Mat breathed. “It’s true. Burn me!” Perrin hesitated only an instant before swinging down off his horse and striding into the mist. There came a chopping sound, and when he returned, he carried a straight length of sapling shorn of its branches. “Give it to me, Rand,” he said gravely. “If they need it. . . . Give it to me.” Hastily, Rand helped him tie the banner to the pole. When Perrin remounted, pole in hand,(8) a current of air seemed to ripple the pale length of the banner, so the serpentine Dragon appeared to move, alive. The wind did not touch the heavy fog, only the banner.

Rand tells Hurin to stay safe here, but Hurin will have none of it, he's come this far, he'd like to go the rest of the way. Hawkwing says he might make it among their number, one day, and asks Mat to sound the Horn again. They ride forth from the copse of trees. Rand can't see anything, and yet he can somehow see all of Falme.(9) The mist thickens around him, and suddenly, Baa is right in front of him, his arms wide. Rand's horse rears and Rand falls, but he lands softly, as if he only fell into a cloud. He's aware of the heroes meeting the Seanchan in the fog, and yet he's no part of it, here with Baa.(10)

He takes saidin, hoping he has any chance against the Dark One, and tells Baa to stand aside, he's not here for him. Baa laughs, and does his usual taunting. At one point, he laughs that Rand has sounded the Horn, he's linked to it now, and Rand realizes with a shock that he doesn't know everything.(11)

Sword form after sword form, they fight. On the edges of his awareness, Rand watches the battle in Falme. He realizes that their battles are linked: when he advances, the heroes drive the Seanchan back, and when he falls back, the Seanchan drive forth.

As Baa taunts, Rand realizes he's moving like he's afraid of the heron-marked blade, as if steel could hurt the Dark One.

It was another voice he heard then. Lan’s voice. There will come a time when you want something more than you want life. Ingtar’s voice. It is every man’s right to choose when to Sheathe the Sword. The picture formed of Egwene, collared, living her life as a damane. Threads of my life in danger. Egwene. If Hawkwing gets into Falme, he can save her. Before he knew it, he had taken the first position of Heron Wading in the Rushes,(12) balanced on one foot, sword raised high, open and defenseless. Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain. Ba’alzamon stared at him. “Why are you grinning like an idiot, fool? Do you not know I can destroy you utterly?” Rand felt a calmness beyond that of the void. “I will never serve you, Father of Lies. In a thousand lives, I never have. I know that. I’m sure of it. Come. It is time to die.” Ba’alzamon’s eyes widened; for an instant they were furnaces that put sweat on Rand’s face. The blackness behind Ba’alzamon boiled up around him, and his face hardened. “Then die, worm!” He struck with the staff, as with a spear. Rand screamed as he felt it pierce his side, burning like a white-hot poker. The void trembled, but he held on with the last of his strength, and drove the heron-mark blade into Ba’alzamon’s heart. Ba’alzamon screamed, and the dark behind him screamed. The world exploded in fire.

=====

(1) Did you remember that this was one of the lines on the side of the Horn when you first saw it? So close to the end, this is generally the chapter that, if people reach it and fail to stay interested in the series, they'll never stay with the series. It's an incredible eleven pages of story climax. (2) Remember how we heard over and over that nothing in any prophecy linked the Dragon to the Horn, except that both are needed to fight the Last Battle. So, it seems it was a bit of a strong misdirect for the Horn to have been stored with the Dragon's banner. Rand doesn't have to be linked to the Horn, and in fact it may be better that he's not. Mat is the impulsive one, the trickster, of course he's gonna blow the dang horn given half a chance. Do you think Lanfear's speeches about glory would've worked better on him? (3) I think it's really cool that the heroes of the horn aren't all just men in armour, they're specifically described as being all sorts of men and women, all they need is to have done heroic deeds, which can be a lot of things. (4) Lots of references to our history/legends/myths, and some we've never figured out parallels for. (5) Which makes sense. You don't want this army being all the "heroes" of every story that ever got passed on or something, that'd be far too overpowered and make the Hunt for the Horn far more lucrative even than it is. But, a hundred warriors who can't die… that's no small force either. (6) Also, Rand finally realizes that nobody's been lying to him. He can do nothing but declare himself on this field. (7) Huh, what do you think THAT means? Well, if Rand really is Lews Therin Telamon reborn… we know at least one ex who literally went dark side after they split (Lanfear… where is she, anyway?) so Birgitte here seems to have a point. (8) So, more proof that they're all needed, they're all connected. Without both his besties, would Rand have blown the Horn at all? Would he have had the help he needed from the Heroes, and the emotional support of his friends not abandoning him, to succeed? (9) The Dragon is the land, someone said back in book 1. Well, at a critical moment like this… it makes sense to give him a link to the battlefield while he fights his more metaphysical battle in the sky. (10) I don't know how much RJ thought over this battle, I never will. On the ground, there are only two forces I see described in play besides the Heroes themselves: the Seanchan and the last of the Whitecloaks who fought here. We have some assurance that someone the Darkfriends believed was the Dark One himself is at least partially responsible for the Seanchan "return", so it makes sense that Ishy represents them, metaphorically speaking. But where does that leave Rand? Representing all the people of Randland, even the remaining Whitecloaks. The good, the bad, the redeemable and the otherwise. Everyone matters. Everyone is important. Everyone deserves a chance to do better and make their world better. Nobody deserves authoritarian rule. (11) I realize that my notes very much just take it as given that Ishamael isn't the Dark One proper. I mean, RJ does literally tell you so at the end of Eye of the World, if you know how to connect two statements out of context to each other. I don't feel bad about that. But, it does undercut a teensy bit of the drama at this reveal if you're reading these footnotes. (12) And of course, the Chekov's Heron Wading in the Rushes comes back into play, as Rand realizes it's the only way to get a hit on Ishy. Do you think he's really dead this time?

[drinkthemlock]

NIGHT AT THE TAVERN

VI - JOHANN

This one goes out to the duel enjoyers !!

Text by Álvares de Azevedo, translation my own.

TW: this chapter contains manslaughter and incest.

[revised August 2024]

-

“Pourquoi? C’est que mon coeur au milieu des délices,

D’un souvenir jaloux constamment oppressé,

Froid au bonheur présent, va chercher ses supplices

Dans l’avenir et le passé?”

A. DUMAS [1]

 “Now it’s my turn! I too want to toss a coin into your urn; the tainted copper of the beggar: a poor alm, for sure!”

It was in Paris, at a billiard room. I’m not sure if the fire of the game had carried me away, or if the kirsch and curaçao had burned my brains too much… a youth played against me: he was called Artur. 

He had a soft and blond figure like a maiden’s. Childish pink rouged his cheeks: but it was a pink of faded color. Light hair shadowed his lip, and a golden plumage covered the oval bits of his face like the fuzz that lines a peach. 

My adversary needed one more count to win. I needed not sure how many; I know only that they were many, and so, much cool headedness and care was required in playing. 

I shot the ball. On the occasion the table shook… the blond youth had, voluntarily or not, leaned against the table… the ball shifted, changed its course: with its shift, I lost. Anger took over me. I walked towards him. In response to my burning look, the youth shook his blond hair and smiled as if in mocking. 

It was too much! I walked up to him: a punch resounded. The furious youth walked towards me with a dagger, but our friends contained us.

‘That’s lowly brawling. The duel, that’s the combat of men of honor.’

The youth ripped a glove off with his teeth and threw it in my face. It was insult for insult, filth for filth; it had to be blood for blood. 

Half an hour later I coldly grabbed his hand and spoke into his ear: 

‘Your weapons, sir?’

‘You shall come to know them there.’

‘Your witnesses?’

‘The night and my guns.’

‘The time?’

‘Now.’

‘The place?’

‘You will come with me… where we stop shall be the place.”

“Well, very well: I am ready. Let’s go.”

I gave him my arm and we left. In seeing us so calmly in conversation it was thought that there had been satisfaction. One of the men, though, understood us. 

He came to us and said: 

‘Gentlemen, are there no means of reconciliation then?’

We both smiled. 

‘This is childish,’ he retorted..

We did not reply. 

‘If you need a witness, I am ready.”

We both bowed. 

He understood us: he saw our will was firm and walked away. 

We left.

-

A hotel was open. The youth led me inside.

‘I live here; enter,’ he told me.

We entered.

‘Sir,’ he said, ‘there are no means of peace between us: a punch and a glove thrown on the face of a man are stains that only blood can wash off. And so it is a duel to the death.’

‘To the death,’ I repeated, like an echo. 

‘Well then: I only have two people in the world— my mother and… wait a bit.’

The youth asked for paper, quill and ink. He wrote: the lines were few. Having finished the letter, he gave it for me to read. 

‘See, it is not a betrayal,’ he said.

‘Artur, I believe you; I do not want to read this sheet.’

I turned down the paper. Artur closed the letter, and sealed the seal with a ring he had on his finger. Upon seeing the ring, a tear rolled down his face and fell onto the letter.

‘Sir, you are a man of honor. If I die, take this ring; in my pocket you will find a letter, give it all to… later I’ll tell you whom…’

‘Are you ready?’ I asked. 

‘Not yet! Before one of us dies it is only fair that the dead man toasts to the last twilight of life. Let us not be Abyssinians; and more, the sun in the cinnabar hue of the sunset is still beautiful. 

The wine from the Rhine flowed in golden gushes in green crystal cups. The youth rose.

‘Sir, allow me to toast with you.’

‘To whom?’

‘It’s a mystery… a woman, for the name of the one whom one once pressed against one’s lips, whom one loves, is a secret. Won’t you do it?’

‘As you wish.’

We clinked our glasses. The youth walked over to the window. He poured a few drops of the wine from the Rhine for the night. We drank.

‘One of us has toasted his last toast…’ said he, ‘Good night to one of us… and a good bed and restful sleep to the son of the earth!’

He went to a desk, took out two pistols. 

‘This is quicker,’ said he, ‘by the sword the agony takes longer. One of them is loaded, the other is not. Let us draw them at random and shoot at point blank.’

‘It’s murder…’

‘Did we not say that it was a duel to the death, that one of us ought to die?’

‘You’re right. But tell me, where shall we go?’

‘Come with me. In the first deserted corner in the suburb. Any street corner is grim enough for two men of which one has to kill the other.’

At midnight we were outside the city. He put the two pistols on the ground. 

‘Pick, but without touching them.’

I picked.

‘Let’s do it now.’

‘Wait, I have a somber feeling and a sighing voice is moaning in my heart. I want to pray… a longing for my mother.’

He kneeled. To the sight of that kneeling youth— perhaps over a grave— I remembered that I also had a mother and sister… and that I was forgetting them. As to lovers, my desires were like the thirst of street dogs: they were satisfied with water or mud… I’d only loved fallen women.

‘It’s time,’ said he. 

We walked facing each other. The pistols touched our chests. The pistols sounded, only one shot, he fell down, dead… 

‘Here,’ mumbled the dying youth, showing me his pocket.

I threw myself at him. He was drowning in blood. He shuddered three times and turned cold… I took the ring off of his hand. Shoved my hand in his pocket as he’d requested. I found two notes.

The night was dark: I was unable to read them. 

I returned to the city. I looked at the notes under the foggy light of the first streetlamp I found. The first one was a letter to his mother. The other was opened, it read:

At one o’ clock in the morning at … Street n. 60, 1st floor; you’ll find the door open. 

—Your G. 

There was no other signature. 

I did not know what to think. I had an idea; it was a depraved one.

I went to the rendezvous. It was dark. I had the ring I’d brought from the dead man on my finger… I felt a little velvety hand take me by the hand, went upstairs. The door closed.

It was a delicious night! The blond’s lover was a virgin! Poor Romeo! Poor Juliet! It seems that these two children spent their nights with childish kisses and pure dreams!”

(Johann filled his glass, drank it, but shuddered)

“When I was about to leave, I ran into a shadow at the door.

‘Good evening, gentleman… I’ve been waiting for you a while.’

That voice seemed familiar to me. However my wits were scrambled… 

I did not respond: it was a most singular occurrence. I continued down the stairs, the shadow followed me. When we reached the door I saw the tinkle of a knife’s blade. I moved and the blade slid by my shoulder. The fight was made terrible in the dark. Two men that did not know each other, that did not think they’d ever seen each other in the light, and that with luck would not have to see each other alive.

The dagger escaped from his hands, was lost in the dark: I subdued him. An infernal scene, a man in the dark muffling another man’s mouth with his hand, suffocating his throat with his knee, the other hand feeling for an iron in the shadows. 

In this moment I felt a terrible pain: pain and cold flowed down my hand. The man had choked to death, and in his agony had sunk his teeth into my flesh. It was with great difficulty that I released my bloody and dilacerated hand from the corpse’s mouth. I rose.

As I left I ran into an object. I bent down to see what it was. It was a dark lantern. I wanted to see who the man was. I lifted the lamp…

Its last flash bathed the dead man’s head in light… and went off…

I could not believe it: that whole night was some fantastic dream. I dragged the corpse on my shoulders… I carried him through the sidewalk slabs up to the streetlamp, brushed the blood soaked hair off his face…” (a fearful spasm horribly contorted the narrator’s face… He took the cup to drink… his teeth chattered as if he was cold… the cup cracked in his lips.)

“That man— do you understand!? Was blood of my blood, the child of my mother’s entrains, as I was… he was my brother! An idea flew before my eyes like an anathema. I anxiously climbed up the building. I entered. The girl had fainted in fear from hearing the fight. Her face was as cold as marble. Her bare virgin breasts were cold and still like a statue’s… I felt her half naked snowy form between her undone skirts, where depravity had assailed a lost flower. 

I opened the window, took her there…

In truth I am a cursed man! Oi, Archibald, give me another glass, fill it with cognac, fill it to the brim! See! I feel cold, so cold… I tremble from shivering and sweat runs down my face! I crave the fire of spirits! The burning in the brain to the dizzying vapor… I want to forget!”

“What’s the matter with you, Johann? You ramble like a hundred-year-old man!”

“What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with me? Can’t you see it then? It was my sister!”

-

[1] “Why? It’s that my heart, amongst delights,

By a jealous memory constantly oppressed,

Indifferent to the present happiness, goes searching for torments

In the future and in the past.”

A. Dumas

[magicalyaku]

Why is it April already? Where did my time go??? (Answer: My friend and I had a big convention (artist alley) in March and even after 10 years of doing this we still haven't learned to start early with our preparations, so it was crunch time! (And if you want to know, the con was okayish. We didn't sell as many prints as we had hoped but a bunch of books, and that felt pretty good.). Don't ask me something like in which order I read these book, because I have no idea, but I do remember reading them, so here we go.

Into the Glittering Dark (Kelley York): So what if I was lured in by the cover??! The illustration is done by Magdalena Pagowska who's also responsible for Dark Rise and some Captive Prince editions. But just like with Dark Rise it was eventually the summary that convinced me. It's an adventure with magic and two young man tangled up in it (and also with each other). Count me in! Now, this is probably the kind of book where you can find all sorts of weak points if you're looking for them, I will not. I was entertained. It did a lot of things that I like. It's written in third person, for instance, and uses that to its benefit by showing how the different people fare at different locations and times. That just doesn't happen often anymore in the sort of books I currently read, so it feels like good old times. Yes, sometimes it's enfuriating when it switches locations between the chapters when you just want to find out what's going on with the characters from that one. But that's the kind of sweet suffering I grew up with. It's not a top tier book, but nonetheless I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the world. There's lots of death and killing, yes, it calls itself a dark fantasy after all. But it's not as cruel as that one other book that I recently read and don't want to talk about again. :'D The amount of romance was also just right for my taste. (And I like what the author has to say about that in the afterword). Also, there's a bird.

The Prince of Nowhere (Rochelle Hassan): While waiting for the author's latest book The Summer Queen to arrive, I decided to read her first one. It's a middle grade fantasy and it's really good! The world starts out really interesting with that village surrounded by fog, the heroine getting mysterious predictions about the future, and an arrogant bird boy. It's kind of slow in the beginning but once it gets going …oh boy. I don't think I can say anything about it without spoiling all the fun. It's a mind-bending topic done well and I loved how it played out, the implications, the ending! I'm always saying how I wish middle grade books would be smarter and more challenging and this is definitely one of the smarter ones. I'm so looking forward to The Summer Queen now and the author's next middle grade series that starts in September.

Little Black Bird (Anna Kirchner): How many books with birds do i have on my TBR? Hehehe. Actually, I wanted to finally read the second volume of this series, but one look inside told me, I better reread volume 1. :'D It was a favourite of mine in 2022 and it's still good, I think. I don't feel like looking up, what I wrote about it back then, if any, but my thoughts haven't change much I dare say. The story is set in a Polish town and it feels so European. So much like home, I love it. There are really nice descriptions of the houses and neighbourhoods, the kids go by tram and walk along the river. And I don't know, it just feels like a place I know and that's nice. The protagonists are also pretty good, the heroine, Wiktoria, does not annoy me, her bond-mate Artur is a really sweet boy, both of them are aspec questioning. And there's a giant adventure going on around involving old slavic magic. It's really interesting. My only gripe would be the timeline. Everything happens in just a few days which left me confused sometimes. Minor details. I should mention, though, that there's at least two editions of the book and I read the old one with the other cover and I don't know if anything between these editions changed.

Tall White Tenement (Little Black Bird 2) (Anna Kirchner): While I loved the first volume easily, this is more difficult. A lot of things happened, but I can hardly tell you any of them. Everything was small steps, and always 3 steps forward and 2 backwards. And while there was logic behind all actions, many turned out futile in the end, which was a bit frustrating. Some of them, like the devil summoning, also might have benefitted from a little more impact. Overall, I still do like the story. Shit's getting really rough towards the end, so the third volume will probably be fun again. There's more demons and a new important character, who's pretty cool. There's also parenting of a baby dragon which I didn't like very much … Personally, I just hate it when people call me "cat mum" or my cats my kids. My mom is their mom and my cats are my siblings, thank you very much. So now, there's a book with a not-annoying aspec girl heroine and suddenly she's a pet mum and I'm just here suffering quietly. xD Anyway, there are developments on the aspec front for some of the questioning characters which was nice and highly anticipated. The shape of Wiktoria's and Artur's relationship is a major point after all. It just felt a little heavy on the author's voice. Oh well. The series does have a good foundation, the execution of this volume just stumbles a bit and doesn't reach as high where it wants to go in my opinion. It's still engaging and I'm looking forward to the next volume. Also, the author had a give away back when the book came out and I received some postcards, stickers and bookmarks with really nice illustrations. Thank you for those. <3

Tadek and the Princess (The Mahisti Dynasty novella) (Alexandra Rowland): Aw. Just aww. When I found out that the author has a new book coming out in summer I got strangely excited, because while I really liked A Taste of Gold and Iron, it never crossed my mind to go back to her older books (there are a few), so why is the new one different? xD (The pirates maybe. The promise of Adventure.) Anyway, alongside the news for that one, I also found the one about Tadek, and well, he was my favourite character of A Taste of Gold and Iron (surprisingly), so I had to read it, right? And damn, it's sweet. It alternates between the present (after the end of the main book) and the past of Tadek as a child and his path to his current position. Again, it's so sweet. So full of love. I think the word for that specific kind of love is Agape? The love for something higher that oneself. (Do correct me if I'm wrong.) It made me feel like "Ah, there's good people in this world after all".

Tales of the High Court Short Story Collection (Megan Derr): What the title says. If you like the Tales of the High Court series, you'll probably like this collection (if you don't already know the individual stories as all of them were previously published online.) There's a lot of Sarrica, some Allen, some Lesto. Basically, lot's of the characters I like and less of those I don't care much for. :'D I really like the world of these stories, so it was nice to return to it. As for the presentation … you can't tell me, all of these stories were published previously and then have so many errors right in the early ones. >_< (There's half a sentence missing at one point …) I hope, that get's fixed soon. Other than that, I enjoyed reading this collection!

That's it! The wrap up for March is going to be short. When the theme this time was birds and sequels, the next one will be ... ghosts and ballet. 8D

[malusienki]

so, in the opera, the ashtons’ mom is dead before it’s set. which like yes okay it’s a detail that was brought up one (1) time in the libretto offhandedly but.  i like to look way into things. i like to over analyze and speculate. so that is what i’ll do. 

long post. sorry. this is taken directly from The Notes App. also very much silliness and me looking way into things as aforementioned.

the ashton siblings were probably affected by the death of their mother, i mean, for lucia especially we “see” it as one of the reasons why she’s so frazzled and stuff during the wedding scene [edgardo says to arturo something to the tune of “she is mourning the loss of her dead mother” which like, honestly probably an excuse on his part BUT i don’t think it’s THAT far from the truth. i mean. other than like. being forced to marry some guy she does not want to…. i’ll touch on this later]

how did it affect enrico? i’d like to believe that he’s so terrible to lucia as a result of this. usually malice comes from a place of hurt? now that he’s essentially in charge of lucia from what it seems [no father in the picture? presumably dead or something] he’s taking out any feelings onto her to better himself— i.e. the whole reason he wants her to marry arturo is so HE gets more political(?) power. 

this is the reason why i loved the montecarlo 2019 lucia i watched recently as of writing this— i noticed that (intentionally or not) enrico seemed to be worried about his sister when she went mad. their dynamic is something i like to play with in my head.

enrico is HUMAN— sure, he’s forcing lucia to marry arturo because political power and also edgardo being a ravenswood doesn’t help either, but it doesn’t mean that he hates his own sister forever, especially when the consequences of that are.. well. i’d imagine seeing her covered blood that is not her own would be a pretty jarring and terrifying experience lmfao.

while i LOOOOVE teatro real 2018, i feel like in that one he’s played as a more maliciously evil person— which is something i don’t mind because earlier in said production it’s heavily heavily implied that he molested her— and his reaction to the mad scene reflects that, acting very minimal and unusually calm. forever one of my favorite prods. but montecarlo 2019 and met 2022 are close seconds (<- may or may not be for 1) nadine sierra 2) the alisa dynamics have me CRYING. 3) such a good take on a modern lucia but i digress) (i find it fucking comical that in all three productions that i’ve listed so far artur rucinski is the enrico in all of them.)

so, the line mentioned above. in this libretto that i’m using, there’s a stage direction that says this

this is directly before the act II “appresati lucia” etc etc . the phrasing is . certainly something but i personally interpreted as theres already signs pointing to her being stressed and hints to her mad scene that everyone is just blind to i guess. if you recall, before this, edgardo and lucia depart in their separate ways becayse edgardo is going to war… but also before that came “regnava nel silenzio” where she tells alisa about the dream etc etc. i’d like to think that [sorry this is me adding details that don’t exist] she’s had nightmares ever since her mom died and obviously the departure of edgardo has rustled her enough to where she’s anxious about it but i digress then of course come the wedding scene where enrico says this:

and there’s a couple things i wanna mention about this. i do think that the dead mother isn’t just a ruse (see: staged prelude in 2018 teatro real which i actually don’t mind; lucia is tossing and turning in bed in that one with the nightmare she goes to alisa about) and that it did affect her which led to said nightmares and now they’re here. she believes edgardo does not love her anymore and has left her for someone else, and now she’s being forced to marry this guy. she is NOT fine. i truly think that alll these factors added up and made her crack (obvious i think) but not to literally everyone else around her!

anyways. sorry. this is a really long winded post and honestly i kinda got a little carried away.

[bourbon-ontherocks]

so, 305. I hate that there were so many lovable things about it. like the ducks around morgane’s house (bathroom, living room) keeping up with the theme--reminded me of those pictures books where you had to find the duckling hidden on every page! (speaking of; timothée il a un peu une tête d’Où est Charlie nan ? he’s got the stripes + glasses + hair) or the fact that morgane is randomly wearing floaties at the swimming pool 😂 (… maintenant que j’y pense, elle comptait peut-être les piquer pour chloé mdrr)

et les combines de serge. céline giving up on educating morgane on procedure, ptdr. l’employée de l’ehpad qui a un vague air de mylène farmer. [gros canard] still holds the title of HPI’s mr. worldwide. daphné being daphné. ("gilles..? 🤨 euh, oui. GILLES !") gilles STILL being way too good a friend (j’espère que sa psy lui dit), but also how close he was to morgane during the investigation, that was cute!

par contre, 2 trucs qui me hantent : 1) why does [gros canard] seem mesmerized by morgane’s neck while she goes on and on about the kid’s drawing?? 2) morgane’s lack of empathy at the pool. I didn’t expect her to joke about moms murdering each other right in front of the bereft husband 😧

Oh my gosh anon, I'm just so sad that this episode was so tainted and ruined for you 😭 It breaks my heart a little, and also it makes me dread for you, knowing what's coming ahead, but... one shitty plotline at a time, amirite?

Soooooo *cracks knuckles* let's get started 😈

"I hate that there were so many lovable things about it" -> literally me after watching the finale tbh 😂😭

I must say I didn't notice the ducks thingy but thank you for pointing it out, it really is reminiscent of those child books and was a very nice touch (the way this show can switch from absolutely shitty and unsubtle to actually brilliant and clever in the bat of an eye will never cease to baffle me) 😍 The duck jokes at the crime scene were excessively funny too, and the moment Bonnemain enters the game too with a joke that's not even funny?? Peak comedy! And Adam's reaction "Mais vous allez pas vous y mettre vous aussi ?!" -> 200% Artur vibes 😂

100% agreed that Timothée is a human waldo and was intended to be lol (also on en parle de Timothée qui offre le même polo à Théa ?? Who does that? 😂 It's like he asked for her to put it in the mopping supplies... And her general passive-aggressive animosity towards him was SO entertaining!)

And OMG I didn't even notice Morgane had floaties on at the swimming pool, this is hysterical 🤣 And re her lack of compassion, I must say Morgane's relationship with empathy has been a mystery for me since day one, sometimes we get to see her really sympathizing with the victims' families (the daughter in the pilot for instance, or the mall's widow in 201, or even the actual bledigirl), but also sometimes not ("ah bah ça tombe bien puisqu'elle est morte" with the victim's sister in 201), so this scene didn't strike me as particularly ooc, but her characterization regarding this specific personality trait is unclear. I'd say perhaps she tends to lose her compassionate skills when she gets excited about figuring out some stuff?

Serge's cancer kid scam was very fun to watch ("coucou c'est la maman du petit Eliott, bon bah il est mort" 😂), and also I wouldn't have noticed the ehpad employee's similarity with Mylène Farmer but now that you're pointing it out...

Somehow it warms my heart a bit to see you calling Adam [gros canard] this episode, I guess it shows you're on your way to forgive him? But maybe it's just my own wishful thinking lol! Anyway, yes, he also speaks Russian (and not to spoil, but Mehdi Nebbou is gonna keep on bragging in later eps 👅), and remember when I told you that your dream about escaping from Putin was foreshadowing? Well I was talking about this KGB bit haha 😆

No idea why he seems to stare at Morgane's neck in the hospital, perhaps he just can't look her in the eyes nor in the boobs (in his defense, she just talked to him about nipples) so he's stuck in between lol 😅 Or maybe Mehdi just forgot he was acting for a bit and was thinking about dinner or something idk... But there is indeed room for interpretation and I'll go with the most probable option which is that he's just mesmerized by her in general, especially in that episode where he's discovering that he can't stand seeing her with someone else (let's be real, everyone saw that coming but him 😂), so he's probably just staring at her while thinking "what the fuck is wrong with me?"

Daphné and Gilles were the heart and soul of this episode I swear!! I love Daphné's completely clueless but supportive ass, Gilles being so torn between friendships he's gonna break, the fact that he kept the charade going on for TWO MONTHS, the fact that apparently he talks about Morgane to his therapist 🤣, him trying to hide Morgane's presence from Adam at David's (he's the definition of the no-questions-asked friend who'll support you no matter what, we all need a Gilles in our lives 🥰) Daphné being ready to get any disabled but homophobic employee fired (worst idea ever to give her that workplace inclusion responsibility mais je l'a-dore), and also her blind anger towards Morgane, misunderstanding of the CENTURY 🤩🤩🤩

Also, did you notice that Gilles shaved, this ep? The man is such an Adam fangirl he's now cosplaying as him istg 🤣🤣🤣

[EDIT] OMG I JUST FIGURED OUT WHY YOU CALL HIM GROS CANARD ANON YOU ARE A GENIUS IN DISGUISE OK BYYYYYE

[serraic]

@zephyntus

It takes some time and a little help from the more covert members of the Knights, but you finally get a lead into who is organizing this ring. This information takes you to Arianrhod, where you will meet a priestly “Dragon” holding auditions for a Leif to add in their crew of characters. They don’t particularly care what you look like, but two things are non-negotiable: a boyish attitude and proficiency in a variety of weapons. This could be the chance you need to infiltrate the group, if you manage to impress him. [Grants Any Weapon +1]

   “Hold still... just another moment...” Or two, or three... She straightens his shirt, pulls at a cape on his shoulders, unfurling where it’d gotten tucked... “Mhm, mhm... a-ha! There!” 

   She steps back to admire her handiwork. 

   In truth, Serra’s about the worst person they could’ve gotten for this job. She’s never even met Leif — just knows that lords like their capes, and he’s a lord of some sort, isn’t he? So Arthur, or Artur, or Archer — she wasn’t paying terribly close attention when they’d gotten introduced — is decked out in a green and gold costume. Gold cape, green shirt. Why? Because the name Leif reminds her of green, and that’s... all she has to go on. 

   “Look, I told you! A little fashion is all it’s going to take to win them over! They’ll see how beautiful you look, and they’ll, like, totally swoon!” She clasps her hands together, beaming. 

   Ah... she’s so amazing... 

    “Now — you’ve got to sell it, okay? Be as Leif-y as you can! Have you ever met Leif, either? Well, anyway, you have to be— just be as handsome and dashing as you can be! Stand up straight, say all those lord-like things! You know how lords are, don’t you? And I’ll be right behind you, of course. If you mess it up somehow, I’ll sweet talk them!” 

[clownconfettiparty]

Explaining the WHOLE thing of my pizza tower Au (Pizza . Hacked) Part 1

The Story: A dude name Anthony basically downloads a sketchy copy of Pizza Tower because he was broke on cash and didn't care if it gives him a virus. as he downloads it the game played like normally. Playing as Peppino of course as all the stages were done until he got too Pepperman's boss battle. This is where the problems happens as Pepperman wasn't there at all. It glitches and just gives him the key to the next floor. as Anthony moves Peppino to the elevator the game stops as Peppino just looks at the screen. the game begin to glitch as Peppino appears with no mouth. his character was really hard to see due to the bad low quality. The game crashes as it gives one last look at Peppino. Having a stomach on his chest. Anthony was confused as he shrugs it off and reopens the game. Once again, the intro played well as his saved was still there. Opening the save led him already at the second floor. The first floor was completely deleted from the game like there was never a first floor. Walking past the second floor there would be a sprite of Pepperman in the main second floor, but he was nowhere to be found. just a red pixel splat on the screen. during the stages was different. the characters were lagging and glitching all over the place. Anthony thought this was a whole Anti-piracy thing but where was the anti-piracy thing? was the game hacked? who knows! as he got to the next boss battle there begins to be text on the screen. Not text boxes but just words as it said, "turn off the damn game". The text continues saying "If you keep going. Thats your fault" as Anthony ignores it and moved Peppino into the boss stage. The Vigilante played well as it should be. fighting it and all that. It got to the part where you have to get ready to shoot. As Anthony push the button to shoot it begin to lag. Seeing the bullet hit Vigilante as his character was completely fucked up. His character was glitching and lagging all over the place as there were pieces of him flying around on the screen. Making a loud error sound playing thought Anthony headphones as it hurt like shit. He took his headphones off as his ears were bleeding and getting a headache. Putting his hands on his head as he sits down on the bed. The game closes once again. Taking a break from the game for a few days. his friend Arhtur came to visit Anthony as he heard he got a game on his computer and wanted to show him. Anthony didn't want to let his friend down so he opens the game up. Getting the game ready as it already had him to the third room. although all the level stages were done. He was already at the 3rd boss battle. He didn't want to tell Arhtur about what was happening to the game or tell him that the game was download for free and might have got his computer a virus so he enters the next boss battle. Once again the Noise battle was going well even thought he was struggling on how hard the battle was. That was until when he got to the second phase the computer blue screens as it begins to make a really loud sound. The volume was on 100% and all he was hearing was the Noises theme being loud and broken. Ringing Anthony ears as Artur try's to help him turn the game off. It didn't turn off as Artur push the Ctrl-Alt and Delete buttons and restarted the computer. The two boys were horrified about what happened. Walking out of the bedroom as they sat down on the couch. Artur wanted to know what the hell happen as Anthony explains everything. Artur requests to get a new computer if it had a virus that wont go away or if the game was going to do something to his computer. Anthony was so drawn to the whole Hacked game and said no. Arhtur kept telling him to not play it anymore but Anthony completely ignore him and wanted to finish the game to see what happens. Arthur try to stop him as Anthony pushed him away and ran to his room and locked the door. Anthony can hear Arthur banging on the door while Anthony walked to the computer and start up his computer again and turn the game back on. Already at Fake Peppino's boss battle as he just begins the battle.