#XXXI

[illuminated-in-darkness]

Opposing Sides Black Sails Musical Parallels | XV. XXXI. XXXV.

music variation note: the first part of the parallel in XV matches XXXV, while the second part matches XXXI; XV in a minor key and XXXI in a major key.

I spent a year rewatching Black Sails and tracking all the bits of music that repeated at any point during the show, and my findings are reinforcing that Bear McCreary is a genius and this show should have been called 'parallels that will kill you over and over again'* (tag | chronological)

[tomateblack]

how tf do they always stand in the front lines and never get shot??? im starting to believe that the bullets dodge THEM

[words-and-coffee]

I crown you, small monarch of my bones,

Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets: XXXI

[serena-fiore]

Ouve minha playlists comigo... aquela que tem um coração

Aquela... que quase sempre está tocando quando você vem para cá

Vamos fazer uma juntos?

Me manda uma música, diz que lembrou de mim...

Nenhuma música te faz lembrar de mim? Da gente?

Vai... vamos fazer uma playlist juntos e ir para praia, sem dinheiro mesmo, só vamos

Responde minhas perguntas...

Já deixa uma escova de dentes aqui em casa e vem me ver sem eu nem precisar chamar

Me coloca na sua lista de prioridades, eu juro que não sou de ocupar muito espaço

Eu não vou tentar provar meu valor para você, nem para ninguém

Eu não vou tentar fazer você acreditar que sou melhor do que as outras pessoas

Eu sei o que eu sou, e eu sei que meu amor não pesa e não machuca

Eu sei pelo que eu já passei e todas as merdas que eu já me curei

Eu quero olhar nos seu olhos e ver a profundidade da sua alma, você quer conhecer a minha alma também?

Porque eu sou a sutileza, a beleza, a peculiaridade e o encanto de um cavalo marinho e um couve de bruxelas

Io sono strano, davvero strano

[fivekrystalpetals]

Core of the Abyss and 'her' Children of "Misfortune"

(aka I can't stop thinking how the Core always welcomed and reached out to the Children of "Ill-Omen"— just some observations)

So, once again quoting Lacie's words from Retrace 101:

Yes, always alone and lonely...without even knowing what loneliness is. Still, 'she' kept yearning.. for someone to push through the cold darkness and reach her. —'She' longed for 'someone' who could do that.

[Anyway I am ignoring everything the Glen(s) and the Jury ever said about the Core of the Abyss or the Children of Misfortune (because I don't trust them at all) —and taking only Lacie's theory here to be the truth,]

so, a few theories:

1] Break would have been drawn into the Core of the Abyss whether or not the Intention wanted his eyes

When his illegal seal finished a full turn, Break reached the Core of the Abyss unlike other illegal contractors who fall into the Abyss.

I had assumed this was possible only because the Intention of the Abyss herself summoned Break there so she could pluck out his red eyes for her blind Cheshire before he turns into a chain.

Even the other dolls mention this situation as unusual. The Intention never lets a human/illegal contractor into her room.

You don't usually bring humans here when they drop into the Abyss.

Meaning, the other illegal contractors on completing their contracts get dropped into the abyss and turn into chains without ever meeting the Intention for whatever they wished of her. So much for going through all this trouble lol

So, I imagined that only those whom the Intention permits could enter the Core of the Abyss (that is, her lovely toy room);

But.

Vincent does "waltz" into her "room" without any problem???

Now, I don't think Vince entered her room to purposely antagonize her as he usually did, because he was pretty shaken by all the bloodshed and massacre he just witnessed at Sablier. It was a coincidence and even he seemed shocked he was meeting White Alice in her "other" room when he was sure "Alice" had died in the real world. In fact, he wonders if there being another Alice and all the madness going on in the toy room was his fault as well...

Secondly, this is a feat none of the other older and more experienced Baskervilles could achieve, right?

All the surviving Baskervilles got swept into the Abyss during the Tragedy of Sablier. Yet not one of them came in contact with the Intention. They were only able to traverse the Abyss and come out at various points of time. They did not know what the Intention looked like; neither do any of them talk about actually having met her. They merely repeat what Xai or Glen told them that it was the sudden appearance of the Intention that changed the very configuration of the Abyss as they knew it before.

That's why I think the Intention's words are only partially true (but I don't think she realized this either).

That is, she does have complete control over who enters the Core of the Abyss/her room—

Except for the Children of Ill-Omen.

Because the Children of Ill-Omen are specifically birthed by the Core and are very precious to 'her', the Core wants them to reach out to 'her' at the very depth. So that whenever a Child of Ill-Omen falls into the Abyss willingly*, they are directly led to the Core that used to be a dark shapeless form during Lacie's time, but took on the form of a toy room after the Intention became its vessel.

Lacie insisted that she could see "someone" at the depth of the Abyss and that the "someone" couldn't answer her—

but of course, the Glens and Jury only regard the Core as something not to be touched or approached unless "a serious crisis occurs"

and every time the Core produces another Child of Ill-Omen, hoping, waiting, over and over again that they will reach out to 'her' at the very abyssal depth... instead, they are meted out the punishment of being dragged down by Black Chains and left to die in the very Abyss that wanted to cherish their company. They are being "returned" to the Core because of the misinformation/falsehood that the presence of a Red-Eyed child is an accidental distortion created by the Core and pose danger to the integrity of the world

whereas the actual reason is that Core just wants someone to help her not be lonely anymore.

See:

How sweet is it that the Core loved her toy so much that 'she' gave it a tiny spark of life and trembled in grief when 'she' hears that Lacie will never visit her again? ;_;

The Core never asked for the "ill-omened" children to be punished for being born; on the contrary, they are the ones most precious to her.

That's why I think they inevitably end up in the Core to keep 'her' company, whatever be the reason they fell into the Abyss in the first place, whether the completion of an illegal contract or being swept into the Abyss.

(willingly*: I mean, when the Child of Ill-Omen falls into the Abyss by any other means than being held down by the Black Winged Chains. Because Lacie could descend into the Core by herself but held down by the Black Chains, she could only wait out her permanent death.)

(Since Gil was with Vince, he too winded up in the Core, but he was not cognizant of his surroundings so that's a moot point anyway.)

2] That Break listens and commits himself to the one and only request of the Intention of the Abyss

This is in continuation to the first point; hence, kind of a paradoxical situation—

Because only a Child of Ill-Omen could have ever reached to the depth of the Abyss; and so, only a Child of Ill-Omen could have ever got to listen to her request at all.

But by the end of the story, (thanks to Lady Shelly, by the way, because if not for her, would Break have lived on to pass the Intention's desire to the kids? I don't think so), everyone came to know what the Intention really wanted and worked towards the goal.

So that, knowingly or otherwise, Break did fulfill his role as the bridge between the living world and the Core of the Abyss before his death.

As Leo asked of Vince in Retrace 104:

[leonorandsofia]

19 October 2023 | Princess Leonor and Queen Letizia greet the crowd outside the "Príncipe Felipe" auditorium in Oviedo, Spain.

[gaycrouton]

Commercials for “The X-Files” that aired during Super Bowl XXXI in 1997

The Super Bowl is typically the highest-rated television broadcast in any given year, and as a result, the lead-put programs typically receive a significant rise in viewership. Consequently, networks are usually quite strategic in their choices for what to air after the game.

Super Bowl XXXI in 1997 was the first Super Bowl to be televised by the FOX Network, and it ended up being the network’s highest rated-program at the time. Fox Network chose to air one of their prestige programs as the lead-out show, and chose “The X-Files.” As a result, the episode Leonard Betts became the highest rated episode of “The X-Files” to ever air, being watched by 29.1 million people.

A bit of trivia: originally, the episode Never Again was supposed to air before Leonard Betts, but Chris Carter thought the latter would be more engaging to an audience potentially viewing the show for the first time.

This switch in the episode order resulted in the actions of Scully in Never Again taking on a new connotation that hadn’t been present at the time of filming, as Leonard Betts ends with an allusion to Scully having cancer. Gillian Anderson has stated that had she known the twist in Leonard Betts and that the episodes would end up being switched, she would have played Scully differently in Never Again.

Another piece of trivia is that winner of Super Bowl XXXI was the Green Bay Packers. Gillian Anderson’s Aunt Marguerite “Mugs” Bachhuber is a member of the Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame.

Watch it on YouTube

[thinkhappythxughts]

finally FINALLY watching black sails again. I put it off for a good while because i got sad that i only had 9 episodes left, but I’m going to end up getting spoiled and I want to be able to read fics and stuff.

SO EPISODE XXXI

1. i forgot how confusingly attracted to this Blackbeard i am, but what an episode to remember that fact. rip.

2. okay so governor rogers is a fucking maniac. i knew he wasn’t a good guy but i did not see the extent of his evilness coming. i’m usually not bothered by gore but the keelhauling scene got to me, jesus christ

[solarsonicsoda]

Wrestlemania Main Event Reviews - Wrestlemania XXXI

Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in his Money in the Bank Contract mid-match (Originally Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship) in 16:45

Roman’s here through the crowd with his lovely blue contact lenses that he had to wear for some reason. Reigns is not too popular here tonight! Nasty Brock Lesnar is here now with Paul Heyman. I’ve not watched this match before, but it still feels familiar from just a few years ago! They’re straight to fighting here, Roman comes in with punches but a very fight-style bearhug from Brock takes out Roman, Brock hits a German suplex and F5, and Roman is down. Roman has made Brock bleed but Brock’s on top, with a big suplex. Brock tries another German suplex but Roman resists, Brock bodies a number of clotheslines, and then ducks one to hit another German suplex. Brock hits a side suplex as he mauls Roman, pacing around him as Roman tries to fight back, hitting another German suplex. Brock lays in blows to the midsection as Roman smiles at the match, but Brock hits another German suplex. Brock drops him with a suplex onto the ropes that hangs him up, and then he lays in the knee strikes. Brock launches him into the barricade and we see the Four Horsewomen of MMA briefly! Reigns gets to the apron and hits a knee strike on a charging Brock! He gets in all the offense he can but Brock catches a leg and hits a clothesline that sends Roman to the ground. Very cool! Brock hits a suplex in the ring and he has a cut lip. He drags Roman back up after he fell out of the ring, and hits an overhead suplex from the apron to the ring. He hits an F5, pins, but Roman kicks out! Brock slaps Roman and he’s begging for more! He loves it he does! Two German suplexes from Brock followed by an F5, but Roman kicks out! He chucks him outside but Roman reverses a Brock attempt and sends Brock into the ring post at ringside! He gets in the ring just in time and Brock is bleeding a lot! Roman lines up for the superman punch and hits it, he hits another, Brock tries to counter a third into a German suplex but Roman gets out with headbutts, hits the third punch, a spear, and then another, but Brock kicks out! He lines up for another superman punch but Brock catches him and hits an F5 on Roman, though he’s too tired to cover.

Then Seth Rollins comes out and cashes in his Money in the Bank Title Opportunity! He kicks Roman away, Blackout Stomp to Brock, goes for another but gets lifted for an F5, Roman hits a spear and Rollins is able to hit the Blackout on Roman to win! He runs up the ramp with the belt and celebrates! The Heist of the Century! 

Pros: Hard-hitting, intense, exciting, brutal, great finish, smart winner Cons: Roman’s a little OP with his offense and selling, could have gone a little longer with competitiveness between Roman and Brock

This is a good match! It’s odd seeing the inbetween phase of 3 minute match Brock and proper match Brock here! Not bad though! I think maybe Roman is booked a bit too strong, though the blood from the ring post bump helped a lot, but just the fact that his offense did so much and he could take so much was not my favourite, though still enjoyable! I also wouldn’t have minded more of them two going at it! Once things got competitive, it was fun! They both usually are! The action was wonderfully brutal and quick, which many matches could learn from, and the twist is sublime! Rollins cashing in was a great help after the Roman experiment went awry and the crowd hadn’t taken to him, but also getting the belt off Brock! In addition, it really helped establish Rollins and further his history with Roman! Such a great decision, even if it was a corner they backed themselves into to an extent! 

3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

[blueonwrestling]

QT Marshall winning the AAA Latin American title is great stuff, QT is gonna be amazing in AAA, just the full blown american rudo.

[illuminated-in-darkness]

Anticipation Black Sails Musical Parallels | IX. XX. XXXI.

music variation note: the scenes in IX and XXXI are identical in instrumentation and melody, while the deep swoop found in all three scenes is repeated over a faster beat in XX.

I spent a year rewatching Black Sails and tracking all the bits of music that repeated at any point during the show, and my findings are reinforcing that Bear McCreary is a genius and this show should have been called 'parallels that will kill you over and over again'* (tag | chronological)

[ladyluscinia]

Mood whiplash from cheering for Silver's dramatic boyfriend return to Rogers' ordering the excruciatingly slow keelhauling

[start-official]

Coming soon at Romics!! ❤️ [🟩⬜🟥]

[fivekrystalpetals]

Whenever Break smiles like this:

that's all. i just wanted to show his real beautiful smile. thanks ❤

[leonorandsofia]

19 October 2023 | Queen Letizia and Princess Leonor attend the XXXI Princess of Asturias Awards Concert at the “Príncipe Felipe” Congress Palace Auditorium in Oviedo, Spain.

[wrestlingisfake]

Triplemania XXXI Tijuana preview

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Kenny Omega - This is for Vikingo's AAA mega championship. Omega was the previous champion for over two years, and he was scheduled to defend against Vikingo in December 2021, but Omega was sidelined with injuries and Vikingo instead won the vacant title in a five-way match. Omega and Vikingo finally squared off in AEW on a March 2023 show; Omega won, but the title wasn't at stake. So now they're meeting again, and the gold is finally on the line.

It's taken so long for AAA to get this match that in the meantime Omega has had a falling out with his mentor Don Callis. Callis is now weaseling his way into every other feud Omega has going on these days, and a few days ago it was revealed that he's cornering Vikingo and giving him tips on how to beat Omega. This is probably meant to set up interference, and possibly a fuck finish so Vikingo can retain without Omega losing clean. That would be a disappointment, since the whole point of doing Omega vs. Vikingo is to focus on straight up flippy wrestling goodness, without all the bullshit.

My bet is that Vikingo will win and keep the title, and hopefully not permanently align with Callis. But I can't rule out the possibility that AAA will put the belt back on Omega for another two years. I also can't rule out that Vikingo could join the Don Callis Family--sooner or later somebody has to, and it might as well be him.

LA Park & Rush vs. Psycho Clown & Sam Adonis - This is the final match in the Guerra de Rivalidades tournament. Each team in the field consisted of wrestlers who hate each other, and in each round the losing team advances. So whichever team loses this match will qualify for the grand "prize," which is to face each other in a mask vs. hair match on August 12.

The big draw for this tournament is the possibility that we could get a huge Park vs. Rush match where either Park loses his mask or Rush shaves his impressive mane. It's something of a holy grail for Mexican matchmakers, because neither of these guys likes doing jobs and you have to pay damn good money for a big star to lose his mask or hair. Rush has already teased walking out on this match, which goes to show how tricky it'll be to pull this off.

Of course, the simplest thing to do here is have Rush and Park win so that you set up Psycho vs. Adonis. There's no way Psycho is losing his mask anytime soon, but nobody gives a fuck about Sam Adonis or his hair, so that match books itself. The interesting wrinkle, though, is that Park has hyped up this match by saying he'll try to lose on purpose to make Park vs. Rush happen. So it'll be challenging to book a Park-Rush victory that makes any sense, but knowing AAA they'll half-ass their way to it and call it good.

Penta El Zero Miedo vs. QT Marshall - This is billed as an ambulance match, which means the goal is to force your opponent into the back of an ambulance and shut the door. The mystique of an ambulance match is that the loser is in the ambulance because he requires medical attention after taking an unusually violent match. But in reality most ambulance matches come down to "I do a cheap shot that stuns you for only 15 seconds, which is long enough to shut the door."

They spent weeks setting up a mystery man taunting Penta and then revealed it to be Marshall, which suggests they wanted to bring in an AEW guy and that was the best they could do. QT's only claim to fame in AEW is heading up two different shitty heel factions, and literally any other member of either of those factions would be more impressive against Penta. This should be a cake walk for Penta except QT would naturally have tons of goons running in for him. I still think he'll win.

Negro Casas & Argenis & Chessman & Daga vs Nicho el Millionario & Damian 666 Rey Horus & Xtreme Tiger - This is billed as a Mexico City vs. TIjuana match, with Negro's team representing CDMX and Nicho's team representing Tijuana. According to TheCubsFan, where I get all my lucha information, this is all part of an ongoing singles feud between Nicho (52 years old) and Negro (63!). I can always count on Mexico to make me feel less bad about the US running grampa fights. The show is literally named after Tijuana so I'm thinking Team Tijuana wins.

Pagano & Bestia 666 & Mecha Wolf vs Vampiro & Aramis & Jack Evans - I could've sworn Vampiro was forced into retirement ages ago, but here he is. As far as I remember, this will be the first time I've seen him wrestle since WCW, but for all I know he was in a Copa Triplemania match a couple of years back that I clean forgot about. Anyway, I guess the story is Pagano was attacked months ago and recently returned accusing Vampiro of being responsible. Vamp doesn't like Pagano hanging around with Bestia and Mecha, the NWA world tag team champions. AEW fans may remember Jack Evans from working on Dark a few years ago. Aramis had a few matches in MLW but that's all I've got on him. I'm thinking Vamp's team wins.

Lady Shani & Sexy Star & Dalys vs Kamille & Natalia Markova & Viva Van - This seems to just be a random women's trios match. It's being billed as "Mexico vs. the best of the world." Kamille is the NWA women's world champion, but I wouldn't count on this match setting up a new challenger or anything. I guess her team will win.

Copa Triplemania - This is a gauntlet battle royale, so two participants start and each additional participant enters at timed intervals. Eliminations can occur at any time in the match, via pinfall, submission, or exiting the ring over the top rope to the floor. The last participant left in the match wins the Triplemania Cup. It's basically a clusterfuck to get all the undercard guys on the show.

Announced so far for the match are: Willie Mack, Mr. Iguana, Jack Cartwheel, La Hiedra, Flammer, Myzteziz, Puma King, Nino Hamburguesa, Dinamico, Gringo Loco, Laredo Kid, and Taurus. I expect surprise entrants, and I have no idea if there's any fixed limit to how many people can join the match. It feels like every time I watch one of these the finish comes down to the heel ref trying to pull shenanigans until a babyface ref saves they day. I don't think it matters who wins, but Mr. Iguana is my guy.