#a thunderous whisper

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: A Thunderous Whisper

Author: Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2012

Genres: fiction, historical fiction, war

Blurb: Ani believes she is just an insignificant whisper of a 12-year-old girl in a loud world; this is what her mother tells her, anyway. Her father made her feel important, but he’s been off fighting in Spain’s civil war, and his voice in her head is fading. Then she meets Mathias. His family has just moved to Guernica, and he’s as far from a whisper as a 14-year-old boy can be. Ani thinks Mathias is more like lightning, a boy of action. Mathias’ father is part of a spy network, and soon, Ani finds herself helping him deliver messages to other members of the underground. She’s actually making a difference in the world...and then her world explodes. The sleepy little market town of Guernica is destroyed by Nazi bombers. In one afternoon, Ani loses her city, her home, her mother...but in helping the other survivors, Ani gains a sense of her own strength, and she and Mathias make plans to fight back in their own unique way.

[justaz]

need post magic reveal/ban repeal where magic is free and everyone grows in their knowledge of just what magic is and how it works etc, etc. merlin (isn't one for bragging about his powers) doesn't really mention much about his magic so people just assume he has enough to get by with like chores but not enough to catch the ire of uther EXCEPT for gauis, lancelot, and arthur bc gaius and lancelot have known about him for years and know what he's capable of and arthur sat merlin down and demanded all the stories so arthur knows he'd be a formidable opponent but he doesn't really get it yk? so he's like "yeah merlin has magic and he's capable of defending himself and camelot so he's probably on the more powerful end of the spectrum like every other sorcerer who is powerful"

and then i need merlin to be Different. like noticeably different. like idk a sorcerer is like trying out to be court sorcerer (bc merlin doesn't want another job dammit arthur give it morgana or someone-) and they perform this elaborate spell that captivates merlin and he starts asking all these questions and the sorcerer is like "yeah it's super difficult, it took me months to get it right and it takes years for some others-" and they cut themselves off bc merlin was just like "i wanna try" and does it perfectly first try. the sorcerer is seething.

camelot is hit with a heatwave and everyone is suffering and arthur is just like "morgana can you make it rain or something? it's too hot to breathe." and morgana is just like "no you idiot i can't just bend nature to my will. it doesn't like that." and merlin finally arrives with waterskins full of nice, cold, refreshing drink that the knights are frothing at the mouth to get. arthur complains again and morgana huffs and merlin is like "has he been like that this whole time?" and morgana nods with a groan and merlin laughs before going "i can try something" and leaves before anyone can say anything and arthur looks at morgana and is like "i thought you said nature doesn't like to be controlled?" and she's like "it doesn't" and then they all chase after merlin but he's chilling in the courtyard with his eyes closed, not even chanting, and then the sky starts to darken as black clouds roll in, the temperature plummets and then...snow begins to fall. in july. they all end up having a snowball fight.

a power hungry sorcerer comes along and is like "emrys....he's perfect....just what i need...teehee" and casts some spell over merlin and begins to siphon his magic and his power and merlin feels waves of his magic flood through the connection and into the sorcerer and like he's a mix of panic and concern bc yeah this mf is taking his magic but they're taking his magic. merlin tries to bargain or talk them down while the knights and arthur try to attack but the sorcerer keeps pushing them back and ignores merlin and is like "i want power, i want your power" blah blah blah monologue time and they swing another wave of magic out at the knights and knock many out while killing some and merlin is just like "ok no that's all folks thanks" and starts to push his own magic through the connection. the sorcerer has this wild gleam in their eyes and they feel more and more power fill them and it's like a high until it gets too much and they frantically try to sever the connection and their telling merlin to stop but merlin is just like "i thought you wanted my power? i'm giving it to you" and continues to flood the sorcerer with his magic until gold begins to trace their skin and they idk explode or smth and then all the magic flies back into merlin and he flexes his hands. unnamed knights 3, 6, 22, 53, and 55 still died so it's a tragedy.

a bunch of sorcerers are entertaining at a feast (kind of like the trickler) and they cast illusions all around the room that look real enough (unless you look too closely or touch it bc they are somewhat see through and your hand would pass right through them) and it's a fun and joyous night. later that week, the knights bring it up during their break while training and merlin is like "sure, what illusion should i cast?" and after some back and forth, he settles on the illusion of a dragon. it's around the size and age of aithusa bc that's all he has to go off of and it's gold since he took inspiration from the pendragon crest all around the area. it jumps around and flaps it's wings to get some air and it's all fine and dandy until elyan goes to poke his hand through it's ribs but meets physical scales and he jumps up into percival's arms. merlin looks closer and is like "oh. its real. whoops." and leon is like "whoops?? you make a real life dragon and all you have to say is whoops?" and merlin shrugs and is like "it was an accident" and leon about keels over from a heart attack "an accident? how do you accidentally-" the dragon is considered a gift from magic to camelot and helps further heal the wounds of uther's purge.

idk just like merlin being casually the most powerful sorcerer to walk the earth and unnerving people just by how little he seems to care about his shows of power but they're all like "well he's just doing all these small things that don't harm anyone and he doesn't even seem to realize just how powerful he is so what can ya do?" and they leave it be and make peace with merlin being Like That. and then camelot/arthur is attacked or smth idk and then everyone gets to see exactly how powerful and dangerous merlin is

[mintchocolateleaves]

Part of the tragedy of Epic is the fact that Odysseus’ crew put him on a pedestal after the battle of Troy, in which not a single one of his men died, and the moment he made a mistake with the Cyclops and showed he was just a man like the rest of them, they started losing trust in him, bit by bit, leading Odysseus’ descent into a monster. In this essay, I will—

[uboacore]

Decided to add to my venn diagram to create this thing. It’s a bit of a mess

[spineless-lobster]

I would like to go one (1) day without having suffering stuck in my head but here we are on day 47 with no respite

[lanitashiddencrackstash]

[reuxben]

Here’s our MTGinktober for “Roam,” starring Miriam, Herd Whisperer; Andrios, Roaming Explorer; and Ox of Agonas! Los Churros Locos are the chillest desperado crew around, unless you cross them while they're mooing infinite.

Click this post’s Source link for this piece’s Making-Of.

More MTGinktober here.

Daily art updates on Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky.

Reuxben

[thisisntreaver]

Thinking about how Whisper is so determined to prove herself to her brother and one up you she is literally willing to ruin her reputation. You're her biggest rival literally because one time you beat her while sparring in front of her brother. Thunder is the most important person in her life, and she just wants his approval which he continously refuses to give her. It doesn't matter how bad it makes her look. Like if you choose to protect the greatwood orchard, she'll go against it just because she sees you took it. She literally says that.

Whisper leaving Albion, away from Thunder who barely acknowledges her after she begins training. Away from you who is not only her friend, but her main rival, and biggest reminder of her mistakes, is really the best decision she could have made. And its really the only one we see her mke for herself.

[mihai-florescu]

Ig we ship them, their shipname should be "NiceCock"

Good morning...

[firestars-five]

Naming (by Colony & Leader)

The Growling Thunder Colony - Flashy names that draw attention to the cat's personality rather than the cat themself.

Star Bluewhisker - The most creative names she can conjure up, will spend days thinking of something fierce and flashy while considering the personality of the cat. Despises most body part suffixes and never gives them to her warriors unless specifically requested. (Name examples: Darkwatcher, Cindersun, Burningheart, Hazelroar)

The Lurking Shadow Colony - Plain and simple. -Pelt and -fur suffixes are very common.

Star Brokentail - Spends little time thinking of meaningful names but at least diverges from the same suffixes. Occasionally gives pretty good names. (Name examples: Nightshademuzzle, Pinescatter)

The Whispering Wind Colony - Less skill or personality-based, more matching or similar family names. A littermate's name ending in -nose will likely result in the rest of the litter's names ending as -path, catcher, or -pounce.

Star Sedgetail - Willing to branch out from Wind tradition and give a cat a name different from their siblings if he feels it's earned or the siblings are far too different to share suffixes. (Name examples: Adderbite & Bubblewing, Mudclover & Claycatcher, Daisytail & Gorsetail, Emberstep & Ashfoot)

The Tranquil River Colony - Direct opposite of the Thunders. Names are more based on the cat themself than any skill or personality. Body suffixes are very common.

Star Crookedtree - Less kept together names than all the leaders. Still tries to follow River tradition but is more willing to go with what fits a cat. Attempting to take a page out of Bluestar's book and have more "flashy" names. (Name examples: Saugerstorm, Leopardtooth, Sunnysky, Moss-shine)

[thestarwarslesbian]

Time for an Owl House OC.

May I introduce, Ms. Thunder Whispers!

Name: Thunder Whispers

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 18

Family: Raine Whispers (Nini, I've seen it quite a few fics), Eda Clawthorne (Mother), Amber, Katya and Derwin (Siblings).

Place of residence: The BATs hideout with the rest of the BATs and Raine.

Type of magic: Bard

Coven: None.

Job: Bard magic teacher at Hexside

Best Friend: Katya

This is Thunder's palicman!

Name:Alto

Carved by: Thunder and Raine.

My AU with Thunder!

Thunder is the child of Raine Whispers and Eda Clawthorne. Raine breaks up with Eda. About a week later they find out they are pregant with Eda's child. The baby is a blessing from the titan as the titan liked Raine and didn't want them to be alone. Raine pushes back joining the bard coven until their child is born. But Raine found out about the corruption and decided that thye would still join but rebel at the same time. Whren Thunder is born, Raine then starts teaching at the coven.

When Thunder was 5 her and Raine create her Palisman. They carve the peacock and name him Alto. Alto and Fiddlesticks get along very well.

A few years later, Raine adopts Amber (15), Katya (18) and Derwin(19). They all meet a 16 year old Thunder and adore her. Thunder pracisces bard magic but decides she doesn't want to join the bard coven. The children go to Raine with the idea of the BATs. Raine agrees to be the leader while Thunder makes the plans and is their main startagist.

At the age of 17, they graduate and Bump asks her to teach Bard magic at the school. Thunder agrees and decides not to join a coven. Raine is very proud. When Luz joined the bard track she decides to speak to her teacher. Luz tell's Thunder that she looks like the good witch Azura. Luz also sid ementions that she looks like Eda a bit, esspecily the eyes. Now Thunder knows Eda is her mama, Raine didn't want to keep that a secret from her.

Eda doesn't meet Thunder until they CATs rescue her and Luz. Luz would be in shock that her bard teacher is part of a rebellion. Eda is in major shock that the girl looks like both her and Raine. Eda pulls Raine aside and asks about Thunder. Raine explains and says they even sent Eda letters. Eda would be mad at herself becuase she burned the letters.

Thunder fights with the kids and get's chucked in the human realm. Thunder decides to write a paper on how music can mainpulate others. They end up acciently getting a phD. Thunder and Hunter get close and finds out that Hunter is Transfem amd likes to go by Luna (I love that AU and wanted to combine it). Everything else in season 3 happened the same but Thunder is their.

When it is all over, Raine, Thunder and the BATs move into the owl house and Thunder starts to call Eda, Mama.

---------

And that's all I got so far.

What do you think?

[uniiiquehecrt]

Why is it a cosmic problem that the Asgardian bloodline will end with Thor? Asgard is no more - what we have is a nonmagical place on Earth where Asgardians live. When Asgard doesn't exist, who cares that there will be no heirs. The current ruler is someone to whom King Thor just gave the rulership. That's how every ruler will be made now - anyone the current ruler gives it to. Or maybe they start holding elections. Make it democratic.

They don't need heirs now. And Thor will die alone in a ditch. It doesn't matter anymore. Taika has made it so that everything in Thor's world is insignificant now. But this is a happy ending.

I... genuinely can't entirely tell if you're being sarcastic, nonny, or if this is a genuine question that perhaps I may be misreading... (and if I have, do feel free to send a follow up and correct me)

but there's quite a many problem with the royal bloodline ending with Thor from an in-universe standpoint, just as well as the trajectory of Asgard's fate from Ragnarok and Endgame onward is an insult to the worldbuilding of Earth-199999's Asgard and the Nine Realms.

There's a couple of different ways you could slice my statement and I would still argue that what I've said can be seen as true. But I'll go through the wide range of elements in your ask to best illustrate the broader strokes of my point.

but TL;DR:

Ultimately you answered your own question, and that's the best way to boil down the travesty of it all:

Q: Why is it a cosmic problem that the Asgardian bloodline will end with Thor? A: Taika has made it so that everything in Thor's world is insignificant now.

Not only this, but Thor is the lastoline of the royal family. Before which, there only existed himself, and his father, Odin. He is the last of a subspecies of alien on par with other massively powerful aliens like Titans and I would wager, potentially even more mortal Celestials like Ego. He's a being who can generate storms just because he's miffed. Once Thor is dead and gone, there will NEVER be an Asgardian who is more than just your usual 'super-strength, super-speed, super-endurance' humanoid looking alien. There will NEVER be an Asgardian with the ability to summons storms and have lightning flow through his veins.

Hela had dominion over life and death, Thor is effectively a living, breathing, walking, talking tempest, Odin can be inferred to have some kind of 'order' seeking affinity. Who knows about MCU Bor and Buri. They are INCREDIBLY ancient, and powerful beings. If MCU Asgardians are to MCU humans what D&D elves are to D&D humans, then Thor is to Asgardians what an eladrin elf is to normal elves.

And we are watching – have already watched, even, — that incredibly powerful, incredible RARE sub-species of asgardian effectively be driven to extinction.

Just think about that for a second.

(the rest has been put under a cut because this answer got long, and for that I apologize ... mostly.)

Asgard is no more - what we have is a nonmagical place on Earth where Asgardians live.

Yes. This. This is quite actually the crux of the problem of this choice. The most beautiful and compelling aspect of the MCU in Phase 1 in particular is the prospect of an alternative universe out there where, to quote Jane Foster, "magic is just science that hasn't been explained yet". A world where superheroes truly can exist and aren't cartoonishly corny as superhoes used to be depicted... I'll say pre!Raimi Spider-Man era. (Though.. the Goblin's costume is still pretty goofy.)

What made Thor stand out as an individual hero within the Avengers (both the team, and the 2012 feature), and what made him so compelling to quite a many fans new, old, or casual, was that Thor is magical. He comes from a place where magic and science are the same thing. His whole world is ethereal and timeless, it's vast and expansive, and because it's inspired by real world norse mythology — of which is itself a rich and fascinating study in and of itself — there are a thousand different directions he could be taken.

I may be speaking partly for myself, but he also further ropes in a fantasy-centric audience such as myself who largely enjoy high-fantasy, medieval inspirations, tales of chivalry, hope, love, adventure, magic, timeless knights and princes — Dark World in particular has him acting quite a bit like your typical idea of a chivalrious, regal, stately prince or honorable knight who is virtuous and kind, and who protects those who can't protect themselves.

And that's just a single aspect of what made him so unique. What made him so unbelievably lovely. Thor is lovely, and Thor is magical. His family, friends, world, and people are magical.

But as of RAGNAROK, the realm he hails from was destroyed before our eyes before we got to truly know anything about it.

As of ENDGAME and LOVE AND THUNDER, the people and culture of asgard that remain has been so watered down that they dared to make New Asgard a tourist attraction in some rinky-dink nowhere backwater coastal town no different than Puente Antiguo, New Mexico where Thor first crash-landed in the first film.

Asgard used to be on par with, if not even more intriguing and full of mystery, than Wakanda, the earthen monarchy. Now it's a tourist trap that ... for some reason has "infinity gauntlet" ice cream in the heart of the town of a people devastated by Thanos twice.

The current ruler is someone to whom King Thor just gave the rulership. That's how every ruler will be made now [...] They don't need heirs now.

Potentially unpopular opinion (?) but I have so many issues with the decision to give Lady Valkyrie Thor's birthright that it could take an entire 10 paragraph essay for me to fully delve into all of the issues.

In short:

To say Valkyrie had a character beyond "traumatized alcoholic with a chip on her shoulder" is ... generous at best. That's not a diss, that is entirely factual. I could not tell you what her Want vs. Need is, or her character goal, or her motivations, or why she bothered to suddenly help Thor (re: lack of motivations) because she never took any action with any real agency in RAGNAROK that wasn't spurred on by Loki. ....Off screen.

I also don't think that the woman who had spent over 1,500 years MINIMUM running away from her home and her people, festering bitterness, spite and hatred towards the royal line, and who never actually respected Thor in the first place because of who his father is should have been honored the title of King. She did not deserve that. Both in general, and as a character who frankly just did not get enough screentime to really be SHOWN caring for her people, atoning for her absence and otherwise supporting, caring for, and working alongside Thor. Had she actually been shown doing any of the above in a substantial amount of screentime, perhaps then I might have felt differently, as if she earned the position more than Thor who has spent 2 solo movies (not counting RAGNAROK) earning his place as a future leader. This is likewise not entirely counting his O.S. actions of maintaining peace under his authority between Avengers and Dark World, and his personal search for the Infinity Stones post!Age of Ultron.

Valkyrie is powerful, yes, but she is ultimately still NOT an Asgardian Royal. And to your point about "this is how every ruler will be made now" — Heimdal aside, NO OTHER ASGARDIANS have special powers. It is EXCLUSIVE to Odin's bloodline. (Frigga is a practicing witch and these are two incredibly different things, since Loki was taught his magic, not born with it.) This is a GLARING worldbuilding issue further highlighted down below, but the tl;dr of it is: the only reason why Earth has been largely untouched and the Nine Realms kept safe in isolation despite the constant going-ons of the other galaxies in the universe is BECAUSE of the royal line. Odin isn't kidding around when he says he (and his bloodline) are protectors of the Nine Realms. Valkyrie is most certainly able to try, but at the end of the day she's NEVER going to be able to get through very many galactic battles without ultimately calling on Thor for assistance at the end of the day. And when her time is up? Or when Thor is finally dead and gone? There goes your ace in the hole.

But more than that, thinking about it semi-realistically from a worldbuilding perspective:

It's quite literally a cosmic problem in that there is now a galactic power imbalance. MCU!Thor comes from a version of Marvel's world where the there aren't literal gods, but there are aliens. Tons of aliens. All with varying powers and proportions and what-have-you-not. More specifically: power humanoid aliens from a realm called Asgard, that in Earth-199999 inspired the entirety of the Norse mythos of the viking age.

These aliens, governed by the ruling monarch of the realm eternal, also govern over 8 additional realms— which for all we know could range from a territory that is a singular planet (vanaheim, asgard), to potentially an entire solar system (earth and its solar system). BOTH options nine times over marks an absolutely incredible empire for a singular species of alien to claim complete control and territory over.

But they were not only able to obtain this territory but continue to safeguard it under Asgardian protection because the royal family is gifted incredible power (Thor, for instance, can change the atmosphere out of sheer mindless emotion not to mention conscious thought), and have secured and/or subdued multiple infinity stones throughout the millenia (the aether/reality stone, the tesseract/mind stone, thor has also personally endured a power stone directly to the temple, for instance), and have maintained peace for a MINIMUM of a thousand years beneath Odin's reign as All-Father, Protector of the Nine Realms.

So, if the royal family governs its own pocket dimension planet, AND maintains peace and prosperity by personally safeguarding the territories itself and of eight additional realms, all with a variety of other alien species, ecosystems, solar systems, galactic quadrants, etc. ...Who are also KNOWN to be fierce and proud warriors who have likewise safeguarded ancient and powerful alien relics the likes of the tesseract/mind stone for hundreds if not thousands of years — and you take this long-lived warrior race out of their own equation...?

We're talking potential outbreaks of a new age of war the likes of those talked about in Thor (2011), in-fighting amongst the Nine Realms, invasions from outside realms of conquesting species, so on and so forth. Without Asgard and specifically a Royal Asgardian at the seat of power to maintain the balance of what has been built, (and i specify a ROYAL asgardian, aka Thor's line, because his bloodline is the only asgardian bloodline with the raw power to maintain and preserve everything long-term), well, you've effectively started a cosmic power vacuum — even if the MCU likely will never bother to explore the consequences of it.

Slight sidebar (albeit still mostly related), but:

Quite frankly one of the funniest aspects of Thor's relationships with Nick Fury and the humans that are equally as worked up about aliens existing, pointing their fingers at Thor as an example of their right to be wary (and eventually Loki and the Chutari, though those are more earned) is that they are effectively minimum-wage fast-food employees bad-mouthing he who is essentially the up-and-coming Chairman of the metaphorical "Yggdrasil's Nine Realms Fast Food Chain" without realizing who he actually is.

(Which, viewing through that lens makes the Avengers Nick Fury scene and the Tony Stark Age of Ultron scene even more hilarious despite the eventual coming of Thanos, because Thor, bless him, doesn't take ...much... offense to it until the bad-blood becomes over-bloated and geared towards the violent. RE: "My people want nothing but peace with your planet." / "Your work with the tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war.")

For all of the drama of MCU Phases 1-3, realistically speaking, Midgard is low enough on the hierarchy of Asgard's protected territories that not only would it not be targeted first by Asgard's enemies (or other conquesting alien species), but even if it WAS to be targeted, or if Asgard was in its own fit of warfare ... Earth wouldn't even know it in the first place because THAT is how good at their jobs the Asgardians are. Earth, despite being SURROUNDED by alien activity and having even been in possession of multiple infinity stones at a time throughout history, not ONCE realized that (other) aliens existed out there... during the entirety of the 1,000-some years of peace that Odin so often talked about.

[zutaralesbian]

Fandom misogyny is truly crazy because wdym Reaver (a remorseless murderer and capitalist slave-driver) is a fan favorite in the Fable fandom while Theresa and Whisper are hated and afforded no nuance

[hvonart]

In Minsk, where shadows swell, Concrete sighs under storm-laden skies, Glistening pavements reflect weary dreams, As whispers of discontent rise like vapor, Each figure a ghost, wrapped in silence. Steel towers loom, guardians of a restless past, Beneath the weight of clouds, hope flickers dim— A city poised on the brink, waiting, For thunder to echo in the hearts of the brave.

[skyclan-funny-name-squad]

Listen to warriors call, this is a threat

[abdullahblog2023]

In a world of calm| where the sound of rain meets the melodies of the heart

In a world far from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, one stands before a magical natural scene where the sounds of nature meet in a unique harmony that touches the heart. Here, in this quiet place, raindrops gently flow from the gray sky, dancing over the stone surfaces of the ancient castle located on the edge of the cliff. The raindrops fall slowly, as if whispers telling a story of peace and tranquility, and they harmonize with the heartbeats in a moment of inner serenity. In this beautiful painting, the sound of the waterfall flowing from the top of the cliff adds another dimension of beauty. The water of the waterfall falls forcefully, crushing the rocks below, and its sound fills the air with a steady depth and rhythm, as if it is participating in that natural symphony. The spray flying from the waterfall mixes with the raindrops, creating an atmosphere of refreshing humidity that fills the air with the pure fragrance of nature. In the background, thunder echoes from afar, announcing the power of the sky. Every peal of thunder is followed by a flash of lightning that lights up the sky for a moment, revealing the details of the ancient, majestic castle perched on the cliff. The bright lightning highlights the tall towers and solid stone walls, enhancing the sense of grandeur and majesty that surrounds this unique place. The scene is completed by the sounds of birds singing their sweet melodies among the branches of the surrounding trees. The chirping of birds adds delicate notes to the natural music played here, bringing together different elements of nature in a harmonious balance. Their sound comes like a gentle breeze that soothes the soul, inviting the mind and body to relax. This natural scene does not only embody visual beauty, but is an invitation to experience relaxation and harmony with oneself. In this quiet world, where natural sounds intertwine in harmony resembling the melodies of the heart, one can feel a deep inner peace as if nature is singing a special melody that invites everyone to listen and contemplate.