#aVANTIKA YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

[thewhizzyhead]

saw a clip of sexy from the mean girls musical movie and the directing is damn good I wanna see more

[bonelesssboiz]

Was talking about avantika with my Indian bf and I pronounced her name like she says in interviews and he said “….I don’t know if that’s how her parents pronounce her name”

[snowangeldotmp3]

mean girls (2024)

fine. FINE. it is time to discuss mean girls (2024) bc i can't stop thinking about it and i had a severe mean girls the musical phase in 2018 and 2020 two separate times. and also i took notes watching the movie last night. so now you are all subject to hearing them. spoilers, obvi. (under the cut, of course)

i think it should be noted here that i also have Thoughts and Feelings on the bway musical. so if anyone wants to know those... moving on.

it's a movie-musical adapted from the stage musical adapted from the 2004 movie adapted from a BOOK called Queen Bees and Wannabes released in 2002. now that that's out of the way:

the good:

the sets are so much fun in the movie. the musical is like. a few desks and tables and a bed that all move and then. screens. i missed real sets. so much

opening the musical with janis and damien recording the video in the garage and having their narration work like that worked sooooo well. and then of course ending in the garage was very fun.

speaking of janis and damien, these are my favorite versions of janis and damien. auli'i and jaquel KILL IT as janis and damien.

angourie's cady (acting-wise) is really good. really cute and naïve and it feels authentic as a transition from new kid cady to plastic cady.

i also don't mind the changes to apex predator. i think auli'i and jaquel killed it and i think it works! i like the choreo too where everyone is acting animalistic (re: this is Girl World in the og movie) except regina.

avantika and bebe wood are also really great as gretchen and karen. this might be my favorite version of karen. ily karen shetty.

LOVE this version of someone gets hurt. i love regina controlling the atmospehere around her and literally becoming the apex predator. the partygoers don't move unless she allows it, and even planning cady's reaction (which is. gayer than expected) is so good.

CONTROVERSIAL TAKE? i prefer the story behind the pyro-lez thing. i never liked the space dyke story in the musical and i thought it was weird (though i prefer them calling her a space dyke because it's supposed to be mean. ya know)

im saving this for this bullet point bc every other bullet point would've been about but i've been a fan of renee's regina for forever now, so being able to see it outside of broadway and outside of shaky bootlegs is a blessing.

after regina eats shit at the talent show, during the social media montage, you can briefly hear the intrumental version of world burn, and i think thats cool.

SOMEONE GETS HURT (REPRISE) you will always be famous. i am so sorry they didn't put you on the soundtrack

damien on the jazzy will forever be funny. it's better than the og movie. i will stand by this.

also the background/looming beat of world burn like a second after janis gets done singing + the looming threat of regina's revenge is very cool.

OH world burn is very awesome in this bc. duh. of course it is. but what really stands out to me is that it's like apex predator again where everyone is acting like animals and reginas above it all (bc she did this lmao). another thing is the transition between one of the high notes to regina fake crying in mr duvalls office. that was so slay.

the reginald joke is my fave in the whole musical and im so glad they kept it. it makes me giggle every time.

canon lesbian janis imi'ike i love you.

the bad:

i miss all of the songs. give me back It Roars, Where Do You Belong, the entirety of Meet the Plastics, the What's Wrong with Me reprise, FEARLESS! and Whose House is This, More is Better, and Do This Thing!! GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!!! PLEASE!!! OH my god and Stop. jaquel would've blown this out of the water i just know it.

i miss the jokes about mrs george and her boob job. that shit was hilarious.

i don't care for cady's pov in revenge party in this one. those who have seen it Know.

i also miss the "NO! THEY'RE BOTH IN THE COSTUME!" that shit killed me. absolutely hilarious.

the musical (bway edition) actually did cut some of the iconic scenes from the movie, but i think this movie would've benefitted from adding them back in. give me the "we should totally just stab caesar!" line.

i hate Rockin Around The Pole. so fucking much. i hate it in the broadway version and i hated it in this. i hate this song so fucking much.

chris briney. that's all. he's got about as much personality as a wet piece of paper. get a different aaron.

even the broadway musical is like, actually mean. it still pales in comparison to the og movie. this movie could have done a little more to stand out from the actual musical and the og movie. idk. it could've said something. but if you walked into this movie and expected it to say something then that's on you. sorry.

this isn't something that needs to be categorized but i miss cady's inner monologue. it's very obvious in the movie but she's even got these cute little asides in the musical that i WISH they would've kept. like: "it seems kinda bad to spy on someone, but they're the first friends i've got, and i don't want to have none." is so much fun and gives cady so much character and i love it so much. erika henningsen is my favorite variation of cady. she's believable as both nerdy cady and plastic cady. also she's so, so funny. (honestly i think they should've brought her back for cady's songs in this musical. sawry. i don't think they should've replaced angourie bc i really like her cady But.)

another cute and quirky thing that i like from the musical that isn't in the movie (because it would be really hard to pull off) is that mrs heron/mrs george/mrs norbury are all played by the same actress.

anyway that's all i have to say about mean girls (2024). in my (completely unprofessional) opinion, they should've literally just adapted the actual musical script if they wanted to make this so bad. or released a pro-shot with renee as regina and this cast or something. they should've gone all out campy musical with this one instead of trying to market it as a remake bc it's not Really a remake. like it Is but it's Not.

if u read this whole thing thank you. if you saw this post and went "jesus christ" im sorry. i wish i could stop thinking about it, too.

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

i haven’t opened tiktok in like 3 days because of the cesspit it’s become regarding the avantika-rapunzel thing. it’s become a great example of why racism and anti-blackness are not always synonymous. it’s racist the way people, majority white, are treating avantika with their reactionary bullshit to a fan-cast, mind you, with cries and woes of “rapunzel’s german, she’s not😡” ok neither is meg donnelly or sabrina carpenter yet their fancasts are welcomed and encouraged. emma watson wasn’t french (she was born in france that doesn’t make her french, learn the difference) but no one came for her talents or appearance when she portrayed live action belle. anyways, anti-blackness rears its ugly again because, without fail, every time white people feel their whiteness is threatened, black people always bear the brunt of aggressions. tiana has no place in this conversation because avantika isn’t black, therefore saying “*insert white person here* as tiana” makes you look moronic. it seems no matter how many times we say tiana’s race is essential to the plot because her being black is why the ferners say “someone of her background” wouldn’t be able to run a restaurant. her being black is why they even accepted a second bid despite knowing tiana wanted the sugar mill. use your fucking brains. why, why, why are black people always in it. i’m so tired.

anyways, anyways, y’all look dumb as fuck trying to find reasons why an indian girl, a demographic known for their long, beautiful, hair, often found in braids, can’t be rapunzel, a girl with long, beautiful hair.

or why parts of indian culture such as diwali, a festival of lights can’t fit rapunzel, the movie whose most famous scene is set during a festival of lights.

[ogdencollegerp]

MEET GREER’S ROOMMATE  -  THE NEPO BABY.

{ FACECLAIM, AGE, GENDER, PRONOUNS } Is that FIRST NAME LAST NAME? A JUNIOR/SENIOR originally from HOMETOWN, they decided to come to Ogden College to study MAJOR on an ATHLETIC / ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP (remove if character is not a scholarship student). They’re THE NEPO BABY on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

ABOUT THIS SKELETON: To live with THE GOLDEN GIRL….an intimidating thing, to see the truth behind that public persona.  But if anyone could understand it, surely it was THE NEPO BABY. Another master of a facade, considering who their parents are. Oh, you heard who they are already? Welcome to the life of the rich and famous. Everyone thinks they know who you are. And everyone thinks they understand the relationship between Greer and her roommate, how they got along. But…did they? Or did they just pretend to? After all, if anyone would have dirt on Greer, it would be her roommate.

MAJOR PLOT POINTS THUS FAR: 

THE NEPO BABY was one of four students who received a letter from THE GOLDEN GIRL on September 18th…that Greer haddated to be delivered on August 29th. Read more here !!!

After the time capsule leak, the cops interviewed everyone on campus again - unluckily for THE NEPO BABY, their interview was a disaster, and the officers have reason to suspect they were involved with THE GOLDEN GIRL’s disappearance.

When the Commons was set ablaze during commencement weekend, a group of students had been lured there by G. THE NEPO BABY found themselves on the first floor, shortly before THE SIREN....fell.

SUGGESTED FCS:

Nilsu Berfin Aktas, Simay Barlas, Avantika, Banita Sandhu, Jennie Kim, Zaria Simone, Coco Jones, Sydney Park, Zion Moreno, Priscilla Quintana, Alisha Boe, Simone Ashley, Mimi Keene, Piploy Kanyarat, Sadie Soverall, Sonia Ben Ammar

CHECK OUT OUR WANTED CONNECTIONS !!!

SUGGESTED CONNECTIONS BELOW THE CUT

How unfortunate for THE CLOSET GAY that THE NEPO BABY knew the secret of what went on behind THE GOLDEN GIRL’s closed door….or at least highly suspected. Not going to stay a secret for long anymore. 

THE NEPO BABY could likely know more about THE GOLDEN GIRL’s secrets than anyone, considering they lived together. So what does it say that they have never liked THE PUPPETMASTER and Greer’s friendship with them?

Everyone knows that THE GOLDEN GIRL wasn't the first to use THE ERUDITE STONER and THE SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT to cut corners - would the be surprised to hear THE NEPO BABY did as well ?? Probably not - it’s practically their birthright, after all. 

With THE GOLDEN GIRL constantly inviting THE DRAG ALONG and THE FALLEN PRINCESS in their room, THE NEPO BABY got more than their fair share of the trio. They never seemed to be crazy about them, but…seems like there might be an opening in the group now. 

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR has a family in politics and philanthropy, THE NEPO BABY has a famous family - and they both have a close relationship with THE GOLDEN GIRL. No wonder they both ended up being friendly with THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY too - someone who makes friends and connections that easily surely isn’t using them.

THE NEPO BABY immediately became the subject of THE HOMEGROWN HERO’s idolization - how could they be expected to social climb without sucking up to the most connected one on campus ?? Now that THE GOLDEN GIRL is gone, of course. Besides, they, like, totally both get the “fame” thing.

THE NEPO BABY always acted like she hated when THE GOLDEN GIRL invited her boyfriend around their room (to the point where it maybe seemed like too much)…but now that THE EXONERATED has returned from their expulsion...what will their relationship become ??

It's safe to say that with THE GOLDEN GIRL missing in action last year, THE NEPO BABY got used to not having to share their room. Enter THE WANNABE - but just because they got the room key doesn't mean they'll be welcomed.

[themovieblogonline]

Mission Majnu (2023): The “Romeo” Spy

“Romeo” is out on a mission! This time not for his Juliet, but for the sake of his motherland; India! Bollywood brings you an epic fictional spy story that is supposed to have occurred during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War. Titled “Mission Majnu”, this fictional spy-thriller was released on Netflix on January 20, 2023, after facing multiple delays. Co-written by Parveez Shaikh, Aseem Arora, and Sumit Batheja; co-produced by Ronnie Screwvala, Amar Butala, and Garima Mehta; and directed by Shantanu Bagchi, the film stars Sidharth Malhotra in the lead role. Mission Majnu (2023) Official Teaser: Mission Majnu (2023) Synopsis: The story dates back to the early 1970s. India and Pakistan are at war. India’s intelligence agency RAW suspects that Pakistan is making a nuclear bomb. RAW plans to track down Pakistan’s nuclear facility and neutralize it. So, it sends its undercover officer Amandeep Singh (Sidharth Malhotra) to Pakistan to investigate the secret nuclear facility where the bomb is being made. In Pakistan, Amandeep Singh disguises themself as a tailor named Tariq Ali to give light to his secret mission. However, during his mission in Pakistan, he gets attracted to a blind woman named Nasreen (Rashmika Mandanna). They eventually marry. Now, Amandeep a.k.a Tariq will have to balance his undercover mission with his personal life. Will he be successful in this covert mission to Pakistan? Watch till the end to know! Mission Majnu (2023) Official Trailer: https://youtu.be/Gw77Nx4eBMc The Good: Great Lead Coupled With Outstanding Support Sidharth Malhotra has carried out his role of the daredevil spy Amandeep Singh a.k.a Tariq Ali quite competently. Bollywood reports reveal that Sidharth had to go through some intense action stunt training to step into the shoes of this fictitious Indian spy. Rashmika Mandanna as Tariq’s blind love-interest turned wife Nasreen, did well too. However, she had brief appearances in the movie, and her short sequences didn’t give her much space to showcase her talent better. https://youtu.be/Sb8sasFaRTM Kumud Mishra played the role of RAW's senior field agent Raman Singh who was disguised as a Pakistani named Maulvi, and was helping Amandeep carry out his secret mission. Sharib Hashmi played the character of Amandeep’s other ally in Pakistan named Aslam Usmaniya. I must say, these two actors carried out their supporting characters excellently. Zakir Hussain as Amandeep's in-charge, Sharma was hilarious. His character was always dismissive of Amandeep. The way he humiliated Amandeep with his comical dialogues was indeed funny as well as interesting to watch. Other actors included Parmeet Sethi as a RAW officer and Amandeep’s boss, R.N. Kao, Rajit Kapur as the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mir Sarwar as Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, Avantika Akerkar as the former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Avijit Dutt as former Indian politician Morarji Desai. These actors had brief roles in the movie. Still, they lent excellent support. It was indeed a pleasure to watch famous personalities like Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto come alive with the makeup and performances of these actors. Although Indian spy Amandeep Singh a.k.a Tariq Ali is a fictitious character, personalities like Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, and Bhutto are world famous and really exist. Awesome Dialogues The dialogues in Mission Majnu have been written by Sumit Batheja. In some instances, the dialogues are great and add to the patriotic essence of the movie. The way Sidharth Malhotra has delivered them is appealing as well. Some of the dialogues are indeed worth applause! https://youtu.be/Dm70ALp_NpA Visually Convincing With Sharp Editing I would say, the only aspect which added a bit of thrill in Mission Majnu is the convincing cinematography by Bijitesh De. The filming was done in Lucknow city located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The sets and backgrounds were made as per the “Pakistani atmosphere”. Being an Indian, I have never been to Pakistan because I am not allowed to. However, upon watching this film, I truly felt that the cinematic atmosphere was created to resemble that of Pakistan; the backgrounds, localities, dressing style of the actors, everything! The editors, Nitin Baid and Sidharth Pande, have kept the film’s duration, 2 hours and 10 minutes with their precise editing. This film does not fluctuate very often and has little space for confusion. Yes, there are some loose moments as apart from being a spy-thriller, this happens to be a love story too. However, the editors have done their best in placing all sequences systematically, thus making the story easy for the audiences to understand. Rabba Janda: A Pleasing Song The tracks in Mission Majnu have been choreographed by Tushar Kalia. The romantic track “Rabba Janda” is melodious. And why not! After all, it has been sung by Jubin Nautiyal who has achieved stardom in the musical world owing to his magical voice. However, there is another patriotic track “Maati Ko Maa Kehte Hain”, sung by the iconic singer Sonu Nigam, which not only lacks melody but lacks rhythm as well. I am highly disappointed that such an iconic singer like Sonu Nigam, who has been regarded as the “King of Melody” and was one of my favorites during the 1990s, has performed so horribly in this track. The background music in Mission Majnu is not so appealing as well. https://youtu.be/KfFbnOXWt4A The Bad: Not A New Story The story of Mission Majnu has been written by Parveez Shaikh and Aseem Arora. There’s nothing new to the story. Bollywood, in the past few decades, has come out with numerous spy-thrillers involving secret service agents on their mission to Pakistan. So, the predictability in the plot makes the story lose its sense of thrill. You will always know what the outcome will be. The Indian spy will complete his mission successfully, whether he lives or dies at the end. More On “The Missing Thrill” The thrill in Mission Majnu diminishes even further because of the manner in which Aseem Arora, Parveez Shaikh, and Sumit Batheja co-wrote its screenplay. A scene goes where Tariq Ali and Aslam Usmaniya stealthily sneak inside a nuclear facility in Pakistan and end up getting caught. The scene has been portrayed in a way that the audience does not experience the level of excitement or thrill that they should have. Also, as the screenplay unfolds, the viewers start feeling that nothing really is impossible for Amandeep a.k.a. Tariq. He seems invincible, ready to take on any obstacle and achieve anything he wishes for. This adds a sense of easiness to the screenplay which in fact makes it even less engrossing. Besides, if you ask me personally, then I would say that such a concept of an “invincible spy” is direly absurd. The action scenes in Mission Majnu, choreographed by Ravi Verma, could have been more exciting. When you watch an action-oriented spy-thriller that involves an Indian secret mission to Pakistan, you have a lot of expectations. One of the action scenes involved Sidharth Malhotra hanging from a train. This scene was intense and entertaining, but it resembled the action scene from the 1970s iconic blockbuster “Sholay” which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. So here, familiarity breeds contempt! The climax of Mission Majnu does add a bit of thrill, but that is just not enough for spy-thriller lovers like me! Apart from “thrill”, the story also lacks patriotism. After all, the fictitious spy Amandeep Singh a.k.a Tariq Ali is on a mission for India. Upon watching Mission Majnu, I found the patriotic essence lacking. You too will probably agree with me, if you watch this movie. I feel the main reason why the patriotic essence faded away is that here Amandeep Singh, in spite of being a spy in Pakistan, married and settled with a blind Pakistani woman. This was actually not expected on his behalf. The fictitious character of Amandeep Singh who disguised as Tariq Ali truly lacked moral sense. I agree with the fact that love knows no boundaries. But when you are a spy in a different country, you got to set your own boundaries! https://youtu.be/_otYHRxJ7JA The Verdict: Shantanu Bagchi has directed this film and his direction is just average. No doubt, he has extracted great performances from the actors. However, he has failed to establish the thrill as well as the feeling of patriotism towards the Indian Motherland in this anti-Pakistani spy-thriller. Indian Cinema has the habit of poking Pakistan every now and then. For decades, Bollywood has produced uncountable anti-Pakistani action-thrillers, spy-thrillers, and whatnot! Bollywood has mainly placed its focus on the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War with movies like Border (1997) and the Kargil War of 1999 with movies like LOC: Kargil (2003). Bollywood also showcases plane-hijacking movies involving Pakistani terrorists and also movies on terrorism events like the 26/11 attacks. However, these are true events and if Bollywood has showcased these events against Pakistan, that cannot be addressed as "Anti-Pakistani” because Pakistan is the nuisance creator here. However, when you make something like Mission Majnu, which is entirely fictional, then this is something that is uncalled for. This film is said to have been “inspired by true events”. However, no such nuclear spying incidents have ever been recorded to have occurred in history. If you ask me, being an Indian I am telling you, this act of deliberately poking another country, that too our arch-rival, is not cool at all! This may only lead to further agitation between the two countries. It is becoming a trend in Bollywood; make an anti-Pakistani movie, and tag it as being “inspired by true events”. I was not born during the early 1970s. Even if such a secret mission did take place at that time, it has been highly dramatized in this movie which makes it absolutely fictional. Also, if such a daring spy like Amandeep ever existed, then where is he now? If he is alive, why has he not been recognized by the Indian media? This is what I am saying from the viewpoint of a film critic. However, if you ask me from the viewpoint of an Indian, I would say that Bollywood has done the right thing by coming out with another taunting movie aimed at Pakistan. When Pakistan creates a nuisance by sending terrorists to our country, then it does deserve to be pinched a bit with movies like this. It is another thing that this movie will be banned in Pakistan. Who can tolerate his or her own degradation? Nobody can! To conclude, I am relieved that Mission Majnu has been released on Netflix. Had it been released in theaters, then it would have been very difficult for this film to keep its audiences engrossed throughout its runtime. Read the full article

[princessamericachavez]

Ok but please consider you’re Sabian and you’ve known Fjord most of his life, first as a chubby big toothed kid and then as a skinny man trying his best to look human... and the whole time he’s been this tense, quiet and mildmannered goodie-two-shoes, always trying so hard to stay on everyone’s good side, too scared to speak up or defend himself when you poke fun of his teeth or his looks or his blood. And, sure, technically he is first mate and Vandran’s little golden boy and so you should be doing what he says, but you make it just as painfully annoying as possible just for kicks, to see him squirm and try his best to maintain control of the situation.

The last time you saw little Fjord you were throwing a knife into his chest before he could tell on you, then blew up his ship in the middle of a storm.

And then, AND THEN, four months later he shows up on the docks and calls himself “Captain Tusktooth” and you don’t know whether to laugh at the ridiculous name or the fact that Fjord is still after all this time trying so hard to pretend to be someone else. You don’t laugh, though, because his being here could ruin everything. Hes the only witness of your sabotage, a loose end you need to deal with.

Except, you can’t. Because before you can even begin to plan his demise there’s a fire down at the docks and you get pulled into a big audience with the Plank King and, surprise surprise, Fjord is there with the bunch of weirdoes he’s now traveling with?! Not only that, but Avantika is publicly blaming him for your deeds? It all seems too good to be true, too perfect, and then the short angry human punches Avantika and the woman starts pouring out all these truths she had no business in confessing, not now, not yet.

You disappear into the shadows before you end up like her. Later, you hear the king snapped her neck and that Fjord and his friends took off in her ship. You begin to wonder who the hell those people are.

You hide and hide your time for a while, until a Nicodranas Captain comes across you and mentions she met Fjord on the docks a while ago and that he sent a message for you: “He’s looking for you.”

Fuuuuck fuck fuck. So, ok, maybe you NEED to deal with this scrawny fucker before he can fuck everything up for you. Fine.

You try to find him and the first news you get us that apparently someone like him is working for the dynasty? No way. What could he offer to the Kyrnn? Honeyed words? But then your sources also say he’s in Rexxentrum and apparently was involved with some huge mess in a cathedral and then ended up in an audience with the king?! That can’t be right, anxious an insecure Fjordie would never pull something like that. And then there’s talk around Darktow about the big peace submit, everyone discussing whether it’s worth the risk to go after all those fancy ships meeting in the middle of nowhere right now. One of the captain’s, they say, is called Tusktooth. Your blood goes cold.

You decide to wait for him back in Nicodranas to “surprise” him when he returns, but then the peace talks end and the ships return and he doesn’t? Where the fuck is he? Someone mentions seeing a half orc like him in Rexxentrum? Except it really really really can’t be Fjord because why would a member of the Cerberus Assembly even hire him? What does she need a sailor boy for? And they are going to the nordest nord of gods know where?!

You make your way back to Darktow ruminating on his disappearance and wondering whether this is good or bad news for you. And then you get word that “Kotho” as in THE FAMOUS BOUNTY HUNTER THAT HAS BEEN MISSING FOR OVER A DECADE is somewhere in town and asking for you?!

Well shit.

And then, when running is useless and you get caught and dragged into the deck of a ship you don’t recognize and there’s a tiefling and a cow man and the scowling woman and a scrawny redhead human and a halfling and there, standing between them with a scowl and the strength of a self made man, is Fjord Stone with a huge sword by his side and something magical sparkling in his hand and WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS?! WHO IS THIS MAN?!

[luckyjak]

snippet: the mighty seven

real rough draft at this point, but I like it so I thought I’d share. Premise is: Caleb is in an alternate universe, where he never joined the Mighty Nein

He follows her down the busy road--well, as busy as Felderwin gets, he supposes--and as they walk he tries to catch the excitable firbolg’s attention. “Whoever Marion is may be right; you are leading me to your friends, and you do not even know my name.”

“Is that important? Do names signify if someone is trustworthy?” Clarabelle asks, introspectively. “Weird. You haven’t asked for my name, either.”

“It’s Clarabelle.”

“It’s Clara--hey, how’d you know that?”

I traveled with your brother for quite some time. In a different life, I helped turn you back from stone. “You said it yourself: you are quite famous, no?”

“You are lying. But that’s okay. Keep your secrets,” she grins, and he notices she is carrying a sword and shield on her back. “You still haven’t told me your name.”

“It is Caleb.”

“That seems, hmm,” she pauses, climbing over a log. They are on the outskirts of Felderwin now, heading towards the river where Veth drowned in his timeline. “True and not true at the same time. You are a very interesting person, Mr. Caleb!”

“Thank you?”

“Anyway, we’re here!” She gestures towards a group of people sitting along the river. Immediately at the sight of him, they all seem to arm themselves rather quickly. “It’s okay! I brought him!” Clarabelle says, causing them to lower their weapons and spells. “Welcome to the Mighty Seven!”

He counts. “There are eight of you.”

“Nine, technically,” Clarabelle explains. “But uh, Cree died before they found me, so…”

“Clarabelle,” the red tiefling of the group--Marion Lavorre, Caleb realizes with a start--says with a tired sigh. “Who did you bring this time?”

“This is Caleb!” Clarabelle says, holding her arms out as if to show him off. “He wants to go to Xhorhas!”

“I know him,” comes a thick Zemnian accent from a broad-shouldered man, and Caleb realizes suddenly that he is looking at this universe’s version of Eodwulf. “But it has been a long time, Bren.”

“Wulf,” he says quietly.

He intends to say more, but then there is a goblin in his face with a crossbow. “Do I need to shoot him, Ollie?”

The goblin is male, and wears glasses, and has thick sideburns, and holy shit, he’s Yeza, but a goblin.

“No,” Wulf says. “I don’t think he’ll hurt us. He was a farmer, last time I saw him. What a farmer needs in Xhorhas, though, I cannot imagine.”

Caleb rubs the back of his head. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“We’ve got the time,” a sultry voice says, and Caleb turns to face Avantika, holding Fjord’s old sword at her side. 

“True,” says a dark-skinned woman he doesn’t recognize, but based on the sword on her back and the flowers in her hair, he assumes she must be this group’s equivalent to Yasha. “We have been wondering where we should go from here. Tell us your story, stranger.”

“May I know your names, first?” he asks, looking around the group. He recognizes most of them, but there are a few that still seem out of place.

“Of course,” Avantika answers for the group. “I’m Avantika. You’ve met Clarabelle,” the excitable firbolg nods. She points then to the dark skinned woman. “This is Zuala.”

The woman bows before him. “How do you do?”

“Marion Lavorre,” Avantika points.

“The Ruby of the Sea,” Caleb nods. “A pleasure.”

Marion smiles in return. “It’s always nice to know I have a fan.”

Avantika continues. “Expositor Dairon,” she gestures to the familiar elf before continuing down the line. “Oliver Leon, our wizard.”

“You knew me as Wulf,” Eodwulf--Oliver--Caleb thinks. “You can still call me that, if you prefer.”

“Bottle, our alchemist,” Yeza Brenatto nods to him. “And our newest member, Desren--”

The pale elven figure takes off his hood, and as he does so the disguise shimmers and fades away, revealing dark purple skin and a familiar grin, albeit on a different face. “I think honesty will do us good here, Avantika,” the elf says, smiling to Caleb. “Verin Thelyss, at your service.”

“Essek’s brother,” Caleb says before he can stop himself.

[night-filled-mountain]

So, uh. I wrote a post. About Fjord and Caleb. It is over 3000 words long. I’m not going to make any attempt to justify this as a life decision. All I’ll say is that I am sure as hell putting this under a cut, and I would only venture beneath that cut if you really, really want to read an obsessive analysis of practically every significant interaction Fjord and Caleb have ever had (complete with direct quotes thanks to the light of my life, @crtranscript) that is longer than a goddamn term paper.

So the thing that keeps getting to me is that when Caleb agreed to bleed all over a dark altar to satisfy Fjord’s (and his own) curiosity, and he asked if Fjord would help him with his own goals when the time comes, Fjord didn’t say “Yes” or “It’s a deal” or anything along those lines. He said, “Always.” (This was in episode 44, which we all know, but I’m noting it because I’m going to be talking about a lot of different episodes in this post.)

We all know that Caleb tends to view almost all social interactions as transactional. (I’ve seen people claiming that Nott is the one exception to this rule, and I’d actually argue that Jester is the one exception, but that’s a whole other post.) Fjord, on the other hand, does not view his relationships with the Mighty Nein that way. He never has. In fact, I feel like he, more than any other member, has seen them as a family from the start. Furthermore, I think that this fundamental misunderstanding between Fjord and Caleb goes back almost as far as the campaign itself.

Courtesy of the amazing folks @crtranscript, here’s their famous conversation from episode 4 of this campaign, “Disparate Pieces”:

Caleb: This group seems rough around the edges, but you seem clever. Hopefully we can make this work.

Fjord: I think we should be able to, yeah. I mean, a little guidance goes a long way. You seem to be good at looking out for Nott.

Caleb: I mean, full disclosure, I’m a little rough around the edges, but you catch my drift.

Fjord: I do. You can trust us. You’re safe here. I’m concerned with what happens with Jester and Beau. I think, amongst all of us, we should be fine.

Caleb: Let’s make it work.

Fjord: We’ll make it work.

The thing is, I don’t think Fjord does catch Caleb’s drift, or vice versa. Caleb is talking about practicalities--about his hope for a group that can remain cohesive for a while, protect him from danger, and help him achieve his goals, assuming he does the same for them. His comment that they are “rough around the edges” is an expression of his anxiety that they will not fulfill those criteria, which is why he comes to Fjord, who he sees as the most levelheaded and friendly of the bunch, to try and assuage his fears.

And then there’s his “Full disclosure, I’m a little rough around the edges,” which reveals an alternate anxiety that he struggles with enormously to this day: that he might not be useful to them--or at least, not useful enough to off-set all his baggage. Caleb sees other people as commodities, but he also sees himself that way. Yes, he has considered leaving the Mighty Nein with Nott (or even taking off on his own) when he starts to feel they might endanger his life or hinder his goals...but he is also afraid of being forced out. Of being abandoned by the group if they learn what he’s done, or the fragile state of his sanity, or how much danger hangs over him. From his perspective, his entire relationship with Beau hinges on this fear, and it (along with Beau being...Beau) periodically gets in the way of the genuine friendship they might otherwise develop.

In short, Caleb went to Fjord in “Disparate Pieces” to find out whether he thought that the future Mighty Nein would make a good toolbox, and to pitch himself as a useful tool in that box, despite his shortcomings. Fjord, though, takes things much deeper than that:

He acknowledges friendships and protective urges within the group (“You seem to be good at looking out for Nott” and “I’m concerned with what happens with Jester and Beau”). He’s positioning himself and Caleb as protectors within the group, watching over its younger or more chaotic members, without even considering why they would want to/what they will get in exchange. (Note that at some point in those early episodes, he even offered to protect Frumpkin if that mattered to Caleb.)

He doesn’t offer Caleb any specific skills or services, nor ask what he can give in return. Instead, he makes an unconditional blanket statement: “You can trust us. You’re safe here.” Considering the sum total of Caleb’s life experiences, it seems highly doubtful that Caleb actually believed him. Yet I’m pretty sure Fjord meant every word.

He doesn’t think (like Caleb will in episode 26, “Found and Lost,” after the Iron Shepherds abduction) about what each member of the group might contribute to his goals. He just makes another blanket statement: “Amongst all of us, we should be fine.” In his mind, they’re already a unit. And not just a functional unit like a toolbox, or even a ship’s crew. They’re a family. They’re like two misfit dads with a pack of adopted misfit children. (This also goes a long way to explaining the perpetual tension between Fjord and Nott, but again, that’s a whole other post.)

And to me, that’s it right there, the fundamental divide. Mighty Nein as toolbox vs. Mighty Nein as family. It explains Caleb and Fjord’s one big schism: Scrollgate (episode 12, “Midnight Espionage”). To Caleb, you always use the handiest tools in your arsenal, whether they happen to be your teammates or a magical scroll in a drawer. To Fjord, the safety of the family comes before personal goals, always: “We’re either a team, or you’re working for yourselves. Decide.” And note that a few seconds after Caleb “decided” (by dropping the scroll and walking out of the room), Fjord was hauling an unconscious Caleb out of a burning house and pouring a healing potion down his throat. Their confrontation was irrelevant the moment Caleb confirmed himself as part of the family.

This division doesn’t just explain why they’ve clashed in the past, though, but also why their relationship has improved. When did Fjord’s opinion of Caleb take a turn for the better? When Caleb showed up at the Sour Nest, played a central role in defeating the Iron Shepherds and freeing his kidnapped teammates, and then comforted them and expressed affection for them (episode 30, “The Journey Home”). Travis said on Talks Machina that both he and Fjord were surprised by Caleb’s behavior--he’d expected Caleb to “throw it in their faces” or talk about how they owed him for the rescue. And honestly, is it any surprise he expected this? It would have fit Caleb’s m.o. perfectly. Both the rescue itself and Caleb’s selfless behavior afterward were a major turning point for Caleb, a non-transactional approach to his relationship with the gang. And Fjord fully recognized how huge that was, and took care to thank Caleb specifically for it.

But that brings me to the current Avantika/Uk’otoa arc, and all the fascinating Caleb/Fjord interactions it’s brought us, culminating in the madness that was Thursday night’s “blood pact.” I think that, during this arc, the tables have turned. If the Iron Shepherds arc helped repair their relationship because Caleb began to act more like Fjord, then this arc has complicated their relationship because Fjord (as Caleb sees it) has begun to act more like Caleb.

This, I think, has been the subtext lurking beneath Caleb’s repeated, insistent questioning of Fjord about what he wants, what his specific goals are during this quest, and how he wants the Mighty Nein to help achieve them. It makes perfect sense that Caleb has been so frantic to get to the bottom of that question, and that Fjord’s genuinely confused and non-committal answers have been driving him nuts. Because, from Caleb’s perspective, Fjord is finally utilizing the Mighty Nein for their proper purpose: to achieve personal goals.

Fjord must have goals. He must have a specific design for the thing he wants to build with his toolbox (because Caleb does, and Nott does, and Trent Ikithon did, and that’s pretty much the full range of Caleb’s experience). If he would just say what they are, Caleb could get back on familiar ground and frame the whole quest as transactional, offering to help achieve Fjord’s goals in exchange for the same privilege down the line, or refusing and cutting his losses if the risk is too high (which he threatened to do if Fjord tried to awaken Uk’otoa). If, however, Fjord won’t state his goals clearly, he must be shady, untrustworthy, deliberately hiding something, trying to manipulate his “toolbox” to achieve the desired result. It couldn’t possibly be because he never had a plan beyond “Find some answers and assume my family has my back.” It couldn’t possibly be that he wants the decision process to be collaborative, even during his own personal quest, because that’s how a family gets things done...could it?

So we have the two of them constantly, subtly working at cross-purposes. In episode 40, “Dubious Pursuits,” Caleb tells Fjord, “You do what you have to” with regard to the Avantika situation, assuming that Fjord will do the practical, goal-oriented thing: sleep with her to protect himself and the group.

But I suspect what Fjord really wanted in that moment was for someone (or everyone) to offer him help or reassurance, to serve as a buffer between him and this woman he was openly baffled by and terrified of. While Caleb’s go-to strategy when things get tough is to make a plan (often involving “calculated risk”) and implement it without consulting anyone, Fjord’s is to assemble the entire group and solicit their opinions, listening to and weighing every single voice before coming to a consensus. He actually tries to make this very clear to Caleb earlier in the aforementioned conversation: “I need more info, Caleb. I need more data, more knowledge. You read books on this stuff. There has to be someone out there that knows more about this before we just charge in.” When Caleb expresses serious concerns about Fjord’s intentions, Fjord answers, “I have no interest in dealing with matters that predate time as we know it. I’m pretty simple. These days I’ve spent with you are the most exciting of my entire life. I’m not looking to end them, or the world, by frivolously giving up something that I barely understand.” 

This is an answer that Caleb absolutely cannot believe as long as he keeps projecting his own goals and values onto Fjord. Because Fjord is prioritizing his found family over power, over ancient arcane knowledge. Nothing sounds faker to Caleb than the two sentences that might be the most succinct summary of Fjord’s motivations we’ve ever heard: “I’m pretty simple. These days I’ve spent with you are the most exciting of my life.”

What Fjord wanted in that moment was for the M9 to tell him, “We have ideas, we’ve got your back, we’ll stand with you (and against HER) like family should, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” But Caleb couldn’t imagine saying (or hearing) those words. Just imagine for a second if those words had occurred to him or Astrid or Eodwulf sixteen years before our story began.

Instead, Caleb gives Fjord the bleak truth about Avantika: “She’s not going to let go of you. You are a key that she needs.” Sound familiar? Stir up any memories of Caleb’s backstory? Or (even more chillingly) of the way Caleb himself usually views (or at least tries to view) the people he works with?

So Fjord slept with Avantika. Not, as Caleb assumed, because it was “no big deal” in the service of his master plan, but because Caleb implied that he had a responsibility to do so, and Fjord takes his family’s opinions and his responsibilities to them more seriously than anything else. And in episode 43, “In Hot Water,” even Caleb himself figures that out (“He has compromised himself with this woman, for us, for himself, for all of our safety. It is going to be difficult for him”). What made him realize his mistake? Probably the one-on-one conversation he had with Fjord in episode 41, “A Pirate’s Life for Me.” 

I think this conversation is crucial to their relationship. I might go so far as to say that it changes Caleb’s view of Fjord almost as radically as the Iron Shepherds arc changed Fjord’s view of Caleb. Here Caleb is, thinking of Fjord as a levelheaded, competent leader, a friendly guy...but cagey and secretive, potentially dangerous, possibly manipulating them all in the name of his mysterious master plan. And then Fjord pulls Caleb aside and just lays it all out.

“I had to admit I found myself a bit surprised. My initial impression of you was someone a bit timid and maybe reserved; meek even. Your tone, your opinion of what to do with Avantika in order to make sure that we’re okay, it seemed very…calculated. Very…risky. Do you mind me asking if you’ve...have you ever sacrificed anything in order to achieve a greater goal? Because I feel like I am swimming in the deep end and I don’t quite know what I’m doing.”

This little monologue turned Caleb’s entire impression of Fjord and his arc on its head. I think this is when he realized that Fjord isn’t ruthlessly pursuing some deep, dark, secret goal like Caleb himself. Instead, he’s been thrust unwillingly into a situation where he’s suddenly being forced to make the kinds of harrowing decisions that Caleb’s long since conditioned himself to make.

In stark contrast to his confident ultimatums in their previous conversation, Caleb is awkward and skittish, caught off-guard. He dodges Fjord’s question with irrelevant half-truths, but he knows perfectly well how astute it was. And suddenly, he’s not seeing Fjord as a current mirror image of himself, ruthless and calculating; he’s seeing Fjord as a mirror of himself as a child, innocent and uncertain, finding himself in a situation with no right or safe choices, where power and knowledge come with a heavy dose of manipulation and violence.

And who does Fjord come to, with praise for his strategic intellect and keen perception? Who does he trust to fix this fucked-up situation if necessary? Caleb. Because he senses, despite Caleb’s evasions, that he has been in this kind of situation before...and he assumes, in a moment of incredible irony, that this means Caleb is equipped to make the right choice:

Fjord: I think you know what I mean, but in case this thing gets out of hand, can I count on you to right the ship if need be?

Caleb: Keep the group safe?

Fjord: Of course.

Keep the group safe. That’s what Fjord has tasked both himself and Caleb with through the whole damn campaign, and Caleb finally gets it. That Fjord doesn’t want a powerful tool in his arsenal to achieve his own goals; he wants a back-up guardian for the flock of wayward children he’s taken under his wing. This is one of those rare moments (like “The Journey Home”) when Caleb’s brain fully switches from toolbox to family, and the proof is in the way the conversation ends: “I think that woman is going to try to kill you, I really do.”

Why does Caleb hesitate so long and “nervously twiddle” his bit of wire before conveying that message? Because it’s so out of character. Because his own agenda is to use Fjord as a buffer between Avantika and the rest of the group, and this warning directly contradicts that agenda. Because this isn’t an expression of concern about group cohesion or success.

It’s an expression of concern for Fjord.

And at the end of the following episode (episode 42, “A Hole in the Plan,” if we’re still keeping track), Caleb finally does what Fjord wanted all along. He produces a literal manifestation of the thing that Fjord has wanted the M9 to do metaphorically ever since they first encountered Avantika: “I cast Wall of Fire between her and us.” He sends the message, loud and clear, that Fjord will no longer be used as a tool for the protection of the group, because the entire family is worthy of protection. Family, not toolbox.

And Fjord reacts immediately. In episode 43, “In Hot Water,” his focus is on Caleb throughout the fight with Avantika’s crew: moving Caleb out of danger, reviving Caleb when he’s down, and panicking so much that he lets his accent slip because Caleb has done just what Fjord asked, he has kept the group safe, and Fjord, in turn, feels responsible for Caleb, who is part of the family as well.

...And all of this brings me to the most recent episode. To episode 44, which...doesn’t have a title yet. 😛 And to the infamous blood ritual.

Now, there were a million things going on with that ritual (and the spontaneous “pact” that followed). Plenty of people have already written about them more eloquently than I ever could. We had both Fjord and Caleb poking at and manipulating each other, testing each other’s boundaries, each trying to see how far the other would go. We had them acknowledging their shared fascination with power (in a darker echo of Fjord’s constant compliments for Caleb’s magic at the beginning of the campaign), and we had Fjord “7 wisdom” Tusktooth and Caleb “calculated risk” Widogast go into an ill-considered, self-destructive frenzy before Jester’s (and our) horrified eyes.

But to me, for all the common ground they discovered in that scene, for all the “blood brothers” hype of their gory handshake, the fundamental misunderstanding still remains. Caleb, despite all the recent progress he’s made toward understanding and even adopting Fjord’s “Mighty Nein=family” perspective, thinks that he’s finally discovered the real Fjord: reckless, ambitious, willing to trade favors with Caleb in order to pursue knowledge and power, placing the two of them on exactly the same page. He tries to lay this out for Fjord right before the bloodbath, admitting that he has goals of his own and asking if Fjord will be there to help him accomplish them.

And Fjord’s response? “Always.”

It’s a subtle moment. I’m pretty sure Caleb didn’t pick up on it. He still viewed the situation as a trade, and when Fjord ended the ritual prematurely, when he took Caleb’s hand and said, “We understand each other,” Caleb thought they were sealing a pact that was contingent on his willingness to bleed.

In Fjord’s mind? It was the opposite.

This was never about demanding a trade from Caleb (or vice versa). They were both bleeding on that altar. The question they both kept asking each other (“Aren’t you curious?”) wasn’t about pressuring each other into an unwanted situation; it was about acknowledging their shared curiosity and acting on it. It wasn’t Caleb working toward Fjord’s goals so that Fjord will eventually work toward Caleb’s; it was about the two of them working together, in every situation, to accomplish the goals of the group (even when that means backing off from their own ambitions when the risk becomes too great, as demonstrated by the fact that he ended that ritual when the cost became too high).

Fjord didn’t promise to work toward Caleb’s goals if Caleb worked toward his. He promised to work toward Caleb’s goals, full-stop. Always. Always. He’s been working for Caleb--and the rest of the Mighty Nein--since they first became a unit. Barring a blatant betrayal of the group (like he feared during Scrollgate), he’s never had any intention of doing anything else, or any conditions that apply to that assistance. Family, not toolbox.

Caleb has spent the entire campaign trying to bargain for something that has always been offered to him freely. Fjord told him “You’re safe here” before the M9 even hit the road together, and he told him “Always” before a single drop of blood was spilled.

[tiamat-zx]

Power, Temptation, Corruption

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. That is the point at which . . . the end learns to justify the means.”

I think it's safe to say that these immortal words from Baron John Acton’s famous 4/5/1887 letter to Archbishop Mandell Creighton perfectly summarize Fjord's current situation going into the end of the year.

Fjord may not have started out as a bad man, but he's definitely showing signs of slipping. I mean, look at how much he's changed compared to Beauregard. It's as if they've completely had their roles reversed. Now she's the one concerned for others, willing to slowly come out of her shell and start showing how she really feels and wanting to connect with everyone... and he's become much more condescending and snappish, as noted when he continued to disregard Nott's fear of water AND when he simply called her "Goblin". And the not-so-subtle manipulations he's been using to "convince" her to help out. I know they've had a rocky, borderline antagonistic relationship since the early episodes but... wow. Also, the blatant disregard he's had now for many of the party's concerns.

The fact that the Nein were for the most part encouraging him to do what he had to do while they were under Avantika's "care" doesn't help matters either, I'll admit. But they also couldn't have foreseen that things would turn out like this, that he would change so much during this arc.

And while it excites me to see where this may go, it also worries me. How far is too far for Fjord, if there even is such a limit at this point? And how much will the others take before deciding that enough is enough and try to drag him back? And despite his claims that he will stop pursuing this once they insert the second crystal, I find it very hard to believe that he will.

That being said, if Travis is intentionally RPing Fjord this way, and not just playing off of 7 Wisdom, then it's a pretty awesome power move.

What are your thoughts?

[roleplaysinner]

Game of control ------------------ "He is good, is he not?"....Avantika remarked, looking towards her husband Gaurav sitting beside him. "Naah, he is just executing the same old tricks every magician does...nothing really new!"....Gaurav replied, in a nonchalant tone. "You are always so sarcastic. I like what I see, but you always try to find faults."....Avantika said while frowning upon her husband. "What can I do? I see things pragmatically, unlike you. You take things at face value."...Gaurav said, smiling back at her gorgeous wife. Avantika pursed her lips and nudged Gaurav's thigh with her knuckles, in a gesture of rebuke and then turned her attention back towards the stage. Avantika Bharadwaj was the 40 year old wife of Gaurav Bharadwaj who was 48 years old and a prominent industrialist in the city of Delhi. She was a former model and actress but had retired from her on-screen role after marrying Gaurav 4 years back. She was still insanely sexy and was in a stable relationship with her financially established husband. Money was definitely a major factor in the decision of marrying Gaurav who was 8 years older to her, but he also liked the intelligence and wit of her husband. This was her second marriage, after dumping her earlier husband for a not so significant reason. It was the second marriage for Gaurav too, and so they were even on that scale. They did not have any children of their own, though Gaurav had a son and a daughter from her previous marriage. They were attending the wedding reception of the Police commissioner's daughter in the large banquet hall of a 7 star hotel. The magic show was one of the key events arranged to entertain the guests, and the magician was none other than the famous Sunil Joseph, who was in his mid 30s and had attained considerable fame at a relatively young age. "Now, for my last event of the show I would like to invite someone from the audience. Will someone be kind enough to volunteer as the subject for this event?"....The magician asked, looking expectantly at the audience. There was a hushed silence for a minute as the people in the audience looked at each other. Finally there was one person who stood up. "I am ready to volunteer, if you allow me."....It was Gaurav who offered himself to be the test subject, much to the bewilderment of Avantika. Avantika was about to say something to him, but Gaurav had walked towards the stage even before she was able to. She knew that her husband liked to show off, but she would not want him to create a scene in public considering how sceptical he was of magic tricks and considered magicians to be cheaters at large. Soon Gaurav was standing beside the magician, hogging the spotlight and the focus of the audience. Sunil was about to say something to Gaurav, but Gaurav cut him off, looked towards the audience and addressed them - "Ladies and gentlemen, I volunteered for this event as no one else put his hand up proactively. However, I am not someone who believes in magic or any supernatural stuff. I know very well that all these are simple tricks which impress us only because we do not concentrate and try to decipher these simple manoeuvres. This is exactly what Avantika was afraid of. She felt uncomfortable at her husband's show-off, and hoped that he would not come up with any other surprises to embarrass the magician and create a scene in front of everyone. Gaurav turned towards Sunil and said...."Hey, I do not want to spoil your show. But I just said what I believe. You can try any of your magic spells on me, but please don't take it personally if it does not work. For I know a thing or two about these tricks. Sunil looked a bit disturbed....but he composed himself and said calmly...."So Sir, you think that everything that I exhibit are ruses which you can catch easily if you want, right?" Gaurav smiled and said..."See, I am only saying these are tricks which will lead people to believe what they want to, but I am not one of those guys. So if any of your magic does not work on me then please do not take it

personally." Sunil went silent for a few seconds. It was apparent to Avantika that he felt insulted and she felt bad for him. Then Sunil looked towards Gaurav and said..."Ok Sir, will you mind just staring at my eyes for 30 seconds. It will not harm you. But will you, please?" Gaurav said..."Of course yes, why not? But don't think it will have any effect on me."....saying this he stood confidently and looked straight into the magician's eyes. After just a bit more than half a minute, Sunil turned his gaze away, looked towards the audience and said..."The gentleman in the stage was of the opinion that he cannot be tricked into doing anything which he does not want to. But he is now under my spell and will do anything which I ask him to. Don't worry, I will break his spell after a few minutes." There were hushed whispers in the audience. Avantike herself was surprised now and wondered if the magician was indeed telling the truth. She waited with bated breath for what was to happen next. "So Sir - what is your name? Can you please look at the audience and tell them" - Sunil asked Gaurav Gaurav turned towards the audience and said - "My name is Sunil Bharadwaj" "The lady who was sitting beside you, is she your spouse? What is her name?" - Sunil asked "Yes, she is my wife. Her name is Avantika Bharadwaj"...Gaurav said in a clear tone. Avantika kept looking at the two people on the stage with astonishment....she could not believe that her husband was really under the spell of the magician....but why else would he be obediently responding to whatever he was being asked to....she knew her husband and this was not his nature. "One last question Sir. And after that I will bring you out of my spell."...Sunil said..."Can you tell us something which your wife loves to do, something which no one else in the audience knows other than you?" Avantika did not like where this was leading to....she knew that Gaurav had offended the magician....and maybe he was doing this to get even with him...few acquaintances in the audience turned their heads and looked towards her...she was about to stand up and object to what was about to happen, but before she could do anything she heard her husband's voice. Gaurav said in a solemn voice...."My wife loves to talk dirty when having sex." There was pin drop silence in the hall for a few seconds....Avantika's fair cheeks had turned red with embarrassment. She could not even look at anyone else in the hall now. Sunil took a couple of steps towards Gaurav and whispered something in his ear....The audience were shell shocked to notice anything untoward in his action now.... After that Sunil took a step back, clapped twice and said..."Mr. Bharadwaj, the spell is broken now. You can go back to your seat." Gaurav seemed to have got back to her normal self now, and walked confidently back towards his seat. No one however knew what the magician had whispered to his ears before apparently breaking the spell.

[daily-star]

There are many names of this city, there is a story behind each name. Must see once.| Ujjain Holy City

Ujjayini has had a special place in the major religious and political centers of India since ancient times. For this reason, the city was mentioned by different names in different periods. Thus Ujjayini, the holy land of Mahakal, has a unique feature due to its different names. The reasons for the various names of Ujjain are mentioned in the Avanti section of Skanda Purana by legends. Come, know about these names….

Kanakshranga

Kanakshranga literally means in Hindi is 'suvarnamayi shikharon wali'. In the 40th chapter of the Skanda Purana Avanti Khand, there is a story related to the name Kankashranga, which is as follows- Shiva and Brahma bowed to the Jagatsarishta Vishnu installed in this city with suvarnamaya peaks. He prayed to Vishnu for a place to live in this city. Vishnu placed Brahma in the north of this city and Shiva in the south to be established and thus the city became the center of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahma called this city as the Shranga of Kanakavarna, hence its name became Kanakshranga.

The Brahma Purana and Skanda Purana give a grand description of the buildings here. He was adorned with precious gems, mukta mini and torana gates and had golden vases on his tops.

 Kushasthali

According to the 42nd chapter of Skanda Purana Avanti Khanda, the story related to this name is as follows- Brahma created the entire creation, then the task of protecting the world came to Vishnu, because Lord Vishnu is the follower of the world. Brahma covered this holy place with Kushas and prayed to Vishnu to be revered there. Thus its name became Kushasthali due to being covered with Kushas. 'Kush' is called the sacred grass which is used for the postures of gods and sages.

Avantika

'Ava-Rakhena' is used in the sense of protecting, so 'Avantika' means 'able to protect'. The story of the name 'Avantika' in the 43rd chapter of Avanti Khand of Skanda Purana is as follows- Once there was a war between gods and demons. The gods were defeated in this battle, after which the Devas took shelter near Vishnu on Mount Meru. Vishnu asked him to go to the city of Kushasthali after attaining strength and renewable virtue. This city located in Mahakal forest is going to fulfill all the wishes. Here in every kalpa, deity, pilgrimage, medicine, seeds and whole beings are followed. This city protects everyone, so its name is Avantika city. According to the mythological history, the Avantis, the branch of the Haihayas, established this state and for this reason it was named 'Avanti' in their memory.

Padmavati

The story named Padmavati is as follows- 14 gems received after the churning of the sea were distributed in this holy place. It was here that the gods received gems. After receiving the gems, the gods said that in Ujjaini, we have all suffered from the jewels, so Padma, that is, Lakshmi will always reside here, and since then it has been named 'Padmavati'.

The grand prosperity of Padmavati is described in the poems, plays and Pali and Prakrit texts of Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana and Kalidas, Banabhatta, Shudraka etc.

Kumudvati

At the core of the Kumudwati nomenclature is its attractive natural beauty. The story named Kumudvati is in Skanda Purana- When Lomash Rishi reached the city of Padmavati while doing pilgrimage, he saw the waterfalls of the lake, Tadag, Pallaval, river etc., full of waterfalls and lotuses. Seeing the places beautified by the Kumuds, it seemed as if the earth was beautified by many lunar. This Kumudini forest was always cheerful with the beauty and light of Chandra situated on Shiva's head. Therefore, Lomash Rishi named it Kumudavati.

Amravati

In the Mahakal forest, Marichinandan Kashyap, along with his wife, underwent a severe austerity and found the boon that 'till the position of Sun and Moon, their offspring will remain on earth' All the subjects of God, Asura and human form attained their growth. This Mahakal forest became full of opulence. There are rare ratnadis obtained from churning of the sea on this earth. Whatever are the divine and supernatural things in this world, they are all attainable in this Mahakal forest. All the gods are revered in this forest. This city became famous as Amaravati due to the abode of entire deities.

Vishala

Mahadev built this huge puri according to Parvati's wish and said that this city will fulfill all the wishes. There will be residence of saints, deities and maharishis in it. Here, there will be a large area with all kinds of animals and birds and gardens with flowers and fruits and a golden archway with golden, gem and piers. In this way, this city became full of all kinds of prosperity and splendor and became famous by the name Vishala. It is clear from the 'Vishala Bahuvistirna Punya Punyajanashraya' that it was wider than other towns. Kalidasa sweetly imagined its vastness in Meghdoot through the repetitive use of 'Srivishalaan Vishalam'.

Pratikalpa

According to the Puranas, the universe begins with every cycle. 'Kalpa' means that one day of the divine Sahasra era of Brahma is called Kalpa. In this way, the cycle of holocaust and creation goes on the earth. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva reside in this Mahakal forest. The creation of the world begins in every cycle. The different kalpas of Vamana, Varaha, Vishnu and Pitras etc. all started from here. This city has always been immovable even after the creation and destruction of the whole world. So Brahma said it would be famous under the name Pratikalpa and it became famous under the name Pratikalpa.

Ujjayini

'Ujjayini' literally means 'excellent victory'. Once the demon king Tripura pleased Brahma with his incurable asceticism. Brahma gave him the boon of ignorance from Devas, Demons, Gandharvas, Vampires, Demons etc. Satisfied with the groom, Tripura started killing Brahmins, sages and deities. This made all the Devas afraid of him and they all went to Shiva. He prayed to Shiva for protection, then Shiva fought fiercely in the Avanti region from Tripurasura. He killed Tripurasura in three parts of his Pashupat weapon in the Avanti city and killed him fiercely. Therefore the gods and sages named it Ujjayini.

The Pali and Prakrit texts also mention this name with plurality. All the poets of Sanskrit literature have often used the name 'Ujjayini' in their texts. The same name is more prevalent in the modern era.

When the use of the word 'Ujjayini' started, it cannot be said with certainty. Panini (500 BCE) in his Ashtadhyayi has mentioned 'Ujjayini' in the Varanadi gana text. Kalidas and Shudak have also used the name 'Ujjayini' prominently. Hence it can be said with certainty that this name started being used from 6th century BC. By the time this name came into vogue, Ujjain became.

Bhogavati and Hiranyavati

The inclusion of these two names is as follows- Hiranyavati with the excess of Bhogavati and Suvarna, having all kinds of Bhog. Both these names are included in the names Amaravati, Vishala and Kankashranga.

All the names mentioned above give different characteristics of Ujjayini. If you look at the whole, then through these names a grand picture of Ujjayini becomes present. It is a real and safe city with vast area, full of opulence and splendor. It is a beautiful place of nature.

Troopel.com is taking the initiative of making the sanctity of Ujjain city an ideal holy city beyond the paper address, in which the wish of the channel is to be completely forbidden in the Mahakal city. If you also want to revive the sanctity of this city, click on https://bit.ly/troopelujjain and join Troopel.com. For more details: Call Us: 9755020247 Mail Us: revolution@troopel.com

[yuvatrip]

Plan your Vacation Where Bollywood Celebs Went for Their Honeymoon

When it comes to honeymoon, Bollywood couples always plan their vacation in style and luxury. Their weddings set the trend instantly for so long as they are grand and dreamy and it goes the same with their honeymoon destinations. So, if you are looking for a perfect honeymoon destination, then you can take a cue from the Bollywood celebs. Here we have presented a list of some exotic locations where famous B-town couple spent their honeymoon. You can book your honeymoon package to your one of your favorite destinations and make it a memorable experience of a lifetime.

Mira Rajput & Shahid Kapoor – London, England

Anushka Sharma & Virat Kohli – Finland, Europe

Kareena Kapoor & Saif Ali Khan – Switzerland, Europe

Kiran Rao & Amir Khan – Panchgani, India

Avantika Malik & Imran Khan – Phuket, Thailand

Lara Dutta & Mahesh Bhupati – Bali, Indonesia

Genelia D’Souza & Ritesh Deshmukh – Vizag, India

Gauri Khan & Shahrukh Khan – Paris, Europe

Vidya Balan & Siddarth Roy Kapoor – Caribbean Islands

Madhuri Dixit & Sriram Nene – Hawaii, US

So, hope you have selected your dream destination where you wish to go for your honeymoon and have a wonderful experience as same your favorite celebs had. Book your honeymoon package to one of your choices and enjoy your special moments with your soulmate.

[rudraabhishekpooja]

Mahashivaratri Special: Know What is the difference between Jyothirlinga and Shivalinga, Where are the Jyotirlingas established

Udaka shanti pooja – Rudra abhishek pooja -New Delhi: Do you know what is the difference between Jyothirlinga and Shivalinga? According to a legend of Shiva Purana, once the creator Brahma and Jagatpakal Vishnu got into dispute that who is the best in them, then Shiva appeared in the form of a great Jyoti pillar to eliminate the illusion of both of them, whose fame did not fit both of them . This is called Jyotirlinga. At the same time, the meaning of gender is symbol of the symbol, that is, to appear in the light of Shiva and to create the universe. Jyothirling is always a self-made, whereas Shivling can be both human being and self-made.

The mention of 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva is found in Hindu scriptures. Wherever this Shiva Jyotirling is established, today there is a grand Shiva temple which is a special religion of Hindu religion. Presently, these 12 Jyotirlingas, famous as India’s premier pilgrimage and religious tourist destination, are found in Shiv Purana’s ‘Rudrashehita’. The devotees consider this stanza as Dashash Jyotirling Prachti Mantra.

Jyotirling Prachin Mantra Saurashtra Somnath Ch Shree Shayle Mallikarjungam Ujjainya Mahakalamankaram Godam Kedar snowflake posters Bhimashankaram Varanasi Vishweshan Trimbak Gautamite Vaidyanath Chitabhumou Nagesh Darukavane Seetubundhe Ch Ramesh Swashheeshchh Sivayalay Dashashantian nominal pre-requisites: Happiness

Udaka shanti pooja – Rudra abhishek pooja

If yes, please contact us. False Factor False Expectancy:

Here are the Jyotirling Temple Someshwar or Somnath: It is considered the first Jyotirling, which is situated in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. It is also called Prabash Tirtha.

Srisailam Mallikarjuna: It is situated in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh on the mountain named Srisailam. It is also considered as Kailash of the South.

Mahakaleshwar: It is located in Ujjain of Madhya Pradesh. It was called Avantika or Avanti in ancient times.

Omkareshwar: This Jyothirlinga is also in Madhya Pradesh. Located in the Malwa region of the state, this Jyotirlinga is situated on the banks of river Narmada.

Kedareshwar: This Shiva Jyotirlinga is famous in the name of Shri Kedarnathji or Kedareshwar, situated on the top of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand. The temple of Lord Badrinath is situated on the banks of the Alaknanda river east of Shri Kedar mountain range. Udaka shanti pooja – Rudra abhishek pooja Bhimashankar: This Jyotirlinga situated in Maharashtra is on Sahyadri Mountain along the river Bhima. The river Bhima originates from this mountain.

Vishweshwar: Lord Vishwanath or Vishweshwar Mahadev, who has been dominated by Varanasi or Kashi, is considered as the seventh Jyotirling.

Trimbakeshwar: This eighth Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva is situated on the banks of river Godavari near Brahmagiri in Nasik district of Maharashtra.

Vaidyanath Mahadev: It is also called Baijnath. I am the ninth Jyotirlinga, which is situated in Jharkhand state Deoghar. This place has also been called Chitrabhai.Nageshwar Mahadev: This tenth Jyotirling of Lord Shiva is near Gomti Dwarka in Baroda area. This place is also called Darukavana. There is also some dispute with this gesture. Many people consider Nageshwar Jyotirlinga of Shivling located in Narda village of South Hyderabad.

Rameswaram: Sri Rameshwar is the eleventh jyotirlinga. This pilgrimage has been called

Category :Udaka shanti pooja,Rudra abhishek pooja,Navchandi Yadnya pooja,Narayan Nagbali Pooja,pitra dosh nivaran pooja,Kalsarpa Shanti Pooja,Tripindi Shradha Pooja,tripindi shradha vidhi,Vastu Shanti Pooja

[discoverindia]

The prime worship of Lord Shiva is through the worship of Shiva Linga. Any other worship is secondary.  The light of God “Jyoti Swarupa” exist in all the Shiva Linga forms. There are renowned 12 jyotirlingas across the world, each held with great esteem since the ancient times. Even the old Puranas glorify the abodes and talk in details about how devotees are pulled towards these kshetras due to the divine presence in these devodes.

What is jyotirlinga ?

A Jyotirlinga is a shrine where Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam. Now you would ask what a Jyotirlingam is? It is the radiant sign (phallus symbol) of The Almighty.

It is believed that Lord Shiva first manifested himself on Earth on the night of the Aridra Nakshatra, thus the special reverence for the Jyotirlinga. There is no unique appearance to mark the Jyotirlingas. Many people believe that you can see these lingas as columns of fire piercing through the earth after you reach a high level of spiritual attainment. Originally there were 64 Jyotirlingas out of which 12 are considered to be highly auspicious and holy.

Among the twelve Jyotirlingas, two are spread across the sea shore, three on the river banks, four in the heights of mountains and three in villages located in meadows. Anyone who goes to the temple receives the holy blessing of Lord and come back as happy, peaceful and blessed.

1. Somnath Jyotirlinga, Saurashtra, Gujarat

सौराष्ट्रे सोमनाथं च श्रीशैले मल्लिकार्जुनम्। Saurāṣṭre Somanāthaṃ ca Śrīśaile Mallikārjunam

Considered to be the first of the 12 Jyotirlingas, the Somnath Temple in Gujarat is situated near Veraval in (Prabhas Kshetra) Kathiawad district. One can find many references of this temple in the Puranas, as well as, the Itihas, “history”. Moreover, Somnath, also known as Prabhasa Kshetra, holds a much-esteemed place for Hindus. Back in the days, the inner temple was supported to be aglow with the lustre of gemstones, with Nanda Deep kept lighted with Kannauji attar. One can say, the temple was a treasure.

There is a legend related to how this Jyotirlinga came into being. According to the Shiva Purana, the moon was married to 27 daughters of Daksha Prajapati, out of which he loved Rohini the most. Seeing his negligence towards the other wives, Prajapati cursed moon that it would lose all its radiance. A disturbed moon along with Rohini came to Somnath and worshipped the Sparsa Lingam after which he was blessed by Shiva to regain his lost beauty and shine. On his request, Lord Shiva assumed the name Somchandra and resided there eternally.

This is also considered to be the primary of all the JyotirLingas as it is considered to be Swayambhu (self-birth) and is always awake with hundreds of thousands of devotees visiting the temple every year.

2. Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh

Built around 1234 AD by the Hoyasala king, Vira Narsimha, Sri Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga is located in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh, an area full of forests of Kadali, Bilva trees, mountain ranges and Patalaganga (Krishnaveni river). This river is in the form of underground spring, and this is where millions of devotees take the holy dip and go to worship the Jyotirlinga.

It is also known as “Kailash of the South” and is one of the greatest Shaivite shrines in India.  The presiding deities at this temple are Mallikarjuna (Shiva) and Bhramaramba (Devi).

According to the Shiva Purana, Lord Ganesha was married off before Kartikeya which left Kartikeya angered. He went away to the Kraunch Mountain. All the Gods tried to console him but in vain. Ultimately Shiva-Parvati themselves travelled to the mountain but were turned away by Kartikeya. Seeing their son in such a state they were very hurt and Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarujna. Mallika means Parvati, while Arjuna is another name of Shiva. It is believed by the people that just seeing the tip of this mountain one is emancipated of all sins and becomes free from the vicious cycle of life and death.

History recounts when Chatrapati Shivaji used to take a “Darshan” of the JyotirLinga during the Maharatri, and he also built a tower on the right side of the temple, opening a free meal center. Other kings of Vijayangar Dynasty have built the temple, tower, portico, and a pond too. Before it was difficult to reach because of terrain, yet many devotees have reached there with their sheer will-power. This includes the mythological personalities like Hiranyakashipa, Narada, Pandavas, Sri Ram.

3. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

उज्जयिन्यां महाकालमोङ्कारममलेश्वरम्॥ Ujjayinyāṃ Mahākālam Omkāram Mamleśhwaram

This temple lies in the city of Indrapuri Amaravati and Avantika, known as the “Swarna Sringa” because of the number of golden towers of several temples in the city. Mahakaleswar is grand and is also known for the foundation of Adyapeetha, the foundation of Sanskrit learning, ethics, knowledge or science, and art. It is said that those who visit Mahakal temple will never be touched by sorrows, even in the dreams, and those who pray to the Mahakal would be granted all the wishes.

According to the Puranas, there was a five-year-old boy Shrikar who was enthralled by the devotion of King Chandrasena of Ujjain towards Lord Shiva. Shrikar took a stone and started worshipping as Shiva. Many people tried to dissuade him in different ways, but his devotion kept growing. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided in the Mahakal forest.

The other mythological stories which is most frequently heard is that Lord Shiva appeared in Ujjain from the ground to vanquish a demon called Dushana whose tortures on the people and Brahmins of the Ujjain city, had crossed all the limits. After killing the demon, Lord Shiva took the form of Jyotirlinga and since then, he has been residing in this holy city

4. Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga, Shivapuri

The word Omkareshwar means “Lord of Omkaara” or the Lord of the Om Sound!

सप्तजन्मकृतं पापं स्मरणेन विनश्यति॥ saptajanmakṛtaṃ pāpaṃ smaraṇena vinaśyati

This temple is self-born and thus is known as Swayambhu linga. Across the mountain range of Madhya Pradesh, river Narmada flows rippling from the mountains where smooth, round pebbles, known as BanaLingas, are found. On the bank of the river, this temple lies in a huge island.

The island and the river themselves are shaped like “Om” naturally. Devotees feel blessed when they go to the temple as they are doing the parikrama of Om themselves when they visit the temple.

Once upon a time there ensued a great war between the Devas and Danavas (Gods and Demons), in which the Danavas won. This was a major setback for the Devas who then prayed to Lord Shiva. Pleased with their prayer, Lord Shiva emerged in the form of Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga and defeated the Danavas

5. Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga, Deogarh, Jharkhand

परल्यां वैद्यनाथं च डाकिन्यां भीमशङ्करम्। Paraly Vaidyanāthaṃ cha Ḍākinyāṃ Bhīmaśhaṅkaram

It is located in Deoghar in the Santhal Parganas division of the state of Jharkhand, India. According to Shiva Mahapuran, the location is identified as “Chidabhoomi”, which could be the ancient name of Deoghar, and there are references to “Baidyanatham chitabhoomau”.  The place also celebrates Krishna festival, despite being a Shiva temple. It is built with stones on a high mound and is surrounded by strong walls on all four sides. Special prayers are held for Sun God in the temple, as the sun rays falling through the windows shine directly on the Lingamurthy inside.

According to a famous legend, the demon king Ravana meditated and asked Lord Shiva to come over to Sri Lanka and make it invincible. Ravana tried to take Mount Kailash with him, but Lord Shiva crushed it. Ravana asked for penance and in turn was given of the twelve Jyotirlingas on the condition that if it was placed on the ground it would remain rooted to that spot till eternity. While transporting it to Sri Lanka, Lord Varuna entered Ravana’s body and he felt an urgent need to relieve himself. Lord Vishnu came down in the form of a lad and offered to hold the lingam in the meantime. However, Vishnu placed the lingam on the ground and it got rooted to the spot. As a form of penance, Ravana cut off nine of his heads. Shiva revived him and joined the heads to the body, like a vaidya and hence this Jyotirlinga came to be known as Vaidyanath.

6. Nageshvara Jyotirlinga, Darukavanam (Aunda)

एतेशां दर्शनादेव पातकं नैव तिष्ठति। eteśāṃ darśanādeva pātakaṃ naiva tiṣṭhati

Legend has it that Pandavas came during their Banbas and built a hermitage for themselves at this place. Legends aside, the architectural beauty of Naganath Temple is exquisite. The structure is beautiful too. Built with stones, the temple is oval shaped and is protected with walls around four sides. The Nandi temple is separate from the main temple, however. All in all, 108 Shiva temples and 68 shrines are located around the temple. Also Read : This Vishnu temple in Kerala is the richest temple in the world. Every 12 years, devotees offer Kashi Ganga as Padarpan at the time of Kapila Shashti.

According to the Shiva Purana, a Shiva devotee by the name Supriya was captured by the demon Daaruka. The demon imprisoned her with several others in his capital Daarukavana. Supriya advised all prisoners to chant “Aum Namaha Shivaya” which enraged Daaruka who ran to kill Supriya. Lord Shiva manifested in front of the demon and put an end to him. Thus the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga came into being.

7. Kedareshwar Jyotirlinga, Kedarnath, Himalayas

हिमालये तु केदारं घुश्मेशं च शिवालये॥ Himālaye tu Kedāraṃ Ghuśmeśaṃ ca Śivālaye

This temple is located at the snow-covered area of Himalayas. One can only visit this temple during six months of a year, the rest of the month, the snow, and extreme cold do not permit devotees to enter. As such, the Kedarnath temple remains closed for pilgrims.  Due to extreme snowfall of Kartik, the Sri Kedarshwar idol is brought out of the temple after lighting a ghee lamp, “Nanda Deepa” and the temple is closed for the winter. This idol is shifted to the Urvi Math, in the valley. The temple only opens later in Baisakh. People visit here to see the Nanda Deepa, and when they see this, they consider themselves to be blessed.

According to the legends, pleased by the severe penance of the Nara and Narayana – two incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva took up permanent abode in Kedarnath in the form of this Jyotirlinga. 

8. Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga, Nashik

एतानि ज्योतिर्लिङ्गानि सायं प्रातः पठेन्नरः। etāni jyotirliṅgāni sāyaṃ prātaḥ paṭhennaraḥ

Tryambakeshwar Temple lies on the banks of Gautami, near Nashik in Maharashtra. Unlike other temples, the Lord in the temple’s Grabhagriha is not worshiped with Abhisekha with water (Jalahari). Instead, there is a bottom part of pounding stone, like a hole, where three Lingas shaped like thumbs exist (hence, the name Tryambakeshwara). An orifice above one of the Linga has a constant shower of water, and this is the Linga of Mahesha.

  Every 12 years, Kumbhmela is held here at the time of Simhasta. The architecture is beautiful too with beautiful statues carved around the premise.

Gautam Rishi earned a boon from Varuna in the form of a pit from which he received an inexhaustible supply of grains and food. The other Gods were rendered jealous by him and they send a cow to enter the granary. The cow was mistakenly killed by Gautam Rishi who then asked Lord Shiva to do something to purify the premises. Shiva asked Ganga to flow through the land to make it pure. Everyone thus sang praise for the Lord who then resided beside Ganga in the form of Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga.

Read more about this here

9. Rameshwar Jyotirlinga, Rameshwaram

सेतुबन्धे तु रामेशं नागेशं दारुकावने॥ Setubandhe tu Rāmeśaṃ Nāgeśhaṃ Dārukāvane

This temple is situated on a big island of sand, in the Ramnad district of Tamilnadu. Today, it has been expanded into a large temple and is famous for its typical architecture. One finds it auspicious and pious to take Ganga water to this temple after the pilgrimage of four holy shrines. The ritual goes like this: the person takes holy bath in the Ganga river, takes the Ganga water to the temple and offered to Lord Shiva of Rameshwaram, a sanga from there is then carried to Ganga and immersed there. This makes the ritual complete.  A grand Badatra mela/fete is organized on the 15th day of Ashada and during Mahashivaratri.

This Jyotirlinga is closely associated with Ramayana and Ram’s victorious return from Sri Lanka. It is believed that Ram on his way to Sri Lanka stopped at Rameshwaram and was drinking water on the seashore when there was a celestial proclamation: “You are drinking water without worshipping me.” Listening to this Ram made a linga of sand and worshipped it and asked for its blessings to defeat Ravana. He got the blessings from Lord Shiva who then turned into a Jyotirlinga and resided at the place for eternity.

10. Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga, Dakini, Maharashtra

कर्मक्षयो भवेत्तस्य यस्य तुष्टो महेश्वराः॥: karmakṣayo bhavettasya yasya tuṣṭo maheśvarāḥ

The temple of Bhimashankar is built in Hemadpanthi style, embellished with Dashavatar statues, qualities that make the temple very beautiful to look at. One enjoyable thing to do in this temple is the ring the big bell and hear the echo roaming the entire temple. Every day, people worship Bhimashankar with Rudrabhishek, Panchamrit snan. The temple is flooded during Mondays and during the Mahashivaratri.  Along with the temple, the natural scenic beauty of the temple is wonderful to look at. Moreover, when one enters the River Chandrabhaga (Bhima) on the expansive meadows, one can see a large number of devotees dancing together in a trance.

The legend about the existence of this Jyotirlinga is related to Kumbhakarna’s son Bhima. When Bhima learned that he was the son of Kumbhakarana who was annihilated by Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Lord Ram, he vowed to avenge Lord Vishnu. He performed penance to please Lord Brahma who granted him immense power. On achieving this power, he started creating havoc in the world. He defeated the staunch devotee of Lord Shiva- Kamrupeshwar and put him in the dungeons. This angered the Lords who requested Shiva to descend Earth and put an end to this tyranny. A war ensued between the two and Shiva ultimately put the demon to ashes. All the Gods then requested Shiva to make that place his abode. Shiva then manifested himself in the form of Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga. It is believed that the sweat which poured from Shiva’s body after the battle is what formed the Bhima River.

11. Visweswar Jyotirlinga, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

वाराणस्यां तु विश्वेशं त्र्यम्बकं गौतमीतटे। Vārāṇasyāṃ tu Viśveśaṃ Tryambakaṃ Gautamītaṭe

In the ancient times, Varanasi used to be a beautiful city built in the adjoint of Varana and Asi. This is where kasha, a tribe, used to live, and thus, Varanasi was also known as Kashi. The Ganga here flows in the shape of a bow, and thus there is a special importance for this area and its temple Kashi Visweshwar.

According to Puranas, this city used to be ruled by Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesha, and this is where even divines want to tie. The present temple we see today was built by Ahalya Devi Holkar in 1777 AD and has the towers covered in gold (as planted by King Ranjit Singh).

12. Grishneswar Jyotirlinga, Devasrovar, Maharashtra

As Madhwamunishwar once said, “Blessed by VerulNagar, there is no other place like it on this earth, where Lord Grishneswara resides, the best place on this earth.”

This last place of the Jyotirlinga, without which the pilgrimage will not be complete, lies in the village of Verul.

According to the Shiva Purana, a couple named Sudharm and Sudeha resided on the Devagiri Mountain. They were childless, and thus Sudeha got her sister Ghushma married to Sudharm. They bore a son who rendered Ghushma proud and Sudeha jealous of her sister. In her jealousy, Sudeha threw the son in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge 101 lingams. Ghushma prayed to Lord Shiva who ultimately returned her the son and told her of her sister’s deeds. Sudharm asked Shiva to emancipate Sudeha which left Shiva pleased with his generosity. On Sudharm’s request, Shiva manifested himself in the form of the Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar.

Later Bhosala, very devout Shiva devotee, once found a treasure hidden in the snake pit by the grace of Lord Grishneshwar. As a return, he spent the money to renovate the temple and even built a lake in Shikharshinganapur. Later, Goutamibal and Ahilyadevi renovated the temple. Today, it stands at 240ft X 185 ft, strong and beautiful.

As mentioned in each of the Jyotirlinga, if a person prays those Dwadasa JyotirlInga Strotam during the pilgrimage at each temple, then he will attain salvation and enlightenment, and after death will be released from the cycle of human existence. Worshipping the Lingas will also free people from difficulties and struggle. Darkness eats people and kills them with ignorance.

Jyotirlingas, with its Jyoti “light”, frees people from darkness and the natured light of God fulfills all our wishes

12 Holy Jyotirlinga Temples of Lord Shiva The prime worship of Lord Shiva is through the worship of Shiva Linga. Any other worship is secondary.  

[princessamericachavez]

Fuck it. Today I get to be self-indulgent and tell you about the entire Fjorester Hallmark Christmas Fanfic that is way too long for me to write these days but I have entirely laid down in my head so instead I’m going to write about it as a bulletpoint fic.... sort of... you’ll get the grasp. Just strap along for the ride. 

(This is obvious and shamelessly based on Tis The Damn Season by Taylor Swift, you can fight me. I said it was self-indulgent)

Okay, so first of all, the group are all friends and knew each other all through college, right? 

Jester studied psychology (she’s an emotional healer, you know?) and especialices in art therapy. 

Fjord did a marine biology major with an acting minor, because deep down he’s a theater nerd but doesn’t dare admit it because he needs to want a “real” career, you know? Also, he paid for his studies with a full swimming team scholarship. 

I legit don’t know what everyone else studied —this is the kinda stuff I would figure out while actually writing the fic— so you get to fill those blanks! 

ANYWAY, basically during college Jester had this art teacher, Artagan, who she became weirdly friendly with (you sometimes become friends with your college teachers, they aren’t even that much older than you and half the time are just as tired)

So this art teacher is delighted by her, right? Keeps telling her how talented an artist she is and how she should definitely come with him to LA after this year is over. He’ll get her into a gallery! She’ll be famous and amazing! 

So Jester goes. And her heart aches. And maybe leaving her mama is so damn hard. And maybe, maybe, she doesn’t want to say goodbye to Fjord but she’s been in love with him for so so so long and he never seemed to see her in that way, so she can’t put her life on pause for him. She can’t. Even if the night before she leaves it looks like he’s trying to tell her something, to half confess something that he never quite does say out loud and her heart falls and she leaves. 

ANYWAY here is where our story begins. 

Jester comes back for christmas after six months away and she is EXCITED to be home! 

(maybe a little too much, maybe things aren’t going as great in LA as she expected) (and mayyyybe she’s a little nervous to see a certain someone but it’s ok)

Fjord picks her up at the airport. He knows her mama doesn’t like going out much and he really, really, really insists that it’s no big deal. His car is old and shitty and there was an incident once that made Jester start calling it “The Ball Eater” to Fjord’s endless dismay (and bemusement). 

Anyway the ride home is light hearted, they make small talk and laugh about old times and Jester talks so much about how amazing everything in LA is but Fjord can’t shake the feeling that something about her, despite her smile, seems sad. 

He also can’t help the desire to hold her hand, or kiss her, or at the very least confess how uselessly in love he’s been with her for years, but she’s only here for like four days because she needs to go back to LA for her big New Years gallery show that Artagan put together and he can’t ask much from her without getting in the way of her dreams, so he doesn’t. 

So they get home and Marion is as delightful as ever and Jester finds out that Fjord has been helping her fix some things around the house (oh so you’re a very handy man, Fjord! *wiggles eyebrows*) and he’s been buying her groceries because he knows Jester used to do it because Marion is always so busy performing at the Chateau (and doing other things for her fancier clients, but Fjord would rather not bring that subject up too often) and he just thought it would be important for someone to look after her from time to time. 

Jester has to choke back tears because she is so moved that he is so wonderful with her mama even when she’s gone. Her heart flutters and it’s terrifying. 

So Fjord leaves and Jester and her mama spend the whole afternoon together, catching up and baking cupcakes and watching christmas movies until Marion has to go to work.

Meanwhile, Fjord is trying to figure out what to do with himself and with Jester —nothing, he decides, he shouldn’t really say anything— and keeps pacing around his apartment to the endless bemusement of his roomate. 

Caduceus was MEANT to go home for the holidays, but there was some kind of change of plans with his family at the last minute (or so he says, he hasn’t been very forthcoming about it and Fjord suspects they might have had an argument or something or maybe Cad just decided not to go home, but how is he supposed to know? He never knew the first thing about families) so now Caduceus is here and for the first time in his life Fjord is not spending Christmas alone. 

Caduceus suggests honesty is the best course of action, that he should just tell Jester how he feels. Yeah. Right. 

Anywayyy

Jester gets together with the rest of her friends “The Nein” they call each other, though they have never been nine, just to mess with people who keep asking and getting weirder and weirder answers. They get some drinks. 

While Fjord is away getting drinks, Beau mentions what a shitty year she’s had and Jester’s brow furrows and Beau says it was just a lot of shit, you know? Vandran just up and leaving town, handing in his thesis (though his tutor, Mrs. Melora was delightful and supportive). She doesn’t mention how depressed Fjord was over Jester leaving, though, but she does say that the cherry on top was his fucking ex showing up again. 

“Avantika came back?!”

Jester’s chest twists with the painful memory of jealousy and anger and worry over how unhealthy the whole thing was and how sick and sleepless and exhausted and sad Fjord seemed though the entire relationship before he finally gathered the courage to break things up. 

Veth knows that, so she brushes it off with a quick “it’s fine, he told her to go fuck herself” and Jester feels maybe a little better —even though she totally has no right because she and Fjord aren’t a thing and he can do whatever he wants ok? she totally doesn’t care, totally. 

Still, maybe, on the way back home she asks if he’s okay and she’s so worried and hesitant and Fjord just melts and assures her he’s alright, that he already knew when Avantika came back that she was not what he wanted, that he deserved more... that he wanted more... and he’s so earnest and breathless that Jester thinks he might really be in love with someone else, then... it doesn’t occur to her that all he can think about is kissing her in that moment, parked outside her mama’s house. 

The porch’s front light turns on, the moment passes, they say goodbye. 

Fjord comes over on the 24th to hang out. Apparently, Caduceus is a little bit more homesick than he is willing to admit and decided to unload all of his Cain Instincts on Fjord. Jester is delighted by the idea of Cad secretly being a prankster, but she lets Fjord hide out with her and her mama as they decorate the house (Marion didn’t have time to before between shifts) and make cookies and watch movies. 

And it’s so easy, so sweet and comfortable, that Jester can’t help but feel like this is what life is meant to be, she can’t help but fantasize about what things could have been like... 

Fjord finally asks what’s wrong. She tries to dodge the question first, assuring him she’s alright, but Fjord has known Jester long enough to figure out that something is weighing on her and he insists that she can tell him anything. 

Jester finally breaks and admits LA isn’t everything she dreamed. It’s pretty great, sure, and she got a job as an art therapist in a nearby clinic and the gallery is going to be great and fun but she feels so lonely, she’s tried to make new friends but everyone is too busy or stuck on their own road to success to really get to know them, she misses the Nein, she misses her mama, she misses her home and Fjord. Besides, Artagan has been so busy with planing the gallery (and all of the other cool artists he has been collecting to showcase there and she didn’t know about before) and he’s just not as focused on being her artistic mentor has before. It’s just a lot. 

And Fjord listens and nods and assures her that she’s brilliant and amazing and she will be alright, but she can always come back home if she wants (god, he wishes she would return). 

instead, Jester says he should come to LA because they used to talk about this, about both going there and trying their luck as artists. “You are such an amazing actor, Fjord!” She insists but Fjord is too anxious. Dreams don’t pay the bills. He can’t just drop everything just to follow a dream... just to follow her. 

It gets quiet after that. 

On the way out, Marion overhears that Fjord is planing to spend christmas alone with Cad on their apartment and insists they should come over for diner instead. 

Jester is delighted! It’s usually just her and her mama (who usually has to leave early because she works christmas night at the hotel) but now Cad and Fjord can come too! And the others should too! Beau and Yasha are here alone too and Veth can bring Yeza and Luke and Caleb will definitely want to spend it here instead of the library right?

So the Nein end up all invited to Jester’s christmas party. 

Which, of course, means they HAVE to do a secret santa. 

Jester gets Caleb, so she enlists Veth and Beau to go shopping for his gift to make it extra especial. 

While they are out doing chores, Caleb texts Jester and asks if he could talk to her later that afternoon. She wonders out loud why that would be and Veth blurts out: “he’s probably finally gonna tell you he’s in love with you” 

And Jester would brush it off with a flirty joke if it wasn’t by the way Beau slaps the back of Veth’s head and tells her “you said you wouldn’t tell on him!” 

So Jester is shocked and confused and thrown off balance because she never even considered Caleb like that. Does Caleb like her? Is he in love with her? Is she supposed to know that? To like him back? Oh no, he’s going to tell her this afternoon isn’t he? 

And she has to give him a christmas gift for the secret santa!

Caos and overthinking ensue and finally Jester buys Caleb a big thick book he’d been eyeing for a while but that he’d deemed too expensive to get and a very long scarf with lots of tiny cats and there’s nothing romantic about it but she’s still worried about it. 

So, either way, Caleb and Jester meet up for a late coffee (Caleb is basically immune to caffeine at this point so it’s fine and Jester only drinks hot coco so it’s alright). 

And Jester jumps the gun, she goes on and on and on about how she had no idea and she’s so sorry and she’s not sure about how to feel with this but she doesn’t want to hurt Caleb because he’s such a good friend and she really does care about him a lot but-

Caleb cuts her off with a laugh. He already knew she’s not in love with him, which is why he never brought the subject up. He’s fine, he’s moved on. 

Oh?

Actually, he wanted to talk with her because he is seeing someone else (ESSEK) and he wanted to know if it would be alright to bring him over for christmas tomorrow. He thinks he’s ready to introduce them to his friends and a party seems like a good idea. 

Jester is delighted again and assures him he totally can come and not to worry about the extra space or work or food because Caduceus and Fjord promised to come help her prepare everything for the party. 

She grabs his hands and assures him with a bright smile that she’s incredibly happy for him and hopes this is the good kinda love that makes him feel warm and fuzzy and smile. And Caleb blushes and nods and mumbles that maybe it is. 

CUT TO: Fjord is totally accidentally watching this from outside the coffeeshop because he was out buying gifts too (for his secret friend, Beau, a dope set of weights... and for Jester, a tiny unicorn that he just saw and had to get for her because he knew it would make her so happy). 

Either way, as you can imagine, what Fjord sees is easily misunderstood. 

Cue: heartbreak. 

Which gets us to christmas morning filled with excitement and presents and hugs. 

Fjord and Caduceus come over to help the Lavorre women cook (Fjord feels a little responsible over turning their little yearly diner into a fully blown party because he mentioned they were spending it alone at home). 

And Fjord is sad. He isn’t angry, or rude, or jealous... okay, maybe a little jealous, but mostly he’s just heart-broken and Jester can tell something is off, but Fjord makes an effort to smile and pretend like everything is fine and –wow, whoever he is in love with (that person he said he now new he wanted) might have broken his heart and Jester is so confused and at a lost. 

Anyway, it’s Caduceus who finally has enough of the mopping around and pulls Fjord aside to figure out what’s wrong and Fjord just blurts everything out: Jester and the feelings and the almost kiss in his car and the hanging out and the stupid little unicorn he has back at home and now doesn’t dare give her and Jester holding Caleb’s hands and how stupid he feels and how he had no right to feel that way anyway...

Cad lets him ramble and in the end just sighs and puts a hand on his shoulder and says: you should give her the gift. Did you get it so she would love you? Did you get it to get something in return? 

No, Fjord says, he just wanted to make her happy. 

Well, it will still make her happy, right? Isn’t that what you want?

And Fjord nods despite the hurt and Cad thinks he is so clever because of course he knows that Jester is in love with Fjord and that Caleb has moved on but he figures his roommate needs to figure it out himself this time. 

And so, the party comes. 

They do the secret santa early, because everyone is too chaotic and excited to wait to figure out what gifts they will get and they all want their friends to see the awesome gifts they got them already. 

Fjord nearly bites through his cheek while he sees Jester give Caleb her secret santa gift. 

Yasha gives Jester a beautiful dress, dark but artistic, that everyone insists she must try on and model for them at once because the world really hates Fjord and wants to make him blush and squirm as much as possible over the girl of his dreams. 

Caduceus gets Fjord an amazing movie collection with all the western classics he loves and it’s probably one of the nicest gifts he’s ever gotten. 

The tiny unicorn weights like a fucking ton inside Fjord’s pocket through most of the night. He convinces himself that he can’t give it to Jester, it would be overstepping. If she loves someone else, he needs to respect that. 

And then Essek shows up, and Fjord understands many things at once, and he’s so stupid he wants to laugh and hit himself at the same time. 

And yeah, just because Jester isn’t in love with someone else it doesn’t mean that she will like him now... of course not... but he feels a little bit less like a terrible friend and person for wanting her to. 

He pulls her out to the porch with some dumb excuse and after a lot of awkward small talk he finally brings out the tiny unicorn. 

Jester is delighted. What? Why? When? And Fjord just tells her the truth, that he saw it and thought of her and how happy it would make her and he had to... 

So Jester kisses his cheek and he blushes furiously and just as the moment is about to die down Veth shouts from inside that someone hid a lot of mistletoe around the house and that she is not kissing any of her friends thank you very much. 

So the two of them look up just in time to see GUESS WHAT hanging over their heads. Because of course. 

Blushing. Awkwardness. I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t- I mean if you- I mean I do- Do you? Yeah. Wait. Really? I mean, do you want to? Y-yes! 

They kiss. 

And it’s quick and shy and not really a big romantic kiss, barely a peck between two friends terrified of fucking everything up. 

The night goes on and neither of them can stop thinking about it... but other than that, it’s just a fun party. 

Fjord doesn’t sleep much, he’s up early and pacing around the house until he decides he needs to try that again. Just once more. One more kiss. And maybe then... and, yes, she will leave, but maybe one more kiss wouldn’t be so terrible before that?

So Fjord runs. He runs over to her home, heart in his throat. 

He knocks on the door, rushed and breathless... and finds Marion looking sad. 

Jester got a call that very morning saying Artagan needed her ASAP back in LA because the gallery is apparently a mess and he needs her help to organize the big night. 

Fjord does his best to cheer Marion up but he also knows, he knows, how upset Jester must have been to lose the last few days home. 

Meanwhile, Jester is doing her best to help Artagan (after finding out her mentor might be an amazingly talented artist but a terrible event organizer) and basically runs herself thin, going crazy and barely sleeping for a couple days. 

Two days before the big exhibit everything is still a mess and it’s too much for her to handle alone... and then the Nein arrive. 

What are you doing here? What is going on? How are you here? 

And they just shrug and smile and say they missed her and ‘hey, do you need a little help with that?’ and before she knows it everyone is helping her up and putting together everything that’d been falling apart. 

Beau basically intimidates the catering service into actually delivering on time by reviewing their contract and finding how much money they could lose if they don’t. Yasha, turns out, has a fantastic eye for art and helps pick where and how each piece should be hanged. Veth goes nuts with the decoration, making it way fancier than anyone expected this little art show to be —she demands black tie for everyone who is coming, too. Caleb and Essek result amazing with lights and music and manage got connect the whole audio system by some sort of magical miracle because it hasn’t worked properly since the 8s. Caduceus and Fjord offer to serve drinks when the barman calls in sick. 

In the end, after a few hectic days, it all works out. 

Jester finds out from Beau that Fjord basically knocked on their doors as soon as he found out she had to come back and talked everyone into coming and drove all the way here in his cheap shitty Ball Eater car (it broke down halfway through and Fjord and Caleb had to fix it themselves which is also why it took them two whole days to get to LA). 

The night of the gallery everything is perfect and beautiful and Jester could cry because she has the best friends in the world —but, really, she could cry because she’s missed them so much and having them here with her has made LA seem like a true city of stars again. 

And so, she takes a moment in between smiling and shaking hands and posing for pictures with Artagan (who is sort of taking all the credit for their work but it’s alright because he’s already hooked her and two others up with a bunch of interested agents and it seems like he really just wants to help this small artists have their big break) and Jester steps outside to take some air. 

Fjord follows. 

And she starts to thank him, earnestly, for all his help and support and she has no idea how she could’ve done any of this without them —without him. She can’t believe he followed her all the way here (as if Fjord has done anything else since the day they met on their college’s induction day... he always follows her)

Fjord, a little coyly, says that he could pay her back by lending him a couch while he looks for a place... and that’s how Jester finds out Fjord’s moving to the city to try and pursue acting. 

“Job hunting wasn’t going too well either, so I figured I might as well give my dreams a chance... I would also really like to be closer to you,” he admits, in a moment of boldness. 

And Jester understands. Finally. She sees what she was too afraid of admitting to herself out of fear of heartbreak and disappointment. 

“I can lend you a couch,” she smiles, playfully, “but it will cost you... a movie, maybe diner later” 

And his eyes sparkle as he steps closer and says, “I think I can manage that” and he asks if he can kiss her, following a hunch, and she nods. 

Just as everyone shouts HAPPY NEW YEAR inside the building. 

THE END

ok that’s all, i cannot bring myself to actually write this multichapter, but I hope anyone who is still here after ALL THAT enjoyed the ride. 

Happy holidays!!