#ancient road rediscovered

[relationaltherapist]

Quote from the book the ancient Road rediscovered: “The love of God does not follow value or worth. It creates it!”

[farshootergotme]

Do you have any dick grayson fic recs?

Do I have any? Thank you for asking. Yes, yes I have.

Here's a list of my recommended Dick Grayson centric fics!

(Will warn you that some of these could contain OOC moments, but I couldn't tell you which since most of these I've read a while ago. So, beware of that!)

The Fishbowl by LordLuxury

Summary:

Dick’s goal for Thanksgiving (code named Operation F.I.S.H.): A family outing to the aquarium.

It feels achievable - everyone has been getting along better lately, Jason is spiraling closer, Cass is coming home. But there is a lot of unspoken hurt in every direction, and Dick’s own position in the family is shakier than ever since Bruce returned.

If Dick wants to realize his dream of family bonding, there will have to be many painful conversations between all parties. Dick’s own secrets will need to surface, the ones he has long kept submerged, the ones he will fight to sink forever.

(Or: Where Bruce is just a bit darker, even less emotionally available, and treats everyone a little worse, and how they all fix their family anyway.)

Comment: I read it a while ago so I can't promise to remember everything there was in it, but I can tell you it was wonderful.

It's a long fic focused on Dick Grayson that explores the batfamily dynamics, but mostly focuses on Dick's relationship with Bruce.

It's a rollercoaster of emotions and you'll probably have to take a break as you read it but finishing it is so worth it.

It wraps up everything very nicely and it's just one of my favorite Dick Grayson's fics of all time.

Broken Boy Vacation by AuroraKant

Summary:

Tim and Jason and Babs were mad at him, and Dick couldn’t even explain himself. Only Damian – oh, and how his heart had soared, learning that his boy was ALIVE! – had welcomed Dick back, and… and in his desperation Dick had proposed spending the holidays together. No presents, of course. No pressure to be overtly nice to each other. Just… what was left of their family together in one place.

Tim had been the one who remembered Bruce’s skiing cabin up in Blue Ridge Mountains, and suddenly they had a plan.

Dick returned from Spyral in the hopes of reconnecting with his family - what he found instead was a Bruce who had forgotten them all and brothers who expressed their grief through anger. This holiday was supposed to let them heal. But can you heal something as broken as them?

Comment: Batbros bonding, many apologies and a lot of stress but happy (hopeful) ending for Dick.

Dick and Damian have an implied father-son dynamic so, if you don't like that, probably would avoid this one unless you can ignore that.

I know at the time I read it I liked it a lot, so you'll have to trust myself from about a month ago about this one.

Hey, Brother, There's an Endless Road to Rediscover by TheSilencer

Summary:

"Someone needs to go with him." Diana said. "She's a goddess of family. Her blessing will come from the strength of his familial ties."

All the more reason I should go. Damian thought.

Bruce and Dick shared a long look. Perhaps to the others in the room, it was a fast, indecipherable look, but Damian caught the pull of Dick's mouth and the tightness to his father's jaw. However, it was Bruce that said "Red Hood and Red Robin."

Damian's eyes widened.

Grayson was as good as dead.

Or the one where Dick's brothers manage to royally piss off an ancient deity that sends them careening through memories he'd rather they didn't see.

Comment: It's a work in progress, but it is long enough to keep you entertained for a while before the next update.

If you want a fic that covers basically all the struggles Dick's gone through? This one fic does exactly that.

Lots of secrets brought to light, reconcilation and drama.

Patchwork by Samuel_Walker

Summary:

Dick Grayson is made up of bits. It’s a habit he creates when he’s small, when he doesn’t know how to “person” quite yet. Others around him seem to know, so he just picks up little things from them and sews them together into a patchwork quilt Dick Grayson. 

Comment: I'll be honest, I haven't read this one yet, but I have it bookmarked for later.

However, I do know it's sort of a character study fic of Dick Grayson and this type of fics are usually great, so I will recommend it.

fool me thrice by GalaxyOwl13

Summary:

In the wake of Gotham War, Dick decides to give Bruce one final chance, but he doesn’t believe it will last very long. Bruce claims that Zur is gone, and, well, Dick believes that. It’s just that the problem didn’t start with Zur, so why would it end with him? Bruce has been hitting his apprentices since Dick was eight years old. He’s said he would stop before, and sometimes, it’s even lasted a while. But Bruce breaks all of his promises, sans one, and Dick is just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Comment: It's a work in progress, but so far it's been great.

It explores Dick's feelings about Bruce's (canon) abuse in the past and his struggle to believe that now that Zur it's gone it's truly over since he can't forget about the things Bruce has done when Zur wasn't a thing.

Bruce himself is trying to do better in this fic, but in his usual 'we won't actually talk about it, let us just move on' way. So, yeah, not great of him. Hoping for character development there.

And, well, this is all for now. I have other recs, but many of them are post-spyral or have ships in it, so I tried to vary a bit and avoid romantic relationships in the recs I gave.

Thank you for the ask!

[esotericworld]

Unknown ancient cultures are always fascinating. This one sounds nice to have lived in.

“Archaeologists recently rediscovered the long-hidden traces of an ancient Indigenous society in western Ecuador’s Upano Valley: more than 6,000 earthen platforms that once supported houses and communal buildings in 15 urban centers, set amid vast tracts of carefully drained farmland and linked by a network of roads. Stéphen Rostain of the French National Center for Scientific Research and his colleagues say they haven’t seen this unique brand of “garden urbanism” anywhere else in the ancient Americas. It is also the oldest such civilization uncovered in the area…

The artifacts that Rostain and his colleagues excavated from the house platforms suggest that people built this complex network of communities around 2,500 years ago and abandoned it sometime between C.E. 300 and 600. Rostain thinks “perhaps a series of eruptions could have made trouble for the people, because after [C.E.] 600, we don’t have any archaeological dates until [C.E.] 800.”…

Each settlement included several groups of platforms, with roads connecting them. Some settlements were small, with just a few house platforms per square kilometer, but others—such as Sangay, which overlooks most of the valley—packed more than 100 platforms into each square kilometer of a site the size of Central Park. And these larger, denser urban centers boasted taller, wider platforms that probably once held communal buildings where people might have gathered for rituals, shared work or social events, Rostain and his colleagues suggest…

Nearly all the open space between communities would have been covered with hundreds of hectares of fields, bordered by shallow drainage ditches that fed into deeper canals. That close link between the fields and the urban centers of the Upano Valley is a unique hallmark of the landscape and the people who built it. Rostain and his colleagues call it “garden urbanism.”

[lunamagicablu]

Sono la nostra Famiglia Ancestrale Donne Antiche eppure vicine a noi Donne Libere,Selvagge,Sagge e Naturali che dal passato ci tendono la mano. Sono le Radici Antiche e nodose piantate saldamente nella terra umida e feconda e nel profondo di noi stesse. Radici invisibili eppure forti e possenti da cui le giovani e nuove foglie traggono linfa vitale. Furono Donne forti e sapienti Bambine giocose,spontanee e leggere Fanciulle in fiore,languide e sensuali Giovani Donne libere e forti Madri gravide e feconde Mamme dolci e Amorevoli Furono Streghe,Maghe e Incantatrici Furono Donne di Conoscenza e Sagge Anziane Furono Anime Luminose Sorelle e Maestre. Sono coloro che ritrovarono la propia vera e pura Essenza lungo la via che conduce alla Madre.Quel sentierino incantato,sempre uguale eppure sempre diverso,che gia' molte volte fu battuto dai piedi delle innumerevoli Donne che cercarono di giungere di nuovo a casa.....e vi riuscirono,lasciando Orme che sono rimaste impresse nella Terra. Orme che sono incoraggiamento e insegnamento,consiglio e aiuto per chi,quella stessa Strada,vorra' di nuovo ripercorrere e seguire. Orme che sono Stelline lucenti che indicano la giusta direzione. Semini luminosi che possiamo raccogliere e piantare. Innaffiare,nutrire,curare e difendere dalle erbacce,cosicche' essi possano germogliare dandoci Fiori profumati e dolci Frutti, dai quali potremo trarre nuovi Semi che ci daranno,un giorno,Fiori ancor piu' profumati e Frutti ancora piu' dolci. Syama https://wild-mama.blogspot.com art by fantasysoulrb *************************** They are our Ancestral Family Ancient women yet close to us Free, Wild, Wise and Natural Women who reach out to us from the past. They are the Ancient and knotty Roots planted firmly in the moist and fertile earth and deep within ourselves. Invisible yet strong and powerful roots from which the young and new leaves draw lifeblood. They were strong and wise women Playful, spontaneous and light-hearted girls Flowering girls, languid and sensual Free and strong young women Pregnant and fertile mothers Sweet and loving mothers They were Witches, Sorceresses and Enchantresses They were Women of Knowledge and Wise Elders They were Bright Souls Sisters and Teachers. They are those who rediscovered their true and pure Essence along the road that leads to the Mother. That enchanted path, always the same and yet always different, which has already been trodden many times by the feet of the countless Women who tried to reach home again.....and they succeeded, leaving footprints that have remained imprinted in the Earth. Footsteps that are encouragement and teaching, advice and help for those who want to retrace and follow that same path again. Footprints that are shiny stars that indicate the right direction. Bright seeds that we can harvest and plant. Water, nourish, take care of and defend against weeds, so that they can germinate giving us fragrant flowers and sweet fruits, from which we will be able to draw new Seeds which will give us, one day, even more fragrant flowers and even sweeter fruits. Syama https://wild-mama.blogspot.com art by fantasysoulrb 

[queenaeducan]

the ascent (spoilers okay)

wip game | @nixeofmidgard

this one is actually partially posted and i admittedly havent done much more than think of it since da4 came out, but i put it on here bc sometimes talking abt things helps me finish them. i'm already thinking abt continuing to type up pub quiz bc ppl seemed to like it u_u

it needs editing i think to incorporate veilguard lore revelations, but before it got an official title it was called deep road field trip. it's about thora and solas's ascent from the titan to cadash thaig. thora rediscovering her ancestors, solas discovering his people found refuge in the ancestral home of one of his closest friends. and now, grappling with the added guilt of what he did to the dwarves, the pain he feels that even after what the elves (what he) did the dwarves of cad'halash laid down their lives for the elven refugees. it is truly the platonic ideal of my dwarf-elf emotions.

here is part of the (published, unedited for new lore if i decide it needs that) prologue! a few years old but i still like it:

The earth shakes like the sky before a storm. Weeks beneath the surface, and yet Solas feels the tremors under his feet, as though the source still lies miles beneath them. It speaks again, softer this time, mumbling in the voice of a Titan. Only a few pairs of eyes lift to watch the ceiling quiver, the rest having acclimated days ago. Varric’s attention, as always, turns to their exit to assure himself it’s still there. Their Inquisitor looks, too, but with different eyes. Not nervous, but inquisitive. Listening with intent to a foreign language she strains to understand, and when the shaking ceases her expression falters, tight with shame as her gaze falls back to her book. For Solas it is an old, familiar sound, the echo of an ancient quarry, newly awakened, and does not distract him long. He turns the wooden spoon around the dinner pot, stirring the pieces that had settled at the bottom before they begin to blacken. “Do you think it knows we’re here?” Varric asks in a low, nervous tone, deliberately spoken so that Valta does not overhear (although Solas doubts she would pay them any mind, either grief or fascination distracts her from their gossip). He looks and finds her now engaged in conversation with the Inquisitor, though her attention seems divided, suspended between the person before her and a force beyond their sight. Satisfied they will not offend the Shaper, he looks backs to Varric, whose eyes now glance furtively around the high ceiling. “It’s difficult to say,” he muses. “We lie so far beneath its notice it may not be truly aware we are here, and yet the Sha-Brytol greet us like a fever come to burn away the disease.” “Always with the cheerful observations, Chuckles. I suppose a little reassurance is too much to ask for?” “You misunderstand,” he says. “A soldier who’s weathered a thousand battles may still succumb to plague— an adversary so small it could pass through the eye of a needle.” “So we’re what in this scenario, a summer cold?” A smile tugs at his lip. “If you like.”

[winterpinetrees]

Into the Honest Desert (The Gap Years Part 18)

June 30th 2019

Las Vegas, NV

The road trip resumes. How does one write distinctive dialogue? How does one write (risky, involving an elf) romance? I can do neither and I must do both. 

……………

Brian has realized that this is the island of the lotus eaters, and he really hopes that doesn’t make him Odysseus. He and his friends have spent the past nine days on the Las Vegas Strip, a few manicured miles of electric lighting that promises safety with its high population density. They left once, rediscovered the mythical horror of plague, and then turned right back around. They need vaccines, they need allies, and they need a goddamn plan. Would Brian rather risk death than stay here and wait in luxury for the end of the world? Once he rode his bike off of a woodland trail and tumbled halfway down a mountain before stumbling back out with a mad grin. He’s been hurt in fights more times than he can count, and only learned to stop once he was on a school wrestling team and seeing blood meant pausing the match. Once he swung a crowbar at an enemy soldier so hard that its ribcage shattered and it bled out into the pavement. He’s more of an Achilles than an Odysseus. He’s not desperate to make it home. 

They’re in different rooms now than when they first arrived, for the sake of secrecy. The humans have a suite of their own again, but most nights one of those beds is empty. Brian is political-dynasty-rich and a varsity star. He knows that everyone up to and including the media think he’s some manipulative jerk for sleeping around. Zerada… Zerada is a very different sort of situation. The noblewoman might as well be Circe, minus the ability to turn ancient Greek sailors into wild animals. She’s ninety-four and basically a princess and if this is a horrible choice, then he is the one that’s going to pay. Honestly though, Brian’s already on a deadly quest to save the world. In the shadow of such a stupid, self-sacrificing decision, he’s not going to bother with second thoughts. If he gets turned into a pig, then Clay and Sierra can laugh at him once he’s back to normal. He’s having a good time. He’s not an idiot. He promises. 

They’re all ready to leave this place.  Clay’s been distraught since they saw the victims of Project Excalibur, and Sierra can’t stand the noise. The three of them have been working to see where other elves might be. If they like to hide in ruins and forgotten villages, then the American West is full of possible locations. There’s so few people out here. That’s the problem though. Marin and Zerada have been very clear that their enemies know exactly where they’ve been staying, they just won’t risk an attack because there are so many people nearby. They will be hunted the moment they step out into the desert. Brian remembers the attack in Vya, that little Nevada ghost town. Clay mentioned the place to a local in another town just before he was charmed, and he assumes that the boy told on him. Of course, they also need to gather allies while maintaining utter secrecy. 

Their only advantage is speed. Sierra’s car (The Audacity, for the years it took to make) is electric and the elves can charge it while they move. It can seat five, but it certainly won’t be as comfortable. She’s confident that it can handle going a hundred miles per hour, and that she can make repairs if it comes down to it. With illusion magic and relatively desolate highways, Brian’s told everyone to expect that pace. What that actually means is that they could get to Salt Lake City or Tucson by tonight, or easily reach the Atlantic Ocean by the Fourth of July. If they make up their plans as they go, the elves think they can outrun Ishtar’s forces. They’ll have to change roads often, travel constantly, and be ready for an ambush, but it’s possible. All of that sounds less stressful than finals week, so Brian’s down for it. 

They’re leaving today, even though Zerada has booked the rooms for another night. Hopefully they’ll be lost in the shuffle of tourism and the elven government won’t notice they’ve left. Even as they leave the city, disappearing into the crowd remains their only hope. The United States of America has a population of nearly three hundred and thirty million. That’s a third as large as the entire elven world. Without data sorting algorithms (advanced technology breaks down around magic. He’s heard Sierra talking with Marin about the details), tech like license plate readers and facial recognition becomes far less useful. They’d still totally have been caught by now without Marin’s illusions, and they still have to take precautions. 

The team has split up to do some tasks of their own. (jokes about not splitting up in a horror film have been shockingly rare).  Sierra and Marin are trying to check the car for tracking devices, though the pair might have gotten distracted. Clay’s taken on the job of organizing Marin’s messenger bag so they can actually find things in the heat of the moment, and Brian’s back in the room leaving a paper trail. On some level, he and his friends got into the colleges they did because of their fathers, but they are also very good at what they do. While Marin and Zerada ran off to wherever, the three of them scanned the entire Mountain Time Zone for places where elves might hide. There’s an old rocket testing facility in Utah surrounded by industrial waste, an abandoned site once used for creating chemical weapons, and, of course, thousands of square miles of not-quite untouched wilderness. He’s packing up most of their research, but leaving a little behind. Surely the elves will search their room soon. 

The plan is to stay in the desert for a while longer.  However, most of what he’s leaving behind points north to Idaho and Montana. He’s no spy (he’s just read a few books about them) so his work isn’t anything particularly good. He imagines a bunch of paper-pushing bureaucrats in a place that looks straight out of Middle Earth getting fed up with the misinformation, but they probably won’t fall for it. Either way, they’re heading for the hottest region in the nation, and he’s worried how well Marin can handle it. He’s agile, but weak. No, not weak. The elven prince is fragile. Brian remembers his carnival duel against him and how Marin never lost a game about accuracy or balance. He’s certainly an athlete, just not the same type as Brian. 

There is a quick beep from the door. He bolts upright, hand moving to the holster on his belt. The door swings open. A tall woman smiles back at him. Zerada Adust. Brian slowly moves his hand away from the gun and smiles. Her hair is loose and she wears a stylish cut-out shirt that is probably as red as his blushing face.

“Don’t go and do Ishtar’s job for her,” she laughs. “Are you almost done? It’s about high noon”. 

“Yeah, I was just checking to make sure we hadn’t left anything important behind”. He feels this need to justify himself to Zerada, but why shouldn’t he? She has the easy confidence of a person who knows she is the most important person on a team. It’s been a long time since Brian was the star. 

“Sorry to drag you away on this quest. There isn’t much where we’re going”.

“You have no idea how human you sound. I’m from a desert family, and they love this stuff”. She leans against a wall and says something with what he guesses is a fancy elven accent, “our burden as nobility to preserve the worlds”. 

“But you wanted more”. It’s not a question. He’s already heard about Zerada’s love for all things new and thrilling. It’s a desire he recognizes, and what drew him to her in the first place. 

“I do”. 

“So the desert is it?”

“So the desert it is”.  

He gathers the few items that aren’t already with Clay and brushes imaginary dust off of his shorts. Brian has no delusions that Zerada is a kind woman. He is a passing interest to her, a boy clever and attractive enough to have earned some of her time on this deadly mission. He tells himself she would sacrifice him in an instant to save herself. It’s almost refreshing.  He throws an arm around Zerada and gives her a kiss. There’s no debts or legacies, just two people in the same space with no reason to do anything else. Unlike Clay, he is not a person with a need to plan. Worrying about something bad just hurts you twice, right? 

He finds the other three members of the party gathered around the car on the top level of an underground parking garage. The ceiling lights are dim and warm, but the car itself has Back To The Future style rear doors and cool fluorescent accents. It’s a prototype from her father’s company. It had too many flaws to go to production, but she and her mom tried to fix one themselves. The Audacity, as the Brackens call it, looks like a spaceship. It matches the Vegas Strip, but not the infrastructure underneath it, and it will be all too recognizable out in the desert.  Sierra unplugs the charging cord and tosses Brian the keys. (Luckily, the curse has mostly affected her left arm). The car can more or less drive itself but always obeys the speed limit. 

They take their seats and the doors swing down into place. Brian is the driver, his sleek black sunglasses resting on the dashboard until they get to the surface. Zerada has been offered the passenger seat again, mostly because no one dares to take it from her. Clay and Marin sit by each back window, and Sierra is in the middle. He puts the car into drive. Clay fiddles with a paper map and passes it forward. Their first stop is a state park less than an hour away, just for fun. 

The car radio crackles to life as they leave the garage and reach the surface.

“New stop or new state means new music!” Brian says triumphantly, as he’s the next one in their rotation. The radio is still set to Sierra’s 80s rock.  He prefers modern pop, specifically the more hip-hop side of things. He’s not really musical though. The Vegas Strip is a road lined by hotels on either side. All of that flair has been replaced by square buildings and dust by the time that they pull onto the Las Vegas Freeway. Nothing ahead of them rises higher than three stories above the dry ground. He can see mountains ahead, and the skyscrapers of The Strip are clear in his rearview mirror. 

They drive. He expects that the scruffy bushes and bare stone hills will be very familiar after the next few days. The whole situation is strange with Zerada in the car. She upsets the balance. Before, it had been the three of them and Marin the outsider, but he was nervous and willing to adapt. Zerada is calm and stunning and when she takes his hand while he leaves the car on autopilot he can almost feel Clay and Sierra sharing a look from the back. In an attempt to avoid talk shows, (it's fun to listen for celebrities they've met, but one host mentioned Sierra and ruined her entire day) they hear three Billie Eilish songs in ten minutes. Sierra puts her headphones on and Marin starts to argue that he has CDs in his bag. Brian shoots back that they’re all jazz and blues recordings from 1970 at the latest. Marin corrects him on the genres but not the time period. Two stops or states from now, it will be his turn to choose the music. 

After thirty minutes or so, a crag of rock rises from the tan desert. It is such a vibrant red that it looks almost like someone changed the saturation and hue of a photo. It looms beside them like a breaking wave and Brian doesn’t need his directions to tell him that they have almost reached their first stop. It’s the hottest part of the afternoon as they pull their car beside a standing rock in Valley of Fire State Park. They can’t stay for long. They need to be far away by the time they set up camp, and the heat feels like stepping into an oven. Still, he wants to hike and bike or climb the smooth sandstone. Dry heat isn’t like wet heat. He never realizes just how high the temperature has climbed until he stops for a rest and realizes that his mouth feels like he’s been eating the sand. He drinks from a water bottle and looks up. 

A metal staircase clings to the side of the rock. There are some other tourists nearby, or standing at the top. The metal railings are too hot to hold as the five of them climb the steps to a platform overlooking a slanted rock wall. He’s no geologist, but the rock is covered with a black tarnish, and that tarnish has been scraped away to show symbols. There are humanoid drawings, animals with horns, and geometric shapes. A sign calls them petroglyphs, rock carvings, and explains that they are about two thousand years old. Thirty human lifetimes, or just four elven ones. Marin and Zerada can trace their families back at least twice that far into the past. He stares at the carvings, and then back at the tourists, and down to the shining car. He’d been hoping to double back to the Grand Canyon at some point, but suddenly Brian has no desire to feel small. He rests his head on Zerada’s shoulder on the way back down. This, at least, is important. 

………….

I drove from Vegas to Valley of Fire a couple of years ago. The rocks really do look edited in person. Like this!

Also, to make it clear, Brian is an idiot. He is eighteen and he knows full well that Zerada specializes in charms, mental manipulation, and power. This will not end well. 

[bearbluebooks]

The Sun and Its Shadows - a Gwynriel AU Magic Story

Chapter 1 - Somwhere Only We Know

I have been a long-time passive consumer of ACoTaR fanfiction, and every talented writer has inspired me to add to this amazing fandom! Here is my first chapter of a Gwynriel fanfiction titled 'The Sun and its Shadows'. It wil be a multiple POV 25ish chapter story, with eventual smut! If you love alternate universe MAGIC, dark academia and ancient prophecies this is for you!

Every chapter will be titled after a song which will be explained at the beginning of every chapter to enhance the reading experience.

I made a moodboard so you can get a sense of the story!

Read the first chapter on AO3 or on Tumblr under the cut :)

Please let me know what you think!

Summary:

Growing up in paradise, Gwyn thought she had everything a person could possibly dream of. A loving village, a secret sea-dragon best friend, a twin, and a purpose. That was until the Sun Sages came to Sangravah. In their quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy, they destroyed everything in their wake. What was paradise, quickly turned into hell. Gwyn discovers that there aremore layers to the world than her mother ever let on. She quickly needs to rediscover who she is outside her sheltered existence in a world of magic, academia and the mysterious prophecy. This story is based on the character's of a Court of Thorns and Roses, as such I will follow Gwyn's story which involves sexual violence. I will warn at the beginning of each chapter where mention of sexual violence starts and ends, so please don't read it if it is triggering for you.

The days were long, and the nights were endless. Gwyn used to thrive under the sun, she loved to bask in the rays of liquid medicine. She used to wake up at first sunlight, before everybody else, to start her day as if she was the only person in the world. Those little moments of solitude were precious to her. Those moments belonged solely to her, because she did not have to worry about anyone else, something she struggled with in the presence of other people. Ever since she was a child. Gwyn had the annoying habit of people pleasing. She always made sure everybody was doing okay, which often meant there was no more space for her. In the morning light, as the sun started to rise, she had all the space in the world.

Gwyn’s favorite place to watch the sunrise was in her secret cave located at the bottom of the enormous green mountainside she called home. Sangravah, as it was lovingly called by its 50 or so villagers, was a rustic village, with houses built into its cliffside, overlooking the sea. At night, the moonlight illuminated the sea, creating thousands of little stars reflected in the ocean waves. The rugged mountain pass with its many croaked  roads, and dense trees, prohibited outsiders from visiting the small village, which made it one of the best-kept secrets in Prythian. The seaside village was so small and isolated, it had to be completely self-sufficient, therefore, from age 12, every villager had an assigned task. For example, there was a fisherman, Birch, a teacher, named Iridia, who taught the 9 village children, and Gwyn’s mum who was a priestess. Together they sustained their paradise. Although Gwyn’s twin Catrin felt imprisoned by the isolation, Gwyn loved the calmness of their life.

For Gwyn, the sea was her life line. The waves played a tune that spoke to her heart. Urging her to calm down with every cresting wave. The water was clear as crystal, and as blue as her teal eyes. The secret cave, combined her two favorite things, watching the sunrise, and the sea. The cave was located at the bottom of the enormous mountainside, hidden behind two big willow trees. The opening had a small bedrock in the shape of a cresting moon, which allowed Gwyn to sit comfortably and look outside to the rising sun. Inside the cresting moon plateau, was the place where the cave water connected to the sea. One day, at age 10, when she swam out a little too far, lost in her own thoughts and space, she found the little area behind the trees. Normally, Gwyn would not engage in adventure unless Catrin convinced her to, yet something overtook Gwyn that day, was it intuition or perhaps destiny?

One day, a year later, Gwyn heard a small noise. Trying not to let fear overtake her secret place, she attempted to find the source of the clicking noise. She looked everywhere: behind the tree, under the rock, inside the alcove, but she could not find it. Until she looked in the water, to her surprise there was a big blue animal swimming just underneath the surface. Its scales were so blue it almost became one with the sea. Gwyn was frightened of the animal, it looked like the scary dragons she read about in her fairytales. She was ready to leave the cave and never come back, until the small beast touched her palm in a cheerful manner. Urging her to play. Confused, Gwyn pet the blue beast, and figured this would be the last time the two would see each other. However, day after day, the two would share the space, which made Gwyn decide to name it Blue Willow, Blue for short. Gwyn did not mind sharing the space with Blue, they immediately created an understanding of mutual care, Blue would bring her small shells, and Gwyn would feed it fish which she traded with the fisherman. She would write his letters, and he would give her the fish that were too small to feed their villagers. Blue and Gwyn grew close, one day it even let Gwyn ride on its back. She would hold on tight to its little fins and together they had small adventures exploring the sea. Gwyn felt guilty about not telling Catrin about Blue, but telling her about her other best friend, would mean giving up her secret spot, and she was not ready to do so yet.

Her childhood was magical. Filled with lots of love from the village, Blue, and the purpose she found in following in her mother’s footsteps. In the village it was a custom to follow in your parents’ footsteps, therefore, Kathrin and Gwyn would become priestesses. The twins never knew who their father was, their mum was always very secretive about their lineage. Although Catrin often tried to breach the subject, desperate to find out who was responsible for her black hair and her pale skin, true to Gwyn’s nature, she never asked, not wanting to upset their mother. She vowed to only secretly wonder. She was happy with her life, and did not want to disturb the beautiful life their mum built for them, so, she chose gratitude and mystery over clarity and inner peace.

Even though Gwyn never met people outside of Sangravah, she knew she was lucky. Yet, somewhere deep inside she also knew luck was never meant to last, and one day it would run out. A terrible intuition that turned out the be true two moons after she and Catrin celebrated their 16th birthday. It was a seemingly ordinary day. Birch had just returned from fishing, Gwyn and Blue watched the sunrise, the children had school, learning how to read time by studying the sun, and her mum prepared the service. That was until, as predicted by the ancient prophecy, violent, strange men came to Sangravah. The prophecy became shorter with each retelling from generation to generation, but the essence always remained the same:

A time shall arrive When shadows weep and the sun burns bright And the people of the light Will find the village and reclaim the power to revive All shall be lost, remain aware Protect the girl with the red hair

Gwyn heard the stories, the ancient warning that was passed through generations, as all old realities turned into fairytales. Although Gwyn loved stories, and always dreamed of finding her destined love, she never wished to live through this particular one. The men entered under the guise of light, attacking in plain sight. Gwyn had never seen so many men in her life. They wore strange silver armor, and exuded so much violence. Catrin was the first to spot them, she yelled at Gwyn to take all the children to the forest far away from the village. Gwyn felt powerless. Outside of her secret morning ritual, Gwyn never left Catrin’s side, and in such a time of need, it felt like cutting out her heart. But Gwyn also knew how the children of their village were even more powerless, and how Catrin was right, they needed to be brought to safety, she was always right.

Gwyn heard Catrin’s scream and there was no more time to flee to the trees. Gwyn knew there was an old escape route out of the mountains, that was almost as old as the village itself: an old cellar inside the library. She read about it once in one of the religious texts she had to study to become a priestess. Luckily, all the children were still in the classroom, she quickly gathered all nine of them, promising them candy if they remained quiet. After she put the last child in the cellar, she quickly pulled the rug and the desk over the entrance, because she heard men approaching. Catrin ran inside. Happy they found each other in the chaos, they embraced. A moment of fictious peace, as one of the men pulled Catrins hair so hard she was slammed to the ground. As she fell, Catrin quietly said, “Mum died Gwyn, they killed her, they killed her.” Gwyn could not believe her ears. All she had ever known was her peaceful village, what was happening? Who were these men? And where was mom? She could not be dead. She was their mom, she had so much life to live, she still had to teach her how to take the vinal vows. The men who pulled Catrins hair was laughing, joining their conversation yelling: “that bitch with the red hair, yeah she is dead, Finch killed her, but not before he took what he was owed.” Took what he owed? What did that mean, mum never owed anybody anything, everything was by and for the village. Catrin had pure fear in her eyes, as she was always more aware of the world outside of Sangravah. Catrin retrieved stories from the fisherman, who, especially with some fairy wine, was more loose with information than their mother tended to be.

More men swarmed into the small library. They were all wearing strange yellow clothing. One of them seemed to be different, he was wearing a cape with a sun on it, in his hand was a big wooden staff, almost as tall as his body. The scary man who was so violent towards Catrin proceeded to rip her clothes off. Gwyn tried to look away, but still she wondered: why was he undoing his pants, what was that between his legs and why was he forcing Catrin’s mouth on it? Catrin fought with every fiber of her being, biting the thing between his legs. The man became so furious he took the large metal thing in his hand and with one swift movement sliced through Catrin’s head. Gwyn became paralyzed, her beautiful twin who was just now talking to her, was dead.

For the first time in her life Gwyn all alone in the world. Everything was too much. One of the other man took this as an opportunity to approach her, he proceeded to take her clothes off too. He yanked her skirt up and forced himself inside her. Gwyn remained paralyzed. The whole world became a blur. She felt the table shaking with every thrust, but it was like she was floating outside of her body. She heard faint noises. More male voices. They were yelling against each other. An angel of death came into the library, she saw black in the sea of yellow. The table stopped shaking. The angel had a similar metal weapon, which he used to end the man that was crouching over her. The man was quickly pushed off the table, off her. The world was moving fast, and impossibly slow at the same time. She knew people were talking to her but she could not formulate words, she was in shock. She remembered a blanket being pulled over her body, covering her half naked body, and the strange sensation of shadows kissing her cheeks. Did she imagine the faint noises reassuring her, telling her everything would be alright?

The next thing she remembered was waking up in a strange brown room, filled with white beds and an unnerving quiet. A quiet that Gwyn did not trust anymore. The first thing Gwyn did was yell “Catrin, where is Catrin?” A female approached her, in an empathetic voice she told her: “my dear, she is dead, they were all killed.” Then she remembered and darkness overtook her again, as she slowly drifted back to sleep.

[radnewworld]

In the beginning, in the time of the Ancients, mankind was powerful beyond reckoning. Their empires spanned the entire Earth, with massive cities of steel and glass and lightning that bustled endlessly without any fear of the night's dark. Machines smaller than the eye can see tended to their health while others the size of thresher beasts built their roads and homes without ever tiring. Any whim or pleasure was catered to by OldTech and their reach could even touch the faces of the stars themselves. Wealth, power, warmth... The Ancients' intellect and cleverness had harnessed all of creation's mysteries for their own benefit.

Truly, they lived as gods.

For all their power, however, the Ancients never conquered their most vile creation: war. Even the most ancient and wise of elders don't know exactly what began or ended the Last Wars, but when the Ancients turned their power towards destruction, they laid waste to the very world that they had so painstakingly crafted. Cities burned to ash, brothers killed brothers, and the very Earth itself was poisoned by the Last War. The sky darkened and grew cold in mourning as the Ancients died.

In the long centuries since then, nature has adapted into strange new forms. Green, monster-filled wilderness has reclaimed much of the land since the skies cleared and the summers again grew warm. Ancient ruins patrolled by mechanical beings unaware of their masters' deaths still dot the land casting a long shadow... But younger civilizations of mutant humans, bugs, animals, and plants have stepped into the dawn of a new age. It is a dangerous time, with disease or violence snuffing out whole settlements at a time, but fewer and fewer are lost each year. Travel between the small settlements led to trade which has brought diplomacy. Some villages have even grown and merged to become small nations unto themselves.

The world as the Ancients knew it ended long ago. Now is the beginning of the RAD New World.

Welcome to RAD New World, a post-post-apocalyptic role-playing game that casts you in the role of an adventurer who lives in the far future of an Earth recovering from mankind’s attempts to destroy itself. Adventurers are exceptional individuals who make their living by solving problems beyond the ability of normal people and are often the only people that venture off the road into the wilderness between settlements. Their world is a strange place full of danger that must be confronted with mutant powers, guile, and daring if one wants to thrive. In a typical adventure, you might save a town from a bandit warchief, hunt deadly monsters, delve into ancient ruins for priceless artifacts, forge alliances with neighboring villages, fight a war, cure a plague, invent new technology, or rediscover long forgotten sciences. Your choices, along with some luck, will decide your character’s fate.  

[professional-shitpost]

I think I am okay mentally enough to say this:

On August 1st, I unfortunately had to put Shiba, my cat, to sleep. Her health was rapidly declining, to the point she could no longer controlled when she expelled waste. I have been coping when fronting by either playing Tears of the Kingdom…or just laying doing nothing until someone took over fronting.

I won’t lie, I am still not over her death, especially knowing that I had been keeping her alive for selfish reasons. In truth, the moment her seizures started happening four times a day should have been the moment I knew it was her time.

But I kept telling myself “I can make her better, I just gotta keep working on her.” There was no way she would get better. When Bitta Baby, my dad’s cat, was put to sleep, I held her but hardly shed a tear.

I still sob over Shiba. Her death was probably the only time I could show grief normally. Shiba was the one to keep my anxiety down, and the one to comfort me when I couldn’t ask anyone else.

Even after nearly a week of mourning her loss, I am still unsure how long it will take me to recover. I don’t think I ever will.

I had a cat before her named BB. Like Shiba, he too was a black cat. But unlike Shiba, he was never put down. Instead, after we inherited more cats, BB decided to leave our family and live with a different family (my sperm donor of a father confirmed BB started living with neighbors a few houses down the road).

But with Shiba, her death was personal. I think that’s why I haven’t recovered yet. I know when Shiba died, she took a piece of me with her.

You are probably wondering why I am letting you all know this. It’s because I have been silent this entire time, staying off social media as I grieved. This hiatus will most likely last longer.

What this will mean: If I am on social media, it will be only to either talk to close friends or check up on current events. If you didn’t know, Professional Shitpost is ancient by internet standards, starting not long after my school email was given to me.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. But after Shiba’s death, I had more time to think:

I am going to start distancing myself from Professional Shitpost. I will still use it as a storage place and to post art, but from now on I will begin the transition to talking to close friends only on my new main.

As for that new main? I am not revealing it. I’m sorry, but I only want those that are either close friends or already knew about my soon to be main to follow me.

Like I said, I won’t abandon this account for good, my creations will still exist. But if you spot a different account with my art style, congratulations, you rediscovered me.

———

Tldr: Shiba died, and I am moving accounts semi-secretly so Professional Shitpost’s multiyear baggage doesn’t follow me.

[kyndaris]

Jewel of the Nile

One of the greatest ancient cities on the Upper Nile was Thebes. But look at any modern map and you’ll never find it. Why? Because the city took on a different name following the Muslim conquest of Egypt: Luxor. So named, possibly because of the palatial residences and the riches the Arabs found when they arrived. After all, the name Luxor derives from the romanicsed Arabic qasr meaning ‘castle’ or ‘palace.’ 

From Hurghada, Luxor was approximately four hours drive along the highways. The gong was slow and there wasn’t much to see outside the window except desert, the occasional wild tussock of grass and other passing vehicles. 

Was it any wonder I’d fall asleep on the way there? By the time I groggily blinked awake, we were passing by fields of green on the left and an actual cityscape on the right. True, it was no Western-style city but the local population had suddenly exploded. I watched from my window as people went about their daily lives, heading to market or riding around on carts as they carried sugar cane.

Unfortunately, to reach our cruise ship to paddle up the Nile, we had to go down a very narrow rural road that was sprinkled liberally with checkpoints. There might not have been traffic lights in this part of Egypt but there was certainly a large number of armed police wielding the classic assault rifle from every video game ever: the AK-47, as a show of intimidation. That or they sported submachine guns on their persons. They even had small watch-towers, accessed only by rickety wooden ladders!

Once we had checked into our floating hotel, and after a quick lunch at the buffet, we piled back on the coach to witness the sights and sounds of Karnak Temple. Suffice it to say, the towering pillars and obelisks were breathtaking to behold. Everywhere I turned, hieroglyphs lined the walls, still retaining the colour they had from several millenniums ago.

Primarily dedicated to Amun-Re, in the information centre before we properly entered the historical site, there was even a copy of the ship that Ra would ride on every night as he descended into the Underworld to fight his way back up to the surface.

It boggles my mind that such treasures had been hidden beneath the desert sand until a century or two ago. So much history and culture lost and rediscovered.

With Popo in tow, however, there was a lot she wasn’t able to see and enjoy. It should be known that Popo was almost 85 (at the time of posting, she is already that ripe old age) and had an old injury from her childhood that meant she has limped for most of her life. Contracting COVID-19 last year in September only made her mobility issues worse, giving her chronic pain in her legs.

Tethered to Popo made exploring the ruins of Karnark that much harder, although not quite impossible. As she wasn’t able to walk much, I usually found a shaded seated area for her to rest at before taking off to snap all the photographs that I needed of ancient kings and their tributes to the gods, along with indecipherable hieroglyphs that held little meaning to me.

By the time we finished at Karnak, the hour was quite late. Still intent on getting the full experience of the East Bank of the Nile, we stopped at the Temple of Luxor to admire the many statues of King Ramesses II. There was even a carved depictions that showed off his many sons and what they had bequeathed their father when he had held court.

Deep inside Luxor Temple we also saw carvings from the Greek era of pharaohs. The most important distinction, as pointed out by our tour guide, were the slight curves of the thighs and ankles, as well as the rounded stomach. The Greeks, it seems, desperately wanted to emulate the Egyptians during their occupation of their area and had not been intent on destroying their culture in a bid to co-exist. A valiant effort considering how modern civilisations have steam-rolled over indigenous populations since the 15th century.

After we had rushed around Luxor Temple, our first day at Luxor ended.

The second day at Luxor had us rising early to hurriedly scoff down breakfast as we raced to the West Bank of the Nile before our ship would start cruising upstream. This, of course, was where the Valley of the Kings lay. After getting a quick rundown of some of the famous individuals that were discovered within, and shown copies of photographs taken during Howard Carter’s expedition when Tutankhamen was unearthed, I dove down deep into KV 8: Merenptah’s tomb before shambling over to KV6: Rameses IX. 

Finally, I joined the the huge line to take a peek at KV2 to see what Ramesses IV had in store. Surprisingly enough, written on the entrance to the tomb were words in Greek followed by a symbol of early Christianity: the fish. But what truly impressed me was the fact that down in the depths of Rameses IV tomb was that many of the hieroglyphs still retained a lot of their original colour, be that red, blue and gold. 

But the main reason for why the line was so long was due to the large number of people all eager to snap selfies or group photos with particular arresting reliefs, thereby holding up the line as I tried to squeeze past. Rest assured, it was quite annoying as I only wanted to quickly duck in and duck right back out with as little fuss as possible.

And while there were other tombs that were open to the public at the Valley of the Kings, a few also required additional payment to visit. Of particular note was that of Tutankhamen’s tomb. One I didn’t venture down into as most of his treasures had been removed and were on display in numerous museums around the world.

Before we returned to our cruise ship, the Jaz Celebrity, we also stopped at Deir al-Bahari where colossal statues of Queen Hatsheput, in the form of Osiris, stood guard.

As one of the only places that still retained her name, historians were able to identify objects and carvings from her time period before her son, Thutmoses III has been able to scrape them off. So, despite his best efforts to erase the woman pharaoh, the name Hatsheput has remained until this modern age. 

Ah, sweet irony.

In any case, we arrived at Deir al-Bahari when the sun was at its zenith. And though I was there in early March, the temperature was still unbearably hot. After climbing to the very top, I was sweating like a pig and desperate to return to the air-conditioned bliss of the tour bus. That or enjoy some nice delicious ice-cream.

Alas, since Popo had returned to the coach before I was able to ask for a few dollars to pay for an ice-cream, I didn’t have the necessary funds to buy myself a cold snack. Instead, I returned to the bus with plenty of time to spare to board the boat and begin our cruise up to Edfu and Aswan beyond.

Oh, and before I forget, we also visited the open air statues of Memnon right before heading to the Valley of the Kings and were pestered to buy merchandise from the hawkers that lined the street. Popo bought two bags and a pouch while I sat there impatiently hoping to learn additional history and/ or mythology of a bygone age. After all, I didn’t come to Egypt just to shop around.

The only real additional kernals of fact I managed to glean as we drove to the Valley of the Kings was that the Ancient Egyptians were one of the first civilisations to realise that the year was 365 days. They split the year into 12 months. Each month was three weeks and each week was ten days. The missing 5 days on the calendar were explained as Amun and Amunet meeting each other in secret.

And because they were such stargazers, astrology too, can be attributed to the Ancient Egyptians.

And another thing to note, I did spot a set of traffic lights in and around Luxor Temple. It was probably set up there due  to the sheer number of people crossing the road needing safe passage from the rampant number of cars and tour buses that frequented the area.

So, maybe Egypt isn’t as chaotic as I first thought it was!

[relationaltherapist]

Living out of the knowledge of good and evil is the basis of legalism. It is where we decide for ourselves. It is where we choose based on our own values, seek to determine what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad. It is the human mind constantly evaluating everything on the basis of one question - is it right or is it wrong?

Self-condemnation and self-justification are to the fore.

We bind ourselves in a constant dilemma of trying to work out the moral value of every action.

Maybe we need to take time and ask the Holy Spirit to show us if there are any judgements lurking. Are there ways in which I have judged others and myself and thereby have been trying to live under the Law and its curse?

[shelleylovesloki]

Warped Reality

Summary: Being a student at the Sanctum Sanctorum  is never easy, especially when there is a group of rogue sorcerers led  by a mad man on the lose. Rose (Michelle) and Rachel never thought their lives  could become any more chaotic. But when Rachel is given an assignment to  hunt down Amadeus Rainer, a rogue sorcerer from the Sanctum, their  lives both take a drastic turn. Besides a band of evil sorcerers, they  are pulled into the mission to retrieve an infinity stone with the  potential to open other realms. But while on this mission, past traumas  are reopened, powers rediscovered, and realities reshaped in ways that  both women never could have imagined. And with the help of a certain God  of Mischief, the three sorcerers run into an ancient prophecy that  could open up their universe to a villain that reshapes the  understanding of magic itself.

Chapter 4: Stolen Identity 

Walking through the streets of New York, Michelle kept even pace with Dr. Strange. So many questions flowed through her head that needed answers. 

“So what has happened to Rachel?” She asked the Sorcerer Supreme. 

Strange looked at her from the corner of his eye. 

“I do not know.” He replied bluntly. 

Michelle raised a brow at him. 

“Then why bring me out of the Sanctum?” She asked. 

“Like I said before, Rose, you are the only student here skilled in more than one form of magic. You have power like no other here at the Sanctum.” He explained, 

“Besides you.” Michelle muttered, annoyance dripping from her tone. 

“I heard that.” Strange monotoned, 

A red tint covered her cheeks as she apologized. 

“It’s alright. You have every right to be annoyed. I haven’t really told you much.” Strange said as they passed by strangers on the street. 

Michelle weaved through the citizens of New York City as she followed beside the Master of the Mystic Arts. 

“I have spotted a beacon on the other side of the city. I have no clue as to its purpose, but at the same time I am worried about its meaning.” The Sorcerer Supreme replied after a seconds pause. 

Michelle wasn’t fooled by his twisted words. 

“You think it has something to do with Rachel? Do you?” She asked as a man with a brief case gave her a strange look. 

She rolled her eyes as she ignored him. It wasn’t everyday you saw two sorcerer’s march through New York in the open. But no one had an issue when the Avengers went on their excursions. 

“Yes,” Strange sighed as he finally spoke up, “Yes I do.” 

There was silence for a moment as they came to a crosswalk. The Doctor pressed the button on the pole before looking at her. 

“You knew Amadeus long ago, didn’t you?” 

Michelle looked at the Sorcerer Supreme with a warning written in her eyes. 

“Yes...I did. We were never close though. There was something off about him each time I would run into him, an unaired darkness of sorts. But it was not like Kaecilius or his followers. Those guys gave me the creeps. It was more chaotic than world ending, like he was hiding something from the world.” Michelle said as she got lost in her own world. 

The orange hand turned to the walking white stick figure, and Strange grabbed her wrist to pull her forward across the road. Horns blared and people chattered as they walked across the street. Michelle looked up to see a strange beacon of white light that lit up the cloudy sky from behind a few skyscrapers. How not one of the pedestrians noticed it was beyond her. The beacon was a few blocks away. 

“You expect us to walk the whole way down there?” She asked him. 

The Doctor looked at her. 

“You wanna take a cab?” He asked sarcastically. 

“I’m good.” Michelle replied bluntly as the sorcerer released her wrist. 

They walked for a little while in silence before the Sorcerer Supreme spoke, “So you were never friends with Amadeus?” 

Michelle shook her head. 

“No, Rachel and I never tried to befriend him. Besides, I was too caught up in trying to figure out my own demons than to try and make new friends at the Sanctum. It’s hard to interact with others anyway when you are going through an identity crisis.” She said, rubbing the back of her head timidly. 

The bumps of her fishtail braid ran under her hand. 

Strange nodded, 

“I had no idea. Did you try to find some help for it?” He asked. 

Michelle shook her head. 

“No. I felt as if no one would listen no matter what I said. I mean who would listen to a witch trying to find her roots who rebels against the Sanctum teachings? Not very many in my mind. I mean, I did tell Rachel some of the crap I was going through and Sage as well, but I still felt utterly and numbly alone in the world.” Michelle said as her voice became quiet, almost closed off. 

“I will not pry. I’m just glad you got through the pain yourself. Lots of people have trouble navigating their sea of emotions.” Strange replied. 

“Well, I’m used to taking on the world alone since I was placed in that orphanage many years ago. It wasn’t much to me.” She said writing off how she truly felt. 

“You are truly a great liar, Rose. You would put others to shame.” Strange commented, making her sigh. 

“I’m serious, Doctor. I was alright.” She argued as they turned down the street into an alleyway. 

“And so am I. No one just bottles up their feelings and doesn’t implode at some point. So when did you?” He asked her as they stopped by a ladder to the rooftops. 

Michelle quickly put a cloaking spell over them both as she replied, “Can we discuss this later?” 

Strange shook his head. 

“You need to hear it. The lies, the mischievous antics, the careless attitude, Rose, you and I know you are hurting. This personality you have created for yourself will not shield the vulnerable hurting girl inside you. It will only mask it. I know you want to be the daughter your parents would have seen grow up, but you need to face the truth. They are gone. No matter how much magic you study and how many tattoos you get to commemorate their memory, you will never be whole.” Strange replied. 

Michelle pursed her lips as she forced away the tears. 

“I am done with this conversation, Doctor. Let’s just find Rachel so we can head back to the Sanctum.” She said softly before climbing the metal rungs of the ladder. 

When they reached the top of the building, the first thing Michelle saw was a trench coat. She frowned and squinted her eyes to see Rachel under the article of clothing. Her eyes grew wide. 

“Rachel!” She yelled as Strange and her ran to the young woman’s side. 

The Sorcerer Supreme knelt down to assess her for any wounds. 

“She’s alright. Just asleep.” He said waving for her to come closer. 

Michelle knelt down beside him. 

“Can you lift the magic?” He asked her. 

Michelle nodded and slowly put her hand over Rachel. Her tattoos lit up a deep purple as purple wisps flew out of her fingertips. The light went into Rachel causing her eyes to fly open. Strange kept her steady as Michelle pulled away from her. The beacon slowly began to fade around them, the white glow fading into an inky darkness. 

“It’s alright Rachel.” Strange said as he calmed down the heavily breathing student. 

She looked at him. 

“Doctor Strange, I almost had him, but he bested me.” She replied, her tone deeply upset. 

“It’s alright Rachel. We can find another way.” Strange replied. 

Michelle looked around for any clues as to where he could have gone. Her eyes glowed a deep purple as she used her sight to find clues. Footprints lit up a deep purple around her, but most of them went towards the other side of the building. She got to her feet as she began to follow them. 

Strange watched her curiously. 

“Rose, what are you-” 

Rachel put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. 

Michelle walked over to the other side of the building and peered over the edge. What she saw confirmed her suspicions. A circle of purple magic floated below her. He had teleported away. 

“He’s gone. Teleported away to who knows where at this point.” She commented as she walked back over to the two, her eyes returning to their normal brown. 

Strange looked down in thought. 

“I’ll have to discuss this with Wong and Mordo before we plan our next move.” He said quietly to himself. 

“So am I free to return to class now?” Michelle asked, trying to get out of what she knew to be coming. 

Dr. Strange looked at her knowingly. 

“No Rose, I need Rachel and you to come with me to this meeting. You are now both involved in this assignment.” 

[indtor]

Mumbai on a Budget: Free or Cheap Things to Do Around the City

Mumbai, the city of dreams, offers a myriad of experiences for every traveler, even those on a tight budget. Whether you're a local looking to rediscover the city or a tourist seeking authentic experiences without breaking the bank, Mumbai has plenty to offer. Here's a curated list of affordable and free activities to help you explore this vibrant city.

1. Beachside Bliss at Juhu and Marine Drive

Mumbai’s coastline is its crown jewel. Head to Juhu Beach or Marine Drive for a serene escape from the city's bustling pace. Enjoy the sunset, indulge in local street food like pav bhaji and bhel puri, or simply stroll along the shoreline. These beaches are perfect for soaking in Mumbai’s coastal vibe without spending much.

Tip: Visit in the early morning or late evening for cooler weather and a tranquil experience.

2. Heritage Walks Through South Mumbai

Explore Mumbai’s rich history with a heritage walk through Colaba and Fort. Admire iconic landmarks like the Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and Kala Ghoda Art Precinct. These areas are steeped in colonial-era architecture and culture, offering a glimpse into Mumbai’s past.

Budget-Friendly Hack:

Join free walking tours organized by local guides or agencies like Indtor, known for curating unique Mumbai tours and travel experiences.

3. Immerse Yourself in Culture at Local Festivals

Mumbai is a city that celebrates life with festivals all year round. Experience the vibrant energy of Ganesh Chaturthi, the grandeur of Diwali, or the artistic charm of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. Most events are free to attend and provide an authentic cultural experience.

4. Street Shopping at Colaba Causeway and Linking Road

Shopaholics can rejoice at Mumbai's bustling street markets. Colaba Causeway and Linking Road offer everything from trendy fashion to quirky souvenirs. Bargaining is key to snagging the best deals!

5. Art and History at Museums and Galleries

Discover Mumbai’s artistic side by visiting budget-friendly museums like the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya or Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Many museums offer discounted or free entry on certain days, so plan accordingly.

6. Sunrise at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Escape into nature with a trip to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, one of the few national parks within a city. Entry fees are minimal, and you can enjoy lush greenery, hiking trails, and even a visit to the ancient Kanheri Caves.

7. Explore Dharavi – Asia’s Largest Slum

For a unique perspective, take a guided tour of Dharavi, a hub of small-scale industries and entrepreneurial spirit. Agencies like Indtor Tours and Travels offer insightful, ethical tours that showcase the resilience and creativity of Dharavi’s residents.

8. Evening Magic at Bandstand and Carter Road

Enjoy the sea breeze and lively atmosphere at Bandstand or Carter Road Promenade. These locations are ideal for a relaxing evening with friends or a romantic walk by the sea.

Why Choose Indtor for Your Mumbai Adventures?

Planning your Mumbai escapade? Indtor Tours and Travels, one of the best tour agencies in Mumbai, specializes in crafting memorable, budget-friendly experiences. From heritage walks to curated cultural tours, Indtor ensures you experience the city like a local.

Mumbai is a city of contrasts, where luxury meets affordability. With these pocket-friendly ideas, you can experience the charm of Grand Mumbai Tours without overspending. Let Indtor, your trusted tour agency, help you uncover the best of Mumbai on a budget.

Ready to explore Mumbai with Indtor? Contact us today!

[dknuth]

Ajanta Caves

We flew from Mumbai to Chhatrapati Sanbhaji Nagar / Aurangabad. That’s a lot of names. It seems that every regime change changes the names of places. But the old names don't go away, and different people and reverences use various of them. This can be very confusing, especially since the names are all very long.

This confusion continues when discussing the time period during which various buildings were constructed in reigns and empires.

The next day, we headed to Ajanta caves.

But first, we made a quick stop at a modern Buddhist monastery.

The monastery was founded by Thai Buddhists with an interest in bringing Buddhism back to India, where it was founded.

This monastery cat, a member of the orange brotherhood like ours, is very old. He’d purr quietly when petted but otherwise not move.

Then, it was a four-hour drive to the Ajanta caves. It was especially long because the condition of the road was terrible! It seemed they tore up miles of road, put all the traffic on an unpaved shoulder, and then were rebuilding in the most disorganized manner I’ve ever seen. There was no attempt to reopen sections of the road. There would be miles of new pavement but many sections with missing bridges, culverts, etc., so it was not useable. It was clear that it had been that way for a long time. There were miles of pipe piled along the highway that had clearly been there for a long time, judging from the weeds and even trees growing out of the piles. Someone commented that I seemed to be taking this personally. I guess, as an engineer, I was.

We later noticed that our iPhones said we had over 10,000 steps for the day. People were pleased that we had walked so much, but then we saw the steps continued through the hours on the bus. The bouncing on the rough, unpaved roads had been counted as steps!

We finally got to the Ajanta caves.

The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut ancient monasteries (Viharas) and worship halls (Chaityas) of different Buddhist traditions carved into a 75-meter(246 ft) high wall of rock along a bend in the river in two phases, the first starting around the second century BCE and the second occurring from 400 to 650 CE.

With the decline of Buddhism in India, the caves were abandoned until rediscovered in 1819 by a colonial British officer, Captain John Smith, on a tiger-hunting party.

The stone in this part of India is tough igneous basalt. I later realized this is the famous Deccan Traps, a result of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world. It forms a 2,000-meter thick layer over 500,000 square kilometers covering central India. It occurred around the time of the Chicxulub meteor, which is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. The relationship between the two events is uncertain, but the gasses and ash from the Deccan Traps would have contributed. The caves, walls, and ceilings are covered with paintings depicting the Buddha's past lives, other pictorial tales, and rock-cut sculptures of Buddhist deities.

Records suggest that these caves served as a retreat for monks during the monsoons and a resting site for travelers. While vivid colors in mural wall paintings were known in Indian history, the Ajanta Caves are the most significant surviving body of ancient Indian wall art. From the car park, the entrance is up a long series of stairs and ramps to a walkway along the front of the caves, with more included stairs along the way.

For those daunted by the initial steps, men are ready to carry them in sedan chairs for a fee. They heavily promote their services to all older-looking people.

The first cave encountered was a monastery from a later period. Monastery caves are larger, with a central hall surrounded by small monk cells. The interior can be very dark, as the only natural light comes from the doorways. Some modern lighting has been added, but it's still tricky for photography.

The lintels and column capitals were heavily carved.

At the back of the central hall was an alcove with a statue of the Buddha.

This cave has the most famous of the paintings.

The paintings have suffered over the centuries, and missing sections combined with low light levels often make it difficult to understand the intricate scenes depicted.

The ceilings had panels of icons and small scenes.

The worship halls are narrower, with a Buddha statue or a stupa at the back.

The entrances to the caves are in a wide variety of styles.

The paintings range from the complex scenes above to individual paintings of Buddhist saints and deities.

The other famous painting is of a former life of the Buddha as an elephant.

Apparently, he was a very good elephant.

After several hours exploring the caves, we had only managed to cover about two-thirds of them, but we needed to head back to the hotel, as it was another three-hour drive on those cursed roads.

By the time we were at the hotel, it was after 8 PM, a long but rewarding day.

[taxiservicerajasthan]

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Amber Fort: A UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its artistic Hindu-style elements and intricate mirror work.

City Palace: A symbol of Jaipur’s regal heritage, this palace is an architectural masterpiece.

Hawa Mahal: The iconic Wind Palace, perfect for photography enthusiasts.

Jantar Mantar: A historic observatory showcasing India's astronomical prowess.

Jal Mahal: A breathtaking water palace floating in the middle of Man Sagar Lake.

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Jantar Mantar: Witness the scientific brilliance of ancient India.

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[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for December 6

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for December 6 include The Order, The Return, Y2K, and more.

The Order

The Order, the new movie from Justin Kurzel, is out today.

Based on a true story, an alarming surge in violent bombings and bank robberies in the Pacific Northwest leads a weathered FBI agent into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a charismatic domestic terrorist plotting to overthrow the US government.

The Return

The Return, the new movie from Uberto Pasolini, is out today.

After 20 years away, Odysseus (Fiennes) washes up on the shores of Ithaca, haggard and unrecognizable. The King has returned from the Trojan War, but much has changed in his kingdom. His beloved wife Penelope (Binoche) is a prisoner in her own home, hounded by suitors vying to be king. Their son Telemachus faces death at the hands of these suitors, who see him as merely an obstacle to their pursuit of the kingdom. Odysseus has also changed—scarred by his experience of the Trojan war, he is no longer the mighty warrior from years past— but he must rediscover his strength in order to win back all he has lost.

Y2K

Y2K, the new movie from Kyle Mooney, is out today.

On the last night of 1999, two high school juniors crash a New Years Eve party, only to find themselves fighting for their lives in this dial-up disaster comedy.

Devils Stay

Devils Stay, the new movie from Hyun Moon-Seop, is out today.

After the sudden tragic loss of his daughter following an exorcism, a renowned heart surgeon refuses to face the reality that his child has died, despite declarations from medical examiners and even the priest who performed the expulsion. But as the funeral rites begin, mourners start witnessing unnerving changes to the girl’s body, leaving the priest to wonder whether something much more sinister—an evil more ancient than Catholicism itself—may once again be looming over them all.

Get Away

Get Away, the new movie from Steffen Haars, is out today.

A family’s vacation to a remote getaway takes an unexpected turn when they discover the island they’re on is inhabited by a serial killer.

How To Kill Monsters

How To Kill Monsters, the new movie from Stewart Sparke, is out today.

The sole survivor of a blood-drenched massacre must team up with a rag-tag bunch of rookie cops and lawbreakers to fight off an invasion of monsters from another dimension.

Lake George

Lake George, the new movie from Jeffrey Reiner, is out today.

When ex-con Don (Shea Whigham), fresh out of prison, visits mobster Armen (Glenn Fleshler) to collect some money he’s owed, he’s instead assigned a final task: to take care of Phyllis (Carrie Coon). Don tries to carry out the job, but he finds he can’t pull the trigger. Instead, the pair of misfit oddballs set off on a road trip together, as their lives and standing with Armen become entangled. Phyllis soon reveals that she has designs of her own and proposes a little tag team action to Don: combine forces with the aim to steal money – a lot of money – from the people who want her dead. Don must decide whether his allegiance lies with Armen, or with the wily, charismatic woman he was supposed to kill.

Nightbitch

Nightbitch, the new movie from Marielle Heller, is out today.

A woman (Amy Adams) pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom, but soon her new domesticity takes a surreal turn.

Oh, Canada

Oh, Canada, the new movie from Paul Schrader, is out today.

Aging filmmaker Leonard Fife (Richard Gere), still fiery despite his battle with illness, wants to tell his life story, unfiltered, before it’s too late. As the director of acclaimed documentary exposés, he has much to be proud of, but his Vietnam War draft-dodging and his past relationships harbor thorny truths. Leonard sits for an extended interview with his former student Malcolm (Michael Imperioli), relating candid stories about his younger self (Jacob Elordi) in the tumultuous 1960s and beyond. At Leonard’s insistence, his wife and indispensable artistic partner, Emma (Uma Thurman), bears witness to it all. His successes are held up against his failings and, as the man is cleansed of the myth, Leonard must confront what is left.

Striking Rescue

Striking Rescue, the new movie from Siyu Cheng, is out today.

After his wife and daughter are killed by assassins affiliated with a brutal organized crime syndicate, a Muay Thai fighter (Tony Jaa) goes on a furious rampage through the city on his quest to hunt down the killers—and make them pay.

Sujo

Sujo, the new movie from Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez, is out today.

When a sicario is murdered, four-year-old Sujo is left orphaned and at risk. Surrounded by violence, the boy grapples with his fate as he grows into manhood, realizing that fulfilling his father’s legacy may be inescapable.

The End

The End, the new movie from Joshua Oppenheimer, is out today.

From Academy Award-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer comes a poignant and deeply human musical about a family that survived the end of the world.

The Girl With The Needle

The Girl With The Needle, the new movie from Magnus von Horn, is out today.

Struggling to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen, a pregnant young factory worker is taken in by a charismatic woman to help run an underground adoption agency. A deep connection forms between them, until a unthinkable discovery changes everything.

The Invisible Raptor

The Invisible Raptor, the new movie from Mike Hermosa, is out today.

After a top-secret experiment goes wrong, a hyper-intelligent invisible raptor escapes the lab and begins wreaking havoc in the surrounding neighborhood. When the creature’s identity is uncovered, it soon becomes clear that a disgraced paleontologist—alongside his ex-girlfriend, an unhinged amusement park security guard, and a local celebrity chicken farmer—is the town’s only hope for surviving the raptor’s ravenous rampage.

Werewolves

Werewolves, the new movie from Steven C. Miller, is out today.

In WEREWOLVES, a supermoon event has triggered a latent gene in every human on the planet, turning anyone who entered the moonlight into a werewolf for that one night. Chaos ensued and close to a billion people died. Now, a year later, the Supermoon is back…

Paris Has Fallen

Paris Has Fallen, the new TV series from Howard Overman, Oded Ruskin, and Hans Herbots, is out today.

When a terrorist group attacks a high-profile event with the French Minister of Defense as their target, protection officer Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) finds himself working with street-smart MI6 operative Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya) to save the day. But when events take a dark turn, Vincent and Zara realize that the plan extends beyond just one politician. Can this unlikely pair stop Paris from falling to a man determined on vengeance?

The Sticky

The Sticky, the new TV series from Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, is out today.

The Sticky is a comedy-drama series about Ruth Landry, a maple syrup farmer who, in defiance of a heartless system, assembles a team to undertake the Canadian heist of the century. The target: the country’s multi-million dollar maple syrup surplus.

Maybe In Nirvana

Maybe In Nirvana, the new album from Smino, is out today.