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chuplayswithfire · 2 years

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Do you have OFMD fic recs?

do i have OFMD fic recs?

oh my god, but do i have OFMD fic recs. i am, not, as some might be fooled into thinking, a Normal Person, and as of today I have read through and browsed about 77 pages of the 103 pages worth of Edward x Stede fics over 3k in length that AO3 has to offer.

Why have I done this? I really enjoy reading fics. Seeing what the writing community has to offer, enjoying whats available, crying at the things that make me feel the word No crystalize louder in the core of my being when I see takes I can't live with.

As a direct result of this, I currently have over a 180 specifically Ed x Stede OFMD fics in my bookmarks, so in the broadest of terms, generally speaking all of those could be in a rec list. But here's an incomplete list of the OFMD fics I would recommend (and have recommended to my friends). Also none of these will have the exact summary, just my sales pitch on them bc i don't feel like copying out the summaries.

domestic by Ark

the most blissfully domestic fic ever, a take on what could have happened had Stede and Ed left the academy together rather than what happened in canon. It's a long and generous character study on how these two might have adapted to domestic life together, how they flourished, and it nurtures my soul.

Turning Tides by Fyre

A speculative season 2 bringing in just about the entire cast from the first season and introducing new characters, new threats, and reuniting our sappy middle-aged men along the way, this series blew me away with magnificent characterization, stunning use of the characters and plot threads from the first season, and some absolutely fab moments. A speculative season 3 is coming in the future!

An Awfully Big Adventure by trinityofone

I won't spoil the surprise and twists in this tale, but it was a fun and emotional fantasy journey for our characters, and is astoundingly entirely from Izzy's POV, which is usually a thing I unashamedly hate, but here is used to incredibly fascinating effect. I couldn't stop reading this fic from the moment I started. This is post S1 and does have reconciliation/reunion aspects.

Always and Forever by stereobone

ACCIDENTALLY GOT MARRIED FIC, ACCIDENTALLY GOT MARRIED FIC, do I NEED to say more? Post-S1 Stede and Ed wake up married without remembering their reconciliation, things progress from there.

The CafeHouse by WaitingToBeBroken

Coffee shop AU where Ed is a tattoo artist and Stede is determined to figure out his perfect coffee order - because obviously Ed isn't a man to really want a black coffee. I loved this from start to finish, it had me laughing and screaming.

half-agony, half-hope by lyricl

Post Season 1 fic Ed gets his groove back by getting a new pen-pal, going on a journey of self-exploration, picking a first mate who aligns with his management and life goals, and getting his man back. I LOVED this fic, loved Fang and the rest of Ed's crew, and the various OCs who pop in from time to time. Really enjoyed the take on Izzy too which is a big one for me, and also the fact that this author, like me, agrees that Izzy needs to go and find the dom top of his dreams instead of trying to make Ed into that.

guardians of a rare thing by ShowMeAHero

its a 5+1 fic about nice things Stede did for Ed and one nice thing Ed did for Stede and look I am a simple woman, I just want my babygirl Edward Teach to have the best life possible and be spoiled and this fic satisfied that craving so well.

a very good bad thing by seularen

Someone tries to come after Ed while he and Stede are on vacation. Stede Handles It baby. I will actually copy a bit of the summary here to show you why i HAD to read this fic when I first found it, and why everyone else should too:

“Unhand him,” Stede said. “Or what?” “Good point. I can’t say ‘or bleed.’ You’re going to do that already.”

My Saddle's Waiting by dracothelizard

One of the shorter ones on this rec list, this is a nsfw comedy take on the first season, where Ed sees that Stede's hung like a horse in episode 4 and is determined to ride him some of that.

Possibly the only incomplete fic on this list but which I die for every update:

Chiaroscuro by MenaceAnon

featuring one of my favorite genres of OFMD fic, the Mary & Ed friendship dynamic, this fic features Stede crashing back into Mary's life with an injured Ed, and the ways that Ed, Mary, Stede, Doug, and the kids all interact. I love this take on Mary, I love the compassion and humor and care that the author puts into every single word and scene, Ed teaches Mary about tattooing and Mary affirms Ed's nature as an artist, AND, Ed and Stede still haven't made up yet, so we get some delicious conflict there too.

and to finish the list, my favorite fic in the entire fandom which I have rec'd like twice already but will never STOP rec'ing because it WRECKS ME EVERY TIME -

this tired world could change by gangnamstiles

IT HAS EVERYTHING.... EVERYTHING.... i love this fic so fucking much okay?!?!?! Modern AU, miserable business man Stede is drowning in his day to day life when he meets Edward Teach, mechanic, handsome guy, savior who offers him a cigarette (and uh former hitman for Spanish Jackie's mob). They fall in love, but oh boy is there a lot for them to cope with along the way.

I LOVE THIS FIC. I love this fic. I found it about halfway through and screamed through every single update with one of my friends, literally read this fic on the cycling machine at the gym and jumped for every update as soon as they posted because i LOVE this fic so much okay, and now that the author is posting some extras i am living again.

And this is my OFMD Bookmarks on AO3 in case anyone wants more. My bookmarking philosophy is "anything I know I'm going to want to read again, put here"

thank you anon for letting me spend an hour revisiting all these fics I love

#ofmd #our flag means death #blackbonnet #fanfic rec #fanfic recs

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sparrow-orion-writes · 2 years

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OC Post 1:

Neon Glow In Gold Dust (Book One Main Characters)

Arizona (Ari) Close

Age: 30

Job: Engineer, mostly. He started out building a couple of weapons, and now he’s fixing most things that break.

Sexuality: Biromantic asexual.

Short Bio: Ari grew up in a religious community known as Sight. He was raised to be one of the leaders of the town, but upon realizing he was transgender, fled outside of Sight to transition. He’s struggled most of his life with drug and alcohol addiction, but all things considered he’s doing quite well.

Relationships: Neptune (Romantic - they were childhood best friends before he ran off), Edward (Romantic). Accidental adopted father to both April and Ember. Eli (Brother)

April Adams

Age: 21

Job: Chemist (Poisoner, Medic)

Sexuality: Bisexual aromantic

Short Bio: April grew up in a commune known as Poison. The area is almost entirely uninhabitable for human life, but the people of Poison make do, not willing to leave their sacred ground. He left in the early days of being 17 years old, to be recruited by Anastasia to join the revolution.

Relationships: Ember (Queerplatonic Partner), Pretty much anyone he can get his hands on he’s a bit saucy.

Eli Jordan

Age: 26

Job: Council Member / lawmaker / Disability Advocate

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Short Bio: Eli grew up his entire life in Ari’s shadow, until he left. For most of his life his parents assumed he wouldn’t make it very far due to his disabilities, so he’s had to fight for himself more times than strictly necessary. Against their wishes, he trained hard to be a council member, intending initially to take over Ari’s role, before deciding that he wished to make general existence easier for people with disabilities, taking that post instead.

Relationships: Alicia (Wife), Ari (Brother)

Alicia Jordan

Age: 29

Job: Carer / Volunteer

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Short Bio: Alicia grew up in Sight, a year younger than Ari. At the age of 20, Eli asked Ari if she could stay with him, having found out she was transgender. She stayed with Ari for three years whilst he studied and she transitioned, before returning to Sight. Over that time, Eli spoke to her more and more often, and the two became incredibly close. When she returned, she stayed with him, something generally frowned upon in their community as neither were married.

Eli’s parents were initially very much against the relationship as she wasn’t someone they knew – assuming her to be a convert – but seeing him so much happier, they encouraged them to marry, which they did when Eli was 23 and Alicia was 26.

Relationships: Eli (Husband), Ari (Brother-in-law)

Ember Close

Age: 21

Job: Warehouse Manager, mostly, but he does many, many jobs.

Short Bio: Ember grew up on the outskirts of the hills, in an area with very high levels of poverty and violence. He was the sole provider for his family from a very young age, whilst trying to save up for his own transition. Ari took him in and supported him financially, giving him a job that would allow him to expand his skills. Though the job is still high-risk, he would at least be genuinely protected by people who cared about him. Four years later, he still works for Ari.

Relationships: April (Queerplatonic partner), He won’t admit it but Ari is basically his dad at this point.

Edward Mesbah

Age: 27

Job: Chemistry Assistant / Assistant Medic / The person that does all the paperwork and stops April blowing things up

Short Bio: Edward grew up in the province of Sun, one of a few sectors to experiment using nuclear fission. He had a fairly normal upbringing, with a father obsessed with technology, teaching Edward much of what he’d taught himself. His parents passed away when he was only 17 years old, and Edward decided to travel, becoming a scavenger for tech parts. On a run one evening, he met Ari and April...

Relationships: Ari (Favourite idiot / romantic partner, eventually, if they stop being idiots), Neptune (romantic partner, but that’s not a book one deal).

Neptune Lowery

Age: 30

Job: Not if she can help it

Short Bio: Neptune grew up in a family of five, raising their sisters whilst their mother struggled with her disability. She was Ari’s childhood best friend, and when he left and faked his death in the process, she was heartbroken. Struggling truly alone for the first time in many years, it would only be another two years before she left Sight herself, unable to cope with the pressure.

From there she travelled a lot, taking odd jobs to pay for food and clothes, but never really settled anywhere. Some part of her hoped she would see her childhood best friend again.

Relationships: Ari (romantic), Edward (romantic, eventually).

Relationship board, mostly for the icons:

#my ocs #ocs #neon glow in gold dust #neon glow #neon glow ocs

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aleximedicusa · 3 years

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npc info about characters in lewis’ storyline! since i tend to mention these characters in threads, this is a small cheatsheet to provide a bit of basic info — this is not all the characters in his story, these are just the main ones. always feel free to ask more about any of the characters here if you want to know anything specific! reposting because the old post broke rifp

peter lumineux. lewis’ lover. english-born french comte — due to the french revolution, peter’s aristocratic family fled to england. he now resides in a large manor house in suffolk, and since his mother’s passing, he has been the sole occupant there. he keeps a skeleton crew of servants, only as many as he needs to serve his own requirements; if he has to host a ball or social gathering, he hires in servants specifically for the occasion. he’s a very reclusive and antisocial man, but an intelligent one, too. having studied natural history at oxford, he found specific interest in the study of moths, and it is in the pursuit of this study that he spends most of his days.

hippolyte barthélemy. a french anatomist of very high reputation, dr. barthélemy is the current chef des travaux anatomiques at l’ecole de médecine in paris. lewis first met him when hippolyte was in london looking into the various anatomy schools of the city. at this time, more and more english students were migrating to france due to france’s comparatively better medical education system, and hippolyte was more or less there to poach students. he became interested in lewis’ vocal frustration over the english education system, however, and began to lend a hand in lewis’ efforts for reform. cunning, charismatic, and capable of being incredibly manipulative, hippolyte is an expert at navigating society, and he lends the charm that lewis lacks.

connor morrison. a pet favourite of dr. barthélemy and the prize pupil of dr. knox in edinburgh. he is arrogant and self-assured, but not incapable of putting on charm when it is necessary, and he’s quite rich and popular in high society. unlike lewis, who is insistent on reforming the whole system, connor cares little about the laws and what detriment they might cause. as long as his supply of bodies is assured, he is satisfied — and the two irishmen bringing fresh bodies to dr. knox’s door amply provide for connor’s wants.

theo bachmeier. apothecary, political activist, and all-around socialist KING. lewis met him in a public coffee house, where they spent their first few hours together locked in rigorous debate as to the proper way to approach the problem of anatomical teaching. to an outside observor, it looks like their friendship mostly involves heated yelling back and forth, but they both thoroughly enjoy the debates and consider each other close friends. theo is approximately eight million times more valid than lewis is, in most things.

john & katherine edwards. lewis met john, a fellow student of medicine, in his second year in london, and the man remains one of the few friends that lewis has in the city. he is a fairly placid man, but his wife is the woman of business, running and overseeing a successful hat shop in the city centre. when lewis fell ill in the spring of ‘25, katherine insisted upon her husband inviting lewis to their summer home to convalesce.

dwynwen anwyl. lewis’ younger sister. out of his three siblings, lewis gets on best with dwynwen, and when he writes to his family, he generally writes directly to her. she still lives in caernarfon, now happily married with a son and a daughter. it’s rare that lewis ever does confide in anyone, but when he does, it’s to dwynwen, either in person or by letter. quick-witted and logical, she would have made a fine lawyer if women were permitted to practice, and she knows it.

thomas smith. if a group of servants can have a ‘problem child,’ it’s thomas, in peter’s household. originally hired as the coachman, thomas now serves more of a footman’s role, and he’s… to put it simply, a bit of a cad. he’s well-known in the nearby village as a lady’s man, and more than once, he’s gotten into a bit of trouble by fooling around with a woman who turned out to have a jealous husband. he’s also quite the gossip, which not all of his fellow servants love.

winifred ‘freddie’ wright. the cook in peter’s household. stern, no-nonsense, and austere. she’s ended up as the sort of mother figure to a lot of the younger servants, and although she doesn’t take any shit from them, she’s always there to support them. even thomas, as much as his constant gossiping drives her up the wall.

#( * reference. )#( * npc info. )

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ginwhitlock · 3 years

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No pressure to answer this at all if you don't want to but I'm just wondering. Edward vs. Jasper: pros & cons and who would you pick? 👀

No pressure taken babe. Alright so Edward vs my man. Let’s go

Edward: I never actually really liked Edward! One, I think Robert Pattinson is ugly and two, his book persona always felt so out of reach. I grew up distinctly poor and southern, Edward’s Chicago musical prodigy self never connected with me. I didn’t want to be whisked away with a man who could quote Hemingway but couldn’t fix a dishwasher.

PROS: He always knows what I’m thinking which I like bc I feel a lot and I don’t like being misinterpreted, he has a higher tolerance blood, he’s medically trained (as I am going to be), he’s incredibly book smart, I love music, we can have pretty intelligent conversations together about religion

CONS: He’s not the hot one out of the two, he’s from a very different background, he waited til marriage, he had a lot of guilt when it comes to God that I’ve never had, he makes decisions without informing his partner, oh yeah and HE CAN READ YOUR MIND

Jasper: you all know I love this man. He’s the man on the cover of every cowboy romance novel I’ve ever written (to the people that say he wasn’t a cowboy, you’re actually correct! He was probably a rancher, who didn’t travel which just makes him a rancher and a farm boy. But his personality is like literally every cowboy character in those shitty novels trust me)

PROS: Hot. Yeah he’s hot that has to go on here, we’re from kinda the same background (southern and probably poor with a strict idea of childrearing), he’s protective and I like that, I know he plays guitar I just do, Rosalie had to teach him abt cars and I bet he’s up there with being a car buff, he is also incredibly talented and intelligent in his studies, he knows how to fight, he can tell what I’m FEELING also lovely

Cons: confederate. Yeah I’m sure I’ve got them in my bloodline being from SC but it doesn’t make me happy about it. His retention of blood lust, his very silent nature (I’m a big talker and I do like when people talk back sometimes lmao), we probably would have very little talks of religion as I don’t think he’s taken that to his vamp life

Yeah it’s Jasper. Always Jasper

#I date Jasper’s #so always my man #shut up adrianna #mine #jasper hale #Edward cullen

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istanstens · 4 years

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I’ve been thinking a lot about John Segundus lately as I want to write a modern day AU and I came to the realization about something.

He is (if not practicing) of Jewish heritage.

Allow me to explain.

1. His last name, Segundus is Italian, not English. (In fact, in the book Strange thinks Segundus looks Italian. Why bother to mention this description at all?) It always bothered me why an English character had such a foreign name unless it was significant. Now, I know what you might be thinking; the Jewish people are not known for living in Italy. This is true, with the notable exception of Venice which had a sizable Jewish community. (And remember, it’s mentioned in the book that the invalid woman Dr and Flora Greysteel go to visit is living in the attic of a Jewish man.) Granted, Segundus is not a Jewish name, but it is highly plausible the family took it to better fit into Italian society (it is well known Jewish families in the past, especially in hostile areas changed/altered their names to better fit into society. My own family did this.)

2. He looks Jewish to me. (Yes, this is based on Edward Hogg’s appearance and definitely the weakest of my points, but indulge me.) Segundus has a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and dark curly hair kept short (before it can really curl. I’ve seen photos of Edward with longer hair and it’s wildly curly.) Curly (usually dark) hair is as stereotypical a Jewish trait as a large nose. (I’ve had people not believe that I’m Jewish simply because I have straight hair.) With the exception of my uncle (who has blond curly hair) Segundus looks exactly like every member of my Jewish family with his strong jaw, high cheekbones, and dark curly hair.

3. Him being Jewish explains his love of education/knowledge. Education is extremely important in Jewish culture. Historically, all male children (and to a lesser extent female children) were taught to read and study the Torah. Moreover, as Jews were strictly limited to the types of employment they could have, education became more important to insure they held on to those limited job opportunities. There is a long tradition of Jews being teachers/tutors/court advisors to those who who did not generally tolerate Jews in their country. If I remember correctly, after Queen Isabella expelled the Jewish population from Spain in 1492, the King of Poland made a comment about gladly welcoming them into his kingdom as their knowledge would benefit his country. Segundus would have grown up with and been instilled with the love of education. He did after all go on to become a teacher and found a school of his own.

4. Him being Jewish also explains his obsession with magic. Judaism has it’s own branch of mysticism/magic - Kabbalah. If he grew up with Kabbalat teachings - magical teachings - as being normal, of course he would become interested in English magic. (I don’t know much about Christianity, but isn’t magic/witchcraft seen as bad? Weren’t a number of women burned at the stake across Europe for it? And even within the book magic is looked down upon until Norrell restores it. What gentleman such as Segundus should have any interest in PRACTICAL magic? It is not respectable after all and Mr Segundus is as respectable a gentleman as one can be! And yet we are introduced to him wanting to know why magic is no longer preformed in England and getting ridiculed for asking it. It is a perfectly reasonable question if one has already grown up with magical teachings.)

5. Him being Jewish also explains why he was able to see the fairy magic surrounding Lady Pole and Steven (the rose at their mouths) when no one else could. He has the sight/perspective of on outsider. He can literally see things others cannot, he has a unique perspective. (And let me tell you, growing up Jewish surrounded by Christians does give you a unique, sometimes strange perspective on things.)

6. Him being Jewish also explains the secrecy surrounding him. The only thing we really know about Segundus is that before arriving in York, he was in London. The largest Jewish population in England has always been in London (being traced back to the 1630s). It is very possible Segundus came from a successful immigrant Jewish Italian merchant family based in London which had recently fallen on hard times. (During the time, not many families outside of the aristocracy had the money to send their sons to college and Segundus is obviously well educated.) His Jewishness could explain why he never mentions his family and tends to keep to himself. Given antisemitic feelings, he would not want to experience the pain of losing a friend (or worse) if the wrong person found out he was Jewish. (I’ve lost “friends” once they found out I was Jewish and it’s 2020.) Also, the book mentions that Segundus had to take various employment to support himself, but it was always thwarted by “ill-luck or other.” Could that ‘other’ be no more simple then his employer dismissing him once they found out he was Jewish? Segundus concealing his Jewish heritage/identity would take secrecy on his part, incredibly so if he was practicing; making excuses for disappearing every Friday at sundown until Saturday evening (Shabbat) and not going to church/resting on Sunday. Not to mention the long history/tradition of Jews concealing their faith and practicing in secret or still practicing their faith after forced conversions.

Now I know what some of you must be thinking. This is all great meta/theorizing, but how historically realistic is all this really? Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is after all a HISTORICALLY based novel.

May I present British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, born in London to Jewish Italian merchant parents (just two years before the start of the book).

Sounds quite a bit like our boy John Segundus doesn’t it?

#Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell #jsamn #john segundus #i just want him to be jewish okay?#he's my favorite I love him #jewish

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my-darling-boy · 5 years

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hello! i really want to learn more about ww1, i saw 1917 and it sparked something in me and ww1 specifically seems so complex and interesting, but it is has a lotttt of information, do u have any advice for any specific things to read/learn about first? or should i just dive in head first and learn about random stuff?

Good question! Also, I’m REALLY happy 1917 is bringing in a lot of new people wanting to learn more about WWI!

The good news is I find WWI is a subject that naturally allows you to branch out your knowledge no matter where you start. My best tip for learning more about the history: start out with ANY area that interests you, find a fact about it, and see where it takes you! I guarantee you’ll start out just wanting to know a little more about food served in the trenches and by the end of the week, you’ll be chest deep in a million other things you got caught up in learning!

For example, one of the first things that got me interested in WWI was a memoir (which I HIGHLY recommend) by Vera Brittain: Testament of Youth. From there, I researched her brother, Captain Edward Brittain and stumbled upon the story of his death and his homosexuality. It led me to Geoffrey Thurlow, a friend he showed clear evidence of having been in love with, and then the changes in male affection during the 1900s. It led me to learn of the “Edwardian Period” and delve into the social, political, and aesthetic aspects of the era. I started watching WWI films, reading academic articles, buying books, and one piece of information led to the next!

If 1917 is what got you into this, that’s a good sign! Cos I bet you were just as hurt as I was seeing depictions of that tragedy and were moved by that heartbreak! But while you’re learning about uniforms and trench foot and so on, I think a good chunk of time should also be dedicated to understanding why it’s simultaneously important to be critical of the war, and understand more about why people were very critical of it at the time, and the lasting impact it had on soldiers all the way up to young people today because it’s a HUGE theme throughout the conflict. I do a much more eloquent job explaining it in an ask someone sent me about my interest in studying, but like I said, VERY important to understand the extent of its effects and how what happened catalysed the modern lust for violence, and why a lot of mainstream remembrance efforts today end up exploiting this tragedy for nationalist-like agendas

I will say, even though it’s not filled with as many Insufferable White Boys as the ones found lurking in WWII forums, it’s war, so you still get your fair share of nationalist, white supremacist, imperialist, pro-war, sexist/misogynist pricks, so please do research with discretion and try to avoid these people (i.e. don’t even look at the comment sections on some websites) and watch out for those boasting about how “honourable” it is for boys to have joined up and died for their country at 15 and that there is something “glorious” to be had in war (because is the biggest lie men have invented for themselves and perpetuate the bs well into the 21st century unfortunately)

Some classic things I recommend reading/watching because they got me started on bits of my own research over time and one of them might be of some interest to you:

Testament of Youth, by Vera Brittain (Book)

This true memoir details how the war affected a young British university student and how the tragedies she witnessed led her to become a VAD nurse, feminist, and pacifist. If you are a more visual learner, it was made into a beautifully shot 2014 film (obviously with some inaccuracies and omitted details) and a more in depth BBC miniseries available for free on YouTube. You may also enjoy the books “Letters From a Lost Generation”, “Because You Died”, and “Vera Brittain and the First World War” which give even more information about the Brittains and the war written by the family’s historian

The Christmas Truce commercial everyone still cries over (video)

It’s a couple minutes long, perfectly sums up what draws me to keep studying the war and my love for learning about the unique changes in human connection during the war

All Quiet in the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque (Book)

Another classic example of anti-war literature a lot of people start out by reading from a German perspective. You can also watch the 1930 film adaptation of the book if you would like a visual (even if it has American actors)

They Shall Not Grow Old (Film)

AMAZING first hand accounts and original newly remastered footage from the First World War. It’s arguably neautral in its stance on various factors on the war, but it does a tremendous job showing what life was like at the front and giving voices to the soldiers that lived through it to share their stories.

Oh What a Lovely War! (Film)

Another solid (and entertaining) example of media showing high criticism for the war. This film was revolutionary for its time after roughly 50 years of societal silence about the consequences and negative impacts of WWI. It is incredibly condescending and an absolute anti-war gem

Great War Tommy: the British Soldier 1914-18 (Book)

If you’re a visual learner like me and want information about the kit of a British soldier and drill among other kit care details with LOTS of photos, this a GREAT book

British Uniforms and Equipment of the First World War (Book)

Like the above but has a VERY extensive library of photos for uniforms and equipment, and even shows niche patches and what some uniforms look like inside-out! It’s available for download through MLRS Books online

Valiant Hearts (Game)

From the French perspective. Very heartbreaking game about a French soldier produced in a very unique art style and has a wonderful soundtrack. Great if you like causal, story rich games

11:11 Memories Retold (Game)

This very artistic, stylised game tells the story of a Canadian photographer hired to take photos during the war as well as a German soldier looking for his son at the front. Again, superb soundtrack, and excellent if you love causal, story rich games

Shepard’s War, by James Campbell (Book)

A lovely compilation of original artwork and biographical details about E. H. Shepard during his time as an officer in WWI. If you don’t know, Shepard is the illustrator for Winnie the Pooh! Very intriguing to see his depictions of WWI soldiers as someone who was responsible for a childhood classic

Journey’s End, by R. C. Sherriff (Play)

This play tells the story of a trio of British officers on the frontline and how the effects of shellshock has greatly impacted one of the main characters. It was also made into a film in 2018 staring Asa Butterfield, Sam Claflin, and Paul Bettany

Not About Heroes, by Stephen MacDonald (Play)

A play which tells about the gay friendship between wartime poets and officers Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen

Blackadder: Blackadder Goes Forth (Show)

You might have grown up watching reruns of this show already, but in case you haven’t, it’s the fourth series of the BBC historical comedy show Blackadder and is about as condescending as Oh What a Lovely War, but much less Heavy, aside from the last episode that is. I’ve learned it’s kind of a staple in references made by some reenactment groups :P

YouTube also has TONS of WWI documentaries from every subject under the sun, ranging anywhere from 2 minutes to 2 hours. Obviously it will be a little harder to tell if the information given is without bias, misinformation, or has questionable undertones, but it’s usually a good way to teach yourself how to always be critical of any information you take in, and also a low-maitence way to keep learning. I find it’s nice to keep a balance between informative non-fiction and historical fiction when doing WWI research to keep variation in my study and also to test my ability to tell apart inaccuracies, or just to take a break from the crushing reality of it all!

In conclusion, the answer is jump right in! You’ll learn the ins and outs of WWI research as you go along! The more you learn, the more you’ll get the hang of it!

Happy researching!

#asks #wwi #long post

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abitterlifethroughcinema · 3 years

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THE St. Jordi BCN Film Festival ’21 FILM REVIEWS, VOL. II: What’s Fine…and not!

by Lucas Avram Cavazos

YOUR #VOSE take on upcoming international cinema premiering in Catalonia & Spain soon!

Hotel Coppelia by Jose Maria Cabral ###-1/2

As I screened Hotel Coppelia at this year’s festival, I was rather taken aback by how little I knew about the history behind the Dominican Republic and the US involvement/engagement/disruption of the island country. It is 1965 as the film commences and the ladies of the bordello and hotel, Coppelia, attend to their clientele with razor sharp precision and beguiling ways that aim to keep a roaring crowd coming back to fill the coffers, run by the icy and fierce bish, Judith (Lumi Lizardo). While the film mostly follows young server/performer Gloria, played with mild perfection by actress Nashla Bogaert, it’s the intermingling of the ladies at the brothel that aids in building an emotional response to the characters rather quickly. And when the US army invades the coastal town and ensconce themselves within the confines of the hotel to “fight the communists,” we see yet another heinous example of why so many despise the guise with which the US army lies with it appearance of helping by taking with force. This, incidentally, is exactly how every modern power on Earth has taken their stance to get to whatever they perceive they are. Hotel Coppelia, and a new student I’m teaching, has made my new history study a waltz around this incredible island, rumoured to be where Columbus actually landed as his furthest Northern reach. Lovely and necessary film…

Where to watch: TBA

Penguin Bloom by Glendyn Ivin ###-1/2

Not knowing what to expect with an Aussie film with the word ‘penguin’ in it, I was mostly moved to screen it because who doesn’t dig Naomi Watts? But what a lovely if heartbreaking tale of truth turned celluloid treasure with this unexpected, wee gem of a film. Oscar-nominated actress Watts plays Sam Bloom, a mum vacationing with her family in Thailand when a terrible accident leaves her paralysed from the waist down. Feeling like a burden to her husband (Andrew Lincoln) and her kids, when one of them rescues a little magpie chick and the parents decide the kiddos can keep it, what ends up happening is a bond between the depressed, defeated mother and the little bird with a broken limb. You can probably imagine what happens but the easy nature of this true tale leaves you feeling grateful, happy with perhaps a few tears of joy rolling down your lovely cheeks.

Where to watch: will be in local cinemas 10/9/21

Wild Mountain Thyme by John Patrick Shanley ##

I really can’t begin to explain how much I couldn’t believe I was watching Emily Blunt cop to an attempt at an Irish accent in this blasé, Nicholas Sparks-style romance. Starring Blunt and Christian Grey-typecast character actor Jamie Dornan, this film tells the story of the selling-off of an Irish family’s farm to a wealthy US-American nephew (read: the asshole and he is Jon Hamm...yum yum) instead of the family’s son (Dornan). What I also found most odd was watching Christopher Walken try and feign being an Irish patriarch. Could we not cull together Colm Meaney or Brendan Gleeson or ANY wonderful Irish actor above 65 to play this role? At one point around the middle juncture of the film, I actually found myself counting cliches of too many modern romance dramedies, and I eventually became perplexed as to how this was greenlit in the first place for production and why Blunt and Dornan would have signed up for this trite shite…absolutely no idea.

Where to watch: in local cinemas 23/07/21

Blithe Spirit by Edward Hall ##

Part of the comedy lineup at this year’s BCN Film Festival, Blithe Spirit is based upon the like-titled 1941 comical play by Noel Coward. Screening the film on a smaller room at Cines Verdi BCN, I really did find it strange that top actors’ actors like Judi Dench and Isla Fisher would sign up for what turned out to be a sad sap of a film. Telling the story of Charles (Dan Stevens) who’s a wealthy writer embroiled in a bad case of writer’s block who takes his wife (Fisher) to see a medium (Dench), whose performance goes madly awry and so Charles decides to commission the older medium to perform a session in his home, but this seems to summon Charles ex-wife (played beyond annoyingly so by Leslie Mann). Jokes that fail, overacting and weak scripting made this particular comedy a dud on arrival.

Where to watch: in local cinemas on 22/10/21

Last Call by Steven Bernstein ##

This film marks a moment when an accomplished cinematographer finally brings a long-desired project to fruition and onto screens. Director Bernstein has been working behind the scenes for over 35 years on innumerable movies, but he actually released an unfinished draft of this film entitled Dominion and also starring Rhys Ifans and John Malkovich back in 2016. With Last Call, a full-length feature film starring the aforementioned actors come together to tell the story of the final hours of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas’ final day. It’s a grim day where he downs eighteen shots, chats up a myriad of people, who may or may not be there, and that is until the seizure that eventually brought about his death. What Bernstein serves up however is a choppy story with certain scenes that throw continuity to the wind, but you can tell the director is a true fan of the poet and desired to create a testament to the man for whose name ‘Bob Dylan’ was transformed from Robert Zimmerman. Alas, no wannabe deep conversations or great actors can save this MEH! piece…sorry!

Where to watch: TBA

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warriordreamer95 · 5 years

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HUGE list of info we’ve learned from the After The Fall Novel

(Courtesy of NeoVelociraptorDelta from RWBY wiki for making this list. You’re incredible!) SPOILERS AHEAD, DON’T CLICK IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW

Grimm

Dromedon are camel like Grimm that can spit venom (p.150). Jackalopes are huge four-legged beasts with black fur, branching red and white antlers, and powerful hind legs (p.150). Ziraphs are three headed Grimm that resemble a giraffe. Their bodies are covered in red spots that bear resemblances to a leopard, and each head has two horns. The Ziraph is described as five stories tall, and has razor-like plates on their (four) legs (p.151). Ravagers are small bat-like Grimm, that are described as dark and leathery, and are uglier than Nevermores (p.69). A visual will be provided by RWBY Amity Arena soon, if datamines are to be believed. A Blind Worm is an enormous worm-like Grimm with a singular red eye. These Worms are easily as big as Flatback Sliders, but are built to be far faster when traveling in sands. Their defenses include hooks and pitons for teeth and acidic blood (p.263). King Taijitu are also native to Vacuo

Carmine Esclados and Bertilak Celadon Carmine and Bertilak are veteran Huntsmen who work for an unknown employer that has hired them to traffic people with powerful Semblances for an unknown motive. In After the Fall, the duo targets Gus and Edward Caspian, having met them in Vale and followed them to the Felspar settlement Vacuo (p.28). They are detained and arrested by team CFVY. Both Carmine and Bertilak are originally from Shade Academy (p.32). Bertilak Celadon Bertilak is a tall, broad, and muscular man with a green mohawk and matching goatee. He sports a brown, hooded cloak, a green chestplate, and a black tunic. Bertilak has a long scar along his right forearm, and uses a large chained mace (p.31). He is 6’6” (p.215). He is racist towards Faunus. He apparently barely graduated from the Academy (p.31), and is considered an ass, as Fox put (p.108). Celadon’s Semblance is generating heat, he can use it to form walls of sand and to cause enemies to be exhausted (p.137). Bertalik faces off against Fox Alistair and Edward Caspian in a sandstorm, and is subsequently defeated. His weapon is destroyed. Carmine Esclados Carmine hails from the Kingdom of Atlas, though she claims she chose to study in Shade Academy due to a disdain towards Atlas Academy’s uniforms (p.35). Her clothes are from Mistral (p.33). Carmine’s Semblance is Telekinesis, which she frequently uses to create localized weather patterns and to manipulate her weapons (p.254). Additionally, Carmine has used her Semblance to dig tunnels through sand in order to escape peril. Carmine is stated to have less mastery over her Semblance than Glynda Goodwitch. She is defeated by Yatsuhashi Daichi, Velvet Scarlatina, and Coco Adel.

Wildlife Vacuan wildlife includes, but is not limited to: Geckos Mole crabs; massive crab-like creatures that move in herds and bury themselves in the sand. Their blood is described as a clear liquid, and their bodies contain water that is almost black in color. Mole crabs are considered a delicacy in Vacuo, and are very rarely killed due to how dangerous they are. Flatback sliders; giant turtles that average at 100ft of height and swim through Vacuan deserts. Sliders have terrible vision, and are considered a sign of good luck when spotted. They are not Grimm (p.204). Food in Remnant Mistral is the kingdom with the most spices in all of Remnant (p.36). Vacuan food includes: Cactus leaves, coffee, crab burgers, crab steak, crab cake, crab rangoon, fried crevice worms, cave beetles (toasted), desert lotus tea, cactus tea, gecko cake (p.30), bat stew, ale, flatbread (p.37), breadfruit (p.79) Sand is jokingly referred to as the “local spice” of Vacuo as it can’t be fully removed when preparing food. Shade Academy Notes Graduates: Carmine Esclados and Bertalik Celadon Headmaster: Theodore (p.33) Professor: Rumpole (p.19)

Beacon Academy Notes Initiation For CFVY’s initiation, the characters were hurled into the Emerald Forest much like in Volume 1. The Relics they were assigned to obtain were small stone tablets with playing card symbols etched onto them. Coco obtained the Joker Fox took the King of Hearts Velvet took the Queen of Hearts All upperclassmen watch the initiation live from Beacon, and judge newcomers based on their performances. Professors and Classes Ann Greene - Stealth and Security (p.80) Thumbelina Peach - Plant Science (p.269) Peter Port - Military Strategy (p.269) Harold Mulberry - Weapon Crafting and Upkeep (p.269) Bartholomew Oobleck - Legends of Remnant (p.269) Glynda Goodwitch - Combat Training (p.269) Ozpin does not teach any classes. The clockwork in Oz’s office is meant to symbolize how rules are crucial to keep things moving (at least to some extent; p.245) Standard Schedule at Beacon: 7:30am - Breakfast 8am - class 9:45am - class 11:15am - class 12:30pm - lunch 1:30pm - class 2:15pm - class 4pm - class 5pm - self-directed sparring 6pm - dinner Beacon sends students on missions more often than other Academies, and gives students more one on one time with professionals (p.270)

Pharos Academy Pharos is a combat school in Vale. Coco and Velvet attended Pharos. They knew of each other but weren’t friends then. Coco developed a reputation for being a heartbreaker and record setter. Vega Bleu is a friend of Velvet who also went to Pharos, but chose to go to Atlas. He wields a pair of arm-mounted grappling hooks (p.52)

Vacuo Notes Popular Vacuan tourist gift shop t-shirts include: “Vacuo: The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time” and “A Terrible Place to Visit, but You Wouldn’t Want to Live Here” (p.1) Vacuan fashion: simple, light-colored tunics and linen cloaks/head coverings (p.15) Vacuo has a survival of the fittest lifestyle, and strength/survivability makes you well liked (p.15) Vacuan settlements/tribes include: Tuff, destroyed by Grimm Oscuro Coquina Kenyte (partially destroyed by a giant sinkhole) Schist (destroyed by Grimm) Feldspar It’s built out of several tents, trucks/vans, and adobe homes without and defenses Has a support CCT tower Vacuan deserts are windy, thus making it extremely hard to track people in the sandy environment (p.23) Aloe is a common sunscreen in Vacuo The saying ‘I’ll take a rain check’ means the same as ‘when pigs fly’ in Vacuo Vacuan terms: Misery’s Kiss (sunstroke), Lasting Regret (food poisoning), Sudden Demise (giant sinkholes; p. 78).

Edward and August ‘Gus’ Caspian Edward is a slender, old man at 71 years of age with silver hair tied into a ponytail and a stubble. He is a former Huntsman, which is surprising because most Huntsmen don’t live long. His weapon is a small buckler shield with a metal blade (p.81) and a gun function (p.179). Edward’s Semblance is blocking other people’s Semblances. Gus has the Semblance of amplifying emotions, only he can’t control it. He kept this a secret from others (p.130). He has no interest in being a Huntsman, unlike his grandfather, Edward. August is roughly eleven or twelve. The Caspians were targeted by Carmine, Bertalik, and their unknown boss because of their powerful Semblances.

CFVY and Other Teams CFVY and RWBY became friends shortly after the latter team was formed. Ruby seems to be close to Coco, Velvet and Fox. Both teams respect each other due to their respective hotshot reputations. The two teams lost touch after the Fall of Beacon. CFVY and Neptune/Sun were friends. They meet each other in the Epilogue of the book in the settlement of Coquina, where Sun informs the team about the events at the Battle of Haven, meaning After the Fall takes place right at the start of Volume 6. Velvet notes that Sun doesn’t seem like he wants to stay in Shade for long.

The Battle and Fall of Beacon Velvet observed team ABRN easily defeat a Death Stalker during the Battle of Beacon Roy Stallion was killed after being carried off by a Nevermore, the rest of team BRNZ is missing, presumed to be dead. Glynda set up her office in a library after the Fall of Beacon, and is operating the reconstruction of Vale. Team CFVY does not trust the Kingdom of Atlas following the Fall. Beringels were present at the Fall of Beacon.

Team CFVY’s Missions CFVY’s mission in the present day was to defend the settlement of Gossan due to a Grimm outbreak after they received a distress call. They found the settlement had been destroyed, and aided the survivors in reaching the settlement of Feldspar. After Feldspar was invaded by Grimm, the team successfully lead the nomads to Coquina without any casualties. They uncovered Carmine and Bertalik’s plan to traffic people, and arrested the two. CFVY’s Mt. Glenn mission was considered an outright failure. The team was sent to a small settlement called Lower Cairn near Mt. Glenn due to a distress call. There, they found the settlement was outright flattened, which was incredibly outside the Grimm’s MO. CFVY found a family of six hiding in a cave near the ruins, and attempted to rescue them. To their horror, the father was killed by an Ursa, and the rest of the family fled back to the cave. The cave was then flattened by a Goliath that appeared, causing CFVY to retreat. The mission lasted ten days and was supervised by Professor Port, CFVY believes Ozpin overestimated their team. In V2, Velvet lies to team RWBY about their mission, partially due to shock and in part to not frighten the first years, given they were leaving off on their own missions shortly.

Ada Ada, or an “Accessibility Dialogue Assistant” is an earbud device intended to aid people with disabilities. It is designed to send pulses to distinguish the nearby environment, and is activated through voice control (p.46). Ada has a compass function(p. 176), as well as a battle mode called the Cyrano Protocol, which identifies weapons and weaknesses. The entire Ada system adapts to fit the user over time (p.178).

Miscellaneous Pig snouts are a confirmed Faunus trait (p.30) Pumpkin Pete is also a Looney Tunes-esque cartoon in addition to the cereal brand (p.12) Curry Up is one of the restaurants at Vale (p.239) Ruby made her V1 outfit herself with roughly 20 Lien (p.112) Coco and Oz once had a talk much like Ruby and Oz did in V1 (p. 117) Fox and Yatsuhashi confronted Weiss about her attitude in V1, shortly after team RWBY was formed (p. 121) More books in Remnant: The Boy Who Fell from the Sky (p.122), My Sweet Samurai, and Hidden Remnant (p.161). ‘Catnap’ is an offensive term when talking about cat Faunus (p.161).

Fox Alistair Fox’s Semblance is that of telepathy. He can send message to people’s minds to convey his thoughts, and he can sense when people are close by. Fox’s Semblance is more precise if people are close by. When using it, other people feel as though they are being watched by something. He is originally from the Vacuan tribe of Kenyte, where he was considered a frail boy by his parents and peers. His parents were killed when a part of the settlement was destroyed in a sinkhole, resulting in him being taken care of by the tribe in a communal fashion. Fox was trained to fight by his honorary uncle, Copper, as he was the one person who didn’t view Alistair as frail. Copper was eventually killed by the tribe for training him as a punishment. Because of this, Fox decided to turn to Vale with the goal of protecting others who couldn’t protect themselves. Fox’s weapons are called Sharp Retribution.

Yatsuhashi Daichi Yatsuhashi’s Semblance allows him to wipe other people’s memories when he touches them. He can permanently wipe “easy memories,” which are trivial in nature, and temporarily wipe important memories, which return on an equal basis as to how they were wiped (so, if he were to wipe a day, then the person regains the memory the next day). Yatsu uses the Semblance sparingly, only wiping seconds at a time. Yatsuhashi was born in the city of Mistral, where he lived with his parents, grandfather, and his sister, Hiyoko. At the age of eight, he discovered his Semblance, and being a problem child, decided to use it to his advantage. However, this took a turn when, in a fit of jealousy, he wiped his mother’s memory of his sister for a day. Yatsuhashi was traumatized by this, and took care of Hiyoko while he waited for his mother’s memory to return. Once they did, he came clean to his parents about discovering his Semblance, to which his parents told him to never use the Semblance again. However, his grandfather suggested that he went to Beacon to master it to use his ability for good. Yatsu’s greatsword is called Fulcrum.

Coco Adel Coco’s Semblance, simply called Hype, allows her to use her Aura to increase the effects and power of Dust. She uses this to power the effect of her gatling gun’s bullets, thus explaining her power level in Volume 2. Additionally, Fox notes Coco has a large amount of Aura. She is native to Vale, and studied in Pharos, having developed a reputation as a heartbreaker and a record setter. Coco notes Ozpin reminds her of her younger brother. She admires Glynda’s leadership and tries to replicate that when talking to her team and when encouraging Ruby Rose. She designed her gatling gun, Gianduja, herself.

Velvet Scarlatina Velvet’s Semblance is Photographic Memory, it allows her to easily learn skills that would otherwise take years to master. Velvet, like Coco, is from Vale and studied in Pharos. At her time in the school, tormentors from Mistral frequently bullied her, causing Velvet to gain a deep seeded hatred for the Kingdom. She also dislikes Vacuo, mainly because it’s simply not as comfortable as Vale was to her. Velvet is sassy when with her team in comparison to her usual shyness around others. Her camera is called Anesidora.

Slate Slate is an old woman with spiky grey hair and what is described as a leathery face. She is the leader of Gossan nomadic tribe, and the former mayor of Tuff (where the tribe was originally settled), which had recently been destroyed by a Grimm outbreak (p.14). Slate is highly respected as a leader, gaining the trust of the entire nomadic tribe and team CFVY.

#RWBY #After The Fall

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naranjapetrificada · 1 year

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As the "dealing with grief and other big feelings dredged up by the 🌟Gay Pirate Show🌟" thing appears to be sticking around I thought it was time for a master post about my new favorite thing:

Healing thru fanfic!

I should say up top that a) I usually prefer fic that's canon-compliant or only slightly canon-divergent, especially for healing purposes because I think it helps with immersion and b) the list is short right now but it's definitely gonna grow as time moves on. Anyway, recs beyond the cut:

Fallow Land & Bigger Sky: I've already mentioned before how reading (and sitting with and processing) Fallow Land & Bigger Sky was so incredibly healing but here I am, doing it again! And even if the emotional appeal doesn't get you to read it, you should try it for the beautiful imagery, poetic writing, and carefully and lovingly crafted (and canon-compliant) character study of one Edward Teach.

It's the kind of writing that makes contemplative manual labor, stunning vistas, a mischievous nun, a cute little black lamb, and gallons of homebrewed wine all feel as essential to the fandom experience as any other way we spend time with our blorbos. I literally cannot believe how beautiful and well-executed this story is sometimes.

Brace Yourself and Nestle into Me: I literally just read this one this morning, and it's actually what inspired me to make this post. The premise is that Ed and Stede figure out that they're into each other around episode 7, and they're deliriously happy to know that they feel the same way about each other. But Stede has some (understandable) sexual dysfunction around being queer thanks to the horrible society that he grew up in. Ed is a darling trying to help him through it all, and along the way he realizes he also has some of his own hangups he needs to work through together.

I appreciate that this one doesn't treat healing like a straight line because it never is, and emphasizes that trust can't just be implicit, you really have to talk it through as a crew, even if it's just a crew of two broken middle-aged men who are desperately in love with each other. It also gets into some of the stuff I've been talking about on here about grieving your former selves and the selves you never got to be, which was validating as hell. That sounds heavy and there are concepts that are literally part of modern therapy modalities woven into the story, but there are also warm and loving and hilarious moments too, including this gem:

“Also can you just imagine how proud little horny baby gay Stede would be know you would be to know that whatever he went through, today you’ve got your own ship and are getting completely railed by Blackbeard? I mean, just absolutely dicked down by the most famous pirate in history? He would lose his mind.”

To paraphrase the author notes, the "Healing Power of Gay Sex" won't fix everything, but I put it to you as a reader that reading and thinking about it also helps. And sometimes it can shake something loose you didn't know you were holding onto! Which is great!

Adrift Between the Dreaming Seas: Based on my usual filtering on ao3 I probably never, ever would have come across this fic if it weren't for a recommendation someone posted on this hellsite. It's got fantasy elements, allegory, metaphors stacked on metaphors, talking animals, and so many other things that would have kept me from ever discovering it on my own. My life would be poorer for it.

Basically Stede is cursed to be a lighthouse keeper on an island that seems to move around the world. Animals show up and the ones who talk to him are members of the crew, and Ed is an actual kraken. It's all this symbolism about monstrosity and trauma and maladaptive coping and the messiness that is Stede's kindness scraping against his self loathing. I shed tears of many kinds along the way, and it made me think hard about community and recovery and the things we do to and for ourselves and others.

It's just a lovely little gem of a story that made me feel so much so deeply while also making me laugh much more than I was anticipating. I'm so glad I gave it a chance.

[that's it for now, more as I keep up my deep dive into the ao3 archives]

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zetalial · 6 years

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FMA 03: Mothers

Ed and Al’s mother is very important to them and I really like how this show explores themes of motherhood in the show. Therefore I thought I’d write a post about it and the very different types of mothers we see. So, Edward and Alphonse loved their mother. But she dies. They try to bring her back with alchemy. It’s the premise of the story.

The story begins in Episode 3, aptly titled Mother. Trisha Elric is a lovely person, taking care of the two boys alone because her husband has left. We see her as caring and encouraging, there to comfort the boys and their worries - she also lets them study alchemy. Trisha also clearly misses her husband but she never lets her fears show to her sons and indeed hides her illness from them. But first Winry’s parents both die, then Trisha falls deathly ill. Her death scene always hits me so hard. Ed and Al are left alone (save for Winry and Pinako who aren’t nearly enough for them). They can never get back what they’ve lost.

...

The brothers travel to Central and we meet Nina, who’s mother is also dead. She feels lonely in a big house with no other family save for her dad and they immediately connect with her. We also meet Gracia (and Hughes), a very positive example of a mother (and family in general). Ed, Al and Nina even get to watch her give birth. They’re still kids so they panic while Gracia is very patient and gracious with them, and she gives birth to Elysia. Ed says mothers are amazing, more incredible than alchemists - he sounds very sincere about it all. Overall Gracia seems very loving towards the brothers. But Gracia is one of the only (somewhat) happy stories we get.

Here’s a little boy crying over his dead mother’s corpse. (Thank you Hughes for taking Ed with you to this gruesome scene, it’s just what he needed...) And we’ve got the military here who are just too cold and impersonal to be caring and nurturing. After Nina’s death, Roy is especially cold and blunt (and unable to show how he cares about them). Ed is only 12 here and he doesn’t get to interact with any motherly figures for a while. Riza’s in the above scene of course, but she’s very definitely a soldier. Who else do they meet in their travels? Like Ed and Al, the Tringham brother have no parents, Psyren is a fake who pretends to play motherly figures for her own selfish ends.

But then we meet Maria Ross! Unlike other soldiers, she doesn’t see Ed as a powerful prodigy, she’s sees him and Al as children caught up in a mess that’s far too big for them. She takes her duty of protecting them very seriously and is able to help Ed through his despair upon finding out the secrets of the philosopher’s stone. It’s clear she goes above and beyond her job for them, for instance arguing with both Ed and Hughes about getting the boys more protection - she’s doing her best to take care of them.

Hughes talks to Maria about the brothers; he notes that she doesn’t have kids of her own and how these kids may be young but they have the State’s future in their hands. As the Elrics are too stubborn to give up on their goals, he recommends protecting them as best as the can while still enabling them. Maria takes this message to heart. She rescues Ed in the Lab 5, at great personal risk. (Edward is out of control due to absorbing alchemical energy from the red stones and she calms him down with a hug.) It’s easy to miss but Ed actually mutters ‘mom?’ before he blacks out. It might well be the first hug he’s gotten in a long time.

Now episode 24 tells this story of a pair of Ishvalan brothers whose mother died. The older brother is pretty angry and in denial about, finding it easier to believe she never loved them. Then when he’s presented with truth to the contrary, he breaks down crying, realising that she did love them, that she’d wanted to protect them but couldn’t and that she’s dead. It an interesting parallel with Ed who was also in denial about his mother’s death - not crying at her funeral but coldly declaring that they were going to bring her back. Even years later, Ed is still feeling her loss.

Teacher Izumi. She trained Ed and Al after their mother died and she clearly cares deeply for them. She was very much a substitute mother to them. She’s anything but perfect though. Her methods of teaching are harsh, very harsh. She fails to convince them not to go through with human transmutation and they’ve been actively avoiding her for years. They do know she cares about them, but they’re also scared of her.

Izumi desperately wants to be a mother but her only child was stillborn and in her anger and despair, Izumi commits human transmutation. The creature she creates appears to be an abomination so she gives the child to the Gate. Upon Wrath’s introduction though, we see her caring, gentle side. But yet again, she decides Wrath is a monster and very nearly tries to kill him again. Wrath is angry and confused and finds a replacement mother figure in Sloth. Sloth is of course, the homunculus created by Ed and Al, which is fitting given that Wrath wants to steal Ed’s life.

Sloth completely rejects the idea of being a mother. She’s cold and apathetic. She hates the fact that she’s a homunculus with a false identity thrust upon her. She hates Ed and Al for creating her and wants to kill them to prove once and for all that she is not Trisha Elric. From there she can embrace who she actually is. Sloth was created from Ed’s inability to get over his mother’s death and she helps him to realise that Trisha is indeed gone for good, that Sloth can never be what he may have secretly wished her to be. Ed ultimately defeats her; Sloth demanded nothing less from them.

Rose. She didn’t choose to be a mother. Ironically the people of Lior call her the Holy Mother and she became a symbol to them. She’s a strong person, horrifically violated but she moves on anyway, past the travesties inflicted on her. In the end, we see her living with Al and Winry in Risembool, raising her son. It’s a hopeful end.

And finally, our main villain. She had a son long ago and when he died, Envy was created. She’s created other homunculi too and they follow her. But she’s a selfish person who manipulates the homunculi into following her whims, and her goal is to be young and beautiful forever, without regard for others. She could’ve been like a mother to the homunculi, naming them, taking care of them but she rejects this role. She frequently reminds the homunculi that they are not human, they don’t have proper feelings and, yes, she even tells Wrath that homunculi do not have mothers. Envy might be considered her son and he’s an angry hate-filled person who somehow still appears to care about others more than she does. She considers herself above the homunculi and above other mere humans. It is fitting then, that she dies to her own creation, Gluttony, who had lost all ability to care thanks to her.

--------------------------------

So there we have it. FMA 03 has good mothers, dead mothers, kids without mothers, motherly figures, people who want to be good mothers, people who are forced into being mothers, people who reject the idea of being mothers. It’s all so very interesting in a story about two brothers who are really only children struggling to grow up and get over the death of their mother. I love all the different variants the show presents us with. None of these characters are perfect people, and pretty much all of them are in some way relateable.

#FMA #fma 2003 #fma dante #fma rose #maria ross #fma sloth #fma trisha #Just another rambling post #meta #myposts

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zankivich · 6 years

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Teacher’s Pet: A College AU

First time writing anything like this. Haven’t written fic in so long and this is what came out. Never written for Shawn before, but if ya like let me know. I technically wrote more parts to it. :)

You changed outfits five different times that first day. Your first day as a TA for the intro to feminism course that one of your mentors was teaching, and you seemed to be buying into the patriarchy more than ever. What outfit does a 23 year old wear to be a TA for the first time ever for a class on everything from radical feminism to ecological feminism? Your closet was saying business woman chic, and then grown up emo leather head, and then something straight out of a sketchers commercial. Eventually you settle on something simple—your least distressed jeans and a t-shirt with some witty quote about not disrespecting human lives if you didn’t want to be a complete and total piece of shit. It was all this big optical illusion to come across as the confident, cool TA with the hope that the students wouldn’t eat you alive. You kept your long, auburn curls down and framing your face with the understanding that if anything went drastically wrong you could hide behind the tresses with ease. As class started you took one last sip of the coffee your professor bought you for your first day and strapped in for the ride of a lifetime.

The class was an intro, but it also fulfilled a core class requirement. It was usually for gender studies majors. Usually female, trans, and non-binary dominated in terms of enrollment. But, every now and again you got the men who couldn’t get into their preferred class and were forced to take this one. And if you were lucky, you might even get one who was genuinely interested in learning their role in a patriarchal society. I could already see a group of them huddled in the background snickering at the syllabus.Thankfully Professor Edwards was leading the intro and all you had to do was remember your name. In the middle of said intro a disheveled ball of energy burst into the room panting and gasping with a backpack slung over their shoulders. They wore a pink hoodie and jeans so tight they left little to the imagination. The pink in their hoodie matched perfectly with their flushed skin as they mumbled an embarrassed apology and quickly took a seat separate from everyone else in the small lecture room.

“You’re just in time for introductions. I’m professor Edwards. You can feel free to call me Kate. Uh, pronouns are she/her. Late person why don’t you take it from there?”

Late person still flustered and nervous ran their fingers through their hair and smiled a smile that subconsciously caused you to straighten your back a little bit.

“I’m Shawn. I-I uh, I’m a senior music technology and psych double major with a minor in music therapy….”

“And your pronouns Shawn?” You cut in.

Speaking of back straightening, Shawn seemed to completely shift his body at the sight of you. It was similar to a puppy raising their head at the sound of their owner arriving home. It was sort of incredibly endearing.

“Pronouns…. I uh—he. He. I go by he.” He stammered.

Along with the curl that seemed to cover his right eye, he was very puppy like. The kind of look that said you could break me if you wanted to, but I’m cute, so like, why would you?

Bless his heart.

The rest of the class went through their introductions, some people fumbling just as much as Late Guy while others could give their pronouns in their sleep. It’s the great thing about an intro course. You get a wide variety of people. At the end of it all you were ether only one left and your professor thought this would be the perfect time to take the absolute piss out of you.

“I’m going to let her do her own introduction, but my TA for this semester is absolutely brilliant. She graduated from Stanford and is gracing our grad department with her excellence while she does her own research on the impact of mental health on Trans Women of Color in the United States.”

You do about as well with being praised as Shawn did with his pronouns, quickly looking down and smiling awkwardly before giving your best impersonation of someone who isn’t shitting their pants for the class.

“Hello everyone. My pronouns are she/her. I’ll be the TA for the semester as Professor Edwards has already pointed out. I’m really looking forward to learning with you all. I love meeting with students and will be hosting office hours all semester. Please feel free to utilize me as a resource, while also understanding that we’re all in this together and just as you are learning, hopefully I will be too.”

You smile as you speak because it’s your passion and you truly mean every word that passes through your lips. Your eyes lock with as many students as possible trying to form that connection that had been so important for you and your professors in undergrad. It isn’t until you’ve finished speaking that your eyes rest on Late Guy again and the dopey smile he’s giving off makes your whole body relax. Along with talking about the things that matter to you, you can’t help but forget all the nerves that had made you change five times earlier that morning. Every student in the room is important, of course, and throughout the rest of the lecture you definitely don’t pick favorites. But, every now again your eyes hit his and it’s a visceral reaction every time. You feel calmer. You feel serene. So, maybe you do let your eyes roam in the direction of that pink hoodie every now and again. What’s the harm in that?

When the lecture comes to a close and people start to pack up their things you’re shocked that you’ve made it through. A couple of students who don’t have class directly after mill around most of them wanting to talk to Dr. Edwards who was extraordinary in her field. You took a much need celebratory sip of coffee before beginning to shuffle your notes from the lecture back into a neatened pile. You and Kate would talk after about how things went, but it ultimately just felt good to finish. You were in the middle of sliding things neatly into your bag when you were alerted to his presence. He stepped up to the table in front of the projector, hands looped through the straps of the backpack draped across his shoulders. He was much taller when he wasn’t trying to sneak into a room. And his eyes, which has just been a regular brown from ten feet away were now show beautiful shades of honey and gold. There was a scar on his cheek that you hadn’t noticed before, and yet you couldn’t help but take full notice now. He was sort of beautiful in a way that made your lungs constrict awkwardly in your chest. It was a feeling you hadn’t felt in quite some time.

“Hi.” He murmured. “I wanted to apologize again… for being late?”

“It’s no biggie. This campus is huge. My first class of undergrad I went to a completely different building then the one my class was in.” You smiled

“Yea, except I’m a senior and I should probably have the hang of things by now. I just… all of my classes are usually in the same two buildings. I’ve never been here before. I—I guess I got lost.”

“You’re here now. No harm done.” You offer kindly.

“Yea, sure. So I was wondering if I could come to your office hours. Those are Wednesday right?”

You cock your head at him.

“Office hours usually don’t start for a couple of weeks, since we haven’t done much quite yet.”

“Oh. Right. Right. Duh. Of course.” He stammered.

His face was quickly taking on the shade of his hoodie again and as much as it was a sight to see, you figured you’d give him a bone.

“If you have questions already I’m happy to meet though. My office is on the syllabus. Just shoot me an email, so I know you’re coming.”

He smiled again and it really was enough to take your breath away.

“Awesome. It was very nice meeting you.”

He reached out his hand, which you gladly took and shook the warm, rough skin of his palm. He kept eye contact the entire time a grin blossoming on his face that was drastically different from the shy blushes from earlier. When he finally pulled his hand away you were left standing there gaping mouth and fried brain. He gave a final nod before disappearing from the room and taking your ability to function with him. Surely it would be one hell of a semester.

* *

Office is a really interesting way to describe what the gender studies department had offered you. It was more of a… broom closet. But you had a window, a love seat, and a desk which was more than most of the people you graduated with were getting elsewhere. You loved your little broom closet. It had character. It was cosy and cute and perfect for grading papers. In fact it seemed to be perfect for just about everything….except for meeting with a cute guy who happened to be your student. Your first day being a TA and the first boy who bats his eyelashes at you had your heart throbbing like a child? It was ridiculous. And yet here you were definitely not checking your face in the camera of your phone.

The knock on the door had you flailing and losing the perfectly composed cool you had been working to establish. You were beginning to wonder if you had any cool at all.

“Come in!”

And in did he come.

Today Shawn was wearing a thin, long-sleeved black shirt with the sleeves pushed up his arms. His backpack was sung over one shoulder today with both of his hands were occupied with Starbucks cups.

“Hey teach. I came straight from a shift. I come bearing gifts. Caramel iced coffee with extra cream and extra Caramel drizzle.” He practically sang sitting a the cup directly in front of you.

You raised an eyebrow. “Shawn that is really sweet… and slightly creepy.”

“Oh no worries. Not stalking you or anything. I just asked the person who usually does your order. You don’t switch it up very much.”

“Create of a habit.” You shrug. “Uh take a seat, please.”

He sat on your couch stretching his long legs out far enough to reach your desk in the small room.

“How can I help?”

“So I have a friend. She came out as Trans last semester, which is kind of the reason I‘m taking the course. I uh don’t know a lot. I’m still struggling with pronouns sometimes. But I want to learn as much as I can. My sister, she’s fifteen and she like knows all of this stuff. I feel a little helpless when people are talking about it back home. I just wanna be a better friend if I can. Plus you’re like a walking encyclopedia on Trans people right? ”

You nod encouragingly grateful to have someone so willing to learn right before you. Most people seem to think that if you don’t know something there’s no point in learning because you’ll be ignorant, but everyone has to start somewhere.

“That’s great Shawn. Dedicating a whole three credit hours to learning more about the world we live in, that’s a really powerful thing. It’s an intro course, so you are going to learn a lot in lecture, but I’m happy to answer any questions that you might have. Also I’m by no means an encyclopedia on anything. It’s just what I’m currently researching due to the drastic lack of representation.”

“Great, this is so awesome.” He grinned before pulling out a notebook that seemed to be full of scribbled handwriting.

You couldn’t help but be grateful that your office hours were set up in three hour blocks.

Time passed relatively easily between the two of you. Shawn really did seem to have so many questions. They ranged from things like how do you address someone if you don’t know they’re pronouns, to what the legal process of changing one’s name looked like in Canada.

“Why Canada?” You asked.

He smiled big and softly at you.

“Oh I’m from there. I have dual citizenship. My dad is from the states, but he met my mom in Canada and that’s where I was born.”

“That explains why you’re so nice.”

“You think I’m nice?” He asked seeming to lean closer towards you across the desk.

“And humble too.” You joked.

He laughed and it really was a glorious sound to the ear. Shawn was easy to talk to and you couldn’t help that the conversation steered helplessly away from feminism. He had a way of complimenting you and then quickly continuing on in the conversation without pause, so that you couldn’t force him to stop. It was maddening….And incredibly sweet.

“You have tattoos.” You noticed out loud staring unabashedly at his arms for no reason at all.

“Uh yea…” He held out his arm before you running his fingers along the ink. “It’s a guitar made out of the Toronto skyline. And then the top is a sound wave of my parents saying, ‘i love you’. I got it when I moved out here for school, just to remember.”

And if that just wasn’t the sweetest shit you’d ever heard in your whole entire life he added insult to injury by giving you another dopey smile that just screamed, “love me”.

“Do you have any ink?” He asked giving the parts of your body that were seeable from the desk a once over that practically turned you inside out.

You nodded quickly slipping out of your jacket and offering your arm for him to see. He stood up quickly from the couch striding over and wrapping his fingers around your arm. And just like when you shook hands, your entire mental capacity depleted.

“It’s a uh portrait of Amy Winehouse. She was my favorite artist growing up and this is my favorite picture of her.” You shrugged finding it difficult to explain how much it meant to you.

“This is fucking sick.”

He ran his thumb along the inside of your wrist and you quickly pulled away before he could investigate further.

“Thank you for sharing that with me.” He murmured as if he just knew that it had been difficult for you.

You nodded jerkily and were thankful when he moved on to another topic of discussion. Before you knew it three hours had passed with ease and it was suddenly time to go home. You both began to pack your things up before you flicked the light off and moved to lock the door.

“Can I walk you to your car? Or you know not cause you’re totally capable of doing that yourself. But like, it is dark. So, if you did want another person to be there who understands that you are a strong woman who could probably kick my ass, that would be okay with me.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his valiant attempt at not being misogynistic. It was again adorable and endearing making it all the more difficult to keep the lines from being blurred. You were failing epically.

“Smooth. I’m actually not walking to my car though, I live on campus. It’s part of my stipend.”

“You live...here? In the dorms?”

You had begun to walk towards the stairs to leave and he was still very much walking alongside you.

“No They had the good grace to give me one of the apartments for the faculty in residence. It’s good. It’s private. No frat guys puking in the middle of my hallway, ya know?”

“Privacy. Yea no, that’s...important.” He swallowed. “This campus has horrible lighting. I could walk you there. If you wanted.”

Everything in the logical part of your brain said not to let that man anywhere near your home...with a bed...that he would look mighty good on. Surely there were boundaries and this would be one of them and you definitely shouldn’t be having intimate conversations with a student. But then, it would be rude to tell him where he could and couldn’t walk right? Who’s to say he wouldn’t have walked in that direction anyway?! There was nothing scandalizing about two people walking side by side together.

“Sure. You can walk in that general direction with me.” You said.

It was a relatively quiet walk each of you just walking in companionable silence. He bumped you with his shoulder and it had all the tell tale signs of flirting. And instead of shutting it down, you knocked your shoulder right back into his sending a playful sneer up at his six foot frame. By the time you arrived at your apartment, your stomach was full of butterflies or pterodactyls--you couldn’t tell which--and you’d never been so fucked in your whole entire life.

“Thanks for all the help today, teach.” Shawn grinned keeping you from going inside and away from his dumb, beautiful face.

“I’m not ‘teach’. I’m twenty-three for christ’s sake, I’m just a TA.” You shrugged.

He bit his lip, his eyes wandering up and down with a look that devoured you where you stood.

“I don’t know. I feel like there’s lots you could teach me. I’m nothing if not willing to learn.”

His face was innocent and sweet, but his eyes were all fire and brimstone. He was trouble through and through, and you were helpless to stop him.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine in class, with your professor.” You smirked turning to fumble with your keys. “Good night Shawn.”

“Good night.”

Your body moved on auto-pilot closing the door and taking the stairs to get to your apartment. Eventually you made it inside and collapsed on your bed peering up at the ceiling with what must have been the goofiest grin on your face. After all the build up, your body was on edge expecting something, anything to happen. But, he’d just walked away without another word. It took about twenty minutes of daydreaming of Shawn and his smile and the damn curl that always fell in front of his face for you realize that you were unabashedly crushing on a student.

“Fuck.”

#Shawn Mendes #Shawn Mendes Imagine #Shawn Mendes fic #Shawn Mendes fanic #Shawn Mendes fan fiction #Shawn Mendes One shot #Shawn Mendes college au #Shawn Mendes au #shawn mendes x reader #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes fluff

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jokerfan99 · 6 years

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Dc+Marvel Character Fusions by RobertMacQuarrie1 Part 4

31. Namor + Black Adam= The Black Prince

Centuries ago, Prince Namor ruled the kingdom of Atlantis with a firm yet honorable hand. Renowned for both his skills as a warrior and as a just ruler, it was these qualities that he was chosen by the wizard Shazam to serve as his champion. Imbued with incredible magical energy, Namor's incredible power was magnified a thousand fold. Initially, Namor used his powers wisely and justly. But soon the power began to corrupt Namor, as he soon believed the best way to bring peace to the land was to use his powers to lead the armies of Atlantis to conquer the world. With Namor leading the way, the armies of Atlantis cut a bloody swath across the land, decimating entire nations. Soon, Namor became known as "The Black Prince," and civilizations began to fear his name. Eventually, the wizard Shazam intervened, and punished Namor and his kingdom for abusing his gifts. Shazam used his incredible might to sink Atlantis beneath the waves, while imprisoning Namor in a crystal sarcophagus deep beneath the ocean, hoping to teach the Black Prince humility and to respect the powers at his command. However, Shazam's punishment had the opposite effect, making Namor even more twisted and cruel. And when the Black Prince was accidentally revived by undersea explorers in the modern age, Namor swore to use his incredible might to conquer the world and restore the majesty of Atlantis to it's former glory.

32. Punisher + Deadshot = Deathwish

Floyd Castle was a former mercenary who gave up his former life when he fell in love. Marrying the love of his life, Floyd became a doting husband and eventual loving father. However, Floyd's life was changed forever when he and his family were caught in a crossfire of a political assassination, with only Floyd surviving. Enraged that the killer was to avoid punishment for his crimes due to his political connections, Floyd repurposed his old mercenary gear and became the bounty hunter known as Deathwish in order to hunt down the criminals out of the normal reach of the law. His name has a double meaning, however, as Floyd secretly wishes his time on earth to be over, so he can see his family again, caring little whether he lives or dies. Taking any job, as long as it allows him to eliminate the "right people," Deathwish cuts a bloody swath of destruction across the criminal underworld in any part of the world.

33. Deadpool + Harley Quinn = Jester

Harlene Wilson was a promising- if naive and gullible- scientist, working under the charismatic Dr. Killbrew. Harlene fell in love with Killbrew, never realizing that he didn't reciprocate her interest and was only using her for his own ends. When Harlene contracted an untreatable form of cancer, Killbrew manipulated her into being a guinea pig for his experiments with cellular regeneration, using the cells culled from the mutant Deathclaw. Killbrew had no intention of curing Harlene, but he hoped to learn from the experimentation on her form to further his research. His treatment on Harley ravaged her body and destroyed her mind, causing her to break from reality in order to cope with the pain. Finding out about Killbrew's betrayal of her trust, Harlene broke out of captivity and slew Killbrew in a rage. With her newfound abilities and a powerful healing factor, Harlene took up the identity of the Jester, becoming a merc for hire, figuring that if the world was one big joke, she might as well look the part.

34. The Leader + Hector Hammond = Hector Sterns

Hector Sterns was just an ordinary janitor of slightly low intelligence working at a government lab. Jealous of all the intelligent scientists working above him and secretly believing they were mocking him behind his back, Hector yearned for power to show up all he believed wronged him. He got his wish when he was exposed to a strange meteor that was brought to the lab he worked at for study. Hearing that the meteor had strange mutagenic properties, Hector broke into the storage chamber and exposed himself to the gamma radiation emitting from the stone under the hopes that it would grant him incredible powers. Hector got his wish, in that he developed increased intelligence and amazing telekinetic and telepathic abilities. However, it came at a horrible cost, as it caused him cranium to swell to a massive size, while atrophying his muscles and bones. He was gifted with a genius level intellect and powerful mental abilities, but at the cost of his physical form. But along with his mind, Sterns' ambition also increased. Now, simple revenge would not be enough to satiate him. Sterns wished to rule the world, and turned his incredible intellect towards that task. So far, only the might Orca has been able to halt his plans, pitting his brawn and Sterns' incredible brain.

35. Nova + Firestorm = Sunstorm

Travelling through space, a dying alien from the Nova Corps was searching for a suitable being to inherit his incredible abilities and take up his role of protecting his sector of space. Coming across Earth, the alien was met with a dilemma- he could not find one being who fit the specific requirements needed to inherit and use his abilities. The alien did find two people who had some of the traits he was looking for. Richard Raymond had the spirit to wield the powers of the Nova corp, and was a perfect physical specimen, but he did not have the discipline nor the intelligence. Dr. Martin Rider had the vast intellect and maturity to handle the powers, but was physically weak. Left with no choice, the alien made a desperate gambit, choosing to merge Richard Raymond and Martin Rider into one form, using the strongest elements from both- Richard's body and Martin's mind. Coming to term with their merging, the duo christened themselves Sunstorm, taking up their alien benefactor's mission to protect the solar system, using their newfound abilities of flight, super strength and the ability to alter the molecular makeup of any inorganic object.

36. Hawkeye + Booster Gold = Goldeneye Mockingbird + Blue Beetle = Bluebird

Clint Carter was born in the 25th century to a group of carnival performers. He had honed his natural abilities to become an incredible archer. However, in his time period, the common citizens weren't interested in stuntmen and feats of physical strength anymore, and were more interested in the popular holo-vids. Seeking fame and fortune, Goldeneye decided to head back to the 20th century to wow the audiences with his abilities. However, Clint landed late in the 21st century, where archery skills weren't as highly regarded as they once were. However, Clint decided to stay in this time frame and use his archery skills along with his futuristic technology to become a superhero, taking on the name and identity of Goldeneye. While initially using his abilities for fame and fortune, Clint eventually evolved into a true- albeit flawed- hero.

Bobbi Kord was a genius inventor and agent of SHIELD. When she was passed over for field work, she quit the agency and returned to head Kord Industries. Bobbi combined her combat training along with the resources of Kord Industries to develop a wide arsenal of crime fighting tools, and took up the identity of the Bluebird. She served as a solo adventurer for a while before eventually meeting up with Goldeneye. The two became crimefighting duo and eventually lovers, being partners both on and off the field.

37. Apocalypse + Vandal Savage = Vandal Sa'Vag Nur

The being who would become known as Vandal Sa'Vag Nur began life as an ordinary caveman. Brutal by even the standards of that more savage age, Vandal was cast out from his clan and became a nomad. His entire existence changed the day he investigated the site of what seemed to be a meteorite. In reality, it was the remains of a destroyed Celestial starship. Coming into contact with it, Vandal was exposed to the alien technologies and transformed. Wrapped in a life sustaining coccon, the ship slowly changed Vandal over the course centuries, eventually emerging into Ancient Egypt where he gained his name- Vandal Sa'Vag Nur. Transformed into a being of incredible power, Vandal realized the alien machine transformed him in order to improve the world and make it stronger and better than it was before. However, Vandal interpreted this directive as that the only way the world can improve is through struggle and conquest. By knocking down what came before in order for the world to build a better society in its' place. From that point on, Vandal would use his newfound might to topple civilizations and bring ruin and destruction to the world, under the belief that only the strong could survive, often returning to the same alien cocoon that birthed his new form to slumber for centuries between his conquests. Now, he has awoken in the modern day, and plans to once again destroy civilization as a whole in order for the weak to be weeded out and for the strong to survive. And in this new age of heroes, Vandal believes that with this new breed of humanity, it is the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean of humanity and populate the world with living Gods.

38. Arcade + The Riddler = The Gamemaster

Edward R. Cade was a spoiled brat of a wealthy New Gotham couple who grew up loving puzzles and games. The only thing that Edward loved more, however, was murder. After killing his parents to inherit their wealth at a young age, Edward dedicated his fortune in order create the most gruesome and imaginative murders possible. He enjoyed spending his fortune creating elaborate deathtraps to lure his victims into. His puzzles and mazes would be filled with lethal traps and consequences, but he always prided himself on playing "fair." If his victims solved his puzzles or escaped his mazes with their lives intact, he would let them go, no questions asked. Eventually, Edward- now calling himself the Gamemaster- solicited his services as a master assassin to wealthy clients around the world, under the condition that he is allowed to dispose of his targets his way. With this new source of revenue, the Gamemaster set up "Murderworld" amusement parks all over the world. His actions, however, would eventually draw the attention of many superheroes who would either be caught up or try to stop his insane schemes. The Gamemaster doesn't mind, however, as superheroes are just a new challenge for him to refine his skills and come up with even more creative puzzles and games to eliminate his foes.

39. Ghost Rider + Demon = Demon Rider

In medieval Camelot, Sir Jason Blood was one of the most noble Knights of the Round Table. When his son was stricken ill, however, Sir Jason turned to the dark arts in order to find a way to save him. Summoning a powerful demon, Jason pledged his soul to find a way to save his son. The demon agreed, curing Jason's son of his ailment. However, Jason was later betrayed, in that while his son was cured, the demon arranged it so that he would later die from accident while riding a horse. Calling upon his payment, Jason was bonded with a powerful demon called Zarathigan, transforming him into a mindless, savage monstrosity who then proceeded to ravage the kingdom. Jason's rampage came to a end when the wizard Merlin cast a spell to separate Zarathigan from Jason, transforming Jason back to normal. However, Merlin's spell could not completely sever the tie, only weaken it, as Jason's bloodline would forever be tainted with Demon blood. And some day, a future generation would one day again be bonded to Zarathigan and once again be transformed into a powerful demon. That day came centuries later when Sir Jason's descendant, Jason Blaze, would be transformed on his 18th birthday and once again be bonded with Zarathigan. But having never pledged his soul to the darkness, Jason Blaze still retains some control over Zarathigan's bloodlust. As such, Jason Blaze uses his newfound powers as the Demon Rider to avenge the innocent and wage war on evil, while struggling to control the demon within.

40. Psylocke + Huntress = Mindhunter

Helena Braddock was the daughter of a notable crime boss in New Gotham. Under siege by other mobsters, Helena's father turned to the mystical sect known as the League of the Hand for help. The League agreed to wipe out his enemies, but for a price- he would turn his daughter over to them. Helena's father agreed, and she was taken by the League and trained to become their greatest assassin. Undergoing a brutal regime to make her into one of the greatest warriors on the planet, the League also tried to transform Helena mystically, to give her even greater power. Their efforts paid off, and Helena's latent mutant abilities were activated, granting her incredible psionic powers. The League trained her to refine her powers, eventually allowing her to focus her telepathic abilities into her Psionic Knife, the focused totality of all her telepathic abilities. However, Helena was never loyal to the League, filled with a burning hatred for both them and her father. After a decade of training, Helena broke free of her captivity, slaying her captors, and returned to New Gotham to avenge herself on her father and his organization. Now, as Mindhunter, she wages a brutal war against the criminals who take advantage of the innocent, and isn't afraid to use lethal measures to end a threat.

#dc comics #fusion #marvel comics

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tomasorban · 6 years

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The English Alchemists

In England, the first known alchemist was Roger Bacon, who was a scholar of outstanding attainment. Born in Somersetshire in 1214, he made extraordinary progress even in his boyhood studies, and on reaching the required age joined the Franciscan Order. After graduating Oxford, he moved to Paris where he studied medicine and mathematics. On his return to England, he applied himself to the study of philosophy and languages with such success that he wrote grammars of the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew tongues.

Although Bacon has been described as a physician rather than an alchemist, we are indebted to him for many scientific discoveries. He was almost the only astronomer of his time, and in this capacity rectified the Julian calendar which, although submitted to Pope Clement IV in 1267, was not put into practice until a later papacy. He was responsible also for the physical analysis of convex glasses and lenses, the invention of spectacles and achromatic lenses, and for the theory of the telescope. As a student of chemistry, he called attention to the chemical role played by air in combustion, and having carefully studied the properties of saltpeter, taught its purification by dissolution in water and by crystallization.

Indeed, from his letters we learn that Bacon anticipated most of the achievements of modern science.He maintained that vessels might be constructed that would be capable of navigation without manual rowers, and which under the direction of a single man, could travel through the water at a speed hitherto undreamed of. He also predicted that it would be possible to construct cars that could be set in motion with amazing speeds (“independently of horses and other animals”) and also flying machines that would beat the air with artificial wings.

It is scarcely surprising that in the atmosphere of superstition and ignorance that reigned in Europe during the Middle Ages, Bacon’s achievements were attributed to his communication with devils. His fame spread through western Europe not as a savant but as a great magician. His great services to humanity were met with censure, not gratitude, and to the Church his teachings seemed particularlypernicious. The Church took her place as one of his foremost adversaries, and even the friars of his own order refused his writings a place in their library. His persecutions culminated in 1279 in imprisonment and a forced repentance of his labors in the cause of art and science.

Among his many writings, there are two or three works on alchemy, from which it is quite evident that not only did he study and practice the science but that he obtained his final objective, the Philosopher’s Stone. Doubtless during his lifetime, his persecutions led him to conceal carefully his practice of the Hermetic art and to consider the revelation of such matters unfit for the uninitiated. “Truth,” he wrote, “ought not to be shown to every ribald person, for then it would become most vile that which, in the hand of a philosopher, is the most precious of all things.”

Sir George Ripley, Canon of Bridlington Cathedral in Yorkshire, placed alchemy on a higher level than many of his contemporaries by dealing with it as a spiritual and not merely a physical manifestation. He maintained that alchemy is concerned with the mode of our spirit’s return to the God who gave it to us. He wrote in 1471 his Compound of Alchemy with its dedicatory epistle to King Edward IV. It is also reported in the Canon of Bridlington that he provided funds for the Knights of St. John by means of the Philosopher’s Stone he concocted.

In the sixteenth century, Pierce the Black Monk, wrote the following about the Elixir: “Take earth of Earth, Earth’s Mother (Water of Earth), Fire of Earth, and Water of the Wood. These are to lie together and then be parted. Alchemical gold is made of three pure soul, as purged as crystal. Body, seat, and spirit grow into a Stone, wherein there is no corruption. This is to be cast on Mercury and it shall become most worthy gold.” Other works of the sixteenth century include Thomas Charnock’sBreviary of Philosophy and Enigma published in 1572. He also wrote a memorandum in which he states that he attained the transmuting powder when his hairs were white with age.

Also in the sixteenth century lived Edward Kelly, born in 1555. He seems to have been an adventurer of sorts and lost his ears at Lancaster on an accusation of producing forged title deeds. Dr. John Dee,a widely respected and learned man of the Elizabethan era, was very interested in Kelly’s clairvoyant visions, although it is difficult to determine whether Kelly really was a genuine seer since his life was such an extraordinary mixture of good and bad character. In some way or other, Kelly does appear to have come into possession of the Red and White Tinctures. Elias Ashmole printed at the end ofTheatrum Chemicum Britannicum a tract entitled Sir Edward Kelly’s Work that says: “It is generally reported that Doctor Dee and Sir Edward Kelly were so strangely fortunate as to find a very Iarge quantity of the Elixir in some part of the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, which was so incredibly rich in virtue (being one in 272,330), that they lost much in making projection by way of trial before they finally found out the true height of the medicine.”

In March 1583, a prince of Poland, the Count Palatine of Siradia, Adalbert Alask, while visiting the Court of Queen Elizabeth, sought to meet with Dr. Dee to discuss his experiments, of which he became so convinced that he asked Dee and Kelly and their families to accompany him on his return to Cracow. The prince took them from Cracow to Prague in anticipation of favors at the hand of Emperor Rudolph II, but their attempt to get into touch with Rudolph was unsuccessful. In Prague at that time there was a great interest in alchemy, but in 1586, by reason of an edict of Pope Sixtus V, Dee and Kelly were forced to flee the city. They finally found peace and plenty at the Castle of Trebona in Bohemia as guests of Count Rosenberg, the Emperor’s Viceroy in that country. During that time Kelly made projection of one minim on an ounce and a quarter of mercury and produced nearly an ounce of the best gold.

( This is a detail of an English alchemical scroll from the 16th century that provides a pictorial synopsis of alchemical philosophy, depicting the successive processes—through the White Stone, the Red Stone, and the Elixir Vitae—in the production of the Philosopher’s Stone.)

In February 1588, the two men parted ways, Dee making for England and Kelly for Prague, where Rosenberg had persuaded the Emperor to quash the Papal decree. Through the introduction of Rosenberg, Kelly was received and honored by Rudolph as one in possession of the Great Secret of Alchemy. From him he received besides a grant of land and the freedom of the city, a position of state and apparently a title, since he was known from that time forward as Sir Edward Kelly. These honors are evidence that Kelly had undoubtedly demonstrated to the Emperor his knowledge of transmutation, but the powder of projection had now diminished, and to the Emperor’s command to produce it in ample quantities, he failed to accede, being either unable or unwilling to do so. As a result, Kelly was cast into prison at the Castle of Purglitz near Prague where he remained until 1591 when he was restored to favor. He was interned a second time, however, and in 1595, according to chronicles, and while attempting to escape from his prison, fell from a considerable height and was killed at the age of forty.

In the seventeenth century lived Thomas Vaughan, who used the pseudonym “Eugenius Philasthes” (and possibly “Eireneus Philalethes” as well) and wrote dozens of influential treatises on alchemy. Among Vaughan’s most noteworthy books are An Open Entrance to the Shut Palace of the King, Ripley Revived, The Marrow of Alchemy, Metallorum Metamorphosis, Brevis Manuductio ad Rubinem Coelestum, Fone Chemicae Veritatis, and others to be found in the Musaeum Hermiticum. Vaughan came from Wales and his writings were regarded as an illustration of the spiritual approach to alchemy. Yet whatever the various interpretations put upon his work, Vaughan was undoubtedly endeavoring to show that alchemy was demonstrable, in every phase of physical, mental, and spiritual reality. His work Lumen de Lumine is an alchemical discourse that deals with those three aspects. His medicine is a spiritual substance inasmuch as it is the Quintessence or the Divine Life manifesting through all form, both physical and spiritual. His gold is the gold of the physical world as well as the wisdom of the spiritual world. His Stone is the touchstone that transmutes everything and is again both spiritual and physical. For instance, his statement “the Medicine can only be contained in a glass vessel” signifies a tangible glass container as well the purified body of the adept.

Thomas Vaughan was a Magus of the Rosicrucian Order, and he knew and understood that the science of alchemy must manifest throughout all planes of consciousness. Writing as Eireneus Philalethes in the preface to the An Open Entrance from the Collectanea Chymica (published by William Cooper in 1684), Vaughan says: “I being an adept anonymous, a lover of learning, and philosopher, decreed to write this little treatise of medicinal, chemical, and physical secrets in the year of he world’s redemption 1645, in the three and twentieth year of my life, that I may pay my duty to the Sons of the Art, that I might appear to other adepts as their brother and equal. Therefore I presage that not a few will be enlightened by these my labors. These are no fables, but real experiments that I have made and know, as every other adept will conclude by these lines. In truth, many times I laid aside my pen, deciding to forbear from writing, being rather willing to have concealed the truth under a mask of envy. But God compelled me to write, and Him I could in no wise resist who alone knows the heart and unto whom be glory forever. I believe that many in this last age of the world will be rejoiced with the Great Secret, because I have written so faithfully, leaving of my own will nothing in doubt for a young beginner. I known many already who possess it in common with myself and are persuaded that I shall yet be acquainted in the immediate time to come. May God’s most holy will be done therein. I acknowledge myself totally unworthy of bringing those things about, but in such matters I submit in adoration to Him, to whom all creation is subject, who created All to this end, and having created, preserves them.”

He then goes on to give an account of the transmutation of base metals into silver and gold, and he gives examples of how the Medicine, administered to some at the point of death, affected their miraculous recovery. Of another occasion he writes: “On a time in a foreign country, I could have sold much pure alchemical silver (worth 600 pounds), but the buyers said unto me presently that they could see the metal was made by Art. When I asked their reasons, they answered: ‘We know the silver that comes from England, Spain, and other places, but this is none of these kinds.’ On hearing this I withdrew suddenly, leaving the silver behind me, along with the money, and never returning.”

Again he remarks: “I have made the Stone. I do not possess it by theft but by the gift of God. I have made it and daily have it in my power, having formed it often with my own hands. I write the things that I know.”

In the last chapter of the Open Entrance is his message to those who have attained the goal. “He who hath once, by the blessing of God, perfectly attained this Art,” says Vaughan, “I know not what in the world he can wish but that he may be free from all the snares of wicked men, so as to serve God without distraction. But it would be a vain thing by outward pomp to seek for vulgar applause. Such trifles are not esteemed by those who truly have this Art — nay, rather they despise them. He therefore whom God has blessed with this talent behaves thus. First, if he should live a thousand years and everyday provide for a thousand men, he could not want, for he may increase his Stone at his pleasure, both in weight and virtue so that if a man would, one man might transmute into perfect gold and silver all the imperfect metals that are in the whole world. Secondly, he may by this Art make precious stones and gems, such as cannot be paralleled in Nature for goodness and greatness. Thirdly and lastly, he has a Medicine Universal, both for prolonging life and curing all diseases, so that one true adept can easily cure all the sick people in the world. I mean his Medicine is sufficient. Now to the King, eternal, immortal and sole mighty, be everlasting praise for these His unspeakable gifts and invaluable treasures. Whosoever enjoys his talent, let him be sure to employ it to the glory of God and the good of his neighbors, lest he be found ungrateful to the Source that has blessed him with so great a talent and be in the last found guilty of disproving it and so condemned.”

From England, there is also the story of a transmutation performed before King Gustavus Adolphus in 1620, the gold of which was coined into medals, bearing the king’s effigy with the reverse Mercury and Venus; and of another at Berlin before the King of Prussia.

In the same century, Alexander Seton, a Scot, suffered indescribable torments for his knowledge of the art of transmutation. After practicing in his own country he went abroad, where he demonstrated his transmutations before men of good repute and integrity in Holland, Hamburg, Italy, Basle, Strasbourg, Cologne, and Munich. He was finally summoned to appear before the young Elector of Saxony, to whose court he went somewhat reluctantly. The Elector, on receiving proof of the authenticity of his projections, treated him with distinction, convinced that Seton held the secret of boundless wealth. But Seton refused to initiate the Elector into his secret and was imprisoned in Dresden. As his imprisonment could not shake his resolve, he was put to torture. He was pierced, racked, beaten, scarred with fire and molten lead, but still he held his peace. At length he was left in solitary confinement, until his escape was finally engineered by the Polish adept Sendivogius. Even to this dear friend, he refused to reveal the secret until shortly before his death. Two years after his escape from prison, he presented Sendivogius with his transmuting powder.

#alchemy #esoteric #hermetism #philosophy #astrology

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sparda3g · 6 years

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Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 269 Review

After the last chapter with Megumi acting differently from her usual self, this chapter enlightened us that she is still true to her character. I don’t mean the lack of confidence aspect. I believe those days are over, and understandably so. After a long regime arc and positioned as an Elite Ten member for a couple of months, her development was inevitable. This mini-arc in which seems to be closing very soon showcase her growth and charm from her last year journey.

Perhaps it’s due to her “eerie” nature from last time, I can’t help but think her dish was going to be similar to Monarch fellow; now presented in a taunting manner. I should have known it’s really Megumi when her dish is presented as a kid’s meal. It’s a kid’s size curry plate; probably the most childish dish tray that I have seen from this series. It comes with a little flag; that’s kind of her. But seriously, it’s more baffling with those star shape edible treats. Was Shun aware of Independence Day?

My first impression was Megumi is trolling Monarch with a simple kid’s meal. As if to say she can still conquer the battle with a childish play. Apparently, she’s dead serious about her dish; not completely aware that other residents see it as a throwaway match. Even Monarch goes on a gibberish rant (I want to say literally…) about him, King-sama, being served like a baby. Instead of taking into fear, Megumi responds with clarification that she meant everything on her action. That’s actually development. It’s about time for “King-sama” to take a bite; afterward, the match is sealed.

It’s pretty refreshing to see foodgasm taking a character to a different environment rather than stripping their clothes. It has a pretty nice visual of pleasant forest landscape with its lighting; soothing atmosphere if you ask me. Megumi has made a couple of more for others to try. I mean it’s a kid’s meal; it shouldn’t be hard to get seconds. The two also feel the soothing landscape from the taste. That’s something I missed from foodgasm: sending a person to a different world that make you feel lively in its environment. It feels like the last time we had that was with Tsukasa when Hisako was transported to a folktale-esque (Snow White).

I’m impressed with how Megumi managed to use the ingredients from the household and created a dish that isn’t only suitable for kids, but for adults as well. I don’t mean like “Oh, small French fries!” I mean the filling and satisfaction. It’s like cartoon shows (ex. Avatar, Gravity Rush), it can be incredible for all ages. While that is all impressive, the real kicker is the reason behind Monarch’s frozen reaction. Perhaps he died like a king as well?

In all seriousness, the reason behind it is what made Megumi more impressive. The twist behind the dish is not just because it’s a kid’s meal, but it’s not really curry; it’s actually Gumbo, his homeland’s food. You got to love Megumi’s reaction with shady smile; you know she got this match sealed. I do appreciate the educational info about Mexico region and a dish that resembles to curry in design, but different recipe and flavor altogether. Basically, Megumi served him a dish that he can adore wonderfully because of his background. The only question remains is how did she know. It can’t be that coincidental.

It’s rather fortunate that this was asked because that would have been incredibly cheap for Megumi to coincidentally serve a dish that is perfect for him. Instead, it segues to exploit her background training during her era as an Elite Ten member. The most impressive about her is she can read a person’s ethic background based on their appearance.

She can sense his accent to be close to Mexican speakers. I guess speaking broken Japanese served a purpose, now that I think about it. She can also identify a person based on their clothing wears, including the brand. Based on those, she takes a strong guess that he has eaten Gumbo as a child. She reminds me of John Edwards; without any parody sense that is. How adorable she is when she learned she got it right. Now it begs the question on when she obtained this type of knowledge.

Fortunately, the perks of the Elite Ten is utilized further than being sent on a mission. It greatly benefitted Megumi to use its advantage to study abroad in a way as an Elite Ten member. I thought her being a member would do some damage to her since it’s a high status and she will be overshadowed by haters and what not. Fortunately, her take is to improve her skills by reading and understanding many cultural aspects. She has become quite adaptable. I’m happy for her.

You know how you can tell Monarch is so much like an anime character? When he is schooled by a main character and essentially get talk no jutsu, or should I say eat no jutsu (?). Perhaps Monarch’s flashback was a signal for “tragic/dark” backstory and the truth comes out because Megumi knows. In reality, he’s not really seeking for King’s supremacy. He has been seeking for warm and kind feeling.

His love for Japan’s Hot Spring Towns engulfed him. It’s like his weights on his shoulders are finally gone; all the stress and worries are gone. It’s no wonder he kept inserting Japanese words, even after he’s revealed to be evil. He genuinely loves the atmosphere and Megumi knew that. In other words, she wasn’t going to be vicious and make him her pawn. She planned to teach him a lesson for his benefit.

She’s pure and caring of others, which is true to her character. That’s why she was playing the role of Geisha as best as she can. She’s technically did him a favor, which is ironic since he loves Japan so much yet baffled when someone does a traditional formal routine. She made himself feel at home. Forget the best waifu or however they call them; Megumi is the best mother figure. The “Babumi” scene is funny but fits the whole premise nicely. I like she ends the chapter with a mother’s lesson of the day. That was solid.

I really enjoyed this chapter. It was a really good time to give Megumi a time to shine and placed an example of the character’s development as an Elite Ten member. While ranking wise could be explored later, the benefits are utilized well so far. I’m not only happy that she got the win alone, but she has been working hard and make the best of the title, rather than dance around and be scared of everyone. The visual is very solid, including that last scene. Yes, I said it. Job well done, Megumi.

Case Closed.

#shokugeki no soma #shokugeki no souma #food wars #chapter 269 #review

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