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journeydb · 8 months ago

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April 24 2023 Boulder (continued)

Continuing Hobie's birthday retrospective with this photo of him with Bill, Katie, and Jack at Easter a few years ago. Some people may not realize that the reason we have Katie in our lives is that her older brother, Sam, attended Oakley for high school with Hobie. They were good friends and after they both graduated became even better friends because the Gambrells lived in Niwot at that time.

Sam introduced Hobie to his sister, Katie, and we will be eternally grateful to Sam for that. Sadly, we lost Sam in October 2013 when he took his life after losing hope that he could be delivered from the depression which was so deep and so pervasive. Sam was helped by many people attempting to counsel him and give him the support he needed and we'll never truly understand how much he suffered, but we are relieved that he has found peace. Sam was truly ADORED by many and will forever be missed by those whose lives he touched in such a profound way. He was one of the kindest, gentlest Souls I have ever known and I'm grateful to have had him in my life if even for such a short time.

A very big moment in Hobie's life was when he met his birth family for the first time. After we adopted Hobie when he was born we met his grandparents and his mother and we had hoped to have an open adoption and include them in our family, but his birth mother, Kori, wasn't comfortable with that so it never happened. She died when he was a teenager and we were all devastated that the opportunity to know her was lost to us.

This photo is of Kori on her wedding day two years before she died of cancer at age 31. She was such a beautiful person and Hobie looks a lot like her. I maintained a limited relationship with her and her mother, Laura, through writing, pictures, and phone calls since his birth so when Hobie returned to Boulder after graduating from high school in 2011 we began the process of Hobie getting to know his grandparents and his aunt. Since then they have created a very deep love and regard for one another and Laura, Jerry, and Taryn have become an integral part of our family.

Sadly, Laura's sister, Kori's aunt, died a few years after we first met her and we don't have contact with anyone else in the extended family but we are grateful to have Laura, Jerry, and Taryn in our lives now.

Hobie has been fortunate to be a surrogate uncle to many of his cousin's children and he REALLY likes Marshall, our niece Heather's son, see next to Hobie, wearing a tie, at Hobie's wedding.

The child who really seemed to be the catalyst for his paternal instincts being nudged was when his cousin, Aimey's son, Indigo, was born.

Because Aimey and her husband, Philip, live in Colorado we have a lot more contact with them than with our family in other parts of the country. Watching Indigo grow up has been a joy for all of us and we hope that he and Maple will have a close relationship as cousins the way Hobie had with his cousins.

The "babies" closest to Hobie's heart, after Maple, of course, are his and Katie's pups, Gilly, seen in the photo above, and Archer.

Archer, the black dog, in the photo above, was their first dog. He is ten years old now and has some health problems so we hope he'll keep going for awhile. He is sweet and loving. The other dog in the photo isn't Gilly, it's their dog, Lana, who looks a lot like Gilly. She died six years ago and it was traumatic for them to lose her. Adopting Gilly helped them and Archer to heal from Lana's loss.

Hobie has had two careers in his life. The first one started when he began working as an electronics tech and assembler at Electrom Instruments in Longmont. He worked there for six years and learned a LOT about computers and other electronic instruments, which was extremely helpful to him when he decided he really wanted to be an auto mechanic and began a year and a half program at Lincoln College of Automotive Engineering.

The class began with thirty students and only five graduated. It was a very tough curriculum. Hobie graduated and actually had a job with a Ford dealership before he graduated.

These are some of the tools of Hobie's trade. He is SO organized, at least at work! He has worked for a few dealerships now, getting experience with different kinds of companies and working with lots of different kinds of vehicles. His focus now is on becoming a master mechanic and he is apprenticing at the Ford dealership in Dacono where he currently works with a really nice young guy who is a master mechanic and works mostly on diesels, which is Hobie's area of interest.

Hobie has owned MANY vehicles, including cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, and a BIG diesel truck, which have given him lots of experience on his own. At one time his driveway looked like a used vehicle lot until the city of Longmont told him he had to get rid of some of them, so he sold a few. We are SO proud of our son that he found his passion for a career that pays well and will pay even better in the future when he becomes a master mechanic. He is doing something important because he's helping people stay on the road to go to school, work, shopping, you name it, all the things we use our transportation to do, in safe, well-maintained vehicles.

And then, the most wonderful thing to happen in Hobie's life, after meeting Katie, was the birth of little Maple. She has been from the very moment he first saw her the "apple of her Daddy's eye". He adores his daughter and he is a REALLY good dad.

Today we celebrated Hobie's 30th birthday with a takeout dinner at our house. It was the first time we had seen them since we got back a few days ago and it was WONDERFUL to be with them! We had gifts not only for him, but also for Maple from our travels and from friends in Barcelona. Maple particularly liked the wooden train with blocks on it. We also bought Maple a little cart like the one at their house so she could practice walking behind it. She did quite well. It was a lovely afternoon and evening and we were SO happy to be home with our family.

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storywestistrash · 2 years ago

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oh yeah ill never translate my rewrite so heres some philip scott facts:

i took the kill your gays thing to the next level cuz hes like one of the few not bi characters in the fic and he dies before the fic even starts

so like yeah fnaf 2 hes already dead hes a ghost

i show that by having him sweat a lot when interacting with objects!

thats cuz it takes a lot of energy to be able to materialize his hands. so he usually just asks mike or fritz to do things for him

his hair is naturally brown but the bright red dye is due to how he died

speaking of how he died

i decided to follow the scott way and just make up the most batshit unrealistic shit just bc hehe it sounds cool

so the way he died is like yeah the animatronics obvi but instead of stuffing him in a suit they uh. they shoved a phone onto his head, crushing it in the process

whyd they do that WELL he referred to himself as "the phone guy" one too many times and something in the toys programming fucked itself over to be like "well wheres the phone then mr"

his body is not found until the main plot happens so its already like rotting in a backroom somewhere when they find it

the reason he cant move on as a spirit is that hes bound by a contract to work for fazbears. at first at least

when the restaurant closes and he stops being the manager the reason he cant move on is a little different

that reason being! that the ghost children decided "this is our uncle now uncle phil" and now THEY wont let him go

he doesnt mind tho its good to feel like hes useful and helping and needed by someone

his Big Fear that every character in this one has is that he's so nothing and just so ordinary that he is utterly unlovable in any way

and while being adopted as an uncle is not the kind of love he was looking for its one that does its job even better

like its exhausting to be looking after kids that very desperately want to kill your at this point friends but also theyre just children and sometimes they need that adult presence

philip isnt all that good with children but okay hes managing

ANYWAY yeah he moves on together with the kids in fnaf 3

also this is only vaguely related but he has an older brother and a niece whos about the same age as mike and his friends

so in fnaf 3 when he hears about phone dude hes like. wdym your dad is named fritz. wd. wdym. FRITZ DID YOU FUCK MY NIECE DID YOU FUCK MY BROTHERS DAUGHTER

and fritz is like "haha lol"

thats not all i have on him but i cant think of more rn. the whole thing is just:

#fnaf #fnaf 2 #fnaf 3 #phone guy #phone dude #5nn #all my characters are bi unless stated otherwise btw #like its just the default here #my rewrite is very silly and light hearted in a lot of ways but i mean #its not a rewrite of fnaf itself but a rewrite of a romance fanfic i wrote when i was 12 and continued when i was 14 #cut me some slack it was always stupid fun

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cimmunist · 3 years ago

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Decided to make a comparison between my usual interpretation of Cimmerian, the one from my (and my friend's, @bluethepearldiver ) main AU, Gods and Pawns, and the @ask-dr-cimmerian version of him. You can read more in-detail explanations under the cut, but avoid the blog version if you don't want spoilers. I'm gonna be doing Clef next, who arguably has more design changes than the golden good boy.

The one on the right is the @ask-dr-cimmerian version, but I drew him with his natural hair and eye colour, he usually wears coloured lenses and dyes his hair.

GaP/Usual interpretation of Cimmerian:

Species: Most of the time, regular, non-anomalous human. Becomes immortal later on. (Can vary depending on version of the AU)

Age: 37-45 during the main events of the AU

Gender: Trans man

Orientation: Bisexual/Bi ace

Pronouns: he/him

Nationality: Ukrainian/American, Ukrainian from grandfather's side, raised in the South of US

Job: Ethics Committee Chairman

Appearance: 5'8'' lanky man with little to no body hair, gains some weight as he ages. Naturally brown eyes and hair, dyes his bangs a darker colour. Has both eyes, but is blind in his left one. Doesn't mind his blind eye but wears an eye patch out of habit.

Personality & health:

Sly, cocky bastard of the ethics committee

Petty

Strict and kind of unpleasant if you're caught on the receiving end of his complaints, but generally an overall charming guy

Kind of a mess with social interactions because of social anxiety, but he does his best

Struggles with PTSD, but mostly has his mental health under control

Relationships:

Love interests: Usually Clef, Bright and Kondraki, but varies depending on the AU version (other notable examples would be North, Mikell, Pierre (friend's o5 oc) or Tiffany (my oc))

Family: Two biological mums, orphaned from an early age, adopted by his aunt and uncle whom he considers his parents. Lots of adoptive siblings/cousins. Has two half-siblings who hate his guts. Usually childless during the ages listed above, but not always, has a bunch of kids later on.

Friends (depends mostly on versions of the AU): Sheila & Philip Foster (college/close friends), Richard Gerald (childhood/college/work friend), Tiffany Okely (college/work friend), Han/2913 (close friend), Karlos North (close friend/ex-love interest), Loretto/035 (close work acquaintance), Pierre/o5-4 (boss/friend), Sophia Light (close work friend), Megan (ex/friend)

Other: Works closely with the o5 council, and as such has somewhat personal relationships with some of them. Has a father/son relationship with at least one or two of them (Philosopher Scientist and The Mailman have a custody battle, Philosopher's husband Founder stands awkwardly to the side). Has an (abusive) ex, Kennedy Howard.

Trivia:

Has amaxophobia, is slowly working through it

Very caring and fatherly in nature

Has a fear of eternity, kind of awkward since he becomes immortal, oops

Got picked for the Ethics Committee Chairman pretty early on to joining the Committee, was very stressed about it, not very popular with some elder members of the committee for this reason

Recovering alcoholic

Suffers from chronic pain

Allergic to fur

Very ND, learned to mask it over the years, but will fail to do so if he's extremely tired, distressed or in pain. Will just, forcing himself not to stim, making himself feel miserable at the end of the day.

Got his scars from a car crash

Blog version of Cimmerian:

Species: Demigod (credit to @bsathesilentartist for the idea and letting me use it)

Age: 37

Gender: Genderqueer, currently identifies as trans man

Orientation: Oriented ace, demi-biromantic

Pronouns: Currently he/him, later on any

Nationality: Ukrainian/Turkic, raised in South US

Job: Liaison for the Ethics Committee (notable places of work: Site-19, Site-88, Site-17)

Appearance: 5'7'' lanky man with little to no body hair. Naturally silver/white hair that he dyes brown (including the eyebrows). Blue/golden eye with central heterochromia, changes colours over time, hides it with brown contacts. Lost his left eye, wears glass eyes and/or eye patches. Likes to wear make-up.

Personality & health:

Grumpy, mostly at work, gets worse at the end of the day

Petty

Strict and serious at work

Used to be more outgoing and cheerful, nowadays more anxious and snappy

Struggles greatly with depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts, which causes him to be overall unpleasant and tired most of the time, overall relapsed A LOT

Very devoted to the things he believes in and people he loves, would actually die for his family and friends

Actually pleasant to be around if you get to know him well

Sometimes kind of a big hypocrite

Relationships:

Romantic interests: Clef, later on Bright and Iceberg

Friends: Sheila & Philip Foster (college friends), Gerald (college friend), Tiffany Okely (close friend, met at work), Han/2913 (friend), Megan (friend/ex-girlfriend), Karlos North (close friend, ex-fling)

Family: Son of Ak Ana/White Mother. Adopted by two mortal women, orphaned early on, adopted again by his aunt and uncle who he considers his parents. Has a bunch of adopted siblings/cousins. Two adopted/half-siblings that hate his guts. Has 3 children. Eldest, adopted daughter May. Middle kid, Eliza, who he had with his abusive ex Kennedy Howard. Youngest kid, Melody, who he had with Clef.

Trivia:

Semi-omniscient, a walking lie detector, kind of a slow idiot who doesn't realise This Is Not Normal

A mutualistic relationship with water, so to speak, doesn't fully understand it or grasp it quite yet

Can just...breathe underwater, I guess

Has goose wings, babyyyy, he can't see them though (not yet

Has fucked up dreams where he relives events from different timelines (which can be quite traumatic), a side effect of his omniscience

Very stressed about his children being anomalous like him or Clef, keeps a copy of unredacted Foundation files as potential blackmail if things do south for them

Lots of allergies

Has amaxophobia, you will not catch him anywhere near a car, no thank you sir.

Has a fear of eternity and drowning/deep waters (yes, I know, ironic)

Used to be recovering alcoholic, relapsed hardcore lately

Suffers from chronic pain

Neurodivergent, but masks/pretends to be neurotypical, will fail at it spectacularly under distress, pain or if he's tired

All of the hate he feels for Bright is just 100% projection 💜

Somebody get this man a therapist

Got his scars from a car crash

Has a toad named Potato

#scp #scp foundation #spooky arts #dr cimmerian #yes i made blog cimmerian loterally just an inch shorter than his usual equivalent #what of it

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abloomntime · 4 years ago

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A Bloom In Time Ch 1 A Flower Princess Lost

An non-beating heart is a bad thing to most, but not a bad thing if you were already dead and didn't need anything like that of course. Snatcher is a complicated spook that already has everything he wants now and with two little kids constantly playing in his woods and asking him to join, he has more than enough of his mushy love anyways. But when a familiar face and secret pops up, it may prove that the beating of love may still come from beyond the grave.

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Warning: Mentions and briefly explains Snatcher's death.

"Your Highness? Are you alright?"

He snapped out of it and yellow eyes blinked up at the lady who's stolen his heart. The fairytale romantic love of a Queen with beautiful blonde hair and emerald eyes was the first to catch him heart and he fell hard for her, but overtime that vision started to blur into one of fiery red passion and smelt of flowers. He could imagine his Queen in a wedding dress of pure white and covered in lace, but now he couldn't get the idea of how the maiden with red hair would look shyly looking at him in a dress of white, flowers in her hair and a red hue to her face as he held her close, wedding bells sounding as he promised her he would always love her. Forever.....But he should get his head out of the clouds. From the day he was born, his parents and Vanessa's mother had an arranged marriage for the two royals, and he didn't think even though she was Queen now, she'd let him go so soon with how attached she was....and how forcing his parents were about this. So he smiled at the confused face on the beautiful woman with hair of the rose.

"I'm perfectly fine. Vanessa's just been....A b-bit cranky lately. So I wanted to surprise her with some flowers today. M-Maybe that'll help calm her down. "

That got her attention when she rose a brow at him and asked a question that made him flinch. "Is this like the time she banned everyone here from eating bacon?"

He waved her off. "N-No, no. She was only concerned about my health, a-and she's right. Bacon has too much fat. I could loose a few more pounds and eat healthier.''

Her beautiful blue eyes ran over him with a raised brow. She looked like she wanted to say something but didn't and instead smiled and pointed a hand to the flowers around her in her stand. "Well, how can I help you this time, Prince-y? We have a fifty percent discount on mixed wild daisies this week, more sprouted up than expected, but they smell great and multicolored. A colorful rainbow bouquet would brighten up anyone's day!"

He looked at the many flowers she was pointing to and smiled and nodded. "Y-Yeah. Vanessa's loves any flowers I give her! These are perfect! You know what, I'll take some thanks!"

She smiled and went to work on getting the flowers. Cutting them and getting the pretty pink paper to wrap them in so he could present them to his beloved Queen. He couldn't help but smile at the gentle way she handled the flowers ...but remembered. He didn't have any pons to pay her with. He spent the last on them on getting Vanessa an anniversary gift yesterday after she insisted he'd better do something to make her happy and 'prove he still loved her by not forgetting. And he didn't. He got her a beautiful bracelet with beautiful blue saphires studded into it and was getting her flowers on top of that....But- When she turned back to him with a smile, flowers ready to go...It was like it was stupid but-...He immediately held up the bracelet to her without question, smile on his own face. She blinked at the sudden gift held out to her before looking back up to his face in question.

"Take it. I-...I-I got three others at home just like it," he lied with a smile but it felt like the right thing to do at the time, "Besides. I-I don't have any pons on me right now."

He stared at him more. "Oh, no. I couldn't!" She held up her hands. "I couldn't possibly just accept it like that. Here." She held the flowers out to him. "You buy so much anyways. This time it's on the house."

"NO!" He insisted. Gently placing the small bracelet into her hand while staring into her eyes. "I may be a prince but even Im not above getting things for free just because I buy a lot of it. You obviously put so much work into growing such beautiful flowers and I won't let hard work like that go under paid."

They ended up just holding hands unintentionally for a few seconds as they talked and smiled. Neither noticed the beautiful golden sunshine haired woman with beautiful green emerald eyes suddenly stopping and watching from the dark corner of the alleyway. She stared in absolutely horror as she watched her prince, her beloved perfect prince holding hands with a...a...A PEASANT GIRL!! This girl with bland red hair that looked like it was dunked in tacky red paint and gotten red splotches all over her face, dirt smudging her tacky dress and obviously dirty and not fit for anyone other than another low life peasant like herself. AND YET THERE THEY WERE!! Holding hands, smiling, and giggling like they were...A Happy couple..NO! NO!! HE WASN'T ALLOWED TO LOOK AT ANYONE LIKE THAT!! HE WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT HER LIKE THAT!! HER! THE ONE WITH EYES OF EMERALD GREEN AND PERFECT HAIR SHINIER THAN GOLD!! FAIR SKIN AND BELOVED BY HER KINGDOM!! RICH AND COULD GIVE HIM ANYTHING HE ASKED!! THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME!! THEY WERE GOING TO ADOPT ONE OF THE CHILDREN FROM THE VILLAGE TOGTHER!! HE COULDN'T WAIT TO HAVE A CHILD BUT SHE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL A FEW YEARS INTO THEIR MARRIAGE BEFORE HAVING ONE!! IT WAS GOING TO BE THE PERFECT THING FOR THEIR IMAGE!! ADOPTING A CHILD OF NONE ROYAL BLOOD AND LOOK LIKE ONE OF THOSE FAIRYTALE STORIES!! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT TOGETHER AND HE'S.....He's holding hands with someone who's not fit to even be in their story beyond a lowly subject!! With tears stinging her eyes she hiccupped and turned to run back into the darkness of the alley, if she would've stayed a little longer she would've seen the florist hand over the bouquet of flowers meant for her to he beloved prince and him paying her with the golden bracelet. The movement out of the corner of his eye made him look towards the swift movement and he easily recognized that fancy green dress running back into the shadow of the alleyway.

He jumped almost dropping the flowers he was just handed. "Vanessa!?" The florist looked to where he was looking but didn't see the woman that dashed into the alleyway as he stared in confusion. "Vanessa?.....Why did she run away so suddenly?"

...The florist shrugged lightly with a smile. "Maybe she was embarrassed she walked in on you getting her flowers?", she suggested.

....He gave a smile. "OH! Of course! She's considerate l-like that." He gave an almost nervous smile and turned back to her before bowing. "T-Thank you for your help once again...Ms. Poppy."

She waved her hand. "Oh, don't mention it! It's always to see just a nice man be so considerate and give the gal he loves so many flowers."

The gal he loved...Heh. He guessed that was true. He still loved Vanessa in some way or another...but lately..he wasn't too sure about things, but he was sure she was right. Vanessa was just in a bad place for a few years. Her mother was sick and dying slowly, she just got crowned Queen a month ago after her mother had an accident, her new duties were overwhelming her, and with him still doing his princely studies about law it musn't be easy for her. But like any betrothed, he was going to try and work through these problems together. But he still couldn't stop smiling after he left the Florist to her work. Cute freckles and blue eyes clouding his vision. He was sure as soon as Vanessa saw these flowers she would perk right up! She always enjoyed it when he brought her gifts like these- OH! How wrong he was. As soon as he got to the manor, Vanessa's vacation spot away from her huge castle, everything suddenly felt....off somehow. Like a tense and thick aura was in the air, so thick one would have to use a battle axe to cute through it, but upon further searching he found her. Vanessa, his beloved Queen with golden hair, weeping in one of the hallways, back faced to him and of course the sight pained him. What could've brought her to this state of being?

"Vanessa?!" She flinched when he shouted her name and came near her. The sound of his footsteps stopping just behind her. "Sweetheart? W-Why are you crying?" Sudden worry came over him. Oh no. Did she think he forgot their anniversary?! That made him hold out the flowers with a giant smile. "Don't cry. I-I got you these! Look. A-Aren't they beautiful?"

".....How could you betray me, Philip?" Her voice growled out. And he took a step back, was it just him or was the room suddenly darker? They needed to open up the blinds more. But the shadows seemed to come from her as she growled again in a voice that was clearly NOT the sugary sweet voice of his beloved maiden. And betrayl?? What was she talking about? "How could you CHEAT ON ME!? AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH!! ALL OUR LIVES WE WERE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER!!" Her form slouched over as the shadows continued to consume her and her once beautiful emerald eyes twitched with a red of rage and anger he'd never seen before tears beginning to consume her eyes, or the one eye that was exposed to him at the moment. He froze just staring at her in horror as the same distorted voice asked another question. "How could you give your heart to that PEASANT GIRL!?"

He stared at her in absolute fear as she growled like some wild animal at him, "W-WHAT?! You mean-...N-NO!! Nonono! You have it all wrong!" He held up the flowers with a strained scared smile. "I wasn't cheating on you! I would NEVER cheat on you! I was paying her and got you these! S-She grows the most beautiful flowers in the land, and you deserve no less than the best!"

"LIAR!!" The not-Vanessa shrieked like she was a banshee making him almost drop the flowers. "I SAW YOU HOLDING HANDS!! AND LAUGHING AT HER JOKES!! FUNNY HUH?! WELL I HOPE PLAYING ME FOR A FOOL WAS WORTH IT, PHILIP!! GUARDS!!"

As if being summoned out of thin air, two heavy footsteps of the iron dressed guards came stomping down the hallway and like an idiot he looked back to her with pleading eyes. "Vanessa! I wasn't I swear to you! I was merely paying her for the flowers n-not giggling at her jokes! AAH!!" He yelped in fright when he was suddenly surrounded. two giant armored arms snatched him and wouldn't let go!

She giggled without any humor. "Oh, Philip. You played me the fool for so long perhaps a punishment is in order for you. Take him to the celler and CHAIN HIM!!! I never want to see his face again.....And then seeze the florist. No crime against me shall go unpunished."

WHAT?! POPPY!! "W-WHAT?! VANESSA, PLEASE NO!!" Two arms latched onto him and no matter how much he kicked and struggled he couldn't get out of their grasp. The flowers dropped to the ground as he reached out for her one last time. Her tears forming deadly ice to match her cold heart. "P-PLEASE!! DON'T HURT HER!! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!! VANESSA!! NOOOOO!!!"

He weeped and weeped when he was painfully suspended in the air by his wrists. The coldness taking over him as he hiccuped and mumbled to himself and choked on those tears. He didn't know how long he stayed down there actually. TIme flies when you couldn't see what was happening but he was sure he never stopped crying for all that time as he got weaker, and weaker. Just getting colder and colder as the cold seeped into his very core...he was almost gone. Looking back up towards the ceiling and through his tears he wondered what was going on up there. He couldn't hear anything but he hoped Poppy was alright. He'd never forgive himself if Vanessa did anything rash. He hiccuped. His beloved queen. This was all his fault.

"I-Im sorry. IM SORRY! IM SORRY!! IM SO SORRY!!" He yelled to the empty air knowing full well no one could hear him. But Vanessa was not the one he was apologizing to. The maiden of feiry red hair and ocean blue eyes. "I-Im s-so sorry, Poppy. *hic*"

The cold crept further and his body felt light, somehow his shadow was extending, his life force fading into it as those handsome brown eyes closed to the darkness and numbing-

"I-...love-..."

The shadows and darkness consumed him. The shadow enlarging and morphing and contorted into a being of power and enhanced abilities. A gasp escaped the creature as it looked down at itself. At the same time moonlight shown through the window and what was left of the prince and his willpower faded away into the moonlight, so when the creature looked behind it, the prince was gone from the chained wall. The prince with his heart split into two by his heart splitting between two and found attachment in two very powerful elements of dark and light. Moonshine and shadows. The creature looked down at his new self....feeling his grin widen and a powerful laugh that many would come to fear vibrating around the basement of his new found freedom.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!''

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"GAH!!"

Something wacked his head and he immediately jumped to the air. If he still had lungs he would probably be panting and looking around wildly around the room he was in. No cold walls caging him in. No coldness seeping into him. No Vanessa or chains or....Poppy. Instead a small pale little girl was staring up at him with concern as she watched his confused face darting around the area....He was on her ship. Her strange cute ship of the small seven year old in front of him. He had been laying on the pile of pillows she had and looking around the area as if he was afraid for a moment. Before he sighed in releif and reached up a clawed hand to rub at his head and hair. Staring down at the little girl standing upon the pile of pillows, holding one dangling in her hand, which he guessed must've been the thing that wacked. He sighed again and slowly lowered himself down look at her better.

"Kid. It's already pass your bedtime probably. What are you doing up?"

Her head tilted and those blue eyes blinked at him before a tiny hand reached out and poked his face where a nose should obviously be if he was human and he rose a brow. "Boop!"

"....Did you really just wack me with a pillow for THAT? Kiddo, you should really find better reasons to wake me up." Two clawed hands gently reached down and picked her up from under the arms. She dropped the pillow from her hold and instinctively wrapped her arms around him as he floated her back down to her bed, the covers were already pulled back from her getting up and her friend snored away happily on the floor next to her bed....He made a mental note to get her a bed sometime. Bow couldn't be expected to keep laying like that on the hard floor, he gently placed the young child on the bed and went to pull the covers back over her-

"You were mumbling something funny." She said making him stop and blink at her.

"Oh yeah?" She nodded. Dang nightmares. He barely had any, but he still got the occasional blast from the past. Wasn't being a cursed prince fun? He pulled the blankets up and she snuggled down with her stuffed toys he hand crafted for her. "And uh..What exactly did you hear me say?"

She shrugged again as she was recovered and he started tucking her in. "Your head was in the pillows." He went to roll his eyes when something grabbed onto his hand. And he looked at her wide excited smile spread across her face. "Can you tell me a story?"

"Squirt, I already read you the one you wanted with the space unicorns," he grumbled remembering the ridiculous book the girl begged him to read to her.

"Yeah. But I always sleep better with a story, and if I don't sleep I'll get up and bother you again." She gave him that cat lipped smug face and he groaned lifting a hand to rub his face and look down at the child in the bed. Before sighing and giving in. She was right. He'd done this too many times to not expect a sudden pillow attack from the hyper story deprived child.

"Fine." He turned back to the bookshelf by her bed and looked over the many childish covers. "Which one do you want now? Space Adentures? Starella? Planets and Star Maps?"

"Your story!"

He paused, and snapped his head to her wide eyed. "What?"

She giggled and turned to her side yawning a bit before speaking. "I want you to tell me one of your stories."

..."My stories eh?" She nodded and he hummed. That..wasn't a very good idea. All the books he read were either lawyer/law books (what better way to help make his contracts better) and scary or mysteries books that were uh...N-Not suitable for children her age lets say. Plus he didn't have any on him at the moment so he guessed he could just make one up? How hard could making up a story for a kid be. She'll fall asleep if he just told her a story about a talking flower making friends with a bumble bee. His hand reached up to rub at his head again before looking at her now clutching the C.A.W agent plus he made her after telling him her adventures in the movie studio. ..."Ok, Ok! I'll tell you one I witnessed a long time ago....In a book. But you gotta promise to go to sleep." She hummed 'Mmm-hmm' and smiled patiently at the ghost who groaned and rolled his eyes again. Why was he doing this?...Well he just had a nightmare about his death-again- and talking about it even twisting the details sounded nice. Not that he'd ever admit it to the little girl. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful flower Princess named Poppy, and a-"

"Pop? Why is she named after a soda?", the kid interrupted blinking confused and he scowled.

"Not 'soda pop'. Poppy. Poppy is a kind of flower on this planet, Kid. Now don't be a rude little lady and let me finish the story unless you want to be grounded from them." She shut up and curled back down into the covers to his satisfaction. "Good. Now like I was saying! There was a flower princess POPPY not soda pop, an evil which named....'Veronica', and a stupid, stupid king." She raised her hand like in a classroom. "....*sigh* Yes?"

"Why was he a stupid, stupid king?"

"You'll see. Now" He grabbed her lamp and pulled the shade off, letting more light flood everywhere and she blinked at the sudden brightness, which a snap of his powers shadows slithered up the wall and formed the outlines of three people. Two women with their dresses and one wearing a witch hat, and a man wearing a crown. They moved as he talked and she watched amazed. "You see. WAY, WAY back before your great granny was even born there was these three. Like I said the Flower Princess was very beautiful. Her hair was a rose red and her skin was as soft a-as their petals. She had the most wonderful patience listeningto her friend The Stupid King, and his p-problems...."His face saddened for a moment as the king and princess shadows held hands platonically...."B-But..she didn't know the king was in love with her. You see...He was too cowardly to tell her or anyone else because he was betrothed to the Evil witch Veronica-" ANother raised hand. "...Yes?"

"What does 'betoofed' mean?"

"Betrothed, Kid. Not betoofed. You know contracts right? How you legally have to follow them because you promised to?" She nodded. "Well basically means the Stupid King promised to marry the witch a long time ago."

..She cocked her head. "But he doesn't love her. That's not like Starella and the Milky Way Prince. They fell in love before they got married."

He chuckled. Even a seven year old could clearly see the stupid logic in arranged marriages and she didn't even comprehend them yet. And his situation, but he shrugged before making the king turn around and ....ECK!! Kiss the hand of the witch who looked like she was giggling. "Well, you're wrong. He DID love her. A long, long time ago before she became evil."

"Why didn't he break with her like in the movies?"

He shrugged. "Promises are sometimes h-hard to break for some people. And he still cared about her in some way, the witch was really, really pretty too, and I guess he just couldn't see past her beauty and wanted to try and make things right."

"That doesn't sound like a healthy relationship." She held up a hand in knowing. "Conductor always says*ahem*!!" She tried to do a bad impression of the old bird and he smiled. "Lassie! If ye ever get yerself whatever the aliens call a wife, at thee first sign of trrrrrouble ask 'er if she loves the money ya makes with mah' movies. If she says yas, she's a no good golddigger and leave before she takes ye kids and house and most of ye money too!!"

He laughed a couple times and Bow stirred in her sleeping bag. Not waking up but almost as he stared at the proud Hat child. "Well that's good advice kid. But she wasn't a golddigger-"....His face slowly contorted to a scowl and looked down. "She was in love with a fairytale. She loved the Stupid King for being like a King from a story. She never loved him for who he really was as long as her fairytale wasn't tampered with. She was clingy, selfish, nothing was never good enough unless it was expensive, and she demanded all his attention all the time. ....Until one fateful day-" He waved his three fingered hand at the shadows and it contorted until it showed the witch with slated eye holes and the king and princess holding hands....platonically of course. "The witch saw the King And Flower Princess holding hands...AS JUST FRIENDS." He stressed. "Nothing romantic. Just two friends holding hands for a little bit. And she got really, really jealous. In fact she got so jealous-" The shadows contorted to the king looking sad behind a cage. "-she blamed him for breaking her heart and locked him away forever. And then she-" The shadows again contorted to show the witch still angry and this time over a cauldron. "-cursed the Stupid King's and Princess's kingdoms. All the plants died, all the animals ran away, and everyone...." he couldn't say they froze to death! "..T-They moved on from there. But karma struck her good and-" She raised her hand again. "...What now?"

"What's 'karma'??"

"It means he got revenge. Justice? Whichever one you wanna call it." The shadows formed to show the king opening the door to the cage and running. "The Stupid King managed to escape and get free, but the Witch's spell backfired. She cursed herself too and was trapped forever in her home, the black magic keeping her inside the cave she dug, but it was too late. The Princess was gone and he never saw her again. The shadows formed one more image of the King holding a flower with his head down in shame."

"WHAT?!" Bow stirred again and Snatcher shushed her. "He never saw her again?" She asked more quietly. "But that's not fair! He loved her so much!"

He shrugged sadly and put the lamp shade back on, making the shadows disappear and he sighed, "It's not all bad. He's free and he got to go rule again without worrying without pleasing anyone else. Not all stories have a happy ending kid, even if it's half decent like this." He stared down to the floor with a frown...before reaching over and ruffling her hair which she giggled at. "It's also a very important lesson. Don't let yourself be blinded in bad situations and don't let someone use you like that. Ok?"

"I'm never gonna fall in love! Yuck!!" She stuck her tongue out and he smiled.

"Good, good. You don't need to fall in love when ...well you're stuck as a kid for all eternity with me now don't you?"

"NOPE!! I don't like that mushy stuff anyways!"

He smiled wider. "Good. Good. Now go to sleep. I need all the energy you can get to fix the well tomorrow."

She giggled again but yawned and slowly closed her eyes and snuggled back into the blackets. As he smiled he looked back to the giant windows, as he looked to the darkned and frozen abyss of the planet they were above a frown slowly returned to the ghostly prince's face as he slowly floated over to the window. Placing a cold hand to the cool glass and watching as it slowly ticked by and he sighed once again.

"Sorry, Princess. I had to be the stupid king to do that."

"Snatcher...I can't sleep. Can I have a glass of water?" The Kid's voice piped up again and he chuckled.

"Sure, kid."

#Snatcher #a hat in time snatcher #A Hat In Time #a bloom in time #hat kid #vanessa #florist #The Florist #snatcher x florist #flowercrown

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locktobre · 4 years ago

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Ooh, your Princess Power soft reboot has me intrigued! Could you possibly expand on it more? Like how Kara and Corrine lose their powers, get new ones, and how Wes becomes a villain? I myself don't him because he LITERALLY revealed Kara's identity for views and that's. fricked up.- That PCS Anon

Sure, I can do that. I debated how deep to go into it, bc my Princess Power headcanons (like everything else) depend so heavily on a million other things, but hopefully this ended up semi-coherent. It also ends up fairly dark, as my Princess Power/Spy Squad backstory are some of the darkest headcanons I have. So fair warning for that. I’m not solid on some of this (I always say, it’s not canon until I actually put it in a fic), but as of now, here’s how it’s gonna go down:

Kara, Corinne & their powers

Kara and Corinne lose their powers for two reasons: 1) It makes sense to me that they would, and 2) It gets rid of the pet powers, too, which I need to happen bc I just think it’s beyond ridiculous that they got them in the first place. (Not Bruce’s, but I might get rid of him another way. We’ll see.) The Baron, whom I’ve named Charles, drank a potion, which I can buy as producing a permanent change. But the girls got their powers from a mutated butterfly, and somehow... it’s supposed to be equivalent? I don’t think so! So I have their powers start to fade some time after the movie, as their powers are actually tied to the butterfly’s life force, and it’s dying. Butterflies don’t live for very long on average (less than a year), and also having the butterfly die keeps anyone else from getting powers that way, since that was already a whole fiasco. (It’s a magical butterfly, but it’s given out powers 4 times, so that’s sapped it more than anything.)

Kara and Corinne have opposite reactions to this: Kara is horrified, and wants to find some way to get her powers back, but Corinne is sort of relieved, since without powers, they can go back to being normal. I think the high of being a superhero would wear off pretty quickly for Corinne, especially since she’s not competing with Kara anymore.

Kara, in her desperation, goes to see Charles and see how he got his powers, bc she will do anything to keep hers, at this point. The novelization says that Kara connects the butterfly to Charles, but as I pointed out in my post about it, she has absolutely no reason to do that, bc it makes no sense whatsoever. So since she doesn’t know where the magic butterfly came from, she goes to the guy she knows also got powers out of nowhere. I’m not sure what he would tell her, but even if he doesn’t say anything, she could still search his lab and maybe have Madison and Makayla reverse-engineer the potion (which I think would go badly, as they’re engineers, not chemists). Whatever the case, she ends up drinking that potion, and that combined with the last of the butterfly magic, produces... a mutation. I go back and forth on whether I want that mutation to be permanent, or if she can shift between butterfly and human forms, but that’s how she ends up. I’m thinking there may be some sort of chrysalis stage she goes through, bc I need her to be sidelined for Corinne’s power reset, but like I said, I’m still working on this.

Corinne is in some kind of lab accident (possibly in Madison and Makayla’s lab, or maybe in Windemere’s I3 branch), and ends up with her new powers. However, she takes this opportunity to say that her powers actually wore off for good, and essentially retires, which she feels comfortable with bc there are two other heroes running around with Kara now. She’s technically the strongest of all of them, so she’ll step in if they really need her, but she leaves the day-to-day stuff to them. She might stay in hero support with Violet, or she might just go back to her life for the most part.

Wes’ descent into villainy

This one has gone through a few different stages, and I honestly don’t know where I’m going to land with him. I’ll most likely give him a redemption arc at some point, but I’m gonna put him through the wringer first bc he is a weasel who outed Kara for no reason and I’m spiteful like that. And I’ve said before that I don’t think Kara was as unaffected by that as the movie would have us believe.

Anyway, with all that, I think his motivation stems from a combination of rejection from Kara, and goading from others. The rejection from Kara is not romantic, bc I’ve always thought of him as too old for her--he tries to pass himself off as a serious journalist in the movie, which wouldn’t work if he was a teenager, would it? So I think he’s like, 20--but like, she doesn’t want to be his friend anymore. She’d be cordial but not all buddy-buddy like she was before, and he’d be able to feel the difference.

So, there’s that, putting a wedge between them, and at that point, he’s got ppl whispering in his ear and enabling him, for their own purposes. Originally, this was going to be Charles, but I think Charles is just a smidge too goofy. He seems interested in power, but also like he would have no idea what to do with it if he had it. Like, you want to be king... why, exactly? What are you gonna do once you have the throne? He’s not exactly stupid (altho, I mean, I’d call having Bruce around stupid), but not like, cunning enough to manipulate someone in that way.

We’re gonna take a detour for a second to talk about Charles’ family and some backstory, since that will make this make more sense (I think). Bear with me.

Basil was the Baron before Charles, and also the head of Windemere’s branch of I3 (WI3). He had a good public face, but behind the scenes, he was a real shady bastard. WI3 is almost entirely corrupt due to his influence. He’s the reason Charles ended up as a villain. The reason Philip and Anne didn’t is that they got away from his influence.

Philip went to work in the USA in the late 80s, at LA’s branch of I3 (obviously, as per Spy Squad). Anne was also in LA in the 90s, having her secret relationship with Finn, and while Philip was aware of what she doing, he didn’t rat her out, in part bc he had his own relationship that resulted in a child. (Patricia wasn’t given up for adoption like Sloane was, but she was raised primarily by her mother, as per Marguerite’s wishes, which worked out pretty well for Philip’s situation. They were a way more casual relationship than Finn and Anne.) Anne eventually did return to Windemere, but her charity work and Camp Royalty actually kept her away for the most part. So Philip and Anne had long periods away from their father and his tyranny. They did try to get Charles away too, but Basil had a much tighter hold on him (as the eldest son and heir), and also Charles actually ended believing in Basil’s vision for their future, which Philip and Anne never did. (I’ll point out now that I do feel bad for Charles, and he may get a redemption arc at some point, too.)

Anyway, so Basil does a lot of shady shit. He has Wendy Marvin (mother of Lazslo, Madison, and Makayla) killed in 2006; she was an engineer at WI3 and didn’t like how they wanted to use her research, as she joined to help ppl, not hurt them. And soon after that she died in a fire in her lab. Two years later, her husband Lysander, dies in a similar “accident”; he was actually Kara’s doctor, and trying to determine the cause her mysterious illness.

While Basil did know that Lysander suspected foul play, he did not know that Lysander had actually approached Eleanor about it, wondering if she had seen Basil doing anything suspicious. (Everything the man did was suspicious, but she knows what he means.) After Lysander’s death, Eleanor puts the pieces together and realizes that yeah, Basil was doing something to Kara (most likely slowly poisoning her, as that’s what Lysander had thought). Kara’s about 9 years old at the time--not that it would be any better if she was older, but she’s really just an innocent little kid. (Incidentally, this mysterious illness is why Kara’s parents are so overprotective of her. They never find out what was causing it, or figure out how she got better.)

At this point, Eleanor decides she’s had enough, she’s watched her husband corrupt their son and drive their other two children away and she’s not been able to do anything about it (who would believe her? He’s a perfect gentleman, in public), so she decides to end it. She kills Basil, and then her self. (She would have happily gone to jail for putting the world out of his misery, but she knows that with his contacts at WI3, she’s on borrowed time as soon as he’s dead. And she wants to go out on her own terms.)

This actually lines up with where I put the events of Spy Squad, in 2008. Philip was already about to transfer to WI3, as per Basil’s wishes, to be his #2. But then, with his father dead, Philip actually ends up in charge of WI3, and his #2 is his father’s former right-hand man, Creighton Weaver. (Basil was going to try to get Philip back under his thumb, before his death. He had mostly tolerated him being in LA bc he didn’t need him in Windemere, but once that was no longer true, time to come home, son.) Weaver’s every bit the bastard that Basil was, and Philip can tell, but he has no proof. So Philip is in WI3, with nobody he can trust except Patricia and Lazslo, who ended up transferring with him. (Lazslo so he can be there for his sisters, Patricia bc she wants to be there for Lazslo. And also her dad, kind of.) He basically starts collecting any evidence he can on anybody at WI3, but doesn’t make a move, bc technically nobody is getting hurt (none of the shady research is being applied), and he wants to flush everyone out in one go, if he can.

Fast forward to the summer of 2015, and the events of Princess Power happen. WI3 is contacted to try to make sure that Charles can’t escape his cell, so they end up being one of the few who actually know what happened to him, due to the actual events leading up to the volcano’s eruption being pretty well covered up. Now, Weaver’s known for 7 years that Philip is trying to take him and his cohorts down, but he’s played dumb bc it’s been convenient. However, with Charles going full supervillain, Weaver decides it’s time to jump ship, so he and a bunch of the other most corrupt agents at WI3 basically leave to go be Charles’ henchmen. I’ve tried to come up with a more poetic name for their organization, but so far I only have Dunbar Loyalists--their ultimate goal, of course, being to put Charles on the throne of Windemere, by any means necessary.

However, as I said before, Charles is... not exactly the valiant leader they were looking for. He’s not the man his father was, that’s for sure, so Weaver’s the one actually calling the shots, bc he knows Charles isn’t up to it. And Charles is pretty fine with that, as long as they’re helping him. Makes things easier. (Incidentally, I think this will end up being the set-up to Charles’ redemption arc. Bc teaming up with them, and especially Weaver, is going to get him in way over his head, and I think he might decide at some point it’s not worth it. Especially if Philip and Anne ever end up in danger, bc I think they still do care for each other, even with everything that happened.)

So, to bring this all the way back around to Wes, since Charles isn’t really the type to be manipulative... Weaver certainly is. So I think he’s going to be the one to do it. He can push Wes’ buttons, tell him that no, Kara isn’t right to be mad at you for outing her. You were just doing what you had to do, for yourself, and that’s good. She thinks she’s so great just bc she has powers, you should get back at her, you should show her that you can be special, too. And I just happen to have the technology to make that happen. (Remember, the Loyalists are made up of at least some shady engineers.) So he gives Wes some kind of experimental super suit and sets him loose in the city to wreak havoc against Kara and her crew, mostly to keep everyone’s eyes on that while he does other stuff. Weaver is basically a puppet master for crime in Windemere lol.

And that’s about as much as have so far, which feels like a lot and also a little. I’m not sure how the whole thing will end, who will be redeemed, who might end up dying... Not sure. It could go a lot of different ways, but that’s for future me to decide. I hope that was at least somewhat interesting, even if it was also... very dark. I didn’t try to make it that way, but when dealing with superheroes and spies, it just kind of happens.

#mel irl #barbie babbles #anonymous #thanks for asking #brilliant echo: princess power #brilliant echo: spy squad #brilliant echo: dunbar family #lucie don't look #ask to tag #i said this was 8 miles long but it ended up being 14 miles sorry lads

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wefewwehappyfew · 4 years ago

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Hello! I was scrolling through your posts and I saw your comments on rtve’s Reinas. I have seen it but I couldn’t actually understand what was going on since I can’t speak Spanish.Can you tell me if it is written like Verdi’s Don Carlo?(I mean are Carlos and Elisabetta having an affair?) and your opinions on Philip’s side of the scenerio in general?

Hi!!!!

Sorry for the late reply, I am currently more out of tumblr than in and I just saw this.

I watched Reinas a long time ago and... I frankly do not recommend it.

(Disclaimer: Basing this on the Philip plotline since it is the one I actually watched because I skimmed over the Elizabeth and Mary ones, but I imagine they’ll be equally as terrible)

But yes, it felt like a soap-opera-y messier version of Don Carlo. Only way worse written, and whereas Don Carlos is actually quite likeable in the Verdi opera, here is like they remembered what the actual Don Carlos was like (a very mentally unstable young man, to put it kindly) and shoved it there.

As far as I remember (anyone who has it more fresh in their minds can correct me here), the affair between Elisabeth and Carlos is only hinted at (in a scene where she kisses him when she tries to help him escape from prison, and in something she says to Philip about loving them both, in which I cringed enough to turn the tv off).

Also!!! For some reason that I still do not get, we get Felipe still having an affair with his mistress Isabel de Osorio (and having fathered two sons from her, so Elisabeth can have some drama about only having given him daughters- when the daughters she gave him where his favourite children ffs, one of the only instances of him crying in public is when his youngest daughter by Elisabeth, Catherine Michelle, died. Btw the only other instance I can remember of him crying in public was after Elisabeth’s death.), when, as far as I remember, he did not have any mistress during his marriage to Elisabeth.

But no Princess of Eboli. And for some reason Antonio Pérez is older than Ruy Gomes. (Which wtf)

They have Felipe visiting Elizabeth of England in some diplomatic visit where he’s like he still has a crush on her or something. When the real Felipe didn’t even move to meet Catherine of Medici and sent Elisabeth to negotiate with her mother instead.

Aaand of course, they heavily imply Felipe poisoned Elisabeth.

Full disclosure: I am a Felipe II fan, if this wasn’t obvious. I know the dude made some more-than-questionable choices (Hello poisoning of Bona Sforza, execution of Egmont, and wtf was that mess of appointing a seasick person as the Head of the Armada????), but hey pretty much all historical faves are problematic, aaaaaaaaand he did love Elisabeth. Like, a lot.

Because seriously, pointing again at the crying incidents. Felipe was a huge stickler for protocol, and the protocol of the Spanish Habsburg Court was the absolute worst. It is the same protocol Franz Josef I would adopt later in Vienna and would prompt the then-Prince of Wales to say, after a visit “My G*d, this court is stiff.”

So, for Felipe to start crying, in front of the French Ambassador nonetheless (who was on a diplomatic mission to ensure a potential marriage to Margot, aka Elisabeth’s youngest sister), speaks buckets of how he felt regarding her when put in context.

Aaand, returning to Reinas, makes the idea of even implying Felipe poisoned Elisabeth absolute bullshit.

Like pretty much all the Felipe storyline there.

The only salvageable stuff? The actors. I specially liked Adrián Castiñeiras as Felipe, and I wish he would have gotten an actual good script.

(Still, idk what I was hoping when the man behind the series is mostly known for the most outdated comedy, and for cabaret shows. (When not for getting into financial messes and not paying his workers) And now he’s creating a series about Francis of Assisi and I think I’m gonna have a stroke how does this guy keep getting work)

But yeah, Reinas is not worth your time. I was hyped because I am starved for content with Felipe and Elisabeth, but what you are offered here... is not worth it.

(And don’t even get me started on the costumes. Just... why.)

Also, apologies for the long post!!! I just have, like a ton of feelings regarding Felipe II (and apparently a lot of opinions regarding this show)

#tiktokonaclock #Philip II of Spain #Philip II #Reinas TVE #(seriously what an awful show)

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marginalgloss · 5 years ago

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the republic of heaven

Back in 2000 when The Amber Spyglass came out I feel like there was not so much news in the world. At the turn of the millennium we seemed to be entering a more optimistic time. Tony Blair was elected in 1997 at the head of a liberal Labour government, and while it may be true that Blair would never be so popular again as he was in the opening years of his premiership, the Tories seemed hopelessly outdated by comparison. They were still the nasty party of old, while the country was ambitious, outward-looking, internationalist. Explicit racism and homophobia were no longer tolerated. We were Europhiles, but we weren’t part of Europe. There seemed to be a lot of money about.

At home there were occasional horrors — the murder of Jill Dando, the homophobic pub bombings in London, Harold Shipman — but they were somehow isolated, disparate, inexplicable. They were exceptional. There was the war in Kosovo, which set a template for liberal interventionism in years to come. The economy was trucking along; unemployment was low; for the first time there was a national minimum wage. I skim the headlines today and it seems like such a comfortable time by comparison. Perhaps I am remembering it wrong. But when the years to come would bring a spiral of endless war, recession, and one of the most significant declines in relative generational living standards, I’m not sure there is any need for rose-coloured glasses.

Into this comes The Amber Spyglass, which is basically quite an optimistic anti-authoritarian novel. It was also the book which, for a handful of reasons, really brought Philip Pullman to the world’s attention. It was this which ensured that his name still lurks around the list of authors most frequently ‘banned’ in America, and which in the years after its publication would attract scores of avid cheerleaders and detractors. Inevitably most of those had no interest with engaging with the substance of the book itself. Instead, it became a sort of battleground: on one side, those convinced that religion was under attack from an educated elite; on the other, those who were committed to reducing the role of religion in public life, discourse, education, and so on. It is worth revisiting this typically excitable interview and profile by Christopher Hitchens for an example of how these novels were talked about.

To call the novel ‘optimistic’ might seem surprising, because much of it is shrouded in scenes of gloom and suffering. But when I think of the tone of the novel as a whole, it is pastoral. When the world isn’t tearing itself apart the language seems more lyrical than in either of the two preceding books. Some of that is to do with the perspective, which now has at least three (and sometimes more) main characters to follow. This means that a sense of distance, of floating high above the many worlds of the story, becomes necessary. But it’s also that the reader has a sense that this book is going to be about the promised war against the heavens outlined in The Subtle Knife, and it’s likely the reader will also understand that this is a war that must be won.

It feels like a world of binary opposites. Even characters who seemed villainous in the previous novels are here redeemed (at least in part) so they can be mustered against the ultimate figure of the ‘Authority’. A certain amount of good versus evil is likely in any book for children, but here things are now cast explicitly in terms of these two sides squaring up against each other. And taking sides is a matter of decision, not of belonging. This is a book where angelic figures can decide to fight alongside men, and where demonic harpies can be convinced not to consume the souls of the dead because they want to hear their stories instead. It’s plausible in terms of oldest storytelling traditions, where it is possible to talk one’s way out of anything — where the role of storyteller gives a person the ultimate kind of authority.

Is the capital-A ‘Authority’ in these novels intended to be absolutely synonymous with God? I’m not sure. The book is explicitly anti-religion in the sense of being anti-church, but the forces of the Authority (and the being himself) do not seem to represent any kind of absolute power in the universe. The Authority is not omnipotent nor omnipresent, nor is he very much of a creator or a father-figure any more — he is a despot, but he is also somehow irrelevant. Like a shrivelled relic, he is vastly reduced when we finally meet him. The worst aspects of his regime seem like the calcified remnants of decisions long since made and now barely remembered, like the afterlife that has become a giant prison camp. In fact it’s the abolition of the afterlife, not the death of its creator, that’s the only really significant consequence of the fall of the Authority.

So if God isn’t in the Authority, then where is he? In spite of the tendency for atheists to want to claim the author for one of their own, it seems like the heart of these novels is not in pure humanistic rationalism, but in a broader sort of pantheism. The idea of ‘Dust’ is the closest thing to a true divine presence here. It could be characterised as something akin to a spirit which moves through all things. It is ‘conscious’, and though it’s hard to determine what this means in practice, we know that it is not indifferent to humanity. It’s not like a host of little thinking homunculi (although Mary did have a whole conversation with it on a computer back in The Subtle Knife). But it wants to persist. It would seem to be the force that drives the Alethiometer. It has intentions.

The counter-argument to this would say that Dust isn’t divine at all — it exists at the bleeding edge of science, and has nothing to do with faith. It’s a material thing. It’s not a spirit. But I don’t know that this is especially convincing. The books often try to equate Dust with quantum mechanics, but this doesn’t entirely seem to add up — these are particles which are somehow small enough to slip through gaps between universes, but big enough to see with the naked eye. Everything about Dust seems too convenient from an authorial perspective. It’s as though someone took everything indefinable and unique about evolved human (and non-human) consciousness and made it into a quantifiable thing and then said: there, without this thing we are no longer what we are. It’s an easy solution to the hard problem.

It the article linked above, Hitchens described the Alethiometer and Will’s knife as ‘tools of inquiry and struggle, not magic wands’. This is only half-right. Clearly they aren’t tools like a microscope or an X-ray machine. Both items are bonded to their owners through an innate sensitivity that has little to do with rational enquiry or rigorous method. The Alethiometer is even compared to the I Ching at various points. It seems wrong to mistake ‘inquiry’ here for the scientific method; it has much more in common with ‘negative capability’, a term which is actually quoted in The Amber Spyglass — the ability to pursue truth and beauty via one’s innate sensibility, to ‘see feelingly’ through a fascination with a sort of natural mystery, and not to depend exclusively on reason and knowledge.

This leaves the reader in an odd sort of no man’s land between the armies who supposedly either adopted or despised this novel. A hypothetical arch-rationalist might find it difficult to accept all of what they find here without rolling their eyes at some of it. Negative capability does not sit comfortably alongside the scientific method as a tool, but nor does it have much to do with priests and popery. And yet it is a sort of inspiration, and in that respect I think it comes closer to a religious experience than it does a rational one.

The problem with this is that it is not possible to get any sense from this novel of what it means to be religious, or to believe in a higher power, or to be ‘spiritual’ (choose your own euphemism). There is Mary Malone, but while I like Mary’s story here, her account of her early life in cloisters and later conversion/defection is unsatisfying. We have no sense of doubt, of anguish, of guilt — it is an all-too-straightforward seeing of the light. Will is arguably more complicated, more conflicted, but for the most part he never seems to have to make any difficult compromises. If he ever loses out on anything by abandoning his mother to travel through a whole set of alternate universes, we aren’t told about it.

What if Will made the wrong call? What if he weren’t so trustworthy? He is, in a way, the lynchpin of the whole story. For all Lyra’s good intentions and inner strength, if it weren’t for Will, Asriel would have failed and nothing would have changed. So Will must be made to work. Yet it often seems as though he doesn’t want anything for himself, except perhaps to be with Lyra. It’s interesting to wonder what might have happened if Will weren’t quite so faithful (for want of a better word).

But it’s inconceivable in the world of these books that anyone could possess negative capability and then use it for anything other than a pursuit of — well what exactly is being pursued, anyway? What is Asriel’s goal, above and beyond the overthrow of the Authority? There is vague mention of something called ‘the Republic of Heaven’ — a heaven on Earth, as it were — but today that phrase can only make me recall the idea of ‘Outer Heaven’ in the Metal Gear Solid games. It’s difficult to discern any latent irony lying in wait for the reader in this case. Will whatever replaces the Authority be just as bad, eventually? Perhaps, but again, the vibe of optimism in this novel is so strong it feels odd to impose doubt on it from elsewhere.

The paradox of The Amber Spyglass is that while the explicit ‘moral’ of the novel is set against organised religion, it cannot help but describe the world in terms originally set by religion. (A very basic reading might declare the novel invalid for this reason, for much the same reason as a socialist might be declared hypocritical for buying a smartphone.) It isn’t just that there are angels, or that the story of Adam of Eve is central to the thing. It is the journey through the world of the dead and back. It’s the arc of redemption and overthrow.

At times it feels like this book is re-fighting a battle that was begun hundreds of years ago in the English reformation. In the pursuit of humanistic knowledge, a godlike figure is re-cast in the guise of an Authority who can be overthrown, and cast out of our land, and even killed. And all for the sake of nothing especially certain, nothing at all new in political or ideological terms, except a sense that we would be more free — that we would be better off without. Is it better to eject the columns of the dead into a kind of oblivion than to consider any improvement to their position? I don’t know. Perhaps things seemed simpler twenty years ago.

#books #philip pullman #the amber spyglass

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pastelbatfandoms · 5 years ago

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Get to know My OC-Suzie Q

Get to know my character

Doing this for My OC Suzanna, of The Walking Dead.

01. What does your character’s name mean? Did you pick it for the symbolism, or did you just like the way it sounded? I picked Suzanna (spelled with a z because I thought it looked cool) because I liked that Negan would call her Suzie Q.

02. What is one of your character’s biggest insecurities? Are they able to hide it easily or can others easily exploit this weakness? Sex lbr,Sue isn’t above being seduced,or doing the seducing either. But only around Merle,Negan or The Governor,who can easily get her to do what they want and they know this.

03. Something they like about themselves? Her Strength and resilience.

04. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical) I’ll start with her first boyfriend Merle Dixon,who she had been with since before the turn.

Mentally: Would have to be Merle’s humor (crude or not),how he flirts (with her anyway),his cockiness,How protective he is and how unpredictable.

Physically: I mean Merle may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or bottle of whisky) but with those baby blue eyes,that mischievous grin,those arms and that swagger,he sure is Sue’s. Oh did I forget to mention she has an older man kink? ;)

Next would be Suzanna’s other lover,who she met in Woodbury,of course I mean Philip Blake aka The Governor.

Mentally: Suzanna was attracted to his intelligence,his quiet confidence,leadership qualities and that mysterious aura he seemed to have around him.

Physically: That smile,those eyes,his body isn’t half bad either,but it’s his charm and darkness that really attracts her.

Now onto her current lover Negan,leader of The Saviors. How she met him is a tad more complicated...

Mentally: Suzie loves his confidence,humor,and leadership skills,as well as his growth as a person. To her Negan is almost like Merle and Philip rolled into one.

Physically: I mean Negan is hot,anyone can see that! Especially when he first showed up,those Daddy good looks coupled with that swagger and dangerous smirk. Yeah Suzie definitely fell for him,even when she tried not too.

05. Are they sexually confident or more of the shy type? Definitely Confident. Though she didn’t have much experience until she met Merle.

06. Do they have any hobbies that their lover finds unusual, odd, or otherwise annoying? lol it’s the zombie apocalypse,what hobbies? Sue’s men are pretty open to whatever she likes,especially Negan since she met him after the turn where pretty much anything goes.

07. Is there a catchphrase or sound that they tend to make a lot (likely without being aware of it)? No though she tends to steal some of Negan’s phrases like ‘Easy Peasy’

08. What is, perhaps, their biggest flaw? Are they aware of this or oblivious to it? Um the fact that she has no self control lol maybe because of the fact that she grew up in a religious household. Her weakness for the bad boys,or worse.

09. Do they have a favorite season? What about a favorite holiday? NOT Summer or Winter since they’ve almost died during both. Maybe Autumn or Spring. Holiday,what’s that? They don’t even know what YEAR it is now let alone day.

10. Is your character more feminine or masculine? A mixture of both.

11. What is something that would make your character fly into a rage? Well her bloodlust kinda kicked in after being with Negan,besides that probably being pushed by one of Negan’s Wives and having her loyalty questioned.

12. Is there some particular talent, skill, or attribute that they simply could not give up? Her Survival instincts & fighting skills,give those up and she might as well be Walker food.

13. What are your character’s sleeping habits? Heavy or light sleeper? Blanket stealer? One that always rolls onto the floor? Pushes their lover onto the floor? Sleep talker or walker? She’s a light sleeper anymore and has a hard time sleeping on her own.

14. Do they live alone or with family? How do they feel about their family/roommates? Suzie was adopted by Hershal as a young Teen,after the zombie apocalypse happened she got separated from her family and traveled with The Dixon’s where they found a camp,she got separated after reuniting with her family,where she met Michonne,they traveled together until Woodbury where she found Merle again. After that whole thing with The Governor and Rick’s group,Sue went into hiding,until she found out she was pregnant and went to find Rick,Daryl and the rest. They traveled together and finally settled in Alexandria,until The Saviors came and after much bloodshed and fighting,Sue joined them,becoming Negan’s wife.

15. Is there a certain person in this world that they cannot stand? The very mention of this person’s name makes them tremble with anger or fear. Not really,though her and Philip did not end on good terms and she really cannot stand Simon.

16. Is your character the athletic type or more of a couch potato? What are some sports/games that they like? lol Definitely more of The Athletic type now. She was super girly when Merle first met her.

17. Does your character have dreams of getting married and/or having children? Technically she is married to Negan and she has two children.

18. What kind of home would they want to live in? Where would they place this abode? She really doesn’t care as long as her family is with her.

19. Would your character be the kind to get into fights? (physical or verbal) Would they be a good fighter or cave in rather easily? She tended to avoid them as a Teen,letting her BFF take the lead,but now yeah she can be pretty hot headed and the only time she caves in is when it’s one of her men.

20. Does your character like animals? What are some of their favorite animals? Would they want pets? What about mythological creatures? Dogs all the way.

21. What is one of your character’s biggest fears? How would they react when dealing with this fear? Losing her children,like she lost her family and Merle.

22. What kind of tattoos, piercings, birthmarks, freckles, and other such unique physical features do they have? Other then her hair changing from Blonde to Brown constantly,no.

23. What is your character like when it comes to school? What subjects are they good/bad at? Do they get in trouble a lot or are well behaved? Sue didn’t really like school but her parents were strict so she had to maintain straight A’s.

24. In their own words, how would your character describe what their lover is like? Personality wise? Since she’s currently with Negan,I’ll just describe him. I’d say to the outside world he’s Smart,A leader,Dangerous,unpredictable,cocky and self assured. To Suzie (and later on when he loses everything) he still is all those things,especially when they first meet,but he’s more open with her,serious and has his morals,he won't hurt or kill children or those that he feels don’t deserve it and he doesn’t rape either,Negan also has deep rooted pain from losing his wife Lucille.

25. Is there something traumatic from your character’s past that greatly affects them even to this day? I would say losing Merle,Her Father and a sister in Beth still effects her a bit, Also almost dying at the hands of her former lover (Who also killed her Father and Merle)

26. What is their lover like sexually? How do they feel about their lover’s quirks, needs, etc? I made A-Z NSFW Headcanons for The Governor and Merle already,I might make one for Negan as well,but their are already really good ones of him out there!

27. If your character was going to get arrested, what would be the most likely reason for it? Well there really isn’t any law anymore but before the turn it would probably be for doing something stupid with Merle like underage drinking.

28. If your character became a celebrity, what would they be famous for? lol idk maybe acting.

29. What is one of the most courageous things your character has ever done for a loved one? Almost sacrificed her life.

30. When it comes to the arts (music, film, theater, etc), what does your character like? Not much in the way of tv now,but before she liked watching Zombie and B Horror movies,also going out to parties,and listening to her sister Beth sing,watching Wrestling with Daryl and his GF,her BFF,Carol Lynn,dressing up to go out with Merle,she still likes Decorating,Negan’s pretty much let her decorate there room however she likes.

31. Would your character be the kind capable of killing? Would they enjoy killing or only use it when necessary or, perhaps, refuse to kill no matter what? Yes she has,mainly Zombies but she has killed people before out of necessity and protection.

32. If your character’s lover offered to take them out on a dream date, what would they want to do? As long as she’s with them she doesn’t really care. Her first date with Merle was at a restaurant/Bar,then they went dancing at a club and then back to his place...With The Governor it was sharing drinks out in the garden,though if he had a choice Philip would have taken her out to a nice restaurant. Suzie didn’t really have a conventional first date with Negan but they have their quiet nights alone,candle lit dinners,kinky sex ;) Negan also spoils her with presents every time they go out.

33. If your character wanted to be alone, where would they go? Her Room...lol seriously though,what alone time? Though sometimes her and the other wives hang out in Eugene’s room,playing video games and drinking if they need an escape.

34. Does your character have favorite foods? (breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, etc) Breakfast Foods mainly.

35. Is your character afraid of death? If they got to choose how to die, how would they want to go? Not much anymore,though she is afraid of leaving her kids behind.

36. Does your character have any medical conditions? Are they serious or minor? Do they affect their day to day life? No

37. What are some of your character’s pet peeves? What are some things that annoy them or disgust them? Being hit on,especially when she’s taken. Her men flirting with someone else.

38. What kind of weather does your character like? Cloudy skies, rainy days, sunshine, etc? As long as it’s not an extreme weather,she really doesn’t care.

39. When people look at your character, is there some assumption they might make about them just by appearance? Is that assumption correct? Well as Negan said when they first met “You are such a badass!” and he’s not wrong. Others may think she’s easily manipulated and maybe she is,at first.

40. Does your OC have any guilty pleasures they enjoy? Hobbies, past times, music, etc that they wouldn’t want known by others? Not really,she did try and hide her kinkier side with The Governor but Negan pretty much has done away with being ashamed of anything and told her they don’t need to hide that in The Sanctuary.

41. Does your character’s family affect your character in any way? They used to.

42. Is there anything in your character’s past that they regret, haunts them, or they wish they could change? Sometimes she regrets meeting The Governor or siding with Negan over Alexandria but Suzie wouldn’t really change it.

43. Does your character have a switch that changes aspects of their personality whether they are around friends, family, etc. Is there someone who gets to see their true self? I think different people see different aspects of her personality and vice versa.

44. Is there a particular event that would emotionally devastate your character? Her Children or Negan dying.

45. Is your character the kind to hide their true emotions or do they wear their heart on their sleeve? A bit of both.

46. What is some random affectionate thing that your character always does to their lover? With Merle,Sue always sat on his lap if he was sitting on a chair or recliner. She does that with Negan too,with The Governor she always kissed his bad eye,if he was having a bad day,just to show him that she still loved him no matter what he looked like..

47. Is your character outgoing? Would they be the leader of the friend group, or the quiet one that gets dragged along? Sue used to be shyer but now she’s definitely more outgoing and a leader.

48. Is there anything in particular that would ignite your character’s jealousy? Or does your character not get envious? Again her men flirting with someone else,especially Merle. Negan favoriting another wife over her.

49. What is something that your character has nightmares about? Are these frequent? Do they heavily affect your character’s mood? She used to have nightmares about finding Merle as a Zombie or of The Governor killing her but they have since dissipated.

50. If your character confessed love to their crush, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, what would they say? With Merle it was after their first time and Merle said it first,he was super nervous about it and Sue had to reassure him that she loved him too.

With Philip it was to reassure him that she wasn’t going anywhere,after he lost his eye and turned dark.

With Negan it was during a particularly rare moment of confindment after he told her about Lucille,he didn’t say it back until a few months later when he was absolutely sure,and when he knew she wouldn’t leave him.

#my oc #twd negan #twd merle #the governor #get to know my oc

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ashfaqqahmad · 5 years ago

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Faith versus Logic 2

Names are Cultural and not Religious

Click here to read the previous part of this article

Apart from this, people also raise a question that if you don’t have faith, why don’t you change the name?

Means if you do not believe in the Islamic concept then change your name to Ashok instead of Ashfaq — but then Ashok will be a Hindu name. Suggest a name that does not smell of any religion – is atheism any creed that does have any names of its identity?

It is sciolism, that names are religious. In fact, names are cultural. In India, you will find many Nihal’s in Sikhs and Muslims — many Abraham’s will be found in Christians and Muslims – many names like Ayan, Kabir, Raja, Rani, Sara, Sheeba will be found in both Hindus and Muslims.

How Homo sapiens won the battle of survival?

Buddhists, Hindus of India, Nepal will have similar names – but if you reach Japan, there Buddhists have no Indian names but you will find Japanese names like Akira, Amara, Xian, Shijuka and if you meet Buddhists in China, there according to Chinese culture, you will find names like Bruce Lee, Wang Li, Su Chi, Han Xi.

In Indonesia, Malaysia, Muslims will get their names according to their culture, in Africa according to their culture and in Europe, there will be many common names of Muslims and Christians.

Since an Indian Muslim follows Arabic culture, he keeps an Arabic name and that is why they have made a notion that these names are of Muslims, while Josephs and Peters were found in Europe thousands of years before even Christianity came and Even before the arrival of Islam, Umar, Ismail, Abrahams were found in Arabia.

In the year 610, Hazrat Muhammad declared himself a prophet, conferred the title of Muslim and began the transition to Islam, but his name was the same for forty years before that. Bibi Khadija, who was the first to believe, had the same name Khadija before that.

The names of Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Osman or Hazrat Ali were nothing else before practising Imaan. Before people becoming Muslims there were a lot of Christian and Jewish tribes in Arabia and their names were still the same that remained after believing – because names were not from religion, names were from Arabic culture.

Where did religion come from and how logical from the point of view of science?

So drop this idea from the heart that there is a copyright of any religion on any name… and if there is someone with no faith, asking him to set his name, his marital custom, or his funeral as a separate creed — Actually it is sciolism of the people.

The cremation ceremony is a primitive tradition and not a religion

In the endless debate between the atheists and theists, these taunts will often be heard by you– Except the Name and Marriage, the third big taunt is whether they will be burnt or buried?

People feel that religion has a monopoly over the cremation ceremony, which is why according to them they ask a great question. – but is it actually that great? If you are asked about the human development journey then the people of Taurat, Injeel, and Quran will bring Adam and Eve while people of Vedas will bring ahead Manu and Shatrupa.

If evidence is sought from them that man has found an existing form with the help of gradual development (which is also archaeologically proven) or the modern humans started from the first humans in the world, who started doing everything from wearing clothes to farming, from the same period – then the believers will go to the other option and if you ask for any proof of this, then they have books …No more proof is needed.

If God is there then how can it be from the point of view of science

Okay, lets remove the technical errors according to their convenience and assume that we are branches of the human tree that in Africa, was the same tree that started from Adam Eve or Manu Shatrupa and starting from the fossils of Ramapithecus, Kiniapithecus of 1.4 million years ago, crossing through Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Gingithropus, Lucy reaching Homo Hebilus, Homo Heidelbergonsis, Homo erects (erects, pekinensis, moritenicus) finally reached till Homo sapiens (neanderthalensis, phosilisis, sapiens) to the present modern form we are.

If you look at the issue of the name, then these people spread out of Africa and spread all over the world and formed hundreds of different beliefs and developed cultures. Names are the identity of a human being, which would have been needed since the time humans started speaking– Since then, names were started to be named after their culture.

what possibilities are there in the universe outside our planet

It is not that before Christ, there were no Joseph, Peter, Philip in Europe or people did not have names like Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Usman before the advent of Islam in Arabia … the names of the wife, friends, colleagues or family members of the Prophet himself used to do the same before reading Kalma, and remained thereafter. Because such a provision that Arabic culture has to be adopted along with religion has been made in Islam, Arab names were assumed to be the hegemony of Islam, while such is not the case.

Many methods of body termination have been in practice

Similarly, there is the issue of cremation of dead bodies – if you see religion, Sanatan would be five thousand years old, Buddhist two and a half thousand, Ebrahimi three and a half thousand (which was later divided into about two and a half, two and a half thousand years ago into Jews, Christians and Islam) years old, But human civilization is not only thousands but millions of years older… then how would they have cremated the bodies. Keep one thing in mind that it was made a religious ritual much later, the sole purpose was to destroy the dead bodies, and it will continue to be so.

Among them, the most ancient methods have been to bury, to leave the dead bodies for animals and birds – many species of fishermen immerse the bodies in the sea to cremate. In India, this has been in vogue for burial, shed in rivers and burnt as a pyre for thousands of years. In some eras, tombs of capable people were also built in the form of cremation and dead bodies were also spiced up and kept safe as mummies.

In many tribes of Africa, the Amazons and in Tibet itself, the bodies are left for animals. Once, many tribal species used to leave bodies of their dead, for the eagles. Even today, the Parsi community in Mumbai leaves the bodies opened in the Tower of Silence so that the eagle can eat them. Burying is the main practice outside of India as a method of destroying dead bodies.

As long as we are alive as an atheist, everything is there, at the end of our consciousness we are finished… then it makes no difference whether our body termination is done as burnt, buried or by medical students. It often depends on other people around, how they like to terminate the corpse.

what are the possibilities for new writers

That is why if someone does not agree with your faith, then it is his constitutional and human right… You may not agree with him, but don’t give this stupidly taunt as change your name, how to get married or be buried or burnt. Because names are cultural, they don’t have a monopoly of religion, in marriage the desire of the other party is also important and the cremation is a process of body termination that has been going on since the early period of human civilization – every burial doesn’t mean an aspiration of Magfirat and Jannat and not everyone who burns in pyre have the desire for Moksha.

Moral decay or transcendence is beyond faith

For the rest and the main charges – one of them is the social decline related to morality. For a believer, this is religion originated, while it has no relation to religion. They say why can’t atheists have sex with sister, then the pure answer is morality as in human behaviour, otherwise, you will find, the brother who had sex/raped their sister, or the father who made relation with the daughter, in every religion.

The second answer is that if the world started with two humans, then their first breed, which is the father’s semen and mother’s womb, were all born siblings (keep this twin theory to yourself, that all born of one womb are siblings), then the next generation is obviously born out of their mutual relationships… According to that, we all are children of siblings then, now you decide whether they were a human being or an animal.

There is another accusation, what is the difference between an animal and an atheist? It is the same difference as of between a human being and an animal, of conscience, to be of the more sophisticated mind – Do they understand the difference between better and worse like human beings and are they able to turn the circumstances in their favour like a human being?

An accusation is that if the human is made from monkey to human, then why this process has stopped now. The answer is that of a race there are many species – from small cats to lions, all come into the cat family, or from lizards to dinosaurs, all come into one family. In the same way, suppose a monkey species living on trees for some reason (assume food crisis) came out of the jungles and started walking on two legs and according to the need of the time, it grew wiser from generation to generation — this does not mean that all species of apes should grow in the same way.

How to write a book in Microsoft word

Do theists have all the answers?

Now come to the main point where the theists attack with a list of unresolved questions related to nature, why is this so? If not so, why it isn’t — The thing to note here is that an atheist tries to understand almost everything/questions, but a theist chooses answers of every complicated question or the things he does not understand to leave upon the God. We grapple with questions and it is the result of our struggles that discoveries have been made all over the world, otherwise the people tied to religion while absconding under the guise of God, consider themselves to be declared winners.

For Newton, he is said to have discovered the force of gravity by watching the apple fall – It was only his ability to cope with the question, that it was found out what force is there in the ground, otherwise, for a moment imagine Newton as a pundit or mullah… Watching the apple fall, would have held the slogan that, it is all a wonderful act of God and would have closed the eyes and have gone sleeping again.

They ask many questions related to nature– if it is like this, why is like this, if it is like that, why is it like that – that if we have made our nature that every question we should have an answer. Well, let’s ask you the same question in return, Tell me what is the answer…. there is a hundred percent guarantee, in that case, the answer will go to the God and stop – that the God has made each and everything, that’s His nature and that He can do whatever he wants – such people have no more answers.

Think, you go to the exam and there comes a question that why do gas balloons rise up, what will we write in the answer – That it is all because of God or that they contain hydrogen gas which is the lightest in weight, because it is a certified fact by science that has come to your knowledge.

How come – through a man who closes the answer to every question upon God, or through a fellow who keeps the God aside and grapples with questions? By the way, you consider the man a masterpiece of God, then according to that what is third gender – is this not his complete failure? Whether all the physically incompetent or half incomplete people/fetuses are born – aren’t they all failure of that God?

Click here to read the next part of this article

इस लेख को हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिये यहाँ क्लिक करें

#faith and logic #faith vs fact #religion and science #athiesm

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mariposalass · 5 years ago

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July Babies Soup and S’mores Birthday

Summary: It’s the July Babies’ Soup and S’mores Birthday Party and you’re invited to celebrate in the fun.

Setting: Mari and co.’s home in Daly City, California; July 17, 2019, nighttime

Notes: It’s the big joint soup and s’mores birthday party for me, Kairi, and Harry since we’re all July born babies. You can definitely use this as a prompt to write, draw, etc. to accompany this fun story. Also, I will be traveling to Hong Kong with my mom and aunt for the annual summer sale from the 25th to the 28th. Four days after my birthday, which is a first for me as we normally go there some time before my birthday and is becoming a birthday tradition for me. Apologies in advance if I have to do this really early. Also, there’s not too much dialogue in here as to allow everyone to contribute to the event.

Tags: July Babies, birthday, tons of fluff, crossovers, self shipping, soup and s’mores birthday party, joint soup and s’mores party

“Hey there, thanks for coming over,” Mari greets the guests as they arrive in her house one calm July night as she escorts them to the living room for a big birthday party held in her and her adopted siblings’ honor.

She and the fam bunch have been planning this out for a few weeks since during the planning of her brother Harry and her sister in law Issa’s wedding, although due to the time constraints they have with the wedding, they have to settle with a join birthday bash for her, Harry, and Kairi somewhere in the middle of the month as a compromise. But it’s a compromise they’re willing to make this year, and they went for a soup and s’mores party. The three siblings have shared a birth month with their birthdays being separated by 10 days from each other (Kairi being on the 11th, Mari on the 21st, and Harry on the 31st), the main reason why they’re sometimes called the July Babies.

The living room and dining area may have not been wholly decorated to the theme, but it’s pretty clear that there is a soup buffet with four choices: Chunky Lentil Vegetable, Chicken, White Bean & Corn Chowder, Beef Barley, and Classic Mexican Tortilla, a cheese platter enough to feed an army, kale and Parmesan salad for the healthy minded and vegetable eaters, an assortment of bread with jam and butter, a Funfetti cake Kairi and Issa have baked for the occasion and covered with a glass cover and is protected by a spell Harry has placed on that prevents sneaky cake thieves from getting to it before even dinner could be finished, and a drink station with water, lemonade, and iced tea on hand. Outside, the fire pit area has been prepared with roasters on one side, chairs prepped and ready, and an S’Mores bar with assorted chocolates, graham crackers, marshmallows, and various add-ons have set up beforehand nearby at the patio.

The birthday celebrants and the rest of the fam bunch have dressed up well for the event: Mari in particular is wearing a plain white off shoulder top, button-front denim skirt, a pair of brown flats with braiding details, a pair of gold heart earrings, and a gold, ruby, & pearl choker necklace which matches the one Kairi is also wearing with her slim black dress, distressed blue denim jacket, white sneakers, and her usual single bead pendant necklace. Harry didn’t look out of place either in a slate gray chambray shirt, black slacks, and the same leather dress shoes he’d worn on his wedding day. Issa also dresses well for the party in a white & black vertical stripe long-sleeve top, blue denim jacket, black jeans, and light tan flats along with her old silver heart locket necklace, a stack of mixed metal bangles, and her engagement & wedding rings on her right ring finger; Harry also has his wedding ring on his right ring finger too.

“Thanks for coming over here, everybody,” Kairi starts the talk off, “We know this seems not to be a proper birthday in one way or the other, but since we just came off from Harry and Issa’ wedding last week, we thought we’ll just settle on a joint birthday party for me, him, and Mari instead.”

“You can say that again, sis,” Harry chuckled upon hearing that last part, “To be honest, it was due to the timing it had that we felt having three separate birthday parties this year doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“And it’s a good thing it isn’t a surprise party for you either,” Issa reminded him as well, “The last time we did that, you literally dove behind the sofa in fear and annoyance.”

“Oh Merlin, not that one again...” he moaned in despair after hearing that embarrassing moment.

“Don’t worry, we promise no more surprise birthday parties for you,” she cheekily reassured him while giving the concerned wizard-journalist a heartwarming kiss which got him blushing hard.

“Pardon that off topic tangent: Harry hates surprise parties thrown for him A LOT,” Mari apologies to a slightly confused group of guests before continuing her talk, “Anyway, we have soup being warmed up, some cheese, bread, and salad tonight, and s’mores & cake for desserts later. The S’Mores are also the main stars with the soups, but we also have cake if you’re not into roasting marshmallows on an open fire. Either way, I hope you guys will enjoy tonight’s party.”

With that, the brief meeting has been adjourned and everyone soon start getting some soup, sides, and drinks for the dinner portion. Mari’s cousins Edith and Agnes get to play with other children guests in the party with Margo keeping an eye on them, and so does Kirby who also decides to show off some of his Copy Abilities for a quick showcase along with doing his well-known Kirby Dance with some copies of himself for backup dancers in the middle of the event. Mari’s pets Scooby, Marie, Scorbunny, Torchic, Piplup, and Rowlet enjoy playing with the other pets of the guests who got invited to the party.

Meanwhile, Ahk, Sora, Riku, and Vinny are keeping a close lookout on the S’Mores bar as not to get the supplies ruined or stolen before the S’Mores portion can begin while eating dinner with some of guests at the patio, while Ron and Hermione are trying to see if using the Fire Conjuring spell does a better job in lighting up fire pits than normal procedures, which didn’t went too well compared to Harry’s more modest attempts in every S’Mores Night. When guests finished dinner, they’re more than welcomed to play some games and talk with the birthday celebrants and other guests in the house and the backyard.

Either way, the party goes on well for everyone after dinner was done and leftover soups have been poured onto takeout bowls for the guests to bring home when Mari informs everyone that it’s time for the S’mores and Cake time at the patio. Her godmother aunt Diana carefully brought the cake down to the backyard and held onto the glass cover to avoid it falling over and breaking on the ground while Issa and Harry carried plates, dessert forks, and a cake server as they follow her lead.

People soon head for the backyard and to the patio and fire pit area where the S’Mores fest begins: people who would to make them roast up the marshmallows (though some have to go through trial and error in not burning them to not being edible), assemble the chocolate piece and graham cracker, place the roasted marshmallows onto said chocolate, and sometimes customize them to their liking or follow the S’Mores recipes at the bar before placing that last graham cracker and eating them up and, in some cases, rinse, lather and repeat the process.

Then came the cake: Issa carefully took the glass cover from the Funfetti cake and lights up the 3 candles (one for each July Baby), informing everyone that they will sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to the celebrants and, once that was done, the siblings blow the fire from the candles together and start offering cake to anyone who would like some cake and there’s a couple of them who did, along with those not in the mood for S’Mores time. While some of the guests began to dig into the cake, Mari got one slice from Philip, walked up to the table he was in with the Doctor and a few other guests, and sat besides him as she gave him the cake slice and a fork.

“Hope you like some Funfetti cake, deary,” she attempted to flirt with him as she gave him the cake slice.

“A cake like this?” he asked her inquisitively though it was mixed with concern, “Did the Minions tried to bake this like the last time?”

“Actually, Kairi and Issa are the ones who baked it, so no accidents or food poisoning involved,” Mari gladly replied back, “Don’t be so worrisome, have a bite or two.”

He did took a few bites before realizing that it tastes really good that he whispered to her that he’s giving both Kairi and Issa props on baking of the cake before greeting her (Advance) Happy Birthday and sealing it with a playful kiss on the cheeks, which got her blushing. Harry and Issa are chatting with some good friends when they caught wind of the kiss and smile on with pride. They’re aware it’s taking awhile for Mari to get used to dating and Philip to be patient with her and her quirks, but, at the same, they’re quite proud of them taking their time slowly, take things one at a time, enjoying moments as they come, and working on issues they come across.

The party continues on until around pass 10 in the evening when the guests leave with leftover soups for favors, but the mood hasn’t left the fam bunch at all even as they clean the place up and retire for the night. It is one of the best nights they have spent together as a quirky group and, for the birthday celebrants, it is certainly a great moment they shared in the nearly 13 years they have spent as siblings. Perhaps they should hold another one of this party in the near future, who knows? Still, the party is a resounding success with their friends and family and it will surely be a conversation starter for weeks to come.

The End

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anglophile1776 · 6 years ago

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Is it true that Philresa tried to adopt? Are there any sources?

We have no idea whether the Mays tried to adopt or not...nothing has ever been said about that.

What we do know, though, is that adoption was incredibly difficult (and therefore rare) in the UK in the 80s and 90s, which is when the Mays would have been trying to adopt, if they did. The government passed laws in 1976 and again in 1989 that created very stringent (and largely ridiculous) regulations for adoptions, and a lot of adoption agencies shut down as a result. Adoption statistics also dropped drastically during this period, to roughly a quarter of what they were pre-1976. You often had to prove that you absolutely couldn’t have children, you couldn't be over 35, there were all sorts of arbitrary standards about the parents and their lives and the child’s background, and so on.

In many areas, it wasn’t uncommon for a year to go by without a single eligible child being matched with a family, and in other places, roughly only one in ten eligible kids were adopted. And it wasn’t because there were no prospective parents: during this period, only 10% of couples who applied to adopt were allowed to do so. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of British children were left to grow up in foster care. You can read some about this in this article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/256128.stm.

The rules did change in the early 2000s, and it became much easier to adopt. However, by that point, the Mays would have been in their mid-forties. It was still difficult to adopt at an older age, and they may also have seen themselves as too old at 45, regardless of regulations. (Also, even with less stringent rules, adoption remains rare in the UK, and today’s numbers are nowhere near what they are in the US. My theory is that it was so difficult for so long that it ceased to be something people thought much about.)

Anyway, we don’t know if the Mays tried to adopt, but I suspect that they very much wanted to. So either they didn’t try because they knew how difficult and unlikely it was, or they did try and were among the 90% of applicants who were refused for meaningless reasons.

Interestingly, though, I once read what I believe was an old interview of Theresa, I think from before she was PM(?), where she says that one of the things she hates most are government regulations that ruin people’s lives. (I can’t find the exact quote or the interview itself, or I would link to it here. But I very distinctly remember it.) It has always struck me as a rather odd thing to say, as she’s usually not someone who’s interested in a huge bonfire of government regulations, and most British conservatives lack much of a libertarian streak. It’s also not how she otherwise talks about the government, and it seemed like a very strong phrase. So it very much made me wonder if the adoption regulations, and the fact that she and Philip couldn’t adopt, were what she was talking about.

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malkaleh · 6 years ago

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Mary/Philip of Bavaria in the ot3verse for the kids meme

from this meme

Name: Anne (she’s known in the family as Nan or Anna)

Gender: Female

General appearance: dark hair and eyes (she came by her name for a lot of reasons but some of it is that she does somewhat look like Queen Anne) - tall like her father and pale.

Personality: She’s honestly extremely like her father but she also has her mothers determination and she has a certain kind of outgoing delight in the world that is all her own (sometimes her mother wishes she wasn’t so open hearted to the world but she also loves that her children feel they can be)

Special talents: Loves music and dance, particularly music - she and her mother have always shared that, if nothing else. Is absolutely delightfully charming and brilliant at organising an event and talking to foreign dignitaries and courtiers.

Who they like better: She loves both her parents but she adores her mother.

Who they take after more: Her father.

Personal headcanons:

she and her mother are very close - she adopted Princess Philippa as a little sister from the very first and she’s always loved having a little shadow accompanying her.

also she adores her namesake. Adores. Sometimes wishes her older sister Katherine wasn’t so close to her Grandma Anne as well because she doesn’t always get on with Katherine because they are so different.

(Ironically Katherine and Thomas Cromwell are absolutely the kindred spirits grandchild/grandparent relationship by the by)

She and Henry are actually very close to each other because they enjoy a lot of the same things (music, masques, events...) and he dotes on her. Mary kind of has...mixed feelings about this one.

Works out the OT3 very early on could not care less unless she’s indignant at the world for it having to be hidden tbh. (She bonds with William and Edmund about this).

Anne was the child who said ‘they can’t be our uncle and aunt - they’re too small!’ when Edmund and Philippa were born. This is a family story that is repeated a lot.

I don’t know where she marries though - but I think she might stay in England.

Fancast: Jenna Coleman as adult Anne

#meme #lil and her ridiculous aus #ot3: political power trio #allegoriesinmediasres

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cielizzydefencesquad · 7 years ago

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Can you do Soma X Elizabeth? I'll like to see it since I think they can be a cute couple

Soma x Lizzy? The sweetest and purest of all couples on this planet? My heaaaart. Thank you so much for requesting this @theplaytheroist and @saemi-the-dreamer

Who is more likely to catch a cold? My precious baby Soma. But around Lizzy he doesn’t want to complain or be seen as weak and wimpy so he tries to avoid her whenever he’s ill but Lizzy—our darling bundle of sunshine—won’t let the person she loves suffer all by his lonesome (and Agni knows Lizzy will be coming over so he excuses himself for the next few hours).

She and Agni prepare risotto, pumpkin soup, and hot mulled wine.

Soma’s so touched he won’t let go of Lizzy’s hand, even as she laughs and says it’ll be harder to feed him with one hand. Soma’s reply? “That’s even better! That means you can stay here longer! I don’t—I don’t want you to leave yet.” And in a quieter voice he confesses, “I don’t want you to leave at all.”

Who hogs the blankets? Soma XD he still hasn’t adjusted to English weather so he requires at least 3 coverlets, a cashmere blanket, and maybe an extra duvet. Lizzy, whose blood runs hot, just ends up shifting all the blankets to Soma so she can sleep without sweating.

“Aww you look so cute!” Lizzy giggled. “All cocooned up—look at your cheeks! You’re like an adorable, darling bunny!”

Soma blushed and shyly came to grasp her hand, fingers intertwining. “Are you sure you aren’t cold?”

Lizzy shook her head. “I’m a Midford. We’re hotblooded by nature. Mother says that’s where the brazenness comes from.”

“Brazenness?” Soma rolled over. “Well if you want to be extra brazen then come here!” He held open his arms, eyes bright. “Let me give you a kiss!”

Who kills all the flowers? Soma XD he and Lizzy have a little garden all of their own at their estate, Sita Lotus (named after the Hindu goddess Sita, the daughter of mother earth and a representation of feminine power and virtue) where they cultivate lotus blossoms and basil (considered one of the most sacred plants in Hinduism).

Who eats all the candy before Halloween? Soma—it gets even worse after Edward, following his tour of North America, brings back a barrel of pure Vermont maple syrup that Agni uses to flavor his caramels. Needless to say, Lizzy had to start setting caramel limits to keep Soma from cleaning out the whole pantry.

Who takes the longest showers? Neither—they take bubble baths together. (Although it took quite a bit of coaxing on Soma’s part to get Lizzy to agree to something so…so…scandalously indecent.)

“It’s just like cuddling in bed!”

“It is not!” Lizzy protested, cheeks bright pink. “We…we would be nude in the bath, Soma—!”

“Well, you don’t bathe with your clothes on do you?”

“No, but—“

Soma wrapped his arms around her, surrounding Lizzy with the scent of roses and spicy cinnamon. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to but I really think you English folk are in need of some fun. How do you stand these stuffy summers all bundled up like that?”

Lizzy blushed. “We don’t move very much.” She paused. “We’re quite devoted to sitting.”

Soma laughed, pressing half a dozen kisses to her forehead in delight.

Who goes to bed at 5am but wakes up at 8am? Neither. Soma can sleep through the apocalypse.

Who makes sure the other has a healthy breakfast? Soma. He has Agni grow mangos and persimmons in their glass gardens so as to give Lizzy a taste of eastern fruit.

What pets do they have? Soma’s elephant (that they’ve named Persimmon because Lizzy’s become addicted to the fruit), a baby chick named Theodore (who’s besties with Phipp’s chicken, Cecily), three King Charles Spaniels (Ferdinand, Isabella, and Philip), a Bengali tiger named Oberon, and a white crane named Horatio.

Wedding

Who proposes? Soma does! … with an elephant parade, flower floats, fireworks, dancing gypsies, music, trumpets, and gold. A LOT of gold. (Basically the whole Elizabeth Taylor sequence from 1963’s Cleopatra XD)

During this parade Soma and Lizzy sit side by side on Persimmon while everyone (and I mean, like, 90% of high society) watch in awe (and envy) before Soma gets down on one knee and proposes with a diamond the size of a tangerine.

“Soma this is beautiful but I don’t think I’m going to be able to wear this on a daily basis.”

“As my princess, you’ll never have to lift a finger! I’ll shower you in precious jewels and Venetian silks and the love of a million shining suns!”

“Soma—“

“Behold!” Down below four footmen dressed in identical uniforms of crimson brocade appeared carrying a wide, spherical sedan chair with a pink lotus carved on top. “Your feet shall never tire, your gowns never dirty, and I will—“

His speech, already beginning to reach a fever pitch, was halted when Lizzy pressed her lips against his.

And suddenly, Soma decided, elephants and gold glitter and trumping fanfares weren’t nearly as important as his princess’s sweet lips.

Who actually enjoyed the planning? They both did XD in an extravagant mix of Indian and English culture to craft a wedding so pricey that it cost more than three times the prince of Wales’ parliamentary allowance.

When Soma was told of the tab, he merely smiled. “Why, that isn’t nearly as bad as my elder brother’s wedding! You don’t know how hard of it time it was to find a solid gold carriage! The entire thing was so heavy we needed sixteen white Arabian stallions to pull it! Father was quite amused.”

Would their wedding be small or grand? Grand. Just…luxurious, ostentatious, expensive, theatrical. Soma and Lizzy were married at their estate, Sita Lotus. The guest list included the English 400 (the 400 most elite blue blooded aristocrats and businessmen), Soma’s various relatives and siblings (which made up the other 300), the Phantomhive, Midford, Grey, Phipps, and Trancy heads were also in attendance.

Elizabeth’s wedding sari was of crimson silk with hand embroidered patterns of flaming phoenixes, rising suns, and hummingbirds in flight. Her gorgeous blonde hair (now grown to fall at her waist) was left loose, intertwined with lotus flowers, while a crown of gold and emeralds sat atop her head.

When Ciel saw her, he commented, “It wouldn’t surprise me if Elizabeth’s very gown and jewels surpassed the cost of the royal treasury.”

Which guest was happiest to see them get married? Agni. And Edward. And Ciel. And Finny. And Frances. And Alexis. And Paula. And Sieglinde. And—well, you get the picture XD

Children

How many children would they have? Soma hails from a large family and Lizzy absolutely adores children so most likely six at the very least.

Would they adopt or have them naturally? Naturally!

Who is the strictest parent? Lizzy. She teaches her children the value of hard work, discipline, respect for other people no matter commoner or noble, and to always devote themselves to goals they truly want to reach.

Are their children in homeschool or public school? Initially homeschooled by Agni until they’re old enough to attend Weston.

(Lizzy says no, Soma love, they all can’t arrive riding on elephants and tigers.)

Who is the favorite parent? Oh they (and Agni) are adored beyond reason by the children, who—while they may not always agree with their parents—still value and respect their judgment.

Who checks on the kids in the middle of the night? Agni! He has no wish for his prince or princess to arise after they’ve spent all day chasing after children, managing the estate, and the various businesses Soma owns around the world. (Including banks in Germany, paper mills in Finland, coffee plantations in South America, various estate managing companies, global investments, huge shares in North American canned goods—mainly maple syrup, landowning, and three publishing companies.)

(When his cousin-in-law Ciel expressed surprise at Soma’s vast business portfolio, he replied: “Mine? Honestly it’s quite a pittance compared to that of my siblings.” —> Which then caused Ciel to wonder: just how wealthy was the Kadar family anyway?)

Who decorated the nursery? Lizzy and Soma together! Gold patterned walls, wide airy windows, arched marble pillars in gem pink, white marble floors, cradles made of hand carved satinwood and painted gold, the latest toys from Funtom, and personalized Bitter Bunnies for each of their six children.

#they're so cuuuute #and opulent lmao #soma asman kadar #elizabeth midford #soma x elizabeth #agni #ciel phantomhive #black butler #kuroshitsuji #ask #replies #mod Nina

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abloomntime · 5 years ago

Text

A Bloom In Time Ch 1 A Flower Princess Lost

Would it be so wrong to say I love you when you obviously didn't love me back the way I loved you? Would it be wrong to say I would I like you more than any other thing when you didn't see me more than a stranger? Would it be so wrong to want to hold you when you would be confused at my touch? Would there be any world where we were aloud to be together, with your hair flowing like rose petals and eyes of the beautiful blue sky. Where no one would stop them and no duties got in their way.....But it wasn't meant to be because no amount of begging or asking would probably change the way you see me right now. The smile I'm giving you as you talk about the flowers like they were your proud children and you were mother nature. You would make the best mother nature. With your fiery passion and gentle kindness. You always listened to me. Didn't pressure me to picking. Always smiled and never EVER treated me as some fairytale prince I wasn't, which is why after all these years of knowing you and loving someone who I know definitely loves me, but for all the wrong reasons, and as much as I love her back...I think I love you more. "Your Highness? Are you alright?" He snapped out of it and yellow eyes blinked up at the lady who's stolen his heart. The fairytale romantic love of a Queen with beautiful blonde hair and emerald eyes was the first to catch him heart and he fell hard for her, but overtime that vision started to blur into one of fiery red passion and smelt of flowers. He could imagine his Queen in a wedding dress of pure white and covered in lace, but now he couldn't get the idea of how the maiden with red hair would look shyly looking at him in a dress of white, flowers in her hair and a red hue to her face as he held her close, wedding bells sounding as he promised her he would always love her. Forever.....But he should get his head out of the clouds. From the day he was born, his parents and Vanessa's mother had an arranged marriage for the two royals, and he didn't think even though she was Queen now, she'd let him go so soon with how attached she was....and how forcing his parents were about this. So he smiled at the confused face on the beautiful woman with hair of the rose. "I'm perfectly fine. Vanessa's just been....A b-bit cranky lately. So I wanted to surprise her with some flowers today. M-Maybe that'll help calm her down. " That got her attention when she rose a brow at him and asked a question that made him flinch. "Is this like the time she banned everyone here from eating bacon?" He waved her off. "N-No, no. She was only concerned about my health, a-and she's right. Bacon has too much fat. I could loose a few more pounds and eat healthier.'' Her beautiful blue eyes ran over him with a raised brow. She looked like she wanted to say something but didn't and instead smiled and pointed a hand to the flowers around her in her stand. "Well, how can I help you this time, Prince-y? We have a fifty percent discount on mixed wild daisies this week, more sprouted up than expected, but they smell great and multicolored. A colorful rainbow bouquet would brighten up anyone's day!" He looked at the many flowers she was pointing to and smiled and nodded. "Y-Yeah. Vanessa's loves any flowers I give her! These are perfect! You know what, I'll take some thanks!" She smiled and went to work on getting the flowers. Cutting them and getting the pretty pink paper to wrap them in so he could present them to his beloved Queen. He couldn't help but smile at the gentle way she handled the flowers ...but remembered. He didn't have any pons to pay her with. He spent the last on them on getting Vanessa an anniversary gift yesterday after she insisted he'd better do something to make her happy and 'prove he still loved her by not forgetting. And he didn't. He got her a beautiful bracelet with beautiful blue saphires studded into it and was getting her flowers on top of that....But- When she turned back to him with a smile, flowers ready to go...It was like it was stupid but-...He immediately held up the bracelet to her without question, smile on his own face. She blinked at the sudden gift held out to her before looking back up to his face in question. "Take it. I-...I-I got three others at home just like it," he lied with a smile but it felt like the right thing to do at the time, "Besides. I-I don't have any pons on me right now." He stared at him more. "Oh, no. I couldn't!" She held up her hands. "I couldn't possibly just accept it like that. Here." She held the flowers out to him. "You buy so much anyways. This time it's on the house." "NO!" He insisted. Gently placing the small bracelet into her hand while staring into her eyes. "I may be a prince but even Im not above getting things for free just because I buy a lot of it. You obviously put so much work into growing such beautiful flowers and I won't let hard work like that go under paid." They ended up just holding hands unintentionally for a few seconds as they talked and smiled. Neither noticed the beautiful golden sunshine haired woman with beautiful green emerald eyes suddenly stopping and watching from the dark corner of the alleyway. She stared in absolutely horror as she watched her prince, her beloved perfect prince holding hands with a...a...A PEASANT GIRL!! This girl with bland red hair that looked like it was dunked in tacky red paint and gotten red splotches all over her face, dirt smudging her tacky dress and obviously dirty and not fit for anyone other than another low life peasant like herself. AND YET THERE THEY WERE!! Holding hands, smiling, and giggling like they were...A Happy couple..NO! NO!! HE WASN'T ALLOWED TO LOOK AT ANYONE LIKE THAT!! HE WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT HER LIKE THAT!! HER! THE ONE WITH EYES OF EMERALD GREEN AND PERFECT HAIR SHINIER THAN GOLD!! FAIR SKIN AND BELOVED BY HER KINGDOM!! RICH AND COULD GIVE HIM ANYTHING HE ASKED!! THEY WERE THE ONES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME!! THEY WERE GOING TO ADOPT ONE OF THE CHILDREN FROM THE VILLAGE TOGTHER!! HE COULDN'T WAIT TO HAVE A CHILD BUT SHE WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL A FEW YEARS INTO THEIR MARRIAGE BEFORE HAVING ONE!! IT WAS GOING TO BE THE PERFECT THING FOR THEIR IMAGE!! ADOPTING A CHILD OF NONE ROYAL BLOOD AND LOOK LIKE ONE OF THOSE FAIRYTALE STORIES!! THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT TOGETHER AND HE'S.....He's holding hands with someone who's not fit to even be in their story beyond a lowly subject!! With tears stinging her eyes she hiccupped and turned to run back into the darkness of the alley, if she would've stayed a little longer she would've seen the florist hand over the bouquet of flowers meant for her to he beloved prince and him paying her with the golden bracelet. The movement out of the corner of his eye made him look towards the swift movement and he easily recognized that fancy green dress running back into the shadow of the alleyway. He jumped almost dropping the flowers he was just handed. "Vanessa!?" The florist looked to where he was looking but didn't see the woman that dashed into the alleyway as he stared in confusion. "Vanessa?.....Why did she run away so suddenly?" ...The florist shrugged lightly with a smile. "Maybe she was embarrassed she walked in on you getting her flowers?", she suggested. ....He gave a smile. "OH! Of course! She's considerate l-like that." He gave an almost nervous smile and turned back to her before bowing. "T-Thank you for your help once again...Ms. Poppy." She waved her hand. "Oh, don't mention it! It's always to see just a nice man be so considerate and give the gal he loves so many flowers." The gal he loved...Heh. He guessed that was true. He still loved Vanessa in some way or another...but lately..he wasn't too sure about things, but he was sure she was right. Vanessa was just in a bad place for a few years. Her mother was sick and dying slowly, she just got crowned Queen a month ago after her mother had an accident, her new duties were overwhelming her, and with him still doing his princely studies about law it musn't be easy for her. But like any betrothed, he was going to try and work through these problems together. But he still couldn't stop smiling after he left the Florist to her work. Cute freckles and blue eyes clouding his vision. He was sure as soon as Vanessa saw these flowers she would perk right up! She always enjoyed it when he brought her gifts like these- OH! How wrong he was. As soon as he got to the manor, Vanessa's vacation spot away from her huge castle, everything suddenly felt....off somehow. Like a tense and thick aura was in the air, so thick one would have to use a battle axe to cute through it, but upon further searching he found her. Vanessa, his beloved Queen with golden hair, weeping in one of the hallways, back faced to him and of course the sight pained him. What could've brought her to this state of being? "Vanessa?!" She flinched when he shouted her name and came near her. The sound of his footsteps stopping just behind her. "Sweetheart? W-Why are you crying?" Sudden worry came over him. Oh no. Did she think he forgot their anniversary?! That made him hold out the flowers with a giant smile. "Don't cry. I-I got you these! Look. A-Aren't they beautiful?" ".....How could you betray me, Philip?" Her voice growled out. And he took a step back, was it just him or was the room suddenly darker? They needed to open up the blinds more. But the shadows seemed to come from her as she growled again in a voice that was clearly NOT the sugary sweet voice of his beloved maiden. And betrayl?? What was she talking about? "How could you CHEAT ON ME!? AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH!! ALL OUR LIVES WE WERE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER!!" Her form slouched over as the shadows continued to consume her and her once beautiful emerald eyes twitched with a red of rage and anger he'd never seen before tears beginning to consume her eyes, or the one eye that was exposed to him at the moment. He froze just staring at her in horror as the same distorted voice asked another question. "How could you give your heart to that PEASANT GIRL!?" He stared at her in absolute fear as she growled like some wild animal at him, "W-WHAT?! You mean-...N-NO!! Nonono! You have it all wrong!" He held up the flowers with a strained scared smile. "I wasn't cheating on you! I would NEVER cheat on you! I was paying her and got you these! S-She grows the most beautiful flowers in the land, and you deserve no less than the best!" "LIAR!!" The not-Vanessa shrieked like she was a banshee making him almost drop the flowers. "I SAW YOU HOLDING HANDS!! AND LAUGHING AT HER JOKES!! FUNNY HUH?! WELL I HOPE PLAYING ME FOR A FOOL WAS WORTH IT, PHILIP!! GUARDS!!" As if being summoned out of thin air, two heavy footsteps of the iron dressed guards came stomping down the hallway and like an idiot he looked back to her with pleading eyes. "Vanessa! I wasn't I swear to you! I was merely paying her for the flowers n-not giggling at her jokes! AAH!!" He yelped in fright when he was suddenly surrounded. two giant armored arms snatched him and wouldn't let go! She giggled without any humor. "Oh, Philip. You played me the fool for so long perhaps a punishment is in order for you. Take him to the celler and CHAIN HIM!!! I never want to see his face again.....And then seeze the florist. No crime against me shall go unpunished." WHAT?! POPPY!! "W-WHAT?! VANESSA, PLEASE NO!!" Two arms latched onto him and no matter how much he kicked and struggled he couldn't get out of their grasp. The flowers dropped to the ground as he reached out for her one last time. Her tears forming deadly ice to match her cold heart. "P-PLEASE!! DON'T HURT HER!! SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!! VANESSA!! NOOOOO!!!" He weeped and weeped when he was painfully suspended in the air by his wrists. The coldness taking over him as he hiccuped and mumbled to himself and choked on those tears. He didn't know how long he stayed down there actually. TIme flies when you couldn't see what was happening but he was sure he never stopped crying for all that time as he got weaker, and weaker. Just getting colder and colder as the cold seeped into his very core...he was almost gone. Looking back up towards the ceiling and through his tears he wondered what was going on up there. He couldn't hear anything but he hoped Poppy was alright. He'd never forgive himself if Vanessa did anything rash. He hiccuped. His beloved queen. This was all his fault. "I-Im sorry. IM SORRY! IM SORRY!! IM SO SORRY!!" He yelled to the empty air knowing full well no one could hear him. But Vanessa was not the one he was apologizing to. The maiden of feiry red hair and ocean blue eyes. "I-Im s-so sorry, Poppy. *hic*" The cold crept further and his body felt light, somehow his shadow was extending, his life force fading into it as those handsome brown eyes closed to the darkness and numbing- "I-...love-..." The shadows and darkness consumed him. The shadow enlarging and morphing and contorted into a being of power and enhanced abilities. A gasp escaped the creature as it looked down at itself. At the same time moonlight shown through the window and what was left of the prince and his willpower faded away into the moonlight, so when the creature looked behind it, the prince was gone from the chained wall. The prince with his heart split into two by his heart splitting between two and found attachment in two very powerful elements of dark and light. Moonshine and shadows. The creature looked down at his new self....feeling his grin widen and a powerful laugh that many would come to fear vibrating around the basement of his new found freedom. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!'' *************************************************************************************************************** "GAH!!" Something wacked his head and he immediately jumped to the air. If he still had lungs he would probably be panting and looking around wildly around the room he was in. No cold walls caging him in. No coldness seeping into him. No Vanessa or chains or....Poppy. Instead a small pale little girl was staring up at him with concern as she watched his confused face darting around the area....He was on her ship. Her strange cute ship of the small seven year old in front of him. He had been laying on the pile of pillows she had and looking around the area as if he was afraid for a moment. Before he sighed in releif and reached up a clawed hand to rub at his head and hair. Staring down at the little girl standing upon the pile of pillows, holding one dangling in her hand, which he guessed must've been the thing that wacked. He sighed again and slowly lowered himself down look at her better. "Kid. It's already pass your bedtime probably. What are you doing up?" Her head tilted and those blue eyes blinked at him before a tiny hand reached out and poked his face where a nose should obviously be if he was human and he rose a brow. "Boop!" "....Did you really just wack me with a pillow for THAT? Kiddo, you should really find better reasons to wake me up." Two clawed hands gently reached down and picked her up from under the arms. She dropped the pillow from her hold and instinctively wrapped her arms around him as he floated her back down to her bed, the covers were already pulled back from her getting up and her friend snored away happily on the floor next to her bed....He made a mental note to get her a bed sometime. Bow couldn't be expected to keep laying like that on the hard floor, he gently placed the young child on the bed and went to pull the covers back over her- "You were mumbling something funny." She said making him stop and blink at her. "Oh yeah?" She nodded. Dang nightmares. He barely had any, but he still got the occasional blast from the past. Wasn't being a cursed prince fun? He pulled the blankets up and she snuggled down with her stuffed toys he hand crafted for her. "And uh..What exactly did you hear me say?" She shrugged again as she was recovered and he started tucking her in. "Your head was in the pillows." He went to roll his eyes when something grabbed onto his hand. And he looked at her wide excited smile spread across her face. "Can you tell me a story?" "Squirt, I already read you the one you wanted with the space unicorns," he grumbled remembering the ridiculous book the girl begged him to read to her. "Yeah. But I always sleep better with a story, and if I don't sleep I'll get up and bother you again." She gave him that cat lipped smug face and he groaned lifting a hand to rub his face and look down at the child in the bed. Before sighing and giving in. She was right. He'd done this too many times to not expect a sudden pillow attack from the hyper story deprived child. "Fine." He turned back to the bookshelf by her bed and looked over the many childish covers. "Which one do you want now? Space Adentures? Starella? Planets and Star Maps?" "Your story!" He paused, and snapped his head to her wide eyed. "What?" She giggled and turned to her side yawning a bit before speaking. "I want you to tell me one of your stories." ..."My stories eh?" She nodded and he hummed. That..wasn't a very good idea. All the books he read were either lawyer/law books (what better way to help make his contracts better) and scary or mysteries books that were uh...N-Not suitable for children her age lets say. Plus he didn't have any on him at the moment so he guessed he could just make one up? How hard could making up a story for a kid be. She'll fall asleep if he just told her a story about a talking flower making friends with a bumble bee. His hand reached up to rub at his head again before looking at her now clutching the C.A.W agent plus he made her after telling him her adventures in the movie studio. ..."Ok, Ok! I'll tell you one I witnessed a long time ago....In a book. But you gotta promise to go to sleep." She hummed 'Mmm-hmm' and smiled patiently at the ghost who groaned and rolled his eyes again. Why was he doing this?...Well he just had a nightmare about his death-again- and talking about it even twisting the details sounded nice. Not that he'd ever admit it to the little girl. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful flower Princess named Poppy, and a-" "Pop? Why is she named after a soda?", the kid interrupted blinking confused and he scowled. "Not 'soda pop'. Poppy. Poppy is a kind of flower on this planet, Kid. Now don't be a rude little lady and let me finish the story unless you want to be grounded from them." She shut up and curled back down into the covers to his satisfaction. "Good. Now like I was saying! There was a flower princess POPPY not soda pop, an evil which named....'Veronica', and a stupid, stupid king." She raised her hand like in a classroom. "....*sigh* Yes?" "Why was he a stupid, stupid king?" "You'll see. Now" He grabbed her lamp and pulled the shade off, letting more light flood everywhere and she blinked at the sudden brightness, which a snap of his powers shadows slithered up the wall and formed the outlines of three people. Two women with their dresses and one wearing a witch hat, and a man wearing a crown. They moved as he talked and she watched amazed. "You see. WAY, WAY back before your great granny was even born there was these three. Like I said the Flower Princess was very beautiful. Her hair was a rose red and her skin was as soft a-as their petals. She had the most wonderful patience listeningto her friend The Stupid King, and his p-problems...."His face saddened for a moment as the king and princess shadows held hands platonically...."B-But..she didn't know the king was in love with her. You see...He was too cowardly to tell her or anyone else because he was betrothed to the Evil witch Veronica-" ANother raised hand. "...Yes?" "What does 'betoofed' mean?" "Betrothed, Kid. Not betoofed. You know contracts right? How you legally have to follow them because you promised to?" She nodded. "Well basically means the Stupid King promised to marry the witch a long time ago." ..She cocked her head. "But he doesn't love her. That's not like Starella and the Milky Way Prince. They fell in love before they got married." He chuckled. Even a seven year old could clearly see the stupid logic in arranged marriages and she didn't even comprehend them yet. And his situation, but he shrugged before making the king turn around and ....ECK!! Kiss the hand of the witch who looked like she was giggling. "Well, you're wrong. He DID love her. A long, long time ago before she became evil." "Why didn't he break with her like in the movies?" He shrugged. "Promises are sometimes h-hard to break for some people. And he still cared about her in some way, the witch was really, really pretty too, and I guess he just couldn't see past her beauty and wanted to try and make things right." "That doesn't sound like a healthy relationship." She held up a hand in knowing. "Conductor always says*ahem*!!" She tried to do a bad impression of the old bird and he smiled. "Lassie! If ye ever get yerself whatever the aliens call a wife, at thee first sign of trrrrrouble ask 'er if she loves the money ya makes with mah' movies. If she says yas, she's a no good golddigger and leave before she takes ye kids and house and most of ye money too!!" He laughed a couple times and Bow stirred in her sleeping bag. Not waking up but almost as he stared at the proud Hat child. "Well that's good advice kid. But she wasn't a golddigger-"....His face slowly contorted to a scowl and looked down. "She was in love with a fairytale. She loved the Stupid King for being like a King from a story. She never loved him for who he really was as long as her fairytale wasn't tampered with. She was clingy, selfish, nothing was never good enough unless it was expensive, and she demanded all his attention all the time. ....Until one fateful day-" He waved his three fingered hand at the shadows and it contorted until it showed the witch with slated eye holes and the king and princess holding hands....platonically of course. "The witch saw the King And Flower Princess holding hands...AS JUST FRIENDS." He stressed. "Nothing romantic. Just two friends holding hands for a little bit. And she got really, really jealous. In fact she got so jealous-" The shadows contorted to the king looking sad behind a cage. "-she blamed him for breaking her heart and locked him away forever. And then she-" The shadows again contorted to show the witch still angry and this time over a cauldron. "-cursed the Stupid King's and Princess's kingdoms. All the plants died, all the animals ran away, and everyone...." he couldn't say they froze to death! "..T-They moved on from there. But karma struck her good and-" She raised her hand again. "...What now?" "What's 'karma'??" "It means he got revenge. Justice? Whichever one you wanna call it." The shadows formed to show the king opening the door to the cage and running. "The Stupid King managed to escape and get free, but the Witch's spell backfired. She cursed herself too and was trapped forever in her home, the black magic keeping her inside the cave she dug, but it was too late. The Princess was gone and he never saw her again. The shadows formed one more image of the King holding a flower with his head down in shame." "WHAT?!" Bow stirred again and Snatcher shushed her. "He never saw her again?" She asked more quietly. "But that's not fair! He loved her so much!" He shrugged sadly and put the lamp shade back on, making the shadows disappear and he sighed, "It's not all bad. He's free and he got to go rule again without worrying without pleasing anyone else. Not all stories have a happy ending kid, even if it's half decent like this." He stared down to the floor with a frown...before reaching over and ruffling her hair which she giggled at. "It's also a very important lesson. Don't let yourself be blinded in bad situations and don't let someone use you like that. Ok?" "I'm never gonna fall in love! Yuck!!" She stuck her tongue out and he smiled. "Good, good. You don't need to fall in love when ...well you're stuck as a kid for all eternity with me now don't you?" "NOPE!! I don't like that mushy stuff anyways!" He smiled wider. "Good. Good. Now go to sleep. I need all the energy you can get to fix the well tomorrow." She giggled again but yawned and slowly closed her eyes and snuggled back into the blackets. As he smiled he looked back to the giant windows, as he looked to the darkned and frozen abyss of the planet they were above a frown slowly returned to the ghostly prince's face as he slowly floated over to the window. Placing a cold hand to the cool glass and watching as it slowly ticked by and he sighed once again. "Sorry, Princess. I had to be the stupid king to do that." "Snatcher...I can't sleep. Can I have a glass of water?" The Kid's voice piped up again and he chuckled. "Sure, kid."

#Snatcher #Florist #Hat Kid #Bow Kid #Vanessa

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ashina-suns-penmanship · 6 years ago

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Leaving Chang’an (2/4)

Changge gets the message Wei Zheng and Fang Xuanling have left her, leaves Chang'an with an orphan named Ah Dou, and heads for Shuo, a city at the northern frontier, to raise a rebellion against her uncle. Meanwhile, royal advisor Du Ruhui, who is unconvinced that the princess has died, pays a visit to court astrologist Li Chunfeng.

A brief flashback to the Xuanwu Gate Incident reveals that Changge’s mother Li Jin (real name Ahbuge Masu) was a Uyghur chieftain’s daughter that was rescued from the battlefield by Li Shimin. They fell in love, but she married Li Jiancheng instead and had Changge. Li Shimin finds Li Jin during the ambush and asks her why she did so; she dies in his arms before answering, having unknowingly drunk poison.

In Shuo, Changge gains the trust of the mayor Gongsun Heng, and eventually ends up in command of a portion of the troops stationed around the city. It is wintertime, and the Turks are beginning to attack the city for food (as a nomadic group, the Turks raid sedentary Chinese cities and settlements). Changge takes up the task of defending the city, destroying a wave of Turkic attacks while two other Turks—Ashina Sun and Mujin—lie in wait and observe. She begins to cough up blood.

(Look at him!! Look at this beautiful man!!)

The Eastern Turkic Khaganate - 東突厥

(This map shows the full extent of the entire Turkic Khaganate at its largest land area. The line near the middle separates the Western from Eastern part of the entity. The Western Turkic Khaganate was based around what is Kazakhstan today, and the Eastern Turkic Khaganate had its seat in what is modern Mongolia.)

The Turks mentioned in the story are actually from the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, a political entity that existed from 581-630. Technically, it was originally part of the Turkic Khaganate, a polity that rose from the proto-Mongolian Rouran Khaganate, but a civil war split it into east and west. The Turkic nomadic confederations as a whole were called the Göktürks, an ethnic group who were the first to identify themselves as Turks and a nation that would eventually impact the modern Turkish peoples. The Eastern Turks spoke Old Turkic dialects but used Sogdian as an official written language, and had religious beliefs rooted in animism, shamanism, and Tengrism. Although the Eastern Turkic Khaganate fell in 630, there were attempts to revive it, and it returned in 682 as the Second Turkic Khaganate. Since this story uses a lot of Turkic and Uyghur titles, here’s a little bit of etymology knowledge and definitions to think on as more characters are introduced to the storyline (the names here are romanized):

Göktürk has its origins in Old Turkic. “Gök” or “Kökö” means “blue”; the Göktürks were also known as the “Blue Turks” or “Celestial Turks.” Blue was associated with the east. The blue color was especially important to the Turks, as it is the color of the sky and celestial realms. Consequently, blue indicated divine right to rule, a motif also seen later in the Mongol empire. The Chinese called the Turks “Tūjúe,” meaning “combat helmet” in Middle Chinese, because the Altai Mountains where they lived supposedly took on the shape of one.

Ashina was a clan that ruled over the Turkic Khaganate. It has a few proposed word origins. One follows the myth of Asena, a she-wolf in Göktürk mythology who had ten sons, one of whom—named Ashina—established a namesake clan to rule over the Turkic people. A second possible word root comes from Khotanese Saka’s āššɪna (meaning “deep blue”), linking the Ashina clan to the color blue, and by consequence the east and Göktürks as well.

Khan originated with the Xianbei and possibly the Xiongnu; regardless of which group first created the title, it was adopted by the Rouran and subsequent ruling Göktürks, who introduced it to the rest of Asia as a name for “leader”, “commander”, and “king”. Khans became most famously associated with the Mongols, like Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan. Khagan or Qaghan is the proper title for the Mongol emperor and imperial ruler of a khaganate or empire, sometimes translated as “Great Khan” or “King of Kings”. Some believe that “khan” is merely a shortened version of “khagan”, while others argue that “khan” indicates a lower rank than “khagan”*. The Turks modified the khagan title with names like Bilge (“wise”)**, similar to how western rulers were nicknamed with befitting sobriquets (think Ivan the Terrible, Philip the Fair, Richard the Lionheart). Khatun is the name for a qaghan’s wife, and was probably taken from the Sogdian title for a ruler’s wife or queen. Tegin is title of respect for the junior members of the khan’s family whose English equivalent can be compared to “prince”. Shad can be roughly translated to “governor”, a title given most commonly to members of the Ashina clan.

Other tribal and quasi-Turkic titles come up later in the story. Irkin is technically a Tiele name for a chief, but it was also adopted by the Turks to refer to the leaders of their vassal tribes. Elteber is a Turkic title for the ruler of an internally autonomous tribe that has submitted to the Turks as a tributary tribe. In the manhua, an irkin declares himself an elteber instead as a symbolic gesture of defiance against the Göktürks.

Du Ruhui and Li Chunfeng begin their discussion about an unsettling prophecy the latter has foreseen about a “female scourge” that will bring about the end of the Tang Dynasty. Du Ruhui thinks that Changge is the one being referenced, and schemes to permanently remove Changge as a threat to the empire, having taken the burning of the sweets shop as a near-definitive sign that she is still alive.

It makes perfect sense—after all, Changge is out for revenge against Li Shimin and therefore now an enemy of the empire—except Li Changge didn’t exist. But there really was a woman who brought about the end of the Tang Dynasty.

Wu Zetian - 武則天

Although the author of the manga series hasn’t actually mentioned it, I’m almost sure that the prophecy is a reference to a woman named Wu Zetian for two reasons: firstly, in about chapter 30, Changge (spoiler!) decides to give up on her personal path of revenge in favor of preserving the welfare and political stability of Tang in order to counter foreign powers like the Turks, and secondly, Wu Zetian did end the Tang Dynasty...temporarily, that is. It’s pretty complicated, and Wu Zetian was also an incredibly complicated person, so a brief overview of her life is in order.

Wu Zetian was born into a wealthy noble family who had ties to the previous Sui Dynasty but were favored by the Tang royalty. She was well-educated, and by the time she reached adolescence, she was chosen to become a concubine in the imperial court of Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin’s imperial name). One famous story surrounding her rise to the emperor’s favor revolves around a stubborn horse that the emperor could not tame; she told him that she only needed three items to subjugate the steed: an iron whip, iron hammer, and dagger. If the horse did not listen once, she would whip it; if it would not obey again, she would hammer its head; and if it still did not listen, she would slit its throat. The emperor was greatly pleased and amused by her answer, and she continued to advance the ranks of the court, eventually becoming his trusted secretary. While she was a concubine to Emperor Taizong, she may have carried on an affair with his ninth son Li Zhi, who was later unexpectedly appointed crown prince.

Wu Zetian did not have any children by Emperor Taizong, and when he died, she kept with tradition by shaving her head and going to a Buddhist nunnery along with the other imperial concubines who had not birthed children. The intention was to live out the remainder of her life as a nun, but fate had a different future in store for her. Li Zhi—by then Emperor Gaozong—happened upon her nunnery and they recognized one another. Emperor Gaozong’s wife, Empress Wang, was childless and jealous of the attentions he paid toward his beloved concubine, Consort Xiao. Empress Wang immediately caught on to her husband’s captivation by Wu Zetian and secretly welcomed her back to the imperial palace, hoping to shift the emperor’s favors away from Consort Xiao.

Eventually, Wu Zetian had several sons and daughters by Emperor Gaozong, one of whom died a few days after birth; she accused Empress Wang of killing her daughter, and the empress was removed from her position. A year later, Wu Zetian was elevated to fill the vacated rank. She used her new title to her advantage, jailing political opponents and making rulings in lieu of her husband when he was unwell. So powerful did she become that Emperor Gaozong was actually temporarily convinced to remove her from her post as empress. She conferred the title of crown prince upon her eldest son, then her second, then her third, and again her second; it did not matter, as long as she was regent and therefore retained control and power. By the time her husband died, she had already been running a great majority of court affairs for several years. She was an effective and strong-willed ruler; under her reign, Tang experienced a period of great military and territorial expansion. Many who were disgruntled by a woman being in power spread rumors that she had poisoned her children, among many other unsavory deeds.

Her relevance to the prophecy in the manhua came in 690, when as empress dowager for one of her son’s reigns, she forced him to yield his throne to her. Wu Zetian subsequently declared the establishment of the Zhou Dynasty (technically the second one, as there had been a Zhou Dynasty over two thousand years before) and appointed herself the emperor, becoming the first and only female emperor in Chinese history. Consequently, from 690-705, the Tang Dynasty experienced a discontinuity in its existence.

*I got this bit of information from unable-or-unwilling by asking anonymously (because I was too big of a wimp to use my actual account at the time). Check out the post here!

**The Encyclopedia Britannica mentions that “Bilge” means “wise”. Bridges-you-cross made a really neat post regarding other khagans’ names!

Another note about credits: I was planning on using the raws for images of the manhua, but they’re very blurry, so I’ll be using the English translations uploaded by scanalation groups. Credits for the scans in this post go to Aizen-Sensei.

I just want to add another disclaimer that this analysis of CGX was something I really chose to do for fun whilst fulfilling a high school project requirement, so I apologize if any information is incorrect. If you can see anything glaringly wrong, please let me know!

One last thing—if you’re interested in Wu Zetian, I highly recommend reading Empress, a novel that is a (as far as I can tell) quasi-historically accurate account of her life by Shan Sa, a Chinese-French author, poet, and painter. Empress is a work of autobiographical fiction; its information is mostly correct, although Shan Sa did take creative liberties in describing Empress Wu’s emotions and thoughts. It’s a fantastic read, so be sure to check it out if you’re curious!

Source | Source | Raws

#choukakou #chang ge xing #xia da #manhua #eastern turkic khaganate #gokturks #wu zetian #turkic titles #an historical analysis of chang ge xing #leaving chang'an #song of the long march

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