#at least like a basic geography book

[elbiotipo]

Oh that "white latinos" troll with empty throwaway blogs is going around again. They couldn't name a single native people from Argentina when I asked last time though. I guess they have time to make tumblr blogs for lame insults, but not to pick up a fucking book.

[babushkatty]

Tranquil SAGAU - Part 6

-> Part 1

-> Part 5

With Dvalin gone, you were left basically homeless. Not that it was much of an issue, not really. The forests had been very kind to you -- you could easily live the life of a hermit if you so wished, without having to worry about food, water, shelter or animal attacks.

But it would also be horribly lonely. No compassionate silence, no background noise and buzz of other people scurrying around and going about their day without minding you, no one to speak to if you ever felt the need to.

You liked being alone, but you were still human and humans were social animals.

Soooooo, you promptly asked Crepus about working in his Winery in exchange for accommodations, because 'one that asks, does not stray'... or something like that anyways. Your sister always made her life that much harder because she outright refused to ask for help even when hopelessly lost or overwhelmed, so there must be something to the saying at least.

"You don't have to work to earn your keep, (Name). I'd be more than happy to house you as my guest for however long you want!" is what Crepus 'Sunshine Personified' Ragnvindr responded with.

Crepus used Puppy Eyes, it was super effective!

You laid defeated, a puddle of cuteness overload once again wishing for sunglasses to protect yourself from the blinding smiles and imaginary wagging tails.

Crepus was horrible for your heart.

Still, you would go insane if left with nothing to do for days at a time, so you went to turn the Ragnvindr library upside down with Crepus' blessing, a bunch of notebooks, a bunch of pens and a delusion that you'd do any actual studying in there.

This was Teyvat, but this wasn't Genshin Impact -- a library wouldn't have interesting lore, it'd have dry history and even drier geography, accompanied by boring economics and even more boring politics (which was a damn shame too, politics were so interesting when written right).

You never quite had a head for those, prefering subjects with more practical applications that could be practiced instead of having to be beaten into your thick skull until you memorized it just long enough to write the exam.

Though for some ungodly reason you still remembered that onions were actually leaves. It was one of the very few things you remembered from school, actually.

Probably the trauma speaking.

Still, you did find some interesting books - a diary speaking of the Decarabian rule, for example.

Today, I don my very own Windblume.

I can only hope Lord Decarabian never learns of its' significance.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

The winds are particularly harsh today.

I am afraid, but I smile and play my lyre as if nothing were happening at all, like I always do.

Sometimes, I forget if what I do is to reasure the people or to delude myself that everything is as it should be...

Then again, does it matter when the result remains the same?

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

The people are growing restless.

Their yearning for freedom gave birth to a small wind spirit that seems fond of my playing. It is an adorable being, even if it has yet to communicate with us.

It remind me of a newborn puppy.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

The people are planning a rebellion.

I want to help, but how can I? I am no soldier, my strength lays with the pen and the lyre, not with the sword.

Ragnvindr told me there was no need for more warriors, that I was doing enough by keeping the morale up with my performances... I am hesistant to believe him.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

The little spirit has spoken for the first time today.

It said that it knew the song I was playing, despite it being a new piece I was in the midst of creating, and sang along to lyrics I had yet to write.

It was strange, but it made me happy nonetheless.

Perhaps I was strange too, for feeling that way.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

You had a suspicion on who the author of the diary was by that point. Maybe Crepus would be open to giving this diary to Venti, instead of it gathering dust on the shelf?

Idly, you wondered how it had survived so long, but figured Ragnvindr and his descendants took good care of it.

I met Ragnvindr today.

Something compelled me to share my worries with him, even though I knew he had enough weight on his shoulders and I ought not to add more.

"If you cannot trust in yourself, then trust in me and my trust in you instead" he told me.

It helped.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

Meetings regarding the rebellion are more and more frequent. Ragnvindr, alongside a man named Amos, have convinced the Gunnhildr clan to participate against all odds.

I can understand their hesitance. Should we fail to kill Lord Decarabian, their legacy would be no more.

I admire their bravery.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

The wind has long since realized change is imminent, even when Lord Decarabian himself has not - the little spirit said so.

King of Gales indeed, even the wind has rebelled against him.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

Ragnvindr speaks of a bad premonition.

In truth, my heart is uneasy as well, but how can I share those feelings with anyone but myself? It is not the time to bother others with my issues -- it is time to reassure everyone, to rouse their spirit and not to let fear take root even as they stand against a God. It is my duty as a bard and as a fellow rebel.

The Windblume feels particularly heavy as I write this.

I fear I will not live to see tomorrow's sunset, but I fear for my dearest friends and for Mondstadt even more.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

My little spirit friend is still without a name.

I know it does not bother them, they are the wind itself after all, but I would still like to give them a name others can remember them by.

A name that they can remember me by once I pass on, selfish as it is to bind an immortal to a memory.

But I am selfish, even if Ragnvindr may see me as a paragon of virtue. I am a human and to be human is to be flawed. I am not ashamed of it, even if I often feel guilty for it.

Perhaps it will be the very last thing I achieve in this life of mine.

It is hard to name them.

I've thought of many names up until now.

Caelus. Liberius. Aella. Calliope. Achill. Carmine. Hilarius. Hanne. Zephyrinus. Dieter. Sascha. Scilla. Paulus. Notus. Veronica. Agna. Vergil.

Those are just a few of the ones I discarded.

None fit.

I can only hope the right name reveals itself when it is time.

.　 . • ☆ . ° . • ° : . * ₊ ° . ☆

That was the last entry.

You closed the diary and carefully put it aside.

☆(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ* ✨ Author Note✨

It was not supposed to be mostly nameless bard POV via old diary.

It really wasn't.

Mans literally kidnapped the chapter entirely against my will while I was half asleep yesterday and attempting to write at nearly midnight and I was powerless to stop it, on god.

But hey, at least we got potential Venti bonding set up for the future?

I was planning for more fluff, but I also have no outline for this, so my chapters have a chance of getting kidnapped at any time.

✨BY THE WAY!!!!✨

The charm of spontaneous writing, I guess?

If you have something you want to happen - for example we're in the library right now, so maybe you want a book about a specific tidbit to appear - do let me know, maybe I'll write it in!

I had 2 tests and 1 retake yesterday and holy shit i got through all of them and tomorrow is last day of uni then it's ✨HOLIDAYS✨

✨Taglist✨

@game-savvy @chaoticfivesworld @mmeatt @avalordream @ymechi @andromeda-gay @naynayaa @undecidingfate @thedevioussmirk @tumb3ld0wn @balaur-bondoc @yi-chii @yarabutterfly @nervouseaglelover @vexingpraedyth @indelible-colouring-markers @whitefantasy21-blog @kapitankarate

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello! It's me again. I'm probably pestering you, lol. I think a lotta people give flack for the Octavinelle trio being ruthless and "behaving like a Mafia." But I think considering where they live it makes sense? They live in the ocean. And the ocean is a kill or be killed environment, where you have to the strongest and toughest. If not? You at least have to be quick witted and unable to be seen, otherwise you'll be dead. If the trio become too soft they'll be fish meat.

I think the fandom is pretty divided when it comes to perceptions of what the Coral Sea is like. On one hand, you have the people who think of it as like living in Atlantica, which is basically just like living in a peaceful and pretty city (but underwater). Then you have the people who think the environment would be so different it would shape its inhabitants to behave differently as well. The second one tends to be a darker or grittier interpretation which aknowledges dangers such as other undersea creatures and treacherous living conditions.

Personally, I lean on and enjoy the latter, since TWST rarely ever designs purely for the aesthetic of it; one example of this is how the twins are confirmed to be bioluminescent in the Magical Archives. This is a decision that was not made “because it would look cool”, but because many deep sea creatures rely on this trait to intimidate potential predators. It would make more sense for the cold waters of the Coral Sea to change its people rather than merfolks’ cities simply being civilizations moved several leagues under, especially seeing TWST time and time again really consider the geography and history of each new location and how those inform the cultures that form there.

However, I want to state that the Coral Sea would be very different depending on which area you’re in, just like how there are nice parts and bad parts of a city. It’s not ALL nice or ALL bad. For example, the Atlantica Museum in book 3 appears to be in a more photic zone, so there’s more sunlight and it appears pleasant to be in. Even the merpeople there seem to be different than the Octatrio; they less so resemble specific sea creatures and are much more akin to being human-like. We have yet to really see how the benthic zones are—but we do know they must be harsher, since Floyd has mentioned exploring shipwrecks and various dangers there (like sharks).

I also want to point out that there are subtle signs in dialogue which could imply merpeople prefer traits that promote survivability and adaptability in the ocean. Azul’s bullies are noted to taunt him for his weight, but also for his bulky tentacles and inky tears. Now why those traits specifically??? Because these impede his ability to swim swiftly (making it harder to escape danger) and easily give away his location (if he’s in hiding or camoflauging).

I’ve seen others suggest that maybe these comments are because of racism against octopus merpeople, who are a rare kind of merfolk. This is entirely possible, yes! But thinking about it like that… Isn’t it also possible that there aren’t a lot of octopus merpeople at the moment because it’s more difficult for them to escape or to hide from predators? Which then informs and perpetuates preexisting prejudices. In this context (plus the bullying), it makes sense why Azul may have “hardened” as a defense and survival mechanism. The same goes for the twins, who were explicitly taught how to defend themselves (although this also goes into the Leech mob family theory, which is a whole separate matter) and have often made references to fighting others in the Coral Sea. Their upbringings also play a part in their personalities, but so does the environment they grew up in. Like Azul and the twins, you’d have to harden mentally or physically to some degree to ensure your survival through tough circumstances.

It’s hard to say for sure though! A lot of this is speculation based on current but infrequent lore, and the Octatrio themselves are a very small portion of all merfolk. They may not be representative of the behaviors of all other merpeople, and we should keep this in mind when referring to them as our exemplars. That’s why I’ve been hoping for a Coral Sea hometown event so we have a more concrete idea of what life under the sea is like 😭

[dann-art]

I know that vampire chronicles aren't meant to be historical accurate. Like you read this and you know that all this events can happen in literally any time and space. Like really. The times doesn't really matter there, there are no nuances.

Listen, I'm not a historian, by any means. It's just like a hobby, but I have millions of them so I don't even learn that much.

Also I usually don't give a shit about accuracy in media, like whatever, until it's science do what you want, whatever suits your story

But sometimes it's time to say enough is enough.

So, we need to talk about Armands origin in Kievan Rus'. Okay, that's cool, we don't really explore it, but well whatever, at least we're not messing this up, right? Right?

While I was reading I ignored it. I was reading TVA in polish translation I thought like okay, names and nuances probably got lost in translation. It's a really bad translation tho.

But out of curiosity today I opened the book in English, because this was sticking in my head.

And it appears it wasn't translators fault.

So well, it's like kinda huge mistake. Like no one really checked it? But this book constantly claims that like Kievan Rus' was then in Russia. And suprise, suprise: that's simply not true. Well the term is kinda not right and can mean anything, like back it existed as state it was huge, but (judging on the mention of Kiev itself) that it was like somewhere in that area.

So I'll spare whole history, it's not relevant. We're stop around 1480's, when Armand was born (based on my calculations). And in that time the region was called Kiev Voivodeship (hope I got it right in english), and it was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and stayed there until 1569, when it passed to the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (when the Polish-lithuanian commonwealth was created, but both countries were in union since early XV century)

So in the book we have some lines like this

Armand, bestie, I don't know how to break it to you, you're not russian. You never were. You've never lived in Russia (or back then I would use rather the name Moscow, but again I'm not a historian). More of a Ukrainian if so, but also not the world I would use. Most accurate would be rusyn (I think, or ruthenian???? I'm not sure how it works in English, anyway not russian).

Then we have this, and well... Oh boy. Something went really wrong with geography here. First of all, you've never been to Russia (or better say Principality of Moscow, like it wasn't even called Russia, from what I know, but i might be wrong).

So okay, Moscow and Novgorod were in part of Moscow indeed but Cracow!?!?!?? (Known also as my absolutely favourite city in the world). Like Cracow like Never ever has been a part of Russia. Okay, I get confusion with Kiev if you really really don't care about basic research. But Cracow???

Here's the map. Unfortunately it like administrative of Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth in 1619, but well you'll see my point. That doesn't make any sense

Cracow always was polish. Like it's our second capital. And look how far from Russia it is. Even during the partitions it goes to Austria not Russia.

Last thing I want to point out is this one

Like, man, maybe you speak russian, I do not doubt, like during travel to Moscow you could learn I guess.

I'm not entirely sure, but I guess the language there is ruthenian not russian. Like ruthenian is old language which is base for slavic languages such as Belarusian or Ukrainian. And what is also important it was not the language used in the Principality of Moscow, so it's definitely not russian.

Okay, thanks for reading if anyone is still there. I won't bore you any longer. It just was sitting in my head and I had to throw it out because we'll, basic research I guess.

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Third time the charm?

I am back! @spotaus

Look I got the week off and I am sick. there is very little else I am going to do except game, write and watch vods. So here I am again!

Back to filling up the, in my mind, holes in the story so far before we continue on!

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

*------------------*

Dust looks at the many books before him as he tries to think of what to get for Nightmare. Nightmare meanwhile is being a good babybones and stays by Horror eating ice cream.

Dust continues to stare at the books. Trying to think back. What did six year olds have to learn at this point anyway? And how far ahead of that is Nightmare?

Dust knows that Nightmare is smarter than the average six year old. That is a given. Dust knows his vocabular and reading skills are also far above average.

Dust just isn't sure how far certain skills and knowledge got reversed for him.

"Still no luck?"

Dust blinks out of his staring and looks up at Horror "What?"

Horror nods to the books, Nightmare easily held in one arm against his shoulder. Nightmare looks even tinier in Horror's hold and Dust already thinks Nightmare is smaller for his age than he should be.

Smarter but smaller.

Dust shrugs and turns back to the shelf he had been searching "Not sure on his skills."

Horror hums and looks at the books himself. Dust turns back to the options and thinks. They are still moving and universe hopping a lot making it impractical to take too many. One or two at most. That way they can at least start with some classes.

Horror turns to him and Dust looks up to show he has his attention. Horror nods towards the shelf "test level?"

Dust shakes his skull "I could but to specific." if he happens to pick a subject Nightmare still knows about it would set Nightmare up for more difficult classes, even while Nightmare may not be ready for all of those.

Horror hums in understanding as he searches the shelf.

Dust turns back again and thinks. They should at least get a math book. Math is after all to train your brain and problem solving skills. Which would be helpful. Probably basic add and substractions. He searches the shelf and picks out the book that looks promising.

Horror looks at the book before nodding and turning back "What else?"

And that is the problem isn't it? Because most subjects are still too complex for Dust's taste to get. history and geography while both would probably interest Nightmare both are very universe depended and just teaching him stuff about a world they may not even stay in would just be a waste of time.

Horror nudges his shoulder and once Dust looks at him he nods towards the english section "He likes poetry."

Dust blinks and nods. Maybe that is fine? He is already for ahead with english anyway. Maybe giving him something to work and read which is familiar and liked by him while they struggle through math together will be good for his motivation? Dust nods to Horror and walks over there.

Dust frowns at all the titles. He knows very little about this kind of stuff. He searches the story and finds a store clerk and walks over to them "Hello."

The person jumps and turns quickly "oh! Hi! I am sorry i didn't notice you... euh... what can i help with?"

Dust nods to the poetry books "Want a book."

The person blinks and nods "okay.... are you looking for a theme? Or a certain writer? A specific age or focus?" they walk towards the right shelf and look back at Dust.

Dust frowns and glances over at Nightmare nad Horror. Nightmare shrugs and hides his face while Horror looks unsure himself. Dust thinks for a moment "Need a book for the babybones. He already has one." Dust can't remember the name or writer of the book.

The clerk smiles and takes out a thin book with easy rhyming "This should be fine!"

Dust takes it and studies it and it doesn't feel the same. he shakes his skull and hands it back "There was a line in the book... of a poem he reads a lot..." and Dust has read a lot to him. "It went something like 'The dark goes deep but it is no end. Because in the night broken things mend. A time to rest and time to heal, it is the moment when we have a meal.'" Dust frowns as he tries to continue "something something... then later 'The night holds and the night protects. hidden away with all its gems. Holding the stars and letting those shine. until...' and that is what i remember from that..." and he waits.

The clerk frowns "That kinda seems like a few writers from the great depression..." they search the shelf and pull out an older looking book. They hand it over and frown "It seems a bit complex for a tiny child though..." and they shoot a smile in Nghtmare's direction. Not that nightmare is looking at any of them.

Dust looks through the book and nods "I think this will work..." it seems more on par of the book that Nightmare has been reading.

They go to the counter and Dust pays for the two books.

Dust and Horror leave the store together. The person says something but Dust isn't paying any attention to them as he checks the math book. the poetry book already in his bag.

Horror looks a bit embarrased and Dust frowns "What is wrong?"

Horror shrugs and rubs his cheek sheepish "Just... the what that person said."

Dust frowns as he glares back at the shop "Something bad?" he can go back and make them pay easily enough-

Horror holds up his one free hand "no no! Nothing like that... just..." and he shrugs as he keeps a tight hold on Nightmare. Seems like Nightmare is getting fussy. meaning either he is tired or hungry and he goes to acting grumpy because that is easier to hide behind than admitting he needs something.

Dust blinks back and nods at Horror "If you are sure-"

"Horror! Dust! Wait up!"

Dust freezes and glares "Oh are you fucking with me." That are the fucking stars. shit. He looks at Horror and sees that Horror made the same conclusion and that Nightmare is frozen in his hold.

They share a look. Dust is holding unto too many things to do the same as he did before and he doubt he can use the same tactic twice to get them out.

They have both been spotted.

Horror looks at Nightmare and clearly gets an idea as he pulls Nightmare back a bit "Stay still and don't move."

Some confusion brekas through the panicked look but Nightmare nods and that is all Horror needed as he lifts his shirt and just puts Ngihtmare under it nad IN his ribcage.

Moments later horror has the shirt on normally again and Nightmare isn't in view at all.

Right. Nightmare is small enough to be hidden like that-

running steps and Blue and Dream stop by them. Blue pants "FInally! Am I happy to see you!"

Dust and Horror share a confused look and Dust frowns "Since when?"

Blue looks a bit sheepish and looks at Dream. Dream looks very uncomfortable as he rubs his hands "I... euh... I was wondering... euh..." he looks around and spots the books Dust is holding "oh! Getting things for your little one?" and he smiles.

Dust nods and only after agreeing he remembers what Cross said last time they came across the Stars.

Dream nods once he realises that Dust isn't going to speak "Right! Yes. That is amazing! I... I see everything is well? How is the little one?"

Blue nods "We realised you never told us the little guy's name..."

Dust knows he is glaring as he speaks slowly "He is doing fine." and he stops there. shooting them a challenging look.

Blue coughs in his hand before looking at Horror "sup!"

Horror however looks many times more annoyed then Dust feels. Probably because Horror right now feels the nervous and anxious magic of Ngihtmare a lot more directly than they feel when they are just holding him. Putting him more on edge.

Blue gives a slow nod and looks away "Right..."

Dust raises a brow "Did you want anything specif or just wanted to waste our time?"

Dream flinches before smiling "I... I did have a request... I was... I was wondering... If you guys could ask Nightmare to meet with me?"

Dust freezes for a moment before his glare gets worse "Why the fuck would we do that? Just so you can lure him into a trap? Hunt him down some more?"

Dream shakes his skull quickly "I just want to talk..." he rubs his arm. "It is... personal."

Horror crosses his arms "I remember this happening once before." Dust nods and glares himself. it had been a whole thing where Dream tried to stage an intervention about Nightmare needing to be better and see that there are other ways to continue on instead of this path of hate he had set on.

The fact Dream had gone it to an adult Nightmare was bad. The fact that they now knew that their tiny babybones boss was in there the whole time just makes it worse.

Drema looks pale and shakes his skull "It isn't liek that! and... I know i shouldnt have done that back then either! I... I didn't have all the facts and information but I need to talk with nightmare about it-"

Killer appears and has his knife right by Dream's chin "Don't bother. You try to go near Boss ever again and we will end you." Killer's voice is low and dangerous. "We haven't been doing shit to your precious multiverse. leave us alone."

Dust watches the standoff when Cross joins his side and looks him and Horror both over worried and anxious. A small whine starts to leave his throat when Dust signs that Horror has Nightmare hidden. making sure to use their personal coded signs for it. Cross relaxes and leans against him as the tension disappears.

Dust looks back at the standoff to see that Dream has backed up, still looking pale and now heartbroken as well. Blue seems to be trying to reason with Killer but you have more luck reasoning with a pig in the mud than trying to get Killer to stop doing what he wants.

Dust raises his voice a tiny bit "We are leaving." the other three nod and Dsut looks at the two Stars "Stop bothering us." this was already the third time they happened to be in the same universe and Dust did not want to make it a fourth.

They quickly leave and once out of sight make a portal somewhere else. They hide away and quickly check on Nightmare. dust watches as Killer coos and nuzzles Nightmare and feels a bit calmer.

It is fine. They will not let anyone get their babybones.

*----------------*

And the third time the Stars came across the gang and Nightmare! (one of which they didn't fully notice but it still counts!)

First Drabble Prev Drabble Next Drabble

[koresflowers]

Introduction board

I know I did this before but i guess this is more in depth?And i just really want to have those aesthetic little boards so here it is

“with freedom,books,flowers,and the moon,who could not be happy?”-oscar wilde

🎀Name:Eloise

🌱Fandoms that I am in:grishaverse,epic the musical,marvel(kinda) and basically any media that i ingest

🎸Favorite artists:conan gray,arctic monkeys.artemas,chase atlantic,sabrina carpenter,girl in red,olivia rodrigo,chappell roan,beach bunny,jann,marina,the neighbourhood

📚Books I like:the picture of dorian gray,shadow&bone,heartless,renegades,girl goddess queen,they both die at the end,house of salt and sorrows,six of crows and the demon in the wood.

🪼Other hobbies of mine:

-drawing(i’ve been drawing for a bit and recently started digital art on procreate)

-artistic swimming

-writing

-doing puzzles or legos

-listening to music until my ears start bleeding🤭

🪻Silly and goofy facts about me:

-my favorite color is dark red

-i love jewelry sm

-my favorite food are cinnamon rolls(warm ones❗️)

-i have no sense of geography(it’s not funny anymore i swear)

-i love listening to music but i barely know the musical notes🤭

-my favorite movie is grown ups and favorite tv show is shadow&bone(obviously)

-my favorite song is probably Sweet Dreams TN by the last shadow puppets

okay so hoped you got to know me better at least from this and imo it just felt fun to do.like i love talking about anything that interests me sm.

honorable mention to my lovely and amazing moots: @starrycornelius, @siriuslyobsessedwithfiction , @its-the-world-that-falls-away , @stupendousbasementtidalwave , @ladystxrdust , @pink-cheese-puffs , @lilchonkybirb16 , @yours-truly-alcide (truly forgive me if i have forgotten someone)

(and pls reach out to me if you find yourself in those fandoms like i would really love to talk to anyone abt them)

[newx-menfan]

Thoughts on Cerebro Podcast:

Readers paying attention to nothing except X-Men is kind of brutally true 😂🤣 (I do read other comics…but X-Men is the only book I consistently read…)

Apparently one of the writers cats is very vicious! (I think it’s Jackson’s )🙀😾😹

Was kind of apprehensive when the podcaster mentioned not being a fan of NYX or NXM:AX- NYX I at least get…but I kind of am surprised they weren’t a big fan of NXM…honestly this is the same problem with “Xavier Files” for me; they write it off as “gimmicky” or “commercialization” or “a Harry Potter knockoff”, instead of admitting that NXM really was a great predecessor of Gen X and NM and fit really well with what Morrison had developed. I would say NXM was the only x-book that ever fully “felt” like a true blue “school” book and that the characters felt more realistic because they were flawed and more nuanced than a lot of previous teen characters 😒

Don’t agree that all the NXM should necessarily “break bad”- it makes sense more for someone like Hellion, (who went through bodily harm repeatedly, was heavily “shunned” by adults or labeled as a proto-villain, and was already pretty naturally rebellious) than a lot of the other NXM characters. Like I don’t envision Indra or even modern day Elixir turning because of their personalities…MAYBE Pixie because of Limbo influence? Even Surge, for example, as angry as she is…I can’t picture it working narratively as well.

Agree with the Podcaster that in a lot of ways these characters work in a new title because they feel “college age”- they’re not too young that you have to write a YA/highschool book and can feature broader themes…but they’re also still a “hip” and “young” age…

Brought up what I have been saying for years- that the NXM represented cultural crisis like climate change, 9/11, recession, ect… basically general disenfranchisement caused by modernity…and that they still work for that feeling and are basically the “millennials” of X-books

Kamala WAS editorially mandated 

I feel better hearing it described as “older Bendis” kind of book- as negative as I feel about Bendis, I did really enjoy his “street vibe” with Jessica Jones and Miles and miss those kinds of books. I miss books like “X-Factor Investigations” or the original “NYX”…

Really thrilled to hear Hellion is their favorite lol! (Although Hellion is pretty much EVERYONE’S favorite lol😜)

Really agree with the note that Hellion’s BIGGEST flaw isn’t that he’s wrong, but that he’s arrogant and condescending about it (it’s also TOTALLY why I think he’s an ♈️ and not a ♌️ )

Same with the “he’s not a BAD kid, he just comes off as bad”…

Agree that Laurie Collin’s COULD have made a really cool villian…although I really liked that despite her power set, Laurie WASN’T evil….also objectively…I’m more excited about it being Empath, because as everyone KNOWS, I REALLY wanted the Hellion v. Empath smackdown 😂🤣🤣

F***…. Might need to go back and read “Hellions” now 😂🤣🤣

The writers are obviously going to address the Sophie-Prodigy moment and Laura and Kamala (I have said this with Surge/Dust AX storyline…but again…there’s a difference with writing a problematic scene to explore a real problem vs. being racist/sexist/ect…) 

Really sad to hear the Surge hate ☹️, especially since the writers are obviously doing the same “learning moment” with Sophie and David….again, I would ARGUE the whole point of that original story WAS that Surge was wrong…but whatevs

The “shippers” commentary made me laugh 😂🤣

Liked the conversation around the local feel/geography (I was actually really excited when the “Vessel” at Hudson Yards popped up in issue #1)

I actually DIDN’T think about how Sophie MISSED Decimation…which actually makes it even MORE interesting!… Hellion AND Prodigy are definitely going to give Sophie a piece of their minds though lol

Sophie and Kamala being in the same boat (both didn’t experience THE BAD ERA of X-Men) and learning from one another sounds like it will be really interesting! I am actually MORE excited about Sophie than I was previously after listening to this podcast episode!

The statement about Empath being “Emma’s greatest failure” because you can’t really humble or nudge that character was an interesting way to look at Manuel and I am interested in seeing more of this play out

Sounds like Anole is going to be the one that gets arrested (1:11.45)

The idea of Emma constantly talking shit about Carol Danvers cracked me up 

Dante, David’s boyfriend will be heavily featured in issue #6; also I really appreciated the discussion around Dante, in general 

It does sound like no one should get super attached to any ship from this podcast ep lol

Not sure I care for “Kamala= Superman, Laura=Batman”….but whatevs

Feel super empathetic to Kelly needing to get off the call for his wife- it was super nice of him to do this podcast interview and congratulations on the new addition to his family!! ❤️

Everyone already knows this by now but QQ was originally meant to be “The Krakoan” in the first pitch…honestly it’s for the best because I am picky about my QQ representation…

Hellion commentary (1:27:15)- because THAT’S the most important lol

Totally agree that QQ was a million times better as an antagonist and they (cough…Aaron…cough) ruined a great Morrison character 

Kind of hope they didn’t JUST choose Julian because he’s a “white male privileged character”- Julian definitely IS that, but there’s also plenty more layers TO Julian…

This whole podcast episode is a love letter to Morrison and I LOVE it 😂🤣🤣🤣

Quentin DID steal Julian’s thunder and I am GLAD someone fucking SAID IT! 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

Calling me out on my Hellion grievances lol - yes, yes I AM that bitter lol

Again- I actually don’t see Surge and Wallflower going evil; Wallflower because she saw how her father’s abuse of his powers affected her mother, and Surge, because I think Noriko is too loyal and dependent on others ultimately…. Julian makes sense because he’s always been a pretty independent thinker/ stood his ground when he thought he was right and always had a “damn the consequences” attitude. Julian IS loyal…but his need to do what he saw as “right” often trumped that loyalty- remember him turning on Emma to defend Laura! (might do a bigger write up on this later!)

Hellion got his hands back…but it sounds like they’re going to tackle THAT story on page possibly

I agree that Hellion TOTALLY would have gone through the Crucible as well- while I LIKED Julian’s prosthetics and what they represented…the truth is Julian more or less SAID he wanted them HEALED in “X-Men: Legacy”…it wouldn’t narratively make sense for him to pull a “Karma” and keep them

Kind of do hope we see Julian MAKING telekinetic floating hands as a fight move…

I agree that Hellion would be angry over the loss of Krakoa…but I actually think, after years of Hellion “wanting fame and glory”…after years and years of trauma and abandonment…receding into the background, having his friends alive and back…might have been a relief to him. While Hellion DEFINITELY IS arrogant…I do think he learned his lesson that there’s a negative to “fame and glory”…

Really pleased to hear Lanzing say he wants Hellion to be a bigger character and kind of push back on the “Hellion is just taking QQ’s original role’s place”- I know I am going to get flack for saying this from QQ fans… but; Hellion is more interesting than just being the ANGRY REBELLIOUS FASCHIST KID. QQ’s original anger didn’t have the layers Hellion does. While there’s definitely some egotism and arrogance there….Hellion WENT through a lot of trauma and isn’t entirely WRONG to be angry at the X-Men….Hellion I would argue ALWAYS had a complexity that QQ never did, because Julian was more emotionally intelligent than QQ (and that WAS kind of the point of Kid Omega…his intellect didn’t match his emotional intelligence! He WAS a more realistic take on the kid who is too smart for his own good!)

Glad to hear him mention Laura specifically!

the 7 train IS objectively terrible lol

This *might* be the book where Kamala’s family finds out she’s a superhero…

I agree with the writers and liked the Aamir moment- I think it does highlight that it IS easy to play into stereotypes and discriminate…especially when there’s propaganda actively reinforcing it…

Kamala is apparently going to get an X-verse version of “the Trumper relative” 😳🤣🤣🤣

G Willow Wilson run shoutout ✊✊

Couldn’t say much about the new “Quiet Council”….but they’re all “failed, used, and taught by Emma Frost”…

“Emma is the educator that matters”- truth!…although this DOESN’T highlight her legacy in a particularly nice way or bode well for the new generation of students 🤣🤣🤣

“Why would we STOP” commentary about Krakoa and the freedom they once had is great!

Calling attention to Hellion AND Esme not having the Empath power effect over them in the art (although the cuckoos powers often show up as pink as well)- won’t confirm or deny Empath controlling them

There isn’t a “Cut and Dry” villain in the book apparently (Ooooohhh! I love that! I really DO hope we get Magneto levels of ambiguity with all these characters!)

Agree that the artist did a great job with Empath’s character design and harkening back to the 80’s! (Technically Empath’s hair color changed depending on the artist- sometimes it was a dirty blonde, sometimes brown…also I could totally see Manuel dyeing his hair to match Emma…so…)

Kind of wonder if Firestar OR Magma will pop up… one of my FAV issues of Uncanny X-Men WAS the one where Empath and Roulette manipulated Warpath’s grief over Thunderbird and Firestar…

The commentary ON Empath and the relationship of psychology to power sets was really excellent!! (1:52:05) [I ADMIT IT NOW- I MIGHT NEED to EAT CROW and read “Hellions” 😂🤣🤣] 

Possibly WILL be in conversation with Eve Ewing’s Emma book… (I really WOULD like to see a dive into Emma constantly trying to “undo” the past with new students, and how it’s NEVER about Emma trying to do “right” by these kids…as much as Emma USES her students as martyrdom…the truth is, much like Xavier, it’s ALWAYS ABOUT her ego…that’s why she does it…) [I KNOW people hated KYOST’s take on Emma back in the day…but I would argue that they weren’t entirely WRONG that Emma’s actions are complex and not ALWAYS altruistic…]

….It KIND OF IS Emma’s fault, people 😂🤣

Not sure I love the idea of the cast growing…but we will see…

Lanzing and Kelly MIGHT be on again! 

Thought about making a Greg land joke with the Spider-Man plug…but I won’t be petty….

Overall- I feel better about this book; it DOES seem like the writers are putting A LOT of thought into this book and aren’t just doing things without thinking about it deeply first! I definitely think this is going to be one of the strongest X-book we’ve gotten in a long time and I am PUMPED! 

(Also I may have to listen to CEREBRO Files more- the commentary was really great 😂🤣🤣)

I know I may regret it…but I am REALLY feeling optimistic about this book!!

[ayowotsdis]

Keeping my earth shattering imposter syndrome at bay, let's talk about my biggest project ever. Which I probably will never complete. But I love to talk about it.

So like I have this story in my head which I call the fantasy book in my head. Its a asoiaf meets bengal kinda thing. I like to call it grimdark, my friend who I narrated the main premise to said "that's straight up horror dude"

But like yk, bengali folklore and our love of ghosts. The main character is a very complex being (not exactly human, at least not anymore.) My main characters humanity, that died before the start of the story, haunts the narrative and the being she is now.

I'm worldbuilding so hard but like, it's genuine fantasy so a lot of ghosts and of course since my Bangladesh is a riverine country, a lot of river related geography and the rivers are characters of their own.

Also this story came to me in a dream on 23rd November 2014. I was chilling in Dhaka as an 8 year old. A lot has changed since then.

Also the main characters family is basically descended from shath bhai chompa. I'm crazy. And it's a huge plot point.

Also a lot of baghs and well a lot of environmentalism. My mc is a product of environmental manipulation. It's basically mother nature sends you as a fuck you letter to the government.

Also, a "spirit" haunts my main character the whole time (like bikrom betal/vikram betal). And then there's the whole body, heart and soul symbolism.

The prologue chapter starts as a putul nach scenario. Honestly will I ever finish this? Probably not. But if I ever do, will it just be me making jabs at my colonisers, the government and every authority figure there is? Yup. Also a lot of indigenous representation cuz Bangladesh sucks at that. Yeah no wonder I'm going insane. Also my main motivation to write this is to be present at the bengali ghost Wikipedia page at the writer's section.

[glubby-guppiez]

*I MADE A TMNT AU [WIP]

*cw: typing quirk

*Oroku family info

*Basic synopsis

*Turtles are from a zoo in Guatemala

*The turtles are Central American Snapping Turtles

*They were stolen and mutated by Baxter Stockman

*Baxter Stockman is the main villain and the turtles work to stop him because he is too far gone and has hurt so many people and creatures in his quest for vast knowledge and is completely apathetic

*)(amato + Foot clan does not affect the story

*The turtles + Splinter lived in Guatemala until they met April and then they moved to New York to go after Stockman

*The turtles start off as regular mutant turtles, but early on during the events of the AU, get mutated further into dragons (friends idea)

*Character Info

*Shared info about the turtles

*Central American Snapping Turtles *All were originally named by the zoo *When they are mutated into dragons, their heights increased *The mutation process was very painful *Wings grew out of their backs and broke their shells at the top where the wings grew *Knows/speaks/writes in Spanish and English *Keeps their original weapons *Learned ninjitsu and self defense similarly to Mutant Mayhem and Bayverse via books and videos but also by watching humans at the dojo that is right above where they live

*Michelangelo

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'11" (Pre-Dragon) *7'2" (Post-Dragon) *Very muscular build *Lost one of his right toes *Wears cheap gym shorts and an orange sweater around his shoulders that soon turns into his mask after he mutates into a dragon (tears off a sleeve) *Nunchaku on belt *Stickers on shell, including an anime sticker Raphael put on as a joke that won't come off *Old mask had the iconic Mikey short tails *Gay *The Leader *Optimist *Actually good at strategizing *Tries to stay energetic and joyful even when it's inappropriate *A little bit insensitive tbh *Not entirely on purpose he just doesn't understand why everyone isn't happy-go-lucky and constantly optimistic like he is *#1 Cheerleader *Tries to keep good relationships with his family *Very loving and supportive of them *Learning empathy is part of his character development *Mondo Gecko becomes a love interest for him later on

*Madonna (Donatello)

*She/)(er Transfem changed name *6'4" (Pre-Dragon) *7'6" (Post-Dragon) *Largest and most muscular turtle because of her Bo training and mechanical handling *Wears skirts and an apron with lots of storage, including a large tool belt *Steal's Raph's clothes even though they are small on her *Paint splats on shell *Braided mask tails *When everyone's masks broke because of the second mutation, she made everyone but Mikey new ones (Mikey immediately tore up his sweater and made a new mask) *Straight *Group inventor *Not very good at organizing her thoughts and explaining her inventions, and tech is always very messy and hard to follow *Personality is like Rise!Donnie but toned down *Doesn't really get mad but sulky *Very bad grammar *Often butts heads with 'Nardo *)(as a large bo collection and only uses her least favorites and never the ones she really likes unless she has to *Small crush on CJ in the beginning (purely one-sided and goes away after a while)

Leonardo

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'8" (Pre-Dragon) *6'7" (Post-Dragon) *More scrawny and lanky than the rest of the group *Was effected the most by the second mutation out of the group appearance wise *Wears comfortable loose clothes like hoodies and sweatpants *Plain, long tail mask *Wore glasses before second mutation *)(as a dragon carved onto his lower shell (he begged asked Madonna to do it) *AroAce *Main intel of the group *Very observant *Non verbal and writes everything that comes to mind in these journals called: "Big Book of 'Nardo Thoughts" and hopes to publish them one day. *Thinks he should've been the leader *Geography nerd *Otaku

Raphael

*She/)(er Cis female *5'4" (Pre-Dragon) *7'4" (Post-Dragon) *Muscular but chubby build *Wears feminine clothing mainly jeans and crop tops but also skirts and dresses *Mask tied into a nice bow *Madonna put nail polish drawings on her shell *Paints hers and Mikey's nails *Lesbian *Sassy like 1987 Raphael *Very girly and feminine *Very protective of her family *Does have rage strength *A voice of wisdom/reason *Still kind of childish *)(angs out with Splinter a lot *Gets a girlfriend named Marilyn

Splinter

*)(e/)(im Cis male *5'6" *47 *Bushy-tailed Woodrat *Wears a dirty ass expensive silk bathrobe that he stole from a human that he WILL NOT take off *Raph likes to style his fur *Straight ally *Only knows Spanish *Reads a lot and taught the turtles how to read *Great cook *Mediocre dad *Was taken from his own parents at an early age so he has no clue how to parent outside of instinct and books *He's trying he goes to the PTA meetings he goes to them/ref *Brought home a whole bunch of girl books for Madonna when she came out to him *Praises Mikey for his optimism *Adores 'Nardo's writing *Wants a wife so bad

Baxter Stockman

*TW FOR MENTIONS OF ABUSE *)(e/)(im Cis Male *5'5" (Pre mutation) *6'4" (Post mutation) *56 *Black and Brazilian *Buzz cut (Pre mutation) *Skinny build (Pre mutation) *Becomes a fly mutant *Much more muscular post mutation *)(air grows out *Kind of looks like Super Fly *Wears stereotypical lab gear *Questioning AroAce *Very devoted to his work *Abused and neglected his wife (April's mom) and daughter (April O'Neil) *Made the turtles, Shredder, Splinter, and other mutants *Everyone )(ATES him *Rightfully so *)(e uses mech suits to fight like 2012 him in season 1 *CJ is his pupil early on *Kind of a bitch to CJ *Sadistic *This man gets very uncomfortable to be around after he's mutated *Like bro wanting disect and study every living thing he comes across after the mutation *Throws a fit when he's wrong about something *Has a deep desire to be all knowing

April O'Neil

*She/They/It Demigirl *5'8" *19 *Afro Latina *She has dark brown hair styled in afro puffs *Skinny but athletic build *Sports a black and yellow track suit with a white undershirt *Bisexual *Daughter of Baxter Stockman *Tech whiz *Madonna's best friend *Big sister figure to the turtles *Grew up in Guatemala and moved to New York with the turtles and Splinter shortly after meeting them *)(er dad's #1 hater *Fluent in Spanish *Knows English, but it's rough *Uses a gun *Dating Karai

Casey Jones (CJ)

*They/)(e/It Nonbinary (fine with gender neutral or masculine terms) *5'2" *17 *White *)(as that 2000's mid length emo boy haircut *Wears Jeans + Band tee and a lab coat *Main inspo from 2012 Casey design wise *Omniromantic (pref for men) Asexual *Kind of wimpy and doesn't fight *Mainly uses mousers and other robots *Stockman's pupil until he joins up with the turtles *Works alongside 'Nardo and Madonna *Genuinely scared of Mikey *Grew up in New York *Failed Art Class and will have to repeat highschool they are so salty about this it is not even *Geek loser *Main personality inspo from '87 and 2012 Stockman

*I will write about more characters later and more lore but rn this is all you get. If you wanna see specific characters or if you have any questions, feel free to ask me my ask box is open!

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 59 – Spear by Nicola Griffith

So after loudly complaining about this year’s Hugo nominations enough, it was recommended I try using the World Fantasy Awards shortlist as a reading list instead. Spear is the first result of that – I’d never heard of either it or Griffith as an author before, but the library helpfully had a copy with only a three-week hold. It was, well – unevenly paced and characterized, often beautifully written, a setting I’ve got an enduring fondness for, a bunch of things. But at the very least I’m not confused or annoyed that anyone would nominate this for a ‘best novel of the year’ award, so beating the Hugo’s!

The book’s Arthuriana, of a mythological and Early Medieval type. Specifically, it’s a queer retelling of the story of Sir Percival (Peretur here, the book makes an attempt to use Welsh names for most. Artos and Cei and so on) intermixed with celtic mythology (the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann are stolen to be the Grail, Excalibur, the Stone the sword was in, and Peretur’s Spear). Also Peretur is a) a demigod raised from birth on soup and water drunk out of the Grail/Cauldron and b) a lesbian. The book follows her childhood, raised in the wilderness with only her mother and wildlife for company, how she eventually leaves her behind to fufil a dream of becoming one of the king’s companions, and the trials she undergoes to become accepted by them. The second half of the book then follows her falling in love with Nimune, accidentally breaking the geas that was hiding her mother and the cauldron from her father (a wrathful Tuatha Dé) the organizing of the grail quest and her, Lancelot, and Nimune going to kill her dad and retrieve the grail/cauldron. And then bury it away after lying to everyone that the queen had had a sip from it and wouldn’t be infertile anymore. Having thus doomed the kingdom, they set about enjoying their lives together.

So, queer early medieval Arthuriana retelling. Which on reflection probably seems like less of a natural/obvious combination to people who spend less time on tumblr than I do. The ‘Early Medieval’ part of that seems pretty carefully researched, and the book takes great joy in describing everyone’s panoply, situating the politics in a very specific post-Roman collapse politics and geography, and so on. In that sense reminds of Bernard Cromwell’s take on a ‘historicall’ Arthur in the same era (which I read far too young because my father had just left them lying around the house and still inform my default view of the genre.) The queerness is just presented to be taken as a given more than part of the actual plot – being a crossdressing lesbian causes Peretur exactly zero problems at any point, and Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere are a loving polycule so actually it’s a net reduction in sexuality-related drama compared to the usual.

The basic conceit aside, the most striking thing about the book is easily the prose. It’s written in a kind of elevated, mythological or capital-R Romantic voice. There are passages that are legitimately quite beautiful, and just overall does a lot to sell the story as somewhere between chivalric romance and myth.

Otherwise – I pretty much adored the first half the book, covering our hero’s childhood and attempts to build a reputation that will earn her acceptance from the king’s court and a place at the round table. Peretur’s naivete and utter lack of understanding of politics form a nice contrast with her being, well, a superhuman demigod with magical wild empathy skills when it comes to everything else. The second half, on the other hand – I mean it just tries to pack in way too many plot points and too much lore in not nearly enough page count. The effect – one long procession of character revelations and things happening without preamble or fallout – fits the whole mythic style but, like, not in a good way.

Also since the whole happy ending is built around a central romance it’d help a lot if Nimune felt like more or a character and less of an exposition fairy. Peretur legitimately had more chemistry with Angharad-the-innkeepers-daughter from the second act. Also since it was how the book ended, the big choice to hide away the cauldron/grail and make sure neither king nor queen nor anyone else ever drinks from it is presented as this, like, considered and moral decision without ever touching on any of the massive hypocrisy inherent in it for ms. ‘grew up drinking from it every meal. But it’d corrupt and drive insane anyone else who did. For sure.’ was just deeply irksome to me.

Still, not at all a bad read. Maybe a bit style over substance, but it’s a good style and worn well.

[fantomette22]

2, 4, and 13 for Maria!!

3 for Gehrman!

1 for your smol KH boy, the mini Gehrman…BRAIN! I remembered!

Ask game from here

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on

Euh oh boy hmm I guess I have severals ones but I will say the fact that she really respected and had huge admiration for Gehrman. I really wanna know what happened in their goddamn life to have such a strong bond (whatever the interprets just platonically have a strong connection at least).

And I will add that I headcanon she could really do blood pyromancy for real if she really wanted to or loose control. And that's why she almost never did from her living, it terrifyed her.

4. Favorite line

Well she basically have 3 sentences of dialogue 💀 so if cut content don't count I guess so all of them? Maybe the first one.

13. Dumbest thing they’ve ever done

AH interesting! Well if the more dramatic dumb things don't count (like idk getting into fight with your family of running away!) she did a couple of very dumb things when she was younger for sure 😂 Hm I guess trying to cook something for the first times and failing. Oh Maria it's not gonna boil & get cook if you don't put it on the fire XD

Also I supposed tons of lil jokes to her family & cousins. Oh I could tell you the time she had enough of freaking raw meat and said she didn't want to eat some anymore. Oh boy... (that's your fault for the inspo) but they give her a whole ass salad 💀 with all the leaf maybe not wash. And all. And afterwards whole ass vegetables like carrot who weren't cut or peeled! She last 1-2 weeks before apologising XD

Oh and of course my fav dumb & dangerous Byrgenwerth shenanigans! (it's not just her but the entire students squad, who are like around 20y) : Hey, what if we decided to go in a restricted and forbidden area that was surprisingly open during prom night to discover dark secrets about the college! No one will know, or we'll play dumb to not get into trouble! I'm sure nothing will go wrong and we will not almost die because a werewolf show up! :)

A miracle some of them managed to live 15 more years 😑😭

3. Obscure headcanon  for Gehrman

Hmmmm... ok I got it thanks XD Well while hc about him being neurodivergent aren't unique, me projecting all my knowledge in geology into him is XD I imagined even with his very modest childhood he liked reading books, to discover and learn things about nature and the world around him.

Seeing a lil meteorite crash in the field and recovering it changed him as well! So yes besides being a strong fighter with good survival skills, having the ability to make weapons, know the materials' characteristics etc I like to imagine he did learn more on geology, geography, cartography, how to built mines and underground tunnels, and a bit of astronomy as well! Always useful on the field! He can easily recognize the 3 different irons ore as well! Everyone is confuse but it feel very easy to him to differentiate hematite from magnetite from siderite x)

1. Canon I outright reject for Brain. (we literally have another character/hero who literally have a red scarf lmao. This one is a goth with a fedora who really like data and informatics and screw up fate xD )

Euhhhhhh. Well it's still not sure if it's canon and you'll probably don't understand shit but anyway spoiler

I refuse to believe Luxu just stole Brain's body and yet his heart & soul idk where and basically kills him. I wanna believe maybe it wasn't Luxu but Brain after a time skip? Or maybe he did took Brain's body but still send his heart/souls in Scala? And so he got a new body/his body back?? Idk this game & series is making me crazy.

Like I am still so confuse. 3 YEARS AFTERWARDS huzdabdbkefz

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the First Time in Fifteen Years

Ok, so having left Frodo enstabbened at Weathertop, we're now picking up in the aftermath and we are hauling ass to Rivendell. Well, specifically the Ford of Bruinen and the Last Bridge...I'm pretty sure. NGL, I'm pretty bad at literary geography in general, and Strider's quick-and-dirty river overview honestly did not make sense to me, so we're pointing our noses at the river with the bridge the other side on which is Rivendell. Get it? Got it? Good. Let's talk chapter 12, "Flight to the Ford."

So as is eminently sensible when one has been stabbed by a Black Rider, Frodo passed the hell out and fell on his face in the grass. Which, while eminently sensible, still freaked the ever-loving hell out of the other Hobbits. And I'm sure that Strider fucking BAILING on them moments later didn't help, because he didn't exactly take time to explain what's happening there. Which is why I honestly don't give Sam ANY shade for any of this:

Sam plainly was beginning to have doubts again about Strider; but while they were talking her returned, appearing suddenly out of the shadows. They started, and Sam drew his sword and stood over Frodo; but Strider knelt down swiftly at his side.

Y'know...if my boss/BFF was possibly dying in the grass at my feet and our guide fucked off without telling me where he was going after we'd just been attacked by basically Eldritch Horrors, I'd be sus and very willing to stick my sword in them too. All props to Sam's protective instincts here, and honestly Strider might have deserved it if he'd been a little bit inexpertly stabbed by a hobbit this night.

Although, I will say that Strider wins some points back because of all the hobbits, SAM is the one he explains the situation to and SAM is who he is straight with about the severity of Frodo's wound. Literally every authority figure the hobbits have come across so far have respected the hell out of Sam's position in the group of hobbits and his ability to take in and cope with information. And as per usual, Merry is over there stoking the fire and keeping Frodo warm--looking after Frodo's needs really seems to be Merry's deal in this book, because he's the one who helped him move and then made sure that there was food and baths at Crickhollow. Like that's going to transfer to Sam and Sam already has this...proprietary thing...for Frodo, but he's super cool with Merry sharing the load, and I guess I can't say I blame him. I'm just saying that there are two big, beefy brain cells among the four hobbits, and when Sam and Merry aren't splitting them, Sam's holding both.

Finding the dagger hilt, slashed cloak, and Athelas plant also help, because it means Strider can tell everyone what precisely they're dealing with. It's...bad, it's definitely BAD, what they're dealing with, but at least they know. I would also just like to point out that the Athelas preparation in this scene looks way more like the scene in the Return of the King film than it does literally this scene in the Fellowship movie:

He crushed a leaf in his fingers, and it gave out a sweet and pungent fragrance. [...] He threw the leaves into boiling water and bathed Frodo's shoulder. The fragrance of the steam was refreshing, and those that were unhurt felt their minds calmed and cleared. The herb also had some power over the wound, for Frodo felt the pain and also the sense of frozen and cold lessen in his side; but the life did not return to his arm, and he could not raise or use his hand.

Pretty sure not being able to use that arm or hand is going to be a PROBLEM since we need to point our nose at the ford and haul ass, but we'll...burn that bridge when we cross it, I guess? Too many bridges.

What I found REALLY freaking cool though, is that this is the first time that Frodo really and truly understands that the Ring and the forces of Mordor in general are influencing him. He wrote off the incident at the Prancing Pony as an accident, but he cannot deny at this point that he put the Ring on because IT wanted to be worn, not because he wanted to wear it. I think the timing on this realization is mostly foreshadowing, but I think it's also giving the reader a sense that something has fundamentally shifted. Bilbo had this ring on and off his dang finger for like...IDK, 60 years? I could go back and check but I'm not. The POINT is, Bilbo was using the Ring like it was a magician's prop and get-out-of-a-Sackville-Baggins-encounter-free card and there wasn't that same realization. Frodo is dealing with an entirely different beast, and it's not his fault that nobody warned him about it and it's whispering sweet, deadly nothings to his soul. At least he KNOWS now, and if you're aware of something, you can deal with it.

Unfortunately, what Frodo super cannot deal with is walking. So he ends up on the pony for like ten straight days through really rough terrain and rain. And because I have RA and like Count Rugen have a deep and abiding interest in pain, we're gonna just go ahead and take a look at the hell hauling ass over this terrain is for Frodo:

Before the first day's march was over Frodo's pain began to grow again, but he did not speak of it for a long time. [...] Frodo was restless. The cold and wet had made his wound more painful than ever, and the ache and the sense of deadly chill took away all sleep. He lay tossing and turning and listening fearfully to the stealthy night-noises: wind in chinks of rock, water dripping, a crack, the sudden rattling fall of a loosened stone. He felt that black shapes were advancing to smother him... [...] Frodo threw himself down, and lay on the ground shivering. His left arm was lideless, and his side and shoulder felt as if icy claws were laid upon them. The trees and rocks around him seemed shadowy and dim.

Yeah, so this? This sounds like hell. This reminds me of the first five or so years of having RA, before I got used to functioning in pain and before we figured out meds that worked. The self-yote to the ground and just being like "this is where I die" is DEEPLY relatable, especially since Frodo is still in the "DEAR GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING" phase of adjusting to chronic pain. You have no energy, no equilibrium, and no idea what is coming for you. Plus, nights are the frickin' worst, because you are in pain, all alone, and trapped in a sea of physical pain that you can't even catch a sleep lifeline to escape and isn't kind enough to drown you. All that to say I super relate to Frodo at this point, and someone get this hobbit some Flintstone Chewable Morphine.

We do get a little levity though, when Pippin forgets not only the Baggins family history but also everything he ever knew about trolls and barrels back to camp screeching that there are three trolls in a clearing below...in broad frickin' daylight. Strider apparently took a course in "Dadsplanations" at some point, because he just strolls on into the midst of what are revealed to be Bilbo's trolls and pokes them with a stick. Everyone has a laugh about this and the bird's nest behind one of the trolls' ears that Pippin missed. Having all been put in a better mood, Merry insists that Sam give them a song, and this absolute polymath of a hobbit busts out EIGHT ORIGINAL STANZAS of a troll song. On the spot. Seriously, this hobbit is deeply impressive in so many theatre kid ways that I think he'd get beat up for learning his lines word-perfect overnight.

Since it's suddenly going so well, the party gets yet another win: Glorfindel shows up! Thank god that Gildor apparently had the foresight to send a heads up to Elrond that the goddamn RING was on the move and the bearer had NO HELP. Unfortunately the news apparently travels slowly, because if I'm mathing this right (do NOT count on that, I'm an English major for a reason), then Elrond's riders didn't set out until the day AFTER Frodo got enstabbened. But Glorfindel can at least account for five of the nine riders, even if that accounting is "they're on our tails and moving FAST." Glorfindel also comes on a damn good horse, and Frodo is unceremoniously sat on said horse, because if they get cornered by the Black Riders, then the horse can get Frodo the hell out of there. Which honestly is reasonable planning and A+ for people with equipment and common sense finally giving the hobbits a goddamn hand.

That Glorfindel then proceeds to set an absolutely punishing pace and has to keep the hobbits going with magic elf liquor is...regrettable but they have ALL NINE BLACK RIDERS on their tails, so hauling ass even more is appropriate.

As they come up over the hill to within view of the Ford of Rivendell, naturally the Black Riders reappear, and Glorfindel is like, "RUN!!!" Which is where the foreshadowing we got earlier with the Ring's will pops back up:

[Frodo] did not obey at once, for a strange reluctance seized him. Checking the horse to a walk, he turned and looked back. The Riders seemed to sit upon their great steeds like threatening statues upon a hill, dark and solid, while all the wood and land about them receded as if into a mist. Suddenly he knew in his heart that they were silently commanding him to wait. Then at once fear and hatred awoke in him. His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it.

Thank goodness Glorfindel's horse is a good listener, because Frodo going Rider-a-hobbit with FIVE RINGWRAITHS seems like a super poor life choice. The horse gets Frodo across the ford, but then stops to let Frodo and the Black Riders have a little face-off where Frodo orders them back to Mordor and they're like, "Yes, we'll TAKE you back there, just come with us."

This little standoff is broken when the Black Riders I guess get tired of trying to talk Frodo into cooperating and just start to mind whammy his ass and cross the ford.

Which is when we get the magical water horses sweeping all nine away. Which is basically the last thing Frodo sees before falling off the horse Glorfindel said wouldn't lose any rider he'd been ordered to bear and passing out.

So Frodo's just had possibly the worst almost two weeks of his life, and has finished two chapters in a row by very sensibly passing out. We're going to leave it there, because it seems really rude to poke Frodo with a stick to see if he'll wake up. This is also the end of Book I, so guess we're technically at the halfway point! So when we pick up next time, Sam is going to get all the Elves he can stomach, we'd freaking BETTER get Gandalf--his ass has been missing for several hundred pages at this point--and we'll get everyone restarted on this quest, because even Elrond and Gandalf agree that this quest start deserves a mulligan.

[thesorcerersapprentice]

04.03.2024

Hello everyone! Apologies for the delay. My offline life has gotten quite hectic lately, which has made it hard to keep on schedule. Hopefully, things will smooth over soon!

Worldbuilding & Solar/Cyberpunk Considerations: As I mentioned in the last couple of updates, I've been working on a post on the geography, flora & fauna of The Sorcerer's Apprentice universe, which I meant to publish last week (and the week before that, lol). I've completed the three sections that correspond to the (as of yet unnamed) second empire's territory (second because the book focuses on neo-colonialism, the successor of old-world colonialism), all of which are based on the natural world of Colombia at 2600 meters above sea level and beyond. Because the plot of The Sorcerer's Apprentice mainly transpires in a city within this region, while writing the aforementioned sections, I was also trying to figure out what a city that incorporates the novel's themes (the link between colonialism, environmental catastrophe, and capitalism) would look like within this context. Given that one of the main themes is capitalism, my first impulse was to make the primary plot location in the novel a cyberpunk-inspired city. After all, what screams capitalism gone mad more than cyberpunk? To this end, I read quite a few articles on the subject (Rethinking the End of Modernity: Empire, Hyper-Capitalism, and Cyberpunk Dystopias by Jeffrey Paris, Elements of a Poetics of Cybperunk by Brian McHale, Neoliberalism and Cyberpunk Science Fiction: Living on the Edge of Burnout by Caroline Alphin, Recycled Dystopias: Cyberpunk and the End of History by Elana Gomel, The Cyberpunk Dystopia as a Reflection on Late Capitalism by Marius Florea, and more). The problem with this idea was that when I looked around me at Bogotá, the city I live in, I just couldn't see it. Bogotá is a green city. There is green everywhere you look. Furthermore, traditional-looking cyberpunk flattens any culturally specific elements it incorporates, the same way big-chain supermarkets worldwide completely obliterate the slightest whiff of uniqueness from their premises. No matter where you are, they all look the same. As I mentioned in a previous update, one of my aims with The Sorcerer's Apprentice is to celebrate the culture of my region of the world. Cyberpunk, at least as it has been traditionally conceived, works against that objective. Again, this fits with what capitalism does irl, but I really really really don't want to write yet another NYC-inspired urban hellscape. In fact, I can't think of anything worse than having my main character admire a cyberpunk city... My search for a more suitable alternative led me to the antithesis of cyberpunk, its eco-friendly adversary, solarpunk. For information on this genre, I relied mainly on @alpaca-clouds post on the History of Solarpunk and @solarpunks's informative response, which includes several very helpful links (check out both posts here!). At first glance, solarpunk seemed to fit The Sorcerer's Apprentice much better than cyberpunk had; it allowed me to envision a city that elevated rather than obscured (or flattened) present-day Colombian culture. Basically, with solarpunk I could keep the city green, as cities in this region of the world tend to be; I could retain the push for sustainable innovations that play such a vital role in our mainstream policy; and I could keep the regional architecture, as well as site-specific building materials like guadua, a hardy local species of bamboo. Most importantly, with solarapunk I could genuinely describe the city with respect and admiration. The only remaining issue was to figure out how to incorporate the novel's themes into this genre. After all, although Solarpunk is utopic, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is not. How do I illuminate and criticize the link between capitalism, colonialism and environmental decay within a fantastical city that walks and talks like a utopia?

Cont. My solution is to create a hybrid proposal somewhere between cyberpunk and solarpunk; a city that presents like solarpunk, but that has achieved this green, sustainable self-expression without renouncing its colonial and capitalist exploitation of vulnerable peoples and environments elsewhere. Essentially, this would make the city the large-scale equivalent of one of those high-end clothing brands that have "recycled" symbols on their tags, but that have their product made in deplorable overseas sweatshops. The message of the novel would, thus, be amplified to include the idea that there can be no environmental justice without social justice. Does it work? We'll see. That's what I've got so far.

Researched the Link between Colonialism, Environmental Catastrophe and Capitalism: To educate myself on the main themes of the novel and how these can be better incorporated into the setting, I picked up Chaos in the Heavens: The Forgotten History of Climate Change by Jean-Baptiste Fressoz & Fabien Locher, and translated by Gregory Elliott. And let me tell you, I was not expecting to learn what I learned!!! This book is honestly fire. I had no idea climate science was so deeply rooted in colonialism!! Honestly, more than any other book I've read so far, Chaos in the Heavens articulates the link between the three main themes I've been trying to work with so, so clearly. Now I understand why people say we're lazy because we get too much sun. Or why all the native trees got cut down and replaced with pines. Eye-Opening!!! 100000% recommend.

REMINDERS:

Answer pending asks, and publish that promised worldbuilding post on the geography, flora & fauna of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice universe, you know the drill lol

Research Transhumanism.

Research Designs for Sustainable Cities and New Green Technologies.

TAG LIST: (ask to be + or - ) @the-finch-address @fearofahumanplanet @winterninja-fr  @avrablake @outpost51 @d3mon-ology @hippiewrites @threeking @lexiklecksi @achilleanmafia @blind-the-winds

© 2024 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. All rights reserved.

[emblemxeno]

Mystery of the Emblem Book 1 Thoughts

-Getting to play through Shadow Dragon's story again is like coming home, especially since it's a fresh take on it for me

-That said, it really shows in retrospect how little Shadow Dragon DS added in terms of writing, because aside from the prologue, side missions and bonus conversations, it's basically the same lol

-It's so good to visit villages and have maps with varying geography and set pieces again. The chapter specific tips/flavor text along with the well built setting is really just prime FE storytelling for me.

-I personally don't mind the cut chapters and characters as much as I thought I would tbh. I never liked using the Ballisticians, there's no worth in using axe users like fighters or pirates, Wrys is more of a meme than an actual character IMO, and Roger is an armor knight in an early FE game which doesn't bode well for him. Gotoh not joining in the final map is the only one I miss, but that's not a big loss at the end of the day. As for the chapters, it's a similar sentiment. There is some story bits and nuance that have been lost with it that are in Shadow Dragon, but ultimately it doesn't change the foundation of the story too much to make a difference. Plus, the chapters that were cut in Book 1 were lowkey some of the most annoying in SD, especially Wooden Cavalry.

-Gameplay pretty solid. Like I said a few days ago, it plays really well even today, unlike what I thought it would for a 30 year old game.

-The only archaic snag is deployment not letting you influence where units start at, with it being solely decided by selection order and not being able to be seen before starting the map. And that only became a problem in the last couple of maps (Endgame especially, since specific units being in specific places matters a good deal).

-LOVE busted stat boosters, 11 Mov Marth go brrrrrrr. Also bias for Linde by giving her the early speed ring payed off in spades, she was a champ.

-My opinion on class changing ASAP being almost always the most beneficial move (with extra unpromoted levels past the 10 benchmark serving as insurance for those units not falling off) was really cemented here. Having an early Hero Ogma, for example, really bolstered my turns and gave me a safety net just in case I made mistakes.

-FE3's unique quirks and mechanics, like dismounting, set experience gain, and the weapon level stat got me to use characters I never gave time to in SD DS, such as Wendell (the prime backup slot tbh), Jeorge (Silver Bow go crazy) and Lorenz (the Gradivus guy on the two final indoor maps).

-Idk if this is a hot take, but from using Tiki and even Bantu in early maps, FE3 has the best implementation of the dragon stones imo. Lore wise I think it makes much more sense to have a 5 turn transformation cost 1 use, rather than each individual attack costing one. And gameplay wise, imma be real, why shouldn't the transformation characters be kind of busted? I get that people don't want a 'Press Manakete To Win' type of situation, but I think for instances where you only get one of them, this is the way to go. At the very least, it's much better than Myrrh's situation in FE8, and from what I heard, Fae is even worse than that.

-Overall just a grand old time. Not sure if I'd go and replay Book 1 anytime soon since I still think SD DS has merits that make it an equal but different experience, but it was worth playing and then some.

[ikeromantic]

Alice in College, pt 5

An IkeRev Central characters AU! Written for my IkeRev 1K Celebration, a boarding school AU was the poll winner. Approx. 3000 words. 5/6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Mousse was asleep again. Alice crept past him and sat at one of the desks. She wondered if he even noticed that she skipped part of her detention yesterday. In fact, she was fairly sure she could skip the entire thing for the rest of the week and just tell him she’d been there while he slept. But that seemed . . . wrong. Mousse was nice and she didn’t want to lie to him.

He did not stir when she pulled a book from the pile and began to read and make notes. 

Alice tried to focus on her studies. There was so much to catch up on, and not just the obvious course work. Students that grew up in Cradle had a whole lifetime of knowledge they took for granted. They knew how crystals worked, where things were, what was safe and what wasn’t . . . She was trying to cram all of that, the practical knowledge and the academic, all at once. 

“You are getting a wrinkle between your brows.” Mousse surprised her when he spoke, his voice still muddled with sleep. 

“Oh. Ha, yeah.” She rubbed the spot above her nose. “I always make that face when I’m thinking.”

Mousse smiled. “It’s a cute face. It tells me you are hard at work.” He stood and moved to stand beside her desk. “What have you selected? Oh! Geography. One of my favorite subjects.” He pulled a chair over and sat beside her, leaning close to read the page she was on.

Alice felt a bit self conscious as she flipped to the next page. “I’m still just reading up on the regions in Cradle, where the cities and towns are. Basic stuff.”

“You have to start with the basics.” He leaned forward, his fingertip tracing the curve of Cradle’s Central District. “These lines represent centuries of history, at least. And uncounted hours of diplomacy.”

“That’s what you’re interested in, right?”

Mousse beamed at her. “Very good, Alice. I see you do listen and learn, even if you sometimes skip out on detention.”

She blushed, realizing he must have woken up after she left yesterday. “Sorry about that.”

He patted her hand. “It’s alright. I won’t tell if you don’t. Learning is about passion for your subject, not punishment for trespassing.” 

“Don’t tell Dean that. He seemed pretty sure the best way to keep me out of trouble is to keep me busy.” Alice sighed. 

“Dean is a very passionate man. He loves learning but he can be . . . a bit strict.” Mousse tilted his head, his hand still resting atop hers. “Are you passionate, Alice?”

Her eyes went wide at the question and her heart skipped a beat. “P-passionate?”

“Yes. I would love to know what you are interested in.”

“Oh. Yes. I - I am.” Alice took a breath. “I love making things. It was what I liked about working in the pâtissière. I’m looking forward to learning what I can make and do here, in Cradle.”

Mousse smiled warmly. “I am sure you’ll find something. Perhaps I can even be a help.”

“Thank you.” She smiled back, feeling silly for thinking he might have meant something less . . . academic. “I should probably get going. I have class soon.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Alice. Have a good day.” 

“You too, Mousse.” She gathered her things and hurried to her first class of the day. Her mind wasn’t on her lessons though. Alice was still excited at the prospect of discovering what her special powers could do. She had some ideas already for ways to test it, things to try. 

By the time lunch came around and she had a chance to talk with Amon and Dalim, Alice had a list in her notebook. There were so many things she didn’t know about how the magic of Cradle worked, so she’d included every scenario she could imagine. It was a lot.

She sat down with her tray and opened the notebook just as Amon slid into the chair beside her. Without asking, he snagged the notebook and scanned her notes. 

Alice gave him a little frown, but couldn’t hold his eagerness against him. “So, what do you think? Is it a good start?”

“Quiet.” He didn’t look up. 

“Rude.” She rolled her eyes and started on her lunch. She still couldn’t decide how she felt about this new friend. He was hot and cold and seemed to have a hard time with social skills. It was endearing, but also a little annoying. 

Dalim sat down a few moments later, and gave her one of his brilliant smiles. “Hello prin- Alice.” He cocked his head to the side, his glance flicking to Amon and back. “Did you get started without me?”

“No, Amon is just reading through my ideas. We haven’t tal-”

“You are distracting me.” Amon didn’t look up as he interrupted.

Dalim snickered. “I see he’s being his usual charming self. You must have written some interesting things if he’s this focused.”

Alice smiled. “Well, it’s just a bunch of ideas I had about what magic crystals might do and how my power could work against it. I was thinking, should he ask Harr and Loki to join us? Or Oliver?”

Amon did look up at this, his expression a mask of distaste. “No. Silver is a coward and Loki is a loose cannon. I won’t waste my time with a child either. They can’t be trusted. None of them.”

“You didn’t say anything to them about your power, did you?” Dalim looked genuinely concerned.

“No? Why?”

Dalim leaned close, his voice pitched low. “I don’t want to talk about it here, but trust me. You need to keep that a secret between just the three of us. Things could get ugly for you otherwise. And I don’t want anything bad to happen to my princess.”

Alice blinked at his nominative. She was his friend, perhaps, but not his per se. But whatever protest she might have given over being named such came second to the cold fear that knotted in her belly. “Do you mean someone might hurt me? Because I can - because of what I can do?”

“You shouldn’t look so surprised,” Amon interjected. “People are always looking for advantage. For power. If they knew you carried this in you from the Land of Reason, you would be taken for experimentation. Testing. Control.” His expression was gleefully malicious. “If you lived through it, you would never be free.”

“Don’t worry, princess. We won’t let anything like that happen to you.” Dalim stroked her back reassuringly. “Just . . . don’t share it with anyone else, alright?”

Alice gave a mute nod. She couldn’t imagine Harr or Loki or anyone she’d met so far trying to hurt her, but maybe they would let it slip to someone else. Like the Red and Black armies, for example. They would probably like to use someone with her power in their war. From her studies, it seemed the two sides would never be at peace until one side was victorious. That wasn’t a conflict she wanted to get involved with.

Amon gave her a thin smile and slid her notebook back to her. “Let’s start this weekend. We’ll keep our experiments up in the tower, and -” his smile widened, “we’ll make sure you don’t get caught.”

Dalim chuckled. “Yeah. Can’t have you stuck in detention another week.”

Alice frowned at them. “I’m glad you think it’s funny.”

“You are so cute when you pout.” Dalim touched her cheek. “But you’re cuter when you smile.”

“Who says I want to be cute?” Alice tried to ignore the sudden rush of blood to her cheeks and the fluttering in her stomach. It wasn’t fair at all that Dalim could have that effect with just a touch and a smile. 

Amon snorted and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. As long as you show up, I don’t care if you’re cute or not.”

Throughout lunch, Alice felt like someone was watching her. She thought at first it was nerves. The result of Dalim and Amon’s warning, obviously. But when she managed to glance around the room, she found Harr’s gaze settled on her. His dark eye was fixed in her direction. When she caught him, his cheeks turned rosy and he quickly looked away. 

She didn’t say anything to Dalim and Amon about it, but she wondered if he’d overheard something between them. 

Her afternoon classes sped past, not half so interesting as her weekend plans - or the dinner planned with Blanc. Alice hadn’t let herself think about that too much. When she imagined being alone with Blanc, her cheeks went hot and there was a fluttery feeling in her chest. She just hoped she didn’t act like an idiot in front of him. Freezing up or babbling or turning as red as a tomato over nothing.

Alice decided to dress up a bit for the occasion - not because she liked Blanc, she told herself - but because her school clothes were plain. She wanted to look cute. After class, she hurried to her room and pulled off her apron and pinafore, and began rummaging in her wardrobe. There wasn’t a lot in there - her trip to Cradle wasn’t exactly planned, and she hadn’t done much shopping. 

There was a formal dress, but the layered skirt and beaded bodice were way too much for dinner. A pair of canvas work pants and a heavy cotton shirt with a sweater . . . hard pass. She pulled a light silk blouse out, and a cute short skirt to go with it. The color was perfect for her eyes and the skirt was just long enough to be proper and just short enough to be flirty. Alice laid them on the bed and went to get a pair of stockings. 

She was bending down to reach into her drawer when the door flew open. Alice spun around with a shriek. Dressed in just her panties and a bra, she ineffectually tried to cover everything with her hands.    

Harr stood in the doorway, his face shading from red into purple. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were as wide as saucers. After a moment, he backed out. His hand reached for the door and closed it slowly, without saying a word. 

Alice quickly threw on her clothes and jerked the door open to see if he was still out there. He was, standing off to one side, and still cycling through shades of crimson. “You! Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

“S-sorry. I didn’t realize - I thought -” Harr struggled with a reply, finally settling on a repetition of ‘sorry’ in various forms. 

“Whatever. Just . . . what did you want?” Alice crossed her arms, feeling completely out of sorts. Her face was hot and her heart was pounding, and it was definitely his fault. Though she couldn’t decide if she was more angry about him walking in, or more pleased that he’d been speechless at the sight of her, or embarrassed that anyone saw her in her panties like that, much less someone as gorgeous as Harr Silver. 

He took a deep breath, still unsettled himself. “I wanted to catch you after class, but you practically ran out.” His skittering gaze finally landed on her and stayed. “Amon is dangerous. Please be careful around him. And whatever he has told you . . . it might be best if you find answers yourself.”

Alice felt her brows rise in surprise. “You wanted to warn me about Amon?”

Harr nodded. “He has his own ambitions. And others have gone missing after gaining his attention.” He cleared his throat. “It would be a shame. For you to disappear.” 

“I’ll be careful.” She paused and then added, “Thanks. And, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I probably should have locked the door before I got dressed.”

“Umm.” Harr turned and walked away, his gait stiff and a little awkward. 

Alice wasn’t sure what to make of that. First a warning from Dalim and Amon, and now one about them. Making friends in Cradle was more complicated than she supposed. “It would be so nice if things made sense,” she murmured. It seemed she would need to try to stay cautious until someone showed their hand. Then she’d know who wanted to be a friend, and who was false.

At least Blanc wasn’t problematic. He’d been kind since the moment they met. Alice smiled, thinking of his gentle gaze and sweet smile. She finished getting ready for their dinner, just a touch of make-up and her hair pulled up in a delicate braid. Someone knocked at her door just as she finished putting in her earrings.

It was Blanc, come to get her for their dinner. He looked as dapper as ever in a dove gray vest and pale pink shirt. He smiled as she opened the door and gave her a little bow. “You look especially beautiful this evening. I am feeling even luckier to spend some time with you.”

Alice felt her heart give an extra squeeze as he took her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “You look really nice too.” 

“Thank you.” He held out his arm. “Are you ready to go or do you need another few moments?”

“I’m ready.” 

Blanc linked his arm in hers and led her away from the girls’ dorms. He kept up a polite chatter, asking her about her classes and what subject she was enjoying. It was nothing of any importance, really, but his interest and the way he listened made her feel special. The warmth of his side against hers, and the gentle pressure of his fingers on her arm were completely disarming and distracting. 

He led her to a section of the school she’d only seen in passing. A large atrium encased in glass that held a soft blue glow Alice had come to associate with the magic of Cradle. It was hard to see what sorts of things grew inside from outside the enclosure. It was just a vague collage of green shades.

“This section is usually reserved for students of botany and alchemy majors, but being an upperclassman has a few advantages.” Blanc winked at her as he opened a door hidden so cleverly that it looked like any other part of the glass wall. 

Inside was a tangle of extraordinary plant life. Flowers and leaves in profusion, some similar to things Alice knew, like basil and ivy, while others were so strange they looked more like animals or stones than plants. The air within was scented differently too. A pleasant, earthy smell with sweet citrus and sharp floral aromas. 

“It’s very nice.” Alice reached for one of the nearby vines. The leaves looked velvety soft, covered with a fine furry looking white coat atop the green of the leaf. 

Blanc caught her hand in his and squeezed it gently. “It’s best not to touch anything in here.”

“Oh!” Her surprise was more from realizing Blanc’s hand was free of his usual gloves, and his bare palm was pressed to hers. “I - ok.”

He kept her hand in his as he led her to a small table with settings for two. Silver lids covered the two plates, and the glasses beside them were pearled with condensation from the chilled opaque drink they held. 

Blanc let go as she sat down, and took his spot across from her. “I finally have you all to myself, and now I find that I’m at a loss for what to say.”

Alice gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah. Me too.” She toyed with the end of her braid. “You could, maybe, tell me about you?”

“I’m not a very fascinating subject,” he chuckled. “I am working on my dissertation. The Magical Calamities of Cradle. Not the most cheerful subject.” Blanc shrugged. “Sometimes I teach. Not very interesting.”

“I don’t know, that sounds pretty exciting to me. I didn’t know there were magical calamities!” 

“You flatter me.” Blanc took a sip from his glass. “What about you? I have read your student file, of course, as I was on your admissions committee, but there’s more to any person than what fits on a page.”

Alice took a swallow of her drink as well, surprised to find it a tame elderflower flavor with notes of hibiscus and a sharp, tart aftertaste. The gentle burn of it in her belly relaxed her. “I’m nothing special. A shop girl selling sweets, until I fell down a rabbit hole.”

“Chasing me.” He shook his head. “I am sorry for bringing you into this mess. It must be very challenging, but I must say, you handle yourself gracefully.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s been the best thing. I learned magic is real, and the world is bigger and stranger than I ever knew. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” She hurried to reassure him.

Blanc sighed. “You really are too precious. But what will happen when you miss your home, your friends? Your family? You’ll leave just as -” He cleared his throat, “Just as anyone might expect.”

Alice wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share, but there was something about Blanc that made her want to trust him. “I don’t have any family. My only real friend was my old boss. I care for him but . . . I don’t want to work in his shop my whole life. I want more. I want something I can fall in love with.”

“Fall in love, hm?” He leaned closer, studying her expression as one might read and re-read a challenging text. “That is the oldest magic there is. And the most dangerous.”

“Isn’t love a good thing?” 

“Is it?” Blanc settled back in his chair with an unreadable expression. “Let’s see what supper hides under such a fancy cover. I hope it’s something with carrots.” 

He lifted her silver lid first and then his own. There were indeed carrots, cut in little circles and cooked with cinnamon and brown sugar until they were golden and sweet. Besides that, roasted potatoes and leeks, eggplant frittata, and a little roll of fresh baked bread. It looked delicious.

Alice grinned, successfully distracted from her line of questioning. “This place has the best food. Everything looks deli-”

Her words cut off as the floor beneath them shook with a sudden, loud boom. 

Blanc was up in a flash. He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. “We need to see what that was. Stay close.”

Part 6

[darklinaforever]

When people make the joke that The Rings of Power is not about the rings of power, but about the essence of House of the Dragon, I want to laugh... Because House of the Dragon tells you about House Targaryen perhaps ? Or dragons maybe ? (You know, the creatures whose extinction the show is supposed to basically cover) No ? Well, gosh... So stop the comparison. Both of these shows are fucking shit.

HOTD, like The Rings of Power, does not have the best geography in the world, the characters in their ages and their personalities are not respected, and the events are not faithful either, the costumes are not great and in addition for HOTD not true to the inspirations of the book.

At least The Rings of Power claims to be an inspiration. HOTD is not an adaptation either. It's a fanfiction. And a bad one at that.

I mean, people point out that The Rings of Power isn't canon as proof that this series isn't serious and praise HOTD which... has nothing to do with canon either ? Literally GRRM said there was Fire and Blood canon and HOTD canon. (Which is logical since HOTD ultimately has very little to do with Fire and Blood because the changes are so enormous) We like hypocrisy.