#but a lot of people have to decide between themselves or the greater good

[peregrinethegryphon]

New Mystery Dungeon game pitch: instead of saving the world from complete destruction, you're tasked with saving the world from a minor calamity, one that would still kill a lot of Pokemon, but the world would ultimately recover after the fact. In fact, if you and your community just lay low and hunker down you can avoid dying in this disaster, live through the apocalypse while others perish. But you won't, because you can stop this disaster from happening all together, and keep any Pokemon from dying.

When the stakes are as high as the entire world being destroyed, the ONLY option is to try and stop it. The villains so often try to convince you that it's better to give up because fighting back is useless, and you'll just die trying. But letting the disaster happen is also certain death, at least trying to stop it has a chance. Not much a difficult decision. BUT if you have more to lose by stopping the disaster than you would just letting it happen, with the only consequence being that a lot of Pokemon that aren't you dying, now other characters in the story have more of a reason to try and persuade you to just leave it be. "The disaster's not going to affect us, why bother trying to stop something inevitable?" This will give the player an actual moral conundrum. Save yourself at the expense of others or risk your life to save people you don't even know.

[butterflydm]

Rings of Power - s1 eps 5-6

This is not exactly a liveblog, but I am going to write down my thoughts about each episode before I move on to the next one.

(spoilers for the whole rings of power show and for LotR)

Episode 5 continues the trend of strong episodes. Very good episode. The Harfoot song in the beginning was pretty touching and a nice way of showing that time was passing in that storyline.

This was a great episode for Elrond, who really goes through a lot of stress. He learns that his king was hiding information from him because he wants mithril from the dwarves; he learns that his people are dying/fading. Gil-Galad says here that he was hoping that sending away Galadriel and her soldiers -- the last remnants of the war -- would make the blight stop spreading on the tree. And I continue to love Elrond and Durin's relationship - <3 <3 <3 <3.

We saw some significant cross-cutting between Gil-Galad and Halbrand (our High King and our "Lost King") as well as between Halbrand and the Southlanders who went to pledge themselves to Adar.

"Only blood can bind" -- Adar says that here and it feels pretty significant. I have seen some s2 gifsets that use that quote in a pretty clear and significant way. It was also implied that the Sauron-sympathizer killed the teenager to earn his place to Adar (though we only saw orcs marching later on, so we don't know if any of those who surrendered survived). The sword was revealed as a key in this episode and it uses blood to work whatever it does. Only blood can bind. From what Adar says, he plans to do something to blot out the sun in the lands -- I have my suspicions about that, based on what I think the Southlands end up being in LotR. We also had Miriel's father warn her of darkness if she goes to Middle-Earth.

Actually oaths in general seemed like a strong theme in this episode. We have Elrond's oath to Durin being a strong source of conflict for him, and Arondir warning Bronwyn that pledging themselves to the orcs will drag the Southlanders back down into the darkness.

We also get our big moment when Halbrand decides to be Galadriel's lost king. I do see a lot of conflict in him in this episode, especially in the scene in the forge where he talks to Galadriel. She convinced him that his fate belonged in Middle-Earth (which was "the one place I swore to never return" per Halbrand). This is when everyone's fate was sealed, because as soon as Halbrand goes back to Middle-Earth... that's a bell that can't be unrung. But I do feel like I watched him actively making his choice, and he made it because of Galadriel's passionate and vulnerable words to him. He wasn't at all involved in the fire on the boat that made the queen doubt herself and push harder on Galadriel to make sure the "King of the Southlands" was with them -- that was entirely due to the actions of Elendil's and the chancellor's kids. If the fire doesn't happen, then Galadriel doesn't go back and tempt Halbrand one last time.

btw, SUCH a great scene between Galadriel and Halbrand in the forge! He is trying so hard not to be tempted by what she's offering him but she's right that he yearns to be more than "common" (see: him feeling the need to show off that he can handle a sword after her training exercise with the soldiers). The real power that Halbrand fell from was even greater than being a mortal king.

Very strong episode.

Mom update: she's still inclined to believe that Adar is Sauron, though she has some doubts; and the Gandalf storyline is her least favorite because she feels like he's not learning the ropes of living in the world quickly enough. She did like the Harfoot song at the start of the episode. She's really into our other three storylines (Galadriel & Halbrand; Elrond, Durin, & Gil-Galad; and the Southlands).

Episode six was really powerful. Very much focused on the Southlands people and then the arrival of the Numenor back-up, and super-intense.

The big kaboom at the ending was... when I saw that water going through the channels and realized that Adar wasn't just creating a way for the orcs to move in daylight, but that this was part of his larger plan... I was aware that the Southlands didn't actually exist in LotR, at least not to my knowledge, but I wasn't certain that they would be Mordor until we saw that mountain blow.

Theo had a heartbreaking episode -- and we got a reminder/foreshadowing of the One Ring at the end, when he was talking about feeling a loss over the key/sword and how holding it made him feel powerful. That's Sauron's main temptation -- the allure of power, and the various things that can be done with it. (and that's also what Galadriel has been tempting him with)

Arondir and Bronwyn were both very brave and heroic, and got to finally openly acknowledge their attraction to each other and kiss, plus Arondir doing so much to try to look out for and support Theo. They are such a good little family unit. I'm gonna miss Bronwyn in s2! (I am aware that she doesn't come back)

Isildur also had a good episode, plus there were some visual reminders of what I vaguely remember from the LotR prologue about what he's going to do in the future. I actually also felt like we got a visual reminder of Sauron's tower in TRotK going down in this episode, when Arondir collapsed the watchtower. The Return of the King... and we did have a "king" return in this episode.

Galadriel and Halbrand were both heroic in saving the Southlanders... and both had intense moments of deeply desiring revenge that the other one pulls them back from. Halbrand is definitely not working with Adar at this point, since Adar is under the impression that he killed Sauron (and I've seen the gifsets of how!), so this plan is all about Adar using the bones of what was once Sauron's plan to instead conquer and create a homeland for orcs (killing and enslaving the current occupants).

If I had been watching this live and unspoiled, that scene in the woods would have made me ship Galadriel and Halbrand for sure... I mean, it still did, but you know. I know it's a lot more complicated than it looks, lol. I feel like I can safely say that I am ~into~ Galadriel/Halbrand (Sauron) at this point. Everything with them pulling each other back from the brink of revenge and then bonding over it... delicious. Honestly, even more delicious knowing the truth about him.

Adar using himself as the bait so that the human worshipper of Sauron could actually go and use the key to make the mountain go boom... that was very clever of him. (also, we see that the humans who surrendered to Adar were thrown out to be on the front lines of the assault against their own people; that's what surrendering gets you. it doesn't save anything)

Halbrand/Sauron assumed that Adar would recognize him, even in a different form. But he didn't (though Adar was clearly feeling some twinges of something by the end of their scenes together).

This is the second episode in a row where we've had Galadriel and Halbrand deeply bonding over something they have in common, so that is definitely a thing.

Adar telling Galadriel that maybe she should have looked for Morgoth's successor in her own mirror? Ooof.

But now that the mountain has blown up... Halbrand is very very good at noticing and taking opportunities when they arise. And I'm aware that he's not still being "the King of the Southlands" in s2. I'm aware of the actual reveal scene but not what exact events lead up to it, so I am interested to see how that goes.

Adar said that after Morgoth died, Sauron dedicated himself to healing Middle-Earth, but at the expense of the Orcs? I think I understood that correctly.

Sauron's intentions might be genuinely good but if he uses manipulation and violence to achieve them, then he poisons his own goals. We've already seen that Halbrand is just... effortlessly manipulative. During the scene where Galadriel escapes from the cell in Numenor, Halbrand wastes no time to find a way to get something out of the situation that benefits himself (the guild crest).

And that is maybe the key thing that Sauron never figured out after Morgoth died. That Morgoth's endgoal wasn't the only problem -- Sauron's methods are also a problem, also create and court evil results. He always looking for an angle that benefits himself and though violence isn't his first resort (manipulation would appear to be), once he does choose violence, he's brutal about it. He didn't just need to fix the endgoal of idk destroying the world (or whatever it was that Morgoth wanted, I'm not a Tolkien scholar). He also needed to fix the methods that he uses to interact with the world. It's not just the 'what' that matters but the 'how'.

So... if Halbrand had stayed in Numenor, what would have changed? The mountain would still blow, because that was Adar's plan, and he put it into motion before he was captured by Galadriel & Halbrand - he made himself into the bait to distract anyone from the real danger. The only thing that would have changed (so far) is that Galadriel might have actually killed Adar in the barn -- it was Halbrand who pulled her back from the edge, just like she was the one who pulled him back earlier. Everything else that happened in the battle and afterwards didn't need his involvement, not as long as Galadriel still brought the Numenor host. I suspect the answer to the question of "what would have changed" will rapidly change in the upcoming episodes, though.

It is also easy to picture a scenario where finding out about the mountain going boom leads to Halbrand going to the chancellor of Numenor and selling himself as the solution to this new problem of all his hopes and dreams of trade with the newly-rebuilt Southlands going up in flames. A road that would carry less guilt and turmoil for Galadriel specifically, since she would not be the reason that Sauron returned to Middle-Earth.

Mom update: she was feeling pretty stressed out about the mountain blowing up, so we will continue next week! She isn't sure what to think about Sauron at the moment, after Adar saying that he killed him. She knows that Sauron isn't dead, because of LotR, but she doesn't have any guesses as to what's going on with him. She is considering the idea that he's already basically disembodied, the way that he is in LotR. She DID have a critique about how quickly Bronwyn was on her feet after that terrible injury (my mom had a real bad shoulder injury when she was a kid, so she's experienced that kind of pain. Not an arrow, but there were broken bones and such).

So far, I feel like the episodes have been building on each other and getting better and this episode in particular was... so so intense.

[sepublic]

            The Owl House is about many, many things. It’s about neurodivergence, weirdness, not fitting in and being left out. It’s about finding a community of others like you. It’s about being your own person, but also wanting to be a part of something, and balancing these seemingly paradoxical things. It’s about how everyone is alike and similar to each other, but also each person is wholly unique and irreplaceable.

         Everyone has their own story, we all think we’re special or more better in some way than the rest. There is no destiny, but people have the power to choose and decide for themselves. We can all mess up and do something wrong, but what truly prevents us from getting better isn’t circumstance, it’s the refusal to improve; Just deciding to do so and taking that first step forward is all you need to begin.

         It’s about disability, about not fitting up to a certain standard and that’s okay, even if you’d also like to do that. It’s knowing what you’re good at and discovering that, and it not having to fit other people’s definitions of what’s meaningful. It’s about learning and loving and doing things for their own sake, not as a means to an end, it’s about the value of art and how it makes us humans.

         We have powerful relationships with stories. They can heal us, inspire us, motivate us. But they can cloud and delude people, set them down paths of arrogance and solipsism. Stories mean a lot, especially to the neurodivergent, to those who fit in, and it can be seen as cringey or too much, too overwhelming, but no those feelings are valid, even if people must be responsible about how they express them. Stories can do so much for us, but they aren’t everything either; Reality is just as important and necessary to engage with.

         It’s about different ways of thinking and learning, of doing things, and how they’re all valid. Different existences, diversity, a wide variety of experiences, and how could you want to make the world smaller by making it more monotonous? But you must approach differences with respect and understanding, it’s exciting to engage in something new, but you must be the difference between a colonizer and an immigrant. It’s a defiance to conformity but a reminder to mind others around you. Be kind, for even if others take it for granted, compassion does well in the long run.

         Sometimes kindness won’t work for some people, but ultimately we must counter Christian ideas of retributive justice, guilt, and punishment in order to prioritize healing and rehabilitation. Restorative justice is what will build the world back up, let it heal. There is no fate, no greater God or will, it’s just people interacting together, sometimes trapping themselves in a cycle of their own making, but still people.

         People aren’t above nature, nor are they separate; Do not seek to control or tame others, be it that you don’t understand and assume foreign, or those you do notice commonality. You can’t make people do things, only yourself, but you can give them the freedom and support to decide better. Forgiveness is not mandatory either, if you truly want to do better. You are not the hero and that’s why you can forgive yourself for not fixing everything on your own.

         Co-exist with nature, with different things and their own ways of existing, instead of trying to justify them as a natural resource to exploit. It’s about environmentalism, sowing seeds for more to come, instead of just taking. It’s about a cycle of kindness where you put things in and hope what comes out, the next generation, does even better for you; Rather than a cycle of pain where you spread and project that, and refuse to acknowledge people for who they are.

         It’s about people overlooked in real life; People of color, the queer, the neurodivergent. It’s about non-conventional family structures, found family; The bonds we make and choose, because things don’t have to be given to us at the start of life. We can earn and build it for ourselves just as much, if necessary.

         There’s perception, learning to trust in your own abilities and those of others. Learning to be positive about your body and its appearance and alleged shortcomings. It’s about seeing people for they are as a whole, not something you whittle and simplify them down into. Parents want the best for their children, but they were children once and are just as flawed and messy as the rest of us.

         Accept change, accept things even if they’re bad, like death or disabilities, because sometimes you just have to learn to live with it. You can’t hide in an insincere fantasy, hollow and bereft of substance; Make real connections and experiences. But you can also strive for things to be better, and you can recover. Wounds heal, even if scars might linger.

         Chance can cause anything, you can never be too certain about what comes your way, how people will impact you, and you’ll impact them. It’s how people live beyond death through the influence of their actions, and that is more alive than any failed resurrection or clone. Give freely, just because others suffer less than you, doesn’t mean they should suffer at all. Be the change you want to be, take initiative.

         People wander around, searching for homes. People are cast out or lost, but find new places to belong. Nobody deserves to be in a cage, nor lost. We’re all seeking for those connections, pre-existing or to be made. Some places you won’t fit in, some people won’t accept or be interested, and that’s okay because there’s always someone out there.

         It’s about wanting to be special but also understood, for people to see and learn about you in good faith, to give you the time of day. It’s reciprocal love, about healthy boundaries in relationships. You are more than what you do for others, and locking them out to deny your pain will only hurt them in the long run, too; To love yourself is to love others. It’s okay to be selfish and even angry, it doesn’t have to come at the expense of others, and sometimes you have to prioritize yourself over those who do you harm. Wanting things isn’t inherently harmful to others and can co-exist with wanting things for others too.

         Think critically, question what you’re told, come to your own conclusions. Defy binaries, things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive nor paradoxical. Don’t settle for singular choices, it’s the fine yet real line between indecisiveness and openness. Let people try new things while giving them the space and support to back out or change their mind. Friendships exist between generations, among them, kids deserve to have other kids as their friends, and mentors.

         It’s about how the loss of a parent leaves you alone and grieving. Wondering about them. How they can impart a final gift onto you, something to revolve your whole life around because it’s your world and it’s them. Grief can manifest into betrayal over feeling abandoned; Or a desire to honor and live in their name. It’s hard to say goodbye and find the right words, language can affirm so much.

        It’s about the ordeals of growing up and coming of age, realizing how terrible or difficult things can be, but confronting that instead of retreating to emerge stronger. History changes but also repeats itself, the cycle renews. 

        Fiction and reality have a divide, but they can intersect, or invade one another. It’s about making things real, while recognizing when they aren’t. But fantasy is an example of what could be, and that’s the hope that inspires a kid to keep moving forward. People deserve a chance and that’s why judgment should be reserved, as we’re all still making mistakes and learning.

        It’s about connecting with the world around you, both the people and the place itself, and loving and understanding them both for who and what they are. It’s about finding a home, which can be many things, as long as it makes you feel like you belong. That’s why it’s called The Owl House.

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 2 Side B

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Smoker x Law:

Their interactions on punk hazard are just hhhhnnnggghhhh. First they fight against each other and then they have to team up! The sexual tension is through the roof 👀 and they fight so well together too 👀 also law LITERALLY stole smoker's heart?? Sorry for being incoherent that's just what they do to me

I read it in a fic and it was compelling also it would be cool if they both knew rocinante

Law literally stole Smoker’s heart during the Punk Hazard Arc - they saved each other during the Punk Hazard Arc even if they were enemies - classic “Enemies to lovers” energy - perfect matching personalities (INTP x INTJ) - the thrill of a forbidden love between a marine and a pirate.

They have. SUCH a divorcee dynamic listen. - Law literally stole Smoker’s heart in the Punk Hazard arc. - Even though they were enemies, Smoker fought against Vergo and stole Law’s heart to give it back to him, hurting himself A LOT. - at the same time, Law saved Smoker from Vergo and gave Smoker’s heart back even if he didn’t have to. - the way Law smiles when fighting against him and getting on Smoker’s nerves (a lot of tension here hehe). - Smoker’s a marine and Law a pirate, what’s better than a forbidden relationship? - their personalities match perfectly (INTJ and INTP).

SUCH a divorcee dynamic. - we all love a forbidden romance between marine and pirate - the way they interact with each other on Punk Hazard is at the same time easy but full of tension, they clearly have some familiarity w each other - ...and then later they manage to work together seamlessly despite those tensions and differences, and Smoker trusts Law to pick up the slack where he can't. And Law DOES follow through - after the battle Law TELLS Smoker what he's planning next - yeah it's all purposeful for his plans but it's such a clear and obvious manipulation. And yet Smoker does exactly that. - the guy sent to Dressrosa is Issho (which ok Sakazuki says he sent BUT what a funny coincidence still that it's the one guy who's most likely to help Law rather than hinder hmmmm) - when Doffy shows up after Law&co have left and demands to know things Smoker just straight up stonewalls him and lies to his face, with the full knowledge that it may cost him his life. Which yeah, Smoker hates pirates, but he doesn't actually have any reason to do that - if he really didn't care he wouldn't mind siccing the two warlords on each other and watching them destroy themselves so he at the very least must agree with Law if not outright want to help him - delicious narrative parallels! Bc fundamentally they're two sides of the same coin: both are absolutely driven by their personal moral codes and care DEEPLY about people and things. Law may be driven largely by more self-centered goals and focus his good on the smaller circle he chooses to surround himself with, while Smoker is drawn to more lofty pursuits of greater good and helping even those he will never meet or even know of, but at the core they share very similar ideals and values - and ykno. Law LITERALLY punches Smoker's heart out of his chest - also Law is a scrawny-ass twink and you cannot tell me he doesn't have a thing for buff dilfs who could bench press double his weight.

Propaganda for Law x Robin:

Their intelligent goth energy combined would be off the charts

Their backstories parallel each other perfectly! Home destroyed, hunted from a young age saved by a kind marine. Spoilers ahead: They're working together to figure out what the history of the Will of D is, and what happened in the void century! She was the only person Law trusted enough to reveal his middle initial! Also, they could do horrible things together if they decided to use their devil fruits as a team. So many limbs in places they shouldn't be.

Smart, sexy, sleek, intelligent, empathetic, humorous, *might get flustered on occasion*, hobbies: riling up Usopp. Terrific and morbid sense of humour. Just *get* one another. Very close to one another in both age and height!

[leonsliga]

Leon Goretzka for Sports Illustrated Deutschland

-> In this Sports Illustrated interview, Leon discusses not being called up to the national team, his character, and handling high pressure situations. The new Adidas Bodycare brand ambassador also discusses his hopes for the future.

On the pitch you show strength, off the pitch you are known for your social commitment. How is it that you are so present and outspoken?

That has envolved over the course of my life, but the sense of justice has always been within me. The only thing that has changed over the course of my career is that I now have a much greater reach and more people hear my opinions.

How difficult is it to fight against adversity? Can something like this be trained or is it something you’re born with?

You have to learn to deal with it. Then you can take a clear stance—or you can just leave it be. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. But I can cope with resistance, even though some of the things that come at me these days are extreme.

How do you deal with pressure and disappointment?

Pressure is something very positive for me. I really like it. It probably helps me in my job too. When it mattered most, I was able to deliver top performances. I like a bit of pre-match jitters. That's why I'm not afraid of pressure. Disappointments are also part of it. You learn that very early on, especially in football. Losing games starts in training. But that’s why you play in a team; that's the beauty of team sports—that you can support each other. Like at FC Bayern this season, which wasn't quite as successful as we had expected and were used to. These are experiences that you can take with you and mature from.

Did it hurt you a lot not to be called up for the national team?

It was an extreme disappointment for me because I didn’t expect it. Afterwards, I gave myself a day to come to terms with the situation. The day after that, I looked at how I could rectify it. The best way to do that is to perform at your best and accept this new role.

How hopeful are you that you will be at Euro 2024?

Very.

What is your emotional world like? Do you always allow all feelings—even the negative ones?

Everyone has to find out for themselves how they deal with feelings. My recommendation would be to talk about them, but I don't always manage that either. I like to work things out on my own and let the process mature within me. I can draw strength from that.

How do you strike a balance between self-criticism and self-confidence?

Self-criticism and self-confidence are mutually dependent. Telling yourself that you are the best has nothing to do with self-confidence. You are strongest when you also know your weaknesses.

As a leader, do you always have to live up to the sometimes very high expectations?

Yes, that's the job of a footballer. We live in a fast-paced, day-to-day business. You're only ever as good as you were in the last game. In my career in club football, I've won all the major titles that you can win with a big club like FC Bayern. Nevertheless, this season I have experienced what it means to be criticized as a leader. It reminds you that you are obliged to perform week in, week out.

How do you build yourself back up again when things aren't going your way? Do you train even more then?

I don't make my training dependent on situations that I experience week after week. I have long-term training plans. But of course, the motivation to correct things when they go poorly is always there.

What role do negative fan opinions play? Should they be ignored?

You have to accept these things. Everyone has their own opinion. Of course, it would be nice if things were a bit more civilized, but unfortunately that's not the case. This doesn't just apply to football; it can happen to anyone on social media. It's extremely disappointing. We should think about how this can be regulated. I'm lucky that things don't bother me too much. But there are certainly many users who unfortunately don't get on so well with it.

The football business can be very tough. What do you wish for the future of football, especially for the players?

I don't know if I should give an honest answer to that.

We’re asking for one.

If I'm completely honest, we should stop trying to generate clicks at the expense of the players—both on social media and in reports.

Can football help people and society feel more positive?

The 2006 World Cup showed how football can galvanize our country. Germany's enthusiasm and interest in football are certainly back. As players, we can influence this huge potential if the German national team performs well.

You are an ambassador for Adidas Bodycare. What does "well-being" mean to you?

For me, "well-being" means that I have an awareness of my body. For the balance between strain and relief, but also for regeneration. Ultimately, it’s also about work-life balance.

[rubyfoxfyre]

What did you base Alastors Nox Magia off of? Why type of magic is it and where did you get the ideas for a good ass fanfic?

Thank you for the question!

The answer is sort of a long story that I suppose begins with my first exposure to Hazbin Hotel in general, during a particularly doomed D&D campaign where my character basically acted exactly like Charlie did in the pilot:

Granted, Fianna is not anything like Charlie at all, but the DM found it funny enough to send me the gif above and then everyone got distracted for about 5 minutes while they started meming.

The next day I watched the show and was completely hooked!

I started looking into the Wiki to get a greater understanding of the world shown, read the comics (like all 20 pages hahaha), and listened to Addict while working on prompts for Charlastor Week 2022, taking a break from my regular manuscript I'd been working on for a few years (stay tuned for updates soon on that one!). I had about a month so I decided to try my hand at smaller short stories, since some of the authors I idolize are so good at short fiction, and conveying strong emotions in just a few thousand words.

I watched and rewatched the Pilot, studying the characterizations there as well as thinking about funny and unexpected scenarios the characters could get into while dealing with the concept of redemption and how to make it work (needless to say that the fact that they already had it happen was... unexpected. I have thoughts on that but will put a pin in that for now to avoid getting too distracted from your question!).

I can't remember which rewatch it was that I picked up on an interesting exchange between Charlie and Alastor that turned into a whole mess that would consume me to this day:

She tries to put a limitation on his ability to do too much, and I wondered if that could lead to a sort of interesting power-play between them (because in the end this is the part of their relationship that is fundamentally interesting - they're both powerful people with opposing moralities, having to work together to acheive a common goal). Basically, because Charlie's not precise with her language, she ends up basically not controlling Alastor at all. Which works out in its way, because she hides from her deeper wellspring of power with the aid of a gentle persona.

I liked the idea of something deeper between them and within themselves - and with them being opposing forces, I wanted to work with the idea of Alastor being associated with "night" and "dark", versus Charlie being associated with "sunlight" and "rainbows".

Shadow and Flame, only a bit less Lord of the Rings and a bit more sexy.

Nox Magia , the "night" magic, follows basic arcane principles that I've picked up on through the long and involved process of being a massive nerd and reading a lot of stuff.

For writing magic, I like looking at basic logic structures and hovering somewhere between harder and softer magic. My other manuscript that is premiering this year will be discussing some differing types of magic systems as well, if you enjoy reading Riddle and my other works, I hope you enjoy those as well!

But as for the story itself, it wasn't meant to be a story about a man falling in love... it's the story of a man being dragged into love, kicking and screaming about it. 🦌🌈

To Alastor the Hotel is about control, and his experience there is just a game not to be taken too seriously. Charlie is also about control, or rather, trying to find a way to control without breaking everything with her terrible strength.

Alastor embraces his strength, while she hides from it, and he finds that contradictory instinct in her interesting, so he comes up with the idea of a game to teach her some magic that might help her. But as with all magic, intent governs everything (even when you don't realize), and the spells he's teaching are telling a particular kind of story - you can preview what's happening in the chapter titles that have the runes' names! 🍷

❤️ Thanks so much for reading! ❤️

[foxhole-tarot]

☄️🪐 An Introduction to Energy Work for Psi Vampirism

AKA how to siphon and take in energy consciously for beginners

these are real spiritual beliefs, not roleplay

learning to take energy consciously is an important part of psi vampirism as it both gives you a consistent supply of energy and prevents you from drawing too much on sources you do not want to take from extensively. learning this skill can also be important for sanguinarians as psi feeding can, for some people, be used as a substitute for blood. it's important to remember that neither blood nor energy are more moral than each other in and of themselves.

this form of energy work can also be used in witchcraft as a way to draw in external forces and use them in a way that comes from within yourself.

this is my personal experience and what I have been taught, it is not irrefutable fact.

when drawing energy through psi feeding you have 3 options:

take from a human source

take from ambient human energy

take from a nonhuman source

☄️ 1. human sources

taking from human sources is often the preferred method of taking energy for psi vampires.

if you decide to take from human sources it's important to establish your own code of conduct, what that contains is a personal decision but you should be conscious efforts to avoid causing harm. some things to consider are:

how much energy you take

who you take energy from

what situations you take energy in

etc.

generally it's considered bad form to draw large amounts of energy from a single person as this drains them. while no physical harm will come of it, it's just a shitty thing to leave someone feeling exhausted.

some psi vampires find they are only satisfied with human sources. this is fine. some psi vampires just prefer human energies. this is also fine. drawing from humans is not immoral as long as you do so with care.

☄️ 2. ambient human energy

if you're concerned about the ethics of drawing directly from humans, you are worried about your ability to control your feeding, or you just simply don't want to take directly from humans it's good to consider ambient human energy. ambient human energy is a good in between step between nonhuman energies and human energies as ambient human energy is human energy that is lingering and not in active use.

finding ambient human energy is the real trick. while ambient human energy is everywhere that humans are it's greater in crowded areas and greatest in high energy crowded areas. a concert has a lot of ambient human energy, rural Idaho does not.

it often takes more practice to take ambient human energy than human energy or nonhuman energy as your source is much broader and much muddier.

☄️ 3. nonhuman sources

everything has energy. animals have energy, the sun has energy, the plants have energy, your dining room table has energy. it's possible to draw energy from all of these sources.

some psi vampires have a harder time benefitting from these energy sources. not everyone has the option of drawing from nonhuman (and particularly inanimate) sources.

when taking energy from living things I would encourage you to first build a relationship with that thing- particularly if you plan to feed off of it regularly or extensively. this can be a simple process, and can look like taking care of something (watering a plant, putting out food for a stray cat- don't feed wildlife, etc.), leaving offerings, or working with and building a relationship with the spirit of whatever you're taking from.

☄️🪐 Beginning Energy Work

If you already have a foundation in energy work, skip this section

energy work is the manipulation of the metaphysical energy around us. it is the core of psi feeding. while most psi vampires feed unconsciously naturally most desire to break free of this as it can have unintended consequences for the people around them. on top of this, unconscious feeding does not always satisfy energy needs. with conscious feeding you get control of all aspects of your feeding.

one of the best ways to learn basic energy work skills is to spend time playing with energy- but to do that you need to gather the energy in the first place. start by visualization. hold out your hand and imagine the energy, imagine its feel, its heat, its static, imagine its appearance, its color, its size. imagine gathering that energy, imagine sparks coming together. try to put that visualization into action.

this step is trial and error, it takes time to get it. you'll know you've succeeded when you feel the energy there, it's a hard feeling to describe but it's very distinctive.

from there, practice changing the size of the energy ball you've created. take energy in and release it. this is the same method you used to gather energy in the first place, you're drawing it in them drawing it out and letting it dissipate.

practice moving the ball of energy, move it upwards and downwards in small increments until you have a good grasp on moving energy from far away.

repeat these exercises until you feel comfortable with them.

☄️🪐 Siphoning & Taking In Energy

The first step in siphoning energy is getting to know the energy source you're taking from. feel out the unique characteristics of the energy you're taking from. at first, you can start by literally placing your hand on your energy source. then take the skills you learned in the last step and this time try to collect your energy from one specific source. if visualization helps you, visualize sparks coming from your source and into your hand.

from there, take the energy you siphoned and put it inside your body. you can do this however you like, but I prefer to put the energy inside my chest. consciously add the energy to your own and mix the two. if visualization helps you, visualize the energy swirling together with your own until they're one homogenous blend.

congratulations! you've just fed off an energy source

now, practice the above steps until they flow. you can cut out parts as you become more comfortable with what you're doing.

[evilelitest2]

Russian-Ukraine War Part 4: The Birth of Russia

So Russia is big. It's like one of their defining traits, vodka, art, brutality, colonialism, communism, and being massive.  But did you know that once Russia was once…not so big?  Let's do some history.

So the Mongolian Empire was a brutal genocidal engine of conquest but if you survived the initial invasion, it wasn’t so bad by the standard of brutal imperialists, the Mongols were big on religious tolerance, cultural integration and above all trade.  So the Russians found themselves suddenly connected to Central and East Asia through their Mongol overlords, and Russia for the first time in Russian history, it is as connected to East Asia as it is to Europe.  

The Mongolian Empire was great at conquest but struggled a lot with the ruling, and it probably won’t surprise you that it broke into 4 smaller states shortly after the death of Genghis Khan, located in the Middle East, China, Mongolia and Russia Respectively.  The one that concerns us is the Golden Hoard, the Russian based Mongolian state, who were called “Tatars” by the locals. 

The Golden Hoard wasn’t an Empire that spent most of their time breathing down your neck and setting major policies in their capital, instead they ruled indirectly via tributary states.  They would basically allow your kingdom to exist and kinda do its own thing as long as you paid your taxes, and one special boy kingdom was allowed the honor of collecting the taxes.  The special boy of our story is the Grand Duchy of Moscow, which will overtime be upgraded to the Principality of Moscow, to the Grand Principality of Moscow as they steadily get more and more powerful, using the privileges they got as the Mongol’s special boys to eventually grow their military and economy. 

Eventually they were able to push back the Mongols (assisted by the Golden Hordes constant civil wars), and by the time of Ivan the III aka Ivan the Great, the state was independent and a massive nation. Ivan III is kinda seen as the first independent Ruler of Russia, where Russia exists in its own right and not just as a Mongolian Tributary state.   Ivan’s grandson, Ivan the IV, aka Ivan the Vasilyevich, aka Ivan Grozny, aka Ivan the Terrible eventually decided that the Title of Grand Prince wasn’t quite good enough and so it was he who formally turned the state into an Empire, giving himself the title of Tsar, after brutally conquering all the people around him.  And so the Russian Empire was born between Ivan the Great and Ivan the Terrible, go figure.

(Ivan the Terrible, Very stable man)

So Ok, Russia is an independent Empire, but under Ivan the IV it becomes more than that, it becomes the Orthodox State.   Let me walk back a bit.  Christianity first super huge split was in 1054, where the Eastern Greek Speaking Orthodox Church broke apart from the Western Latin Speaking Roman Catholic Church.  The Catholics have the Pope, who manage to establish himself as a religious power greater than even Kings, while the east had the Patriarch, whose power was limited by the Emperor?  What Emperor you say?  Well time to talk about the Byzantine Emperor 

Patriarch (left) Pope (right)

So the Byzantines are the dominant supreme cultural power of the East right?  Well by the time of the Mongols, not so much.  The great city of Constantinople was sacked in 1204 by the 4th Crusade, in one of the greatest own goals in history, and the Empire was in a state of decline ever since.  And I mean actual decline, not Edward Gibbon (your decline is almost a thousand years) decline, which was pretty upsetting for the Rus, the other great Orthodox power (Ok I see you Bulgaria and Romania, you’ll get your own episodes another time calm down), and as Byzantine declined, Muscovy keep taking on more and more of the role as “big Orthodox power of the east”.  But the striking blow came when Constantinople fell in 1453 to the Ottoman Empire under Mehmed the II aka Mehmed the Conqueror, bringing a final end to the Byzantine empire…ok there were a few splinter states but Mehmet gets them 20 years later so once and for all Byzantines are gone.

(Mehmet II preparing to destroy Byzantinium)

SO I cannot empathizes enough how much of a blow this is to the Orthidox World. The Byzantine Empire was THE Orthidox power for over a thousand years, it was the center of the Orthidox world.Consantinople had been the center of the Orthodox church since Constantine himself, it's like Rome turning Muslim or Mecca Christian, like this is a theological crisis.  However, the Grand Principality of Moscow was eager to take on the role of center of the Orthodox Church, and Ivan the Great started to call Moscow “The Third Rome” to succeed the Byzantines as the Byzantines had “succeed” the Romans (despite being Roman…look i never said it is smart).  This is why Russia’s coat of Arms is the two headed eagle of the Byzantines.  His grandson Ivan Grozny unified the Principality into a strong centralized autocratic state through the power of brutal oppression and secret police, creating the Russian Empire.  Later the Patriarch would relocate there, effectively the closest thing to the head of the Orthodox church, making Moscow the new center of the Orthodox faith.

As the "Third Rome" Russia wasn't just an Empire, it had a divine mandate to take territory and spread the Orthidox Faith. The notion of this Russian style Manifest Destiny is going to come up again in this series, and it has never completely left the Russian National identiy.

Ivan took the title of Tsar which means Caesar as in Emperor.  As an Empire rather than a Principality, the “Divine Mandate” of Russia became to serve as the protector of the Orthodox Church, to reunify the old Kievan Rus, and restore Constantinople.  Like most empires, including the Mongol, the Russian Empire is based on the notion that they have a divine right to rule over everybody else. This dream was put aside for the Time of Troubles, a civil war so horrific that it makes Game of Thrones look peaceful, but after that confusion Russia was ready to go (this is where the Royal family goes from Ruik to Romanov) This is not going to be an extensive look at all of Tsarist Russia, just the stuff which I think is important to understand for Ukraine.  Colonization, the Tsar and Serfdom.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Eva Kurilova

Published: Jan 13, 2024

Locus of control is a term used to describe an individual’s belief about what factors control their lives. Those with an internal locus of control have a strong sense of agency and believe that their lives are influenced by their own actions and abilities. Those with an external locus of control feel that they are subject to luck, environmental factors, and other people’s actions.

Most people fall somewhere on the spectrum between an internal and an external locus of control, as this is reflective of life itself. There is a lot that we can control but a lot that we can’t as well. However, regardless of what is objectively true in any given situation, our preference for one view or the other has a major impact on our lives.

Those with an internal locus of control are more resilient, motivated, and independent, have a higher capacity for self-control, are better able to manage stress, and enjoy overall higher levels of mental and physical health. Those with an external locus of control, on the other hand, lack self-confidence and self-efficacy, blame others for their shortcomings, are less likely to take accountability, and experience worse mental and physical health outcomes. They are also more likely to have a mindset of victimhood.

Research abounds expounding the positive associations between an internal locus of control and factors like academic success and favorable work outcomes, as well as between an external locus of control and negative outcomes, like criminal offending. Helping people develop a greater internal locus of control has long been a goal of psychotherapy.

And yet, when it comes to the concept of gender identity, all of this knowledge and research is thrown out the window. After all, what is gender identity but just another term for an external locus of control?

Those who claim to have a gender identity that conflicts with their sex require participation from others. Their gender identity depends entirely on other people’s perceptions and on the way people treat them. They cannot concretize their identity simply by going about their lives, doing their job, practicing their hobbies, and fulfilling their roles as friends and family members—which is what an identity really is.

Instead, trans-identified individuals often try to artificially manifest a fantasy in their heads by forcing others to call them by a different name and pronouns and to pretend they see them as anything other than their sex. Some aren’t even satisfied knowing that others are merely playing along—they go further and demand others actually brainwash themselves into perceiving them as they wish to be perceived.

Furthermore, when someone is trying to manifest a gender identity, their locus of control sits not just in other people but in the rest of the world at large. They rely on external accouterments like clothing and makeup to signal what “gender” they are trying to appear as. They may go as far as to rely on external hormones to try and change how their body looks and even rely on surgeons to physically alter their body parts.

Obviously, all of us rely on the external world. None of us are entirely self-sufficient, and even if we have a strong internal locus of control, there is still much that is out of our control. But this is not the same as relying solely on the external world to recognize and manifest your identity for you.

I should also add that not all trans-identified people are like this. I think the locus of control is one of the main differences people implicitly note between trans-identified people who cause problems and those who don’t. This then gets clumsily translated into speaking about trans people with an internal locus of control as “real” or “actual” or “good” trans people.

I don’t believe there is any such thing as “true” trans. But I do believe there is a big difference between people who decide to transition and consider the onus to be on themselves to pass and be treated as the opposite sex and those who think the onus is on the rest of the world to make them feel like the opposite sex. I think this is the split that people pick up on when differentiating between the trans-identified people who really do just want to live their lives and those who want to tear the world down while paradoxically relying on it for their entire sense of identity.

(It is also my experience that trans-identified people in the former camp are less likely to insist that they have a “gender identity” and more likely to view themselves as having a mental disorder—gender dysphoria—that they are managing as best as they can).

Unfortunately, trans activists, doctors, teachers, counselors, politicians, and “experts” of all stripes are encouraging all trans-identified people to take on the latter mindset. They encourage an entirely external locus of control which then invariably develops into a victimhood mentality. Trans-identified people with an external locus of control come to believe that because they have no power to improve anything for themselves the world owes it to them.

This is what makes it all the more pernicious that this ideology is being pushed on children. Introducing the concept of gender identity to kids is the same as showing approval for an external locus of control. Where children should be taught self-efficacy and resilience, they are instead being taught that their very sense of self requires others to act a certain way and the world to comport itself to their whims. It’s a disaster that isn’t just waiting to happen but that is already well in progress.

There is no way to continue teaching the concept of gender identity to children and spreading it throughout society while encouraging people to develop an internal locus of control at the same time. The two pathways are mutually exclusive. If we want to encourage good health and happy lives, we need to drop the concept of gender identity entirely.

==

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if your "gender" can be invalidated by others not participating, like gods, it was never real in the first place. You can't claim "an internal sense of self," and then also claim it requires external validation. That's "I have a personal relationship with Jesus" and "I want to pass laws based on what Jesus wants." It's either a private personal matter, or a matter of public interest. You can't have both.

And in both cases, attempting to do both results in authoritarianism.

[animentality]

I’ve seen some of your posts about Star Trek, and decided that I want to start watching it. Where do you think I should start?

Oh BOY.

See, this is a fascinating question. Technically, there are several places you could hop in. I will give you the pros and cons of each.

The short answer is honestly The Next Generation (TNG) or Deep Space Nine (DS9).

TNG is on the edge of accessible and non-accessible. It's a little dated, but still stands up well to the test of time. Its stories are self-contained and often don't need context from the greater world or previous episodes. It's thoughtful and optimistic about the human condition and highly intelligent.

But DS9 is easier for the modern TV watcher to start with, because it's more realistic, grounded, and it fleshes out its characters and their interpersonal dramas more.

It's also this clean mix between episodic and more serialized, so you'll get the fun and outstanding standalone episodes, like TNG's greatest hits, but mixed in with a fascinating overarching narrative, which will have a lot of fun space battles and space politics and something you can really sit down and get invested in.

so I'm biased to DS9, as you can tell.

But I concede to TNG too.

That's my short answer.

I'll also give you my short answer proposed order too:

DS9 or TNG first

Then watch DS9 or TNG, depending on which one you picked to watch firrst.

Followed by VOY.

You don't have to watch TOS, but if you're invested by that point, it might be fun.

Then skip ENT.

And from there, you get into modern Trek.

I'd give Discovery a try, because it's definitely high octane, easy for a modern viewer to get into.

But skip Picard, which is just...awful.

Then definitely watch Lower Decks, which is really fun.

Then check out Strange New Worlds, which is pretty good.

That's my short proposed order.

But if you care...here is my LONG answer, where I explain the pros and cons of starting at different spots.

TOS: The BEGINNING.

The Original Series, commonly shorted to TOS by fans.

Pros: This is the literal beginning of it all. If you wanted to really get into the lore of Star Trek and be this mega nerd who has a strong opinion about every following Star Trek interpretation, and get your nerd credentials, then this is a good place to start. Plus, some people don't mind the "oldness" of it, because it's simple, it's silly, and it's fun. The characters themselves are fun, and memorable. The episode plots range from ridiculous and batshit insane to thoughtful and somber and philosophical. You get to watch the OGs, Spock and Kirk and Uhura and Scotty and Bones, who are all iconic in their own way. It's also a nice little ensemble of goofballs, and you'll get to understand and appreciate the silly little TOS memes. Plus, I personally find it iconic how the TOS fandom is still going strong...after literally fifty seven years. That's icon status, baby.

Cons: IT REALLY IS VERY OLD. And kind of hard to get into, if you're not looking to watch a show that is VERY dated. I fully admit that I haven't re-watched TOS much. It's just not everyone's cup of tea, you know? It has its great moments, but I very rarely recommend TOS to people because I don't want to scare them off from Star Trek! So I wouldn't recommend starting here. Maybe watch it later, after other series, to get a well rounded view of the world, but TOS is sort of an odd place to start for the modern TV watcher. Ironically.

TNG: The SUCCESSOR

The Next Generation, commonly shortened to TNG.

Pros: TNG is iconic in its own way. It has its own memorable crew of Jean Luc Picard, William Riker, Deanna Troi, Geordi LaForge, Beverly Crusher, Worf, our best robot boy Data. It has aged much better than TOS, with a greater number of standalone episodes and thought provoking plots. It has some of the most brilliant non-serialized writing of all time, with great social and political commentary that hadn't ever been discussed in TV at that point, and honestly aren't even being discussed now. Its highs are peak Star Trek, with some of the most intelligent analysis of what it means to be an evolved human being ever created for television. It takes a serious look at many aspects of humanity through the lens of "alien" troubles, and its philosophical ramblings are deep, rich, and often thickly layered. That being said...

Cons: It's highly episodic, so you won't find yourself really "gripped" by one single or even multiple plot threads. If you don't like non-serialized stories, then well, most of the stories are designed to be enjoyed without the context of the rest of them. Also, some of it is wildly dated. ESPECIALLY the first season, which is a fucking mess, with like...almost no redeeming episodes. The pilot is AWFUL. The female characters are handled...in such a sexist way that it's honestly kind of enraging. Now it DOES get better, much better, by mid season two, and pretty much starts pumping out nothing but bangers by season 3, but... there will still be some dated stuff. Plus, even the really good episodes are still paced rather slowly. So keep that in mind, if you want to start with TNG....

ALSO, extra note: The crew has great chemistry with each other, but it doesn't do much in terms of fleshing them out in the early seasons. Gene Roddenberry, the creator, really didn't want the crew to have interpersonal dramas, or even want to show them relaxing or hanging out at all. Later seasons you'll see more character moments, which are great, but... TNG and TOS kind of skimp out on showing you the human elements. You aren't often allowed to get close to the characters, see their inner lives, their personal feelings about situations, the issues they have, with themselves or others. There's a distance, this professional aura to the show, which can be kind of daunting and a little alienating, no pun intended. So keep that in mind...

But now we come to the show I am most biased towards, and shamelessly.

DS9- The REALIST

Deep Space Nine, shortened to DS9.

I must start this segment by admitting, DS9 is my favorite and I am fucking biased. That being said, I first watched it when I was 9, and didn't have any problem understanding it without seeing the other Treks. There are also a million other things it has going for it that would make it the easiest place for a modern TV watcher to hop in.

So full disclosure, this IS where I would recommend you start. But anyway:

Pros: Like I said, it did away with some of that professional distance that TNG was so well known for. The characters are richer, more fleshed out, more flawed. They don't like each other in the beginning. They have to earn their found family, and that just makes it sweeter and more poignant when they finally begin to see themselves as a family. DS9 is the "grittier," edgier Star Trek, the one that seriously tests the hopeful optimism of the future...but it never breaks it. That's important to note. It still understands the idea that humans have evolved to be better.

It covers more controversial topics in a more straightforward way. War, genocide, fascism, political instability, coups, war crimes, espionage, propaganda, religious dogma, trauma, it can get pretty heavy. But there still is this hopefulness to how characters grow and change and heal from past traumas. It also fleshes out the aliens more than TNG or TOS, taking a more nuanced perspective of them, and even has individuals who fight back against the "mono" culture that was so popular in early star trek.

As mentioned above, it also blends serialized with non serialized. You get standalone episodes, and episodes that follow up on pre-existing plots. That's where you get the nuances and the depth and the richness of the universe, as well as the interpersonal relationships of the crew.

Now for the Cons:

NONE. It's perfect.

Just kidding.

Some people don't like DS9 because of its darkness, but in just terms of where to start...I agree that there ARE some things that come from TNG that you might appreciate more if you watched TNG first. It does mostly explain these things, but the flesh comes after the bones, you know. Also, DS9 has its weaknesses in season 1, same as TNG. It has some real stinkers. It doesn't get going until season 3, and also? You know how I said it's political?

Well, some of the politics are reallllly boring. Not very sci fi, dare I say. You might find it better to watch with a guide that can tell you what to skip, because some of the early stuff is pretty bad. It also took some time to find its footing, which means there are some elements to it that might come across as just bizarre.

But anyway.

As I said, my favorite Star Trek, and where I personally started. But anyway.

Moving on...

Voyager- the Troubled

Voyager, commonly shortened to VOY.

Pros: First female captain, and she's very charismatic. For feminism reasons alone, you could start with VOY. It also has the most interesting beginning concept too. Voyager is a warship that gets dragged out and stranded in the Delta Quadrant, which is far, far from where Star Trek normally operates. So it's about a crew, stranded in what is essentially hostile alien territory, with no one to help them. Their whole mission is just to get back home, which will take them 70 years to get back to. So it has that going for it. It also has its own fascinating little crew, which has great interpersonal relationships and some great sci fi standalone stories. It does have its own overarching stories as well, which makes for some fun action and drama. Also in terms of understanding what's happening without seeing other Star Treks? Pretty good. Less connected than DS9, mostly, with a few glaring exceptions.

That being said...

Cons: Just like TNG and DS9, atrocious first 3 seasons. Also, Voy is sort of known for being a little sloppy. The writing is all over the board, ranging from mediocre to absolutely dogshit to not bad actually to pretty decent. It's a fun premise, but it's squandered a little. Characters are also inconsistent, depending on who's writing that particular episode. Unlike other Treks, it also doesn't quite meet the standard of mediocre, not even by season 3. It also doesn't flesh out some of its characters, and squanders a lot of their potential. It also has a very strange and rushed ending...also, it tries to be as edgy as DS9, but without the emotional depth, which often comes across as distasteful and even dare I say, boorish. So it has a lot going against it.

Moving to....

Enterprise- the Yikes

Shortened name: ENT

Full fucking disclosure. I fucking hate Enterprise.

Its stories are bad, most of the time. Its best episodes are still mediocre, by other Star Trek standards. Its overarching stories are terrible, with only a few even potentially interesting.

Also it got fucking cancelled by season 4, so its finale is baaaad.

Don't start with Enterprise.

Pros: Archer is great. I love Trip. T'Pol is adequate. So that's three good characters. There's one plot that's kind of cool.

Cons: It only has 3 good characters. And they are so waaaasted. As is that one plot.

So.

Moving on.

Now we get to modern trek.

Star Trek Discovery - the Doing Its Best

Nomenclature: DIS

Alright, full disclosure again. I watched two seasons of it, before quitting. But I can tell you this.

Pros: It's exciting and fresh and high quality. No more dorky little alien suits. State of the art CGI. High octane sci fi stories. Lots of death and drama and characters all hate each other and have trauma and don't want to deal with it. It's definitely made for the modern audience, and it has this like...disdain for other Star Treks. So if you haven't seen the other Star Treks, don't worry, it also has not. Not a bad place to start, if you don't care much for older shows and want something fun and new and set in space, and you like seeing phasers blow stuff up.

Cons: If you were interested in Star Trek for its hopeful future, that isn't what DIS is. DIS is more like, what if we had this one character and we focus on just her, and the rest of the crew doesn't matter? It's also sloppily written.

Now extra note: my MOM says Dis gets good by season 3. And I am inclined to believe her, because she is a diehard trekkie, and a true trekkie knows, season 3 is like...always where a Star Trek show gets off the ground.

But again. I have to admit, I never got there.

And I don't know if you'd personally like it. Maybe, if you're a fan of the more..exciting space action sci fis. If you like mega gritty war stuff, and torturing aliens to make your warp drive go fast.

But in terms of places to start...? Again, not a bad place if older star trek seems dull.

Discovery certainly is modern and not dull.

Picard- the Cash Grab

Name: PIC

Do not start with Picard. You won't get much out of it if you haven't seen TNG. You won't get much out of it if you have seen TNG.

Pros: It's good for...if you haven't seen Patrick Stewart play Picard in along time.

Cons: It's kind of terrible and messy. It also relies way too much on nostalgia and preexisting knowledge of TNG. So definitely do not bother with Picard as your first Star Trek.

Lower Decks: The Satirical Love Letter

Just called Lower Decks, I think.

Don't start here either, it is VERY dependent on you having seen every Star Trek ever. It's pretty good, but...it's satirical and to understand it well, you would've had to have seen the other Treks.

Strange New Worlds: the Fixer Upper

Shorthand: SNW

Pros: It's the only modern Star Trek that actually seems fond of the original Star Treks, while also being pretty decent just on its own. It brings back the optimism, while maintaining the high quality CGI. Its interpersonal relationships aren't bad. The overarching plot is only somewhat important, and it goes back to form, on that whole episodic thing. If you were allergic to bad rubber alien masks, and wanted to watch something from this era, SNW is the best place to start.

Cons: It might bore you a little if you weren't already a diehard Trekkie. It does depend a little bit on you knowing preexisting properties, just so far as the little wink wink, nudge nudges. It's also a little weird in that the crew doesn't quite live up to the fleshed out nuances of DS9, nor does it rise to the intelligence of TNG's plots.

So there you have it!

This took me almost two hours to write!

I don't know why I wrote it.

Something is wrong with me.

I love Star Trek.

Even the ones I criticized the most, I still like most of them.

I fully accept the Star Trek fandom's wrath too.

I know some people are bigger fans of the other Treks.

But this is my opinion, you know?

Which means I'm right, and everyone else is wrong.

[jeannereames]

I'm new to reading about Alexander the Great, and I read your books first, then Mary Renault's. I like your Hephaistion a lot better, and Olympias (Myrtale), but the two novels were a lot alike in the story itself. I saw at least one reviewer said that yours was like a retelling of hers: "dangerously similar." So I wondered how much her first novel on Alexander influenced yours?

You’re not the first to ask, and the answer is: very little.

When I get that line about my novel being “too much like” Mary Renault’s, or even “fanfic” on Mary Renault, it tells me the reviewer is completely unfamiliar with the ancient sources themselves. For those who are familiar, I never hear this (perhaps because where we differ is obvious).

Unlike the novelist who makes up a completely original plot, when writing historical fiction, at least of this type, there IS a historical thread to follow. I’m not copying Renault. I’m following Plutarch, Diodorus, and, to a lesser degree, Justin. So is she.

Where we “cross” is on the historical elements in the original sources.

If you remove those bits, our two retellings don’t have much in common. Likewise, even in some of the elements from those sources, we differ in interpretations. My novel also begins a good deal later in ATG’s life. We do both end with the same event—I suspect because, when history gives you a “made for Hollywood” incident like the murder of Philip, you don’t turn it down. LOL. Also, for me, it’s the “natural joint” between Alexander-the-prince and Alexander-the-king. Just as the end of Alexander’s stay at Mieza with Aristotle forms the hinge between the two novels—or originally, the hinge between two halves of one novel. (Which is why I was able to divide it in half, when Riptide insisted that I do so in order to publish it, due to its original length.)

But the plain fact is I’d written my own before I’d ever heard of Mary Renault. I backed into Alexander as a result of some grad classes at Emory. He kept popping up in lecture, and I realized I had NO idea who he was. As an English major, I’d read Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra,” so I knew the “big” Roman-era names. But I’d managed to get out of both high school and my BA at the University of Florida without taking any (real) history classes. Now I was running into mentions of people (and places) with which I was completely unfamiliar.

So, I waltzed over to the Emory library and picked out two bios on Alexander: Nick Hammond’s Alexander the Great: King, Commander, and Statesman, and Peter Green’s Alexander of Macedon (the original version, with pictures…I picked it because it had pictures). As I’ve said elsewhere, I couldn’t have selected two more different views of the conqueror if I’d tried. And that’s what intrigued me…so I kept reading. Then I decided to write a novel about the “making” of him (coming-of-age), and the importance of Hephaistion in his life (because Green was so dismissive of the poor guy). Hephaistion was originally much clearer in my mind. In fact, he’s the (real) protagonist of Dancing with the Lion…certainly for the novel’s first half (Becoming). So I’m glad to hear you liked how I portrayed him.

It was only later that somebody said, “Oh, hey, have you heard of Mary Renault?” English major or no, I hadn’t. I did pick up her novels on Alexander but read only a little way before putting them down precisely because I didn’t want to be influenced by her work. In fact, I read nobody’s novels on him until I finished my original (way too short) rendition. Then I started on the second draft (which turned out to be way too long).

But by that point, my picture of Alexander, and even more so, Hephaistion, was quite set. As was the story I wanted to tell.

So no, Mary Renault’s novels had little impact on the genesis of Dancing with the Lion. But you are not the first person to wonder.

Ironically, Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave and her subsequent Arthurian Saga had a much greater impact on how I chose to tell Alexander’s story. I did read those as a teen girl, and they fomented a fascination for King Arthur in me that lasted into college. The fact I wound up getting a PhD in Greek history is ironic, as I actively avoided it in high school and (undergrad) college, all my love given to Celtic and Scandinavian myth and history. I still do enjoy Celtic myth, btw. And it was with some amusement that I realized the tale of Alexander and Hephaistion was the foundation for the legend of Arthur and Lancelot. That probably IS part of why Alexander and Hephaistion gripped me so.

So yes, a “Mary” did influence me, but Stewart, not Renault. 😊

[fagsystem]

One interesting thing we have been learning in my psychology class is Tajfel's experiments related to intergroup discrimination.

It honestly reminds me a lot of syscourse.

The summary is that the participants (boys aged 14-15) were split into groups, and very quickly there was a lot of out-group discrimination. For example, the boys could decide whether they would award money to benefit only their own group, or everyone in the study. They chose not to allocate money in a way that maximised total profit, instead the majority chose to allocate money only for the good of their own group.

They were more concerned about creating as much difference as possible between the amounts allocated to themselves and the other group than getting a greater amount of money for everyone.

This reminds me a lot of the ingroup outgroup mentalities I have seen and experienced in syscourse.

When I first joined syscourse, I was overwhelmed by divide between pro-endogenic and anti-endogenics. I felt as though I had to pick one. I quickly became anti-endogenic, despite not really caring before, and also very quickly became quite hostile towards pro-endogenics. It was less so even about endogenics, more so about pro-endogenics.

Which you see a lot in syscourse. People will use pro-endogenic when they really should mean endogenic, because they are opperating under an in-group (anti-endogenics) versus outgroup (pro-endogenics) mentality.

You also see this whenever someone on one side does something poor, in the reaction it receives from their group versus the other group. If an anti-endogenic said something horrible, generally I see pro-endogenics responding to it by saying, 'Anti-endogenics believe XYZ.' Generally, I see anti-endogenics addressing it by addressing the specific person/bad thing, and denouncing that thing. And vice versa.

@sysmedsaresexist just made a post where they said if you engage with pro-endogenics you will see the worst of anti-endogenics, and if you engage with anti-endogenics you will see the worst of pro-endogenics. Which is entirely true.

With this intergroup fighting, people are always searching for the worst of the other side and dragging it around as proof that the other side is horrible. That their own side is better. And, if you consider yourself in either group, subconsciously you are likely doing the same. Not to mention, I feel as though people are subconsciously justifying horrible behaviour because it is happening to the other group.

Very little has changed in how I engage in syscourse and who I engage in it with since I stopped considering myself anti-endogenic. I am still seeing much of the same sort of content as I ever have before. If anything, I am seeing far less anti-endogenic content as I end up blocking a lot of anti-endogenics now. But whenever I see anti-endogenics being mean, it properly bothers me now.

Before, it would feel cathartic. 'I also dislike the other group, the other group has done all these bad things, it feels good to see someone else who is angry.:

Now, it just feels mean. It feels as though so much of it is just people being angry over ableist rhetoric they have seen in the pro-endogenic community, and in their angry they are lashing out at people and their existences. It feels as though so much of it is just people wanting to hurt the other group and using shallow excuses of 'but pro-endogenics are bad because-' to justify it.

Honestly, almost all of syscourse feels as though it is just people wanting to hurt the other group and using shallow excuses of 'but the other group is bad because-' to justify it.

We are all just people. I suppose ingroup outgroup mentalities is just as people do. But I hope if you have read this far you can recognise that people outside of your group are also people. Extend the same care, compassion, and respect to them as you would someone in your own group. Including those in the other group that cause harm, are you treating them more harshly than those in your own group who do the same?

Be nice to each other please.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.198 thoughts

[Alright, Keep Your Secrets]

(Contents: speculation - Sun/Luna/Soul)

After last week's chapter, I imagine most of us were expecting this week's chapter to be about Top discovering his soul and pushing Unstoppable further than ever before. I at least thought we'd see a bit of a capstone of his story with Haruka and his mother's illness, his reconciliation with the fact that he needed the help of others to win the day and that he can't survive alone like he thought, and the determination to reach greater speeds because he knows that Haruka's armor will be there to catch him just like she did when they met

All of those would have made a great finale to this arc and Top's re-introductory storyline, but for whatever reason, that's not what Tozuka decided to do. There will likely be time for Top to wrestle with his demons next chapter, and Top worrying about going all out only to be reassured by a friend who can stop him at his fastest could end up feeling like a rehash of the Creed fight, so instead Tozuka chose to give us just a little teaser for what's to come now that souls have been officially introduced into the game

Soul's discussion with Luna is both extremely cryptic and illuminating. While we now know that there's a greater gap between Sun and Luna's goals than just a difference of opinion, we are somehow less clear on her goals in the first place than we ever were before

Once again, I think we may be operating under some kind of misconception. Beast told us that the world began with only Man and Earth, that human souls were placed on Earth by God. This tells us that after the Earth was (presumably) created by Sun and Luna, they created human souls to inhabit it, and that these souls came into existence with the birth of UMA Soul

However, Soul is now telling us that his creation granted people potential. This sounds like something that would have been a subsection of UMA Change's powerset, but no, it's Soul's purview. This suggests that souls themselves may have already existed prior to the Earth's creation, but Luna introduced UMA Soul to create rules and stipulations surrounding the soul that would encourage growth

"There isn't a single Rule in this world designed to aid your survival." That's what Beast said, but Soul is making it very clear that Beast isn't as in the know as he thinks he is. It seems like Soul himself is the Rule designed to aid humanity, the Rule that allows humanity to become more than a collection of disparate spirits floating around a molten dead rock. Whether Luna always planned for humanity to overthrow Sun or she just wanted to see something more interesting, I think there's a good chance that Sun wasn't pleased with this decision

This is likely where their goals split; Sun may have decided that the world was as it should be after introducing the souls to Earth, but Luna saw no meaningful future in that state, so she created a new lifeform, the UMA, to drive an ever-evolving, more lively planet. It was then that Sun retaliated - if Luna can make Rules, so can Sun. And so he did; Death, Change, Luck, Justice, War, all were created to torment and hold back the coming advancements of the world that threatened Sun's vision of perfection. Like children playing in the schoolyard, Sun just kept making up new Rules that continuously put Luna at a disadvantage. Whether they made a formal agreement after this on how to proceed with their wager or if they already had it and Luna broke it first, we won't know for some time, but I'm getting the impression that Sun isn't as petty towards humanity as we initially thought, rather he's petty towards Luna and using them as a proxy

Also, Soul's more amenable attitude towards Fuuko suddenly makes a lot more sense when you know that he was made by Luna - ostensibly, Sun is the one who told all of the UMA he created to make humanity suffer, but if Luna created Soul, he most likely never received that order. Soul doesn't seem to be rooting for the Negators or anything, but he also doesn't seem too invested in being their enemy. What part of Sun's agenda he plays, again I don't know, but his allegiances seem pretty different from everyone else's. He's not fighting so Sun can win, but he's also clearly not giving up any ground to Luna. Perhaps it's the fact that he doesn't know Luna's plot, so he doesn't trust her or Sun and is instead fighting for the sake of his UMA brethren?

I'm really hoping we don't have to wait too long to get more info here, because Soul and Luna are suddenly waaay deeper characters than they seemed to be in the beginning

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

...

Wait, is that why he's Sun and not Sol?? So we wouldn't get Sol and Soul confused???

[zarathelonewolf]

GACHIAKUTA 116 AKA I HATE THE RESULT. OF THE USA ELECTIONS BUT I LOVE GACHIAKUTA SO I WILL FOCUS ON THAT

This is literally what it says on the tin.

I will not bore you with a discussion on the elections. They were shit. Period. I hate that Harris lost.

Someone liked the previous version of this post which I just eliminated because I have now posted THIS post, after erroneously thinking that Tumblr hadn't registered it (it was not showing on my blog). Sorry for the person that liked the previous post, @orngbanana, this is the actual post.

Having said that I need to distract myself from the mess, so I shall talk about Gachiakuta's 116 Issue, my oh my, such good things it gave me! Since, you know, THREE OF MY MAIN POOKIES ARE IN IT! AT THE SAME TIME! AND THEY'RE ALL GORGEOUS!

Let's talk about it!

As we suspected, there is a huge chunk of history between the moment that the Sphere and Ground split from each other, and the moment Rudo fell. There are records of those lost times, however they haven't been kept well, or maybe they've been censored.

Corvus wants to investigate them. He wants to obtain the lost info. Like Kuro as well. Which makes me think that Corvus and Kuro really are the same person: Corvus's goal of Finding Out What Happened After Whatever The Heck It Was That Split The World In Two™ and Kuro's goal of Gaining Back The Memories Missing From My Brain Who Has Shapeshifted Too Much™ can align and coincide. Also, if the first Cleaner Corvus references is the same as the "friend" he mentions, and it ends up being Canis, there's little room for theories that don't have "they're the same person" as an outcome.

Corvus is being too hard on himself in my opinion. Of course he's a leader and carries responsibility for the Cleaners, however the Cleaners themselves are "using" the organization for their own wants and needs, like protection, a sense of belonging, a search for power. Rudo himself has his own goal. He also finds Arkha to be a honest man, and is surprised upon hearing the opinion Arkha has of his actions. To Rudo, being honest has a greater importance than being "righteous". "Righteousness" has led to Rudo's fall.

Rudo himself makes Arkha notice the bigger picture, I think. He "accepts" Corvus's need to "use him", especially because Corvus has proclaimed that he wants to help Rudo. Rudo makes Corvus realize that what him and the Cleaners have is a "collaboration" and not "exploitation", since both sides get something they are looking for.

I really like the detail of Corvus's eye tattoo closing and crying. Rudo's growth warms my heart just as much as yours, big guy.

Now, unto Zodyl!

...

Yeesh.

...

YEESH!

This boi has a lot of trauma!

So, we finally get a glimpse into the man's past, and it is not pleasant.

I have two theories about this, and they all derive from the obvious implication that the people carrying Zodyl away from his mother and sister are trash worshipers.

There are two theories in my mind: the Initiation Ritual one, and the Kidnapping one.

INITIATION RITUAL: The tribe of trash worshipers has a ceremony that decides whether or not they have worshiped trash correctly, and if there are bad things coming for them in the future. It is also a ritual of initiation for their children, who will be "blessed" by the trash that falls upon them. Their children are brought in the spot where the trash storm happens and left there. I assume that both the children that die and those that survive the trash storm are considered blessed due to the simple fact that they could stand underneath the godly trash as it fell, and yet at the same time, if a lot of children die it means that the tribe didn't worship trash correctly or that the following years are going to be harsh... Or maybe they think the opposite, that it is good because the children didn't die of old age or disease but because the trash touched them? Idk. Zodyl doesn't want to undergo the ritual, and I shall assume that he does not want his sister to do so, either: his mother is an ambiguous figure to me, is she protesting it too, reaching for her son like he is reaching for her? Or does she stand to the side, allowing the ceremony to take place? Does she approve or was she forced into silence?

KIDNAPPING THEORY: Maybe the trash worshipers are so devout to the trash that they think everyone, even those that don't want to worship it, should have contact with it. That could be why Zodyl is resisting the "baptism" so much (though it could also be true if he was raised among the worshipers but I digress).

Welp! No matter which of these theories is true, the first one seems very plausible to me. Zodyl seems to hate the Sphere's methods of waste disposal for sure, and he seems to consider trash worshipers as very naive on the surface, and if full for hatred for them deep inside. They "took" something from him: maybe his family died under the trash storm. He emerged victorious though... And vowed to take instead of having stuff be taken from him. He isn't going to be deprived again: he shall be the one to make the first move.

Lastly, I am thinking that the peak of sadness for Zodyl would be the origin of his coat's power.

Watchman Jinki seem to have a penchant for choosing owners that have a lot of trauma, deeply rooted issues, and empty void to fill. The coat, I assume, is no exception. He adapted to Zodyl due to his upbringing, and as a consequence, gave itself the power... to shapeshift according to what he eats.

I had a "wait a minute" vine moment, but thanks to Reddit and my good little brain, I managed to figure out why, and it hinges heavily on the first theory, according to which Zodyl and family were raised among trash worshipers.

Trash worshipers also accept the moldy, ruined food that ends up falling from the sky as organic waste. I can only assume that trash worshipers also eat said organic waste, in order to be "one with the trash" or some shit.

This can easily be classified as traumatic. I doubt Zodyl liked eating moldy food, or scavenging moldy food. So maybe that's what the coat latched onto when it bonded with Zodyl.

I am reminded of Kuro's words about Zodyl, about the fact that Zodyl seems to be hiding the weaknesses of his powers from his Raiders. But I think the secret he keeps is deeper, I believe he is hiding his own weakness, his own longing that the coat manages to fill.

Urana's tweet about the sandwich Zodyl ate being made by Cthoni gives me even more happiness, comfort and relief than it did before. Even though Zodyl appears emotionless and is probably suppressing a lot of stuff, mainly with the help of the coat, someone has his back. Someone cares, even though he cannot bring himself to do so ever again and prefers being detached and practical.

Some questions this chapter raised:

Why weren't Enjin and Tamzy shown when Corvus explained that everyone in the Cleaners has their own goal? Is it because Corvus hasn't figured out what Enjin's deal is, and because he isn't sure of what Tamzy wants anymore because Tamzy is now suspicious in Corvus's eyes?

To what extent are the Raiders aware of Zodyl's past? Is Cthoni the closest to him?

The obvious one of "Are Corvus and Kuro the same person?"

Are these trash worshipers going to be more relevant than simple plot devices to explain Zodyl's worldview? Are they tied to the reason why the Sphere keeps throwing trash on the ground?

Is Canis the First Cleaner and/or Corvus's friend?

Having said that, happy life to everyone! Be like the populace of the Ground: keep living, stay safe, keep forging bonds with others and finding joy into the little things and that which society discards!

[merlinbingo]

And another month flies on by...

In May, we received 34 fantastic fills created by 16 lovely participants. Of those, 27 are fics, five are art, one is a podfic, and one is a fic/art combo!

Perhaps not surprisingly, we don't have a whole lot of different ships this time, but all the reliable standbys are on there. 12 works are gen, 17 Merlin/Arthur, two each for Merlin/Gwaine and Merlin/Lancelot, and finally a single one for Merlin/Knights.

The fills themselves are below the cut, sorted by ship and then by rating. As always, we encourage you to pay attention to the warnings, and to leave a whole lot of love for the people who've worked so hard on them!

No ships/gen

The Omega and the Alpha - the plan by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Chaotic Merlin (Merlin), Chaotic Morgana (Merlin), Rumours, gossips, Court Gossips Summary: Merlin and Morgana starts their plan

Morgause's Armor by LikeAPaperPlane Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

Scars by paintedpigeon Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Emotional hurt/comfort, canon era, PTSD, trust Summary: Five years after Leon rescues Merlin from slavers, Leon helps Merlin with his scars

The fear of losing a friend can often be greater than the fear itself. by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Hurt/Comfort, Scared Merlin (Merlin), Merlin Gets a Hug (Merlin), Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Arthur and Merlin talks. Freya makes them a gift

The Omega and the Alpha ~ Chapter 3: The showdown by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chaotic Merlin (Merlin), Chaotic Morgana (Merlin), Everyone Hates Uther Pendragon (Merlin) Summary: Merlin and Morgana decide that Uther's reign is over.

Guardian Angel by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: References to Ancient Celtic Religions & Lore, Wingfic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Not everyone is lucky enough to know their guardian angel. Arthur and the Knights are

elyan portrait by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: digital art, digital painting Summary:

the blood we spill like ink on our hearts by Caethes Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Angst, Merlin’s Golden Eyes Summary: “I am not a monster, am I?” He asks of the one person who might understand and ’I am not a monster’ is what he tells himself when he looks into the mirror months later. Upon his arrival in Camelot Merlin starts to change in ways he’d not forseen.

The most loyal of them all by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: References to Episode: s04e09 Lancelot du Lac (Merlin), Protective Leon (Merlin), Guilty Mordred (Merlin), Hurt Lancelot (Merlin) Summary: Thalia, Nico, Merlin and Leon find Lancelot.

How to judge a man by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Pre-Canon, Child Merlin (Merlin), Protective Hunith (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels Summary: Pre-Canon, a moment between Merlin and his mother Hunith

It wasn't your fault ~ it was my choice by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Hurt/Comfort, Survivor Guilt, Good Friend Lancelot (Merlin), Magical Accidents, Leon is So Done (Merlin) Summary: Jason ~ reborn Lancelot ~ and Merlin talk

[Podfic] The Greater of Two Evils by cynthia1314 Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply, References to suicide, original character death, and torture; Graphic Descriptions of Injuries; Trigger warning Ableism Major tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Friendship, Magic Reveal, Desperate Arthur, Bad Decisions Summary: When Merlin and Arthur are captured, they’re both haunted by memories of the last person the king tortured for information. Arthur has mere minutes to make the hardest decision of his life. Should he give Merlin the only mercy he can offer?

Merlin/Knights

A lovely kitten by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Humor, Cat Merlin (Merlin), Everyone Loves Merlin (Merlin), Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin) Summary: Merlin is turned into a cat. Morgana is amused, Arthur and the Knights are in love with him. Merlin is so done.

Merlin/Lancelot

you can love him but you can't keep him by kairennart Rating: General audiences Warnings: Major character death Major tags: digital art, shade lancelot Summary:

you are someone else (i am still right here) by eachpeachpearplum Rating: Teen Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence Major tags: Canon divergence, enemies to friends to lovers, fluff, hurt/comfort Summary: After Lancelot is gravely injured by a group of druid hunters, he's found by the most unlikely of rescuers: the fearsome Monster of the Darkling Woods and her companion, Merlin, who really wishes she'd stop bringing him broken creatures to fix.

Merlin/Gwaine

Love is in the air (or maybe, it's just jazz) by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Gwaine Flirts (Merlin), POV Merlin (Merlin), Bartender Merlin (Merlin), Singer Gwen (Merlin), Alternate Universe - 1920s Summary: Jazz bar, Merlin is approached by the most attractive man he ever saw. This is the story

Thank you by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Court Sorcerer Merlin (Merlin), Good Morgana (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence Summary: Some king isn't happy with Merlin, but at least he has friends he could rely on.

Merlin/Arthur

You and me, love, what do you say? by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Alternate Universe - Romeo and Juliet Fusion, Musician Merlin (Merlin), Noble Merlin (Merlin), Noble Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Crack Treated Seriously Summary: Merlin and Arthur are the heir of the two rival families. Will they find love? Or will they follow their parents' steps?

Fatal Unions chapter 1 by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Spy Merlin (Merlin), CEO Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Police investigation, Marriage, Humor Summary: Merlin and Arthur marry after knowing each other for only a few weeks, shortly after Merlin starts working at Arthur's company and receives one promotion after another. But is there more behind this marriage?

Your my religion by myoonmii Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

There was an idea ~ Chapter 1: Looking for someone.... by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Student Merlin (Merlin), Student Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Fake/Pretend Relationship Summary: Before Merlin could change his mind, he went to his dating app, and changed his bio. Looking for someone to take to couples therapy and see how long it takes for the therapist to notice we don't know each other Glad to have a plan for later, Merlin happily went back to studying.

Anchor up to me by bebravedearheart Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings, Minor (in canon) character death Major tags: Grief/mourning, Empathy, Affection, Comfort Summary: The king is dead, the prince grieves and the servant makes sure he is not alone.

Merthur on their first date by LikeAPaperPlane Rating: General audiences Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Summary:

I'm about to blow ~your mind~ by HadrianPeverellBlack Rating: Teen Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Shy Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Dirty mind, Cursed Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius is So Done (Merlin) Summary: Arthur is cursed to 'open his mind'. The only problem: his mind is open towards his manservant. Who has a lot of imagination.

meet you for coffee (only for coffee) by kirani Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: modern AU, friends to lovers, breaking up & making up Summary: It was six months since Merlin had fallen drunkenly into bed with his best friend. Five months since they’d decided to make it a regular, no strings attached thing. Four months since Merlin had realized he couldn’t keep sleeping with Arthur while being secretly in love with him. Three months since he’d called it off. Two weeks since they had spoken, conversations awkwardly fizzling out into uneasy silence. One minute since Arthur had called.

A Moment by kirani Rating: Teen Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: drabble, love realization Summary: All at once, everything made sense

mine / yours by kirani Rating: Mature Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: modern AU, kink exploration, marking Summary: Arthur is Merlin's and finds he love a reminder of that on his skin.

The Cure All by chaosgenes Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Canon AU, Magical Healing Cock, Curses, Thirsty Arthur Pendragon, Merlin's Magic Revealed Summary: Merlin accidentally enchants the wrong “sword”—and it’s irreversible. To make matters worse, a curse falls on Arthur—and there’s only one way to save him.

Our Stars Still Shine Together by tansyuduri Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Issues, Merthur, Minor Angst Summary: Merlin stays unsure around Arthur, in fear of being hurt more when the man he loves dies a mortal death. A new knight and sorcer of Camalot are in love but unsure what to do. Also don't give candy to strange children.

Everything I've Dreamed About Is Coming On by thesongistheriver Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: social media AU, demisexual Arthur Pendragon, businessman Arthur Pendragon, slow burn, eventual smut Summary: Arthur is tired of people only wanting to date him for his money. After his latest break-up, about which he isn't very broken up at all, he decides dating just isn't for him. But his best friends at least want him to talk to other humans outside the office, and they get him into a fandom space on Discord. Sometimes what you don't even know you're looking for ends up right in front of you.

Slipping Masks by s0mmerspr0ssen, Mirayla Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Alternate Universe - Canon, Prince Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Prostitute Merlin (Merlin), Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Extremely Dubious Consent Summary: Prince Arthur travels to Cenred’s kingdom to negotiate a peace treaty, only to be shocked by the vulgarity of his court. Whores are a common part of the entertainment, and one in particular manages to unnerve Arthur: Merlin, a cocky young man with an utterly filthy mouth. Despite his best efforts, Arthur finds himself entangled with him—only to uncover secrets that threaten Camelot’s safety.

Into the Inward Places of Our Souls by thesongistheriver Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: established relationship, modern AU, homophobia, demisexuality, emotional hurt/comfort Summary: Everything's been going so well that of course something has to intervene. Some non-con touching (off-screen), homophobia, and protective friends and partners.

Your Reward by Sage_Owl Rating: Explicit Warnings: No archive warnings apply Major tags: Morning Sex, Service Top, Established Relationship, Modern no magic, Bottom Arthur/Top Merlin Summary: Merlin is rewarded for his patience after a night of sleeping with his very snuggly boyfriend, Arthur.

[no5491]

A DEEP DIVE INTO VALKYRIE 'KYRIE' TUEUR, formerly known as GAE EUNSEO

cw : // mentions of a self-saving s*ucide attempt, brief mention of torture

her family had been well accustomed to living in quiet. they moved in and out of the back alley ways of their middle class home in the mawar district, at least until they could afford to get acquainted with the people there. gae jung-wok’s far distant family had been stationed in japan due to the patriarch’s military service, which lead them to being some of the first people to settle themselves in the ‘new jakarta’ that had become such a buzz on earth. from then on, the bloodline never returned to their home planet, deciding their roots would be webbed into the ginger and crimson sands of mars. the life they built always teetered on the edge of wealth, but could never quite break the walls down that would land them in the affluent homes of sora.

maybe this history is why eventually they were granted the abilities they had. no one could be truly sure, but kim bo-young didn’t have it though her husband and child seemed to be of a different realm, well past what she’d experienced as a new settler. they dawned dark auburn locks and dusted cheeks of tangerine freckles and she found them unique and warm. but for their sake, she took it all on, working instead while still being a mother to her child, leaving her at a constant state of stress needing to take care of her vulnerable lot. eunseo was sure that’s where she’d gotten that from, something she finds vindicating but also worrying about herself. in this time with their shared likeness, eunseo and her father grew close, and he raised her to be a tough girl who was capable of anything, even if the boys in her life told her she wasn’t.

it was the rebel in her, the one that her running around the akumu slums with not a care in the world as if there wasn’t a distinct barrier between their worlds. she never saw it, the kids she ran around with and the people she got to know were hard working people just trying to make it, and while her mom toyed with hextools so they could have a comfortable life, not everyone could do that. she hated to see the difference, knowing how close to the prosperity of the top percentile she was while people suffered.

but sometimes she wished she worried more about herself as she got older, much too naive to think that her little bubble could be popped so incredulously. it had been a series of unfortunate events that led to her becoming valkyrie tueur, ones filled with torture she could have never imagined, and could never wish on anyone. it brought her physical pain to think about how they took her, how she found out they had been watching her, moments where she shouldn’t have been using the abilities she was ‘blessed’, her mother would say, with and maybe they wouldn’t have taken her.

and maybe if they hadn’t taken her, she wouldn’t think her own demise was the only way out, she wouldn’t have had to be forced through all that testing or have gotten the monicure subject no: 5941. some sick, evil and vile games all to ‘understand’. the cut across her throat was as significant and as superficial as she could manage with a box cutter, and after all a dead subject isn’t as good as a live one. her connection to the grey lilies being the divine’s way of saving her life, but returning to her family would put them all in danger, and being found out as the ‘one that got away’ would leave her own life hanging in some sort of balance to hide whatever…that was. it took everything she had to become valkyrie tueur, a sacrifice greater than she could ever imagine and the constant frying of her hair these days is a testament to that.

eunseo returned to the slums that brought her freedom when she was younger, becoming valkyrie tueur and getting to know the intricacy of the streets. she didn’t like needing favors to get settled, and she’s got a lot of debts to pay that she’s done a couple of not too nice favors for but she wouldn’t be a leader of her organization if she wasn’t credible

she’s better at hiding now, in fact, that became her entire . being in the shadows and getting things done in any way possible. she supposed that’s how she ended up in the position she was in these days, overseeing something bigger than her while keeping her identity in the shadows with her tactics. kyrie’s gained the reputation of being a little bit of a hard ass and a bit melancholy. she doesn’t talk much if not at all, and those who have heard her speak are people that keep pieces of her heart. the burning in her throat as she tries to speak words makes her skin crawl, ghosting her memories back to a time that she desperately tries to erase from her mind.

INSPIRATIONS -

you can find her pinterest here

Quote: "I am the blood of the dragon. I must be strong. I must have fire in my eyes when I face them, not tears"

Label or Archetype: the silenced warrior

Tropes : (List one-three trope related to your muse.)

Media Parallels: sarah bailey (the craft, 1996), jane lane (daria), shaolin fon (bleach), mikasa ackerman (attack on titant), nico robin (one piece)

Theme Song: swamp bitches - doechii, rico nasty / hurricane - badvillain

PERSONALITY

strength - 5 dexterity - 4 constitution - 5 intelligence - 7 wisdom - 4 charisma - 0

Positive Traits: adaptable, confident, intellectual, observant, intuitive, curious, alert, tranquil, sagacious, conscientious, gallant, forthright, systematic

Neutral Traits: authoritative, complex, dry, empathetic, guileless, mellow, private, stoic, tough, boyish, cerebral

Negative Traits: aloof, compulsive, cunning, detached, finicky, sarcastic, vague, vengeful, abrasive, cynical, enigmatic

Peeves: tardiness, the sound of chalk on a chalk board, the ruffling of boxes, constant beeping, the sound of windchimes, loud chewing

Fears: death

Skills: cooking, singing, combat, tech trouble shooting, technology making, engineering, up close combat, deceit, writing, planning

Goals: to figure out who sold her out before as she firmly believes that's what happened to her when she was kidnapped. in her mind it had to be the golden tears.

APPEARANCE -

Faceclaim: kim minjeong (winter of aespa)

Height: 165cm

Eye Colour: auburn brown, covered with dark brown contacts

Hair Colour: blonde currently, naturally auburn red

Clothing Style: kyrie's style has a mesh of mad max mixed with a cyber aspect. she likes chunky pieces and layers with a lot of straps and things like that. her outfits are usually the border of feminine and masculine as that is what she is. she likes chunky shoes and distressed pieces, giving her a post apocalyptic look. a visual representation as well as outfit ideas can be found here: atiren

Jewellery: she wears layers of jewelry usually, it depends on the outfit, she does have a pendant that she never takes off, given to her by her mother

Tattoos: kyrie is covered in little tattoos, some she's even done herself out of boredom

Marks/Scars: she has a long scar from either end of neck from her attempt, other scars include old restraint scars on her ankles and wrists, and a few scars from busted lips and knots gotten from fighting or her time in captivity.

Modifications: n/a

Scent/Fragrance: there's always a signature fragrance on a man. something musky, or with a hint of the woods, or some sort of aged bourbon. and then there's a signature scent to a woman, even if there is a hint of musk and bourbon there's going to be a floral, a wine or some sort of aromatic fruit. i suppose kyrie smells like both depending on what you see. that doesn't make sense i'm sure, but think of it as, if you see her as a feminine person, you'll seem to smell those feminine notes, with a hint of masculine musk. if you've engaged yourself with the part of her that deems her your tomboy, that masculine scent seems to have just a slight hint of femininity to it, as if there's something that sets those signature smells apart from what you think they should be.