#coming from a boy that died in the early 20th century? there’s a lot he’s not aware of

[mpsansy]

Probably corny, but I enjoy these two characters so much that I have to say it.

With Casper most certainly finding friendship in Papyrus, I wonder how’d he be around Sans? A for sure thing would be he likes the coolness he has. Or maybe it’s called laziness, doesn’t really matter much cause the spirit would find some real peace with this skeleton. His uncles drive him crazy with their dangerous loud antics, but with someone that is the opposite, no matter how small it may be? It’s just nice.

And he lets the boy talk for as long as he wants! And listens!! Though he likes messing with Casper too. Don’t you worry, it’s all in a nice way to keep the spirit on their toes. Oh, wait. Ghosts don’t have those. Eh, you get the idea.

The real reason for saying all this is because I thought about Sans sharing his own interests. It’s not much, but he talks about the stars to the kid and to get him to ramble on is, well, it’s a nice change of pace. Especially since the child is looking to him with the fullest attention and interest.

[starsofang]

Dear Angie I think I have scared a lot of people today because of the shriek I made when I saw the update and all the other ones I made through reading the chapter while I was standing in line with my friend so she could have a book signed by an author, some people lokked at me with funny faces and my friend now has a bruised in her arm because I gripped it so hard to shake her.

But we'll to the important part the chapter, first, I fucking hate Graves your description made me freaking gag I hope he dies a horrible death the one that Price said seems fitting.

Now, I can not talk about this chapter without going through it chronologically because so much happened in it. “Dove, it’s okay. Just listen to my voice, alright? I’m right here.” Gaz, being the first one to talk to her, makes so much sense because to me, he seems the most love struck by her. “The telescope,” Ghost said, voice low. “He’s talkin’ about the telescope.” How did Ghost know? Does he know what the poem means? Has he told Price or not? Or maybe Graved talked to him in his head earlier? I hope it's the last one. “Don’t fuckin’ talk to him,” Soap hissed, scowling. You say it to him, Johnny, defend your boyfriend. You instantly shifted your eyes to look at Gaz, ... You knew why he was having a hard time—you gifted the telescope to him, ... It was something he treasured, something he didn’t want to let go of. My poor Gaz, I can't, I'm going to steal it from Graves just to give it back to you, my baby boy. “Attagirl,” he praised, calming your nerves. Price you call me that again and I'm going fucking feral I'm a sucker for that pet name. “It’s my fault she’s marked. So long as she gets fixed up, I could care less about bein’ thrown into a cell. I’m with Price,” he finished. GOD, I'M A SUCKER FOR THESE INTERACTIONS, MY FAVOURITE EMOTIONAL CONSTIPATED BABY IS TRYING HIS BEST GIVE HIM A GOLDEN STAR.

Now now now now the Price kiss is just the best, I cant stand it, all that dialoge, how you described the kiss (I supposed that it was her first so I missed that it wasn't awkward but it was amazing best). “I am not an emotional man,” he murmured quietly, seeming just as unsure as you were. “I make very stupid decisions and take paths I shouldn’t take. One of them is tellin’ me to kiss you, and I’m not sure if that’s alright.” Well, man, let your intrusive thoughts win already. KISS HER PLEASE I'M BEGGING YOU. “Gaz tried to when I gifted him the telescope,” yeah... try... I don't know who fault that was right, Angie. “I hope that is okay.” Darling it is, they are all fucking each other. Price broke out into a smile, huffing out a breathy laugh. “So long as he did not beat me to it.” Angie, I know you remark this so many times, so we remember what we could have had, but that you take it away, and I don't know how to feel.

I hope that Gaz and Soap are the first thing that Y/N sees when they wake up. I need some time with them because he haven't had time with the reader.

Now, this fun fact is accompanied by an image of how I imagine Price's quarters. So the fun fact is that the beds in any ship are built in the walls so they don't move because imagine being in a ship with a normal bed, it would end in the other end of the room, so that way is less dangerous. And from the medieval era to the early 20th Century the closet bed (witch is just a bed built in a closet) was surprisingly popular across Europe. I suspect that the fact that the beds in the ships are built like that comes from the closet bed, but I haven't really looked into it or researched it.

This is what a bed in a ship used to look like.

They were normally individual, even the captain's one. But because Price is fucking massive (like the other three) and for future parts of the story 👀 I changed it for a double bed with a more intricate wood work (I headcanon that his ship is his pride and that even if it is small it is really beautiful and gorgeous). So this is the one that I imagine.

And for the layout of his quarters, I imagine it like this.

The bed would be at the right of the desk, and the rest for me is perfect for him. At this point, I'm just going to make a Pinterest board with all my references photos because they are a lot.

To finish, thank you for the early chapter. You feed us extremely well, and we appreciate it, love you so much 🩵💖🩵

PLSSS DON’T TRAUMATIZE YOUR FRIENDS (that’s so me tho, i do exactly that when a fic i love is updated LMFOAOS)

i said this in another ask, but i had to make graves a nasty freak because unfortunately, his game character is one i like even if he’s a bad guy 😫 had to do it for my sanity

gaz is 100% the most lovestruck and much more open about it, he’s a very gentle lover imo. all of them (ghost is a progress) have a very special feeling thing going on, it’s all different but in their own lil ways.

my thought process with ghost knowing about the telescope is that he knows the prophecy like the back of his hand, given that it’s detrimental to him. the verse in the prophecy about a looking glass for ocean eyes is 100% what he first thought of graves wanting, and the telescope is pretty important in the prophecy. it was more of a ‘he immediately knows’ kinda moment since he has the prophecy engraved in his head.

“they’re all fucking each other” goodbyeeee that line had me on the floor

y’all were mad about the almost gaz kiss but price got it instead 😜 a win in my books

the BED!!! hello, i absolutely can envision his bed/quarters looking like. i 100% agree with you on the fact he takes pride in his ship, because that’s ALL he has, that’s his entire life, and hello they’re pirates obviously there’s thievery going on for them to have the funds to do it. UGH those pictures are so pretty, i’m absolutely going to imagine that now every time i write about it. if u make a pinterest board i HAVE to see it.

MWAH I LOVE YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE AS ALWAYS POOKIE

[kristella-lav]

While I'm still a long way from the Crystal La Kris reference, I'll introduce you to her place of work, or rather its founders:

Comedy and Tragedy State Theater.

Comedy and Tragedy- (circa 19th-early 20th century) recognized in their lifetime as masters of comedy and theater. They were rivals, but they were able to find peace and together they built a place where they realized the main purpose of their lives- to entertain people and give them joy! Their building still bears their names and is still a public domain where performances are still held.

Comedy is a funnyman who is very fond of joking and buffoonery. He came to Cloud town to discover himself, to "reach for the stars." The attribute is the violin. Despite his happy life, he died tragically, was shot in a duel (for the honor of his wife so to speak). Had 4 children.

"obnoxious boy" - Tragedy.

Tragedy- Comes from a well off family and because of this he has arrogance, but he didn't have authority from there. He's also loud-mouthed and whiny. He was closer to dark humor and injury gags (slipping on a banana, falling anvils, hitting a rake, etc.). He limps on his left leg, so his attribute is a cane. New competition in his territory he did not tolerate and wanted to become the best. Tragedy lived longer than Comedy, until a deep old age. After the death of Comedy, Tragedy married his wife, but never had any children of his own.

Masks are the main attribute of the performance, for Comedy and Tragedy are the symbol of their labor.

Not everything is true, a lot of things were made up by the producers in the past, as Tragedy did not keep a personal diary or it was lost

[bobbybutterfly]

Alert! Alert! New art! Once again more of my quaint Russian houses. Better get used to them. There’s way more to come! I’m going to try something new to link the Pinterest post. Hope it works!

YASSS! SLAYYY! I did it! Now I don’t need to be racked with guilt! So what now… Do you want to see my sketches of Mulori and Scout Gosemdouchi?

I dressed her up in 1920’s flapper fashion. It’s inspired by this one video I got recommended after looking up stuff about modern Korean art. It was about Korean modern girls back in the early 20th century. There was this pretty much world trend of young women dressing up in “scandalous clothes” and partying it up. Goes well with my head cannon for Mulori being kind of a rebel. I had this idea for a while to write short stories from the point of view of deceased characters. It would be them moments before death having their whole lives flash before their eyes.

I like Mulori because there’s potential for an internal conflict with her. Her love for singing versus her “duty” to serve the nation. If I’m going to write this I better not spoil it all. But I would have her join the military seeking new opportunities she would never get as a poor farmer. Her gender playing a big role in the story. Her death would be also more tragic than heroic. Like. Someone had to stop those boats. But why did it have to be her specifically?

Now some Scout Gosemdouchi fanart! In my head cannon he’s a super chill pretty boy all the women have a crush on. The perfect soldier. Incredibly charming and kind. Always ready to sacrifice his life for his nation. Like Tomoe Nami in Madoka Magica. The tragedy with him is that he was just too good for this world.

As I told my dad when we were once on a walk, I write a lot about complicated father son relationships. I don’t know why. I think it’s something to do with all those Tom Hanks movies and interviews. In my head cannon Scout Gosemdouchi is the son of Commander Gosemdouchi. Thus the same name. Personally I think the cartoon’s just lazy when it comes to names but that’s why you got head cannons. To do the writer’s job for them. I think they both love each other. Commander Gosemdouchi might be a tyrant but he’s not abusive to his son. He might have some big expectations for his son. Please insert your asian parents joke.

The mom’s dead by the way. Don’t know what got her yet but she died when Gosemdouchi junior was still small.

The reason why Gosemdouchi junior is stone cold on his last mission is that he had an argument with his dad. The expectations were too much for him and they both ended up saying some cruel shit to each other.

I’ve got more ideas for these characters I won’t go into more because as I said. I want to save them for later. I would want the collection to have 3 stories. Mulori, Scout Gosemdouchi and Mulmangcho’s purple shirt brother. Is there a character you think I should write about? What do you think of my head cannons?

My Super Secret Project is something completely different if you were wondering.

Bobby out!

[linessareads]

The Boy from Clearwater: Book 1 by Yu Pei-Yun and Zhou Jian-Xin (illustrator) (translated by Lin King)

Review:

The Boy from Clearwater (published by Levine Querido in November 2023) is a YA graphic biography written by historian Yu Pei-Yun and illustrated by Zhou Jian-Xin. It is a poignant Odessey about the life of Tsai Kun-lin, a (real-life) young man arrested during the White Terror for his association with a political book club. Beginning with Kun-lin's childhood, readers experience tender childhood moments of sneaking sugar cane along with the confusion and chaos surrounding the Japanese and Chinese occupations of Taiwan.

Overall, this is a solid graphic novel with a lot of educational value. The years of Kun-lin's life are intersected with notes regarding the many political shifts and thought movements occurring during his childhood and early adulthood.

I loved how the translators differentiated the different languages being used through the color of the text--it added a deeper emotional element to the whole thing, especially in chapters where the characters who grew up in a Japan-occupied Taiwan struggled to communicate with their older peers. I was particularly touched by how this element related to Kun-lin's father and the difficulties he endures in the "background" of the novel. Throughout, Kun-lin's once-rebel father expresses subdued sadness about the desecration of Hoklo Taiwanese and its connections to traditional Taiwanese culture (there is a particularly thoughtful scene in which he checks in on Kun-lin's studying, speaking Hoklo, before shifting to Chinese after Kun-lin expresses the need to meet Chinese standards). I reread the book just to take notes to see how the different languages weaved in and out of each other and the larger meaning in that tapestry.

It would be impossible not to highlight the work of Zhou Jian-Xin, the graphic novel's illustrator. The hand-penciled artwork was both refreshing and gut-wrenching in its unflinching portrayal of Kun-Lin's struggles and the beauty of Taiwan. I appreciated the combination of hand-drawn and print techniques the artist utilized, especially in the application of heavy, dark linocut prints to depict Green Island. Zhou Jian-Xin's portfolio can be found here: Jian-Xin Zhou – Literarische Agentur (mertinwitt-litag.de)

I did find myself wishing that the novel contained more insight into Tsai Kun-lin and the people around him. While we get hints of who they were as people and their struggles, the biography invests more time in summarizing events than investing in personal portrayals of its figures. The real Tsai Kun-lin became a human rights activist after his imprisonment and was very vocal about his political opinions. It seemed like a loss to not explore the development of his passion for human rights and politics during such a politically tumultuous time in Taiwan's history--particularly when The Boy from Clearwater explores his time in prison after he was wrongly arrested for his supposed political affiliations. Tsai Kun-Lin was largely portrayed as apolitical, which doesn't necessarily seem accurate to his real-life pursuits. However, this may have been influenced by the current stress on the Taiwanese people.

This would be an excellent graphic novel to introduce teenagers to the complex history of Taiwan and the suffering native Taiwanese people endured during the rotating occupations of the 19th and 20th centuries. With the continued turmoil in Taiwan, this novel couldn't have come out at a better time.

The second tome of The Boy from Clearwater is set to release in May 2024.

More information: Tsai Kun-lin:

Human rights activist Tsai Kun-lin dies at the age of 93 - Taipei Times

Encrypted apps and false names: new Taiwan book club takes no chances | Taiwan | The Guardian

Tsai exonerates White Terror victims - Taipei Times (the translation of this article appears to contain some errors)

For those interested in more media concerned with the White Terror/its impacts:

ELEGY OF SWEET POTATOES by Tehpen Tsai: A heavily-reality-based novel focused on the story of Tehpen Tsai, a young man detained by the Kuomintang regime during the White Terror. This novel explores the idea of "thought crimes", punishment, and trauma.

TRANSITIONS IN TAIWAN: STORIES OF THE WHITE TERROR edited by Ian Rowen: A collection of non-fiction and fiction works by many of Taiwan's most celebrated authors focusing on the events of the White Terror and their impact on Taiwanese culture and life.

THE MAN WHO COULDN'T LEAVE: A VR short film directed by Singing Chen that depicts the life of a political prisoner on Green Island during the White Terror. (Trailer can be found here: The Man Who Couldn’t Leave (2022) | IDFA Archive)

DETENTION: A Taiwanese psychological horror game created by Red Candle Games. This story explores the White Terror, Taiwanese religion, and the multi-generational impact of colonization and violence.

[rebelsandtherest]

3 17 20 22 31 43 and 48 for Alfred!

3. When did they lose their virginity?

HAA oh boy this is. Hmmmmmm. I have a few different theories on this, but what I will say is it was a lot later in life than most people think. A lot of people who don't know him well might assume Alfred is a bit of a womanizer or a player, etc who is good looking and wealthy enough that he can hook up with just about anyone he likes. Truth is, he's awkward as hell around people he's attracted to, doesn't want sex unless he really knows someone, and is still pretty prudish about sex due to his puritan roots.

Mid to late 19th century or even early 20th century. I personally kind of like the idea of him not being with anyone until the 20th century just for the shock value if anyone else ever found out. :P

17. Does your muse pray, whether it be to a god or some other force?

Alfred is nominally protestant Christian and does not feel comfortable abandoning that facet of his life, but he is not devout. He goes to services sometimes, often around holidays, or with people he knows who are more devout. He still refers to himself as Christian rather than agnostic or atheist, but he's not entirely sure he has any real faith. He has a lot of existential questions about the universe, mostly about his own existence, and has trouble reconciling that to any religion. He doesn't really pray. He used to, but it's been... a very long time. He can talk theology for hours and hours and owns several bibles, but hasn't opened any in years.

20. Where are your muse’s ancestors from? Do they keep any of their traditions?

As I've talked about before, I hold a kind of unusual hc that nations do actually have real parents, and are born in the "normal" way. Alfred and Matthew's father I hc as being a very old "nation" being who represents the broad region of Algonquin peoples in what is now Quebec / Ontario / New England, and their mother was the "nation" of Vinland, who was abandoned in North America by her brothers, who thought she'd died, and upon traveling west eventually found shelter with the man who'd become the twins' father.

Neither of the boys remember either of their parents well, but they remember their father far more clearly. I think Alfred can still speak those very old Algonquin dialects fluently—they were the first languages he knew—and occasionally finds himself speaking to himself in his father's language when he's alone or concentrating. I've said before that I hc the boys as biracial, but they do have blond hair. Once, to mess with people, Alfred dyed his hair black. When he dried it off and looked in the mirror, he froze in shock upon seeing himself, because without his glasses, his blurry, brunet self looks a lot like his father did eons ago. It made him a little teary, because he'd almost forgotten what the man had looked like.

Sometimes he gets a particular tune stuck in his head that he feels like he's known all his life, and hums along to it. It's not until the 1950s when Denmark overhears him and makes a comment of "wow, I haven't heard that song in ages! Where did you learn that?" That he learns it's a very old Danish lullaby. At the time, this was incredibly confusing, because Alfred at the time had no idea who his mother had been. Later, when new archaeology on Vinland comes up, it makes a lot more sense.

22. What is your muse most thankful for?

This is gonna sound sappy, but it's Matt. Matt is his closest friend in the world and Alfred is acutely aware of how much shit he puts up with. Alfred adores Matt, and loves him very, very much. @draw-a-circle-thats-the-foxhole

31. What is your muse’s first memory?

Ooooh this is a hard one. He has several early memories, but a hard time classifying which ones are oldest. He vaguely remembers the feeling of being bundled up next to his brother, strapped to their mother's back. Their father teaching them how to catch fish, telling him to stay still while he washed off his dirty face. He remembers seeing european ships for the first time, and being confused as to how there were trees (masts) growing directly out of the ocean.

43. Describe the first person your muse remembers losing.

DAMN ANON You're just here for the angsty ones, aren't you??

His mom. He didn't see her die, but left one day and never came back.

48. Who would your muse sacrifice themselves for, if anybody?

A lot of people, if he felt the situation called for it, and he was running high on emotion. But the only person he'd 100% always sacrifice himself for, move heaven and earth for, lay down his life for, is Matt. He'll do anything in the world for his baby brother.

[nikatyler]

list 5 facts about a favorite sim of yours, and send this to 10 simblrs whose sims you adore ♥♥♥

Thank you! I'm gonna do this for my other vampire blorbo from my brain, Callias.

I've said this before, but he started off as a "what if I took nsb!Caleb's personality and backstory and everything and pasted it onto a new character so that I can be more comfortable coming up with headcanons for him because he’ll be completely mine" experiment. Few days in and he's actually starting to differ from my nsb!Caleb a lot. So, not everything I say about Callias is applicable to nsb!Caleb, but I'm not gonna pinpoint that what's the same and what's different. Just treat them as two very similar but separate characters who have the same role in different universes. IT MAKES SENSE (TO ME) I SWEAR. I’m just really bad at explaining, but trust me, I know what I’m doing 😅

His full name is Callias Luna Benoni Astor. He chose all these names himself and he will bite you if you say he's being a pretentious little shit 😤 (shhh, yes he is a little pretentious, but don't tell him I said that)

He was born in late 1700s, then he was turned into a vampire in early 1800s, probably 1810s, I haven't really decided on the exact years yet...and then just around when the 20th century was beginning, he said goodbye to his old identity that wasn't serving him anymore and became Callias...if you know what I mean. Boy's trans but it took him about a century to figure it out. (different times, so. And anyway there's nothing wrong with figuring it out later in life. It's never too late.)

He has two siblings, an older sister Magdalene who is also a vampire (they actually got turned together; Magdalene wanted to be turned, Callias had no choice but that's a story for another time), and an older brother...who's dead. He was a human. Who lived a normal human life. Okay and he spent his entire human life wondering what happened to his younger siblings. Aaaand he doesn't have a name yet. Listen, I've only had Callias for like three or four weeks, I can't have everything fully figured out yet 😂

He's got a huge collection of jewelry, he especially loves gold. He may have stolen some from his sister...and not just his sister, to be fair 😅 He likes pretty shiny things, okay. Not that stealing is okay but. Yeah.

Bonus fact because I can't stop talking: Callias would say there are exactly three people in his life whom he was desperately, deeply in love with (everyone else was great but they never had such a grip on his soul, if that makes sense)...little does he know those three people were technically just one person. I love me some tragic soulmates who find each other again and again across time and space. One died trying to warn Callias and protect him from a vampire hunter, one could've been with him forever (it would’ve been so easy) but Callias made the wrong decision and she died shortly afterwards (not related to him leaving her), and one...well we know how that went 🤭👀☀ tragic soulmates, man. Can you believe I nearly convinced myself at one point that I wasn’t into the idea of tragic soulmates

[mercurygray]

So, I Hear You Liked: 1917

More World War One Films

I was very excited about 1917 when it first came out because it almost perfectly coincided with the 100th anniversary of the First World War, a conflict that I love to read about, write about, and watch movies about. This period is my JAM, and there's such a lot of good content for when you're done with Sam Mendes's film.

Obviously there are a lot of movies and TV shows out there - this is just a selection that I enjoyed, and wish more people knew about.

Note: Everyone enjoys a show or movie for different reasons. These shows are on this list because of the time period they depict, not because of the quality of their writing, the accuracy of their history or the political nature of their content. Where I’m able to, I’ve mentioned if a book is available if you’d like to read more.

I'd like to start the list with a movie that isn't a fiction piece at all - Peter Jackson's They Shall Not Grow Old (2019) is a beautifully produced film that allows the soldiers and archival images themselves, lovingly retimed and tinted into living color, to tell their own story. It is a must watch for anyone interested in the period.

Wings (1927), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), A Farewell to Arms (1932, 1957), The Dawn Patrol (1938), Sergeant York (1941), and Paths of Glory (1957) are all classics with a couple of Oscars between them, and it's sort of fun to watch how the war gets changed and interpreted as the years pass. (The Dawn Patrol, for instance, might as just as easily be about the RAF in World War 2.)

All Quiet is based on a famous memoir, and A Farewell to Arms on a Hemingway novel; both have several adaptations and they're all a little different. Speaking of iconic novels, Doctor Zhivago (1965) based on the Pasternak novel of the same title, examines life of its protagonist between 1905 and the start of the second World War.

I think one thing historians agree on is that the start of World War One is worth discussing - and that there's a lot of backstory. Fall of Eagles (1974), a 13 part BBC miniseries, details the relationships between the great houses of Europe, starting in the 1860s; it's long but good, and I think might be on YouTube. The Last Czars (2019) takes a dramatized look at the Romanovs and how their reactions to the war lead to their eventual demise.

As far as the war itself, Sarajevo (2014) and 37 Days (2014) both discuss the outbreak of hostilities and the slow roll into actual battle.

The Passing Bells (2014) follows the whole war through the eyes of two soldiers, one German and one British, beginning in peacetime.

Joyeux Noel ( 2005) is a cute story - it takes place early in the war during the Christmas Peace and approaches the event from a multinational perspective.

War Horse (2011) is, of course, a name you'll recognize. Based on the breakout West End play, which is itself based on a YA novel by Michael Morpurgo, the story follows a horse who's requisitioned for cavalry service and the young man who owns him. Private Peaceful (2012) is also based on a Morpurgo novel, but I didn't think it was quite as good as War Horse.

The Wipers Times (2013) is one of my all-time favorites; it's about a short lived trench paper written and produced by soldiers near Ypres, often called Wipers by the average foot soldier. The miniseries, like the paper, is laugh out loud funny in a dark humor way.

My Boy Jack (2007) is another miniseries based on a play, this one about Rudyard Kipling and his son, Jack, who served in the Irish Guards and died at Loos. Kipling later wrote a poem about the death of his son, and helped select the phrase that appears on all commonwealth gravestones of the First World War.

Gallipoli (1981) is stunning in a way only a Peter Weir movie can be; this is a classic and a must-see.

Gallipoli is a big story that's been told and retold a lot. I still haven't seen Deadline Gallipoli (2015) an Australian miniseries about the men who wrote about the battle for the folks back home and were subject to censorship about how bad things really were. For a slightly different perspective, the Turkish director Yesim Sezgin made Çanakkale 1915 in 2012, detailing the Turkish side of the battle. Although most of The Water Diviner (2014) takes place after the war is over, it also covers parts of Gallipoli and while it didn't get great reviews, I enjoy it enough to own it on DVD.

I don't know why all of my favorite WWI films tend to be Australian; Beneath Hill 60 (2010) is another one of my favorites, talking about the 1st Australian Tunneling Company at the Ypres Salient. The War Below (2021) promises to tell a similar story about the Pioneer companies at Messines, responsible for building the huge network of mines there.

Passchendaele (2008) is a Canadian production about the battle of the same name. I'd forgotten I've seen this film, which might not say very much for the story.

Journey's End (2017) is an adaptation of an RC Sheriff play that takes place towards the end of the war in a dugout amongst British officers.

No look at the Great War is complete without a nod to developing military technologies, and this is the war that pioneers the aviation battle for us. I really wish Flyboys (2006) was better than it is, but The Red Baron (2008) makes up for it from the German perspective.

One of the reasons I like reading about the First World War is that everyone is having a revolution. Technology is growing by leaps and bounds, women are fighting for the right to vote, and a lot of colonial possessions are coming into their own, including (but not limited to) Ireland. Rebellion (2016) was a multi-season miniseries that went into the Easter Rising, as well as the role the war played there. Michael Collins (1996) spends more time with the Anglo-Irish war in the 1920s but is still worth watching (or wincing through Julia Roberts' bad accent, you decide.) The Wind that Shakes the Barley covers the same conflict and is excellent.

The centennial of the war meant that in addition to talking about the war, people were also interested in talking about the Armenian Genocide. The Promise (2016) and The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017) came out around the same time and two different looks at the situation in Armenia.

This is a war of poets and writers, of whom we have already mentioned a few. Hedd Wynn ( 1992) which is almost entirely in Welsh, and tells the story of Ellis Evans, a Welsh language poet who was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. I think Ioan Gruffudd has read some of his poetry online somewhere, it's very pretty. A Bear Named Winnie (2004) follows the life of the bear who'd become the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh. Tolkien (2019) expands a little on the author's early life and his service during the war. Benediction (2021) will tell the story of Siegfried Sassoon and his time at Craiglockhart Hospital. Craiglockhart is also represented in Regeneration (1997) based on a novel by Pat Barker.

Anzac Girls (2014) is probably my favorite mini-series in the history of EVER; it follows the lives of a group of Australian and New Zealand nurses from hospital duty in Egypt to the lines of the Western Front. I love this series not only because it portrays women (ALWAYS a plus) but gives a sense of the scope of the many theatres of the war that most movies don't. It's based on a book by Peter Rees, which is similarly excellent.

On a similar note, The Crimson Field (2014) explores the lives of members of a Voluntary Aid Detachment, or VADs, lady volunteers without formal nursing training who were sent to help with menial work in hospitals. It only ran for a season but had a lot of potential. Testament of Youth (2014) is based on the celebrated memoirs of Vera Brittain, who served as a VAD for part of the war and lead her to become a dedicated pacifist.

Also, while we're on the subject of women, though these aren't war movies specifically, I feel like the additional color to the early 20th century female experience offered by Suffragette (2015) and Iron-Jawed Angels (2004) is worth the time.

As a general rule, Americans don't talk about World War One, and we sure don't make movies about it, either. The Lost Battalion (2001) tells the story of Major Charles Whittlesey and the 9 companies of the 77th Infantry division who were trapped behind enemy lines during the battle of the Meuse Argonne.

I should add that this list is curtailed a little bit by what's available for broadcast or stream on American television, so it's missing a lot of dramas in other languages. The Road to Calvary (2017) was a Russian drama based on the novels of Alexei Tolstoy. Kurt Seyit ve Şura (2014) is based on a novel and follows a love story between a Crimean officer (a Muslim) and the Russian woman he loves. The show is primarily in Turkish, and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, who plays the lead, is *very* attractive.

Finally, although it might seem silly to mention them, Upstairs Downstairs (1971-1975 ) Downton Abbey (2010-2015) and Peaky Blinders (2013-present) are worth a mention and a watch. All of them are large ensemble TV shows that take place over a much longer period than just the Great War, but the characters in each are shaped tremendously by the war.

[therend]

Hi! Two things: firstly, I read and saved your awesome posts about Farsi endearments, thank you so much for those they were so informative and awesome!! Secondly, I was just curious if there were any names you particularly like (in general) ? Or like headcanons for the newest Carstairs baby’s name? I ask because I’m writing an AU fic centered around Alastair and Cordelia when they have more siblings, and I have too many awesome options for potential names. Like damn linguistics is beautiful haha. thank you for sharing any knowledge or input!! Have a wonderful day😊🥰❤️

Hi! thank you for your ask, you don't understand the amount of happiness it gave me. And sorry for how terribly long it took me to answer, my exams just finished and now I'm finally back to Tumblr after a long time because school sucks.

When talking about what to call a new baby, there are not only lots of different names, but different categories to choose from, and everyone has their preferences. I would name my child something related to nature (i have reblogged an amazing post about nature names with an additional long list of Persian nature names. You can check it out here, if you want.) or a name rooted in the poems of people in love, like my own name – Negar. But well, we're not talking about my choice of name, but Sona's.

We already know her taste in names. All their Persian names – Sona's, Cordelia's and Alastair's – are rooted in Shāhnāme (or The Book of Kings), which as you might know, is a long epic, and the most important source of Persian mythology. Turan is a very important land in the book (It's weird that it's actually a name but it is. I don't know why anyone would name their child or their character Turan though. Uh.) The word Katāyoun means "the queen of the world", and in Shāhnāme Katāyoun was this very wise and cool and independent queen of Persia, and she was also the mother of Esfandiār (which, as a word, means "pure creation"), a clever and hot warriors prince with daddy issues. All their names being from that book makes a lot of sense, because look at this:

In Shāhnāme, Rostam is known as the most legendary hero of – well, the world. He is wise and strong and brave, and a great warrior, and a smart strategist and a really high functioning leader. He's kind and caring and soft-hearted and patient too, when he needs to be. He's also a very sarcastic bitch, and a dumbass (though I'm the only one you'd hear this from). when talking about Persian heroes, Rostam is the first who comes to mind. He's mostly praised for being a genuinely good person, having morals, not fighting against people weaker than him and stuff like that. Rostam is basically the heart of Shāhnāme and If Sona is a descendant of him, it's understandable that she's proud of it and wants to name her children things to show their heritage.

So, here are some names from Shāhnāme (i will put a * after the ones i particularly like slkaka). i will not be telling their story, because it will make the post unnecessarily long. Just what they were famous for and their personalities.

Rostam. Well, you know this one. No one actually names their child Rostam now, but i think it used to be pretty common back in the early 20th century. The word means tall and handsome (:|).

Tahmine. The word means brave and strong. She was a princess, beautiful as a feary, and Ferdowsi (the guy who wrote Shāhnāme) says that she had a lot of knowledge on every subject that was there. She was Rostam's wife.

Sohrāb*. He is Rostam and Tahmine's only child, and has his parents' traits; so he's admired and respected by everyone. His name means young and healthy and rosy-cheeked (these names have weird meanings It's not my fault). His life was kind of a tragedy, though.

Gordāfarid*. She is just. Chef's kiss. I love her so much and she's my wife. Her name means hero or something and she's this badass warrior with long black hair and a will of iron, and when none of the men of her army had the courage to face Sohrāb, she was the only one who volunteered to fight him and he actually considered her a challenge.

Ārash*. He's another one of my favorites. He was a legendary archer who put his life in an arrow to end a war and give back his nation's dignity and sense of home. He died a hero after shooting that arrow. His name, which is a pretty common name, means glamorous.

Homā*. Another favorite. her name means blessed, and she was a monarch, who ruled Persia for 32 years of happiness and peace for all the people. And Ferdowsi describes her as an artist, and a very wise and knowledgeable person (also very beautiful because this man can't write anyone ugly).

Bijan. Some young, rebellious and adventurous boy. His name means pure, and the story of him and Manije is one of the most important love stories of Shāhnāme.

Manije. The name means beautiful and modest. her personality is kind of similar to Shakespeare's Juliet. she's fine.

Siāvash*. The name means someone with curly black hair, or someone who has a black horse. This is Rostam's adoptive son who he loved with his whole being. He raised him away from the shittiness of the palace (Siāvash was a prince) and he taught him everything he knew; and he became handsome young man with a vast knowledge of things, a good heart and good personality, and Rostam's fighting skills. He is a symbol of innocence and virtue because he was falsely accused of sexual assault, and he was forced to walk through actual fire and step out of it unharmed to prove he hasn't done wrong – by his own father. It's mythology, so he did, in fact, walk through big fires and didn't burn.

Poorān*. Another cool female monarch who bought piece and happiness to the land with her work of wisdom. Fun thing about her is that she did exist outside of Shāhnāme and ruled Persia for a period of time (her name is written as Buran or Boran though).

[stages-of-mania]

Lord Huron Timeline Masterpost

Disclaimer: A lot of this information is speculation and consists of a lot of theories. Feel free to take things with a grain of salt.

Lonesome Dreams: 

Setting: 19th century Wild West (some theories suggested could be the Middle East in the mid-20th century) 

Characters:

Huron (main character)

Blaquefut (Huron’s best friend)

Helena (Huron’s girlfriend)

nameless Helena’s Ex (we're gonna call him Sonny for convenience)

Story: (I’m sure that most of the songs are in chronological order from the album but a few of them I believe are flashbacks so I had to move them around.)

She lit a fire/one of the best love songs ever written: The story goes earlier in the timeline technically, as it’s flashing back to how Huron met Helena. This is how the pair met. She lit his fire to travel the world or something.

Ends of the earth: early on in Huron and Helena‘s relationship. He wants to travel the world but she doesn’t so they’re kinda like “let’s split up for a bit”

Setting sun/the most mindfucking song (yes this bonus track is played at the end of the song, but hear me out ): Sonny has noticed that Helena has found someone else. They both know that Huron is better for her, but Sonny’s still pissed so he goes full yandere and chases after Huron. This story was put at the end and made “unfinished” because Sonny will always have a vendetta while Huron’s alive.

Time to run: Huron and friends are being chased by Sonny’s goons. Blaqufut gets shot in the head while helping Huron escape.

lonesome dreams: now this is a bit of a stretch, but from this theory, LD is basically purgatory and Huron travels to it to rescue Blaqufut from death.

Ghost on the shore/best song: nothing too significant to the story, it’s just Huron talking about how he misses home/the Great Lakes

I will be back one day: again, nothing much, just Huron reminiscing over Helena in pursuit to find her.

Man who lives forever: again nothing too significant, just Huron not wanting to die.

Brother: this is possibly the aftermath of an altercation between Huron and Blaqufut that they resolve. It pretty much just reaffirms their friendship.

In the wind: this one actually occurs while Huron is still on the run but from Helena’s perspective. It’s basically her reminiscing over him. I think they put this one at the end because it’s spiritually the end of the album, as it discusses how long distances and death can stop love.

Lullaby: Huron finally makes it back to Helena. He’s a complete wreck but Helena’s just happy he’s back

Sidenotes: Lonesome dreams are a collection of stories from Jorge Ranger Johnson, a writer character that Ben made up. Because of this, some of lonesome dreams might not actually be real within the universe of Lord Huron. Or they might be real events and just happened to be written about by an author. 

Alternate theories suggest that Setting sun was actually about Huron the entire time and it did take place at the end of the album, causing Helena to find someone else and Huron to becoming a murderer. 

One last important thing, because these are stories and might not actually occur within the universe of Lord Huron, it is possible that there is no afterlife, as suggested in later albums.

Strange Trails: 

Setting:

1950s, somewhere in America.

George’s: A bar that several characters tend to spend time at (probably in reference to George Ranger Johnson)

Characters:

Frankie Lou: washed up singer who presumably had a failed romance that fucked up bad. Probably an alcoholic. Sings at George’s

Cobb Avery: zombie brought back to life out of vengeance. His family was killed because his boss gave him a piece of land on a sinkhole. leader of the “World Enders” gang. Basically a bunch of terrorists. Kills everyone from the company that sold him the house. Hangs out at George’s

Jonnie: member of the world Enders. Kind of trigger-happy in a thrill seeker. Probably one of the less malicious members of the group. Probably 19.

Buck Vernon: I also think another washed-up singer. What’s important though is that he suffers from hallucinations and is desperately trying to find the girl of his dreams.

Lily: some girl that every guy in town has the hots for. Hangs out at George’s

Jim: Lily's boyfriend. Hangs out at George’s.

Danielle: Young girl. The only child character, I’d say 11-14. Best character. You’re never too young to have an existential crisis.

Justine: not really important, presumably a writer.

Louisa: some random girl (Assuming that this theory is true, she might also be a witch and might’ve started out as an asshole, might also hang out at George’s)

There’s also some other guy but he was part of one song and it wasn’t significant so disregard him.

Story:

Love like ghosts: this is Frankie reminiscing over her failed relationship

When the night ends: Jonnie talking about appreciating the finer things in life while everything’s going to shit

Dead man’s hand/also best song: buck finds Avery presumably dead while wandering the desert. He buries him only to find out that Avery is still alive. Avery says that there’s no afterlife for him and he doesn’t want to go back in the grave. The pair become friends and go their separate ways.

Hurricane: just Johnny talking about living life on the edge

La belle fleur sauvage/the beautiful wildflower: just the lead singer gushing over Lily. The guy singing this only shows up in this song, but it’s just meant to establish that everyone has the hots for Lilly. The song could also be talking about Buck in his pursuit.

Fool for love: Buck goes to George’s to win over Lily, but Jim is already with her. Being delusional, buck tries to take on Jim (in the music video he gets Avery to fight him), he trashed the place and because of this is kicked out. He’s pretty optimistic but after this, he feels kind of defeated. (*Post-Rejection Depression Time*)

World ender: focuses on Avery‘s story. Follows him as he seeks vengeance and kills the people from the company that sold him the shitty house.

Meet me in the Woods: more of Frankie reminiscing over her failed romance

Yawning grave: (OK so this is the first big roadblock in the story, so the character that this song is about is very much left up to interpretation) I assume Avery has kind of calmed down But still intends to pursue the people that have wronged him.

Frozen Pines: (disappointingly) The only song about Danielle. Her parents were abducted by aliens in front of her. She is sort of in denial and refuses to leave where she is in the middle of the forest out of the delusion that they’ll come back. The song ends with her realizing that she has to move on as she attempts to leave the forest. (also, frozen Pines is the name of the motel so it could also just be that maybe Danielle is stuck at a motel which would honestly be kind of funny.)

Cursed/best love song ever written: Buck has found himself a new girl. However, due to previous failed romantic endeavors and hallucinations, he thinks that she’s an asshole trying to put a curse on him. (The song is presumably about Louisa. It’s entirely possible that Louisa was being manipulative but they sort things out)

Way out there: (The most difficult song to figure out) presumably about Avery. I can only best describe it as him having an existential crisis and him missing his dead family.

Louisa: after Buck was tempted to kick bricks, Louisa helped him out and gave him a newfound appreciation for life. Now they’re happy =]

Night we met: last song of Frankie reminiscing over her ex. Also, the lyric video confirms that Buck & Louisa either broke up or she was just a figment of his imagination, so uh, ya. Hopefully you weren't as emotionally invested in these characters as much as I was because that tore me a new one.

Sidenotes: this album definitely had the most interpretations. The biggest issues are the stories of yawning grave and way out there, as I am unsure that it is even about Avery. The real issue tho is the lack of songs about Danielle. Ben Come On!

There are also a couple connections between this album and the next

Vide Noir: 

Setting: 1960s. Detroit & Los Angeles. 

Background info: A drug called vide noir has recently been legalized. It’s basically just a hallucinogenic that destroys the fabric of reality, good times.

Characters:

Buck Vernon: Christ Ben just can’t seem to give this guy a break.

Lee Green: Buck’s new girl. Probably wants to be an actress or something.

Lady moonbeam: A medium/psychic. I think she’s black but it’s hard to tell because of the lighting.

Cobb Avery: Best Boy Electrician on “Products of the Universe” TV show. (only mentioned in 1 song)

Marsha Tanley & Dale Frander: “Products of the Universe” host; guy selling vide & its derivatives. (not in the songs)

Story:

Lost in time and space: Buck is upset because Lee left. He decides to chase after her nonetheless.

Never ever: Buck's spirits are lifted as he heads out to find Lee.

Ancient names: Buck goes to Lady Moonbeam For advice but she sees into the future and sees that Buck will become a drug addict. He’s in denial but she knows otherwise.

Wait by the river: just Buck talking about how you would do anything for Lee. Also reveals the potential of an altercation between the two of them, presumably the two of them having a fight before she left.

Secret of life: (OK this one’s a little hard, the singer is clearly Buck, but it’s hard to tell if he’s confronting either Lee or lady moonbeam) either way, whoever he is confronting has allegedly made a pact with Avery that will cause something bad to happen to Buck. Because of this, he downs a bottle of fukitol/vide noir.

Back from the edge: the MF dies but comes back (where have we seen that before)

Balancer's eye: Buck runs into God and is denied access to heaven. Either because he wasn’t supposed to die or maybe people who take drugs aren’t allowed in. Or God has really high standards and no one‘s allowed in (again, weird knowing that Blaqufut experienced purgatory and Avery said there’s no heaven at all)

When the night is over: realizing the effect of VN, Buck is becoming worried for Lee that she might overdose if he doesn’t find her soon enough

Moonbeam: Like with Louisa, Buck ran into a girl that saved him from a bad place. Hard to tell if it’s Lee (it likely isn’t because of later in the story)  or lady moonbeam.

Vide Noir: Buck talking about the effects of the drug.

Emerald star/The most depressing song ever written: after doing everything he can and fucking dying, Buck finally finds Lee but he is turned down as she would rather be a junkie. It’s also possible that she might die or be dying, judging by the fact that the second half of this song is just instrumental followed by a sudden halt at the end. {Yay, I get to experience “close to you” all over again}

Sidenotes: George ranger Johnson is a spiritual advisor for the show that Avery works on.

The events of the film are claimed to come at the end/after the album.

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

All information was aggregated from the albums, interviews with Ben, music videos, articles about the film, Products of the Universe, & whatever else I could scavenge from LH’s YouTube channel.

I’d also like to give a huge thanks to the fanbase for their theories and research. It really helped out a lot piecing this all together. I had a lot of fun discussing this with fellow Wanderers and Enders and really appreciate being a part of this fanbase.

If you have any alternative theories, timelines, etc, be sure to mention them. A huge chunk of this info will probably become obsolete when the film/next album comes along so enjoy this while we can still be optimistic.

Dear Balancer help us.

[veryoldmuchguard]

I posted 1,110 times in 2021

79 posts created (7%)

1031 posts reblogged (93%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 13.1 posts.

I added 1,766 tags in 2021

#the old guard - 639 posts

#joe x nicky - 234 posts

#yusuf al kaysani - 179 posts

#mood - 149 posts

#beautiful art - 115 posts

#nicolò di genova - 97 posts

#andy andromache of scythia - 94 posts

#nicolo di genova - 94 posts

#nile freeman - 92 posts

#sebastien le livre - 73 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#love the idea of joe going all out and then booker gets all the praise bc he happened to die in a bloody way that day and didn’t clean up

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Thinking a lot about whether or not poison would work on the immortals and I think the general fandom consensus is that yes it would but I think it would be so fucking funny if it just didn’t. Maybe that’s why Booker constantly has to be drinking like a frat boy, because his liver is just so goddamn Super Effective.

Like I’m picturing them all at some late 19th-early-20th century high society  fancy crime dinner, doing some espionage and then the moustache-twirling villain archly reveals that all the guests dishes have been poisoned. The mortal guests all die and Andy, Joe, Nicky and Booker are all sat awkwardly at the table.

Andy is like: Oh you want me to die? 

Joe decides to go full Theatre Kid and loudly proclaim that if he is about to die he is damn well going to confess his Totally Secret Hidden Love for Nicky, and makes it about half way through his daring confession before Nicky has had enough and they just start making out instead.

Booker doesn’t even look up from eating his Poison Soup.

1510 notes • Posted 2021-02-26 13:09:38 GMT

#4

You think any of the immortals ever had to pretend to be a ghost?

Old Man: I saw him! He died right in front of me over thirty years ago but he was there! Standing on the other side of the street - looking the same as he did that day! He looked right at me! Then a truck passed in front of him and he was gone!

His family: Ok grandpa if you say you saw a ghost you saw a ghost. 🙄

Joe, frantically texting Nicky: Gonna be late. Had to jump into a dumpster. I’ll explain when I get home ❤️

1564 notes • Posted 2021-10-25 19:03:38 GMT

#3

Script Nicky:

1793 notes • Posted 2021-06-14 21:24:57 GMT

#2

While I adore Soft Joe and his beautiful anime eyes, I also get absolutely hypnotised by the Look he gives before headbutting Merrick like Damn can you imagine being Nicky after his first death and your newly immortal enemy looks at you like THAT? 

Nicolò in 1099: Mark me down as scared AND horny

2052 notes • Posted 2021-03-13 15:48:00 GMT

#1

Love the little details that were already fan-canon coming through

Them having a lot of money/ not giving a shit about money (bribing border guards and dismissing scratchcards)

Booker is the little brother who gets teased (“I didn’t get a dinner”/“You were not that special”)

Joe and Nicky just casually complimenting each other (“Spoken like an artist”/“it will be great because you’re cooking it”)

The DOMESTICITY of them just hanging out - being excited to meet Nile

Don’t mind me I’m just screaming into the void.

2364 notes • Posted 2021-06-14 21:00:28 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[lightdancer1]

One aspect of basing the Fire Nation on the USSR and Nazi Germany, at least in part:

In real life totalitarianism had a twisted sense of humor baked into the premises in both the forms of Bolshevism and Nazism. The whole 'Work Makes You Free' on slave labor camps is the most obvious example of this but it's threaded through them. The early 20th Century totalitarians and their modern would be emulators were all trolls in the modern sense.

They were this way *DELIBERATELY*.

So in that exact same fashion, how does Sozin pull off a worldwide attack on four air temples with the greatest of ease?

Airships. Since nobody else has them, the Fire Nation has no concept of offensive air war and uses extremely impractical and highly flammable zeppelins to dominate the air, but after a century of virtual hegemony in the air never even bothers to develop any kind of strategic air power, because as far as it's concerned when Golden Boy Iroh is steamrolling the enemy across the world it will win the ground war (and in another nod to IRL history the ground generals prevent an independent air arm from existing, as otherwise you'd see the Fire Nation invent WWII scale bombing raids and essentially at that point they really would pull off the Douhet trick).

The Fire Nation has an unpleasant habit of trolling the Water Tribes by vast steel battleships and stomping on the memory of the Air Nomads they exterminated by flaunting their airships. For the Earth Kingdom it developed tanks they can easily see coming and artillery as in modern indirect fire artillery, purely to taunt the Earthbenders by their feeling the vibrations but time-on-target barrages literally turning them into hamburger.

In short, as the analogues of Imperial Japan they have at their best combined-arms forces in the 20th Century style with superhuman super-soldiers for roles that nothing in real war matches. And they use THIS against societies who are 18th Century China at the best down to Bannermen equivalents (Earth Kingdom) and against magic Inuit (the Water Tribes).

Among other elements that they also invent are railroads and equivalents of automobiles, meaning that their cities are cleaner than the Earth Kingdom, which has the ancien regime literal shit-filled cities with plenty of dead animal carcasses, and the Water Tribes are...magic Inuit who live in igloos but where they have a lot of *Waterbenders* in *Permafrost* are such dangerous opponents that they do more damage than the Earth Kingdom to Firebenders.

So at least part of why their propaganda is so believable is that the Fire Nation is in the magic 20th Century and the rest of the world at best is in the Qing era and it's a long slide downhill from there in modern terms. The Fire Nation is DELIBERATELY shown as more like modern Westerners and this analogy is played up to make the evils its army does more disturbing, not less, because they do the Rape of Nanking and Kill All, Burn All, Loot All offensives straight out of the historical actions of Imperial Japan.

And in the first AU there's also the Red-Blacks, who are mostly based on the KGB and led by Lavrenti Beria in the first arcs (down to the most horrible things Beria did, which is ultimately how he dies when he picks the wrong target out of spite) and Nikolai Yezhov in the second.

In the second the Eyes and Ears are the SS down to the lightning runes, a culture of marauding murder for murder's sake, and being racist blood-supremacists who preach a heavily distorted Fire Nation ideology directly patterned on the ideology of the SS. And as the EEs even get an alliterative shorthand name that translates to something much more boring than their reputation suggests.

Real life totalitarian states, or even the Tsarist Russia/Tokugawa Shogunate kind have powerful secret police agencies that are states within the state. The Dai Li are the only canonical nod to this, but the Fire Nation would absolutely have them too, there's no other way for autocracy to exist in monarchical form.

[isthisclever]

The Other Side: Chapter 13 Commentary

Oh, boy. This was a biiiig chapter. Lots to reveal, lots to cover.

So the Jamie/Inverness dream. "Ghost Jamie." I'd wanted to incorporate this theory of mine since the jump and somehow couldn't get it to fit into Arc I beyond what was included. So when I realized I was going to have him have this dream of Fergus and realize they need to return, it made perfect sense. As they plan and figure things out, his experience with that dream will color a lot of their knowledge/understanding of how the stones work.

There are a lot of theories floating around about "Ghost Jamie" from episode 1/early in the first book. Diana has said all will be revealed in the final book and has also gone on record to say no one's put out a theory so far that's been correct. A lot of theories tend to focus on Jamie having some sort of dream late in life or perhaps even after he's died, or maybe while he was sort of hovering on the brink of death at Culloden, but I don't think I'd ever seen a theory that the dream happened *early* in their acquaintanceship. So that's my current working theory: that at some point early in the relationship -- maybe after he realized he loved her, but definitely at some point before their marriage -- he has this dream where he's drawn to her and literally just doesn't think anything of it because he knows she's on his mind and it makes sense for him to dream of her. It's probably wrong, too, but it's what I've got.

I was actually super excited to write their fight. They're so in sync most of the time that to write them on completely different pages and somewhat angry and very afraid was a neat experience. At no point was not going back to save Fergus an option for either of them, so it comes down to who will out-stubborn the other. Luckily, Claire won this round. So no worries: Our favorite duo will not be split up. This was also part of the reason I included the scene from the pub last chapter. Jamie never really thought or said it outright as they were fighting, but I wanted something in the back of his mind to make him nervous that Claire could see be in danger here without him. And if she didn't go back to Frank, didn't have someone looking after her, I wanted Jamie to be extra nervous about leaving her behind. Not that Claire needs any man to get along on her own, but this is Jamie's mindset we're dealing with.

I'd also known from pretty much the get-go that Jamie/Claire in this story were not destined to live their lives in the 20th century. I just couldn't see them there. It never really felt like Jamie's world, and to an extent not Claire's anymore either. So then it became a matter of what would be strong enough to pull them back in time despite the dangers they know exist there. Enter Fergus.

Also, to clear up a little about the vision he had: Suffice to say that the vision is not happening simultaneous to when he saw it. Remember that when he dreamed of Claire, that wasn't simultaneous either; that had happened weeks previous in her own timeline. In my view, Jamie's dreams (both in this story and in canon) show his connection to certain people across the stones. In the later books in particular, they sometimes have the aura of a warning, though he doesn't quite read them that way. (I remember one time in particular he has a weird feeling about Jemmy just before all the craziness goes down at future Lallybroch.) So I wanted to draw that out more overtly. Whatever supernatural force is guiding their lives, it's giving them a chance to do things right.

That said...not everything can be changed or prevented. BUT on the flip side, not everything is as it appears on the surface. So.....stay tuned.

[hteragram-x]

The Old Spirits AU

Sanders Sides AU where Thomas is a man living in the 21st century and the Sides are his ancestors from different eras he can summon and ask for advice.

...

Patton is the oldest one (like the head of a family tree) from the beginnings of the civilisation, Roman and Remus are, obviously, from the Roman Empire in the time of conquering Britain, Virgil from Middle Ages (around year 1100), Janus was born near the end of the 19th century (and died during WWII) while Logan lived during most of 20th century and died after Thomas was born, so he’s the most accostomed with current world and is the only one who met their descendant (he could hold baby Thomas and talk to him when he was a kid).

Somehow they all died in almost the same place, most likely in Europe (Thomas doesn’t have to be American in this story or live in The US). Therefore Thomas can summon them in the graveyard where Logan is burried.

He sits on Logan’s tomb and talks to them about his problems, but they usually cannot reach any logical and helpful conclusions, because of the thousands of years that divide them.

Patton’s understanding of society is very poor, because he barely remembers written word being invented. He just wants Thomas to be nice to others, safe, and have enough food. Roman, being a poet, tries to talk about all issues in a flowery, metaphorical language that can become too convoluted and detached from reality, Remus feels like force is the only solution to the problem (”Thomas cannot conquer his colleagues, Remus, it’s an office, not Roman Gaul... calm down”). Virgil gets terrified by everything, because the diseases are scary, people in positions of power are scary, being too clean is scary, wild animals and technology (???) seem frightening as well... better just pray, stay quiet, and hope for the best.

Janus is salty, because he thinks he was born too early and believes that Thomas doesn’t use all his modern opportunities. Young man has an access to all the knowledge in his pocket, yet he complains about some broken printer or waiting for water to boil. The audacity. Meanwhile Logan doesn’t have enough patience to explain every aspect of the 21st century the others don’t know. He is far more educated that the rest of them are, yet they ignore him a lot, because in their eyes he’s almost like a baby. (He died at the age of 92, but some of them are thousands years older than him. They all remember him as a 2 year old from some funeral.)

Their advice is mostly useless, but Thomas still likes to visit them. He brings some flowers and candles for Logan’s grave, summons the ghosts and let them quarrel for a few hours. At least he can get different, unusual perspectives and laugh a little when Janus and Logan try to explain what a plane is to the others. Or when Patton is desperate to convince them that having a shelter and petting friendly animals is really enough to live happily.

Sometimes Virgil throws a horribly grim comment about human existence in a neutral tone and they are like: “wow... that was dark”. And he’s very confused, because he was the tenth child in a poor family of peasants that died in his thirties from minor infection, so he just made a casual observation about death. It was merely an innocent opinion about Thomas’ mortality.

Janus would get angry at people like Roman and Remus, because they were in the Roman army and he himself died fighting some Italian soldiers in the 1940s. Logan would try to convincence him that it’s in no way related, but they already changed topics and Roman shouts that at least he could be gay when he wanted (”is that the right word, dear Thomas? ...yeah! and you think you were civilised! being banned from kissing boys sounds like a shitty civilisation”). Remus just wants to watch the chaos and harass people walking by the cemetary.

...

On some days, however, they can be peaceful. Thomas would listen to music, introducing them to different genres. Logan would ask others about their lives in long-gone eras. Roman and Remus would duel or talk with Janus about the wars they died in treating each other with respect like veterans. Remus tells very dramatic stories about the day his brother died on the battlefield protecting him like a hero. Roman would read them poetry and summon ghosts of animals with his singing to pet them with Patton and his twin, all happy that they no longer sneeze while touching a cat.

Virgil would finally have some kind on enjoyment and peace in his afterlife listening to music with Thomas or sitting with Logan on Logan’s tomb and contemplating eternity. Janus and Patton would let Thomas talk about every problem he has, even when they have no solutions and then joke about it. He made a mistake of introducing Patton to the concept of puns and now he has to “suffer” listening to him and Janus trying to come up with all the possible jokes about being dead.

(They all somehow understand each other. Maybe it’s just a perk of being dead. You don’t need to worry about the linguistic barriers.)

...

I’ll probably draw this one soon. I already did Creativitwins as Roman soldiers, but drawing them all is really tempting. And I’ll definitely write more.

[iamidentical]

I was tagged by @birdylion to list my 5 comfort tv shows. Thank you!

1. Der Tatortreiniger

German show that my family found at the local library (in a city somewhere in Canada). Set in Hamburg, which is great because my parents are from the area. Schotty is the best. He gets into the most bizarre situations but it's always so heartwarming somehow.

2. Trickster

Produced by the CBC here in Canada, about a Heiltsuk teenager named Jared from Kitimat whose bio dad comes back into his life and is revealed to be a trickster. Lots of other interesting stuff, including my favourite character Sarah (what a queen). It also has an absolutely banging soundtrack. If you're in Canada, watch it! If you're American, it's coming to the CW in January. If you're from somewhere else... idk, VPN? It's based on a book series, which I haven't read yet, but I intend to rectify that situation immediately.

3. Murdoch Mysteries

Another Canadian show, coming up on its 14th season. It's set in Toronto around the turn of the 20th century and basically you end up wondering how any city can handle so many murders in just one area. It makes for fun tv, though. All hail Dr. Julia Ogden. I started watching it with my friend in early April and it has a special place in my heart. (He's such a William lol.)

4. The Great British Bake Off

Do I need to explain? (It's called the Baking Show in Canada like in America, but Bake Off just has more flair, in my humble opinion.)

5. Das Boot (2018-)

Not the famous movie, but the tv show that I ended up watching because it was free on CBC Gem. It's not actually comforting at all—there's way too much gratuitous violence against women and, ahem, Nazis for that—but for some reason I latched onto it, probably because I could practice my German and French. I totally entertained my sister while watching this by stopping and randomly telling her which characters had just died. (Simone deserved better, Margot deserved better, Nathalie deserved better, I hope this show improves in season 3 in regards to its female characters because otherwise I will write to Bavaria Fiction or Sky or whoever makes these decisions in my so-so second-generation 10-goddamn-years-of-German-school German myself. Anyway.)

There you go!

Tagging @darkforestroads , @ohthoumylovelyboy, @maple-writes, @thebloodstainedquill, @my-darling-boy if any of you would like to do it!

[ruffiorocks]

Dany, Drogo and forced marriage in Game of Thrones, a historical perspective.

(Disclaimer, I obviously don't think rape and abuse are in any way OK).

I've been re-reading the first book because it's been a long time since I did and we're in lockdown so I have plenty of time on my hands.

I've finished the chapter of Dany and Drogo's wedding night and surprised when I saw that at the end of that chapter Dany actually gives consent to Drogo, unlike the how the show presents it. I'd completely forgotten about that.

Drogo sits and takes the bells from his hair and Dany joins in to help him. He then undresess with help and she is then undressed. Like the show he keeps saying "no" but unlike the show Dany actually takes comfort in the fact he knows at least one word she does. Drogo touches her a lot, works her up and then he says one last time "no?" But the last one is a question. Dany replies with "Yes" and then takes his finger and you can guess what happens next. It's a very different portrayal to how the show presents it.

Now, I remember later in the book that Drogo comes in every night, has sex with her roughly and then leaves. Very like the show and that's where Dany learns to please him from her slave and he's surprised in both book and show.

Now I know what people will say, "She was 13! It was rape!" And yes, from a 20th century point of view that is what it very much is. BUT this story does not take place on 2020.

G.R.R Martin based his books on the Wars of the Roses, so for us it takes place between the 14th and 15th century. If you study history you would know that being married off against your will was something that was done for both boys and girls. It was an arrangement usually made when they were children and people got on with it.

Dany's age of 13 wasn't considered underage for the time those books are based around. I'm fact some were married at the age of 5 or 6. The most prominent 13 year old who was married off during the WOTR was Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII and grandmother of Henry VIII. Margaret was a wealthy heiress and was married off to a 30 something year old man. Actually perfectly normal and acceptable for the time. Consummation of the marriage however was another matter, where it wasn't actually illegal to consummate at age 13 it wasn't considered a good idea because the girl hadn't finished developing and complications could occur should she get pregnant. When Margaret Beaufort was left pregnant at 13 after her husband was killed people thought that it was to early for her, but again not actually illegal in anyway. Unfortunately for Margaret she would only ever have the one child, she was probably damaged to much after getting pregnant so early. Later on she made sure her grandchildren were older before being married off and consumating their marriages.

So, for Dany to be married at 13 and be having sex isn't actually all that off for world that Martin has created, even though to us it seems very off.

It was also not considered rape when a man had sex with his wife whenever he chose. Women were taught to simply put up with it. I'm medieval society it was actually considered a sin to enjoy sex, especially for women. High born men would have sex with their wives for pro creation not enjoyment, that was what mistresses were for. (Just to clarify these aren't my views, simply the views of medieval society).

In the show and book we see Drogo take Dany from behind and she isn't enjoying it, to the point she wants to kill herself, this is heartbreaking, but that's because we as the audience and reader are thinking of it in a 20th century point of view but also Dany's point of view. The Dothraki are not like the people of Westeros. Even at the wedding it is explained by master Illyrio that the Dothraki mount their women like a stallion mounts a mare. It happens at the wedding, both in the show and in the books. It's not even referred to as sex, it's referred to as mating. Later on in the show when Dany is suggesting the Dothraki take the women as wives rather than rape them she is laughed at and the blood riders say "does the horse lie with the sheep?" They are referring to themselves and others as animals. Drogo is a product of Drogo's culture, the men take the women like a horse takes a mare. It's horrible to use of course! But what one has to understand is that this is the culture of the Dothraki, the culture that Martin created and a culture that Dany absolutely does not belong in.

I saw someone mention that Dany's age means nothing to Ned and Robert when they discuss her, but of course it doesn't, because in their society being married off at that age and getting pregnant isn't a shock to them. She's referred to as a 'child' but that's because she is a 13 year old teenager who to Ned poses not threat to them.

Now, remember that throughout the first book Jon and Robb are 14 and refer to themselves as almost "a man grown" as in they are almost of age. In the 14th and 15th century 14 was the legal age of marriage for a boy (unless they were married was children or by proxy). Even Bran at 7 calls himself almost a man grown. It was only at the beginning of the 16th century that the age of maturity went up to about 18. So for e.g. in 1483 Edward V (one of the Prince's in the Tower) was 12 when he became king, but was considered underage, but had he been allowed to reach 14 as king he could have begun to rule. By the 1509 when Henry VIII became king he was just a few month off his 18th birthday and his grandmother was regent for about a month until he turned 18. His younger brother Prince Arthur was married off at 15 to his 16 year old wife Catherine of Aragon (who would later marry Henry). Later Henry in his 40s would marry a 15 year old girl. Again, for the time none of this was illegal or even really frowned upon.

So in conclusion, yes we see what Drogo did to Dany as rape, and we should because in today's society it absolutely is! But, George R. R. Martin did not set his story in today's society, it set in a medieval society and to understand the depth of what's going on we need to a point look at it through medieval eyes and not 20th century ones.

It's not unlike watching a show set in ancient Rome and seeing slaves, they were a part of society and to understand the show and the time it's presenting you have to look at it from that point of view.

Just some food for thought, of course it's rape, Dany, Sansa, Jeyne Poole, even Cersei with Jaime. In some society women would get their revenge on the men who treated them badly, history is littered with them biding their time. But unfortunately, for the time the show is based on it wasn't actually a crime to be forced to have sex with your husband.

Forced marriage was am everyday occurrence, marriage wasn't for love at least not on high society. Marriage was for alliances, wealth, position, the continuation of a blood line. Even in the show this happens, Ned marries Catelyn because his brother dies. Robert marries Cersei for alliances with the richest house, Sansa is promised to Joffrey, Margery is married off to Renly, Joffrey and Tommen! Robb has to swear to marry a Frey girl, any one he chooses, she doesn't get a say, but he gets himself killed for love. Tywin tells Cersei she has to marry Loras and she has no say. Tyrion has no say in marrying Sansa.

Robert wasn't great to Cersei, he even hit her on occasion, but for the time this wasn't considered a crime. Walder Frey was lecherous pervert but again frowned upon in the show but not a crime. Joffrey had he married Sansa probably would had been horrific to her, again not a crime but people would have been disgusted.

The major issue I think is with the show, it has all of these things in it but it presents the view points of other characters from a 20th century point of view. The "good guys" like the Starks would be horrified to learn that the girls had been married off without their consent , but at the same time Robb gets to choose whichever Frey girl he wants like he's picking out a jumper. Even Edmure will later get to pick a Frey girl. Tyrion arranges a marriage for Myrcella but is horrified to learn he's had one arranged for him. Catleyn even agrees to marry off Arya to a Frey boy, she isn't even there and has no say and she's fully aware she will hate it!

So I looked at this from a historians point of view to understand the story not a woman living in 2020, so don't attack me. ✌