#constantine vii

[blueiscoool]

A Very Rare 1,000-Year-Old Byzantine Gold Coin Found in Norway

Approximately 1,000 years ago in Constantinople — the bustling capital of the Byzantine Empire — a small gold coin was minted.

Now, about a millennia later, the tiny treasure has been unearthed more than 1,600 miles away from its origin, according to a Nov. 30 news release from the Inlandet County Municipality.

Officials said a metal detectorist stumbled upon the artifact among the mountains in Vestre Slidre, Norway. It’s a rare discovery for Norway, and the seemingly out-of-place artifact appears to be in great condition, especially given its age.

Photos of the coin show each side’s intricate carvings. One side depicts Jesus Christ holding a Bible, while the other shows Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VII, brothers who ruled together, officials said.

Each side also has an inscription. The side showing Jesus has a Latin inscription, which translates to “Jesus Christ, King of those who reign,” according to experts. The side depicting the emperors has a Greek inscription, which translates to “Basil and Constantine, emperors of the Romans.”

Experts said the coin was minted during Basil and Constantine’s reign, likely sometime between 977 and 1025. The dotted circles bordering the coin indicate its age.

HOW DID THE COIN MAKE IT FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO NORWAY?

Experts have tried to determine how the coin ended up in Norway.

One hypothesis is that the artifact belonged to Harald the Ruthless — the king of Norway from 1045 until 1066, according to Britannica.

Before he was king, Harald the Ruthless, also known as Harald Hardråde, served as part of the Byzantine emperor’s guard, experts said. It was customary for guards to loot the palace after an emperor’s death, and three emperors died during Hardråde’s time as a guard.

Once the coin made it back to Norway, it could have been lost along a trade or transportation route, according to experts.

Archaeologists have not had a chance to fully examine the site where the coin was found, but they are planning a broader excavation in 2024, officials said.

By Moira Ritter.

[hexjulia]

obsessed with this

[gotham-at-nightfall]

Wonder Woman and friends are drawn into Waller's bid for power!

Wonder Woman #11

[thoodleoo]

apparently constantine vii had a mechanical throne that he could shoot up to the ceiling in front of people meeting with him and i've gotta hand it to him if you're going to be in charge of an empire of immense wealth and might you might as well have fun with it

[johnwickb1tsch]

The Girl Next Door - VII

A Constantine x FemVampire!Reader (feat John Wick!) fic based on this imagine. all chapters warnings: nsfw, blood, biting, violence, trigger warning this chapter mentions pregnancy/death divider by animatedglittergraphics gif from pinterest-if yours ill gladly credit u

7.  hard to kill

Needless to say, you are too happy to retire early to the closet, having stolen his comforter and made a nest in which to curl up and feel sorry for yourself. You steal a towel too, expecting to cry. Perhaps it is a mercy, that they're only silent tears, for John as much as yourself. 

You lay there in pain, staring at the wall, until the rising sun brings you the merciful relief of sleep. 

When you wake, you find a note on the kitchen table that reads:

Gone to check on some things. Do NOT leave the building! My friend Beeman lives in the basement. Don’t eat him. Back soon. -John 

Would a please really kill him? 

He’s gone to check on Angela, you reason. The human girl he really wants to be with, but with whom he may only have very limited time. You are not sure which part of that hurts you more. 

The idea that he could be dying still doesn’t feel real to you. Aside from the coughing, he seemed so strong. You think about what he said about the bond you share, and how your own strength was probably the reason he was even still alive. 

You feel good, with dhampir blood still in you, but you reason it would be best to keep yourself fed, keep your energy up. You are in a part of town where you think it will be an easy thing to harvest the evil doer you require for your meal. 

You head out for a drink. 

♰♰♰

By the time you return to the bowling alley John still has not returned. Worried, you try to reach out through your connection, curious what he’s up to. You find it shut like a brick wall has been put up between you, and you sigh to yourself. 

Fine. Be that way. 

There’s nothing to do in this apartment. No books. No tv. You are still in your dress that you wore to the club the night before. It’s black, and doesn’t show it, but you can smell the splatters of blood on the fabric from your little misadventure at the club. You decide to take a bath, and maybe with a little spite, you use John’s toothbrush. 

Poking around for something clean to wear, you pick out one of John’s white shirts, which you swim in, and your undies from before. Maybe it will give him a laugh, when he gets home. You covet his mirth as much as his kisses, pathetic thing that you are. 

You sit at the kitchen table, staring at the cracked subway tiles and bored out of your skull. You are considering exploring the building just to kill some time, when you hear some thumping outside the door, and there’s a heavy knock. 

You freeze in your tracks. 

How did you not even hear the footsteps coming up the creaky stairs?

As you try to reason what could be out there with your undead heart pounding in your chest a deep voice calls, “I know you’re in there, vampling.” 

Fuck. 

You look around for something that you could use as a weapon against John Wick–and can’t help but feel like it's a hopeless endeavor. 

You just stand there silently, torn as to what to do.

“Still here, milaya,” he calls.

You're not sure why you feel embarrassed. “What do you want?” 

“I’ve brought your boyfriend a present.”

Double fuck. 

Does he need an invitation to enter, like a vampire does? One more thing John neglected to explain to you. You almost contradict that John Constantine is so not your boyfriend, but then you reason that might be the thing that kept John alive the night before.

Strangely…even if he is a vampire killer, you don’t really think the dhampir means you harm. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t scare you. 

Trembling in your bones, you go to open the door. 

John Wick is there, a tower in black, looking unfairly edible–with a vampire curled in a ball at his feet. “What the fuck?”

“Can we come in?”

“No.” 

It’s worth a shot. 

Wick rolls his eyes, and pushes past you, dragging the incapacitated vampire rather unceremoniously behind him. 

You guess that answers that question.  

Wick drops the vampire in a heap on the floor. You see that the unlucky bastard’s hands are bound with heavy metal cuffs behind his back, and a large silver knife protrudes from his chest. He’s seeping blood onto the floor, and you wonder if you should complain, or if it will make one bit of difference in this dump. 

“Where’s Constantine?” 

“He’s not here.” 

By the way Wick turns to look at you with sharpened interest, you wonder if you shouldn’t have admitted that. This is when he seems to really notice what you’re wearing, the corners of his lips curling in a little smile. 

Maybe Constantine’s oversized shirt fits you like a dress, but you realize you are showing quite a bit of leg. Rather pointlessly, you tug down the hemline–entirely too late. 

“What is this?” asks the dhampir, gesturing up and down with his chin at your ridiculous outfit, amused.

“I didn’t have any clothes here…” you defend, backing away as he slowly advances on you. “What are you doing here?” 

“Hunting.” He is still advancing towards you, slowly, and you continue to back away.

Hunting who, you’re afraid to ask.

When you pull one of the mismatched kitchen chairs into his path the vampire hunter looks at you with amusement, his eyes practically sparkling. But maybe he realizes that he’s scaring you, because he pauses in his tracks. “This vampire has some interesting information about don Juan’s plans. I need Constantine.”

“Why?”

“Because demons are not my specialty.”

You wait for him to elaborate, but it seems he is waiting for John to explain further. He looks around the crumbling apartment with a critical eye, clearly not impressed. “He lives like this?”

“It’s a safehouse,” you defend, though you have no idea why. “That worked well, obviously.” You frown up at him, which he seems to enjoy.

“It may have, with the wards on the door,” he answers, nodding towards the runes scratched into the jamb. “If you hadn’t left their protection. I tracked you.”

“You what?” The back of the rickety chair creaks under your grip.

“I’ve had your blood, you’ve had mine,” he says like that should be enough of an explanation. Then he inhales, his eyes sliding closed for the barest moment. “You had a good feed tonight. Ripe with blood. Care to share?” His fangs glint in the low light, and you extend the chair further before you. 

“No, we are not doing that again.”

This forbidding, lethal, terrifying man extends his full lower lip in a pout, and it’s so cute that you are dumbfounded.

“I thought we had fun last time.”

“You had all the fun.”

“I can return the favor,” he assures you with a lift of those unruly dark brows, and goddam if suddenly you are holding the chair for support, because your knees have gone weak beneath you. 

Do not look at his mouth.

You can’t help it, and it is lush, and well-formed, and curled into a shit-eating smirk.

A sharp crack fills the apartment, and only a moment later do you realize you broke the chair.

“Someone’s pent up. Poor darling.”

He advances on you again, and you flee to the other side of the table. That sweet scent of flowers and spices has started filling the room between you, and a fine tremor starts in your core, making its way straight to your loins. “Stop that.”

“I will if you will,” he invites, bracing himself upon the table as though he might leap over it. “It isn’t just me.”

“What…is it?” you ask through gritted teeth, clenching your fists against the urge to go to him, to wrap yourself around him and climb him like an oak.

“A long time ago…my wife used to pick a little white flower in the meadow near our izba. She loved their scent. That is what you smell like to me, milaya. Light and fresh as spring. Who are you?”

But all you can do is shake your head, suddenly so weak that you have to sit. “How long ago?”

“Three hundred years? Give or take.” He makes a this or that gesture, and you are distracted by the sheer size of his hands, those elegant long fingers waving. 

The scope of such a timespan lived by one man is still dizzying to you.

“What happened to her?”

“I killed her.”

Your eyes fly wide with shock, perhaps because he clearly worshiped the ground this woman walked on. “What? Why?”

“The usual way. Something went wrong with the birth of our daughter. She was born dead, and took her mother with her.” He looks at the wall while he tells you this, almost as though he is recounting a story that happened to someone else. “I should have known that nothing living could be created by something half dead like me. I tried to follow them…but I am hard to kill.”

“Jesus. I’m so sorry.” 

He nods, and turns his stare at you, that piercing dark gaze holding all the weight of the world.

“You are lucky you needn’t worry of such things any more.”

“Excuse you? You don’t know anything about me. I wouldn’t call being taken and turned into this lucky.”

“Then you wanted children with John Constantine?”

He seems to have no problem with asking you such a personal question, and the leap of this logic gives you whiplash. “No, that would be…fucking insane.”

He smirks at you, as though he’s proved a point. You, on the other hand, aren't even sure what you're arguing about anymore. 

Before you can tell him off though, he changes tack again, looking around the dilapidated space with a raised eyebrow. “So this is how he keeps you? You like this?”

“I told you…we don’t live here.” 

He takes a deep sniff of the air, continuing to walk around. “It smells like he lives here.” 

You frown at this, open your mouth to argue, then shut it again. You think about all the clothes John has stored here. Has he been living here for the past month, to avoid running in to you? No wonder he was able to ghost you so perfectly. 

You’re not sure why it surprises you at this point, but it still feels like being stabbed. You press a hand over your chest absently, willing it to stop hurting all the time. Jesus fucking christ, it would be nice to have some relief from this grief you’ve ultimately caused yourself. 

Wick watches you with eagle-sharp eyes as you process this, a small frown pulling between his brows. “I don’t think I like the way this stupid boy treats you, zolotse. If you were mine, I would keep you in comfort, and you would know how much you are adored every day.”

You have to keep reminding yourself that you do not know this man. That words like this from a total stranger are borderline crazy, and you should not be so charmed by them as you are. 

“Please…stop,” you beg him, hiding your face in your hands. Where the fuck is Constantine? He really needs to come back now. You reach out to him again, trying to convey some sense of urgency, but find the invisible thread between you is still blocked on his end. Turd.

 “We do not know each other.” 

“That’s not what it feels like,” he says, and even though you’re not looking at him, you hear the shrug in his voice. You feel him near closer, and you tell yourself that you stay put because it’s ridiculous to run around the kitchen table like he couldn’t catch you any time he really wanted to, and not because…you like the feeling of his solid warmth at your side. For a man who claims he’s half dead…he feels very alive, and your every nerve ending stands at attention with John Wick at your elbow.  

“Because there is something about you, something out the corner of the eye, and the way you hold your head, and the way you talk back to me so bravely when you know I could break you in two…I feel like I know you, vampling.”

“Well…you have lived a very long time.” You try to explain it away, but you can tell just by his eyes that he’s not having it. 

“The longer you live, the more you know…the more you realize you don’t know. But things do seem to move in circles.” He dares to touch you, just your hair, very lightly fingering the strands still half-damp from your bath. “You should come back to New York with me.”

You really do need your head checked, because for the barest second–you are sorely tempted. You are more angry with yourself than him when you snap, “Wow, you really don’t waste any time, do you?”

“I feel that I have waited lifetimes for you, milaya.” 

He leans over your seated form, engulfing you with the breath of his chest, his muscle-corded arm braced upon the table. With one of those agonizingly large hands he turns your face up to look at him, not allowing you to hide any longer. Those piercing dark eyes gaze right into your soul, and that intoxicating infusion of spiced sweetness engulfs you again. A warm, fuzzy certainty settles over you: what is the point in fighting him? This man, in whose arms you belong?

 This is the moment John Constantine choses to burst through the door, and chaos erupts above the BOWL BOWL BOWL. 

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

*izba - cabin made of pine logs, often with ornate little details on the outside around the windows. 

[sweetwolfcupcake]

A Secret Garden

Main Masterlist

Welcome to the secret garden of Wicked Indulgence. The themes remain dark, and the romance remains murky.

Only the universe and characters change.

Note-- This is not my main masterlist or the area of focus, I make no promises here. I cannot give it as much time as I give to my main masterlist. But this is a sweet indulgence.

So...Welcome to my secret garden, not popular like my other works but relevant to me and those who would indulge.

Be warned...This is no place for the faint-hearted or the sweet angels. Definitely not minors.

Banners, headers, and dividers by @cafekitsune

John Wick

An introduction

Drabbles

Daisies

Secrets We Keep

A Gentleman

Series

Wildflower-- Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII

Neo Anderson

An Introduction

One-Shots

Sweet Dreams

Loading...

An Introduction

Swords in the Court: One

Prompt Requests (Now Open)

Neo x Reader: Under The Skin

Collaborative Pieces

The Devil's Triangle(Yandere): Tex Johnson x Reader x John Wick (and John Constantine)

With the evil geniuses: @johnwickb1tsch

@treedaddymcpuffpuff and @tammykelly

More Under Construction

General Requests Are Closed

The banner and gifs are not created by me. The credit goes to their respective owners.

[wonder-worker]

"Contemporaries acknowledged Bertha of Lotharingia's political ambitions and supraregional influence. Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus called her “the great Bertha” (τῆς μεγάλης Βέρτας) and highlighted that she reigned on her own (ἐβασίλευσεν) for several years after her husband’s death. ['Bertha’s quest for power also seems to have prompted contemporaries [...] to harshly polemicize against her in particular and against women striving for power in general.'] Liutprand of Cremona describes her negatively as a highly influential and scheming political actor, whereas the contemporary Gesta Berengarii accuses “the Beast of the Tyrrhenian, lifted up as usual by poison” and “pouring wild hisses from the mouth” of having impeded Berengar’s imperial coronation, among other things by employing “the wealth of neighboring Charybdis." [Bertha has also been identified by scholars as the figure likened to the sorceress "Circe", who the Gesta condemned for allegedly corrupting Berengar's wife with "venomous words"]. Much more positively, the epitaph on Bertha’s gravestone in the church of San Martino in Lucca underscores Bertha’s royal and imperial Carolingian pedigree as well as her transregional prestige and influence."

-Daniel G. König, "Bertha of Tuscany's Correspondence with al-Muktafī bi-llāh in the Version of Ibn al-Zubayr."

[doccywhomst]

List of Doctors versus fucked up theocrats GO

definitely the most specific request i've ever gotten but... ask and ye shall receive. not sure if you wanted me to make the doctor fight the theocrats, but i've decided to take the far funnier route. buckle up.

first doctor: brigham young

second doctor: uhhhh constantine i guess

third doctor: george ii

fourth doctor: lucius verus

fifth doctor: he's giving king edgar

sixth doctor: king henry viii duh

seventh doctor: pope pius vii

eighth doctor: alexander the great babeyyy

[tgrailwar-zero]

Morning everyone, ready for the big day?

The sun rose on the Transient Megalopolis, and you prepared yourselves for the Flaming Bout.

After a good night's rest and a decent morning that quickly became a bit more frantic once you realized how the time was slipping by, you made your way to where the bout was supposed to be held.

Today was the day. And it was a 'big day' indeed!

Even on a decent time-frame- and you all thought you were getting there pretty early- the streets were crowded as they amassed around a huge arena.

Just wave after wave of people. Compared to your past memory, where each individual was more of a 'vaguely colored mechanical thing'- and even your recollection of the Nameless City which had primarily human-like citizens, you saw all types here. Humans, robots, beast-men… the works.

You supposed that in a virtual world where you could look like anyone, these kinds of disparate appearances wasn't exactly odd, but it was surreal in a way. It was hard to tell who was a competitor, and who just looked incredibly intense.

The good news was, you really didn't stand out that much. In a vacuum, a 'shadow person' was rather ominous and actively strange. in this situation? Well, if you ever wanted to assert that you looked 'relatively normal', now would be the time to do so. Nobody could really argue.

Still, there wasn't much time to admire the diversity of the Solar Cell, as you were being actively squished between your Servants as they tried to push through the waves of people.

CONSTANTINE: "Just… stay close to the Masters! If they got lost in this wave of people, I don't think we could find them easily!"

NERO: "It's not like we have a choice but to stay close, Rider! I barely have room to wiggle my fingers! I forgot what massive crowds came here for the Bout!"

SABER: "Still… it's pretty exciting, isn't it? This is a major event! Ah-- hey, Rider! That's my foot!"

CONSTANTINE: "That wasn't me! Wait, there's a break in the crowd Push! Onward!"

You shoved your way through the crowd, as you heard various bits and pieces of excited chatter.

"Hey, did you hear? Keeper Ptolemaios is here!" "Seriously? I don't think I've seen him anywhere but the Archives or the Library…" "I wonder... do you think something happened?"

"So many strong fighters… maybe this is a good year to get into betting…" "Dude, you still owe me 50 PPT, what the hell are you gonna bet with?"

"Mm? Where's Protector Quetzalcoatl? She's always here, right?" "I thought I saw her… I think she changed her hair?" "Ah, that was her?!"

"I've got a good feeling on the Man-Slayer this year... I just know it!" "No way! Tri-Star's got this in the bag!" "You're kidding, right? I heard that the Jaguar Boss brought in a last-minute fighter that's supposed to be a total killer!"

The constant noise was only tempered briefly by the sound of a heavy object slamming into the ground. Eyes whipped towards the source, as you saw DURYODHANA and IZOU proudly standing before the crowd.

DURYODHANA: "Make way, citizens! The ruler of the Transient Megalopolis is coming through! Move it! Shoo!"

IZOU: "Y'hear that punks!? Queen Cleopatra's comin', so back off and start gettin' respectful!"

They parted to the side, as a stately, beautiful woman stepped between them. Your eardrums practically burst from the amount of yelling that emerged from the crowd, which basically confirmed the identity of this person.

CLEOPATRA VII THEA PHILOPATOR. The final Pharaoh of the Greco-Egyptian Ptolemaic Dynasty.

And… the Lair Servant of the Transient Megalopolis. The 'Pharaoh'.

You saw her briefly shoot a look at her two guards, sharing a hushed conversation.

CLEOPATRA: "You boneheads. We really need to work on your introductions…"

IZOU: "Really? I think I nailed it. What, you think I should'a asked 'em to bow?"

DURYODHANA: "They moved, didn't they? I say mission accomplished. No need to coddle them, they adore you after all."

CLEOPATRA: "…You're both lucky you're strong and handsome, you know that?"

She sighed, before smiling and waving to the crowd of people, that-- despite the brusque announcement from the two guards-- were absolutely ecstatic to see the Pharaoh of the Megalopolis in person. And considering that DURYODHANA and IZOU were fighters as well, you could assume some of that excitement was shared for them as well. She made her way through the crowd, before vanishing, and the normal bustle returned… unfortunately.

MUSASHI: "Gaaah! My foot!"

CONSTANTINE: "That time was me, sorry! Are you okay? Ah- wait, we're losing the little one!"

'LITTLE GUY': "We're going awayawaaaaaay-!"

NERO: "I've got you! Oh, look! There's that damned Jaguar! Ahead! Ahead! No, we're drifting left! No, no, noooo--!"

Eventually-- EVENTUALLY-- you managed to reach JAGUAR MAN who was waiting by the entrance. She smirked, folding her arms.

JAGUAR MAN: "The crowd got you, huh? That's the city for ya. You're lucky you're newbies- at least you don't have to worry about paparazzi or superfans hounding you. Welcome to the Flaming Bout. Glad y'could make it. Anyways, let's get down to brass tacks. Twin-blade and Shady here--"

You're assuming that she's talking to MUSASHI and you.

JAGUAR MAN: "--Head down to the locker rooms as soon as possible and get checked in. Your friends better find seats quick, this place fills up fast for people not in VIP sections."

CONSTANTINE: "We're not allowed down?"

JAGUAR MAN: "Sorry, handsome. Don't worry, the fighters are allowed up to mingle when they're off call, so you'll have plenty of chances to waste time together. Just make sure you don't miss your bout. Here you go."

You received: [ Flaming Bout Tickets (1 Fighter Ticket, 1 Manager Ticket, and 3 Guest Tickets) ]!

[ You lost 400 PPT for your Entry Fee! You currently have 770 PTT! ]

JAGUAR MAN handed you the ticket marked 'Manager', while MUSASHI took the ticket marked 'Fighter' and the other three took the remaining. MUSASHI's ticket was bright red with a golden border. Your ticket had a sleek black design with a golden border- it looked important. Best to make sure you didn't lose it. The guest tickets had simple flame patterns.

With a petulant look, NERO stared down at her ticket.

NERO: "…I want a VIP ticket."

JAGUAR MAN: "Tough luck. If you had your War Monitor status, it'd be a cinch, but now you've gotta run with everyone else... Still, knowing you, you'll probably find a way into the Lounge somehow."

JAGUAR MAN: "Anyways, I'll see ya down below. I've got high hopes for you, 'Null Zero Samurai'."

She winked, before heading inside the building, leaving you and your group.

[graceofromanovs]

GODPARENTS OF NICHOLAS II

Born during his grandfather's reign on 18 May (New Style) 1868 at the Alexander Palace, Tsarkoe Selo in Saint Petersburg. He was the eldest son of Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna (then, the Tsarevich and Tsarina of Russia). He was christened on 1 June at the  Chapel of the Resurrection of the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoe Selo, by the confessor of the imperial family, protopresbyter Vasily Borisovich Bazhanov. His godparents were: 

ALEXANDER II, EMPEROR OF RUSSIA - his paternal grandfather, the Russian Emperor stood as one of the godparents. He became the Emperor of All Russia in 1855. Alexander’s most significant reform as emperor was the emancipation of Russia’s serfs in 1861, for which he is known as Alexander the Liberator. He was assassinated in 1881 when the young Nicholas was only 12 years-old, to which he became the heir apparent upon his death.

PRINCESS MARIE OF HESSE AND BY RHINE, EMPRESS MARIA ALEXANDROVNA OF RUSSIA - his paternal grandmother, the consort of Emperor Alexander II, was another of his godparents. Known for her intellect, she was one of the founders of the Russian Red Cross Society. However, she suffered from tuberculosis from 1863 and spent long stays in southern Europe to avoid harsh winters. Although she and her husband were unofficially separated sometime after the death of their eldest son, Maria was treated with respect and love by her surviving family. Maria passed away from illness when the young Nicholas was still a child.

PRINCESS LOUISE OF HESSE-KASSEL, QUEEN CONSORT OF DENMARK - his maternal grandmother was listed as one of his godparents. Louise became the Queen consort of Denmark upon her husband's - King Christian IX - accession in 1863, just few years before her grandson Nicholas' birth. She, herself, was a niece of another King of Denmark (Christian VIII). The great dynastic success of Louise's six children was to a great extent a result of Louise's own ambitions - through them, she was a grandmother of not only the future Tsar of Russia (Nicholas II), but also that of King George V of the United Kingdom; King Constantine I of Greece; King Christian X of Denmark, and King Harken VII of Norway.

GRAND DUCHESS ELENA PAVLOVNA OF RUSSIA - his great-great-aunt, the wife of the late Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich, was one of his godparents. Born as Princess Charlotte of Württemberg, she became a close friend of his grandmother the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and was known as an intellectual. She was also considered the most exceptional woman in the imperial family since Catherine the Great.

KING FREDERICK VIII OF DENMARK - then, the Crown Prince, his maternal uncle stood as one of his godparents. During the long reign of his father, he was largely excluded from influence and political power. Upon his father's death in 1906, he acceded to the throne at the advanced age of 62. In many ways, Frederick VIII was a liberal monarch who was much more favorable to the new parliamentary system introduced in 1901 than his father had been, being reform-minded and democratically inclined. 

Source

[la-pheacienne]

Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, XII, Flight to the Ford

Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, II, The Council of Elrond

The Two Towers, Book 4, II, The Passage of the Marshes

The Two Towers, Book 4, III, The Black Gate is Closed

The Two Towers, Book 4, V, The Window on the West

The Two Towers, Book 4, VI, The Forbidden Pool

"Seven, Brienne thought again, despairing. She had no chance against seven, she knew. No chance, and no choice". Asoiaf, A Feast for Crows - Brienne VII

"Honor to those who in the life they lead define and guard a Thermopylae. Never betraying what is right, consistent and just in all they do but showing pity also, and compassion; generous when they're rich, and when they're poor, still generous in small ways, still helping as much as they can; always speaking the truth, yet without hating those who lie. And even more honor is due to them when they foresee (as many do foresee) that Ephialtis will turn up in the end, that the Medes will break through after all". Thermopylae, Constantine P. Cavafy

"Human stories are practically always about one thing, really, aren't they? Death. The inevitability of death [he quotes Simone de Beauvoir] 'All men must die, but for every man his death is an accident [...].' Well, you may agree with the words or not, but those are the key spring of The Lord Of The Rings". JRR Tolkien

[secondhand-lions]

here's some Constantine tidbits! (attempted) timeline order. [EDIT: noragirlfriend is now named!!!!! thank you charlie!!!!!!!!!! say hi, Hestia!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

claustrophobia counter: I

- grew up in the Great Plains. home life wasn't the greatest due to his dad. got into motorcross/motorcycling because it was cool and he needed an escape in his early teens

- in his late teens his ma moved them both over to Boston after his parents got divorced to be closer to his ma's family.

- ... even though that family was estranged. what else can you do? money and resources were tight.

claustrophobia counter: II

- spent most of his non-school time running around the alleys and sidestreets and nooks+crannys of Boston. this is where he got to know Nora.

- she was WAYYYYY out of his league; as much as a young punk egg-not-not-cracked trans girl can be.

- nora's his best friend! they loved eachother as much as two people can without being in love.

- she had a pretty shit relationship with her parents. Constantine's ma opened her home for her.

- couple years pass. Nora gets into law school, meets her girlfriend (Hestia). Constantine's ma dies. They both take time off of regular activities to mourn. Nora goes back to law school and graduates with flying colours.

- Constantine dodges the draft.

- Constantine attempts to dodge the draft.

- medic!

- killed his commanding officer. not not caught, but the rest of his squad hated the guy as well, so it's not like this was reported. one more casualty.

- glasgow smiles are from a brief stint in captivity

claustrophobia counter: III

- medical leave. Hestia gets pregnant.

- he was still a field medic by the time Anchorage happened. he saw a lot of kids die because of armour malfunctions.

claustrophobia counter: IV

- his team had secured a building and was trying to get it set up as a fallback point for future assaults when the surrounding buildings started being blown up. when he realized what was happening, he gave his helmet to a non-armoured soldier, just before a missile struck their building.

- building collapses. Constantine is stuck under the rubble, specifically crushing his left leg. develops acute compartment syndrome/crush syndrome.

claustrophobia counter: V

- under there for quite a while. had to be cut out of the armour. the other medics wouldn't tell him how the person he was trying to help was doing.

claustrophobia counter: VI

- only got an honourable discharge because of the above events. can't stress enough that this man was not liked by his superiors.

- gov't was really fucking short on supplies so his mobility aid is a modified power armour frame. that's what was in production, that's what they had, whatever, it fucking sucks as an aid. it's painful and a little lot triggering and honestly not that great at it's job.

- Constantine gets home halfway through january and the following... several months were pretty hellish. a very-late-third-trimester Hestia, Nora, and insanely shellshocked Constantine get Codsworth pretty much as soon as Constantine gets back to basically just make sure the house stays livable enough that everyone can recover.

- Constantine gets back into motorcycling. it's freeing in a way he literally can't get anywhere else. keeps his brain quiet.

- Hestia dies in childbirth. Nora's inconsolable and can't take care of the baby.

- Constantine takes on all childrearing responsibilities. it's his kid in every way that matters.

- the only time he or the baby could ever sleep was when the baby was on Constantine's chest.

- bombs drop, rip. Constantine was originally the one holding Shawn, but the stupid fucking vault-tec people made him hand him over to Nora for the pods; some bullshit about "a mother's comfort" or whatever the fuck, it's stupid to the point where i don't want to think about it, point being Constantine is already terrified of the pods and can't hold his baby, can't comfort his baby, can't make sure his baby is safe.

claustrophobia counter: VII

- frozen. thawed.

claustrophobia counter: VIII

game start!

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

Stats from Movies 1501-1600

Top 10 Movies - Highest Number of Votes

Ghostbusters (2016) had the most votes with 1,257 votes. Phantoms (1998) had the least votes with 309 votes.

The 10 Most Watched Films by Percentage

The Skeleton Dance (1929) was the most watched film with 63.5% of voters out of 647 saying they had seen it. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023) had the least "Yes" votes with 0,7% of voters out of 454.

The 10 Least Watched Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) was the least watched film with 73% of voters out of 449 saying they hadn’t seen it. ¡Corten! (2021) had the least "No" votes with 6,4% of voters out of 390.

The 10 Most Known Films by Percentage

Ghostbusters (2016) was the best known film, 1,3% of voters out of 1,257 saying they’d never heard of it.

The 10 Least Known Films by Percentage

¡Corten! (2021) was the least known film, 92.6% of voters out of 390 saying they’d never heard of it.

The movies part of the statistic count and their polls below the cut.

The Houses October Built 2 (2017) Brightburn (2019) Snow Falls (2023) The Forsaken (2001) Vanishing on 7th Street (2010) The Golem (1920) Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) Friday the 13th: Part 3 (1982) Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985)

Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993) Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992) The Monster Squad (1987) Dracula 2000 (2000) The Apparition (2012) Ghosts of Mars (2001)

Ice Cream Man (1995) Ghostbusters (2016) Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) Species (1995) World War Z (2013) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) Village of the Damned (1995) Arachnophobia (1990) House of the Dead (2003)

Ghost in the Machine (1993) Wicked Little Things (2006) The Puppet Masters (1994) Lord of Illusions (1995) Quicksilver Highway (1997) Funny Man (1994) Death Becomes Her (1992) Cabin Fever (2002) Alien³ (1992) All Superheroes Must Die (2011)

Boogeyman (2005) The Abandoned (2006) Constantine (2005) Valentine (2001) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989) Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) Godzilla Minus One (2023) Unrest (2006) Phantoms (1998)

Bordello of Blood (1996) Late Night With The Devil (2024) Terror Toons (2002) Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) The Fly II (1989) Sharktopus (2010) The Clovehitch Killer (2018) Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) The Hamiltons (2006) The Kid and the Camera (2022)

The Skeleton Dance (1929) The Stand (1994) Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) The Shining (1997) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978) Resident Evil: Degeneration (2008) How to Be a Serial Killer (2008) Ed and His Dead Mother (1993) Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Abigail (2024) Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001) Reptilicus (1961) The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009) The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu (2009) The Haunting of Hill House (2018) It (1990) Chronicle (2012) My Name Is Bruce (2007) Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

¡Corten! (2021) The Pit (1981) Moon Garden (2022) My First Day (2017) Infested (2023) The Stone Tape (1972) Stung (2015) The Block Island Sound (2020) Sting (2024) Nadja (1994)

History of the Occult (2020) It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This (2023) Moloch (2022) The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) The Premature Burial (1962) The Raven (1963) Dracula 3000 (2004) The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) Malevolence (2004) Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

[paganimagevault]

Levedi, the first Voivode of the Hungarians, by Tamás Tulipán 2018

Levedi was the first recorded voivode of the Magyars. According to the Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine he was also the first recorded voivode in history. I found this interesting given that this term is supposedly of Slavic origin, yet even though the Slavs were known to the Byzantines for centuries it wasn't until a Finno-Ugrian people appeared that it was applied? I searched other sources and came to the same conclusion, which makes me curious. The term was applied to Levedi and to various other Magyar chieftains by Byzantine emperor Constantine VII in his 'De Administrando Imperio' as the Magyars emerged from the Finno-Ugrian and Turkic lands (what is now Russia) and entered Europe proper. The Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine notes that the term voivode was later used by the Kievan Rus and various other Eastern European peoples afterward.

Constantine VII recorded that the Hungarians lived for three years among the Turkic Khazars. During this time Levedi was summoned by the Khazar chagan, given a Turkic wife, and offered a princely title for his valor: "We have invited you upon this account, in order that, since you are noble and wise and valorous and first among the [Hungarians], we may appoint you prince of your nation, and you may be obedient to our word and our command." (Constantine VII, De Administrando Imperio). Levedi said he could not obey and refused the title of prince but he accepted the woman they offered him, though he had no children by her. Instead the new princely title was given to Arpad or Almos (the info varies depending on the source).

The name Levedi seems to probably be Finno-Ugrian in origin, as a similar name was recorded in a Hungarian charter in the year 1138 CE. One of Prince Taksony's great grandson's in the 11th century was named Levente, which is similar.  Though I found an interesting theory in Arnold Toynbee's book Constantine Porphyrogenitus and his World: "Constantine Porphyrogenitus locates the Magyars' habitat in a district, 'close to Khazaria', called Levedhia, before the eviction of the Magyars from there by the Pechenegs. Constantine notes, in the same context, that, in Levedhia, there was a river called Khingilous (alias Khidhmas), and this river is evidently identical with Constantine's River Synghoul and with the river that is now called Cinhul, which joins with the River Tokmak to form the Molochnaya - a river that debouches into the Sea of Azov through a district that is now called 'Lepedika'. The name 'Levedhia' looks as if it were derived from the Greek word livadhia, meaning 'water-meadows'; and this interpretation of the name is confirmed by both Muslim and Western Christian authorities".

[caesarsaladinn]

I told my friend about Constantine VII’s impulse to write large volumes of every possible government protocol so that everybody always knew what to do in any situation, and she said “oh. like Leslie Knope.” and that statement hits me fresh every few weeks

[fideidefenswhore]

Through the prominence of the imperial crown, Anne is linked directly to the genealogy claimed for imperial majesty in England. It is also appropriate that the imperial descent is annexed by a woman: it was through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, that Henry VII traced his right to the throne back to Henry V, and from there to Arthur and Constantine whose union of English imperialism was claimed through his English mother, Helena. Anne Boleyn here, as another mother, will continue the legitimate descent of the English monarchy’s imperial claim. The pageantry and the verses together emphasise that this imperial claim is God-given through the imperial crown’s descent from heaven. Both Anne’s right to be queen ('she is heaven-sent') and the concept of imperial monarchy are legitimised through divine ordination.

Hunt, Alice. The Drama of Coronation: Medieval Ceremony in Early Modern England. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.