#destruction is my favourite alliance

[fredthedead13]

The king of behemoths wearing a crown of tusk and bone

The scheming mouth of a god, riding a portent of death

The fist of a god made manifest, riding a mount of teeth and scales

The crazed prophet of the moon, and of all the things that happen under it

The beast, seeking to destroy the sun, shepherding a figurehead into battle

The king from another world, ready to devour

And the one who burst from a mountain to unite them long enough to destroy everything

[amateurvoltaire]

Exhibition 1793-1794 at the Carnavalet Museum (Part I)

For anyone interested in the French Revolution, a visit to the Carnavalet Museum is essential. Though the museum covers the history of Paris from its very beginnings to the present, it’s also home to the world’s largest collection of revolutionary artefacts. Which makes sense, given that Paris was the epicentre of it all.

Frankly, if you plan to explore it all, you’ll want to set aside a good 3–4 hours. For those focused solely on the French Revolution, head straight to the second floor, where you can get through the collection in under an hour. Best of all, the permanent collection is free, making it a brilliant way to spend an afternoon in the city on a budget.

Currently, though, there’s a special treat on offer. Running from 16 October 2024 to 16 February 2025, the museum is hosting an exhibition dedicated to my favourite (and arguably the most chaotic) year of the revolution: Year II (1).

Now, since the family and I were in Reims for a long weekend, I somehow managed (possibly after too much Champagne) to convince my husband to drive 150 kilometres to Paris just so I could see Robespierre’s unfinished signature. It helped that the kids were on board, too. Yes, the four-year-old fully recognises Robespierre by portrait. The one-year-old is, predictably, indifferent.

So, slightly worse for wear after a ridiculous amount of Champagne tastings, off we went to the museum.

1. Why Year II?

Because it was a catastrophe. No. Really.  Let me explain, in a very overly-simplified summary:

In Year II, France was plunged into an unparalleled storm of internal and external crises that would define the Revolution’s most radical year and ultimately mark its turning point.

Internally, the government was riven by factional divides, economic collapse, and civil war. The Jacobins (2) took control of the Convention, sidelining the federalist Girondins (3), aligning themselves with the sans-culottes (4), and arguing that only extreme measures could preserve the Revolution. Meanwhile, the more radical Enragés (5) demanded harsh economic policies to shield the poor from spiralling inflation and food shortages. The Convention introduced the Maximum Général (6) to placate them, which capped essential prices; however, enforcement was haphazard, fuelling discontent across the country. At the same time, the Indulgents (7) called for a reduction in violence and a return to clemency.

Externally, France’s situation was equally dire, encircled by the First Coalition—a formidable alliance of Britain, Austria, Prussia, Spain, and the Dutch Republic, all intent on crushing the Revolution before it spread further. With the execution of Louis XVI, France found itself diplomatically isolated, and the army was, frankly, a shambles. Most officers were either nobles or incompetent (8), and the soldiers were inadequately trained and equipped. In a desperate bid to defend the Republic, the Convention issued the Levée en Masse (9) in August 1793, sparking revolts in many cities and outright civil war in the West.

Confronted with this barrage of existential threats, the Convention dialled up its response in spectacular fashion, unleashing what we now know as the Terror—a period of sweeping repression backed by some rather questionable legislation. As you can likely guess from the name alone, this was a brilliant idea…

Put simply: by the end of Year II, nearly all the key figures who had spearheaded the Revolution up to that point were dead. And no, they didn’t slip away peacefully in their sleep from some ordinary epidemic. They met their end at the guillotine.

In short, Year II wasn’t just the Revolution's most radical and defining phase—it was also the year the Revolution itself died. Yes, the Revolution, in its truest, purest, most uncompromising form, met its end the moment the guillotine's blade struck Robespierre’s neck.

2. Overview of the exhibition

The visit  opens with the destruction of the 1791 Constitution and closes with Liberty, an allegorical figure of the Republic depicted as a woman holding the Declaration of the Rights of Man in her right hand. In between, the experience is structured around five main themes:

A New Regime: The Republic

Paris: Revolution in Daily Life

Justice: From Ordinary to Exceptional

Prisons and Execution Sites

Beyond Legends

More than 250 artefacts are featured, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, historical items, wallpapers, posters, and furniture. The layout is carefully structured around these themes, with a distinct use of colour to set the tone: the first three sections have a neutral palette, while the final two glow in vivid red, creating a very nice change in atmosphere.

What I appreciated most was how the descriptions handle the messy legacy of Year II. The texts actually admit that, while some Parisians saw this year as a bold step towards equality and utopia, for others it was an absolute nightmare. This balance is refreshing, even if things are a bit simplified (because how could they not be?), and it gives a well-rounded view of a wildly complicated time.

In this first part, I'll focus on the first two sections, as the latter three fit together neatly and deserve a deep dive of their own. Besides, there's so much to unpack that I'll likely exceed Tumblr's word limit (and the patience of anyone reading this).

3. A New Regime: The Republic

The first section covers the shift from the Ancien Régime to the First Republic, and, fittingly, it starts with a smashed relic of the old order: the Constitution of 1791. After the monarchy’s fall and the republic’s proclamation in September 1792, the old constitution was meaningless. Though it technically remained in force for a few months, it was replaced by the Constitution of Year I in 1793, marking the end of France’s brief experiment with a constitutional monarchy. In May 1793, the old document was ceremonially obliterated with the “national sledgehammer”—a bit dramatic, perhaps, but Year II was nothing if not dramatic.

This section zeroes in on the governance of the new republic, featuring the Constitution of Year I, portraits of convention members, objects from the Committee of Public Safety and the National Convention (including a folder for Robespierre’s correspondence), and national holiday memorabilia. There’s even a nice nod to Hérault de Séchelles (10) as a principal author of the republican constitution.

3.1 Martyrdom as a political tool

Interestingly, the exhibition places a heavy emphasis on the concept of martyrdom. A significant portion of this first area is dedicated to the Death of Marat (11) and, to a lesser extent, the assassination of Le Peletier (12). It’s a clever angle since martyrs—whether well-known figures or nameless soldiers—have always been handy for rallying public opinion. The revolutionary government of Year II understood this all too well and wielded the concept to its full advantage.

In this spirit, the middle of this section features a reproduction of David’s Death of Marat, several drawings from Marat’s funeral, Marat’s mortuary mask, a supposed piece of his jaw, and more. Notably absent are any issues of L’Ami du Peuple, as though the display suggests Marat’s death was more impactful to the Republic’s narrative than his actual writings. I’d agree with that—the moment he died, he was elevated to a mythic status, and his legacy as a martyr of Year II took on a life of its own.

4. Paris: Revolution in Daily Life

While the first section focuses on the workings of governance, this part delves into Year II’s impact on ordinary Parisians. This period stands out for two reasons: France was in economic and political turmoil (wars, both internal and external, aren’t exactly budget-friendly), yet it also managed to introduce some remarkably forward-thinking legislation aimed at improving the lives of the common people.

4.1 The Paris Commune & Paranoia

To understand life in Paris during Year II, we can’t overlook the role of the Paris Commune (13). Rooted in the revolutionary spirit of the Estates General of 1789 and officially formalised by the law of 19 October 1792, the Commune was the governing body responsible for Paris. Divided into forty-eight sections, each with its own assembly, it gave citizens a strong voice in electing representatives and local officials. Led by a mayor, a general council, and a municipal body, the Commune handled essential civic matters like public works, subsistence, and policing.

From 2 June 1793 to 27 July 1794 (the height of Year II), the Commune implemented the policies of the Montagnard (14) Convention, which aimed to build a social structure grounded in the natural rights of man and citizen, reaffirmed on 24 June 1793. This social programme sought to guarantee basic rights such as subsistence (covering food, lighting, heating, clothing, and shelter), work (including access to tools, raw materials, and goods), assistance (support for children, the elderly, and the sick; rights to housing and healthcare), and education (fostering knowledge and preserving arts and sciences).

All this unfolded in an atmosphere thick with paranoia and intense policing; enemies were believed to lurk everywhere. The display does a solid job of capturing this side of the Paris Commune, featuring various illustrations that urged people to conform to new revolutionary norms—wear the cockade, play your part in the social order, fight for and celebrate the motherland, and so on.

One of my favourite pieces was the record of cartes de sûreté (safety cards) from one of the 48 Parisian sections. Made compulsory for Parisians in April 1793, these cards were meant to confirm that their holders weren’t considered “suspects” in a climate thick with paranoia. This small, seemingly random document—issued or revoked at the discretion of an equally random Revolutionary Committee—had the power to decide a person’s freedom or the lack of it.

At the risk of sounding sentimental, in the study of history, we often focus on broad events and overlook the "little guy" who lived through them. But here, this record reminds us that behind each document was, in fact, a real person. And that this very real person was trying to make their way through a reality that, 230 years ago, must have felt stifling and, at times, terrifying.

4.2 Education

A significant spotlight is rightly placed on education in this exhibition section, given the sweeping changes it underwent during the Revolution.

Before 1789, Paris was well-supplied with educational institutions. Eleven historic colleges and a semi-subsidised university offered prestigious studies in theology, law, medicine, and the arts, drawing students from across France. Inspired by Enlightenment ideals, boarding schools and specialised courses in subjects like science and mathematics had sprung up, mainly catering to the middle class, while working-class children attended charity schools. Private adult education also provided technical and scientific training. The catch? Most of these were church-operated.

Revolutionary policies targeting the Church caused a mass departure of teachers, financial difficulties, and restrictions on hiring unsalaried educators. Military demands, economic turmoil, and protests added to the strain on schools. Even the Sorbonne (15) was shut down in 1792, and by late 1793, nearly all Parisian colleges were closed except for Louis-le-Grand (16), which was renamed École Égalité. With the teacher shortage and soaring inflation, a handful of institutions struggled on.

This left the Convention and the Paris Commune scrambling to find new ways to educate the young, and they rose (or at least attempted to rise) to the occasion. On 19 December 1793, the Bouquier Decree aimed to establish free, secular, and mandatory primary education—a remarkable move, though it never fully materialised due to lack of funding.

With France at war, the Convention turned public education towards the needs of a nation in crisis. Throughout 1793 and 1794, new scientific and technical programmes sprang up to meet urgent demands, combat food shortages, and push social progress. Thousands of students were trained in saltpetre refinement (vital for gunpowder), and scientific knowledge spread beyond chemists to artisans and tin workers. In the final months of Year II, a saltpetre refinement zone was set up, the École de Mars was founded to rapidly train young men in military techniques, and the École Centrale des Travaux Publics (future École Polytechnique) was established to develop engineers in military-technical fields.

The education display features a fascinating array of educational degrees, lists of primary school students, and instructor rosters. Although a bit more context on the educational upheaval would have been helpful, the artefacts themselves are intriguing. Placed in the context of the rest of the exhibit, it’s clear that the new educational system wasn’t just about breaking away from the Ancien Régime; it was also very deliberately and openly crafted to instil republican ideals. Nothing illustrates this better than the way Joseph Barra(17) was promoted as a model for students at the École de Mars.

And, of course, this section also showcases one of the most enduring legacies of the Revolution: the introduction of the metric system and modern standardised measurements.

4.3 The (lack of) Women in Year II

The women of Year II were not real women. They were symbols—or so the imagery from the era would have us believe. There is shockingly little about the actual experiences of women in the collective memory of Year II.

Women played active roles in the Revolution. They filled the Assembly’s tribunes as spectators, mobilised in the sections, founded clubs, joined public debates, signed petitions, and even participated in mixed societies. In many cases, they worked side by side with men to bring about the Republic of Year II. So where are they?

Well, they’re certainly not prominent in this exhibition—but that’s not the fault of the organisers. It’s a reflection of how the time chose to represent them. In revolutionary imagery, women became allegories: symbols of Liberty, wisdom, the Republic, or the ideal mother raising citizens for the state, often reduced to stereotypes and caricatures. Rarely were they depicted as part of the public sphere.

The absence of a serious discourse on women’s rights in this part of the exhibition speaks volumes and is true to the period itself. At the time, there was no cohesive movement for women’s rights, and while specific individuals pushed for aspects of female citizenship, these efforts lacked unity or a common cause. Eventually, being perceived as too radical, all women's clubs were closed in 1973.

4.4 Dechristianisation

In my view, dechristianisation was perhaps the greatest misstep of the various governments from 1789 onwards. Not because I think religion should be central to people’s lives—not at all—but because, in 18th-century France, it simply was essential for most. The reasoning behind this attack on religion was sound enough: no government wants to be beholden to a pope in Rome who had heavily supported the deposed king. But in practice, the application of this principle was far from effective.

By Year II, Parisian authorities were still grappling with the fallout from the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790), which had left Catholics split between two competing churches: the constitutional church, loyal to the Revolution, and the refractory church, loyal to Rome. Patriotic priests suspected refractory priests of using their influence to fuel counter-revolutionary sentiment—a suspicion that only intensified the general atmosphere of paranoia.

As tension mounted, it devolved, as these things often do, into outright destruction. On 23 October 1793, the Commune of Paris ordered the removal of all monuments that "encouraged religious superstitions or reminded the public of past kings." Religious statues were removed, replaced by images of revolutionary martyrs like Le Peletier, Marat, and Chalier (19), in an effort to supplant the cult of saints with the cult of republican heroes.

The exhibition presents this wave of destruction with artefacts from ruined religious statues, the most striking being the head of one of the Kings of Judah from Notre-Dame’s facade. These 28 statues were dragged down and mutilated in a frenzy against royalist symbols in 1793. . Ironically, they weren’t even French kings; they were Old Testament kings, supposedly ancestors of Christ—a fact that most people at the time were probably blissfully unaware of. But hey, destruction in the name of ignorance is nothing new, is it?

Many in the Convention and the Commune were atheists and enthusiastically supported the secularisation of public life. Unfortunately, they didn’t represent the majority of the French population. To bridge this gap, Robespierre proposed a "moral religion" without clergy, a way for citizens to unite and celebrate a shared, secularised liberty. In December 1793, the Convention passed a decree granting "unlimited liberty of worship," leading to the Festival of the Supreme Being, held in Paris and throughout France on 8 June 1794.

As with so much in Year II, the "Supreme Being" affair was a logical solution to a pressing problem that ended up blowing up in Robespierre’s face—by now, you might detect a pattern. But that’s a story for Part II of this already very long post.

5. Conclusion to Part 1

Overall, the exhibition presents the first two themes—A New Regime: The Republic and Paris: Revolution in Daily Life—in a balanced way, which I really appreciate. I was expecting a bit more sensationalism, given that Year II is known for its brutality, but instead, it provides a thoughtful overview of how the Republic was structured and the impact this had on Parisians.

The range of media and text offers a good dive into key points, especially on everyday life during the period. I didn’t listen to everything, but from what I saw, the explanations were well done. Naturally, since the exhibition is aimed at the general public, many aspects are simplified.

For younger audiences (pre-teens, perhaps?), the exhibit includes 11 watercolour illustrations by Florent Grouazel and Younn Locard. These two artists attempt to fill the gaps by depicting events from the period that lack contemporary representation (like the destruction of the Constitution with the “national sledgehammer” on 5 May 1793—an event documented but unillustrated at the time). For each scene, they created a young character as an actor or observer, sometimes just a witness to history, to make the scene more immersive. It’s a nice touch, though easy to overlook if you’re not paying close attention.

In Part II, I’ll share my thoughts on the remaining themes: Justice, Prisons and Execution Sites, and Beyond Legends. And yes, a lot of that will involve Thermidor—how could it not?

In the meantime, if you made it this far… well, I’m impressed!

Notes

(1) Year II: Refers to the period from 22 September 1793 to 21 September 1794 in the French Revolutionary calendar.

(2) Jacobins: A political group advocating social reform and, by 1793, strongly promoting Republican ideals. Most revolutionaries were, or had once been, members of the Jacobin club, though by Year II, Robespierre stood out as its most prominent figure.

(3) Girondins: A conservative faction within the National Convention, representing provincial interests and, to some extent, supporting constitutional monarchy. Key figures included Brissot and Roland.

(4) Sans-culottes: Working-class Parisians who championed radical changes and economic reforms to support the poor. The name “sans-culottes” (meaning "without knee breeches") symbolised their rejection of aristocratic dress in favour of working-class trousers.

(5) Enragés: An ultra-radical group demanding strict economic controls, such as price caps on essentials, to benefit the poor. Led by figures like Jacques Roux and, to some extent, Jacques Hébert, the Enragés urged the Convention to fully break from the Ancien Régime.

(6) Maximum Général: A 1793 law imposing price caps on essential goods to curb inflation and aid the poor. Though well-intended, it was difficult to enforce and stirred resentment among merchants.

(7) Indulgents: A faction led by Danton and Desmoulins advocating a relaxation of the severe repressive measures introduced in Year II, calling instead for clemency and a return to more moderate governance.

(8) Incompetence: At the Revolution’s outset, military positions were primarily held by nobles. By Year II, these noble officers were often dismissed due to mistrust, and their replacements—particularly in the civil conflict in the West—were frequently inexperienced, and some, quite frankly, incompetent.

(9) Levée en Masse: A mass conscription decree of 1793 requiring all able-bodied, unmarried men aged 18 to 25 to enlist. This unprecedented mobilisation extended to the wider population, with men of other ages filling support roles, women making uniforms and tending to the wounded, and children gathering supplies.

(10) Hérault de Séchelles: A lawyer, politician, and member of the Committee of Public Safety during Year II, known primarily for helping to draft the Constitution of 1793.

(11) Jean-Paul Marat: A radical journalist and politician, fiercely supportive of the sans-culottes and advocating revolutionary violence in his publication L’Ami du Peuple. Assassinated in 1793, he became the Revolution’s most famous martyr.

(12) Louis-Michel Le Peletier de Saint-Fargeau: A politician and revolutionary who voted in favour of the king’s execution and was assassinated in 1793 shortly after casting his vote, becoming a symbol of revolutionary sacrifice.

(13) Paris Commune: Not to be confused with the better-known Paris Commune of 1871, this Commune was the governing body of Paris during the Revolution, responsible for administering the city and playing a key role in revolutionary events.

(14) Montagnard Convention: The left-wing faction of the National Convention, dominated by Jacobins, which held power during the Revolution’s most radical phase and implemented the Reign of Terror.

(15) Sorbonne: Founded in the 13th century by Robert de Sorbon as a theological college, the Sorbonne evolved into one of Europe’s most respected centres for higher learning, particularly known for theology, philosophy, and the liberal arts. It was closed during the Revolution due to anti-clerical reforms.

(16) Louis-Le-Grand: A prestigious secondary school in Paris, temporarily renamed École Égalité during the Revolution. Notable alumni include Maximilien Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins.

(17) Joseph Barra: A young soldier killed in 1793 during the War in the Vendée, whose death was used as revolutionary propaganda to inspire loyalty and martyrdom among French youth.

(18) Civil Constitution of the Clergy: A 1790 law that brought the Catholic Church in France under state control, requiring clergy to swear allegiance to the government. This split Catholics between “constitutional” and “refractory” priests, heightening religious tensions.

(19) Joseph Chalier: A revolutionary leader in Lyon who supported radical policies. He was executed in 1793 after attempting to enforce these policies, later becoming a martyr for the revolutionary cause.

[astronautmike-dexter]

ASTRONAUT’S FAVE VEGEBUL FICS FROM 2024

This year saw an amazing Vegebul renaissance, and it's been such a blessing to be part of it! I have read so many wonderful fics this year and I wanted to point out some that were started in 2024 that have really stuck with me.

I have popped these into the following categories:

Multi-chapter - ongoing

Multi-chapter - completed

Oneshots

(Please note that I obviously have not read everything and have probably missed quite a few amazing pieces. Hopefully I get to my reading list soon and can rec some more!)

Take a look under the cut, ring in 2025 in Vegebul style!

MULTI-CHAPTER - ONGOING

Homeworld Lost - @astral-mariner Saiyan's under Freeza's rule. Bulma listening to Vegeta's horrifying origin story through a fixed scouter, told by the unreliable narrator, Raditz. I've been reassured we have not got anywhere near the level of horror the tags suggest. Fucked up, dark, kinda horny (if you're fucked up and dark as well).

Mission Critical - herpb4uderp An AU set in space. Enemies to lovers, with so much sexual tension throughout. The characterisations of the side characters are just as amazing. Absolutely love this one!

The Saiyan Accord - VolgaFjorgan Oh man, you want to talk tension?! Saiyan's are in an alliance with Earth, and Bulma and Vegeta have to work together while combatting unknown forces that threaten to dismantle everything. Tension, babes... TENSION!

Sons of the Saiyans - @mawrblaidddrwg MOTORBIKE SCENE. Sorry, let me calm down and start again... MOTORBIKE SCENE!!!!!!! ok, got that out of my system. It's not just that scene. I promise. It's everything. The world building, the smut, the absolute heartache throughout. Violent, gritty, sexy, amazing AU. Please consider giving this a go if you don't like AU's - I promise it will make you a fan!

When Heaven Takes You Home - @superaliencake Forced to work together on an important project, Bulma gets dragged into Vegeta's dark world under Frieza's rule. The tension throughout this is absolute *chefs kiss*. The author's first time writing fanfiction is an absolute home run, and I'm excited/terrified to see where this goes!

Lachrimae - @rozzingit Trunks from a future lands on Vegetasei and has to navigate Saiyan's, his father as a child, and absolute grief. The world building in this is next fucking level, and the flashbacks to the Vegeta Trunks knew are just devastating. I have no idea where this is going, but I am absolutely frothing this one!

Beyond the Stars - @twenty--one--violets Planet Vegeta still exists. Tasked with destroying Earth, Vegeta pops in to take a small holiday on the planet before its destruction. But of course, his plans are thrown when he gets one (1) look at Bulma. This Vegeta is as dark and violent as he is smitten.

Homeward Bound - @galexibrain Set in the 7YG, Trunks has been kidnapped. Vegeta, with Bulma in tow, plus a cheeky lil stowaway, track down the evil Cooler to bring him back to Earth. Beautiful, gut-wrenching, with some of the most stunning visuals I've read.

MULTI-CHAPTER - COMPLETED

Blue with Envy - @serenityhime1 The tag "Tension thicker than a snicker" is underselling this one. You want pining Vegeta? You want brilliant Bulma? You want what you can't have? If you answered yes to that last one, you might just be Vegeta. Read the tags before entering... or don't. Either way, you're in for a wild ride.

A Vast, Cold Space - VolgaFjorgan STAR TREK AU!!! This is one of my favourite Bulma fics. Yes, there's Vegebul (oh lordy, is there Vegebul), but the multi-dimensional, intricate take on Bulma is top tier. It tackles longing, grief, action, with all that delicious tension the author does so well.

A Heart Worth Believing In - @galexibrain FUTURE BULMA FUTURE BULMA FUTURE BULMA! Vegeta falls ill to the mysterious heart disease that once threatened to claim Goku's life. The only person Bulma can turn to is herself. If there's one thing Lexi loves to do, it's whump Vegeta and make us cry over it.

Illicit Affairs - @lawnchairthethird Oh y'all wanted a twist?! Listen... if you haven't got on the Illicit Affairs train, then idk what to tell you. This is a dark, sexy fic, with enough twist and turns to keep you guessing throughout. Babygirl loves a cliffhanger, and you will want to keep hanging on throughout!

Beyond the Field - @frandafwen fucking..fuckign.fuckhgfidf....igjfjdifd;..... this is a series of glimpses into the world of Vegebul. the btich fuckin wrote poetry for Vegebul. all of it is amazing, but I read the last chapter in a camera-on work meeting and had to force myself not to cry. A fucking marvel.

Only One Beast - @cuddlesomeone BED-SHARING BED-SHARING BED-SHARING BED-SHARING!!! starting from "bed-sharing...but Vegeta is the bed", this became a fucking amazing fic. I just... I will never get enough of BED-SHARING!!

Me Dedo - @saiyanmazen The gift that kept on giving, and then some. Priest-geta is honestly so brilliant, let alone Bulma being so devilish, leading the priest into the most carnal of sins. This is an absolute treasure, and will probably require some uhhh... re-reading... in future.

ONESHOT

Strength and Weakness - @astral-mariner Set in the same story as Homeworld Lost, this extremely explicit smut is jam-packed with tension, confused and pining Vegeta, bold and brilliant Bulma. The fic so hot that people regularly forget to leave kudos.

Persistence - @lawnchairthethird VIRGIN VEGETA!!! I absolutely headcanon Vegeta as a virgin (though ask me tomorrow and that might be a different story), and this fic is one of my favourite approaches to it. The build up, the dialogue, the smut itself, every part of it is amazing.

Mirai Bulma: an appreciation by Vegeta - @iamakynge It's in the name, but it's still... you won't be prepared for how brilliant and devastating this is. Vegeta honours Future Bulma's life, as well as his own growth. An outstanding piece.

Dynamics - @serenityhime1 Any time someone mentions this I go positively feral. Like Vegeta does in this. For real though, Bulma educating Vegeta on sex might just be my kink. And Vegeta being so animalistic, so alien in his approach to it, is also my kink. This fic...might just be my kink lol.

Bury Me Between Your Ribs - @rozzingit POST-BUU MY BELOVED!!! I said this in my comment on this fic, but this is the post-Buu fic. Devastating, poetic, a reminder of just how fucking perfect this duo is, even in their darkest hours.

Summer Heat - @twenty--one--violets ohjhghghjgh my gooododddd this is so hoootttttt. literally. and figuratively. just... beep boop brain broke. I did a cheeky re-read just now and nearly yeeted myself into the sun. 10/10 no notes

Mercy - @frandafwen oighhgfjk.... post-Buu. probably my favourite timeframe to explore. but not only that, the way this one is written is fucking phenomenal. I just... the way Franda can bring forward new things for a time well-visited in fandom is fucking amazing. Highly recommend this one.

The Vow - @mawrblaidddrwg Majin Vegeta returns under a full moon. Bulma is terrified, not wanting to lose him to the darkness once more. Though killing Goku is on his list, it's not the top of the list... guys, this is so fucking hot. So fucking hot. Majin Vegeta is a Hottie McHottie and I refuse to back down from this fact.

In Another Time Under Another Sky - @saiyanmazen When I fucking tell you... that this is one of the best things I have ever read... I am not exaggerating. A devastating look at what became of Future Vegebul. I can't even think about this now without tearing up. Simply brilliant. Also I think we can all agree we're ignoring what became of Future Bulma in Super, right? Right?!

[myddle]

Okay Uzi, lets start Murdering, some Drones

The finale of Murder Drones has come and gone, this show has successfully buried it's way into my cerebral cortex, and I will now think about it until I die

Anyway, lets speculate on what the fuck just happened in Episode 8 (And Episode 7 a bit too I guess)

Warning: Biggest Post Yet, Spoilers, Opinions

I Was Wrong About The Admin Thing, And I'm Okay With That

Last time I did a post like this, I speculated that Uzi's Administrator status would be the key to victory against the Absolute Solver. In truth, it was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lore point, which makes sense in hindsight, because the whole Admin thing was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lore point to begin with. This kind of environmental storytelling is good to put in a text, of course, but casual viewers need to be able to follow the plot without it. Truthfully, this is actually an area where the show usually stumbles a little; if there's one criticism I have for Murder Drones, it's that it show-don't-tells a little too hard sometimes. Luckily, this show is good enough for me to want to excuse it's flaws by any means neccessary! FOR EXAMPLE,

Khan Doorman: Mischaracterised, Or Traumatised?

So, Khan was kind of acting a little too badass at the end there, huh? This drone was a delusional door maniac at the start of the series, but now he's this stoic badass with a goofy side? Huhwhat? Explain THAT, Smart Genius!

How about I do? Call it a theory, but I think that THIS, is the real Khan, and the dingus we saw at the start of the series was a broken shadow of him.

Khan was a respected man, seeming leader of the Worker Defense Force, front of the line in finding Nori and Yeva just after the Core Collapse, and say what you will, he can build a good door.

And then tragedy strikes. The Dissassembly Drones strike, and while the WDF fends them off, they are not without casualty. Nori is devoured by nanite acid, and Khan beats her head in to end her suffering. The worst has happened.

While Nori's heart sneaks away to go make the plot happen, Khan spirals. His efforts to fight the DD scourge have failed, so he turns to doors. He doubles, triples down, becomes obsessed with the only thing that hasn't failed him. His daughter still wants to take the fight to the enemy, but Khan rejects the thought so hard, he rejects Uzi with it, hence his "doors>uzi" bullshit in the first episode (for the record, I'm not justifying it, I'm just explaining it, he was still a piece of shit for this).

By the time "Pilot" rolls around, Khan has been in a door-obsessed fugue state for... maybe years, I don't think we ever find out how long ago Nori's "death" was. But by now, he's barely functional; Uzi's second excuse to go outside literally only worked because it was door themed. His fear and delusion almost kill his only remaining family.

But as the events of the show go on, Khan is shook out of routine, and his stupor begins to fall away. In "Heartbeat", he defends his daughter's eccentricities. In "The Promening", he clumsily attempts to be part of Uzi's life again, and watches her build an alliance with N and V. In "Cabin Fever", he opens up to Uzi, revealing the darkness that haunts him and admitting to his mistakes. By "Mass Destruction" his mind has mostly cleared, and while he's still a door-loving goofball, he trusts his daughter, knows what he needs to do, and is ready to kick some Solver ass.

Wow, turns out I had a lot to say about Khan friggin' Doorman, do excuse me. Alright, onto the actual finale, now.

And Now, A Summarisation Of My Thoughts On "Nuzi"

yes

TradJedy: A Bootlicker To The End

I've seen some people are unsatisfied with J's villanous and, lets be honest, kinda pathetic role in the finale, but as sad as it is, I think it was true to her character. J is, above all, two things: Tessa's closest, favourite drone, and a corporate underling for some reason. Cyn wearing Tessa's skin was no doubt the most demoralising for J; Tessa is dead, the killer is pantomiming the life she never had, and you can't stop her. Plus, J likely knows better than anyone just how powerful the Solver is, how futile resisting it's conquest could be. But, to have a place alongside it? An offer of safety? Why wouldn't she take that offer? Hell, even V was tempted by it; when Cyn confronts her, she almost instinctively says "I can still...", as if her survival instinct is telling her to serve. J simply gave in.

Anyway, onto some details:

"If I promised you anything, it tricked me too."

I've seen people get confused by this line, but I think J is speaking on behalf of Eldritch J, formerly the J clone that led N & V's DD squad. That J seemed to fully buy the JCJenson cover story, at least to me, and J Prime appears to have deduced that. I don't think she has all of Eldritch J's memory, though; that "PRIOR HAZARD" poppup strikes me as the impersonal knowledge of an error report, rather than personal experience of getting blown to pieces.

"I never needed either of you."

Yeah, buuuuuullshit. J definitely doesn't really mean this. She's in bridge-burning mode, trying to convince herself more than anything that she's moved on. That offer of safety has gained a heavy price of two old friends, and J is pushing herself to pay it.

Local Autistic Teen Fights God And Wins

This uno-reverse-card moment felt a little out of nowhere at first, but on a rewatch, I think I get it. While the past few minutes fighting Cyn were utterly nightmarish, and some of the most gruesome stuff I've ever seen get done to humanoids, it did teach Uzi one thing; resisting the CallbackPing is suprisingly easy. Before this episode, it seemed like the USB Patch was the only hope for escaping the Solver's clutches, but apparently strong willpower and personality is enough to stop it temporarily, and that gets a lot easier to pull off once you know that you can do that. A single "Bite me" or the hand-hold of love is enough to stop Cyn's advance, and once Uzi fully realises that, it stops scaring her. In addition, Uzi's use of the [NULL] shows that she is a very quick learner, and can easily adapt to Cyn's tricks, allowing her to pull this "no-u" and turn the tables on Cyn. This quick thinking is also what wins the battle against Cyn in the end, catching on to how she uses the teleport.

Teleport... that seems familiar... hey, WAIT A SEC-

Doll Is Alive And I'm Not Coping; A Thesis

Everybody has pointed to this frame after Uzi eats Cyn's heart; the box that says "UZI DRN" briefly says "RSN DOLL" instead. But funnily enough, that isn't even the first thing that made me suspect that Doll might still be alive deep within Uzi's code.

If you look closely at Uzi's new gradient eyes, you'll notice that thEY'RE SO PRETTTYYY AAAHHH <3 <3 <3

*ahem*

If you look closely at Uzi's new gradient eyes, you'll notice that a subtle but distinct tint of red sits in between the yellow and purple ends. Admittedly, you can also see pink and orange, so it's not airtight evidence, but it was enough to get me speculating. Obviously, that RSN DOLL frame basically confirms it on it's own, but I found some other stuff too, and I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Uzi consumed Cyn's heart (some of it anyway), and Cyn lived on inside Uzi, possessing her tail in the post-credits. Back in "Mass Destruction", Cyn consumed Doll's heart, and while the scenarios aren't one-to-one, it can be reasonably inferred that Doll might live on in Cyn, who now lives on in Uzi, resulting in a situation oddly reminiscent... of Russian Dolls. BWAM BWAM BWAAAAAAM

It's thematically resonant, which means it's basically canon, right?

[There used to be another thing here about Solver Powers, but it turned out it was a lot less airtight than I thought, so I'm moving it to another post. Thanks to @1-800-hellyeah for the catch]

In conclusion, Doll lives on in the depths of Uzi's code, and that matters. The ramifications of this are unclear, and there's another thing with Doll in the credits, but we'll get to that in a moment with...

The Credits Scene Lightning Round

The credits are full of scenes of the surviving cast enjoying life after the Battle For Copper 9, and while I haven't heard anything about their canonicity... I mean, they look canon. Liam has stated that this is the end of the series, and I'm inclined to believe him, but a lot of this stuff feels like plot hooks he could pick up in a second season someday, if he wanted. Or maybe he just left them to feed the fanfic crowd long term. Either way, lets see what we've got to chew on!

J Prime, Alone

Man, despite how much of a prick she was, I feel kinda bad for J. She gave up everything for the Solver, only for the Solver to get defeated anyway, at least for now. She's repairing one of the ships she destroyed, presumably to leave the planet, but where is she gonna go? What is she gonna do? Fake Tessa's JCJenson credentials imply that the company might still be operating out in space somewhere, but trying to pal up with them feels like a long shot, especially since J Prime probably has some blood on her hands from Cyn's orders. ...What's left for her?

Goopy Ghost Doll

Okay, so if Doll is in Uzi's code, how is she also here? I honestly have no real clue, but my best guess is that since Uzi is arguably the most powerful entity in the setting now, Doll could utilise a fraction of Uzi's power to project herself out into the world, unnoticed? Maybe? That's the best I've got. Anyway, she's probably gonna try to kill V again, knowing her.

And don't say it's just a hallucination or something; everything* in the show has either been real, or an illusion with a clear source. They've been very good about not pulling the hallucination card, and I'm inclined to trust they wouldn't do it now.

*I just remembered the weird skeleton thing behind V in "Home", I'm not sure what that counts as

Yeva's Corpse, Or Lack Thereof

People have seen this shot of Doll's house, and said that the absence of one of the covered bodies implies Yeva is also alive. While Nori proves that your body doesn't even need to be missing for you to maybe be alive... I don't know. I'm hesitant. If she's alive, why get her body back now of all times? It feels like there are other much simpler explanations, like maybe her body is just on the floor now, 'cause everything started floating at the start of the episode, and actually, didn't N pull the cover off of those two, anyway? Maybe he put it back, I don't know. Make of this what you will, I got nothin'.

Eldritch J, Alone

Oh, SHE'S alive. Now THIS is interesting. Her heart did survive the explosion in "Heartbeat", and I guess nobody's been down to the Cryosleep wing since. Understandable, I wouldn't exactly be eager myself. But it's possible Eldritch J was able to recollect all the matter that Cyn "gathered" with her back then, and has grown back to full size.

Now that Cyn isn't around to run the Solver, Eldritch J is probably fully sentient and aware now. That must have sucked to wake up to; last she remembers, she got shot in the face by a purple gremlin, and now she's this fucking thing. Oh man, my brain is already writing the fanfic where J Prime finds her whilst infiltrating the Outpost for ship parts. (That concept is free to grab it anyone wants to)

Alright, lets finish this off...

Cyn

I've long wondered about Cyn's true nature, whether Cyn is a remorseless mastermind or a tragic puppet of the Solver's true will... The finale didn't give us a straight answer on this - The two seemed narratively entwined in Cyn's heart, but in the post credits scene she seems... friendly. Friendliest she's been, potentially. Plus, The illusory camera heads appear in Uzi's reflection seperately, implying a seperation between Cyn and Solver.

After everything, I think I've personally settled on somewhere in the middle. Cyn was a willing accomplice to the Solver... for as much as that can mean for Cyn. In "Home", Cyn is contacted by the Solver on the brink of death, and is offered salvation, to not be discarded like she was before. Her life before this was likely very short; her owners probably threw her out pretty quickly due to her "quirks". Tessa tried to give her the love she gave to her other drones, but it was already too late; Cyn would spend her formative years under the influence of the Solver, so it's no wonder she ended up so morally twisted. She talked about her "back-ups" to excuse the deaths and suffering of her fellow drones... was it an excuse? Or does she genuinely think that made it okay? How much does she understand... anything?

She's acted without remorse, but she's only had the full perspective of a detached eldritch being that only cares for consumption. But even then, her personality shines through. She seems to have genuine affection for N, even if she expresses it in horrid ways. Her alignment with the Solvers goals seems to come from a personal desire for revenge on humanity, considering how she plays out the gala. And despite the circumstances, she's visibly enjoying herself in "Absolute End", having an absolute blast fighting the trio. It's like a game to her.

Her crimes are great, but she's hardly the only one in this show with a kill count. I believe that if someone gave her that USB Patch, then sat her down and explained how reality works, she would have a full change of heart and crisis of remorse.

In a way, she was a lot like J; a willing, but coerced minion to the Solver of The Absolute Fabric. The Void. The Exponential End.

I like to call it The Voiceless One.

[leinco]

Random idea for an IF that popped into my head

I don't know if I've ever talked about this but my mind tends to wander. While working on Onryō, my mind got distracted as usual. And I ended up coming up with this Idea for an IF that I quite love. Of course, Onryō is my main focus, and I would want to finish that first before seriously beginning work on this, but I just wanted to ensure the idea was out there and to see what people thought.

(Please note, this is all subject to change. I still haven't worked out all the details, but the core idea is set.)

18+ due to violence, sexual implications, and other themes that may be triggering.

This idea stemmed from me wanting to combine my two favourite genres: Superpowers and Sci-Fi, so here it is:

Working title: Child of Sin

Your father is the Galaxy's most infamous supervillain. He is responsible for many incidents on planets across the Galaxy. You are the youngest child of 4, and while your father does love you dearly, the thing is, he is a supervillain. So naturally, you are expected to be a pawn in his plans.

The first half of the game will involve you accompanying your siblings on expeditions to various planets to train your powers (your powers will be able to be selected from a list of three, of which your Father has them all), and to just generally sow chaos. Saying that, here are the characters: Earl Astatine: Patron of the GAFEE (Galactic Alliance For Evil Enthusiasts.) Your Father, Earl Astatine (real name unknown.) Is the most infamous and powerful supervillain in the galaxy. He is famously hot-headed, yet can back up his words with his immense combat skill. Despite his short temper, he is highly intelligent, and the plans he cooks up have brought many a planet to it's knees. He has the powers of Telepathy, Pyrokinesis, and Telekinesis.

Rose: The gentle and loving oldest sister with thorns.

Your oldest sister, Rose. She inherited telepathy from your father. She is the one who took care of you as you grew up, and as a result is the closest to you. But she treats you like a baby in need of protecting. It's up to you whether you prove her right or wrong.

Despite her gentle nature, when matters do not concern her siblings, she is incredibly cold and calculating. She frequently speaks in metaphors, and sometimes acts as tactical advisor to the GAFEE. However, she is is still skilled with an energy blade. If anyone dares threaten her siblings, especially her beloved youngest sibling, their blood will run in the streets.

Gabriel: The second oldest. An angel of blood and love.

Your only brother, Gabriel. He inherited telekinesis from your father. Backdoor deals, political assassinations, one-night-stands. Gabriel is a diplomat at heart, and is perhaps more ruthless with his words than his powers. On any one occasion, a crowd of love-struck men and women can be seen following after him, proclaiming that he told them "You're the only one for me, sweetheart!". (He told that to all of them.)

But he is no stranger to getting his hands bloody when the situation calls for it. If a backdoor political deal goes wrong or out of his favour, the next day the police might just discover a body crushed by intense force. He is fond of his youngest sibling, but mostly lets Rose coddle you.

Carina: The third oldest. The flame warrior with a heart of fire.

Your second sister, Carina. If there was one of your siblings who inherited your Father's arrogance and hot-headedness, it is most definitely Carina. Combine this with the fact that she inherited his Pyrokinesis, and you have a recipe for destruction the likes of which most planets have never seen.

Along with her axe forged from a dying star, she is without a doubt the strongest fighter of your siblings. Unfortunately, her temper often gets her into arguments with your elder siblings, though she does try and hold back against you. But she is content to let your siblings and father make the plans, so long as she gets to burn something.

I am not sure if I will add romance options at this point, as I want the IF to be a sort of slice-of-life focusing on relationships between siblings in a situation such as the one I have presented, but it is not off the table.

Along the way, you will be able to choose which sibling you are closest to, if you dislike them, etc. You will also be able to decide whether you want to betray your father, or work wholeheartedly with him. Depending on your relationships with your siblings, you might be able to convince them to join you if you choose the former option.

The final half of the game will involve your Father's quote on quote, biggest plan to date, and this is where you will have your right of passage as an official member of the GAFEE. Betray, or serve. What is more important, Family, or Obedience?

I hope you like this idea as much as I do!

[greencheekconure27]

More Blake's 7 season 4 (spoilers ahead)

* Games

I loved Vila's little interactions with Gambit.Wish they got more time together, or at least a chess game. This could've been the start of a beautiful friendship.

Vila having seen Zen die & him learning about Gambit's self destruct orders...ouch.

Solid trickster figure/conman in this one which I appreciate.

At this point in the season Avon mentioning a "brilliant scientist" already means the scientist is doomed.

* Sand: I knew this is a Tanith Lee episode before I knew this is a Tanith Lee episode 😁(Wish there were more of those.)

One of my favourites so far. Servalan in particular shines. Vern is such a fascinating setting and while the special effects aren't the most convincing here it just contributes to the eeriness. 10/10.

Poor Avon is never going to live down the "dominant male" thing is he 😂. Good.

*Gold: Heist episode.Why not.

I like the idea of the sham pleasure cruise and the heist plan is pretty interesting. Overall pretty enjoyable even if Avon is clinging to the idiot ball like his life depends on it.

Is it just me or does this season get a bit repetitive with the"Main characters want something, they go through hell to get it, and then they don't?" and Avon withholding vital information from his crew? (You know the thing he got mad at Blake for in season 2? I know mistrust is one of his fatal flaws and Anna Grant made it worse but it shows up more often than Cally got possessed.)

*Orbit: Ouch.

When will Avon learn random people contacting him with offers are Always Servalan's traps?

Servalan's interactions with the scientist are priceless.

How DO they tell the king from the queen in those overly stylized futuristic chess sets? I already get annoyed looking at them.

Poor Pinder.Even Avon is uncomfortable with his treatment.

Vila's "I know I'm safer with you ".Oh no.

Avon's face expressions when Orac says "Vila weighs 73 kilos?" Incredible acting 😭

Vila guessing what will happen and already hiding seconds after hearing this? Especially combined with how he's routinely treated as expendable in this show? Heartbreaking. Would he also have hidden if it was, say, Tarrant on that ship? I'd say yes.

Avon finding the solution so quickly after this but having already completely lost Vila's trust and chance of getting his help? Excellent writing.

Warlord: another good one.

I love Zeeona and her anime hair. She and Tarrant are adorable. Wish we'd gotten a bit more of her being a scientist though.

Lol Avon dragging Tarrant away😂

I liked how Soolin is written in this one and her standing up for Zeoona's right to choose. Too bad Zeeona only showed up in episode 12 I would've liked to see more of these two.

Of course it's diabolus-ex-machina Servalan again. This is getting repetitive to be honest. I would've preferred the warlord(s) sabotaging this hugely important alliance and dooming everybody for their own petty selfish reasons without Servalan needing to pull the strings for once.

Oh nooo Zeeona....just as I was getting a tiny bit of hope they'll let you live for once.I shall pretend this never happened 😌

[mademoiselle-red]

5 Favorite Characters Poll (tag game)

Rules: make a poll with five of your all time favourite characters and then tag five people to do the same. See which character is everyone's favourite.

I was tagged by @lasenbyphoenix and since we are both cdrama enjoyers, I’ll also make this cdrama-themed. I have lots of faves, but these are the characters I find myself continually thinking about, analyzing, unable to let go of, long after I’ve moved on from their respective fandoms.

tagging @yletylyf , @bbcphile , @pi-ying-xi , @seventh-fantasy , @dangermousie and anyone else who’d like to play

Zhang Qiling: The only non-villain character on this list. I find myself returning to him whenever I plan trips to China. He is the perfect embodiment of my wanderlust — we both have an insatiable urge to see more of the country, in search of something we cannot name: perhaps a memory, a piece of the past, a sense of identity, a glimpse of the future.

Bailin: This is a character of many contradictions, which makes him fascinating (and it helps that he is played by my favorite actor Liu Xueyi). First, there is his personal struggle between his humanity and his divinity. Then, there is contradiction between Bailin as a morally neutral political actor in his role as a leader defending his people against invaders when their king refused to fight and the narrative’s depiction of him as the villain and the demons (who canonically do consume people in this show) as the victims. And finally, the conflicting storytelling that emerged out of the drama being filmed with the canonical Bailin/Luohou Jidu ship from the novel that was later mostly cut out of the show in post-production, which instead emphasized the Luohou Jidu/Sifeng ship (which doesn’t exist in the novel since these two characters never interacted).

Wang Xifeng: She was a more competent leader of people and manager of businesses than the men of the Jia household, but as woman, her gifts and ambitions were limited to the household. She was also just as corrupt and vain as the men who led the family to its eventual destruction, but she could have been so much more, greater and more terrible, if she’d been able to enter public life instead of being sequestered within the Jia manor. She’s like a beast, an apex predator, trapped in a golden cage. She was selfish and cruel, but she was also kind and generous to Qin Keqing and to Liu Laolao, and to many of the main characters as long as their interests didn’t conflict with her ambitions.

Cao Cao: There is something very romantic about his life. He was the grandson of a eunuch, shunned because of his lineage, rose to prominence in the army during the unrest and civil wars as Han royal power waned, conquered the northern lands, brought peace and order to his people, and became the supreme ruler of the north but would not crown himself emperor out of some (perhaps genuine perhaps feigned) moral obligation to the Han dynasty. He is cast as a villain in most adaptations because he kidnapped the young and incompetent heir of the Han royal family and used him as a puppet to rule over the territories he conquered. But he did bring peace to the northern lands, and he was a more competent ruler than many of the negligent and corrupt Han royals who came before him. And the dynasty he founded, the Wei Dynasty, gave birth to my favorite literary and aesthetic movement in Chinese history.

Jin Guangyao: As you can tell from the other character analyses above, I am fascinated by complex and contradictory characters who seek and weld political power. Ah Yao is a gentle and soft spoken person who is also ruthless and cold. He is a morally grey politician cast as the villain of the narrative because he is directly or indirectly behind the mysterious deaths that the main couple investigates. Jin Guangyao is similar to Cao Cao in many ways. He is a bastard child who killed those who’d wronged or threatened him and used those assassinations to rise to power. While in power he brought peace and stability to his people after a brutal civil wars: he built watch towers so that ordinary people could receive help from cultivators and he maintained peace among the various cultivator sects. He was cruel towards those who stood in his way to power (and survival) but he treated his nephew and heir with kindness. His rise to power left behind a trail of blood, but he is also the only character besides Lan Xichen (his political ally and backer in every step of his rise to power) with any semblance of a political vision in the novel. These many contradictory pieces that comprise “Jin Guangyao” are endlessly fascinating: Meng Yao the kind boy who helped a stranger, Meng Yao the desperate boy who took revenge on his abusers, Jin Guangyao the gentle and generous ruler and uncle, Jin Guangyao the ruthless and power-hungry usurper, son, husband, and brother.

[thelordofgifs]

hmm ok it’s come to my attention that I should probably give you all a crash course in who Eldacar actually WAS. buckle up! this is my favourite story from the LoTR appendices.

So! The year is Third Age 1250. Rómendacil of Gondor is the regent for his uncle (and later also for his father) the king, who is an indolent and altogether useless guy. Rómendacil’s main concern is the land of Rhovanion, to the North of Gondor, where he has recently fought off an invasion of Easterlings with the help of this guy Vidugavia who now calls himself the King of Rhovanion and rules the people known as the Northmen. Cool cool cool, thinks Rómendacil, who obviously has a lot on his plate with his useless uncle whose country he’s running. So he sends his son Valacar north as an ambassador to Rhovanion, to serve in their army, learn their culture and all-around strengthen the alliance.

Valacar misunderstands the assignment and falls in love with Vidugavia’s daughter, Vidumavi.

Now the Northmen are all very good as allies, but this simply won’t do! After all, Valacar is a high-blooded Númenorean, with a long long lifespan and all the other gifts that come with being one of the Men of the West, and Vidumavi, although fair and noble, is just of lesser race. The people of Gondor are not impressed. (The people of Gondor are racist.) And Valacar has even had a son with Vidumavi! His name is Vinitharya in the language of the Northmen, but when Valacar brings his little family back to Osgiliath (then Gondor’s capital city) five years later, he gives his son the Quenya name Eldacar instead. If he was hoping that would quell the mutterings, it doesn’t. The racists of Gondor are not pleased that the heir to the throne is of “lesser race” and complain a lot that he won’t live as long as his father.

A lot of time passes. Rómendacil becomes King and dies, Vidumavi dies (at a very advanced age), Valacar becomes King and eventually dies. Eldacar becomes King aged 177 and the unrest almost immediately breaks out into full-scale rebellion and the civil war called the Kin-strife – especially in the coastal south of Gondor, and the harbour cities of Umbar and Pelargir.

Eventually Eldacar’s second cousin Castamir, who is the Captain of Ships of Gondor and also The Worst, decides to seize the throne from Eldacar, an event known as the Usurpation of Castamir. He besieges Eldacar in Osgiliath and sacks the city, leading to (among other things) the destruction of the great hall called the Dome of Stars and the loss in the River Anduin of the palantír of Osgiliath, which was the greatest of the seven seeing-stones brought by Elendil from Númenor. Thanks, Castamir! Anyway Eldacar fights valiantly (Eldacar is very valiant. the texts says so explicitly I’m not just saying this because he’s my blorbo) but Castamir manages to force him out of Osgiliath and claim the throne for himself. Eldacar flees north to Rhovanion, but Castamir has captured Eldacar’s eldest son Ornendil and cruelly puts him to death which is :( really sad :(

Anyway turns out that backfires on Castamir because the people of Gondor quickly realise what we already know, i.e. that Castamir is The Worst. They aren’t fans of the unnecessarily brutal sack of Osgiliath and the execution of poor Ornendil. Castamir is obsessed with ships and fleets and whatnot and does a generally poor job of ruling. Also he wants to move the seat of the King from Osgiliath to Pelargir, a proposal nobody in the north of Gondor likes.

Ten years later! Our bestest boy Eldacar has not been idle. He puts together an alliance with his mother’s kinsfolk in Rhovanion and also the people in the north of Gondor who hate Castamir, marches back to Gondor with a huge army, has a giant battle, and personally kills Castamir to avenge his son which is so fucking cool.

Anyway the tone of the narrative in the appendices then takes a slightly weird turn by noting that much of the “best blood” of Gondor was lost in that battle and had to be “replenished” with “lesser Men” from Rhovanion to which I say: good. They sound like they had their heads screwed on more tightly than the idiots always mooning over Númenor and Númenor’s gifts and Númenor’s glory like. your place DROWNED over a THOUSAND YEARS AGO. get over yourselves. Anyway.

The Kin-strife has huge consequences for the history of Gondor as a whole – Castamir’s sons survived and established a lordship of their own at Umbar, which remained at intermittent war with Gondor literally until the time of Aragorn 1500 years later. But Eldacar’s story has a happy-ish ending! He lived to be 235, proving that all the racists did not in fact have any idea what they were talking about. As you’d expect, for racists. Eventually he was succeeded as King by his younger son, Aldamir.

The end! Go and have a read of the LoTR appendices seriously. They’re imo a lot more accessible than the silm in writing style, and really really interesting! And for the love of everything holy vote Eldacar on June 1st please and thank you :)

[grimowled]

ship bias?

☽ grimm confesses their dirty ship secrets!! - accepting

stolas x striker. why ? it's got the potential to be a hot dynamic based on mutual disdain, a TOXIC relationship steeped in power struggle, danger, betrayal, manipulation, and crackling with forbidden primal desire.

what with striker representing the rebellious lower class and hatred for the elite, with their privilege & luxury, and authority in general - and by reflection stolas, who embodies them all, and their forcibly hostile dynamic opening up opportunities for them to get to know each other better despite mutual mistrust - it's very much primed for an enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, power couple, forced alliance and, of course, stolas' favourite: the prince and the peasant trope.

I also find that they are marvellously complementary in being polar opposites - stolas’ sophisticated, regal and unsettling beauty with his avian grace & elegance contrasts with striker’s rugged looks, wild charm and cowboy aesthetic.

depending on the striker I am writing against, it could start off as a rather frenzied romp of LUST and mutual loathing, or, if against a more stoic and sex-averse striker, a slow burn. my sweet spot? striker could find himself inevitably drawn to the dark prince's allure despite his better judgement and layers of mistrust, resenting relinquishing control and finding himself simultaneously repelled and addicted to stolas' demonic charisma. stolas, in turn, might see striker as a rare equal, but his own depravity might prevent him from forming a genuine connection with him, leading to power struggles, mutual destruction but also singular vulnerability. i can envision plenty of verbal sparring, delicious tension because of stolas' over the top seductive power and boundary pushing, and striker is unamused ...

ALL the possibilities.

[geraniums-red]

Robin McKinley - Sunshine

Sunshine is one of my favourite books. I was a little worried as it had been a while since I last read it, but I am happy to report that it is still good.

Sunshine is a baker at a local cafe, and mostly has familiar concerns (family, stress, lack of sleep) until she is kidnapped by vampires. She manages to escape, but her life only gets more stressful as she reckons with the magic she's been ignoring and the alliance she makes in order to escape.

It's set in a world much like ours, but with magic and monsters. They have the internet and computers (the internet is dial-up and mobile phones don't exist, which is less a narrative choice and more a reflection of the book having been published in 2003) but they also have protective wards and magical tattoos, and many people are weres or have demon ancestry. A devastating magical war happened a few years ago which caused the destruction of most other cities but locally has mostly resulted in abandoned buildings, magical black-spots and significant currency devaluation.

I love Sunshine's sense of humour, her stubbornness and competency, and the way her friends and family manage to support her despite her best efforts to keep things secret.

The glimpses of other people's lives makes me want more books in this universe to tell some of the other stories - there is no shortage of people with secrets and backstories, and the ending is a local victory which leaves larger battles still to be won.

[sitp-recs]

Hello Liv! I hope you're well 😌 I was thinking about how rarely I read witty Harry, like "you don't have to call me sir, Professor" levels of snark and wittiness. I thought I recalled you making a reclist for this, but I can't seem to find it on your master list.

Do you have any recs of fics that feature this kind of Harry??

Thank you!!

Hello my friend! I can’t find anything on this hell site either so who knows, maybe I did a list or maybe I didn’t 🤣 when it comes to sassy/witty Harry these great works come to mind:

Tense by Faith Wood (E, 3k)

Harry and Draco have sex. Very, very slowly. Seriously, this is, like, 3K of penetration.

Never Gonna Give You Up by InnerLilith (E, 5k)

Five times Harry rickrolls Draco and one time Draco gets him back.

The Page Eleven Wars by fireflavored (E, 8.5k)

In a gossip-hungry post-war Wizarding World, Rita Skeeter has a wildly successful column in the Daily Prophet known as Page Eleven. Naturally, her favourite targets are the poster boys of the two sides of the war: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. Bored and annoyed, the two take up tabloid baiting for sport and pleasure.

break the bad luck in my life by seaworn (E, 11k)

Draco and Harry are both brooding on Christmas Eve.

The Loathly Worm by Selden (E, 12k)

When Draco Malfoy is forced to go undercover among the remaining Death Eaters in the aftermath of the war, the last person he expects to find there is Harry Potter.

What’s My Age Again? by lazywonderlvnd (E, 12k)

Harry Potter has had enough of pleasing the public, and his reckless tendencies are finally getting out of hand. The Quidditch World Cup is only a week away; as Captain of the English National Team, Hermione has assured him that his immaturity won’t be tolerated by the Ministry.

Clouds That Veil the Midnight Moon by drarrytrash (E, 36k)

According to Harry’s personal narrative regarding the incident, he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy for purely self-destructive reasons, or out of convenience, or by some unlucky accident. Looking at him, sprawled in the moonlight, Harry is devastated to recall that he’d hooked up with Draco Malfoy because he’s hot.

Reparo by amalin (E, 84k)

Voldemort's final defeat does not mean Harry Potter's troubles are over; far from it. In the aftermath of war, he returns to a Hogwarts that is fractured and divided, but this is no break that can be fixed with a spell. New owls, fading scars, surprising alliances—and along the way, the hardest task of all, to live with it.

Azoth by zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Wild, orphaned (E, 92k)

“No,” Harry said, by way of greeting. Malfoy’s blonde head rose slowly, carelessly. “Get out.” “I feel as though we’ve already established this, Potter,” Malfoy responded. “And I feel that what we established was that you telling me to get out of places really doesn’t make me more likely to vacate them.”

[sanjiafterrex]

Dressrosa Thoughts

Man finished Dressrosa in two weeks,and to think all of that happens in ONE DAY in the op universe and not getting to see my beloved perfect angel sanji for so long you BET i was crying throwing up every single episode

episodes important for the lore : 703, 746

So the important things I've noted from this arc :

The D name : OMFG so the D in Law's name and how corazon says that the name D has been passed down ceaselessly, INHERITED through generations and Family of D are called the "sworn enemies of gods". Also these gods can be considered the celestial dragons, so the purpose of the D family people may be destruction of the world. D's contain ideas that is opposed to the gods. And also what doffy says at the end of Dressrosa how the celestial dragons will fall and how the D name's legacy is hidden in the history gap like omg shit's getting SERIOUS serious yall

Strawhat Fleet : with 7 Captain and 5600 people captain Cavendish of the Beautiful Pirates, Bartolomeo of Barto Club, Hajrudin of giant pirates, Leo of Tonta Corps, Don Sai of the Happosui army, Orlumbus of the Yontamaria fleet, and Ideo. Kaido sighting, this mf GIGANTIC wthThe Apoo, Kidd, Hawkins alliance

General Dressrosa Thoughts :

The Tontattas : The tontattas are so cute innocent naive and kind people. It made me think how back in history took advantage of the innocence of native people to exploit or in slave them like the doffy did with the tontattas at the factory.

Villains : The donquixote family executives were disappointing in the fights considering that everything in dressrosa happened in one day, like even the villains of baroque works put up a better resistance. I Loved sugar though she is cute as hell and her ability was unique and very scary if you think about it. Shed a little tear or two at Señor pink's backstory ngl. Doflamingo has turned into my special little princess btw

Law and cora-san : Corazon is so silly and funny I'd love to see more of him, alas he's dead. Also his name Rosinante is very cunt idk

among the strawhats, Ofc my special angel sanji shined as usual, even if he wasnt present for most of the arc. Zoro was perfect but it'd be better if they showed zoro vs pica in a continuous sequence and not cutting the fights 200 times. Usopp also was great this arc and him knocking out sugar was funny as hell the second time too

Favourite character: I love Baby 5, manshery, Viola, Sugar, Corazon, Bartolomeo, Cavendish, Tontattas, Doflamingo, Kanjuro (his hair is cunt)

Things i hated :

Rebecca and her dad are annoying

The pacing of course. Plus none of the fights were maintained in a continuous pace. Cutting off everything one after another fuckin shit

[cheemken]

KNIGHT I GOT ANOTHER AU IDEA FOR THE CHAMPIONS

You ever watched Final Destination? Or any of its sequels? Anyways if you haven’t, it’s pretty much starts with a group of people getting into an accident and all of them dying with the main character seeing everyone’s death before dying themselves. But then the MC “wakes up” a couple of minutes before the accident happens, they make a scene and scare the people in that group into getting away from the accident, saving their lives. But then they all start dying in the order the MC saw because Death is coming for them

Anyways, for this AU we’re gonna ignore the last sentence cause it wouldn’t work with this AU. I just needed something for an example

For this AU idk who we’re going to make the “Main Character” whether it be one of our favourites, Diantha or Iris, or one of the other champions?

Or maybe even ALL of the champions saw their deaths? Idk you can chose your favourite

But yeah, the scenario I had was either the Villain teams from each region kidnap and kill the champions in a show of power, to say that even the strongest trainers cannot stop them, or a Pokémon causes mass destruction around the world and none of the Champions would stop it

For the first scenario if we go with it, I imagine the villain teams teamed up with each other to form Rainbow Rocket, and decided to announce their alliance by killing the champions and declaring the world is THEIRS to rule

Like they sent grunts and admins to attack the cities where the Champions live. I fully believe the Champions are capable of winning this fight but for people like Lance, Cynthia, and Iris, they have family living in the same city/town. I bet they used that to their advantage and went after Drayden, Clair, and Cynthia’s sister and practically used them as a shield. Told the champions to surrender and mocked them for choosing to save their family over the thousands of people they could be saving instead

So yeah, they all eventually get kidnapped one way or another and get killed by Team Rainbow Rocket. But then they wake up a few days before it happens with the knowledge of what’s to come within the next days

But idk, it’s 11:00pm and if you have a better scenario then I’d love to hear it. Or if this makes much sense lmao

Ohhhhh👀👀👀

No shit I and my friends only saw some of the death scenes in those films lol and we watched it in the school's library back then during our elementary years hahahah it was an experience man, surprising we didn't get caught especially w how gory it was hahaha

But damn that's cool tho👀👀 low-key that reminds me of the rebellion au where the champions died, but at least in this au they could somewhat stop the threat instead of just dying like that bc they were caught off guard or luck just weren't on their side

But that's gotta fuck em up tho having to dream abt their deaths or at least being in that kinda position, having to decide which is more important, their family or the people of their region/the world

But like yknow, imagine too bc if that came to them as a dream, just how much of it will they actually believe?? I haven't watched any of the films btw so like spare me if some of the stuff I say doesn't fit hahah but y'know, some aren't even sure if it's truly a premonition of their deaths, or if it's just a bad dream and nothing more. Cause maybe some of them were sceptical abt it, maybe they were just being paranoid y'know, but it's also a bit of a wake up call that yeah they have to deal with the evil orgs as soon as possible lest the nightmare turns to a reality, and they'd rather not risk that

They'd be so paranoid tho real, like, imagine Lance being more desperate to find Rocket and finally put an end to them, he's losing sleep bc of it, looking at every nook and cranny on both Johto and Kanto; Steven and Wallace didn't think Aqua and Magma would be such a threat, Sootopolis became so heavily guarded now, the orbs were with Wallace; Cynthia's like really stressed out man, making sure Dawn and Barry doesn't get involved and coming in terms her childhood friend is probs really gonna kill her if she doesn't stop him; Iris became more adamant on stopping Plasma too, almost as desperate as Lance, but there's also that fear that maybe if she leaves Opelucid to hunt down Plasma smth might happen to Drayden; Diantha is also stressed af my guy, if smth happens to her brother, that's really gonna be her villain origin story and if anything, she'll dragb Lysandre to hell with her; Hau's not sure how to approach it too cause y'know, Lusamine is his friends' mother, what whould Gladion and Lillie even say, I mean tbf their relationship w Lusamine isnt all that well anyways, but still, maybe he'd be more cautious now; Leon already had a bad feeling abt Rose, so now he's making sure Hop and Gloria doesn't get too close to the chairman, if whats in his dreams are true, then he has to find the legendary wolves too, and who else knows more abt it than Sonia; Idk what kinda stuff Geeta would have to deal w anyways, maybe the AI profs?? But that'd be dope tho if they become somewhat sentient enough and like, idk, hc that Geeta and Sada/Turo aren't in good terms, and like the AI got corrupted maybe?? Not sure w this one hahah

But man that's dope, like, the paranoia y'know, having to see in great detail just how they're gonna die, and if not them, then their loved ones, or even the people of their region

[number63liveblogs]

Crooked Kingdom, Chapter 11: Inej

 “A Fabrikator using paremcould manage that kind of tailoring.”

That would make everything more simple. There aren’t several different things that need to be suppressed to keep the destructiveness of war from escalating, there is only Parem and all of its applications.

“It seems everyone is forming alliances.”

Naah, they are unionizing.

My favourite thing in this chapter was the marked difference between how the group was amongst themselves before Inej was freed and now. They started bantering immediately, and even Matthias took part in the whole thing. A really good way of showing that even if things aren’t perfect yet, they are getting better.

I also like Kaz’s plan, regarding Van Eck. It’s elegant and hurts him precisely where it’ll hurt the worst, unraveling his whole life. Too bad that we know how it’s supposed to go, so it’s basically guaranteed to go wrong some way. After all, the reader wouldn’t want to read just an elaboration of the plan they already know.

Large parts of both of the plans rely on Wylan, and he needs focus on him because he didn’t have his own point of view chapters in the previous book, so the most likely way for things to go wrong is either something that Wylan screws up, or something that he can fix. Or both.

[occasionally-victor]

Last life and by a lot ahahha (not really, but i just don't brainrot others as much as i do LL) (it's Last life > Lim life > 3rd Life and i haven't watched DL at all besides Pearls 1st ep sorry the vibes were just not for me. maybe someday)

It was my first life series i watched live (I watched all povs back then tee hee) and it literally kinda cured me out of ~4 year artblock (hopium it will do it again /hj).

I was just rewatching it (it took me 2 weeks and i nearly finished. yes i rn watching nearly all povs - 122 vids in total) and lord the vibes of it.

I love the feeling of despair that Last life reeks of (and made me feel ahah). I love Boogeyman mechanic. I love enforced Red and Non-Red separation (it added to that despair). I love all the funny bits (the Aha jokes and the Finding diamonds bit are even funnier after 20th time, truly. And that's just the one that i love the most, there's so much more). I love the alliances of Last life and how nearly all of them gone to shit for one tragic reason or another (Southlands and Fairy Fort are my favourite trainwrecks god bles, team BEST was also doomed from start tbh, Scottage/3 G's are fine, and rip Magical Mountain lmao).

While i love the ending of Lim Life the most, i find the ending of Last Life very fitting to it, something something "go out with a whimper, not with a blast" it's a thing for another post i will probably never do.

Last life also contains storylines and relationships i very much brainrot over, or atleast they are to my taste. I love Cleo&BigB (the whole betrayal thing, the way it affected the Fairy fort alliance, Cleo getting revenge in the end- Cleo still doesn't trust him even in Lim Life!!! WHY THERE'S SO LITTLE CONTENT OF THEM GOOD LORD I BARELY SEEN ANY WHAT THE F-). I love Grian&Mumbo (as if it wasn't obvious from yknow. All the posts and a music playlist i made AND ALREADY HAVE MORE SONGS TO ADD INTO. They are best friends. At times it felt like the world itself weren't wanting them to be on the same team insert that one Martyn's quote from the end of his 6th ep I'm not searching for it now. They had a very painful break up. They both destroyed something of the other Mutually Assured Destruction. The love was there, but it didn't save them, or one of them ig. They make me insane btw). I love Etho&Bdubs (not my main brainrot, but lord almighty them). I love Scar (lonely bitch <3, kinda brought in on himself tho) and i love Martyn (he's a lot to unpack and I'm not doing it at 1 am.)

yes i used this post as an opportunity to brainrot because i nearly finished rewatching Last Life and i needed to Voice My Thoughts.

because i'm SO curious...

[avatarskywalker78]

2, 4, and 7!

2. Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

I've always wanted to write Enemies to Friends to Lovers. Also some kind of injury trope - like I really want to get into the angst of a character being injured in the field, but I always shy away from actually doing so (partly because I'm not confident in actually writing injuries or injury recovery).

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

Six! One of them is my Firefly fic featuring my OC, Astra Reynolds Shen (the Chinese surname is currently a placeholder until I do more research into Chinese surnames names, btw), Mal’s adoptive daughter (though officially she’s thought to be his bio kid for a number of reasons) and someone who’s become very good at hiding the true extent of her hatred for the Alliance after they firebombed her planet. She’s still sassy and outspoken and takes no shit, though, and has picked up a number of less than legal skills along the way.

Things become complicated when her dad shows up again because no one of Mal’s crew other than Zoe knew he even had a kid, and this turns out to be because for the last six years he thought she was dead - Shadow’s destruction obviously meant all the records were lost, and survivors weren’t easy to find mainly because they were trying not to be found, and Astra has been going by her mother’s surname for eleven years now, so when Mal couldn’t find any trace of her he natrually assumed the worst, that it was just another thing the war took from him. So it’s a huge adjustment to make when Astra (and her mother ) turn out to be alive - but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Robby was a child – his child – and all he’d wanted was a father who was there for him, who cared about him. Even his recent behaviour was just him showing that he was hurting, acting out because that was the only way he got attention from either of his parents these days and that wasn’t right.

This is from fight (for your family), and obviously a common theme throughout the Mini Rewrites was me metaphorically shaking Johnny Lawrence by the shoulders and yelling ‘step the fuck up for your kid!!!!!’ but this was honestly one of my favourite versions of that realisation because it happens fairly early on in S1 (as it should’ve), and because it leads to him making the speech to Shannon, so this small part is actually very important.

40 Questions for Fic Writers