#devoted to the noble achievement of man...

[daydreamerdrew]

The Hulk! (1978) #25

[mr-squiggley-poufs]

Thinking about a magical scenario where Li Yu and Shen Qingqiu meet and compare transmigration stories

-----

Li Yu: Oh, so you got wife plotted by your scamming system too?

Shen Qingqiu: Wife plotted? Wouldn't that be for the wives? I don't know what you're talking about, I've never been wife plotted.

Li Yu, staring at the harem of men who are in love with Sqq: Right....

------

Shen Qingqiu: So what kind of beautiful harem does your tyrant prince have?

Li Yu: ....none? It's just me

Shen Qingqiu: Well obviously, I meant in the original work

Li Yu: Still none?

Shen Qingqiu: Ah, a man devoted to his wife, a noble protagonist indeed

Li Yu: Male concubine, not wife

Shen Qingqiu: Your novel was a BL?????

Li Yu: Yours wasn't??????

------

Shen Qingqiu: So let me get this straight - you turned into a fish?

Li Yu: Yep

Shen Qingqiu: Like, one that was present in the original work?

Li Yu: Nope, completely new fish

Shen Qingqiu: Then at least a noble fish, such as a koi?

Li Yu: I mean, eventually, yeah

Shen Qingqiu: Eventually?

Li Yu: Well originally I was a carp from the kitchen, then I unlocked the koi achievement and turned into a koi

Shen Qingqiu: .......what the fuck

---------

Shen Qingqiu would absolutely call Li Yu a faggot and then upon it being pointed out that Shen Qingqiu is also married to a man, he would be like "nonono I'm different"

[deadpresidents]

Formal Presidential Proclamation Announcing the Death of President Carter

December 29, 2024

By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation

To the People of the United States:

It is my solemn duty to announce officially the death of James Earl Carter, Jr., the thirty-ninth President of the United States, on December 29, 2024.

President Carter was a man of character, courage, and compassion, whose lifetime of service defined him as one of the most influential statesmen in our history. He embodied the very best of America: A humble servant of God and the people. A heroic champion of global peace and human rights, and an honorable leader whose moral clarity and hopeful vision lifted our Nation and changed our world.

The son of a farmer and a nurse, President Carter's remarkable career in public service began in 1943 as a cadet at the United States Naval Academy. He later served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets before becoming a decorated lieutenant and being selected to join the elite nuclear submarine program.

After his father died, he shifted from active duty to the Navy Reserve and returned home to Plains, Georgia, to help manage his family's peanut farm. He worked hard stewarding the land while leading his community as a church deacon, Sunday school teacher, and board member of a hospital and library. His deep faith inspired a passion for public service that led him to be elected State Senator, Georgia's 76th Governor, and ultimately President of the United States.

As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people -- and his faith in the people was boundless just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial.

With President Carter's leadership, the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy were created. He championed conservation, and his commitment to a more just world was at the heart of his foreign policy, leading on nuclear nonproliferation, signing the Panama Canal treaties, and mediating the historic 1978 Camp David Accords. His partnership with Vice President Walter Mondale is one that future administrations strived to achieve.

Following his Presidency, President Carter advanced an agenda that elevated the least among us. Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.

Through his extraordinary moral leadership, President Carter lived a noble life full of meaning and purpose. And as a trusted spiritual leader, he shepherded people through seasons of pain and joy, inspiring them through the power of his example and healing them through the power of his guidance.

As we mourn the loss of President Carter, we hold the memory of his beloved Rosalynn, his wife of over 77 years, close in our hearts. Exemplifying hope, warmth, and service, she and her husband inspired the Nation. The love Rosalynn and President Carter shared is the definition of partnership, and their devotion to public service is the definition of patriotism.

May President Carter's memory continue to be a light pointing us forward. May we continue to be guided by his spirit in our Nation and in our world.

Now, Therefore, I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, in honor and tribute to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr., and as an expression of public sorrow, do hereby direct that the flag of the United States be displayed at half-staff at the White House and on all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions for a period of 30 days from the day of his death. I also direct that, for the same length of time, the representatives of the United States in foreign countries shall make similar arrangements for the display of the flag at half staff over their embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

I hereby order that suitable honors be rendered by units of the Armed Forces under orders of the Secretary of Defense.

I do further appoint January 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States. I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr. I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

[queenvhagar]

Man, I loved Alicole in S1. The courtly love aspect really drew me in and the potential of both characters, individually and separately, made me excited for S2...only for it to fall apart completely. I wasn't expecting it to be The Princess Bride or anything, but damn. It felt like ridicule and even with Criston's speech to Gwayne in the "finale", I can't even muster enjoyment because it's so hollow after what we got in S2. I know it's supposed to be a tragedy but their characters have been written so weirdly that I cringe every time I see a picture or gif of them together.

At university I studied courtly love (l'amour courtois) as it existed in medieval French literature. Because in medieval times marriage, especially among nobility, was a political and economic affair, love was viewed oftentimes separate from marriage. One manifestation of this is courtly love, described as an experience between erotic desire and spiritual attainment, "a love at once illicit and morally elevating, passionate and disciplined, humiliating and exalting, human and transcendent" (from The Meaning of Courtly Love).

Some suggest core tenets to courtly love: that the love is illegitimate, furtive, adulterous in nature; that the male lover holds an inferior position to the woman, who is often elevated in station; that the man completes quests, trials, challenges in his lady's name; that there are rules and subtleties to it, similar to chivalry or courtesy (from Études sur les romans de la Table Ronde). Devotion, piety, and gallantry were valued characteristics.

Many stories portray this love, like Tristan and Isolde and the tales of Lancelot and Guinevere, as well as songs, such as dawn songs, or albas / aubades, poems that spoke of lovers parting in the morning before rivals or spouses discovered them. One such song is Reis Glorios by the "master of troubadours" Giraut de Bornelh:

The potential for exploring courtly love in relation to the pairing of Alicent Hightower and the knight Ser Criston Cole is vast and could have been a fascinating expansion of the relationship between the two as it existed in Fire and Blood. Whether it resulted in a physically consummation of the love or existed as a romantic and spiritual devotion between a noble lady and her knight, there was so much that could have been explored: how does each view the other as the personification of chivalrous ideals of honor, duty, loyalty, piety? How do the rules of courtly love and its secret, private nature influence the interaction between these two? How does their courtly love influence their motivations and the actions they take in their journey? And, if physical, how might each view this in the context of their vows, responsibilities, and their ideals?

The least likely scenario of all of this, when it comes to this pairing, is a situation in which a decades-long mutual admiration somehow evolves / devolves into meaningless physical consummation of the relationship, especially considering not only the illicit nature of such an affair but also the ideals that both characters hold in relation to duty, honor, chivalry, and their own relationship to sex.

Yet once again this is the writers interpreting the story through a solely modern lens. With this tale, they focus on a solely physical experience in the context of Alicent finally "getting off" after being in a loveless marriage all her life, and its purpose is 1) to position her in contrast to the mourning of the main character ie "look how selfish and evil Alicent is, having sex with Rhaenyra's ex while Rhaenyra looks for her dead son" 2) portray her as hypocritical and paint the conflict between the two women as somehow solely the result of jealousy for sexual freedom / hypocrisy at hating sexually free women while wanting it / achieving it oneself (despite this clearly not being the crux of the issues between these two women) 3) set her up to be responsible for the death of her own grandson and lighten / distract the moment of Blood and Cheese with the purpose to mitigate the blame put upon the actual perpetrators by having them have sex during the sequence, pointing the blame at her and Cole for not preventing the act set in motion by the actual perpetrators, removing her role in the actual event as it was written in the source material.

By taking this stance of a solely physical, using each other for sex, modern lens of the relationship between the lady and her knight, it misses out on a more accurate exploration of what love and sex really looked like in a medieval setting. The story truly suffers for it, as do these characters. Instead of an exploration of feelings, motivations, or the development of this relationship across decades, it is reduced to a one dimensional plot device created solely to make the characters look worse in relation to others.

Unfortunately this pairing is not the only part of the show to suffer from this pattern. The result is the world and characters feel incomplete and hollow, divorced from the setting, the logic of the universe, and the humanity of these characters. Nowhere is the "human heart in conflict with itself" that GRRM explores with his characters and stories. And really, courtly love would have been a phenomenal way to build upon the themes GRRM loves to incorporate into his stories.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

more literary & character tropes

Tropes - themes, motifs, plot devices, plot points, and storylines that have become familiar genre conventions

All writers manipulate language to create certain effects. At the level of individual phrases and sentences, the skillful use of tropes is key to creating writing that’s fresh, memorable, and persuasive.

Artifical Script - found mainly in fantasy settings, this trope is about fictional scripts invented by the author.

Busman's Vocabulary - when a character in a certain profession isn't on the job, they're going to still use jargon from that profession, basically to let us know what they do for a living. Mafia guys will use "whacked" and the like, chefs will use culinary language, and so forth.

Classical Tongue - a language that isn't typically known or used by the common man. It may be dead and mostly forgotten, or only spoken by educated elites such as nobility, scholars, clergy, or mages. A few words from it might be used to denote something special, or it is used for something or someone's name, or someone who knows it might drop a phrase here and there in an attempt to sound clever, but don't expect the common masses to use it (anymore). It's often an Expy of Latin, if it isn't Latin itself.

Dissimile - when you attempt to make a comparison between two things that can't be usefully compared, realize your problem, and then throw more words at the argument in an attempt to salvage it. This just undermines your comparison even further, to the amusement of anyone listening. ["Boxing is a lot like ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other." — Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey]

Enslaved Tongue - certain types of monsters, wizards, and other supernatural or alien beings are able to control your voice, or otherwise replace your communications with those around you. They will use your voice to lie to teammates, friends and loved ones, or to deliver warnings or threats.

False Prophet - someone comes along and preaches a message about how they're going to make everyone's lives better. People will flock to them out of hope, or because they see an opportunity to increase their own power by aligning with the prophet. If they don't already have it, this figure will request assistance—physically, monetarily, or in some other way—so that their goals can be achieved.

The Grotesque - a character that induces both fear and pity in viewers because his deformities belie a perfectly normal — if not noble — personality. The pathos associated with The Grotesque is the implication that he could easily have been a well-adjusted member of society if not for the hideousness that he is powerless to remedy.

Higher Self - the aspect of a character which "knows better". More specifically, however, the Higher Self is the aspect which rises above whatever is going on in the plot and can see the situation in a way that's removed from emotional or melodramatic entanglement.

Inconsistent Spelling - when names and other terms are not spelled consistently in officially published materials (and not fan-made translations), usually because of transliteration issues.

Jeanne d'Archétype - a fictional character inspired by Saint Joan of Arc. This can incorporate various elements of the historical Joan's story. This character is Always Female, usually young, often an Action Girl, and often of humble origin. Her devotion to a religion, her country, or simply a desire to protect her loved ones causes her to assume an active role in liberating the oppressed from an overbearing force, eventually becoming not only a respected leader, but also a living symbol and a reminder of just how unjust the oppressors are if they bring out the warrior in the most unlikely of people. Therefore, her example directly inspires many otherwise ordinary people to follow in her footsteps and join the same cause.

If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

More: Literary & Character Tropes

[witchthewriter]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ | ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ ᴵᴵ

𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆

ENTJ

Slytherin

Lawful Good / Neutral Good

Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon, Libra Rising

The Mentor: A wise and experienced character who guides and advises the hero, providing knowledge, skills, and guidance.

The Cunning Strategist: this character is known for their intelligence, sharp wit, and ability to manipulate situations to their advantage. They excel in political maneuvering and outsmarting their opponents.

The Fallen Hero: The Fallen Hero archetype represents a character who was once noble or heroic but has fallen from grace. They may have succumbed to their flaws, made tragic mistakes, or been corrupted by power. The Fallen Hero often grapples with guilt, redemption, or the desire to reclaim their former glory.

I will always see John as some type of leader. A leader of a wolf pack, or the King's Guard. Even a team of immortals. His task force would shift between each universe, but his station always stays the same. Price is the eldest and the leader of the men.

𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝑹𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒚

INTJ

Ravenclaw

Neutral Good

Capricorn Sun, Scorpio Moon, Virgo Rising

The Guardian: A character who protects or defends a person, place, or idea, often serving as a source of strength and support. I can see him taking stray kids under his wing, and taking care of them.

The Knight: Is a character archetype in stories that embodies chivalry, honor, and a strong sense of duty. I think the strong sense of duty is most previlent here. I think he would even be the King's Champion.

The Rebel: A character who challenges authority, norms, or societal expectations, often seeking change or liberation. After seeing all the pain and suffering from the villagers/those less fortunate around him, he would snap. Wanting to help them.

Simon reminds me of both Geralt and Sandor Clegane. I think he would do well both within a group setting (with his teammates) or going out and doing something indepedently.

𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝑻𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒉

ESFP

Ravenclaw

Neutral Good / Chaotic Good

Aquarius Sun, Taurus Moon, Sagittarius Rising

The Trickster: A mischievous and cunning character who uses wit and deception to achieve their goals or disrupt the plans of others.

The Wise Fool: The Wise Fool archetype is a character who appears foolish or simple-minded on the surface but possesses unexpected wisdom or insight. They often use humor and unconventional behavior to challenge social norms, offer unique perspectives, or deliver profound truths.

The Loyal Companion: The Loyal Companion archetype is a faithful and devoted ally to the protagonist. They offer unwavering support, loyalty, and may serve as a moral compass or voice of reason.

I think Johnny is a bit of a difficult one, because he's both humorous - which can place him in the archetype of jokester & comedic relief. But maybe thast just makes him ... a wild card? Hence I think that' why people often give him the hybrid of werewolf.

𝑲𝒚𝒍𝒆 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌

ISFP

Gryffindor

Chaotic Good

Gemini Sun, Virgo Moon, Cancer Rising

The Romantic Interest: A character who forms a romantic connection or relationship with the protagonist, often adding depth and emotional tension to the story.

The Underdog: A character who faces significant challenges or disadvantages but ultimately triumphs against the odds.

The Sage: The Sage archetype represents wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment. Sages are often revered for their insights and serve as a source of guidance or counsel for the protagonist.

God this man could fit into so many archetypes. He is just ... the perfect character. He can still have character development, however, he can still be put forward as a fully formed character. Romantic, loving, intelligent, mindful. He likes to sit back and learn about others. He's diligent in that way (hence the Underdog). I also think he's so wise. Especially for his age. And he feels the most magically inclined out of the rest of the men.

𝑲𝒐̈𝒏𝒊𝒈

ISTP

Hufflepuff

Chaotic Neutral

Aries Sun, Aquarius Moon, Leo Rising

The Outcast: A character who is marginalized or rejected by society, often possessing unique abilities, insights, or perspectives.

The Beast: A character or entity often found in stories that represents the primal, untamed, and instinctual aspects of human nature or the natural world.

The Antihero: is an archetype is a character who lacks traditional heroic qualities but still engages in heroic actions. They often possess flaws, ambiguity, or morally gray motivations.

I think there are many different ways of looking at Konig. Physically he's a powerhouse - tall asf, a tad arrogant (only because of his voicelines), somewhat dramatic. But some have written him as toxic, others like to baby girl him. I think he's a bit similar to Simon but there's more distrust about him.

What would really be great is the task force as the Knights of the Round table. I think I could see Simon or Johnny as Arthur and Kyle or Price as Merlin (obviously Kyle as a young version like the BBC Merlin).

I can also see them as pirates! I actually want to write a Pirate! Task Force. Obviously Price as the Captain, Quartermaster is Simon, Kyle as Bosun (or Boatswain) and Johnny as the Gunner (makes things go boom!)

If I had to give the men shapeshifting abilities (into one mythical animal) I would go: ▪️ John Price | 𝑫𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 or 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒖𝒓 ▪️ Simon Riley | 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒎 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒓 or 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 ▪️ Johnny MacTavish | 𝑾𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇 or 𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒙 ▪️ Kyle Garrick | 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏 or 𝑷𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒔 ▪️ Konig | 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒌 or 𝑯𝒚𝒅𝒓𝒂

[mswyrr]

reasons i genuinely enjoy criston as a character

-deconstruction of ideas of the nobility of warfare: he was all amped up to fight! he'd trained his entire life for battle. of any man drawn into this civil war, he should have been the most able to meet that challenge... and one battle breaks him - as happens irl to so many people, not because they are "weak," but because war is inherently destructive and traumatizing. the glory is all a lie.

-the deconstruction of chivalric love. he wanted a lady to be his chaste beacon and he got... a seemingly exclusively homoromantic woman lol. so for decades he thought they had THAT, the thing his culture valorizes in stories and song, love held in check by vows and honor. but it was actually because she's just not that into you man. (i think she has love for him, but not romantic). and once her husband kicked it she was like "actually, i need to work out some issues and find out what an orgasm is, so let's fuck." a thing which he (because he buys all this shit) feels deep shame over. the rules of the system just don't work.

(not only does the lady he's devoted to not like him back the same way but he knows it and his culture has given him no tools to understand sexuality so he tries to tell himself--and HER SON, because her obvious homoromantic love for their enemy is so obvious he and HER SON have whole conversations about it!--that somehow Rhaenyra "intoxicated" her, like a siren singing Alicent to the shores of the Isle of Lesbos lol.)

(and let's not even go into all the complexities of power, class, and gender at play in what went down with Rhaenyra and him that's a whole essay itself)

-shining a light on this corrupt class hierarchy. he thought he was rising in the world but this system, at core, is all about using people up for a very small few to have ultimate power (not even all the nobles! not even all the royal family - it's a damn pyramid scheme at every level). that is IT. no matter how high he rises, that's all it ever is or will be.

no matter how high he climbs, it's a layer cake of shit. through him the story shows what becomes of believing in all the lies this society tells itself (when you're not born at the top; the Targ kids show us what believing does to people at the top: it's a pyramid scheme, through and through). and it's gorgeous. it's ugly and heartbreaking. he's not an original thinker, he just wants to achieve within what his society tells him, he works so hard at it!! he wakes up every morning trying to live up to the lies. and that makes him the perfect man through whom to dismantle how these things work: he's just trying to do what he's told is honorable and just. and it's all shit.

his whole story came together for me in his despairing speech to gwayne in the s2 finale and it hit so well for me. particularly the touch where the high born man, gwayne, cannot contradict what criston has just said and so lowers his sword and sits beside him as an equal. made me like the whole character arc in retrospect, knowing where they were headed.

i love it. he reminds me of film noir and hardboiled detective novels i've loved, where you draw out the corruption and brokenness of a system through characters who relate to it in different ways. and the most agonizing way for someone to relate to a broken system is truly *believing* in it. they keep trying desperately to love it. but it doesn't love them back.

and major credit to fabian frankel who knows the kind of character he's playing and fully commits to it - he doesn't try to make the character look cool or undercut the deeper themes. he goes with it, and that is great, "story is king" acting.

[camisoledadparis]

THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more … December 11

1475 – Pope Leo X (d.1521), born Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici, was the Pope from 1513 to his death in 1521. He was the last non-priest (only a deacon) to be elected Pope. He is known for granting indulgences for those who donated to reconstruct St. Peter's Basilica and his challenging of Martin Luther's 95 Theses. He was the second son of Lorenzo de' Medici, the most famous ruler of the Florentine Republic, and Clarice Orsini. His cousin, Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici, would later succeed him as Pope Clement VII (1523-34).

Several modern historians have concluded that Leo was homosexual. Contemporary tracts and accounts such as that of Francesco Guicciardini have been found to allude to active same-sex relations - alleging Count Ludovico Rangone and Galeotto Malatesta were among his lovers.

Cesare Falconi has examined in particular Leo's infatuation with the Venetian noble Marcantonio Flaminio, with Leo arranging the best education that could be offered for the time. Von Pastor has argued, however, against the credibility of these testimonies, and rejected accusations of immorality as anti-papal polemic. Gucciardini was not resident at the papal court during Leo's pontificate, while other contemporaries such as Matteo Herculano took pains to praise his chastity. Paul Strathern, a British writer and academic, argues that Leo, while homosexual, was not sexually active as pope, despite identifying notable members of that family as such.

Jean Cocteau and Jean Marais

1913 – Jean Marais, French actor (d.1998); Marais was never much of an actor, and it is doubtful he would have achieved international fame had he not become Jean Cocteau's lover, but he was, by universal acclaim, one of the most handsome men ever to appear in films. In the 1940s when he made most of his movies for Cocteau, actors were still slicking down their hair with Kreml and Vitalis. But he changed all that. His cheveaux fous and athletic good looks created a new style of postwar leading man.

Cocteau and Marais

When in 1946 he spent his time in Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast, trapped within an ape-like constume, waiting for Beauty's kiss to turn him once again into Jean Marais, Gay moviegoers around the world secretly wished that they were Josette Day who actually got to kiss the handsome actor's furry face. What is perhaps most interesting about the friendship between Cocteau and Marais is that the actor's face in profile bore an astonishing resemblance to the boys Cocteau had been sketching for thirty years before meeting him.

In the 1960s, he played the famed villain of the Fantômas trilogy. After 1970, Marais's on-screen performances became few and far between, as he preferred concentrating on his stage work. He kept performing on stage until his eighties, also working as a sculptor. In 1985, he was the head of the jury at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival.

1945 – John Preston (d.1994) was an author of gay erotica and an editor of gay nonfiction anthologies.

He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, later living in a number of major American cities before settling in Portland, Maine in 1979. A writer of fiction and nonfiction, dealing mostly with issues in gay life, he was a pioneer in the early gay rights movement in Minneapolis. He helped found one of the earliest gay community centers in the United States, edited two newsletters devoted to sexual health, and served as editor of The Advocate in 1975.

He was the author or editor of nearly fifty books, including such erotic landmarks as Mr. Benson and I Once Had a Master and Other Tales of Erotic Love. Other works include Franny, the Queen of Provincetown (first a novel, then adapted for stage), The Big Gay Book: A Man's Survival Guide for the Nineties, Personal Dispatches: Writers Confront AIDS, and Hometowns: Gay Men Write About Where They Belong.

Preston's writing (which he described as pornography) was part of a movement in the 1970s and 1980s toward higher literary quality in gay erotic fiction. Preston was an outspoken advocate of the artistic and social worth of erotic writings, delivering a lecture at Harvard University entitled My Life as a Pornographer. The lecture was later published in an essay collection with the same name. The collection includes Preston's thoughts about the gay leather community, to which he belonged.

His writings caused controversy when he was one of several gay and lesbian authors to have their books confiscated at the border by Canada Customs. Testimony regarding the literary merit of his novel I Once Had a Master helped a Vancouver LGBT bookstore, Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium, to partially win a case against Canada Customs in the Canadian Supreme Court in 2000.

Preston also brought gay erotic fiction to mainstream readers by editing the Flesh and the Word anthologies for a major press.

Preston served as a journalist and essayist throughout his life. He wrote news articles for Drummer and other gay magazines, produced a syndicated column on gay life in Maine, and penned a column for Lambda Book Report called "Preston on Publishing." His nonfiction anthologies, which collected essays by himself and others on everyday aspects of gay and lesbian life, won him the Lambda Literary Award and the American Library Association's Stonewall Book Award. He was especially noted for his writings on New England.

In addition, Preston wrote men's adventure novels under the pseudonyms of Mike McCray, Preston MacAdam, and Jack Hilt (pen names that he shared with other authors). Taking what he had learned from authoring those books, he wrote the "Alex Kane" adventure novels about gay characters. These books, which included "Sweet Dreams," "Golden Years," and "Deadly Lies," combined action-story plots with an exploration of issues such as the problems facing gay youth.

Preston was among the first writers to popularize the genre of safe sex stories, editing a safe sex anthology entitled Hot Living in 1985. He helped to found the AIDS Project of Southern Maine. In the late 1980s, he discovered that he himself was HIV positive.

Some of his last essays, found in his nonfiction anthologies and in his posthumous collection Winter's Light, describe his struggle to come emotionally to terms with a disease that had already killed many of his friends and fellow writers.

He died of AIDS complications on April 28, 1994, aged 48, at his home in Portland.

1948 – Alvin Baltrop (d.2004) was a gay African-American photographer who earned fame through his photographs of the Hudson River piers during the 1970s and 1980s.

Baltrop was born in 1948 in the Bronx. He discovered his love of photography in junior high school. Baltrop received no formal art education; older photographers from the neighborhood taught him different techniques and how to develop photos himself.

Baltrop enlisted in the Navy as a medic during the Vietnam War and continued taking photos, mainly of his friends in sexually provocative poses. He built his own developing lab in the sick bay, using medic trays for developing trays. After his time in the Navy, Baltrop worked odd jobs as a street vendor, a jewelry designer, a printer, and a cab driver. Because he wanted to spend more time taking photos at the Hudson River piers, he quit his job as a cab driver to become a self-employed mover. He would park his van at the piers for days at a time, living out of his van to take pictures.

From 1975 through 1986, Baltrop took photographs of the West Side piers, where he was a well-known member of the community. Baltrop knew every person he photographed, and people often volunteered to be photographed. Younger boys and men at the piers often confided in him about their sexual orientation, their relationships with their families, their housing status, and their work.

Baltrop captured the gay cruising spots and hookup culture that existed in New York City before the AIDS epidemic. Baltrop's photographs not only captured human personalities, but also the aesthetics of the dilapidated piers. His life work is a snapshot of gay, African-American, and New York City history.

Baltrop struggled to make his way in the art world, facing racism from the white gay art world. Gay curators often rejected his work, accused him of stealing it, or stole his work themselves.

"Three Sailors"

Late during the 1990s, NYC artist John Drury, who knew Alvin from their shared neighborhood - Drury living on Third Street, with his wife and Baltrop on Second Street, in lower Manhattan - befriended the artist and recognized the photographers unique abilities, nominating him for a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award for the Arts. Alvin Baltrop had few exhibits in his lifetime; his work gaining international fame only after his death.

According to one journalist, Baltrop came out as gay at fourteen years old. Baltrop had long term relationships with men and women, but preferred identifying as gay.

Baltrop was diagnosed with cancer in the 1990s. Impoverished and without health insurance, curators and filmmakers attempted to exploit him for their own financial gain. He died on February 1, 2004

1990 – Nakshatra Bagwe, born in Mumbai, India, is an Indian actor and award winning film maker. Nakshatra will be making his Indian feature film debut in My Son is Gay and is due for his international film debut as the lead actor of Hearts. His films Logging Out, Book of Love, Curtains and PR (Public Relations) represent the current LGBT scenario of India.

He is a LGBT rights activist and also an organiser of Gujarat's first ever pride march. Nakshatra has participated in several Pride Parades in India. He won KASHISH – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival in 2012 for his debut film Logging Out. It was screened at prestigious venues like Queens Museum of Arts (New York), The Old Cinema (London) and it was also a part of Queer India European tour 2012 to raise awareness about LGBT issues in the Indian context.

Nakshatra hails from Konkan coastal region. Masure, Malvan is his native village. He takes part in homosexuality awareness projects. Nakshatra and his mother were featured in a promo of popular Indian television show Satyamev Jayte. He came out to society when he participated in Asia’s first LGBT flashmob. He also participated in second queer flashmob which happened at Dadar station, Mumbai. Nakshatra posed nude for a campaign named 'Breaking Closets'.

In July 2014, He became the brand ambassador of Moovz, a global social network for gay men. Nakshatra is first and only openly Indian LGBT person to be signed up as the brand ambassador by any brand till now.

1998 – At a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Denver, a resolution was passed rejecting reparative therapy. It stated that attempts to change a person's sexual orientation can cause depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behaviour. A similar resolution was passed by the American Psychological Association in August 1997. Dr. Nada Stotland, head of the association's public affairs committee, told the Denver Post that the very existence of reparative therapy spreads the idea that homosexuality is a disease or evil and has a dehumanizing effect resulting in an increase in discrimination, harassment, and violence against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.

[rphunter]

Heya! Looking for a particular mxm ocxoc medieval setting plot! I am 25+ and looking for someone who is 21+. 🏰

Story & Characters

In a late medieval kingdom—whether real or imagined—MC is the ambitious firstborn son of the king and the kingdom's primary heir. Yet his succession is fraught with danger: challenged by a conniving uncle, scheming political factions, rival kingdoms, and even whispers of revolution from those who dream of abolishing the monarchy itself. YC, on the other hand, is a member of the king's guard. Perhaps he is but a mere commoner risen through the military ranks. Perhaps he is secretly undercover in the name of another kingdom, sent to survey the inner workings in the palace. One day, their fates collide. When something happens that makes MC pay attention to YC (perhaps in a truly daring act of rescue?)—and he is immediately intrigued.

The plot I envision for him and MC is one where YC finds himself slowly entangled in MC's dangerous world of political maneuvering, where loyalty is tested and power hangs by a thread. As the two grow clover, YC's devotion deepens, while MC begins to rely on YC as his confidant and ally. Against the backdrop of courtly intrigue, looming wars, and forbidden desire, the two fall for each other. As for MC's personality, I'm thinking of a very driven man anywhere from his late 20s to his late 30s. His motivation is idealistic: he wants the throne specifically to achieve some noble goal. His means? Not so noble.

I'd prefer to work out the rest of his personality together with you and your ideas for MC's personality. Some other keywords for their dynamic I'm envisioning, though we need not pick all of them: natural-born leader holding the leash of his loyal attack dog—unexpected right-hand man—navigating the inherent power imbalance of prince vs commoner—a mutual dependency where MC relies on YC for companionship while YC relies on MC for purpose—forbidden affection, where their growing bond challenges societal expectations (homosexuality & class)—power couple partnership where they're stronger together than alone—tension, duty, and sacrifice.

Logistics

The characters should both be 25 or older.

RPing is a hobby. It relaxes me; I am a relaxed person. Can do OOC chat and gush with you; can also keep OOC to a minimum of plotting. Will never bother you about replies. And generally ghost-friendly. Post length tends to mirror my partner’s. Can go anywhere from 150 words to 1500+. Usually around 300. Post frequency ranges from every day to 1-3 days a week depending on my RL duties. Love delving into characters’ emotions and outlook on the world. NSFW-friendly but it’s not the focus. Love when it’s used as a natural extension of character dynamics/developments.

I have a lot of plot ideas for this one! Find out more by hitting that Like button & I will reach out 😏

.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer. There are many men who feel a kind of twister pride in cynicism; there are many who confine themselves to criticism of the way others do what they themselves dare not even attempt. There is no more unhealthy being, no man less worthy of respect, than he who either really holds, or feigns to hold, an attitude of sneering disbelief toward all that is great and lofty, whether in achievement or in that noble effort which, even if it fails, comes to second achievement. A cynical habit of thought and speech, a readiness to criticize work which the critic himself never tries to perform, an intellectual aloofness which will not accept contact with life’s realities — all these are marks, not as the possessor would fain to think, of superiority but of weakness. They mark the men unfit to bear their part painfully in the stern strife of living, who seek, in the affection of contempt for the achievements of others, to hide from others and from themselves in their own weakness. The role is easy; there is none easier, save only the role of the man who sneers alike at both criticism and performance...

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat...

The man who does nothing cuts the same sordid figure in the pages of history, whether he be a cynic, or fop, or voluptuary. There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder.

—Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic," remarks delivered at the University of Paris, Apr 23, 1910

[agentrouka-blog]

"But when the septon climbed on high and called upon the gods to protect and defend their true and noble king, Sansa got to her feet. The aisles were jammed with people. She had to shoulder through while the septon called upon the Smith to lend strength to Joffrey’s sword and shield, the Warrior to give him courage, the Father to defend him in his need. Let his sword break and his shield shatter, Sansa thought coldly as she shoved out through the doors, let his courage fail him and every man desert him. "

We had that.

At the end his "sword", his power of his menaces, ended broken and his "shield", his inmunity as the king, shattered, his "courage" failed him, on his last seconds of life he was scared of what was happening, and "every man desert him", as anybody who was truly at fault of his death was judged (LF will be, but not for this crime)

I love ACOK, Sansa V, and this scene is one of the loveliest.

She sits among the people, high and low, and they all sing together, a communal form of worship and prayer. She sings for her loved ones, for the ordinary people affected by this battle on both sides, even for some of her enemies.

He is no true knight but he saved me all the same, she told the Mother. Save him if you can, and gentle the rage inside him.

But when the septon, the authority figure, climbs up to direct their devotion toward the singular figure of this undeserving cruel king, Sansa refuses, leaves, curses Joffrey instead. A private malediction. She will not forget who and what he is. She wants him stripped of every symbol of power and legitimacy.

Neither Sansa's gentle song nor her defiant curse have an appreciable effect. The Seven represent a very worldly kind of religion without any miracles or magic in evidence. Joffrey will die later, murdered by a different villain. Her family is further ripped apart and destroyed. There is no justice to be found. This scene doesn't tell us how prayer comes true.

What this scene does is tell us who Sansa is, what she longs for deep down, which is peace, mercy and justice. And it tells us what she will do with power.

The greatest effect she achieves that night is by her own actions: she saves Lancel. She calms the guests sheltering in the ballroom. She herself is the one who gentles the rage of the Hound with the Mother's Hymn, thereby saving herself. She used what power she had and she used it well.

As you point out, Joffrey is, indeed, betrayed, and stripped of power, courage, dignity in his end. There may be no magical or godly intervention doing the work, but villains can and do fall. The monsters don't always win. Their own worst qualities make them vulnerable. The consequences of their own cruelty tend to invite a sense of poetic justice.

Sansa is likely to remember that when she finds herself in a position of power again. When she has a real chance to affect the course of justice by her own actions. What she begs of the gods, she may well achieve herself.

[prpfz]

Heya! Looking for a particular mxm ocxoc medieval setting plot! I am 25+ and looking for someone who is 21+. 🏰

Story & Characters

In a late medieval kingdom—whether real or imagined—MC is the ambitious firstborn son of the king and the kingdom's primary heir. Yet his succession is fraught with danger: challenged by a conniving uncle, scheming political factions, rival kingdoms, and even whispers of revolution from those who dream of abolishing the monarchy itself. YC, on the other hand, is a member of the king's guard. Perhaps he is but a mere commoner risen through the military ranks. Perhaps he is secretly undercover in the name of another kingdom, sent to survey the inner workings in the palace. One day, their fates collide. When something happens that makes MC pay attention to YC (perhaps in a truly daring act of rescue?)—and he is immediately intrigued.

The plot I envision for him and MC is one where YC finds himself slowly entangled in MC's dangerous world of political maneuvering, where loyalty is tested and power hangs by a thread. As the two grow clover, YC's devotion deepens, while MC begins to rely on YC as his confidant and ally. Against the backdrop of courtly intrigue, looming wars, and forbidden desire, the two fall for each other. As for MC's personality, I'm thinking of a very driven man anywhere from his late 20s to his late 30s. His motivation is idealistic: he wants the throne specifically to achieve some noble goal. His means? Not so noble.

I'd prefer to work out the rest of his personality together with you and your ideas for MC's personality. Some other keywords for their dynamic I'm envisioning, though we need not pick all of them: natural-born leader holding the leash of his loyal attack dog—unexpected right-hand man—navigating the inherent power imbalance of prince vs commoner—a mutual dependency where MC relies on YC for companionship while YC relies on MC for purpose—forbidden affection, where their growing bond challenges societal expectations (homosexuality & class)—power couple partnership where they're stronger together than alone—tension, duty, and sacrifice.

Logistics

The characters should both be 25 or older.

RPing is a hobby. It relaxes me; I am a relaxed person. Can do OOC chat and gush with you; can also keep OOC to a minimum of plotting. Will never bother you about replies. And generally ghost-friendly. Post length tends to mirror my partner’s. Can go anywhere from 150 words to 1500+. Usually around 300. Post frequency ranges from every day to 1-3 days a week depending on my RL duties. Love delving into characters’ emotions and outlook on the world. NSFW-friendly but it’s not the focus. Love when it’s used as a natural extension of character dynamics/developments.

I have a lot of plot ideas for this one! Find out more by hitting that Like button & I will reach out 😏

give a like and anon will get back to you

[fiddii]

Morty's parents were killed as a child, and the boy was placed in the care of Aunt Beth Parker and her husband, Paul Parker. Little Morty grew up with them, smart and purposeful in science. Although he was intelligent, he was scorned and teased at school due to his strange fascination with physics and other subjects in general. Morty Parker was also in love with Mary Jessica, a girl who took pity on the guy a little and tried all the time to prevent Parker's run-ins with hooligans. But the trouble is, the girl of his dreams already had a boyfriend! One big failure.

Morty devoted himself almost entirely to science (apart from a part-time job as a photographer, he completely covered the student life of this beautiful thing). His biology teacher, Dr. Squanchy Connors, was pleasantly surprised by Parker's determination and allowed him to oversee his scientific experiments to transform lizard genetics. Unfortunately, the same genetics killed Connors and created a monster out of him - a terrible red scaly, with a mangy tail. At the same time, Morty Parker himself suddenly became a superhero thanks to the experiments of the Professor: the spider was accidentally irradiated with radioactive waves in some Squanchy experiment and plunged its fangs into the boy's throat. This led first to the negative effects of the poison, such as dizziness and nausea, and the student immediately went home and went to bed. The next day, the boy was very surprised by his transformation: out of nowhere, he had an athletic physique, and his eyesight improved dramatically (the boy no longer needed glasses)! And the most interesting thing is that he could climb walls, shoot cobwebs from glands and regenerate. However, Morty only became Spider-Man after the death of Uncle Paul and his catchy line, "With great power comes great responsibility."

In his spare time, Parker did research and dug into the biography of one famous nuclear physicist, Rick Octavius. I wouldn't call it "stalking", it's just that Morty considers this person to be his idol..? He read every scientific article he created, watched every video related to scientists on his computer, and generally knew all the publicly available information about the professor. For Morty, Rick was like a breath of fresh air amid bullying classmates and life failures. He would definitely like to meet this noble scientist working for the benefit of mankind, but it was completely impossible. Although Morty once saved Octavius from some huge robot, but seeing your idol in the form of Spider-Man is not the same as seeing him in the form of an ordinary, unremarkable student. One day, Parker accidentally overheard Dr. Connors in a conversation with one person and found out that he and Rick were friends from a distance. Maybe this is a chance given by fate itself?

As for MJ (i.e. Mary-Jessica), she is an actress in her father's opera house. Her boyfriend Summer is the son of one of the greats - Jerry Osborne. The man has his own scientific corporation Ozcorp, which finances all the brilliant ideas of Rick Octavius (although Dr. Oct considers Jerry "a person far from the mind") and other scientists in general. Although this entrepreneur is not a very good father due to his dictatorial nature, he greatly appreciates Osborne Jr. And even Morty considers him a "second son" (of course, after the death of his uncle Paul Parker)! Therefore, he appoints good-natured meetings with the Parker family in his spare time. Summer and Morty used to be pretty good friends, but it's hard to tell now. Both of them loved Jessica, and one of them still achieved her, while the other was stuck in a muddy puddle. “Friendly” relations in this case are difficult to maintain. when Morty was celebrating his 18th birthday with Aunt Beth, Mary-Jessica and Summer, the latter nearly got into a fight with Parker. But he immediately came to his senses that they were, as it were, at a holiday, and in honor of his apology, he asked his father to allow Morty to Octavius, since the boy was buzzing Osborn Jr. about this with all his ears. . . Parker didn't know what surprised him more: Summer's raised voice at him or the long-awaited meeting with his idol.

In general, I kind of didn’t finish the story, but here I had to write about the Birdperson "Vulture".

What we have?

Morty Smith — Peter Parker

Beth Smith — Aunt May Parker

Paul — Uncle Ben Parker

Jessica — Mary Jane Watson

Jerry Smith — Norman Osborn

Summer Smith — Harry Osborne

Rick Sanchez — Otto Octavius

Birdperson — Vulture

Squanchy — Curt Connors

Daene Sanchez — Rosie Octavius

(Who is Paul? the man is on the right.)

+ I ordered art from one artist. Author: vrvarakknnn (vk)

[daytaker]

Obey Me! As the Russian Revolution (1917)

Disclaimer: This is all just for fun. I am not claiming that these characters are morally equivalent to these historical figures, some of whom did genuinely horrible things.

Vladimir Lenin - - - Solomon

After his brother was executed for revolutionary activity when Lenin was still a teenager, he became dedicated to the cause of socialism. He was single-mindedly and relentlessly pursued this goal for decades until he succeeded, at the expense of his own humanity. It was the concept of the revolution that motivated Lenin, not the individual people who might benefit from it. This justified the many innocent deaths that took place as a result of communist activities, both military and economic.

Solomon is a man of the people. He is a human for humans--no matter the cost. Generally, his view of humankind isn't concerned with the individuals in question, but for the destiny of the human world in relation to the seemingly more powerful Celestial and Demon worlds it coexists with.

Leon Trotsky - - - Satan

A wildly charismatic speaker who was perfectly willing to drop names and addresses. Young and happy to make both sacrifices and enemies in the name of the revolution, he spent some time in Siberia in exile before joining up with Lenin and others in London. He returned to Russia when the 1905 revolution began, and then was exiled to Siberia again when it fell flat. But he would not be stopped. No matter what it took, no matter how many times he would be forced to make his way back west from the tundra of Siberia, he WOULD see that the Revolution came about.

So this is probably my weakest case, which is funny because it was the first joke I made that inspired this weird little post. Of course, in the scenario I was joking about, I was comparing his failure to rally his brothers against Lucifer to Trotsky in 1905, but I mean. I'd buy Satan as a revolutionary any day of the week. Give him an individual to hate or a system to destroy and set him loose.

Also he kept getting stuck in the tundra. :/

Julius Martov - - - MC

A friend of Lenin, he became the leader of the Menshevik party when Russia's communists split into Bolsheviks (led by Lenin) and Mensheviks. The Mensheviks were the less radical group who favored more traditionally democratic methods of achieving power and were hesitant to reject dissenters and more willing to re-educate them.

Lenin remained friendly towards Martov, warning him ahead of time before Mensheviks were targeted by a political purge and trying to send him money while he lived in exile in Germany. Later in life, Lenin regretted losing Martov as an ally.

Tsar Nicholas II - - - Diavolo

Nicholas was not expecting to become the ruler of the country when he did. His father was hale and healthy, and Nicholas himself was on vacation, when his father suddenly died, leaving the throne to him. That's pretty much where the parallels stop, though. Nicholas was a cowardly and selfish ruler who struggled to empathize with his people and tended to agree with whoever spoke to him most recently.

But he's the emperor, so there's no getting around that.

Tsarina Alexandra - - - Lucifer

A German princess whose enthusiasm for her adopted Russian homeland was only matched by her subjects' dislike of her. She was extremely devoted to her family, sacrificing her reputation to keep Rasputin on board because she believed he could keep her son safe.

Grigori Rasputin - - - Barbatos

Ra-Ra-Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen, the all-knowing mystic counselor to the tsar, whose devotion was absolute, who was extremely tricky to kill, and who was said to prophesy his own death and the fall of the Romanovs.... Most of those things are untrue, but history is partly about what happened and partly about what people believe happened.

Felix Yusopov - - - Mephistopheles

Yusupov was the ringleader of the group of nobles who murdered Rasputin. Horrified by his cousin the tsar's public reliance on the clownish peasant Rasputin and wanting to uphold the power of the nobility over the rest of the citizenry, Yusupov and several friends invited Rasputin to his estates and killed him. Later, Yusupov capitalized on his reputation as the person who killed Rasputin, who was reviled by royalists, communists, and everyone in between, to escape violence from the Red Army. He also turned the tale of Rasputin's murder into a fishing story, where the fish became bigger and harder to kill with each retelling.

Alexander Kerensky - - - Does anybody really, really hate Barbatos? Or is there another angle that will make someone? Come on, fellow Obey Me! history nerds, I need your help.

Kerensky was the leader of the provisional government which was in power from the fall of the tsar in February until the October revolution by the Bolsheviks. He was prime minister from May to September, and not a particularly successful one.

Hating Rasputin was normal for people from all political ideologies, but Kerensky really hated Rasputin. He blamed him for Russia's involvement in and humiliating failures in World War I, urged assassins to kill him, and, after the February Revolution, even dug up his grave and burned his body.

(Yes, I recognize that there is a giant omission here, but I am not going to frivolously designate an anime boy as "Stalin".)

[gainprincess]

There are some things that one simply does not expect in life. Some things that one simply cannot expect in life, because they are so unusual and unlikely that it should not even enter one's field of thought.

There are many such things, of course.

The youngest Gorgon sister, Medusiana, becoming an obese, meaty, greedy bovine...is one of these things. A woman so powerful, taciturn, and focused, becoming a cow beyond the ken of any reasonable person...well, that's just flat-out ridiculous in its unlikelihood.

The Alter-Ego of Pleasure, Meltryllis, becoming an equally indescribable lardass alongside her...well, that's not even in the realm of viable thought. Meltryllis values her slim figure above all else, considering her body a hand-crafted masterpiece that exemplifies beauty. The idea that she'd give it up for Medusa, a woman that, while someone she is endeared to by appearance alone, she does not really know that well or particularly care about...it's deranged. Obscene. Utterly absurd in premise alone, let alone execution.

And yet.

Meltryllis can say that she's never smiled this much before. She's never been this pleased, this content, this happy with someone. Not before her Albrecht arrived. She calls Medusa Albrecht when indignant, horny, or lovestruck, and her name normally. So what if the man of her dreams is a woman? That doesn't matter. Medusa's more man than most actual men anyway, in her heart.

Medusa is her boyfriend now, and all that means is that they can go on as many dates as they want, and be together.

Medusa, for all her unending hunger and lust, agrees with that, at the very least. Her happiness derives from Melt's, and as long as that blubbery face is smiling, so to will her own.

It was very hard at first; Resisting the urge to just go full-glutton and achieve her newfound dreams at the expense of Melt's feelings. To just eat and eat and eat, letting the Alter-Ego either watch or snap up the remainders. But she didn't.

After all...love redeems. It does not fix. It does not save. It does not truly cleanse. But it does redeem.

Because, dear viewer, it must be restated that Medusa is insane. Irrevocably so. However, she is not evil because of it. She is merely more Berserker than Saber at this moment. And focusing that insanity on a single person, one that can handle it...well, that's something she'd like. She doesn't want to be evil, after all; just fat.

However, regardless of their focus shifting to 'lovey-dovey together time', they're still Heroic Spirits devoted to the survival of Humanity, despite this new priority.

So they've decided to hit two BBs with one Noble Phantasm.

How, you ask?

...

"WHAT THE HELL, ALBRECHT?! THAT WAS MY TABLE!"

Her incredibly-obese frame bumps against her lover's in indignance, sending the Saber wobbling into another bar table, taking the thing into her gaping maw like it was a damn thing of Jello. How dare her boyfriend be so good at this?! Gulping incredibly long, massive things is her thing now that they're together! This is bullshit!

"There's...BBBBBBBBWWEEEEEELLLLLLCCCCHHHHH!~...plenty more on the other side of the bar, beloved...I wouldn't dream of letting you become underweight, after all. Please do not fret. The Grail is in this bar as well, so we can consider this a final meal before the next Singularity."

"Hwwwhurrrppp...f-fine. But only because the Singularity's collapsing. The next one we go to needs to be a more modern one than this; I want a hotel for us. And room service..."

Ah, yes. Meltryllis and Medusa, after consuming Holy Grails, have gained the ability to Rayshift independently. It was less of 'their wish' and more of 'their default reward' for such a hedonistic act. It gave them what they really wanted: A chance to be together, while also not forsaking their respected Master and Humanity.

Using singularities both minute and massive, they warped to and from everything on Chaldea's lists, recovering whatever Grail was responsible, and either sending it back to their Master or just chomping it themselves. Medusa, for what it's worth, has turned this minor German singularity's grail into snake-ass already.

"Whatever you wish for, my love...you will be given. I promise.~"

...

"You're...HHURRRRRPPPPP...just as lovely as always, Albrecht...~"

"If...hfff..I am..it is only due to your support. Your affection. Your true, unshakable love for me."

She reaches out with a soft, hammy hand, cupping and stroking Melt's cheek as she murmurs at her. Lying in bed with Melt in some fancy penthouse post-coitus or post-meal is always her ideal time. Since they've finally found a modern city again...They get to have the most wonderful cuddles again.

"Medusa..."

It's this that makes Melt's numbed, bloated arms want to reach for Medusa. She wants so badly to just reach out and touch her Medusa, to feel such ponderous obesity for herself...to let her know that every inch of passion is returned, without having to say it in words. Her legs aren't much better, either, since the prosthetics she swaps into for close contact lack feedback receptors, meaning that she can't tell if she's brushing legs with Medusa, even if she wants to.

At times, it makes Melt hurt. It makes her heart throb to not be able to do all those things couples do non-verbally. Because her sadistic bitch of a mother thought it funny to ruin the parts of her that she felt would be unnecessary.

But when Medusa cups her cheek like that, and she feels their blubbery, gurgling guts ooze over one another...? It calms her back down again. The bottom-heavy hog-dancer's ass wobbles and WHAMCLAPs against itself as Melt snuggles closer into the other fatass's embrace. She has no chest to speak of, so the feeling of Medusa's engorged cow-chest mashing against her own is...invigorating.

"Hey...I'm here, alright?"

Medusa strokes her cheek again, pressing a soft kiss to Melt's forehead. Her other hammy hand rests itself around the bloated side-rolls of the Alter-Ego's stomach, kneading the doughy fat gently.

"Would you like me to get a breast out for you?"

"N-nononono, I'm alright...You filled me up plenty earlier."

She sighs wistfully, resting her lardy head on Medusa's heavy bust.

"I'm just...happy we get to be together like this at all, you know? I was afraid that...um. You wouldn't think I was pretty enough. Or you'd think I was just another Sakura. Or..."

Melt's voice trails off as she starts mumbling to herself. She's never really shared this much about her feelings with Medusa before. Her bad ones, anyway. The thoughts that eat away at her every time she feels those soft meaty arms wrap around her body.

"...You've been thinking about this for a while, I see...You've always felt this way, then? Since the first time I ate that Singularity for you?"

Melt's tiny nod is the only confirmation Medusa needs.

"Well, then let's start with the basics. When have I ever called you Sakura, Melt?"

"N-Never, but that's..."

"You're the beauty of Chaldea, the apple of my eye. You're Meltryllis, the Alter Ego of Pleasure, but you're also Meltryllis, the woman who would sacrifice everything for the sake of her love. You're Melt, the woman who I've had the pleasure of watching devour, consume, and digest anything and everything she views as a potential advantage to herself. You're Melt, the woman who I've seen fall flat on her blubbery gut more times than I can count, and most of the time, I have to help you up after."

"Medusa...!"

The embarrassed hissing doesn't register in Medusa's ears. She's already lost in her lovestruck monologue. Insanity can mean many things, but it USUALLY doesn't mean that one will become absorbed and obssessed by her lover's every action.

Medusa, however. Is very unusual.

"You're everything I do want, everything I will want, and everything I need. You are my Giselle, after all, yes? That means I must never leave you, or I'll suffer your vengeance after you've passed."

"...You know about that part of the play?"

"Well, you call me Albrecht quite often, so...I watched a few recordings, and read the novelization...Was I not supposed to?"

Medusa feels a twinge of regret. Has she erred so soon into their relationship?

"I'm so-"

"Nonononononoo, none of that angsty bull. I'm flattered and overjoyed that you took the time to learn about my favorite play, and I love you very much for that dedication, okay?"

Forcing herself forward to press a kiss to Medusa's soft lips, she sighs happily, feeling the Saber's fingers glide through her hair. She breaks the kiss, looking at Medusa with all the love a person can possess.

"My dear, sweet Albrecht."

"I love you too, my lovely, lonely Giselle. I'll make sure you'll never doubt my feelings again. In fact...shall we go exploring tomorrow?"

As Medusa's soothing words massage her brain, Melt feels tiredness start to take over her obese frame. In this tired state...she muses.

Maybe Medusa was always meant to beat her like this; To make her someone docile, agreeable, and happy. Maybe she's more like Prince Charming instead of Albrecht; Medusa would never bring her harm, after all.

"Mmmh...gnnaahhhh....Yeah, that...smack...that sounds nice. I'll...borrow some of Lambda's clothes...so we can have a real fun day in the town before we eat and locate the Grail..."

Her eyes flicker and blink, the stubborn Alter Ego wobbling in place in an attempt to stay awake a little longer. Sure, Medusa's all she sees when she closes her eyes anyway, but...she wants a bit more of the real thing...

"Albrecht...my sweet Albrecht...~"

That's the last thing Melt says before she closes her eyes one last time...and Medusa starts hearing peaceful snores from her blubbery love.

"Sweet dreams, Melt...I love you."

As she reaches over the hammy dancer, gently nipping at her ear when she shuts off the lights, she fantasizes about what they'll do tomorrow.

Her eternity with Meltryllis...

It's only just beginning.~

[thefernmanner]

"An Anthill of Words." Introduction to the Book of Sirach, "The Manner of the Fern."

The Book of Sirach, also known as Ecclesiasticus or the Wisdom of Sirach, was written between 200 and 175 BCE.

The book was written by Ben Sira, a Jewish scribe from Jerusalem. Ben Sira's full name was Yeshua ben Eleazar ben Sira, and he was also known as Jesus son of Sirach. 

A sirach is a type of fern. The etymology explains the Kabbalah behind the word. Kabbalah is a Jewish method for looking under the surface of a scripture. Scripture is not meant to be taken literally. The mind does not respond to literal instruction. Do this, don't do that, the ego will react to this with fear and conniving. Illustrations of moral, noble character traits are the only way to disarm the ego and train it how to be rational and humane in its reactions to the world and the churning and burning inside the mind and the anus penis marketplaces that sit below it:

"The difficult noun φρην (phren) originally, or most literally, described the lung(s) but in the overwhelming majority of its usages came to refer to a faculty of the mind, and specifically the imagined partition between the fluidic world of one's emotions and the dry land of one's words and rational thoughts — and rational thoughts are thoughts in words: deliberate, logical and constructive thoughts.

Since one's emotions were considered seated in the belly (κοιλια, koilia), and the ratio in the chest or heart (καρδια, kardia), our noun φρην (phren) mostly corresponds to the function of the midriff. In the Greek classics this word occurs only once in singular and elsewhere (including the New Testament) always in plural, which indicates that it not so much emphasizes the mere existence of the midriff but rather its perpetual reciprocating motion.

The act of contracting the midriff pushes the bowels down and expands the chest cavity, and we breathe in. The opposite is achieved by relaxing the midriff, which allows the bowels and abdominal muscles to push it back up again. And this is a big deal because the Greek word for inhaling gave us the word for soul, namely ψυχη (psuche), while the word for exhaling gave us the word for spirit, namely πνευμα (pneuma). And that means that our noun φρην (phren) is a very important word indeed.

Emotions are grouped together with the senses, and we share all these with the animals, who, like humans, have emotional cores and mouths to absorb raw food and the senses to absorb raw data; all to feed the emotional self. Despite popular contentions to the contrary, all animals have awareness and a sense of symbolism or else a male fruit fly wouldn't mate with a female fruit fly. All animals are vocal and all have vocal symbols (proto-words) between them, but only humans are truly verbal and create their very world, their human beehive, their human anthill from words."

A man who cannot use the words of a scripture properly to develop a proper spiritual core shall not look, feel, act, or accumulate success.

The Prologue

1 Many great teachings have been given to us through the Law and the Prophets 2 and the others[a] that followed them, 3 and for these we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. 4 Now those who read them must not only themselves understand them 5 but must also as lovers of learning be able through 6 both speaking and writing to help the outsiders. 7 So my grandfather Jesus, who had devoted himself especially 8 to the reading of the Law 9 and the Prophets 10 and the other books of our ancestors 11 and had acquired considerable proficiency in them, 12 was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, 13 so that by becoming familiar also with his book[b] those who love learning 14 might make even greater progress in living according to the law.

15 You are invited, therefore, 17 to read it 16 with goodwill and attention 18 and to be indulgent 19 in cases where we may seem 20 to have rendered some phrases imperfectly, despite our diligent labor in translating. 21–22 For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same effect when translated into another language. 23 Not only this book, 24 but even the Law itself, the Prophets,[c] 25 and the rest of the books 26 differ not a little when read in the original.

Thus begins the Book.