#especially in the name of his children

[atropinenightshade]

so so so this far fetched story fanfic where Rafal's daughter protects her cousins and realizes that her "good" dad had done some evil shit and he's also a sadist and egotistical but also maybe he really loves her so it's hard for her to kill him. which one's love and which one's guilt trip? rafal is also responsible for the death of his other daughter. indirectly.

seers say she will kill him eventually but then she finds Midas who also is torn. and it's this complicated situation where either she or midas will kill him but both of them do it.

and Rafal is just borderline bland when he gets killed as if he borderline expected no better. and maybe he was sorry, most likely he wasn't.

[thealdersgateoffice]

The Slow Horses (and Jackson Lamb) missing Slough Houses’s mother hen Catherine Standish 🐌🐎

[umbrellajam]

y'know what let's do it. have Jack Drake accused of murdering Janet for a different flavor of drama and whump

he was in a coma and then wheelchair-bound for weeks/months after the incident you say? he was FAKING, it was all arranged, a ploy to appear helpless and sympathetic, how else could he have woken up and recovered so smoothly from the same poison that killed his wife

new evidence is produced of a suspicious payment trail from before the hijacking, leading from Jack's DI funds to accounts that appear connected to the Haitian cult/cartel responsible for the Drakes' kidnapping and Janet's tragic demise

the widow of the Drakes' personal secretary, Jeremy Whatzizlastname, and other employees all come forward and wag their tongues about the alarming frequency and escalation of the fights between the deceased and her aggressive, belligerent husband in the lead-up to that final fateful trip - how they were openly arguing about divorce

mysteriously, this relentless mud-slinging media blitz only begins after Drake Industries starts to go downhill and CEO Phil Marin comes under investigation for embezzlement/insider trading...

since it's post-NML the scandal blows up even further. the press hounds young Tim Drake, the iconic NML Kid known to all as the face of re-opening Gotham after the quake. muckrakers gleefully tear apart the recent image of a desperate, loving father who was broadcast on national television putting all his resources and influence toward bringing his lost son home

...actually. doesn't Drake Industries going broke happen right in the middle of Bruce Wayne: Murderer? (checks notes) aha, Robin #100 so lmfao yes, it does.

GOOD EXCELLENT PERFECT, Tim's father figures can both be accused of murder simultaneously 😈 and then the Bats have to divide their efforts and resources between exonerating Robin's dad and attempting to clear the civilian name of an infuriatingly uncooperative Batman…

[my-name-is-apollo]

Why is Hera so hostile to Leto in a manner that she isn't with the other lovers of Zeus? I can't think of any other woman who was targeted so much by Hera. One could say she didn't want Leto to give birth because her children would be a competition to Hera's children, but why bother her even after she had already given birth? Is it because Leto herself is also a threat to Hera?

Sort of I guess?

I don't think Leto would ever be a threat to Hera's role as the queen of the gods but Hera might see her as a competitor for Zeus' affection, even though I think Zeus would not marry someone else and replace Hera.

The twins are definitely a big reason why Hera begrudged Leto - it is outright stated in the Callimachus Hymn to Delos that the reason Hera especially targeted Leto was because she was told that Apollo would be dearer to Zeus than Ares is. Zeus is very proud of Artemis as well. As he himself puts it, he doesn't mind facing Hera's wrath for children like her.

But the continued hatred even after the birth of the twins (like sending Tityus to rape Leto) could have been for different reasons. This wasn't like one of those affairs Zeus would have with mortal women where he'd leave them behind once the child is conceived. Neither could Hera, despite her many attempts, get rid of Leto like she did with the other lovers. Not only did Leto give Zeus children that he loves dearly, she also stayed on Olympus despite Hera's hatred towards her (which isn't directed to any of Zeus' other divine mistresses, btw). It might have also been because Leto herself is dear to Zeus, if the way she's treated on Olympus is any proof. In the Homeric hymn to Apollo, Leto stands next to Zeus - in the Olympian assembly - to welcome their son. Hera is completely absent from the scene, as if Leto had taken her place even if temporarily. Now you could say this is because Apollo himself is such a powerful and glorious son in a way that no other son of Zeus is, so of course Leto would get such an honor (the hymn itself presents it this way).

But here's another instance - in the Iliad, when Hera goes to seduce Zeus, he is obviously very smitten but before getting into the action, he lists some of his lovers (I believe these were his favorite lovers, as a lot of others are not mentioned):

"for never has such desire for goddess or mortal woman so gripped and overwhelmed my heart, not even when I was seized by love for Ixion’s wife, who gave birth to Peirithous the gods’ rival in wisdom; or for Acrisius’ daughter, slim-ankled Danaë, who bore Perseus, greatest of warriors; or for the far-famed daughter of Phoenix, who gave me Minos and godlike Rhadamanthus; or for Semele mother of Dionysus, who brings men joy; or for Alcmene at Thebes, whose son was lion-hearted Heracles; or for Demeter of the lovely tresses; or for glorious Leto; or even for you yourself, as this love and sweet desire for you grips me now.’ (Book 14, trans. A. T. Murray)

Notice how when talking about most of them, he also mentions the children they bore to him but when Demeter and Leto are mentioned, he doesn't bring up their children at all despite them being some of the most accomplished kids of his. What's more, he takes Leto's name just before Hera's. I mean, this is an interpretation but it looks like not only did Zeus love Leto the most out of all his mistresses - giving her a place second to that of his wife, but also his love for her wasn't necessarily only because she gave him two amazing children.

Nonnus does something similar in the Dionysiaca (but this time Zeus is enamored with Persephone instead of Hera) but more notably, when Typhoeus attacks Olympus and Zeus is discouraged, Nike takes the form of Leto to encourage him and it's pretty telling of what Leto meant to Zeus.

One interesting similarity between Hera and Leto is that they both had a giant try to rape them. Porphyrion tried to violate Hera (Zeus inspired him to do this) and Tityus tried to violate Leto (upon Hera's order). Though both of them were killed, only Tityus got an eternal punishment in Tartarus of having his liver/heart eaten out by vultures so Zeus seems to have taken a greater offense at Tityus trying to assault Leto.

Again, I don't think Zeus would ever take anyone other than Hera as his permanent wife - she is irreplaceable to him. There's an entire myth about Hera leaving him and Zeus winning her back. Their relationship is obviously complex and involves all kinds of emotions including love and hate. But Leto is continually dear to him as well and that's something Hera can't do much about.

[nereidof40k]

Lenore now has a backstory written up.

TW: Nostramo fucked-up-ness.

One sunless winter day in 884.M30 as the Imperium of Man counts time, on the dreary world of Nostramo, two children were born. As happens all over the galaxy.

(Later estimated to be 980.884.M30 by Imperial archivists)

These two would turn out to be linked. The first, in City’s Edge, Hive Quintus, was the later to be infamous Jago Sevatarion. Unaware of his checkered future. But what he had was a mother.

The second, in a towering gothic castle outside of Nostramo’s teeming hive cities was a blonde girl saddled with the name of Anastasia Eleanor Victoria Erzsebet Voronina. (Later preferred the shortened form Lenore.)

Unusually decanted from a Drukhari cloning vat by one of the feared Haemonculi. According to the wishes of one Count Vladimir Alexander Gabriel Voronin, the lord of the castle. Who had decided on this course of action due to the sheer impossibility of finding a wife lacking in the curiosity to go poking around his secret rooms.

A man cannot be spending his life on lavish weddings when there is work to do, as he would remark.

His daughter was mostly left to be raised by servants until she was old enough to be of use in his schemes.

What neither the Drukhari nor the Count knew was that the wrong infant had been delivered.

Having more genetic material than needed, the Drukhari had made several infants. While this girl certainly had the Count’s genes, the other parent was the Primarch Sanguinius. Moreover, the Haemonculus had infused this child with a shard of the Aeldari God of War, wrath, destruction and murder, Kaela Mensha Khaine. Khaine the Bloody Handed. Making her 1/3 Nostraman, 1/3 Primarch and 1/3 Aeldari.

Illicit substances may have been involved in the confusion, as well as an inability to tell mon’keigh infants apart.

Lenore, being who she was, frequently slipped away from home to explore. On one such trip, she met the young boy Jago Sevatarion. Who found her takedown of a would be mugger to be intensely interesting.

Nostraman men seem to be genetically incapable of resisting women capable of killing or grievously wounding them.

One trip because many, the pair becoming inseparable.

On one such occasion, Jago presented his friend with a knife, the handle fashioned from the arm bone of a would be trafficker, known to deal in slaves. (Count Voronin was not best pleased to lose one of his associates)

This was the last time the two met, as the Count had become aware that his dear daughter had been straying outside his castle. Fortunately for Sevatarion, and the Night Lords’ future common sense, he had not found his daughter’s suitor. Nor that she had one.

Upon Lenore’s return, she was thrown in the dungeon, until the Drukhari could be contacted to force compliance. (Maybe he should have asked the Imperium, as the Astartes indoctrination would have done the job. He was out for blood, though.)

As a result of the Haemonculus’ tender mercies, the implanted shard of Khaine triggered, fully fusing with Lenore to become something more. Going on a godly killing rampage through the burning castle, Lenore came across her uncle, the Count’s twin brother, Adrian Mihail Wilhelm Voronin. He had long desired to wed his brother’s daughter, trying to force her compliance at sword point. Leading to Lenore getting her throat slit. Not that it would kill her at this point. But it was clear that she needed to train to master her abilities.

Purposely falling from the castle buttresses into the moat infested with carnivorous fish, Lenore let her uncle believe she had passed. Fleeing Nostramo, she found it difficult to hide, due to the changes wrought by the merger with a part of an Aeldari god. Additionally the Drukhari were pursuing her as well, finally having realized where their misplaced weapon had been.

The pointed ears were somewhat possible to hide, but the giant black feathered wings from Sanguinius were a different matter. Requiring Lenore to cut her own wings off on a regular basis to avoid detection. Especially after she joined the Great Crusade as an Archivist. The wings always grow back within a short time. But she could not afford to stand out. Not without allies.

[asgardian--angels]

....

[coatl-cuddles]

PLEASE infodump to me, how do we know for a fact the skiddo in the trailers and concert is the prince? I am starved for Alef lore

💫 HAYYY~~~~ 💫

I will GLADLY info dump about my favorite sky kids!!

SPOILER WARNING FOR ANYONE WHO HASNT COMPLETED AURORA!

Obligatory nothing is absolutely confirmed in sky unless stated by creators since there's no dialogue. So lots of stuff is always up to interpretation.

Howeverrrr the likelihood of Alef being the sky kid we see is essentially 99.9%!!

So here we go!!!

First thing to note is that the spirit from isle and the concert is totally the same Sky Kid. And we can tell thanks to MAMA Spirit! Or well- the adoptive mama spirit! More specifically... the adoptive mama spirit who unfortunately dies :(

One of the FIRST spirits in the game is a feminine looking ancestor with a relatively high pony tail, who discovers a fallen sky child (likely to be Alef)! This occurs in the Isle of Dawn!

Then, in the concert, we get a similar looking spirit ( high ponytail ) who ALSO took in a sky child-- who dies tragically :( leaving the sky child orphaned and alone.

Granted it is a different body type!!! But considering the amount of retcons and redesigns of areas / updates to the game around this time I'll look past it for now. But regardless, ponytail stays the same.

And of course lastly is our mama from the trailers with our Dawn Ember :(

Who is also wearing a bag on her shoulders like the aurora spirit (you can see the rope strap!)- and who also tragically loses her life as confirmed by TGC during the anniversary livestream. This can be found when they state it's the tale of two ORPHANS... implying our Dawn Ember does not have a guardian. Or at least not anymore. (Which also implies our Dusk Ember/The Stewards parents who gave him the butterfly pendant ALSO die, but that's for another time)

Something to note is that Sky Kids and ancestors are NOT the same race. They are completely different. Ancestors do have children!! But Sky Kids are a separate thing.

And they're rare.

Very rare.

So rare in fact that it's heavily believed by the fandom that Alef/Resh was the FIRST sky kid.

So the likelihood of two different pony tailed ancestors (who live in the Isle of Dawn AND who die tragically) adopting a sky kid is SUPER UNLIKELY!

So that's how we vaguely know it's the SAME Sky kid. BUT!! Most importantly, we know the Sky Kid is Alef forrrrr kinda shallow reasons, but they hold water!!! So it counts!!!

Which is basically to sayyyy... Dawn Ember is wearing a baby version of King Resh's mask.

So like- not the most GROUND BREAKING lore reveal. But---

Like-

Yeah,

That's our favorite star prince right there!

Also the implication that he got the extra four points AFTER prophecy, explains why as a kid he only has the main 4 points at the top and sides. Plus he already has suspiciously placed "cracks" in his mask where the 4 other points will come out of. That's our baby boy for sure!!!

Obviously, this isn't concrete proof of tgc just going HEY that's Alef!

However, for a game with zero dialogue and the most complex game of charades ever, this is basically as good as it's gonna get when it comes to tying everything together!

Also his name is Dawn.

Dawn Ember. For isle of Dawn. Which took me until 5 minutes ago to realize.

Which explains a lot, because we've all been kinda side eyeing the names like why tf did they name Hopeful Steward the Dusk Ember. But, if they're naming them off of AREAS and not literally the day/night motif that makes sense. Especially since a ton of Dusk Embers trailer scenes seem to take place in Wasteland, which the devs call the Dusk area. Despite him probably being from prairie or aviary village.

So badabing badaboom that's our baby boy right there!!! 3 different ways. 3 different flavors!!! All for the sake of mama spirit dying. Tragic. But that's our boy alrighttttt yayyy!!!!!!!!

Watch me be totally 100% wrong and all the fanart make zero sense a couple months from now. BUT IM DYING ON THIS HILL (for now!)

🎉🎉 That's our Prince right there!! 🎉🎉

[finitevariety]

Umberto Eco (1995) 'Ur-Fascism', New York Review of Books, 2/14

[lovesickeros]

putting my thoughts under the cut in case people dont want to spoil themself on arle voicelines

currently obsessed with the view our current harbingers have of the Tsaritsa. both childe and arlecchino greatly respect her even if arlecchino is dubiously loyal to the Tsaritsa at best. they both talk about her as a figure who is gentle and compassionate, completely at odds with both the organization she allows to commit horrible acts (dottore. its a lot of dottore. he canonically took children from the hoth under the old knave if they were no longer considered "useful" and used as test subjects). shes described as someone with no love left for her people yet the harbingers we've heard talk about her never seem to describe her in such a manner. of course, childe mentions she had to harden herself to complete her goal, but he still notes that shes too gentle. the more we learn about her the more i want to meet her purely because she is contradictions all the way down and its great!!! taking whatever scraps i can get and its perfectly in line with my characterization too so i stay winning

[mishy-mashy]

WE GOT EN'S FULL NAME AND VIGILANTE/HERO NAME!!!! YEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

[wildflowercryptid]

the daughter of the king, xerneas's beloved child... she loved all pokémon, but floettes were undoubtedly her favorite...

[somnus-in-law]

out of context, Bruce Wayne is a prime example of a serial white savior adopter.

[oifaaa]

Does Janet and Martha become heros in the future

Janet does Martha on the other hand well youngest siblings are usually the more rebellious ones

[vivanightcity]

Remade that attempt at an elf-blooded character from before using the mod that adds human head presets into elven cc. Now he can have more half-elfy ears (canon lore get fucked)

Changed him up a little bit.

Only name he knows atm is Aurelio (actually given the name Yanick by his mom, but that wasn't allowed to stick) born into slavery in Tevinter, gifted to a member of the Ambassadoria (from a once more highly regarded noble family, which once even had members on the assembly, but lost that standing, and now play at lyrium mining lobbying with Tevinter)

Got left behind with the rest of the less valuable stuff when darkspawn attacked when traveling around the deep roads, rescued by wardens and was already blighted, very much the join or die anyways moment.

Mage, but really didn't know shit about combative or defensive magic. Only practical things for around a home, some healing, and some flashy entertaining elemental stuff. He can juggle, and does frequently fidget with the magic orb contact juggling style.

Going to grow his hair out over the course of the game - if I can actually be fucked to play it through - and I'm thinking Taash for a romance.

[an-incoherent-mess]

So I'm really into genealogy and have been for a few years now and I'm blessed with being really good with names and dates etc. So in conversation I can remember like a ridiculous amount of:

Jane Doe Smith Johnson

b. 1805 Tennessee d. 1879 Missouri

Married 1828 to John Patrick Johnson. Had five children. Died of TB

Etc etc

And that's cool enough apparently but I've mostly been using it for

A. Making up bullshit but real sounding names for stuff (i.e my name is Emily Stewart, Grace Kolár, etc). The point is that they're normal sounding and varied.

B. Having a bizarre frame of reference for historical events. Like "oh [small town],[state] 1942 had [random] event happen? My 1st cousin 4x removed got married there that year, small world!"

It's so dumb, like I'll read about some historical event from my area (where I've had family in the vicinity of since the 1840s) and I'll link up the time frame in my head and be like hmm... I wonder what 3rd great aunt Helen thought about that happening next door to her church.

[swallowtail-ageha]

Head empty thoughts full of the antigone incest essay