#german pirate history

[illustratus]

Charlemagne anxiously observes the approach of ships carrying Norman raiders by Alphonse de Neuville

[silverdragonoid]

I'm bad at decisions so I need some help. My collection of cacti and succulents currently consists of 20 cute babies, of which some are 10 years old, but I never gave them names. But I think it's time to change that, I just can't settle on a naming convention.

I tend slightly towards knights because I'd already know what to call my oldest and fav one, but rly anything would be cool. Feel free to also leave suggestions<3

[thegreatyin]

im honestly not sure why the scoundrel hates the ocean so much. it's not like it's any more or less particularly dangerous (and/or horrifying) in comparison to any other areas of the neath they love visiting. what is their problem

[dirjoh-blog]

The Edeleweiss Pirates-The proverbial pain in Himmler's aSS

The Edelweiss Pirates, or Edelweißpiraten, were a group of loosely organized German youth who stood in open defiance of the Nazi regime during the Third Reich. They played a unique, if often overlooked, role in resisting Nazi authority, fighting against conformity, and supporting anti-fascist efforts. Although they were not as coordinated or ideologically unified as other resistance groups, the…

[aubrey-shifts]

does anyone want to be shifting friends? my main dr is marauders but i have over 40 including but certainly not limited to a fame dr, a percy jackson dr, a doctor who dr, a fantasy dr, a bridgerton dr, a harry potter dr and an ancient world dr!

(i don't support jk rowling btw i'm trans myself)

list of other drs under break:

- a steampunk world

- ancient rome (i visited pompeii once and was fascinated)

- call me by your name but NOT bc i condone the author or rly like the characters or anything but js because that PLACE.

- druck (a fairly obscure german tv show)

- magnus chase where i'm in valhalla

- medieval dr where i'm a traveller and get to see what the world was like (because in history class you mainly learn about the politics/lives of the royals/aristocracy, but i wanna know what everyone else's lives were like)

- warped tour 2005 (my inner emo kid never stopped being sad that warped tour was discontinued)

- boarding school dr (a school that i made up with cool subjects like fashion design class and with rly cute uniforms)

- pirate dr because why not

- good omens dr

- dr where i get to be in this one house that i dreamt up one day that would be my perfect house

- dr based on an original story i have (i can't WAIT to go to this one and meet my ocs)

- suits dr (like, the tv show)

- jet lag the game dr (it's this one silly travel competition show on youtube and it seems like so much fun to participate in)

- old bollywood dr (i'm indian)

[skaldish]

The archetype of the viking warrior was inspired by real vikings the same way as the archetype of the spellcasting wizard was inspired by real occultists.

And like wizards, it's a fantasy trope.

Yes, vikings existed in the sense that sea-rading Norsemen existed. But the image of vikings as these ruthless, long-haired, intimidating, ax-weilding warriors bound by oath and noble cause, actually comes from the Varangian Guard: the personal bodyguards of the Byzantine Emperor.

The members of the Varangian Guard were extremely formidable warriors and famous for their loyalty. They also consisted almost exclusively of Norseman for many centuries (due to their size, I bet). And though the Varangians would fight to the death for their loyalties, their loyalties were not with their country or gods like we envision with the trope of the viking warrior: It was with the Christian Emperor of Constantinople.

Unlike the vikings, the Varangian Guard was also a true warrior class. The vikings were pirates first and foremost, and while fightinf skills benefited their expeditions, equating them to the Varangian Guard is a bit like equating bandits to the marines.

I think the "warrior" aspect got tied to vikings due to the fact they're often portrayed as defenders of the Old Ways, standing their ground against the rise of Christianity. While this is certainly romantic, this is yet another fantasy trope.

The idea that vikings pillaged out of hatred for Christianity has its roots in the famous sacking of Lindisfarne monastery in 793. The monks painted this incident as a hate crime against Christianity, but it's far more likely that the vikings raided the monastery because it was undefended and filled with treasure. Either way, this is likely where their reputation of being blatantly anti-Christian came from.

This switched from being a vile thing to a noble one more than a millenium later, starting when the German Romantics reimagined the vikings as warriors. No longer where they antagonistic invaders, but a people defending their way of life from the chaos of a changing world.

The viking warrior exists in the sense that the trope exists. What makes it feel real is the fact that the trope is a shared cultural experience; we all agree that this is what "a viking" looks like. But the fact we all know and recognize this archetype doesn't mean the archetype was ever a real-life thing.

It's like how we all know "the history of King Arthur" even though he was never a real person.

[mapsontheweb]

Migrations and invasions in Eurasia from 4th to 6th centuries

"Atlas historique Larousse", Georges Duby, 1978

by cartesdhistoire

In the fourth century, Eurasia is dominated by the four great empires of China, Indian (Gupta), Persian (Sassanid) and Roman, well defended by natural obstacles (mountains of Central Asia and the Caucasus) or artificial (Great Wall of China, Roman Limes). But at their borders rush many barbaric peoples, who sometimes even enter their territories as federates: nomads breeders of the Asian steppes (Xianbei of Manchuria, Xiongnu in the northwest of Huanghe); pastoral peoples of the Middle East (Lakhmids, Rhassanids) and North Africa (Blemmyes, Berbers); hunters, ranchers or farmers of European forests and clearlands (Germany); fishermen pirate from the shores of the North Seas and Ireland (Scots, Pictes, Germans).

In the 4th century, a possible climate degradation, perhaps a population growth resulting in a pastoral overload of immutable yield pastures, throw these peoples on the assault of grain empires. To the east, the Xiongnu seize Luoyang, the capital of the Jin Dynasty, and Emperor Jin Huaidi in 311, before being eliminated by the Sien-pei clan of the Murong, then by the Tabghatch (Tuoba), founders of the Wei kingdom that dominated Northern China until 534-581.

In the heart of Eurasia, the Xiongnu push slips the Hephthalite Huns from the Altai towards Central Asia, then throws them on the assault of the Sassanid and Gupta Empires, at the junction of which they hold until about 565. West at last, the advancement of these same Xiongnu pushes Huns and Germains into four successive waves within the Roman Empire, starting at 375. In 476, this one was erased even in the West, where the invaders established barbaric kingdoms.

Thus emphasizes the deep unity of the history of Eurasia, whose great empires succumbed at the same time under the blows of the steppe peoples in search of spaces capable of ensuring their livelihood.

[aspartame-parent]

Random X-Men Headcanons!

Me and my friend have compiled a lot of headcanons for the X-Men (mainly formulated from jokes) so I wanted to put some here! A few of these are headcanons, most are jokes lol

Kurt listens to really peppy music when he's upset, the main one being the Beach Boys. Just imagine him, poor little German boy, singing Surfin' USA tiredly, trying to turn his mood around.

Erik listens to girly pop music, mainly Katy Perry and Ke$ha. Why? Because it's funny. Let him be girly pop.

Scott tells a lot of jokes but he's deadpan so people can never really tell. Like sometimes he'll just say some insane shit, plain faced, and see how the others react.

Dancing headcanons! Remy is a very good dancer, being particularly prolific in swing dancing. Logan somewhat refuses to dance, but he can line dance. Morph doesn't know how to dance, but they act like they can, dancing like a drunk white girl. Scott and Jean like to dance in private, but Scott gets nervous to dance in front of others. Ororo can bust that shit down.

Scott tries not to laugh when he, or someone else, is doing a bit. Like he tries not to break as he jokes along, to the point where he has to stop talking to not smile, biting inside of his mouth.

Furthermore! He also has a loud laugh, and people get a little caught off guard when they hear it. Me and my friend have described his laugh as a goose honk sound.

Kurt gaslights for fun, and he can get everybody pretty good, except Scott and Jean. You may think "oh because Jean's a telepath, right?" No, because--

Scott and Jean gaslight each other for fun, and they formulate these fake, big arguments, just as a bit. So, they're very familiar with gaslighting tactics, being they lie to each other as a joke, so when Kurt tries to, they immediately meet him-- A little too well, because Kurt is used to just messing with people.

Scott will occasionally freak people out by lowering his glasses (keeping his eyes closed of course). Like someone says "Hey, take a look at that." and he'll lower his glasses and go "Where?!" as a joke.

Everyone loves Kurt. Like, everyone. If Kurt doesn't like someone, everyone has a distaste for them as well.

Jean refers to her own psychic abilities as her "Jedi Mind Tricks"

This one isn't really a headcanon, just a running gag me and my friend do, but something bad will happen, or something inconvenient, and Remy will go "Don't worry.", insistently. Like a loud explosion can go off, and Remy will just say "Don't Worry." Occasionally this will be lengthened to "Don't what? Worry!"

We don't call Leech by his name. We call him Gneep Gnorp. That's it.

Kurt and Remy are super close (as pseudo brother in laws) and they hang out a lot, also doing that guy thing where they flirt with each other as a joke.

No one likes Emma. That's it.

Scott is autistic.

Warren is well manicured. He always has his hair just as he likes it, his wings always preened, his clothes always ironed. He'll a snazzy lookin' fella.

Rogue is a great singer. This barely a headcanon, her voice actress literally put out a song "Mojo Man (Ode to Remy LeBeau)", go listen to it.

Kurt's very coy and playful. Like, "Staaahhppp, hehe!" He also laughs at his own jokes all the time, like he cracks himself up.

Music headcanons! Here's just a few of the ones we made-- Scott likes dad rock obviously, mainly soft rock and folk rock (The Beatles, Hall & Oates, The Beach Boys, CSNY), Logan likes harder rock (Metallica, Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden), Morph likes new wave and glam rock (Oingo Boingo, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Tears For Fears), Remy likes a fun mix of jazz, country, and soul, with a little rock sprinkled in (Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Billie Holiday, Queen), Jubilee likes a lot of pop, pop-rock, that sorta thing (Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, ABBA, Wham!)

Kurt has a lil hyperfixation on pirates and ships-- this is kinda canon in the comics. But he loves talking about pirate history and ships and misconceptions.

I'm sure there's a bunch of ones I can't remember but there ya go lol

thanks to @the-death-defying-night-crawler for being funny and making these with me lol

[coochiequeens]

“Section 183 of the Criminal Code only applies to men. If a man uses self-ID to become a woman, he can no longer commit a criminal offense for exhibitionism.” - criminal defense attorney Udo Vetter

If a community is truly oppressed I would think that they would be opposed to any law that would give perverts a legal loophole in their name. But then I've been saying for years that the TQ+ community needs to clean house.

By Marielena Meder September 19, 2024

A trans-identified male from Troisdorf, Germany, is facing charges after attacking multiple women in two disturbing incidents involving knives and exhibitionism. But a debate is now raging in court as legal experts weigh whether the man, who identifies as a “woman,” can be charged with exposing his penis, a crime only males can be prosecuted for.

The man, 56, is scheduled to stand trial in Bonn for threats and grievous bodily harm related to two incidents, one from 2021 and one from 2022. Due to Germany’s strict privacy laws, the man’s full name has not been released, but he will be referred to as “Klaus” for the purposes of this article.

In August of 2021, Klaus followed a woman home and attacked her while she was at her front door. Klaus is alleged to have grabbed her from behind and held a knife to her throat while he wrangled her boots off. The woman fought back, suffering cuts to her neck and hands, and was able to send her attacker fleeing thanks to her loud cries for help. Klaus was wearing women’s clothes at the time of the attack, and is said to be a women’s shoe fetishist.

The next year, in December, Klaus exposed his penis to two women on a train. The regional court in Bonn must now decide whether this was a sexual offense, as Section 183 of the German Criminal Code only imposes a fine or a prison sentence to men for exhibitionistic acts. Because Klaus is legally considered “female,” he may avoid this charge entirely.

The uncertainty is the result of Germany’s recently-passed gender self-identification law, which is considered by many to be the most relaxed legislation of its kind in the world. In 2022, well-known criminal defense attorney Udo Vetter warned about the impact the law would have on criminal proceedings, writing on social media that: “Section 183 of the Criminal Code only applies to men. If a man uses self-ID to become a woman, he can no longer commit a criminal offense for exhibitionism.” 

The verdict on whether Klaus can also be convicted of exhibitionism is expected within the next two months.

Klaus has an extensive criminal history stretching back years. According to the General-Anzeiger, which referred to Klaus as a “woman,” a reading of his past criminal record took the court over two hours.

In October of 2008, Klaus attacked a 52-year-old woman, violently pulling her to the ground and sitting on her so he could rip her boots off her legs. According to a news article on the incident, Klaus admitted to becoming aroused when he put the boots on after fleeing to a nearby forest. During the subsequent police search, investigators found a whole collection of women’s boots at his home. 

The next year, he attacked a 54-year-old woman who was heading home from carnival celebrations dressed as a female pirate in order to steal her boots. When she fought back, he strangled her, cut her face with a knife, bruised her upper body, and fled. He claimed at the time that he had only been able to commit the assault because he had been allowed to walk free from his 2008 crime.

Klaus was ultimately sentenced to two years and four months in prison after being convicted of aggravated extortion and grievous bodily harm. At the time, the court also recommended he be confined to a permanent placement in a psychiatric institution after hearing expert testimony from a psychiatrist who labeled him dangerous and at risk of escalating his behavior to more serious acts of violence.

On the witness stand, Klaus reported that his obsession with women’s footwear had started with his mother’s clothes, and, when he was just 19 years old, he attacked a woman to steal her boots. His parents are said to have sent him to therapy in vain. 

His stay in the psychiatric clinic lasted around 7 years and, while confined to the facility for his criminal convictions, Klaus changed his legal sex and received breast implants. Disturbingly, due to the laws in place at the time, Klaus would have had to receive the approval of two mental health professionals to proceed with his legal sex change.

Germany’s new Self-Determination Act (SBGG) comes into effect in November. The law, which was met by overwhelming backlash from women’s rights campaigners, established “gender identity” as a protected characteristic and allows parents to change the sex marker on their children’s documents from birth. The SBGG also creates the potential for citizens to be fined up to €10,000 (approx. $11,500 USD) for revealing a person’s given name and birth sex without their permission – an action that trans activists staunchly oppose and refer to as ‘deadnaming.’

The SBGG allows individuals to change their legal sex and name without any diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and does not discriminate against those with criminal records. Even convicted sex offenders such as rapists, pedophiles, exhibitionists and voyeurs can easily change their legal sex and first name at a registry office. 

[aradiyatoys]

🎉 [NEW PATTERN RELEASE] 🎉

A Pirate and his loyal companion, Parrot 🦜 embarked on an extraordinary adventure in the Mini Kingdom 👑 Guided by an ancient map, they set sail on their Majestic Ship 🛳️ in search of a legendary treasure. Through stormy seas 🌊 and mystical lands, they encountered thrilling challenges, but their unwavering determination led them to a hidden island 🏝️ Deep within a dense forest, they discovered a magnificent Treasure Chest adorned with intricate carvings. As they opened it, a dazzling array of jewels, golden trinkets, and ancient artifacts sparkled before their eyes. Overwhelmed with joy, they returned to their Ship, sailing back to the Mini Kingdom to share their spoils and tales of their epic journey, forever leaving their mark in its history. Some claim they encountered a real Mermaid 🧜🏻‍♀️ and an old man with a large fork on their way back, but it sounded too fantastical to believe, so it remained as just a legend!

Treasure Island 🏝️ – the sea-themed set of toys from the ‘Mini Kingdom’ collection. This pattern describes how to create the following four toys: Pirate, Parrot, Majestic Ship and Treasure Chest.

Sometimes I ask you which characters you’d like to see and a Pirate suggestion has come up frequently in your comments. What’s even more interesting is that I’ve been wanting to create one myself! The Ship was always a challenge, but not this time! Making something so unique was an enjoyable experience. I hope you’ll also have fun with this pattern! 🥰

The pattern is already available in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch in my shops! French and Ukrainian are coming soon! 🤗

Pattern -> https://etsy.me/3s9djFf 🤗

HUGE thanks to incredibly talented girls: Celine, Isa, MJ, Clarissa, Sabrina, Roberta, Sarah, Gwendoline and Liubov! 💛💙

[niamh-writes-things]

so, as an explanation, I'm going feral over these two and the fact that i have to wait 4 months for my tour date i also just finished an amazing (but uncompleted and orphaned ): ) fic set in the 50s so here's a list of the various fic ideas I've had over the past few months set in various points in history. i also organized them in chronological order for you!

1700s:

Dan is a pirate, and Phil is the son of a very rich merchant who was originally meant to be collateral damage. That was until dan took a liking to him and decided to give him a choice: stick with him and be a pirate, or be left somewhere for the spanish to get him (he probably tells some story about them ripping people’s guts out or smn). Luckily, Phil has always wanted to be a sailor. (in this dan already knows he likes men but phil doesn’t)

1800s:

Regency (1810s)-shorter, maybe a oneshot or only 2-3 chapters- dan and phil are both eligible bachelors at a ball, and after a bit too much champagne they kiss in a back room or something and it awakens something in both of them. Que a lot of sneaking around and stolen kisses

Late 1800s-Phil has various medical issues and has been sent to live by the coast for a bit to get better. Dan is supposed to take care of him and be a companion for walks to the beach and such.

1920s: 

Based on chicago- Phil has been wrongly accused of a crime, and Dan is the best lawyer in town. They fall in love and run away together.

performances-Dan is a pianist working in the nightclub that phil happens to bartend at. They get talking.

1940s: 

phil gets evacuated and has to live with dan -Phil,an ordinary teen boy from Manchester is being evacuated to  some tiny place down south to avoid getting blown up by a german bomb.Dan works on his father’s farm down south,and he isn’t too happy that he’s going to have to share his room with a northern evacuee. (i might have started writing this)

Post war- a boy turns up alone and afraid in the woods near Dan's home. He doesn’t remember anything, but the crows seem to like him an awful lot. (context, its a very fairytale-esque idea. phil was a prince of crows or something that got cursed to be human and doesn't remember anything. the fic includes them living their lives and phil slowly regaining his memory and eventually they both go to find whoever cursed him because they think it's what the other wants, only to have phil decide he wants to live out his days with dan instead, or alternatively, phil wasn't cursed, but dan wished to not be alone anymore so hard and whatever forces there are felt so bad for him that phil was turned from a bird to a human. both have the opportunity to be angsty. also, lets just pretend that phil has natural black hair.)

[dandelionjack]

re: the post below. fantasy vs reality

a discussion in the notes got me thinking about the recent trend (perhaps not the right word, maybe “tendency”) of communist/marxist bloggers on here, especially those concerned with decolonisation (as we all should be), to blanket-condemn all media which “romanticises” pirates, cowboys, knights, outlaws, and other “historical” (in quotes because, let’s be real, it’s more legend than history when we talk about the modern portrayal of these lifestyles) morally dubious yet immensely alluring occupations. there’s been this discourse spreading: the idea that somehow indulging in art which presents these figures in a generally positive or fun light is the same as being uncritical of manifest-destiny expansionism (i.e. the notion of the ‘wild west’ and an ‘untamed frontier’ is colonial), christian imperialism (since knights participated in the crusades) or even an apologist of the slave trade (because some pirates engaged in it).

to which i say, plainly, bollocks. if you’re 16 or younger, your critical thinking faculties are an untrained muscle, your media analysis capacity not yet switched-on, then yeah, you’re allowed to be susceptible to the inability to distinguish between what’s cool in fiction and what’s permissible in reality. any older than that, i start getting doubts. i question the frankly patronising notion that an adult with a basic understanding of history and politics is incapable of recognising when something fictional doesn’t map one-on-one onto the modern world, whether that be the mechanics of a story, the interactions between characters, the beliefs and goals which drive them, or the social mores and cultural norms (hierarchy of gender, race, nobility etc) which they accept as fact.

you should be able to hold (more than) two truths in your head simultaneously. you should be able to cheer when the knight pulls the sword from the stone and reclaims his long-denied royal heritage to become a well earned leader, and, at the same time, recognise that we live in the 21st century where monarchy is a long-obsolete, unjust and inhumane system of government. same as you’d readily accept that somebody in a novel can cast a spell, but you wouldn’t believe that a real guy could set a tree alight with his mind.

all fiction is fantasy because we don’t live in history. yeah, we have sources, but they’re not perfect. even the author attempting to be as accurate as possible will inevitably sneak in some tiny anachronisms, even if in language alone. medieval europe didn’t have potatoes. you will find potato stew boiling in every tavern in the fantasy pseudo-german towns your protagonists take a rest stop in. that’s fine. that’s normal. pirates in reality were mostly cruel hardened criminals with no respect for human life, which is why they gladly partook in slavery as well as pillaging and looting, anything for profit. pirates in a show can be kind, considerate, a rag-tag team of outcasts and freedom fighters with views that most correspond with modern anarchism. as long as you know the difference, as long as you’re not pretending that this fantasy is how historical events actually happened, it’s fine. you’re good. go watch your bridgertons.

make sure to stay prudent and always tell the difference, though. never ever fall into the trap of wanting to ‘retvrn’, and that goes towards ever cottagecore homesteader. let fiction remain fiction, and work to better the world.

[r0bita]

Princess Knight headcanons, speculations, and observations, because I have nothing else to do right now. This post got longer than intended.

Much... much longer...

Kingdoms and regions.

Even though both Goldland and Silverland are fictional, they may possibly be the fantasy counterparts to real European medieval/renaissance era kingdoms. Both England and Italy are mentioned in the manga as seperate locations, so it's safe to say that neither Goldland nor Silverland are situated in either of those countries.

A lot of French influences are found in Takarazuka revue and Takarazuka also inspired Princess Knight, among many other stories and characters written by Osamu Tezuka. By that logic, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that the main character's homeland, Silverland, is probably based on France. Aditionally, the French pronunciation of Sapphire is Saphir, a masculine word/name in the language. The word "sapphire" in general is a masculine word in romance languages. With that context in mind, it makes Sapphire's gender/naming less suspicious both in reality and in-universe.

Goldland is possibly based on Germany or even the Holy Roman Empire. Additionally, Franz and Heinrich are both german names. Franz, is the German version for "Francis", meaning freeman, frank, or Frenchman (interesting...). Heinrich is the German version of Henry, meaning home ruler or enclosed ruler (very interesting...).

Despite being from an another kingdom (exiled from birth?), Capt. Blood was raised most of his life in Italy (I keep thinking Sicily. If Goldland is the HRE then maybe??? Italian states, the papacy, and the HRE were not always on good terms throughout history. I shouldn’t over think this part too much...). Not surprisingly, he would be fluent in regional Italian, as well as multiple languages and dialects due to his upbringing by nobility and as a sea voyager. Italian varients of Heinrich/Henry would be Arrigo, Enrico, or Enzo, so those could probably be the names he grew up with. As a pirate starting off from the Italian coast, would he call himself Capitano Sangue or Sanguigno?

Hecate's family lives in Mt. Resin (no real mountain by that name seems to exist, as far as a quick internet search can show). It's possibly located within or near the alps, making the location close enough to both kingdoms possible real word locations. I also get a Spanish/Iberian vibe from Hecate and Mephisto and Madame Hell, like characters from a Francisco Goya painting.

I'm surprised there isn't a Bronzeland (unless it was mentioned in the old Ribbon Knight/Princess Knight anime and I completely missed that?)

However, I definitely remember the anime bringing up three sacred treasures in the form of Gold, Silver, and Bronze orbs/bells by the finale. Maybe there were hints to a third kingdom that never got fully addressed?

Characters Observations and Headcanons

Plastic's retains some of Sapphire's experiences on account of the heart switch situation. Maybe even some emotional responses... *cough* and her romantic interests *cough. Even though he proves to be very competent and more mature than he seems, he often worries that he still doesn't have a lot to show for in spite of EVERYBODY agreeing he's a very dependable and trustworthy person.

I'm pretty sure Hecate is the type to break the fourth wall if she wanted. She'd be the type to reference famous actors and popular movies in public. She could totally predict the future, and only choose to use that power for silly reasons.

Incidentally, both Plastic and Hecate are both on the same boat when it comes to their parents and circumstances. Both Plastic and Hecate's parents insist that what they do is for their children, even when their methods are clearly wrong and both Plastic and Hectare are insistent that not only are their parents actions unnecessary, but that it's more for their selfish wants than for their children's needs. Also the coincidence that they were both born/created without "hearts" is an interesting topic.

Franz and Sapphire are both characters that, because to their upbringing, have trouble figuring themselves out and fully trusting others. They are confident in their abilities, but not so much in believing they are worthy of them because of the high standards they must uphold. Thankfully, they are both sword maniacs and absolute dorks around each other, and in general. They'll be fine.

Sapphire functions by giving herself comands. "If I must be a boy, I will be a boy." "If I must be a girl, I will be a girl" "If I must be strong, I will be strong", etc. This is pretty effective up until something disrupts Sapphire's concentration or is simply to overwhelming for her to handle alone. Once something doesn't go as planned, she needs to regain her composure and that often means switching off from whatever she's focused on. This can be frustrating for her, because switching off leads to her getting distracted and it makes her feel vulnerable. This leads to Sapphire often being very defensive and nervous when allowing others, especially strangers, close to her and allowing them to help her.

Franz heavily values honesty, openess, and reassurance, which is both a blessing and a curse for him. He's too dependent on taking other people's words to heart and does not handle mockery and dishonesty very well. This may also be why he is incredibly curious (to the point of being obsessed and nosy at times) and isn't shy about admitting when he doesn't know everything. However, he also has a tendency to be self-deprecating at times which comes in conflict with his need to look competent. He won't allow people to call him a fool, but that doesn't stop it from calling himself a fool often.

I am frankly under the belief that Franz is nearsighted, has a habit of staring off, and prone to laughing fits when he gets surprised, nervous, and even upset at times, much to his uncle's frustration and constant training in etiquette (that last one may very well be true based on his responses to sudden information in the manga).

I'd also like to believe that before deciding to become a pirate, Blood was probably set to possibly become a surgeon, or more likely a physician, either arranged by his adoptive parents or possibly by himself. This is just a personal hc I have due to Capt. Blood's original novel and movie counterpart, Dr. Peter Blood, who started out as a surgeon before he took to piracy.

Madame Hell and Satan. Worst couple.

Madame Hell and Mephisto. Power couple.

Satan could care less about his kids. Mephisto would spoil them and spoil them more. Hell is the actually the more responsible one when it comes to keeping an eye on Hecate, even if she can barely keep up with her daughter.

Oolong and Friebe, coolest sibling duo. It's not a headcanon, it's a fact. (Franz and Blood wishes... No, seriously. Franz does wish they were that in-sync, but life isn't fair and neither is his uncle...)

Speaking of Franz's uncle, Duke Chanell. It's not outright stated, but it is implied that he is his maternal uncle, stating that he raised him after his mother died. If Blood is the illegitimate child of the previous king of Goldland, this may add more to why he has a strong dislike towards Heinrich, who was probably a baby when he sent him away. Franz's uncle is depicted as harsh and greedy. But from a bigger picture, it does make sense why he would go towards extreme lengths for his nephew, possibly the only child left by his sibling, the queen. Even though he is the one ruling the country at the moment, he clearly prefers that Franz to be the one to succeed him then giving it to the elder brother, and is deeply upset about Franz pursuing The Flax-haired girl ,Sapphire, and getting forcibly engaged to Hecate.

[impossiblefangirl0632]

(Doll divine traces and the sunset one by me, blue shirt Razili and Bruno by @optimistic-violinist, Razili headshot and Razili and Bruno by @lvnamuraart)

Meet My and @optimistic-violinist 's Encanto OC, Razili Edel from Take Back the Kingdom (sort of) 

Full Name: Razili Edel

Age: 37

Height: 5'2"

Eye Color: Brown

Hair Color:  Nearly black/ dark brown

Occupation: Pirate/Witch/Former Queen

Languages: Yiddish (first language), German, Hebrew, English, Spanish, French, Greek

Voice (and face) claim: Ofra Haza 

Appearance: Light brown skin. She has long curly hair that she likes to wear down when practical. It’s usually not practical. She frequently wears it in either a single braid or a high ponytail with some sort of bandana. There is a scar on the bridge of her nose as well as one on her left eyebrow. Goes back and forth between skirts and loose fitting trousers and wears light colored long sleeved shirts with gathered cuffs and her stays on top. Her stays are nice enough she doesn’t usually bother with a third layer outside of her extremely recognizable purple pirate coat.

Relationship to canon: Bruno’s wife in our fantasy kingdom AU. It’s… complicated. Long story short, Bruno is immortal and is waiting for the kids to show up in the future, he doesn’t know when he sent them and 200 years in (including 150 years of fighting the conquistadors), he is very Not Okay™ and in serious danger of succumbing to his pretty much constant suicidal thoughts when he meets her.

General: Razili is at her heart a kind and nurturing person. However, she is also fiercely protective of the innocent/downtrodden and does not shy away from taking lives when she deems it necessary. She has lived through a lot of heartache but she doesn’t let it make her bitter. (In our AU magic comes from heartache but it’s only usable as magic if the person can be at peace with/accept the heartache. Razili is the one that taught Bruno this and helped him reconnect with his magic after being cut off from it for 200 years.) Due to her backstory and emotionally healthy outlook on life Razili is an incredibly powerful witch.

History: Razili is the youngest daughter of the king and queen of מקלט בטוח (Safe Haven (according to google, if anyone knows better please correct us)  Like the Encanto, Safe Haven is a hidden magical kingdom. It’s an island in the Mediterranean that was founded by Jews from Germany fleeing the First Crusade (1096-1099) by the time Razili was born they had lost a decent amount of the traditions of their ancestors. One of the things she did after leaving Safe Haven was reconnect with her Jewish heritage and faith.

When Razili was 25 she was the one member of the family (She had at least 2 brothers, we haven’t really fleshed her family out that much) to stay behind in case tragedy struck, which it did on that fateful trip, making her the next queen. She nearly married the son of one of her advisors but a week before their wedding she discovered that he and his father had been the masterminds behind her family’s deaths. Razili killed them both but as he was dying the son cursed Razili to freeze to the brink of death once a year for the rest of her life.

She ruled alone for a few years before picking a successor and leaving to travel the world. In 1698 on her first visit to the Caribbean she gets caught by witch hunters who are rounding up magic users to sell into slavery. This is where she meets Bruno who had also been caught. They go through a series of odd events together and end up as pirate co-captains. After the events of a fic we will eventually publish that includes a whole lot of character growth for Bruno, tracking down the witch hunters, angst, pining, UST, and a whole lot of denial on Bruno’s part, they get married.

There is sooooo much more to her that we are excited to eventually share. As for now Razili appears in the magic lesson chapter of Take Back the Kingdom, this valentine's day oneshot, and one of my entries for Encantober day 4: Cold

@encanto-extended-edition thank you for putting this event together!

[calabria-mediterranea]

Dino Island in Praia a Mare, Calabria, Italy

Just off the coast near Praia a Mare, in the Southern Italian region of Calabria, lies the small Dino Island, which was once connected to the mainland until erosion ate away the land bridge. 

Pirates once stopped here, and later, Islamic and Ottoman ships frequented the little piece of land. The Normans built a tower on the island, and the area was later used by the Kingdom of Naples. During World War I, the British streamer Umballa was sunk by a German submarine near the island.

Dino Island’s natural beauty is just as impressive as its history. You’ll find cliffs over 260 feet high, at the base of which, both below and above sea level, the erosion on the limestone rocks has given life to many natural seashore grottoes. 

Video by @cittadipraiaamare

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[local-starry-catboi]

👑 𝔎𝔦𝔫𝔤 & 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 🌺

Date: 29.O8.2O

Fandom: One Piece

Characters: Gol D. Roger, Portgas D. Rouge

Theme: (Pirate) King and Queen

OPA challenge: #HonouringtheDead

Crossposted: One Piece Amino

This piece was my very first poem ever- I really wanted the lines to perfectly follow a rhyme scheme like they often were back in Baroque and some other eras, but my brain juice was too low for that. The poetry (analysis) block from 13th grade's German classes will follow you EVERYWHERE, ffs. The three main topics of baroque (Vanitas, Carpe Diem, Memento Mori) were screamed at by a tiny voice in my brain's corner in the back while I was writing, so maybe that was a tad helpful, too?

Art by @onemani (zerochan)

The two, who should not have loved,

Shared the deepest love in history.

Not a single soul could defy them.

The King and Queen of olden times,

Both named descendants of the Devil,

One called a demon, killed by them.

The other, an angel, forgotten, died.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Separated in life, they deeply loved.

The one's mind on land left behind.

Another with her heart lost on sea.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Torn apart by man's hand and fate.

He beheaded; she died in childbirth.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Both of the Devil's hated lineage,

Uncertain of their future ahead.

Their love created a nephilim's life.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Together in death, they deeply love.

The demon grinned; proud of his life.

The angel smiled; proud of her choice.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Protected their son from any harm.

Watched him from Heavens above.

The King and Queen of olden times.

Both kids of the Devil, hated by God,

Died smiling - you know: the Will of D.,

What else than 'mad' should they be?

The King and Queen of olden times.

Separate, yet always together in love.

To none, destiny never had been fair.

Wed, or not, not much did they care.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

Together, their throne they claimed.

Together they rule over an era gone by.

The King and Queen of olden times.

The two, who should not have loved,

The King and Queen of olden times.