#have you ever tried to use tumblr on opera

[gothwineaunts]

I tried my best to replicate the post that Tumblr ate earlier.

It’s not as good but you'll get the jist I think. :’)  

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Hi again! I wanted to follow up on my post from yesterday. I’ve been mostly offline since then, and I feel much better now, especially after seeing the thoughtful responses y’all left. Where did you all even come from!? I don’t think I’ve ever posted this account anywhere, haha. But thank you so much. I’m horrendous at taking a damn compliment but I read all the replies and reblogs and I’m just incredibly humbled. You all brought up my mood a lot and highkey made me feel sane again. I’ve been so confused at why everyone in the WEBTOON comments seems to be so mad all the time, it kind of does my head in if I’m being honest.

But please don’t worry about me or Flynn. Or about Nevermore! We’d never change the story to fit what we think the commenters want us to do, for a lot of reasons. The most important of which is. If we had to do that, I think we’d rather just stop making it. What they seem to want is a story we’re not really interested in telling.

Wholesome wlw is a wildly important thing to be able to find if you’re looking for it. That really cannot be overstated. Until very recently, queer characters have been subjected by popular media to a disproportionate amount of anguish and violence. So the concept of seeing two women just, living a safe and fulfilling life together? I get why people want to see that so badly. And there’s so much beautifully written aspirational content for queer audiences out there now, and I’m pleased to death over it. But the thing is, it’s just not what we’re making.

Nevermore was always intended to be a dark gothicky romance with horror elements. Like Wuthering Heights, or Phantom of the Opera. Because those were the stories that always inspired us when we were young. Bloodsoaked stories of melodrama, intrigue, grief, and passion. Those stories would captivate me and get me asking all kinds of questions. Why can’t the Phantom be a beautiful woman? Why does Christine have the agency of a desk lamp? Why can’t sapphics have something cool like this?

So we decided to make it. Nevermore is not a wholesome romance. It doesn’t try to be. The point was never to explore sapphics having a healthy and (heavy air quotes here) “normal” relationship, like heterosexual couples get to have in real life. We already have that, together, Flynn and I. We live it, everyday.  In Nevermore, what we wanted most was to explore a sweeping sapphic romance full of danger, like heterosexual couples get to have in fiction. That’s why we love those kinds of stories so much, because of how divorced they are from the mundanity of real life. They’re fantasies.

I know that I'm preaching to the choir, aha.

But my point is: if you go to a hardware store to order a cake, you’re probably going to be disappointed. If what you crave is aspirational wlw content, there are so many bakeries you can go to that will give you exactly what you’re hoping for, and more. I especially recommend Muted by Miranda Mundt. It’s also on Webtoon, it’s completed, and it’s free to read.

And please know that I’m not saying to stop reading Nevermore, just maybe to adjust your expectations a little bit. We don’t sell cakes here, but I am pretty sure I've got a few 12ft tall skeleton lawn ornaments in the back if you're interested.

[mikiafina]

“VICARIOUS EMBARRASSMENT”

Message:

I do not own the characters mentioned in story below, I had this idea earlier and thought that it might be fun to imagine if it would really happen.

The reader's pronouns in this oneshot are not mentioned, but female reader is on mind while writing. Do point out my typos if you ever noticed one!

My apologies if this was too short, ‘m not really fan of writing in a long amount of time.

P.S: Read the mentioned stories made by kunichigo first before reading this.

Note:

CRITICISM ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED! IF YOU NOTICED ANY ERRORS IN MY WORK, FEEL FREE TO POINT IT OUT SO I COULD FIX IT!

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I DO NOT POST IN ANY OTHER PLATFORMS EXCEPT HERE ON TUMBLR!

Trigger Warning:

Ooc, grammatical errors, misspellings, typos, possibly curse words, suggestive content (sort of), mature-ish content (is that even a word?), Informal use of language

SUGGESTIVE THEMES ARE GONNA BE MENTIONED SO BE WARNED!

Synopsis:

After reading a oneshot-series of Genshin SAGAU made by one of your adored author, you felt a sudden desire to see your babies, husbandos and waifus. As soon as you logged in, you arrived at the entrance of mondstadt as you greeted your beloved babies and husbandos.

While doing your daily commissions, the topic that your sister were talking about went from another game named ‘Roblox’ to the story that you have previously read. And without your knowledge, my oh my. Your beloved acolytes are seemed to be listening with your conversation, oh sheeshhh.

What a disaster.

Genshin Characters x Reader

Dedicated to & Inspired by:

My favourite and underrated author, Kunichigo!

“[N/n] let's play roblox, I'll let you borrow mama's phone later for you to be able to read, for now play roblox with me.” Your sister tries to persuade you, even going to the lengths of letting your borrow the phone later as a bargain just to quote o' quote, play with her.

"Hm.. Alright, but make sure to let me borrow mama's phone. Or else.." You reluctantly opened the second computer as you placed your mother's phone on the side, while waiting for the desktop to load, you engaged in a conversation with your sister on what games to play.

"We can play Evade or Shoot out if you want, we can also play the games you play, uhh.. Arsenal? Was it?" Your sister habitually tilt her head in an insure manner, you hummed in confirmation at her question.

Despite the talk that you and your sister had made, you both weren't able to play roblox because you noticed the time and remembered that you have yet to finish your commissions and quests. So after setting up your recording software and opening up your preferred browser (Opera GX y'all), you launched Genshin and waited for it to finish loading.

"Oh by the way, have you read kunichigo's latest post? It was so good and underrated, like damn." Your sister squealed in delights as she proceeds on controlling her chosen character, Zhongli.

"Ah, you mean 'Cherry Red Lips?' and 'Terrible, Terrible.' if you mean those two, I did. But on the 'Cherry Red Lips?', she said she's inexperienced with those types but she narrated it sooo good! Like the way Kaeya shamelessly raised his voice to let everyone outside their beloved creator's chamber know that he's being pleasured by her is soooo— Aghhhh! It's so juicy! Like imagine if Aether really is withering and shaking underneath us while we suck on their blood? DAMN! I'd kill to see such sight under me! And don't get me started about Kaeya, that man is a walking menace! But that's one of his hot traits! Like— like just imagineee!" You fangirled while controlling Razor, running and teleporting around mondstadt doing commisions.

"Right?! It's just ashame that the author didn't make a detailed scene about Diluc withering and panting under his beloved creator's touch! But Lisa's scene was so lit, despite being written so short. But man, Aether's really well narrated, the author made it clear that he's a babygirl." Your sister added, fangirling as much as you do. The both of you continued on squealing as you played Genshin together, having fun and making it clear that whatever is the "story" you two were talking about, is what made your day better.

Unbeknownst to the both of you, the oh so said characters are listening to your conversations. My oh my, what in teyvat did they just listen on to?

In the land of teyvat, Zhongli cannot believe what just reached his ears. Did he hear it right, are their ears working right? Did they hear it correct?

Much to Diluc's dismay, the conversation about the story that you both read did not end with just Kaeya and Aether being mentioned cause it seems like he was too, in the story. The mentioned characters can't help but feel blood rushing to their face, ears and neck due to either embarrassment or whatever human emotion you are supposed to feel in such situation, even those who weren't mentioned were flustered at the topic of their creators, despite this, they aren't sure whether to pity the others or to get jealous cause they're the topics of the beloved creators, nonetheless, they still feel the second-hand embarrassment for the others.

Meanwhile back in the Serenitea Pot, Xiao, Tighnari and Ayato looked at Diluc who's face is crimson as his hair, attempting to have the floor of the abode swallow him alive. He doesn't know whether to be thankful for kuni- or whoever the author of the story is for not writing a detailed scenario of him or he'll probably ask the Geo Archon to have the floor swallow him on the spot.

Kaeya who's sitting just right beside Diluc, laughed at his semi-miserable state, and honestly speaking, Kaeya is tad bit embarrassed but he'd be lying if he said that he denied that he's proud of how the author wrote him. Chongyun who has been silent for the whole time, almost choked on his ice cream if it weren't for Heizou and Thoma helping him unclog the small piece of popsicle on his esophagus.

Zhongli, who's being possessed by one of the creator and who's listening on the conversation from the very beginning, did not know how to react. Razor, who's beside the Geo Archon is quite confuse and worried, was the traveler, cavalry captain and librarian of knights of favonius sick or in pain? Poor boy doesn't really understand his creator and their sister is talking about, if the said people are sick then why are his beloved creator, squealing? Is there something he's missing?

Needless to say, it was an eventful day for both the vision holders and the creators. The boys are just thanking the archons that the girls aren't in presence and are having a peaceful picnic somewhere in Sumeru, or else they wouldn't be able to handle the embarrassment, much less, face nor confront them.

® mikiafina

[lol-jackles]

It’s an honest question no trolling at all , I’m just wondering were you ever a fan of jensen ?

when did you realize that you dislike him why did you become his anti ?

same goes with jared and gen , why did you choose to be their fan ? I know when we love someone we never see their flaws same goes when we hate someone we never see anything good about them.

when did it all start for you?

I don't dislike any actors, they don't bother me, even the dumbass ones. For example, I think Mark Sheppard's political opinions are wrong and garbage, but that never gets in the way of me enjoying the characters he plays or his public persona. Jensen's lack of business acumen entertains me, it's not the same as disliking him. It is his stans, the Ackles Army, that I dislike. I have a rather long history with the AAs going back to IMDb and Television without Pity 's defunct message boards. The Soap Opera fandom tried to warn us about the AAs ahead of Supernatural's debut, and boy were they right!

I love comic book superheroes and Supernatural was the precursor to the superhero movies and tv shows saturating the big and small screens for the past 15 years. I participated in several superhero discussion boards and stupidly went to the SPN IMDb boards. Big mistake, it was run by Ackles Army and their protégées, the Destiel hellers. When I corrected their misconception about the show, like first billings, rules of protagonist, and superhero themes, they completely lost their shit, to put it lightly. The board moderators allowed AAs to abuse others with "they had a difficult childhood" excuse. Whatever, so I left. Boy that pissed off the AAs even more because to them indifference was far worse than hate. They chased me all over IMDb boards (Superman Return, The 300s, Hellboy, The Other Boleyn Girl, Dark Knight, Noah, and Black Swan) while relentlessly shrieking,  “IM TRIGGERED YOURE TRIGGERING ME I’M TRIGGERD DON’T YOU DARE IGNORE ME WHILE I’M TRIGGERED DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT I'M TRIGGERED WHY ARE YOU TRIGGERING ME!”.   In the midst of their triggered meltdowns, AAs accuse everybody who are not hate-bashing Sam/Jared 24/7 as “Jared stans”, even normal Dean girls and nice Destiel shippers and chased them and Sasm girls off the IMDb board, and when IMDB got rid of the boards, the homeless AAs ran to SPN_gossip and Tumblr.

If you haven't guessed by now, half the reason this blog exist is to annoy the AAs now that they no longer have moderators covering their flat entitled asses.

As for Jared and Gen, they don't annoy me, not even Gen's occasional performative social activist shticks because it's not obnoxious. They don't look like they're trying hard whenever they're together in front of the screen or on stage, their interactions run more natural with genuine vibe.

[fadingreveries]

Bridgerton S1E4: "An Affair of Honour" | Thoughts

❝ Daphne receives a stunning gift from Prince Friedrich but soon courts scandal at a ball. Eloise searches for clues to Lady Whistledown's identity. ❞

After nearly an eternity of procrastinating between school and work... I finally get the chance to watch Bridgerton. I’m so looking forward to watching the new season and keep seeing spoilers all over the internet. When will it be my turn to be fangirling over Kanthony and Polin? 😩 It might be a while at the rate I’m watching these episodes…

Find my reactions to other episodes of Bridgerton here and to episodes from other TV shows here! 🐝

LMAO Violet Bridgerton is me when I’m hungry and don’t want to make it obvious

Oh, to be a girl having a prince tell me I'm perfection... can't relate

Dang, someone seems to be taking out his anger too much on the punching bag… 👀

Me remembering that we will have to wait at least a year before season 4:

Me when the dentist and hygienists pressure me to get braces or invisalign every single time I have an appointment knowing dang I do not have $8000 just sitting in my pocket that I would rather use to pay student loans:

Side note: some of these gif reactions are more relatable to me than everyone else, but a girl's gotta rant one way or another and why not have it here on Tumblr with Bridgerton gifs 😪

I live for stolen glances across the room, especially in slow-burn romance but I get the feeling Simon and Daphne's story doesn't necessarily follow this

Daphne, your thirstiness is showing 🤔 The second the sleeves get pushed up and the arm veins pop out, miss ma'am's jaw hits the ground like she isn't right beside the prince of Prussia

Not Simon jealously staring at Daphne and the prince thinking "tHaT sHoUlD bE mE, hOlDiNg YoUr HaNd"

Another side note, can we talk about how shy and smiley Benedict is? The fact that he scrunches up his face and closes his eyes just cringing about the critique he gave is actually kind of adorable

I like that Violet and Lady Danbury are basically the ones pushing Simon and Daphne to realize their feelings for each other... mothers know best in their case

I've recently started reading The Duke and I and I think I can start to see the differences between the show and the book. For starters, I don't remember Simon breaking off the agreement between him and Daphne making them fight? I thought it was something they continued in the book, even letting Anthony know the whole thing was a ruse for their own benefits. Second, I don't remember there being a prince in the book? Were these just added to the show to add more tension?

PLEASE not Mama Bridgerton downing her entire champagne flute just begging Simon to pop his head into the ballroom to save Daphne

HAHAHA omg I'm so sleep-deprived that I seriously thought Violet was the opera singer beside Anthony's side chick

Excuse me Polin, I saw that lingering gaze... 👀

"I aM mArRyInG tHe PrInCe" oh is that why you twirled away from him every single chance he tried to propose or is that playing hard to get? 🤔

Okay unpopular opinion, but am I the only one who would accept Prince Friedrich's proposal? Like sweet, kind, wants to start a family, showers you with compliments. I feel like he would not be hard to love and you wouldn't have to constantly second-guess yourself, your values and what you want out of life with him

I don't remember them fighting like this with their kiss in the gardens?

Now Anthony bursting into the scene and landing a nice right-hook on Simon... that I remember very well. Hehe.

Simon is so hot-cold?? 😠 that kind of drives me nuts! you tell her you're not friends, the next you're taking it back. you apologize for kissing her, the next you're making out alone with her and groping her bum. you make her fall in love with you, then you tell her you can't ever marry knowing dang well she's ruined if people saw them kissing alone with no chaperone?? it just irritates me when people don't know what they want and at the expense of toying with others' feelings

I don't blame Anthony for being so overprotective and challenging Simon to a duel. I feel like if I were an older sibling in that era and someone refused to take responsibility for what they and my sibling engaged in, I'd be seething too

I've been spoiled already about the big reveal with Penelope in season 2, but I honestly can't help but feel for her? like imagine seeing the very real possibility that your childhood love gets married off to someone distant in your family and you have to pretend that you're okay the entire time just because you feel you're not good enough? but I will say the way she spat out that she isn't a pretty bridgerton was a little harsh

Anthony I love you, but I don't like how you coddle Daphne like she isn't her own woman

"Good God. Did someone die?" oh Colin, thank you for breaking the tension with your comic relief

These two rakes are so laughable, like please... reduce the context to a simple sentence... they are willing to die over a make-out session

The thing that annoys me is that Simon was willing to kiss Daphne and be seen privately with her in the garden while groping her everywhere, yet he still won't take responsibility for that after finding out that someone's seen them and Daphne's reputation will be ruined? like if he's saying he couldn't marry her, then don't kiss her in the first place?? I just don't get it

Um... what was that ending? I literally have no words. didn't realize you could put a stop to two rakes' pride by just announcing you'll marry one rake? confused

[yestolerancepro]

Tolerance Project extra The 8 Best Star Wars Rip offs Ranked

Part 1 Krull and The Last Starfighter

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to a revised edition of a blog that looks at 8 of the best Star Wars film Rip offs. this new Tumblr version will be split into two parts

This blog entry is inspired by the movieweb article of the same name you can find the original article by clicking here https://movieweb.com/best-star-wars-ripoffs-ranked/#:~:text=The%208%20Best%20Star%20Wars%20Rip-offs%2C%20Ranked%201,2%20Flash%20Gordon%20%281980%29%208%201%20Spaceballs%20%281987%29

One of the first sequences in the Tolerance film is a Star Wars spoof so this article peeked my interest our Star Wars Spoof was a bit less blatant than those featured in the movieweb article all we did for ours was spoof the opening dialogue crawl that opened all 9 of the movies in the Star Wars saga

You can read about how Star Wars created that original opening crawl by clicking here https://www.slashfilm.com/1322995/how-star-wars-created-original-opening-crawl-using-black-paper/#:~:text=Thus%2C%20to%20make%20the%20crawl%2C%20they%20had%20to,illusion%20of%20the%20letters%20progressing%20up%20the%20screen.

To quote the movie web article Star Wars is one of the biggest and most successful science fiction franchises ever created. Beginning in 1977, the original film became one of many episodic movies now dubbed the Skywalker Saga, told in a trilogy of trilogies.Recounting the galactic civil war between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire, Star Wars shares the sociopolitical consequences of space exploration and planetary conquest. On the surface, the franchise is a fairy tale told in space. Its formula and genre became so popular, it led to copycats in a galaxy not so far away.

Of the 8 films mentioned I have never seen the man who saved the world 1982 trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsRV6z-cd-c  and Starchaser the legend of Orin 1985 trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8UZ2WfLG70

Krull (1983)

Krull is a science fiction and fantasy adventure film about a royal family who will rule the galaxy as foretold in a prophecy. Playing off the fairy-tale-in-space trope, the film didn't know what to be as it tried cashing in on two genres for the price of one. The rip-off was also released the same year as Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, leading to an early death by comparison. However, it has survived being a box-office bomb and panned by critics with its own cult following.

The website space.com published this short article about the film

Luke Skywalker's well publicized exploits on the Death Star were such a spectacular success that there was an air of inevitability when other Hollywood studios tried to make a "Star Wars" of their own. More remarkable was the fact that their subsequent efforts to milk the cash cow (or bantha, perhaps?) took such different approaches to outer space.

However, most of the wannabes ignored a crucial element of George Lucas's extremely lucrative franchise – for all the spaceships, robots, and lasers, "Star Wars" was actually fantasy in sci-fi clothing, built around a hero whose quest revolved as much around magic (cleverly rebranded as "the Force") as futuristic gadgets.

In the years following "A New Hope," viewers were invited to experience the high camp of "Flash Gordon," the overblown space opera of "The Black Hole," and a Roger Corman-produced interstellar riff on "The Magnificent Seven" called "Battle Beyond the Stars." "Star Trek" also got in on the act with the "2001: A Space Odyssey"-esque grandeur of "The Motion Picture," while T.V. viewers were given a weekly dose of sci-fi in their homes courtesy of "Battlestar Galactica" (arguably one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time).

According to this article on the Giant Freaking Robot website Krull could be getting a new film Reboot with JJ Abrams directing https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/exclusive-krull-reboot-jj-abrams.html

Further Watching

To watch a trailer for Krull click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6i2par2Fv0

To watch a documentary called 10 things you didn’t know about Krull click here

The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Last Starfighter follows teenager Alex, who is chosen to be a gunner in an interstellar war based on his high score in an arcade game of the same, a secret recruitment tool of the Rylan Star League. Alex is forced to save the dying alien squadron and destroy the enemy fleet, the Ko-Dan Armada.

He later stays to rebuild the league's depleted forces, knowing their overlord survived the destruction of his mothership. Compared to Luke Skywalker, the film takes the glory out of the hero's journey for Alex, who must protect a planet now facing near-extinction

The Fatherley website published this retrospective on the film to read it click here To read a retrospective on the film click here https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/last-starfighter-retrospective-sci-fi-movie-1984

My Memories of The Last Starfighter

A very good film I watched it as a 7 year old as my Dad got us to watch it on VHS remember those ? The Star Wars stuff went over my head the Ironic thing here is that I used my Star wars toys to play the last Starfighter for weeks after seeing it I have great memories of the film it was one of the first to use CGI before the term was even known about  

That reminds me I must get a copy of the Bluray and I did the film has just been re-released by Arrow video you can order it from here The Last Starfighter Limited Edition Blu-ray Blu-ray - Zavvi UK

Further watching

To watch the film trailer for The Last Starfighter click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnJCn6lXrXg&t=3s

Click here to watch the teaser trailer for The Last Starfighter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tOHLZibvFM

To watch a video called 10 things you didnt know about the last star fighter click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Pzxzp2m2I

Next week more Star Wars homages with Battlestar Gallactica Flash Gordon Battle Beyond the Stars and Spaceballs

Notes

Thank you to the following websites for their help Movieweb whose article inspired the blog in the first place Space.com Minty comedic arts for his Documentary on Krull Youtube for the vairous trailers and Google images for the Krull and Last Starfighter posters and Ian Medley for the Tolerance film Screengrab

Pictures

The Tolerance project Star Wars Dialoge roll

Krull film poster 1983

Last Star fighter poster 1984

If you want to help the Tolerance project after reading this blog please click on the above link

[fierypen37]

ok, genuine but slightly silly question: I am a HUGE phantom of the opera fan, and i pretty much only ever use AO3. a few years back i stumbled onto a fic titled "Regret Like tears", LOVED IT and then forgot to save it/bookmark it and forgot about it. just recently my poto hyper fixation has come back full force so i was looking for it and i found an old fanficton.ws ver of it under your name. my questions are two fold, one, is it yours?(If so jesus christ that was amazing i am literally obsessed with it i would 100% buy that in irl book format if i could) and two, why did you take it off ao3? was it an uploaded by someone else? was it coming under hate or smth? Idk, i'm just curious if you had intentionally tried to get rid of it and/or for what reason.

if ive got the wrong person(which its entierly possible i have, i just googled the username and found your tumblr account) I'm terribly sorry for bothering you T-T

Wow anon!

Thanks for such a lovely compliment! I'm so glad you loved this fic. Fyi, I had my fics private so I changed that. Enjoy!

[juliasdowntonstuff]

19, 23 and 24 :)

19: Fanfic you read again and again

Oh, that's a tough one, because there's a few out there that I find myself gravitating back to time and time again. But if I had to chose, I'd say "Things Given To Tomorrow" by @ohtobealady (this one hurts so good and I am sad it's finished now, because I just went back and read it again whenever new chapters were being published) and "From Paris To Yorkshire" by Countess of Cobert (I don't know their @ on here, of even if they have one). Those two fics are so amazingly well written — don't make me pick one.

23: Age when you started reading fanfic

I believe I was about 13 when I joined Wattpad and read so many (well, few) good and (mostly) bad Harry Potter fanfics, but it is what it is, right? We all have to start somewhere at some point. Having been the fool that I was, I never checked other sites. Like, Fanfic and ao3 have only recently become my best buddies and the difference in quality? Oh myyyy, was I stupid…

24: funniest fandom-related story

Not sure if this is directly fandom-related… But four separate friends of mine who do not know each other have told me years ago to watch Downton Abbey, that I'd enjoy it. I believe this was ca 2015/2016, right when the og series ended. I just didn't think they'd be right. They tried again and again. Why would I ever find myself interested in some soap opera about the British aristocracy? Fast-forward to early 2023 when my mum finally got us Netflix. She binged the show when she was sick and talked about it non-stop, so I caved and watched it finally so that I at least knew what she was talking about. Needless to say… I've been obsessed with it ever since I gave it a shot. My friends have all been right and they do tease me about it very regularly, it's become a running gag for all of us and I am the butt of the joke.

Similarly, my best friend has been nagging me for years to finally join tumblr and I refused every single time. Obviously, I caved at some point last year and I am glad I did. So many lovely people on here!

Moral of the story: I guess I should just start listening to my friends more.

[m-feline]

Unexpected date

Some have asked if I'll post my ThrawnxOC story to Tumblr. I'm not because it's too long. But I have posted some chapters (modified) and people like them. So here is another chapter from that story, hope you like it.

Link to the story is -> here

Masterlist

Thrawn x Freader

Your night takes unexpected turn when your errand for Darth Vader changes. You meet Grand Admiral Thrawn and he invites you to a date.

----

I hated this but I had to do it. Ascension week was soon so, if I wanted to get away from this it had to be done now or it would end tragically. I had to meet Senator Bistebo from Naboo but he was clearly one of those who disliked me. Just because he was from Naboo like Emperor Palpatine, he thought highly of himself.

He said that we would meet at the Opera House of Coruscant, right before the show. It was one of those events hosted by the Savit. A prominent family who had a high cultural position in Coruscant. I had met before the Grand Admiral Savit, who got to his position due to his accomplishments and his family background. The whole family is known to host some if not all kinds of music performances.

Naturally, for such an occasion, I had dressed in something more formal than my usual clothes. But the color black was always present. I had also my hair and makeup done by the salon, the very few perks of this event. But none of it helped me to cover the annoyance I was feeling.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked in a calm voice trying not to sound as angry as I was about to be.

"I'm sorry, didn't you hear?" Senator Bistepo asked. "Did you not know how big a deal this concert was?" He is doing it on purpose to humiliate me. Some of his companions were chuckling behind him.

"You informed me about this meeting today," I argued failing to keep my voice calm. "Of course, I haven't got an entrance pass to this show. It was sold out weeks ago."

"Oh, dear. I thought that as a Vader's Charge you would at least have an interest in the cultural events." He said mockingly.

"I don't. Lord Vader has a busy schedule to have meetings with the Emperor. Some music shows aren't that significant to waste time on them." I said coldly, causing him to frown a little. Just mentioning the Emperor was enough to rain on his parade.

I should have known that this sort of thing would happen. There was still some elite of Coruscant trying to make me look bad without getting in trouble themselves. At least they knew not to make any bigger scene like involving spice or something else. If Vader ever heard about it how the goal was to humiliate me and cause a scandal for him, he would pay a visit to that poor fellow and his family. I heard about a similar incident long after it happened. Since they were supporting Senators, Vader didn't do much damage but he did get his message delivered. Now they are reduced to these kinds of petty tricks. Not enough to tell Vader but annoying still. I had a very important discussion to go through with Bistepo and he had been unavailable for some time now. I had tried to get to talk to him for a long time but in vain. And soon I would be sent away from Coruscant again. If I didn't get this done then some heads would roll.

"Well, too bad. I always come to these events and I thought that we could discuss them after the show." He said bringing back some glee to his voice. "I guess you just have to wait till the show ends."

I could hear the snickering behind him from his companions. Wait till the show ends? I bet that was his goal all along. That meant staying here for hours. But if I left he could use it as an excuse that I had no interest in the very thing I had to discuss with him. Sitting here at the entrance lobby for hours and hours was not ideal either. If only this matter wouldn't be so dam important I would leave him to go to his stupid concert and go back to do something else. Maybe I could go once they left to the main hall. But I had no idea when to come back.

"Lady (Y/n)?"

I heard a familiar voice calling my name and turned to see who it was. I did recognize the voice but he couldn't be here, could he? Thrawn stood there, without his imperial uniform but still in some official-looking outfit, wearing a dark grey tunic and black pants with boots. I was confused wasn't he supposed to be after the Phoenix rebels? Or did he come back for Ascension week?

"Grand Admiral Thrawn, i-it's good to meet you again," I said and made a formal curtsey.

"The pleasure is all mine, my Lady," Thrawn said and took my hand from my side and placed a kiss on its back. "Are you here by any chance to see the concert?"

"No, I'm not. I came to meet Senator Bistepo, but it turned out that we would meet here. I am simply excluded to enter this event." I said trying not to sound as if I was blaming anyone.

Though, I could already see that Senator and his companions didn't look happy to meet the Grand Admiral. I heard that many tried to keep him from rising in rank but failed in doing so. I think I also heard that some governors did hold down someone else close to Thrawn since they couldn't affect much on Thrawn's own career.

"Is that so? I presume that you are then free for the next five hours?" Thrawn asked.

"Five hours?" I repeated the word testing if I understood him.

"Yes, I read that the performance will last for four hours and 47 minutes, including the intermissions. The performance starts in 40 minutes, so I simply assumed that from this moment on, you have a little bit over five hours." Thrawn said.

Five hours! Did these idiots think I would wait for them for five hours? If this matter wouldn't be so important... no, even then I would leave. I tried not to show it but Thrawn had helped me a lot. Now that I knew how long the show would last, I might as well leave and come back after five hours.

"Indeed, I do have time to spare." I acknowledged.

"Then my Lady, would you grant me the honor of inviting you to join me at another event?" Thrawn asked politely.

"Wait a minute, Lady Mira is here to discuss a serious matter with me," Bistepo argued.

"When? She said she had no entrance pass. And even if she did, you weren't planning to discuss such an important matter during a concert?" Thrawn asked.

"My, Senator, how rude would that be?" I said faking to be shocked by Senator's words.

He looked embarrassed and his companions looked troubled as their petty little prank on me was now failing. I did my best not to look so pleased about it. Soon however Thrawn brought my attention back to him.

"My Lady, since you have free time, shall we?" Thrawn asked and offered his arm for me to take. He had helped me with this, so accepting his invitation would be reasonable. Besides, showing these uptight people that I had my own evening made would just make it sweeter.

"Thank you, Grand Admiral, we shall," I said and took his arm and linked my own with his. We walked to the doors but before we exited, I turned and looked at Senator and his companions. "Enjoy the show, Senator. I'll see you later."

The faces were priceless, but I didn't get to look at them longer since both Thrawn and I excited the Opera House. Many people were entering the building instead of exiting due to the concert that would commence soon. We got to a docking platform where the speeders were. I began to wonder, where exactly are we going?

"May I ask, Grand Admiral, where are you inviting me?" I asked.

"Since the Ascension week is approaching, there is an exhibition at the Coruscant's art gallery. I thought of having a few nights off to see it." Thrawn said.

"Oh, I don't think I'm quite dressed for such an event," I said looking at my outfit. Though it was a dark dress, it was a bit gaudy for an art exhibition.

"There is nothing wrong with your appearance but if I may suggest, there is a boutique near here that I saw on the way. Since we have so much time, we could stop by and look for something for you to wear for the art gallery." Thrawn said.

I had been to the art gallery before. Sometimes to meet other aides of Senators, and sometimes to other kinds of events. So, I knew what sort of outfit I needed. Thrawn called a cab and gave the instructions to the driver before we sat down in the backseat and went on our way. I was going through options about what sort of dress I should ask for from the boutique. Since we are going directly to an art exhibition, maybe I should ask for a rental dress instead of buying a new one. We got there faster than I expected, and once I stepped out of the cab, I took a look at the boutique. It was very familiar. When have I seen it? As we entered a service droid greeted us.

"Good evening, sir, lady. How may we be of service?" A woman came right as she heard the droid greeting us. Behind her two other female workers seemed to look our way, maybe it was a quiet evening for them. Or they were preparing to receive more customers soon.

"Good evening, my companion needs another dress for tonight. Do you have anything ready at the moment?" Thrawn explained the situation before I could say anything. I was going to ask for something simple and affordable, but something told me that won't be happening.

"Oh yes, we have many designs. All we need are her measurements and we can bring out the dresses." The woman said.

The droid that greeted us hovered closer to me and began to take the measurements by scanning me and then using a measuring tape. After getting all up, the droid made a few beeps and hovered over several clothing racks, and began to pick up dresses.

"Is there something particular model you wish?" The woman asked me as the droid gathered more dresses.

"Just something proper for an art exhibition," I said.

"Are you going to The art exhibition of the Lost Past?" One of the other workers asked. "That is a big event in the cultural circles. It is only for one week and ends before the Ascension week."

"That very one, yes," Thrawn answered.

So, I do need a bit more thought about the dress. The worker who had heard where we were going gave now other instructions to the droid. The droid just beeped for an affirmative and took back three dresses that it had brought out before.

"And if possible, would the color of the dress be green or otherwise be floral themed," Thrawn added.

The droid heard the comment and took back two more dresses and brought a few more out. I looked at Thrawn with one brow up. He saw my look and leaned closer to whisper.

"Your clan color, is it not?" He whispered.

I made soundless "oh" when the woman who greeted us came closer and showed a few of the choices that the droid had brought out.

"Is there anything that you would like to try?" She asked me setting a few of the dresses to be seen properly. They were gorgeous dresses, no doubt about that. And some were something I think I would never wear.

"That one," Thrawn said and pointed to one green dress.

I really tried not to roll my eyes at him. Someone seemed to have already set their mind about what I would wear. But then again, I might never wear such a dress in my life, so who cares if I just try? If I don't like it, I can say it and simply waste his time in this boutique. The other two workers guided me to the dressing room which was behind a curtain. Though my current dress was gaudy it was easy to put on by myself. That was something I should add to the requirements list for the dress.

The dress* Thrawn picked was a bit revealing for my taste. But that was due to the transparent fabric of the top. It helped to make the silvery vines look as if they were binding the light green strapless dress to hug my form.

"Oh, it looks fabulous on you." One of the workers said she was younger than the other. No denying that it looked lovely. "Would you like to show it to your companion?"

"I don't think that is necessary," I said and looked at the silver vines gathering at my waist.

"On the contrary," Thrawn said behind the curtain making me twitch and turn around. "The whole purpose that I chose that dress is so that I could witness you wearing it."

I heard how both workers giggled like little girls. I was already guessing what was going on inside their heads. Maybe I should clarify the fact that we aren't a couple. But then again we came together and we are going together to the art exhibition. And he already gave some requirements for the dress. It will be very hard to explain it now. But surely he should know better too.

The workers helped me out to the main lounge where Thrawn was and guided me to stand in front of huge mirrors so I could see myself from all angles. It still felt like too much. The dress was gorgeous but to think that it looked as if only the silver vines were holding the dress up, made me feel exposed. Maybe I felt that more since I knew that Thrawn was watching me.

"Lady (Y/n), I must say you look marvelous," Thrawn said looking at me through the mirror. I couldn't help frowning. Either he is mocking me or he is trying to sound polite. He should have seen how uncomfortable I was with this dress. Not because there was something wrong with the dress but because it felt wrong on me.

"What do you think?" One of the workers asked, she was older.

"That I feel exposed," I said directly and crossed my arms, and placed my hands on my arms close to the shoulders. I swear, I saw Thrawn smile. What for? I rather not think about it, instead, I wanted to try another dress.

"Can I see more options?" I asked.

The droid brought out three dresses to show my options. It passed two first dresses and waited one moment for me to take a look at them.

"May I try that one?" I asked when the droid showed the third one.

"Oh, nice choice." The older worker said.

I was once again taken to the dressing room and chanced to the dress. I liked this one. A grass green dress, with transparent loose sleeves, that were decorated with fabric flowers, and with a wide ballgown skirt. Once I was out to the lounge again and stood in front of the mirrors, I gave a little twirl and made the dress float by the movement.

"I like this one," I said smiling.

"It looks beautiful." The younger worker said.

"It does indeed." Thrawn agreed. "Too bad it might not be proper for an art exhibition." He was right. This was more a ballgown than an elegant evening dress. But I still preferred this one so far.

"We have another similar, with a modified a-line skirt." The older worker said.

I changed again to the dress mentioned. Instead of having sleeves, the flowers were hanging on a transparent top that came down like a cape. The dress*** itself was of mint green color. It was nice but not as nice as the previous one.

"I liked the previous one," I said honestly.

"Why not wear it for the Ascendency week?" Thrawn asked. "I think it would fit for the occasion."

My heart both sank and fluttered. I was excited to be able to wear such a beautiful dress, but at the same time, I was nervous for I won't be able to hide it from Vader. He didn't care what I had on for the party, but he didn't like people looking at me. I was a valuable asset to him. So having me wearing a beautiful dress would bring more attention to me and he doesn't want that. On the contrary with Thrawn, he seems like he wants to put me in the spotlight. But this is Thrawn we are talking about so surely there is a bigger strategy behind it.

"Would you mind trying this?" The woman who greeted us at the entrance asked and brought a nice-looking box. I saw the eyes of the workers widen a bit when both saw the box.

"Madam, that is..." The younger worker began.

"An old preorder. I wish it to be seen on someone." She said with a warm smile.

I don't know what was going on but soon I was changing again. This one was nothing like the other three dresses. When I came out of the dressing room, I couldn't help but gasp as I saw myself in the mirror. The dress**** was of several colors of light blue, plum violet, light red, and light turquoise, and it hangs nicely from my right and fell gently from my left side to the ground. The dress was strapless but had a piece of fabric pushed over my left shoulder to my back giving a cape of lovely color. The dress was open from my left side to my thigh. It would have made me blush but as a whole, it didn't bother me. The dress was beautiful that I could not look away from the mirror.

"Oh my, it looks amazing." The younger worker sighed.

"And it fits perfectly." Added the older worker.

I don't know why but my eyes went to Thrawn and I saw his eyes study me like he studies his favorite artworks on Chimaera. I felt my skin tingling where it was exposed under his eyes, and that sensation remained when he turned to speak with the woman who had brought out the dress.

"May I inquire, who ordered this dress and when?" Thrawn asked.

"This dress and its accessories were ordered a long time ago. Sometime before the end of the Clone Wars." The Madam said with a small hint of sadness. "One of our regular customers came and asked for a dress for her friend who was away. So that when she came back she would have a beautiful dress, and enjoy it. She gave us her measurements and we worked with them to make this dress. Sadly, our customer met a tragic end while we were still making this dress. The dress was finished one week after her death. We couldn't pass the dress to anyone, so we kept it."

"Why did you offer the dress for her then?" Thrawn asked.

"It was made for her." The Madam looked at me through the mirror with a mixture of sadness and happiness. "This dress was ordered by the late Senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala. For her aide, lady (Y/l/n)."

My whole body tensed and I felt something stuck to my throat. I remembered this place, we came here a couple of times with Padme for a small accessory for her outfits. The store has changed a bit on the outside and inside during the years, but I now recalled meeting this woman once or twice.

"You are her, aren't you?" The Madam asked.

My mouth was open to answer yes, but nothing came out. I simply looked at the dress. Padme ordered this dress, for me? I kept looking at it and I felt how everything turned cold.

"I-I can't accept this dress. Excuse me." I said and walked back to the dressing room. Once I got there, I tried so hard to not cry and ruin my makeup. Though my mascara was waterproof, I didn't want to show that I had cried. A couple of sobs escaped but none of the tears. It felt like forever but after a couple of minutes, the two workers entered the dressing room. When I saw them I tried to straighten myself and took a deep breath before I made eye contact with them.

"Your companion suggested this dress for you to try." The younger worker said with a tone that told me that they were worried. Maybe they thought that they had unintentionally made me upset. I looked at the dress*****, it was a dark green off-shoulder model with open slit sleeves. It was simple yet elegant. Maybe the best choice for the art exhibition.

I changed into the dress and walked out of the dressing room. I saw Thrawn discussing something with the Madam, but he stopped when he saw me coming. I was once again guided to the mirror to see the dress from all angles. It was beautiful but not as beautiful as the dress I had on a moment ago. Still, this would be perfect. It was simple and elegant and I somehow felt comfortable. I noticed Thrawn coming closer to me through the mirror. When I turned to face him he was already standing next to me. He lifted his hand and with his knuckles he made me look at his eyes.

"Beautiful, I hope I won't be accused of seizing a piece of art when we walk out of the art gallery." He said looking at me. Seriously, where does he come up with those lines? Or maybe he is just trying to be polite and say something flattering after the scene I just made. Whatever the reason was, it made everyone forget the turmoil I had a moment ago.

"We shall take this one," Thrawn said and turned to face the Madam.

"Of course, would you like to add the shoes and a few accessories?" The Madam offered.

"If there aren't many. We do need to arrive at the art gallery soon." Thrawn said.

I went with the workers, who helped me to get proper shoes and earrings. There was no need for a necklace, but I was recommended a small purse. I thought that I need to do my hair but the workers said that my loose hair looked lovely. As for makeup, there was no need except for a small touchup. I glanced a couple of times at Thrawn and saw him discussing something with the Madam. Whatever they were talking about was finished a moment before I was done.

"How much is all this? I asked the Madam.

"Your companion has already taken care of the payment." She answered.

I can now forget the whole we-aren't-a-couple explanation. What else could he be now? He had brought me here, he had taken the lead on what sort of dress I would wear and now he has even paid for it.

"I already asked them to send the attire you had when we arrived at your housing if that is alright?" Thrawn said. Was that what he was talking about with the Madam? If it was, I should thank him later. It would have been very troublesome to go just to drop my outfit and go again.

We both left the boutique and took the cab to the art gallery. Switching dresses was a smart idea, when we arrived in the gallery I realized how my previous outfit would have clashed with the entire evening. Now I was partly able to blend as a patron and yet look gorgeous. We walked together and passed different art pieces. Some were beautiful to look at while others were a bit difficult to understand. Some were to my liking and some were pleasing to Thrawn. We both commented on the works according to our taste and the evening was turning quite delightful. At one point Thrawn looked at his Chrono and sighed.

"It seems that our time is almost up, my Lady." He said. We have seen most of the exhibition and not much was left. But I didn't like the idea of returning to the Opera House to meet people who have purposely avoided me and tried to make fun of me. But it had to be done, if I don't get a say in, the consequences would be unavoidable. I may not admit it openly but I did enjoy the company of Thrawn.

"W-would you accompany me to the Opera House?" I asked. He could say no, why would he want to come with me and meet people who are unpleasant to be around with, and leave a good art exhibition?

"It would be my honor, my Lady." He said with a small smile. Why was I relieved to hear that? Instead of thinking that, we left the art gallery together and took a cab to the Opera House. The ride was quiet but when I could see the Opera House, I couldn't help but gasp.

"What is it?" Thrawn asked.

"That speeder. It belongs to Lord Vader." I said and looked at the landing area of the Opera House. It was indeed Vader's speeder. Why did he come? Panic was getting me, and Thrawn saw it. He asked the driver to let us out a bit further from the Opera House. We both got out of the speeder and walked the rest of the way. I didn't need to get too close when I saw two stormtroopers standing at the entrance from the landing area.

"He is inside," I said nervously.

"Does Lord Vader usually come and collect you?" Thrawn asked.

"No, never," I answered. "If he sees me enter he'll know that I wasn't at the concert like I said I would be."

"He didn't know then that you were invited and left with no entrance pass," Thrawn confirmed. "In that case, we need to just get into the hall another way than the main entrance."

"How?" I asked.

"If I recall correctly hall's like this one have several exits for safety measure. According to protocol they aren't not allowed to be locked. We can't get inside through one of those," Thrawn said.

"Is it allowed?" I asked.

"As long we aren't getting inside the performance hall then I believe we are alright,' Thrawn said. He led me to the side of the Opera House and took us to an open backdoor. There were no guards when we got in but as we walked further, there were a couple of guards walking around. They kept their rounds close to the doors which seemed to lead to the concert hall. We walked closer to the hallway that would lead to the main entrance.

"If you wish to keep the illusion that you were at the concert, then we could wait here a moment before the people will come out," Thrawn suggested.

I agreed to his suggestion and we remained in the hallway for a moment. It didn't take more than a couple of minutes, and we heard the doors open and chatter of the people was heard.

"I think it is a good time to arrive at the lobby," Thrawn said and extended his hand to me. "My Lady."

I swallowed a lump in my throat and took his hand. Who knows if I faint before we get there. He guided me to the lobby and I couldn't help but feel being in the center of a spotlight as we came to the lobby. No doubt Vader saw me coming. Seeing me with Thrawn, that might be another matter entirely.

"My Lord," I said making a curtsey.

"Lord Vader." Thrawn greeted inclining his head.

"Why are you here?" Vader asked. Was he asking me or Thrawn? It is hard to say since he has a mask. Surely, he knew where I was since he had come here.

"My Lord, I met Grand Admiral by coincidence," I said answering on behalf of Thrawn.

"I asked, why are you here?" Vader corrected me. He didn't know? Then he isn't here for me. Then for who? Oh no.

"My Lord, I came here to speak about the shipment issue with Bistepo. It should be resolved without any complications." I explained.

"Here? In the Opera House?" Vader asked sounding a bit suspicious.

"He chose this place. And... no, I haven't been here all time. I was left out and we were supposed to meet right after the concert ends." I admitted. Claiming otherwise will end very badly. "This situation can be solved today."

"It better. I rather not involve myself with political matters but if they cross military affairs and hinder us..." Vader warned.

"Yes, my Lord. Please, let me resolve it here peacefully." I begged.

"Yes, it will be resolved today. I let you handle it. Starting now." Vader said and raised his head to the hallway where people were coming.

It was easy to find Bistebo and his companions from the crowd. And they found us just as easily. I could tell by their looks that they were not happy or prepared for the Dark Lord to be here. At least they didn't try anything stupid, like walking back inside or pretending not to have seen us. I walked to Bistebo once he had stepped to the big lobby.

"Was it really necessary for you to call Lord Vader here?" Bistebo asked with an offended tone.

"I didn't call him. He came here on his own. And I hope he didn't come here for the same reason for why I have tried to contact you for weeks." I argued.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

"The Eadu shipments from the last few months," I said.

His eyes went wide but then I saw them narrow. He knew something but he wasn't going to tell. This will not end well.

"And what does that have anything to do with you?" He asked a bit rudely.

"Until little moments ago, nothing. But now Lord Vader is here. Believe me, when I say this, you don't want him to ask the same questions." I said. "If he is here, then he doesn't even have to ask."

Bistebo didn't look happy. This definitely won't end well. I heard some steps behind me, with a glance to the back I saw Thrawn and Vader coming closer. My time was running out.

"Senator Bistebo, you and some of your circle are in charge of those shipments. If you have a pretty good explanation why they are late and insufficient, now would be a good time to say it." I said hurriedly. Nothing. His eyes were just focusing on me. He looked angry.

"You couldn't have chosen a better time for this discussion?" He hissed.

"I've tried, Senator. I really did. And remember, it was you who made this place the one and only meeting place." I reminded him.

Other people began to stop and look at what was happening. For Lord Vader to come here was already rare enough. But it definitely seemed that he was here on business. The question will be, what kind of business it will become.

"Senator Bistebo, I assume my aide has made clear the reason I'm here?" Vader acquired.

"She has, Lord Vader. But she is wrong. I have nothing to do with the shipments." Bistebo lied. I knew he did. And so did Vader. I prayed this won't end with someone's death.

"Is she now? Then you could explain something else then." Vader asked. "Is it not you who recommended Commander Brovas to be in charge of the shipments?"

"I recommended him, but..." Bistebo began.

"I have met the Commander, and dare say he is not as dependable as you have claimed. His actions reflect very poorly on you, Senator." Vader continued ignoring Bistebo's attempt to explain. "Three out of five shipments come late and their cargo is incomplete. In all cases, Commander has been in charge, the very one you recommended. If you won't get this matter settled quickly, we should entrust this matter to someone else."

"Lord Vader, these things take time to fix. If you would wait a moment I'll see to it that things will get corrected." Bistebo said.

"My aide has tried to contact you several times. A time that could have been used to fix things. Or to get rid of the evidence." Vader said.

"Well, we have talked over it. And we have come to a solution. You will hear about it later." Bistebo lied.

"When?" Vader asked.

"I said later. We need to get the matter settled before we..." Bistebo began.

"I asked when did you talk it over with my aide? I know that she hasn't had any meeting with you before." Vader said.

"J-just this evening. During the intermission." Bistebo lied.

"My aide already admitted that she did not go to the concert and has simply waited here for your arrival," Vader said sounding more angry. "Since you only tell lies, then we better go to ISB to get the real truth out of you."

Bistebo looked frightened. And people around began to wonder even more what was going on. If I don't do something it will end with someone's death.

"My Lord, we better finish this at the ISB headquarters instead of here," I suggested.

"No need, the ISB is already on their way. If you are trying to save someone's face you are failing at it." Vader growled at me.

"My Lord, this doesn't need to end in someone's death... we aren't in the navy now," I whispered the last part. Vader was famous for his temper. Many Coruscanty elites have lost their relatives and friends to Vader's rage. It was unpleasant to watch but even more unpleasant to face them later.

"It all depends on that someone," Vader said with a very low voice. I knew when to step down. He didn't like it when I tried too hard to plea for someone else. Much less if I was trying to change his mind. He didn't want to look weak.

Bistebo looked horrified. People were already gossiping about what could be the reason for Vader to come here and why was he speaking with Bistebo, and what was my part in all that. It all got worse from there. Three ISB agents rushed in and reported to Vader. They claimed to have investigated Bistebo's office. And they have found the very evidence of the embezzlement and cutting the shipment's budget and integrity. And that's all Vader needed.

"Arrest this man," Vader said and pointed to Bistebo.

"No, I'm innocent. You got to believe me... You, tell them. You were trying to help me." Bistebo tried to drag me into the mess.

I pushed myself away from his hands right when the agents came to hold him down. I felt two arms coming around me protectively. It was an instinct that made me get close to those arms and put myself in the warm embrace that held me away from the scene. I heard Bistebo swearing like a mad man. And some people gasped and shrieked as they saw him fight back. It took five minutes for the noise to die down. And then I opened my eyes and saw the familiar-looking fabric.

"It is alright now." The familiar soothing sound said. When I looked up I saw red eyes looking down at me. Thrawn?

I looked at myself and my surroundings. I was in Thrawn's arms. I had forgotten him completely. And without realizing I had rushed to his arms as he tried to protect me from Bistebo. My cheeks got warm. Did everyone see it? Apparently, not. All eyes were looking out of the lobby where the agents had taken Bistebo. No, not all eyes. I saw Vader looking at me. He was looking at me in Thrawn's arms. I quickly took a step away from Thrawn. There might be no death tonight but I began now fear for myself.

"We shall leave now," Vader announced.

"Yes, my Lord," I said and turned to Thrawn. He did help me, so it was only right to give at least a thank you. "Thank you, Grand Admiral for protecting me."

"My pleasure, my Lady. And thank you for the lovely evening." He said with a small bow.

I didn't get to say anything to that when Vader placed his hand on my shoulder as a sign that we will leave. He made me walk beside him instead of behind him. When I got to the speeder I saw Thrawn coming out to the entrance and his eyes had no trouble finding mine. Vader was quick in sitting beside me in the backseat and told the driver to go. The ride was long and silent. It was after we got to our mansion at Coruscant that Vader spoke to me. Actually, it was when he offered his hand to help me out of the speeder.

"That dress is new. I don't recall seeing you ever wear it." He said.

"I-it was bought today. Since I didn't get to go to the concert, Grand Admiral took me to an art gallery. Instead of coming back here first to change, he took me to a boutique for another dress." I explained.

"He paid for it?" Vader asked. I swear I could hear the anger in his voice.

"Yes, h-he did," I answered. I was sure Vader would be angry. But he was silent for a moment. He seemed to be looking at me. He was looking at me with the dress. I just prayed nothing else would happen tonight anymore. I just wanted to go to my room and rest.

"At least he has good taste," Vader said as if he didn't want to admit what he said. "It looks good in you."

I gulped as he began to guide me inside. No one died tonight. And I will definitely need a long rest after this.

[disorganizedkitten]

Road To Ruin Anon again. You said there were themes to your Potter Twins' names - what themes?

Hi, yes! Sorry this took me forever to get to, but here we go!

The Post Anon Is Referring To // The First Slideshow Post

Okay so, in chronological order - I'm not putting the slides on again bc they make everything so long;

CHARLIE! Charlie/Charles/Charlus is... not that deep. We can give it all the in-story explanations we want, but the fact of the matter is that I was writing a Farland Files fanfic love letter and I just reused the name. I assume that Purplemango picked it either because they liked it, there's canonically a Charlus Potter he can be named after, and/or as Charles it follows the convention of Potter-Names-Mirror-English-Royalty, but I haven't ever worked up the courage to ask them. Probably never will.

SORREL! Okay so I'm mostly sure that Sorrel showed up in a googled list of Indian names, and it won my personal aesthetic contest - I know his middle name did, I don't remember WHAT his middle name WAS, but it means blue; Sorrel means red, and the Potter could refer to brown and I personally found that clever.

Having said all of this, when I just googled the name to double check, I found out that Sorrel is ALSO term for a plant, spinach dock is also known as common or garden Sorrel. I'm very sure that part isn't on purpose, but the Cobra Lily (Charlie) and Hyacinth/Hydrangea (Sorrel) aus are largely built on me hoarding as many plant names as I feel comfortable with and making them plot points so- *fingerguns* -it works out!

Moving on, I already mentioned the story behind CONNOR! The au was getting to the point I needed names to visualize, I couldn't choose, so I handed my phone and the googled list (no clue what I googled, that was three years and like 9 this-au-has-developed-into-a-whole-new-au-s ago) to my little sister. She said Connor. I said okay.

Honestly, either Sorrel or Connor is my favorite twin. They've just got shiny personalities. It's a close competition tho

TRISTAN! yeah yeah, his spelling is still being decided, chill, it doesn't matter until I start posting the au. I wish I could say something clever but I haven't even checked what Tristain means, unlike the others. I think. Actually, have I ever looked up what Connor means?

moment of silence while I do that brb

Back! Connor means Lover Of Hounds and I- wheezes I cannot. This is Hilarious. Unreasonably so. Little Ruler and his baby brother, Lover Of Hounds.

This tangent added like five minutes to this post and I have NO REGRETS

It also looks like a Gaelic name, which means there's a chance the list I gave to my sis was those, bc I do and will advocate for Irish Lily Potter at any and all given opportunities. If that wasn't what I was thinking it SURE IS NOW

Anyway, back to Tristan; I looked him up after I finished my Connor tangent, and I have once again been blessed in writing because the name could not be more perfect for the au if I tried.

"In Arthurian legend, Tristan (sometimes called Tristram) was a Knight of the Round Table and the tragic hero of the medieval tale "Tristan and Isolde". The tale has been retold in many poems and operas. This ancient name may derive from a Pictish original, Drostan, but the form was probably influenced by the French term "triste", meaning "sad". The name is popular in Spain." (source linked)

Gosh I WISH that was why I picked the name, the actual story is so much less cool; I wrote the outline leaving a T in place of the name the whole time (bc I kept trying to use Sorrel but NO I wanted it to be a NEW AU) and I know a guy named Tristan so it made sense to just. expand on the T.

WILLIAM: Will's name was given to me by the same person who helped make the Obscurial Au (Will's au) playlist, and I have no clue what their tumblr handle is but their Ao3 is Lonelyroads. I complained about how I couldn't find twin names that weren't either taken or have Negatory Vibes, and Lonely offered up Will, which follows the aforementioned Potter's-Named-After-English-Royalty tend/convention and looks good with Harry and has good nickname opportunities.

So yeah! That's all of them - there's no overarching trend but they each have their stories.

[redrobemerle]

hey what if i made an ffvii au based around a very niche musical i enjoy. woe dolls of ffvii be upon ye

the narrator : the Planet itself (tells the story, also tries to warn people about the consequences of their actions but cannot be heard by the rest of the cast) the gambler and the monk : JENOVA and a cetra (maybe ifalna, maybe just a random one. its not like theyre mentioned by name anyway) jasper : grimoire valentine (this is mainly bc annabel had to be lucrecia) annabel : lucrecia (she canonically sort of brought vincent back from the dead. sort of. she probably wouldve brought grimoire back if she could have. its also lowkey implied that she may have had a crush on grimoire?)

((now heres where the roles go off the rails in regards to what their original relationships were))

edgar : hojo fay : vincent (THATS RIGHT BAY BEE IF JASPER IS GRIMOIRE VINCENT HAS TO BE FAY. whos the guy vincent leaves hojo for when he realizes Oh This Guys Fucked Up Actually? probably cid or reeve. i dont really ship vincent with anyone so like. as long as its not one of the Kids. anyway also thinks about how grimoires last words in canon are "tell vincent im sorry". thinks about "i took the liberty of bringing your dear old dad back. you can talk to him again! but only if you come back and marry me". thinks) byron : sephiroth (let sephiroth be an anarchist lmao) amelia : angeal ("amelia"s shitty dad is hollander obvs) priscilla : aerith (the obvious choice, but also im always thinking about the similarities between aerith and vincent (vincents similarities with cloud are far more obvious, but listen to me. aerith and vincent have their parallels too). priscilla reminding jasper of fay (aerith reminding grimoire of vincent)) soldier 7285 : theres so many people it could be but im leaning towards zack or cloud? everyone else gets to be voodoopunks

BUT TUMBLR USER REDROBEMERLE NONE OF US IN THE FF7 FANDOM HAVE ANY CLUE WHAT DOLLS OF NEW ALBION IS! YOU ADMITTED IT'S NICHE AS HELL!

fear not, for i have typed up a summary of the musical under the cut! if you read the summary and get upset about the way ive fucked with the relationships from the game for the sake of this au, please refer to this post <3

CONTENT WARNINGS: offstage but explicitly mentioned suicide, also very brief but explicitly mentioned parental abuse, immolation mentions (sort of), execution by a militaristic police state (near the end)

The Dolls of New Albion: a Steampunk Opera is a folk opera by Paul Shapera

the opera is split up into four acts, each following a generation of a single family. each act has a narrator telling you about the world as time passes. while not all of it is directly relevant to the story at hand, it tells you something interesting about the world. however, there is a recurring motif of a gambler and a monk who played a never-ending card game. this is important later. the city of new albion was built around them by the people who came to watch them play. but more importantly, in the Now, annabel(/annabelle/annabella. the script cant decide how its spelled) mcalistair is raising up the dead

okay so basically. annabel had a big ol crush on a guy in school. they had never talked until one day they talked and kissed and they became friends for a little bit. but then annabel was expelled for stealing cadavers for her own research. and she became a shut-in and he got married then died young. and she's figured out how to call his soul down into a doll she has built!

the doll is very lifelike but cant really move and cannot talk but he can play the radio! isnt he great? look at annabels doll everyone! she can go anywhere now bc hes proof that shes brilliant! shes conquered life and death! but not everything you love loves you in return. and when she realizes that he cannot, will not ever love her back or speak to her, he doesnt want to be back, she destroys the doll. and throws all of her notes in an old trunk in the attic.

and so passes the first generation.

the narrator informs us that annabel gets married and has a son named edgar at some point. edgar grows up and falls in love, as people often do, with a woman named fay, and on the night he was planning to propose to her, she tells him that while she loves him and she really tried to make the relationship work, hes got Issues and so she leaves him for another man.

in his anger, when edgar goes through the old trunk in the attic and finds annabels notes on necromancy, he makes a business out of it! he summons back the souls of the dead for anyone who asks and pays, and when his business becomes successful enough he uses the money and influence he has to run the business of fays new partner into the ground.

he goes and finds fay and is like. "look. i have a very successful business. the man that you say you love is ruined and poor and I know you cant live like that. and whats more than that, you know your dead dad who you loved so dearly? yeah i brought him back for you, but the only way you can talk to him is if you come back and get married to me. :)" and fay does but shes also like "what the fuck. i actually loved you once why did you end up like this this is why i left you in the first place" also the person whose soul edgar brought back is jasper, the same man annabel brought back originally.

and so passes the second generation.

edgar and fay have a son named byron. now, byron becomes a voodoopunk. voodoopunk is one part religious movement, one part political party, one part punk subculture. yes i know voodoo is a closed practice i dont know that the person who wrote this does and yeah.

so basically his whole plan is to run jasper for mayor? and theres this girl named amelia whos also running with the voodoopunks. it is unclear how old she is, but she is referred to as "a girl" rather than "a woman", so it is likely she's either a teenager or a young adult.

but jasper has figured something out. jasper has figured out how to string together songs on the radio to finally speak for himself. and byron is like "here listen to our doll give you a speech and prove that the dead can run this country better than any of the vultures that are politicians in any part of the political spectrum!"

and jasper sings.

and he sings about how he did not want to be brought back. death was peaceful and he did not want to be here.

and amelia heard this. and she had no friends. and she lived only with her father who was abusive (presumably both verbally and physically? it is never elaborated upon but we do know its at least verbal.)

and she kills herself with only the words of the song jasper sang as her note.

at which point theres public outcry bc ALL the dolls have been singing this song. in the publics eyes, the dolls killed amelia. and so people start rounding up the dolls -- who there are more of than living people in new albion by now -- and burning them alive (for a given definition of alive? its really more of releasing their souls again but really violently) byron manages to "save" jasper though.

and so ends the third generation.

we revisit the card game. the gambler died of a heart attack during the final hand, and cursed with his dying breath that the game was not yet finished, promising the two would come back to finish it one day.

and so begins the fourth generation.

New Albion has become a military police state, killing anyone with any sort of memorabilia of the dead. we see priscilla, byrons daughter, hiding in a basement and playing a never-ending game of cards with jasper. (YEP THATS RIGHT ITS KINDA IMPLIED THAT JASPER AND PRISCILLA ARE THE REINCARNATIONS OF THE MONK AND THE GAMBLER, and even if theyre not, theyre still the ones continuing the game they started).

we also see soldier 7285 join the police.

priscilla loves her great grandfather jasper dearly -- and he loves her back. she reminds him of fay, when fay was younger and more innocent, and jasper lets slip during their card game that he still wants to die but he is willing to stay because he wants priscilla to live even more. because if theyre found, they both die.

priscilla is like what the fuck thats not? fair??? why should you have to sacrifice your death for my life??? and she thinks about it. and decides that a life of hiding isnt much of a life at all.

and she calls the cops on herself.

a firing squad happens, despite jasper doing all he can to prevent it because her life for his death isnt fair to her, either.

but soldier 7285 doesnt fire.

he is court martialled and stripped of his duties/rank for it. soldier 7285 thinks about how priscilla loved jasper so much she was willing to die if it meant his freedom, and goes. hey what the fuck sort of country do i serve that thinks caring about the people we loved past their deaths is punishable by death??? im going to tear this country down and rebuild it on the graves of the people who decided this, and if i die in the process, at least i can be a martyr and inspire people to finish what i started the way she inspired me.

and thats the dolls of new albion!

[harley-the-pancake]

This is just a post to try and keep things organized on my blog. If you want to know my pronouns, name I go by, age, etc, just look in my bio. I just reblog and post whatever I want.

I don’t have an official dni, I just don’t give a fuck half the time, as long as you aren’t a dick to others, you can stay

I also don’t mind people using ideas that I have, making things off of the ideas or fics I have, or tagging me in silly @ games.

I also have a second account I occasionally use as a studyblr, which is Pancake-tries-college.

My AO3 is Pancake_Overlord

I have two side blogs:

@pancake-tries-college is where I keep my adulting stuff

@bite-sized-pancakes is where I keep my little stuff cause I think I may be an age dreamer 👍

My pfp is made by a picrew from @wervty

Dragons from @blu3b3rryj4mp1r3

Important sorting tags:

#vent chai latte - posts that are vents or emotional (I don’t always use it I am gonna be honest)

#diary posting - a new tag I’ll be using when I ramble about emotions, meds or just more personal things that are not about my school or friends (LATER HARLEY UPDATE: It is also becoming a bit of less fun school stuff tag, eg talking with professors, getting homework done, etc)

#Into the datemate pile - a tag that I use just to save & share things with my datemate, who does not have an active tumblr

#ph anon of the opera - my ask tag. It does not matter if you are anon or no, you are all ph anon in my eyes hearts (I also have a tendency of hoarding my asks but be free to still send me asks)

#ask game - just replies I’m saving from like descriptions of me or ask games

#my wife saga - my datemate is studying abroad then researching in idaho so I’m being dramatic. This will be happening for 3 months.

#holly on the wally - my tag for my dog Holly! You can block this if you want or if you don’t like dogs

Tell me if I need to tag anything for you

From @hee-blee-art

Posts that I feel like sharing:

A post I made about saving Rats SMP vods and led to some decent archives. I did nothing, but it has the link to the document that has a whole lot of links so!

A post I made with a document that I use to save a whole lot of MCC vods and a few VODs I have saved myself

Not an important post, however it’s a post I love and I want to keep on my pinned for when I want to see. It entails some games of One Night Ultimate Werewolf for my datemate’s birthday

This isn’t a post of mine, but I wanted to save Tumblr fairy tales

A ramble on the life series from my datemate. Read it. This is a threat /silly

A list of things to cheer anyone up ^-^

Candy for any trick or treaters who don’t want to send an ask

Best video ever

Datemate poll

[erikaskblog]

EdouardVampiresimpFollows you🐕🐕‍🦺Dogs are life I love them.🐩🦮 Background by https://www.quotev.com/AuroraDawn https://www.quotev.com/groups/1615875833 https://i.postimg.cc/5NCnP0qD/a7caf40f04176bb9c58e19a9af88ff07.jpg One of my alts https://www.quotev.com/draculaslover https://www.quotev.com/Mordoz2/journal/9061085/Rp-rules-again ,https://i.pinimg.com/564x/99/9f/e1/999fe112cb7df0ebe7fd8b58be163ba0.jpg If you ever tried s3lf h@rm, cr!ed yourself to sleep bc u thought you weren't g00d en0ugh or tried t@king your own l!fe copy this to your about, let's see how many of us are there. https://www.quotev.com/story/15090915/Stop-wildlife-crime-and-animal-abuse https://i.postimg.cc/3xX50mGS/Tumblr-l-6394755294226.png ⚔️ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐟����𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐲 ⚔️Castlevania nocturne, United StatesJoined July 30, 2021 Active 37 minutes ago ((Pine)))Hello I'm Louis but the admin is called Pine,my pronouns are she/them ,I hope you enjoy my lovely page Credit. Byf. Dni. Friends. Extra.PublishedPiggy Warrior cats Marvel x reader Marvel ocs Marvel as animals Marvel Warriors and marvel and other things Ocs Reveals Doctor strange An dog's purpose What ifs Polls for shit Gifts Headcanons Animal adoption centers Stuff irl not q related The shades of blood Free response surveys Warrior cat quizzes Google translated Warrior novellas Animal rps Doctor strange 2 Random rps Voice headcanons Wings of fire Fusions Request My art Warriors fanfics outside of the arc I'm writing Art collabs Lion King Blood river My dog Stuff I like Marvel animal rp Bloodclan Crossover Warrior cat aus Shops Stuff Just warrior cat rps Pride month Cheethz au quizzes Animals About me Doctor strange 3 Mwf Fnaf Wakanda forever Merchandise Abandoned places Cats and dogs I survived Survivors Call of duty black ops Cold war Rewrites from original account The one and only Ivan Eh idk stuff Castlevania Empire of the vampire Pigeon forge trip Washington DC trip Spotify Pets Local museum Orlox strange Commissions Abandoned Interview with the vampire Duolingo Sims Call of dutyBleeding Moonlight: Joyeux's backstory2 pages 3 weeks ago Castlevania Castlevania Nocturne |Joyeux oc |FanfictionThe backstory of my Castlevania nocturne oc Joyeux♥ 1 Discussion 4 8 reads · 4 readersBlood and fire evil Gabriel de Leōn au1 page 6 weeks ago Empire of the vampire Empire Of The Vampire Empire Of The Dammed |Gabriel De Leōn |FanfictionIdk yet♥ 2 29 reads · 18 readersYou have viewed thisNew Ways through the multiverse3 pages 8 weeks ago Doctor strange 2 Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Doctor Strange Ways through The Multiverse |Sinster Strange CleaFanfictionCover was made by @lethalvenom An doctor strange fan fiction,spoilers for doctor strange 2 and spoilers for doctor strange 1♥ 4 Discussion 38 111 reads · 29 readersSee allLibraryAdded Recently viewedTherian art vent book!1 page 9 hours ago Skyestorm says Im leaving ThunderClan FanfictionTell me if you want me to make some art of your theriotypes!Art book1 page 1 day ago PlushieN Art. Some is fanart, some is not. The watermark saying 'JustClover11@ is my old usernameMy new doggo reveal ️ ️1 page 1 day ago Gσld ღ is a bit busy rn NonfictionShould I reveal my new puppy? He's so cute! EEEEEEE!look at my bnuuy1 page 3 months ago Fiona Fanfictionshadowwwwww!!!See allJanuary 1, 2024New face claim for Guillaume de PompadourArt is bywww.reddit.com/u/AbasedEidolon/s/vpECq9uLLi 7 days ago CommentSee allEdouardNew muse post and pinnedPlease interact pleaseOld pinnedwww.quotev.com/Vampiresimp/activity/843507232Edouard was singing at a opera theater,before the young man glanced at you3 ♥ Edouard updated Rating warrior cat ships!!♥Edouard updated South American sanctum information♥Edouard updated Marvel Oc's♥Edouard updated Australia sanctum decorations♥Edouard updated South American sanctum information1 ♥See allY

Charge phone more snacks and more money

[nysus-temple]

I'm a little late, had some work to do before managing to come to Tumblr 😭 But here we are !

If you ever encounter people, or problems as to why one uses Nonnus' as a source, just remember that as long as his stories are referenced somewhere else, then he's a decent source. He's not perfect, far from it, but just like with Apollodorus' Bibliotheka, one has to look for sources regarding that myth around (and sources aren't always texts!), so you're fine in that sense.

My additions will be few, since there isn't anything wrong with this post, really. So. Let's make it brief.

As a curiosity, Ino is mentioned in Hesiod's Catalogue of Women, we... We only have fragments of that work, so it doesn't help much, but the curiosity is there. Also, she's the same girl that helps Odysseus in book V, in the sea ! Though as I said, Hesiod's work is fragmentary, and the Bibliotheka is to be taken with a grain of salt.

We have a... Funny source regarding Dionysus and Rhea's relationship. Familiar with Diodorus Siculus? Yeah, his stuff is to be taken with a grain of salt too like— Most of the sources mixed with Egypt. Like Nonnus himself is. So bear with me for a second. According to him, Rhea was married to the egyptian deity Ammon (woohoo), but he had Dionysus with Amaltheia (Zeus' foster mother) and in fear of Rhea's wrath, he sent the child to Nysa (where my nickname comes from, btw). The funny thing about this is that Rhea DID find Dionysus and tried to take him under her own power, but since she didn't manage to do so, she simply left Ammon and went with Cronus. Talk about a Greek soap opera.

Any god can cause madness, it's not exclusive of Dionysus. All the powers the gods have are shared, since what's important in them it's not how they release their rage, rather, *why* they do it. And in Dionysus' case, him inducing madness to people most of the time instead of other types of punishments was more of a "hey, i'm a god too" thingy than anything. He abuses from that punishment more than the rest due to that.

Regarding the abbreviation... Which book did it appear? A translation of the Dionysiaca? I can't help much with that without a long list of details, given how abbreviations differ depending on the language and the academia 🫠 I personally believe it has to do with Dionysus' descent to the Underworld, since according to Pausanias in his Description of Greece, when he got out of there, he did it by arriving nearby Lerna.

Dionysus' iceberg (part 3)

Here's part 2 (+ the bonus about animals and a link with part 1).

I'm back for a new part of this little essay series about Dionysus !

In part 1, I explained how underused he is. In part 2, I talked about him as a nature and theater god.

Today, since Halloween is coming up, I'll specifically focus on Dionysus' spookier aspects. Because his duality is rooted in both his festive nature, but also darker parts. Because Dionysus is also associated with madness, conquest, death and rebirth.

Before that, just a reminder that a non-negligeable part of my informations come from the Dionysiaca, which is a very late source. I'll try to use other versions as well.

1. The god of madness

Ok, so when a god is given a title, just know it isn't there as a decoration. It's such an important part of said god that it deserved to be highlighted.

This is probably the longest subsection of my essay, so I'll divide it in two (again).

A) Experiencing madness

Dionysus always had an intrisic bond with madness. It all began with, well, his childhood. After a unique birth, Dionysus was sent with multiple tutors : the first was Rhea, mother of Zeus and Hera and Dionysus' grandmother. Then, he lived with Ino, Semele's sister and her husband, Athamas, a Beoetian king.

Disguised as a little girl, Dionysus lived with mortals in order to stay hidden from his divine stepmother : Hera. And... that didn't work.

Hera stroke Athamas with madness, probably as a punishment for sheltering Dionysus. The poor man went in a murderous rage and killed Learchus, one of his sons, thinking he was a stag.

Ino barely saved herself, Dionysus and Melicertes, her other son.

According to the Dionysiaca, Ino herself was struck with insanity beforehand and Apollo had to heal her. What a mess...

So, even in this early part of life, Dionysus' presence caused madness and despair among mortals, despite Hera's undeniable involvement.

Now found, the young god was quickly sent to live with the satyrs (see part 2). Problem : Hera didn't let go so easily.

This time, instead of targetting someone like Silenus, she went straight to the point and struck Dionysus himself.

Contrary to Heracles or Athamas, Dionysus didn't brutally slaughter his entourage. Instead, he left them and spent years aimlessly wandering around Earth.

It was only after seeing Rhea, his grandmother, that he could recover his sanity. Nonnus explains that she gave him an amethyst that allowed him to heal and made him unable to get drunk. The word "amethyst" itself means "the absence of intoxication".

Other sources claim it was the phryigian goddess Cybele that cured him (she herself is closely associated to Rhea, Gaia and Demeter, even sharing the title "Meter Theon" with Rhea).

Rhea was another one of Dionysus' caretakers as a child and will also be involved later on in his life, like a godly teacher.

Ironically enough, Hera also fulfills that last role despite all her efforts to terrorize him. Because after experiencing her madness for years, Dionysus took it as his own domain...

B) Inflicting madness on others

This subsection contains more interpretation than the previous one. Yes, there were a lot of myths showcasing Dionysus' power over mortal minds but I'll be more general here.

Dionysus' madness is a bit different from Hera's. Whereas the queen of gods occasionally used it with the sole goal to punish, her stepson's is rooted in this same duality between festivity and violence.

On one hand, it's a feeling of liberation and fun. Dionysus' followers aren't tied down to social conventions and inhibitions anymore. They can just... do whatever they want. There is no king, no law, no husband (hence the insistance on women in the cult, who were imposed even more limitations).

There is only Dionysus and fellow party animals... and literal wild animals too.

The god invites them to celebrate, to dance, to sing or to partake in sexual activities. Of course, that sense of freedom attracted a lot of people into Dionysus' cult in mythology. That translated in real life as well, through orgies but also various festivals honoring the god (like the City and rural Dionysia or the Lenaia).

One the other hand, Dionysus could also force this madness on people. He wins the control that they lose. And no matter how hard one would resist, they'd immediately succumb.

Dionysus could either make his targets docile and obedient, or frantic and enraged. Whatever suits him best, he does. He could make anyone hallucinate, unable to distinguish reality from fantasy and fight for him.

He uses madness in a unique way, with various nuances. Other gods are capable of this as well, but not with as much nuance and precision as Dionysus. Because it's his domain.

We could compare the Dionysian madness to his own creation, wine. It induces an addictive feeling of relaxation and pleasure, but also a loss of control and reason, plus an agressive behavior, that only gets bigger with the dosis.

This madness obviously is a particular concept that can't be tied down to one substance or drug, much less to how we understand mental illnesses today (though I suppose Dionysus could influence all of that).

It pretty much encompasses everything wild and beyond order or thought. Even the most down-to-earth, "normal" logical person has a bit of this Dionysian madness in them. And the god knows exactly how to release it.

One main instance of this is seen in Euripides' "The Bacchae". While it focuses on Dionysus' wrath against king Pentheus and his mother Agave, (and how he affects both of them differently), it also mentions that same feeling of freedom, insanity and the cult surrounding it.

2. War and conquest

I said it before, but the sheltered peaceful Dionysus agenda needs to stop NOW. You'd think I'd like seeing one of my favorite gods portrayed in a gentle light. But it just makes him lose his claws, his power and his cunning.

Because yeah, mr. "I can turn people mad and submit them to my will" doesn't always take the pacifistic approach to introducing his cult.

So get prepared for more wine, blood and revenge in this part !

I already mentioned that Dionysus, while in his maddened state, traveled the world. Well, even afterwards he didn't stop. Except this time, it wasn't aimless wandering, but a crusade to spread his cult and prove his power to... basically the whole world !

It began after Rhea healed Dionysus, when he requested his father to join the Olympian gods. And Zeus agreed... under the condition of earning his place.

Since Dionysus was a young god, no mortal worshipped him yet, and that needed to change.

And he understood the assignment very well.

Dionysus continued his travels around the whole world, but this time, he was a man with a plan. Everywhere he went, he introduced winemaking and tried to make himself worshipped.

He was known as the foreigner god, never establishing himself in a set place, always coming to new cities as a stranger with his exotic procession and unique practices. He went in Syria, in Egypt, in various parts of Greece too.

While he was often welcomed with open arms, some notable exceptions required him to be more agressive.

In India : seeing that the Indians were impious, Zeus sent Dionysus to invade the land. The conquest was confirmed by multiple sources like Pausanias or Philostratus, but the most detailed account is the Dionysiaca.

Rhea comes back and plays a huge role in supporting Dionysus and his army. And guess who helps the opponents ? That's right, Hera ! If she wasn't there, the victory would have surely been instantaneous.

This war also prompted a divide among the Olympians in a way that's eerily similar to the Iliad (there were even fights among the gods with the same pairings for opponents...). Again, Nonnus' tale was a late source, so maybe he took inspiration from it.

On Earth, there was a massacre : satyrs and maenads slaughtering the Indians. It only stopped when Dionysus pitied them. He stopped the war and invited his then-adversaries to drink wine (initially water from the Astacid Lake). Then he captured them, ending the war on a complete victory for the god.

In Athens : this is part of a lesser-known myth but honestly, it proves how ruthless Dionysus can be. In the beginning, everything was fine. Dionysus was welcomed by a man named Icarius (not Penelope's dad).

Icarius gave wine to his shepherds and enjoyed the god's persence. Unfortunately, since the shepherds weren't used to the wine, they thought the intoxication meant they were poisoned. So they murdered him without letting him a chance to explain themselves.

Furious, Dionysus took a page out of Apollo's handbook and inflicted a huge plague on Athens. Additionally, he turned every unmarried woman insane and made them hang themselves (like Icarius' daughter, Erigone, did out of grief).

In Argos : there, Dionysus and his maenads met king Perseus. Yes, the same Perseus who killed Medusa. It was mentioned in many sources, like Pausanias' Description of Greece.

And since Argos was Hera's city and Dionysus was there, of COURSE she is involved. She encouraged Perseus to fight back. Another war took place and we'd think it would end like with the Indians. But this time, Dionysus... lost.

In fact, he lost pretty bad. Many maenads are killed, including Chorea, the leader. Ariadne, his wife, is turned to stone. Perseus was the clear winner in this.

(I saw in a book that Dionysus himself died, then was thrown in a spring something I talked about multiple times on Tumblr. This really solidified Perseus' victory.

Here's the quote : "Perhaps the oldest of these tales was that{871} in which Perseus killed him and threw him [Dionysus] into the deep spring of Lerna."

But neither Theoi nor any other source I found mentions this small yet crucial detail. It's weird.

The book refers to this as a source :

Which source has this abbreviation?

@nysus-temple or @margaretkart , do you have an idea ? )

Maybe I misunderstood it. That would be a bit embarrassing, but hey, everyone can be wrong. I don't want to spread misinformation and if it's wrong, then I'll edit everything.

Point is : Perseus won, Dionysus lost. But then, on Hermes' request, they settled on a compromise. Perseus keeps his land and full control of it, but Dionysus' cult isn't banned and fallen maenads are honored.

In Thrace : Actually, Dionysus went there twice.

The first time is mentioned in the Iliad, for example. A young Dionysus goes to spread his cult. Unfortunately, he's quickly chased down by the king, Lycurgus.

He made the Hyades, nymphs and Dionysus' nurses, run away, killed one of them with an axe (Ambrosia). Then he forced Dionysus and his allies to jump from a cliff and into the sea. He almost drowned (or did) but was rescued/resurrected by Thetis.

And according to Nonnus, guess who turned Lycurgus against Dionysus ? It's interesting how everything Dionysus went through can be traced back to Hera.

Of course, the man who terrified Dionysus shouldn't just roam free without punishment.

Dionysus came back to Thrace a second time, angrier than ever. Lycurgus' punishments varies from source to source.

According to Pseudo-Apollodorus, Dionysus turned Lycurgus insane. He killed his son Dryas with an ax thinking he was cutting vines Dionysus installed. Then, he cut his own arms and legs. THEN, as if it wasn't enough, Dionysus made the land sterile and only agreed to change it if Lycurgus died. So, his people left him in the forest to be eaten by his own horses.

Other sources state that Lycurgus was hated by the gods in general and punished by Zeus himself.

Anecdote : Sophocles depicts Lycurgus as a beer drinker to highlight his opposition to the wine god. Idk it's a fun detail. Lycurgus being like "Wine ? Tastes awful. Imprison him."

(also, what if the ax that he used to kill his son was the same as the one that struck Ambrosia ? It wouldn't surprise me)

In Thebes : Thebes was Dionysus' final destination... and his family's city. There, his maenads and him were granted by angry guards, led by Dionysus' cousin : Pentheus. Like others on the list, he rejected the cult. As a punishment, Dionysus made every woman in the city insane, then tricked Pentheus until a crazed Agave (Pentheus' mother) led an army of maenads and they dismembered and beheaded him. For more details, go read the Bacchae from Euripides.

3. Death and rebirth

Surprisingly, this part will be very short, mainly because I already talked about Perseus and Lycurgus. Here is a post I made that talks about the subject

I'll elaborate more about Orphism and his relationship to gods and mortals in part 4.

Conclusion :

That was probably the longest part I wrote. Mainly because of the examples and the hours of research (I wanted to make sure everything I said was accurate).

Yes, there will be a part 4. I'll hopefully wrap up the essay series by talking about Dionysus' duality and relationships with gods, mortals. About enemies, family, lovers (mainly Ariadne but also others like Ampelus).

Then I'll make a definitive conclusion. Let's hope I'll finish it before 2025 :3

[arcadianambivalence]

Origins of Sansa’s Name

I’ve seen a lot of tumblr posts over the years that attribute Sansa’s name to meaning “charm or praise” or a play on the French sans a Stark (“without a Stark”), and occassionally, I’ve seen her name compared to a thumb piano, but not one of these theories has ever sat right with me.

ASOIAF is based on history and draws from literature and mythology, after all.  So why not look there for the origins of an usual name?

I’ll start with the obvious.  The series is called A Song of Ice and Fire.  Her sister is named Arya, pronounced like “are ya?” but suspiciously reminiscent of the musical term aria (air) for a solo in a larger work.  Sansa, then, could be traced to poetic terms.  Her name sounds like a softer version of the Italian stanza (literally: “room”), a structured set of lines akin to a prose paragraph or a song verse.  If we think of a poem as a body of work in the way that an opera consists of airs and a series consists of books, then Sansa’s perspective is one piece of the narrative.

The purported original plan for Sansa was for her to marry Joffrey as expected, have a child, and bitterly regret her choices.  So we could ask ourselves if Sansa shares a name with an actual person.  

Well...yes.

In 1494, one Sancha of Aragon married Goffredo, the youngest son of Rodrigo Borgia and Vannozza dei Cattanei.  Borgia, the powerful family infamous for accusations of murder, adultury, and incest that would shock a Lannister.  In fact, Jaime and Cersei have been compared to siblings Cesare and Lucrezia, given his status as a skilled knight and her history of using poison when charm fails (as Lucrezia was rumored to do).  It’s a nice enough comparison, but here’s the real kicker: Goffredo was also referred to by another name, Jofré.

But Sansa’s arc has changed from GRRM’s original idea, so what could the name mean for her story?

Let’s look at her character: courteous, eager to please, and wanting a world as romantic as oral tradition would have it.  You could say she waxes quixotic about how life “was just like the songs” and how Joffrey was her dulcet prince...until bitter reality destroys her dreams for the future.  Then she tries to resign herseslf to the worst (“in life, the monsters win”) and make practical decisions in order to survive. Her journey from romance to realism mirrors that of Cervantes’s titular Don Quixote.  Any variation on Quijote would be too obvious, though, so why not refer to his sidekick Sancho?

Sancho is Quixote’s foil, the realist to his romantic, the peasant to his nobility, and eventually, the two begin to rub off on each other.  By the end of the novel, Don Quixote is a depressed man, but Sancho has risen to adopt his optimistic and romantic dreams for them.  Could this mean that Sansa will eventually return home with a song in her heart?

Yes.  How could it end any other way?

#Sansamonth2022

[holycatsandrabbits]

Part 9 of Giant Post of Completed Good Omens Human AU’s: December 2021

Happy December! <3 And thank you to all the creators who bring us so much joy! [Note-- there was no November 2021 human AU post because I got too busy]

Also! A searchable list of all of my Good Omens human AU recs.

You can use it to find fics where Aziraphale is a librarian, or fics with Ineffable Wives, etc.

More of my Completed Good Omens Human AU Recs on Tumblr

More Good Omens recs from me here: Dannye’s fic recs Dannye’s artist recs

And here's me: Ao3 ~ DannyeChase.com ~ Linktree

**************

Series: (not all of these series are complete)

Angels & Fallen (Good Omens Mob AU) by @rainydaydecaf Rated M (Mobster C & bookshop owner A)

Devotions by @ineffable-human (Ao3 AnnaTheHank) Rated G-T (A & Gabriel are married when they meet painter C)

Frosting and Feelings, by @goodduckingomens (Ao3 Nenchen) Rated G (Wedding photographer C & wedding cake baker A)

Good Omens Bingo 2021 by @tawnyontumblr (Ao3 TawnyOwl95) Rated T-E. (Series contains multiple human AUs: 3. Scientists A & C are set up on a blind date; 4. Renter C & landlord A; 8. C has become guardian of his nephew, co-worker A helps out; 9. Prince A & consort C; 10. C & A are high school students; 12. Hunter A & traveler C in the Stone Age; 13. C & A are college friends who meet again at Pride; 14. C & A are neighbors)

King of The Castle by TeaCub90 Rated G-T (C & A are neighbors)

to go romancing @quillyfied (Ao3 Quilly) Rated G-T. (Series contains several human AUs. 1. Prince C and servant A in an AU based on the movie "Ever After"; 2. Squire C & noble A in an AU based on the movie "A Knight's Tale"; 3. Princess C & Prince A in an AU based on the movie "Swan Princess"; 4. C & A are former lovers in an AU based on the movie "Mama Mia")

Z A Dusk's Sweet and Fluffy Human AUs by @zadusk (Ao3 Z A Dusk (snakeandmoon)) Rated G-E (1. C & A are food bloggers; 2. C & A meet at the state fair; 3 & 4. C & A are van-lifers)

Single Fics:

666 Heartbeats by AppleSeeds 10,093 words, Rated T (Game show host C & contestant A)

And Forgive Our Sins by @entanglednow 3992 words, rated E (Priest A meets C in the confessional)

A Queer Kind of Platonic by @freyjawriter24 7882 words, Rated T (C & A are childhood friends)

A Study in Hazel by @angelsnuffbox (Ao3 MrsCaulfield) 45,943 words, Rated E (A modern-day C and a Victorian A meet through time travel)

Blind Date by @mimsynims 1163 words, Rated G (Waiter C & customer A who's on a blind date)

Cake pops by @tarekgiverofcookies (Ao3: Tarek_giverofcookies) 2184 words, Rated T (Flower shop owner C & baker A)

Can I have your number? by AppleSeeds 1824 words, Rated G (Bartender C & customer A)

Christmas Omens by Everard_Digby 11,695 words, Rated G (C tries to get A to sell his small town bookshop in a Christmas movie AU)

Come Fly With Me (Let’s Take Off In The Blue) by @ineffableomenshusbands (Ao3 Dashicra1) and @ouidamforeman 2857 words, Rated T (Aircraft maintenance engineer C & pilot A)

Don't Cry Over Spilled Coffee by @waffleironbiddingwar (Ao3 Vagabond) 29,068 words, Rated M (C moves to a small town & meets bookseller A)

Escaping the Friend Zone by @shipping-vaguely-downwards (Ao3 SerenityStargazer) 7129 words, Rated E (Photographer C & bookshop owner A)

Fish knows best by Joseph_Amadeus 10,154 words, Rated M (A opens a bistro in C's small town)

Full Load by @naromoreau and @summerofspock 3922 words, Rated E (A helps fellow college student C with a problem)

I'd Be Home With You by @bornonthesavage (Ao3 KiaraMGrey) 2409 words, Rated M (C & A are soldiers)

In Good Hands by @carduelis-carduelis (Ao3 tikli) 2553 words, Rated E (Masseur A & client C)

In Questo Paradiso ne Scopra il Nuovo Dì by @madquerade (Ao3 Sherwhotreksings) 17022 words, Rated M (Ineffable wives in an AU based on the opera "La Traviata." Fic is in English)

is that a snake in your pocket, or did you really show up at my door with a screwdriver by @sevdrag 1622 words, Rated G (C & A are neighbors)

It's Only Human Nature After All by @summerofspock and @fledglingdoodles 13,843 words, Rated E (Ineffable wives: C & A are actors in a music hall)

Je T'Aime; Rien Ne Va Plus by @saretton 6353 words, Rated E (C is Lord A's valet. Fic is in English)

Last Night I Saw Upon the Stair by auguryanxiety and @holycatsandrabbits Self-rec! 6731 words, Rated M. (C & A are tenants in a haunted house)

Lattes, Lavender, And Love by ranguvar82. 31,178 words, Rated E. (Customer C & coffee shop worker A)

Lunacy by snae_b 57,077 words, Rated E (Miner C & geologist A in space)

Merger of Equals by @elderlysardine 38,413 words, Rated E (C & A are co-workers)

Murder on the angel express by Joseph_Amadeus 4989 words, Rated T (Detective A meets C on a train)

No Rest in the Restroom by @quefish77 2096 words, Rated E (Ineffable wives: C & A meet at a party)

No Sun Shining by @janara7 (Ao3 Janara) 1249 words, Rated T (A mourns his lover C, who has died)

Oops! by @mimsynims 21,116 words, Rated E (Best friends A & C get drunk in Las Vegas and wake up married)

Our Arms Were Once Wings by @ecchima and @trashboatprince (Ao3 RiYuYami) 37,681 words, Rated T (Prince A and assassin C in a Swan Lake AU)

Passion on the Projector by AppleSeeds 1781 words, Rated M (C & A are college professors)

Pink and Emerald and Cigarette Smoke by @toeskater91 2871 words, Rated T (Dagon & Michael are office co-workers)

Playing With Fire by @joyandotherstories and @smolalienbee 25,340 words, Rated T (C & A are neighbors in a magical story)

Ring Bell For Service by @quefish77 (Ao3 Quefish) 2662 words, Rated E (Court jester C & audience member A)

Secrets by AppleSeeds 10,659 words, Rated M. (C & A are college students)

Soak it Up by @naromoreau 6873 words, Rated E (College student C washes cars outside of A's bookshop)

Speak to me in Floral Tongue by @depressedstressedlemonzest 7596 words, Not Rated. (Flower shop owner A & customer C)

Ten Minutes In Heaven by hapax (hapaxnym) 1455 words, Rated T (C & A are high school students)

The British Agent by Jackie Thomas 17,764 words, unrated. ( British Agent C & Russian Cultural Attaché A in the 1950's)

The Invisible Touch by AppleSeeds 30,971 words, Rated T (C & A are magicians)

The Sweetest Thing in Life is Love by @depressedstressedlemonzest 203,241 words, Not Rated (C & A are rival bakers)

They Were Knockoffs (Oh My God They Were Knockoffs) by @ineffablefool 1933 words, Rated T (C & A meet at a restaurant)

Total Compensation Package by @d20owlbear 5146 words, Rated E (Editor C & reporter A)

Twisting the Lens by @naromoreau and @lookitsstevie 8295 words, Rated E (Model Antonia & photographer A)

You Spin Me Right 'Round by @cheeriosandwine (Ao3 cheerios_and_wine) and @tastymoves (Ao3 Sway) 7666 words, Rated E (C & A are neighbors)

Zombie heaven by Joseph_Amadeus 4267 words, Rated T (Husbands C & A deal with the zombie apocalypse)

[marshberri]

HOO BOY....

fun fact i checked how long this entire thing is and it's at nearly 3k words. this is normal !!! ^_^ AND HELL YEAH if we swapped brains nothing would change. at least most of it wouldn't change LOL

anyway read more so this doesn't become the sexy times with wangxian of tumblr

NO I GET YOU CAUSE THAT LINE... we love a character with trust issues, who's jealousy makes them afraid of losing the one they trust. it's a silly line at first, but it has a lot of depth behind it and OUFGHFG

EHEHE I'M GLAD. electro fucking up on purpose is so funny 😭 and even if it's accidental, he'd still blame it on vulture, making him get angrier and it all just becomes a spiral into madness DLKSFJ. the rest of the six is damn well aware that it's a petty fight they'll get over at this point, and stopping them is pretty much impossible, so they just sit and watch.

imagine it's like gangland (S2EP10), where the two are fighting like crazy, while otto is blasting opera from the vinyl and playing uno with the rest of the six (mysterio cheats and their base turns into a warzone) (everyone dies)

SEEEE IT'S SUCH A SILLY DYNAMIC they're absolute menaces together. and they get along well when working together, too. WAITAITWAIT imagine spider-man vs electro + shocker bar fight. IMAGINE O0GFUGOD

ahaha yeahhh ^_^ (i'm crying goodbye) "i trusted you with my life, and in exchange, you left me to die" ahahahaha kills myself. OKAY OKAY IMAGINE. IMAGINGEG JUST THINK. ATLA season 2 finale, but it's spider-man, electro and doc ock are all in one fight. peter tries to talk to electro before otto appears, and electro - despite realizing he should listen to peter, attacks him. and then he teams up with doc, but there's the thought in the back of his mind that he should betray otto.

so. atsv nueva york train chase. it's otto and electro and AHGHGJJ I'M GONNA EXPLODE can you see it. just doc making electro helpless and manipulating him like hell, gaslighting him into trusting him again. he reminds him of his life before the accident and how he is the only way electro can go back - but he never actually makes the cure for him. i'm taking a break goodbye

YEAH i don't think it was ever brought up how he and eddie would meet again after. everything. i doubt there would be much of honest talk if they met again. electro would probably not even be able to look into eddie's eyes, cause he was trying to help him, and he stormed out of the hospital and turned into who he is now. (we used to be oomfs but now we have each other blocked💔(sobbing))

coming back to the atla part, if that happened, and eddie found out that electro even thought of listening to peter, oufggh.... it defo wouldn't improve their relationship, in fact - i'm imagining what electro would do if he saw eddie attack peter again. or what if he didn't know that venom IS eddie? would the two recognize each other in a fight/?? what if the symbiote gets off and eddie lays unconscious. what would electro do. LIKE. that's his friend. and then doc tells him they have to leave and he doesn't know if he should leave or go help eddie. WHAT SHOULD HE DO??? OHUGHHH more fights more dilemmas MORE ANGST!!!!!!

WE'RE AT THE MERCENARY PART NOW

EHEHHEE again, same brains.... i mean it makes so much sense for him to become a merc. it's so ofuggjifohfj <- might die

OH MY GOD THE SPOT COMPARISION???? that makes so much sense.... i mean, he's known to be overconfident in his abilities and also cocky as hell, so imagine with months, or even years of experience (that he was fooled into getting), he pretty much turns into a machine that lost it's original purpose. explosion all of his morality just. gets washed away. wait imagine the cool ass design he could have as a merc. with like cool ass equipment and suit OOO

SEE SEE YEAHHHHH

OH MY GOD. DUDE.DDUDEEEEEE????? this is such a cool idea oh my god. THIS IS SO GOOD???? electro + green goblin vs the rest of the six. with access to oscorp's technology and facility, electro would get access to some really good stuff and he and norman would be a really strong duo... AND THE ANGST WITH DOC AND THE REST???? electro eventually finding out norman is the one behind many of them turning into their current selves. oh he would be so ruined 😁 and imagine he has to choose between norman and otto, who used his trust and left him to die. this is so. goodbye oh my GOD

at this point, he doesn't have ANYONE to trust. at least that's what he thinks. the people he trusted betrayed him, and he doesn't trust the people who are willing to help him. i want this man gone goodbye

HEHEHEH YEAH... CARRIED AWAY.... YEP.... normal!!!!!!!! :333

You seem extremely bored, what are your Head-cannons on one on one dynamic ms with Electro? Like, Electro and vulture or Electro and Curt?

so... pretend i remembered. I'M SORRY..... OK let's see what my brain throws up!!!!

electro + vulture

vulture still holds grudges towards electro for that christmas tree incident... my guy doesn't really think before he acts 😔

as (forced by doc) compensation, electro helped improve his wings. and maybe tampered with them for a negative effect... just a little. like the bitch he is

he acts like a brat towards him tbh. dick student and dick teacher dynamic LOL

electro + curt

they barely talk. electro still had some respect for curt when he joined the sinister six, but it all went away after... y'know

yeah... don't expect a positive interaction ever since. thinking about the possible post-s2 angst with these two....

i mean, think about it. max trusted connors a LOT. he didn't even turn fully evil when he became electro, he still was looking for his help, becaues he trusted him. now he's locked in a cell by the man he trusted.

(EXPLOSIONS!!!)