#interestingly enough that happened many years later

[smilesrobotlover]

May I ask why you don’t like mlp? I’m not trying to be rude I’m just genuinely curious

Oh, I’m starting to recoil less from the sight of it (exposure therapy and whatnot (tho it’s all against my will on Instagram reels lol)) but long story short some creep sent me mlp porn when I was 11 and so there was a time in my life where I genuinely got nauseous from the sight of mlp

[onekindredspirit]

This photo is the last remaining evidence that I once stood before the mystic portal of the O.K. Corral. Everything else except memory has been taken with time, and so I deposit this remnant here in salt and light and code. The O.K. Corral was a crumbling, condemned 5 bedroom Victorian villa that featured in my life when I was young. I rented it with a friend for, initially, $40 per week. That price was later negotiated down to 'rent free'. Mr. Fox, our landlord, was seen only once more, and on that occasion he tried to sell the place to us for $10,000. The current market value is around $1.5 million ... but money isn't everything. The O.K. Corral was a 'Dude Ranch' and the definition of that is "... an all-inclusive immersive vacation that includes lodgings, meals, horseback riding, fishing and hiking and more." Okay, there was no horseback riding, fishing or hiking but there were other things going on ... and more. Interestingly, the word 'dude' has changed meaning over the last 140 years. Today 'dude' means something like 'bro' but back in the 1880's, when 'Dude Ranches' first began, it was slang for an urbanite. As I write, things continue to fall into place.

I had known my friend since I was 6 years old. I don't think I liked him much back then. He was an extrovert and pushy when getting the painting resources at school. I didn't sit with him anyway because I was a 'foreigner' and I had to sit next to the only other foreigner in the class, Elizabeth Federinko, a Ukrainian girl who couldn't speak English and drew horses all day. I think it was the horse drawing that eventually drove me crazy or maybe it was something else ... possibly bad blood. Anyway, I'll call my friend 'Bukowski'. By the time we were 20 years old I quite liked the guy. Sure there were other arenas of male competition but I found myself better equipped to deal with those. The cool thing about pushy people is that they make thing happen and 'Bukowski' was no exception. For example, he could cook. We had a litany of weirdos and 'freaks' pass through the O.K. Corral. A note to the sensitive - to be called a freak back then was the highest form of compliment in our subculture. It was all a little crazy and you would be disappointed in me if I told you about life at the O.K. Corral, so I won't. Let's talk about something else. One day 'Bukowski' decided to move to another region of New Zealand, some place warmer that would better suit a boho gentleman with alcohol thinned blood. I have rarely lived alone but for a week I did until one morning I was woken at 1am by someone sitting on the end of my bed and talking to me. I wasn't clear as to what she was saying but I wasn't at all concerned as this was probably 'normal' when you don't lock your doors. Realising I was now awake she turned on the light.

I didn't know her but I knew who she was. I'd seen her riding around the city on a Norton Commando motorcycle which had impressed me because of her small size and once she had smiled at me as we passed each other on a city street. I remember that smile, it was powerful enough to stop and turn me around. It was a beautiful smile. The following morning she returned with her possessions and we shared my bed. I feel I had been looking for this person most of my life but when you dream someone into your life there's a danger that the results may be "... reductive and diminutive and I think basically misogynistic ..." as the writer Zoe Kazan once said in an interview when discussing the 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' trope. Clementine, in the movie 'The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' warns Joel - "Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's looking for my own peace of mind. Don't assign me yours". One thing though, I was never quite sure if she was my projection or if I was, in fact, the projection of her own desires. But I'm comfortable with that. We lived together. She taught me a lot. I gave her love in return. 'Clementine' eventually moved to Australia, a place better suited to her large personality. Years later I was sitting having an espresso at Fidel's Cafe on Cuba Street when 'Clementine' walked past the large plate-glass window. I had only a glimpse of her face but from that brief moment I sensed that she was not happy and that her health was not good. I didn't get up and rush out to catch up with her. I didn't run after her seeking some meaningful reunion. I let her go ... and watched as she disappeared into the crowd. Sometime in the not too distant past I had discovered that the person I had been looking for all through my youth and into later life was myself. I let 'Clementine' go. But the night I wrote this I dreamed of 'Clementine' and it was a beautiful dream.

- One Kindred Spirit

[smolsleepyfox]

hello! I've been listening to Wake Up the Wicked on loop pretty much constantly for the past couple days and keep finding new things to love about it! in particular I have many Thoughts about the way Powerwolf's songs with women as the focus have shifted over the years. unfortunately when I try to articulate those thoughts they mostly just come out as "AAAAAAAA Vargamor and Kyrie Klitorem and Joan of Arc just FEEL like such an important thing! I've been a fan for so long but something about these songs makes me (as a fem-adjacent person) feel like I can actually be part of the group!" in one of your posts about your thesis, you note how there's never been a Powerwolf song with a woman werewolf — I'd never noticed that until now, tho Vargamor and Dancing with the Dead feel close. examining that distinction is fascinating!

considering you've got a whole thesis on it and so will likely be able to go deeper than me, I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on how gender is handled in this album as compared to others, and in general, who "gets" to be a monster!

Okay this is a great question and also funnily enough something I've spoken about with another friend recently.

So the thing about monstrosity is that it is very heavily gendered. This doesn't start but is reflected in the Middle Ages where monstrosity is physical (since the distincion body/mind didn't really exist) BUT directly related to gender roles. The example most scholars go with are the Amazons, the mythical warrior women. They are monstrous because they only have one breast AND because they take on both gender roles, making clothing (female) and hunting (male). If you behaved weird people would assume you had a physical abnormality and a physical abnormality could be a sign of somethig wrong (e.g. witch marks). Note that "monstrous" isn't technically synonymous with "bad/evil". From what I gather, bestiaries and collections of monsters from far away lands were a curiosity with no inherent moral dimension, although it obviously held implications for the treatment of queer and disabled people, foreigners etc. Dana Oswald splits monstrosity into hypermasculine, hypersexual (feminine) and hybrid. Hypermasculine is exactly what you think it is, werewolves, giants, anything that is large and hairy and ravenous. The theme here is Taking. Wealth, sex, someone's life. Interestingly, exaggerated sexuality in the middle ages was culturally feminine, so centaurs are monstrously feminine due to their exagerrated sexuality. Another example are sirens. Hypersexual/feminine monsters seduce instead of take by brute force.

About werewolves specifically, let me open with Willem de Blecourt's opening line in a book about werewolf history: There is no werewolf history. What we today see as a werewolf (and Powerwolf uses as a mascot) is a modern cultural concept that is only an approximate to other times and cultures. Let's take the Varcolac, a creature from Slavic mythology (spelled differently in different languages). The Varcolac is often translated as werewolf, but if you look at the mythology it is - simplified - a reanimated corpse that drinks blood. Usually it's a person who was evil/frivolous/was excommunicated in life that rises again. So for all intents and purposes it's a vampire. Powerwolf does have some werewolf/vampire hybrids in their music and on tshirts, but since werewolves and vampires are both hypermasculine monsters that's only a side note.

To talk about as actual a werewolf as possible, you know 1589, you know the story of Peter Stubbe. Peter Stubbe was a highly publicized case that influenced later ones. Elements of his case reappear in trials in the low countries, Germany and England, but not in France because the pamphlets telling his story were not translated into French afawk. Some details also bear striking resemblances to earlier French cases, so it's very difficult to know what actually happened. Peter Stubbe single-handedly (heh) cemented the image of the cannibal werewolf for the early modern public BUT he's an outlier. Werewolf Georg if you will. Cannibalism is definitely a defining trait of many werewolves but almost everything else is different from our modern understanding. The persecution of werewolves in central Europe was almost completely tied to witchcraft allegations. Without getting into historical witchcraft as a whole, there was a concept of male and female witchcraft in line with the gender roles of agrarian society. A werewolf was related to violence against people and livestock as well as sexual threats. Just like witches, werewolves were assumed to transform with an ointment or belt given to them by the devil. The transformation is not physical, just like witches can't actually fly but fall into a trance (induced by the devil). [Note that the idea of physical transformation has been a MASSIVE point of debate for church scholars for as long as said church existed. Go take a look if you're curious.] More modern werewolf lore (1960s) from the B/NL/DE border region shows werewolves to be a shorthand for unacceptable liaisons and sexual assault, possibly homosexuality and bestiality, but usually just people dressed in a wolf pelt taking the piss. The modern idea of the werewolf, specifically the bipedal form and painful transformation is a Hollywood product. We can quite easily pin the origin on one specific film: The Wolf Man from 1941. The transformation and visual presentation was driven by the improved special effects of the film industry and their desire to give people a spectacle. This is also a central trait of monstrosity: It is physical because people want to see it.

SO! If we're being pedantic, no, werewolves are not inherently male. A handful of women were prosecuted as werewolves, though they were the minority within the already minor number of werewolf trials. But it is a fact that the majority of werewolves are male throughout history and werewolf characteristics are - as Dana Oswald puts it - hypermasculine, meaning they exaggerate and therefore threaten the dominant concept of masculinity in a given societal context. That's the baseline of monstrosity- it breaks boundaries and threatens the system it inhabits while reinforcing a rule for the listener.

It's notable that female werewolves in modern film are almost never seen transforming, including in staple films like Underworld. You have those beefy werewolf guys and the women just. Stand there. An outlier that gets quoted in almost every paper I've ever read is Ginger Snaps, which directly deals with the way Ginger's lycanthropy makes her monstrous both in breaking the boundaries of human/animal but also what is acceptable behavior for a girl. I don't have the sources to back this up yet but I see a strong parallel in this to women in Metal in general. Think about it, Metal music is counterculture and is almost defined by depicting monstrosity (satanism, violence, etc) and breaking the boundaries of what is music. Women in Metal are "monstrous" by associating with the transgressive scene the same as men - except they get held to a completely different standard. Metal is so male-dominated the ideal (visual, behavioral) gender presentation cannot include femininity or at least makes two clearly gendered molds. Women in metal, then, have to balance being "Metal" and being sufficiently feminine to be accepted. The male ideal I like to call the 'Metal warrior', because he's so often inspired by historical warrior culture but primarily defines himself by being large, strong, possibly aggressive and definitely drinking a lot. Everything that is masculine but juuuuust over the line of polite society. Which is what Powerwolf sings about as well, they just made it a furry.

-------

ANYWAY sorry for the long-ass background info, I got carried away lol. Note that for the next section, I am doing this off the top of my head since I haven't gotten to that part of the analysis yet. The deadline is approaching, send help.

I like to call Powerwolf my problematic faves because as camp as their performances are and as self-ironic as they try to make themselves out to be, their lyrics and videos are profoundly cishet. This isn't a criticism, just an observation. As far as we know they are cishet men from a rural part of Germany (and one Dutchman). I know we make jokes about the homoeroticism between Falk and Attila but I would not be surprised if they had no idea that's what they're doing. Most cishet people do not think about queerness unless they have a reason, and in a lot of social circles there simply is none. They just don't even consider it. There's something to be said about homosocial bonds in metal music but that's a topic so large I'll skip it for now. The only queer aspect I've seen in the entire history of Powerwolf is that lesbian kiss in the music video of No Prayer at Midnight and that was so blatantly male gaze-y I'm not sure if it even counts. So, fair warning, I'm going to say men and women as in cis men and women because I'm on mobile and typing is annoying as is.

First off, to answer your question: Yes, women have absolutely become a bigger part of Powerwolf's repertoire. Joan of Arc is a historical story that they implemented beautifully, and so is Vargamor. While I personally don't like Kyrie Klitorem it's definitely interesting to analyze in a wider context. What does stick out is that the majority of women in Powerwolf's music are sexualized in some way along with sexuality becoming a larger part of their theme in general. As far as I can see, sexuality was actually not a major part of the Powerwolf brand until Sacrament of Sin. Coleus Sanctus and Resurrection by Erection are from albums before that, but they're single songs on albums otherwise concerned with werewolves, vampires and that warrior image I mentioned before. Their earlier videos have almost never any side characters and it's mostly about spooky priest things and/or werewolves (kind of mixed with vampirism, which is a parallel to the Varcolac).

In general I would say there are two 'roles' that characters in the PW universe take and it was kind of hard to find the right wording, because depending on your reading they have VERY different connotations. I'm just going to call it the 'active' and the 'passive' right now until I've explained what I mean.

Women are sexualized in the music and the videos/artworks. That's just a fact, and hasn't changed much from the beginning until now. It's not even out of character for Power Metal as an heir to classic Heavy Metal and Glam Rock. Powerwolf sing about sex, specifically hetero sex, and mostly from the perspective of cishet men. Matt even said in an interview many years ago that he's unsure if he could write about pussy because he doesn't have one. Yes, really.

The language of the music is clerical, and commonly from the viewpoint of a religious person/priest of course, which reinforces the themes of wildness/hedonism by contrasting them with what is 'proper'. Circling back to my explanations of monstrosity - improper behavior and improper physical appearance are linked, so to break the laws of faith is to become monstrous, possibly physically. The band constantly portrays this overstepping of boundaries in a religious context. Call of the Wild quite literally says "To praise the wild while the bible we're tearing". Corpse paint I would argue I'd a visual marker of monstrosity as well, especially since the band are usually the only ones in that type of makeup.

Just visually, women are a big part in Powerwolf's art and video as side characters, especially burlesque dancers, and they're typically a shorthand for desire and sexuality. Open sexuality is a massive taboo in the Catholic Church, especially in the pseudo-medieval world their music inhabits. And a woman being active in her sexuality, even choosing what, who and how to desire is far over the line even in many modern societies. (Ginger Snaps tackled this as well.) So let's take a look:

There's Demons are a girl's best friend, which is on the surface a warning against being "corrupted" by demons (sexuality) but can also be interpreted - as the title suggests - that the female protagonist is quite aware of what she's doing and likes it. Kiss of the Cobra King shows the female protagonist in white, standing in for purity, before being corrupted and possibly killed for her transgression. Still unsure about that video tbh. Dancing with the Dead is less sexual and leans more heavily into the corruption (by witchcraft?) angle. I feel like there is a disconnect between text and video in this one because in the video, the female protagonist doesn't look at all willing to dance and Attila forces her to, whereas in the text the protagonist seems quite aware and in control of what she's doing. Undress to Confess is pretty fucking clear that the woman is having fun and the artwork shows a nun, while naked, in a dynamic, powerful pose. This is what I'd call the active role. There's also the flip side of that active role that isn't passiveness but control:

Kyrie Klitorem is about how women have power over men by virtue of their sexuality. Powerwolf often uses 'we' in their lyrics and while that's technically a non-gendered pronoun, the songs suggest the narrator is a (cishet) man. Venom of Venus is also similar in topic and structure, and the vampire queen from the Killers with the Cross video is also clearly in control while being sexy (as are the hunters).

So in the 'active' role, women can be corrupted, seductive as well as empowered, it really depends on your reading. Same goes for the videos by the way - the dancers can be shown in an objectifying way, but thinking of the dancer in My Will be Done she is on equal standing with the other characters asking Attila for something. (Also, burlesque dance is an awesome art form.) Angel and Devil in that same music video are portrayed by women. However, the reduction of a woman to her body is obviously part of a long history of sexualization.

Which brings me to the passive role and the use of the nun image. Nuns have been sexualized for absolute ages. There's drawings and gossip from the Middle Ages about nuns and priests doing stuff they shouldn't. Good for them etc pp.* Powerwolf is really not reinventing the wheel by contrasting the nun's modesty/virtuousness with unrestrained sexuality. I mean look at this.

The role of women in the Catholic Church is an entire can of worms by itself. In Powerwolf's art, the love of Jesus/God is just placed on a different figure. I actually hesitate to interpret what the intention is, if it's critical of the church or a power fantasy. They absolutely criticize religion in their songs (Glaubenskraft, Sinners of the Seven Seas) but their visuals are also heavily inspired by historical art and can just be meant to look cool. That's something the band stresses in almost every interview when they are asked about deeper meanings: It has to be entertainment first. Their cover artist Zsofia Dankova told me the same: Looking cool has priority.

So nuns are in general portrayed as subservient, as they are in history and art, and sexualized. The focus on the band in performances - which in itself isn't really that surprising - and Attila's and Falk's role as 'clergy' does put them into a position of power. Here's where it gets interesting, because the bottom line of Powerwolf has been and is Have fun. In Wake up the Wicked it's a major plot point that one of them actively invites the young priest (altar boy? Idk I grew up Protestant). The artworks draw on art conventions from pulp fiction and classical works, but if you look at the lyrics involving women** it's either about submitting yourself (to pleasure) or actively seeking it out.

This has gotten way too fucking long but here's a minor detour before we get to the end. What else does PW sing about? Yes, werewolves, and history, but regardless of the underlying inspiration (Blood for Blood is about an Irish legend, I wouldn't have guessed that just from the lyrics) they sing about either bravery and power, or excess and hedonism, sometimes both. I've already mentioned the warrior ideal in my introduction, and that does a LOT of heavy lifting. Many of the artworks and merch have some sort of military theme, especially the crusades because that's fitting for the medieval-ish vibe the band has. The 'holy' knights as werewolves is both commentary on the actual crusades in a way, but also puts the listener into the body of a powerful beast heading into battle, which is just plain fun. Plenty of music is about riding into battle, Viking Metal exists. I spoke to Zsofia Dankova, Powerwolf's resident visual artist, and asked her what she thinks about the werewolf being implicitly male. She said she doesn't really see the werewolf she draws as gendered because it's just a symbol, something that stands in for power. I was a bit dubious about that answer at first, but it actually shows my own cultural bias, because that is the connotation of the werewolf at work, not the artwork itself. You can absolutely argue that the positions and clothes the werewolf is in (see image above) are men's, but for the most part, the wolves in their art are clothed in simple robes or armour that anyone could wear. It is just convention that makes it seem male. Growling (the vocal technique) is also male-coded even though men and women who growl sound identical.

I'm not going into more detail about the depiction of masculinity because y'all can read my thesis for that. Instead, I want to return to my introduction about what is considered monstrous: The breaking and exaggeration of social norms. Sexuality is what makes the women in Powerwolf monstrous - alongside a proclivity for witchcraft. Vargamor shows her to be a mother as the name implies, but more importantly a wise leader and powerful magic user. It's implied that she can fight, but the chorus is more insistent that she dwells in the shadows and is a steady presence for many different iterations of the pack through the years.

The men on the other hand are shown to be monstrous by being violent, hedonistic beasts. The songs again and again reiterate wildness and unrestrained summer fun battle prowess. Technically you could argue that 'we' doesn't have to mean men, but that would ignore centuries of cultural connotations and that it needs a pretty good in-text reason to assume an all-male metal band is writing their songs in a female lyrical I (we?).

Powerwolf quite simply portrays monstrosity as it has been since the Middle Ages, along gendered lines. This makes sense because they draw on given cultural conventions, history and folklore, they're just on the side of the monster. There's definitely something to be said about the sexualization of women in Metal and the male gaze, but the wolves have also very clearly heard the call for more female representation.

If anyone is still reading, congratulations I nearly drove myself insane here.

* As with most things in life, this isn't black and white. Nuns had some social advantages and there were most likely plenty of consensual relationships, but as women in a patriarchal society they were still under the authority of men who could harm them. ** I excluded Glaubenskraft because that song breaks with the Powerwolf universe by adressing a current, real-life injustice. Completely different topic.

[ingravinoveritas]

I just realized something

the picture used when announcing the winner for the best comedy partnership that david and michael won:

does originally include anna:

I completely forgot she was even there to begin with. also, interesting choice to edit a photo like that rather than use one just with michael and david to begin with.

Oh, man. I don't know why this managed to totally escaped my notice the other day, but you are absolutely right! Thank you for pointing this out.

And I am with you, I somehow also forgot that Anna was in the original picture, which seems to speak to how memorable she was in season 3 of Staged (as I recall, she actually had less screen time in season 3 than either of the other two, and Georgia had more, interestingly enough).

What's fascinating to me is exactly what you said, however. That instead of using any one of the numerous already existing shots of Michael and David together in S3, they chose this one and edited her out of it. And not only was AL edited out of the shot, they also edited David and Michael to be closer together. I mean...there are choices, and then there are choices, and that was most definitely A Choice.

It somehow doesn't feel like an accident, either. Especially not when we consider that something like this has happened with previous awards. As we all vividly remember, David received an NTA in 2021 that was presented to him by Michael. At the time, the NTA Instagram page was posting pictures of the winners in each category, and every picture was of the winner either giving their acceptance speech at the podium, or by themselves in the press room.

Except...this was the picture they used for David:

To me, this always felt like an inkling of the press knowing something without actually saying it (especially given that the Radio Times also referred to Michael and David as a handsome couple that same night). And to now have the blatant editing of that I Talk Telly graphic two years later, is well...really quite something, when you put it all together.

So yes, that is very definitely an interesting choice, and I am honestly wondering if they just assumed no one would notice or realize. (Which it seems many didn't, as everyone was talking a lot about Michael being absent from the acceptance speech videos, but you are the first person I've seen say anything about her being absent from the photo). I am glad you did notice, however, so that we could discuss it...

[tansyuduri]

Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E6 (Part2)

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. We’re on A REMEDY TO CURE ALL ILLS So this is part two because last time I cut off early because there was so much lore and I accidentally posted it! ANYHOW lets continue.

Great Dragon: 20 years almost a lifetime to make the short journey back to were you begun. OKAY! so asuming Arthur is 21 in his of age ceremony in later season one episode EXCALIBUR, it means Gaius likely has not visited the great dragon since Arthur's birth.

What I find especially intersting here is "Back to where you begun" I'm assuming this means the great dragon and not the caves under Camalot.

I think this could have three meanings. If it's connected to the previous statement of 20 years I think it would imply that the great dragon might have been the one to give Gaius the idea to go to the Priestessess about making Arthur. Then Gaius came back after Ygraine died to be like "Dude WTF" to the Dragon. If the mentioning 20 years is not directly connected to "where you began" it could mean that Gaius somehow started on his journey of learning magic with the great dragon. This could explain more about how he knew Balinor ETC. And would be an interesting detail. Did the dragon teach Gaius magic knowing Merlin would turn up one day? Did Gaius just see the dragon doing a spell and be like THAT I WANT THAT. How much did Gaius study with the dragon vrs the godess priesthood he mentions later vrs books?

ANOTHER possibility is that Gaius used to go to the dragon for advice like Merlin did. I think this is less likely because the dragon at that time would not have been conveniently locked up in the basment.

It could also be both of the top two passabilies!

Great Dragon: You have struggled against his destiny but you can no more prevent it than he can! What is the dragon referring to here? We know Gaius has in fact encouraged Merlin to protect Arthur. ALSO, Merlin has not yet done anything to protect Uther at Gaius's urge yet. Later this episode is the first time he does. Gaius has given Merlin the book of spells to help him learn more powerful magic. Does he mean Gaius's urging not to use magic for little things? coresponding to the "Gaius doesn't like me to use it" line Merlin says to Edwin. I think this is the only thing the dragon can possibly mean. He thinks Merlin should be able to use the magic for many things and Gaius is not encouraging him to use it enough.

Great Dragon "He and you young pendragon one day will unite the land of Albion. I mean I guess they will in the sense that they help it be at peace as far as all I know?

Gaius: I will not choose between them (Merlin and Uther)

Great Dragon: Then turn a blind eye. That is afterall your talent.

OOF okay more about Gaius letting the purge happen and siding with Uther. I speculated in the last post about why he might have done this. But still this is REALLY not a good look. And I don't think that reason can be all of it? Was he scared? Was he really that dedicated to Uther? Possibly because Uther united the kingdom and the mess it was in? Or my merlin rewatch discord (this rewatch is seperate from that) is right besides the jokes and Utherus is real. Did he stay behind to try to protect Alice (As she later says) I mean the only time we see him helping sorcerers is with Merlin and Alice. (And in his own twisted reasoning Morgana) He tends to keep their magic a secret at times (Like with Gilli) But doesn't really go out of his way to help them.

The dragon interestingly does not mention magic returning to Albion but Gaius does assure Merlin that one day his gifts will be reconized. So apparently he is all alright with magic coming back eventually. So he cannot have been overly invested in it being destroyed. Even if he does fear it some like I theorized. It was to be one of the other reasons. Personally my bet is it's a mix of a lot of them. People tend to be complicated and it was a HUGE decision Gaius made. It makes sense to me he had a lot of reasons.

WHOA hold up! Gaius has only been in the court of Camelot since around Arthurs's birth? I mean judging by other conversations I assumed it was a lot longer. AND HE WAS CLOSLY INVOLVED IN MAKING IT HAPPEN? Why did Uther trust him so much, Why did Uther not turn on him? This could be another reason he went along with the purge for the most part. Freaking out about Uther blaming and executing him? Liking his new gig? So he became court physician around the birth of arthur... Events he helped make happen. I mean it could help explain Uther's hot and cold attitude to Gaius. Gaius helped him get a son. But that son cost him his wife, Gaius blamed magic and went along with him to try to destroy it? Also did Gaius become a "Legend, and THE VERY BEST" viewed physician during those 20 years? I have a suspicion he was before hand and Uther was like I can't do anything to get a baby don't we have that legendary physician somewhere in the kingdom? Then just up and fired the physician he had or something. (I'm assuming he already had one partly out of basic logic and party because it would explain why Gaius was not ALREADY court Physician if he was so good.) BUT this all assumes that Gaius was already so renowned that Also could have happened AFTR becoming court physician. If it was before it could also explain why uther did not just off him. He is the BEST Legendary. That would be some status to have him.

Arnica being prescribed for an old battle wound on the shouldor that gives a lot of pain makes sence. It's been used for centuries as a pain remedy. HELL you can get Arnica Gell today to help with a variety of issues. (Try rubbing it on the belly if you get period cramps.) Arnica also specializes in muscle pain, stiffness, swelling from injuries, and bruising. Its poisonous if ingested but rubbed on the body that stuff is a miracle.

I forgot to mention this earlier BUT WHO THE FUCK let a litteral child attend his parent's death by burning? Was he made to by someone? was there simply no one to stop him? AND HE JUMPED INTO THE FIRE TO SAVE THEM WTF

Edwin: with your death magic will return to camalot.

UH how does he figure? Even assuming no one ever finds out he used magic to kill Uther. Is he just gonna slowly bring it back? What is his game plan? I mean he has to know it's gonna hurt his credibility when Morgana's dreams return. (And another thing I will go into later) Is he just gonna enchant Arthur or...? If he has that kind of power why did he not use it before?

Gaius: I will not allow you to kill Uther

Edwin: You've never had a problem letting people die before

Gaius: Your parents where practicing dark magic, just like you

Ok so in this case they were practicing dark magic. But it could not have been in every case. I do like a lot of Aspects of Gaius's relationship with Merlin but MAAAAN

Okay Man Edwin you really did not think this through! If you could cure it once you would be expected to cure it again. And you are not even hiding so you are hard to find. You are in your freaking room. You would be expected to cure it! So how the hell was magic going to come back. Were you just planing to say "Sorry I cannot cure it this time?"

HEY! first time a baddie does the "join me Merlin" thing. Also this was his plan? Take the kingdom by force, possibly with Merlin. That would not have gone over well or worked well. Unless he was planning top just dominate and rule through Arthur? But if he had that kinda power why did he have to go though all this? I really don't think this guy has thought through his long term plan.

Okay so Elanthia is the name of the world in a text based computer game about dragons... Melanthia means "black flower" in greek. So not much behind the name here. Also it's interesting they can be enchanted to enter the brain and feed on it until they devour the soul. This implies the Soul kinda lives in the brain in the Merlin word.

Uther (looking sad) "There is nothing wrong with my strength. Do you remember them? His parents?

Gaius: I remember them all Sire.

Uther: Gaius, Once again you've saved my life. You've always served me well. And I know there are things that I've asked you to do, which you've found difficult

Gaius: You've always done what you believed to be right.

Uther: I was not right to betray you. I'm sorry. From now on I will remember, that in the fight against magic, you are the one person I can trust

Interstingly this implies Uther is kind of haunted by the people he has killed but possibly not enough to remember faces. (or he could just be asking if Gaius remembers them too) this is futher evidenced by the mandrake later using images of people he killed to torment him. Its an interesting detail that humanises him a TINY bit despite him being just a horrible horrible person. Also what did he ask Gaius to do? Everyone else talks about Gaius standing by, is that what he refers to? Or did he ask Gaius to be an active part in finding magic users? Gosh I hope not. This scene also shows that Gaius is in fact haunted by what happened as he remembers all the faces. The line he uses to reassure Uther is actually one Merlin uses on Arthur. The difference is what Arthur believes to be right is WAY better than what Uther believes to be right. Also Uther will only remember this until next season. Another difference between him and Arthur.

Uther: But hencforth you are a free man of camalot In feudalism, a free man is someone not nobility but higher in status than a serf. In traditional feudalism Sefdom was the state of most peasants they were given a plot of land but in exchange for having it were required to work it for the lord and give up a portion of what they made. It was basically a form of indentured servitude. CLEARLY that is not happening here, and prior to becoming this Gaius was still allowed to just leave. So we need to look beyond that! In England it later came to mean a man possessing the full privileges and immunities of a place which admission was usually by birth. HOWEVER Gaius later mentions growing up in Camalot. My guess is, in the Merlin World, this means Gaius is now higher in rank than most commoners and lower than a noble. He might have more social rights and protections or have to pay no taxes for example. (taxes are mentioned later in Merlin so seemed a good example)

[magesforthedas]

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE END OF VEILGUARD!

Okay, something has been spinning around in my head for a bit now. When I was doing the Shadows of Minrathous quest, you go to the "Anvallenim". Now, my elven Rook commented that Anvallenim is elven for "womb"- unfortunately I accidentally triggered other dialogue, and didn't hear if she added to that statement.

And like? I was thinking that the Anvallenim was a part of the deep roads, but then realized I may have made that connection because of the darkspawn. What I feel more sure about is that they are tunnels underground, that the Shadow Dragons use to transport escaped slaves.

Later, we find out that there are catacombs spanning what, the entirety of Minrathous? Wasn't some of that architecture elven-looking, or am I crazy? We know that the Tevinter Imperium basically just modelled itself after the Evanuris's kingdom. I thought, was Minrathous was built on top of one of their former cities? But no, Minrathous was built BEFORE the war with the elves. But there's an obvious elven name, too ...

And if that particular (?) section of the catacombs was called the womb by the ancient elves... Could there possibly be ties to Ghilan'nain? And the "birth" or her creations? Or related to the "birth" of something else?

****Also, pointing out that the elves are said to first notice the "quickening", the loss of their immortality, around -2850 Ancient= around when the veil was put up?

-The Old gods are said to begin whispering to humanity in -2800, 50 years later= the Evanuris reaching out from their prison through the fade/dreams?

-In -1207 Ancient, Darinius becomes High King of Neromenian, uniting the Neromenian and Tevinter tribes; then in -1195 he unites the remaining and declares himself the first Archon= Darinius was a high priest of Dumat, the first Old God to awaken and the start of the First Blight (though that wouldn't happen for another 800 years), as well as a prodigal Dreamer AND his mother was a priestess of Razikale, Ghilan'nain's "Old God" = obvious influence from the Evanuris through their personas as Old Gods?

Which of the Evanuris was Dumat I wonder? The first mage ever recorded to use blood magic was also a priest of Dumat, who said the Old God taught him himself. The constellation for Dumat is also tied to Mythal, interestingly enough.

-In -981 Tevinter and the elves go to war. Now, it definitely feels like the Imperium has been led to function like the Evanuris, and they tried to conquer a lot of land. But the elves in particular have been targeted, enslaved for centuries. Did the Evanuris hold a grudge, and lead the Imperium to that?

-Pre-Veilguard I guessed pretty close to the truth about the Evanuris being the ones to trick the magisters to release the blight, because of looking at a bunch of those dates, particularly the 50 years between elves lifespans shortening and the old gods whispering.

-ALSO fun fact, Andraste was born the same year the first blight ended. She was also a mage. OMG crazy thoughts I'm having literally as I type this: if the Old Gods aren't "gods", what if what transfers from darkspawn to darkspawn, until it goes into a grey Warden to actually die is a little piece of whatever Evanuris was linked? Nowhere does it say who killed Dumat: "Records do not say who exactly gave up his soul to destroy Dumat, for many Wardens struggled against him, and the Archdemon's very death throes slew seven or more of them."

And OMG THIS: "Elderath (Andraste's father) also fathered another daughter, Halliserre, with his advisor on matters of alchemy. Andraste would later suggest that her father's consort whispered of the Old Gods. While the circumstances of Halliserre's birth were frowned upon, they were not uncommon; Halliserre was welcomed into the family line, though not the family home. Her mother's fate remains uncertain, though she was likely killed or exiled by Brona."

What if Andraste lied? What if she was listening to the old gods, or if she was a bastard child and actually HAD an Old God soul, like with Morrigan.

What if the Evanuris created the Maker and all that, OR only one of the Evanuris to work against the rest, AND/OR even more crazy ... What if whatever else is connected, controlling, WHISPERING to the blight ... Is the Maker? What if the Maker is whatever was talking in the secret ending cutscene??

Okay I'm really crazy now, I'm sorry. Probably none of this is right cuz I'm grasping at straws here, but it feels like this (the start of this before I derailed, The Anvallenim) is some sort of puzzle piece, I just don't know where to put it (or if I'm putting it in the right puzzle)

I also should be asleep hours ago but this thought WOULDNT STOP BOUNCING AROUND!! I relate to Bellara a lot sometimes.

[spiritundaunted]

King George VI and Princess Margaret leaving the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane after the King took his family to see the musical South Pacific, January 30, 1952.

It's hard to believe the King only had about a week to live after this. He is looking so well here. Of course he was tired and frail, but he really did think he was getting better - he was pleased with his recovery from the lung operation he had on 23 September 1951. Under that gorgeous coat (isn't it marvelous!) he was wearing an electrically heated vest to ward off any chills that might cause a problem with his one remaining lung. (I think he liked these sort of "gizmos" - definitely a Bertie thing.)

But of course, his limited recovery was all an illusion, or a merciful reprieve at best. The King would pass away in his sleep on 6 February 1952.

Thinking about that operation today, as it is 23 September, seventy-three years to the day that Bertie went under anesthesia to have his left lung removed. It must of been quite harrowing and emotional for him. One of the attending doctors described him as being "significantly tearful" before going under. Perhaps he feared he would not wake up again. Or perhaps, the thought of what he faced after the surgery and simply the grief one feels at losing a part of oneself, just overwhelmed him in that moment.

But wake up he did! And to a certain extent, he did recover, from the surgery anyway. Obviously it didn't eliminate all his health problems.

The surgery was performed at Buckingham Palace, where a full surgical theater was set up.

Interestingly, the operating table that was used in the surgery was gifted to the Science Museum in 1984 from Westminster and Roehampton Hospital and has a small plaque commemorating the operation. Here it is on display at the museum in 2016.

Below is some insight on the preparations to operate on the King at Buckingham Palace. (The King wasn't opposed to having the surgery in a hospital; he said he had just "never heard of a King going to a hospital before." So it was decided it would take place at the Palace. The King, incidentally, had had two other surgeries that took place at Buckingham Palace: one in 1917 to remove a duodenal ulcer; and a more recent one in 1949 to relieve circulatory problems in his legs.)

In September 1951, Sarah Minter – then Senior Theatre Sister at Westminster Hospital – was about to go on holiday when Clement Price-Thomas (later Sir) a renowned Chest Surgeon came into her office. After carefully closing the door, he informed her that he had to perform a major chest operation on King George VI – and at the Palace’s insistence the operation would take place at Buckingham Palace. Sarah was tasked with coordinating the equipment and nursing team that would be needed for the operation. Cancelling her holiday, Sarah set to work. Absolute secrecy was essential. From sterilizing to lighting apparatus – Sarah selected what equipment she could from Westminster’s surgical theaters including the operating table, in order to create a replica theatre inside the Palace. Part of the challenge was to ensure enough of the right surgical equipment remained at the hospital so that operations could continue uninterrupted by what was happening at the Palace.  

Many, many professional hands helped the King through this very dramatic experience. They were all given honors of one sort or another.

At least Bertie did have some very nice days with his family at the very end of his life, doing what he enjoyed most. The plucky king, whose life always seemed to be marked by personal challenges of one sort or another, seemed to finally be allowed a little peacefulness in the end.

[twistedtummies2]

Top 6 Edgar Allan "Poe-ms"

In my previous list for Halloween-time, I discussed my favorite short stories by the great Edgar Allan Poe: my all-time favorite author. Poe’s work with short stories was vast and varied, covering all sorts of genres; he wrote plenty of horror tales, of course, but also works of humor and simple mystery. But of course, these were not the extent of his output: Poe was also a gifted “Poe-t.” And as we all know, “Poe’s Poems Pwn Posers.” (Bravo if you got that reference.) But seriously, Edgar Allan “Poe-try” (I’m sorry, these are much too easy) was rarer than his narrative output, but no less intriguing. His poems, like his stories, ranged in length, style, and tone, from dark and eerie, to multiple kinds of romance, both tragic and surprisingly heartfelt. Some of them even mingled elements of tone together, making for particularly unique pieces in the annals of literature. I figured that it was best to give his poems a separate, albeit shorter, spotlight from the short stories he wrote. So, without further ado, here are my Top 6 Edgar Allan “Poe-ms.”

Also, I promise that’s the last Poe and poetry pun I make. Intentionally. XD

6. The Haunted Palace.

This is one of two poems on the list that was initially written on its own terms, but then later - interestingly - was incorporated into one of his short stories. “The Haunted Palace” appears in the short story “Fall of the House of Usher,” where it serves an allegorical purpose, as the poem is a (none-too-subtle) analogy to the exact happenings in the story up to that point. Taking it out of context from the story, however, it’s still a very powerful and, as its title indicates, haunting piece of poetry. The poem tells the story of a beautiful palace, fairy-tale like, which was once a radiant and happy place…then goes on to describe the decline of this once gilded hall, as it falls to ruin, haunted by the ghosts of its fabled past - perhaps literally, perhaps metaphorically, perhaps even both. Many of Poe’s pieces reflected upon time, mortality, and the idea of something once beautiful being corrupted by both; a sort of constant theme of “innocence lost” permeates, honestly, almost every single poem on this very list. It seemed to be an idea that haunted Poe himself: perhaps in his own mind’s palace, he forever felt himself haunted by the idea that time marches on, and all good things must come to an end.

5. The Bells.

“The Bells” is one of Poe’s more…ambiguous poems. It’s a little harder to tell what it means, if it even means anything specific. Told over the course of four separate verses, this poem describes different kinds of bells, and the emotions they seem to instill. It starts off cheerily enough with silver bells, describing imagery and emotions that frankly sound like something of a Christmas song. It then moves on to wedding bells, which are equally happy, but somewhat more solemn in nature. Then things take a very sharp and horrific turn, as the poem describes next brazen alarm bells, which fill one’s soul with terror and dread…and finally, as you may perhaps expect, “moaning and groaning” funeral bells, signifying the end of a life and all that comes with that idea. It’s not clear if this progression is meant, like the Haunted Palace, to represent the passage of time, or if it’s simply a poem that uses the bells as an analogy for all kinds of different statuses in life: how the same kind of sound and item can mean so many different things, both good and bad, to so many people. This is one of several poems on this list written very, VERY late in Poe’s life, and - like two others still to come - it was not actually published till after his death. Perhaps it was Poe’s way of reflecting on the different turns his life had taken over the years…and the fear he had for his soon-to-be-short-lived future.

4. The Conqueror Worm.

Just like “The Haunted Palace,” this poem was first published separately as its own individual piece, but was later incorporated into one of Poe’s stories. Namely, it was made into part of the tale “Ligeia;” in that story, the titular character writes the poem as a way of expressing her own horror at her terminal state, as she is dying slowly from tuberculosis - a disease which ravaged Poe’s life at practically every turn. The poem is probably one of the most unsettling of the writer’s entire life (and given all the others on this list, that’s saying a lot). It tells the story of an audience of angels, watching a pantomime show, in which a collection of clowns fruitlessly try to capture a wayward phantom. The phantom escapes, and without warning, a hideous beast - a blood red creature described as “the Conqueror Worm” - rises up from nowhere, and devours the performers. Once all of them have been eaten, the pantomime comes to a close, while the angels weep. The titular Conqueror Worm is meant to be an allegory for tuberculosis in Ligeia’s story, but in its own universe, the Worm is actually meant to represent death, in general. The poem is one of the most harrowing and disturbingly frenzied in Poe’s collection, as it acts as a parable for life itself: a mad race that has seemingly no purpose, and ends in something unspeakably nasty. It’s a cynical and deeply troubling piece of work, but that’s what makes it so intriguing, like so many other dark poems by the author. While the Worm in the poem itself is purely an allegorical creation, and it’s likely that Poe’s mental image was closer to a “Wyrm” of mythology or fantasy, the kinds of images illustrators since have come up with for the idea of a huge red worm that devours everything in its path has led to some really nasty and yet creative stuff. Perhaps Edgar Allan Poe invented “Tremors” alongside the modern detective story; who’duh thunk it? :P

3. Eldorado.

This relatively short and simple poem was one of the last works of Poe’s life. Like many of his poems and stories in his later years, it was a reflection of the desolate situation he found himself in, emotionally. The poem tells of a brave knight, who goes on a gallant quest to find the mystic, mythical city of gold, Eldorado. (Which should really be spelled “El Dorado,” but I’m going to call it “Eldorado” for the sake of literary accuracy here.) After years of searching, however, the knight grows old and weak seeking this magical fantasyland. Finally, he encounters a “Phantom Shadow” - implied to be Death itself - who offers him directions, indicating Eldorado to be Paradise. While only a few stanzas long, the sentiment of this dark little fairy-tale is powerful and strangely ambiguous: unlike others here, there is a sort of warmth to it, despite the sorrow imbued in its syllables. You can read into it as a sort of heartwarmingly bittersweet piece, or as a condemnation on the futility of life’s struggles. You can see Eldorado as something you can only imagine in your dreams, or only find peacefully in the afterlife, or even as something you will never actually locate. Short and not exactly sweet, but also not entirely bitter…however you read into it, “Eldorado” remains a poignant reminder that some fantasies just cannot be reality…at least, not in this lifetime.

2. Annabel Lee.

“Annabel Lee” might be the single saddest of all of Poe’s poetry pieces, largely because of its context. Much like “Eldorado” and “The Bells”, it was among the very last poems Poe wrote in his lifetime. In fact, like the latter, it was not even published till after his death, and was written only months before his (rather mysterious) passing. The poem tells the story of a distraught narrator, who describes how his beloved bride - Annabel Lee, whom he has loved since childhood - was so beautiful, and their love for each other so pure, that even the angels felt envious. So envious, in fact, that they killed her. Now, the Narrator makes frequent visits to her grave, and sleeps there in her tomb, near a kingdom by the sea. The poem seems to be a metaphor for the emotions and turmoils Poe went through after the death of his own wife, Virginia: many passages seem similar to the biographical information about the couple, and Poe’s reactions to her tragic departure. However, others have been offered as possible inspirations for the fictional lady described in the poem. Whoever the true Annabel Lee was, the poem’s tragic content is only made more heartbreaking when you realize this hymn of long-lost love was the last thing Poe had to give to the world, before he, himself, was felled under baffling circumstances. The verses were the inspiration for the novel “Lolita,” and there is even an English standard song called “Kingdom By the Sea,” which is a musical adaptation of the poem, along with many other song-styled renditions. As one of Poe’s last great creations, this poem has cemented his legacy perhaps above all other works he ever made before.

1. The Raven.

Almost without a doubt Poe’s most lauded piece of work, “The Raven” is his undisputed masterpiece in the world of poetry. The poem focuses on the plight of a once again unnamed narrator, who is mourning the recent loss of his wife, Lenore. He is visited one night by a mysterious Raven, which repeatedly croaks the word “Nevermore” like a parrot. As the poem goes on, the Narrator comes to believe the Raven is some supernatural being, as its croaking seems to answer every question and demand he makes. It is unclear exactly what happens to the Narrator at the end of the story, but he marks with fear that the Raven is still sitting in his room, watching over him. “And [his] soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, shall be lifted…nevermore.” While not directly autobiographical, it is probably not a coincidence that Poe wrote this poem at the exact same time his aforementeioned wife, Virginia, was effectively on her deathbed. One can easily see this as Poe already anticipating his own grief, the fears and sorrows of the storyteller matching his own harrowing circumstances in an exaggerated and Gothic manner. However you interpret things in this verse-told tale, it is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and celebrated pieces of poetry in the entire world. It is also my personal favorite poem of all time. Not just mine, either! Many famous people, such as Stan Lee, have named this as their favorite poem, and even more have done readings of it, from Christopher Lee to James Earl Jones to Vincent Price and more. There’s even a professional American football team inspired by the poem. No joke! Look it up! While the poem did not make Poe much money in his lifetime, it has, beyond all his other works, become the piece he is remembered for best.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

To One in Paradise.

The City in the Sea.

A Dream Within a Dream.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

Lady C Tea YouTube 1/4/23 (a few nuggets paraphrased by me) by u/daisybeach23

Lady C Tea YouTube 1/4/23 (a few nuggets paraphrased by me) Greetings from Castle Goring,Lady C, did you know that Saint Meghan of Nothing has been given the boot by WME? I’ve been trying to say for a while now that she is on very thin ice. I don’t think she has been completely cut off from them. She is not listed on their main website (which features many A-List talents) but she is listed on their separate website for their speakers bureau. I think what people are noticing is that WME has not been able to find Megsy baby any work.Lady C reads out a comment from a viewer because she loves it so much: “Truth Hertz”Lady C, I think this is all Meghan’s idea. I think Harry would prefer to go places incognito. I think you are right. Harry thrills at the idea that paparazzi are always chasing him, but I don’t think he calls them. Lady C begins her parody of Meghan calling up a paparazzi and telling him she’ll be at a car park at 9:47am wearing stress patches and the hair of Turkish virgins.Lady C, none of this had to happen. I believe the Queen wanted Harry and Meghan to leave Royal Duties with no drama. I think they had the full support of the Queen until they started telling lies about not receiving financial support which was proven not true. I believe Charles discontinued all financial support when he realized his money was being used for PR to attack family. All of this is interestingly observed because Queen Elizabeth II was ambushed by Harry and Meghan. They did what Diana did and used public statements in the media to create scenarios for their benefit. The Queen was given 20 minutes notice before Harry and Meghan made their public announcement. The Queen wanted Harry to be happy. She did not want them to leave but told them if you want to leave, we will find a way to make it work. Harry would have gone along with the Queen’s proposal no problem, but Meghan was the one who wanted to be free of the family but also wanted her photo op moments also. And Meghan in her dumb, clack cack handed, unsophisticated, hustler style didn’t understand that what people wanted to buy was gold, stardust, glamour laced with grit. Nobody wanted their brand of trashing family and venom. She got away with trashing her own family so she thought she could get away with trashing the Royal Family. Instead, she unmasked herself.Lady C, how soon will lack of finances push them back to Buckingham Palace? It’s not really if there is a need from them, it is whether anybody wants them back. My understanding is aside from the King, nobody wants to see them. The King has hopes that a miracle will occur. He genuinely believes in God and he believes in miracles and perhaps he thinks he will be the beneficiary of one. I do not see them coming back. Not in the short term. Not knowing what is coming down the line this year. Let me put it that way. And to those of you who say that I have said things will happen that haven’t happened yet – don’t you think enough has already happened? And for those of you who are so dissatisfied that the final curtain has not fallen, a curtain is falling later this year. And no. I am not prepared to say what it is. And for those of you who say I am just spinning a yarn, what can I say? You must follow your instinct; I am not trying to convince you of anything. I do not see Harry and Meghan returning in the foreseeable future and if some have their way, not ever.Lady C affirms her opinion that Harry does not qualify as an internationally protected person. IPPLady C talks about how Meghan and Harry have deserted their paternal families. Of the maternal side she says, “It could be argued that one mother is dead and the other never lived at all. That may be too obscure. Let me put it this way. What are things that have never lived? One thing is for sure. They are pretty heartless.”Toodles Sinners!​ post link: https://ift.tt/tmjq0kf author: daisybeach23 submitted: January 06, 2024 at 05:17PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[versaphile]

I will never kill anyone again: The Big Fall

Followup to my previous thoughts on Vash's "I’ll never kill. Ever again." I'm 90% sure that the previous "kill" he's referring to is the Big Fall and the countless deaths that resulted. I think he considers those, thanks to Nai's manipulation, to be directly his fault. Blood on his hands personally.

And this is why. The tally marks he makes in the SEEDS03 cell. They're not, as first seems, tallying the number of days he's held prisoner. In fact, as Brad takes 2 weeks to go through the rubble of SEEDS05, and adding a few days on each side of that, Vash is only in the cell for 2-4 weeks at most. We directly see him carving all the marks over the course of three nights and two days.

I can't find the post that first talked about this, but Luida has been asking Vash to think about what he can do, what he's useful for. And the only thing Vash has been useful for in his short life to that point is inadvertently causing the deaths of millions of people and some unknown number of plants.

So going back to the comparison of canons again, we have to consider the Big Fall in those timelines. In all of them, of course, Vash had no idea what Knives was planning until it was too late. From an external perspective, Vash has no real culpability. The Big Fall was Knives' crime.

In 98, there is no Tesla, and we see very little about dependent plants. Instead The Big Fall is driven by more straightforward child abuse. Steve treats Vash and Knives as monsters and abuses them, and Knives classifies all humans as threats as a result. After the twins flee the ship, Rem stays behind and saves the rest of the fleet, but her ship explodes. While we don't directly see the Big Fall itself, 98 in general ramps down the death count and it seems like most of the ships were able to land safely. We see the reverse thrusters firing because of Rem's actions.

98 Vash loses Rem and he loses his home, but almost everyone else survives. Vash stays with Knives after the Big Fall, and 15 years later, Knives makes the gate guns. Knives declares his intent to use them to destroy what's left of humanity. It's at this point that Vash has had enough. He rejects Knives and explicitly states that the deaths from The Big Fall are on Knives alone.

In the manga, it's all driven by what was done to Tesla. And the casualties are horrific. Rem saved some by staying behind, but she did not save basically everyone as happened in 98. It seems that the vast majority of the fleet was destroyed, 802 confirmed destroyed and at best only 198 ships surviving at all.

But again, after all that, Vash stays with Knives. He stays with him for 80 years. In Vash's words, "Time passed slowly. We didn't part, but we didn't grow any closer either. [...] I knew I couldn't leave him." What finally forces them apart is Knives massacring an entire village to save Vash himself. And again, it's "how many people do you have to kill?" Manga Vash does not take the blame for the Big Fall either.

Which brings us back to Stampede Vash. And here is the difference. Because Vash shared the access codes, and that revealed Tesla (the motivation for the Big Fall) and provided Knives with the ability to sabotage the fleet. So Vash has two points of blame.

And that's even before Knives puts the blame on him again in "To A New World." Not only did Vash reveal what happened to Tesla, not only did Vash provide the means to destroy the fleet, but Knives HAD to kill every human (and still HAS to) because Vash himself is too human. It's no wonder that was the final blow to Vash's sense of self.

So in "Millions Knives", when Vash says "I will never kill anyone again"? Vash absolutely feels that he has killed. He has millions of dead on his hands. Knives' actions are his responsibility, his fault. Vash carries the guilt, maybe more so because Knives rejects any guilt for those deaths.

Interestingly, that very much echoes how Vash, in the beginning of the manga, has already been "responsible" for mass deaths via July. We start the manga with Vash carrying that burden. In Stampede, Vash starts out with that burden but from the Big Fall, and then July happens on top of that, with the extra salt in the wound of Knives guilt-tripping him about the Big Fall in a brand new, awful way.

I think when season 2 starts, with the Ericks storyline, in a way we will also be seeing Vash as he was after Dragon's Nest. Carrying the deaths of millions, and now not just responsible for them by accident, as an accomplice, but directly through his failure to safely release the Energy Cube in space. And carrying what he believes is Knives' death. A far, far darker Ericks than we saw in 98 and the manga, where Vash didn't carry The Big Fall, and didn't even fully remember July, and he knew Knives was out there, alive and well.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Tapati, who is she, and why is she significant?

Well, first, she is a river goddess, but daughter of the sun god, Surya. However, her name means the hot one, the burning one. Interestingly enough, her name is tied to the river she's said to rule over - HOWEVER, language time.

Agni, a vedic fire god, has a scythian counterpart similar in name (and the scythian's are the older culture that broke off to form the vedic, indo iranian/iranian, and levant people as well as others - mixing, breeding, invading).

Back to Tapati.

Her name is cognate with the Scythian supreme fire goddess, Tabiti. Very interesting.

Tabiti is the supreme goddess of all things in the Scythian culture, primordial, the first flame, and much like Ianna (from Summerian mythology I talked about later) went on to inspire entire god/goddess roles, and had mantles inverted as interestingly enough, there's evidence some first/supreme deities were feminine, later flipped to male as cultures evolved - their places/roles attributes assigned to male gods and their places changed - made wives, daughters, so on a similar sort of flipping happens out of the Scythian culture/ proto Indo Europeans (that I've talked about) where the root word for a divine (doesn't mean good just divinely powered) being evolved along languages the ahura, asura, and asir (Norse) come from an older proto Indo-European/Scythian word.

In the Vedic stories, the daevas are good, the asura evil. In the Avestan and Iranian texts...the ahura/asura are good, and the daevas are evil.

We know the Norse asir and vanir warred also very interesting. And interesting how gods/goddesses are changed, subsumed, adopted and more, no? Tabiti was never represented in/by art, btw. Her representation was always an actual fireplace -- a flame. That's what you used.

There's historical written evidence in places of Agni's animal form being both referred to as a bull, AND a cow in places - different genders. And his flame being referred to as female in places.

In the Hindu bronze age, Agni had way more of a prominent role as fire did before later dwindling...as fire does (ooooo symbolic - okay that's just cuz of time and shifting priorities), but there are more similarities of these things in Baltic cultures -- but oh why?

(Why am I hopping around? Cuz gods/goddesses, archetypes, beats, stories all do too - all connected you muppets).

Well, did you know the closest cognate to Sanskrit is Lithuanian? It's kept so much of its proto Indo European roots.

Wait, a South Asian language and Baltic European language are cognates? YUH. WEIRD.

Almost like they both derived out of an older culture, language, their practices, beliefs and more.

And most of human history is just migrating, fucking, invading, and settling in new places and staying long enough until your features continue to change due to bow chicka wow wowing and environment.

Funny how that works.

Here's some Scythian clothing (oh btw, women were warriors/could be too - congrats you learned that).

Does this style look familiar? Yeah, you can see the evolution/adaptation from this to later styles (bearing similarities) in Iran, India, Mongolia, the Baltics.

Cuz....y'know, that's where the proto Indo Europeans went about their biz and got jiggy with it and settled. Wow-wow-wee-wah! Okay now I'm done. Circular ish convo to get there but started with a fire goddess, it's relevant, but it all comes back to this.

Btw, this is also an important lesson for fantasy authors.

Because of all these connections and how old a bad ass fire goddess is, many of the oldest cultures are regarded as fire worshippers (like the Zoroastrians) did you know some keep an eternal burning flame? -- one is in Udvada Gujarat in India.

This flame has been said to have been kept burning for 1,500 years.

FIFTEEN HUNDRED.

And again, while most of the surviving Indo Iranic sun gods are male, there is evidence the ORIGINAL sun deity (including in/from the German, Baltic, and Slavic religions) was FEMALE.

[tayfabe75]

I am so glad I found this blog! I’ve been following this along since last year and to me it seems so obvious! They were sad they had to go underground in June and when that random article said they were back together I think it spooked them and they decided they needed to do something drastic to keep attention off of them until enough time passed and Taylor corrected the narrative somewhat with tortured poets. They decided on PR relationships. With gabbriette it’s obvious, she is less famous and obviously looking for clout, it’s very common for these types to hook up with someone more famous and boost their profile. He was looking for prospects and I think he tried with meredith first but it didn’t work out for some reason. She definitely signed an NDA because all she did was unfollow him when he launched with gabbriette. Gabbriette was dating another guy basically a week before she started “dating” matty. Maybe they were already on the rocks and she jumped at the opportunity. Charli probably helped identify her. 

I think they made this decision in July after that article said they were back together, whoever wrote the article had some sort of proof probably and was paid off. I bet someone they know sold them out and they were both pissed. It would explain why matty had his breakdown in July, frustrated that it had to come to this, but they both think of each other as the end game and decided it was worth it to do this for a while and then slowly roll out a reunion. Matty’s breakdown in July happened around the same time travis made that friendship bracelet comment on the podcast. Travis obviously was down to sign this relationship contract to boost his chances at getting into hollywood. So basically I think this was all new to matty and he didn’t know how to act which explains his weird social media activity and trial and error with meredith. It also explains his breakdowns on stage later because he was probably sick of it while taylor is better at hiding her true emotions from fans and she has likely done this before. Basically I think that the new album is a necessary step in a plan that will allow them to end up together and not have the public freak out as much. It is no mistake that she added so many clues for people to decipher about matty. Some people are still in denial or think she hates him because of one song, but overall there has been a shift in public perception and interest in matty aside from the controversies.

My only question is how long the contracts are???? I have been reading it’s usually a year minimum but I’m sure taylor can negotiate less, wasn’t tom h only a few months? I’m at the point now where I’m just waiting to see how long they drag this out until the breakups and how they handle it, if they stagger the breakups, how they re-launch etcetera. 

What do you think???

Hi anon! Interestingly, the man who reported that Taylor and Matty were still together last July worked for The Sun, who were the ones that broke the news of their dating back in May! In September, he also suggested that The 1975 would feature on 1989. Mysteriously, he would go on to retire in December, shortly before the "Slut!" collab leak. Convenient timing!

Though Taylor would later backdate her new relationship to July, all evidence points to September for the official launch of both her and Matty's new relationships.

It seems Taylor might have had some sort of deal with the NFL as far back as 2019 in the Lover era, and that is around the same time that Matty met his current partner, who was receiving complimentary tickets to one of his shows back then. You're right, just before Matty, she had been in a serious, longterm relationship with another guy (who is now, incestuously perhaps, dating Matty's other ex - yep, the one who came both before and after Taylor! Also, these two are the absolute most hysterical side characters in all of this). Like I said before, it's also convenient that both of these relationships are basically pre-existing fandom memes from 2020!:

As you can see, I am a bit reluctant to actually type out any names because I don't want to attract fans of those relationships. I'm not here to crash anyone's party! I just happened to witness a once-in-twenty-lifetimes kind of love and I'm just trying to make sense of everything that's transpired since. Who they end up with doesn't really concern me, though I can't help but root for their reunion because, you know, I have hearing. (Which, by the way… I cannot for the life of me understand how Taylor's fans heard the masterpiece 'About You' and would rather romanticize Taylor being a "WAG" or a "teammate's girlfriend" rather than a muse for a fellow musician who is, dare I say, on equal footing with her as a songwriter and musician! I'm stumped)

But either way, like I said - I am not in the business of villainizing any characters Matty or Taylor choose to associate with. I do believe that these are PR relationships and that both new partners have gotten plenty of opportunities since becoming the public partner for both musicians, and that's not even a bad thing! If they are meant to distract from the controversy and feed ravenous fans, then so be it. Genuinely, I'm happy for them.

I'm glad you mentioned the friendship bracelet! 'Cause sometimes I clown every now and then that the album Midnights seems almost like foreshadowing for what would transpire in Taylor's public life since it dropped! We have a 'Lavender Haze': January at the O2 love spiral, someone talking talk and going viral on Adam Friedland, 'Maroon'/SotB: Taylor falling again for someone from her past, YOYOK: Taylor accepting a friendship bracelet, next up - perhaps a declined proposal? As predicted in both 'Midnight Rain' and 'Bejeweled'…

As for contracts, anon, I'm glad you asked! Taylor's partner's publicist, Pia Malihi, is another interesting rabbit hole to fall down. She got her start in a company called Bowery Public Relations/EMCBowery (of all things) and has partnered with fellow publicist Jack Ketsoyan to launch Full Scope Public Relations. A few years ago, Jack went on record exposing fake romances he helped set up, calling them "love contracts" and that they "legally bind famous couples together for at least a year".

Now, what's interesting about the "year" estimate above is that there are three possible end dates for this contract, if indeed, that's what it is. September is when they actually launched as a couple. However, Taylor backdated this relationship to July! Strangely, as of today, the media is saying that it is Taylor's year anniversary, despite the fact she was definitely with Matty a year ago. So… perhaps we're stuck with this stunt until September. If we're lucky? July. If we're truly fortuitous, then perhaps it ends this month! Or you know, maybe never. Who's to say?

Make no mistake though, anon, no matter how hard Twitter tries to virtue signal... Taylor wants us to pay attention to her love life and public persona for some reason. Of course, my theory is that she's done playing Barbie and is ready to burn down the dollhouse.

Thanks for the ask! 🤍

[nifreti-ii]

My silly “little” OC Eike! (this is gonna be a long one, buckle in)(Also yandere related content) 

Eike is the youngest of three children and the shortest in his family (hilarious isn't it), which is a slight sore spot for him. He was raised by both his parents and two older brothers. Eike started being homeschooled when he was 11 after a bullying incident in middle school that left him hurt (ref scars on his face) and the school did nothing to stop it. Due to spending a large portion of his adolescence (and subsequent MAJOR growth spurt) at home, he constantly hits his head on door frames at most places. Despite his height, he’s just a big ‘ol puppy. He loves going to college and being able to make proper friends, just smiling constantly and excitedly talking to people. When he first meets Gavin, he genuinely finds his (awful) jokes hilarious and proclaims him to be his best friend (Gavin gave up trying to flirt with him). Perfectly remembers the first time he met Harper and had a “waaaaaait a minute” when he met him again (greatly appreciates not having to break his neck to talk to someone). 

(now on to his likes and dislikes) Love love LOVES bugs, but loves moths even more. The first time he saw a fluffy moth he said it looked just like him and cradled it in his hands till it flew away (he denies it to this day he cried when it left, don’t listen to his brothers). His entire family has a very close connection to nature, their home is a 5-minute drive to the closest road. It’s to the point that the inside and outside of the house are littered with plants (even the bathrooms man). He finds it the greatest honor when someone tells him a secret and takes keeping it VERY seriously, you can’t even torture it out of him. His mom gave him his first knife when he was 11 after what happened and made him promise to protect himself if someone tried hurting him (he now has 30 knives…). He grew up listening to folklore, cryptids, and myths; Knows all the signs of nearly any supernatural creature and habitually tells people “not to anger the spirits”. 

He’s interestingly enough very private about his family life, no one who knows him has ever met any of his family or seen them (Only ever talks about anything they’ve done to him/for him.) …Spoons… So. Many. Spoons… (His brothers hid spoons in his room…his closet, his bed, and his bathroom, it was the one he found in his plant when repotting it months later that made him hate them.) Hunters used to hunt on his family’s property and constantly were a problem; It took one of his brothers getting hurt for the problem to be taken care of (he was too young to remember what happened, but does remember all the blood). The town tried to intimidate his family into giving up their land to build more homes, starting to cut down the trees right outside of the property. It was when one of the cut trees landed and destroyed some trees on their property did the town learned its lesson. The first and last time he went to the beach, a crab grabbed his toe and nearly snapped it off. He was 13, so his family just left him home whenever they went to the beach (His brothers tried scaring him with a crab shell, but he ended up liking it and now hangs it up on his wall.).

(referring to 5 min ship, not all tho) He would always steal his family's clothes and hug them whenever he had nightmares or missed them. It feels like he’s being hugged by said person (if he can’t wear it, he just wraps it around his head T^T). His family mostly showed love through actions, always hugging and gifting each other things (they say “I love you” at least twice a year). He tends to admire bugs and take pictures of them before letting them go. He either gives the meanest glare to whoever is bothering his love interest or physically intimidates them when they try to touch them. He’s only been in 2 relationships, each lasting over a year and both ended because he was too possessive (He’s better at his jealousy now but will be in a foul mood for a few minutes… or hours, really depends) 

Was this long? Yes. Did I space out halfway through it and just realize that? Also yes. I love my skrunkly little OCs and giving them fairly fleshed-out backgrounds. I wanted to add that Eike is a decadent of Dryads/Nymphs along with his father and brothers, his mother being a witch. I know that supernatural creatures are canon in-universe, I just hope I'm not stretching tooo much T-T. The leaves in Eike’s hair are PART of him and hurt when pulled on, kind of like pulling out a weed or carrot (they grow back) I love his little ears and slightly greenish skin :3 Im gonna crawl under a rock (for now). Harper and Camp willow peak belong to @campwillowpeak (the silli knows too much but likes to pretend he doesn't :>)

Check out my Masterlist for my art and (limited) writing! :D

[tnc-n3cl]

Chiampa Sword

Presenting the newest addition to my arsenal for my LoZ fanfic, The Realm Walker, the Chiampa (Chee-amp-ah) short sword!

Now, you might be looking at this and think, "Oh cool a new Ancient Sheikah sword!" Well you'd be wrong! This is a sword popular with the Xhona (Sho-na) Tribe of Xilipi (Sy-lie-pie), a nation beyond the western edge of the Gerudo Desert.

See, a long long long time ago, there was an event known as the First Calamity. Ganon manifested as an eldritch abomination that would eventually be known as Calamity Ganon. This creature laid waste to the collective armies of Hyrule, and just as all hope seemed lost, armies from Xilipi, Holoryna (Holodrum and Labrynna from the Oracle games unified), and Yosun arrived to join the fray. This gave Zelda and Link the chance to seal way Calamity Ganon at the cost of their lives.

At that point the four nations formed an alliance and vowed never to allow this to happen again. This lead to the development of the Divine Beasts, Guardians Towers, and Weapons and Armor that would much later gain the term Ancient Sheikah Technology. The Divine Beasts and Guardians proved far more effective than anyone thought possible. So effective in fact, that many feared what would happen if this technology were to be misused.

None more so than the Ancient King of Hyrule (recently rediscovered to be one King Harkson Lockfreid Hyrule), without consulting the rest of the Alliance, he ordered the Ancient Sheikah Technology buried. This lead to the dissolution of the Alliance with Yosun, Xilipi, and Holoryna cutting ties with Hyrule, the Rito, Gerudo, Gorons, and Zora cutting ties with the Hylian people, the formation of the Yiga Clan and persecution of the Sheikah, and the building of the Sheikah Shrines as an emergency effort to prepare for the inevitable return of Calamity Ganon.

The people of Xilipi in particular managed to keep some Ancient Sheikah Tech and over the next 10,000 years refined it. The Chiampa is one result of these efforts.

The blade is made of pure energy, and is activated by a button on the spine of the weapon, near the guard. The color of the blade is different than that of Ancient Sheikah weapons, shifted more towards green. Interestingly, the blade is also less bright in the ultraviolet spectrum, presumably because the reptilian Likira (Lie-ky-ra) Tribe of Xilipi's coastal regions can see ultraviolet like the Rito can.

Okay that's enough in universe stuff... The blade is based on the Cimpaba, with details from the Ancient Short Sword from BotW. Here's what it looks like with the blade turned off.

The blade's probably thicker than Ancient Sheikah Gear. It's powered by a removable crystal.

The color of the crystal and blade emitters is meant to resemble Zonai tech, as Ancient Sheikah Tech was based off it. Naturally this means the Xilipians have access to Zonaite. Also a little trivia, weapons with actual, physical blades are still pretty popular in Xilipi, especially as status symbols.

Here's how big it is.

[parkkrys]

Hey, if you are still taking prompts, how about where Aemond changes boyfriends too quickly and everyone is worried, since all of his boyfriends seem like good people but none sticks.

Luke who never got the courage to admit his feelings just watches miserably as he brings one guy after another at every family event. Now, interestingly, one guy gets drunk and tells some member of the family there is no use hoping for more with Aemond because he is in love with some guy who he has known since they were children but they cannot be. Stuff happens and eventually Luke and Aemond end up together. Happy end please.

Always happily taking prompts my friend! This really grew nto a monster and I tried my best not to let it go too far out of control haha. Hopefully this is alright and sorry for any grammar mistakes!

I have also posted this on A03 which you can find here

-------------------------------------------------------

Luke was miserable, and has been for a long time now as he dreads every family dinner that involved everyone getting together playing catch up. Somehow, against all odds, no one has been murdered yet. Luke is still surprised it hasn’t happened yet considering. 

But like every year for the past five years he expects something to chance but nothing does. Ageon still drinks, Daemon still makes comments to piss Otto off, Alicent and his mother are either best friends or enemies depending on how the greeting goes. Jace and Cregan are always the love couple that everyone coons over because when are they going to get married? It’s been six years now. 

Aemond brings a new boyfriend every year. 

Every year Luke feels the pain deeply because all of them are wonderful guys and Luke hated to admit it, but he got along with all of them even though he knew they wouldn’t stick around. He couldn't remember a lot of the names as much as he did like the guys, but after saying hi to five of them, he wasn’t sure he could bother saying hi to the sixth one. 

And he was right. The sixth one was around here somewhere, he had already forgotten the guy's name, but he was sure he would hear it again somehow. 

“You know, if I could get a hundred dollars for how many guys Aemond brings to these family reunions, I would be six hundred dollars richer,” Aegon drawled and Luke could only roll his eyes. 

“Aren’t you already drunk?” 

Aegon only scoffed as he brought the beer he was holding up to his lips, “Of course I am, but it doesn’t matter. Because I am right.” 

“You don’t even work,” Luke couldn’t help but to say and Aegon could only wave him off before he was walking away.

Every interaction Luke has ever had with Aegon only led Luke questioning his own sanity each and every single time. How the hell were they related he shall never know, he blames it all on Alicent. It had to come from her because the rest of them are somewhat sane. 

He only says somewhat because Daemon was known to be never sane when it comes to protecting his family. The man he calls his step father had a trigger that had him switching from loving husband and trying his best as a father to a murder war machine who doesn’t spare any mercy. 

Luke still couldn’t tell anyone if he ever had a good father son bond with him. Simply because he always felt like Daemon couldn’t care less about him, Jace and Joffrey and only tolerated them because he was in love with their mother. Jace believes it's the opposite and Daemon adores them all. Joffrey just thinks Daemon is cool and has no other opinion about it. 

But that was enough thinking about Daemon and how he felt about that topic. He can think about that at another time, which mostly meant later tonight as he stared at his ceiling, sleep escaping him once again. 

Thankfully, he was saved when Rhaena walked towards him, a smile on her face as she ignored how her grandfather and Daemon were bickering with one another. 

“You look overwhelmed.” 

Luke only groaned as he rolled his eyes, “Why does our family have to be so big? And so dysfunctional?” 

She only huffed in amusement as she stood beside him, “Because that is just how we are.” 

There was a time where everyone expected them to be together, didn’t exactly work when Lucerys came out as a gay man and Rhaena fell in love with another who was not present. Everytime someone were to ask, she would only shrug and say she didn’t want them to scare her partner away. Luke was the only one who knew that she was worried about how her grandparents would take it if they knew her partner was a woman. 

Which, valid since Rhaenys had high expectations from her granddaughter. 

“Be my saving grace and tell me what his face name is?” Luke asked and Rhaena only huffed as she giggled. 

“You really need to know this better, he may actually stick around this time.” 

“Like the other five did?” Luke asked as he took a sip from the drink he had in his hand. It was non alcoholic because he is a good boy, plus he just hates the taste of alcohol really even if he is now nineteen. Old enough to want Aemond and hope Aemond may actually see him for a potential boyfriend. It shall never happen but he hoped anyway because apparently he likes the pain. 

“Jokes on you, apparently from Helena this is actually boyfriend number eleven.” 

Luke proceeded to choke on his drink, his lungs burning as he coughed harshly. Rhaena made a surprised sound as she quickly patted him on the back as Luke only heaved for breath, his lungs now officially on fire. 

“Eleven!?” He managed to choke out and Rhaena only nodded, “What the actual fuck?” 

How the hell did Aemond manage to have eleven boyfriends while Luke can’t even manage to get one? Probably because Luke was never going to settle on anyone but the man he scarred for life. There was something wrong with him. 

“Why so many?” 

Rhaena only shrugged as she gave him a look of pity. She knew of his massive crush on his own uncle that was very wrong but they were Targaryen's. It was expected of them at this point in the eyes of the public. 

“I don’t know, but Alicent is worried for him and Aegon thinks it’s the funniest thing ever. Helena knows the truth but won’t tell anyone is what I heard from Alicent telling our mother. It seems like everyone is puzzled about it.” 

Luke could only nod as he stayed quiet, deep in thought before he sighed and tried to once again, not think about it. 

“His name is Bryan by the way.” 

“What a boring name,” Was all Luke could say and Rhaena only gave him an even more sad look and that was enough of that as he excused himself and walked away. Maybe he should consider moving on or finding someone to help him move on. 

Once again, somehow nobody murdered anyone and Lucerys was once again surprised by this. And slightly disappointed, he had hoped there was going to be some entertainment by the end of the night but nothing really happened. Instead everyone mingled some more, all full with dinner as they all lazed around the fire pit. 

Luke couldn’t stomach the scene from the other side where Aemond and his boyfriend were cuddling. The man with the brown hair that kind of looked the same shade as his own but that doesn’t need to relate to him really, many people have the same shade of brown as him and he did have pretty blue eyes. Bryan is attractive at least. He could never handle jealousy well, it only made him feel sick instead of angry like it made everyone else feel. 

“What are you up to buddy?” 

Luke only jerked slightly before he looked up at Cregan who only gave him a small smile. The man was basically another older brother to him and he instantly always felt safe around him. Luke also suspected that Cregan knew about his feelings for Aemond but never spoke about it, which Luke was always grateful for. 

“Nothing really, just waiting for something entertaining to happen. I’m kinda bored.” 

Cregan laughed as he took the chair beside him before he glanced over at Aemond. He only sighed a bit before he looked over at Luke and gave him a grin. 

“I was hoping to actually ask for your help on something.” 

“Oh?” Luke hummed in curiosity as he sat up, interested in what the wolf had to say. They were alone, or as alone as they could get with several people gathered and distracted by their own conversations. 

“I was hoping to ask if you could help me with proposing to Jace. I don’t have any ideas and I was hoping you had some? And to ask for your blessing of course. I already asked your mom and Daemon but I know how important you are to Jace. You are his favourite person Luke.” 

“Yeah man, of course you have my blessing. You guys have been dating since forever. You’re basically my brother already.” 

Cregan could only beam and Lucerys couldn’t help but to smile back. Cregan’s smile has always been infectious, if the man was smiling it was most likely everyone else was too. 

“Do I need to be worried about you two scheming something?” 

Luke jumped, a small squeak past his lips while Jace only laughed loudly at him. 

“What the actual fuck dude! You can’t just sneak up on people like that!” 

“It was funny though,” Cregan chuckled and Luke only shot him a betrayed look. They were sharing a bonding moment and the damn wolf had to betray him right after. 

“Awful, the both of you.” 

Jace only laughed harder before he plopped himself right into Cregan’s lap. It was awfully gross how in love the two of them were, they were perfect for one another. Luke was not jealous. He was and it only made him feel more sick. 

“You love us,” Jace teased and Luke only smiled at that because his brother wasn’t wrong. It would take something huge and hurtful to get Luke to hate the two of them. Soon enough they were all laughing and at some point Baela and Rhaena joined them. Luke was so distracted he actually forgot about the jealousy of Aemond and his boyfriend until Bryan stumbled upon them. 

“You guys seem to be having a good time,” The man slurred and all of them stared at him. 

“Dude how drunk are you?” Jace asked and Bryan only grinned. 

“Blame Aegon for that, he challenged me to a drinking game.” 

“That’s a rookie mistake,” Cregan laughed and Bryan only smiled prettily at them. Luke kind of wanted to stab him. He could see how Jace narrowed his eyes at the man for smiling so sweetly at his boyfriend. 

“Yes, I think your father told me that afterwards.” 

Luke snickered, yeah that sounded like Daemon. He would let you walk into a mistake then laugh at you afterwards for being an idiot. 

“Well if you want, take a seat and join us for a bit. We are just talking really,” Baela offered and Bryan only beamed at them like he was a puppy before he happily got himself comfortable. 

“You know, I didn’t believe Aemond when he first told me that you bunch were wild. I thought he was just overreacting but god I was wrong. You lot are loud and so much fun.” 

And as if the universe wanted to prove Bryan right it was at that moment where Alicent squealed loudly. Luke glanced over to see his mother laughing loudly at her as she wiped tears from her eyes as Alicent continued to shriek about something while Daemon chuckled at the both of them. It was nice to see that they had decided to get along this time. 

“Too bad I won’t stick around long enough to get to know any of you,” Bryan sighed and everyone froze as they stared at him. Bryan actually seemed to be mourning, “As much as Aemond tries, he won’t keep anyone at this rate,” He continued to stammer as he sniffled and everyone glanced at one another, unsure of what to say.

“Bryan?” Jace said softly but Bryan only shook his head, drunk enough to have spilled his thoughts onto everyone. 

“He is in love with someone he can’t have apparently. A childhood friend or something? I don’t know but he is trying to replace this person he is in love with but it isn’t working, and I fear it never will.” 

“I don’t think-” Baela started but Bryan only shook his head once more. 

“I don’t even know why he brought me here, you know? Maybe give me a taste of something that I will never have? Aemond is cruel but so beautiful.” 

“Aemond is cruel,” Luke says and everyone turns to look at him, “But everyone is, and you saying all of this to his family is cruel as well. You are drunk, you should go.” 

Bryan only stared at him with tears in his eyes before he nodded slowly. It was pitiful to watch him struggle to stand up but eventually he stumbled away to find Aemond and Luke only felt anger as he looked away from everyone. He knew they were all staring at him and he was sure maybe they thought he was cruel for saying what he did. 

“Well shit, now what do we do?” Jace muttered and Luke finally looked at him. 

“Pretend that never happened.” 

“Luke-” 

“Pretend,” He said harshly before he took a breath and kept going but much more softer, “Pretend it didn’t happen. It is not our place to say anything to Aemond.” 

Eventually they all nodded and Lucerys could finally breathe for a moment even though his brain was stuck on the thought of who the hell is Aemond in love with. It was clear they all wanted to discuss it and weren’t sure if they were allowed too. All he knew was he didn’t want to be there when they did so he made some excuse and walked away from the group. 

Lucerys needed to think alone. 

(This is long so I inserted a keep reading here, hopefully you don't mind!)

It was three days after the family reunion and Luke was back at his mom’s place, curled up in his bed as he stared at the ceiling once again. His mind was still plagued with thoughts about who the hell this childhood friend was. All he had to work with was someone Aemond couldn’t have. Which wasn’t much to work with. 

Despite him telling the others to pretend Bryan didn’t spill his secrets out, by the end of the night everyone knew. Aemond even knew, they could all tell with how tense his uncle was by the end of the night, anger settled deep beneath his skin as Bryan only kept muttering under his breath. 

It wasn’t long until Aegon texted him saying Aemond and his now ex boyfriend had split up. 

He was not surprised. 

He was surprised when he woke up the next day with a text from Aemond himself. Thanking him for telling Bryan to go home and that had confirmed that Bryan did in fact remember everything he had said to them. He hopes Bryan regrets it. Regrets embarrassing Aemond like that and spilling his secrets. 

He had simply texted back and ever since then they keep in contact. It ranged from how their day was to silly stories to pictures of their cats. Luke adored it and maybe his hopes were up but this could be something here. A small part of him hoped maybe he was the one that Aemond couldn’t have even if his mind told him it possibly couldn’t be him. 

Why would Aemond be in love with the boy who took his eye when they were younger? 

It just wouldn’t make sense. But it seemed like Aemond was reaching out and if friendship was all it was going to be, well Lucerys could come to terms with that. No matter how much it would hurt. 

He was so busy day dreaming as he stared out the window of his room, he almost missed the vibration of his phone. He had almost missed the call but in his panic he managed to swipe to answer but he never got to see who exactly was calling him. Probably a scammer. 

“Hello this is Lucerys Velaryon speaking.” 

“Is that how you answer every phone call nephew?” 

“Aemond?” Luke asked in surprise, jerking a little bit before he steadied himself, leaning back against his pillows, “Didn’t expect you to call.” 

“Don’t have my phone contact saved?” Aemond asked amused and Luke only huffed. 

“I didn’t get to see who actually called me you jerk.” 

The sound of Aemond's deep laugh really shouldn’t have made his chest flutter as much as it should have at that moment. He decided that he loved the sound and wished he could hear more, maybe even be the cause of it more often. 

“That does sound like something you would do, doesn’t it?” Aemond said. 

Luke only grinned, “Oh hush you. Now, why did you call?” 

“What I can’t call my nephew now?” 

“You never called me before Uncle,” Luke was quick to answer and the silence was only brief but he knew that Aemond was trying to figure out what to say to that piece. 

“I want you to meet me if possible. I wanted to talk to you about something that isn’t over the phone.” 

Now that did catch his attention fully as he shifted slightly, “Okay where?” He asked without hesitation and he knew his Uncle was pleased with his curiosity. 

“I will pick you up in an hour, be ready. I don’t like to wait,” Was all Aemond told him before he hung up. 

Well, that’s interesting Lucerys thought to himself before he moved the phone away from his ear. He supposed he had to get ready now. And within an hour he was showered and dressed. He couldn’t remember what exactly he said to his mother but he knew he said some excuse before he was out the door and in his Uncle’s car. 

Aemond only gave him a brief nod, a smug smile on his lips before he was on the road. No matter how many times Luke asked where they were going, his Uncle wouldn’t give him an answer to his frustration. He could only hope that Aemond wasn’t taking him away to murder him and drop his dead body off somewhere. 

Turns out the place was Aemond’s fancy apartment. 

“Wait so you kidnapped me so you could take me to your place?” Lucerys asked and Aemond only shrugged as he opened his apartment door for Luke to go first. 

“It’s not like you know where I live, Lucerys.” 

God the way Aemond said his name was sinful. Now was not the time to think dirty thoughts Luke thought to himself. His Uncle would only tease him harshly about that if he ever were to find out how much Lucerys wanted him. 

Would probably feed his ego even more than it already has. 

Aemond was quick to have Luke sitting on the couch and it felt as if his Uncle was ready to confess every sin he had ever committed with the way Aemond sat on his own table, staring at him as if he was prized meat. Luke was tempted to call Aemond an animal, tease him for sitting on his own table but he held his tongue. His curiosity won over the urge to rile his Uncle up. 

Aemond was so pretty when frustrated and worked up. 

“Okay Aemond, you have me here. What did you want to talk about?” 

“You.” 

Luke only blinked in surprise before he tilted his head to the side, “Me?”

“Yes, you Lucerys.” 

“Why?” 

“Because you are the object of my desire,” Aemond confessed simply. 

Lucerys didn’t know what to say or even do as he stared at him in silence. Aemond seemed to have expected it as he kept going, as if he wasn’t giving Luke whiplash. 

“Bryan has spilled my secret and as much as it had angered me, he wasn’t wrong. And I know everyone is wondering who the hell it is I am in love with so I figured I would get it done and over with. That way if you were to reject me, I was hoping we would never speak of it again.” 

Lucerys only stared. But he did notice how scared Aemond actually was telling him all of this. He could tell that under all the carelessness he was trying to show, he was terrified of Luke rejecting him. Terrified of what Luke would say to him and it made him feel sad. 

Because after all of this time, Aemond probably thought that Luke would hold this over him and hurt him even more. More than he already has. Lucerys only felt terrible as he tried to hold his tears back. 

“Aemond-” 

“Why are you crying?” Aemond hissed and Luke wanted to curse at himself for being so damn sensitive. 

“I’m not crying because you are telling me this!” Luke yelled and Aemond only glared as if he didn’t believe him, “I am crying because you thought I would hurt you because of this.” 

That seemed to have taken Aemond by surprise as he only looked at him in bewilderment, as if he didn’t expect Luke to pick up on that fact. His Uncle would be even more surprised because Luke could read Aemond to some extent. Lucerys enjoyed watching Aemond and trying to figure him out but Aemond was so damn hard to read. 

“I know I have hurt you before,” That made Aemond narrow his eye at him and Luke wanted to burn in shame, “And I know you believe I could or I would hurt you once more. But I don't want to! I feel ashamed for hurting you so much Uncle and I know that doesn’t fix anything, that anything I do would never have you forgive me because I do not deserve that forgiveness.” 

“You’re right, it doesn’t fix anything Lucerys, but I have forgiven you for it.” 

“Well take that back then,” Luke begged and Aemond only widened his eye as he stared at him in silence but Luke wasn’t done, “And why would you love me? I took your damn eye! Don’t love me, you should hate me.” 

He probably would have kept going if Aemond didn’t grab his throat in his hand, his grip harsh as Lucerys briefly choked before his Uncle loosened his grip as he pulled him forward. The impact of his knees hitting the floor was harsh as he was dragged from the couch and Lucerys was quick to wrap his hands around Aemond’s wrist to ground himself. 

Aemond only brought his face closer to his so their noses brushed one another as he finally spoke. 

“And I did hate you, no, I despised you Lucerys. For so long I wanted to hurt you.” 

“Then what changed?” Luke gasped out and Aemond only chuckled darkly before he brought his other hand to pet his cheek. 

“I found that I couldn’t bring myself to hurt you. I don’t know when nephew, but my hatred towards you has changed to desire and no matter how much I tried to deny it, no matter how much I tried to find someone else you were there in the back of my mind. That was when I knew I would never be satisfied with anyone else. You have claimed me the day you claimed my eye.” 

Lucerys once again, found himself not knowing what to say and Aemond faltered a bit before he let go of his throat, pulling away and Lucerys only whined in distress briefly. Aemond stopped at the sound, staring at him once more and Luke had no idea what was happening. 

“Would you love me Uncle? Or would you ruin me?” Lucerys finally managed to ask and Aemond grinned. 

“I asked myself that for a long while, little one. I didn’t know the answer but I want to do both. I want to ruin you for anyone else and love you for I want you to be mine.” 

“I think you will be surprised to know how much I want to be yours, Aemond. I have wanted to be yours for a long time,” Lucerys confessed and Aemond only seemed to be relieved by the declaration. 

“Would you be mine no matter the consequence?” 

“Yes.” 

“Would you be mine without hesitation?” 

“Yes,” Luke breathed and Aemond fell onto his knees before him and gently reached out to cup his jaw, bringing him close. 

“Then be mine, Lucerys,” Aemond demanded and Luke reached out to grab onto his Uncle tightly. 

“I am yours, have been for a long time, Uncle.” 

Aemond only grinned at that and Lucerys allowed himself to be devoured, allowing himself to melt into the fire that was his Uncle as Aemond kissed him. As Aemond took what was his before he pulled back and Luke only whined once more as he forced his eyes to open to meet the gaze of Aemond. 

“I am yours as much as you are mine Lucerys. There is no going back, I will not allow anyone to have you.” 

Luke only nodded, “I don’t want anyone else, how many times must I say this?” 

“As many times as you can until I am satisfied little one.” 

“Then I will repeat it until you are satisfied.” 

“Good little one, good,” Aemond whispered before he claimed his mouth once more and Luke felt giddy at realizing that Aemond was his as much as he belonged to him. That he will no longer have to watch his love be with anyone other than him. He finally settled into the place he belonged. 

[laylainalaska]

I watched Foundation S1-2 this week and really enjoyed it, for certain values of enjoyed, copying over my write-up from DW, now with corrected character names since I've looked them up rather than spelling them from vague osmosis from the show.

(Blacklist the Foundation tag if you don't want to be spoiled from gifs, as I plan to promptly go seek out the least hinged gifs from this entirely unhinged show and bombard everyone with them.)

This show is a bonkers SF soap opera with gorgeous production values, Lee Pace hamming it up in crop tops, and a series of increasingly off the rails holographic versions of a dead chessmaster mathematician deploying his 9999-step plan to save the galaxy. I've literally seen nothing about this at all in my social circles, to the extent that I didn't even really know about it until the spouse started watching it. I was kind of halfway glancing at the screen now and then, if I happened to be in the room, for the first half of season one (and have only the vaguest idea what happened in the first few episodes, based on later events), then got invested and eventually completely hooked in season two, which also picks up after a 100-year timeskip so the cast has changed a lot anyway. Although between stasis pods, cloning, and holograms, it's mostly the same actors. (We have a running joke that by season 3 the cast will be at least 50% Cleons and Hari Seldons by volume.)

Anyway, so it is good? Hard to say! It's sort of like if Expanse and Game of Thrones had a (somewhat more optimistic) baby, in which the budgets are huge, the planets are beautiful, the spaceships are shiny, and lots of Big Feelings happen. The Evil Empire is run by an endless series of clone emperors played by Lee Pace in Romanesque armor and capes with massive amounts of scenery-chewing and an immortal robot bodyguard he occasionally has sex with. They have All The Clones in storage, so if he gets killed, they'll just transfer his memories and activate another one! Meanwhile the rebellion is being orchestrated as a 4000-step multi-century Xanatos gambit by a guy who started by having himself killed and activating a digital copy. Interestingly though, there is so much going on, and it's taking so much time for his plan to come to fruition, that it never really feels like the two of them directly pitted against each other (at least not that much), it's more like all of the stuff that happens along the way, the planets and the pretty spaceships and the people we meet who struggle and fight and save each other along the way.

I have to say that while I'm occasionally reminded by certain plot points and tropes that this is a series based on books from the 1970s, they did a good enough job with racebending, presumable genderbending, and so forth that it rarely feels like it. (Also, though I only know the books from general osmosis, I'm fairly confident the plot has gone way off-book anyway.) In season two there are no less than four young female characters of color in major plot-defining roles, there's a central gay couple whose loyalty to each other in the face of the Empire is a major plot point, and in general it's just a pretty, pretty show full of pretty people and pretty planets (and occasionally some really dazzling space-operatic SF stuff). It is definitely the most OTT and operatic thing I've watched since probably the MCU, and I'm really enjoying it.

Under the cut, out-of-order and largely out-of-context comments on various things I had a reaction to (mostly season 2 since that's where I got invested).

This show is an emotional roller coaster of the highest order. How many different instances of presumed dead and identity-switching can we pack into a single episode?

CONSTANT MY BELOVED. Season 2 in general gives great female characters, I already loved Salvo (;__;) and I also really enjoyed the ladies from the Cloud Dominion, but Constant!! She's just so funny and fun and so absolutely deadpan about everything from conning randos on some backwater alien planet to kidnapping a guy. I was so glad she lived through all of the half-dozen times she almost certainly should have died.

I was surprisingly upset about formerly-trapped-in-the-Radiant half-crazy Hari's death, "surprisingly" because, well, Hari being Hari, and also, it wasn't like this leaves us entirely without Hari Seldons, there's still Creepy Monolith Hari and who knows how many other copies out there. But that one had been through enough with Gaal and Salvor that he really felt like a different person. He's still a manipulative sack of dicks but I liked him! I was sad, but at least hoping he was backed up somewhere! And then two episodes later the most excellent reveal that he and Gaal faked the whole thing! I thoroughly loved all of that. Gaal hugging him! <333

"Don't trust the planet of the creepy utopian space psychics!" Orion and I were chanting at the screen, while they proceeded to not listen to us and it was, predictably, a bad idea. Seriously, when in all of sci-fi was trusting the creepy psychic utopia a good idea?

I had guessed/hoped that the guy with the whispership (can't remember his name) was going to warp into the plaza and save Constant from execution, but I really wasn't sure, and even with an inkling it was going to happen, that was an AMAZING entrance, A+++, no notes. Especially after Constant gave her speech and everything seemed to be setting her up to be a martyr to the Foundation, I was less and less hopeful she was going to get out of it alive somehow. Excellent rescue, very pleased.

I really enjoyed the entire subplot with the Evil Empire Honorable Space Admiral (can't remember anyone's names here either) and the scene in which he justifies his continued loyalty to the Empire is really a good scene. I mean, it's awful. But you can see his reasoning. He can't overthrow the Empire, if he refuses orders it won't change anything, he and everyone he loves will die, and someone else will be put in his place and follow the orders anyway. But then the whole thing with Constant's rescue points out that it may not be possible to change the entire Evil Empire, but you can make a lot of difference for just one person.

But I still wanted him to make better or at least different choices on the blowing up the planet sequence! I guess it all worked out according to Hari's 9999-step plan (my death is only the beginning! the death of my planet is only the beginning!) but that hurted.

Between Honorable Space Admiral and his fighter pilot husband, I was absolutely *not* expecting the husband to be the one of the two of them that survived. However, Honorable Space Admiral and whispership guy got a dynamite final episode (the fistfight with Cleon! never has a man deserved so much punching! the airlock switch!) and they both got to go out in an excellent death scene.

The entire thing with Terminus getting blown up! And then Deus Ex Monolith! And Constant's dads and Space Admiral's Space Husband are alive after the whole exploding planet fell on them! (I was SO happy Constant's family got reunited, I was so afraid she and Space Dads were going to go down each thinking the other one had died.) I think this episode gave me emotional whiplash.

SALVOR NO. WHAT WAS THAT EVEN. She just randomly died at the end there?? Come onnnnn. We already got like 12 death fake-outs in the last couple of episodes! Why'd that one have to be real?!

If time passes differently in the monolith, does that mean the entire rescued Terminus population are still going to be around after the second 150-year timeskip? I have questions!

Speaking of time passing differently in the monolith, best dialogue: Whispership guy: Whoa, it's dark. How long was I in there, anyway? Constant: Three years. Paulie: More like three hours. Constant: We agreed we weren't going to tell him! I love them. <3333

That sure was A Lot with the Cleons. And now I guess there's an entire Cleon/Cloud Dominion dynasty out there somewhere just waiting to cause trouble.

So yeah, I'm really enjoying my bombastic sci-fi soap opera! Season 3 when pls.