#just like how the leaders are 'reborn' or whatever nine times | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fantastic-rambles · 4 years ago

Text

The Skylark’s Song [1 /4]

Fandom: Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Characters: Hibari Kyoya, Hibari Kyoya’s parents, Unnamed Gang

Warnings: Violence, Gang, Implied Rape, Attempted Murder, Murder, Police Corruption, Gaslighting

Word Count: 1.8k

Summary: My personal headcanons of the (pre-canon) experiences that made Hibari into the man that he is today. Part One: why he has such a strong hatred of crowds and the beginning of his commitment to discipline.

(The other parts won't be this dark. I think.)

It had been a day like any other.

On a warm spring afternoon, they'd gone out together as a family to his school festival, nine-year-old Kyoya running from attraction to attraction, his parents following at a more stately pace but always keeping him in sight.

"Mom! Dad! Here, here!" he called out, practically bouncing with excitement in front of his classroom. Laughing, they caught up to him, following him into the room as he tugged at their hands.

The walls were covered with the students' essays, and Kyoya paused by his, his chest puffed out with pride. Indulgently, they bent over slightly to read what he had written in his neat but still childish hand.

My Dreams

When I grow up, I want to be a great person like my dad. Dad is a hero, fighting the bad guys who are making people sad. He's like a policeman or fireman, except he's even cooler than that! Dad and Mom both love Namimori and want to make this town into a happy place for everyone, and I want to help them. They also love me very much, and I love them, too.

He beamed up at them as his mother knelt to hug and kiss him while his father ruffled his hair. Their pride practically emanated off them in waves, and Kyoya was the happiest that he could ever remember. After the festival, they'd gone to his favorite family restaurant, where he ordered a hamburger steak, still chattering away happily about school: how he was the top student in his year, how his teachers praised him for his work, what he was learning in class now... His parents had been smiling throughout his monologue, sometimes asking questions to encourage him to keep speaking.

But the day had to come to an end eventually, and the setting sun found them walking back to their house, Kyoya hanging onto his parents' hands and occasionally just completely lifting his feet off the ground so that he could swing between them, making all three of them laugh. By the time they arrived home, he was completely exhausted from running around all day, barely able to change into his pajamas and brush his teeth before he fell into his futon. The last thing he remembered before sleep claimed him was his mother sitting beside him, softly humming a lullaby.

It was completely dark when a loud crash woke him. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes sleepily, he called out, "Mom? Dad?"

But there was no answer, though he could faintly hear voices elsewhere in the house. Still only half-awake, he followed the sounds to the brightly lit living room, freezing in the doorway as the sight unfolded before him.

Men he didn't know were standing all around the room. His father knelt in the middle, his face battered and dripping blood onto the floor from a broken nose, while his mother sobbed quietly in a corner, held back by two men. A couple of the other men had wooden baseball bats... and guns. Kyoya started to shake as he recognized the weapons he'd only ever seen on TV before. Too scared to step into the room but too afraid to run away, he was frozen in place, at least until one of the men standing by the doorway looked down and saw him.

"Well, what's this?"

As he bent down, his movement caught the eye of Kyoya's mother, and he saw stark terror spread across her face as she recognized her son.

"KYOYA! RUN!" she shrieked. As if a spell had been broken, Kyoya turned and obeyed, his bare feet pattering on the smooth wooden floors as he blindly sought an escape. Suddenly, his familiar home was filled with strange shadows that jumped out of him, making him flinch in the dark corridors, all too aware of his pursuer behind him with steps like thunder. He'd just shoved open the sliding door that led to the garden when the man caught up, seizing him around the waist and swinging him onto his hip with ease.

"No! Stop! Let me go!" Kyoya yelled, pounding against his captor's back with his small fists. The man didn't even try to silence him--they lived too far away from anyone else for the commotion to be noticed--and returned the way they had come, eventually dumping the child in front of his mother. She grabbed him immediately, curling herself around him protectively and pressing his face to her chest as he squirmed, trying to turn around and see what was happening.

"Come on, you don't want to do this in front of your wife and kid, right?" a voice asked, harshly mocking. "Just give us the data and we'll leave, no harm done. It's not like we like doing this either, you know."

A few of the other men chuckled, covering up his father's quiet response, and Kyoya felt his mother cringe just before there was a dull, wet, thumping sound that was repeated several times. It sounded just like when they smashed watermelons on the beach.

"Change your mind yet?" the voice asked, sounding slightly winded. The only response was a groan and panting, and the voice sharpened. "Hey, bring me the kid."

"No!" Kyoya was pressed even harder against his mother's chest, half-smothering him, as hands reached out to grab him, trying to pull him away. Now he began to cry as his limbs were pulled roughly, twisted behind his back or jerked as if they were trying to rip him apart, but his mother still clung to him.

"Take me instead! Please! Leave him alone!" she begged above his wailing.

The voice clicked his tongue, then replied, "Fine, whatever. Shut the kid up."

Her hands ran through his hair, and she pressed a kiss to his forehead, murmuring quietly, desperately. "It'll be okay, Kyoya. Be quiet, shhh, shhh, shh. It'll be okay."

"Hurry it up," the voice snapped, and they were suddenly wrenched apart, the absence of his mother making Kyoya start crying again, until one of the men casually backhanded him in the face, the sudden pain shocking him into silence as the taste of blood filled his mouth. He subsided into small whimpers, his hand pressed against his burning cheek, as he watched his mother forced to her knees next to his father. The man who seemed to be the leader of the gang tossed aside his bat and reached into his pocket, pulling out a switchblade that he flicked open before crouching down in front of Kyoya's parents.

"You've got such a pretty wife, Hi-ba-ri-san," he taunted, resting the blade against her face. "It would be a real pity if something happened to her, wouldn't it? Looks are everything to a woman, after all. Do you think you'd still love her if she was all scarred, without her nose and ears? Would she still love you, for letting it happen to her?"

"You'll kill us anyways, after you get what you want," Kyoya's mother spat. "Just get it over with. We won't tell you anything."

She flinched as the man dragged the weapon down the side of her face, leaving a thin red gash across her cheek, but she continued to stare at him defiantly. The man snorted, getting to his feet.

"Brave woman. But let's see how long that lasts. Hold her down." He began to unbuckle his belt, his comrades grinning as they dragged the woman down, piling on to stop both Kyoya's mother and father from struggling. Kyoya didn't understand what was happening, but he saw the look on his mother's face, and he ran between her and the man, spreading his arms wide to protect her.

"Stop bullying Mommy!" he screamed, tears and snot running down his face as he shook like a leaf. The man's face twisted into an expression of disgust and annoyance.

"Someone take care of this brat," he ordered, and another man stepped forward, hefting his bat in his hand.

"You got it, boss." Like a cleanup hitter getting ready to smack a home run, he drew back and swung, the sharp crack drowned out by the shrill screams of Kyoya's mother and the hoarse cries of his father. Kyoya collapsed, and the last thing he remembered was the feeling of a foot in this stomach, kicking him out of the way.

He awoke with a splitting headache to a room full of people and bolted upright, screaming, "MOMMY! DADDY!" Startled, somber faces turned to look at him, and a woman in a police uniform walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him soothingly as he kept screaming for his parents. Bright sunlight was falling into the room as other men and women walked around, taking pictures and putting things into labeled plastic bags. The policewoman cradled his head, then drew away in shock, her hand tacky with blood.

"We need paramedics!" she called out, carefully lifting the boy into her arms and heading toward the door. Draped over her shoulder, Kyoya continued to scream, his eyes fixed on two lumps in the middle of the room, covered with white sheets.

A week later, Kyoya stood in the Namimori graveyard, watching as two caskets were lowered into the ground. His head was still wrapped in bandages from the surgery to repair his fractured skull, the doctors having proclaimed it a miracle that he'd even survived. The young boy's eyes were dry as he stared at the marble headstone, dressed somberly in black and surrounded by adults.

Shock, they whispered when they thought he couldn't hear them, shaking their heads sympathetically. Poor boy. Who could have ever imagined it? They had seemed like such a perfect family. But everyone has their skeletons.

The case had been wrapped up quickly: a murder-suicide. Kyoya's mother had found out about his father's affair, and in the midst of a passionate argument, he'd killed her. Consumed with regret, he'd then attempted to kill his son before taking his own life. The boy's story was nothing more than the result of head trauma and a completely understandable psychological refusal to accept the truth. So he'd invented a wild tale of home intruders, blaming nonexistent ghosts for the crime while repressing his memories. The officers in charge of the investigation hadn't even bothered to write down his account, sitting patiently with him for hours in the hospital as they tried to explain what had happened to him.

But he knew. His parents had been slaughtered by that pack of animals: weak, undisciplined cowards too afraid to do anything alone. And they'd had enough influence to cover up the crime, so that the only thing that was published was a short obituary listing his parents' names and ages, and the fact that they had been survived by their child.

Heroes didn't exist. But that didn't mean that he couldn't get revenge.

[Part 2]

#katekyo hitman reborn #khr #reborn #fanfic #fan fic #hibari kyoya #kyoya hibari #hibari #character study #headcanon #mine #don't ever expect chapter titles from me #i can barely come up with story titles

14 notes · View notes

sunflower-live · 6 years ago

Photo

1 - The Afterlife Fic (The Best I Ever Had in My Entire Life.. Or Death) | LovingCup | 491,253 words

Arriving in Judgement City UK after dying in a tragic accident, Louis is on trial to prove his fearlessness in life. If he lived a life of fear, he will be sent back to be reborn. After meeting his soulmate, he knows that isn’t an option. Louis will do whatever it takes to make sure he can move forward in the universe with Harry.

2 - The Second Hand Unwinds | FullOnLarrie | 51,571 words

Louis Tomlinson is one of the first members of NASA's top secret Chrono Exploration Program. When things go wrong and he's sent further back in time than planned, he has no other option than to show up on his ex-boyfriend's doorstep.

3 - Red Hands | reveries_passions | 132,787 words

A dystopian au in which Harry, an ex-soldier who’s escaped from his government run camp, accidentally stumbles across the biggest rebel movement in the country, and Louis, one of the rebellion’s mysterious leaders who appears to hate him, seems to simultaneously have an obsession with keeping him alive.

4 - Wear It Like A Crown | zarah5 | 141,303 words

As part of a team of fixers hired to handle a gay scandal in Buckingham Palace, Louis expects Prince Harry to be a lot of things—most notably a royally spoilt brat. Never mind that the very same Prince Harry used to star in quite a number of Louis' teenage fantasies.

5 - Through Eerie Chaos | MediaWhore | 102,104 words

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

6 - The Wonderlands | stylinsoncity | 150,542 words

Harry's daughter, Andy, is signed to Louis' girl band. Her path to success is marked by competition, chaos, and for Harry, a love affair.

7 - Nocturne in Silver and Blue | tinyweirdloves | 97,594 words

Louis is a fallen star and Harry brings him home. Told over the course of fourteen years.

8 - Lightning Strikes Twice | dinosaursmate | 104,570 words

Rock star Harry Styles was nineteen when he met Louis, a groupie with a huge heart that Harry couldn’t quite shake from his mind. Fate granted him a second chance at the age of sixty, his washed up and lonely existence being transformed by a widower with a bookshop.

9 - Keep This Love in a Photograph | suspendrs | 48,148 words

It’s 1919, and Harry’s been falling in love with his best friend for his entire life.

10 - With a Whimper | kitundercover | 132,813 words

Dystopian AU. Louis has been alone for too long to remember how not to be, and Harry has too much to worry about to deal with a scrawny, wild, stranger.

11 - Never Let Me Go | loveisalaserquest17 | 55,949 words

Harry and Louis have been friends forever, but they couldn't be more different. One night, with a little too much alcohol, they make a pact to marry in ten years if they're both still single. Now, one month before the deadline, Louis is willing to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up with his best friend. But is he, really?

12 - Take Me Down With You | harrystylesandstuff | 107,872 words

Walking the suicide bridge in Bristol one night, a mysterious guy shows up to try to convince Louis to jump. When this guy keeps showing up during his attempts, maybe it’s not such a coincidence.

13 - No One Does It Better | nodibs | 49,536 words

Harry's an alcoholic and Louis is a bartender. The first time they meet isn't the first time they've met.

14 - Falling Into Place | summerwine | 40,757 words

One night in New York City, Louis makes the hardest decision he's ever had to make and leaves Harry for their own good. Nine years later, Louis is starting to make something of himself in the art world but somehow finds his way back to Harry.

15 - Just Me, You, and This Box of Matches | tomlinsunshine | 87,020 words

Louis is fairly sure that his new neighbour is going to destroy him. And also their apartment building, and the dumpsters outside, and all the forests within a thirty mile radius. But. Mostly him.

16 - Runaway Land | daggerinrose | 103,610 words

Louis is sure he’s stumbled upon a secret, underground nightclub, though that is far from the truth. He’s also pretty sure he’s stumbled upon Apollo, which… isn’t very far from the truth, actually.

17 - Take a Sad Song and Make it Better | amory | 53,217 words

Louis would do anything for his godson. So when Louis takes Jude into his home during Harry's latest stint in rehab, it might just be the time for Louis and Harry to face their past to give Jude the future he deserves.

18 - Now in a Minute | thealmightyavocado | 150,462 words

On Louis 13th birthday something inexplicable happens - he wakes up 17 years older (and 17 years in the future). He finds himself living the dream. He’s a rich and uber famous football player. The only thing missing from his life is his best friend Harry.

19 - Shake Me Down | AGreatPerhaps12 | 208,589 words

Catholic boy Harry is starting college after attending a conversion camp. He’s fixed, there’s no way he’s gay anymore. He also will not talk to Louis, the leader of the campus LGBTQIA club.

20 - I Believe Him When He Tells of Loving Me | bitterlee | 28,894 words

Louis doesn’t remember Harry. Harry takes him home.

21 - Across the Lines | alex4968 | 28,773 words

With a camera in hand, Louis sets off on the road trip of his life to explore the most famous haunted houses of the UK. Things don't exactly go to plan.

22 - Heading for Limbo | FullOnLarrie | 100,866 words

Childhood best friends who’ve fallen in and out of touch with each other since Louis’ family moved away when they were thirteen, Harry and Louis find their paths crossing again and again. Each time, no matter how many miles apart or how many years it’s been, it’s as if no time has passed. They fall back into their easy friendship, until life intervenes and sends them on their separate ways once more.

23 - Own the Scars | crinkle-eyed-boo | 144,706 words

After an “accident”, Louis is forced into rehab. His best friend, Harry, never saw it coming and he feels awful because of that. Staying by his side through it all, tough love leads to another kind of love.

24 - And Then a Bit | infinitelymint | 158,824 words

In a world were Larry was never real, and they were just very close best friends, Harry and Louis agree to the “mother of all publicity stunts”. They’re finally giving the fans what they want after seven years since One Direction was formed and a two year hiatus.

#24 is a lot #and i'm sorry that i made this and nobody asked me to but i love making fic recs #also woah i read like only long fics #larry fic rec #fic rec #mine

332 notes · View notes

queen-scribbles · 5 years ago

Text

From the Depths

For @pillarspromptsweekly 99 Rebuild. I’m using Adi for this, since I already touched on Tavi in other fics and haven’t decided for Emiri yet, but this is all theoretical bc my lil fluffy nerd hasn’t even met Queen Onekaza yet in actuality. :D

---

Adela would never be used to the disorienting rush that accompanied her return from talking to the gods. It didn’t matter what she learned or where she woke, there was always this vaguely nauseated edge to her senses for the next couple hours. But as the pieces of Eothas’ plan came together, as well as the history that drove his actions, the nausea started hanging around longer, accompanied by a faint and growing sense of dread.

When she stood on a spire of adra and watched both the Wheel and the reborn god’s form crumble, the nausea and dread showed up in force and she almost wished for a conference of the gods. Much as they bickered and plucked her nerves, like younger siblings spoiling for a fight, they may have at least had some more advice. Because nothing she’d come up with had deterred Eothas from his plan. The best she’d been able to do was soften the blow, so to speak. She hoped. ‘Take pity,’ she’d begged, and the god of light and redemption had seemed to pause, just for a second. Time would tell if she’d only been imagining things, or if not, what he’d done in that second. For now, it was a decent walk back to the Ilhana, and she was emotionally drained from the last few hours. They all were(though none more than Xoti and Edér, she was sure).

None of them spoke as they wound their way through the desolate remnants of Ukaizo toward the harbor. There was too much to process. The Wheel was gone. The course of nature as they knew it was altered, a god had died in the process(for the second time), and the implications of everything they’d learned sparked too many questions to count.

Adela was disproportionately relieved when they rounded the final curve to Ukaizo’s harbor and she saw her ship bobbing at anchor. It felt--almost jarringly--like home. It was, at least, something familiar after everything that happened, and that alone made the thought of a boat more welcome than it would usually be. A sharp whistle echoed from the deck as soon as they came into view, and by the time they’d skirted the Guardian’s lifeless form, nearly everyone she’d left behind had congregated in the stone plaza.

“How do I tell them?” Adela muttered, scrubbing her eyes with one hand as she scanned the expectant faces. They’d followed her all the way here, through the most harrowing seas known to kith or beast, with the singular goal of stopping Eothas. And they hadn’t.

Edér squeezed her shoulder.”If I knew that, I’d offer t’ do it for ya, Adi.”

“It is a rather fantastical account,” Aloth agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. “But so are many of the things you’ve encountered and overcome.”

“What makes this one borderline outlandish is that we didn’t,” Konstanten chipped in wryly. “Overcome, I mean.”

“Might as well tell ‘em,” Adela sighed. “Sooner that’s out of the way, sooner we can leave, and kith as a whole can start trying to figure out a way to fix this.”

“Can we?” Xoti asked skeptically.

“Well, I mean, there was some method in place before the Engwithans created the Wheel,” Adela said. “Not to imply we can just revert to that, whatever it was, only that it’s possible to do some other way. Or we could try to recreate the Wheel...” She shook her head. “Look, for now, all I want to do is tell them, and then sleep on it while we get out of here. After I get some rest, I’ll be all too happy to theorize and plan.”

“It’ll be interesting to see how different the seas are without the Mortar churnin’ away,” Konstanten commented, rubbing his beard contemplatively.

“And you’ll get to very shortly.” By now, they were close enough for Adela to address the gathered crew and there was no more time for asides.

“How did it go, casita?” Irrena asked, the first one--as always--to find her voice.

Adela wrinkled her nose. “Well, good news, we found out how to clear up Ondra’s Mortar so the journey back will be much easier.”

“And the bad news?” Beodul prompted, crossing his arms.

“We couldn’t stop Eothas,” she said, bracing herself for surprise and censure at her admission of failure. There were times she wondered if kith outside her closest friends believed she could fail. “He destroyed the Wheel. We need to sail back to Neketaka and talk to the remaining faction leaders about how we want to proceed.”

There was surprise--shock, even--in some of the faces turned toward her, but none looked disappointed. Apparently it was understandable if even someone with her storied record couldn’t take down a god. That was something of a relief.

“The Wheel is gone?” Kuldrun spoke up. He had paled noticeably when Adela looked his way.

She grimaced. “Yes, but Eora has vast resources of both intellect and materials, and some time before we start to see the effects of this, so I’m sure we can find a way to rebuild or replace it.” She ran her fingers through the wisps of hair that had escaped her bandanna, brushing them back from her eyes. “For now, let’s just worry about getting back to Neketaka, alright?”

Some of the crew seemed to share Kuldrun’s worry, but they all nodded, and the small knot of kith started almost as one back up the Ilhana’s ramp. Adela and her companions followed behind the crew. Even with the Mortar calmed, it would be three or four days’ sail back to Neketaka. The sooner they could start, the better for all concerned. Which was literally everyone.

Adela cast a half-longing look back over her shoulder as she trudged up the ramp. Under other--better--circumstances, she would love to wander what remained of Ukaizo. Just explore the streets, see what she could learn. But there wasn’t time now. Maybe she could come back, now that kith were able to control Ondra’s Mortar. Shame Kana couldn’t come with her; he’d love to see this.

Dwelling on the Mortar brought another train of thought to mind, and she tapped Beodul on the arm. “Where Daelia? I didn’t see her with the rest of the crew.”

“Where do you think?” the dwarf snorted.

Well, that answered her next couple questions, too. “Thank you.” Rest first, then she could check in with the crew who hadn’t been in the harbor. She headed for her cabin.

Aloth followed. “Adela.”

“Yes, Aloth?” She plunked her grimoire on the desk and sat in the chair to start unlacing her boots.

“Do you really think that was wise?” He shut the door and leaned back against it. “Telling them everything?”

“First off, it wasn’t everything,” she retorted. The first boot came loose and thunked hollowly against the floor. “Nothing about the how, when, or why of the Wheel’s creation, or the history of what the Huana and Engwithans did. But they knew what we came here to do-” the second boot dropped “-I feel like they deserve to know how things stand.”

“And you aren’t worried a panic will start the first time we make port?” Aloth pointed out. “People hearing second- or third-hand that the Wheel is gone, destroyed by Eothas for that matter, are not going to ask if there’s potential for a solution. They’re simply going to worry.”

“So let me get this straight....” Adela sent him a strongly dubious look. “I should have kept it a secret because it’s too dangerous for common kith to know and they wouldn’t react well to the truth? B’cause you know who that sounds like, right?” She tugged off her bandanna and dropped it on top of her grimoire. “You sort of helped me kill him, if memory serves, and have spent five blazing years trying to single-handedly dismantle his following.”

Aloth’s face colored and his ears twitched irritably. “I’m not saying they should never know, Adela. I’m saying it would be better learned from their leaders, with all relevant information presented together, then heard in bits and pieces as a dockside rumor that’s been through Usher knows how many people first.”

“I see your point,” Adela allowed. “But you know I’ve always believed honesty is the best policy.”

“I hope you’re right,” he said softly, tucking his hair behind one ear and then fidgeting with the pages of his own grimoire. “In this case more than most.”

“Me, too,” she said with a wry snort. “But I can’t help thinking the solution to this mess may be thought up by a Huana fisherman, or a Dyrwoodan merchant, or some other ‘commoner’ who would be considered an unlikely source, so the faster kith hear about it, the faster we may get at least pieces of a solution.” She pulled her braid over her shoulder and started curling the end of it around her thumb. “Knowledge is meant to be shared, right?”

“Yes, but not willy-nilly,” Aloth countered. “Or you get mass panic under some circumstances, or mob justice, or kith dabbling in power they con’t control...”

“I get it, I get it,” Adela sighed. She maybe didn’t completely agree, but she saw where he was coming from, and it was a valid argument. “Still not sorry I was honest with my crew. And if it makes you feel any better, we’re not stopping anywhere before Neketaka unless we have to. So any rumors or panic won’t have long to spread before the truth can counter it.”

“It still feels like a bit much of a risk for me,” Aloth said with a shrug. “But I trust you, so if this is how you want to handle the situation, I will support you, as always.”

“Thank you.” She slid out of the chair and crossed the room to squeeze his hand with a grateful smile. “It means a lot that you back me, even when we disagree.”

He smiled in return. “Someone may have once pointed out that’s something friends do.”

She giggled and sent him a mischievous look. “Someone sounds smart.”

“She is.” He squeezed her hand back. “I believe at the moment she’s also tired, so I’ll take my leave and let her get some rest.”

“You’re not wrong, and she appreciates it.” As if on cue, Adela yawned. “See you in... nine or ten hours, I guess?”

“From the quality of those dark circles, I’d say that’s an optimistic estimate,” Aloth smiled. “But you know where to find me.”

She nodded and watched him go. She really was tired; enough she could probably fall asleep without much trouble, even though they were at sea.

---

Conservative as her estimate had been, Adela didn’t even get the anticipated nine or ten hours’ sleep. Instead, she was all but rolled out of her bunk to land in a heap on the floor when the Ilhana banked hard to port. She blinked and shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up, but still had barely made it to her feet when someone pounded on her door.

“Yeah?” she hollered, scrambling for her boots. Her hair fell in her eyes, but she just impatiently raked it back.

The door banged open and Xoti all but tumbled into the room. “Beodul said t’ come getcha, Adi. There’s... somethin’ out there you need to see.”

“What?” Adela shoved her feet in her boots and nodded back toward the door.

“Just... you’ll see.” Xoti darted back to the ladder abovedecks.

Now fully awake from pure curiosity, if nothing else, Adela followed her friend. She hadn’t even fully emerged on deck when she did, indeed, see what Xoti had been talking about. “Whoa.”

“Toldja.” Xoti shot her an expectant look as Beodul broke off his conversation with Kuldrun and headed their way.

“Beodul,” Adela nodded around a yawn so big it made her jaw click.

“Watcher. Sorry to cut your rest so short, but whaddya think of this?” He gestured at the island off the starboard rail, surmounted by algae-slicked, still dripping ruins that absolutely had not been there on their way to Ukaizo.

Adela blinked and stared at the architecture. If it wasn’t for the fact someone else was pointing them out, she might’ve wondered if she was still dreaming. From this distance she couldn’t make out many details, but they were clearly ancient. How ancient would require a closer look.

“I think I want go explore a bit,” she finally said. There was something about the nearest spire.... “Who wants to come along?”

Konstanten, Xoti, and Tekéhu were her only takers. In theory that was plenty; if this ruin had risen from the sea as it appeared, there shouldn’t be any living threats, just structural ones. In which case a smaller group might be better.

The fading light meant they wouldn’t have long, but she didn’t really need more than an hour for now. Just enough to get a better look, satisfy her curiosity, maybe figure out what this place was.

As the smaller longboat made its way through the waves, guided smoothly by Tekéhu’s watershaping, Adela couldn’t tear her gaze away from the arches and spires. Even as dimly colored shadows, there was something familiar about them. It didn’t hit her until they’d beached the longboat and started trekking toward the closest section of ruins.

Engwithan. There were distinctly Engwithan elements to the design, the patterns of the stonework. Even as this revelation hit her, Tekéhu let out a grunt of surprise.

“Ekera, it seems this place was built by my people,” he murmured, pointing to a cluster of buildings off to the side. They were just as clearly Huana as the ones Adela had seen were Engwithan.

“They’re mixed,” she muttered, a thousand theories spinning through her mind. “More evidence of working together...” Evidence that had been hidden at the bottom of the ocean until a couple hours ago at most. A long-past conversation surfaced in her memory, so clear she could feel the icy wind that had been its backdrop, and the implications made her clap both hands over her mouth, ears dipping low as she squeaked in delight. “I don’t believe it...”

“Believe what?” Xoti asked, ready to be excited for her but unsure why.

“This is... this is a place Ondra wanted forgotten,” Adela said, voice trembling with mingled awe and excitement. Galawain’s hide, she wished Aloth or Edér had been awake to come along. Or, Hel, that somehow Kana could be here. Someone who would understand exactly what this meant to her. “She sank them, so they would fade from kith’s memory. And they’re back.” She almost reverently placed one hand against a nearby pillar and wiped off the coating of slime to reveal Engwithan runes. It took a moment to recall their meaning; some things were still jumbled from all her soul had been through, but- “Path of Souls...”

She wiped off more muck, but the rest was all patterns and decoration. Still, it was enough. This had been something important to the Engwithan study of souls. Which would make it very helpful to explore and study in their current circumstances.

“Watcher....” Tekéhu paused, biting his lip in thought or concern. “Why did it surface now, do you think?”

She remembered the pause, Eothas hesitating for a bare moment before battering the Wheel to pieces. “As a head start. I’ll bet my favorite grimoire there’s more places like this that suddenly resurfaced after centuries. And I’ll bet most--if not all--of them have information and secrets that can help us deal with the Wheel’s destruction!” She looked around, practically bouncing in excitement “Even if it can’t, it’s bound to be fascinating to study.” She tugged on her necklace. “What do you think are the chances of dropping anchor nearby for the night so we can come back tomorrow with more light?”

“I think even if Kuldrun wasn’t superstitious enough to make him wantin’ to linger a long shot, we’ve got somewhere important to be,” Konstanten reminded her. “I know you love this stuff, Watcher, but we can mark it an’ come back. You already have a plan.”

And he had a point. She did need to talk to all the people of authority so they knew what was going on and could start working on a solution. She just had a feeling there sorts of places were going to be a big part of any solution they found. Between that and her insatiable curiosity, the reluctant nod she gave pained Adela more than she let on.

“You’re right,” she sighed. “Well look around a little bit more before all the light’s gone, and then mark this place on the map when we leave.” She glanced up at Tekéhu and smirked. “I guess you’ll want to come with me when I come back?”

He grinned. “I do have to admit a certain curiosity. I would be happy to return with you.”

“Great! Right now, thought, we’re wasting time.” Adela bounced on her toes a couple more times before scampering further in to the ruins. At this point, they had less than an hour of light left, and she wanted to use every bit of it she could. As help from the gods went, she liked this much better than random conferences that yanked her soul from her body. Ancient ruins beat bickering gods any day. Between what the ruins could teach and accepting help from those who offered, she had a feeling the world would be alright.

#queens fic #pillars prompts weekly #adela tecali

10 notes · View notes

siarven · 6 years ago

Text

Have a lot of summaries!

AKA all my current WIPs and projects. Why so many???

I didn’t really get tagged by @theprissythumbelina but… I’m bad at summaries so I’m gonna do it anyways. Probably good exercise. So, here you go, have lots of synopses, or whatever :D Anyways. Here we go! (Maybe these can get somewhat short so I have better summaries for NaNo as well, haha)

Dreams and Shadows.

My current project, which I’m actively working on (off and on) since 2014.

This takes places in another world, some 500 years after an apocalypse. Almost all knowledge from before has been lost and the world uses a mix of steam-powered technology and magic.

The lives of two siblings, Ava and Ben, are thoroughly disrupted when Ben has a life-threatening freak “accident” that leaves him in a weird coma-like state, and nobody knows exactly what happened. Ava’s whole life up until that point has been revolving around Ben so this comes as quite a shock, especially since their parents aren’t exactly healthy or well-functioning either, and nobody knows how to cope with this possible loss since Ben was always the one holding the family together. Ben, meanwhile, “wakes up” days later in a sort of In-Between-World and remembers nothing at all. Now he has to find a way to return before the living give up on him, and Ava has to help her parents reconnect and learn that pushing everyone away when they only want to help is probably not the best plan. And maybe there’s a way for her to help Ben, even if she isn’t quite sure if he’s still there. It’s a good thing, then, that the family cat is a lot more than she seems!

Also includes a bunch of tiny dragons, some ancient entities, a former pirate queen, a few monsters, a whole bunch of pigeons, and a demon who may have something to do with the accident.

Status: 1st draft done, but it was probably more like draft 0, haha. So much has changed since that thing x’D As in, all the worldbuilding, magic systems, characters and plot twists. The basic plot and some of the character names are the same but everything else has changed. Proper draft 1 at not quite 50% done, maybe 45%? But I’ve been sort of editing that already so I’m happy with the way it is right now!

Monster.

A sort of active project which will one day become a graphic novel. I hope.

Sierra is nine years old and has befriended the monster under her bed. She was kind of afraid of it at first but then she realized that the monster probably felt the same way, so now they’re friends. Mostly. Except when it wakes her up during the night because it can’t sleep. Or when it wakes her up because it wants cookies. Or when it wakes her up because it wants to play. Or when it wakes her up when—

Suffice to say Sierra is not amused.

They do kind of love each other, though, the way siblings do. And if anyone ever hurt Sierra, the monster would be very angry indeed.

Status: I made Sierra and her monster for a 3D short film for university and now they’re kind of sticking around because there are still so many stories to tell! The short film isn’t all that good but I still love the idea and general design and since I had no idea what I was doing I think the end result is pretty good.

Icicle Soul.

Four different people from different worlds and times have to face the Lord of Winter to make sure that Spring will return to the worlds, and realize that time is sometimes not as linear as it might seem.

Starring:

Bran, a young boy from a world very similar to ours, who leaves his world behind to go on an epic adventure on the back of the bear he made of snow the previous day;

Eoin and Asare, two young people who get lost in a blizzard during a guided exploration of the Ankalanara Ice Desert, and, stranded there alone, lost and out of food, have to decide what to do next;

And Willow, a young girl whose life seems quite normal until the house she and her grandfather live in gets snowed in during winter. Listening to her grandfather’s stories she realizes that there’s so much more to her ancestors and her own life, and that the strange dreams she’s been having somehow tie her into this mess as well.

Status: I have it plotted out and developed the characters and written part of it 3 years ago or so. I’ll rewrite it from scratch when I finally get back to it. It’s probably my favourite wip because I love basically everything about it. I just hope that I’ll one day do it justice.

Morning Star.

A veritable monster of a story. Sigh. Takes place in another world that’s been dominated by a not-so-nice Empire. The boiling point is getting closer and closer, though, as the various rebellions manage to finally coordinate themselves and form into one. And as it is on Earth, so it must be in Heaven… or something. Anyways, the opposing forces of Icari and Oresh are assembling as well, to throw the whole world into one of the worst and bloodiest conflicts of all time.

At the same time, in a small village in the mountains (fascinatingly at the centre of the growing revolution) a young girl has been born, which is nothing special, usually. Only problem being: Skye is actually Lucifer reborn*, even though she doesn’t know it, given another chance at life. Within her are two parts at war, the one that just wants to live its life in peace, and the one that was once Lucifer, that is completely insane and murderous and really would like to continue spreading chaos and pain. And if that wasn’t enough as it is, Skye grows up as daughter of two religious leaders whose religion preaches first and foremost against Lucifer. Also, all the old enemies that Lucifer amassed know pretty well that she’s back, and also where they might find her.

So when Skye runs away in a fit of teenage aggression in order to get away from her parents, it doesn’t take long for her and her childhood friend Echo to run into some other people, and to find themselves entangled in a quest to find the body of God, to awaken Her from Her eternal sleep. And as chance has it, only the most timid and afraid of them all, Okazaki, knows the truth about Skye, and also that awakening God would kill her once and for all.

There are 12 POV characters all in all most of whom are not straight, and I love all my children and hate how I hurt them. I’m so sorry!

*Since it doesn’t take place on Earth anymore it doesn’t really make much sense to call her Lucifer so I’ll probably change the name, even if the meaning will stay the same.

Status: I have written some parts. I have a very long plot with lots of twists. And characters. And magic systems, and world building. Now I just need to write it. Sigh.

Burning Skies.

A kind of origin story, if you want? Love the characters and story. As usual, haha.

I did write a kind of okay synopsis about that once so I’ll be lazy and take that.

It’s been three hundred years since The Fall. Society has slowly started to revive, pick itself up again, rebuild what was destroyed and retrieve what was lost. Only, the questions remain: What was The Fall, why did it happen, how can we make sure that it doesn’t happen again? Everyone who knew the answers to those questions died back then. A lot of knowledge has been lost during those last days of chaos – including the knowledge of magic. Something of legends, people say, stories told children at night, to try and keep them from acting stupidly. The only problem is — magic has never been lost, just pushed away. Now the power thickens and it’s returning, fast, and the costs are very high. Too bad that the world is trying to force every single mention of it away, and too bad that it’s becoming more and more important in the grand scale of things…

Rin has been abandoned by everyone she’s ever loved, left behind and betrayed. And she knows that she will one day destroy the world. At least that’s what everyone who’s trying to kill her tells her (and she’s dealt with a lot of those people). They have never told her how she will do that but apparently many of them think that she will, somehow – and why shouldn’t she believe them, after all of their attempts? If they think so, so be it — and if the world doesn’t care about you, why should you care about the world?

Cass, on the other hand, has had a similar life in the one sense that she’s completely, utterly alone and lost. Working as a slave for a man who owns a dozen children like her isn’t easy, especially if he choses to train each of them according to their newly-given talents. When the chance finally arrives, the chance to escape and achieve freedom once and for all, Cass doesn’t know what to do. Run and hide or stay and plot revenge?

Status: Wrote some parts of it during NaNoWriMo 2015, and I uploaded them, too. They’re not particularly good though so I’ll rewrite everything, I guess. Just have to get writing. Ugh. Also this one has one of my meanest plot twists yet :D

Firewings (=Feuervogel)

My very first proper project! It’s also at least 600K long by now even though most of that are re-writes, and most of those are in german. And bad. Still love the idea and characters though. Same as usual, I guess.

One of the protas of this story is the reason why my side blog is called Lirhin :D

Also, not in the mood to change anything about the synopsis, so here you go.

Several different plotlines follow a series of characters: Ilien has lived alone for a very long time solely for the purpose of revenge, hunting down demons in his spare time, until one night he saves a litte girl from being kidnapped. Her parents were murdered during the kidnapping, so he sort of adopts her, calling her Lirhin since she’s stopped talking. Now the kidnappers want her back. Jeanna is still a child when her mother and older sister are killed (among others) in a demon raid because there was a flaw in the rune system of the whole village. While Jeanna is determined to learn how to protect herself the whole village starts to collaborate to survive the night. Everything changes when she discovers something unbelievable about herself and her older brother. Razouk is brought up knowing that he is not good enough, that he will always be second choice after his sister. He decides that he must prove himself, which is quite difficult when you don’t even know the real identity of the man you want to prove your worth to. Then there are also Meena and Arrick, crown prince and princess, watch as their kingdom falls apart since their father is not capable of ruling anymore and their mother is the only person holding everything together. They must find a way to survive and do the best they can for their people. Finally, Rheon is fed up with the way the kingdom is ruled, being the ruler of a major city himself and fearing for his people who are starving to death. He decides that he must do something about that and that the best way is to start a rebellion.

Status: wrote far too many words for this one, nothing is finished, and it’ll probably end up as a trilogy. Why does everything I do end up longer than I meant for it to be???

Sky Citadel.

Least priority, I think. But I still love it and sometimes think about it :D

Camp NaNo synopsis from when I wrote it: What was once forgotten must be relearned. What was once lost must be reforged. How can we stand against an enemy when we cannot stop fighting ourselves, each other, our only allies? When we have forgotten the truth about them and about ourselves, when we don’t remember the threats of the Deep? How can we survive if our worst enemy is rising again and we don’t remember how to fight?

The People of the Spired Sea have forgotten the past, have forgotten about their guardians, the Faye, and how they were saved. Now the old inhabitants of this world are returning but humanity’s struggles are directed at each other, inside the community, and at the Marked who have started to rise again to protect humanity against the once-known threat. Jaivyn has lost everything he ever had, and yet gained so much. Ivy had everything and lost it all. And they are only two of the Marked, mankind’s “Saviours”, broken and conflicted, who are supposed to fight the Ancients and ensure that the Spired Sea has a future. How can anyone do something like that when they cannot even save themselves?

Haha, I think that synopsis is actually kind of nice for once. I’ll rewrite and write again and blablabla when there’s time. Good night.

Sooo... tagging? Tagging! @merigreenleaf @prismalicht @yoojas3d, @romenna and if anyone else wants to, please tag me! I’d love to read about your projects :D

#tagging game #dreamshadow #iciclesoul #sierrasmonster #firewings #burningskies #morningstar #skycitadel #siarven writes

5 notes · View notes

captainextremis · 6 years ago

Text

So, I’ve had time to think about the DOOM Eternal trailer since Bethesda released it back at E3, and one thing that struck me as odd was Doomguy’s armor:

If you look closely, you’ll notice his bicep is left uncovered, and the armor is lacking some of the runic details and looks much “cleaner,” if you could call it that. That means it’s the Doom Marine armor, from the original two games, and yet, the helmet shape seems to be in the general shape of the Praetorian armor from DOOM 4, if not a fusion of the Doom Marine and Praetorian helmet. On top of that, the Super Shotgun looks different, but that’s most likely just because they needed to make it look fresh as hell for the new game.

And yet, trustedreviews.com has this to say about what we know about the game thus far:

“A direct sequel,” it says.

Now, this could only be a “direct sequel” in name only, but I doubt it, which lends the question:

If this is a sequel, why does Doomslayer look different? If it’s supposed to be a sequel, shouldn’t he have the Praetorian armor? Well, to answer that, we have to answer who the Doomslayer is. Which means you get two theories for one!

So first off, in DOOM 4, we are told we play as “the Doomslayer,” to skip over a bunch of dialogue. It’s heavily implied the Doomslayer is the same Doom Marine from the first two games, Final DOOM, and DOOM 64. How do we know? In DOOM 64, Doomguy decides to remain in hell to stop every last demon from breaching the walls to the physical universe, and we know that this is the same Doomguy from DOOM 1 and 2. The Helix stones in Hell describe the Doomslayer as a warrior who has “traveled through dimensions and eons” slaughtering the legions of Hell, and the in-game UAC team that recovered his sarcophagus codenames him “DOOM Marine,” which I don’t find as a coincidence. Not only that, but we see the Doomslayer doing this:

...Showing that he’s not just a mindless killing machine. He has a sense of humor. A sense of empathy. He has humanness to him. This is right in line with his backstory from DOOM 1, where it’s stated he’s been sent to Mars as punishment for beating the shit out of a superior officer when he refused to fire on innocent civilians.

However, the game strongly implies that the Doomslayer is a Knight Sentinel, a leader of mystical knights from the realm of Argent d’Nur. Hell coveted the power of the Wraiths, and constantly tried to seize control of the realm to claim their power for themselves, but were constantly foiled by the Knight Sentinels. After one war, however, one of the Night Sentinels lost his son, and a Hell Priest named Deag Grav saw him grieving and decided to exploit the hell out of it. He offered the traitorous Sentinel his only son back if he led him to the Wraiths, which the Sentinel did, which also makes no sense. I mean, even if Hell had brought his kid back the way he wanted, they’d still be under Hell’s control, right? Huge lack of foresight on the Sentinel’s part. Anyway, long story short, Deag Grav corrupts the Wraiths so they start producing Argent energy, Hell invades, everyone dies.

Except the Traitor. Because he honored his end of the deal, the hell priests brought his son back...as the Icon of Sin. What a kick in the dick.

Now angry beyond belief and wracked with guilt, the Night Sentinel goes on a murder spree across all nine Circles...seventeen levels...six hundred and sixty six realms…? I don’t know if they based this off of Judeo-Christian hell or not, sue me. Anyway, Night Sentinel dude goes beating the shit out of demons for some amount of time. As you’ve seen, both backstories of both protagonists could possibly the backstory for the Doomslayer, but which one is it? Well, that’s simple.

It’s both. At the same time.

Hear me out on this, ‘cause here’s where the speculation comes in: let’s say both Doomguy and the Traitor are staying in Hell, killing demons. We don’t know how big Hell really is, but I’d imagine the two of them have to figure out the other one exists at some point, right? They have eons, after all. Maybe they met by pure happenstance. Maybe one discovered the other resting and attacked, thinking they were a new demon, but quickly figured out they were not even close. Maybe one discovered a bunch of mangled demon corpses and specifically remembered not killing them, so they follow the trail of gore to see the other one kicking ass and taking names. Either way, the two of these two legends meet, and they quickly bond over their tragic pasts and their mutual hatred of demons, and they both quickly forge an alliance in the fires of Hell.

Now, at this point, the Seraphim mentioned in DOOM 4 comes down and is all like, “You two are bros now? Okay, cool. Here’s some divine powers’n’shit to help you kill more shit,” and the Seraphim grants either the Night Sentinel or Doomguy (or both) their supernatural killing power. It doesn’t really matter, but after that, I have two theories:

Either the Seraphim fuses the two warriors right then and there, or some time afterward, they fuse together body, mind, and soul due to the paranormal properties of Hell. Either way, they cease to be Doomguy and the Night Sentinel, and are reborn as “the Doomslayer,” and with two souls combined, they are sharing a metric fuckton of anger between them in one body. That anger’s gotta get let out on something, though.

The new Doomslayer proceeds to go on such a mortifying killing spree that the Lord of Hell/Lucifer/Satan/the Devil is shitting himself just thinking about how much destruction Doomslayer could cause if he got to his seat of power, so he sends armies, platoon, legions of demons to kill him. Doomslayer ends up flattening all of them instead, so the big boss releases The Titan, a demon so fuckmassive it would take at least ten-thousand cyberdemons standing on each others’ heads to get up to its eye level, and tells it to sic Doomslayer; Doomslayer kills the thing with his bare hands (or whatever you believe is equally as awesome). With all options for outright eradicating Doomslayer thrown out the fucking window, the Lord of Hell has his armies seal Doomslayer away in Kadingir Sanctum instead. Cue the events of DOOM 4, and its ending. I highly believe Doomslayer got sent back to Hell, and is now more thoroughly pissed off than ever, which means as soon as he sees an open portal to Earth, he runs his ass right though so he can find Samuel and use the tin can’s chassis as a toilet.

Except he finds demons. Hordes upon hordes of demons, most likely brought to Earth by Samuel harvesting more Argent Energy and/or Olivia Pierce’s failed deal to invade Mars (again, thanks to Doomslayer). Either way, he’s back on Earth, and he’s ready to r i p a n d t e a r some more demons apart.

So back to the original point...why the different armor, then? Well, this is more rampant speculation, but I think, at some point between DOOM 4 and DOOM Eternal, Doomslayer actually manages to become un-fused. For some reason, Doomguy and the Night Sentinel split apart from each other, most likely due to the Applied Phlebotinum of Earth being dragged into Hell. It could be any number of reasons, really, but the important thing is that Doomguy and Night Sentinel-guy separate their bodies and souls. What Night Sentinel would be doing in the game, I dunno, but I’m guessing DOOM Eternal’s gonna be an adaptation of DOOM 2, and if that’s the case…

Doomguy’s gonna be able to kill everything demonic on the planet with nothing more than skull-splitting, mountain-flattening, earth-shattering RAGE.

Meddle not with a man’s pet rabbit, for you do not know how much he may enjoy your screams.

Alternately, Doomslayer is gone entirely and we’re just playing as a normal (lol, “normal”) Doom Marine, hence the armor difference. But that’s no fucking fun, is it?

#captain go to bed please #the captain speaks #theory #doom theory #doom #doomguy #night sentinel #doom eternal #doom 4

1 note · View note

aion-rsa · 4 years ago

Text

How Stephen King Got To Finish The Stand

https://ift.tt/3tSrSJM

This article contains spoilers for the last two episodes of The Stand.

After nine episodes, the CBS All Access limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand has come to an end with a final segment written by none other than King himself.

But before we get to that, let’s recap the massive climactic events of last week’s episode eight, which was not titled “The Stand” for nothing.

After setting out on their long walk to New Vegas at the behest of a dying Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg), the little party of Boulder Free Zone leaders finally arrived in Sin City to make their long-awaited stand against Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgard) and his minions — minus one.

Stu Redman (James Marsden) has broken his leg in a fall and stayed behind at the bottom of a washout — almost certain to die there — while Larry Underwood (Jovan Adepo), Glen Bateman (Greg Kinnear) and Ray Brentner (Irene Bedard) were captured outside Vegas by Flagg’s right-hand goon Lloyd (Nat Wolff).

In the book, none of the three make it out of Vegas alive — along with thousands of others. Glen is the first to go, shot unceremoniously in his cell by Lloyd for laughing at Flagg to his face. In the just-concluded series, Glen is still shot by Lloyd, but this time during a show trial shown on screens all over the town and meant to rile up Flagg’s depraved supporters.

“It just seemed to me, that for one thing, the murder of Glen in the book never quite made sense to me,” says Ben Cavell as we get on the phone to discuss the end of the series.

He adds that changing Glen’s death from a private cell to a public courtroom changed its impact. “It seemed to me and us that the more dynamic version of that scene was for Glen to be challenging Flagg in front of his people,” he says. “That’s what has consequences for Flagg, is being made to look at all weak in front of the people who give him the adulation from which he derives his power.”

Larry and Ray are scheduled to die next, but not before Flagg’s “bride,” and the mother of his unborn child, Nadine (Amber Heard), hurls herself out a high-rise window after realizing she’s carrying a monster. Her crushed, disfigured head is brought before Larry to soften him up, but his resolve only strengthens, giving him the ability to be strong both for himself and Ray — not to mention the people of Boulder — when they are chained to the bottom of a pool that slowly fills with water.

Their courage sparks a mini-revolt among the denizens of Vegas, including Lloyd. At the same time, Trashcan Man (Ezra Miller) returns from the desert with a nuclear warhead in tow. The stand has been made, the tide has turned against Flagg and now God — or whatever force for good exists in the universe — takes over. A storm of clouds and lightning descend upon the casino — the clouds oddly looking like fingers — to incinerate Flagg, the warhead and New Vegas all at once, along with Larry and Ray.

The hand of God — which is how King describes it in the book and how it was envisioned, as a literal hand, in the 1994 miniseries — has always been problematic for readers and certainly for viewers of the original mini.

Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV Shows in Development

By Matthew Byrd and 6 others

Movies

Every Upcoming Blumhouse New Horror Movie For 2021 and Beyond

By Rosie Fletcher

“Obviously, there was a lot of talk about how much the hand of God should or should not look like a hand,” says Cavell. “I think we ended up at a very cool hybrid place, where if you want it to be a hand grasping the hotel, it certainly can be. It certainly has those five fingers of cloud coming around it. But it’s not as explicit as the fist in Yellow Submarine or the Monty Python hand coming out of the sky. That’s what we were very concerned about. I’m really happy with where we ended up with that.”

Cavell says that the starting point for the hand of God was the famous photo of the Pillars of Creation, a distant nebula snapped by the Hubble telescope. “If you look at it in a certain way, it kind of looks like fingers, but it doesn’t have to,” says Cavell. “And it is completely naturally occurring. That’s what we wanted. It was very important, at least for me, that you not be required, as a viewer, to accept the characters’ or Mother Abagail’s or anybody’s interpretation of these events.”

By the end of “The Stand,” many of the story’s major characters are dead, and the aftermath of the destruction of Vegas is even visible in the sky from Boulder — where Frannie (Odessa Young) goes into labor and precipitates the events of the ninth and final episode, “The Circle Closes.”

In the final episode, Frannie — keeping hope alive that Stu and the others will return from making their stand — gives birth, but the baby comes down with Captain Trips. However, since Frannie herself is immune, her child inherits her immunity and is able to bounce back from the disease, leaving open the possibility that the superflu will no longer be a part of their lives going forward.

At the same time, Stu — who was discovered and rescued by a returning Tom Cullen (Brad William Henke) — finally arrives home as well. But after a period of rest and recuperation, he and Frannie decide to leave behind a growing Free Zone and journey to Frannie’s hometown of Ogunquit, Maine. But along the way they face one final confrontation.

The episode was written by King himself and incorporates elements from the end of the original novel, the ending of the 1990 expanded edition, and brand new material in which Frannie falls down a well and is badly injured while Stu is out getting supplies. While down there, she has an otherworldly encounter with Flagg, who offers to save her life and provide a comfortable future for her, Stu, the baby and any other future family members in exchange for her fealty.

Frannie firmly refuses the deal, and as Stu arrives back at their camp and struggles to rescue her from the well, he receives unexpected assistance from a young Black girl who — it’s made quite clear — is an incarnation of Mother Abagail sent to help them.

First things first: did the writers’ room of The Stand break the story for the final chapter, or was it wholly developed by the master himself? “We didn’t break it,” says Cavell. “(King) had mentioned that there was this ending that he had been playing with and turning over for 30 years, this thing that had always been nagging him about the ending of the book, which was that Frannie never got her stand…that had always been eating at King. He really wanted to give her a satisfying conclusion to her arc in the book.”

Cavell says that King felt comfortable enough with the way the scripts were going for the rest of The Stand to entrust the creative team with bringing his final chapter to life. “Essentially what we arrived at was, ‘Okay, tell me where you guys are going to be able to leave it at the end of chapter eight, and I’ll pick up there,’” recalls Cavell. Asked if he gave any notes to King on his teleplay, Cavell laughs. “Whenever people ask me, ‘Did you give notes to Stephen King?’ My answer is, ‘Yes. I gave him one note, which was, “Thank you for writing this.”’”

Despite a semblance of hope throughout much of the final episode of The Stand, the show ends on an ominous note taken directly from the last pages of King’s uncut edition of the book: Flagg is reborn and appears on an island before an isolated, primitive tribe, who immediately see the levitating monster — now calling himself “Russell Faraday” — as a god.

“I love the idea that Flagg is eternal and always reborn as this beautiful Alexander Skarsgard avatar, or whatever we decide is the word for how he’s using that form,” says Cavell. “Flagg is the kind of guy who’s not going to let a little defeat like death stop him from his ultimate aim. And of course, the perfect place to go is a place that’s completely isolated, and that the disease hasn’t reached.

“It always felt like such a smart, interesting, inspiring Stephen King ending,” adds Cavell. “To have this ultimate evil, that seems to be eradicated, find a way back into the world, which was lovely, I thought.”

Cavell also says that the re-emergence of Mother Abagail in the form of the young girl — a concept original to this episode — was meant to mirror Flagg’s rebirth. “They are so much, I don’t know, photo negative versions of each other, I think King always felt that there wasn’t a symmetry in Mother Abigail having her own rebirth,” he explains. “I thought it was so smart to make it a very different kind than Flagg’s, where she’s not in her same form… I thought that was really cool and unexpected.”

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Now that The Stand has come to its conclusion, Cavell says that the experience was everything he expected it to be. “If you’re going to adapt something that big — in terms of its actual heft, the sprawl of the narrative, and how many people have read it and have been living with it for so long — it should feel big and difficult and unwieldy and enormous. And it did. It felt all of those things. But it also feels like we managed to achieve something that I think is really special, and I just am going to be eternally proud of.”

All nine episodes of The Stand are available to stream on CBS All Access.

The post How Stephen King Got To Finish The Stand appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3q8Ou6i

#aion-rsa #Den of Geek

1 note · View note

myanime2go · 5 years ago

Text

Top 25 Best Action Anime of All Time for Action Fans

When I say action, I mean ACTION! Maybe it's human beings need to pursue something greater than ourselves or of being much stronger, action anime offers something that brings us closer to our fantasy with sometimes illogical action sequences, the fate of the world, nation, city, or just the protagonist in the balance. Hello fellow anime fans and lovers to the top 25 best action anime of all time for action fans. Action anime is about conflict, thrilling confrontations, car chases and epic battles. It's heart-pumping action, nail-biting suspense, trigger happy characters and a love to hate or hate to love villain. You asked and we delivered. A list focused on action, explosions, eye-candy visuals, intensity of plot, characters, battles or stunts that should bring you a lot of hype and excitement. So lets get started;

25. Kill la Kill

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Fall 2013 | Produced by Trigger

From the creators of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann comes, Kill la Kill an anime with epic battles, eye-popping art style and astonishing moves. After the murder of her father, Ryuuko Matoi goes on a journey of revenge looking for her dad's murderer. Her only lead the missing half of his invention, the Scissor Blade.Which brings her to the prestigious Honnouji Academy, a high school that's quite unusual. Ruled by the student council president Satsuki Kiryuuin and her elite four, they possess superhuman abilities.But with Senketsu, a rare sentient " Kamui" and her Scissor Blade. She makes a stand against them, hoping to uncover the person behind her father's death. Revenge is the story of the game in Kill la Kill, it starts up with a simple plot but becomes more complex and deeper than it appears with each episode, becoming much more than just an anime filled with fan-service and amazing fight scenes. I have been made a fan of Trigger and I honestly look forward to whatever future creative work they release. https://youtu.be/B98NY8Hfo7I

24. Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Episodes 148 + OVA| Aired Fall 2011 | Produced by Madhouse

Hunter x Hunter is a well animated and thought out anime with plenty of action, with highly anticipated battles. The story begins with 12-year old, Gon Freeces as he embarks on becoming the world's best hunter in order to find his father. Who was a hunter himself and abandoned Gon when he was a kid, with his deceased wife's family.A hunter is a person who takes up dangerous tasks like searching for treasure, law enforcement and many other jobs. We will follow Gon and his three friends- Leorio, Kurapika and Killua. He meets on his arduous journey. Hunter x Hunter is an amazing action anime with a fantastic story, excellent characters with deep having their own goals and desires some simple while others complex. It's one of those rear unicorns in the action genre that those a lot of things well. You will be glad you watched it. https://youtu.be/d6kBeJjTGnY

23. One Punch Man

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Fall 2015 | Produced by Madhouse

One Punch Man is the story of Satima, a hero who is a hero just for fun and the strongest man in his universe that can defeat any opponent with a single punch. Based on Yusuke Murata's manga remake of ONE's original webcomic. Saitama strived and became a superhero after experiencing the thrill of fighting an evil villain. Putting himself on a rigorous training regimen for three years, only to lose all of his hair and accidentally become the strongest human who ever walked the Earth. Now leaving him with a new problem－he doesn’t get to experience the thrill of battle, as any encounter with Saitama ends with one punch. One Punch Man is quite different from other action anime, as rather than watch our protagonist struggle to become stronger, our hero has already reached his goals. The series takes this plot and shows us the emptiness that follows achieving a lifelong goal. Showing us the journey to one's goal is more fulfilling than actually reaching our goal. https://youtu.be/tMblzsXwAKo

22. Terra Fromer

Episodes 26 + OVA| Aired Fall 2014 | Produced by LINDENFILMS

Terra Formars is a show that is short, violent and an action anime that is simple to understand. Terra Formars, an anime about a bunch of genetically modified humans with characteristics of powerful organisms from earth, that get sent to Mars to find a cure to a lethal disease that is believed to have originated from Mars and exterminate a race of hyper-evolved humanoid cockroaches called Terra Formars that stand in their way. Terra Formars is an action sci-fi horror anime that deals with humanity fighting insects much like the film "Starship Troopers". Plot-wise it's not the best cause they try to add so much into it, but for action, it is pretty good. https://youtu.be/KVx9GrpN5lU

21. Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Episodes 203 + OVA| Aired Fall 2006 | Produced by Artland

Katekyo Hitman Reborn is definitely a well-made anime for its comedy and action. Katekyo Hitman Reborn deals with the mafia. Tsuna, our protagonist is the next in line to become the 10th boss for the Vongola Family - one of the many and strongest families in the mafia world. Reborn, a hitman, and also a baby travels from Italy to Japan to tutor Tsuna to become a worthy boss for the Vongola Family. From then on, Tsuna's adventures begins. Katekyo Hitman Reborn plot builds up slowly, with the first 20 episodes comedy-heavy. We will watch Tsuna change from being a clumsy weakling, to slowly growing up and become more dependable. It's a show that will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat. https://youtu.be/40pfu7XqWok

20. Darker than Black

Episodes 37 + OVA| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Bones

Darker than Black is definitely an anime that takes you on a journey with unique characters and an unusual style of story telling. Darker than Black takes place in a near-future world where two gates appeared, Heaven's Gate and Hell's Gate. The mysterious appearance of these gates brought with them the Contractors. Contractors are people who have entered into a contract with an unknown force in exchange for their humanity and gained a unique power in return. The nature of the contract, however, requires them to give back each time they use their power, which is anything from smoking a cigarette to writing a poem, eating etc. The story for most parts follows the infamous Contractor codenamed Hei. Called "Black Reaper" in the underground world. If you like shows about people with supernatural powers and action, I think you should definitely watch this series. It's a show that doesn't give too much away in the beginning but as the story progresses you can piece the whole plot together. The characters are also brilliantly done especially the contractors that are supposed to be void of human emotions. https://youtu.be/goYEIQT5m8U

19. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Episodes 152 + OVA| Aired Fall 2012 | Produced by David Production Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is definitely an anime that takes you on an adventure. It's a series that just keeps getting better and better. Jojo's Bizarre Adventure follows the stories of a different generation of the JoJo family, whose members have unique powers that they use to fight supernatural enemies. I personally like the way the story follows a different member of the Joestar family? It's an anime that lives up to the hype that surrounds it. Though it's an anime that requires a bit of getting used to, it sometimes doesn't take itself seriously but when it does, it keeps you at the edge of your seat. https://youtu.be/EO08vMz73YY

18. Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden

Episodes 720 + OVA| Aired Fall 2002 | Produced by Studio Pierrot

Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden is one of the longest-running and most famous international shounen. That has a special place in most anime enthusiast. The story follows the many adventures and misadventures of Naruto, a knuckle-headed ninja with a loudmouth, and his ninja pals. A problem student, Naruto was never popular or talented, especially as a ninja. This all changes when he discovers the hidden power of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. Will he achieve his dream of becoming the leader of the Village? And can he protect his friends from the countless evils that threaten to destroy all he has? Naruto/Naruto: Shippuden is an anime with a lot of characters, and there is definitely one you will feel you can relate to and you will cheer on for as the story progresses. And this feels like where the anime shines the most the ability to make us feel for certain characters. And all the while it takes us on an adrenaline-filled journey. https://youtu.be/j2hiC9BmJlQ

17. Megalo Box

Episodes 13| Aired Spring 2018 | Produced by TMS Entertainment

If you are a Rocky and Ashita no Joe fan, you will love Megalo Box a sports action anime that's violent and entertaining. The series takes place in a futuristic setting, where boxing with mechanical limbs known as Gear to enhance the speed and power of its users, Megalo Box is everything! The biggest companies either specialize in the technology or host the events that use the gear. Junk Dog/Joe an unlicensed citizen earns a living in the slums for a crime syndicate by throwing fights with his partner, a former professional manager. But this all changes when he loses to the Megalo Box champion Yuuri. Due to a lack of money, Junk Dog/Joe is forced to compete without the assistance of any robotic arms has he chases his dreams of challenging the champ at a huge tournament called Megalonia. Megalo Box is a great anime that really asks a big question of how much pain, time and energy one is willing to give and endure while chasing their dreams. And that resonates with me a lot. https://youtu.be/-j8sX95vkfc

16. Deadman Wonderland

Episodes 12 + OVA| Aired Spring 2011 | Produced by Manglobe

Deadman Wonderland was one of those shows that had everyone who saw it wanting more. It was a normal day like any other normal day for Ganta Igarashi and his classmates but everything in Ganta's life is soon turned upside down when his whole class is killed by a mysterious man in red.He is framed for his classmates' deaths and sentenced to death at a prison amusement park Deadman Wonderland - where the convicts perform dangerous stuns for the amusement of their visitors.Now in prison, Ganta lives in fear of the lethal poison collar around his neck that can only be slowed down by winning the deadly prison games. All the while not being able to tell friend from foe.Also since his encounter with the Red Man, he has acquired the branches of sin - a power that allows it's user to use his or her blood to do extraordinary things. Putting his life on the line to survive this brutal place all the while trying to find the Red Man and clear his name. Deadman Wonderland is a well-written engaging anime with plenty of horrifying scenes, deaths and amazing visuals. It's one of those animes that made me take an interest in the manga, wanting to find out the secrets that lie beneath Deadman Wonderland when I finished watching the anime. https://youtu.be/WUTFRxi5RXM

15.Psycho-Pass

Episodes 41| Aired Fall 2012 | Produced by Production I.G

Psycho-pass takes place in a futuristic setting, with interesting characters and weapons. In the future, the government is literally in your head. Monitoring your mental state and your likelihood to commit a crime.When the levels are high, he or she is haunted, captured or eliminated by the police forces. Enforcers armed with Dominators - special weapons that only activate when aimed at suspects with high likelihood to commit crime. Enforcers themselves are latent criminals who are overseen by police inspectors, who can terminate them at any time if they themselves pose a threat to the public. Psycho-Pass is an amazing action anime that shouldn't be missed. And thought-provoking showing how sanity does not always equal morality. https://youtu.be/DgDBzAHg4wU

14. Black Lagoon

Episodes 24 + OVA| Aired Spring 2006 | Produced by Madhouse

Black Lagoon an action anime with a lot of mayhem featuring modern-day pirates, outrageously amazing action scenes and interesting characters. Rokurou Okajima is a businessman living an average life, but this all changes on a business trip to Roanapur, Thailand. Where he is held for ransom by the Black Lagoon. But decides to join the Black Lagoon after his bosses leave him to die than pay his ransom.To survive in the ruthless Roanapur, this former businessman most transform from soft-spoken salaryman to ruthless mercenary. Black Lagoon an amazing anime that can't be mentioned without our trigger-happy Revy, who truly helps bring the series together. It's a story with a lot of ups and downs that tries to tackle themes like existentialism -what are we here for? what's our purpose? and morality - what is really wrong or right? Plus it has gun-wielding nuns, sociopath maids and the awesome Revy. https://youtu.be/d4EbGC7fKnQ

13. Vinland Saga

Episodes 24| Aired Summer 2019 | Produced by Wit Studio

If you ever wondered what watching what an angry Sasuke after he left the hidden Leaf village would be like, I give you Vinland Saga. Thorfinn grew up listening to tales of the legendary place, Vinland. A place said to be warm and fertile all year round, with no fighting. Different from the frozen village in Iceland where he was born, or a place with the need of his current job has a mercenary.War is his only home now after the death of his father at the hands of Askeladd. A man he has sworn vengeance against.Fighting alongside Askeladd in the war against England and the Danes, all to be granted a duel to the death with Askeladd to kill the man who murdered his father.What will he learn on his journey? Vinland Saga is the Berserk Adaptation we deserved. With stunning artwork, consistent and solid animation and characters you will connect with. It's definitely one of the best anime of 2019. https://youtu.be/b7ptrklt1sc

12. Samurai Champloo

Episodes 26| Aired Spring 2004 | Produced by Manglobe

Samurai Champloo is one of the most unconventional, thrilling action anime about samurai. Samurai Champloo follows three unlikely pair Fuu, Jin and Mugen. Brought together by chance but stuck together by choice or blackmail?, out of a debt to pay to Fuu after saving them from being executed.They follow her on a wild adventure to different places in their search for the samurai that smells of sunflowers. It's a series that takes the usual "power of love and friendship" plot most animes takes and throws it out the window. Throwing a trio of mismatch characters together and forming an unlikely team, we will all be sad to see part ways at the end of their journey together. I'm still hoping for a second season. https://youtu.be/MV9sMJau674

11. Tokyo Ghoul

Episodes 48 + OVA| Aired Summer 2014 | Produced by Studio Pierrot

Tokyo Ghoul is an anime I looked forward to watching after reading the plot, that I immediately started reading the manga. The world occupied by two type of people - normal humans and ghouls who look like us but have special abilities and eat normal humans as a source of food.Kaneki Ken after being tricked and almost killed by a ghoul is turned into a hybrid - half-ghoul half-human.Now he must learn to live in both worlds. Trying to fit into the ghoul community, while trying to hide his new identity in the human world. Tokyo Ghoul was quite enjoyable even though I felt there was room for more improvement. It's an anime that's not for everyone either being a swing or a miss. https://youtu.be/vGuQeQsoRgU Honorable Mentions

Bleach

https://youtu.be/SKxGokQWQ3c

BTOOOM!

https://youtu.be/H92d6YZkVO8

Dimension W

https://youtu.be/Mgq7hcFxkXM

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?

https://youtu.be/bcG5ZkGB-XI

Akame ga Kill!

https://youtu.be/HOB4GZ1S1Wo

Grimgar: Ashes and Illusions

https://youtu.be/c5jgWAZc6wQ

10. Gurren Lagann

Episodes 27| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Gainax

Gurren Lagann is a popular action anime that pushed the boundaries of action anime and is an anime that has a special place in everyone's heart that has seen this anime. The story focuses on two young men, Simon and Kamina who are born in a time when humanity has been forced underground by the tyrant King Lordgenome, killing anyone who tries to come to the surface.Digging is the only way they know how to live digging further underground. That is until Simon has an encounter with Yoko a red-haired girl, who rashes down, fighting several enemy Gunmen. Seeing the sky for the first time the two young men are determined to drill their way to the surface, fighting for their right to live under the sun. Gurren Lagann is a classic, vibrant, heroic and outspoken anime. That's absolutely a must-watch. https://youtu.be/rAQylCHv8Cw

9. Mob Psycho 100

Episodes 25 + OVA| Aired Summer 2016 | Produced by Bones

From ONE the creator of One Punch Man comes another fascinating anime Mob Psycho 100. Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama is an awkward but kind eighth-grader who has to keep his emotions in check because he possesses psychic abilities. As long as he keeps a lid on his emotional state all hell won't break loose.Worried about this he meets Arataka Reigen for guidance, believing he is also psychic. Even though Reigen is just a con artist. He is actually dependable and Mob believes in him.Follow the story of Mob and his friend's journey to adulthood. Mob Psycho 100 is definitely a one of a kind series from its unique art style, well-developed characters that are very relatable, to the out of this world actions scenes. It is a true gem, that proves the saying "never judge a book by its cover" or in this case art style. A definite must-watch for an action lovers time. https://youtu.be/mV39saBlBLI

8. Afro Samurai

Episodes 6| Aired Spring 2007 | Produced by Gonzo

Afro Samurai an anime about revenge and katanas, filled with a lot of action right off from the beginning of the story. Afro after witnessing the death of his father in a dual with a man named Justice for the Number One headband. Afro vows revenge against Justice who killed his father for the Number One headband.But there is a catchy on his path to vengeance he has to possess the Number Two headband, if he wishes to fight the new Number One. And even after possessing the Number Two headband, he will have to fight pretty much everyone in the world people to get to the Number One. Because unlike the Number One, the Number Two can be challenged by anyone. Afro Samurai is actually 5 episodes but I made it 6 cause of the movie, which I'm 80% sure you will want to see if you watch the series. https://youtu.be/yB8_cdvEGZM

7. One Piece

Episodes 912+ | Aired Fall 1999 | Produced by Toei Animation

One piece is one of the most popular action anime series from its first air till date and still growing strong. In a world similar to ours, only with magic and unimaginable places. Luffy is on a quest to find the treasure of the former King of Pirates, as well as others who have heard of the legendary treasure.As Luffy travels, he will make friends and create a ragtag crew of members with their own dreams and goals. One Piece is an anime with a lot to offer from supernatural powers, amazing fights scenes, well developed and lovable characters and voyages to new and exciting places. It's definitely an anime that ticks a lot of people boxes on what they want in an action anime. https://youtu.be/-tviZNY6CSw

6. Sword of the Stranger

Episodes 1| Aired September 2007 | Produced by Bones

Sword of the Stranger is a really great movie with a lot of amazing action scenes. Nanashi a nameless ronin, gets caught up in a struggle with swordsmen from the Ming Dynasty China when he agrees to take a boy Kotaro and his dog to a Buddhist temple. The reason behind the Ming swordsmen relentless pursuit unknown. A man haunted by memories of his past, which as made him avoid drawing his sword, will this be too much for him to handle. If you love historical settings that's another reason to give Sword of the Stranger a chance. It won't disappoint with its relatable characters, amazing action sequences, beautiful art style and just the brotherly love that is shown between the two main characters has the story progresses. https://youtu.be/dYGpmgxKpNs

5. Dragon Ball Z

Episodes 291| Aired Spring 1989 | Produced by Toei Animation

Dragon Ball Z is like a fine wine that only seems to get better with the years. Five years have passed since Dragon Ball, Gokuu lives with his loving wife and son. But this soon changes when on a trip with his son, he encounters Raditz - who his Gokuu's long-lost brother.Raditz tells Gokuu where he is truly from and what his purpose was on earth. When he tries to compel Gokuu to fight with him to take over the earth a fight ensues.Raditz warns Gokuu and friends of a new threat that's rapidly approaching Earth. A threat that will plunge Earth into an intergalactic conflict and cause the heavens themselves to shake. A war will be fought has hero and villains race to gather the seven mystical dragon balls. Only the strongest will survive in Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball Z is one of the anime series that helped spread the love of anime around the world. It's thrilling, pulse-pounding and delightful to watch. https://youtu.be/E6CYI3Xb1tQ

4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Episodes 64 + OVA| Aired Spring 2009 | Produced by Bones

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an anime with an amazing plot, engaging action, lovable characters, comedy, drama and beautiful music. In a world where alchemy is considered a highly skilled job, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood tells the story of two brothers who live every day repaying for their childhood mistake of trying to play god. Forgetting the greatest rule in alchemy "equivalent exchange". In the aftermath of a failed attempt at reviving their dead mother, Edward lost a leg and later an arm to bring his brother back, when Al lost his entire body. Hearing of a mysterious stone named the Philosopher's Stone that can correct the mistake they made. They begin their adventure in search of the stone, to restore what was lost. How far will their journey take them? A must watch anime series for anime fans alike. https://youtu.be/kKtNiPpJy0A

3. Attack on Titan

Episodes 59 + OVA| Aired Spring 2013 | Produced by Wit Studio

Attack On Titan is an extremely action-packed story with cliff-hangers, amazing characters and interesting battle equipment. In a world terrorized by giant man-eating humanoids known as titans, mankind hides behind large walls in constant fear. The only way they have to fight back against the Titans is the military. Eren Yeager, who witnessed the death of his family and friends as a child, is determined to fight back in the only way he can, by joining the military.But there is a lot of things going on inside and outside the wall. Showing that maybe titans are not the biggest threat to humanity. It's one of the best anime series of its year. With amazing visuals and soundtracks. https://youtu.be/KKzmOh4SuBc

2. Berserk

Episodes 49| Aired Fall 1997 | Produced by OLM / Millepensee, GEMBA

The story centres on Guts, a lone mercenary and Griffiths, a leader of the mercenary band -Band of the Hawk. You think Sasuke and Naruto rivalry was something, Griffith and Guts take it to a whole new level. Guts is a wandering mercenary who from his birth as had it rough - found under a hanged corpse, his adopted mother dies from the plague and his adoptive father tried to kill him, which forces Guts to kill him, scaring Guts even more.He meets Griffith as he wonders as a mercenary. He is forced to join his band of mercenaries, and as time goes he finds a home there, even becoming best friends with Griffith. But he later decides to leave after hearing Griffith saying he doesn’t consider anyone a real friend that follows someones dream and doesn’t have their own, so he goes in search of his own dreams. He joins the team again when Griffith has been captured and after a tough fight they rescue him, but Griffiths is a shadow of his former self, his body is completely broken. This is where the supernatural world is really explored now and by sacrificing the band of the hawk, he is revived better than ever.And the story of vengeance begins It's a series that is based on realism, at least when we look at human nature. Showing the good and evil, we humans are capable of and how society as become and so much more. https://youtu.be/_M1suLCbz-w

1. My Hero Academia

Episodes 88 + OVA| Aired Spring 2016 | Produced by Bones

My Hero Academia has been praised as one of the newest big three of its time. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born “Quirkless” meaning he as no powers, on this earth people with quirks (used for people with powers), is the norm. So Izuku is bullied for standing out (being quirkless), even through all this, he still dreams of being a superhero. And on one particular day, he meets the world's greatest Hero All Might, who passes on his quirk “One For All” to Izuku. Enrolling him into U.A. High School, a school that is known to cultivate the most promising next generation of superheroes and hero support teams. And like the intro says his story begins to tell us how he became the world’s greatest hero. It's a superhero genre that has been done right, very realistic with lovable and relatable characters. Showing how hard work and skill go hand-in-hand to being good at something. https://youtu.be/-jBRnSVaGmI So that's all amazing guys and gals, hope you loved my recommendations if you have an anime you think deserves to be on this list, hit me up in the comment section below I would love to hear from you. And check out all our other amazing content or our MyAnime2go merch store for anime, manga and gaming treats and gifts. Till next time have an action-filled adrenaline-pumping day.......

Read the full article

0 notes

neuxue · 7 years ago

Text

Wheel of Time liveblogging: The Gathering Storm ch 19

In which Tuon deals with a disgruntled monarch, decapitated fairytales, and difficult decisions

Chapter 19: Gambits

Chaos. The entire world was chaos.

Well you are not wrong, but also that’s not exactly news.

We’re with Tuon, it seems. Which means we’re also back in Ebou Dar. And while it may not be fair to blame fictional cities for their plotlines, Ebou Dar and Malden can piss off and fuck each other in the ear with a balefire cannon at this point for all I care.

Anyway. Hi Tuon, I hope you’re enjoying Ebou Dar, make sure not to get stuck there.

The Seanchan have brought order – or at least, their form of order – to Ebou Dar. Yay?

Karede!

She thinks of him as ‘faithful Karede’. Aww.

She had been dodging assassinations since she could walk, and she had survived them all. She anticipated them. In a way, she thrived because of them. How were you to know that you were powerful unless assassins were sent to kill you?

That says rather a lot about Tuon, or perhaps explains a lot about her. That’s a harsh way to grow up, and one that could easily break a person, but she views it not only as normal but as something that has advantages – something useful. She also sees it as part and parcel of her role and her duty, and thus embraces it.

This is her worldview. She doesn’t see in this something that should or could be changed, or something she would rather live without. She just takes it as fact, and fits herself to her place – as Seanchan society and culture has taught her to do.

Like the others of the Blood, she wore ashes on her cheeks to mourn the loss of the Empress. Tuon had little affection for her mother, but affection was not needed for an empress. She provided order and stability.

This is again so indicative of who she is and where she comes from. For her, and for Seanchan the way it exists – or maybe existed, before Semirhage happened – this is truth. Her kind of power is one that provides order and stability, and one that means assassins will be sent after her. One that demands she shape herself entirely to her role, but does not require affection. Benevolence, maybe – or at least, Tuon seems to take that view – but not affection.

Her whole relationship to emotion in general and her emotions in particular is interesting. It’s not that she’s purely stoic, exactly, but rather that he has incredible self-control and an ability to detach herself-as-Tuon from herself-as-Empress when she deems it necessary. She seems to feel and analyse simultaneously, assessing what she feels from a more ‘neutral’ perspective and determining what to do about it.

She sat down, wearing a pleated gown of the deepest sea blue, a white cape fluttering behind her.

That is an excellent aesthetic. A+ fashion choices, Tuon.

Yuril joins the club of badass secretaries. Congratulations. Here’s your honourary paperweight.

Here I am, Tuon thought, surrounded by my might, damane on one side and the Deathwatch Guard on the other. And yet I feel no safer than I did with Matrim. How odd, that she should have felt safe with him.

Given his propensity for playing with pyrotechnics, that is odd. But then I suppose his knife skills and his army and his database full of memory.mp4 files make up for it.

The war in Seanchan would not end quickly; but when it did, the victor would undoubtedly raise him- or herself to the Crystal Throne as well. And then there would be two leaders of the Seanchan Empire, divided by an ocean, united in desire to conquer one another. Neither could allow the other to live.

There’s always another battle. It seems close to impossible for this to be resolved before Tarmon Gai’don, so instead it sets itself up as another conflict that could easily carry over into the start of the next Age.

Maybe the rest of the world will change enough to render this irrelevant, or maybe a lasting peace will be brokered, but it seems unlikely.

Of course, they could just decide to become separate nations, but that would be too easy. Maybe Tuon will send ships across the ocean to re-conquer that continent, and then hundreds or thousands of years later, a new Corenne will come back, and we’ll start all over.

Selucia is Tuon’s new Truthspeaker, mostly because she has the glowing commendation of not being one of the Forsaken.

She also keeps all her old duties alongside the new ones, which makes this one of those promotions that’s ostensibly an honour but actually is just shitloads of work.

Whether or not she really was Forsaken, Anath had met with the Dragon Reborn, imitating Tuon. And had then tried to kill him.

And now everything is even more fucked than it already ways. Thanks for that, Semirhage. Also, good to know where we are in the timeline.

Beslan’s dressing like the Seanchan now, and he performs the correct obeisance to Tuon. So things have changed since the night Mat and the others fled, it seems. Harder to hold onto righteous indignation and rebellion when you’re the monarch of a conquered country rather than its heir. It’s always easier to be angry when you’re not the one faced with the hard decisions. Or rather, it’s a different kind of anger.

Beslan rose, though he kept his gaze averted. He was a fine actor.

And he probably is acting – because at this point it’s either that or die. He’s now in the position his mother was; he may still hate the Seanchan, but he doesn’t have much in the way of options right now. The best he can do, from his perspective, is to make whatever accommodations he must in order to retain enough power to maybe be able to at least do something for his people. Otherwise the Seanchan could just get rid of him and raise someone more amenable.

So Tuon is still Daughter of the Nine Moons? Has she not been officialy…Empress-ed yet, then?

She could almost have believed he was just being submissive before the woman who would soon become Empress. But she knew too much of his temperament, through both spies and hearsay.

Yeah, he’s still trying to fight them.Or find a way to fight them. That might prove…difficult.

Selucia gets right to the point, and Tuon steps in to let Beslan know that she knows everything. Oops.

Then, surprisingly, he rose to his feet and stared her directly in the eyes. She wouldn’t have thought the soft-spoken youth had it in him. “I will not allow my people to—”

“I would still my tongue if I were you,” Tuon interrupted.

Credit to Beslan. And really, it’s not so different from some of the things Mat has said to Tuon. It’s just that they’re in different positions, and Mat was able to talk to Tuon, rather than just to the Daughter of the Nine Moons, and he holds a place in the Fortellings she’s received. Here, now, Beslan cannot challenge her; her interpretation of her role does not permit it. She isn’t just Tuon now, and she isn’t alone, and he isn’t Mat.

“Seanchan is in upheaval,” Tuon said, regarding him. He appeared shocked at the words. “Oh, did you think I would ignore it, Beslan? I am not content to stare at the stars while my empire collapses around me. The truth must be acknowledged.”

That’s an interesting statement from her. From where she stands, it is true. In her thoughts, she is not one to favour denial. She tries to assess things as they are, and face the unvarnished truth. But that doesn’t mean she’s immune to denial. Take her refusal to believe that Shadowspawn exist. Or take her insistence that her choice to not learn to channel makes her different from damane. The ‘it is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities’ argument would hold a lot more water if she weren’t willing to then channel the exact same power through a damane. As it is, upon learning that she, like all sul’dam could learn to channel, she latched immediately onto an explanation that would allow her to preserve her worldview.

People aren’t good at having their worldview challenged. We don’t like it. So she can acknowledge the truth here, and she can even believe wholeheartedly that she always faces and acknowledges the truth, and still fall prey to these traps. She self-analyses more than many, but she still has blind spots – and sometimes very large ones. She can achieve a certain level of detachment, but it’s nearly impossible for her to detach herself from her entire nation and culture – because without that, what is she? And so she isn’t able to look at the Seanchan’s place in the world from a truly unbiased perspective, and acknowledge that there may need to be compromises and changes.

(The same applies to some extent to those conquered; many of them still want to fight the Seanchan off, which at this point is…not going to happen. The Seanchan are here, and that’s unlikely to change, and so other things must change instead).

“You must know I have no thirst for power,” Beslan said. “The freedom of my people is all I desire.”

Ah, Beslan. It’s admirable and brave and it’s probably true, but it’s also probably hopeless.

“You are misguided, and that means you can change, should you receive the proper knowledge.”

It’s so frustrating to watch Tuon say these kinds of things, because SAME GOES FOR YOU, TUON.

But it’s a good kind of frustration, because it’s so very perfect for a character in her situation. She represents and embodies and is wholly suffused by Seanchan society and values and worldview, and to deny that would be to lose that entire sense of order and identity. It’s not a question of power, even; it’s a question fundamental to the existence of her entire world and her entire self. So you get this hypocrisy that doesn’t realise it’s hypocrisy. She genuinely doesn’t see the contradictions here, doesn’t see that these exact words could apply to her as well.

He looked at her, confused. Lower your eyes, fool. Don’t make me have you strapped for insolence!

Don’t make me. As if she couldn’t simply choose not to. Except, from her perspective, she couldn’t. It doesn’t even occur to her; strapping is the punishment for insolence, and so if he is insolent he will be strapped and it will be his fault. She is bound by these strict rules of order just as they are, even as she is the one enforcing them. So non-Seanchan see her as a tyrant and she sees herself as a necessary piece of a functional society. And it would appear that she is necessary to the functioning of Seanchan society, which says something about Seanchan society.

She sees the laws and social codes of Seanchan as hard-and-fast truths. He should lower his eyes not because the law says so, but because in an absolute sense, that is what he is supposed to do. She believes this is order, and thus that it applies to everyone in every situation, regardless of who they are and where they come from. This is the ultimate truth and the ultimate state of order, and the laws of her country are thus more than simple laws; they are entirely above reproach or examination. They simply are.

Which is, you know, terrifying.

All the kingdoms on this side of the ocean would need to bow before the Crystal Throne, eventually. Each marath’damane would be leashed, each king or queen would swear the oaths.

And she sees this as absolutely inevitable and absolutely necessary. Because, again, this is how things are. This is the truth. This is order. This isn’t her way of thinking versus their way of thinking, or a simple matter of cultural differences: it’s The Truth against ‘misguided’ views and chaos.

Which, again, is horrifying. But this is a part of why I like having Tuon’s POV, because it raises these kinds of moral questions. Tuon stands for and represents a culture that is rather…hard to defend, but she also does so in what she genuinely believes to be the best interest of her people, but that doesn’t change things for the people living under this rule. So what does that make her? She’s lived her whole life surrounded by – indoctrinated by – these values and she believes them to be absolute truth, and they form a major part of her sense of self. So does that excuse her? If so, to what extent and for how long, once she is exposed to something different – if not itself without flaws?

And I like the way the narrative handles this, because it seems to leave it very open for the reader to come to their own conclusions – or not to, if they so choose. She’s presented very honestly, in both her virtues and her flaws. She’s given a viewpoint, and the reader is able to see her both as Tuon and as the Daughter of the Nine Moons, depending on the situation. Her virtues are shown clearly, and her motivations are made known, but the narrative also makes no attempt to hide or soften the harsher aspects of who and what she is – for instance, she trains damane; she isn’t let off the hook for that particular practice. The reader gets a full and fair picture of her, and is then left to figure out what to do with that.

“[Tylin’s] death is…unexplained,” he said. The implication was obvious. “I do not know if Suroth caused her to be killed,” Tuon said, softening her voice. “She claims that she did not. But the matter is being investigated. If it turns out that Suroth was behind the death, you and Altara will have an apology from the throne itself.”

Given the significance apologies hold in Seanchan culture, that’s no small promise. Yet again, Tuon is being far more open and honest than someone in Beslan’s position would expect. She wants the best for Altara, and believes that’s what she’s doing, and she also holds fairness and justice in high regard.

“The throne belongs to you. This is the ignorance of which I spoke. You must lead your people. They must have a king. I have neither time nor desire to do your duty for you.”

It’s such a fascinating conflict because…they agree on this point. Tuon doesn’t want to sit and micromanage Altara. Beslan wants to lead his people. They just have vastly different interpretations of what that looks like. Tuon’s not actively seeking to subjugate unwilling people and force a cruel set of regulations on them, because the way she sees it, that’s not what she’s doing. She’s bringing them order and peace, under their own ruler, who is then able to do his duty. Everyone in their place, everything running smoothly, what could possibly be wrong with that?

“You assume that the Seanchan dominance of your homeland will mean your people lack freedom. That is false. They will be more free, more protected, and more powerful when they accept our rule.”

Well, except for those who will be collared or otherwise enslaved. And those who live in constant awareness that Listeners are everywhere and that they must remain in their rightful place or else face severe consequences. But sure. Whatever you say.

“With the might of the empire, you will be able to hold your borders and patrol your lands outside of Ebou Dar. You speak of your people? Well, I have ordered something prepared for you.” She nodded to the side, where a willowy-limbed da’covale stepped forward with a leather satchel.

“Inside,” Tuon said, “you will find numbers gathered by my scouts and guard forces. You can see directly the reports of crimes during our occupation here. You will have reports and manifests, comparing how the people were before the Return and after it.”

Yay, propaganda! It may even be true. But part of good propaganda is presenting only the pieces of the truth that support your message.

Though Tuon, of course, has no intentions towards deceit, here. She believes her own propaganda, and doesn’t even see it as propaganda. Crime rates are lower, and therefore things are better under Seanchan rule. Which, for some people, is probably true. People who would be neither nobility nor Blood nor da’covale under anyone’s rule will continue living their lives, and some may find it easier and more peaceful under the Seanchan, because the alternative at the moment, in most of the world, is chaos. But there is a cost to be paid for that peace and security.

Also, there are other factors to consider. The chaos encompassing most of the world isn’t solely because they’re not occupied by the Seanchan. To say ‘this is how people were before the Return, and this is how they are after it’ implies that the Return is the sole cause of any changes, and while it is certainly a factor, it’s hardly the only one, what with the approaching apocalypse.

“The Empire is a resource to you, Beslan. A powerful ally. I will not insult you by offering you thrones you do not want. I will entice you by promising stability, food, and protection for your people. All for the simple price of your loyalty.”

And the freedom of a not insignificant portion of your people, and the humanity of any women who can channel, and the lives of any men who can. Make sure to read the fine print before you sign.

The thing is, she can promise food and stability and protection. But, like anything else, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. She just doesn’t see it that way, because the sacrifices that order requires aren’t sacrifices, as she sees them.

Beslan is given the generous choice of martyrdom or capitulation.

Which actually, if you take survival instinct out of it, could be a difficult choice for a truly altruistic ruler. Do you surrender and hope that, by retaining at least some power and position, you can find a way to mitigate the harm that would otherwise be done, and maybe hold out long enough to find a way to continue resisting? Or do you die as a symbol, to inspire your people to rebel in your footsteps, and to give them an example of courage and refusal to surrender, and a name to rally around?

“You will step forward and reign as your people need you to do. I promise you that I will not direct the affairs of your people. I will demand resources and men for my armies, as is proper, and your word cannot countermand my own. Aside from that, your power in Altara will be absolute. No Blood will have the right to command, harm, or imprison your people without your permission.”

So I have a question, Tuon. Do women who can channel count as ‘people’ or as ‘resources’ in that scenario?

Yet again, though, from where she’s standing and her culture, she’s being incredibly fair and generous. I really enjoy this.

Also it still grates on me that the Seanchan say ‘men’ to refer to soldiers and recruits for their armies, when those armies apparently don’t discriminate by gender. It’s a little thing, perhaps, but it makes the concept feel inconsistent.

“I will accept and review a list of noble families you feel should be raised to the low Blood, and I will raise no fewer than twenty of them. Altara will become the permanent seat of the Empress on this side of the ocean. As such, it will be the most powerful kingdom here. You may choose.”

As such, your power in Altara may be absolute, but it will be power following the structure of Seanchan society, which will be imposed upon you in the name of courtesy and acceptance. As such, you will have freedom, so long as it’s freedom we would approve of. As such, you will not have freedom or true autonomy at all.

“But understand this. if you decide to join us, you will give me your heart, and not just your words. I will not allow you to ignore your oaths.”

There it is. You will surrender your own choices and will and decisions, and be subject to those imposed upon you by the culture you must now adopt, if you wish to keep your life.

It’s a contradiction, but she doesn’t see it that way. It would be different if she did; it’s a little easier to accept things like this so long as they are openly and honestly acknowledged. But as far as she’s concerned, there isn’t anything to acknowledge, because as far as she’s concerned, everything she has said is true.

“A rebellion would mean only suffering, starvation and obscurity. These are not times to be alone, Beslan.”

She’s right in that last part, certainly. These are not times for division, they are times for unity and alliance, even when it is perhaps uncomfortable. There are no easy choices. There may not even be any good choices, in some cases.

Poor Beslan.

“I, Beslan of House Mitsobar, pledge my fealty and service to the Daughter of the Nine Moon and through her to the Seanchan Empire, now and for all time, save that she chooses to release me of her own will. My lands and throne are hers, and I yield them to her hand. So I do swear before the Light.”

What other choice does he have, really? It probably is the best thing he can do at this point.

And it’s almost word-for-word the same as the oath that, for instance, Alliandre swore to Perrin. It’s interesting how different situations cast the same actions in different lights. Beslan swearing to Tuon. Alliandre swearing to Perrin. The Aes Sedai swearing to Rand. Theodrin and Faolain swearing to Egwene. Egwene demanding fealty of the Salidar council. The gai’shain of Malden swearing fealty to Faile.

Behind Beslan, Captain-General Galgan stepped forward, addressing the King. “That is not the proper way to—”

Tuon silenced him with a gesture. “We demand that these people adopt our ways, General,” she said. “It is fitting that we accept some of theirs.” Not too many of those ways, of course. But she could thank her long conversations with Mistress Anan for allowing her to understand this.

Except she hasn’t understood it, not completely. She understands the importance of compromise in theory, and is therefore willing to accept small things. Little things that don’t actually matter, because they don’t matter. Beslan has sworn fealty to her, and so who cares what specific words he uses, so long as he keeps to his oath?

And that is a valuable thing to learn – that certain things may be different on the surface but the same in essence. Those things, those differences, she is willing to accept. That’s a valuable thing.

But she’s not willing to accept greater changes, or even accept that it may be necessary to compromise on larger things. Things that she sees as integral to the maintenance of order and the functioning of society as she knows it. That’s a similar lesson, but not actually the same one, and it’s one she hasn’t learned yet.

Understandably, because it’s not an easy one. But still.

These people were odd. But she would have to understand them in order to rule them

Yes. And to her credit, she genuinely believes this and she genuinely tries to act upon it. She does seek that understanding, and she wants not just to rule but to rule well and fairly.

She just tries to understand them through her own understanding of the world, and it acts as a filter. Everyone does this, to some extent or another. She’s a really interesting example of how intention alone isn’t enough to guarantee success. And again, the reader is left relatively free there in determining how much of a role those intentions play in how Tuon is judged or regarded.

“Are you certain you’re not ta’veren, my Lady?” he asked. “Because I certainly wasn’t expecting to do that when I walked in here.”

No, she is actually just good at her job, for better or for worse.

Selucia more or less says that, via sign language that isn’t capitalised. Clearly this is because when she’s serving her function as Truthspeaker, it would be weird to speak in the same font as the Father of Lies. There can be no other explanation.

“King Beslan, you may withdraw or remain. It is your right to attend any public conferences I have in your kingdom, and you need no permission or invitation to attend.”

She really does value integrity. It may be a vastly different interpretation than many are accustomed to, but she holds herself to very careful and very high standards, and she is careful about things like this. She knows Beslan probably doesn’t know the exact details of the role she’s placed him in, and she is both gracious and straightforward here in clarifying an aspect of that while also according him the respect she believes he deserves.

And Galgan present’s Rand’s banner, along with his renewed request for a meeting. “Seriously, I’ve been trying to book time on your calendar for a month now and you’re always out of office can we at least skype or something this is getting ridiculous.” Welcome to politics, work, and/or adulthood, in which no two people are ever free at the same time. It’s a law of the universe.

“This morning when I arose,” Tuon said, “I saw a pattern like three towers in the sky and a hawk, high in the air, passing between them.”

Hmm. She thinks it indicates upcoming difficult choices – which is kind of like saying that a hurricane indicates upcoming winds – but I’m trying to figure out if there’s something else these particular symbols could represent. Towers and hawks we have in abundance, but this particular combination isn’t ringing any bells. I suppose it could just be random, but…

How did these people live, not knowing the omens?

This right after she dismissed the notion of ta’veren as one of this land’s many ‘superstitions’. I really like this, though – it’s not subtle, but it comes across as very accurate. If you’ll excuse me talking about myself for a minute, I’ve lived in a few different countries and spent a lot of time in others, or in international environments, and this sort of thing happens with an almost laughable frequency. And sometimes it is this obvious, but no one realises until either someone has a sudden flash of insight or a third party points it out. And even then there would usually be a period of both sides attempting to explain why they do thing X, and why X makes sense, when the answer is usually more along the lines of ‘because it’s deeply ingrained in this culture’ than anything else.

Cultural norms are strange things, is what I’m saying, especially when you’re first confronted with some that you never even consciously registered until encountering their absence or opposite accepted as completely normal somewhere else.

(That said, if you make tea in a microwave I will fight you).

Anyway.

Galgan doesn’t think meeting Rand is a great idea. Honestly, at this particular point in time, I’m not sure Tuon meeting Rand is a great idea.

“does the Empire not have other concerns at this time?”

It reminds me of what Egwene said – that the Tower actually can’t focus on the Dragon Reborn until it sorts out some of its own shit. Different situations, though. Basically, everyone who’s focused on the Dragon Reborn needs to step back a bit and make their own beds first. And everyone who’s avoiding any thoughts of the Dragon Reborn needs to wake up and smell the coffee.

Damn it, Word, stop repaginating my 3400 page document.

“He must bow beore the Crystal Throne before the Last Battle can begin.”

There are just so many ways of interpreting that, and all I am certain of is that the correct interpretation will not be the obvious one.

Given how this sort of thing usually plays out in prophecies and other fantasy semantic shenanigans, I’d guess it’ll end up with Rand bowing to Tuon as a sign of respect, but not as a concession.

Tuon’s less focused on wording and more focused on ensuring that Galgan won’t kill her in her sleep. Not yet, anyway.

“Aside from setbacks in Arad Doman”

I’m 92% sure ‘setbacks’ is Rodel Ituralde’s code name.

“The other concern has been the large number of marath’damane concentrated in the place known as Tar Valon. I believe the Highest Daughter has heard of the great weapon they used to destroy a large patch of land north of Ebou Dar.”

Shit. Well, here we go.

“This wondrous ability they have to transport instantly from one place to another”

Damn it.

“I believe that a strike at the very heart of our enemy’s lands would not only be possible, but highly advantageous.”

And there, you might encounter a…setback. By the name of Egwene al’Vere. Elaida also thought a strike at the very heart of the rebels would be possible and highly advantageous.

Come to think of it, she thought the same of a strike at Rand.

This will undoubtedly end well for everyone, is my point here.

True, those marath’damane who had travelled with Matrim had said that they would not take part in wars. Indeed, marath’damane who had once been Aes Sedai had – so far – proven useless as weapons. But could there be some way to twist their supposed vows?

Says she who just wondered how the people of these lands could possibly set some oaths above others. Says she who holds vows and oaths as sacrosanct.

But vows and oaths only apply to humans with agency and autonomy, so I suppose that neatly eliminates any cognitive dissonance this thought might otherwise have caused. How convenient.

Bloodknives? Cool name, and apparently they’re some sort of suicidal super-soldiers. That sounds like good news for everyone involved…

“The Dragon Reborn will not react well to this raid,” Tuon said to Galgan.

No, and also the Amyrlin Seat will not react well to this raid and, just a friendly piece of advice, you might want to start concerning yourselves with that.

“Is he not connected to these marath’damane?”

“By some reports,” Galgan said. “Others say he is opposed to them. Still others say they are his pawns. Our poor intelligence in this area lowers my eyes, Highest Daughter.”

Nah, your intelligence is fine. The correct answer is ‘all of the above, but not exactly’.

“Perhaps the raid will enrage him – but it will also weaken him, which will place you in a better position for negotiating with him.”

Looking at the wreckage formerly known as Dumai’s Wells, I would caution that ‘enraged and weakened’ is…not exactly a combination that puts Rand in a negotiating mood.

Undoubtedly, this was the difficult decision of the omen. But her choice seemed very obvious.

While you’re busy learning about these lands, Tuon, I suggest you look into this genre as well, or really just fiction in general, because ‘undoubtedly’ combined with an interpretation of something like an omen or a prophecy is as good as saying ‘so the opposite of what I say is correct’.

No one objects to the plan.

No one in this room, anyway. Egwene al’Vere strongly objects to this plan. They just don’t know it yet.

Tylee!

“She is one of my finest officers.”

This delights me. Pretty much everything about Tylee delights me.

“It is obvious that you are tired, warrior,” Selucia Voiced.

Warrior. I love it. Also poor Tylee. At least she survived that attack…also you know that post that goes around sometimes? The one that says ‘sometimes you just need to see your favourite character(s) breathing hard and covered in blood’? I don’t know that Tylee qualifies as a favourite, exactly, but she’s a favourite minor character and the general…uh…aesthetic…of that definitely applies. Characters exhausted or at the end of their endurance and pressing through it even though you can see the effort it costs them. It’s a thing.

“If it pleases the Highest Daughter,” Tylee said, voice betraying exhaustion. She nodded to her man, and he opened his sack, dumping things onto the floor. The heads of several animals. A boar, a wolf, and…a hawk? Tuon felt a chill. That hawk’s head was as large as a person’s. Perhaps larger. But they were not…right.

Oh shit. Time to be confronted with those imaginary children’s tales. That must be…fun. Especially given what that implies about all the other things Tuon and the Seanchan have discounted as mere superstition.

“I presume that the Highest Daughter knows of my military venture against the Aiel,” Tylee said

…oh. Not the Shaido. The Aiel.

This isn’t going to end, is it? Two groups, widely viewed as invaders, with sparks being fanned between them. Too much has happened already for this conflict to simply fade.

The Aiel following Rand, unsure of whether they will ever return to the Three-fold Land. The Seanchan, returning to lands they claim as their own, determined to remain. The Aiel, the nation most loyal to Rand. The Seanchan, who believe they will command his obedience. The Aiel, invaders who adapt, and the Seanchan, invaders who demand that all adapt to them. It’s such a lovely set of contrasts amongst the two most ‘foreign’ cultures, and there’s almost a sense of future tragedy being set in motion here, as they are drawn into inevitable conflict, these two peoples who have never met, but are not given the chance to meet peacefully.

“I believe them to be what some on this side of the ocean speak of as Trollocs. I believe them to be coming here.”

Chaos.

Well we all saw that coming.

Tuon felt she should be shocked. But, oddly, she wasn’t. So Matrim was not mistaken about this, she signed covertly to Selucia. And she had assumed Trollocs to be nothing more than superstition. She glanced at the heads again. Revolting.

Selucia seemed troubled. Are there other things he said that we discounted, I wonder?

So she picks up on the implications of this pretty quickly, at least. It isn’t just Trollocs. It’s a blow to their whole worldview and understanding of how things work. Which is something of a recurring theme especially in the Seanchan-based chapters – this idea of how a person’s background shapes their worldview and what happens when that is shaken or challenged. It isn’t strictly limited to the Seanchan – the whole world is in a state of flux and has been for more or less the entire series, and characters and nations are having to fight to hold onto or claim their identities and worldviews and selves.

I like that Selucia can question this, though. She’s well-chosen as a Truthspeaker, it would seem, in that she is able to face and speak difficult truths. Such as the idea that they discounted important information, and that they were mistaken to do so. That they might need to rethink some pretty major things.

I should very much like to have him back. She froze; she hadn’t meant to admit so much. She found her own emotions curious, however.

I like this thing she does, where she analyses her own emotions from a place of near-detachment. It’s weirdly relatable.

Selucia finally tells everyone to calm the fuck down and stop shouting, and they listen, because Selucia is that kind of presence.

“But this only makes it more urgent that we subdue the Dragon Reborn.”

Words like ‘subdue’ just…don’t tend to work very well on Rand. Nor do boxes, just in case you were getting any ideas.

“If it pleases the Highest Daughter,” Tylee said, bowing.

“You are allowed to speak.”

“These last few weeks, I have seen many things that have given me thought,” Tylee said. “Even before my troops were attacked, I was worried. The wisdom and grace of the Highest Daughter undoubtedly let her see further than one such as I, but I believe that our conquests so far in this land have been easy compared to what might come. If I may be so bold…I believe that the Dragon Reborn and those associated with him may make better allies than enemies.”

YES. I LOVE HER.

I also love that she is willing to say this, to the Daughter of the Nine Moons. It’s a dangerously bold statement, even phrased as diplomatically as this, and there’s no way she doesn’t know that. She is very aware of her place, and whom she is talking to, and of how close her suggestion comes to something that could be interpreted as criticism of the Highest Daughter. And she says it anyway. Unasked – she isn’t responding to a direct question with a reluctantly honest opinion, but is actually taking the initiative and speaking up, just barely in turn. Because it’s that important, and because she believes it that strongly.

It is also almost word for word what Tuon said to Beslan about the Seanchan. That they would be better allies than enemies. It’s a beautiful form of turnabout, and I love how that’s been something of a theme in this chapter. How everything is doubled and reflected, in such a way that the parallels and contrasts are obvious to the reader but entirely unnoticed by the characters.

It was a bold statement. […] Many of the low Blood would be so in awe at meeting one of the Empress’s household, much less the Highest Daughter, that they would not dare speak. Yet this woman offered suggestions? In direct opposition to Tuon’s published will?

Indeed she does. Because Tylee is fucking awesome. She’s exhausted and probably terrified, but she will say this because it needs to be said. And she’s right. This is a time when they all have to put other conflicts aside and make difficult alliances sometimes, in order to fight a much greater enemy.

“A difficult decision is not always a decision where both sides are equally matched, Tuon,” Selucia said suddenly. “Perhaps, in this case, a difficult decision is one that is right, but requires an implication of fault as well.”

Selucia is also badass, and yet again able to speak hard truths. That’s her mandate, of course, but she’s also able to see those hard truths in the first place.

To Tuon’s credit, she for her part is able to then listen to those statements, and take them into account when thinking things through, rather than getting angry or trying to deny them.

And yet, meeting with the Dragon Reborn, in person? She did need to contact him, and had planned to. But would it not be better to go to him in strength, his armies defeated, the White Tower torn down?

No. No, it very much would not be better to do that. For anyone. ‘Anyone’ here including ‘literally the entire world and all future generations’.

She needed him brought to the Crystal Throne under very controlled circumstances, with the understanding that he was to submit to her authority.

Yeah, that’s what Elaida thought, too. Why don’t you ask her how well it worked out for her?

Thankfully, she decides against that particular course of action.

“avoid confrontation with the Dragon Reborn. And reply to his request for a meeting. The Daughter of the Nine Moons will meet with him.”

Take two.

Order must be brought to the world. If she had to do that by lowering her eyes slightly and meeting with the Dragon Reborn, then so be it.

It’s another laudable quality of hers, that she is willing to set aside some of her pride for the sake of doing what needs to be done.

It’s just the interpretation of ‘what needs to be done’ or ‘what is right’ that sometimes causes…problems. What a surprise.

Oddly, she felt herself wishing – once again – that Matrim were still with her. […] Stay well, you curious man, she thought, glancing back at the balcony, northward. Do not dig yourself into trouble deeper than you can climb to freedom. You are Prince of the Ravens now. Remember to act appropriately.

Ha.

Next (TGS ch 20) Previous (TGS ch 18)

#what a well-done chapter #Wheel of Time #neuxue liveblogs WoT #The Gathering Storm

41 notes · View notes

gaganalyses · 3 years ago

Text

Venus

Venus is a song inspired by ‘The Birth of Venus’, a painting by Sandro Botticelli.

She describes it as a hybrid of different things:

‘’(...) this song is a hybrid of a couple different things. One of those things is Venus, the goddess of love, as we know in Roman and Greek mythology; and then, it’s also about the planets. So, this song is about faith, but it’s also about finding faith in other places — in the beyond — and, my experience with love being something that took me a really long time to find.’’

She further stated: ‘’So, this song’s really about sex, but it’s about sex in the most mythological way.’’

To better understand her inspiration, let’s take a quick look at the mythology of Venus:

In Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess of love, sex, beauty and fertility. She combined physical and intellectual love. In the Greek mythology, however, the goddess of all those things was Aphrodite. Not only that: she was also the goddess of victory, fertility and prostitution.

This is interesting because Gaga mentions both goddesses in the song, deepening its meaning.

The planets in the solar system were named after gods, so she plays with a lot of symbolism here. Of course we have to reach a little here because we can’t know for sure if she actually thought about the different planets and what they stand for while writing the song, but knowing Gaga and her master mind, there’s a high chance that she did!

So, let’s analyse the lyrics!

‘Rocket # 9 take off to the planet, to the planet, Venus’

The story behind this part is sort of a chain reference: it directly took on the lyrics from the 1960’s song ‘Rocket Number 9’ by Sun Ra, which was later covered by Zombie Zombie (Venus also samples this song musically) - the song basically consists of those few words on repeat. ‘Rocket Number Nine’ is also the name of an ‘all-purpose external rocket-camera that orbits or is deployed around the Satellite of Love' in the 1988’s movie ‘Mystery science theatre 3000’.

Since Gaga stated that the song is also about planets and love, this could be her way of saying ‘Hey, I think I’m falling in love with you. Let’s run away to planet number nine, even beyond cloud number nine.’

If we look at the planet Venus as the planet of women, it can be seen as a reference to her bisexuality - this is being underlined by several metaphors throughout the song.

‘Aphrodite lady seashell bikini, garden panty, Venus’

This is a direct reference to the painting by Botticelli, where the goddess stands -nude - inside of a seashell in the ocean (which might also be the reason for the ‘sea theme’ that Gaga continuously used during the ARTPOP era). According to the mythology, Venus was born out of sea foam and came ashore on a shell. The girl on the right of the painting wants to cover her with a flowery mantle. In the back of the painting, you can see a forest.

Knowing all of this, it’s pretty easy to understand that Gaga views herself, metaphorically, as Venus/Aphrodite: she is proud to be a woman and owns it. Instead of standing inside of the shell she stranded in, she wears it and covers only her mount with blooming flowers to represent the beauty of femininity (and, of course, this could also be a metaphor for pubic hair = refusing to cover up) because she is not afraid of surrendering to her lover in her full glory (anymore). That would explain why she uses Aphrodite instead of Venus, since she’s also the goddess of victory, as we established earlier!

In the modern context, she’s owning her femininity and feels sexy. She adds a ‘get with me’ right before the pre-chorus, inviting her lover to be with her.

Let's blast off to a new dimension, in your bedroom, Venus’

Well, she’s obviously talking about mind-blowing sex here, probably using the ‘blast off into a new dimension’ as a metaphor for the climax (in her lover’s bedroom). At the same time it’s a fun wordplay with the rocket reference.

‘I can't help the way I'm feeling, Goddess of love please take me to your leader’

She obviously can’t control her desire. If we take back into view the theory that this song has some sapphic undertones, this could mean two things: either she can’t help desiring the woman of her longing, thus accepting her sexuality and embracing it. Or she’s talking to her stronger self - the ‘goddess of love’ - and calls her for guidance. In addition, ’Take me to your leader’ is a sci-fi catchphrase used by aliens, indicating that she has arrived on the planet Venus. Everything she feels is new to her.

‘I can't help I keep on dancin, goddess of love, take me to your planet, your venus’’

She surrenders and follows her drive. Throughout her discography, Gaga often uses ‘dancing’ as a metaphor for sex and masturbation.

‘When you touch me I die, just a little inside, I wonder if this could be love’

This is Gaga explaining her feelings with the kind of love she has never experienced before. It’s the same feeling she describes in ‘Perfect Illusion’: ‘I don’t need eyes to see, I felt you touching me, high like amphetamine, maybe you’re just a dream’. Perfect Illusion also picked up the last lyric, as she discovered that ‘it wasn’t love’.

'Cause you're out of this world, galaxy, space and time, I wonder if this could be love’

Her lover is out of this world, galaxy, space and time and Gaga feels like she’s dying a little inside whenever they touch her. She’s equating them with a god(ess). Could this be love?

‘have an oyster, baby, It’s Aphrod-isy, act sleazy’

Oysters are known to be an aphrodisiac, increasing sexual desire. She wants her lover to start acting dirty.

Oh, and someone stated that oyster is a metaphor for vagina (which isn’t too far off to be honest, if you ask me).

‘worship to the land, a girl from the planet’

As explained earlier, Venus was born on earth, but she is a goddess after all (a girl from the planet). She was a gift to earth (worship to the land) to spread love and sex. If I remember correctly, Gaga once mentioned that she sometimes feels like an alien in the music industry. So metaphorically, she could be encouraging the world to worship her, because she lives for the applause.

The bridge is quite interesting because Gaga didn’t list the planets and the gods they represent in the correct order of the solar system.

Looking at the order she put them in, this could unfold a new side of the story. Of course this doesn’t necessarily have to have a deeper meaning, but we should think about all the possible reasons as to why she did that. Even though each planet represents a god, I believe that Gaga focused more on the astrological symbolism here (I highlighted the different meanings and they sum up the essential struggles in Gaga’s life).

‘Neptune, go’ Neptune was the god of the sea (which symbolises faith). Astrologically, Neptune symbolises time: past, present and future. It also represents dreams. She lets go of her past…

‘now serve, Pluto’ …and embraces her power. Pluto was the god of the underworld. This could represent her fear of death and mental health struggles. Astrologically, Pluto stands for deep psyche and hidden power.

‘Saturn’ Stands for wealth, which could be metaphorical for her career and the struggles she has to face. Astrologically, Saturn stands for dominance, power & charge.

‘Jupiter’ Is the god of sky and thunder, which could represent her trauma; astrologically it stands for growth and healing.

'Mercury, Venus, uh ha!’ Mercury stands for boundaries and communication and astrologically represents the power of words. Mercury is neither feminine, nor masculine - it amplifies whatever it’s connected to. So in this context, this line clearly describes her bisexuality (she is Venus and the gender of her lover doesn’t matter). On a deeper level, this can be seen as a reference to Born This Way and the power its lyrics had, helping her and so many other people embrace their sexual orientation.

‘Uranus!’ Is the god of the sky. As Gaga sings in ‘Sine from Above’, music has always saved her. No matter if she’s talking about god or music sine waves here, it’s clear that it represents her faith in this context. In the astrological sense, it represents being weird, art, shock value.

‘Don't you know my ass is famous?’ This one is connected to the line before, Gaga obviously knows how much we love her bum and likes to show it. I think this is meant as a fun response to the criticism she faces for her art from the general public.

‘Mars’ Is war, masculinity and youth. She’s been at war with herself for so long and many people, especially men, have hurt her.

‘Now serve for the gods, earth, serve for the stars!’ She’s letting go of all of it and drowns herself in her art and love. Earth is feminine and stands for infinite creativity.

To get every layer of the song, we need to briefly look at the surroundings, too.

There were three different cover art versions for the single:

In the first one, Gaga has a scorpion on her face and a deep cut above her left breast. It was inspired by Marina Abramovic, who posed with the animal as a homage to feminist Frida Kahlo, who originally posed with a monkey. The scorpion stands for death, disease and danger. On the cover of the Candy Magazine in 2013/2014, Gaga wore a scorpion on her left boob.

The second one is a bit more abstract and if you look closely, you can see Gaga as a dead bat. The bat symbolises death and rebirth.

The third cover shows Gaga standing naked in the bathroom with a Venus clam in her mouth. The Venus Clam represents women, art, music, relationships, and was perceived as deeply creative.

All of this adds to the theory of the astrological meaning of the planets: Gaga is ready to be reborn and start a new life, possibly with her lover that she is now ready to surrender to.

Almost every time she performed the song, it was notable that she barely wore any clothes. Mostly, her outfit consisted of a seashell bra and a garden panty, that had only minor changes done for different performances. One exception was her performance on Smap x Smap in Japan, where she wore a body embroidered with flowers (another reference to the painting by Botticelli).

On one occasion at a gay club, she even stripped completely naked. At the X Factor, she wore nothing but a nude bikini and during her performance on Graham Norton, she additionally only had female dancers on the stage.

Another two things that are mentionable, are the long and bushy, blonde wigs that she wore in most of her performances and the fact that whenever she showed herself naked, she hadn’t shaved her pubic hair. All of those things add depth to the topic of the song, as she’s fully embracing her femininity. And lastly: the ‘V’ symbol she formed with her hands obviously stands for Venus, but now that we know about the more subtle topics within the song, you can let your imagination run wild *wink*.

#Venus

4 notes · View notes

thisdaynews · 5 years ago

Text

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United: Reiss Nelson goal sends Gunners into fourth round

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/arsenal-1-0-leeds-united-reiss-nelson-goal-sends-gunners-into-fourth-round/

Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United: Reiss Nelson goal sends Gunners into fourth round

Media playback is not supported on this device

FA Cup: Arsenal 1-0 Leeds United highlights

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta “shouted a lot” at half-time to inspire an improved performance that helped the Gunners beat Leeds United and progress to the FA Cup fourth round.

Leeds dominated before the break, with Patrick Bamford hitting the bar with one of United’s 15 first-half efforts.

Arsenal were excellent in the second half and Reiss Nelson scrambled home to secure a second consecutive win.

The Gunners will visit Bournemouth in the next round later this month.

Arsenal keeper Emiliano Martinez said Arteta was “really angry” at the break and striker Alexandre Lacazette told BBC One: “The manager shouted a lot. He was not happy because we knew they’d play like this and we didn’t respect what he had said.”

The hosts had the majority of the second-half chances, with Lacazette clipping the crossbar with a free-kick.

“Now I’m really pleased but we saw two different teams – one in the first 30 minutes, and another after that,” said Arteta.

“I tried to tell them exactly what they were going to face and after 32 minutes we had won one duel, I think. We changed our attitude, desire and organisation at half-time and then we were completely different.

“Sometimes they have to experience themselves how tough and how hard it is going to be. I watched a lot of Leeds games and they battered every team every three days. It was good for my players to learn and to suffer on the pitch.”

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa will see the game as a missed opportunity for the Championship leaders – especially after their first-half performance – although he can now focus on promotion and ending the club’s 16-year absence from the top flight.

Rate the players out of 10

Follow reaction to the game

Watch all of the latest FA Cup goals, highlights and reaction

Arsenal manage to turn it around

Media playback is not supported on this device

FA Cup: Reiss Nelson scuffs in the opener for Arsenal against Leeds United

Arteta said in the build-up that Arsenal had to take the FA Cup “very seriously” and become “addicted” to winning, naming a strong team.

They came into the game on the back of one of their most impressive performances of the season. They were excellent in the first half of their 2-0 win over Manchester United on New Year’s Day, although faded after the break.

This was the exact reverse.

The 13-time FA Cup winners were abject in the first half – with only 37.2% possession and one shot on target – and could have been out of the game before half-time.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer said Arsenal “turned up in the first half and thought ‘we don’t have to run around'”.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “The first half was just so flat. Was it a lack of effort? It looked that way.”

Whatever was said by Arteta at the break worked perfectly and they were a team reborn in the second half.

Nicolas Pepe fired over a shot just seconds after the restart as they immediately expressed their intent. Lacazette forced a save from Illan Meslier and then struck the bar with a free-kick.

Lacazette had a hand in the goal as his cross was deflected by Gaetano Berardi into the path of Nelson, whose scuffed shot just went in.

“The emotions are high,” said Nelson after scoring his second goal of the season. “They played well in the first half. Leeds are a great team and they pressed us, we didn’t expect it. We got the goal in the end and that is the most important thing.

“This will give us confidence to go forward.”

There was only one winner from the moment Nelson scored and substitute Gabriel Martinelli drew a good save from Meslier with a 20-yard drive.

The hosts did have a scare when VAR checked whether Lacazette should be sent off for violent conduct after appearing to kick out at Berardi but he escaped punishment.

Leeds will take heart into promotion bid

Media playback is not supported on this device

FA Cup: Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s love of Leeds United

Bielsa said he was taking the cup seriously, although handed debuts to two players – French teenage goalkeeper Meslier and 20-year-old defender Robbie Gotts – both of whom did well.

They are nine points clear of third-placed Brentford in the Championship and hoping to avoid a repeat of their late-season collapse from last year.

Based on this performance – and a rowdy away following of 8,000 fans – they would be a wonderful addition to the Premier League.

In the first half at Emirates Stadium they were magnificent, dominating possession and territory, creating plenty of chances and putting Arsenal under constant pressure whenever they had the ball.

They looked nothing like a Championship team away from home against a “big-six” side.

Bamford had three shots in the opening 10 minutes before smashing the crossbar after playing a one-two with the lively Jack Harrison.

Harrison had a 20-yard curling effort saved by Martinez and after 17 minutes Leeds boasted seven shots to Arsenal’s one.

The pressure kept on coming. Ezgjan Alioski drove a shot just wide and then his header was kept out by the busy Martinez.

They must have wondered whether they would be made to pay for missing their chances – and they were.

Their performance dipped in the second half as Arsenal upped their game, and they never looked like mounting a comeback after Nelson bundled home.

“What we needed to do in the match is repeat what we did in the first half,” said Bielsa.

“The first half was very, very positive for us. In the second half the control of the match changed a lot.

“In the first half we pressed the opponents’ defence more and were able to attack fast. We couldn’t do that in the second half.”

Man of the match – Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)

“Alexandre Lacazette (l) led the team from the front in the second half,” said Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy. “He worked tirelessly. His hold-up play and quality were important. He deserves a lot of credit.”

Match stats – Arsenal win two in a row for first time since October

Arsenal have won eight FA Cup games against Leeds – only against Wolves and Chelsea (nine each) have the Gunners won more matches in the competition.

The Gunners remain unbeaten in their last seven matches against Leeds (W6 D1), since a 3-2 defeat at Highbury in the Premier League back in May 2003.

Leeds have won just one of their last 12 FA Cup matches away from home against top-flight opposition (D3 L8), a 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford back in January 2010.

That was their only clean sheet in their last 19 FA Cup games against top-flight sides.

Arsenal have won back-to-back matches for the first time since October (against Standard Liege and Bournemouth), which was also the last time they kept consecutive clean sheets.

Reiss Nelson has been directly involved in four goals in his last four starts for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions – two goals and two assists.

Leeds attempted 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes against Arsenal, the joint most shots the Gunners have faced in the first half of a game this season.

What’s next?

Arsenal visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30 GMT), while Leeds host Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship at 15:00.

#Fourth #Gunners

0 notes

maple-toast · 8 years ago

Text

The Cults of Sun and Moon, Celestials (10)

Even before the Migration into the Midlands humans held a dual natured belief in the personification of the Sun and Moon. These beliefs have never been organized enough to be considered a religion. Instead they are highly variable but widespread cults that only share core tenets and mythology. In time these beliefs could gain political traction and institution to become codified religions, but for now the followers focus on ritual and life's more pressing concerns. The Cult of the Sun In all Cults of the Sun the sun is personified as the women who gave life to all living beings. Named Mother Sol, her core mythology tells that all human and animal life is born of her heart's fire. The Flames of Life that any who practise the mystical arts can see within all living creatures, and is what makes a being alive. The most common story is that the world's first creatures were shaped by her with earth, water, and air before being heated in her hearts kiln like fires. This is why living creatures require food, water, and breath to sustain their Flames of Life. In some narratives Mother Sol is an active watcher of the world, her bright gaze keeping sentry as it moves along the sky. In some of these stories she will right wrongs or aid her followers in need. One trend is the appearance of a golden dire animal to save the life of her child in need. During the nights she is either at rest, or away to perform a task vital to the world's survival. In other narratives the sun is her disembodied heart, continuing to provide loving and life giving warmth upon her children. The least common narrative is that she has broken herself into the Flames of Life of all creatures. With their deaths they release their flame rejoin the sun in the sky. This means when all living creatures rejoin her, she will be reborn to start anew and create life again. The particulars of each story change in the various tellings. As the Cult of the Sun is the most wide spread belief in the Midlands many communities practice festivals and ceremonies in Mother Sol's honor. The most common are those during times of longest or shortest days in a year, or those centered around births, union ceremonies, and harvests. The details of these ceremonies change between communities, but there will be eight held during a given year. A common aspect of the Cult is a tradition of medicine, both folk and professional, practiced by those who would call themselves priests and priestesses. Any who wish to have that title must be able to deliver children, set bones, and sew wounds. The service is not required as charity, save to those in a priest's community. A traveling priestess can be expected to ask for a fee for her life saving work. Literacy is no more common among the cult's priests than elsewhere in the Midlands. Eight is a sacred number in every Cult of the Sun tradition, with nine being considered unlucky. With a female personification it is not unheard of for particularly fervent practitioners to adopt matriarchal governing in their communities. Often than with a priestess or even priestess coven holding leadership. The only major office of the Cult of the Sun is the Citadel of the Sun located in Gosling. It is a pilgrimage site for many followers during the largest yearly festival, The Mother's Watching Gaze, set on the year's longest day. The priests who run and care for the faith's center of worship are partly funded by donation, but primarily on renting of space during other parts of the year and through fees for the medical expertise they perform. The Cult of The Moon In tandem to the Cult of the Sun, the Cult of the Moon also personifies a celestial body. But in comparison the moon's appearance is far more varied from place to place. In some areas the Moon is male, in others it is female, and in some neither or both. The only set detail is that the moon is a traveler, in mirror to its visible daily movements across the sky. In some areas the moon is named Sister Luna, in some Brother Loon, and in others far stranger names. But regardless of name or appearance the moon is considered just another child of Mother Sol, much like all living beings. The Cult of the Moon is not as prevalent in the Midlands as the Cult of the Sun, often limited to those who travel often. The most often held character of the moon in stories is that of a face changer who is there to highlight an aspect of human nature. Often these stories are meant to tell a lesson, one either taught by the moon or through a human reversing the situation the moon puts them into. Rarely is the moon considered a villain, primarily a good natured trickster. But once more it depends on the story teller. In general the moon is not worshipped in the same way as the sun. There are rarely celebrations dedicated to the moon, and few holdings dedicated to it. The only shrines to the moon are those made along the roadside of crossroads or at inns. Small and generally simple built, they are made at points to rest and be watched over by the patron of travelers. In contrast to the Cult of the Sun there is an organization among the Cult of the Moon. Self titled the Knights of the Moon, this small military organization acts as road wardens who keep the roads between city-states maintained and safe. They also manage a number of walled inns, which they use as chapter houses in addition to being safe stopping points for travelers. While roads under the knight's management are the easiest to traverse, they do expect to collect tolls from merchants, porters, and generally those who look to have extra wealth. A fact that leaves them in poor regard to those who can pay for their own escorts. Silver is a sacred metal to the Cult of the Moon and chapter leaders will often have silver inlay or thread in their equipment. The fact silver is also used widely for coins is not lost on those who question the knight's intentions. Five is the cult's sacred number and considered lucky, the same number of blue parallel lines that cross the moon's face. This is why patrols of knights will most often be five or ten members.

Celestials There are no records of Celestials being born before humans migrated into the Midlands. Some have stated their appearance as a sign these lands were blessed. Others have said they're lingering curses from whatever destroyed the lands humans came from. Regardless of rumor there have been a notable number of children born with mystical traits since humans settled the Midlands. The two categories of these unusual people have been linked to auspicious births touched by either Sun or Moon. Together they are referred to as Celestials. Moon Celestials Moon Celestials are either extremely rare or not rare at all. Much like the personification of the Moon in myth they are able to change their appearances. In the form they were born in they often have stark white hair, paled and fair skin, and five blue tattoo-like parallel lines and blotches over their whole body. These lines and pools are shaped the same as those visible on the moon, but the orientation changes by the person. All Moon Celestials are talented with a form of mystical arts. In addition to their ability to change their appearance this manifests as either small tricks and strange capabilities or a natural skill at stoking their own Flames. A known trick is the ability to grasp objects without touching them and then to move them from afar. Moon Celestials can be sources of unusual magic that does not interact with the Flames of Life, which confuses many practitioners of the mystical arts. It is a common story note that Moon Celestials, much like the moon itself, will live a trickster or rogue's lifestyle. It is hard to state if this is true or caused by imposters and rumor mongers. But it is fair to say the ability to change who you appear to be could lend itself to that life. As well no one can truly say how many Moon Celestials there are in the Midlands. A thought that gives some paranoia regarding never being sure if someone you meet is showing their real face. Sun Celestials Sun Celestials are uncommon, but not to the point you cannot seek one out in many larger communities. They are most often born with darkened skin and very dark hair, but all are born with eyes of brilliant red, yellow, or orange. None are ever born sickly or will become sick during their lives. All Sun Celestials share mystical capabilities. The first is an immunity to the harm of fire and heat. A Sun Celestial could handle molten iron bare handed, or stay out under the sun when his peers have fled from burns under shade. While they still require water, a Sun Celestial is hard pressed to become deeply thirsty. The next power they possess is to radiate light from their person. With practice they can concentrate and shed light to match candles or shine painfully bright as a bonfire. But this light does not cause warmth as Mother Sol herself does. The last and most miraculous power a Sun Celestial can summon is a talent for stoking the Flames of others to heal injuries. Perhaps this is the warmth their light lacks. With focus and concentration the Sun Celestial mimics what a practitioner of the mystical arts can do to magically stitch wounds and ease sickness. But it is said this taxes the Sun Celestial if they are not also a practiced Stoker. It is said all Sun Celestials are born to a destiny of leadership. Some consider it a burden to have that role pushed on them. But as few stories tell the facts the truth is many Sun Celestials are simply charismatic. Some will go onto rule swaths of followers and others will be small community leaders or heads of a close knit home. Some won't lead anyone at all for that matter. The fact an infamous Sun Celestial was a bandit king shows this destiny does not always lead to a glorious life.

#backstory #background info #fantasy #fiction #setting development

0 notes