#just thinking about young gale and just how isolated and different he probably felt from his peers

[trashcatsnark]

You ever think about young university, baby Gale, watching his peers have a more fun kind of traditional university time, finding partners, having messy little love affairs and of course they invite him out for the parties and events, it's a fucking wizard university and he's a chosen of mystra- and all jokes aside, that means something. But it also means people treat him less like a peer and more like a novelty at best and an arrogant ass at worst- they don't quite talk to him the same way as they do each other, maybe they play nice for his stories and his hyperfixation rambling, let him give a speech or two- but always seem eager to move on and talk to their real friends. And he's there but he doesn't feel a part of it, watching at a distance- telling himself it's okay because he's a chosen of mystra and that's an honor, a privilege, these people are having messy dorm hookups and he lays with a goddess in the astral plane, so then why is he the one he feels so utterly alone? why does being with a goddess sometimes just feel like another form of solitude?

[justlookatthosesausages]

Lol that actually gave me an idea, a time travel prompt with Anna and Elsa witnessing the day the spirits cut off the enchanted forest and see their parents before their lives changed forever.

Oh my, the FEELS. This is going to be so much fun to write dundundunnn 

=======

Elsa blinked, looking around. That flash had blinded her a bit, and when she looked around for her sister to make sure she was still near and safe, she saw by her flickering eyes that she was as startled as her.

“Uhm… What the heck just happened?” Asked Anna.

Before the blonde made any speculations, she frowned and scolded her sister. 

“I told you to not touch that rock.”

“But it was shiny!” Complained Anna, and she had a sorry pout. Her curiosity had led them in a weird situation... And it wasn’t the first time it did. 

Elsa sighed, then looked around as she thought. “I know those woods by heart now. I’ve never seen this rock before. And it was emanating a big amount of magic.”

“It was glowing a lot. I can easily imagine it was.” Nodded Anna.

The Snow Queen tried to understand what happened. Her younger had bent to pick up the rock, and then suddenly a flash covered them, but… Nothing seemed to have changed. The woods around them looked the same, and they were still standing at the same place. 

Elsa’s eyes narrowed when she then noticed something. 

“Wasn’t that tree… Way bigger when we passed by it?”

Anna turned at her gesture, and nodded. “Yep.”

The redhead then pointed at the sky. “The clouds also completely changed, for some reason.” 

Elsa lifted her hand and didn’t notice much difference, yet trusted her. She hadn’t paid attention to the sky, and on that, she congratulated her sister for her sense of observation. Anna also knew the name of the different types of clouds. Even if that knowledge came from years of boredom due to the isolation, it still was impressive. She nodded. 

“Yeah. The clouds are different. It’s weird. Did… Time pass? Did we faint?”

Anna held her chin as she thought. “I don’t remember falling down. I was getting up when the flash happened, so it’s not that. Also, the sun still has the same position, no?”

“It does. You’re right.”

The Queen smiled. “Look, I’m sorry for touching that magic rock. But we’re both safe, so maybe we should go back to the camp and ask if they saw something different.”

Elsa agreed with her decision. They walked back to the Sami camp from where they had taken a walk, and the Fifth Spirit heard a tinkling between the trees on their right. She also felt in the air that it was Gale, and she smiled. 

“Maybe we could ask Gale if they noticed something.”

They walked to the Spirit.

“Oh, they’re playing with a kid.” Said Anna.

The sisters now were a hundred meters away from them, but they still hadn’t noticed their presence. The Wind Spirit and the child, apparently a girl, were too busy having fun to do so. 

“Wait… I’ve seen that face somewhere.” Frowned Anna, bending her head in confusion. “Is she one of the Northuldra kids?”

She tried to remember where she saw that child’s face before, and as she was playing with Gale and moving around in flips, it was hard to look at her face. 

Then it suddenly hit her. And apparently, it hit Elsa at the same time. They instantly stopped walking.

“It’s Mother.” They both exhaled at the same time, and gasped in disbelief. 

There was no doubt. She looked exactly like the ice statues of her they had seen again and again in Ahtohallan on their regular visits. 

“Elsa, it’s…” Started Anna, a smile stretching her lips. 

She was about to say ‘miraculous’, but her elder ended the sentence in another way. 

“…Impossible.” 

They turned to each other, and exchanged a glance. 

“What do you mean?”

“How… How is she here? It can’t be.” Now whispered Elsa, to make sure that Iduna wasn’t hearing them. She also made sure that her magic was low, keeping a full control on it, to not warn Gale of her presence. 

“It can’t be? Come on, you were born with magic. Anything is possible. Look! It’s amazing!”

She pointed at their mother, for now only a teen, and she was giggling in the distance with a melodious Wind Spirit who also shared her joy. 

“How are we here then?”

“Well, we probably time traveled.”

“Time travel doesn’t exist, Anna! We’re not in one of your fantasy novels!” Blinked Elsa with a frown, trying to keep things logical and facts-based. 

Anna shook her head with an eye-roll. “You’re able to see memories of the past, but this surprises you?”

She walked forward. “Come on, I’m done whispering. It’s Mama right there, I’ve always dreamed of this moment! We can talk to her!”

“No, no no no.” Forbid Elsa, placing her arm in front of her younger sister. 

“What? Why?”

The Snow Queen couldn’t believe she was asking that question.

“Have you never read time traveling novels??” Grumbled Elsa. 

“You just said earlier that I did. Of course I did. You’re contradicting yourself now.” Mocked Anna, even if she knew that it was rhetorical.  

“Then you must remember that in every story, when the hero interacts with past events, it alters the future.”

“Yeah, in stories.” Underlined the Queen. 

“No, you don’t get it! In life too! - I can’t believe I’m stating this, but…” Interrupted herself Elsa. “…Anna, we can’t talk to our mother right now. We just can’t. We shouldn’t. Otherwise, everything will change in the future. In our future. Maybe… Maybe even none of us will be born.”

Anna considered each of her words, taking the news in. She was right… But not completely. 

“…Then why are we here?”

“Because you touched a magic rock!” Reminded Elsa.

“No, I mean… Why are we here, alive? If changing the past changes the future, our present time, then we can’t exist in our version, right?”

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Then opened it again, then closed it again. “Oh.”

“Is it a time paradox?” Understood Anna.

“It totally is a time paradox.” Sighed Elsa, closing her eyes. 

“Don’t go dramatic. It’s good news. It means that we can intervene!”

“No, it doesn’t really work that way…” Started Elsa.

Suddenly, it was like the air snapped. Something completely changed. In one second, the whole situation flipped. 

Elsa’s head quickly turned when she heard the familiar - too familiar - sound of steel from swords getting drawn.

“Oh no.”

“What?!” Worried Anna, who also felt that something was happening, but couldn’t tell what yet.

Gale had stopped playing with Iduna, who got dropped on her feet to the ground, and left behind by the Wind Spirit who hurried away. Some yells and grunts were heard in the distance, but it was too far to see what it was.

“It’s today.” Muttered Elsa, her eyes filling with tears. Sad, panicked and powerless tears.

The Queen frowned, then gasped when she understood. Iduna frowned in confusion at why the Spirit had left her, and heard the noises from afar, so she followed them. 

“No, she shouldn’t go where the fight is!” Exclaimed Anna, way too loud.

Iduna jolted at her voice, closer than the noises she heard before, and quickly turned to where the sisters where standing. Elsa gasped and strongly grabbed Anna to drag her behind a thick tree. Thankfully, they were far enough for their young mother to not spot them. 

“Elsa! What are you– hm-hmmm!” Got muffled Anna, Elsa slamming a hand on her mouth. 

“Shhh!” Warned the blonde, her eyes wide. 

She peeked behind the tree to see if Iduna had walked closer, and the girl still was searching where the voice had come from. 

“E-hah!” Tried to say Anna, her mouth still under Elsa’s hand. 

Her elder gestured her to stay silent with a finger on her own lips. 

“E-HAH!” Insisted Anna, gesturing at the hand Elsa had on her face, and trying to get free of her hold. 

“SHHHH! Will you shush up? You’re going to get us caught!” Whispered Elsa on the lowest tone possible despite her panic and anger. 

She looked at Iduna, but thankfully, though for the worst, she got distracted by the growing sounds of battle and ran to go help. 

After making sure that their mother had ran away and they were alone in that corner of the woods again, she let go of Anna’s mouth. The later gasped of relief as she did so, panting. 

“What is wrong with you?” Frowned Elsa. “She almost saw us! Why were you wriggling like that?!”

The redhead intensely rubbed her cheeks and mouth with her hands, trying to heat them. 

“Your hand was SUPER COLD!” 

Elsa’s eyes widened at the sudden realization. 

“Oh my goodness!! I didn’t notice, I… I was so stressed that I made magic in my palms, and… Oh Anna, I’m so sorry!!”

She hurried to check her state. 

“I’m alright.” Assured Anna, still rubbing her face however. “This just feels like I plunged my head into the fjord. This is fine.”

Elsa had a worried and sorry eyebrows expression, and clenched her fists to take all magic off her hands. She then rubbed them along her younger sister’s arms, apologizing in loops. 

This made Anna laugh, but her laughter stopped when they heard the fight between the Northuldra and the Arendelle soldiers getting closer. 

They looked at the fight that was playing a crucial part in their common past.

“Come on, we have to hide.” Advised Elsa, showing bushes a bit further. “We’ll wait here for now, and then cross the mist on the other way once it’s formed. We’ll just have to hold hands and it will part.”

“Wait, you want us to leave?!” Blurted Anna, eyes growing wide. 

“We should. The forest stayed this way for more than 30 years, and we can’t change the course of events by hiding inside… What do you think?” Elsa inquired, trying to build a plan. 

The redhead wasn’t responding, her eyes still wide and staring at the fight. She had just spotted their parents in the battle now arriving close. She also recognized the Arendelle soldiers in younger versions of themselves, and some Northuldra people as well. 

But she gulped when she saw how events turned.

Mattias was struggling to protect Agnarr. Even if she knew that he would make it, according to the future, she couldn’t help but worry. And Iduna looked panicked, frantically looking around and confused at why the Arendelle soldiers suddenly attacked. 

That was too much for Anna. Her natural and legendary impatience forced her body to move. She turned and already launched herself for a sprint. 

“NO, ANNA!” Muttered Elsa, her voice strong but wheezing to keep it as low as a whisper. 

Anna got restrained by a hand holding hers firmly, and her whole body stopped in one jerk at Elsa’s force. She almost lost her balance, surprised by her sister’s strength. 

“What are you DOING?” The Queen said through gritted teeth as she twirled around. 

“Preventing you from doing a big mistake.”

“But we can HELP! We can save them!”

“NO, we CAN’T!” Insisted Elsa. “Imagine what would happen if–”

“If we change the future? Yes, I got it. But if we’re alive, it means that we made it. Nothing changed.”

Elsa shook her head. “No. Nothing changed because we stayed here and did nothing. Nothing changed because we will do nothing.” She clarified. 

Anna looked at her, and there was a long silence between them as they stared at each other. Only the distant sound of battle punctuated it. Elsa sighed with a shaking breath.

“Anna, you have no idea how much I want to change the past too. When I saw Mama, I just wanted to run to her and take care of her. But…” 

The redhead had thought that Elsa was getting bossy and a killjoy, but her eyes now were filling with genuine tears.

“…We can’t. I’m sorry.”

Another silence filled the space between them.

“Don’t. Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. I’m actually sorry myself for pushing you.” Murmured the Queen. 

She turned to the battle, a sad yet decisive expression on her face. 

“Okay, where’s your hiding spot?”

Elsa smiled at Anna’s choice of vocabulary to light up their mood. 

“Over there. Nobody will see us.”

They crouched on the grass, Elsa in lotus position and Anna sitting with her legs bent and her chin on her knees. 

“And now we wait?”

“And now we wait.” Nodded Elsa.

[sidekickhq]

mw woc?

here’s a list with a wide variety in ages ! laverne cox, maggie q, lupita nyong’o, china anne mcclain, tessa thompson, gina rodriguez, emeraude toubia, hayley law, ashleigh murray, moon ga young, bae suzy, lee jieun, amber midthunder, devery jacobs, leigh anne pinnock, keke palmer, philippa soo, krystal jung, lalisa manoban, chloe bridges, becky g, ariela barer, naressa valdez, herizan guardiola, aja naomi king, constance wu, jessica henwick, candice patton, nathalie emmanuel, tinashe, oona chaplin, janel parrish, im jinah, karen fukuhara, aisha dee, iman meskini, jamie chung, diane guerrero, karla souza, sofia boutella, rosario dawson, zoe saldana, sarah shahi, halle berry, angela bassett, jameela jamil, meaghan tandy, meaghan rath, samira wiley, kelly gale, geraldine viswanathan, eva longoria, olivia munn, monica raymund, jhene aiko, kehlani, malese jow, khadijha red thunder, dana jeffrey, yara shahidi, jeon somi, paris berelc, cassie steele, summer bishil, gina torres, justine biticon, tati gabrielle, indya moore, kiana lede, auli’i cravalho, anna akana, simay barlas, mina el hammani, alia shawkat, beren saat, jenna talackova, alina serban, franciska farkas, luciane buchanan, cindy kimberly, brianne tju, cleo lazuli, arden cho, pom klementieff, kelsey chow, lyrica okano, dichen lachman, lucy liu, priyanka chopra, shraddha kapoor, alia bhatt, neelam gill, deepika padukone, elodie yung, indra varma, nana komatsu, kang seulgi, kim hyuna, jinsoul, nong poy, samantha harris, tanaya beatty, maika harper, hayley atwell, maria gabriela de faria, shyrley rodriguez, eiza gonzalez, aimee garcia, melissa fumero, aubrey plaza, nathalie kelley, cierra ramirez, gigi gorgeous, winnie harlow, kylie bunbury, taraji p henson, tracee ellis ross, maisie richardson sellers, jessica parker kennedy, janella monae, karidja toure, viola davis, antonia thomas, letitia wright, kerry washington, kat blaque, kehlani parrish, katima kojima, joan smalls, sonoya mizuno, amber liu, fan bingbing, kat graham, donna bae, lesley ann-brandt, chanel iman, ming-na wen, tina desai, hannah simone ! wanted connections are under the cut !

DEVYN XAVIER-LEHNSHERR, our COURTNEY EATON fc is looking for a BIRTH MOTHER connection who looks like PLAYER’S CHOICE who is 45+YEARS OLD. you CAN contact prior to applying at queenofillusionsx. (Devyn’s birth mom is a closeted mutant who was scared of having a child in case they grew to be one. When Dev was born with lilac eyes, there was no mistaking what she was, so her parents gave her up. Now she is at Paragon to make amends, but it is the one topic she gets angry at so she won’t be happy.)

DINAH PRYDE, our KIERSEY CLEMONS fc is, looking for a OLDER BROTHER (FULL OR HALF, CAN ALSO BE ADOPTED !! ) connection who looks like UTP (MUST BE AT LEAST HALF BLACK IF A SIBLING VIA KITTY OR FULL SIBLING) who is 24+ you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( not to be a cliche heaux but uh give me an overprotective older brother who dinah adores pls )

EMMA FROST, our KATIE CASSIDY fc is looking for her TRIPLETS WITH SCOTT SUMMERS / TWO BIOLOGICAL, ONE ADOPTIVE connection who look like DAYA, LIZA KOSHY, SAFIYA NYGAARD, SEBASTIAN DE SOUZA, HARRIS J, ANY HALF-INDIAN FC IF BIOLOGICAL / RHENZY FELIZ, HAYLEY LAW, ARIELA BARER, ANY FC OF COLOR IF ADOPTIVE who are 16-19 YEARS OLD, 22 OR 24+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( did u know that in an alternate universe scott & emma had five beautiful lil babies? bc they did. and with a tweak. that is what this wc is for. the frost-summers triplets would have prob had a psychic hive mind to rival the cuckoos if an attack hadn’t sent emma into early labour, resulting in one of them not surviving. the decision to adopt a baby in need of a loving home and complete the otherwise ruined trio? not an easy one to make, lets be real, but it was MADE, and the three have been raised as siblings from minute one. emma loves her babies. pls. give them to her. ) ( rohen frost-summers & open for two more ( bio ) )

ETIENNE BEAUBIER-JINADU, our ARIA SHAHGHASEMI fc is looking for a SIBLING connection who looks like NIKOHL BOOSHERI, TALA ASHE, YARA SHAHIDI, REECE KING, HAILEE STEINFELD, LALISA MANOBAN, MANNY MONTANA / PART IRANIAN IF BIO who is ANY AGE you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the siblings were born in canada - their parents were good people but did the wrong things that got the siblings taken away from their parents. the two were together for awhile in foster care but were eventually separated into two different homes. etienne was eventually adopted into a loving family but it’s up to you what happened to the other sibling after they got separated! they were raised together. took care of each other. for awhile, all they knew was each other. they’re both mutants and their powers kind of reflect thanatos + hypnos, where tye is hypnos and the sibling has death-related powers like thanatos. the sibling can be half, full, adopted, fostered - whatever works. his url is svmnium if you wanna discuss things further! )

FABIAN TODD, our BOB MORLEY fc is looking for a BIO SIBLINGS ( 3 ) connection who looks like LIZA SOBERNO, JAMES REID, PARIS BERELC, KELSEY MERRITT, NICOLE ANDERSON, ASHLEY ARGOTA / ANY RELEVANT FC who is 18-25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( so they’re kids of mario falcone + his wife, though fabian doesn’t know it and doesn’t know they’re siblings because fabian was left in an alley not long after they’re birth. they probably won’t know that fabian is their sibling unless they became part of the crime amd mob part of their family,,, which would be really cool imo. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for a HALF SIBLING / CHILD OF TED GRANT & QUEEN HIPPOLYTA connection who looks like BLAKE JENNER, CASSADEE POPE, ODETTE ANNABLE / ANY HALF CUBAN, HALF WHITE FC who is YOUNGER or OLDER THAN 30. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( correct me if i’m wrong, but a child of ted “wildcat” grant and queen hippolyta of the amazons is… pretty hot, and i’d love to see them around the place ! this one is fun, because nadia has SUCH an appreciation for strong women as someone who was surrounded by them her whole life, and while this doesn’t mean she’s directly connected to wonderfam, it does mean she likes to think that she is, and probably cites herself as being “five percent wonder woman”. i’d like to think that while her relationship with thomas is more on the strained side - as he remembers her as her true self better than this version she’s become - there’s a chance she’s made more of an effort, here, out of sheer respect for their mother, and as such… means they could be MUCH closer, which is a dynamic that i’m here for. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for an OLDER HALF SIBLING / THOMAS BRONSON connection who looks like ANY FC AT LEAST HALF CUBAN who is 35+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( where thomas really followed in ted’s footsteps… nadia really tried to become her mother, version 2, and that - i think - makes for a pretty interesting sibling dynamic. one is textbook good. the other… morally grey, at the best of times. i’m sure there’s love shared, but nadia didn’t really grow up around many males, either - especially not a lot who were older than her and related to her, so i imagine that she’s spent a great deal of time trying to outdo him. who’s to say she has? her relationship with thomas is probably about as strained as a sibling relationship she has could be, and i’m… so into it. )

NADIA KYLE, our ANA DE ARMAS fc is looking for her MOTHER / SELINA KYLE who looks like MELISSA FUMERO, JOANNA GARCIA / ANY CUBAN FC who is OLD ENOUGH. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( it may be a little cliche, all considered - but there’s a reason that nadia has become the person that she is today, and that reason… is selina. the love she has for her mother, and the idolization that she’s always felt towards her, is unmatched. nadia’s upbringing was unique in that it wasn’t just isolated to selina & ted. rather, it was a combined effort of selina, ted, holly, eiko - and everyone had a huge role, but no one really ever outshone her mother. she’s always wanted to emulate her, because in nadia’s eyes, there’s no one better - and while she’s made mistakes in coming down this road, and while she’s done things that even selina probably can’t be proud of… it’s all been in hopes of both… being half the woman that her mother is, and being someone that selina is proud of. )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT  fc is looking for a TWIN connection who looks like AVAN JOGIA, ALIA BHATT, GERALDINE VISWANATHAN, JESSSE RATH, KELLY GALE, SEBASTIAN DE SOUZA, LIZA KOSHY / ANY FACE CLAIM, who is 23 YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( these two have always been close and taken care of each other. naomi’s about 30 minutes older than this twin, she was born on dec 31st and they were born on january 1st. think wanda & pietro as kids. they really just understood each other and have been attached at the hip since they could remember. naomi’s very introverted so it would be nice if the twin was more of an extrovert - but personality and everything is up to you! only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT fc is looking for a YOUNGER SIBLING connection who looks like HARRIS J, ALIA BHATT, KELLY GALE, GERALDINE VISWANATHAN, DAYA, CHARLI XCX / ANY FACE CLAIM who is 16-22. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( naomi has never been the best older sister, but she does try. it’s possible for them to not be close and be kind of awkward around each other since maybe they don’t know how to be around each other? but naomi loves her baby sibling, despite being bad at showing it. only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

NAOMI DANE-SUMMERS, our NAOMI SCOTT fc is looking for a OLDER HALF SIBLING ( VIA LORNA & MARCOS ) connection who looks like EIZA GONZALEZ, KARLA SOUZA, SEAN TEALE, CHLOE BRIDGES, DAVID LAMBERT, ASHTON MOIO, TYLER POSEY, PETER GADIOT, MICHAEL TREVINO / ANY FACE CLAIM who is 26+. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( naomi is quite close with marcos diaz so i definitely imagine these two having a sort of close-ish relationship. they’re not full siblings but that part has never been important in their family - they’ve always been siblings. only requirement is that if they have a mutant hair color that it’s not green - so pink, purple, blue, white, etc - all very cool! )

ROSARIO HILL, our MELISSA BARRERA fc, is looking for a YOUNGER HALF SIBLINGS / ADOPTED SIBLINGS ( 1 to 2 ) connection who looks like DIEGO TINOCO, TRINITY ANNE, EDEN ESTRADA, SOFIA REYES, CIERRA RAMRIEZ, ISSA LISH, DANNA PAOLA, ARIELA BARER, MANPREET MABRA, LAURA HARRIER, TRISTIN MAYS, LULU ANTARISKA, KEKE PALMER, TAZZY PHE, TINA TAMASHIRO, TOMMY MARTINEZ, MARLON LANGELAND / AT LEAST HALF MEXICAN IF BIO, ANY FACE IF ADOPTED who is UNDER 25 you DON’T have to contact prior to applying.

WINONA FALCONE, our SHAY MITCHELL fc is looking for a OLDER SIBLING connection who looks like UTP / ANY HALF FILIPINO FC who is 27+ YEARS OLD. you DON’T have to contact prior to applying. ( the oldest falcone ! mwahaha. so it’s this whole big thing that WINONA IS THE HEIR, but she wasn’t always. she has an older sibling who was disinherited from the family & cast out. a big ole family disgrace that none of them like to talk about. the reason behind this is up to you ! but it can range from being a MUTANT to a DEGENERATE to being SOFT to whatever. sofia is a pretty uptight gal. )

[puntofijogossip-blog]

Dinosaur books!

More dinosaur books. After I finished Jurassic Park, I started reading Crichton’s bio and realised he had written a sequel – The Lost World. While checking on Amazon, the search result also showed The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. I was so surprised and even more surprised when I read the outline and realised that Conan Doyle too wrote an adventure story with dinosaurs! What fun! So I ordered both. I loved both books and I can’t believe I was not even interested in dinosaurs for so long! Funny how things change over the years – a person’s character and a person’s love for dinosaurs :).

Due to the order in which I read these books, I saw a funny contrast. A book written in 1995 and then a book written in 1912. A book with Sarah Harding and then a book with Gladys Hungerton. Sarah is a brilliant, no-nonsense and fearless biologist. Gladys is a professor’s daughter wishing only to marry a famous man. I absolutely loved Sarah’s character and her actions in Crichton’s book and to read of Gladys after her, was a big shock. I cringed whenever I read Gladys’ dialogues in Conan Doyle’s book in the first chapter. However, I had to remind myself that this was a book written in 1912, women really didn’t have any freedom to go anywhere and do anything and it was Gladys’ bad luck that she was born in that century and was the woman she was. Plus, she was Conan Doyle’s version of a woman and not really his view of ALL the women then 🙂 ( at least I hope not). Still, it was jarring to me. Now that I’m done with the book, I actually feel sorry for Gladys – maybe she did have a great spirit of adventure and danger and seeking the unknown and risking your life for those moments that make you FEEL alive – except due to the society and her upbringing, it was twisted and it finally projected out as only a childish wish to marry a famous man who had the freedom to actually go out and see danger and adventure in his life. This was a good lesson for me to learn and appreciate, when I looked at both books together. Gladys words ( that made me dislike her at first, but now I just see a suppressed adventurer, wanting to live vicariously through the man in her life :(. ): "It is never a man that I should love, but always the glories he had won; for they would be reflected upon me. Think of Richard Burton! When I read his wife’s life of him I could so understand her love! And Lady Stanley! Did you ever read the wonderful last chapter of that book about her husband? These are the sort of men that a woman could worship with all her soul, and yet be the greater, not the less, on account of her love, honored by all the world as the inspirer of noble deeds."

"If I marry, I do want to marry a famous man!"

"There are heroisms all round us waiting to be done. It’s for men to do them, and for women to reserve their love as a reward for such men. Look at that young Frenchman who went up last week in a balloon. It was blowing a gale of wind; but because he was announced to go he insisted on starting. The wind blew him fifteen hundred miles in twenty-four hours, and he fell in the middle of Russia. That was the kind of man I mean. Think of the woman he loved, and how other women must have envied her! That’s what I should like to be,–envied for my man."

Sarah’s words ( totally loved this character): In the darkened trailer, Kelly was frightened, but she was reassured at the no-nonsense way Sarah talked about weapons. And Kelly was beginning to see that Sarah didn’t let anything stop her, she just went and did it. This whole attitude of not letting other people stop you, of believing that you could do what you wanted, was something she found herself imitating.

"That’s very good," Harding said. "I think these people owe you their lives." "Not really," Kelly said, with a little shrug. Sarah shot her a look. "All your life, other people will try to take your accomplishments away from you. Don’t you take it away from yourself."

Here are my favorite bits from The Lost World, Michael Crichton:

Malcolm’s reply was immediate: "What makes you think human beings are sentient and aware? There’s no evidence for it. Human beings never think for themselves they find it too uncomfortable. For the most part, members of our species simply repeat what they are told -and become upset if they are exposed to any different view. The characteristic human trait is not awareness but conformity, and the characteristic result is religious warfare. Other animals fight for territory or food; but, uniquely in the animal kingdom, human beings fight for their ‘beliefs.’ The reason is that beliefs guide behavior, which has evolutionary importance among human beings. But at a time when our behavior may, well lead us to extinction, I see no reason to assume we have any awareness at all. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion. Next question."

Guitierrez shrugged. "I don’t know, but the whole attitude toward research has changed, Richard. It’s very noticeable here. Costa Rica has one of the richest ecologies in the world. Half a million species in twelve distinct environmental habitats. Five percent of all the species on the planet are represented here. This country has been a biological research center for years, and I can tell you, things have changed. In the old days, the people who came here were dedicated scientists with a passion to learn about something for its own sake-howler monkeys, or polistine wasps, or the sombrilla plant. These people had chosen their field because they cared about it. They certainly weren’t going to get rich. But now, everything in the biosphere is potentially valuable. Nobody knows where the next drug is coming from, so drug companies fund all sorts of research. Maybe a bird egg has a protein that makes it waterproof. Maybe a spider produces a peptide that inhibits blood clotting. Maybe the waxy surface of a fern contains a painkiller. It happens often enough that attitudes toward research have changed. People aren’t studying the natural world any more, they’re mining it. It’s a looter mentality. Anything new or unknown is automatically of interest, because it might have value. It might be worth a fortune."

These kids were smart, they were enthusiastic, and they were young enough so that the schools hadn’t destroyed all their interest in learning. They could still actually use their brains, which in Thorne’s view was a sure sign they hadn’t yet completed a formal education.

In the end, their differences came down to personalities. Malcolm considered Levine pedantic and fussy, preoccupied with petty details. Levine never saw the big picture. He never looked at the consequences of his actions. For his own part, Levine did not hesitate to call Malcolm imperious and detached, indifferent to details. "God is in the details," Levine once reminded him. "Maybe your God," Malcolm shot back. "Not mine. Mine is in the process."

"Now, if this picture makes sense, where does natural selection act? Does it act on the body, enlarging the brain? Does it act on the developmental sequence, pushing the kids out early? Does it act on social behavior, provoking cooperation and child-caring? Or does it act everywhere all at once – on bodies, on development, and on social behavior?" "Everywhere at once," Arby said.

She stood up. "You know about George Schaller?" "Sure. He studied pandas." "Right. Pandas, and before that, snow leopards and lions and gorillas. He’s the most important animal researcher in the twentieth century-and you know how he works?" Kelly shook her head. "Before he goes into the field, George reads everything that’s ever been written about the animal he’s going to study. Popular books, newspaper accounts, scientific papers, everything. Then he goes out and observes the animal for himself. And you know what he usually finds?" She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. "That nearly everything that’s been written or said is wrong. Like the gorilla. George studied mountain gorillas ten years before Diane Fossey ever thought of it. And he found that what was believed about gorillas was exaggerated, or misunderstood, or just plain fantasy – like the idea that you couldn’t take women on gorilla expeditions, because the gorillas would rape them, Wrong. Everything…just… wrong." Sarah finished tying her boots, and stood. "So, Kelly, even at your young age, there’s something you might as well learn now. All your life people will tell you things. And most of the time, probably ninety-five percent of the time, what they’ll tell you will be wrong." Kelly said nothing. She felt oddly disheartened to hear this. "It’s a fact of life," Sarah said. "Human beings are just stuffed full of misinformation. So it’s hard to know who to believe. I know how you feel."

" Do you realize the limits of our understanding? Mathematically, we can describe two things interacting, like two planets in space. Three things interacting – three planets in space – well, that becomes a problem. Four or five things interacting, we can’t really do it. And inside the cell, there’s one hundred thousand things interacting. You have to throw up your hands. It’s so complex – how is it even possible that life ever happens at all?"

"This idea that the whole world is wired together is mass death. Every biologist knows that small groups in isolation evolve fastest. You put a thousand birds on an ocean island and they’ll evolve very fast. You put ten thousand on a big continent, and their evolution slows down. Now, for our own species, evolution occurs mostly through our behavior. We innovate new behavior to adapt. And everybody on earth knows that innovation only occurs in small groups. Put three people on a committee and they may get something done. Ten people, and it gets harder. Thirty people, and nothing happens. Thirty million, it becomes impossible. That’s the effect of mass media – it keeps anything from happening. Mass media swamps diversity. It makes every place the same. Bangkok or Tokyo or London: there’s a McDonald’s on one corner, a Benneton on another, a Gap across the street. Regional differences vanish. All differences vanish. In a mass-media world, there’s less of everything except the top ten books, records, movies, ideas. People worry about losing species diversity in the rain forest. But what about intellectual diversity – our most necessary resource? That’s disappearing faster than trees. But we haven’t figured that out, so now we’re planning to put five billion people together in cyberspace. And it’ll freeze the entire species. Everything will stop dead in its tracks. Everyone will think the same thing at the same time. Global uniformity."

"Are you listening to all that?" Thorne said. "I wouldn’t take any of it too seriously. It’s just theories. Human beings can’t help making them, but the fact is that theories are just fantasies. And they change. When America was a new country, people believed in something called phlogiston. You know what that is? No? Well, it doesn’t matter, because it wasn’t real anyway. They also believed that four humors controlled behavior. And they believed that the earth was only a few thousand years old. Now we believe the earth is four billion years old, and we believe in photons and electrons, and we think human behavior is controlled by things like ego and self-esteem. We think those beliefs are more scientific and better." "Aren’t they?" Thorne shrugged. "They’re still just fantasies. They’re not real. Have you ever seen a self-esteem? Can you bring me one on a plate? How about a photon? Can you bring me one of those?" Kelly shook her head. "No, but…" "And you never will, because those things don’t exist. No matter how seriously people take them," Thorne said. "A hundred years from now, people will look back at us and laugh. They’ll say, ‘You know what people used to believe? They believed in photons and electrons. Can you imagine anything so silly?’ They’ll have a good laugh, because by then there will be newer and better fantasies."

Here are my favorite bits from The Lost World, Arthur Conan Doyle:

"South America is a place I love, and I think, if you take it right through from Darien to Fuego, it’s the grandest, richest, most wonderful bit of earth upon this planet. People don’t know it yet, and don’t realize what it may become. I’ve been up an’ down it from end to end, and had two dry seasons in those very parts, as I told you when I spoke of the war I made on the slave-dealers. Well, when I was up there I heard some yarns of the same kind–traditions of Indians and the like, but with somethin’ behind them, no doubt. The more you knew of that country, young fellah, the more you would understand that anythin’ was possible–anythin’! There are just some narrow water-lanes along which folk travel, and outside that it is all darkness. Now, down here in the Matto Grande"–he swept his cigar over a part of the map–"or up in this corner where three countries meet, nothin’ would surprise me. As that chap said to-night, there are fifty-thousand miles of water-way runnin’ through a forest that is very near the size of Europe. You and I could be as far away from each other as Scotland is from Constantinople, and yet each of us be in the same great Brazilian forest. Man has just made a track here and a scrape there in the maze. Why, the river rises and falls the best part of forty feet, and half the country is a morass that you can’t pass over. Why shouldn’t somethin’ new and wonderful lie in such a country? And why shouldn’t we be the men to find it out?"

With much labor we got our things up the steps, and then, looking back, took one last long survey of that strange land, soon I fear to be vulgarized, the prey of hunter and prospector, but to each of us a dreamland of glamour and romance, a land where we had dared much, suffered much, and learned much–our land, as we shall ever fondly call it. Along upon our left the neighboring caves each threw out its ruddy cheery firelight into the gloom. From the slope below us rose the voices of the Indians as they laughed and sang. Beyond was the long sweep of the woods, and in the center, shimmering vaguely through the gloom, was the great lake, the mother of strange monsters. Even as we looked a high whickering cry, the call of some weird animal, rang clear out of the darkness. It was the very voice of Maple White Land bidding us good-bye. We turned and plunged into the cave which led to home.

PS: I was dreaming that someone should write a story where Gladys and Sarah team up and go on a dinosaur adventure of their own. And I was really hoping someone would have written more of Lord John Roxton and Edward Malone’s new adventures…

Posted by solarisgirl on 2018-10-27 13:35:05

Tagged: , books , book , The Lost World , Crichton , Conan , Doyle , bed

The post Dinosaur books! appeared first on Good Info.

[justlookatthosesausages]

“Memoirs” (post-Frozen 2 Time Travel AU)

Based on @niyana-the-ambiguous-mobian’s prompt: A time travel prompt with Anna and Elsa witnessing the day the Spirits cut off the Enchanted Forest and see their parents before their lives changed forever.

======= CHAPTER 1 =======

Elsa blinked, looking around. That flash had blinded her a bit, and when she looked around for her sister to make sure she was still near and safe, she saw by her flickering eyes that she was as startled as her.

“Uhm… What the heck just happened?” Asked Anna.

Before the blonde made any speculations, she frowned and scolded her sister.

“I told you to not touch that rock.”

“But it was shiny!” Complained Anna, and she had a sorry pout. Her curiosity had led them in a weird situation… And it wasn’t the first time it did.

Elsa sighed, then looked around as she thought. “I know those woods by heart now. I’ve never seen this rock before. And it was emanating a big amount of magic.”

“It was glowing a lot. I can easily imagine it was.” Nodded Anna.

The Snow Queen tried to understand what happened. Her younger had bent to pick up the rock, and then suddenly a flash covered them, but… Nothing seemed to have changed. The woods around them looked the same, and they were still standing at the same place.

Elsa’s eyes narrowed when she then noticed something.

“Wasn’t that tree… Way bigger when we passed by it?”

Anna turned at her gesture, and nodded. “Yep.”

The redhead then pointed at the sky. “The clouds also completely changed, for some reason.”

Elsa lifted her hand and didn’t notice much difference, yet trusted her. She hadn’t paid attention to the sky, and on that, she congratulated her sister for her sense of observation. Anna also knew the name of the different types of clouds. Even if that knowledge came from years of boredom due to the isolation, it still was impressive. She nodded.

“Yeah. The clouds are different. It’s weird. Did… Time pass? Did we faint?”

Anna held her chin as she thought. “I don’t remember falling down. I was getting up when the flash happened, so it’s not that. Also, the sun still has the same position, no?”

“It does. You’re right.”

The Queen smiled. “Look, I’m sorry for touching that magic rock. But we’re both safe, so maybe we should go back to the camp and ask if they saw something different.”

Elsa agreed with her decision. They walked back to the Sami camp from where they had taken a walk, and the Fifth Spirit heard a tinkling between the trees on their right. She also felt in the air that it was Gale, and she smiled.

“Maybe we could ask Gale if they noticed something.”

They walked to the Spirit.

“Oh, they’re playing with a kid.” Said Anna.

The sisters now were a hundred meters away from them, but they still hadn’t noticed their presence. The Wind Spirit and the child, apparently a girl, were too busy having fun to do so.

“Wait… I’ve seen that face somewhere.” Frowned Anna, bending her head in confusion. “Is she one of the Northuldra kids?”

She tried to remember where she saw that child’s face before, and as she was playing with Gale and moving around in flips, it was hard to look at her face.

Then it suddenly hit her. And apparently, it hit Elsa at the same time. They instantly stopped walking.

“It’s Mother.” They both exhaled at the same time, and gasped in disbelief.

There was no doubt. She looked exactly like the ice statues of her they had seen again and again in Ahtohallan on their regular visits.

“Elsa, it’s…” Started Anna, a smile stretching her lips.

She was about to say ‘miraculous’, but her elder ended the sentence in another way.

“…Impossible.”

They turned to each other, and exchanged a glance.

“What do you mean?”

“How… How is she here? It can’t be.” Now whispered Elsa, to make sure that Iduna wasn’t hearing them. She also made sure that her magic was low, keeping a full control on it, to not warn Gale of her presence.

“It can’t be? Come on, you were born with magic. Anything is possible. Look! It’s amazing!”

She pointed at their mother, for now only a teen, and she was giggling in the distance with a melodious Wind Spirit who also shared her joy.

“How are we here then?”

“Well, we probably time traveled.”

“Time travel doesn’t exist, Anna! We’re not in one of your fantasy novels!” Blinked Elsa with a frown, trying to keep things logical and facts-based.

Anna shook her head with an eye-roll. “You’re able to see memories of the past, but this surprises you?”

She walked forward. “Come on, I’m done whispering. It’s Mama right there, I’ve always dreamed of this moment! We can talk to her!”

“No, no no no.” Forbid Elsa, placing her arm in front of her younger sister.

“What? Why?”

The Snow Queen couldn’t believe she was asking that question.

“Have you never read time traveling novels??” Grumbled Elsa.

“You just said earlier that I did. Of course I did. You’re contradicting yourself now.” Mocked Anna, even if she knew that it was rhetorical.  

“Then you must remember that in every story, when the hero interacts with past events, it alters the future.”

“Yeah, in stories.” Underlined the Queen.

“No, you don’t get it! In life too! - I can’t believe I’m stating this, but…” Interrupted herself Elsa. “…Anna, we can’t talk to our mother right now. We just can’t. We shouldn’t. Otherwise, everything will change in the future. In our future. Maybe… Maybe even none of us will be born.”

Anna considered each of her words, taking the news in. She was right… But not completely.

“…Then why are we here?”

“Because you touched a magic rock!” Reminded Elsa.

“No, I mean… Why are we here, alive? If changing the past changes the future, our present time, then we can’t exist in our version, right?”

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Then opened it again, then closed it again. “Oh.”

“Is it a time paradox?” Understood Anna.

“It totally is a time paradox.” Sighed Elsa, closing her eyes.

“Don’t go dramatic. It’s good news. It means that we can intervene!”

“No, it doesn’t really work that way…” Started Elsa.

Suddenly, it was like the air snapped. Something completely changed. In one second, the whole situation flipped.

Elsa’s head quickly turned when she heard the familiar - too familiar - sound of steel from swords getting drawn.

“Oh no.”

“What?!” Worried Anna, who also felt that something was happening, but couldn’t tell what yet.

Gale had stopped playing with Iduna, who got dropped on her feet to the ground, and left behind by the Wind Spirit who hurried away. Some yells and grunts were heard in the distance, but it was too far to see what it was.

“It’s today.” Muttered Elsa, her eyes filling with tears. Sad, panicked and powerless tears.

The Queen frowned, then gasped when she understood. Iduna frowned in confusion at why the Spirit had left her, and heard the noises from afar, so she followed them.

“No, she shouldn’t go where the fight is!” Exclaimed Anna, way too loud.

Iduna jolted at her voice, closer than the noises she heard before, and quickly turned to where the sisters where standing. Elsa gasped and strongly grabbed Anna to drag her behind a thick tree. Thankfully, they were far enough for their young mother to not spot them.

“Elsa! What are you– hm-hmmm!” Got muffled Anna, Elsa slamming a hand on her mouth.

“Shhh!” Warned the blonde, her eyes wide.

She peeked behind the tree to see if Iduna had walked closer, and the girl still was searching where the voice had come from.

“E-hah!” Tried to say Anna, her mouth still under Elsa’s hand.

Her elder gestured her to stay silent with a finger on her own lips.

“E-HAH!” Insisted Anna, gesturing at the hand Elsa had on her face, and trying to get free of her hold.

“SHHHH! Will you shush up? You’re going to get us caught!” Whispered Elsa on the lowest tone possible despite her panic and anger.

She looked at Iduna, but thankfully, though for the worst, she got distracted by the growing sounds of battle and ran to go help.

After making sure that their mother had ran away and they were alone in that corner of the woods again, she let go of Anna’s mouth. The later gasped of relief as she did so, panting.

“What is wrong with you?” Frowned Elsa. “She almost saw us! Why were you wriggling like that?!”

The redhead intensely rubbed her cheeks and mouth with her hands, trying to heat them.

“Your hand was SUPER COLD!”

Elsa’s eyes widened at the sudden realization.

“Oh my goodness!! I didn’t notice, I… I was so stressed that I made magic in my palms, and… Oh Anna, I’m so sorry!!”

She hurried to check her state.

“I’m alright.” Assured Anna, still rubbing her face however. “This just feels like I plunged my head into the fjord. This is fine.”

Elsa had a worried and sorry eyebrows expression, and clenched her fists to take all magic off her hands. She then rubbed them along her younger sister’s arms, apologizing in loops.

This made Anna laugh, but her laughter stopped when they heard the fight between the Northuldra and the Arendelle soldiers getting closer.

They looked at the fight that was playing a crucial part in their common past.

“Come on, we have to hide.” Advised Elsa, showing bushes a bit further. “We’ll wait here for now, and then cross the mist on the other way once it’s formed. We’ll just have to hold hands and it will part.”

“Wait, you want us to leave?!” Blurted Anna, eyes growing wide.

“We should. The forest stayed this way for more than 30 years, and we can’t change the course of events by hiding inside… What do you think?” Elsa inquired, trying to build a plan.

The redhead wasn’t responding, her eyes still wide and staring at the fight. She had just spotted their parents in the battle now arriving close. She also recognized the Arendelle soldiers in younger versions of themselves, and some Northuldra people as well.

But she gulped when she saw how events turned.

Mattias was struggling to protect Agnarr. Even if she knew that he would make it, according to the future, she couldn’t help but worry. And Iduna looked panicked, frantically looking around and confused at why the Arendelle soldiers suddenly attacked.

That was too much for Anna. Her natural and legendary impatience forced her body to move. She turned and already launched herself for a sprint.

“NO, ANNA!” Muttered Elsa, her voice strong but wheezing to keep it as low as a whisper.

Anna got restrained by a hand holding hers firmly, and her whole body stopped in one jerk at Elsa’s force. She almost lost her balance, surprised by her sister’s strength.

“What are you DOING?” The Queen said through gritted teeth as she twirled around.

“Preventing you from doing a big mistake.”

“But we can HELP! We can save them!”

“NO, we CAN’T!” Insisted Elsa. “Imagine what would happen if–”

“If we change the future? Yes, I got it. But if we’re alive, it means that we made it. Nothing changed.”

Elsa shook her head. “No. Nothing changed because we stayed here and did nothing. Nothing changed because we will do nothing.” She clarified.

Anna looked at her, and there was a long silence between them as they stared at each other. Only the distant sound of battle punctuated it. Elsa sighed with a shaking breath.

“Anna, you have no idea how much I want to change the past too. When I saw Mama, I just wanted to run to her and take care of her. But…”

The redhead had thought that Elsa was getting bossy and a killjoy, but her eyes now were filling with genuine tears.

“…We can’t. I’m sorry.”

Another silence filled the space between them.

“Don’t. Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault. I’m actually sorry myself for pushing you.” Murmured the Queen.

She turned to the battle, a sad yet decisive expression on her face.

“Okay, where’s your hiding spot?”

Elsa smiled at Anna’s choice of vocabulary to light up their mood.

“Over there. Nobody will see us.”

They crouched on the grass, Elsa in lotus position and Anna sitting with her legs bent and her chin on her knees.

“And now we wait?”

“And now we wait.” Nodded Elsa.