#kingdom of the west franks

[dreamconsumer]

Louis V (c. 967-987), proclaimed King of France under the protection of Hugh Capet, future King of France, in 986. Drawn and engraved by Ambroise Tardieu in 1825.

[genillustrate]

The House of Capet. 987-1328

The Capetian dinasty was the first French dinasty resulting after the death of Louis V (c.967-987) last Frankish king of the Carolingian Empire. In my HC, this Frankish personification is father of both France and HRE, and also Austria. After the colapse of the Carolingian empire, the Kingdom of Francia disappeared and the empire was partitioned in three big territories; West Francia (France), East Francia (HRE) and Middle Francia (the territories that the both of them will be fighting for in the centuries to come, the Benelux spawned from those territorial wars in between them, as well and Switzerland and everything in between).

France and the Holy Roman Empire would become natural enemies, then, as Franco's inheritance would be the same as that of the Carolingian Empire; to become the next Roman Empire. And both kingdoms would spend the rest of the centuries until the World Wars trying to achieve that inherited goal. It has a name, in fact; Franco-German enmity.

Hence, then, the name Holy Roman Empire, from the intentions to become the next great empire uniting the three continents. France is the older son, by the way. The Frank had... a little favoritism towards the youngest, because it was identical to him. And more visibly German, of course. This fueled the competition between the two and the hereditary and historic animosity between the two "princes". It was the Franks that started the monarchical rule, feudalism and the hereditary rule for the sons in Europe. So France, HRE and Austria would be the first princes, haha.

[book--brackets]

The BFG by Roald Dahl (1982)

Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. 

When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!

Graceling Realm by Kristen Cashore (2008-2022)

Graceling tells the story of the vulnerable-yet-strong Katsa, who is smart and beautiful and lives in the Seven Kingdoms where selected people are born with a Grace, a special talent that can be anything at all. Katsa's Grace is killing. As the king's niece, she is forced to use her extreme skills as his brutal enforcer. Until the day she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, and Katsa's life begins to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Oz by L. Frank Baum (1900-1920)

Join Dorothy and her little dog Toto on the yellow brick road, as they set off to explore the magical Land of Oz. Can they find the Wizard, defeat the Wicked Witch of the West, and return to Kansas?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (1997)

Catch a fallen star . . .

Tristran Thorn promised to bring back a fallen star. So he sets out on a journey to fulfill the request of his beloved, the hauntingly beautiful Victoria Forester--and stumbles into the enchanted realm that lies beyond the wall of his English country town. Rich with adventure and magic, Stardust is one of master storyteller Neil Gaiman's most beloved tales, and the inspiration for the hit movie.

Inkworld by Cornelia Funke (2003-2023)

One cruel night, Meggie's father reads aloud from a book called INKHEART-- and an evil ruler escapes the boundaries of fiction and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books. Meggie must learn to harness the magic that has conjured this nightmare. For only she can change the course of the story that has changed her life forever. 

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (1997)

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983)

This is not a fairy-tale. This is about real witches. Real witches don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, cunning, detestable creatures who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies. So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Well, if you don't know yet you'd better find out quickly-because there's nothing a witch loathes quite as much as children and she'll wield all kinds of terrifying powers to get rid of them.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (2010-2012)

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.  One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.  Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set?has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe -- a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Discworld by Terry Pratchett (1983-2015)

In the beginning there was… a turtle.

 Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different.

 Particularly as it’s carried through space on the back of a giant turtle.

 It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc’s very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the world’s first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land.

 Unfortunately, the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death, is a spectacularly inept wizard…

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (2011-2014)

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

[variouspolltournaments]

Submissions Closed

Next up is the Villain Protagonists Tournament. So long as the protagonist is, was or becomes a villain, they count here.

Submit a Villain Protagonist, along with where they come from and (if you want) propaganda through ask or submit a post.

Submissions will be closing on the 12th of June. Will be doing prelims on the same day, scratch that I'll be doing as many prelims as I can before submissions close, any left over will be done the day of the submissions closing. This is because there a few submissions I'm not sure about.

Top 4 submissions are the ones I submitted myself.

@tournament-announcer

Submissions in bold have propaganda, submissions not in bold do not have propaganda. Whether they do or do not have some already, you are still free to submit some. Those with a line through their name were eliminated in the prelims.

SUBMISSIONS:

Ellen: The Witch's House/The Diary of Ellen

Light Yagami: Death Note

Roxie Hart: Chicago

Alex Wake: Beyond Eden

Yato: Noragami

Koro-sensei: Assassination Classroom

Bucky Barnes: Avengers

Xeno Wingfield: Doctor Stone

Victor Vale: Vicious

Barry Lyndon: Barry Lyndon

Footsoldier D: Go Go Loser Ranger

Medea: Euripedes Medea

Taylor Hebert: Worm

Scourge: Warrior Cats

Tigerstar: Warrior Cats

Megamind: Megamind

Setsuna Higashi: Fresh Precure

Invader Zim: Invader Zim

Valkyrie Cain: Skulduggery Pleasant

William James Moriarty: Moriarty the Patriot

GoodTimesWithScar: Secret Life.

Shen Qingqiu: Scum Villain's Self Saving System

Nimona: Nimona

Ballister Blackheart: Nimona

Artemis Fowl: The Fowl Adventures

Vegeta: Dragon Ball Z

Hiei: Yu Yu Hakusho

Gru: Despicable Me

Dr. Horrible: Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog

Wu Zetian: Iron Widow

Magneto: X-Men

Catherine Foundling: A Practical Guide to Evil.

Nick: Anna and the Apocalypse

Elphaba Thropp: Wicked

The Batter: OFF!

HAL 9000: Space Odyssey

Anakin Skywalker: Star Wars

Darkstalker: Wings of Fire

Alastor: Hazbin Hotel

Zhou Zishu: Word of Honor/Faraway Wanderers

Mr. Wolf: The Bad Guys

Jafar: Twisted

Sauron: Lord of the Rings

Morgoth: The Silmirilion

The Witch of the Waste: Howl's Moving Castle

Dracula: Dracula

Hades: Disney's Hercules

Hannibal Lecter: Hannibal

Heinz Doofenshmirtz: Phineas and Ferb

Raistlin Majere: Dragonlance

Petey: Dog Man

Eric Draven: The Crow

Ainz Ooal Gown: Overlord

Harley Quinn: Harley Quinn 2019

Dexter Morgan: Dexter

Hector con Carne: Evil Con Carne

Mandy: The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy

Rick Sanchez: Rick & Morty

Rusty Venture: The Venture Bros

Eric Cartman: South Park

Utena Hiiragi: Gushing Over Magical Girls

Yuno Gasai: Future Diary

Lucy: Elfen Lied

Belkar Bitterleaf: Order of the Stick

Tomie: Tomie

Punie Tanaka: Magical Witch Punie-chan

Azazel: Yondemasu Yo! Azazel-san

Lucifer: Sin: Seven Mortal Sins

Venom: Venom comics

Ren Hoek: Ren & Stimpy

Demitri Maximoff: Darkstalkers

Sweet Tooth: Twisted Metal

Slappy: Goosebumps Slappyworld

The Warden: Superjail!

Herbert West: Re-Animator

Joker: Joker 2019

Patrick Bateman: American Psycho

Monami: Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl

Sagiri Tengai: Korokoro Soushi

Shion Sonozaki: Higurashi When They Cry

Ai Enma: Hell Girl

Johnny C.: Johnny the Homicidal Maniac

Lenore: Lenore the Cute Little Dead Girl

Takuyoshi Masuoka: Marebito

Deadshot: Secret Six

Catman: Secret Six

Scandal Savage: Secret Six

Ragdoll: Secret Six

Bane: Secret Six

Jeanette: Secret Six

Dennis Reynolds: Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Dee Reynolds: Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Frank Reynolds: Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Charlie Kelly: Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Mac McDonald: Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Zhu Yuanzhang: She Who Became the Sun/The Radiant Emperor

Baru Cormorant: The Traitor Baru Cormorant/The Masquerade

Penelope Akk: Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Supervillain

Li Hongzhang: Towards the Republic

Empress Dowager Cixi: Towards the Republic

Cao Cao: Three Kingdoms

Mapleshade: Warrior Cats

Quenthel Baenre: War of the Spider Queen

Jeggred Baenre: War of the Spider Queen

Pharaun Mizzry: War of the Spider Queen

Ryld Argith: War of the Spider Queen

Halisstra Melarn: War of the Spider Queen

Danifae Yauntyrr: War of the Spider Queen

Valas Hune: War of the Spider Queen

Victor Frankenstein: Frankenstein

Adam,Frankenstein’s Monster: Frankenstein

Zuko: Avatar: the Last Airbender

Horus Lupercal: Horus Heresy

Lorgar Aurelian Horus Heresy

Angron: Horus Heresy

Mortarion: Horus Heresy

Magnus the Red: Horus Heresy

Fulgrim: Horus Heresy

Perturabo: Horus Heresy

Konrad Kurze: Horus Heresy

Alpharius Omegan: Horus Heresy

Vorx: The Lords of Silence

Lucius the Eternal: Lucius: The Faultless Blade

Fabius Bile: The Fabius Bile Trilogy

Honsou: Iron Warriors series

Talos Valcoran: Night Lords series

Asdrubael Vect: Path of the Dark Eldar trilogy

Ufthak Blackhawk: Brutal Kunnin/Da Big Dakka

Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka: Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh!

Trazyn the Infinite: The Infinite and the Divine

Orikan the Diviner: The Infinite and the Divine

Cryptosporidium-137: Destroy All Humans

Han Jaeho: The Merciless

[thebadboyfanclub]

All For The Motherland (Aemond x Reader)

This was requested by the brilliant @arkainea it was such a great request and I had so much fun writing it. Also I would suggest listening to Alexander rybak fairytale. Enjoy

Tales of the far dark lands of the mossovy world were whispered among all of Westeros, some mothers would even make up stories of demons of the mossovy that traveled in the night to capture naughty children or the ones that did not sleep to get their toddlers to bed.

Not even the wisest of maesters could speak with certainty of what occupied that part of the land, to be frank, they also did not intend to find out any time soon, it was easier to say that it was demonic creatures and shapeshifters that ate souls of the innocent.

But, every story has two sides. Mossovy, the matriarch kingdom, was ruled by women and occupied by them entirely, the witches protected the kingdom with spells and did not care to join the mess that was Westeros.

Until (y/n) was born, the daughter of the queen, the labor was quite the event as the women held the queens' hands while a witch lost in her trance waited patiently for the babe, all it could be heard was the queens' grunts of pain and the witch’s mumbling as the ancestors whispered in her ears.

“The princess of the dark, the conqueror of the west has arrived my queen”

(Y/n) had managed to send shivers down the women’s spine ever since she was born, one cry is all it took for the palace windows to shatter, the babe would only sleep during the morning, while her red hues were open all night.

Her mother loved her, yet (y/n) could identify the fear upon her mother's gaze early, the only one that truly loved (y/n) was the witch that whispered the prophecy when she was brought into this world, the woman that blessed her when she cut the cord, the woman that had seen the babes future the second she held her.

“Do I truly have to go?”

“You were born to make Mossovy proud, you are destined to rule, and to do that you must ride west, I will be with you every step of the way, and soon enough you will come back to us as the queen of all the kingdoms”

The eldest witch promised before she placed a motherly kiss on the young one's forehead, (y/n) had been pressured into keeping a low profile for so long, cast aside while everyone frowned upon her power, if the elders' words held the truth, (y/n) would be content.

-

The Targaryen family had just sat down to break their fast when news arrived of giant birds circling their castle, a frightened knight had alerted the royal family about a crow, a hawk, an owl, a vulture, and an eagle landing in front of the red keep, their riders demanding an audience with the king and queen.

(Y/n) walked into the throne room with her and held her high while her guards stayed close to her, everyone’s eyebrows raised at the presence of the young woman, they had no clue who she was and where she came from. Still, she looked like a queen as she stopped in front of king Viserys who sat on the iron throne.

“Your grace, it is a pleasure to finally meet you”

“I could say the same, my lady, if I knew who you are”

“(Y/n) odwin, we rode for two days from our homeland, I am sure you have heard of Mossovy”

Mutter coming from the court that was present took over her ears. The mysterious veil was finally lifted and what was behind it left them terrified, a smirk decorated her lips while her eyes pierced through the old king.

The house odwin ruled Mossovy for as long as anyone remembered, the history of women running away from slavery or any type of abuse and making a home as far as humanly possible, their words revealed everything that should be said

“All for the motherland”

They worshipped Mother Nature who blessed them with the gift of magic, they found power in witchcraft, it protected their daughters, it kept them healthy and barely touched by the hand of time.

(Y/n) guessed that technically she was older than the king, a man that was barely keeping his eyes open from the illness, if he could make it back to her homeland the witches would probably be able to nurture him back to health.

“Mossovy? You must have me for a fool if you even thought I would believe such lies”

“Why would I lie about it? I believe you wish I lied perhaps of the way we chose to step back and did not take any part in the pointless wars you have created to kill one another, understandably so a certain unwarranted cruelty is expected from your kind”

“My kind?”

“Mankind your grace”

“You are overstepping young lady”

“It’s the princess (y/n) and I am not overstepping anything, you called me a liar so I defended my own”

She relished this moment, to oppose a supposed king that looks so frail and defeated by a plague, yet he thought because his bum warmed a seat made of iron swords made him invincible and demanded respect. She wanted to laugh at him, belittle him, though her upbringing forbade such antics until it was necessary.

“If you are from the land of Mossovy, what are you doing here?”

“We want an alliance, there has been a plethora of attempted invasions recently and it is time to end this once and for all”

“I have not commanded any of my scouts to travel to your land, are you certain of those events or is it just a mere misunderstanding on your end?”

“the invaders came from Essos, they did not go far thankfully our army is strong, and we have managed to protect our own yet we must admit that the enemy is getting stronger as years go by, it will certainly help if we also had your muscle brains of men”

“Enlighten me, young princess, why should we align ourselves with your kingdom? All we know of you is that you came in flying on humongous birds and that your land is the home for demons”

“I am well aware of the hushed tales that have been whispered for my home and I do not blame you, women who unapologetically took authority and simply act the way the opposite gender has assumed that it should act, the only demonic act that we have committed is that we are women”

Viserys was in a tough spot, he had named his daughter as heir which was scandalous, leaving her in a position that could cause a stir, the young woman that stood before him spoke of a land that was run entirely by females, a matriarch kingdom that had managed to stay hidden for centuries.

He was not getting any younger, once he passed an alliance with such land could be extremely useful for Rhaenyra, to already show a land that prevailed under the hand of a woman could back her claim.

“Very well, I only have one condition”

“Which is?”

“You bend the knee to my daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, my heir”

“I would be delighted to pay my respects to the future queen, I cannot wait to meet her”

-

(Y/n) grew fond of the kingdom, specifically, she was intrigued by their dragons, such marvelous creatures and what was even better was that she realised that they were summoned by magic, the act that the king now frowned upon was what brought him to power.

She had wished to go out for a stroll around the premises when the sound of steel clashing made her ears perk up. Her eyes shifted towards that direction while her legs guided her closer to the circle of people, soon enough she discovered prince Aemond part taking in a duel with one of the kings guards, the men danced around one another, it was quite a sight of you were incompetent in battle, his movements were shifted enough but not as clean to get him out of a battlefield alive.

The crowd cheered for the one-eyed prince who had managed to disarm the guard, what interrupted the moment of applause was (y/n)s meek giggle, “amateurs” she thought.

“Princess (y/n), would you like to share what was it exactly that amused you”

“You, my prince”

“Me?”

“It was a nice effort I am not going to lie but I do believe you are in desperate need of a better coach”

Once again the people spoke under their breaths, not of what she said but most of who she was, a mere foreigner that spoke ill of the princes and the guards' skills in sparring.

“Really? Go on then princess, pick a sword”

“Prince Aemond I think the princess was just jesting”

“I was not, on the contrary, I would love to part take in this adorable training session”

She opposed it, she had chosen to cover herself with a thick cape that was now on the ground, Aemond observed (y/n)s arms, scattered wounds from scars decorated her skin, and her long hair resembled a horse, long, thick, and beautiful.

(Y/n) twirled the sword with her fingers, her ruby eyes sparkling at the idea of a challenge, she looked like a creature from another world.

Aemonds interest had peaked in (y/n) ever since she went against his father, the ever-defiant princess let the king have a piece of her mind, she was fearless, so how could he not want to know more?

“Do not worry Ser, I will go easy on him”

“Is that so? Well then, let’s see which one will have to swallow back their words or pride after we are done with this”

“Sounds promising”

There was a moment of silence, you could hear a pin drop until Aemond went for the first jab that left (y/n) unfazed, her sword collided with his and forced him to take a step back due to her position switching smoothly from defense to offense, the princess had been yielding a sword since the young age of 4, archery was her favorite but a sword fight was more intimate, to be able to see the fear on her opponents' eyes as he was slowly losing his leverage, a priceless moment.

“You must be quicker than that”

She teased him before she disarmed him, with a grunt Aemond released the clutch he had on his sword the edge of (y/n)s weapon rested on the side of his neck, Aemond panted still he did not break eye contact, and neither did she.

“I must say princess, I have never met someone like you”

“Good, she would have probably taken your head already, however, I do not want to stain my attire so I will leave you to it”

She smiled at him before she left the sword back in its place and retrieved her cape. With her back turned to him he recalled the first night she had stayed, oh that eventful night that turned his life around forever, she had earned the nickname of “princess of the night” around the castle but Aemond felt like she brought to light in his life.

The pain from his eye injury would often leave him restless, he had grown tired of it and went out for a walk. That is when he saw her, she whispered something that sounded like nonsense to him with her head looking up at the sky, he was about to brush it off as the princess was just mad when he saw the dark mist appearing from the sky and had started to circle her.

Instinctively he went over to the side so he can remain hidden while he spied on her, the most had almost engulfed her when she turned around, her eyes were open however she was not looking at something specific, it almost looked like she had gone blind, her eyes were completely red, no white, no black, just a coat of red, she appeared to be inhaling the mist while the whispering continued.

He should have been scared, and ran away to call for guards and take her to the dungeons for her dark magic, however, he stood still, and he allowed her to continue without intruding.

“Amazing”

He mumbled to himself, astonished with what his eyes beheld like she commanded the world to spin, she was commanding the sky itself to engulf her, she wasn’t asking for darkness, she was the darkness.

The mist after a while started to dissolve and her eyes would slowly fade back to what they usually looked like, still, her hues were of dark burgundy, and now they were leaning towards the image of a fireplace, licks of a flame danced around her jewels she called eyes, her hair fell like traces framing her face, her skin blistering under the moonlight, she was a creature of the night, the mystery of the black coat painting across the sky became her.

Aemond thought he had gone unnoticed, he could not have been more wrong. (Y/n) picked up on his pacing from a mile away, the whispers of her ancestors warned her of whom it was, she chose to ignore him, let him become a mere observant of her craft, although she allowed it to scare him off, thinking that the prince would run with his tail between his legs and let everyone know of what he saw.

Aemond surprised her, the man was of course taken aback by the incident but the result wasn’t what she made it to be, he was even more interested in the princess. She was a worthy opponent, someone that left him guessing, an untouchable royal from the unknown that could make anyone tremble with just one sentence, she is everything Aemond aspired to be.

“She will be mine”

“Whom are you referring to?”

She loudly questioned startling Aemond. After the first wave of shock, he managed to smoothly recover and come out of his hiding spot to face her.

There she stood, the princess of Mossovy, the powerful witch, a woman that was one of a kind. Aemond gulped the knot that had formed in his throat before he took just one step closer to her.

“You, princess”

“Me? I will be yours? You have a wonderful sense of humor”

(Y/n) chuckled at the declaration of the prince. Aemonds ego was severely bruised at her initial response, ever since his eyes incident he had desperately made the effort to improve his confidence, truly a woman laughing at his vulnerability was making his work crumble beneath her feet.

“Do you honestly think I am looking for a husband? Someone that will parade me around while I am young and breed me until I give him a son and after all my tough labor of being a “dutiful wife” I will be cast aside while he indulges in whores? I would rather eat my own heart”

Aemond lost his composure, how dare she assume he would be like that? He was a man of honor, a man that scoffed at such low-life antics, for so long his bed was empty, and would turn his back when his brother asked him to accompany him to flea bottom.

As (y/n) kept snickering Aemond took the advantage to catch her off guard and with a few big steps he was chest to chest with her, his fingers latching around her bicep to gain (y/n)s attention and cut her amusement short.

“I would worship you, you mustn’t be as witty as you consider yourself to be if you believe that once I get the chance to have you I would not take tremendous pleasure in spending every waking moment just admiring you, loving you, basking in your presence, you are the fire that burns inside, the ocean that soothes my burning ache”

“That is kind of you to say, except that it is just words, words are just a mass of air that forms into a sound for a mere second before it disappears. If you truly feel those things you claim, then act like it”

She challenged him, it was at that point that they both noticed how their chests brushed against one another, how they were only one breath away from the lips of the other, his stronghold only grew tighter as a way to restrain himself from doing something that his mother would frown upon.

The only time Aemond broke eye contact with (y/n) was when his gaze fell to her lips, those soft, pink lips that had tortured his brain from morning to night, if he just barely leaned in he could taste them, still, something held him back.

“You are breathing heavily my prince, what seems to be the matter?”

“Cast a spell on me, make me forget you, that is the only way I could live in peace, you have taken over my body like a demon, and I slowly find myself being pulled out of my schedule while my soul yearns for you or was in the rings of seven hells? Was my dull and grim life just a miserable way to exist and every you strolled in you plastered some color on my canvas? I do not know if your existence in my life is a gift or a curse”

“Isn’t that the beauty of it all? To be so mindfully present in the moment that you jump out of character for the one that you crave? To live and die for your other half?”

Requests are open!

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 15th September 2024

BIRCH Audio Drama As we work on getting this series off the ground we wanted to share the audio story for our PILOT episode. So make a like a tree and give it a listen. In this post-apocalyptic animated series, trees are sentient beings fighting against the humans and other nefarious threats for control of the dwindling water supply on earth. Birch, the head of this GREEN PIECES resistance is a NY street cop of a plant, born of references and bathes in bad-ass-ery, but will he have what it takes to bring down AVERAGE JOE... Well, will he punk? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240907-01 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f999a544/podcast/rss

Bond Beyond Blood Audio Drama Evelyn Green, a hard-hitting journalist, and Thomas Wright, a detective-in-training, become unlikely partners as they investigate the peculiar deaths of ex-detectives Frank and Lilah. Listen along and piece together the mystery as they fall into the chaos of the supernatural! This audio drama podcast is a mystery thriller with supernatural horror aspects that takes place in the American South. This series is also a sequel to Bond Beyond Death, but you do not have to have heard the previous show to understand this one fully. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240904-04 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/bond-beyond-blood/

All At Sea Audio Drama February is the captain and lone sailor of the Zenith, a longliner traversing the Pacific Ocean. But time is wrong, the sea is empty, and the world is quiet. ALL AT SEA is a microfiction podcast about being lost at sea at the end of the world. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240908-01 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/all-at-sea

The Tear Stained Throne Audio Drama The kingdom Duimouire is ruled by the Skien family, Queen Simone and King Tobais. A family that has been deemed the ruler of this land for one hundred and six generations. But when Queen Simone struggles to conceive an heir to the throne her entire world shifts at the possibility of her losing her crown. Her best friend, Lady Crestfield tells her about a healer across the West Sea who is rumored to have the ability to heal any illness. After much debate Simone sets off on her journey to find this healer, the weight of her unsteady future on her shoulders. But little does Simone know, there are https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240907-02 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f62f8f40/podcast/rss

ApocaPodcast (SciFi D&D style TTRPG) Audio RPG ApocaPodcast is an actual play, role-playing game podcast that follows the lives of three survivors in the imaginary Post-Apocalyptic SciFi world of Toprak. Most of what you’re going to hear will be live improvised role playing. We will be using the ABC role-playing game engine. ApocaPodcast aims to be a “family friendly” podcast by avoiding foul language and adult themes. However, there will be plenty of “fantasy violence” from fighting fantastical beasts that might tear someone to pieces, to the well-placed exploding head shot against a humanoid creature. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240909-01 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/992b4208/podcast/rss

https://media.rss.com/momentotalis/20240724_080730_d67758ba64c4d1f64a8f16875f4525d4.png

Momento Talis Audio RPG A group of four nerdy friends who love to play TTRPGs. Follow along as we delve deep into the Fairelands of Candela Obscura. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240725-06 RSS: https://media.rss.com/momentotalis/feed.xml

The World After Amazon: Stories from Amazon Workers Audio Book The World After Amazon is a collection of 9 short speculative stories, written by rank-and-file workers at the corporation that has transformed the way we read and so much more.Amazon's sci-fi propaganda tells the story of a company using cutting-edge technology to deliver a utopia of cheap consumer convenience. But its workers pay the price, toiling in dystopian conditions to create a future that will exclude them. What happens when those workers reclaim the radical imagination and their power to tell their own stories?The World After Amazon can be ordered in print or read or downloaded online for free, and is also available as a podcast and audiobook. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240904-05 RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/6259126/episodes/feed

Goons & Runes: The Nightmare Sun Campaign (DND) Audio RPG The Nightmare Sun is a D&D 5E homebrew campaign set on the Plane of Notierdes. Set in the year 1316, the PCs begin as a batch of surviving mortals contending with a world that has seen the apotheosis of Demon Lord into the sole Overgod of the Planes. Following this unholy reckoning, demons and undead have flooded the Planes and driven all other creatures to near extinction. Mortals eke out survival in the fringes of the wilds or live in absolute servitude to indulgent demons or undead rulers. However, even in this world cast with eternal twilight, there are those who struggle to carve their own destinies. But will you join them as they rise above the bleak world or simply bear witness to their doom? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240831-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/goonsandrunes/feed.xml

Wicked Dames Audio Drama When Violette and Elisabeth Fischer’s mother goes mysteriously missing in 1942 Berlin, they are presented with an unthinkable decision; kill a Nazi or risk the truth of their mother’s identity falling into enemy hands. In the wake of their mother’s mysterious disappearance and surviving their first trial, the innocent teen sisters team up with a serial killer moonlighting as a lounge singer, a Jewish girl in hiding, and the privileged daughter of a Nazi sympathizer to take down a Nazi General and save their mother. But little do they know, they’ve waded into a thick web of lies and betrayal. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240910-01 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f7a53208/podcast/rss

SNPR: Supernatural Public Radio Audio Drama A scripted comedy podcast series! Supernatural Public Radio, or SNPR, is a Peppermint Bottle Production. It's a short-form audio comedy about a local radio station, WKUG99, and its newest reporter, Salem Woods. Salem has to cover the occult and the uncanny for newbies (like himself).  https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240912-01 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2400822.rss

Words from Friends Audio Book Ever wished you were friends with a bunch of brilliant, talented writers who could bring you stories from a range of genres? Well, now you are. Words from Friends is a podcast which presents two short stories centred around a new theme every episode; from romance to thriller to science-fiction-neo-classical-coming-of-age dramas, we've got it all. So, pull up a chair and let this team of brilliant storytellers make you feel write at home. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240806-02 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f85f7e38/podcast/rss

Firebreaker Audio Drama Coronation Presents "Firebreaker: The Legend of George and the Dragon". Starring David Henrie ("Wizards of Waverly Place") and Elizabeth Tabish ("The Chosen"). Welcome to the world of Firebreaker, an exhilarating audio drama that takes you on an adventure of courage, friendship, and sacrifice. Join us as we delve into the captivating legend of George and the Dragon, a story that has inspired generations. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240710-02 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f773e108/podcast/rss

Murder Matrix ( English Thriller podcast) Audio Drama A fiction suspense thriller audio series that'll urge you to put on your detective shoes and tag along the story's characters to find the mystery beyond the maze of 7 episodes. You can tune in every week for a fresh episode and a new case with an intricate connection between them. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240906-01 RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/6288898/episodes/feed

Uf de Spur - de Umweltkrimi vo Z��ri Audio Drama Anna und Lukas arbeiten beide auf der Redaktion des Regionalboten. In ihrer Freizeit gehen sie gerne auch mal zusammen in die Natur. Auf ihren Spaziergängen und über ihre Arbeit stossen sie immer wieder auf seltsame Vorkommnisse, denen sie auf die Spur gehen. Da sind verschwundene Tiere, verfaulte Lebensmittel auf der Strasse, ein umgestürzter Mobilfunkmast und seltsame Zeichen bei einem verlassenen Haus. Der Mensch interagiert seit eh und je mit der Natur. Dabei kann es zu Konflikten kommen, wenn das sensible Ökosystem zu sehr gestört wird. Arten verschwinden, das Ökosystem wird instabil und gefährdet wiederum die Gesundheit von uns Menschen. Viele Konflikte können verhindert werden, wären sie den Menschen bewusst, denn Lösungen sind vorhanden. Mit diesem Podcast möchte das Amt für Abfall, Wasser, Energie und Luft des Kantons Zürich Umweltkonflikte ins Bewusstsein rücken, die wenig bekannt sind und aufzeigen, was jede und jeder dagegen tun kann. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240910-02 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/uf-de-spur/

Pulp: Chilling Tales Served Cold Audio Book There is a dimension beyond the mundane, a realm where the ordinary twists into the extraordinary. A place where shadows conceal secrets and the unexpected and bizarre lurk around every corner. Welcome to Pulp. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240910-03 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2403232.rss

DS Billings Mysteries Audio Drama Detective Sergeant John Billings has risen swiftly through the ranks to become one of Scotland Yard's youngest detectives, but in his private life he struggles with the demons of loneliness and morphine addiction. In these full length mysteries he will lead you on a thrilling journey into the darkest recesses of Victorian society. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240910-04 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/ds-billings-mysteries

The World Savers Audio Book From the makers of Super Smash Cadens and Caden’s Creepy Capers, this podcast series follows the adventures of the superhero team The World Savers as they try to put a stop to their nemesis, Dr. Maniacal, and many other foes. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240905-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/e897cdac/podcast/rss

Wave Makers Audio Plays Audio Drama Monthly anthology series of audioplays in a variety of genres https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240909-03 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/wavemakersaudioplays/feed.xml

[tedwardremus]

March is a busy month at work, so not a lot of fics were posted this month. Took a step back from my major WIPs but I did continue my Jillychallenge streak and completed a five chapter fic for Alight With Happiness fest.

Completed Fics

Querencia 

The time Lily, James, and Harry spent as a family in their little house in the West Country was far too brief, but it was overfilled with love, laughter, and, above all, life.

Moments of Lily and James at Godric’s Hollow told in five parts for @mppmaraudergirl's 'Alight With Happiness Fest'.

Rumor Has It

Severus doesn't believe the rumors that Lily finally agreed to go out with James Potter.

Three Lemons and a Dragon 

Once upon a time there lived a Prince named James who had to save his father's Kingdom by getting married. One day an older woman gifts him three lemons that will lead him to his true love.

Works In Progress

Snuffles & Son

Sirius raises Harry and opens a shop that specializes in repairing cursed artifacts and places protection wards on family heirlooms. One day, an Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries walks in with a cursed artifact from his cousin’s confiscated Gringotts vault, requesting Sirius’s assistance.

Be Not Afraid Of Greatness

(Not updated this month)

A collection of Frank Longbottom stories

Rage Against The Dying Of The Light

(Not updated this month)

In a universe where James and Lily Potter survive Voldemort’s attack on Halloween night. Most of wizarding society is enjoying newfound peace after a decade of war, except the young heroes who fought the war learn you can never really go back to the way things were before.

View past monthly round-ups here

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Frank, could you explain the causes of the French Revolution? A timeline of events would be a great bonus.

"Timeline of Events"

3.5 million years ago: first human ancestor evolved from a smaller ancestor

2.1 million years ago: Australopithecus evolved from smaller ancestors

900,000 years ago: Homo Habilis evolved from earlier human ancestors

700,000 years ago: Neanderthals first evolved from Homo Habilis

35,000 years ago: earliest Homo Sapiens sapiens is thought to have arrived in France

11,700 years ago: Late Stone Age dietary record of French Emperor Louis XVI's ancestor found near Paris, indicating the possible site of his castle Chateau Versailles

2,800 BCE: Celtic invaders migrate from what is now the Ukraine and Bulgaria

822 BCE: first Celts found on the isle of England

61 BCE: Julius Caesar arrives in what is now France and begins campaign against Celts

55 BCE: Julius Caesar captured by Gallic mercenaries on the banks of the Aisne river

53 BCE: Brennus of the city of Nassus leads first Gallic invasion of Italy

51 BCE: Pompey the Great ends Gallic occupation of Italy

38 CE: Emperor Claudius pacifies the Gauls after a Gaulish invasion of the isle of Britain

396 CE: Emperor Constantine, recognizing the influence of the Parisian countryside, transfers his capital to what is now France

476 CE: The Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus is deposed, marking the end of the Roman Empire

583 CE: Good King Charlemagne unites the Frankish people into a single kingdom

1494 CE: the Parliament of Toulouse passes the Edict of Purification, requiring Jews to convert to Christianity or leave the country

1531 CE: Henry VIII becomes first King of England and France

1610 CE: Francis Bacon publishes the New Organon, asserting in chapters 17 and 18 that the Heavens contain a fluid which he theorizes is the component of all matter on Earth

1632 CE: Corpus Juris Civilis, the universally agreed-upon legal code of the Catholic Church, dissolved

1648 CE: Protestant forces in France defeat Catholic forces, marking the beginning of the French Revolution

1848 CE: King Louis Philippe is deposed and the Second French Republic established

1870 CE: France is annexed by Prussia and Germany

1914 CE: an assassination in Sarajevo sparks World War I

1945 CE: Winston Churchill's government publishes the Paris Protocols, detailed proposals for the creation of the European Union

1958 CE: the European Union is founded, consisting of the six member states of France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (November 20-26, 2022)

Megumi Odaka, best known as psychic Miki Saegusa from the Heisei Godzilla series, retired from acting in 2000 due to health issues and disappeared from the public eye for a decade. The narration she contributed to Godzilla vs. Gigan Rex was her first role since then, and she's finally ready to go back in front of the camera. 3Y Film (The Great Buddha Arrival, Nezura 1964) has a new kaiju movie in the works, Hoshi 35, which Odaka is set to star in. Since it's a 3Y joint, and part of a celebration of the 35 years since her acting debut, expect it to get meta. As usual, Hiroko Yokokawa is directing; another key player is Daisuke Sato (Howl from Beyond the Fog), who will serve as director of special effects, cinematographer, and suitmaker (with Tomoya Ayaki).

3Y productions are known for bringing back veteran kaiju actors, and Hoshi 35 has already cast several besides Odaka, this time focusing on the Heisei era instead of the Showa era. Jun Hashizume played MOGUERA pilot Koji Shindo in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Kojiro Inaba in Ultraman Z, Daijiro Harada was Mechagodzilla captain Takuya Sasaki in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and Akira Ohashi stepped inside Gamera in Gamera 2, Iris in Gamera 3, and King Ghidorah in GMK. He'll be playing another monster in this one, Hoshikuzu. Hiroshi Miyasaka and Yumiko Tanaka will appear as well.

No plot details are currently known. The film is aiming for a October 2023 release date.

Gridman Universe, the crossover film for SSSS.GRIDMAN and SSSS.DYANZENON, has a new pair of posters and a teaser trailer. It'll hit theaters in Japan on March 24 (and hopefully arrive in the West before the year is out). Excessive fanservice aside, I really enjoyed GRIDMAN, but haven't gotten around to DYNAZENON yet... it aired in Spring 2021, which was a pretty chaotic time to be a Wikizilla editor, and I think I was under the impression it was all mecha, no kaiju. Guess I have to now!

Veteran Ultra Series director Takeshi Yagi debuted a proof-of-concept short at Tokyo Comic Con called AKARI, which you can also watch online. The story is simple—a giant heroine (Akari) battles a rampaging cyborg kaiju (Pythagodon) in a futuristic, neon city—but Yagi and company have far greater ambitions for it. They created it as part of a course on tokusatsu techniques, and hope to turn it into a feature or series with the funds from that course, as well as other crowdfunding efforts. The story they've drawn up is pretty intriguing: a 2076 Japan where corporations run amok, the AI uprising is at hand, and an alien race who survived their own rogue AI empowers a woman to save the Earth.

Matt Frank designed Akari. Akihiko Iguchi (Mechagodzilla, King Caesar, Titanosaurus) came up with Pythagodon, and boy, you can tell. I hope we haven't seen the last of them.

One more kaiju short for you to watch: Ivalla the Land Mine Monster: Case of Extra. This one is in more dire need of subtitles to get the full experience, but there's still a quality rampage to witness. From the other videos on the channel, Yuki Kurosu has been working on this for 8 years—props for persevering!

Godziban squeezed another episode out of Godzilla Festival 2022, this one focusing on the puppet displays and demonstrations at the event and the upcoming Blu-ray-only episodes which will see Bagan make his debut and many others battling it out.

Kadokawa released a fine video tribute to Gamera for his 57th birthday, which naturally ends by teasing the Netflix project. Interesting that they skipped over the 2015 short though.

Your reading assignment for the week is Patrick Galvan's excellent tribute to Kazuki Omori for Toho Kingdom, a well-researched overview of his career and analysis of the two Godzilla films he directed.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 10.18 (before 1900)

33 – Heartbroken by the deaths of her sons Nero and Drusus, and banished to the island of Pandateria by Tiberius, Agrippina the Elder dies of self-inflicted starvation. 320 – Pappus of Alexandria, Greek philosopher, observes an eclipse of the Sun and writes a commentary on The Great Astronomer (Almagest). 614 – King Chlothar II promulgates the Edict of Paris (Edictum Chlotacharii), a sort of Frankish Magna Carta that defends the rights of the Frankish nobles while it excludes Jews from all civil employment in the Frankish Kingdom. 629 – Dagobert I is crowned King of the Franks. 1009 – The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who hacks the Church's foundations down to bedrock. 1016 – The Danes defeat the English in the Battle of Assandun. 1081 – The Normans defeat the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of Dyrrhachium. 1281 – Pope Martin IV excommunicates King Peter III of Aragon for usurping the crown of Sicily (a sentence renewed on 7 May and 18 November 1282). 1356 – Basel earthquake, the most significant historic seismological event north of the Alps, destroys the town of Basel, Switzerland. 1540 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto's forces destroy the fortified town of Mabila in present-day Alabama, killing Tuskaloosa. 1561 – In Japan the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima is fought between the forces of Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, resulting in a draw. 1565 – Ships belonging to the Matsura clan of Japan fail to capture the Portuguese trading carrack in the Battle of Fukuda Bay, the first recorded naval battle between Japan and the West. 1597 – King Philip II of Spain sends his third and final armada against England, but it ends in failure due to storms. The remaining ships are captured or sunk by the English. 1599 – Michael the Brave, Prince of Wallachia, defeats the Army of Andrew Báthory in the Battle of Șelimbăr, leading to the first recorded unification of the Romanian people. 1630 – Frendraught Castle in Scotland, the home of James Crichton of Frendraught, burns down. 1648 – Boston shoemakers form the first American labor organization. 1748 – Signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the War of the Austrian Succession. 1775 – African-American poet Phillis Wheatley is freed from slavery. 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The Burning of Falmouth (now Portland, Maine). 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah is lifted. 1797 – Treaty of Campo Formio is signed between France and Austria 1851 – Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London. 1860 – The Second Opium War finally ends at the Convention of Peking with the ratification of the Treaty of Tientsin, an unequal treaty. 1867 – United States takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated annually in the state as Alaska Day. 1898 – The United States takes possession of Puerto Rico from Spain. 1900 – Count Bernhard von Bülow becomes chancellor of Germany.

[grottweiler]

OC Lore

Thomas McCobb Sr. was an unknown ambulance chasing lawyer in the Miami suburbs until a high profile defendant catapulted him into a household name. Now, his face is on nearly every bus stop and billboard from Key West to Pensacola. His adopted son, Thomas Jr., a gargoyle like Grottweiler, was eager to join the family business just as soon as he could pay someone to pass the bar exam for him.

Thomas the Elder spends most of his time commuting back and forth between client offices in Tallahassee and Palm Beach, but Thomas the Younger has set up shop in Flagler, a small city about an hour south of Miami proper, where he represents the mayor, Frank DeMarco.

DeMarco (not seen here) is an ambitious politician with nowhere to go. Every higher office he has his eyes on is already filled by a member of his own party and he doesn't have the muscle to challenge any of them, so he has spent the last few years amassing as much power as a municipal government will allow (and then some), ruling over his 4.65 square mile kingdom with an iron fist. He's biding his time until an incumbent retires so he can pounce and get the hell away from "Downwind Miami."

McCobb thinks of himself as DeMarco's Number 2, but in actuality he's his Number 3. His real Number 2 is his daughter, Delaney, the brains to McCobb's brawns. The three of them have unchecked power over every facet of the city, and the biggest thorn in their collective side is Grottweiler. Grott has neither power nor ambition for it, but he's popular with the people of Flagler because he's always willing to lend a helping claw. He's a community organizer, a volunteer, an activist, and that doesn't sit well with the de facto triumvirate. Frank and Delaney see Grott as a woke radical demon, and McCobb sees him as a malformed homunculus with whom he's ashamed to be a member of the same species; although he is a gargoyle, Thomas McCobb is his father's son through and through, and his peers consider him "human on the inside."

Grott is completely unaware of the political machinations behind the scenes. He doesn't know that he's Public Enemy No. 1, he just thinks this is what everyone has to deal with.

[takaraphoenix]

Two passions of mine are lists and family trees/next generations. One of my bigger gripes with the Fandom Wiki is that they will put absolutely everything to be a character category... aside from “next generation”...

So, I’m making my own list of next generation characters from all over the multiverse. Which is ungrateful, to be quite frank, due to how hard they are to find if you haven’t met them personally in a comic yet.

Which brings us to this post. Consider it a WIP as well as an ask for help. If you are as interested in next gen characters as I am, look at the shiny list! If you have read comics including next gen characters not listed here, please tell me the source and name so I can add them!

(Listed in braces behind are home Earth and continuity; if nothing is listed, it’s a child from the main continuity. Also, the list is in alphabetical order by hero alias, so if you want to just check a particular hero, that’s where you’ll find them.)

Children of Aquaman / Arthur Curry / Orin

With Mera:

Arthur Curry Jr. (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Arthur Joseph ‘AJ’ Curry (New Earth main continuity; erased)

Andrina ‘Andy’ Curry (main continuity since Rebirth)

Arthur Curry Jr. (Earth-12; Batman Beyond; listed separately because this one does not die in infancy but lives to be an adult)

Marina/Mareena Curry (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Eldoris Curry (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Artur (Earth-16; Young Justice cartoon)

Children of Aqualad / Garth

With an unnamed mother:

Tula (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

With Dolphin:

Cerdian (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Children of Batman / Bruce Wayne

Adopted Children:

Richard ‘Dick’ Grayson

Jason Todd

Timothy ‘Tim’ Drake

Cassandra ‘Cass’ Cain

With an unnamed mother:

Bruce Wayne Junior (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

With Diana Prince:

Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Trevor (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations; stepdaughter, biological daughter of Steve Trevor)

With Talia al Ghul:

Damian Wayne

Ibn al Xu’ffasch (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Athanasia al Ghul (Earth-49; Injustice)

With Selina Kyle:

Helena Wayne (Earth-2/Earth-203/Unnamed Earth of Batman/Catwoman)

Aion (Alternate Future; Batman in Bethlehem)

With Kathy Kane:

Bruce Wayne Junior (Earth-154; Super-Sons)

Stepchildren, with Harley Quinn:

Bryce Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Jackie Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Due to Amanda Waller’s cloning of his DNA:

Terrence ‘Terry’ McGinnis (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Matthew ‘Matt’ McGinnis (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Children of Batwoman / Kate Kane

With Renee Montoya:

Jason Todd (adopted; Earth-24; Bombshells)

With Maggie Sawyer: Unnamed Daughter

(Earth-24; Bombshells)

Children of Black Lightning / Jefferson Pierce

With Lynn Stewart:

Anissa Pierce

Jennifer Pierce

Jacob Pierce (Earth-118; Dark Knights of Steel)

Children of Bumblebee / Karen Beecher

With Malcolm Duncan:

Rhea Malia Beecher Duncan (Earth-16; Young Justice cartoon)

Children of Cyborg / Victor Stone

With an unnamed mother:

George Marvin Stone (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of the Flash #1 / Jay Garrick

With Joan Williams:

Judy Garrick (retconned into the main continuity as of The New Golden Age)

Bartholomew ‘Barry’ Allen (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show; Jay Garrick and Henry Allen as well as Joan Williams and Nora Thompson are confirmed to be doppelgängers, technically making Barry the child of Jay/Joan)

Children of the Flash #2 / Barry Allen

With Iris West:

Dawn Allen

Donald Allen

Nora Allen (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show)

Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Allen II (Arrowverse; The Flash TV show)

With Jessica Cruz:

Jason Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Jenny Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Nora Allen (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of the Flash #3 / Kid Flash / Wally West

With Angela Margolin:

Iris West (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Bartholomew ‘Barry’ West (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

With Linda Park:

Iris ‘Irey’ West II

Jai West

unnamed/unborn baby

Children of the Green Arrow #1 / Oliver Queen

Adopted:

Roy Harper Jr.

Mia Dearden

With Chloe Sullivan:

Jonathan Queen (Earth-167; Smallville TV show)

With Dinah Laurel Lance:

Connor Queen (Earth-49; Injustice)

Laurel Queen-Lance (Earth-11)

Olivia Queen (Earth-22; Kingdom Come/Earth-11)

With Felicity Smoak:

Mia Smoak-Queen (Arrowverse; Arrow TV show)

With Samantha Clayton:

William Clayton (Arrowverse; Arrow TV show)

With Shado:

Robert Queen Jr. (New Earth main continuity; erased)

With Sandra Hawke:

Connor Hawke

Children of the Green Arrow #2 / Connor Hawke

With presumably a version of Bonnie King:

Cissie King-Hawke (Earth16 - comics-verse, not cartoon verse, so the continuity of The Just)

Children of Harley Quinn / Harleen Quinzel

With an unnamed partner:

Unnamed Daughter (Earth-12; Batman Beyond; mother to Harley’s grandchildren, Deidra and Delia Dennis)

With Pamela Isley:

Unnamed Child (Earth-24; Bombshells)

With the Joker:

Lucy Quinzel (Earth-49; Injustice)

Bryce Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Jackie Quinzel (Earth-616; White Knight)

Children of Nightwing / Robin #1 / Dick Grayson

With Barbara Gordon:

John Thomas Grayson (Earth-2)

James ‘Jimmy’ Grayson (Earth-616; White Knight)

With Koriand’r:

Mar’i Grayson (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jacob ‘Jake’ Grayson (Alternate Future; The New Order)

With Unnamed Mother(s):

Elainna Grayson (Earth-12; Batman Beyond)

Thomas Grayson (Alternate Future; Generation Lost)

Children of Red Arrow / Arsenal / Speedy / Roy Harper

With Jade Nguyen:

Lian Harper

Children of Supergirl / Kara Zor-El

Adopted:

Lucy (Unnamed Earth; Last Daughters)

With Brainiac-5:

XTC (Earth-22; Kingdom Come; inofficial name of the character)

With Clark Kent (in-vitro):

Kara Junior (Unnamed Earth; Created Equal)

Children of Superman / Clark Kent / Kal-El

With Diana Prince:

Bruce Kent (Unnamed Earth; Distant Fires)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Three more unnamed children (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Lara Kent (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Unnamed son (Unnamed Earth; Act of God)

Zod-Ur (Earth 12; Batman Beyond; though he is the biological son of E12!Diana and E50!Clark and fostered by E12!Clark)

With Linda Danvers:

Ariella Kent (New Earth main continuity; erased)

With Lois Lane:

Jonathan Samuel Kent

Jonathan Kent (Arrowverse; Superman & Lois TV show)

Jordan Kent (Arrowverse; Superman & Lois TV show)

Christopher ‘Chris’ Kent (Earth-16 - again, The Just comics, not YJ; their son in YJ is a version of Jon)

Clark Kent Jr. (Earth-154; Super-Sons)

Jorel Kent (Earth-2020; Superman 2020)

Joel Perry Kent (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

Kara Kent (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations)

Jason White (Unnamed Earth; Superman Returns movie)

Adam Kent (Unnamed Earth; Created Equal)

Hunter Prince (adopted; Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of Wonder Woman / Diana of Themyscira

With Clark Kent:

Bruce Kent (Unnamed Earth; Distant Fires)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Three more unnamed children (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Jonathan Kent II (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Lara Kent (Earth-686; Dark Knight Returns)

Unnamed son (Unnamed Earth; Act of God)

Zod-Ur (Earth 12; Batman Beyond; though he is the biological son of E12!Diana and E50!Clark)

With Steve Trevor:

Hippolyta ‘Lyta’ Trevor-Hall (New Earth main continuity; rewritten to no longer be either of their child/Earth-2)

Vicki Trevor (Earth-34; Wonder Woman: Amazonia)

Ettie Trevor (Earth-34; Wonder Woman: Amazonia)

Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Trevor (Earth-3839; Batman/Superman: Generations; also Bruce Wayne’s stepdaughter)

With Steppenwolf:

Donna of Amazon Island (Earth 2)

With the Darkness:

Hunter Prince (Alternate Future; Justice League: Legacy)

Children of Wonder Girl / Troia / Donna Troy

With Terry Long:

Jennifer Long (stepdaughter; New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Robert Long (New Earth main continuity; dead and also erased)

Children of Zatanna Zatara

With John Constantine:

Zatara II (Earth-22; Kingdom Come)

Raven (adopted; Earth-24; Bombshells)

[magnavox-selfship]

Platonic F/Os

🔥 Avdol, ⚔️ Polnareff, 🍈 Kakyoin (JJBA)

🕶️ Sanford, 🚬 Deimos, 💉 2BDamned, ⭐ Jenn, 🛞 Mole (Madness Combat)

🕷️ Nabnab (Garten of BanBan)

😷 The Breather (Welcome to the Game)

🧣 Wyll, 🦇 Astarion (Baldur's Gate 3)

🐧 Hopper (Animal Crossing)

🔮 Quaz, 🦩 Veb, 🔱 Jentorra (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania)

⚜️ Raka (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes)

📸 Frank West (Dead Rising)

🌺 Robot, 🔧 Don (Lost in Space)

🐻 Lewis (IF)

Familial/Pet F/Os

🦋 Jolyne (daughter) (JJBA)

🐮 Moo (cat) (JJBA (OC))

🌷 Daisy (dog) (JJBA (OC))

🌼 Holly, 📸 Joseph, 💚 Suzie Q, ☮️ Josuke (in-laws) (JJBA)

🎧 Katey (daughter) (Dead Rising)

🚀 Blastoff (daughter) (Transformers (OC))

🖼️ Blathers, ✨ Celeste (siblings) (Animal Crossing)

🪖 John, 🔭 Maureen, 👟 Judy, 🍪 Penny, 🤖 Will (brother, sister-in-law, nieces/nephew) (Lost in Space)

[paganimagevault]

Oak Tree Monument of Kurszan by Boltresz Ervin 2014

Kurszan and his entourage were deceived by the Franks and invited to a banquet to discuss peace in 904 CE. The Franks then had him and his entourage murdered. Up to this point the Magyars and the Franks had some skirmishes on the borderlands but nothing major. Four years earlier the Magyars had also tried to establish peaceful relations with the new Frankish leadership, following Arnulf of Carinthia's death, however the Franks rejected the offer for peace. The alliance between the Franks and Magyars, established by Arnulf, had been destroyed: "They first opted for the pacific alternative and sent peace delegations to the court of the new Frankish ruler, Louis the Infant. After their offer was rejected they took severe measures. The Magyar armies launched an attack against the area under Bavarian control" (Hungarians and Europe in the Early Middle Ages by Andras Rona-Tas).

While the rejection of peace resulted in border skirmishes, the death of the Hungarian leader warranted more aggressive actions. After Kurszan's assassination the Magyars undertook a series of massive invasions of the Frankish kingdoms, with the Magyars eventually reaching the Atlantic shores in West Francia.

[rebeccadumaurier]

2023 Books in Review

a tiered ranking of all the books i read in 2023! originally i was going to write up my commentary on each one but then i was like hahaha.....no, so below the cut is just a list of the titles/authors in each tier instead.

changed my brain chemistry

The Idiot, Elif Batuman

Land of Milk and Honey, C Pam Zhang

The Borrowed, Chan Ho-kei (trans. Jeremy Tiang)

My Cousin Rachel, Daphne du Maurier

Vagabonds, Hao Jingfang (trans. Ken Liu)

The Membranes, Chi Ta-wei (trans. Ari Larissa Heinrich)

Under the Pendulum Sun, Jeannette Ng

Severance, Ling Ma

He Who Drowned the World, Shelley Parker-Chan

Vita Nostra, Marina & Sergey Dyachenko (trans. Julia Meitov Hersey)

Network Effect, Martha Wells

top-tier stuff

Our Share of Night, Mariana Enriquez (trans. Megan McDowell)

Brainwyrms, Alison Rumfitt

The Door, Magda Szabo (trans. Len Rix)

The Lover, Marguerite Duras (trans. Barbara Bray)

Fun Home, Alison Bechdel

Strange Beasts of China, Yan Ge (trans. Jeremy Tiang)

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, Becky Chambers

Pachinko, Min Jin Lee

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, Kim Fu

Tell Me I’m Worthless, Alison Rumfitt

Bliss Montage, Ling Ma

How to Read Now, Elaine Castillo

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer

The Fifth Season, N. K. Jemisin

If Beale Street Could Talk, James Baldwin

My Brilliant Friend and The Story of a New Name, Elena Ferrante

The Jasmine Throne, Tasha Suri

good, well-written

Carmilla, Sheridan Le Fanu

Life Ceremony, Sayaka Murata (trans. Ginny Tapley Takemori)

Yellowface, R. F. Kuang

A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine

Assassin of Reality, Marina & Sergey Dyachenko (trans. Julia Meitov Hersey)

Witch King, Martha Wells

Tokyo Ueno Station, Miri Yu (trans. Morgan Giles)

Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler

Peaces, Helen Oyeyemi

Gingerbread, Helen Oyeyemi

Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir

The Pachinko Parlor, Elisa Shua Dusapin (trans. Aneesa Abbas Higgins)

All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Fugitive Telemetry, and System Collapse (Murderbot #1-4, #6-7), Martha Wells

Revenant Gun, Yoon Ha Lee

The Dry Heart, Natalia Ginzburg (trans. Frances Frenaye)

Gods of Want, K-Ming Chang

Paradais, Fernanda Melchor (trans. Sophie Hughes)

The Mushroom at the End of the World, Anna Tsing

Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced An Emergency, Chen Chen

The Hurting Kind, Ada Limon

Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie

An Unauthorised Fan Treatise, Lauren James

Upstream, Mary Oliver

The Art of Death, Edwidge Danticat

Meander, Spiral, Explode, Jane Alison

alphabet, Inger Christensen (trans. Susanna Nied)

Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

flawed, but enjoyable

The Wicker King, K. Ancrum

Exit West, Mohsin Hamid

Detransition, Baby, Torrey Peters

Flux, Jinwoo Chong

Bang Bang Bodhisattva, Aubrey Wood

The Murder of Mr. Wickham, Claudia Gray

Natural Beauty, Ling Ling Huang

The Monster Baru Cormorant, Seth Dickinson

Certain Dark Things, Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Likeness, Tana French

The Cabinet, Un-su Kim (trans. Sean Lin Halbert)

The Kingdom of Surfaces, Sally Wen Mao

The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On, Franny Choi

good, well-written, but not my cup of tea

The Good House, Tananarive Due

The Transmigration of Bodies, Yuri Herrera (trans. Lisa Dillman)

Roadside Picnic, Arkady & Boris Strugatsky (trans. Olena Bormashenko)

The School for Good Mothers, Jessamine Chan

At Night All Blood Is Black, David Diop (trans. Anna Moschovakis)

Family Lexicon, Natalia Ginzburg (trans. Jenny McPhee)

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, Nghi Vo

The Kingdom of This World, Alejo Carpentier (trans. Harriet de Onís)

Against Silence, Frank Bidart

flawed, less enjoyable

Tenth of December, George Saunders

Counterweight, Djuna (trans. Anton Hur)

Authority, Jeff VanderMeer

Comfort Me with Apples, Catherynne M. Valente

Babel, R. F. Kuang

The Genesis of Misery, Neon Yang

Carrie Soto Is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid

not ranking

These are nonfiction and they aren’t literature-related, so it just felt weird trying to rank them.

Visual Thinking, Temple Grandin

On Web Typography, Jason Santa Maria

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo (trans. Cathy Hirano)